Notes: Long note because it's been a while. First off, no, this story is not abandoned! Even if it has been more than a year since I posted a chapter, it's not abandoned, I promise. I really dislike the reviews that say something along the lines of "so sad you gave up on this". I didn't. I just have a busy life and a really fickle muse. But I have this story mostly plotted out to the end and I plan on finishing it.
Not quite as important note, earlier in the story I used the lowercase version of Dark and Light and Grey magic. However, in my other stories I've been using uppercase because I like it better. So I'm switching in this chapter and for the rest of the story. One day, I might go back and switch the earlier chapters, but that's a bit of work so not today.
Also, if you don't know, I have a tumblr where I post updates, answers questions, have various rec lists, and other stuff. So if you want to check that out it's also under flitterflutterfly.
"Lord Naga," Dumbledore greeted. "Welcome to Hogwarts."
"She truly is a beautiful as everyone says," Hadrian murmured.
He hadn't seen the castle since he first came back in time. How much time had it been? Six months? Seven? Eight? Far too long. Hogwarts was his home and perhaps always would be the home of his heart, even if he never lived inside her walls again.
Dumbledore twinkled those blue eyes of his. "Would you like a tour?"
"If you have the time."
Dumbledore nodded and gestured for Hadrian to follow him inside. Hadrian stepped in line with the man. He made sure to keep his facial expressions gently awed of the surroundings. He wouldn't be able to fake total astonishment, but he'd always thought Hogwarts beautiful. All he had to do was play that up a little more.
"How are you enjoying Britain?" Dumbledore asked as they passed the Great Hall.
"Enough to not mind staying here for as long as Harry wants or needs," Hadrian said, knowing the conversation would get to his ward soon and having no patience to wait it out.
Like he thought, Dumbledore's eyes sparkled just a little more at the mention of Harry. "You seem to be a devoted guardian for our young Boy Who Lived."
Hadrian thought he'd had a good hold on his emotions but at that moniker he felt his sudden rage leak into his aura. Were he to have mage sight, he would have seen it lash out like a star burst in response. Dumbledore's own blinding aura reacted by flaring and swirling into his space. Hadrian barely kept from stumbling at the sickening taste of the man's burning Light magic. He turned angry eyes upon the headmaster. Dumbledore studied him with all cheer gone from his face. They stopped walking.
"You do a good job," Hadrian stated. "Hiding the Grey in your aura behind that blinding Light. I imagine that's why you bonded with your phoenix." It had always been a problem for him, how he didn't think before speaking when he was angry. Hadrian bit back the rest of his words before he could spout off even more of his knowledge. It wasn't obvious that the gross Lightness of Dumbledore's aura was mostly façade. Sure, he was on the Light side of Grey, but Dumbledore's ability was such he could push some of that Light to the forefront, convincing everyone he was pure Light.
For a moment, Dumbledore just stared at him and Hadrian knew he'd managed to stun the man. And then Dumbledore smiled. "You are a surprise, Lord Naga." He started walking again, leaving Hadrian with no choice but to follow.
They passed the Great Hall. Dumbledore barely gave him time to glance over the students having a quick lunch between classes, before they moved on. The blinding swirl of Dumbledore's aura calmed as they passed one of the main staircases. Hadrian knew the intimidation part of the visit was over.
"As you must know, Hogwarts has four Houses," Dumbledore said. "Each founded by a pioneering wizard or witch. Helga Hufflepuff was the first healer who learned how to combine potions and charms for maximum affect. Rowena Ravenclaw invented the self-writing quill to aid in the many hundreds of novels of magical theory she wrote. Godric Gryffindor created the guideline rules for honorable duels that we still use today, as well as several spells to use in them. And Salazar Slytherin–"
"Invented the wards we use to hide the magical world from muggles," Hadrian finished for Dumbledore. "Though most remember him only for his supposed hatred of muggleborns."
"Indeed."
