Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
Thank-you very much for all the wonderful reviews last chapter! I think I've replied to all of them now, I get very excited to read all the different opinions, so, thank-you!
...
"Mister Walker...? Um, Mister...Mister Walker?"
The squeaky, familiar sound of a house-elf roused Hadrian from the depths of his slumber. He slowly blinked open his eyes only to swiftly shut them again with a grimace.
"Close the curtains, would you?" He snapped at the creature.
With a spineless, 'eep!', Hadrian heard the tell-tale swishing noise of the heavy draperies closing, cutting off the sharp sunlight that had so offended his sight.
He had a brief thought to thanking the house-elf and maybe even apologising for his abruptness, Hadrian really did always think them the most ingenious of creatures, but the little thing had already disappeared by the time he managed to sit up.
Oh well, he was certain that the servant was more than used to the unfair treatment from its human masters already.
With a groan of appreciation, Hadrian stretched his hands high above his neck as he stood from the warm, inviting sheets. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept that well.
The soft sound of metal hitting wood drew his lazy attention. With a smirk, Hadrian slowly bent down to retrieve Astrid's pendant. Laying it in his open palm, he studied the now simply ornamental silver dragon. It was now only a souvenir of his successful foray last night and the reminder quickened his heart.
The amulet no longer possessed any of the impressively, subtle power that it had harboured before. It didn't surprise him in the least that it had taken every drop of influence to stave off the Dark Lord.
A broad grin of satisfaction finally made itself known on his physical body as he let out a bark of laughter.
It required no more than the simple mental wish to know where the Dark Lord was for the bond to work its altered directives and gift his mind with the knowledge.
With scholastic interest, Hadrian reviewed the 'pull' like action tugging on his magic. It wasn't like being given co-ordinates, or even a picture of where Lord Voldemort was.
It was based on...feelings, for lack of a better term. It was similar to the theory of apparition; you pictured the location you wanted to arrive at, however, even if you possessed the necessary skill, if you didn't know where you were going, side-a-long was necessary. The magic of the connection was telling him that the Dark Lord was in Britain. It 'felt' like Britain.
It was terribly interesting to see how the location condition operated. He would know if the Dark Lord was in Hogwarts, as he was aware of the flavour of that site. The same went for Diagon Alley, Paris, and The Ministry.
The narrowing of location was as limited as its wizard's personal experience.
Thankfully, Raven and he had travelled extensively throughout his childhood. On the other hand, Hadrian was beyond certain that a Dark Lord with many years of experience on him, including visiting all sorts of prospective allies would have a far greater repertoire of 'feelings' for his magic to pull from.
Unfortunate, but Hadrian was still very pleased with how he had managed to alter the property bond.
Tossing the metal dragon up into the air, he caught it smoothly as he glided towards the adjoining bathroom.
It was only once he was underneath the hot water of the shower, scrubbing away last night's sweat and grime, from what appeared to be lank brown locks that he suddenly froze.
"Oh, Morgana...!" He groaned, letting his face fall into his hands.
You would think that the notion, of how he had made it back to his wonderfully, comfortable bed to enjoy that restful sleep he had been mentally extolling on only minutes ago, might have come up sooner.
"Apparently not." Hadrian murmured, in answer to the mocking of his own thoughts.
The last thing he could remember thinking, was how ironically cruel it was to have gotten so far, only to die of blood loss because he was too exhausted to heal the deep, seeping wound on his wrist.
Raising his limb to eye-level, he slowly traced across the unmarked skin where the knife had sliced. It wasn't even tender.
He could remember the anger he had felt at the Dark Lord, his stubborn pride not allowing him to ask the other to help him. Just the thought that he might have made some sort of pathetic plea, while slipping into unconsciousness was enough to turn his stomach.
Hadrian slowly curled his fingers, one by one, into a tight fist. No, he knew that he wouldn't have done that.
And considering he wasn't currently being interrogated by blue eyed blonde's that meant Lord Voldemort must have healed him.
Hadrian certainly hoped that the wizard didn't think this meant he owed him a favour, or was in his debt. As far as he was concerned, the 'healing' wouldn't have even been needed if not for the other's choice to force a bond of property onto him.
Which meant, his stomach swooped unexpectedly in what he refused to believe was anything but horror, that the Dark Lord must have personally brought him back to his room.
Hadrian's eyes narrowed; why not leave him lying in the middle of a study he was clearly forbidden to enter, to be found by his guardian's in the morning? Voldemort was not soft; it wasn't done for his comfort or 'out of the kindness of his heart'.
So why?
Irritated that these recent realisations were souring his victory, Hadrian turned his face up into the spray, determined not to think on the possible significance of a sadistic, merciless Dark wizard, 'tucking' him into bed.
He pulled a face at the expression his mind had given the incident, but honestly, if the shoe fits.
Spinning the tap handle until the water was only dripping; he climbed out of the marble shower and shrugged on the white, towel dressing robe folded neatly on the bathroom counter top.
Hadrian put the disturbing thought into the back of his mind as he crossed the room. Sweeping up his wand from where it rested on one of the bed side tables. As he grasped the familiar wood, he tried not to think about the person who must have placed it there. Or how the location was considerately within arm's reach of the position he had woken up in.
Attempting to unravel the motives behind that supposedly thoughtful action, would undo all the good his deep sleep had done him.
His mind was clear, rested and it felt brilliant.
