Richard Granger had arrived home from work early, as his last client of the day had to cancel and reschedule for later that week. Not wanting Jean to have to come home and cook, Mick decided that they would call for takeout once everyone was home. He hoped that the kids were successful in all of their endeavors today, mentally he knew that they were adults, but in this timeline, they still were kids; kids who were set to leave them on the first. He couldn't believe how attached he had grown to Harry in only three days… has it really only been three days? With their talk taking up most of the night on his first day with them, Richard felt like he knew Harry quite a bit longer than he actually did.
Getting out the brochures of the various take out restaurants, Richard was just getting ready to pour himself a scotch and get started on the evening paper when he heard, rather than saw, his family arrive home. Rambunctious laughter could be heard coming from the garage as Jean walked thru the attached door greeting her husband with a smile. "Good evening dear, your home early? Did the Luebke's cancel again?" Jean asked, it wouldn't be the first time that Cindy Luebke had to reschedule young Jamison's dental cleaning appointment, nor will it most likely be the last.
"Yup, where are the kids?" he asked, knowing they physically where in the garage still, but curious as to what was holding them up. "Oh, they are gathering the bags upon bags of clothes we just purchased for Sirius, Remus and Harry. They were all in desperate need of proper clothes and who better to take them all shopping than me!" Jean said with a smile. "So they sprung Sirius from the pen, and got to meet up with Remus early I see. Good, we could sure use some more help making sure that psycho doesn't come back to life!" Richard said while trying to hold in his excitement of meeting the other half of the Marauders, or he supposed two thirds of them, as the rat had officially been banned from the group. Some of the stories that the portrait of James Potter told him about Sirius made the wizard seem bigger than life.
The group chose that moment to burst in through the attached garage door laughing at something that Harry said, "You should have seen Pads face when his hair turned blue!" Harry finished telling a story from the previous timeline. "Remind me to watch out for these two Moony, they seem even smarter than James when it comes to humiliating me!" Sirius said sharing a laugh with his brother. "Oh! I'm sorry where are my manners, Hello, you must be Mickey, it's a pleasure to meet you sir, I am..." Sirius was about to introduce himself and Remus to Hermione's father when he was cut off mid-sentence. "Just Mick if you don't mind Sirius, Mickey makes me feel like a mouse, and a mouse is far too close to a rat for my liking!" Shaking Sirius hand with a bemused smile on his face, Richard then turned to Remus, "And a pleasure to finally meet you Remus, I'm sorry, but I feel like I already know you both, between all the stories from the kids and some of the tales that James told me about…"
Noticing both the men pale at the use of James name, Richard thought he might know what caused the ghostly complexions, "Oh, I'm so sorry to give you a fright, you must not know, James and Lily had a portrait commissioned that has their memories updated till roughly a week before they passed, they are such a lovely couple to speak with." Looking towards the kids, Richard thought of something, "Guys, why don't you bring these two upstairs so they can see for themselves, I had planned on getting take out so Jean and I will place the order while you lot are upstairs. Do you have any preferences?"
"CHINESE!" Sirius shouted out of excitement, "Sorry! Lily introduced me to the stuff when she was alive, and Azkaban doesn't hand out any gentle chows chicken."
Laughing at his pronunciation of General Tso, Richard filed thru the menus until he found the one for the local Chinese restaurant. "And for you Remus?" Richard asked while placing an 'S' next to the general tso. "Orange Chicken please" Remus said while climbing the stairs following Sirius who was, in turn, following Hermione.
Marking down his selection, Richard picked up the phone and placed the order, three orders of Orange chicken for Remus and the kids, two orders of General Tso for himself and Sirius, and the wanton soup for Jean.
Further away at Malfoy Manor, Narcissa Malfoy was also sitting down to supper, having the need to inform her son of his fathers' sentence, Narcissa decided to have Draco's favorite dish; Honey-Orange Salmon with risotto. "Dragon, please take a seat, we have some things to discuss." Narcissa asked her son as he entered the dining hall. Doing as he was told, Draco sat across from his mother, his father's seat at the head of the table still empty without a place setting as he was still held in jail.
