Disclaimer: No money is made of this, that's why I am poor.
Warnings: This story will have slash, violence
Beta: Angelhitomie
Since I'm... actually I've no idea of where I am, other than the fact that there are trees all around me, I believe I am lost. Anyway, I have access to an internet connection and thus decided to give you an update. Enjoy.
Voldemort Apparated before the sun had fully risen from the horizon. It was a risky move considering that he only got the letter with the coordinates and the request for a meeting a few hours ago, leaving him with little time to prepare. If this was an ambush, he would be able to handle it just fine. It was not overconfidence if he knew he could back up the words. He had gotten this far by taking chances where others would hesitate and this might be the opportunity he had been waiting for to move his plans further along.
His hand rested idle on his wand half out of his wand holster. The clearing he had arrived in was silent, even considering the early morning hour. Not even a bird could be heard and that fact, no matter how inconsiderable it seemed, put him on edge.
"Are you going to show yourself, or shall we both continue to waste our time?" he called out, his voice cast between the trees. Personally, he could come up with at least eight pressing matters that needed his attention rather than standing in a part of the woods completely untouched by Muggles. It was a rare occurrence considering how close they were to a Muggle establishment.
"I needed to make sure you hadn't brought others along." The gruff voice's owner stepped out from behind the tree he had been hiding behind, no small feat considering he reminded Voldemort of the half-giant he had once made the acquaintance of. But the crude scars scissoring across his face ruined any friendly features the werewolf might have had.
"Alpha Grim, with the note you sent me, I could hardly ignore you request," explained the Dark Lord, not bothering to feel offended by the other's words. If this went as planned, the alpha would with time see that he was willing to extent a helping hand to those who served him well. Now where contact had been established, the werewolf would soon find himself among those, of that Voldemort was confident.
The werewolf barred his teeth as he leaned back against a tree with crossed arms, dismissing Voldemort as a possible threat to be taken serious. That would be another thing he would have to learn, but now was not the time for such a thing. "I want you to find my pup," he admitted, looking displeased that he had to ask someone for assistance.
Voldemort merely arched an eyebrow, allowing no other proof of his surprise to slip through. Much had he been prepared for, but being asked to search for a child had not been included in those scenarios.
Grim did not look like a father worried about his son's whereabouts or well-being. Voldemort had had enough of those kinds of prisoners to spot the signs, and Grim was showing none of them. He more looked like someone dealing with a bothersome matter. "I will need more than that if you expect me to locate your child." Already his mind was working on what he could gain from doing this. Having Grim in his debt would ensure that he had Great Britain's biggest pack of werewolves on his side. It was something he had hoped to achieve for years, and now the opportunity was offered to him on a silver plate.
"Alecto has reached the rebellious age, so he gathered a few peers and took off to start a pack of his own." Red eyes narrowed briefly, so it was not a child but a runaway teenager or a young man he would send people out to look for. "Two days ago, one of them returned, claiming that the others had been wiped out by a being surrounded by flames." His tone left Voldemort with little doubt of what Grim thought of that explanation.
The Dark Lord was far less sceptical of what he heard.
After so long a silence, the Elemental had showed itself again. First vampires and now werewolves, he was starting to see a pattern. Helping the werewolves might get him closer to the Elemental. If they could meet, he could observe the man; find out what would make him tick. After careful preparation, he would approached the Elemental with an offer he could not possible reject. Being what he was, the man had to know he would be hunted if others became aware of his existence, and the child he had been seen with would need protection. Such an offer could secure him an important ally, as long as the Elemental did not prove to be a hard headed fool.
Aware that he had been inattentive during his spin of thoughts, Voldemort cut in. "What makes you so sure that your son was not one of the burnt corpses? You said it yourself, they were not recognisable."
Grim did not look pleased with the interruption. As the alpha, he was used to people listening to his every word, but Voldemort kept a busy schedule, and the sooner he got started on this search, the better. "Because my pup's scent led away from the scene and disappeared near a stream. He doesn't have an ounce of magic, so someone must have taken him, and when we tried to track the attacker's scent, it simply disappeared too. I shouldn't have been so quick to kill the other whelp; he might have spilled more if I'd worked a little more with him," he admitted, leaving Voldemort with the slight urge to strangle him with his own two hands. There had been one witness to the incident, and of course this idiot had to get rid of him, making Voldemort's task harder than it already would be.
Yet, there was no doubt in Voldemort's mind that he would succeed as they started negotiating the payment for this favour. This could end being very profitable for his plans of the future.
)00(
From the moment they arrived, Hermione's scream from when Bellatrix had tortured her had rung in his ears, making Harry feel more on edge than he already had. Standing by the wall where his back was protected and he could see people approach helped settling his nerves. Even better it would have been if Severus hadn't wandered off shortly after they had gotten inside. At least the teen was smart enough to let Harry spot him in intervals so the Gryffindor had no reason to go searching for him.
There was far more people attending than Harry had originally expected. A pretty stupid assumption considering that neither the Malfoys nor the Blacks had fallen from grace by openly supporting Voldemort. It just made Harry happy that he had attended the celebrations after the Second War against Voldemort had ended, otherwise he would have felt like a fish out of its water. With his black pants and button-up shirt under his dark grey, almost black robe, Harry felt less like an eye-sore. Though, if he wanted to be more unnoticeable, he might need to find a way to make Teddy let go of his leg.
Harry reached down and played with Teddy's short hair, carding his fingers through the black tufts distractedly. It wasn't the first time he had come close to losing his family. It was why he had such safety measures in place, though they didn't do much good when people were away from them.
His godson said nothing but shifted closer to Harry, almost like he was an outgrowth of his leg instead of another human being. Despite not having had any nightmares, it was clear that he wasn't as unaffected as Harry had hoped might be the case. Since waking the morning after Teddy had refused to be separated from him. So far, Harry hadn't even managed to go to the bathroom on his own.
It didn't take much observation to know that people without tailor-made robes or dresses wouldn't even be let near the door, and those in here seemed to make use of the opportunity to show off their wealth. Not that Harry was complaining, watching them might inspire him for new products for the shop.
"Hadrian, you are here too!" The voice was loud enough to catch his attention, and gain several disapproving looks from the nearest bystanders, as Gwyn separated from the crowd with a bright smile.
Gwyn was wearing a simple but beautiful frost blue dress that made her hair seem like it was made of fire, no make-up and only a couple of discreet pieces of jewellery. In the gloss and glitter she looked out of place. And as far as Harry was concerned, she was the most stunning woman in the room. It hurt to know that his Ginny would not have been much different if she had been in Gwyn's place. "You look lovely," he said with a small smile.
Gwyn made no effort to hide her pleasure of his comment as she came to a halt. "And you don't look bad yourself, who is this handsome little fellow? You take after you father, little friend." She bent down slightly as she spoke and Harry looked upwards to not get an eyeful of her cleavage by accident.
A tug at his pants alerted Harry that Teddy had moved out from where the boy had been hiding behind him. Looking back at Gwyn, words were close to spill over his lips. If he had had a choice in this matter, Teddy would have been left back at the house with Fenrir.
"Actually, Teddy is my godson. His parents made sure that I would get guardianship of him in case that something happened to them." Granted, it had been shared with Andromeda, but Harry saw no reason to why he should share that bit of knowledge with anyone.