Hadrian glanced at Dumbledore. "I wonder why that history is not being taught among these halls. I've made friends with many an ex-Hogwarts student these months I've been back in Britain and all have commented at least once how they wished they'd been taught more than the same few periods of goblin rebellions in class. Is it true that the same professor, a ghost no less, has been teaching since the early 1900s?"
"Professor Binns was an expert in his field," Dumbledore said.
"But it is the nature of ghosts to lose parts of themselves over the years until only that which was most important to them stays. From what I hear, Binns' expert knowledge in goblin wars is all fine and good, but there is far more to magical history than perpetuating stereotypes against those who control our money."
"Sadly, there are so few left with a strong enough grasp on the various eras of our magical history and a love of children. I have tried to find a replacement for poor Professor Binns, to no avail."
Hadrian wondered if that was true. "Maybe you simply need to broaden your search. I would have no trouble teaching the class myself and I only took the OWLS for it. Though, considering more than half of the NEWT test is dedicated to those years of goblin rebellion…"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "A valid point, Lord Naga. Perhaps I should offer you a position on my staff."
Hadrian was startled enough to let out a laugh. "If you did, I'd have to decline. I won't be leaving my charge."
"You could raise him here. It would not be the first time a teacher of Hogwarts has raised their child in this castle. Why, when I was a student, three of my professors gave extra credit to those who watched over their babies on the weekends!"
"You don't say." Hadrian understood then what Dumbledore wanted. It would be far easier, after all, for Harry to be under his thumb if he was brought to the castle early. "I'm afraid Harry and I are quite happy where I am now. Who knows, perhaps I'd take you up on that hypothetical offer when Harry turns eleven. I imagine I'll get lonely in the mansion by myself then."
"Are you planning on kicking your house guests to the curb then?"
"Oh, no, I wouldn't, but Sirius and Remus have their own lives and are just as likely to move out while Harry is off at school. It's not as though they stay for me."
"I see."
"I'm sure you do."
They continued to walk in silence, broken only by a random comment or fact on some painting or wall stain. It was all for the most part totally innocuous. Finally, it was late afternoon and Hadrian was itching out of his skin to leave Dumbledore and his twinkling stares and bothersome aura. Dumbledore seemed to notice and began to wrap the tour up.
"It is getting late, but before you go I was perhaps hoping you'd like to meet the professor most likely to be young Harry's Head of House."
Hadrian wondered what the man was scheming with this one. "Surely we can't know what House Harry will be in until his sorting?"
"Just as surely you have a guess?"
Hadrian's lips twitched. "Well, considering the family history…"
"Slytherin then," Dumbledore said without a pause, turning them in the direction of the dungeons. Hadrian wondered why the man was so pleased when he was sure Dumbledore would have preferred Harry be in Gryffindor.
Then again, he reflected as they approached Severus Snape's office—Dumbledore did think the hook-nosed man was totally under his thumb. And regardless of the future that would never be, Hadrian couldn't be so sure he wasn't.
They caught Snape just as he was entering his office with a floating box of vials from his afternoon class. The man took one look at them and masked his expression so quickly that Hadrian would have missed it, if he hadn't been spending time with so many ex-Slytherins.
"Ah, Professor Snape. Do you know Lord Hadrian Naga? He's raising young Harry Potter."
"I'm aware," Snape drawled.
"Yes, yes. You know, Severus here was good friends with your ward's mother. They grew up together even."
He saw a flash of pain flicker in Snape's eyes as Dumbledore turned to twinkle at Hadrian. Dumbledore, he reflected, truly was a mean man. There was little he would do or say to get toward his version of the Greater Good.
"I wasn't aware," Hadrian said. "And you're the Head of Slytherin too?"
"I am," Snape said shortly.
Hadrian looked at the dour professor for a moment, and then at Dumbledore. He thought he could see what the conniving headmaster wanted of this encounter and while he normally wouldn't give into the man's plans… he also had an advantage Dumbledore didn't. Hadrian had seen Snape at his best and at his worst and while he thought the man a horrible teacher, he thought Dumbledore a worse headmaster for being the one to keep him on the staff. He'd learned in his past life of the number of time the Potions professor had attempted to quit this job he hated and had been refused by the puppet master who twinkled oh so merrily.
He really did dislike that man. And befriending Snape, giving him not only a chance to make up for his part in Lily's death but also a way to reconnect with the reasons he'd joined with Voldemort in the first place, would piss Dumbledore off. Because Dumbledore thought Snape was his to control, but he wasn't the only master manipulator in the room. And Hadrian and Snape were both Slytherins.
"Well then," Hadrian said. "Perhaps you could come by for dinner sometime and tell Harry stories of his mother. He hears too many of his father, I think, with the current company." He winked, choosing to ignore the scowl Snape gave him.
Snape didn't know it yet, but Sirius and Remus weren't the boys he remembered from school. And maybe seeing that change would help him let go of the past. Hadrian could hope, anyway.
Snape nodded and Hadrian promised to send him an owl, before Dumbledore herded him away.
Later, as Hadrian left the castle, he thought of the portraits of the Founders. He wished he could go down to see them, perhaps get some advice, but he knew too well he was being watched and didn't dare risk it. Later, perhaps, he'd be able to sneak into the castle.
Until then, the Founders' wisdom would have to wait.
.o.o.o.
"Well, it's… nice." Hadrian said.
Sirius laughed and Remus rolled his eyes. Lucius and Narcissa were too dignified to do more than sniff. Trent and Lorelle were talking to the crazy lady who had led them on a rather sporadic tour through the old Dalle manor. She'd kept mistaking them as husband and wife, which they'd taken with grace after it became clear the old woman wasn't all there.
"The last manor was too small, the one before was booby trapped, and this one–" Remus began, only to be interrupted by the entryway chandelier's cord snapping, the dusty crystal breaking into a thousand pieces as it shattered over the creaking hardwood floor. Luckily, they were all wizards (or witches) and it was easy enough to cast a few reparos. Unluckily, it would take a lot more than a simple repair charm to fix up the Dalle manor.
Trent and Lorelle walked up to the group, leaving the crazy realtor behind.
"I told her we would owl her later with our reply," Trent said.
"Though I do believe we all know what that is," Lorelle muttered.
Hadrian sighed. "We'll have to widen the search a bit. I wonder, have we looked into how expensive it would be to start from scratch? Build an orphanage?"
"A different set of costs, but certainly no more expensive than repairing this place," Lucius said. "I shall run the numbers once I'm back in the office."
Hadrian nodded to the man. "Okay then, time to go home and take a long shower to get all this dust and grime off. We should find Harry and Draco before they fall through a crack in the floor somewhere."
"They were playing on the south side of the yard last I saw them," Remus said.
Like all dramatic things, and because Fate enjoyed dipping her hand across the waters of humanity, it was at that moment that Draco ran into the manor. "Mother, Father! Lord Naga! Harry's been taken!"
.o.o.o.
Lucius had been Voldemort's right hand since before his father passed. He'd seen the Dark Lord at his best and at his worst but still he had never been more frightened of any wizard than the one in front of him. For Hadrian Naga didn't sink into the shadows like Voldemort had on his good days or rage hot like the bad ones. No, Hadrian instead seemed to grow larger—as if the tight control of his Grey aura had snapped.
But where Lucius wouldn't have expected Grey to feel so dangerous, he found a heavy weight surrounding him. Hadrian's aura wasn't blinding like the sickening Light or tantalizingly like the dangerous Dark. His aura was drenched with power and responsibility. His aura bespoke more than anything else Lucius had found out about the man that Hadrian carried a lot more on his shoulders than he seemed to.
Hadrian Naga's aura was that of a leader. And Lucius had nearly missed that, and all that such a designation meant.
Lucius shook his head. There was no time for such contemplation. Draco had explained how a man wearing a Death Eater's mask had come in, easily surpassing the decrepit Dalle manor wards, stupify'd Harry, and disapparated with the boy swung over one shoulder.
