Kingsley Shacklebolt sat at the Gryffindor table in The Great Hall with his elbows on the table top, fingers steepled. He waited for the commotion to die down and wondered if he was really the best option for Minister for Magic. Sure, he had the skills and had earned his place, he was an ally and a soldier of the Light, he was excellent with organization and battle plans, but he could hardly imagine dealing with squawking like this daily. These people were his comrades, his friends, and he was about ready to stupefy them all. He cleared his throat, and they all finally calmed down – even the Weasley twins.
Minerva McGonagall had just revealed the twins' existences and lineage to the group, along with the entire history of their lives as orphans, then being adopted by Karkaroff, and the story that Dumbledore had told the twins about their mother Aries and grandmother Cassiopeia. When she got to the part where she revealed that not only were they Gaunt descendants, but they were also Sirius' long-lost children, all Hell broke loose at the table. She had shared an exasperated look with Kingsley and pinched the bridge of her nose, doing her best to stay her temper.
"I understand that this is a lot of information to process, but we need to get this meeting settled and over with before they come in for breakfast. This is going to be a long morning, ladies and gentlemen, and an even longer day. Let's move on. We need to talk about something even more unsettling – the use of a Time Turner that, apparently, brought back more than just Sirius Black."
At Kingsley's statement, Molly began to shout, ever the overprotective mother. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY USED A TIME-TURNER? WHO DID, KINGSLEY? WAS IT HARRY?!" She was bellowing as she always did when she was worried about her brood - including Harry and Hermione who she had claimed as her own.
Kingsley waited for her to settle before he continued. "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Young Mr. Malfoy, Miss Black, and Young Mister Black used a time-turner yesterday to go back to the Battle at the Department of Mysteries and stop Bellatrix Lestrange from killing Sirius Black. They succeeded and made it back here to discover Sirius alive and well. He is here in the castle, probably with them now. I assume he is trying to bond with the children he just found out about.
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to get his thoughts together. "What I meant by 'more than just Sirius Black,'" He paused and shot Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks hard, meaningful looks, signaling he was speaking directly to them at this point. "Nymphadora, Remus, Fred… the three of you died in the Battle of Hogwarts in their reality – before they used the time-turner. I'm not sure how saving Sirius Black from Bellatrix Lestrange three years ago brought you back, but it did. Obviously Dumbledore and Moody did not come back, neither did classmates of theirs that died in the battle. I can't even begin to explain how any of this works. It doesn't really matter now, there's nothing we can do about it at this point except move forward." He knew he was running out of time, so he made haste, driving his point home. "I am telling you this because Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville are not going to expect to see the three of you, alive and well, just sitting here at the table like nothing ever happened. Regrettably, Remus and Nymphadora – Harry came across your bodies in this same Great Hall, and it broke him. He also saw you, Fred, and so did Ginny and Ron. To their recollections, you three were dead and they saw you with their own eyes as such during the worst night of our lives. They mourned you. Forgive them if they do not react to your presences the way you are used to. This may be traumatic for them. I don't know about the rest of their group, but I know those seven kids are not expecting any of this. Just give them their space."
Remus, Tonks, and Fred looked like they'd been hit by the Knight Bus. "We were dead?" Tonks asked, tears welling in her eyes. She grabbed Remus' hand, lacing her fingers through his and squeezing his hand for dear life. "How?" She whispered, morbid curiosity taking hold of her.
"I'm not quite sure, Nymphadora. I only know what Minerva was kind enough to show me in her memories. I'm not sure what happened to you, either, Fred. I'm sorry. The important thing is that you are all here now, some way or another, and these kids will be happy to see you all once the initial shock wears off."
Aberforth Dumbledore cleared his throat and spoke up for the first time that morning. "You mean to tell me that those three, The Golden Trio, are living here in the castle in the Slytherin Dorms with the Malfoy Boy, Thoros Nott's boy, the Zabini boy, and a bunch of other Slytherins, including but not limited to descendants of Salazar Slytherin - Voldemort's cousins - who are also, ironically, Sirius Black's children – and they are all chummy and have a friendly little group going?" He spat, clearly not happy about this. Aberforth never really was a fan of Slytherins, especially not the children of Death Eaters. He had wanted to use them as leverage in the Battle of Hogwarts, but Harry wouldn't allow it. Maybe the boy making friends with these Slytherins makes sense, in that aspect. "I don't get it, Kingsley. Minerva, are you not concerned about this?"
Minerva shook her head and chuckled. "Aberforth, Severus and I have watched them every single day, and we are most impressed with the camaraderie they've all cultivated with each other. They really are a pleasant group to watch, and they're quite funny. They get along well. Sure, things started off rocky, as we expected – but it was Sirius' children, Pyxis and Corvus, that put an end to the animosity and rivalry and forged the truce. They may be descendants of Salazar Slytherin, the Peverell Brothers, and Voldemort – but believe me, Sirius' blood runs strong in their veins and they are wonderful young adults with good heads on their shoulders. They're lovely. They certainly won't be aspiring to rise as 'Dark Lords', so to speak, so I'd advise you all not to worry. They'll be here shortly for breakfast with their group, do try to be kind and welcoming towards them."
"In my opinion, we just fought a second war born of pure-blood mania, bias, and hatred – and we won. I will be damned if we won that war, fighting for the Light, for everyone regardless of who and what they are just to turn around and be prejudiced towards those twins, Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, and the rest of the Slytherin lot. Harry is the one who survived two killing curses from Voldemort and still defeated him for good – destroying all of his horcruxes to make sure he'd never come back." Nymphadora Tonks was as serious as could be, her hair turning bright red with her anger. "If Harry trusts them all, and he has forgiven and accepted them, then they have my forgiveness and acceptance as well. I will not engage in the exact kind of behavior that we went to war for. Children died here, right where we sit, fighting that kind of prejudice. The least we can do to honor those that gave their lives is to be kind, forgiving, and provide ourselves and everyone else with clean slates. Besides," She looked over at her mother Andromeda and little Teddy and smiled, "I would very much like to meet my cousin Draco and get to know him. Family is important to me."
Remus swelled with pride and wrapped an arm around his passionate, beautiful wife, and kissed her cheek. "You're right, as you always are. We did not fight this war just to end up becoming the same people we fought against. They have my forgiveness and acceptance. I want my son to grow up in a world where blood status does not matter and he will not be judged or persecuted for his father being a werewolf." He shot a glare at Severus as he caught his amused look, warning him not to make a snide remark.
"I'd love to meet young Draco," Andromeda sighed. "I almost owled Narcissa the other day, but I can't bring myself to actually send her anything. I don't know what I'd say to her, and I don't know where she stands. I miss my sister. If I cannot make amends with her, I'd at least like to know my nephew." She looked forlorn, and Tonks squeezed her hand in a comforting, reassuring gesture. She hated how sad her mother would get about her sisters, her parents, and her disowning. She didn't deserve what they did to her. Tonks really hoped Narcissa would come around and contact her mother so they could make amends. They were sisters – it wasn't right that they were estranged like this.
The Weasley clan nodded, almost in unison, sharing Tonks' and Andromeda's sentiments. "I killed his aunt," Molly muttered, looking a bit sheepish. "Do you reckon he hates me?" She asked out loud.
Remus shook his head. "I don't think so, Molly. He knew what his aunt was like, who she was, what she did. Don't you remember? He lied to her and wouldn't confirm Harry's identity to her when Greyback and the Snatchers got them. He was on our side when Voldemort came with Harry's body. The boy only went back to Voldemort's side when his mother called to him. After Harry recommenced the battle, he and his mother had been walking away. They had both defected, so to speak, during the Battle of Hogwarts it seems. It just took the war to bring it out in them."
