In the weeks that followed Harry's first visit to Andromeda's house things seemed to be going well. He'd gotten closer to Andromeda and started to really feel like family. He also started getting more comfortable around Teddy. On the weekends Harry would visit at least once, if not twice, just to get more time with his godson. If Harry had any doubt in his mind that Teddy loved him, it was erased with every single smile, coo, and giggle the infant sent his way. Andromeda even remarked on how well Teddy did with Harry. She had said that Teddy was typically apprehensive about being held by anyone but her, but with Harry it was different from the start. It made Harry's heart feel swollen with pride and happiness just to hear her say it.

Twice Andromeda had asked Harry to babysit Teddy while she went out, and Harry was always willing to help give her some time for herself. There was a day when Andromeda had started crying and told Harry how stressful it all was, sometimes.

"I love Teddy with all my heart, you know, but I'm doing this all on my own," she'd said with tears streaking her cheeks. As sad as she looked, her voice never wavered. That was when Harry realised just how strong she was. "I have no time for me, I have no time to relax. I wouldn't trade him for the world, but I miss being able to go grocery shopping on my own, or visiting friends, or getting a good night's sleep."

After hearing that, Harry had done his best to give Andromeda time for herself and extended his availability to some weekday evenings. Sometimes when he would visit he would simply lay on the sitting room or nursery floor, playing with Teddy, while Andromeda took a long shower or a nap. She would thank him profusely every time, but Harry got just as much out of it as she did, in his mind. There was little else Harry enjoyed as much as seeing Teddy happy, watching his hair change based on his mood, the funny faces he would make, the sounds that accompanied those faces, and everything else that went with being with Teddy.

Harry and Draco's relationship was at a sort of standstill. While they had their regular snogging sessions and had even moved on to heavy petting, they didn't have much time for each other. At least, Harry didn't have much time for Draco. It was obvious that Draco was feeling unhappy about that, too, but Harry didn't know what to do to fix it. Draco still refused to visit Andromeda, even after she'd sent the letter inviting him to come and apologizing for not having done so before. He felt that he needed time to heal himself after all that had happened with his mother and all that hadn't happened with his aunt. Harry understood, but he still asked if Draco wanted to come with him every time he went to see her and Teddy. Draco would contemplate it for a bit and decline, every time, without fail. Thus, Harry was at a loss. If Draco would go with him they would get more time together, and Harry really thought it would be good for him to spend time with Teddy. When Harry would leave Andromeda's house after hours of playing with Teddy and talking with her, he felt fulfilled, satisfied, like he'd done something productive. He wished Draco would be able to experience that feeling, too, but Draco still wasn't sure things would go as well as Harry thought they would.

On top of Draco feeling like he and Harry didn't get enough time together, Harry noticed that he was getting jealous of all the time he spent with Teddy.

"It's like all you ever want to do anymore is see that baby," Draco had said one day. "He's practically all you talk about."

Harry had admitted that Draco was right and tried to amend his actions, but Teddy did take up his thoughts more often than not. Harry had made a pact with himself and wanted to spend as much time with Teddy as he could, so he wasn't willing to give up his weekends with him at the very least. When he'd explained the reason behind his visits with Teddy━ that he wanted to be an influence on him, be there for him, watch him grow, know him, and make things different than they were between himself and Sirius━ Draco finally seemed to understand, and surprisingly agreed to go with Harry the next time.

They were ready to leave for Andromeda's house. Harry was about to toss in the Floo powder when Draco's hand grasped his arm firmly.

"Wait," Draco said, sounding afraid.

"If you're about to back out I don't want to hear it," Harry said, sounding more impatient than he really felt.

"No, but what if she doesn't actually want to see me?" Draco's eyebrows were slanted upward in the centre and he looked genuinely nervous. Harry placed his hand on Draco's arm gently and looked at him with certainty.

"She will, I promise, now let's go."

Harry threw down the powder and called out Andromeda's address after tugging Draco in with him. They stepped into the sitting room in Andromeda's house, which was empty of her or Teddy.

"I'll be down in a minute!" Andromeda called from upstairs.

"I don't know if I can do this, Harry," Draco whispered fervently.

"Too late."

