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“My cousin wants us to spend a few weeks at the Provence cottage. Says she wants Draco and Harry to spend some of the holidays together…” Sirius grumbled, staring at the letter “I thought it was enough that you were teaching the boy during the year that we didn’t have to see her in the summer too”
“Don’t be like that, Harry likes Draco enough and Draco is pretty polite, reminds me of Regulus when we were kids” he murmured, holding his hand out for the letter with an expectant gaze.
“Who wouldn’t want to be reminded of my brother as a child…” Sirius rolled his eyes “Who knows if he can still recite the family tree of the Sacred Twenty-Eight by heart!” he handed his partner the letter and shifted his eyes away “She says some other stuff too, things have changed with Lucius' conviction being definitive.”
Remus held back from smirking and turned his eyes to the elegantly written words, he’d have to ask Narcissa which text they used back in the day for her penmanship, Harry could certainly use it.
Dear Cousin,
I’d like you to consider this missive a formal invitation to join me and Draco for two weeks by the seaside in the French region of Provence.
A spacious cottage with multiple rooms and a private beach access awaits us, it’ll be possible for the children (and the adults) to take advantage of a small Quidditch pitch away from Muggle eyes, bathe in the Mediterranean and enjoy the quaint magical village easily reached through a path along the Malfoy vineyard.
The past few months have been very hard on Draco: what with his father’s conviction to life in Azkaban turning definitive and the unacceptable behaviour from his grandfather, it’s my wish for him to enjoy some peace with the people who care for him deeply and whom he cares for just as much.
I feel that I need to add that during that time the Manor will undergo a thorough cleansing and will be subsequently signed off to me until the day that Draco turns of age, as such it’s possible that I’ll have to leave briefly to attend certain bureaucratic duties and I’d feel safer knowing the children are in your care.
Your Cousin,
Narcissa Black
Remus eyed Sirius with a certain severity as he set down the letter “You didn’t think to mention anything else other than the cottage holiday? Really?”
Sirius glared, hopping on the counter and kicking the cabinet behind his heels “She’s just using her son to make you pity them. And it’s working.” he pointed out “She wants to make sure the kid is in with the right people instead of the ones with their families behind bars so she can paint her name clean”. He sounded petulant even to his own ears but he was too stubborn to agree straight up.
“I don’t pity them.” Remus replied, resolutely ignoring the damage to the cabinet “But I also don’t hold the sins of the fathers against the son. Draco has no memories of Lucius and his grandfather is so vicious in his hatred that he’d rather the name die than be brought forward by the child. Narcissa holds her tongue because she knows that stuff doesn’t fly these days and I’ll take that over Draco being raised by Nott senior.” he took a deep breath and levelled a serious gaze at his partner “And I’ll add another thing, whether you like it or not, Narcissa loved Lucius and he’s gone now. She has a son to raise on her own, it’s just the two of them and Abraxas in that huge house. She had to make peace with the fact that Lucius was keeping a horcrux in his study, for goodness’ sake!” he raised his voice slightly and then rubbed his eyes, regaining control of himself “Take the high road for once, Sirius, now that you can. Help her raise that kid so he doesn’t go through what you went through.”
Sirius blinked and looked away. “That was a low blow.” he muttered “Fine. But I’m not going there alone.”
Remus eyed him suspiciously “What do you mean? You can’t invite people to her house at will” he pointed out, watching the mischievous grin spread over Padfoot’s face.
“Of course I can’t invite people to her house, Moony dear… But I can certainly invite her sister, wouldn’t you agree?”
His eyes were reduced to thin slits “No, you can’t and you know that” he wagged his finger as if it were a wand and Sirius rolled his eyes again “Fine. I’m telling her that if she won’t have Ted, Andy and Tonks she won’t have us either.” his voice was firmer now and he straightened his spine, letting the jest fall off his face.
“If Narcissa wants her boy to grow up among decent people, those people include her sister and her Muggleborn husband. It’s easy to, how did you say, hold her tongue when the worst that can happen is crossing paths with Frank or Alice on the way to retrieve her precious child but it’s not really proof of character, isn’t it.”
Remus felt a slight headache prickle behind his eyes and he let out a deep breath “I can’t disagree with you there.”
“The Muggles say it takes a village to raise a child, it’s up to her to find that village for Draco so he doesn’t pay for their mistakes… I’ll just point her in the right direction” Sirius was more subdued now as he sat at the kitchen table to scratch out a reply.
Remus walked around the table and squeezed his shoulder lightly, bending down to press a kiss to the top of his head “Write to Andy first, she might not want to be involved in this.”
Sirius stopped with his quill mid air and frowned slightly before letting out a rough chuckle “Why is it always you who gets the last word? I even had the proverb on my side this time!”
It was on these unlikely premises that all who were left of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black and their families took a Portkey to Nice and a carriage to the summer cottage on the Cote D'azur, Andromeda had been in talks with Regulus for a while already and when invited she had been cautious but well intentioned towards her sister who in turn had hesitated only so much when it was clear that Sirius wouldn’t find anything other than complete renounce of her old beliefs acceptable. She did manage to get Regulus to come with them as long as his business didn’t call him back, at least.
