Thanks to kmoaton for betaing as always. Enjoy!
The month of January was infuriating for Heinrich as he waited for any sign from the Dark Lord. Whenever he thought that he would receive one, the man would always back away and ignore him for a few days.
The teen was steadily getting annoyed with being treated like a toy. He was annoyed with the fact that whenever he was starting to get his hopes up, they would soon be dashed with disappointment and as soon as he was ready to give up, there would be a brief moment that would make him reconsider. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take it. He hated being dragged along and the fact that his mood for the day was so dependent on the whims of others. He just wanted a straight answer, any sort of sign that would tell him to either just give up or that there truly was going to be something in the future. He hated trailing behind the Dark Lord like a lovesick puppy, waiting for a look or some words that made him keep hanging on.
As much as he hated being toyed with, it didn't escape Heinrich's notice that things were starting to progress further.
It was hard not to notice as things hadn't exactly been gradual.
They hadn't reached the point of having sex, thankfully. They hadn't even taken off their clothes and Heinrich hadn't been allowed to touch and explore the man's body yet. The teenager was sure that once that happened, there was no way he would ever be able to give up hopes of having any sort of relationship with the Dark Lord.
The teen had been giddy for nearly a week when the man had moved further from kissing and had slipped a cold hand under his shirt. Heinrich had thrown his head back in silent pleasure as the man continued to plunder his mouth, the sensations and pleasure increasing as long fingers had attacked and toyed with his nipples, pinching, twisting, and flicking until Heinrich's thoughts were a jumbled, incoherent mess. He had gasped in delight as his shirt had been unbuttoned, allowing the cool air to brush over his skin.
However, he had ruined things by reaching for the Dark Lord's robes in order to do the same. As soon as the man had felt hands trying to pull open his robes, he had pulled away and stormed out of the office, ignoring Heinrich's pitiful whimpers of protest. After a few minutes, Heinrich had realized that the Dark Lord wasn't going to come back and had ordered Libby to fetch him a set of robes so he could return to his quarters for the night.
The same thing had happened a few weeks later when Voldemort's hands further explored Heinrich's body, going past his shirt and making their way down into his pants. The teen had thought that the cold hands would decrease his arousal but the sensation between cold and hot had only increased it. He hadn't been able to muffle his moans as the man stroked him but once again things stopped abruptly when Heinrich tried to do the same. The teen had been moments away from completion and he was sure that it was some sort of cruel punishment for the older man to pull away before he had finished. When Lord Voldemort had left the room and the door had swung shut, Heinrich had thrown a bottle of ink against the door in frustration before storming off to his quarters to finish things by himself.
When Heinrich realized that it was February and Valentine's Day was quickly approaching, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He didn't really expect for Lord Voldemort to do anything on that particular day but the man was known for doing the unexpected. Heinrich knew that he would no longer to separate himself from his feelings if something were to happen on Valentine's Day and he didn't want to risk that happening. He had to get away from the manor, if only for that day.
The afternoon before Valentine's Day, Heinrich announced his decision to Voldemort.
"I'm going to see the pack tomorrow," he said. "I want to see my mother." He had learned weeks ago that if he requested something, the request would be turned down. Making such a decision without asking first was risky but Heinrich felt it was his only way to get even a chance to leave the manor.
The Dark Lord sneered.
"You want to see her now? It's been months."
"Exactly," Heinrich replied. "As much as you hate it, I still have human emotions and I miss my mother. I'm going to see her."
"If you leave and come back having been bitten…" Voldemort let his threat dangle in the air. Heinrich nodded.
"I understand," he said. "I'll be back in time for my lessons the day after tomorrow."
Lord Voldemort knew the boy's true reasoning for leaving when he was but he would allow the boy this small victory. It wouldn't do any harm in the long run. He would still get what he desired—total control over the boy.
"Libby will be responsible for taking you there and bringing you back," the Dark Lord said. Heinrich nodded again before getting to his feet and striding out of the study to turn in for the night. Nothing had happened today, much to his relief, and tomorrow would give him some more time to sort out his emotions away from Lord Voldemort.
It was odd, being back among the pack. Even in six months, many of the children being raised by the pack had grown a significant amount and barely seemed to remember him.
Saskia had been surprised to see him at the door to the pack's manor and Fenrir had given him a dark look as they entered the kitchen for breakfast, but Heinrich could easily ignore the alpha's looks.
Heinrich supposed that in reality, things hadn't truly changed. He had just grown accustomed to life at Malfoy Manor and the people he dealt with there. Seeing so many people in one home was a bit overwhelming now, even though he had been used to it a few months ago.
"How long are you staying?" Saskia asked after breakfast had finished.
"Only until sometime tonight," Heinrich said. "I could only get away for the day."
"It's for the best," Saskia murmured. "The full moon is tomorrow and it wouldn't be safe for you to stay longer."
"I've gotten stronger," Heinrich said. "I'm pretty sure that I would be able to defend myself."
"It's better not to put that to the test, though. The Dark Lord would slaughter the pack if something happened to you."
