Chapter 5
"Lucian." Lucian looked up as his father knocked on his bedroom door. He told him to come in and set down his quill. "Tom wishes to speak with you. Do you want to go to Serpents Lair or would you rather he come here?" Lucian shrugged on a silk shirt and some boots.
"I'll go there. Might as well face my fears, right?" Lucian pulled on his cloak and followed Lucius to the fireplace. He flooed alone to Serpents Lair.
Once in the giant castle, he made his way to the study, where Lucius said Tom would be waiting for him. He knocked politely on the door and waited for Tom to say he could enter.
"Lucian, how are you doing?" Lucian hung his cloak up and joined Tom on the couch in front of the fireplace.
"I'm well, and you?" Tom smiled gently at his son. "What is it you wished to talk to me about?"
"I wanted to address your title, and rank." Seeing Lucian stiffen, Tom drew the boy onto his lap and stroked his back. "I won't force you into anything, my son. I already promised that didn't I?" Lucian nodded and relaxed a bit in his father's arms. "I just wanted to know if you have an idea of what you want to do."
"Well, I have thought about it a little." Lucian began. "I know for sure that I won't be your lapdog." Tom laughed lightly.
"Wouldn't dream of making you inferior to me. You're my son, and my heir." Lucian smiled. "So tell me what you were thinking of."
"I want to be your equal. I'll have my own mark, with my own followers. I want to follow my own set of rules." Tom nodded in acceptance. "And I want you to make a promise."
"Go on."
"Think about the consequences of your actions." Tom jerked and tightened his grip on Lucian. "Think about it. If you kill all muggles in the world, and all half-bloods, what would happen if suddenly a disease spread throughout the world? One that only affected wizards and witches." Tom's grip loosened and he seemed to be pondering this. "If that happened, there would be no way for wizards to rekindle. We'd be extinct."
"Lucian, you do have a point there, but I can't just tell my followers to stop." Lucian thumped his chest lightly.
"You don't have to stop completely. Work slowly. Target only the criminal muggles, like murderers and robbers. Leave the others alone. Slowly work your way into our ministry, then slowly work towards making a truce with muggles so we can slowly begin to show ourselves. Half of the muggles you kill are children, who haven't had a chance to judge anyone, let alone us. And some of the adults only think badly of us because of your raids." Lucian felt Tom sigh as he buried his face in his neck. "Do you understand what i'm getting at?"
"Yes. I believe I do, son. I promise not to harm innocents, muggle or muggle born." Lucian smiled. "But I cannot stop a lot of the raids."
"I understand. Just re-direct the actions to the evil muggles. Muggles like my Uncle..." Lucian said softly. "People that hurt others that can't defend themselves. People like."
"Me?" Lucian inhaled sharply. "Its okay son, I know I've not been the best person in the world. I am trying to change, though, for your sake." Lucian nodded in Tom's neck. "Now, let's move to another topic shall we? What do you want your mark to be?" Lucian sat up and turned to face his father.
"I haven't really given it any thought."
"Well, get thinking!" Tom shoved him playfully. "Need any ideas?" Lucian nodded. "How about..a snake?"
"No. I don't want something I can talk to on my arm, or any other part of my body, thank you."
"How about something fierce then? And smart?" Lucian cocked his head and leaned against his father's chest.
"How about a wolf?" Lucian bolted upright as Lucius suddenly appeared in the room, Severus beside him. "Think about it. A wolf is smart, quick, strong, and very aggressive if protecting something." Lucius and Severus sat on either side of Tom. "It would be perfect." Lucian nodded in agreement.
"A wolf it is." He said tiredly. "And I'll get to the design after I sleep." Lucian dropped his head onto Tom's shoulder and immediately drifted off.
"Accio book!" A Dark Arts book flew into Lucian's hand and he leafed through it, muttering distractedly. His wolf design was finished and ready for branding, but true to his nature Tom told Lucian he had to look up the spells and enchantments he would use for it. He found a branding spell, underlined, and figured that was what Tom used for his. Lucian wrote it down and memorized the wand movements before closing the book. He quietly said the spell and the image on the parchment lifted up and hovered.
