A crystalline object clutched in one fist, eyes closed and the words not fully spoken Harry listened carefully to what wasn't said. The thoughts of Hogwarts were loud almost painful to tap into, and yet harry focused on clearing away that which he didn't want and tried tapping into one thing specifically. A woman sat across from him with her eyes fully open a smirk playing across her features. The magic that was hers rippled and harry could feel it twist within her and shift across his skin playing with him and yet her thoughts didn't get any louder. Slowly he forced the words pounding through his head that represented the thoughts of the hundreds of people at Hogwarts until he could clearly see in his minds eye the platinum psyche that belonged to his teacher.

"That will be all," the words tumbled to him by way of his ears rather than washing over his mind. Harry opened his eyes and looked at the stunning image that was the mistress of whispers Narcissa Malfoy. You did good, very good. Her words were gentle and harry was happy that he wasn't a complete screw up.

"I didn't get a single whisper from you today," Harry stated troubled by his lack of success.

"You heard everything yesterday and today was far more challenging, you had the oculus distracting you. I think you know better than most that more power isn't always better. You had hundreds of minds, hundreds of thousands of thoughts whispering at you and yet you could still identify me in the center of that storm. That is far more than any other student at Hogwarts and between you and I that is something even I couldn't do when I was your age. You are progressing quite well and soon you will be a master of whispers. You will see, but for now I believe there is someone here for me. If I'm not mistaken, someone is waiting for you by the unknown classroom."

Harry rose to his feet and thanked his teacher before stumbling towards the door as the only other student with abilities like his entered. Blaise Zabini had a pretty face and striking eyes, but the fact that he knew of his own charm was disappointing. He was pretty but knew it and thought that his stunning face and perfect body made him better than a fair few others.

Blaise was not gifted with the ability to interpret whispers and truly didn't have the desire to understand them. He was a whisperer. He could command people to do as he desired with little more than a word or two uttered form perfect lips. It was a powerful ability to compel and with The Mistress of Whispers Lady Narcissa Malfoy he had only grown more proficient at it.

Harry understood to some extent that he was among the only people that could whisper like Blaise and the only one besides Lady Malfoy that was adept at resisting his commands other than a few other stubborn members of the teaching body and the master of battle and the high master himself. It was frustrating to Blaise to never have what he wanted and harry was a golden apple dangling in front of his face but always out of his reach.

The smirk Blaise sent at harry was sickening and harry didn't even acknowledge the taller whisperer before as casually as possible sliding from the room.

The halls were empty which was nice. The thoughts that thrummed through he student body could still be heard thrumming through his mind as it would take a moment for the overeager whispering magic to submit to being silenced.

Making his way towards the unknown classroom that let out similarly to him harry's allowed his magic to silence the whispers until he could only hear his own pounding thoughts. It had been a challenge to focus during Battle Magic that morning and even more challenging working magic of the mind.

Harry lost in his own way didn't notice the very person he was going to see until he was bound in arms strong like stone and steel and being pulled in a direction he didn't necessarily choose.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't be able go long without seeing me."

"Why did you ignore me all weekend," Harry Questioned attempting to keep his voice light and not accusing after all he truly didn't mean anything to the older mage, after all it was him not Marcus that couldn't' stop thinking about their lips crashing together about a powerful towering body pushing him against lockers.

Getting closer to harry, the thought he had was once upon a time he would have had to fight through fear to stand up to the large powerful mage that was older and physically stronger than him. Now, now he had different emotions twisting through his body. He was four parts desire three parts lust more parts than he could count desperate need.

Back eventually pressing against the wall Marcus leaned down looming over him his eyes dangerous and Harry felt himself baring his neck at long powerful fingers stroked down the pulse point there.

"I don't think you know what my attention means." Harry was able to briefly consider the statement.

"I don't think anyone knows what it means to have your attention. You don't give it to anyone. You spend more time flickering in and out of the shadows and the minds of those that you want something from. What does it mean to have captured your attention flint." Harry spoke boldly but quickly had the breath ripped from his lungs as Marcus smashed their lips together. Harry found himself clutching shoulders before wrapping his arms around flints neck. Harry found himself practically climbing the giant mage. At nearly six foot seven Marcus was someone that had presence one should be aware of it. It was interesting that people were only aware when he wanted them to be.

"It would seem you've done some thinking about me but not with your brain me thinks" The rumble of words had blood pumping through Harry's lean body involuntarily forcing harry closer to Marcus seeking the warmth of the other body.

"I've thought a lot of things," harry leered at the tall mage who clutched him tightly. Magic unlike what was familiar sparked from harry's fingers and just as Marcus held him possessively harry too felt the possessiveness linger in his thoughts and force his actions.

"You went through your inheritance this summer didn't you?" Harry didn't really acknowledge the question but Marcus knew even if Harry was too out of it to give an adequate reply. Nose pressed to his chest Marcus rumbled a pleased sort of sound that had his chest vibrating and harry's inhaling deeply smelling at something that Marcus didn't fully know what.

"Smell something you like," Marcus snarked. When harry looked up and met Marcus's eyes the gaze wasn't the emerald green that he was known for sharing with his mother. Harry's eyes were a deep black and looking upon it twisted at Marcus's emotions in a way that no one ever had been able to do before. Marcus was all about control. He was always in control of himself and more often that not maintained control of those that surrounded him at any given point in time whether they realized that or not. It wasn't his fault if people did everything he wanted even if they didn't know it.

"You need to come with me."

