A/N:Sorry for the wait.
Chapter 12: Reclaimed
Sirius watched dispassionately as Dalen shuddered in the cage. His heart wasn't in it today. The beatings and whippings hadn't made much of a difference to the hole in his soul. Sure, he had enjoyed the terror and the screams as he had claimed the little boy again, but it wasn't the same. James wasn't there to laugh with him, it was only him and Dalen. He sat cross legged across from the cell, watching the injured boy breath and whimper in pain. He reached a hand through the bars and plucked up a strand of the childs long hair. He turned it over in his hand, examining it for no reason but to find a way to alleviate his boredom.
"Well, my pet. You have almost outlived your usefulness. In two days I shall use your body in a ritual, that will be that. Voldemort will not have risen, and James will not have died... You will never have been born." Dalen only keened low in his throat. Sirius sighed and watched him again in silence. His thoughts to numerous to speak.
Dalen turned to look at the man he called Master for so many years. He was going to die. His Master would kill him in two days. He would never see his father, never say thank you to the wonderful people who had saved him. Never kiss Draco like Narcissa had kissed Lucius. He allowed himself to cry silently.
"You shouldn't cry, Boy. I never cried for my love's death. I have not shed a tear for the man who I loved like mad. You shouldn't cry, scum. You don't even know what love is. Nobody could ever love a freak like you."
Dalen shuddered and crouched lower, almost prostrate before his master. He keened low in his throat before lowering his head again. It was true. No one could love something like him. His father had left him, his Angel had allowed his master to take him back, even Nick had watched and done nothing. He had thought that they were going to be friends. Perhaps this would be better after all.
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Draco sat miserably in his room at home. Malfoy manor seemed quieter than ever without Dalen there. The quiet little boy had been withdrawn and very shy and frightened, but he had been bringing new life to the usually cold family.
"Draco, it is dinner time. Sweetheart, going on a hunger strike will not bring Dalen home. It will only weaken you and give us one less able bodied helper. Plus Dalen would never look at Lucius or I again. Please." His mother sat beside him on the bed, rubbing his back comfortingly. Draco had been in his room for almost two days now. He was quickly becoming dehydrated and thinner by the hour. He was by no means emaciated, but it pained Narcissa to see her child lose so much weight so quickly.
"Mother, he is probably torturing Dalen as we talk. I don't want to talk about doing something, I want to actually do something." Draco cried. Throwing his arms around his mothers neck. She hugged him tightly before calling a house elf to the room.
~~~A Light is Born~~~
"How is Draco?"
"He is suffering the loss of Dalen just as acutely as his father. Tom has not returned from his rooms since before the capture." Lucius looked down at the weak form of his best friend. He had thought Severus dead until they had pulled him out of the cage, looking half as bad as Dalen had. He knew his friend blamed himself. For a short while Lucius had blamed him too. Until the voice of reason had caught up and Lucius smacked it into his own head that Severus was not to blame. It had been Black. It had been that creature of malicious intent and sadism.
"Try to get some rest. Worrying will do nothing at the moment. If you rest and you heal now, you can be back here healing again after we have rescued Dalen." Lucius said, patting his friend on the shoulder carefully. He watched as the potions masters eyes slipped closed and then fell into sleep. He waited a few moments longer, making sure that he was undisturbed.
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Tom stared at the wall across from the bed like it was purposefully defying his attempts to destroy it, the lampshade, three potions vials and a myriad of curses had had no effect on the wall. It was his fault that his son was back in the hands of Black. The first few days he had been unresponsive, 'it is my fault' was the only sentence that had run through his head in those days.
Now, he was pouring what was left of his soul into a rescue plan. He couldn't leave his son in the hands of the man who had taken everything from him.
He poured over maps and plans and strategies. Barely eating and barely sleeping. Throwing himself into his work and his plans. He remained un aware of the uproar it was causing with his followers.
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Lilly hadn't slept in the days since Har- Dalen had been taken. She felt truly terrible for everything that she had thought. Severus had told her about Tom and what he had been going through. She hadn't felt a tenth of what he was feeling right now. She was ashamed to admit it, but she had no right to Dalen than she had had in the first place.
"Nicholas?" She wanted to ask him if he wanted Dalen as a brother, but she already knew the answer. If anything, Dalen was his friend. Almost his best friend.
"yeah mum?"
"How are you holding up dear?"
"Alright. I want him to get home soon. I mean... back to his father and his godfather." He whispered. It was obvious that he missed his 'brother' but Lily couldn't bare to look at Nick. What she had started to think...
"Mum?"
"Yes honey."
