This plot bunny snuck up on me again, so I started working on it again.
Pretend there's a disclaimer here.
Chapter 2: Four Years Later
"Papa!" a young boy called as he ran down the hall. "I did what you told me!"
Antonin walked out of his bedroom and looked down at the son he'd raise for the past four years. "You put on your best dress robes and you brushed your hair in less than five minutes, Harrison?" he asked, smirking when he noticed that the boy had his shoulder length hair put up in pigtails. He knelt down and tugged lightly on one of the pigtails. "Who did you let do this to your hair?" he asked.
Harrison grinned and pointed back toward his bedroom. "Auntie Bella said if I didn't let her do this, she'd make my hair look like hers for a month," he said as Bellatrix Lestrange walked out of her bedroom and sent a mocking little wave in Antonin's direction.
"Ask the boy why I gave him that choice," she said before sauntering down the stairs and heading to the dining room for lunch.
Antonin looked back at his adopted son. "Harrison?"
"I asked if she walked through a tornado before she came to visit from her sister's house," Harrison said as Antonin carefully pulled the ponytails out of his hair.
"Turn around," the man said. He transfigured the ties into a ribbon and secured Harrison's elbow-length hair into a low ponytail. "Do you remember what I've told you about these kinds of visits?" he asked when Harrison turned back to face him again.
Harrison nodded. "When Auntie Bella says something dumb, I pretend I didn't hear her," he said. "And if you clear your throat, then I do my best to forget what she said."
Antonin grinned. "Yes, but what about when the lord comes to visit?" he asked.
"Then I stay quiet until he asks me a question, and I try not to stare at him. And if he talks to me, then I stay respectful and don't say anything more than the answer to his question," he said after a moment of thought. "Right?"
Antonin nodded and adjusted Harrison's robe a bit before straightening himself.
Both Harrison and Antonin looked down the staircase when they heard Bellatrix shrieking at their sole house elf about some nuance or other that irritated her.
Antonin sighed heavily and looked down at his son. "Are you ready for this?" he asked.
Harrison nodded, smirking a bit. "Can we have chicken soup for lunch before the lord comes?" he asked, walking down the stairs with his father.
"I suppose, as long as you try not to make too much of a mess," Antonin said. "Just don't get carried away with the charm. You'll ruin another pair of good robes, and neither of us are patient enough to shop for new ones." He smirked a bit when he noticed his son staring at the Dark Mark on his left forearm. It was normally covered by his robes, but he'd decided against wearing robes this morning, choosing instead a pair of dark blue jeans and a plain black shirt that left his mark clearly displayed, along with a few of his other tattoos. He may despise Muggles, but their blue jeans were quite comfortable, and they were the closest things to pants that he could wear without discomfort since his years in Azkaban. "What fascinates you about my mark this time?" he asked.
Harrison was silent for a long moment. "When can I get one of my own?" he asked curiously.
Antonin smirked - this had become something of a regular question from Harrison. "If you get the chance, and my lord permits the question, see what he says," he said. "I will stand by whatever my lord tells you," he added after a moment.
"But you don't want me to get one," Harrison said, picking up on the minute hesitance in his adoptive father's tone of voice. "Why not?" he asked.
"Not for a number of years, yet," Antonin replied. "This is not an easy mark to get, and you don't need to experience that amount of pain when you're as young as you are. Have you been practicing your magic?" he asked.
Harrison nodded. "Auntie Bella dared me to summon an orange from the kitchen yesterday and I did it," he said with a grin. "I broke her nose, but I did it," he said.
Antonin smirked. "Well done," he said. "Now, go rescue the house elf from Bellatrix and make sure that it knows what we're having for lunch this afternoon."
Harrison grinned and ran into the kitchen.
Bellatrix had apparently derived all the entertainment she could from berating the house elf, at least for the moment. She was in the smaller dining room, nibbling on a small chocolate eclair. There was a large platter filled almost to overflowing with chocolate eclairs in front of her. "Harry," she said with a knowing smile. "Care for a chocolate?" she asked.
The six year old brightened at the possibility of chocolate for lunch. He wandered into the dining room and crawled onto the chair next to his more than slightly insane godmother. "Why are you having chocolate eclairs for lunch?" he asked.
"Because they taste wonderful, Harrison, my love," Bellatrix said with a grin, putting a few eclairs on a small plate and handing it to him. "What were you going to have for lunch?"
"Chicken soup," Harrison said with a grin before he bit into the eclair and chocolate cream smeared onto his face. "With animal crackers in the soup."
"Animal crackers?" Bellatrix asked.
Harrison nodded as Antonin walked into the dining room, but didn't say anything else as he bit into another eclair.