Snape cleared his throat, rolling his sleeves up just a little. "If I may," he drawled, catching everyone's attention. "There is no love lost between Draco, Bellatrix and Lucius. He is glad to be rid of them. I witnessed the way he lived with them, the way he was raised by them. He is my godson. That boy was never happy. Spoiled and arrogant - but never happy. His father was destroying him, poisoning his mind since birth. His aunt was using Unforgivables on him to force him to do as he was told or to punish him for his mistakes. He only took the Mark to try and save his mother once his father had disappointed the Dark Lord for the last time. My point, Molly, is that he will not be cross with you. The boy might even thank you for it." He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, signaling he was done speaking, and anticipated the arrival of the 'children'.
"Just one thing before we end this conversation, Minister," Seamus piped up. At Kingsley's nod, he pressed on. "I just want to know if Harry's alright, is all. Can't imagine after only a month he could be friends with Slytherins and doing so well. Are we sure he's not under the Imperius curse?"
Minerva decided she would be the better person to answer this and took it upon herself to do just that. "Mr. Finnegan, I can assure you that Mr. Potter and the rest of you Gryffindor lot are not under the Imperius curse." She leveled him with a stern look and gave him her classic tiny smile. "Mr. Potter has a wonderful support system here. You should know that. Seeing you, Dean, and Oliver will do them worlds of good, too. Believe it or not, the Slytherins have helped your friends a lot since they all got here. They all seem to be doing well enough, given the circumstances. I will thank you, Dean, and Oliver to be kind and cordial to the Slytherins."
The three young men nodded at her, fully aware this was their one and only warning.
"When do we figure out our groups and assignments for the castle repairs?" Arthur Weasley asked, wanting to get the work done as quickly and efficiently as possible so come the start of term, the school would be fully functional again and back to its original glory. He didn't mind taking the time off of work - the ministry would survive the absence of Arthur Weasley for a month or so.
"We will work that out with the children once they arrive and get their bearings," Minerva confirmed.
"We really should stop calling them 'children,'" George said.
"Yeah, reckon they're adults now." Came Fred's voice.
"Kick-arse war heroes!" They shouted in unison, thrusting their fists into the air.
Molly hushed the twins and turned her attention to Kingsley. "Did you bring their paperwork?" She asked.
Kingsley nodded. "Yes. I have all of it. The name change paperwork, the legitimization paperwork, their Wizarding Britain citizenship paperwork, I brought a copy of Sirius' will so he can rewrite it accordingly to include Harry and the twins regarding the Black estate and his own personal estate, and I'll be taking their documents from the orphanage back with me to store in Sirius' vault."
Molly nodded.
"And now we wait," Remus murmured.
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The adults at the table had been forewarned, sure, but they were not expecting this.
Neville looked as if someone had Petrified him, Luna was waving with her usual dreamy look plastered on her face, Ron was out cold on the floor, dangerously close to Harry's vomit, Hermione and Ginny were crying hysterically, and Harry was doubled over – retching all over the floor.
"Good going, Remus," Tonks scolded, rushing over to the group. She called to Professor Slughorn and asked him to bring them Calming Droughts for the distressed young adults at the Great Hall's entrance as she grabbed the crying girls, holding them tight in her arms. "Quite a surprise, innit?" She whispered, stroking both girls' hair in an effort to calm them.
Molly had run over to her son, settling herself on the floor and cradling Ron's head in her lap. Slowly, Remus made his way over and looked from Harry to Sirius, unsure what to do with the vomiting young man. 'Shock,' Sirius mouthed, and Remus nodded.
"Harry," Sirius whispered, rubbing his back. "It's alright, Harry. I reckon they know about the time-turner adventure. Just take a minute to breathe. Let's get you seated and cleaned up, shall we?" He cast a scourgify on the boy, cleaning his shoes, pants, and face. Remus took to scourgifying the floor, pinching his nose and grimacing as he did. Sirius rubbed Harry's back, trying to carefully coax him out of his panicked state. He shot a glance over towards Neville and Luna and motioned them to come sit.
Neville had finally closed his gaping mouth, but he was still wide-eyed like a deer caught in headlights.
Ron was slowly stirring in his mother's lap, mumbling incoherently.
Tonks, Ginny, and Hermione finally joined everyone at the table and Molly carefully helped Ron over and sat him down, smoothing his hair away from his face.
The Weasley twins walked over to their friends very cautiously, as if approaching feral, rabid animals that may strike or run at any moment. They sat a small distance away and waited for the group to snap back to reality before saying anything.
The rest of the Order and Professors stayed where they were, farther away at the other end of the table, not wanting to further overwhelm the 'children'.
Meanwhile, the rest of Harry's group stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of what to do until Kingsley waved them over. They slowly made their way to the Gyffindor table, not knowing what to expect.
The Minister for Magic, The Order of The Phoenix, and all their professors were gathered in the Great Hall - including alumni Oliver Wood, three people apparently back from the dead, and their classmates Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas.
Draco was reeling. "What the bloody hell did we miss? What's happened? Please tell me this isn't about mine and Nott's fathers. Have they escaped? What's going on?" Draco was erratically firing off questions, overwhelmed with paranoia and anxiety, and collapsed into a seat across from a woman that looked strangely familiar to him. Theo and Blaise sat on either side of him, and the rest of their group fit themselves in where there was room.
The woman across from Draco chuckled and reached for his hand across the table, grasping it in hers very lightly. Draco was bewildered. He made to pull his hand away, but she gave him a reassuring smile and firmly gripped his hand in hers. "Draco, you don't know me, but I am your Aunt Andromeda. Your mothers – " He cut Andromeda off.
"Sister, yes. I know. You're blasted off the tapestry in the Black house…" He looked away from her as he said it, as if it was his fault that she had been blasted off the family tree. She frowned at him.
"Dear, I hope that isn't guilt on your face. It isn't your fault. You weren't even conceived yet! I'm sure you've learned, from what you've seen the twins experience and going to my old family home, that your maternal grandparents were… nasty. That is no fault of yours, darling." She rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb, reassuring him. "I'm so happy to finally meet you, Draco. As much as you look like your father, you have your mother's heart. I hope she is well," She frowned, and he finally looked at her.
"She's making do," He said. "She's busying herself with renovating the entire mansion and redecorating – for some reason, she thinks that'll chase away all the Dark Magic still residing there. You can't cover up blood stains, the stench of death, and trauma with new wallpaper," He was scowling. "I keep telling her we should burn the blasted thing to the ground and build a new Manor somewhere far, far away from that one, but she refuses."
Andromeda looked concerned at that, deciding there and then that she would owl her sister once she got some time today, and invite her here to Hogwarts to visit with her son and maybe even make amends. She could help them with the reconstruction and repairs on the castle instead of wasting her efforts on the forever tainted Malfoy Manor. She didn't much like the idea of her sister living in that mansion all alone, exposed to traces of such dark magic.
"I'm sorry to hear that, my dear. We all deal with grief, trauma, and stress differently. She will get past it; she just needs time. Would you like to meet your cousin Nymphadora and her husband Remus? This little angel here is their baby boy, Teddy Lupin. He's just over two months old," Andromeda was beaming down at her grandson, lightly brushing her fingers across his forehead and his cheeks.
"I remember Professor Lupin," Draco muttered. "I wasn't aware he had a child - and with my cousin, no less." Draco peered at the little bundle that was Teddy Lupin, swaddled in blankets in a small bassinet on the table. Draco had never seen a baby before, he didn't know what to do with them or how to act around them. He was nervous as he looked at little Teddy, tentatively reaching out a finger and lightly stroking the back of the infant's chubby hand. He hadn't ever felt skin so soft and... squishy.
"Isn't he… fragile?" He murmured, noticing the way the baby's soft little hairs kept changing color. He raised his eyebrows. "He's a metamorphmagus?" He asked, incredulous.
