Title: Reforging old bonds

Pairings: implied Remus x Severus; drarry, chaise (CharliexBlaise), brektor (MontaguexViktor),

Fandom: Harry Potter

Summary: Harry grows up as Remus and Severus' son, spending school hours at Hecate's school for young witches and wizards. Despite the slight difference in their ages, his guardians arranged play dates with both the Malfoy heir, Draco who is Severus' other godson and the Longbottom heir, Neville.

A/N: It's been a long time but I finished an update... it feels weird.

Chapter 26

Narcissa Malfoy nee Black lamented that she didn't have her sister Andromeda or her cousin Sirius' strength of character. the closest she came was having Andromeda as her birth healer.

Having lost her best friend Azalea, she had passed away due to unhappiness soon after naming her son Laurel Charles. Edmund Parkinson preferred his family's quidditch team to his duties as a bonded or a sire. Azalea had been in love with Narcissa's oblivious cousin Regulus and had conceived accidentally, just prior to her cousin's sudden death and disappearance.

Regulus had just appeared on the family tapestry dead, no explanation or cause was ever discovered. It was the final straw for his father, Narcissa's Uncle Orion. Sirius had run away and Aunt Walburga had gotten him disowned, leaving the main line without an obvious heir. Given that Azalea wasn't even betrothed at the time of her discovered pregnancy; Narcissa with Andromeda's help had ensured that her pregnancy as placed in stasis and resumed soon after her bonding to Edmund. Due to a blood adoption and her first born being female, her true parentage need never be mentioned.

Narcissa had briefly entertained the idea that her Draco might bond to one of her fellow mother's daughters. But given Pansy's birth sire, which she had sworn never to speak of and Daphne's sire being a Pucey, making her a second cousin to Draco, her suitability was impossible. Narcissa had doubted that Millie would be willing to bond to her son, even to ensure that the Lestrange inheritance passed to her children.

Draco had always had a special connection to Harry, it was similar to the feelings that grew between Severus and Remus. She didn't understand why Lucius, who had been so supportive of that relationship would not be in favor of their son bonding to his protégé's adopted son. She had hoped that Draco's stubborn coldness would had brought Lucius around, she never expected that her bonded would be so foolish as to threaten Draco with disownment.

Did he want their cousin Sancus' son to inherit? To have the title and estate inherited by a member of a secondary line?

She had tried to be a good mother, to raise Draco to have more inner strength than she herself possessed. She didn't expect him to be more Black than Malfoy when it came down to it.

Her bonds to Lucius had never felt so crushing, he had forbidden her to contact her son. He was sixteen and she wasn't allowed to send him a birthday present. Her letters requesting her son talk to her bonded hadn't been meant to get Draco to agree to Lucius' demands, but rather to explain himself. She had hoped that they could discuss this rationally, but it was all for naught.

Lucius had thrown away her child, her only child and forbid her from contacting him. The house elves had been ordered to dispose of Draco's things, the most she could do was ask them to deliver them to Severus. He could be trusted to watch over her son, he was his godfather after all and had been allowing Draco to study ahead for his potions master apprenticeship.

She hoped that Lucius would come to his senses before Sancus officially had her son disowned…

What would she miss? She would be forbidden from contacting him to congratulate him on his graduation. She worried that Lucius' decree would prevent her from attending as well, surely he wouldn't forbid her from attending her goddaughter Pansy's graduation…

A vial of silvery liquid shimmered in the summer light…

The memory phial…

Lily had attended Narcissa's bonding on Samhaim only to faint, she had sent her that phial.

It had come with a note that she would know when it was time…

Narcissa went to her personal pensieve and tipped the phial, watching the silvery thread swirl in the basin before leaning over to dunk her head inside.

She gasped…

This was Prince Hall…

Those were bonding robes…

It was her Draco's bonding to Harry of course…

Overseen by her goddaughter Artemis and Severus, Narcissa was nowhere to be seen. She brought her hand to her heart as she watched, she would miss this. Lucius' stubbornness would rob her of this…

When Draco's name was given as 'Draco Prince' rather than Draconis Abraxus Malfoy, Narcissa flinched.

Lily had seen this in a vision and had no doubt realized somehow that Narcissa would not be able to attend. The name was obvious that some distant if not disownment had occurred.

It was a beautiful moving ceremony, Harry looked thin and a bit unwell, while there was a familiar broken sadness in Nemia. Narcissa might not be her godmother but she knew that look. It had been the same for Azalea, the life in Nemia was being eaten away by sadness.

The bonding ended and then, to Narcissa's astonishment, Artemis announced that they were also doing a wiccaning. Harry looked so young, he had wanted to be a professional quidditch player after graduation. Surely, Draco wouldn't have intentionally impregnated him so quickly. Harry didn't appear to be even twenty, maybe eighteen at the most…

The names were spoken aloud, Aster Narissa Black and Ariana Lilia Potter…

Narcissa pulled out of the pensieve and began to weep.

The birth of her granddaughters and their wiccaning would be denied her.

If Lucius thought he would sire another son with her, he was very much mistaken. She might not be able to leave him, but she would make sure that she never gave him another son. Andromeda was a skilled potions mistress, surely between the two of them, they could ensure that Lucius only had a daughter.