In the carriage Harry and Draco didn’t know what to look at, the sea was glittering on one side and the most incredible greenery spread out as far as the eye could see on the other.
In the carriage itself Tonks would change her nose or hair every time one of the kids turned away, making Harry giggle in a very undignified way while Draco bit his lip to keep his composure under the watchful gaze of his mother and uncle.
When she caught on to this Tonks started getting more ridiculous and outrageous with every swap until she focused hard to turn her nose into a dragon snout and her hair and skin a bright green, which caused the kids to gasp and Narcissa to tut disapprovingly “Nymphadora, don’t scare your cousins, please.”
Tonks rolled her eyes while both kids protested “It wasn’t scary, it was cool!”, laughing like mad when they realised they’d spoken at the same time.
“See? And don’t call me Nymphadora” she pointed out.
“Tonks, don’t roll your eyes at your aunt and be polite.” The smug look on Narcissa’s features was wiped quickly when Andromeda turned to her “And Cissy, please address my child correctly.”
Regulus ran his pulled lightly on his goatee, amused and exasperated together “This will be a long holiday.”
“Won’t it just…” Remus agreed with a sigh before chuckling at just how put out Narcissa looked.
Regulus bent forward enough to be able to see his brother beside Remus “You’re positively evil, brother dear, just thought you should know. Using family ties for your entertainment.” he smirked, no real heat behind his words.
“Oh, but Reg, I learned from the best, may our dear Mother rot in hell.” he grinned, earning himself a sincere glare.
The cottage looked to be straight out of a fairy tale, from the outside it looked like an adorably modest two storey house with a thatched roof but an exquisite use of wizard space meant it held 6 comfortable bedrooms and only two of them shared a bathroom.
The garden was overrun with lavender in full bloom and it opened into a veritable small forest through which one could reach a small but completely private and warded beach.
While most of the adults were still unpacking their belongings Tonks popped her head in the kids room, grinning “Come on you two, it’ll take them ages before they’re ready, want to go to the beach?”
Harry and Draco glanced at each other and jumped off their beds, rummaging wildly in their drawers for a pair of swim trunks, Harry was faster to reach the bathroom and Draco sprawled back on his bed with a pout although he looked up with curiosity when Tonks sat down at the foot of the bed.
“Mother said you’re in Hufflepuff, that’s weird, I thought only uncle Sirius was in anything other than Slytherin” he pointed out with the obliviousness of childhood and Tonks scrunched her nose, turning her hair the signature Black black “I suppose your mother wasn’t thinking of me much when she told you about our family.”
Draco looked away briefly, remembering his mother’s warning about inquiring into family matters of other people “Right. I’m happy to have a cousin younger than Uncle Sirius and Regulus. Is Hufflepuff nice?”
“Very. Where would you like to go?”
Draco frowned and drew himself up, straightening his back “Slytherin! Like my mother, and like Uncle Regulus. Professor Snape was there too and he’s the Head of House now.”
Tonks tilted her head, holding back just barely a grimace at Snape’s mention “What about the other houses? Your Uncle Sirius went to Gryffindor and Remus too”
Draco sniffed with the airs of an older man “I don’t want to go around with a flying bike like an eternal teenager and I don’t want to be a boring professor either.”
Tonks laughed and shoved her shoulder against Draco’s “Don’t let them hear you say that… I’m taking NEWTS to become an Auror, cool, right?”
Draco raised his eyebrows “Are you really? Mother says I can’t do that because I’ll have to manage the estate…” he sighed.
There was a moment of silence between them then the child seemed to hesitate slightly and he leaned in, head close to Tonks’ “Can you change your face to be a boy?” he asked in barely more than a whisper
“‘Course, if I know what I’m going for” she shrugged with a small smile.
“Oh… can you do me? At your age… I mean…” he whispered.
Tonks grinned and then took a deep breath, observing his features carefully and then changing her features. Her hair got a bit shorter, turned the exact shade of platinum and fell around a much sharper face, grey eyes and the lightest almost invisible blond stubble on her cheeks.
Draco gasped and covered his mouth “That is the most awesome thing!” he exclaimed just as Harry walked out of the bathroom.
The look of alarm on Draco’s face was enough for Tonks to shift into her signature bubblegum pink hair but with a cool vampiric complexion and canines before Harry could see.
A few minutes later they were almost at the door when Regulus flicked his wand and locked it from his place in the armchair “Where do you think you’re going? No minors unsupervised at the beach and no one at the beach without a tablespoon of Sunshield potion.”
“Then come with us, Uncle Regulus!” Tonks called as the man walked up to them, a small pout but her eyes glinting with mischief.
“Not in a million years. I have my book, I have an armchair under the porch and a beautiful lavender field sweetening the air, I don’t intend to modify my holiday to suit your impatience.” he said firmly.
