AN:

It has been awhile, for that I apologize, but I think we've all come to expect that as my new norm.

I haven't addressed ANs here just because there were quite a lot of them (THANK YOU), and I really just wanted to get this chapter out for you.

ALWAYS BE AWARE: No matter how long I've gone between updates, I will NEVER EVER NEVER EVER NEVER EVER NEVER abandon this story. Seriously, I'm riding this out to the very end. So PLEASE don't fret, or worry, or panic, or any variation thereof when it's been a long while before updates. I am and always will be fully committed to the continuance of this story.

Anyways, I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter, I struggled for a while on how to set up what will be hinted at in this update; part of the reason the dang thing took so long. My ideas just weren't meshing up, it was a thing. It's sorted now, though, hallelujah.

WARNING: there are like, two or three curse words, if that offends, I'm sorry.

Hope everyone enjoys the read!

POSTMARKED:

Hagrid

Hogwarts Castle

To Miss Lillian Black,

I hope this holiday finds ya well. I'm well myself, workin hard on the lesson plans for the next year, Flitwick has been much help on tha end of things.

Everyone's doing good here. Though, these beasts are inna mighty huff without ya.

Thestrals have been gathering at the forest's edge, checkin for ya daily, and when they find ya gone, stampin their feet like spoilt children throwin temper tantrums, and leavin without botherin with myself. Their actual keeper.

Buckbeak's been the worst. Totally despondent. Keeps turnin' his rear every time I go to feed 'im. Refusin to eat, refusin to interact with the rest of the flock. Bein' a right pain and causin' quite the stir.

Fang's been poutin', droolin' all over the floor mat, waitin' on ya to come in for his walk. Refuses to walk with myself. Big lout.

I don' even wanna mention that bloody Mrs. Norris. If we thought she was mean before, she's right vicious these past few days.

Anywho, just wanted to wish you a happy Christmas, figured I aughta tell ya just how much I appreciate all the help you've been these recent months, the animals are happier, an' I've never met someone as dedicated to the creatures as I am.

I, uh, I made ya something. It's nothin' really, kinda primitive, really, but I thought you might like it anyways. Figure you might be missin' the creatures a bit, thought maybe this way you'd have a little bit of them at home with ya, to keep ya company when they aren't there to do it themselves.

See ya in a few weeks,

Hagrid

POSTMARKED:

Remus Lupin

Hogwarts Castle

Lillian,

First off, happy birthday little cub, I wish I could be there to celebrate it with you... I wish I had been there to celebrate a lot of events and anniversaries with you, but I'll be grateful for the capability of sending this letter to you with the knowledge that it will be well received.

You've grown into a remarkable young woman, Lillian, and I know all of that is due to the Malfoy's, and before this year, maybe I could have begrudged them their places in your life, now, however, I could do no such thing. When I see the obvious affection shared between Draco and yourself... when I see the protectiveness in him that rivals the wolf in me? If your father was in his right mind, he would kill me for admitting this, but I trust your continued well-being under the Malfoy name. Whatever comes from the brewing tensions between Light and Dark, I trust that no matter how they have to do it, the Malfoy's will keep you alive and well to the end of it. No matter what, little cub, know that my side in this war will always be yours. Please remember this when you read what I have written.

Know, before all else, you have no obligation to this task I'll ask of you simply because it is I doing the asking. A majority of my being rebels at having even dared to write you about this, but another part, as miniscule as it may be, recognizes that this is an opportunity that you must be afforded the knowledge of. The choice is yours, regardless, and I honor it always.

The Dementors haunting our grounds haven't been harmless; they have, in fact, claimed quite a few victims since their occupancy, none more prevalent, as I'm sure you are aware, as one Harry Potter. He has come to me, asking that I instruct him on how to cast a Patronus, after realizing after the last quidditch match that a student his age was more than capable of defending oneself against them.

I won't lie to you Lillian, your involvement in this, your instruction of Harry? It probably won't go over so well the first few weeks. I see a little too much of his father in him for the introduction of this to be easy, especially when in consideration of your father's supposed involvement in James and Lily's murders. However, I can't deny that your experience would be unequivocally beneficial. I was aged, more experienced, and more grounded in self and magical core when I learned the Patronus charm, well on my way to completing my Masters; you're coming from a place more similar to Harry's then I could imagine. Your presence in our sessions will make teaching him far less strenuous then should I attempt to go at it alone.

