A/N- Here we go, my friends. Another chapter down, incidentally the last one of part one. After this chapter, Hermione will be at Hogwarts. Even though I wanted to make part one longer, I thought that it would draw out the chapters to an even more ridiculous degree. Therefore, I hope that you all can hang tough with me in knowing that these short little chapters are going to morph into chapters of Hermione at Hogwarts, dealing with Harry straight on. I've had a few negative reviews wishing that I had placed Harry with Sirius but for canon events to occur that just wasn't possible. I hope you all can forgive and forget.
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. The original idea belonged to a reader that was kind enough to pass their idea on and have me like it. If there are any mistakes in the chapter, I claim them all.
Chapter 7
July 31, 1991
Sirius swirled the fire whiskey in his glass around, staring into the fire. It was Harry's eleventh birthday and should have received his Hogwarts letter today. In just one short month he would be shipping his daughter off to reside in the same building as Albus Dumbledore, a worry that floated to the forefront of his mind whenever he wasn't otherwise occupied.
Hermione and Draco were currently upstairs. Rather than playing games or causing trouble, they were planning which books to bring with them to school. The pair were ridiculously advanced, probably well into their fourth year in spells, history, potions, and the like. They had just recently began practicing with their wands; the wards on Black Moor and Malfoy Manor cloaked the use of underage magic.
The pair had been practicing wand movements since they were old enough to understand instructions to do so, spell enunciation coming shortly after that. Hermione especially was pleased to note that all her practice hadn't been for naught. Every single spell she had cast with her wand had been successful. Draco had acquitted himself just as well; his spells were just as strong as Hermione's and perfectly cast.
Sirius was proud of them. Through the years, Draco had become like a son to him. He spent at least three nights a week at Black Moor with Hermione, being the brother to her that Harry should have been. While he would never deny Hermione the company of her cousin, he couldn't help but be resentful at the fact that it should have been Harry there with her.
Maybe he was just maudlin at missing the last ten years of his godson's life.
Hermione had assured him time and time again that he had done everything that he could to get Harry and keep him safe. He knew that she was right but there was still that underlying sense of guilt when he considered the fact that Harry had spent his childhood with Lily's sister. Lily had never had anything good to say about the woman and Severus had told him that she had called Lily a freak from the very first burst of accidental magic. Sirius could only hope that Petunia treated her nephew better than she had her sister.
Severus had become close to him; just as close as James if the truth were told but in a different way. Hermione had drawn them together so many years ago, but they had cultivated a friendship where they had common interests and nurtured it. It was clear that Severus had never had a friend that was as loyal as Sirius aside from Lucius and he seemed to flourish in knowing that he wasn't the outcast he once was.
Lucius and Narcissa were the ones that had surprised him the most. Both had renounced their bigoted ways, on the surface at least, and held Hermione close to their hearts. They spent ridiculous amounts of money on her and treated her as if she were their own daughter. It was more than he had ever expected, and he was grateful for it.
Sirius had no idea what would happen with them when the Dark Lord returned. He knew that Lucius was Marked and couldn't expect him to put his family at risk to renounce him. Narcissa had become as close as ever to him through the years; he had relied on her when Hermione had started her cycle, he relied on her to make sure that his daughter had good taste in all things that mattered. She was Hermione's surrogate mother and he loved her for it.
Lucius doted on her shamelessly. It was clear to the world that he was the apple of his eye, much the same as she was for Sirius. He had his own little pet name for her and was always quick to smile warmly at her, a feat that most people is their world would never believe due to his reputation. There were pictures of her all over Malfoy Manor and he knew that Draco was jealous sometimes. Hermione always pointed out to him that his father loved him just as much, he just wasn't as demonstrative because he wanted Draco to be a man about it. She assured him that he would feel the same way about his own children someday.
Sirius finished the fire whiskey in his tumbler and poured himself another four fingers. There were two days a year that he allowed himself to get completely pissed: Harry's birthday and Halloween. Both were for obvious reasons. Hermione usually spent both those days at Malfoy Manor but Lucius and Narcissa had a previous engagement that they had been unable to reschedule. He didn't mind, really. If anything, it reminded him that he should probably make sure that he didn't do anything stupid since there were children in the house.
