A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Harry Potter.

I have no beta.

ENJOY!

CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON.

-We get all kinds of things in this chapter. DO NOT just skip parts that feature
characters you don't like. Not only is that fucking stupid, but you will literally
miss parts of the plot! You will not understand everything if you just skip shit.
I am sick of getting blamed for the fic 'not making sense' to people who admit
to skipping parts from the perspectives of characters they don't like.

There had been more Aurors than usual, stationed around the most important magical sectors in France. The one, critical flaw in their planning was the fact that they didn't consider the Muggles. Muggles inhabited most of France and it was relatively easy to get in and out of the country if one were to use Muggle means to do so. And since she had grown up in a Muggle neighborhood, she understood everything and never struggled to blend in unlike other magical individuals.

Herakles didn't need to get in through Beauxbatons, or any of the magical shopping districts or living quarters in order to get to where she was headed. Besides, whom she was after, didn't even reside anywhere near those areas. How convenient for her that dear Nicolas and Perenelle decided to continue using the Flamel Castle as their primary home even after so many years had passed by. How fortunate for Herakles to not have to do much work.

And how wonderful their old friend Alagia had been when she revealed the exact location of the Flamel family's main residence. It was such an unfortunate thing that the Italian woman had tried cursing Herakles when her back was turned. She wouldn't have choked on her blood had she stayed the urge to be brave. Many people died foolish deaths because they thought too highly of themselves.

People were amusing with their fragile sense of nobility and ambiguous morals. And it was so easy to manipulate them like the little marionettes they were. Always easily dancing to whatever tune was played for them, without even realizing they were being used and abused.

The Greek woman strode down the street, her apparel almost perfectly blending in with the Muggles and their style. A long black coat covering the bodice and robes she wore, and a simple hat to add to the effect. Muggles never noticed anything and she doubted anyone would find her interesting. Her appearance was glamored to appear bring and eyes would simply slide right off her.

It didn't take much for her to come upon the transportation that would get her near enough to the Flamel Castle. She confounded the driver and smirked, because once she knew the location personally, she wouldn't have to use such substandard means of travel ever again. Thank Circe someone once decided that instantaneous travel was a necessary thing.

But sometimes sacrifices had to be made to see one's plans come to fruition. Herakles knew all about sacrifices. She'd been through enough in her lifetime. And greatness did not just come upon people, they had to work for it. Which was why she needed to visit Flamel Castle.

And after an hour, Herakles stared up at the admittedly impressive wards surrounding the miles of property that belonged to one of the most influential magicals to have ever existed. Wards that were saturated with over a millenia of different magics and additional protections weaved in for the benefit of the residents. Wards that would take some time to demolish if she was being honest. But things usually turned in her favor pretty damn quickly, so she had faith in her abilities.

Her magic rose and covered the silvery dome of magic, pushing down and crushing it. And the only thing to make this all the more interesting, was that it took longer than the other family homes she's forced her way into on this lovely expedition. At least Nicolas knew how to make things entertaining. That was one truth the man could take to his grave.

Ha! There was even a Runic Web meant to absorb the magic of anyone attempting to enter without permission. How amusing the French bastard was! This was going to be fun!

Bellatrix cackled as she and the team of British and French mixed magicals, were finally granted entrance into the property belonging to the Flamel family. It was time for some fun! Her eyes had already taken in the landscape and how useful it could be from the fountain to the hedges, and even the vines climbing up the side of the main building.

"Oh, Herakles!" the witch singsonged almost childishly, "it's time to play with Bella! Accio!"

Within seconds, their entire group was under fire by one woman, who was looking distraught and not as powerful as she thought herself to be. Bellatrix took note of her stance and the way she held her wand. Not as confident as her Lord was. Unlike Lord Voldemort who lightly held his wand because he knew he was the strongest being around, Herakles gripped hers tightly, her body rigid and her face screwed up in concentration.

Spells were flying back and forth, and the woman erected and amazing barrier to protect herself, but also allowed her to keeping shooting her own attacks. Going against over twenty people and managing to keep her own was impressive, Bella would admit that. But Bella was even more impressive.

