Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

AN:

Yay, I've posted, at last! Took me some time since I've been very busy with my studies, but I hope you enjoy this loooong chappie.

And thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Your reviews always help a lot, both motivating me and making me mull over stuff and thus helping me to come up with new ideas *grins*

Now I would like to address some points brought up by some of you.

Firstly, it is true that Orion seems to have been downplayed for some time. Indeed, he could have done so much more against the muggle, but on the other hand, he hasn't been in a situation which would merit using all his power yet. He needed to capture the muggle alive, not kill him, therefore he had no use for displaying great amounts of power or spells. Furthermore, I don't like to write him as if he were invincible and all-powerful, even if he should be given his magical skills and capacity.

He's the most powerful dark wizard alive, true, but he's also young and relatively inexperienced when compared to someone like Voldemort. Therefore, he's still vulnerable and doesn't make the best decisions all the time. That's why he didn't do anything 'amazing' during his confrontation with the muggle, because he thought it wasn't required. And he'll keep making little mistakes like that. I don't want him to be 'super', no matter how powerful he is, because if not it would be very boring to see him easily overcome any problem and enemy, and it wouldn't be realistic anyway, given his age and inexperience. And his skills will be seen in the battlefield, since there he knows that it is needed.

Secondly, I can understand why many of you don't like Calypso, and that's part of the point. She's the type of person who has a very strong personality and who isn't scared to express her firm opinions and ideas. And thus, she comes on strong and domineering, but she does so because she cares about Orion.

In short, she is the type of person you either hate or love, and for my part I tend to very much like people with a strong personality, so that's why I chose to write her like that. And also because she's exactly what Orion needs in a friend, I feel. And she's how I imagine a dark pureblood girl with her background would be. On the other hand, you must remember that there's something going on with her, and that she had just spent a day and night imprisoned in a Ministry cell, so her behavior during the last chapter should be understandable.

Lastly, as someone pointed out, why didn't Orion block bullets with Protego or any other shield spell? Well, as far as I know and remember, 'protego' and similar spells only serve to block spells and curses, and not all of them – i.e. the Unforgivables . They are used to block magic, not objects, so he couldn't use them. On the other hand, Orion surely knows a lot of spells to block objects too, but not necessarily bullets, because why would Hogwarts, Durmstrang or any other wizarding school teach spells to be used against muggles?

It wouldn't make sense, since the wizarding world is kept apart from the muggle world, so there's no reason to be teaching spells to be used against muggles. Moreover, Hogwarts isn't a place where such spells would be taught, given its light-orientation, and Durmstrang isn't either since it's dark-oriented and founded on purebloods ideals, meaning that they wouldn't see muggles as a threat and therefore wouldn't teach spells to defend against something they see as weak and insignificant, as muggles are thought of by purebloods. Which is obviously a negative aspect of Durmstrang and such schools.

In short, why would any school teach its pupils how to block muggle bullets? I think they would only do that if they expected to be in war against the muggle world, which they don't. So expecting wizarding schools to teach spells like those is like expecting muggles to be taught how to use guns in highschool – doesn't happen either, thankfully.

But all this doesn't mean that there simply aren't any spells that could be used against muggles. There are, but Calypso has yet to find them or create them. For instance, it should be expected of certain wizards to know what to use against bullets. I certainly think that Voldemort knows how to do this, and much more, against muggles, given his aim to wipe them out. And I think that Grindelwald would have also known how, given that he was involved in WWII. That is, wizards who have reason to learn such spells or create them, certainly have. It's just that Orion hasn't had the time to get into it. And that's part of the fun too, to see how wizards would combat muggles, and see both parties realize that it isn't that simple, that magic doesn't easily overcome muggle technology and weapons, and vice-versa.

Note: There isn't any action in this chappie, but things are going to be sped up a lot in the next ones, if I can pull it off.

Important: I would like to know your opinion regarding Orion's Necromantic training. How would you prefer that it was covered? In detail, more or less as I've being writing things so far, or more succinctly, like with brief scenes and flashes and with large skips in time? And also, should it all be covered in one chapter or several? Consider that the training is supposed to last from one to two years. I would really appreciate it if you could tell me what you prefer. Thanks!

Warning: explicit slash content – it's a very long, long section. Don't like it, skip it. *winks*



Chapter 37

The moment Orion apparated into his bedroom in Zraven Citadel, he dropped on the bed without bothering to even light the candles and torches in his room. He felt tired, but his mind was also busily buzzing.

As he stretched and relaxed on the bed, surrounded by the darkness of his room and solely concerned about the meeting of the following day, he closed his eyes and delved into his own mind. There, as he had felt since the moment he had marked Draco, he first detected a small blue flame, not faintly flickering as before when Draco had been unconscious, but now strong and clear.

He swiftly left that alone, since he had no intention of poking it to make Draco aware of him or of using it to summon the wizard to him. Then he felt his connection to Voldemort, but as usual, it was closed under many layers of firmly set Occlumency shields. Mere seconds after he scooted away from it, he found what he was looking for – his link to Hermione's mind through the curse he had cast on her.

It had been quite some time since he had plunged into her mind, and now he did so, gently, covertly and quietly, as a mere foggy mist funneling into a small keyhole. Orion's awareness instantly trickled into hers and he quickly realized that she was asleep, vague thoughts slowly floating about without any particular order or coherence.

With deep and precise concentration, he delved further under the sheet of foggy sleepiness and he started ruffling through her impressions and memories of the last few days. And his satisfaction grew the more he saw, seeing that she had indeed done much of what he had instructed her to do.

It was several days now that Hermione had left her parents' home to spend part of her summer holidays with the Weasleys, having secured an invitation from Ron. To Orion's amusement and growing respect for her, he saw how she had, before departing to the Burrow, wiped out her parents' memories of her. She had, as well, cast a strong compulsion on them, making them suddenly wish to establish their dentist business in Sydney, of all places. Orion found the effort and attempt both endearing and naïve. Surely Hermione didn't think that he wouldn't find that secret, did she?

Well, he couldn't reproach her the decision to send her parents away and have them safe in anonymity. She knew that the war was coming and surely feared that he would use her parents against her. Though, it was quite pointless. The idea had never entered his mind. He had enough control over her through the mind-possession curse. Nevertheless, it was a wise move on her part, since even though he wouldn't stoop so low as to attack her muggle parents, he knew that Death Eaters would if given the chance. Regardless, her decision had been a tough one to make. He could, even now, feel her grief and dejection over the perceived loss of her parents.

What was even more interesting were the happenings in the Burrow. He saw the Weasley family warmly welcoming Hermione in their home, he saw Ron taking her to what used to be Ginny Weasley's bedroom and helping her to settle there for her visit. And unsurprisingly, he saw Hermione breaking down and clutching a bewildered Ron as she cried on his shoulder.

Orion didn't have to delve much to know the cause. Ron and Hermione had only become friends after Neville Longbottom had been killed during the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Neville had been Hermione's only friend up until then, since most of Gryffindor House disliked her all-knowing and bookish personality, and Ron had been at the forefront of those who ridiculed her. But after Neville's death, Ron and her had bonded over the grief of losing someone due to the Dark. Ron had had the pain of losing his little sister in her first year at Hogwarts and had been able to commiserate with Hermione after Neville's death.

And now he saw them, in Hermione's memories, with her sobbing on Ron's shoulder since Ginerva Weasley's bedroom had reminded Hermione of Neville. Of course, it went a little bit deeper than that, since the memory was shrouded by deep feelings of self-recrimination and loathing, the word 'traitor' briskly floating around the memory. She considered herself such, in every subsequent memory he inspected, most especially when he saw her approaching McGonagall when the old witch visited the Burrow to start planning the wards to be cast around the place.

As he had instructed her, Hermione had made known her desire to do something for the Order of the Phoenix, as well as her desire to know about the warding process. He saw Alastor Moody refusing to let her participate or know anything about the construction of the wards, the ex-Auror's roving magical eye suspiciously fixed on her. But McGonagall, in one of her rare gestures of sympathy and understanding, had allowed her favorite student to satiate her hunger for knowledge regarding ward construction.

To Orion's delight, Hermione had been observing the warding process during several days. Several Aurors had been dropping in the Burrow to cast ward over ward, under the direction of Moody. He even saw Cedric Diggory participating in the endeavor, and all suspicions about the young Auror being part of the Order were confirmed. Furthermore, he had seen his father dropping in several times, mostly to spend some time with Arthur Weasley in the shed behind the Burrow.

Circe knew what Sirius and Arthur were up to in the shed, but whatever it was, it didn't seem to please Molly much. But Orion could only discern, from Hermione's memories, that Sirius had developed a close friendship with Arthur - which he had known after the meeting in Lycaon- and that Molly regarded his father as some kind of misbehaving, rebellious child who threatened to lead her husband down the path of some mischief or other.

Yet, to Orion's satisfaction, he saw that Sirius was well liked by everyone, especially by the twins, Charlie and Bill. Though Hermione seemed to feel quite exasperated with his immatureness and rarely spent any time with him, so Orion didn't have many memories to peruse regarding his father. Only that Sirius was under no suspicion, even though Moody's roving magical eye still set upon him more frequently than not.

Furthermore, even though Moody had been outranked by McGonagall in the matter of allowing Hermione to see the warding process, he had, on the other hand, gruffly determined that the young witch could be useful to the Order. In that, McGonagall had been against his decision, but since the wizard was clearly in command of the recruiting effort, Hermione had been, in the end, allowed to participate in some of the Order meetings.

To Orion's disappointment, he soon saw that the meetings in which Hermione had been included were those of lower-order and scarce importance, not any meetings where important issues about the war effort were discussed. They seemed to be meetings with the sole purpose of start instructing the younger members of the Order. He saw the Weasley twins in them, as well as Ron and Hermione, with Charlie and Bill Weasley appearing in them often enough, alongside Cedric and other young wizards.

How Moody had convinced Molly Weasley to allow her children to be part of the 'young Order', he didn't know, but it was evident that at some point the young ones were going to be given some responsibilities in the war against the Dark. Or perhaps it was merely due to their wise decision to prepare those who would inevitably be sucked into the war, given that their parents were Order member themselves. Nevertheless, Molly had made her dissatisfaction known whenever she could, no matter how sternly Moody glanced at her with his magical eye.

What caught Orion's interest was the involvement of Viktor Krum. And the knowledge that his former schoolmate was now staunchly backing the Order pained him. His friend Kara Kavsir, being Krum's cousin, even though never having been particularly attached to the Seeker, wouldn't be happy to know about this. Cousins would be pitched against cousins, that was certain, though he knew that Kara must have realized that it would be inevitable at some point. The Krum side of her family had always been muggleborn-sympathizers.

Orion ruffled through some more memories, seeing Hermione reading Albus' Treatise under the cover of the night, in Ginny's bedroom, when all others were asleep, her thoughts clear to him. He felt her alarm and trepidation over what she was reading, her attempts to deny that muggleborn blood mixed with pure blood through lines of procreation vastly weakened the magic of the resulting offspring over several generations. He then sensed her slow acceptance of Albus' long ago printed words, but also her resolve to find a 'solution', as it was thought in her mind.

A solution, or anything that could fix the problem, because Hermione firmly thought that there had to be a way for her kind to be wholly accepted and respected in the magical world, by all wizards, dark purebloods included. He saw her researching the matter in other books, he saw her asking subtle questions here and there without raising suspicions. And in the end, Orion couldn't find anything faulty with it. By all means, one more person to look into the matter from a different angle could be nothing but useful, and with any luck, productive.

He stored away all the information he could find about the wards that were being cast around the Burrow, and then indolently perused more of her recent memories.

With a twist of his lips and a coil of disgust, he saw Ron's fumbling attempts to 'court' Hermione, if it could be called that. He saw Ron's freckled face turning red as he brushed hands with the young witch, a slight blush on her cheeks as they reached for the same glass of pumpkin juice during breakfast. He saw the twins grinning and taunting their youngest brother, making the couple turn beet red and hastily part in different directions. He even saw, to his mounting horror, wishing he was struck blind, how once Ron had armed himself with some gumption and awkwardly pressed a wet and slobbering kiss on Hermione's mouth, quite out of the blue, while they had been de-gnoming the garden.

More often than not, accompanied by such memories, he perceived Hermione's increasing sense of emotional pain and grim depression, since she considered herself to be an unwilling traitor in their midst. Every time Ron did something 'charming' and 'gallant', solely in her opinion, all giddy pleasure was darkened and overcome by her feeling of self-loathing, by her frantic wish to be able to free herself from the curse, by her feeling of sheer impotence.

Intense guilt overrode every other emotion in her, but Orion couldn't feel anything but detached sympathy. She would have to learn to deal with it, because, for his part, he would only lift the curse when her usefulness expired. And in his opinion, that could very well never happen.

Lastly, he inspected her memories of that very same day, and he stopped short, feeling quite out of breath with surprise. Bill Weasley had brought Fleur Delacour to the Burrow, to stay there with him up until the day of their wedding. He felt Hermione's grumpy jealously of the quarter-Veela, her intense dislike of Fleur, since Ron salivated after the Veela every time they crossed paths in the house. But what shocked Orion the most was that Fleur had brought with her, her cousin, to stay with the Weasleys as well.

There, was Arian, deeply encroached in Hermione's memories of the day, surrounded by her feelings of admiration and attraction to the wizard, which seemed to both bother and utterly entice her. And it shook Orion to the core, since he wasn't imagining the knowing glint in Arian's eyes as he charmingly dazzled Hermione with a flirtatious smile. The way he 'accidentally' brushed Hermione's frizzy hair, making her stutter some reply to his solicitous attentions, the way he carelessly informed her that he was 'distantly' related to Albus Dumbledore, without giving any precise information about the matter, which induced Hermione to covertly show him Albus' Treatise.

Arian had grinned then, as she showed him the booklet in Ginny's bedroom, while everyone else was downstairs getting ready for lunch. Quite nonchalantly, Arian had informed her that all of it was true, and he had left Hermione staring and gaping at him, her mind rushing with countless thoughts per second, as he winked at her and left the room.

The last thing he saw was an informal meeting of the Order after dinner, which Hermione had been allowed to attend, like the rest of the young ones in the house with the addition of some others who had been invited over for that occasion. And Arian had taken the stage after a brief introduction by McGonagall, who was quite clearly besotted with the young wizard in a grandmotherly way, and who undoubtedly had known about his relation to Albus Dumbledore. Indeed, now everyone knew that Arian was Albus' grandnephew, since it was the first thing to be disclosed in the meeting.

The twins had gaped. Bill Weasley had glanced at Fleur questioningly, who had the shocked expression of one who hadn't known about that at all, no matter if she was indeed Arian's cousin twice removed. Ron had fumed with bitter envy. Arthur and Molly Weasley had been quite clearly ecstatic, the latter embracing Arian in a tight, warm hug. Hermione's fascination and respect for the wizard had climbed up several notches more. Charlie Weasley had looked surprised but also relieved, and the rest had had similar reactions.

