A/N: THAT'S RIGHT, I UPDATED ON TIME! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? No? Me neither, to be honest. This chapter is a bit tame, as everyone is adjusting to the changes going on in the "Dark Side". It's mostly just a set up for the next chapter, to be honest. Still, I hope you enjoy it! I was originally going to start a new book for year 5, but decided against it. Once I finish YR 5, I'll start a new book with years 6-Epilogue probably.

Hope you guys like it! Remember to review, it means the world to me!

July 2nd [Riddle Manor]

"You're not Draco," Hadrian frowned from where he was sitting by the fireplace. "He said to meet him in the West Parlour at ten in the morning, sharp."

"You're definitely not Daphne," Destiny snorted, making no move to step away from the door. She didn't even have to try the handle to know the door had locked behind her.

"What is the meaning of this?" He raised his voice. "Why did they trick us into this room?"

"Because even budding Dark Lords have to make nice with their sister," Draco shouted through the door.

They both looked amused as they heard muffled noises and then finally a clear smack coming from the other side of the door.

"Don't mind him," Daphne called out. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, but you two have to make up and resolve whatever issues you have before we make any further plans. It won't do to have our regime be divided at its core," She paused, "Now, Draco and I both plan on staying right here until you fix your problems."

"You know I could easily blast this door down," Destiny threatened. "I already did it once when I was nine, I can do it again!"

Hadrian smiled involuntarily at the memory. "I remember that," He said slowly, "You stepped on my favorite broom and ruined the bristles. And I got so mad I told you that you couldn't play with Draco and I for the rest of the day."

Destiny smiled back hesitantly, "And then I cried so badly I accidentally blasted this entire wall down." She walked closer to where Hadrian was sitting and pointed out, "You still forgave me pretty quickly after that incident."

"Isn't that an interesting trend?" He said bitterly, "You make a grave mistake and I forgive you, despite my attempts at punishment."

She bristled at that, "I don't think stepping on your broom is as 'grave of a mistake' as you make it out to be."

"No but lying to me for seven years and betraying our side certainly is," He easily replied. He cocked his head to the side, "Or do you think that's just another childish folly of yours?"

"How many times do I have to apologize for that?" Destiny shook her head, sinking into the armchair beside his. "I only did what I thought was right."

"By lying to my face," He remarked.

"Yes," She nodded. Then she frowned, "Wait, I mean no!"

Hadrian raised an eyebrow, "Are you denying the fact you lied to me? You're denying the fact that you purposefully withheld information from me so you could get the future you wanted?"

"No," She drawled out, "I purposely withheld information from you so you could get the future you wanted. I did it for you. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

He ran a hand through his hair, "See, that's what I don't understand. In the past seven years, you couldn't find the time to tell me something as big as this? Why did you hide it from me?"

"Because you weren't ready for the truth," Destiny snapped. "You were trapped under his influence. If I had even brought it up, you would've turned me in. I had to wait…until I was sure you would make the right choice. Until I was sure I could trust you."

"Excuse me?"

"If I had told you the truth when you were nine, tell me you wouldn't have run straight to Father dearest and told him everything," She crossed her arms across her chest and fixed him with a challenging look.

He clenched his jaw.

"Tell me you wouldn't have done everything in your power to change the future."

He averted his gaze, deciding to glare at the flames flickering in the fireplace instead.

"I had to wait until I was sure you would choose to put yourself first," She explained firmly. "I had to wait until I was sure you saw the right choice."

"You had to wait till I was miserable enough taking orders from my father that I would make the selfish choice and turn against him, you mean?" He scoffed.

Destiny shrugged, as if she didn't see the difference. Upon seeing the hard look he still insisted on wearing, she sighed, leaning her head back against the comfy armchair.

"Please say you forgive me," She worried at her lower lip, feeling her nervousness creep back up to the surface, "I didn't mean to hurt you, Hadrian. At least believe me about that."

"But you did," He pointed out with a huff.

"We all have to make sacrifices," She mumbled, "I knew doing this would tear me away from you and mum– I mean Bellatrix–but I had to do it. This was my destiny, pun intended."

Hadrian reluctantly cracked a smile at her poor attempt at a joke but tried his best to taper it down when she turned her hauntingly bright blue eyes on him.

"I missed you," She admitted. "And I miss mum, but I knew I couldn't even show my face after everything happened." Destiny looked down at her clasped hands, fighting back tears, "Now she probably won't even talk to me."