As she wasn't one to be outdone, especially by someone younger than she, Bellatrix sent her most dangerous curse at the self-proclaimed Dark Lady. The curse, which was supposed to turn the object it connected with, inside out, exploded from her wand in a violent shade of purple. It connected with the bubble surrounding Herakles and in an odd twist of fate, the bubble caved and Herakles was once again exposed to the outside world, the bubble still intact behind her. It turned the bubble inside out instead, leaving Herakles vulnerable.

Dodging behind a large hedge on the grounds of the Flamel property, Herakles ceased her attacks, while Bellatrix and the group advanced forward. Several of the French Aurors began setting up anti-Portkey wards.

The water in the fountain rose suddenly, in the shape of a serpent that lunged at them. Severus countered with Fiendfyre that took the shape of a mighty dragon, the water and flames meeting in the middle. Whilst that happened, Potter and Sirius rushed forward, in a move that seemed very comfortable to them. Sirius morphed into a massive, black dog then, and jumped over the hedge Herakles was hiding behind.

Potter aimed a Bombarda Maxima at the ground beneath the hedge, rocks and dirt flying everywhere.

Bellatrix had never been good at Herbology. It was a good thing that any spell mean to help plants always failed for her, because it was time to kill the greenery and remove the bitch's hiding spot. Hiding was such a cowardly tactic and if one wasn't capable of winning a battle face to face, it proved they weren't as powerful as they claimed to be.

"Herbis!" she hissed, and smirked when the leaves of the hedges practically melted under her power. She'd been told that she repelled plants, and for once there was something useful in all those spells she'd learned years ago.

Herakles was revealed, back facing their group as she struggled to hit Sirius with curses of all sorts. Bella's cousin was far too fast however, and kept evading with little to no effort at all. Something Animagi shouldn't be capable of of, which got her curiosity going. But not enough to distract her.

Potter chose that moment to freeze the woman to the ground and Bellatrix, Lucius, and Severus acted as one being, casting the Cruciatus curse. It struck, but strangely… seemed to roll right off the woman. Three of the best duelists in Magical Britain, used the same curse on one woman, and it didn't work at all. No effect in the least.

Bella had to give the woman the respect she hadn't before. That was damn impressive. Much more than anything Bella had seen or heard of thus far. It also begged the question, how?

To make up for that unfortunate result, Sirius launched himself at the woman and latched onto her wand arm, making her wail in pain and jerk out of her frozen state as she tried to push him off. However, trying to remove a dog that had a head that reached your shoulders, was nearly impossible. And his jaw strength must have been too much for her to handle, because Sirius managed to remove the entire arm, and Potter followed it up with a Bone-Breaker that surely connected to the woman's left leg and had her crumpling to the ground.

Sirius spit out the arm and wand, and growled menacingly in her face.

Herakles looked around madly as her body began to twisting on itself in shapes of grey. The mass shot into the air, and Severus, being the best natural flier out of them all, followed in a streak of black.

Meanwhile, Bellatrix lifted her wand to the sky and shot a bolt of lightning into the air. Seconds later, lightning strikes rained down, but the black and grey blurs managed to dodge all of them, making Bellatrix hiss in annoyance. She'd come to kill and she was going to kill!

"You're not getting away that easy!" the witch screamed, forcing more magic into her wand and cackling when the sky erupted in showers of lightning that came pouring down on all of them. Her glee reached sadistic levels when the grey blur lit up from being hit as it fled the wards.

While Herakles may have escaped today, Bella would get her. And she knew that injuries of such magnitude, would never heal correctly.

They'd gotten an arm, her wand, and learned that she'd left with nothing to show for her efforts. Bella would get her rematch one day, because there was no way Herakles could resist coming to Britain. And when that day came, Bella would play with her prey and maybe even get darling Hermione to join her.

"That was fun!"

"It was not!" her cousin hissed as he turned back to his human form, wiping at his red-covered mouth. "That was disgusting. I need to brush my teeth!"

"Hi, Hagrid!"

The half-giant grinned when he saw Harry on his doorstep. "Come ter help with th' animals again?"

Harry hadn't been able to visit in a while and he missed all of the animals. Besides, today was grooming day for the owls, and he'd missed them terribly. "I figured you could use a little help and I have the day off today, so why not come by?"

"Tha' Runespoor 'as been a right nasty one lately."

Not that he hadn't expected it considering he'd had to bright it back since it technically belonged at Hogwarts. "I'll see what I can do," he promised. It was only right.

