A/N: All rights belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. Also, I make no money off of this, if it wasn't apparent already. This fic is rated mature, because I have no idea what I'm going to end up adding in at a later point, and I don't care to constantly try and update the rating

Chapter 12: The Muggleborn & the Lord

Mars looked forlornly down the table, spotting the blonde hair of his betrothed seated at the far end of the Slytherin table. "Mars?" Theo nudged his side, drawing his friend's attention.

Mars blinked owlishly, the bags under his eyes enhancing the grey irises. "Yes?"

Theo sighed, shaking his head, "How long is this going to last?"

Mars' eyes narrowed, "How long is what going to last, Theo?"

"Well," Theo began slowly, looking to the Black Lord nervously, "You and Daphne haven't been speaking for the week and a half, and it seems like you've been slipping."

Mars' chilling gaze locked with the Nott Heir's brown eyes, his face hard as stone. Theo looked back, eyes hard as he stared defiantly at his friend. "Look, Mars," He tried, resting a hand comfortingly on his shoulder, "I don't know why you two are fighting, but you clearly aren't handling it well."

"I didn't know," Mars muttered icily, "that I asked for your opinion, Theo."

Theo looked around quickly, before turning back to his friend, "Mars… I am your friend, and I am just looking out for you. You aren't paying attention in class, you haven't been doing your homework, you have a pile of letters from your aunt and uncle sitting on your nightstand, you haven't been to feed your raven, and I wake up throughout the night and see you pacing or reading a book. Clearly something is wrong, and I just want to help. And it seems like it all stems from Daphne, all of this."

Mars narrowed his eyes again, the grey flashing dangerously. Theo refused to look away, meeting the stare with his own. Mars sighed, turning and rubbing his eyes tiredly, leaning his head into his hands. "I don't know what I did," he groaned out. "I am trying to keep her safe, and she hates me for it."

"Maybe that's the problem," Theo mused. "She doesn't need you to keep her safe."

"What do you know?" Mars snapped suddenly, rounding on him. Seeing his friend reel back in shock, Mars jumped from his seat, storming toward the door.

"And where are you going?!" Theo yelled after him. "We have class in half an hour!"

"I'm going to the library!" Mars called back, running out the door.

~tH~

"Look at Black running off," Ron nudged Harry, pointing toward Mars retreating back, before grabbing another slice of bacon off his plate. "Where do you think he's going?"

Harry looked after him, a concerned look on his face, "I… I don't know." Harry's eyes flicked over to the Slytherin table, spotting Daphne and Tracey still sitting there, with Nott still a ways down. "I mean, Daphne and Nott aren't with him, which is weird."

"Why is that-" Ron began, taking another bite of bacon as Hermione cut him off.

"I need to go to the Library," she declared, standing abruptly and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Why are you going there so much?" Ron demanded, grabbing another piece of bacon.

"Because Ronald," she stressed the name. "Perhaps you don't know, but I am taking every class possible this year."

"Yeah," Ron rolled his eyes, "and I keep telling you it's barmy."

Harry groaned to himself, sitting back, as his two friends began to bicker again about anything and everything. Looking over to Tracey, he smiled as their eyes met, motioning with his head to Ron and Hermione. She smirked, shaking her head pittingly as she motioned to the door. Harry shook his head, once again gesturing to Ron and Hermione. Tracey just nodded in understanding, leaning across the table to whisper to Daphne. As Daphne turned around to watch, Hermione shrieked in anger, spinning on her heel and storming from the hall, no doubt on her way to the library.

Harry looked to Ron, unamused. "Really?"

"What?" Ron snapped. "You should be as upset with her as me! She gave McGonagall your firebolt!"

Harry rolled his eyes, "And I got it back. McGonagall just wanted to do a once over, and Hermione had a reasonable suspicion. I just wished she told me first, is all." Looking to his friend, Harry shook his head, "You really need to get off her back, though."

