Cloudier Sky

Warning:This story contains Creature!Harry, Slash, Weasley bashing, Dumbledore bashing.

Pairings:Voldemort (Tom Riddle)/Harry, Severus/Lily (one-sided), Lucius/Narcissa

Disclaimer:Does Voldemort survive the Final Battle? No? Then I do not own Harry Potter.

Legend:

"Parseltongue"

Letter/Newspaper/Books


~ Chapter Four ~

He couldn't do it.

Harry stifled the urge to scream knowing it would only cause his relatives to barge in and yell at him. He'd been trying for what felt like months to control at least part of his weather ability and yet no matter how hard he tried to do what the book said he couldn't even make the clouds shift slightly away to reveal the sun for a few seconds even if it was only to appease his curiosoty.

The weather had continued to pour undesired rain onto the suburbs and there was nothing he could do about it. The only leeway he had been given was that he still didn't have to do chores for the Dursley's apart from cook dinner. His aunt had obviously seen his frustration at his lack of control and had most likely talked to Vernon who had caved beneath his aunt's ferocious glare. Harry knew anyone in the household would cave beneath that glare as he had been the recipient of it too many times.

However that still didn't help him one bit. The amount of control he needed for his control on the weather to work was similar to that of Occlumency something which he had failed terribly at. So it came as no surprise to him that he couldn't master this. The thing was like Occlumency he needed to master this lest his secrets be discovered by the enemy or well anyone basically that he didn't want to tell. That left him with no one as usual.

Now he only had a few he could trust. Fred and George were on the top of his list as was Luna. That was probably it for humans and that wasn't something to be proud of at all. Then there were his pets, Hedwig and Nye. Hedwig seemed to be eternally loyal and acted more like a protective mother than his familiar. Not that Harry cared. He was glad that Hedwig acted differently to other animals. It simply made her unique. Nye on the other hand acted like sneaky and playful a carefree mix of Gryffindor and Slytherin just like his owner. Neither would abandon their owner unlike his so called friends and guardians.

Sensing his thoughts, Nye came up and carefully rubbed his head against Harry's leg in a comforting gesture. Luna really knew how to pick an animal that bonded well with him. Harry believed that Nye actually had some empathic ability that allowed him to know what his master was feeling. Lucky him. Perhaps he would be able to help Harry though his training on control? That would only work after Nye learned how to control his ability if that ever happened. Harry didn't know whether Nye could sense emotions and influence or simply sense them. It was terribly confusing. Only time would tell.

Sighing, he collapsed back onto his small mattress and brought the book closer to him to re-read the information that he was attempting to decipher once again. Nye jumped onto his bed and curled up on his pillow.

x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Seven: How to Control the Weather (Water Nymphs Only)

Water Nymphs are known highly as the users of water and manipulators of the weather. They spend most of their lives around water as that is where they feel most comfortable. Mostly they live near the sea, a like or in an area where rain is common. Even though they are rare individuals and generally keep their natures to themselves, Water Nymphs often search for their mates (first or second) in populated areas where most of the year is spent beneath clouds of rain as their mates are often drawn to water as well though they may never realize it.

Mates are necessary for the Water Nymphs to learn control. They aid in the control of the Nymphs emotions and allow them to release their emotions in small amounts over longer periods of time rather than allowing them to release their emotions in one burst that would disrupt the natural weather system. Without the mate there is only so much a Nymph can do to control their abilities.

The best way for a Nymph without a mate to learn control of their emotions is Occlumency.

Occlumency is the art of shielding the mind. It acts as a barrier to keep in both thoughts and emotions from the prying eyes of others. This helps as the more hold one has over their emotions the more hold they have over their powers even if it wouldn't be to the full extent. However the stronger a Nymph is the harder it is to master this difficult art of magic either before or after they come into their inheritance. This is taught from master to student and shouldn't be attempted alone.

The other technique they could use to help in the control of their emotions is meditation. This helps to calm the mind from all emotions and helps the body to relax. Usually one can do this without aid however some find it easier to use calming music or a steady sound to focus on like water dripping from a tap or other natural sounds around the home.