Viktor Krum had inspected Arian with deep interest, without saying a word. Cedric Diggory hadn't looked at all surprised, which gave Orion reason to believe that Arian had established beforehand some sort of friendship with the young Auror, at some point. While Cho Chang, surprisingly having attended the meeting hand-in-hand with Cedric, had had the appearance of one who had developed a secret new crush, albeit a platonic one, since her loving admiration had, throughout it all, mostly been focused on Cedric.

The silver ring in Cho's finger had furthermore indicated to Orion that the couple had finally become officially betrothed, as he had known would happen since Cedric had confided in him about his wish, a long time ago, when they had still been 'friends', before his siding with Voldemort had been known. Indeed, that friendship had been broken when they had faced each other during the Death Eater breach of Hogwarts. And after that incident, he had never again received any letters from Fleur, Cedric, or Krum, who used to write to him ever since the Triwizard Tournament.

Regardless, the loss of some worthy friends was hardly something he should be lamenting, so Orion kept perusing the memory of the Order meeting.

Right after the initial disclosure, Arian had casually dropped a "Albus is alive", and it had been pandemonium. A massive sigh of relief, hope and elation had been breathed out by the assembled motley group, before an avalanche of questions had been asked. Arian had bore it all quite suavely, as one soothing a skittish herd of sheep, all of them soon falling to his thrall of dazzling charm and apparent noble humility and benevolence.

It made Orion sick. One smile from Arian, bestowed upon light wizards, and it seemed to even have more power than Albus Dumbledore's twinkling eyes.

With his awareness deeply in the midst of the recollection, Orion gritted his teeth. And when he came to the end of it, his blood nearly froze in his veins, since Arian had gently proclaimed to his new mass of devotees, "No one is to attempt to fight Orion Black. None of you could ever hope to defeat him. He is to be left to me." That, of course, had given way to more questions, some fired with anger. Ron, especially, had been quite indignant, puffing and boldly vouching to be quite capable of defeating 'Black', spitting the name as if it was the vilest thing in existence.

Arian had waved off their objections, and had simply uttered one last statement before he waltzed out of the kitchen. He had shot them one of his pearly-white, dazzling smiles, and then, staring straight at Hermione, he had said softly, his lips quirking upwards, "Orion Black is mine." And with that, he had left them, clearly conveying that his orders would not be opposed by any of them.

And Orion hadn't imagined the way Arian had knowingly stared at Hermione, playful amusement glinting in his cerulean eyes. By Circe, there was no doubt in Orion's mind that Arian knew exactly what was upon Hermione Granger. Indeed, the wizard knew about the mind-possession curse, it was evident. And Arian had to know that he would be seeing these memories of them, since the wizard seemed to be communicating directly with him every time he fixedly stared into Hermione's eyes, dazzling her with charming smiles, making her heart flutter while Ron Weasley brooded in a corner, glaring at the wizard.

The knowing, mocking and taunting glint in Arian's azure eyes, as he bore them into Hermione's, made Orion feel sickly ill and enraged, and he briskly tore away from the connection, swiftly leaving Hermione's unconscious mind.

He groaned, his eyes firmly shut, as he plopped his head on the fluffy pillow on his bed. His mind swirled with possible actions that Arian could take, trying to trace a path under every probable scenario, all of it mixed with the other information he had gleaned from Hermione's mind.

Even if he knew that Arian couldn't possibly break the curse on her, since only the caster could, it still irked him that the wizard knew about it. That it had taken but a mere glance during their first meeting, and the light wizard had somehow detected the curse on her. It left him bristling and seething.

Suddenly, he felt something on his naked shoulder, and Orion snapped his eyes open, jumping upwards in his bed.

"Bloody hell," he yelped, clutching his chest as he scowled at who was towering over him besides his bed, "you scared me half to death!"

"I thought you were done," murmured Lezander, his slanted pale blue eyes roving over him with concern. "You were perusing Granger's mind, weren't you?" Orion stiffly nodded, and made an attempt to sit up, which was instantly thwarted when the young Rege gently pushed him to lie back on the bed, the vampire's gaze worriedly inspecting him. "You're covered in dried blood. What happened? What took you so long? Are Titania and the others in some kind of trouble?"

Orion tiredly sighed, and then patted the spot beside him on the bed. "Take a seat. It's a long story."


"Illuminati?" muttered Lezander, pacing around Orion's bedroom, as he had done the moment Orion had finished relating the events of the evening to him, including all his suspicions and conclusions, and also what he had seen in Hermione's mind.

The young Rege swirled to pierce him with a worried gaze. "You're right. Vivian surely thought that they didn't exist anymore, or she would have mentioned them to you or me."

Suddenly, in the next blink of the eye, he was gently pulling Orion from the bed, crouching to gaze at his torso, softly touching the thin scar there, as he murmured apprehensively, "This was a serious wound." His jaw clenched as he rose to stand inches from Orion, his voice turning curt with anger, "You were careless. You should have disposed of the muggle quickly instead of playing the cat and mouse chase game. You should have made better use of your vampiric traits, Orion. That's what we've been teaching you. What's the point of your training if you persist on acting impulsively when you should-"

"I came out of it unscathed in the end, didn't I?" snapped Orion shortly, flicking his wand to siphon the dried blood from his torso, then casting a full-body cleansing charm.

Without a second thought, he divested himself of his dirtied and torn trousers and accioed a pajama pant from his dresser. He was holding them in his hands, about to pull them on, when he detected Lezander's abrupt silence and the vampire's intense focus on him.

He arched an eyebrow, and bit out moodily, "What now? Am I not allowed to go to sleep? Do I have to ask permission from the 'Master of the Citadel' before I can call it a night? Or do you intend to keep scolding me like a mother hen-"

"Are you trying to tempt me?" groused out Lezander, looking as short-tempered as Orion felt.

Orion's eyebrows shot to his hairline as he glanced down at himself, seeing nothing but his naked legs and his black, crumpled boxers riding low on his hips. All of him covered with bruises, scratches and cuts here and there, healed and in the process of disappearing, but still visible for the moment. He looked as if he had been run over by the Knight Bus.

He scoffed, gesturing at himself. "This, tempts you?"

Lezander remained stonily quiet, and Orion started eyeing him with amusement, flinging his pajama pants to his bed, as he slowly approached the vampire, murmuring silkily, "My, I still affect you, after so long? Even when Draco is the one with your blood now, and when I haven't taken any in a very long while?"

"What are you playing at?" said Lezander sharply, his pale blue eyes narrowing further which each step Orion took towards him. "You're starting something you have no intention of finishing, and I don't appreciate it. You should know better-"

"Who says I'm not going to finish it?" quipped Orion, feeling all tiredness fading away as he devilishly grinned at him, quite set on having his way.

"We haven't spoken about it," interjected Lezander accusingly, regarding him with suspicion, a pinch of wary apprehension, and a slight smidgen of hurt. "You've been avoiding me and any discussion of the matter-"

"We don't need to discuss anything," scoffed Orion with a roll of his eyes. "I'm tired of talking. We both know what's in the Kraljica Mati's Book, we both know what could come to happen, and we both want it." He bore his emerald eyes into the vampire's pale blue ones, his lips tilting into a smile as he gripped the young Rege's nape. "Don't we?"

Lezander seemed to falter as Orion started to gently thread his fingers through the vampire's long, silky black hair, and the vampire muttered quietly, intently eyeing him, "What about what I asked of you? About Draco-"

"I will go along with your plan," interrupted Orion, shooting him a large smile before he leaned upwards to trail his tongue along the vampire's lower lip. "And I'll help you with him. I want him too... the two of you…"

A shiver seemed to run down Lezander's body, and Orion was already victoriously grinning when the vampire suddenly stepped backwards and tightly gripped Orion's arms to pull him away.

It seemed to have taken the vampire considerable effort, but Lezander had effectively put some distance between them, and was now regarding him with a stern frown on his handsome, pale face. "You haven't thought about it thoroughly. You're acting impulsively and you can't about this. There will be no going back, and I don't want you to rush into it-"

"You must be joking," snapped Orion angrily, his teeth gritting as he glared at him. "You cannot back down now! It was your idea-"

"I'm not backing down," said Lezander sternly, his frown deepening as he assessed him closely and guardedly. "The bond once completed is forever, Orion, and I don't want to be left hanging the day you suddenly decide it's not convenient for you any longer-"

"That's what you think of me?" interjected Orion incredulously, with half a mind to stomp his foot in a rather childish manner and with another half mind to smack some sense into the vampire. But his anger won the battle, and his green eyes narrowed to slits, as he snapped crisply, "Let me assure you that it isn't 'convenient' for me at all, but I want to do it anyway. And I've given it considerable thought – I'm not acting 'impulsively'."

He jerked away from the vampire's grasp, crossed his arms over his bare chest, and eyed him with a hard expression on his face, feeling his anger mounting with each passing second. "You've never accused me of acting out of self-interest before. I gain nothing by completing our bond, you should know. If anything, it will bring me trouble with the werewolves." He darkly glared at him, and added with a frosty sneer, "I'm acting out of 'personal desires' and I'll be much criticized for it, let me tell you-"

"I'm sorry," murmured Lezander, looking deflated and contrite, as he rubbed his jaw with a hand. "I spoke without thinking. I never thought that you would do it seeking any gain."

"You got that right," said Orion stiffly, not at all mollified. "But I'm not going to throw myself at you if you've changed your mind."

Lezander looked up at him, surprised and with an anxious cast in his pale blue eyes, and he whispered softly, "I haven't. I want you. How could I not? You're my lifemate. I want to have you in any way I can, you know that. It's just that you refused to discuss it with me before, and I thought you had already decided against it, and now you abruptly tell me that you want to…"

He shook his head, and briefly shot Orion a wide, warm and elated smile, and in the next second he moved so fast that Orion didn't know exactly what happened. He simply found himself pinned against the stone wall, with Lezander pressed tightly against him and the vampire's warm lips meshing with his, a tongue quickly delving inside his mouth, deeply exploring, hungrily, needy and longing, and almost frantic, as if the vampire was trying to crawl inside him or suck everything from him, or afraid that he would disappear – Orion couldn't quite decide. Indeed, he couldn't quite string two thoughts together.

It had been so long since he had experienced one of Lezander's kisses that the assault took him rather by surprise, unprepared for the sensations that the vampire's intimate touches and kisses had always evoked in him. It felt all-encompassing and consuming, as it always had, but in a warm and gentle way, not the ravenous conquering and brutal enforced submission that he always felt with Voldemort, but rather the soft tenderness so characteristic in Lezander when dealing with him, as if he was a precious and fragile thing, hungrily craved but also handled with tender care, being gently cradled in all-surrounding warmth.

In essence, Orion felt his brain turning into a foggy mush, and he responded to Lezander's profound, deep kiss just as passionately and tenderly, caressing his tongue against the vampire's, swirling its tip around the canines he felt sharpening inside his mouth, undulating his tongue around the vampire's without any battle of dominance taking place, just feeling the sheer enjoyment of the pleasure mounting between them.

Orion's green eyes were still wide, but now they were glazed and unfocusedly met Lezander's pale blue gaze as their kiss deepened, now with a demanding sensation to it. His heart was loudly thumping in his chest and he felt as if his blood was frantically rushing through his veins, leaving him breathless and panting. And he gripped the vampire closer to him, their clothed arousals rubbing together, making him moan inside their kiss, as they writhed against each other, an increasing sense of belonging and urgency building up, a sort of inexorable pull winding them together, feeling as if something wanted to fuse him with the vampire.

Lezander's pale blue eyes darkened with need, and he briefly parted from the kiss to nibble on Orion's lower lip, as he whispered in a low, husky voice, "Do you feel it – our blood bond calling us to complete it? This was meant to be, dragostea mea. I won't let you go again. I will not lose you again. I can't."

Orion's dazed eyes widened further, the words echoing eerily in his mind, and he vaguely and distantly realized that he had heard those words before, that he had experienced this in one of his visions, that another one was coming true. But all thoughts flew from his mind when he caught a glimpse of Lezander's canines sharpening and elongating further, and in the next bat of the eyelash, he felt a sharp piercing sensation in his neck.

Lezander sunk his canines deeper in, and soon Orion's eyes glazed with fevered need and desire as the vampire suckled his neck, making him feel rolls of clashing waves of pleasure raging through his body. A sort of plush, tranquil weakness spread through him, and Orion's eyes rolled as he sagged against Lezander, moaning as the vampire kept drinking from him, both taking blood but also giving pleasure.

Abruptly, he felt something against the back of his knees, and then he was being gently lowered on the plush bed. Orion noticed that in his mindless pleasure he hadn't seen Lezander taking some of his clothes off. The vampire was now hovering over him with only his pants on, while he still had his boxers on, but now they were touching bare skin against bare, satiny, warm skin, because Lezander's skin simply felt like that when Orion started trailing his fingertips along the vampire's toned, smooth chest.

The skin felt like butter under his caresses, or like velvet, or like something of the sort, he couldn't quite think. But he could, however, feel everything. How Lezander wedged a knee between his legs, parting them to allow the vampire to get in between them, their clothed arousals rubbing against each other, sending spikes of pleasure tingling through Orion's body as their chests met, as he felt Lezander's heart beating as hard and fast as his own.

"I need you to say it," whispered Lezander softly, yet also with a tone of urgency to his words, as he nipped the small, tender lobe of Orion's ear. "I need to hear you say it, willingly, agreeing-"

"Circe," breathed out Orion, clutching the vampire's shoulders to pull him tighter against him. "Yeah, I do bloody want to complete the bond between us, Lez. Merlin's staff… I wanna shag, finally, once and for all…"

"Not shag," said Lezander quietly, pulling himself up with his elbows at either side of Orion's head, to seriously pin him with his pale blue eyes. "I'm going to make love to you, inima mea."

Orion jerkily nodded, weakly bobbing his head up and down, as he mumbled quickly, "Fine by me… I want that too… just hurry…"

Just when Lezander gave him one of the most loving, tender and warm smiles he had ever seen, the elation and joy written clearly in his expression, the vampire suddenly froze above him, his eyes widening as if he had felt something which shocked him, the muscles in his arms slightly bulging and tensing.

"Isn't this nice," drawled a frosty voice with a contemptuous, infuriated sneer.

Orion nearly jumped out of his skin, no matter how drained and dazed he still felt after being fed from by Lezander. But the startlement had been so abrupt and thorough that it gave him an adrenaline rush which pumped him with enough energy to allow him to prop his head up to look over Lezander's shoulders and confirm his suspicions.

"Bloody fuck," he breathed out, staring at the intruder with wide eyes, something heavily dropping in his stomach, any remnant of color vanishing from his face.

Yup, that was Draco staring at them, standing in the middle of the bedroom, holding one of the pebbles he had given to Calypso but a mere hour ago. That was Draco who had just portkeyed in, and who was gazing at them with eyes so narrowed that they were mere silvery slits. The raging fury was quite evident on his chiseled patrician features, foremost in the way the young wizard's jaw was tightly clenched, looking as if he was about to crack a tooth if he kept the irate pressure on.

Orion groaned as he allowed his head to hit the pillow. He shot Lezander a glance, since the vampire still seemed petrified, hovering over him, trapping him since they were still pressed against each other and the young Rege's arms caged him in. With a bit of interest he noticed that the vampire's pupils had dilated, perhaps due to Draco's close presence. Nevertheless, Orion knew he had to regain his energy and sharp wits to weather out the incoming storm.