You are already tutoring more than a fair handful of students, and this one case will require significantly more of your time and effort than your general sessions.

I must reiterate this as many times as it takes for you to trust me when I say it. I don't want you to make this decision based upon my request. I am merely presenting an opportunity to you, one with more benefits than just indebting Harry Potter to you. I implore you to think it over carefully, bring the matter to the attention of the Malfoys, if anyone is more skilled at maneuvering tumultuous environments and gaining powerful political allies, well, I'll chew my own shoes come the next full moon.

I love you, little cub; don't ever think I'm not in your corner because I am. In complete transparency, I don't know if I want you anywhere near Harry right now, I've seen within him an incontrollable fury I daren't wish to subject you to. I want his vitriol nowhere near you, cub, but this isn't a decision I can make for you, and it would be a disservice to you to withhold such information, not when I think it could support you in a case against Dumbledore.

This year isn't turning out how I expected it might when I agreed to teach at Hogwarts, it has turned out much better, if only for the reason that we have been reintroduced to each other.

I don't have much to my name, but enclosed, I have gifted you a few of my most treasured memories, I hope you find in them the love and comfort I do each time I look at them. Please make no attempts to return them, these are the originals, but do not fret, I've made copies for myself.

See you soon, little cub

Papa Wolf

Lillian's hands shook as she fingered the edges of the photos enclosed in a fine paper wrapping meant to protect the images; tears flooding her eyes, yet refusing to fall; her breath short and almost painful at the memories presented before her.

One was of her, newly born and held in a woman's arms; a woman with a tangle of blonde curls and deep dimples, impossibly blue eyes ethereal as she shared a look with a young, devishly handsome version of a man unmistakably Lillian's father, before they both looked down, broad smiles on their faces at baby her.

There was another one, her parents the same easily distinguishable, beautiful young couple, with her probably just a little under a year old sprawled on a pale blue couch, her mother's fingers tickling her ribs, her father leaning over the back of the couch staring at them both with a smile almost more broad then the one he sported when she was first born.

Her heart hurt at that photo, because she couldn't even begin to fathom her father ever having loved her as he so obviously did in this photo. Her mother making her giggle and her father staring upon them, upon her, as though she were where his whole world started and stopped.

She stared at that photo for countless hours before she managed to look at the last two photos. Photos that almost soothed the soul-wrenching pain the last two inspired, two photos that inspired within her warmth and comfort and an unfailing sense of belonging.

The first was of Remus, as young as his parents in the first photo, with her being maybe four months old. He was passed out on an oval shaped dining table in what was unmistakably a very homey looking kitchen. An open book pillowing his head, one hand wrapped around a coffee mug, the other around one of her unbelievably tiny feet, his hand encompassed her foot, her ankle, and a good part of her lower leg as she dosed in a little rocking seat atop the table, a wolf stuffed animal clutched tightly to her chest.

The second was another of Remus and she both asleep. Except this time they were on that same pale blue couch, her snoozing on his chest, a book he had been reading propped on her little diaper-clad bottom, his hands keeping her safe even in his sleep. Their breaths as synchronized as possible when her lungs were so tiny in comparison to his, and when she snuffled against his threadbare t-shirt; he smiled in his sleep, thumbs moving gently, soothingly, along her little spine.

These were her only photos of a life before the Malfoys… that Remus had given them to her? She didn't think she would ever be capable of letting him go, he was her wolf; he may have not been around in the last decade, he may have been absent, but he hadn't abandoned her, she was still his cub, she would always be his cub, and that was more than her birth father had ever given her.

PoA

Draco and Lillian were in her bed, her head pillowed on his arm as they stared up at the dream catcher Hagrid had sent her for Christmas, Draco contemplating Lillian's situation and choices, Lillian ruminating on the delicate ornament crafted by Hagrid's half-giant hands.

It was probably worth a few dozen galleons alone for the materials used, let alone the overall result. One of Fawkes' fire bright feathers had been used as the rim, sewn tight to a half-dozen or so hippogriff feathers, all a variety of grey to black in a striking offset to phoenix fire. The unmistakable inky black of Thestral mane bound the iridescently silver beads made of unicorn hoof shavings to the feathered rim. To finish, tiny black opals gleaming midnight blue and emerald green hung freely by more Thestral mane, clinking together almost like little bells from the soft breeze cast from her wand half an hour ago.

