“Draco is out of control. Nothing stops him. Not even the fact that his father is as good as convicted. I’ve tried everything. I’ve lost the count of how many times he has been in detention and since he is on probation, this should be grounds for expulsion!” Severus railed.

Dumbledore looked gravely at him, “And his mother will send him to Durmstrang instead. Karkaroff may not be Headmaster anymore but his successor is not much better than him. You would just be sending him to an environment were his tendencies would be encouraged.”

Severus nodded with a scowl and slumped back on his chair. From his seat next to Severus, Sirius said slowly, with his elbows resting on the chair’s arms and the tip of his fingers touching, “I may have a solution. A last resort, really, but I would need Narcissa’s help for this.”

“What are you thinking of doing Sirius?” Dumbledore asked.

“That is between me and Narcissa. Family business, if you will Albus,” Sirius smiled. “As a favor to me, please don’t expel him yet. At least let me give her a choice. If she accepts my proposition let him come back next year.”

“Next  year?” Severus asked.

“Oh, I do think he needs a good shock and as you said detentions aren’t working,” Sirius said seriously. “Suspend him for the rest of the year. Let him take his OWLs at the Ministry and study with a tutor at home. Make sure he understands that this behavior will not be tolerated.”

“We are in February, that is almost an entire term of suspension,” Dumbledore pointed out.

“I know,” Sirius nodded. “But Malfoy’s behavior is escalating and he needs to be stopped. Maybe after a term of confinement at home far from his friends he will stop.”

“What about Crabbe and Goyle?” Dumbledore asked.

“Detention for a month. Loss of Hogsmeade privileges,” Severus said. “Malfoy was the leader and if we suspend them as well, the families will just have them tutored together defeating the loneliness point.”

“I’ll escort young Draco home so I can talk to Narcissa in person. If she accepts you’ll know what my idea was.”

Xxx

“What do you want for him Cissy? Do you want the same fate as Lucius had? Because that is where he is headed right now,” Sirius pleaded with Narcissa. They were seated at the drawing room of Malfoy Mansion. Sirius accompanied a silent and scowling Draco to his home where he handed Narcissa the scroll signed by Dumbledore informing her of Draco’s suspension. He then had asked for a word in private after Draco stalked to his room. “Do you want him groveling at the feet of the next self proclaimed Dark Lord?”

“What do you suggest?” Narcissa asked tightly from her chair.

“He doesn’t respect his Head of House and you never enforced any discipline. That has always been Lucius’ job. He needs a firm hand with authority over him. Let me be that person. Let me take charge as his Head of the family.”

“The Head of his family is Lucius,” Narcissa hissed.

“Not if you renounce him as a convicted criminal. The Wizengamot already has enough evidence to convict him. His arrest warrant has been issued and his trial is a mere formality. If you renounce him as Head of the Malfoy family for being a criminal I will become by default Draco’s Head because I am Lord Black. Our lovely medieval law system sees to that. And under Wizarding law he will have to answer to me while he is under age.”

“You are asking me to forsake Lucius?” she asked outraged.

“I am asking you to think of your son,” Sirius said. “Lucius will still be granted a trial when he is captured and, if he can, he will prove his innocence and therefore be pardoned and restored. But we both know that won’t happen don’t we?” he raised an eyebrow but Narcissa did not flinch. “According to our law if you forsake him, as a Black you come back to my protection and order. And as a minor so does Draco. You still have maximum authority as his mother. But if you tell him that he has to obey me, Cissy. I can act as his primary authority. I will have rights that can be overruled only by you. This is all about your position both in society and with Draco. You are the one that can give me the authority to do with him as I please.”

“And I should let you? How can I know you won’t abuse that authority?” Narcissa spat.

Sirius looked at her tiredly, “Because a long time ago Cissy, before the whole family branded me as a blood traitor and you as a good daughter stopped talking to me, you actually liked me. You knew me, and you know that even though he has been attacking my son I am willing to still try and save Draco. Or I would just have let Dumbledore expel him. He used a Dark Spell on a fellow student. He has been attacking students left and right and not long ago he caused what could have been a very catastrophic explosion if Severus hadn’t acted fast. We don’t persecute him for fun. We are trying to help him. The same way I was helped. The same way Regulus wasn’t, and look how he ended up. He was just like Draco, remember? And he was encouraged to be so.”

Narcissa said nothing and kept her mask on. Sirius sighed and said as he got up, “I’ll go now. You have until the end of term to decide. Dumbledore will only let him back if you accept and we need time for the formalities. Think hard about this. Even if you accept, it may be too late as he will have just a few months under my control. He turns of age in March of next year doesn’t he?”

