Blood is thicker then water,

Hermione and Draco walked straight to Lucius' study after he had given them the bottles that held memories yet to be revealed to them. Upon arrival Draco placed a locking spell on the door so that they would not be interupted then they both walked to the desk that held Lucius' black marble pensieve and Hermion opened the bottle marked as number one.

Taking a deep breath she handed it to Draco and for a fraction of a second their fingers touched before Draco pulled away and tipped the bottles contents into the pensieve, "Ready?" he asked and Hermione nodded slightly then they both stuck their heads in to the swirl of gray mist.

When they landed Draco realized that the dirt track they were on was the one the led to his home in England otherwise known as Malfoy Manor. The air around them was crisp and they noted that a heavy frost was coming down.
Looking around for a while neither of the pair said a word until they spotted a young man walking up the track toward the house.

Although the mans hair was shorter there was no mistaking him and Draco whispered "Father?"

Hermione shook out of her own thoughts watched as the man walked at a steady pace toward the house and she heard Draco's whisper then said "maybe we should follow, I think this is how this memory starts". In silence the pair set off.

They walked for twenty minutes toward the house when a figure emerged from the trees and the memory of Lucius recognized the figure to be his best friend, when Lucius paused to great his friend Hermione and Draco walked around the pair to see a bright happy smile on the senior Malfoy's face.

Severus Snape, however, did not look happy to see Lucius in fact he looked frantic as he approached the other man and Lucius raised a curious eyebrow.

"Sev what's wrong, have you been having trouble with the Potter prat again?" he asked, then added "We'll teach him a thing or two soon enough" Lucius' voice was light and full of mirth as he said the words, the mirth faded when he got a really good look at his friend.

Severus' face was smudged with black soot and he smelt badly of burning "There's been a fire, your mother-" Lucius did not hear the rest of what Snape said as he took off running for the house.

Moments later Hermione and Draco arrived at the manor and what was left of the east wing, they stopped to catch a breath niether of them believing just how fast Lucius had run the last mile of his journey. By the remains of the east wing stood a small group of witches and wizards and Hermione realized they were the fire department.

Over on the frost bitten grass there was a group of healers huddled together for warmth or at least that is what it looked like from where Hermione was standing it was only when a healer moved she saw the table and the lifeless body upon it, Hermione and Draco watched as Lucius approached the table and was met at first by his house elf.

The elf started to speak "Master Lucius, it's mistress Natima" but he got no more words out as Lucius ordered him to shut up and kept walking the elf gazing saddly behind him. Lucuis walked straight to the table and yanked back the crisp sheet that covered the body.

Hermione could just make out a slunder woman with long blonde hair laying on the table, she wasn't breathing and her face was also smudged with soot, Hermione let out a sob it seemed Lucius Malfoy's mother had died the way her own mother had. Draco heard Hermion's small sob and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder just as Severus came in to view again.

Walking over to Lucius' side he place his hand on Lucius' shoulder and said "I'm sorry Lucius, I failed to get her out" and with that Lucius Malfoy collapsed in to Severus Snape's arms and wept.


The memory shifted suddenly and Hermione and Draco found themselves back in Malfoy manor and Draco could tell that his Father was in a rage about something, Draco's mother sat next to the fire as her husband blustered and paced back and forth and black book in his hands.

He suddenly started to read from the book.

"I saw her again in potions and for most of Snape's lesson my only thought was to touch her some how. I dearly wish that things were different, and that I could run my fingers through her hair. Of course Potty and Weasel won't let me near her and it hurts so very much...I love her...I Love Granger"

Narcissa for her part didn't look too upset but her features were well schooled in matching her husbands moods and now she listened as he ranted.

"A MUDBLOOD MY SON IS IN LOVE WITH A FUCKING MUDBLOOD! IF THE DARK LORD FINDS OUT WE'RE DEAD!" he yelled.

Narcissa smiled "Darling its ok it's just a crush it will pass, you destory the book and I will talk to Draco"

As the images faded again Draco remembered that talk his mother had had with him she had told him to keep quiet about his affection for Miss Granger but she had also told him she was proud of him for seeing beyond blood issues.

Looking up he found himself back in the study Hermione's astonished eyes looking at him for a long time afterwards.