𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 | | 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐚

Miss Farrington,

I am incredibly sorry. I heard of Lucius's arrest a few weeks ago and never thought to write to you. I can assume that you and Narcissa miss him dearly. If you will meet me at my home in Cokeworth as soon as possible, I am in possession of something that could potentially help you see Lucius again.

Regards,

Professor Severus Snape.

Katherine raised her eyebrow in confusion. What could he possibly have that she could use? Azkaban was a max-security, no one was allowed in or out without an important cause. Her head started spinning as she tried to figure out what the letter was saying. Was it the last visit, an escape plan, an invitation to his execution? But she didn't care. All that mattered was that she would finally be able to see him, hear his voice, be in his presence again. Her issue would be finding a time to sneak out of the manor. Just as she was about to begin composing a letter back, the door to the library opened and Narcissa stepped inside. She had a grave, worried expression on her face. Katherine slipped the letter into the inside of the top of her dress before heading over to see what was wrong.

Narcissa immediately ran over to Katherine, hugging her tightly in desperation. Taken aback, Katherine placed her arms on the other woman's back rubbing consolingly. "Narcissa what's wrong? Did something happen?" she worried, leading her to sit down on the sofa that sat in the middle of the library. Narcissa sniffled, taking Katherine's hands in hers squeezing tightly.
"I am worried about Draco. I-I cannot lose him like I lost Lucius. He is my only child, the most important thing in my life, and the Dark Lord wants to take him from me. He wants him to help the Death Eaters break into Hogwarts!" she wailed. Katherine bit her lip, just letting Narcissa ramble on for a moment before pausing her.

"Narcissa, do you trust anyone else other than Lucius? Maybe you can ask someone to look out for him, someone who can look after him. You are not alone in this, I can tell you love Draco more than anything in this life. I can't imagine what you are feeling." Narcissa's head shot up, and she let a small smile fall on her lips.
"You, my darling, are such a smart girl. Have you ever heard of an Unbreakable Vow?" "Yes, I have, we learned about it in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. If one person breaks the vow, the other one dies, right?" Narcissa nodded, pursing her lips together.
"I trust one person and that is Severus Snape. He's Draco's teacher, he can watch him while he is at Hogwarts and guide him. We can head to his house tomorrow and I will ask him to be Draco's protector."

She couldn't believe her luck. She wouldn't have to sneak out to find Snape, she would just follow Narcissa to his house and finally figure out what he had to offer. Narcissa pressed a small peck on Katherine's lips before standing up again. "Thank you, for helping me with this. I do not know what I would do without you," she said kindly before heading out of the library. Katherine tried to contain her excitement as she flopped herself on the sofa. Maybe, just maybe, she would be reunited with Lucius after all.

-

Katherine followed Narcissa down the dilapidated streets of Cokeworth, their heels clicking against the cobblestone. Their hands were entwined with one another, the older guiding the younger through the dimly lit streets. They weren't alone, however, and the cries of Narcissa's sister shot through the air. "Cissy, you can't trust him! You're making a mistake!" Bellatrix screamed, running behind the other two women.
"Bella, enough! I have made my decision." Narcissa shot back as she and Katherine arrived at a small house at the end of the street. She knocked on the door, which was eventually answered by a tall man with greasy black hair. "Ah, Narcissa, Miss Farrington," Snape paused to take a breath as Bellatrix trampled on to the doorstep, "and Bellatrix. Welcome, make your way inside."

The three women entered the home, Katherine shutting the door behind her before following the others into Snape's living room. It was grungy and gave off a sense of coldness that confirmed Severus Snape was the human embodiment of his own home. He beckoned for the women to sit down, Katherine taking a seat on a stiff loveseat next to Narcissa. The room was surrounded by full bookshelves and smelled of tea, musk, and rare plants. She saw an ugly, hunched over man come in the room, a Death Eater Katherine knew only as Wormtail. Her nose turned up as he entered the room, standing next to Snape.

"So, Narcissa. What ever brings you and your little clique to Spinner's End?" Snape asked coldly. Narcissa moved stiffly, standing up.
"I have a proposition for you, Severus. I was hoping we could discuss a matter with Draco," she explained, continuing to describe her predicament and what she needed from Snape, and he nodded along. Katherine shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not wanting to eavesdrop on the important conversation. After a few minutes, she was snapped out of her stupor as Snape called her name.
"I will help, Narcissa. Just excuse me for a moment, I am afraid I left the teapot boiling. Miss Farrington, will you help me in the kitchen?" She nodded in response, excusing herself as she followed Snape into the dark kitchen.

"I'm assuming I'm here because of what you wrote me?" Katherine asked, leaning against the cold countertop. Snape shushed her before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. He handed it to her quietly, the parchment crumpling in her hands as she began reading.

To Whom or What it may concern,

Please Allow Miss Katherine Adeline Farrington to enter and visit the Azkaban prison compound. She has been asked to perform a final report and evaluation on Lucius Abraxas Malfoy (Prisoner 537) by orders of the Ministry of Magic Department of Magical Law Enforcement. We believe Miss Farrington is the most adequate witch for the evaluation as she was the prisoner's assistant for years. Please allow her to write up our desired report."

Signed,

Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister of Magic

"Is this real?" Katherine asked, staring at the letter in front of her. She was going to see Lucius again, even if it was for one last time. She tried to hold back her intense flowing emotions as she folded the letter back up.
"No, silly girl. It is not real. I had it forged in order to get you entry into Azkaban. It is incredibly important that you get a story straight and not mess up an alibi." Snape responded coldly. She bit her lip, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she pocketed the loose parchment.

"Why? Why are you helping me see him again?"

Snape stared blankly at her, and for a moment she thought he was going to cry. She knew nothing of Snape's past or his story, but she knew that whatever it was had affected the professor more than she knew. "Miss Farrington, I know more than anyone how it feels to love someone with all of your heart only to lose them despite doing everything in your power, everything you can to save them. I, unfortunately, did not get a chance to say goodbye, which is why I want you to get that chance. Azkaban is a cold, gloomy place and it is only a matter of time until he succumbs to the despair and anguish. Soon he could not even remember your name, or Narcissa's, or Draco's." he told her bluntly.

She knew that. She knew that Lucius was being tortured, wasting away in the wizard version of Alcatraz. She knew that once she arrived the Lucius she loved would be gone, replaced by a hollow shell. But it didn't matter. She just needed to see him again. And she would tell him she loved him, and that she was sorry, and that if she could she would break the metal off of his bars and let him out so that they could live happily ever after like she so desperately wanted deep down in her heart.

"Professor, I can't thank you enough for this. How can I ever repay you?" she asked. He shook his head, beginning to prepare the tray of tea.
"You can owe me a favor if you so please. I do not expect anything from you in return. Lucius is and always has been a friend of mine. Just update me, tell me if he is at least slightly alright. And if he ever escapes, try to convince him to rethink his alliance with the Dark Lord. It could very well save his family." Katherine nodded, and she moved next to him to help him with the tea.

Tomorrow she would head to Azkaban.

You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end
You will have no time for grieving

A/N: Ya'll i am so sorry this chapter is late! wattpad didn't want to save on my laptop so i had to rewrite the whole chapter. also, i just signed up for an AO3 invitation code so I can publish this story there as well since Wattpad is removing books apparently! More updates will be on my tik tok @ celestialveela