Right well, I'm off to watch a concert at CSUN, it will be a Harry Potter orchestral concert and I am in dire need of a night off so I'm skipping class and heading over with my friends tehe hope you enjoy this, and if anyone else is going to the concert give us a wave!
Allons-y!
Let me know what you think!
Mistress Slytherin
WARNINGS:
VIOLENCE
LANGUAGE
HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIP
QUESTIONABLE MORALS
Let me know if I missed anything.
Chapter 15
Harry smirked as Snape stood before him. The boy had changed, he was eating better, dressed better and upon Harry's insistence bathed frequently- but those were just the little things. The greater change was in the boy himself. Snape stood straighter, held his chin higher and carried his eyes levelly with a spark of intelligence and the light of determination. Sending him to open green places had been a good thing Harry decided, seeing his mother dressed in fine robes and climbing back to her own feet had been a catalyst for him. No one would defeat the determination in Snape now and Harry could admit to feeling proud of the snarky git. Harry stood from where he sat and motioned for Snape to follow him.
"What is this?" He said holding out a small jar. One by one he went trough every item in his extensive stores of plant based ingredients and drilled Snape. The boy had spent every waking moment of the last month on his property studying his green houses. His silent awe grew as Snape managed to list everything in his stores like a flora encyclopedia listing the potions each could be used in and the combinations they could be mixed with, what made them useless and nearly every other fact about each and every thing Harry pulled from his shelf. They worked through lunch and continued on until Snape's words were raspy and his eyes glazed.
Harry nodded slowly when he was satisfied.
"You will take this next week off." Harry said smiling a slight but true smile. "You've done exceedingly well, is there something you would like as a reward?" He asked raising his eyebrows. Snape's eyes flickered from triumph to relief and then to surprise.
"A reward?" He said his eyes wide.
"You deserve a reward Severus." Harry said. It still felt odd to use the man's given name but it would be even weirder if he didn't since he was the boy's private tutor. "It can be almost anything." Harry offered idly. "Almost." He said with a smirk. Snape stared at him in blatant shock. "I'll give you the week to think about it. Tonight you should spend some time relaxing, talking with your mother, I'm afraid I will be out late so the two of you have the entire shop to yourself. I will lock the shop down though." He said watching as Snape's gaze went sharp.
"Is something wrong?" He demanded. Harry frowned.
"I don't think so, the wards are just a precaution, I don't like to leave without having them running full force. If something does happen then you should know that this building was made as a fortress. I had enemies when I was younger and my father wanted to ensure that I would be safe. He made this building to withstand a war." He said smiling wryly in remembrance. "You and your mother will be safe here, if not you know where to go." He said before moving towards the door.
"Will you be safe?" Snape asked hesitantly. Harry glanced back at him frowning slightly.
"Severus…" He said hesitantly. "I know that you are not a fool, and because of that I know that you understand exactly what this darkness is that's growing. There is a war coming, I may be involved in it, but I will ensure that you and your mother are looked after should something happen to me." He said settling a hand on the boy's shoulder hesitantly. When it wasn't thrown off he squeezed slightly.
"Don't die." Snape said before he could walk away. "Not because of me, not because he brought me here, I was stupid, I just wanted to be free, don't die because I agreed to come." He said his fists clutched at his sides. Harry frowned. Merlin how was he supposed to deal with this? He frowned thoughtfully.
"Severus, if I die I don't want you to blame yourself, not ever hmmm? You made your choice but I make my own choices as well. I could have decided not to take you on as an apprentice, but I didn't. If I die it will be by my own choices." He said pulling back slightly. "Besides, you weren't the one that made the mistake, the dark lord was. The moment he placed you in my care you were no longer the lowest in his ranks, you were no longer just Lucius Malfoy's pet project. The moment I took you in you became protected from everything, even the dark lord." He said softly. Snape stared at him with wide eyes and trembling hands. "Go spend time with your mother, I need to get ready for tonight." He said patting Snape on the shoulder awkwardly before turning and making his way to his room.
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Harry stared up at the enormous building and his mind turned to another darker time. A time when MalfoyMansion had played unwilling host to Voldemort. Harry had been so full of anger back then, he'd become little more than a rabid dog casing after Draco in hopes of finding and killing Voldemort. What he found instead was another story, a tale of the Malfoy family struggling to keep it together while they watched Voldemort's steady descent into madness. After that night, after watching and unwittingly coming to understand the Malfoys Harry had found himself hating Draco even more. Draco had shown him that there were people on the other side of the war, people just like him who loved and lost and clung to their families unable to sleep at night for fear of losing them. Harry hadn't killed the dark lord that night, he'd barely made it away unscathed, but something had changed in him. After that he realized for himself what he had become. He was a murderer just like they were, he was no better than Lucius Malfoy who killed and tortured to keep those he loved safe.
