Author's Note: I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update this fic. I've been blocked for a while. Thankfully, I've gotten unblocked and I know exactly where this fic is going. I know there's a big time-jump here but there's a reason for that. I am planning a shorter fic to give insight to Harry's childhood with Sirius, Narcissa, and Draco. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and remember to review.
Callidora.
One
Remus Lupin
Fifteen years had passed since the night his best friends had been murdered and Remus was still relentlessly searching for their murderer and their son. It wasn't an easy search, even though he knew to look in France. Magical France was easy to hide in if you were connected with the right people and Sirius Black was cousin to the most influential family in France, the Malfoys'. Every time Remus got a potential lead, his heart would race and he'd have a mini panic attack. This time was no different.
Someone had sent him a message that simply stated that a man and a young boy had been seen living in a villa in France. The villa in question belonged to Sirius' cousin, Narcissa Black Malfoy. He stared once more at the pictures that he'd been sent. There was no doubt in Remus' mind that he'd finally found them. Sirius looked no different than he had when he'd left. His hair was long, his body muscular and lithe. Harry was the spitting image of his father aside from his brilliant green eyes. What disconcerted Remus the most was the fact that Harry was grinning at Sirius, his head thrown back in obvious laughter. Harry was happy with him, with Sirius, and Remus didn't want to hurt Harry but he couldn't let him live with the person who had murdered his parents.
Sirius had – according to Peter at least – betrayed Lily and James. He'd been a secret follower of Lord Voldemort. Wouldn't Harry be miserable with him? Something smelled funny and Remus wanted answers. Rising to his feet, Remus pulled on a cloak and wrote a quick note to Peter. He didn't tell Peter where he was going because he didn't want to get Peter's hopes up if this was a dead end. Instead, he said he was going out to meet a friend for a bit and that he'd be back later. Remus slipped the letter with the address to the Malfoy Villa into his pocket.
He stepped outside to the apparation point and apparated to France. Apparating so far was going to make him exhausted that night but Remus couldn't bring himself to care. If he found Sirius and Harry, this would all be worth it. Apparating once more, he found himself outside of the same villa in the pictures. It was smaller than Malfoy Manor but it was obvious that a woman lived here. Sirius had never been much good at gardening and there was a rather beautiful garden out in the front yard.
Remus found himself hesitating when it came to announcing his presence. How was he supposed to talk to his old lover? What words did he really have for a man who'd betrayed them all? Everything inside of him hoped against all reason that Sirius had some desperate reason for betraying them, that maybe he was truly innocent the way Severus Snape claimed he was. But the memory of the look on Peter's face the night of Lily and James' deaths reminded Remus that Sirius Black was a traitor and a murderer. He was not to be trusted. He'd nearly killed Peter, in fact. Remus took a deep breath and knocked twice.
The door was answered by two boys. One of them was tall and lean with blonde hair and gray eyes. He wore a green silk robe and had his hand on his wand, one arm around the other boy in what Remus realized was a protective stance. The other boy, however, took Remus' breath away. He was tall and muscular with messy black hair and emerald green eyes. Remus had seen those eyes before. Had seen them glitter with tears and burn with fury. They were Lily's eyes. In front of him stood Harry James Potter and, presumably, the Malfoy Heir.
"Who're you? We're not expecting visitors." The Malfoy boy – Remus couldn't remember his name – asked coldly.
Harry shot the boy a look and the blonde quickly schooled his features into a less hostile expression. Looking to Remus, he spoke in a quiet tone. "You'll have to forgive Draco. He's a bit of a ponce at times." He said, raising one eyebrow at the other teen.
Draco rolled his gray eyes. "The one time I wasn't protective, you were almost kidnapped by British Aurors. It took Mother, Father, and Sirius months to move the Villa and fix the wards. You'll not be taken away again, Harry." The boy said, his tone posh but caring. Remus had never heard a Malfoy sound caring before and was slightly taken aback by it.
Watching them, Remus was struck by how like James and Sirius they were. Anyone could see how much Harry adored Draco and, though Remus could see bits of Lucius Malfoy in Draco, it was obvious that the blonde was rather fond of Harry as well.
"I must second Draco's question, however. Who are you? If you're another bloody Auror, I'm not stopping Siri from hexing you into next century and obliviating you. We're rather sick of hopping all over France, you know." Harry drawled, looking rather bored and sounding so much like his father and Sirius that it made Remus ache.