Marcus and Harry passed three broom cupboards, two secret rooms and two other hidden away places that would be perfect for a good snog as well as a number of other places only harry would be able to find on their way to their destination.

Harry walked as if he was drunk and his hands kept wandering over Marcus and if Marcus didn't know better he would say something was wrong with the golden boy hero of Gryffindor having been so handsy with him. Something in the core of his person, within the depth of his being knew what was going on and part of him was awed and the other was slightly sad to say goodbye to the way of life he had constructed for himself. But if he was right and he knew he was then what he had to gain was far more important than what he would lose by taking his place beside the boy wonder as he had always been known to not only Marcus but the various other mildly to actually important people of Slytherin house.

Entering the private rooms that were a sort of oasis for him since his owl exams, Marcus deposited Harry on the soft velvet couch and tried to walk away to start the fire but rather than allow him to do it the way he was used to, harry flicked his fingers in the direction of the fireplace and had it roaring to life in a practically useless but still mildly impressive display of magic.

"Potter, what's wrong with you?" The question hung in the air and Marcus found himself questioning whether Potter even knew what was going on.

Taking a seat a reasonable distance from Harry, Marcus only had to take one look at Potter before he found himself with an armful of the savior.

"You said I need to think about what I want between the two of us. I've thought about it. I want there to be the two of us.'' That was where Harry's words ended but the desperate needy look being shoved at him was enough to boil Marcus blood and have his body crying out for attention. The robes lined with silk and embroidered with actual silver rubbed against his skin sending sensations all over him that would be better coming from the man on top of him.

"I think you and I should talk about this. I was under the impression you already knew or someone would have explained it to you."

"Is this a conversation that requires pants," Harry wondered aloud. There was something off with The mage of silver and shadow and it was almost like watching a house elf get drunk off butter beer. It was funny but also there was a part of Marucs that was concerned.

"You went through your inheritance this summer, is that right Harry."

"I'm Lord Peverell, harry announced as if that answered the question directed at him.

"Did you go through a creature or magical inheritance other than what you did at Gringotts. Shaking his head as if to clear the cloudiness that was drifting through his pyshce, Harry looked at Marcus his eyes for the first time not the black color and not even the dark hunter green they had been but looked as they always did.

"I don't know what you're asking me. I woke up on my seventeenth birthday with a pounding headache and was collected by my godfather to go to gringotts where they did an inheritance test. I was given a lordship ring and a number of books detailing my holdings as well as my duties as a lord."

"Has your magic felt different at all?" The question hung in the air. His magic felt more normal than it ever had. Sometimes he found himself casting spells that he didn't know, or didn't know he was capable of. Sometimes he got the impression that his magic knew what he was capalbe of more than he and it was his own self doubt that kept him from accomplishing whatever it was he was trying to do.

"My magic feels better than it ever has. It feels more like my magic that I realized it could."

There is nothing else thats different.

You didn't find yourself suddenly talking to animals. No ghosts started bowing when you walked past them. Did you wake up in a body that didn't feel right once or twice. Harry thought about it. Since second year he had an affinity for ghosts but he didn't feel like a necromancer, at least not the way it was described in the textbooks. For some reason there was something that was different and thus the question stuck in his head but he couldn't quite place what was different about him. There was an answer that he didn't have but was still their waiting to be revealed.

"Can I look at your magic?"

The question was followed with silence but it wasn't the strained sort that Marcus had been expecting rather it was the sort of silence that was considering and contemplative. To touch someones magic was the most intimate thing one could do and it was bold of him to have asked. Marcus expected a hard no as soon as the question had been fully verbalized and yet all harry did was think for a long moment. His response gave Marcus not only insight into who harry was as a person but how they had been connected now that they were both of age. It was odd. He had never really given the Peverell heir a second look other than when he had been a first year and Marcus had been a third year and Harry had almost single handedly swept his team in not only quidditch by the challenge as well.

"Sure," harry finally allowed settling back against the cushions still somehow placed in the lap of the giant Flint heir.

Harry closed his eyes and was nearly instantly pulled into the embrace of his magic. Marcus with eyes wide saw harry and his magic in a way he was sure no one else ever had. Stepping into the mass of energy and power that shimmered just beneath the awareness Marcus found himself in a galaxy of power. Cloaked in shadows like stepping through endless space every so often there was a flicker of golden light that lit up the darkness like the sun. There were also swirling bursts of silver light that whispered answers to questions Marcus didn't know to ask. Most people had magic like a ball of light that thrummed in their core. Harry had magic that was like stepping into another realm an alternate reality where anything was possible and perhaps for harry anything was possible.

Leaving the realm that belonged solely to harry, Marcus had to blink his eyes as he adjusted to the light being thrown off by the fire and the the hum of Hogwarts took a second to settle him. He knew where he was but there was a distinct lack of something. He wanted to go back to where he just was.

"I'm your mate," Marcus announced softly. The enormous human was not someone who spoke softly and thus when he said the words and they whispered over harry's skin and flickered through his psyche Harry had to pause. It wasn't a grunt or a growl, or a snarl or a bark. The words were gentle and careful and coming from Marcus meant more than perhaps harry realized in that moment. Regardless Harry appreciated the moment and what it meant for them. Harry was going to be spending a whole lot of time with Marcus. It was just terrible that it was war that would begin what they had and whether they wanted it or not whether it was true they represented two very different parts of this war and to be together would bring them completeness but it would also bring about challenges that neither was sure they could overcome.

A smile formed on Harry's face. Amused and playful.

"Does that mean we can remove our trousers now?"