Their entire group climbed the thin metal stairs inside the huge stadium. It was simply put together out of steel beams and railings. Its hight could have easily rivalled the highest tower of Hogwarts. Build into the slope of a hill it fit easily hundreds of thousands of people. Sirius had gotten them their own box, in the best row, a little over the keeper-hoops. The box had cost a little fortune and would give them the best view. And it almost killed Harry. He wasn't slack and years of Quidditch training had made him tough and fit but he was heaving after quite some time.

Susan, Harry and Neville had gone back with the others to the Weasley tent before, saying hello and staying for a short while. Fred and George had boasted about their bet, telling Neville they would be rich, no one would have betted the same they had done. The boy did try to argue that wasn't the point in betting but both had only grinned saying he should just wait and see. Arthur had talked with Harry for a short while, how his summer had been and if he felt up to the task of being a Lord. While he hadn't much contact with the Wizengamot, the news of the boy-who-lived being a Lord of the hallowed Chamber had been huge and the rumour mill had gone wild. Of course, Arthur Weasley didn't believe stupid rumours like Harry had taken up five marriage contracts already, another stating he had gotten a Lord by some old law from defeating You-know-who and others stated he wasn't a real lord and it was all just a ruse. Mr Weasley didn't deal in rumours but it was hard to escape when everybody knew your son was the best friend of the boy and wanted your opinion on a child he had seen one summer. Still, it was a fun time. There had been a bit of a strained moment near the end when Susan, Neville and Harry were about to leave and Ginny had wanted to join them. This had turned into an argument, Ginny saying she wanted to stay with her friends and it didn't matter where she was looking from at the game. Mr Weasley had none of it, saying this was a family event and it was bad enough their mother, Percy, Bill and Charlie couldn't make it. The argument had turned rather heated until Harry had stepped in and said they had a fixed number of seats now and he didn't want to bother Sirius with changing that at the last minute. It wasn't quite the truth since that change wouldn't be a problem at all and Sirius would be happy to do so if he asked but he didn't want this fight turning any worse. Luckily Ginny had sighed and then hugged him goodbye. Shortly after they had made their way to the large white brightly lit stadium in the setting sun and started ascending the stairs.

"Damn stairs." murmured Sirius ahead of him, while he pressed himself higher up, but they knew they were close. Harry chuckled at his godfather's groan, making the older man turn his head.

"Yeah yeah, laugh all you want but you are still red-faced like you had arm-wrestled Hagrid." As a nice touch, Sirius stretched out his tongue towards him only to second later yelp and hold his backside. Narcissa lowered her wand, glaring at him.

"What did I say about childish behaviour in public?" She tore into him like with a fierce expression. Minerva tried her best not to laugh. No matter how much Narcissa Black berated her cousin about the correct bearing of a Lord, she seemed to miss that she looked much like a disapproving mother towards a misbehaving child. Harry had noticed it himself and while he was tired due to the stairs and felt like his feet were double the size they should be, he felt a warm glow in the inner of his chest. This must be the feeling of having a family. Were his mom and dad like this? A lot of people had told him over the years, his dad had always been careless, had fooled around and had never been serious. Of course, his best friend was Sirius, but he hadn't been a stern and adult person. Hagrid had told him quite a few times that his mother had often shaken her head, had yelled at him, hexed him blue and tore into him to be more adult.

A little like these two did and it made him smile. This was a small glimpse. A glimpse into a world he never had. The small glimpse of a life where small problems like public opinion and fighting over a stuck-out tongue were the worst of it. There were people out there that had these lives. No crazy old dark wizard out there, trying to kill them for whatever reason, no giant spiders or snakes to fight in their lives, no lost parents and all this. And with that thought, Harry felt his mood plummet down rather quickly. He would never have that. Even if Tom was to be killed or banished or whatever, there would be something else, there was always something else.

There would be Death Eaters, the boy who lived stuff, people expecting him to do things with his life more than just being himself and all of that. That had been one of the reasons he had taken the Peverell name. While Black would have made him feel more like family with Sirius he didn't want the extra attention for something like his name. Same reason the Potter name had fallen of, it was so connected to his worst nightmare, the title of the Boy-who-lived. Merlin, he despised this title. His mom had done all of this. He suddenly felt hands grab him pulling him forward. Sirius duck behind his shoulder, laughing maniacally. Narcissa stared at him with wide eyes like she was ready to hex right through Harry just to get to her cousin. She pointed, at least with her finger, not her wand.