Candy was flitting around the room, straightening up the stacks of books that Hermione had left out the night before. Her room was always immaculate, but she left a mess in the library every time she visited. It drove the elves mad, but he was more than pleased that she wasn't perfect. For years, she had labored to be perfect in his eyes, unaware that she already was. For her to have one definitive fault made his heart smile.
He took another swing as he contemplated his daughter. She was gorgeous, there was no doubt about that. Her ebony curls now reached her waist, shiny and sleek against the expensive robes that Narcissa insisted on buying her. Her eyes were still icy blue, a reminder of her Malfoy heritage. Her eyes matched her cousin's perfectly, and if it weren't for Draco's platinum locks, they could have been siblings. She was still quite short, but Sirius couldn't be sure that she wouldn't hit a growth spurt somewhere along the way. She was only eleven after all.
Just looking at her made Sirius swell with pride. He knew that his brother would have been proud, and he did his best to follow what he thought his brother would have wanted for his daughter. While they hadn't parted on good terms, Sirius was the first to admit that Regulus would have loved his daughter more than himself and done whatever he could to protect her. Sirius endeavored to live up to his brother's wishes every single day.
A shriek of laughter broke the silence in the library. Hermione dashed in, her cheeks flushed and expression happy. Draco darted in after her, his pale skin rosy like hers. Hermione laughed again as her cousin darted after her, hands outstretched. His daughter hid behind Sirius, hands on his shoulders.
"Protect me, daddy. Draco says he's going to tickle me to death because I threatened to turn his hair blue." Sirius couldn't help but chuckle. There were times that both children were ridiculously serious but there were also times that they surprised him by being the most playful children he'd ever met. He lifted an eye brow at their exchange.
"Why would you want to turn his hair blue, poppet?" Draco's cheeks colored further, and his expression was full of warning.
"Don't you dare, Miney. If you do, I'll tell Theo that you think he's the most handsome boy in the world." Sirius wasn't sure what to make of this conversation. Hermione, however, was unafraid.
"Go ahead, tell him. It isn't true, so you'll just end up looking stupid for telling lies." She turned to Sirius and smirked evilly.
"Drake has a crush on Pansy and he wants to impress her. I told him that even though she's my friend, she's quite daft about most things. He should be focusing on his studies, not impressing girls that don't even know how to cast a proper spell." Sirius figured it was something along those lines. Regardless, he had to point out that his daughter wasn't being very nice.
"I know you think Draco can do better than Pansy and I happen to agree with you. You don't get to decide that though, sweetness. It's Draco's life and his choice. Turning his hair blue just to embarrass him is just mean. Would you want him to turn your hair orange or something just because he didn't agree with one of your decisions?" He could see his daughter visibly slump at his words.
"No, daddy." She turned apologetic eyes to her cousin.
"Sorry, Drake. I won't turn your hair blue." Her cousin nodded his head and relaxed his stance. Sirius didn't like seeing them argue.
"Why don't the two of you go find Dip and see if she'll get you some ice cream? It seems as though the pair of you need something to distract you and keep you from causing trouble." Hermione hugged him quickly before rushing forward and taking Draco's hand in hers, so she could pull him out of the library.
"Come on, Drake. Let's see if we have chocolate." Draco nodded and allowed her to lead him out of the library, both intent on their dessert. Sirius could only shake his head. Hermione could be so bossy sometimes, determined that she was always right.
He couldn't help but wonder if his daughter did indeed find the Nott boy handsome. Theo had been a guest at Black Moor several times through the years, but he had never got the impression that his daughter had a crush on him. Perhaps she hid it well, however. Sirius knew that he wasn't ready for his baby girl to be interested in boys though. She was only eleven.
Sirius settled back into his arm chair and took another swig of whiskey. He was about to settle further into his contemplation about Harry and missing so much of his life when the floo in the foyer activated. Since there were only a handful of people with unfettered access to his home, he wasn't worried. He simply threw back the remainder of his whiskey and waited for them to find him. He wasn't surprised at all when Lucius and Narcissa joined him, Lucius going to the bar before taking his seat next to Narcissa on the sofa. His cousin's voice was soft.