Narcissa nodded and as she elegantly stood she said, “I want what is best for my family. You may not believe this but I happen to love Lucius.”

“Do you love him more than you love Draco?”

“No.”

“Lucius is a bastard but he has always struck me as a good father. A son wouldn’t be so determined to be on his father’s side if he wasn’t loved. Maybe Lucius will eventually appreciate his son being helped. Even if he doesn’t see it now.”

“I will contact you with an answer later. I need to think,” Narcissa said flatly.

“Do that Cissy. Think carefully,” Sirius said and he swiftly left Malfoy Mansion.

Xxxx

With Draco Malfoy away from the castle, life had taken a positively peaceful turn in Harry’s opinion. Severus had been right; Crabbe and Goyle had been nothing more then henchmen, who without Malfoy to lead had no idea what to do. They were still bullies who picked on younger and weaker children but they were easily stopped by a teacher handing them a detention or even a student who was more proficient than them in spells.

After discussing it with the rest of the D.A., Harry told Sirius that if the teachers wanted to watch one of the sessions they could, but the group was going to continue to be strictly a student based study group. Most of the D.A. felt they were more comfortable with the group of students they had now to express their ignorance in some subject or another, which previously they had done with Remus. For their part, the teachers agreed after all the Heads of House, Sirius and Hestia observed one session. Hestia asked to be kept informed of what the group was studying so she could keep her classes in accordance to her student’s levels and know which students had more training than others. She also offered to help if they needed it. Sirius had also said he would help too.

The D.A. agreed but didn’t foresee the need to call them since Hestia was actually a good teacher who was actually teaching, and since she had started they had been mostly revising and practicing what she taught in class.  They had also expanded to other classes where someone was having trouble and someone from the group could help.  They actually had more time because they no longer had to teach themselves from scratch. They had showed the ever-practical subject schedule Hermione had brought up at the beginning of term when they noticed they didn’t need to use all their time with Defense.

Severus had suggested for them to open the group to other years, but they felt that if they enlarged the group too much they wouldn’t be as comfortable in expressing their ignorance.  Luna Lovegood did present a solution to that though. She suggested they have an open session to show how they worked so that if the younger years wanted to create a group of their own they had an example.

The professors agreed and it was decided that from now on there would be two different study groups, one for first to third years and one for fourth to seventh. This worked since as the seventh years graduated and new first years arrived the third years would be moving to the higher years’ group. The D.A. did agree with the teachers to advertise the group to whoever in their years wanted to join, as they mostly thought that whoever would want in was already there. Harry was glad he had talked to the others about the new addition to the group when they had voted if the teachers could or not come and Hermione lifted the no talking hex from the list. This way Theodore Nott knew he had been called for the D.A because Harry wanted wanted him to join and not because they opened the group;  as a matter of fact he had been a part of the decision process.

xxx

Sirius was seriously getting annoyed with the new DADA teacher. And to make things worse everyone loved her. He tried complaining to Harry and what did he get?

“She’s the best we’ve ever had. Apart from Uncle Moony obviously.”

He tried complaining to Moony but he was almost never there. Moony had been staying late for work loads of times now and although Sirius knew he was doing good things, Sirius missed his brother. Remus was cleaning up the Department. Amos was a good man but he thought Wizards and Witches were better than any creature could ever be, and most of his staff was like that. Remus had to relocate most of the department and get more open-minded people. Though he could do that during office hours, Sirius thought bitterly. So he honestly had had no other choice.

 “And she infuriates me. I mean, she thinks she is so good just because she was an Auror. Well so was I!”

Severus just stared at Sirius pacing. He really was at a loss at why he was being subjected to this.

“And she criticizes everything I do. You don’t show proper authority,” he mocked in a high voice, “They think you’re their friend not their teacher.”

Severus nodded. He quite agreed with the woman.

“And the nerve of her to show up for a staff meeting dressed like that!”

He tried to remember what she was wearing in the last staff meeting and he had to agree that her robes showed a fair bit more legs than customary, and what legs at that. But there was nothing wrong in having a nice view in an otherwise boring meeting. He really did not see what her choice of wardrobe had to do with anything. He sneered, “Is there a reason why you are telling me this of all people?”

Sirius turned around.

“Because you are here. Moony is working late again. I told you that would happen. I have to tell someone!”

“And you chose me! I still don’t see why you must annoy me just because the wife is working late.”

“Ha, ha, Severus. Very funny! Help me!”

“With what?”

“On getting her to stop annoying me!”

