Potter's Twin Sister || Draco Malfoy

61

Yawning, I descended the stairs, making my way through the living room and then into the kitchen, where I could hear some faint sounds.

There, I found Remus asleep on the black leather sofa, sitting with his legs stretched out on the coffee table.

His gramophone softly played a tune, reminding me of Remus's lessons and his proficiency as our previous Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

As I moved on to the kitchen, I discovered Sirius there, reaching for a whiskey glass from the cabinet.

He ran a hand through his black hair and smiled playfully when he noticed me.

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep, young lady?" He asked.

I shrugged, feeling the late-night restlessness that often accompanied moments of anxiety. "I'm nervous about Harry's hearing tomorrow, and I felt like having some pistachio-flavored ice cream."

Sirius smiled and poured himself some whiskey. "You do you." He said.

I hopped onto the kitchen island and sat there as Sirius leaned against the counter.

Sipping his whiskey, he said. "Don't you have to tell me about your entry into the family, huh?"

I sighed, realising that Malfoy was his second cousin. "Are you going to lecture me too?"

"Did Remus say something?" Sirius chuckled.

I shook my head. "No. Harry did."

"You've got to understand him." Sirius said, his eyes filled with understanding. "He's your brother, and he wants to protect you. It's what brothers do."

"It's me who should protect him, really," I said, a touch of childish defiance in my tone. "I was born first, you know. I'm the eldest."

Sirius teased. "Right, with seven whole minutes."

"Still." I insisted. "He's my little twin brother. He doesn't have to worry about me. There's only to worry about him."

Sirius regarded me in silence, appearing lost in thought. "It's like I'm talking to Lily..." He mused. "Always so caring...and she fell for the bad boy too."

I rolled my eyes at his playful jab.

"Honestly, it's nothing." I replied, looking down at my lap.

"Nothing?" Sirius repeated, cocking his head to the side, clearly not convinced.

The arrangement between Malfoy and Parkinson, for them to marry each other once they both turned 18, had been occupying my mind despite Malfoy's optimistic promise.

"Well, yeah, I mean, it might not be just nothing." I admitted, my cheeks flushing lightly as I looked up. "But, I'm assuming you read the article, so you know it won't ever be anything between us. It's nothing."

Sirius leaned against the counter, regarding me thoughtfully. "Remember this, sweetheart, if they wanted to, they would. This is not just about my cousin, Draco. You should remember this in any situation with any person. But you may as well apply it to this situation."

I let his words sink in as I continued to enjoy my ice cream. Suddenly, he finished his whiskey in one gulp and placed the glass back on the counter.

"Come with me." He said, and I followed him through the living room into the drawing room.

Sirius used his wand to light the room, revealing a giant tapestry on the wall. It looked incredibly old, yet the golden threads with which it was embroidered still glinted brightly.

Sirius pointed to a round charred hole in the tapestry with his name and birth year under it as he spoke, "Look, I wanted to, and I did."

My eyes followed his gesture to the burned-out spot, and then they began to roam over the entire tapestry. Familiar names and faces came into view—Andromeda, Nymphadora, Lyra, Draco, Narcissa, Bellatrix, and more. It was the Black family tree, bearing the proud motto: