63

Do you love him?" that final question hung in the air as she closed the door of the phone box behind her. Shaking slightly, she slumped into the seat of the car and they instantly sped off.

She waved away the House Elves that appeared as soon as she stepped through the door, practically dragging herself up the stairs she was so exhausted. Setting her flowers in a vase that a House Elf had silently laid out, she set them on a bedside cabinet and then collapsed straight backwards onto the mattress.

"Who knew that standing and talking for," she checked the clock, "four hours, would be so exhausting?" she yawned, unbuttoning her waistcoat and toeing off her shoes. Pulling herself further up the bed, she sat with her back against the many pillows and cushions that were piled there and flexed her stiff legs. Reaching over to the bedside cabinet that displayed her roses, she plucked the small black envelope out of the blooms and opened it up. Inside was a plain white card with a message written in distinctive, black script.

Do we call this one year or two? Happy Anniversary none the less.

Lucius

Smiling, she set the card beside the vase and got quite a shock as she found Harry's head in the fireplace.

"Boo!" he said with a laugh.

"Have you been going through every fireplace in the house looking for me?" she asked with a smirk as she slid off the bed and crossed the room to kneel on the Persian rug in front of the fire.

"No, I just flooed the kitchen and asked the House Elves."

"Well, I suppose that was probably easier, we do have many fireplaces." She laughed. "So what's up?"

"Well, I just wanted to say well done for today."

"Thanks."

"And, well, we were wondering if we could come over again and talk to you?" he asked.

"You know, you don't need to ask if you want to come over, you're welcome any time."

"No, when I say we, I mean Sirius, Lupin, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Tonks, Fred, George and Moody." He explained hurriedly. "They all want to see you, I mean, they've hardly seen you."

"Alright," she shrugged, "on one condition."

"And that would be?" Harry raised an eyebrow sceptically.

"That Moody ignores everything his magical eye sees."

"I'm not sure he'll agree, but I'll try and persuade him." Harry laughed.

"Ok then," Kathryn glanced at the clock, "you're welcome to stay for dinner of you like, just give me a couple of hours to get showered and sort some things out."

"So we'll Floo at about six then?"

"Fine, see you later."

"Bye." Harry's head disappeared and the green flames faded.

Getting up off the rug, she wandered downstairs and informed the House Elves in the kitchen that there might be a party of thirteen for dinner and that they were to set the dinner table accordingly. After that, she went back up the stairs and barricaded herself in the shower for a good half hour; determined to look refreshed and not exhausted when everyone arrived. Technically, she had planned to spend the rest of the day in her pyjamas, possibly having Harry, Ron and Hermione over for a while, but just relaxing, not entertaining. Drying off her hair slightly, she pulled on a pair of black jeans and a grey shirt that was, effectively, one of his that she had resized and re-coloured. To this she added the string of pearls that he had given her earlier that year, grabbed his cane and a pair of flat, black boots and walked out the door.

She had discovered, in her exploration of the Manor and grounds, that he actually kept stables with several fine horses, both normal and magical. There were four winged Granian horses, all a deep grey colour, presumably for pulling one of the several coaches she had found in another outbuilding. There were also four normal horses, all tall, proud animals with jet black coats and manes. She had been taught how to ride at Beauxbatons, and had spent several afternoons out riding whilst she had been waiting for the trial to commence. She had ridden them all, but her favourite was the one that had been christened Brego after a horse that appeared in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Cheating slightly, she used magic to put on the saddle and bridle, and she was out onto the moors behind the house in minutes.

She ended up in the hidden part of the garden, sitting with her legs dangling over the edge of the bridge as Brego had a drink beneath her. She had completely forgotten about the time and was surprised when a house elf appeared beside her with a crack.

"Excuse me Miss," she squeaked, "but I is coming to tell you that your friends is arrived just now."

"Oh, yes," she sighed, "I'd forgotten."

"I am telling them to wait in the front drawing room."

"Yes, tell them I will be there momentarily."

The elf gave a bow and disappeared with another crack. Kathryn walked down to her horse and pulled him away from the water.

"Come on Brego," she said quietly, giving him a pat, "time to go home." Mounting him again, she steered him over the bridge and in a direction leading away from the house. "But we'll take the long way back as I don't want to ruin the lawns." She said as they climbed one of the paths that traversed the slope. True to form, Brego coped easily when she urged him off the path and up the steep hill, dense with trees, which led to the wall that separated the manor from the rest of Wiltshire. With a wave of her wand, the bricks and iron railings melted away to allow them passage, only to seal again once they were through. After that, she urged him on as fast as he could go so that she didn't keep them waiting for too long.