~tH~

Mars blinked tiredly as he flipped through a book on runic translation and applications. "If I use eiwaz as the focus, and uruz as the binder " he murmured, sketching the runes onto a piece of parchment, "with eihwaz being the main rune in the tertiary circle for stability, it might work." Mars glanced at the runic circle he was making before crumpling the parchment and throwing it across the room, the crumpled ball sailing and landing in a pile of others. "But I need a sufficient sacrifice to power it," he growled, slamming the book shut, grabbing another rune book, 'Gastor's Runic Combinations,' and cracking it open on the index. "Stupid."

Grabbing another sheet of parchment, Mars breathed out, laying his quill across the inkpot to await the next stroke as he flipped to the appropriate page. "Maybe if I expand it," he mused, grabbing his quill, and begging to trace the three circles for the runes, starting the placing to put eiwaz as the central rune once again. "Magic as the focus," he muttered, carefully etching the rune. "Power as binder," he began to sketch uruz at the cardinal points of the first circle, carefully ensuring that each rune was crafted perfectly. Getting to the second circle, he flipped back through the book, finding the index again as he let the ink dry on the parchment. "I need safety as a stabilizer," he mumbled, looking at the parchment again.

"Damn it, it's the same as last time," he snapped, crumpling a sheet and adding it to the pile across the room. As he was about to grab another sheet, his tired ears picked out the sound glass clinking on a table behind him, immediately driving the exhaustion from his body. Snatching his wand from its holster, he vanished the pile of parchment, before standing slowly, moving silently into the main aisle. Peaking around the corner of the next row, he breathed out, seeing a head of bushy hair face down in an Arithmancy book, a sheet of parchment covered in ink beside her.

Acting quickly, he moved over to her, his wand flashing over the paper and pulling the wet ink off of it, sucking it up into a wet blob and dropping it into the now righted inkpot. Tucking his wand away, Mars reached out, shaking her shoulder gently. "Ms Granger," he whispered.

"Wha-?" She muttered tiredly, shifting to the side slightly. Mars moved to shake her shoulder again, when his eyes fell on a small gold chain with an hourglass in a gold circle at the end of it resting underneath her curled, brown trusses.

Mars' eyes widened as he saw the time turner, his eyes flickering between the Granger girl and the powerful artifact in realization. "So that's how you are doing it," he murmured in amazement. "But time travel on top of all these classes can't be healthy."

Slipping around the table, and edging so he was behind her, he carefully unclasped the chain around her neck, slowly pulling the object out from under her, slipping it into his robe pocket. Placing his boot on a chair, he quickly unwound the shoelace, flicking his want at it and transfiguring the object into a time turner look-alike, and placing it back around her neck. Wrapping back around the table, he sat down, reaching out and nudging her again. "Ms Granger," he called a little louder, causing her to shoot up in her seat, eyes wide in fear. "Thank Merlin, I thought I was going to have to dump ice water on top of you," he laughed softly, causing her eyes to narrow.

"What do you want, Black?" she asked, glancing around the library.

Mars raised his hands defensively, the tiredness from before settling back into his bones. "I just saw you asleep, a pool of ink on your paper," her eyes widened at that, eyes hurriedly searching her parchment, "and I thought I would help out."

Keeping her eyes narrowed, she glanced around her again, "Okay. Give it up. Where are the others?"\

"I don't know how to tell you this, Ms Granger," He snapped, his frayed nerves snapping. "But just because I am a Slytherin, or a Black, does not mean I am some blood supremacist." Breathing out, Mars dropped his head into his hand, "I'm sorry. I haven't been sleeping lately, on top of an already busy schedule."

Granger opened her mouth to argue, before snapping shut, nodding her head slowly, "I guess that I have had similar problems lately."

Mars shrugged indifferently, "Honestly, with the Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry, I am not surprised. I understand that my cousin was picking on you, and using racist language."

"Cousin?" She asked. "You mean Malfoy?"

Mars nodded, crossing his arms, "Yeah. I am related to him. Fortunately, I suppose, he isn't a product of straight incest like his father was."

"Really?" Granger wrinkled her nose in disgust. "How did that happen?"

Mars shrugged, "The current branch of the Malfoy family came over from France to inherit the wealth after the older line had been wiped out in the beginning of the first war against Grindelwald. Lucius Malfoy's grandfather was snobbish enough that not only was he a blood supremacist, but he only wanted a pure French line."

