A/N: Hi hello so sorry this update is a couple days late, since I just started working my first full-time job after graduating college, and I've been STRESSED & left with minimal time to write sadly. Friendly advice: don't go into tech consulting, kids. Jokes aside, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please leave a review if you liked it (or even if you didn't, I always accept constructive criticism)!

Also, something I wanted to address before you read this chapter: You guys know I don't write lemons/smut, but I do hint at it. The reason is because I can't write that without laughing my head off, and because my characters are still technically teenagers so it's personally weird for me to write that as a grown adult–but I still want a lil spice.

That being said, I hope you Hadrian/Daphne shippers are excited, because there's a lot of that in this chapter :)

Hope you enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!

Riddle Manor [August 7th]

Hadrian stilled. The air in the room suddenly dropped to a freezing temperature as he turned to stare at his professor with an eerily emotionless gaze. His eyes flashed as he whispered, "What did you just say?"

"We can skip past the whole family tree drama," Snape tried to steady his voice, even though his heart hammered away violently against his ribcage. "I have no interest in which maniacal tyrant truly fathered you."

"You seem to have it all figured out, don't you, Severus?" The younger man leaned back in his seat, tilting his head to the side as though deep in thought. There was a moment of silence and something unsettling glinted in his dark eyes before he called out, "Mipsy?"

The house-elf appeared within mere seconds, bowing her head in submission almost immediately upon arrival. "Yes, Master?"

"I'd like to see Draco in my study."

There was something inherently commanding about his tone, and the house-elf blinked nervously at him as she nodded, "I will call for him right away, Master."

Severus Snape could only frown in confusion when the house-elf blinked away from existence. "Did you not hear me, Riddle?" He raised his voice, glaring at his student from his position by the door.

Hadrian seemed to ignore the annoyance that bled through words, choosing instead to walk over to stash of expensive firewhiskey his father had kept concealed into the wall. His movements were slow and unhurried as he poured himself two fingers of whiskey.

"Are you merely ignorant, or have you actually gone deaf?" Snape hissed.

The younger man glanced up at him and his lips quirked up into what could loosely pass as a smile. "Of course, where are my manners, professor?" He shook his head, making no move to hide his dry amusement. "Can I offer you something to drink?"

Snape peered at him as though he were nothing but an insect at the bottom of his shoe. "No," He seethed. "I came here, simply to inform you to visit your mother or–"

"Or else what?" Hadrian interrupted him snidely, crossing the room with his glass in hand. He leaned against the side of his desk and let out a sharp laugh, "You'll revoke my Head Boy badge?"

"Must everything be a joke to you?" His headmaster furrowed his brows. "Is this how the clowns have chosen to communicate these days? Be serious, for once."

Hadrian drummed his fingers on his desk, careful to keep a neutral expression on his face. "I see," He spoke in a deceptively quiet voice, "You intend to blackmail me, then, is it?"

"No, I–" Snape cut himself off rather abruptly when he saw Hadrian set his drink aside on his desk. There was something off about the young Dark Lord, and just that realization was enough to force Severus to bite down on his next words. "Forget it. This was a mistake," He gritted out, "I never should have–" He moved towards the door, only to feel a searing hot flash of pain shoot up his arm the second his fingers curled around the handle. He yanked his hand away, cursing under his breath.

"Why don't you sit down, Severus." Hadrian kicked forward one of the rigid chairs that sat across from his desk.

It wasn't a request.

The headmaster clenched his jaw into a hard line, but he marched forward the two steps to the chair and sat down with a reluctant scowl. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted when the door to the study suddenly slammed open.

Draco Malfoy sauntered inside, wearing a frustrated glower as though being summoned was a horrible inconvenience to his evening. "What's going on?" The blond stood in the doorway and adjusted the askew collar of his robes. His lips tugged into a petulant frown, "Granger and I were busy."

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait to defile my library, Draco," Hadrian rolled his eyes, walking back around his desk. He sat back down and gestured to the man sitting across from him, "Our dearest headmaster has brought forth some interesting news."

"And?" A flicker of irritation crossed Draco's face. "What could be so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

Hadrian raised an eyebrow, "He claims to have encountered Lily Potter, of all people. Isn't that amusing?"

"Hilarious," Draco said flatly. He ran a tired hand over his face, "What does that have to do with me?"

"Severus has gotten some theories into his head." Hadrian's fingers tightened around his glass as he took a sip, "His imagination has been quite active recently, coming up with all sorts of stories about a missing Potter twin and the late Mrs. Potter." He paused to glance at his friend, "I wonder how he stumbled upon that little rumor."

"It's not a rumor if it's true," Severus spat. "As I'm starting to suspect it very well may be."

"I don't know how he knows, Hadrian," Draco said at the same time, throwing a warning glance at his godfather.

"Apparently, Mrs. Potter spoke to him from beyond the grave," Hadrian shrugged, watching the way Draco shifted his weight from one foot to another in an anxious manner. "Unless, of course, she's still alive," He whispered, although it was heard quite clearly in the otherwise silent room. Hadrian smiled coldly. "But that's impossible, isn't it, Draco? Considering you killed her yourself?"

Snape jerked back to look at his godson with horrified eyes. "You-You were the one to–"

"Merlin, tone down the dramatics," Draco muttered, stomping past his headmaster to throw himself into the other chair opposite Hadrian's desk. "If you're claiming to be here on her behalf, then obviously she's not dead."

"Why is she still alive, Draco?" Hadrian pursed his lips, barely suppressing the simmering anger underneath his seemingly calm and collected façade. "I specifically recall my order was to kill the woman, not to come up with an elaborate ploy to fake her death."