"Narcissa, take Draco home," Lucius ordered as Hadrian stalked up to the place the possible Death Eater had been. Narcissa nodded and took Draco by the hand. Lucius watched as Hadrian waved his wand in a complicated pattern of spellwork, attempting to ferret out the identity of Harry's captor. Lucius wasn't sure if the man had truly been one of Voldemort's or not, but it didn't matter. Marvolo would be furious.
"I shall contact our Lord," Trent said, softly enough so Remus and Sirius—both right behind Hadrian—wouldn't hear.
"Do so," Lucius said. "Lorelle, question the relator. Find out who else knew we were touring here today."
"Of course," Lorelle said, haughty eyes flashing as she turned to confront the woman still inside the house.
.o.o.o.
Harry glared. The Death Eater, for Harry had seen pictures of what they looked like during the old war in several books and there was no mistaking that horrifying white mask, was fiddling with rune stones on the other side of the dank room he'd been taken to.
The Death Eater muttered some choice words and took his mask off, throwing it aside. "Can't see a damn thing with that on," he said to himself.
Harry studied the man. He had sickly pale skin and thin hair with balding patches. His robes were dark brown with darker spots of… something on them. Harry shuddered and looked away. He was tied to a ritual stone and the robes scratched at his skin. The Death Eater had banished his clothes and now his butt was cold from having to sit on the dirty ground.
He was more than a little terrified. He knew that, given enough time, Hadrian would rescue him. He just wasn't sure he had that time.
Harry didn't really know much about rituals, only what he'd been told by Hadrian before the horcrux one they did in October, but he knew it was bad—very bad. He'd been taken by a gross man, tied naked to a ritual stone, and the man was currently approaching him with a ritual knife.
Harry opened his mouth to scream but the Death Eater flicked his wand and suddenly his mouth was forced shut. He glared as hard as he could, but the Death Eater just grinned at him maniacally and set the tip of the ritual knife over his right shoulder.
"A limb to regrow a body," the man stated. "Try not to bite your tongue, little wretch."
Harry felt tears well up in the corner of his eyes and he shook his head wildly, but nothing he did stopped him from feeling the knife dip just slightly into his skin.
A loud crack of apparition sounded and both the man and the knife he held were jerked away.
Harry looked up through teary eyes to see Hadrian pointing his wand at the Death Eater. At Hadrian's shoulder was Marvolo.
"Yaxley," Marvolo said, voice low and dangerous. Harry shivered, subconsciously pressing back against the ritual stone. He didn't know what it was, but the air had gotten heavily. There was a trickle of blood down his right arm and he couldn't stop crying and his mouth was still spelled closed and Hadrian wouldn't even look at him—so focused on the man who'd taken him.
"How–" The Death Eater, Yaxley, began.
"Shut up," Hadrian said. "I'm not dealing with you in front of my ward." He flicked his wand and Yaxley went flying backwards, hitting the far wall with a sickening crunch.
And then Hadrian was rapidly approaching him. He knelt down and banished the ropes, holding Harry close. Harry buried his head into Hadrian's shoulder, shivering against his uncle.
::Shhh,:: Hadrian hissed in soothing parseltongue. ::I've got you, Harry.:: With a small snap, the spell on his mouth was broken and Harry was able to cry with both his eyes and his voice. Hadrian just held him. ::Shh,:: he repeated.
Harry slowly stopped shivering and looked up. Hadrian smiled at him and kissed his forehead. ::I'm going to take you back to the house. Remus has already called a healer. You'll be fine, Harry, I promise.::
::Okay,:: Harry replied softly. He clung to Hadrian as his guardian stood up. Hadrian hardly seemed to struggle holding his weight and Harry took several deep breaths, trying to stop crying.
They passed near Marvolo, who was slowly twirling his wand, amber eyes pinned upon the currently unconscious form of Yaxley. Harry considered him for a moment, this man who might take Hadrian away as he had, though different from, how he'd taken Harry's parents.
::How'd you find me?:: Harry asked.