Quite unceremoniously, he sharply elbowed Lezander in the ribs, pushing him to a side. With a grunt, the vampire rolled over, seemingly slowly coming out of whatever surprised trance he had been in. And Orion didn't waste any time in none-too-gently biting down on Lezander's lower lip, breaking skin and swiftly suckling the thin trickle of blood which dripped from the blunt bite.

The vampire seemed to know why Orion was doing so, and simply remained lying on the bed, caressing Orion's nape in the meanwhile. A snort of pure disgust came from Draco, but he was thoroughly ignored, and finally Orion let Lezander know he was done and showed his gratitude by tenderly licking the cut.

He hadn't taken much blood from such a shallow, small wound, but at least he felt a spark of renewed strength coursing through his body. Enough to allow him to jump out of the bed and onto his feet, facing Draco with all the nonchalance he could muster, because, really, there was nothing he actually felt guilty about.

Before stepping forward to meet the young pureblood face to face, and inches from each other, he shot Lezander a glance over his shoulder, and the vampire seemed to understand what he tried to convey. The young Rege remained seated on the bed, without attempting to approach Draco in any way, while Orion reached the enraged young wizard.

"You're not going to ruin things for us by throwing a hissy fit," he informed Draco calmly, before he gave the dark wizard any chance to say anything first. "Lezander and I are going to shag tonight, and I'll be completing the bond with him. Now that you're here, quite unexpectedly, it only changes one thing - whether you'll be part of it or not. It's up to you."

"What?" Draco gaped at him, clearly momentarily stunned out of his rage and out of his wits. But it didn't last long, in the next second he had whipped out his wand, aiming it directly at Orion, as he furiously spit out, "What the bloody hell are you babbling about, Potter?!" His eyes narrowed to silvery slits which gleamed with hatred. "I couldn't care less what you do with the filthy halfbreed. I didn't come here to see him. I don't want to even be in the same room as him."

He shot Lezander a venomous, contemptuous look, before he glanced back at Orion. "I came here to discuss everything you've been keeping a secret from me. What Calypso told me tonight was the last straw, Potter!" His face contorted with rage, and he sneered acidly, "Because you're actually a Potter, aren't you? Another thing you kept from me, telling me that yes, you had been Harry Potter but that you were truly a Black-"

"Is that seriously what angers you the most?" interjected Orion disbelievingly. "That I have Potter blood, bloodtraitor blood, due to the consangri ritual that my mum and James Potter made me go through as a baby?"

"That's not the only thing, but merely the first of countless," spat Draco, his fingers clenching around the grasp on his wand. "The Hallow things, the Peverells, the horcruxes, the locket of the young Dark Lord – Tom Riddle – a halfblood, despicable!" His voice turned chilly in his profound disgust and rage. "Rose Evans and her Slytherin blood, The Lady of the Lake, the Spirits of Durmstrang, the meaning of the prophecy, Grindelwald, the Aux Atrum people, the Vindico stuff, that you were Regulus, Sextus Black, and now apparently Mordred himself! What really happened when you took some of my soul's essence - you told me that it had been a necromantic spell that you had fucked up, when the truth is that you had been using the Resurrection Stone thing! Then the whole Cadmus Peverell the Dementor thing, the Necromancers, the Guild, the Sources, Stonehenge, Avalon, the Illuminati, what my father has been forced to do due to your interference, the way you stopped me from killing Dumbledore – I would have done it!- making me fail in my task, making the Dark Lord-" he spat with utter revulsion "-who doesn't deserve the position given his tainted blood - what he did to me because of you, and what you did to me by feeding me the halfbreed's blood."

He heatedly glared at Orion, and snarled furiously, "I could go on and on, Potter! You never told me anything, but you did tell Calypso and the halfbreed. If I had known, it would have been different. Things would have turned out differently for me! You're responsible for everything, not just for all the lies you've fed me during all the years of our acquaintance. I trusted you and you betrayed me over and over again!"

When Draco ended his furious tirade, breathing heavily, Orion merely regarded him with solemn silence, before he said coolly, "I didn't tell you because you're a Malfoy and I couldn't trust you not to tell you father, who would have surely used any of the information to pull my strings, and you know it. So I don't regret it. It would have put you in an awkward position. Why should I have tested your friendship like that? It was better that way-"

"I've lost everything," hissed out Draco through gritted teeth, taking a threatening step forward, his wand still aimed at Orion. "I am disowned, did you know that?"

Orion blanched, and then shook his head as he muttered quietly, "Lucius wouldn't have. He saw the Spirits-"

"He did," spat Draco, his jaw jerkily clenching. "I received a letter from Gringotts. I no longer have access to any Malfoy vault. I'm not the Malfoy Heir anymore!"

"Merlin, I'm sorry, Draco," mumbled Orion, paling, staring at him with wide, sullen eyes. "I never thought… I mean, Lucius mentioned the possibility, but I thought he wouldn't do it. I thought he would find another way…" He shook his head, and then added firmly, "He did it to protect you, of that, I'm sure. By cutting all ties with you he's made sure that Voldemort cannot use him to get to you. It's just a way to make Voldemort believe that your father doesn't care about you anymore-"

"Whatever," spat Draco heatedly, a muscle pulsing in his jawline. "The point is that I've lost my position in the pureblood circles. How can I ever attempt to gain back my former life now?! I'm not even a pureblood anymore – I have halfbreed blood in me, Potter, because of you!"

"It was that or your death," interjected Orion sternly, leveling a hard gaze at him. "Besides, few know, and those who do, won't tell. It can be kept a secret if you want that."

"I want my life back – I want my birthright back, Potter!" bit out Draco through clenched teeth. Then he acidly sneered at him, "You're Mordred, right? Then you should be able to use your supposedly great magical prowess and influence to give it back to me."

"I could only do that once I'm the Vindico Atrum," said Orion coolly. "Not before, and that's assuming, of course, that I'll have absolute governing control – which could take years to gain, even if I went around claiming and proving that I'm Mordred reincarnated. Which I won't do, because I want people to follow me because of whom I am at present and not due to whom I've been in the past." He pointedly stared at Draco, and added vehemently, "In short, I think you should reevaluate your options. I can offer you much if you stay by my side, and so can Lezander-"

It took him utterly by surprise. Something struck him and he felt himself flying through the air, something painfully burning over his chest as he slammed against a wall. He dizzily slid to the floor, groaning as he clutched his chest, staring at the blood there. Then he caught sight of Draco approaching, looking quite deranged with spiting vengeful fury, undoubtedly about to cast another curse at him which would slash another long, deep cut on his flesh.

The moment he saw Lezander rushing towards Draco in a flash of movement, about to knock him down, while certainly looking as if he wouldn't restrain himself in the use of force or any other form of retribution, he acted.

Orion leaped forward and instantly landed on Draco, slamming him down on the floor and wasting no time in using his considerable physical strength to grab the wizard's wrists, pinning them above the platinum head.

"You're a stubborn, stuck up idiot," he spat angrily, wrenching Draco's wand from his hand and tossing it in Lezander's direction. "You're lucky that I didn't give Lez the chance to suck you dry for attacking me. I understand that you're under a lot of stress given your situation, but turning against me or Lez, given that we're the only ones who can and want to truly help you, is very stupid of you."

The moment Draco started bucking under him, trying to throw him off, and the second the young wizard opened his mouth to spat out something, Orion slammed a hand against Draco's mouth, muffling any words, and he tightened his one-hand hold on the wizard's wrists until he knew he was causing considerable pain, making Draco wince.

Seeing that the fury in Draco's silvery eyes didn't vanish, and that the wizard kept struggling against him, Orion finally waved a hand to magically gag him. In the next second, he flicked his wand and hissed a parsel-spell, conjuring four large snakes which instantly tightly coiled themselves around Draco's wrists and ankles, jaws poised to bite. That summarily made Draco freeze, his eyes widening with sudden fear.

"Now that I have your attention, listen carefully," bit out Orion sharply, all patience and niceness being long gone from him. "I have no doubt that your father will reinstate you as the Malfoy Heir the moment you're no longer in danger. He has no other heir, so you'll be the next Malfoy Lord, without a question. So you know that your lack of access to the Malfoy vaults and your so-called lost position in the pureblood circles are merely a temporary situation."

Pausing, he eyed him closely, before he continued, "Galleons, you don't need currently, since I can provide anything you need or want. And you can get back your 'position' if you stick with me, gaining power and influence through me, as the Elite are also going to do. Because when the times comes, those who'll rise to the top will be the closest followers of the victor, and I intended to be that."

He glanced up at Lezander, who was observing Draco with a thunderous expression on his face, visibly still angry at Draco for the attack. Orion waved him over, and Lezander momentarily frowned, before he crouched by their side, glancing quizzically at him.

"Tell him what you can offer to him," said Orion curtly, without moving from his place on top of Draco, still pinning him to the floor with the weight of his body and with his knees by the wizard's sides.

Lezander eyed Draco with distaste, while Draco glanced at him with evident scorn and contempt, yet the vampire said calmly and succinctly, "Protection. You could have the Zraven Clan backing you, and no one would dare harm you. Not even Voldemort, because he needs us for the war." He briskly gestured at the room. "This, the Citadel, could be your safe haven." He pierced Draco with his pale blue eyes, and added quietly, "And you could have much more if I made you my mate."

Draco's eyes widened and he forcefully struggled against his restraints, but when the snakes hissed warningly, he instantly stilled. His silvery eyes, blazing with indignant anger and seething, speared Orion.

"Don't be a fool," said Orion crisply, his lips thinning into a stern line. "I'm sure Calypso already told you this stuff – what we offer and want from you. In your position, I would seriously consider it."

He arched an eyebrow, and added matter-of-factly, "The status quo in the pureblood world won't last long, surely you realize this given what you know about my alliances. When I win the wars, there will be equal rights for all magical beings. Vampires, werewolves, and such, will have the same rights as wizards, without being looked down upon. And what kind of being do you think will have more political power and influence in a world like that, Draco? Simple purebloods who have delusions of grandeur solely based on the blood purity of their ancestors, or those who have ties with several power groups?"

Orion paused, letting it sink, and then smirked and gestured at himself. "It will be the latter. Those like me of mixed blood – with dark and vampire blood with a smidgen of light and muggle blood, added to my ties with the werewolves. Such mix makes me less in the eyes of many at present, but it will gain me much in the new world that we're going to build, Draco. Why do you still want to simply be one more Malfoy Lord when you could be one of the first to have the status that comes from being from a line of rich, respected purebloods plus all the benefits of also being considered part of a powerful magical vampire Clan? You could be one of the first of the kind, having one foot in pureblood society and the other in the vampire sphere, juggling both and using both to your advantage. Which pureblood could match you then, Draco?"

Draco frowned, apparently musingly, though his expression wasn't a pleased one, as if being forced to reconsider such matters greatly vexed him.

Lezander leaned over him, and pinned him with his pale blue eyes, as he said curtly, "You don't need to make a decision right now, Malfoy. I can wait as long as you need. I have no desire to force you into anything. But you should know that becoming my mate only requires sharing blood and having physical intimacy once. I will not make any great demands from you if you decide to become my mate."

He briefly glanced at Orion, before he focused back on Draco, his lips quirking downwards. "I only need someone who can spend some time in Zraven Citadel, acting as my mate in an official capacity, not in a personal or intimate one. For that, I only want Orion. Moreover, I wouldn't expect you to permanently reside here. You could spend half your time in the wizarding world, and half in the Citadel, at your convenience. Of course, if you showed interest in helping me rule, I wouldn't oppose it if you proved to have the skills for it."

"Lez's offer is more than generous, Draco," interjected Orion, lowering his voice to a persuasive, soothing tone.

Draco narrowed his silvery eyes at him, before he pointedly repeatedly closed and opened his magically gagged mouth.

Arching an eyebrow, Orion swiftly flicked his wrist, cancelling the spell, and Draco immediately bit out crisply, "I want to see the Lady of the Lake."

Lezander let out an amused chuckle. "You can want all you like, but she has no interest in talking to you. If she had, you would have already been brought to her."

"I'm as important as you, aren't I?" spat Draco angrily, glowering at them. "Us three and the Dark Lor-"

He clamped his mouth shut, and Orion could tell that Draco would never be calling Voldemort the 'Dark Lord' again, not after knowing the wizard's true halfblood identity, which obviously degraded the wizard in Draco's eyes.

Draco's lips contorted, and he continued sharply, "Us three and Voldemort are the last of the Peverell lines." His silvery eyes narrowed to slits as he stared at Orion. "The last of those of Mordred's line, your descendants in a way – which is quite twisted if you think about it." He briefly glanced at Lezander, and sneered at Orion, "Well, the halfbreed isn't your descendant, he's the Lady of the Lake's, so I suppose it isn't sick if you fuck him-"

"Spare me your vitriol, Draco," snapped Orion shortly. "What's your point?"

"My point is that I'm just as important as any of you!" bit out Draco angrily. "Calypso told me about the book written by the Lady of the Lake. I want to see it! Why shouldn't the Lady of the Lake take the time to persuade and convince me-"

"You're an attention-seeking little prick," interrupted Lezander sharply, his tone scathing and displeased. "It's not about you, but about Orion, Malfoy! He's the Vindico Atrum, and we are his companions. As simple as that-"

"Sperm donors, you mean!" spat Draco snidely. "And I wasn't talking to you, you filthy halfbreed. I was talking to Potter-"

Orion knocked Draco's head to a side with a hard slap to the young wizard's face, his restraint cracking under the pressure of his mounting anger and exasperation with him.

With a gasp, and a clear red imprint of Orion's hand on his pale cheek, Draco glanced back at him with wide, shocked eyes.

"You deserved that," hissed out Orion, eyes narrowed to slits. "Spit out 'Potter' as much as you like, since I know you're angry at me. But you'll do well to curb your tongue with Lez. Do not call him, again, a 'filthy halfbreed'. It's thanks to him that you're alive."

When he saw Draco's expression, the veiled hurt and pain in the silvery eyes, Orion deeply sighed and jerkily carded his fingers through his hair. He knew Draco well, and he also knew that he wasn't dealing with the young wizard in the most effective way. Draco was his most obnoxious and spiteful self when feeling vulnerable, threatened, or unsure of himself.

Moreover, he knew that Draco was feeling all those things given the precarious situation he was in. Waking up from a healing coma after being tortured to the brink of death by Voldemort, to find himself changed against his will and knowledge and no longer a pureblood in the strictest sense, added to being wanted by Aurors and hunted down by Death Eaters, with Voldemort after him to finish the job, and without the support of his parents, who couldn't give it to him or he would be found... Well, Draco was in a horrible situation, and Orion couldn't blame him for reacting to it in whatever way helped him best to blow off some steam.

He intently gazed into Draco's silvery eyes, and gently rubbed the red mark on the young wizard's cheek, as some sort of apology, and said softly, "I don't think the Kraljica Mati will see you, Draco. But you don't need to talk to her anyway. She would only tell you about the children, and Calypso informed you about everything already, I'm sure."

