The Beginning of a Name Part II

The walk to Madam Malkin's was quiet, Eileen was deep in thought. As they walked, Hadrian noticed that they were getting more looks than before, but no reporters yet. Had word not spread?

Madam Malkin welcomed them personally this time when Hadrian stepped into the store. Customers parting like the red sea for them, much to Hadrian's consternation. Both Eileen's and Hadrian's clothing were wrapped in beautiful and intricate packages and Madam Malkin offered to shrink them. Hadrian declined and did it himself with a wave of his hand. Only realizing when he heard the startled gasp of the people around him, that he should have pulled out his wand. He groaned inside his head, realizing he had been too engrossed on the event concerning Eileen's heirship to consider the consequences of waving his magic around so freely.

They both thanked Madam Malkin and hurried away. Laughing lightly at the situation they had found themselves in once they were out of the crowd. It was a mix between a relieved and nervous laugh. Like they couldn't believe what had just happened.

They headed for the apparition point with light steps, their bodies still brimming with all the excitement that they had gone through that day. The need to celebrate was the only thing on their thoughts now. To celebrate the soon opening of Slytherin manor as well as Eileen's continued inheritance, and for that they would go to visit Hadrian's pack.

The side-along apparition went well, though Eileen complained about receiving stomach pains from it. The good natured smile said she was most likely lying, and Hadrian played along apologizing profusely for causing displeasure for the future Lady Prince.

Seven pairs of ears perked up from the sound of apparition and light laughter. And Hadrian felt giddy with nervous as he watched Eileen take in the sight before her. Her dark eyes inspecting each and everyone of the large wolves and dogs that were lined up so faithfully in front of them. During this time she did not move from Hadrian's side. Her eyes lingering the longest on the snow fur of Roarik's.

Roarik for his part took it in good stride, his light eyes inspecting her right back.

"It is nice to meet you all, I am Eileen Prince," she finally said after much scrutiny on her part.

The tension in the waiting pack dissipated and Hadrian realized they had been as nervous as he about meeting her.

Stepping forward Hadrian gestured towards Gerald, who remained in his wolf form. "This is our alpha, Gerald," he introduced.

Eileen's eyebrow shot up at that. "Even yours?"

Hadrian looked over at her about to answer when she gave a startled gasp and stepped hastily back. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught sight of the shuddering form of Gerald as he completed his transformation into man.

"Fear not, Young Lady Prince, no one here wishes you harm," Gerald said to appease her. "I am Gerald, as the Young Master said. And yes, I am also his alpha. Hadrian is as much part of this pack as the rest of us, he may not have a canine form but we all welcome him here regardless."

"Yet, you call him young master," Eileen retorted.

Gerald just smiled, unbothered by the comment. "Indeed. Hadrian might not be alpha of this pack but he is still Lord Slytherin, no matter how young and childish he may seem at moments," Gerald said, a warm smile on his face as he directed the last part of his statement towards him. Hadrian felt like pouting, but he had a feeling that would just prove a point.

"I can understand that. It is nice to meet you, Alpha Gerald," Eileen said. And Hadrian couldn't help himself, he laugh out loud this time when he caught the sour look on the older man's face.

"Gerald is just fine."

The rest of the pack was quickly introduced after that and Eileen immediately took a liking to Roarik. He was large but there was still a puppy sort of feature to him and Eileen gushed over it as well as his "beautiful" snow white fur. The admiration got to the point that Roarik sought shelter behind Gerald.

After Eileen's gushing over Roarik, the rest of the pack seemed to take that as a sort of acceptance, for both Lunath and Immith pressed up against her and pressed cold noses against any skin they could find. Twaine begged to be scratched and at first Eileen didn't look so certain about scratching the large dark wolf who was doing an impressive whining noise. So Hadrian quickly stepped forward and demonstrated on Dale how she should scratch behind the ears and around the collar before she dared to hesitantly reach out and run her hands over the coarse fur of the wolf.

Hadrian and Gerald together managed to usher everyone to the back of the house, where a small seating area could be found. With one last check towards Eileen, Hadrian hurried inside to prepare tea. His wand swishing into his hand at a though, as he pulled a pot and cups from cupboards and set water to boil.

When Hadrian came back out, he found Eileen inspecting the scars on Dale's side.

"This must have been very deep," she said.

"It was."

Eileen turned to him, eyes wide. "Yet you managed to heal him. Your power certainly keeps astonishing me."

"I might have been able to heal him, but there is little I can do for the phantom pains he yet feels," Hadrian admitted.

Dale whined lightly as he rolled back upon his paws and sauntered over to Hadrian, rubbing his head against his side.

Hadrian felt warmth enter him at the considerate action. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around the dog's neck, burying his face into the thick fur for just a moment.

"Have you been a pack for a long time, Hadrian?"

"Um, somewhat. Gerald picked me up quite a few years ago now and I stumbled upon the Frost Hounds toward the end of the Grindelwald's war. A happy coincidence. I think we are all healing slowly from all the war," he answered.

"Eh, I wouldn't have taken you for someone who is old enough to have fought in the war against Grindelwald. Not many British wizards joined in on the fighting," Eileen said.

"Well, I look younger than what I actually am," Hadrian said.

"And how old would that be?"

"My, how rude. Asking someone their age just like that, right out of the blue."

Gerald leant over and lightly swatted the back of Hadrian's head, chastising him.

"Behave, Hadrian. Anyone who has known you for a little while will start realizing that you don't age like a normal wizard. Eileen's question is perfectly valid."

Slightly abashed Hadrian answered with a quiet, "33."

"33! You don't look a day over 20," Eileen exclaimed.

"Yeah, I don't know why, but ever since I inherited the Slytherin wand and title I seem to have stopped aging."

Eileen looked shocked. Hadrian couldn't blame her, the feeling was mutual. Everyday he stared himself in the mirror and wondered how.

"I see," Eileen finally said, then added with a cheeky grin, "maybe your brain stopped aging as well and that's why you're so childish at times."

Hadrian scold darkly at that. Huffing he turned away and replied back childishly, "I won't ever make you tea again. Or coffee. You can suffer through with water for the rest of your life."

Eileen apologized, but Hadrian knew it had all been in good jest, he didn't take it personally.

For a while longer they discussed the scarring on Dale's side as Eileen pondered possible potions that might be of help. In the end they could come up with nothing.

With Eileen's help Gerald was able to make a warm delicious dinner with the few ingredients that existed in the house. Hadrian was able to uncover a few bottles of firewhiskey that he had stashed away deep into one of his trunks.

Tonight would be a celebratory dinner. For Hadrian because he was finally opening up the Slytherin manor and for Eileen for having found out she was still the rightful heir to the Noble House of Prince.

Yale joined them in his human form for dinner.

By the time night had long since come, Eileen commented that she should hurry home. The slight worried expression on her features as she said this had Hadrian and the rest of the pack tensing.

"Tobias will certainly worry if I am away too long," she said.

Hadrian felt his humor darken at the mention of the man and scowled down at his firewhiskey. "Yes, you certainly shouldn't give him reason to be displeased," he said.

"How dark of you, Hadrian," Eileen commented. "One could almost assume you to be the dark wizard that your magic claims you to be. Worry not though I have seen the kindness in your heart and knows that it runs far deeper than any dark magic possibly could."

"I do not think the Young Master means it in a bad way, he is simply worried for you," Gerald put in.

"I know, and I will heed your warning, Hadrian, so please do not worry."

"I wish I could come with you, but I must stay here. My pack and I will leave tomorrow to head for the manor. They're not fond of the idea of apparating, so we'll do it the slow way and run there afoot," Hadrian said.

Eileen nodded in understanding, a warm hand reaching out to grasp his own.

Eileen left soon after, promising that they would meet in a week's time. Eileen would come with the goblins to the Slytherin manor as she had no idea where it was located and thus unable to Apparate. Hadrian would go with his pack, even though they had been there once before and the pack would easily be able to find it on their own. However Hadrian worried, worried about running into either wizards or other magical beasts. After all the forests of Britain were certainly not safe, and in the end it would put him at much ease if he went with them.

It was quite a few years ago by now, since Gerald had talked him into seeking out the Slytherin manor. Of course they had found themselves unable to enter, even unable to see the place, but somewhere deep in Hadrian's magical core he knew that this was the place he was meant to be at. It called to him, even tugged lightly on his magic. Now, after so many years he had gotten used to the feeling, the calling, but even so it would be nice to finally heed it. To go to where his being most wanted to be.

To head home.

Once Eileen had left they turned in. For once deciding to sleep together inside. Piling together in the large open area close to the fireplace, and Hadrian conjured thick quilts to chase away the night chill.

In the morning there was no wake for a morning run. Instead Hadrian woke to the smell of tea and hot bread. He burrowed himself deeper into the quilt he had tucked around himself and dug his fingers deep into the fur of whomever he was using as a pillow. Comfortable, was his only thought.

He had no time to prepare for the sudden attack on his sleep as Gerald lifted him up-quilts and all-and cared him outside to their little sitting area; where he was placed gently onto a chair.

"No. Want to go back," Hadrian grumbled into his quilt, letting it cover his face.

"If we are to make good time in our travels today we shall have to leave soon. Eat. Then you may help Yale and I with packing up."

"Can just use a spell for everything."

"Somethings are better done by hand, Young Master," Gerald berated as he pulled the quilt down; raising an eyebrow at Hadrian's childish antics.

There was no defending against the disapproving stare, and Hadrian found himself straightening up and eating his breakfast as ordered. Only now and then shooting the man a dejected look. Though it did nothing to lessen that sharp arch of the brow.

Packing up meant getting rid off any evidence that they had ever been there. A lot of things had to be shrunk and packed away into their pockets. Some Hadrian banished away for good.

Once the house was cleaned and empty. So empty that whatever homely glow that had existed before was now null. It made Hadrian's heart clench looking at it. For nostalgia's sake, he threw strong Colloportus on the doors and covered the small house in light protective magic. Just in case they ever wanted to return.

The pack watched the proceeding in quiet respect. They too would most likely miss the place.

Then all of sudden it was time to leave; Gerald ushering him away from the house and out towards the open field.

