So this is my first HP fic but I've been thinking about doing this for a long time. Constructive criticism is welcomed but flames will be ignored or flamed back. Fair warning. Also, there will eventually be a relationship between Harry and Draco so if this is offensive to you I suggest you don't continue. If it is not however, please enjoy!

Takes place after the Battle at Hogwarts. Disregards Epilogue. Pretty much my take on what life was like for Draco and Narcissa Malfoy during their time with the Death Eaters and Voldemort. Auror Potter!

...

Narcissa stood in the middle of the drawing room, her blue eyes staring unblinkingly at the fireplace, long pale fingers clasped around a stark, white handkerchief. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun, displaying an intricate pair of silver and emerald earrings that matched her dark green robes. Despite her well-dressed appearance however, Harry could just make out the dark circles and hallowed cheeks on the proud feminine face. It was frightening how thin she was, the stress from both the war and the twenty or so Death Eaters currently occupying the room was draining her.

Watching the dark followers warily, Harry wondered just how it had happened that the Malfoy Manor came to house them. From what he had seen, none of the Malfoys looked particularly overjoyed that their home had become a military base. Even now Narcissa stood alone, distancing herself from the boisterous laughter and gossip that bounced across the room.

She doesn't want to be here. Harry thought to himself as he watched the witch in curiosity. As she had ignored the conversations around her, Harry in return couldn't catch a word of what was being said until a dark blur skipped towards them.

"Cissy!" Bellatrix whined as she came upon her sister, wrapping her arms around Narcissa's waist. "Draco. Will. Be. Fine." She cackled, leaning her chin upon her sibling's shoulder. If Narcissa was bothered by the action she didn't show it, her head dipped forward in a nod before she returned her eyes to the glowing embers.

"Draco?" Harry murmured, receiving no answer as he scanned the faces again for the familiar grey eyes. Draco was not amongst the Death Eaters. "Where is Draco?"

A sudden roar of green flames caused the voices in the room to quiet as Snape appeared from the fireplace, followed a moment later by Draco Malfoy. Narcissa's lip twitched upward in the smallest sense of a smile, relief barely able to reach her eyes before it retreated behind the stoic mask once more. "Draco." She greeted coolly as he stepped over the hearth, taking her outstretched hands in his. Harry was now very much aware that it was Narcissa's demeanor that her son had taken instruction from, not his father's.

Where Lucius had always seemed cold and unpleasant Narcissa was downright indifferent. If it hadn't been for the fact that Harry had been there to witness her statue-like form waiting for her son, he would have assumed she hadn't given a moment's thought to his absence.

"Mother." Draco replied tiredly. Harry stared at the all too familiar face; it was perhaps the first time in years that he was able to stand this close to the Slytherin. His appearance had taken the same sunken look as his mother's; grey eyes drooping in fatigue, worry lines stuck upon his brow and the corners of his pursed lips… It was however, his complexion that now caused the disconcerting feeling in Harry. Draco's ivory skin had always been a unique characteristic but now it was stained an unhealthy shade of grey, the once ethereal features looking weathered and ashen…

Part of Harry wanted to reach out and touch him as assurance that Draco was still alive while another part of him was afraid that the contact would cause him to wither away. He's ill… The revelation caused Harry to real backwards. How could he not have noticed? With all the time spent stalking him, researching, starring… Not once had he paid attention, not once had he thought about the boy's health when it was so blatantly clear Draco was suffering some sort of condition…

"Well? What did he say Draco?" Bellatrix asked as she moved from Narcissa's waist to her nephew's. It was a struggle for Draco to keep his face as impassive as his mother's but he managed to simply roll his eyes at the female Death Eater who clung to him as she would a lover.

"Draco has been given a task from the Dark Lord." Snape answered instead, walking away from the hearth and sitting lazily on the leather chair behind Narcissa. Curious murmurs erupted from the other side of the room and Harry felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Task?" Narcissa asked, her eyes darting from Serveus to her son. Her hands gripped Draco's tighter, the handkerchief slipping from her fingers and falling quietly to the floor.

Bellatrix made a sound between a squeal and a cackle, kissing Draco lovingly on the cheek as she danced on the balls of her feet, never releasing the young Malfoy from her possessive hold. "What is it Draco? What did he ask of you?"

"He must kill Albus Dumbledore." Snape replied thickly and Harry watched the hopelessness creep into the whites of Draco's eyes. Until this moment he had remained unmoved, trying to follow his mother's lead and succeeding in keeping his emotions in check; but now his body sagged forward, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion and distress. Narcissa blinked, once, twice… She again gazed at Serveus but before she could open her mouth Bellatrix was giggling.

