smoke signals
Harry descended the creaky staircase, each step causing the worn-down stairs to emit a soft groan. As he reached the bottom, he was greeted by a warm and inviting living room that exuded both old-world charm and a newfound coziness.
The aged floorboards directed him towards the center of the room, where Remus and Sirius sat on an antique plush sofa.
Harry furrowed his brow and adjusted his glasses, which had started slipping down his nose. He pushed up the oversized, comfortable sleeves of his gray hoodie and walked towards the concerned-looking adults.
"What's happening?" he asked, fiddling with the hoodie's strings.
Remus gestured towards a colorful and amusing plush chair, and the teenager reluctantly took a seat. "Well?"
He wasn't accustomed to seeing such expressions on their faces. While he admittedly found himself in trouble quite often, their usual reactions involved a chuckle from Sirius and an occasional shake of the head and sigh from Remus.
Now, however, they seemed genuinely worried about something. Harry couldn't help but feel increasingly anxious as he remained unaware of the cause.
As the silence dragged on, he became increasingly restless in his seat. He couldn't help but observe the tight grip his caregivers had on each other's hands, along with Remus' leg nervously bouncing and Sirius' pursed lips.
Harry had noticed this skittish behavior for some time now, although they had done an impressive job of concealing it from him.
In their household, they had a firm policy against keeping secrets for the sake of safety, especially with Harry’s habit of running away from his problems till it became too late. While privacy was highly valued, they would normally sit down and discuss things openly when something was bothering them.
It appeared that today was the day when they would finally address another issue.
Feeling the mounting tension, Harry directed his question to Remus, his eyes shifting from one man to the other. "I'm... What's happening, Remus? Sirius?"
Sirius and Remus exchanged a knowing look, a look that Harry recognized all too well, although he struggled to understand its meaning. Finally, Sirius let out a sigh and decided to break the silence. "What do you know about Draco Malfoy?" he asked.
Harry blinked a few times before shrugging, unsure of where to begin. "Well, his mother passed away two and a half years ago, and his father will probably be thrown into prison for possession of illegal firearms, involvement in gangs, and child abuse," he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.
Although, silence in the room lingered, and what he just said suddenly dawned on him. "Er, and he's quite smart. Yeah. Actually, he's probably the smartest guy in our year," he stammered, feeling the need to fill the silence with more information.
Before Harry could continue his nervous rambling, Remus let out a sigh, interrupting him. "Precisely," he replied.
If Harry thought he couldn't be any more surprised, he was proven wrong.
"Okay, hold on a second. Why are we even talking about Malfoy? What's going on?" Harry repeated for what felt like the umpteenth time, trying to make sense of the situation.
"It's Draco," Remus corrected, using the first name of Harry's classmate, which only added to the confusion. "..He's currently in the hospital and has been placed under protective custody. Once his father's case is resolved, he'll be placed in foster care," Remus explained gently, his voice tinged with sadness. Sirius squeezed his hand in support.
A wave of empathy washed over Harry for the other teenager, even though they hadn't interacted much since their first year.
"Malfoy is in the hospital?" The video in the news of the Malfoy Manor being raided by anti-terrorist forces and seeing Lucius Malfoy being taken away in handcuffs didn't come as a shock to Harry. He and Ron had actually expected something like that to happen, even placing bets on when it would occur.
Ron won, it seemed.
However, the news had remained silent about Lucius Malfoy's son, which only added to Harry's conflicting emotions right now.
Remus nodded in silence while Sirius averted his gaze, tightening his grip on his hand.
Harry hadn't expected such an emotional response from his godfather regarding Malfoy. In theory, they were family, but Sirius had never shown much interest in or spoken about the Black family before.
Draco was practically invisible to him, simply because he wasn’t only a Black, but also a Malfoy on top of that. Yet now, Sirius appeared strangely torn and emotional over his distant relative's situation.
