Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
AN:
This is a short chapter but a fast update. And I would greatly appreciate it if you told me what kind of things you'd like to read in the next chapter, that would help me immensely in writing it more quickly. Thanks!
A reviewer asked if I could write a scene from Voldemort's point of view. I know this would indeed clarify a lot of matters, but that's just the crux of the matter. Everything would be too simple and boring if we knew all the things that Voldemort has been plotting and if we knew how he really felt about stuff. So I'm sorry to say that I will not write a scene like that. We'll keep knowing only what Orion finds out about or suspects.
Ok, now I'm going to rant about something that one or two reviewers keep bringing up and which irritates me a bit. So bear with me *winks* If you don't like gay sex scenes, then don't read them. Besides the point that it had been ages since there was a slash scene in a chapter, everyone knows that this story has always been a slash fic: it says so in the summary, and warnings are written in each chapter containing those scenes. So I don't really want to know if you find the scenes disgusting. If you do, then read a non-slash fic, period. Moreover, if the reason you dislike the scenes is because they are between an old man and a teenager, then read the fic again. Voldemort is indeed 70-something years old –his soul, that is- because in my fic he didn't come back as in canon. Teenager Tom Riddle sprung from the horcrux diary and then Voldemort's spirit merged with teenager Tom, in Tom's body. The merging made the body have the 'mean' age of their added ages, and that would mean that Voldemort has the appearance of a 30-something year old man, and he doesn't have the snake-like features. He looks like Tom would have looked like at that age, only with crimson eyes. If you still find that sex between a 30 year old man with a 17 year old is disgusting, then fine, it's your opinion. But I don't want to hear it because the HP/LV pairing was stated in BH's summary, so everyone knew that the fics were going to have slash scenes between them. So again, the reader was forewarned. And finally, this fic IS a drama. It's clearly categorized as Adventure/Drama, so if you don't like drama, angst and the like, I don't know why you chose to read this fic. Phew! That's all, thanks *winks*
Chapter 29
"Orion… Orion… Oh, please wake up! Orion…" the frantic, concerned words filtered through his swirling consciousness, as he felt someone persistently shaking his shoulders and gently slapping his face.
With a groan, Orion slowly peeled his eyes open, realizing he was still slumped on the hallway, his head resting on someone's legs. His gaze soon trailed upwards, catching sight of Calypso staring at him with watery eyes, while she ran her hands along his face and hair, as if giving comfort.
"Oh, thank Circe!" choked out Calypso, relief sweeping across her expression when their gazes met. "I feared that you… Oh, thank Mordred that you're well!"
Grunting, Orion incorporated himself to a seating position, the young witch solicitously helping him to it as he rested his back against a wall. Suddenly, as everything came back to him, he gasped out and frantically fingered the Slytherin ring.
He let out a long exhalation of relief when he felt the familiar pull tugging at him, and he breathed out, "His piece of soul is still here, it wasn't destroyed… then…" With a frown, his gaze snapped ahead to stare at Calypso, and he murmured quietly, "What happened?"
Seated on the floor with crossed legs, she squirmed fretfully, and replied softly, "My father was summoned by Voldemort and asked to bring me to Malfoy Manor. He wasn't given any explanations, but I agreed to it to find out what was going on. When we arrived we were made to wait in a room."
She shook her head, and muttered, "We were there for a long time before Voldemort came in, with Snape, Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. And then…" She bit her lip, and gazed at him wearily. "My dad couldn't refuse, he had to maintain his cover as a Death Eater, and I… well, you once told me that I should go through with it if Voldemort ever tried to-"
"I understand," interjected Orion grimly, forcing himself to feel nothing except cold, hard-edged indifference. "So he finally did it… he gathered the five binders and went through some sort of ritual to break our marital bond, didn't he?"
He shot a glance at Calypso, who somberly nodded at him, and then glanced down at his bonding ring, slowly trailing a fingertip over it, as he muttered sharply, "I had begun to think he would never do it… after so long… and after the week I spent with him, I thought we had reached-"
"What happened between the two of you?" asked Calypso abruptly, worriedly frowning at him. "When Dobby told me you were going to stay with Voldemort, I thought you had fixed matters with him. Did you two fight? Did you-"
"No," bit out Orion angrily, his jaw clenching as he pierced her with a hard gaze. "We didn't fight, we didn't have any serious arguments, everything was going well! At least I thought so, and then he goes and does something like this…" He trailed off, sighing as he rubbed his forehead. "It doesn't matter. I couldn't care less. This is fine. I'm fine."
"Fine?" groused out Calypso, shooting him an exasperated look. "Sure, you always say that you're fine. It's your favorite word! And I don't believe it. After this-"
"What do you want me to say, then?" snapped Orion angrily, briskly swatting a lock of hair from his eyes. He gritted his teeth, and hissed out, "I AM fine. Now, I'm truly no longer his spouse. Now I'm free to do a lot of things!"
"If you say so," said Calypso with a skeptical huff. "But I want to understand what happened. Tell me what went on between Voldemort and you."
"Alright," said Orion with a sharp nod, as he started to slowly stand up, still feeling some aches coursing through his body. "I'll tell you about that and many other things. A lot has happened since we last spoke."
He helped Calypso get to her feet when he saw that she was having some trouble with it. She looked exhausted and weak, surely due to the exertion she must have gone through during the bond-breaking ritual.
When they were both standing, Orion glanced around with a puzzled frown. "Where's your dad? Didn't he come back?"
"He had to leave again," replied Calypso, carefully eyeing him. "He had to report to Komorov about the breaking of your marital bond with Voldemort."
Orion scoffed, as they slowly made their way into a parlor. "It figures. Komorov will be ecstatic to hear about it."
Calypso remained quiet as they entered the room, and she glanced at him when she detected a limp in his steps, and murmured quietly, "It was also painful for Voldemort, you know? I don't think he was expecting to feel pain. The instant the ritual was concluded, he was already writhing on the floor. He immediately yelled at us to leave. Well, he hissed, but we got the gist of it."
"Good," grunted out Orion, as he plopped down on a plushy couch. "I hope it was just as painful for him as it was for me." He shot her a nasty, vindictive smirk. "Actually, I hope it was ten times worse."
Sighing, Calypso shook her head, mumbling something under her breath. But without giving her a chance to say something he would undoubtedly not want to hear, he quickly proceeded to inform her about everything.
First, he explained in detail what had happened during the night he had gone to the cave with Dumbledore, proceeding with the happenings at Hogwarts and the Astronomy Tower, how he had gone back in time, and then what he had been doing since rescuing Draco from Voldemort. He told her everything regarding how he had killed Grindelwald; their meeting with Dumbledore, how he had found himself in the old coot's headquarters in Paris, meeting Arian for the first time, and then everything that Grindelwald had told him before he had killed the wizard.
Following, he related his meeting with Komorov and Sebastien, telling her about his theories regarding the light wizard who called himself the 'Vindico Lumen'. He then told her about his 'chat' with the Spirits, how he was 'thrice-blooded' with the Peverell lines, given that Grindelwald had been Antioch's descendant and since he was the man's grandson. And finally, he told her about his week with Voldemort, feeling no embarrassment as he revealed all the details.