"I couldn't do it," His friend replied curtly. "I changed my mind–"

Before he could even blink, Draco found himself slammed into the far wall. His head smashed against the stone, and he had a feeling there would be a dent in either his skull or the wall if he glanced back. He couldn't help the involuntary groan that slipped out of his lips as he slid onto the ground, nearly shaking as a wave of pain washed over him.

"It seems I've changed my mind as well," Hadrian mused aloud. He let his gaze fall onto the dark-haired man sitting across from him and he snapped, "Get out, Severus."

The former potions professor hesitated for a fraction of a second, but it was enough to make Hadrian's eyes narrow. Severus swallowed hard and backed out of the room. He heard Riddle's voice call out, "Don't go too far. We're not done with our conversation yet."

Snape felt his mouth dry up at the chilling command, and he could only nod once as he shut the doors behind him and stepped out into the hall. He had barely crossed the threshold of a nearby sitting room when a petite witch barreled past him, nearly knocking him over.

He recognized the familiar mess of unruly hair, and he curled his hand around her shoulder before she could reach the doors of the study. "Miss. Granger," He sneered at her over the slope of his nose, "I'd advise you not to interrupt."

The remnants of a hoarse scream echoed through the corridor, and Granger flinched. "What is Hadrian doing to him?" She moved to step around him, "He's hurting Draco. Why?"

"Stay out of it, Miss. Granger," He sighed. "This is between those two."

There was a light sound of footsteps as Daphne Greengrass appeared from around the corner, curious as to where her friend had run off. Her eyes narrowed on him, and she tightened the white silk robe she wore over her thin frame. "Headmaster," She greeted him with a tight smile, "What a pleasant surprise."

"Miss. Greengrass," He nodded towards the other witch he was blocking in the hall. "Perhaps you can escort your friend upstairs for the time being."

"I will be sure to do that, Sir," The blonde blinked at him, "As soon as you tell us what's happened."

Severus debated for a second, but his concern for his godson ultimately won out. He reasoned that the elder Greengrass sister probably had an idea of what was going on underneath her property–she never really struck him as the naïve type. "Mr. Riddle has discovered some information about Lily Potter. Specifically, about her still being amongst the world of the living." He averted his gaze and admitted, "He is not pleased with Draco at the moment."

He noticed the Granger chit start to reach for the door again, and he shot her an irritated glare as he pulled her back. He had just dropped her arm when Daphne Greengrass gracefully stepped around them both and made her way to the doors that led to the study.

"Miss. Greengrass, surely I do not have to tell you the same thing I told Miss. Granger. "

"I have to go in there," Daphne shook her head and her eyes stormed with determination. "This isn't Draco's fault. He shouldn't take the blame for my mistake."

"Miss. Greengrass," Snape resisted the urge to sneer at his student, "For the sake of your own well-being, I order you to stop this impudent behavior–"

"With all due respect, Sir," Daphne Greengrass glanced at him over her shoulder, sounding anything but respectful. Her hand pressed against the doors of the study, and the light glinted almost dangerously off the tasteful sapphire ring she wore on her left hand. "You're in no position to order me around."

And with that, she pushed open the doors. The wards crashed down behind her, but Daphne was able to walk into the study unscathed while she surveyed the scene in front of her. She kept her features carefully blank as she stepped over the bruised body of her friend as he sprawled out over the floor.

Hadrian barely spared her a glance when she entered. "You shouldn't be here, Daphne," He said evenly. He had shrugged off his outer robe, taking the time to drape it over his chair. Splatters of blood flecked over the walls and dribbled onto the floor of his study, but Hadrian was unmoved as he leaned against his desk, casually rolling up the sleeves of his crisp white button-up. Even his expensive black shoes remained perfectly untouched by the bloodstains.

Draco inhaled sharply, and Daphne felt her attention turn back onto the struggling blond as he rasped, "Get out of here, Daphne."

Daphne swallowed hard. A feeling of dread curled at the base of her spine and took a step forward, clearing her throat. "You should know you're cursing the wrong person," She mentioned conversationally. "Draco has nothing to do with this."

Hadrian turned his gaze to her, and a dark expression flitted across his aristocratic features. "Daphne, I said leave us."

"And I said it's not Draco's fault," She retorted, refusing to turn around and cower under his stare. Her bottom lip quivered as she admitted, "It was my idea to save Lily Potter. Not Draco's. He only went along with it because I asked him to." She took a deep breath and forced herself to continue, "So if you want to punish someone for letting her live–it should be me."

Hadrian let out a sigh, and his grip over his wand only seemed to tighten. "Draco should know better than to disobey my direct orders." He muttered another curse under his breath, and Daphne could only watch as her friend flinched violently against the ground. There was a steady trickle of blood dripping from the small cut on his bottom lip where he had bit down in an effort to hold back his screams.

Daphne closed her eyes and before she could talk herself out of it, she had marched up to Hadrian and shoved his wand aside, momentarily breaking off whatever obscure curse he had decided to use. It was such a gross violation of etiquette that Hadrian's lids fluttered in surprise, and he turned to face her with a harsh glare, wand still in hand.

"I said you're punishing the wrong person, Hadrian," She fought hard to control the tremble in her voice. "If anything, you should be cursing me."

His eyes darkened. "Don't ask for things you can't handle, Daphne. You'll break…in more ways than one."

"I'm not that fragile," She bit back at him. There was a stubborn set to her shoulders as she stepped in front of him, "What are you waiting for? Curse me."

"Daphne, don't," Draco choked out from somewhere behind her. "Just go back outside, okay? We're handling it."