Running was one of the more difficult parts, Hadrian was not an animagus and he couldn't keep up with the canines pace in his human form. So to compensate he would have to be carried by one of his Lupi Caelo. They had done this before so it wasn't anything new, but it was uncomfortable.

Gerald and Twaine were the largest of the wolves, and they both easily stood eye to eye with Hadrian.

"Are you sure you are okay carrying me all the way there?" he wondered.

"Of course, Young Master, we have done this before. Your form and weight is slight, so as long as Twaine and I take turns it will be no problem for us," Gerald said. "We are wolves after all, no matter how human we can look, our strength is still much greater."

With that, the pack set off. Hadrian gripping into Gerald's light auburn fur and tightening his knees against the wolves side so that he could prop his feet up against its lower back to make sure his legs didn't get in the way when they started running.

The run was wonderful, like flying a broom, Hadrian thought. The forest swished by quickly, and the rest of the pack kept pace around him. Even here upon Gerald's back, this sort of run gave Hadrian a feeling of belonging, like he was just as much one with the pack. Exhilarating and wild. They hadn't done anything like this in over a year. But now they were finally on the move again and that felt great. Like invisible knots where unwinding and flying lose. His heart set on a wild steady beat, and he felt Gerald's muscles shift and flex under him. A powerful and feral feel. A pack feel.

They stopped regularly to rest and drink water from streams they came across.

Within the span of the first day, they had already left the forested area they had lived in and were running through open fields, wide and vast and a beautiful summer green.

They kept away from muggle and wizard villages as often as possible, but it was hard. There were roads that had to be crossed, and trains that kept being sighted. They passed between wizarding and muggle land as much as possible to keep out of sight; detouring sometimes that could be as long as half a day's run.

On the fourth day, a howl could be heard from nearby.

Hadrian stiffened. His hands and fingers digging deep into the now dark fur of Twaine's.

"Wolves," he said lowly. Not that he had needed to tell his pack, they already knew. Their ears twitching as they ran, trying to pick up any other sound.

Gerald took a sharp left, leading them into thick bushes and trees.

It didn't help, barely five minutes later the dark shape of a wolf could be seen in front of them.

They had been herded, Hadrian realized.

More shapes could be seen, eyes glittering out from the shadows around them.

His pack pressed tightly together, Immith and Roarik pressed into the middle. Twaine shook Hadrian off, and he too stumbled back towards the pups of the pack.

Gerald's rumbling growl was a scary thing to hear, Lupi Caelo were much larger than regular wolves and even the Frost Hounds towered over regular wolves.

"What's this, a small pack of humongous wolves. Never seen that before." A rumbling rasp of a human voice could be heard from among the trees. Echoing laughter, told Hadrian that the man wasn't alone.

"I seem to make out the shape of something young, and most definitely human," another voice said.

"Can I bite 'im?"

Hadrian's heart rate had escalated quickly and now beat like a hummingbird in his ribcage. Werewolves, he though. His hand curling into Immith's fur who was next to him. He tried to distinguish where the human werewolves where, but they were hidden well in the shadows of the trees.

Taking a deep breath he gathered some of his magic, ready to use it quickly if needed.

Gerald looked back at him, a piercing look in his eyes that told him, "Don't."

It had been many years since they had killed, for most part these last two years the pack had been going with a motto: "better run than fight." The question now was whether Gerald was gonna give the command to run or if they were staying to fight.

That decision was made for them by the surrounding wolf pack, for two darted forward and Twaine stepped in to encounter them. With one powerful paw he sent one wolf flying into a nearby tree. Allowing the other to leap upon his back. The large Lupi Caelo shook it off, brought his teeth down on a hind leg and forced the short fight into a standstill.

One of the humans finally stepped out of the woods shadow. He was a burly man, large chest and arms and dressed in spares dirty clothing. There was a light thrum of magic in him, like most werewolves, and Hadrian didn't like it. It gave him a feeling of wrong.

"I'm not much for killing other wolves, how about you guys join our pack?" he said. Gerald just growled deeper in reply. His yellow eyes taking on a cold and deeply predatory look.

The pack was tense, no one would accept such an offer. Gerald's pack was tightly knitted, and they didn't take lightly to someone trying to replace their alpha with another. Especially not a group of violent werewolves.

"Do you think you can fight us? You are certainly the most massive wolves I've ever seen, but we have five werewolves and twelve forest wolves. Do you truly think you can win?"

Hadrian thought they could. Was certain they would, but the fighting would take a lot out of them; might even hurt some of them and that was something he didn't want. If they could get away without fighting, it would be better.

"No one here takes kindly to that sort of threat. No one in this pack will abandon our alpha," Hadrian growled out, receiving a chastised snarl from Gerald in return. But Hadrian wouldn't step down. It wasn't a full moon, the werewolves had no power over him. He didn't fear them.

"Oh, the human speaks up. I can smell you, ya know," the man said. "You aren't a wolf, nor some kind of dog, like the white ones. Just a human. Regular and small. Fragile. Maybe we'll keep ya for the next full moon. Would you like that?"

Disgusted, Hadrian tried stepping forward to show the man just what he thought, but Immith and Roarik pressed him back. There growls like small mini-machines by his side as their eyes pierced the enemies.

"You dare threaten one of my pack with such disgusting words," Gerald growled.

The werewolf flinched back, small eyes going wide as he took in the human form in front of him. Gerald might not be overly large, but you could feel the power of his presence. The yellow eyes glowing with an eerie power that even sent a chill down Hadrian's own spine.

"An animagus?" the man gasped out. The rest of the men that had been hiding came out of the woods. Wary looks on their faces as they surrounded the pack of seven plus human.

Gerald didn't correct him and neither did Hadrian. It was best if they didn't find out about the magical nature of Lupi Caelo.

"You might be werewolves, but I warn you now, you don't stand a chance against us. It is in your best nature to leave. We are simply passing through, your territory will remain your own and you won't need to lose any of your men or wolves to this senseless fight," Gerald said.

The man and some of the wolves surrounding him growled low and threatening in response. "Do you doubt our power?"

"Power isn't everything. I trust in the experience of my pack to get through," Gerald replied. "I can tell you aren't tightly knitted. How many do I have to take down before the rest flee? Maybe all I have to take down is you? Will they remain by your side, oh, self-appointed Alpha? Or will they save their own hide before they lay down their lives for your unwarranted fight?"

"Strong words, but you're only a wizard," one of the other werewolves growled. "I'll take you on anytime."

With that the man to Gerald's right charged at him with large claw like hands and sharp canines bared.

To Gerald's credit, he didn't flinch or startle back in any way. He turned sharply towards the incoming man, and with the speed of a striking wolf gripped the man's wrist and wrenched him over his head slamming him down on the ground before placing a heavy foot into his throat.

He turned towards what seemed to be the werewolf alpha, a cold grin on his face. "How about it, Alpha. Do you also want a go?"

Within the span of a few minutes, two wolves had been taken down and now one of the werewolves had been incapacitated in a mere second. Whether Gerald's pack could win or not, they were showing that they would take down as many as they could before they succumbed in a fight. It wouldn't be a light battle for the werewolves team, and Gerald was going to prove to them just how deadly the fight they were picking would end up being.

The werewolf alpha didn't seem to get the gist of the threat for his head cocked cockily to the side and his grin was just as bloodthirsty as before.

"Hmm. A fight with a human animagus. Do you truly think you'll win. I'll break you, then I'll break your pack. So, how about you save yourself and the rest of your so called pack. I let you go if you give me that young human. I can tell by the look in his eyes, he'll make a great werewolf."

The air darkened at those words, the packs magic all surging forward as one. Frost covering the ground around them and cooling the air by several degrees. The previous sunny day had disappeared as the woods seemed to grow taller and thicker, covering the area in an icy darkness. The canine eyes the only thing that shone like steel through it.

Hadrian swallowed, pressed closer to the wolf next to him to escape the biting coldness of the Frost Hound's magic.

"Death is certainly too kind for the likes of you. Had we met but a few years earlier, I would have taken great pleasure in causing you pain. To watch you suffer and beg, I'd break your will until you begged for death," Gerald said, his voice hoarse and a trickle of bitterness could be heard through it. "Too bad I stopped with such tactics. But even so, you are unfit to be an alpha. You think power alone is what makes an alpha, you truly know nothing. It's the pack bond that makes the alpha and through that gives strength to the alpha." The pack growled in unison, letting it echo and vibrate in the air for a long time afterwards.

Gerald shot forward, uncaring of the werewolf at his feet that he had slowly been choking into unconsciousness. Halfway towards the werewolf, he changed into his wolf form, jumped sideways and clamped powerful teeth down onto the man's forearm.

The man screamed, his own clawed hand coming up to rake across Gerald's snout. But Gerald had already moved, and while the werewolf was distracted Yale had charged forward unannounced and sunk his teeth into the junction of the neck and arm. The man was forced down on the ground, his breath being heard loud and clear through the silence that followed the short fight.

Slowly, the wolves stepped back from their readied attack forms. Recognizing the clear defeat that would be had if they attacked to protect the alpha. No one moved to help.

Yale let go of the man, blood clear on his teeth as he bared them in warning. The werewolf didn't get up; only moved his other hand to cover the deep wound.

Gerald took in the other werewolves, but they too had backed away. They were throwing nervous glances at the unconscious man by the rest of the pack and their alpha.

Gerald transformed back into his human form. "I see no reason that this fight should have to continue. Your alpha is down, those wounds will take a while to heal even for a werewolf. If you want him to survive you should treat him now."

Gerald moved back towards his pack, eyes taking in the wolves that slunk into the shadows, following their progress with sharp critical eyes.

Two werewolves rushed towards their downed alpha the moment Gerald and Yale were far enough away.

The pack started moving, following Gerald as he lead them away from the scene. Yale pushed Hadrian and Roarik to follow after they had stopped to look back, curious as to what the other pack would do.

From there they walked for a while; Hadrian threw out his magic feeling the nearby area. No wolf or werewolf had followed them. Finally Gerald morphed into his wolf form again, and Twaine urged Hadrian back upon his back.

They took off at a fast pace, just one more day to go before they reached the beginning of Slytherin's land.

-V-V-

Breaching the first pair of wards was like passing through warm air. They had finally entered into Slytherin property. The tugging feeling on Hadrian's core had lessened, and instead become this comfortable hum. Lulling and warm.

