Chapter 12:

As Severus made his way through the empty hallways of his work – Alchemic Arts & Sciences, Ltd, he noted the time and hurried his step. The early arrivals would soon be making their presence known, and while there were not that many of his fellow co-workers who made it in before nine, Snape had not wanted to be seen moving between the labs just yet.

This particular lab was his own private area, and most of his fellow scientists knew not to bother him, but still, he knew there was always the chance. The hallway was only one of two that lacked CCTV access, and he preferred it that way. It's why he had chosen the lab, after all. He liked working for A they paid him handsomely and kept out of his business. But they were still about making as much money as possible, and God help the employee found working on his own ideas on the company time.

He opened the door with a quick turn of his key and shut it firmly behind him. He went through the ritual of removing his outside frock and replacing it with his lab coat. He went into the office and flicked the switch for the kettle – he would be a good employee later and finish his paperwork while enjoying a nice cuppa. But for now, he wanted to check the progress of his experiments.

Crossing over to the small set of burners and various other objects of his trade, Snape slipped a pair of safety goggles over his head and peered down at the beaker. The liquid was a dingy brown sort of color, nothing extraordinary or noteworthy there. He looked next at the next container and smiled to himself. This one held more promise as it had changed from an ashen grey to an almost complete solid white. He made a note of the change in the book he kept near the equipment and moved on.

The third and final beaker was the one he was most interested in and yet most reticent about. He had mixed a sample of the Potter blood with various other alchemical ingredients to little or no promise. The two examples he'd just inspected had experienced the most encouraging results. But this beaker held a sample of Potter's blood and a few more…esoteric, natural ingredients that he had pulled and prepared himself. He was extremely curious as to how everything had amalgamated.

He lifted the beaker up to the light and frowned. It had not changed much in color – it still held a dark purple sort of sheen that could very well be because of the red Rosie basil he had added at the last moment. He had wanted an agent to calm the other, more volatile ingredients, and the basil had seemed to fit the profile. He lowered the beaker and took in a deep breath, inhaling its scent. He could smell the basil and the asphodel, but there was a hint of something else…

Snape put down the beaker and frowned to himself. He would have to try it, the risk be damned. Grabbing one of his smaller syringes, he lowered it slowly into the beaker and withdrew the liquid equally as slowly. He lay his other hand flat on the surface of the table and held the syringe over it, pausing for only a moment. Letting just a few drops of it fall on his hand, he waited for any sort of burning sensation, but nothing occurred. Setting the syringe down, he rubbed the relatively thick concoction into his skin. His hand tingled for a moment and then nothing. Sighing, he cleaned up the needle and placed the beaker back into its holder. So much for that.

He checked the few other items he had and then made his way back to his office. He poured his water into his already prepared teacup and sat down, staring off into the distance. Perhaps the semi-success (successful in that he was still alive and not burned or harmed in some way) with the third potion was the key. Maybe he needed more natural ingredients – older, less familiar ones. Ingredients that were not artificially made. His grandmother had been a botanical genius and had taught him most of what he knew of old plants and their uses. Snape was sure he still had a few of her old journals at home he could look through, at least, to give him some ideas. He realized he was staring at the small bottle that sat on the shelf above his desk without thinking about it. It contained a small amount of powder from the stone that Riddle had allowed him to procure. It was not much, and he was loathe to try it with anything until he knew for certain what would happen. He did not have much of Potter's blood left, this was true, but that was clearly much easier to get. Smiling to himself, Severus took a sip of his tea and then set his mind to his daily work.

o-o-o-o-o

It was early in the morning when Harry awoke. Much earlier than he usually did, and he smiled at Ginny's tangled mess of hair next to him. He considered waking her up as well, just so they could be together before she left for work. But he decided to let her sleep. Harry brushed the hair out of her mouth and eyes and kissed her gently on the forehead. She murmured quietly and then was still as he slipped out of bed.

Padding into the loo, Harry yawned as he squinted at his reflection in the mirror. He turned on the shower and stepped in before he could change his mind – he usually liked to have at least one cup of coffee before making himself presentable. But he thought he would get it done with so that Ginny could have more time later.

Hair half-way dry, glasses and pants on and a dressing robe still around his shoulders, he headed downstairs to start the morning ritual of coffee and tea. Harry stopped short when he realized that Zee was sitting at the kitchen table, a few books spread out before her. He hadn't realized Sirius's girlfriend had stayed the night. They'd been quiet as church mice, apparently.