It was one of the most beautiful gifts she had ever received, and she couldn't believe it came from a man who had once referred to her family as 'bad blood'. Hagrid hadn't thought it was much, his gift, but it was everything. It was made with care, and patience, and made of all the things she adored, of all the creatures that had claimed a part of her heart over the course of her time apprenticing with Hagrid; she would forever cherish it, even if Hagrid had expected her to discard it for nothing.

"Did you speak to Nymphadora about this?"

"I penned a letter this morning, waited to send it off until you and I had a chance to discuss this. I wanted you to be the first to hear the offer." Lillian adored Nymph, valued her opinions and advice beyond measure, but when it came down to it, she valued no opinion more than she did Draco's.

"Why come to me?" Though Draco was pleased to an unquantifiable degree that he was Lillian's first choice, he knew that she could easily anticipate his answer without actually having to ask. "You know already what I'll say. I want that entitled prick nowhere near you, especially after he hurt you." His fingers gently touched the almost completely faded bruise.

"Because if you can see the potential advantages despite your rage and hatred, then I really haven't a choice, have I?" A long silence met her point, Draco dissecting all the facts of the situation, which was why she brought Lupin's request to him first.

Lillian would undoubtedly consult Lucius and Narcissa after Draco had given her his input; would even get Nymph's reply sometime after then but she prioritized Draco in because of his bias.

Draco was near blinded by his hatred of Harry and his love for her, but he would weigh all points of consideration and answer her with the business-minded ruthlessness Lucius had instilled into them both ages ago; which made his decision all the more important than one of a completely objective bystander.

"You're fourteen." He announced, unbidden and solemn; his tone resigned in a way that told her that he didn't like whatever conclusion he had come up with.

"I'll be fifteen next break." Lillian understood where others wouldn't what her age had to do with the seemingly unrelated subject.

"You will be fully contracted by Christmas of fifth year." Draco frowned, his arms around her tightening briefly at the thought, "The Malfoy name won't be able to protect you for much longer," And that thought – the idea that he wouldn't forever be able to keep her safe – terrified him in a way nothing else could. "If you can form an alliance with Potter, despite his current temper…it could only ever be an advantage." As loathe as Draco was to admit it, he couldn't lie, not about this. "Make an ally of Potter and you'll have help we cannot provide once you are committed and this war starts."

Draco sighed, wanting to think of nothing less than he did the fact that Lillian would be presented to pureblood society in less than two years time. "I guess I can't begrudge you your odd acquaintanceship with Granger now, can I?"

"You can, and you will." She murmured, mind quietly distracted by what his encouragement meant for the situation presented.

She was right, he would begrudge it, if for no other reason then because her odd acquaintanceship with Granger was woefully unbalanced, and only really in effect when Granger seemed to need something from his cousin. In Draco's book, there would never be any good excuse to use Lillian's goodwill for selfish purposes.

Committed to taking Remus's request to Lucius and Narcissa next, Lillian turned her gaze away from the dream catcher to gaze at her cousin, seeing his inner turmoil in regards to her circumstance in life, she smiled at his protective urges and decided to distract him.

So in an abrupt change of subject she told Draco what happened with Pansy.

"Father will be pleased to desist playing nice with Mr. Parkinson." He noted at the end of her tale, his mouth pinched, obviously displeased and feeling more than a little vindictive. "Honestly, I think father detested Parkinson Sr. as much as he does the dreadful Flints. And considering how intolerant he has been of that bunch since Marcus' show earlier this year, I never thought such a thing possible." And there was no question that Lucius Malfoy would cut all ties with Parkinson Sr. once Draco informed his father about what the heiress had dared to do in regards to Lillian and her position in their family. No one stepped on them and got away with it, not even against the honorary 'ward'.

"Of course you aren't just as pleased to quit entertaining the girl's ridiculous adoration of you." Lillian teased with a nudge to his side.

"Nothing ridiculous about her affections, cousin," Draco countered, smirk so clear in his voice, "If nothing else, Pansy Parkinson has good taste…I just have better."

Lillian laughed aloud at her cousin's statement, for she loved when he got to display his sense of humor – more often than not, he could transform that arrogance into a sharp wit that never failed to make her smile.

