A/N: Sorry this is so late - and so short - but I've been crazy busy with school. PLUS writer's block for this story. I promise to have something out soon - and I promise it will be much longer. Not very happy with this, but I hope it doesn't disappoint.
Chapter Eleven: You belong to me
You belong to me,
My snow white queen.
There's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over.
Soon I know you'll see,
You're just like me.
Don't scream anymore my love, 'cause all I want is you.
Grey eyes narrowed in concentration. "Three counterclock wise stirs, not two. I should have known," Julian muttered, pushing back a soft blonde curl that had fallen into his face as he closed the book and turned his attention back to the potion he was brewing. It had been two hours since he had trapped himself into Severus' personal lab to experiment. He was making the base for the new potion. The rest he would finish - once he had procured the necessary unicorn hair, of course. As if that were a simple task... well, he certainly hoped it would be, but he would worry about that once the base was completed.
A flash of heat from the locket was Julian's only warning before he felt the all too familiar tug at his navel of a port-key, and he found himself deposited in front of the Dark Lord. He bowed immediately.
"My Lord," he demurred.
"Julian, how nice to see you. I trust you've received my gift," the Dark Lord murmured softly.
"Gift?" echoed Julian as he met the Dark Lord's crimson eyes, confused. "I haven't received any gifts."
"Oh, but you have," said the man, easily switching into Parseltongue. It was then that Julian noticed they were not alone in the room. Pettigrew was there along with another man, who seemed a bit... twitchy. "I've given you your freedom, my heir, from your previous familial attachments."
Realization was slow coming, but once there, Julian wished it had not arrived. "You... you've killed my father," he stated, his tone one of disbelief.
"Yes," replied the Dark Lord simply as he rose from his chair and approached Julian. "Family is a weakness, Julian, just as your emotions are... I've discussed this with you before. I thought this would please you."
Julian quickly regained his composure and nodded, a numbing sensation filling him. He felt as if he were watching the scene from outside his body, not feeling the overwhelming emotions he knew were there. The Dark Lord had killed his father, and he had done it for Julian. "I am pleased, my Lord. I am merely surprised by the generosity you continue to bestow upon me. I am sorry if you felt otherwise," he replied, his voice more than a bit unsure.
"I am the only family you have need of, am I not?" he added, his voice dangerously soft, arching a thin eyebrow. He raised a thin hand and caressed Julian's cheek.
"Yes, of course," said Julian, only hesitating slightly now.
"And you are mine, are you not, now, just as you have always been?"
"Yes, my Lord, yours to command. For as long as you have need of me," the words came easy to Julian. They were the truth, his truth. He could not disobey the Dark Lord nor had he the desire to do so. Though he was confused why the Dark Lord was saying these things in such a fervent tone. Never before had the man expressed this much emotion in front of Julian.
Voldemort chucked darkly. "Such a silver tongue you have," he hissed before turning to the other two inhabitants of the room. "Leave us," he ordered.
With a great amount of shuffling and proclamations of "my Lord" the unknown man and Pettigrew were gone and Julian was alone with the Dark Lord.
"Perhaps I've been too lenient," murmured the man almost to himself as he studied Julian. "It matters not now, at any rate. I would hope that I have made myself clear, Julian. I do not share. Not with your traitorous father, nor with any other. You are mine, just as you've always been." He repeated as he traced the lightning bolt scar that marred Julian's forehead, sending shivers down Julian's spine. "Foolish boy, do you not know what this is?"
"My uncle says it is a birth mark. I've had it all my life," Julian said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Not quite... your uncle is not so forthcoming with the truth. Do not worry, I shall deal with him in time. This is no birth mark. I gave this to you, and it is because of this that you are marked as my equal. I gave this to you, and by doing so, inadvertently imparted a piece of my soul into your body. It is because of this that I shall live forever, and because of this that Dumbledore will fail. I will no longer be limited by the words of a prophecy," the Dark Lord snarled.
Julian blinked several times. The Dark Lord's words made no sense to him. How had he given him the lightning bolt scar? How had he made him a horcrux? What prophecy did he speak of? And what did Dumbledore have to do with it? "I... don't understand, my Lord," he said, finally.
