Coming Home II: Sins of the Father, chapter one
Chapter list
In case you missed it, Coming Home I: Familiarization of Liberty.
Sins of the Father, sequel to Familiarization of Liberty
I don't own anything; it's the property of JKR, Raincoast, RTD, Cowlip, Showtime, et al.
I first came across the golem as I've used it in this chapter in a gorgeous fantasy novel called Tigana, written by Guy Gavriel Kay.
Warnings for this story: slash, of course, language, adult themes.
To get the timeline to match up, I moved the Potter-verse up about four years so that it coincides with the world of QaF rather than the reverse (see FoL I if you care to know why).
Other than that, this should be HP canon-compliant until early in HBP, except that Lucius escaped being captured at the battle at the Department of Mysteries.
This is the secondpart of the Coming Home series. The first, set in the second season, deals with Draco's arrival in the Queer as Folk 'verse. This installment takes place a couple of years after the finale, meaning there are spoilers for the full series. Please, please, if you haven't seen the show to that point, go and watch it; these are beautiful, beautiful men who are very, very talented actors, and I recommend watching as much as you can. It's set also well after the books (though I don't know yet how canon-compliant it will be). Forewarned is fore-armed.
The most important warning, however, is this: I'm evil. Not only is this the only chapter of this story that I've completed, I don't have an outline or even a proper plot. As such, I can not hazard even a guess as to when the next chapter will go up. I wouldn't have posted it at all except that I promised myself that I'd publish something each month in 2009, and this is the only thing I have on hand that is complete.
Suggestions, in addition to reviews and constructive criticism, would be heartily welcomed.
Originally posted: 09 July 2009
Coming Home II: Sins of the Father
Chapter One
Draco was heading to the kitchen for breakfast - lunch, he amended with a look at the clock - when the owl appeared.
D,
Help! I need you to spring me for a couple of days, A.S.A.P. PLEASE!!!
Your bestest almost sister,
M
Perplexed, he stared at the note. That was... Unusual. Molly had taken to the magical world like a Niffler to a diamond mine, and they often had to coax her to return for the holidays. She had, in fact, been offered the opportunity to come home for the week, to see Justin's show and to spend the makeshift holiday with the family, but she'd chosen to stay at school.
Draco tried to reach Jennifer, but, just as he'd feared, her cell was off. Brian had offered to pay for their flights as he had Lindsay's and Melanie's but they'd wanted to stop in Allentown to see Tucker's parents en route. She and Tucker would be on the road now, and she didn't like the distraction of incoming calls.
He read the note again. Molly was a good kid, not likely to make a request like this on a whim, so he headed for the Floo connection.
When Molly had started at Salem Academy, they'd been living at the condo, and, without access to the Floo network, there had been challenges communicating discretely with the wizarding world. By her second year, Justin was headed to New York for the foreseeable future, and Tucker was living in the townhouse with Jennifer, so Draco moved into the country house. It was an arrangement that worked out for all parties: Brian didn't have to admit that he didn't want to sell or lease the house to strangers, it was an environment in which Draco felt comfortable, and they could incorporate a few magical accoutrements without fear that they would accidentally be discovered.
Jen had accepted her daughter's lifestyle as she had her son's, but Draco was more comfortable with magic and a magical being himself, so he handled most of the long distance exchanges. Because a wizard was listed as an ‘official’ contact, he was able to include a few amenities reserved for wizarding households, like the Floo connection he was using to contact Molly's school.
Fortunately, Headmistress Kennedy was in her office, and he was able to make his pitch to her directly. "There's a family celebration this weekend," he explained once they'd dispensed with the pleasantries, "and we weren't planning to disrupt her studies. We've just received word that unexpected guests will be able to attend, however, and we'd like Molly to be here." He was prepared to justify the request, having invented a long-lost cousin, but she interrupted - "Of course, Mr. Taylor" - and asked one of the portraits to summon Molly.
Draco gaped, bewildered at the surprisingly accommodating response. When they'd requested that Molly be sent home for Justin and Brian’s wedding, it had taken Draco the better part of an hour to convince her that Molly's presence was necessary, despite the day of classes she would miss. When the headmistress had learned that the ceremony had been canceled at what should have been the rehearsal dinner, Draco had been subjected to a lecture twice as long on the seriousness of interrupting Molly's education, and she'd suggested that perhaps their family should take commitments more seriously in the future.
When Headmistress Kennedy turned back to the fireplace, Draco nearly recoiled at the eager look on her face. The only thing she liked better than lecturing was gossiping, and Draco was not in the mood to humour her. "Perhaps you could send her through when she's ready?" he asked before she could speak. She looked crestfallen for a moment, then frighteningly sympathetic. "Of course. You must be terribly busy with preparations. Please give our regards to Mr. Taylor and his- friend."