"Sirius Orion Black, don't hide behind your godson. You are a noble Lord, not a little schoolgirl." She snarled at him, while a mix of anger and humour danced in her grey eyes. Sirius shook his head grinning.

"Uh-uh, no do. You will just hex me again and I would rather not like that to happen since I can't fight back. I remember a certain witch telling me not three days ago it was un-proper for a Lord to hex a Lady?" He smirked like he had done a perfectly well plan only to jump slightly when a new stinging hex hit his bum. He turned, his eyes full of betrayal.

"Et tu, Minnie?" He asked, rubbing his butt while glaring at Professor McGonagall. Harry couldn't help himself his foul mood smelting away like fog in the summer sun. The older witch shook her head, a smirk on her face.

"Of course, we witches have stick together. Also, you are acting like a fool here Sirius."

"That is correct, but also expected."

A cold voice joined conversation making everybody turn. The whole stadium, while being loud and busy, suddenly felt empty and silent to the people on these stairs. A few steps away stood a man in dark long and very expensive robes with an embroidered "M" on the chest. Long silver-blond hair fell over his back and he held a cane, topped with a silver snake. His eyes were cold, his face sneering. Next to him, wearing similar robes and shorter cut hair, was a teenage boy, the same sneer on his face but directed towards Harry.

"Malfoy." Sirius spat all the good-natured joking forgotten and he stepped up the stairs again, stepping in front of his cousin. Lucius Malfoy, striking an arrogant pose stepped closer until he was almost nose to nose with the Black-haired Lord of House Black. The glared at each other.

"Such a shame, House Black was once a prestigious and strong house. Now it seems like a haven for the poor," His eyes glared at Remus Lupin. "for hand me downs." His eyes glared over at the boy-who-lived, holding his hand over a strange form on his chest. "And rejects." Lucius tilted his head slightly while saying that to get a look at his ex-wife. Narcissa stared at him, her eyes filled with venom and hatred.

Sirius also tilted his head, making sure Lucius couldn't see his Cissy anymore, before stepping even closer, making the younger man flinch back half a step.

"Well I don't know Lucy, I do like to decide who is part of my family and who isn't." Sirius raised his chin. Susan and Neville followed the discussion carefully, standing close to Professor McGonagall and Remus Lupin. None of them liked the arrogant tosser and his son was an utter dick in Susan's opinion. Minvera's opinion was less vulgar but still rather the same, she didn't like father nor son. Sirius felt Narcissa's glares in the back of his head and he knew if he stepped aside, Narcissa would do something and it would turn really really nasty when Malfoy turned up his nose snorting at him.

"Well, that is the kind of weak display I was expecting from a blood-traitor." It was dangerously close to an insult of another Lord but Sirius just laughed in a bark-like fashion, making the reigning Malfoy flinch again and pulling his wand ever so slightly from his cane.

"Weak, yeah weak. I mean I feel so weak I could be stuck to a stone pillar and take a punch to the face, that is how weak I feel." Malfoy's face turned purple at the reminder of his defeat and swirls around stomping away in a hurried fashion. His son remained behind, smirking at Harry.

"Nice lump on your chest there Potter. Did Granger gave you warts that size?" Harry glared back at his oldest rival when a faint whisper came from his side, still be heard in the loud stadium.

"My Drac" Narcissa stepped closer, from behind her cousin. Her one hand was covering her mouth, trembling a little. Her eyes were teary and her other stretched out to her son. She took another baby step. Draco turned his head a little, staring at the woman who had carried him in her womb, fed him, raised him, kissed him good night, had taught him how to read, had comforted him when he was hurt and had stated she was so proud of him so often.

"M-My Son." She whispered again taking another small step towards him. Draco raised his nose and then spat in front of her feet.

