WARNING: Contains same-sex pairings, male pregnancy.
Disclaimer - The main characters of this tale are the exclusive property of J. K. Rowling and belong to her fantastic wizarding world; I'm just visiting with them for a bit. Set Post-Hogwarts and Post-Voldemort era.
Alerick gazed at his reflection in the mirror; the robes he wore were very well tailored and fit him nicely, though they were not as intricate as those he was accustomed to wearing. They were black instead of his accustomed deep blue, and it had hood on it as well. The fabric was a rich silk, and bore tiny images of dragons visible only on close inspection.
He looked at his father, Lucius Malfoy, who looked a little nostalgic as he gazed at the young blonde boy standing on the pedestal in Madame Malkins robe shop. "Thank you, Lord Father." He smiled in his charming way, turning his eyes then to the only one whom he held in equal esteem as his father. "Do you like it, Mallek?"
The younger boy had grown up a member of the Malfoy household and had suffered through none of the lack and want that his genetic twin, Harry Potter, had endured. He was young, strong, and his eyes had been fixed by a mediwizard so he would never have need of glasses. He eyed the uniform critically, clearly not pleased with something about it. "Everyone wears these at Hogwarts?" Mallek asked, looking up at Lucius.
"Yes, son. It is the standard uniform. You've seen Angel in hers." He answered.
"But she had red and gold on hers. Alerick's is just black; there's no color to it whatsoever. You always wear green and silver with your robes…" Mallek answered. "This is just so…" he hesitated, searching for the correct word.
"Plain?" Lucius supplied the word for him. "Yes, it is a bit boring, all black, but he will not know what colors he will have until he has been sorted into his house. Each house has its own colors; Gryffindor has red and gold, and Slytherin wears silver and green, Ravenclaw wears blue and silver, and Hufflepuff..."
"No need to know about the other houses; I know I'll be in Slytherin house." Mallek said firmly, tugging at the fabric a moment. At least the fabric was proper; it was silk and was being fitted properly.
"I will be too, right father? Malfoys belong in Slytherin house." Alerick said, gazing up at Lucius.
"No one can decide their house on their own, son." Lucius answered with a slight smile.
"Well, why not? Alerick has to be in Slytherin, as I will be." Mallek frowned, turning to face Lucius. "We'll just have to tell them so."
"You won't be telling anyone at Hogwarts anything this year, my son." Lucius responded, nodding to the robemaker his approval of the adjustments. She smiled, nodded back and began to slip the robes off of Alerick to be completed.
"Of course I am, father. Both I and Alerick are going. We have to." He answered without any hesitation.
Lucius looked at the boy; he knew he was in for a challenge, convincing this boy of what the facts were going to be. "No, Mallek; you are not being fitted for robes, and you will not be going with Alerick and Angel to school this year."
Mallek's pleasant expression took on the sullen pout he had retained since infancy. His brows knit together and he scowled, lower lip slightly protruding out. "I need to go. Why shouldn't I? I attend classes with Alerick every day, and all the teachers say that I am doing just as well as he is in every subject. I'm not behind him; I'm on the same level he is. Why can't I go when I'm ready to go?"
"You are not of age. All new students to Hogwarts must be eleven." Lucius answered. "Draco was well trained upon his entrance to Hogwarts as well, but he was not allowed to get in early. They do not judge you on readiness, son."
"I want to go. I need to go!" Mallek scowled.
"You will not be going." The elder said firmly. "Not for two more years, you are only nine. I've explained this to you before. There will be no argument, Mallek." Lucius said firmly. Mallek scowled back at him, not backing down at all, his mind working madly to think up a valid reason that he had to be allowed to go.
Alerick looked from his father to Mallek, looking a little worried and confused.
"If he can't go, then I shan't go either." He said softly.
"Nonsense." Lucius turned away and began to walk; the two boys automatically fell into step behind him. "You will be going, Alerick; you must begin your magical education in a formal setting." He said firmly.