And now….
Now Harry was standing on the opposite line and he knew it, he wasn't supposed to change history but the moment he'd become a part of this timeline history had been changed regardless. He was here and this was his life, his life as Hadrian Black, and if he could join Voldemort, if he could keep an eye on the man, then maybe the future could change as well. If it took him killing hundreds of people it was better than the future he had known in which he'd killed thousands. Yet despite that he knew it was more than that, the very thought of war was making his blood boil and pulse with excitement. He sighed softly.
Merlin what a mess.
He took a decisive step forward and out of the shadows he'd been hiding in striding up the walkway and to the front doors. Music burst through the air as he was guided to the lavishly decorated gala hall and he found himself momentarily blinded by the many dazzling men and women with their brightly colored clothing and glittering gems. It had been a very long time since he'd been to anything even remotely like this.
"This way sir." A man said almost immediately. Harry frowned but followed the server anyway ignoring the curious gazes and mutterings that surrounded him until he came upon a group that had his hand tingling for his wand. Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Black, Narcissa Malfoy, the Lestranges and a few other future death eaters all proudly standing around the dark lord.
"Ah Hadrian." The dark lord said silkily his eyes wandering over Harry's formal wear.
"Impossible." Someone muttered. Harry narrowed his eyes.
"Mister Black sends his regards." Harry said.
"You're his son!" Someone else said in relief. Harry felt slightly annoyed.
"Quite." He said calmly. "Don't be alarmed I'm told that I have an uncanny likeness to my father." He said smiling thinly. All true, just taken out of context. "And I do rather prefer the name Orion if you don't mind; Hadrian is my father's name." He said smoothly all the while unable to remove his gaze from the dark lord's. The man's lips tilted upwards in amusement.
"I was unaware that my cousin sired an heir." Bellatrix jumped in. Harry eyed her cautiously. There was a calculating glint in her eyes but they were clear, sane, she was just a girl like any other save the dark influence on her life.
"Yes well there are those that would have tried to hurt me to get to him, he wouldn't allow that." He said smoothly. Again, all truth, out of context. He was getting good at this. He turned his gaze back to the dark lord and smirked to see the man frowning. The dark lord's most boasted power was his ability to tell when someone was lying, Harry had now spouted several contradicting facts, yet they were all true- it must have been messing with the man's head a great deal.
"And now?" One of the Lestrange brothers said with narrowed eyes.
"Now I am quite capable of protecting myself." Harry said easily.
"And you didn't attend Hogwarts?" One of the others asked curiously.
"Now, now this isn't an interrogation." The dark lord said silkily.
"Yes, do forgive my manners, welcome to the Malfoy Estates." Lucius Malfoy said holding out his hand. Harry smiled thinly and shook the other boy's hand.
"A beautiful home." He said honestly. If a bit pretentious. He didn't say so though. Malfoy's eyes sharpened and turned towards the others.
"Why thank you." He said with some underlying tone, Harry wondered if Lucius was teased for the over decorating of the mansion.
"You should stop holding his hand Malfoy or people will start wondering if those rumors are true. Bella said slyly. Malfoy glanced down at their joined hands and dropped his hand immediately.
"I apologize." He said stiffly. Harry shrugged lazily.
"I highly doubt mister Black would mind even if the rumors were true." The dark lord said smirking wryly. Harry raised an eyebrow at the man.
"Oh my." Someone said giggling slightly.
"Oh now Mister Riddle, your only jealous that I haven't held your hand yet." Harry said with a wink. He wasn't ashamed of who he was, not after this many years alive. Red eyes narrowed.
"How do you know that name?" The man hissed softly. Harry smiled thinly.
"I invented it I'm sure, after all very little of what you say to me makes sense; I suppose I started calling you 'the riddle man' in my head." He said mildly. "I couldn't keep calling you mister Anonymous forever you know especially after finally accepting one of your invitations. I can't date someone who's name I don't know can I?" He said smirking. He laughed inwardly though, it was all a lie that time and the dark lord knew it.
"Clever indeed." Malfoy said silkily. This time there was no hiding the hint of curiosity in the man's eyes. Harry decided that he was due quite a bit of payback and glanced at Malfoy giving him a slow lingering look a smile lingering on the corners of his lips.
"Ah, and Mister Riddle." He said reaching into his pocket and pulling out the small silver case handing it over to the man. "The shop will be closed on Tuesday I'm afraid." He said smiling thinly.
"May I ask why?" The man said carefully placing the potion in his pocket.
"It's Severus' birthday, of course he doesn't know we're throwing a party quite yet so mums the word." He said placing his finger over his lips and winking. The dark lord blinked slowly.