Harry didn't mean to be rude or inconsiderate of Draco's feelings, but it really was too late. He hadn't told Andromeda that Draco was coming, but Harry knew for a fact that if Draco backed out at this point he would probably find a reason to stay behind every time from here on out. That was not something Harry wanted to see happen, and so he held Draco's hand in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. He heard Draco taking shallow breaths of air and squeezed his hand once in reassurance.

Andromeda came down the stairs with Teddy on her chest, looking over her shoulder and said, "I'm glad you could make it, Harry. I hate to do this to you, but would you mind watching Teddy while I━" She halted at the foot of the stairs when her eyes fell on Draco. He was standing half behind Harry, holding his hand so tightly that Harry was beginning to lose circulation.

"He finally agreed to come," Harry said with an uncomfortable grin as he tried to loosen Draco's grip on him a bit. Andromeda's face lit up in a smile and she walked over to meet them by the fireplace.

"I'm glad you did, Draco," she said sweetly. Harry could see she meant it. "I'd hoped you'd come sooner, but I can see why you didn't feel like it."

"Here, let me take Teddy. I'll take him up to his nursery," Harry said as he reached for the chubby infant. He wanted Draco and Andromeda to actually talk to each other, and while he was curious about what they'd say, or whether they'd work out their past differences, but he knew that this was something Draco needed to do on his own. Andromeda had been wanting Draco to come over for a while and it wouldn't take Draco long, hopefully, to see that he had nothing to fear where she was concerned.

"That would be so nice, Harry. I'd planned on going to market, but it can wait." Andromeda gladly handed Teddy to Harry, who kissed his soft cheek multiple times before settling him in the crook of his arm.

"Look, Teddy," Harry said, turning to face Draco. "It's your cousin, Draco. Say hi!" Teddy did not. Teddy gave a large, toothless grin and reached his arms out as if he wanted Draco to hold him.

"Hi, Teddy," Draco said slowly, clearly just as unsure about how to talk to babies as Harry had been at first.

"Alright, you two have fun." Harry gave Draco an encouraging smile and went up the stairs to Teddy's nursery. "We're going to have fun even if they don't, aren't we, Teddy?" he asked playfully. Teddy blew a spit bubble.

Harry put Teddy down on his tummy on the floor and went to the toy chest near his crib. Taking a couple finger puppets from the chest he slipped them on his fingers and went to sit in front of Teddy.

"Shall I put the kettle on?" Andromeda asked cautiously. Draco nodded stiffly, unable to trust his voice, and followed her to the kitchen. "Go ahead and sit down, get comfortable."

"Thanks," he said quietly as he sat down.

Damn Harry for taking Teddy upstairs, leaving him here to deal with his aunt alone. The knot in Draco's stomach was building and amplifying with every passing second. He wished Harry were there to help him feel more comfortable, but Harry seemed to think that Draco and his aunt needed some alone-together time. Perhaps he's right, though, Draco considered. It's not like I need Harry here at every difficult moment, protecting me from things I can surely deal with on my own. He decided that he would be able to do this, with or without Harry, because this was something he'd wanted to do. He was the one who'd decided it was time to be brave and confront the mystery that was his aunt.

Draco watched Andromeda fuss over the tea making process and noticed that her hands trembled slightly as she poured loose tea leaves into the kettle. Seeing that she was nervous as well eased the knot inside him a bit, but it was still there, still making him queasy.

"That shouldn't take much longer," she said as she sat down across from Draco. Her face had a warmth to it that he couldn't recall from childhood, but seeing it loosened the knot in his stomach further. "I suppose Harry's point in taking Teddy upstairs was so that you and I could talk."

"I'm sure it was," Draco agreed. "I'm not sure what's left to say. How much did Harry tell you about me?" Andromeda looked down at her hands on the table and blushed. Draco noticed she still wore her wedding ring and realised that it really hadn't been very long since her husband passed. He wondered how it was for her, dealing with the deaths of her husband and daughter, along with raising her daughter's orphaned son. It probably wasn't easy to do, and it made him feel slightly warmer toward her imagining that she was going through her own hardships just like he was.

"Probably more than you'd want him to," she admitted, sounding guilty. "But I'd like to hear things from you, if that's alright. That is, if you're okay with telling me." Draco shrugged. He knew that Harry had been talking about him to Andromeda. It didn't really upset him, but it made this conversation seem more pointless.