It was less than half a day before they reached the gob ward for the Slytherin estate.

They had chosen a small road junction to be their meeting point. It was still a few days before the ward goblins and Eileen would arrive, so the pack, tired from all the running, sought shelter in a nice rocky area with a clear view in each direction. They settled down and unwound from the long days of running.

Hadrian slept like a rock that first night, curled up tight with Immith and Roarik.

The next couple of days went by unexcited.

-V-V-

Eileen and five goblins arrived early in the morning, exactly 10 days from when they had last seen. Eileen looked a little tired, but she had a bright smile on her face and she was dressed in proper wizarding clothes. The goblins were all sharp featured and pointy eyed.

Hadrian himself was dressed in some sort of style between muggle and wizard, having gone for comfortable clothing rather than style. He at least had the forethought to cast a Tergeo on himself to remove any dirt and a Scourgify on his clothes. Now finally after a few days of camping out he started to feel self-conscious of his rather lacking hygiene.

Gerald stood by his side, but the rest of the pack was hidden among the woods.

The goblins threw the wolf-man a look, neither greeted each other. Hadrian took that to mean the goblins knew perfectly well that this other man was no wizard. It still made him feel slightly mad though that his pack alpha did not receive a proper greeting based on his kind.

"Lord Slytherin, our records state that the house is to the north west of this junction. If we wander south we shall come upon the ward stone. It should be something that you will recognize, it will call to you," one of the ward goblins said.

Hadrian nodded, falling into steps with Gerald as they walked south. There was a lot of magic in the area, the Slytherin property was extensively protected and it made it hard to distinguish one sort of magic from another.

After five minutes of walking Hadrian started fearing he might have passed it, but the goblins kept assuring him that he would definitely notice it. They were walking into some light woods when Hadrian first felt the strong tug on his magic. It was as if a string had fastened on him and he could easily follow it to its end.

The magic hummed pleasantly; it coursed through him like a steady heartbeat. The ward stone, turned out to be a gray slate fastened to the base of an Alder tree. It was nothing remarkable and would be easily overlooked by passersby. Though the stone itself looked like it had been melded with the tree, and that gave Hadrian pause enough to contemplate it.

Two of the goblins came to stand by Hadrian's side, and he noticed for how small goblins were their presence was remarkably strong.

"Lord Slytherin, would this be the ward stone we are looking for?" the goblin to his right asked.

"I believe so. I would say it calls to me. It feels like my magic is being tugged, and the one doing the tugging would be this stone." Hadrian said.

"Good, then if I may, can you place your hand upon the stone," the right goblin said. "We will start the process immediately."

"Is there anything I will need to do?" Hadrian wondered.

"No, just don't reject the magic."

That sounded like something that would be easier said than done. Don't reject the magic, how would he even go about doing that?

The rest of the goblins spread out. Eileen and Gerald had to step back, standing now a good 10 paces away.

The left and right goblin remained by his side, while the other three took up points on a triangle around them. They all stood erect, not a single bend to their necks or back; their hands cupping in front of them as if they were to hold something.

A gentle hum filled the air.

Gob magic felt much different from wizarding magic, it was thick and heavy, and Hadrian could swear it was getting harder to breath. He could feel the magic in the air around him, but there was no breeze to it, no fluidity. No air like quality that his own sometimes took and even his canine pack had. This magic, he could feel, sought out and pulled, and the magic in the ward stone responded. The stone warmed as magic surged to its surface; it flowed up Hadrian's arm and straight into his core, and for that fleeting moment Hadrian felt like he saw the whole of the estate. Felt the skittering signatures of animals in the bushes, in the trees, felt the creaking of old wood and the ancient magic lost behind closed doors.

The world swam back and the sensation was gone. Like a forgotten dream, Hadrian blinked himself awake.

The ritual had ended. The tugging sensation was gone, but it had been replaced by the thrumming warmth of home. Like every hidden boundary was now as easy to distinguish as if one just looked.

"Lord Slytherin," left goblin said quietly, as if he knew of the momentous change that Hadrian had gone through. "How about you take down the Obscurity charm and allow us all to gaze upon the Slytherin manor."

Hadrian could just nod, as he stumbled back upon his feet. His magic easily reaching into the ward now; he didn't have to say anything, didn't have to know anything, his magic knew.

The charm came down, and the manor opened up before them. Vast and wide and large and everything a pureblood could ever dream of. Two twirling ivory gates stood by the roadside that they had just left, and from there winded a cobblestone path up to the front of the main house. The manor was made of light stone and rounded corners with two visible large wings. Some vines climbed up on the eastern wall, and it gave it in whole an ethereal feel.

"Beautiful," Eileen and Hadrian said at the same time. They looked at one another and laughed. Light hearted and warm.

Gerald was already moving towards the gates. The goblins waited for Hadrian to move.

"Will you be joining us?" Hadrian wondered.

"Only to the door, Lord Slytherin," one of the larger goblins said. "There is one more spell that needs to be done, and it best be done by the front of the manor door."

"Will this sort of ritual have to be redone for all the other properties that are under the Slytherin name?"

"No, Lord Slytherin, only the keying of the ward stone. However, this is the main property and your predecessor was adamant about its protection. If someone managed to key themselves into the stone that was not of Slytherin descent, they would still be unable to enter upon the manor property."

"I would expect nothing less from such a pure and strong line as the Slytherins," Eileen remarked, unsurprised and most likely pleased.

"Is this a normal precaution?"

"Only among the higher elites such as yourself, Lord Slytherin," the left hand goblin said.

"Well, let's not dilly-dally, I am filled to the brim with energy and need to go exploring," Hadrian said, laughing happily as he hurried towards the gates where Gerald waited. They took the path up together, a companionable silence. Now and then broken by Eileen's questions that she kept throwing at the poor ward goblins.

The first thing Hadrian noticed as he neared the door was the large carving of a snake above the door frame. It was beautifully carved with some sort of metal and stone, and he could easily pick out the details of its scales. There was a small amount of magic that trickled from it, and he assumed it was some sort of guardian spell. Hadrian knew most of those spells had long since become classified as dark magic and was rarely spoken of in an open setting.

The goblins didn't look at it twice, and it didn't seem like Eileen could pick out the magic from it either; for that he was thankful. He didn't want to deal with questions about it, especially ones he couldn't answer himself.

When Hadrian stepped up towards the dark wooden door, the larger goblin advised him not to touch upon the door knob. The ritual this time required a drop of blood on Hadrian's part, that he had to channel a small part of his magic into and from there he felt how the gob magic guided it to the door. Allowing the blood to sink into the old ivory handle.

Even in the light of day, the light that shone from the door and slowly lit up the rest of the house could be seen far too well. It shone so brightly, Hadrian had to avert his eyes.

"That is all, Lord Slytherin," one of the goblins said. "We thank you for your business. If there is anything else that you would need, don't hesitate to seek it at Gringotts." With that the five goblins hurried away, down the cobblestone path and past the gates. Then they disappeared.

"Well, looks like we are alone," Hadrian said, breaking the silence. "Shall we go exploring."

Eileen bounced happily on her feet, ushering Hadrian towards the door. "Open it. Open it."

Hadrian did. The door was of a simple wooden design and it swung outwards without a hitch. The inside was dark and dusty, and dark magic hung in the air like stale air.

Not very homely so far.

Past the door, laid a large entry that contained a dusty carpet and two large wardrobes. It was sparsely furnished and all the windows were covered by heavy drapes. Hadrian stepped past the threshold and drew out his wand. "Lumus," he said, and his wand lit up bright and powerful, chasing away the shadows. Eileen followed, drawing out her own wand which was a slim beautiful cedar.

Together they made their way in, Gerald but a few steps away at all times.

Hadrian let his magic flare out of him, seeking into the corners of the room and spreading it across the large house. He couldn't pick out any large magical signatures, but the house itself was filled with so much magic it was possible for something less powerful to be hidden away in it. For now the only way to know was to go searching. The inside was just as vast as the outside presumed it to be. The walls covered with well kept wood and polished stone. The floor a light hardwood. Intricate patterns ingrained into it here and there and he could make out a darker colored wood in one of the hallways splitting from the atrium.

Hadrian noticed small markings at the bottom part of one of the walls and leaned down with his wand to get a closer look. "Eileen, would you know what this is? I'd say it's a rune but I've never seen one like this before."

Eileen came up and joined him, her dark eyes taking in both the small design and the rest of the wall. "Hmm. There seems to be two more ones. One close to the door and the second just on the ceiling over there," she pointed. "I think these are hieroglyphic ward stones. This one seems to be made up of two drawings inside of it instead of the runic script that we learn at school. I didn't know British wizards ever used this sort of magic."

"Hieroglyphics. Like what they used to use around Egypt? Is that sort of magic still in use?"

"As far as I know it's been classified as forgotten magic. Wizarding Egypt might still have a Pharaoh, but they lost the use of hieroglyphic magic more than a few centuries ago by now."

"Do you know anyone who can read this now?" Hadrian wondered.

"No. Maybe one of the Unspeakables," Eileen said, sighing and leaning away.

Hadrian shuddered at the thought of having one of them in his house. Unspeakables were known for their inconceivable quench for knowledge. They wouldn't just be satisfied with dissecting the hieroglyphic ward, they would seek out every bit of information they could gain on Hadrian himself. His knowledge as a time traveler, his inheritance powers. Everything they could find on him they would-not stopping until all of his secrets had been revealed. It was a scary thought, one Hadrian did not wish to ever experience.

Standing up he stepped away from the wall turning towards Gerald. "How about you, Gerald, have you ever seen anything like this?"

Gerald who was inspecting the one on the further side of the wall shook his head. "It doesn't give of the same feel as the runes you sometimes put up, Young Master. There is a heaviness in this stones magic that makes me very unsettled about touching it. As if it might pull me right in. Most distasteful."

Hadrian frowned at that. It didn't sound like light magic. They had barely started their search through the large manor and already they were being shown the signs of the dark family the Slytherin line was.

Eileen was busying herself by dragging her wand around the small symbol before tapping it lightly. "Meminero," she said in a strong voice, and the circle she had traced earlier lit up before it shrank quickly into the stone.