She considered slowing to a dignified walk when she reached the gravel drive, but decided against it; instead galloping down at full speed, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. Inside the house, Harry was looking out of the window. One of the house elves had told them that Kathryn would be coming down the front drive at any moment, so he was looking out for her.

"I think she might be here." He said to the rest of the room, who promptly gathered around the several large windows. There was definitely something coming, but Harry was sure that his sister could not be travelling that fast. His questions and, by the sounds of the gasps from other people, those of others were answered as the thing drew closer. It was indeed Kathryn, only on horseback. Her steed was as black as her hair, which was flying out behind her as she rode. She handled the animal with ease, guiding it expertly down the drive before cutting across the lawn. She slowed slightly on the grass, looking across to the house for a moment and seeing their faces in the window. Changing her mind, she pulled Brego around and headed for the front door, coming to an almost skidding stop and dismounting. A house elf appeared almost immediately.

"Your guests are in the drawing room."

"Thank you, would you please see to Brego." The elf gave a bow and went to tend her horse as Kathryn hurried up the steps.

"Well," Harry said dryly from the doorway into the drawing room, "we're quite the lady of the manor, aren't we?"

"Well, technically, I am." She shrugged, walking past him to greet everyone else. Everyone was looking at her as she walked in but Mrs Weasley was the first to move.

"Oh my poor dear!" she cried, rushing towards her and grabbing her in a bone crushing hug. "You were so brave!"

"Thanks." She managed to gasp. "But the story's far from over." She added once she had been released.

"And do we get to hear any of it?" Moody growled.

"No." she said with a sigh. "I'm not having the media, or the Wizengamot, accusing you of knowing about any of this, about being part of a conspiracy."

"But you are sacrificing your reputation, your status as a hero?" Sirius questioned her, unable to believe what she was saying, despite having heard it before.

"Did Malfoy put you up to this?" Moody demanded, clunking roughly over to her and looking her straight in the eye. "Does he think that you are his escape route? Think that you can hide everything I see?"

"He made no demands of me." She shot back in an acerbic tone. "And he has made it perfectly clear that I am free to walk away at any point."

"Then why don't you."

"Because I don't want to." She spat, turning on her heel and storming out the door.

"Alastor!" Mrs Weasley scowled at Moody who did his best to look sheepish, his magical eye whizzing madly in its socket.

"Kathryn, come back!" Harry shouted after her as she stormed up the stairs.

"If all I am going to be is berated then I see no reason to return." She shouted back.

"Oh Alastor," Molly chided Moody as Harry followed his sister, "why did you have to say that? She's going through a hard time and we are supposed to be supportive."

"I'm sorry Molly," he shrugged, "but I just don't understand it. Do you have any idea how much it riles me to be able to see what this house hides and not be able to say anything? How much it annoys me to be a guest in this house, a house I'd sworn never to set foot in unless it was to seriously injure the man?" they had, by this time, joined Harry where he was standing before the large double doors with the crest carved into them.

"Oh my goodness." Mrs Weasley said in a small gasp. "Does she actually sleep in here?"

"Oh yes," Harry said dryly, "as well as other things."

"Too much information mate." Fred groaned, clapping his hand over his eyes.

"Yep, I didn't need to have that on my mind." George added, acting in exactly the same way as his twin.

"I heard that." Kathryn's voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"Are you coming out?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Only if I can do so without inviting more criticism." Harry shot Moody a warning look at this demand.

"Promise."

"The door's open." Harry turned the handle and pushed the door slowly open. Kathryn was sitting on the bed, changed out of her jeans and riding boots into a pair of relaxed grey trousers that matched her shirt.

"Right," she sighed, turning around to face them, "let's start again."

"We thought you did really well today." Sirius began. "I think the editors of the Prophet are going to be kicking themselves after all the editorials and general rubbish that they've been publishing."

"They'll still do it." She shrugged. "They'll still do it until something changes their mind, like a verdict. Besides, after tomorrow, they're going to have even more to throw at me."

"And what might that be?" Lupin asked interestedly.

"Oh no, you get to wait in suspense like everyone else for the reasons I said before." She said with a small smile and a wag of her finger. "I know it's annoying but it's for your own benefit."