"I don't see why not. What do you want to know?" He figured that putting the ball in her court might make things go more smoothly. Andromeda seemed to hesitate before vocalising whatever thought was on her mind. Twice, she opened her mouth as though to speak only to close it again. Draco wondered what was on her mind and hoped she wouldn't feel the need to walk on eggshells with him.

"Why didn't you come sooner?" she asked finally. There was a sadness in her voice that Draco had not expected to hear. He felt guilt replace the knot in his stomach. That had not been the question he'd been expecting her to ask, though he wasn't sure what she'd say in general. Certainly not that.

"I didn't think… you'd actually want to see me." Deciding that honesty would get him further with her, and not seeing a point to hiding the fact, he answered her unexpected question hesitantly.

"Draco, why ever not? I invited you here not because I felt I had to, but because I wanted to. You're my only nephew, and from the sounds of it, the only remaining member of my family with a decent head on their shoulders."

Hearing that made Draco feel even worse for not having come sooner, but also better because she considered him level-headed. He hadn't expected her to have any kind things to say about him after all that she must have thought of him in the past. It wasn't as though they had seen much of each other over the years, and he was sure she'd heard nothing but negative things about him. Draco supposed he had Harry to thank for anything positive she had to say about him, or thought about him.

"Everyone thinks I'm a terrible person because of… everything my parents and I did." He didn't feel it was necessary to elaborate on that. Everyone knew what the Malfoys had done. It wasn't a mystery. "I'm just a Death Eater, in their eyes, even though I didn't want that for myself. It's really hard not to feel isolated and cast out when the whole of magical society sees you as a villain." Why he was telling her all of this, he couldn't say. Though he was normally closed off from people he didn't know well, he knew that if they were going to bridge over the gap between them he would need to be open and honest with her, like he'd decided to a bit ago. The way she was looking at him with no judgement, no pity, no revulsion, made him feel like he could tell her anything.

"I want you to know that I don't feel that way," Andromeda said firmly. "Though I must say that Harry is mostly to blame for that. That boy seems to think the world of you. I'm so glad you two have come together."

"I am too, though I'm sort of surprised you are."

"Well why wouldn't I be? You seem to make him happy, if the way he talks about you is any clue. Are you happy?"

"As happy as I can be in my situation," Draco said with raised eyebrows and tight lips. "I'd probably be a lot happier if my mother didn't have some secret plot to ruin our lives."

"Harry told me about that," Andromeda said disapprovingly. "I don't understand why she can't just let it go. Why should it matter that you and Harry are in a relationship?" She scoffed. "I would've thought that, with Harry's reputation, she'd be glad you two were together. You know how much she loves to keep up appearances."

"Don't I just," Draco chuckled. He probably knew better than anyone else. "I understand why she doesn't want us together. She's struggled my whole life, and probably before then, to make sure the Malfoy family stayed at the top of the magical society food chain. Being gay is sort of… well, it's as unacceptable to magical society as kissing Dumbledore is to Death Eaters. My father is in prison because of his alliances, I was in prison because everyone thought I had the same alliances; thus, the Malfoy name has fallen from the top. Add to that that I'm gay, when everyone knows purebloods are meant to carry on the bloodline, and I may as well have put the Malfoy name in one of Teddy's soiled nappies." Andromeda sputtered and began laughing loudly.

As much as she looked like her sister Bellatrix, and as uncomfortable as that made him subconsciously, when she laughed it was obvious they were two entirely different people. Draco remembered hearing his Aunt Bella laugh. When she did, it was a dead giveaway that someone was being tortured or killed. There wasn't much else that brought her joy, aside from Voldemort's affection and that wasn't cause for laughter. When Andromeda laughed it was the complete opposite; Draco could see that there was no meanness in her thick chortles, no harshness in her face. Only love and happiness, something Draco had not seen on the faces of his family in a very long time. It was refreshing, and it made him feel at home. It also made him wish he'd seen more of that sort of joy in his childhood home.

"You have such a way with words, Draco," Andromeda said as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Since you put it that way, I guess I can see where she's coming from. But that doesn't mean I agree with her, so wipe that look right off your face, dear." Draco did just that. He hadn't realised he'd had an expression of outrage on his face until she told him to get rid of it. It was easy for him to fall back into the thought that she didn't like him. That's how it had been for years. Draco reminded himself that this was not the Andromeda his parents thought she was, or who he'd thought she was. And he was not the Draco that everyone else thought he was.

