Shizuka was still sniffling, and Sirius was holding himself together with a thinning thread. Bellatrix accioed the book to herself and began to read, wanting to find out what happened to Leo and Draco.

Chapter 11. Nice to Meet You

"Wonder who they mean?" Andromeda asked.

When Leo woke up his chest hurt.

Sirius winced and Shizuka grabbed onto her future husband's arm in a vice.

He sat up with a groan. His head spun and he sat back down.

"Is he okay?" Shizuka asked in a panic. "Is he okay?"

He heard shuffling and his eyes focused to see Madam Pomfrey fussing over to someone in a bed next to him. "What the-?" He asked. Madam Pomfrey soon started to check on him next.

Sirius whimpered but his friends weren't sure if it was from Leo in the hospital wing seriously hurt, or from the blood not circulating to his arm from Shizuka's grip.

"You're very lucky, very lucky." She said. Leo wanted to snort and tell her otherwise but she shoved a potion down his throat. He spluttered at the vile taste.

Remus could sympathize with his godson so much at that moment.

"A punctured lung, broken ribs, internal bleeding." She said as she checked his sides. "Been unconscious for days." She said worriedly.

Sirius yelped and tears pricked his eyes. Shizuka held a death grip right on his pressure point, and boy did it hurt!

Leo went stiff.

"Don't blame him." Ted said sweating a little.

"I want you to stay for the rest of today." Madam Pomfrey said sternly. She wandered off towards the other side of the hospital wing to help a student who was still unconscious.

"She always does that." Remus said.

Leo managed to sit up when Aries, Harry, Neville, Ron, Velvela and the twins came in. Aries had red rimmed eyes, and Harry was tired looking.

"Oh, dear." Liliana said sadly.

"Hiya." Leo said casually.

"THAT'S IT!?" Sirius shouted, scaring many people in and out of their seats. "He practically DIES and the first thing he says is THAT!?" Sirius felt his blood circulate as Shizuka loosened her grip slightly.

Velvela marched up to his bed with tears falling down her face. "We were worried sick that you were going to die, and all you can say is 'hiya'!?" She asked.

"Nice." James said with a smirk.

Leo was looking for backup but he got similar looks from them.

"I should hope so." Shizuka huffed.

Aries was giving him a red rimmed glare. He grabbed Leo by his robe and hit their foreheads together.

"Ouch." Many people hissed. "How delightful." Xenophilius sighed.

"Never. Ever. Do that. Again." Aries said. Leo was holding his head and looked up at his friends. "You know, we did many stupid things" Fred said. "But we never rushed in front of a full grown mountain troll for a Slytherin." George finished.

"A troll that shouldn't have even been there to begin with." McGonagall hissed. The Malfoys huffed. Leo did go to try and save Draco.

Leo rubbed his head. "Yeah." He said quietly.

Nymphadora yawned cutely. "We should eat and go sleep." Dorea said. "How about dinner after the next chapter, then two more chapters before bed?" Lily suggested. Many people nodded. It was a reasonable plan.

"By the way, what happened with you two?" Aries asked angrily as he looked at Harry and Ron.

"Fighting a troll that shouldn't have gotten in." Septimus hissed.

"Good question." The twins said fixing their brother with questioning looks. "Er, we left." Ron said. "And got Hermione." Harry said quickly. "And?" Aries prompted crossing his arms.

Frank shot a look at his mother before looking away. She did that to him a few times.

"May have knocked a troll out in the girl's bathroom." Harry said trying to understate it.

"There is no way to understate that." Charlus said.

"WHAT!?" Leo bellowed.

"Nice reaction." Barty joked.

The twins started to poke and prod at Ron. "Ron's fine he saved me." Harry said. Leo looked at him. "And why did you need saving?" He and Aries asked in unison. "The troll was going to hit him." Ron said shoving the twins' hands away.

"Oh, that'll make them feel better." Lucius drawled sarcastically.

Leo was going to kill Harry. Or what's left of him when Aries is done with him.

"Maybe Harry was better off with the troll." James said nervously.

"Aries what happened to your hair?" Ron asked. Leo then took notice of how his cousin's hair looked now.

"I could care less." Regulus said. His son was alive and hale, that's all that mattered at the moment.

Aries long dark hair was all choppy and uneven now. All that was left of his former hair cut was a long lock of hair that hung on the right side of his face.

"That sounds kind of cool." Alice said. "He'll look like some weird rocker." Sirius said. His family was giving him weird looks. "Muggle musicians." Was all he said.

