𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓

Chapter 26

Previously:

Not long after finding out that Peter stole all of the Marauder's band equipment, Harry found out about Theodore Nott's moonlighting career as a drug-dealer and that Peter was supplying him. Setting out to confront him despite promising Draco otherwise, Harry got into a car chase that landed him in the ER. Elsewhere, Draco finally decided to come out to Lucius, but stood him up at the last minute in favor of finding Harry, who'd escaped from the hospital after being diagnosed with a few good contusions, a concussion… and an STD.

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Mother Knows Best

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Past Tense of Catch

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The morning after Harry's accident, if you could call it that, found Harry and Draco sleeping in. The only one not up for a lazy Sunday spent in pajamas was Remus, who'd gone out to get breakfast after seeing Harry considering the questionable-looking take-out boxes that had been sitting in his fridge for who knew how long. After the night they'd had, the fact that nobody felt like cooking went without saying.

And it was then- with Draco just getting up and Harry trying to convince him not to, with Sirius flipping through endless soap operas and infomercials on the couch, having a pre-breakfast snack consisting entirely of dry coco puffs straight from the box- that an out-of-place looking town car pulled up in front of Remus' apartment. All Sirius was aware of, however, was the brisk knock at the door.

Assuming unthinkingly that Remus had either forgotten his key, or just that his hands were full, Sirius unlocked the door and pulled it open. Standing there in his Invader Zim pajama pants and still holding the box of cereal, Sirius came face-to-face with possibly the last person he was excepting to see.

"Uh…"

"Sirius Black," stated the very professionally-dressed Lucius Malfoy dryly, stepping around him to get inside without an invitation to do so. Lips pursed, his eyes scanned his surroundings with a distaste that required absolutely no outward expression. "How… expected."

"Kind of wish I could say the same, really," Sirius muttered, and for a second they were just standing there, staring at each other. Uncomfortable, Sirius sat his cereal box on top of the television and crossed his arms over his chest, tapping out a beat on his elbow.

Lucius raised an incredulous eyebrow and considered sighing. "My son? I've been led to believe I could find him here."

"Oh! Yeah, he's with…" And it was right at that moment that Sirius realized how incredibly bad this situation was about to get. He started inching backwards toward the hallway, trying and failing to make it seem inconspicuous. "Um, I'll just go and… you know, get him."

"Unless you would like a lawsuit," Lucius told him, eyes narrowed and suddenly very suspicious as to what he'd find in the hallway. "You'll move aside."

The door wasn't closed, but it was just open enough that they could hear Harry and Draco speaking from the hallway. Sirius felt like he should warn them or something, but short of yelling 'Draco! Your dad's here! Hide!' Sirius couldn't think of anything.

"Draco, c'mon," they could hear from outside the door, "don't put your pants on."

That was when Lucius decided enough was enough, apparently, because he pushed the door open and watched with wide eyes as Draco, who had yet to notice him, finished pulling up his pants. He was still wearing the very incriminating shirt he'd slept in and Harry, who was still sprawled across the bed, was pulling on one of the blonde's belt loops beckoningly. They were both smiling. Sirius cringed in trepidation.