Hi!

What's up my peeps? Good gosh, its only been- look at that!- a week since I've last updated! I'm getting faster! Ha, just kidding. Schools starting up so I'm sorry to inform you all that updates may take a bit longer to pop up until I get the hang of things. Ugh. I hate school with a passion. Oh well.

Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter, I thought it was a good change in routine adding in Cissy instead of having Sev (and marginally Draco) being the focal point. I hope this wasn't too over the top and that both Cissy's and Hope's reactions were reasonable. If not, LET ME KNOW, I can easily change it to seem more reasonable and such. But, hey, I kinda liked this chapter and am about to work on Part II. Yeah... :/

But, seriously, you guys are awesome! Honestly! 58 reviews! You've go to be kidding me. 146 favorites? I'm flattered! 255 followers? All I can say is damn. Damn. Damn. Damn. Thank you all so much for all for this, really, it makes my day. I can't thank you all enough!

I do not own any of this, it all belongs to JKR!

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Enjoy! :)

Previously:

"This would be most acceptable. I'll have the house-elves look into it immediately. I am sure they would also be delighted to spruce up Spinners End for you also. I can have the guardianship papers brought up soon."

"Thank you, Albus." Severus' face darkened slightly. "Now, what are you going to be doing with those Muggles? Her relatives. I have a few choice punishments I deem fit to be of some good use."

Albus paused for a moment, slightly baffled by the Potion Master's sudden malice.

CcCcCc

Malfoy Manor was quiet, the only sound was that of the soft clinking coming from the kitchens and a snort or two coming from the sleeping paintings that lined the many hallways of the manor. The light from outside attempted to reach into the manor by seeping past the blinds and illuminating the darkened hallways. The many priceless and exotic artifacts that lined the hallways gleamed as the sun's rays hit them, the dim atmosphere that surrounded the household calm and comforting.

Blue eyes flickered open, the bright orbs slowly adjusting to the dim atmosphere. Lady Malfoy slowly lifted herself up, readjusted the comforter and took a look around the elegant room she shared with her husband. Once she seemed to have realized that there were no intruders- no house-elves or children- she allowed her shoulders to slump in confusion. She looked down at the peaceful, slumbering face of her husband and knew immediately that it hadn't been him that had awoken her. She cocked her head in an effort to hear any odd noise that might had woken her up.

After a moment of fruitless listening Narcissa sighed, silently pulling the silk blanket away from her body and pulling her feet around the edge of the bed. As her feet met her slippers she rose from the bed as softly as she dared, careful as to not wake Lucius. A quick tempus charm was cast and Narcissa decided she might as well rise for the day, there was little point in attempting to go back to bed when she would have to rise soon anyway. She picked up one of her satin robes and a book she had been meaning to finish on her way out, shutting the door with a small click.

It wasn't much of a walk from her room to the kitchens, but the kitchens were a few floors down. The closer you got towards the room the warmer the hallways appeared, and that was one of the main reasons that Narcissa was making her way down there instead of finding one of the many spare rooms the manor possessed. The kitchens were simply warmer and always held the sweet aroma of that day's dishes.

Narcissa entered the kitchens, book clutched beneath her arm and greeted the welcoming House-elves with a smile and a muttered 'good morning'. She waved away their offerings at something to eat, insisting that she was fine and that breakfast wasn't far away, but she finally relented at a hot mug of tea. She neared one of the corner tables and was surprised to notice she wasn't the only one awake at such an hour. Make that two mugs of tea.

She cleared her throat as she neared the table and landed her arm on the back of the chair before her. "Mind if I join you?"

The small red haired girl looked up at her in a combination of fear and surprise, so all she could muster was a shaky nod.

Narcissa smiled at the Potter child warmly, elegantly sitting down in the opposed chair and settling her hands in her lap. She glanced around the cluttered, busy kitchen for a moment as she collected her thoughts, her wandering eyes finally landing on the stiff child before her. "Its warm in here, don't you think?"

Hope's eyes widened slightly, but quickly narrowed down in suspicion. She bit her lower lip. "A bit."

The Malfoy nodded her head in agreement, cocking her head to the side in simple curiosity, hoping she didn't come off as too imposing. "Its rather early, what are you doing up at this hour?"

"I-is this a trick question?" Hope finally asked, confusion leaking into her voice subtly.

"No," Narcissa frowned, leaning across the table slowly, resting her hands on the table's surface. "No, dear, it isn't. Are you alright?"

Hope gave the blonde an incredulous look, a frown tugging at the corner of her lips and threatening to take up the majority of her face. "Am I in trouble?"

Narcissa's face began to morph into a replica of the face looking back at her, a mixture of disbelief and confusion. "Why would you be in trouble?"

Hope sucked in her cheek and chewed on it, contemplating on how to answer that. "Its because the- those... things, wouldn't let me make it."

"The house-elves?" Narcissa glanced back towards the house-elves in question.

Hope nodded.

Narcissa pursed her lips in thought. "What wouldn't they let you make?"

"Breakfast." Hope said simply, eyeing the woman strangely. "I know I should have had it done, but I didn't know when you would wake up! I didn't expect you up this early. So when I got up I came down here, but they wouldn't let me do anything. They said it wasn't my job. But- but at my Uncle's I had to make breakfast and lunch and dinner and if I didn't I got in trouble. They said I had to earn my keep! I can do it- I don't want you to make me leave. I like it here, much more than my Uncle's. I can do better, I promise. Please don't make me leave."