"My name is Remus Lupin and I'm here to speak with Sirius Black." Remus said, hoping that his voice sounded more firm than he felt.
At his name, Harry and Draco looked at each other. Acting as if he wasn't standing right in front of them, the two boys began arguing furiously.
"Harry, we have to obliviate him. Siri told us that this Remus fellow isn't likely to believe the truth. And I don't want to see Siri hurt simply because you have a bleeding heart." Draco insisted, his grey eyes flitting anxiously behind them.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Dray, Siri and Remus were lovers. We have to at least give him a chance. How would you feel if the situations were reversed? If no one gave you the chance to prove your love to me?"
That gave Remus a start. Harry and Draco were lovers? They were only sixteen but the look that crossed Draco's face at Harry's question reminded Remus painfully of himself at that age. He was nearly lost in the swell of memories from his school days, memories of he and Sirius back before Sirius had turned traitor. He swallowed hard and focused again on Harry and Draco.
Draco nodded reluctantly. "All right then. But his wand stays in your hands and, should he decide that our story isn't believable, we obliviate him and toss him on his arse. After setting mum loose on him." The blonde said, glancing at Remus coolly.
Harry smiled gratefully, reaching up to kiss Draco's cheek. "Thank you, Dray. Go and fetch Siri. Bring he and Aunt Narcy to the drawing room."
Draco looked to Remus, his grey eyes narrowed. "If you vanish with my boyfriend, I will hunt you down and kill you myself, werewolf." He said before vanishing into the house.
Harry rolled his eyes apologetically. "I apologize for him. He's a bit protective. There was a spot of trouble two years ago with some British Aurors and I was nearly taken back to Britain. Draco's been a bit overprotective ever since."
Remus nodded, speechless. The sight of a protective Malfoy had momentarily stunned him.
"I am afraid that you'll have to turn your wand over to me if you've any interest in hearing Siri's story. I can't have you hexing my godfather." Harry continued, oblivious to Remus' inner plight.
Remus blinked. "He'll be able to hex me, though."
Harry laughed. "Only if he wants Aunt Narcy to hex his bits off. Aunt Narcy doesn't like fighting in her house. Siri knows that. If he breaks that rule again, she's liable to break him."
"Again?" Remus asked weakly, handing his wand to a chuckling Harry.
"Severus comes by on weekends to tutor Draco and I in potions and he often gets into arguments with Siri. Their debates are mostly friendly now but, in the early days, they could be quite vicious. Siri turned Sev's hair neon purple for a week when Dray and I were eleven. In turn, Sev turned Siri into a girl for a month. They decided to be friends after that because they're both afraid of Aunt Narcy."
"As well they should be." A female voice stated primly, the laughter evident in it.
Remus turned his head as they entered a room. He'd been so preoccupied with Harry's story that he hadn't noticed them walking into the Villa. Narcissa Malfoy sat in in a leather chair, her legs crossed and her long blonde hair falling around her face. She was smiling slightly, though she was watching Remus closely. Remus moved his gaze one spot to the left and saw that Draco and Harry were now sitting on a loveseat together. Harry had his head in Draco's lap and Draco was running his fingers through Harry's hair distractedly. Taking a deep breath, Remus moved his eyes to the couch.
Up close, Sirius Black did not look much different than he had the last time Remus had seen him. Shoulder-length black hair framed a tanned face. His grey eyes watched Remus with a longing so intense it nearly made Remus stagger away from him. He wore a set of ruby-red robes and – Remus fought the urge to snort – bunny slippers on his feet. All at once, Remus found anger filling his stomach with fire. How dare Sirius sit there, so alive and healthy, while James and Lily were left to rot. How dare he raise their son as if he were fit for anywhere but Azkaban?
Remus restrained himself and forced his body into a seat across from Sirius. His former lover watched him for another moment before looking to Harry. The two smiled at each other, Harry's smile more encouraging than happy, and Sirius spoke in a soft voice.
"Let's get to the point, shall we? You think I betrayed you." Sirius said, his eyes shining.
"I know you betrayed us. What I don't know is why." Remus snarled.
Harry sighed but did not speak. Though Harry was only sixteen years old, his gaze was hard as he watched the scene between Remus and Sirius. Remus had the distinct feeling that this sixteen year old boy would gladly curse him if he even tried to harm Sirius. It was an unsettling thought but he pushed it away, needing to focus.