Draco didn't dignify that with more than a non-committal noise, wondering why the headmistress was concerned with the brother and partner of one of her students - neither of whom she'd met, both of whom were Muggles - rather than Jen, whom she'd spoken with several times. If she'd meant Craig, that would have been even more bizarre, since it had been clear from the beginning that he was uninvolved in Molly's education: they'd had to have him Obliviated, he'd been so furious when he learned of her abilities.
Waiting by the Floo, he hoped Molly would hurry because he was starving. He thought longingly of house elves. Housekeepers are just not the same, even when they don't have the weekend off.
Molly must have been very confident that her plea would be successful because she appeared in moments - a short enough amount of time that Draco knew she must have been loitering nearby.
"Finally!" She greeted him with a hug. "Are Justin and Brian ok?"
"Of course." Holding her, he could feel her practically vibrating with an air of suppressed panic. "Molly, what's wrong?"
She shook her head. "No- it's not- I just saw the article and- I just- I mean- I know how it was before and- "
Clearly, her explanation was going to be neither brief nor coherent, so Draco shepherded her to the kitchen.
Brian and Gus were there, finishing breakfast. Excited to see one of the few family members close to his age, Gus greeted Molly enthusiastically, and Brian looked inquiringly at Draco over their heads. Draco shrugged, which irritated Brian more than anything else, but before the other man could deliver a scathing remark, Molly grabbed him in an awkward, tighter than usual hug.
Brian's expression morphed from curiosity to concern, and he hugged her back just as tightly. Draco noticed that Molly seemed comforted by the contact; they didn't see each other often, but like Daphne and Jen, she had eventually fallen for the Kinney charm and seemed to believe almost subconsciously that he could fix anything.
Brian convinced Gus to watch T.V. in the entertainment room - a feat, since he'd been promised a visit to the stables, but Brian assured him that it was possible to have Astropuffs, cartoons, and horses in the same morning. Gus scampered off looking rather like he'd learned that Father Christmas had come early.
While they debated, Draco grabbed a couple of muffins and a box of cereal that wasn't a thinly disguised dessert in case Molly had developed taste buds in the last two months and put them on the table. He settled into a chair and urged Molly to do the same.
They'd just gotten settled when Justin and Daphne arrived.
As usual, Brian and Justin fused together the moment Justin entered the room, and it was several minutes before they separated enough to speak, so it was Daphne who explained that Justin had taken an earlier flight and called her to drive him out to the house.
Draco nodded at Daphne in acknowledgment and greeting, but he chose not to join her discussion with Molly - if you could call it that, given Molly's monosyllabic responses.
As a boy in his father's study, Draco had found a ritual that would create a golem, a caricature of a human through which the creator could channel his emotions, allowing, in essence, a perfect poker face if the golem was not in view. In a way, Draco had always thought of Daphne as Justin's golem. Not that his cousin wasn't easy to read - he was an open book usually. But those emotions that he couldn't admit to feeling - when he was upset about Brian's tricking, when he needed confidence in Brian's love for him, when he resented Draco's presence in the family - those Daphne felt for him. It came from Daphne being Justin's closest confidant besides Brian, of course, but Draco was stuck with the image nonetheless. It made it difficult for Draco to feel comfortable with her.
When Brian and Justin finally separated, Justin was surprised to see his sister. "I thought you were going to stay at school this weekend; that's why you couldn't make it to my show." Draco heard the hurt in his voice, though Justin tried to hide it, and he could tell that Molly had, too. She stood there, frozen. Her eyes welled with tears, and she looked mutely from Draco to Justin to Brian and back again.
It was Daphne who broke the silence. "I'm going to go take a walk," she said, giving Molly a quick hug as she did. "You can come and get me when you're done, or if I'm needed."
Justin nodded, but he kept his eyes on his sister, who was making a valiant effort to keep from crying.
"Maybe you could take Gus out to see the horses?" Brian suggested. "I don't think the television will keep him entertained for long."
They sat at the table, and Draco opened the discussion with the only piece of concrete information that he'd obtained from her rambling when she'd arrived. "What did you see in the paper?"
Molly turned to him in wide-eyed panic, and Draco realized it wasn't a fear of speaking about magic in front of Daphne that had kept her silent, at least, not entirely.
"Molly, whatever it it, it'll be okay," Justin assured her.
She looked at him and back to Brian again, then pulled The Salem WitchHunt out of her bag and handed it to Justin.
Recognizing the lurid pink magazine, Draco rolled his eyes. "You're worked up about something in that rag?" he scoffed.
Rather than attempting to defend herself, Molly watched her brother.
"Hey! That's my show last night!"
Brian grabbed the magazine from Justin. Molly tried to intercept him but was unsuccessful.
When he saw the picture on the cover, Brian laughed. "I think you can do better if you're looking for a mini-me."
"Don't be mean." Justin slapped his arm. "He's a nice guy."
