"Lestranges, Blacks, Malfoys, and Weasleys…Growing Again or Danger to Us All" By Rita Skeeter

"This reporter is pleased and slightly concerned to be the first to update you on the ever-growing family. With such a large and affluent base, some readers worry that this notoriously dark family may be trying to take over the Wizarding World. Just what is going on inside Lestrange Manor? Previously, the family was all of the news when they took in the majority of the disbanded Weasley sons after Molly's embarrassing departure. It seems that the Lestranges proper wanted a Weasley of their own to match the Blacks, Malfoys, and Prince families. They were seen with the eldest Weasley son, William, yesterday in Diagon Alley. Witnesses say that the family (Rodolphus, Bellatrix, recently rescued Drusilla, and newly de-aged and adopted Rabastan) entered Gringott's alone, but they exited about an hour later with a dazed William (Bill) Weasley carrying a wolf cub. The newest son, Rabastan, de-aged former Regulus Black, was no where in sight. It wasn't until the wolf transformed back into Rabastan at Florean Fortescue's that we find out he can already shift. Is this left over from his days as Regulus Black or is this a new found ability. We know that the Black's have a history of metamorphagi. More on that to come.

Inside the ice cream shop, Mr. Fortescue refused to give a statement saying that he valued the privacy of his clients, but there were others present to observe the strange gathering. Witnesses agree that Bill Weasley nearly had a panic attack, and then he was nurtured? Comforted? CUDDLED by infamous death eater Bellatrix Lestrange. They say that each of the elder Lestranges were acting downright paternal towards the young man. Why was Bill with the Lestranges in the first place? Why was he so dazed? Why was he accepting comfort from both of the Lestranges? Continue reading to find out.

Sources say that after the encounter at Fortescue's the Lestranges plus Bill Weasley met up with the rest of the family (Dynasty? Kingdom? Empire? Royal Family?) at a private restaurant. Two very exciting and surprising things happened there. 1) It was revealed that Rabastan Lestrange was a submissive, and Bill Weasley is his newfound Alpha. Hence, the shock and dazed expression. It appears that Bill was at work at Gringott's yesterday when he first came into contact with his new mate. It can be shocking for the eldest son of a family that has been the paradigm of light to suddenly be mated to one of the Darkest families in history. 2) The other shocking thing is that waiting at the restaurant was the estranged Black sister, Andomeda, and her muggle-born husband, Ted Tonks. After years of separation and animosity, the Black sisters have officially made up and re-united. Sources say that the party all left to head towards Lestrange Manor where they could continue the reunion.

Just what is going on with this large family, and what does it mean for the Wizarding World? What will happen if He Who Shall Not Be Named ever returns like Headmaster Dumbledore suspects? What does Dumbledore think of this growing power? With so many powerful Wizards with Alpha Veela inheritance, are the rest of us left at a disadvantage? Would it even be a fair fight if they chose to assert their authority over all of us?

Some readers have expressed concern that there may be ulterior motives to this growing family. Some have even speculated that this family combined could be more powerful and worrisome that the Dark Lord. There are so many very powerful and wealthy witches and wizards, and they have members from both the Light and Dark. Severus, Lucius, Bellatrix, and Rodolphus were all saved from Azkaban by Albus Dumbledore. Just where does he fit in all of this? Is this the beginning of a new Wizarding World Order?"

As soon as Lucius finished reading the article from the Prophet aloud, Fred swore, "Merlin's fucking balls."

Severus glared at him and smacked the back of his head. The younger children and Sirius laughed, and Narcissa scolded, "Fred James Prince, do not speak like a low class bum unless you'd like your bum to be red and stinging."

Fred was embarrassed by the juvenile reprimand, but he nodded his head in understanding regardless. His ear was suddenly stinging as his father twisted it in his hands and reminded him to answer respectfully. He was quick to amend, "I'm sorry, Aunt Cissy."