"She did," said Draco stiffly, remaining motionless on the floor, no longer attempting to do anything about the snakes still wrapped around his wrists and ankles, or about Orion sitting on top of him. "But that's exactly what you didn't mention before. The children. That's what you're really after. That's what you want from me – to have that daughter the Lady of the Lake told you about." He glanced at Lezander, and then gazed back at Orion, his expression souring and hardening. "And to have the other children as well. One with the half… with Zraven, and another with Voldemort-"

"It's not about the children. It wasn't at first," interrupted Orion with a tired sigh. "Even before I saw the Book, I already knew that I wanted Lez, you, and Voldemort." He gazed at Draco, and added with open honesty, "You know that I've always wanted Voldemort and Lezander. I had relationships with them before. And with you… well, it evolved. My attraction towards you wasn't always present, but it began at some point and grew. Perhaps due to our friendship and… well, the wanting intensified after I took some of your soul's essence. I won't lie to you. But the point is, that no matter the reason, I want to be with you and Lez-"

"Together, at the same time?" demanded Draco curtly, his face an emotionless mask. "Is that what you meant at first?"

"Yes," replied Orion simply, gauging him closely.

Draco's jaw clenched, and he darkly glowered at him. "And Voldemort?"

"I plan to be with him too," said Orion sincerely, shrugging his shoulders. "But what I do or don't do with him intimately is not something that I will ever discuss with you or Lez. It's my business not yours."

"I see," sneered Draco acidly. "So what, you get to have three fuck buddies and we all have to be happy with it? Don't you think it's sick, fucked up and unnatural, that you want to lay with three different wizards and have children with them?"

At Lezander's stony silence, Orion glanced at the vampire, surprised at both Draco's words and Lezander's reaction to them, which clearly conveyed that the vampire had had similar thoughts at some point.

A bit bewildered, he glanced at them, and finally said slowly, since he was deeply introspecting his own feelings and thoughts, "I only truly wanted the children after I saw the illustration of their faces and after the Kraljica Mati told me about them, about the things they could do and about their importance. But as for the other issue… yeah, perhaps it's not normal for me to want the three of you…" He slightly frowned. "Perhaps it's something induced by Gaia. She influenced me when I was ten years old, so she could have done it again, making me desire Voldemort when I was younger. But I… I don't really care what's the origin or cause."

Orion paused, and then shrugged unconcernedly. "It's not something I can change, and I'm Lezander's lifemate without any external interference. It's quite natural that I'm his lifemate, given the blood we carry. And I'm linked to you given that I took some of your soul's essence, and I'm linked to Voldemort because I'm his horcrux. Both were accidents, but they happened and affected us. So it matters little why I desire the three of you. The point is that I do, and the point is that you also want me. And it ties the four of us, the last with Peverell blood, all together. And I say that's rather significant."

He leaned forward, hovering over Draco to searchingly gaze at him. "And you like the idea of our daughter, don't you? You could produce no better or more powerful heir for the Malfoy line, surely you realize that. And you should know that she wouldn't only be your heir, but also mine, meaning that she'll inherit one of my fortunes. I have three fortunes and family names to pass on, and three children that I want to have, so each will inherit a legacy – Grindelwald, Black, or Potter."

Draco stared at him musingly, and finally drawled coolly, "I do like the idea of her. Impossible not to after what Calypso told me." His gaze warily flickered from Orion to Lezander and back, his jaw then clenching when he added stiffly, "But I wanted to be with you, not in a threesome relationship with a halfbre – a vampire." He shot Lezander a brief scowl, his intense dislike and disdain evident. "We've never gotten along and I don't intend to become a vampire's mate-"

"You shouldn't say that until you've taken the time to truly think about it, weighing the pros and cons," interjected Orion sternly, then waving a hand dismissively. "Anyway, we're not pressuring you to make a decision now." He smirked, and then his lips curved into a rakish grin. "So why don't you simply participate as much as you're willing to, for the time being? I promise you that Lez won't bite you or make you his mate until you're willing." He shot the young Rege a glance. "Right?"

Lezander silently nodded, looking a bit apprehensive now due to the turn of the conversation, which clearly marked a turn in what was going to happen between them in the immediate future. Orion arched an eyebrow and shot him a pointed, quizzical glance, wondering if the vampire was having cold feet now, if the young Rege was having second thoughts about including Draco.

Well, for his part, he thought that it could show Draco that there was nothing to fear. Perhaps Draco would feel more at ease if he saw that nothing harmful happened when Lezander completed the bond between them. And if he could make Draco participate, however slightly, even better. He had vouched to help Lezander get close to Draco, after all. And he knew that he would be the glue between them for quite a long while, since their personalities had always clashed and the only thing they had in common was their regard and longing for him.

Shooting them a nonchalant, carefree smile, he got up to his feet, and rather blatantly stretched out his back and limbs. He had a plan to put into action, and he would make the night productive, or his name wasn't Orion Black. He wasn't lying when he had told Calypso that he had come to several firm decisions, fully bonding with Lezander only one of them. And he would put the wheels in motion that very same night. The taste of Lezander's blood, after so long, had certainly spurred him and he was quite looking forward to what would happen.

"Do you mind?" sneered Draco caustically, pointedly glaring at the snakes binding him.

Orion devilishly smirked at him, a taunting glint in his green eyes. "You look good like that, Malfoy, all stretched out on the floor." His smirk widened, and he silkily hissed, knowing the effect parseltongue had on the young wizard, "Pinned down by snakesss, ssslithering all around you… You make a very pretty picture. I think I'll have you tied up like that, in my bed, writhing with pleasure between Lezander and me, in no time at all. It will take me mere days to have you ready and willing in that exact position, I bet."

A visible shiver ran over Draco's body, and the young wizard darkly glared at him, as he spat angrily, "Let me up, Potter, you little shit!"

"Orion…" sighed out Lezander, looking weary, with a glint of resignation in his eyes which gave Orion something to ponder about.

With a roll of his eyes and a careless wave of a hand, Orion vanished the snakes, and Draco was up on his feet in the next second, glowering indignantly with wounded pride, and seething.

But Orion didn't have any more patience to weather another one of Draco's tempestuous temper tantrums, and he quickly grabbed the wizard by his nape and crushed his lips against his. Startled, Draco's lips parted open under the forceful assault, and Orion wasted no time in plunging his tongue inside the young man's warm cavern, his tongue exploring every velvety and fleshy corner of the mouth.

He molded his body against Draco's slightly leaner one, tightly holding him in place as he deepened the kiss, while the wizard slowly started responding to him after coming out of his surprise. Since their heights were similar, it allowed Orion to shoot Lezander a pointed glance over Draco's shoulder, conveying what he wanted the vampire to do.

Lezander's eyebrows shot upwards, looking patently reluctant to initiate anything with Draco. And Orion almost bristled with annoyance, though he didn't break the kiss. But then he remembered that Draco would have never been Lezander's own choice for a mate. It was he who had unwittingly propitiated it by asking for Lezander's blood to safe Draco's life with it. So he couldn't be angry at the vampire for dragging his feet when the time came to start getting closer to Draco, even if it was Lezander's chosen 'solution' to their dilemma.

Well, Orion had come to terms with it, he was starting to see that perhaps he wouldn't mind at all to see them together, that indeed they looked rather fetching in the way their looks contrasted each other's. And the plan was in motion now, so the young Rege would simply have to buck up, plunge into it, and deliver.

So he narrowed his eyes at the vampire, and briskly gestured at him to come to them, while he sunk his other hand into Draco's platinum hair. Orion groaned with pleasure into the kiss as Draco's hair felt like silk threads between his fingers, and he felt Draco's hitched and repressed moan, answering his groan, and his lips curved upwards between their meshed mouths.

He even felt the hard bulge underneath Draco's robes, and a flare of arousal flashed through him as he thought of himself ravishing Draco, who looked all snottily prim and proper in his elegant clothes of pureblood fashion, with his beautiful and unique silvery eyes half-lidded, his plush lips becoming puffed and tender under the aggressive and demanding kiss, his usually neatly groomed platinum hair now messy and sticking up in all directions as Orion kept carding his fingers through it.

However, no matter how much Orion was deeply enjoying what he considered his first true experience with Draco, he kept his wits together and jumped into action the moment Lezander stood by their side, the idiot looking as if he didn't know what to do with himself. Or rather, not particularly wanting to do anything. Well, Orion wasn't allowing that. With the hand he didn't have entangled in Draco's hair, he gently pulled Lezander face towards theirs, and in one swift, quick motion, he parted his lips from Draco's and pushed Lezander's head into place, making the vampire's mouth press against Draco's.

Orion saw Lezander's eyes widening, as the vampire shot him a glance that had both anger and wariness in it. But the vampire didn't dare to pull away under Orion's narrowed and watchful gaze, and he gave into the kiss with Draco, who didn't seem to be aware of the smooth change that had occurred, his silvery eyes still half-lidded and unfocused. And as he watched how Lezander tentatively wrapped his arms around Draco, Orion felt a flicker of satisfaction and accomplishment, a sense of rightness, and a deep feeling of desire and arousal mixed with contentment which rather surprised him, due to the latter, since he had expected a spark of jealously instead.

But none of it kept him from fully appreciating the scene before him, and it almost stole his breath away. Draco and Lezander looked incredibly amazing together. Draco was glorious, perfection, and quite frankly the most beautiful young man he had ever seen. He was beautiful in the way he was fair with his platinum hair, silvery eyes, pale complexion, chiseled features, and lean body. His face was manly yet also had delicate touches, the perfect blend of Narcissa's and Lucius' features.

On the other hand, Lezander was handsome, with a stronger constitution, broader, more muscled and toned, and much taller than them. Lezander was a mix of dark and light, with black long hair that seemed to have dark crimson streaks under the candlelights, that shadowed darkness contrasting with his exotic slanted eyes with pale blue irises and with the smooth whiteness of his skin, added to his regal features, the high cheekbones and straight nose. And the both of them together simply seemed to exalt each other's unique and differing beauty.

There was only one thing which didn't fit. Orion was still only wearing his black boxers, and Lezander only his pants, while Draco was fully dressed. Orion solved that quickly with a mere flick of his wand, and all clothes flew away from Draco, leaving him only in his underwear. And he could only impishly grin when Draco jumped when he felt the air on his naked skin. Now Draco was evidently aware of the switch that had happened, and he was angrily fisting his hands, his narrowed silvery eyes snapping from Lezander to Orion, as if assessing who was the perpetrator of the crime and quite ready to spat out the most sneeringly hateful remarks he could come up with.

Orion quickly took a step to wrap his arms around both of their waists, pressing them together, and he leaned towards Draco, trailing soothing, gentle kisses along the column of Draco's neck.

"Don't say anything," he murmured into Draco's ear, nibbling the lobe and flicking it with the tip of his tongue. "Tonight, no more fights or arguments. Just feel, enjoy, and do as little or as much as you feel like, while Lezander and I-" he glanced at the vampire and shot him a wide, warm smile "- make love to each other and bond."

He didn't give him time to say anything, though Draco seemed a bit overwhelmed and uncertain as Orion grabbed both their hands and pulled them towards the bed. Lezander, on the other hand, was now solely focused on him, making Orion feel as if he was being devoured by the heated pale blue gaze that intensely and slowly roved over him.

Nevertheless, Draco seemed to make a quick recovery to his usual self, since he was now poisonously glaring at Lezander, having been kissed unawares by the vampire, and enjoying it, being evidently something more he would hold against the young Rege. Draco's face was now a mask of disgust, as he observed them with a chilly and scornful expression.

Yet, the young wizard sat there on the bed, without making any attempt to leave. Thus, Orion knew that however much Draco tried to hide it, the wizard was interested, even if it went against his conscious will. And Orion caught a glimpse of veiled, hot desire in Draco's eyes, as the wizard's gaze remained fixed on him while Lezander gently lowered him on the bed and smoothly rolled on top.

Orion felt… strange, in the most exquisite and fascinating of ways. He felt Draco's lustful, heated, and longing gaze on him, and Lezander's appreciative, hungry, and loving one. Both intense, both solely focused on him, and it made his flesh tingle, goosebumps rose on his skin, and a wave of sizzling arousal flared throughout his body. It was the most bizarrely erotic situation he had been in, since he had never expected to feel so fired up by the mere knowledge of being watched by someone he was attracted to while he had sex with someone else he also desired.

Indeed, he started realizing that what he was feeling at the moment had to be what true threesomes were all about. With a feeling of drunken-like giddiness, he wondered why on earth he hadn't done it before. Why didn't everyone on the planet do this on daily basis? Oh, he couldn't care less about moral principles, the feeling was divine: to be so fully and intensely desired by two people he loved, at the same time. It made a delicious shiver run down his spine.

He was all for 'living the moment', though it wasn't something he would tell Lezander or Draco since he didn't want to worry them, given that the idea stemmed from Gellert's grim warnings. The wizard had often told him to enjoy every little thing he could, without restraints, now that he could, because later, after becoming the VA, there would be 'no mate, no equal, no love, the VA's path is one of darkness, pain, and solitude'. Those words, which Gellert had told him the very first time they met, and often repeated, were branded in his skull.

Indeed, he knew the Vindico's Ultimate Test would change him. And he knew that even before it, he would be changed when he underwent the Necromantic training with the Argonaut. He didn't know what kind of wizard, or 'being', he would become. One apparently closed off to all emotions, if he believed other's suppositions. But the point was that he was on borrowed time, and he would enjoy himself and the warmth of those he loved, as much as he could, until the time came.

He didn't feel somber, dejected, or depressed about it. He simply felt the fervent need to live to the fullest during these few months he had left. Because soon, he would have to seek out the Argonaut. Loki had told him that the Necromancer wouldn't wait forever. And he rather go to the man than be abruptly taken away by him.

All further thoughts flew from his mind when he felt that his boxers were being pulled down his legs, as Lezander placed biting kisses across his chest. And Orion suddenly noticed, among other things, that the vampire was utterly naked, the pants having been shed off Circe knew when. He also noticed that the room seemed to be charged with a heavy, dense fog of need, desire and passion. Or perhaps that's what he and Lezander were feeling at the moment, though he caught a glimpse of Draco, looking as enticed and entranced as they were, scooting closer to them.

Orion didn't quite know what was happening. Was this some kind of hypnotizing vampire power that Lezander was able to exude and which was affecting them? It had to be unwittingly, because he didn't think the vampire would do it on purpose. He wasn't the type to manipulate against other's wills. Or perhaps it was simply their shared lust affecting them. He had heard about stuff like that. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the compounded effect of the blood bond calling to him, added with his own link to Draco's soul, since the wizard was being affected too.

Oh, but he didn't care to find the reason. He felt Lezander biting his neck, once more drinking from him, this time leisurely, slowly, seemingly savoring in his palate every drop of his blood, as if it were the most exquisite of wines. He felt waves of pleasure coursing from the bite and rolling over him like mantles of warmth and heady elation. He felt Lezander's naked arousal rubbing against his, making him arch his back, groan, and cross his legs over the vampire's lower back, pulling him tighter against him.

