Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

July 1998

Kingsley stepped out of the floo in the old Headquarters of the Order, wondering how this conversation was going to go and what on Earth he’d do if it went badly. He hated the feeling of being backed into a corner, but here he was.

“Kings! Were we expecting you?”

“No, love. This is…unexpected,” he admitted softly, his eyes looking around the room for signs of anyone else.

Hermione frowned at him, “And not in a good way?” she guessed.

Kingsley sighed, running his hand over his face. “No, I…I truly hate people sometimes, do you know that?”

“Yes.” she nodded without missing a beat, making him grin. 

“Fair enough, is Sirius here, love?”

She grimaced. “Define here.” she hedged. 

“As in here…in the building.” he frowned, wondering why on earth she was asking. It wasn’t a difficult question, surely?

“Sober?” she asked.

“Ah.” his face cleared as understanding washed over it. “Preferably,”

“Then no, Sirius is not here. Remus came for dinner and they, along with Harry are…well we’ll go with reminiscing, but really I think they're trying to see how much they can convince Harry to believe again.”

Kingsley snorted. “Is he trying to convince him James once transfigured his arms into wings and managed to fly?"

“Hours ago,” Hermione confirmed. “I sent them into the living room and out my road when they began trying to convince him that James persuaded real hummingbirds to sing for Lily one valentines day with nothing more than his natural charm."

Kingsley laughed, “You'd think he’d have learned by now not to believe a bloody word they say.”

Hermione grinned back, “Apparently not.”

Kingsley shook his head, amusement clear on his face as he weighed up the options. “Have you sobering potions to hand, love?”

“Yes. How serious is this Kings?”

“Pretty serious.” Kingsley admitted, “Maybe give him two?”

Nodding as she visibly reined in her curiosity, Hermione disappeared into the kitchen in search of the potions, calling behind her, “You might as well go in, you know.”

Following her advice, Kingsley let himself into the sitting room seeing Remus and Sirius laughing so hard they were almost in tears as Harry sat watching them with drunken confusion.

“Kings!” Sirius shouted, “Come have a drink! Just don't join in with the game where we take a shot every time Prongslet says really and sounds surprised….I think he might be trying to kill us.”

Kingsley snorted, “Sorry, Sirius but unfortunately I’m still on the job.”

“At this time?” Sirius squinted at the clock before deciding that it was wobbling to taunt him. Perhaps courtesy of Hermione. She hated it when they were too drunk to function and Merlin knew the witch had a vicious streak. 

“At this time,” he confirmed, before taking the potions from Hermione and holding them towards Sirius. “Ah, thanks love. I need you to take these.”

Sirius frowned, reaching for them cautiously. “Alright.” He shuddered as the potion hit, sending Hermione a grateful smile when she handed over a pain potion. “Thanks, kitten. Alright, Kings, what's going on that's so dire that I need to be this sober for it?

“I need to know if you're willing to take in a Ward of the House.”

Sirius froze. “Who?”

“I…fuck. Did you know Astoria Greengrass died two days ago?”

“Who the fuck is Astoria Greengrass?” Sirius asked bewildered.

“She was two years below Harry and me.” Hermione cut in softly. “What happened?”

“Blood curse that was worsened due to pregnancy.”

Hermione blinked, “Pregnancy? Was she even of age?”

“Yes. Just, but yes.”

“Poor Daphne,” Hermione murmured. 

Kingsley's eyes hardened, “You’ll forgive me if I’m not feeling all that sorry for the witch currently.”

Hermione looked back at him in shock. “Pardon?”

He sighed, “She appeared in the Aurory today and….dropped off a baby. Apparently, neither she nor her parents can bear to look at him because he stole Astoria's life.”

Hermione sucked in a breath. “Who's the child's father?” Sirius asked. 

“Lineage tests indicates Draco Malfoy. He is…untraceable. We’ve international owls going out but no one actually knows where he is. Obviously, Narcissa and Lucius are in Azkaban for the foreseeable, which leaves you or Andromeda and as she’s enjoying being a grandmother….”

“It leaves me.” Sirius sighed. “Fucking wonderful. What exactly is it you'd like me to do?”

“Care for him. He has no other family. We’ll keep trying to contact Mr Malfoy but…I need you to be prepared for us not to be able to. You know what’s waiting on him here, I can't say I blame him for running. He doesn't know about the boy though, Daphne confirmed it.”

Slowly Sirius nodded, “Bring him here then, although Merlin knows I know nothing about babies.”

“Thank you.” Kingsley let out a sigh of relief. 

“Does this happen often?” Hermione asked softly. 

“No. But…there are war orphans. For the most part, we've managed to find them all  some  family willing to take them and we’re monitoring their progress closely given different beliefs. So far, it's going reasonably well, only two children have had to move families.“

"For the most part?” Hermione checked. 

“We have….one, we cannot place. No one wants her, she's no family. Her father is in Azkaban, and her mother is dead. Records indicate a brother but…he returns all correspondence. I even tried sending something unofficially but nothing's getting through.”

“What will happen to her?”

“I don't know,” Kingsley admitted. “She's been staying in a room at the Ministry being watched by elves but it can't continue.”

Sirius knew what was going to come out of her mouth the moment Kingsley finished speaking. “Bring her here. That's…that's fucking awful Kings! How old is she?”

“Three months. Hermione….I seriously doubt Sirius can handle two babies, love."

“I didn't say anything about Sirius handling her,” she replied stubbornly. 

“Love, you're going back to Hogwarts. You can't take a baby,” he replied gently. 

“Minerva offered me the option to do distance learning,” Hermione replied, exhaling slowly. “I…I can't. She's three months old and no one wants her Kings!”

“What do you know about babies' love?

“More than Sirius.” she retorted, making him laugh

“Point to you,” he replied with a smirk.

“Kings…I can't do nothing. You've exhausted all your options, what else are you going to do?”

“I don't know.” he admitted.”

“Well then. Bring her here. We’ll figure something out. Whos her brother? Maybe one of us can try and reach him.”

“Theodore Nott.”

“Ah.” 

“Exactly.”

“Does she have a name?”

“No. We…we found her with an elf who admitted that they had been told to bring her to the Ministry and leave her after her mother died. Apparently, a female Spare was useless to Thoros. The elf called her baby. Apparently, it's kept checking up on her, feeding her and so on. It didn't want to hand her over to someone until it was sure she would be safe. Personally, I think it was hoping Thoros died, he forbade it to speak to Theo about the child but that order would have dissolved with his death.”

“Sweet Merlin,” Hermione muttered. “Right, Bring them both here. We’ll….transfigure some things to get us through tonight and make a plan in the morning.”

“Kitten are you sure?” Sirius voiced softly. “I…I’d figure something out.”

“What?” she asked bluntly. “Let's not pretend that both of us aren't going to need all the bloody help we can get Pads. There's no way you'd manage two.”

He winced before silently acknowledging that the tiny witch was correct. “Fine,” Kingsley agreed softly, “I don't like it but fine. We’ve exhausted all other options. Even Molly wouldn't take her. Said everything was too hectic with both Percy and Fred in St Mungos. I’ll…I’ll go and get them.”

“I hope you know what we’re doing, Kitten.” Sirius sighed into the silence. 

“Is this where I confess that the first baby I ever held was Teddy?” Hermione winced. 

“Fuck. We’re….Kitten, we’re fucked.”

“I know.” she whined, “But…we have to be a better option than being alone in a room with only an elf popping in every now and then, right?”

“Merlin I hope so,” he muttered. 

The screaming of a child indicated Kingsley's arrival, with wide eyes, he practically threw the baby at Hermione. “I have no idea how to make her stop! She's been screaming since I picked her up.”

“Great,” Hermione replied weakly, bouncing the child gently in the same way she’d seen Tonks do with Teddy. Slowly, her screams turned to whimpers before giant blue eyes stared up at Hermione curiously, a frown on her tiny face. 

“Thank Merlin.” Kingsley breathed, handing over the other child. “This one appears to prefer sleep to piercing my eardrums.”

Sirius looked down at the tiny boy in his arms, “Fuck. He's…fuck Kings he's brand new. I have no idea what I’m doing with this!”

Kingsley grimaced, holding out a bag he’d unearthed from his pocket. “There's enough milk for both of them to last you a few days. Nappies too apparently and a change of clothes. I ah…I’ll just leave you to it. Let me know what you name them!” At that, he practically bolted for the floo.

“Pads,” Remus called into the silence. Hermione and Sirius whirled round to face him. He squinted up at them in confusion “Pads…where did you steal a baby from?”

Sirius laughed, sounding slightly hysterical. “I didn't steal him Moons, the stork delivered him.”

Remus blinked. “Hermione….you have one too.”

“Yes.” Hermione agreed looking like she had no idea how she’d ended up there.

“I…I think there might have been more than alcohol in that bottle.” Remus muttered finally. 

Chapter Text

“Mione! Mione, come on! You promised we could do school shopping today!”

Hermione startled at the sound of Ginny's voice. The baby had finally given in to sleep at about three and she was exhausted. Wincing as the door burst open, slamming off the wall, Hermione groaned aloud at the sound of her new charge crying. Again. Ginny froze. 

“Mione…is that a baby? ”

“Ah, yes. Yes, it is.” 

“Who’s baby, Mione?” Ginny asked with exaggerated patience, as if she were a particularly reluctant child.

“Ah…mine. Currently anyway.”

“Explain!” Ginny demanded. 

“In a minute,” Hermione sighed, reaching for the makeshift crib next to her bed. “Hush now, it's just Aunty Ginny being loud.” The tiny girl kept screaming, letting them all know what she thought of that. “Alright, let's get you clean.” Hermione singsonged, ignoring the slightly desperate tone in her voice. “And then we can sort breakfast, can't we….you like breakfast don't you?”

Silently casting the cleansing charms that Tonks had taught her before fixing a new nappy, Hermione carefully picked up the still screaming girl, heading for the stairs, trusting Ginny would follow her. “Hold her while I sort a bottle, would you?” she asked, not waiting on an answer as she thrust the child into Ginny's hands.

Five minutes later, they both exhaled with relief at the silence that descended as the baby ate her breakfast. “Really, really needing an explanation around about now,” Ginny begged, staring at Hermione pointedly.

“She's…Theo Nott's sister.” Hermione sighed.

“Of course she is.” Ginny nodded, “And that absolutely explains why you have her.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, “No one wanted her.” she said softly, looking down at the tiny girl who was beginning to look drowsy. “Death Eater’s baby…no one wanted the taint. Theo is currently unreachable.”

Ginny closed her eyes as understanding washed over her. “So you took her.” she sighed, “I guess school shopping's off the table.”

Hermione winced. “I owled Professor McGonagall last night and asked to take my NEWTs remotely. I’ve…not quite been brave enough to owl Severus.”

Ginny snorted, “Good luck with that. You've only just persuaded him to like you, he's going to be furious.”

“I know,” Hermione groaned. “Especially as I’m going to have to tell him there's no way I can do a Mastery now. It took me fucking ages to persuade him to teach me too.”

“Rather you than me, mate.” Ginny grimaced, picturing the still formidable Potions Master in a temper.

“Thanks for the support,” Hermione replied wryly, shifting the now sleeping baby onto her shoulder. “I can still help you school shop…if you fancy helping me baby shop? She has nothing.”

Ginny's eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yup.”

“Let's go!”

Hermione laughed, “Shower and coffee first. Lots of coffee,” she begged. “And I should probably check in with Sirius.”

“Why?” Ginny frowned. 

“Oh…he took in Malfoy’s baby as a Ward last night. Astoria died and the Greengrasses didn’t want to keep him.”

“Fuck.” Ginny hissed. 

“Yes. It's…all levels of fucked up, to be honest. But he doesn't have anything either.”

“Two of everything then.” Ginny grinned, “What are they called?”

“The babies?” Hermione frowned, “Neither of them have names.”

“Well we can't have that, can we?" Ginny replied briskly, "What are you thinking?”

Hermione shrugged, “I honestly don't know. I quite like Cecelia, Helena, Florence, Penelope, Evelyn, Eleanor, Beatrice…”

“You're narrowing it down well.” Ginny teased, cutting her off. 

“I didn't expect to be naming a whole new human today, Gin!” Hermione whined.

Ginny snorted, “I don't think any of us expected that,” she muttered. “I like Florence. Eleanor. I don't hate Beatrice. “ Ginny tilted her head, sounding them out. “They're not right though, are they?”

Hermione looked back down at the sleeping baby in her arms, running a finger down her downy cheek. “No,” she murmured, studying the child. “Calista,” she said finally.

Ginny blinked, “Calista Nott…..Cally….I…I think I like it.”

Hermione smiled slightly, “Me too.”

“Let's go with that then.”

“Let's go with what?” A voice startled them from the door.

“Morning, Pads. Hard night?” Hermione looked him over, taking in his rumpled, exhausted appearance. 

Sirius winced, “I don't think he slept more than an hour at a time.”

“Bring him through next time,” Hermione sighed, “We’re going to have to share this. Even if all either of us gets is a solid few hours.”

He hummed, “What are you up to today?”

“Hermione, Calista and I are going shopping.”

“Who the fuck is Calista?” he asked bewildered.

“The baby,” Ginny replied like it was obvious.

Sirius blinked, twisting his head to look at the tiny boy sleeping on his shoulder. “Right..I..right. I need to name this one, don't I?”

Ginny snorted, taking the baby from him. “Oh…oh, he's rather perfect isn't he?”

“Just a little.” Hermione agreed, peering over at the still sleeping baby, “Although if Malfoy comes back, I’m going to deny I ever said it.”

Ginny laughed, “What are you calling him?”

“I ah….have no idea," Sirius admitted, looking uncomfortable. "Something constellationy….”

“Constellationy?” Hermione laughed.

“It's a word, Kitten!”

“It is not!”

“Focus! Baby needs a name.” Ginny commanded, rocking the tiny boy who had begun to fuss.

“I didn't hallucinate the babies.” Remus voiced from the door, sounding bewildered. “Pads…Hermione…why the fuck are there babies?”

“Oh ah…we’re…borrowing them?” Sirius tried. 

“Borrowing them,” Remus repeated.

“Actually we're naming them…him…we named the other one minutes ago, so unless you're helping be quiet,” Ginny cut in. 

