Disclaimer: As much as I love the characters in this story, the only one I can claim as my own is Jane. Everyone else belongs to JK Rowling.

'My best friend gave me the best advice, he said each days a gift and not a given right.' – Nickleback, If Today Was Your Last Day.

Fathers Son II

Chapter 1

The humidity of the day told the students who swarmed like bees on to the grounds of the castle that summer had at last begun. A jovial, light mood also blanketed the castle, signalling the end of exams. But for four students none of this mattered so far were they removed from the general atmosphere as a whole.

The cause of this apparent detachment could be very simply summed up in a grand total of two words: Sirius Black.

Out of the four students, one was his godson, another his second cousin and all four had played one role or another in regaining him his freedom, thus saving him from the terrifying and dreadful fate of the Dementors kiss.

But two of the boys, one a skinny lad with glasses and irrepressible hair, as well as perhaps the most famous and distinctive scar in the world on his forehead, called Harry and the other a pale blonde of medium build and an aristocratic face, called Draco, could not but feel as if they had failed him. The name of the real culprit for what Sirius had been imprisoned for, they now knew was Peter Pettigrew. He was now on the run and they had no idea where he was and no proof to back up there story.

Draco had to say in the hour or so he had spent with his second cousin that night, his opinion of him had changed completely. He had never as it were been a bad man, nor would he ever be for Sirius had always defined himself by his intense loyalty.

If he had been 'a bad man' though, then he would not have been alien to Draco for though he himself was a Ravenclaw, he had been born a bred in a very Slytherin house hold. His parents had both been Slytherin. His governess was one. As was the man he had adopted as his uncle. In fact he was head of said house.

Draco paused.

Ever since he had been a small boy, Severus Snape had been somewhat of a hero to him. When it had seemed the rest of the world (asides also his loyal Jane) was unable to see past a women who would have been his stepmother and her act, Snape had by doing so and by doing so, he had saved him from what could have been a lifetime of abuse.

But as Draco thought of the Potions Master in that moment, he did not recall the way he had saved him from Maria but rather the fact he had robbed professor Lupin of his job and Black of his freedom to some degree.

In a life during which Snape had often preached that life was indeed rarely fair, he didn't seem to go about eager to change that fact.

"Do you think Sirius is going to be ok?" the only female of the four asked. Hermione Granger was perhaps the only girl in the school smart and capable enough to keep up with them.

Harry nodded. The time he had spent with his parent's best friend had showed him he was a fighter. "I am sure he is going to be fine."

Draco could only hope that was the true because if he was not then he knew he was not going to forgive Severus no matter how hard he tried. Now that classes were over he had the comfort that he did not have to see him though. He could ignore him if that was what he chose to do and indeed that was the case.

He did not think he was going to be able to talk civilly for quite some time.

However, it was nice to be this annoyed and not have to aim it at his dad he thought bitterly, though he did derive true comfort from it.

Considering what had happened to him the year before, he and his dad were on surprisingly good terms. And if he looked back at his relationship with his father he wondered if people who did not know what had happened would notice a difference to it to the way it had been when he was a kid to how it was now.

He didn't. Not really.

He did not idolise his father as he had done when he was a young lad. He knew better than anyone did that his father was an extremely faulted human being. He didn't handle grief well and at times, the views he held and which he allowed colour his judgement were, thought Draco, truly medieval.

But if there was only one thing he did know about the man for sure, it was that as a father he had always attempted to do what he thought best for him and however misguided his choices had been he had always made them with his very best interest at heart.

It was always this time of year his thoughts turned to his father with longing. Knowing that they were soon to be together but as of yet they were not could be deeply annoying for the Malfoy heir.

And this was one of those times.

He had yet to make up his mind whether he was going to tell his father the full story where it came to Sirius. His dad was not a dumb man. He knew he was going to have to tell him something.

The lies he had told in the past had only ever succeeded in pushing him and his dad far apart from one another and it was not an experience Draco was in a hurry to repeat.

Even when he had somewhat edited his stories he had often got in trouble with his dad. But still, he was a little more grown up now – had had more experiences. In other words, he had lived through more stories as it were and was a much better editor than when he had been eleven.

"Shall we go on in?" said Ron to the others. He had to say the black mood they were all in could only make him look forward to summer even more than he had before.

Summer would be good. Summer would involve the Quidditch World Cup. Hopefully for all of them if they could bust Harry out of his aunt and uncles.

The others, not having a great time exactly nodded, eager to go back in.

They all had to pack up to return to their respective homes.