He felt moist, plush lips on his, a tongue invading his mouth, plunging deeply and undulating against his own tongue. And he realized it was Draco who was kissing him, since Lezander was still suckling his neck. He started feeling weak and dizzy from the blood loss, but the pleasure and bliss was too intense for him to care. He trusted Lezander not to drain him to the point of death, because he knew that was only done when turning someone into a vampire. And Lezander was aware that he didn't want to go so far. He would certainly lose his vital alliance with the werewolves if he was turned.

Orion felt as if he was surrounded and pleasantly smothered in cotton clouds. He distantly felt a familiar sensation tingling inside him, a lubricating charm having been cast. And he glanced around with dazed, heavily lidded eyes, seeing Draco slowly pulling away from their kiss, blinking and looking surprised at his own actions. But the young wizard didn't look angry or disgusted anymore. He looked entranced by what was happening, his silvery eyes intensely fixed on him.

And then, when he felt as if he was going to pass out, his mind foggy and lazily sluggish, he felt something hard and warm entering him, slowly filling him, inch by inch, gently, carefully, lovingly. There was no pain, nothing but sheer pleasure, the slow beating of his heart and the decreasing pumping rate of his blood.

And it was the most wonderful sensation he had ever felt. He peered up at Lezander then, seeing the vampire leaving his neck, the lips stained red. And then the vampire clutched him against his chest and fully sheathed himself inside him, making Orion loudly moan and tighten his legs and arms around the vampire with the scarce strength he could muster. He felt Lezander's arousal throbbing deeply inside him, stretching him deliciously, making him feel as if he had finally clicked into place with something grander than himself. Their bodies fully joined as Lezander started to slowly pull in and out of him, the rhythm lulling and gentle, yet it also felt deep, claiming, and profound.

He saw a small blade being conjured, and Lezander brought it to his own neck, making a cut there. The vampire's pale blue eyes bore into his green ones, and Lezander leaned forward to whisper into his ear, "Your turn, inima mea. This is the sharing of blood."

Orion didn't have to think about it twice. He wrapped his arms around the vampire's shoulders and brought his lips to the wound, first licking the trails of blood that trickled down. When he tasted Lezander's blood, as he remembered happening a long time ago, it felt as if he could savor the dark magic in it, and it was exquisite. It felt addictive, and woke in him a deep, yearning hunger.

Now he knew why he coveted it so much, when any other normal person would dislike the taste of blood. It was Peverell blood, the Lady of the Lake's own blood coursing through Lezander. Voldemort's had always also felt addictive and delicious, and even more than Lezander's, since Voldemort's magical power was certainly greater than the vampire's. But the taste was still similar. And he was certain that Draco's blood would have the same effect on him. Indeed, it was all about Peverell blood calling to Peverell blood. Dark magic calling to kin dark magic. It was what ultimately bound the four of them.

Suddenly, as he gave way to the increasing, inexorable hunger he felt and sunk his teeth into the cut in Lezander's neck and deeply suckled from it, he noticed that his body was thrumming with dark magic. His aura rushing, pulsing, and vibrating all around him.

And he distantly realized that it had been his raw dark magic charging the room and affecting them. It was unleashed, unrestrained, yet placidly thrumming, conveying his own needs, wants, and desires. It was winding around them, as if velvety, pulsing black ribbons were tying the three of them together. And Orion felt he could almost burst with the intense feeling of utter belonging that seemed to be filling him beyond capacity.

He felt waves of energy splashing throughout him, while he felt increasingly stronger, more powerful, more vibrant, his magic more animated, as he kept suckling blood from Lezander, as it coursed and rushed through his veins, giving him back what Lezander had taken and then passed back. It was a true, complete 'sharing', as the vampire had called it.

Lezander's gentle, deep thrusts into him were slowing down, and Orion felt how the vampire above him was weakening, his arms trembling with effort to keep himself hovering over Orion. But now Orion, with Lezander's blood coursing through him, felt as if he could lift the world on his shoulders, like Atlas himself. And he instantly pulled away from Lezander's neck, lapping the wound which soon started to knit itself close.

He wanted nothing more than to slam Lezander down against the bed and utterly ravish him, take him deeply and hard. But he saw that the vampire was tired from the draining of blood, he felt Lezander's arousal softening inside of him, due to it. And even though neither of them had reached a peaking climax, the pleasure had been constant and just as consuming and devouring as if they had physically spent themselves.

Orion deeply kissed Lezander, tasting his own blood in the vampire's lips and mouth, as he gently rolled him to a side.

"It's a process, dragostea mea. It must be done thrice," murmured Lezander with a tender smile curving his blood-stained lips, gazing at him through his eyelashes, his eyes almost closed shut. "Let me rest for a few minutes, and we'll continue."

Orion nodded, and stretched himself alongside the vampire's body, trailing caressing fingers through Lezander's long, black hair, quite unabashedly pampering him.

And suddenly he noticed it: the blue flame in his mind that represented his link to Draco through the mark he had branded him with. It was flaring, and he felt a rush of vague emotions, as if they were coming from it: pain, solitude, longing, jealousy, desire - it was a mesh of it all.

His green eyes slowly widened as he peeked at Draco over the curve of Lezander's chest. The young wizard had an emotionless mask on his face, expressing nothing, and certainly not knowing what he was blasting off. And Orion knew then that under normal circumstances he wouldn't possibly be feeling any of Draco's emotions through the mark. Calypso hadn't added that property when creating the spell for it.

He realized that it was happening due to the dark magic infusing the room, which was clearly heightening his own links and bonds with both Draco and Lezander. His raw dark magic was still permeating the room, placidly thrumming around them, like soft puffs of black smoke, while his own dark aura swirled lazily and contently over his body, like a second skin.

Given what he was feeling coming from Draco, he realized then what he needed to do. He had to drag Draco into what they were creating; to keep excluding him would only be counterproductive. It had to be done without any sharing of blood or physical intimacy between Draco and Lezander, that was for sure. It was clear to him that neither of them were ready or willing to go that far, yet. Their mutual dislike for each other would take some time to erode.

But he had to make Draco see that what they were offering to him was the best, that it gave Draco limitless possibilities if he would only see it and realize how to use it.

Orion slowly climbed over Lezander's resting and prone form, and he crawled over the bed and stretched like a cat besides Draco, casually placing himself between his lovers, since they were both certainly that now.

Draco eyed him with a modicum of suspicion, but didn't say a word. The young wizard seemed to be in a musing and contemplative mood.

"Did you enjoy watching?" said Orion nonchalantly, shooting him a wide grin as he scooted closer to him.

Draco snidely scoffed, but otherwise remained silent, peeling his silvery gaze from Orion's nude form to glance at some vacant spot on the nearest stone wall.

"Come, confess, I've always known that you have perverted voyeuristic tendencies. The things I've heard that go on in Slytherin House-"

"You're the prowling sexual deviant here, Potter, not I," drawled Draco with a disdainful sniff. "And no Slytherin would have ever disclosed any secrets of their House."

"You think Snape never found out?" said Orion with a snort, propping his head on one hand as he used the other to trail his fingertips over Draco's left wrist.

Draco's head snapped around to pierce him with his eyes, a flicker of alarm in them, before he masked his reaction, and said coolly, "Snape doesn't know anything. And if he did, he wouldn't have told you or anyone else. He has always been loyal to Slytherin House."

"Well, I know that you've done stuff with Blaise Zabini in the Potions classroom after curfew, because it thrilled you to 'taint' and 'besmirch' Snape's sanctuary," said Orion tauntingly, widely grinning at him, his fingertips slowly climbing up Draco's left forearm. "Tell me about that."

"Fuck, Potter, I don't know where you've heard about that, but I'm not telling you about what Blaise and I have done. You're seriously twisted in the head-"

"I'm not 'twisted', you prick," snapped Orion, darkly scowling at him. "I'm trying to get you interested. And when are you going to stop calling me 'Potter', for Merlin's sake."

"When I feel that you've made it up to me. It could take years, mind you," bit out Draco tartly. He narrowed his silvery eyes at him. "And you're trying to make me interested in what?"

"Well, not interested, exactly, but in the mood," said Orion, widely smirking at him, seconds before he clamped his hand over the Black mark on Draco's left forearm.

Draco's eyes flew wide open as he frantically attempted to jerk his arm away. "DON'T! I swear to you, Orion, if you even try to-"

Orion swiftly muffled his words by rolling over Draco and smashing their mouths together, while he put all his efforts into sending waves upon waves of pleasure into Draco through the mark, much like he had once done, though much fainter, to Roman Komorov through the wizard's VA mark on the nape.

And the moment Draco's back arched and lifted off the bed and his deep moan was lost in their kiss, Orion knew he was succeeding. Succeeding and exceeding all expectations it seemed, because Draco was trembling, the young wizard's silvery eyes glazed over, became unfocused, and then rolled up, and a hard bulge was pressing against Orion's stomach.

Orion swiftly made short work of Draco's underwear, vanishing it with a wave of his hand, and then wedged himself in between the wizard's legs, trailing kisses along Draco's neck until he reached his ear.

He momentarily halted the stream of pleasure he was sending through the mark, and whispered huskily, "I know you've never bottomed before, but let me take you. Remember, like I wanted to do in Slytherin's private study in the Chamber of Secrets? We almost did it then. Will you allow me, will you trust me?"

Draco groaned, and his eyes slowly fluttered open, as he said hoarsely, "Fine, but stop the thing with the mark... it's too much. And if it hurts, I have the right to crucio you later, and you'll take it."

"Deal," said Orion, grinning triumphantly. "But you shouldn't be such a wimp, sexual pain feels good, Drakey."

"Voldemort taught you that, Potter?" spat Orion sneeringly, a poisonous tone in his voice, as he darkly glared at him.

"He did," said Orion unabashedly, his grin rakishly widening. "Someday I'll teach you how to use a controlled Cruciatus Curse in the sack, Malfoy. And here I thought I would be the most inexperienced one, given your reputation as the Slytherin Prince who shagged half of Hogwarts."

"Only the better and worthier half, Potter. Now get on with it, and leave my arm alone," said Draco sharply, safely tugging his left arm away from Orion's clutches. His gaze flickered to a side, and he added acidly, "And what about the halfbre- about Zraven? I don't want a bloody audience if I'm going to be buggered, Potter. Either he leaves or-"

"He's going to join in," interrupted Orion placidly, shooting a pointed glance at Lezander who was seating up on the bed, staring at him, looking perplexed and then alarmed by the suggestion.

"Hell no!" spat Draco angrily, trying to shove Orion off him.

"Merlin's staff, I'm not suggesting what you think," snapped Orion impatiently, forcing the wizard to keep still, while feeling as if his bottled up stamina and desire was about to make him explode.

He was still feeling the effects of having taken Lezander's blood, and he felt he would die if he didn't finally find any release. It was mounting and growing inside him. And he decided that he would show them what he wanted to do with actions instead of words, or it would take forever to come to an agreement.

"Trust me," he murmured quietly, boring his eyes into Draco's silvery ones, before he locked their mouths together and started to soothingly and gently trail his fingertips over Draco's body, feeling him slowly relax under his touch.

He took his time and massaged Draco's muscles until they felt like butter under his fingers, while he felt the air becoming heavy with his dark magic once more, affecting him and Draco as well, he dare say. The heady sensations started swamping all over him, and he quickly accioed his wand from wherever he had dropped it and wasted no time in casting a lubricating charm.

Orion distracted Draco with a deep, ravenous kiss, while he started pressing a finger into the young wizard's puckered entrance. It all spiraled upwards from henceforth, actions, sensations, and emotions clouding and fogging his mind, as he prepared Draco, adding more fingers, slowly stretching him, as Draco's short nails sunk into his shoulder, grasping him tightly. Then, he slowly pushed inside the young wizard, rocking in small circles when he had sheathed himself completely, not thrusting yet, to give the wizard time to adjust.

Though, it took Orion considerable effort. He had never felt such hot tightness around him, encasing him so completely. He had to grit his teeth in order to not lose himself and start pounding brutally into Draco. It was nothing like what he had experienced with Rabastan Lestrange, the only other time he had ever topped. With Draco, when he had pushed into him, each inch of resistance was followed by an exquisite sensation of yielding. Draco's squeezing heat clenching tightly around his length, in such a way that it was almost maddening.

Finally, with a sigh of pure bliss, Orion slowly pulled out, almost entirely, and then pushed back in, slowing picking up speed, changing his angle until he saw a jolt of pleasure making Draco arch off the bed. He devilishly grinned down at the moaning wizard, and started to hit that very same spot, again and again, his rhythm picking up when Draco started to demandingly buck up into his thrusts.

Orion let out a chuckle, plunging deep and hard into the wizard, as he leaned down to hiss huskily into Draco's ear, "You like it rough, Drakey… Who would have thought, given your earlier whines about pain-"

"Potter, you bastard," gritted out Draco, his eyes glazing over as a shiver ran through his body, while Orion felt him clenching spasmodically around his length, making him groan. "Don't use parseltongue, you git…"

Orion, of course, ignored him, since the reactions of Draco's body were simply delicious, and he started hissing every dirty little thing he could think of, while he slowed down his thrusts, not wanting it to be over yet.

When he suddenly felt someone behind him, fingers running down his spine, Orion sighed with pleasure and shot Lezander a smile over his shoulder, glad that the vampire had cottoned on and finally decided to participate. Lezander's eyes were heated with desire and intent, so when Orion went back to steal a kiss from Draco's lips, he wasn't surprised when he felt Lezander's sharp teeth sinking into his neck while the vampire slowly breached him from behind.

For a moment, Draco stilled under Orion, the silvery eyes suspiciously glancing at them. But the young wizard seemed to relax when he saw that Lezander was solely interested in Orion and wouldn't be doing anything to him.

After that, it all seemed to mesh together in Orion's mind. Moans, groans, grunts and ragged breathing mixed with the sound of flesh slapping rhythmically against flesh, and with the sound of the pump of his heart and the rush of blood through his veins, while he felt completely surrounded and consumed by warmth and heat, embraced by Draco's hot tightening passage, and utterly filled by Lezander at the same time. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before.

There were hands, lips, caresses on him, everywhere. Draco's arms around his shoulders, Lezander's embracing him from behind, around his chest and waist, or grabbing his hips to pound into him, making him slam into Draco. And Draco's lips on his mouth, Lezander's on his nape and down his spine. Then, Draco's legs stretching along the sides of Orion's hips, reaching to cross his ankles over Lezander's lower back, pushing Lezander deeper into Orion, and thus him deeper into Draco, making the three of them moan at the same time.

And he shared his blood with Lezander and took the vampire's, two more times, while the three of them learned how to move together till reaching perfect synchrony, Draco controlling the rhythm with his ankles, pushing Lezander into quickening his thrusts into Orion, making him slam into Draco, like a chain reaction, fervently increasing speed until they were a mass of writhing and shivering bodies encompassed by maddening, ravaging waves of sheer pleasure. It became an overload of exploding, spiraling sensations which seemed to devour them and make them drown in an ocean of ecstatic bliss.


As sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains in the room, Orion woke up to find himself trapped between two bodies, arms and legs all placidly entangled with each other's, with Lezander molded and draped against his back, and Draco at his front, the platinum head resting on his arm.

