September 14, 2000
The magical wards that surrounded Andromeda Tonks' cottage prevented Iris and Draco from Apparating directly outside the witch's front door. To remedy the issue, the pair Apparated as close to the cottage as the wards would allow and decided upon walking the rest of the way.
Draco had shed his blazer, draping it over his arms as the sun beat down upon them. Iris followed close behind, her heels sinking into the soft dirt as they labored alongside the road. She inwardly cursed herself for not switching to more comfortable pair of shoes when she and Draco stopped by the townhouse after their visit to Azkaban.
Iris' heel caught on a rock and she yelped as she threw her arms out to her side to steady herself. The last thing she needed right now was to fall face first into a pile of dirt and pebbles in front of Draco.
He chuckled at the sound of her distress and yelled over his shoulder, "If we had just flown here, you wouldn't have to worry about spraining your ankle."
"Oh, will you let it go?" Iris groaned.
He'd suggested earlier that they could fly to the edge of the wards to skip the half mile trek, but she'd refused.
"You know I hate sharing a broom and the way you fly makes me sick to my stomach. It's as if you're trying outrun the speed of light itself."
"If you had your own broom we wouldn't have needed to share." Draco spun around to face her. "And there is nothing wrong with the way I fly, I was trained by the head coach of the Wigtown Wanderers as a child."
Iris dramatically placed a hand over her heart. "Oh, well now that I'm aware of that ridiculous piece of information, I apologize sincerely."
He rolled his eyes at the sarcasm threaded through her tone and turned his back to her, continuing on ahead.
"I haven't flown since your aunt blew my broom to bits!" Iris revealed as rushed to Draco's side. "Forgive me if holding onto you for dear life isn't what I pictured for my first time back in the air."
"Oh, so you're afraid of having your arms wrapped me?" He smirked.
"That's what you took from that? Seriously? "
He snorted and then asked, "It's been years, what's stopping you from buying a new broom?"
"I—" She hesitated. "I don't know."
Draco glanced at her for further explanation, but she didn't have one. She missed flying, she missed the feelings of bliss and freedom that used to rise within her as she became one with the clouds.
But that felt like a different lifetime.
Bellatrix Lestrange had turned Iris' broomstick into splinters during the flight from Little Whinging—the night that she and the rest of the Order were ambushed by Voldemort and a horde of Death Eaters as they tried to covertly move Harry from one safe house to the next.
Iris had been sharing her broomstick with Nymphadora Tonks that night and, as Bellatrix had been intent on murdering her niece, that had made Iris the witch's target as well. A misaimed Killing Curse born from Bellatrix's wand had hit the tail end of Iris' broomstick and the wood had exploded.
Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour were flying on a Thestral close by and were able to scoop Iris and Tonks up as they catapulted through the air. If not for Bill and Fleur, Iris and Tonks would've died that night.
The loss of her broomstick, a gift from Remus Lupin during her Third Year at Hogwarts, paled in comparison to the loved ones she lost later that year, Tonks included, but it was still a sore spot.
"Speaking of women with their arms wrapped around you, how's Astoria?" Iris jeered.
Draco leveled his gaze at her out of awareness that this was her attempt at changing the subject.
"Astoria is lovely, if you must know." He replied.
"And she's your—" She eyed him out of her peripheral. "Girlfriend? Betrothed? "
"She's my friend."
"Oh, so, as your friend, she doesn't mind that you work, and live with, your—" Iris' brow furrowed from confusion as she and Draco had never labeled their past relationship. "Whatever we were."
"No, as my friend, it doesn't bother her that I work with my whatever we were." He chuckled. "Why the interest, Sinclair? Should it bother her?"
She scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, I was just curious."
Out of the desire to return to the comfortable distance that had separated her from Draco earlier, Iris dug her heels into the dirt so he would continue on ahead of her.
"Curious?" He shouted over his shoulder. "Alright, if that's what you want to call it."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm saying if you want to use curiosity as an excuse to hide your jealousy than that's fine with me."
Iris' blood boiled at the smugness of his voice.
In one swift motion, she removed one of her heels and threw it in Draco's direction. She watched with satisfaction as it soared through the air and smacked into the back of his head.
Draco's cheeks were red with rage as he spun around to face her.
