~ The Sixteenth ~

“I’m glad you got an appointment so quickly. Will you tell Draco about it?”

“No. I’d be thankful if this could stay between you and me.”

“So...you didn’t tell any of your friends?”

“Friends!” Narcissa laughed cynically. “They’re under supervision of the Ministry, like us. It would be foolish to contact them. It’s a miracle we got Lucius out of Azkaban. I didn’t believe we could rely on our connections anymore. I will not risk his freedom!” Only seconds later, she realised what she had said.

After a long, awkward pause, Molly said slowly, “We won’t talk about this again.”


-----------------------------------


~ The Seventeenth ~

Narcissa found Molly in low spirits, and not very talkative.

“What is it?” she finally asked over the second cup of tea.

Molly sighed. “Last night, I woke up and Arthur wasn’t in bed. I found him in the living room, crying over Percy’s last letter to me.”

Narcissa was not particularly surprised. “Lately, I’ve often seen Lucius going through our old photo albums, when he though I didn’t notice. He didn’t look very happy.”

Molly shook her head in frustration. “Why can’t they see they’re just making themselves miserable with their attitudes?”

Unfortunately, neither of them had an answer.


-----------------------------------


~ The Eighteenth ~

“So, all went well?”

“Yes. Everyone was very nice and discreet, and there were no complications.”

Molly thought Narissa looked better than she had during the last weeks – like a heavy weight had been taken off her shoulders.

“I’m glad for you.”

“Thank you.” Narcissa smiled back at her. “Actually...” She fell silent, seemingly having to bring herself to talk. “Lucius will be away all day next Friday. Wouldn’t you like to come over, for a change?”

Molly was stunned at first, but then readily agreed. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that they had just taken a great step.


-----------------------------------


~ The Nineteenth ~

What is she doing here?”

Narcissa’s cup shattered on the floor of the elegant sitting room she and Molly were having tea in after a tour of the house. Lucius Malfoy was standing in the doorway, staring angrily not at Molly, but his wife.

“I want her out of my house immediately!”

Narcissa winced again at Lucius's yelling, suddenly looking tense and pale. It was then that Molly realised that Narcissa feared her husband.

“It’s not your fault. I’ll see you next week,” she whispered, then got up and left, brushing past Lucius without so much as looking at him.


-----------------------------------


~ The Twentieth ~

Narcissa didn’t come, and this time, there was no letter. Molly drank her tea alone and couldn’t help worrying. She tried to tell herself that there was no reason, but she couldn’t forget that look in Narcissa’s eyes, and how she had flinched.

Of course, Arthur was the last person with whom she could have talked about this subject. The evening went by with Molly feeling restless and irritated, and when he asked her what was wrong, she almost snapped at him. Finally, they ended up lying awake in bed for a long time, stubbornly facing away from each other.
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