Chapter 3

"It's all over the school then?" Draco asked as he watched Potter unload all the books he had brought from the library. The holidays had ended and school had been back in session for nearly a week.

"It's all just rumour. Me, Snape and Dumbledore are the only ones who know the truth and we haven't said anything. People are pretty much making up their own stories."

"I'm not sure if that's worse," Draco said with a sigh.

"Well, the 2nd year Hufflepuffs have a theory that you left to join a muggle rock band."

"You're joking?"

"No, seriously. They swear the lead singer's the dead spit of you."

"Merlin's balls."

"I actually quite liked that one."

"No doubt it's better than the other stories doing the rounds."

Potter's cheeks flushed slightly and he dipped his head, ostensibly to examine the books in his hands. That settled it then; obviously people were coming up with their own theories and it was likely that several would be hitting the mark.

"I guess you've told Weasley and Granger?" Draco asked, watching as Potter lifted his head again and met his eyes.

"No, I haven't."

"You don't have to lie to me."

"I'm not," Potter said forcefully. "I haven't told them."

"Why not?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Because…it's your business. I have no right to tell anyone without your permission."

Draco blinked at him for a moment, before saying with a sneer, "You're such a Gryffindor."

Potter's expression hardened and Draco regretted his response.

"You want me to tell the whole school what happened? Fine. Forgive me for respecting your privacy."

Draco swallowed and remembered what Bill had said to him a few days ago. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I appreciate your discretion."

Potter's eyebrows rose in surprise but he was gracious enough not to say anything. It was a good thing too; Draco hadn't been able to work on his humility and he wasn't sure how far it would stretch.

"I've brought an itinerary from the teachers detailing their lesson plans for the term. It's pretty much just revision."

"Well at least I'll have something to do," Draco said with a sigh. "I've been going a tad stir crazy here. Thanks for bringing all this stuff."

"No problem."

There was silence for a moment and Draco watched as Potter organised the books on the kitchen table. "Has there been any word from my father?" he asked eventually, his stomach lurching at his own question.

The expression on Potter's face said it all. "No," he said softly. "We haven't heard anything from him."

"Oh," Draco breathed, feeling as though all the air had been driven from his lungs. His father didn't care what had happened to him, he didn't care enough even to want his revenge for Draco's treachery. He was, it seemed, dead to the man.

"I'm sorry," Potter said, and Draco could sense how awkward the boy felt.

"I shouldn't be surprised," Draco said, shaking his head. "I've known for a long time that I meant nothing to him. I was only ever his heir, never his son."

"I wish I could – "

"Don't worry about it," Draco said, waving his hand. He didn't think he could cope with Potter's attempts at sympathy.

"Hey Harry," said Bill as he breezed into the kitchen, cutting through the awkwardness. Draco watched as the man, dressed only in boxers and a t-shirt, lit the kettle on the stove.

"Hey Bill. You're up late."

"Late night," Bill replied with a yawn. He stretched his arms over his head and Draco's eyes went to the patch of pale, freckled skin that was revealed.

"You sounded like a herd of hippogriffs when you came back," Draco said, averting his eyes.

"Sorry," Bill said apologetically. "Next time you should come along and then you won't be bothered."

"I'm not 18 until June, I can't drink yet," Draco countered, trying to ignore the fact that Bill had just issued him an invitation.

"The places we tend to go are never that fussy about checking for IDs," Bill replied with a smile.

"You're a bad influence, William Weasley," Potter said teasingly, and Draco felt a sudden spark of jealousy.

"I'm a good boy, Harry. Just ask my mother."

"Molly's not daft. She knows what you are."

"You say the meanest things."

"If you two are going to flirt, could you do it somewhere else?" Draco said irritably.

Bill and Potter exchanged an amused look and Potter said, "Flirt with this one? You must be mad."

"I'm not Harry's type," Bill said with an evil smile. "Not the right colouring for a start, eh Harry?"

"Shut up you prat," Potter replied, turning an interesting shade of red. "Anyway, you can talk. We all know your type – have you ever actually dated anyone who wasn't blond?"