Heinrich sighed at the mention of Lord Voldemort. He didn't doubt that the man would do just that. "No doubt," he grumbled. "Of course, he could also be in a mood where he couldn't care less if something happened to me. It's hard to tell sometimes."
Saskia fixed Heinrich with a stern look.
"You've been given a position of high honor," she informed him. "You should remember that and always respect the Dark Lord for giving you such a position. The children of werewolves normally don't get such an opportunity."
"How is it a position of honor?" Heinrich demanded. "I read and study papers all day. There's nothing honorable about it!"
"The Dark Lord has never allowed someone to be so close to him," Saskia said. "Not since his resurrection. There is a rumor that you will eventually become either his heir or his consort and that is definitely a position of honor. The duties may be dull but they must be done without complaint. Don't waste this opportunity."
Heinrich nodded, feeling chastised. His eyes narrowed in worry as he considered Saskia's comments. Heir? Consort? He hadn't realized that his position might lead to either position.
Consort would be more likely, Heinrich guessed. Being named heir suggested that the Dark Lord would eventually die and he knew the man had dedicated numerous years to studying to become immortal. He would hate such an implication.
With a blush, Heinrich also realized that becoming consort would be more likely based on current events. However, the title consort would suggest a relationship and Voldemort had done his best to try not to imply that there actually was any type of relationship. Heinrich was just a toy to be played with whenever the man desired.
And despite knowing this, Heinrich would always come back for more. As long as there was even an inkling that the Dark Lord desired him in any way, Heinrich wouldn't be able to say no.
The teen sighed. When had things become so complicated? He was slowly going mad with all of the thoughts that were constantly running through his head. He hated second-guessing and doubting himself and his actions and now he had even more reason to.
Saskia pushed back his hair and tried to arrange the strands so they didn't look so messy.
"Nothing has to happen now," she said. "And I doubt any decisions would be made now. There are still plenty of years ahead and I believe that the Dark Lord wouldn't make any decisions until the war is over with."
The war. Heinrich had been so isolated that he had nearly forgotten that the wizarding world was in the midst of a war. He wasn't affected by it at Malfoy Manor and that allowed him to easily forget about such things, despite being in the presence of one of the leaders of the war daily.
"How are things progressing?" he asked. "I haven't heard much."
The Death Eaters as a whole group hadn't been summoned for weeks. Only small groups had been summoned to hold the occasional raid and Heinrich never attended those debriefings. Voldemort didn't think that he needed to know the details and Heinrich wasn't sure if he wanted to know what was actually happening.
"Many of the followers of Albus Dumbledore believe that all werewolf packs follow Lord Voldemort. Therefore, whenever they encounter a werewolf, we are attacked, even if we were behaving peacefully. I haven't left the grounds of the manor since the new year," Saskia admitted. "There was a reason that I never took control of your dueling lessons and that's because I was never much of a fighter."
Heinrich let out a low growl and his hands clenched into fists. He focused on the pain that his nails created by digging into his palms for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and relaxing.
"Is that it?" he asked. Saskia shook her head.
"The Ministry of Magic has placed even more restrictions on our kind," she stated with a frown. "They demand that all werewolves be registered and that all female werewolves be sterilized. If they come across someone that is not, especially a female, they will force sterilization and then send them to Azkaban."
"But the virus isn't passed on genetically!" Heinrich shouted in outrage. "What's the point of doing something like that if it's not passed on genetically?"
"Most are too ignorant to know and never bother to research it," Saskia explained. "As for the others, they don't care. It's just another way to control us and to remind us that we're different and not accepted."
"It's not fair," Heinrich raged. Saskia rolled her dark eyes.
"Of course it's not," she said. "But life isn't fair."
"Doesn't the Dark Lord know?" Heinrich demanded. "Can't he have his people in the Ministry do something about the restrictions?"
A figure leaning against the door snorted, making his presence known.
"Why would he do something like that?" Gunther asked coldly. "He doesn't care about the plight of werewolves. He just makes promises that he doesn't intend on fulfilling to keep us at his side like loyal pets."
Heinrich growled at the insult.
"Gunther," Saskia snapped. "That's your lord you're talking about."
"My master, you mean," Gunther sneered. "And Saskia, you should know that he's not going to do anything. He hasn't done anything yet so what makes you think that he will in the future?"
"He'll follow through on his promises," Heinrich snapped. "I'll make sure of it."
Gunther raised an eyebrow and gave the younger teen a mocking look.
"How?" he asked. "You can't make him do anything, not even by spreading your legs for him like you've been trying to do for weeks."
Green eyes widened.
"How-?" he demanded. Gunther gave a cruel laugh.
"I can smell him on you," he said. "I've been able to for weeks. Tell me, what is it like, trying to be his whore but only having him turn you down. Is it because you're not pretty enough? Or because—" The teen was thrown back by a vicious punch. Heinrich launched himself at the lower ranked Death Eater, knocking him to the ground. He would have taken advantage of the opportunity and cursed the older teen to an inch from death but Saskia hauled him away. Once Heinrich was off Gunther, Saskia grabbed the older boy's collar and yanked him up, pressing him against the wall, her grip tight on his throat.