Antonin took a seat at the head of the table, next to Harrison, and eyed the two of them oddly. "I taught him how to charm the crackers so that the predators eat their prey," he said quietly. He summoned himself a glass of white wine and watched as Bellatrix tried to steal an eclair from Harrison's plate, only for Harrison to slap his hand. He smirked at her offended shriek. "I thought you wanted to have chicken soup for lunch, Harrison," he said.
Bellatrix laughed as she plucked an eclair off of the platter in front of her, Harrison's offense apparently forgiven. "No self-respecting six year old turns down the prospect of chocolate sweets for lunch," she said. "If you didn't have a poplar elm up your arse, you might join us," she said with a nasty smirk.
"What's self-respecting?" Harrison asked with half an eclair in his mouth.
"Don't talk with your mouth full, Harrison," Antonin said sharply, glaring at Bellatrix.
Bellatrix just laughed again, completely unaffected by Antonin's glare, and looked over at Harrison. "Self-respecting means that you're going to grow up to be just like your father," she said. "Uptight and unable to have any fun whatsoever."
"I beg your pardon?" Antonin asked with a cold smirk. "I know quite well how to have fun."
"Yes, but not in any way that you'd allow your son to join you for a number of years," Bellatrix said. "I may be the mad one between the two of us, but I know the sort of activities that you won't allow your son to participate in with you," she said with a smirk. "At least not for a number of years yet."
Antonin just scowled.
"Will I grow up to be like Papa Anton or like the father who sent me away?" Harrison asked almost hesitantly. He ignored the argument that Antonin and Bellatrix were about to start. Their little spats weren't that uncommon, and if he asked about them, he knew he'd get no answer.
Antonin's scowl deepened and he looked over at Harrison. "The man and woman who sent you away from our world for their safety and that of the family that they decided to have without you. They do not deserve to be referred to as your mother and father," he said coldly. "They may have given birth to you, but they gave you up. They are no more your family than Bellatrix is my sister."
"I'm hurt," Bellatrix said quietly.
"And you rescued me from Muggles who were going to throw me way as soon as they found me," Harrison said. He smirked at Bellatrix as he snatched the last eclair off the platter in front of her. "Auntie Bella, will you stay here for dinner, or are you going to have to go back to your house?" he asked.
Bellatrix looked over at Antonin, who smirked knowingly without saying anything. He took a sip of his wine and watched his son's godmother carefully.
"Please, Auntie Bella?" Harrison asked, adopting the puppy-eyed expression that worked on his aunt every time. "You can have chicken soup with crackers if you want," he said.
Bellatrix was silent for a long moment. "I suppose it might be interesting to see the crackers eat each other," she mused quietly after a moment.
Harrison grinned widely.
A moment later, the front door of the Manor opened and closed quietly, and that quiet sound caught the attention of the two adults in the dining room.
Antonin stood up and looked sharply over at Bellatrix. "Clean my son up and then pretend you're a decent woman with the proper etiquette training," he said sharply, setting his glass of of wine down on the table as he stood up and left the dining room. "Prove to me that the Black family hasn't fallen completely."
The once serpentine man known as the Dark Lord walked into the hallway, watching through an emotionless mask as his follower stepped out of his dining room and bowed to him. "Your house is much more up to my standards since my last visit, Antonin," he said. "How have you been?"
The boy has certainly been keeping me busy, my lord," Antonin said as Harrison ran out from the kitchen. The boy paled rather remarkably when he noticed the Dark Lord standing just a few feet in front of him. He hid himself behind Antonin's legs, not bothering to hide from the Dark Lord. "Speak of the devil," he murmured as Harrison peaked at the Dark Lord from behind Antonin.
"This is the boy?" the Dark Lord asked.
Antonin nodded. He reached behind himself and started to gently pull Harrison to stand in front of him. "Don't be rude, Harrison," he said quietly, though the underlying threat in his voice wasn't missed by either the Dark Lord or Harrison.
The Dark Lord shook his head slightly, and Antonin looked up at him, a mildly confused look on his face.
"My lord?" he asked.
"We will have that conversation once we are comfortable in the sitting room," the man said, moving into the sitting room without another word.
Bellatrix wandered out of the kitchen and picked Harrison up as Antonin followed his lord into the sitting room. "You look worried, Harrison, my love," she said, poking him on the nose. She offered him a small smile. "The Lord is one to respect and fear, but he will not hurt you without cause," she said.
The boy stayed silent, merely squirming out of his godmother's hold.
"That's not it, though," Bellatrix said. "What's wrong?"
"Is he the same lord who gave you and Papa the marks on your arms?" he asked.
Bellatrix knelt down to be closer to eye level with the boy. "I look forward to the day that you get your own mark, Harrison, but it's not an easy mark to get," she said. "But do not push yourself into service with our lord."