Gwyn's gaze fitted from him, do the still silent Teddy and back to Harry again, the question clear in her eyes. Crouching down, Harry continued carting his fingers thought Teddy's soft hair. "Teddy, why don't you show Gwyn what you can do?" Barely had the words left his mouth before Teddy's hair changed from black to fiery red and back to the black mess that matched Harry's own hair.
"I'm a meta-met, I can change my looks," explained the boy as if there had been any doubt about it after he had shown his talent. Belatedly, Harry realised that this might not have been the smartest place to let Teddy show off his abilities, but a quick glance around didn't make anything stand out to him. Perhaps no one had noticed it.
Ruffling Teddy's hair, Harry rose, grateful that Gwyn was standing normally so he did not risk getting an eyeful of her accesses. "You are an interesting man, Hadrian, not many would taken in children they do not have a blood connection to, even if they were friends with the parents. I see it too often at work. Speaking of taking someone in, I do not see you newest charge," she asked without making it sound like an actual question. If not because Gwyn had helped with securing the guardianship of Severus, and had shown an interest in the teen's well-being, Harry would have been wary of her open curiosity.
"He's around here somewhere, probably with his friends." It was not that he had forgotten that Severus was a Slytherin, nor did the fact bother him. But considering who else was in the house of the snakes, what they might do in the future and how they might influence Severus and his choices, Harry wouldn't have minded if his charged had copied Teddy's actions and decided to stay close to him.
The current Malfoy heir was a lesser evil for Severus to spend his time with, unfortunately that meant that Severus was more likely to mingle with the future Death Eaters Harry had spotted tonight.
Yeah, he should probably have thought it a little more though before agreeing to come here.
)00(
"So, Snape how's your first ball?" asked Rodolphus, not bothering to look away from his younger brother. Even out of school it was his duty to make sure that Rabastan did not get into trouble.
Severus crocked an eyebrow, used to the subtle jibes from his housemates. He was after all a Muggle raised half-blood with a blood traitor of a mother. Plenty of reason for people to chose to look down on him. Before he had showed his superior knowledge and ability to learn, how useful he could be, the taunts had not been as harmless as those. But tonight he held the cards, they were simply not aware of it yet. "There have been no expenses sparred," he commented with a small, unnoticed upturn of his lips. "And it is Grey now, not Snape. I understand that the change might be hard to remember, but please do try." He could not help but snark.
He did not expect for Bellatrix to turn her attention away from the two brothers. Rodolphus wacked Rabastan's arm, causing the younger brother to lose his aim on a house-elf and tug his wand away with a scowl. "Oh yes, Narcissa mentioned that you'd been adopted by a shop owner. It's a step up from what your mother had sunk to." The witch prowled over to him, her dark eyes alight with curiosity.
Meeting his gaze straight on, Severus does nothing to stop his smirk from blooming fully. This was much better than if he had brought the subject up. "A shop is merely a hobby for Harry, apparently he finds that being a Lord does not occupy enough of his time."
"You really understand how to make things to your benefit. Care to share how it came to be?" She leaned so close so the tips of their noses were almost touching, and he was able to see flecks of blue in her otherwise brown eyes.
Severus battered her hand away when Bellatrix made a grab for his robes, probably her strange way of confirming the quality of those. "Hands off."
She danced out of his reach, as if Severus would attempt to catch her if she stayed too close. He wouldn't do such uncouth thing in front of witnesses, that didn't mean that he would let her act as she pleased. "I don't remember you having this much teeth as a firstie." She crackled, pirouetting on one foot without a care for the disapproving looks she was getting, including one from her younger sister, who had arrived on the arm of Lucius, and a man trailing a little after them, the latter not looking terrible interested in the group's interaction. That only made Severus more curious to why the man had followed along. A group of teenagers and young adults, even if they were all part of prominent families, was hardly of much interest.
Narcissa pursed her lips slightly upon laying her eyes on her sister, though there was a slight softness around her eyes that told Severus that she was not really mad. "Bella, please behave for once. Mother will be displeased if she could see you right now," Narcissa chided, looking comfortable as she stood by Lucius' side, looking like she was meant to be there.
The older sister stopped her dance with a slight pout, and a soft mutter that sounded rather much like spoilsport. With an eye roll and her head held high, Bellatrix turned to return to her own fiancé's side, pausing when her eyes fell on her sister, really looking at her for the first time."Cissa, that isn't the necklace father gave you to wear. Has my itty bitty sister finally entered her rebellious age? I am so pleased, go and make me proud!" The wild haired witch wiped away a fake tear, showing her lack of understanding of personal space as she moved over for a closer inspection of the necklace decorating Narcissa's pale neck.
A single glance told Severus that he knew the piece of jewellery quite well; he had after all been allowed a hand in its creation. The silver chain lay against her skin, so thin that one would not know it was there if it did not catch the light every time its bearer moved. A single sapphire, formed as a teardrop, rested in the hole of her collarbone. Even though he had watched it happen, Severus was still unsure how Harry had used his flames to engrave runes – so small that one would have to know they were there to find them – inside the stone.
It offered its bearer protection against common – and some not so common – evils, though Severus had yet to figure out why Harry had gone through the trouble to do that. It was not like he knew Narcissa, and Lucius and he had only met one time, and very briefly to that.
His guardian had far more secrets than Severus would have preferred, and at some point he would have them figured out.
A slender hand was placed on top of the jewellery, maybe to ensure that Bellatrix would not take it off. "Someone put a lot of effort into making this. And Aunt Walburga thought it would only be proper to show how much I appreciate the gift by wearing it," explained Narcissa with a flush on her pale cheeks. Unlike her sister, she didn't raise her voice, not that it was necessary for her to do so to be heard.
Bellatrix pulled away with a slight pout, the expression making her look years younger. "It's better you stay the way you are. The family has enough traitors as it is." It was true. Already people were forgetting that there had been three Black sisters instead of the two attending the ball. After their oldest sister had run off to marry a Muggleborn, the Blacks had done their best to erase Andromeda's existence, like they had done with any previous examples. It would not surprise him if there soon would be another burnt spot on the Black family tree.
"I will let Harry know that you value the gift," he offered offhandedly, Narcissa's blush seemed to intensify as her hand fell from the necklace. If she had paid attention to who the giver was, she would not have spoken so freely in his presence. At least he now knew that Harry's idea for a gift had not been a miss.
"Ah yes, Lord Grey has that new jewellery shop in Diagon Alley. He made this one personally? The work is remarkable; I don't recall seeing anything like this before. Give him our thanks; it's truly a magnificent work." Lucius placed his arm around his fiancé, drawing her in close as he spoke and Narcissa offered no protest. If anything, she seemed thankful that Lucius took over, making her small blunder seem as if it had been intended.
"Harry's an unusual way of working. He is the only one capable of doing what he does," Severus taunted his small group of listeners, though he was speaking the truth. Mostly because there was no one quite like Harry. It was doubtful that someone would go through the same circumstances as Harry had and survive them.
"Are you sure that you aren't just trying to be mysterious?" Regulus piped up from where he was boxed in by the two Lestrange brothers, not looking too comfortable with his position. Severus decided not to ignore the question. There was not a mean bone in the boy's body. He still found himself wondering how the younger boy had managed to get himself sorted into Slytherin. Considering the uproar from when Sirius Black had gone into Gryffindor, and thus the opposite of what his family stood for, it was not so surprising that Regulus had not ended somewhere else but the house of the snakes.