Narcissa would never forgive her bonded for this, she hadn't even wanted to bond to him. She had done so only to regain their family's honor, Lucius had been quite clear that he had agreed to it for the same reasons. Because unlike Severus or Lily's relationships, there had been no love, she had been allowed to spend as she wished and invite whomever she wished to her bonding. Much to Bella's disapproval, but Narcissa was grateful that Bella hadn't outlived her beloved master by that long. Her middle sister had tried attacking the Longbottoms who had been supportors of the Light, but not official Order members to her knowledge. Granted, she didn't really involve herself in politics…

While not partners, Alys and Frank had managed to send patroni for backup. By the time help arrived, they had been tortured into insanity but Bella as well as Rodolphus and Rabastan had been subdued. Given that the Aurors at the time didn't have legal compulsions to use non-lethal force when dealing with such opponents, it wasn't all that surprising that they ended up dead. Narcissa had quietly seen to the buriel but there wasn't much to mourn, Bella had gone too far and paid for it with her life.

Narcissa had grown up with a large family- three sisters, Uncle Alphard had three children and her Aunt Walburga had two sons. Plus, Frank was a distant cousin as well, his grandmother was born a Black; Callidora Ain. Daughter of Lysandra Alivia, born to the House Yaxley and the third son of former Headmaster Ophiuchus 'Phineus' Black, Arcturus Cauis. The idea that Bella would attack a cousin wasn't unfathomable, she was suspected and later proved to have been responsible for Sirius' death as well.

Narcissa had been surrounded by so much death, losing Draco, her only child was beyond painful. He was alive but just out of reach…

XoooooooX

Draco was surprised to arrive at Wisteria Meadows to find all of his possessions from Malfoy Manor that weren't family heirlooms there. The Prince-Lupin elves had tried to replicate his room from the Manor.

He had expected his things to be destroyed or thrown out…

Instead, they seemed to have been packed up and moved. This had to be his mother's doing, he doubted she was in agreement with his disownment but she would likely be forbidden to contact him.

Breaking the news to Harry had been nerve-wracking, his boyfriend didn't understand how his parents could do that.

Draco wasn't sure why his father really did this, it couldn't just be because Draco 'embarrassed him' at the Triwizard. He doubted it was due to his refusal to leave Harry's or that he had refused to speak to him. There had to be a real reason for this, but he certainly wasn't going to bother asking. His family's solicitor had begged him to reconsider, odd since without a younger brother, Sancus' own son was the presumed heir.

Draco finished his summer homework and was surprised when Severus escorted them to the Prince Villa in France.

It had formerly been the house where his godfather's mother and aunt had lived, but had been vacant since Theo's mother Evelyn Prince bonded to his father Oran. Apparently, Severus thought they needed more distance between them and Draco's father.

Not that Draco could legally claim his birth parents at all any more…

He was still anxious about his future, he still intended to bond to Harry but without his former inheritance, he couldn't live leisurely and brew. He would need a more substantial career, he had put so much work into his potions apprenticeship that he couldn't stop now. He had been doing research into the legality of his disownment and found he had an interest in law. Normally, a Malfoy would apprentice as a clerk for a member of the family. If he hadn't been disowned, he would apprentice to his cousin Sancus.

He was wary that his disownment would hamper his prospects, but he had to work hard. He wasn't afraid of hardwork, but it was possible that he wasn't going to have much free time for Harry after Graduation. He would try to attend his boyfriend's game, at least he knew that Theo and Blaise would of course look after Harry. They had moved the quickest after Ron pushed Harry and he had failed to stop his then friend's fall.

As uneasy as he was about his future, at some point, Draco would had to discuss his thoughts about pursuing law instead of setting himself up as a potions master.

XoooooooX

Draco was surprised when Remus asked him to go for a walk with him.

They had been in France for almost three weeks…

"I noticed you finished your summer homework."

Draco nodded absently.

"Also, your interest in potions seems diminished."

Draco flinched, "Not diminished… rather, I don't feel it is a profitable career."

"Ah, so this is due to Lucius being a dunderhead." Remus drawled.

Draco stiffened, "If you are referring to my disownment…"

"Indirectly, yes. Given that you have no true inheritance, you feel that you are unworthy. I once thought the same, I heard that Severus was the Prince heir and would inherit both the Estate and a title. I didn't have the same opportunity to study ahead that you, Neville and Adrian had. Severus doesn't really get it, he only ever wanted to be a potions master and he apprenticed to your grandfather.

He doesn't give a knut about his title, never has. He had given Lucius his proxy, but given recent events, he has chosen to reclaim it. With Dumbledore gone, he has more flexibility in his schedule as you know. At any rate, I understand your misgivings. If I hadn't had a bout of self-consciousness, I might not had ended up with two Masteries. Filius was right, I do prefer Charms much to my grandfather's disappointment." Remus shrugged.

Remus' grandfather Lyall had passed away just before Harry's fourth year and had missed the Triwizard Drama. Draco doubted that Dumbledore would have dared what he had if Lyall had been alive. The famed capturer of the Screaming Bogey of Strathtully, a Boggart that had become so drunk on fear that it had become a huge black shadowy monster that even affected Muggles. That was final joint mission between Remus' sire and grandfather…

While Draco was not as close to Remus as he was Severus, in times of great mental anguish, it was Remus who would get through to him.

He hoped in time that Severus would accept his decision…

Remus promised to put out some inquiries about a clerkship with a solicitor or barrister who was not Sancus Malfoy…

Draco was beyond grateful, he just hoped to prove just as good a bondmate to Harry as Severus and Remus were to each other…

What do you think? Outstanding? Exceeds Expectations? Acceptable? Poor? Dreadful? Troll?