Hermione snorted when Remus sat down abruptly. “Leo? Malfoy’d hate that,” she suggested.

“Orion.” Ginny tried. 

“Altair.” Remus tried looking unsure as to what he was doing.

“Archer.”

“Perseus”

“Pollox”

“Castor”

“Rigel.”

“Alphard”

“Arcturus.”

Sirius frowned, taking the baby back from Ginny so he could look at him as if he'd be able to determine his name just based on his appearance. “I…fuck this is hard! I…Rigel. We’ve not had one of those for years and he deserves his own name. Rigel…Rigel Alphard Black….Malfoy…whatever.”

“We’re meant to give them middle names too?” Hermione asked, sounding horrified. 

Sirius snorted, “Calista….Calista…”

“Calista Harriet Nott.” Hermione finished with a wicked grin.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. “Kitten…if Theodore Nott ever comes back to claim his sister, he is going to Avada you for naming her after Harry.”

“I know.” Hermione grinned, “I’m still going to do it.”

“Is someone going to explain now?” Remus whined. “This isn't…some sort of weird hallucination?”

“No.” Hermione agreed. 

“Pads...I know you were lonely…but stealing a baby?”

“I didn't steal him!" Sirius protested. "Kings delivered him.”

“Make sense!” Remus pleaded.

“And that is my cue to leave. Gin, will you watch her while I shower.” Ginny grinned, making grabby hands for the baby. 

“Any time. She's rather sweet now she's not screaming at me. Look at those lashes Mione, I’d kill for them”

“Me too, Hermione agreed, running a hand over the baby's head with an indecipherable look on her face. 

“She's going to be fucking devastated if Nott claims that child, isn't she?” Sirius sighed, the moment she was gone, slumping onto a seat as he attempted to persuade the newly christened Rigel to eat.

“Yes.” Ginny agreed, “How long do you give him?”

“I don't know.” Sirius murmured, “I need to talk to Kings…maybe…maybe we need something in place. He can't just walk back in after years and claim her. It wouldn't be right. What do you know about him?”

“Nothing really, “ Ginny shrugged, “Quiet, kept himself to himself. He was…clever, probably on par with Mione but I had to think really hard to place him.”

Sirius hummed, “I’ll contact Kings today then, he asked to know when we’d named them.”

“Rather you than me. What are you going to do with Rigel?”

“Keep him?” Sirius shrugged, “He's family, we’ll sort something. You heard Hermione, she’ll help.”

Ginny looked over at the man shrewdly, “And when she moves out?”

“What do you mean when she moves out?” he asked as if the idea had never occurred to him. 

“Gods you're thick.” she turned to Remus, “Is he always this thick?”

Remus blinked, “I feel like I shouldn't answer that just now,” he hedged, “Given that I’m still really, really fucking confused.”

Ginny snorted, “Hermione is almost twenty. Beautiful, although bloody clueless when it comes to boys, I swear one of them could be waving his willy in her face and she’d still have no idea he was interested.” Remus choked at the imagery. Ignoring him, Ginny continued, “She's going to juggle NEWTS and two babies while getting record-breaking scores because she's Hermione and Merlin knows she's used to babying my brother and Harry, and then she's going to juggle two babies and whatever career she finally accepts. She is going to, eventually, probably when I explain it in very small words, realise that some random boy is interested in her and she's going to date. And eventually, she's going to move out.”

“She can't!” Sirius gasped. 

“Because of the baby or because of you?” Ginny asked bluntly. Sirius whined, sounding more like Padfoot than himself. “You then,” Ginny concluded. “For the love of Merlin, do something about it then!”

“She has no idea I exist! Well….she knows I exist but…”

“And it's killing you,” Ginny grinned. “Have you ever not had a woman throw themselves at you?”

“No,” he muttered petulantly. 

Ginny snorted, “Ah well, its…character building. But Sirius?” his head jerked round to face the redhead his godson was so enamoured with, “She is not a fling. She is not a pleasant interlude. You do not fuck with her.” she warned.

“I know.” he sighed, his face unusually serious. “It fucking terrifies me.”

“As it should.” Ginny agreed with a satisfied nod. “Now. If you want her to stay you’re going to have to work for it. Show her you can be a family….you've quite literally been handed a ready-made one.”

“I…I have no idea how to do that,” he admitted. 

“For fucks sake.” Ginny muttered, “You're lucky I like you, Padfoot” she sighed. “Alright, no more one-night stands. Spend some time with her. Arrange a babysitter every now and then….take her out. She’ll be…well she’ll be clueless. Aunty Ginny will help.” she looked down at Calista who had just opened her eyes, and began cooing at her, “Yes she will. Your Mummy is rubbish with boys, but she's got Aunty Ginny, yes she does.” the tiny girl cooed back at her and grinned. 

Sirius laughed, “If nothing else, at least she seems to be on my side.”

“Of course, she is,” Ginny agreed, “That's because you know your Aunty Ginny is right, isn't it, gorgeous girl?”

Remus shook his head as if clearing water from his ears. “Will someone bloody explain what's going on?” he whined.

Chapter Text

“I expected you much before now, Miss Granger.” Severus drawled hearing her walk into the room. He didn't turn from his cauldron, trusting that she could wait. It could only be her, no one else had unrestricted access. He still wasn't sure what had possessed him to give it to her. He blamed the pain potions.

Hermione fidgeted slightly, jostling Calista who immediately made her displeasure known. At the noise, Severus whirled round to face her. “What in the name of Merlin is that?” he barked.

“A baby, “ Hermione replied drily. 

“I can see that, why do you have it?”

“Her.” she corrected, “Calista.”

Severus blinked, “Miss Granger….Hermione…is she yours?” he looked horrified at the very idea. 

“For just now.” She sighed. 

“For just now,” he repeated, a frown creasing his face. “Explain!”

“I ah…had you heard Astoria Greengrass died?”

Severus froze. “I had not.” he replied softly, remembering the girl who had been more Hufflepuff than Slytherin and feeling a stab of sadness at the news, “Had she been unwell?”

“Not exactly. She was apparently afflicted with a blood curse. Pregnancy exacerbated it.”

“That baby is hers?” Severus asked bewildered, not understanding how Astoria Greengrasses baby had ended up in the care of Hermione Granger. Had they even spoken to each other once at school? He wasn't often surprised, but currently, he was feeling the need to sit down with something alcoholic in the hope that once he had this made sense.

“No. Rigel is at home with Sirius." Hermione replied, confusing him further. Who the fuck was Rigel? And if the creature she was holding wasn't Rigel, who the fuck was it? He attempted to focus on what she was saying as she continued, "The Ministry is trying to get in touch with Draco. He's the father. Daphne told Kings he didn't know about the pregnancy.” Severus stared back at her, his expression incredulous. “This little lady is a Nott. Theo's sister. The Ministry can't get a hold of him either.” Her voice turned pleading, “Severus, she was in a room alone with House-elves, what was I meant to do?”

Severus let out a long slow breath, trying to marshall his thoughts as he looked over at the girl who had against all odds become a friend. “Bloody bleeding heart,” he muttered with no real heat, gleefully imagining Thoros Nott's face should he ever find out his daughter was being raised by Hermione Granger. It would be worth the visit to Azkaban. “How long do you have her for?”

“Until Theo can be reached. No one wanted her! I was her last resort!”

He made an indecipherable noise at the back of his throat before he sighed. “We can assign an elf.”

“What?” she frowned. 

“For the duration of your apprenticeship. I will arrange for Minerva to assign an elf.”

“I…You're still going to teach me?” she asked, looking at him with glassy eyes. 

He grimaced, he bloody hated how emotional the girl was, she had an annoying habit of accosting his person and he didn't like it. “Yes.” he sighed, “It's….you’re doing a good thing, Hermione.”

He supposed he had the baby to thank for her not throwing herself at him. And for that reason alone, he decided that the child wasn't the worst thing that had happened to her. 

“Come along, let's go and speak to Minerva. I assume you’ve sorted your NEWTS?”

She nodded, “I can do them remotely. Sirius and I will have to juggle the babies.”

“The Mutts being trusted with a baby?”

“Be nice!” she warned, “I thought he’d apologised and you were attempting to…well, I thought you were just not mentioning each other, to be honest.”

Severus rolled his eyes, “You brought him up!”

“What else was I meant to say? You’d have had concerns if I had no one to watch her while I studied!”

He inclined his head, acknowledging the truth of her answer. “Fine. So the Mutt’s going to be responsible for two small children?”

“Yes. Sirius will have both children. Probably not all the time. Molly has said she’ll help once things have settled down with Percy and Fred. Percys getting out next week. Minerva also offered, apparently she loves babies. Ginny is already calling herself Aunty Ginny, and Remus and Tonks have offered too. Although they have Teddy so... Fancy a shot?”

He snorted, eyeing the baby suspiciously, “No.” he replied, “Although she's a quiet little thing.”

“Not always,” Hermione laughed, “she's got a temper on her, haven't you, you demanding little monster?”

The baby grinned back at her and Severus winced at the look on her face. The chit had fallen in love with the creature. “What happens if Mr Nott is reached?” he asked hesitantly. 

“It’ll be up to him,” she admitted. “Sirius spoke to Kings, we have until they're each a year old, after that if we want to make the arrangement permanent, he’ll support it. All he asked is that we’re open to them having a relationship with their biological family, as long as they're not detrimental to them."

“How do you feel about that? You could have Narcissa and Draco in your life permanently.”

“Sirius’ life really. I said I’d help with Rigel but he's the one really responsible for him.” Severus barely contained his snort. If the chit wasn't married to the Mutt by the child's second birthday, he'd eat his wand. “And anyway," she continued, oblivious to his thoughts, "Draco seems not to want to be found. Kings has sent letters, a couple of Patronuses, and taken out adverts in the papers, here and abroad. He has the Ministries on alert but so far there's nothing. We checked the tapestry at Grimmauld though and he's definitely alive, Sirius thinks he's somewhere unplottable with impenetrable wards. Narcissa is in Azkaban for the next decade, I guess we’ll see what things look like then. Rigel will be of age before Lucius gets out.”

“And the same has been done for Mr Nott?”

“Yes. Although we have no way of knowing if he’s alive.”

“Do you wish me to try to reach them?”

Hermione froze. “I…It would be selfish to say no, wouldn't it?” she murmured, her eyes on the baby in her arms.

“Yes,” he agreed softly, watching her shoulders sag slightly. 

“You can try.” she agreed. “They deserve to know.”

“Very well. I shall let you know. Now, come along, let's go let Minerva play with the baby.”

Grinning, Hermione followed him from the room. “Thanks, Severus,” she said softly. He pretended not to hear her, unable to tolerate her gratitude.

Chapter Text

January 1999

Harry came back from training to find Calista and Rigel giggling at one another on the floor, Sirius watching them with an indulgent grin. They’d only been with them six months, but he couldn't imagine them not being in the house. Unlike the impression Harry had been left with of his father, Rigel was a happy, giggly baby. He charmed everyone who met him, and if he didn't, Cally did. At nine months, she was cruising shakily around the furniture, babbling at whoever was in the room. Her blue eyes were often serious in her little face, taking in everything going on around her but when she giggled, it was infectious, her entire face lighting up.
As he did every day, he sent a silent prayer to whoever might be listening that Malfoy and Nott stayed gone, just a little longer. As unfair to both of them as he knew it was, Malfoy especially, they’d all be devastated if they had to hand over the children now. Sirius and Hermione more than most, especially as there was no guarantee that either man would let them stay in touch.
“Mione studying?” he asked his godfather. 
He nodded, “With Snape.”
“Snape’s here?”
“Yes,” Sirius sighed, “We’re…being civil. For Kitten's sake.”
Harry snorted, “You must really love her. Actually….so must he. In different ways hopefully. Has she figured it out yet?”
“No!” Sirius whined, “I know Red said she was oblivious but come on! She's so fucking clever the rest of the time, why is she so dim with this?”
Harry grimaced, “It's probably my fault, it's not like we had time for normal teenage years and she's sort of responsible for me being alive so….”
Sirius huffed, “At this rate, I’ll actually need to sit her down and tell her!” he muttered.
“We did warn you,” Harry laughed, “Hell, I’m pretty sure Snape even warned you.”
“Yes well….”
Laughing, Harry wandered over to sit with the children. “Hey little star, is Sirius silly!”
Rigel giggled at him as he began to play peekaboo with him, pointedly ignoring Sirius' grumbling, reaching for Cally when she scooted her way over to him on her bum, “Hello there Princess, is your mummy off with mean Uncle Severus?”
The girl babbled back at him as he carried on the one-sided conversation. 
“She adores him actually,” Sirius spoke, still looking confused, “I don't understand it.”
Harry blinked, “He speaks to her?”
“Both of them.” Sirius confirmed, “It's..it's fucking odd, to be honest.”
Harry blinked,  “How have I never seen that?” he mused.
“Because he rarely comes here, Hermione usually goes to him.”
“Ah.”
“Ron calmed down any?”
Harry winced, “No. I did point out he didn't have a leg to stand on. He and Hermione weren't even together, he's with Lavender for God's sake! But he's acting like she betrayed him. Ginny's ready to hex him.”
“I admire her restraint, Hermione won't let me.” Sirius pouted.
Harry snorted, “If I have to listen to him rant one more time about Hermione being a traitor I might just beat you to it.” he muttered darkly, “Even Lavender's sick of him, she loves it when Hermione brings them to visit her.”
“Any word on when she’s going to be allowed out more?”
“They’re hoping shortly, but she's still pretty weak. Hermione said they managed to go to the hairdressers and Madam Malkin's a few days ago. Lavender slept for the rest of the afternoon but I think it's the longest she's been out. I think she's just building it up slowly. Parvati’s been helping and I think Luna visits. She was talking about maybe doing more than just going to the Burrow and sitting on the sofa when she goes for lunch,” he shrugged, “We’ll see I guess.”
Sirius nodded. “She seems nice enough. Kitten said they didn't get on before?”
Harry snorted, “No. No, they did not. Lavender was too…frivolous for Hermione. And Hermione was too serious for her. The war forced them both to mellow I think, they have more in common now than they realised.”
Sirius hummed, his head turning towards the sound of the door opening. Hermione looked exhausted but elated as she walked over to Cally and scooped her up, throwing her in the air. “Hello princess, have you been good for Sirius?” Rigel made a small sound of displeasure at being ignored, his little arms reaching for her. “Sorry little star," she cooed back at him, pulling him onto her hip as she rubbed his nose with hers making him giggle. “You two can't get any bigger you know, or I won't be able to lift you both.”
Severus rolled his eyes, reaching to take Cally from her. “How's my favourite girl?” he smiled down at the baby. “You're going to be so clever I might not actually mind teaching you.” Cally babbled back at him seriously, her tiny hands on his face. 
Harry's jaw had dropped as he took in the scene. “No one would believe me,” he muttered.
“Indeed they would not, Mr Potter.” Severus agreed as he pulled faces at the baby in his arms. Truth be told, he couldn't quite believe it himself sometimes. He blamed Hermione. He was turning soft, but he couldn't deny that he had more than a little soft spot for these two tiny creatures. 
“What are you planning for her birthday, Mione?” Harry asked, trying to ignore the confusing sight of Hogwarts' most feared professor cooing at the baby on his hip.
Hermione laughed, bouncing Rigel as he squealed at her. “Merlin, Harry! They’ve both just been thoroughly spoiled for Christmas, I’m not even thinking about her birthday!”
“Three more months,” he sang.
“I know,” she replied softly. 
“Has anyone heard anything?”
Hermione shook her head, her face pensive. “No nothing.”
“That's good.” he nodded decisively before he began tormenting Hermione by promising Cally her first broom.