"What the fuck, Sinclair?!" He shouted as he took a step towards her.
Iris removed her other heel, now barefoot on the dirt road, prepared to use it to defend herself.
"Take another step and I'll aim this one lower." She waved her heel around in the air. "Much lower."
Draco narrowed his eyes at her. "You throw that shoe, and you'll regret it."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Try me." Draco snarled as he shrugged his blazer back on.
The heel went flying.
Draco, prepared for the second assault of footwear, caught Iris' second heel with ease as it neared his lower region. What Iris had failed to notice was as soon as the heel had left her hand, he'd also pulled his wand from the pocket of his trousers.
"Locomotor Mortis!" He shouted with his wand pointed at Iris.
The curse hit her before she had a chance to react.
She gasped audibly as her legs locked together and she toppled over, a screech left her lips not long after as she jolted her arms out in front of her to prevent from hitting the ground face first.
"Draco Malfoy, I am going to murder you!" She screamed as the palms of her hands hit the dirt. She pushed up and moved into a position similar to that of a mermaid reclining on a rock, unable to use her legs as separate entities.
"Please don't hurt me." Draco cackled as retrieved her other heel from off the road. "The thought of you bunny hopping has me shaking in my loafers."
Iris glared at him as she fumbled with the pocket of her trousers to retrieve her wand.
"Locomotor Wib-" She began once she had a grip on her wand.
Draco rushed over to her and snatched her wand with his free hand.
"Oh no, you don't." He tauntingly waved her wand in front of her and then shoved it into a pocket of his trousers. "If you turn my legs to jelly, we'll never get to Andromeda's."
"And HOW are we going to get there with my legs super-glued?" Iris raged as she wiggled her legs like a fish out of water.
"Well, that's obvious." Draco shrugged as he dropped her heels to the ground. "Like this."
Before she could comprehend his meaning, Draco weaved one arm under her back, the other under her legs, and lifted her up off the ground. Just as swiftly, he threw her over his shoulder and wrapped one arm around her legs to keep her steady.
"DRACO, PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!"
She pounded her fists against his back like a child throwing a tantrum and didn't regret it one bit.
"You should be thanking me." He laughed as he placed a levitation charm on Iris' heels so they would follow him as he walked. "Now you get to relax the rest of the way to the cottage."
"Thanking you!?" She screamed. "You just set the Witch's Rights movement back fifty years!"
"That's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?" Draco pondered. "Now, be pleasant or I'll cast a silencing jinx on you too."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Try me." He repeated from before.
His reuse of those two words alerted Iris to the fact that she had about thirty seconds before he rendered her inaudible—she resigned with an irritated huff.
"Good girl." He crooned as he relaxed his grip around her legs.
Iris pounded her fists against his back until her arms burned.
The Tonks' family home looked every bit out of a fairytale.
The Elizabethan windows coupled with the vines of ivy that stretched along the exposed brick and timber lattice décor never failed in taking Iris' breath away—even as she dangled across Draco's shoulder.
The cottage itself was the perfect size for a small family, but the land that surrounded it was extensive.
The cobblestone pathway up to the front door separated Ted Tonks' old flower garden from the large pond tucked into a corner of the right side of the front yard—Hagrid and Harry had crashed into those exact crystal-clear waters the night of the flight from Little Whinging.
Draco avoided the path up to the house entirely and instead cut through the grass, pausing outside the gate to the flower garden to lay Iris down.
"Well, this is charming." He pondered as his eyes roamed the front of the house and the yard.
"It certainly would be if I could walk." Iris complained.
"Oh, I almost forgot." His lips curled mockingly as he glanced down at her. He waved his wand, laying her floating heels on the grass beside her, and then pointed at her legs. "Now, when I reverse the jinx, I think it would be in our best interest if you don't try to throttle me."
She threw her hands in the air exasperatedly. "For the love of Merlin, I don't want to hop around Andromeda's house."
"Iris." He leveled his gaze at her.
"I'm over it, I swear. Please unlock my goddamn legs."
Draco's eyes scrutinized her carefully, searching for any hint of dishonesty or treachery. This continued for a painstaking minute before he ultimately decided that she was being genuine and waved his wand, mumbling the incantation to reverse the Leg-Locker curse.