Andromeda chuckled. "Yes, you could say that he is fragile. You must be very careful and gentle when you hold babies. Their necks are very weak, and their heads are very soft, you can't let them hang limp or – Heaven forbid – drop them." She watched as Draco studied the infant with a cross between anxiety and curiosity written on his features. "He certainly is a metamorphmagus, just like his mother," She said, casting a fond glance over to her daughter who was currently whispering to Ginny and Hermione, no doubt trying her best to comfort them.
Blaise and Theo had been watching the exchange with interest. They had known the story of Draco's aunt Andromeda, but they had never seen her before. She was different than Narcissa, with her auburn colored hair and her warm demeanor. She was friendly and outgoing, and certainly didn't dress the way Narcissa did. Narcissa was always the picture of wealth, from her perfectly styled hair to her expensive robes and shoes and the jewelry she draped along her neck and wrists. Andromeda was wearing a simple, thin jumper, a pair of jeans and an old pair of trainers. They couldn't believe that not only was Draco's cousin Nymphadora an Auror, but she had married their werewolf Defense Against The Dark Arts Professor and bore his child. The Black family couldn't get any stranger, could they?
"May I?" a feminine voice came from behind the boys and Draco's heart clenched. It was Pyxis. She tapped Theo's shoulder and he moved over so she could sit down next to Draco, extending her hand out to Andromeda. "Pyxis Aries Black, it is nice to meet you. You must be Andromeda," she smiled at Andromeda, lightly shaking her hand when she offered it.
Andromeda studied Pyxis closely, taking in the girl's jet-black hair and eyes, her high cheek bones, thin nose, full lips, regal demeanor, elegant posture, and impeccable manners. She smiled at her. "What a beautiful girl you are. You remind me very much of my cousin Regulus. It's your eyes and your hair. I'm sure you've heard that from many others already, including your father. He must be proud, creating such a lovely girl. You do the Black genes justice." She gently stroked Pyxis' cheek with her knuckle before motioning towards the sleeping Teddy in his bassinet. "I trust you to take proper care of your cousin," She mused, watching as Pyxis very slowly leaned her chest as low as she could towards Teddy before snaking her arms around him, cupping the back of his head and his bottom in her hands and gently pulling him up to rest against her shoulder.
Little Teddy snuggled into her, his head resting on her shoulder and his chubby little hands clutching at her shirt. She smiled so big Draco thought her face might split, and he watched in admiration and fascination as she slowly swayed with the sleeping infant, cooing at him and whispering to him about how special, beautiful, lucky, and loved he was.
Draco's heart was clenching in his chest as he watched her, a strange feeling of longing creeping into his very soul. Andromeda's eyes were glistening with tears, and Draco watched as she and Pyxis exchanged familiar glances as if they had known each other forever. Draco excused himself, taking one last look at the beautiful, heart wrenching sight of Pyxis holding his infant cousin, and strode as quickly as he possibly could from the Great Hall.
Pyxis watched him go, a puzzled look on her face as she swayed with Little Teddy. She wanted to go after him, but after last night and the events currently happening in the Great Hall, she decided it was best to give him his space. Blaise and Theo both shot Andromeda apologetic glances. She shook her head and chuckled. "It's fine. His father, as I'm sure you both know, was never one for things like this. Looks like Draco inherited his father's discomfort with everything and anything to do with emotion."
Once Draco reached the corridor, he ducked into an alcove farther down the hall and he threw up a quick muffliato before he began hyperventilating. He dropped into a graceless heap on the ground, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He felt nauseous, like his stomach was about to come right out of his throat. His heart was pounding, he felt his arms going numb, and he couldn't breathe. He didn't even realize he was crying until he ducked his head down into his arms and felt the wetness of his tears on his skin. He didn't understand what was happening to him, he had never experienced anything like this before. He sat there for what seemed like an eternity, crying and gasping for air like a fish out of water, and didn't notice when Hermione found him.
She lifted his muffliato and gently stroked his hair to get his attention. He jolted, terrified and panicked, until he realized who was touching him and allowed himself to relax a little at the sight of Hermione's sad, concerned expression. She knelt and grasped him under his arms, struggling to pull him up to his feet. "Come on," she whispered, making sure the coast was clear before she escorted him as quietly as she could to an abandoned classroom. Once she found one, she lightly pushed him inside, warded and locked the door, and cast a silencing charm. He had slumped down to the floor, his legs sprawled out before him and his back pressed to the wall and he was still crying. He prayed she wouldn't say anything about it, to him or anyone else. He couldn't seem to snap out of it, he couldn't catch his breath and couldn't stop crying. All he could understand and process, at that moment, was the pain in his chest and the waves of nausea rolling in his stomach.
Hermione, recognizing that Draco Malfoy was indeed having a panic attack, sat beside him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into her. He buried his head in her shoulder, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist, and cried into her shirt. She said nothing, just held him, rubbing his back with one hand and threading her fingers through his hair with the other. She had experienced this many, many times during the Horcrux Hunt, the Battle of Hogwarts, and alone in her room at night before she came to Hogwarts. She knew that anything she said would not reach him, and she knew he needed to let this all out in a safe, quiet, empty environment. She'd sit here with him for as long as it took, she didn't mind.
She had seen Draco's face as he watched Pyxis with Little Teddy, and she noticed the tell-tale signs of his impending panic attack in an instant. She had excused herself from the hall, telling Corvus not to worry. She told him she was off to go check on Draco, and he nodded at her, prepared to sidetrack anyone who might've gone off to look for them. He had noticed the way Draco stalked from the Great Hall, looking quite upset. He wasn't the kind of guy to get jealous or worry about his girlfriend running off after another man. He knew Draco well enough to know that Draco wouldn't pull anything and he was way too upset to even think about it anyway.
Hermione wasn't sure why Pyxis holding and cooing at Little Teddy would catapult Draco into a panic attack, but she wouldn't ask him. If he chose to tell her, that was one thing, but she would not pry it from him. Her shirt was soaked with his tears, she could hear his gasps and sobs, and it broke her heart. No, she did not have feelings for Draco Malfoy, but she cared about him. Ever since she pulled him aside that day in the corridor and compared their marks, she had a bit of a soft spot for her ex-nemesis. They were very, very alike, and just so happened to suffer from similar emotional and mental traumas... and scars. She felt a closeness to him that day, arm-to-arm with him in the corridor, and it was as if their very souls had reached out and brushed against each other, whispering 'I know you'. She had read about 'kindred spirits' and had brushed the concept off as bollocks. She wasn't a spiritual girl. She believed in facts. She only believed what could be seen – what could be proven. How was one to recognize a kindred spirit? It just seemed mental to her. Yet here she was, feeling a strong kinship for the man crying in her arms, feeling her heart break along with his. She shifted her hands, cupping the back of his head with one and rubbing the Mark on his left arm with the other. She whispered words of comfort to him, assuring him that she was there, that he was not alone, and that she would be there until it was over. She promised him she wouldn't tell a soul about this, that he could always come to her for this, and she'd always be there for him.
Eventually his tears stopped, and he stopped trembling. He sniffled a few times and pulled back from her, avoiding her gaze. She understood, and she said nothing as she used her thumbs to brush the tears from his face and eyes. She cupped his face in her hands and gave him a small, knowing smile, and helped him up off the floor.
"You don't have to talk about it, Draco. I understand." She assured him.
He nodded at her, his eyes bright red and swollen from his crying. His face was tear-stained and red, and his hair was all over the place. She squeezed his hand before she reached for her wand, casting a quick scourgify over him and smiling at her handiwork. All evidence of his panic attack was erased from his face and he was once again the immaculate, devilishly handsome, pale and glaring Slytherin Prince.