"At least now you won't get mistaken for a girl." Harry said.

"And that became relevant again." Dorea chuckled.

Aries opened his mouth to tell Harry something when Madam Pomfrey came back towards them. "Your time's up, he needs to rest." She said sternly. "But I'm feeling fine." Leo insisted.

"Use the puppy eyes." Sirius said. His friends were looking at him like he was mad.

"I'm not taking any chances." She said, before ushering them out and away from Leo.

Sirius pouted. "Why do I get the feeling you will teach him that this time around." Liliana asked.

Leo flopped back onto the bed with a groan. What was he supposed to do? He just wanted to leave.

"I feel your pain." Remus said.

He began to think up more pranks for Snape for the next hour.

Lily scowled. "Excellent pass time." James and Sirius intoned.

Maybe he could get the greasy jerk to wash his hair with some soap for once in his jerky life?

"When flubberworms fly." Sirius said in a snort. "When flubberworms fly in a frozen fire." James added. Lily glared at him fiercely. "When flubberworms fly in a frozen flame through time." Alice said. Lily looked scandalized. "Alice!" She said. "What? It was funny?" Alice asked getting a kiss from her boyfriend.

Probably not, the greasy hag-spawn probably bathes in bacon grease.

Several of the students were laughing on the floor. "H-hag-spaw!" Sirius chortled. "Bacon!" James guffawed.

He smells their happiness with his big nose a mile away, and he probably drinks children's tears and eats their hopes and dreams for breakfast.

Now people were laughing themselves silly. Lily was red with anger. "Oh, we need to remember that!" James said as he heaved himself back into a sitting position.

Leo was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw Cedric come in. "How're you feeling?" Cedric asked with a worried look on his face.

"That's so sweet of him." Shizuka said. Sirius grinned too.

"Better than before." Leo said. Cedric gave him a small smile. "I got something for you." He said. "Is it food?" Leo asked.

"Padfoot junior." Remus coughed.

"Cedric chuckled. "No, Velvela gave me the homework you missed." Cedric said.

"I don't think he'll like it." James said. Liliana snorted.

Leo looked at him for a moment. "Kill it with fire!" He yelled.

Sirius and Liliana were laughing themselves into a fit of stitches. James was red in the face and Remus and Shizuka looked confused. "Prank, summer-too funny." Liliana said.

Cedric laughed. "Can't. You need to do it." He said. "But I don't wanna!" Leo whined.

"But he needs to." Shizuka said with a frown.

Cedric ruffled his hair. "You gotta get it done." He said. Leo pouted at him and gave him a sad look.

Sirius was hoping he inherited his puppy eyed look. It got him out of many sticky situations.

He was happy to see Cedric hesitate. "Please, Cedric?" He asked. Cedric shook his head. "No you gotta get it done." The older boy said.

"The test of sheer will power." Frank said with a snicker.

"YOU SUCK!" Leo yelled when he left the papers with Leo.

"Why did he have to get the Black family lungs?" James asked rubbing his ear. "Because life is a bitch." Remus complained.

"See ya later." Cedric said when he left thanks to Madam Pomfrey's stern looks.

"Almost as good as Minnie's." Sirius noted.

Soon pranking ideas become boring and Leo does his homework.

Sirius keeled over and James's jaw hit the floor. "HERESY!" The stag bellowed.

He took a break to eat lunch before he went around to finishing his essay. When he put his finished homework away, he got two more visitors.

"Who?" Barty asked.

Professor Sprout came in with someone Leo didn't recognize. He was a tall man with light brown hair that was flecked with grey, a few scars on his face and tattered robes.

"MOONY!" The two animagi cheered. Remus went red in the face and tried to hide his face in his robe.

"How're you doing Leo?" She asked in a motherly tone. "Bored out of my mind." Leo said.

"Obviously." Narcissa said.

The man chuckled quietly. Leo looked at him with a confused tilt of the head. "Oh, you probably don't remember me, but I'm Remus Lupin." The man introduced.

"I'd be amazed if he did." Moody growled, causing many people to jump.

Leo blinked a couple of times before he grinned. "I got your letter!" Leo said excitedly.

Liliana looked at Shizuka. "Cucciolo (Pup)." She said with a smile. Shizuka cuddled Sirius. Sirius wasn't sure why she was cuddling him, but he wasn't complaining.

Remus smiled a bit. "I came to check up on you." Remus said. "Can you stay?" Leo asked before looking at his head of house. "Can he stay?" He asked her.