Hadrian and Gerald both came forward to look at what she was doing, fascinated with the new display of magic. "What did you do?" Hadrian wondered.

"A remembrance spell. It makes it so that later I will be able to produce an exact picture of it. I wish to study it more indepthly. I'm curious as to what function it has. Is it protection or something more sinister?"

"You should be careful with that. Don't injure yourself by reproducing symbolic magic without knowing what it's made for."

"Of course, Hadrian, I will be careful. I am after all not the reckless one here," she answered back with a kind smile.

Huffing, Hadrian left Eileen to her fascination and started wandering around again.

He busied himself by casting Vanishing charms on the drapes. Letting the natural light fill the dark room and chasing away the oppressive dark air. He could now make out the movements of a few paintings, but none of the people in the paintings looked at them nor spoke so he could only assume them to be normal pictures with no magical signature in them.

"Do you mind if I do a light Cleaning charm, Hadrian? I can't breath through all this dust," Eileen asked.

"Yes, that would be for the best. Let me help out."

With that the two of them set to work, dispelling dust and grime as well as opening up all the windows they could find.

As they were doing this, Yale's light voice came from the doorway, "Wow, this place looks like it might be haunted." He and the rest of the pack had finally decided on joining them. Yale was looking around in his human form, curious fingers dragging across small wooden motifs that could be found carved into the wall. The rest of the Lupi Caelo and Frost Hounds were sniffing about and pushing their noses into crevices. Their massive bulk filtering out the light and casting rather creepy shadows upon the far walls.

"I certainly hope not," Hadrian replied to Yale. "I refuse to have to deal with some sort of ghost or worse a demonic presence."

"Dear Hadrian, I think if this place was haunted it wouldn't be as well kept as it is. There must be a lot of preservation magic keeping all this up."

Preservation magic indeed, Hadrian thought as he stood outside of one of the heavy dark doors that lined one of the hallways. The door practically radiated with magic. Even as the new master of the house, Hadrian felt compelled to leave the room be, but curiosity was a dangerous thing and Hadrian quickly pushed the door open.

It was a library, massive and magnificent. Large bookcases from floor to ceiling, heavy tombs and sparse parchment as well as rolled up scrolls. For a long while Hadrian just stood there taking it all in. Awed and very impressed. Eileen soon joined him, neither able to take the necessary step to cross the threshold.

"I'm never leaving," Eileen whispered, her voice hoarse with revere. Hadrian nodded along with her by her side.

"Stop gawking and actually go inside," Yale grumbled from behind them. His lanky form peering over the top of their heads, curious eyes taking in the massive shelves and scattered desks that filled the room. "Is it really that impressive?"

Hadrian let the magic of the library wash over him as he stepped inside. His hand automatically reaching out to trail fingers against the binds of thick tombs. The library unlike the main room was not filled with dust or dirt. It was immaculately well taken care of. Small rune symbols carved into every shelf, most likely for both protection as well as preservation.

"There are so many books here. They all look old, but very well kept," Hadrian said.

"It will take years to go through," Eileen added. They shared a fond mischievous look, future plans whirling through their minds.

"I want to look through it now but it's best I search the rest of the manor before I lose myself here," Hadrian admitted, leaving the room with a last departing look.

The manor was massive, some rooms were well kept but others were filled with grime and dust. The dark magic was heavy and it dampened everyone's spirit the longer they stayed in the manor. Before long some of the canines had fled the property for the open air outside. Now and then Hadrian would catch sight of one of them through the windows of the house.

Gerald remained faithfully by his side, though his golden eyes had hardened and he remained quiet like a shadow.

When it was well past noon, Gerald ushered everyone out of the oppressive house for lunch. It was taken by a few sturdy rocks. Eileen and Hadrian had both packed a large quantity of food that they distributed happily to everyone. Large pieces of well kept meat being passed to the canines of the pack.

Hadrian munched on his own food quietly. The landscape outside the house was quiet and pleasant. The weather warm but not overbearing. The manor was beautiful, and it was wonderful to be in it after all the long years of yearning that had tugged at his core. But he knew it still wasn't what he wanted. His pack could barely stand to be inside it, they growled at corners and their usually warm canine eyes were cold. It wasn't a home they could live in.

Watching his pack, he smiled happily at the playful scuffle between Yale and Roarik. Immith and Lunath were both sharing a piece of meat and seemed happy to chew it together at a slow amiable pace. Twaine on the other hand was tearing into his piece like it was the last one in the world. The large wolf growled and tugged at it, and Hadrian couldn't help but smile at the very intimidating picture the massive wolf made.

Twaine looked up and caught his eye, seeing the amused smile playing on his lips. The wolf gave a large whine before turning his backside towards Hadrian to continue his tugging and tearing on the meat.

Gerald on the other hand remained statues. He sat upright in his wolf form, yellow eyes scanning the surround and ears perked up erect on his head. His food untouched. He was on the defences and Hadrian wished he would relax some, but as long as dark magic hung in the air like it did here. The alpha of the pack would remain alert. There would be no offer of tea or pleasant chats.

Hadrian sighed heavily and sat down his food. "How about we call it a day."

Eileen look over at him at that and the rest of the pack stilled their movements, too, and turned curious eyes over at him.

"Hadrian, it is hardly late in the afternoon. You wish to finish up so early, there are many more rooms we have yet to open," Eileen said, her voice tinged with something close to disappointment.

Hadrian didn't really mind.

"The manor won't go anywhere and I think we all need a good run." The last part of his sentence was directed towards Gerald. He stared steadily into his yellow eyes trying to convey his feelings regarding the packs unease that he felt.

Eileen took in this silent communication and leaned back with a defeated sigh. "I understand, Hadrian. It has been a long morning for all of us, and I am certain I should get home and go to the market before it becomes too late," she said as an excuse.

Lunch was finished quietly and Eileen left soon after. Hadrian walked her to the gates and the boundaries of the property. She Apparated away with a sharp turn and the feeling of a large amount of residual magic.

From there the pack took off into the surrounding woods. Sniffing along the manor border before seeking deeper into the woods by the manor. They stopped often to observe different kinds of animals, most with not an ounce of magic in them. But now and then they'd come across a small garden gnome or magical bird. The woods were filled with creatures, from the smallest insect to even a large herd of deer.

Soon they passed out from the manor ward and into the rest of the Slytherin property. They had run across part of it just a few days previously. It was a large area, covered with a Compulsion barrier that would compel humans away from the property. It also protected it from any who came seeking the Slytherin land with bad intent, which helped keep out werewolves and other more dangerous creatures.

Though Hadrian wasn't certain how it would stand up once general knowledge of the Slytherin estate got out. Compulsion charms were only useful when people weren't looking for it. The moment curiosity has been piqued; it would shatter like broken glass.

The woods of the property were old, large and strong, and a few trees here and there held large magical cores that gave the air around them a serene vibe. Hadrian loved it. Most of the pack had spread out, only Lunath remained by his side as they walked slowly through the thriving forest.

It was late when they returned to the rocky area that they had been taking shelter at for the last couple of days. They curled up tight together for the night, the weather having taken a turn for the worst and strong winds tugged on fur and clothing.

A light rain began in the early hours, and Hadrian got up unhappily to erect a shield charm. He used small pebbles to stabilize it before he curled back up into the heat of the pack.

With morning came thunder and the pack sought shelter under the alcove at the back of the manor.

-V-V-

That day only three of them wandered into the manor. Gerald and Twaine were like silent shadows, slinking through the still darkened corridors. Many rooms still remained unlocked and Hadrian had barely begun his search of the upstairs. The manor was beautiful and well decorated, but there was no personal objects to be found. Everything was packed away, stacked neatly on shelves or hidden away in closets. None of the objects where clothing, no combs or other personal items. It was as if the house had been cleaned thoroughly before abandoned. Only leaving that which would be useful to the next Lord or Lady of the family line.

There were quite a few doors which Hadrian had stopped outside and considered opening, but in the end he never did. He would brush his fingers over the old wood of the door and continued down the hall. Contemplating.

He took lunch by himself in the library, snacking on small sandwiches while flickering through a hefty book. Its contents weren't dark per se but it regarded sacrificial magic; something many classified into the big lump of dark magic. Hadrian knew better. His mother had sacrificed herself for his life, had given everything she had so that he may grow up safely from the eyes and hands of those who wished him ill-intent. The only thing it couldn't protect against was someone of the same blood. For that Hadrian would always be a scarred man.

The book itself was interesting, there were many things Hadrian had never considered that constituted as sacrificial magic. He, for one, had never considered giving up an idea or a goal as being sacrificial, but when he thought about it he realized he had spent a lot of his time sacrificing those small things. Maybe it was no wonder many thought his magic so great, if at all turns Hadrian found himself giving up a part of his being for the betterment of others. Though who knew. The book itself was theoretical. Abstract theories and slightly absurd propositions. Nothing concrete enough to help him understand the cause his sacrificial actions might have had.

With a tired sigh, he closed to book and laid it on the small stand next to him. And from there, it didn't take many moments before the book zoomed across the room back into the corner he had taken it from. Not that he cared much that it was gone. A simply Accio would bring it back to him if he wished to continue reading. Though Hadrian was rather certain he was done for today.

The weather still thundered outside and the wind and rain beat against the large windows that covered a good portion of one of the walls. It was a soothing sound, and before he knew it darkness covered his mind and drew him deep into a mirage of intangible images.

There was an echoing laughter that accompanied the feel of thick dark magic curling itself over him. Suppressing and sinister in nature. Hadrian wanted to push it away, wanted to draw his own magic around him, but as he tried he found himself unable to access it. He felt his magic as one feels hot air and it slipped just as easily through his fingers and whisked away. Leaving him powerless to the surrounding darkness.

The laughter soon became louder; now and then even produced the sound of a high pitched giggle close to his right ear. Warm breath on his check and cool fingers dragging across his neck. He turned and blinked and tried to move, but the darkness was constant; he could neither move nor voice himself.

A voice, genderless by how young it sounded, could be heard through the laughter. "Master, why? The pain, oh why? The branding thus so hurt. Master, I said-" The voice cut off as if the wind had changed directions and was no longer blowing towards Hadrian.