"She misses you too," He automatically assured her. He wasn't sure why he was comforting the girl that had ruined his life for the past year, but he supposed old habits die hard. He swallowed painfully and added, "She's a bit–unstable–at the moment, all things considering, but I know she still loves you."

Destiny laughed bitterly, "Please don't lie to me, Hadrian. If you aren't willing to forgive me, I doubt my mother would even look twice at me."

"I didn't say I don't forgive you," He drummed his fingers on the couch, "I just said you hurt me."

"I know," She frowned, deep in thought.

"You lied to me," He added.

"I know."

"You broke my trust."

"I bloody well know all of that!" Destiny cried out, feeling hot tears trickle down her cheeks. She sprung up from her chair and fisted her hands in her hair. "I know, I know, I know!" She licked her lips, "What do you want from me? To pay for my sins in blood?"

"No," He drawled out, "I already suffered through that kind of punishment for many years under my father's hand."

"Then what do you want," She blinked. She almost threw herself down to his feet, leaning against his legs and urging him to see the desperation in her eyes. "You know I'd do anything to earn your forgiveness, Hadrian."

His eyes turned dark and a cold smile curved at his lips. Destiny sunk further down into the floor, her shoulders tensing as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I want you to break up with Neville."

She shook her head instinctively, "No!"

He sighed, dropping the icy look that graced his sharp features. "It was worth a try," He grumbled.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now," She hissed, rising up from her kneeled position. "I've been killing myself every day thinking about how to earn your forgiveness and you're making bloody jokes!"

He rolled his eyes, "Come on, in comparison, is it really so much to ask? You tricked me into killing my father, and all I asked was for you to break up with your bumbling boyfriend."

"Who is also one of your best friends!" She shouted. "I can't believe this."

"You know, when you get mad your face turns redder than Weasley hair," He commented lightly, not bothering to hide his grin.

"Are you laughing at me?" She gaped, "Hadrian DRAVEN Riddle–"

Hadrian winced at the reminder of his horrid middle name.

"How dare you laugh at me! I've been worried sick, I haven't been able to sleep, I've been miserable all year," She ranted shrilly.

"Mipsy," Hadrian called for a houself over who appeared immediately with a pop. "Can you get my sister some of the good firewhisky, she's being a pain in the arse. A bit for me as well, if it's not too much to ask."

Destiny made a face, "Mipsy, no. It's not even eleven yet, don't let your Master drink himself into an early grave."

"Mipsy…" Hadrian began in a warning tone.

"Mipsy I forbid you to give Hadrian any alcoholic beverage until it's at least the evening," Destiny commanded, "Now be gone."

The elf looked torn between the two siblings, her giant ears flopping nervously as she slowly backed away. "Mipsy will go now."

Destiny rubbed her forehead in frustration, "Are you trying to kill yourself?" She jumped back into her seat with a huff, "What have you been getting yourself into without me? Daphne was supposed to keep you in line, though I suppose you ignored her this past year too."

There was a brief moment of silence where Hadrian felt the guilt settle in his stomach, but he barely had anytime to register the sinking feeling because he felt someone smack his head. His eyes narrowed, "What the fuck?"

Destiny hit him again, "That's for being an absolute prick this year." She smacked his head roughly, causing him to let out a pained groan, "That's for treating Daphne and all our other friends like shit."

Hadrian covered his arms over his head, trying to fend off the next attack, but was confused when he wasn't assaulted. He hesitantly uncovered his hands, looking at Destiny cautiously.

He wasn't sure where her hex came from, but suddenly he was blasted off the couch and he glared at her from the ground as she pocketed her wand back in her robes.

"What was that for?" He demanded, getting up from the floor slowly.

"That was for Padma Patil. Her? Really? Padma Patil? Aside from how much you hurt Daphne with that little stunt, you know her sister Parvati makes my life a living hell. She's the one who left a dead rat on my pillow first year! I don't know what having access to a dead rat says about her hygiene, but it was humiliating! How could you go off and date her sister?" Destiny raged, scrambling up from the couch with her hands on her hips.

"If I recall correctly, wasn't I supposed to be the angry one here? You made me kill my father!" Hadrian barked.