Through it all, she attentively listened to him, without saying a word, her mind undoubtedly fast at work.
As soon as Orion finished his narration, Calypso musingly glanced at him, and said quietly, "I had figured out that you were Grindelwald's grandson when I read the newspapers. Nice touch with the monument and all, by the way. It was a good way of letting everyone know." She sighed, and muttered with annoyance, "Though, I'm angry at myself for not having figured it out before. Of course that the Spirits wouldn't have allowed Antioch to die without having descendants! How didn't we realize it before?" She shook her head, and added pensively without a pause, "The Vindico Atrum matter is becoming clearer, isn't it? As you say, it's all about the Peverells. But…"
She shot him a deep frown. "This Arian sounds like serious business. Even though you didn't tell Voldemort all the facts, he's a fool for not considering him a threat. If Arian is as powerful as you say, and if he's able to absorb Dumbledore's magic… Well, it's clear that you must dispose of him as soon as you can. I don't like the sound of this Vindico Lumen business, or the things he said to you. How does he know so much about you and about VA matters?!"
At Orion's tired shrug of the shoulders, she huffed and continued miffed, "Well, that aside, I think it's clear why Voldemort decided to break the marital bond now."
Orion shot her an arched eyebrow, and Calypso rolled her eyes, before she pierced him with an intense gaze, and said gravely, "Don't you see? When you had sex with him, and, er... when you did that weird horcrux connection thing, he must have felt the same things you did, only ten-fold. He's the horcruxes' master soul, and on top of that, you always said that since his soul is so mangled, he mustn't feel things as the rest of us do. He has spent decades without having strong emotions, and suddenly, during sex with you, he felt an influx of feelings he surely has never experienced before, at least not as strongly."
She leveled him with a hard gaze, and added pointedly, "Didn't you say you felt sensations of warmth, completeness and belonging? Then think what it would have meant for Voldemort, experiencing those things."
Calypso rested her back against her seat as Orion frowned at her, and she continued matter-of-factly, "He felt those things with you intensely, and I'm sure it scared him. Or, if it didn't frighten him, it surely made him feel uneasy and wary, for feeling such an attachment to you." She held up a finger, shooting him a smile. "Nevertheless, he went to you night after night. To experience it again, like a thirsty man tasting a sip of water and craving for more."
She dropped her hand, and added with a frown, "But at some point he must have realized how dangerous and risky it was for him. Someone like Voldemort wouldn't want to feel any deep attachments towards anyone. To him, feeling any kind of emotion, and perhaps finding himself liking and desiring them, must be repulsive. So, he decided to cut it short and put some distance between you. Thus, he broke the marital bond."
Her gaze snapped back to him, as if to see if her explanation had sunk in through his hard head.
Orion merely stared at her, and finally barked out a harsh laughter. "My, you have a very romanticized view of things, Scaly." He snorted, and said tartly, "I have drawn other conclusions." Demonstratively, he briskly yanked his Slytherin wedding ring from his finger, and waved it in front of her. "See, now that the bond is severed, I can take it off. Now, it's only a horcrux, and I'm sure he will demand to have it back. It's a test, to see if I'll give it to him. Indeed, he's testing the waters."
He leaned forward towards her, and added acerbically, "That's the reason why he has broken our marital bond, now of all times, after knowing that I'm Grindelwald's grandson, after seeing my magical aura, after becoming aware of just how powerful I must be. Voldemort is preparing himself. He will want to gather back this horcrux, he'll make sure that the rest are safe, and he'll ask again for the Gaunt ring, and threaten to kill me if I don't give it back to him."
Orion's jaw clenched, and he tiredly slumped back on his seat, as he continued sharply, "He's arming himself against me. And he'll get the Elder Wand by any means, and he'll target Snape and Draco to make sure that he truly becomes the Wand's master, without leaving any loose knots. And all of it, it's because he's planning for the possibility of turning against me if I become a threat to him." He shot her a piercing gaze. "The moment I step out of line, the moment I do anything to make him suspicious about my intentions, he will attempt to kill me."
"I still think that I'm right in my analysis," said Calypso firmly. Then, she eyed him with worry, and added waveringly, "But if you're also right, then what will you do about it?"
"Simple," replied Orion, shooting her a hard smile as waved the Slytherin ring in front of her. "I will give him back the last horcrux in my possession." He swiftly pocketed the ring, and continued calmly, "I will also give him a fake Gaunt ring, and I'll do nothing to stop him from obtaining the Elder Wand. And with those actions, he'll feel safer. He'll trust that I have no intentions of disposing of him to take his place." He shot her a wide smirk. "And when he turns against me -because he will, I'm sure of it, I've seen it- he'll use the Elder Wand, and fail. Because the Wand can't be used against its master, and unbeknownst to him, I'm it."
"I see," said Calypso slowly, eyeing him with apprehension. "But what about Draco and Snape? If, as you say, Voldemort is planning on killing them, then-"
"I'll prevent it, of course," interrupted Orion impassively, waving a hand. "Draco is the one more at risk, since Voldemort is already trying to find and kill him. But he's safe in this manor, for the time being. As for Snape… Well, I'll see him tomorrow at Lycaon, I'll tell him then why he needs to be careful around Voldemort. And once Voldemort has the Elder Wand, I'll protect Snape." He sighed, and carded his fingers through his hair. "I don't think Voldemort will kill Snape before having the Wand. I think he'll wait until it's in his possession because Snape is still a useful Death Eater to him."
"Alright," said Calypso, with a sharp nod. She shot him a penetrating glance, and added quietly, "You realize, that after this, Komorov will insist again that you start gathering the horcruxes. I agree with the tactic of giving the Slytherin ring back to Voldemort, but it will complicate matters for you once you decide to get the horcruxes." She quizzically stared at him. "Or aren't you going to do that-"
"Oh, no, I am," interjected Orion shortly, "when the time is right. If I go horcrux-hunting now, Voldemort will notice it." He snorted harshly. "He would surely notice if Nagini suddenly disappears, wouldn't he?" He shook his head, and added coolly, "I rather get the horcruxes when he has already turned against me, because at present I don't want anything disturbing the 'truce' I've reached with him. There must be no further distrusts among us while we plan for the war, nor when we're fighting in it."
"Yes, you're right," said Calypso approvingly. "And I'll go with you when you start horcrux-hunting." She shot him a wide grin. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, and someone has to help you get out of sticky situations, since you have a knack for landing in them."
"So it would seem," said Orion, chuckling under his breath. "Thanks. Your help will be much appreciated."
Calypso beamed a smile at him, before an expression of sudden remembrance spread over her face. She swiftly pulled out her wand, waving it, and in the next second a small, bulky letter came zooming into the room.
"Oh, this came for you a couple of days ago," she said quickly, handing the letter over to him. "I think it must be important since it's from Loki."
Eagerly, Orion ripped the envelope open, putting a short letter aside as he held up the ring which had been contained inside the small package. He closely inspected it, turning it to all sides.
