The next morning Harry got a rude awakening, Luna was bouncing on his stomach and Hermione was jumping on the bed next to them. It felt like an earthquake had hit just his black satin covered cloud. "Ugh, Lu, 'Mione." Harry groaned. Hermione and Luna decided to jump on his bed again.
"Harr-ry wake uuuuup," Luna whined poking him in the ribs, his upper chest bare and contrasting nicely against his emerald green bedspread.
"Don't wanna." Harry groaned and turned over hiding under his pillow.
Luna and Hermione shared a glance, then nodded as one. Slipping off the bed they walked loudly to the door where they slammed it shut not worried about waking the other four house quests, Hogwarts had ensured their rooms were silenced and turned to watch their brother. He lazily snuggled down into his covers going right back to sleep. Leering, both girls snuck up to the foot of his bed and grabbed a handful of his smooth blankets.
Whispering they counted. "One, two, three." They ripped the blankets off the bed revealing their half-naked brother to the cool morning air. Lulu giggled hysterically, her blonde hair bouncing happily. Together they ambushed him. The bed bounced under them and Harry groaned again.
"You two are pure evil." He glared- squinted as he couldn't see. Hermione jammed his glasses on his face and pushed him off the bed. His scars flickered in the candlelight. Each room had three or four large white candles floating like the Great Hall, illuminating the room. The two girls paid his scars no mind, they were used to them and how each summer he seemed to get more. The two girls knew revenge would be had eventually but it would have to be at Harry's hand otherwise he said it wouldn't happen. Neither girl had appreciated the idea that those infernal abusive monsters would get off with nary a scratch so they followed his rules. Thankfully there would be no more of that though, with his Ministry arranged marriage he was a registered adult by Wizarding standards, meaning no more Dursley's.
Luna skipped to the door humming something like that poem by that Poe person, she was always saying something about his work, something about it being "simply wonderful". Hermione threw a shirt at Harry who promptly put it on, it was a long sleeve green cotton v-neck. He pushed the sleeves up.
"Hurry up Harry, we want pancakes!" Hermione demanded as she left the room the door still wide open. The half asleep half dressed boy chuckled, pulled on some slacks, socks, and his favorite dragon hide boots with waved a hand and the room began to pack itself and headed towards the kitchen. 'Who decided my sisters were going to be so bossy today?' He thought.
Draco walked out of his room too; it was the basic guestroom a full-size canopy bed in dark blues with dark blue curtains, a black wood desk, an empty wardrobe and an empty bookshelf. As they were leaving that morning he had no chance to redecorate, so it was still the same, much like the room Severus, Lucius and Tom have. All of their rooms were nice neutral blue colors. Draco had apparently transfigured his robes because they looked a little wrinkled.
"Did I hear someone say pancakes?" Draco asked, way too awake this early in the morning. He smiled even if his face showed a blank mask you could clearly see the brightness in his eyes. "Will there be coffee?"
Sighing Harry nodded. "Yes, the girls decided it was pancakes for breakfast." Harry shook his head a bit looking at the pale purple wall slowly getting lost in thought. "Any requests?" Harry asked on auto-pilot.
"How 'bout chocolate chip pancakes…" Draco answered nervously he had never had such a strange conversation with his rival turned mate. "And coffee?"
Harry nodded, and then wandered off to the kitchen still lost in thought; Draco followed his boots barely making a sound as they glided across the plush black carpet lining the halls. He completely missed the looks of concern from Draco or the angry glared sent at Draco from the shadows. Pancakes were made both chocolate chip and blueberry, with a small fruit salad on the side.
The unlikely group sat in silence well forgetting the occasional noise from Luna who was making dinosaur sounds as she cut her pancakes into crumple-horned snorcrack shapes and eating them. The potions she was taking had a tendency to accentuate her odd little quirks when she first started taking them she had tried to hard to act as she once had but it hadn't gone over well. Harry and Hermione had eventual sat her down and told her they would love her no matter how she acted. Luna had been freer with her mannerisms ever since.
Hermione had already finished eating and was sitting with a towel out in front of her and had one of her guns in pieces, she appeared to be cleaning it. Harry was poking his food and staring off into space, reflecting. To say Draco was a little freaked out would be a large understatement.