"Get over it!" Destiny shouted, ignoring his shocked look. "I'm the one who made you see you wanted this kind of power." She strode over to him, gesturing around her, "Tell me it doesn't feel nice, Hadrian. Tell me having the world at your feet and five hundred people at your beck and call doesn't feel marvelous. Tell me how this new power feels, Hadrian," She smirked, already knowing his answer.

He growled under his breath, "Fucking fantastic."

"I took a sad little boy, abused by the world, and helped turn him into a Prince," She reminded him with a saccharine smile. "Voldemort might've given you his knowledge, access to his Gringotts vault, and a seat at the table, but it always came at a price. I'm the one who convinced you to take the throne for yourself. I'm the one who forced your hand," She sniffed, "And for that, I will never apologize."

"I just don't know how I can trust your visions again. If you withheld something as critical as this from me … I don't know if I can see you the same as before," He confessed.

Destiny bit her lip, "I'm a Seer, Hadrian. The future is malleable, certainly, but some things can be written in stone. Some futures are certainly better than the others. And sometimes in order to secure the better futures for the people I love, I have to keep things from them."

He looked up at that, and she hurried to continue.

"I just need you to trust that I have your best interests at heart. If I don't tell you something, it's because it will hurt you more in the long run than it will help you. I'm trying to protect you."

"What if I don't need your protection?" He sneered.

"Everyone needs protection from the unknown," She retorted. "If you were about to sign a business contract that would ruin you, I would tell you immediately not to sign. But if signing that contract led to your ruin, which led to your passionate journey to determine a cure for dragon pox, which led to your success in finding a cure and tripling your wealth, then I might not reveal anything to you."

"So, you'd let me be ruined," He remarked dryly.

"Only temporarily," She insisted. "The future is simply the result of a series of actions. One wrong move can derail the entire timeline. I'm doing my best to look out for you, Hadrian. Why can't you see that?"

"I know," He said it so quietly, Destiny barely heard him. In fact, she assumed she had simply just misheard him until he added, "You're right. You only want the best for me."

She almost tripped over her own feet when he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Her angry stance deflated at once upon hearing those words and she nodded stiffly, "I always want the best for you, Hadrian. I'll always be loyal to you."

"Even before Neville?" He asked cheekily.

She rolled her eyes, "Even before Neville."

"What if you're pregnant and he orders you to kill me or else he would kill you–"

Destiny groaned loudly, cutting off his morbid imagination. "We made up," She called out, "Now can you please unlock the doors before my brother accuses me of carrying his best friend's lovechild and conspiring to murder him?"

There was a laugh and then an audible click as the doors unlocked.

She turned back to her brother and smiled softly, "And if you must know, my answer still wouldn't have changed. Also, you're bloody out of your mind if you think Neville can order me to do anything I don't want to do."

Riddle Manor [July 12th]

Daphne slowly slid open the kitchen doors, wincing as they creaked loudly. She tiptoed across the marble floor in her fluffy black slippers, her sheer robe trailing behind her in a rather dramatic fashion. She walked towards the kitchen counter and squinted in the darkness, trying to find the bowl of fruit that was usually there every day. She frowned when she realized the bowl was empty, which was a first.

"Your oranges are in the fridge," A voice called out.

Daphne shrieked, jerking back into the counter behind her and banging her elbow in the process. She groaned as the lights turned on, and her eyes fell on a very amused Destiny sitting across from her in a fluffy pink robe.

She placed a hand over her heart and gasped, "What are you doing sitting there in the dark?"

Destiny grinned, gesturing over at the open container of ice cream that she was eating out of in front of her. "I was just hungry," She admitted, hopping off the stool and opening the fridge door. "Not to mention, Riddle manor has always had the best ice cream. To be honest, anything's good as long as it's not mint chocolate chip. I told Mother once when I was nine that I liked it, and that's all she keeps in our freezer. Rodolphus thinks it's sweet, though, so he won't let me tell her otherwise."

She stuck her head back out of the fridge and asked, "But anyways, how come you're here so late? You know, other than to injure yourself on the countertops."

Daphne rubbed her elbow sheepishly, accepting the bowl of oranges Destiny passed her with a grateful smile. "You know, I didn't plan on hurting myself," She defended, "The oranges are usually on the counter every day. Honestly, I'm still surprised you haven't run out of them yet."

Destiny rolled her eyes, "Don't be daft."