"In time, you will. For now, I expect you to concentrate on the task at hand. I did not send you to Hogwarts for you to wither away your time making friends. I grow tired of remaining here with only that blasted Pettigrew and Crouch for company."
"Yes, my Lord," Julian said slowly. "Have you need of anything further? I'm afraid my absence, given the circumstances, will not go unnoticed for much longer."
"You may leave. I'm afraid I haven't a return port-key. You will have to floo into Severus' room."
Julian nodded and bowed to the Dark Lord. Then, he went to the fireplace and gathered a handfull of floo powder, threw it into the already burning fire and shouted Hogwarts Castle, Severus Snape's room.
"One more thing, Julian," said the Dark Lord before Julian disappeared into the green flame. "You will end whatever it is you have started with the Zabini boy, or I shall end it for you. Am I understood?"
Julian did not have time to give a response because he was whirling away through the floo network. He never had been much for floo travel, a fact that was evident with the fact that Julian, normally graceful, was now sprawled so gracelessly on the floor in front of Severus' fireplace. Much to the surprise of said Potion Master and, it seemed, his Uncle.
"Where have you been?" inquired Snape, darkly, as Julian picked himself off the floor and fixed his robes.
Julian smiled prettily at the Potion Master. "Why? Did you miss me?"
"No," snarled the man. "Dumbledore, however, has asked about you. You are not to leave the castle. Do you understand?"
"I'm afraid, Professor, that I haven't control over whether or not I leave the castle. If you are unhappy with my sudden departure, by all means, take it up with the Dark Lord. It was he, after all, who port-keyed me away. Another enchantment on this lovely locket," said Julian widening his eyes innocently and smirking as Snape's obsidian eyes narrowed.
His Uncle, Julian realized, had been unnaturally quiet.
"And what did the Dark Lord want?" he asked, his cultured voice devoid of any emotion.
"What did the Dark Lord want?" repeated Julian, his posture rigid as he replaying the brief encounter with the Dark Lord in his head. "He wanted to... ensure I received his gift."
"His gift," deadpanned Snape.
"Yes, of course, have you not been listening? He wanted to ensure I received my gift," Julian felt his voice rising, a hysterical quality added to it.
"And did you?" queried his Uncle.
"I did, indeed, as did you," replied Julian enigmatically. "The Dark Lord decided that having a family - besides him - was of no benefit to me, so he-"
"Killed your father," supplied Snape.
"Clever as always, Master Snape, but right you are."
Silence filled the room.
"He also wanted to remind me of my place, to remind me to whom I belong," Julian nearly spat the word out, anger he wasn't aware he was capable of filling him. "If you would excuse me, I will just pack some clothing and we can leave," he told Lucius.
Lucius nodded, clearly lost in thought, as Julian left the room.
Julian's door slammed with a resounding thud, and Severus turned to face Lucius, an ebony eye brow raised. "You did not kill your brother."
A smug smirk appeared on the regal man's face. "It would appear not, my dear friend. So sorry to upset your ridiculous fantasies."
Julian appeared, his face paler than usual, in the living room, a small trunk floating in front of him.
"Come along now, Julian," said Lucius, his smirk firmly in place. "Narcissa has already gone to the Manor with Draco."
"One more thing, Uncle," said Julian. He pulled back the hair that covered the strange scar on his forehead. "How did I receive this scar, again? I've forgotten."
"A birthmark, not a scar," murmured Lucius distractedly, not meeting Julian's gaze.
Severus saw a strange emotion flitter across Julian's face at that, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
"Funny that," murmured Julian, softly, to himself, as Lucius disappeared into the flames. "The Dark Lord said he'd given it to me. Quite the discripency, that is."
Years of spying had strengthened Snape's hearing or else this comment might have been lost to him. So Lucius had not killed his brother. That was surprising, considering their history, but it seemed the man was hiding something, no matter.
"I shall wait," vowed Snape after Julian had disappared as well. Whatever it was would come out in time, sooner if Lucius's clumsy movements were any indication, and all he would have to do was wait for the man to slip up.