"Is that the fake Gaunt ring you told me about?" said Calypso, inching closer to observe it. "Is it any good?"
"Yup," said Orion at last, when he concluded his inspection. He widely grinned at her while he bounced the ring into the air, before he quickly snatched it again, pocketing it. "It's perfect. Voldemort will never notice the difference."
"What does it say?" asked Calypso with curiosity, glancing down at the short, folded piece of parchment by his side.
"Um… let's see," murmured Orion, as he opened it and quickly read the brief sentences. "Well, Loki says that he isn't doing me any more favors – go figure… Ah, and he took Luna to the Guild… they tested her… and…" He folded the letter, and smiled at her with satisfaction. "And Luna passed the tests. She has been admitted as a Necromancer's apprentice. It seems she agreed to it as well, but told them she wouldn't start the training yet. That she wants to stay at Hogwarts for at least one more year, to continue her education. Loki doesn't sound too happy about it. "
He shook his head and chuckled under his breath. "I wonder if those two got along."
"Well, it's good news for you, I suppose," interjected Calypso musingly. "Though I never thought that the Lovegood girl had it in her to become a Necromancer."
"She'll be a weird one, that's for sure," said Orion, faintly smiling.
He waved a hand and the envelope and the short letter burst into flames before they dissolved into nothingness. With several flicks of his wrist he conjured an inked quill, a piece of parchment and a small blade.
"What are you doing now?" said Calypso, arching an eyebrow while observing him.
"What I should have done a while ago," replied Orion with a hard, determined edge to his voice, as he quickly scribbled down a few, short sentences.
He folded the parchment and pricked one fingertip with the blade's point, smudging some drops of blood on the letter and quickly muttering a spell.
When the letter disappeared into thin air, he felt as if he had just sealed a final deal, the consequences of which he didn't quite know yet, only that they would be long-lasting and probably life-altering.
With a sigh, Orion vanished the remaining items, and then glanced up at Calypso as he said curtly, "I wrote to Mireilla Zraven, letting her know that I'll be there in precisely one week. And I told her I would want to see the Kraljica Mati."
"Ah," said Calypso, closely regarding him. "And doing it now has nothing to do with Voldemort breaking the marital bond, I suppose, because you're fine with it."
Orion narrowed his eyes at her, and said sternly, "You suppose correctly. It has nothing to do with Voldemort or anything he's done. You know that I always planned on going to Zraven Citadel for a month during the holidays."
"Quite," interjected Calypso, her lips thinning as she pierced him with her beautiful large, black eyes. "And I suppose that recent events will not affect the decision you'll have to make at Zraven Citadel. I suppose that deciding whether to complete the bond with Lezander or not, will not be influenced by what Voldemort did today."
"It will not," said Orion coldly. He waved a hand, and added dismissively, "And if you're asking if I'll complete the bond with Lez, then I can only say that I don't know. We'll see. There are a lot of things I need to consider."
Calypso was about to say something, but she was abruptly interrupted when a letter flashed into existence, dropping into Orion's hands.
Not at all surprised by the expediency, he calmly opened it and scanned with his gaze the ornately penned words. Mireilla's reply was filled with congratiating sentences. His stay would be most welcomed, they would have a chance to 'heal the breach' between them, they would be able to finalize the negotiations between vampires and dark wizards, he would gain much from undergoing the vampire training, and such. It was clear that she was still feeling guilty for lying to him about Lezander's survival. Nevertheless, it didn't escape his notice that she didn't mention once the Kraljica Mati, nor Lezander and what he could expect.
But he was satisfied nonetheless, and he silently handed the letter to Calypso.
"The wheels have started turning again, I see," said Calypso with a sigh, as soon as she finished reading it, returning the letter to him. "Very well, if this is what you want, then you know you can count with my full support." She sighed again, now tiredly, while she rubbed her eyes. "We should get some sleep. I, for one, am exhausted. And tomorrow's going to be a long day for you."
Orion nodded in agreement, before he glanced around expectantly. "I wanted to talk to your father before going to bed. Do you think he'll take long?"
"I think so," replied Calypso, with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's possible that Komorov has assembled an Aux Atrum meeting to discuss recent news – the severing of your marital bond with Voldemort being one of them, I'm sure. If so, my father will come back late at night." She shot him a glance, and added with a warm smile, "But if you wondered about his decision, he agreed to stay here to train Draco when he wakes up. So there's nothing you should concern yourself about."
"Great," said Orion, beaming a smile at her while he slowly stood up and helped her to her feet as well. "Then let's get some sleep."
As they made their way to the family-wing of Potter Manor, Orion forced his thoughts away from any subject regarding Voldemort and into more practical and useful musings and plots.
They reached the master bedroom before reaching the suite that Daisy had assigned to Calypso, and Orion stood before his door, shooting the young witch a glance, as he said pensively, "Say, would you do something for me?"
"Certainly," said Calypso, arching a curious eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Like I told you before, Voldemort agreed to allow the Elite to participate in any meetings held to plan the war," he said quietly. "Not for the one I'll have tomorrow, but indeed for any subsequent meetings. And I was thinking that it's time for me to mark them, and-"
"Really?" breathed out Calypso enthusiastically, her eyes widening. "You want to mark the Elite? I think it's a superb idea! It was about time. I saw your mark on Draco's arm, and it's perfect, just like I had imagined it when I was working on the spell-"
"Yes, yes," interrupted Orion with a chuckle. "But my point is that I think that Potter Manor should become our Headquarters. I want the Elite to come here, to train, to plan a few things, and to tell them all about the Vindico issue. It's time they knew about everything. And then I'll mark them-"
"Oh! So you'll need to hold some sort of marking ceremony," interjected Calypso vigorously nodding, her eyes glinting with excited anticipation. "It has to be grand and meaningful. I can already picture it in my mind…"
Orion blinked at her when she trailed off with a dreamy expression on her face. "Er, right, a marking ceremony… yeah, that too, I suppose."
"You suppose?" said Calypso briskly, as if abruptly yanked away from beloved plots, her gaze snapping back to him. "Don't tell me you weren't thinking about having a marking ceremony? You know how things like those are very important to dark wizards. We like ceremonies for everything! The ritualistic meaning, the tradition behind them-"
"Yes, yes, I know," interrupted Orion with a sigh. "Gellert would agree with you-"
"Of course he would!" snapped Calypso, huffing. She leveled him with a hard gaze, and said firmly, "Leave everything to me. I'll plan the ceremony, and I'll write to the Elite to ask them to come here. When do you want to hold it?"
"Um, in two days, on Monday," said Orion, gazing at her warily. She looked like a titanic force that wouldn't allow anything or anyone –himself included- to get in the way of her new plans.
Carding his fingers through his hair, he added with a sigh, "Well, I guess it will be killing two birds with one stone. When you write to them, ask them if they can spend their holidays here. That was the initial favor I wanted to ask of you. I'll adjust the wards so that they can come and go from the manor."