But that didn't blind him to the ache of fatigue in his limbs and the small shakes of his hands. The way his belly grumbled for food, but the thought of eating turned his stomach.
He was in withdrawal.
Raising his wand, he cast multiple silencing charms and proximity wards, pausing only a second before double checking that no additional spying spells had been set. Knowing the Dark Lord had been in his room last night didn't exactly inspire a feeling of privacy or security.
With his sharp intellect intact, Hadrian's mind was once again working at its usual fast speed and, almost as soon his wake-up call had roused him, a possible solution to one of his problems had occurred to him.
House-elves.
Feeling as secure as he was going to get, Hadrian quickly dressed himself in a pair of muggle jeans, a white t-shirt and grey jumper. He might despise muggles, but he enjoyed the simple fashion of the non-magical world rather than traditional wizarding robes when it came to casual clothes. And, to make his usual choice even more appealing, it would no doubt upset the sensibilities of his hosts.
It was time to get some answers.
Hadrian might no longer be accepted by the wards surrounding Nadine Manor in Denmark, even with a vial of his blood Demetri hadn't been granted entrance. But just this morning he had been reminded, his mind once again clear, what marvellous beings house-elves were.
Taking a deep breath in, Hadrian called one of the Nadine house-elves, "Blink!"
Almost as soon as the word had left his mouth, Blink appeared in front of him. His smirk slipped from his face when enormous, round eyes staring up at him in reverence, began gathering liquid at alarming speeds.
"Master!" The choked squeak was all he heard before his knees were being embraced and squeezed tightly.
"Blink?! What..." Hadrian grasped the thin elbows, pushing against the vice like grip. "Blink! Pull yourself together." He ordered sharply.
The little creature drew back reluctantly, drawing in great, heaving gulps of air in an attempt to follow Hadrian's wishes. Normally, Hadrian had enough fondness to wait this part out; house-elves were notoriously melodramatic, but the state of the creature had increased his worry for Raven.
"Blink, is Raven alright? Is she well?" He made sure his voice was calm in order to speed a similar emotion in the house-elf.
Big ears flopped down pathetically on either side of her head. "No, Master. But Mistress Raven be telling Blink, to tell you, when you call, to tell you, that you mustn't worry about her. That she is fine."
Hadrian narrowed his eyes. "Why are you calling me Master, Blink?" Raven was the last surviving Nadine, even if that was through marriage. She had ordered the house-elves to obey Hadrian like any other wizarding parent would, but the title of Master was always given to the owner.
"Mistress Raven transferred ownership of Blink to Master Hadrian, so that, should he call, I must answer and, at his order, exit Nadine Manor to come to him."
Hadrian considered the elf currently biting her lip, if he owned Blink then she could not lie to him.
"Why can't I get through the wards around Nadine Manor, Blink?" he asked quietly.
The elf's eyes lit up in excitement, almost as if she had been desperately wanting and waiting for him to ask that very question.
"Oh, Master! It was terrible, terrible!" She shook her head violently, wringing her bony fingers together, "A wizard showed up at the house saying he is Mistress's friend, an old friend, he said. I didn't want to let him in, Mistress always told us not to let people in, no matter what they said, but then the bad wizard cursed me. It hurt! It hurt!" She sobbed pitifully. "But Blink still wouldn't let the bad wizard come in. He forced me, spelled me to make me let him come in and not warn Mistress. To only tell her that an old friend was waiting for her."
Hadrian's heart was thumping painfully against his chest, but he didn't dare interrupt the crying elf.
"He hurts Mistress Raven." Blink's bottom lip trembled, looking straight up at Hadrian, large clear tears falling freely down her face, "I don't know what the bad wizard and Mistress spoke about, not allowed to eavesdrop, that's my order, no eavesdropping." She repeated, as if pleading with Hadrian to understand her lack of knowledge.
"What did he do, Blink?" Hadrian pressed, unable to help himself.
A loud, single wail erupted from the small elf, startling him, "He blinds her! She can't see! Mistress, the bad wizard he..." She hiccupped, not managing to get her words out.
Hadrian's eyes grew wide and he staggered backwards, grasping wildly at one of the bed posts for support.
Blind.
Raven was blind.
That's why she couldn't answer his letters, he realised with horror, staring unseeingly through Blink's miserable figure. She couldn't see his words, his angry, demanding words. His eyes closed slowly in grief for the strong woman that never let anything beat her into submission. His mother.
In his second year, when Raven had gifted him the box that exchanged their correspondence at Hogwarts, they had made sure that it was heavily warded against house-elves. Knowing as they did about the frequent searches of student's belongings by the creatures, Raven had made sure that any object which had at one time been within the confines of either box could not be touched or seen by house-elves.
The irony, even in this situation, didn't escape him. Their clever thinking was exactly the thing which had prevented Blink from opening his letters.
"What did this...old friend," he ground out through clenched teeth, "look like? Did he give a name?"
Blink must have sensed his anger as her sounds quieted considerably, "No name, Master. But he was..."
Hadrian sharpened his eyes on the elf when her voice trailed off, a harsh demand for her to answer on the tip of his tongue, but he was distracted.
Her eyes held fear now, clear as day, but she wasn't looking at him, she was pointing at the embers in the fire.
"His eyes, Master," The elf didn't even have to say it. Hadrian already knew. "They were red, red like the colour of those coals."
Fury and loss grappled for control within him. The thought that he hadn't known this...! That he had been...!