Feeling cheeky, like usual, and a bit miffed, he muttered something under his breath about nearly being an adult and being allowed to speak how he'd like. He must have forgotten about all of the Veela's and their exceptional hearing. He soon had multiple very displeased older men, including Bill, frowning at him. Severus dismissed Fred to his room, but Bill knew better, "I'm sorry, Uncle Severus, but he shouldn't be left to his own devices. The twins do much better with supervised punishment. Fred, I know I raised you better than this. I think you'd better go plant your nose in that corner until we are done here."

Fred argued back to Bill, "No way. You aren't the boss of me anymore."

Sensing an argument coming, Rodolphus quickly stood and addressed the two boys, "Fred, I'm not sure what's come over you, but you absolutely still have to listen to your brother... Now march and go plant your nose in that corner as he suggested. If there is one more word out of you, then you will be doing so without the ability to sit."

If there was one thing Fred had learned about Rodolphus, it was that he didn't make idle threats, and he didn't accept misbehavior. He quickly stood, blushing, and made his way to the corner. On his way, he felt his dad gently grip the back of his neck in appreciation, and it made him feel rotten. While in the corner, he tried to listen to the family's conversation, but he couldn't help but think and concentrate on how different this family was from his old one. Molly and Arthur wouldn't have cared so much about him cussing or acting out a little.

He didn't know why he bucked that small amount of authority just now. It just bothered him briefly. Oh man, he was in trouble. What was he thinking?! Snape may have been really cool so far, but he was still the greasy git of the dungeons. His Dad was going to kill him. Would he disown him? What about Rodolphus and Lucius? He was pretty sure they only put up with him because of their interest in his new Dad. Maybe he could stay with Remus and Sirius if things went south. He was almost an adult. He could probably even stay with Arthur if needed to.

At some point, he sagged against the wall in defeat. He suddenly realized that he had no control over anything in his life right now. He was at the mercy of his new family. Narcissa rolled her eyes at all of the men in her family, and she moved to comfort her nephew. In a family of Slytherins and politicians, no one missed his body movements. They just all chose to ignore him for now. Being an experienced mother, she couldn't ignore it. Besides, it was against her that Fred made his first transgression. She could certainly handle a little teenage angst.

She excused herself from the table, "As exciting as all of this is, today is Monday. We have school and lessons, and Andromeda, Nymphadora, Dumbledore, and Minerva should really be included in this conversation. Why don't we table it for now, and we can all meet in the headmaster's office later?"

She didn't wait for confirmation. This was one of those times where a Black witch had spoken, and it would come to pass. There was no use fighting.

Narcissa walked up to Fred, and she startled him when she placed her hand on his shoulder. Fred turned and apologized, "I'm sorry, Lady Malfoy."

That in itself told everyone where Fred's head was. Narcissa sighed sadly and then turned to glare at all of the men. She led him from the room to her and Lucius's room, and she could be heard as they walked away, "Sweetheart, it's still Aunt Cissy. Let's have a little conversation before we get you off to school."

Once they made it to her bedroom, she led him over to the bed and took a seat next to him. She reached across and held onto his fidgeting hands as she spoke, "Fred or do you prefer Freddie? I've heard Severus refer to you as Freddie multiple times now."

He just shrugged, "It doesn't matter."

Narcissa frowned, but she let it go. The twins were normally pretty confident, and it was hard to see one of them, especially Fred (the ring leader) acting so unsure and down. She spoke gently to him, "Freddie, you are not in a lot of trouble. Please don't be so hard on yourself. According to Bill and Charlie, you didn't have much of a guiding hand growing up, so I understand how hard it can be to suddenly have so many rules and people watching out for you. It can be stifling, but it is the way of this family and that will never change. Your father is still held accountable to Lucius and now Rodolphus. We understand that you will need an adjustment period, but you were blatantly disrespectful earlier. That will never be tolerated."

Fred just nodded, "Yes ma'am."

Narcissa reached up to pull his head onto her shoulder and card her fingers through his hair as she soothed, "Another thing that will never change is your status in this family. You're stuck with us, dear. Always. Now, we need to handle the little issue of your disrespect, and then you will have a fresh slate."

She felt him flinch slightly on her shoulder, but he didn't make a sound or pull away, so Narcissa continued, "Normally the men handle all of the punishments, but I'm perfectly capable. Since your blunder was against me, I feel that I should administer it."