Iris sighed loudly with relief as her legs separated, and Draco shifted his gaze towards the flower garden while she wiggled her feet and massaged her calves and thighs, waiting for her motor capability to return. Once, she could be certain she could stand without losing her balance, she stood slowly and curled her toes into the grass.
Draco's eyes returned to hers and he retrieved her wand from his pocket.
"See, no harm done." He smirked as he sent her wand soaring in her direction.
"Hey Draco?" Iris smiled menacingly as she snatched her wand mid-air and shoved it back into her trousers.
"Yes?" He arched an eyebrow cautiously.
"I'm not over it."
His eyes widened with terror. "SINCLAIR, DON'T YOU—"
Iris bolted from where she was standing and hurled herself at Draco.
She slammed into his chest and the air was knocked from her lungs as they landed harshly on the grass. He tried to scramble away from her, but she leaped onto him and used her body weight to keep him pinned down. He grunted with annoyance as he tried to push her off but that created a spur of motion that caused the pair to roll over to the cobblestone pathway.
Iris' head hit the cobblestones, muddling her vision and giving Draco a window of opportunity to overpower her. He pushed her back onto the grass on the other side and pinned her arms above her head. She tried to kick him off, but he dug his knees onto her thighs incapacitating her lower limbs.
His breath was hot on her face as he snarled, "You are testing my patience."
"Says the wizard that cursed me ten minutes ago."
"I'm going to let you go."
"That's not a good idea." She warned.
"Iris."
"Draco."
"I'm going to let you go and you're not going to jump me."
Iris pondered the idea and then said, "No, I'm going to jump you."
"No." He hissed. "You're not going to jump me."
"I am."
"No, you're not."
"Alright." She snorted. "No, I'm not."
Draco eyed her suspiciously and slightly lessened the pressure on her thighs.
Iris stuck one of her legs in-between both of his and slammed her knee up into his groin.
"Fuck!" Draco howled as he released his grip on her arms and rolled off of her.
He folded into the fetal position and clutched his family jewels as Iris stood and clapped the dirt off her hands proudly. She retreated backwards towards the pond as he rolled around, cursing her under his breath.
"Truce?" She smirked once he stilled.
He narrowed his eyes at her and grumbled out a pained, "Truce."
He unfolded his limbs and stood, taking the time to brush the grass off his trousers. He then inhaled and exhaled deeply before shifting his gaze towards hers, the pain that had once twisted his features had been replaced by a fire within his eyes and a mischievous curl of his mouth.
"Draco, we called a truce!" Iris screeched as she backed further away.
He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly before he charged at her.
He was on her in the flash of an eye and once their bodies made contact, they went flying into the pond.
They were twisted around one another when they crashed underwater and the freezing temperature was a shock to Iris' system, forcing her up to the surface. She shoved Draco off her as she breached the water gasping for air, the weight of him pulling her down like an anchor.
He was grinning from ear to ear when he joined her above water.
"You've gone mad!" She splashed him ferociously. "How are we supposed to walk into Andromeda's house like this?"
"I guess it's a good thing we know about a handful of different drying spells."
"Yeah, but we're going to smell awful. We're going to smell like pond scum, like fish poo and rotten plants and whatever else is floating beneath our feet." She crinkled her nose with disgust. "Oh god, we already smell like pond scum."
Draco laughed loudly.
It was a laugh full of joy, full of light, and she couldn't help but smile at the sound.
He waded over towards her, "There isn't anyone I'd rather smell like pond scum with."
"That's about the best compliment you've ever given me." She snorted.
He chuckled softly as he reached out and tucked a clump of curls that fallen into her face behind her ear.
Her breath hitched as his fingers traced the skin from behind her ear to the apple of her cheek and he hesitantly cupped her face with his palm. She instinctively leaned into his touch and covered his hand with one of her own, ignoring the way her brain screamed at her to move away.
Her blouse had come untucked from her trousers during their scuffle and, underwater, his fingers traced the hem thoughtlessly. He drifted ever closer and brushed his knuckles against the bare skin of her stomach, sending a wave of heat down into her core.
She removed her hand from atop his and hurriedly pressed her palms onto his chest to keep him at a distance, but the pressure of her touch, as well as the way his wet dress shirt clung to his body, sent her heart racing as she felt the corded muscle that lay beneath.
