x-.-x-.-x-.-x
Chapter 2
Return to the Mask
Today he would be returning to Hogwarts for his seventh year. He would again have to don the mask, hiding who he truly was from the world. Lying in bed with Bella that cool morning of September first, Harry didn't want to get up. She was wrapped in his arms, the perfect fit to his body, as if she were made for him. He laid his palms flat on her slightly bulging belly, and her floral scent filled his nostrils. When nine o'clock came around he reluctantly pulled away and rose, leaving resonant warmth on his chest where Bella had been. He walked down the hall to prepare breakfast for them both: apple and passionfruit juice with an egg and gherkin sandwich for Bella, and a coffee with bacon and egg on toast for himself. He went back to the bedroom to wake her up when everything was ready.
Studying her as he walked in, Harry thought back to the first time he had seen her. He had journeyed into Dumbledore's pensive and seen her on trial, just before her conviction to Azkaban. She had been full of life, beautiful, and her eyes held a determination and condescension. Next time had been when she and the others had escaped Azkaban. She had looked deranged, haggard, and hollowed, but her eyes still held the determination and condescension. A few months later Harry had met Bella in person at the Department of Mysteries, loopy as a bat was his first impression but he couldn't help but admire her regallity and beauty even in her gaunt state. Just weeks later, the week school had let out to be precise, he had sought her out. She had been the picture of health, and befitting of a claim to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Since then, Bella had not changed.
She laid there, her pale skin aglow and her midnight black hair fanned out on the pillow: his own porcelain doll. Gently he shook her, as he knelt down in front of her. "Honey," He roused softly. "Bella, it's time to wake up. Breakfast is ready." Slowly her eyes opened, unveiling honey coloured irises.
"Morning Harry." Bellatrix mumbled blearily.
"Good morning love." He leaned down to kiss her.
The next hour had been spent in relative silence. Together they had eaten breakfast, and then as he moved to the bathroom to get ready to leave for the Hogwarts Express Bella had gone to sit in the lounge room. As ten o'clock came around, Harry came through the doorway to the lounge room. He had changed since he had gone to Tom and the others the previous summer. Harry had filled out into his potential recently; he was quite muscular, strong built, and his hair had grown and was now long enough to be pulled up but still as messy as ever. He no longer wore glasses as Tom and Severus had fixed his eyesight. Overall, the aura he emitted had changed too. Before it had been comforting, encouraging, and inspired those closest to him. Now it was imposing like Severus Snape's, elegant as Tom Riddle's, carefree and lazy as Sirius Black's, and as frightening as Bellatrix Lestrange's.
In front of the fireplace Harry pulled Bella into an embrace, towering over her small frame. "Remember to always wear your necklace." He said. The necklace was a silver dove pendant on a leather chain that established a mental connection with anyone in the family that was wearing theirs. Harry's was a silver stag. "Don't stress too much, and don't let old Tom run you to the ground."
"I will, always. Stop worrying, I'll be fine. And I won't." Bellatrix replied to each.
"I'll be here every change I get, all holidays…"
"And I make sure that I let you know as soon as my contractions start. I know Harry, we've been over this."
"I know Bella, I just worry. I've finally found my true family, I don't want to lose it now." He leaned into her ear and whispered, "I love you Bellatrix Lestrange."
"I love you too Harry Potter. Now go, my Raven, or you'll have to face the crowds."
Again they kissed. Harry stepped back, his trunk shrunken in his pocket. He grinned wickedly, gave Bella 'the nod', puckered his lips in her direction and disapparated to Platform 9 ¾.
The platform was quiet, so Harry was not stopped as he boarded the train and took a seat in the last carriage. He stretched out on the seat as he took out his iPod, a gift from Tom that he received just before the month they had spent in Australia these holidays. The whole family had gone. He and Draco had become rather good friends while they were there. They joked around in the hotel suite; they mucked around in the waves of the Sunshine Coast; they cruised around on dry shore. He was one of the few people who knew that Draco Malfoy would have a tan when they returned to school.
