Chapter Thirty-Eight: When Whispers Fall
Harry looked around the room he'd been led to, it smelled of old books, parchment and inks. The room was decorated in vibrant reds and deep browns, a cozy atmosphere brought together by the warm toned stonework and unlit fireplace. There were hints of gold throughout the room, as well as sapphire accents and it seemed as if it were well lived in at one point. There were various paintings on the walls, of both fields of flowers surrounded by trees, and non magical portraits of a singular woman. She was dressed in clothing from the late 1600s in many of the paintings, though as Harry looked at more, she seemed to have died around 1780.
The dates etched into the golden frames confirmed his thoughts and meant that the woman had either passed on, or at the very least, stopped having her portraits painted in 1783.
Three years before Harry himself had been birthed. This meant that even if his mother and his mate had remained friends, he would never have met this woman. Not to mention that he knew not of who she was. To be depicted in paint alone meant she was influential, but Harry had thus far never seen any mention of this woman in his time in Prince castle.
He turned to Severus with a question in his bright unobstructed eyes. The man knew what he was asking almost without even looking back at him.
"My great grandmother used this study many years ago, as she handled the ledgers and monetary consumption and politics of the coven before she passed." Severus spoke, revealing a bit of his family's life as he settled the smaller man into a seat. "She would sometimes sneak me in when my father had passed out drunk, and my mother was away. She died before I reached my vampiric adulthood, but the memories of her are fond." Severus spoke before being interrupted.
"Sevvy, you speak as though I am not still here!" A feminine voice, heavily coated in an accent, tutted softly as she settled into a frame sporting a grassy field and picnic set up under a tall shady tree. It had been years since her little blutsauger had visited and she was glad she returned when she had. Setting down her book, which had been enchanted to change based on the changes in the covens library, the woman inspected the smaller almost effeminate man beside her great grandson.
Harry was dressed well, in soft pink and champagne tones for the day, reflected by the colors of Severus' pink and champagne cravat. They were both in traditional wizarding robes, though Harry's were designed almost to make the onlooker question his gender.
"Who is this dazzling young schön standing next to you?" The woman inquired, openly complimenting Harry, causing the young man to blush a light lavender shade.
"Die Urgroßmutter," Severus chuckled, taking Harry's hand in his own and guiding the dead man from his seat to the portrait, "This is my kleiner liebhaber-- my mate, Lord Harrison James Potter, of the Honored Houses of Gryffindor, Potter, and Black." Severus decided to translate the terms for his lioness, in case he could not fully understand.
The womans eyes widened, and she dipped into a short curtsey before standing. Harry bowed to the portrait, and smiled, as his mate finished the introductions. "Harry, this is my Die Urgroßmutter-- my Great grandmother-- Queen Mydrede Prince, Lady of the Honorable houses of Slytherin, and Prince."
Harry's throat closed at the thought of the woman who had such a large part of his mates personality. She was regal and refined, the way she closed the book around her finger and curtseyed spoke of decades of hard practice and perfect posture. She was kind looking, beautiful and intimidating if he were being quite honest, and she held no prejudices against him or his family name. This last thought made him smile, and it warmed his heart to know that she even acknowledged his claim on Severus.
"It is a wonderful honor to meet you Queen Mydrede. As Severus' mate, I hope to meet your expectations, and gain your blessing." Harry smiled again. He could not believe he was meeting someone who could likely help him navigate his new life once he and Severus were wed. It would be an obstacle to understand the German that was integrated throughout the womans sentences, and possibly her heavy accent, but he was eager to learn anything she could teach.
However the woman knew why her great grandson had brought the boy to her, and after flashing Severus a thoughtful look, smiled at Harry. "Tell me about you, little one?"
The woman gave him all of her attention and Harry found he could not look away from the womans intense blue eyes. Standing tall and confident he began to tell the woman about himself. "The first thing you must know is that I am a corpse. I was brought back from the land of the dead by a ritual linking my magic with that of Severus' own as we are destined mates. The ritual would have linked us even if we were not destined to become one, though I am heartily grateful that I met him."
