Russell's Strain Lupine
Albus looked at the boy seated in front of him. "What made you change your mind?"
Draco smiled for a second before answering. "I couldn't sleep last night. I found things to do."
The Headmaster realized that Draco thought that should explain everything. And it did. Severus had confessed to finding the boy outside the Gryffindor dormitories last night. And before breakfast this morning, Lily had told him about the late night card game in the Great Hall. "You do realize that this is not a decision to take lightly. A few well placed words from Professor Snape should not be the driving force here."
"They aren't. In the end, it was a lot of things that made me choose this. Black, my aunt, even Lupin. Last night it seemed possible that… Potter and I could… call a truce." Draco answered. He had no doubt the old man knew all about last night. There was no need to rehash it.
"Then the choice is made. Would you like to tell Lily or should I?" Albus prompted.
"I would." Draco quickly answered. He thought for a moment that the Headmaster seemed disappointed in not being allowed to tell. "You can Potter if you like."
"As much as I appreciate the offer and the spirit in which it was made, I must decline. That is your right and privilege."
Draco shook hands with the Headmaster and walked to the office door. He could hear the gargoyle jump aside as the door opened. He laughed to himself as he heard the Headmaster begin speaking to his phoenix in a rather un-Headmaster like manner. "Daft old fool."
Lily clicked her tongue, "I would think you would be a little more polite. I know I raised you better."
Draco looked at his mo… aunt and smiled brightly. "It's a term of endearment. Trust me, I couldn't really be rude about that man. It's impossible."
"I know."
The blond stood for a moment simply watching his aunt. The he ran to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry."
Lily almost forgot to breathe from the shock. "Draco?"
"I shouldn't have been angry with you. You were led to believe that you were someone else entirely. I wasn't the only one wronged. But I can make it better." Draco mumbled into Lily's shoulder. "I would like to stay with you if I still can."
Lily started to cry. "Of course, my dragon. You are always welcome in my home. Where else would you belong?"
Draco clung tightly to his aunt. He was so relieved that he no longer had to fight himself for what he wanted. He had never really wanted to deny his aunt. He had even secretly looked forward to being Potter's cousin. But for some reason, before last night, he would rather have died than admit it.
A quiet voice broke into the emotional moment. "I take it you're staying."
Draco pulled away from his aunt to find Potter standing behind her. He answered carefully, "Yes." He paused for a second, "Truce?" His hand shot out toward Potter in a bold move toward peace.
Potter looked down at the Slytherin's hand for a moment before clasping it in his own. "I only refused you because you had insulted Ron."
"I know."
Potter smiled and rubbed at his forehead briefly. "Let's get some food. I heard Sirius raided the kitchen in the wee hours."
Draco nodded as the two cousins set off down the hall toward the Great Hall. "I was there. It was like Waterloo."
"Waterloo?"
"You know… Napoleon? Ring any bells?"
"Of course. But Waterloo? Napoleon lost at Waterloo."
Draco snickered, "Who said Black was Napoleon? The French would have been rousted and burned at the stake."
"I guess so." Potter answered.
The two boys opened the doors to the Great Hall and vanished behind them as Lily wiped the tears from her eyes. It would take some time, but it looked like the two cousins would get along.
"It worked."
Lily turned and hugged the visitor. "I still don't know how you found him."
Snape stiffened as Lily kissed him on the cheek. "I've spent years wandering this school at night. I knew the second he left his bed."
"Poor Severus. So depressing. Maybe you should spend some time with Siri…"
Snape growled at his friend. "Over my dead body."
At that moment Remus Lupin walked past on his way to the Great Hall. "As Sirius is not here, I feel I must respond. It can be arranged."
Snape glared at the werewolf as he disappeared within the Hall. "Why you associate with those two is beyond me."
"And you should be grateful for that." Lily responded.
"How so?"
"Not much is beyond you. At least you have the grace to admit what is." She stuck her tongue out playfully at her friend and ran into the hall before he could retaliate.
Snape rolled his eyes and stalked away, mumbling. "Damn fool Gryffindors."
