Title: In the Absence of Memory
Author: Yih
Disclaimer: All characters & original universe belong to J.K. Rowling.
Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers of OotP in this fanfic. They are embedded into the fanfic. I won't tell you which are spoilers and which aren't, but readers that haven't read OotP should be aware that they are in the fanfic.
Thanks to my fan-BLOODY-tastic beta-reader, SERRA!
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I wake up
I don't know who I am
It's all lost
Those memories of me
Nothing's there
Not anymore, it's gone
Gone away
To a place, far away
I run hard
Attempting to get there
Where is there?
I don't know, I don't know
Wish I did
Wish I could remember
But I don't
The memories are gone
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Note: There has been an important change to this chapter, even if it is only 1 word. Harry and Severus were never lovers. Harry thinks of Severus as a very good friend and mentor, and remember all Severus' thoughts of Harry are in his POV. He thinks more deeply of Harry than Harry does of him. Hope that clarifies a few issues. I write this as I go, which means there will be storyline changes.
6: Teaching (July 28, 2003 to July 31, 2003)
For one week, he kept his pet away from anyone else. Isolated and without anyone but himself. It was a cunning mechanism to make Harry even more dependent on him than he already was. So for 7 days, he knew no one but Voldemort. In that way, it re-enforced what Harry only knew already. It was brilliant and manipulative; it suited Voldemort perfectly. He wasn't foolhardy; he wanted Harry's trust explicitly. He had it on the virtue of memory alone, but he wanted it by Harry's own consent too. And he had it. It took only a few days.
He also acknowledged that grooming Harry was not something only he could do. While he enjoyed the sweetness of Harry's innocence, it frustrated him into levels he could not keep back his cutting remarks. Whoever had made the spell had made it very specific. It was truly an ingenuous spell. Remarkable really. Harry remembered enough to get around, but their were things that needed to be re-taught.
Some memories, like of casting magic couldn't be guaranteed. At least, Harry knew he was a wizard though he hadn't quite grasped how he was to say certain spells. It probably didn't help that he was still magically weak which was why he didn't feel like he could do the spells. He couldn't from the lack of magical power he could pull at. One day, when Voldemort felt like he could trust his bond-mate, maybe he would teach him how to pull some magic from himself. They were connected after all.
Until that day came, there were other things that had to be taught. Brushing up Harry's memories of magic were quite necessary and he certainly didn't have the time to do it. He was sure that Lucius would be more than delighted to instruct his young charge. No doubt on that. He smiled with that sudden idea. He didn't doubt that Lucius would try to sway Harry, but he knew that Harry was loyal only to him. And besides, it wasn't like he was allowing Harry to be alone with Lucius. No, that was too dangerous. Bella would be there too.
Even if she was weaker, she was still one of his stronger Death Eaters and undoubtedly the most faithful. She might not have liked Harry much, he thought darkly with amusement, but she was growing to like that Harry gave her Master strength. She could learn to live with Harry as long as was merely a power source. He shrugged at that obvious deduction, Bella still needed to learn her place. She knew she wasn't his equal, but she needed to know that she was not his pet. Harry was.
Harry. The thought of his name brought his crimson eyes off the paperwork he was currently staring at to the sweet form that laid on his bed. Raven hair, sinewy body, toned legs. Simply gorgeous. He smiled and was not surprised to find that his pet's brilliant emerald eyes were appraising him. He knew that Harry often studied him while he was working, especially when he was reading. Who didn't like being admired? He certainly didn't.
Whenever those innocent eyes rested on him, he felt a tingle of warmth spread over his body. At first it had alarmed him, but he dismissed it as his body's base craving for physical pleasure. After all, it had been denied from him for years--- it was only natural to want to sink into Harry's tight virginity. A dark thought crushed his lighthearted assessment of Harry. Was Harry still innocent in all ways? He remembered Severus' insatiability very well. Had Severus touched what was his?
He had better not if he wanted to live. It'd be a shame to kill him after all the time that Lucius had devoted to remolding the traitorous piece of scum. Bastard. The whole lot of them. Such a damn pity that he needed them, and he would indisputably continue to need Severus. His revival potions had worked a miracle for his bond-mate, his Harry. He needed the potions for Harry; therefore, he needed Severus. If only there was another Potions Master that was as good as Severus; unfortunately, there wasn't.