"You believe what everyone else believes, of course. And I knew you would. I'd have given anything to tell you the truth but it was too dangerous." Sirius said.
"Why don't you clue me in on what this supposed truth is?" Remus asked.
"I will. But first, I have to take you back to the night we were talking about choosing the Secret Keeper. James and Lily both wanted me to do it. They trusted me, they said, and James…he said he wanted his brother at his back. But I thought I was too obvious a choice and I didn't want to risk it. I convinced them to choose someone else. Someone no one would expect." Sirius took a deep breath, lowering his head as tears escaped. "I told James to pick Peter. We fixed him up with a Safe House and told him to stay low. I was to check on him every weekend, to make sure he was safe. The night Lily and James died, I checked on Peter a bit early. He was gone…but his house was not torn apart nor did it show signs of an attack. He was just gone." Sirius squeezed his eyes shut, calming himself. "I got suspicious then so I apparated to Godric's Hollow, to check on James and Lily myself. James was at the foot of the stairs, dead. Lily was in front of the crib, dead. But Harry was alive. Screaming his lungs out for his mother and frantic to be held…but alive. You know the rest, of course."
Remus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Peter the betrayer? Peter had done this? He wanted to call Sirius a liar, wanted to yell and scream and throw things at Sirius but he took one final look at his former lover and knew it was the truth. Peter Pettigrew, Remus' roommate of the past fifteen years, had betrayed them all. Remus felt hot tears prick his eyes as he stared at Sirius. James and Lily…both gone because of Peter. And all this time he'd blamed the wrong man. It was Harry's voice who shocked him out of his stupor.
"He's telling the truth. My Healer, a goblin named Bloodfang, she used a special form of Legilimancy to prove to the French Ministry that Sirius was indeed innocent. She used my own memories to prove that Peter was there in the home at the time of my parents' murder." Harry paused, looking at Draco for reassurance. "Pettigrew knocked on the door. I was in my father's arms at the time and recognized him. Dad passed me off to mum when he saw Voldemort walking towards him. I don't know what happened to Pettigrew after that." The hard note in Harry's voice told Remus quite plainly that he didn't really care what had happened to the man.
"I'd sent Sirius a letter not long before all of this occurred, to let him know about my family's real status against Voldemort. I advised him that, should anything happen, he could find safety with us." Narcissa said, glancing at her cousin fondly.
Sirius nodded. "I went straight to Malfoy Manor upon getting Harry. Lucius sent me here pretty quickly, knowing that the Aurors would soon be on his doorstep."
Remus looked at him. "You really are innocent." He said, sounding breathless.
Sirius looked relieved. "I'm really innocent."
"We have to get Albus in on this. Peter has to be thrown in prison." Remus said, voice determined.
"I don't know if that's such a great idea…."
Remus shook his head. "Albus will see to it that Peter is brought to justice. Especially once he hears Harry's part in this story."
Harry glanced up from whatever he was telling Draco. "I'm sure Healer Bloodfang would come and give her evidence as well, if we needed her to." He said.
Draco nodded. "She'd do whatever it took to make sure Harry and Sirius were happy. She adores them." He said, flicking a glance at Sirius.
Sirius smiled. "She is rather fond of us."
Remus frowned. "And she's a goblin?"
Harry nodded. "She's a well-respected goblin both here and in Britain. Healer Bloodfang knows Dumbledore as well and she's said that they have a friendly relationship. I'm sure that, with her on board, he'll see things the way we do."
Sirius and Narcissa glanced at each other, fifteen years of having only each other evident on their faces as they decided in silent communication what to do. Finally, Narcissa nodded and rose elegantly to her feet.
"Finish telling him what's happened these last years and I will firecall Severus to bring Dumbledore through as soon as possible." Narcissa paused. "I will also send for Healer Bloodfang."
Sirius nodded, a bit distracted. "You might want to tell Severus to inform Dumbledore that not everything is as it seems."
Narcissa nodded and vanished from the room. Harry and Draco followed after her, hand-in-hand, leaving Remus alone with Sirius for the first time in fifteen years. He stared at Sirius for a long moment, his eyes filling with tears as he realized that this was real. Sirius was sitting before him and he wasn't a traitor. Remus didn't know what to say, couldn't think of a single word to say to the only man he'd ever loved, and so he said the only three words that came to his lips.
"I love you."