"Well, you have a good place to stay hidden from the press." Tonks added. "That must be a plus. I mean, I knew that my Aunt had married into considerable wealth," she said, referring to Narcissa, "but this is obscene. How much land do you actually have?"

"Four thousand acres." She replied coolly, as if it weren't that big a thing. "It's the largest private wizarding estate in the country."

"You must own half the county!" George exclaimed in amazement.

"Not quite half," she shrugged, "but a fair portion. Stonehenge was on Malfoy land but it was gifted to the Ministry for its preservation."

"What about Muggles?" Hermione asked. "Doesn't it annoy him that Muggles live, farm and walk across his land?"

"He told me that he didn't really care," she shrugged, "so long as he has the house, grounds and a reasonable distance between himself and any Muggle settlement he doesn't mind. The Ministry sees that this is kept to; liaising with the Muggle government and everything."

"You certainly seem to know an awful lot considering that the land isn't even yours." Mr Weasley commented.

"I am Mistress of it for the moment," she explained, "and I am responsible for it. Besides, there has been little else to do. I know many of the Manor's secrets. Secrets that I believe the Auror office would have killed to know." She added with a smirk.

"That's nice to know." Tonks said, sounding rather cheesed off.

"Oh, I would have told you," Kathryn replied apologetically, "it's just that, since I am the guardian of the estate, anything discovered would be my responsibility and I am not willing to endure further hassle from the Ministry."

"To be fair, I'm not sure that I'd like to know the secrets this house hides."

"I don't think anyone would." Before the conversation could progress any further, a house elf appeared with a crack. "Yes?" Kathryn asked as he gave a low bow.

"I is coming to inform you that dinner is ready." He squeaked, twisting his spindly fingers in the tea towel he wore.

"Thank you, we will be down in a moment." Giving a bow so low that his long nose grazed the rug, the elf disappeared again. Sliding off the bed, Kathryn walked to the doors and everyone followed, quite eager at the prospect of dinner.

"How do you cope with the portraits?" Sirius asked as they walked down the grand staircase. "From how my darling mother treats guests, I can imagine this lot giving you a pretty rough time."

"None of them have ever spoken to me." She shrugged, never having considered this before. "He normally covered the portraits, like you do with Mrs Black, whenever I was here. I doubt that he wanted them whispering to his son, or his wife for that matter."

"I'd imagine not."

"I'm not sure what they think actually," she went on, "I'm not sure whether they consider it beneath them to talk to me. Most turn away when I walk past."

"What about the house elves?"

"They're fine with me," she said with a smile, "they pretty much all know me and they don't seem to see me as an intruder."

Dinner passed without incident, Moody managing to refrain from further comment as they ate chicken wrapped in Parma ham with new potatoes and salad. The things they discussed were trivial, like her early conversations with Lucius used to be, not touching on what was going to happen at the trial tomorrow. Kathryn was sat at the head of the table and she was sure that no one missed the reference to her status at the present time, despite the fact that she was not seeking to make a point. She took them to the upstairs drawing room, next door to his study, after dinner as she could sense that more conversation was wanted. There was already coffee and tea set out in silver pots when they walked through the door. Whilst everyone else helped themselves, she crossed to a sideboard where a bottle of her favourite wine sat, uncorked and waiting, along with two simple, elegant glasses. Sighing, she left one empty and filled the other.

To her surprise, Hermione made no comment as she sat down in a chair and gazed into the velvety liquid. She was brought back out of her reverie when Mrs Weasley asked her a question for the third time.

"So why did he send you flowers, dear?" she asked. "I mean, I assume that those roses were from him."

"Oh, sorry," she apologised, "he sent me the roses because, well, it is kind of our anniversary, if you can really call it that."

"What do you mean, anniversary?"

"Two years ago I was," she checked the clock on the mantel, it had just gone half past eight, "I was waiting until it was dark enough for me to get close to the house." She explained quietly. "I think half past eleven is when it actually happened," she added, not looking any of them in the eye, "give or take a few minutes."

"Quite a macabre thing to mark with flowers."

"Well, it's what after that, exactly a year ago oddly enough, that the flowers are for."

"I know that you've said the things changed," Sirius said, "but how?" he asked. "How did such a destructive, abusive relationship change? How could such a thing change?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "It just did and I don't understand why."

"Fudge will never accept that."

"I know; I will just have to think of something to say. That's what tonight is for." She finished her glass of wine and stood to pour another.