"Kill! Dumbledore!" Soon the rest of the Death Eater's joined her until the entire room was echoing in laughter. Only the two Malfoys and Snape remained silent. "Draco! He's asked Draco to do this?" Bellatrix gasped in disbelief, still unable to control her cackling voice. "Our little Draco? Oh to have the chance you have!"

"He jests, surely?" Narcissa asked, releasing her son to turn and face Serveus. Snape, not to be outdone, had kept his stony disposition as well. His eyes glared warning daggers at Narcissa. "The Dark Lord can't really mean for him-"

"The Dark Lord was quite clear in his orders. He is giving this chance to allow the Malfoys to prove their loyalty after your husband's pathetic display at the ministry." Serveus hissed and the room fell quite once more. Harry watched Narcissa's mask falter, he could see the anger welling up to flush her pale face. Draco seemed to have sensed the change in her as well for he reached for her arm, only to have it yanked out of his grasp.

"Impossible!" Narcissa demanded, the fury in her voice lashing out like a whip. "He can't possibly expect Draco to kill Dumbledore! The Dark Lord himself wasn't even able to accomplish- "

Harry watched in horror as the Death Eaters moved simultaneously, encircling Narcissa with their wands drawn and pointed at her chest. It was Bellatrix however whose arm flicked out with practiced precision, her ugly face contorted in anger as she moved to curse her younger sister. "Cruc-"Narcissa didn't even attempt a defensive spell. Her back straightened like a poll, waiting, preparing herself for the pain that was about to come.

Harry watched frozen as Draco moved between them, using his body as a shield while forcing the two witches apart; but the relief was short lived, Narcissa was suddenly thrown backwards from the force of his slap, tumbling to the floor. "Silence!" Draco roared above his mother, grey eyes glinting like a knife in a murderous glare. "How dare you speak against the Dark Lord!" He hissed, his voice seething in rage. "How dare you question my authority! I am now master of this manor and the Dark Lord chose me for this task! You will hold your tongue! Do you understand?"

The silence was suffocating as Narcissa stared disbelieving at her son, genuine hurt written upon every crevice of her face. "You bloody bastard-" Harry turned to Draco, his own hands clenched into fists, wanting nothing more than to slap him when he saw… Saw the smirks fluttering over the faces of the other Death Eaters. Saw Bellatrix Lestrange lowering her wand and starring at her nephew in new found adoration. They were grinning at Narcissa Malfoy crumbled on the carpeted floor.

And then there was Draco, with his back now facing the Death Eaters Harry saw the sad grey eyes that were glossy with unshed tears. The blond's body trembled, perspiration glistening off his narrow face as he silently gasped for air. The attack seemed to have drained him. He was crumbling, his body betraying the fury in his voice and only Harry could allow himself to reach out to him, feeling guilt well in his chest as his fingers phased through the pale wrist.

Snape kept his hand hidden under his robe, trying to ignore the desperate look of his godson and keep his wary gaze on the other members of the room although it was clear the danger had passed. Draco's act had the dark followers grinning in appreciation at the youngest Death Eater.

"Forgive me." Narcissa finally spoke, pushing herself into a sitting position. "I did not mean to offend you or the Dark Lord." Her body looked so incredibly fragile as she struggled to stand on her own, facing Draco with cold, empty eyes. "It was a mother's worry. It's hard for me to see you grow up. I still think of you as a child when you clearly are not."

The guilt on Draco's face was nearly too much to take. The blond swallowed thickly, standing toe to toe with the woman who birthed him, his eyes pleading, begging for forgiveness even though his voice was astonishingly calm. "Get used to it then." Draco stated darkly. "I will not be treated like a child in my own manor, not even by you." Harry felt his chest clench as the proud back of Narcissa Malfoy bent forward in one deep, elegant bow.

"It won't happen again." She replied quietly. Bellatrix giggled, her wiry arms snaking around Draco's chest to look over at her sister.

"I'm proud of you Draco." She drawled in the blond's ear. "You have so much more backbone then your father." Draco didn't reply as she purred along his long pale neck, her slender fingers tracing circles over his black jacket.

"You really should be more careful about how you speak Cissy." Bellatrix added matter-of-factly, as if she hadn't just been about use an unforgivable on her. Narcissa nodded once again. "Come Draco, we'll make plans then. You have a whole year to do it, let's see if we can make Dumboldore suffer!"

The blonds face scrunched into a sickened sneer, his gaze lingered on his mother a moment longer, forcing the impeccable mask back into place before he turned to his aunt. "Of course, Auntie Bella."

"Draco…" Harry called, knowing full well he would be ignored as the former Slytherin allowed himself to be guided into the group of Death Eaters. Don't do this… but the ice prince was already beginning to fade, the room suddenly disappearing as the memory materialized into a bedroom instead.