"No," She stared up at Hadrian with steely eyes. Though she had always been secretly thrilled by the way he towered over her, now it only served as a bitter reminder at how small she truly was compared to him–how unimportant she was beside him. Something furious sparked inside her at the thought, and she moved forward until she could feel the tip of his wand dig into her collarbone. "I told you it wasn't Draco's fault. I'll take his punishment instead."

Hadrian's lips twisted up into a daring smirk and he slowly trailed his wand down her skin, past the hollow of her throat and stopping to settle just underneath the satin folds of her robe. "Will you now?" His voice was soft, calling her out on her bluff.

Despite the almost teasing nature of his touch, Daphne shuddered as an uneasy feeling crept into her body. "Yes," She resisted the overwhelming urge to avert her gaze. "Go on, then. Do it."

He stared at her for what felt like a long time, though it really could've only been a handful of seconds. "Daphne," Hadrian's voice was rough when he finally spoke, "You know I would never hurt you."

"Why?" She demanded to know. "You were all too willing to curse your best friend. What difference does it make if it's your fiancé?"

He scoffed, "If this is your idea of a joke–"

"I'm not joking," She deadpanned. There was a loud clatter as she pulled her wand from her robes and tossed it at his feet. She moved closer, until the roughness of his wand practically left an angry red imprint on her skin. "I'll even make it easier on you, my love. Go ahead." Something close to amusement flickered in her eyes and she murmured, "You know, most witches don't give their husbands a free shot before the wedding, so I'd advise you to take it."

Hadrian flexed his wrist and his wand dug deeper into her skin. She knew he was angry at being cornered when his jaw clenched into a hard line and his gaze narrowed. Eventually, though, he dropped his wand to his side, and turned away from her.

Daphne watched his back tense up as he swiped at the glass of firewhiskey on his desk and tossed the remaining amber liquid down his throat. Her voice was quiet when she finally gathered the courage to speak, "If you wouldn't even entertain the idea of cursing me, how could you turn your wand on your best friend? He's practically your brother. Your family." She took a hesitant step forward. "When you deliberately hurt the people you love, that's when you start to let your own darkness consume you, Hadrian. In that moment, you're no better than your monster of a father."

"Don't fucking compare me to him." Hadrian whirled around to face her, and his lips curled into a hateful sneer, "My father would've killed you the second you dared to walk through those doors, Daphne. He was–"

"Human once too," She interrupted him. "Just like you. But the years of mindless cruelty and petty violence turned him into a ruthless creature. He might have had hundreds of followers, but he alienated anyone that could possibly care about him." Daphne shook her head and reached for his hand. "You're different from your father, Hadrian. You're better. But if you follow him down the same path of hurting the people you care about… " She trailed off, letting out a bitter laugh. "You might find yourself surrounded by all the power in the world, but you'll feel just as abandoned as you did all those years ago."

He remained silent, watching her with half-lidded eyes.

Daphne shifted back on her heels, nervous all of a sudden. "Hadrian, I'm sorry we lied to you about Lily Potter," She whispered, dropping her gaze to the floor. Draco had passed out at some point during their standoff, and it created a painfully heavy silence between them. "We didn't mean to go against your orders. I just wanted you to be able to get some closure from your past."

He exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose in clear annoyance. "That wasn't your decision to make, Daphne. You need to know yourplace," He sneered. "I don't want closure. I want her to pay for her mistakes."

Daphne bristled at his words. "Your mother cares about you, Hadrian," She insisted. "She needs your forgiveness."

"What about what I needed?" Hadrian retorted, running an aggravated hand through his hair. He stepped away from his desk and snapped, "I was six when she decided to give me up to focus on Alexander's training." His voice was full of bitterness. "I was old enough to know exactly what was going on, Daphne. They showered him with their love, attention, all their affections–while I stood in the shadows, envying him–hating him–for it. They abandoned me long before they even gave me up. When they dropped me off at the Dursley's that night, it was like I was a burden they couldn't wait to rid themselves off. Like I was nothing." He crossed his arms over his chest and shot her a chilling look, "So you'll have to excuse me if I want nothing to do with that woman. She can have my forgiveness the day they lower her into the ground."

"I'm not justifying her actions," Daphne was quick to clarify. "But I believe she's tortured herself with guilt more for her mistakes than anyone else could. She deserves a chance at redemption. She deserves a chance at your forgiveness. Not for her sake, but for yours."

Hadrian rubbed his jaw. "I can't discuss this right now," He eventually decided with a firm shake of his head. "I–I have to go."

"Where are you going?" She turned to watch him leave, concerned by his abrupt dismissal. "Hadrian–"

"I need to be alone, Daphne," He stilled at the door, glancing over his shoulder. "Don't wait up for me tonight."

He strode out of his study, ignoring his pretty fiancé's calls for him to come back. Although his anger had cooled off for the moment, he wasn't sure he could control the volatile magic that threatened to lash out if he caught that guilty look in Daphne's eyes again.

They had lied to him.

His hands involuntarily curled into a fist at his sides, and he forced himself to calm down.

They had disobeyed him.

An icy feeling crept into his fingers, travelling up his arms and spreading through his veins like an arctic wind blowing through a frozen tundra.

They had gone so far as to fake a woman's death to protect her from his wrath.

Hadrian gritted his teeth together. He had just turned the corner in the hall when he noticed Hermione hovering by the doorway of a nearby sitting room. When she saw him, her eyes flashed, and she marched up to him with a scowl.

"What did you–"

"He's alive," Hadrian cut her off, indifferent. He shifted his shoulders back, pushing down the urge to destroy everything in his path.

They deserve punishment.

His magic whispered dark suggestions into his ear, and his heart practically thrummed with encouragement to act out in vengeance. He swallowed hard, shoving his hands into his pockets in an effort to clear his head. His fingers curled around a heavy badge, and he pulled it out of his robes, tossing it at the curly-haired witch before she could say anything.

Miraculously, she managed to catch it and she glanced down at the shining blue Head Girl badge in confusion.

"Congrats, Granger," He said flatly. There was a blur of black in his peripheral vision and he peered over her head into the room where Severus sat rigidly still in a chair by the window.

They lied.

"Severus," He raised a brow as the headmaster turned to look at him with a disdainful expression. "You're still here."

"It felt unwise to leave before we could continue our conversation."

"Good. Get up," Hadrian ordered. "You'll be coming with me."

The headmaster's eyes narrowed. "Where?"

"Does it matter?" He challenged. "I'm in the mood to kill someone, and if you waste my time asking more stupid questions, it might be you."

Severus scowled at his student, but then let out a heavy sigh and stood up to grab his arm. He didn't practically enjoy being coerced by a seventeen-year-old moody sociopath, but he also didn't enjoy losing any of his limbs on the high likelihood that Riddle got too impatient.

A deep feeling of dread twisted into his stomach when Hadrian apparated them on the spot, and Snape blinked in confusion when they appeared in the atrium of the deserted Ministry after working hours instead of the torture-infested dungeon he had been expecting.

His lips twitched into a frown. "Why are we in the–"

"Wait here," Hadrian instructed him, pretending not to notice the resentful look he received in return. "I have to use the washroom."

"Couldn't you have gone before you left?" Snape hissed, but Riddle had already marched off in the direction of the washrooms. He noticed a few curious looks shot in his direction and he glowered to himself in the corner, unsure of how exactly he had gotten into this situation in the first place.

He had honestly been afraid Riddle would've killed him on the spot after he had admitted to his conversation with Lily. The only thing assuring his safety was that he knew Hadrian needed him alive, at least for the time being. It would be mighty suspicious to have two headmasters disappear over only a few months.

The small reassurance calmed him, only until Hadrian appeared in front of him a few moments later. The younger wizard jerked his head to the side, and Snape slowly followed his silent command to trail behind him all the way to the elevators in the back of the atrium. They somehow managed to secure an elevator with only two other wizards inside, and Severus glared at them all as the elevator began to zip through the Ministry. It came to an abrupt stop after a couple of minutes and the magical voice chimed, "Level One: Minister for Magic and Support Staff."

Once the gates slid aside, Hadrian moved to step off the elevator and Snape reluctantly trailed behind him. Before they could continue down the long hallway, however, Hadrian stopped in his tracks and turned around to point his wand at the two remaining wizards in the elevator. His eyes hardened and he muttered, "Obliviate."

The elevator sped away not even a second later, and Snape watched with furrowed brows as Hadrian slipped his wand back into his robes and made his way down the thick, purple-carpeted hallway as though nothing had happened.

"What's going on, Riddle?" Snape demanded to know as they passed by several administrative offices. "Why are we in the Ministry? Why did you obliviate those wizards?"

"You're asking too many questions again, Severus," Hadrian shot him an irritated look, instantly silencing the other man. They walked all the way down the different office suites until they reached a small waiting area, and Hadrian approached the lanky wizard sitting at the small desk near the last set of doors.

"Hello, Jackson," Hadrian greeted the other wizard in a surprising show of politeness. "Is the Minister available for a quick chat?"

"O-Of course, Lord Riddle–Sir–I mean–" The bespectacled wizard took a deep breath and began to nod vigorously, resembling a bobblehead figurine of sorts. "You can go right ahead, Lord Riddle."

Severus glanced at the assistant in surprise. "How did you–" He shook his head, falling into step beside Hadrian as he made his way towards the Minister's office. "How did that brat let us in to see the Minister? Getting an appointment with him is practically impossible these days–"

Hadrian pushed open the heavy mahogany doors, not bothering to knock. He shot the headmaster a look that was so disdainful, Severus almost drew his wand on the younger wizard right there, Dark Lord or not.

"I imperiused his assistant with his own wand in the washroom," Hadrian mentioned casually, as though casting illegal curses in plain sight was a common occurrence for people. "Jackson was about to leave the loo without washing his hands, so I think I've done the world a public service, actually."

"This isn't the time for jokes," Severus hissed. "You've just admitted to a crime within two feet of the Minister of Magic."

Hadrian paid him no attention and continued to walk into the room.

Snape watched him go with a scowl, groaning quietly to himself and forcing his footsteps to follow behind his hot-tempered student, albeit reluctantly. Just as he crossed the marble threshold of the office, he almost stopped in his tracks when he noticed the Minister glance up from their desk to stare at them.

"Excuse me," The Minister began, peering at them over the top of his thick glasses. "I don't believe you have permission to–"

"My apologies, Cornelius," Hadrian brushed off the Minister's complaints with a careless shrug. "I've come to ask if you've changed your mind about the Hogwarts attendance policy."

Fudge narrowed his eyes. "Now listen here, young man. I don't know who you are, but I shall not be discussing such a confidential matter with a mere child that has barged into my office. If you refuse to vacate the premises immediately, I'll have to send for some Aurors to escort you out."

Hadrian picked up a porcelain knickknack on a nearby side table, already bored with the conversation. "You're making this far more difficult than it has to be, Minister," He sighed, unphased by the venomous glare the older wizard shot him in return.

"Why you disobedient little–"

"I'm going to need an answer, Sir," Hadrian pulled his wand out from his robes. "And I've grown rather impatient waiting for you to make up your mind."