Granger nodded in understanding, her face twisting at the thought. Silence descended upon the two, the clock the only sound in the room. Eyes widening in realization, Mars turned to Granger, a pleading look forming on his normally stoic, cold face. "Ms Granger, if I may," he began, drawing her attention from where she was closely examining the title of the book beside her for what must be the tenth time since the silence started. "I was wondering if you could give me advice on… on girls?" he finished, his tone unsure as to what her response would be."

"Girls?" the brown haired girl blinked, her brown eyes blinking owlishly.

Mars nodded quickly, "Yeah, girls. I have found myself in a bind with Daphne Greengrass, my betrothed, and I do not know exactly what I did, and how to make up for it."

"And why are you asking me?" She asked pointedly.

"Well, Ms Granger," he began, his voice taking a mockingly posh accent. "Despite your sometimes rational dislike of anything green and slithery," he paused briefly as she giggled, "You are rather rational and knowledgeable about the world, at least, it appears that way in class. Seeing as you are a young woman yourself, I was hoping you may be able to help me."

"Well," she mused to herself, her lips quirking into a smile. "What happened?"

"Well," he looked away, slightly uncomfortable. "I know in the next few years, it is likely that violence between the extreme political factions will break out. Light versus Dark, and such."

"Really?" Granger blinked, confused. "But the last war just ended twelve years ago."

Mars nodded, "I know. And frankly, not enough Death Eaters were thrown behind bars, and the light has been coming down on the more moderate dark wizards, driving up tensions between the two. On top of that, there are rumors, according to my uncle, of a dark apparition in Albania, as well as whispers of certain marks darkening."

"You can't mean… him," she gasped out, eyes widening in realization.

Mars hesitated, looking her in the eyes, "Yes. And I know, when that time comes, my Family, and thus myself, will be approached by a certain wizard, as well as the Ministry, in an attempt to fight on their behalf."

"And why wouldn't you fight with the Ministry?" Granger asked accusingly.

Mars rolled his head to the side, staring at her sardonically, "Probably because I have a family that I am responsible for, and siding with the Ministry is giving them a death sentence."

Nodding in understanding, silence once again settled over the duo."Anyway," She replied quickly, "what is the problem with Greengrass?"

"I'm getting there, I am getting there," Mars growled irritably, his exhaustion rearing its ugly head. "Basically, because I know I don't have the power to stand up to either the Dark Lord, or the Ministry, and neutrality will only last so long, I have told Daphne I want her to go to France, in case the worst happens."

"And when you brought this to her, she probably walked away?" Granger guessed, Mars looking away in defeat. "Well, have you considered that maybe she doesn't want to leave?"

"I don't have the power to protect her if she stays!" Mars protested. "I can't lose her!"

"I'm sorry, Black," Granger cut in. "But despite this backward world we live in, you don't own her. She can make her own decisions!"

"And what would you do if your family was in danger?" Mars asked rhetorically. "I bet you would go to the ends of the Earth to keep them safe. How is this any different?"

"Perhaps because she deserves the chance to fight, as much as you do!" She growled.

Mars glared at her, eyes narrowing, the grey orbs blazing with silver fire. "I don't think you understand the position I am in!"

"Sure I do," She snorted. "You feel responsible for her safety, even though you aren't," Mars' eyes dimmed, the Black Lord looking away, rubbing his weary eyes with his sleeves. "But, this might change your perspective," She prompted, causing his eyes to shoot up, locking with her own brown ones. "The muggle American President, Abraham Lincoln once said 'A house divided against itself, can not stand.' Perhaps, the safest place for her is by your side, because I highly doubt that they will leave her alone if you.. If you die."

Mars' mouth dropped open, his eyes rekindling with hope. As quickly as they lit up, his eyes dimmed again, shaking his head, he put it down in his hands, breathing out heavily. "She still won't talk to me. This doesn't help."

"Have you tried apologizing to her?" Granger tried. "A genuine apology too."

Mars nodded slowly. "I will have to give that a try. Thank you Granger." As the Library descended into silence once more, he coughed quietly, drawing her attention. "I know you are taking every class, and you are the smartest person in our year, but if I may give you some advice? In thanks for your help?"