Severus smirked as he thought back to the interactions Hestia had with Sirius since she arrived. He couldn’t really remember her ever being antagonizing towards Sirius apart from the martini incident, and he had a slight suspicion that Sirius was being in one of those irrational “I get annoyed when you breath” phases people are prone to. “If I recall correctly, Hestia Jones was one of the few girls at school that didn’t succumb to Sirius Black’s charms.”

“Which just proves her lack of taste and good sense,” Sirius huffed.

“Or,” Severus said, “It proves she’s actually worth it.”

“I don’t follow.”

“You will, eventually.”

Xxxx

Splash! Remus woke with a start completely wet, and glared at the grinning Sirius.

“Now, Remus, as you said this is an important date. You are turning thirty-six, entering your late thirties-“

“I knew you’d get revenge!”

“I didn’t see you doing that to Severus, you just said happy birthday and gave him a gift, no water, no reminding him of his age,” Sirius whined.

“I happen to value my life!” Remus growled.

Xxxx

“Dad, I need your help!” Harry came barreling into Sirius’s office one afternoon.

“Of course you do. How may I help you with my infinite wisdom?” Sirius asked putting down the essays he was grading.

“How do I break up with someone?” Harry asked biting his lips nervously.

“Excuse me?” Sirius asked raising his eyebrows in shock.

“Well, you have a lot of experience in that field so how do I go about breaking up with Susan?” Harry elaborated and Sirius scowled at the remark. Then what Harry said seemed to sink in and he said in a very fake off-handedly way:

“Oh, you want to break up with her, what a pity.”

“Yeah, right dad. I’ll pretend I believe you,” Harry rolled his eyes. “It’s just. She’s great. And funny and we get along fine but,” he sighed. “I don’t know… Lately it’s just…, it feels like a chore.”

Sirius smiled kindly, “It’s okay Harry. No one expected your first girlfriend to be the love of your life. Be honest. Make sure she knows it’s nothing she did or about her. I can’t guarantee she will be fine with it. It can turn ugly sometimes but I assure you that if you keep going when you don’t want to any more, it will end up badly,” he shuddered remembering the letter hexing nut-job he dated. “This way you may have a chance that you can still be friends.”

XXX

“So, er… I mean… You’re great,” Harry said awkwardly at their secluded place in one of the greenhouses.

“You too. You’re funny and smart. And nice,” Susan said a little nervously.

At the same time they both blurted, “It’s not you, it’s just-“ they stared at each other and burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry,” Susan said wiping her eyes. “I didn’t mean to laugh. I guess you don’t want to go on either.”

“No. I mean you’re great, I just don’t think we’re all that great together lately,” Harry said apologetically.

“Me neither,” she smiled. “I’ve been fretting on how to tell you for some time now. I was afraid you’d hate me.”

“Me too,” Harry grinned. “So, still friends,” he stretched his hand.

“Still friends,” Susan smiled and shook Harry’s offered hand.

Xxxx

Life went on, Easter came and went with Mrs. Weasley’s famous chocolate eggs and with the passing of Easter came the dreaded career advice sessions. Harry was scheduled to talk to McGonagall at the end of the week and he was in turmoil. He honestly didn’t have a clear idea of what he wanted, just a vague thought, but he did know what he did not want and that was his biggest problem. He was also dreading having to tell McGonagall the little secret he had been keeping since third year. He had only ever told one person and she had promised not to tell anyone, anyone being Sirius and Remus. He wasn’t the only one thinking of his career advice session though.

When Remus entered the Marauder’s quarters that night he had to do a double take and  make sure he had the right room. He had been presented with a very odd sight; Severus and Sirius had their heads together and were discussing some pamphlets. He had seen Sirius in that position many times, but it had usually been with James and never boded well for anyone. He cleared his throat and the two black haired men looked up.

“What are you two doing?”

“Well, Minerva said I can’t give Harry his career advice session,” Sirius pouted. “So, we are preparing what Minnie will tell him.”

“I think,” Remus said slowly sitting down and shuffling through the discarded pile. “That was Minerva’s point, so she didn’t leave out any career Harry may be interested in like lets say, Aurors, curse breaking, Dragon handler,” he finished holding up some of  the discarded pamphlets and then shuffling through the approved ones, “I notice a pattern here.”

“We haven’t,” Severus said innocently.

“All these are tame and preferably desk careers,” Remus said evenly.

“So?” Sirius asked.

“Except this one,” Remus lifted a pamphlet.

“Hey, I took that one out!” Sirius cried grabbing the pamphlet.

“You were being narrow minded,” Severus drawled. “There is no danger whatsoever.”

