:Dungeons, the next day:

"He abandoned you?" Violet looked up from her book.

Julian was staring at the fire, as he had been doing for an hour or so.

"Julian?"

He ignored her and concentrated on the flames.

She looked around quickly for something to throw and found a shoe, belonging to Severus, lying by the foot of her couch. Not thinking twice she tossed it at him and it collided directly with his leg.

"Oi," Julian turned to her and raised his brows, "what was that for?"

"You were being moody and silent," she answered.

"Oh," he shrugged and turned back to the fire.

"You don't still expect me to kill her, do you?"

"Not at all."

Violet nodded and tried very hard to read and comprehend her book but it was not working, "dammit, Julian, talk to me."

He looked up at her and shrugged, "nothing to say."

"You were just sacrificed by your lover, the Dark Lord, in exchange for an attack now doomed to fail. You must feel something," she answered sharply.

Julian shook his head, "not a damn thing."

"J-"

The door opened and Dumbledore entered, "Mr. Malfoy?"

"What?"

"There's an agent from the Ministry who wishes to interview you."

"Interview me?" he rolled his golden eyes More like interrogate me.

"Yes, please come," Dumbledore led him out of the dungeons, through the warm and buzzing school to his office.

Official Dreziak Xian was seated next to the Head Master's desk with his steel quill posed and waiting for the interview. He looked older than he had just under a month ago, "Mr. Malfoy."

"Drezzy," Julian seated himself. Xian had attended Hogwarts when he and Violet had. Julian was three years younger than those two though and had left school at fifteen to pursue a career in trouble.

"It's Official Xian now, Mr. Malfoy," he answered.

Julian shrugged and shot a look at the quill, "this about the Dark Lord?"

"What else would it be about?"

"You could be hoping to catch up with me, I wouldn't know," he said and looked at the headmaster.

Xian rolled his eyes, "October the eleventh, twelve eighteen in the afternoon. Official Dreziak Xian questioning Master Julian Adonis Malfoy in the office of Head Master Albus Dumbledore in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on the subject of Master Julian Malfoy's involvement with the Dark Lord Voldemort."

Julian shifted in his seat and leaned forward a little, smirking. He had no more connection or care for the Dark Lord nor did he really want to discuss the situation, but oh, it was fun to see people squirm.

"You have spent the past three years in the company of the Dark Lord, correct?"

"I would say that."

"Are you a Death Eater?" Dreziak was cutting to the important information. He was a civil and hard-working young man without bias or hatred of any one particular group of people. He was, however, not font at all of Julian Malfoy, he could not figure out why but something about him was creepy and unsettling and…mind boggling.

"No," he shook his head and revealed his forearm, "I went to the meetings, conveyed messages, trained incomers, lived in the base and assisted in handling prisoners but I never killed anyone, cast an Unforgivable or tortured anyone. I was something of a secretary."

"You have betrayed the Dark Lord?"

"Yes, he threw me aside and I do not take kindly to people who disregard me," Dreziak saw anger flare in his golden eyes and they became liquid gold, spinning and ready to burn someone.

"Are you willing to help the Ministry capture Death Eaters?"

"I am."

"Are you willing to tell us everything you know about the Dark Lord?"

"There are some things I know about him that you wouldn't want to know." He smirked as Xian blanched, "but everything I know that is useful is open to you."

Xian nodded, "did you do anything else for the Dark Lord?"

Julian knew it was an official question; they wanted to know how twisted this creature was. "I was his consort."

He nodded again, "what were the last orders the Dark Lord gave you to do?"

"Order Lucius Malfoy to kill his wife."

Xian looked startled, "did you do so?"

"Yes," he nodded back, "but then I went to the dungeons and told a prisoner, Violet Genevieve Parkinson, to come to Hogwarts and do it instead. Lucius could never kill Narcissa, for she does not let him so close. Violet has since been relieved of her mission for it was I who was supposed to watch her progress. Now that I am disconnected from the Dark Lord, there is no reason for her to try and kill Lady Malfoy."

Xian frowned, "why is he so focused on killing Lady Malfoy?"

"She refuses to follow the Dark Lord and now refuses to give her child to his services."

Dreziak now understood, "of course." He picked up his quill, "I'll take this to the Ministry, it will be reviewed and it is likely you will be interviewed again."

