March arrived, bringing with it an end to the snow and the beginnings of warm weather.

Draco did now know of his sister but he had yet to visit. Lucius had made the mistake of writing to his son instead of speaking to him man-to-man and Draco, although deep down pleased at knowing he had a sibling, could not bring himself to forgive his father for such an indiscretion. The approaching end of term and studying also kept father and son apart.

With Severus' blessing, Echo had formally terminated her employment at Hogwarts' Library and was now very busy with The Book Worm, the shop in Diagon Alley that she co-owned with Hermione. Hermione, who was just as busy with school as Draco was, did manage a weekly correspondence with her partner.

Harry had a new friend in Sophie, who, with her father, had remained at Fairwinds.

The aurors had come for Lucius near the end of February to be tried for his crimes as a Death Eater. Due to extenuating circumstances that had been backed up by Dumbledore and the ex-spy Severus Snape, the ex-Death Eater had been conditionally pardoned. He was in the custody of the Snapes, under a nightly curfew, and no longer was able to work at the circus. As the circus performed in both wizarding and Muggle venues, it was not formally recognised by the Ministry as a place that could provide a wizard with a decent job.

Lucius, who had yet to see the return of his magic, had been caught up short with job opportunities in the wizarding world. Without hesitation, Severus had promptly put him to work in his lab as an assistant.

The last supposed insult, which Lucius didn't view the way the Ministry did, was that he'd been stripped of his title as Lord of the Noble House of Malfoy, and his considerable estate. Draco Malfoy was the official Lord now, and was in control of the entire estate as he had been since excising his mother from the Malfoy family.

Truly, Lucius cared little for the loss of his title and inheritance. It was small compensation that, for now, it was all he had to give Draco. He missed his son, who was as important to him as Sophie was.

Sophie had come to quickly love her new home. She adored Hector, loved her Aunt Echo and was fascinated about the baby that was making Echo's tummy rounder each day. Sophie thought that Harry was the best thing in the world and followed him everywhere, except for school. She would wave goodbye to him in the morning as he left through the Floo to the Little Red Schoolhouse, and she would wait patiently for Harry when he came home.

Sophie was fascinated by Severus, too, yet at first she was terribly shy around him. She tended to hide behind her father, or furniture when Severus was near. One afternoon while her father was busy in the lab, Sophie, who was generally under the very good and watchful eye of Dobby, had been playing hide-n-seek from the elf. Running from one hiding place to another she had fallen and skinned her knee rather badly. Severus, in his study at the time, had heard the screeching coming from the upstairs hall, was up the stairs in seconds. He scooped the little girl into his arms and took her into the playroom where he sat down in a rocking chair to examine the knee. The scrape only needed cleaning and healing by Severus' wand. He then continued to hold the small girl until she fell asleep in his arms.

After that, Sophie had a habit of being Severus' small ghost, if her father weren't around. She also liked holding onto the hem of his robes as he took his daily walk around the backyard gardens.

Harry didn't quite understand why Draco hadn't come to get to know his little sister. He thought she was just perfect and Harry was certain that Draco would love her. His father explained that school was keeping Draco busy and that he just wasn't used to the idea of a baby sister.

Whatever. Harry vowed to be near in case Draco needed him when he did finally decide to meet Sophie.

The seven year old and the three and a half year old (Sophie was very adamant that everyone get the information about her age correct) were typical terrors in the evening. Severus welcomed the warming weather as it allowed he, and Lucius on occassion, to throw the two naturally hyped children outside.

Harry and Sophie were seated beside a pond that was empty of water and fish. Lucius had dug it out and lined it recently with river rock as a personal project.

"What kind o'fish, Harry?" asked Sophie as she leaned against the older boy.

"For the pond?" Harry shrugged and watched as Hector climbed gingerly down into the depression. "I suppose goldfish, but maybe some of those big ones... what'd your dad call them?"

"Goi," Sophie supplied knowledgeably, meaning Koi.

"Yeah. Those looked pretty. I'd like some of those small purple ones that looked like they had floaty wings." Harry smiled referring to the Beta fish he'd seen in the book Lucius had showed them both a few nights ago.

"But wouldn't they eat the goi?" asked Sophie. She remembered her father explaining to Harry that the fish he liked, the colourful Betas, were very aggressive fish and usually never shared a pond with other fish.

"Yeah, but they're big and the Bets are small so it might take 'em awhile to clear a pond."

"I don't want anything to eat my goi!" wailed Sophie.