Her breath hitched as he leaned forward and affectionately brushed his nose against hers.
If she leaned forward an inch, their lips would touch.
"This is unexpected." Andromeda Tonks exclaimed from the edge of the pond.
Their heads shot towards the witch at the sound of her voice and in a brief moment of panic, Iris used all of her strength to kick Draco away from her and he crashed backwards into the water with a yelp.
"Andromeda, is that a new dress?" Iris asked breathlessly. "It's lovely."
Andromeda's lips curled with amusement and once Draco resurfaced, the witch spun around and beckoned the pair to follow after her.
Andromeda escorted Iris and Draco inside, briefly giving Iris a moment to grab her heels from near the flower garden, and they each took a turn in the guest bathroom using the Hot Air charm on themselves and their clothes.
As Iris had predicted, a charm could only do so much and there was a pungent smell of the pond that followed her and Draco as they sat on opposite ends of the loveseat in Andromeda's sitting room.
Andromeda sat across from them in an old armchair and the amusement on the witch's face had only grown when, while preparing cups of tea, Iris and Draco had informed her that they took their tea the same exact way.
Iris risked a glance at Draco and noticed how pale faced he'd become as he stared at Andromeda. The resemblance she bore of Bellatrix still jarred her from time to time so she could only imagine how startling it must've been for him.
Andromeda's chestnut brown hair rested upon her shoulders in light waves, a few streaks of silver highlighted among the strands. While the expression on her face was warm, the calculation that was ever-present in her light brown eyes was reminiscent of Narcissa. That calculation, combined with the elegance and grace of her movements, were all products of her Pureblood upbringing.
"I apologize that you both had to walk the rest of the way here." Andromeda handed Iris her cup of tea. "I forgot that I hadn't yet adjusted the wards to let Iris through without Harry."
"Thank you." Iris said, eager to have the taste of Earl Grey on her tongue. "And don't worry about the wards, the fresh air was needed after visiting Azkaban."
"I was prepared for you to ask for something stronger after visiting my brother-in-law. Harry, Iris, and I have spent a few notable evenings by the fire with a bottle of scotch." Andromeda winked at her as she handed Draco his cup of tea.
Draco's hand brushed Andromeda's as he reached for his teacup and the witch smiled warmly.
"I'm very glad to be meeting you, Draco. After all these years on the outside, it's good to be around family." She remarked as she sat back. "You resemble my sister so strikingly. I see bits of my father as well."
Draco seemed at a loss for words.
"Uh huh." His mind was far away as he stared at Andromeda.
Iris eyed him out of her peripheral, jutting her head forward the slightest bit to encourage him to continue but that seemed to be the extent of what he had to say. He sipped his tea, his eyes wide as they roamed around his surroundings.
"Where's Teddy?" She asked trying to divert the conversation.
"He's down for a nap." Andromeda met her gaze briefly. "You should—"
"I have something for you." Draco interrupted. "From my mother."
Iris almost choked on the tea that had just slipped past her lips—he hadn't mentioned anything about Narcissa beforehand.
"Cissy used you as your errand boy, did she?" Andromeda asked, resentment threaded through her voice. "It's not surprising she seized this visit as an opportunity for her son to do her dirty work rather than make an ounce of effort herself."
If Andromeda's stark mood change bothered Draco, he didn't let it show.
"It's only a letter." Draco set his teacup atop its saucer on the coffee table and retrieved an envelope from his blazer. "The ink bled a bit from the pond water, but I dried it and the writing is still legible." He held out the envelope. "Read it or don't, I don't care either way, but you know as well as I do that no one refuses Narcissa Black."
Andromeda eyed the envelope as if it were a ticking timebomb and a tension-filled minute passed before she seized the envelope from Draco's hands and placed it inside a pocket of the cardigan she was wearing.
"With that, let's get down to business, shall we?" Andromeda sighed as she realigned her posture, somehow sitting straighter than before. "The two of you have dried off and we have our tea, so why don't you explain why you're here and why it involves my family?"
Iris screamed inwardly.
Narcissa's letter had dampened Andromeda's mood and she wanted to throttle Draco for allowing his mother to use their Ministry-sanctioned visit as a way to reach out to her estranged sister.