Fred blushed and wanted to argue, but he was nervous. He looked into Narcissa's eyes, and he didn't see any judgment or negativity, so he just agreed and resigned himself to his fate.

Narcissa motioned for him to stand before her, and she angled her lap so that she could pull him across her lap with his upper body resting on the bed. She accio'ed her hairbrush, and then she pulled down the young mans sleep pants as he groaned, embarrassed.

She gave him a short warm-up with her hand, and then she paused, "Fred James Prince, why are you getting this spanking?"

He flushed red, and answered, "I was disrespectful to you and talked back. I'm sorry, Aunt Cissa."

She rubbed his back, "It's ok, Freddie. We're taking care of it now, and then it's over. Hold on tight, I tend to go quickly to get it over with."

Then she raised her hairbrush and brought it down with a solid smack on his right cheek. Fred had to hold his breath at the sudden impact. He hadn't expected her to be so heavy handed after the light warm-up. He made sure to hold himself still. He was adamant that he would not cry from a spanking from a dainty woman….no matter how mightily she wielded her weapon of choice.

He groaned silently as the smacks kept coming fast. She was right. She was quick and methodical. She covered each cheek, sit spot, and upper thigh, alternating sides. Ugh. He was not going to be able to sit down today…and maybe tomorrow.

She started lecturing about a minute into the spanking, "In this family, we value honesty and respect. You will learn quickly or you will stand for the forseeable future. You WILL NOT be cast out or disowned no matter what you do."

Ugh, that cut him. How'd she know what he was worried about. He started crying a little, but he was still fighting it. He was fighting the tears so much that he hadn't noticed the door opening to admit his Uncle Lucius. Hearing the man's voice shocked him, "It's ok to cry, Fred. Your dad still cries when I handle him. Crying is not a weakness. It's cathartic. Let go, Freddie."

And he did. He collapsed over Narcissa's lap, and he cried out all of his pent up emotions. Narcissa stopped spanking him immediately, and observed her handiwork before she drew up his boxers to preserve his modesty. His entire rear end from his buttocks to the middle of his thighs was a dark red. He had kicked off his sleep pants during the spanking, so she left them on the floor.

She rubbed his back while he sobbed and whispered sweet nothings to him. Lucius helped Fred up and laid him out across their bed as a knock sounded on their door. Narcissa went to answer the door. A teary-eyed George was standing there miserably, looking lost. He quickly scanned the room until his eyes fixed on his brother. Narcissa pulled him to the bed and nudged him to signal that it would be ok to provide comfort. Fred was quickly sandwiched between George and Lucius. Narcissa, not one to be left out, crawled into the bed on the other side of George and pulled the covers over everyone. She kissed both of their temples, and set a timer for 10 minutes. They all needed to get ready for school. Fred wasn't able to eat breakfast before, so they would need to be there in time to catch a quick bite to eat.

George latched onto Fred, and they both calmed down together. Harrison soon joined them, running and diving on top of the twins. They laughed and held the little boy tightly between them. Lucius and Narcissa shared a loving look over their heads as they watched the twins cuddle with their baby.

A throat clearing from the doorway ended their reverie. Not a second later, the alarm Narcissa had set was going off. Severus entered the bedroom where all three of his reasons for living were located. He stood near the foot of the bed, and he opened his arms to all three of his boys. Harrison and George didn't hesitate to embrace the man, but Fred hung back briefly. Narcissa nudged him, and reminded him, "Freddie, your dad loves you. Always."

Fred stood from the bed and embraced the man and his brothers as well. If he shed a few tears when his dad whispered that he loved them all dearly, well no one seemed to notice.

Severus ended the moment as soon as Fred started to pull away. He sent the boys off with a quick playful swat in the direction of their room, "You'll have to hurry if you want to eat breakfast in the great hall before class."

Fred whined and rubbed and stinging bottom, "Awww, Dad. Did you have to smack me so hard just now?"

Severus just rolled his eyes, "Please. That was just a little love tap. I'd be happy to show you a real smack if you want to compare the difference."

Fred smirked and replied cheekily as he ran out, "No need. I took excellent notes last time. As far as comparisons go, Aunt Cissa has you beat, Dad. That woman has a mean swing!"

