Hello hello lovelies!

I hope you've all been well! I know some people want Draco to go back to having his previous hair colour and be a Malfoy again, but that doesn't really make sense with how I've written the story. He is still going to be extremely involved with Narcissa, Lucius and their baby/his sibling, but he'll keep his raven hair and the name Draco Potter. Either way, I really hope you enjoy this chapter, it's one of my faves in the beginning of part III. Everyone is learning how to interact with one another, and I find it incredibly fun to write!

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Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and only the story line and any OC's belong to me x

Draco had pressed Remus for further details on his cryptic statement, but once Remus assured him that the witch was perfectly healthy, Draco dropped the topic. The rest of the meal was finished in relative silence, and when it concluded, Draco insisted on helping Riley clean up the Breakfast dishes. Although as soon as he rested them inside the sink, she shooed him away and assured him that she could manage on her own.

(Sirius and Remus had decided to make their presence scarce for the moment; Remus was taking his mate for a walk in Muggle London. They wished to give Draco some space.)

"You need to go get cleaned up before you go see Narcissa, and after…" Riley meaningfully inclined her head towards the open front door, and the barely visible teenage boy sitting on the front stoop; from this angle, Draco could only see half of him.

"And after I should try and talk to Harry?" Draco said evenly. He scratched behind his ear and peered at the boy in question.

"I'm not saying you'll immediately become best mates, but you could try and test the waters. He's struggling to come to terms with all of this, but I can tell he's trying, Draco."

Draco nodded, staring at the boy's raven hair that the wind was toying with. From here, if he stared long enough, his eyes unfocused and he could pretend that the blur of colour cobbled together was James.

Draco closed his eyes, and the crisp breeze coming in through the window above the sink brushed across his face. A world of soft, warm pastels bloomed across the backs of his eyelids.

James with his arm thrown around Lily's shoulders; the witch was heavily pregnant. They were exactly as he'd last seen them, as if trapped in that moment in time forever. They were standing on the edge of the Orchards, the trees framing them, smiling radiantly. Sprigs of Baby's breath were braided into Lily's hair, and James was twirling a tiger lily between the fingers of his free hand.

"Draco?" Riley's soft voice pierced the image and it was sucked away into nothingness. Draco's eyes cracked open, and he faced this friend.

"Are you okay, Draco?"

"Not really," Draco replied. His stomach was turning in knots and the voice inside his head said he should have lied, and pretended as if everything was peachy, but it wasn't.

Riley stepped forward and wrapped her smaller frame around him. He hissed as her cold fingers came into contact with his hot, bare flesh. Neither spoke aloud, but the physical contact communicated a sea of words. Draco dragged in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He affectionately stroked the witch's hair for a few moments before extracting himself from her embrace.

A thought occurred to Draco as he headed in the direction of his temporary lodgings. "Wait, does Cissa even know I'm back?"

"I'm not sure," Riley replied thoughtfully. "Probably not, unless Sirius or Moony informed her last night."

"I highly doubt it. I guess my return will be a surprise…hopefully, a welcome one," Draco said. His nose wrinkled in thought as he strolled away.

"She'll be delighted to see you and you bloody well know it!" Riley called out after him. With a small smile, the witch turned back to the sink full of dishes, rolled up her sleeves and set about her task; she hummed lightly, and swayed back and forth.

A twist of breeze teased through Harry Potter's unruly, raven hair. Harry had sat down on the front stoop to finish his breakfast, and when he was done, he placed the plate beside him on his right. His forearms were resting on his knees, and his back was slightly curved. Harry was attempting to clear his mind of any strenuous thoughts. Twilight was sitting on the step below Harry, staring up at the boy with her bright, discerning eyes.

The sound of approaching footsteps made the hairs on the back of Harry's neck stand up. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that it was Draco.

Harry blinked blearily, his sight adjusting to the bright morning light and eventually his surroundings formed into solid shapes.

Draco languidly descended the short staircase and halted a foot away. He tapped the tip of his trainers against the grass, his hands tucked into his pockets. Draco breathed in deeply, and Harry watched his back expand and contract as he slowly released the air.

Draco turned to face him, his bangs messily covering his forehead, his grey eyes piercing yet plunged with unspoken grief.