After a brief glance towards Draco, who was now lounging against the arm of the loveseat seemingly without a care in the world, Iris locked eyes with Andromeda and recalled the events of the last week and a half.
Andromeda's eyes were filled with pity as Iris finished recalling the latest news on the Greyback case, the possibility of Lucius being released on house arrest, and all she'd discovered about Regulus.
"Regulus was only twelve when I left with Ted." Andromeda explained. "I don't know how much help I can be. I'm afraid that you may have wasted your time."
"Anything you remember about Regulus could be helpful." Iris pushed. "When did you last see him?"
"That was so long ago. It was the day Ted and I graduated from Hogwarts." Andromeda pondered. "I ran into Regulus on the train ride back to London and I tried to speak with him, but he pushed past me without a word—the news of my relationship with Ted had spread through the family by then."
"I'm sorry." Iris expressed.
"That moment pales in comparison to what I endured at the hands of my parents." Andromeda said as she drank from her teacup. "I didn't blame Regulus as I did the others. He was only a boy and I couldn't find it within me to fault a child."
Draco shifted uncomfortably as Andromeda continued.
"After that day on the train, all I know of Regulus was funneled to me through Sirius. He wrote me to sparingly, most often when Nymphadora was first born because he couldn't wait to meet her, but that never happened until he escaped from Azkaban."
"When Sirius wrote to you, what would he say about his brother?" Iris asked.
"He wrote about the night he ran away to the Potters, how Regulus had been enraged at the sight of his suitcases by the front door." Andromeda set her teacup on its saucer and a loud clink resounded throughout the sitting room. "I left similarly to Sirius, only my sisters couldn't even be bothered to say goodbye."
Iris noticed that Draco seemed to be hanging onto Andromeda's every word.
"Summer of 1979, Sirius discovered that Regulus had been working actively with the Death Eaters for two years—that he'd taken the Dark Mark before his Sixth Year at Hogwarts." Andromeda sighed exasperatedly. "Sirius was distraught, and rightfully so. At the young age of sixteen, his little brother had branded himself for the rest of his life."
Iris flinched as Draco shot up from the loveseat and cleared his throat loudly, "Do you mind if I get some air?"
"Not at all." Andromeda's eyes lit up with concern as she examined her nephew. "Go out back through the kitchen, just down the hall. There's a beautiful view of the forest."
Draco mumbled his appreciation as he strode out of the room and Iris stared after him with concern.
Neither of the witches spoke until they heard the click of the back door as it shut.
"I do hope I haven't upset him." Andromeda said softly.
"It wasn't you." Iris explained. "He was also only sixteen when he took the Dark Mark, a month before the start of our Sixth Year."
"I expected that sort of cruelty from Lucius, but Narcissa? I—It's just shocking. I could hardly handle Nymphadora working for the Auror Office, meanwhile Cissy let her son—" Andromeda sighed heavily, shaking her head in disbelief. "Enough of that. Before Draco returns, talk to me about who he was before the War. Before the Mark. What was he like as a boy growing up at Hogwarts?"
"Do you want the truth?" Iris warned her.
"Always." Andromeda answered as she took another sip of her tea.
"He was an arsehole." She stated matter-of-factly. "He was cruel and arrogant. He taunted the Muggle-Borns relentlessly, as well as Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I, and anyone else that crossed his path on a bad day. His insecurities and desperation to prove his worth to his father made him a miserable boy to be around most days."
Andromeda's eyes widened. "Oh, that's—"
"But he was also one of the smartest, and most talented, students in our year." Iris interrupted. "He and Hermione competed for top of class every year and he studied twice as hard to do so. He was cunning, charismatic, and also damn good at Quidditch—the kind of player you couldn't keep your eyes off of. He was the epitome of Slytherin House, the good and the bad."
She hesitated momentarily before revealing the last thought that crossed her mind.
"And if you caught him on the right day, at the right time, he could be kind. He could be so kind your heart would break, and you would find yourself hoping desperately for that right day, that right time, to come around again."
She was short of breath, her face warm with embarrassment, as she met Andromeda's eyes.
The witch was thoroughly amused.
"So, that explains it."
"Explains what?" Iris asked cautiously.
"My dear, I have eyes." Andromeda pursed her lips. "Even if I hadn't witnessed that moment between the two of you in the pond, Harry is a horrible gossip and has vaguely alluded to your history with my nephew on numerous occasions."