"Why not?" Harrison asked curiously. He looked at Bellatrix's Dark Mark and grinning
The woman hesitated for a moment - she and Antonin had had a number of conversations about this, and there was no way that Antonin was going to allow his son to enter into the Dark Lord's service before he'd even started his official schooling. "Do you know how to fight? How to protect yourself? How to move through the shadows so quietly that no one ever knows you were there?" she asked.
Harrison shook his head. "Not yet, but I'm only six years old," he said. "And Papa won't teach me how to do bigger magic until I'm older."
Bellatrix nodded. "And once you are stronger, and once you know how to do those things, you can ask the lord for permission to enter into his service," she said. "He has no use for an untrained soldier, and I do not want you to risk your life before you're old enough to get into serious trouble with me," she said with a grin. "After all, what am I good for if I don't teach you how to properly assassinate at least one government official?" she asked.
He grinned and opened his mouth to respond, but Antonin walked into the hallway.
"We're waiting for the two of you to show up," he said irritably. "Stop wasting time," he said, with a sharp glare at Bellatrix.
The woman stood up and sent a dirty look in Antonin's direction. "Get the knot out of your knickers, would you? We're coming," she said as she stood up and walked into the sitting room with Harrison.
Antonin was waiting for them by the door, clearly still irritated. The Dark Lord had already made himself comfortable inside the sitting room.
"Bellatrix, why are you not with your sister?" the lord asked as the two of them walked into the room and sat down on the couch across from the Dark Lord.
The Dark Lord was sitting in Harrison's favorite chair in the sitting room, a large, plush armchair. He watched passively as Harrison darted into the room and sat next to Antonin, but his eyes narrowed minutely when Bellatrix sauntered into the room and winked at him. "Bellatrix," he said in a cool voice. "Why are you here and not with your sister?" he asked.
"She and Lucius are having guests over and didn't want to risk those guests finding out that the ever-upstanding Malfoy family is hiding Cissy's half-mad, fugitive sister," she said. "And when Antonin named me Harrison's godmother, he told me that I was welcome in his Manor whenever I needed shelter, my lord," she said. "Of course, if you'd rather keep me close, my lord, I'm more than willing to keep you company," she said with a smirk. She shifted a bit so that the man had a clear view down the top of her dress, if he decided to look.
His expression went frigid and he made a sharp motion with his hand. "Mind yourself, Bellatrix, otherwise I'll return you to your husband and make sure that he keeps you in check," he said coldly before starting a conversation with Antonin.
Bellatrix scowled, but righted herself and leaned back on the chair. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back on the couch, staying silent.
Harrison looked over at her and frowned slightly. There were a few nights when Bellatrix stayed the night and Harrison had heard her screaming in her sleep. He hadn't asked her about it, but Antonin told him the next morning that her husband was rather ...creative when it came to keeping Bella's insanity in check.
She must have felt him staring, because she glanced over at him and gave him a small, weak smile before turning her focus back to the conversation taking place between Antonin and the Dark Lord.
Harrison made sure he was at least partially hidden by Antonin so that the man didn't see him enough to want to ask him any questions. He may have been fascinated by the man, but the sheer amount of magic that was seeping out of the Dark Lord when he was just sitting there terrified Harrison. He was a bit curious, though, about what the man might look like in the midst of a battle.
The conversation went on for some time, and Harrison didn't pay too much attention to it, but he was a bit curious why his father was telling the Dark Lord about his blood adoption and his first few years as Antonin's son.
About ten minutes into the conversation, after Bellatrix had started contributing with a few tidbits about some of her adventures with Harrison, the child took the opportunity to inspect the Dark Lord more closely.
He was taller than Antonin, and he had a pale, lean build. Still, Harrison knew better than to think the man weak because he was not as bulky as some of the other men that Antonin knew. He could still feel the power seeping off the man, and he held little doubt that the Dark Lord would allow his body to be at all weak, especially if his magic was as strong as it felt. The man's black hair reached just below his shoulders and it was pulled back behind his head with a dark red ribbon. His robes were clearly expensive, and they had a delicate sort of sheen to them that had Harrison thinking they were some kind of silk. The robes were black, trimmed in a dark red that matched the ribbon in his hair.
In one hand was a glass of red wine that he had to have summoned from somewhere else, since Antonin only drank white wine and vodka. He didn't see the Dark Lord's wand, though, and that piqued his curiosity.
Harrison leaned forward a bit, still hiding himself behind his father, but he stared at the man's face. It looked almost unearthly to him - he'd never seen anyone more beautiful in his short life. Not even Narcissa Malfoy was as attractive, and she was widely regarded as one of the most beautiful witches in England. Though there was something different about the Dark Lord. Where Narcissa was a deceptively delicate, feminine sort of beauty, this man had a more masculine beauty that was somehow somewhat calming and yet almost venomous at the same time.