Severus had been keeping an eye on the man following Lucius. While they had been speaking, he had moved closer, making it seem like his attention was elsewhere, though Severus was sure he was aware of every single word spoken between them. "Lucius, I believe there is something you are forgetting." The man said from where he had moved to stand directly behind the pair, making Lucius stand a little straighter as he spoke up.
"My apologies, my Lord." Severus was not prepared for Lucius to gesture towards him, an apologetic expression fitting over the blond's face for a short moment before it was gone again. "This is Severus Grey, I'm sure he will not mind introducing you to his guardian." It was not a question, Severus was aware of that as he stepped forth and bowed with the minimum of respect he knew he could get away with.
"My Lord." When in doubt, it was safest to go with what he knew. The man demanded respect with his mere presence. And he was someone to fear, Severus did not need to observe the others' tenseness to be aware of that much. He stomped down the urge to throttle his friend. A little warning before being thrown into this kind of situation would have been appreciated.
Finding himself under the man's scrutiny, Severus returned the gesture, curious to see who was so interested in meeting Harry. Brown hair was gelled back, equally brown eyes were watching him intensely and had Severus been a lesser man, he would have been fidgeting under the weight of it. He was tall, broad shouldered and pale, evidence that he was the indoors type. Yet, those black robes hinted that the man's body was used to athletics. Perhaps he was a dueller; it seemed like an acceptable sport among the high classes.
All of that still left him with no clue about whom the man might be.
"If you do not mind, I would enjoy meeting your guarding. I am confident he must have an interesting story to share." The words did nothing to help ease the unease Severus was feeling.
Still Severus managed a nod. "Depending on what he is doing, Harry might find the time for a short introduction." He didn't need Regulus' miniature shake of the head to know he was moving on thin ice. He was letting Harry influence him too much.
Heading for where he had last seen Harry hang around, Severus did not need to look back to know that the man was following him. It felt like two uncomfortable hot drills were drilling into the back of his head. Harry should be able to deal with the danger and if he had any sense, his knack for picking up strays would stay away. After Fenrir had showed up, Severus was simply bidding his time to seen when the next addition to their family would be brought home.
Five silent minutes later, Severus spotted Harry and Teddy exactly where he had left them, though they seemed to have acquired a companion. A red haired woman who was leaning quite heavily onto his guardian while they chatted. Teddy was hiding behind their shared guardian's legs with a bored expression.
They had not yet reached the trio when Harry's head snapped up and green eyes focussed on the approaching pair. Severus tilted his head slightly to let Harry know he was aware of his silent follower, but Harry showed no sign of relaxing. His fingers twisted, as if he wanted to reach for his wand or let his flames loose, the latter seemed more likely.
No matter what went on inside his head, Harry was smiling warmly when they came close enough. "Heya Severus, this is Gwyn Storm. She helped getting the guardianship secured. Gwyn this is Severus, the oldest of my boys." Harry slung an arm around Severus' shoulder and pulled him to his side so Severus had Harry between him and the lord. He had to slant a little forward to look at the lord, by the looks of it he was far from pleased by the way things had turned out.
The only one whom seemed ignorant of the tension was Storm. "Hello Severus, Harry here has told me much about you." She was not touching Harry any longer, thankfully. With Teddy in the front, Severus standing by his one side and the stranger moving in on them from the other, she did not have much of a choice. While he could have done it without Harry's silent distress, it was preferable to seeing the woman plastered against his guardian. With how uncomfortable Harry had looked, she could not hold much of a chance as a potential wife.
Much like he had done before the man moved in on them, not speaking up before he was too close to be ignored. "Lord Grey, I assume." Had he not been standing as close as he did, Severus would have missed the way Harry's body suddenly stiffened.
"Yeah." Harry turned his head enough to finally acknowledge the man. "What of it?" The stiff response convinced Severus that Harry knew this man, or at least of him. Strange, why had the man not sought Harry out on his own if that had been the case? It was intriguing, another thing he did not know about his guardian.
By now the man had moved so close that Severus could keep an eye at him without having to lean too much forward. Teddy had pressed himself in between them. Hiding under Harry's robes he was as good as invisible to the unobservant person. "Marvolo Gaunt, I wanted to meet the person who has been the subject of so much gossip lately."
"Harry here has been quite busy. Opening a shop, taking care of his family and now he also has the responsibilities of a lord. It makes me grateful for being a common birth. I can't imagine how it must be trying to juggle all that," said Storm, giving information like a gullible Hufflepuff, or worse, a Gryffindor.
"And you are?" the man intrigued, if he was annoyed by the interruption, he did not show it.
"Gwyneira Storm, lawyer and a friend of Harry." She offered her hand for a shake, but did not seem offended when it was kissed instead.
"Any connections to the Weasleys?"
"It's the hair colour, isn't it? I've been asked about it ever since I came to Great Britain. But I am a Storm through and though." Storm laughed, flicking a few stray pieces of hair over her shoulder. "There is no family connection as far as I am aware of."
He had been wondering what a Weasley, even if it was not by name, was doing at the ball. They were after all sworn enemies of Lucius' family, and the Blacks were fully supporting the Malfoys on the matter.
Harry bend down to eliminate the slight height difference between the two of them. "Take Teddy and show him around, will you?" Despite the wording, it was no request. Severus nodded despite his own desire to stay and learn more about what was going on. But getting Teddy away might help Harry not to be so high stung, though there was no obvious danger as Severus looked at him. Besides, it would be interesting to let Teddy meet some of his fellow Slytherins. Interacting with them would undoubtedly probe to be good influence, as long as he did not let him be alone with Bellatrix. He did not need her to put any ideas into Teddy's head.
Taking the boy's hand, Severus twisted his lips into a polite smile. "My friends are probably wondering where I am, if you'll have me excused." At Harry's nod he moved, feeling a slight resistance before Teddy followed, pressed closely against him.
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It was a tingle in his scar that alerted Harry that something was wrong. It was weak and he might have been inclined to ignore it, if not for the fact that he had felt nothing from it since the day Voldemort had truly died.
He hadn't been able to stop from looking towards where the source felt to be, hoping that he might be wrong and the feeling in his stomach was just the signs of an ulcer. It wasn't meant to be, unfortunately.
Watching Severus walk off with Teddy in tow helped a little to ease the knot in his stomach. They were out of Voldemort's immediately reach and while there was plenty of dangerous people around them, it was better than the alternative of staying here.
When he looked back to his current company, he found those brown eyes watching him. A scowl passed over his face before he settled for a neutral expression. As much as he hated to think about it, he could not act on the fact that he knew whom this man was. That would be inviting the trouble he very much wanted to avoid. Carding fingers through his hair, and probably making a worse mess out of it than it already was, Harry grumbled slightly to himself. When he let the hand fall, the smile was back on his face. He could deal with Voldemort, and he could ignore the tingling. "So Gwyn, we still haven't had our drink." If he ignored the man too, perhaps he would grow bored and leave.
A sideways glance at the man nearly killed the hope before it had a chance to bloom. "I've been busy. Even without taking on pop-up cases, there are still plenty of things for me to do. But if you pay, I'm sure we can find a date that suits us both." She tilted her head and blinked slowly at him. It took him a moment to realise that she was playing, and he did nothing to hold back his chuckles at her antics. There were some times Ginny had been doing that too.