"Stay away from me you disgrace. You aren't my mother." And with that, the boy turned and hurried to follow his father, robes billowing behind him. Everyone stared at him until Narcissa let out a croaked sound. It sounded like a wounded animal, hurt too large for the human mind. A hoarse choke, of disbelief, of hurt, of misery. Narcissa's knees buckled underneath her and she tumbled to the floor, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Cissy!" Sirius exclaimed, trying to catch his cousin. He kneeled down next to her on the steel floor, draping his arms around her. Narcissa Black shook in trembling quivers, gripping the front of Sirius shirt and started crying. She cried into the chest of her cousin almost choking on her own sobs, eyes turning puffy and all strength and all posture had left her. This was a situation she would NEVER let happen. Crying in the open at one of the biggest and most important events of the year, sobbing her eyes out for everyone to see, but right now, right here, she just didn't care. Her baby, her Draco had told her she wasn't his mother. The utter pain their words had brought upon her, she had never thought would have been possible. The cruiatus curse wouldn't have hurt her that much. It felt like something had ripped her heart out and had put razor-blades in its place. Harry stepped up, not sure what to do. This felt so, the wrong so...he would kill Malfoy. He wished he could give her the waves of comfort that were radiating from the warm egg on his chest. The only thing he could think of was placing his hand on her shoulder, giving her comfort. Sirius held her for a long time, while everybody stood there, trying not to pry or stare. After a while Narcissa calmed down, still crying but enough for Sirius to raise his head and stop the whispered words of comfort and care he had murmured to her for the entire time.

"I will take Narcissa back to the tent. You go on and watch the game." He got to his feet taking Narcissa up with him, the arms still around her. Harry shook his head, stepping closer.

"No, I'll come with you, I don't want to watch the game knowing Narcissa is hurting. I'll go down with you." Sirius sighed, shaking his head.

"It's all right Prongslet go on." Placing his hand on Padfoot's forearm, he stepped closer.

"No. She needs me, us."

Sirius leaned down staring at the others over Harry's shoulder. His hand were still on Narcissa's shaking shoulders. He learned to Harry's ear and whispered.

"You have to stay. The others won't go if you don't go and you know Cissy she would hate for more people than necessary to see her in this state. So go one, watch the game, let me handle this Prongslet."

"But I feel bad leaving Narcissa like this." He still protested, when a delicate hand came trembling up, taking hold of his shoulder. Narcissa's bloodshot eyes blinked, tried holding back the tears with little success. Still, she gave him a strained and very fake smile.

"G-Go on H-Harry, watch t-the game w-with your f-friends. It's your birthday p-present and I w-will not have it i-if I ruin it." Her voice was trembling like her hand and she had problems getting the words around the choked sobs. Harry stepped closer, taking up her hand with both of his cradling it against his chest against the egg. He had no-one touches it but he hoped some of the warmth and comfort the egg provided to him would flow into her.

"You sure Narcissa?"

She again smiled, still fake but her cold hand brushed against the warm lump on Harry's chest. It felt strange like a warm blanket had been draped over her, making her feel a tiny tiny bit better. The warmth spread through her fingers.

"Y-Yes love. You g-go on." He nodded, holding her hands to his lips for a moment giving it a kiss, before letting go. Sirius wrapped his arms tightly around his cousin holding her close to himself before turning to Professor McGonagall and Lupin. The flow of people around them had lessened because the game was almost starting.

"Remus, Minnie, could you take care? I will take Narcissa back to our tent if it is okay with you?"

Minerva and Remus looked at each other just for a moment, before nodding. Minerva smiled at her former student.

"Of course Sirius. Stay safe. You too, Miss Black." She was quite sure Narcissa Black didn't even realise she had been spoken to, holding a hand to her face, crying her eyes out, but Minvera couldn't blame her. For a child to do something like that to her mother, this was just horrible. Whatever had happened between Miss Black and Mr Malfoy Junior this was a heartbreaking sight and she felt strong sympathy towards the woman she barely knew and hadn't really found a liking for. No mother should endure such a thing, for her child to say something to her, right to her face none the less and spitting at her feet. She did her best not to think about detention in the new year, that was utterly unprofessional.

"Yes, we will, thank you two." Sirius muttered, directing Narcissa to the stairs, holding her, stopping her from falling. Remus patted his friend on the shoulder.

"No need Padfoot. Do call us if you need anything." Sirius nodded and descended the stairs, leaving their line of sight quickly. For a moment, everybody just stood there, staring to the point both of them just left. Then Remus turned, clapping his hands.

"All right you people lets move on." They started climbing the three or four stairs to their box. Harry didn't really account for it, his thoughts were walking down the stairs and towards their tent. He barely followed the conversation around him.