One night, when the others had gone to the wizarding district of Queensland, Brisbane's Je ne Sais Quoi Corridor, he and Draco had a 'men's night'. Together they had gone to the local bottle shop, bought a carton of Victoria Bitter, and then gone to the tattoo parlour just down the street from their hotel. Now they both had a coiled snake with red eyes on their left hip. Draco also had a black rose with thorns curled around a jaguar on his shoulder blade representing his parents. Harry had chosen a worded representation: 'the fires of death went never out' from The Iliad, placed on his left bicep. On the inner of that arm he a had stem with an open blood red rose at the top and a yellow rose bud a little further down. The only person who knew of these was Bella, the others would not be very happy about the circumstances under which they were received. It had been the night after Bella had told him of the pregnancy.
Think of the devil and the devil should appear. At that moment Draco walked into the compartment, all smiles despite the last time they had spoken. They had been swimming just the other week and Draco decided to lie down. Harry had left his mark on him as he slept. 'Fear the Raven!' had been written in zinc on Draco's back with a hot summers sun beating down.
"Hows it hanging Raven?" Draco asked casually as he shut the door. "What are you listening to?"
Harry scowled. "You shouldn't use that name here Ferret. You never know who could be listening." He put a sound projection spell on the iPod letting the music fill the small space. 'This is 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure, 50% pain, and 100% reason to remember the name…' Raven was the name he used when dealing with the Death Eater's and public, so no one knew who he truly was. On raids, he was a very valuable asset, but had had more than a few brushes with the aurors and unspeakable. Raids led by Harry had his personal touch to them, as he and Draco had distinct differences in their uniforms. Both left their hoods down and hair was worn long, on their chest plates was a faint glowing purple emblem; the raven was his, and the dragon Draco's. Those led by him worked as a team, and did not fire any curses until fired upon, and their faces were never seen.
"Sure thing Uncle Harry." Draco smirked.
"I'm not your uncle." Harry countered.
"Not yet, but you will be soon."
"Yes, not yet, but if you ever call me Uncle Harry again I'll curse you like there's no tomorrow."
"Hows Aunt Bella?"
"She's fine." Bella had given him the pleasure of dealing with Draco's reaction to the pregnancy, and Harry had not told him yet, but he was going to right now. "Even if something was wrong though, she would soldier her way through it. She's strong like that. Her belly is starting to grow too, absolutely glowing she is."
"Belly… growing?" Draco's brows furrowed in thought. Then comprehension dawned on his face, and then anger. He exploded. "You bastard! You knocked up my Aunt! My Aunt Bellatrix who's old enough to be one of your parents, who looks like she could be related to you…" Draco finished by aiming the cruciatus curse at Harry. He was hit but used to the feeling; it barely tickled any more. Draco was now breathing deeply trying to calm down.
"Draco," He started, hoping to placate the raging dragon. "Understand this, I love her, and I'm going to marry her soon. We didn't do anything until after we were engaged, and it was well worth the wait. Bella is my family and my life now, and everyone else approves and is happy."
Draco just nodded his understanding, his eyes closed as he calmed down. Harry could tell Draco was focusing on the beat and lyrics of the song. He focused too.
'Step by step, heart to heart, left right left we all fall down.
Step by step, heart to heart, left right left, we all fall down like toy soldiers.
Bit by bit torn apart, we never win but the battle wages on for toy soldiers.'
Harry started rapping to the song.
'I'm supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure
Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders
I ain't ever suppose to show it, my crew ain't supposed to know it
Even if it means going toe to toe with a Benzino it'
Draco joined in.
Don't matter, I never drag them in battles I can handle
Less I absolutely have to I'm supposed to set an example.
I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me ta guide em' if some shit ever does pop off I'm supposed to be beside em'.
That Ja shit, I tried to squash it, it was too late to stop it, there's a certain line you just don't cross and he crossed it.
I heard him say Hailie's name on a song and I just lost it.
It was crazy the shit went way beyond some Jay Z and Nas shit
And even though the battle was won, I feel like we lost it.
I spent so much energy on it, honestly I'm exhausted
And I'm so caught in it I almost feel I'm the one who caused it
This ain't what I'm in hip-hop for, that's not why I got in.
That was never my object for someone to get killed, why would I wanna destroy something I helped build.