Chapter Text

April 1999

Sirius looked around the room, it was filled to the brim with people, proof of how loved Hermione was. Cally was dressed in a tiny frilly purple number, her curls in two tiny bunches with matching bows. Ironically, she could easily pass for Hermione's child.
“Are you having a good birthday, Princess?” Cally grinned up at him
“Da!” she exclaimed, kicking her legs from her place on Hermione's hip. 
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Sirius smiled down at her. 
“Everyone keeps sneaking her cake,” Hermione complained, “she's having a ball but at this rate, I’m sending her home with Severus, he's the worst of the lot. Isn't he, baby? Uncle Severus spoils you!”
Cally's head swivelled searching for her favourite Uncle. As if sensing it he materialised, taking her from Hermione and feeding her more cake. “Are you ready for tomorrow?” he asked, ticking the tiny girl before she demanded his attention.
“Yes.” Hermione smiled softly, determinedly ignoring the cake he was still holding, “I’m…gods it's awful but I’m relieved. After tomorrow it's official, she’ll be mine. I can't imagine giving her up.”
“Just yours?” Severus pushed with a pointed look at Sirius.
Hermione frowned, “What? Who else's would she be?”
“Brightest witch of the age, my arse,” he muttered. “Are you not raising two children?” he prompted. “With someone…”
Hermione's eyes went wide, “Well yes of course but….”
“Kitten,” Sirius sighed, “Let's leave Cally with Severus for ten minutes. Hopefully, she’ll vomit on him as payback for all the cake.” 
Hermione blinked at him, utterly baffled by the turn this conversation had taken before she allowed him to drag her into the library, wondering what the hell was going on. 
“Sirius?” she prompted as he began to pace in front of her. 
“How are you so fucking intelligent and so fucking dim?” he bit out finally.
She reared back from him in shock. “Pardon?” she barked. 
He winced, his voice turning pleading, “Kitten…we’re raising children together.”
“Yes,” she replied slowly. 
“Kitten, have you no idea how I feel about you?”
She frowned. “What?”
“Oh for the love of Merlin.” he groused, yanking her from the sofa and leaning down to kiss her. He’d never admit it but he only began breathing again when she kissed him back. “Does that mean you might feel even remotely the same?” he hedged when they parted, his eyes raking over her slightly shell-shocked face. 
“I…perhaps?” she frowned, “I never let myself think it. You're off limits!”
“What?” he yelped, “Why the fuck am I off limits?”
“Because if we balls this up we have two children!” she shouted back. 
“You…you are fucking mental, Kitten,” he replied looking at her as if he genuinely questioned her sanity. “We have two children, nothing is going to change that. How did you think this was going to go? What would have happened if we’d met someone? Would you have left Rigel behind?”
“What? No!” she screeched, looking at him in horror.
“So whoever you marry would have just moved in here? To live with me and the children? And maybe my wife? Kitten, can you hear how bizarre that sounds?”
“Well I can now,” she muttered petulantly.
He rolled his eyes, forcing himself to remind her she had a choice,  “Are you willing to give this a go, Kitten? I swear if you really don't want to, we’ll figure out how to all live in the same house. I won't like it, but I’ll figure it out. If you think about it, two more pairs of hands would definitely help with those two. And we can palm them off on our spouses when they're teenagers and go to the pub. If they're anything like me as a teenager, we'll be spending quite a bit of time there, so actually....maybe it's not the worst idea ever. Free babysitters.”
She snorted at his absurd ramblings, realising she'd never seen him look so unsure of himself. Taking a moment to think about what he'd said she found herself shaking her head as it hit her that she couldn't quite imagine doing this with anyone else. She couldn't imagine a faceless husband taking over Sirius' role with Cally and she couldn't bear the thought of another woman taking over her role with Rigel. It occurred to her after that that she also couldn't stand the thought of another woman taking her place in Sirius' life. She also now understood all the hints Ginny had been dropping that had apparently gone right over her head. “No? Definitely kitten?” he checked.
“Yes,” she sighed.
“Oh thank Merlin.” he breathed, pulling her back to him so he could kiss her. 
There was a slightly awkward cough from the door several minutes later. “Now I know why Snape sent me.” Harry muttered, “I think I might be scarred for life.”
“Given that we both have clothes on and I’ve definitely seen more of you and Ginny than I wanted to, you’ll have to cope with your embarrassment,” Hermione responded primly, moving off Sirius’ lap, ignoring his whine of protest. “Why did Severus send you?”
“Oh. he thought you'd want to do birthday cake before Cally needed a nap.”
“Ah. Probably a good idea.” she agreed, “Not that that child needs more cake. I’m almost certain she's eaten most of the cupcakes Molly brought thanks to Severus.”
“You're doing this then?” he gestured vaguely between them, looking uncomfortable.
Hermione turned to smile at Sirius. “It would appear so.”
“Thank Merlin for that,” Harry sighed, “Mopey Padfoot is not fun. So will you officially be becoming a Dad tomorrow?”
Sirius froze, “We hadn't quite got there.” he admitted. 
"Too busy, were you?" Harry asked with a smirk that quickly turned into a grimace as he remembered who he was talking about.
Hermione ignored him, making a split-second decision, she studied Sirius instead, “Did you want to?”
Sirius paused, looking back at her. “Yes,” he admitted. “She's as much mine as yours, Kitten. Of course, I bloody want to.”
“Let's do that then,” she agreed, walking out the door in search of her daughter leaving a slightly stunned Sirius to be pulled from the room by Harry. 

“Sorted?” Severus checked, handing over the baby. 
“Yes. Did everyone know I was being an idiot?” Hermione whined.
Severus snorted, “Yes.” 
“Don't sugarcoat it now,” she muttered. “Severus?”
“Hermione?”
“Will you be godfather?” 
He froze staring back at her with wide eyes. “What?”
“Godfather. She’ll need one. I was considering asking Tonks to be her Godmother. I know Sirius had planned on asking Harry and Gin for Rigel, assuming nothing goes awry in the next few months.”
“But…but surely there's someone…”
“Who?” she asked quietly. “Look, it's ok if you don't want to but…”
“Yes.” he rasped, “Yes I….Christ, Hermione.” And for the first time in his life, Severus Snape initiated a hug.
“What the hells going on there?” Harry asked as they entered the room. 
“I assume she asked him to be godfather,” Sirius replied with a shrug before laughing at Harry's pout, “Stop it Prongslet, we were going to ask you to be Rigels assuming it all goes ok. Just don't tell Remus. He'll pout. He can be godfather to our next one.”
“Oh.” Harry blinked, “Well…of course.”
“Good,” Sirius nodded, “Now let's get the birthday Princess her cake.” 
"Hold on!" Harry shouted at Sirius retreating back as his words caught up with him, "What next one?"
 
Kingsley looked at them both over his desk. “Are you both sure?”
“Yes.” they agreed.
Suppressing a smile, Kingsley began the ritual. As Calista Harriet Nott became Calista Harriet Black,  Hermione felt something settle inside her. Not realising how important the day was, Cally remained asleep against her newly minted mother's shoulder. No one mentioned the fact that her father appeared to be crying.

Chapter Text

“Calista Black!” A ten year old Calista grinned sheepishly back at her mother and Theo froze. There was something about the child that spoke to him, but he had no idea why. He was startled when a visibly pregnant Hermione Granger caught up with what he assumed was her child. “Princess, Mama can't keep up with you right now if you run, should I have left you with Daddy?”

Cally shook her head, her curly hair flying, “Sorry Mama, but Uncle Severus wants fwooper feathers and they have some!”

Hermione groaned as she looked down at her eldest. “Alright, you can go and pick him some.” she shook her head fondly as her daughter darted into the apothecary and began hunting for the best feathers. She turned to the side, casting an eye down the Alley before she stilled, her eyes going impossibly wide when she noticed him standing there. “Oh my.” she breathed and he began to panic. 

He had deliberately avoided Diagon Alley since the war, working his way up to small errands as the years passed and people mellowed. He wasn't unaware of the legacy his father had left and he wanted no part in it. So far, he’d been lucky, no one had recognised him and he'd been left in peace. “Theodore Nott,” she called. Against his will, he walked towards her, not expecting the next sentence she spoke, nor the relief in her voice as she said it, “We’ve been looking for you for years. I was honestly beginning to wonder if you were dead!”

“Why?” he croaked. 

“I…Gods. Do you have time to speak now?” she checked, her eyes darting back towards her daughter.

“Alright, “ he agreed. 

“Come back with us?" she hedged before smiling ruefully, "Cafe chairs are uncomfortable these days. ” 

“Where?” he frowned, was this a trap? It seemed unlikely, she had at least one kid and really, how deadly could a heavily pregnant witch be?

“I’ll need to apparate you, wait here?”

He nodded, thoroughly confused as to what he’d just stepped into. He turned to watch Hermione with her daughter as they picked out several fwooper feathers, the girl talking animately in a way that was reminiscent of a smaller Granger as they left the shop, her hands gesturing wildly and her dark curls bouncing.

She turned to look at him, a frown on her face, when Hermione stopped in front of him, “Mama, who’s he?” she blurted before he could be introduced.

“Calista!” Hermione scolded, “Manners! This is Mr Nott. He’s going to come back with us to speak to Daddy for a bit.” 

Theo frowned at that. “Who exactly is your husband, Granger?”

“Oh! Sirius Black. Ready?”

Before he had a chance to respond, she had gripped his elbow and twisted. He found himself in the hallway of what was clearly a pureblood manor. 

“Kitten? Is that you?”

“Come this way,” she instructed as he mouthed “kitten.”

“Mum!” Came the sound of a second voice. “Did you get me my….Oh. Who are you?”

A small boy with grey eyes and blonde curls stared back at him in surprise. Distantly, Theo recognised that he looked like a mix of Granger and Draco. Which was absurd. If  that  had happened, the scandal would have been so large that even he'd have heard of it, isolated though he was.

“For the love of Merlin, both of you have been spending too much time with your father! Where are your manners?”

“Sorry Mum,” the boy looked chastened before he brightened, continuing as if he was telling her a secret, “Dad said he was going to put Lyra in a home if you didn't come back soon.”

Hermione snorted as her husband appeared in the doorway, “Challenging having a child just like you?” she smirked. 

“The child is trying to kill me, Kitten,” he whined. “Let's hope the next ones like Reggie. Oh. Who are you?”

“I actually give up” Hermione muttered exasperatedly, before turning to Theo, “Come through.” Dutifully he followed her, ignoring the scowling face of Lord Black. “Sirius, this is Theodore Nott.” Sirius immediately paled. 

“I see,” he murmured. “Cally, Ry, keep an eye on Lyra upstairs for half an hour? If you manage to keep her from destroying the house, I’ll take you out for ice cream.”

There were several beats of silence as Rigel and Cally weighed up whether ice cream was worth watching their youngest sister before they agreed reluctantly, scampering up the stairs in search of her.

“Where's Reggie?” Hermione checked. 

Sirius snorted, “That kid's all you, Kitten. Where do you think he is?”

“Library then?” He laughed but nodded. 

“Is…someone going to explain why I’m here?” Theo voiced hesitantly, wondering if Granger had gone mad. It certainly seemed like it. She’d invited him into her home. To meet her rather imposing husband. Silently he wracked his brains, wondering if he’d done something to the witch at some point and now he was going to pay for it. Everyone said Lord Black wasn't quite sane after his stint in Azkaban.

“Gods.” she groaned, “It's….complicated. Cally isn't biologically ours, we adopted her when she was a year old.” He nodded, not sure where she was going with this. “Did you know that the Ministry tried to reach you several times? Kings put an ad in the prophet, he sent owls, a Patronus or six, Severus sent owls, so did we.” 

Theo frowned, “Why?”

Hermione shot Sirius a look. He sighed, running a hand down his face. “Calista’s biological father is Thoros Nott,” he said softly watching as Theo paled. 

“What?” he asked. 

“She's your sister. He…had an elf drop her off at the Ministry but it was just after the war, she came to us in the July of 1998 at three months old. Kings had tried to find her a placement but you're the last Nott left. There was no other family and…due to your father's actions, people were…wary.”

“Fuck,” he hissed. “She's…fuck!”

“Look. I… she's ours. We blood adopted her but…if you want a relationship with her…we wouldn't stop you.” Sirius cut through the fog that had taken over as he tried to process what they were saying.

“Granger…I…I have no idea what to say to that!” he exclaimed. “I had no idea! I didn't even know my bastard of a father had knocked up his last wife! I..locked down the wards, after the war. Nothing could get through unless I had pre-approved them and I didn't pre-approve anyone. Too many people would have gladly hurt me to get back at Thoros; it seemed prudent.”

“Severus thought that might be the case.” she nodded.

“Severus….Professor Snape”? Theo asked, utterly bewildered.

She hummed, “He's Cally's godfather, she adores him. He took me on as an apprentice after I’d finished my NEWTs.”