Draco couldn't help but notice the slight flush, and he knew Brian hadn't either.
Brian refused to give back the magazine, flipping quickly to the article, so Justin got up to read over Brian's shoulder. "Long-time lover? Clandestine affair?" Justin's tone rose with incredulity. "We only met last night!"
Molly looked confused and nervous, and Draco realized she'd been scared that their relationship would suffer because of the accusations in the magazine. "It's okay." he mouthed reassuringly. Neither Brian nor Justin were so crass as to bring tricks to family events and were discrete if picking them up there, and Molly was not old enough to go to places where their tricking would be obvious, especially when she went to school out of state, so Molly was unaware of the more unconventional aspects of their relationship.
"What the hell's a Boy Who Lived?"
Draco felt the bottom of his stomach land somewhere near his toes. "What?"
"I met this guy at the show last night." Justin handed over the magazine. "It seems he's a wizard called the Boy Who Lived."
Draco took the magazine gingerly, not wanting to see it, but there it was. Standing in front of the painting that Draco hated was Justin, gesturing with his wine glass, and the man Draco never expected to see again laughing in reply.
He heard Molly rambling, though he couldn't make out her words. He assumed she was explaining the legend, which he didn't need to hear since he'd lived a good portion of it.
Eventually, he realized the room was silent, and he looked up to find all three of them staring at him, Molly with confusion, Justin with concern, and Brian with a raised eyebrow. "What?" he asked, hoping to bluff his way thought this, but knowing he was unlikely to manage it.
"You seemed awfully absorbed," Brian said smugly.
Justin had moved to the arm of Brian's chair, and they had their arms around each other. Molly seemed to be reassured by this behaviour.
"Just considering the ramifications." Brian looked like he was considering calling Draco's bluff, and Draco knew he needed to divert Brian's train of thought, quickly.
"You're fortunate that Potter's in favour at present. You don't want to know what would be done to you if they'd gone off him again. His fans are more fickle than Drew Boyd's."
His ploy was largely unsuccessful: Brian simply smirked and Justin's concern morphed into suspicion. Molly, however, was indignant. "That's not true! Everyone agrees he's wonderful!" She turned expectantly to Justin. "What's he really like?"
Justin shrugged. "He's nice. Normal. Hadn't been in an art gallery before in his life. He came in looking like a deer in headlights and nearly bolted, wandered a bit, ended up in front of that painting - which he liked very much."
Brian and Draco both rolled their eyes, if for different reasons.
"We talked for a bit, and since that one wasn't for sale, I suggested that he might like one of the early sketches, so we went back to the studio."
Justin paused there, and Brian prompted him: "And after you... showed him your etchings?"
He shrugged. "It was late, we crashed, and in the morning he left and I went to the airport."
"I bet the reporter followed you, and that's why she thought you were having an affair," Molly said indignantly, taking back the magazine to glare at the author's smugly smiling picture. Doing so, she missed Justin's blush and Brian's amused tightening of the arm that was wrapped the other man. Draco ignored his own stomach's clenching.
Draco's cell rang, and he realized the larger, more pressing issue. The ring tone was the one designating an unauthorized attempt on the Floo. He silenced it but didn't put the phone away; it would be ringing again very shortly. "This is going to be a problem."
Before anyone could reply, both his and Brian's cells rang simultaneously, the tone indicating an attempt on the wards.
"Shit," Brian said, heading for the front hall.
"What?"
Brain was back before anyone caught up with him. "Daniel's right. There's a crowd of people looking for a costume party in front of the house."
"Shit." Draco repeated. "When Molly asked to be sprung, she didn't say why, so I told the headmistress that we were having a family celebration this weekend, and we thought it important that Molly be here because we'd received word that unexpected guests would be attending." There were blank stares from his cousins, but it looked like Brian had figured it out. "She said, 'Give my best to Mr. Taylor and his friend.'"
"They think this Boy Who Lived is here."
Draco nodded. "And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The wizarding world makes Muggle paparazzi look staid and apathetic. We don't have the security capable of handling this."
"So who do we call-Floo-to fix that?" Brian asked, obviously disgruntled to discover their security was inadequate, despite the fact that he'd installed a system four times as sophisticated as that any other Muggle-born attending Salem Academy.
"I'll call an Auror to deal with the wizards at the gate, but that won't hold them off for long. This will turn into a circus quickly. I don't know who to trust locally with something of this magnitude; any companies I'm familiar with are too far away. I hate to say this, but our best bet is Potter himself." To Justin, he added seriously, "Do you know how to reach him?"
"No." For the first time since the beginning of the discussion, Justin looked uncomfortable. "He has my number, though. He's supposed to contact me about shipping some pieces once he settles in one spot. He said he'd been traveling, but," he gestured at the magazine, "I suppose he just needs to figure out how to accept a Muggle delivery."