The term Master bedroom seemed like an insult in Harry's opinion. It was bigger than the Dursley's entire first floor. A huge king-sized bed sat bellow a bay window, with the calacatta marble walls and white furnishings offering a pleasant and surprisingly light atmosphere that Harry wasn't anticipating as a common Malfoy bedroom.

Harry was also not anticipating the purely defeated gaze of Narcissa Malfoy staring unseeingly back at him as she sat at the foot of her mattress. It was unnerving, watching the icy blue eyes fill with pain and sadness; the proud shoulders slumping forward in fatigue… He watched her… The coldest women he knew, sinking into despair.

"Mother…" Draco's voice called from behind the closed door and Harry studied the emotions flickering over her worried face.

"Enter." She called quietly, her body noticeably stiffening as the Slytherin Prince glided inside. Draco glanced at his mother once and then pressed himself against the wall, holding his finger to his lips in a demand of silence. A long moment passed, then another until he seemed content to close the door, sparing one last glance behind himself before he turned the lock with a flick of his wrist.

"Draco-"

He was before her in a moment, crossing the room in three large strides and then threw himself at her feet, burying his face into her lap. "Forgive me!" He sobbed. "Forgive me!" Harry stood there, not knowing what to do as he watched his long time enemy crying into the skirts of his mother. The blond's body trembled as he kneeled on the floor, his voice hitching, his hands fisting the emerald material above her knee.

"Draco…" For the first time since the memory began Narcissa's voice cracked, understanding lacing every letter as her pale fingers began to run through his platinum hair. "Shhh." She cooed gently, soothingly... It was all Harry could do to not look away. "I'm alright."

"I'm sorry mother. I didn't want to hurt you!" He gasped. "Please forgive me. I was so afraid… Auntie Bella would have… I couldn't let her! Not again... I couldn't see you go through that again!" He sobbed. "I-"

She gently slipped her finger under his chin and lifted his face to meet her empathetic gaze. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. You were protecting me."

Draco snorted in disbelief, guilt written plainly across his features. She ignored it however and continued. "I wasn't thinking when I questioned the Dark Lord. If you hadn't intervened Bella would have done more than the Cruciatus curse." Her words didn't seem to reassure him as he looked unseeingly towards the window, tears streaming down his blanched face.

"If I were really able to protect you I would take you away from here." He said so quietly Harry had to walk closer to hear his words. "I'm pathetic. I can't do anything but nod and snivel after them. I hit you." His face scrunched in disgust as he looked back up at her. "I hit you, my own mother!"

Another sob chocked him as he buried his face into her lap again. "I can't do this mother! I c-can't kill him! I don't want to kill him! To kill anyone!"

"It'll be alright." Narcissa whispered above him, her own silent tears falling over her son's back. "It's going to be alright…"

Harry watched the scene until it began to dissolve, pale grey and blue smoke falling away as he surfaced from the pensieve to find himself standing above the stone bowl. Kingsley met his eyes and without a word reached into his pocket to offer Harry his handkerchief. "Not exactly what you were expecting huh?" Was he crying? When had that happened?

Harry took the handkerchief with a nod and removed his glasses to wipe his eyes dry. "You're sure this is…accurate?" He asked doubtfully. His head was reeling with everything he had just witnessed. Draco Malfoy… The unbearable, racist, conceited, arrogant prick! Was this really the same boy who had stomped Harry's own face in?

"I assure you, the memories are legitimate. We've tested them for any abnormalities and I was there where Narcissa Malfoy gave them up. They haven't left my side since." Kingsley motioned to his desk where a row of vials sat, each little glass bottle filled to the brim with the same silvery wisps of smoke that Harry had just returned from.

Oh. Well, maybe it was the same Draco…

"I don't know what to think about all of these Harry. If it's all true then really, we should be giving Narcissa and Draco a medal. But…."

"You can't seriously think that?" Harry cut in. Okay, maybe Draco wasn't a complete arsehole, but a medal? Really, the memory only showed he wasn't a cold blooded killer and Harry had seen that on his own before all of this started, although he had chalked it up to guilt at the time.

"You need to see the other memories Harry. Hers and his."

"His? You have Draco's memories? How? He's still unconscious." Harry frowned, knowing full well that Draco wouldn't willingly give up his memories. Obviously there were things that he didn't know about the young Malfoy but this was something he would bet his own life on.

Kingsley moved around his desk, digging through a pile of papers until he found a manila envelope. "When You Know Who returned four years ago Narcissa and Draco made up a will, should the worst happen... Draco's gives his mother power of attorney and seeing as he has been in a coma for weeks now she is allowed to offer them to us."