Such a young voice, spoken softly as if in fear. Or pain, Hadrian thought. He tried again listening for the voice, but everything had been cut off. The eerie laughter no longer resonated around him nor could he pick out the quiet begging of the child's voice. Frustrated, he tried imagining his body surrounded by this darkness. Tried pushing his fleeting magic to his ears and seeking out the voice. Only cool darkness continued to great him. Vast emptiness. Filled with silence.

Though Hadrian was nothing if not persistent, and his wish to understand drew some power to him. For this time when he closed his hand, he was certain fingers curled and touched upon the warmth of his palm. He was tangible.

He cast forward with his being, chasing light laughter in hopes that he would find the young voice again.

"There it goes. Drip, drip, drip... Beautiful little current trickles on by."

The voice! Hadrian though, just a little bit more, just a little closer.

And like that the heavy magic lifted and the image of a young child sat on stone floor appeared before him. However when he tried reaching for it, the image moved away and it wasn't until Hadrian stilled himself that it stabilized and grew somewhat closer again. Allowing Hadrian to make out the details of the child and some of the surroundings.

Behind the child was a cream colored wall; thin reddish threads that extended into it from the child. Small and barely discernible, if not for the light glister that seemed to come from them. Enough to draw his eyes.

Hadrian noted how they seemed to appear at random, all coming from some point in the child's body. Oscillating out at a slow steady pace. Now and then the red would catch the light and glitter strong and bright, turning darkened red to burning amber. Beautiful.

It would seem the child was just as fascinated by the threads as Hadrian. Staring at them with blank eyes that would blink slowly from time to time.

"Master, I said, one of my threads has curled, curled, curled…"

The child's face morphed into a strained smile as a high giggle emitted from him. Its sound ran like a chill through his body, and had Hadrian curl what little he could feel of his magic tighter around him.

"Master, what should I do with my curly blood? It twins and it twists and-" More giggles. Grey eyes blinking, owl like and not all there, before turning and fixing Hadrian with a steady stare.

He wanted to flinch back, but the feel of his body had once again forsaken him. Only darkness and heavy air greeted him from all sides.

Hadrian knew by now that the threads the boy kept talking about where made of his own blood. Flowing out of him and into, what Hadrian assumed to be, the manor wall. It was sickening to watch; the child could have been no older than ten. He sat on the floor, knees digging into stone and the only thing on him was a long dark shirt that only emphasized his ashened complexion.

The steady stare Hadrian had thought was directed at him, turned out to be aimed at a shadowy figure somewhere to his right. He could just make out the shape of a man and that of an arm outstretched towards the boy.

The boy's eyes flickered to the side and grey blankness receded to be replaced by wide hopeful ones. "Master, it's cold. So very very cold."

The voice that answered floated out from the shadowy figure. The timbre voice of an older man with not a hint of remorse in it.

"Kain, is that how I taught you to greet someone?"

The boy's hopeful eyes diminished and a sad downtrodden look took its place. "No."

"You've been such a good help to me. There is no need to look so pensive. Soon you won't be so cold," the man's phantom voice continued. "Soon the barrier will be up and than you can forever be here in this manor. Isn't that what you wanted? To always live here and to be of use to me, the Slytherin Lord."

Hadrian could barely stand to look at the small boy. The expressive naive look of a young boy, the look of someone whose only wish was to be recognized. To be wanted. To be something more than just a burden. Something Hadrian was deeply aware of from his own upbringing. The need to feel-"Master, am I useful?"

The responding chuckle wasn't kind. Wasn't filled with any warmth that was relaxing or accepting. Just cold. Pleased. "Oh, yes. You are of the utmost of usefulness. There is no way I could protect this manor as well without you."

"Master needs me?"

"Indeed I do. No one else would do."

"Master, it is cold, so very very cold," the boy continued again. Eyes flickering away from where the proclaimed Lord of Slytherin stood, to continue staring at the red pulsating threads.

"Don't worry. It will soon be done. The barrier will be erect and you will no longer be cold. Then you can be here with me, in this manor, forever and ever. You never have to worry about leaving or being unuseful. For you will always be of use here." The man's voice was fading, the last words hard to catch. "You will always be of use to me." The boy on the floor wasn't reacting, just staring, listlessly.

"Oh, thin threads don't you curl don't you curl. Not a single drop should be lost, lost, lost…"

The darkness was back, only the resounding echo of a young voice. The thick magic drew back, and Hadrian's own surged forth to meet him. Filling him in a heady rush. Covering his body and sending a harsh tingle through his veins as the cold that had been growing in him was pushed back.

He blinked open his eyes to a sparsely lit library. The rushing sound of pounding rain on the window and a warm heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Young Master," Gerald said. "You've been asleep a long time. It is time to get up."

"Gerald," Hadrian muttered out, still disoriented from the sudden shift in environment, "I had a bad dream. I think I saw something terrible."

Gerald leant back to give him space to sit up properly. "What do you mean?"

"I saw a young boy, his blood was being drawn into the manor walls."

"Hmm, a spell do you think?" Gerald said, sharp eyes scanning the few walls that could be seen in the library.

"Maybe it was just a dream," Hadrian tried justifying, a weak smile on his lips.

"You look pale. The last two days have been trying. You've written yourself into old wards and even I know that sort of experience shouldn't be taken lightly. You don't look like you had a nightmare."

Burying his face in his hands, his eyes burned with something close to both shame and pain for the boy he had just seen. "I don't think it was a nightmare either. I think it was binding magic. Blood magic."

Gerald walked over to another armchair and drew it closer to where Hadrian sat; sitting down in it stiffly. "What do you suppose the magic was meant to do?"

"I'm not sure," Hadrian said, shaking his head he stood up quickly, pleading eyes turning toward Gerald. "I don't want to talk about it. I want-no, no I don't want."

"Calm down, Young Hadrian, there is no danger here," The wolf-slash-man drew Hadrian closer to him from where he had been standing looking lost between the two chairs. "There is no need to feel distressed. This manor might now belong to you but that does not mean that the burdens that come with it needs to be yours to carry as well. When you've calmed down some, let us go join the rest of the pack outside. The fresh air will do you good."

Hadrian nodded, letting his heart rate slowly subside, drawing warmth from the hand still clasped tightly around his own. The dream had touched something deep in him. It had torn at his heart and at his core, and he had an uncomfortable feeling that he knew the magic that had been performed. He didn't want to know though, it felt wrong to know, as if something in him was being withered away by the knowledge.

Soon after his breathing had returned to normal, Gerald was pulling him out of the manor, his hand still tightly gripping Hadrian's hand. The warmth both comfortable and somehow grounding, soothing away the agitation that had grown in his magic.

There was no more talk about the dream.

The rain hadn't subsided outside, so the rest of the pack could be found laid out under the back garden's overhang. They took in their alpha's tense form and the tight grip he had on Hadrian's hand with silent watchful eyes.

Lunath pushed herself into Hadrian's personal space and rubbed a large head against his chest and pushed him lightly towards the direction where Dale and her had been laying. Gerald released his hand and Hadrian went willingly to where she wished him to be.

That night they spent in the back garden. The storm too intense for Hadrian to erect a charm from mere pebbles. And no one wished to enter the manor.

Two more days passed with heavy rain; Hadrian spent part of it in the manor, keeping away from the library, and searched through old drawers and cupboards. He had managed to unlock a few of the rooms that had been spelled shut and found nothing but elaborate and well-kept bedrooms. One had been a large suite with two bedrooms connected with an open living space. It was one of the few rooms were the intenseness of dark magic wasn't as strong. There was nothing of interest to be found, no dark artifact and nothing on regards to the intricate hieroglyphic seals that could be found here and there.

As for the dream, nothing more had been forthcoming in regards to the boy. With every passing day the dream faded from his mind, leaving only a vague sense of distress and disgust with regards to his past ancestors.

Eileen visited once the rain had passed. She came up the long winding road, dressed in a light jacket and dark skirt. Hadrian was pleased to see the hairpin he had given her fastened tightly in her hair.

They chatted lightly. Eileen seemingly unbothered by the dark magic that clung tightly to the house. Her free flowing spirit not a single bit dampened by its oppressiveness. She spent some time looking through the newly opened rooms, but it was clear her wish laid more in the library so Hadrian left her to search through the old tomes while he enjoyed the bright weather outside.

It was clear that the gardens had once upon a time been well kept. Now they were overgrown and the previous plants almost hidden from view by thick growing weeds. For a long time Hadrian contemplated weeding, but in the end had no interest in remaining with the manor long enough that he would care for this garden. He left it as it was and continued his round around the grounds.

There was a small pack of garden gnomes that lived behind one of the small branch houses that were situated a little to the east of the main house. The small pack of gnomes seemed unbothered by Hadrian and he found that he could study them rather up close without fear that they would run off. A few of the gnomes even stopped what they were doing to stare just as intently right back. Hadrian wouldn't consider them cute, but they had a clumsy mannerism to them that could be considered endearing. They were magical creatures, but their magic was one of the weakest. They had a strong connection with the earth and thus gathered most of their energy from plants and flowers that grew close to the ground. Hadrian had heard stories of garden gnomes whose magic had become so strong from the well-keeping of a magical garden that they could grow an Oak tree to maturity in just the span of an hour. Of course these little garden gnomes that reside in such a run down and unkempt garden had barely magic enough to give life to a flower.

A shadow fell over Hadrian from where he sat crouched on the ground. Roarik had decided to join him. The large Frost Hound took not a single step in front of Hadrian and instead cocked his white fury head to the side. Bright eyes taking in the same sight as himself. Hadrian wondered what the large dog was thinking. Could he feel the magic from the creatures? Did he think them fascinating and small, just like Hadrian himself, or was he contemplating a meal? The last thought made Hadrian chuckle.

He leaned over and ran his fingers over the fur that had been warmed from laying in sunlight. Roarik didn't react to it, his attention being steadily kept by the small scuffle and ruckus that the gnomes were keeping up.

"Hey, Roarik, you want to join me and go into one of the branch houses with me?"

Roarik looked over at that, ears perked up with expectation. Hadrian heaved himself to his feet and started towards the stone steps that led up to a heavy looking wooden door. The Frost Hound right at his feet.