The nice brown square plates with little cherry blossoms were practically licked clean, but Harry's food rested heavy in his stomach. The little lord was going to have to tell his mates where they were staying for the holiday because they knew it wasn't going to be Hogwarts. He took a moment to look over each of his new mates and he was a little less than pleased. He really wasn't looking forward to inviting the aggravating Lord Malfoy, the Dark Lord and his least favorite teacher into his home, Draco would do just fine as he seemed to be making an attempt to accept the bond, but the other three. Well, he had his work cut out for him.
Dobby appeared just as Lucius walked through the door. "Everything but your potion lab and the book your bond mate wanted to read is packed, Master Harry." He bowed low, his new suit depicting his allegiance to the Potter family shining brightly.
"Thank you, Dobby. Go wait at the house for us we will be there momentarily." Was Harry's absent-minded reply.
"Winky wants me to be telling yous that Madam Yadkin and her daughter are already there." Dobby bowed again and popped out.
Luna giggled brightly waved her fork teasingly at Hermione. "Ooh, your lover beat us there." Hermione fought the blush but it was a losing battle. Quick-handed she put her favorite gun back together and stood, her redwood chair crashing to the ground. She dashed out of the room where she was heading; well she didn't even know herself.
Lucius had adopted a calm silent demeanor around his dominant as if he was pliant to the doms choice, but he didn't know Harry wasn't blind, or that he knew exactly what he was thinking just from the minute tells the other man had. Even Harry knew to listen to his Slytherin side. Lucius was probably going to play this one of two ways and Harry was willing to bet he believed he was going to win his way into his doms heart first, be his confidant, and perhaps make him get rid of the mud-blood and blood traitor, while he got a good lay. It was like the man had never had a lesson in occlumency because his thoughts were loud and proud, he thought he'd easily be able to achieve his goals and push his own agenda.
Harry sighed and pulled his occlumency shields up higher he really didn't want to hear that man's thoughts. Not when it was clear they would only be arrogant and narrow-minded in the pursuit of their goals. Annoyed and tired Harry left the kitchen to find everything was gone it looked empty, desolate. An ache settled into his chest, he would miss these rooms, he shook it off now was not the time for such foolish notions. He would be back here in two months time anyway.
Ignoring the sense of foreboding Harry went to his potions lab the only place left unpacked.
~Lines~
While Potter was dealing with his sudden overabundance of mates, Severus Snape had snuck off to find this lab the elf had mentioned. Now he was a very well known potion master being the youngest to ever achieve his mastery tended to do that to you, but as he looked around the lab he had to wonder how P-Ha- his dom could get such horrible marks in potions class when all the potions in this lab were made by his hands, he could tell. Everything in the room was saturated in his aura. He had Wolfsbane, Felix Felicis, and even Veritaserum in his private stock. It was appalling to think the near-worst potion maker in his class was just pretending to be so bad.
Grumbling Severus swooped through the room not touching anything, even if he detested the boy he wouldn't do him the disservice of handling another's lab without permissions, just looking to see what the boy- no young lord had gathered for his personal potion lab. Only his many years as a spy kept him from gasping out loud when he found fresh basilisk venom and hide in the storage cupboard. He couldn't remember anyone selling basilisk parts for nearly ten years now so how had Harry gotten any, and fresh parts as well.
"You can touch it, you know, it won't break." The young lord's voice broke his musings and he spun around like a guilty child, hand grasping his black cloak and the redwood door. Severus years of training helped him keep in his startled cry.
The look on the potion master's face told Harry that laughing would be a bad reaction so he just smiled. "Want to help me pack my lab?" Harry pulled out a large bottomless bag that would hold as his potions and ingredients.
He hummed in reply but made no move to say he would.
Tom who slipped in while the two were distracted sat in the corner on the only stool appearing to be reading his book quietly but he was really watching the two people react thinking 'How foolish one necklace could make some people'. He plotted because there was no way he was going to give up his plan to take over the Wizarding world.
~Line~
It would seem that everything was packed when they had gotten to the Slytherin dorm rooms they found that Dobby had already been by to retrieve Draco's things and had taken them to the new house. Severus' rooms were much the same everything was packed down to the last teabag except his potions lab. Which Severus and Harry took care of easily.