But no. He hadn't wasted time. He had been trying to escape a fate even worse than Raven had suffered at the hands of the Dark Lord. He just needed to know...
"Is she alright? Besides her being blind, Blink, is Raven healthy?"
"Mistress Raven can't see, Master, but she is learning." Hadrian smiled grimly at that news.
If he knew Raven, being blind wouldn't slow her down. She just needed time to adjust. His breathing evened out. She shouldn't have to go through this, not after everything else, but Hadrian's pulse calmed with the realisation that Raven hadn't left him. It might have been selfish but Hadrian knew that Raven would adapt to her loss of sight, he would make sure of it.
"But Master, the bad wizard locked the wards." His eyes snapped up, piercing Blink, making the elf tremble.
"What do you mean?" He said lowly.
"The red eyed man, he made it so that Mistress Raven can't get out and Master can't get in. Nothing but the bad wizard can get in or out, not even owls." She murmured sadly.
Hadrian's eyes widened even as the injustice fanned the flames of his fury at the Dark Lord.
"That's why Raven transferred your ownership to me." He spoke his thoughts out loud, not giving any notice to the frantic nodding of the elf at his feet. "He changed the wards when you belonged to Raven, but because she changed that after..."The softly spoken words trailed off as his thoughts continued to race.
Although magic users often forgot about the unique nature of house-elf magic, Hadrian couldn't see Lord Voldemort being so careless. He had to have known that Raven might transfer ownership of the elf to him, thereby, giving him relative access and communication with his adopted Mother.
No, his guardianship under the Malfoy's was strategic. He was within the Dark Lord's easy reach; his freedom would be curtailed by his continuous usage of his weak persona, his ability to do what he wanted, when he wanted, reduced for the same reason.
The Dark Lord simply wanted Raven away from him.
The fact that Hadrian might find out what had happened to his mother didn't mean that the wards would now accept him. He was still physically cut off from her, and with his persona hampering his actions couldn't simply leave to go examine said wards.
A small, humourless smirk appeared on his lips as he realised the real reason the Dark Lord had so quickly come after him, that day he escaped from Diagon Alley. The man probably thought he was going to go examine Nadine Manor's wards.
"Blink, tell Raven that I understand the situation and I'm going to find a solution. Tell her that I have to go back to Hogwarts soon, anyway; so I'll have plenty of time to figure a way get past the wards, but not to worry."
The little elf nodded her head with a wide smile. "Yes, Master."
"Look after her, Blink. I want you to stay with Raven unless I call for you. Except for an emergency, do not come directly to me with any messages. Alright?" He ordered.
"Yes, Master."
...
Hadrian descended the stairs, deep in thought.
He had a few ideas concerning Raven's blindness; he could remember reading something about trials being done where patients learn to see with their magic. Researching would have to wait until he got back to school.
Despite his fury at the injury done to his adopted mother, the effectiveness of both their prisons' and the fact that Lord Voldemort was to blame, Hadrian was glad that Raven was effectively safe behind bars.
It was now known to both the Dark and Light that she was alive and kicking. He could at least be confident in the strength of the wards surrounding the Manor. The Dark Lord wouldn't do things by half and he'd need very strong wards, with hidden weaves, to keep Raven Nadine nee Black in captivity.
With the smallest of attention, the bond informed Hadrian that the Dark Lord's location hadn't altered since he'd woken an hour and a half ago. The reminder of his triumph was the only thing which cooled his simmering ire to easily manageable levels.
Pity he couldn't do the same for the shakes that came and went.
Walking stiffly into the dining room parlour, Hadrian noticed that both Draco and Narcissa were already seated, the Lord of the Manor's chair conspicuously empty.
"You missed breakfast."Lady Malfoy's voice was cool, clipped.
She was angry. Furious, actually.
Hadrian glanced at his classmate beside him, but saw none of the same rage practically radiating from Narcissa. How interesting. The vacant seat at the head of the table suddenly became a lot more telling.
"Yes, I apologise. I slept in. I'm not used to late nights, you see." He smiled widely, enjoying the curl of distaste that tugged down the right corner of her mouth. The full teeth grin he was sporting was one which never failed to inspire abhorrence whenever he felt the need or fancy to employ it.
The smile was disgustingly obnoxious due, in all ways, to its easily spotted, almost inescapable transparency. It was a full grin that all could see was designed to be charming, but through his persona's uncalled for arrogance and severe lack of ability, instead, produced a very clever blend of revulsion and loathing that deterred even the kindest of souls.
This particular expression had always worked wonderfully on Severus Snape and Pomona Sprout. The presumptuous 'arrogance' tested his Head of House's restraint not to inflict bodily harm upon a student to its limits. Whereas, Professor Sprout, the teacher that always had a good thing to say about everyone, the educator forever willing to devote extra time to those less gifted students, just couldn't accept the 'blatant' attempt to charm her, as if she were a fool.
It was brilliant. And it had come through for Hadrian yet again it seemed, if the way Narcissa was closing her eyes as she turned her neck away from his visage, as if she couldn't stand to even look at him, was anything to go by.
"Where's Mr Malfoy?" Hadrian kept his voice light while he slowly munched on a small cucumber finger-sandwich, appearing to the entire world a carefree, unburdened adolescent.
Apart from the more obvious stretched pause, his sharp eyes noted the way Lady Malfoy's fingers tightened around the delicate, china handle of her expensive tea-cup.
"He had to go into the Ministry." She said tightly.