"You dare trespass into my office and then have the gall to order me around?" The Minister stood up from his desk with a heavy frown. "Who do you think you are?"

Hadrian flexed his wrist, glancing down at his watch with pursed lips. "My apologies, Sir, I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself. I can promise you, I'm usually not this rude–"

Snape coughed.

Hadrian shot the other man an annoyed glare and then turned back to the Minister, holding out a hand for him to shake. "Hadrian Riddle. Current seventh year at Hogwarts." The light glinted off his sharp teeth as he plastered on a mocking smile, "Oh, and I suppose I'm also the Dark Lord. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sir."

"What do you–"

"Times up," Hadrian rolled his eyes, and levelled his wand at the Minister. "We're on a bit of a tight schedule here, and I'm afraid I don't have time for any more introductions."

"Now wait just a minute–"

"Avada Kedavra," Hadrian's voice was cold as the curse slipped out from his lips, hitting the Minister square in the chest. The light snuffed out of his eyes almost instantly, and his lifeless body folded over, slamming onto the floor with a heavy thud.

Severus blinked. An involuntarily shiver ran down his spine as he simply watched the ruthless wizard standing in front of him for a moment. "You just–"He shook his head, trying again to find his words. "What in Merlin's name have you done?"

Hadrian nudged the body on the ground with his foot. "I think that's rather obvious," He replied dryly. "I've killed the Minister of Magic, Severus."

"I can see that," Snape ground out, starting to feel his eye twitch at Riddle's cavalier attitude. "Why?" He demanded to know. "The Hogwarts attendance policy certainly isn't worth spilling blood over."

"Why did I do it?" Hadrian pretended to think, sounding rather pensive. He ran his tongue over his teeth, dragging his fingertips alongside the edge of the massive desk that belonged to the Minister. "Perhaps simply because I knew that I could."

"You can't just kill people," Snape hissed. "Especially people like the Minister of Magic."

"Why not?" Hadrian's gaze came to him, sharp and unyielding. "I thought I could do anything I wanted."

"For Merlin's sake, Riddle, these are people you're slaughtering off because of your endless temper tantrums," The Headmaster snapped. "There comes a point when your soul won't be able to withstand this much damage. It will splinter off into pieces that you will never be able to put back together."

"Now, there's an idea," Hadrian breathed, glancing back down at the still cooling body of the Minister. "Maybe I should put this particular temper tantrum to good use." He absentmindedly reached over to tilt up one of the picture frames that sat on the Minister's desk. His eyebrows furrowed and he innocently inquired, "Do you think it's insensitive to use this photo of his family as a horcrux?"

Severus froze.

"Maybe I'll feel closer to my father if I had one less piece of my soul, just like him," Hadrian mused out loud. He stared at the picture frame on the desk for a long moment before knocking it over onto the floor with a lazy flick, quite like a disobedient cat. "I'm not in the mood to descend into madness, however," He eventually decided. "And that frame was too ugly to actually house a piece of my soul."

The headmaster waited for the suffocating feeling of fear in his chest to slowly fade away before he demanded to know, "Why are you doing this? Why even bring me here?"

"Because," Hadrian drawled. "Regardless of how much I would like to–I can't kill you," He paused to amend his statement. "Well, at least not right now." He settled into the padded leather chair behind the Minister's desk. "One headmaster disappearing–that's odd, but nobody would bat an eye. It's not like many people outside the Order mourned Dumbledore's death. But two headmasters disappearing?" He sucked in a sharp breath, "That's a bit much, especially when they're only a few months apart. The public would start asking questions, and that's not great from an optics standpoint."

"As delightful as it is to know that I won't be murdered in my sleep because of your obsession with optics," Snape sneered, "It still doesn't explain why you brought me here. You have an entire army at your disposal, why did you drag me along?"

"That's the funny part," Hadrian laughed. "I realized why my father was unsuccessful all those times he tried to take over the Ministry. He brought in half his lunatic followers, wasted time in organizing the logistics of a forceful insurrection, when he only needed two people. One person to kill the Minister," Hadrian lifted a shoulder innocently, "And another to take the fall for it."

Snape stilled, feeling his eyes darken at the young wizard who simply kicked his long legs up onto the desk and leaned back in his chair with a smug smirk.

Snape cleared his throat. "You can't do this to me," He raised his chin in defiance. "Nobody would believe you. I don't even have a motive."

Hadrian snorted. "Do you ever wonder how the Order practically–and sometimes literally–got away with murder without so much as a second glance from the Ministry or the MLE?" He waved his hands dismissively. "It's because they controlled this world and all the hardworking souls within it, Severus." His lips slowly curved up into a triumphant smile, "But now with the swearing in of the new Wizengamot, all that power is about to come back into our side. So, if I wanted to pin the Minister's death on you," His gaze hardened. "Rest assured, I most definitely could."

"Not even your father would be able to get away with this," Severus argued.

"I'm not my father," Hadrian's eyes flashed. "I'm worse. I can have Fudge replaced by another figurehead like Thicknesse, and then have the Wizengamot vote to try you as the prime suspect within the hour."

"This was a highly reckless way of proving your point," Snape clenched his jaw. "What happens when the Aurors catch you?"

"What Aurors?" Hadrian raised an eyebrow, "You mean the ones I'll order Thicknesse to fire tomorrow morning as an act of treason? Failing to protect the Minister is a heinous crime, you know. Punishable by death, probably."

"All this posturing because I asked for you to speak to your mother?" Snape growled under his breath. "I offered you my loyalty on a silver platter and you're too caught up in your own vengeful tendencies to see the bigger picture. Your own hatred will burn through you someday, Hadrian, and it will be the thing that destroys you from the inside."