"Sorry, I thought you were going to agree with her for a moment there," he said with a nervous chuckle. "I'm glad you don't."

"I don't see the logic behind her decisions, though I can see why she feels the way she does, being who she is. The person she's become in life is the main reason she and I haven't been very close."

"Then why did you let her stay here?" Since Harry wanted them to talk, Draco didn't shy away from asking the question. It was one he wanted an answer to, one he had stewed over in his mind for a long time. If he didn't ask her now he wasn't sure he would get another chance, and he needed to know.

"Because, in the end... she is my sister, whatever else she may be." She seemed to have contemplated the answer, as if she wasn't completely sure of it herself until it had been spoken. "I would hope that if I found myself in a similar situation to her she would offer me sanctuary, too. Even if she wouldn't, I suppose that's the difference between us." Andromeda shrugged, but Draco could tell that the thought bothered her. The crease in her forehead that hadn't been there before was the first clue, and second to that was the obvious sadness in her eyes. Draco could say for certain that his mother would most likely not do the same for her, but he had another thought that he needed to express instead.

"Then… why wasn't I welcome to stay? Mother said there wasn't enough room here for me. Was that the reason?" Draco didn't know why he thought it might not be the real reason, but something told him there was more to the story. He wasn't sure he really wanted to know the answer, but it was important to him regardless. Seeing the look of guilt on Andromeda's face told him that he likely would not appreciate the answer she gave him.

"No, not really." Andromeda let out a lengthy sigh at the same time that the kettle began whistling loudly on the stove. She jumped as though she'd forgotten she was making tea. Shooting Draco an embarrassed look she stood up from her chair and took the kettle off the stove, then poured them each two cups.

"Then what was the real reason I couldn't stay here?" Andromeda set the kettle down and placed her hands on the counter, lowering her head in what appeared to be shame. She faced away from Draco when she replied.

"Please don't be upset," she said softly.

"I can't promise that I won't; I don't know what you'll tell me." It was an honest answer, and he hoped she would give him the same.

Turning around and bringing two steaming mugs of tea with her, Andromeda said, "Your mother said that… you were not trustworthy." Andromeda would not look Draco in the eyes as she spoke. "She said that you could pose as a threat to myself and Teddy, seeing as I married a muggleborn." Draco felt rage bubbling inside him as she explained.

He was glad he hadn't promised not to get upset, because he would've broken that promise instantly. How was he meant to react to something like that? How could his mother say something so untrue about him? He didn't know Teddy or Andromeda very well, but he never would've tried to hurt them! Along with Draco's rage came indignation and he felt his nails digging painfully into the flesh of his palms.

"Why?"

"I'm not sure I understand your question," Andromeda said softly. She finally looked up at Draco. Her eyes were searching his for something. What she hoped to find was unknown to him, but Draco thought that regardless of what she was looking for all she would find was aggravation.

"Why did she tell you that? She knew I would wind up homeless, didn't she? She should've known that this would happen, that I wouldn't be accepted anywhere else. So why did she say that?" His teeth remained clenched as he spoke, his vehemence growing with every word.

"Draco, I'm sure she didn't know. How could she have possibly? Your mother has a very strange way of doing things, but I'm sure she had your best interest at heart." Draco wanted to argue, wanted to scream, but couldn't find the words to express his intense emotions. "Even with the blackmail. I know it may not seem like it, but I also know my sister well enough to say that she's doing this because she thinks it's what's best for you."

"It isn't! She's never known what's best for me!"

"Draco." Andromeda's tone was a mixture of pleading and disapproval. "I may not agree with the way your mother does things, but I know she loves you and I know she does care what happens to you."

"You're wrong," Draco said forcefully. He'd stopped shouting, but he was still seething. "Is that the way a mother shows her love? By ensuring that her only son has no place to go when he's released from prison? By threatening to ruin her son's life━ and his partner's life━ because of a disagreement over lifestyles? Is that love? Telling Harry that if I fall from grace she'll drag him down with me?" Draco laughed a cold, hard laugh. "That's not love. That's manipulation, it's selfish, it's━"

"If she didn't care, why would she bother with trying to blackmail you?" Andromeda cut him off, but her tone was soothing. "The difference between loving and being uncaring is this: when a person does not care they will not wish to change the things you do, say, and think. When a person loves you they will do everything in their power to ensure that you are taken care of━ even if those things aren't what's going to make you happy, or good for you. Your mother loves you, she just hasn't got the tools to show you properly. She was taught to love incorrectly and is repeating that with you." Draco let the idea sink in for a moment before responding, but it still didn't quite latch.