Once Severus and Harry finished packing both luxurious potion labs they headed back to the kitchen were Hermione was showing Draco how to hold a gun and Lucius, thinking he was being sneaky, stood in a corner watching with lidded eyes. Too bad Harry was pretty good at seeing the unseen.
"Well, everything's packed." Like that told the people gathered anything. "We'll be staying in Ravenclaw Manor –"
Severus and Draco actually gasped. "Ravenclaw Manor? But that would mean-" Draco looked at Harry with an unreadable expression.
Lucius seethed, Harry chose not to acknowledge him even as the magic levels coming off the other person were stifling, so he interrupted the silence. "What about our things?" He barely kept his magic under control but Luna still felt it and was tense. Lucius was not one to be ignored.
The green-eyed lord held in a sigh looks like Lucius was going to be the first to 'test' him. "Dobby has already gathered Draco's things and has had Severus' house elf pack all of his things. I understand you and he would be needed your own personal items so I had made arrangements to stop by Malfoy Manor if that's alright with you. Then we would head towards the place Tom was living in to get his things. Of course, we can always just go straight to Ravenclaw Manor if you don't have the patience." His answered lacked certain details like the fact that the trip to Malfoy Manor was also so he could remove Narcissa or the side trip they were going to make to drop 'Mione and her lover off at Paris. It was moments like this that Harry thanked Merlin for the invention of Portkeys.
Hermione held up an old box, had Harry's sides splitting, it was a box for rubber ducky's. "Touch the box." Harry got out between chuckles. Draco scrambled out of his chair as gracefully as he could to get to the box, acting like they might have left them. Harry saw it but chose not to react; he would need to talk with his mate, privately.
Lucius and Severus ambled over, taking their time and looking refined, but Tom scowled. The fools actual thought they could give him orders! The man held in a laugh and the young alpha glared heavily. "Tom, we're leaving get over here."
There it was, the first order Harry gave him through the bond, and he powerless to fight it. Resistant as he was his body moved for him. The next thing he knew he was touching the box and look at his alpha for praise. Harry smiled at the rather innocent young man, knowing he would be able to be the mate the silver eyes seemed to be him to be.
Hermione must have spoken the activation code as he stared at Draco because the next second the seven people were pulled through a straw and spit out in the foyer of Malfoy Manor. Cold white tiles match walls that were as equally cold white, barren with the exception of a few paintings that cried to the three who had never then them before 'We're here because we're expensive'. Anyone who had never been to the manor might have mistaken the Malfoys for art lovers but Hermione, Lulu, and Harry had all met the Malfoys at their worst so they knew it was all about the presentation. Perception was everything and some people were willfully blind.
Lucius stepped up and strutted swiftly down the hall, not saying so much as a word to his 'guests', knowing he had just grievously insulted his doms by acting like they weren't worth even a few words. He had to prove he would be weak, not even to them.
Severus held in a wince, he knew what his old friend had just done and hoped he wouldn't be part of the backlash. Draco looked puzzled at Harry, his new alpha, who stood in the main hall of their family manor looking quite pinched.
Even as he spoke welcoming them to his home for the first time he tilted his head to the side like a confused dog something had made him angry but what? All his father had done was walk away, how did that make him angry? Draco shook his neatly styled golden locks ruffling; he didn't really have an answer to either question. Though he was beginning to suspect it was an etiquette thing he hadn't studied yet.
Tom saw one of his subs walk away without so much as a backward glance, and to say he was displeased with his favorite death eater would be an understatement. Lucius had just earned himself a punishment he really wouldn't like. The dark lord's hand itch to curse him but he held it in, it was time to see how the young alpha would handle this, if he would do anything at all, or if he would let the little fool get away with such an insult. Plus he had a book in parseltongue to read, it was one he didn't have.
Green, the color of the killing curse, the Slytherin house and Harry Potter's eyes a color that brought fear when used just right. Harry felt his whole body scream with the urge to punish his wayward mate, to show him he would be respectful to his alpha, his Dom, his master, but it was too soon. None of them were ready for that, they all lacked the trust and belief that sort of relationship needed as a foundation.
Magic rippling under his skin Harry led the group after his difficult mate following the pull they all felt as the other man tried to leave the allotted distance, he would have to find a suitable punishment for his mate that wouldn't shatter the tentative unspoken truce between them.