The woman blinked as her face took on a surprise appearance, and she leaned forward smoothly to hear more. "I was murdered long ago, and was trying to find a way back up here to settle my foggy memories when we met. He proposed on the spot and with his warm magic tugging at my own I was pulled forth through the realms. If your body resides in the land of the dead I can surely find you a way back up." Harry smiled. He did not want to tell the woman his whole life story, as that was not something she should hear upon first meeting her great grandsons mate, but she knew.
She knew he was hiding something deeply painful and after seeing the look of reflected pain in Severus' eyes she knew not to ask. The boy had an emotional past it seemed. Even with this new vague knowledge she knew more about the boy than he had even spoken about.
Harry couldn't help but admit to his eclectic style of clothing, and resisting the urge to avert his eyes, stated, "I tend to dress as eithe gender on occasion, so you may see me dressed as or hear of me referred to as Lady Potter. I have versed myself in many subjects, and I am happy to learn more if you so please."
Again the elder woman, trapped in time by paint and canvas, was shocked into silence. Her grand son surely knew how to pick them. Destined mate ot not, this young man was so completely opposite of the man she'd watched grow. It was ridiculous and yet she could not see the man with any other spouse or mate. The two would make very well balanced children if at all possible.
That was more than enough for her to acquiesce to Severus' hopes and expectations. The boy was genuine and graceful if nothing else, and as time went on she knew he would open up like a blossom in the spring.
"Dear Harrison, it would seem that this study is now yours. Do with it what you will, as this room has been passed from Queen to Queen regent, and King consorts alike."
Harry looked surprised that the woman had given her blessing so readily, and the deceased woman began tittering behind her hand fan. The boy was so easy to read, so down to earth and innocent that she wondered how her Severus had gotten him for a mate. The two were so different that it was endearing to watch Severus melt at the sight of the boys smile. Ah love, she mused, deciding to leave the two to themselves.
"Call upon me if you should need assistance, Junger, I will usually be found in the Library wing." And with that the woman waved and left her portrait.
Harry was still shocked that the woman actually liked him. Even upon hearing his name and house affiliations she held no ill will or contempt. No misgivings like Severus had had when they first met. It was different but not unwelcome.
The two then sat, as Severus had been standing, and Harry stood from his previous seat to greet the former Queen of the Prince family line. Harry was led to the seat behind the desk, feeling overwhelmed as this was his first actual study. Severus sat on the opposite side, showing that he respected Harry's position and would not take this new development lightly. Harry swooned inwardly at his mate, giving the man a look that caused a stirring deep in the vampires body.
A house elf arrived at that moment with a goblet of blood for Severus and a magic replenishing potion for Harry. The two were surprised as neither had asked, but after testing the seal on the vial and the blood for any tampering, the two drank in silence.
Neither had known just how exhausted Harry was until he perked up from the new boost in magic. His eyes brightened and his skin became it's natural blue tint instead of the slightly pale blue it had been. Severus vowed to pay more attention to his little mate's wellbeing, before launching into the long awaited discussion about the shared vision and their next steps.
"This was not a direct show of force to any one person Harry," Severus explained calmly after his mate suggested the group knew he could see their actions. "This was not a message to you, or at this moment it does not seem so. However, within the next few days we will need to notify the remainder of the castle that I have recieved word of this and prior incidents involving the Death Eater faction. It would not be hard to gather more information on these happenings, so long as we do not tell the wrong people." Severus then stood from his chair to relocate behind Harry's desk. There he sat on the arm of the chair, his silent confidence made the undead wizard shiver. It was the epitome of unfettered masculinity and it was done so casually that Harry fought the urge to gasp.
"Even if it weren't targeted specifically towards someone, how would we go about handling this?? I am sure that there could be a DE sympathizer within the covens bounds, if not a full blown member. We would still have to tread lightly with how we disperse whatever information we may find." Harry spoke softly, placing a hand on Severus' knee. It was done innocently, yet both men looked into one another's eyes before clearing their throats or looking away respectfully.
The smaller man did not move his hand and both men decided that they quite liked the contact.
