Disclaimer: I do not own any characters created by J.K. Rowling. I also do not share her homophobic views.
Chapter Sixty-Three
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As life settled down around them, Harry had almost forgotten that Halloween was approaching until a walk through London with Remus and Teddy had drawn his attention to a window display bedecked with pumpkins and cartoon witches flying on brooms. He became rather subdued as the anniversary of his parents' death crept ever closer. Even Sirius' mood had turned grey and sombre. In the quiet moments of the kitchen, as Remus and Draco poured over the latest numbers for the wolfsbane project, they discussed in low voices what would be best to do on Halloween. Should they have a party or was it in poor taste? Remus was of the opinion that James would have been all for celebrating Halloween, but that was hard considering no one knew what James would be thinking, if he had lived another two decades.
In the end they decided to do both. Halloween dawned bleak and cool and by the time Harry and Sirius were dressed, Remus had already gotten most of the decorations for the party hanging up. During the afternoon before the party, Harry, Remus and Sirius went to visit the Potter's grave at Godrics Hollow. They each had a little talk and updated Lily and James about the past month. Harry promised to come and introduce Draco to them properly, but he just wanted some time with them to himself. He had thought it would be a bit too heavy, considering the recent stress Draco had found himself under.
Draco had worried himself silly for the better part of the day, that the others wouldn't be in the mood for a party. He needn't have fretted, however. The moment Sirius had washed and dressed himself, he bounced down the stairs with a new spring in his step and looked ready to take on the day. Harry mirrored his godfather almost perfectly. Though Draco thought it was probably some sort of unhealthy coping technique, he opted to keep quiet for the time being. He decided to follow Remus' lead; he knew better how to deal with Sirius' mood swings, after all.
Dressed-up in cliché costumes, the party got into full swing, and everyone seemed to have a good time. Draco found himself crowded onto the sofa with a sleeping Teddy curled against his chest, and Harry smiling at him with tender eyes from across the hubbub that dominated the house. It made him feel warm inside. It was even better the following morning, when Sirius had the worst hangover possible, and kept vowing to take out the sun just so that he could get some sleep.
A few days later, preparations for Sirius' 44th birthday were underway.
.
"Now, do you really think he's going to appreciate all this faff?" Andromeda asked from her position atop a chair as she sprayed more doxy-cide into a dark alcove. The pests never seemed to vanish completely.
Remus huffed and folded his arms, "I think he'd appreciate a little celebration, yes."
"Is this going to be a sit-down meal? Are you inviting the others?"
"Are you angling for an invite?"
"Well, it would be rude not to invite me, now I've sussed you out, Remus," she winked.
He rolled his eyes at her but couldn't fight a smile. "I think it's going to be somewhat taxing for him, so I'd rather it be kept somewhat quiet," he rubbed at his jaw. "I wasn't even able to get permission for Narcissa granted for the day."
Andromeda's face fell. "She is rather lonely out there, all by herself."
"We can only do so much. Kingsley said that he will be reviewing the low-risk criminals in the new year."
"That's still over a month away," she sighed. "At the very least if she were confined to the Manor, she would be able to do something productive. It's not as though they've not stripped it down to its foundations for reparations anyway."
Remus could only nod in agreement.
.
Further up in the house, Harry and Draco were sorting through some of the boxes of Christmas decorations that had been dug-out from the attic. They sat by the hearth and peeled the spell-o-tape from the tops before rifling through the contents. A fair number of them were macabre; mummified pixies and doxies in splayed poses, their remains blackened from years of being hidden away. They made excellent kindling, though.
"I think this might be the weirdest thing you've had me do since I came here," Draco stated as he unwrapped yet another dried-up doxy from a roll of the Daily Prophet from fifty years ago.
Harry snorted, "Really? This is the weirdest thing?"
Draco shoved him gently, "Yes, Potter! I'll have you know, we never had doxies in the manor. I always felt as though we had a banshee festering away somewhere in the attics."
"Not sure how I'd survive coming face-to-face with a banshee among all the Malfoy family heirlooms."
"You scared one will come to life and toss you into an alternate dimension?" Draco smirked.
"You really need to lay-off the muggle sci-fi books. Remus is a bad influence on you," Harry chided mockingly.
"You know, you should really branch out. I know you prefer the movies, but the books are usually way better."