Hadrian let his mouth open and make an 'ah' sound, even as he hid his smirking mouth deep in the crystal glass of pumpkin juice.
If he wasn't mistaken, Lucius Malfoy was currently suffering for thinking he could outwit the Dark Lord's express orders.
Good.
"Mother, I'm going to go outside to fly." Draco said as he pushed back his chair from the table.
Hadrian mused inwardly on how the Malfoy heir clearly needn't wait for all persons to be finished their meal, before excusing themselves from the table. He, on the other hand, had been reprimanded not two days before for the very same thing. Yet again, the double standard was clear and deliberate.
Shrugging, it really didn't bother him, Hadrian reached forward to grab a bread roll as mother and son spoke between themselves.
Just as he grasped his chosen roll, his hands began to shake.
Darting a swift look at the distracted blonde's, Hadrian quickly began pulling back his hand. His grip around the bread became loose, his fingers unable to follow his mind's commands adequately, and the roll fell through his shaking fingers, dropping onto the pristine, white, linen table cloth in front of his plate.
Abandoning the bread, knowing the movement had attracted the two Malfoy's attention, he swiftly drew his elbow back, hiding his shaking hands underneath the table in his lap.
Draco raised a thin eyebrow at the lone, poppy seed covered, white sourdough roll sitting awkwardly in the large space between the serving basket and Hadrian's china plates and crystal glasses.
"Problem, Walker?"He drawled. "Do you often change your mind in the middle of serving yourself food and merely choose to discard the item wherever it may land?"
Narcissa's brows drew down into a dainty frown. "Hadrian, please, if you could employ some of the manners you have been shown, in the meals you have taken with us in Malfoy Manor, these past few days, it would be much appreciated."
Not appreciating the deliberate inference, Hadrian gave a pitiful smile, "Of course, Lady, it's just that I'm still...recovering from Mr Malfoy's actions last evening."
He enjoyed the way her face turned white with fury at both the reminder of her husband's punishment and the uncouth way in which he did not even try to stoically keep the information to himself.
No, she couldn't have it both ways. As his persona, he would use all avenues open to him to get what he wanted, and if he had been undisguised...well, Lucius Malfoy wouldn't just be suffering under the wand of Lord Voldemort right now.
"Will you join me, Walker?" The polite inquiry from the Malfoy heir halted his Mother's words and had Hadrian raising an eyebrow. "Flying." The blonde expanded.
Hadrian was more than half inclined to say no. He certainly didn't want to spend time with his housemate and his pathetic attempts to weasel information out of him. Nor did he like the idea of trying to control a broom with the shakes that came and went and the lethargy that pulled his body down.
"Can you fly, Hadrian?" Narcissa's voice murmured softly.
Draco grinned. "If I remember, Mother, I haven't seen Walker fly since first year. He wasn't very good at it then, still, I can't see Madame Nadine allowing such a situation to go unresolved."
Lady Malfoy nodded once at the comment, agreeing.
Hadrian just wanted to end the tedious conversation as quickly as possible. "Alright, Malfoy." He said sharply.
The shakes calmed.
Fresh air actually sounded really good right about now.
...
"Okay, you guard the hoops and I'll try to get the Quaffle in past you." Draco ordered as soon as the two were up in the air.
Hadrian just stared at his housemate flatly.
"What?"
Hadrian gave a small smile, there was no way he was sacrificing this opportunity for peace and quiet, just to make sure the dark, pureblood heir was adequately amused.
"Sorry, Malfoy." He swung his broom around so that his back was facing the boy, tilting his neck sideways to speak over his shoulder. "I'm rotten at Quidditch, best that you practice by yourself. I'm just going to go fly around the grounds." And without waiting for a reply from the rapidly forming indignant face, he flew off in the direction of the forest situated at the back of the Manor House.
He wasn't bad at flying; Hadrian just wasn't very good either.
The activity had never really appealed to him, but he could certainly see that the freedom of flying might have become a favourite past time if he hadn't experienced a very free childhood with Raven. After being cooped up for days, feeling boxed in, Hadrian closed his eyes, a small smile painted his lips, enjoying the feel of the wind whipping through his hair and across his face.
It was refreshing.
"Walker! Wait up!"
The holler from behind him made him scowl darkly, before he wiped it from his face. At least it had been refreshing.
Draco easily caught up with him, slowing down so that he flew about two metres to his right.
"I thought you wanted to practice, Malfoy?"
The blonde shrugged, "I can do that later."
Hadrian smiled widely, his inner frustration evident in the way his facade became just that little bit more aggravating. "Miss my company?"
Malfoy threw him a dark glare opening his mouth to respond, when suddenly a jet of angry, red shot past the blonde, missing by a hair's breath.
Hadrian's eyes immediately swung down to the ground, widening at the sight of a young woman standing just within the cover of trees, a non-verbal hex headed straight for him.
Awkwardly, silently cursing his lack of ability on a broom, Hadrian managed a wobbly loop in the air, narrowly avoiding the spell.
How in Merlin's name did the witch get through the wards?!
"Stupefy!" Hadrian followed the distinctive red spell with his eyes as it flew straight past his easier target, to focus on the pureblood heir at his side.
He gave a small smirk of amusement as he watched Malfoy, his pale, pointed face an open canvas of alarm and dread, perform far more graceful, aerodynamic moves than he could ever hope to.