"Oh goody, I do so love the attention of you official types," he rolled his golden eyes.

Dreziak looked at the old man and then turned to Julian, "how have you been since you left?"

Julian was caught a little off-guard. He knew Dreziak did not like him, they fought in school and until Julian skipped out in Dreziak's Seventh Year they were arch nemeses.

"Surviving, I was nearly disinherited but then my parents forgave me. I was only really living free for a year before the Dark Lord came calling."

"He came to you?"

Julian nodded, "I was sixteen, a pureblood, fallen from grace and living in St. Petersburg working as a barkeep and male prostitute. I wasn't exactly hard to convince."

Xian nodded, "no offense, but he could have any young man or woman in the wizarding world, why you?"

Julian pondered for a moment, "I'm a Malfoy, he thought it would help keep Lucius and his family loyal."

"It didn't work, did it?"

"No. Lucius would have stayed loyal of the Dark Lord did an Irish River Dance on his dead father's skull while wearing a shirt reading 'Malfoys love Muggle borns.' I wasn't his motivation. Narcissa and Draco would not have joined the following for anything, much less their prostitute relative."

Xian winced every time Julian called himself a prostitute. It was very weird to hear him speak so poorly of himself or admit to such a…distasteful profession.

"What are you going to do now? You were fifteen when you left this place, not much experience or certification in that."

Julian shrugged, "most likely I'll take over Snape's job when he retires to raise his kid."

"You teach potions?"

"No, but I can cook pretty bloody well, same thing, right?"

Xian thought, "I suppose it is; measuring, stirring, adding, heating, that sort of thing."

Julian nodded, "How about you? What do you do when not interrogating teens?"

Dreziak smirked, "I analyze interviews, try to find clues or hints or summarize confessions or think up new questions to ask suspects."

"You're a document analyst?'

He nodded.

"I thought you would want to be one of those creepy Department of Explosives guys who runs in, sets a bomb and runs out, exciting and fiery and that."

He smiled, genuinely, "I used to be a little more…adventurous, in school. I would rather read all day than risk my ass trying to fight off Death Eaters."

Julian chuckled, "they're bloody nutters."

He agreed, "it's not that bad, you could probably become an intern or get a clerk job pretty easily."

"I could be the Minister of Magic, our government is completely skewed that way."

Xian nodded, "I expect so."

Julian was being almost eerily civil. Dreziak remembered their Hogwarts days and would not have guessed he would end up like this.

:Hogwarts, Five Years Ago (Harry Potter and Co's First Year):

"Welcome!" Dumbledore grinned around the hall. "Welcome to a new yaer at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few rods. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

"Thank you!"

"Bloody nutter," Julian Malfoy sneered and looked up at Dumbledore.

"Shut up about the Head Master," Violet snapped at the younger boy.

"You shut up and bugger off," he answered.

Violet glared but remained silent.

Dreziak Xian was a Ravenclaw and sitting with his back to the Slytherin table near where Julian was placed with his back to the Raven house.

"Excited for classes?" Xian asked his friend.

"Yes," she answered and looked at the Hufflepuff table, "especially for Cedric."

He was a fourth year and turning into a good looking boy. He was a year under Xian and his friends and a year ahead of Julian, the Slytherin Seeker.

He laughed but then heard Julian, "I heard her talking about how much she likes that horrible little Badger-boy…Cedric Didgery?"

Violet raised her eyes heavenward, "Diggory, and of course she likes him."

"He's a god-awful bastard and should kick off."

Dreziak was about to turn to confront the blonde when he caught Violet's gaze and stopped. He returned to his food and remained silent. Until they were in the hall,

"Cedric Diggory is my friend, Malfoy, and you should stop talking so much shite about people you don't know." Dreziak cornered him.

Julian sneered, "Or what? You'll call your Bello-Russian father on me? You'll bore me to death?"

Dreziak tensed and leaned in closer to the golden eyed boy, "Someday, Malfoy, you'll get what's coming to you."

He turned and began to walk away.

Julian walked away, surrounded by his year mates who began talking about hexes to put on the Raven Claw.

:Two Years Later:

"Shut up, Draco. I've heard more about Harry bloody Potter than I ever cared to," Julian snapped suddenly and began throwing things into his trunk.

Draco glared at him and left the fifth year's rooms, leaving his cousin to pack.