::Yaxley used to be one of Voldemort's,:: Hadrian answered, slightly stiff under Harry's grip now. ::Marvolo was able to track him.::
Harry nodded and slowly reached forward to Marvolo. Marvolo's amber eyes widened and he didn't seem to know what to do, but Hadrian helped Harry transfer over to the man. Marvolo was just as strong as his guardian and kept a hold of him. Harry hugged him. ::Thank you.::
Marvolo was silent for a moment, before sighing. ::I will ensure this does not happen again.::
::Okay,:: Harry replied and held his arms back out for Hadrian. Hadrian took him. Harry pretended not to notice the small smile his guardian gave Marvolo. His head hurt too much and Marvolo had helped find him so he'd let it all slide.
::I'll be back,:: Hadrian said, talking to Marvolo.
Marvolo nodded, a look Harry couldn't decipher passing over his face. ::I'll wait.::
Hadrian nodded back and apparated with Harry back to Naga Manor.
.o.o.o.
Later, after Hadrian had checked in with the earlier and made sure Harry wasn't too hurt physically or mentally from his ordeal, after he'd made Sirius and Remus promise to watch over him like they wouldn't already, after he'd hissed soft orders to Faeda and Kiran, he apparated back to Marvolo.
"Harry is fine," Hadrian said before Marvolo could ask—because he wasn't sure the man would though he might have wanted to.
"I see," Marvolo answered. His gaze was still fixed upon Yaxley. The man hadn't woken yet, but Marvolo had tied him to the ritual stone Harry had been at.
Hadrian stepped fearlessly into Marvolo's space. Marvolo's Dark aura curled around him, all malevolence and anger, before it was pulled closer to Marvolo's body. Hadrian waited until Marvolo had decided to turn to look at him before speaking.
"Thank you."
Marvolo bowed his head in acknowledgment. Hadrian sighed.
"Thank you," he repeated firmly.
Marvolo frowned. "I don't deserve your thanks."
"Don't you?"
"Yaxley is one of mine."
"Oh, so you claim him?"
Marvolo took a step back. Hadrian crossed his arms. Marvolo glared. "What are you attempting to have me admit?"
Hadrian threw his arms up in the air. "I want you to accept the praise! You were the one who found Yaxley in barely thirty minutes when it would have taken me hours. He'd already started the ritual, we saw that, he knew he'd be chased… if it weren't for you then it would have been too late."
Marvolo stared at him. Hadrian deflated. He hadn't known Marvolo long, not really, but he'd seen the former Dark Lord when he'd appeared at Dalle Manor, seen Marvolo's fury at what couldn't even be considered a betrayal. Marvolo cared, he honestly did, and even if it was only caring about what he'd lose if Hadrian used the excuse of Harry getting injured to break off the courtship.
Hadrian didn't think Marvolo was used to getting praised for good deeds. He figured now was as good a time to start as any. "Just, thank you," he said a final time. Shaking his head, he turned toward Yaxley—essentially allowing Marvolo to change the subject. "What kind of ritual was he attempting? I think you're more knowledge in ritual magic than me."
Something twisted over Marvolo's face. "A resurrection ritual. It wouldn't have worked, but only because your Harry is no longer a horcrux. Were he, it would have taken the broken soul fragment that was in Harry and created a new form, regardless of whether I existed otherwise. It's unstable magic."
Hadrian faltered. "Yaxley knew? About your horcruxes? Enough to realize Harry would be one?"
"He should not have." Marvolo's grip on his wand tightened. "I intend to find out how he came about that knowledge."
"Perhaps it was just a lucky guess," Hadrian said.
Marvolo's look showed clearly how unlikely he thought that to be. Hadrian rolled his eyes. He supposed Marvolo had a reason to be a paranoid bastard but still…
"You won't want to stay here for this," Marvolo said almost hesitantly.
"You don't want me to see you torture him." Hadrian sighed. "He needs to be turned into the Ministry, Marvolo. He can't just turn up dead. Too many people know that he kidnapped Harry, they'd know it was one of us if they found the body."
"They won't be able to discern Yaxley's identity from his body."
"I… didn't want to hear that." Hadrian looked away. "You can't guarantee this won't happen again, you know. And you can't go killing everyone who means Harry harm. They don't know you're back and if they learned, well–"
"They'd hate me for not being who I was. I am well aware."