Noticing where his eyes had glanced Narcissa started, "I'm afraid Dragon, that your father will not be returning home anytime soon." Watching as her son's gaze went from curious to worried, "He was found guilty of his crimes against the youngest Weasley, and against Wizarding Britain's youth in general. The book that he attempted to slip Miss Weasley could have brought death and destruction to Hogwarts, something that neither him nor myself could have protected you from." Again, Narcissa watched her son's expressions, waiting for the temper that he inherited from Lucius to make itself known. "Personally, I believe he got what he deserved, I know you looked up to your father son, but he was not a good man. He has helped bring terror and discord to the wizarding nation and had no sense of loyalty to neither you nor me. He would have traded us both in if it meant getting closer to the Dark Lord."
Draco understood the words his mother was saying, there were plenty of times when he was getting whipped for failing to beat Granger in class, or when Draco whined about being betrothed to Pansy. His father demanded that children should be seen but not heard, he never felt any love from his father, only forced respect.
Now his mother was the complete opposite, she would always allow him to speak what was on his mind, she might not agree with some of the things he said, but she never forced him into her way of thinking. She taught him about his heritage thru the Blacks, and how children were revered as 'gifts'. She would always make sure to heal the wounds from the blows he received from his father's belt or provide a potion for when he performed the cruciatus curse on him. Yes, Draco loved and fully respected his mother, she was smart and cunning, the prime example of a Slytherin, he had no problem believing his father killing him off to please the Dark Lord.
"What does this mean for us Mother? Are we going to be okay?" Draco asked, a little selfishly worried about his possession and his lifestyle.
"Given the terms of my marriage contract, I have the right to ask my head of house for my marriage to be dissolved, as your father is no longer able to provide myself and any heir's the lifestyle we are used to." stopping to see if Draco would react poorly to this, Narcissa paused. Draco however, agreed with her and nodded for her to continue, "Your great-grandpa Pollux, who was head of the family when I was married, made sure that the contracts were written just so, they all had an 'out' clause just in case; the Blacks were very careful not to allow 'shameful behavior' to tarnish the family name. I will not be allowed to marry again, but given the fact that I have you to carry on my name, if you so choose to, I will be allowed to disassociate myself from the Malfoy name, effectively ending their line." At this Draco was taken aback, it was true that his father and even grandfather did nothing to help the name of Malfoy, but he didn't want the name to die out.
Seeing her sons worry Narcissa informed him of the other option. "I don't want to see that any more than you do son, I know your father and grandfather were practically useless, but that doesn't mean that we can't bring honor to the Malfoy name once again. My second option would be to dissolve my marriage and have you take the mantle of the Malfoy line, as the Malfoys are a purely patriarchal family, this would be the only way to continue the line. With this comes a lot of work, it also comes with a great deal of responsibility. I would warn you however, if you chose this path and you make any attempt to rule over me or anyone of my family, the Head of the Black family can, and most likely will, take action against you." Shocked that his mother would even think that he would harm her, Draco asked why she felt the need to say such things.
"Because Draco, the current head of the Black family is Sirius Black, godfather to Harry Potter, who, just today, has named Harry as his heir." Gulping Draco now understood the warning, it was more about Potter than it was about his mother, she just chose to show him in her own distinct style, that the consequences of his actions would be held to a higher standard, least he lose the one person who truly loved him.
This proved to be a smart move, Draco saw the way his actions played out last year, no one in Slytherin house really spoke with him, well except for pig-nosed Pansy and the two book ends his father insisted he hang out with. But could he really change? Was it possible to make amends after making himself to look like his fathers' clone? If mom can do it, then so can I. I am a descendant of the Black family after all, and Blacks always back Blacks; and it looks like Harry Potter is now a Black, that makes him family. Yes, Draco Malfoy will remain, he thought, he just hoped that he will make both sides of his family proud of him.
Deloris Umbridge's plan was simple, she wanted to be Minister of Magic, with that position came the power to push through the reforms she wanted to come to life. Tighter regulations on blood purity, hunting parties on miscreants like werewolves, vampires and the like, and most importantly, payback on the nasty muggle-born witches and wizards that made the mistake of making fun of her. They would all pay, every single one of them. Deloris had plans of a Muggle-Born Registration Commission where she could prosecute every single one of the wanna be witches and wizards.
And she was SO close to that coveted spot too, she was now the Senior Undersecretary to the Minster of Magic, and lets face it that imbecile doesn't have very long before he is voted out of office, she thought, that's if I have anything to do about it. Deloris only had to figure out a way to make him drop in popularity to the wizarding public, and then frame him for something to get him out of the way. That's where the 'non' death eaters come in handy, all she had to promise them was inside information on anyone who was under investigation, and any other useful tidbits she could obtain from her current position, they ate up her offer like a starving kid eating cake.
