Disclaimer: If you know it, I do not own it.

A Cold and Frosty Morning

The morning after Slughorn's party, Draco woke to find a rather distraught Harry Potter and a MIA Tom Riddle. After making sure Harry was at least packed to go home, Draco dragged the melancholy boy down to Professor McGonagall and asked if she knew where Tom was, to which she replied, "He went home earlier this morning. His father requested him home last night. I sent him through my fire early this morning."

Harry's face fell, more if possible. Draco grabbed him and towed him off to the carriages. Harry was morose the entire ride home and was now sitting at the kitchen table ignoring his hot chocolate. Dobby looked particularly worried he'd done something wrong since usually Harry inhaled Dobby's hot chocolate.

"Harry!" Sirius boomed, entering the kitchen with a clatter. "How—did someone die?"

"Tragically no," Draco offered. Sirius turned to Draco with wide eyes, so Draco added, "Tom wasn't around this morning. McGonagall told us his father requested he floo home as soon as possible."

Sirius frowned deeply, flopping his too-long hair out of his eyes. "Why…why would he do that? I mean, he'd have to tell Remus to request him to come home, as I doubt Remus would want him around longer than he had to be. Then again, I think Remus likes Tom."

Draco shrugged, looking for Harry for an answer, but all Harry did was push the hot chocolate away and slouched out of the kitchen passed a bewildered Sirius. Dobby let out a muted wail. Before Dobby could do something stupid like punishing himself for no reason, Draco swiped the mug and chugged half of it down.

"Nothing wrong with it Dobby. Harry's clearly not in the mood for anything good," Draco proclaimed and the little elf sagged in relief.

"Why doesn't he go see him if— oh. You guys can't, can you?" Sirius asked, sitting down and taking the half drunk mug from Draco and finishing it off.

Dobby looked delighted and scurried off to wherever he went when he wasn't in the kitchen lurking.

Draco shook his head. "Nope. Addy didn't share her address with us. I'm sure only you and Lupin know where she and Tom currently are."

"She told Reggie," Sirius said. "I'll go over there now, see what the four-one-one is."

He looked a little eager for an excuse to go see Lupin, so Draco didn't stop him by telling him he honestly didn't care. Harry would care after he got over his strop.

Draco finished his own hot chocolate and headed upstairs to his room. After unpacking, he was about to crack open a book when Harry appeared in his doorway and asked, "What exactly is an Unbreakable Vow?"

"It's one you cannot break unless you wish to die," Draco said, closing his book.

"I worked that out for myself, funnily enough."

"I tried to trick Atlanta into making one as a child."

Harry looked alarmed.

"I didn't manage. Lupin caught me. I've never seen the man angrier. Granted, I was five and didn't really understand what I was doing, nor did Atlanta and the Bonder was Dobby who couldn't say no to me, but I never tried to make another one."

"What's a Bonder?" Harry asked.

"The third party who actually does the spell. House Elves, since they are so magical, can act as Bonder without a wand because all the Bonder does is act as a conduit for the magic. When Snape made the Vow with Mother, it was likely Bellatrix who acted as Bonder, as she would have followed Mother on her mission to extract it from Snape."

Harry nodded. "Snape made one with Nott's aunt."

"Nott's aunt?"

Harry nodded, entering the room and sitting in an overstuffed chair. He sunk down into it, almost vanishing into the squashy pillows.

"I overheard Snape and Nott argue last night. Nott, of course, wouldn't tell Snape what he's doing, so Snape tried to show him how serious he was about helping by saying he'd made the Unbreakable Vow with Nott's aunt."

Draco nodded. He felt better knowing there was someone out there to make an Unbreakable Vow for Nott, someone who loved him enough to fear for him.

"Were you that snotty towards Snape?"

Draco felt himself color as he nodded. "I thought quite highly of myself at that point. I'd only had one failed attempt and I thought I was getting somewhere with the Vanishing Cabinet. Also, that was the afternoon I'd found the time travel potion kit."

Harry blinked. "You found it that early, but didn't use it till over a year later?"