“Snape took an apprentice?” he asked looking at her as if the world no longer made sense.

“Yes.” she agreed with a smile, “I sort of badgered him into it.”

“I…Gods Granger, can I think about this? I…I don't want to upset what she has.”

Hermione's face softened. “She knows she was adopted, Theo. She knows she has a brother my age, although we didn't tell her your name. I didn't want you to hear through the grapevine once she reached Hogwarts, you know what children are like. And, if I’m honest, I didn't want her to research her biological family, not without us. We intended to tell her, but we wanted her to be…older, more able to handle it than she is now.”

“She knows she adopted?”

“Yes. We’ve never hidden it, neither of us thought that a big reveal was the way to go, so we used to tell her bedtime stories about different types of families and about how she didn't grow inside me. She didn't understand in the beginning, but it was enough that when I was pregnant with Reggie and Lyra she was able to connect the dots.”

“The boy….Rigel, he's adopted too?” Theo asked with a frown, trying to make sense of this conversation.

“Yes.” Hermione agreed, “Daphne Greengrass dropped him off at the Ministry after Astoria died.

Theo blinked, “He was Astoria's?” Hermione nodded, seeing the moment the pieces slotted into place. “Draco  let  you adopt his son?”

“Draco has also been unreachable, to be honest, more than one person wondered if perhaps you were together. Rigel was brought here as there were no Malfoys and Sirius is head of House Black.” Hermione explained. “Narcissa gets out in two months though, so perhaps some things will change. If nothing else, we'll know where she is to contact her.”

“Gods Granger!” Theo groaned. “I…this is all insane.”

“We know.” Sirius replied wryly, “We might have had a decade to get used to it, but it came out of the blue for us too.”

“You’ll really let me see her?”

“As long as you're not a danger, you don't teach her anything we wouldn't approve of and you keep her safe, why not?”

“What like flying?” Theo smirked. 

Hermione glared at him muttering about it being unnatural. “Would you like to meet her?” Sirius cut in with a grin. “Unfortunately, Harry beat us all to her first broom ride. Something about her being his namesake.”

“You named my sister after Potter? Theo asked incredulously. 

Hermione snorted, “Calista Harriet” she supplied with a grin.

“Salazar.” Theo muttered before he grinned back, “I wish I could tell Thoros, it would be worth the trip to Azkaban to see his face. 

“As amusing as that would undoubtedly be, let's not,” Hermione replied drily. “Stay for dinner?”

Slowly he nodded, “If…if she agrees.”

Silently, Hermione left the room, walking up the stairs in search of the children, finding them in Rigel's room. “Cally, will you come with me?”

“Is this to do with that man?” she asked bluntly.

“Theo? Yes.”

“He's..your age, Mama.” 

“Yes, “Hermione nodded, waiting on her to work out what she wanted to say next.

“Is he my brother, Mama? The one you told me about.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Oh.” Cally looked up at her, her eyes wide, “Mama is he…is he going to take me away?”

“What? No!” Moving as gracefully as her current bulk allowed, Hermione sat down on Rigel's bed. “Come here, Princess.”

Calista ran throwing herself into her mother's side, “I don't want to go Mama.”

“You're not going anywhere, Princess,” Hermione soothed, rocking her daughter. “Theo just wants to get to know you. You're ours. Nothing changes that.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Slowly she nodded, biting her lip, “Do I have to meet him?”

“No, he said he’ll only stay for a while if you want him to. But…he has no family at all, just you, maybe we should give him a chance?”

“You’ll adopt him too?” she asked with a confused frown.

Hermine laughed, “Not quite, but maybe he can be a bit like Uncle Severus.”

“No one is like Uncle Severus, Mama,” Cally replied seriously making Hermione laugh.

“Perhaps not.” she agreed. “I won't force you, Princess, but if you want to meet him, he's downstairs.”

“You'll be there?” she checked, her voice small.

“Of course,” Hermione agreed, running a hand over her head.

“Do we get to meet him, Mama?” Lyra cried. “I want to meet him! Is he my brother too?”

“Maybe at dinner, sweetling, but Cally needs to meet him first. He's her brother, not yours. Remember Mama said Cally and Rigel's didn't grow in her tummy because Mama and Daddy didn't make them?” Lyra nodded seriously, “Well, the man who helped make Cally, helped make Theo too.”

“Oh.” Lyra scrunched up her nose before she shrugged, “Ry play tea parties?” 

Hermione caught her eldest son's pleading look, “I’ll see if Uncle Severus fancies dinner.” she promised, deciding that he was more likely to put Theo at ease than Harry. “Give me five minutes.”

“Thanks, Mum.” he sighed gratefully.

“Do you want to wait here until I floo Uncle Severus?” she checked, looking back at a still pensive, Cally.

“No. I’ll come. I still have his fwooper feathers.”

“Ok, quickly then, we’ll open the bedroom floo.”

Hermione carefully got down onto her knees throwing in the floo power and shouting out for Severus' rooms. His face came into view almost immediately. “What are you doing you ridiculous woman?” he frowned, “Will you even be able to get back up?”

“I don't know. Hermione grimaced, "but, Theo Nott's here and Lyra is..well she's Lyra.”

He snorted, “Move.”

Gratefully, she moved out of the way of the fireplace allowing him through. Stepping into the room, he rolled his eyes he reached down to help her up from the floor. "Honestly, you've done this twice now, you'd think you'd learn,.”

She winced, “In my defence, there's not exactly protocol for when your child's brother finds out they exist and your current youngest is made up of more mischief than flesh.”

Severus snorted, “Remind me to retire before she reaches Hogwarts.” he muttered.

“Uncle Severus, we got your fwooper feathers!” Cally exclaimed, hugging him around the middle once he’d let Hermione go.

“I look forward to seeing them, Princess." he squeezed her tightly, smiling down at her, "Now, where is your monster of a sister?”

“In Rys room. She wanted him to play tea parties.”

“Oh joy,” Severus muttered as he staked through the house.

“Uncle Severus!” Lyra screeched, running towards him. He swung her up throwing her in the air as he caught her. 

“Hello to you too, Monster.”

She pouted,” I'm  not  a monster! I’m a star!”

Hermione snorted. “Stay for dinner but maybe give us half an hour?”

“Go.” he shooed, “The monster and I will be fine. I assume you wish us to leave you in peace?”

Rigel looked at him consideringly before his eyes drifted to his youngest sister who was babbling about tea parties and princesses. “Ah, yes please, Uncle Severus.” he muttered, “I got to dress up as a Princess earlier when Dad was cleaning up the mess she made baking. I don't know why he doesn't learn.”

“On that note, we'll leave you to it." Hermione cut in, "Thanks for this Severus.”

“Severus let out a long-suffering sigh, “Indeed. I require payment in Firewhiskey. It's a good job your spawn are not as dunderheaded as the rest, although Merlin knows it's partly down to the hours of work I’ve put in to ensure that they are not.”

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, “You could just say you love us, you know.”

“I will admit to no such thing,” he replied briskly, taking Lyra in the direction of her room and presumably her tea things. 

Cally paused outside the living room door, her hand clasped tightly in her mother's. “It's alright, Princess.” Hermione murmured, “He's just a person and he's probably as nervous as you.”

“Really?” Cally asked, not sounding convinced.

“Really.”

Theo's eyes flew to the girl as they pushed the door open. “Did I hear Severus?” Sirius checked as Cally sat between her parents, pressed tightly against his side.

“Yes. Ry had had more than enough of indulging in Lyra's whims.”

Sirius snorted, “Tea parties?”

“Of course. Merlin bless Severus.”

“Sev-Severus Snape is upstairs in your house playing tea parties with a little girl?” Theo checked. 

“Yes. He does frequently, it's how he began teaching Cally about potions. He makes real tea with them, using custom blended herbs. I think it's the only way he can justify it.”

“Salazar tell me you have photographs?” he all but whispered, trying to picture his former Head of House  playing  anything at all, let alone with a little girl.

“Of course,” Hermione smirked, “Framed and up in various places in the house.”

“No!” he breathed. 

“Uncle Severus likes tea parties.” Cally voiced. “Although he lets me brew real potions now.”

Does he?” Theo’s eyebrows hit his hairline.

“Yes. Apparently, I’m not a dunderhead like Uncle Harry and Uncle Neville.”

Theo snorted, “No I imagine not.” he replied, his eyes raking over the girl who he realised had his father's eyes. He paused, clearning his throat awkwardly, “I’m sure your mum told you, but my name is Theo and apparently, I’m your big brother.”

Chapter Text

Narcissa Malfoy had been out of Azkahan for almost two months when the owl came. She frowned recognising her cousin's writing, despite the decades it had been since she'd last seen it. No one wrote anymore, even Draco barely kept in touch, although he’d promised to visit again soon. Slowly, her eyebrows crept up her forehead as she read what Sirius had written before she frantically threw floo powder into the floo and called out for Andromeda. 

Her sister looked at her shrewdly, “Sirius wrote then?”

“Will you come through?” Narcissa begged, “I can't leave and…yes. Sirius wrote.”

Andromeda nodded, “Very well.”

“You didn't mention him!” Narcissa accused as Andromeda stepped smartly out of the fireplace.

“No, “ she agreed, “I did not. I needed to be sure you were fit to be around him.”

“Tell me about him,” Narcissa begged, deciding that it wasn't worth upsetting her sister, even if she was furious at her for her omission. Not when she was currently the only source of information about her grandson. Gods, her grandson!

“He…he is an avid reader, which isn't a surprise given who his mother is.”

Narcissa frowned thinking of Astoria, seeing her face, Andromeda huffed, “Hermione! Not Astoria. He has Sirius’ mischievous streak. Rigel and Teddy are close, although Cally the brains behind them. The girl looks like butter wouldn't melt but has a wicked streak a mile wide. I blame her godfather.”

“Cally?” Narcissa frowned.

“Oh. Sirius and Hermione adopted Thoros Nott's daughter around the same time as Rigel. Calista is three months older than Ry.”

“Oh.” Narcissa blinked, attempting to process that, “ And her Godfather?”

Andromeda smirked, “Severus.”

“Severus Snape?” Narcissa checked, her face showing her disbelief.

“Oh yes. He adores that girl. He adores all of them really, but especially Cally.”

“You said they adopted …Rigel.”

“Yes. Blood adoption. They gave it a year of trying to locate Draco, Cissa. I’m relatively certain that Hermione still owls on the boy's birthday.”

“I see.” Narcissa murmured. “So theres no chance…”

“No!” Andromeda cut her off, “He's as much theirs as their biological children. And he adores them. He knows he's adopted, he knows Astoria died. After Cally met Theo they sat them both down and spoke about their birth families, Theo helped, I believe, so he knows you were getting out of Azkaban.”

“He does?” Narcissa paled at the thought.

“Yes. He's…curious. But he's also Hermione Granger's child. He has her moral compass, all of them do. Well…perhaps not Lyra. That child is Sirius’ penance.”

“How many children do they have?”

Andromeda snorted, “Soon to be five. Calista is the eldest, obviously. Rigel next. Regulus is three years younger than the elder two and Lyra is four. Hermione is currently due to give birth in the next few weeks. That one was a bit of a surprise. Sirius was adamant they were having no more once Lyra developed some semblance of a personality. It's really rather amusing. He keeps begging Hermione's bump to take after Regulus, who is Hermione over the back. Severus is desperate to get his hands on him properly, he reduced his teaching to part-time, you know? Only takes the NEWT students. Of course, Minerva would have agreed to anything he asked for as long as he didn't leave entirely but it means he has more free time than he should, even with the apothecaries he and Hermione supply. I told you she was his apprentice, didn't I? Years ago, obviously. She's Hermione, she was hardly going to let a small thing like juggling babies and Sirius get in the way of her education. She's been a Master in her own right since before Rigel's third birthday." 

Narcissa blinked. "Ah, no," she replied slowly as she attempted to process all the information her sister was throwing at her. What in the world had happened in her time away that Severus Snape had not only consented to teach Hermione Granger but he had also become part of her family? Part of  Sirius'  family! None of it made any sense!

Andromeda hummed, "Anyway, with all his free time, he spends a lot of time with the children. Regulus is insanely intelligent already but Hermione won't let him brew proper potions with them until they’re at least eight after Cally blew up his lab adding unicorn tears to a shrinking solution because they looked pretty when she was about five.”

Narcissa laughed despite herself, well able to imagine the lure of unicorn tears. “They're never going to bring him here, are they?” she asked softly. 

“After Hermione's last visit?” Andromeda responded bluntly, “No I imagine not. Perhaps though we can request the Aurors accompany you to my house for a visit. Will you tell Draco?”

“Is there a point?” Narcissa sighed.

Andromeda paused, “Theo Nott visits his sister at least twice a week since they met. Last week, he took her out on his own. I believe they’re building up to an overnight stay. They won't stop Rigel from building a relationship with you or with Draco as long as he wants it and there is no talk of removing him from them.”

Narcissa let out a shuddering breath. “I...I will try to…put my prejudices aside,” she murmured finally. “He is…happy?”

“Yes. I know you aren't particularly fond of her but Hermione is an excellent Mother, Narcissa. Far more involved than ours was, or even you were. She's not tied into the constraints or expectations that are heaped upon us. She thinks nothing of taking the children into the kitchen to bake or playing with them on the floor. She reads bedtime stories and tucks them in at night. Sirius too, fatherhood has calmed him down drastically, although Merlin help us all, he likes to assist the children in executing pranks from the moment they're old enough to understand. I don't know if it's something you’ll ever see, I imagine your attitude will determine it but their house is covered in pictures, not formal ones like ours but ones where they're laughing, birthday parties and Christmas. There are days out and Sirius and Hermione getting messy with the children in a way I’ve never seen. Even Severus is in some of them, playing tea parties or reading to them. He has a family, you’ll hate it but Harry Potter is his Uncle. He has cousins and more Aunts and Uncles than I can count. He is very lucky, Narcissa.”

Narcissa nodded slowly, her heart hurting at the thought of missing all those memories and for the first time wondering what it would be like to be that free with a child. “Is Severus his godfather too?”

Andromeda actually laughed, “No. Harry and Ginny Potter are that boy's godparents, I’m afraid.”

“Perhaps I won't tell Draco that quite just yet.” Narcissa mused softly as she digested that. 