"That makes no sense."

"Doesn't it? Draco, if your mother did not care for you she wouldn't care what happened to you. She wouldn't be trying to bring you home or protect you from the opinions and thoughts of society." Andromeda sighed yet again. "She's doing it the wrong way, of course, but that's why she's doing it. Because she loves you."

Draco took a long sip from the mug before him. Part of him knew that his aunt was correct, but the stubborn, prideful part of him refused to admit it. With how wrong his mother was, how carelessly he thought she was acting, he couldn't give her any leeway. What if he was doing wrong? What if, by being his own person, he was hurting his mother? There could be no room for that in his heart. He wouldn't let that be the case. He wasn't sure what he would do if that were true.

"I think you're doing the right thing, standing up for yourself," Andromeda said. Draco's eyes snapped up to meet hers as he swallowed his tea. "Perhaps that will help her realise what she's doing is harmful to your relationship with her. I wish she could see that she's only pushing you further away."

"Yeah." Draco didn't have much else to say in response to that. He wished the same, but he doubted that things would change. His mother was too stuck in her ways. His father's vision for their future was too far ingrained in her mind.

"Let's move on to something less… depressing," Andromeda suggested. She sipped her tea and asked, "So how are things at home?"

"Very boring," Draco said, glad of the change of pace, but unsure that topic was less depressing by too much. He rubbed his face as emotional exhaustion replaced the intense feelings he was having not very long ago. "Harry works constantly, and when he's not at work he's here. I'm pretty much alone all the time." Andromeda looked worried.

"That's no life at all," she said, shaking her head. "What could you do to make things easier? Is there anything I can do?"

"I thought about getting a job, but I can't think of one place that will hire me. I'm not welcome in magical society and I don't have the muggle credentials to get a muggle job. Sometimes I take walks to pass the time, but that's getting a bit boring. I've been working out, trying to keep myself healthy. That's gotten boring too. I don't have a cello, so I have pent up musical energy. I don't see how you could help with that."

"Hmm. Perhaps you could help me? I could pay you to do things around the house. There's so much I can't get done with a baby on my hip constantly. His naps are the only free time I have, and when Harry visits, but even then I only get a done fraction of the things I have to do." She paused before saying, "Since Ted is gone I don't have a partner to help me with household chores and shopping."

"I couldn't ask you to pay me for that," Draco said, waving his hands. "That wouldn't be right."

"Your help would be invaluable. Of course I'll pay you. Do we have a deal? You help me with things around here, maybe babysit when Harry's busy, and that'll free up some evenings for you and Harry."

"That does sound nice," Draco mused. "I'll do it."

"Excellent! Oh, you don't know how wonderful this is!" Andromeda clapped her hands together and grinned hugely. "How does five galleons per hour sound?"

"T-that's… fine!" Draco didn't know how much a typical job paid, as he'd never had one, but that was more than he'd expected.

"Are you sure? I can pay you more. Is that enough?"

"That's more than enough— please. Don't worry about it. I'd be glad to help you for free just to get out of the house once in a while."

"Hey, how's everything going?" Harry came walking into the kitchen with Teddy on his chest and sat down beside Draco.

"Really well," Andromeda replied happily. "Draco just agreed to help me with things around the house. He's now gainfully employed!"

"Wow, Draco!" Harry rubbed Draco's shoulder affectionately with his free hand. "That's really good to hear. I'm glad you two have been able to work things out so easily."

"Me too," Draco said with a small smile.

"Haaaaa!" Teddy said loudly. All three adults laughed at the sudden outburst from the baby.

"Seems like Teddy agrees," Andromeda said, still chuckling lightly. "Draco, would you like to hold him?" Draco looked over at Teddy, who was gumming Harry's shoulder and had created a large wet spot there.

"Do I have to let him chew on me if I do?" Both Andromeda and Harry snickered at what Draco thought was a reasonable question.