"That was something horrible, to even say that." Susan murmured, holding on to the railing at the stairs. The whole happy and jovial atmosphere suddenly felt shallow and empty.

Neville nodded, glaring down the hall, where he could see a box with the Malfoy M on the front.

"Yeah, that just sucked. Malfoy is such a bloody git!" He grumbled out, his hand balling to a fist when he remembered all the times Malfoy had made fun of him, had Goyle and Crabbe beat him up, had stolen from him or had bullied in a different way, but this, this was a new level of gitness he had not even thought of. Minerva turned her head, sternly staring at Neville.

"Mr Longbottom, please watch your language." The chubby boy flinched, lowering his dark-haired head. He murmured a small sorry, but he didn't feel sorry, not when it came to Malfoy. Then Minerva turned her head, walking ahead.

"But you are right that boy is a bloody git." Under normal circumstances that would have made the three teenager tumble over, gaping at Minvera McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Head of House Gryffindor, to swear, but this wasn't normal circumstances.

They soon after found the box covered with the seal of House Black. Harry used his Heir-Ring to unseal, and they stepped inside. It was a box maybe twelve metres wide and four deep. The floor was draped with a thick dark green carpet and there were large armchairs, comfortable and wide, close to the railing. In the back was a small bar with drinks. They each took a drink and sat down. watching over the stadium. The sound alone was breathtaking. Cheers, screams, and music all in a hurricane of loud and utter chaos. There were red and green flags being waved, heads, scarfs, and signs. People were cheering, roaring, laughing, talking, yelling and dancing. This was the great event of the summer and everybody who could was be attending.

Harry leaned back in his armchair, almost lying in it and traced his index finger over the piece of t-shirt that covered the phoenix egg. He swirled his fingertip around the round form, brushing up and down the side. His fingers played around it like feeling for every part of it. He had done that quite often now, feeling touching it, while his mind was wandering. It was wandering down the stairs and over the camping site into the tent and curled up next to Narcissa.

He felt a little like he knew what she was feeling. For those who were supposed to care for you to reject you. Tell you, you were a disgrace, a failure, a freak. For those who were supposed to be your family to cast you out mark you as unwanted. Yet he had never known what that was like, being wanted to be part of a family before. Narcissa had. They hadn't talked about Draco a lot but he knew she loved him madly, with the fierceness of a mother lion. She had known the feeling, had known what it was like being loved. What was worse, never getting it in the first place or having it only to have it yanked away from you in the most hurtful way? He wasn't sure, but it was clear to him both were utterly sad. The way Narcissa's eyes had broken had clenched his heart like a metal glove crushing it. She was new to his life but he liked her, he really liked her. She was witty but calm, stern but warm when needed. She had shown him so much about the wizarding world, especially the noble world he would never have understood. She had taken no-nonsense from Sirius but she does get it when something happened in good humour and had quite a sense of humour herself, only to be more dry and snippy. The weeks since she came to them that night, soaked and crying he had found his comfort around her and got quite used to her. The way she smirked when he tried to be nice to Kreacher when she winked at him behind Sirius back when he had groaned at her for making his life 'utterly miserable', the quiet moments in the sitting room at the evening when they would just sit and read, while Sirius was somewhere in the house doing who knew what or was outside as Padfoot, running off his energy. He liked her being there and he hated what had happened for this situation to come to pass. His mind was rolling these thoughts around when Susan shook him from the side.

"Look, Harry! It has started! There is the Bulgarian team, that's Krum! He is such a good flyer!" She pointed to the red-clad dots on the opposite of the stadium, one in the front doing an impressive flip, he wasn't sure he could repeat himself. Harry shook off the thoughts, leaning forward and after a short while, a grin was plastered to his face. Susa was bouncing up and down next to him, full of energy and grinning, forgetting the whole affair from before. Neville was a little bit quieter, but he too ahhh and awwwed at the tricks and sportsmanship. Minerva was full-on energetic, calling, yelling, applauding, for once losing the stern teacher mood and just being a fan enjoying a world-class Quidditch Match. Remus was like Neville more on the quiet side. Still, he had a smile on his face and called out, yelling at Harry to take notes, getting a grin and a nod from his friend's godson. Harry was losing himself in the fun and the atmosphere, enjoying his birthday present like he had been told to.

Still somewhere, a small part in the back of his mind was down in the tent and with the woman who had been hurt so deeply today.