"Yes, I know Lord Father, but… but I can be taught by you while I wait for Mallek. You're very good at charms and spells and I could take potions with Professor Warrington and Professor Snape…" Alerick attempted. Lucius allowed the boy to try to come up with reasoning why he should be allowed to forego his schooling in Hogwarts until they arrived at the doorstep of the wand shop.
He came to a sudden stop, turning to face both of the boys. Alerick gazed up at him with his eternally hopeful and positive outlook, and Mallek clearly pessimistic at getting his way at all but his arms were no longer folded. "We have had this conversation many times, boys. Alerick must go this year. You, Mallek, and the others, will not. You are much too young to go."
"Why?" Mallek demanded sulkily.
Lucius sighed, gathering his determination to stand against Mallek's incredibly strong will. "These rules have been in place for centuries. You are not going this year. Alerick is. That's all there is to it."
"But rules can be changed!"
"Not to suit the desires of a nine year old boy." Lucius answered.
Mallek's lip protruded a bit more. "But Lord Father, I'm not just any nine-year old; I'm a Malfoy." Mallek said with a bit too much pride. "Make them change it." He insisted. "You can make them change it; I know you can Lord Father."
Lucius scowled at the boy, who was stubbornly refusing to back down. "Perhaps I could, Mallek, but I will not. The rules are there for a reason. You will wait until your eleventh birthday to attend Hogwarts."
Mallek was clearly willing to argue his father down if that was what it took. "But…"
"ENOUGH!" Lucius snapped at the boy, his eyes narrow. Both boys fell silent, gazing up at him now. "There will be no more discussion. You, Alerick, will attend Hogwarts starting on Monday. You, Mallek, will remain in London with the rest of the family until your eleventh birthday when you will go to school as well. Do you both understand me?"
"Yes, Lord Malfoy." Alerick replied quietly.
Lucius turned his eyes to the younger boy, who had refolded his arms and was now scowling darkly. "I understand what you're telling us but I don't have to like it." Mallek sulked.
Lucius eyed each of them a moment more, waiting for any more argument. Both of them had the sense not to challenge him further, so Lucius turned and led them into the wand shop to purchase a wand for Alerick's first day of school.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
"…do you all understand?" Mallek asked quietly. He was seated on his bed, legs folded, with the others of the circle seated on it facing him as well. The shopping trip had been yesterday; there was only one more day before Lucius would shatter the solidity of the circle and send the eldest amongst them off to Hogwarts.
"Yes, my Prince." Alerick said softly, looking a bit worried. "…but we told Lord Father Malfoy that you wouldn't go to Hogwarts."
"We're not breaking our word; I'm not going." He answered innocently, and then narrowed his eyes. "But I won't have you there alone."
"I won't be alone, Angel will be there too." Alerick answered in hopes of soothing the younger boy.
Mallek scowled at that answer. "I don't care."
"Angel won't let anyone hurt him, Mallek…" Alyssa spoke up.
"Angel's all right and all that, but she's not one of us." Mallek returned. "My plan will work; it's the best course of action. You have to do your part first, Alyssa. Go and take care of it."
She bit her lip a moment, looking down at her clasped hands, clearly thinking things over. "I know that if I do my part, Daddy's going to be really mad at me, but…" she nodded. "I'll do it." She agreed.
"Excellent. I can always count on you, Lyss. You're absolutely fantastic." He smiled warmly at her.
"How can I say no to you, my Prince?" she smiled back at him. "Especially when it makes you so happy…?"
He winked at her and looked at all the others. "We must be very careful; it is very important that none of the others catch wind of our plan either. If they let the grownups know, we'll surely be stopped and won't succeed."
Erin tilted her head slightly to the side. "There are a dozen other kids here. How in the name of Merlin are we supposed to keep them from seeing what we're up to?"
The darkhaired boy smiled. "I have it all planned out. It's still quite warm outside; we'll just ask our Lord Father for permission to camp out on the north acres. It's protected land, and I'm sure he'll say yes because he's allowed us to do it lots of times before." He said simply. "No one will be surprised if you, Alyssa, as well as Erik and Erin remain here. There's really no reason for you to come, but I must go else they will be suspicious. If we do this properly, no one will suspect anything until at least the next day. Then it will be done and they won't be able to change anything."