They seemed to fit perfectly, and he was encompassed by a profound and deep feeling of belonging and simply love, since he couldn't find any other word to describe it. Furthermore, he was ridiculously happy, brimming with joy, elation, pure contentment and utterly satiated satisfaction. He wanted to die like this, some day. Exactly like this. Nothing could ever compare to it.

He sighed contently and slowly stretched out his limbs, making Draco grumble and roll to a side, freeing his arm. And Orion sniggered under his breath, since the boy looked thoroughly ravaged, debauched and exhausted. Then, he paused in mid chuckle, a bit perplexed. His senses seemed to be even keener than before, which he had expected since he must have acquired a bit more of vampiric traits after completing the bond. But what gave him pause was a strange sensation in his mouth.

Carefully rising from the bed without waking up his lovers, he made way to the full-body mirror at one corner of his bedroom. There, he glanced at himself, and first noticed the bite mark on his neck. He gently rubbed it.

The last time Lezander had bitten him, when they had been about to bond before they had been interrupted by Calypso, it had taken months for the mark to fade. Now, he knew this one would never disappear. The collar of a shirt would easily hide it, since it was at the base of his neck, but he rather liked it. And he wasn't going to keep it a secret anyway.

Finally, remembering his initial reason for going up to the mirror, he opened his mouth to inspect it, and gaped at his reflection.

Suddenly, arms wrapped around his waist from behind, and Lezander nipped his neck. "Good mornin', dragostea mea. How do you feel?"

Orion tilted his head to glance at him, and gestured at his parted mouth. "You didn't tell me this would happen."

"You should have expected some outward change," murmured Lezander calmly, nuzzling his face into Orion's hair and deeply inhaling. "It could have been anything. I wasn't quite sure which would happen."

"I have tiny, pointy fangs!"

"You'll be able to break through skin with them much more easily than with normal, blunt teeth," said Lezander, continuing to nuzzle Orion's neck from behind, chuckling when he gazed at Orion's reflection in the mirror. "You look like a cute little kitten with them."

"I rather look like a fierce lion," said Orion with a scathing scoff. "Or better yet, a poisonous basilisk, because a lion is simply disgustingly Gryffindorish."

"You have your wyvern animagus form to feel more Slytherin, dragoste mea. You can't complain."

"And Calypso wants me to learn how to turn into a small fox or a lizard," groused out Orion with a roll of his eyes. "She's loaded me with a bunch of stuff to do. Plus, I'm still not finished revising for my PRIMEs. I'll never find the time to do everything. Sometimes I wish the time-turner hadn't broken…"

He turned around in the vampire's arms, and gazed up at him, touching his changed canines pensively. "They are not like yours. They're much smaller. I can't retract or elongate them like you do, can I?"

"No," said Lezander, cocking his head to a side, a smile slowly curving his lips. "If you want teeth like mine I would have to turn you. The offer still stands if you change your mind."

"I'll pass," said Orion dryly.

"What are you two idiots doing? Come back to bed - it's cold in this ghastly place… don't even have proper warming charms… and where are the bloody house-elves to light the fireplace? Don't have proper servants… a disgrace…" grumbled Draco sleepily, flopping to a side on the bed, already back asleep in the next second with a last snide scoff.

Orion chuckled under his breath, shot Lezander a mischievous glance, and then lurched forwards to leap on top of Draco, to wake him up in the most delicious of ways.

The next few hours passed by very entertainingly in Orion's opinion. Draco still called him 'Potter' and more often than not glared at him, though didn't refuse any intimate advances, the sly thing. While Lezander was frequently the target of Draco's venomous looks and belittling remarks, which the vampire seemed to take in stride and rather dismissively.

Orion did notice, however, that Draco had learned his lesson and didn't utter 'filthy halfbreed' anymore. And he also detected the way Draco surreptitiously glanced at Lezander every now and then, musingly and with a glint of shrewd calculation in his silvery eyes. For that, Orion was grateful, since it indicated that the young wizard was seriously considering what they had told him.

Furthermore, even if Draco bickered, complained, and all together made an unmanageable nuisance of himself, the young wizard was comfortable and at ease with them, no matter how much he tried to hide it. Grinning, Orion attributed it to the night of utter debauchery they had shared. Now, Lezander could touch Draco, grabbing his arm to pull him along as he showed the wizard around the Citadel, and Draco wouldn't jump in alarm fearing to be sucked dry by the vampire or forced into becoming a mate.

Draco was still disdainful towards the young Rege, but no longer as obnoxious as before. And after meeting Râzvan Zraven, Draco had apparently quickly decided to not show his scorn for vampires again and to never outwardly show or express his prejudices - at least whilst in the Citadel.

That was a meeting which Orion had thoroughly enjoyed, and almost wished he had popcorn in his hands as he had observed the way Râzvan and Mireilla had greeted the newest guest in their home. Lezander's mother had welcomed Draco most amiably, and she had been utterly thrilled and joyous when Lezander told them they had completed the bond. Râzvan, for his part, had remained his typical cold and stern self, but hadn't said a word about it, though it was evident that he wasn't pleased. Quite clearly, the vampire still thought that Orion, given who he was, could bring nothing but danger and trouble to his son, lifemate or not.

Nevertheless, what made Orion skip with cheerfulness was that, in Râzvan's eyes, he was no longer the most bothersome of pests. Indeed, when Lezander had introduced Draco to Râzvan, the vampire had looked down at the young pureblood as if Draco was a bug to be squashed under his boot. And for once, Draco had held his tongue, doing his best not to look intimidated by the older vampire, as he evidently was. In the end, Râzvan had looked resigned with his son's choices, without putting in a negative word, and quite clearly having decided to go along with whichever outcome would come from his son's newly developed relationships.

Cyprian's reaction had been quite different, surely due to the circumstances in which the Zraven Commander had been apprised of the recent events. Indeed, the vampire had gone looking for his young Rege, since the hour approached to get ready for the meeting in Malfoy Manor, with werewolves included, which made a muscle in his jaw twitch – and which twitched twice more when thinking of who would be hosting the meeting. When the vampire finally found his Rege, it was in the bathroom of Orion's chambers, where Lezander was placidly soaking in the large bathtub while Orion, butt naked like the other two, was wrestling with Draco and chasing him around, trying to get him inside the bathtub as well, to have his wicked way with them again.

Orion had to give it to the Zraven Commander – he was a stoic, unflappable one. Cyprian had taken one look at Orion's neck, another at the sputtering Draco, and had said calmly, "I see." The vampire had then simply glanced at Lezander, and had said solemnly, "One hour, my Rege."

And with that, the vampire had calmly stridden out the room, as if seeing his Rege cavorting with naked, prancing young men was an everyday occurrence.

In the end, Lezander and Orion had left much earlier than that. Lezander had appointed the chambers next to Orion's to Draco, and Orion had finally persuaded the young pureblood to accept making the Citadel his new hiding place. Draco was free to come and go, with the use of the portkey pebble or just apparition. So that he could go to Rosier Manor to participate in the DA practice sessions and then to Potter Manor to resume in the evenings his private Dark Arts lessons with Calypso's father.

Furthermore, Lezander had offered Draco to take part in Orion's training at the Citadel, but the young wizard had merely stated that he would think about it. Nevertheless, Orion was glad that Draco had accepted to make the Citadel his new residence. It was much safer for Draco than any wizarding manor and it would also help the wizard come closer to Lezander, lose his prejudice against vampires and begin to understand their ways.

At last, they had left Draco behind, to do whatever he pleased in his new quarters in the Citadel, and Orion had pulled Lezander and Cyprian into a side-along apparition into Potter Manor.


There, Lezander was received by cries of joy. Calypso had the Elite waiting for Orion in the main parlor, all dressed up and ready with orders and instructions, to participate for the first time in a meeting of the Dark side as Orion's 'Inner Circle'. But all poise had been thrown to the wind when Viktor, Kara and Evander laid eyes on their long lost friend, joyous but also surprised, since the initial plan had been to meet Lezander at Malfoy Manor and not before. Plan that Orion had changed at the last moment, deciding Lezander would enjoy seeing his friends before the meeting, in a place where they could be themselves.

Lezander was swamped by their hugs, making him smile widely, as a tearful Kara gushed and warmly embraced him, while Evander patted him repeatedly on the back, blubbering something or other, looking as affected as his betrothed, and whilst Viktor crushed the vampire in a one-armed hug, loudly laughing.

Orion had one second to smile at the scene, before he himself was surrounded and welcomed by the rest of the Elite. Excepting Titania, they hadn't seen him in a long while, just before everything had gone pear-shaped with the Death Eater breach of Hogwarts. Yet, however evidently glad and happy they were to have him back with them, he noticed the change in their attitudes.

It was something he had expected but which nonetheless saddened him a bit, even if he knew it was inevitable. Indeed, they were much more formal with him, a clear distance set between them and him, as a form of respect and admiration for someone considered to be superior.

However, that didn't prevent them from firing questions at him. Primarily, they wanted to know about Grindelwald. About his reason for killing the wizard when they had gone through so much trouble to rescue the man from Nurmengard. Fascinated and looking at him, and at his dark aura, with glinting eyes, they wanted to know how it was possible that he was Grindelwald's grandson. They asked all sort of questions which he knew Calypso had already answered in his behalf, and which he now had to give answers consisting in half-truths.

In the midst of it, he caught sight of Calypso shooting him a very pointed glance, and which he understood immediately. It was clear that she was trying to convey that he needed to tell them the truth soon, revealing the VA matter. And that he shouldn't keep postponing the branding ceremony only for her sake. And given the discovery of the existence of the Illuminati, Orion knew that she was right, that he couldn't afford to postpone to mark his followers.

He nodded at her, deciding to do it two weeks from then, a day before the attacks of August the first, precisely on his birthday, when he would turn seventeen and finally come of age. It would be a very significant date in which to do it, and it appealed to him.

At the umpteenth time that one of them addressed him as 'my Lord', Orion finally interjected, a bit annoyed, asking them to drop it and call him 'Orion' as always. That sparked quite a lot of complaints, and it was finally Kasimir who settled the matter.

The young Russian wizard was always one to zealously follow and uphold dark pureblood tradition and protocol. "Fine, you'll be 'Orion' to us when we're like this-" he gestured at the group "- friends chatting. But you'll be 'my Lord' or 'Lord Black' in every other situation. It's only proper, especially after the whole Grindelwald business."

Orion gave a resigned nod, but before any of them could fire another question, he heard Lezander's soft, quite voice.

"Aren't you going to greet me, Calypso?"

At that, Orion pulled away from the throng of his followers to see clearly, frowning when he saw that, indeed, Calypso hadn't yet gone to Lezander. The vampire was still standing with Kara, Evander and Viktor, who were now also gazing at Calypso wonderingly and with puzzlement. And Lezander was looking confused and a little bit hurt. Understandingly, since the rest of the Elite had been simple school acquaintances of Lezander, without him knowing them well, but Kara, Evander, Viktor and Calypso had been his closest friends, forming a tight-knit group with Orion – the Durmstrang Six, once upon a time.

Calypso just stood in the midst of the rest of the Elite, looking nervous and jittery, wringing her hands while gazing at Lezander. But she didn't move, and finally it was Lezander who started to approach her.

"I don't get a hug, Scaly?" said Lezander with a big, soft smile, stretching out his arms. "It's been a long time, this is no way to greet a friend!"

When Calypso remained rooted in place, a flicker of alarm crossing her expression, Orion finally remembered, and interjected with a roll of his eyes, "It's got nothing to do with you, Lez, I'm sure. She hasn't allowed anyone to hug her in ages." He shot her a brief miffed glance. "I told you, remember?"

"Ah, yes…" trailed off Lezander, frowning and continuing in his way towards her.

Calypso shot the vampire an apologetic look, and then warmly smiled at him. "I'm truly happy to see you, and looking so well, Lez."

"I'm happy to see you too-"

Abruptly, when the vampire was but a mere step away from her, he paused, his eyes widened, and he stared fixedly at her. Orion's gaze was snapping from one to the other, befuddled. Calypso's eyes were wide, alarmed and apprehensive, while she nervously bit down on her lower lip, intensely boring her gaze into Lezander's, as if trying to convey something to the vampire. And Lezander was now gaping at her.

Orion stepped forward until he was by their side, scrutinizing them, as he finally demanded sharply, "Alright, what's going on here?"

Some sort of frantic squeak issued from Calypso's lips, and Lezander instantly said coolly, regaining his composure, "Nothing."

"What do you mean 'nothing'?" bit out Orion bristling, glowering at the both of them. "It is something-"

"It's nothing," snapped Lezander, clamping a hand tightly around Orion's forearm, digging his fingers painfully into Orion's flesh.

At the vampire's utterly uncharacteristic behavior, Orion gaped at him, only to be shot a hard glance, as Lezander said sharply, "You wanted to see Voldemort before the beginning of the meeting, right? So go now. We'll be at Malfoy Manor in thirty minutes." He glanced at Calypso, and added sternly, "And you and I are going to have a chat after the meeting, Scaly."

Calypso mutely nodded at him, looking resigned with her fate.

"Fine," said Orion shortly, narrowing his eyes at them. "But I'm going to know once and for all what's up with you, Calypso, because obviously Lezander has figured it out." He shot Lezander a pointed glance. "The three of us will be having the conversation after the meeting."

Lezander nodded in agreement, and Orion shot them one last stern glance before he popped away, leaving Lezander to reacquaint himself with the Elite and happily chat with Evander, Kara, and Viktor, with Cyprian, as always, flanking the vampire, alert and on guard, like the best of protectors.


"I find it hard to believe that you visited Bagshot to know more about your grandfather – a wizard you killed yourself."

Orion shot Voldemort a short-tempered scowl.

The moment he had apparated into Malfoy Manor he had found the wizard in what used to be Lucius' study, with a glass of wine in one hand, seated on a leather couch, with legs indolently and elegantly crossed, and with the air of someone awaiting for a lackey to arrive, as if Orion wanting to see him before the meeting was a foregone conclusion. Presumptuous bastard.

And just that morning he had been feeling so carefree and happy, but now after the whole Calypso business, and after finding Voldemort in a rather peculiar mood, Orion felt not only on edge but also irked and short-tempered. However, that wouldn't do whilst being in Voldemort's presence, so he forced himself to think happy thoughts and calm down.

He had already informed Voldemort about the Illuminati, without mentioning Ragnarok or anything regarding the Vindico matter, of course. And he didn't say anything about their origins either, since saying anything about Merlin was too close at home with Morgana, Mordred, and the Lady of the Lake, thus with the Vindico issue and Avalon. Yet, he had disclosed his suspicious regarding what he thought was happening with Snape.

But instead of the information being received with the seriousness and alarm that it should have, Voldemort looked, by all means, as if he was bored by the whole thing. During Orion's whole narration of events, the wizard had only merely raised an eyebrow.

Yes, the wizard was in a very strange mood, and that always made him dangerous. Voldemort was acting cold and detached towards him, yet his crimson eyes every so often narrowed on him with a certain glint which Orion couldn't quite qualify.

"Why would I lie about that? I was feeling a bit guilty about having killed Gellert, and thus thought that knowing more about him would help me get over it," said Orion calmly, as he took a sip from the goblet of wine Voldemort had first offered to him.

He had already checked it for any alien substances, of course. He was no idiot.