Daphne paused in peeling her orange and looked up, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Destiny studied her for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing, "Oh Merlin, this is priceless. You don't know."

"Don't know what," Daphne demanded to know, hands on her hips, "Just what is so funny?"

"Daphne," Destiny began slowly, as though she were speaking to a small child, "We haven't run out because Hadrian made it extremely clear to the house elves that he wants a fresh bowl of oranges every morning, without fail."

"But why?"

Destiny walked back to her ice cream, shaking her head, "Are you serious?"

Upon seeing Daphne's unamused face, she realized her friend was dead serious. She groaned, "Daphne, he did it for you. Because he knows you like them."

Daphne was silent for a moment, as the words sunk in. She squeezed the orange in her hand, though her sudden tenseness went unnoticed by her friend.

"Hey, you never answered my question," Destiny pointed her spoon at her, "Why are you down here? You don't seem like the midnight snack type."

"Sometimes I just come in here to be alone," Daphne confessed, "Helps me think."

Destiny nodded, "I know what you mean, this entire lifestyle can be hard to adjust to at first. There's just so much always going on, it's overwhelming. I got a break from it sometimes when I was younger, but not Hadrian. He's been at the center of this entire operation since he was a child."

Daphne looked down at her hands sadly. "It must've been miserable," She murmured.

Her friend shrugged, "It wasn't that bad. Like I said, you get used to it. But making sure you have some time to yourself definitely helps. I know it must be hard with you sleeping in his room and all but- "

Daphne froze, dropping her orange slice on the counter in shock, "What did you say?"

Destiny rolled her eyes, "Can we skip the part where I pretend that I don't know that you've slept in my brother's bed every night since this summer started?"

"We're just sleeping!" Daphne blurted out, feeling her face flush in embarrassment. "We haven't-you know- "

"Ew," Destiny made a face, "We are so not talking about that. That's my brother."

Daphne nodded in agreement. "It's just, we both sleep better together. I-If I can physically feel him, then I don't have to worry about him getting into any kind of danger, you know? I don't even know how to explain it- "

"Please don't," Destiny grimaced. "Trust me, I get it. He needs you. He may be the new dark lord, but he's not even fifteen yet. He may rule the entire world someday, but remember one thing, Daph. You have a lot more control over him than you know. I think even more than he knows."

Daphne bit her bottom lip, "How did you even find out," She asked finally. Destiny was about to respond, but Daphne suddenly exclaimed, "Ugh, of course, you're a seer. You saw it."

Destiny wrinkled her nose, "You know, believe it or not, but searching the future to figure out my brother's romantic life is not something I do for fun."

Daphne waited expectantly and Destiny sighed. "Fine, I only figured it out because one of the houselves found your robe in his room and came to me crying because she didn't know how to wash that kind of silk. And since I'm quite sure Hadrian doesn't enjoy dressing up in the latest women's fashions, I put two and two together," She paused and added, "And also I saw you sneak into his room a few weeks ago."

Daphne tapped her chin in thought, "Oh, you mean the week Neville arrived and you insisted he stay in the private residence instead of the guest wing?"

Destiny crossed her arms across her chest, "The guest rooms are very cold and uncomfortable. I just wanted to make sure he felt welcome."

Her friend arched a brow, "Oh, I'm sure he feels welcome."

Destiny narrowed her eyes, "If you're trying to imply anything, I'll have you know Hadrian has done his absolute best to keep us apart. I'm pretty sure he locked Neville in his room last night."

Daphne shrugged innocently, "I wouldn't know, I was sound asleep in my room."

Destiny snorted.

There was a brief moment of silence as Daphne vanished away the orange peels and rocked back on her heels, "I should go. We have the first meeting tomorrow."

"It'll be fine," Destiny reassured her, "We're only meeting with the new inner circle, and it's mainly comprised of us and a few members of the older guard that you're already familiar with."

Daphne sighed, "I know, I'm just worried for Hadrian. I don't want him to…" She trailed off, looking down at her perfectly manicured nails.

"He's not his father, Daphne," Destiny said firmly. "I can promise you that."

Daphne nodded, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and quickly ducking out of the kitchen before her friend could say another word. She tiptoed across the marble floors, appreciating the silence of the impressive manor before tomorrow would come and she'd have to welcome a couple of guests.

As she trailed up the spiraling staircase, she pursed her lips as the thought of playing hostess to a group of people she had barely met left a heavy feeling in her stomach. She wished the past few days she'd enjoyed with her friends in carefree laughter would last just a bit longer.

