Chapter Eight, Old Friends and Family Reunite Part One

It had been two weeks since Cassiopeia had taken Harry shopping for his own things as his room was being decorated by Sirius, Pollux and Arcturus. During that time Cassiopeia had reinstated not only Sirius back into the family but Andy as well who was due to be coming round in a few days along with Narcissa and her son Draco, the three women had thought it a good idea for Harry to meet someone his own age and have someone to play with when Sirius and the rest of them were busy. As they knew it wasn't good for the little six year nearly seven (in three weeks) year old boy to be constantly surrounded by adults.

During those two weeks Harry was settling in more and more, which was only helped by the fact that he knew that Sirius was only across the hall and that he kept his door open slightly incase Harry ever needed him during the night. But Harry was often to be found in Sirius's bed curled up in his chest, as during the night Harry still made his way into Sirius's bed or rather Sirius takes him there when he hears Harry crying softly from a nightmare.

His nightmares usually consisted of what happened at the Dursleys but there was one that Sirius hated Harry having more than ever; one that no six year old or any child should have in fact was the one where he sees his parents die, though at the moment Harry didn't realise what it meant just that there was a lot of bright green light and that he was scared. But Sirius knew as Harry grew up he'd realise what that dream meant and he was dreading it.

But today there was something else to worry about. And that was his old friend Remus John Lupin was coming over today. Sirius had managed to track hold of his old friend with the help of his grandfather Pollux. He was nervous about seeing his best friend as he hadn't seen him since Harry was only a year old and what made it more nervous was that Remus still thought he betrayed Lily and James, he just hoped Remus didn't take Harry away and that he believed the letter that his grandfather sent him.

But it wasn't only Remus's arrival that worried him Sirius was also worried about the arrival of Andy, Narcissa and Draco but not for himself but for Harry. Though he thought it was a good idea for Harry to meet new people but he just hoped it didn't set Harry's progress back.

* * *

Sirius sat in the kitchen nursing a mug of coffee as he critically watched as Kreacher made him, Harry and his grandparents who had unfortunately for Sirius decided to stay at Grimmauld Place, breakfast. Downing the last of his coffee Sirius cast a Tempus charm which read that it was five to nine. Frowning as that was the longest Harry had slept since arriving here. He levitated his mug into the sink where it preceded to wash itself, and rushed up the stairs to his bedroom to check on Harry.

Entering his bedroom he smiled and let out a sigh of relief as he saw Harry was sleeping peacefully in his bed. During the night Harry had had the most terrible nightmare and it took Sirius nearly two hours to calm Harry down enough to take him into his room as Harry refused to sleep by himself. The nightmare had been about everyone that was coming around today as Harry was afraid that they were going to hurt him, but Sirius and his grandparents had thought it best to tell Harry yesterday that there was people coming around so he had time to get used to it; but now Sirius was regretting it. He knew that it had been a good idea as he knew that it would only be worse for Harry if he wasn't warned in advance but he hated to see his little pup so upset and afraid.

Sirius sat on the edge of the bed and began to gently wake Harry up. "Harry pup it's time to wake up." Sirius said softly as he gently rubbed Harry's left shoulder trying rouse him from his peaceful slumber. Slowly but surely Harry started to wake up; his eyelids fluttering as his eyes became accustomed to the light. "Si'i." Harry slurred, his words mixing together as he was still half asleep. "Yea it's me kiddo. Can you sit up for me so I can pick you up and take you downstairs?" Sirius asked smiling at how cute Harry was when he'd just woken up. Not arguing about being a burden like most mornings Harry just raised his arms as he felt the covers being pulled off of his lower body.

Sirius kissed Harry on the forehead and held him tightly on his hip as they headed out of the room and down the stairs that led to hallway and then to the kitchen, smiling as Harry snuggled into his side resting his head in the crook of his neck. "Good morning Sirius, Harry." Cassiopeia greeted from the kitchen table as she was placing her tea cup back onto its saucer when they entered. "What's the matter with Harry today Sirius?" Cassiopeia asked concerned as she saw the black bags under Harry's dull emerald eyes.

"He had a bad night grandmother," Sirius answered seating himself at the head of the table, Harry still held tightly in his arms. "Harry didn't sleep very well last night grandmother," Sirius told her as he absentmindedly ran his hand through Harry's hair. "He ended up in my bed last night due to a horrible nightmare about everyone that was coming over. He's scared they're going to hurt him or send him back to the Dursleys." Sirius whispered as he noticed that Harry had fallen asleep in his lap soothed to sleep by Sirius's hand running through his hair.

"Oh the poor boy." Cassiopeia sighed quietly not wanting to wake Harry up from what appeared to be his first peaceful sleep, even though she'd love nothing better than to scream and curse those monsters into oblivion for what they'd done to her little grandson. From the look on Sirius's face he agreed with her feelings wholeheartedly. "When is Andy, Remus and Narcissa coming over?" Sirius asked his voice biting with his withheld anger.

Looking at the grandfather clock that stood in the corner of the kitchen Cassiopeia saw that it had just gone quarter past nine. "Narcissa is coming over with Draco around ten, so in just over an hour. Your grandfather Pollux is fetching Remus at eleven sand Arcturus is fetching Andy and her family at twelve. Your grandfathers and I thought it was best for them to not all come at the same time so Harry has time to get used to them and not get so overwhelmed with so many new people around him." Cassiopeia informed him.

* * *

It was currently five minutes to ten and Sirius was standing on the far side of the Drawing Room, while his grandmother sat in a high-backed leather chair (his grandfathers had already left to be with Andy and Remus) as they waited for his cousin Narcissa and her son to arrive through the Floo, Harry on his hip and hiding his face in Sirius's neck shaking like a leaf caught in high wind, even with Sirius ribbing soothing circles on Harry's back it was doing little to calm him. "Harry everything's going to alright I promise. Nothing bad is going to happen to you that I promise you." Sirius whispered trying to reassure his terrified Godson.