"Careful," The Dark Lord warned him, a sinister expression flickering over his face. "You almost sound like you care. Don't expect your unrequited love towards Lily Potter earns you the right to give me any step-fatherly advice," He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You'll have to excuse me–I haven't had the best luck with fathers, and in this case, I don't think third time is the charm."

"I don't want to be your bloody stepfather, you utter waste of–" Snape trailed off upon seeing the harsh glare Hadrian shot his way. He grinded his teeth together. "All I'm saying is that you are letting your hatred toward Lily Potter blind you from seeing the advantages of keeping her alive and close by."

"What do you mean?"

Severus pursed his lips. "One might suggest that Alexander Potter was fairly close to his mother."

His student laughed bitterly. "I would certainly hope so, otherwise it would mean she gave me up just for the thrill of it."

"For someone who claims to be so smart, you can be so terribly dense," Snape raised his gaze upwards as though he were begging the heavens for patience.

"I arranged the death of one headmaster, Severus," Hadrian casually adjusted the gunmetal cufflinks he wore, twisting them once–twice–over his sleeve. "What makes you think I can't do it again?"

The headmaster bristled. "Think of it this way– Alexander Potter thinks his mother is dead. Now that he's all but dropped off the face of the earth to save his own behind, it would take something big to draw him out of hiding. Something like learning that Lily Potter is in fact, alive and well." Severus raised an eyebrow, "And perhaps she's switched her allegiance to you."

When Hadrian pushed through the doors that led into his bedroom, he was surprised to see Daphne still awake in their bed, reading a book beside the light provided by the ornate lamp on her nightstand.

"I thought I told you not to stay up," He commented dryly, refusing to let his gaze linger on the way her long legs peeked out of dark silk sheets. "How long have you been waiting for me?"

She flipped a page in her book. "Not very long."

It was a lie, and they both knew it.

Hadrian pursed his lips, moving over to the tufted chaise at the foot of their bed to sit down. He took his time removing his shoes, and then he waved his hand to wandlessly extinguish all the light in the room.

He knew it was petty, especially when he heard Daphne slam her book shut in frustration only a few seconds later. He thought she would set aside her reading material for the night and go to sleep, but the frustrating witch seemed to have something else in mind when she slipped out of the bed and tiptoed across the marble floor.

She faced him, inching her way closer and closer until he was forced to lean back against his arms as she pushed herself to stand between his legs. He arched a brow when she lowered herself onto his lap, straddling his thighs with an innocent expression painted on her pretty face.

"I'm still angry with you," He informed her, turning his head to the side as she began to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. His jaw ticked at the light sensation, but he kept his gaze trained on the grounds outside instead of on her. The moonlight streaming in from the window only seemed to caress her flawless skin, making her smooth blonde hair even more luminous, and her stormy blue eyes even brighter. The only shadows that touched her were his.

"I know," She whispered after a while, seemingly undeterred by his rejection. She kissed his neck, flinching slightly when she felt his fingers dig into her hips in warning. "You can be angry with me.

"You shouldn't have gone behind my back, Daphne."

She brushed her lips over his jawline. "I know."

"You lied to me," He reminded her.

Her lips hovered over his, close enough that her soft breath ignited a spark in his blood. She had barely touched him, yet just the feeling of her soft skin against his caused his control to shake hard.

"Technically I didn't lie," Daphne pointed out with a half shrug. "You never asked me if I was keeping your mother prisoner in a secret bunker underneath my family's estate."

She captured his lips in a searing kiss before he could protest the absurdity of that statement. Her fingers began to work their way down the buttons of his robes, undoing them one by one until she could slip the shirt off his shoulders and feel his skin heat up beneath her touch. Her hand dropped between them to trace over the hard planes of his stomach, and she began to trail a path of soft kisses down his chest.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp tug on her hair and the awkward angle forced her to lean back as she looked up into his cold, green eyes.

"If you ever go behind my back like that again, Daphne," Hadrian paused, and a dark expression came over his striking features, causing her to freeze against him. He tightened his grip on her silky hair, tilting her head up in a surprisingly gentle manner so he could brush his lips against her ear, "Just remember–there's not a place on this earth you could hide that would help you escape me."

She blinked at him, and the hand he had threaded through her hair slowly loosened its grip. She let out a quiet breath, moving to wrap her arms around him and bury her face into his neck. "I'm sorry, Hadrian," She whispered.

He snorted, making no move to touch her. "No, you're not."

Daphne pulled away from him slightly so she could meet his furious gaze. "I am sorry," She insisted. "Not about saving Lily, but I'm sorry about hiding it from you. All I wanted was what was best for you."

His eyes narrowed.

"You don't believe me," She realized aloud. Her chest tightened with unease, and she sat up, balancing herself on his lap. "So that's it then? I make one decision that upsets you, and now you don't trust me?"

His lips curved into a bitter smile. "Let's just say I've been betrayed far too many times in this life already."

Something in her eyes softened at his words and she shifted her weight, gently brushing the pad of her thumb over his cheekbone. "I would never hurt you, Hadrian," She promised in a quiet voice. "I only wanted to stop you from making a mistake."

"Why didn't you just ask me, Daphne?" He voiced the question that had been on his mind all night. He sighed in exasperation, "Why couldn't you just explain everything to me?"

"Because you would have said no," She shrugged. "You wouldn't have thought twice before slitting her throat."

Hadrian tensed. Because it was true. He probably would've killed the woman himself, had he known Draco wouldn't finish the job.