"Ahem," Severus spoke, tilting Harry's face back towards his direction with a dominant grip on his chin. Eyes wide Harry couldn't help the grin that lit up his face. The look they shared was lingering, and warm. But they had business to attend to and neither could really afford the distraction. "You are correct in that assumption. Many of my lesser known members are death eaters or sympathizers, though they do not have access to this castle or the surrounding lands. They have been sequestered on an isle far off the coast and are being surveilled continually by house elves. They will not get to you or this castle, and if anyone outside of that group were participants of this recent debacle we will know by sundown."
The conversation petered out into the two sipping their drinks slowly and sharing meaningful looks. Harry was still concerned about his relatives and the hunt that was set for only a couple hours from then. Severus was thinking farther ahead to the ministry ball.
SSHPSSHPSSHP
As the hours passed, the castle grew in excitement. Abuzz with all the energy flowing, the whole ordeal with Harry and Severus from that morning was, by most, forgotten. The two mates made no attempt to tell the coven what had gone down in lieu of the bloodbath set to take place that night.
The coven was surrounding the garden maze, bleeding seamlessly into the forested area surrounding the castle. They were in their groups, evenly divided so that each team had at least one member of a different species, magic level, or skill. Harry was, of course, sandwiched between his mate and mother, his father and godfathers in the same group. Albus had decided to run with a different group, and Elder Gutknecht had decided to sit this hunt out. The Weasley's were split into groups, the elders and younger members separated from the main family unit. There was at least one other coven member with each group, Ginerva deciding to group up with the two men who were said to be her mates, and Charlie just in case.
Soon the gates to the castle were opening, leaving the hunters to hold themselves and each other back, as the two muggle prisoners were forced from the castles relative safety. They were forced to walk barefoot past the jeering crowds, the hissing and growling of animalistic men and women, and the taunts of bodily harm. As soon as the two passed the first line of dense trees and forestry, they were forced to run, confunded and imperioused to stay within the covens bounds.
Not that they would be able to make it that far, but the coven waited almost ten minutes before Harry himself gave the signal to start their pursuits. "Venture forth, but do not overindulge. We must all be allowed the chance to lark about." Harry smiled.
It had been awhile since he last spoke in this manner, the inflection of his voice playful and regal in it's own right. He wanted everyone to have the chance for mischief, and felt it was adding to the fun by using words he remembered from those times. No one seemed to understand where his sudden mirth was coming from, even his mate who was lost to his own thoughts and plans. No one, however, paid the giggling corpse any mind as they made their way into the forest for their game.
Harry stayed back with his group, as they knew the moment they got into the hunt they wouldn't give up until the couple was found. This way the coven would actually be able to get some fun, exercise their magic, instincts and muscles in ways they weren't normally allowed. With this lull between the coven disappearing into the tree line, and the group of lords and lady's making their way into the fray, Harry reflected.
He had taken the opportunity to come top side to figure out his murder. He wanted closure in that part of his death, and revenge against whomever did it. But this was also good for him he decided. To see the Dursleys get what had long since been coming to them, for him? That Severus would be the type of man and mate that would allow him this bloody and brutal closure made him happy. He wasn't sure he could just be happy with them having muggle or Ministry approved punishments.
This was his only chance to see them brought to their knees, and he rejoiced. His mate truly was one of a kind, and once this whole debacle was over, he would finally be one step closer to going on with his life after death.
They deserved whatever was being done to them in that forest, and as the sunlight waned and faded, his glee grew. He could hear their screams of terror and the playfully dangerous yips and howls of the wolves. He knew Severus could smell their blood as his nostrils flared and his eyes changed into that mesmerizing ruby shade. They'd either been caught and played with, or the surrounding foliage had done a number to one or both of the couple's bared feet.
The emerald eyed Lord was hoping that the two would either be passed from group to group until dawn, or brought to their knees before his mate and hiself so they could get this over with. He was torn-- did he want the whole ordeal dragged out, or finished painlessly for most everyone involved? And could this in some twisted way be considered his debut within his mates coven?? No it seemed too sudden and unplanned, but to see this side of the genial group was intriguing nonetheless.
In the end his wandering mind and hopeless musing was ended by a large masculine hand that rested upon his neck. Severus could practically feel the younger man vibrating with anxious anticipation beside him.