Harry turned to retort that it wasn't always the case, when Draco leaned forward and stole a kiss. He felt his cheeks instantly flush pink as they always did when they kissed. Even after months of doing it, it still caught him by surprise. He bit down on a smile as he felt Draco brush stray hairs behind his ear.
"You're not nervous about tomorrow, are you?"
Harry shook his head, "Should I be?"
"I don't think so. We have all the proper paperwork, and you've signed all you've needed to. The manor and grounds have been searched by the Aurors and nothing is amiss. It's barebones, perhaps, but otherwise it's a solid foundation for what you aim to do."
"Yeah, yeah, so you've said."
"So, what's the problem?" Draco breathed, giving Harry's hand a gentle squeeze.
"It's … pretty big. What if we can't handle it and end up letting everybody down?"
Draco shrugged, "Then we start small. See how we can cope with a few invited people from my client list and go from there?"
"That -sounds like a good idea."
A soft smile tickled the edges of Draco's mouth. It helped to lift Harry's spirits. "Try not to overthink things, hm?"
Harry scoffed, before leaning into Draco's side and sighing. "You're the sane part of my brain."
"Well, you were running on empty for a while," he teased.
Harry swatted at his backside, but smiled nonetheless. He didn't mind the teasing, not when there was no malice behind it. They sat that way for a little while, cuddled into one another's sides. After a little while the clock chimed from down below and both boys groaned.
"How do we always lose track of time?" Draco tutted, getting to his feet and dusting himself down, before holding out a hand to pull Harry upright.
They packed their things away, before heading down into the front parlour, where birthday decorations intermingled with the Christmas decorations Remus had insisted needed to be put up for as long as possible. Any holiday that involved chocolate, the man was amped up for it! It was all very festive and bright; birthday presents were neatly wrapped and clustered against one side of the fireplace. Remus' one stood bright and bold in shiny purple paper, right at the back. It was quite large and, not for the first time, Harry was curious as to what the man had bought his dad.
He gave Draco's hand a squeeze; it had been disappointing to learn that Narcissa wouldn't be able to make it, but maybe they would have better luck nearer to Christmas or the New Year?
Down the hallway, Remus and Kreacher could be heard bickering about the proper way to set the table for a celebration for 'the master of the house'.
"Kreacher, we don't need the fine bloody China! He's going to eat with his hands! We can use it for Christmas instead, okay?"
Draco snorted, "You'd think Remus would learn that you cannot reason with that old elf."
"Yeah, well, old habits die hard. That goes for both of them," Harry huffed a smile. "Shall we go and help?"
"Harry!"
"Have it your way then, you wrinkled old windbag! But don't you grouse about all night when he proves my point!" Remus barked out. Suddenly the door to the kitchen was yanked open and Remus stormed up into the hall. He stopped short when he spotted the two of them, and his cheeks went pink. "So, I guess you heard that, then?"
"Just a bit," Draco smirked.
Remus pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled loudly, "That elf will be the death of me, I swear."
"You solemnly swear?"
He levelled a glare at the two young men before him. "Don't."
Draco pressed his lips together to stop from laughing.
Casting a glance up the stairs, Remus turned to them and lowered his voice. "Do you two have any plans this afternoon?"
Exchanging a glance, they both shook their heads.
"Good. Sirius is rattling around upstairs, and I think he's going a bit stir crazy. Do you think you can get him out of the house for a while?"
"And go where?" Harry frowned.
"I don't know. Don't you need to go to Gringotts and sort out the papers for the estate?"
"Well, yeah –"
"Good. Go there."
Harry shot Draco a bemused look before side-stepping Remus and took the stairs two at a time. He knocked on Sirius' door where he heard a rhythmic thumping. Poking his head inside he saw his godfather sprawled out on the bed, feet propped up on the headboard, and tossing a ball to the wall, where it bounced back, and he snatched it from the air. For a moment, Harry wondered if this is what his own dad had done when he was at a loose end.
"Keeping busy then?" he asked.
Sirius grunted as the ball hit his cheek, before he rolled over to glare up at Harry. "What's up, pup?"
"Just wondered if you fancied going to the bank and sorting out those papers?"
For a moment, it looked as though Sirius was about to protest. Instead, he huffed a laugh and shook his head, "Remus and Kreacher already at it?"