Granger hesitated briefly, before giving in, nodding. "I advise dropping a few classes," Mars started, raising his hand to stall her impending argument. "Divination is useless if you don't already have the skill, and you don't need muggle studies, you already know more about them than the mass majority of Magical Britain. You should also sleep more, and possibly show up to classes."

"Classes?" She began, confused, before her eyes widened comically, shooting out of her seat. "I'm missing transfiguration!"

Mars laughed quietly, raising his hand again to stop her. "Don't bother running out. From what I understand, you already know the material for today."

"But I can't miss a class!" She cried out. "I never miss a class unless I can help it!"

"But you need sleep," Mars argued. "Listen, I will go tell Professor McGonagall that you were helping me research for Lord related business. You head back to your dorm and sleep."

Granger looked into his eyes, the steel grey unwavering. "Fine," she grumbled, turning and beginning to gather her supplies. Standing, Mars nodded, turning and beginning to walk off. As he got to the edge of the bookcase, he looked back, meeting her brown eyes for the last time. "If you need anything, Ms Granger, ever, please don't hesitate before reaching out. My help is always available."

"My name is Hermione, Black," She murmured, offering the proverbial olive branch.

Mars nodded, a soft smile on his face. "Mars, Hermione. My name is Mars." Turning from her, he hooked the corner, flicking his wand at his scattered school supplies in the next aisle. As magic quickly reassembled his book bag, he strolled out of the library, arm hooking through the bag loop as he summoned it to himself. "Back to work," he grumbled, patting the time turner tucked away in his pocket. "Someone is going to pay for this."

Rounding the corner, he paused briefly, glancing around the deserted hall. "Kreacher!" He called, the little elf appearing before him.

"Master calls for Kreacher?" The old elf grumbled, bowing low as his large ears flopped.

"Yes," He growled. "I need you to get Aunt Cassiopeia in the Headmaster's office in the next hour. Tell her it's urgent."

"Yes Master," Kreacher chirped.

As the old elf popped away, Mars shook his head before stalking off, his first target clear in his mind.

~tH~

Mars snarled to himself as he approached the Transfiguration classroom, the sound of bustling first years inside reaching his ears as he neared the door. As he reached it, he flared his magic, forcing the heavy wooden door open with a crash as he stormed in, his teeth bared as his eyes fell on the Transfiguration Mistress at the front of the class.

"Mister Black!" McGonagall gasped out, anger kindling in her eyes. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Deputy Headmistress," He growled, his anger causing his magic to flare in his exhaustion. "I demand a meeting with you and the Headmaster, as is my right."

"You can't just demand a meeting as a student, young man," She scoffed, eyes narrowing. "You can request one."

"Oh," He laughed coolly. "Did I say student?" he hissed, the icy tone causing the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw first years to shrink away. "I was referred to as a member of the Board of Governors. While I may not be actively holding the seat, as a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, I am entitled to it."

McGonagall froze, eyes scanning the first years cowering away from the dangerous thirteen year old. "Very well," She growled. Turning to the class, her tone dropped even further than Mars' "Class dismissed. Do the readings. A three foot essay on the different uses of transfiguration in everyday life is due by next class." As she finished dolling out homework, the classroom exploded into movements, the students scattering like leaves in the wind.

Spinning on his heel, Mars prowled out of the room, his magic unconsciously sending shivers through the straggling students, McGonagall on his heels. Making his way through the many winding halls to the Headmaster's office, he growled to himself, hand clasping the time turner stored safely in his pocket.

"May I know what this is about, Lord Black?" McGonagall asked imperiously.

Mars glanced up at her, his grey eyes burning. "No," He growled, eyes focusing back on the path forward. As they reached the griffin, Mars stepped forward, magic flaring dangerously. "Move!" He ordered, his magic pulsing with intent.

"Acid Pops!" McGonagall called quickly, the stone griffin hopping to the side instantly.

As the two began to enter, a voice in the distance caused the two to pause. "Wait!"

Mars spun around, eyes softening slightly as they fell on Cassiopeia, her grey hair done up regally. "Aunt Cassie, so happy you can make it!"

Nodding, sucking air as she came to a stop, Cassie glanced up, a stern look in her eyes. "What happened that I have to be dragged out here in my old age?"