They all laughed, relieved that Fred was back to acting normal.

Severus stood with Harrison in his arms, and he turned to face his brother and sister, "What are we going to do with those two troublemakers?"

Lucius just smiled, "They say that your children are doomed to be at least three times worse than you as a child. I'd say they're making good on that on wives tail, and you love it. Those twins are something special."

Severus didn't say anything in response. He just kissed Harrison on the forehead and then tossed him onto the bed playfully towards his parents.

As everyone was getting ready to go through the floo, Drusilla came running into the foyer, "Mummy, can I go to school today too?"

Bellatrix sighed. She figured this would happen eventually. She answered delicately, "No, baby. You can't perform magic like the other children. I suppose we could bring you for meals so that you could see your friends, but you can't attend classes."

Drusilla seemed pleased that she'd be able to at least attend meals, but she was worried, "But what will I do all day if I'm not in class?"

Sirius laughed and tweaked her on the nose, "Oh, you never change! You'll have fun, of course! Dru, you're 5 again, sweetheart. Play outside, explore this large manor, work on your shifting, play with your brother and cousins. Merlin, there's even a library here if you get bored."

She looked skeptical, "Play? All day? But what if I forget my lessons by the time I'm big again?"

Remus, ever the scholar, spoke up, "She's right, Siri. It wouldn't hurt to find a tutor for the children. I'm sure there are plenty of things she and the others could learn or re-learn. She and Harry weren't raised in a wizarding house, and Reggie didn't have any tutoring as a child either."

Sirius mocked betrayal, "Oh, Remy, not you too!" Then he turned to little RJ, "Sorry, bud. I tried, but your Papa thinks you should be tortured with more school while you're out."

Drusilla looked pleased with this revelation, but Draco and Reggie looked horrified. Regulus whined, "But Daddy! I'm only 5, right?! What happened to playing?! Don't let Papa do this!"

Moony had on his stern face, and Sirius noticed it. It was only one step away from his spanking face. He schooled his own behavior and soothed his son, "None of that, Regulus John. I was only joking. Of course you will get a tutor. There will still be plenty of time for play. Papa is absolutely the boss. If he says that you need a tutor, then you will have the best tutor possible. Papa and Daddy are a team, and we agree on this. I think you need to apologize to Papa, little boy."

Downtrodden, Regulus turned to his Papa. His face looked a little stern still, so Regulus nervously transformed into his wolf cub form. He walked up to Remus and stood on his hindpaws with his forelimbs reaching up to his Papa's knees.

Remus's face softened, and he picked up his cub. Regulus nuzzled into Remus as he whined softly. Remus held him tight and scratched his ears.

Lucius interrupted, "As sweet as this all is, we need to go if we are going to make breakfast. Which of you kids want to come for breakfast? Afterwards, you will come back here with Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Rodolphus."

Of course, all of the children wanted to come, even Rabastan, who was also in his wolf cub form. Regulus was a black cub with piercing blue eyes while Rabastan was a russet wolf with light green eyes that matched Rodolphus.

Remus carried Regulus through the floo, and Sirius carried Rabastan. Fred carried Harrison. Draco held Luna's hand. Lucius carried Drusilla. Finally the family made it to he Great Hall just as breakfast was beng served. The cubs were complacent with going with their carriers. Draco, Fred, George, and Luna were going to the Slytherin table. Harrison was already running (toddling) up to go see Albus and Minerva. That just left Drusilla.

She quietly tugged on Lucius and Severus's robes, and the two men knelt down to her level. They were aware of the majority of the great hall staring. This was the first time they'd seen Hermione as Drusilla Lestrange.

She could feel all eyes on her, and she tried to hide behind her uncles as she asked, "Where do I go? I'm not a Slytherin, and I don't think the Lions like me anymore."

Both men looked between the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables. While the Slytherin's were mostly looking on curiously, many of the Lions were glaring at the de-aged Lestrange girl. Lucius glared back at the Gryffindor table, and many of them looked away, afraid. Severus scooped up his niece and carried her to the Slytherin table. He set her down between Marcus Flint and George (maybe there was an ulterior motive there….he could have just as easily set her between Fred and George), and then he addressed his snakes, "We will have a proper meeting later to update everyone with things they should know, but for now know that Drusilla is to be treated with care at all times. She is my niece, and therefore an honorary snake. Any untoward behavior will be swiftly and harshly dealt with."

Then he knelt down again and spoke to her, "Stay with Fred, George, or Marcus at all times, ok?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around him thankfully, "Thank you, Uncle Sev."

He just hmpphed. Blast. Everyone thought they could call him Sev now. He kissed her temple briefly. Out of habit, he kissed George's temple too as he stood straight and started to walk away. He hadn't realized what he'd done until he heard the gasp of surprise from most of the great hall. He turned to look at his son. Poor George was blushing bright red, thoroughly embarrassed, and Fred was laughing at him.

Severus sent a stinging hex to Fred's bum as he turned to walk towards his seat at the staff table. He heard Fred yelp, and he grinned. The good mood didn't last long. When he reached his seat, Albus and Minerva were giving him fond knowing looks. Merlin, what was happening to him? He was going soft. He just reached across and stole Harrison to put him in his own lap. He wasn't ashamed to use his mate as a distraction.

When he looked up, the majority of the students were still staring at him open-mouthed. He glared at all of them. Unfortunately, a glare isn't as powerful with an adorable toddler in your lap. He prayed to Salazar for a distraction, and he was rewarded soon enough. Minerva and Albus were gushing over the wolf cubs, and Sirius and Remus were proud as peacocks telling the rest of the staff about how they both inherited the metamorphagus trait.

Albus picked up one of the cubs without knowing who was who, and he brushed his hands through the soft fur. He scratched the cub's ears, and he praised him on being so clever to figure out the transformation at such a young age. Unknowingly, he had Rabastan Lestrange in his lap. The young cub was completely still at first, but he loosened up as Albus continued petting and praising.

He rolled over onto his back to present Albus with his belly for scratches, and the headmaster laughed, "Oh, you know how to make a Grandpa proud for sure! I'll bet you and your cousin will give your grandmother a heart attack one day. I'd love to see you with her in her cat form!"

Rabastan morphed into a cat to try and match Minerva's tabby. He was very close, but his color was similar to his wolf. Albus hugged the kitten close and bragged to his wife, "Look, Minnie! He's trying to be like Grandma!"

Minerva reached across and stroked the kitten, "Excellent, love, but it's time for breakfast. Honestly, Albus, you are the adult here. Make sure the children eat breakfast. You can all play later." Then she turned her attention back to the little red-brown kitten, "Turn back into a boy now, so you can eat breakfast."

Both metamorphagi turned back to children, and Albus was a little surprised to find Rabastan in his lap. They hadn't properly met yet, but he didn't break stride and introduced himself and Minerva, "Well, hello little Rabastan. It's nice to finally meet my newest Grandson. I know we knew each other before, but that was so long ago, and everything has changed now. Let's count this as a fresh start. I'm your Grandpa, and Minnie here is your Grandma. Welcome to the family."

Rabastan shyly smiled at his new grandparents and hugged the powerful wizard. Then he remembered Bill, and he said, "It's nice to meet you and Grandmum, Grandpa, but I'm not your newest grandson. Billy is! He's my alpha, and Daddy claimed him as a son too!"

Albus chuckled in his grandfatherly way, "So he is, child! You are right. Congratulations on finding your mate. I'm sure you will be very happy together. If I remember correctly, you and Bill have quite the history."

Meanwhile at the Slytherin table, Draco was pouting and watching the interactions between the two metamorphagi and HIS grandparents. This was just totally unfair. Now the little brats were showing off to Grandma and Grandpa, and they were his grandparents first! First he had to share his parents with Harrison and his mates. He loved all of them, but he sometimes missed how things used to be. Then he gained a whole bunch of new family members. He was a Black first. Why couldn't he have gotten the Black transfiguration trait?! He couldn't transform into an animagus! What was wrong with him? In his pity party, he had forgotten that he was also special. He developed into his Veela inheritance very young, and he was very powerful. He was also tied at top of his class with Drusilla. None of that mattered to the little prince right now. He was focused on the attention that his two new cousins were getting.