"No, I think he'll be fine without using you as a teether." Andromeda took her tea and stood up. "Let's go to the sitting room, it's much more comfortable there." Harry and Draco followed her into the sitting room and sat together on the loveseat across from the hearth.

"How do I do this?" Draco asked, suddenly feeling very clueless and unprepared.

"Just support his neck a bit━ here, let me show you." Harry took Teddy from his shoulder and positioned Draco's arm so that Teddy could lounge in the curve of it. "Like that. Once you get more comfortable with him you'll find other ways to hold him, too, but this is a good place to start."

"Thanks," Draco said, shooting Harry a grateful smile. He looked down at the infant in his arms, the messy thatch of black hair sprouting from his head, the tiny lips and large brown eyes that looked back up at him. "Hello, Teddy," Draco said sweetly, his discomfort slowly fading.

With his thumb Draco stroked Teddy's chubby cheeks and was astounded at how soft they were. Teddy's miniscule fist wrapped around Draco's thumb and squeezed tightly. Draco's heart seemed to be constricted at the same time as his finger and tears sprung to his eyes. Teddy was just so perfect, so innocent, so pure. Teddy was everything that Draco wasn't, and he envied him for that, but more than he envied him, he found that he felt… proud. Draco felt proud that this was his family.

"Are you alright, Draco?" Harry asked from beside him.

Draco did not look up at Harry, and, keeping his eyes locked with Teddy's, said, "Never been better."

It was obvious to Draco, now, why Harry had been spending every spare moment over here. Draco kicked himself mentally for not coming with him sooner. How had he taken so long to meet this tiny human? Why had he been so stubborn? All this time he had been sitting at home sulking alone when he could've been here, basking in the surprisingly rapt attention of Teddy's loving gaze.

Draco spent the rest of the evening at Andromeda's holding Teddy's hand, staring into his perceptive eyes, listening to the noises Teddy made, the things he had to say. Of course, Draco couldn't understand any of it, but Teddy did have quite a lot to say. Before he and Harry left he even got to feed Teddy, and he learned how to burp him. Harry exclaimed in mock indignation at the fact that Teddy hadn't spit up on Draco and Andromeda got a picture of Harry, Draco, and Teddy sitting together for the baby book.

Since Draco had come to live with Harry he had never felt so welcome, so loved, so comfortable. Whatever the future held, Draco vowed to never let this go. No matter what his mother threw at him, he knew that he had a place in this world, even if the only people he belonged to were the three other people in that sitting room. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough for Draco.

That evening at home Harry noticed that Draco was very introspective. Several times he'd attempted to strike up a conversation with his silent partner and failed. Draco's eyes gave away that he was in some far away place thinking over things. While Harry was incredibly curious as to what he could be thinking about so deeply, he knew that pushing Draco to tell him was not the proper way to get that information. He was pretty sure that Draco would tell him eventually, he just hoped it wasn't something stressful.

The two of them ate dinner together, then Harry practiced the piano a bit━ strictly out of boredom, and not very well at all━ while Draco sat on one of the sofas in the drawing room, still deep in thought. Once the night had really set in and both of them had no reason to stay up, they went to their beds. It didn't take Harry long to fall asleep; things were going very well in his life and his anxiety had been reduced tremendously. Draco had seemed absolutely taken by Teddy and things appeared to be friendly enough between him and Andromeda. It gave Harry hope for the future.

It was difficult for Harry to remember the last time he'd actually slept in, but the following morning he didn't come to until the sun was streaming brightly through his bedroom curtain. Reaching his arms above his head until his knuckles found the drywall, Harry stretched and yawned. His legs lengthened as he stretched those, too, until they bumped into something at the end of his bed. Cracking one eye open Harry was confused to see Draco sitting at the end of his bed.

"G'morning," Harry said groggily. His eyes were still adjusting, but he could tell Draco had something serious on his mind. He wasn't yet awake enough to know how to deal with seriousness, but he sat up anyway and put his specs on.

"Morning," Draco replied in a strange tone.

"Is everything alright?" Harry punctuated his question with another large yawn.

"Not exactly." He was looking down at his lap, sitting on his hands. There was a blank look on his face and Harry had no idea what it could mean.

"Well… do you want to fill me in?"

"Molly and Weaselbee are in the drawing room."