"Yup."
"What set it off this time?"
"Whether your birthday was worth getting out the 'good China'."
"Ah. That one's almost a classic," he smirked, rolling off the bed and hopped to his feet, dark curls in disarray. "Come on, let's head out. I need some fresh air anyhow."
.
~0~
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The office was narrow, with tall, latticed windows and dark wood panelling from floor to ceiling. The desk was large, almost dwarfing the wrinkled goblin that perched behind it. Across the desk, several scrolls of parchment were spread out. The three of them watched as the goblin scribbled away, drawing up renewed documents to transfer the deeds of the estate into Harry's name. It was ridiculous that all he'd needed to do was subject himself to a few detection spells, swear under veritaserum -not that it mattered -and present his birth certificate … that had been in his vault.
Suffice to say, ironing out the details hadn't been as arduous as Draco had implied it would. Granted, they had been sat in the office for two hours, answering questions and explaining their need of the estate to Gauwrung. Sirius had even had to sign a separate document, stating that -when their fledgling business was up and running -he would be their silent partner and benefactor, providing collateral if their project ran into any hiccoughs along the way.
Not that it was an issue, as Harry had the Potter fortune at his disposal, however Gauwrung seemed appeased that an actual adult was assigned responsibility on the matter. Even if that adult was Sirius Black.
However, once the goblin had stamped all the papers he needed and gotten Harry to sign on about a million pages, he tucked the parchment into a neat pile and ran his long, yellowed nail through the centre of the pile. The stack glowed a faint blue colour.
"Right, now that that's taken care of, shall we go and inspect the Estate, sirs?" Gauwrung peered up at them with his beady black eyes.
Sirius clapped his hands together, "Now's as good a time as any, right?"
Harry opened his mouth to protest that it was, in fact, his godfather's birthday, but a gentle kick at his ankle made him snap his jaw shut. "Sure, now's good."
"Very well, Mr. Potter." The goblin handed over a piece of parchment and an iron wring of large, ornate keys. He beckoned them to their feet and gestured for everyone to put their hands over his own. "Potter Estate, hold on tight!"
The familiar tug of apparition almost made Harry vomit as they were pulled through space and landed roughly on the gravel drive just outside the wrought iron gates of the Potter Estate. With a pained gasp, Harry rolled onto his side and rubbed at his sore hip. A hand on his shoulder helped him sit up. Glancing up, he grabbed onto Sirius' forearm and was hauled to his feet. His stomach rolled inside him, and he side-stepped before bending double and puking on the weeds.
Draco's shoes appeared in his vision and a firm hand rubbed up and down his back.
"Sorry, sorry!" he choked out, inhaling deeply. Rubbing a hand down his face, he straightened up and looked over at Gauwrung. "Lead the way."
Taking one of the large iron keys, Gauwrung inserted it into the lock of the iron gates. A pulse of magic expanded outwards and sent air rushing over them. The gates swung inwards and as they passed over the first threshold and onto the weed-riddled drive up to the mansion, a tug of the old, weary protection charms snagged at their clothes as though trying to push them back.
"We will get that fixed. The wards have to admit you as it's been signed in your name. Unfortunately, it's fallen into disrepair, as you well know. You'll need to get an experienced wizard to come and reconstruct the wards. It would be best to start from scratch."
"Understood," Harry mumbled, feeling immediately out of his depth. He shot Draco a worried frown.
"Don't worry, Remus will know someone. We have many books on the subject in the library."
"Ah yes, the infamous Black Library," Gauwrung paused and turned unsettling, gleaming eyes up to Sirius. "Many rare treasures are said to reside there."
"And that's where they'll stay," Sirius grinned. "Come on, this place is huge!"
"You really spent your summers here with my dad?" Harry asked as they neared the huge entryway, the tall oak doors dwarfing them as they climbed the wide steps. The sheer size reminded him distinctly of Malfoy Manor and it sent a heavy weight settling in his gut.
"It's not the same," Draco said out of the corner of his mouth.
Harry nodded distractedly. He had a point; where the manor had been all slate greys, blacks and dark granite slabs in place of marble, the size, darkened windows and unruly foliage that seemed to crawl and weave around the structure really did give the impression of a desolate, lonely place. The stonework was greyed from years of neglect, but beneath that the façade was a creamy sandstone colour. There was some cracked windowpanes and ivy spilled out, swaying in the cool air.