Harry let that sink in, hesitantly taking the envelope to open Draco's file. The will was there. A quick skim through confirmed Kingsley's explanation. He frowned and forced the file closed, not comfortable with reading anymore about the blond then necessary. "Did he have memories saved or something?"

"No, not exactly." Harry met Kingsley's guilty gaze. Oh.

"Legilimency?" Harry asked with a frown, a nod was his only reply. "But Draco is an a Occlumens. Trying to do that-"

"His coma has made defending himself quite impossible. One who masters occlumency can indeed tamper or suppress a memory but the young Malfoy is in no condition to do either one. At the moment, it's far more successful than using the pensieve and the chance of him lying is next to zero. His mind at the moment is quite literally an open book..."

Harry shook his head. Having gone through the lessons with Snape, he knew what it was like, having no control of what people could see. He had hated it then, the feeling of being violated, for the assailant to have known every filthy detail... Your words, your feelings, your thoughts… Using the pensieve on Narcissa's memories had been hard enough, Harry couldn't imagine crossing this line with Draco. "You've done it haven't you? You read his mind?"

The answer was apparent. Kingsley 's eyes were filled with guilt. "I promised Narcissa that I would be the only one to do so… However she…"

Uh oh…

"She what?" Harry pressed, an uneasy feeling churning his stomach as the guilty eyes narrowed in on him. "Why exactly am I here? Why did you ask me to look at the pensieve?"

"It was the condition she gave us… Harry, the Malfoy's trials are coming up. Believe me, Narcissa didn't want to do any of this, but when we told her that Draco would be taken to Azkaban if he was found guilty she consented to give these to us. Her only condition was that you investigate them."

"What?" No. Nope. No way. This crossed more lines than he thought possible. Delving into Draco Malfoy's life? He was sure that seeing Narcissa's memory would have had him cursed into oblivion should the blonde ever find out. Jumping full on into the Slytherin's mind, his family, his childhood? It was too much. Harry had fought off Voldermort for Merlin's sake, he didn't want another crazed dark wizard out for his blood; which is exactly what would happen when Draco woke up and found out he had done this.

"You want me to use legilimency on him? I don't have that training! And even if I did I don't think having me do it would be ethical." As if the practice was ethical to begin with… "We have history, even before Voldemort returned. I can't just snoop through their lives when I spent a whole three years fighting against them. Why did she want me to do this?"

Narcissa Malfoy was not a stupid woman. She had managed after all to successfully lie to the Dark Lord. To have him live in her house and keep her son alive and her arm untouched by the dark mark. Surely, she wouldn't ask for Harry Potter to become the Auror on her case when the outcome meant the life or death of her only child.

"Believe me Harry, I told her that, but she insisted. She didn't tell me why, only that she would not consent to the memories if you weren't the one investigating. As they do give us solid evidence against the other Death Eaters as well, I told her that I would ask you… It is however, your choice. I would understand if you refuse this."

"Why make me watch this then?" Harry waved to the pensieve.

"She asked me to… and I wanted to give you as much as I could about the attack that lead to Dumbledore's death…" Well, that was unfair. Harry looked back at the empty vile sitting on the desk and he reached for it.

"Why this one specifically? I'm sure there are others that would have been more relevant…" Kingsley smiled sadly. He knew he would do it. The moment he had mentioned Dumbledore's name he knew what Harry's answer would be.

"It is… the easiest one to get through." Easy? That was easy? Snorting Harry removed his wand and began coaxing the memory back into its bottle. "Harry… I need to warn you. There are things in their memories about them, about you… You will get hurt."

Hurt? What could possibly hurt him anymore? He had gone through it all. The betrayal of his fellow Gryffindor's through fifth year. The mocking and teasing and attacks on his life. He had lived with the Dursleys. Seen his godfather die. Witnessed the death of friends, loved ones. How could a memory hurt him anymore than those things combined? But Kingsley looked sincere, his usual calm face filled with worry.

"I understand." Harry replied, looking down again at the now full vile. "I'll do it though." He supposed he owed the Malfoy's that much. Draco had after all spared his life at the manor and Narcissa had saved him in the Forbidden Forest. What harm could really be done besides enraging Draco if and when he came to? It's not as if he hadn't been subject to the blond's disdain before. If this is what it would take to repay his debt then so be it. He was Harry Potter, youngest Auror in the Ministry, Savior of the Wizarding World. All he had to do was go through some memories and give a truthful report at their trial… Right?

Harry placed the bottle back down with the rest of them. His eyes skimming over the label once more. Narcissa Malfoy: Draco's task, it read. Harry sighed as he turned away, the uneasy feeling rising up to his chest. It was only a memory… So why did he feel so terrified?

Reviews are love! Hope you enjoyed!