The kids sighed but Tonks inelegantly pushed Draco ahead “He’s never seen the sea, Uncle!”
“And you have?” he smirked, willing enough to play along.
“No, but he’s cuter and his mother is still on the tapestry” she grinned while Draco looked up expectantly at his Uncle.
Regulus pinched the bridge of his nose and set down his book on the table by the door “Wait here, I’ll get the potion and see how long my brother needs to unpack those horrid shirts he’s going to torture us with.”
It was undeniable to Draco that the Muggle shirts with big flowers and birds really were horrid but Uncle Sirius would wear them just long enough for Uncle Regulus or Mother to complain, then he’d strip it off and just spend the rest of the day topless.
That was the most fascinating view for the young boy, it scared him and excited him to recognize himself in his Uncle that way. A glimpse in a possible future just like Tonks face morphing into himself with a beard.
When he’d asked about Sirius the night before, his mother had assured him that he wouldn’t need an intervention like that one once he started his potions but she hadn’t gone into further detail, she’d told him it would be impolite just like asking Uncle Regulus about his curse damage.
And yet…
With Harry forced by Remus to sit under the beach umbrella and get his reading done and Tonks snoozing under the sun, Draco casually sat in the sand by Sirius’ head and looked out at the sea, darting glances at the intricate runes tattooed along two thick scars half hidden by dark curly hair.
“Out with it.”
“Why do you have scars and runes? Mother said I won’t have them if I take my potions.”
Sirius peeled an eye open and moved his hand up to shield his face from the sun, a deep breath and he closed his eyes again, now taking Draco’s hand gently and holding it against his chest, leading him along the raised tissue and the slight bumps of the magical tattoos.
“Because I was a little shit. Because I never felt part of my family. Because Regulus was the right son and heir for them. Because I was scared of what it would mean for me… and for my brother.”
Draco pulled his hand away delicately and brought his knees to his chest, a small frown on his features “Aren’t Gryffindors supposed to be brave?” there was a hint of disdain in the way he said it and Sirius barked out a laugh “Aren’t you delightful. The answer to that one I’m leaving for another day. The point is it was difficult for me to feel free to be myself.” he considered thoughtfully, turning on his side and holding his head up with one hand to see the boy better.
Draco hummed quietly “So people didn’t know you were a boy at Hogwarts?”
Sirius shook his head “Not for a bit, I told my best friends after a while… And I told Professor McGonagall too, but they couldn’t do anything official without my parents permission. She did give me a pair of trousers for my uniform, though” he grinned until his smile turned slightly melancholy “When I turned sixteen my Uncle Alphard gave me some money, I was in my fifth year… I couldn’t take it anymore and over the Christmas holidays I found a Muggle clinic that would remove my breasts. I’m not going to specify just how many laws I broke or else your mother will say I’m a bad influence” he smirked and Draco chuckled, he hadn’t noticed he was holding his breath listening to his uncle “Thing is… when my mother found out I was staying with Uncle Alphard to recover she lost her mind. She swore she’d find someone who would undo what the Muggles had done. I told her she wouldn’t get the chance because I wasn’t going home again and that’s when she blasted me off the tapestry.”
Draco was digging his short fingernails in his palms as he frowned “That’s not fair! I hate her”
“I hate her too. Harry’s grandparents took me in, I was free to be myself… but I was so scared that someone would do what she threatened that I learned an ancient runic charm to make that impossible. I tattooed it over the span of a month.”
“Aren’t you upset about having scars?” Draco asked, following the invitation to touch again until Sirius splayed his hand over Draco’s, against his heart.
“They are not the only ones I have, but they’re my favourite by a mile. It’s my body and it always was, it tells my story.” Sirius shrugged.
Draco stared at their hands and let himself feel the heartbeat, slow and steady “I want to take the potions, I want to be the Malfoy heir.” he murmured, keeping his eyes fixed on the contrast of their skin.
“Good on you.” Sirius said quietly but didn’t force him to say anything else and Draco found himself blinking away the tears “Grandfather Abraxas says it’s not done. He’s worse than your mother.”
“I agree. Good thing your mother would move mountains if it meant making you happy, mh?”
Draco took a deep breath and steadied himself finally looking up at Sirius again “Maybe it’s her name I should continue then. Do you think Uncle Regulus would want me as the Black heir?”
The child was startled to see Sirius laugh and for a moment he was unsure of what it meant, but all of a sudden the man was pulling him against himself and tousling his hair like he’d done with Harry so many times “Regulus would be ecstatic. Why don’t we go tell him?” he grinned, casting a slight Sonorus on his throat “Brother dear, your favourite subject! We have family law to discuss!”
At night Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius and pressed a kiss against the top of his head “I don’t like saying I told you so but…”
“You love saying I told you so” Sirius mumbled against his chest.
“This vacation was a good idea. Narcissa and Draco found a new village.” Remus chided with a smile in his voice “And I know you’re happy for him… and for Regulus.”
Sirius held onto Remus a little tighter “He’s a lucky kid.”
“Draco? Or Regulus?”
“Yes.”