Draco shrugged. "I didn't think there was a need for it. I left it where it was till I went back for it later that night after I spent all afternoon and evening thinking about the potion kit. I was going to get it when Flinch found me and dragged me off to Snape. After, I forgot about the kit till in the spring when I wasn't getting anywhere with the Vanishing Cabinet and the Dark One was threatening me daily via my mark. When I finally went looking, it took me weeks to find. I re-found it by total accident two days before I managed to fix the cabinet. I knew I was close when I re-found the kit, but kept it this time, as who knew what the future would hold? I was scared, even if I didn't want to admit it. Over the summer, I snuck out of the house and hid in the woods, brewing the potion in a tent I'd mail-ordered."

"One of those bigger on the inside ones?"

"Yes. It was better than being in the house, as after my failure my aunt took to hexing and cursing me every time she saw me."

"So, you spent a lot of time alone in a tent in the woods brewing potions?"

"Yes."

"And you still didn't use it until the next summer?"

"It was still spring, but yes. It wasn't until the battle I truly decided it was desperate enough to try. I didn't know if it'd work or I'd kill myself."

Harry nodded, looking sad. He sighed deeply and burrowed further into the chair's pillows.

"I asked Tom."

"You asked him what?"

Harry's cheeks went pink and he kept his eyes glued to the carpet. "I…I found him by the window…I…well, I do like…he's…"

Closing his mouth in frustration, Harry channeled a furious tomato.

"Did Tom not return your sentiment?" Draco guessed.

Harry pressed his lips together, folding his arms across his chest. "He said he liked me and ran off."

"Ah."

Harry stewed for a moment before he burst out with, "He ran off! And then he was gone! What the hell! He's a guy! Why is he being all confusing like a girl!"

Draco managed not to snort or burst out laughing. He fought to keep his face sympathetic as possible.

"Maybe you ought to speak with your godfather after he returns. I think he'd be better at this than me."

"You've got a girlfriend," Harry said, glaring at him. "I'm not talking to Sirius about…this. He hates Tom. Tom hates him. No. I'm not talking to either of them about the other."

Draco shrugged. "Yes, I've got a girlfriend. But, it's been building for years and, if I'm honest, only really happened because of Hermione."

Harry extended his head in agreement. He collapsed backward in misery.

"I…in the Muggle World…this isn't….it's not normal," Harry whispered.

"What? To like a boy?" Draco asked, curious. He vaguely remembered a similar conversation when Harry had found out about Big Head Boy and Oliver Wood. Harry seemed scandalized, while Hermione was a little shocked.

Harry nodded.

"I don't know what to tell you, but it's not unheard of in our world. Nor is it frowned upon," Draco shrugged. "Love is love. It's a mystery and we've accepted we cannot control whom we love."

"Don't pureblood have arranged marriages and stuff?"

"Yes. That has nothing to do with love, Harry, and everything to do with carrying on bloodlines."

"Was your mum's marriage arranged?"

"Yes," Draco replied. "Though, I do believe she did somewhat like my father before they were married. I'm pretty sure my aunt has no feelings towards her husband. Half the time she acted as if he wasn't there. Likely still does."

"She is crazy," Harry offered.

"That she is. Also, I believe she fancies herself in love with Voldemort."

Harry shuddered. "Why?"

"He's everything she wants," Draco shrugged. "I never knew her before her time in Azkaban, you must remember. She might have been a little different, though, I expect not judging from my mother's behavior towards her. And from what Regulus and Sirius have shared, she's always been mad and vindictive. But, my aunt and arranged marriages isn't what you want to speak about, is it?"

"Never mind," Harry grumbled, dragging himself out of the chair and heading for the door.

"Did you ever think, since Tom was raised in the Muggle World, he might be as conflicted about what he feels as yourself?"

Harry froze in the doorway, keeping his back to Draco.

"While I do not know a lot about the Muggle world, Hermione did share that there used to be laws against certain kinds of relationships. People were killed, imprisoned, or forced to take…potions to alter their…feelings, alter their…beings."