Zee noticed him standing in the doorway and gave him a small smile. "Oh, hello, Harry. I didn't think anyone would be up yet. Do you need me to get out of your way?"

Harry shook his head. "No, stay. I just didn't know you were here." He looked and saw that she had already put the kettle on and started the coffee. He grabbed some bread from the box and busied himself with making toast for a moment. After a little while, he made his way to the table, coffee and food in hand. Zee smiled at him again.

"I came back late last night, and Sirius surprised me at the airport. Your house was closer."

"It's fine," Harry said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Thanks for making the coffee."

"I'm still on Helsinki time, unfortunately. I'll probably crash later, so I wanted the coffee to push that time as far off as I could." Zee moved some of her papers and books out of the way.

"What on earth were you doing in Finland?" Harry asked.

Zee chuckled. "There was a rare bird they'd found, and I was called in to help out with determining its classification. It was the strangest thing, too. It was a bird not usually found in Finland, and yet an entire family of it was found to be thriving. And the plumage was also a rather unusual color for that breed."

"What kind of bird?" Harry asked politely. He tried to hold back a yawn but must have failed.

Zee gave him a knowing but amused look. "You don't really care; it's okay. Sirius gave me much the same look when I left. The thing interesting to me is that this seems to keep happening more and more. Animals that we thought were near extinction or lost have been found in the strangest of places. It's why I've been traveling so much. It's quite exciting to people in my field, but I know not everyone is going to care a bright red Bennu was found in Finland."

Zee laughed good-naturedly, and Harry grinned back at her as he finished his toast. "I bet Sirius likes it when you talk about dogs, though," he eventually said. Zee winked at him.

"Yes, we have many, many conversations about his favorite breeds to train. We get into debates about it, actually. I'm sure you'd find it funny to listen to us."

"Let me guess, he loves training Labradors and Border Collies the best."

Zee smiled. "Oh, so you have had this discussion with him before."

Harry nodded. "He makes his opinion known fairly regularly. And fairly loudly and enthusiastically as well. I take it you disagree with his opinion?"

"Well, those dogs are intelligent and quite good for show, but…I have a soft spot for a few different breeds. Sirius has managed to turn this into a great insult into his ability as a trainer, of course."

Harry smirked. Knowing his godfather as he did, he was sure Sirius disagreed with Zee only because he liked a good argument. Harry looked at her, realizing that Sirius cared for her a great deal more than he'd let on. Maybe more so than even he himself knew. Sirius only fought with people he truly cared about. It was a weird trait, to be sure, but while Harry knew his godfather liked debating and playing devil's advocate a little bit too much, he also only did it with people he truly loved.

"Oh, fantastic, the bloody coffee's on." Sirius came into the kitchen then as though they'd conjured him, yawning and still only half-dressed. Harry shook his head at his godfather. When his Sirius finally appeared more awake, he gazed at the two of them sitting at the table.

"Oh, hey, Harry. Zee stayed the night. Is that okay?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Too late now if it wasn't, and besides, this is your place too, Sirius. Honestly."

Sirius smirked at him and sat down at the table. He grabbed the last piece of Harry's toast and started munching on it. Harry sighed and got up to put his plate in the dishwasher. He poured himself more coffee (what was left after Sirius) and sat back down. His godfather was smirking at Zee.

"She tell you about her mysterious bird adventure?" Sirius said, turning to him.

Harry nodded. "It was interesting."

Zee snorted into her cup and shook her head. "Now, now."

Sirius laughed. "She never believes me when I tell her that either, Harry. Don't bother."

Harry pursed his lips and ignored them. "It was, though. Why is a…what did you say…a red Bennu so interesting to find in Finland?"

"And furthermore," Sirius interrupted. "What in the world is a red Bennu, to begin with? Sounds like a Japanese dish. Hmm. Sushi. I should make breakfast. Although not with fish. Even I'm not that barking."

Zee rolled her eyes. "It's always about food with you. But a Bennu is a type of heron. Magnificent bird, really. They are hardly ever red, though. So that was the first interesting thing, and they are rarely found outside desert type environments. But we found a whole nest, thriving. It was extraordinary. My mentor was beside himself. Couldn't stop talking about the discovery the whole trip."

"He went with you? I thought he was retired now?" Sirius asked.

"He goes with us when we have things like this," Zee said, shrugging.

"I still can't believe your mentor was our old Biology professor. If James were here, he'd be well chuffed about it. He loved that old nutter. He's one of the reasons your dad went into research instead of medicine, Harry." Sirius said, nodding at him.