"What if they don't like me? What is Draco is like Dudley?" Harry asked nervously his voice muffled by Sirius's neck.
"Harry look at me." Sirius commanded gently, slowly Harry lifted his head off of Sirius's neck to look said man in the eyes with his own wide and fearful emerald eyes that were filled with fear. "Harry I promise you that they will like you, and Draco will be nothing like your cousin I promise. I give you that he is a bit spoiled but he will not hit you that I can promise you, he knows there will be serious consequences if he did, he may be a bit... overprotective but he means well Harry he will just want to be your friend and look after you." Sirius assured his Godson to the best of his ability.

He smiled and kissed Harry's head when he smiled and nodded his head after a few minutes of contemplation before resting his head on Sirius's shoulder. "I love you Siri." Harry said with a yawn rubbing his right eye with his fist. Sirius smiled his heart swelling at not only what Harry said but the picture if cuteness that he made, he was glad that Harry was slowly feeling more comfortable with them. "I love you too Pup." The room descended into a comfortable silence as they waited for their first gets to arrive, Cassiopeia with a proud smirk on her face both of her grandchildren were finally starting to heal from all the hurt that had happened to them, of course she knew it would be a long time before either of them were fully healed but she knew they would get there eventually especially with them being together most of the time.

Suddenly the flames in the fire turned a bright emerald green and a beautiful woman with long blonde hair to just past her shoulder blades with kind silver blue eyes stepped out of the fire dressed in a dark blue dress that swept the ground, only the toe of her black boots could he seen from under the dress. She was holding onto a boy with platinum blonde hair and the exact same colour of the woman next to him who could only be his mother. The boy had an angular shaped face with a slight pointed chin.
He appeared to be a little bit older than Harry, but he would have appeared older if you stood him next to Harry; for where Harry is too skinny and small for his age the new boy was exactly the right height and weight for a boy his age. He had on dark blue jeans, black trainers and grey woolly jumper that brought out his eyes.

"Ahh Narcissa it is good to see you and young Draco again." Cassiopeia greeted standing up from her chair to greet her granddaughter and great grandson. "Hello Grandmother it really has been too long hasn't it." Narcissa greeted in kind bridging the soot off of her and Draco's clothing before moving to hug and peck her Grandmother's cheek. She watched as Draco said hello before she turned and greeted her favourite cousin and the small boy he was holding in his arms tightly, as the tiny boy had his de himself as much as he could in Sirius's side and neck.

If she didn't know any better she would have thought the boy was only three years old with his small stature not a six nearly seven year old boy. "Hello Sirius it's been a while cousin. Don't worry I always knew you were innocent but no one would listen to me, and I've sorted Lucius out for you he says he didn't mean to scare you or Harry he was trying to get you back to the Manor before you were caught, but he understands he went about it the wrong way. Though to warn you cousin he's not happy about the punch and you he's told me to tell you that you should know that the Heir and Lord of Ancient Houses such as Potter, Black and Malfoy are protective from memory charms since birth." Narcissa said with a roll of her eyes, it was obvious she wasn't impressed with them fighting like Muggles in an alley way.

"Now who is this little cutie your holding Sirius?" Narcissa asked smiling kindly at Harry when he turned his head so only one eye was facing her shyly, but as soon as she smiled at him he immediately turned his head to hide back in Sirius's neck. Sirius figuring out what Narcissa was up to smiled at her approvingly. "This is Harry, Cissa, Draco but he's a little shy of new people." Sirius warned her and Draco who was now standing next to his mother looking up at Harry with childish interest. "Harry this is my cousin Narcissa and her son Draco I had told you about wont you say hello?" Sirius asked Harry. Slowly Harry removed his face from Sirius's neck but he kept his head on Sirius's shoulder. "'Ello." Harry whispered shyly.

"Hello Harry," Narcissa started to say but she was interrupted by her son.
"Mother your scaring him," Draco chastised. "Hello Harry, if we want to we can play?" Draco asked barely reframing himself from bouncing on his feet as he knew that would scare him. Harry looked from the blonde boy in front of him with wide eyes; someone his own age wanted to play with him too. He was shocked when he found out that Sirius, Cassie, Artie and Pollux wanted to play and read to him but he thought that all children thought he was a freak. Harry turned and looked at Sirius still with the wide eyed look, sighing as he knew what Harry was thinking he kissed him on the forehead hugging him tightly for a second.

"It's alright if you want to play with Draco, Harry as he wants to play with you too and I don't want you to think those things about yourself alright? What your the Dursleys and those at your school did is wrong and you won't be seeing them ever again so you don't need to worry. Do you want to play with him?" Sirius asked he smile and gently set Harry down next to him when he hesitantly nodded his head. Noticing that now that Harry was on the floor he wasn't going to move from where he stood next to him especially with the right hold he had on his trouser leg. Sirius leaned down and whispered something in Harry's ear, his heart constricted when he saw the bright eyes look on Harry's face instead of the fear that had clung to him since yesterday, oh it was still there but it wasn't as prominent. "Do you want to play with my trains?" Harry asked Draco nervously looking down at the floor.

"Okay." Draco agreed smiling happily when Harry's head shot up and beamed at him. Harry looked up at Sirius and Narcissa checking that was okay, he laughed happily when he got two nods of agreement and started to lead Draco over to his toy box on the far side of the room that contained one of his train sets. "We'll be over here on the sofa, if you need us boys." Sirius called over. He was happy that Harry was happy and had someone to play with his trains with him, he had feeling that the two boys would end up being very close as they grew up and he knew that Draco would end up being very good for Harry and Harry him.