Perfectly content with being ignored in favour of the 'bigger fish', Hadrian took quick inventory. Short, pixie cut brown hair, bright blue eyes and a petite frame. The attacker might not be wearing auror robes, but if she thought that that was all she needed to avoid detection, she was sorely mistaken. Hadrian had no trouble recognising the traditional spells and ministry taught ready stance.
A cry of pain from beside him drew his attention and Hadrian could only watch with dumbfounded eyes, no time to actually do anything, as the idiotic Malfoy heir allowed himself to be herded beyond the protection of the wards. With the boy's signature keyed in as it was, he passed through the fearsome protections cleanly.
Was the boy a complete moron?!
Two figures materialised from the trees beyond the wards, both aiming spells at Malfoy. A simple strategy, the two wizards having obviously lain in wait until the witch was able to force their prey outside the Manor's protection.
Hadrian surveyed the goings on with a calm air, floating lazily within the safety of the wards. He had no intention of saving the fool from the consequences of his own actions. The idiot would quickly realise what a monumentally stupid move he'd made, allowing himself to be pushed beyond the wards, and concentrate all his efforts on making it back inside his family's protections.
And if the boy couldn't even manage that much; he deserved whatever he got.
Then the peace, with which he had been happily observing the interesting proceedings around him, was shattered, the pixie woman now focusing her entire attention on bringing him down from the air.
Hadrian didn't bother drawing his wand and casting a shield, the spells being thrown at him were practically harmless, more angled towards subduing him than any real physical harm.
In amongst the battalion of coloured lights being shot up at him, his eyes suddenly widened and he pushed the broom handle sharply up, the Obliviate Charm hurtling past him, successfully avoided.
Why that little...!
Glaring darkly, down at the tiny, flittering figure, Hadrian reached behind him to pull his wand from the waistband of his jeans, only to have to clutch desperately at the handle of his broom as his vision suddenly blackened and a wave of intense dizziness overtook him.
Not now!
Shaking hands did their best to hold onto the broom, but he knew he was swaying haphazardly through the air. Hadrian did nothing to try to rectify that situation. Luck, and constant movement was the only thing keeping him safe from the multitude of spells flying past and around him right now.
He hissed softly as his right arm got hit by a burning curse. Through clearing spots, Hadrian managed to see a panicked looking Draco, barely managing to avoid the various coloured spells being shot at him. His sight brightening, Hadrian watched as a cutting curse took Malfoy by surprise, spraying blood across his chest.
And then he was falling.
Hadrian had only a moment to contemplate his options.
He could cross the wards and save the brat, no spell could exit or enter the wards, so he would have to voluntarily cross their boundaries, or, he could let the child fall to his death.
His mouth twisting into a snarl, Hadrian aimed his wand at the woman beneath him and cast a non-verbal punch of air towards her, blasting the witch back through the wards, the protections glowed a faint blue at her contact, alerting the Manor's inhabitants of the intruder.
Then, he was racing past the tree line, his skin tingling pleasantly as he passed the safety of the wards and catching the wrist of the arrogant brat just before he could hit the ground, snapping his neck.
...
Narcissa looked up from her writing desk, setting aside the jade feathered quill when the fire roared and a tall, dark and handsome wizard stepped out of the flames.
She smiled. "Rudolphus." Coming gracefully to her feet, she approached her brother-in-law, lightly kissing both his recently clean shaven cheeks. "How are you?" She inquired feelingly.
She swept her eyes quickly down his figure, noting the way the thrice daily nutrient potions had returned most of his lean muscled frame. His shoulders weren't quite as wide as she remembered from before his incarceration in Azkaban, and he still had some weight to gain, but he was looking remarkably healthier.
Raven, black hair flowed down to his shoulders, the natural shine beginning to re-emerge. Even the wizarding prison hadn't managed to destroy the innate wave at the end of his hair; she observed fondly. Narcissa had always thought Rudolphus's hair looked as if he had just appeared through the wind.
There were more lines around his eyes and mouth, a sign of premature aging for a wizard so young, but it was to be expected. But those dark, mulberry eyes hadn't lost any of their fire, she realised with satisfaction. Indeed, if she were being honest, the shadows that crept into those orbs were numerous and cruel, but she had seen the same hardness in her sister's.
"Well, Narcissa, very well, thank-you." She smiled at the predictable answer. No Le'strange would ever answer anything different. "I'm actually looking for Bella, have you seen her?"
"Can't keep track of your own wife, Rudolphus?" A snarky voice from the room's entrance drew both attentions. "I would suggest that you check the Dark Lord's bedchamber first."
"Severus!" Narcissa snapped icily, her blue eyes flashing.
The oily man simply sneered at the calm Le'strange.
"Not that it is any of your business, Snape, but my wife has been faithful to our marriage since the day we were bound together. Don't take your bitterness at not being able to attract a member of either sex, out on those more fortunate than yourself." Rudolphus's tone might have been light, but there was a dark warning within those words that cautioned against continued insult of wife's character.
Narcissa watched as Severus snorted in disbelief; nevertheless, he was wise enough not to pursue the subject any further.
Many people assumed that her sister was an adulterer. The eldest Black sister possessed a unique sensuality and dark, perilous beauty that she wasn't afraid to use. But that's all it was; teasing, Bella had never betrayed Rudolphus.
Narcissa was well aware of how deeply Bellatrix loved her husband.
"Was there a purpose to your visit, Snape? Or are you just going to stand there dumbly for the rest of the day?" Le'strange smirked darkly.
These two wizards despised each other, always had.