Harry was rigid.

"That doesn't happen in the wizarding world, but Tom was raised in the Muggle world. And then hid away. Feelings…feelings seem to be a new thing for him. Still."

Harry sagged.

"Go find your godfather. While he might mock you or do something else beneath his age, he was once a teenager in love with his best friend."

Harry turned, looking at Draco in confusion. "You're my best friend. Hermione's my best friend."

"What is Tom, chopped toad liver?"

"No. He is…Tom."

"Exactly. He's something else and always has been. Ever since the days of you two writing to one another not knowing who one another really was."

Harry frowned. "I don't want to talk about feelings anymore."

"What shall we talk about?"

"I dunno. Quidditch. I need to learn more about the leagues. I can't be a novice forever."

Harry came back into the room, sat in the chair, and listened as Draco waxed on about Quidditch for two hours till dinner was called.

On Christmas Eve, Harry hadn't solved his Tom issue, due to the fact Tom had evidently left the flat on Park Quad and went to Edinburgh to visit his old Spellmaster advisor.

"He seemed a bit off, I guess I should have pressed further," Addy lamented when she'd shown up for the evening. "Flat Three, Seventeen Park Quad, Glasgow, Scotland."

The entire room blinked. Narcissa looking utterly bewildered but Draco suddenly remembered knowing the address before Addy had randomly announced it.

"Thank you," Draco voiced as Lupin shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"Tom will do as he pleases. He always has," Lupin said, who looked thinner and more ragged than ever. He wearily took his eyes off Addy and looked at Sirius a moment before his eyes fell on Narcissa.

"What happened to you?" Harry blurted out before Lupin was able to greet the hostess.

Lupin chuckled and said, "Same as last war. I'm recruiting werewolves. Badly. Good evening, Narcissa. Thank you for inviting us this evening."

Harry frowned. Addy looked mutinous but said nothing.

"You're most welcome. Come along, let's not remain in the Floo Room. It's very drafty."

Narcissa hustled everyone upstairs to the sitting room for mulled wine and other holiday treats. They were not having a huge party for Christmas Eve or Christmas this year, thankfully, due to the state of open warfare in the wizarding community. Besides Lupin looking like death warmed over, both Narcissa and Sirius were exhausted and Regulus looked like he'd been hit by a truck at some point.

Draco tried not to think too hard about that and soon the group was ensconced in the sitting room listening to the wireless, which was playing a horrible singer Draco couldn't stand. He wanted to stuff his ears with cotton she was so terrible.

Harry and Draco sat together, watching Sirius and Lupin attempt to play chess. Harry seemed to be watching them carefully as if waiting for them to burst into declarations of love. While Sirius was still doing the whole cow eyes, Lupin was oblivious. Addy was seated in the corner speaking to Regulus, who'd draped himself over her lap and was idly playing with the strings on the shirt she was wearing that were hanging off the hood attached to the back of it. Narcissa was sitting by the fire doing needlepoint while humming along with the horrible singer.

"This is strange," Harry muttered.

"What?"

"Couples. Everywhere."

"I don't think Sirius and Lupin are a couple," Draco pointed out as the floo rang out below them. Narcissa shot to her feet and hurried out of the room while Sirius looked confused.

"I believe my aunt and her family are here," Draco loudly proclaimed. "The one who is not crazy."

"Wocher, Harry!" Tonks greeted appearing, mosey haired as ever, yet a hopeful look on her face. "Draco!"

Draco stood to greet his cousin, aunt, and uncle. After exchanging greetings, Tonks eyed Lupin for a moment before being graciously offered a seat next to him by Sirius of all people. Addy shot Lupin a look, which he ignored. Andromeda rolled her eyes, shot Lupin an evil look, and sat down with Narcissa by the fire, while Ted Tonks awkwardly stood in the back of the room looking unsure where to go. Addy solved this, by pushing Regulus off of her lap and greeting the elder man by asking him something about football. He looked relieved to have someone to discuss something he knew something about with and sat down. Regulus clearly followed whatever football was, as he joined in the conversation. Draco rejoined Harry in the corner.