It was Draco's turn to blush, and he dipped his head to hide it while Potter and Bill continued to bicker. This was getting silly now; he had a schoolboy crush and he needed to get over it. He couldn't fancy a Weasley for Merlin's sake. The world would tilt off its axis.

"Well," he said, standing abruptly, "I'm obviously not going to get any peace down here. I'm going up to my room."

He gathered as many books as he could in his arms and swept out of the kitchen, wishing, when he was halfway up the stairs, that he had had the presence of mind to cast a levitation charm. He chucked the books down on his bed and stood for a moment, trying to figure out what had annoyed him so much.

Of course Potter and Bill had some kind friendship; Potter had known the family for years. Still, it rankled and Draco knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that it was because it brought into focus that he had no such relationship in his life. He had no friends, no one with whom he could share anything familial. It had always been that way, he realised, but never had it been so apparent.

"We're on your side, you know," came Potter's voice from behind him, and he turned to see the boy standing in the doorway.

"I didn't know that I needed anyone on my side."

"You're not that stupid," Potter said softly. "You know…Bill's a decent bloke. You could do worse than to make a friend of him."

"Spare me the advice on my social life," Draco spat.

"That's a rather inflated terms for what you have," Potter said with more bite than Draco realised he was capable of. Clearly Potter thought so too because he cleared his throat and said, "Sorry. I just mean…"

"I know what you mean."

Potter sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. "I guess I should rethink my career as a motivational speaker."

Draco snorted and said, "I should say so."

Potter stepped into the room and Draco resisted the urge to move backwards. Potter was always so earnest, so intense with everything he did and said. He wore his heart on his sleeve and it unnerved Draco.

"Look, Draco…you need friends right now."

"Are you applying?"

Potter gave a boyish shrug and said, "You could do worse than me."

"I'm not sure about that."

Potter leant against the bedpost, his arms folded. "I know what it's like not to have friends. I know what it's like to be alone. If you can avoid that existence, so much the better."

Draco took a deep breath and sat down on the bed, looking up at Potter. "Give me time, Potter," he said quietly. "My whole world has changed, it's not that easy to just get over it."

Potter nodded. "I get that, and I don't mean to push. It's just…I want you to know that people are there for you."

"I get it. I don't need it rammed down my throat."

Potter held his hands up in surrender and said, "Ok, no more throat-ramming." His eyes widened and he said with a sputter, "Bollocks, I didn't mean – "

Draco couldn't help but burst out laughing. Potter's expression was a picture and he was so flustered by such an innocent comment. Once Draco started, he found he couldn't stop. It had been so long since he'd had cause to laugh and he'd never done it with such abandon. He laughed until his stomach hurt and eventually Potter joined in too, the two of them cackling like madmen.

It was a strange feeling to laugh so carelessly, to take a moment that was so completely without worry. It felt freeing, and something inside Draco lifted, something he hadn't even realised he'd been carrying around with him. Eventually, the laughter petered out and he and Potter were left smiling at each other, an action that was both alien and yet strangely comforting.

"I should learn to think before I say things," Potter said, removing his glasses and wiping the tears from his eyes.

"I've been telling you that for years," Draco replied, trying to compose himself.

"Yeah well…you were never worth listening to before." Potter put his glasses back on and fixed Draco with a thoughtful look. "I'm thinking that that might have changed now though."

"What? You think I'm worth knowing now?" Draco asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Maybe. I'll let you know."

Draco had always been fairly academic. His father had demanded that he excel in certain subjects and Draco had worked hard to avoid his father's wrath. Granger had always been just a few marks ahead of him, which had irritated him personally and had infuriated his father. He had fought to even the scoreboard, but now he could concentrate on doing so for his own sake, for his own pride.

He was intelligent but also studious. He was well-organised and knew how to manage his own time effectively. Although it wasn't an image he had ever cared to cultivate, he enjoyed studying and expanding his knowledge. He wanted to do well in his exams, to prove to himself that he was worth something, that he could survive in the world on his own.

He set up a little study station at the kitchen table. He tried the library first of all but it was too gloomy and oppressive. He was also fairly certain that there was an unknown nasty lurking in the corner cupboard and he had no desire to make its acquaintance. He was able to concentrate more easily in the kitchen and occasionally Bill would come and sit with him, engrossed in his own reading.