They walked through the immaculate maze-like halls and into Lucius Malfoy's office to find the man crudely ordering his house elves around. "Gamy go and pack my clothes enough for two months!"
Luna was shaking and flinching violently at every sound, she always reacted terribly to any kind of high-level magic in the air, it caused frightening flashbacks to nightmarish visions that are best forgotten. Well, that's how it would have gone had she not found Harry's magic so comforting even in his anger, still, she played it up and allowed Hermione to hold her close as they trailed after Harry.
The three knew all too well that Luna didn't need to be around Harry especially when he was this angry. They both stopped in front of a portrait of Chara and Capella the twin daughters of the Polaris family; they were both married to Malfoys though their husbands mysteriously died before they could have any children.
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked speaking to the two smirking women; they looked like the cat that got the canary.
"Ma'am?" She tried again. "Could you tell us how to get to the gardens?" Her perky pink lips twitched as the ladies shared a look much like the Weasley twins.
"Don't call us Ma'am ever again and maybe we will." They spoke at once and it was way creepier than when those red-headed twins did it. Luna smiled weakly at the women and nodded. "Alright," Said the witch on the right her silver eyes alight with a mischievous glow perfectly matching the smirk on her plush pink lips but belying the luscious curls of perfectly orderly blond hair on her head. "It's just back the way you came," Her equally as beautiful identical twin took over. "Through the great big green doors." They pointed and everything.
Feeling like they had been left out of the loop both Hermione and Luna left the hall and head out to where the rose bushed surrounded a gazebo.
~Line~
Harry on the other hand just let his anger simmer, he knew logically that most of his anger came from the medallions influence but he also knew it wouldn't abate until he saw the other man punished, as his mate didn't even acknowledge that he had entered the room. He just sat his aristocratic bum down in his large high back black chair behind his huge caramel colored desk leafing through some paperwork.
There was no furniture in the room beside his desk, chair, and bookshelves. Nodding to himself Harry summoned a large couch and seated himself. A simple look at Draco and Severus had them sitting down on either side of him; Draco on the left next to the arm of the chair and Severus on the right leaving just enough room for Tom to sit with them. Surprisingly enough he did just that, watching as Harry sat apparently waiting.
Harry relaxed against the couch on hand rest in his lap the other thrown over a very nerves Draco Malfoy's shoulders. He ran gentle fingers through his hair but Draco stayed tense.
They sat there in silence for a while Lucius obliviously waiting for them to speak and they were patiently waiting for Lucius to speak. Finally, Harry did "Draco, why don't you take Severus and go find my wayward sisters."
The young Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief and stood. Severus stood as well even if he was a little reluctant to leave; he wanted to know how his alpha would punish the foolish man. He walked slowly out of the office hoping his alpha would change his mind and let him stay, he didn't.
Tom's curiosity was piqued what was the little alpha planning. The old Dark Lord most certainly wasn't expecting what happened next, he had foolishly thought it would be something worth kicking the submissives out for.
"Lucius…" Harry said as he glided toward the blond. Who inside was shaking uncontrollably but kept his Malfoy mask on to stay calm outwardly.
"Your behavior just moments ago…" Harry shook his head and leaned against the large desk so he stood right next to the seated man. "Was appalling. You would think pure-bloods would know how to act in situations such as this." Harry shook his head knowing he couldn't punish his mate like he wanted as there was no trust between them so he settled for treating him like a child.
Lucius kept his mask together doing everything he could to keep from falling to the calming tan carpet and begging for forgiveness from both his doms. Strangely enough, his punishment would have been worse if he had. It would be him admitting he knew what he did was wrong, that he was a sub that deserved punishment; it would be Lucius Malfoy admitting he knew better but did it anyway.
Harry sighed inwardly 'Why did he have to have the mates who were determined to make his life harder than ever before' he thought. "Lucius…" He didn't even get a chance to start his long lecture as right then Draco came racing into the room looking panicked.
"Harry…" He gasped. "Luna…collapsed…hurt….help…" Harry ran out of there as fast as he could. Lucius and Tom shared a look, even if Tom was angry at the blonde man he knew the aristocrat would understand the skeptical look on his face. The boy, their alpha had just run out of the room after a girl, without so much as a look at the others.
