First Day
“So, how did you know Me and Sirius were married?” Lupin asked as they walked back to the potions room.
Draco hummed, “Oh, you know, gossip.”
Lupin looked back over his shoulder, “Spend a lot of time discussing the relationship status of order members then?”
Draco met his gaze, “Of course, how else would we know who to torture?”
But no matter how hard Draco pushed, Lupin refused to rise to the bait.
The professor just blinked, considering, “I guess you're right. I suppose there's a kind of genius in making sure your inner echelon is full of high society socialites.”
Draco snorted softly, and Lupin smiled in response, “Oh, that's right, Narcissa always hated that term.”
“She finds it diminutive.” Draco confirmed, before they stopped in front of a vaguely familiar door.
Draco let Lupin go in first, making sure he didn't linger by the door and try to trap Draco, before he went in.
Lupin walked over to the nightstand, where various potions were laid out, “I must admit, I did expect you to come back and try to take them.” He said, gesturing to the table, “How you're still standing is beyond me.”
Draco gave him a long look, “I have a high tolerance.”
“That, I don’t doubt.” He picked up a bottle, but Draco took a step back.
“I never said I would take anything. I won't drink anything before checking before myself.”
Lupin pursued his lips, obviously displeased with that, "Draco, these potions will save your life, the sooner you take them, the better."
"How nice, I don't care." He said, "If there's nothing in them you don't want me to see, then there should be no problem. I don't fancy being drugged today." He held a hand out, and Lupin handed him the first potion.
"How do you plan on testing them?" He asked, looking on curiously.
"Smell, how else?" Draco responded, uncorking the first vial and running it quickly under his nose, in case it really was poison.
It wasn't. Instead it was a simple healing potion, curse wound specific, one of Severus' if the amount of ashwinder root said anything. He tipped a bit out onto his wrist, waiting ten seconds to see if it began to burn, as some healing potions did when in contact with his in-human biology. When it didn't, he tipped the vial back and drank, ignoring the foul taste. He held his hand out for the next one, but Lupin only stared at him.
"There's no way you were able to identify what potion that was just from smell." He said, frowning.
Draco looked at him, still holding out his hand, "I've been studying under Severus since before I could properly read."
Lupin raised his eyebrow, but passed him the next bottle. Repeating the movements again, he found this too was a healing potion, but this time werewolf specific, with wolfsbane and chocolate extract.
When he was handed the third one, however, he paused. Smelling it a second time, he tilted his head, looking at Lupin levelly.
Alihotsy root, a mood stabiliser.
"I thought I told you I wasn't interested in being drugged." He said coolly.
Lupin looked unashamed, "We thought you might need it."
"Who is we?" Draco asked, not expecting an answer.
Lupin didn't give him one, "You don't have to take it, but I think it would help you."
Draco sniffed, "Of course you would say that."
Lupin disregarded that, "Are you hungry? You should really sit down."
"No." Draco said, in answer to both questions.
"Too bad." Lupin smiled, "Kreature?"
Kreature popped into the room, bowing shallowly to Draco and glaring at Lupin, "Is Lord Draco needing anything?"
Lupin blinked in confusion, but Draco just shook his head, "Two hot chocolates if you would, Kreature." The house elf apperated out of the room, and Lupin looked at him in question.
"Lord Draco?"
Draco would have grinned if he was in any way willing to let Lupin know he was amused, "Oh, now that is interesting. Dear old Sirius didn't tell you?"
Lupin sighed, but gave in, "Tell me what?"
"This is my house." Draco let his weight fall back onto the wall, the absolute picture of nonchalance, "Sirius must have at least told you he was disinherited."
Lupin nodded, "He said he had been disowned."
"Ah, there's where our discrepancy lies. It's close, but nowhere near the same thing." Draco's leg began to scream, so he finally took a seat on top of the nightstand, "You see, dear old Aunt Walburga always hoped her oldest son would come back, especially after Regulus died. They were furious when the titles went to my mother. It's why the house obeys him, however slightly, because he is still magically recognised as a Black."
"But aren't you your fathers heir?" Lupin asked.
"I can be both."
"Hey Moony! Are you-" Sirius stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Draco sitting on the table, so just to be a nuisance, Draco waved.
"Oh. It's you." he said, looking like he'd smelt something awful. Lupin looked at him fondly, though he let out a small 'Sirius.'
"It is, in fact, me, in case your tiny dog brain needed it confirmed." Draco goaded, satisfied when a vein started to pop in his cousin's forehead.
"Draco was just enlightening me on the intricacy of pureblood inheritance law." Remus cut in before spells started flying.
"Was he now? Anything about this dog house?" A chunk of wood suddenly fell from the ceiling, hitting Sirius in the head, causing him to jump and curse loudly.
Draco snorted, knocking fondly on the wall beside him, and Sirius whirled on him, finger in the air, "That was you! Wasn't it!"
"I wish," Draco said, "But no, the house and I are just smart enough to see eye to eye." Draco looked down at his cousin, obviously making a dig at his height.
Sirius started toward Draco, but Lupin held out an arm, preventing him from getting close, "Did you have anything to tell me Sirius?"
Sirius lit up, grabbing onto Lupin's arm, "Oh yeah!" He turned to look at Draco, who immediately felt fear drip down his spine, "You, are a missing person, so we've gotta alert the authorities."