Rudolphus couldn't stand spies, even ones loyal to his cause. He saw them as insects, too coward to stand up for what they believed in. The sentiment had been one her sister had shared long before the two spouses had ever met. It was a sore point between the Malfoy's and Le'strange's, that closeness that the blonde's shared with the sallow, Head of Slytherin.
And although Narcissa hadn't the esteem that Lucius had always possessed for Severus Snape, she had come to respect the wizard for his undeniable talents and fondness for Draco.
Severus smiled thinly, "I had come to drop off my Christmas present for my Godson personally, Le'strange."
"Not invited to the celebrations, then?" Rudolphus inquired with arched eyebrows.
Narcissa rolled her eyes, "Please, gentleman, enough. I do not know why..." Her voice trailed off and her back straightened painfully.
"Narcissa? Are you well?" Her brother-in-law asked sharply, his black wand already in his grasp.
"The wards, there is an intruder." She spoke quickly, already sweeping from the room towards the back patio area, where the protective magic's had indicated the disturbance had originated from.
"Perhaps you ought to stand indoors, Le'strange. You are a wanted criminal, after all." Severus's silky voice suggested insultingly.
A dark, sure voice parried instantly, "I see that even with seventeen years to expand your knowledge on magical theory, Snape, you still do not grasp the most simple of concepts. If it were the Ministry calling, the wards would have alerted Narcissa to a request for entrance. However, seeing as how the wards have classified the person as an intruder, they have neither the authority to be on Malfoy land nor passive intentions, I would think you would know that, Snape."
"Draco!"Narcissa gasped, suddenly remembering that her son had told her he was going flying this afternoon.
Her gasp needed no further explanation. As they raced out onto the back lawn, countless jets of vivid light dazzled the timberline in a kaleidoscope of colour.
...
"Fuck!" A bone breaking curse caught his wrist, shattering the bone. Draco fell from the small height, landing on the soft undergrowth of the forest floor, unharmed.
Hadrian breathed deeply through his nose, furious. Clutching his wrist close to his body, a headache pounded painfully behind his eyes.
Fed up, Hadrian wasted no time, casting a silent reducto at the woman still struggling to her feet from the forceful blast of air he had thrown at her seconds earlier. Her small, finely boned body was lifted clear off the ground and thrown harshly against the Malfoy wards, which might as well have been a concrete wall on this side.
Almost immediately, Hadrian sent a stunner at a tall, red headed man, catching him off guard.
The wizard had screamed at the sight of the woman's broken figure, his side turned to Hadrian. He didn't care if it was unfair or dishonourable. These three certainly weren't playing by any rules of fair combat, so why should he?
From the corner of his eye, Hadrian saw the third wizard reach for the dazed Malfoy heir, no doubt intending to apparate away with his hostage. He raised an eyebrow in muted surprise; Hadrian had already surmised that this attack were the actions of light enthusiasts, to say the least. He was astounded that the venerated 'light' would leave comrades behind.
Yelling interrupted his undecided contemplation on whether he would allow his fellow Slytherin to be taken or not. He was almost certain that the idiot wouldn't be killed and he already had a life debt from the blonde, saving him from being kidnapped wouldn't produce a second.
Deducing that his banishing the witch into the wards had finally summoned the attention of those inside the Manor, he tilted his neck slightly to look behind him.
An almost comical picture of Severus Snape and Narcissa Malfoy coming towards them at a run had the corner of his mouth curling upwards. How undignified. There was a third figure gliding behind them that Hadrian couldn't recognise, but that hardly mattered.
What mattered was that they all had a clear view of the precarious situation the two minors were in and if he did nothing, they would all know the lack of any action on his behalf was entirely deliberate.
Without enthusiasm, his mouth tightening into a thin line at the distressed call of his name from the Malfoy heir's lips, Hadrian began throwing useless stunners, body binds and other low level hexes at the man. Throwing the wizard off and slowing him down, preventing him from reaching his prize.
The startling sound of a bang accompanied Snape's conjured ropes, disarming the would-be-kidnapper.
Narcissa Malfoy didn't even pause to look at the faces of the three downed magic users in her rush to get to her son's side.
Making no move to descend, continuing to hover in the air, Hadrian effectively dismissed the events below him in favour of examining his broken wrist.
Pointing his wand at the injured limb, he muttered a charm which would knit the bone back together. Carefully, Hadrian experimentally twisted his healed wrist; the small jolt of pain reminding him that healing wasn't his specialty. Scowling mentally at the calamity that was Draco Malfoy, he realised that he'd have to be careful with it for a couple of hours or risk re-breaking the bone.
"Get down here, Walker!" The angry demand had him glancing down with narrowed eyes. His Head of House was standing stiffly on the ground, neck tilted back, nostrils flaring, glaring blackly at him.
"Of course, sir!" He shouted back. The loud volume was unneeded and he doubted that Snape caught the barb as it was intended; a mimicry of the Professor's own unnecessarily thunderous bellow.
Narcissa and Draco were still crouched amongst the pine needles, conversing heatedly in hushed tones while the unknown wizard examined the attackers.
Touching down lightly, Hadrian looked at the man bent over the unconscious witch with interest. Who was he? He looked familiar.
"What happened here?" Snape demanded, looking directly at his Godson for an answer.
The Malfoy heir was distracted from his lowered conversation with his mother for a moment, jerking around to stare at the Potions Professor in confusion. Mercury eyes darted between Hadrian, Severus and the knocked out assailant's lying in the cold dirt.