“Mother! Mother where are you?” Narcissa straightened her spine at the sound of Draco's voice, steeling herself for what was coming. 

“Draco. Darling, I’ve missed you.”

“And I you mother.” Narcissa took a moment to look over her baby. He’d turned into a man while she had been away and it made her want to cry. “You said it was urgent?” he prompted.

Narcissa sighed, “I…there is no easy way to say this Draco.” Draco paled.

“Are you ill?”

“No." she soothed quickly, "I.. received a letter from Sirius recently. I called your Aunt to confirm his claims.”

Draco frowned, “Alright.”

“Draco….were you aware Astoria was pregnant?”

“Draco went impossibly pale. “No.” he breathed. “No, I…God, Mother, if I’d known…”

Narcissa nodded, “That's what everyone else claimed, I just wanted to be sure.”

“Where is she?” he demanded. “And what has it got to do with Lord Black.”

“Draco.” Narcissa began gently, “Astoria died. The pregnancy impacted a blood curse that the Greengrasses had hidden.”

“Then where…where is the baby?”

“The baby is now ten, and he was given to Sirius as a Ward of the House. Sit down Draco!” she barked when he jumped up.

“But I need to get my…son, you said he.”

“I did. Rigel Alphard, apparently, but Draco, there's more.” Draco sat down slowly, watching her warily, his knee bouncing with agitation. “They tried to reach you for a year, Draco. Nothing got through.”

“Where is my son, Mother?” he whispered.

“With his parents.” she replied gently, “Sirius and his wife adopted the boy. Blood adoption. As you know, it's final.”

“No! No, they can't!” he shouted, running his hands through his hair in distress.

“Draco!” he flinched at how harsh her tone was, “It's been ten years! The boy has siblings apparently, cousins. An extended family.”

“Why did you even bother telling me?” he asked, his eyes glassy. 

“Because Andromeda assures me that as long as we behave, Sirius will allow us a palace in his life. They adopted Theodore Nott's sister around the same time. I understand he has recently found out and is now an active part of the girl's life, with their blessing.”

Draco breathed deeply, forcing himself back under control. “Who did Lord Black marry, anyone we know”?

Narcissa winced, “Hermione Granger.” she admitted softly. 

“Fuck.” he hissed, “She's not going to let me anywhere near a child she considers hers!”

“Andromeda promised she would. Apparently, the girl never stopped trying to reach you, she writes on the boy's birthday in the hopes that you’ll finally read one of her owls.”

“Really?” he asked, too desperate to believe her to mask it. 

“Yes. Draco I cannot stress enough how much all this hinges on us behaving in a manner she deems acceptable.”

“I know. It's…probably not going to be as hard as you believe. I stopped believing in the thestralshit that mad bastard preached around about the same time he demanded I murder Dumbledore. When…when can we meet him?”

Narcissa shrugged delicately. “Andromeda suggested asking the Aurors to escort me to her house, I cannot leave for another year. But you…you can go and ask her to make contact on your behalf whenever you wish.”

“I know you want me to wait mother,” he began, trailing off when she waved him off. 

“No, while I resent that I cannot meet him yet, I understand if you go now.”

“Thank you mother.” he breathed, leaning down to kiss her cheek before he practically ran from the room. 

Chapter Text

“So you're my cousin,” Dora mused, watching him from the sofa. It was only the years of training at his father's knee that stopped Draco from fidgeting under her stare. 

“So it would seem,” he murmured.

She hummed, roused from her perusal by the plaintive cry of “Mum! Emily took my broom!”

Tonks sighed, “Stay here.”

He nodded slowly, “How many children do you have?”

“Three.” she replied cheerfully, “Edward, Emily and Sophie. Teddy’ll go to Hogwarts with Rigel and Cally. The girls will go with Sirius and Hermione's Reggie. It's nice for them to have cousins close.”

“I wouldn't know,” he muttered as she darted from the room to deal with her children.

Remus appeared just as Tonks came back shouldering a child's broomstick. “Girls fighting again?” he sighed. 

“Yup. Do they ever do anything else?”

“No.” he shook his head as if questioning how he’d ended up there before refocusing on Draco. “Rigel…didn't take the news of your return too well.” he began softly, “Give them a little while, Hermione's attempting to calm him down.”

Draco winced. “Didn't take it well in what way?”

Remus sighed, clearly searching for the right words, “Sirius is the only dad he's ever known. He's terrified you’re going to come and try to take him away. He's scared you're going to be horrible to his mother, and his siblings, obviously two of them are half-bloods.”

“I wouldn't!” he protested.

Remus nodded, “Good.” he replied shortly. “Mione will send a Patronus when…if he's calm enough to consider it.”

Draco deflated, he’d been so desperate to meet the boy that he hadn't contemplated that he wouldn't want to see him. 

“Hermione's good at this sort of thing. Better than Sirius whose version of comfort was to offer to teach him curses to use on you if you stepped out of line.” Remus soothed, watching his face closely.

“Dear Gods,” he muttered as he settled down to wait. 

“Rigel. Talk to me.”

“Do you not want me, Mum?” he asked his voice small. 

“What? Where is that ridiculous idea coming from?” Hermione asked, sitting gingerly on his bed wincing as her lungs were squashed by her current tiny parasite.

“You said he was my Dad, but he's not my Dad! My Dad is downstairs!”

“Yes.” Hermione agreed, calmly. “And he will always be your Dad. But remember we spoke about you having two Dads like Cally?”

“Yes.” he agreed.

“Well, your other Dad, he’d really really like to meet you." she nudged him with her shoulder, "And how could he not? You're awesome!”

Rigel smiled at her reluctantly, “I’ll stay here?”

“Until you're all grown up with babies of your own, and even then I’m going to try and convince you to stay,” Hermione smiled, as he pulled a face.

“I don't want babies, Mum!” 

“What, never ever?”

“No! They smell!”

Hermione snorted, “Sometimes,” she agreed, wrapping an arm around him. 

“What if he's horrible?” Rigel whispered.

“Then he doesn't get to come back.” she soothed.

“What if he's horrible to you?”

“Then I will let Daddy hex him.” she grinned, “I don't think he will be though. Uncle Remus said he went to find Aunt Andy the minute he knew about you.”

Rigel nodded slowly, “You’ll stay with me?” Hermione nodded, watching his face, “And…And you’ll tell him I won't call him Dad! Because I’ve already got a Dad!”

“If you want,” Hermione agreed softly “But maybe…if it goes well, you’ll consider calling him something?”

“Draco,” Rigel replied stubbornly. 

“Alright,” Hermione sighed, knowing it wasn't a battle worth fighting until much further down the line. “Any other questions?”

Rigel froze, “Why did it take him so long to want to see me?”

“Oh sweetheart, what did Theo say?”

“That he’d never have stayed away if he’d know,” Rigel recited. 

“Exactly, he didn't know. I don't know where he was sweetheart and I don't know what happened with him and Astoria that meant he didn’t know about you but the moment he did? He came to see you.”

“Mum? Was he really, really bad during the war?”

Hermione froze, they’d touched on everyone's roles briefly “No.” she said finally, “He wasn't. He saved us, you know?” Rigel shook his head. “You remember we told you about the special mission Uncle Harry, Uncle Ron and I had?” she waited on his nod, “Well, we were caught when we were trying to complete that mission.”

“By the bad guys?”

“By the bad guys.” she agreed, choosing her words carefully, “We were taken to Dracos house.”

“Why?”

“Because the head bad guy was living there.”

“Tom Riddle?”

“That's him.” Hermione agreed.

“That probably wasn't fun, Mum.” he replied seriously, “Who wants the head bad guy in your house!”

“Well yes. I don't think it  was  fun. But Draco was asked to tell someone who we were and even though he knew, he said he wasn't sure. It…gave us enough time to escape.”

“Oh. So he lied to keep you safe?”

“Yes.” she agreed, hoping that he’d accept the explanation.

“Why?” he frowned. “His Mum and Dad must have been bad guys too if they’ve been in Azkaban. Why would he lie?”

Hermione sighed, “I.. I think that sometimes believing something and seeing something are two very different things.” she said finally, “If Daddy and I had taught you to be horrid, then that's what you'd be. And if everything you believed was easy enough to keep believing, you’d never change. Sometimes, things happen where what you believe doesn't quite match what you're seeing and you have to change the way you think. And that's hard, especially when everyone you know also believes all those things you used to.”

“Oh.” he said softly, “That…that sounds quite brave, Mama.”

“Yes,” she agreed. 

“Do you really think it's ok to meet him?”

“I think that that is up to you. But…if it were me? I'd give him a chance. You never know, you might really like him.”

“Will he…do you think he’ll start coming here like Theo?” Rigel hedged, looking at her with eyes that were so like Sirius’ and, she supposed, Draco’s.

“We can ask him if you want us to.”

“Not yet.” he murmured, “I…ok, Mum. I’ll meet him. I’m still not calling him Dad though!”

Hermione huffed, dropping a kiss onto his head. “Alright, I’ll send a message to Uncle Remus, but maybe from downstairs. It’ll take me half an hour to get there.”

Rigel laughed at her, “You look like you're going to pop, Mum.” 

“Thanks, sweetheart,” she replied drily as she struggled off the bed. 

“All good?” Sirius murmured, helping her onto the sofa after her trek downstairs. 

“I’m sending Remus a Patronus. Do you think he’ll take the rest of them for a bit? I don't think this conversation needs an audience.”

“I’m sure he will.”

Five minutes later, Remus escorted Draco through the floo. “Uncle Remus!” Lyra called, jumping from her place on the floor “And…Uncle Remus’ friend!”

Sirius snorted. “Kids, Uncle Remus is taking you to play with Teddy and the girls!”

There was a small flurry of movement as Cally and Regulus joined their sister. “Can we go now, Uncle Remus!” Lyra tugged on his hand, “The twins promised they’d teach me to fly!”

“Your mother would skin me, little star.” Remus replied seriously, “You don't want that do you? A new wolfskin rug and no Uncle Remus?”

Lyra pouted, her head tilting to the side, “How big is the rug?”

Beside him, Draco choked on a laugh entirely against his will drawing the children's eyes towards him, Cally's narrowed in a manner that was so reminiscent of Hermione that he almost took a step back. “Rigel is ours.” she warned, “You can borrow him like Theo borrows me, but he's still ours.” 

Draco's eyebrows rose, “Right.” he agreed, noting Sirius’ amusement. 

“Right then Princess, what does Mama say about threatening guests?

“It's rude.” she sighed, “But it's true, Daddy! He's ours!”

“Yes, Princess but you know how your mother feels about rudeness.”

Cally sighed, “Fine.” she turned to Draco, her voice a flat monotone, “I apologise for my rudeness.”

Remus and Sirius attempted to disguise their laughs as a cough, “You're meant to sound like you mean it, Princess.” Remus pointed out.

She shrugged, “Mama can't get up off the sofa without help. I think I’m alright. And I don't mean it. Mama also says not to lie.”

“Well, you’ve got me there,” Sirius sighed. “But perhaps don't use that argument on your mother. She's still got her wand, even if she can't get up off the sofa without help.”

“Is Granger alright?” Draco frowned.

“If you can count counting down the days until the very last Black of this generation is born, she's just fine.”

“You said that about Lyra,” Remus muttered.

“But this baby was a surprise, Uncle Remus,” Regulus replied seriously. “Is that something that happens? Babies just surprising their families? How does it work? It seems a bit rude not to even ask! What if they're not ready?”

“Right, let's go and see Teddy and the girls!” Remus called, his eyes wide as he ushered the children to the floo.

“Your house is insane,” Draco muttered. 

“Yup.” Sirius nodded with a grin before he turned serious, “Look, he's….wary. I can't even imagine what's going on inside your head, but I won't apologise for loving him. However, I am sorry that you haven't had the chance until now. For what it's worth, as long as we have no concerns, both Hermione and I will encourage him to have a relationship with you, we won't cut you out, but you're going to have to work with us too.”

Draco nodded, taking a deep breath. “My wife is a muggle,” he replied quietly. “I’ve been…living entirely without magic, she doesn't know. I…hated it, for so long, every time I picked up my wand I wanted to vomit. The last spell I cast was a complex ward around the house, allowing only my mother's letters to get through, just in case someone found me. There were people on both sides who wanted me dead. There was no one here I wanted to contact me at the time. Astoria was….it was moments of being able to forget. For both of us. We weren't…we were never….” Draco paused, looking at him as he tried to put what was in his head into words. “I would never have left if I’d known.” he said finally, “But…gods, neither Astoria nor Daphne came back after the Christmas holidays, we all assumed that the Greeengrasses had removed them for their own safety. It was happening frequently. The Carrows were insane. And I was utterly fucked after the war and the trial. I just…Mother got ten years. Lucius got thirty. I got off because Potter and Granger testified for me. I still have no idea why they did it, but I needed to leave. I couldn’t handle the reminders.”

“Holy fuck.” Sirius breathed. “Does Cissa know?”

“About my wife? No,” he replied, “I'm not sure her views have changed enough to subject Charlotte to her and that's before I even begin to explain the shit show that was my life before I met her. Gods, can you imagine? Yes, sweetheart, magic is very real and my parents encouraged me to murder people like you, do you want to meet my mother?”

Sirius winced. “Perhaps not. I know we’re not close, Draco but you are family, if you need our help, you only have to ask. If nothing else, Hermione has a perspective that your wife might actually be able to relate to.”

Draco sighed, “I might take you up on that.” he sighed. “I’m going to have to tell her something. I have a child!” he paled, “Fuck. I'm going to have to tell her I have a child.”

“Breathe. One step at a time. Let's meet Rigel and then we can work out how you're telling your wife.”

“Right…right I can do that. What…what if he hates me?”

Sirus sighed, “Don't be an arse, don't bait Hermione and don't try to convince him to call you Dad….not yet anyway and you’ll be grand. He's…got Hermione's ability to forgive, even if he fights against it sometimes.”

Draco hummed, before taking a deep breath. “Right then. Let's… let's get this over with.”

Nodding, Sirius led him into the living room where Rigel was sitting so close to Hermione it looked like he was trying to burrow into her skin. 

“Oh,” Draco breathed before he blinked, “Gods Granger, you look like you're about to pop.” he blurted.