Resigned, Draco sighed. "I can get word to him." He waved off Molly's look of disbelief. "We know some mutual people. But it's going to be obvious that you have knowledge of and contact with the wizarding world. He... may not react well."
"He'll think it's a set up," Brian said bluntly.
At best. Draco nodded.
"Will he help?"
Before Molly could rhapsodize, Draco snorted. "He'll help. He's nobility personified. That and his guilt complex is bigger than Brian's lay list." He ignored Molly's squawk of protest; it didn't matter whether her indignation was on Brian's behalf or Potter's. "He just might be less than pleasant about it."
"Warning taken. But we don't have any other choice." There was a hint of question in Brian's reply, so Draco shook his head. "Potter's the best," he said simply. "The strongest wizard living, possibly in history." To Justin, he added, "You found yourself another fucking superhero."
"What do I say when he calls?" Justin asked. "He knows- " he paused slightly, looking at Molly, "the obvious reason - is impossible."
"Tell him the truth: after seeing the article, you’re worried about the security of the house. He'll come running. I'll Floo Auror Smith and try to send a message to Potter. Molly, would you mind going to the stables and bringing Gus and Daphne back to the house? The yard should be secure, but I'd hate for them to be spotted and discover I'm wrong about that or have them accidentally wander outside the wards." She nodded and left. Draco turned to Brian and Justin. "You have about ten minutes for your reunion, but, Justin, make sure you answer your cell if Potter calls."
Draco Flooed the Auror who'd coordinated the security at the house when they'd established it as Molly's principle contact. She'd have to bring in a team to deal with the mess outside, of course, but she knew Molly, which meant Draco could send her to identify if any of the Muggle witnesses should not be Obliviated to the point that they forgot they had planned to visit the house. Mel and Lindsay had flown down with the children especially to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving (they'd promised Deb all major holidays, but the children had school in November), so everyone would be very upset if they forgot to attend. Fortunately, the Marcus-Petersons, the Novotny-Bruckners, the Novotny-Horvaths and the rest of the motley crew weren't planning to arrive for a while yet. More than one of them had been Obliviated previously, which would also complicate matters for the Aurors, given the dangers of repeated Memory Charms.
Auror Smith had confirmed she'd be there as soon as she could, and Draco broke the connection, just as Brian entered the room. Draco realized that it had been too much to hope that he'd be alone for his next Floo call. Brian, of course, wouldn't be leaving until he got some answers, but Draco knew from years of dealing with the man on both personal and professional levels that he understood discretion.
Draco found the container of International Floo powder that he kept, just in case. In his more sardonic moments, he likened it to an unopened bottle of alcohol in an alcoholic's cupboard.
"Tonks residence, London, England."
The Floo opened for him, which was a relief.
A young boy seemed to be the sole occupant of the room, so Draco asked to speak with Andromeda Tonks.
"She's not here." The boy's hair was a shade of purple not usually found in nature, and it was easy to guess who he was. Draco found himself smiling before he could help it.
"Is your mother there?"
"No," he answered matter-of-factly, "she's in Heben with Daddy and Grandpa."
Draco closed eyes while he absorbed that and felt a hand on shoulder, squeezing gently. "Do you know where your grandmother is?" Please let her be alright, Draco thought.
"She's having tea with Grey Aunt Narci in the garden. I can get her for you."
"Wait!" He'd feared so many fates for his mother - death or Azkaban being the most likely - that the news that she was taking tea was a shock. A pleasant one, certainly, but he was barely prepared to speak with Andromeda; he was not ready to talk to his mother.
"Can you take a message?"
"Of course!" the boy replied indignantly, "I'm five."
"Of course you are. How silly of me." A grave insult, underestimating the capabilities of a child that age - Gus had gone through that phase recently and J.R., though they saw her less. "Could you please tell her that Harry needs to call Justin right away? It's very important. Can you repeat that back to me?"
He nodded but said, "Harry's my godfather. He has a telephone. It's blue."
Knowing how Gus and J.R. jumped subjects, Draco tried very hard to hold his impatience. "That's good. Can you repeat the message for me, please?"
"Harry hasta call Jussin. It's 'port- " There was a noise coming from the entrance to the room, and the boy leaped from the Floo. When Draco identified the voice calling for Teddy, he recoiled, pulling out of the fireplace and terminating the connection.
"We'll know shortly if that was enough."
"And if it's not?"
"We'll try someone else." Molly's trivia would probably include a work address for Granger or the Weaselette.
Eventually he had to turn around, and when he did, he found himself facing Brian's piercing stare. "Who's Andromeda Tonks?"
Knowing that he didn't have long before his past became public knowledge, Draco decided to answer. "My aunt." Brian had heard the conversation, and he was a bright man. If "Grandma" was Draco's aunt, he'd be able to make an educated guess as to who Great-Aunt Narci was.
Next Chapter
In case you missed it, Coming Home I: Familiarization of Liberty.
Sins of the Father, sequel to Familiarization of Liberty
I don't own anything; it's the property of JKR, Raincoast, RTD, Cowlip, Showtime, et al.
I first came across the golem as I've used it in this chapter in a gorgeous fantasy novel called Tigana, written by Guy Gavriel Kay.
Warnings for this story: slash, of course, language, adult themes.
To get the timeline to match up, I moved the Potter-verse up about four years so that it coincides with the world of QaF rather than the reverse (see FoL I if you care to know why).
Other than that, this should be HP canon-compliant until early in HBP, except that Lucius escaped being captured at the battle at the Department of Mysteries.
This is the secondpart of the Coming Home series. The first, set in the second season, deals with Draco's arrival in the Queer as Folk 'verse. This installment takes place a couple of years after the finale, meaning there are spoilers for the full series. Please, please, if you haven't seen the show to that point, go and watch it; these are beautiful, beautiful men who are very, very talented actors, and I recommend watching as much as you can. It's set also well after the books (though I don't know yet how canon-compliant it will be). Forewarned is fore-armed.
The most important warning, however, is this: I'm evil. Not only is this the only chapter of this story that I've completed, I don't have an outline or even a proper plot. As such, I can not hazard even a guess as to when the next chapter will go up. I wouldn't have posted it at all except that I promised myself that I'd publish something each month in 2009, and this is the only thing I have on hand that is complete.
Suggestions, in addition to reviews and constructive criticism, would be heartily welcomed.
Originally posted: 09 July 2009
Coming Home II: Sins of the Father
Chapter One
Draco was heading to the kitchen for breakfast - lunch, he amended with a look at the clock - when the owl appeared.
D,
Help! I need you to spring me for a couple of days, A.S.A.P. PLEASE!!!
Your bestest almost sister,
M
Perplexed, he stared at the note. That was... Unusual. Molly had taken to the magical world like a Niffler to a diamond mine, and they often had to coax her to return for the holidays. She had, in fact, been offered the opportunity to come home for the week, to see Justin's show and to spend the makeshift holiday with the family, but she'd chosen to stay at school.
Draco tried to reach Jennifer, but, just as he'd feared, her cell was off. Brian had offered to pay for their flights as he had Lindsay's and Melanie's but they'd wanted to stop in Allentown to see Tucker's parents en route. She and Tucker would be on the road now, and she didn't like the distraction of incoming calls.
He read the note again. Molly was a good kid, not likely to make a request like this on a whim, so he headed for the Floo connection.
When Molly had started at Salem Academy, they'd been living at the condo, and, without access to the Floo network, there had been challenges communicating discretely with the wizarding world. By her second year, Justin was headed to New York for the foreseeable future, and Tucker was living in the townhouse with Jennifer, so Draco moved into the country house. It was an arrangement that worked out for all parties: Brian didn't have to admit that he didn't want to sell or lease the house to strangers, it was an environment in which Draco felt comfortable, and they could incorporate a few magical accoutrements without fear that they would accidentally be discovered.
Jen had accepted her daughter's lifestyle as she had her son's, but Draco was more comfortable with magic and a magical being himself, so he handled most of the long distance exchanges. Because a wizard was listed as an ‘official’ contact, he was able to include a few amenities reserved for wizarding households, like the Floo connection he was using to contact Molly's school.
Fortunately, Headmistress Kennedy was in her office, and he was able to make his pitch to her directly. "There's a family celebration this weekend," he explained once they'd dispensed with the pleasantries, "and we weren't planning to disrupt her studies. We've just received word that unexpected guests will be able to attend, however, and we'd like Molly to be here." He was prepared to justify the request, having invented a long-lost cousin, but she interrupted - "Of course, Mr. Taylor" - and asked one of the portraits to summon Molly.
Draco gaped, bewildered at the surprisingly accommodating response. When they'd requested that Molly be sent home for Justin and Brian’s wedding, it had taken Draco the better part of an hour to convince her that Molly's presence was necessary, despite the day of classes she would miss. When the headmistress had learned that the ceremony had been canceled at what should have been the rehearsal dinner, Draco had been subjected to a lecture twice as long on the seriousness of interrupting Molly's education, and she'd suggested that perhaps their family should take commitments more seriously in the future.
When Headmistress Kennedy turned back to the fireplace, Draco nearly recoiled at the eager look on her face. The only thing she liked better than lecturing was gossiping, and Draco was not in the mood to humour her. "Perhaps you could send her through when she's ready?" he asked before she could speak. She looked crestfallen for a moment, then frighteningly sympathetic. "Of course. You must be terribly busy with preparations. Please give our regards to Mr. Taylor and his- friend."