Orion perched an elbow on the mantelpiece of the fireplace, standing at one side of Voldemort's couch, and he gazed down at the seated wizard, who remained looking like some sort of aristocrat dissipating time and lazing around – quite unusual, not Voldemort-ish at all. Something was definitely up.

He cleared his throat, settled the goblet back on the mantelpiece, and continued coolly, "You know that when I discovered that Gellert was my grandfather, I broke him out of Nurmengard with the hope of getting to know to him, to at least have one grandfather. But I told you that he wasn't quite well in the head. His years of imprisonment had affected him greatly."

Orion paused, and shook his head with apparent grimness, his expression candid and sullen. "He was insane, he hungered for power, he wanted to rehash his old days of glory and become a Dark Lord again. I didn't want to see the truth at first, but after months, I realized that he saw me as a rival. I realized he would kill me if I didn't kill him first, so I did-"

"Yes, you've often repeated that it was his insanity which made you kill him-"

"Why would I kill my own grandfather if it wasn't for that reason, Tom?" interrupted Orion shortly, leveling a hard gaze at him. "I killed him for the same reason I killed Nymphadora Tonks – because they were a threat to me, to you, and to the Dark side."

"If you are to be believed, then Bathilda Bagshot just happened to mention the Illuminati?" hissed Voldemort pleasantly, twirling his crystal wineglass between his long fingers, making it cast red sparkles with the firelight. "How did she start on the subject? Unequivocally not when she was telling you about Grindelwald. The wizard never knew about them-"

"Are you sure? How can you know that?" Orion paused, and shot him a frown, closely eyeing him. "Wait, are you telling me that you already knew about them?"

Voldemort arched an eyebrow, his lips curving upwards. "Of course I did. The only thing I'm faintly surprised to know is that Arian Valenor has something to do with them, according to you."

"Only in that Dumbledore took an Illuminati to visit the Valenors, and Arian's parents died the next day," interjected Orion dismissively. "I don't have the foggiest idea why or what the Illuminati wanted. And I don't know how much hold Arian has with the group. As I told you, I think he must have come in contact with them because they all want the same thing, to join the muggle and wizarding worlds."

"I'm not surprised to know Dumbledore had ties with them," hissed Voldemort conversationally. Abruptly, he stood up, leaving his wineglass next to Orion's, as he lifted his wand and shot him a piercing glance. "Do you know what their symbol is?"

For a second, Orion almost froze, then he squarely met his crimson gaze, and said dismissively, with a shrug of his shoulders, "No. Why?"

He hadn't told the wizard about the sniper or the symbol, since Ragnarok had made it look as if Bathilda Bagshot had died of natural causes and since the less Voldemort knew about the symbol, the better.

In the next second, Voldemort swished his wand and, instantly, lines of fire drew the Illuminati symbol in the air, floating in front of them. For a moment, Orion felt dismayed and paled, then he noticed that it was the symbol without the Druidic Runes, and a wave of immense relief washed over him.

The wizard had never seen the full symbol, he had never encountered the VL representation. Thank Circe, or Orion would have had an apoplexy right then and there if the wizard had drawn it.

"Peculiar, is it not?" hissed Voldemort placidly. "Since it's a symbol so well known in the muggle world." His crimson gaze intently swiveled back to Orion. "Some historians claim that it represents Merlin."

Orion snorted loudly. "Highly unlikely, isn't it?"

"Perhaps," hissed Voldemort, gazing at the fiery symbol for a moment, before he waved a hand, making it instantly disappear into thin air.

"Well, it matters little anyway," said Orion, shaking his head, before he pinned the wizard with his gaze. "You said you knew about the Illuminati before I told you about them. How come?"

"I encountered one of them," hissed Voldemort shortly, taking back his seat on the leather couch, whilst shooting Orion a narrowed-eyed glance which clearly conveyed that the wizard didn't like him to be standing, and he gestured at the armchair across from him.

Orion rolled his eyes, knowing the reason – that it put the wizard in a height disadvantage, and of course that someone like Voldemort would be annoyed but such things.

He sat on the proffered chair, and pressed impatiently, "Where? Are you going to tell me once and for all, or just keep stalling?"

"Berlin," hissed Voldemort succinctly, waving a hand and causing his wineglass to float from the mantelpiece and settle nicely in his outstretched hand.

Orion blinked at him. "You encountered an Illuminati in Berlin? How, when?"

"In April 1945, in the Führerbunker below the Third Reich Chancellery," hissed Voldemort placidly, eyeing him with a vicious glint in his crimson eyes. "The day Grindelwald's puppet died, I was there, I saw what happened."

"Hang on," interjected Orion disbelievingly, holding up a hand. "You're telling me that you were in the Nazi bunker when Hitler killed himself? Why on earth? Why would you be-"

"Killed himself?" hissed Voldemort with derision. "Is that what Grindelwald told you when you asked him about it? Surely your grandfather didn't fail to mention-"

"I never asked him about that," interrupted Orion crisply, "or anything related to his involvement with the Nazis."

"Didn't want to hear about the so-called atrocities he was responsible for?" hissed Voldemort, his tone both snide and viciously mocking. "You preferred to turn a blind eye, did you? Why, Orion, I'm surprised, with you always being such a defender of muggles and always so concerned about their welfare."

"Stuff it, Tom," bit out Orion caustically, "I don't give a pixie's arse about that. I can't change it. And what Gellert did, he did it with the idea of making muggles kill each other so that light wizards would focus on trying to prevent it, while he waged the wizarding war on another front. I might not agree with the tactic, but given his ideals and convictions, I can understand it." He darkly glared at him, and snapped, "Now get on with it. Tell me what happened. What were you doing there?"

Voldemort scoffed scathingly, and hissed tartly, "I went to pay Grindelwald a visit, obviously-"

"Gellert couldn't have been there," interrupted Orion, shaking his head. "His headquarters were in Nurmengard..." He trailed off, and frowning, he speared the wizard with his gaze. "You're speaking about the time when you had just graduated from Hogwarts and went to see Grindelwald to persuade him to let you join him, just before you took the job at Borgin and Burkes. You're serious, then. Gellert was there, in the bunker, with Hitler? Why? I always thought he must have been in Nurmengard and not there."

"No, he was there with his muggle puppet," hissed Voldemort sneeringly, "attempting to put some order in the chaos in which the remaining Nazis found themselves in, with the Russian Red Army flooding Berlin and with the puppet incapable of making any decisions or of controlling his own soldiers, which were defecting in alarming rates. The muggle was pathetic. Grindelwald's choice for a puppet had certainly been a poor one."

The wizard smirked viciously, a nasty glint in his eyes, surely remembering how he had seen a Dark Lord fall so low, and savoring it as he would the downfall of any perceived past rival. "Hitler wanted to flee from Europe and Grindelwald wanted him to regroup his forces outside of Germany. Evidently, it was clear that Grindelwald's plan was to abandon his puppet after being certain that the muggle would keep on fighting to give Grindelwald a chance to rally his own forces. It was in that situation in which I found Grindelwald."

Voldemort paused, shooting Orion a smug smirk. "I was, of course, dressed as a SS officer. I had taken the uniform of one I had killed, so that I could get in the bunker inconspicuously. I heard them arguing, and after Grindelwald foolishly refused my… help, I cast a parsel-invisibility spell on myself, staying behind, wanting to see with my own eyes how he failed. I slipped into the room in which Grindelwald was persuading Hitler and his wife to follow his plans."

He scoffed snidely, briefly shaking his head at the mere stupidity of the idea. "I never understood why he didn't cast the Imperius Curse on his puppet. He had done it often enough in the past, I'm sure." His smirk widened, as he eyed Orion mockingly. "He didn't in that occasion. Your grandfather seemed to have a soft spot for the air-headed, pliable Evan Braun. I wonder if she reminded him of someone."

Orion didn't comment on that, since the wizard was patently trying to get a rise out of him. For his part, he didn't have to wonder much about it. A 'pliable' woman, who could have been seen as an innocent victim under the thumb and control of her husband... Despite being a muggle, she must have reminded Gellert of his own mother, Antigone.

"And what happened?" he pressed on, gesturing with a hand impatiently.

Voldemort leaned back on his seat, turning the wineglass in his hand, as he hissed pleasantly, "A Nazi officer entered the room, unexpectedly and uninvited, since Grindelwald instantly jumped to his feet." He shot Orion a nasty smirk. "Your grandfather wasn't fast enough. The man shot Hitler and his wife, straight in their heads. When he turned against Grindelwald, your grandfather killed him instantly with the Killing Curse. Grindelwald was surprised by the turn in events, by such startling actions from a Nazi officer. He searched the muggle's clothes, and when he ripped open the man's shirt, there was a mark on the muggle's chest. A magical brand, which made the body spontaneously combust seconds later. The mark on the muggle was the one I showed you."

"If muggles knew, they would hail the Illuminati as heroes," murmured Orion to himself, wondering if it could part of their plan, to let it be known, to give proof of it, when they decided to reveal themselves to the muggle world when disclosing the existence of magic and the wizarding world.

The possibility made him feel a bit apprehensive. Though, if it was true, it had to be part of a much greater plan, that was certain. And who knew what else they were responsible for, what other things they had done for the benefit of muggle kind. Things they could use, wear on like badges, gaining them favor with the muggles.

He shook his head, pulling out of his musings, and said with a deep frown on his face, "And Gellert didn't recognize the mark? He never discovered that the man had been an Illuminati?"

"He looked puzzled by the mark and its magical nature," hissed Voldemort calmly. "Thus, it can be deduced he did not know that it was the Illuminati's symbol, nor did I at the time. He must have only known what it represented to muggles, hence his confusion. And he didn't have the time to discover much. The shots were heard, Hitler's secretary, among others, reached the room and saw the bodies. Grindelwald modified their memories, making them believe Hitler and his wife had killed themselves, and he obliviated all of their memories about him. He cracked cyanide capsules into Hitler's and Eva's mouths, to make it more believable, since it was the Nazi preferred means for suicide, and left."

He paused, and then added dismissively, "And so did I. The following day, Grindelwald had his duel against Dumbledore, he lost and was imprisoned. And I started looking into the symbol I had seen, to discover who in the wizarding world was behind it. I asked several of my contacts, I researched into books mentioning the symbol, and it led me to the Illuminati."

"And?" breathed out Orion, staring at him expectantly.

Voldemort idly arched an eyebrow. "And nothing. What I know is the same as what you have told me. 'Magic for All' and their aim of uniting the muggle and wizarding world."

"And you don't give a flying fuck," gritted out Orion angrily, his hands clenching into fists on his lap, "because it would suit your purposes to let them go ahead and do it. It would give you the perfect excuse to convince everyone into annihilating muggles. Even light wizards would start thinking that way if they knew what the Illuminati want to bring about and if it was a proven threat - and it would be, by their actions!"

Voldemort widely smirked at him, looking thoroughly satisfied with himself. "Perhaps now you'll be more inclined to be prepared to use the Mayan Stone, wouldn't you say?"

"You and the bloody Mayan Stone…" grumbled Orion darkly under his breath, glaring at him balefully. "How far ahead are you with it?"

"I have planned to give you a demonstration after the meeting," hissed Voldemort placidly, his lips curling upwards.

"Fine," grunted Orion. He took a deep breath, sighed, and carded his fingers through his hair. "What about Snape?"

A dark expression swept over Voldemort's handsome face, his crimson eyes hardening and glinting with fury. "You should have never given him a translated copy of Slytherin's journals. I didn't give you permission-"

"I didn't ask for it," bit out Orion sharply, glowering at him. "I know you love to hog all magical knowledge to yourself, Tom, and that you don't share it with anyone. But I have as much right as you do to do whatever I like with Slytherin's legacy. Or don't you remember that Rose Evans came from the line of Salazar's bastard with a muggle woman? I told you about that, about why Grindelwald had picked her. So I'm Slytherin's Heir too, remember that."

A muscle clenched in Voldemort's jaw, but to Orion's amazement, the wizard then seemed to take it calmly, and merely nastily curled his lips, as he hissed, "Then Snape is your problem. All I will do is send some of my Death Eaters to investigate the Illuminati and find out some of their identities, as you asked. Nothing more."

"I ask for nothing else," said Orion complacently, widely grinning at him. "Thanks, Tom."

A laugh issued from Voldemort's lips, nasty, mocking, and condescending. "You can start repaying me right now, in the way you know best. How I trained you to do, my little serpent." Seated on the couch, he spread his legs, and his crimson eyes roved over him, something not all together desire glinting in them, as he hissed sharply, "On your knees. Put that mouth of yours to use."

Orion almost gaped and spluttered, before he composed himself and spat furiously, bristling and seething, "Fuck off, Tom. You get down on your knees and pleasure me." He mockingly copied Voldemort's posture, and gestured at his own lap, sneering at him, "Come, come, I'm waiting. You taught me how to do it, by first doing it yourself, remember? You can do the same now."

In the next bat of the eyelash, so quickly that it gave Orion no chance to act, Voldemort had pulled him off his chair, grabbing him by the throat, and squeezing, making the tip of his feet barely brush the floor, the crimson eyes narrowed with murderous fury, as he hissed quietly, "But you have done it for the halfbreed, haven't you? That and much more. Did you think I wouldn't immediately notice the change in you, that I wouldn't see that disgusting mark on your neck, or the difference with your teeth? I knew the moment you came in."

Orion didn't have the time to claw at the fingers choking him or to blast the wizard away from him, since in the next second Voldemort had already released him. Gasping for breath, and on wobbly knees, Orion glanced at the wizard, not angered, but instead puzzled by the wizard's restraint, which worried him much more than any insults.

Voldemort stared at him with utter revulsion, his crimson eyes glinting with hateful viciousness, as he hissed scornfully, "You did it after all. You spread your legs like a good little whore-"

"Sure did," quipped Orion, nastily grinning at him as he quickly recovered and stood straight up. He affected an enraptured sigh and expression. "Oh, and he was sooo good, Tom. What a night!" He shot him a venomous glance, and hissed silkily, "Next time, I'll lower my Occlumency shields a bit and I'll share some of the pleasure with you. Would you like that, Tom? You can live it through me, what it feels to be fucked by a vampire. I think it would do you some good."

He saw the mad, murdering rage in Voldemort's crimson eyes, he saw the way the wizard gripped his wand until his knuckles turned white, he saw the man's jaw tightly clenching. Yet, Voldemort did nothing, said nothing, merely eyed him disdainfully.

And as comprehension started to dawn on him, Orion said tauntingly, "I know you must be dying to do it, to crucio me to your satisfaction, as you used to do. Why aren't you, Tom? This isn't the first time you restrain yourself, you've been doing it for quite a while." He eyed him closely and then let out a bark of laughter, laughing so hard it almost hurt. "Surely you aren't afraid of hurting me! Surely you don't suspect that I could be pregnant. I made my Healing Dark Arts professor check it, and I'm not! I've never taken a potion for it - what on earth gave you the idea that I might be-"

Voldemort was on him instantly, aggressively pulling Orion's robes apart and pulling up his shirt, pressing his hand on Orion's taut, flat stomach. A mesh of expressions flashed across the wizard's darkly handsome face, before he took a step back, his lips curling upwards.