Albus looked at the boy seated in front of him. "What made you change your mind?"
Draco smiled for a second before answering. "I couldn't sleep last night. I found things to do."
The Headmaster realized that Draco thought that should explain everything. And it did. Severus had confessed to finding the boy outside the Gryffindor dormitories last night. And before breakfast this morning, Lily had told him about the late night card game in the Great Hall. "You do realize that this is not a decision to take lightly. A few well placed words from Professor Snape should not be the driving force here."
"They aren't. In the end, it was a lot of things that made me choose this. Black, my aunt, even Lupin. Last night it seemed possible that… Potter and I could… call a truce." Draco answered. He had no doubt the old man knew all about last night. There was no need to rehash it.
"Then the choice is made. Would you like to tell Lily or should I?" Albus prompted.
"I would." Draco quickly answered. He thought for a moment that the Headmaster seemed disappointed in not being allowed to tell. "You can Potter if you like."
"As much as I appreciate the offer and the spirit in which it was made, I must decline. That is your right and privilege."
Draco shook hands with the Headmaster and walked to the office door. He could hear the gargoyle jump aside as the door opened. He laughed to himself as he heard the Headmaster begin speaking to his phoenix in a rather un-Headmaster like manner. "Daft old fool."
Lily clicked her tongue, "I would think you would be a little more polite. I know I raised you better."
Draco looked at his mo… aunt and smiled brightly. "It's a term of endearment. Trust me, I couldn't really be rude about that man. It's impossible."
"I know."
The blond stood for a moment simply watching his aunt. The he ran to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry."
Lily almost forgot to breathe from the shock. "Draco?"
"I shouldn't have been angry with you. You were led to believe that you were someone else entirely. I wasn't the only one wronged. But I can make it better." Draco mumbled into Lily's shoulder. "I would like to stay with you if I still can."
Lily started to cry. "Of course, my dragon. You are always welcome in my home. Where else would you belong?"
Draco clung tightly to his aunt. He was so relieved that he no longer had to fight himself for what he wanted. He had never really wanted to deny his aunt. He had even secretly looked forward to being Potter's cousin. But for some reason, before last night, he would rather have died than admit it.
A quiet voice broke into the emotional moment. "I take it you're staying."
Draco pulled away from his aunt to find Potter standing behind her. He answered carefully, "Yes." He paused for a second, "Truce?" His hand shot out toward Potter in a bold move toward peace.
Potter looked down at the Slytherin's hand for a moment before clasping it in his own. "I only refused you because you had insulted Ron."
"I know."
Potter smiled and rubbed at his forehead briefly. "Let's get some food. I heard Sirius raided the kitchen in the wee hours."
Draco nodded as the two cousins set off down the hall toward the Great Hall. "I was there. It was like Waterloo."
"Waterloo?"
"You know… Napoleon? Ring any bells?"
"Of course. But Waterloo? Napoleon lost at Waterloo."
Draco snickered, "Who said Black was Napoleon? The French would have been rousted and burned at the stake."
"I guess so." Potter answered.
The two boys opened the doors to the Great Hall and vanished behind them as Lily wiped the tears from her eyes. It would take some time, but it looked like the two cousins would get along.
"It worked."
Lily turned and hugged the visitor. "I still don't know how you found him."
Snape stiffened as Lily kissed him on the cheek. "I've spent years wandering this school at night. I knew the second he left his bed."
"Poor Severus. So depressing. Maybe you should spend some time with Siri…"
Snape growled at his friend. "Over my dead body."
At that moment Remus Lupin walked past on his way to the Great Hall. "As Sirius is not here, I feel I must respond. It can be arranged."
Snape glared at the werewolf as he disappeared within the Hall. "Why you associate with those two is beyond me."
"And you should be grateful for that." Lily responded.
"How so?"
"Not much is beyond you. At least you have the grace to admit what is." She stuck her tongue out playfully at her friend and ran into the hall before he could retaliate.
Snape rolled his eyes and stalked away, mumbling. "Damn fool Gryffindors."