Gauwrung scurried to the door first and, after a bit of struggling, he managed to slot the key into the hole and turned it. The gears groaned and whined shrilly. Another pulse of magic rippled out. The door stuck in the frame, so swollen and warped from years of unbarred exposure to the elements. With Sirius' help, the two managed to shoulder the door open, emitting them all into the entrance hall.
Clouds of dust billowed up at their feet.
Gauwrung coughed, wafting the dust away from his face and wrinkled his long, hooked nose. "We have the Aurors search the manor as soon as you noted your interest in it. There have been no squatters, no intruders, no break-ins as far as we were able to see," he stated after another, rough cough. "You may want to consider getting the building inspected and evaluated so you can see the physical repairs that will need to be done."
Sirius let out a low whistle as he started to move along the white-and-black checkered tiles, covered in a layer of dust, dirt and cobwebs. He gingerly opened any closed doors, peering inside and taking a cursory glance around.
"Wow … it really hasn't changed," he said hollowly.
Harry tried to take in his surroundings, but it was hard to do when everything was coated in a thick layer of grey dust and silvery cobwebs. Large portraits hung on the walls, their frames covered in off-white sheets, the wallpaper had started to peel at odd spots, and the curved, oak banister that wrapped around the balustrade and disappeared upstairs had lost all its waxy shine. It had looked magnificent, once, he was sure of that.
His lips quirked at the image of a young James and Sirius sliding down said banister and racing out into the -no doubt -expansive grounds beyond.
Following Gauwrung's lead, although Sirius fell quickly into step with the goblin, citing all the mischief he and his friends had gotten up to over the summers, much to Effie's chagrin. It made Harry ache as he half-listened to the stories filling the still, stale air around them.
What would it have been like, to grow up and visiting Grandma Effie on the weekends? Would Grandpa Monty have helped Harry with his Quidditch?
It left a hollow ache in his stomach.
"This place is amazing," Draco gasped as they idly walked through the large bedchambers, exploring the somewhat old-fashioned bathrooms with their rusted, gilt taps and claw-foot bathtubs. A few of the chambers had stone balconies, a happy detail as all the surrounding countryside and the nearby town were so quaint that it made both Harry and Draco feel instantly calmed as they leaned over the ledge and gazed out at the hills and the heavy grey clouds looming on the horizon.
"It really is," he agreed.
"A lot of the furniture must still be in the attic," Sirius nodded as he appeared at the door to the balcony. "It will take a while to go through it all."
"Did you enjoy living here?" Harry asked, peering up at his godfather. "Did Remus ever join you?"
"He did, but it always had to revolve around the moon. Very awkward business, pretending we had no idea," he tutted and rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Not that it bothered Effie or Monty. They adored Remus."
"It really is an amazing place," Draco repeated. "It's the exact opposite of Malfoy Manor. Honestly, if you're ever able to, show mother. I feel like this is the style she would want for the manor now that the war is over."
"It will take a lot to get this place up to code," Harry fretted. "I don't know how it works in the magical community, but in the muggle world reenforcing a house this size, takes over a year."
"Well, we're not in a rush, right?" Draco said.
Catching the blonde's eye, Harry read the unspoken words between them. The fact that Draco was still on parole was a sore spot they tried to avoid. However, any business proposition in his name, would be hindered by his current criminal status, regardless of his sentence being completed or not.
"Getting all the planning permission could take months to organise anyway. Time is exactly what we have, and we don't want to rush things," Sirius stated objectively.
"Really?" Harry cocked an eyebrow. "You don't want to rush into anything? Wow, Remus has really been rubbing off on you."
"Don't!" Draco snapped, as Sirius opened his mouth for the obvious joke. At the blonde's exclamation, he snapped his mouth into a smirk, and mimed zipping his lips.
Rubbing his hands together, Harry let his eyes roam over the overgrown grounds that stretched forth across the neighbouring hills far below them. The shrubbery was growing in unruly clumps, melding into the trees, their branches bending low under the weight of overripe fruit. It was almost overwhelming just how much needed to be done. Chewing on his lip, he tried to think of it all in a positive light. Nothing was really standing in their way, they had the papers signed, for all intents and purposes Kinglsey was on board with their proposal and there was no immediate demand for them to be up and running. They could do this.
