2.14

                                    

                                          
2.14 
death and life 
A clash of lightning outside awakened Draco from his initial shock. Before him, pushed through the door by none other than the High General he so detested; was his mother. Narcissa Malfoy still held herself according to etiquette, even amidst of chaos. She lifted her hood in grace and did a sad glance over the damage to the castle.
"Mother?" It was a whisper, and it went unanswered as mother and son stared at one another in disbelief.
In a swift step, Narcissa embraced him tightly. "Oh, Draco my darling boy. I'm glad to see that you remain unharmed." She looked over his friends, smiling as she saw Theo. "Theodore, how great to see you are alive after all. Your father will not be pleased that you chose to side with... these people."
Theo snorted, "I'll be glad if it gives him a heart attack and puts him in the ground, honestly." Narcissa chose to ignore his comment and took a step into the Great Hall, just as another round of thunder sounded from behind her. Draco heard his mother gasp as she looked upon the disaster and dead that lay inside the once joyous Hall. "Merlin..."
"What the hell do you think you're doing here, Death Eater?" A seething Molly Weasley screeched. Onlookers' eyes focussed on Draco and his mother. 
"How can I help?" Was all Narcissa asked. Mrs. Weasley only seemed to find more fury in that answer, her cheeks warming with an angry red. 
"How dare you? Your filth of a sister dares to take my son from me! My son! And you ask how to help? You and your kind have done ENOUGH!" The Weasley matriarch pulled her wand out and aimed it at his mother. 
Draco quickly stepped between the two women, his hands up. "Stop this. Hasn't there been enough damage today? For your information, there is a Goddess outside these walls, trying to tear them down – we have tons of wounded people that could benefit from another experienced Healer and besides that, my mother surely did not risk His wrath, only to hurt anyone here, would you think?" He gasped for breath afterwards, but Molly Weasley did lower her wand the tiniest bit.
"Mister Malfoy is right," an unstable McGonagall agreed with him, slowly and weakly rising from her seat with the help of Pomfrey, "Narcissa, may I inquire as to what you are doing here? As you can see, we have a situation at hand and are in no way willing to negotiate with your Lord."
Draco was surprised as his mother made the most indecorous huff he'd ever heard her make, "My husband and I have tried to implode the Dark Lord's regime for several months now. You see, after our son's...insubordination to his first mission, in failing to kill Dumbledore, Lucius got punished greatly for it. It drove him to madness – as you well know, the Cruciatus Curse can leave impressive marks." Narcissa eyed Granger with pity, "It took me quite some time to restore Lucius psyche, especially since Severus remained occupied here, at Hogwarts."
"Severus helped you break Voldemort's regime?" McGonagall asked indignantly. Draco's mother confirmed her question with a nod.
Draco himself however, seemed unenthused. "My – Lucius had gone mad long before that, Mother. Do not deny this."
Narcissa eyed her son sharply. "You forget how great your father's suffering was in his short time in Azkaban, and the long time thereafter. More importantly, you forget how great an actor my husband is." She looked back at McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley, "Severus has been helping me restore my husband's health ever since he was recovered from Azkaban. You must realize, he is by far not a man with the Order's morals and values, but he sees the error in the Dark Lord's ways. Speaking of Severus, where has he gone? I must speak with him."