"I was asked to temporarily take care of him as his closest relative," Sirius exclaimed suddenly.
"You were asked to do what?" Harry exclaimed, caught off guard by the unexpected revelation. "And you..."
Remus nodded in confirmation. "We agreed to take him in."
Harry blinked in disbelief, unable to find the words to express his astonishment just yet.
Did they really agree to let a complete stranger into their home without even discussing it with him beforehand?
Though Harry sympathized with Malfoy, recognizing the abuse he had endured, he couldn't shake off his unease about the idea of him living with them at Grimmauld Place.
"Why can't he go to Aunt Andy's?" He blurted out the first thought that came to his mind, hoping it would provide a way to avoid having the new housemate.
Remus shot him a disappointed look, one that conveyed his disapproval so strongly that he didn't even need to voice it. Harry quickly regretted his words and held back from saying anything further.
"I... I didn't mean it that way, but..." Harry muttered, furrowing his brow.
He did want to help Malfoy, but not for his own sake. Especially since he and Ron had agreed, upon meeting him, that he was simply a posh git, and Harry didn't believe that had changed.
Sirius released Remus' hand, opting instead to run his tired fingers down his face. In that moment, he appeared much older than his actual age.
"We’re sorry for not informing you earlier, Harry, but it… It was a pretty hasty decision," he said, and Remus nodded in agreement. "When the social worker reached out, I couldn't ignore it, you know?" he sighed, gazing ahead.
"At the moment, it won't be a permanent arrangement; we're considered part of the protective custody," Remus clarified. "Eventually, he'll enter foster care..."
Harry felt a chill run through his veins. He couldn't recall the details, but he knew that being in the system was far from pleasant.
Damn, he couldn't help but feel guilty towards Malfoy once again...
"Andy doesn’t know. Yet." Sirius suddenly exclaimed. "We believe she would have agreed to take him in once she learned what happened... but we know we can provide for him at the moment," he sighed for yet another time, displaying his exhaustion.
Remus hummed in agreement. "We understand it will be difficult, but our feelings for you haven't changed, and we'll always be here for you, yeah?"
Harry hesitated before awkwardly nodding. Despite his initial reluctance and all that had occurred, his savior complex (as Sirius called it repeatedly) tugged at his gut and he couldn’t ignore it.
"Okay, I… I'll need some time to think about it, but I suppose I don't have a say in the matter now, do I?" he chuckled wearily, though his laughter quickly faded as he noticed Sirius and Remus' profound sadness and guilt.
"Someone will come by tomorrow morning to assess if we meet the necessary conditions to take him in," Remus stated. Harry nodded, his movements stiff, indicating his understanding, but it was evident that his thoughts were consumed by something else.
"So… Then he will come live with us?" he asked.
Remus nodded. "At best,"
Harry blinked.
"And... At worst?"
Sirius shrugged. "They might take you away too," he received a nudge in the ribs from his fiancé for that remark.
Harry's expression shifted to a more worried one this time.
He knew his godfather was joking. Their family life was perfectly stable.
However, what concerned him was the fact that some social workers really considered it more acceptable to place a child in an abusive home, where they would be starved, neglected, and daily beaten, simply because it wouldn't be under the care of two men who loved each other.
Remus quickly caught on to Harry's reaction and ceased his glares towards Sirius, gesturing for the teenager to come closer. "Hey, hey, pup, it's alright. No one is going to take you away, yeah?"
Harry, with a slightly stiff nod, rose from the armchair and promptly settled himself beside Remus, cuddling into his side as the man gently placed an arm around him.
"Everything’s going to be alright, you don’t have to worry about anything. We’ve got it," Remus murmured, burying his face in Harry's mop of brown hair as he held him tightly.
Sirius, feeling a bit out of place now, awkwardly looked around and absentmindedly scratched behind his ear in a dog-like manner.