"That was not a moment." Iris argued. "And Harry needs a hobby."
The click of the back door could be heard throughout the cottage as it opened and shut, signifying Draco's imminent return.
Andromeda winked at Iris before transitioning back to the original topic effortlessly.
"I only learned of Regulus' death through Sirius." Andromeda resumed as Draco strode back into the room and sunk onto the loveseat. "I wasn't invited to the funeral, neither was Sirius, but he and James visited the gravesite after the service."
"Did Regulus have any friends that you know of?" Draco asked, his demeanor having shifted from passivity to one of determination. "What was he like as a child?"
"No, he never hung around anyone except Sirius." Andromeda answered. "He followed his older brother and James Potter around like a lost puppy, desperate to be included. Otherwise, he hid in his bedroom with that grumpy old House-Elf—"
Andromeda was interrupted by the sound of Edward Lupin crying upstairs.
"Oh, Teddy must've had another nightmare." Andromeda frowned. "Iris, Draco, be a couple dears and go check on him for me? He's supposed to nap for another hour, but he'll throw a tantrum if he finds out Iris was here, and he didn't get to see her."
"Absolutely." Iris said.
Draco grimaced. "I'm horrible with children."
"Iris is wonderful with him so you can just stand there and watch." Andromeda waved towards the staircase. "He is your second cousin after all, go up there and meet him."
Iris arched an eyebrow at Draco after she stood, daring him to oppose his aunt. His eyes flitted back and forth between the two women and resigned at the determined look on each of their faces.
He stood and reluctantly followed Iris up the stairs.
"We haven't learned anything we don't already know." Draco grumbled as they drifted down the hallway. "This entire day has been a waste of time."
"I wouldn't consider meeting your estranged family as a waste of time." She spat. "And why didn't you tell me about your mother's letter? You could've at least asked me when the best time was to give it to Andromeda."
"I didn't ask because it was none of your business." He said as they came upon Teddy's bedroom door. "It's not even my business, I'm just the messenger."
"You're impossible."
She opened the bedroom door gently and Draco cursed under his breath at the sight of Teddy Lupin sitting cross-legged on his bed, clutching a quilted blanket to his chest, with a sea of tears streaming down his chubby cheeks.
"I—Iris?" He blubbered.
"Hello, Teddy." Iris crooned as she sat beside the toddler on his bed.
Teddy threw his blanket aside and stumbled into her lap, twisting himself tightly around her. Iris squeezed him back just as tightly and began running her fingers through his short strands of sandy blonde hair, a trick she knew would calm him.
"You s—smell weird." He hiccupped.
Draco snorted and Teddy's eyes darted in the direction of sound.
"W—who's he?" Teddy cried as he pointed a chubby finger at Draco.
"That's your cousin, Draco." Iris glared at Draco who was awkwardly leaning against the doorframe. "He wanted to meet you, so we stopped by."
"M—me?" Teddy's sea green eyes widened as he stared at Draco.
"Yes, you. Who wouldn't want to meet you?" Iris said as the toddler laid his head against her chest, his tear-soaked face leaving wet imprints on her blouse. "Isn't that right, Draco?"
"Oh, uh, yeah of course." He mumbled as he leaned off the doorframe.
He strode over towards them and Teddy squeezed Iris tightly as Draco's height towered over the bed.
Crouch down, Iris mouthed.
Draco rolled his eyes at her suggestion but did as she asked and bent down so he was eye level with Teddy.
"It's nice to meet you, Teddy." Draco extended his hand.
Teddy looked up at Iris to make sure he was safe, and she nodded encouragingly.
Teddy laid his tiny hand across Draco's palm and Draco enveloped it and shook gently.
"Dragon smells weird too." Teddy smiled brightly up at Iris once Draco released his hand.
Draco's face twisted with annoyance. "Uh, kid, it's Draco."
"Dragon has big hands." Teddy yawned.
"It's Draco." Draco asserted. "And my hands aren't big, yours are just small."
"Draco Malfoy." Iris hissed. "Stop arguing with a two-year-old."
She glanced down at Teddy who was struggling to stay awake, his eyes fluttering open and shut repeatedly. She continued running her fingers lightly through his hair and within seconds, Teddy's mind drifted elsewhere as he surrendered to sleep.