A hand clamped down on his shoulder, rubbing soothing circles into the taut muscles.
"We don't have to do anything within it until after Christmas," Draco suggested. "Things are going to get hectic soon with all the prep, anyway, but at least you have the deed now! That's a massive step forward."
"Draco's right, pup," Sirius soothed. "Besides, this will give us over a month to start booking-in plumbers and renovators and the like."
"I feel just so … weirdly excited!" he let out a breathy laugh.
Draco's smile could have lit up the manor all on its own.
Even Sirius' smile seemed wide and bright, his eyes gleaming with the promise of things to come. "Well, we have the deed now. Shall we get back before Remus and Kreacher have a fight to the death over the proper forks?"
.
~0~
.
The moment they walked into the entrance hall, the loud pop's and chorus of 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' rang into the air. They all shied away as streamers and confetti exploded into colourful showers over them. Sirius laughed loudly, barely brushing confetti from his face as he strode across the hallway, snagged Remus' by his jumper and crushed their mouths together. Wolf-whistles joined in with cheers and claps as Sirius pulled back, leaving Remus looking dazed.
"Happy birthday, love," Remus grinned, leaning in to steal another, calmer kiss. By the looks of things, it made Sirius melt against him.
Andromeda cheered again, laughing as Teddy waved a streamer back and forth.
Hermione and Ron were also there, throwing handfuls of confetti and laughing. Harry ducked as Draco reached up and tender ruffled the confetti from his hair, his fingertips gently scratching at his scalp and making him flush hotter at the collar. A teasing smirk alighted on the blonde's mouth. Harry gave him a chaste kiss, a promise for what would happen later, when they were alone.
As Remus and Andromeda ushered Sirius down into the kitchen, Hermione and Ron stepped closer to give Harry hugs and arm-thumps, and a hug and handshake to Draco.
"So, do you think Sirius was surprised at all?" Ron asked grinning.
"About as surprised as Remus is that he changes every month," Harry quipped. "Trust me, he knew the moment Remus starting ordering things to be delivered."
"Is that odd for some reason?" Hermione frowned.
"Remus doesn't tend to buy things, and if he does, he usually goes in person."
"What about presents?"
Draco frowned before glancing at Harry. "All I know is that Remus was writing my mother quite a lot as well as flooing her quite a few times. I don't know what he got Sirius, but I do know it's quite large, if that present is anything to go by."
Craning their necks, they both peered into the lounge where a small cluster of presents were perched on the end of the long sofa. Glitzy paper and large shiny bows glimmered in the dim light. The present in question was wrapped in black and gold chevron paper with a gaudy bow in the top left corner.
Ron exhaled loudly, "The hell did he get him?"
"No idea," Harry shrugged. "All I know is, it was a bitch to get his hands on it."
Hermione chewed on her lip for a moment, before brushing the thought aside. "Come on, let's go down before they eat the cake without us. We arrived just as Kreacher was done setting the cable. Remus was seething."
Draco snorted, "Why was Remus seething?"
"You'll see," Ron smirked.
Descending into the kitchen, they saw exactly what would have pissed Remus off; the old, weather-worn kitchen table had been decked out as though they were hosting the Queen herself; a silver-trimmed tablecloth draped over the edges and almost brushed the tiled floor, a bowl sat atop a small and medium plate at every seat, and the monogrammed silverware barely left space between the place settings there were so many. A cut glass goblet stretched up precariously, the spiralled dark silver handle looking frail and lethal at the same time. Even the napkins looked expensive! Thick, plush and forced through a serpent napkin ring, with gleaming onyx eyes. At each place setting, a thick parchment card decreed whom should sit where, the calligraphy looking pristine and perfect.
Who had written them? What other hidden talents did the old elf have?
"Merlin's balls …" Harry breathed, his wide eyes darting from place-to-place. He could suddenly understand how suffocating those family dinners at Grimmauld place could have been, dotted throughout Sirius' childhood.
At the very least, Kreacher had placed him and Draco together.