Harry swallowed thickly, mustered up all the courage he could and spoke. The words came from an unknown place, and they flowed freely. "I am going back to Hogwarts in a couple hours, I was going to stay considering—well, considering, but it's my NEWT year and I don't think I can afford to miss too much class."

Draco's brow puckered, "wait…what day is it?"

"Monday."

Draco nodded thoughtfully. "I didn't realise." Draco removed his hands from his pockets and rubbed them absently through his hair. "It's your NEWT year. You should focus on your studies…"

There was a silent conflict warring across Draco's features as he contemplated his next words. Harry dared not speak lest he distract Draco and make the man lose his train of thought. Harry played with the seam of his jeans on his right leg as he waited.

"I'm not going anywhere, I can always visit you at Hogwarts, and we can…talk."

"About?" The word left Harry's lips unwittingly.

Draco shrugged cavalierly, his fingers entangled in his raven locks. "Whatever you want, Harry."

Draco's casual use of his first name was still odd and it would take some getting used to. Harry's mind was a jumbled mess. The bitter taste of Draco's former self lingered at the forefront of his mind as it battled with the extremely different version of Draco that was rapidly unfolding before Harry's eyes. Every moment revealed something new, something contradictory to the boy he'd once known.

Harry was actively trying to focus on the present instead of the past but it was emotionally and mentally taxing.

"Actually…do you think Minne will let you out for the evening tomorrow? Just for a couple hours."

"Minnie?"

"McGonagall."

"I doubt she'll be thrilled at the idea, but given the circumstances, maybe?"

"She doesn't know I'm back yet though," Draco said.

"Ron probably told her when he went back to the Castle."

Draco hummed in response and a strangely comfortable silence settled over them like a thin blanket.

Harry cleared his throat, his tongue rough like sandpaper as he asked, "why? Did you have something specific in mind that you needed me for?"

"I have to go back home sometime, and I figure when I do you should be there," Draco replied with a cavalier shrug.

"Why?"

Draco smiled, in a way that showed his perfect rows of shiny, white teeth, and the corners of his eyes crinkled. Draco spoke in an orotund fashion as the wind whipped across him, "just because."

"You are aware that that's a rubbish reason."

"Still a reason."

A large exhale burst from Draco, and he strolled away. After a few steps he halted, half-turned to Harry and said, "I'm off. See you tomorrow, Harry."

Harry instinctively moved forward, his brow furrowing. In spite of how tough speaking to Draco was, Harry found himself wanting to continue speaking to the man. Draco's eyebrows rose at Harry's subtle movements.

"We'll have plenty of time to talk later Harry, but for now, I have a gorgeous witch I need to see."

Harry slumped in place, and nodded sullenly. The disappointment twisting in his gut was unexpected, but he tried not to let it show on his face. Without another word, Draco turned on the spot and disapparated. The sound crackled across Harry's eardrums for several moments after Draco left, and Harry stared at the spot where the other wizard had been until his vision blurred.

"This is bloody weird," Harry whispered to Twilight. The cat mewled at him and tilted her head to the side. From the keen way she looked at him, he would have sworn that she understood and agreed with him.

The wards of Malfoy Manor instantly accepted Draco, and he effortlessly passed through them and landed in the middle of the Grand Foyer.

Draco listlessly strode over to one of the vast windows that were on either side of the massive, double-leaf front door. The estate was a shadow of the grandeur and opulence he'd grown up surrounded by. The grounds were a direct indication of that. The albino peacocks were wandering around the dry, dead grass and the once flourishing rose bushes were now withered husks with brittle branches.

The grounds were tainted with dark magic, Draco could taste it. They would have to perform a purifying ritual, and they would need at least five wix with considerable strength to even begin to untangle the stain Voldemort and his followers had left behind. On top of that, Lucius was unable to use magic and under house arrest, so Narcissa's main focus had been maintaining the weathered, ancient blood wards that enveloped their property.

I guess that should be one of the first orders of business, Draco thought. The dull sound of footsteps approaching rang in his ears, but he didn't turn around. Instead he ran through the requirements for the purification ritual in his head and the supplies he would need to obtain.

"Draco?" The feminine voice breathed. Draco rolled his shoulders back, and braced himself to speak to the woman who'd brought him into this world.