"When we get inside," Mars growled, his anger bleeding through. Turning on his heel, and stalking up the stairs, his magic pulsing once again as he reached the top, the small wooden door slamming open.

Dumbledore shot up in his seat, his blue eyes wide with shock as Mars strolled in, determination set on his face. "Mars?" He asked desperately, eyes tracking as McGonagall and Cassiopeia followed him through the portal. "Has something happened?"

"It's Lord Black, Dumbledore! And yes," he hissed in reply as Cassiopeia sat in the chair he was standing beside him, his magic pulsing dangerously as the air stirred. "Something has!"

McGonagall looked between the two from where she stood beside Dumbledore, the silence palpable as the young man's magic swirled around them. "What happened?" She asked slowly, her voice the only sound over the rustling papers.

Mars looked to her, grey eyes burning with anger as his hand slowly dropped into the robe pocket, the movement drawing the gaze of everyone in the room. Slowly withdrawing it, he raised his closed hand, a glimmer of a gold chain wrapped around his middle finger. Opening his hand, the hour glass necklace fell, stopping jerkily as the chain snapped taught. "Do you know what this is, Headmaster?" He hissed out, the eyes of the room's occupants opening wide in shock.

"Where did you get that?!" McGonagall demanded.

Mars cocked an eyebrow, the eyes beneath glimmering dangerously. "You know where," He stated lowly. "What I want to know is, why a third year was given a dangerous time travel device, to take extra classes?"

"It is a ministry program-" Dumbledore began slowly, cutting off as Mars raised his hand.

"I don't care about the how," He growled. "I want to know the why! Why would you give this to a third year, a student, despite the health consequences that come with it?"

"Health consequences?" McGonagall cried out, eyes widening in panic. "What health consequences?"

"How about aging at almost twice the rate, with less sleep, than the rest of her peers?" Mars asked rhetorically. "How about the mental stress of taking almost double the classes? How about the risk of her crossing herself, forgetting where she has been in her sleep addled mind, and writing herself out of existence?"

"Ms Granger is a responsible girl," Dumbledore protested. "I believe she is more than capable of dealing with the stress."

"Albus," Cassie snapped from where she was seated, her regal voice chilling the office. "I am not entirely aware of what is happening, but from what I understand from this conversation, you gave a child a time turner to take classes? Who would ever approve of this?"

"The Ministry," Mars growled in answer. "This is one of the many reasons I want to burn the building down with everyone inside!"

"You don't mean that!" McGonagall demanded. "That is cruel and barbaric!"

Mars stared at her, eyes hardening, his gaze switching back to Albus. "Ms Granger is currently asleep in her dorms. Cassiopeia is going to remove her from this school, and bring her to the Black property on the Azores, today, and set about finding a way to ensure that her mind is healthy enough to return. You are also going to strike two classes of your choosing from her list, and send the revised schedule to her by mail. You are also going to shut down the program at the Ministry, and not mention this conversation to anyone!"

"Are you threatening the Headmaster?" McGonagall hissed, her animagi instincts kicking in as her eyes flashed yellow.

"Yes!" Mars roared, eyes blazing with fury as his magic exploded, shattering every glass object in the room, toppling bookshelves, and cracking the stained glass windows at the back of the office. "If you do not comply, I will reveal your exact nature with my mother's killer to the world, and bring the weight of the Black family down to remove you from the Ministry itself!"

"What are you talking about?!" Dumbledore growled quietly, steepling his fingers together.

Mars scoffed, looking at his aunt quickly, before back to Albus, "You are not the only one who grew up knowing Bathilda Bagshot." As Albus' eyes widening in panic, Mars shook his head, turning away, "Don't make me do this, Headmaster. I do not wish to be your enemy, I am merely looking out for a friend."

"Like Ms Granger is your friend," McGonagall snapped. "You are just as bigoted as the rest of your family! There is no way you would befriend a muggleborn!"

Mars looked back at her, the fire in his eyes blazing with hate. Looking back to his aunt, he nodded with his head, gesturing for the door. "Cassiopeia will be getting Granger now. Good day, Headmaster!" As the two Black's left the office, Mars' magic pulsed once more, slamming the door behind them.