Harry found Luna fast asleep with Hermione pillowing the little blonde head on her lap. Luna looked alright but they couldn't know for sure. Working quickly Harry conjured a quill and parchment. The set was already scribbling away documenting everything he wanted to get done written there neatly. Dobby seemed to know he was wanted and appeared. The group of people waited for the raven hair youth to speak.
"Dobby, as the Head Elf of the Potter-Black family you will make sure these instructions are followed to the letter, alright." He didn't have time to deal with his wayward mate in person so Dobby would have to do for now so he passed the large list of things to the elf, who was all too happy to serve.
The list was as followed:
Make sure Lucius and Draco have all they need from this manor
Remove Miss Black and some of her clothes, only the jewelry she is wearing and other basic requirements to the cottage in Magical Manchester
Explain to Miss Black her allowance and her necessity for a job
Give all Malfoy house elves a break
Tell them they are not to answer Lucius Malfoy's calls until given my permission and have them make new uniforms (use Malfoy money to buy the fabric)
Put Lucius Malfoy in his room and do not let him out until dinner upon arrival at Ravenclaw Manor, he is to return to his rooms after every meal and only allowed out for meals
Get the things Tom will need for his stay
Dobby nodded his large ears flopping, and practically hopped to it. Harry watch with little amusement and turned his thoughts to his precious little sister wondering why she was being punished like this. Carefully the green-eyed youth pick the blonde up from the ground where she had laid and cradled her gently; she was just there like a life-sized doll.
Hermione the brightest witch of their age felt like crying her family was barely holding it together. Luna was hurting and the only solution to her problem would leave her a squib, in the eyes of many no better than a muggle. No matter how hard she looked it seemed that her brother and sister's lives were going to get worse before they got better. With an aura of calm understanding, Hermione let her chocolate brown eyes rest on them and choked back a cry. Her brother looked like an avenging angel hold their sister like that, and Luna well Lu looked… dare she even think it… she looked dead.
"Oh," came a rasping voice behind her and she spun wand in her right hand, gun in her left prepared to protect them. Hermione felt like hit herself, she had let go, let the rest of the world fade, she had gotten distracted and sadly in her line of work vigilance was the deciding factor between life and death. Thank Merlin it was only Draco, no wait Lucius, Severus, and Riddle were walking up as well, great.
Nerves on edge and feeling jumpy Hermione put away her gun but kept her wand out, as Mad-eye would say 'Constant Vigilance'. It didn't help that she could feel eyes on her, watching, waiting; it was making the hair on the nap of her neck stand on end.
"Mione, the portkey if you will?" He whispered as his mates approached, today was not going as planned and it was draining his reserves. She nodded and pulled out a dagger with runes carved in it. Harry made sure he and Luna were touching the dagger and with a look to his mates they grabbed on as well, none of them saying a single thing just doing as their mate directed. Harry was pleased to see it happen.
~Ravenclaw Manor~
Landing softly just outside the manors great front doors, they were ornate in design much like Hogwarts except it was a large carving of a woods with several ravens and crows sitting among the branches, the bird's eyes moved as if to watch the groups every breath. Harry and Hermione ignored them more worried about the sleeping witch Harry was carrying. Lulu's attacks were getting worse and she was sleeping more and more at this rate she would lose everything. Hermione pushed the grand doors open and allowed everyone to pass through before locking and boarding everything up again. It was unnecessary but a tradition and the house-elves thought it was one to be upheld.
Sighing Harry walked with silent steps disappearing into the labyrinth-like halls. Hermione watched her brother stalk off and couldn't help but notice the tension in his shoulders like the world rested there, and for a while it has. Most Gryffindors wore their hearts on their sleeves but Harry has always been different, his heart was hidden behind so many walls that the first person to see it would truly be blessed. Face showing pain and sorrow Hermione looked at the men whom Harry would have to trust.
Draco perhaps the most innocent of the four men were shaken by the show of emotion from the girl and the lack of emotion from his alpha. He lost all the color in his face, and it was already pale, to begin with. Hermione saw his reaction though and whipped her face clean, faster than any Slytherin could granted she was trained by the best.
"This way." She didn't look any of the other men in the eye or even see the expression on their faces. If she had she would have seen the well-masked worry in Severus' eyes or the anger dancing like fire in Lucius' eyes or the most confusing the odd pondering expression on Riddles face.