The two branch houses were as large as a normal family suburban house. They both were two stories tall and stood facing slightly away from each other. The walls were of the same light stone as the main house.

There was no snake motif above the entrance of the house Hadrian and Roarik entered and neither was there the tingling feel of dark magic. The entrance was large, two covered sofas stood facing each other a little further in and could easily be seen from the doorway. The entrance floor had finely cut slabs laid as flooring and there was a slight step up upon to wooden flooring that seemed to be the general style of the Slytherin property houses.

Hadrian reached out and touched the wall. Feeling his magic surge to his fingertips as he traced out a small rune for light. The moment he was done, a soft internal glow came to life within the wooden walls that easily lit the room enough for Hadrian to make his way about comfortably. It was a rune he had often used, especially for small run down shacks like the one his pack and him had previously stayed in. After all, plumbing and electricity was not as diffused as it would be in the late 1900s. And Hadrian found that runes in general did the work just as fine.

They made their way into the house, bypassing the sofas and leaving the covers on them. A small fireplace stood in one corner with an empty pot on the mantle that had once upon a time most likely contained floo powder. A small kitchen could be found to the right, that had a large arched opening that lead into an empty oval room. Which had three large windows that faced out into the courtyard between the two branch houses.

Walking back into the kitchen, Hadrian found the cupboards empty except for a few runes that had been drawn into the wood to keep the food fresh. He took note of them to later compare with the runes currently being used. For most part rune magic was rather inflexible, but Hadrian found that with enough imagination just about anything could be created.

The next two rooms was a bedroom with a conjoined bathroom. A double sized bed dressed with dark covers still stood in the room with two dark wardrobes next to each other. Roarik took it upon himself to jump up on the bed-dust scattering in all directions.

Huffing, Hadrian quickly vanished it with an irate wave of his hand. He threw the dog a sour look before heading for the door. "I'm not helping you clean that dirt out of your coat later on."

The other side contained another bedroom, furnished much the same as well as had what looked to be a sitting room. A small bookshelf with what seemed to be wizarding cookbooks and a whole shelf of just horticulture.

Something Hadrian found highly unfascinating. He had had just enough of gardening in his childhood to last him multiple lifetimes.

He found that the upstairs wasn't anymore interesting. The middle floor plane was an open area with four armchairs and a light wooden coffee table. Some small wizarding portraits and other paintings. There were also two more bedrooms, these also furnished with thick heavy looking desks. One of the rooms had a old looking chest in it.

Hadrian found it spelled tightly shut when he tried opening it. A quick Alohomora did nothing. He tried Finite Incantatem but again nothing interesting happened. Glaring at the chest, Hadrian reached for his wand and threw spell after spell at it in hope that it would reveal its secrets to him.

After a few minutes he had to give up and admit defeat. Frustrated he promised himself he would return and try again later. With one final spell, Hadrian left the room.

He went and fetched the dozing Frost Hound, and made sure to draw his magic out of the rune to let the lights out before closing the door to the house.

He made a lap around the house to check the exterior, but nothing interesting was forthcoming so he and Roarik returned to the rest of the pack.

Eileen had managed to drive herself from the library and was seated against Lunath with a slim book in her hand when they got back. From this angle Hadrian could not make out its title, but it must have been fascinating for Eileen did not acknowledge his presence.

Roarik went to greet Immith. Leaning over to lick enthusiastically at a perked ear.

Hadrian himself wandered over to where Gerald sat, in wolf form, staring out over the sunlit grounds. He took a moment to appreciate the dark auburn fur before running his fingers deep into it. Taking comfort from the strong steady feel of his alpha. Gerald allowed the petting without so much as a twitch.

"What should I do?" he mumbled. Not wanting to draw too much attention to his distress. "The manor is unlivable and the branch houses don't have preservation magic on them. It would take a great deal of time to heal the damage of time and make them livable." Groaning he buried his face into the wolf's neck.

"What's wrong, Hadrian?" Eileen's worried voice could be heard behind him.

"I'm a Lord with an unlivable manor. I'm all powerful and still homeless."

"How self-deprecating of you. Hadrian, dear, you do realize that just because this is the main estate that doesn't mean you can't change it to something else. Many lords and ladies have rebuilt or moved to better homes upon gaining their inheritance."

Hopeful eyes looked up from auburn fur and over to Eileen. "Really?"

"Of course."

With a decisive gesture the book she had been reading disappeared, and she made her way over to Hadrian and Gerald.

"Do you wish to find a different house?" Eileen wondered. "Maybe even one of the smaller estates owned by the Slytherin line would do."

"A different house. A different manor," Hadrian said quietly, mostly to himself. "I'm not sure." He looked over at the pack, large heads all turned in his direction. "The pack has been looking forward to living on these grounds. The famous sanctuaries of Salazar Slytherin."

"That doesn't mean we can't find a new place. A better home. Some place we can all relax," Gerald said, having shifted back to his human form.

"Indeed. I think the pack all agrees that we would rather live in a place of peace than surrounded by walls tainted with dark magic," Yale added.

Eileen was quiet for a moment, taking in the stiff shoulders of the humans and the intent eyes of the wolves and dogs. She stared out over what she could see of the manor, the darkened windows and the green vines that climbed up over light stone. "Say, the Slytherin property itself is huge right. Why not build a new house in one of the other corners of the grounds. That way you don't have to move from the main property-you'll remain in sanctuary grounds-and you just have to change where the main manor will be."

"You make it sound like that will be easy. Doesn't building a house-a manor-take years?" Hadrian commented hesitantly, hope shimmering lightly in his chest.

"If you don't move in until it's all done, yes," Eileen answered. "But you don't have to wait that long, you just need to get the manor finished enough that you can move in. From there it won't matter how long it takes, you'll already be living there."

"Do you really think it can be done?"

"Oh, Dear Hadrian, the question isn't if it can be done. The question should be do you want it done?" Eileen's smile was cunning. Deep and dark and perfectly fitting for the manor behind her.

-V-V-

From there exploration of the manor was put on hold. Gerald, Hadrian and Eileen spend most of their time holed up in a large seating area in the western wing. Spread out before them was all sort of documents they had managed to find with regards to property rights and building rights of a wizarding home.

They had had to return one more time to Diagon Alley to find the latest laws and regulations. For if they were going to build something, it was going to be grand. There would be a potions lab for Eileen, of that Hadrian was adamant. The manor would have to be large enough to easily accommodate the pack of wolves and dogs, and it would contain all kinds of runes for both protection and everyday usage. Warm water and electricity if possible.

During this time, Hadrian could most often be found glaring at a piece of parchment. His eyes scanning over the details with a consternated look. "Why does it have to be in Latin? Is Latin really that useful? Why not French or German or you know, English!"

"Young Master, why don't you go and make some tea," Gerald said, unhelpfully. Pulling the parchment away from Hadrian and curling it up to place on the corner of the desk.

Hadrian wished to pout, but kept his childishness in with much forced discipline. "It's my house."

"Yes, and it will be a very beautiful house. One that would be easier built without you tearing up necessary papers out of frustration," Eileen said gently, guiding him to the door with a hand on his back. "Earl Grey if you please."

The strong oak doors closed on him.

With a heavy sigh he made his way to the kitchen.

The western wing of the house was bright and well lit. The sun shone in through the large windows on one side and caught on beautifully decorated doors on the other side. And as with all paintings in the manor, the ones on the wall in the hall moved but had no magical signature to them. For the most part they represented vast landscapes and now and then the grandioseness of a wizarding ball.

The western wing was more that of a living quarter than the eastern wing and thus the stale air of dark magic did not permeate through the walls as thickly. It still reeked and from time to time gave off the feel of stepping through thick cobweb. Unpleasant, but bearable.

Dale greeted him in the kitchen by sending puffs of cold air out towards him. The summer wasn't overly hot, but the cool air was certainly pleasant. The dog was sniffing around one of the walk in cupboards. Tail wagging back and forth, adding to the already cool air of his magic.

"Hmm. Dale, did you find something?"

Joining him, Hadrian sank down, lowering his head to also look underneath the most lowest shelf situated close to the floor. Too far down for Dale to get his head in under.

There was a flurry of activity, too quick for Hadrian's human eyes to catch. But he did sense the small spark of magic that would pulsate out from the small being that was currently wreaking havoc on the underpart of the storage shelf.

"Right. First magical being in the manor that we've found. Nice job, Dale."

Fishing around in his pocket, Hadrian extracted a small container that he quickly enlarged. Pulling out small pieces of dried meat and some grapes. Uncertain which food the creature would like the most. He pressed Dale's head back and waited for the dog to calm down before placing the pieces of food on the floor just inside the shadowy part of the shelves alcove.

Nothing happened.

Hadrian sat further back, dragging Dale with him until they were pressed against the far wall, a little over a meter away.

"Looks like we are going to have to wait," Hadrian said, pressing warm fingers over the dog's ears and gently guiding its large head over his lap.

It took a little while, but before he knew it he could make out the shape of something small, gnawing away at the dried meat. Dale stared at it as well, though making no move to sit back up.

"A pixie, maybe?" Hadrian queried. It was difficult to tell. Hidden in the shadows as it were. There were many types of pixies as well: forest ones, lake ones, household ones, light and dark ones. The list could go on. Hadrian himself hadn't encountered many. They were small and difficult to catch. Best thing to do was cast a banishing charm, like Depulso. It would force them to flee the premises, unable to return.

"Will you show yourself to me?" Hadrian tried. "I'm the current lord of this manor, Lord Slytherin. I won't harm you, or your kin."

The creature didn't so much as step out of the shadows as the shadows more or less receded. Giving Hadrian a good look at what stood before him. It was small, definitely carried all the pixie characteristics. Dark hair, small eyes, indiscernible nose, with dragonfly like wings sprouting from the back. Less human looking than what Hadrian was used to. This one draped in darkness instead of leaves or other plant like material like that of its forest folks, or that of human textile usually associated with household pixies.

"Would you happen to be a dark pixie?" he wondered, lowering his voice so as not to startle it. Dale added his own whine like sound, that rumbled pleasantly through Hadrian.

There was no answer, only the shift of the dark like clothing around it. The darkness surging forward and enveloping the small being before nothing remained.