"I think he wants you to stay." Ted says to the werewolf. "What was your first clue?" Lucius joked.

She smiled warmly. "I'll let Madam Pomfrey know." She said before walking to talk to her.

"Yes!" James cheered.

Remus pulled up a chair and sat next to Leo's bed. "How are you feeling?" He asked Leo. "Great." Leo said. "Hey, Mr. Lupin-" "You can call me Remus or Moony." He said kindly. "Okay, Moony"

The three Marauders shared bright smiles at that.

Leo said "can you tell me about my parents?" He asked excitedly.

Some smiles faltered before they were bright again.

Moony looked contemplative for a moment. "What do you want to hear?" He asked. "Anything." Leo said.

"I hope it's the one where I saw Sirius-" "YOU SWORE NEVER TO SPEAK OF THAT AGAIN!"

Remus crossed his arms for a moment. "Well I was best friends with yours and Harry's fathers." Moony said. Leo smiled."I remember once when we were in our sixth year."

"Not that one then." Remus said in slight disappointment.

Moony started. Soon he was telling several stories about Leo's family. Leo couldn't stop laughing at the pranks he mentioned.

"The pranks shall live on!" James decreed as he stood upon the chair like it was a soap box.

"So why don't you tell me about how you've been?" Moony asked. "Well, I live with Harry and Aries. We were raised by a bunch of muggles." Leo said. "And they're total jerks." He added.

Lily frowned. Her sister was a bit mean, but she was positive that Dursley fellow was responsible for that.

Moony nodded. "Aries and Harry are like brothers to me. We've always got each other's back." Leo said happily.

"Kinda like us." Sirius said. James's eyes sparked and Regulus had a feeling of dread in his stomach. "THEY'RE THE NEW MARAUDERS!" James shouted. Regulus groaned.

Then he started to tell him how Aries and Leo would prank Dudley and his friends. "And then the fat jerk ate it!" Leo exclaimed.

"Ate what?" Narcissa asked. An origami bird fluttered down and unfolded itself. Old biscuit with a touch of snot on it. "Eurgh." Many gagged.

Remus chuckled at him. "You have your father's love of pranking." Remus said.

McGonagall was shaking her head in dismay.

"Hey, Moony?" Leo asked quietly looking around the hospital wing. No one was paying attention to them. "Do you know about Papa being in Azkaban?" He asked quietly. Moony's smile faded.

"Why did Leo have to kill the good mood?" Frank asked. No one had an answer for him.

"Unfortunately." Moony said sadly. "But Leo, you should know, Sirius never did any of that." Moony whispered. "I'm being filled in on his case and his trial is a month away." Moony said.

"YES!" James and Remus cheered. Shizuka gave Sirius a soft kiss. Sirius had the goofiest look on his face but no one said anything about it.

Leo looked shocked. Aries stopped getting letters from Gringotts a few weeks ago.

"I wonder why?" Augusta asked. Moody had several ideas.

"What?" He asked in surprise. "He should be freed before your winter holiday." Moony added.

"It's a Christmas miracle!" Alice cooed. Many of the women and girls thought how sweet that would be.

"But you can't tell anyone of this." Leo nodded.

"Given the state of the Ministry I can understand why." Moody growled.

"I came here to tell you something else." Moony added. Leo gave him a confused look.

And many of the occupants were sending such looks to the book.

"I'm visiting him tomorrow. I was wondering if you would like to write him a letter." Moony asked.

Sirius smiled.

Leo wasted no time getting his quill and parchment out. He began to write until his hand hurt. In the end his letter was several pages long.

Remus gave his best friend a one armed hug.

Moony took it and hid it in his sleeve. "I need to remember that." Leo said. "I get the feeling you'll use it in pranks." Moony added.

"Didn't Aries hide letters down his pants?" Xenophilius asked. Many people looked back and saw he was right. "What did Aries do with them anyway?" Regulus asked. A paper boat sailed down and unfolded itself. They were ruined by the sea on the way to the shack. "Ah." Many inoned.

"And?" Leo asked. Moony patted his head.

"I'm probably used to it since I'm stuck with Paddy." "Hey!"

Then several people came in. Harry, Fred and George were in their Quidditch robes, followed shortly by Ron, Neville and Velvela. "We won!" Ron cheered with Neville.

James looked so sad at the fact that he missed Harry's first Quidditch game.

They all stopped when they saw Moony. "Hello." Moony greeted. "Guys, this is my godfather!" Leo said happily. Aries looked at him. "My name's Remus Lupin." Moony introduced as he extended his hand to Aries.

