"I don't think her taking a while to tell you her decision means anything, Draco. I don't think it means she loves you any less. It just means she loves him a lot, too, however misguided that love might be. You're her son, Draco, and much as I don't really like her it's obvious she adores you." It wasn't easy praising Narcissa to Draco – she was a stuck up, haughty, bigoted woman, and had treated Hermione like she didn't even exist – but he needed to know that at least one of his parents still cared about him. And it was true – Narcissa's affection for Draco had been made blindingly obvious to Hermione just in the few times Hermione had seen her since Draco had defected.