“That's what I said!” Rigel exclaimed before frowning, “Mum didn't seem too pleased.”

“I wonder why,” Hermione muttered before she turned to Draco. “Malfoy, you look…”

“Old?” he suggested making her laugh. 

“Grown-up.” she settled on. 

“I’d say the same about you, but I’m pretty sure you’ve always been a grown-up.” Cautiously, he held his hand out to Rigel. “Draco Malfoy.”

Rigel visibly looked him over before extending his own hand. “Rigel Black.” 

“I know. You got your mum's curls.”

He scrunched up his nose, “Yes. We all have them. Dad has curls too but his behave better. Mum says it's the only bit of him that behaves.”

Draco laughed, “I’ve heard some stories.” 

Rigel hummed, “They won't tell me most of them. They keep saying I need to be older.”

Thinking back to what he'd heard about his cousin, Draco nodded, “Probably best. What's it like having so many siblings?”

“Aunt Andy said you didn't have any. Was it lonely?” Rigel countered.

“Sometimes. But I met your brother and sisters and I can't quite imagine living with as much noise.”

“Dad silences Lyra lots.” Rigel nodded. “She never stops talking. Mum says she's the child he deserves. I don't quite understand that though. Why would he deserve one kid but not another?”

Hermione's head swivelled to her husband who looked momentarily panicked as Draco laughed at them, “Drinks!” Sirius called, “Who wants one?”

“Sirius Orion Black, tell me you do not silence our daughter?”

“Right well…see…Kitten….Kitten put your wand down…..”

“Gods Granger, you're even more terrifying than before.” Draco laughed, wondering how on earth he felt so at ease here even as Sirius ran from the room. It was quite possibly the first Pureblood Mannor that felt like a home he’d ever been in. Perhaps it was the murderous look on Granger's face, it was comfortingly familiar.

“Mum was terrifying at school?” Rigel asked.

“Oh yes, did she tell you about the time she punched me?”

Rigel's eyes went wide, “Mum! You said it's not ok to hit people!”

“Right well…very, very occasionally someone deserves it,” Hermione muttered.

“Did you?” Rigel asked.

“Yes.” Draco nodded, “She broke my nose though. Vicious little witch that she was.”

“Wow.” Rigel breathed looking at Hermione as if he’d never seen her before. 

“Why don't you tell us about you, Malfoy?” Hermione redirected quickly.

He shrugged “I live a boring life, Granger. I work in muggle banking if you can believe it. I ah..married my wife, Charlotte two years ago. She's a muggle.”

Hermione's eyebrows hit her hairline, “That's…unexpected. How is she taking the situation?”

He gave a slightly hysterical laugh, “She doesn't know anything. Mother's letter was vague so I didn't know what she had to tell me until I was already here. I assumed it was something to do with her health. And I've never told her about magic, how the fuck could I?”

Hermione winced, “Are you going to now?”

“I’m going to have to! How can I explain I have a son that I didn't know about and next year if I’m very lucky, I’ll get to wave him off to school and oh by the way darling if you could just walk towards this wall and not stop?”

Hermione grimaced, “Breathe, Malfoy. It’ll be fine. We’ll make sure it's fine.”

“Granger…I’m going to have to tell her that my parents wanted people like her dead! Explain to me how it's going to be fine?”

“Because we're going to introduce her to Andromeda and Tonks and Remus and she can come here. We’re not murderous in the slightest. Well…I'm relatively certain she’d understand my urge to murder Sirius and occasionally Ron….”

Draco huffed out a laugh as he allowed himself to believe her words. “Could I bring her here maybe? Not today but….later.”

Hermione looked down at Rigel who was watching Draco intently. “I…you don't hate Mum anymore?” he checked.

“No.” Draco shook his head,. 

“Alright then,” he agreed, “But not today and…maybe Uncle Severus should keep Lyra?”

“Probably wise.” Hermione agreed, “She’d terrify her.”

Draco blinked trying to picture his Head of House with the tiny girl he’d met earlier and failing. Hermione laughed as she guessed where his mind had gone. “You get used to it.” she assured him, “He's surprisingly good with all of them. Now sit down Malfoy, I’ll attempt to refrain from hexing Sirius. Have you any questions?”

Draco sat as he was told before he took a deep breath, his eyes raking over his son, who he was pleased to note looked less tense. “Ok.” he exhaled slowly, “Serious question. Whos your favourite Quidditch team?”

He couldn't contain his grin as Rigel's eyes lit up and he began discussing the current lineup of the Tutshill Tornadoes.

Chapter Text

“You have a son?” she checked watching Draco's face.

“Yes. I had no idea he existed, Lottie,” he replied, hating the pleading tone in his voice.

“Right.” she nodded slowly, “And he lives with…your mum's cousin and his wife?”

“Yes. I got to meet him last week.”

“The week you got a message from an old friend?” she asked pointedly, her face decidedly unimpressed.

He winced, “It wasn't an old friend,” he admitted unnecessarily. “It was my mother.”

“Your conveniently never in the country mother?”

He let out a long sigh, “I never thought I'd say this but I’d kill for Granger to be here.” he muttered.

“Who the fuck is Granger?” Charlotte barked.

He winced at her tone. “My cousin's wife. We…went to school together, we did not get on but she's good at this shit….and I…I am not.”

“Your cousin's wife is called Granger?” she frowned, momentarily startled out of her anger. 

“Well… it's Black now I suppose, which is fucking odd." Draco paused, looking at her confused frown before understanding washed over him, "Oh..you mean her first name! No, it's Hermione.”

“Ok,” she replied slowly, looking at him as if she wasn't sure he was sane. 

“Look, she really is better at this and we should probably try and catch her before she gives birth…again. She can't get any bigger, she already looks absurd.” he rambled, his hands twisting in his agitation.

“Draco! Tell me you did not say that to her!”

“What? No! I value my life, thanks very much. Granger has a vicious streak, she's bloody terrifying and pregnancy has not made her any less so. I imagine it comes in handy wrangling four kids…and Sirius. She needs to be terrifying to handle him.”

“Sirius?”

“Oh. My cousin. He's….never quite grown up. Lyra, their youngest is very like him but with Granger's scariness. She's beyond terrifying. If she was mine, I don't think I'd ever sleep again.” he barely repressed the shudder that threatened at the thought of Granger's youngest. She’d stared at him intently, all through dinner the last time he’d visited Rigel. He wasn't sure the child had blinked once. And then suddenly, she’d smiled at him. A tiny sinister little smile that had given him chills.

“And…your son?”

She watched as Draco smiled softly, “Rigel. He's ten and….absolutely nothing like me as a child. He's smart and observant, although he has zero tact. He has Sirius’ mischievous streak and Granger's urge to know everything. He…adores his mum, he's good with the younger two and exceptionally close to his eldest sister, there's only three months between them. He's…gods, Lottie, he's amazing. Far better than he’d have been if I’d raised him.”

“You don't know that.” she protested.

He scoffed, “Yes I do. I told you that I wasn't… particularly well for a while. I couldn't have been a good parent then. I...I wish I hadn't missed it all, god you have no idea how much I wish I hadn't missed it all but…he definitely got the better deal ending up where he did.”

“Oh Draco.” she sighed. ”I…does he want to meet me?”

“He's...curious. His sister, the eldest one. She's adopted too. Her father is in prison and her brother only found out recently too, he also went to school with Granger and I. We used to be friends. Theo has been around quite a bit, apparently, he seems to sort of just slot in based on what they said. I’m hoping…I’m really hoping we can do the same.”

“Ok.” she sighed, “I…Christ is a lot, isn't it? But ok…when do you want me to meet him?”

“Today? I can check with Granger and make sure she's still ball-shaped first?”

“Draco!”

He disappeared into the bedroom, picking up the charmed coin Hermione had pressed into his hand before he left the first time, taking his wand in the other, noticing for the first time since the end of the war that he didn't want to be sick holding it. He paced while waiting on the reply, almost groaning when the message popped up. 

“Sry. Mungos. Baby.”

“Fuck.” he hissed walking back through, “Granger is in labour, apparently. So…soon?”

A week later, Draco drove up the quite frankly ridiculous driveway to Black Hall. “Holy hell.” Charlotte breathed, “Is your cousin royalty?” 

Draco winced. “He has money.” he allowed. Silently, they climbed out of the car, knocking on the front door, both of them lost to their own thoughts. It struck Draco then that no wizard really did this. The door was opened by a house elf sized child with a grin and curly pigtails. 

“Oh it's you.” she greeted, her grin falling. 

“Oh hell.” came a voice, “Little star, what have we said about you opening the front door?

“Not to.” came the prompt reply, “But  he  knocked! What was I meant to do?”

The door opened wider to reveal a harassed looking Sirius who reached down for his youngest daughter, “Sorry about her,” he grimaced. “And you, if your mother heard you you’d be banned from Grandma Weasleys for a month.”

Lyra turned to him look at him clearly horrified, “She wouldn't Daddy!”

“You know that she would. That was rude. What do you say to Draco and Mrs Malfoy.”

“Sorry,” Lyra muttered. 

“Go and find Cally, Theo will be here to take you all shortly.”

“Theo's taking them?” Draco asked incredulously as they walked towards the living room. "All of them?"

“He offered. I’m pretty certain he's not sane but Merlin, I don't think I appreciated how much Hermione did. they're all fucking feral.”

“Or they're taking advantage of the fact it's you and not me. You appear to have issues saying no.” Came Hermione's amused voice. “You must be Charlotte. You’ll have to forgive me, I’d get up but he's only just gone to sleep and that's a rarity, currently.”

“Oh no! Don't apologise.” Her eyes travelled down to the tiny baby sleeping in Hermione's arms, “He's beautiful.

“I’m wholly biased, but I agree.” Hermione grinned. 

“What did you name him in the end, Granger?”

“Pollux. Pollux Severus.”

“Family name?” Charlotte asked. 

“Yes. I don't know if Draco ever mentioned that the Blacks have a tradition of naming their children after stars?”

“Oh. No. but now you mention it…that makes sense.”

“It makes no sense at all,” Hermione grinned, “But it narrowed down our options and probably saved our marriage. Less to fight over.”

“Severus?” Draco asked, peering down at the baby. He was tiny, easily the smallest human he'd ever laid eyes on, pink-cheeked, with the longest lashes he'd ever seen and the beginnings of dark curls forming on his head. Rigel aside, he'd never actually wanted children but looking at the tiny creature in Granger's arms, he admitted he could almost see the appeal.

“Yes. He's pretending to be furious but I swear I saw tears.”

“Your life is insane, Granger,” Draco replied with a laugh.

“Of course, it is,” she agreed, “it keeps me from being bored.”

“You have five children. You don't have time to be bored.” he retorted.

She laughed at him, “True enough, although next year I'll be down to three.”

“That doesn't mean we’re having more,” Sirius warned quickly. “He's cute but we didn't plan for that one so let's quit while we're ahead.”

“Were ahead?” Hermione questioned. 

“No,” he whined making Charlotte laugh.

“Hello!” All of them turned at the sound of Theos voice. “Good gods.”

“Theo.”

“Draco!”

“You look…well.”

“For just now." he snorted. "I’m about to attempt a day with a kid I’m sure is plotting to murder us all and to make it worse, I volunteered to do it. Who's this?”

Oh! Sorry, Charlotte this is Theodore Nott, Theo, my wife, Charlotte.”

“Sweet Salazar. Someone married you!” Theo breathed.

“Oi!” 

Theo grinned at Charlotte, “Anytime you want pictures, I'm your man. Did he tell you he used to wear his hair as a helmet in first and second year? I have never seen so much gel!”

“Theo!” Draco whined as Charlotte laughed with everyone else.

“Gods yes! He has no pictures from his childhood.”

“None?” Theo frowned before his eyes widened as he remembered Hermione warning him she was a muggle. “Ah. Maybe I could bring some back with me tonight?”

“Oh yes please!”

“Right, let's get the afternoon started. Wish me luck! Dinner tomorrow? And you can explain what it is you're being so secretive about.”

Sirius nodded, "Assuming you survive the afternoon, mate.”

Theo paused, “Snape’s still in the castle, right?”

“He's there,” Hermione agreed, “I have no idea if you’ll be able to reach him though. He laughed until he cried when we told him you were taking them all.”

Theo paled. “Remind me why I'm doing this?”

“Because against all the odds you love us?” Hermione guessed.

“Right.” he nodded, looking unconvinced. “Cally, Reg, Lyra! Let's go!” he shouted looking like he was questioning every choice he had ever made as the thunder of several pairs of feet was heard running down the stairs.

“Theo!” Cally exclaimed throwing herself at her brother. “Where are we going? Can we leave Lrya in a cupboard?”

He laughed at her, “My house first, and then we'll see. And no, she’d tell your mum and she's terrifying.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that Mum?” Rigel questioned, his eyes actively avoiding Charlotte. 

“Because it's true,” Sirius replied. “Right you lot! Behave for Theo, it's bad manners to break your babysitters. And your mother would be upset with you. You don't want that, do you?” All of them shook their heads, “Exactly. Now off you go. Have fun!”

“By Daddy! Bye Mama! Bye baby!” Lyra sang as she reached for Theo's hand looking terrifyingly angelic before she stage whispered in his general direction, “Maybe  he’d  like to be turned into a rug? Theo, do you think Mama would let me? Uncle Remus offered but I don't think he’d make a pretty rug.”

Hermione groaned. “Lyra Helen Black! That's quite enough!”

She turned to her mother horrified, “But Mama, how did you hear me> I  whispered!  ”

Tugging on her hand, Theo herded them to floo as quickly as he was able, hearing the echoes of Sirius’ laughter as he left.

“I swear to Godric, Sirius, something is going to have to be done about that child!”

He waved his wife off, “Nah, Kitten, she's harmless really.”

The look Draco Hermione and Rigel gave him left Charlotte in no doubt that he was the only person who thought so. “She doesn't like you?”

“Apparently Theo brought her sweets,” Draco grumbled. “I brought them the second time I visited but the damage had already been done.”

Charlotte laughed, “Wow. Good luck with her teenage years.”

“Nah those will be Minnie and Snape's problem.” Sirius crowed. “Thank all the gods for boarding school.”

“You're sending them to boarding school?” Charlotte queried, clearly surprised.