"Don't you dare insult my son," she growled. "I know what you did last year and if you cross the line again, I'll kill you myself."
Heinrich stared at Saskia. She was much stronger than she looked if she was able to pin Gunther-a full-grown werewolf at this point- against the wall. And what did she mean when she said that she knew what Gunther did last year? Had something happened between the two before he had taken his memories?
Gunther snarled at Saskia but yelped when her grip on his throat tightened and her nails dug into his skin. After glaring at him for a few more seconds, Saskia tossed the boy to the ground.
"Get out," she snarled at Gunther. He obeyed, throwing a dirty look at Harry before he stormed out. Saskia turned back to see Heinrich staring at her with a look of amazement.
"You'd best return to the Dark Lord," she said. "Gunther isn't going to forgive that and it's best that you not be here when he gets angry again. If he challenges you on pack grounds, you have no choice but to fight him.
"I could take him," Heinrich stated confidently. Saskia quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"All challenges are fulfilled on the night of the full moon," she explained. "You would be facing a fully grown werewolf that's young and that has never been defeated in a challenge. Gunther is on his way to becoming the next pack leader and you're still unbitten."
Heinrich grumbled under his breath but didn't protest when Saskia called for Libby. The house elf stared at Heinrich, waiting for her orders. At Saskia's look, Heinrich sighed, resigned.
"Take me back to Malfoy Manor," he ordered, holding out his arm. The house elf grabbed it and when Heinrich opened his eyes again, they were in his quarters.
"Is young sir being injured?" Libby asked, glancing at Heinrich's hand. The green-eyed boy stared at it dully. His knuckles were bleeding from where he had punched Gunther and he was fairly sure they would be covered in bruises by the end of the night.
"I'm fine," he said. Libby gave him a doubtful look but said nothing, choosing instead to disappear and return to her normal chores.
It was still early afternoon, but Heinrich chose to change into his pajamas. He didn't plan on leaving his quarters for the rest of the day and he knew that Libby wouldn't order him down to dinner, not when his absence was already expected.
The green-eyed teen sighed, slightly disappointed by how the day had gone. He had just wanted some time away from Malfoy Manor but he was back several hours earlier than expected. It seemed like things refused to go the way he wanted them to.
If the Dark Lord was aware of his presence in the manor, he didn't stop by to ask questions. Heinrich was relieved but he spent the night sleeping fitfully, plagued by dreams and worries about what the following day would bring.
Heinrich wasn't sure what he preferred. He could do without the constant worrying but the dreams were more embarrassing. He hoped that the Dark Lord didn't make a habit about practicing Legilimency on him because he didn't want to man to see the various positions and scenarios that his mind came up with. One even featured them arguing in a graveyard, though Heinrich seemed much younger then.
Gunther growled under his breath and touched his jaw lightly. It was bruised and slightly swollen, which made him furious with humiliation. How had a human inflicted so much damage on him? He was a werewolf and that boy wasn't. Gunther was supposed to be the strong one, not that boy.
He snarled as the boy's face flashed in his mind. He hated the younger teen. He hated how the pack had allowed him to take Heinrich's place without asking any questions. Gunther was the only one who had protested but at the time, he had been one of the lowest members of the pack and no one had listened.
So he had tried to make them listen and when that didn't work, he had tried to get rid of the teen that was causing so many problems and taking his best friend's rightful place.
But the fire hadn't worked and neither had the poison. Gunther had been lucky that Fenrir hadn't caught up to him after the first attempt on the teen's life and that the alpha hadn't been around when the poisoning attempt had taken place. If Gunther had been caught either time, he knew that Fenrir Greyback would have killed him.
However, if he had managed to kill Harry Potter, the imposter of Heinrich Beltz, in the process, it would have been worth it.
With the teen now hidden away and at the Dark Lord's side, there had been little Gunther could do. He had tried to take advantage when the younger teen had returned to the pack's manor but Saskia had interfered before he could force the boy into a challenge.
Gunther knew that he wouldn't get away with killing the teen any longer, not while he was in the Dark Lord's household, but that didn't mean that he was out of options.
Not in the slightest.
Gunther had altered his plans. He still believed that Harry Potter deserved to die but it wouldn't happen right away. He wanted to put the boy in his place first, there was only one way he would be allowed to do so, and no one could protest.
He just had to turn Harry Potter into a werewolf.
Luckily he had the perfect role model to give him ideas how to complete such a task. Fenrir Greyback had been doing it for years with his enemies' children.
Shortly before sunset on the night of the full moon, Gunther put on his Death Eater robes and mask. He suspected that there would be some type of meeting and the garb would make it easy to fit in. Then he would just have to sneak away and wait for the moon to rise.
Then, once he was fully transformed, he would go hunting.
Harry Potter wouldn't know what was happening until it was too late.
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