'I must say, Sirius, I was impressed that you were able to pull it off,' Narcissa said as she handed her cousin a cup of tea. It was a pleasant afternoon in early April, and the two were sitting on the terrace of Malfoy Manor. 'Aunt Walburga wouldn't have believed it. She never thought you'd amount to anything more than a mischievous prankster.'
Sirius took a sip of his tea, then grinned. 'Well, in a way, this was all simply a very elaborate prank,' he said. 'Dumbledore never saw it coming.'
"Lucius was furious,' Narcissa said with a small laugh. 'He's been trying unsuccessfully to unseat Dumbledore for years, and now you and Aunt Cassie manage it on a whim.'
Sirius's expression suddenly turned very grave. 'It wasn't a whim, Cissy. We had a very good reason to do what we did.'
Narcissa nodded. 'How is Aries doing?'
'Much better, thank you,' Sirius replied. 'He's able to sit up for most of the day now, and the Healer's encouraging him to take short walks in the garden every morning and afternoon.' He smiled faintly. 'I'm hoping he'll be up to riding a broomstick again by summer.'
'How about you?' she pressed. 'How are you handling all this?'
'Not very well,' Sirius admitted. 'Aries may be improving physically, but I'm worried about his emotional state. He's depressed all the time. He's perfectly polite, but he never seems actually interested in anything.' He sighed. 'I'll ask him if he wants to play chess or cards, and he'll say, "All right, Dad, whatever you like." But if I don't initiate it, he'll sit alone all day gazing at the wall.'
'Do you think there's anything we can do to help?' Narcissa asked.
Sirius took a deep breath. 'Actually, I've been meaning to ask you about that. I was wondering whether Draco might be able to spend the Easter holidays with us. I know Aries has missed him, and I thought that perhaps if they got to spend some time together it might help Aries to get back to normal.'
'Lucius won't like it,' Narcissa said with a frown. 'He's been positively delighted that Draco's spent this term away from Aries. He's always felt that the boys spend rather too much time together.'
Sirius snorted in anger. 'What do you think, Cissy?'
'I've always regretted that Lucius didn't want us to have any more children, and I'm very pleased that Draco has Aries. They're all but brothers.' Narcissa sat up straight and gave Sirius a resolute nod. 'Have no fear, Sirius. One way or another, I'll get Lucius to agree. If I have to, I'll go to my father-in-law.'
'I could have done that,' Sirius said cheekily. 'Dad would never refuse me anything.'
Narcissa laughed. 'You're right about that. I've no idea how you managed to persuade him to take up the post of Defence master.'
'Well, technically, he's not a fully-fledged teacher,' Sirius pointed out. 'He's a visiting lecturer, not an employee of the school, and he was adamant that he not be paid a salary.'
'Still, I never thought I'd live to see the day when Abraxas Malfoy would consent to instruct schoolchildren.'
Sirius shrugged. 'He likes me, I suppose,' he said. 'Besides, he'd do anything for Aries.'
Narcissa sighed. 'Yet another reason for Lucius to dislike the both of you.'
'No offence, Cissy,' Sirius said, 'but the feeling is mutual.'
'None taken,' Narcissa assured him. 'One cannot survive for long in the House of Black if one expects all one's family members actually to get along with one another. I think it would drive one slowly mad.'
Her cousin smirked. 'So that's the reason, is it? Poor Mum, if I'd only known.'
Narcissa rolled her eyes and took another sip of tea.
.....
To his wife's surprise and delight – and, ultimately, her everlasting regret – Lucius proved remarkably agreeable to the suggestion that Draco spend the Easter holiday with Aries. Not only did he express concern for his nephew's well-being, but he even volunteered to collect Draco at the train station, something which had never happened before. Therefore, when Draco disembarked from the Hogwarts Express, he was simply overjoyed to find his father waiting for him.
'Dad!' he exclaimed, and gave his father a hug. Lucius hugged him back stiffly. 'What are you doing here?' the blond boy asked excitedly. 'You've never come to pick me up before.'
'I've missed you, Draco,' Lucius said as they left the platform. 'We never got much of an opportunity to speak after the unfortunate incident with the Squib.'
'I've missed you too, Dad,' Draco replied. 'I'm glad to see you.'
Lucius smiled at those words. He relished his son's affection.
'How was school?' he asked.
Draco shrugged. 'It's all right, though I have to say it's been a bit boring without Aries.' He looked at his father hesitantly. 'You wouldn't happen to have heard anything about how he's doing, would you?'
Lucius frowned unconsciously at his son's concern for the Black brat. Nonetheless, making use of Draco's weakness was a necessary part of the plan.
'Alas, he seems to have fallen into a bit of depression,' Lucius said. 'Your Uncle Sirius says that he doesn't show much interest in anything. That's why your mother and I thought it might be a good idea for you to spend your holiday at Windermere Court.'
'Really?' Draco seemed surprised. 'Do you really want me to spend the whole holiday with Aries and Uncle Sirius?'
Lucius raised an eyebrow. 'Don't you think it a good idea?'
Draco paused reflectively. 'I do. I've spoken with Aries quite a bit using the mirror that Uncle Sirius gave him, and he has seemed different.' He looked at his father quizzically. 'I'm just a bit surprised that you would approve. You've never liked Aries.'
'Draco, your cousin is your closest friend,' Lucius replied, with all the affection he could muster. 'What matters to him matters to you, and therefore I care what happens to him.' He withdrew a parcel from his coat. 'In fact, I've even thought of something that might be able to jolt Aries out of his foul mood.'
'What's that?' his son asked eagerly, and for the first time, Lucius felt the tiniest twinge of guilt at what he was planning to do. He squashed it as one might a pesky mosquito, reminding himself that it was really for Draco's sake that all this was necessary.
'At certain times in my life, I've found that writing one's thoughts in a diary can be very therapeutic,' Lucius said. 'It gives one the opportunity to work through one's emotions.'
Draco nodded reflectovely. 'I suppose that's true. I don't know whether it's the sort of thing Aries would go for, though.'
Lucius smiled at his son. 'I have procured a very special enchanted diary for you to give to Aries,' he said. 'This diary is capable of responding to whatever one writes in it, thus enabling one to pour out one's most secret thoughts and fears without ever worrying that anyone else will know, but at the same time to reap all the benefits of an actual conversation.'
Draco was impressed. 'That might actually help, Dad,' he said. 'Thanks.'
.....
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