"Are you ready to go back?" She asked, and he nodded again. She pulled a Calming Drought from her pocket. Professor Slughorn had given it to her but she ended up calming down rather quickly with Tonks, so she hadn't needed it. "Take this before we step out," she murmured, handing it to him. He nodded at her once more in thanks and downed the draught, taking a few moments to let it take effect.
With a deep breath, he straightened his posture, raised his chin up high, and after the wards and silencing charm were taken down and the door unlocked, he politely ushered Hermione out the door with a muttered "ladies first."
Before they got too far down the hall, he looked around to make sure no one was around to see or hear them, and he turned her to face him. "Thank you," he whispered, looking her in the eye.
She smiled at him, waving him off. "Anytime, Draco. Really. Let's get back before they send out the search parties, yeah?"
He chuckled at that and sauntered back into the Great Hall with his arm wrapped loosely around her shoulders – careful to keep the contact platonic so Corvus didn't get the wrong idea. They nodded at each other before going their separate ways. Draco went over to the Slytherin table, sitting with Corvus, Blaise and Theo and they all caught each other up on the events so far of this insane morning.
Hermione searched for Harry, knowing he'd most likely be with Remus and Sirius. She spotted them, standing farther back in the Great Hall by the Head table, and she hastily made her way over. She had scourgified her own shirt once her and Draco had come out of that classroom, careful to hide all evidence of his vulnerability. She quickly glanced down at her shirt as she walked, making sure she didn't miss any spots. Harry waved her down and she grinned at him, jogging over.
"So good to see you, Remus!" She said, hugging the werewolf. "Congratulations on Little Teddy, he's beautiful," she grinned at him, glancing over her shoulder at Pyxis who was still swaying with the infant and Andromeda who was watching her with a look of pure adoration all over her face.
Remus smiled, ever the proud father, and watched Pyxis with his son. Sirius was watching her, too. "Seems like my son is a big hit, isn't he Padfoot?" Remus jested, and Sirius snorted.
"I don't know, Remus, I think it's the other way around. My daughter is the big hit and your son fell in love with her. Can't blame him, really - she's got Black genes... my genes."
Remus rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Oh yes, the lot of you are just so beautiful," Remus mocked, giving Sirius a friendly shove.
Sirius barked out a laugh. "You're just jealous because I'm so beautiful and majestic. You even envy my mustache, just admit it, Moony. You aspire to have the perfect facial hair that I do." Sirius made a show of stroking his mustache, winking at Harry.
Harry and Hermione shook their heads at the two men and laughed. "The two of you are beyond ridiculous," Hermione teased.
"I reckon we should all get back to the table and get back to business. I'd like to eat at some point today, since all the contents of my stomach were emptied on my shoes just an hour ago." Harry grimaced, rubbing at his stomach that was now growling loudly in protest.
"Yes, yes, you're right," Sirius ushered them back to the table. Once everyone was seated, it hit Harry like a ton of bricks just how many of his friends and loved ones were there, including loved ones he never thought he'd see again. They took up quite a large portion of the Gryffindor table and it gave him a warm, comforting feeling. It felt just like old times at Grimmauld Place, when they'd all been staying there together and shared meals and laughs with each other… before everything went bad.
"Right, let's get to it," Arthur started, looking around the entire table to ensure he had everyone's attention. "As we all know, there is plenty of work to be done to the Castle. The Great Hall has been restored, the main entrance, stairs and bridge have been repaired, and a good portion of the castle still remains intact, which bodes well for us. I took a good look around this morning and jotted down what areas I believe need the most work. If, at any point, any of you have suggestions, feel free to interject."
He looked up as Hermione cleared her throat, standing from her seat. "Actually Mr. Weasley, I already had a list prepared and made a few changes to it this morning to add all of you in. Would you mind taking a look?" He chuckled, expecting no less from the Brightest Witch of Her Age, and motioned for her to pass the list down to him. He read it aloud as he looked it over, quite impressed with her work.
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'Quidditch Pitch: Madam Hooch, Oliver Wood, Harry Potter, and Fred George Weasley
Room of Requirement – to be permanently sealed and warded (due to Fiendfyre): Kingsley Shacklebolt, Sirius Black, Hermione Granger, Corvus Black, and Pyxis Black
Greenhouses and Castle Grounds: Professor Sprout, Hagrid, Grawp, Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom
Wooden Bridge: Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, Ron Weasley, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Ginny Weasley
Moving Staircases: Professor Flitwick and Aberforth Dumbledore
Stone Knights and Suits of Armor (destroyed defending the castle): Headmistress McGonagall, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks
Towers and Exterior Damage: Molly Arthur Weasley, Andromeda Tonks, Professor Snape, Professor Slughorn, and Bill Fleur Weasley
Corridor Repair, Window Repair/Replacement, Rubble/Debris Removal, Minor Interior Damages and Clean-Up: Draco Malfoy, Theo Nott, Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis
Babysitting Little Teddy Lupin and Little Victoire Weasley: Astoria Greengrass (if she doesn't mind)'
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Arthur finished the list and tilted his head, nodding. "I like it," he said, glancing up to see if everyone else agreed. "Any objections? Requests for a different section?"
Kingsley stood and applauded Hermione politely. "Well done, Miss Granger. I do need to warn you that I am not able to be here as often as everyone else. The Minister for Magic can't be gone too long, you know. There will be days when I cannot be here and other days when I need to leave early or come late. I hope you were not depending on me too much to help seal off the Room of Requirement," he smiled at her, sitting back down.
"Of course, Minister," Hermione chirped. "Given your skill set and your talents, I assigned you to the Room of Requirement because that will be a more serious problem to handle. We don't have any way of knowing whether the Fiendfyre in there still burns or not – I wouldn't risk opening it to find out. We barely got out alive. I'm confident that the days that you're gone or away for a few hours that the rest of us assigned there would be able to handle it."
He nodded at her, giving her a small smile. "Astoria, are you alright with being in charge of the little rascals?" Arthur asked her from the other end of the table. Astoria nodded, smiling brightly. "Of course! I love children. I'm not as skilled or experienced as the rest of you, so it's best that I stay out of the way."
"That settles it, then." The Headmistress ended the meeting and finally, everyone was able to eat and chat, catching up with old friends or making new ones.
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After breakfast, Kingsley pulled Sirius, the twins, and Harry aside to have them fill out and sign all the paperwork he had brought. Sirius gave Kingsley the envelope containing the twins' documents along with a stern warning to protect the documents with his life. They went their separate ways once it was all done - Harry to the Quidditch Pitch, and Sirius and the twins to the corridor that contained the Room of Requirement.
"That was... awkward," Corvus sighed, running his hands down his face in frustration. Sirius and the twins had been pummeled with what must've been a million questions and it was, to say the least, overwhelming.
Sirius and Pyxis nodded their agreement. "I'm sorry that everyone hounded you. It's just as shocking for them as it was for me to find out that I have children," Sirius sighed. Aberforth Dumbledore had assaulted them with a ton of questions, as if he was interrogating them. He seemed skeptical of the twins and seemed to be assessing whether or not they were threats to the school and its occupants. Sirius had gotten into a spat with Aberforth, defending the twins and telling Aberforth just where he could shove his prejudices. Seamus had a ton of questions about Viktor Krum, of all things, and Corvus had politely shut down the conversation. Molly Weasley had asked them if she could take their measurements for some wool sweaters, what their plans for the holidays were, and if they'd like to come to the Burrow sometime for dinner. Fred and George had pulled out a ton of their merchandise from their shop in Diagon Alley and had invited the twins to stop by sometime and take a look for themselves, adamant that they'd see things they never had before.