"Whatever you have to tell yourself in order to sleep well, Draco."

"I sleep like a babe, thank you very much, dear cousin."

Lillian rolled her eyes at his smarminess, though her smile in no way diminished.

After a few moments of peaceful quiet, Draco wondered, "Whatever happened with the mousey first year?" He knew his cousin had been fretting over her lack of response.

"She responded to my letter," Lillian announced, a small frown pulling at her mouth, "But she didn't say much. I think she's afraid I'll vanish should she say the wrong thing."

"Give her time," Draco assured calmly, knowing that if he and Blaise couldn't refuse her on the rare occasions she asked for them to do something in particular – like go into a bookstore on Hogsmeade weekends, not that it was a hardship on either of their parts – then an untried first year will be incapable of denying Lillian for long. "She'll come around once she realizes you are genuine in your attentions."

Lillian wasn't known for being rude or cruel, but she was renowned for her aloofness, not as unapproachable as Zabini, but still a formidable reputation that inspired awe, caution, and fear. Also, the mousey first year's initial impression would have been of Lillian's display of temper at the very beginning of the year – a few days of interaction would not have dispelled the intimidation that outburst had wrought among nearly all of their peers, no matter how gentle Lillian was behaving.

Lillian let out a gusty sigh at his advice, turning on her side until she seemed to be trying to burrow into his skin; he tightened his arm around her. "I'm worried, Draco."

And he knew she was talking about more than just dangerously skittish American witches. Knew she was referring to everything - their family, their friends, her fate in this war that seems to be brewing ever faster. He turned his head, pressed his lips to her hairline, letting the calming scent of loose curls soothe the pit opening in his stomach, "So am I, Lillian, so am I." Because if anything happened to her, he knew he wouldn't be alone in going off the deep end. He feared what they would become in the event of this war taking Lillian from them, because however it happened, they would become the worst sort of people.

PoA

"You sounded serious, earlier," Lucius broached after a long, companionable silence between old friends. Having already discussed polite pleasantries, they had just basked in the peace of having nothing to say to someone who knew their darkest, foulest secrets; and Lucius hadn't pushed the reason for Severus' visit, a floo call that had made Lucius wary of this meeting, for it seemed to hint at nothing good. "What seems to be on your mind?"

"It has come to my attention that a student has somehow managed to slip through the cracks, either by accident or design." Severus began, divulging some without truly saying anything at all.

"Cracks?" Lucius prodded, patient to Severus's reticence.

"They are unaware of the rights beholden to them by being a naturally born dual citizen." Severus supplied, "Born to the muggle world, but of our magical one."

"Usually – " Lucius straightened from his previously elegant slouch, immediately alert because as a governor of the school board, his duty was to see Hogwarts students safe and well cared for. "—When such a child stabilizes, a representative of Hogwarts – " Because adolescent magical cores stabilized at eleven years of age, which was why magical schools waited so long to send their letters, no point in trying to teach a child to control something that, as of yet, had no desire to be controlled. " – is sent to that child's residence, to explain the unexplainable and provide guidance and educational supplements so that they are more than prepared before entering our world."

"Usually, yes," Severus conceded, "But not in this case."

Lucius' expression went ice cold, leveling his friend with a stare that meant he best give him all of the facts, and quickly. "What case is this?"

"Devon Maccabee."

Lucius visibly startled, "Explain." The bitten off command came from that of a seasoned soldier, not the exemplary businessman.

"An orphan, she resides in an institute in London, apparently she received a letter from Hogwarts explaining she was a witch and written directions to Diagon Alley."

"No representative? Never has Dumbledore been so incompetent before!" Lucius was furious, and not just because Devon was a friend to Lillian, but also because a child, a magical child had been so thoughtlessly disregarded.

"She seems to have prospered just fine in Slytherin, even without proper preparation." Severus figured that was the only way to keep Lucius from going for Albus' head, not that Severus particularly cared if the old wizard's head stayed attached to his neck, but he was, at present, irrevocably tied to the manipulative bastard through an oath blackmailed out of him.

"But how much of that was to do with her association to Lillian?" Lucius challenged quietly, "We cannot think she was the only one to have been ill-prepared."

Severus's mouth pinched in a way Lucius couldn't miss, "You've suspicions of another child so ill-prepared?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if Potter had not somehow been left made to suffer the same less than knowledgeable beginning."