"Okay! Okay!" Harry began to soothe the little girl. "No bets. Maybe dad will let me have one for my room, though."

Sophie, like most youngsters, went from distressed to happy in a split second as she smiled at Harry. "Can I have one, too? I liked the red ones best!" She then dislodged a small pebble nudging it down to where Hector was snuffling. "We need some'a the magic fish, too. Those silver ones with rainbow eyes would be really pretty. Think those can go in the pond, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "Don't see why not."

A silvery hare hopped into being and with Echo's voice it spoke, "Harry, Sophie... it's time for dinner. Come inside and wash your hands."

Sophie stretched out her hand to touch the pretty little hare just as it faded. She sighed wistfully. "I wish papa would get me a bunny."

Harry was standing and he held out a hand to help the little girl to her feet. "Maybe your dad might get you one for your birthday. In Diagon Alley there's a store and I'll bet they have rabbits."

Severus watched as the two children made their way back to the house. Hector bounded happily around and at their side, while Harry continually glanced over at Sophie to make sure she was right beside him.

"He's going to make a wonderful big brother, isn't he?" asked Echo as she slipped her arms around her husband's waist and leaned a cheek against his shoulder.

The Potions Master smiled and laid his hands over his wife's. "He was a Gryffindor once. He's such a protective little fellow that he may be so again."

Echo noted the wistful tone in Severus' voice. "Would you be disappointed if he were?"

"Disappointed? No. More afraid, I think. Potter was always championing someone, or getting his nose into business he oughtn't and... and I could have stopped him, but I didn't."

"Because he was in Gryffindor?" Echo asked.

"I expected him to think more than he did." His dark eyes gleamed with assurance as he looked out upon the boy who was his son. "I've taught Harry to think carefully before he acts. He still has the Gryffindor bravery, but there is now a bit more of Slytherin caution to his step."

Echo pulled away and smiled. "Go release Lucius from the dungeon, my dear. You had him so busy today I don't think he saw Sophie once," she said with mild reproval.

Severus bowed and backed out of the kitchen. "I shall take your unspoken advice under consideration, Beauty."

Lucius had already finished in cleaning up the potions lab and he was sitting on a tall stool staring at a shelf of glittering, drying phials, stirrers, and bottles. In his hand was a crumpled, unopened letter that had been returned that afternoon.

Draco was still ignoring him and it hurt. Lucius knew he'd been foolish to tell his son of Sophie, and of Em, in a letter, but he hadn't guessed that Draco would have been so hurt by it. Severus had warned Lucius against the letter, but the truth was, he'd been a coward in not facing his son.

Three times he'd attempted an apology, again, by letter. Draco had not opened a single one. Lucius knew, that at some point one of them would break and a reconciliation was inevitable, but until then...

"Draco will not break," the cold voice of reason was even darker sounding in the underground lab. Severus stepped in and walked over to his friend.

"I doubt I want him to, Severus," mumbled Lucius. "I feel like I don't know him anymore," he complained softly. "I don't think I've really known my son since he began school at Hogwarts. I was far too busy playing so many different roles that I neglected the most important one."

"What's done is done, Lucius. You know that Draco wants you in his life, but it isn't going to be something easy for you. You're going to need to work at this. Draco isn't a child anymore and he's waiting for you to see that."

"Please don't tell me how stupid that letter was, Severus," pleaded Lucius.

"I wasn't even going to mention it. What I meant to tell you was that there is to be a Hogsmeade weekend this weekend. Perhaps you might be able to talk to Draco there. Echo will watch Sophie while I take Harry to get some new shoes."

"Do you think he'll meet me?" Lucius asked hopefully.

Severus sighed and shook his head in exasperation at his friend. "Draco wants his father in his life," Severus said, somewhat cryptically. "Come. Echo has dinner ready."

My Dearest Godson,

Began the letter from Severus to Draco. Affectionate, but formal. Usually when Severus wrote to Draco, he referred to the young man as Dragon, or even, son. Draco swallowed uneasily as his scalp prickled with dread and he partially crumpled the letter in his fists.

Hermione, sitting next to Draco at breakfast, had seen the letter arrive, carried by the sleek raven that Severus preferred to owls. She slipped a cool hand beneath Draco's shoulder length hair and lightly stroked the back of his neck.

"Would you like me to read it?" she asked, her voice lowered so no one else could listen in on their conversation.

"It's from Severus, My. Just... uhm... will you pour me some more pumpkin juice?"

Hermione quietly complied as Draco continued to read the letter. As he had suspected, his godfather was intervening in the tension between father and son.

