Chapter Six

"Who are you?" Albus felt he must be straightforward with the ruling royal before him. He had always been fascinated by Muggle stories and religions. He had eagerly listened to the stories of his grandfather as a child. His grandfather had been a Squib, someone with magic in their blood but not the ability to perform it. His grandfather had also been known to disappear for days into the Muggle world, returning from his travels with stories.

One story had been Albus' favorite; Fallen Angels and the war of Heaven. He heard with rapture of the lovely descriptions of such Angels, even that the most beautiful were well-known to be seducers of mortals. And now that he was remembering such descriptions as he stared at the Shadow Lord. He would bet his lemon drops that this man had Fallen Angel blood into him, unless of course the stories were only myths, even though it was very possible in the magical world.

"Yes. I am of Fallen Angel blood." Albus blinked in surprise, trying to keep a calm expression. The ruling Lord smirked, knowing the elder man thought he read people's minds. Ah, but that would be cheating. All one needs to do is watch the changing expressions, especially with knowledge of how I look to them. "My father was the rightful owner and ruler of these lands. But when my twin brothers were born father decided he had enough. Father was the ruler for over thousands of centuries. And when my brothers began to rule, the land was split. They angered my father, which led to my existence."

The Shadow Lord paused, eyeing the figure whohad just stepped forward, following the gliding figure of his Faithful One. His smirk grew in amusement as his captives' eyes grew wide in surprise, mouths agape.

Severus felt free. He had seen a glimpse of himself in one of the many reflecting mirror pools. He knew he looked free, even seemed younger. His burdens had been lifted and he enjoyed that feeling.

"He looks...clean!" Ron tried to find a better word to describe his ex-Professor but couldn't. At the questioning looks and glares from his fellow friends Ron could only shrug helplessly. "But he does!"

"My mate has become himself. No longer does he hide behind false Masters nor facades to frighten off others. He is the consort I had found all those years ago. Come. Sit."

Severus' hands clutched thesoft hide lining of his new flowing robe. He shivered as the softness brushed against his bare skin, knowing he wore nothing beneath the robe. And judging by the flaring of his lover's nose and narrowing eyes filled with a hungered gleam, Severus knew his guilty secret had been discovered. He never could stop such an obession. He loved feeling soft delicacies against his bare skin. It was a sensual, arousing, even uplifting feeling, a high he never wanted to lose.

"My Liege." He fought against the whine as the soft hide brushed against his lower body as he gracefully fell to his lover's side, relishing in the slippery surface of the conjured, plush pillows. His lover never failed to forget that Severus loved the intimate things of life, shivering in pleasure as gentle fingers brushed through his hair.

A soft chuckle rang through the stunned silence as an even softer sound rumbled through the pale throat of Severus. But the chuckle began silent as greenish eyes bore into the others, "Have you solved the riddle?"

Mouths that had closed re-openedin stunned confusion. They hadn't realized the Shadow Lord had given them a puzzle to solve. Nor do didthey even remember something remotely sounding like one. Except one person did. However she wasn'tvery happy. "Always string along your guests like that? Must you degrade them even further, acting like we're the idiots? You even degrade your own mate, treating him like a trained dog."

"I'm amused by your comparisons, child. I treat you as such because you are uninvited. He, on the other hand, is my mate. My submissive. He knows his place as does every follower beneath my command."

Hermione simply huffed as her arms crossed, rudely insulting him as well as ignoring his calm but dangerous tone. "Hmph! Sure. Submissive mates are given chances to be treated like equals. They have the right not to be treated like vermin!"

"Patience, child. You try my patience." His tone was a low warning.

And Severus tensed at the sound, turning away from the brushing fingers. "Don't. Please." He didn't want their deaths to be his fault. He wanted to know that his alliance with a Dark Master would save someone.

The Shadow Lord sighed heavily, always willing to appease his mate. But his mate also knew that he couldn't always interfere. "Very well, Little One. This one time. Not again."

"My Liege." Severus' tone was respectful. But his body demanded more attention as he roughly pushed against his lover's hand, forcing it to continue its continued trek of caressing his hair.

"Well? Have you not learned?" The Shadow Lord had returned his attention back to the quiet Order.

This time Remus spoke, desperate to keep Hermione from making the Dark ruler more angry, afraid of her possible demise. "There's rumors, stories even, of Fallen Angels. Well-known by Muggles. They believed that one God made everything, even Heaven and Hell. But they also say that his heavenly children, the Angels, had grown restless, seduced by the very mortals they protect. He gave them a chance to repent. But a selective few refused. One such Angel was his favorite, his most beautiful follower, Lucifer. It was he wholed the few Angels against their heavenly father. In the end God had tossed those Angels from Heaven, forcing the Earth to open, forcing the ground to accept his favorite. And in the darkness Lucifer fell, forced to remain with no hope of re-entering Heavenbecause he refused to repent."

"Very good, but not many know the whole truth. Yes, Lucifer refused to repent. He enjoyed the sinful relations the mortals could promise. He enjoyed knowing he could easily sway them from the Light's path. But what no one knows is this. Lucifer missed his true home. He missed the warmth, the freedom, the love. And he tried to pretend the sins he created wereworth the loss. Here beneath the darkness he ruled the dead, the sinners Heaven rejected. Another factno mortal knows is the slice of Heaven that Lucifer was able to create. There are times a sinner tries to repent but fails before they are fully forgiven; we accept them. There are souls who refuse to believe they are dead; we house them until they believe. It is what a mortal author once mentioned to the world; Purgatory, the stop between Heaven and Hell."

"Oh!" Remus had blinked rapidly. This he did not know. "That ruined my stories."

And this caused Hermione to sniff rudely. "We learn of such Gods in school, even from generations of family. We learned of the Greeks. We know of stories saying Lord Hades ruled the Underworld. And how the Romans say it was Pluto. In India it is another God. Every religion has their own story, their own belief. Even those who don't believe. They'resimply beliefs to explain the unexplainable, even to appease fears of life after death."

"Well, the child does know more than her tongue allows, especially her constant disrespect. I know not of others but your Hades and Pluto were my brothers, the twins. They ruled the lands together, splitting them to suit their unique comforts. Father did not accept itbut allowed it, awaiting for their people's faith to fade. And when it became clear it was time for a new ruler, father prepared my way. I've only recently come into power as the new ruler."

Albus' eyes twinkled with thisknowledge, "Fascinating. Such rich history. But forgive me, who are you?"

"I am the Dark Prince, the newest Dark Master, Daemon Lucifer."