By the end of Hope's little tirade her emerald eyes had filled with tears and her face had slowly turned crimson, the tears slowly trickling down her cheeks. She blinked up at Narcissa with large, pleading eyes. She lifted her hand up to rub roughly at her eyes, which only served to irritate them further. The rims around her eyes were red and her eyes only slightly bloodshot, all noises in the kitchen went dim.

"Hope," Narcissa whispered, mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. She quickly shook herself into awareness. She had to word this right, otherwise, any progress that might have been made with any of them would be lost. "Hope, dear, what your relatives had you do wasn't meant to handled by someone as young as you are. Your relatives shouldn't be making you cook for them. What they had you do was wrong. Here, you won't be expected to do anything of that sort, and I know Severus wouldn't want you to be cooking unsupervised at his home either. We don't make Draco cook for us and we certainly won't be having you cook for us."

Hope rubbed at her nose, staring up at her in bafflement. "But then how else would I earn my keep? I have to do something. I know how to clean the house and I can do the dishes, Aunt Petunia taught me how to prune her garden and she said she would teach me how to do the lawn mower. I'm a fast learner, I'm sure I can do something around here. This place is huge!"

Narcissa's heart broke at the sight before her. No child should have to go through this. No child should even be going through this in the first place. No mother could ever prepare herself to see a child like this, especially with a child of her own nearly the name age. She breathed in deeply through her nose.

"Hope, please come here." She finally asked, patting her side with a light pat. She softened her posture at seeing Hope's face quickly morphing into one of genuine fear. "Hope, dear, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

The girl slowly detached herself from her seat, slowly but surely making her way towards the other. Hope's posture was stiff, her movement measured and her eyes never once left the one's before her. Once Hope had stopped a step or so away from Narcissa did she finally break away her gaze, staring blankly down at her toes. "I'm ready."

There was a pause.

Whatever Hope had been expecting, whether it be a light scolding or a full blown beating, she didn't expect the slim arms that wrapped themselves around her chest and waist, slowly pulling her closer. Narcissa slowly pulled Hope closer, tightening her hold on the frozen girl. Narcissa placed her chin atop the girl's flaming hair, silently contemplating the rigid stance the child had yet to take herself out of. She let a soft breath of air leave her mouth, ghosting Hope's hair.

Hope's eyes shot open in surprise as she was kept in the warm embrace, the arms never wavering in their locking confinement. She squirmed slightly, intend on getting at least and inch or two away from the Malfoy woman, but the arms were unrelenting. Hope stopped her struggling when Narcissa lowered her lips to her ear, speaking in a calm and reassuring voice that could only belong to a mother. "Hope, I don't expect anything of you. None of us do, I promise. Not Lucius. Not Draco. Not even Severus. He may seem a little intimidating at time, but he's a real softy at heart. He just needs to be reminded of it. Now, listen closely dear, I don't know what kind of life you had back at your older house, but I will be telling you this. You won't ever have to go back to those ways, I promise. A five year old shouldn't be expected to be quiet and obedient, granted if Draco ever acted like that I knew he had done something. You should be loud, rampaging about as you learned about the world around you, not learning how to mow a lawn or how to heat up a stove. I don't want to see you trying to do anything to earn your 'keep', alright? You could seriously injure yourself and being unsurprised at six o'clock in the morning could lead to a few dire circumstances. I don't expect anything from you and I am certainly not mad at you. I expect not to be hearig about this again young lady, do you hear me?"

The small nod that shook Narcissa's head was enough of a response for her, at the very most it was indeed a response, she hadn't exactly been expecting one in the first place. It was a lot of information for a five year old to soak up, least of all understand. But despite that, she knew she had gotten the message across. Fair and simple.

She had also promised the girl a great load, but she was positive she could live up to them all. If not, well, there would be hell to pay.

Hope had never known, or didn't remember, the loving touch and warm voice of a mother, so she might as well make do. There were many out there more appropriate for the job, more moral, but as the only female role model the girl had in the foreseeable future- Severus didn't look like he would be settling down any time soon, least of all getting a girlfriend- she would be honored to play the part of the girl's surrogate mother. Though, that was all nothing a little matchmaking magic couldn't fix.

A small tear made its way down Hope's cheek, dripping from the emerald pool and slipping down her heated flesh. The tear dropped silently to the floor, leaving a near invisible splatter on the spotted tile floor. Hope didn't know what having a mother felt like, she was only one when her own mother had been killed and she didn't remember her all that much, but she suspected this is what it felt like. She had seen her Aunt Petunia coddle and pamper Dudley, her cousin, on more than one occasion and it seemed much like this. Whispered assurances. A warm tone. A gentle touch. Hugs.

It was with another tear that Hope realized that that was what was happening. A hug. The warm embrace and strong arms round her midsection. The soft, reassuring words. Gentle, comforting gestures. A feeling of someone else's body heat against her own. It was in all aspects, a hug. She hadn't been hugged since the time her parents had been alive, back in the time when her godfather would visit and her all time favorite Uncle would have made an appearance. Not Uncle Vernon. Definitely not him. Someone special. But the implication was still there. She hadn't been hugged in a long time. Hugging herself just didn't feel the same as the real thing.

Hope let out a short, tortured sob and finally collapsed into the arms around her. Immediately, upon instinct, the arms tightened themselves and Narcissa brought the child closer towards her chest. She hugged her softly, but strongly. If she hadn't have tuned out the surrounding noise, Narcissa wouldn't have heard the quiet voice whispering almost inconspicuously into her ear.

"Thank you."

If Hope Potter didn't have a mother to watch over her, you can bet your life that Narcissa Malfoy would be glad to step into the spot. Of course she never intended to replace Hope's mother, not anything close to that, but she knew the girl would need a female figure to look up to. If only for the future.