The conversation turned to more mundane topics again after that, and continued for another hour or so before Kathryn remembered something she had promised Hermione. She had turned he conversation to the books that were in the house and made Kathryn remember her promise.

"Oh, speaking of which," she told Hermione, "I have that book you wanted to borrow." In truth, Hermione had asked to borrow it weeks ago but, after her argument with Harry, she hadn't seen Hermione to give it to her. "It's just in the study; I'll go and fetch it." She stood and walked out of the room and into the study next door.

The room was pitch black as she walked in, not even the fire was lit and there was a slight chill in the air. There was no moon that night so there was not even the moonlight to help her see. She waved her wand to light the candles but none did so. Waving her wand again, she spoke the incantation.

"Lumos." A single candle sprang to life on his desk. No fire sprang up in the grate and she had to cross the room in the darkness, avoiding the various pieces of furniture. It was only as she got close enough to the desk that she saw what was sitting in the little area of light the candle created. The glass that had been loosely held in her fingers slipped from her grasp and shattered against the wooden floor. She heard the sound of many pairs of feet rushing from the room next door and into the study. Despite hearing them crash into furniture in the darkness she did not move her eyes from the desk.

"What?" Hermione gasped. "What's wrong? Oh." Her voice tailed off as she too caught sight of the object on the desk. This was the reaction of most people as they reached the desk. Lying in the candlelight was a single burgundy rose, the petals velvety and so dark they looked almost black, with a length of red ribbon tied in a bow around the stem. Sitting just above the bow was a ring. It was a discrete band of platinum with shining diamonds set around the entire circumference.

"Oh Merlin." Mrs Weasley said quietly as she picked up the rose, being careful not to let the ring fall off. Harry watched as his sister turned it over in her hand, examining it from every angle before stepping back to lean against the wall of the alcove in which the floor to ceiling window was set. Slowly, she slid down until she was sat with her legs stretched out. It was only then that Harry noticed that she had tears streaming down her cheeks in silent rivers. She gazed out the window mournfully, not meeting anyone's gaze, and running her fingers over the rose she still held in her hands. Everyone was looking for an explanation but, judging by the look on her face, she was just as mystified as the rest of them.

"Why?" Mrs Weasley said in a barely audible whisper. Kathryn merely shook her head in response, burying her face in her hands. "It's alright dear," she said kindly, kneeling down next to her, "would you like to be alone?" Kathryn nodded, wiping dears from her cheeks with her sleeve. "We'll show ourselves out." She gave her a surprisingly restrained, motherly hug. "See you in the morning." As soon as she stood, she was replaced by Sirius.

"Hang in there." He whispered, hugging her as well. Harry Ron and Hermione all hugged her goodbye too; Kathryn pointing out the book for Hermione that still lay on the desk. It was a first edition copy of 'Hogwarts, A History' and she saw Hermione's eyes light up as she took it reverentially in her hands. They left quietly, closing the study door behind them and leaving her sitting in the darkness. It was only then that she let the floodgates open; sobbing in the dark for quite some time. She hadn't cried like this since those days when he had first had her.

Once her tears had subsided, her eyes red raw, she opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out the several packages it contained. Setting the rose down, she pulled the first parcel towards her and undid the red ribbon that held the paper together. Beneath the blue paper was a box that contained another stupendous set of jewels, sapphires this time. Another box revealed a delicate tiara with jewels that matched the previous gift. Following these, there was another pair of stupendous dresses; one long, elegant cream ball gown and a shorter cocktail dress in deep purple. On top of all this were a couple of bottles of what looked like very expensive perfume, another few sets of jewellery, several new, elegant quills and a box of chocolates that looked like they had come from Paris.

Placing all of these on the desk and picking up the rose once more, she blew the candle out and walked in the darkness back to the door. She meandered through the Manor, venturing to the kitchen where the house elves supplied her with a small vase. Returning upstairs, she filled the vase and set it on her bedside table; levitating the other large vase to a table by one of the windows. Carefully, she slipped the ring off the stem and stuck it in the vase, not removing the ribbon. Leaving the ring on the cabinet, she disappeared into the bathroom to brush her teeth and then went next door to the wardrobe and re-emerged in her pyjamas.

Leaning back against the headboard, she twirled the ring around in her fingers; marvelling at how the many facets sparkled in the light. Of course, she knew that it was. It was an eternity ring; telling her that he wanted her to be his forever. However, this also told her that he was hers forever. Placing it back on the bedside cabinet, she took her glasses off and slid beneath the duvet; falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillows.