Harry Potter One Shots

In Which Family is Discussed

All rights belong to the author, amaXdear

Draco did not want to be here.

In fact, at the moment he couldn't think of a single place he wanted to be at less than he wanted to be here, in his aunt's living room, perched uncomfortably on an embroidered chair, with his mother, all three of them staring at a different patch of wallpaper so they didn't have to meet each other's eyes. Finally, his mother spoke.

"Andromeda... I know you probably don't want me here-"

"Of course not! I mean, of course I do, I mean- it's- it's good to see you, Narcissa." Andromeda was fumbling for words, looking earnestly at a spot of wallpaper just about her sister's shoulder.

"But it shouldn't be," Narcissa insisted, leaning forward. "You should be sick and tired of me, I should have been visiting constantly these past few years. Oh, Andy-"

And suddenly, his mother wasn't perched delicately on the edge of an armchair, she was on her knees in front of Andromeda with tears in her eyes.

"No one's called me Andy in years," Andromeda whispered, and then, just as suddenly, both women were sobbing, on their knees, hugging each other.

Draco did not want to be here.

He muttered something about finding a bathroom, very quietly, because if they heard him they might remember that he was in the room.

As soon as he was out of the room, Draco sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. He knew he was only here because his mother was too nervous to ask her husband to come. He also knew that the only reason his mother wanted someone else to visit was because she was afraid that her sister would reject her, and she wanted someone to be on her side. Now, there was absolutely no point.

Bored, he decided to wander the house until the older women came to their senses. Most of the rooms on the first floor were entirely uninteresting. There was a dining room, and a kitchen that he didn't dare enter; knives and heavy dishes were flying around the room, making lunch. He hadn't had much experience with magical cooking, but Draco knew it took a very confident (or a very foolish) witch to not even supervise her spells. There was also a study that looked like it hadn't been used in months, and a closed door. Well... who ever said Slytherins weren't curious?

Draco opened the door and backed away instantly. A full year of living in various buildings infested with Death Eaters had left him with some unpleasant memories and a few new instincts.

The room was dark, but nothing jumped out or moaned in pain. Hesitantly, Draco stepped in and flicked his wand at the window. The curtains opened, and a streak of afternoon sunlight fell into the room. He looked around curiously. There was a chest of drawers covered in nappies and baby things, and stuffed animals and toy Quidditch balls were tossed all over the floor. A framed piece of calligraphy with the name Teddy was hanging on the wall.

It wasn't until something in the room made a noise that Draco noticed the crib in the corner.

I'm talking about your niece, Bellatrix, and yours, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin... What say you, Draco? Will you babysit the cubs?

It was with some trepidation that Draco approached the crib. He was not good with kids. He didn't know many kids, to be honest. He stepped close, resting his hand on the bars, and looked over the side.

The baby was a bit bigger than he expected, and Draco was surprised to see that his hair was bright red. There were lots of pictures in Andromeda's house, but none of them featured anyone with red hair. The baby was holding out his hands in front of him, looking fascinated. As Draco watched, he squealed with delight and clapped them together, missing by several inches. It was so ridiculously stupid-the word cute even sprang to mind-that Draco chuckled.