Severus needed to understand that Harry was his. No one else's but his. Anything that he claimed, no else could. His eyes darkened with the ferocity of his emotions. Nothing could calm him, nothing--- well, Harry could. "You work too hard," Harry commented, standing up from the bed clothed in only silk silver boxers that only emphasized his tanned magnificence. "It's time for bed."
Harry's voice was pure honey and ten times more enticing. Voldemort glanced at the clock that resided at the far corner of the room. Harry was right, it was time for bed. Too bad, he thought with heavy disappointment that Harry still wasn't quite healthy enough for too much physical exertion. But it wasn't bad to hold the beautiful boy in his arms. It felt too sentimental for him yet it was one sentimentality that he allowed himself.
He let Harry pull him out of his chair and guide him to bed. He wasn't tired, but he didn't have a problem with closing his eyes when Harry wrapped his arms around his waist and rested his head on his chest. Such trust in one no one should trust. It almost made him believe in the beauty of life again. Too bad that he knew the truth of it, that life was tainted and corrupted. Part of it had been done by him. Bloody life. He closed his eyes, it felt good to rest with such sweetness.
Harry knew the moment that Voldemort had fallen asleep. Slowly he untangled his limbs from his Master with special care not to wake him up. He sat at the edge of the bed, the silhouette of the moon flooding his reflective face. He knew precisely what Voldemort was working on. Plans for death, destruction, and devastation. It bothered him, and he didn't really quite know why. It disturbed him. He didn't like it; he didn't want to accept it. But what choice did he have?
He had no one but Voldemort. And despite all the horrors and terrors that he was the source of, Harry didn't want to be parted from his bonded. No, it would be too painful. He turned his face and studied the sleeping form of the darkly handsome older man next to him. When he was asleep, Harry almost saw the potential goodness in him. However, he knew that Voldemort would never be good, and if he wanted to stay with Voldemort he would have to learn to harden his heart. Or he'd go crazy with the guilt-ridden knowledge.
Decisions had to be made. Still, what other direction could he turn? There was no one else he knew other than Voldemort. And really it wasn't so bad to be his bond-mate, his pet. There were worse situations than being looked after and cared for. At least here, he was cherished and if not loved--- possessed by intense feelings. That was enough. One could not ask for more than what he had..
~
All good things must come to an end. Voldemort studied the raven hair beauty that was draped in a sleepy sprawl over his lean body. Such trust given to man that most people feared to look in the eye, that most were afraid to speak his name. He sighed inside, it was time for his pet to know others besides him. It was time to reintroduce Harry back into the world. As much as he wanted to keep Harry in a cage of oblivion, he knew if Harry was to prove the ultimate weapon that he would have to be integrated back into society.
It simply would not do for his greatest gain to be remain too innocent. Too untouched by the corruption of life. Yet, he thought in Harry's own way, he would remain oblivious to the ugliest images of life. That was the way that Harry was, unable to accept and that gave him no choice but to ignore it and move on. What choice did he have? There was no one else that meant anything to him but himself.
He smiled briefly. Brilliant plan, ingenuous really. He'd finally gotten the upper hand on that old coot, Dumbledore. His eyes narrowed as he thought of how Dumbledore had foiled his plans time and time again with a mere boy! Well, time to turn his tricks on himself. What would the Headmaster of Hogwarts do now when he realized that his own weapon was being used against him? The ironic justice of it.
"Wake up, my pet," he murmured softly, smoothing away the hair that threatened to cover those brilliant emerald eyes. When Harry started to stir, rubbing his delicious body in all the right ways to get a rise out of him. Did his pet know how delectable he was when he stretched like he did in the mornings? Maybe he did, but Voldemort wasn't certain of that fact. His bond-mate was awfully innocent in most things. Perhaps he didn't know.
Like every morning since the first, Harry stretched delightfully against him. It was temptation at its worse, not that Voldemort was going to tell him to stop. It may have been a slight torture, but it wasn't anything to complain about. The sensory nerves that Harry hit when he did his cat act ignited an overload of sensations that Voldemort had long ago thought he had lost. Truly a blessing in disguise to find out that that was not the case.
