Hello to all! Thank you for your wonderful wonderful reviews! I took ages on this update, but I am hoping things will slow down now and I can update faster.

Warnings: Slight abuse references

All rights to J.K.R. Only own plot, my friends.


Previously:

Harry hesitated, confused. "But last night… I was wrong to say the things I did. You should be furious at me, you should hate me." The dark-haired boy paused, shaking. "You should punish me," he whispered, closing his eyes tightly.

And, like he expected, after a pause he heard the Dark Lord murmur the torturing curse. He braced himself, but he was shocked to feel nothing. Slowly he opened his eyes, not quite believing what had happened.

The Dark Lord stepped closer to Harry and gently placed a hand on his shoulders. Harry flinched at the touch, and his father eyed him sadly.

"I do not have it in me to hate you, Hadrian," he whispered. "You are my son. And no matter what you say to me, I will always see you as such."

...

"Is Lady Lestrange going to be okay?" he asked softly, watching his professor closely for a reaction to his words.

The Slytherin Head of House narrowed his eyes, but nodded his head slowly. "She should wake up in a few days, and then we will have a better outlook on the situation."

"I see," Harry murmured thoughtfully. "I heard she lost her husband in Azkaban?" he inquired after a moment of consideration.

Severus stared at his student with a blank mask. "Yes," he said evenly. "Now off to bed before I give you a detention."

Harry left the room without another word, but he couldn't help but think that there was something more going on between Severus Snape and Bellatrix Lestrange.


Severus Snape stared at the unconscious woman. His eyes traced over every inch of her still face. She was still very pale, but much less dangerously than before.

Even after her days in recovery, there were obvious traces of her time in Azkaban. He had used scourgify on her a few times, but her clothes were still ragged and dirty. Her body was cleaner than before, but parts of her skin looked permanently stained dark from the grime and dirt.

Yet, she still was chillingly beautiful.

Slowly, he extended his index finger and softly trailed it from her black curls to her strong jaw. After a pause he withdrew his hand with a heavy sigh.

"Oh, Bella," he murmured.

Severus knew very well what guilt did to your system. Merlin knows he has done many things he regrets, but Bella was an entirely different case. Even Lily didn't compare to the excruciating remorse he felt when he thought of Bella.

Lily had been his best friend for a good chunk of his life. But Bella knew him in ways Lily never did, in ways Severus had been afraid to show the Gryffindor. In the end he had chosen Lily, but he never expected the repercussions that followed.

He closed his eyes tightly, slamming down his occlumency shields. Once he had pushed those memories safely away, he slowly opened his eyes and settled down in a chair next to her bedside.

He didn't know how long he sat there staring at her unmoving body. Every few hours he would spell her potions into her system, hoping she would gain consciousness soon. To distract himself later that night, he started to read a potion's journal that detailed a rare ingredient found in the Amazons.

It was very late that night that she finally stirred. Instantly the Potions Master set down his book and knelt by her bedside. When her eyes slowly opened, Severus froze. It had been thirteen years since he last saw those dark eyes.

A minute passed as she took in his face with muddled confusion, but then she gasped.

"Severus?" she whispered, staring at him in disbelief.

"Hello Bella," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," she rasped, coughing slightly.

He quickly conjured a glass and filled it with water, but hesitated afterwards. He knew she would be too weak to drink it without assistance, but she was much too proud to accept help. Nonetheless, he shifted to hand the water over, but he didn't let go. To his shock, she didn't protest as he helped her drink. With shaking hands she lowered the empty glass.

"Are you in any pain? Weakness? Dizziness?"

Her dark eyes regarded him blankly.

"I've been giving you a blood replenisher and a pain killer every four hours," he murmured, watching her carefully. "You still have another hour before I can give you another set."

She nodded once, almost uncaring. She stared at her bandaged torso for a few moments silently.

"Is he really dead?" she whispered suddenly, her eyes seeking his.

Severus stiffened, but forced himself to meet her gaze. "Yes."

She closed her eyes tightly. Slowly, Severus took the glass from her hand. After placing it by the bedside, he gripped her hands with surprising tenderness.

"I'm sorry, Bella."

She eyed him sadly. "I never loved him, Severus... but he loved me. Part of me always wished I could."

For some reason, this only magnified his guilt. He pulled away, avoiding her eyes.

"How long has it been?" she whispered.

"Thirteen years," he told her quietly.