Harry frowned. "Which professor was this?"

"You know, the one I told you about – he helped James land his first gig at that company, A and S or something or other. Friends with the owner. Wanted your dad to head up their Research and Development divisions. Professor Dumbledore."

"Albus doesn't go by professor much anymore," Zee said. "But I think he remembers you and your father, Harry. I may have mentioned Sirius once or twice in passing. He immediately seemed to know I meant Sirius Black."

"That's because my awesome reputation precedes me in all areas, Zee. And really, how many Sirius's do you meet in a lifetime?"

"Thankfully, just the one," Zee said, smiling fondly at him. "Not sure womankind could handle there being two of you in one lifetime."

Harry glanced at the clock above the table and realized he should make sure Ginny was awake. "Are you making eggs?" He looked pointedly at Sirius, who tore his eyes away from his girlfriend somewhat reluctantly, it seemed to Harry.

"Reckon. For Ginny?"

Harry nodded and went to pour some tea to take up to her. Sirius started moving around the kitchen, getting his ingredients together as he kept chatting with Zee about her mentor. Harry shook his head as he went upstairs. Dumbledore. What an odd name.

o-o-o-o-o

"So, dinner after work, or should I cook?" Harry asked Ginny as they headed out the door. Ginny squinted into the sunlight and pulled her sunglasses onto her face as they climbed into the Jeep.

"Hmm, let me send you a message at lunch, and I'll see how I'm feeling. I feel like staying in right now, but who knows about later."

Harry backed the Jeep out of the drive and then nodded at Ginny, a smirk on his face. "Go ahead, you know you want to."

Ginny grinned and then started messing with his radio. Harry chuckled and rested his hand on her leg briefly, giving it a playful squeeze. She sat back after finding a station she liked and gave him an amused look as she started humming along.

After a few moments, Ginny looked up from her phone. "Perhaps we should see what Hermione and Ron are up to? It's been ages since Ron has seen us, or so he says." She held up her mobile. "He just texted me asking if we were still related, and did I used to know a bloke with green eyes and messy black hair? I think that's my brother's way of saying it's been too long."

Harry snorted. "All right, I'll call them and make sure it's all right with Hermione. Or if I can bring anything other than my handsome self. And you, of course."

"Thanks, I think. Oh, bugger, let's just say the Dragon's Wake so Hermione doesn't have to cook either."

"I'm sure that would be agreeable to all parties," Harry said diplomatically and smiled when Ginny shook her head. Pulling into the car park at the Center, Harry leaned over and pulled her closer. "We should snog now, so I don't embarrass myself in front of your co-workers."

Ginny raised her eyebrow. "Oh? Considering more than a mere peck, then, is that it?"

"Of course. I want all of you all the time," Harry said softly as he tilted her head back. Her eyes sparkled with mirth as he moved even closer.

When they finally broke apart, Ginny's face was red, and her hair was more than a bit mussed. Harry smiled at her as she tried to straighten herself up. She shook her head at him. "I didn't know snogging in the Jeep was going to be quite so..disheveling."

Harry merely waggled his eyebrows at her. "I think I was sort of regretting my choice to let you sleep in this morning, that's all. I got carried away."

"Hmm." Ginny murmured as she got out of the Jeep.

Harry joined her, and they walked into the Center, holding hands. Harry kissed her briefly on the top of her head as she headed towards her office. He watched her for a moment, loving the outfit she'd worn today. He absolutely had to tell her to buy ten more pairs of jeans, just like those. They made her backside look deliciously… Harry shook himself and tried to get his mind off his girlfriend's arse for at least a little while. He knocked on Ian's door and smiled when the other man called out to enter. His smile turned to confusion when he saw Ian kneeling on the ground under his desk.

"Did you lose something?" Harry asked, bending down.

Ian swore as he bumped his head and looked at Harry. "Oh, just a piece of paper with an important email address scribbled on it. Oh, well, it'll turn up eventually. How are you, Harry?"

"Fine. What's this about a police report?"

Harry sat down in one of Ian's chairs and looked at his secretary expectantly. Ian moved a few files around on his desk and eventually handed one to Harry, nodding at him.

"From the break-in. Thought you'd find it interesting."

Harry flipped open the file and read the brief report. There was nothing new that he could see, and then a name popped up at him from the end of the report about fingerprints that had been found. He looked at Ian.