She wringed her hands together as she approached the private residence wing of the Manor. She knew tomorrow the real work would begin.

Destiny would have a seat at the table, she was sure of it. She was a Seer, she had something valuable to offer.

Draco would offer his political commentary and his somehow endless knowledge about everybody else's business.

Neville could offer some war strategies, as she knew him to possess quite a strategic mind, despite losing to her at chess every single time they played.

Even Blaise could use his undeniable charm to coax information out of the unlikeliest of people.

Compared to her friends, she wasn't sure what she brought to the table. Her governess had taught her how to balance nearly seven books on her head, but she doubted Hadrian would find use in her perfect posture. She could speak three languages, but she knew Hadrian himself spoke four, and Blaise spoke nearly six. She frowned as she realized the only thing that she was probably good for was serving tea to everyone. At least she knew she could do that.

Her eyes briefly wandered towards the room that was supposed to be hers for all intents and purposes. Well, at least in name only since she had barely even spent half a night in there. Her clothes and all her belongings were in Hadrian's room. He'd even made space in his closet for her fancy dresses. Even her curlers and cosmetics had taken over all the space on his dresser, though he never complained about it.

As she opened the door to his room –their room, she supposed–she couldn't help but wonder if he knew how much his actions affected her. He'd seamlessly drawn her into his life, and suddenly Daphne felt like she was drowning in him. She wasn't sure if her willingness to drown made the situation any better or worse.

She wordlessly slipped back into his bed and pulled the silk sheets around herself, closing her eyes as she felt his arm instinctively wrap around her waist.

"You disappeared again," He mumbled sleepily.

She tensed, unware he had noticed her slip away. "Sorry," She whispered.

He simply pulled her closer, pressing a light kiss to her shoulder, "Did you find the oranges alright?"

She smiled softly, "Yes, yes I did."

The Lestrange Estates [July 13th]

"You're acting like a child," Rodolphus Lestrange informed his wife of eighteen years. "Get out of bed, we're going to be late."

Bellatrix Lestrange yawned purposefully, stretching out in her luxurious king size bed and burying herself further into her silk sheets. She shook her head, sending her curls flying. "I don't care if I'm late," She hissed, "I refuse to go to this meeting. The dark lord was murdered by his own heir and I will not let Hadrian get away with it."

"Please, you adore Hadrian as if he were your own child," He rolled his eyes, "Speaking of your own child…"

Bellatrix shut her eyes, "Shut up, Roddy. She isn't up for discussion."

He shrugged innocently, "If you say so. I thought you'd want to discuss her new boyfriend but if you'd rather feign sleep then that's alright with me."

She shot up in her bed, glaring at her husband. "Boyfriend? What boyfriend?" She demanded to know. "She isn't allowed to have a boyfriend. She's too young."

Rodolphus hid a grin, "She's apparently dating the Longbottom heir."

"What?" Bellatrix shrieked.

He openly smiled as he savored her angry magic lashing out against his own. Though he hadn't agreed with his quasi-daughter's actions, he had no problem admitting the dark lord had been a bit too unstable and replacing him with a better, younger model was certainly the right decision. He didn't believe Destiny should suffer as much as she already had for what she had done. He knew his wife missed her as well, but she was just too stubborn to admit it. The only way Bellatrix would even approach her would be out of anger, but even that was better than the cold silence that had created a distance between them for the past year.

"Why did she have to choose a Longbottom, of all people?" Bellatrix was rambling, getting more incensed by the second, "That family is an abomination. What's left of it anyways. How could she try to hide this from me? How could she disgrace our family this way?"

"Well, you know the only way to punish her for this is to go to the meeting," He reminded her, "She'll be there, of course."

Bellatrix faltered. She shook her head and crossed her arms across her chest, "I-I don't care. I will not go to this meeting. He can summon me all he wants, but I will not be supporting his actions by attending this meeting. I won't betray my lord like that."

"The dark lord is dead, Bella," Rodolphus snapped, "He was a bloodthirsty tyrant who didn't give two shits about any of us. How can you–"

"How dare you speak of the dark lord in such a disgusting manner!" Bellatrix growled, whipping out her wand in the blink of an eye, "I should rip out your tongue for your insolence!"