"You're not," hissed Voldemort impassively, his face utterly expressionless, revealing nothing.

Frowning, without understanding the wizard's contradicting reactions or knowing what to believe, Orion eyed him closely. He cleared his throat as he arranged his clothes, and said coolly, "Well, it's not something you should worry about, if you are. I owe you an heir, and I have decided to do it."

Voldemort arched an eyebrow, hissing calmly, "Have you? When will you be prepared, if I'm allowed to know?"

Orion wasn't quite sure if he was being mocked or not. "After we win the English war."

"So soon?" hissed Voldemort placidly, his lips twisting upwards. "We are talking about mere months, if everything goes as planned. Why the sudden urge when you had previously vouched to wait years?"

"Well, it wouldn't be fair to you if you had to wait several years, would it?" said Orion calmly, waving a hand dismissively. "And there'll be a lull between the end of the English war and the wars we'll then launch in continental Europe, so that would be the only time of relative peace we'll have in a very long while. That will be the best time for it." He eyed him quizzically. "That is, if you don't want to wait. If you do-"

"I don't," interrupted Voldemort in a dismissive hiss.

Orion blinked at him, then gauged him closely, attempting and failing at reading him. He sighed, and carded his fingers through his hair. "Well, that's that, then."

"Apparently it is," hissed Voldemort pleasantly, his lips curling as he took a step to tower over Orion. His crimson eyes speared him, as he added in a low, quiet, caressing hiss, which coming from the wizard was a tone more threatening than anything else, "You'll do well to remember that I can easily break the bond you have so foolishly completed with the halfbreed. I need only to kill your little vampire, and you would be free from the bond. Indeed, by having bonded with him, you have signed his death certificate." He shook his head, tutting mockingly, a vicious glint in his eyes. "Ah, my poor little serpent. When will you learn, I wonder."

"You won't kill Lezander," said Orion with a nonchalant scoff, "because you know you need the alliance with the vampires to win the wars."

Voldemort looked at him condescendingly, as he hissed smoothly, "For the time being."

Orion narrowed his eyes at him, but didn't made any comment, since it wasn't as if he didn't already know that Voldemort would dispose of anyone he considered an enemy or a threat, the moment he could afford it.

"You're still mine, Orion, make no mistake," hissed Voldemort silkily, abruptly clutching Orion's chin in a painful grip, fingers sinking into his cheeks. "You're my horcrux, my possession-"

Orion darkly glared at him, wrenching free from the grasp, as he quipped crisply, "A 'possession' with a mind of its own."

"And with secret plans of its own, undoubtedly," hissed Voldemort impassively, his crimson eyes intensely piercing into Orion's green ones.

"I don't know what you're talking about," scoffed Orion with a roll of his eyes. "You know about all my plans. Though you can be as paranoid as you like, I've become quite used to it."

"Ah, our guests have arrived," hissed Voldemort abruptly, glancing at the closed door, certainly having felt the wards of the Manor shifting. He glanced at Orion, and hissed sharply, "You're spending the night with me, as you will spend any other night I tell you to. If you're whoring yourself out to the halfbreed, then you'll be my whore as well, my little serpent. For now, I'll grant you that much."

"How can I refuse such a charming invitation?" sneered Orion tartly. He glared at him before he made way to the door, and finally shot loftily over his shoulder, "If you're a good little boy during the meeting, Tom, then I'll think about it."


"That's Morticia Mortimer," Titania breathed out by his side. "I can hardly believe it."

Orion was at Malfoy Manor's receiving hall, surrounded by his Elite. After his 'chat' with Voldemort, he had encountered the Death Eaters of the Inner Circle just before his Elite had arrived with Lezander and Cyprian, and seconds later, the werewolf Alphas had appeared, led by Remus, who had brought with him Connolly and, to Orion's surprise, Greyback.

Nevertheless, Greyback seemed to have somehow managed to be back in Voldemort's good graces since disappearing when the Death Eaters had fled from Hogwarts. At some point, it was clear that Greyback had let Voldemort know that he was staying in Lycaon. Though how he had convinced the wizard to allow him to remain with his mate, Orion didn't know.

Taking his duties seriously, as the one who linked all allies together, Orion had proceeded to introduce his Elite, Cyprian and Lezander to the Alphas. At first, the tension and gut-deep aversion between the werewolves and the two vampires had been palpable. Wulfric, in particular, looked as if he was ready to growl and raise his hackles.

It had been Remus who had interceded and mollified things by first approaching Lezander, expressing his joy in finally meeting the person of whom he had heard so much about from Orion. Lezander had warmly returned the courtesy, and had further smoothened the situation with great diplomatic aplomb, smiling at Wulfric and offering his hand for a polite shake between new allies.

Then, of course, had come the time to formally introduce the Elite, Alphas and vampires to firstly Voldemort and then the Inner Circle. And Orion had done so, following every protocolary rule which had been hammered into his skull by Calypso, a while ago.

Orion had felt quite at ease when introducing the Alphas and his Elite, and indeed, both groups had been very politely welcomed by Voldemort and the Death Eaters. He had been worried, at first, that some Death Eaters would say something snide to the werewolves, but they hadn't. Calypso had been right when saying everyone would behave. And the two vampires had been received just as well, by all outward appearances.

Though Orion's heart had almost lodged in his throat the moment Lezander had to shake hands with Voldemort. If looks could kill, those two would have offed each other at the same time and with exactly the same amount of veiled hatred between them. Yet, he had noticed that their stiff, brief handshake had the force behind it to crack bones, and he was left to wonder if Voldemort had needed to wandlessly cast a healing spell on his hand, while Lezander's naturally fixed itself.

Well, he couldn't do anything about it. The personal reason for their mutual hatred had everything to do with him, but he also knew that it stemmed as well from what had happened decades ago, when Voldemort had visited Râzvan during his First Rise, demanding to be given the Zraven Rege's blood as part of the alliance the wizard wanted to negotiate between them. Needless to say, that had been a no-no, and Voldemort had been quickly refused and practically unceremoniously kicked out of Zraven Citadel. But really, it had been Voldemort's fault, due to his arrogance and his high-handed, demanding manners.

After the formal introductions, Voldemort hadn't led them all into the meeting room, as Orion, and surely everyone else, had expected. It had puzzled him, but he had done like the rest, who started mingling as they pleased, striking up casual conversations here and there.

Out of the blue, Orion had been approached by Patrick Connolly. Remus' Beta had appeared to be in a decidedly good mood. And Orion soon understood why when the werewolf leaned over him, smirking, with a feral glint in his golden eyes, as he whispered, "They mated."

Orion realized what he was talking about when he saw that Connolly was glancing at Remus and Greyback, and his eyebrow shot upwards. "Well, that was quick, wasn't it?"

"Aye, Fenrir doesn't waste any time," whispered Connolly contently. "He hounded m'Alpha until Remus had no choice but to yield or kick him out of Lycaon. 'Course, m'Alpha likes'im now that Fenrir is acting so lovey-dovey with'im. Tactics, tactics…" He shot Orion a sharp-toothed, thoroughly satisfied smirk. "There'll be a cub next. Fenrir will see to that."

When Orion had finally realized what the werewolf meant, it was too late for him to gape at Connolly, since the Beta had merrily gone back to Remus and Greyback, who were chatting with Lezander and Cyprian and with the female Alpha, Amadine.

Then, they had popped in, and Orion just knew that something weird was up. Comodus Conrad, Titania's uncle and guardian, had apparated accompanied by a witch, and the American Dark Ally had no business there. Excepting Alistair Armitage who was already in their midst, none of the other Dark Allies were supposed to attend the meeting, given that only Armitage was directly involving himself by promising to plant one of the vanishing cabinets in either the Irish or Scottish Ministry of Magic, plus getting the layouts of both.

Now, he and his Elite were gazing at Conrad and the witch who's identity Titania had just unraveled for them. And the unfamiliar witch certainly piqued Orion's interest.

Morticia Mortimer appeared to be in her late thirties, and was quite a beauty: with glossy, straight, black hair reaching her waist, fine aristocratic features with plush lips and almond-shaped black eyes lined with kohl, which made them look cat-like, and which contrasted her eyes against her smooth, pale skin. And her manner of dressing could be called nothing but blatantly seductive. She was wearing a long, black, tight gown which revealed her curves, with a V-shaped cleavage which plunged all the way down to her midriff, enticingly displaying the full shape of her breasts.

Orion had never seen a dark witch dressed so provocatively in his life, and he didn't quite know what to make of it.

"Really?" said Kara, peeling for once her adoring gaze from Evander to glance at the witch with curiosity. "I thought she was just a myth."

"Oh, no, she's quite real. Never met her before in person, of course, but I heard from my uncle that she has quite a reputation-"

"An infamous one, you should say, Tita," interjected Artemisa with a twist of her sensuous lips, shrewdly assessing the witch as if weighing an older and more experienced rival who threatened to encroach on her territory.

"Why?" inquired Alexios in his soft, cultured voice, inspecting the witch rather detachedly, with mere clinical, impersonal interest, as if she was a rare specimen to be analyzed.

"It's said that she's implacable, ruthless and heartless, in business and love affairs," replied Artemisa, with an expression on her face that showed that she would do her best to follow that same glorious path and best her predecessor at it. Her lush lips tilted upwards. "She's a kind of Jezabel Zabini. Also a man-eater, only that she has never married. Seems that she prefers to earn fortunes using her brain and business skills, rather than her body and seductive wiles. Though I dare say that with her looks, she could very well do both."

Orion raked his brain, trying to recall if the name rang a bell. He only vaguely remembered locket Tom mentioning in passing a Mortimer in Slytherin House, but not much else. And it was clear that it couldn't have been the witch in question but rather her grandfather or some other older relative. He glanced at Calypso quizzically, their gazes meeting, and she instantly seemed to understand what was on his mind.

She leaned towards him, and said quietly, "All I know from my father is that Mauricius Mortimer was one of the first Death Eaters. My grandfather knew him from Hogwarts, and they later had some business deals together. But quite suddenly the wizard uprooted his whole family and moved to America. They weren't involved in the Dark Lord's First Rise since none of them came back to England. There were rumors here and there about what had happened to them, because the Mortimer fortune was the largest in the entire wizarding world at the time-"

"She's Mauricius Mortimer's grandniece, he passed away years ago. And it's rumored that she took the reins of the Mortimer fortune," interjected Dravana in her low, surly voice, "and further expanded it, but she's quite an unknown entity-"

"She's never been seen out of America," interrupted Artemisa, slight scorn and distaste showing in her beautiful, olive-tanned face. "She doesn't mingle with European pureblood society. Thinks too much of herself, I would think, forgetting her own roots and where the Mortimer fortune originally came from-"

"They say she has amassed even a greater fortune by investing in the muggle world," grunted Geodrof in his usual shortness and gruffness, "and that all her business deals are conducted with them."

"No self-respecting pureblood should stoop so low," said Kasimir sharply, contempt clear on his angular features, "no matter how many galleons could be gained from doing business with filth-"

"Oh, do catch up with modern times, Kas," snapped Titania in a low whisper. "Galleons are galleons, nowadays it matters little where they come from. It's not like in the good ol' days anymore. And she's not the first nor will be the last pureblood to take advantage of the muggle world to increase their family's riches. But she is the first to have made a smashing success of it, so some respect is due."

Orion shook his head, trying to piece all the bits of information together, and he turned to Titania. "You know her?"

"Not personally," she said with a wave of her hand, shooting Kasimir one last dark glance, "but my uncle has told me about her. They are close acquaintances. My uncle, and his father before him, have done business with the Mortimer family ever since they settled in America. Comodus also administrates their fortune in one of the wizarding banks in which he holds a controlling majority, but what he does is mostly as a mere consultant. Lady Mortimer usually oversees everything personally. She doesn't give control over her investments to anyone."

"Who cares about that? The point is that she's a beauty. A cold and dangerous one," said Viktor with a wide smirk, gazing at the older witch with a sparkle of appreciation and lustful desire in his eyes. "I wouldn't mind having a tumble in the sack with her." He shot Evander and Orion a conspiratorial wink between pals. "You know, a witch of her age and experience… should be quite a challenge to dominate that one. Looks like she's the type who likes to be on top, who likes to ride instead of being mounted… oh, the possibilities…"

Titania merely rolled her hazel eyes, quite used to her boyfriend's libidinous mind-escapades and unrestrained, wagging, lewd tongue.

Viktor's smirk widened as he suavely caressed one of Titania's locks of golden hair. "But fear not, love. Your place between my sheets is unthreatened. You're the only one for me for the long haul."

"Good to know," said Titania with a dismissive wave of her hand, clearly not even remotely concerned about losing her hold on him, the once upon a time foremost 'player' in Durmstrang.

"Where does she live?" muttered Orion, frowning as he regarded the witch in question. "In which countries does she have influence through her investments?"

"Mainly in the US, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil," replied Titania, her expression musing. "But I've heard that she has investments all over the American continent. As for where she resides… I've no idea. I don't think she lives in any wizarding community at all-"

"She lives in the muggle world, then?" asked Orion, his eyebrows shootings upwards in surprise.

Titania shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps. It would be a great inconvenience for her if she did, since she would have a lower standard of living than any pureblood with a manor and house-elves has, and she would be scorned and ridiculed if it was known, but I think it's possible. My uncle has always kept it a secret, even from me. And if she's looking for somewhere safe to live, without being bothered, then there's nothing better than living in a large muggle city. Few would know how to look for her there."

Morticia Mortimer grew more puzzling and interesting which each tidbit of information and rumor about her. Though Viktor had been right in his shallowly stated assessment, she did look cold and dangerous.

"My, it looks as if the Dark Lord knows her well."

Orion's gaze snapped up at that, and indeed, it seemed to be true. Her and Comodus Conrad were now surrounded by many of the Inner Circle, and Voldemort had taken a hold of her hand, lifting it up and brushing his lips across her knuckles. Orion's eyebrows shot to his hairline, not at the gallant display, since Voldemort could charm anyone out of their wits when he desired to do so. What perplexed him was the way the wizard was eyeing her, with his lips tilted upwards. There was something in the wizard's eyes he had never seen before. Respect – what Voldemort had never given to anyone, ever. It thoroughly astounded him.

He swiftly turned to Titania, and whispered quickly, "Go to your guardian, see if you can glean from Conrad why she's here."

She nodded at him, and instantly calmly made way to her uncle and only family left.

However, to Orion's disappointment, Voldemort gave the sign right then, and everyone started moving towards the meeting room at one side of the hall. He would simply have to wait and see.

But he soon noticed that Morticia Mortimer wasn't being led to the room. Conrad seemed to be conveying his farewells, and the wizard disapparated in the next second. It appeared that the man's task had only been to escort her into Malfoy Manor. Now Narcissa Malfoy was leading the witch down the hall, most probably to a parlor, since Narcissa was clearly playing the part of hostess, surely under Voldemort's orders to keep the witch company.

Both witches disappeared into the depths of Malfoy Manor, and Orion could only ponder, speculate, and simply make his way into the meeting room, blinking, and then courteously allowing Jezabel Zabini to enter first, who seemed to have come out of thin air during his distraction.