Draco didn't dignify that with more than a non-committal noise, wondering why the headmistress was concerned with the brother and partner of one of her students - neither of whom she'd met, both of whom were Muggles - rather than Jen, whom she'd spoken with several times. If she'd meant Craig, that would have been even more bizarre, since it had been clear from the beginning that he was uninvolved in Molly's education: they'd had to have him Obliviated, he'd been so furious when he learned of her abilities.
Waiting by the Floo, he hoped Molly would hurry because he was starving. He thought longingly of house elves. Housekeepers are just not the same, even when they don't have the weekend off.
Molly must have been very confident that her plea would be successful because she appeared in moments - a short enough amount of time that Draco knew she must have been loitering nearby.
"Finally!" She greeted him with a hug. "Are Justin and Brian ok?"
"Of course." Holding her, he could feel her practically vibrating with an air of suppressed panic. "Molly, what's wrong?"
She shook her head. "No- it's not- I just saw the article and- I just- I mean- I know how it was before and- "
Clearly, her explanation was going to be neither brief nor coherent, so Draco shepherded her to the kitchen.
Brian and Gus were there, finishing breakfast. Excited to see one of the few family members close to his age, Gus greeted Molly enthusiastically, and Brian looked inquiringly at Draco over their heads. Draco shrugged, which irritated Brian more than anything else, but before the other man could deliver a scathing remark, Molly grabbed him in an awkward, tighter than usual hug.
Brian's expression morphed from curiosity to concern, and he hugged her back just as tightly. Draco noticed that Molly seemed comforted by the contact; they didn't see each other often, but like Daphne and Jen, she had eventually fallen for the Kinney charm and seemed to believe almost subconsciously that he could fix anything.
Brian convinced Gus to watch T.V. in the entertainment room - a feat, since he'd been promised a visit to the stables, but Brian assured him that it was possible to have Astropuffs, cartoons, and horses in the same morning. Gus scampered off looking rather like he'd learned that Father Christmas had come early.
While they debated, Draco grabbed a couple of muffins and a box of cereal that wasn't a thinly disguised dessert in case Molly had developed taste buds in the last two months and put them on the table. He settled into a chair and urged Molly to do the same.
They'd just gotten settled when Justin and Daphne arrived.
As usual, Brian and Justin fused together the moment Justin entered the room, and it was several minutes before they separated enough to speak, so it was Daphne who explained that Justin had taken an earlier flight and called her to drive him out to the house.
Draco nodded at Daphne in acknowledgment and greeting, but he chose not to join her discussion with Molly - if you could call it that, given Molly's monosyllabic responses.
As a boy in his father's study, Draco had found a ritual that would create a golem, a caricature of a human through which the creator could channel his emotions, allowing, in essence, a perfect poker face if the golem was not in view. In a way, Draco had always thought of Daphne as Justin's golem. Not that his cousin wasn't easy to read - he was an open book usually. But those emotions that he couldn't admit to feeling - when he was upset about Brian's tricking, when he needed confidence in Brian's love for him, when he resented Draco's presence in the family - those Daphne felt for him. It came from Daphne being Justin's closest confidant besides Brian, of course, but Draco was stuck with the image nonetheless. It made it difficult for Draco to feel comfortable with her.
When Brian and Justin finally separated, Justin was surprised to see his sister. "I thought you were going to stay at school this weekend; that's why you couldn't make it to my show." Draco heard the hurt in his voice, though Justin tried to hide it, and he could tell that Molly had, too. She stood there, frozen. Her eyes welled with tears, and she looked mutely from Draco to Justin to Brian and back again.
It was Daphne who broke the silence. "I'm going to go take a walk," she said, giving Molly a quick hug as she did. "You can come and get me when you're done, or if I'm needed."
Justin nodded, but he kept his eyes on his sister, who was making a valiant effort to keep from crying.
"Maybe you could take Gus out to see the horses?" Brian suggested. "I don't think the television will keep him entertained for long."
They sat at the table, and Draco opened the discussion with the only piece of concrete information that he'd obtained from her rambling when she'd arrived. "What did you see in the paper?"
Molly turned to him in wide-eyed panic, and Draco realized it wasn't a fear of speaking about magic in front of Daphne that had kept her silent, at least, not entirely.
"Molly, whatever it it, it'll be okay," Justin assured her.
She looked at him and back to Brian again, then pulled The Salem WitchHunt out of her bag and handed it to Justin.
Recognizing the lurid pink magazine, Draco rolled his eyes. "You're worked up about something in that rag?" he scoffed.
Rather than attempting to defend herself, Molly watched her brother.
"Hey! That's my show last night!"
Brian grabbed the magazine from Justin. Molly tried to intercept him but was unsuccessful.
When he saw the picture on the cover, Brian laughed. "I think you can do better if you're looking for a mini-me."
"Don't be mean." Justin slapped his arm. "He's a nice guy."
