It was always remarkable to Sirius just how little he and Remus had to actually communicate and yet knew exactly what the other was thinking. It was something that came from many years of having lived together and it had made it a lot simpler for them to take care of the many children that had been in their care over the years.
“We’d love to have him,” he added, finally jumping down from the kitchen counter to join Harry and Draco at the table.

The sudden hospitality took Draco so completely aback that he was left stunned.
After having spent years treating his sexuality as a dirty secret that no one could ever know about, the fact that they unflinchingly invited his boyfriend over was just another thing in a very long line of thing that Draco had never thought he could have.
“He did mention wanting to meet my family,” he offered up meekly, knowing that he and Sirius were barely related in the first place, yet he had had a stronger sense of family during the time he had been here than he had ever had in his childhood home.
“If it’s not too much of a bother.”

_________________

Having stayed behind at the counter to gather four glasses, Remus couldn’t help but glance over his shoulder towards Sirius as Draco identified them as family, having a hard time keeping a smile off of his lips.
Throughout the weekend, Draco had shared incredibly little about his boyfriend beyond what he had shared with Harry on Friday, and inevitably, it had been remarked privately between Remus and Sirius. It was a relief to hear Draco take them up on their offer, solidifying that Draco’s reservations might have been simply circumstantial.
“Of course not,” Remus assured, placing the first two glasses and the bottle on the table, before going back for the last two.
He didn’t take a seat, instead going to check on the roast.

No longer a resident of the house on Grimmauld, Harry kept out of the conversation, sincerely doubting Draco’s boyfriend had any interest in meeting Harry.
Instead, in an effort to make himself useful, he sat up straighter, reaching for the bottle to pour the three others a glass, and himself just half of one.

Even though Sirius did his best to keep his composure, but there was no denying the giddiness that overcame him when Draco referred to them as family. He knew that Draco had only been here a couple of days but it really served as proof that Draco was willing to change his entire life.
“He is more than welcome here,” he said with a warm grin, probably slightly too wide for what the situation called for, but he was very excited about letting Draco become a proper part of their family.

The overwhelming support that Draco received was almost too much for him, making him reach out for once of the glasses in front of him, mostly to give himself something to focus that wasn’t the love and support being offered to him so willingly.
“I will let him know,” was what he settled on, knowing that if he tried to explain to them all how much this meant to him, he would most likely break down and he just wasn’t prepared for that.

_________________

_____

Meeting the Malfoy’s had been long under way, so when Draco finally agreed to introduce Peter to his family, it had come as a disappointment when he immediately clarified that he hadn’t meant his parents. Being invited over for tea at Draco’s estranged uncle was of less personal interest to Peter, but he remained pleased that Draco was finally coming around to making their relationship public, eagerly accepting the offer.
They had made their way to London together after class, perched at the door stoop together after knocking. It had been a nice trip, feeling like it only helped solidify them as a unity. Peter reached to brush an appreciative hand to Draco’s lower back, sending him a little smile along with it.

It was going to take a lot for Draco to not flinch whenever Peter touched him in public, still fearing the paparazzi that might be hiding in the bush, ready to ruin his father’s career.
It didn’t matter that it was that particular nightmare that Draco was already living and that it had worked out a lot better than he could have ever dreamt of, it was so deeply ingrained in him that he doubted he would be able to let that go for a long time.
Still, he sent Peter a kindly smile, trying to push down the nausea as he pushed the door to Grimmauld Place open, something that he still wasn’t quite used to either.
“Hey,” he called inside, figuring that Sirius and Remus would be in the kitchen.

“Hey kid,” Sirius called up from the kitchen, surprised and glad to see Draco finally entering their home without feeling the need to knock first. He knew that they were going to have to be patient with Draco, thus every single step in the right direction felt absolutely monumental.
“We’re in the kitchen,” he called up as well, he and Remus having prepared for the arrival of the two young men.

_________________

Being let into the house without either of their patrons greeting them immediately allowed Peter to gawk around the foyer, eyes wide as he took in the myriad of impressions. To Peter, every wall and surface seemed covered in clutter, and though the house didn’t seem unkept, his eyes still returned to Draco as a familiar figure among it all.
Peter’s lips upturned in a hazy, crooked smile, looking a little light headed.
“Woah,” he whispered with a chuckle as he carefully plucked his jacket off by a tug of his cuffs.

One thing Sirius had insisted upon when they had first moved into his childhood home was to dispel every presumption of stuffy upper class solemnity from the house. It had started with reclaiming the utility server’s kitchen into a usable space, and Remus had taken it as a given that they would host Draco and his partner here, rather than in the dining room.
“Hi, boys,” Remus called, too.
At the sound of the door opening, he had thoughtlessly stood to put on the kettle for tea, and as he returned to the table, he paused behind Sirius in his chair, leaning down to wrap an arm across his chest, a steady hold to press a kiss to his cheek, a stolen little show of adoration before company would truly arrive.