Draco turned off from the others when they got into the castle to return to the Ravenclaw tower. He had often thought over the last year that things would have been a lot easier for him if he had gone all out of the disappointment scale and been sorted into Gryffindor. They were his best friends as it were and he didn't really feel that connection to the others students in his house.

It was not as if he didn't like them. But after all he had gone through with the Gryffindor's, they were the ones who got him best those days.

The one blessing about being in Ravenclaw was that in the Slytherin eyes he could save a shred of his dignity. The rest of it they thought he had chucked away when he had begun to spend time with the golden trio.

If he was honest then the attitude they had sickened him. He had just about been able to justify it with his dad. After all, Lucius was an obvious dinosaur when it came to some things and Draco made damn sure well his father knew that was his opinion.

But to think they were his age and they were into that sort of bull shit... He had to say it just wound him up. Why the hell didn't more people just think for themselves? And that he supposed was the Ravenclaw in him coming out, proving he had been placed in the right house.

That was what he had liked the most about Sirius when they had had their meeting. Just like him, he had been meant to go into Slytherin and while he was sure Sirius had had a much harder time than he had about it, he felt as if it had been a connection between the two of them. They were the 'Black sheep's' of the family.

He had been a bit of a free spirit when he had been a kid it seemed and Draco had a lot of time for that.

Going up to the dorm room, he found it was empty which he had to say he had been expecting. After all, had they not been in such a foul mood over Sirius then he was sure he too would have still been out in the sun catching some rays too. But it was not the case.

He opened his trunk. After a term of being at school (for he had gone home for both Christmas and Easter break) it had got into a bit of a mess. Knowing better than to take it back to Jane in that state he decided to clear it out a little, and try and put it in some sort of logical order.

It didn't take him long to get distracted though by the letters he had got over the year though.

His father wrote to him at the very minimum of twice a week (invariable this went up during the Quidditch season when the two of them both felt the need to rip it out of the other when either Ravenclaw or Slytherin lost a game). It was still with an ache in his gut that Draco remembered that when they had played each other that year, the house of the serpent had indeed been victorious, which was as hard for him to take as any seeker.

On days he did not get a letter from his dad though, there was only too often one there from Jane keeping him up to date on what was going on at the manor, and telling him she was eager to have him home once more.

He didn't blame her for he knew she got bored when he was not there, as arrogant as that sounded. But he had been the one to ask her return the summer before. And when he had gone to school it had been unsaid that he still expected her to be there when he got back. And so she had stayed on at the house as housekeeper. After all the manor needed one. It was not as if it had a mistress.

To try and keep Jane some way entertained, his father had brought her a rather special present for her birthday that year. To be precise, a floppy eared, four legged, furry birthday present; Max, a little cocker spaniel puppy which was the centre of her maternal heart when Draco was gone.

His dad, he was sure, had got some brownie points for that one.

But should his dad need brownie points with Jane he questioned, and had he been selfish when he had asked her to stay? Jane was as she herself said, the wrong side of thirty now. She had, as far as he knew, never had another half and she certainly had no kids of her own to speak of.

Did she want them?

What were her dreams?

He had to ask himself. As he grew up, the views he had held since he had been a kid got more complex.

Nothing would grant him more peace than if she were to stay on with him forever. But she had to have dreams for herself, didn't she?

And what about her and his father?

As weird as it was, he did not think he would mind if they were more than friends. When his father had had his close shave with Maria, he had vowed he was not going to marry again – ever. And he did not think he would ever.

But...

His dad and Jane were in there primes, and as gross as the thought was – neither was it so bad. He could live with Jane as a step mother.

He practically did. If she ever did become Mrs Malfoy, was it anything more than making things official?

Yes – it was, because as far as he knew the two of them had never looked at one another like that and were not likely to now.

But still... if they were ever inclined... yes, he'd give his blessing.

Getting such weird thoughts out of his head his hand lay on the batch of letters he had got from his aunt. Andromeda.

Yet another adult, yet another complicated relationship. Sometimes he adored her – and at others, just wished she would back off. All the adults in his life were protective. But when she tried to protect him from his dad when it wasn't needed? Not cool in the slightest.

He thought of the way he got on with Harry and Ron and decided on the spot that if adults interacted the way that a lot of kids did, then he world would be a lot nicer place to live.

And with that conclusion drawn, he begun to pack up.

Sev did not fully understand just how pissed at him Draco was till he did not come to say goodbye to him the morning before the train left. He knew he had been there on the night that Black had got away and he had made it clear to the boy that he did not blame him the way he did the Gryffindor's.