"It hasn't gotten any better through the years?" Sirius shook his head.
"No, I know what those muggles are like. Lily never had anything good to say about them and Severus said that her sister was terrible growing up. I know that Harry hasn't had a good childhood and I can't help but feel guilty." Lucius sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He really had turned out to be a good friend through the years.
"You did all you could. I could never have gone to check on him without alerting Dumbledore. Severus probably could have but the boy would never have been able to hide the fact from the old man when he gets to Hogwarts. That would have given away everything. It isn't ideal in the least but there was nothing else that you could do." Sirius nodded, his gaze fixed in his lap.
"I know. Doesn't make me feel any better though. I would kill someone if they treated Hermione or Draco like I know they're treating Harry." His cousin and her husband nodded their heads slowly. They did commiserate with Sirius, but they still had no clue what Petunia was like.
"It doesn't matter. There's nothing that I can do about it now and that's what I must make peace with. I can't wait until this second war is over with." Narcissa darted her eyes over to her husband for a moment before speaking.
"Actually, that's what we came to speak with you about." Sirius was terrified. Was it possible that the Dark Lord had already returned? He wasn't prepared in the least and neither was Harry. As if sensing where his thoughts had went, Lucius spoke.
"We know what you've been doing all this time though you've never said a word about it to us. We know that you're only in the pureblood circles because you want to know when the Dark Lord returns. I understand that. I also understand that young Mr. Potter has no way of knowing what is going on if Hermione doesn't tell him." Lucius paused before continuing.
"Narcissa and I are also aware that your daughter told Draco everything a couple years ago. He's never said a word, but we were able to tell that his allegiances had changed. No longer is he committed to doing whatever it is that I say; he's now determined that he is going to help your daughter bring Harry Potter onside and show him the truth regarding Albus Dumbledore. It's for this reason that we are flummoxed." Sirius really couldn't say anything. He had had no idea that Hermione had told Draco anything about what he had told her all those years ago. In hindsight, however, he should have seen it coming. When he spoke, it was tentative.
"What are you trying to tell me?" Narcissa reached out and grasped her husband's hand before letting him take the floor.
"What I'm saying is that we aren't able to let Hermione go. We remember our agreement all those years ago and know that if we were to return to his side when he returns, it would result in Hermione and Draco being split up. Not only would it kill him, we couldn't bear to be separated from her. She is like the daughter we never had, and it would kill us to lose her now over something as trivial as blood purity." Sirius sucked in a breath, unsure of how to proceed. When he finally spoke, he was unsure.
"You're sure? You know that he will target your family." Lucius nodded, quite resolutely.
"Yes, we're sure. We've considered it for years. Neither one of us wants to lose Hermione or you for that matter. We're family and there is nobody else that we would trust Draco's safety with. If we were to return to the Dark Lord's ranks, we would never be safe, and neither would Draco. We want to help you spy. When the second war happens, we want to be firmly aligned with the light, even if it's not through Albus Dumbledore." Sirius couldn't even manage to think about how thankful he was that his family felt this way.
His greatest fear had been losing everything that he had gained since losing James and Lily. Sure, he had always imagined that he would lose the Malfoys, Draco too for that matter. He had never expected them to put Sirius and Hermione before their own well-being. Unexpected tears pricked his eyes, but he held them back ruthlessly.
"Are you positive about this? Once you go down this path, you can't ever turn back." Both Lucius and Narcissa nodded.
"We're positive. Even if we stayed with the Dark Lord, he would someday Mark Draco and that's the last thing we would ever want." Sirius knew that there was a frog in his throat as he contemplated their words. His voice was hoarse when he finally spoke.
"Thank you. Hermione would have been devastated to lose you. She would never have understood. Thank you." He realized that he had thanked them twice, but he felt that the situation called for it. The pair rose as one, Narcissa stepping forward to press a kiss to her cousin's cheek.
"We would never abandon the two of you. You're family after all." Sirius returned the kiss to her cheek before smiling.