"Is this for real?" Harry finally asked. Ian shrugged.

"Apparently. They're questioning him now. Do you have a feud with that family or something?"

Harry shook his head. "Never even met him. Ate at his restaurant, though. Why in the hell is Draco Malfoy breaking into our Sports Centers?"

"The officer who gave me the file asked the same thing. I said I would ask you, but you weren't even on speaking terms with the family as far as I know. He wants you to call him. Uh, here's his card…Sergeant Hathaway. He didn't say it was urgent or anything, but sooner would be better than later."

Harry looked at the card and pocketed it, knowing he'd have to call later. He still didn't understand why the Malfoys were involved. Harry got a strange feeling at the back of his neck and shuddered against his will. Ian gave him a worried look.

"Harry?"

"Sorry, just got one of those weird, creepy feelings down my back. Anything else you need me for? While I'm here?"

As Ian launched into another plea for a new center out of the country, Harry let his mind wander. Why would a well-known chef from a local restaurant be breaking into centers in his downtime? Cheap thrills? Did he have a vendetta against Harry that he was unaware of? Someone else at the Center? Had they been trying to get the records that Ian had just made electronic?

"And I can tell by the vacant expression you're really not listening to me," Ian finished saying, which caused Harry to look at him.

"Sorry. I was thinking about fingerprints. And besides, Ian-"

"I know you don't want to go out of England right now. I just thought I would give it one more hard sell. I've got a great area in the Highlands that really needs help, that's all. I think a Center there could really flourish."

"Well, send them money or aide in any way you can, but for right now, I want to stay around here. I'm trying to remodel a house, you know."

"And you don't want to be away from your lovely fiancé either," Ian said, finally cracking a smile. Harry nodded, matching his expression.

"And there's that. Knowing you, you'd have me gone for months at a time."

Ian merely rolled his eyes, but Harry knew he had made his point.

"Speaking of said fiancé, could you run down to their office and give them these forms? HR is getting on my back about making sure we have everyone's updated contact information for the computers."

Harry gave Ian a mock salute and then made his way to Ginny's office. He heard laughter and paused in the doorway as he watched his friend, Arabella Figg, explaining something to them. Ginny saw him first and smiled brightly as she waved him in. Arabella turned and held out her arms.

"Harry! I was just regaling the troops about the time I made sausage rolls for three-hundred children!"

Harry hugged her and smiled at the employees behind her. He pulled away and gave her an affectionate look. "Now, Bella, you know it was only around a hundred and fifty or so. Not three-hundred."

"Oh, pish-posh," Arabella said, swatting at his arm. "It was still bloody impressive."

Harry shook his head and handed the papers out to everyone, explaining it was from Ian. He paused at Ginny's desk and sat down on the corner as she filled her form out. She winked at him when she was done and stood up to collect everyone else's. Harry jumped off her desk and left their room quietly, resting against the wall next to their door. A moment later, Ginny appeared, papers folded under her arms and keys in hand. They quickly made their way to their favorite place to take a walk and be alone together.

"I should get yelled at for allowing you to lure me out here with just a look, you know," Ginny chuckled.

"You looked like you needed a break," Harry said, shrugging.

"I haven't been here an hour yet, Harry."

"I am the boss, Ginny."

She just shook her head at him as they started their trek around the field. "Ron said eating together tonight is a brilliant idea, and he hopes Norbert has a new special he can try."

Harry laughed. "I haven't even talked to Hermione yet. Hope he cleared it with her."

"Oh, I'm sure he has. My brother is nothing if not highly protective of his own self. Especially in the face of his wife."

They walked in amused silence for a bit, and Harry thought about the police report again. He glanced at Ginny.

"Do you remember that restaurant we went to when we all met up to celebrate us getting together?"

Ginny smirked. "You mean the dinner to celebrate us, "pulling our heads out our backsides," as my brother so eloquently put it? Yeah. The Herbed Serpent. Why?"

"Do you know the family who owns it?"

"Malfoy something or other? No, not really. I mean, I just know of them. I think Dean was mates with the younger one when he was at school, but he said they grew apart the older they got. Apparently, he was troubled youth.

"His fingerprints were found at the Exeter Center after the break-in. The police are finally getting back to Ian about it. I don't know them at all, and I can't figure out why one of them would want to break into one of our centers."

Ginny's brows knitted. "What does Ian say about it?"

"He was waiting for me to have some insight."