"I've loved you for eighteen years, Bella," He spoke quietly, studying his dragon hide boots with a frown. "For eighteen years I tolerated being second best. I watched from the shadows as you always placed Voldemort's needs above mine. I never complained when you would leave me to serve at his beck and call. But I can't do it anymore, especially when he's dead and I'm still alive."

"Don't be so dramatic," She scoffed.

"Sometimes I think…" His voice trailed off, cracking slightly at the end, "I think you'd always choose him over me."

"You're being ridiculous," Bellatrix informed him. "I married you, didn't I?"

"Only because you knew he would never marry," Rodolphus accused. "Admit it, you loved him! You panted after him for decades, Bellatrix–"

"Shut up," She warned him, scrambling up onto her knees and crawling over to where he leaned against the edge of the bed.

"He never looked at you twice, otherwise you would've thrown yourself at him. You did throw yourself at him, if I recall correctly," He arched an eyebrow.

"Shut up!" She shouted, "I only did that once and we weren't even together then–"

"You loved him," Her husband spat. "You always loved him more than me. You would've done anything for him. If he asked you to jump, you would do it. If he asked you to kill me, you would slit my throat without question. You were absolutely devoted to him. But he never loved you."

Bellatrix shoved her wand into his throat. "Don't say another word," She hissed.

"You were nothing but his fucking slave," He sneered, "And you still loved him more than me– "

He cursed as she abandoned her wand and slapped him clear across the face, hard. His cheek stung with the sheer force behind her hand, but he barely noticed as she grabbed him by the collar of his robes.

"I said, shut up," Bellatrix growled. "You should know better than to disregard my words."

"He's dead," Rodolphus reminded her cruelly. "You of all people should know better than to pine after something that's gone forever."

She gasped, abruptly letting go of him and even Rodolphus blinked in shock. He frowned, "I didn't mean–"

Her bottom lip wobbled. "Yes," She mumbled. "You did mean it."

There was a long moment of tense silence before he sighed, "I'm sorry."

Bellatrix glanced down at her hands and whispered, "I did love him."

She felt his gaze burn into her skin and she shook her head, "I never–We didn't–He didn't see me as anything but a follower. But I did love him. I loved him more than I loved you. I loved him more than I loved myself."

He clenched his hands into fists involuntarily as she continued to talk.

"I thought you understood," She pushed back a tuft of her curly hair. "It was never in a romantic way, like you may be thinking. I loved him because he gave me an out."

"What do you mean?" Rodolphus asked.

"My father, however much he adored me, wanted a son. But when he realized he couldn't have the perfect heir, he'd force us into being the perfect daughters. Bred to be the perfect wives someday. My idiot mother would always be disappointed I wasn't as polite or as gracious as Narcissa. Cissy was always the perfect one," Bellatrix smirked. "When I heard of the Dark Lord and his movement, it was like an escape. Suddenly I had a future that didn't consist of popping out heirs and hosting luncheons. I got to be free. I was treated like everyone else, not some porcelain doll. He gave me that feeling."

"He let you be…you," Rodolphus finished slowly.

Bellatrix nodded, "I wasn't held back because I was a woman anymore. In fact, he seemed to appreciate me more because of it. I was his most loyal follower, even more dedicated to him than Lucius."

"You loved him because he treated you like an individual, not as some daft housewife," He whispered. "You didn't–"

"I didn't. I would never betray you like that," She breathed. She looked down at her hands, "And Hadrian he–"

"Bellatrix," He said quietly, "You know the dark lord was unstable. He kept us in Azkaban for years. He manipulated all of us. He may have given you the freedom you desired, but it came with chains he fashioned himself." Rodolphus pulled up his sleeve, thrusting his dark mark in her face, "It came at a price."

"He promised me the world. He promised all of us the world," She spat. "I had power like no other woman ever had before. And I didn't even have to be someone's whore to get it."

"Is that what this is about? Your own place in the new order?" Rodolphus raised an eyebrow, "Nothing has changed, Bellatrix. You practically helped raise Hadrian as your own. He would never turn his wand on you."

"He's getting rid of the old guard," She pointed out, "He could easily get rid of us both."

He shrugged, "You're one of our strongest assets. He would be a fool to toss you aside. And I think Hadrian is doing the right thing. We need to be strong and we can't do that if people like Riordan and Jones are amongst us."