When Harry had finished his daily ritual, he turned to Voldemort and smiled sleepily. "Spell me?" he asked with a slight yawn, pointing to his mouth at the same time. He always asked for this, ever since Voldemort had spelled his breath clean the first morning they had spent together. Voldemort complied by tracing his finger on Harry's luscious lips and murmuring the cleaning charm. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Voldemort murmured back delicately, reaching with his hands to caress his pet's beautiful face. He let his finger linger downwards, trailing down Harry's throat to his chest and finally rested over his naval just above his boxers. "Get dress, my pet. I've a full day scheduled for you."
There was no questioning challenge in Harry's eyes, something that Voldemort wistfully missed from the old Harry. But he knew it was better that this new Harry wasn't as stubborn as the old Harry, this Harry did all that he asked without complaint. It was wonderful in a way, yet at the same time he missed the old defiant Harry's spirit. This Harry was entirely too compliant, though he did see brief flashes of the old Harry--- the Harry that had defied and denied him.
It was still there, hiding inside. Voldemort only had to figure out how to unlock without betraying the powerful hold over Harry that he had. He wanted his pet spirited, but wise enough to know when was the right time to back down. He wanted a perfect Harry for him, too bad nothing was perfect.
~
They were being called. Lucius smiled, though he frowned inside that Bella was coming with him. It was time. But why did she have to part of it as well? Oh well. It was tolerable, he'd make sure that she didn't get the upper hand. After all, who was he if not a Malfoy? Manipulation was ingrained into the family code of conduct. It didn't have to be taught; it was intimately a part of their psyche.
He allowed Bella to knock on the door to Voldemort's private chambers. Why not? It gave her the job of announcing their arrival, and it was below him to pronounce Bella's presence. He still didn't know how his cold blooded wife had been related as closely as she was to the passionate Bellatrix. It didn't make sense. They were as different as fire and ice. He didn't know who he preferred, Narcissa's chilliness or Bella's fieriness. He did admit Bella was a shade too volatile for him. However Voldemort controlled her, he did a marvelous job.
The door flew open and Voldemort commanded them to enter. They had no choice but to enter, not that they didn't want to. Lucius did think it'd be nice to actually be given the freedom to choose, but that was not Voldemort's favored thing to do. Voldemort liked to dominate openly, a true difference between their methods. He didn't mind ruling behind the scenes by subterfuge or black mail. The Dark Lord was a good deal more honorable than he was. It was almost humorous.
They stepped into the room, and Lucius didn't know what he expected to see but certainly not what he saw. The Dark Lord was sitting down at his desk while his bond-mate lounged seductively on the coverlet. Temptation much? Yes, very much. Lucius felt a shooting warmth hit his groin pleasurably. Who would have thought that the Boy Who Lived could ever look this enticing?
His dark hair was forever tousled, only adding to the tempting image he made resting on his side dressed in a white shirt that was only buttoned in the middle. The rest of the shirt opened up, showcasing his tanned muscular chest. What made the picture even better were the black leather pants that encased his legs like second skin. The Boy Who Lived was not a boy any longer, Lucius surmised with a studied inspection, but rather a young man if the bulge that Harry sported was any indication.
Maybe it wasn't going to be a hardship to teach the Dark Lord's pet. Not when he could add seduction to his methods of securing the boy's favor. It only helped his case that the boy didn't remember who he was. No known animosity that was guaranteed since he'd tried to kill the boy. He didn't doubt his ability to persuade. It would be no competition over this Bella, over the old Bella maybe. She had had her powers of persuasion, but she more than a tad too unstable to put them into full use like she had before. Another additional benefit, he enjoyed.
"My Lord," Lucius greeted, bowing submissively to the Dark Lord though refusing to go down to his knees. Only under the pains of the Cruciatus Curse did he ever bow to him and he knew that Voldemort knew that. But he thought that Voldemort rather liked that he wasn't entirely like Bella. It did give the Dark Lord a second opinion that differed greatly from Bella's blind devotion. His views were a great deal more insightful than hers had ever been. "I am here to serve you as you wish."