"…Yeah, I was just joking, Prongslet," Sirius hastily clarified, receiving another glare from his fiancé. "Sorry..."
Harry couldn't help but crack a smile as seconds later Remus pulled the man closer with a huff, almost squeezing the breath out of him.
They were content.
—————————
After their heartfelt conversation and plenty of comforting cuddles, they spent time deep cleaning and freshening up the house to make a good impression without being overly artificial. Most of the rooms stood empty anyway.
The next morning, after finishing breakfast, a young blonde woman from the foster care staff knocked on their door. Remus was washing the dishes, Harry was wiping the table, and Sirius paced nervously.
When they heard the knock on the door, Sirius wasted no time in opening it and warmly greeting Mrs. Sterling, the staff worker, who exuded both kindness and professionalism.
She thoroughly inspected their home, took notes, and asked questions about their family life. She even pulled a nervous Harry aside for a more in-depth conversation, but he returned with a soft chuckle and a newfound calmness.
But then, she asked for Sirius alone, and his breath caught in his chest, but he lead her to their small home office anyway.
"I want to ensure that you sirs understand the responsibility that comes with taking care of Draco," Mrs. Sterling said, organizing her papers. Sirius nodded anxiously, still holding his breath.
She handed him a laminated copy detailing Draco's condition when he arrived at the hospital, and what he read sent chills down his spine.
Sirius was aware of the ongoing abuse Draco endured from his father, but desperately hoped that the asshole Malfoy he knew from high school would treat his own son better. Unfortunately, he was mistaken.
Countless broken bones, bloody and dark bruises, welts. He was severely underweight, had some unknown substances in his blood circulation and showed signs of nasty sexual assaults.
Sirius felt the anger rise within him, wanting to tear Lucius Malfoy and anyone else who dared to mistreat his almost kid.
"He regained consciousness a few days ago, but his state drifted between in and out of delirium. He was absolutely terrified," Mrs. Sterling explained, her tone softening slightly. "He will require a lot of patience and a safe, calm approach." Sirius nodded again, biting his lower lip.
"Yes, absolutely," he quickly replied, aware of their newfound duties that will roll with Draco around. He was ready for them.
Mrs. Sterling smiled sadly and gently took the paper from Sirius' clenched hands, of which he wasn't even aware of.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, he watched as the woman combed through her notebook.
"He was nonverbal, and we shouldn't expect it to disappear overnight. It may take him time to adjust to new surroundings, especially since it's challenging for children like him. Although, just because he doesn't respond verbally doesn't mean he doesn't understand. He's been displaying signs that he can in fact hear and understand; he's just choosing to remain silent, which is not uncommon. Patience is key," she repeated, glancing at Sirius meaningfully.
The man knew this all too well. When Harry first came to their house, barely going into 9 years old, he was also nonverbal and extremely wary, flinching at sudden movements and loud noises.
Sirius remembered those difficult early days, and it hurt him more to see his godson suffer than his own pain. But he and Remus had been patient, and they had come a long way. Now, the teenager knew how to manage his panic attacks and soothe himself, often finding comfort in them. They were content.
But...what if Draco's situation was different?
Sirius listened intently, absorbing the information shared by Mrs. Sterling. She had extensive experience working with traumatized children, previously serving as a therapist and currently having two foster children of her own.
Despite already being familiar with many calming techniques for trauma, it was reassuring to hear suggestions and verify that he was on the right track. He received valuable advice on how to care for Draco and ensure that Harry didn't feel left out.
She explained that they would be contacted again once Draco's condition stabilized, and someone would revisit their home for further assessment.
With a gentle sigh, she stood up, securing her notebook under her arm. "Thank you for your time today," she said.
Smiling slightly, Sirius stood up and shook hands with her before leaving the office.
She exchanged farewells with Remus and Harry, and then departed from their house.
.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Sirius sighed deeply.
“I need a drink,” and Remus couldn’t help but agree.
Harry got orange juice.