Chapter 3
“Oh fucking hell” Sirius says looking at Little Lord Malfoy in the flesh, he’s heard endless winging about the brat since he re-entered Harry’s life and as much as he’d inherited his fathers flair for dramatics, Sirius doubted anyone who came as a result of Lucius and Narcissa could be a decent human being. He gave the boy a once over but reserved judgement, after all if he was hardly one to question someone's motives because of their birth family, he knew the pressure to perform that was instilled so young in those born into the sacred twenty eight. Just for a second he didn’t see Harry’s childhood nemesis but Regulus standing before him, his little brother trying his best to charm his way into a second chance with panic in his eyes but a smile on his face, Sirius immediately felt a swell of protectiveness for this kid who had been forced to choose a side and probably suffered greatly for it. He thought of Reggie alone in Grimmauld place after he left with no one to guide him away from all the shit he got dragged into and his heart hurt for the history that was repeating itself. He wouldn’t let this young man suffer like he had to, fighting against his own family to convince people he wouldn’t hurt them. So he took the hand offered to him and grinned.
“Blimey you really do look like your mother, let’s hope you don't have her temper too. Y’know she gave me a black eye once?” and just like that the tension leaked out of the room, with Draco looking visibly relieved and offering a far more genuine smile to match Sirius’ own.
“Yes, luckily the Black family madness is a recessive gene.” Draco said teasingly back and Sirius already knew that this kid was going to be his new favourite co-worker.
-
“I’m serious! It’s uncanny Rem!” Sirius explained later, after getting home in such a whirlwind talking about this mini-Reg who he’d met, it’d taken Remus a good few minutes to actually catch up and realise exactly who he was referencing.
“Oh but Harry will kill me, do you think he’s gotten any less stubborn since school? He’s a good kid, surely he’ll want what's best for Malfoy?” Sirius tried to reason with himself and did a terrible job of it.
Remus never knew Regulus particularly well but he supposed he could understand where Sirius could see similarities, if Malfoy really had softened round the edges since Remus taught him as Padfoot claimed . The younger Black was always more quiet than Draco had ever been, but when he did speak it was with the same calculated wit and precision that he knew Draco possessed. They both carried themselves with an air of superiority that clearly masked something insecure deep within them and yes, Remus supposed, they did have a similar background only Draco had never had a big brother to look out for him and try to change his perspectives.
“So what? We’re adopting him too?” Moony asked with an amount of exhaustion only a 3 year old could bring.
“Oh don’t be ridiculous I’m just saying we don’t completely judge a snake by its scales.” Sirius rolled his eyes,
“ Besides, he’s trying to become a healer, surely that means he wants to do some amount of good.” he continued.
“I think we both know that there are plenty of healers that are much more concerned with the power trip than actually helping people.” Remus said dryly as he thought back to every mediwizard who tried to be the hero by saving a young boy from becoming a monster.
“Nah not this one, he could’ve done loads of less difficult things if he just wanted power.” Sirius pointed out, already defensive over the little twerp he met less than 12 hours ago.
“Just don’t let your guilt over Reg make you naive, love” Remus warned sagely, he knew Sirius regretted what happened with Regulus more than (nearly) anything else that happened during the war and had a tendency to project, he would have to keep a close eye to make sure Padfoot didn’t end up developing a saviour complex over this boy.
“And your right, Harry is going to be furious, not to mention suspicious” Remus added, trying to swing the conversation back round to the present rather than lingering in the past.
“Unless…” Sirius had a glint in his eye that never meant anything good.
“Absolutely not, Padfoot. No meddling.” but Remus already knew it was too late, that scheming face ment he was getting dragged into this one way or another. He sighed.
“At least tell me what you're planning.”
-
Draco was completely baffled by the day he’d had. Sirius Black: ex-convict, Black sheep, muggle lover, Sirius Black who’d been raising Harry Potter since the age of thirteen, who had no doubt been reinforcing all of the typical Potter behaviour, was actually decent. He had a dark sense of humour and an easy charm that Draco could never hope to imitate, he was well read and well spoken and had even offered him a lift home on his god awful motorbike at the end of the day. To say he was surprised was an understatement, he’d expected at least some level of hostility, whether because of their differing sides on the war, their school houses or their shared blood, Draco had seen much more reasonable men hate someone for far less. He was sure he was missing something, some manipulation or tactic Sirius was trying to play, but as of this moment he was just glad it wasn’t out-right hatred, his cousin was a very charismatic man and could easily turn a lot of his coworkers against him given enough time, ruining all his hard work. Draco wasn’t sure he could take another blow, if this failed he fully planned on going barmy and retiring to the woods like his ex-uncle Xenophilius.
There was something a little too comforting about the way Sirius had clapped him on the shoulder and wished him a good evening when he’d commented on how atrocious the idea of a flying bike was, something deeper was motivating Sirius and Draco was going to find out. He started with one of the only people who he and his former cousin had in common: his mother.
Narcissia Malfoy was exactly where her son expected to find her, in the sunroom feeding her carnivorous plants little pieces of mincemeat, as she did every Monday evening as the sun set.
Draco knocked quietly to announce himself before stepping into the room so his mother didn't get a fright and lose her fingers in the process.
“Oh there you are darling, how was your first day?” she asked pleasantly as she delicately dropped another piece of meat into the gaping acidic maw of the plant she was currently attending to.
“Well actually I was rather surprised by one of my fellow apprentices.” Draco replied smoothly, knowing beforehand this was the way the conversation would probably happen.
“I believe you know him, Mr Sirius Black?”
His mothers hand stilled but her tone continued to be light and conversational
“Oh, isn’t that a surprise? I never remember my little cousin showing any interest in medicine.”
“I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more about him? It's just he’s nothing like I imagined.” Draco asked slightly apprehensively, he didn’t often talk to his mother about anything from the past; much preferring to focus on the present and future, what could be done rather than what had happened.
“Oh I can’t imagine you were far off with your assumptions: Sirius was always stubborn as a mule and causing a scene, I can’t say any of us were all that surprised when he ran off, always the trouble maker, never the one to clean up the mess.” she said the last part with a hint of bitterness on her tongue so Draco pushed a little,
“Who did clean up those messes then?”
His mother bristled “Oh no one who’s around to hold a grudge, but he was always selfish when it came down to it, best to keep a bit of distance, dear, he’s not one for polite society.”
With that she picked up her skirts and dusted them off before sweeping out of the room, despite the fact she left the mincemeat lying out.
Draco left the conversation more confused than he began, every piece of information regarding the man known as Sirius Black was a complete contradiction. Some thought him brave and kind whilst others saw him as self-centred and fickle. He supposed his mother was probably a bias source given Sirius’ disownment but she seemed to have a personal problem with him as well if she’d gone as far as to encourage Draco to not even try and use their acquaintance to his advantage. After all he was the godfather and guardian of the saviour of the wizarding world, befriending him would surely win him some favours just by association.
Daco thought of this as he settled down to sleep and could only see one possible option: do some digging.