Harry sighed as they reached the doors again, and Ginny squeezed his hand. She bent down and placed the papers she'd been carrying and her keys on the ground and then stood back up, wrapping her hands around his waist.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she nestled her head underneath his chin. Harry held her close for a moment and then met her eyes.

"It's just weird, all these things happening. The Pettigrew stuff, your stalker getting out of prison, and now new information about the break-in. And we never did figure out who placed that wire that made you trip and fall before. You could have been really hurt, Gin, now that I think about it."

"But I wasn't, Harry. See?" Ginny held her leg out and twisted her ankle back and forth to prove her point. She winked at him. "I'm fine. And as for the other stuff…they aren't really connected, are they?"

"No, I reckon not. It's just a feeling I have."

"Well, concentrate on this feeling then," Ginny murmured and stretched up to kiss him. Harry soon lost himself in the feeling of her in his arms. He sighed for an entirely different reason when she broke the kiss.

"See you about 5:30, okay?" Ginny murmured, letting her finger trace his lips. Harry smiled.

"On the dot."

They left the gymnasium behind them, and Ginny handed the papers to him. "Here, may as well drop these off for me."

"Yes, ma'am. You know, that's all I do, all day, take papers from Ian to other people. Now you have me doing it, too. It's a plot."

Ginny laughed. "Yes, we just held our bi-monthly meeting of Ways to Make Harry Potter Be Our Errand Boy."

"I knew it," Harry said, grinning. They parted at her office, and Harry dropped off the papers as asked, leaving them right in the middle of the desk, as Ian was nowhere to be found. He passed a group of girls coming in, and they all giggled when they saw him. One of them may have muttered 'hello' to his greeting, but then they were laughing again and heading off towards the training rooms.

When Harry got back into the Jeep, he remembered the card Ian had given him. He pulled it out and looked at it. James Hathaway, Detective Sergeant. He reckoned he should call the man and get it over with. But first, perhaps a coffee. Making his decision, Harry turned the Jeep in the opposite direction from home, towards Dobby's Donut Shoppe. Serious chats with coppers called for serious coffee and seriously sugared pastries. Harry smirked to himself. He'd read enough mystery novels to know that, at least.

o-o-o-o-o

"Blimey, so Sirius thinks this Pettigrew bloke had something to do with your parent's accident? That's insane, Harry."

They were sitting in the back booth of Hagrid's restaurant, lingering over their dinner. Harry had decided to tell his two friends about what had been going on with him lately. Ron was in a state of disbelief. But Hermione looked thoughtful.

"What is it?" Ginny asked the other woman as she had apparently noticed their friend's look as well.

"Nothing, it's just…there does seem to be a pattern emerging with you two lately. First, you have the Riddle stuff to deal with, then you tell us someone deliberately set up something to make you fall-"

"We don't know that was set for me specifically, Hermione," Ginny interrupted, and Harry nodded. Hermione conceded her point.

"All right, but still. Then there was the break-in at Harry's Center right before that, and now this Pettigrew person is seen by Sirius. It's just…odd."

"Don't forget the phone call Riddle made to Ginny," Harry said, staring into his drink. Ron cleared his throat.

"It was just the once, though, right, sis?"

Ginny nodded. "I would have told you if it had been more. I haven't had any wrong calls or weird texts since Harry bought me my new mobile."

Ron nodded as though satisfied. Harry picked at the last of his food and then lay his utensils down. "And then the whole Malfoy thing."

Hermione frowned in confusion, but Ron, Harry noticed, sat up straighter.

"I'm sorry, did you say Malfoy?"

"Yeah, the chef or whatever from that restaurant we all went to. They found his fingerprints in the Exeter Center after the break-in. Just talked to the Sergeant handling it today."

"I have to call Neville! He also talked to me about Malfoy. They visited Riddle in prison!"

Harry felt Ginny grow very still next to him and glanced at her as he slipped his hand into hers. She was staring at her brother.

"When did Neville tell you this?"

Ron looked a bit red in the face as he met his sister's eyes. "Er, before Riddle got out, Neville ran a check to see who had been visiting him. The Malfoys were on the list."

Everyone at the table sat in stunned silence for a moment, and Harry shook his head. "Now, that can't be a coincidence at all."

Hermione nodded. "I agree. They're up to something, but what on earth is it?"

Harry didn't know, and he could tell the talk had started to spook Ginny. He tilted his head as he looked at Hermione, and she looked at Ginny, too. She suddenly turned to her husband.