Lucius felt his brows rise in surprise, "Dumbledore's golden boy?"

"An ignorant child is the perfect mold." Severus countered quietly. "But I'm not here to discuss Potter, he is not my concern." They both knew that that was a lie, but Lucius let it go.

"How did you become aware of Miss Maccabee's situation then?"

And Severus told Lucius of how the girl snuck into the first weekend at Hogsmeade, but had been unable to sneak off the second. Of their meeting in his office, where he discovered her orphan status and how that status had impeded her privileges as a Hogwarts student – which wasn't at all how their system worked.

Always a magical child had a magical guardian, if not a biological parent, then that guardian was a godparent, a near relation, or an adoptive guardian; in the case of orphans, muggleborns, or half bloods under the sole custody of their muggle parent, a representative of whichever school that child attended took on temporary magical responsibility until a more permanent alternative had been found.

Had Devon been assigned a magical guardian, that magical guardian would then see to providing Devon with a thorough understanding of the magical world; its' history, its' inner workings, and the possible futures at her disposal should she choose to stay in the magical world come graduation. While she was underage, her assigned magical guardian would also deal with any paperwork regarding her personal rights or well-being.

Their world may have been borderline archaic in most aspects, but it had always been well-advanced and highly progressive in regards to child welfare.

"So, essentially, what you're saying is that she does not possess a magical guardian." Lucius couldn't believe such a massive oversight had occurred. If their world were only a little less biased, the oversight of Miss Maccabee's case alone would be enough to see Dumbledore stripped of his titles, all of them.

"Yes."

Lucius studied his dour friend with piercing scrutiny, piecing together the information given – Severus' attitude regarding the whole thing, and the way in which he had behaved in their earlier floo call – to appraise the situation. "You wish to become her magical guardian."

Severus wasn't even mildly surprised by Lucius quickly made, accurate, conclusion. "Yes."

Lucius sighed, knowing the answer to his next inquiry, but needing to make it regardless. "Not just temporarily?"

"No." Severus agreed, "Permanently."

"You realize, that should you make this decision…should she choose to remain in this world as an adult, she will be, in everything sans blood, your daughter – and considering the world we live in, this wouldn't just be an immediate upheaval." Lucius cautioned, "Tumultuous times are coming, Sev. They are coming and they will not dissipate in a timely manner."

"I know," Severus bit off hoarsely, wondering at just how much of an idiot he was for even considering taking on this responsibility when already he was a spy.

"You've committed to this path already," Lucius realized, "What do you truly wish to discuss with me?" Because Severus wouldn't have broached the subject, knowing his decision had already been made, unless he needed something specific from Lucius.

"Should she choose to stay in our world, should she be my daughter…what are the implications of my adopting a muggleborn witch given the inevitable rise of Him?"

Lucius sucked in a sharp breath, looked quickly from his friend's abyss-like stare to search the fire for an escape to the sudden turn of this conversation. Lucius understood why Severus would ask him about this, Severus was well aware that Lucius had been making plans for over a decade now on how to protect his half-blood niece in the eventuality of Voldemort's return; struggling to make back-up plans to his back-up plans in order to insure that the child that represented almost everything Voldemort was against, wasn't slaughtered or held captive as a show of what happened when you fought opposite him.

Lucius recognized, however, that no matter what, Severus doing this would not be as big a penalty against him as Lucius's was for having taken in Sirius Black's daughter as his Ward; not even if he should use the excuse that he was merely raising her to be gifted over to him, to account for the carnage her father had done to his Lord's cause. It would be the biggest lie he had ever told, and it would be the hardest to sell, because even if he and his wife could keep themselves collected, in no universe would Draco ever be able to stomach the mistruth.

"You are a half-blood, Sev, if this becomes permanent, get her blood tested, in all likelihood she is of some distant relation to a vagabond of a pureblood. She slipped through the cracks of child welfare; maybe she slipped through the cracks of an old bloodline. She could have been born out of a series of squibs. She'll be able to claim half-blood status, and He will pay it no mind. If nothing else, claim it as a ruse to keep on Dumbledore's good side." And if Lucius had his suspicions on Snape's true allegiance in regards to his spying for the dark lord on the light lord, well, considering Lucius's own loyalties, Lucius figured that Severus could keep his secrets.

