As the boy stayed standing there, thinking furiously, Harry said, "Come, cousin. Take a seat." He indicated the couch opposite where Daphne had sat and Hermione was joining her, leaving a gap for him.
As Draco gave a gesture to indicate he heard and acknowledged the invite before moving forward, Harry moved to the couches and sat between his wives.
"Dobby," called Daphne, as everyone else settled down.
"Mistress?" asked the elf, when he popped in.
"Four butterbeers, thank you, Dobby," she instructed.
Dobby popped away and the butterbeers popped into existence on the coffee table a moment later.
"And how is Dobby," asked Draco, as he reached for a bottle. "Happy," said Harry.
Once all four had a butterbeer in hand, Draco said, "He looks it. I'm... happy for him. Father would make me punish him for the slightest perceived error. And, if father thought I didn't punish him enough, he'd punish him a great deal more. I hated doing that."
As they sat sipping their bottles, Harry asked, "Now, what brings you to paying us a visit, cousin? Unless, of course, this is just a social visit of one House scion to another?"
Draco seemed to think for a few moments before he said, "I was informed by Gringotts mail owl, this morning, that my father is dead. Their copy of his lifestone has darkened."
"I... honestly don't know what to say to that," said Harry, not that unsurprised with the information considering what he thought he'd done to the man at the cemetery. "On one hand you have my condolences. But..."
"But, on the other, he was real piece of work," finished Draco.
"The important thing is, how do you feel about this?" asked Daphne.
With a very un-Slytherin snort, Draco said, "I think Potter's... cousin Harry's views somewhat match my own."
With a sigh, he continued, "The man was my father. He had his moments, where I was proud to call him that. Yet, he was also a criminal; someone who had reduced the name 'Malfoy' to mean all that's wrong with our world, and someone who was quite willing to do despicable acts in the name of blood purity.
"I miss the man who was my father when I was a small child. However, I do not miss the criminal; the man who worked his way up to being the Dark L... Riddle's second-in-command. I... do not wish to think about what he did to make it that high within the Death Eaters' ranks."
Nodding in sympathy, Harry said, "When I first re-entered the magical world at eleven, people were quick to tell me all these great things about my parents; how they were heroes, and such. However, I've also come to understand my father was very much what Professor Snape accuses me of. As well as being a loving husband and father, a good friend, and someone who fought for what he believed was right; he was also an unrepentant bully, arrogant, belittling of others, somewhat cruel at times, and similar attributes.
"My mother, however, was very loyal to her family and friends, but also had a very fiery temper." He snorted and said, "I've come to understand my mother would hold a grudge until it died; then have it stuffed and mounted on a mantelpiece just so she could keep it."
That had the other three snorting and quietly chuckling in amusement.
"However, I never found out about a lot of that for the first few years, because no one wanted to speak ill of the dead. People tend to put their heroes on mental pedestals, and won't hear a bad word said against them, let alone say a bad word themselves. But, I think to know a person, you have to know all of them; both their good and their bad attributes. "As a result, I choose to think I now better know and understand just who James and Lily Potter were. And from that I have come to understand a lot of what makes me... me. Many have already told me I have my father's hair and facial structure; but, that I have my mother's eyes. I now also know I also have my father's love of pranks, without being a bully about it; just as I have my mother's love for others, and also her temper.
"From both of them I have their anti-bigotry mindsets, their focussed bloody-mindedness, their determination to do what is right and succeed, their acceptance of that which makes us different from one another, and their loyalty for family and friends.
"We are a product of the combined genetics of our parents. However, we are not limited to that. I strive to be greater than they were; as I have no doubt they would want me to. They do not define who I am. It's my own choices that do that. I have no doubt you could choose the same."
Everyone sat quietly for a while. Harry could see Draco was really taking his words to heart.
Eventually, the other boy said, "I am not my father."
"Of course not," agreed Harry, as if there was no doubt.
"I don't think I'll ever be of the Light," said Draco, as if Harry hadn't said anything. "However, I now have the opportunity to sever the Magical House of Malfoy from the Dark. I may not be able to drag the House all the way across to the Light; but, I believe I can drag it to Grey and Neutral."
"Sirius, the Black, is doing the same for the House of Black," said Harry. "You may want to talk to him about it. He may be able to help."
"I thought you'd already severed yourself from the House of Malfoy," said Daphne.
"I had," admitted the other boy, with a slight shrug. "However, the goblins have informed me my father did not change his Will. As such, I've inherited the Head of House position for the House of Malfoy; even if I am the last Malfoy."
"Been there, done that," smiled Harry.
Draco dipped the neck of his bottle to Harry in mock salute. "So, are you going to be Draco Black, the Malfoy?" asked Daphne. "Or revert back to Malfoy?"
Draco seemed to ponder that, for a while, before he said, "I... hadn't thought that far. I guess it'll be something I discuss with The Black... cousin Sirius... over summer. As things stand, there're very few who realise I'm currently Draco Black. I'd like to keep it that way for a while."
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