Julian stopped what he was doing, seated himself and looked at his trunk for a moment.

"What the fuck am I doing?" he asked himself in the silence.

He took his wand, money and a few essentials in his school bag before setting his trunk and bed on fire. Julian ran from the room and Common Room and then down the hall towards the doors to the school.

It was nearly midnight and he was not a prefect or head.

That meant he was in trouble when he saw Raven Claw prefect Dreziak coming towards him.

"Bollocks," he muttered and stopped where he was, already seen.

"What are you doing out at this time of night?"

"Nothing," he went to leave.

"Answer me," Xian grabbed his wrist. He saw Julian was not wearing his usual expensive slacks, shirts or shoes. He was in black jeans and a long sleeved shirt with a heavy coat over it and boots. "Where are you going?"

"Away!" He screamed. Something cracked and he was panicked and angry, enraged even. "Away from this prison and that coot and you and every-bloody-one, I'm leaving and I don't care and I can't stand it and if you touch me one more time I'll kill you, I'll bloody kill you."

Dreziak let go of him and backed away, wide eyed with his hands in the air.

Julian breathed heavily and disappeared into the night just as Snape went by with a burnt rag, heading towards the Head Master's office.

:Present:

"Where did you go? St. Petersburg you said?"

"I ran into the Forest and illegally apparated myself to Moscow and traveled by muggle means across the country to St. Petersburg."

"The school went crazy after you left, you know that?"

"I didn't keep in touch," he answered coldly. "Is it all right if I smoke?"

Dumbledore snapped back to present, "I would prefer you-"

Julian had already taken a cigarette from his boot and lit it, he offered it to Dreziak, who took a drag and returned it. "Why not?" he asked.

"I had no reason, none of them were close enough to really care what happened to the other Malfoy. I didn't care enough about any of them." Julian answered.

Dreziak nodded and accepted another drag from the cigarette, "it was insane. There was the whole Sirius Black escapee thing going on but that wasn't the half of it. Slytherin was in shambles, you don't know it but you had to be some sort of rallying point for them, some joint. When you disappeared they had to re-centre and it was a little like Armageddon."

Julian raised his brows, "how so?"

"Everyone wanted to be the new centre of the house, to be the joint, the piece that you were. I can't imagine how it ended so peacefully but they centered on Draco Malfoy."

Julian nodded, "I expected as much. In Slytherin," he took a very long drag, "the person with the most prestigious heritage is the central figure, the unofficial Head. It should have shifted when Draco first came but I was around and, of course, before me there was Azriel."

Dreziak nodded solemnly and accepted the cigarette, "he was frightening."

"Azriel attended this school?" Dumbledore whipped around to look at them.

Julian nodded, "for his last year."

Dumbledore thought hard about who he could have been but no one stood out, he had no idea who they were talking about.

"In any case," Xian said, "it was really interesting. Anyone else wouldn't have been able to tell, but since my little brother was one of you I heard all about the fights and crap that happened every night."

Julian gave a nod, "that's purebloods for you."

Dreziak checked his watch, "god, it's nearly supper, I should go."

"Stay here, Drezzy," he said the name the way he had when they were younger, either mockingly or affectionately, it was always unclear. "There's always extra food."

Xian sighed, "all right."

Dumbledore seemed about to protest but the two were gone. In the Great Hall the Head table was extended again to fit the new guests. Violet, Julian and Dreziak were seated at the end with Snape and Narcissa and Cuida smiling at Locke. McGonaggle smiled and spoke with Xian for a few minutes before dinner started as the students were filing in.

"The Ministry, hm?"

He nodded, "it's all right, lots of work, mostly reading and just a little excitement."

She gave a small laugh, "I remember the years when you hosted the Raven Claw parties, always some sort of explosion or fiasco."

He chuckled, "I couldn't help it."

She returned to her seat next to the Head Master as the food reappeared. Violet and Dreziak began a long conversation while Julian concerned himself with making a potato and gravy volcano.

Draco was seated at the head of the Slytherin table, farthest from the teachers and he was watching his cousin suspiciously. Theodore flinched as someone shouted and a dropped a plate, causing a bang. He was on edge and understandably so. Desdemona, his mother and Pansy's were arriving in a matter of minutes. A follower of the Dark Lord was eating in the same room as him and they did not trust that the bond between Julian and Voldemort was broken. Theo glared at his food and stabbed a steamed carrot.