While Draco knew that his own reaction to entering Grimmauld place the first time had been much the same, he had a hard time recognising the exact experience that Peter seemed to be going through. Then again, the occasion of his showing up at the house was vastly different, so maybe that wasn’t that big of a surprise.
The only thing he could really do was nod, somehow needing to acknowledge that they indeed were looking at the same thing. Without making a comment though, Draco started moving towards the kitchen, anxious to how this introduction was going to go.

Sirius grinned happily at the stolen touch of affection, the novelty of the touch still not having worn off even after all of these years together. When the two young men came down the stairs, Sirius gently untangled himself from Remus and got up from his chair, wanting to be able to greet him properly.
The boyfriend looked exactly how Sirius had pictured him, tall, blond and every piece the archetype of someone who had managed to get into law at Oxford.
“Welcome, you got down here alright?”

_________________

Venturing down into the kitchen, there really was no doubt which of the two men was Draco’s relative, the resemblance striking even despite all the ways uncle and nephew differed.
It was a little trippy for Peter to witness, as though the sight of Draco’s uncle in all his oddity offered a window to a reality where Draco had turned out entirely different. He was, however, entirely too polite to let any of it show.
“No issue at all, sir, thanks for having us,” Peter chimed with a smile, stepping forward in order to offer him his hand to shake, his expression one of genuine attention.
“I’m Peter Lancaster, it’s a pleasure.”

Keeping his distance, Remus lingered by the table Sirius had left, a few steps behind his husband. He watched the scene unfold with an easy smile, widening in an unspoken greeting when he caught Draco’s eye, who looked beside himself with nerves.

There was no denying that Sirius was a little taken aback by the formality of the handshake, being used to greet all of Harry’s new friends and partners with a hug, however, he realised that this situation was slightly different. Thus, he accepted the handshake, a bemused smile on his face as he did so.
“The pleasure is our’s,” he insisted, finding the guy pleasant enough, and finding himself willing to give him a chance for Draco’s sake. “I am Sirius and this is my husband, Remus.”

As Draco watched the scene play out in front of him, he felt uncertain of what to do with himself.
He had just managed to get into a comfortable lull with Sirius and Remus, and seeing Peter involved felt so incredibly jarring that it almost made his stomach turn. He had no idea what was the source of his discomfort, but he knew that he was mostly just looking forward to getting his hands on a cup of tea.

_________________

Peter met the handshake firmly and with attentive eye contact, a smile only barely on his lips.
“Sirius,” he repeated, almost thoughtlessly and as though there were several dozen other people in the room whose name he had to remember.
The smile widened another bit when Peter stepped forward, reaching slightly over the table to offer Sirius’ husband his hand. “Lovely meeting you, Remus.”

“Hi, Peter,” Remus greeted, a grin pulling at his lips as he shifted forward to shake Peter’s hand.
Getting to witness this glimpse of high society manners felt almost comical, familiar in a way Remus hadn’t thought was possible any more. It reminded him of boarding school, of those first years of knowing Sirius, of his brother before he passed. Remus couldn’t say he had missed it terribly, but above all it underlined just how similar Draco’s life had to be to Sirius’ upbringing.
“Please, sit,” he said as he withdrew his hand, using the same to gesture towards the table.

_______
There was nothing that could have prepared Draco the the trajectory that his evening had suddenly taken.
While he knew that it likely made sense for him to meet Peter’s parents now that they could be out in the open, but he had had a bad feeling about it ever since Peter had made the suggestion.
After a full evening of microaggressions and a stiflingly polite dinner, Draco was all but ready to walk the whole way back to London when he remembered that he had someone he could call.
He had excused himself to go to the bathroom and it was with slightly shaking hands he dialled Sirius’ number.

Sirius and Remus were having an uncharacteristic evening to themselves, not something they had really gotten ever since Draco had come to stay with them, not that either of them were complaining about that, but they couldn’t deny that they missed having time alone.
Sirius knew that Draco was up to meet his in laws, hence why it surprised him when he saw Draco was calling him.
“Hey kid,” he stated as he picked up, hoping that he managed to keep most of the worry out of his voice. “What’s up?”

_________________

It couldn't have been long since they had settled on the couch for the evening, Remus resting against the corner and Sirius resting on him.
Remus hadn't intitially reacted when Sirius sat up to answer his phone, but when he greeted the caller as kid, Remus perked up, shifting his posture with a sudden attention. Having Draco in the house suddenly meant two to whom that greeting could be directed, and along with Sirius' weary look, the nerves took hold of Remus, too.
Making an educated guess, Remus mouthed a silent Draco? at his husband.

Draco felt silly about the entire thing, knowing that he had no reason to be feeling unsafe about being at Peter’s parents’, however every nerve ending in his body was protesting, screaming at him to get out.
When Sirius picked up, he felt confirmed that he had made the right decision; feeling an immediate wave of relief wash over him at the lifeline that was presented to him in that voice alone.
“Hi, sorry to disturb your date night,” he said in a soft voice, not sure how soundproof the restroom actually was and he didn’t want to give himself.
“Is there any way you could come get me?”