"Excellent," she said cheerfully, shooting him a satisfied smile. "Then I'll take care of it tomorrow." She gently grabbed his arm, and started steering him into the master bedroom. "Now let's get you into bed."
"I don't need to be mothered," grumbled Orion under his breath, yet he ceased and desisted, allowing the young witch to fret over him.
"Sometimes you do," piped in Calypso matter-of-factly, as she flicked her wand at him, swiftly changing his robes for a set of comfortable pajamas.
And with another one of her flicks, he felt a cleaning-charm tingling in his mouth. And in the end, Orion resignedly allowed himself to be tucked under the bed covers, and he finally cozily settled himself for a long night sleep when she placed a puffed out pillow under his head.
About to close his eyes, he shot the witch a quizzical glance when he saw Calypso standing uncertainly besides his bed, making no attempts to leave the room.
"Um… I wondered if I…" she mumbled out, searchingly eyeing him. "Well, I wondered if I could stay here with you."
Orion's eyebrows shot upwards in perplexed surprise, before a dazzling smile spread over his face and he parted the bed covers invitingly. "Sure, hop in. It would be like old times when you used to slip into the boy's Hydra dormitory to rest and plot with me on my bed, wouldn't it?"
"Yes, it would," she whispered, a trace of melancholy in her voice. She shrugged her shoulders, and added quietly, "I kind of miss it."
"I've missed it too," said Orion instantly, not wanting to give her time to change her mind, given how long it had been since the young witch had wanted to have such close contact with him. "So hurry up and get in."
"Alright, give me a second," she said with a large smile, before she made her way to his closet, pulling something out, and then to the bathroom.
In no time, clothed in a set of his pajamas shrunk to her size, Calypso slipped inside the bed. Orion had widely stretched out his arms, to let her settle herself as she liked, carefully not making any move to touch her in any way, since during the year she had always pulled away when he had tried to give her a hug or the like.
When she had finally settled, Calypso was laying on her back, using the crook of Orion's shoulder as her pillow, with one of her arms resting on his chest. He noticed that the contact with the rest of her body was still minimal, but he didn't even attempt to ask anything to her. She would explain when she was ready, and that was it.
Nevertheless, he experimentally slowly touched the top of her head, and said hesitantly, "Is this okay?"
"Yes," she murmured contently. "You know that I love to have my hair touched."
With a grin, Orion caressingly trailed his fingers through her long, wavy black hair, feeling a modicum of enjoyment at its soft silkiness.
"Are you truly okay with what Voldemort did?"
Orion sighed; the girl was persistent. Leave it to her to still want to talk about it, to then give him comfort of some sort, no doubt.
"I don't want to discuss it further, Scaly," he said quietly, restfully closing his eyes as he kept caressing her hair. "As a matter of fact, I don't want to talk about anything serious. So don't even ask me how I'm feeling after killing Gellert and finding out that he was my grandad, which I'm sure you were going to ask next. I don't want to mourn him. I don't want to mourn anything, Scaly."
He heard Calypso sighing, before she tightened the arm she had draped across his chest, and heard her whispering softly, "I miss this, I miss Lezander, I miss the way we were."
Orion slowly cracked his eyes half-open, and gazed down at her, catching sight of a sad expression on what he could see of her face at that angle. And such an expression was an unusual one for her. He could tell that she had something on her mind, that something was making her grieve.
"Do you know which memory I use when I have to cast a Patronus Charm?" she continued softly. "The one when you, Lez and I changed into our animagus forms and went into the Shadow Forest." She scoffed self-mockingly. "Pathetic, isn't it?"
"It's not pathetic," interjected Orion quietly, tenderly caressing her locks of hair, trying to lend her some comfort to assuage her strange, melancholic mood. "I often use it as well."
Calypso tilted her head backwards to peer up at him. "Really?"
"Yes, really. It's one of my favorite memories of us," said Orion, warmly smiling at her. "Surely you didn't think that you were the only one to miss those times when we had little preoccupations in our minds." He pierced her with his gaze, and added quietly, "I miss that feeling of unity between the three of us, as well."
"Yes, so do I," she murmured, resting her head back on his shoulder. "I wonder if we will ever have it back now that things have changed so much… now that the war is coming…"
"Is that what's troubling you, the war?" asked Orion gently.
"Among other things, yes," Calypso replied vaguely. She sighed, and added grimly, "Many will die, Orion. Many among our acquaintances, and friends, even. Like everyone else, I know and accept it as something inevitable, but… but sometimes I cannot help thinking about it. I cannot help fearing who and how many I will lose, and that's only if I survive it-"
"Of course you will," interrupted Orion gravely, frowning down at her. "Everyone we care about will. That's one of the main reasons for me to become the Vindico, isn't it?"
"Yes, but I cannot feel as optimistic as you do," she interjected quietly. She tilted her head back, and shot him a hard glance. "People will die in the wars, Orion, no matter how powerful you become. You might as well accept it now. You cannot save and protect everyone!"
"I know that," snapped Orion sharply, before he sighed and closed his eyes, slumping his head back on his fluffy pillow.
"Sorry," he heard her mumbling regretfully. "I know that I shouldn't be burdening you with my fears, Orion. You have enough on your plate as it is."
"You aren't burdening me with anything," he sighed out, starting to caress her hair again while he kept his eyes closed in restfulness. "You can share with me any thoughts and fears you have. You know that."
A long stretch of silence spread between them, and when he thought that she must have fallen asleep, he heard her chuckling under her breath.
He cracked an eye open, and glanced down at her, to see her shooting him an amused smile.
"I used to fancy you, when we were kids, did I ever tell you that?"
Orion blinked, and then smugly grinned at her. "Is that so?"
"Yes, you prat," said Calypso, still chuckling. "And as usual, you didn't have a clue. The only one who noticed it was Draco." Her smile spread as something wicked glinted in her eyes. "He didn't like it at all. He's always been very jealous over you. And I dare say that Lezander also knew, given that we didn't get along too well in the beginning."
"Well, well," said Orion, his grin widening rakishly, "what else have you never told me about? This is getting interesting."
Calypso eyed him with an amused glint in her eyes, and whispered conspiratorially, "I also used to wonder what it would have been like if we had gotten together."
"Did you?" said Orion, letting out a bout of laughter. He glanced at her with a twinkle in his eyes, and murmured silkily, "And what was your verdict? Would we have made a fine couple in your opinion?"
"Perhaps," replied Calypso, saucily smirking at him, before she sighed as if greatly disappointed. "Too bad we will never find out, isn't it?"
"Yeah," said Orion with a chuckle, as he appreciatively carded his fingers through her silky hair. "But let me assure you that if I preferred witches over wizards, you would have been my first choice out of countless other women."
"Oh, you do me a great honor," interjected Calypso sarcastically, with a roll of her eyes. "I'm so flattered." She shook her head, and scoffed out, "You're such a vain git."
Orion unabashedly grinned down at her. "A little bit, perhaps. And speaking of vain gits, you still haven't told me if our dear Viktor has managed to not get dumped by Titania."
