Chapter 4

"You will be civil to Severus," said Narcissa when Sirius awoke from 36 hours straight sleep on a feather mattress in clean pyjamas after a long hot bath. She passed him a tray with an appetising looking breakfast on it and a potion.

Sirius chugged the potion down, with less of a grimace than he expected – blueberry flavoured potions were a nice surprise - and dug into the food, cogitating.

"There's a lot of history between Snivellus and me, you know, Cissy," he said. "As there is between you and me. And I know you are doing this for a reason so I want to know what you want."

"I want to be free of Lucius to raise my sons."

"You had another while I was in that place?"

"No, Sirius, I have twins. And if you are ready to be co-operative I'll even tell you more about them."

"I'm not interested in kids bar Harry."

"Well perhaps we should start with how Harry was placed with Petunia and Vernon Dursley to be beaten and locked in a cupboard and Sirius, I am capable of putting you in manacles if you try to do anything stupidly rash," said Narcissa, freezing her cousin in place and deftly catching the tray with magic as he was about to spill it everywhere.

"But …"

"Listen, you big mutt, and listen well. And yes, of course I know you're a dog animagus so don't look at me suspiciously. Dumbledore made a mistake with putting Harry there; he could have blood warded him with Andromeda just as easily, but the old fool didn't think of it. I don't trust him, but I want to change sides. And I want to get rid of Lucius because the fool still trusts in his Dark Lord. But I do NOT want Dumbledore to know that The Boy Who Lived is safe and under blood wards elsewhere because I don't believe he sees the child as anything but an asset."

"Is he with Andi, then?"

"No, Sirius, I am going to have to trust you because I am sure you will know him and he might know you. He is my son Orion now, Draco's twin, and he's now lost the pinched look of being massively underweight. When I took him, he was three years old and weighed little more than a stone. He was just 17lb. Shut up, Sirius, he's taller than Draco now, and about the same weight."

"You … Narcissa!"

"We want the same things, Sirius; we want the boy to grow up happy to be able to face the dark lord at an appropriate time, under his full powers unhampered by being a pawn to be sacrificed by the ministry or Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore wouldn't sacrifice …"

"Oh wouldn't he? If he thought it would save the majority of his students? He'd do it like a shot. And what's more I wager he had some idea about the Dursleys so that the boy grew up with only him to turn to. I've seen him do it with children before; your werewolf friend, who might have been a pawn of his in the ministry, with the best of motives of course, to bring in more rights for those classified as beasts. But Lupin got lucky and fell in with you and Potter."

Sirius went pale.

"You think he … Merlin's bedsocks! But … oh Cissy! How is Remus?"

"You can look him up for yourself, when you are fitter. I wasn't about to; I didn't think he'd trust me. You will understand when I tell you that by bond of blood and bond of honour I tell you the truth. He might be pure blooded but his family are not exactly in the upper echelons."

"No, I see. And if you swear by blood and honour I trust your word." Sirius calmed down; the ancient family rituals were not taken lightly. Ancient curses tied into heritance would see that such vows would backfire on anyone deliberately breaking them. "I … I would like to see him. If I write a message I can put in things that only I would write, and then he will listen to reason."

Narcissa nodded.

"I'll send Dobby; he has some irritating habits but he is more intelligent than many of them. Or Kreacher."

"Not Kreacher; he's a nutter. The only one he's ever taken notice of was Regulus."

"I always had a feeling that Regulus was trying to leave the dark lord. I wonder if Kreacher would know?"

"Really? Well Kreacher is as much a blood snob as anyone so I'm doubtful, myself. If you want to change sides you will have to get over hating muggles and muggleborn."

"I know. I was trying to find out more about muggles when I accidentally met Vernon Dursley."

"Accidentally?"

"Well, I wondered if it were fate, to be honest, but I was not looking for the Boy Who Lived, however, the opportunity presented seemed to good to be missed. And when Lucius was going to be stupid about it, I had to obliviate him."