And then he remembered the way that his morally guided nephew felt about favouritism.

He had said to himself that he was not going to follow the lad down to the station if he did not come to him but that was what he did in the end; for he could not bear it if Draco were to leave for home with this between them. Especially not when he was going to be popping over every other day to check up on him. Surely that was what a guardian did?

Things had never been liked this between the two of them and he could not say he liked it.

Arriving there at quarter to eleven so he knew he was in good time to catch him. It did not take him long to locate his nephew with his platinum blonde hair.

Their eyes locked.

Draco knew he should have seen this coming. The longer he lived the more he got the message that the adults in his life just didn't get it sometimes.

Surely if he had left the school without saying goodbye that meant he did not want to see Sev? Any idiot would get that.

But apparently that day it was beyond Sev thinking's process.

Hermione seeing the conflict between the two of them knew she should try and encourage her friend to go over to him. After all, she knew some of what the two of them had been through together and knew that even if he did not say it, Severus would be heartbroken if his nephew left without saying good bye to him.

But she had to say she was angry with him too.

He was a grown man and he should have got over what had gone on at school a long time ago in her eyes.

"Come on let's get on the train," she said to him tugging his leave as she let her anger take over.

Her heart said it was wrong but it was as if she could not stop herself.

He nodded.

He knew she was right. Normally he was able to act like adult (which was more than he could say to his uncle) but that day he just couldn't.

He sat with the trio for the whole ride home as they were the only ones who understood the mood he was in just then and he thought about what he was going to say to his dad when he got him.

He knew he was going got be in trouble for not saying good bye to his uncle for that was not the way his dad had brought him up but then ... He sighed, knowing when he got home he was going to have a head ache over it. There was no reason to get one on the way. He'd forget about it for a while.

For a lot of the journey they all played exploding snap together as was becoming a bit of tradition for them but then there was very little else to do when they were on the long journey back to the muggle station. And beside none of them felt like leading the conversation.

Or at least they hadn't till two letters turned up from, Sirius.

One was written to Harry explaining how grateful he was to him for getting him away and telling Ron that the bird that had delivered the letter was now his, as it was his fault the youngest Weasley's did not have a pet any more.

The other one was for Draco and as he got it he could not help but smiling. He had a feeling that he and his cousin were going to begin what could be a beautiful relationship which was just what he wanted. Sirius had been with his mother when she had been a kid. He would have new stories about her which he had not yet heard. He always loved it when people spoke about her and he had a lot of questions for Sirius about what she had been like when she had been a little girl. After all, his dad had only known her when she had been a grown women and wife.

Dear Draco,

I can only thank all of you kids for what you did for me that night. It was really something and now I have my freedom, I am going to put it to good use by looking out for you all.

I want to have the relationship with you I was unable to have with some of the other members of our family. You seem like my kind of lad Draco and this is why I am asking this of you.

I am heading south as I told you in Harry's letter, and I am going to need to stop for food somewhere. Any chance getting something at your place?

I have worked out my journey so I am going to be in the Malfoy forest on the first night of you getting home.

If there is going to be any problems with you getting out then write back to me now.

If not, well then I will see you tonight cousin mine.

Padfoot.

"He is going to come and see me," he said to the others as soon as he read the letter knowing that they were going to be interested.

"Let me see," asked Harry and Draco handed over the letter.

When he had first got the letter he had been too excited that he was going to see him again to even consider how it would make Harry feel.

He had always had a dad while Harry had only ever had a pair of useless muggle relatives. It was not that Draco did not like muggles. It was only the Dursley's he had problems with. But the fact that he was going to see him and Harry was not...

"Sorry mate," he said knowing that Harry would want to be there when Sirius got to the manor more than anything else in the world.

"It's ok," said Harry who in fact looked partially relieved. At least this way he knew where Padfoot was and that he was going to get a decent meal in the next few days. "You are just going to have to write and tell me all about it."

Draco nodded. That had gone without saying.

He did not think he was able to stand the anticipation. He read the letter over again once the others had.

"Who does he mean? The other members of your family?" said Hermione.

He shrugged. "Dunno. Grandma and Granddad Black, maybe? They were into the pure blood mania and they were his aunt and uncle..." he shrugged it off. Now he thought about it he doubted that he had got along with a lot of their family though he was probably close to Andromeda.

The rest of the journey was a lot lighter than it had been before the letters had got there. To know that his cousin was safe and happier than he had been in a long time was a comfort to Draco.