"Well, I guess we now know that other creatures are residing here. Hopefully I get to meet one of them again. Nice job, Dale," Hadrian finished, hugging the huge head to his chest.

Stumbling up he headed back towards the kitchen stove.

"Tea, oh, tea," he mumbled to himself.

Dale left him after pressing a wet nose up under his shorter summer robe to rub at warm skin.

Then Hadrian was by himself. Contemplating the pixie as he fixed tea for the indestructible duo currently having free rein over the plans for the new house.

In school, the teachers had never really talked about dark pixies. Placing them in the same category as other dark creatures. But now Hadrian was curious. What sort of power did the little things have. The small pixie earlier had had very weak magic, much like the garden gnomes by the branch houses. Did it need to feed its magic on similar types of magic to grow stronger, like that of garden gnomes or was it just a weak creature to begin with?

So many questions and the only place that had answers would be the library.

After taking tea with Gerald and Eileen, Hadrian headed for the library.

Cracking open the door gently and peering in. Immaculate as always. Nothing out of place. It could almost be considered peaceful if not for the remainder of the dream he had had here.

He skimmed the shelf searching for anything that contained magical beasts and creatures. For the most part, he only found heavy tomes on werewolves and different vampire covens. Useful, but not helpful with regards to dark pixies.

He continued to skim through the books for a long while. Dragging them down off the shelves and pilling them on the floor. Locking them in place with an Immobulus. There was everything from astronomy to warding, even horticulture. Nothing on pixies though. Other than a small article about an attack caused by a swarm of lake pixies over a fishing spot. Most unhelpful.

By the time Gerald found him and dragged him out for something to eat, he was in a foul mood. He grunted a deft reply in regards to the future manor and tore a chunk of his sandwich out to chew angrily. Missing the worried look Eileen and Gerald threw one another.

"Hadrian, dear, why don't you come back with me home. I'm sure you miss the books you left there, right?" Eileen asked, patting his knee gently.

"There is things that needs to be done here," Hadrian replied, glancing up quickly from his half devoured sandwich.

"And just like you said last time, the manor won't go anywhere. So, why not come back home for a while. Relax in a real bed. Talk to Maggie-she's annoyingly worried about you-and think of when you would like to proceed with the building contract."

Hadrian had to admit she had a point. It had been well over a month since he last slept in a bed. He could use a shower as well. Apparently he wasn't going to get further in his search for the pixie, not here at the manor at least. Maybe he had a book stashed away somewhere in the room above the shoemaker. He'd have to look. If not, there was always Diagonal Alley.

With a defeated sigh he nodded. Eating his sandwich at a more languid of a pace.

"I'll come back tomorrow," Hadrian told Gerald.

"How about you take a few days and rewind, Young Master," Gerald said. "The pack will head out into the surrounding woods. We can take these next few days and search out a good place to build a manor. So, don't worry about us."

Gerald's yellow eyes stared back so earnestly that Hadrian could do little else but nod in agreement.

Leaving meant walking off of the property, something he had not done for quite a few days now. The feeling of the wards washing over him was both comforting and freeing. He looked back ones before Apparating away.

He appeared just within the wood lines close to the muggle village. From there he had sight of the village center and he could just make out the winding path that lead up to Spinner's End where Eileen lived.

With a loud pop Eileen appeared next to him. Her hair slightly frazzled. She combed it out quickly, straightening her clothes, before giving Hadrian a cool once-over. She stepped forward drawing her cedar wand, and with a quick muttered spell started fixing Hadrian's hair.

"I was going for a shower," Hadrian complained. "Now, I'm not certain I want to destroy the work you've just done."

"Looking respectable should not be something you complain about, oh mighty, Lord Slytherin," Eileen said with a playful banter. "There now you can walk in there without looking like you've gone head to toe with a lightning bolt and lost."

"In this village I'm just Hadrian, the slightly lost scholar with a penchant for disappearing and reappearing at odd moments."

"Yes, well Great Disappearer Hadrian, how about you go home and clean, relax and we shall meet tomorrow for tea. Thus, place the villagers at ease as to what could possibly have happened to you."

Hadrian agreed greatly with that thought. They parted with a quick farewell. Eileen heading one way, Hadrian the other.

Being back home was relaxing. He took in the soft smell of leather and wrinkled his nose at the sharp oily tange that filled his nose and seemed to settle on his palate.

The shoemaker was nowhere to be seen. The small business dark and most unwelcoming.

He had planned for a quick bath, but ended up soaking far too long. His skin wrinkling. The cooling water was what finally dragged him out, and he cast a quick Drying charm on himself before banishing the last of the water. A Cleaning charm fixed his bathroom up nicely.

He retired to bed with some books and feel asleep to the comforting weight of one upon his chest.

The next morning was uneventful. The shoemaker was still not there and thus allowing Hadrian to sleep in far longer than usual. Eileen met him for tea at one of the small cafes and they chatted about muggle life. Specifically the shoemaker.

"Have you seen him?" Hadrian wondered, cupping his hands around the warm cup and looking over his shoulder back towards his humble abode.

"No, but it's not unheard of for some of the folks here to go into the city now and then. I'm sure there is nothing to worry about, the shoemaker will be back before you know it."

The tea continued quietly.

The village was peaceful. A great difference compared to Diagon Alley. No matter what time of year that place was always hustling and bustling with activity. It probably had a lot to do with it being England's largest wizarding centrum, but it was also partially the people there that made it such a lively place. Hadrian had traveled enough to know there could be places with hundreds upon hundreds of people and the place felt like the tombs of the dead. Quiet and dark. The sound of laughter or chatter but a distant memory, if at all that.

He was forced out of his thoughts by the loud shout coming from one of the many small streets that wound between the buildings. Maggie had spotted him and was heading for him with a breakneck pace.

"Looks like the quiet afternoon is over," he mumbled mournfully into his cup.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so glum about it. You could use some young energy," said Eileen. The glint in her eyes saying all Hadrian needed to know. The woman was enjoying this!

"Mr. Hadrian!" Was shouted loud and clear, stopping a few people in their tracks to look about.

"Kill me, Eileen. Save me. Was it not you who talked about respectful appearance."

"Dear Hadrian, a child's enthusiasm should never be looked down upon in such a way. It is after all a great honor to be liked so genuinely."

Maggie appeared, wild hair and large eyes. Clasping tight to Hadrian's right forearm as she stared down at him where he sat. "You're back."

"Yes, it would seem so. Eileen and I were just out for some lovely tea." Maggie startled back at that, her eyes flickering over to where Eileen was.

"Oh, how rude of me. Hello, Mrs. Snape," Maggie said with a clumsy courtesy.

"Hello to you too, Maggie," Eileen answered.

Hadrian did not care about the awkward silence that seemed to have befallen Maggie. Instead, sipping his tea quietly. Contemplating when the end to the silence would come.

"May I join you?" A question directed at Eileen. Hadrian felt his brow tick up slightly at that.

"Of course," Eileen answered and gestured to a chair at a table close by. Maggie happily went and fetched it, scooting close to Hadrian's side.

"So where did you go this time? London-Or did you leave England?" Maggie's happy chatter washed over him, and much like how Eileen said he felt himself relax slightly in the presence of such youthful energy.

Tea break became much longer than originally planned. Eileen being the first to excuse herself and heading home.

Maggie had no qualms after that in dragging Hadrian back to her home farm for dinner. Hadrian went willingly. His stomach rumbling with the thought of warm food; something newly made and not kept under Preservation charms.

Her family, as always, greeted him curtly. Dinner would be had outside.

As Hadrian passed by the back porch he took in the empty bird cage with a sad smile.

"He flew away before we knew it," Maggie's mother said, as she came up to stand next to him. Harsh eyes looking at the cage, but Hadrian was certain he could make out the same sad yearning that he himself felt.

"I see. Than he must have healed nicely. You did a very fine job in taking care of him, ma'am," replied Hadrian, before continuing after Maggie who was already piling plates upon a thick wooden table placed out in the open on a patch of flattened grass.

As with most things Hadrian went to, the dinner was had in awkward silence. Broken only by Maggie's constant chatter. Hadrian felt slightly bad for enjoying the food so freely, he did after all never contribute any help with the farm animals kept by the villagers. Though during all his time here, no one had ever demanded he return the service. Part of him felt like he should. But who was he, but an awkward scholar who lived atop the shoemaker's shop.

"So, Hadrian, this time you were gone for quite some time. What have you been getting yourself up to?" Maggie's father asked. The man was muscular, thick neck and arms with an unruly beard. He had a gruff manner to him, but if one looked past that he was decent enough for Hadrian to like. The man after all handled animals very well, and that was something Hadrian could appreciate.

"I've been looking to getting a house," he answered honestly.

"A house!" Maggie practically jumped out of her chair, staring at him with bewildered eyes.

"Yes, I believe I should settle down somewhere more practical than on top of the poor shoemaker's shop."

"Here?" was all Maggie's mother pipped in.

The question had Maggie deflating and she looked towards him with large puppy like eyes. It truly did sadden Hadrian to tell her the truth.

"No. I'm sad to say I will be moving closer to the capital."

"Is that so. Do you have work there?" asked Meggie's father. The man was charismatically neutral in his speech and he continued eating his dinner as if the topic was of no interest.

"Yes. A friend of mine wishes help for his growing business." The lies all came easily. Poor Maggie would most likely search for him. These lies would hurt her the most, but there was nothing he really could say. Maybe an opening line about heirship or something. Would certainly quiet the dinner even more.

"Oh, that's nice." The glare Maggie shot her mother said all about what she thought of it.

"I'll still be here for a while. Finding a house takes some time after all," Hadrian said.

"Why? Is the city really that much better? I've heard that it stinks and is filled with dark clouds." Maggie's pout certainly could win an award at this point.

"Well, it's not so much about which is better. A house closer to the capital is just more convenient for future business."

Maggie's father nodded sagely. "Indeed. Business is important. Sometimes we farmers don't get enough of that out here any longer."

"If business is so bad here. I too will move to the city!" Maggie declared.

That certainly shot her father's head right up and away form his dinner. His eyes narrowing upon her daughter before turning to Hadrian. Hadrian grimaced at that and lifted his arms in silent surrender. This really wasn't his problem, he was just trying to let them know he was moving. Really all the unnecessary questions were causing more harm than good by this point.