It had been a couple of weeks and they had been existing relatively peacefully together. Bill was as easy-going a person as Draco was likely to meet and he was easy to live with. He wasn't messy, he didn't seem to possess any irritating habits, and he was good for a spot of conversation when Draco was bored. Of course, there was also the fact that the man was bloody gorgeous, although Draco was doing his best to ignore that.

It was easier said than done, especially when the man insisted on parading around in little more than shorts and a loose bathrobe first thing in the morning. Draco was only human, after all, and as much as he tried not to look, his eyes constantly slipped towards the man.

"Can you believe this?" Bill asked as he entered the kitchen reading a long bit of parchment.

Draco looked up from his books and said, "I'm sure I wouldn't if I had any idea what it was."

"Terms of employment for the new job I've been offered. They're bloody laughable, and the pay is frankly insulting," Bill said, taking a seat and chucking the parchment down on the table.

"May I take a look?" Draco asked, and Bill nodded his assent.

He reached over and grabbed the contract, glancing over the main points and understanding why Bill was so perturbed.

"This is toilet paper," he said, and Bill snorted in response. "You can negotiate a much better deal than this. You should be asking for 20% commission on top of your basic; a quarterly peer review by which your salary can be scrutinised; 5% of any profits generated from the removal of any curses; acknowledgement of your services after each curse-breaking through publication…oh and they should be making at least a 7.5% contribution to your pension."

"Merlin's balls, Draco. When did you become a corporate lawyer?" Bill asked, and Draco looked up from the contract to see the man looking at him with an amused smile.

"My father may be a diabolical bastard but he knows his stuff when it comes to business. I guess I've picked up a few things over the years."

"I'm impressed," Bill said, and Draco's stomach fluttered to realise that he meant it. "I wish you'd been around to negotiate all my contracts."

"You seem to be doing fine," Draco said, handing the contract back.

"So, is that the path you want to follow? You fancy becoming a lawyer?"

"Oh Merlin, no," Draco said, shaking his head emphatically. "I was actually thinking that…" he trailed off, a blush suffusing his cheeks as he realised what he was saying.

"What?" Bill asked gently. "What were you thinking?"

Draco had never disclosed his career hopes to anyone before, indeed he never thought they would ever get to see the light of day. His father had had his future very specifically mapped out for him and any ambitions he may have harboured had been irrelevant. Now the world had opened up to him again and anything seemed possible.

"I think I'd like to become a Healer," he said quietly. He braced himself for Bill's laughter, but it didn't come. He looked up to find Bill smiling at him, but it was a smile devoid of mockery.

"That sounds like a pretty amazing ambition. Have you looked into it?"

Draco nodded, his cheeks still feeling hot. "I'd need Os in Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms and Defence. St Mungo's is a teaching hospital, they have an undergraduate programme. I was thinking of applying."

"You should. I think you'd make an excellent Healer."

"What makes you say that?" Draco asked in surprise.

"You're intelligent, competent, level-headed, methodical and I'm fairly certain you have the capacity for great empathy…if you only allowed yourself to."

"Oh…No one's ever said that to me before."

"Well maybe they don't see what I see."

Draco met Bill's eyes, unsure of what to say. Bill was so unlike anyone he had ever met, and, when he was around him, Draco's whole world felt different.

"I guess…I guess we have to get through his war first…then I can see where I stand."

"Well, if you don't apply for the programme I'll have to do it for you. I could really do with a friend who can patch me up when those nasty curses go awry."

Draco's breath caught in his throat at the word 'friend', and he found himself staggered at the thought that Bill could think of him in such terms.

He cleared his throat and said, "Are you often hurt through your work?"

"I have a fair few scars I could show you," Bill said with a wicked grin, and Draco wondered just how red he could turn. "Anyway," Bill continued, apparently not noticing Draco's reaction, "you'd better get this stuff cleared off the table before the others get here."

"The others?" Draco repeated with a frown.

"There's an Order meeting this evening. Everyone will be here soon."