Voldemort nodded and gestured for Harry to get off of the bed. "My pet," he began with a veiled affectionate tone usually reserved only for Bella, "needs to be reminded of magic. I place his instruction in both of your capable hands." He favored Bella with one of those precious looks she savored and she preened like a lovesick puppy. Despicable, Lucius thought. "However," Voldemort continued, "as Lucius has had experienced with children before, I place the expectations of teaching in your hands. Bella, you are to supervise and lend what advice you may and to report your viewpoints on Lucius' methods."
With a slightly subdued but still triumphant look on her face she acquiesced to her Master's instructions. "I will do what you ask of me, my Lord."
"As will I," Lucius added, his eyes flicker over to Harry briefly before meeting the crimson eyes again.
Voldemort noticed the look, but didn't say anything. He trusted his bond- mate as much as he could trust anyone since Harry couldn't lie to him. He was incapable of it. Only the truth could be spoken between them, that was their agreement. Both were honorable, thus it was binding. He didn't trust Lucius, only trusting Lucius to do what was best for his agenda--- which currently coincided with what was best with their agenda. It would do for now. And Bella, Bella was too unbalanced to be fully trusted.
"Go with them Harry," he told his bond-mate gently. Harry complied, getting out of the bed gracefully and moving over to where Lucius and Bella were standing near the doorway. "Don't forget your wand," he reminded him.
Harry smiled at him gratefully and backtracked to grab his wand off the top of the marble counter. He'd only been given his wand a few days ago, and he found it hard to remember to always carry it around with him. Voldemort had to keep reminding that it was important that he always had it with him, for his protection. "I'm ready."
"Yes," Lucius agreed smoothly, "if you will follow after Bella and me, Mr. Potter."
~
This was better than Lucius had hoped for. He basically had free rein to do whatever he wished, only limited by the feedback Bella would no doubt be giving to their Dark Lord. He'd find a way around it; he'd make sure she wasn't with them in all their lessons. He was sure he could find a way to be able to spend private time with Harry. It was only a matter of time and a matter of careful calculation. His specialty.
"How much do you remember about being a wizard?" Lucius asked amiably, gesturing for the young man to take a seat in one of the comfortable leather chairs that graced the study that Voldemort had lent him to instruct Harry. He knew the imperative details, that Harry's memories had been effectively erased from his mind. But he knew also that Harry still had to recall something of this world. How much was the question. "Bellatrix and I need to know what we need to re-teach you."
Bella narrowed her eyes and settled into the chair across from where Lucius and Harry were sitting, but she said nothing. Harry's eyes flickered back from Lucius to Bella before settling on the entrancing warmth he saw in Lucius's steel gray eyes. So different from Voldemort's. "I know that I'm a wizard," Harry began thoughtfully. "And I know that a wand is the medium where magic is conducted, but I can't quite remember all the spells or charms that I should know."
"Which ones do you remember?" Lucius inquired kindly. Good, Harry was looking at him and not Bella. He almost grinned evilly at the thought, but that would ruin the caring and considerate façade he was maintaining. First, get the trust then show more of his true colors. He doubted Harry would mind, after all he was nothing compared to the Dark Lord.
Furrowing his forehead with wrinkles, Harry dug into his brain to try to pull out what he remembered. It was hard since he only could remember stuff he'd read about, but not stuff that he had actually done. Thus, he could recall a good deal of magical theory; however, he could not recall the practical uses of such said theory. That was what he told Lucius. "I know about magic, I just don't know about how to perform magic."
He certainly had a strong theoretical background in magic, Lucius thought with surprise. It was probably even better than his son's own magical theory background, and that was no easy feat considering the enormous texts that were hidden away at the Malfoy mansion. Yet as good as Harry's theory background was, magic was made to be practiced not merely to be theorized about. "Then," Lucius remarked silkily, "we will have to practice the theory that is trapped within your mind, won't we, Mr. Potter?"
Harry smiled sweetly and nodded. "Please call me Harry."
"And you may call me, Lucius."
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Author's Note: This story has taken a back seat to MOP and WAD. MOP will be introducing Voldemort soon if you need LV's fix while I try to finish WAD first. So how did you like the LV/HP interaction? I did say it was going to LM/HP, and here's the beginning seeds of it.
Thanks to Kateri1, Tempest8, Queen of Vegetasei, Karaberos, Yxonomei, Renee Fay, Party Girl2, Quickjewel, and Kuhara.
