Riiight, so a bit of an update, I apologize for anyone who was waiting for the chapter on Sunday, my internet was down and I wasn't about to go traipsing around looking for wi-fi. Hopefully the fact that I will be posting two chapters today will make up for the loss. Things are going to start picking up for dear Harry/Ares in the next few chapters, you will be seeing a few time skips and vaguely mentioned background info that will confuse you and perhaps make you wonder what the hell is going on. That is done on purpose for this story, as I mentioned to someone earlier this story is written with Harry/Ares' mindset as the guiding factor and in case you as the reader find yourself confused by the implications- Harry isn't exactly sane in this story. That is the point, things are meant to be choppy because Harry is traumatized and slowly but surely going mad, especially in these next chapters. Something is happening that will not be explained until later. forgive me if I have not explained it to you properly, if you still have questions you can send me a message and I will answer your question as vaguely as I can without giving away the plot line! Hope you enjoy it!
NOT FOR THE EYES OF CHILDREN
MALE/MALE RELATIONSHIPS
TORTURE
NOT MY CHARACTERS
Mistress Slytherin
-LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
-10-
Harry woke slowly, his eyes ached and his body was stiff. The soft warmth of his bed and the clean scent of his sheets almost lulled him back to sleep again, but the familiar taint of magic had him sitting up rapidly, eyes wide his breath catching in his throat as his gaze met red eyes. He swayed as memories assaulted him and he was left pale wondering how on earth he'd not managed to get himself killed. Voldemort… Voldemort had brought him home as he'd promised…he'd…taken care of him when he was at his weakest rather than harming him or-or…well perhaps that thought had been a bit hasty, he thought as he began to suspiciously take stalk of his limbs, fingers, toes and magic. He didn't feel any different. He met red eyes again and caught them watching him in mild amusement.
"Good afternoon Ares." The man said smirking before snapping his fingers. Harry jumped as a tray of food appeared on his bedside. He blinked owlishly at it for a moment before looking back at Voldemort who was gazing at him imperiously. "You will eat every bit of what is on that tray." The man said his tone warning. Harry gazed hesitantly at the man, then back at the tray unsure of what to do. "Ares." Voldemort's voice made him catch red eyes. "Eat." The man said his voice hard.
Harry swallowed before shakily taking a bit of the fruit and sticking it in his mouth his confidence growing when nothing happened to him. But then, the man had brought him home and had taken care of him the way he had promised he would hadn't he? Harry blushed slightly in spite of himself. It had felt good to be taken care of. He shook his head and decided that the sleeping potion the man had given him must have still been running through his system. "You've been asleep for a day and a half." The man said as if reading his train of thought. Right, well no potion then. Wait-
"A day in a half!" He said sitting up suddenly. Voldemort snorted.
"Yes Ares, you see people no matter what kind of creature blood they might have running through their veins, are meant to eat and sleep." He said pointedly. Harry sheepishly grabbed the bowl of porridge and began eating it. "Though I'll admit I find your devotion to the werewolf problem charming." He said smirking. Harry scowled.
"You might want them for the next war." He said in his defense. Voldemort narrowed his gaze.
"You know as well as I do that your reasons defer from mine Ares there is no reason to hide the fact any longer." Harry scowled down at his porridge and continued to eat. "That mercy kill made you emotionally vulnerable." Voldemort said carefully. Harry's eyes darted up and fear curled through him though he wasn't quite sure why. "I sent you home thinking that Severus and Lucius would be better equipped to handle it because you trust them more than you trust me." Harry let his spoon sit in his bowl as he watched the man. The words spilled from his lips before he could keep them to himself.
"But you took care of me." He said before snapping his jaw shut. He hadn't meant to say that…he hadn't meant to say that! Voldemort smiled slightly and nodded.
"Yes, I told you that I would, and no, before you think it I did not do it as a ploy to gain your trust; I did it because I bloody well wanted to." He said sounding slightly annoyed, as if Harrys' lack of trust truly bothered him. Harry gazed at the man before lowering his gaze and taking another bite letting the silence stretch between them for a moment as his mind worked.
"I apologize for lashing out at you." He said after a moment. Voldemort tilted his head to the side seeming amused. "And…" He said hesitantly. "Thank you…for taking care of me." He looked away uncomfortable. Somehow it wasn't like the other times he had apologized and thanked the man, which now that he thought about it he'd been doing quite a bit of both recently. He looked up at the man and found red eyes gazing at him in thought as if Voldemort too could sense the change between them. Slowly a smirk worked its way across the man's lips and Harry cursed under his breath causing the man's eyes to glitter in satisfaction.