Hermione and Draco shared a look, giving in, his shoulders slumped. “So…” He began. “First. This is Rigel. Rigel, this is my wife, Charlotte.”

“It's nice to meet you.” Rigel offered watching her curiously.

“And you.” she smiled. “You look rather like Draco. Except for the hair, it's insane but you seem to have your mother's curls.”

He hummed as Draco cut in, “Right, second… there's a really good reason for that…and the boarding school. It's sort of a necessity rather than a want. I don't think anyone here is under any illusion that Granger isn’t going to be the parent crying on the platform.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Mature, Granger.”

Before she could reply, Rigel cut in, “You won't Mum, will you? Merlin, please don't!”

“I’m promising nothing,” Hermione muttered, as Charlotte mouthed Merlin to herself. “Two of you are going!”

“But you’ve three left! " Rigel exclaimed looking horrified. "And Lyra's as much work as me and Cally together, you won't miss us!”

“Of course, I will! You were my first babies!” Hermione exclaimed, feeling tears beginning to well a the very thought of them leaving.

“Oh…oh no, Mama don't cry  now! ” he begged.

Taking pity on him Sirius shuffled him over, pulling Hermione to him. “Don't worry, mate. All witches are a little crazy after a baby.”

“I’m never having any,” he replied emphatically, watching his mother warily. 

“Right..ah…gods. Back to my point before you run screaming.” Draco muttered. 

“You were explaining the boarding school.” Charlotte prompted, watching Hermione as warily as Rigel.

“I…I was. I…fuck.”

“What he's trying to say,” Hermione cut in, her head on Sirius’ chest. “Is that magic is real. And I’m aware I sound insane. Merlin knows my parents thought the same when Minerva came to see them. Until she turned into a cat and then they thought they’d been drugged. That was a fun afternoon.”

“Magic.” Charlotte stuttered. “Are you…you're all…mental. Absolutely mental.”

“It seems that way,” Draco muttered.

You…You're going along with this?” she asked. 

Silently, he flicked his wrist and his wand landed in his palm. Pointing it at one of the cushions he muttered a spell, turning it into a rabbit.

“Oh, my fuck.” Charlotte breathed before her voice rose in panic “Did…did someone give me something? This isn't…this isn't possible.”

Sirius looked at Hermione before standing and transforming into Padfoot as Hermione summoned a calming draught, throwing it at Draco.

“Here. Take this love.” he tried as Charlotte sat frozen staring at Sirius. Automatically, she complied.

“What…what did you give me? I feel…”

“Calmer?” Draco asked hopefully.

“Yes.” she sighed. “But…but Draco…why am I still seeing your cousin as a dog?”

“Ah. He's what we call an animagus. He can turn into an animal.” She watched as Sirius turned back.

“That's…that's not possible," she replied, her voice carefully modulated.

“Unfortunately love, it really is," he sighed, reaching for her in the hopes she'd allow it.

A whole afternoon, several calming draughts and more attempts at proving it than they’d thought they’d need, Draco had finally convinced her that they weren't insane and they were telling her the thrush.

“Why didn't you tell me?” she asked sadly. 

“Because…because I hated my magic for a long time.” he sighed, not noticing Rigel watching him intently. “I..felt sick every time I picked up my wand, so I stopped. And I began to live like a muggle. I never wanted to set foot back in this world, so there didn't seem any point." He winced, sending an apologetic look in Rigel's general direction, "We'd...decided against children, so I didn't need to worry about that and to be honest, can you imagine what you'd have done if I'd tried this on my own?"

She snorted, nodding. "Unfortunately, I can," she replied wryly. "So what changed?”

“My mother got out of Azkaban, and I visited. And then one day she wrote to me, telling me she needed to see me urgently. I honestly thought she was going to tell me she was dying.”

“Azkaban?”

“Draco sighed, “Wizarding prison.”

“Your mother was in prison. Why?”

He shot a pleading look at Hermione. She made a split-second decision and stood, depositing Pollux in a startled Charlotte's arms. “She can't run away with the baby,” she shrugged, before attempting to explain, “There was a war.” she began. “Two, if we’re being honest, but the last one began when we were in fourth year. We were on opposite sides.”

“A war?” Charlotte repeated.

“Yes. A man called Tom Riddle had delusions of grandeur and he promised lots of things to a lot of people. People joined him and he marked them. Literally. Once you were in, you were in. He was…ruthless and vicious. And he was trying to murder my best friend. There is more that I promise to explain some other time, but for just now, Narcissa, Draco's mother, was on Riddle's side. In the end though, she lied to him and allowed my friend to defeat him.”

“What were the sides fighting over?”

Hermione winced, “Blood. In our world, there are Purebloods, like Draco and Sirius, who can trace the magic in their families back until Merlin only knows when. Halfbloods, like Pollux, who has one pureblooded and one muggleborn parent. And Muggleborns like me. I’m the first in my family to have magic. Many purebloods believed muggleborns were beneath them and they wanted our world to reflect that. In reality, they just wanted power, and Tom, he promise them just that.”

“Holy, fuck,” Charlotte breathed “so…so if muggleborns are beneath purebloods, what the hell would your mother think of a… muggle?”

Draco winced, “I don't imagine she’ll be pleased. Which is why you’ll be nowhere near her.”

“That's… that's all fucking insane!” Charlotte hissed, looking at him as if she was begging him to shout "Got you!" and laugh.

“Yes,” Hermione agreed instead, "it is. The good news is our side won and Tom Riddle has been gone for over a decade. And, most witches and wizards don't think that way. Actually, I should introduce you to Arthur Weasley, he’ll make you feel like the most important person in the room. The muggle world fascinates him.”

Charlotte grimaced. “So…so you’re all magical?”

“Yes.” Hermione agreed.

“And…if we had children, they’d be magical too?”

“More than likely. No ones really sure how magic is passed on, to be honest.” Hermione mused. 

“Right I…right.” she paused, balancing Pollux in one arm before she hit Draco on the shoulder. 

“Ow! What was that for!”

“That was for not telling me you could wave a bloody wand and do the dishes for the last four years!”

Hermione and Sirius laughed at the look of genuine shock on his face. 

“Where do you see us in Rigel's life?” Charlotte asked finally. 

“That's up to you, and Rigel.” Hermione replied, “We don't want to stop you from seeing him, as long as he's comfortable. We know it's a completely different situation, but as you can see, Theo’s just sort of slotted in.”

Charlotte nodded slowly, “The distance is an issue.”

Draco fidgeted. “Not exactly. We have a way of travelling instantly.”

“I’m sorry what, now?" Charlotte growled. "Are you now telling me that all those times we were late, including to our own goddamned honeymoon, we didn't actually have to be?”

“Ah. yes.”

“I swear to God Draco! Is there anything else I should know?” she demanded.

“We really do fly on broomsticks,” he replied with a shrug.

“Now you're just taking the piss!” she muttered.

“He's really not,” Sirius grinned. “We play a sport on them and everything.”

“Dragons are real.” Rigel piped up. 

“And unicorns…and mermaids,” Hermione added in.

“But…but…god almighty.” she trailed off helplessly. 

“We make potions in a cauldron too.” Rigel grinned at the woman who gave a small squeak of disbelief as she attempted to process the afternoon.

Chapter Text

Narcissa startled at the sound of the floo. She hadn't been expecting anyone and no one just popped in. not anymore. 

“Andromeda!”

Andromeda smiled slightly, “Get your shoes, Cissa.” she commanded. 

“What?” Narcissa frowned, “I don't…”

“The Aurors approved your visit. They have reservations, so did Hermione and Sirus, but they’ve agreed nonetheless. Get your shoes.”

Narcissa didn't think she had ever moved so fast in all her life, flying through the house, forgetting she’d have been quicker asking Effie to bring them to her. Five minutes later, she was in front of her sister, desperate to go. 

“Ground rules.” Andromeda cautioned, her face serious. “No slurs. No name-calling. You remain polite, to everyone. The Auror supervising will be Harry, we all thought it would be easier on Rigel. Hermione and Sirius will be there and I believe so will Draco and Charlotte.”

Narcissa grimaced, Draco had finally informed her of his muggle wife. He had also warned her he wouldn't tolerate anything other than her best behaviour or she’d never see him again. “Right.” she sighed. “The boy has met…Draco’s wife?”

“Yesterday. I gather it went well. We wouldn't have forced her into this so quickly, truth be told, she's only just learned of the existence of magic and is now being confronted with you but Rigel has questions and Harry couldn't guarantee he’d be free for a week or so after today so here we are. Do not muck this up, Cissa.”

She nodded slowly, she could do this. She’d missed ten years of Draco and Rigel's life, she wasn't missing any more and if that meant she had to accept a muggle daughter-in-law, well…she’d work on it.

“Good. Let's go.”

Narcissa stepped into her sister's house for the first time and noted that it felt…cosy. Not as austere as her own home. Harry Potter was waiting on her.

“Mrs Malfoy.” he greeted.

“Mr Potter.”

“I know you won't thank me for saying this, but…Rigel is my godson. Hermione is the closest thing to a sister I have. I owe you, without you, I’d be dead but do not dare upset them, or I will deal with it and you won't like the methods I use.”

“Are you threatening me, Auror Potter?” she asked lightly, not willing to show how unnerved the boy made her. Like Draco, the boy had turned into a man in the ten years she’d missed and there was no hiding that he was serious.”

“Of course not, Mrs Malfoy. I’m merely asking you to be on your best behaviour.” Harry smirked.

She arched a brow disbelievingly. “Of course you are.”

“This way,” Andromeda interrupted, her face showing her amusement.

Narcissa followed her into a small green room, Draco and Charlotte were waiting. 

“We thought we’d do this first, Mother,” Draco spoke, his eyes flashing a warning. “Charlotte this is my Mother, Narcissa. Mother, my wife, Charlotte.”

Narcissa took a deep breath, looking over the woman standing next to Draco. She was…not unattractive, which was a relief, although she was also nothing like she'd expected. Slight, with dark hair and skin, she was surprisingly well dressed, she’d expected a muggle to be far less put together, to be honest. It was clear within seconds of meeting the woman, that Draco adored her. “Mrs Malfoy,” Charlotte greeted, her face blank.

“Charlotte.” Narcissa returned. 

Andromeda rolled her eyes, “Sit down, for Merlin's sake! Sirius will be here shortly, I believe they were waiting on Severus.”

“Severus is taking the kids today?” Draco checked.

“Yes.” Andromeda smirked, “I heard Lyra suggested turning you into a rug.”

“Terrifying little witch,” Draco muttered. 

“Imagine how she’ll be after Severus is finished with her,” Andromeda grinned. 

Draco shuddered. “Who’s Severus? You mentioned him a few times yesterday.” Charlotte asked.

“Oh. My ah…Head of House at school. He taught Potions. Still teaches Potions. I don't think any description of the man could do him justice, to be honest.” Draco began. “He ah…well, let's just say I don't think I have ever seen the man smile. He is…terrifying. Not in the same way as Granger but in a silent, deadly, do not even consider fucking with him sort of way. He was a spy during the war, lived in black and hated children.”

“He still lives in black and he still hates children,” Andromeda snorted, “He just happens to love Hermione's. I have no idea how she did it, to be honest. Sheer stubbornness probably.”

Draco laughed, even as Charlotte pulled a face. “He sounds…interesting.”

“Oh he's immensely interesting, Dear,” Andromeda grinned, “Just don't take anything he says to heart. He's…sarcastic and has a supremely dry sense of humour.”

“I’m…I’m meeting him?”

“Oh, are you not going to Hermione and Sirius’ for dinner?”

“Ah yes.”

“Well, then you’ll meet him.”

Charlotte nodded silently, turning to stare accusingly at Draco for not warning her, he grimaced but shrugged, thankfully saved from answering by the roar of the floo. 

Narcissa felt herself straighten as she heard the rumble of voices. Sirius’ she recognised, Miss Granger… Mrs Black’s  was also recognisable but the third was high and childish and sweet.

“Sorry we’re late,” Sirius breezed in, “Poll’s timing is impeccable.”

“He pooed  all  the way up his back and into his  hair!”  Rigel grimaced. “It was disgusting. Mum made Dad clean it. He took forever because he kept looking like he wanted to be sick. I don’t know why he didn't just vanish it.” 

Vaguely Narcissa noted that someone laughed, but she couldn't take her eyes off of the boy. He was…perfect. So like Draco, it was almost painful, with the Granger girl's wild hair. 

“Ry?” Hermione spoke, resting the hand not balancing the baby on her son's shoulder. “This is your Grandmother.”

He frowned, before holding out his hand. “Mrs Malfoy.”

Narcissa forced down the sharp spike of hurt at his address, “Mr Black,” she returned, grasping his small hand in hers.

Rigel pulled a face. “That makes me sound as old as Dad,” he muttered.

“Oi! Any more of your cheek and you won't live to be as old as me.” Sirius threatened.

Rigel scoffed, “Mum won't let you do anything and we all know you're scared of her.”

Sirius paused, “True enough, she's vicious.”

Hermione closed her eyes as if praying for patience as the rest of the room hid their smirks. “If we could perhaps pretend to be somewhat normal, it would be appreciated,” she muttered. 

“You're a Black, darling,” Andromeda grinned, “None of us are normal.”

“And I’m surrounded,” Hermione sighed. Charlotte laughed until Hermione arched a brow at her. “So are you.” she pointed out, “You married into this family too, I wouldn't laugh quite just yet.”

Charlotte's eyes widened, “Is it too late to insist on just seeing Rigel?”

“Far, far too late,” Sirius grinned, “You're stuck with us now.”

“Great,” she replied, smiling weakly. 

Hermione laughed, “If you don't think about it too much it’ll be fine,” she soothed, grinning at an unconvinced looking Charlotte. “There's no point looking at me like that, you married him.”

“And I thought he was normal!” Charlotte protested, a small smile tugging at her mouth.

Hermione's jaw dropped slightly, “Really? I’m not sure Malfoy has ever been normal.”

“What's with the surname thing?” Charlotte queried. “Draco calls you Granger…you call him Malfoy….I meant to ask yesterday but well...”

“You were slightly distracted by the fact magic was real?" Hermione grinned. "And it's a school thing, I think. All of the Professors referred to us as Miss or Mr whatever our surnames were.”

