Thank you! I'm thrilled to read that the story was compelling enough that you wanted to read it all in one go. I'm very much in love with Narcissa, for all the reasons you mentioned: she may be an elitist and have questionable political leanings, but she loves her family and would do anything for them. That's the bit most people can relate to, I think.I also wanted to explore the ways in which Snape and the Malfoys worked together, supported each other, and helped each other survive. As for where exactly they all ended up, I leave that to the reader's imagination... ;)Thanks again for your lovely review!

Thank you!!! It makes me so squeeful that you noticed the metaphors; I thought long and hard about them, trying to keep them consistent without making them repetetive, and I also made an effort to fit the metaphors to the POV character. That is a part of writing that I want to explore further: a strong command of imagery is one of the differences between good writing and great writing imo, so it's an area where I want to develop.And you know what makes me squee even more? Your thoughtfulness. ;) Feel free to comment wherever you like, hon. I'm always happy to get comments from you!

Thanks! Disturbing in a thought-provoking way, I hope?

Oh, absolutely. Your Narcissa is incredibly believable, and you have done a fabulous job of underscoring the horrifying tendency of the Ministry of Magic to over ride due process no matter what side of the war it is on at any given time. I'm a pretty consistent HGSS fan and I've always through SS too principled to contemplate adultery, and Narcissa (viewed mostly through her rather hysterical appearances in HBP and DH) as not his type; you have constructed a scenario where both those assumptions no-longer ring true--not that I'm converted from my OTP, don't get me wrong :), but I will follow the rest of the story with interest.

I'm thrilled to bits to know this fic has given you a new perspective (though I certainly don't ask that you convert). ;) Thank you for your comments! I actually thought Narcissa held it together pretty well through DH, which is what gave me the idea that her behaviour at the beginning of HBP was not normal for her. It made me wonder: What happened at Malfoy Manor during that year and how did she deal with it? As for Snape, I once read some interesting meta on his possible attitude re infidelity, and that further germinated ideas in my evil little mind. So I was of a different opinion than yourself from the outset, but the challenge was creating the scenario you mentioned. Thus, your review was such a compliment, and I thank you for it. :)

Thanks so much for your review! This story took a long time in writing; it's nice to know the effort paid off. :)

Yay, you kept reading! Thanks for the review. I appreciate the feedback. :)

Of course I kept reading!  You hooked me pretty good with the first chapter, and the second has not disappointed at all.I like how you're building her character without dismissing any of the things we know about her in canon.  She can be a bigot and a snob and still be human and a wife and a mother and worthy of some empathy for the shit situation she's in, and worthy of some respect and praise for navigating herself and her loved ones through it.I also really love the way you have drawn Bella.  She's such a cartoon in canon, but I see her fleshing out into something more real in your story.Looking forward to the next chapter :)

I just now saw your comment and it made me ever so squeeful. Thank you! Bella was such fun to write; she'll say anything, and she just doesn't care what other people think.You encapsulated Narcissa perfectly: She can be a bigot and a snob and still be human and a wife and a mother and worthy of some empathy for the shit situation she's in, and worthy of some respect and praise for navigating herself and her loved ones through it. That's it. Exactly. I should have used that as my summary. :) Thanks!

Thanks so much! I knew that Snape + humour was a very big risk, so it's nice to hear that it paid off for you. ;) 

Thank you! I also love Narcissa, which is why this story was so much fun to write. She's a fascinating character. Part II, including some more of the events of HBP told from her perspective (and Snape's), is in the queue and coming soon. I hope you'll enjoy it!

SQUEE! I'm sure I will. I like your Draco too, the little bits I've seen. He's one of my favorite characters to read and write, so I look forward to him too.

Thanks for your very thoughtful review! Despite the fact that Narcissa only appears in canon on a handful of occasions, there has to be more to a woman who holds her family together throughout the events of HBP & DH. With this piece, I wanted to explore the costs of that, as well as what might have led the Malfoys to support Voldemort (e.g., a Ministry rife with corruption and a complete disregard for civil rights). She is certainly flawed, but those flaws, mixed with her intelligence and her love for and loyalty to her family, make her quite interesting (and challenging, true) to write. Part II is in the queue, and I hope you'll keep reading! If you can feel at least some sympathy for her position, I'll feel like I've done my job. :) Thanks again for reviewing!

Thanks! I hope you'll enjoy the next part.