Dean, Oliver, Harry, Ginny and Ron had discussed Quidditch, thankfully, planning a friendly game on the weekend if they had made any decent headway with the repairs to the pitch. The Weasley twins had been distracted by this and were thrilled at the idea, setting up teams and goading Draco, Blaise and Theo to participate 'at their own risk'. Of course the Slytherins rose to the challenge, and the twins began placing bets on who'd win, who'd catch the Snitch first, who'd score more points before the Snitch caught, and whether or not the Slytherins would play dirty. Remus, Tonks, Sirius, Andromeda, and the twins had discussed the Black family history, and Remus and Sirius had lightened the mood with tales of their Marauder adventures in Hogwarts with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew - the 'rat bastard that betrayed Harry's parents'. Andromeda had lightened the mood with some stories of hers' and Sirius' childhoods and made a pun about them being the 'Black sheep'. She had cradled little Teddy while Remus and Tonks ate, cooing at him and telling Pyxis all about Teddy's budding skills as a metamorphmagus and how similar he was to his mother.
Kingsley, the Headmistress, and the professors had kept to themselves for the most part, chatting about the curriculum for the upcoming term. Arthur, Bill and Fleur talked about the Ministry and caught up with each other while little Victoire whined that she was bored. Pansy, Daphne, Astoria and Tracy had secluded themselves at the Slytherin table, as usual. Neville and Luna spent most of their time chatting with Professor Sprout about the greenhouses and how they'd divvy up tasks between themselves, figuring that Hagrid and Grawp would be more efficient cleaning up the grounds. Of course, between all the groups, everyone had launched their fair share of questions at the twins during lulls in their individual conversations.
What made them choose Hogwarts? Were they planning on living at Grimmauld Place with Sirius during the holidays, summers, and after graduation? How did they become friends with everyone? How did they incite a truce between the Golden Trio and the Slytherins? Were they all getting along? How was living together working out for all of them? What did they do in their free time? What is the Slytherin Common Room like? What subjects are their favorite? How did they learn wandless magic? Did they get their wands from Gregorovich? Were they excited about meeting Sirius? Did they like Hogwarts so far? Had they been to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade yet? Where did Pyxis find Felix? How did Corvus and Hermione get together? How was that going? Did Pyxis have any romantic interests? Did Sirius have any idea who he'd like her to marry once she graduated? What did they plan to do once they graduated? Would they work at the Ministry? How did they feel about becoming Aurors?
After awhile, Sirius felt his own head began to spin and politely asked everyone to let the twins breathe. This was their first time meeting everyone and the morning had been touch-and-go as it was. They were both quite relieved to enjoy their breakfast and indulge in polite conversation with Andromeda, Remus and Tonks in peace.
Pyxis was thankful for Hermione assigning her and Corvus to the Room of Requirement. They'd be with Sirius and Hermione and the Minister for Magic whose attendance would be quite intermittent. She assumed Hermione had assigned them to the Room of Requirement due to their skills with Defense and their experience at Durmstrang with dark magic. She was flattered, really. This was one of the most important tasks to be done and Hermione trusted her and Corvus to assist with it. It was a nice feeling, honestly. Pyxis recalled being miserable and terrified at the orphanage and Durmstrang, places where no one was nice to her or her brother and they had to look over their shoulders every minute of every day. Here at Hogwarts, everyone was kind and welcoming and caring, and even if Aberforth was a dick - he was still an ally.
They arrived at the corridor to the Room of Requirement and found a grinning Hermione, impatiently awaiting their arrival. "I assume Kingsley went back to the Ministry, then?" she asked, peering around them to make sure no one else was in tow. "Right. Let's get started then! I was thinking of wards, sealing spells, and some other clever spells and charms to throw in there... which is where you lot come in." She winked at Sirius and there seemed to be a silent exchange between them, because Sirius barked a laugh. "Ah, yes. I'm afraid I'm not as clever as I was back in the Marauders days, but I'll see what I can do," Sirius teased, taking a survey of the wall that contained the Room of Requirement/Room of Hidden Things. "This will be tricky, there can be no doubt about it. What exactly happened here, Hermione?"
Hermione grimaced. "Well... Harry, Ron and I had come here in the midst of the Battle, trying to find the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. Harry did, of course, and that's when Draco, Crabbe and Goyle cornered us. They had been following and snuck in behind us, but we were too frantic and panicked to notice. Anyway, Harry had Draco's wand - after disarming him during our escape from Malfoy Manor - and Draco wanted it back. Things got a little heated, and I can't remember if it was Crabbe or Goyle who did it - but someone shouted an Avada at Harry and I. Ron took off after them as we dug the Lost Diadem out of a pile of rubbish and the next thing we knew, Ron was running towards us and shouting about Fiendfyre, and sure enough - the entire bloody room was up in flames. We barely made it out. We got lucky and spotted brooms tucked off to the side and took off. Crabbe had fallen into his own Fiendfyre, ultimately killing himself, and Harry and Ron saved Goyle and Draco before they met the same gruesome fate. We got out in the nick of time, destroyed the Diadem, and Ron kicked it into the Fiendfyre as the doors to the Room of Requirement closed. Honestly, Sirius, I cannot believe we made it out alive. I don't think we were meant to. It isn't worth the risk to open the room and see if the Fiendfyre is still raging or not. Even if it isn't, everything in there is most likely destroyed and, well... Crabbe's remains are probably still in there." She sighed, resting her hands on her hips and eyeing the wall that she had run for her life from just a little over a month ago.
Sirius didn't say anything, just stared at the wall, running through spells in his mind and trying to form a game plan for sealing off this troublesome room. Too many students, alumni, and now Death Eaters knew about it. There was no reason it should ever be accessed again. Merlin forbid the Fiendfyre didn't destroy that bloody Vanishing Cabinet - the castle could be breached again at any time. Nope, definitely not worth it. They couldn't possible get rid of the room or finite it. This was ancient magic, strong magic. There was no way to make the room just go away.
Corvus couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Those oafs tried to kill you?" He spat, a look of pure rage on his handsome, scarred face. Hermione just shrugged. "As you well know by now, Harry's basically immune to Avada's." She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood with her little joke.
"Yes, well you aren't." He snapped. Hermione laughed.
"Corvus, if you met these two blokes, you wouldn't be too concerned right now. They couldn't tell their wands from their arses." Sirius was laughing at this point, too. Those two boys were very simple creatures, mostly relying on brute strength instead of being wizards and using their magic.
"Corvus, you're talking to the Brightest Witch of Your Age," he mused, clapping his hand on his son's shoulder and shooting a wink at Hermione. "An Avada isn't going to land on her so easily. She is more than capable of taking care of herself. You lot should host a duel sometime. She'd blow your mind." Hermione beamed at him and he cleared his throat. "Right, let's get to work. You don't suppose Shacklebolt would allow us to bring in a Cerberus to guard the wall, do you?"
Hermione was laughing again. "Oh, Sirius... Harry, Ron and I made quick work of the Cerberus in this castle in our First Year." At the bewildered looks of her three companions, she straightened a little and grinned at them. "Fluffy happened to like music. Let's get to it, shall we?" with that, she turned on her heel and began casting a Caterwauling Charm. It was the same exact charm the Death Eaters had used to be alerted to Harry's presence when they Apparated into Hogsmeade a little over a month ago, but it worked. If anyone came too close to the wall containing the Room of Requirement, that awful screeching would be heard throughout the entire castle. Sure, there would be a few first years and other morons that would set it off accidentally here and there - and McGonagall would probably smother Hermione in her sleep for this - but it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Never thought I'd see the day that I, of all people, aided in stopping Hogwarts students from engaging in mischief," Sirius lamented, throwing in a Protego Maxima, Protego Totalum, Repello Inimicum, Fianto Duri, and an Intruder Charm that would, basically, detect intruders and sound off like a Muggle burglar alarm. He grinned at Hermione devilishly, and she snorted. It might seem overzealous to place the Intruder Charm on top of the Caterwauling Charm, but they couldn't be too careful. Kids were too curious for their own good. He watched with pride as his twins effortlessly, wandlessly tossed in their own contributions in the form of Area and Blocked Barrier Spells. Together, all four of them evened out the charms and spells, making sure they had thrown all of their strength into them.