Hearing the doorbell caused, what sounded like a stamped coming from the direction of the stairs, Sirius leading the race. Jean couldn't believe the turnaround in Sirius, comparing him from the trial to now, it was like he was a different person. Sure, the clean clothes, and the spark of life that was back in his eye, went along way to improve his appearance; but it was the smile, Jean thought, that really made him look completely different.
"So Sirius, what is on your agenda now that you are a free man? Do you even have a place to stay?" Richard asked while he was filling his plate out of the little containers. Sirius, who was already digging into his right from the carton replied, "Well, I want to get a few things in order at the bank, today's visit was just to declare myself as head of the Black family and to make sure Harry was listed as my heir. I also promised my cousin Narcissa that we could sit down and discuss some things, as I have apparently been wrong about her for many years. And then my whole life will be dedicated to helping my god children" he said this while looking over at Harry and Hermione. Hermione had instantly become his kid when Harry introduced her to him as his wife, from that moment on she became is pseudo god daughter.
"That's all fine and dandy Sirius, but nowhere in there did you mention you had a place to stay? And please, before you start, you are not to return to your ancestral home before you get someone in there to cleanse and clean it." Richard stated a bit forcefully. He would not have Sirius put himself in danger, for some reason he felt like Sirius was already a brother to him, they both loved and accepted the kids almost instantly when they informed them of their marriage, and he found he enjoyed his company, lack of manners at the present time and all.
Sirius understood that Mick knew more about him than most, which was strange because they physically just met, but he already decided he like the stately dentist. He confirmed that he did not have a place to stay currently and was hoping to convince Remus to move in with him, lord knows the poor man must have been living among the scum of society because of his condition. Nothing really prepared either man for the offer that they were about to receive.
"Well that settles it then, you will move in with us until a time when number twelve is deemed fit for living." Richard said while looking to his wife to make sure he didn't misjudge the situation. He need not worry though, Jean's beaming smile told him that he got this right. "We have a little self-contained two bedroom flat out back that we use as an in-law suite for when Jean or mines parents come to visit. We would like to extend the offer for you to use it until you get your affairs in order. We can show you around after we are done eating." Richard said just before he took a big bite of his general tso.
Sirius was overwhelmed, it felt like being accepted by the Potters all over again, how could he be so lucky to have found two such loving couples that would take a bum like him in he would never know, what he did know is that he had no intention of turning Mick's offer down, only one thing was holding him back. Glancing at Remus it didn't take long to see that he was uncomfortable with the situation, this prompted Sirius into explaining what might be considered a problem to some, "I would love to stay with you both, and I really appreciate the offer, I just want you to be made aware of all the facts before we accept your offer." Sirius began only to be cut off.
"If you are about to inform us of Mr. Moony's furry little problem, we can save you the lecture. We are well aware of what happens to him one night every month, just as we also know that he takes precautions to be as safe as possible during that time. So long as you both have no problem hanging around with a couple dentists, we would love to have you." Jean informed the two wizards.
Remus had never felt as welcomed anywhere as he did here. Okay maybe at the Potters residence, but other than that, everyone else seemed to be skeptical of his 'furry little problem' as the Grangers, who most likely stole from Lily, termed his condition. Seeing the acceptance in his eyes, Sirius accepted their generous offer.
The following day found Sirius once again at Gringotts, still not fully trusting Cissy, Sirius felt that this would be a safe, neutral, meeting place. He also had planned to meet several other members of his family later that day, and decided that if he was already out, why not just hold them all in the same place.
Feeling good in his tailored suit and robe, Sirius was reviewing some financial paperwork when Narcissa walked in. Standing up to greet her, Sirius thanked her for meeting him. "Thank-you for coming today Cissy, I hope you know the reason I chose this setting. I need to make sure that I can trust you again, and until I feel that I can, I will not jeopardize Harry and Hermione." Narcissa, who had already figured this out, didn't blame Sirius for the precaution.
"No worries dear cousin, I am well aware that I haven't proved my worth to you. We have a lot of history sitting between us, and I have no problem with you taking precautions. I hope that one day you will trust me enough be help you. I already know a little bit where Harry and Hermione are concerned, however I am under an unbreakable vow to them, so if you have any questions on that matter, I ask that you inquire about it with them." Sirius was told the background of why they entrusted his cousin with the bare bones' information needed to get him out of Azkaban, the truth of the matter was he still didn't believe that she did that. Knowing that they had several hours before the other members of the Black family would arrive, Sirius attempted to get the answer to the question he had asked at the ministry. "Well then Narcissa, I thank you for the assistance you provided to my children. I would, however, like the answer to the question I put forth in my holding cell; Why now?"