He pointed at the back of his hand and the image laid on it. He said the last of the spell and nearly screamed as a white light surrounded his hand, causing him almost unbearable amounts of pain. When the light receded, the wolf was imprinted on his hand, crimson eyes glaring up at him. He muttered a few more spells and the wolf blinked. It looked around and finally sat, tongue lolling out and showing big white teeth.
"Whew! That parts done. Now for the binding spells." Lucian muttered a few more enchantments, all dark, and his work was finished. Whenever he would add another to his 'Pack', they would be connected to his through the mark much like Tom and his followers, just with less pain.
"Lucian? Are you done in there?" Lucian pulled on a black, fingerless glove he reserved for this occasion and went to open his door. Draco was standing there impatiently, broom in hand. "Want to go flying?" His smirk disappeared.
"Sure. Just let me grab my broom!" Lucian ducked back inside his room and grabbed his Nimbus. The Firebolt Sirius had gotten him was gone, burnt by the Dursleys with the rest of his things. He rejoined Draco and they made their way out to the pitch.
After a few pick up games of Quidditch, the two landed and walked together into the house. "Did you finish what you were working on?" Lucian nodded and removed his glove, holding his hand up for Draco to see. "Wicked!" The wolf stared back at him, panting happily.
"Yeah. It's my mark. You going to join Tom when you're of age?"
"I don't know. I'm sorta torn between the two of you now. I trust you more because your more my age and all, plus you seem more powerful than Lord Voldemort. But he's older."
"Choose what you think is best then. Don't let either of us stand in your way. And call him Tom, he won't mind."
"All right. If I decide to join you, will he be angry?"
"No. I am his ally after all, and his heir. Plus your father is his lover, I don't think he'll mind too much." Draco nodded and excused himself, going off to think about his predicament. Lucian chuckled at his retreating back and went to tell his father about Draco's problem.
TBC
"Lucian." Lucian looked up as his father knocked on his bedroom door. He told him to come in and set down his quill. "Tom wishes to speak with you. Do you want to go to Serpents Lair or would you rather he come here?" Lucian shrugged on a silk shirt and some boots.
"I'll go there. Might as well face my fears, right?" Lucian pulled on his cloak and followed Lucius to the fireplace. He flooed alone to Serpents Lair.
Once in the giant castle, he made his way to the study, where Lucius said Tom would be waiting for him. He knocked politely on the door and waited for Tom to say he could enter.
"Lucian, how are you doing?" Lucian hung his cloak up and joined Tom on the couch in front of the fireplace.
"I'm well, and you?" Tom smiled gently at his son. "What is it you wished to talk to me about?"
"I wanted to address your title, and rank." Seeing Lucian stiffen, Tom drew the boy onto his lap and stroked his back. "I won't force you into anything, my son. I already promised that didn't I?" Lucian nodded and relaxed a bit in his father's arms. "I just wanted to know if you have an idea of what you want to do."
"Well, I have thought about it a little." Lucian began. "I know for sure that I won't be your lapdog." Tom laughed lightly.
"Wouldn't dream of making you inferior to me. You're my son, and my heir." Lucian smiled. "So tell me what you were thinking of."
"I want to be your equal. I'll have my own mark, with my own followers. I want to follow my own set of rules." Tom nodded in acceptance. "And I want you to make a promise."
"Go on."
"Think about the consequences of your actions." Tom jerked and tightened his grip on Lucian. "Think about it. If you kill all muggles in the world, and all half-bloods, what would happen if suddenly a disease spread throughout the world? One that only affected wizards and witches." Tom's grip loosened and he seemed to be pondering this. "If that happened, there would be no way for wizards to rekindle. We'd be extinct."
"Lucian, you do have a point there, but I can't just tell my followers to stop." Lucian thumped his chest lightly.