"You could say you know Aries and Leo too." Liliana pointed out. "I guess I didn't want to overwhelm them." Remus said.

Aries hesitantly shook it. "So I take it Gryffindor won the Quidditch match?" Moony asked. Fred and George grinned. "All thanks to our specky little seeker." They said motioning to Harry.

James smiled a bit.

"During the match, Gryffindor was in the lead when someone started jinxing Harry's broom." Velvela said quickly.

"WHAT THE FLYING FUCK!?" James asked. Many were just as shocked.

Leo was shocked. And Moony didn't look happy either.

"I'd be insulted if he didn't." Dorea said jokingly.

"Then someone sets Snape on fire and Harry's back in the game!" Ron adds.

Many people guffawed. "Who set him on fire?" Lily asked worriedly. "He probably has enough grease on him, some friction and he'd combust." Sirius snorted. McGonagall and Lily glared sternly at him.

"And Harry almost swallows the snitch and won the game!" Neville said excitedly.

James was trying to get his jaw off the floor. "Has that ever been done before?" Barty asked looking up at Lucius. "No." The Malfoy heir said in shock.

Leo looks at the Gryffindor seeker slowly. "You're pulling my leg." He said. Harry walks closer to Leo and yanks his ankle. "Now I am." Harry says. Leo kicks his head. "Oh, you're funny." Aries says sarcastically. "I know I am." Harry says.

Everyone laughs at their banter.

Moony chuckled. "It was nice seeing you all, but I need to leave." Leo gave him a sad look. Aries and Harry were looking between the two, as the Twins, Ron, Neville, and Velvela gave defeated looks.

"Give in to the look Moony." Sirius said. "No." Remus said. "Give in." "Never!"

Moony chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Sorry, but that won't work on me today." Moony said before he had to leave. "Here this should make you feel better." Moony said before handing Leo a large chocolate bar. "Bye." He said as he exited the hospital wing.

"I want that letter." Sirius said.

Leo pouted and Aries sat down on the bed. "So, you doing okay?" Aries asked. Leo's eye twitched. "If I hear one more person asks if I'm okay I'll go crazy." Leo growled out. Aries and Harry laughed because they know he'll do it.

"Crazy does run in the family." Many members of the Black family said.

Then someone else came by. It was Hermione. "Hi Harry, Ron." She greeted.

"Why's she so friendly now?" Barty asked in confusion.

Leo was wondering why Ron paled and stepped behind Fred, when she stepped closer.

"What did Leo miss?" Many people asked.

Leo shrugged and tried to open the chocolate bar. He couldn't open the wrapper and kept failing at it. "Aaaah!" He screamed as he failed to open it before holding it to Aries. Aries just opened the candy bar and gave it back to him wordlessly.

Many people gave the book weird looks.

"And how old are we this year?" Velvela asked. "There's a two in there." Leo said before biting the chocolate.

There were several patches of snickers and chuckles.

"Great game Harry." She said. "Thanks." Harry said. "How're you feeling Leo?" She asked.

"Coo coo?" Nymphadora asked.

Leo put the chocolate bar down and put his feet on the ground. He lunged at Hermione with a war cry but Aries and Harry tackled him back onto the bed. "I'm BLOODY FINE!" Leo shouted as Harry and Aries pinned him.

"Yep." Remus said.

"Good to know." The twins said. Hermione kept giving Leo a weird look. "I'm going to go." She said awkwardly. Then she turned around and walked out of the hospital wing.

"Understandable." Septimus

When she was gone Ron sighed in relief.

"Why?" Septimus asked.

"What did I miss?" Leo asked.

"A lot apparently." Ted said.

"She keeps following me." Ron whined. Neville and Harry nodded. "Maybe she just wants to be your friend." Aries said.

"Maybe." Lily pointed out.

"No, friends let you know they want to hang out. She just pops up out of nowhere and talks and talks and talks." Ron complained.

"That can get annoying." Dorea said.

"Tough luck." Leo said before biting into his chocolate bar again. Soon they were talking and joking with each other. Leo and the twins decided to have corny joke battles. "Which house needs to be hit to answer you? Gryffin-door!" Fred joked. Aries groaned.

"What does a book worm use to scratch their back? A Ravenclaw!" George said. Harry and Ron snorted.

"Did you hear about the girl who won the lottery? She went completely knuts!" Leo joked. "Shut up." Velvela groaned.