Blaise was looking ill as well. He was drinking hot tea, eating a massive bowl of watermelon and nothing else. He was giving Pansy a bit of a panicky look. She was worried about Blaise and more worried about Theodore.

Julian, at the Head table, growled and stood up. He bloody hated sitting with the stuffy old professors and the loopy Head Master. He walked to the Slytherin table and seated himself next to Pansy. "Evening," he said and drank some pumpkin juice.

"Why are you here?" Draco asked.

"The professors are all horribly boring and it feels oh, so awkward to be with the people who had to deal with me as a youth. Besides, Theo looks ready to snap and Blaise looks ready to sick all over the table."

Theo flinched ever so slightly at his name, "I don't want you near me."

Julian nodded, "I can see that. But I don't really want you near me either; see, if you had remained in the service of the Dark Lord, he would never had come for me and I would still be a happy free-bird in Russia."

"You were sixteen when he came after you. When he came after me, I was eleven and you can't have expected me to care about what happened to anyone else. I was nearly handed over to a man living in the back of my Dark Arts Professor's head. He was at least sort of something when he called on you, he wasn't half so appealing when he wanted me."

Julian looked at the Nott boy. He had dark hair and reddish brown eyes and he was fairly good looking but unremarkable. He was not a Malfoy. He was a decent kid with a good, level head and strong loyalties to his friends and at least part of his family. He was too sympathetic and caring and would have made a terrible Death Eater. After a few months he would have been discarded, as Julian was.

"He never was appealing," Julian hissed back, "you think he showed up, said some pretty words and whisked me back to England? No. He burned the tavern I worked at to the ground, killed six people and kidnapped me. If I didn't stay with him the entire fiasco would have been my fault and I would have been a felon, not so happy free-bird."

Theodore looked around them, "I don't want to talk about our experiences with the Dark Lord, not here."

Julian shrugged, "you started it."

Theo held back a retort and focused on his food. There was a scent to Julian, death and evil magic and the Dark Lord had that same scent. It crawled into his stomach and curled up and made him queasy and uncomfortable and panicky.

Julian suddenly straightened up and looked at the Head Table. No one else could have possibly noticed it but those who knew him extremely well; Snape's dark mark was burning.

Julian sensed it, he hated that he could but he did. Julian looked at the man and they exchanged a short conversation. Julian turned to Draco and his friends, who had seen and understood, and he stood and left as the Potions Master did. Draco looked at his mother and she nodded. Draco and his friends left the room.

Dreziak was utterly confused but Violet told him not to worry, it was one of those nights.

:Outside the Castle:

"Be careful," Julian stopped the older man, "Azriel is free, if you're called to that place he'll be prowling. He'll kill everyone."

Snape nodded and pulled his hood on, "Thank-you Julian."

"Wait," Julian stopped him, "tell Azriel, if you see him, tell him I'm here."

Snape nodded again and rushed from the school grounds, leaving Julian on the top stair with his back to the doors.

"What's happening?" Draco exited the castle to see his cousin.

"Meeting," he answered and re-entered the castle.

Draco could still see his godfather moving across the grounds and he dearly hoped it was not the last time. Narcissa appeared behind them, "Desdemona and the girls have arrived, Julian, you should find yourself a quiet place to be away from them. Draco, come support your friends."

The two boys nodded and parted ways, Draco followed his mother to a sitting room in the dungeons while Julian went to Shag Terrace to smoke.

26- done and doner.

Oh man, I have not been home for the past 24 hours...that's pretty much why I didn't update Friday or Thursday or yesterday. Sorry dudes. I hope this beastly chapter makes up for it.

The musical went really well, super good, actually. Uhm, school's still stupid...Denny's has great omelettes...

Answers to questions:
Someone asked who Atticus is: no one really.
Will Blaise and Ron get together: (this is the most popular question) :hee hee: WELLL! We'll seeeeeeezle. Maybe, maybe not. There's an answer somewhere...you just have to find it. I'm a tricky devil, aren't I?
How did I get so rad: Well, it started when I was a sperm and an egg, they combined, learnt the tango and I became a fetus (with some other smaller stages in there) 16 years later I'm this kid. LOVE

FireStorm loves you, and you and you...and you too...I guess.