"Why didn't we do anything. Sirius didn't cast any spell, we just watched and did nothing as he kidnapped Dee." Lily paused for a moment, listening to her son talk.
"Dee?"
"Yeah. It's his nickname." Dalen had a nickname. Her son had given him a nickname. Like they were best friends. Not brothers. Dalen could never be her son. It wouldn't be right to him, to try and take Dalen away from Tom would be nothing better than what Sirius and James had done.
"I don't know baby. I can't explain it. I just, can't."
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Sirius growled angrily as he trudged down the steps to the basement. His sleep had been disturbed three times by nightmares, and the Freak had done nothing to help relieve his temper. Usually James could calm him, but James was dead. It was all the Freaks fault. First he got James killed, then he turned Lilly and his godson Nicholas against them. The boy deserved to die. Luckily, the ingredients for the ritual had arrived yesterday. He could do the ritual tonight and get back everything he lost all those years ago.
"Little Creature!" He purred out, stalking close to the cell door where the little freak was imprisoned.
"Ma-a-a-ssss-s-s-t-t-te-te-rrr?" The boy croaked out. Confused and more than a little bit scared.
"The time has come. You can atone or your disobedience tonight, little freak. You know you deserve all of this." The boy didn't reply. He only nodded his head and whimper. Terrified at the implications. Sirius sneered and drew his wand.
"Crucio!" He cried, throwing all of his pent up anger and hatred for the freak into the spell. The screams that erupted were magnificent and Sirius laughed in unbridled joy. If only dearest Bella was there to revel in the torture. Though she hated him, and him her, they were united against a common enemy. Sirius ended the spell. It wouldn't do to have the boy insane. That would defeat the purpose of torture. This was meant to be a punishment for everything the freak had done. He couldn't wait for tonight. The son of Voldemort would bring about the destruction his father. The irony and poetic justice was almost impossible to even handle, sending the last remaining Black into fits and peals of mad laughter. Dalen could only whimper and sob out apologies as he twitched under the after effects of his masters curse.
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Finally! The plans were ready. They could get Dalen tomorrow night and if he worked through dinner, they may even bring his son home that night. Tom smiled a pleased, yet sad, smile. It had been too long and he had been too preoccupied with his grief that he had wasted precious time. If Dalen was dead, he would never forgive himself for grieving a son that was still alive.
"Nodd!" Tom called out. The house elf popped into existence immediately. with a shrill "Yes master?"
"Take this to Lucius Malfoy immediately and bring him here once he has read it." The elf bowed, took the letter then vanished with a slight 'Pop". Not even two minutes later the elf reappeared with Lucius' robes clasped tightly in its small hands.
"Tom? Can you do it? Can you bring Dalen home?" The normally stoic Malfoy Lord seemed almost in tears with desperation for the return of his friends son.
"Yes. But I must know. Has Severus woken yet? I feel he should be included in the laying of final plans." Lucius merely shook his head. The potions master had not woken yet. Narcissa had said that it would be a few days yet before the man had enough strength to wake up. Tom only nodded dejectedly. He had hoped.
"When he wakes up. If he does so soon before we go after Black, please tell him of the plan." Lucius nodded his assent. The two sat discussing the rescue operation all through dinner, sharing a light meal and firewhisky in between.
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Severus woke with a startled gasp. Clawing the bed covers off his body. He had to warn them! He had to tell them what Black was planning. He had to... He had... to...
"Goodness! Severus!" Narcissa Malfoy was standing beside his bed. Waving her wand in intricate patterns, checking his vitals and every other healing examination charm she knew.
"No no, good merlin, don't try to speak Severus. You'll do yourself no good!" She admonished, gently pushing him back down onto the bed. Severus shook his head, fighting past whatever was stopping him from speaking, trying to get the words out.
"nn-nn- NO!" He gasped out, only to dissolve into a coughing fit. "Black... Black... plans... Ritual... needs... Dalen... Blood ritual." Narcissa continuously shushed him, trying to get him calm, but Severus couldn't allow it. They needed to know.
"Oh merlin. Stay there Severus. I will tell Tom. Just calm yourself down. Regardless of what happens to Dalen I shall be killed if you die under my care." She hurried from the room faster than she had checked his vitals, but not before setting a ward on the room that would alert her if Severus tried to leave.
"Tonight." Severus breathed out, before consciousness fled him.
TBC
A/N: Sorry about the delay on this. This chapter kept giving me trouble and would just not be written. I took a break through exams though. But Finally! So Sory if the wait was too long. If it helps the next chapter is already in progress.
DNStalker