"So simple a solution?" Severus trusted Lucius' proposal, knew it was solid and foolproof for all that it had taken the other man a scant few minutes to think it up; but how could something so permanently life altering have such a simple answer?

"Nothing about this will be simple, Sev. You care for a hundred students as though they were your own, and you do it well, my friend, but beware this fact…there is nothing, and I do mean nothing, comparable to the moment a child becomes your sole responsibility."

Lucius could still remember, with vivid clarity, the night that Lillian had been brought to them, calm and quiet and as though she hadn't just ripped the world of the Malfoys right out from beneath their very feet.

Narcissa and Lucius were just finishing up Draco's bedtime bath when one of their elves alerted them to the presence of Alastor Moody on their doorstep.

The fear on his wife's face was enough to make him hate the Auror anew, for in the months following the Dark Lord's initial vanquishing, their lives had been invaded with a ruthless focus that had seen them feeling far more violated than Lord Voldemort ever had.

They had yet to find anything, for Lucius was nothing if not vigilant when it came to protecting everything his father had ever threatened him with – his family.

"Does he have a warrant, Cobby?"

"No sirs," The female elf shook her head, "He's alone, sirs. No warrants. No teams. Just Crazy eyes."

Brows furrowed in confusion Lucius turned to his wife, fear still present in her gaze, but not as predominantly as before; she was just as confused as he by the lack of a dozen or so more Aurors on their property because no Auror had ever dared come at them alone.

"Get Draco dressed, Cobby can put him to bed, then gather yourself and meet me downstairs." Lucius ordered softly, smoothing a thumb across his son's brow and pressing a kiss to his wife's temple before rising to his feet and heading for the foyer – making himself presentable along the way because he would be damned if the irascible Auror ever saw him so informally presented. The sight of him, his shirtsleeves rolled up, his feet bare, and his hair pulled back, that was meant solely for his spouse and child.

When he reached the entranceway, he was every inch the formidable Slytherin soldier he was groomed to be, armed with his image and ready to defend his home and family to his dying breath.

"I hope you have a good reason coming here without due cause, Auror." He began, stoic and ready to draw mental anguish when the Auror turned and revealed a child Lucius had only ever seen, in person, once before.

Lucius knew he had probably lost the infamous Slytherin composure, but he didn't think the gruff Auror would begrudge him for the slip when the other wizard looked wholly out of sorts himself.

"Why is she here?" Lucius demanded when he regained his voice, unable to pull his eyes from the gray-eyed, dark-haired little girl clutching tightly to Moody's jacket. He was incensed, for a multitude of reasons, but none of which might be what others would expect. "Has something happened to Narcissa's sister?" Andromeda Tonks may have been disowned, but she would always be blood her sisters, because despite circumstances, the Blacks honored familial blood above all else; Lucius was ill prepared to deal with a distraught wife in addition to the war being waged against their name.

"No," Moody grunted, "Mrs. Tonks is fine." Fine was actually a relative term considering how furious and devastated the woman had become when Moody had gone to confiscate the child currently in his possession.

"Then why do you have her child?" Lucius demanded to know. Lillian Marlene Black could not be in his home, not when he was under prosecution by the Light Side for his Dark Doings, not when the soldiers he worked alongside were still free and thus a danger to her, not when, should Voldemort ever arise, her being found here of all places would guarantee his absolute inability to keep her safe. She would be eviscerated before Lucius could even lift his wand.

"Because it isn't her child." Moody replied gruffly.

"Yes, she is," Narcissa's voice surprised both men, and everything about her cool countenance belied the tight grip of her hand in the back of her husbands shirt when she stepped beside him. "Marlene's family was slaughtered, both Sirius and Andromeda were disowned, Bella's in prison, meaning Andromeda was Sirius's closest kin. By all rights, Lillian is Andromeda's."

"Except Sirius Black wasn't actually stricken from the Black family."

Narcissa's nails ripped a small tear in Lucius' shirt, though her face gave nothing away, "I beg your pardon?"

"Everyone assumed guardianship would go to Mrs. Tonks, so Miss Black was living with her while goblins and politicians sorted through the red tape. With the manhunt out for all Death Eaters, the process has taken considerably longer than usual. However, it has now come to our attention that as current Heiress of the Most Noble House of Black, her father, Sirius, must not have been stricken from the family tree after all. Making you, Mrs. Malfoy nee Black, her rightful guardian."