"He's not coming," Harry whispered, looking miserable.

Draco studied Harry carefully, taking note of the dark bags under the boy's eyes. While Harry was never very well rested, he'd not looked this dreadful before the holidays.

"Have you slept at all?" Draco asked, noticing all the other signs of lack of sleep Harry was displaying.

Harry scowled, which was Draco's answer.

"Tom helps you sleep," Draco realized. "Or is it simply someone being there? I could…"

"It's Tom," Harry said quickly, appearing utterly embarrassed. "You'd just…it'd be too weird. I fell asleep while playing video games with Sirius last night and that didn't help. It's just…I don't want things to change, but I…do…I'm…"

Draco nodded, not really needing Harry to explain. He had to do something for his best friend, though. He stood and exited the room, ignoring his mother's calls as he marched up to his room. Upon entering, he picked up the Floo powder hidden there and tossed it into the fire, calling out the address for the Park Quad flat. He spun into the sitting room. He dusted himself off and allowed his eyes to adjust to the dimly lit flat. By the time his eyes fully adjusted he noticed Tom in a doorway, wand at his side.

"What are you doing here?" Tom sneered, pocketing his wand.

"You are an arse," Draco proclaimed, crossing his arms across his chest. "A complete and utter arse."

Tom did not reply.

"He can't sleep, you know. He hasn't since the night before we left Hogwarts," Draco said, hoping that would make Tom feel guilty. "And having Addy lie to him, that was beneath you."

Tom shifted a little, moving so his face was cast in the light.

Tom looked no better than Harry.

"You two need one another," Draco quietly said.

Tom sneered, flashing his teeth.

"I'm serious," Draco insisted. "I don't know what you two feel, okay? And I don't know why or how, but you two have some sort of connection."

"I'm made out of his horcrux," Tom groused.

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose. "You incorporated that bit of soul into your own, you halfwit."

"How do you know?"

"Because, if you truly were a horcrux, you'd be a little more like Voldemort. You are still yourself, as you always were and always will be. We've said this a few times to you, you love Harry. You care about him beyond friendship. You admit this and run off before he can say anything. What did you do?"

Tom stepped into the room, clenching his fists at his side and scowling deeply.

"I am not good for him! Why did he have to ask?" Tom seethed though his teeth.

"I know you hate being a teenager, so stop acting like one!" Draco shouted. "You claim you're thirty something, but you're acting like a fourteen-year-old girl!"

Tom chucked a nearby knick-knack at Draco's head. Draco ducked as the item shattered in the fireplace behind him.

"Feel better?" Draco asked, slowly standing up.

"No."

Draco sighed. "You both are making this harder than need be. You know what would have happened if you'd've stayed? Likely nothing, because Harry's got the emotional range of a teaspoon!"

"Just because you—"

"This has nothing to do with me," Draco snapped. "Do you think I want to be here talking about this? I don't. I am uncomfortable and really, really wish to be elsewhere talking about anything else. But, I am here as Harry's best friend because you both are miserable. If you do not come willing, I will stun you and drag you to Grimmauld Place."

Tom looked outraged and went for his wand. Draco was quicker and stunned the twit. He walked over to Tom, nudging the prone form with his foot.

"I just stunned Tom Riddle," Draco laughed, feeling a little giddy. "And now I'm going to kidnap him. How is this my life?"

Draco bent down and grabbed Tom by the ankles and dragged him to the fireplace. He took a pinch of powder off the mantle and called home. He kept hold of Tom's ankles as they both spun. Tom likely hit his head a few times, judging by the huge bruise forming on his head when Draco fell out of the fireplace at Grimmauld Place. Luckily, the network spit out in his room instead of the Floo Room (smart fireplace), so Draco simply dragged Tom further into his room, cleaned him with a flick of his wand of the ash and soot, then headed downstairs to get Harry.

"Draco, where did you go?" Narcissa demanded. "We have guests."