These few techniques can be utilized to control the emotions of a Water Nymph however occasionally these don't work and the emotions will only be controlled once the Nymph had found a mate. Once the mating occurs (see chapter eleven for the bonding of Nymphs) the control will stabilize and the Nymph will be able to use their abilities properly instead of purely emotion based.

Numerous emotions have different effects on their abilities and cause different results.

For emotions such as sadness, depression and melancholy the weather turns from cloudy to raining or bucketing depending on how severe the emotion is or from what the Nymph is suffering the emotion from. This dramatic turn of weather usually occurs when the person is suffering from the loss of a loved one or the rejection of one of their mates.

Anger or fury usually creates warm weather equivalent to that of summer however if the anger is mixed with another emotion such as melancholy previously mentioned it turns into lightening. Happiness or joy causes sunny weather typical of a spring day. Boredom however causes the weather to turn bitter and cold.

The wind normally associates with irritation or calm of the Water Nymph. The irritation usually turns into fury or anger before the winds become strong enough to cause any damage to the surrounding area however nymphs with particularly good patience will see the occasional damage before irritation turns to fury.

The more emotions that are shown at any time will cause the weather to go awry and the more intense the worse they situations are ranging from cyclones to tsunamis. Any of the emotions that are crossed will share similar symptoms through each though the exact prediction lies purely with the Nymph and what they are feeling.

x-x-x-x-x

Harry had read that section about ten times and he was nowhere near even getting the basics down and it was entirely his fault. He couldn't do Occlumency at all. Well they'd proved that with Snape but even attempting to learn it on his own didn't work it only seemed to make things worse for him. Then there was the "finding your mate" solution.

For that to be of any use he would need to be somewhere near the wizarding community to locate them. At the current point in time that was useless as he was stuck in the middle of the muggle world and not even within walking distance of London where he could access the Leaky Cauldron a spot where most wizards travelled through daily. So he could not rely on his mates help.

That left meditation. He wasn't going to be a fool and assume he could do meditation because no matter what he tried it didn't help in relaxing his nerves. He had tried everything to release the tension building within him caused by his emotions but nothing helped him!

At first he'd attempted the simple meditation with no interference. After five minutes of sitting in the same position in silence he'd begun to twitch. Sure there had been the sound of rain outside and the wind had picked up along with his irritation but he'd begun to focus on that sound instead and the twitching had picked up along with the rain and the wind making it the worst downfall they had actually seen in ten years. Petunia had given him a stern talking to for that mistake.

Then a day later he'd tried the meditation in the kitchen where he could focus on the dripping of the tap instead of the rain outside. It wasn't a surprise that hadn't worked either as he still itched to move around and not sit in the same position for Merlin knows how long. After that he'd even tried listening to the TV or his Aunt while she knitted something hideous for Dudley but they hadn't worked either.

Now he was annoyed and it showed as the wind howled outside.

Harry had literally no control over his abilities until he found his mate and they had begun to bond. Even then he didn't know whether that would work properly since everything else had little effect as well. He was beginning to worry and that just made the weather worse yet again. He could never win. At the moment he was sorely tempted to begin banging his head on the kitchen table however refrained from doing so as his Aunt walked into the room.

At first she ignored the fact that he was in the room at all until she realized that neither Dudley nor Vernon were at home and turned to him looking on with concern. It wasn't the first time she had given him this look this summer. Petunia had realized that he was struggling through something and this little fact had just added to his burden.

"Have you had any luck with the . . . weather?"

She had improved. No one could say that she miraculously developed a liking for magic though. That might take awhile.

Harry sighed and rested his head on the table. "I've looked through the book mum left me and the only way I can stop it is by finding my mate."

At his Aunt's blank stare he elaborated.

"I have two mates, a first and a second. They are people who complete me. They help me with controlling my emotions and through the control of emotions I can control my . . . abilities. However they will be –er my kind so I won't be able to locate them until I leave here when the Order come to pick me up . . . if they come to pick me up."

"And mates are?"

"Mates are . . . well as I said they complete me but I suppose it would be like being marries to someone except there isn't a divorce and more than likely if my chosen on dies before me I would follow within the span of a year depending on how close I am to my mate physically and emotionally."

"You need to be married to two people?!" Petunia squeaked.

Harry's head shot up.