"Jones," She sneered hatefully, "I just wish I could wring his little neck the next time I see him."

"Perhaps the dark lord will let you," He suggested, enjoying the way her eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty rage. "If you make it to the meeting, that is."

Bellatrix made a show out of sighing heavily, pushing aside the silk sheets and rolling her eyes. "Fine, I'll get ready. I suppose I shall go just this once. I do have a daughter who is in need of a severe tongue-lashing, as it seems."

Daphne knocked on the door out of habit, gently pushing it open when she heard Hadrian yell something that sounded close enough to "Come in".

She smiled as she watched him pace in front of the mirror, readjusting his formal robes and fussing with his hair. His nervousness was adorable, really.

"Somebody's looking extra handsome today," She sang, walking over to where he was standing. "They're all downstairs waiting for you. I sent them to the main meeting room and informed them you'd arrive shortly." She paused and brushed a piece of lint off his shoulder, "You know, once you're done preening at yourself in the mirror."

He flushed, "I was not. I just wanted to make sure I looked decent."

Daphne laughed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You look more than decent, darling." She pushed his chest back as he tried to pull her closer, "No time for that, you have a room full of people waiting downstairs."

"They can wait," He waved his hand dismissively.

"Showing up late to the job on the first day?" Daphne tsked. "I'm sorry to inform you of this, but you're now the leader of a revolution. Your days of being fashionably late are over."

"Shame," He muttered dispassionately. Before she could blink, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss. He could feel her surprise and he smiled against her lips, though his smugness didn't last very long as she stepped away.

She shot him a warning look and reached up to fix his tie with a shake of her head. "Isn't it funny how the great Dark Lord, the King of Slytherin, and heartthrob extraordinaire–"

Hadrian snorted.

"–can't even tie his own tie?" Daphne smirked, easily fixing the messy knot he had tied halfheartedly around his neck.

"I like it better when you do it," He grinned cheekily.

She hid a smile and smoothed his shoulders down, "Well, now that we've kept everyone waiting for a bit longer than what is formally acceptable, we should head down."

He sighed and offered her his arm, "Shall we?"

Daphne laced her arm through his and together they walked out of the room and made their way down the spiral staircase in silence. Once they got to the double doors that led into the meeting room, she stopped awkwardly outside the door.

He raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing?"

She fidgeted, "I just thought I'd wait for you outside since– "

"Why?"

Daphne averted her gaze, "I just–I'm not sure what I could contribute to this. I'm not suited for this kind of–" She waved her hand as the words failed her.

He laughed, pushing open the doors and tugging her inside. "I wholeheartedly trust your ability to adapt, don't worry."

The conversation in the room stopped abruptly as they entered, and Daphne tensed at his side. She quickly scanned everyone in the room, mentally assessing their body language and their reactions to Hadrian's presence. Most people inclined their heads in a sign of respect or even turned their entire body to watch him.

Almost immediately, her eyes narrowed in the direction of a Death Eater she didn't recognize with ashy blonde hair and a certain nasty glint in his eyes.

Her grip on Hadrian's arm tightened, and he followed her suspicious gaze. A small smirk appeared at his lips and he murmured, "You're always one step ahead of me, aren't you?"

He led her over to a seat at the long table in the room, and Daphne inhaled sharply. It was directly to the left of the head of the table. She felt everyone's eyes on her as he pulled out her chair for her and helped her into her seat. As he walked over to his seat at the head of the table, everybody in the room scrambled to their assigned seats, wordlessly settling down and providing him with their undivided attention.

At Hadrian's right sat Draco. Though the blond looked rather nervous, he still silently mouthed "Our world" to her across the table.

Hadrian sat down in his seat and smiled at the people in the room. His followers.

"Welcome, everyone. I hereby call this meeting to order," He began, graciously accepting the file that Draco handed to him. "The first order of business–"

Suddenly the doors slammed open, and everyone glanced up in surprise.

Bellatrix Lestrange sauntered into the room, her husband following sheepishly behind her. Her hair was nearly crackling with angry magic as she viciously grabbed a Death Eater by the robes and hauled him out of his chair, nearly hurling him to the ground with an alarming amount of force. With a pleasant smile–completely ignoring her colleague's affronted glare–she turned to face Hadrian and clasped her hands on the table.

"How nice of you to join us, Bellatrix," Hadrian remarked dryly, "Unfortunately, you're late."