Bound by Fate

Chapter 33: The Return Home

Draco and Hermione stood at the edge of the Malfoy Manor grounds, the grandeur of the estate looming before them like a dark shadow. The tension between them was thick, neither of them speaking as they took in the sight of the place they had both left behind. It had only been a short time since they had run from the wedding, but everything had changed.

The air felt heavy with the weight of their return.

Hermione glanced at Draco, her hand tightening in his as she silently offered him comfort. She knew this was hard for him—coming back to face the family he had walked away from, to confront the consequences of his choices. But she also knew they couldn't avoid it any longer.

"I'm with you," Hermione whispered, her voice steady but soft.

Draco nodded, his jaw clenched as he prepared himself for what awaited them inside. He hadn't spoken much since they had made the decision to return, his thoughts consumed by the guilt and fear of what they might find. His mother, Narcissa—she had always been the strongest person he knew, but now...

He didn't want to think about it. He wasn't ready to face what the Unbreakable Vow might have done to her.

Taking a deep breath, Draco led Hermione toward the entrance of the manor. The doors opened slowly, as if the very house itself could sense the gravity of their return. The familiar scent of the manor filled their senses, but instead of the usual cold, pristine atmosphere, there was a stillness in the air—a quietness that spoke of something far more serious.

A house-elf appeared at the door, its wide eyes filled with worry as it bowed deeply. "Master Draco," the elf said in a trembling voice. "Mistress Narcissa... she is not well."

Draco's heart sank. He had known this would be the case, but hearing it out loud made the reality of it hit him like a physical blow. He swallowed hard, nodding at the elf before turning to Hermione. Her eyes were filled with concern, but she didn't say anything. She simply held his hand tighter.

"Take me to her," Draco said quietly, his voice barely audible.

The elf nodded and led them through the grand halls of the manor, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the silence. Draco's mind raced with guilt and fear. He had walked away from the life his mother had arranged for him, the life she had orchestrated through the Unbreakable Vow. And now, that very vow was taking its toll on her.

As they approached Narcissa's chambers, the air seemed to grow colder. The door to her room was slightly ajar, and Draco hesitated for a moment before pushing it open.

Inside, the room was dimly lit, the soft glow of enchanted candles casting long shadows across the walls. Narcissa lay in the grand four-poster bed, her once elegant and composed figure now frail and weak. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and her breathing was shallow. The effects of the Unbreakable Vow were evident—she was dying, and there was nothing Draco could do to stop it.

His heart shattered at the sight of her.

"Narcissa..." Draco whispered, stepping forward, his voice trembling with emotion.

Narcissa's eyes fluttered open at the sound of his voice. She looked at him, her gaze softening as she took in the sight of her son standing before her. For a moment, she said nothing, her breath labored as she tried to summon the strength to speak.

"Draco," she rasped, her voice weak but filled with a mother's love. "You... you came back."

Draco knelt by her bedside, his hand trembling as he reached for hers. "I'm so sorry, Mother," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't—"

Narcissa shook her head slowly, a faint smile playing on her lips. "No, Draco... don't apologize."

Tears welled up in Draco's eyes as he gripped his mother's hand tightly, his heart breaking at the sight of her so fragile. "I... I failed you," he choked out. "I didn't fulfill the vow. I left... I left Astoria... I left everything."

Narcissa's fingers gently squeezed his hand, her gaze softening as she looked at him with a tenderness that only a mother could have. "You did... what your heart told you," she whispered. "And that... that is not failure."

Draco blinked, his vision blurred with tears. He couldn't understand how she could forgive him so easily, how she could accept what he had done when it had led to this. "But... but the vow... this is my fault," he whispered, his voice shaking. "You're dying because of me."

Narcissa's smile widened slightly, her breath shallow as she spoke. "True love... knows no bounds, Draco," she said softly. "You... followed your heart. You chose... love."

Draco's throat tightened, his chest aching with the weight of her words. He had never thought that his mother, who had always been so focused on family duty and the preservation of the Malfoy name, would say something like this. But in her final moments, she was telling him that his choice—his love for Hermione—was worth everything.

Hermione stood quietly by Draco's side, her heart aching for him as she watched the exchange between him and Narcissa. She had never imagined this moment would come, and yet here they were, standing at the edge of loss and love.

"Take care of each other," Narcissa whispered, her gaze flickering toward Hermione for a brief moment before returning to Draco. "I am... proud of you, my son."

Draco's tears finally spilled over, his heart breaking as he pressed his forehead to his mother's hand. "I love you, Mother," he whispered, his voice filled with emotion.

"I love you too," Narcissa whispered back, her eyes closing as her breathing grew shallower.

The room fell into a heavy silence as Draco held his mother's hand, his heart shattered by the reality of her impending death. There was nothing more to be said. Narcissa had given him her blessing, had told him to follow his heart, and that was more than he had ever hoped for.

A few moments later, Narcissa's breathing slowed to a stop, her hand limp in Draco's. The room was filled with a deafening silence, and Draco felt as though the world had stopped around him.

He didn't move, his head bowed, his heart broken. Hermione knelt beside him, wrapping her arms around him as he wept silently for the mother he had lost.