AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi everyone! I just updated a chapter a few hours ago, but I was just dying to write this chapter. If it's published after the completion date, it's cause I waiting for those ten reviews. If they come within the day, this chapter will be up and done, and free for everyone to read. Enjoy! Your lovely authoress, Em =)

DISCLAIMER: La la la la la la…wait, was I supposed to be doing something?

Chapter 11: Elemental Interrogation

The first thing he saw when he woke up was his father holding his phone. Unfortunately for him, he was still to sleepy to deduce that his father had potentially over heard something of importance.

"Father?" he mumbled sleepily, watching as his father's garnet eyes turned to meet his sleep-dazed jade ones. His phone was slipped out of sight as his father reached over and stroked his cheek gently. He looked around; he didn't recognize the room he was in. His father seemed to notice his confusion, and smirked.

"We are in your new room, child." The man said with a neutral tone that had a hint of smugness concealed in it. But he wasn't focused on that, he was focusing on what the man had said.

"A new room?" he asked. He already had his shack, so why was his father moving him now? Did he do something wrong…oh. He looked up at his father's smirking face, and he knew he had been caught. He should've sensed the wards around his door sooner. They were set so only his father could get out. They were even warded against shadow travel, he noted absently. His father had gone all out to keep him in this room, and more importantly, within the man's grasp.

"Yes child, a new room. This is a room that I have personally warded to prevent any unwanted intrusions." More like excursions, damn, he knows. And judging by the triumphant gleam in the Dark Lord's eyes, the man knew exactly what he was thinking. "Now," the man began, "I believe you were going to answer a few questions for me." Shit, I hoped he had forgotten.

Immediately, he found the downside to his position on the bed. The man towered over him while they were standing, now, he was lying down and the man was leaning over him, and by default, towering over him. Intimidation, he thought instantly, he wants me to answer his questions, and I'll do it cause I'm scared of what he could do. Not of him, his inner self added, remembering the man who would play peek-a-boo with him as a baby, never of him.

"Yes, father." He answered, resigned. He knew his father would get answers, whether it would be from threatening him, to asking him, to force-feeding him veritaserum; he knew his father would get answers. He sat up, watching as his father studied him. The man reached for the glamoured bruise, and he covered a wince at the contact. He didn't dare shy away. The man smirked at him when he answered, but he easily saw how the man's eyes narrowed when he winced.

"Good." The man said, and withdrew a few things from his cloak pocket. His eyes widened when four things were placed on the nightstand, and temporarily spelled so only his father could access them. The first item was his BlackBerry Bold; I could've sworn it was in my jeans pocket, how the hell does my father have it! The second was his wand; I should've guessed he would have it; he wouldn't have left it on me when I collapsed. The third was a strange key; I have absolutely no idea what that is for…on second thought, I don't want to know. And the fourth, the fourth had him paling rapidly.

The fourth was a vial of veritaserum. I know he would think about using it, but I didn't know he would actually use it! Oh hell, I'll be in so much trouble if he asks the right questions. The man noticed his pallor, and the ruby eyes watching him softened slightly. His father took the vial in hand, uncorking it, and took his jaw in the other hand.

"Now, will you answer me honestly, or will I have to use the truth serum?" the Dark Lord asked him. Too scared to do much else, he whispered his agreement to answer the questions honestly. His eyes followed the vial when it was set down, but not closed. He had a feeling his father would use it on him, and he didn't want that.

"Where did you acquire that bruise?" Direct questioning, he mused, he's not taking any chances with me and the possibility of my escaping. He wants answers on I can give.

"I acquired it on my last mission for the Hunters." he replied quietly, not meeting his father's eyes. That didn't help, as the man reached over and tilted his chin up so he was staring at his father. It did nothing for his confidence level.

"How, child; do not make me ask again." He nearly flinched at the man's calm tone. It was belying anger; directed at him or at his attackers, he couldn't tell.

"As I was escaping base, one of the guards engaged me in hand-to-hand combat. I held him off for a while, but two others joined him soon, and they overpowered me. I was knocked unconscious, and when I woke up, I had bruises all over. They all healed, except that one. One of them men was a mage that holds a grudge against me, and he cast a spell that makes the bruise stay visible for two months before it starts to fade. It was originally meant to be permanent, but my magic negated most of it." he answered quite truthfully. He looked up to his father's face, and nearly flinched back from the look of fury that washed over the man's handsome features. Features just like mine. He thought ironically, it's funny, that I look exactly like that when I'm furious, hell, I don't think it's funny, cause at the moment, it's bloody terrifying.