There was a pause for a moment, and she observed him with narrowed eyes. Suddenly she let out a choked laugh, and he looked at her in alarm. She smirked at him half-heartedly.

"You haven't changed. Still haven't outgrown the color black, I see," she said. "I remember when Narcissa tried to get you to wear those hideous burgundy robes."

Severus couldn't hold back a small smile at that memory. "Yes, and then you laughed at my expense for an hour. But then she decided you needed a... makeover... as well."

Bella scowled. "I still haven't forgiven her for that." She tensed suddenly, her eyes wide. "Oh," she breathed. "Narcissa. How is she? And Lucius? And Draco?"

"They are all well. Draco is actually here right now."

She eyed him with sudden intensity. "What is he like?"

"A proper Slytherin," Severus said, smirking. "I would know, seeing since I am his Head of House. He is constantly getting others into trouble, the sneaky child."

"You're the Slytherin Head of House?" she asked, confused.

The smirk slid off his face. "When the Dark Lord fell, I stayed at Hogwarts as the Potions Professor. Later I became the Head of House."

Bellatrix regarded him seriously, but he was surprised when she changed the subject.

"I felt my dark mark burn when he returned, and even those few months before when he was gaining power," she whispered. "I knew he would return for me." She closed her eyes. "His power was even more intoxicating than I remember."

"Yes," the Potions Master murmured in agreement.

"Is he still..." she trailed off, not knowing how to word it.

Severus shifted slightly. "At first. But Bella... Hadrian is alive."

Her eyes snapped open. "Hadrian?" she choked out.

Severus explained it all to her, and as the story progressed she became more and more furious. She was almost spitting out fire when he finished. When she ranted on about Dumbledore, he observed her surreptitiously. With her temper flaring, she was acting a great deal more like the Bellatrix he remembered. He had been afraid that Azkaban had taken away her spirit, but he could tell now that it was still very clearly present.

Abruptly she smiled and her expression softened. "I can't believe he's alive," she said softly. "What is he like?"

Severus leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. "He is hurt and confused," he murmured. "It is as if he is constantly at war with himself. One moment he is a foolhardy Gryffindor, and the next moment you know without a doubt he is the Dark Lord's son. He resembles the Dark Lord greatly. It is a bit frightening really."

A brief smile played on her lips at that last bit, but it quickly fell. "He still is suffering from the aftereffects of Dumbledore then?" Bella asked seriously.

"Yes," Severus said softly. "That sort of damage does not just heal over night."

She looked at the wall past him, her demeanor suddenly darkening. Severus eyed her in concern as she gazed unseeingly past him. He thought about changing the subject when her eyes flickered back to him.

"I'm assuming that is why Draco is here now," she stated.

Severus looked at her in surprise, but he nodded. He forgot how perceptive this woman is.

She nodded dazedly. He noticed she was beginning to fade away, and he realized she must be exhausted. Quickly he got to his feet.

"I'm going to leave you to rest. You need it," he said firmly, when it looked like she was about to complain. "Anyways, I need to inform the Dark Lord you are awake."

She nodded, leaning back and closing her eyes slowly.

Severus turned away and was about to leave, but stopped when she called his name.

"It's been a long thirteen years," she whispered, and he could hear the raw emotion in her voice. "I'm glad you were the one here to tell me all of this."

He found himself unable to turn around and face her, even though he very much wanted to scan her face for sincerity.

"As am I," he said softly, before exiting the room in a flourish.


Harry relaxed on his back, staring up at the cloudy sky with a smile on his face. It was nearing winter, and it was starting to get very chilly, but the black-haired boy didn't notice. At the moment, he was hot and sweaty from playing quidditch with the three Slytherin boys. Harry glanced at Draco to his left and Blaise and Theo to his right.

"I am so glad Christmas break is only a month away," Blaise drawled.

"The dragon was the only good thing all year," Theo agreed.

"Too bad it didn't get pretty boy Diggory," Blaise agreed wistfully.

Harry rolled his eyes, but Draco smirked in agreement.

"Even with the Triwizard Tournament going on, everything has been so dull this year," Draco said, sighing.

"I wonder why," Theo added sardonically. "Perhaps it has to do with a certain rival of ours vanishing."

Harry grinned at them. "Aww, didn't know you missed me that much," he said lightly. "I should have sent you a card or something. Or better yet, an autograph addressed to my biggest fans."

Draco snorted loudly. "As long as you don't dye your hair blonde and strut around saying 'Magical Me'," he sneered.

