* * * *
Miles away, as Lucius and Glory found lay tangled together, Voldemort paced a darkened Muggle house, wondering exactly where his most faithful follower and the woman he needed could be. He was angry with himself, with his followers for being unable to trace the woman to where she was. It never occurred to him, even once that Lucius and Glory would be together and that his former follower would be determined to protect her with his life. All Voldemort knew was that for nine months he had been able to follow the essence of her energy and now there was nothing. It was as if she had been wiped off the earth, but he knew that couldn't be true.
There was only one place that she could be hiding, only one place that could block her energy from reaching it's originator and Voldemort hated her even more, knowing that she was there. Hogwarts. The one place he would never dare to set foot, especially with Dumbledore still acting as Headmaster. He hated that Glory was being hidden from him at Hogwarts, especially when it was so obvious that she belonged to him. His followers had created the monster inside her, they had fed her power with their own and she belonged to them.
Lucius Malfoy's disappearance was almost as disheartening as Glory's. Voldemort needed his more powerful followers during this time, but after the death of his wife Lucius hadn't been seen. He had few Death Eaters left in his ranks, especially after he had taken it upon himself to kill more than half of them. They had betrayed him and for that betrayal they had paid the ultimate price.
"My Lord," a soft voice interrupted his thoughts and Voldemort turned to see a tiny woman with dark hair staring at him. "May I make a suggestion?"
He studied her for a long time, then nodded. "Of course, Daphne."
"Call Lucius back into our fold. Call him using the Dark Mark. As distraught as he is, he is certain to come," she said, smiling softly. "And let me go to Hogwarts. Glory trusts me."
Voldemort smiled back. "I will call Lucius, you're right about that. He needs to join us again. But I am worried about sending you to Hogwarts. Glory was an Auror, she knows who to trust and who is lying to her."
Daphne's grin grew wider. "Have you forgotten, my Lord? I lied to her for years, working by her side as an Auror during the day, only to turn to you at night. She never knew."
Voldemort shook his head. "I will call Lucius, but I am not sending you. Not yet. I will not risk your well being for her, we will find her Daphne, but now is not that time."
"Can it really wait, my Lord?"
Voldemort nodded. "It can wait for as long as I choose. When I release her power it will roll over this world like The Great Flood, only there will be no ark built to save the wretched Mudbloods." He paused, drawing in a deep, shuddering breath. "Her strength is unpredictable and I will unleash that upon the world, drowning them in her fire and water." A smile touched his thin lips. "It will kill them all. Only the worthy will survive."
His scarlet eyes turned skyward, trying to peer through the plaster and wood that made up the old house. He would bring Lucius back, he would call him home and the Death Eaters would be whole again. With Lucius by his side, Voldemort would bring Glory down within days.
* * * *
Lucius sat upright in bed, his left forearm burning angrily and throbbing in the dark room. For a moment he was unsure of where he was and he flailed blindly with his good arm, reaching out for something that was familiar and grounding. There was nothing in front of him, nothing to hold onto as the burning in his arm increased, reaching a painful intensity. Then her hand was on his, pulling him down from his violent frenzy. Her fingers were cold, but it was the shock he needed to calm him completely.
"Lucius?" she asked in the darkness. "What's wrong?"
"My arm," he said hoarsely. "It hasn't burned in so long."
Glory fumbled for her wand in the dark, then lit the candles with a wave. Lucius' heart thudded painfully as he saw her, her hair tousled from sleep and her hands clutching the thick comforter to her small frame. His mouth dried out and the pain in his arm was forgotten as he studied her.
"What?" she asked, reaching for his arm. "Are you being called?"
Lucius blinked, then nodded and looked down. The black skull and serpent stood out sharply from his pale skin, the edges turned an angry red from the burning.
"It looks painful," Glory said.
"It is."
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
Lucius glanced at her. "What am I supposed to do? I'm not going back to him." He saw the worry in her eyes and sighed deeply. "Go back to sleep, Glory. I'm ignoring it, that's all there is to it. I'm not going back, I don't care how many times he tries to call me or how badly my arm hurts. I won't go back. Not after what he did to Narcissa . . . not knowing what he plans on doing to you."
"I wasn't suggesting you go back," she said softly. "Is there any way to stop the pain?"
Lucius shook his head. "No, nothing. I'll just have to deal with it."
"Try to get some sleep," she said. "That might help."
Lucius nodded and sunk down into the bed with her one more, his fingers trailing down her arm. The feeling of her skin under his fingers, that was all he needed to make him forget. He settled down beside her and listened as she fell asleep, her breathing dropping off into a steady rhythm. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again, not with the pain in his arm, so instead Lucius remained awake, running his hands softly over Glory's arm and her hair. She calmed him, something about her calmed his galloping heart and his racing mind and soon, he was near sleep as well.
As he drifted into dreams the burning flared up slightly, but Glory moved closer to him, pressing her back against his chest and Lucius found himself forgetting the pain.