"And I apologize. I had to get something for Harry," Draco said.

Addy smirked.

"Harry?"

Harry, looking a little bewildered, stood and followed Draco out of the room.

"My room. Take your time. You know how to un-stun someone right?"

Harry looked panicked and took off up the stairs. Smirking, Draco reentered the room and challenged Sirius to a chess match.

The next morning, upon waking at a decent hour, Draco debated on going upstairs to Harry's room to open his presents with his best friend, but upon review, he opted to remain in his bedroom and opened the wide array of gifts gathered at the foot of his bed due to the fact Tom had not gone home the night before. Harry had returned to the gathering with Tom in tow and the pair had fallen asleep on the couch, cuddled up together in a sickeningly cute way that made Sirius and Tonks look jealous and Lupin uncomfortable.

Sirius had floated them both to bed, even as Narcissa frowned slightly while glancing at her sister, who just chuckled something about young love being foolish.

This year, Draco's present pile was smaller than usual as there were no gifts from any of the Malfoy relatives. Not that he missed these things, as they were all worthless objects that usually spent time gathering dust around his wardrobe.

Now he had gifts he'd use from people he knew and liked.

Addy replaced his broken DiskMan with a new one. It was alarmingly yellow. Harry had gifted him several new CDs, mostly from bands Draco had never heard of and were likely listened to by Harry and Addy. (They'd gone shopping together, so it made sense.) Hermione had gifted him with a multi-colored scarf that had a message embroidered along the edge in shorthand, which read: You Shall Always Wear a Scarf to Time Travel.

There was a joke he was missing somewhere.

Lupin had gifted him an array of books, mostly DADA, but there was one on spell making, which Draco spent twenty minutes leafing through before he realized he still had several presents left to get through.

Fred and George had given him a rather large supply of Instant Dark Powder. Useful.

Ginny had given him a miniature of a Firebolt and an IOU-a-broom-fulfilled card.

Draco laughed for ten minutes.

Luna, oddly, had given him a blue block with no explanation. He set it next to the mini Firebolt.

Mrs Weasley had sent him another jumper and a box of fudge, along with a note wishing him a happy Christmas and thank you so much for allowing Ginny a nice broom. He didn't need to do that, but thank you anyhow. (Incase Ginny forgot to thank him.)

His mother had given him a brand new wand holder to wear around his wrist. It was, of course, made of the finest leather, dyed a lovely shade of blue that reminded Draco of the blue in Hermione's Ravenclaw items.

He had a feeling his mother had chosen the shade of blue based on that. He closed his eyes tightly, knowing his mother already knew he was dating Hermione. How he wasn't sure, but of course she'd know and tell him this way she approved.

Sirius gifted him a huge bag of various Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products, though he seemed to focus a lot on their DADA products.

Neville had sent him a selection of Honeydukes chocolates, while Tom had gifted him a recommendation for the internship at the Spellsmith's headquarters for the summer, along with the actual application Draco had yet to fill out. Tom, of course, had written a terse note stating Draco better fill it out ASAP.

Draco folded the recommendation and application up and set them and the blue block and mini Firebolt on the nightstand. He promised himself he'd fill the application out later. As he was about to head down for breakfast, he heard a buzzing coming from his bedside table. Thinking it was the block finally doing whatever it was supposed to, he turned only to find the block still being a block. He went over as the table rattled again, pulling the drawer open. Upon opening it and finding the drawer filled with a flashing blue light, he remembered he'd stashed the parchment in the drawer the night before after Hermione never answered him.

Sorry, I didn't write back sooner but been busy with holiday celebrations. Happy Christmas! The necklace is gorgeous.

Draco had gotten her a necklace with a simple arrow charm on it, which would point in whatever direction he was currently located. It was somewhat sappy, but he went for it.

Please tell me you didn't stun Tom and shove him and Harry in a room together. Please tell me you were joking.

No, sorry. I really did that. Happy Christmas to you, as well. I feel the scarf is a joke I'm not getting.

