Blaise stepped into the private welcoming room of Malfoy Manor and let himself into the main hallway. He never bothered with the formality of waiting to be received when he knew Lucius was out of town. Narcissa had made it clear that as her son in any way that mattered he was free to come and go as he pleased.

Narcissa and Draco were just leaving the breakfast room as he walked past and Narcissa lit up with a beautiful smile. "Blaise! I'm so happy to see you. It's been much too long since you've come to visit me."

He couldn't help the smile that broke over his face as he stepped into her waiting embrace. "I know Mum, but I've had some stuff going on that I had to take care of."

"You did seem troubled when you came in." She observed, holding him close.

Blaise chuckled softly; he and Draco never could get anything past her. It was a good thing she let them get away with so much. "I need to steal Draco from you for a while. Then hopefully everything will be better." he admitted and kissed her fondly on the top of her head as she stepped back from him.

"We'll see you for lunch Mum." Draco assured her as he kissed her cheek and the two boys started toward Draco's room.

When they reached Draco's suite they make themselves comfortable, knowing Narcissa would never invade the privacy she knew they wanted by eavesdropping.

"I take it you worked out whatever you need to with Black and Russell if you're here looking like this." Draco said after a long silence, referring to the worried, guarded look on Blaise's face.

Blaise nodded stiffly. "Devon." he clarified. "It's her . . . secret, I guess you would call it, so I had to talk to her before I let you in on it."

Draco made an acknowledging noise. He knew just how important loyalty to the few he loved was to Blaise. "How did you meet her?" he asked hoping to get things moving along.

"We met on the train first year." Blaise admitted with a smile and Draco's jaw actually dropped. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it for two whole years. Blaise laughed at his expression. "I had left the compartment to get away from Pansy, remember? Even at 11 she was able to drive me bloody insane. And I literally ran into this tiny thing. She didn't look like she was any older than six. I just stood there and there was this midget of a girl mouthing off to me about running into her. So I teased her and we started talking and we ended up back in the compartment she was sharing with Riley. We all just kind of click. And yes I know how cliché and sappy that sounds but its true. Dev insisted she was a Gryffindor and Ri was dead set on Ravenclaw but I surprising didn't care. I guess that was Mum drilling into our heads. 'Judge the person, not the house.'" They both mimicked in sync in a fairly good imitation of Narcissa. "Besides, I knew they would be the worst Gryff and Claw ever. Oh they were loud and obnoxious and opinionated but they were wicked and snarky and devious and underhanded. They decided they didn't care that I was a Slytherin. We've been sneaking around with each other ever since."

Draco nodded slowly. "That's where you went our first night." he said, face screwed up in concentration as he tried to remember something from long ago. "And you always have something to do by yourself for a while on Hogsmeade days. And sometimes you disappear at night."

Blaise just smiled. "Ri was so upset that night that I knew I had to be there for her. Her parents are . . . well they're like ours but with Ravenclaw and academics instead of Death Eaters and blood purity." Draco's eyes got huge as that information sank in and Blaise nodded. "Yeah. And they were expecting the perfect little Claw to fit into their perfect family."

"And instead they got Russell." Draco finished, understanding finally. To him, Riley Russell was an indescribable entity. She was rash and hot headed as any Gryff, but she was aloof and selective of those she held close as the best Slytherin. She was more brilliant than any Ravenclaw without ever seeming to put effort into it and her loyalty to a select few put the Puffs to shame. Just when Draco thought he had her figured out she would do something to shock him. It was that way with both girls. Devon Black kept him interested too, and that was not an easy thing to do.

"And Ri is great. They just can't see past the fact that she's a Gryff. But Dev's odd make-shift family has basically adopted her so it's not so bad most of the time. And it's been the three of us since then, hanging out on Hogsmeade, sneaking out at night, breaks at Devon's."

"You said 'Dev's odd make-shift family' before. I kind of figured her Mum wasn't around but she's got her dad and her uncle. What's so odd and make-shift about that?" Draco asked perceptively.

Blaise's face closed off a little bit and he nodded hesitantly. "Dev's mother isn't around, hasn't been since she was just over a year old. But neither is her father." At Draco's confused look he let out a sigh. "Devon isn't biologically a Black."

Draco's jaw dropped and his eyes got huge. He never would have guessed that this was the big secret. He just stared at Blaise.