* * * *
Miles away, as Lucius and Glory found lay tangled together, Voldemort paced a darkened Muggle house, wondering exactly where his most faithful follower and the woman he needed could be. He was angry with himself, with his followers for being unable to trace the woman to where she was. It never occurred to him, even once that Lucius and Glory would be together and that his former follower would be determined to protect her with his life. All Voldemort knew was that for nine months he had been able to follow the essence of her energy and now there was nothing. It was as if she had been wiped off the earth, but he knew that couldn't be true.
There was only one place that she could be hiding, only one place that could block her energy from reaching it's originator and Voldemort hated her even more, knowing that she was there. Hogwarts. The one place he would never dare to set foot, especially with Dumbledore still acting as Headmaster. He hated that Glory was being hidden from him at Hogwarts, especially when it was so obvious that she belonged to him. His followers had created the monster inside her, they had fed her power with their own and she belonged to them.
Lucius Malfoy's disappearance was almost as disheartening as Glory's. Voldemort needed his more powerful followers during this time, but after the death of his wife Lucius hadn't been seen. He had few Death Eaters left in his ranks, especially after he had taken it upon himself to kill more than half of them. They had betrayed him and for that betrayal they had paid the ultimate price.
"My Lord," a soft voice interrupted his thoughts and Voldemort turned to see a tiny woman with dark hair staring at him. "May I make a suggestion?"
He studied her for a long time, then nodded. "Of course, Daphne."
"Call Lucius back into our fold. Call him using the Dark Mark. As distraught as he is, he is certain to come," she said, smiling softly. "And let me go to Hogwarts. Glory trusts me."
Voldemort smiled back. "I will call Lucius, you're right about that. He needs to join us again. But I am worried about sending you to Hogwarts. Glory was an Auror, she knows who to trust and who is lying to her."
Daphne's grin grew wider. "Have you forgotten, my Lord? I lied to her for years, working by her side as an Auror during the day, only to turn to you at night. She never knew."
Voldemort shook his head. "I will call Lucius, but I am not sending you. Not yet. I will not risk your well being for her, we will find her Daphne, but now is not that time."
"Can it really wait, my Lord?"
Voldemort nodded. "It can wait for as long as I choose. When I release her power it will roll over this world like The Great Flood, only there will be no ark built to save the wretched Mudbloods." He paused, drawing in a deep, shuddering breath. "Her strength is unpredictable and I will unleash that upon the world, drowning them in her fire and water." A smile touched his thin lips. "It will kill them all. Only the worthy will survive."
His scarlet eyes turned skyward, trying to peer through the plaster and wood that made up the old house. He would bring Lucius back, he would call him home and the Death Eaters would be whole again. With Lucius by his side, Voldemort would bring Glory down within days.
* * * *
Lucius sat upright in bed, his left forearm burning angrily and throbbing in the dark room. For a moment he was unsure of where he was and he flailed blindly with his good arm, reaching out for something that was familiar and grounding. There was nothing in front of him, nothing to hold onto as the burning in his arm increased, reaching a painful intensity. Then her hand was on his, pulling him down from his violent frenzy. Her fingers were cold, but it was the shock he needed to calm him completely.
"Lucius?" she asked in the darkness. "What's wrong?"
"My arm," he said hoarsely. "It hasn't burned in so long."
Glory fumbled for her wand in the dark, then lit the candles with a wave. Lucius' heart thudded painfully as he saw her, her hair tousled from sleep and her hands clutching the thick comforter to her small frame. His mouth dried out and the pain in his arm was forgotten as he studied her.
"What?" she asked, reaching for his arm. "Are you being called?"
Lucius blinked, then nodded and looked down. The black skull and serpent stood out sharply from his pale skin, the edges turned an angry red from the burning.
"It looks painful," Glory said.
"It is."
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
Lucius glanced at her. "What am I supposed to do? I'm not going back to him." He saw the worry in her eyes and sighed deeply. "Go back to sleep, Glory. I'm ignoring it, that's all there is to it. I'm not going back, I don't care how many times he tries to call me or how badly my arm hurts. I won't go back. Not after what he did to Narcissa . . . not knowing what he plans on doing to you."
"I wasn't suggesting you go back," she said softly. "Is there any way to stop the pain?"
Lucius shook his head. "No, nothing. I'll just have to deal with it."
"Try to get some sleep," she said. "That might help."
Lucius nodded and sunk down into the bed with her one more, his fingers trailing down her arm. The feeling of her skin under his fingers, that was all he needed to make him forget. He settled down beside her and listened as she fell asleep, her breathing dropping off into a steady rhythm. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again, not with the pain in his arm, so instead Lucius remained awake, running his hands softly over Glory's arm and her hair. She calmed him, something about her calmed his galloping heart and his racing mind and soon, he was near sleep as well.
As he drifted into dreams the burning flared up slightly, but Glory moved closer to him, pressing her back against his chest and Lucius found himself forgetting the pain.
* * * *