Harry sat up and shook his head in disgust. "Lockhart gives me the creeps," he said. "Honestly, he should be a Death Eater."

"Oh Merlin, no," Draco moaned. "I would quit the ranks and join the order of fried chicken before I fought alongside that idiot."

"But, Draco, you two would have so much to discuss. For example, what hair products you prefer," Blaise said innocently. "Or, perhaps, which color goes best with your eyes."

Harry and Theo collapsed into laughter at Draco's horrified and offended expression. But when the blonde pulled out his wand, they instantly stopped and watched him warily. Harry, oddly having more sense than the two Slytherins at the moment, quickly leaped to his feet and took off on his new broomstick. He circled above them as Draco hexed the other two so they giggled uncontrollably, had bright red hair, and were wearing tutus. In retaliation, Draco ended up sporting gold and maroon spots, a tail, and an "I love Gilderoy Lockhart" badge.

Theo, Blaise, and Draco then spent the remainder of their energy chasing down Harry, who almost fell off his broomstick from laughter. And, much to Harry's amusement, they looked even more hilarious flying. While they sent spells after spells at him, Harry maneuvered with ease. All that practice dodging bludgers really paid off. But after a good twenty minutes, he was beginning to have more difficulty. Harry thought Gryffindors were stubborn, but he was certain that Slytherins were the most stubborn lot of them all. Harry suddenly spotted his father sitting down in the stands after one twist in that direction. He grinned.

"Checkmate," he whispered.

And then he took off straight towards his father.


"You know, Hadrian," his father said later that night, "I don't appreciate being used as a target. If I had known, I would have done paperwork instead."

"Oh, I see," Harry said, grinning. "I am just distraction from paperwork."

"Brat," his father said fondly, smirking. "But even I must admit the look on their faces were priceless. If only their fathers had been there for that crowning moment."

"It could be arranged," Harry said, with a glint in his eye that made even the Dark Lord a little wary.

"I don't know if Lucius would survive," his father told his son, smirking widely. "He has had a few shocks as of late. Although I may be tempted to show him the memory... his son looked striking with that wonderful badge on his chest. Who is to thank for that by the way?"

"Theo," Harry said, smirking.

"Ah yes," the Dark Lord murmured, leaning back in his chair. "I forget how utterly devious that child can be at times. Just like his father. So quick to be underestimated. What a blessing that is."

Harry shook his head. "Please, Theo knows more curses than all the other Slytherins combined from all that reading he does. I know not to piss him off."

His father glanced at him in amusement. "And they accuse you of being a Gryffindor."

"The best Slytherin is the one no one expects," Harry told him cheekily.

The Dark Lord raised his eyebrows. "Indeed."

They sat in silence for a few moments, but Harry snorted loudly after a minute had passed.

"It's a good thing you have good reflexes," Harry noted in amusement. "You really would have killed them if those hexes actually hit you."

His father gave him an innocent look, but Harry only shook his head.

"Sorry Father, but you don't do innocence very well."

The minute Harry realized he had called the man 'father', he froze. He still was afraid of rejection and letting his father in. But when the Dark Lord only smirked casually, Harry relaxed.

"No, I guess not," he mused.

"Sir?"

The Dark Lord held back a sigh at his son reverting back to 'sir'. "Yes?" he asked.

"Is there something going on between Bellatrix and Severus?"

The Dark Lord smiled slightly, amused. "Why would you say that?"

"Well... the professor just seems to care a lot more than normal."

"Don't tell him that," the Dark Lord said lightly, his eyes narrowed. He paused, as if wondering how much to reveal. "I suggest you ask Severus yourself."

Harry frowned. "He won't tell me anything. He is a closed book."

"Apparently not that closed," the Dark Lord murmured thoughtfully, glancing at the rain-stained window.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Hadrian?"

"Will you tell me more about my mum?"

The Dark Lord sighed, but he wasn't surprised by the request. "What would you like to know?"

Harry hesitated, eyeing the lord uncertainly. "What was she like?" he asked quietly.

His father glanced at him before looking back out the window. "She was an enigma from day one," he said softly. "I have never met a woman that was so certain of herself. Most people wouldn't dare to speak their minds around me, nonetheless debate against my opinions. But your mother was fearless. That very first night I met her she started arguing against my position on muggleborns. Sometimes I wonder if she should have been a Gryffindor." He paused, looking at his son thoughtfully. "You remind me of her sometimes."