"Oh," Draco said, his stomach sinking. Now that he thought about it, he remembered Bill had mentioned something earlier but he hadn't really been listening at the time. It might have had something to do with the fact that Bill had been wearing very form-fitting jeans.

"It'll be fine," Bill said, and Draco wished that the man wasn't quite so insightful.

"Sure," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

He gathered his things and took them all back up to his bedroom, where he stayed for the next half hour. He was apprehensive and nervous; he had no idea who most of the other Order members were, nor how they would react to him. Of course, Weasley and Granger would be along with Potter. Draco had given Potter permission to fill them in on the details and he couldn't abide the fact that they knew.

Eventually he started to hear voices downstairs, which only set his pulse racing faster. They grew louder and he was steeling himself to go back down when there was a knock at the door.

"Hey," said Potter as he poked his head in. "You joining us?"

"I was just coming," Draco replied, straightening his shoulders.

"It'll be fine," Potter said, unknowingly repeating Bill's words.

"I'm really not bothered," Draco lied.

Potter gave a knowing nod and said, "Come on then. I'll introduce you to the gang."

Draco took a deep breath and followed Potter out of the bedroom and down the stairs. The voices grew louder and Draco's stomach flipped. They entered the kitchen and Draco saw that it was full. A few people were seated at the table, while others were standing around talking, cups of tea in their hands.

"So, we've got Moody, the real one, not the one who taught us in 4th year, Kingsley, Fletcher, Lupin of course you know, oh and over there is Charlie – he's the second eldest Weasley, and over there are Molly and Arthur. I think you know everyone else."

"Who's the woman with the offensively orange hair?" Draco said, watching as the woman accidentally broke the handle of the teacup she was using.

"Oh," said Potter softly, "that's Tonks. She's your cousin."

Draco turned to look at Potter, stunned into silence for a moment. "My what?" he breathed.

"Your cousin," Potter repeated. "She's the daughter of your mother's sister."

"Andromeda," Draco said quietly. He was aware of that side of mother's family, although Andromeda's name was never mentioned. He had seen the family tree, seen that his mother had another sister besides his lunatic Aunt Bella, and he had always wondered about her. Now here was his cousin standing in front of him, large as life, his last link to any semblance of family.

"She's lovely," Potter said as Draco looked back over to the colourful woman. "She's also a bloody good fighter. We're lucky to have her. Do you…do you want me to introduce you?"

"I…no," Draco said, shaking his head. He wasn't ready for that, not yet anyway.

"I think it'll be a while before I get used to seeing you here," came a voice behind him, and he turned to see that Weasley and Granger had come to join Potter.

"Ron," Granger said, "you said you wouldn't."

"I'm not starting anything," Weasley said levelly. "If he wants to fight on our side then so be it. As long as he knows that trust is earnt, not given."

"Spare me," Draco said, rolling his eyes. "I've had all this from Potter here and, no offence, he was a lot more convincing than you."

"Well, you're still a prat," Weasley said as though he were saying something deeply wise, "but you'll do."

He nodded his head and he and Granger moved to stand next to the twins, who, while older than Draco remembered them, looked just as mischievous as ever.

"Damn," said Potter, "I thought he'd kick up more of a fuss than that."

"Even Ron realises that there are more important things at stake than school rivalries," came Bill's voice as Draco felt the man's hand come to settle on his shoulder. It was oddly comforting, and Draco found himself inadvertently leaning into it.

"I think we all realise that these days," Potter said pointedly, then moved off to join the others.

"Come on," Bill said, giving his shoulder a squeeze, "let's find a spot and get comfortable. These things tend to go on for a while."

Bill wasn't wrong. The meeting was interminable and Draco struggled to figure out the point of it. Snape relayed the latest information he had gathered and Dumbledore seemed to do nothing but repeat what anyone else said. Every now and again Bill would lean over and whisper explanations or clarifications to him, and each time Draco was aware that Potter was watching them.

Draco was used to that; Potter had always watched him through their time at school together, always convinced he was up to no good. These days, Potter seemed to look at him with something akin to approval, and, although Draco wanted to sneer at it, he found himself oddly bolstered by it instead.