Oh, yes. You ought to ask Addy. When faced with trying to figure out what to get you, I was somewhat stumped, but you're always loosing your scarf, so this one you won't loose. But, if you want to know the joke, ask Addy to show you Doctor Who.

Doctor What?

Just ask Addy. ;-)

Draco rolled his eyes. Hermione had started making faces using punctuation. At first, Draco thought it was somewhat stupid, but then he realized when he'd see these things, he'd picture Hermione's face doing the expression so he liked them. He didn't use them, though.

Fine. I will.

Draco paused, wondering if he should say anything else. He wanted to tell her he missed her, but he thought that was a little too…needy. Or emotional.

I best be going to breakfast. Enjoy your day, and I'll see you after the new year.

Yes, I better go as well. Happy Christmas and happy New Years, if I'm unable to speak to you till then.

Alright, goodbye.

Goodbye.

Draco put the parchment back into the drawer and slowly shut it. He knew he had a dopey looking grin on his face, but he oddly didn't care. He grabbed the scarf, flung it around his neck, and headed down to breakfast. Sirius looked up at his entrance and burst out into laughter. Narcissa frowned and glared at her cousin. Regulus looked baffled.

"I take it you understand the joke?" Draco drawled, sitting down at the table.

"Yeah. Addy was a sucker for this strange show about this guy who traveled around in a police box. He wore a floppy hat and had a scarf similar to that," Sirius explained, motioning to the scarf around Draco's neck. "He was a time traveler. Space and time, though. Not just time."

"Hmmm," Draco said, helping himself to coffee. "A police box? Those are the blue ones, right? Not the red?"

"Yes," Regulus answered, his voice a little high and anxious. "The red ones are telephones. There're not many police boxes anymore."

"Last spring there was a TV movie. Addy was really bent out of shape I didn't watch it for her so I could tell her about it since she was a few months late to see it," Sirius said, shrugging.

Draco shrugged as well, making Narcissa tut. Regulus made no noise other than to stab his plate and nervously look at the clock.

"REMUS!"

Remus sat up instantly, looking for the trouble, but saw nothing but a small pile of gifts at the foot of his bed.

"REMUS JOHN LUPIN! GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE!"

Remus blinked the sleep from his eyes and ran his hand through his graying hair a few times before his brain started operating and he realized why the voice was shouting at him. Gathering up his presents, he headed downstairs, careful not to trip over his own feet on the spiral staircase.

"There you are!" Addy exclaimed. "Tom's not here, nor are his presents. Gotta love wizards, but I hate opening presents alone. Christmas is all about being together! Let's be together under the tree!"

Remus watched in amusement as Addy bounced back into the lounge where the huge Christmas tree stood in the corner. Remus ambled after her, dumping his presents to join hers under the tree. He had a faint memory of his daughter demanding the same thing of him before she had started school. She didn't understand why his presents always showed up at the foot of his bed while everyone else's were under the tree. No matter how many times anyone, be it her mother, father, or her siblings, explained the fact Remus was British dictated how he celebrated the holidays, she refused to accept the information and demanded he join the family.

While it was clear Altair Black was uncomfortable with their male nanny joining in the family celebration, no one else cared and one frosty look from his wife, and Altair said no more on the matter and Remus spent the holidays with the family in the mornings.

"What did I do?"

Remus shook his head, looking at Addy in question.

"Nothing," Remus insisted. "I'm fine."

"No. No, you're wearing that look you get when I do something like Atlanta did or something like that. I—"

"I know you are two different people, Addy love, but you cannot help that some of the things she did as a child are things you do today," Remus quietly said. "On a base level, you are the same. You simply had different situations and circumstances growing up."

Addy frowned, looking as if she was unsure how to proceed.

"I have many happy memories of being dragged out of bed at an ungodly hour by my charge and forced to open my presents, as few as they were, under the tree with her family."

"Seriously? I tried to get Daddy to let Sookie join us, but he…well, least to say I never asked again."

"I'm not a House Elf," Remus gently pointed out, sitting down on the couch near the tree.

"You're a werewolf."