Just as Harry was starting to get comfortable, the unwanted third party made himself reminded. "Madame Storm, what is your specialisation as a lawyer?" Even while refusing to look at the man, Harry could feel the eyes bore into him, it was like an itch he could not quite reach.
Gwyn smiled, unaware of the danger she was facing. "Oh, this and that, though I prefer family cases. That's how I met Harry, actually. So few speak for the children, that it's always a joy to meet a fellow crusader." Bouncing from one foot to another, Gwyn seemed like an endless source of energy.
Voldemort's smile sent Harry's inner alarms ringing, and his fingers twisted as the heat started pooling in his hands, ready to be used the moment Voldemort attempted something. "An admirable attitude, I cannot disagree. The children are after all our future."
It took all he had not to roll his eyes, listening to the nonsense Voldemort was spurting. After having confirmed that the man was well and truly dead the second time around, Harry had gotten curious and had taken a look at the losses. While the number had not been in the top five, the number of children killed had been far too high.
But with Voldemort's attention off of him the tingling sensation had lessened. He could probably ignore the sensation, even as it had originally been, though it had taken him by surprise. The soul-piece was gone, he was no longer a Horcrux – accidental or otherwise – there should have been nothing.
And yet there had been.
Gwyn nodded, her hair bouncing in tune with the movement. "I couldn't have said it better. And it is great when people are willing to take children in, especially when there is no blood connection, right, Harry?" She hugged him one armed, causing the wizard to lock his knees so not to be knocked off balance. The closeness helped the heat to retreat, no longer leaving his sleeves in danger of catching fire.
The tingling in his scar came back with renewed strength when Voldemort once more was focussing on him. "I remember Eileen from school, before she married that Muggle."
Harry shrugged, quite convinced that he was hallucinating at this point. Voldemort was handing information out like he did not care if people figured out whom he was. Or did he simply not expect anyone to make the connection between his alias, his real name and the identity of the Dark Lord who terrified their society? Considering the lack of common sense wizards and witches employed – perhaps it was an exchange for their magic and wasn't that a sad thought? – the latter seemed very likely. "We met briefly a few years ago and when I got here, I decided I might as well see how she was doing. Getting Severus just proves what a great decision it was," he explained, keeping it as brief as possible. The less lies he told, the less likely he was to get caught in them at a later point. Besides, he'd never specified exactly who she was.
Gwyn let go of him as quickly as she had been to latch onto him. "Oh, there is someone I just have to go and see. You two have fun." Before either man could respond, she had already taken off, waving back briefly before continuing on her merry way. Harry shook his head. Sometimes she acted like she was at Teddy's age, it was rather refreshing comparing to the stuck-up Purebloods.
Too aware of who he had just been left alone with, Harry wondered how he best could make his own exit that didn't involve running for the boys and grab them before hell broke loose. "You said you had just returned, where have you been in the meantime?" Voldemort asked, not interested in letting Harry go before he had his answer.
"Here and there." His gaze flickered over to the rest of the guests, not willing to meet Voldemort's eyes. No matter his attempts to change it, it was still a fact that he sucked at Occlumency. And he wouldn't give Voldemort a free way into his mind, Harry was well aware of the disaster such actions could cause.
"I see. Later, some of us will withdraw to more private settings; perhaps you will be interested in joining us? It will be an excellent opportunity to get to know some of you fellow Lords." Voldemort's hand was ghosting his shoulder and Harry shuddered. He could easily imagine how it would be. Future and current Death Eaters gathered in one room, drinking cognac, smoking cigars and discussing who had killed most Muggles on the latest raid.
It was not the kind of company he wanted to mix with, even if it could get Voldemort off of his back.
Instead Harry shrugged again, using the motion to move away from the hand. "As interesting as it sounds, it's getting late. Small children get cranky if you don't comply with their bedtime." He rubbed his forehead before realising that Voldemort was looking rather pointedly at it. Quickly he flattered the hair the best he could so the scar was once again hidden from view. Other than its unusual form, there was no reason for Voldemort to pay attention to it. The man could not know what kind of scar it was, or what it represented. "Anyway, I need to go. Children to find and hosts to say goodbye to."
One look at Voldemort's face told Harry that the man was not inclined to let him go yet.
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Teddy hadn't let go of his hand since Harry had asked them to leave. If he had had more muscles, there would have been broken bones from how tightly Teddy was clutching his fingers, mused Severus bemused. As it was, the blood circulation was being cut off.
They were moving slowly, much to the teen's annoyance. Contrary to when he had been with Gaunt, people were not making space for them, even if it had been done unconsciousness from what he had observed. Now they had to manoeuvre around people while Severus craned his neck to look for his friends. He just needed to grow some inches to be able to look over people, though he was far from the scrawny child he had been when he had first started at Hogwarts.
Teddy stumbled, nearly taking Severus down by surprise. The teenager managed to straighten them before anyone took notice of the slip. Really, this was hardly the place for a small child, the closest to Teddy's age would be Regulus, whom was two years below him. Children too young for Hogwarts were generally kept at home to avoid embarrassments, the parents arranging playdates between their offspring to establish ties before they went off to school.
"Sev." The nickname was followed by an insistent tugging at his sleeve, breaking off his search Severus looked down to find black eyes looking up at him. "Cawwy me?" The boy held his arms up, convinced that Severus would cave in.
His brain took a moment to process the information. This whole family thing with younger siblings and such took some time to get used to. "If you want something, word it in a way that'll get you what you want." He refused to be the only non-Gryffindor in the house, and though Harry had a few years head-start, Severus was confident he could influence Teddy before it was his turn to go to Hogwarts.
"Cawwy me ow I cwy." Teddy spoke completely serious and Severus caved in, kneeling so he could pick him up.
It was a better threat than he had expected from Teddy. With Harry's overprotectiveness, he would move sky and earth if that would make his godson happy. "A good choice, but try and add a few tears the next time to make it a little more convincing."
Teddy's quiet hum told him that the advice would be remembered.
When he found his fellow Slytherins, conversation died out when they were spotted.
"Teddy, this is Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange. Regulus Black and his cousins; Bellatrix and Narcissa Black, the latter who's Lucius' fiancé." Each gave a nod or a small wave as Severus said their names, allowing Teddy to see who was who.
Teddy leaned far forward so Severus had to change his hold on him so not to drop him. Those now dark green, almost black eyes, were focussed on Narcissa, who seemed rather confused as to what she had done to deserve such scrutiny from one so young. Swiftly, Teddy turned so he was facing Severus. "She knows she's gonnamawwy a giwl?" questioned Teddy, who still refused to believe that Lucius was of the male specimen.
Severus' lips twisted, the only sign of his amusement he allowed to slip out. Bellatrix showed no such restrains and howled with laughter, the sound drowning the buzz of conversation. "A perspective boy, perhaps you should change your name to something that would fit your girlie image, Lucia," crackled Bellatrix, positioning herself so her cousin was between her and a rather flushed looking Lucius.
He rather admired Lucius' lack of reaction. Even Severus found it hard not to respond when Bellatrix decided to act upon her boredom. And given his previous lack of protection, he had often found himself the victim of the witch's whims. Seeing it used against someone else was amusing, albeit a little plebeian.
Swirling around in her dark blue dress, Bellatrix came to a halt in front of them, her half closed eyes on Teddy. Despite the drowsy look she had adopted, she was memorising every detail she could. "What a cute little boy, and I like your humour. Why are you hanging out with Sevie, he is such a sourpuss?"