"She's lived under my family's estate for almost a year now, you know," Daphne was saying. "All she does is sit there and stare at the wall. Unless–"

"Unless what?" He demanded, hating himself for the eagerness that seeped through his tone. Even now, a whole decade later, it was like he was still that abandoned child, starved for his wretched mother's attention. His hands clenched into a fist at his side in annoyance at the thought.

"Unless I mentioned you," Daphne revealed with a wry smile. "She's desperate for your forgiveness. I know you certainly don't owe her anything, but maybe speaking with her might not be the worst idea in the world, Hadrian. You need closure. You need to move on from your past."

"You seem to know all about me," Hadrian rolled his eyes. "What I need, what I want, what's good for me, what's not. How controlling of you."

Daphne waved off his half-hearted complaints. "You get to control everything and–"

"What?" Hadrian raised a mocking eyebrow, and something dangerous crept into his low voice. "You get to control me?"

"That's not quite the way I would phrase it," Daphne murmured, reaching out to absentmindedly play with the end of his belt. This time, he made no move to stop her. "You have the entire world at your feet, Hadrian."

"Does that include you?" He smirked, leaning back in his seat with all the poise of the king. He watched with a lazy stare as she slowly dropped down to her knees in front of him, peering up at his face with those wide blue eyes.

"Do you want it to?" She avoided the question, unable to control the breathiness in her voice as she began to undo his belt at a relaxed pace. She circled her thumb over the button of his trousers, glancing up at him in challenge.

He rubbed at his jaw, curling his other hand around the armrest of the chaise almost involuntarily as she popped the button through the hole. The sound of his zipper broke the tense silence between them, and he found himself shaking his head, "No."

"No?" Daphne stilled. An unidentifiable emotion flickered across her face. "Where do I fit in, then, Hadrian? Where do you want me?"

At his side.

In his bed.

Against the wall.

Wrapped around him.

Everywhere.

He voiced his thoughts, as such, and was rewarded by the dark look of satisfaction that filled her stormy blue gaze. "I trust you with my entire soul, Hadrian. It's only fair I receive the same trust in return." Her lips blossomed into smile he could only describe as downright sinful. "You need to understand that sometimes I know what you need, even before you do."

His stomach tightened underneath her still playful touch, and a quiet groan slipped from his lips. "And what exactly do I need, Miss. Greengrass?" He forced out through gritted teeth.

She hummed softly, "Isn't it obvious?" Her lips ghosted over his skin, "You need someone who holds you to your true self. You need someone who cares for you." Her gaze flicked up to meet his, slow and unhurried. "Will you let me care for you, Hadrian?"

Potter Manor [August 31st]

"Why are we here, James?" Nymphadora Tonks spoke up with an exaggerated eye roll. "You've avoided our summons all summer long. Don't tell me you've invited us to a bloody tea party to make amends?"

"Just because I've offered you tea and biscuits doesn't make this a tea party," James Potter scoffed. "It simply makes me a good host."

Tonks dropped a hard biscuit back onto her plate after taking a bite and nearly breaking a tooth. "That's highly debatable," She muttered under her breath.

"What she means to say," Arthur Weasley shot his fellow Order member a warning glance. "Is that it's come as a bit of a surprise that you would choose to meet now, James. Especially with everything going on lately."

James sighed, settling down into his seat at the head of the table. Though the table had once sat nearly thirty members of the Order, now it barely filled up half of the available seats. Several of their members had disappeared over the past few months, only for the Auror force to discover their mangled bodies a few weeks later.

There were also a fair number of seats that were empty simply due to members declining their invitations. In a matter of months, the Order had been stripped of its heroic status and likened to some sort of corrupt war-machine. Endless anti-Order propaganda dominated the wizarding world, and the new administration had already refused to get involved in a situation they deemed as a matter of "free speech".

It simply wasn't a good time to belong to the Order of the Phoenix... but James knew it was time to change all that.

"My son, Harry," He began in a low and controlled voice, "Is the new Dark Lord."

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone at the table processed the news, but it was broken by Tonks when she burst out laughing at the statement. She noticed several gazes in her direction, and she shrugged unapologetically, "I'm sorry, but that's the biggest load of horseshite I've heard since they ruled Dumbledore's death as a suicide."

"It's true," James insisted. "That Riddle boy told me himself," He paused, and a dark sneer twisted at his lips as he spat, "Right before he killed Remus."

Tonks froze. Her eyes shifted to a dark color, and her face was eerily calm as she raised her gaze to meet his. "This Riddle–he killed Remus?" Her fists trembled with barely controlled rage. "Why is this the first I'm hearing about this?"

James frowned at the younger Auror. "I tried to report my suspicions to the Ministry," He revealed with a scowl, slumping back in his seat. "But they insisted I needed to fill the proper paperwork and then I was told the MLE would investigate my claims," He shook his head, and a bitterness filled his voice, "Apparently being the Head Auror once doesn't bring you the same respect it used to."

"I still work in the Auror offices," Tonks began slowly, tapping a finger on the table in front of her. "I never heard a word about this."

The scowl James Potter wore only seemed to deepen. "They must've 'lost the paperwork'" He bit out sarcastically. "We used to do it all the time when we got reports of petty crimes not worth the effort, or any time we received a case report from the old pureblood families."

Tonks pursed her lips. "You threw out summons from the old families? Just because of their last name? Doesn't everyone deserve the right to due process?" She shifted in her seat, narrowing her eyes, "My mother was a Black, you know."