Narcissa couldn't find the strength to speak or even the words to say, so she could do nothing but watch as the scarred Auror placed the beautiful little toddler on her feet, tossing a file gruffly to the foyer bureau and turning on his heel.

Moody didn't look back, not once, as he left the manor, for he feared if he did, that if he so much as hesitated, then he might try and keep the girl who didn't fear him despite him being the marred stranger who took her from her loving aunt. If he hesitated, then he would be forced to acknowledge the fact that he was leaving her to the tender mercy of Malfoys and that was one weight he didn't think his conscience could bare.

So Moody was gone, and Lucius and Narcissa were left standing there, staring at this little girl barely two years old, unmoving from where she had been abandoned, looking at them through the Black family eyes, quiet and curious, but not yet scared – and the awful reality was that she had been displaced so many times, abandoned by so many people – her father and her father's so called friends just to name a few– that she probably didn't feel as though she had anything to be afraid of here, faced with more strangers in just another place she would be expected to call home.

Lillian looked from Lucius to Narcissa and Narcissa practically leapt away from her husband, unable to bare looking at the girl who was her niece, a niece she had never known, a niece she was seeing for the first time, a niece who's life so far was horrid enough to make her want to sob at the truth of everything this war had taken from this little girl who hadn't done anything but be born. "I'll call Andromeda, maybe she can give us more information." And Narcissa hadn't thought twice about leaving a quiet, watchful Lillian with her husband.

Lucius stared after his wife, almost hoping she would choose to stay with the girl and let him go call her estranged sister because he was ridiculously unprepared for this situation, of handling this toddler who probably knew nothing about him, and if she did it was through photos more likely than not associated with the word 'bad'.

He adored his son; he adored children in general, but this child? This child came with a world of unimaginable pain; this little girl came with a world of uncertainties, a future tainted by the past of her parents, if she were to obtain the Malfoy moniker in addition to that past? She wouldn't stand a chance, no one would, and how dare the same fucking Aurors trying to destroy his life drop off this little girl knowing that he could fail her.

So he just stood there, frozen, unable to approach because he was too busy fretting over the painful reality of this little girl's existence, when she starts to move. Lillian Marlene Black is looking at him through darkening eyes, something shifting in her expression now that the scary man is gone and she realizes that he is yet another man who won't be returning for her, that she has just been abandoned and all she has in this new place is a man too uncertain to approach and a quiet that has lasted too long.

Eventually, when her eyes have turned coal black and she has become visibly wary, she toddles forward, mostly unsteady, and all he wants to do is reach out and offer her some support so that she doesn't tumble until she's right there, right in front of him… she is at his legs with her small hands reaching out, her little fingers curling into his pant leg and her face pressing into his slacks. She is now so obviously afraid, little body shaking with fine tremors but still not making a peep, quieter than any child has a right to be.

Lucius lets her hold onto him, but he is still so hesitant to reach out and comfort her because if he accepts it, accepts her, then he knows himself well enough to recognize the fact that he won't be able to let her go; she would be his, a Malfoy.

She moves again, lifting big dark eyes up at him and questioning, a small waver to her innocent voice, "Unca?"

And his heart breaks, shatters and builds anew as he bends down to scoop her into his harms, holding her close – sheltering her – making the decision then and there to always do everything in his power to keep her unafraid. She knew him through pictures, he would be damned if she knew him to be 'bad'.

Narcissa comes back awhile later to find them in the foyer, him holding little Lillian tight, her hands fisted in his shirt and her face pressed to his neck. Narcissa comes back with a plan in her mind, a plan meant to get Lillian back to Andromeda on her lips, only for her husband to look upon her fiercely and proclaim, "She's ours."

Narcissa startles, but recovers, she had no other choice, she had rarely witnessed Lucius so committed to a decision. "I'll go get Draco." Because there was no use in putting the introduction off, not when the presence of another child so close to Lillian's own age could help her settle more quickly in this new environment.

Lucius stroked a hand down the dozing girl's spine, nudged her awake with his chin when Narcissa came back downstairs with an equally drowsy Draco. Both children looked comically more alert when they took notice of each other, Narcissa approaching with Draco in her arms, Lucius remaining where he was until they were standing in such a way that the children were sitting up, straightening to look at each other.