He used the meeting to take a better look at the Order members. He remembered Lupin from 3rd year, and he couldn't say that the man looked any better four years later. He was thin and his face was covered in scratches and abrasions. He looked in need of a good meal and a long sleep.

Kingsley he knew from the many articles of the Prophet the man had appeared in. He seemed a decent enough bloke and there was an aura of power around him that explained why he was becoming so important in the Ministry.

The Weasleys were all a sea of red apart from the one sitting next to him. He had only seen Molly and Arthur in passing, although he had been disparaging enough about them both in the past. They were very much as he remembered – shabbily dressed, both a little on the plump side, but emanating a warmth that he had never noticed before. Bill had warned him that Molly would attempt to mother him and, strangely, the notion wasn't as horrifying as it had been a couple of weeks ago.

Charlie was broad and stocky. He was probably most like Ron in looks but there was a pensive quality to him that Ron didn't possess. He had a kind and open face and he watched the proceedings with his arms folded, taking everything in.

Things wound down eventually and Draco was relieved that no official announcement had been made about him. Everyone had cast a glance at hm once or twice throughout the meeting, and that was about as much as he could stand.

"I'm just going to go and annoy my brother for a second," Bill said, giving him a friendly clap on the back before getting up and approaching Charlie.

Draco couldn't help but feel that his security blanket had been taken away. He felt comfortable with Bill, and, as long as he was there, he felt like he had some sort of protection from the others. He shrank a little in his chair and let the others' conversations wash over him. All of these people were connected in some way or another and there he was, a stranger amongst them.

Someone plonked themselves down in the chair Bill had vacated and Draco lifted his head to see Tonks sitting there. She leant back and grinned at him, then said, "Wotcher, cuz."

"Um…hi," Draco said uncertainly. "I'm – "

"Draco, I know," she said with a smile. "You're definitely more of a Malfoy than a Black…which is probably a good thing."

"You…you don't look like much of a Black either."

"I could, if I wanted…but something tells me that seeing the face of your mother right now wouldn't help."

"I don't – "

"I'm a metamorphagus," she explained.

"Oh. That's actually…kind of cool."

"It's not the most resounding compliment I've ever had, but I'll take it. So, how are you getting on?"

The question was direct but not as jarring as it might have been a couple of weeks ago. He wasn't entirely sure how to answer; his mind was still clouded by the everything that had happened and he had yet to properly sort through his feelings.

"I'm ok," he said with a shrug. "I'm not dead, so I guess I can't complain."

"That's how you measure it?"

"It's all I have to go on right now."

"Look…I know what you've been through, how you've ended up here. I know what your family's like and I know this can't be easy for you. I suppose…I suppose I just wanted to say…you still have family. You don't have to do this alone."

Draco didn't know what to say. This woman, this strange woman, was indeed his family, but he had never met her before today. She and her parents had been shunned, and Draco had never given her a second's thought. Now here she was, telling him that he still had family, as bizarre a notion as that was.

"I didn't mean to overwhelm you," she said gently. "I just wanted to let you know that, whatever went on between our parents, it doesn't have to mean that we can't…be cousins."

Draco nodded, not really knowing what else to say. She seemed to sense this, and, rather than pushing further, she gave his arm a gentle pat then got up and made a beeline for Lupin.

So much had changed in such a short space of time and Draco had no idea when things would start to feel normal again. As it was, all he could do was try and keep up with the pace of things and hope that it didn't eventually overwhelm him.

AN: I'm updating a day early, my lovelies, as I'm off to Exmoor for a couple of days tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed it.

In the meantime, if any of you are into HP cosplay/roleplay then I urge you to check out TT Bret AKA Asktheboywholived on Tumblr, Instagram or TikTok. They are the most awesome HP cosplayer I have ever seen and you will be blown away by their talent. It's then very easy to go down a cosplay rabbit hole and discover all the other amazing talent that exists on Tumblr. Personally, I would recommend checking out Sirussly, SoftSiriusBlack, BringBlackBack, ActingAnimagus and Jenlizrose to name a few. Happy browsing, kids!