A/N:
Sorry for the wait. I had some trouble writing this chapter. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I barely own anything, let alone Harry Potter.
Waking up was an odd experience for Hadrian. It was like the sensations of falling and floating mixed together to form a jumble of incomprehensible nonsense that only served to confuse and unnerve him. And—
All he knew was pain. White, hot, blinding pain. Shooting through every nerve and cell, his whole world was narrowed down to the agony of his soul. Nothing existed but the sweet torment of a half-life brought on by the folly of calculations made in youth. Who was he anymore? What was his name? Was there anyone out there? Hello? Help me, please.
Sitting up screaming, Hadrian felt hands gripping his shoulders firmly. Looking to his right, he found the hands belonged to Sable. Sable, who looked terribly worried and seemed to be speaking. That's when Hadrian realized that the only thing he could hear was the blood rushing through his veins and his heart beating a mile a minute. Before he could start to worry any more than he already was, Sable's voice broke through the icy grip of panic.
"—rian! Hadrian! Can you hear me? Please, little snake. Answer me."
Shaking off the last vestiges of what he thought was a nightmare, Hadrian hurried to reassure his father. "I'm fine dad. Just a nightmare, I think."
Tilting his head, Sable asked, "You think?" Moving to sit beside his son on the bed, Sable continued, "What was it about?"
Thinking for a moment about how to best explain the odd experience, Hadrian said, "It was like I was experiencing things through someone else's eyes. And there was so much pain. And loneliness. I never knew anyone could feel so much at one time. It was horrifying." Looking back up, Hadrian saw that Sable was on the verge of tears. "It's ok. It was just a nightmare, right?" Seeing Sable become even more distraught, Hadrian repeated, "Right?"
Shaking his head, Sable spoke, "Remember what I said about you being Marvolo's horcrux?" Getting a nod in return, he continued, "It would seem like you've connected with the soul piece more than I originally thought. That 'nightmare' was most likely a vision of what Marvolo was experiencing at that moment. Which is a horrifying thought. It would seem I'll have to work faster than I originally thought to get Marvolo a new body. That is, if I want him to have any semblance of sanity left when I get him back."
"So that was Marvolo's pain I was experiencing?" Hadrian asked, horrified.
Nodding his head sadly, Sable answered, "Yes."
Nodding determinedly, Hadrian spoke, "Then we need to get him back to a body as soon as possible."
"That we do, little snake. That we do."
Later that morning, Hadrian and Sable sat down in Sable's study to write out a letter to the Flamels.
Dear Nicholas,
My friend, I have a problem only your unique skill set would provide a solution to. I have recently adopted a son and he would like very much to meet his other father. If you would assist us, we would be forever grateful. Give Perenelle my regards.
Best wishes,
Sable Dunmar
Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Dunmar
Sending the letter by owl, Sable sat back in his chair and hoped that Nicholas would help.
Seeing his father's pensive expression, Hadrian spoke, "Don't worry Dad. I'm sure that he'll help. Why don't you tell me some more about Marvolo."
Perking up a bit, Sable said, "Hm, where to start? Oh, how about—"
Hadrian spent the next few hours listening to Sable tell stories about Marvolo. To him, the love Sable had for Marvolo was obvious by the way he spoke about him and the look on his face. Hadrian hoped he had a relationship like that someday. A relationship where the people involved obviously cared for each other and would go to the ends of the earth to protect and help their significant other.
By the time lunch rolled around, Sable was buzzing with nervous energy. Though, only those who knew him well could tell. To everyone else, he looked as refined as always. Hadrian, though he had only known Sable for a day, was also able to read his mood.
To say Severus was shocked when he realized this would be an understatement. Severus had known Sable for quite a few years. He had even been one of the first people Marvolo told about Sable being his soulmate. He had also tutored Sable in potions many times and he prided himself (though he would never admit it) on being able to read Sable's surface emotions. Though, he honestly believed, Marvolo was the only one to ever truly know what was going on in Sable's head.
However, it would seem to Severus, as he watched Hadrian expertly distract him, that maybe Marvolo wasn't the only one to be able to truly read Sable.
'Hadrian is good for Sable,' Severus mused. 'He's been so lonely these past five years. Nothing we've done has really helped alleviate any of the pain he's felt since the day Marvolo disappeared.'
And Severus was aware that nothing could truly help Sable completely recover from being separated from Marvolo except Marvolo himself returning. But, it would seem, that Hadrian was able to at least distract Sable from his pain. Which no one else has been able to do with any success.
Hopefully, Sable doesn't have much longer to wait till Marvolo came back.
Sable, Hadrian, and Severus were relaxing in the sitting room. All the sudden, Sable stopped speaking mid-sentence and blinked a few times. Opening his mouth to speak, Sable then closed it, shook his head, and got up and left the room.
Curious, Hadrian and Severus followed Sable up the stairs, down several corridors, and to a small, cluttered room located at the end of a hall.