Remus looked exasperated as he took his seat to Sirius' right, Teddy wedged between him and Andromeda, whereas they sat opposite, with Hermione and Ron on either side at the other end. It took all of two minutes of pressing their lips together and exchanging furtive glances with everyone, before laughter erupted from them all. Remus relaxed as the laughter rolled out of him, the tension leaving his shoulders.
"Suffice to say, Kreacher won the battle but not the war."
"Please, do not prank that old creature," Andromeda chided, wiping tears from her eyes. "He may have a heart attack."
"About time," Sirius grumbled, earning him a swat from both his cousin and partner. "Ow! You can't hit me, I'm the birthday boy!"
Andromeda cut her eyes over at Remus and arched an eyebrow, "Wow, it's like he's sixteen again."
"Tell me about it."
Underneath the table, Harry pinched Draco's thigh, trying to stop him from sniggering too loudly.
As each course materialised -a fact that Remus bemoaned was unnecessary as he could lean back and reach the kitchen counter -they ate, told tales of birthdays past, joked about their best birthday celebrations and the gifts they got. Draco pressed his leg up against Harry's when he said the best birthday he ever had was when he turned eleven, purely for the fact that Hagrid broke down the door, gave Dudley a pigtail and terrified his vile aunt and uncle for the first time in a decade. As far as surprises went, there wasn't much that could top it! Draco had confessed that his favourite birthday had been when he was nine and his parents had taken him to his first Quidditch game. Andromeda had told a wicked tale of when she and Narcissa had managed to trick Bellatrix into cutting her hair to her chin! It sent them into peals of laughter, although Hermione's face took on a pinched look. She shared a haunted look with Ron, before clearing her throat and reminiscing her favourite birthday had been a simple family outing to London zoo and she'd gotten to see the baby penguins. Ron's had been his most recent one, mostly because he had gotten to spend the day with Hermione.
Once the plates had cleared away, Remus was more than happy to get up and go to the fridge, stick the candles into the chocolate monstrosity, and physically carry it over to the table. He had won that part of the argument, at least. At the request to make a wish, Sirius rolled his eyes with a grin.
"What else could I possibly wish for, hm? I have everything and everyone I could ever need or want here, in this room."
Nevertheless, he closed his eyes for a few moments, before leaning over and blowing out all the candles. Cheers flooded the air and soon Andromeda was up and cutting the cake, serving out chunky pieces to everyone. True to his word, Remus had made the cake so dense it almost killed them.
When their slices had been eaten, their stomachs bloated with food and drink, they all retired to the lounge. Sirius was nestled on the plush sofa between Andromeda and Remus, with Teddy passed out and snoring gently against his dad's chest. Remus cuddled him loosely, his head tipped to rest against Sirius'. Ron, Hermione, Harry and Draco were nestled tightly on the other sofa, a throw blanket over their laps. The TV was off, and the Christmas fairy lights were fading in and out around the room.
Andromeda passed him each present in turn and, naturally, Sirius loved every one of them.
He was especially ecstatic by the one from Harry; the keys to a small cottage in Cornwall, along with a photo of the place. It was quaint, with raw brickwork, a tiled roof, gravel front garden and a vegetable patch just visible over the low garden wall.
"Harry, this is far too much! Besides, you know money isn't an issue."
"It's not about the money, Sirius. This is for you and Remus to take proper holidays at, take Teddy with you, get away from London once in a while, and not just for work. Besides," he shrugged, "I figured I could help-out with your retirement plan, since you gave me a whole second childhood. Fair trade, right?"
Sirius let out a bark of laughter, as Draco swatted at Harry's thigh. Hermione and Remus both shook their heads good-naturedly, but everyone was smiling as Remus and Sirius bent their heads close to peer at the photograph. You could physically see them melting at the idea of a weekend away without any kids, cousins, house-elves or work to bother them.
Finally, the large one was passed over to him. Upon reading the gift-tag, he tutted and nudged his shoulder against Remus, adoration written all over his face. He ripped open the paper with gusto and froze the moment he saw what was within.
"Holy shit …"
Andromeda shot Remus a worried look over at Remus. Draco and Harry craned their necks, trying to see what it was. From their spot on the sofa opposite, they could see a gilt bronze frame. Was it a new mirror? A portrait? What was wrong with it to make Sirius react in such a way?
"I -um -I don't -"
"Sirius, I'm sorry, I should have known -"
"Where did you find this?"