That wasn't my intension, my intensions were good, and I went through my whole career without ever mentioning.
And that was just out of respect, for not runnin' my mouth
And talking about something that I knew nothing about.
Plus Dre told me stay out, this just wasn't my beef
So I did, I just fell back watched and gritted my teeth
While he's all over TV down talkin' a man
Who literally saved my life like fuck it I understand
This is business and this shit just isn't none of my business, but still knowin' the shit could pop off any minute cuz,
Step by step, heart to heart, left right left, we all fall down like toy soldiers.
Bit by bit torn apart, we never win but the battle wages on for toy soldiers.
There used to be a time when you could just say a rhyme and
Wouldn't have to worry about one of your people dyin'.
But not it's elevated cause one you put someone's kids in it
The shit gets escalated, it ain't just words no more is it?
It's a different ballgame you call names and you ain't just rappin'.
We actually tried to stop the 50 and Ja beef from happenin.
Me and Dre had sat with him, kicked it and had a chat with him
And asked him not to start, he wasn't gonna go after him until Ja started yappin' in magazines how he stabbed him.
Fuck it 50 smash him, mash on him and let him have it.
Meanwhile my attentions pulled in another direction
Some receptionist at The Source who answers phones at his desk has an
Erection for me and thinks that I'll be his resurrection
Tries to blow the dust off his mic and make a new record
But now he's fucked the game up cause one of the ways I came up
Was through that publication the same one that made me famous.
Now the owner of it has got a grudge against me for nothin'?
Well fuck it that motherfucker can get it too fuck him then.
But I'm so busy being pissed off I don't stop to think
That we just inherited 50's beef with Murder Inc.
And he's inherited mine which is fine, ain't like either of us mind
But we still have soldiers that's on the front line
Who's willing to die for us as soon as we give the orders
Never to extort us strictly to show they support us.
And maybe shout 'em out in a rap or up in a chorus
To show 'em we love 'em back and let 'em know how important
It is to have Runyon Avenue, soldiers up in our corners
Their loyalty to us is worth more than any award is.
But I ain't trying to have none of my people hurt or murdered
It ain't worth it, I can't think of a perfecter way to word it
Then to just say I love y'all too much to see the verdict
I'll walk away from it all 'fore I let it go any further
But don't get it twisted it's not a plea that I'm coppin'
I'm just willing to be the bigger man if y'all can quit poppin'
Off at the jaws well then I can, cause frankly I'm sick of talkin'
I'm not gonna let someone else's coffin rest on my conscious
Cause…
Step by step, heart to heart, left right left, we all fall down like toy soldiers.
Bit by bit torn apart, we never win but the battle wages on for toy soldiers.
During the song he and Draco had stood up and started dancing, and had sat down laughing at the end. This had drawn the eyes of a Slytherin passer-by, and sobered both of them up. Draco motioned his housemate in.
"What do you think you are seeing here right now, Jasmine?" She was a fifth year, dark features, and her parents were avid supporters of Tom.
Jasmine surveyed the situation with sharp eyes. "You consorting with the enemy Draco." Harry would be putting in a good report for her when she joined the Death Eaters.
"Harry, she's trustworthy, and will be in the family when she joins." Draco said with a meaningful look. "Take a seat Jas." She did as told.
Harry stood, waving his hand at the door, warding it, and closing all the hangings. "Not everything is as it seems Jasmine." He said as he towered in the compartment. "You have sharp eyes, good for situation assessment. I wonder if you can hide emotions as well." He waved his hand again, this time in a motion down his body. Harry was instantly in his uniform: the flowing black robe, the bone facemask, his hood down, and the luminescent purple raven on his shiny black chest plate. He watched Jasmine closely, and she showed no sign of reaction.
"You are Raven then? No joke?" She asked.
He waved the hand up to appear back in his previous clothing. "Yes I am." He pulled up the sleave revealing the Dark Mark.
"So how did you get Draco to trust you? Normally he doesn't trust anyone."
"He's dating my Aunt. She's even less trusting than I am." Draco answered, grimacing.
"Marrying, Draco. We're well beyond dating."
x-.-x-.-x-.-x