"You don't have to stop completely. Work slowly. Target only the criminal muggles, like murderers and robbers. Leave the others alone. Slowly work your way into our ministry, then slowly work towards making a truce with muggles so we can slowly begin to show ourselves. Half of the muggles you kill are children, who haven't had a chance to judge anyone, let alone us. And some of the adults only think badly of us because of your raids." Lucian felt Tom sigh as he buried his face in his neck. "Do you understand what i'm getting at?"
"Yes. I believe I do, son. I promise not to harm innocents, muggle or muggle born." Lucian smiled. "But I cannot stop a lot of the raids."
"I understand. Just re-direct the actions to the evil muggles. Muggles like my Uncle..." Lucian said softly. "People that hurt others that can't defend themselves. People like."
"Me?" Lucian inhaled sharply. "Its okay son, I know I've not been the best person in the world. I am trying to change, though, for your sake." Lucian nodded in Tom's neck. "Now, let's move to another topic shall we? What do you want your mark to be?" Lucian sat up and turned to face his father.
"I haven't really given it any thought."
"Well, get thinking!" Tom shoved him playfully. "Need any ideas?" Lucian nodded. "How about..a snake?"
"No. I don't want something I can talk to on my arm, or any other part of my body, thank you."
"How about something fierce then? And smart?" Lucian cocked his head and leaned against his father's chest.
"How about a wolf?" Lucian bolted upright as Lucius suddenly appeared in the room, Severus beside him. "Think about it. A wolf is smart, quick, strong, and very aggressive if protecting something." Lucius and Severus sat on either side of Tom. "It would be perfect." Lucian nodded in agreement.
"A wolf it is." He said tiredly. "And I'll get to the design after I sleep." Lucian dropped his head onto Tom's shoulder and immediately drifted off.
"Accio book!" A Dark Arts book flew into Lucian's hand and he leafed through it, muttering distractedly. His wolf design was finished and ready for branding, but true to his nature Tom told Lucian he had to look up the spells and enchantments he would use for it. He found a branding spell, underlined, and figured that was what Tom used for his. Lucian wrote it down and memorized the wand movements before closing the book. He quietly said the spell and the image on the parchment lifted up and hovered.
He pointed at the back of his hand and the image laid on it. He said the last of the spell and nearly screamed as a white light surrounded his hand, causing him almost unbearable amounts of pain. When the light receded, the wolf was imprinted on his hand, crimson eyes glaring up at him. He muttered a few more spells and the wolf blinked. It looked around and finally sat, tongue lolling out and showing big white teeth.
"Whew! That parts done. Now for the binding spells." Lucian muttered a few more enchantments, all dark, and his work was finished. Whenever he would add another to his 'Pack', they would be connected to his through the mark much like Tom and his followers, just with less pain.
"Lucian? Are you done in there?" Lucian pulled on a black, fingerless glove he reserved for this occasion and went to open his door. Draco was standing there impatiently, broom in hand. "Want to go flying?" His smirk disappeared.
"Sure. Just let me grab my broom!" Lucian ducked back inside his room and grabbed his Nimbus. The Firebolt Sirius had gotten him was gone, burnt by the Dursleys with the rest of his things. He rejoined Draco and they made their way out to the pitch.
After a few pick up games of Quidditch, the two landed and walked together into the house. "Did you finish what you were working on?" Lucian nodded and removed his glove, holding his hand up for Draco to see. "Wicked!" The wolf stared back at him, panting happily.
"Yeah. It's my mark. You going to join Tom when you're of age?"
"I don't know. I'm sorta torn between the two of you now. I trust you more because your more my age and all, plus you seem more powerful than Lord Voldemort. But he's older."
"Choose what you think is best then. Don't let either of us stand in your way. And call him Tom, he won't mind."
"All right. If I decide to join you, will he be angry?"
"No. I am his ally after all, and his heir. Plus your father is his lover, I don't think he'll mind too much." Draco nodded and excused himself, going off to think about his predicament. Lucian chuckled at his retreating back and went to tell his father about Draco's problem.
TBC