Harry Potter The Long Lost Malfoy

"I can see that you're very intelligent, Miss Granger."

Part of Sirius despised himself, lying to a fifteen-year-old girl in the hope that it might get him closer to his godson. But he also thought that there was no other way he could do it. Harry hadn't shown up to a Defense lesson yet, there was no getting to him through his brother—

(Sirius hated to think the word, but there it was).

-And he thought Ron Weasley was probably too loyal to Harry to take it well if a Defense professor started asking questions about his friend. But Granger blushed and smiled, and said, "Thank you, sir. But I think I got a question wrong on the quiz you gave us the first day. Written Defense isn't always my forte."

"That's not your fault. I've heard so many stories about incompetent Defense professors these last few years."

It was an opening, and Granger promptly took it. "Oh, yes, Professor Adley. Of course, poor Professor Lupin was trying his best and didn't deserve to get sacked for being a werewolf, but Professor Moody last year was an actual Death Eater! And Professor Quirrell our first year was working for You-Know-Who, and Gilderoy Lockhart our second year—" For some reason, she blushed harder. "Well, he was awful, anyway."

Sirius nodded solemnly. "I appreciate that many people must think that," he said, and let a bit of wistfulness work its way into his voice. "Since there are students I understand are in your year but not attending my class."

Granger seemed to take a deep breath. "You're talking about the Malfoy twins, sir?"

"Yes." Sirius watched her closely, and saw the way her eyes darted away while she reached up to fiddle with a piece of her hair. "It's rather disheartening, to know the best I can do isn't being welcomed by them…"

"Well, I mean, they've had bad experiences with those Defense professors I mentioned in the past," Granger muttered. "Or Harry, I should say."

"Harry? Oh, yes, we were told his name was Henry Malfoy, but he does go by Harry to his friends, from what I understand."

Granger flinched a little. Then she nodded determinedly, her chin coming up. "Yes, sir, he does. And frankly, I think skipping Defense just because of past years is a little disingenuous. Even though Mr. Tonks, their uncle, is a very good teacher, he might overlook some of their faults just because he is their uncle."

Sirius let his smile widen a little. He had just thought of something, and it wasn't in the plan he and Albus had discussed, but he thought it was all the stronger for that. So far, Albus's plans had failed. "And I have to wonder how much of it is the fault of blood purity nonsense."

"Nonsense, sir?"

"Well, yes, Miss Granger. I'm a half-blood, you see. And one can't overlook that the Malfoys are obsessed with blood purity."

Granger blanched. "I didn't know—I'm sorry, sir, I just thought you were a pureblood, because of the first name, you see. I made a snap judgment myself."

"My father insisted on me carrying a name for a star or a constellation," Sirius said, entirely truthfully, and made himself shrug. The memories that wanted to spring into his head when he thought about his family were probably making his expression so somber that Granger might think he was going to attack her. "He was the pureblood. My mother was more sensible."

"And you think that the Malfoy twins might be prejudiced against you because of that?"

"I don't know for certain. But it does seem pretty likely, you know? Because they didn't even give my class one chance."

Granger nodded, looking a little uncertain. Sirius hid a wince. He hated using her loyalty against her friend this way, but he had to get close to Harry. He had to say he was sorry. And he had to explain why he still thought he had made a good decision, why it had been better for Harry to grow up away from the Malfoys.

There was probably no saving Cissy, no matter what she claimed, or Lucius, either, not once he had got that thing on his arm. Maybe the older son was a dubious prospect. But there had to be a way to save Harry, his little godson, who had laughed so hard when Sirius tickled him as a baby that he'd end up hiccoughing.

"I don't know, sir," Granger said, sounding a little subdued. "I didn't even think…I could talk to Harry about it, though. I know he would be horrified if he heard that you thought he was prejudiced against you. I'm pretty sure he would be horrified, anyway."

Sirius did his best not to look pathetic. "Would you do that? I would be ever so grateful, Miss Granger."

She gave him a more reserved smile. "Yes, sir, I'll try. But I can't guarantee that Harry will respond that well. He does have a track record of Defense professors trying to kill him."

"All I can ask is that you try," Sirius said quickly. He didn't want her being too eager about it, in case it spooked Harry and he didn't show up at all. But he couldn't conceal his own eagerness, either.

"Okay, sir. I will."

Sirius waited until she was gone to collapse back against the wall and take a deep breath. He thought that had gone well. Pretty well, anyway.

And soon, he would be speaking with Harry again. And maybe he could actually convince him of the truth. Harry had a core of goodness to him, from what Sirius had seen. He couldn't be that happy with his stupid family.

Not really. Not true happiness. How could anyone look at a family like the Blacks or Malfoys and even think they know what it is?

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