His temper festered. He swallowed it down for now, but he didn't know how much longer he could hold onto it. He needed some one-on-one time with his Alpha. Why did Charlie have to be so far away? Rationally, he knew it was just over a month until Charlie would live with them forever, but he had the mindset of a 9yr old right now. A month was forever!

Marcus sensed the inner turmoil in the young veela, and scooter closer to him to wrap an arm around him. Draco huffed and threw Marcus off of himself. George was embarrassed that Draco would act so rudely to his boyfriend and glared at him. Draco glared back and retorted, "Don't look at me like that you Weasel. He's your boyfriend not mine. My alpha may be your old brother, but I don't have to listen to you. I've been in this family longer, so if anything, you should listen to me."

George was left speechless by Draco's hateful slur. Marcus was fighting a weird feeling in his chest. He wanted to defend his mate… (mate? BOYFRIEND.) He wanted to defend his boyfriend and give Draco what he had coming. Before he could act, Fred was already grabbing Draco by his ear and hauling him up the staff table.

Draco was struggling and fighting Fred with every step. Fred landed a solid smack to the seat of Draco's trousers and threatened more if he didn't desist. Draco flushed red, humiliated that Fred would treat him that way in front of the entire school. The adults in his family all watched on in rapt attention and curiosity. Severus and Lucius stood to meet them in the side room of the Great Hall for some privacy.

Once they were in the private room, Fred told Draco to plant his nose in a corner, but the brat turned on him and yelled, "I already told you and George that I don't have to listen to you. I'm an Alpha, and you're nothing."

Lucius grabbed Draco by his upper arm, turned him to the side, and delivered three scorching swats. Draco was furiously trying to rub the sting out of his bum while his Dad lectured, "Draco Lucius, I'm not sure what's come over you lately, but you absolutely have to listen to Fred and George, especially right now. They are older and in charge of you when the adults are not around."

Severus smirked at his nephew, "As to your other argument, Fred may not have presented yet, but it would take a dunderhead to miss the signs that he will also be an Alpha Veela. Take a good look at him, and think about how many other Veela are in the family. We have strong genes."

Draco wanted to argue more. He didn't know what his argument was, but he wasn't ready to concede. He was amped up and hurt and ready to fight. His Dad noticed this and physically picked him up and carried him to the corner. He was fighting and squirming, "Put me down. I'm too old for this. I'm not a baby!"

Lucius ignored him and stuck him in the corner with a soft, "You don't have to be a baby to be loved and held. There is no age limit on a little comfort. I'm sorry you were raised differently the first time, but this time, we've all seen the wonders that familiarity can do. I plan to hold you tight as much as possible."

Draco cried, "Why? What's different this time? Why wasn't I enough to make you realize that before? How come you only realized that after Harrison came around? What's wrong with me? Why am I not good enough? Harrison is the baby. Regulus and Rabastan are both metamorphagi. Even Drusilla is an animagus. What's wrong with me?"

While Draco was ranting and having a meltdown, Fred was relaying the breakfast incident to Severus. He gently patted Fred on the back as he dismissed him and told Fred not to worry too much about Draco. Lucius would get to the bottom of things and fix everything. He always did.

Lucius knew resolving this issue would take longer than the few minutes he had until his first class. He sent a patronus to Sirius asking him to cover their classes alone today, and then he explained to Severus that he was going to take Draco alone for the day.

Draco was overtired by now, and he didn't argue when Lucius picked him up. He hid his face in his father's neck when Lucius carried him into the Great Hall to converse with his wife. He explained that he was taking the day off to spend with their son, and they would both be home this afternoon in time for dinner.

Narcissa rubbed Draco's back gently and placed a kiss on the back of his head before they took the floo to Malfoy Manor to spend time bonding.

As soon as they came through, Lucius transformed their clothes into night clothes and carried him up to the master suite. They settled down for a short nap, and then they resolved to start their day over and get past Draco's insecurities.