"She's not actually biologically related to either Sirius Black or Remus Lupin. When Dev was just over a year old her mother and father were going to give her up for adoption. Nobody knows why. I guess they just decided they didn't want twins; they only wanted the famous son. Sirius and Remus were friends with Devon's biological father but they had never heard anything about it. They showed up one day to see her and her father was nowhere to be found and her mother was putting her into the car along with all her things to take her to a muggle orphanage.

They flipped out according to what they told her. Remus is her godfather so they took her and left. They haven't talked to her mother since and her father for even longer since he wasn't there that day. Sirius doesn't even see his godson."

Draco stared at him, gob smacked by what he had just heard. "But she's a Black now?" he asked.

Blaise nodded. "Sirius formally adopted her on her second birthday."

"Why not her godfather? That's what would usually happen."

"Remus is a werewolf." Blaise explained, looking Draco directly in the eye. "No ministry would grant him custody of a child. We don't know exactly how it happened, just that her mother got in contact with them through her wizarding lawyer and willingly signed over custody. Last summer they took it a step further and finalized it in a blood adoption. Devon has Black blood in her veins even if she wasn't born a Black."

They were quiet for almost two hours as Draco went over everything he had learned and tried to figure it out for himself and Blaise waited for the inevitable question.

"Who is she?" Draco asked, at a complete lose as to who it could be. He couldn't think of a single family that was missing a twin.

"She's a Potter, Draco." Blaise said softly.

Draco started laughing, but it slowly died off when he saw Blaise wasn't even smiling. "You're kidding." Blaise just shook his head. "That's not possible. Potter doesn't have a sister, much less a twin."

"Why not?"

"Because we would have heard of her. The world would have known. You can't hide a baby!" he insisted.

"Why?" Blaise asked seriously. "Everyone knew Lilly Potter was pregnant. But after they went into hiding how would anyone know? And it wasn't long after Potter became The Boy Who's A Pain In My Arse that they got rid of her." Draco continued to stare at him in disbelief.

"She doesn't look anything like her mother, thank Merlin, but Sirius and Remus say she looks just like Potter the Elder's mother, and she has his skin tone. But what really shows is when you hear stories of James Potter in school. She'd kill me if she ever heard me say this, but she's a female version of a younger James Potter. She likes to pass it off as taking after Sirius but I'd bet anything that at least ninety percent of it is James Potter. She's never noticed it but every once in a while I'll catch Sirius or Remus staring at her in shock. I asked once and Remus said 'She's so like James.' before they both turned away."

"That's why the fight with Scarhead at the station." Draco stated rather than questioned but Blaise nodded anyway.

"Every year when it's time to go to the station she practically makes herself sick with worry. It's the only time she ever has to worry about running into the Potter's and she's always nervous. But this time Potter the Elder spotted Sirius and Remus jumping around making a spectacle of themselves in their excitement to see her and I panicked. I needed his attention away from her."

A small house elf popped in to tell them that tea was served in the gold drawing room and both boys were startled by how much time had passed.

"Thank you Zippy." Draco said with a small smile for the house elf he had named as a small child.

"You are welcome Master Draco, Master Blaise. I will tell Mistress Cissa you are on your way." He said and disappeared with a sharp crack.

Both boys thoroughly enjoyed Narcissa's company during tea and kept her in constant laughter with their antics but she could tell something was bothering them. A mother just knew. They both automatically rose from the table as she did and she smiled at the reminder that they never forgot the manners she had so painstakingly engrained in them as toddlers.

"Is everything okay, my boys?" she inquired as they each kissed her cheek.

Blaise pulled her tightly into his arms, relishing in the maternal feelings she exuded. "It will be Mum." He assured her softly. "I just dropped a huge bomb on Drake. He's just processing."

Narcissa gave him a penetrating look before smiling brightly. "Is this about your young lady?" she asked excitedly.

"My what?!" he choked out as Draco lost all composure and fell back into his chair, laughing hysterically.

Narcissa smiled indulgently at her usually stoic son before addressing a still floored Blaise.

"Your young lady that you're trying to hide from your mother." She expanded, arching an eyebrow in a gesture nearly identical to her other son, almost daring him to try and deny it.

After staring in disbelief for another moment Blaise pulled himself together. "It's not that I'm hiding her from you, Mum." He was quick to reassure her. "It's just complicated. But hopefully you can meet her soon." He smiled at her before something clicked and he hastily added "And she's not my young lady."