"We were flying..." Draco stated, no stumbling, his voice clear. Hadrian raised a subtle brow at that, not expecting the control from his classmate. "The woman, she breached the wards somehow. Started attacking us, well, me really."
Hadrian concluded that the boy was experiencing shock, his eyes were withdrawn, his voice flat. How pathetic.
"I didn't realise..." For the first time, emotion seeped through the blonde, his fist hitting the ground in self recrimination. "She had ushered me outside the wards before I could gain my bearings and then the other two appeared. I didn't have the time to do anything else, I was dodging. Then..."
The Slytherin seventh year stopped abruptly, turning to look at Hadrian, searching his gaze with wide eyes. Hadrian didn't care what the pureblood was looking for, he wouldn't find it. He would see only what he was showed. Confusion, distress, shock and fear.
Snape had followed his Godson's stare and was now glaring at Hadrian through narrowed eyes. "Where were you through all of this, Mr Walker?" His soft, silky question was filled with innuendos.
"Wal...! I mean, Hadrian," Draco Malfoy cut through Snape with a loud call. He took a deep breath as he broke off his instinctive call of 'Walker!' deliberately emphasising the Malfoy ward's first name. "I was falling, Sev. One of them got me with a cutting curse," he gestured at his bloody shirt, his Mother already having healed the wound.
Narcissa was watching everything in silence, her eyes watchful, showing no sign of rising from her kneeling position next to her son.
"Hadrian caught me." He said seriously, his eyes fluttering between his Mother and Head of House. Then, he locked eyes with Hadrian's dull, green. "He saved my life."Malfoy said strongly.
Hadrian wanted to grimace. The Malfoy heir was staring at him with no mocking, no suspicion, nothing, just respect.
His mask was perfectly in place for the wide-eyed stare that Narcissa swung on him at her son's words. Her blue eyes were shocked, disbelieving and cautious, but there was unmistakable gratitude there as well.
And Hadrian realised that he'd managed more than even a life-debt today. No matter his motivations, motivations which Lady Malfoy was fully aware were almost certainly not inspired by any warm and fuzzy morals; he had saved her son's life today.
"Fascinating." The dry tone caught Hadrian's attention. The unknown wizard had lifted the unconscious witch's neck from the ground and, from what he could see, was now probing her skull with long fingers, searching for any damage. "Snape," Mulberry eyes glanced up at the greasy professor's sneering face, "I've heard that you are somewhat knowledgeable when it comes to the healing arts."
"Can't do it yourself, Le'strange? Pity." The waspish words contradicted Snape's swiftly moving figure. His black cloak flaring out as he crouched over the woman, examining her wounds for himself.
Hadrian looked at the previously unknown wizard with new eyes.
Rudolphus Le'strange.
He could see the resemblance between Rabastan and his older brother now that he knew what he was looking for. They were both attractive men, but Rudolphus possessed a rugged handsomeness that the younger lacked. This man was a formidable wizard. His wife's reputation spoke for itself; but Hadrian had always found Bellatrix's husband far more interesting.
If there was one thing that Raven's teachings on the Dark Lord's inner circle members had taught him, it was that the Le'strange Lord was incredibly loyal. And he respected that.
The Black's might be known for their strong family ties, but Le'strange's were notorious for their loyalty. But what really captivated him, was the fact, that within the cut throat politics of the 'dark', members of that family were famed for being able to inspire the emotion in others.
No Le'strange ever seemed to walk into battle, without someone else watching their back.
That familial quality had captured Hadrian's curiousity from the first.
Then, his Head of House was swearing explosively, moving in a flurry of motion. Hadrian disguised his indifference to what he assumed was his teacher's shock at the witch's condition, easily. He watched as the man hurriedly searched through his robe pockets, finally extracting a small glass vial Hadrian recognised as the blood replenishing potion.
Huh, observing the way Snape poured not one, but two vials down the pixie sized woman's throat, he realised that the damage he had inflicted by blasting her into the wards, must have caused more serious injury than he had first thought.
"What's wrong with her?" Draco asked softly, watching the proceedings with blank eyes.
Was the Slytherin traumatised?
"Her skull has been completely crushed, her brain is swelling and...I want to what happened to put her in this condition, now." The boy's Godfather started off with clipped, clinical words only to end on a judgmental look, flung at the blonde boy.
The other two attackers were still in fine enough health to be questioned; Lady Malfoy wouldn't be too upset if the witch succumbed to her wounds.
"Will she live?" Hadrian shot a look at his classmate, surprised by the hard tone.
Looking at the dark emotions beginning to swirl in mercury depths, he realised that Malfoy was hoping the answer was no.
There was a cruelty there that Hadrian hadn't seen before. He knew that the boy had a vicious side to him, one that had grown as he grew older; he had seen it in the amateur manipulations Malfoy tried to carry out, the way he laughed and the things he found amusing.
The trait was most certainly in him. Hadrian, however, had recognised that the boy was too sheltered to ever view that aspect of his personality with anything other than fear when he realised what it was.
He was willing to concede, that in this instance, he may have been too quick to judge.
He watched with a degree of interest, as Severus Snape caught the same emotion in Malfoy that he did. Saw the way the Potion Master flinched slightly, before expertly covering his reaction.
"How did this happen?" The man ignored Draco's question.