"Margaret, you will do no such thing. City life is dangerous. You know nothing of what you are saying. Didn't you just last week say you enjoyed Fenny's birth. Well there'll be no horses an' no cattle in any city you go to. Don't you enjoy working with the animals here?"

"Sure I do, Papa. But there is nothing new here, nothing exciting. I want to go the movies like the city folk do. I'll soon be 17 and old enough to travel by myself. I don't need you to tell me what I can and can't do."

Oh, dear, Hadrian thought. Something had apparently cracked open and it no longer had anything to do with him about. By the mother's heavy sigh this seemed to be a normal enough occurrence by now.

She offered him more steak, which he silently accepted. Eating slowly, while watching the heated father and daughter shouting match. The usually quiet man certainly had lungs on him, much like his daughter. If possible, Hadrian would have loved to sink through his chair and deep underground.

Hadrian hoped he never had a child. Would he be handling this sort of situation the same way, or would he silently ignore it much like Maggie's mother who seems to have disappeared into her own little world?

"Why won't you ever take me there? Just once is all I ask!" With a finally yell, Maggie jerked up and rushed towards the house.

The silence after her departure was deafening.

The older man's shoulders slumped and he pushed the remaining of his dish away. Sad eyes turned towards the house and Maggie's disappearing back.

"Do you think she will be happy if she gets to see London once?" Hadrian found himself asking.

The man shrugged a shoulder, tugging on the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure. She's young, what if she likes it? What if she doesn't come back?"

Frowning at that Hadrian cocked his head slightly to the side. "Why not go with her?"

"Oh, you scholars always think we farmer folk have so much time. It take a days drive just to get to London, no way we could make it in a day. There just isn't time."

"What if I took her?" The offer was out before he could make himself regret it. Maggie had been nothing but kind to him since he moved in towards winter of last year. "I have time, I have money and it would only be for a day or two."

The light eyes of both mother and father pierced at him, before a silent, but heated communication went up between the two of them.

"I promise no harm will come to her during our trip. If you now do allow it," he added. This would be a great farewell present was the only thing floating through Hadrian's mind. Seriously, what could go wrong.

-V-V-

Well dinner could certainly have gone better, but he did manage to get both parents to let him take Maggie to London. Why had he wanted to do that? Now in afterthought that seemed like a really bad idea. Hadrian barely knew anything about London. Of muggle London. Colored TV didn't even exist yet. What was he even trying to get at? They would be lost before the first day had even begun. Two airheads out for exploration. Eileen would flay him for this, of that he was certain.

He laid in his upstairs apartment, groaning into a pillow he'd pilfered from the bed.

He hadn't had time to say anything to Maggie, allowing the parents to break-the happy-news to her. But their London trip would have to wait. Too much needed to be done in regards to his manor before he could even think to take the time and traverse London.

With a tired sigh he threw the pillow from him and grabbed the first book that was stacked in a pile next to the armchair he sat in. Of Mystic and the Occult by Lauren Heedspoof. The book was well written, but reminded Hadrian more of that of a diary than a research book. Lauren was a halfblood, whose magical father had died at a young age leaving her to grow up in muggle Bramingham. She like most muggle borns turned witch or wizard had been accepted to Hogwarts. From there she began an extensive journal on all magical things.

She really did do a good job on the journal, her entry remarks were far more intellectual and thought through than what most purebloods would ever think of describing them as. Her entries on magical creatures specifically fascinated Hadrian. She had a knack for picking out characteristics. There was no previous bias to cloud her eyes, which was a welcomed view to him.

She'd come across quite a few pixies in her time, sadly none where of the dark kind. Even so, she had managed to collect a vast assortment of knowledge on pixies. For one, they were most often found close to an untainted source of magic. They lived in small tightly knitted family packs and they rarely, if ever, left their birth place. There had apparently only been two large incidents where pixies had had to relocate due to heavy building by the muggles. During both these incidents, the pixies had caused a huge ruckus. Crashing down whole houses and upheaving the road. They'd caused so much problem that the Minister of Magic had to step in and Obliviate the poor townspeople. After that the Minister of Magic had been more careful about muggles building in on magical land.

It was all good knowledge, but left Hadrian uncertain as to how to proceed with the old manor. He had no wish to clash with the pixies or any other magical creature that had taken up residence there.

For now, and for probably quite some time the manor would remain as it was. Once the new manor was underway, Hadrian would lock down the manor again.

That night he headed to bed early. Dreaming of lake pixies and all kinds of other weird creatures.

By the morning he was up early. Took one look at the still dark shop and headed out for breakfast.

Few people greeted him. Most only throwing suspicious glances at him from the corner of their eyes. Hadrian took it with stride. He was after all rather mysterious in this village. They'd probably not miss him much when he up and leaved.

No enthusiastic Maggie greeted him for breakfast which did surprise him. He shrugged it off though and headed for the woods. Today he was heading to Diagon Alley by himself. There were things he needed to speak about to his estate manager, and he thought it best to get done with quickly.

As always before apparating he threw up a Notice-Me-Not and turned on his heels and disappeared.

-V-V-

The bright oval room greeted him as well as that of an alarm sounding off about an incoming Apparate. Hadrian quickly stepped out of the warding circle that allowed you in and out of Diagon Alley.

The room was busy and he had to push through some people to make his way out.

Unlike the last time he had visited there was no hustling of young students getting ready for school, but that didn't make the place any less lively. There was shouts of sales from different shops and young ladies with high hats busying themselves up and down the streets.

Would muggle London be the same? Hadrian wondered as he joined the throng.

He stopped at a few shops to look at the many items. Nothing truly interesting caught his interest so he moved on quickly. Keeping his head low in case anyone recognized him. When he spotted a young boy waving around The Daily Prophet, he immediately turned and headed for him.

"How much for the paper?" Hadrian wondered.

The boy replied by gwacking at him in disbelief. Turning to look over his shoulder before staring back at Hadrian. "You new here?" the boy wondered, not answering the question.

"Yes, something like that. How much?" he tried again.

"5 knuts, mister," the boy said. Still staring with far too wide eyes. "You sure you're new? You don't look like one of those halves, nor like one of those muggle borns."

Hadrian sighed. He fished out 5 knuts handed it to the boy and reached for one of the papers.

"I'm usually not the one buying."

The answer seem to satisfy the boy, for he bowed deeply and thanked him profusely.

Hadrian really couldn't understand this society sometimes.

He made his way towards the four fountains of Reunion Square and sat down on a brightly colored bench. Laying the paper open before him.

The result of a Quidditch game was the first thing to greet him. Apparently some team called the Asteroids were in the current lead. And by the glowing article, Hadrian would say they had some major fans in the journalism department.

The-thankfully colored-picture of players flying by showed old worn brooms that Hadrian really had no knowledge of. He looked up from the paper and scrutinized the shops around him. No broom shops. Not like he was used to. He had never really thought of this on his earlier trips to the Alley. Maybe flying was looked at differently here than back in his original time?

The next page was a home-made recipe of some kind of meat pie. Though it didn't look overly appealing so he skipped happily to the next page.

The Minister of Magic was pointing the blame at someone else like usual. This was something Hadrian could understand. Apparently there were still many war torn areas that had yet to receive government aid after Grindelwald's war, and the governments of not just England, but a great deal of other European countries were still arguing on whose job that should be. As usual the Minister of Magic was erecting a strong shield against any of the blame.

Would these problems become his soon?

Another sigh, before he flipped through the rest of the paper. Nothing on him, for that he was thankful. Though it had been a quite a while since he had last been seen, maybe the hype had died down.

Part of him highly doubted that.

He stretched and shrunk the paper down to stuff in his pocket before turning towards Gringotts.

The massive building glittering in the morning sun like usual. The guards didn't so much as look at him as he made his way up the steps.

Even in the morning the building was packed full of people.

Hadrian caught the eyes of one goblin and made his way forward. A small part of him saying he should be more considerate and actually stand in line. Another part was annoyed and wanted his business over with quickly. That part won in the end.

He was about five paces away from the goblin counter when a deep voice spoke up behind him.

"Oh, my. This is certainly a surprise. Look what has been dragged out of its hiding hole."

That drawl. That tone. Hadrian knew it well. The goblin who had frozen upon eye contact scuffled away quickly when noticing who had stopped Hadrian.

With a heavy breath, he turned, a strained smile making its way upon his lips. "Lord Malfoy, I hope you've been well?"

It was the same silky white blonde hair that he was used to. Tied up in a high tail and trailing over regal shoulders. The man was just as tall as Hadrian remember, standing equal in height to Gerald. Though of course, no self-assured Malfoy would ever be seen as anything but slim. If there was muscles on the man they were well hidden behind regal clothes.

"Last I remember you called me Abraxas," the man answered, slim lips curled in a pleased smile.

"And last I remember you were not Lord of the Malfoy house."

"No, I certainly wasn't. Though I'm surprised you would know anything about that. Tell me who could it possibly be that let you know of that. I can hardly imagine you would have asked."

Hadrian looked away feeling fidgety and uncertain all of a sudden. He had never been good at dealing with this man. Eileen's help would be much appreciated right now, but alas, he had left her back at the muggle village; believing himself strong enough to handle any wizarding situation that would arise on his visit today. This situation was one he hadn't planned for.

"Gerald," Hadrian said, green eyes searching out silver.

"Ah, that man does seem adopt at finding such news. Even though he isn't quite wizard enough." The words caused Hadrian to tense, but there was no veiled insult in Abraxas' tone. And the silver eyes remained sincere as they laid upon Hadrian's own.

Abraxas' shoulders relaxed slightly as he made his way towards Hadrian. "So, it is true. That Eileen Prince brought back the lost Slytherin Lord. I was starting to worry for you. That you'd never come back."

Hadrian stood fast as Lord Malfoy neared him, stopping only once he was a hands reach away.

"I was placed in a rather unforeseen situation. And, as they say, one thing led to another."

The other lord smiled at that, his hand reaching out to clasp Hadrian's own.

"Well, I for one am happy for it," Abraxas said. "Welcome back, Lord Slytherin."

Next will be Part III

/Tsubasa