Draco composed himself long enough to gasp out "Not for lack of longing on your part. Maybe it's time you grow a pair and tell her."

Blaise prepared to say something scathing back but was interrupted by a delicately cleared throat.

"Please excuse the expression Mum." Draco was immediately contrite. "IT was inappropriate to use in the presence of a lady and I apologize. It will not happen again."

"I'm sure that it won't." Narcissa replied with a sly smile and a mischievous look in her eyes. "And don't think I haven't noticed that a young lady has caught your attention."

It was Draco's turn to freeze as Blaise broke into laughter.

"What . . . I don't . . . How?" he sputtered out and Narcissa smiled indulgently at him.

"A mother always knows, sweetheart."

"But apparently a best friend doesn't." Blaise accused. "You never told me you have your eye on someone."

"Neither did you." Draco shot back. "It's not my fault you aren't as observant as I am."

Again, before Blaise could respond, Narcissa cut in and Blaise pouted at his lack of response. "Now my boys, I expect to e introduced to these girls soon." She said firmly before sweeping out of the room, leaving the two behind in a semi-stunned silence.

"It's creepy that she always knows." Blaise said after a minute and Draco just nodded his agreement and they retreated back to Draco's suite.

The rest of the afternoon proceeded with Draco asking question and Blaise avoiding answering. All he would really say was 'You'll hear from her soon.'

They joined Narcissa for supper and spent the rest of the evening entertaining her and just enjoying the company of some of the few they loved.


THE NEXT DAY

Narcissa Malfoy sat in the library of the great Malfoy Manor and pushed down a violent impulse. She loved her son more than anything else in this world or the next, but if he sighed again she would have no choice but to strangle him.

She looked over at him sprawled lazily across a large arm chair, for once in his life ignoring the book lying open on his lap. The sight made Narcissa want to sigh herself. Her Draco never ignored the written word when it was in front of him. He had been distracted for nearly two days. Blaise had visited early yesterday morning and they had shut themselves in Draco's rooms all afternoon, only coming out to join her for tea and supper. Ever since he had been withdrawn and moody. Well, moodier than usual, she thought with a small smile.

Another heavy sigh broke the silence and Narcissa's restraint but before she could do anything there was a sharp tapping at the window.

With a careless wave of Draco's hand the window snapped open allowing entrance to an unfamiliar bid. The small white dove carried its green envelope gracefully over to Draco and set it on his lap as if it was the most delicate flow, holding impossibly still while it waited for Draco to untie it. The dove gave a soft coo before disappearing swiftly out the window, leaving Draco to wonder just where Blaise had found such a bird and why in the world he would use it. He got a tremendous shock when it wasn't his best friends smirking face that appeared from the distinctive green envelope, but a beautiful pale one.

She just looked at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"Let's get one thing perfectly clear here Malfoy. I'm trusting you against my better judgment because I trust Blaise with my life. But I'm warning you that if you screw this up I will disembowel you slowly, torturously and without anesthetic. The muggle way. In fact, I might put you under a pain enhancement curse."

"I'm going to give you fifteen minutes to get somewhere private and silence the area. Then we'll talk. If you can't get somewhere, I expect you to incinerate this before time us up and anyone else hears anything. And if you betray Blaise's trust on this, I swear by the goddesses and everything that you hold dear, I will end you. It's important that you believe this. Do you?"

Draco looked at her hologram strangely. "Oddly enough I believe you capable of anything when it comes to Blaise." He muttered to himself.

"Time starts now." She said firmly. "Go."

Draco just blinked at the image of the small redhead Blaise adored before coming out of his stupor. He stood and held the envelope firmly in his hand. He looked briefly at his mother and smiled when she nodded, knowing she wouldn't question him. He quickly left the library, feeling strange as an image of Devon Black floated behind him, tapping her foot impatiently.

A/N: I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and I'm still not very happy with it. I just updated with what I had to get past his part.

I needed the talks between both Blaise and Draco and Draco and Devon (which I left out of this chapter for a reason. Just assume that she told him who she was and the basic information) to discuss the situation without going into too much detail for a few reasons that will be clear in the next chapter and it was harder than I originally thought because I see my Draco in a very specific way in my mind. Tell me how you think I did.