Harry stared at his father curiously, his eyes wide.

"All Gryffindor on the outside, but Slytherin on the inside," his father explained, smirking. "If you weren't in a library with her, you wouldn't know she was such a Ravenclaw."

Harry grinned at that. "What else was she interested in?" he asked eagerly.

The Dark Lord turned back to stare outside, lost in thought. "She loved to laugh and always saw the good in people even when they didn't deserve it," he mused, and Harry had a feeling he was talking about himself. "She was a Malfoy through and through," his father continued. "She was elegant and sophisticated. But she was still a Malfoy in Ravenclaw, which made her often seem detached from her family. There was always a rebellious streak to her that made her want to be different and independent."

"But did her family care she was in Ravenclaw?" Harry cut in.

"No," his father answered. "To be honest, I think her parents were relieved." He turned to face Harry with a smirk. "I think they were worried she'd end up in Gryffindor, so Ravenclaw was a good compromise."

Harry smiled. "Do you think she could have been a Slytherin?" he asked curiously.

"Like you said, Hadrian, the best Slytherins are those you least expect."

Harry met his father's eyes for a long moment.

"Do you think she would have been... proud of me?" the teenager whispered, tense.

His father's expression softened. "There isn't a doubt in my mind."

When Harry let go of the breath he was holding, his father smirked wickedly.

"After all, you give me as much trouble as she did," he said fondly. "Brat. Now run along, don't you have occlumency with Severus?"

Harry's good mood faded, and he forced a smile. He nodded and left the room, but red eyes watched him leave with sudden interest.


"My Lord?"

The Dark Lord looked up to see his spy standing in the entryway of his study.

"Ah, Severus," the lord murmured, pushing away the document he had been pouring over. "Sit."

The man did so fluidly.

"How is my son doing?"

"There has been progress."

The Dark Lord leaned forward and placed his elbows on the desk, deep in thought as he rested his chin on his folded fingers. "How strong is his shield?" he asked.

"He is able to block mild attacks, but beyond that he has experienced... difficulty."

The Dark Lord watched him with an cold mask. "What sort of difficulties?" he asked sharply.

"He has trouble focusing, my lord. He is too concerned about certain memories to stop my attack."

"Have you tried other methods?"

"He has started the redirecting technique," Severus told him quietly. "That proves to be promising."

The Dark Lord leaned back and regarded the Potions Master thoughtfully. "Why the advanced technique?"

"I thought if he could concentrate on a certain memory but morph it, then his focus would improve," the spy explained. "Instead of focusing on all his memories, he now can select them and change them. It is much more suitable for him."

"Interesting," the Dark Lord mused. "I would have thought with him being a Gryffindor he would have a tendency towards brute force... but instead he uses a more Slytherin technique." The red eyes suddenly looked up sharply. "Is there anything I should be concerned about? Hadrian seemed... less than enthused about his lessons earlier."

Severus paused. "He is frustrated with his progress, my lord," the man murmured after a few moments.

"And his memories?"

Obsidian eyes met red seriously. "Dumbledore and the Dursleys have done a great deal on him. I am... concerned that he has bottled it all up," he said carefully.

"And you fear it will unleash at any time?" the Dark Lord guessed.

"Yes, my lord."

The Dark Lord sighed. He turned away to stare out the window. Several minutes of silence passed before he turned back to the motionless and expressionless Severus Snape.

"I will want to see those memories when I return from my travels," the lord finally told the Death Eater.

"My lord?"

The Dark Lord smirked at Severus' surprised reaction. "I have some political matters to deal with. I am leaving tonight. I will most likely return in a few weeks."

"And Hadrian, my lord?"

"He will be staying with Lucius," the Dark Lord said quietly. "And I expect you to watch over Bella as she recovers, as well as continue my son's lessons."

"Of course, my lord."

"Good. You are dismissed, Severus."

The Potions Professor quickly stood and bowed.

"Safe travels, my lord," he murmured before leaving swiftly.


"You're leaving tonight?" Harry repeated his father's words blankly.

"That is what I just said, yes."

Harry's face was unreadable as he processed it. "Why?" he finally asked quietly.

"I am meeting with a few very important people."

"Like who, sir?" Harry asked evenly, his eyes narrowed.

His father's gaze was piercing. "It is none of your concern, Hadrian."

Harry stared at his father in confusion, uncertain why his father was acting so brusque. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving earlier?"

"I pushed up my plans last minute," his father told him. "Now I'm having the house elves pack up your stuff."