"Better watch your tongue, Bella. Harry does not like it when people use crude words around his child," Severus warned. There was no need to let them know that Teddy wasn't Harry's son by blood. And with Teddy's metamorphmagus abilities, there was really no way to confirm or deny the claim. But it would help Teddy later in life. Close blood relations trumped being a ward in most cases and it was not like Severus had any interest in Harry's newly discovered title. He was better off without it, such responsibilities was ought to be a hindrance when he pursued his dream of being a Potions master. Simply using the Pureblood name would open doors which had previously been closed to him.
"You look like my gwanny," pronounced Teddy, effectively bringing Severus' thoughts back on track.
Bellatrix blinked owlishly before a delighted grin spread on her face. "Lucky you," she cooed. "If I remind you of her, she must be a real beauty, where is she?" It was likely that only the brothers on each side of her stopped Bellatrix from going looking for the woman without waiting for the answer. Never let it be said that Bellatrix had an ounce of modesty in her.
"She's dead," was Teddy's solemn answer before he burrowed his face into Severus' neck with a small sniffle, clearly unwilling to speak any more. Severus found his hand rubbing Teddy's back in an awkward attempt to console, shrugging in response to the questions he knew the others had on their minds. Of course, he knew that the grandmother had died somewhat recently, murdered by the same man who had killed Harry's wife. That had been explained before any of the papers regarding the guardianship had been signed. But this was neither the time nor place for sharing such information, and, frankly, he could not see why they had to know.
Every family had some secrets they guarded fiercely, why should theirs be any different? Even if some of those secrets were rather out of the norm.
"Well, look what the cat has dragged in, Good, old Snivelus, I knew I could smell something that needed a washing." It seemed he could not avoid one of the banes in his life unless he stayed in the Muggle world. And with the fascination Black had for it, that was not even a guaranty.
Dressed in the same dark robes as his brother, though they were rumbled as if Black had taken a roll in them, the fourth year Gryffindor shouldered his way into their circle, not bothering to excuse himself for his rough actions, even as Regulus winced at the elbow in the side he received.
Severus knew it had been naive to think, but he had still hoped he would get through the night without having a run in with any of the school's pranksters, they had the tendency to make his life hell. Pettigrew and Lupin had been no problem, because their lack of proper blood meant that they would never receive an invitation for an event like this. That, however, still left him with the worst two of his tormentors. Usually Potter and Black were never far apart, and not being able to spot the other unnerved Severus. If he could at least see both of them, it would give him a better chance to prepare for what would come.
He was already at a disadvantage with holding Teddy, and it was never a guaranty that other Slytherins would take his party, though none of those present looked too happy with the interruption. "I was not aware that pets were allowed here tonight," he said to the younger of the Black brothers, satisfied to see the other Black get red faced at being ignored. "Perhaps it would have been better to let the mutt stay in the doghouse." He had heard Potter use the nickname once, and it was greatly satisfying to turn it against them.
Regulus sighed as if suffering under a heavy weight. "I know, but father insisted to bring him along." This time he avoided the elbow his brother had purposefully aimed at him. At least it was enough for Severus to confirm he was not on his own this time. Either the others wanted to avoid the embarrassment Black would undoubtedly be if he continued to act the way he usually did, or Severus' own change in status mattered that much. It was impossible to tell without further information gathering, but it was looking good for him.
"Better watch your cheek, Snivellus, when we are back at Hogwarts, you won't be so cocky."
Bellatrix and Black were rather alike in the way they disregarded their family's teaching. However, unlike his cousin Black did so without his dignity, and without realising that he was digging his own grave at the moment. "You do realise that it is physical impossible to watch one's own cheek without a mirror? Unless that is not what you meant, which would not surprise me considering how much of a pervert you are." He spoke in the same dry tone as if merely listing the ingredients he needed for a potion. The chuckles from the others and the outright laughter from Bellatrix seemed to make Black's flush worse than it already was.
"Shut that big trap or that kid and you are going to get it," Black threatened and Severus was not sure when the other had managed to get his wand out. "Who's he anyway? Some child you grabbed of the street because no one wanted to be your plus one? Man, I knew you were desperate, but that's taking it to a whole new level."
Severus' lips had turned into a thin, pale line. He should be surprised that Black was willing to sink to this level, but, somehow, he was not. To think that Black would be willing to drag Teddy into the fight between them, a small child whose only fault was being with him, and who did not have a chance to defend himself against the dirt Black was throwing at them.
"Meanie." Teddy lifted his head from Severus' neck and the teen caught a glimpse of bright green eyes before those orbs focussed on Black. "You'we an ugly, pewvewt who's mean to my Sev and I don't like you."
Though offended by being called such names by one so young, Black did not seem much bothered by Teddy's small rant. "Oh, and what are you going to do about that, runt?" Black asked, leaning in so he was nearly nose to nose with Teddy. Clearly, he did not view him as much of a danger.
For a moment Teddy went completely still, almost unnaturally so. Severus had used the distraction to sneak a hand into the pocket where he kept his wand. He would be able to counteract Black, should the Gryffindor really be stupid enough to do something. "Hawwy!"
Severus reared back at Teddy's scream, satisfied that he was not the only one with such a reaction when facing a suddenly hysteric child.
He patted Teddy on top of the head before hoisting him a little higher up so a small and red ear was right in front of his face. "Remember what we talked about. If you want to be convincing, make sure to add plenty of tears." He whispered, mirroring Lucius' smirk.
Black had no idea what kind of hornet's nest he had managed to stir.
)00(
Teddy's cry wiped all thoughts concerning the Dark Lord from his mind. The heat was already rolling through his veins, eager to lash out against whoever had caused his godson distress.
Several people got shoved aside or got their toes stepped on when they weren't quick enough to get out of his way. With the heat radiating from his body, it probably was not such a good idea to touch people. If they noticed the heightened temperature, it would most likely be written off as his magic responding to his emotions. It'd happened often enough that Harry knew it was a plausible excuse, especially since Hermione had been the one to explain it to him.
He found the boys together, much to Harry's great relief, his search was a short one by simply following the sound of Teddy's wails. He hadn't heard Teddy cry like that since after telling his godson about Ginny and Andromeda's deaths. Something had managed to set him off and Harry knew it was no small matter. Heck, Teddy had taken a tumble down a couple of stairs once without as much as battering his eyes at the incident. Luckily, his magic had protected him from any harm, and Teddy had seemed more disappointed than chocked. It was only later Harry had learned that Teddy had wanted to test if he could fly, and after learning of it, Andromeda had banned Muggle comics from the house, just until Teddy was older and hopefully knew better than to throw himself out of the stairs without proper safety measures.
Ignoring the audience, Harry scanned both boys with his eyes, relieved to find no visible damage on either of them, though Severus bore a pained expression, probably due to his close presence to the screaming Teddy. If his tongue poked out between his lips, it was nobody's business but his own. Other than scanning them both with spells or stripping the boys it was the best he could do to check up on them, and Harry doubted that Severus would stand still if he made an attempt on either.