"You and Lucius have become my closest confidants." Lucius said nothing, he had never been much for showing emotion when it came to males. The pair stood and left the library, the floo activating proof that they had already left.
Sirius sat and considered their words. No longer was he alone. They had determined that Sirius and Hermione were more important that Lord Voldemort, taking their side over his in the oncoming fight. While he didn't expect many others to take the same attitude, he could only hope that they would understand their stance. It was no secret, after all, that Sirius was a Gryffindor through and through, repudiating the Dark Lord at all turns. The Malfoys had just made the decision to stand with him. It was a heady feeling.
Sirius considered his position now. He was already better than he had been at the start of the evening. He had never wanted to break from Lucius and Narcissa, had never wanted to take Hermione from her aunt and uncle. Even though he knew that it would make it harder for the Order of the Phoenix to believe him when the truth came out, he felt stronger knowing that the Malfoys were on his side.
Things had to get better, right?
-O-
Harry couldn't believe what he was reading. The post had been an experience, shooting hundreds of letters through the slots, fireplace, and windows to reach him. He had finally taken hold of one of the letters addressed to him even though his uncle was doing his level best to make sure that he didn't. To say that he was surprised at what he had discovered would have been an understatement.
Harry Potter was a wizard.
It all made sense now that he had read the letter to him, inviting him to attend a special school for wizards. He had never heard of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but he was quite certain that his aunt and uncle had. This is what they had been keeping from him for years, that he was sure of. He was still a little disbelieving of the fact that magic existed but there was nothing for it now. Even his aunt couldn't deny that magic existed now that he had seen his invitation.
Harry was unsure how to go about accepting his invitation to school. The letter spoke of sending an owl, something that he had no idea how to do. Therefore, he just hoped that they would assume the best and know that he was coming. This, of course, left him with the problem of getting his school supplies and finding his way to King's Cross. There was no way that his aunt and uncle would help him out.
Everything was so clear now, why he was able to do things that his peers weren't. He was a wizard and from the few comments that he had heard his aunt make, it was likely that he would never fit in in their world again. He knew that his aunt had hopes, however, that she could still pass him off as normal. Harry couldn't help but snort to himself. It wouldn't happen anytime soon if he could help it.
As shitty as his life was, Harry had been granted an out. If he didn't show up on the first of September, they would surely send out the cavalry to figure out why he hadn't been sent along. Sure, his family could lie to the best of their ability, but Harry got the distinct impression that they feared just what he would someday become. It kept with the thought that they had kept his heritage from him in the first place.
He was currently cleaning up after dinner, already being forbidden from eating that evening. Even though he would be starving in the morning, it was worth the fact that he was able to keep the letter from earlier to reread over and over to his hearts content. To him, it was worth the trade.
Harry wasn't aware of any family that had magic in their genes now; this left only his mother and his father as the culprits. His aunt had refused to answer any of his questions, but this didn't bother him. There was nothing that his aunt could do to him once he left for school and for the ten months or so that he would be there. He would only have to suffer with the Dursleys through the summer holidays now.
Once the dishes were washed and put away, Harry slipped away into his cupboard and changed into the rags that he usually wore to bed. He laid down on the cot that took up the tiny space he was allotted and threaded his fingers behind his head.
Harry couldn't help but wonder what the school would be like, if he would have friends there since they would be just like he was. He was thrilled at the idea of friends, though he tried not to get his hopes up. He had learned long ago that if he hoped for something too much, it usually didn't come true.
His mind was still boggled at the thought of magic being real.
Harry took his glasses off and laid them on the floor next to his bed before rolling over to snuggle under the thin, threadbare blanket that covered his cot. The muted sound of the telly in the background lulled him into a place between wakefulness and sleep; Harry decided that he wanted to dream of Hogwarts.
For once, life was grand.
A/N- Another chapter down, look at me go. Thanks to everyone out there reading and reviewing, you guys are the bomb. I did have a few problems responding to reviews last time so if you didn't get one, I apologize. Forgive me? Anyways, leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think!
Next chapter, everyone heads to Hogwarts.
Love,
Alicia