"That just leaves Kingsley and the Headmistress, then. They'll have to throw their weight into it, too, lest it all breaks down over time. I'll mention that the Head Boy, Head Girl and prefects should be checking up on these and reinforcing them weekly, but they will do for now." Hermione beamed at Sirius, Corvus, and Pyxis and shifted on her feet. "What should we do now, then?"
Pyxis laughed. "That's it? That's all we're doing? It sounded as though this would take days, if not weeks. I assume we should divvy ourselves up among the other groups, then?" Hermione winked at her and linked their arms together. "We're not done quite yet. We'll need Kingsley to come back and discuss extra methods with us, if you will. Harry, Ron and I were able to get into life-threatening trouble quite effortlessly in our first year alone. I was a rule-abiding bookworm and traipsed around the castle after curfew with Harry and Ron, and we put a Cerberus to sleep to access the bloody Philosophers' Stone. These wicked children can't be trusted not to make a game out of trying to get past our handiwork. When I say 'wicked children', I mean the Gryffindor lot. Slytherins, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs are not that reckless. Actually, I reckon Fred and George will make a bet out of which one of them can get through our work... I'd wish them luck if I wasn't 100% certain their failure will be most entertaining."
Sirius was nearly cackling behind them and Corvus just shrugged. "I don't know them well at all, but I reckon they'll set off the Caterwauling and Intruder charms by the end of the night. Nobody is sleeping tonight, if they were serious about staying at the castle with the lot of us."
"Lets go brag to everyone about how efficient and brilliant we are. I think we should start with ol' Snivellus, I reckon his daily scowling hour has yet to peak. We still have time!" Sirius rushed down the hall like a child, cackling with glee as he made his way through the castle to mess with Severus Snape - his favorite pastime. Corvus, Pyxis and Hermione followed, wondering what kind of scene they'd walk into once they caught up with Sirius.
"I'm sure you two have realized by now that your father and Remus hate Snape with a passion. The feeling is mutual. Goes back all the way to their Hogwarts years. I reckon Inter-house unity doesn't apply to alumni," Hermione chuckled, sidling up to Corvus and catching his hand in her own, intertwining their fingers. She smiled when he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple as they walked - his free arm draped around his sister.
When they caught up to Sirius, he was crouched behind some shrubbery, wandlessly disarming Snape every few minutes and giggling like a child when Snape would scowl, snapping at everyone around him. Arthur was doing his best to hide his amusement as he, Molly, Slughorn, Andromeda, Bill and Fleur continued their tasks of reconstructing the castle walls and the disaster that was Gryffindor Tower. Sirius disarmed Snape once more, laughing loudly when Snape snapped his head in his direction and spotted him. "Oi, Snivellus! Are you missing something?" he shouted, holding up Snape's wand. Snape glided over, his usual haughty sneer on his face, and snatched his wand back from Sirius.
"Ever the court jester," He huffed, stalking off towards the castle. Sirius waved mockingly at him as he disappeared from sight and jogged over to the rest of the adults and took Snape's place, picking up the slack he caused. Hermione and the twins followed suit, finally letting out the laughter they had all been holding in during the entire exchange. Hermione hoped she'd be as young at heart as Sirius when she reached his age. He was a breath of fresh air - well, for everyone except Snape - and she couldn't be any happier that they had taken the risk with the time-turner to keep him alive.
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Draco, Blaise, Theo, Pansy, Daphne, Tracy, Corvus, Pyxis and Hermione all sat together at the Slytherin table at dinner, chatting about their days and how their teams were working out.
Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Dean, Seamus, Fred, George, Oliver and even Astoria sat at the Gryffindor table with the adults. Ginny and Ron were chatting excitedly with Fred and George, and Astoria was seated across from Fleur and Andromeda, asking them questions about Victoire and Teddy so she'd be better prepared to babysit them for at least 8 hours a day, every day.
Pansy looked absolutely miffed. No, this wasn't any different from her usual unpleasant expression, but today it seemed a bit more... off-putting. "Granger, what in Merlin's name possessed you to group me with Gryffindor's most annoying lot? I had to listen to that idiot Finnegan brag about how he and Longbottom blew up the bridge in the war, and then his whining about how we were 'erasing evidence of his brilliance'. On top of that, Weasley was making eyes at me all day, and I had to bear witness to sickening displays of affection between Zabini and the Weaselette. Are you trying to punish me?" Pansy was glaring at Hermione with as much contempt as she could muster, a sour frown plastered on her face. Hermione daintily dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, settled it neatly back in her lap, and raised her eyes to Pansy before she spoke in the most polite, eloquent manner. "Well, Parkinson, you were the one who tried to incite the entire student body to hand my best friend over to Voldemort - or have you forgotten?" Pansy scowled at her and folded her arms over her chest, muttering something about 'goody-two-shoes Gryffindors' and Hermione shot her a bright smile before returning to her dinner. Theo barked a laugh and pointed rudely at Pansy, "she's got a point, Parkinson. You won't live that down. If I were you, I'd have a Protego up everywhere I went once term starts. One never knows when a hex or two might be hurled."
Draco and Blaise snorted in unison, trying to hide their mirth from Pansy. Daphne put her hands up in a show of neutrality and Corvus and Pyxis outright laughed. "It must be lonely being you," Pyxis sneered. "Lucky for you, you have more than enough time to spend in the company of such a lovely group of people and they might just rub off on you. You might just become tolerable by the start of term."
Pansy was about to retort when the Headmistress stood, pointed her wand at her throat to amplify her voice, and her words boomed through the Great Hall.
"Ladies and gentleman, I have an announcement to make. First, I would like to thank you all for your hard work and for demonstrating perfect examples of teamwork," there was light applause and she took this moment to give Pansy a stern look. Once the applause stopped, she continued, "I want to announce that we will be hosting a ball here in the Great Hall Saturday night, partly to display this repaired Hall and partly to display the work that is in progress on the castle. It is the Minister for Magic's hope, and mine as well, that this will encourage more witches and wizards to aid in the repairs to the castle as well as inspiring a sense of community and unity amongst the Wizarding community. I realize this is short notice for you, but I have decided to give you all Thursday and Friday off to get your affairs in order in time for the ball. This should give you all sufficient time to do any shopping that you need to. Please keep in mind," she eyed the students to drive the point home, "that this is, indeed, a black tie affair and I expect you all to dress accordingly." Once she was finished, she gave a light bow, and returned to the High Table.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Theo moaned, dropping his head in his hands. Blaise clapped him on the back and eyed Ginny at the Gryffindor table, winking at her. She blushed and nodded at him, then returned to her conversation. Ron, beside her, looked nearly sick at the news and was having a typical Ron fit at his table. Fred and George were mercilessly teasing Ron, much to Molly's irritation, and Seamus and Dean were chatting among themselves. Corvus looked down at Hermione and smiled at her. "I believe this is the part where I ask you to be my date," he whispered, and she nodded before planting a quick kiss on his mouth. He threw his arm around her and looked at Theo, having noticed the glances Theo had been casting at Daphne for the past few days, and the last few minutes especially. He chuckled. "Ask her, mate, before another bloke does." He drawled, staring right at Theo. Theo paled. "Ask who?" Pansy demanded, hating not knowing what Corvus seemed to be keen to. "Daphne," Corvus answered, still staring at Theo. Theo shot up from his seat and jabbed a finger at Corvus, and Daphne laughed. "Theo," she called, waiting until he looked at her. Once she had his attention, she grinned at him and leaned forward in her seat, making sure he heard every word. "I'd love to be your date to the ball." He damn near fainted. Blaise and Draco had gotten up from their seats and snickered at him as they carefully pulled him back down in his seat. Theo didn't say a word, just nodding at Daphne and praying no one noticed the heat he felt spreading in his cheeks.