Remus bit his lip, "Narcissa helped me to find it …"
Sirius' knuckles turned white. "How -how do I …?" he gestured at the portrait.
Casting a look over his head at Andromeda, she nodded and raised her wand. Too curious not to see, the four young adults silently rose from the sofa and crept across the room, sliding up onto the arms of the sofa to get a better view. What they saw, gave them pause.
Draco frowned, "Is that … Is that Regulus?!"
Harry felt cold slip down his spine. "Regulus as in … your brother?"
Hermione furrowed her brow, "Didn't he write the message? R.A.B?"
Ron nudged her in the arm and shook his head. Now was not the time to bring up such dark, final moments.
"Mother must have had it commissioned before he graduated. I never saw it …"
"Why was it hidden away?"
"I assume mother would have preferred not to have a constant reminder that her favourite child had been killed inadvertently by the man she vowed to support." A hard edge entered Sirius' tone. His hands had started to shake.
Harry reached over and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. Sirius didn't react.
Without tearing his eyes from the portrait, he murmured, "Can you …?"
"Of course," Andromeda breathed, raising her wand. She wove her wand in the air and muttered a long complicated spell, illuminating a circle of golden runes that sank down and rippled across the surface of the oil painting of the austere young man.
A gentle pulse of magic trembled through the air.
Within a moment, the portrait seemed to blink lazily as though waking up from a long nap, which Harry supposed, it was. The chest heaved, the shoulders flexed, and the cutting grey gaze flitted from face-to-face before resting on Sirius.
"Well, hello brother dear, it certainly has been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Reggie …"
The portrait scowled, "Please don't start with that again. I've not had it for -h-how long have I not heard it for?"
There was a slight tremor in his voice, as though the reality of the situation and Sirius' obvious age difference, had started to sink in. Sirius swallowed, his Adams apple bobbing.
"It's -it's been a while," Sirius hedged weakly. "About thirty odd years …"
Regulus looked stricken. "Fuck."
Remus barely suppressed a snort, earning everyone's attention. He flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry! It's just -if you knew Regulus, you'd know how unwarranted it is for him to swear."
Sirius looked up at Remus, his eyes shining in the low lights. "I can't believe you found him. Where did you find him?"
"Narcissa helped me work with Gringotts and find where he was being kept. Turns out, surprise, surprise, it was in Bellatrix's vault. Since she died, Narcissa and Andromeda were easily able to procure the contents of some of her vaults." Remus sighed heavily, "I hope I didn't overstep."
"Bellatrix is dead?" Regulus asked.
"Oh um … yes?"
"Good. She was always horrible to us."
Some of the tension left the room. At least the brothers weren't shouting at one another. No doubt, it was bound to happen in the future, but for the time being, everything was quite civil.
"So, are you going to introduce me to everyone, or am I going to be left high-and-dry?" Regulus quipped.
"Oh, yes, yes of course!" Sirius raked his fingers through his hair before tilting the portrait upright. "Well, you know Remus and Andy, obviously."
"Obviously," Regulus intoned in a fairly good imitation of Snape. "Although, who's this blue-haired boy?"
"That's my son, Teddy," Remus smiled.
"Your son?"
"Yes."
"You have a son? You?"
"Uh … yes?"
"I thought you were dating my brother all through seventh year? Or did I misread all of that?"
Remus blushed a little and cleared his throat, "It's -a bit of a long story. For another time."
Regulus nodded in understanding, before cutting his eyes to Harry and Draco. "And -my word, if that's not Potter's son, I'll eat my frame."
"Y-yeah, I'm James and Lily's son. I'm Harry."
"Merlin, I feel old. What about you, blondie?"
Harry had to bite back a smirk, as Draco huffed. "You can recognise Harry but not me?"
The portrait narrowed his eyes. "Ah, yes, that hair is quite unmistakable. I assume you're Narcissa's boy?"
"Yes, I'm Draco."
"A pleasure."
"What about you two?" he turned his piercing gaze up to Hermione and Ron who were perched on the back of the sofa.
"Oh um -hello! I'm Hermione Granger -"
"And I'm Ron Weasley."
"-We're friends of Harry and Draco's. We all went to school together."
A cold mask fell across his face. The air suddenly crackled with Ron's barely suppressed anger rising to the surface. "A Weasley? In the noble and most ancient house of black?" he intoned.
