Chapter 14

The train ride back to King's Cross was filled with chatter about the holidays. Hermione was sharing a compartment with Ginny, Neville, and Luna, who sat behind her Quibbler.

"What are your plans, Neville?" Ginny asked. "My Gran and I, We will be visiting my parents. We didn't get to last year with well everything going on." For a boy burdened by so many things in his recent years and his parents in St. Mungo's for life, he had matured so well, Hermione thought.

"What about you, Hermione?" Neville asked.

"Well, I'll be joining the Weasley's this year for the entire break. So, it's really up to them." She responded. Ginny chimed in, "Oh, it'll be loads of fun. Everyone will be there; Bill, Fleur, Charlie, George, Fr-," She hesitated, nearly forgetting that her brother Fred was no longer with them. "Well everyone will be home and that's what matters. Even Harry! He also said in one of his letters he wants to visit Andromeda Tonks and little ankle biter Teddy Lupin. I'd love to see him. Maybe Harry would let us go with him?" Ginny asked Hermione.

"I don't see why not. I'm sure Teddy is adorable. Surely he's got his mothers metamorphmagus genes. I wonder how many times he's coloured his hair." The two girls giggle as they discuss the toddler.

"What are you doing for the holiday, Malfoy?" Goyle asked, as Draco sat in a shared compartment on the train with Goyle, Parkinson, and Zabini.

"I'm meeting my Aunt, Andromeda Tonks, and toddler second cousin, "Teddy" Lupin, for the first time." He answered, staring out the window.

He wasn't sure when or how long he would be visiting his Aunt. This was his mother's doing and up until his father had been re-sent to Azkaban, Draco hadn't been allowed to discuss his Aunt, as she had been disowned for marrying a muggle-born. He was feeling rather nervous about meeting his aunt, let alone a toddler for a second cousin.

"Wow. Your mum has let go of the broomstick hasn't she? To be associating with her blood-traitor sister." Parkinson commented with a chuckle.

Draco's head snapped at attention, giving Parkinson a death glare, "Don't talk about my mum like that." He warned, irritated as ever by her presence. He wouldn't tolerate any negatively about his mum, no matter the truthfulness of the statement.

. . . .

"Draco, darling." His mother, Narcissa, greeted as he got off the train.

"Hello Mother. You are looking well." He stated, giving her a hug. Since his father's demise and re-sending to Azkaban, he knew his mother had been suffering emotionally. Where once the Malfoy name had been honored and regarded with prestige, now she was no longer the socialite that she had once been. Like him, Narcissa knew when her presence was undesired in their aristocratic circle.

He was surprised how small she felt against him in their embrace. He was no longer an 11 year old boy, but an 18 year old young adult. After they released, he gathered his trunk and they apparated back to Malfoy Manner.

. . . .

Malfoy Manor was large enough that where Draco's room was practically his own personal wing. Upon entering it was clear that his room was suite style. The sitting room had posh decoration and a lovely fireplace. To the left was an extravagant room for Aquila when she was home. To the right was his bedroom and adjoined bathroom. A four post king bed with black and silver colored silk sheets and a vast number of throw pillows arranged decoratively. He walked into the closet and unloaded his things from his trunk. Then he began to pack a different truck for the trip to his Aunt's they would be making the following morning.

. . . .

The following morning, Christmas Eve, Draco and Narcissa arrived in what appeared to be a small cottage home. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms; the sitting room had a fireplace they used to arrive via floo network. Pictures of Edward "Ted", Andromeda, Nymphodora, Lupin and Teddy hung about the walls and on the fireplace mantle.

"Draco, it's so nice to finally meet you." Andromeda said, moving to give him a hug. He took a step back away from her. Holding his hand out to her in an offering a gesture of more formal non family handshake greeting. "Aunt Andromeda Tonks, I presume."

"You'll have to forgive him Andromeda. He's been through a lot." Narcissa said, excusing his less than warm manners.

"That's okay. I am still happy you came." She said taking a step back and standing side by side with her sister Narcissa.

The two didn't look like sisters, at least not to him. Draco's' mum had natural blonde hair, while Adromeda had dark brown like the rest of the Black family members, who favored their father's looks. Narcissa was the only child out of the five children that was bestowed blonde hair like her mother.

A toddling one year old came into the room and scrambled into Andromeda's arms. "Say hello to your cousin Draco, this is Teddy." The child looked at him intently and suddenly his hair color changed from dark brown to blonde. He squirmed to get out of his grandmother's arms and approached Draco.

"He's a metamorphmagus. Just like his mother, he started changing his hair color the very hour he was born." Andromeda answered. Andromeda lost her husband, Edward "ted" Tonks in the second Wizarding War, a month before Remus and Nymphadora gave birth to their son. To honor his grandfather and his father, they named the boy, Edward Remus "Teddy" Lupin. In two years Andromeda had lost all of her immediate family with the exception of Narcissa, Draco, and her grandson, Teddy.

The toddler approached Draco and grabbed a hold of his pans, staring up at him intently. "Manners, Draco. He's only a child." His mother reminded him and he swallowed and looked down at the child. "Hello cousin…Teddy." He greeted in hesitation and reached for his trunk.

"Come on, let's get you settled into your rooms. Then we will sit down to eat." Andromeda encouraged as she picked up Teddy then led them to their respective guest bedrooms.