"So he believes …Orion … is his? But he'll try to turn both of them into Death Eaters!"

"Not under a year's worth of Elixir of Euphoria he won't. He's starting to need it not to be depressed. I fancy if it wasn't available he might just save me the trouble of arranging an accident for him by killing himself."

"Same old ruthless Slytherin." It was not a compliment, and the growl that accompanied it made that clear. Narcissa shrugged.

"I like surviving and I do not want to grovel to a vile madman, nor do I want my boys to do so."

"I want control of my godson."

"He wouldn't thank you for it; he's happy having a brother he can play with. I didn't understand Dumbledore's insistence on love being strong magic, but I think the old fool was right on that one. A mother's love, and his brother's love will give Orion the strength to defeat the dark lord. An uncle's love will be good as well, if you can work with me on this."

"And if I can't?"

"I don't know, Sirius. I don't want to obliviate my own flesh and blood. I want my family around me. I want my children to grow up safely, and I want an end to Tom Riddle. Is that so very far from what you want?"

"I wouldn't have chosen my family, on the whole but … yes, I take your point. I will stay with you if Lucius is … neutralised and assess how Harry … Orion … is doing. It's my middle name."

"Yes, which is why you will more naturally be his godfather when I ask it of you. I know you already are, but it's a way to make it official."

"What about Draco?"

"I was considering Severus for the job. It would tie you and him together regardless of your antipathies because quarrelling would upset the boys. Both of them."

"You are ruthless, Narcissa. Doesn't Draco have a godfather?"

"Thank you. No, Lucius did not think it necessary; he felt that his lord was quite sufficient protection for him."

"I always thought Lucius was a clever man. Can he really be so stupid?"

"On his one blind point? Yes. Academic does not mean wise. And in this particular case downright moronic. I think the dark mark actually affects the brain, I swear Severus is more jumpy and inclined to ill humour than he was before he took the mark."

"He was loyal enough, I grant you, to the Order. I … we have issues."

"Yes, he said you tried to murder him."

"It wasn't like that! I was used to Moony, I forgot how dangerous a werewolf can be … hell, the only reason I wasn't expelled was because there'd be an investigation into Moony if I was, and the Ministry might have put him down …"

"And does Severus know that?"

"I … no, probably not, unless Dumbledore told him."

"Then you can apologise to him, and explain, can't you?" and Narcissa left her cousin spluttering.

Sirius was left with his own thoughts, which were very equivocal, until the door pushed open.

"We's come to see Uncle Sirius," said one small blond boy.

"It's Uncle Paddy!" squealed the other small blond boy, launching himself onto the bed. "Draco, it's Uncle Paddy, don't you 'member?"

Draco frowned.

"I don't remember," he said.

"I 'member," said Orion. "I … Uncle Paddy took me on a broom."

"I'll take both of you on a broom again when I'm well," said Sirius. Damn, the pup was different with blonde hair, and he could see touches of the Black family in his jaw and nose, but it was still Harry … but that name would not be safe. "I used to call you … Orry… but that's a baby name."

Orion nodded eagerly.

"I remember," he said.

"What did you call me?" asked Draco, squirming jealously closer.

"Oh, Drakey, but that's not for big boys either," Sirius lied smoothly. If he was to fall in with Narcissa's plans, there must be no suggestion that Orion Malfoy was Harry Potter. And maybe one day he would tell Dumbledore, but right now he was mad at Dumbledore, who had not seen that Harry was kept safe. Nor, for that matter, did it seem that he had made any effort to check why a prisoner could be sent without trial to Azkaban without even a chance to defend any supposed actions.

He needed to find out more.

And that potion Severus brewed had made him feel much better. He would meet Severus neutrally for the sake of his godson; and he would proceed slowly and find his way slowly, for the sake of his godson. It was not in his nature to be cautious, but he had his training as an auror to fall back on. And nobody trained by Madeye Moody had any right to act like a sixteen year old impetuous arse.