Satisfied that there was no smell of blood he could pick up, Harry felt no joy in the fact that Teddy's cries had lessened when the boy looked at him. The twin tear tracks that ran down his checks were a clear reminder that someone had upset his boy. "What happened?" As much as he wanted to, Harry didn't dare to touch either of the boys with how close the heat was under his skin. He feared looking at his hands, afraid that he would be able to see the fire he felt under his skin. Until he regained a resemblance of control, it was better that he kept his distance, as much as the thought pained him to admit.
It did however not mean that he had to be a helpless onlooker; he just needed to know whom he should direct his anger at.
Sniffing Teddy wiped tears from his eyes ad Harry wanted to coo, or at least get his hands on a camera so he could immoralities the cute moment. Severus made a pretty effective big brother, something Harry wouldn't have thought from knowing the adult version of him. "He's being a big, stupid meanie." It was a little hard to understand Teddy through the sobs, but his godson had no problem with pointing out the menace.
Turning to the soon to be dead person, Harry's heart dropped all the way to his toes.
After getting joint custody for Teddy, Harry had searched high and low for anything to do with the Marauders. It had been remarkable how willing people had been to part with school mementoes and pictures in return of the chance to shake the hand of the Man-Who-Conquered. He hadn't had the chance to see if anything had survived the fire, so now he had nothing to show when Teddy got old enough to ask questions about his parents.
But Harry had spent long night studying those pictures, his father and godfather had been Marauders too, and he recognised Sirius the moment he laid his eyes on the youth. He paused, waiting for the pain at seeing someone so familiar and yet know that he was a stranger to them, but the pain did not materialise.
Perhaps it was because, no matter how familiar he looked, this was clearly not his Sirius. This version had never experienced the horrors of Azkaban and its Dementors. He hadn't broken out for revenge and then continued being on the run because he could not prove his innocence. This was not his godfather who had offered him a home and who had ended dying because of him.
This was not his Sirius, but a snooty whelp and a bully that needed to learn a little about life's realities. A task Harry apparently had to take since no one else seemed to bother doing it.
A glance back at Teddy's tear stuck face and Severus' blank expression helped to cement that decision. So he straightened his back and pushed his shoulders back at the same time, this was no different from when he had been accosted by a group of witches and wizards who had been angry because he hadn't managed to off Voldemort sooner than he did. Three steps brought him toes to toes with Black and Harry used his height advantage to loom over the boy. "I despise your kind the most." He made no effort to raise his voice. This was not to entertain the onlookers. But if he managed to make Black understand, perhaps he would end leaving Severus alone. "I once knew someone exactly like you. A bully who went after those weaker than him and his friends, even if that meant children several years younger than themselves. For years, they made my life hell, always causing trouble only to put the blame on me." Sirius was listening, though he probably saw no reason for Harry's little story. "He nearly ended getting his souls taken by some Dementors nearby our home when we were teens."
"Lies. The Ministry wouldn't let Dementors leave Azkaban," accused Sirius, tough he didn't sound too sure of himself.
"No one can control another living being completely. Luckily, he survived because I intervened. And the morale of the story? Be careful of who you fuck with, one day they might have the power to save your life, and they might decide to do nothing to help you."
He didn't bother to wait for a response from Sirius, most likely he would get none at all. Breathing out, Harry was contented that Sirius flinched at the puff of hot air. At least he had made some kind of impact, time would show if it had an effect on the future.
Turning back to his boys, Harry found his way blocked by Narcissa Malfoy, or Black as he supposed she was still named. He had seen her briefly upon dropping of the gift, but had managed to slip out with a short nod to Lucius. If the necklace worked as it was supposed to, it would protect her against the most common dangers, plus a few others he had been able to think of. That would repay the debt he owned Draco for sending them here, and now it would be up to Lucius and Narcissa to make sure that their son was born. Harry certainly wasn't going to stand by their bed and tell them how and when to do it.
"I apologise on the behalf of my cousin, he has a tendency of acting on his impulses without thinking." If Harry had been uncomfortable before, it was nothing compared to when Narcissa curtseyed for him. Why couldn't she just act like the proud Pureblood lady he had known in the future? Instead he got a young girl, who thought she apparently had to do something to save her family's face.
"You don't have to do that. He's ought to be old enough to know that there will be consequences for his actions." For some reason the words didn't have the reassuring effect Harry had been aiming for. Did she honestly think that Harry would do more than scold her cousin? She only had to worry about that if Sirius decided to ignore his warning.
Stepping around her, Harry accepted Teddy from Severus, letting his youngest nuzzle his face into his neck. By now he had cooled down enough to have returned to his normal temperature. "I think we better head home now, it's well past someone's bedtime."
"But Hawwy, I'm not tiwed." Not even a moment later Teddy contradicted himself with a jaw wrenching yawn.
"Of course not." He agreed, knowing better than to do otherwise. "But Uncle Fen can't sleep without a goodnight kiss." He waited for Severus to say goodbye to his friends, and he didn't miss the smug look his boy gave a still silent Sirius, before heading to the fireplace room. He wanted them all out of there before more could happen.
The line of leaving guest was short and soon Harry gave Severus a handful of Floo-powder. "It's the Leaky Cauldron, stay there until we arrive. I'll be out right after you." Though he would give Severus enough time to get out of the way. The teen had seen him use the Floo before and knew how much it could derail.
"I will make sure that nothing is in the way, and perhaps also have a few ready to catch you, no need to worry." Before Harry could decide if Severus was serious, the teen had already thrown his handful into the fireplace and had let the green flames transport him to their next destination.
A tug at his robe had Harry looking down at a young house-elf with green tennis ball seized eyes, ears too big for its head and a pillowcase as the only thing to cover its body. "Sirs be needing this if sirs be wanting to leaves." It handed him a small handful of Floo-powder, careful not to touch skin or spill a single grain of the powder. He was surprised that she or he ― it was impossible to tell the gender with the rag it was wearing― had enough courage to speak to him. The one providing him with the first Floo-powder had done so without a word.
His fingers closed around the powder, unwilling to let it spill and thus most likely send the house-elf into a fit. "Thanks." Those big eyes glassed over and Harry winced, knowing that he should have said anything. "Sorry, I didn't mean―"
"Lord Grey is being nice. He is saying thank you and sorry. No one has ever said that to Dobby. No guests and no bad master," the house- elf proclaimed, cringing when he realised that he had just badmouthed his master. His small hands grabbed his ears and tugging hard. "Bad Dobby, bad, bad Dobby. No speaking bad about bad master. Dobby is being punishing himself for speaking bad about bad master, yes he must." Dobby popped away, leaving Harry to stare at the spot where his friend had been just moments before.
Sweet, innocent Dobby, the most loyal friend anyone could wish for. Harry had made sure to visit Dobby's grave by the sea cottage regularly, most of the time he had ended sitting in silence and stare into the horizon. No one but Hermione, not even Ron who also owed his life to Dobby, had understood why he did it. The Wizarding world's view on house-elves was one of the matters which seemed unlikely to ever change.
It was worth looking into if he could get Dobby out of this place. His friend, even if it wasn't really his Dobby, deserved a chance at the freedom he so desired.
A tingling in his scar warned Harry that they were no longer alone.
"It is the first time I have seen someone bringing those things close to tears with kindness. Of course, most will rather be uncivilised and use their fists before attempting something akin to that."
Hoisting Teddy a little higher, his godson already fast asleep, and ensuring that the Floo-powder was secure in his hand, Harry looked past Voldemort to the now closed door. "Keep up this kind of behaviour and people will start to talk." Not that they didn't already do so, but Harry would prefer it if he wasn't the subject.