There was another man he was more eager to see though and as he pulled nearer Kings Cross, the smile on his face just got brooder.

Jane had opted to stay home when he had said he was going to pick up Draco. Lucius sensed that the tradition he had started of taking and picking Draco up from the station on his own as always going to stick now, and he had to say he was glad of it. She respected that it seemed.

It was something he got to look forward to, the journey home especially, for he was not so fond of the journey there for it meant he was about to give his son up for months at a time.

Unaware that an owl from Severus was indeed waiting for him when he got back, Lucius was as it was blissfully unaware of the latest development as he waited for his son to come back to him.

He felt a pair of eyes on him which were making him uncomfortable though. He did not have to look about to see who they belonged to, he knew.

Arthur Weasley, of course.

He had been even more insufferable than usual that year after everything that had gone on with the kids when they had been at school. He knew he had been wrong to give the diary to his daughter now and he had said at the time as well as since that he was sorry for that. How could he not be when it had led his son to such trouble?

Though sometimes he had to wondered if he was really just sorry that it had been Draco who had not in trouble.

But then he remembered. He remembered the way his son had looked at him when they had been at the hospital wing and how he had felt when his son had turned to him and said he did not trust him. That had been the hardest moment of his life he reflected and the most heartbreaking. Even more so than when he had lost his angel. He was good now... he had to be for his son.

He tried to push such thoughts out of his head when he was picking up his son. He should not be thinking of such things when he was getting Draco. He had to think of the good summer they were going to have with Jane first.

His own smile, though not as big as his sons, grew wider as the train pulled in.

Every term seemed just a little longer to him and he hated it.

But that was over now and as the door opened to let the kids off of the train his eyes searched the every growing crowd for his son. Just as it had not been hard for the man he considered his best friend the other side of the journey, he too spotted his son quickly too because of his hair colour.

Unlike with Severus thought, Draco did not ignore his father.

As soon as he saw him, he said a swift good bye to his friends for the holiday safe in the knowledge that they were going to be able to met up over the summer months. He remembered when he had been a first year he had not had that luxury.

It was good to know. But his father was a lot wiser now he was older, thought his son.

The pair greeted one another with a one armed hug. It was no longer Lucius who was afraid of showing too much affection but Draco. Lucius had noticed throughout the last year he seemed to hit the stage where it was just not cool to hug in public any more.

It had been easy to pick up on as he had been so affectionate when he had been a child. It was not that he did not hug his father any more. Just not outside the manor.

"Son," said Lucius as he came up to greet him and the pride he felt in Draco showed in his face. It was the best time of the year. He did not think he had ever loved summer so much before he was a father. "Ready to go home."

With a happy sigh Draco nodded. He was always ready to go home.

"Absolutely." As much as the young man loved his education, he did not think he was ever going to have just a simple year at Hogwarts. But then, if he had wanted that, he knew he should never have got involved with Harry Potter.

Shrinking his son's trunk and his owl Hercules' cage (the bird had flown ahead); they were soon in Lucius' pocket ready for the ride home. Allowing his father to put his hand on his shoulder, Draco headed towards the exit of the station where families were already queuing, getting excited for the upcoming summer.

"Jane at home?"

A nod from his father confirmed this.

"Yes she is waiting there for us."

"Cool."

The two of them had a comfortable silence between them and Draco could not help reflect how different he felt to when he had been going home the previous two summers. The first summer had been worse than the second, he thought to himself. He had gone home not knowing if his father still saw him as his son and he had had to watch his nana fade away when he had got home. Eliza had died.

It had been among the worst times of his life. There was only one that was worse and that had been when he had been six.

As if he had known his thoughts, his father squeezed his shoulder. The two of them did not really talk about what had gone on with Maria. He knew it was a block between the two of them but he did not want to break down that damn between them. Not ever.

But it was clear from the look he had had on his face that his father had worked out his thoughts.

As for the summer before, he had gone home just as things were beginning to be normal between the two of them once more. He knew what a hard time his father had had when he had had to deal with the facts he did not share his views on life. But in the end, he had and now he knew he was able to have his dad as well as his friends.

And that was the way he liked things. The best of both worlds.

"Are you sure you are ok prince?" his father asked him.

"Yeah dad, I'm fine." he nodded.

Please review!

Author Note: Its back! Sorry for being a day late with this guys! Have no excuse really but I have been too chilled out after holiday and I wanted to get a chapter of my other fic out before posting this. I hoped you liked it and all have had wonderful summers!