"No! No I only need one of them however I'm given two in case one of them rejects me or one of them dies. Then at least I still have the other one. They are also normally people with extremely good control over their own emotions because it takes a lot to help a – well it would take a lot to help control what I am."

Petunia relaxed at that thought and then stiffened again.

"This person . . . will they be male or female for you?"

Harry blushed. He really didn't want to be talking about this with his Aunt.

"The person will be male but that is because what I am are usually female. When I received the gene from mum I was strong enough to activate it causing me to inherit the gene. From now on since I have the gene I will be able to give birth though I'm not entirely sure how. I will also pass the gene onto all of my children whether they are male or female."

Petunia nodded her head.

"You shouldn't mention this to anyone especially Vernon. He is a little homophobic. If he hears that you will be with . . . well it wouldn't at all go well. So we won't speak of this topic again. If you need my help at any time then just leave me a note amongst my knitting. Vernon and Dudley won't go looking through there so it should be safe."

"Thank you for everything Aunt Petunia but it shouldn't be necessary. The Order should be coming tomorrow to collect me and I won't be coming back here once I find my mate."

Petunia hesitated before stepping forwards slightly and touching his arm gently.

"Please would you . . . stay in touch with me Harry? I would hate to lose contact with you. You are the last link I have to my sister. I watched her walk out of my life once and I don't think I could live with myself if you did the same."

Harry nodded and grinned, "Don't worry I'll send you a letter via post."

Petunia watched as her nephew walked back to his room and sighed. That grin spelt trouble for them in the future no matter what it was.

x-x-x-x-x

When Harry woke the next morning it wasn't raining. Blinking, he looked outside and sure enough it wasn't raining but the cloud still remained. It was definitely an improvement but what had caused it? He was still depressed over losing Sirius and his friends in one hit that hadn't changed. But something had caused the change so what was it?

Thinking back, Harry remembered the conversation he had yesterday with his Aunt. That simple conversation seemed to lift his spirits and ease the tension he had felt in his body by bottling up all of his feelings and keeping all of these changes a secret. Yes that was the reason he felt better this morning. His Aunt, his relative, had actually talked to him like he was an actual person and not a creature from outer space that should be hunted down and killed.

He felt accepted by one of his few blood relatives and that made the difference to his emotions and through that the weather. Harry wasn't positive how long it would last but he was glad that his Aunt would tell he was making progress even if it hadn't been on purpose.

Throwing back his covers he climbed out of bed and pulled on the first pair of pants and shirt he found before leaving his room and walking downstairs. For once he was starving and he was going to eat even if it was a Sunday and Vernon would be home for the entire day. That didn't mean his mood was going to change due to that. No, that he was use to.

As usual for a Sunday, Vernon was sitting in front of the TV watching some show that interested him, Harry didn't particularly care what it was, while Petunia was sitting on the only single couch in the room knitting. Only Petunia looked up as Harry walked past the room giving him a small smile and then glancing out the window to show that she was pleased. Harry returned the small smile before walking into the kitchen and fixing himself breakfast.

The small amount of love Petunia was showing him wasn't grand and it didn't compare to what a true mother would give to her child but it was enough for him. He knew that it would take a lot to patch up the rift that had formed between them from an early age but he was prepared for it as long as she desired to fix it.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Vernon grumbling went to answer the door.

"Boy your freakish friends are here to take you away!"

Harry's first thought was to jump with joy. Then he remembered that none of them wanted anything to do with him since the death of Sirius and slumped slightly in his chair as the rain began to fall again. He sighed and he'd just stopped that from happening as well.

His "friends" wouldn't give a damn about what had happened to him and they wouldn't even notice the change in his appearance. Even if the change was huge considering he no longer had James' hair. It was purely his mother's mixed with his grandfather's an auburn red colour that was definitely not the black he was use to. As far as they were concerned he was only going to be remaining there as a guest . . . in his own house. Well he would have to show them then. He wasn't about to let them push him around. Perhaps Kreacher could help . . .

Shaking his head he headed upstairs before his Uncle could start shouting at him again. His belongings were already packed and ready to go so he grabbed onto the handle and dragged it heavily down the stairs knowing that it would upset his relatives and most likely the person who had come to pick him up from this hell hole.