Hadrian shifted on his feet; his wrist was a dull throb that would continue for a few hours more but what he really wanted to do was get in out of the cold. The freezing bite of the air was only exacerbating the stiffness in his limbs, making them ache.
"Hadrian threw a reducto at her, it obviously missed, but, the force of the spell knocked her into the wards." Draco stated with a slight smirk, as if the boy knew exactly how shocking his words were and was going to enjoy the adult's reactions.
Fabulous. Hadrian met the incredulous stare of Lady Malfoy and the building fury of Snape's with faultless innocence and bewilderment.
"Did I...did I really hit her that hard?" Hadrian asked slowly. He even let his mouth fall open a bit when Narcissa jumped in with a rational explanation of adrenaline, accidental magic or specific spell affinity to explain the powerful reducto.
All in all, it wasn't a big issue. Hadrian's mind was already turning back towards the thumping between his temples and the warmth of the Manor's interior, when talon-like fingernails suddenly raked painfully through his hair, grabbing a handful, and shook him roughly.
What in Darkness's name...!
"What were you thinking, boy?!" A sallow face and large nose were only inches away from him, heavy breathing ghosting across his cheeks. "She needed two blood replenishing potions just to make sure her heart wouldn't stop beating!"
Snape didn't take his eyes off of Hadrian for a moment, violently jabbing a finger over his shoulder in the direction of the witch he had disarmed earlier. "You idiot...!" With his other hand, Snape grabbed the collar of his top and pulled him even closer, "You spelled the woman into the wards...into the wards!"
Spit flew into his face as the man raged at him.
Hadrian breathed deeply through his nose. The potions master didn't know how lucky he was not to be flying backward into the wards himself right now.
Even with a control that had been honed by years of similar restraint, Hadrian was struggling to contain of his rapidly mounting temper.
"You idiot! You could have killed her! Killed her!"
His stomach lurched from a combination of dizziness from the incessant shaking and heavy breathing in his face. His wrist jarred painfully, trapped as it was between Snape and his body.
Hadrian didn't care if it was shock or something else stopping the others from intervening in this atrocious lack of emotional control and appalling display. And, honestly, Hadrian really didn't care.
Ripping himself free of the restraining grasp of his Professor, he stumbled backwards but righted himself swiftly. Snape, on the other hand, fell back onto the ground, landing ungracefully at his feet.
Hadrian let his wrist slide to his side despite the instinctive urge to cradle the appendage, pushing it close to his body to give it some sort of support. Breathing heavily, he dismissed the furious outrage rising in Snape's reddening features. Using the time it took for the bat to flap his way to his feet, to try to reign in his temper.
"How dare you..."Snape spat dangerously.
Hadrian was pissed; his wrist was throbbing unceasingly, his headache sending shocks of pain across his eyes and he was frigging cold!
Uncaring of the implicit threat in that tone, Hadrian cut him off. "With all due respect Professor," he ground out, staring the other down. "The fact that she was aiming spells at us, somehow from within the wards, her two companions doing to same. No warning, just three fully grown adults attacking two children yet to graduate from Hogwarts, I didn't really think the tickling spell was going to do it!"
It might be out of character to speak so assertively to his Head of House but everyone had a breaking point. Hadrian was relying on that fact to cover his arse.
Unfortunately, the events that followed could not be explained away so easily.
Snape was furious. Of that there was no doubt, and perhaps that might explain why the very intelligent, cool headed wizard acted as he then did.
It came with no warning.
Hadrian wasn't prepared for the vicious mental assault. Existing as he did, under the radar, he had not been exposed to more than the occasional soft sweeps from his Head of House in the past.
Now, Snape threw his entire mental focus behind the attack, intending to make the illegal intrusion as excruciating as possible. He wanted to hurt the boy for his disrespect. His rage at the fact that Walker, a pathetic Mudblood, was making him look like a fool, humiliating him; blinding him to the brashness of this action.
Why wasn't the cretin cowering?
Why wasn't he ashamed and terrified of the fact that his actions would have killed a woman had he not been there?
But mostly, Severus wanted to know where this Hadrian Walker had come from, the one staring him straight in the eye, unflinching.
And he wanted to know why he had never seen him before.
Hadrian hadn't expected it. Holding back his anger as he was, calming his heartbeat, forcing his practical mind to overcome his heated emotions.
He simply hadn't believed that Severus Snape; cool, collected, methodical Snape, would have the gumption or inclination to launch a brutal Legilimency attack on an underage wizard, in the presence of others.
And so, Hadrian's reaction was instinctive.
Snape's powerful assault met reality; unhidden, impenetrable walls.
Living, wearing a mask so complete it encompassed every aspect of him, meant Occlumency was more than essential. Living under a guise so different from his real personality, within the walls of a castle containing two of the best users of mental magic's, required talent, vigilance and power.
Severus Snape's unthinking action brought him into direct confrontation with those very real defences, triggering them.
Hadrian had more power, talent and resolve than his opponent and it showed.
It wasn't about the effort, it was about willpower.
Total, merciless commitment blocked the mental assault and in the same breath shaped the force, curved it back on its owner and struck back twice as hard.
The automatic retaliation was ruthless.
The fact that Hadrian's instinct was so confidently violent, telling.
It all happened within the blink of an eye.
Snape didn't even have the chance to gasp in pain, the block and subsequent aggression of the mental retaliation gone before any physical symptoms could manifest.
...
Severus and Hadrian stared at each other, breathing heavily.
...
Excited? ;D