Sirius nodded at Remus’ question, knowing that both of them had been worried about Draco going to meet Peter’s parents this soon after his relationship going public.
While the question he received was fairly distressing, Sirius couldn’t deny the swell of pride that fell over him when he realised the cause of Draco’s call; feeling honoured that Draco had chosen to reach out to them rather than staying in an uncomfortable situation.
He sat up straighter, not wanting to push Remus away, but also aware that they had to be there for Draco right now.
“Sure,” he stated, knowing full well that he and Remus had had more than once glass of wine and likely shouldn’t drive.
“You alright?”

_________________

_

Harry’s hair was still a little damp from his shower when he pulled up to the address Sirius had texted him barely half an hour ago. He had only just rinsed off after an evening run when Sirius had called, asking him to please pick up Draco at his earliest convenience; Harry had been out of the door only a few minutes later.
Sirius had been sparse with the details beyond assuring Harry that Draco wasn’t hurt or in immediate danger and to please not run any red lights to get there; still, merely by the Oxford neighbourhood Harry he had just arrived to, he could assume a thing or two, neither which were particularly pleasant.
Rolling through the street in first gear peering at the house numbers, Harry halted the car to a stop at the sight of motion at a front door. Unsure whether or not Draco would recognize this car, he rolled the curbside window down, leaning forward across the passenger seat to look through it.

Despite the many reassurances he had received, Draco couldn’t help but feel guilty for dragging Harry out just because he couldn’t stomach sitting through dinner with his boyfriend and his parents. However, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to stay a second longer if he could help it, something that was further accentuated by Peter standing on the stoop and waiting with him.
There was no denying the wave of relief that washed over him when he saw Harry’s car pull up to the sidewalk in front of the house.
He quickly did his goodbyes with Peter, having to reassure him that no, there was no mistake and yes, Harry was indeed there to pick him up; doing nothing to ease the tension.
His shoulders only fell back into their proper place once he had closed the car door behind him.

_________________

Harry had leaned as far across the passenger seat to watch Draco approach through the opened window, his’ tense composure evident even at a distance. It made it impossible not to look past Draco to the back-lit figure still on the stoop, searching for any semblance of context to what appeared to be a swift exit on Draco’s part.
When Draco grabbed at the handle to let himself in, Harry straightened his posture, already putting the car into gear. He didn’t wait for Draco to fasten his seatbelt before allowing the car to roll forward. With the car in motion, Harry’s eyes were forced forward, although his attention remained fragmented, constantly fighting the urge to glance over at Draco.
“Are you alright?” Harry asked as he turned off the street, only glancing at Draco after merging out of the residential area onto a better illuminated main street.

Draco was exhausted, feeling like he had been sitting on pins and needles all night and only now finally able to actually act like himself again.
He had forgotten how truly exhausting these kinds of gatherings were, so painfully aware of the exact song and dance that would be expected of him, and how nice it had been that it suddenly hadn’t been expected of him.
“Yeah, I’m alright,” he stated, which wasn’t entirely a lie. After all, it hadn’t been entirely awful and Peter’s parents had been nice and polite, but it had just been a lot.
“I’m sorry for dragging you all the way out here,” he said in a soft voice, feeling a little embarrassed about having caused a scene like this, but it was difficult to truly regret it when he could feel the tension leave his body the further they got away from the house.
“It was just a lot, you know?”

_________________

From what little Draco had shared, Harry wasn’t sure he knew, but he didn’t say as much. Draco’s discomfort had been palpable from the moment he got into the car; Harry was making a conscious decision to stop his mind from racing and filling in the blanks with the worst case scenarios, before Draco had had a chance to elaborate.
What Harry did know, however, was the relief of knowing someone would come pick him up when he called home.
“Don’t worry about it,” he reassured softly, happy that he could do that for Draco. “I live close by.”
There was a beat of silence, Harry weighing his words as he glanced over at Draco, considering whether the topic was better left alone.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he eventually asked.

Surprising himself, Draco found that he did actually want to talk about it with Harry.
Maybe it was just because he finally felt like he could talk about it with someone without vetting them first, or maybe it was just because he didn’t have to look at Harry directly while talking, but he found that he really did want to tell someone about what had just happened and Harry seemed like a good choice.
“Are you sure you want to hear about it?” He found himself asking, wanting to make absolutely sure that Harry actually wanted to listen to him complaining and weren’t just asking out of politeness.

_________________

“Of course,” Harry said quickly and a little clumsily, not wanting to appear as anything but sincere.
Despite the sparse traffic on the roads, they still had the drive to London to kill, and lending an ear to Draco’s troubles was the least Harry could do in the meantime.
He glanced another quick look towards Draco, as much a reassurance as he could spare while driving.
“Go for it.”