to have & to hold (the blacks, vol. 2)

chapter 2

In the following days, Draco started growing increasingly sociable. He did not spend all his days in his room, and he could look through his closet without breaking into tears. The memory of his uncle started hurting him less, and this made Evangeline happy to see her son almost back to his normal self.

Harry and Draco's trips to the village became a daily thing. They would go out around noon and come back in the evening. They would walk around, go to shops and discover books and vinyl records. One day, on one of their trips, they stumbled upon a record player at one of the antique stores and Draco instantly bought it.

The family was having breakfast in the backyard of the manor, enjoying the warm weather of Italy. Evangeline had ditched her normal clothes for more summery outfits. She had to admit that she was no longer young and she had given birth to a human being, but she was far from ugly.

'When are we to return to London?' asked Draco.

'Around the end of August,' replied his father.

'And we will still live at 12 Grimmauld Place, right?' asked Harry.

'Yes, dears,' Evangeline answered, 'but there will be some changes in the distribution of the rooms.'

'Such as?' Draco asked curiously.

'Well, your father and I will still reside in our room. I was thinking that you, Draco, should take the master bedroom. Whereas Harry, you will be taking the guest bedroom on the same floor as the three main bedrooms,' explained Evangeline.

'What about Sirius' room?' Harry asked.

'Well, we thought none of you might want to reside in it,' Regulus emphasized.

Harry and Draco looked at each other for a second, neither saying anything.

'But, of course, if one of you wants to have it, it is your choice after all,' Eva told the boys.

'We will let you know,' Draco informed his parents.

'Also, Hermione and Ginny are due to arrive later today,' Evangeline added. 'They will arrive via flo powder at around five in the afternoon.'

'So, if you boys have any trip to the village planned for today, keep in mind that you must be back by five o'clock,' Regulus said.

'We have yet to decide what we're going to be doing today,' Harry informed the adults. 'We will most likely stay at home today. Enjoy the sunny day outside.'

'We could all spend the day together as a family,' Draco proposed.

Evangeline and Regulus looked at the two boys smiling, then at each other and nodded.

'We would like that very much,' Evangeline said with a smile. She was glad that the two boys were getting along well and that they had left their childish feud far behind them. If Harry living with the Blacks was going to work, then the two boys had to get along pretty well.

Harry and Draco knew that Sirius would have been happy that they got along like siblings. Harry was a part of Sirius' family after all and Draco was the only thing Sirius had left from his brother, so both boys meant the world to the late Sirius Black.

After the four had finished their breakfast, Eva and Regulus went inside and grabbed a picnic blanket while Harry and Draco remained outside, at the table, discussing their sixth year at Hogwarts.

'Can you believe that we are nearly sixth years?' asked Draco. 'It seems like it was yesterday when you refused my friendship,' he laughed.

'And here we are now, nearly five years later, closer than ever,' Harry remarked.

The two boys laughed.

'Let's not be strangers next year,' Harry said.

'You want to be associated with the Slytherin's most popular lad?' Draco asked, still laughing. 'All your Gryffindor mates will be so mad at you...'

'I think that it is high time we put this rivalry behind us,' Harry confessed.

'Listen, Harry, you are like the brother I never had. And in these hard times, you have had my back. You are the closest thing I have ever had to a sibling, blood-related or not,' the blonde boy told Harry.

'I think Ron will not be pleased with the idea of us being best friends,' Harry said.

'Weasel can bugger off,' said Draco. 'If he cannot come to terms with the fact that we are friends, then he is not a friend of yours at all,' he added.

'Ron has been my friend for such a long while now,' Harry sighed. 'But, you are right.'

'I know I am,' Draco cockily replied.

'There he is... the Slytherin is not so dormant in you after all,' Harry laughed, shaking his head. 'And to think that the Sorting Hat wanted to sort me into Slytherin in the first place.'

'You would have made a great addition to our house,' Draco informed the Gryffindor.