She shot him a smirk, and they proceeded to swap juicy rumors back and forth, chatting about everything and nothing of importance or consequence, falling into an easy, carefree camaraderie. And like that, whispering together like in the old, long gone times, they slowly dozed off, Calypso resting on Orion's chest, one arm wrapped around him, while Orion fell asleep with a sense of warm contentment he hadn't felt in a long time, one that could have only been provided by her.
With a weird dream involving white wings and beams of light fading from his consciousness, Orion woke up the following morning when he was roused by the sound of loud, panicked house-elf voices, accompanied by the noise of things being frantically moved around.
Instantly becoming worried and alert, he jumped off the bed to his feet, quickly realizing that Calypso wasn't in his rooms anymore. The young witch must have woken up before he did and chosen to let him sleep for a while longer.
Not even bothering to get dressed, he grabbed his two wands and rushed out of the bedroom only wearing his pajama pants. As he ran down a hallway, he caught sight of a frantic house-elf carrying a large chest, and demanded sharply, "You there! What's going on?"
"Master's friend said to pack everything," the house-elf wheezed out. "We is leaving, as ordered by Sir if we is discovered."
"What?" snapped Orion, frowning confusedly down at the creature. "What do you mean that- Oh, never mind. Where's Calypso?"
"Master's guest is at the main parlor, sir," replied the house-elf fretfully.
"Thanks, carry on with whatever you're doing," said Orion over his shoulder, already pelting down the corridor.
He went down the main stairway, jumping two steps at a time, and finally skidded around a corner, puffing out a pant of breath as he rushed inside the parlor. Orion immediately caught sight of Calypso standing before a tall window, a hand pulling the curtains to a side as she gazed out at something. Her posture was tense, and her wand was drawn out.
As soon as he reached her side, he panted out, "What the hell is going on? Why are my house-elves –"
She swirled around, apparently startled by him, but she didn't give him a chance to finish, as she said urgently, "They've found you. I was about to go up and wake you. There's an Auror outside the manor-"
"That's not possible," snapped Orion instantly, shooting her a frown. "They don't know that I have access to the manor. They don't even know that I have Potter blood, to begin with. And the manor cannot be seen or found by anyone who I haven't keyed into the wards."
Without pausing, he maneuvered around her to part the curtains and take a look for himself. He felt Calypso moving to stand by his side, also fixedly gazing out at a figure standing in the middle of the road, a long distance away, but it was someone who evidently knew what was hidden from sight.
"See?" said Calypso gravely. "We need to leave at once and take Draco with us. We could go to my manor for the time being, and then-"
"He isn't an Auror," interrupted Orion quietly, still fixedly gazing at the figure, who was now leisurely strolling about in a lazy circle – almost mocking those who observed him, he would say. "Tell Daisy to stop this commotion and to have the house-elves put everything back into place. We aren't going anywhere."
"What do you mean that he's not an Auror?" demanded Calypso sharply. "Then who is he?"
"That's Arian," replied Orion caustically, as he briskly let go of the curtains.
"That's him?" breathed out Calypso, instantly pulling the curtains apart once more, almost pressing her face against the window panes. "My… I hadn't expected him to be so… handsome and, um… well… nice-looking, in a very light-ish sort of way, but he's mightily attractive anyway… and…"
She seemed to remember herself, and dropped the curtains, glancing at Orion with a faint blush of embarrassment tingeing her cheeks.
At his narrowed glance, the young witch huffed and squared her shoulders, as she said curtly, "Well, the man IS gorgeous, so don't look at me that way. And he isn't how I had imagined him." She shot him a baleful glare. "You left out a lot of things, like what he looked like."
"Let me make one thing clear," gritted out Orion, pointing a finger towards the curtained window, "Arian can be a lot of things, but 'nice' is merely a façade. And what the bloody hell does it matter how he looks like?!"
"Of course it matters," said Calypso bitingly, "and mostly because you tend to fancy handsome wizards, and he-"
"Believe me, I'm in no risk of 'fancying' him," snapped Orion with angered indignation. He glowered at her, and sneered acidly, "I think I can control myself. What, do you think that I go jumping all wizards that look good?"
Rolling her eyes, Calypso scoffed. "The point is that he's out there, and obviously knows that the Manor is here. So what will you do? I don't think he'll leave until you come out." She shot him an apprehensive glance. "But it could also be an ambush. He could have Aurors waiting for him to give a signal."
"It's possible, I suppose," said Orion quietly, before his tone adopted a sharply annoyed edge. "But I don't think it's the case. He doesn't want me to be captured, because he wants me to become the VA. Remember that I told you about what he said? And it wouldn't make any sense for him to help the Aurors now, when he aided me when I landed in Dumbledore's Paris Headquarters. Most probably, he simply wants to speak to me."
Calypso deeply frowned at him. "What for?"
"I don't bloody know, do I?" groused out Orion impatiently, carding his fingers through his hair. "And I'm definitely not interested in having a 'chat' with him. But I'm sure he won't go away until he sees me. And the longer he stays there, the greater chances that some wizard travelling in the area could see him and wonder why there's someone apparently standing in the middle of nowhere."
He sighed, before he swiftly plucked out his Death and Life wand from his pants and moved towards the door.
"You're going out," said Calypso disbelievingly, "wearing only your pajama pants?"
"It's hot outside," shot Orion over his shoulder, "and I'm not dressing up just to see him! He's not worth the bloody effort."
"I don't think you should go," she called out anxiously, trailing after him, "I don't like this!"
"Neither do I, believe me!" snapped Orion, before he yanked the front door open and slipped outside.
Then he slammed the door shut in Calypso's face, and with a thought instantly locked it with the use of the manor's wards, for good measure, since he didn't want the young witch getting involved. She was capable of ferociously rushing to his aid like a mother-dragon if she deemed that the situation turned risky for him.
Orion made his way along the pebbled path that sinuously trailed across the manor's vast, beautiful gardens, with his Death and Life wand tightly clutched in his hand. And as he reached the ornate gate emblazoned with the Potter crest, he shot a glance over his shoulder and caught sight of Calypso peering out from a window, with a furious expression on her face at having been locked in, no doubt.
Turning his head around, he flicked his wand, and crossed the opened gates, feeling the tingle of wards brushing along his skin. As soon as he had taken a step forward, he knew that he could be seen now that he had left the Potter estates, and as he continued forward, his gaze remained fixed on the figure standing in the middle of the road, in the midst of vast, rolling hills.
The wizard was wearing light blue robes, with his curly locks of bronze hair being gently swept by a soft summer breeze, the young man's chiseled handsome face wearing an angelic expression of innocent benevolence. And the moment Arian's sky-blue eyes met Orion's green ones, the light wizard dazzling smiled and animatedly waved a hand at him, with supreme graceful calmness.
The light wizard was a pest. Orion gritted his teeth as he continued making his way towards him. No, that was the problem, that the wizard didn't rub him the wrong way, not as much as it should. His opinion of Arian had climbed up several notches after what he had unraveled during his conversation with Komorov and Sebastien. He even grudgingly admired the light wizard; the man was a force to be reckoned.