"Yeah, what of it?"
Regulus tossed his head back and cackled, "Oh, Merlin! Mother must be rolling in her grave! A Weasley in her house? I never could have dreamed of something so marvellous!"
Sirius sniggered, "Oh, there is much to tell you little brother."
"Well, we have a lot of time to catch up now, don't we?" he asked, keeping his voice low, his gaze focused solely on his big brother.
Sirius nodded with a wet smile, "I honestly can't wait."
.
~0~
.
Sequestered in the guest bedroom, dressed in their pyjamas and snacking on some sweets from Honeydukes, Hermione, Ron, Harry and Draco were sprawled across the large four poster bed. They had gone to bed a little after midnight, leaving Sirius, Remus and Andromeda downstairs chatting with Regulus' portrait. Their soft murmurs could be heard if they cracked the door open.
Harry was laying with his head on Draco's stomach, his eyelids already growing heavy as the chatted in low voices. Every so often he felt Draco's fingers stroking through his hair, the motion making it almost impossible to stay awake.
"How do you think things will be now that Regulus' portrait is in the house?" Hermione asked, chewing on a chocolate frog.
Draco hummed as he stroked Harry's hair. "Honestly, Sirius has a lot of unresolved issues. I feel like at least if he is able to talk them through with Regulus, he'll get some closure."
"Isn't that what Remus is for?" Ron asked.
"Even Remus doesn't know everything, I'd wager."
"At least Walburga's portrait has gone," Hermione sighed. "Imagine if those two had gotten into a shouting match? You'd never hear the end of it!"
Harry let his eyelids flutter closed. Their voices sounded far away, and he could barely keep track of what they were talking about. After what felt like seconds, Draco was gently shaking him awake.
"Come on, love, let's get you to bed. We can talk more in the morning."
"Sorry, we shouldn't have kept you awake," Hermione fretted.
"Nah, Harry's useless at putting himself first," Ron said.
"Ronald!"
"What? It's true. Has the last two years not taught you anything?"
With a grunt, Harry was gently hoisted to his feet. Draco looped an arm around the brunette's waist and hugged him close. ""We'll see you guys in the morning," he smiled at Ron and Hermione.
"Goodnight," they chorused in hushed tones.
Draco awkwardly shuffled back to their own room, with Harry hobbling awkwardly at his side. The golden orbs were barely lit as Draco made his way to the bed and dumped Harry unceremoniously onto the plush duvet. "Come on, Harry, let's get you comfortable."
Harry grunted but did his best to wriggle into a better position, allowing the duvet to be pulled out from under his legs.
Draco gently removed his glasses from his nose. He went about the room, making sure the window was latched, there was a low fire in the grate, and their wands were secure in the nightstand before he climbed up into the bed and immediately gravitated toward his boyfriend. Looping an arm around Harry's chest, he spooned him from behind and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"Love you, Scarhead."
"Mmm too good t'me," Harry slurred, burrowing back into Draco's arms. "Love you too."
Draco chuckled softly before settling down in the plush pillows. He wasn't remotely tired, not yet. He could have easily stayed awake for another hour at least, even read a book in bed if he chose to. However, having sugar right before he went to bed was going to give Harry very weird dreams, if not direct nightmares. The least he could do was make sure that he felt safe and comfortable as he drifted off to sleep. Though the golden orbs barely illuminated the room, Draco could still make out Harry's profile as he was lulled into a deep slumber. His heart felt so full as he stared down at the young man in his arms.
He had never expected his life to take such a positive turn. He couldn't help but surmise that none of it would have happened without those around him, right now. Though he loved his mother, and knew she'd done all she could for him in the end, some things were inevitable and hard to forgive entirely. A part of him couldn't help but think of what it would have been like at Hogwarts without a war, without the poisonous segregation of the four houses, and if he hadn't been such an arrogant prat in the first place.
Harry gave a snuffle and turned half onto his back, his hand blindly groping onto Draco's own and holding it close.
His heart have an almost painful squeeze.
'Nah,' he thought was he snuggled close, 'I wouldn't change all this for the world.'
A/N: I hope you like the update! Sorry it was a bit of a filler. One more chapter to go! Thank you to Melissa for proof-reading this for me X