Sighing, Narcissa proceeded to tell Sirius all about her life, starting from the last moment they spoke up until today. She left nothing out, all of Lucius' shady deals, his abuse of her for refusing to join the death eaters, her need to protect Draco, what Draco and herself decided last evening, and everything in between. She let it all fall off her chest, he was the head of her family after all, he could use the family magic on her if he wanted, and she wouldn't blame him. She even offered to repeat everything under truth serum.
What Narcissa didn't know was that Sirius had already had that covered, there was a goblin version of the truth serum in her tea. It was less potent than what the witches and wizards used in a trial and didn't have the side effect of being lethal if over dosed. Sirius knew every word coming out of Narcissa's mouth was true, and he was shocked at everything she went through.
"Why wasn't your marriage dissolved when Lucius allowed you to be tortured by Voldemort?" Sirius asked with anger in his voice, "he completely violated your contract at that point, placing a pregnant lady under the cruciatus curse is not only torture to the mother, but torture to the child as well, not to mention the line theft it would have caused if you lost the baby, considering it left you barren."
"By the time that had happened, your mother convinced her father that I deserved it for disobeying my husband." Narcissa said with pure hatred in her voice, it wasn't often that she let her façade crumble. Sirius had heard enough, in some ways Narcissa's life was a hundred times worse than his ever was, it was at this point when he stood up from the table and proceeded to hug his cousin, she had convinced him, he was slowly getting his family back.
Sirius thought it would be funny to surprise Andi, which is how Narcissa found herself sitting in a plush waiting area for her cue to enter the meeting. She had to admit to herself that she was excited to be reunited with her baby sister, she always loved Andi best and had truly missed her over the years.
The Tonks family was seated in a nice meeting room, although instead of tables and hardbacked chairs there were couches and comfy armchairs. Nymphadora 'don't call me that' Tonks was seated between her parents. She barely remembered Sirius from when she was little, but given everything she read and was told, she just knew she would love him. Ted Tonks on the other hand was nervous, he loved his wife, and knew that she sacrificed a lot to be with him, they were never well off, but were comfortably happy. Having Sirius free meant that things could quite possibly change, not that it was a bad thing, but Ted was not used to all the politics that came with a titled pureblood family. Noticing this, his wife leaned over, just follow my lead love, Sirius isn't like the rest of them, he too was disowned from the family, it was by pure dumb luck that my wicked Aunt Walburga didn't file the proper paperwork, that makes him head.
Thinking that things still seem to be quite fancy, Ted remained nervous. It was into this mixed atmosphere that Sirius made his entrance, breezing into the room with a gigantic smile on his face, Harry had told him of the youngest Tonk's hatred of her first name, and thought it would be a wonderful prank to use that knowledge against her. "NYMPHADORA! My word have you grown! And Andi, beautiful as always! Hello Ted, wipe that look off your face, I promise you I won't be the stuffy pureblood like the family you stole Andi from." Everyone looked at him in shock, well everyone except the youngest who proceeded to say, "DON'T call me Nymphadora, some people shouldn't be allowed to name children! Call me Tonks!"
"Now, now… Nymphadora is a beautiful name, just be glad you weren't named after a star!" Sirius said with a chuckle. "Better a star than the Saint who's known as a Virgin martyr." Tonks said with disdain in her voice. That was the final straw for Sirius, he fell from the chair, grasping his stomach as he had tears streaming down his face from laughing so hard.
Composing himself after a lengthy time on the floor, Sirius thought it was time to give Andi her surprise. "Okay my dears… and Ted, lets get down to the reason that I've brought you lot in here today, firstly being the head of the house of Black, I have reinstated Andi back into the family, so welcome back," wiping her eyes at Sirius words, Andi thanked him warmly, he then continued, "Secondly, I'm sorry Andi but your sister Bellatrix will be cast from the family as she will never change, she was just as psychotic in her childhood as she was in her adult life. Thirdly I have dissolved the marriage of Narcissa Malfoy and have brought her back into the Black family," while saying this Sirius heard the gasp from Andi, which was nothing in comparison to the scream that ripped from her throat as Cissy walked thru the doors. Narcissa prepared herself for impact as she noticed Andi had no intentions of slowing down. Slamming into her sister Andi proceeded to loudly sob into Narcissa's shoulder, Ted, feeling happy for his wife that she got her long lost family back thought to himself, Follow her lead my arse, I think I will be just fine staying seated in this instance.