To make matters worse, he could already feel it from there: the aura of light magic that the wizard oozed, which already roused his inner magical core in agitation, as if preparing itself to clash against an opposing force and threat. Yet, the feeling of the man's aura also felt strangely familiar and eerily enticing. As if he was drawn to something that felt dangerously toxic and nocive, but wanted to taste it nonetheless, to drown in it.
And inevitably, it made him feel warily jumpy. Yet, Orion forced himself into utter cool impassiveness, as he squared his shoulders and finally reached the wizard, halting to stand before him. When he noticed that Arian wasn't holding a wand, he tucked his own away, since keeping it in hand would only make the other believe that he was afraid or wary of him. And that, he would not have.
"What do you want?" he said calmly, piercing the light wizard with his eyes.
"I applaud you," said Arian with a wide, warm smile, vigorously clapping his hands as his gaze trailed over him. "Bravo!"
Orion frowned, not knowing what the wizard was referring to, until he glanced down at himself and saw the thick mantle of dark magic that was rippling around himself.
"Beautiful aura, if a light wizard like myself can say so regarding dark magic," continued Arian warmly. "So, one down and another to go." The wizard's smile widened as he arched an eyebrow expectantly. "When will be dear old Tommy's time? I would like to plan the festivities beforehand-"
"Again, what do you want, Valenor?" bit out Orion, darkly glowering at the light wizard, not at all surprised that the man knew about Voldemort's real name.
Though he didn't like it, and much less that the light wizard was also evidently aware that according to the interpretation of the prophecy and to what the Spirits' wanted, Voldemort was the one he had to kill next, after having offed Grindelwald.
"Please, call me Arian," said the wizard warmly, his cerulean blue gaze still travelling along Orion's body.
"Fine," snapped Orion impatiently. "Now answer the question."
"Why, I only want to have a little tête à tête," said Arian loftily, as he waved a hand graciously, "since we were so rudely interrupted last time."
Orion pierced him with narrowed eyes. "You want to have a chat, right here?"
"Mais oui, I don't see why not," said Arian airily. "There isn't any other manor for miles, so we won't be seen. And I don't mind having the Rosier chit as an audience." He suddenly grinned, and gazed at some point into the horizon over Orion's shoulder. "And your manor is in an excellent location, very practical given things."
Frowning, Orion turned his face around to follow the wizard's gaze, trying to discover what on earth the man was referring to. Potter Manor was located in Wiltshire, like most manors of pureblood lines, whether they were dark or light. Rosier and Malfoy Manor were also in that wizarding county, as well as Fugde's and Scrimgeour's respective manors. But the wizard's comment didn't make much sense. What did practicality have to do with it?
But by the time he tried to follow the wizard's line of sight, Arian had already swiftly turned his gaze back on him, and Orion shot him a puzzled frown that went unacknowledged and unanswered. And, inevitably, he also wondered how the wizard knew that Calypso was in the Manor. But he knew that asking would be pointless; an enemy would never reveal his sources, after all.
Finally, Orion snapped impatiently, "Well, if you want to chat, then do so."
"You didn't answer my initial question," said Arian calmly, pinning him with a spearing blue gaze. "When will you kill Voldemort, hmm?"
Orion narrowed his eyes at him, but didn't dignify the question with an answer, and simply kept quiet as he faced-off the wizard.
A tingling laughter erupted from Arian's lips, and the wizard eyed him with condescending pity. "Oh, my, don't tell me that you're still adamant about sparing him? Of all the stupid things you could do." His expression turned benevolently soft, as he sighed with sympathetic exasperation. "Well, given your feelings for him, I shouldn't have expected anything else. Though, your reluctance to kill him will do you no good in the end. You will do it, as you very well know. But for now you can delude yourself as much as you want."
Bristling, Orion felt a surge of seething anger rising in him, but he instantly forced himself to cool down, and defiantly gazed back at the man, allowing his silence to once more express what he thought about what he was being told.
A fleeting expression of anger crossed Arian's face, before he took one step forward to be inches away from him. And ever so slowly, the wizard trailed a finger along Orion's face, as he murmured, "I can understand your misplaced feelings for Voldemort and the others. You've always been one to give your heart freely, to many, always thinking you were great enough to manage the consequences. You never seemed to think that it should be exclusively granted to one person only. You shared yourself with as many as you became infatuated with. In that, as in many things, you haven't changed-"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" finally snapped Orion with angered exasperation, as he briskly swatted the wizard's finger away. "Don't speak to me about a past life in which you knew me." He clenched his jaw, piercing him with his gaze, as he gritted out, "I don't remember. I don't remember you! And I don't want to, either. Whoever you knew me as, I'm not him anymore."
"We've known each other during several lifetimes, not just one," said Arian quietly, dropping his hand. Abruptly, his lips tugged upwards, and he pierced him with an intense gaze, as he stated shortly, "And you will remember all of it, that I can promise."
Orion snorted in disagreement, crossing his arms over his bare chest. The man could promise all he liked. That happening had a snowball's chance in hell. He wasn't going anywhere near the block in his mind, nor would he ever allow anyone else to do anything to break it down.
"Tell me," said Arian placidly, "why aren't you doing anything to attack me? I know you must want to."
"What would be the point?" scoffed out Orion, leveling him with a hard gaze. "I'm not the Vindico Atrum yet, and you…" He clenched his jaw, and continued grudgingly, "I know that you're more powerful than I am, at present."
Arian shot him a dazzling smile, as he bent down at the waist in a flourish bow. "A gracious admission."
At the man's antics, Orion darkly glared at him, and finally bit out, "I don't have much time on my hands, so get to the point of whatever you wanted to talk to me about. Because if you merely wanted to know when I'm offing Voldemort, then I'm leaving before you can waste any more of my time."
"Very well," said Arian, swiftly incorporating himself to a standing position, as he shot him a large grin. "Do you know how many muggles died when your grandfather attempted to conquer the wizarding world?"
Flummoxed, Orion blinked at the unexpected change of subjects, but before he could pipe in a word, the light wizard continued calmly, now piercing him with a stern gaze, "Twenty-four million Russians, ten to twenty million Chinese, six million Polish, eight million Germans, and about six million Jewish people, and those are only the largest figures. In total, the estimates were about seventy million deaths in the muggle world alone, caused by Grindelwald's indifference to what his deranged puppet did. Do you think I'll allow that to happen again?"
Quickly gathering back his wits, Orion stared at him coolly, and said firmly, "It won't be that way. I have no intention of following Gellert's tactic of inciting muggle wars to divert light wizards' attention and to drain their resources-"
"Do you think," interrupted Arian sharply, leveling him with a hard gaze, "the muggles will not be affected by a wizarding war of the magnitude that you and Voldemort are planning? Do you think I don't know about the Mayan Stone in Voldemort's possession, and what he's planning on using it for? Do you believe that he'll listen to you instead of using it? Do you truly think he'll leave the muggles alone?"
Orion briskly carded his fingers through his hair, before he pierced him with his gaze and replied crisply, "I won't let it happen. The last thing I want is for the muggles to discover us. Therefore, I will not allow the wizarding wars to spread to their world, or even affect them in any small way."