This weekend is the last Hogsmeade weekend before the end of term. I do not wish to cause you tension on such a weekend, but this difficulty between yourself and Lucius needs to be addressed and concluded.

There is a new cafe on Zephyr Street called Angwyn's where you shall meet Lucius at noon. I know that Hermione will be tempted to be with you, but please ask her to meet Echo at The Book Worm. Harry and I will be shopping for new shoes. We will all meet once we receive word from Lucius that all is well.

And I expect all will be well, Dragon. Your father chose a poor way to inform you of the existence of Sophie, but that is not an insurmountable problem. Listen to your father as the grown man you are, not the child you once were.

All my affection,
Your Godfather

Letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding in, Draco put down the letter and began to smooth out the wrinkles he'd crimped into it.

"Uncle Severus wants me to meet with my father this weekend," Draco said quietly.

Hermione smiled and kissed his cheek. "I have to agree with him, love. You need to get this monkey off your back."

Draco gave his girlfriend a frown. "Is that another one of those Muggle sayings?"

Hermione giggled. "One of many."

Draco gave Hermione a quick kiss on the end of her nose as he smiled. In two days, he'd be meeting his father. And then, he'd be meeting his little sister.

Lucius stood in front of a full length mirror in his bedroom at Fairwinds and frowned. He hadn't, yet, purchased his own set of wizarding robes, and so Severus had graciously lent the older man a set of his. Echo had helped in altering the robes, as Lucius had complained that they were far too severe for him. Severus had gone to his lab as his annoyance level with his friend was rising quickly.

Using several spells, Echo had changed the nearly knee length frock coat with its almost 100 black mother-of-pearl buttons into a fitted, and stylishly cut vest. Plain, but Lucius hadn't wanted fancy. He wanted his flannel shirt, jeans, and his long duster, but both Echo and Severus had nixed that.

A simple cotton shirt, white in colour, set off the vest and the black trousers that had only required a change in size. The outer robes had been softened to a dove grey that Lucius approved of.

Refusing to do away with his beloved cowboy boots, Echo had done what she could to disguise some of the "comfortable" wear and tear of the workboots and they matched rather well with his wizarding attire.

Alone in his room, plagued with the Malfoy in-born sense of fashion, he stood, a bit uncertainly, and awkwardly, before the mirror. He didn't say so aloud, but he really did want his circus clothing. It had been, for him, such a long time since he'd worn robes. And those had been his Death Eater robes.

"You look really pretty, papa," Sophie smiled at her father from almost behind his right hip.

Lucius glanced down at his daughter's reflection in the mirror. He smirked. "You think I'm pretty, Sophie?"

Sophie curled a small fist into the lower half of the outer robe. "Mama's prettier, but you are too." She leaned against her father. He turned, sensing his child's unspoken fear, bent and picked her up. "Why can't I stay with you today, papa?"

"Papa has an appointment that is very important. I will want you there, but a bit later. I promise, Echo will bring you quicker than you can blink when I call." He kissed his daughter's warm cheek as he drew her tighter into his embrace.

"You gonna use a phone? I thought magic people didn't use phones." Sophie trailed her fingers through Lucius' long, blonde hair.

"They don't, my little owl." Shifting Sophie so she was now supported on his hip and with one arm, he pulled out from under his shirt a medallion that closely resembled the amulet that Draco wore. "See this?" Sophie took the medallion into her hands and made a show of examining it closely. "This is a clever, magical device that was fashioned by Severus. He and Echo will both be wearing similar amulets. When I press it, and whisper the magic word, their amulets will heat up just enough to let them know they are to meet me."

Sophie's eyes widened in understanding. She held up her wrist to show the glinting silver of a charm bracelet. "That's like my coin, daddy!"

There, on her charm bracelet, there dangled a small coin that was nearly the exact replica of the coin Lucius had once magicked for his son as a portkey that would take him to his godfather if there was trouble nearby or he were hurt. Since neither he nor Em had been able to do magic, Lucius had asked Journey to turn the simple, copper pence into a magical amulet that would tell Lucius or Em wherever their daughter was.

"So it is," Lucius smiled. He then put Sophie down and straightened her pinafore. He caught her by the shoulders before she darted out of his bedroom, and began to braid her long, pale gold hair into two braids. Once finished, Sophie shook her head, so the braids swung back and forth, and then she ran down the stairs.

Lucius took one last look at himself, drew in a deep breath, then let it out. As he left his room, he tried to ignore the rapid, nervous beating of his heart.