"They are already talking; you seem to have a talent for stirring up rumours." Slowly, as if he was approaching a cornered prey, Voldemort left his place by the door and stalked towards them, forcing Harry to turn around if he wanted to keep him within sight. "Honestly, I understand the appeal. A Lord to a thought extinct family shows up, adopt the Halfblood son of a disgraced Pureblood, and then you threaten the heir of another family That is not something you see in every lifetime. You are an enigma." Voldemort was far too close for comfort, even without the strange sensation in his scar. "Why so defensive? One would think you were expecting an attack." He stopped, just out of reach, not that distance would matter much if either of them decided to attack.
But any closer and Harry would have lashed out with everything he had. He could do it without disturbing Teddy, whose face was still buried into his neck and appeared to have fallen asleep. "I'm not afraid of an attack, but it never hurts to be prepared for one anyway." Especially not considering who was attending tonight.
"A wise decision considering the time we are living in. One cannot be too careful with whom they make an enemy out of."
Harry had the feeling that there was a warning in there directed at him. "Personally, I find you have to be just as wary of those you call friends." Strange, if he did not know better he would say they were bantering, an awkward thought since it was Voldemort in front of him.
Voldemort let out a slow hum, the flames of the fireplace reflecting in his eyes, making them seem red. Or maybe he had simply dropped whatever spell he used to hide their colour, the Tom Riddle he had met back in his second year had had blue eyes after all. "An interesting attitude. And yet you seem more interested in pushing people away, creating more of the former rather than the latter. Some would call it unwise to be hostile with a house like the Blacks, especially when they are about to be joined with the Malfoys."
For the first time Harry met Voldemort's gaze head on, aware of the danger of doing so. He didn't want Voldemort to read his mind, but neither should the man be allowed to think that he was afraid of him. Harry had moved beyond that point a long time ago. "Anyone who attempts to go after my family will have to deal with me." And he would make damn sure that they didn't do it again, even if he had to seek them out at a time when there would be no witnesses.
Twisting his hand Harry threw Floo-powder into the fireplace, he wanted out of there before he accidentally said something damning. The moment the flames changed to green, Harry stepped into them with a broad grin. "The Leaky Cauldron!" Voldemort's definitely red eyes was the last thing Harry saw before he was whisked away, sending a shudder through his body.
None too soon they were spit out of another fireplace. Harry managed to stay on his feet by letting his hip smack into an unused table. Groaning he turned towards the laughter, finding Severus standing by the counter with Tom, both having seen his arrival through the fireplace. "Long time since I've seen some enter like that. Gotta say; you know how to make an entrance, Grey."
Grinning, Harry rubbed is hip with his free hand, aware that the bruise there was already healing. "Yeah, I don't think I'll ever get a hang of it, but thanks for letting us use the fireplace." Their own weren't connected to the Floo network. While it was a bother when having to borrow others', it was better than having their home registered in the Ministry. Who knew who would get their sticky fingers on such information and what they would do with it?
"Can't say that I mind. It's not every day we've people using it for something as posh as a Malfoy party, that'll feed the gossip for a few days." The man placed the glass he had been cleaning down on the counter and glanced around. At this time there were hardly any people downstairs, most having left for home, their rooms, or wherever it was they spent their time when they weren't at the inn. "Something happened? This lad was starting to get nervous when you took so long to show up."
Severus simply stared at him, doing nothing to confirm or deny Tom's claim, and Harry felt a stab of guilt. It wouldn't surprise him if Severus had taken notice of his discomfort at the party. Snape had had to be pretty perspective to survive as long as he had as a spy. "Just someone who was being a little too noisy." Harry grumbled with a frown. He could see why Voldemort might be intent in learning about him, the man had already admitted his reasons for that. But Harry hadn't expected the man to search him out personally, that seemed more like grunt work.
Hopefully Voldemort had gotten the message that Harry wanted nothing to do with him and would leave him alone. Dumbledore and Flamel were enough to deal with, he didn't need a Dark Lord nosing around in matters that had nothing to do with him. It might just end with a broken nose and Harry would be completely fine with providing him it the Muggle way.
But luckily ― and wasn't that a strange thought for him to have? – Voldemort had a war to run. The risk of the man bothering him with his presence was slim to none.
The thought put Harry in considerable better mood as they bid their goodbyes to Tom and left through the door to the Muggle world, ready to head home.
)00(
How intriguing.
Even after the flames had changed back to their original colour, Voldemort did not move, contemplating what he had learned tonight. When he had sought Grey out, he had not expected to meet a person acting so defensive. If not because trustworthy sources had reported that Dumbledore had left the shop in what looked like distress, Voldemort would have dismissed him as one of the old man's followers, who also happened to be in the know about whom he really was. It was not the first time he had used this identity and he knew that it irked Dumbledore that there was nothing the headmaster could do about it. Goblins made quite a good forgery for the right price, so for all intention and purpose, Marvolo Gaunt was a real person.
But the way Grey had acted towards the Black hair hinted that the man simply did not care for the niceties and social standings. Having stood a little away, Voldemort had not been able to hear the words exchanged, but from the way the Black had stiffened and paled, the words seemed to have quite an impact on him.
He would have preferred some more time with Grey. An anomaly could become a hindrance in the future if left alone. No, he needed to find out what made him tick. As far as he was aware, he had killed neither friends nor family of Grey, though so little was known about Lord Grey that he could not say for sure.
Yes, putting a trail on him would work fine. That way he could get the information he needed to decide whether to discard or use Grey for his gain. The ward, Severus, should be useful if he continued down the path towards a Potions mastery. Those were rare and useful, especially in the time of a war.
Lord Grey would be allowed to live, if nothing else he could be used as extortion should the youngster prove to be averse to cooperate.
A small house-elf ― not the one which Grey had reduced to tears ― appeared in the room and bowed so deeply that its long nose touched the floor. "Master is being asking Master's master to be coming to the study. Master be saying it is being very important." It delivered the message in a squeaky voice before disappearing with a loud crack. They had learned from those times he had brought Nagini with him. Those who stayed around for too long usually ended as her next meal.
The matter with Grey could wait for another time, Abraxas would not have asked for his presence if not because it was something important. And whatever it might be could also explain why neither he nor Orion had shown up when the child had started screaming, especially when Orion's oldest son had been involved. At some point the Black heir would get himself disowned if he did not straighten his behaviour, which seemed to be a tradition in this generation of the Blacks. But Regulus would make a good Lord Black one day, and perhaps also a fine Death Eater once he had graduated from Hogwarts.
What was it the child had called his guardian? Harry. One so young would probably have trouble with pronouncing Grey's full name, but Grey had reacted faster on the nickname than he had when the lawyer had been calling him Hadrian.
How would he react if Voldemort decided to call him by the nickname the next time they meet? He seemed like he could be quite a spitfire if provoked. The temper matched those red streaks he had in his hair, though Voldemort could not phantom why anyone would do that to their own hair. What kind of wife allowed that kind of hair?
Speaking of wives, he had been able to find nothing about the Lady Grey. Considering that there was a child, she had to have been there at some point. He would get someone to look at it. Perhaps Lucius, since he was already close to the halfblood and should be able to get the information easily enough.