Having calmed down substantially, the sisters took a seat together on a couch, Andi introducing her daughter, much to her distain for using her full name, to her sister. Together Sirius and Cissy informed Andi and her family of Draco's decision, and what they could expect to happen within the next few years now having the Blacks back together. Sirius finished up the meeting with his fourth and final reason for the meeting to begin with, "Now I know the Black motto has always been Toujours Pur, but as the head of the family, I don't believe in the ideals of pureblood supremacy. So because of this, I felt that a change of motto would be a good way to reclaim the name of Black. I didn't change it yet as I wanted your opinion on the new motto, I propose that we change from Toujours Pur to Toujours Pur de Coeur." It was now Sirius's turn to be nervous, as he thought the change was brilliant, but what would the Black ladies think of it?
"Always pure of heart?" Tonks asked, Sirius nodded, "Exactly right Dora, I think that its meaning is something I can stand behind, not just 'always pure', I want to make sure that our family has a pure heart."
"I think it's brilliant, and I will tolerate the name Dora, Merlin knows its better than Nymph or Nymphie like some wanted to call me in school… SIRIUS NO!" but it was too late, Sirius was already laughing, Tonks could see that this was going to take some strong arming in order for him to forget those nicknames. WHY OH WHY DID I EVEN BRING THEM UP?! She thought sourly.
Sirius invited, per the kids request or rather demand, Dora to dinner. He wasn't to sure, but he felt that there was something that the two of them weren't telling him. Whatever the reason is, however, he would never second guess it, they obviously have knowledge of the future that he was not privileged to.
Harry was currently talking with his parents in the guest room while Hermione was helping Remus unpack his things both new and old in his new bedroom. "Do you guys think he'll be upset at us trying to set Remus up with Tonks?" Harry asked them, "They didn't get together until after he passed away in the last timeline." Harry was attempting to still have his godson in his life, he didn't even care if Remus chose Sirius as the godfather, just so long as Teddy still had a chance to live.
"Sirius would never want Remus to be alone, if what you say is true, and Moony and Tonks are destined to be together than he would have no problem welcoming Remus officially into the family. I mean he's a brother in all but blood the way it is." James advised his son. "Just don't get your hopes up son, they may in fact have a child, but with everything you have changed so far who's to say that they have a boy this go around. Either way you would have done everything you possibly could to make that happen, as long as everyone is happy you should consider it a job well done." Lily said, desperate to hold her son but knowing that she couldn't.
"Thank you, guys, I'm so happy that I get to run things by you, I know you can't physically be here, but this truly is the next best thing." Harry said and he meant it, he might not be able to hug them or run away as his dad ruffled his hair, but he could still talk with and get to know his parents.
Sirius appeared in the living room of his new flat with Tonks at his side, "Nice place" Tonks stated while Sirius yelled out to see if anyone was home. "I think so," he said walking towards one of the bedrooms that he heard Remus yell out from. Following closely behind him Tonks stopped in her tracks at the sight of the scars running down the back of the man who she presumed to be Remus. Being an auror she knew exactly what those scars meant, Sirius's best mate must be Remus Lupin, a known werewolf who was turned at a young age, he was the only registered werewolf who has never had a known incident, even when he was younger he was able to control the wolf's tendency to want to maim and kill. Turning around she noticed him blush a deep crimson red, all down his neck and a good part of his chest flushed the deep red color. Not that her eyes lingered that long on his chest, no they were captured by his beautiful soulful eyes, they were a soft, light green with what seemed to be flecks of gold.
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize Sirius had company with him or I promise you I would have put a shirt on" reaching out his hand after doing just that, Remus introduced himself to the pretty lady with bright pink hair that just seemed to turn purple? "Remus Lupin, how do you do ma'am." Remus asked while watching her pink/purple hair now rapidly changing between a multitude of different colors. Raising an eyebrow, he just had to ask, "I'm going to take a wild guess here Miss Tonks and say that you are a metamorphamagus."
Still unable to speak properly, Tonks just nodded her head. Remus just smiled, he understood what it was like to be shy, even though he was way off the mark, Remus just never assumed that anyone would be attracted to him, why would they with all his scars?