“Did they really? That's…”

“Odd?” Hermione supplied. “Yes. But you’ll soon learn that the wizarding world is primarily stuck in the Victorian era. Ah, thanks Harry!” she beamed up at Harry when he handed her tea. “Oh gods it's hot!” she groaned, “If the baby cries he's someone else's problem until this is drunk. I haven't had a hot cup of tea since Lyra.” 

Harry snorted, taking Pollux from her. “Why is he Harry?”

“Oh! Sorry, have you been introduced?” Charlotte shook her head, “Harry Potter, Charlotte Malfoy. Harry’s as good as my little brother.” she explained.

“Uncle Harry’s my godfather,” Rigel piped up, smiling at Dracos grimace.

“Draco mentioned godparents being a big thing in your world?” 

“Ah yes. There's magic that goes into the bond, and if something was to happen to the parent, the godparent should automatically take over parental rights for the children." Sirius explained, "It's slightly harder in our case as all of ours have different godparents, but we don't plan on going anywhere and if we did, they’d just need to work it out.”

“Who did the other ones get?” Draco asked curiously. 

“Ah, Severus and Tonks are Cally’s, obviously Harry and Gin are Rigel’s, Reggies are Remus and Andy and Ron and Lavender are Lyra’s.”

“The Weasel married Lavender Brown?” Draco asked incredulously. 

“ Ron  married Lavender yes." Hermione replied pointedly, "She's…different than she was at school. She’s been hands-on with the children since Cally and Ry first came to us and she's one of the few people Lyra behaves for. Ron hasn't a clue what to do with her, of course, but Lavender more than makes up for it.”

“Uncle Fred and Uncle George keep giving Lyra pranks to test on Uncle Ron.” Rigel piped up, “It might be why he’s so frightened of her.”

Draco snorted, “Remind me to explain the Weasley twins one day,” he muttered to Charlotte. 

“Mum says you  can't  explain Uncle Fred and George.” Rigel grinned. 

“You see a lot of the Weasleys?” Narcissa asked hesitantly.

“Yes. Grandma Molly does the best chocolate cake!” Rigel replied eagerly, “And Uncle Charlie works with  dragons!  We went to see them once and he said that we can go back if I do well in my end of year tests when I go to Hogwarts. Oh and Uncle Bill had this really, really cool old necklace that made the wearer sing, he let Cally, Teddy and I watch him take the curse off and he introduced us to the Goblins! And Uncle Fred and George have the  best  shop in the whole world! And Aunty Ginny used to play quidditch! We got to meet the Tornadoes and the Harpies!” he paused, “She was a bit annoyed that I wouldn't change my team though, wasn't she Uncle Harry?”

Harry choked on a laugh, “She forgave you, don't worry. Just don't ever tell her she wasn't your favourite player.”

Only years of wearing a mask kept Narcissas smile on her face as she listened to her Grandson talk, the reality of those missing years hitting her full force. If the strain around Draco’s eyes was any indication, it had hit him too. “That sounds…wonderful, dear.” she smiled, ignoring Andromeda’s knowing look. 

“Do you have a big family, Mrs Malfoy?”

“Oh, not anymore, dear. Your Aunt Andromeda is my sister though, did you know that? And your…father is my cousin.”

“Is he really? Does that make us related twice?”

“Ah…perhaps.” Narcissa agreed.

“Is the Black family madness a real thing, Mrs Malfoy?”

“Oh. Yes, I suppose it is. I cannot imagine your Father has changed all that much, you cannot believe he's sane?”

“Mum says he's not.” Rigel agreed. “Are you?”

“Rigel!” Hermione exclaimed, hitting Sirius's chest.

“What did I do!” he yelped.

“He has your lack of filter!”

Across the room, Draco was barely holding on to his composure as he fought not to laugh. “Was that not polite, Mum?” Rigel asked, “I just wanted to know! Does that mean that Lyra isn't naughty, she's just mad?”

“Oh my god.” Hermione groaned as Draco lost his grip on his laughter. 

“Merlin Granger, is it always like this?”

“If you add in two other children, a baby and  Lyra , yes,” she muttered. 

“You love us,” Sirius grinned. 

“Yes.” she agreed, “Which makes me question whether one can inherit the family madness through marriage.”

Even Narcissa managed a small smile as she reached over and patted a startled Hermione's shoulder, “Embrace it, Mrs Black. It's too late to back out now.”

Andromeda cornered Hermione in the kitchen, “Do you want to have dinner here?” she murmured, “They appear to be getting on reasonably well.”

Hermione glanced through the door to where Rigel was sitting between Narcissa and Draco, trying to explain dragon breeds to Charlotte. “We could.” she hedged, “I don't want to impose though, there's rather a lot of us and you weren't expecting it.”

“Nonsense,” Andromeda waved her off. “I’ll warn Harry.”

Hermione hummed, leaning back into Sirius when he appeared, wrapping his arm around her. “I think Prongslet is getting broody again, he hasn't put Poll down.”

Hermine laughed, “Tough, Gin told him if he wanted another one, he’d have to have it. Lilys only just started sleeping through.”

He laughed, “Doing ok?”

“It's been…surprisingly ok.” 

He nodded, “He's doing well.”

“Let's hope it continues. Andy asked if we wanted to stay here for dinner so Narcissa could stay too.”

“Narcissa, Cally and Lyra? Are you insane?”

She shrugged, “Severus will be here too, and Theo. It’ll be fine.”

“Famous last words, Kitten,” he muttered. 

Narcissa watched the tiny girl sitting across from her warily. Lyra. She’d been warned about her and truth be told when she first set eyes on the girl it had surprised her. She was tiny, clearly more inclined to take after her mother than the Blacks, with the sweetest face and adorable dark curls. It didn't help that she had Draco’s eyes, huge and grey and rather like her son in his youth, she knew how to use them to her advantage. Now though, the child was staring at her with an unnerving intensity and Severus sodding Snape was attempting not to laugh.

“How have you been Severus?” she attempted, forcefully dragging her eyes away from the child.

“Well,” he smirked.

Narcissa forced down the urge to huff at his evasiveness. “Did I miss anything particularly interesting in the last decade?”

“You mean other than my apprentice and her hellspawn taking over my life?”

“We’re not hellspawn!” Lyra pouted. 

Severus inclined his head, “Forgive me. Her delightful children and this Monster.”

Lyra huffed, “You're not funny, Uncle Severus.” she muttered, before smiling sweetly sending chills down his spine. “Mama! Did Uncle Severus tell you what happened to his lab?”

“Ah now, no need for that,” he interjected as Hermione turned to face him.

“No, little star, he didn't.”

Lyra smiled triumphantly as Cally and Regulus hid their grins. “There's a really, really big hole in the wall, Mama,” she replied smugly. “ I  didn't know that fairy wings would do that.”

The entire table went silent. “Severus Snape,” she growled, “Explain!”

He sighed, running a hand over his face as Draco gaped at him and Andromeda and Sirius grinned. “I might have been teaching her ingredients and I might have had a potion in stasis on the bench and it ah….might have blown up when my back was turned for all of three seconds.”

Hermione exhaled sharply through her nose. “I see. What are the rules for my children and labs?”

“Not until they're eight,” he recited with a sigh, “But…I’m sure that was just brewing not ingredient recognition.”

Hermione glowered, “It's  Lyra! ”

“I know!” he groaned, “She still catches me off guard.”

“How?” Hermione asked incredulously. 

“Because she looks so bloody angelic! And she's intelligent, Hermione! Fucking terrifying but intelligent! How many four year olds…other than your other bloody children, could identify the bottom two tiers of ingredients in my private lab!” 

Narcissa blinked as she watched the exchange with a sort of suspended disbelief. She’d known Severus since he was a first year and the change was, quite frankly, jarring. 

“Keep her out of the lab unless it's empty, Severus!” Hermione retorted before turning to her daughter, “And you, Lady, what have you been told about potions?”

“Do not touch, do not eat, do not put anything in them,” Lyra recited promptly.

“Then why did you add fairy wings to uncle Severus'?”

“Oh because it was pink and glittery and the fairy wings sparkled and I thought they would go!” 

Hermione paused, “What in the name of Merlin were you brewing that was pink and glittery?”

Severus flushed, “The girls asked for a bubble bath that turned them into mermaids….I was…experimenting.”

“I don't want a bath that blows me up, Uncle Severus!” Lyra exclaimed in horror. “Unless…would the Healers give me a tail if I had no legs?”

“No!” Sirius interjected before she got ideas, “No tail! St Mungos doesn't stock them.” Lyra pouted. “Right well….this seems like a stupid place to ask this but I’m going to anyway….”

“Is this where we find out why you've been…stranger than normal?” Theo asked.

“Ah yes. As you know, Poll doesn't have Godparents yet and in light of our….unique situation and some worries about changing minds and lack of trust we ah….wondered if you, Draco and Charlotte, because Merlin knows  someone  will need to be sensible, would like the job.”

There was a stunned silence around the table. “Seriously?” Theo croaked, looking suspiciously teary.

“Gods Granger….you can't be serious?”

“Because you now have an indication of what you're getting yourself into?” she asked wryly.

Draco snorted, “No! You bloody daft witch! It's….its  huge  Granger and…and you’ve only really known me for a fortnight this time and….”

“Are any of you planning on going anywhere?” she asked bluntly.

“No!” Theo and Draco exclaimed in unison. 

“Well then.” Sirius grinned, “Assuming you agree, welcome to the family. Again.”

“Of course, we agree,” Charlotte grinned, “I admit I know nothing about how this works in your world but despite not quite being a baby person, that ones rather cute and hopefully it’ll stop Draco worrying you’re going to change your mind about being in Rigel's life.”

Hermione and Sirius both rolled their eyes, “Don’t be absurd. We told you earlier, you're stuck with us.”

“I never thought I’d say it, Granger,” Draco replied softly as Sirius squeezed his shoulder, “But I’m really blood glad about that.” 

Beside him, Theo snorted, moving to take Pollux from Andromeda, “I almost wish I could go back and tell your second year self, Malfoy,” he grinned. 

Narcissa watched them all with conflicted feelings. Her son was happy, he had clearly found a place with these people and she wasn't stupid, Sirius and his wife were making it clear they expected him to be around for the rest of their lives. It was…unexpected and humbling. Silently she vowed to do what she needed to ensure they all allowed her the same concession as she watched her grandson wind up his eldest sister with Harry attempting to mediate. Draco and Theo were fighting over their new godson, Severus, with a now angelic looking Lyra ensconced on his lap, was trying to provoke Hermione and Andy into an argument, with Sirius and Rigel explaining something to Charlotte at her other side. It was chaos and warm and loving and loud and she'd do anything to ensure her place. Smiling, she turned to join in Sirius' conversation. It was time to get to know the woman her son had chosen, it was the very least she could do for him.

Chapter Text

Sirius held onto Hermione tightly as she fought her tears. Rigel and Cally were making their rounds as they said goodbye to the odd collection of people gathered on the platform to see them off. 

“I never thought I’d see the day Malfoy was part of the family,” Harry muttered, watching Draco amuse a ten month old Pollux. 

Hermione shrugged, “He's… surprisingly tolerable. And you know that I wanted him and Theo to have a secure link to us, beyond the obvious. They've taken to being godfathers rather well.”

Harry snorted, “Still insane, Mione. How's Malfoys wife coping with it all?”

“Alright.” Hermione replied, “It helps that I took her to visit my parents. They have a perspective we don't have. Not that they're thinking children just now. I think he wants things with Narcissa to be on more solid ground before he attempts to change her mind.”

“She's still unsure?”

“Charlotte or Narcissa?”

“Narcissa.”

“Ah, yes. She's trying though so hopefully it’ll work out. I think she wants it to work out, which is a good place to start. It's clear she adores Rigel and as a result, she's very careful not to deliberately upset any of us.”

Harry hummed, “I can't believe they're old enough for Hogwarts. What am I going to do when it's James?”

“Cry?” Sirius suggested with a smirk. Dodging as Hermione hit him. 

“Ignore him. He's spent the last month watching them sleep and looking tearful”

“Creepy,” Theo muttered, appearing at Sirius’ side. “Now we know where Lyra gets it from.”

Harry snorted, “We’ve always known where Lyra gets it from.”

The sound of the whistle startled them all. “Oh! Oh no, I’m not ready for this!”

“Breathe Kitten, it’ll be Christmas before you know it,” Sirius murmured, automatically pulling her to him.

“Mum, Dad! We’re going to go!” A grinning Cally bounced over to them, allowing Hermione and then Sirius to pull her into a hug. “Don't cry Mama!” she whispered.”You've still got Reg, Lya and Poll. And Draco needs someone to keep him in line…so does Theo.”

“Oi! Imp!” Theo protested, wrapping his arms around his sister. 

“Well you do!” she insisted before whispering, “You’ll still visit them won't you?”

“Of course," he grinned, "your mother's lab is impressive.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Ry! Come on!” 

Rigel walked over throwing his arms around his mother, allowing her to squeeze him tightly. “Love you,” he whispered before quickly hugging Sirius. 

With a last wave, they hopped onto the train with Teddy. “Fuck Granger, how are you doing this?” Draco whined, his eyes suspiciously glassy.

Wordlessly, she shook her head, plucking Pollux from him to snuggle. “Good strategy,” Theo muttered, taking Lyra from Remus. 

“Reggie's too big to cuddle!” Draco protested, looking flummoxed when Ginny deposited a two year old Lily in his arms. “Thanks, Red,” he muttered, ignoring the way his wife laughed at him. 

“Right…right, who's up for pick up quidditch, Molly's cake and something alcoholic,” Sirius asked sounding suspiciously choked as the train left the station. 

Nodding, they followed him home. “Who’d have thought this would be our life?” Ginny mused, as the children ran around the garden and Draco and Harry attempted to work the barbeque, with James assisting. Regulus was ensconced in a corner with Theo, both of them talking animately about something as Sirius and Remus chased Lyra, Sophie and Emily around the pond. Arthur had Charlotte cornered, asking questions about muggle appliances with various Weasely and their families milling about the garden, all of them having come out to see the children off.

Hermione shook her head. “Not me,” she muttered, snuggling a sleeping Pollux close. 

Mum, Dad, Theo, Papa & Charlotte, 

We both got sorted into Gryffindor. Uncle Severus cried. 

Love Cally and Rigel.

             xx