"Eat your food my Ares." The man said contentedly. Harry's mouth opened to object but the man's satisfied smirk only had him huffing as he took another bite.
"Not yours." He grumbled well aware of how entirely childish he sounded Voldemort chuckled.
"Petulant brat." He said shaking his head. Harry, for his part truly tried not to smile, he failed, but he did at least try. Voldemort snorted. "Eat, we have much to discuss." Harry nodded his head and ate. "I read over the material." The man said his voice becoming more businesslike, Harry, understanding the importance focused on the topic at hand rather than the thoughts swirling about in his mind.
"And?" He said between bites. Voldemort smirked.
"You were very detailed, I couldn't think of a single thing that you hadn't already addressed." Harry fought against the blush that rose.
"Compliments Lord Voldemort?" The man quirked an eyebrow.
"I do not give false compliments Ares you know that." Harry smirked.
"Of course you do, just not to me." He said tilting his head forward in a mock bow. Voldemort snort.
"And he's cocky too." He said with a half hearted sneer. Harry smirked.
"I learn from the best." He said raising his glass of orange juice. Voldemort chuckled.
"Compliments Ares?" The man said grinning evilly. Harry smiled grimly in return.
"I give respect where it's due." He said tilting his head. Voldemort's smile changed into a more contented looking smile and Harry averted his eyes.
"Thank you." The man said causing Harry to snap his head towards the man. Harry tilted his head to the side in confusion.
"What for? I give my respect only to those who have earned it; you need not thank me when you've earned it." He said curiously. Voldemort smiled thinly.
"I thank you because with that respect you have given me your trust." Harry opened his mouth to deny it but realized that he couldn't.
"To a certain extent." He admitted guardedly. Voldemort smirked.
"Granted." He said smoothly. Harry put the tray to the side and cleared his throat.
"So you approve of my ideas?" He said changing the topic. Voldemort allowed it and nodded.
"You knew I would." He said tracing his lower lip thoughtfully. "You created the plans with my mentality in mind something which startled me given how shortly we've known each other." Harry inwardly paled. Was the man catching on? Did he sense that Harry wasn't who he said he was?
"I make a point of watching people who are important to my goals." He said carefully. "However," He smirked shaking his head slightly. "You are still an enigma to me. There are times I think I've figured you out but then you do something completely against everything I think I've come to expect." Voldemort snorted.
"Trust me Ares you do the same to me." He said his voice laced with irony. Harry smirked glad to have sidestepped any suspicions the man might have had.
"We'll Lord Voldemort I have to keep you interested some how." He said causing the man to snort. Red eyes met his and glittered dangerously.
"There is never a moment when I am not intrigued by you Ares Malfoy." He said. Harry's heart jolted as his mind supplied a rather realistic thought. No, that was a lie; the man was only interested now when he had motive or perhaps something to offer or gain. Voldemort wanted to win him over but then what? When Harry at last became the man's good little servant, what would happen to him? Would he be treated just as the others? No, he wouldn't let that happen.
"We keep deviating from our topic." He said smiling bitterly in spite of himself. Voldemort caught the expression and sighed.
"I approve of it as you well knew that I would, even the few things that you thought I might have a problem with- you know, the ones where you over exaggerated your reasoning and went more into detail on?" The man said smirking. Harry huffed and looked away.
"Was it really that obvious?" He said smirking. Voldemort chuckled.
"Only to me, but your reasoning in the end was valid so I'll allow you to go forward with the project, in fact I would like this to be your main priority until school starts." He said smirking slightly. Harry narrowed his gaze at the man.
"You're up to something." He said with a frown. Voldemort grinned.
"You have a press conference this evening, ah, and your meeting with Fenrir will be in an hour." Harry twitched.
"Press conference?" He said his voice low and steady. Voldemort chuckled darkly.
"Ah, yes dear sweet Ares." He said leaning back. "You didn't think I'd let any one else handle this historical event did you?" Harry nearly growled.
"I hate you." He said. Voldemort laughed outright.
"So dramatic Ares." He said shaking his head. Harry groaned and rubbed at his face.
"Press…ug!" Voldemort smirked.
"Did you honestly think your little outburst would go unpunished?" he said innocently. Harry glared and looked away.
"No, I suppose an apology wasn't enough." He bit out. Voldemort tisked.
"Don't take it personally Ares; if you had been any one else you'd be dead." He said blatantly. Harry winced, because he knew it to be true. "Which leads me to our next topic." The man said his expression serious. "The mercy kill." Harry clenched his fists in his sheets and looked away. "I know Ares." The man said his voice softening slightly. "For a moment you saw yourself there, broken, alone and without hope." Harry's head shot up his eyes wide.