Author: Yih
Disclaimer: All characters & original universe belong to J.K. Rowling.
Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers of OotP in this fanfic. They are embedded into the fanfic. I won't tell you which are spoilers and which aren't, but readers that haven't read OotP should be aware that they are in the fanfic.
Thanks to my fan-BLOODY-tastic beta-reader, SERRA!
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I wake up
I don't know who I am
It's all lost
Those memories of me
Nothing's there
Not anymore, it's gone
Gone away
To a place, far away
I run hard
Attempting to get there
Where is there?
I don't know, I don't know
Wish I did
Wish I could remember
But I don't
The memories are gone
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Note: There has been an important change to this chapter, even if it is only 1 word. Harry and Severus were never lovers. Harry thinks of Severus as a very good friend and mentor, and remember all Severus' thoughts of Harry are in his POV. He thinks more deeply of Harry than Harry does of him. Hope that clarifies a few issues. I write this as I go, which means there will be storyline changes.
6: Teaching (July 28, 2003 to July 31, 2003)
For one week, he kept his pet away from anyone else. Isolated and without anyone but himself. It was a cunning mechanism to make Harry even more dependent on him than he already was. So for 7 days, he knew no one but Voldemort. In that way, it re-enforced what Harry only knew already. It was brilliant and manipulative; it suited Voldemort perfectly. He wasn't foolhardy; he wanted Harry's trust explicitly. He had it on the virtue of memory alone, but he wanted it by Harry's own consent too. And he had it. It took only a few days.
He also acknowledged that grooming Harry was not something only he could do. While he enjoyed the sweetness of Harry's innocence, it frustrated him into levels he could not keep back his cutting remarks. Whoever had made the spell had made it very specific. It was truly an ingenuous spell. Remarkable really. Harry remembered enough to get around, but their were things that needed to be re-taught.
Some memories, like of casting magic couldn't be guaranteed. At least, Harry knew he was a wizard though he hadn't quite grasped how he was to say certain spells. It probably didn't help that he was still magically weak which was why he didn't feel like he could do the spells. He couldn't from the lack of magical power he could pull at. One day, when Voldemort felt like he could trust his bond-mate, maybe he would teach him how to pull some magic from himself. They were connected after all.
Until that day came, there were other things that had to be taught. Brushing up Harry's memories of magic were quite necessary and he certainly didn't have the time to do it. He was sure that Lucius would be more than delighted to instruct his young charge. No doubt on that. He smiled with that sudden idea. He didn't doubt that Lucius would try to sway Harry, but he knew that Harry was loyal only to him. And besides, it wasn't like he was allowing Harry to be alone with Lucius. No, that was too dangerous. Bella would be there too.
Even if she was weaker, she was still one of his stronger Death Eaters and undoubtedly the most faithful. She might not have liked Harry much, he thought darkly with amusement, but she was growing to like that Harry gave her Master strength. She could learn to live with Harry as long as was merely a power source. He shrugged at that obvious deduction, Bella still needed to learn her place. She knew she wasn't his equal, but she needed to know that she was not his pet. Harry was.
Harry. The thought of his name brought his crimson eyes off the paperwork he was currently staring at to the sweet form that laid on his bed. Raven hair, sinewy body, toned legs. Simply gorgeous. He smiled and was not surprised to find that his pet's brilliant emerald eyes were appraising him. He knew that Harry often studied him while he was working, especially when he was reading. Who didn't like being admired? He certainly didn't.
Whenever those innocent eyes rested on him, he felt a tingle of warmth spread over his body. At first it had alarmed him, but he dismissed it as his body's base craving for physical pleasure. After all, it had been denied from him for years--- it was only natural to want to sink into Harry's tight virginity. A dark thought crushed his lighthearted assessment of Harry. Was Harry still innocent in all ways? He remembered Severus' insatiability very well. Had Severus touched what was his?
He had better not if he wanted to live. It'd be a shame to kill him after all the time that Lucius had devoted to remolding the traitorous piece of scum. Bastard. The whole lot of them. Such a damn pity that he needed them, and he would indisputably continue to need Severus. His revival potions had worked a miracle for his bond-mate, his Harry. He needed the potions for Harry; therefore, he needed Severus. If only there was another Potions Master that was as good as Severus; unfortunately, there wasn't.