"True, but as long as Christmas wasn't a full moon, I was more than happy to join the morning celebrations," Remus said, picking up a package he assumed was a book from the shape of it.

Addy sat down on the floor at Remus' feet.

"I hate reminding you, though," Addy quietly admitted. "It feels like…bad taste or something."

"You cannot help who you are," Remus said, using his fingernail to slice through the Sellotape. "She used to remind me of you quite often. Granted, I didn't realize you were the same person at this point, so I assumed she'd been named correctly."

Addy smiled, grabbing up a package herself.

"You two look nothing alike," Remus offered. "Well, you might, but for most of my life, I knew you with your glamours, and the last few years with Atlanta, she looked more like Tom than, well, what you look like now. It's harder to look at Tom than you."

Addy sighed. "Okay. Enough melodrama. Let's be happy."

Remus smiled softly, looking at the book he'd unwrapped. It was clearly from Tom, as it was the next edition of The Slytherin Journals. He set it to the side and grabbed up another package. Addy ripped into one of her presents at the same time, making a shocked noise upon getting it opened. Remus put aside the huge bag of expensive chocolates Sirius had gifted him and looked at Addy, who was holding an aged looking bit of parchment. Her mouth hung open and her amber eyes were huge. She looked up at Remus and opened and closed her mouth without making any noise. Remus reached forward and took the parchment from her, gasping upon seeing what as at the bottom of the House of Black Family Tree.

"They added you and Atlanta," Remus whispered. "Is there a note?"

Addy searched through the wrapping paper and unearthed a rather fancy envelope. She tore it opened and gasped again upon getting the stationary out.

"It's from Cassiopeia," she breathed. "She wears the same scent."

Remus waited for Addy to get a handle on herself. She stroked the heavy paper before she finally unfolded the note and began to read:

Dear Adelaide,

I know you are not the same sister I knew who is now gone, but I would still like to extend a welcome to you into our family. Your blood is the same as ours and I know I speak for Dre as well as myself when I say we both wish to know you. I have added you, as well as your father and our sister, to our private family tree, a copy which I have enclosed for you. While I know you must keep your true identity a secret, you do not have to do so with Dre and I. When you have a free moment, please write back and let us know when best to introduce ourselves in person.

Always,

Cassie

"Cassie?" Addy asked after a long moment. "She goes by Cassie?"

"She always has, just as your brother goes by Dre."

"They're actually my cousins," Addy quietly said. "Look, the family tree has you and Siria."

Remus startled, noticing while Atlanta Siria Black was attached to Circe Hilderbatch and Altair Black via a line that indicated adoption as well as himself. Remus' own name was attached to Siria Black and linked down to Adelaide (Atlanta) Dorothy (Siria) Lupin (Black).

"I guess this is how she found out," Addy whispered, looking at the parchment in Remus' hands.

"More than likely," Remus said, tracing the line connected him to Atlanta. "The family tree at Grimmauld Place showed Regulus was alive after Narcissa fixed all the burn holes and Sirius simply thought Narcissa had broken it."

"I actually broke it," Addy said, cheeks turning pink. "Or, well, I made Kreacher break it. If we were to make everyone believe he was dead, the tapestry had to show it. Narcissa did fix it when she repaired the holes, as it showed Reggie was still alive and kicking."

Remus nodded. "Just as the House of Black's parchment announced your arrival."

"I'm…are they really so different? They didn't really care for me at all," Addy said. "They were so much older than me and they lived…well, Cassiopeia was already at school and Dre didn't want anything to do with me."

"They were rather close to Atlanta," Remus admitted. "Even though she spent most of her time in North Carolina and they were at school, but Cassie spent any free time she had at the sanctuary. Dre didn't show much interest in Atlanta until she was older and it was clear she was Altair's favorite."

Addy stared at Remus and blinked. "His favorite?"

"I take it you didn't have a close relationship with your father?"

"None of them," Addy admitted. "I was closest to Sookie and my twin cousins."

Remus furrowed his brow and asked, "Remus and Romulus?"