Draco couldn't help but notice the slight flush, and he knew Brian hadn't either.
Brian refused to give back the magazine, flipping quickly to the article, so Justin got up to read over Brian's shoulder. "Long-time lover? Clandestine affair?" Justin's tone rose with incredulity. "We only met last night!"
Molly looked confused and nervous, and Draco realized she'd been scared that their relationship would suffer because of the accusations in the magazine. "It's okay." he mouthed reassuringly. Neither Brian nor Justin were so crass as to bring tricks to family events and were discrete if picking them up there, and Molly was not old enough to go to places where their tricking would be obvious, especially when she went to school out of state, so Molly was unaware of the more unconventional aspects of their relationship.
"What the hell's a Boy Who Lived?"
Draco felt the bottom of his stomach land somewhere near his toes. "What?"
"I met this guy at the show last night." Justin handed over the magazine. "It seems he's a wizard called the Boy Who Lived."
Draco took the magazine gingerly, not wanting to see it, but there it was. Standing in front of the painting that Draco hated was Justin, gesturing with his wine glass, and the man Draco never expected to see again laughing in reply.
He heard Molly rambling, though he couldn't make out her words. He assumed she was explaining the legend, which he didn't need to hear since he'd lived a good portion of it.
Eventually, he realized the room was silent, and he looked up to find all three of them staring at him, Molly with confusion, Justin with concern, and Brian with a raised eyebrow. "What?" he asked, hoping to bluff his way thought this, but knowing he was unlikely to manage it.
"You seemed awfully absorbed," Brian said smugly.
Justin had moved to the arm of Brian's chair, and they had their arms around each other. Molly seemed to be reassured by this behaviour.
"Just considering the ramifications." Brian looked like he was considering calling Draco's bluff, and Draco knew he needed to divert Brian's train of thought, quickly.
"You're fortunate that Potter's in favour at present. You don't want to know what would be done to you if they'd gone off him again. His fans are more fickle than Drew Boyd's."
His ploy was largely unsuccessful: Brian simply smirked and Justin's concern morphed into suspicion. Molly, however, was indignant. "That's not true! Everyone agrees he's wonderful!" She turned expectantly to Justin. "What's he really like?"
Justin shrugged. "He's nice. Normal. Hadn't been in an art gallery before in his life. He came in looking like a deer in headlights and nearly bolted, wandered a bit, ended up in front of that painting - which he liked very much."
Brian and Draco both rolled their eyes, if for different reasons.
"We talked for a bit, and since that one wasn't for sale, I suggested that he might like one of the early sketches, so we went back to the studio."
Justin paused there, and Brian prompted him: "And after you... showed him your etchings?"
He shrugged. "It was late, we crashed, and in the morning he left and I went to the airport."
"I bet the reporter followed you, and that's why she thought you were having an affair," Molly said indignantly, taking back the magazine to glare at the author's smugly smiling picture. Doing so, she missed Justin's blush and Brian's amused tightening of the arm that was wrapped the other man. Draco ignored his own stomach's clenching.
Draco's cell rang, and he realized the larger, more pressing issue. The ring tone was the one designating an unauthorized attempt on the Floo. He silenced it but didn't put the phone away; it would be ringing again very shortly. "This is going to be a problem."
Before anyone could reply, both his and Brian's cells rang simultaneously, the tone indicating an attempt on the wards.
"Shit," Brian said, heading for the front hall.
"What?"
Brain was back before anyone caught up with him. "Daniel's right. There's a crowd of people looking for a costume party in front of the house."
"Shit." Draco repeated. "When Molly asked to be sprung, she didn't say why, so I told the headmistress that we were having a family celebration this weekend, and we thought it important that Molly be here because we'd received word that unexpected guests would be attending." There were blank stares from his cousins, but it looked like Brian had figured it out. "She said, 'Give my best to Mr. Taylor and his friend.'"
"They think this Boy Who Lived is here."
Draco nodded. "And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The wizarding world makes Muggle paparazzi look staid and apathetic. We don't have the security capable of handling this."
"So who do we call-Floo-to fix that?" Brian asked, obviously disgruntled to discover their security was inadequate, despite the fact that he'd installed a system four times as sophisticated as that any other Muggle-born attending Salem Academy.
"I'll call an Auror to deal with the wizards at the gate, but that won't hold them off for long. This will turn into a circus quickly. I don't know who to trust locally with something of this magnitude; any companies I'm familiar with are too far away. I hate to say this, but our best bet is Potter himself." To Justin, he added seriously, "Do you know how to reach him?"
"No." For the first time since the beginning of the discussion, Justin looked uncomfortable. "He has my number, though. He's supposed to contact me about shipping some pieces once he settles in one spot. He said he'd been traveling, but," he gestured at the magazine, "I suppose he just needs to figure out how to accept a Muggle delivery."
