Chapter 3 – Hermione steps in

"When we were younger we only had each other," Hermione started. "I was the only person who could get close enough to Harry to do anything – other than Mama Figg, and even then, I had to be there. Over time, we got closer until Mama Figg had to remove me from the adoption list since I refused to go anywhere without Harry."

Harry smiled shyly when Hermione looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"It turned out to be a good thing though, since we had a special teacher arrive a few years later to explain why we had ears – and later, a tail, when no one else in the orphanage did." She indicated for Harry to continue with a small smile and nod.

"When we turned six we found a book that we understood – it turned out that while we needed to learn the human tongue, we were born with the knowledge of our heritage language." Harry smiled slightly into Draco's eyes. "The book explained about blood magic and how blood is important in everything to do with family. It also explained blood-adoption and why it is – or was – popular in most magical communities." Harry blushed as he realised he was side-tracking. Draco, however, just smirked.

"You and Father will get on famously, Harry. I can see him struggling to not ask question and spark a debate."

Sirius and Remus laughed. "Our Kit loves debates. We can tell that it is going to be hard to get a word in edge wards when they are together."

Harry glared at them with his arms crossed. "I do NOT enjoy debates. Debates are used to argue if a point is correct or incorrect and to force someone to accept the point of view of someone else. I enjoy conversations where two or more parties have conflicting views and exchange information so they can gain another's point of view without making them out to be idiots in the meantime, and then when they leave, they still have their views, but with more information on the other side of the topic."

Sirius blinked in confusion. "Um … Rem? Did that make sense to you, because it sure as Hell confused me?"

"It isn't our fault that the Neanderthal-like brain you have is too simple to process big words." Harry, Hermione and Remus chorused, causing the others in the room to laugh heartily.

"Yes, you will definitely fit into my family, Kitten," Draco chuckled as Harry blushed in embarrassment and Sirius pouted.

Remus cleared his throat when most of them had calmed down. "You were telling us about how you and Hermione are siblings, Kit," he urged.

Harry nodded. "To cut a long story short, we combined our races blood adoption rituals to suit our needs and performed the two of them at the same time, with the result of us being blood-bound siblings."

Hermione giggled softly. "I don't think I've seen Tom so mad before that!"

Harry laughed softly. "I know! He was so angry he was trapped in his animal form!"

Everyone smiled, watching the two young ones talk. Draco finally gave into the desire to stroke the black ears on top of Harry's head.

Harry jumped when someone touched his ears. When the laughter started, he ran and hid behind Hermione's chair. Draco whined softly at the loss of him mate. Harry peeked around the edge of the seat and mewled softly, calling to his upset mate.

Draco was torn between going to his mate and staying with his family. Harry mewled again and Draco joined him behind the seat.

Remus sighed. "I think we made a big mistake in how we handled this. We didn't think about how he is around new people."

Hermione smiled. "Maybe we should do this my way. It will take a while, but I should be able to get him to how he is with me, Siri and Remy." She chuckled, "he will also calm down a lot when he gets with child."

"What is your way, 'Mione?" Remus asked.

"Introduce them to him one at a time and give him a few days to get used to them before adding someone else to the group."

Sirius nodded. "That would be the smartest thing to do. I stuffed up again, didn't I 'Mione?"

Hermione smiled. "No, you didn't, Sirius. You just got over-enthusiastic and confused him with James once more."

Sirius nodded a little dejectedly. "I know, 'Mione. Are we going to be allowed in the room with him while you do this?"

"Yes Siri. We are going to need you both to show him it is safe to be around them." Hermione now turned serious, "now, I think that for the first few days it should be me, Siri, Remy, Harry and our mates. As you can tell, he is already drawn to his mate and it won't take very long for him to accept mine. After that, we will need Professor tall, dark and brooding after that, since we are going to be in close contact with him while we stay here."

Severus blinked while the rest laughed. "Professor tall, dark and brooding?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know your surname and I don't know you well enough – or have your permission – to call you by your first name. Neither am I crass enough to use the titles I was told to use by Sirius.

Severus nodded his acceptance glaring at Sirius. "For future reference, Miss …"

Hermione smiled. "Granger, Professor, but I do not mind Hermione."

"Thank you, Miss Granger. You may call me Professor Snape until we are more familiar with each other. Professor is also fine."

Hermione chuckled. "Thank you Professor. After Professor Snape will be Mr Malfoy, the nice quiet lady between the Professor and Mrs Malfoy and then Mrs Malfoy."

Narcissa opened her mouth to protest and was treated to a full-fledged fox-daemon glare. "If you hadn't have reacted the way you did, or listened to your mate – who is a vampire like your son – you would have been able to be introduced earlier. As it stands, My Kit is terrified of you and it will take him a long time to accept that you will not take Draco away from him!"

Narcissa sighed and nodded. She had known that her behaviour beforehand had been unacceptable and now she was reaping the rewards from it. As she watched the six people leave the room, she prayed that the damage that she'd done hadn't ruined her chances at having a good relationship with the adorable boy.

After the door had closed, Severus turned to Narcissa. "How could you be so stupid, 'Cissa? Normally if this happened, you would listen to Lucius. What was so different about this?"

Narcissa put her head in her hands. "I don't know what happened, Sev. I saw Draco walk in with that look and something in me snapped."

Bellatrix started laughing. "Seems to me that your non-existent mother's instinct decided to kick in, Sister Dear."

Narcissa whimpered. "I don't want to lose my son."

Lucius sighed and put his head into his hands. He should have guessed this would have happened. "'Cissa, we are not losing our son, we are gaining a son and potentially grandchildren. Why did you have to pick now of all times to become maternal?"

Narcissa sighed. "I don't know."

Bellatrix managed to stop laughing long enough to choke out. "She wants to become the Mother-in-law from Hell!" She lost her fight to control her laughter as Narcissa groaned in defeat.

All Severus could do was shake his head and feel sorry for the boy who would become a member of this odd family.

Remus looked around his room and smiled. His kitten was lying on the plush burgundy rug before the banked fire with his head resting on Draco's chest – both boys were fast asleep. Hermione and Blaise had managed to curl up in individual armchairs to talk, but had still managed to also fall asleep. He assumed that his Kit and Hermione had had a very big day and that evening had just been too much for them.

Looking up at an unfamiliar noise, he saw Sirius looking at the four teens with a soft look in his eye. "It seems a shame to wake them," he whispered, transfiguring three blankets from some quills. "Let's let them sleep here. I'll sleep in my room if you don't want me to add more clutter to your sitting room."

Remus chuckled. "You can sleep in the spare room if you want to, Padfoot. I don't think I'll be able to keep the nightmares away tonight."

Sirius nodded in understanding. Remus always had the worst nightmares in the two weeks leading to the full moon, and if he were to tell the truth, he himself would have killed himself before allowing someone to use him as they had Remus.

Remus and Sirius had nothing in common other than a deep love for pranking, but there was no one that could separate the two of them. They were a tight team, old Padfoot and Moony – and if anyone had though to ask, they would have discovered that Remus was the one in charge, not Sirius like they all assumed. Remus Lupin was Sirius Black's hero and had been for a long, long time.