Addy nodded. "From your expression, I take it you met them and disliked them?"

Remus cringed at the memory of the two blonde airheads. While they were Hilderbatches, they'd clearly gotten none of the mental prowess of their elders.

"Yeah, you're right. They weren't the sharpest tools in the shed, but they were literally the only family that paid me any heed on either side of the family. Likely because they didn't bother to notice I failed to look right."

Remus could believe that.

Atlanta set aside the parchment and picked up a tiny box, frowning at it. She shook it. It made no noise. Remus shifted a bit as she ripped the paper off and revealed what was clearly a ring box.

"That little…"

She was out of the flat so fast, Remus swore she'd figured out how to Apparate without standing, yet the acrid smell of Floo powder told him she had used the fireplace. Remus stared at the spot where Atlanta had sat and waited a moment before a crack told him he had company. He looked behind him to find Sirius Black, who promptly fell over laughing.

"He's got a tail!" Sirius managed to get out before he dissolved into giggles.

The fireplace flared to life and Tom tumbled out, followed by Harry, whose hair seemed to be sticking up more so than usual. Tom rolled a few times before he managed to gracefully get to his feet. His hair, like Harry's, was standing on end. Remus quirked an eyebrow while Sirius collapsed in another fit of cackles.

"You know better, Tom," Remus mildly said, trying not to snicker as Tom's black hair slowly turned bright lime green.

Slow acting color charms were a favorite of Addy's.

Harry stared wide-eyed at Tom's hair and took off for the mirror in the front hall. A yelp told Remus Addy had cursed his hair an absurd color as well.

"She gave Regulus a tail," Tom defended. "I couldn't not say anything."

"You and your mouth. What did Harry do to get cursed?"

"He proposed via a gift that he wasn't even present—" Tom started, not bothering to answer Remus.

"My hair is pink! All I did was laugh at Regulus's tail! Sirius did that and his hair isn't PINK!" Harry cried, appearing in the doorway with wild, bright pink hair. "PINK!"

He took off before anyone could say anything.

Remus sighed deeply.

"Tom," he started.

"I took pictures."

"Good lord."

"Moony," Sirius said, draping himself over the back of the couch and thunking his head on Remus' shoulder, "If I wasn't into…well, uh…yo—guys, I'd be totally taken with my brother's girlfriend. She's a vision when she's angry. I'm glad you got photos, Riddle."

Remus made a noise of disgust as Tom snickered.

"She likely had an idea of how she wished to be engaged and Regulus did it wrong," Remus offered.

Tom snorted and left the room, following Harry's shrieks of "PINK!" to his bedroom.

"Yeah, well, her vision of getting engaged got James in big trouble. Well, her as well," Sirius remembered, snickering at the memory. "Though, the cursed hair Lily left her with…"

Remus huffed. "The afro was a vision."

"I'm so glad Tom got pictures of that. It's like he's always got a camera on him," Sirius remarked, lifting his head off Remus' shoulder and vaulting himself over the couch. Remus bounced a few times before he found his lap full of Sirius' head. He blinked a few times, holding his hands out awkwardly, but Sirius did not seem to notice. "I always wondered how I'd do it, you know. Get engaged."

Remus stared, his eyes going wide.

"Didn't really think on it hard, though. And now?" Sirius shrugged, his bony shoulders digging into Remus' thigh. "How'd you do it?"

The crystal clear gray eyes turned up to Remus.

"No idea," Remus said faintly. "Never really saw myself as married."

"Why not?"

Remus gave Sirius a dark look and pushed Sirius off him. Sirius went without protest, but Remus caught the wistful and hurt look on his face.

"PINK!" Harry wailed from Tom's room.

"I'm a werewolf."

"Oh. Yeah. Did Umbridge push that through before she was kicked to the curb? Besides banning you from working, you can't get married either?"

Remus nodded.

"And you never…thought about it before?"

"No."

Good mood thoroughly ruined, Remus stalked out of the room to help Tom with getting Harry to sit still long enough to take the charm off his hair.