"Cissa," Draco said as he faced her, and he was floored by the sight he was met with. Satin, pale bluish grey robes that cut deeply until they reached the middle of her chest, and came in only to drape loosely over her curves and brushed the floor. The bell sleeves that came halfway down her forearms swished daintily as she cautiously strode towards him. However, the surprising bit was her swollen belly.

"This is a surprise," Draco said. She was clearly in the late stages of a pregnancy, and he instantly comprehended what the vague commentary Remus'd made at Breakfast was about. His shock swiftly melted into indescribable joy.

"Draco," Narcissa murmured, her pale eyes glistening and her bottom lip wobbling as she stopped in front of him, her outstretched hands gliding lightly over his chest. As if in disbelief that this was real.

"Cissa. The last time I saw you, you were also expecting. What a strange coincidence. From what I've heard he was a handsome little tyke."

A choked laugh caught in Narcissa's throat as a watery smile tugged at her fine features. Her hair was freely flowing down her back. There were subtle signs of aging on her face and hands, but at that very moment she looked exactly like the expectant Mother he'd seen almost two decades ago.

"The difference is I was expecting you, you cheeky bastard," Narcissa said. She firmly placed her hands on his abdomen, her warmth instantly radiating through him.

"I'm back, Cissa," Draco replied softly, and the witch nodded abruptly.

"I am so sorry about—"

"You apologised already, Cissa. It's in the past, besides, we clearly have a bright future ahead of us," Draco said, gesturing to her belly. He loosely wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and pulled her as close as she could get, and he bent at the middle in order to rest his chin gently on top of her head.

"I think it's a girl. This pregnancy has been nothing short of a dream, and you were a pain in my arse," Narcissa teased, her light laughter echoing through him. "Well, until you came out. Then you were a darling…for a time," Narcissa sighed wistfully.

"Oh really? What changed?"

"You learned how to speak."

A boisterous laugh was ripped deep from Draco's gut, and there was a guttural quality to it as it rumbled around the room. Merlin, I missed her.

The joyous reunion was interrupted as Lucius made his presence known. Draco felt the faint connection of a familial bond and it tugged his gaze upwards. Lucius was looming at the top of the Grand Staircase, a hand on the bannister, his black formal robes neatly arranged, and his black dragonhide shoes polished and gleaming. A window behind the man framed him like a portrait and the daylight shone across his back and cast him in harsh shadow.

There had been times when he was growing up that Theodus Nott had remarked on how there might be fae blood in the Malfoy line since they were all so damn pretty. At that moment, Draco agreed. Lucius looked like a dark fae king of legend, he appeared both ethereal and menacing.

"So you've returned," Lucius said indifferently, tapping his index finger along the railing, his eyes narrowed as he appraised Draco carefully. "I'd forgotten how much you favoured Muggle attire, Potter."

Narcissa made a frustrated noise under her breath. She muttered, "as if you don't like the Muggle outfits I've started wearing." Draco quirked a brow at that, now that was interesting.

"Come along, Draco. We have much to discuss," Lucius stated before turning sharply and striding purposefully down the adjacent hallway and out of sight.

"You can ignore him if you wish, and we can get some tea in the Sitting Room," Narcissa said primly, extracting herself from his hold so she was gazing directly into his eyes. "Andromeda is supposed to come over soon, and I know she would be delighted to see you."

"As much as I would like to accept your lovely invitation. I should probably get that conversation over with as quickly as possible."

Draco had a suspicion over what Lucius wished to discuss. It was inevitable that they would need to negotiate his inheritance and his future role in the Malfoy family, especially considering that he'd been officially adopted by another magical family.

"Don't worry, I won't be long, and I'll come see you before I leave," Draco assured Narcissa.

"You better, and I might have one of the House Elves cut your hair before you depart. Or I can do it. It's a dishevelled mess," Narcissa said with a scrunched nose.

"You'll need to get in line, I've had a couple offers already." Draco smiled warmly, pressed a kiss to her forehead and withdrew himself from her. He ascended the familiar staircase and headed in the direction Lucius had gone in.

"I will rescind my desire to be the heir to the Malfoy name, estate, holdings, vaults and everything else my inheritance would have entailed," Draco stated languidly as he entered Lucius's study.

"You're certainly more direct than you used to be," Lucius said wryly. He was backing Draco, perusing the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf on the furthest wall behind his ornate mahogany desk and chair. His hands were clasped behind him.