"That's three couples out of the way," Hermione observed. "Let's see... Neville will take Luna, Corvus will be taking me, Theo and Daphne are going together, Blaise will be taking Ginny..." She tapped her chin in thought as she looked around the table. "That leaves Pyxis, Tracy, Pansy, Draco, Harry, Ron, Astoria, Dean, Seamus... and even Oliver."
Draco stiffened at her statement and scowled. "Who the hell said I was even going, Granger?" he spat, seemingly aggravated by the ball and Hermione's statement. She quirked a brow at him and gave him a stern look. "Oh yes, because Draco Malfoy, Arrogant Aristocratic Tosser of The Century would miss an event that gave him a reason to show off his ridiculously expensive clothing and sense of style. Right. How silly of me to assume you - of all people - would attend a black tie affair that the entire Wizarding community will be invited to." She rolled her eyes at him and reached over to pat the back of his hand and he sneered at her in contempt. She chuckled at him and turned her attention back to their friends. "So, who are you lot going with?" She had the most devilish look on her face as her question caused a commotion at the table. Corvus laughed and pressed a kiss to her throat, tangling his hand in her hair.
Oliver Wood had been eyeing Pyxis with interest all evening, careful not to be caught staring by anyone at his table or the Slytherin table. He took another swallow of elf wine and took a deep breath before rising from his seat at the table and cautiously making his way to the Slytherin table, intending to ask Pyxis to the ball as his date. He eyed Draco Malfoy as he made his way over, and once the bloke's eyes met his own, he sneered at him and stiffened in his seat. "Oi! Wood! Has someone Imperio'd you? I don't see any reason you'd sully your Gryffindor pride with a visit to the Slytherin table." Oliver rolled his eyes. "Pleasure to see you again, Malfoy," he said dryly, shifting his focus to Pyxis. He gave her a winning smile and stuck his hand out to her, which she accepted, and he kissed her knuckles. "Pyxis Black, it is a pleasure. I'm Oliver Wood, an alumni of Hogwarts." She smiled back at him, politely, and returned her hand to her lap. "Nice to meet you, Oliver," she commented, and eyed her brother across from her who had a murderous look on his face. She glanced at the Gryffindor table and saw Sirius watching the exchange with one of those sly looks on his face. She returned her attention to Oliver. "I was hoping you'd allow me to escort you to the ball this weekend."
Draco slammed his fist down on the table and shot up from his seat, stalking up to Oliver and glaring right into his eyes. "You must be bloody joking," he spat, measuring Oliver up as his right hand twitched. "Aw, shite," Blaise sighed before standing up and moving to stand beside Draco. At Oliver's glare, he smirked and reassured the man. "I'm here to mediate, not to join in on childish hexing," he drawled, looking as if this entire incident was boring him to death. "I'm not joking, actually," Oliver declared, smirking at the way Draco's eyebrows furrowed in his rage. Corvus stood and pushed his way in between the two men. He glanced over his shoulder at Draco and shot him a warning look, one that made Draco relax. "Oliver Wood, is it?" He shook the man's hand, giving it a firm grip - not firm enough to break it, but firm enough to make the man wince. "I am Pyxis' brother, Corvus. Pleasure," his spine was straight and he had a haughty, arrogant look plastered on his face as he loomed a little over the man before him. He ignored the glare Pyxis had fixed on him and continued. "It isn't up to me whether or not you take my sister to the ball, but I must warn you that I cannot be responsible for Draco's reaction should she accept your request. I will also warn you, if she accepts, to mind your hands and your tongue with her. I would hate to see such a talented Quidditch Player lose his limbs." With that, he smirked at Oliver before returning to his seat, motioning for Draco to do the same. Draco did, involuntarily, with force from Blaise.
Pyxis cleared her throat and smiled politely. "Now that you are all done strutting like fucking peacocks," She glared at Draco and Corvus, and stared Draco right in the eye as she addressed Oliver. "I would love to accompany you, Oliver. Meet with me after breakfast on Thursday. I'll have to discuss color coordination with you before I go shopping for a dress." Oliver smiled and nodded at her. "I will see you Thursday morning then, Pyxis." He strut away from the table with an air of cockiness that made Draco hiss. "What the fuck was that?!" Draco snarled at her, a feral look on his handsome features. She shrugged and ignored Corvus' eyes. "I will do as I please, Draco. Pity you had to act like a rabid guard dog - I might've declined his request if you hadn't." Draco glared at her, then at Corvus, before rising from the table and storming from the Hall, muttering about Gryffindor twats and betrayal.
"Right, that leaves Draco, Tracy, Astoria, Pansy, Ron, Harry, Dean, and Seamus." Theo announced, trying to change the subject before Corvus lost his patience and strangled his sister. Tracy spoke up, trying to catch Harry's attention from the other table. "I'd like to go with Harry." Pansy looked absolutely affronted, and grabbed Tracy by her shoulders, shaking her roughly. "Are you mad?!" She hissed. "The Boy Who Lived? You'd humiliate yourself in front of the entire bloody Wizarding community? I realize you are a half-blood, Tracy, and you don't know any better, but you can find a dashing pureblood wizard to take you. Sure, Potter is the better choice out of the lot of them," She pointed at Ron, Seamus and Dean to emphasize her point, "but you don't need to settle for him just because he's one of the only single males left to choose from in the hall." Harry's head had popped up at Pansy's mention of him and tuned into the conversation. He grinned lopsidedly at Tracy and called to her from the Gryffindor table. "It's a date!" Tracy blushed and hid her grin behind her napkin, ignoring Pansy's scandalized look.
"Astoria will probably go with someone in her own year." Daphne commented. "She's too young to accompany anyone in our year, and I doubt she'd go with Ron, Seamus or Dean. Last I checked, she was interested in someone in her own year... you know, before the war." She watched her sister laugh and jest with the occupants of the Gryffindor table and smiled, glad that her sister fit in so well. She was nervous to bring her here around students two years older, thinking they'd harass her, but she was doing just fine and all the men they dormed with were very well-mannered. Well, as far as their behavior towards women went. She couldn't say the same about their nightly drinking and shenanigans in the Common Room.
Pansy piped up again and everyone at the table groaned. "Well, Pyxis, since you are going with that Gryffindor bloke, I assume you won't mind if I snatch Draco up for myself?" She had an evil smile stretched across her pug face and Pyxis grimaced at her. "If he actually consents to that, I'd be shocked." She smirked at her and Hermione choked on her pumpkin juice, coughing and spluttering to clear the fluid from her airway. Corvus rubbed her back, trying to soothe her, still sporting a nasty look on his face. "You better know what you are doing, sister," He whispered to Pyxis. "You cannot change your mind now, and the damage is done." He knew that she and Draco had a disagreement of sorts, one would be a fool not to. Draco was snarky, rude and hostile again and his sister was doing her best to avoid the bloke's eyes and path. With that, he went back to his dinner. Hermione had been contemplating going after Draco but thought better of it. She wasn't sure whether her presence would help calm him or further anger him. He left in a fury, and she thought it best to leave him to his own devices. It wasn't that she was afraid of Draco hurting her or taking his rage out on her, she just knew that he was the type who was best left alone until he had calmed down, much like Ron. She sighed, having lost her appetite, and listened in on the conversation at her table as everyone chatted about what they'd be wearing, shopping, and how little notice the Headmistress gave them to prepare themselves. She pictured all the dresses she owned and shook her head a little. No, none of them would do for a ball like this. She knew she'd have to take Ginny and herself shopping. I guess I'll be putting the gold the Ministry awarded me to good use after all. I can buy dresses and jewelry for myself and Ginny. If I'm helping a friend, then it isn't selfish, right?