The feared for what would happen should the children not get along, because Draco was theirs but so too, now, was Lillian. They feared for naught.

Draco lurched forward, and both parents feared the worse before their son slowly pressed a hand to one of Lillian's cheeks, his touch remarkably soft for the way he threw some of his toys, his touch remarkably patient for the way he would throw a tantrum if he didn't get something quick enough.

Draco kept his hand steady, eyes focused with an intensity neither parent could ever recall seeing on their child before, when Lillian reached out, eyes riveted to the pale-haired boy as she placed her hand upon his chest, right where his heart was hidden…and then she smiled, and Lucius and Narcissa shared a look over their children's heads, both suddenly and completely committed to betraying everything to see that smile again.

Lucius came out of that memory with a renewed ache in his heart, knowing that he may not have failed Lillian completely, but he had failed her in part; he had also done more to distinguish that smile of hers than anyone else in her life ever had. But now wasn't the time to dwell on the mistakes of his past and the inevitable mistakes of his future, now was for Severus and making sure his long lasting friend understood what he was getting into.

"There is no way to prepare, no way to know that you are doing right by the child, your child…" Lucius cautioned, "There is only a fierce desire to see that child to adulthood, to know that, by the end of it, they will succeed and when they do, they'll look back on your influence in their life and be happy for it." Or in his case, that Lillian would look back and not hate him for it.

PoA

It was dinnertime before Lillian had cause to seek council from her guardians, and though she was surprised by Severus's presence at supper that night, it did not sway her from the topic. If anything, Severus was another opinion she could trust to be biased.

While she awaited each of their responses, she wondered at just why Severus was at the manor. It was suspicious, his visit. Usually he only ever came over for holiday feasts. Random visits, though rare, only ever happened over the summer months; never during school holidays, not when Severus was almost always at the school monitoring the students whom, for whatever reasons, could not or would not go home.

Oddly enough, it was Severus who supplied first opinion. "You're a part of his pack, Lillian." That none at their table startled at the news of a lycanthropic professor at school spoke of the ties that bound each of them. "As much as I despise the creature he is, for reasons of my own and which I will not disclose to you, he would never dare to harm you or put you in harms way." Severus let out a gusty sigh, as though what he next had to say was even worse than his hatred for Remus Lupin, "And as much as I loathe the Potter spawn, to find a way to ingratiate he and Dumbledore to you? It would be an immeasurable boon."

"Severus is right," Narcissa agreed, "Make Dumbledore see you as an ally, or at least a potential ally, even if you are not one."

"He'll always think you a threat," Severus added, "But make him think you can be manipulated, make him believe that you can be a threat to the other side just as much to his, and he will do his utmost to insure you never see him as an enemy." If his status as spy did nothing else, it would at least let him advise a girl – a girl who might as well be his niece for all that Lucius was her father – in a manner that kept her head intact for the next decade.

"And should he still overstep," Lucius vowed, showing Lillian the depth of his severity when she meets his gaze, "It'll be the last thing he ever does." No one threatens a Malfoy and gets away with it, no one.

PoA

POSTMARKED:

Nymphadora Tonks

Auror Training Camp

Cousin,

I don't have much time, so forgive me for not addressing your earlier points. I'll pen out another letter as soon as Moody stops trying to drive my arse into the ground for an early burial, while I'm still breathing, mind you. I swear he wants to bury me alive, don't know how you put up with him years ago, he's a brutal savage out to steal children's candy and laughter.

I've never been much for subterfuge, and I can never begin to understand your position in this world we live in. If only you'd been a Hufflepuff, cuz.

All I can say is to listen to whatever Lucius suggests. We might be disowned, and subsequently polite enemies, but he won't lead you wrong in this circumstance, if he thinks you should do this, should tutor Potter, then I trust he has weighed all potential risks against all potential rewards.

In regards to the Defense Prof., however?

Lupin doesn't seem like a man who would put you in a spot you shouldn't be in. A man who calls you cub will always be thinking, first and foremost, of you, dear cousin. I trust him with your well being, Lillian, if for no other reason then because he can be there for you while I am not. And for that, he is the greatest wizard alive.

Much love, Lily Pad

N. Tonks

AN:

See you next time!

Have a great weekend!

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