"Do you hate who you are now?" Hadrian asked, only to regret asking a second later.
Marvolo slowly reached forward and trailed a cold finger down the side of Hadrian's face. "No."
Hadrian couldn't stop his blush. Marvolo had the nerve to smirk at it and Hadrian glared back. After a moment, Marvolo cleared his throat. "I hear your concerns, but I can't risk Yaxley being questioned by the Ministry with what knowledge he may possess."
"I understand." Hadrian ran a hand through his hair, skewing the ponytail in the process. A thought occurred to him suddenly and he grabbed on to Marvolo's sleeve. "You know the identities of all your Death Eaters?"
"Of course."
"You know which ones are most violent?"
"Otherwise I wouldn't have known who to place at the front lines," Marvolo drawled.
"Right." Hadrian personally thought that sounded like Voldemort had more strategy in his attacks than he obvious did, but he kept that opinion to himself. "Let's be proactive instead of retroactive. Submit a list of those Death Eaters. Turn them in to the Ministry."
Marvolo narrowed his amber eyes. Hadrian waited, knowing that Marvolo was more politically minded than him and likely going through all the likely scenarios of such an event. After a moment, he nodded. "We could make that work," he said finally.
Hadrian smiled. "Good." He waved his hand to Yaxley. "Do what you feel you must." And with that, he left.
.o.o.o.
"It will be quick," Bones said. "Evidence is overwhelming. I don't the Wizengamot will even have to get the full details before voting guilty."
Hadrian felt himself freeze. It was that sort of attitude that had gotten his godfather—Harry's godfather—placed in prison for twelve years. "No, Madame Bones," Hadrian said, knowing his voice had just gotten colder. "It should not be quick."
Bones blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
"These alleged Death Eaters certainly seem guilty, but it is the job of a judge and jury to decide that. What you should do, Madame Bones, is make sure that no one bribes themself out of a sentence, but otherwise we should let the law do its work." He knew, of course, that every one of the twenty-seven people who'd been caught at the 'supposed revival of their Lord' were guilty—knew because he and Marvolo had set them up—but if they weren't legally detained in Azkaban there could be recourse for them.
Bones frowned at him. "You're angry at me. I thought you'd be chewing at the bit to have these men locked away."
"The British Wizarding World has enough troubles without adding to the already corrupt nature of our legal system," Hadrian said.
"Corrupt? I know the system has made mistakes, but no system is perfect."
"The system is far too subjective. Though the muggle legal system is far from perfect itself, there is something to be said for how their present their evidence and the many restrictions in place up on what a judge can decide." Hadrian sighed. "You gave the Weasley family a substantial amount of galleons with an excuse that anyone with half a brain could see was contrived."
"Arthur and Molly have been friends of mine for quite a while," Bones murmured. "They've never accepted my help before."
"Don't get me wrong, Madame Bones," Hadrian said. "It's not that I think you are corrupt—at least no more than all humans are. Sirius certainly doesn't think ill of you for using his trial to give them monetary help. However, what's to prevent someone from abusing the system? What's to say it hasn't already been?"
Bones met his gaze with a searching look. "What would you suggest then, Lord Naga?"
Hadrian shrugged. "I don't know. I'm no legal expert… but I wonder if there are some? Ask the people, ask more than the purebloods currently in power, ask the half-bloods with muggle ties and the muggleborns and the squibs. See if you can get some different perspectives. You have the power to start fixing the system, Madame Bones."
"Perhaps," Bones said. She sighed, suddenly sounding her older age. "There's no harm in asking, anyway."
.o.o.o.
27 DEATH EATERS IMPRISONED - MINISTRY SPEARHEADS NEW TYPE OF TRIAL
READERS, MANY THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. AS YOU WILL BE AWARE IF YOU'VE BEEN READING THE PAPER, THERE HAVE BEEN ONGOING TRIALS FOR 27 ALLEGED DEATH EATERS. AS OF THIS MORNING, ALL 27 HAVE OFFICIALLY BEEN DECLARED GUILTY AND SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT IN AZKABAN.