Severus needed to understand that Harry was his. No one else's but his. Anything that he claimed, no else could. His eyes darkened with the ferocity of his emotions. Nothing could calm him, nothing--- well, Harry could. "You work too hard," Harry commented, standing up from the bed clothed in only silk silver boxers that only emphasized his tanned magnificence. "It's time for bed."
Harry's voice was pure honey and ten times more enticing. Voldemort glanced at the clock that resided at the far corner of the room. Harry was right, it was time for bed. Too bad, he thought with heavy disappointment that Harry still wasn't quite healthy enough for too much physical exertion. But it wasn't bad to hold the beautiful boy in his arms. It felt too sentimental for him yet it was one sentimentality that he allowed himself.
He let Harry pull him out of his chair and guide him to bed. He wasn't tired, but he didn't have a problem with closing his eyes when Harry wrapped his arms around his waist and rested his head on his chest. Such trust in one no one should trust. It almost made him believe in the beauty of life again. Too bad that he knew the truth of it, that life was tainted and corrupted. Part of it had been done by him. Bloody life. He closed his eyes, it felt good to rest with such sweetness.
Harry knew the moment that Voldemort had fallen asleep. Slowly he untangled his limbs from his Master with special care not to wake him up. He sat at the edge of the bed, the silhouette of the moon flooding his reflective face. He knew precisely what Voldemort was working on. Plans for death, destruction, and devastation. It bothered him, and he didn't really quite know why. It disturbed him. He didn't like it; he didn't want to accept it. But what choice did he have?
He had no one but Voldemort. And despite all the horrors and terrors that he was the source of, Harry didn't want to be parted from his bonded. No, it would be too painful. He turned his face and studied the sleeping form of the darkly handsome older man next to him. When he was asleep, Harry almost saw the potential goodness in him. However, he knew that Voldemort would never be good, and if he wanted to stay with Voldemort he would have to learn to harden his heart. Or he'd go crazy with the guilt-ridden knowledge.
Decisions had to be made. Still, what other direction could he turn? There was no one else he knew other than Voldemort. And really it wasn't so bad to be his bond-mate, his pet. There were worse situations than being looked after and cared for. At least here, he was cherished and if not loved--- possessed by intense feelings. That was enough. One could not ask for more than what he had..
~
All good things must come to an end. Voldemort studied the raven hair beauty that was draped in a sleepy sprawl over his lean body. Such trust given to man that most people feared to look in the eye, that most were afraid to speak his name. He sighed inside, it was time for his pet to know others besides him. It was time to reintroduce Harry back into the world. As much as he wanted to keep Harry in a cage of oblivion, he knew if Harry was to prove the ultimate weapon that he would have to be integrated back into society.
It simply would not do for his greatest gain to be remain too innocent. Too untouched by the corruption of life. Yet, he thought in Harry's own way, he would remain oblivious to the ugliest images of life. That was the way that Harry was, unable to accept and that gave him no choice but to ignore it and move on. What choice did he have? There was no one else that meant anything to him but himself.
He smiled briefly. Brilliant plan, ingenuous really. He'd finally gotten the upper hand on that old coot, Dumbledore. His eyes narrowed as he thought of how Dumbledore had foiled his plans time and time again with a mere boy! Well, time to turn his tricks on himself. What would the Headmaster of Hogwarts do now when he realized that his own weapon was being used against him? The ironic justice of it.
"Wake up, my pet," he murmured softly, smoothing away the hair that threatened to cover those brilliant emerald eyes. When Harry started to stir, rubbing his delicious body in all the right ways to get a rise out of him. Did his pet know how delectable he was when he stretched like he did in the mornings? Maybe he did, but Voldemort wasn't certain of that fact. His bond-mate was awfully innocent in most things. Perhaps he didn't know.
Like every morning since the first, Harry stretched delightfully against him. It was temptation at its worse, not that Voldemort was going to tell him to stop. It may have been a slight torture, but it wasn't anything to complain about. The sensory nerves that Harry hit when he did his cat act ignited an overload of sensations that Voldemort had long ago thought he had lost. Truly a blessing in disguise to find out that that was not the case.