It didn't come as a surprise when he didn't see either Remus or Dumbledore waiting at the door. No instead it was Tonks someone who he had only just met last year and hadn't spent a lot of time around. That didn't appear to make much of a difference when he was concerned.

Tonks didn't even speak or look in his direction but he didn't truly mind that he had nothing to say to her either though it hurt to admit that no one was on his side. He was truly alone in this matter until he received a letter from his father.

The rain was now pouring outside and obviously Tonks didn't know a charm to keep the rain off her clothes as she was soaked through from standing in the doorway. Vernon wouldn't ever allow "freaks" inside if he could help it. Refraining from sighing for a third time, Harry moved outside just as Petunia called him back.

She handed him a plain black umbrella that was old yet not warn. Obviously she knew he would need it where ever they took him. "Don't forget what we discussed yesterday alright and I expect you to behave around those you find trustworthy and loyal, alright?"

Harry could have smirked at his Aunt if Tonks wasn't there. She obviously knew that he no longer trusted the Order or Dumbledore and worded it to make sure that he could do what he liked to them without them knowing. It wasn't surprising really that she wanted him to annoy the lot of them since she'd never truly liked any of wizards that she had met anyway. So instead he simply nodded and opened the umbrella making sure that Tonks couldn't fit beneath it before walking away from Privet Drive for the last time.

He continued walking down the road in the pouring rain knowing that Tonks was following him. When the Order came to collect him last year he was told that the safest place to portkey from was the park three streets away from Privet Drive where the wards didn't reach and not many people visited. So he assumed that this time wasn't going to be any different and began to walk directly there.

As usual his body protested the portkey travel and he fell to the ground. I bet if someone had actually taught me at a young age I wouldn't have a problem, Harry thought bitterly as he stared forlornly up at Grimmauld Place. This was the place that they had imprisoned Sirius in and now it was his turn except no one would speak to him unlike Sirius who always had someone in the house to talk to even if it were only Buckbeak.

The house appeared as they silently walked towards the front door and it opened revealing a group of people all looking at him with frowns on their faces. Pssh like he hadn't expected that when he arrived. That face wouldn't work on him anymore. Once Harry was safely inside he folded away the umbrella but kept it with him. It appeared as if the weather had followed him. He could only hope that his Aunt was finally getting the reprieve that she deserved for putting up with him for the summer. The door closed with a quiet click and the silence surrounded them. The Order watched Harry and he watched them.

Dumbledore as always had that eternal twinkle in his eye that spoke volumes. Harry ignored it and moved on. Remus was looking at him with poorly hidden disgust. It hurt to see the man he associated with his parents and godfather look at him that way but he wasn't about to beg for forgiveness that he shouldn't have to earn. Mrs Weasley looked about ready to jump on him like she always did and that only caused him to cringe where once he welcomed her motherly nature now he found it overbearing.

In the background he could see Ron, Hermione and Ginny who all looked at him with apathy. He understood why they left him so swiftly then. They weren't truly his friends. More than likely they had been bargained with by the headmaster to remain with him. Well it was a good thing as he didn't want them anymore.

Snape however was a different story. Harry's whole body cried out for the man. His magic sung, burning through his veins almost like the Cleansing yet less fierce and the weather turned ugly seeking one of the people that could help him control all of his emotions. Of all the people it could have been, Severus Snape, would have to be one of his mates. Fate just liked to mess with him that much.

Harry didn't particularly believe that it would be wise to bring that fact up in a room full of other people especially when his mate was glaring at him hatefully but he needed one of his mates. It was a miracle that he had actually discovered him so close. He wouldn't waste this opportunity but he knew that Snape wouldn't willingly believe him without proof which he would have to gather before approaching the man. Sighing, Harry couldn't believe his luck sometimes.

"Harry, my boy, what happened to your hair?" Dumbledore asked shock evident in his voice.

Of course he would be the first one to discover something "wrong" with his perfect Golden Boy especially when said Golden Boy no longer has the silky black hair that labelled him as such. He had auburn hair now, couldn't they just be happy for him?

"I came into my inheritance this summer and this was one of the changes that occurred."

Everyone frowned at the missed information in that sentence. They were obviously hoping that he would say more than that and tell them what he actually was but he wasn't so forthcoming now especially with the likes of them.