"LAME." Many students choired.

"I'm going to have nightmares about this." Ron said. "Out! You've had a quarter of an hour!" Madam Pomfrey said shooing them out before turning off the lights.

"We usually get less time." James said to Sirius.

Leo sat restlessly in his bed. He tried counting sheep, but he couldn't get sleepy. So when Madam Pomfrey went somewhere else for the night, Leo kicked himself out of his sheets and slipped his shoes on. He wanted to get back in his common room.

"Bet she flips her lid." Remus said.

He went down the hallways and up and down several stairs. He stopped still when he passed the same painting three times. He pulled at his long hair and bit his lip. Why couldn't he just go back to his common room!?

"He's directionally challenged." The Black Family said in unison.

He heard the meow of Mrs. Norris and ran down this hallway and up this staircase and around this corner before he heard footsteps. From both directions of the hallway.

"Why does my son have no luck?" Sirius asked. "You're probably using it." Lily snapped.

He panicked and shut his eyes and tried to focus. When he opened his eyes there was a bright slivery mist shaped like a person. The mist motioned for Leo to follow. Leo decided to when he heard the footsteps grow louder.

"IT'S ALIVE!" James screamed.

The mist led him to an empty classroom. Leo slipped inside and put his ear against the door and listened.

The marauders nodded.

"Any students out of bed?" Snape asked. Leo frowned and wondered if he had a life.

"Nope." James said.

"Not so far." Filch said in a huff. Mrs. Noriss yowled a bit. "Keep looking then, we need to make sure." Snape sneered. Leo glared at the voice.

"Creep." Sirius spat.

"I know, trouble makers the lot of them." Filch said.

"No just these two." Remus said pointing to his friends.

Leo kept making faces at them when he heard them walk away.

Liliana snorted.

Leo turned around and saw the mist pointing at the mirror. Leo shivered a bit and he walked up to the mirror. It was a tall mirror and he saw an inscription on the frame. Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

Bellatrix looked surprised at the next few lines.

Leo snorted at that. This was easy, he thought. Their hidden language was based on this mirror script. Leo looked at a bit. I show not your face but your true desire.

Lily looked flabbergasted. It was all only backwards?

Leo's eyes wandered down to the actual looking glass and he bit his hand to keep from screaming. There were people trapped inside the mirror!

"Huh!?"

He turned around only saw the silver mist. He blinked quickly and his vision returned to normal. He slowly turned back and he saw the people properly in the mirror. There were three adults in there.

"Okay, creepiest mirror ever." James said. "They say if a person dies in front of a mirror, their sould is trapped inside of it." Shizuka said. People blanched at her words.

The one on the right was a tall man with dark hair and grey eyes.

Sirus smiled sadly.

He had his arm around a petite Asian woman who wore her long straight hair loose.

She grabbed Sirius's arm.

They were both smiling sadly at them.

Shizuka was trying not to cry.

Leo was shocked. They couldn't be- "Papa?" He asked. The man gave him a smile and a nod. "Mama?" The woman nodded and tears ran down her face. Leo placed his hands against the mirror. His parents were there.

Shizuka burst into tears and Sirius held her closer. His friends didn't say anything as they saw his tears slide into Shizuka's hair.

He didn't care that he was crying. He just wanted to slip through the mirror and be with them. He could finally be with his parents, both of them. He could finally have a normal family. He could-

Shizuka couldn't stop crying. She wanted to be there for her baby boy.

Leo jumped when he felt the faintest brush of a hand against his shoulder.

"What the?" Barty asked.

He jumped harshly and looked around until he saw the third person more closely through wide tearful grey eyes. The man was tall and had neatly kept shoulder length hair.

Everyone stopped and sat still for a moment.

But what shocked him most was how he looked like a grown up Aries. He and Aries had the same dark eyes, sharp looks and that look that they know more than they let you know.

Sirius slowly turned to look at his brother. Regulus was stiff, and he wore an unreadable expression on his face.

"Uncle?" He asked. He nodded.

"Reggie…" Sirius trailed off.

He moved his hand and motioned towards his eyes. Leo tilted his head. He shut his eyes again and his vision changed again. He saw the mist point at the mirror again. When Leo turned his vision back to normal and saw Uncle Regulus point back at where the mist was.

Everyone went stiff.

Oh my gosh… Regulus was the silver mist. But he's- so he's a ghost?

Shizuka nodded sadly.

Regulus was extending his hand and was moving it along the glass. Leo changed his vision and saw the mist-Regulus write on the mirror. His words glowed silver when he completed them.