He couldn't help but chuckle at the thoughts being passed unto him by his little love. The questions his naïve mate posed to himself made him happy. He couldn't remember a time where he was alone in his own head, and dreaded the thought of ever going back to that silence.
But his own bout of musing came to an abrupt end once he heard the shuffling of battered and bloody feet. The muggles were still trying to scream out into the night for assistance, which would obviously never come.
"We're almost out!!" He heard shortly from the raspy voice of Petunia Dursley. He held in his mirth as they came closer and closer to the edge of the forest, apparently seeing it as the exit instead of their imminent doom. The two rushed forward, now withing the final groups view, as those of the coven followed almost leisurely. It was at this point where Vernon once again showed his backside, having seen some of their attackers on their tail. He pulled his hand from his wife's own, and instead threw her in the path of an advancing wolf.
The woman screamed in both pain and betrayal as her husband tried to leave. With a burst of strength she managed to kick out a leg and trip the man, holding her shoulder which was now dislocated. She ran, not looking back at the man as he struggled to his feet to chase her down.
They fought against one another as they finally passed the treeline, and the coven held back in amusement. The couple were so destructive that it felt too entertaining to interfere.
That is, until the two muggles found themselves right back where they started. Finally taking in their surroundings and the imposing castle, which was backlit by silvery moomlight. The two wanted to cry, and Petunia could only kick Vernon away from herself for good measure. They were a jumbled mess of limbs kneeling in a heap upon the ground, exhausted and vulnerable as they executioners approached.
How unsavory an ending this would be? For her husband to play on her heartstrings, lead her around like vermin and cast her away for death. He too would be killed, but in the womans eyes she was more a victim than he.
In all actuality she both was and was not correct. She had been lead by him, but she lead the man just the same. They were parasites and hosts to one another, feeding from each others hatred and greed. Severus tsk'd at them, kicking up dirt into their painful wounds as he came to a stop in front of them. Harry cooed in a sickly sweet voice at the two as he snapped, quite literally adding salt into their wounds.
This earned the standing couple short muffled screams from the bloodied one kneeling before them. "Aw I do so apologize for the confusion, Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia. However you seem to be a smidgeon confused about your situation." Harry smiled, crouching to look directly at the two, head tilted in faux innocence.
His family came up to the two as well, after realizing that the muggles had no strength left to move. Not to mention the fact that they were shocked by the reemergence of the castle they were so sure they'd gotten away from.
"Mmm... how sad indeed." Lily commented, pointing her wand to the side of the two summoning sturdy roots. As the thick tendrils of living matter wrapped around the two, Remus growled menacingly, knowing it was enough to frighten the two cowards.
Sirius and James were not to be outdone however. Especially when they both levitated the Dursleys and shook them around for a bit, further disorienting them. They dropped the two back on the ground head first where Remus was ready to carve into them.
Moony so wanted to make their bodies unusable in the next life. To not give them the pleasure of seeing Harry's first real home, if even for a moment. He wanted to avenge his cub, and his pregnancy made it even harder to hold back this intent. Harry stopped him after a few powerful kicks, citing that he needed to calm down for the pups inside him.
It worked, and begrudgingly Remus backed away, letting his mate hold him back. Thorns surrounded the battered Dursley's where Lily was having fun playing with the natural aspect of their names. She slowly manipulated the thorns into the most painful yet least blood filled parts of their bodies. She didn't want them to bleed out, but this was in some horrible way fun.
The woman before her was not a sister, nor a mother, and barely a wife.
A/N: Translations and a short note!
* Schön: Beaut (Beauty in other words)
* Die Urgroßmutter: Great Grandmother
* Kleiner liebhaber: Little Love(r)
* Junger: Young One
Long time no type huh? *rubs neck nervously* Sorry bout that... I felt the story slipping from me, even though I know where most of the second half of the plot is meant to go. I've been trying to get this chapter out for so long, and I'm finally happy with it. I do hope you all feel that way as well. In future I will strive to do better, because this story is my baby, and I'd hopefully never abandon it.
Stay tuned for the next Chapter-- I'm working on it as you read-- and dont forget to RnR!
Much Love to you all :3
-Xenia Renee