"Why?"

"You will be staying with the Malfoys."

"I see," Harry murmured, looking away.

A hand rested on his shoulder for a moment, but Harry flinched back instantly. When he had regained his composure, his father was already across the room facing the door. Harry hated that he had reacted to his father's touch like that, and he couldn't even see his father's face because his back was to him.

"Study your occlumency hard while I'm gone," his father said softly. "I expect to hear good reports from Lucius and Severus."

The next moment the man was gone, and Harry was staring at the empty space blankly.

Yes, he understood. He understood very clearly.


"Sorry I'm late," the curly-haired brunette huffed, uncharacteristically shoving her book bag to the floor of the unused classroom.

The brown-haired Slytherin observed her with raised eyebrows.

"Ronald," she told him shortly, collapsing in a chair beside him. "He was in an impossible mood. All he wanted to do was argue, and I barely managed to lose him."

The Slytherin smirked. "How did you lose him?"

She shifted uncomfortably, and his smirk widened.

"It was nothing really..."

"Oh?" he asked innocently, now openly grinning.

"I might have accidently... dropped... one of the twin's dung bombs in the boy's dormitory."

He laughed in disbelief. "I really am a bad influence on you, Hermione."

She merely smiled. "I think it was a very Gryffindor thing to do. So if you see yourself as a lion at heart, Theo..."

Theo looked at her in disgust. "Never mind, that." His expression shifted to curiosity. "What were you and Weasel arguing about?"

For once, she didn't feel the need to reprimand him for the nickname.

"He was insulting Harry," she said coldly, her eyes narrowed. "And trying to figure out why he was really gone. Guess he thought the Golden Boy was soaking up too much attention, I suppose."

Theo frowned. "Does that git suspect anything amiss? Or do any of the Gryffindors."

"It has been almost a month," Hermione mused. "Some of them are beginning to question why he is still gone. It's a long time to mourn a relative." Her eyes shifted to Theo. "But he is safe?"

"Yes, Mione," he sighed, shaking his head. "I tell you that every time."

"He is my best friend, you know," she told him bossily, smiling. "But the way you go off on it, it's almost as if you're jealous."

Theo smirked. "Touché." He titled his head to the side and raised his wand. "Now let's see how your shield is holding. Legilimens!"

He pulled out of her mind moments later with a satisfied smile.

"You're really close," he said. "Only a few cracks. I expect in a week or so I'll be able to tell you everything."

She gave him a relieved smile. "Good, not knowing is literally killing me."

"Know-it-all," Theo teased.

"Bossy pants," she retorted playfully.

"Gryffindor princess."

"Is that supposed to be an insult?"

He snorted. "Really?"

She held back a laugh. "Sly, devious, sneaky snake," she whispered in his ear.

"Why thank you, I'm touched."

She shoved him. "That wasn't supposed to be a complement."

He grabbed her arm and leaned in.

"Wasn't it?" he breathed, their faces only inches apart.

He stared at her lips for a long moment, and her breath hitched as she waited. He finally moved so his lips were on hers, and she closed her eyes. It only lasted a few seconds before Theo pulled back, but the dazzling smile from her told him everything he needed.

One thing was for sure: there was no way Theo was telling a certain black-haired Gryffindor about this.


Daphne Greengrass stared at the letter in her hands in disbelief.

She had asked her father to look into Harry's childhood, and what he had found was not pleasant. The Dursleys were not good people, not good people at all.

As she read the details in the letter, she forced back the swell of rage that wanted to break free.

Draco had said it was bad, but reading it now...

Daphne Greengrass quickly burned the letter, her eyes narrowed as she watched it turn to nothing but ashes. She vanished those as well absentmindedly.

The Dursleys mixed with Dumbledore, it was a wonder Hadrian Riddle was still sane. Daphne may be uncertain how she felt about the black-haired enigma, but she did know that he was the Dark Lord's son and she would give her life for him.

She sighed as she looked out the window.

Perhaps she would have to visit Hadrian Riddle. They had more in common than he knew.


Did you like the Hermione/Theo? I think they are so cute, but I AM a bit biased. :)

Next chapter there will be a lot of drama (just warning you now)! The Dark Lord is gone, Harry will go to any measures to prove himself, and Hermione will learn the truth! Throw in Daphne Greengrass and Bellatrix Lestrange, and we have a whole lot of secrets going on!

Stay tuned :) Please review!