When Harry had finished his daily ritual, he turned to Voldemort and smiled sleepily. "Spell me?" he asked with a slight yawn, pointing to his mouth at the same time. He always asked for this, ever since Voldemort had spelled his breath clean the first morning they had spent together. Voldemort complied by tracing his finger on Harry's luscious lips and murmuring the cleaning charm. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Voldemort murmured back delicately, reaching with his hands to caress his pet's beautiful face. He let his finger linger downwards, trailing down Harry's throat to his chest and finally rested over his naval just above his boxers. "Get dress, my pet. I've a full day scheduled for you."
There was no questioning challenge in Harry's eyes, something that Voldemort wistfully missed from the old Harry. But he knew it was better that this new Harry wasn't as stubborn as the old Harry, this Harry did all that he asked without complaint. It was wonderful in a way, yet at the same time he missed the old defiant Harry's spirit. This Harry was entirely too compliant, though he did see brief flashes of the old Harry--- the Harry that had defied and denied him.
It was still there, hiding inside. Voldemort only had to figure out how to unlock without betraying the powerful hold over Harry that he had. He wanted his pet spirited, but wise enough to know when was the right time to back down. He wanted a perfect Harry for him, too bad nothing was perfect.
~
They were being called. Lucius smiled, though he frowned inside that Bella was coming with him. It was time. But why did she have to part of it as well? Oh well. It was tolerable, he'd make sure that she didn't get the upper hand. After all, who was he if not a Malfoy? Manipulation was ingrained into the family code of conduct. It didn't have to be taught; it was intimately a part of their psyche.
He allowed Bella to knock on the door to Voldemort's private chambers. Why not? It gave her the job of announcing their arrival, and it was below him to pronounce Bella's presence. He still didn't know how his cold blooded wife had been related as closely as she was to the passionate Bellatrix. It didn't make sense. They were as different as fire and ice. He didn't know who he preferred, Narcissa's chilliness or Bella's fieriness. He did admit Bella was a shade too volatile for him. However Voldemort controlled her, he did a marvelous job.
The door flew open and Voldemort commanded them to enter. They had no choice but to enter, not that they didn't want to. Lucius did think it'd be nice to actually be given the freedom to choose, but that was not Voldemort's favored thing to do. Voldemort liked to dominate openly, a true difference between their methods. He didn't mind ruling behind the scenes by subterfuge or black mail. The Dark Lord was a good deal more honorable than he was. It was almost humorous.
They stepped into the room, and Lucius didn't know what he expected to see but certainly not what he saw. The Dark Lord was sitting down at his desk while his bond-mate lounged seductively on the coverlet. Temptation much? Yes, very much. Lucius felt a shooting warmth hit his groin pleasurably. Who would have thought that the Boy Who Lived could ever look this enticing?
His dark hair was forever tousled, only adding to the tempting image he made resting on his side dressed in a white shirt that was only buttoned in the middle. The rest of the shirt opened up, showcasing his tanned muscular chest. What made the picture even better were the black leather pants that encased his legs like second skin. The Boy Who Lived was not a boy any longer, Lucius surmised with a studied inspection, but rather a young man if the bulge that Harry sported was any indication.
Maybe it wasn't going to be a hardship to teach the Dark Lord's pet. Not when he could add seduction to his methods of securing the boy's favor. It only helped his case that the boy didn't remember who he was. No known animosity that was guaranteed since he'd tried to kill the boy. He didn't doubt his ability to persuade. It would be no competition over this Bella, over the old Bella maybe. She had had her powers of persuasion, but she more than a tad too unstable to put them into full use like she had before. Another additional benefit, he enjoyed.
"My Lord," Lucius greeted, bowing submissively to the Dark Lord though refusing to go down to his knees. Only under the pains of the Cruciatus Curse did he ever bow to him and he knew that Voldemort knew that. But he thought that Voldemort rather liked that he wasn't entirely like Bella. It did give the Dark Lord a second opinion that differed greatly from Bella's blind devotion. His views were a great deal more insightful than hers had ever been. "I am here to serve you as you wish."