"Cissa thinks the baby is a girl, but we would obviously wait until their birth and proceed accordingly," Draco continued. "I have no intention of standing in your way, and I will strive to make the transition as easy as possible."

The succession line in the Malfoy family demanded that it be passed from son to son. Things would be far more complicated if the baby was indeed a girl as Narcissa suspected. There were a few loops and possibly avenues that they could explore, but it wasn't something they'd even had to consider for several centuries. The firstborns were almost always boys, and fertility rates in their family line had dwindled over time. Once, multiple children were born with ease, but for the past few generations they were only gifted with a single son.

Lucius finally faced him, haggard lines drawn down his face. "Are you sure that is what you want? There won't be any going back after the title has been passed on."

Draco smirked. Years ago, he had lived his life to be the best successor that he possibly could, to ensure that he upheld their ancient traditions and brought honour to his name, but that had changed. "Draco Malfoy no longer exists, Father. I am not the same person I was. I will always be your flesh and blood, but pretending that everything is the same as it once was would be foolhardy."

"You still consider yourself my son?" Lucius asked quietly, expression unreadable.

"It's what I am, isn't it? I may have had another set of wonderful parents that raised me the second time around, but you are still my Father."

Draco broke eye contact, and inhaled deeply to steady himself. Draco's world had changed entirely, and he could no longer slip back into his former self's shoes. He was attempting to carve a new path. He wasn't entirely sure where it would lead him yet, but he knew he had to travel down the unmarked road.

"Your next child should be granted all the rights and privileges of an heir as is their birthright."

"As it was once yours."

"Once," Draco agreed.

Lucius sighed. The man stepped forward and gripped the top of the lavish armchair in front of his desk; his family insignia ring glinted on his left index finger, along with his wedding band on his ring finger. "We can discuss it further once the baby is born, and ensure that you still wish to relinquish your rights as heir."

"I won't change my mind," Draco said.

Lucius's grey eyes pierced into his son, and his lip curled in thought. "Regardless, that is not why I wished to speak to you."

"Oh?"

"I wanted to apologise for the hardships I put you through in the past as Draco Potter. I would also like to apologise and ask for your forgiveness for forcing you into the Dark Lord's servitude as Draco Malfoy. And for all the wrongs I have done to you, all the misfortune I brought into your life." Every word was slow, measured and the genuine weight behind each syllable was palpable in the space between them.

Draco smiled sadly, "you don't have to—"

"I do," Lucius said fiercely. "I have not always been the best Father, and I am still working through a lifetime of faulty ideals and prejudices…but I am trying to be better, Draco."

"If you weren't, I'm sure Cissa would have left you," Draco replied honestly. He knew Lucius was imperfect, growing up he'd worshipped the man and thought he could do no wrong, but two wars and many years had shown Draco the truth. Lucius was flawed, like any other individual, and he'd made mistakes, but he was attempting to repent and that was good enough for now.

"And I would have deserved it." Lucius said sombrely, his fingers digging into the chair's black leather upholstery.

"If there's one thing you can do for me, it's forgive yourself for your past transgressions during the wars."

"I don't know if I can do that."

Draco's tongue ran along his dry lips and he nodded absently. He turned to leave, but before he did, he said, "I forgave you a long time ago, Father." And with that, he departed.

The older wizard was left with a trembling body, unshed tears and a buoyancy in his heart that he hadn't felt in years. As if Draco's words had released him from the intangible shackles he'd imprisoned himself with.

HI! QUICK PSA!

I think I should clarify for anyone who doesn't know, I am about to reach the sixth year anniversary of writing this story, so if I don't update for three months it doesn't mean I'm abandoning the story? (I keep getting guest reviews that I cannot respond to, so I have to do this?) I've had much longer gaps in between updates (over a year). I just updated my Sirimione story for the first time in almost two years, but I swiftly reminded why I lost motivation to write it in the first place lol. Hopefully this doesn't come off too harshly? It's just that I have IRL responsibilities and commitments, so my update schedule is a bit inconsistent.

On a BRIGHTER note, I am really grateful for everyone that reads this story and I hope you continue to enjoy it! I spent some time today working through the next few chapters, cutting out things, and shifting things around. Basically I cut out two whole chapters and shifted the majority of their scenes to other chapters.

Which basically just means that there are 5-6 chapters left before Hermione's return haha.

Again, thank you so much for your continued support darlings!