Sirius just stood off to the side as he watched his cousin interact with his best friend. Those little rascals, they knew this would happen! Why didn't they tell me? Did they think I would be upset? Did they think I would ruin things? No that couldn't be it, I'm as smooth as silk when setting people up… they must have thought I would be mad.Sirius wasn't mad by any means, in fact he was super happy, if these two got together Remus would officially be family, not that he wasn't already considered family to Sirius, this would just be documented proof that he was. Glancing around the room he noticed that Hermione wasn't in here, wanting to give the two some time to get to know one another, if that was what this whole demanding he bring her with was all about, Sirius asked about her whereabouts, "She's currently in your room putting your stuff away." Remus said with a smirk. "WHAT!" Sirius yelled, not in anger, but in shock as he marched out of the room and across the hall, "What in Merlins name is that?!" Sirius questioned stopping dead in his tracks and pointed at the throw pillows on his bed. Giggling at his outlandish display of childishness, Hermione replied to his outrage, "Those are throw pillows Sirius, honestly, I know you spent a long time in that hell hole, but I would have figured you would know what throw pillows are." Hermione said this while she was hanging up the last of the dress shirts Sirius had bought in a muggle department store.
"I know exactly what throw pillows are Hermione, thank-you very much, but why, may I ask, are they on my bed? They are practically useless after all, its not like you can sleep on them with all those tassels and knobby things all over them." Sirius said with his arms crossed. Hermione rolling her eyes told him that they were there before he got there and that her Grandmother loved them. With a wave of her wand, Hermione shrunk four out of the six pillows and transfigured the other two into big fluffy ones that Sirius approved of. "Thanks," Sirius said while pushing on the newly transfigured pillows, "You didn't have to put away my clothes, I would have gotten around to it." Shaking her head, Hermione had no doubt that he would have, in several weeks … when he needed to wash them.
Trying to pull his attention away from the bed, the flowery linen that was sure to be his next bone of contention, Hermione asked "Did you speak with Cissy about Dobby?" Trying hard not to think about what she asked him to do, so as Harry didn't hear her thoughts, was hard, Sirius said that occlumency would help them hide their private, innermost thoughts and not broadcast everything that popped into their heads. He gave them a brief overview of it last night and she made a mental note to read up on it first chance she got at Hogwarts.
"Yes, she agreed to releasing him from the Malfoy family, however she wanted me to tell you that she never mistreated the elves her prat of a husband however did, and that Lucius was a terror to Dobby in particular, she wasn't sure why. She likes Dobby, but knows you would treat him well." Although she wasn't happy with enslaving an elf, she was long removed from her S.P.E.W days, after the war she had sat down with the elves of Hogwarts one day and asked them a whole bunch of questions. The bottom line was they loved to work and didn't think of themselves as slaves. They draw their magic from their owners and in return love to work for them. It was an eye opener to say the least.
"Thank-you Sirius." Hermione then called for the little elf in question, "Dobby!" A loud crack could be heard as Dobby appeared, already in a low bow, "New mistress calls for Dobby, what may I do for you Missus?" Dobby said remaining in the bow, his long nose almost touching the ground. "Good evening Dobby, I would like to set a few expectations of you as the Potter's personal elf." She started to say, that was until Dobby let out a wail, "Missus wants Dobby to be her and master's personal elf? Dobby is not worthy missus; you must prefer some other elf with better qualifications." Hermione had gotten used to this from the last timeline, it was a telltale sign of Lucius' abuse. "No Dobby, I am quite sure that Harry and I would prefer you to be our personal elf and friend. Now first things first," Hermione didn't give the elf time to argue, "I would like for you to take this money and buy yourself a uniform. I don't care what the uniform looks like, but I would like for you to be presentable. The second thing I would like for you to do is to call me Hermione, I have no want to be called mistress. Same thing goes for Harry, first names will be just fine, unless the situation calls for it, in which case I ask you to use your best judgement. Do you think you can handle being the only elf for both of us?" Hermione questioned after she listed off the 'rules' to him. "Oh yes missus Mione, Dobby can work just fine for both of youse." Dobby declared. Hermione sighed; it looks like some things will never change.The only person she ever really allowed to call her Mione was Harry, but she owed her life to this elf and she would be damned if she would be angry at him for shortening her name. "Okay Dobby, before you go off to get your uniform, I would like for you to bring something over to Harry for me, if you could just wait a moment while I write the note out." Hermione didn't know if it was Sirius' prankster ways rubbing off on her, or if she just couldn't help surprising her husband for once, Hermione wrote a simple 'I love you' on a piece of parchment and sent Dobby off to Harry. Not before letting him know she would be sending him a gift soon via their link however.