"Perhaps we should move this into the kitchen away from certain eavesdroppers." Snape snarled glaring into the dark at the Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

Dumbledore nodded his agreement and Harry found himself seated in the kitchen with an interrogation squad. They would never learn but this had to happen eventually. Harry wasn't about to tell then anything he hadn't even told his Aunt everything and his "trustworthy" mate was sitting in the room with him now. Yet Harry only wanted his mate to know everything about him, stupid Nymph emotions. He wouldn't feel alright without his mate knowing everything there was to know about him but he would at least feel calmer knowing that his mate knew something about him. It would appease the creature side of him for now.

Harry sat at the centre of the long table with Remus, Snape, Dumbledore and Molly surrounding him. It was uncomfortable considering Molly looked ready to pounce and mother him again on his left and Remus was ready to murder him on the right with Dumbledore across from him and Snape glaring at him from Dumbledore's right side.

"Now Harry tell us everything there is to know about this situation and we can help you." Dumbledore said calmly.

"I've already told you everything you need to know. I came into my inheritance this summer and it caused the changes in my body both physically and emotionally. You don't need to know anything else about my situation that is up to my mate and him alone."

That was when Remus addressed him for the first time since he'd arrived.

"So you're a submissive then."

Everyone seemed to perk up at that piece of information but it didn't truly matter at that though he guessed he should tell them that they couldn't match him to anyone otherwise that would be uncomfortable for the other person when he did locate his mate. Well the other person would end up dead but who actually cared.

"Yes and my fated dominate will be very protective over me."

The faces fell slightly. Serves them right trying to match me with someone, Harry thought bitterly.

"We'll just have to help you locate them then. What can you tell us of your abilities so that we can help you with whatever else you may need?" Dumbledore said in his grandfatherly voice, pity that didn't work on Harry any longer.

"I don't need your help. I must find him on my own! If I allow someone else to aid me knowingly then I will never gain the respect I need from him! I will die should that happen to me because my mate won't accept me then! You mustn't help me at all. I don't need you interfering in my life!"

Harry had begun speaking normally but hysterics from the Nymph side of him allowed him to end shouting at the small group. Molly looked ready to burst into tears at the sight of him.

"Oh Harry dear you shouldn't have to worry over such a thing yet especially since you aren't old enough to think about marriage and fated ones. Just leave it all to use and forget about everything. Your mate doesn't need to find you yet. What if your mate is on the Dark Side?! You mustn't be allowed to go anywhere near them at all for fear of them handing you over to the Dark Lord!"

Silence reigned over them. It was obvious to Harry that that thought hadn't been considered yet and now it was out in the open and they were all worried for him and here he had believed that they would all be smart people. Not. Harry couldn't believe that they thought his mate would harm him in any way. Remus should have known that any mate would never harm their fates one or viceversa but no his eyes had widened with the rest of the fools.

Severus Snape scoffed aloud.

"Any person who would desire Potter as a mate would have to either be desperate or blind which I certainly am most not. Potter isn't worthy for anyone to be with he is purely scum."

Harry felt his heart crush. That was enough of a rejection for his nymph to acknowledge. His emotions were in misery as was the weather outside. It was pouring down and no one had bothered to notice. Standing with his fists clenched into balls Harry glared directly at Snape.

"Just because you were blinded by the fact that I looked like my father doesn't mean my mate will be and yes I shall find him whether he be on the Dark side or not! He was meant to be with me and it won't matter what our allegiances are!"

Harry kindly left out the fact that if his fated was on the Dark side he would switch sides instantly. Turning he opened the door only to have Ron, Hermione and Ginny fall at his feet looking up at him sheepishly.

"You shouldn't listen in to adult conversations it could get you hurt." Harry growled at the cowering trio before heading up to the room Sirius had been preparing when Harry would be allowed to move in permanently.

The room was simply enough, queen sized bed, wardrobe, work desk, attached bathroom and a window seat. It was simple compared to the master bedroom (considering that it housed Buckbeak now) yet more sophisticated than the other bedrooms the Order was using. It was the heir's bedroom and he was the next Lord Black after all so it made sense.