“Of course there is. There can be horrible accidents when testing,” Sirius cried.

Remus watched the other two men bicker, and putting the pamphlet to Potion’s Mastery back in the pile, he cleared his throat effectively silencing the duo and said, “I think  we’ll let Minerva decide what she presents to Harry and what she doesn’t.”

Xxxx

“Whatever I tell you, you can’t tell my dad right? We have like doctor patient confidentiality right?” Harry asked in his advice appointment.

“You could say so.” McGonagall said worried. What was going on?

“I don’t think I want to be an Auror like dad and my first dad,” Harry said as if that was the biggest shame in the world.

“No?” McGonagall asked sympathetically. Good because that was among the careers Sirius didn’t want Harry having.

“No,” Harry said miserably biting his lips. “Dad will be disappointed.”

Oh, my, she may not tell the contents of the talk but she would be having a word with Sirius, “I’m sure no matter what you do your father will be proud. Have you given a thought to what you want?”

Harry perked up a little, “Yes, you see. I know I’m good at Defense and I do like learning new spells and stuff but I actually enjoy it more when we dissect how they work in Arithmancy.”

McGonagall knew that. She had Harry’s grades and what all the teachers had said, and Vector had especially praised not only Harry’s eagerness to understand the mechanics behind magic but his creativity in trying to improve it. So had Severus with his potions and Filius with his charm work. She herself had seen that, even if Harry was not at the top of her class he did like to understand why the transfiguration worked. She shuffled her papers and brought out those reports, “According to Professors Flitwick, Vector and Snape you have always shown an interest in creating new potions and spells.”

Harry nodded, “I like potions too. I do intend to keep my studies in that maybe even get a mastery like Uncle Sev- er-Professor Snape but I like more the whole calculating how much of a swish you have to do for a spell to be perfect, how strong it has to be.”

“Have you given a thought of working in the research of new spells?”

Harry shook his head.

“There is a whole Department in the Department of Mysteries dedicated to that,” McGonagall took out the pamphlets, “For that you’ll need preferably Charms, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Potions and Ancient Runes. Basically all the base of our magical system. I see you don’t have Runes but it’s not a requirement, only a preference. I do advice you to do maybe an independent study of Ancient Runes. You can take your OWLs and NEWTs for that on a later date and if you are studying it they will take that into account.”

“I didn’t know you could do that,” Harry said.

“You don’t really think we have you chose what you will do for the rest of your life at thirteen do you? All electives have an option to be taken again after your OWLs and of course you can always learn anything by yourself and test at any point in your life. Like Hagrid is doing.”

Harry seemed to perk up at that and was looking over the pamphlet eagerly. Not forgetting his earlier worries, McGonagall decided to throw a bone at him. “Before they had to go into hiding, that was exactly what your mother did.”

“What?”

“You didn’t know?”

Harry shook his head, “No, I knew she had worked at the Ministry.”

“Yes, she did. As an Unspeakable, which would explain your father’s and Uncle’s lack of knowledge of what she did. But even though I may not know the details I do know that she worked in the Charms division of that department. She was quite talented Harry and no matter which path you chose she would have been proud. They all will. And between you and me maybe not being an Auror will be good for Sirius’ heart,” she winked.

Xx

“Have you talked to your dad?” Hermione asked in the common room.

Harry’s eyes widened, “He’ll hate me!”

“No he won’t,” she said matter of factly.

“You don’t understand Hermione,” Harry said desperately, “My dad is always going on about how my first dad was a great Auror. That’s what he expects from me. He was one too and Tonks is one.”

Hermione was about to comment when Neville entered the room shocked.

“Nev?” Harry asked worried as he and Hermione guided Neville to a chair.

“McGonagall-“

“What?” Hermione asked.

“She-she-“ Neville stuttered lost and Hermione and Harry shared worried looks. “I can take Potions NEWT classes,” he finally blurted.

“Sure you can,” Harry said and Hermione winced.

“Neville, Professor Snape only takes students with an Outstanding,” she said cautiously and Harry rolled his eyes.

“That’s what I thought,” Neville said, “but McGonagall said different.”

“But Professor Snape-“ Hermione said.

“Has two upper year classes,” Harry cut her off. “He gives that speech to frighten us in studying but he won’t deprive students that don’t have Potions as the love of their life of being Aurors or any other career that requires potions. So he has two classes, one for students who got Outstandings, which in his eyes are the students who will be more interested in potions and one for those who got Exceeds Expectations. Anyone with an Acceptable though, he refuses to accept. He says that NEWT level potions are too delicate for anyone who doesn’t care enough to get even an EE. But it’s best if you get an Outstanding. He loves to go on about how he is sacrificing his precious time on students who are beneath him in the other class and he frightens them into not telling the younger years about that class.”