"Ron, let's go up to the bar and see what Norbert can make us for pudding. Okay?"

Before Ron could sputter out a reply, she pulled him out of the booth, and Harry grinned at them. He turned to Ginny and slipped an arm around her shoulder, squeezing her tightly.

"Hey. All right?"

She met his look, her brown eyes wide. "It feels a bit…overwhelming suddenly. Why is he sending people to break into your Centers? What does he want? And did he get it? And what's coming next? Because if he is up to something, he's not going to stop until we put him away again, Harry. And now he's got you in his sights, too."

"I'm fine. You're fine. Let's try not to worry about things just yet. Maybe there is a reasonable explanation for things and maybe not. All I know is I will never let him get anywhere near you, ever again. Potter men protect their women."

Ginny's face finally relaxed, and she gave him a small smile. "How many women do you have then? Two? Three? Where do I fall on this list?"

"I just have the one, and boy, is she a lot of work," Harry deadpanned. He kissed her forehead. "You are safe, Ginny. I promise."

She nodded as Hermione and Ron returned to the table with four different kinds of ice cream sundaes, and while the mood was more subdued than before, Harry was happy to see Ginny didn't seem quite so scared. He wondered if he should get security set up for her, or at least, for the house. Deciding to talk to Sirius about it when they got home, Harry tried to enjoy the rest of their evening and make sure that Ginny did as well.

o-o-o-o-o

"What news?" Riddle asked Pettigrew as the other man brought him a drink.

"The Lestranges are back from Italy. She says she has the item you requested. Also, Lucius needs to speak to you, but he won't tell me about what."

Riddle hid a smile as Peter's voice grew petulant. He liked his disciples to not always feel so friendly with each other. It helped keep them on their toes, and it also made them trust him and only him.

"Tell Bellatrice I shall see them tomorrow for lunch. She may give it to me then. Send Lucius in as you leave, Peter. Have a good night."

"Are you certain you won't need me after-"

"I said, have a good night, Pettigrew."

The other man nodded and lowered his eyes immediately. Tom felt a righteous sensation hit him. Ah, yes, he had this one trained well.

It was just a few moments until Peter was leaving, and Lucius was strutting into the room, blonde hair flying. Tom fixed his face with a disapproving glare until Malfoy stopped prancing and lowered his head.

"My Lord, I am sorry for the intrusion, but I had to talk to you about things that I did not want to share with…the others."

Riddle remained silent until Lucius started to fidget. When the other man met his eyes, he grew still once again and waited. Tom looked at his nails and flicked his fingers at an invisible piece of lint on his trouser leg. The only way to get someone like Malfoy to obey him was to treat him like rubbish. It was a time-honored tradition he had learned as a young boy, and it always worked. If others think they are above you, then you make sure that they understand that they are not. Simple, yet priceless.

"It is your son, is it not?"

Lucius looked mildly surprised, but he masked it well and didn't say anything. Tom gave him a smile.

"I knew this was going to happen. It is alright, Lucius. I had planned for this. Don't worry. The police will not get anywhere with it. You have my word."

"My Lord, I…I am sorry I doubted you. It is…he is young and stupid."

"He is the same age as me, practically, Lucius. Am I young and stupid as well?"

"No, my Lord, I meant no-"

"Yes, yes, Lucius. I know. Now, though, tell me about the increased efforts we've made to get the information I need."

As Lucius began to tell him what he already knew, Tom let his mind wander. He imagined Ginny, suddenly, and felt a fondness in his chest. He must see her and soon with his own eyes, not the photographs Lucius supplied him with. Perhaps if he showed up at her work…causally. He smiled to himself at the thought. He could just imagine the look on her face when she saw him.

"My Lord?" Lucius's voice invaded his thoughts, and Tom came back to the present.

"Yes, the extra money for the hackers, yes. Do not worry, Lucius, your money will come back to you tenfold when I am done."

"I do not worry about the costs, My Lord."

"Yes, I know. Please, let's call it a night, Lucius. I fear I have another headache coming on."

Lucius nodded and backed away slowly, as though moving away from a predator. Riddle did let his smile show at that. Just when the man was about to leave, he called out to him.

"Oh, and Lucius, if your son ever does anything for me again and messes up as he has this time, I will not be so understanding. Is that clear?"

Lucius's eyes went wide, but he nodded in comprehension and closed the door behind him.

Yes, Riddle thought it was good to be king. Now he needed his queen to begin to learn her lessons as well.

o-o-o-o-o