Resigned, Draco sighed. "I can get word to him." He waved off Molly's look of disbelief. "We know some mutual people. But it's going to be obvious that you have knowledge of and contact with the wizarding world. He... may not react well."
"He'll think it's a set up," Brian said bluntly.
At best. Draco nodded.
"Will he help?"
Before Molly could rhapsodize, Draco snorted. "He'll help. He's nobility personified. That and his guilt complex is bigger than Brian's lay list." He ignored Molly's squawk of protest; it didn't matter whether her indignation was on Brian's behalf or Potter's. "He just might be less than pleasant about it."
"Warning taken. But we don't have any other choice." There was a hint of question in Brian's reply, so Draco shook his head. "Potter's the best," he said simply. "The strongest wizard living, possibly in history." To Justin, he added, "You found yourself another fucking superhero."
"What do I say when he calls?" Justin asked. "He knows- " he paused slightly, looking at Molly, "the obvious reason - is impossible."
"Tell him the truth: after seeing the article, you’re worried about the security of the house. He'll come running. I'll Floo Auror Smith and try to send a message to Potter. Molly, would you mind going to the stables and bringing Gus and Daphne back to the house? The yard should be secure, but I'd hate for them to be spotted and discover I'm wrong about that or have them accidentally wander outside the wards." She nodded and left. Draco turned to Brian and Justin. "You have about ten minutes for your reunion, but, Justin, make sure you answer your cell if Potter calls."
Draco Flooed the Auror who'd coordinated the security at the house when they'd established it as Molly's principle contact. She'd have to bring in a team to deal with the mess outside, of course, but she knew Molly, which meant Draco could send her to identify if any of the Muggle witnesses should not be Obliviated to the point that they forgot they had planned to visit the house. Mel and Lindsay had flown down with the children especially to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving (they'd promised Deb all major holidays, but the children had school in November), so everyone would be very upset if they forgot to attend. Fortunately, the Marcus-Petersons, the Novotny-Bruckners, the Novotny-Horvaths and the rest of the motley crew weren't planning to arrive for a while yet. More than one of them had been Obliviated previously, which would also complicate matters for the Aurors, given the dangers of repeated Memory Charms.
Auror Smith had confirmed she'd be there as soon as she could, and Draco broke the connection, just as Brian entered the room. Draco realized that it had been too much to hope that he'd be alone for his next Floo call. Brian, of course, wouldn't be leaving until he got some answers, but Draco knew from years of dealing with the man on both personal and professional levels that he understood discretion.
Draco found the container of International Floo powder that he kept, just in case. In his more sardonic moments, he likened it to an unopened bottle of alcohol in an alcoholic's cupboard.
"Tonks residence, London, England."
The Floo opened for him, which was a relief.
A young boy seemed to be the sole occupant of the room, so Draco asked to speak with Andromeda Tonks.
"She's not here." The boy's hair was a shade of purple not usually found in nature, and it was easy to guess who he was. Draco found himself smiling before he could help it.
"Is your mother there?"
"No," he answered matter-of-factly, "she's in Heben with Daddy and Grandpa."
Draco closed eyes while he absorbed that and felt a hand on shoulder, squeezing gently. "Do you know where your grandmother is?" Please let her be alright, Draco thought.
"She's having tea with Grey Aunt Narci in the garden. I can get her for you."
"Wait!" He'd feared so many fates for his mother - death or Azkaban being the most likely - that the news that she was taking tea was a shock. A pleasant one, certainly, but he was barely prepared to speak with Andromeda; he was not ready to talk to his mother.
"Can you take a message?"
"Of course!" the boy replied indignantly, "I'm five."
"Of course you are. How silly of me." A grave insult, underestimating the capabilities of a child that age - Gus had gone through that phase recently and J.R., though they saw her less. "Could you please tell her that Harry needs to call Justin right away? It's very important. Can you repeat that back to me?"
He nodded but said, "Harry's my godfather. He has a telephone. It's blue."
Knowing how Gus and J.R. jumped subjects, Draco tried very hard to hold his impatience. "That's good. Can you repeat the message for me, please?"
"Harry hasta call Jussin. It's 'port- " There was a noise coming from the entrance to the room, and the boy leaped from the Floo. When Draco identified the voice calling for Teddy, he recoiled, pulling out of the fireplace and terminating the connection.
"We'll know shortly if that was enough."
"And if it's not?"
"We'll try someone else." Molly's trivia would probably include a work address for Granger or the Weaselette.
Eventually he had to turn around, and when he did, he found himself facing Brian's piercing stare. "Who's Andromeda Tonks?"
Knowing that he didn't have long before his past became public knowledge, Draco decided to answer. "My aunt." Brian had heard the conversation, and he was a bright man. If "Grandma" was Draco's aunt, he'd be able to make an educated guess as to who Great-Aunt Narci was.
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