"He's going to be furious." Lucius said with a smirk. "He hexed me the last time I tried to do that." He said smirking. "Do tell me I'm invited." He said his lips twitching.
"Of course. Only beautiful people at this party after all." He said with a wink.
"Ug spare me." Lestrange said rolling his eyes.
"Of course, I did say only beautiful people at this party." He said smirking. The dark lord let out a chuckle as the dark haired boy's face reddened. Harry smirked.
"I don't suppose I would be invited?" The dark lord said smirking. Harry gave him an appraising look.
"Dumbledore may be there." He said rubbing his chin idly. Red eyes narrowed.
"Why?" He said softly.
"Mister Black has a bone or two to pick with the old man, he's also thinking about joining the Hogwarts staff. Professor Foxtrot has been adamant that he won't have anyone else to replace him when he retires." Harry said casually. He knew he was snubbing the man; Dumbledore had rejected his request to become defense professor only weeks prior to this party.
"Ah, I see." The man said his lips pursed into a thin line.
"Don't worry though, I'm sure mister Black won't mind opening his floo to you every now and then, once you've reconciled your differences of course, he's still rather annoyed at you for the incident with Madam Prince." He said inclining his head. That's right Voldemort I'll give you free access to Hogwarts, but only if you bend your bloody neck so that I can see if I want to chop it off or not. "He does think you're a clever man, handsome too, but he's quite stubborn willed at times. He doesn't make friends easily. That's why I watch the shop most of the time." He said snatching a glass of wine from a tray as it passed him by. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial dashing a drop of potion into the glass and swirling it slightly.
"And what was that?" Lucius asked curiously as an excuse to lean closer.
"I don't mean to offend by it, but I've nearly been poisoned on six separate occasions, father created this, it nullifies any poison known to man." He said smirking slightly as he took a sip.
"Oh I do think he'll put you out of business Trixy." Lestrange said smirking.
"I didn't see that in the catalogue." The dark lord said thoughtfully.
"It isn't there, friends and family only, quite expensive to manufacture, even more expensive to buy." He said slipping the vial into his pocket. The dark lord's gaze sharpened.
"Are there many items on this 'friends and family only' list?" He inquired.
"Mmmm, that would be a friends and family only question." He said feinting apology. The man's lips tightened.
"Of course." He said thinly.
"I don't suppose…" Bella said her eyes narrowing.
"I amend my earlier statement, friends and immediate family, not the family that is in any way related to Arcturus Black." He said coldly his eyes darkening. Over the years the man had made himself an enemy of Harry.
"Ah I do recall a certain story about your father and one Elizabeth Crouch." The dark lord said silkily, probably to punish him for his earlier jibes.
"Elizabeth rendered Hadrian Black incapable of love." Harry said softly. "Arcturus Black rendered him incapable of trust; together they destroyed what little innocence he had left. Forgive me but my father and I share this, we trust no one from the Black family." He spoke calmly and his magic was in absolute control but in the tone he used there was a deep and dark well of anger, a vast pit that waited to consume. Collectively the others shifted away even without realizing it.
"How very weak of you both." The dark lord said without regret. Harry smirked. Was the man trying to provoke him?
"Oh? What would you have us do, love again?" He said sneering at the word. Red eyes turned to him sharply.
"That anger and hatred is not worth clinging to, if you let it affect you then it is a weakness." The man said shortly. Harry snorted.
"Then what may I ask drives you mister Riddle?" He asked. Perhaps it wasn't the wisest thing to do but Riddle was touching a nerve.
"Is that what holds you back?" The dark said ignoring his words completely, in Harry's time the man's temper had been so easy to cause to react but here in this time he was calm, young and wise, not mad at all. Suddenly the man's hand reached out and Harry gasped as the front of his robe was suddenly torn. There was a sharp pain at the base of his neck before a metallic snapping sound and then…and then the dark lord was holding out the chain like a trophy his red eyes glued to the engagement ring hanging from them. Harry stared at them for a brief heart breaking moment and felt his fury rise. Harry's temper was hot, red, fast and brutal; his fury was slow, cold and far reaching. The effect was a slow rippling chill in the room a growing feeling of dread as his magic seeped from him.
"Dementors?" Someone muttered behind him. Harry didn't move, he didn't have to. He stared transfixed at the chain and suddenly it was flying back to him landing in his upraised hand with a stinging snap.
"You go too far dark lord." He whispered before calmly slipping the ring into his pocket and turning his back cold, calm relaxed.
He wanted nothing better than to kill someone at that moment.
To feel the tip of his gun burn into his thigh from the use it was getting.
When he was outside he took a slow steadying breath.
When had he turned into a monster?
Grimly he made his way, he had to go home to his little shop before Voldemort could figure out the real reason Harry had locked himself away.
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