"If you put into effect the Dark's plans to conquer the wizarding world," said Arian curtly, pinning him with a grave gaze, "you won't be able to control everything that happens. At some point, a muggle town will be destroyed and the effort to make them forget will be too little and too late-"
"I'm telling you," snapped Orion impatiently, "that I and mine will be ready to prevent it."
Abruptly, Arian sprung forth and clutched Orion's shoulder in a tight, relentless grip, as he said adamantly, "Seventy million muggles died the last time, Orion. Are you ready to carry a similar burden on your shoulders, hmm?"
"It won't happen!" yelled Orion angrily, brusquely ripping away from the wizard's grip. He shot him a baleful glare, and added sharply, "That was then, not now. I'm not Grindelwald, and the circumstances are different. What else do you want me to say?"
"Don't start the war," said Arian shortly, piercing him with his eyes.
"I'm not starting anything," bit out Orion caustically. "It's already underway." He narrowed his eyes at him, and added acidly, "And I don't see why you're spouting to me the consequences of war and rattling off death toll statistics. Didn't you say that you wanted me to become the Vindico Atrum? What did you think I'll be doing after accomplishing it? Sit on a chair and watch the grass grow?"
"There are other ways in which you can attain your goals," said Arian sharply. "War is not the answer-"
"Yes it is," snapped Orion tartly, "there's no other way. Do you think I have never given it considerable thought?" He pinned him with a suspicious, narrowed gaze, and demanded briskly without a pause, "And why are you even discussing this with me? Aren't I your 'nemesis', since you're the Vindico Lumen?"
"Oui, that's precisely why I wanted to have this conversation," replied Arian calmly. "I will, of course, oppose and defeat you after you become the VA. Evidently, I will not allow you to reach your goals. The problem is that you haven't become the VA yet, and the war in England has already begun. That's what I want you to stop."
A bark of laughter sprung from Orion's throat, and he glanced at the light wizard with mocking disbelief. "Are you an idiot? Why on earth would I stop it when conquering England is my first step?" He narrowed his eyes at him, and demanded sharply, "And what about your plans? Are you telling me that you're a pacifist, that you won't fight?"
"Mais oui, I will," replied Arian placidly.
"Then why are you pointing fingers at me?" snapped Orion angrily. "It's clear that as the Vindico Lumen you'll want to reach your goals by winning the wars, the same as me." He pierced him with an intense gaze, and added demandingly, "As a matter of fact, what are your goals exactly? What's the Vindico Lumen supposed to do? Grindelwald told me what Dumbledore wanted; the integration of the muggle and wizarding world, so there would be uniformity of magic, with subsequent generations having only neutral magic. Is that also what you aim for?"
Arian mutely answered him with an upward tug of his lips, and Orion seethed as he hissed out, "You're a wizard yourself, how can you want to have light magic dwindle out and disappear from light wizarding lines?!" He briskly carded his fingers through his hair, and leveled the wizard with a hard gaze, as he spat, "It's not worth the few gains – only for future peace! It's utter stupidity. And what do you think will happen to wizards when you attempt to merge our world with the muggles'? Do you think muggles will bloody welcome it? Do you think they won't see us as a threat? They'll kill us, if we're lucky, or they'll capture us to perform tests, wanting to figure out why we're magical and greedily wanting it for themselves! You're an idiot to even contemplate that a peaceful integration of the two worlds is possible."
"I disagree," interjected Arian impassively, shooting him a large smile. "I know already how to attain a peaceful merging of our worlds, with acceptance and tolerance given by both kinds." His smile widened, as he added loftily, "Well, not tolerance towards dark wizards, obviously."
"Of course not, we're very undeserving of it, aren't we?" said Orion with cool sarcasm, not allowing himself to be ruffled by the wizard. "But if you want to integrate both worlds, then why the fuck do you care if the Dark destroys a muggle town along the way? It would cause more problems for me than for you, since you want them to discover us."
"Ah, the problem would be the timing of it, evidently," said Arian airily, as he shot him a wide, flashy grin. "You see, I don't want it to happen too soon. And this war in England is indeed coming along too early for my taste. The timing of it is very inconvenient. I still have many things to settle before I'm ready to put my plans into motion and action."
"So that's the reason why you wanted me to feel guilty about possible muggle death tolls?" said Orion, snorting with disdain. "You should have tried another tactic. If you knew me at all, as well as you claim, then-"
"Then I would favor you by demonstrating how I plan to bring about a peaceful merging of the two worlds," interrupted Arian calmly, shooting him a large, dazzling smile. "Indeed, I think you deserve to know, since I already know so much about you. And I don't want you to claim that I bested you due to unfair initial conditions."
Orion stared at the man quizzically, his mind still rushing with countless thoughts spurred by the wizard's words. He was having trouble believing that Arian really wanted muggles to find out about the wizarding world, since it was such a dangerously preposterous idea. Furthermore, he couldn't quite believe either that the man didn't care about the dwindling of light magic in wizarding lines. It just didn't make sense to him that a light wizard -who as the Vindico Lumen supposedly had to uphold light magic over everything else- would want that.
"You don't know how right you were in your description of me to Grindelwald," said Arian, widely smiling at him. "Put wings on me and I would look like an archangel, n'est ce pas?"
Orion's eyes snapped up to him, impossibly widening, as he stared at the wizard in shocked silence. Finally, when he found his voice, he stuttered out, "How the hell do you know about that…"
With his overloaded mind feeling as if it was frantically rushing disorderly, he trailed off when a realization struck him like a lightning bolt.
Orion took a jerky step forward, his face inches away from the wizard's, and he intently stared into the man's eyes, as he whispered unevenly, "Knowing about me, my past lives, the Mayan Stone, about Potter Manor, Calypso in it, about what I told Gellert… and you're the Vindico Lumen, my opposite in every way, in magic, so then you also have to be in abilities… a counterforce… I have visions about the future… so you can see into the past, can't you?"
Arian merely beatifically smiled at him, and Orion briskly nodded, as he murmured quietly, "You do." He pierced the wizard with a penetrating, searching gaze, and added in a low whisper, "Can you control it? Can you decide who or what you want to see and exactly when?"
"And of course you're asking this," interjected Arian coolly, as his lips quirked upwards, "because you can't control your visions." He shot him a large grin. "Pity, isn't it, that my abilities are so unfairly above your own?"
Orion clamped his mouth shut, and took a step away as he shot the wizard a sneer. "It means nothing. I don't need to see the future, and even less the past, in order to win the wars. Now, weren't you going to demonstrate something? Then do so, because I don't want to waste any more time with you."
"You shouldn't dismiss me so easily," said Arian, reprovingly clicking his tongue. He flashed him a smile, and added airily, "But I will forgive you this time, since I know how perturbed you must be feeling right now. As I was saying, your description of me to your grandfather was inordinately accurate, unbeknownst to you…"
The wizard took a step back, putting some distance between them, as he widely stretched out his arms, and shot Orion a large, beatifically smile. "What do you believe muggles will think when I appear before them thus, hmm?"