"Yes." He croaked suddenly ashamed. He looked away a sneer of self disgust on his face. Voldemort sighed.
"Don't Ares." He said quietly. "You are a strong person but you are not infallible, you built these walls to protect yourself and have these high expectations and goals but you cannot forget the beyond it all you are still a living, breathing human being and that is nothing to be ashamed of." Harry slowly looked up at the man.
"He could have had a better life." He admitted slowly. Voldemort shook his head.
"No Ares, he would have remained broken, the damage done to his soul was irreparable- but the damage done to yours can be repaired. He had nothing but memories and a past that haunted him and the knowledge that he would die lonely and painfully; you on the other hand have a family that cares for you and a future that awaits you." Harry looked down at his hands.
"When you ordered me to do it…" He said softly willing himself to trust the man with at least this. "…I could do it." Voldemorts eyes were cool and understanding as he nodded.
"Because you needed someone to bear the burden with you, or perhaps for you." He said slowly. Harry frowned. "You see Ares, to you I am both a threat and someone who could, given the right situation help you." Harry tensed but nodded because a part of him knew this to be true, he was getting closer to the man, he did not intend to but he was, after all Voldemort had been there through it all hadn't he? The constant, the one he acknowledged as being similar to him in many ways, the man who he could potentially turn out to be. Yet now, as he grew to understand that he could no longer fight that future- he saw Voldemort as someone just as jaded as he was, yet the man was wise, and he had survived. And that was what all of this was about wasn't it? Harry turned away unable to take the topic any longer, after all, soon the man would have a mate, children, a family, and soon, Harry would become nothing more than a servant to the man. He sighed.
"I'd better get dressed." He said his voice tired and emotionally drained. Voldemort gazed at him for a long moment before nodding his head.
"Very well, I'm going to speak to Severus." He said before striding out of the room. For a moment Harry was tense. The man was going to talk to Severus. About him. Again. But slowly, he relaxed, because Voldemort had taken care of him in a very vulnerable moment and Harry, despite all the reasons he shouldn't trust the man with his well being- did. Voldemort, for some insane reason that Harry couldn't fathom, was taking care of him- was taking responsibility for him. He sighed. Perhaps the man was practicing; he would be a good husband and father after all. Something stirred inside of him- jealousy he realized belatedly. He smiled wryly, he wondered why he felt jealous, he had always been on the outside looking in, this wouldn't be any different. Shaking his head he made his way to the shower. Voldemort. Would the man ever leave him alone? Even in his own thoughts?
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Harry felt a twinge of sadness as he watched the proud city of London crumble into ashes bit by bit. Wizards, paid by 'generous' Pureblooded patrons (by 'request' of the Dark Lord) began working to gut the land until all that was left was bedrock. London or what was once London would soon be a forest filled with everything the werewolf's could think of to ask for. Fenrir in particular had been ecstatic and his eyes seemed to garner a respectful look whenever Harry was around which he found rather unnerving though Voldemort seemed to find it hilarious. Honestly, he hadn't meant for his name to be posted all over the bloody movement even if it was his idea. Voldemort on the other hand seemed to enjoy watching Harry suffer through function after function as his name was mentioned more and more in the news papers.
"Do you think you'll have everything ready before term starts?" Severus asked from where he was standing surveying the area. The werewolves had agreed for a section of the land to be used for the growth of the primary ingredients to the wolfsbane potion which would soon become required for any werewolf planning to spend their full moon outside of the forest. Severus, along with a team of Herbologists were there to scout the area and specify what they would need to grow the plants- another idea Harry had come up with in order to boost the economy and provide jobs and apprenticeships to Herbologists. Harry sighed.
"I've talked with the headmaster, I've been granted use of the staff floo as long as my head of house knows where I am and how to reach me and as long as my grades remain stable. I plan to have the forest completed before winter break so that during winter break I can focus on helping with the designs of the colonies. Luckily Fenrir seems to have an organized structure that won't be hard to work with and I already have plans made to work around it." Severus nodded.
"Lucius told me that the werewolves you have working at the ministry are doing a better job than the wizards at organizing everything and it's making it easier for them to focus on fixing the economy without being overwhelmed by paperwork." He said amused. Harry smirked.
"Yes well I couldn't simply forget about my own fathers' needs could I?" He teased. Severus snorted.
"Don't let it get to your head Ares." He said dryly. Harry grinned. Apparently the dark lord had scolded Severus spectacularly for ignoring him and considering he was rather irate with the man for going over his head to speak with said dark lord about his well being…well he rubbed it in whenever possible to say the least.
"Of course not." He said as another explosion rocked the area.