Cerberus-I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters. The pleasure belongs to J.K Rowling, because I assure you, if I owned it, I wouldn't be writing this fan fiction.

Summary: Someone unexpected watches as Harry, Remus, and Sirius' niece mourn under the Dog Star.

Grieving

Draco Malfoy had seen the Boy-Who-Lived slip from the Entrance Hall, and followed him, expecting to get him in trouble.

He didn't expect to see his cousin watching his rival approach her, tears already streaming down her cheeks. He paused, watching them.

"I'm not who you want, am I?" Heather Black whispered.

Potter smiled sadly. "I only wished for two people to ever comfort me, Heather. One is dead. And the other doesn't know."

Heather looked away. "I don't blame you." she whispered.

"Why?" Potter asked, his voice cracking. "How can you not blame me? He was all you had left? I even took your guardian away!"

"So? I still have my cousins. You have no one."

Potter laughed, the sound off, probably because the boy was crying. "I don't like this place."

"I don't think any of us do. Its at times like this, that I hate my grandmother for naming her children after stars." Heather muttered, looking up. "It means I feel the pain every time I look at them."

Movement caught Draco's eye, and he turned to look at the Gates. It was by the tattered robes, that he recognized Professor Lupin, he was approaching cautiously, as if afraid he was unwelcome, or to break the moment.

Potter noticed him first, turning so that Draco got a glimpse of defeated emerald eyes, glittering beneath the near full moon.

"Remus."

Lupin smiled, just as sadly as Heather, yet no more heart broken than Potter. "I'm so sorry, Harry."

Potter looked down, away from Heather, away from Lupin, and away from whatever Heather was staring at in the sky.

"I can't keep doing this." Potter finally whispered.

Heather looked at him, silent tears still falling.

Lupin looked at him through pitying brown eyes.

"If I lose anyone else, I'll crack and I…."

"This is war, Harry." Heather whispered. "We're bound to lose more."

"Why? Why does he hate me so much?"

Lupin's eyes flashed amber for a second and Draco almost wanted to step back.

"I'm not so sure we're talking about Voldemort here, Harry."

Potter choked, shaking his head.

Heather sighed. "I wish I could tell you. I live with the brat, and I can't tell you. But I doubt that would help you right now. Whether he hated you or not. Sirius was still the only family you had left. None of us expect you to just bounce back after it."

Lupin let out a soft growl. "I don't doubt that Albus does."

Heather snarled at him. "Albus Dumbledore can fuck off and let my cousin-in-everyway-but-blood grieve. It's his fucking fault my uncle's dead after all!"

"I know that. You know that. Harry knows that. But no one else. We're alone in this now…. I'm the only one left." Lupin's voice cracked. "I'm the last one."

Hesitantly, Potter reached for the m-ex-professor. Draco couldn't call him a mutt after this.

Lupin ignored all distance that the Boy-Who-Lived had set and pulled him into a hug, sobbing all over the boy's light jacket.

Heather stood, and turned to look straight at Draco. She said nothing, but turned, transforming into a large gray wolf and ran off towards the gate.

Draco turned and left the two friends to grieve, thinking over the angry words that he'd said earlier that day.

"You're going to pay, I'm going to make you pay for what you've done to my father…."

His father was in Azkaban. Heather was right. He did still have his mother.

But what did Potter have.

Potter had lost everything at the Ministry.

He'd only lost a parent. He'd had two and a cousin out of Hogwarts for the last 5 years anyway. If the rumors were true, than Potter couldn't even count on his muggle guardians to give him the space and time one normally received for grieving, and he at least agreed with Lupin when he said that Dumbledore wasn't going to give him time. The Headmaster needed his little pawn, he didn't have time for the pawn to grieve.

Just before he passed into the dungeons, Draco heard the doors open. Potter's returned than.

"Mr. Malfoy."

Or not.

Draco turned sharply to glare icily at the werewolf.

"I know what you heard. I saw you as I walked up. And heard and smelled you once I got there. I'm sorry about your father."

"Not as sorry as Potter will be."

Lupin smiled dryly. "You don't believe that anymore. I can see it in your eyes. You have Sirius' eyes. Probably from your mother."

Draco's glare upped.

"Leave Harry alone. Or I'll make sure you change without your godfather's help." Lupin threatened.

Draco hid his surprise well. He didn't think the Gryffindor had it in him. "You could try."

Lupin smiled wryly. "I could do it. The full moon is in three days. It would be child's play, after all I've seen Greyback's work."

Draco paled.

"However…were I to do that. I think I might lose what little trust Harry has decided to give me. I suggest you thank him. He did defend your honor in the Ministry. The Dark Lord found your body quite savory."

Lupin left Draco trembling in the Great Hall, out of sadness, terror, or anger, even the blond didn't know.

When the blond finally came back to himself, he saw a shaggy black dog walking dejectedly up the marble staircase.

Silently, he made his way to the door and out to the spot he'd seen the three talking. Looking up, he let out a cracked, almost silent cry.

Glinting above him, was Sirius, the Dog Star.