Chapter 19: Padfoot & Serpens

"Class dismissed." Sirius announced, and there was an immediate bustling of bags. "Mr. Malfoy, I'd like to see you in my office."

Draco froze and looked around for Harriet, but she was already gone. Blaise and Astoria remained in their seats as if to wait for him.

"It's okay guys, go on, I'll see you later."

As soon as they had cleared the room Draco followed Sirius up to his office. Draco sat in the chair in front of the desk nervously played with his hands, having no idea what he had done to be called up here. Sirius shut the door of the office and made his way to sit down at his desk.

"Tell me, Mr. Malfoy, is there something about my goddaughter that interests you?"

Oh shit. Draco thought.

"Well, Professor Black, she is an interesting person. After all I have been going to school with her for seven years."

"So interesting in fact, that you have taken it upon yourself in the last three weeks to stare at her?"

Three weeks? That was when we went to Hagrid's.

"Sir, she does sit in front of me in class, so really it's not like I'm doing it on purpose."

"What about in the corridors, the Great Hall?"

Draco knew he was trying to get him backed into a corner and so far it was succeeding. Sirius noticed his looks and began to laugh. Draco looked up at him, confused.

"Mr. Malfoy, I might be your teacher, but Harri is my goddaughter, and her father is my best friend. Those looks that you have been giving Harriet are the same looks that James would give her mother."

"Professor Black…"

"Draco, you're my cousin and your mother is one of my sweetest and best relatives. Plus this discussion is not academic, so here in privet, it would be fine with me of you preferred to call me Sirius. "

Draco blinked. Didn't this man ever stick to one topic? First he was interrogating him about Harriet, and then he talked about her parents, informed him of his feelings for Narcissa, now he was telling him to call him by his fist name? It was bad enough when he changed topics in class three times before coming back and making a point about the first one.

"Well, in that case… Sirius… What exactly is it that you are trying to get me to say?"

Sirius smiled and a small laugh escaped his mouth.

"How long have you've been dating my goddaughter Draco?"

"Honestly, not very long. However, I'm sorry sir, I don't think I should I should talk to you about this without Harriet."

"I've already spoken with her."

"What?" How could Harriet not tell him?

"I spoke with her over the summer when she received a necklace as a birthday present from a source she refused to name. Then when I saw the two of you enter the great hall three weeks ago something was off. Ron and Hermione came in alone. Not unusual but something just felt funny to me. I watched as you two entered separately, but all through the meal I noticed the looks you were giving each other.

No one else seemed to notice so I figured I had looked up from my plate at exactly the right time. I contacted your mother, when your father was not home of course, and asked if she knew of any relationships that you were currently involved in. all she said was that you had been receiving letters and one day Lucius got curious as to who they were from. According to her you constantly said that they were from young Mr. Zambini, but Lucius didn't buy it so he hit you. When your mother told you that you had to be careful you replied 'She tells me that all the time'. She drew her own conclusion that you had a girlfriend but did not press the matter for both your sakes."

Sirius took a deep breath before continuing.

"I spoke to Harriet last week about your behavior in the Great Hall, and she reacted in almost the same matter that you did. Hoping to stray away from the fact that even though I knew she had a boyfriend, she did want to divulge who it was. Eventually she told me that it was you, and confirmed that the necklace was from you as well. Now before you get angry with her," he said as Draco opened his mouth to speak "I told her not to tell you as I planned on having a talk with you as well."

Sirius smiled but Draco's face remained emotionless. While he could not be mad at Harriet for obeying Sirius, he could be at her for what she had told him. What had she told him anyway?

"Not much." Sirius said, and Draco realized he had spoken that last thought out loud. "She did tell me some things, but said that other things I would have to ask you about. While I admit I am curious as to what she could not tell me, and want to know what you have to say, I think that conversation is for another time."

Draco nodded and made to stand up, but as he was about to leave he had to know one thing.

"Have you told anyone?"

"If by 'anyone' you mean Harriet's parents, then, no, I have not."

"Thank you Sir." Draco smiled and left the office.

"HE'S ALIVE!" Blaise exclaimed as he ran over to Draco and engulfed him in a bone crushing hug while Harriet, Ron, Hermione, and Astoria laughed.

"Blaise, geert oof." Draco grumbled.

Blaise let go and allowed Draco to enter into the rest of the common room. His eyes fell on everyone in the room. At first he found it a little hard to believe, the Gryffindor and Slytherin Trio's all in the same room?

"What's the occasion?" Draco asked as he sat next to Harriet on the couch.

"Well, we were going to wait for you outside of the classroom." Said Astoria "However, Professor Black took you up to his office, and we didn't know how long you were going to be, and plus it meant we couldn't eavesdrop." The room giggled "Harriet said that she would go back to the Head's room and wait for you. Ron and Hermione said that they would join her, and they all invited Blaise and I to go with them."

"You were gone a long time Mate." Blaise cut in "I thought you were dead."

"I told you he was not dead." Harriet shot at Blaise

"For a minute I thought I was." Draco admitted "The minute we entered his office the first question was about you." He gestured towards Harriet.

"So what happened?" Asked Hermione.

Draco told them all about he conversation he had with Sirius and even gave Harriet a glare in mock anger when he told them how she too had been spoken with. Once the story was over the six of them continued to talk until it was time to go to dinner. They all left the Heads common room together and made their way to the Great Hall. They paid no attention to the fact that they had forgot to separate and all walked in together, but no one seemed to pay any mind to it.

As Harriet sat and ate she couldn't help but smile. Because of her relationship with Draco a Gryffindor and Slytherin had bonded, and now six friendships had been formed. Granted it might take a little longer for the whole school to bond, but it was a start. She was friends with Draco's two best friends, and Draco was friends with her two best friends. For now, life was all good.