'Harry my love, I am sending a surprise over to you, stand by for arrival.' Harry heard in his head just before a loud crack sounded making his mother in law scream. "Dobby has message for the greatest master Harry Potter sir from missus Mione." Dobby said proudly while holding out the note. Taking the note and reading Hermione's 'I love you' made Harry laugh, he figured out rather quickly that Dobby was meant to be his present. 'You got the Malfoy's to hand him over to us, didn't you?' Harry asked over the link. All she replied with was a simple, 'yup'. Harry laughed as he introduced Dobby to his in-laws, "Mick… Jean… I would like to introduce you to your newest favorite elf in the whole world. This is Dobby, and he's a house elf." Harry said smiling as the two Grangers waved at the strange little creature. "Dobby loves to help out around the house, so don't be surprised if you find your cabinets reorganized in a more strategic order, or finding your tea made perfectly the way you like it, waiting for you when you walk into the kitchen in the morning. He's an excellent cook and is super helpful when attempting to get from point A to point B in a hurry." Jean was listening as Harry described what Dobby loved to do, she couldn't help but feel excited to have some help in the Kitchen, she wondered what the little elf could all cook?
Dobby popped away, stating that missus Mione had a few things for him to do before he would be back to clean the house. Harry laughed at Jeans horrified expression and decided to cut her a little slack, "Don't take what Dobby says as an insult mum, your house is very tidy, you will however most likely notice a difference when Dobby cleans, as he can use magic to make things look like new again. Don't worry, I promise you this is what he loves to do. If you don't believe me ask your daughter, she had a heart to heart with the elves of Hogwarts when she tried to free them in a few years' time." Harry remembered the event like it was yesterday, Hermione knitting little hats, creating her own version of chaos in Gryffindor tower. Thank Merlin she had that heart to heart with the elves after the war, he didn't think he would survive going through the whole S.P.E.W phase again.
Back at Malfoy Manor, Draco was finishing up his packing, excited to start a new year at Hogwarts tomorrow, being the new and improved Draco Malfoy. This year he wouldn't dread coming home for the holidays, afraid of getting whipped or cursed, he could simply enjoy his time off. On top of that he looked forward to making new friends and breaking away from Pansy and the useless book ends. Now that his father wasn't around, Draco found a lot more options available to him that he didn't have before hand. Who knows, maybe he would even befriend Potter and the gang, although the thought of being friends with Ronald Weasley still made him want to vomit. Potter and Granger were at least respectful and honorable, Weasley only cared about two things himself and his food. Draco had made a conscious decision early on to sit with his back facing the Gryffindor table, just for the simple fact that he wouldn't have to watch Weasley shovel the food into his mouth and talk quidditch at the same time.
Narcissa had arrived just before supper was to begin and informed Draco that they would be having guests for dinner, Draco stood from his place at the table, walked from the dining room to the main reception hall, and stood by the floo to welcome the guests into their home. Seeing the fireplace light up green, Draco held out a hand to help Andi thru the grate, followed shortly by her daughter Dora, and then shaking Teds hand. He introduced himself and welcomed them to Malfoy Manor while he escorted them into the dining room. "Cissy, young Draco here is the epidemy of hospitality, you did a fine job raising him." Andi praised both of them at the same time.
The evening was pleasant as the sisters got to know one another again, Draco was kept entertained by the stories his aunt could tell of his mum during her school days, he couldn't believe some of the things she said, he just couldn't see his mum flying on a broom, maybe that's where he got his love of flying from? And his cousin with her ability to change into whoever she pleased, she did a fair job of impersonating McGonagall, so much so that Draco physically shivered at her glare. Overall Draco assessed the situation he currently found himself in, he was enjoying a nice meal and found that he was being active in the conversation, not only that but his opinion was asked on several occasions; he would never have been allowed to speak if his father were still around, not to mention his aunt, who was quickly becoming his favorite, would never have been allowed to step foot in this house never mind her husband or his cousin. Yes, Draco thought, I think I'm going to love this new lifestyle.
And so, for the first time in a long time, Draco Malfoy, went to bed happy, and excited for his trip to Hogwarts the following day.