Orion frowned at him, not knowing what the wizard meant. But, abruptly, before his eyes and in an instant, a blinding white light exploded in his vision. And when he lowered down the hand he had instinctually pulled over his eyes, his jaw dropped as he gaped at the wizard before him.
A glow of bright whiteness enveloped the man, making him look ethereally and unearthly beautiful, while the wizard was suspended several feet above the ground, with his arms widely outstretched to either side. And behind them, feet-long, pristine white wings were unfurled, with feather tips tinged with a silvery hue, gently ruffling as a breeze caressed them. His face, if possible, was even more handsome, benevolently so, as the skin seemed to shine with an inner glow, while his bronze hair seemed to sparkle under the rays of sunlight.
"That's... not possible…" croaked out Orion, fixedly staring at him, feeling a shiver running down his spine as he felt the wizard's powerful light aura pressing all around him, captivating, enticing, mesmerizing and lulling.
"And He shall descend from the Heavens, and cast his Light upon thee," he heard Arian saying in an eerie, soft, yet penetrating voice, "and Light shall shine upon thee through darkness, and bring thee grace and salvation… and in the loving kindness of His wings they will take refuge… and the kingdom of the world will become His kingdom, and He will reign forever… and His glory will be above all the earth…"
"You're mad," breathed out Orion, staring at him with wide eyes, feeling rooted to his place in utter bewildered shock, his mind spinning incoherently.
In the bat of an eyelash, Arian dropped back to the ground, wings gone as if they had disappeared into thin air, the glow of whiteness fading away slowly, some of it still making the wizard look like an unearthly, beautiful vision under the rays of sunlight.
Orion seemed to come out of a trance, as if something had abruptly let go of him, and he quickly composed himself as his mind rushed frenziedly with why's and how's.
Finally gathering back his wits, he stared at the wizard who was now patiently smiling at him, and he bit out, "Archangel my ass! How stupid do you think I am? There's no such thing." He took a step forward to be face-to-face with him, and added sharply as he narrowed his eyes, "It's because of the Veela blood in you. But you're only a quarter Veela, I know that." His head jerked to a side, and he said searchingly, "You can transform half-way because of the magnitude of your power, isn't that right? You can even choose what part of your body to change… what new appendages to show… the wings… and then that bloody enticing thing you blast off…"
"I obviously didn't expect you to believe I was an archangel," scoffed Arian, eyeing him with supreme impassivity. "I was speaking about what muggles would think when-"
"When you appear before them like that?!" snapped Orion, gazing at him with bewildered disbelief. "Are you out of your mind?!"
In a flash, he aggressively grasped the wizard by the collar, making the man step back in startlement, and he snarled furiously, "Think again if you believe that I'll let you do that! Do you have any idea how muggles will take it if they saw something like that-"
"Mais oui, I assure you I do," interrupted Arian calmly, making no attempts to break free as he softly smiled down at him. "With a flick of my wrist I can do much grander things than change water into wine, walk on water, or part a sea open. I'm much more powerful than any of those light wizards, though, as my predecessors, I will obviously use muggle religious beliefs with the best of good intentions-"
"There's no solid proof that any of the muggles' prophets were light wizards," bit out Orion crisply, jerkily pulling the wizard's collar forward, making their faces be only a breath apart. "And you aren't…" He shook his head, and continued sharply, leveling him with a hard gaze, "You're not Jesus, Siddhartha or Moses, for Circe's sake!"
"Is that so?" said Arian placidly, his cerulean blue eyes glinting. "My first name means The Holy One, n'est ce pas?… And I remember all my past lives… As far as you know, I could be any of them, reborn-"
"Cut the crap!" bit out Orion angrily. "You can claim to be the muggles' God himself, for all that I care, but you won't-"
"Good," interrupted Arian, dazzling smiling at him. "Then we have no problems between us in that regard."
"You ARE mad!" choked out Orion, swiftly releasing him as he took a step back to gaze at him with round, alarmed eyes.
"Far from it," said Arian with amusement, his smile widening beatifically, "I merely have a way to integrate the wizarding and muggle worlds, peacefully, without muggles seeing us as a threat. Through religion-"
"You want to use their beliefs," snapped Orion briskly, "and appear before them as some kind of God-sent prophet their religions have always preached about?"
"Oui, and think what they will consider you to be, given that you're my nemesis," said Arian, evident amusement glinting in his sky-blue eyes. "It will be interesting to see what they'll do to you, especially now that you have that black aura pulsing all around you." He clicked his tongue, and added chidingly, "And you shouldn't accuse me of using beliefs for my benefit, when you are doing the same with the beliefs that dark wizards hold."
"This is utter insanity," spat Orion frenziedly, as he pinned the wizard with a wild gaze. "You have no idea what you'd be doing if you show yourself to the muggles like that. You have no idea of the consequences-"
"Oh, don't fret," interjected Arian loftily, waving a hand dismissively. "I don't intend to cast my light unto muggles in the immediate future-"
In a split second, Orion had his wand's tip digging painfully into the wizard's neck, as he snarled enraged, "You won't fucking cast your bloody light unto anyone. I will not allow you to reveal our world to the muggles in any way, and much less how you're planning on doing it. I'll bloody rip you to pieces first, and I couldn't care less if I'm not as powerful as you are. I will still-"
"Try it," whispered Arian softly, widely smiling at him with a glint of anticipation glowing in his sky-blue eyes. "Try to kill me right now, and see what happens to you."
Orion's jaw clenched, as his fingers jerkily tightened around his wand, his knuckles turning white. But he wasn't a fool; if the wizard wanted it to happen, then it surely was something he shouldn't do. And he knew he couldn't take on Arian, yet. He was no match for him, at present. He knew it now for sure, due to the magnitude of the power he had felt coming off the light wizard, moments before.
Gritting his teeth, he tucked his wand away, and took a step backwards. And as he forced himself to calm down, he carded his fingers through his hair, and shot the wizard a hard glance, as he said coldly, "Make no mistake, the moment I become the VA, I'll kill you instantly. So if you were expecting to 'play' with me, as you once said, then change your plans and goals. If you persist with them, our confrontation will be immediate."
"Pity, that," said Arian quietly, as he closely regarded him with a strange expression spreading over his face. "But, perhaps, after you become the VA, you will understand what I'm trying to do. Perhaps, you'll come to see that I'm right, and that it's the only feasible way. You'll understand that I can save millions of lives and bring peace into an integrated and unified world." He intently speared him with his gaze, and added in a low whisper, "You'll understand that the wars and deaths can be avoided, and that you don't need to make the rest of the sacrifices that will be demanded of you."
Orion deeply frowned at him, but the wizard continued, now shooting him a soft smile, "But for now, adieu, my 'nemesis'. We'll see each other again soon enough."
In the bat of an eyelash, the wizard had disappeared as if into thin air, and Orion remained standing rock-still, staring at the vacant spot. Finally, with his mind spinning with a thousand thoughts per seconds, he slowly made his way back to the manor, feeling very shaken and disturbed.