Voldemort nodded and gestured for Harry to get off of the bed. "My pet," he began with a veiled affectionate tone usually reserved only for Bella, "needs to be reminded of magic. I place his instruction in both of your capable hands." He favored Bella with one of those precious looks she savored and she preened like a lovesick puppy. Despicable, Lucius thought. "However," Voldemort continued, "as Lucius has had experienced with children before, I place the expectations of teaching in your hands. Bella, you are to supervise and lend what advice you may and to report your viewpoints on Lucius' methods."
With a slightly subdued but still triumphant look on her face she acquiesced to her Master's instructions. "I will do what you ask of me, my Lord."
"As will I," Lucius added, his eyes flicker over to Harry briefly before meeting the crimson eyes again.
Voldemort noticed the look, but didn't say anything. He trusted his bond- mate as much as he could trust anyone since Harry couldn't lie to him. He was incapable of it. Only the truth could be spoken between them, that was their agreement. Both were honorable, thus it was binding. He didn't trust Lucius, only trusting Lucius to do what was best for his agenda--- which currently coincided with what was best with their agenda. It would do for now. And Bella, Bella was too unbalanced to be fully trusted.
"Go with them Harry," he told his bond-mate gently. Harry complied, getting out of the bed gracefully and moving over to where Lucius and Bella were standing near the doorway. "Don't forget your wand," he reminded him.
Harry smiled at him gratefully and backtracked to grab his wand off the top of the marble counter. He'd only been given his wand a few days ago, and he found it hard to remember to always carry it around with him. Voldemort had to keep reminding that it was important that he always had it with him, for his protection. "I'm ready."
"Yes," Lucius agreed smoothly, "if you will follow after Bella and me, Mr. Potter."
~
This was better than Lucius had hoped for. He basically had free rein to do whatever he wished, only limited by the feedback Bella would no doubt be giving to their Dark Lord. He'd find a way around it; he'd make sure she wasn't with them in all their lessons. He was sure he could find a way to be able to spend private time with Harry. It was only a matter of time and a matter of careful calculation. His specialty.
"How much do you remember about being a wizard?" Lucius asked amiably, gesturing for the young man to take a seat in one of the comfortable leather chairs that graced the study that Voldemort had lent him to instruct Harry. He knew the imperative details, that Harry's memories had been effectively erased from his mind. But he knew also that Harry still had to recall something of this world. How much was the question. "Bellatrix and I need to know what we need to re-teach you."
Bella narrowed her eyes and settled into the chair across from where Lucius and Harry were sitting, but she said nothing. Harry's eyes flickered back from Lucius to Bella before settling on the entrancing warmth he saw in Lucius's steel gray eyes. So different from Voldemort's. "I know that I'm a wizard," Harry began thoughtfully. "And I know that a wand is the medium where magic is conducted, but I can't quite remember all the spells or charms that I should know."
"Which ones do you remember?" Lucius inquired kindly. Good, Harry was looking at him and not Bella. He almost grinned evilly at the thought, but that would ruin the caring and considerate façade he was maintaining. First, get the trust then show more of his true colors. He doubted Harry would mind, after all he was nothing compared to the Dark Lord.
Furrowing his forehead with wrinkles, Harry dug into his brain to try to pull out what he remembered. It was hard since he only could remember stuff he'd read about, but not stuff that he had actually done. Thus, he could recall a good deal of magical theory; however, he could not recall the practical uses of such said theory. That was what he told Lucius. "I know about magic, I just don't know about how to perform magic."
He certainly had a strong theoretical background in magic, Lucius thought with surprise. It was probably even better than his son's own magical theory background, and that was no easy feat considering the enormous texts that were hidden away at the Malfoy mansion. Yet as good as Harry's theory background was, magic was made to be practiced not merely to be theorized about. "Then," Lucius remarked silkily, "we will have to practice the theory that is trapped within your mind, won't we, Mr. Potter?"
Harry smiled sweetly and nodded. "Please call me Harry."
"And you may call me, Lucius."
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Author's Note: This story has taken a back seat to MOP and WAD. MOP will be introducing Voldemort soon if you need LV's fix while I try to finish WAD first. So how did you like the LV/HP interaction? I did say it was going to LM/HP, and here's the beginning seeds of it.
Thanks to Kateri1, Tempest8, Queen of Vegetasei, Karaberos, Yxonomei, Renee Fay, Party Girl2, Quickjewel, and Kuhara.