Leo, watch out for Dumbledore

Many people knew he didn't need to be told twice.

Leo nodded.

He's outside the door down the hallway.

"Oh, Circe that's bad." Ted said.

Leo paled and his eyes widened. Regulus wiped the mirror clear.

You'll have to face him, but I can help you out.

Sirius and Shizuka looked at Regulus carefully.

"Why?" Leo asked quietly, before wiping his tears quickly away with his sleeve.

You're my nephew

Sirius smiled a little bit.

Leo nodded. "Does this mirror show you something too?" He asked.

Yes.

"What?" Leo asked.

Take a look.

Regulus was at the edge of his seat.

Leo blinked and his parents were gone. He was staring at Aries.

Many people looked at Regulus sadly.

Aries was happier, and holding two people's hands. One was Uncle Regulus and another was a woman he didn't recognize.

"Saorise." Andromeda breathed.

She was short, and pale, in a simple dress. She had a sweet, freckled face and long curly blonde hair and violet colored eyes.

Regulus gave a wry smile. At least he had an idea of what his future wife would look like.

"Aunty?" He asked. Regulus nodded. He said something and Leo had to slowly copy him to figure out what he said. Leo looked shocked at the reflection of his Uncle. Tell no one about this.

"Why?" Many people asked.

Leo nodded slowly before he slowly opened the door and turned to see Dumbledore mid-step.

Many jaws swung open.

"Leo, my boy." He said softly.

Sirius growled.

Leo shivered and nodded as he rubbed his arms for warmth.

Shizuka frowned.

"I see you found the Mirror of Erised." Dumbledore said. "Is that what it's called?" Leo asked. Dumbledore nodded. "Yes a very dangerous item. Can you tell me why?" Dumbledore asked.

"He should be in bed resting." Augusta said derisively.

Leo frowned and looked at the mirror. Uncle Regulus was looking at him and shaking his head.

"I'm wondering why Regulus was talking to Leo then." Moody growled.

"I guess because it shows you what you want most in the world." Leo said thickly. "I saw my family, and they missed me." Leo said. He wasn't sure why he said it either.

Many dark looks spread at the possible implication of compulsion charms.

"True, in a sense." Dumbledore said. "It show's our heart's truest desire, but they're only an illusion." He said. "Many people have withered away before that mirror. I was wondering how you were able to." Dumbledore asked.

"What business of it is yours?" Liliana asked sharply.

Leo's mind was racing. "I'm not feeling well. I wanted to go back to the hospital wing." Leo said. Dumbledore nodded.

"At least he can go away now." Barty said.

"Do you need help my boy?" Dumbledore asked. "I should be able to find it on my own." Leo said. Dumbledore nodded and he walked away from Leo.

Sirius growled. He was leaving his directionally challenged son out and alone in the castle in the middle of the night?

Leo shivered and he blinked. He followed the mist-Regulus back to the Hospital Wing. He had just gotten into bed when he heard a bed next to him moving.

"Hey." A voice said from his left. Leo turned his head and saw Malfoy looking at him from his propped up pillow.

The Malfoys and Narcissa looked so relieved.

"I heard what you did. Thanks." Malfoy said. Leo gave a lopsided smile. "No sweat." Leo said.

Narcissa was happy they were being civil.

Malfoy gave him a weird look. "Why'd a girly bloke like you rush to save me?" Malfoy asked.

Everyone looked incredulously at the book. "HE KNEW!?" Sirius shrieked.

Leo looked surprised at him. "I thought, you thought I was a girl." Leo said sitting up slowly.

"So did we." Many people admitted.

Malfoy snorted. "At first, but during the sorting I figured it out." Malfoy said.

"Makes sense." Moody added.

"Why act otherwise?" Leo asked genuinely confused. "To make an idiot out of Weasley." Malfoy said.

Septimus and Abarax shared sharp looks.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Of course." Leo said. "Even if you were a girl, we're family." Malfoy said.

"Exactly." Sirius said.

Leo looked at him. "We are?" He asked. "My mother is from the Black family. She said her two cousins had sons around my age." Malfoy explained. "That'd probably be Aries and me." Leo said.

"Yep." Sirius said popping the 'p.'

Leo held his hand out to Malfoy. "Cousins?" He asked. Malfoy slowly reached over and shook it. "Cousins." He said.

"And that's the end of the chapter." Bellatrix said as she closed the book and tossed it on the table carelessly.