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Draco wasn't in the Common Room when they all slipped in after dinner - Dean, Seamus and Oliver included. Sirius had decided to go back to Grimmauld Place for the night, sensing the tension between his son and Oliver and the way Draco had stormed out of the hall. His kids were adults and needed to handle this without his assistance, much as he loathed to admit it. He decided to stay out of the way and only get involved if one of his children came to him about it. Corvus excused himself from the group and walked off to the boys' dorms, finding Draco's rather quickly. He politely knocked on the door, leaning his head closer and pressing his ear to the door, trying to hear any activity in the room. He didn't hear any movement and no one came to the door, so he slowly made his way back to the Common Room, wondering the whole way where Draco might be. He was concerned about the bloke, never having seen him this angry. He shook his head, frustrated with his sister. The fake engagement was off, he knew that, but he had sworn there was something between his sister and Draco. He knew Draco definitely felt something for his sister, and he had caught the way his sister would genuinely flirt with the bloke at times. She didn't act that way with men. Yes, she was manipulative and flirty and strung them along in her sick little games, but she never genuinely flirted and smiled with them. He glared at Oliver when he reached the Common Room and ignored Hermione's questions as he made his way out of the portrait hole and into the corridor. He wasn't too familiar with the castle, and he could definitely get lost, but he knew he had to go find Draco. After all, it was Draco who had taught him that Slytherins took care of their own.
Hermione watched Corvus exit the Common Room and pieced together that he must be looking for Draco. She knew Corvus had some kind of authority, or so it seemed, over Draco and relaxed back into the sofa. She had called out to him to try and ask where he was going and to stop him, but he hadn't listened. She glanced over at Oliver who was sitting next to Pyxis on another couch, looking quite proud of himself. If only he knew that Corvus was a lot more terrifying than Draco - and a lot more lethal. She shuddered as she recalled the story about Viktor Krum again, and almost pitied Oliver - she would have if he didn't look so smug and cozy with Pyxis. She shook her head, shifting her gaze to the burning fire and sipping at her glass of brandy. She didn't much like brandy, but she was tired of firewhiskey at this point and knew she'd need something much stronger tonight if the feeling of impending dread sending chills down her spine was anything to go by.
Harry and Tracy were chatting animatedly on the couch between hers and Pyxis' and she smiled, happy that a nice girl had taken an interest in her best friend. Sure, she was disappointed when he and Ginny didn't work out, but she understood the feeling - she wasn't as in love with Ron as she had thought, and it took them being together for her to figure it out. At the thought of Ron, she spotted him at the little table, playing Wizard's chess with Blaise for once. Theo was too busy giving Daphne puppy love eyes as she ran her fingers through his hair. She chuckled, finding the entire thing absolutely adorable. She wasn't stupid - far from it, actually - she had noticed the way Theo always seemed tense around Daphne and the glances he'd shoot her way when he thought no one was watching. She was happy that Corvus had put Theo and Daphne on the spot the way he did. She wasn't surprised her handsome, brilliant boyfriend had noticed the same behavior from Theo that she had. They make a lovely pair, she mused.
Blaise and Ginny were in their usual chair, as always, with Ginny draped over Blaise's lap as they watched the game of Wizard's chess progress, whispering to each other as they did. She was happy that Ginny and Blaise had gotten together. She had known that Ginny had a crush on the bloke for a little while before she ended up with Dean Thomas, but Ginny was way too shy and self-conscious to ever act on it. She had tried to assure Ginny that Blaise was one of the more reasonable, mature, and friendly Slytherins and he'd be a fool to reject a girl as gorgeous as she was, but Ginny refused and insisted she'd be humiliated. Hermione had dropped it after that, never once bringing it up again. She watched the couple with a grin on her face, keeping her mouth shut so she didn't taunt her redhead friend about how right she had been all along. She suddenly remembered her earlier thoughts about dress shopping and her eyes widened.
"Gin," she called, capturing the tipsy girl's attention, as well as Blaise's. "Dress shopping on Friday, my treat." She smiled and shook her head as Ginny began protesting, insisting she'd buy her own dress. "Nope. I got all that stupid gold from the Ministry and I intend on spoiling you with it." She grinned, sipping her brandy. Blaise kissed Ginny softly before turning his attention back to Hermione and clearing his throat. "Actually, Hermione, it'll be my treat. It's my responsibility to make sure Ginny is happy and well taken care of, and you've been quite good to the lot of us and even stood up for us," he eyed Ron quickly, giving him a half-shrug in apology before moving on. "I'd be happy to supply the galleons and send you both skipping off to wherever it is you go for formal wear." Ginny squealed and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him so passionately that everyone in the room became slightly uncomfortable. Hermione didn't fight it, knowing it would be useless, and even if Blaise relented - she knew Theo would pull the same exact speech and then Harry would insist on one-upping the Slytherins by offering to pay for all the womens' shopping. "Thank you," she called, then returned to her thoughts about Corvus and Draco's whereabouts.
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Corvus returned a few hours later, long after at least half of the rooms' occupants had gone off to bed, and she looked at him expectantly when she noticed Draco was not with him. He shook his head at her, avoiding the gaze of everyone else in the room, and collapsed onto the couch beside her. "Nowhere to be seen," he muttered, pouring himself some scotch. "Went so deep into the castle I had to cast a Point Me to find my way back here. Checked the Hall, the courtyard, the fucking Chamber, the Astronomy Tower, the Quidditch Pitch... everywhere. It's as if he's disappeared." Theo popped his head up at that and frowned. "Disappeared?" At Corvus' nod, Theo shot out of his chair and took off for Draco's room. Corvus and Blaise had sprinted after him, and they worked together to bring down the wards Draco had put up to keep out intruders. Once they got them down and finally got into the room, they saw that it was completely empty. Not only had Draco disappeared, but all of his belongings had, too. It was as if he was never there. They shared a look with each other and Theo ran a hand through his hair, sitting on the windowseat in the corner. "Shite," he muttered, "what do we tell the others?"
Corvus glanced around the room again, looking for any sign of where Draco might've gone or anything he might've left behind and saw nothing. "I don't know," he admitted, before looking at Blaise and Theo. "I can tell you this, though. My sister and I will be having a discussion." Blaise nodded and Theo stared at the floor. "She was in here the other night," Theo muttered, and Corvus' head snapped in his direction. "Pardon?" He asked, incredulous. Theo nodded. "Yeah, reckon I saw her sneak in here. She didn't see me in the hall, I had been on my way to the Common Room to laze about for awhile because I couldn't sleep. She was in here for awhile. She was so frazzled when she finally made her way back to her room that she didn't even notice me sitting on the couch. She looked pretty shocked. Whatever happened between them, she had gone in there looking determined and left looking like someone killed Felix." He shrugged, finally meeting Corvus' eyes. He shivered, noticing the flash of rage in them. That discussion he was going to have with Pyxis was not going to be fun. He was thankful at that moment that he was not Pyxis and hadn't ever found himself on the other end of Corvus' rage. Corvus moved so fast for the door that Blaise and Theo almost felt like they had merely imagined his presence in the room a moment ago before they shot up and cautiously made their way back to the Common Room. When they got there, the scene before them was... unsettling. Hermione had a death grip on Corvus' arm, Pyxis was standing in front of Oliver as if to protect him, Ginny was pale and her eyes were bulging out of her head, Harry's jaw was hanging, Tracy looked terrified and Pansy was cackling gleefully. It took a moment for them to register that Corvus was shouting and Hermione's white-knuckled grip on his arm was slipping as he made his way closer to Oliver. As soon as they saw Corvus' hand reach for Pyxis, no doubt to move her out of his way, they shot over to him and put all their strength into restraining him. It was going to be a long night.