Walking inside the room, Sable located an old, dusty trunk and pulled it out into the hall. Gesturing to the trunk, Sable spoke, "This, Hadrian, belonged to Lily and James. They left it to Marvolo and I to give to you in the case that anything happened to them. I completely forgot about it until just now." Seeing Hadrian was too stunned to approach, Sable said, "Well, go on. Open it."
Hesitantly approaching the trunk, Hadrian wiped the dust away from the top with his hand, revealing the initials, L. E. P.. Unlatching the lock, Hadrian opened his mother's trunk. Looking inside, he found a letter sitting on top of a stack of books with his name written on the envelope. With shaking hands, Hadrian opened the letter. It read,
My dear son,
If you're reading this, James and I have died. Hopefully, you were placed in the care of your godfather or godmother. If, somehow, you were placed in the care of the Dursleys, know that it was only because our will was ignored. James and I specifically stated that you were to never be placed there. The only way I can imagine you being placed with them is if Dumbledore somehow got a hold of you. If that's the case, then I need you to know, Dumbledore is not to be trusted. He is not the kindly old man most people perceive him to be. He wants nothing but fame and the power that comes with it. And he'll use any means necessary to achieve that power. I don't know why we died, but I do know that Dumbledore had something to do with it.
I will be leaving this letter in a trunk containing all of my and James' most precious belongings with our dear friends, Sable and Marvolo, in the case that you are placed with the Dursleys. I hope you grow to care for those two as family just as James and I do. Sable and Marvolo will always be there to protect you. And if there's ever a time when you don't know what to do, look to them for guidance. With James and I gone, Sable, Marvolo, Sirius, and Alice will be the parents you've never had.
Oh, and I do hope you get to be good friends with Neville, Alice's little boy. After reading this letter, I ask you to enquire about Neville if you haven't already met. Ask Sable or Marvolo to introduce the two of you. If, as I fear, something has happened to his parents, Neville could use a true friend. The Longbottom's have always been fiercely loyal to their friends. Just as James, Sirius, Remus, and I are, Alice and Frank are spies for Marvolo. The six of us joined Marvolo's cause at the same time. Augusta, Frank's mother, is also a secret supporter of Marvolo. She can be trusted. And if something has happened to Alice and Frank, she'll be the one raising Neville now.
Know that, to James and me, you are our world. If there was any way we could still be with you, we would be. James would like you to know that he hopes he went out in a heroic fashion. Honestly, that man. Anyway, I just know you'll grow up to be a powerful and amazing wizard. Take care of yourself, sweetheart.
All the love in the world,
Mum
Hadrian couldn't hold back his tears after having read the letter. He wished so very much that he remembered more than a few snippets of his life before the Dursleys. How he would have loved to have gotten the chance to get to know his mother, Lily. She seemed like such a lovely person. And his biological father, James. Went out as a hero, indeed. 'The wizarding world believes he died protecting me,' Hadrian mused.
Hadrian startled when he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around him. Looking up, he saw Sable looking at him concerned. Handing the letter to Sable for him and Severus to read, Hadrian went back to looking through the trunk. He found many old and seemingly rare books, some jewelry and clothes, even old journals. But most importantly, he found a scrapbook filled with photos of friends and family. It contained pictures of Lily, James, and him, together. Sable and Marvolo. Narcissa, Lucius and a baby boy. Some photos of people Hadrian didn't know. And even a few of Severus and a man Hadrian didn't recognize. Though, by the way Severus' whole face lit up when he looked at him, the man was rather important to him.
Looking back at Sable and Severus, Hadrian asked them to name the people he didn't recognize in the photos. He learned the names and appearances of: Sirius, Regulus Black, Remus Lupin, Alice and Frank Longbottom, Barty Crouch Jr., Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, and Rabastan Lestrange, Severus' soulmate.
Hadrian learned that the Lestranges and Barty were framed for the torture of Alice and Frank and were thrown in Azkaban without a trial, much like Sirius had been. Sable and Severus believed that Dumbledore was also responsible for Alice and Frank's minds being broken through torture and their subsequent placement in St. Mungo's.
Hadrian could barely believe how much destruction Dumbledore had caused his new family. He promised himself that somehow, someday, Dumbledore would be held accountable for his actions.
Hadrian asked why they weren't doing anything to help the Lestranges and Barty. The answer he got was that they had no evidence to prove they were innocent. And with Dumbledore as the chief warlock, there was no real way they could push for trials to be given to them.
"Hopefully, with Sirius being freed and the information about him not receiving a trial being revealed, the Minister will be forced by the public backlash to give everyone who was thrown in Azkaban around that time a trial," Sable said. "Then maybe the truth will finally come out and we'll get our friends and family back."
Nodding his head solemnly, Severus replied, "One can only hope."
Hadrian spent the next few hours hearing stories about all those he had never met from Sable and Severus. Sable even promised to introduce him to Neville soon. Hadrian couldn't wait. He really wanted to make a friend soon. And he hoped Neville and the Malfoy's son, Draco, would accept him. To be surrounded by friends and family was Hadrian's wish.