"The head scratches do it every time." Iris whispered softly. "He's sweet, isn't he?"
"If you don't mind the tears and the snot, then yeah I guess so." Draco smirked as he sat next to her on the bed.
"The way he lights up when he sees me makes the snot and tears worth it." Iris smiled down at Teddy before a flicker of movement from her peripheral caught her attention. Her eyes sought the cause, and she was surprised to find a moving photograph of Remus Lupin with his arms around a heavily pregnant Tonks on the bedside table.
She sighed heavily; the sorrow that rose within her refusing to be suppressed.
Draco gently laid a hand on her shoulder, drawing her gaze away from the photograph.
"You ready to head back down?"
"I need to tuck him in first." She explained. "I'll meet you in the hall."
Draco left the bedroom as she scooted towards the head of Teddy's bed with the toddler still in her arms. She gently laid his head against one of his pillows, covered him with the quilted blanket, and then kissed his forehead softly.
With one last glance at the photograph, she slowly backed away and gently shut the bedroom door behind her.
When she joined Draco out in the hall, the expression on his face was unreadable.
"Something wrong?" She arched an eyebrow.
"No. Nothing's wrong, nothing at all." His brow furrowed. "Let's go."
Iris and Draco hovered by the archway that led into the sitting room as they watched Andromeda rifle through the drawers of the old writing desk near the fireplace. They each had taken turns trying to catch her attention without startling her, but she seemed to be lost in her mission to find whatever it was that she was searching for.
"Oh, where is it? I swear if Ted threw it out—Maybe it's in this drawer? Under the—Oh, I found it! I found it!" Andromeda shouted with delight before noticing Iris and Draco. "There you are! Did Teddy fall back asleep alright?" She asked she rounded the desk with a book clutched tightly in one hand.
"Yeah, he's out." Iris smirked. "He enjoyed meeting his cousin, Dragon."
Draco groaned from beside her.
"Oh, that's adorable." Andromeda pouted.
"Yeah, yeah. What did you find?" He asked, desperately trying to divert the conversation.
"Oh, yes, this old thing!" She beamed as she waved the book in the air. "While you were upstairs, I got to thinking about the day of Regulus' funeral and the strangest memory came back to me. The day of the funeral I received this book in the post without a return address."
She handed the book to Iris. "I meant to rid myself of it throughout the years but somehow it always managed to stay around."
Iris recognized the title instantly.
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry.
"This is a Muggle children's book." Iris explained as she inspected the outside of the book—it was a teal hardcover edition of the famous French tale with outlines of roses imprinted on the front cover.
"That's what Ted told me." Andromeda said. "We assumed it was a gift from one of his relatives for Nymphadora but, no one claimed it, so I performed Revelio and an inscription appeared on the first page."
Iris hurriedly flipped to the first page.
I am never not thinking of you,
You have my heart always.
"This is Regulus' handwriting!" Iris glanced up at Draco before shifting her gaze to Andromeda. "I'd have to compare it with his journal to be sure, but I spent hours reading through his entries and I'd recognize that rushed scrawl anywhere."
"I had no idea." Andromeda's eyes filled with sorrow. "Why would he have sent it here? He shouldn't have even had the address."
"I plan on finding that out." Iris slammed the book shut. "Do you mind if we take it with us? After I compare the writing, I could perform a few more spells to see if there are any other secrets hidden within."
"No please, take it." Andromeda assured her. "I'm glad to be of help even the tiniest bit."
Iris smiled brightly.
It may not have been the breakthrough she'd been hoping for, but it was something.
"We should get going. Thank you so much for meeting with us, Andromeda."
Andromeda reached out and squeezed her hand, "Of course, darling."
Once Andromeda released Iris' hand, the witch hesitantly laid a hand on Draco's shoulder who went still as a statue at her touch.
"I will read your mother's letter. You can at least let her know it won't go unopened." She stated. "And thank you, for coming to meet me. Our family is so few these days, we need one another more than ever."
Draco's mouth was set in a firm line as he acknowledged her words with a simple nod.
Andromeda seemed to understand his silence.
The witch led Iris and Draco to her front door, the children's book clutched tightly in Iris' hands.
It turned out the day had not been a waste of time after all.