James waved his hand dismissively, "It was always wild accusations. Claims like one of the new Auror recruits touched one of those prissy pureblood princesses against her will. Or one of the older families was taxed a higher than usual amount that fiscal year and it was embezzlement," He rolled his eyes. "Pure rubbish, and a waste of our time. One of the craziest reports was years ago when a Healer at St. Mungos claimed a woman had visited their family planning practice for her inability to carry to term. The Healer said this woman had massive internal scarring due to the cruciatus curse, but she ran away before the Healer could even follow up. When we investigated the blood sample of this mystery woman, we found it belonged to none other than Bellatrix Lestrange." He barked out a laugh. "Karma sure is a bitch, isn't it? Thank god that woman was never able to procreate."

Arthur shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "James," He glanced over at the dark-haired man. "When you say Riddle, are you speaking of Hadrian Riddle?"

"I don't give a fuck about what his name is," James snapped. "All I care about is that he killed my best friend and has fully pledged his allegiance to the Death Eaters."

"You can't be talking about this Hadrian Riddle," Arthur frowned, pulling out a folded newspaper from his robes and drawing attention to the front page where Hadrian Riddle stood with his arm around his pretty fiancé at a recent Ministry charity event. Though Arthur had only skimmed through the article, he had seen the tall wizard in the Ministry throughout the past few weeks, constantly seen with the new Minister himself. He had assumed it was due to some kind of internship or shadow-program, but a heavy feeling weighed in his stomach when he suddenly realized it could be so much worse than that.

"What is he–the Ministry show pony?" James grimaced as he glanced down at the paper. "Since when do they allow junior Death Eaters into the Ministry? Especially this close to the Minister?"

"I'm surprised you think he's a Death Eater, James. Perhaps you're mistaken. Mr. Riddle has always been a charming young man. He's even been honored with the title of Head Boy this year," Minerva McGonagall recounted her interactions with the most bearable Slytherin student. "But Dumbledore always had reservations on him, especially considering his parentage–"

"What does that mean?"

The older professor sank back in her seat, looking up to meet several curious eyes. "Well," She clasped her hands atop the table. "Hadrian Riddle is an orphan, but several years ago Dumbledore discovered his parentage through a spell. He revealed that Tom Riddle himself was the boy's father."

There were several gasps from around the table and Minerva pressed on. "Now, Dumbledore made the decision to never speak of it again and hid it from young Hadrian, but he never trusted the boy the same after that."

"With obvious reason," James growled. "He's the son of the Dark Lord," He blinked, "Well, previous Dark Lord, because apparently there's been a change of leadership right under all our noses."

"You can't honestly be back to this," Tonks groaned. "I thought you said your son died when he was a child. Now you're saying he's the Dark Lord. What happened to You-Know-Who, then? Are you telling me he willingly stepped down? Or that your long-lost-son somehow defeated the darkest wizard of all time himself?" She folded her arms across her chest. "Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?"

"It sounds mad, I'm well aware," James sniffed haughtily. "But it's the truth. I don't know what happened to You-Know-Who, but something tells me that we must shift our focus. The political uprisings, the constant emphasis on tarnishing the Order's good name–that isn't Tom Riddle's style. He sets villages on fire and tortures muggles by the hundreds. Things have been rather calm on that front. This is different. This is more dangerous."

"James, even if we assume that the Dark Lord has been replaced, that doesn't solve anything," Arthur pointed out. "We're still hated by the public. The Ministry is still churning out new policies from the Wizengamot. I hate to say it but–" He bit his lip before nervously whispering, "Maybe there's no need for the Order anymore. Nobody is being killed. No raids. No burning villages. The whole purpose of the Order was to protect the public. But the public seems to be doing just fine."

"This is a different game, Weasley," James hissed. "I don't know what they're planning, but it can't all be coup d'états and showboating. The battlefield may not be literally a field with bloodied bodies this time. They're working in the shadows, controlling everything from behind the curtains of the public eye," His voice trailed off as he slowly realized, "This time around it's a more dangerous play."

"But why?" Tonks pressed. "Less deaths, less bloodshed–what's wrong with that?"

"Don't you understand? It was never about the violence," James scoffed. "It was about the power. We were the heroes because we protected the public from You-Know-Who. They put us on a goddamn pedestal. But now they've changed their tune and we've lost their support." He stood up from his seat and ran a troubled hand through his messy hair. "The wizarding world always feared You-Know-Who. The majority of them never encountered this 'Dark Lord', but they were terrified by his mere name." James exhaled sharply. "Perhaps we were looking at the wrong target this entire time. They might've feared the Dark Lord in the past, but something has changed. This new Dark Lord is much, much worse because the world seems to love him."

"I'm not following," Arthur blinked. "How is he even considered to be a Dark Lord if people love him? You're not making any sense, James."

"You lot are terribly dense today, aren't you?" James let out an annoyed huff. "Have you not noticed the missing Order members? The random disappearances of the most important members of the Wizengamot? Merlin, they're probably even behind the murder of Fudge," He rubbed his temples. "Just because they may not be murdering innocent muggles anymore, doesn't mean they're not as evil as they were before."

"Is this all coming from somewhere else, James?" Minerva ventured to ask hesitantly. "These are some convoluted theories with barely a single shred of evidence to back them up. Maybe you're still feeling some residual guilt after giving up your other son."

"Why would I feel guilty?" James laughed without humor. "I was right all along. Harry was always destined for darkness, but now he's finally taken the throne–probably through more bloodshed," His hand curled into a fist at his side. "Alexander was fated to defeat the Dark Lord, but I don't think any of us realized we'd been focusing on the wrong target this entire time."

"What do we do now, then?" Arthur posed the question.

"Find my son," James ordered.

"Uh–which one do you mean?" Tonks snorted.

The former Auror's gaze hardened. "Both of them."