“Well, that’s more reasonable than not accepting them. He could be nicer though,” Hermione said.

“Uncle Sev doesn’t understand how people could not love potions and don’t want to spend every second of their life dedicated to them,” Harry said knowingly.

Xxx

“Sirius,” McGonagall said politely as she invited herself to his office and sat on a chair.

“Do come in,” Sirius said from his desk. “Problems?”

“Yes, you do have them,” she said evenly.

“Excuse me?” he raised his eyebrows.

“I had a very interesting career session with your son,” McGonagall said.

“You did convince him to get a safe a desk job, didn’t you?” he said firmly.

McGonagall winced;  creating new spells wasn’t all that safe. Lily had ended in St. Mungo’s more than once but that wasn’t the point here. “That’s private between me and Harry,” she said in a tone that dissuaded any argument on the matter, “Now, you need to reassure Harry that you don’t want him to follow in his father’s footsteps. That you will be proud even if he isn’t a mini- James.”

“Hey,” Sirius cried offended. “I never made Harry think he has to be a mini-James. I am proud of him!”

“I know,” McGonagall said raising an eyebrow, “But does he?”

Sirius opened his mouth but said nothing.

xxx

Sirius perused the bookcase once again and swore loudly. He grabbed his cloak and strode out of the Marauder’s Quarters at a quick pace. He hated having to go to all this trouble for one lousy book. But it was a Black family’s book that would not be found in the library and he needed it for his Seventh year’s class.

Xxx

“What about this one?”

“I was riding my bike with some Muggle friends and the pedal had these spikes for a better grip. Except, with my gracefulness, I lost the grip  in full speed and when the pedal turned it got my shin, spikes and all.”

He kissed the spot on her shin where the scar was and moved upwards.

xxx

Sirius walked past the gates of the school and Apparated away.

Xxx

“And this one?” he asked stroking a spot in her shoulder with his finger.

“Oh, that one is special,” she smiled. “I was seven and I was coming down the stairs and tripped and fell right on a wobbly chair that ended up breaking. One of the splinters got in my shoulder because I was wearing a tank top. This very nice boy- young man,” she corrected making a face, “Magiked the splinter out and disinfected the wound. He put some gauze on it  and then he gave me a chocolate frog from his never ending stash. Mind you, this was all while my cousin and his soon to be a father best friend were panicking; I felt so sorry for Harry then,” she sighed and he chuckled, remembering the event. “Afterwards mum offered to close the wound but I wanted a reminder,” she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “I still have the wrapper and the card. Woe to whoever dares touch it.”

He smiled and kissed her shoulder, working his way up her neck until he reached her mouth and she kissed back.

xx

Sirius appeared at Grimmauld Place and concentrated. The Black Manor appeared for him and he strode inside. He went straight to the library and started looking for his book. His head snapped up when he heard a thump.

He swiftly had his wand in hand and silently made his way upstairs. He heard muffled voices in the one of the bedrooms, but couldn’t make them out. He kicked the door open and pointed his wand at… Remus and Tonks…Remus and Tonks on Remus’ bed… Remus and Tonks on Remus’ bed hastily trying to cover themselves… A very naked Remus and Tonks on Remus’ bed hastily trying to cover themselves up.

“Oh hello Sirius. What brings you here?” Remus asked conversationally.

“I would ask the same, except I don’t need to!” Sirius cried annoyed.  “Weren’t you working late?”

Remus looked at him and opened his mouth and then closed his mouth blushing. He stuttered, “Well- er- I- you see-”

“We were having hot sex, or more like in the process of having hot sex, until you so rudely interrupted us,” Tonks said nonchalantly.

Sirius choked and spluttered, “What- you – my- no- little Nymphy!”

“Excuse me, you were the one who was constantly trying to get us together,” Remus said defensively.

“But I didn’t need to see or know!” Sirius moaned. He turned to them. “Now you have to get married!” and he stalked away.

“Excuse me, what?” Tonks shrieked outraged going after him and taking the blanket with her.

“Nymphadora!” Remus cried, trying to grab some of the blanket.

“What the hell are you going on about?” Tonks cried. “We are almost in the twenty-first century!”

“Don’t care! Now I know! Now you have to get married!”

“So if you didn’t know we didn’t need to get married?”

“Exactly, ignorance is bliss and I wanted to remain ignorant!”

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A/N- Thank you all for reading and reviewing.

Thanks SWaddict1986 for betaying.