"No. Absolutely not." Draco said, his whole demeanour hardening, he wrapped a hand around the cane slowly, getting ready to run, and felt the house hum in response, ready to protect him, "I order you as Lord Black to not speak of my presence here to anyone."
"Too late!" Sirius crows, "Dumbledore definitely already knows."
Draco felt cold fear grip his heart, if Dumbledore knew where he was, The Dark Lord wouldn't be far behind, and if word got out he had even spoken to someone tangentially related to the Order, no amount of blood magic could save his family.
"You bastard." Draco growled, looking at Sirius, who seemed to delight in Draco's terror.
Suddenly, Draco couldn't feel the pain anymore, all of it was replaced with the sweet thrill of a fight. He hadn't felt it since last year with Potter, but he was quickly remembering exactly why he spent five years goading the gryffindors, adrenaline and anger coursing through him with equal measure.
Lupin puts his hands up, seeing the look in Draco's eye, "Draco, he-"
But Draco didn't care to listen anymore, he lunged at Sirius, ignoring both his wand and gun. He wanted to do this with his hands.
He knocked the both of them to the ground, grabbing his cousin by the collar and wrapping his hands around Sirius' throat, "You son of a bitch! You crawl at his feet like ants! You don't have a clue! I'm going to kill-"
Draco felt hands pull at his shoulders, but he was running on pure adrenaline, and wouldn't be dislodged. Sirius twisted under him, clawing at Draco's hands, before he heard a loud, "Stupify!" And the world went dark.
—-------
The next time Draco woke up, it was suddenly and without remorse, his chest and leg burning with the movement. He was back in the guest bedroom, with Severus standing at the foot of the bed. He felt himself relax, if Severus was going to kill him, he didn't think he would mind it much.
That was until Severus slapped him upside the head, then he minded very much, "Hey!"
"Foolish! Arrogant! Reckless boy!" Severus shouted, "Running off! Leaving you housemates worried and paranoid, getting attacked by Potter, then running off again and refusing to take pain potions! Are you trying to get yourself killed!" Severus bellowed, beginning to pace.
"Does Dumbledore know I'm here?" Draco cut in, his need to know outweighing his respect for his godfather.
Severus stopped, glaring at Draco, "Yes. He does."
The lights went out, torches extinguishing and plunging the room into Darkness. Distantly, he could hear a shout of surprise, but his whole world narrowed to the feel on his cane in his hand and the need to get away.
"Stop!" Serveus commanded, "Turn the lights back on this instant!"
Draco tried to control his breathing enough to speak, "If Dumbledore knows, so does he." He managed to gasp out.
Severus stayed silent again, thinking before he spoke, "Turn on the lights, Draco."
Draco did, and Severus was left staring at an empty bed. He looked confused for a moment, before spotting Draco standing at the opposite wall, near the door.
"He will not let this leak, I will make sure of it." His godfather said softly.
"I can't believe you." Draco replied, equally as soft. Severus flinched, though it was quickly covered up.
Draco didn't want to hurt his godfather, but it was the truth. The both of them had goals they wanted accomplished, and would stop at nothing to get them there. That was the downside of being a slytherin, you knew intimately how easily promises dissolved.
"Still," Severus continued, "He gains nothing from this getting out. It will remain a secret."
"And if I decide to close the house?" Draco asked.
Severus paled, "Draco . . ."
"What? Severus, I cannot afford to trust that man. I don't care if he takes the rest of them down with him." He couldn't care less about the resistance, or defeating The Dark Lord. He'd happily damn them all to hell to secure himself and his family.
"And what of your family? Your fiancé? Would they be so content? You are exceptionally skilled at cutting off your nose to spite your face. Do not force others to succumb to your petty indulgences." Severus drawled, looking down his nose at Draco.
He supposed he should feel chastised, or shameful, but instead he was only relieved. What a strange world he lived in, where he snuck around his own home and felt glad when he was yelled at.
Draco changed the subject, "I notice you didn't mention the incident with Sirius."
Severus' shoulders loosened, sensing Draco had gotten the message, "I must admit, the details were sparse."
"I attempted to strangle him."
"And sadly didn't succeed." Severus sighed. Draco let himself smile a small bit, ignoring the pull of the scabs.
They stood in silence for a time, both thinking of the best way to speak.
Severus was the first, "That note was foolish."
Yes, it had been. But it was incredibly satisfying, so Draco had deemed the risk worth it.
"If you want a way into Hogwarts, you'll leave me and mine alone for now. Catch me if you can -DMB" Incredibly infuriating and manipulative, truly some of his finer writing.
"But did it work?" Draco asked, both needing to know and dreading to ask.
His godfather sighed heavily, like the answer was a burden, "Yes, it did. Merlin only knows how you convinced him not to call your bluff."
"Because it's not a bluff." Draco moved back to the bed, all of the standing causing his leg to buckle.
"And how, did you ensure that?" Severus raised his eyebrow.
Draco looked down, examining his nails, "The same way a Malfoy ensures anything."
This time, Severus' sigh was monumental, "And I assume that is why you stumbled back here the first time? Blood magic is highly illegal, Draco."
Draco gave his godfather a sardonic smile, and Severus shook his head, "How your arrogance has not killed you is beyond me."
"I've been told I'm exceptionally smart and good looking, maybe that has something to do with it." Draco said, leaning back on the bed.
Thus, life at Grimmauld Place began.