When they woke up, Lucius took the time to promise Draco that he was still loved, and that there was nothing wrong with him. They spent a few hours bonding over things they both loved, and Draco apologized for his poor behavior and promised to be better. Lucius opted not to punish him, and he flooed Charlie to see if he would be able to entertain Draco for the afternoon.

Draco spent the afternoon shadowing Charlie and helping where he could. He really enjoyed his time with his father and his alpha. The other workers at the dragon reserve only teased a little about how cute and tiny Draco was right now. Draco preened under the attention. Charlie finished up a little early in order to spend more time with Draco.

Lucius had mentioned that Draco was feeling left out, so Charlie made sure to pamper him. They flooed to Malfor Manor so that they wouldn't be bothered by everyone else at Lestrange Manor, and Charlie spoiled him for two hours before bringing him home to Lestrange Manor for dinner. Draco, Fred, and George made up with hugs and an apology from Draco, and everything was right again….for a little while. With a family this big, there was always some kind of drama.

A few days had passed since Draco's little meltdown, and the newest drama involved George, Drusilla, and Regulus. Drusilla had developed a crush on Marcus, and Regulus and George weren't taking it very well. They were both insanely jealous. Severus tried to make George see reason that Marcus wasn't going to leave him for his younger cousin, but George had deep-seated abandonment issues.

Regulus didn't understand why he was so jealous when Drusilla wanted to hang out with the dumb older Slytherin. She had always been his best friend and now she suddenly wanted to hangout with someone else. The adults thought the situation was all very cute for a little while.

After two weeks of this behavior, they'd had enough. George was sulking, and he was ignoring Drusilla. He wasn't being overtly rude, but he refused to talk to her. Rabastan didn't like the tension, and he tried to smooth things over with his sister and his cousins. He liked George and Regulus, and he didn't like the discord.

Regulus was constantly sad, and no one knew what to do about it.

One day at dinner, it all came to a head. Drusilla, George, and Regulus got into a heated argument at dinner, and the adults also got a little heated. Lucius and Narcissa were the only adults to keep their calm over all of this because none of their children were directly involved.

Lucius raised his voice loud enough to drown out everyone else, "That's enough! This petty squabble has gone on long enough. Mr. Flint is George's boyfriend, and that is final. Drusilla's little crush ends here. Nothing good can come of continuing this endeavor. It's hurting both George and Regulus, and it will only end in tears for Drusilla as well when she realizes that Marcs is only humoring her for the sake of remaining in good standing with the family."

Drusilla cried out, "That's not true. Marcus loves me too."

Narcissa scolded her, "Young lady, your uncle is speaking right now, and you will hold your tongue. Do not yell at him."

Bellatrix defended her daughter, but Rodolphus stopped her, "Trixie, honey, Lucius and Narcissa are right. This will only add strife for Drusilla if we allow this to continue. Look at the stress it's putting on George and Regulus. They may be young, but it's obvious Regulus and Drusilla are destined for each other."

The last statement was met with mixed reactions. Sirius wanted to argue that they were too young to be thinking of such things, but Remus assured him he could also sense they were made fore each other. Remus held him while he pouted a little. Drusilla blushed and whined, "Dadddddyyy! Don't say that. He's my best friend!"

Regulus blushed too and denied it, "Yea, Uncle Rodolphus. Drusilla has always been my best friend. I don't want to marry her. I just always want to be around her."

Remus laughed, "Oh, kiddo. That's because she's your mate. You may not understand these emotions in your little body, but remember that you're actually 14 years old. It's not unusual to start developing these feelings now."

Harrison smiled happily from his alpha's lap, "Does this mean that everyone is going to be happy again? I wouldn't be happy if someone was trying to take my Sev away from me."

Severus squeezed him, "Hush, little one, that will never happen."

Lucius spoke up, "Yes. Now, let's move on to happier things. It's only a few weeks until Christmas. School lets out in 1 week, then we will have a few weeks to spend all of our time together. Charlie moves home right before Christmas, and he will soon join the Hogwarts staff as Care of Magical Creatures professor and magical veterinarian. I think we should take the children back to Gringott's for a check-up this weekend. Everyone seems to have aged some except for Harrison."