When Ron figured out that he was no longer sharing the bedroom they used last year instead of complaining that he was sharing a room with a dangerous killer he would complain about Harry getting the better room. Molly would fuss against Harry spending time on his own as would Hermione even though she wasn't supposed to be talking to him and then there was Ginny. She would probably try to gain his attention now that everyone would become aware that he was heir to the Black and Potter family. He couldn't wait until they realized he wasn't even truly a Potter. However he wasn't worried about any of that.

Harry simply collapsed on his bed dead to the world. After all who would want to be near any of these lowlifes?

x-x-x-x-x

It was the second day after he had left Privet Drive and Harry was beginning to feel trapped. Grimmauld Place which he had once held all hope in saving him from the Dursley's was turning out to be even worse. Regardless of how many people were at headquarters at any one time none of them paid any attention to him at all. They all either looked at him in disappointment, disgust or apathy well the adults did anyway. The children were another story.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny had obviously gotten over the "I almost got killed by following Harry Potter into danger" stage and were now moving to the more annoying "Harry Potter gets whatever he wants stage and what he wants I want". It was purely frustrating.

Ron wanted the heir suite that Harry had purely because it was better than the room he was using now and he believed that Harry didn't deserve it. Little did he know that if he had won that argument (which he didn't) Harry would simply have moved to the master bedroom and even though he wouldn't have been ready to face that he would have done it just to spite Ron.

Hermione wanted access to the Black Library. Pity for her the Black Library only opened for relatives and not guests unless invited in and only then it would be a onetime visit. That was where Harry spent most of his days since it was the only place that he got any peace from the stares. The only way Hermione could have entered the library was if Harry announced that she was his blood sister (ritual included). When that was mentioned by Dumbledore Hermione's eyes had lit up. Harry had vetoed the idea knowing that they couldn't force the ritual either.

Ginny wanted to be Harry's mate. That caused all sorts of problems. One, when she told Harry her intention he would have cursed the girl hadn't Remus held him back. His nymph side would never allow it. Two, Ginny walked around the house saying that as Harry's mate it belonged to her. Molly had quickly picked up on that and followed it adamantly. Both had Kreacher pulling on his ears.

It was that morning that Harry walked in to breakfast and witnessed Kreacher pulling on his ears.

"Kreacher cease that nonsense at once."

Kreacher obeyed much to everyone's shock.

"What should Kreacher be doing instead masters?" Kreacher asked turning to his master.

Being a house elf of the Black family meant that Kreacher knew what Harry was and couldn't betray his secret to the others. Since his blood was pure both Kreacher and Walburga Black accepted him warmly. The other members of the Order were left to their wrath.

"How about trying to get even by taking their belongings and hiding them in forgotten places?" Harry suggested lightly before sitting down and grabbing a piece of toast, buttering it.

Kreacher cackled in glee before disapparating with a pop leaving the Order to stare at Harry.

"You can order Kreacher around Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry answered with a simple nod.

"Of course he can he is the heir to the Black family after all." Ron huffed before stuffing his face with more food and making everyone cringe in disgust.

"That means you could make Mrs Black cease shouting at us!" she continued practically jumping in her seat.

Harry knew that Walburga was always a soft spot for many of the Order members who had met with her nasty temper. It was actually amusing to hear the stories told from Walburga's point of view.

"Probably."

Everyone began talking loudly at that word.

"Come on then let's go and test it out!"

"No."

The silence fell over the room.

"What do you mean no?"

"You are technically in her house, her ancestral home, she may call you whatever she likes and I don't feel the need to tell her otherwise as she isn't annoying me and it is my home now as well. I just consider you all unwanted guests." Harry said smiling cruelly.

Before anyone could speak Harry grabbed another piece of toast and left. He had other problems to worry about and that included his ex-mate, Severus Snape.

Since he had spoken that Snape had literally severed the line between them making it weak however it also made the call to his other mate stronger something which he was thankful for. His other mate was out there yet they didn't know it yet they were Harry's mate and nothing could deter him from locating them. There was only one problem he had to get through and that was living with these useless Light members.

Harry just hoped that his father returned his letter soon otherwise he would never remain sane by the time the next school year began.


Hey another chapter down and plenty to come. Next chapter Lucius gains custody of Harry! Thanks to everyone who reviewed I feel loved! Pssh ^.^'

~MidnightEmber