"When and why did you join the Hunters? How did they contact you? How did they find you, for that matter?" the man asked. He nearly winced, the man really wanted answers.

"I joined the hunters when I was four years old. Bellatrix had taken us out to Diagon Alley and I had gotten lost; it was my first time in the alley, and I had no idea where I was going. A girl, about eleven or twelve years old, found me wandering in non-magical London. She introduced herself as Tabitha Marley Ravenson, but to call her Tabitha Marley, Tabby, Marley, or Raven. She was very pretty, and when she took me away from the electronics store I was in front of, a lot of the boys began to follow us. She gave them a look that could kill, and we walked on. When we were a safe distance away, she apparated me to HQ, where she explained what was going on. She explained that they had sensed a newly awakened Elemental in the area." he was very reluctant at giving this last piece of information to his father, and the man could see that, but the man would piece together the information anyways. Besides, he didn't want to drink veritaserum.

"The Elemental she sensed was me." That was as far as he got before his father lunged across the bed and grabbed his chin. The man used the abnormally strong grip on his chin to pull him backwards until he was seated in the man's lap in the arm chair. His father forced three drops of veritaserum down his throat, and held him still until he went limp in the man's lap due to the potion's influence.

Well, shit I'm in for it now.

"What did she sense?" the man demanded, his father's arms wrapped around his waist and torso.

"She sensed a newly awakened Elemental." He repeated in a monotone voice. Damn it! And I was almost immune too!

"An elemental…my son, an elemental." He heard the man mutter behind him. There was a tone of wonder and…was that pride? "Continue with the rest of the question, child."

"I joined the Hunters to learn to control my elemental abilities and manipulate the wild magic for my own purpose. I joined them to learn how to spy and how to defend myself from Bellatrix and my two brothers, as well as others. I learned how to survive on my own and how to make my own money while I was still in my toddler years, and not attract attention. After all, who would suspect a six-year old assassin?" he added sarcastically.

"When did you get hit with ten crucios at once? And why?" he froze at the question.

"I was battling Marcus X, the torture specialist who seems to work for everyone I go after, and has an obsession for getting back at me for nearly crippling him when I was five. Ten of the mages that worked for him had me surrounded and cast the Cruciatus at the same time. I was already beaten and bloody by that point, so I really had no chance to avoid any of them. I dropped to the ground to dodge, but one had been aimed there in the first place, and I had nowhere to move. They closed in around me and cast the curses until I was unconscious, which took about ten to fifteen minutes. They were as surprised as I was when I escaped later that same day, completely coherent, not in the least bit insane." he responded hesitantly. And with good reason too, his father looked absolutely vengeful.

The man behind he gently grabbed his chin, and turned him around.

"Why did you run from me?" the man questioned softly, the Dark Lord's fiery scarlet orbs gazing into his own viridian ones.

"I did not wish to answer any questions about my life." he answered honestly. The man snorted.

"And yet, by running, you ended up answering more questions than I had planned to ask the day."

He found himself in an embrace, his father's arms surrounding him, providing comfort that he hadn't had in over a decade. He was rather tired, he convinced himself as he absently noticed the starry sky, the moon reflected off of the silver bracelet on his wrist.

Maybe, just the once… he told himself before burying his face in his father's chest, falling asleep with a smile on his face…just the once.

SHADOW

He watched as his son snuggled into his embrace, and he chuckled. The boy was tired, he knew that. Perhaps he shouldn't have grabbed him that harshly, and he should've waited until the teen was well rested before interrogating him. His arms tightened around his baby boy, and he cast a quick Tempus. When the clock read well after midnight, he looked down and thought…just the once, before pulling his son closer to him and drifting off to sleep.

I'M DONE! I'M DONE! I'M DONE WITH THE CHAPTER!

Hey everyone! This is the eleventh chapter! I really wasn't planning the elemental twist until about twenty minutes ago (about 5:25pm), so, I'll have to revise a bit of the plot to fit this new twist, though I have to say, I like the twist. Your lovely authoress, Em=)

Chapter completed on: Saturday, January 15, 2011