The man's eyes were a dark reddish color that seemed to be a bit lighter than his wine. Instead, they seemed to be the same color of not-quite fresh blood. They seemed to almost glow even in the brightly lit sitting room, and it was only then that Harrison realized the man was looking right at him.
Antonin glanced down at his son and smirked when he noticed the boy staring back at the Dark Lord, though there was a distinctly nervous look on his face.
"Are you an angel?" Harrison asked quietly, and at that question, it seemed that all other noise in the room stopped suddenly.
An odd, yet not uncomfortable silence settled in the room as Harrison and the Dark Lord watched each other almost curiously. Bellatrix and Antonin shared a look but said nothing.
Finally, after a few minutes, the Dark Lord broke the silence. "What is your name, boy?" he asked coolly.
Harrison looked away from the man to glance almost uncertainly up at his father.
Antonin nudged him a bit. "Don't be rude," he said quietly. "Answer the question and show the Dark Lord the proper respect. We talked about this."
This six year old looked back over at the Dark Lord, who was still watching him calmly. "My name is Harrison Charles Antoninovich Delacroix Dolohov," he said. Antonin nudged him again and he flushed red. "Sir."
The Dark Lord smirked. "That is a large name for such a small child."
Harrison flushed red again. "Papa says I'll grow into it, sir," he said.
"I have no doubt you will."
"Are you an angel?" Harrison asked again.
"Not quite, Harrison," Antonin said quietly.
Harrison glanced up at his father before looking over at the Dark Lord, falling silent.
The Dark Lord watching him for a short moment before looking over at the two adults in the room. "Leave us alone for a moment," he said.
Bellatrix stood up and straightened her dress. When she noticed that Antonin was hesitant to leave the room, she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him forcefully out of the room.
Once they were out of earshot and Harrison was alone in the room with him, the Dark Lord erected some sort of privacy spell before disappearing his glass of wine and leaning forward a bit. "Why do you think that I'm an angel?" he asked.
Harrison was silent. "Why did the people who gave birth to me send me away to Muggles?" he asked.
"Your father hasn't answered that question for you?"
"He said that he doesn't know everything and that if I want to know the whole truth, I need to ask you," Harrison said. "But Auntie Bella said that they wanted me to grow up into a weapon, and they sent me to suffer with the Muggles on purpose because they're bad people," he said.
The Dark Lord smirked slightly. "Why do you want to know why you were taken away?" he asked. "Are you not happy here with your father?"
Harrison shook his head violently. "I love Papa!" he said, a bit too loudly. "But I want to know why they got rid of me."
"They wanted to shape you into a soldier from a very young age," the Dark Lord said. "And then they were going to kill you once you'd served one single purpose."
"What purpose?" Harrison asked.
The Dark Lord paused, seeming almost to hesitate before speaking again. "They had planned to train you to kill me," he said. "And I didn't want you to have to suffer through a childhood of abusive Muggles and then nonstop training before you were sent off to battle and then killed."
"But why did they want me to kill you?"
The Dark Lord smirked again. "That's something that will be addressed when you're older," he said quietly.
"Why?" Harrison asked. "Is it because I don't have a mark on my arm?" he asked.
"Partially," the man said, leaning back again.
A knock on the threshold of the sitting room caught their attention and the Dark Lord narrowed his eyes when he felt a presence pressing on the edge of his Privacy wards. He looked up with an irate expression to see Antonin standing just inside the room, but not close enough to truly strain the ward.
"You have my apologies, my lord," Antonin said with a deep bow. "But Narcissa Malfoy and her son are here to take Harrison to the Malfoy villa in Belgium for the weekend," he said.
Harrison grinned. "May I go, sir?" he asked, looking over at the Dark Lord.
The man looked over at him and nodded slightly. "I look forward to speaking with you again, Harrison," he said as the boy quickly slipped off the couch and made his way over to Antonin.
Harrison nodded. "Me too," he said.
Before he made it out of the room, though, Antonin slapped the back of his head, stopping him in place. "Do not disrespect the Lord, kid," he said sharply.
Harrison looked up at his father, rubbing the back of his head and scowling at the man.
Antonin eyed him, a warning look on his face.
Harrison nodded slightly and turned back to face the Dark Lord. "It was an honor to have you here, sir, and I look forward to our next conversation as well," he said hurriedly. "Papa, Draco said that his mother said that we could race horses at the villa."
Antonin sighed but nodded. "Have the house elf pack you a bag for the weekend and then go greet the Malfoy brat," he said.
Harrison nodded and ran out of the room.