Both Abraxas and Orion were waiting for him outside the closed doors to the study on the fifth floor and their wary expressions had him going for his wand out of habit. Had some wayward guest found their way into the room and had found some of the papers Abraxas was supposed to keep well away from unwanted attention? If that was the case, those two should be enough to deal with the matter, though he was pleased that they brought it to his attention rather than attempting to hide it from him.
He would have found out about it eventually, and then their punishment would have been far worse.
"What is it?" The s dragged slightly out, a slip he had not intended. Usually he had better control over himself.
Not surprisingly, Orion was the one to speak up. He had always been the more outgoing one of the two men, and not even the marriage to his own cousin had been able to beat that out of him. "My Lord. It's, I don't know how it happened, or what has caused this!" It seemed he was not the only one slightly out of normal tonight. Orion could normally be quite well-spoken, when he put his mind into it.
"We were alerted by one of the house-elves that something had happened and went to check it out." Abraxas took over with ease and none of Orion's fumbling. "I think it is best that you see it for yourself, it is quite hard to believe otherwise." Without further ado, Abraxas used a spell to open the door and both Purebloods stepped aside to allow Voldemort a clear view of what was inside.
A cold wind swept out when the doors opened and even Voldemort shivered. Those dress robes he used for tonight's ball had no spells on them to keep him warm as he had not planned on going outside. Now he regretted that decision.
Every surface in the room had been covered by a thin layer of what looked like clear ice. From the ceiling and chandelier- icicles hung and in the small fireplace that was used to warm the room, the flames had been frozen in the middle of their dance, indicating that there indeed was some form of magic involved. Unfortunately, he did not recognise the spell that had been used to make this. It would take quite a wizard or witch to accomplish such a feat.
"Do one of you know who or what caused this?" he took a step forward, only to be stopped when Abraxas put a hand on his arm.
Seeing as he had understood the message the blond let his hand fall. "I sent a house-elf here to get some papers for me. When it took too long to get back to me, I sent another one. This one was smart enough to appear here and open the door. Currently it should be down in the kitchen being treated for frostbite on its nose and fingers."
Voldemort gave a low hum. This was certainly getting more interesting by the second. "And what happened to the first one you send?" If so much could happen from getting too close, he was grateful that Abraxas had intervened. And it made him even more curious to learn what had happened to the first house-elf. But with only the light from the candles in the corridor it was too dark for him to spot the creature. A good thing he was a wizard and had his magic to rely on. "Lumos."
Instantly, bright light flared from the end of his wand, lightening the room and momentarily blinding Voldemort.
A few blinks later and the dark spots were no longer dancing in front of his eyes, and Voldemort was able to see what had happened to the house-elf.
The creature was standing on its toes in front of the desk, probably to be able to reach the papers Abraxas had sent it after. The cold must be more intense further inside the room, the house-elf had been frozen, probably long before it had had a chance of finding out what was going on. He wondered what kind of expression it made, had it seen who had done this? With its back to them it was impossible to tell.
But it seemed like they had found the alpha's missing son.
The werewolf, not terrible tall or broad for his kind, was standing in the middle of the room. At first Voldemort had dismissed the big chunk of ice as a statue, but looking closer he did indeed recognise from the picture he had been given to help along his search.
"Is that blood?" asked Orion, leaning as far forward as he dared to, without getting too close to the doorway. The threat of frostbite seemed to curb his friend's curiosity, if only to make sure he didn't walk into a completely frozen room.
But Orion was correct in his observation. Among the dirt clinging to his clothes there were big plumages of blood on the werewolf's body. They looked like someone had taken their sweet time cutting him up. None of the wounds were life threatening as far as he could see. They were meant to be painful and whoever had done this seemed to know what they had been doing.
It was doubtful that his Elemental had had a hand in doing this. Ice was the complete opposite of fire, and from what little he had been able to discover, Elementals steered clear of their opposites, claiming that they made each other uncomfortable.
So that still left him clueless to who had done this. And could he make use of this? Alpha Grim would no doubt be angry to see how his son had ended. But if Voldemort brought him the guilty one, he could still secure the alliance between them and make the werewolf forget about going after his fire Elemental.
Yes, that could work out quite nicely.
He was already planning on how to bring the werewolf to see this when Voldemort noticed that the whole room seemed to have started vibrating. It started out small, almost unnoticeable, but soon enough it became clear that it was not an illusion or a trick of the eye.
As one the three wizards ach threw up their shield, one layering over the other, and protected them when the ice in the room blasted to tiny pieces as if someone had thrown a Bombarda Maxima into the room. Even the werewolf and house-elf were rendered to particles, leaving no proof that they had been there other than two piles, a big and a small one, in their respective places.
Orion blinked slowly, the first one to break the astounded silence. "Well, that was unexpected. Do either of you think we are so lucky that he was the one who did this and was so unlucky to get caught in his own spell?" Even as he said it, Orion did not sound like he believed much in that suggestion.
"Idiot," hissed Abraxas from his other side and had Voldemort not been standing between them, the word would have been accompanied with an elbow in the side. Even with their upbringing and status his two friends often failed to act their supposed ages when in private. It gave him a wonderful amount of blackmail to use against them if he ever should need to.
Voldemort's attention was drawn back to the now destroyed room, and he held up a hand, needing nothing more to ensure that the two others fell silent.
Some of the ice dust had started moving, as if someone were dragging their finger through it to spell the words that formed.
"What do they mean with 'Time for hide and seek, little flame. Can you find me before I find you?'?" Orion read out loud, not that there had been any need for him to do so. The words were written clear and in big letters, the writer wanted to make sure that the readers could make no mistake of the message.
Voldemort felt the glamour on his eyes fall when his temper rose. "It seems we are not the only ones searching for the Elemental." He said without taking his eyes off the message. Someone else was aware of the existence of the fire Elemental. After the run in with the werewolves rumours would be spreading and Voldemort was aware that he was not the only one inclined to believe in them. If this continued, there would soon be a manhunt on the Elemental, by him, Dumbledore and the Ministry, but other parties would join in too. And for each one his chances of getting first to the Elemental would become significantly smaller.
For now Voldemort chose to focus on the message on the floor. It had been meant to be found, the taunting was meant to get the Elemental to reveal his identity. The werewolf and the state of its body was a message as well. He had fought with the Elemental and had died, perhaps a way to show that they were on the same side as the Elemental.
It had been done here for a reason. Did they think that rumours would travel and the Elemental would get to hear about the message? A rather unsure way of ensuring that the Elemental would get it. Or, perhaps, they had figured that the Elemental would be here tonight and, perhaps, be the one to stumble over this? That could mean that the Elemental was of the curious sort and Voldemort could use that for his own gain in this game.
"Get me a list of everyone invited, also those who could not be here tonight." Abraxas bowed and went to comply the order. With a bow of his own and a murmured 'my Lord' Orion went to tend to the guests.
Voldemort ignored both, watching to rapidly melting ice. He could not see why they had chosen to use this. Ice was the complete opposite of fire, there was no good reason, other than ice was easier to control and manipulate than fire. Maybe they had chosen it because it was eye-catching?
All thoughts of Harry Grey was gone from his mind as Voldemort pondered on the mystery of the ice.
Just finished talking to one of my friends, and I have been told that I need to stay right where I am until someone manages to locate me. Pondering on whether I should call for pizza, does anyone thinks they will bring it to me if I tell them I am standing next to the strangely formed birch?
See you all next week, where Harry and Voldemort will meet each other again.