NOW, WHILE THE NEWS OF THESE DEATH EATERS IDENTITIES HAVE BEEN SHOCKING (SEE PAGE 2 FOR A FULL LIST), THE TRULY INTERESTING PIECE OF NEW INFORMATION CAME IN A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH AMELIA BONES AFTER THE TRIALS CONCLUDED.
"THE MINISTRY AND I HOPE THAT THIS SET OF TRIALS WILL BE THE LAST OF THEIR KIND," MADAME BONES DECLARED.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?" I, OF COURSE, ASKED.
"IT HAS COME TO THE MINISTRY'S ATTENTION THAT OUR LEGAL SYSTEM IS BEHIND THE TIMES," MADAME BONES SAID. "OUR WITNESS PROTOCOLS, OUR GENERAL PROCEDURES, AND OUR FORMULA FOR SENTENCING ARE ALL ARCHAIC. THE MINISTER HAS APPROVED A NEW TYPE OF TRIAL. WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH MOCK EVENTS WITH A TEAM OF LEGAL EXPERTS FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS BEFORE IMPLEMENTING THE CHANGES, BUT WE HOPE TO HAVE SMALL CHANGES AFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY."
A DETAILED REPORT OF THE CHANGES, A LOOK AT THE TEAM INVOLVED WITH THE PROJECT, AND SPECULATIONS ON THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS CHANGE WILL BE IN TOMORROW'S PAPER.
STAY TUNED,
RITA SKEETER
.o.o.o.
"Regulus!" Yaxley screamed. "Regulus Black told me!"
"When?"
Yaxley sobbed, pieces of his skin sliding off his body to become bloody glops on the floor. Marvolo hissed, using parselmagic to heal Yaxley just enough so he wouldn't pass out. "I won't ask again, Yaxley. When did Regulus Black tell you?"
Yaxley let out a pitiful whimper, and then in barely more than a mumble, "Last month."
Marvolo watched the fire in the fireplace, repeating Yaxley's words over again in his head. He'd gotten nowhere in tracking down Regulus the last few weeks. He'd thought the boy dead, had killed him himself, and yet Yaxley hadn't been lying. Yaxley had at least believed the man he'd contacted was the younger Black.
::You going to tell me what Yaxley said?:: Hadrian asked in a soft hiss, far more perceptive than Marvolo wanted him to be in the moment.
Marvolo turned away from the fire. "Does it concern you?" he replied in harsher English.
"I don't know, do you want to marry me one day?"
Marvolo sighed. "Touché." It was already shocking enough that Hadrian hadn't put up more than a token protest to him torturing Yaxley. He shouldn't push, not for a little while. Hadrian was powerful, enough to start a huge change in the Ministry with only a small conversation, and Marvolo had to remember that.
Hadrian watched him, idly fiddling with his silver necklace. Marvolo followed the movement. He wondered what Hadrian thought of their courtship, if he still felt simply trapped in it.
::Give me some time,:: Marvolo hissed finally. ::Then I will tell you.::
::Very well.:: Hadrian stood and walked over to the bookshelf. They were in Marvolo's rooms at Malfoy Manor. Hadrian had flooed over after Harry went to bed, both the older Black and the werewolf watching over Naga Manor.
Marvolo stood and stepped up behind his intended. "The Banter Trope is putting on a show in London tomorrow," he said, not liking the tense silence.
"Why, Marvolo, are you asking me out on a date?"
"I'm asking the man I'm courting to go to a play with me. It's a comedy surrounding the fifth Goblin rebellion, if that helps the making of your decision."
Hadrian laughed and Marvolo found himself warmed by the sound. "Okay," he said. "Only if we get dinner beforehand."
"Of course," Marvolo murmured, resisting the urge to wrap his arms around Hadrian. He pulled away instead, unsure of his own compulsions. "Tomorrow then."
Hadrian looked at him, his eyes amused like he knew something Marvolo didn't. "Of course," he parroted.