Besides, it wouldn't hold that much of a grudge, right?

"Do you like Quidditch?"

Voldemort's glamoured nose wrinkled in disgust. "No. I could never understand what was so amazing about the game. I can barely tolerate it. You enjoy it though, yes? Best Seeker at Hogwarts if I remember correctly?"

It was Harry's turn to sneer. "It's not that I really enjoy it, it's just that it was the best way I could get in my flying time without taking personal time away from my studies. If it was a requirement, then I didn't have to feel guilty for not spending my time doing other, more important and necessary things." Such as helping the animals and magical creatures around the castle.

"So you don't like Quidditch despite playing on the Gryffindor Team for five years?" Voldemort sounded skeptical, which Harry couldn't blame him for since yeah, why would a person who didn't like an extracurricular activity, do it so much? It seemed pointless, especially if he actually had other interests that he wouldn't mind devoting his time toward.

The Potter Heir laughed uncomfortably, his plan to use the topic as a chance to transition into a different topic of conversation, didn't seem to be going well. It was just supposed to be a way for him to get on the subject of flying in general. Because he liked flying and wanted to ask Voldemort out for a good fly. Flying together could be considered a date, right?

Harry knew that he was in no way required to explain himself, but how would a relationship work if neither of them were open? Voldemort even relinquished small pieces of information about himself from time to time, even without noticing. So of course Harry could spare something as well. Besides, it was kind of eating at him and he wanted to know!

"So, as you know, Magus is vastly different from Hogwarts. Students go in at eight and leave at four. I got used to the routine, having done it for years. And it was tolerable because I could spend time with the people I liked and then go home to my sanctuary each night and recharge from all the socialising that I had to do. It wasn't the same at Hogwarts."

Merlin no, it was not the same! Poor eleven year old Harry Potter ended up learning the hard way, how different it was to grow up a little.

He shook his head, remembering that absolute train wreck that was his first year. "Hogwarts is a boarding school. Instead of getting a night or a weekend away from the stress of having to interact with other people, you don't have an escape. You take all of your meals together in this large room full of loud people. You don't see your family for months at a time. You have to intimately share living quarters with at least five other people and have to learn their habits so your schedules don't collide."

So much stress came from being in a boarding school. Harry hadn't liked Hogwarts all too much in his first year. It was just one overload after another. People were tolerable in small quantities, but shoving one thousand students together, all of varying ages and maturity, was basically asking for trouble. And introverts like Harry, who had social anxiety, didn't take well to the atmosphere.

"Was it really that difficult to acclimate?" asked Voldemort. He sounded interested, and had even set aside the paperwork he was doing. It was nice that he was actually so engrossed that he would pay Harry his full attention, even over something as simple as a small story from his younger years. It made Harry feel like Voldemort truly considered him to be important. Enough so that even a small story about Harry's childhood struggles seemed to have the man enraptured so easily.

"Yeah. I hadn't taken too well to it. You can asked Madam Pomfrey or even Snape. I was in and out of the Hospital Wing constantly for all sorts of calming draughts and invigoration potions. And I learned of a way to combat my issue in second year." A genius method if he was to be honest. Harry never told anyone until now.

"There are Quidditch matches all the time and if I got on the team, I would be able to use a broom as frequently as I wanted without needing a watcher. I could see my family at those matches during the school year because they are allowed to visit hen their child is playing. And I could go flying and feel free. Dealing with crowds was the only downside and all I did was muffle them so I didn't have to hear them too much." A worthy sacrifice for those precious moments of freedom he rarely got those years. "You ever wonder how the greatest Seeker Hogwarts ever had, always took over an hour to catch the Snitch?"

Voldemort smirked then, an approving look spreading across his glamoured face. "You were busy playing your own game instead of the one you signed up for. Sneaky, Harry."

He gave a proud nod. Harry often disappeared from the game altogether and no one would even remember him until he appeared at the very end to catch the Snitch and end the game. He liked it that way. He once went to Hogsmeade during a rainstorm and got himself some hot cocoa. He managed to do that, eat some treacle tart, and get back to the game before anything amazing happened. And then he caught the Snitch and the game ended.

Good times.

"Why the sudden need to talk about boring sports?" Voldemort asked as he started shuffling the papers around again. His attention was being diverted once more and that would not do. Not when Harry hadn't even gotten to what he'd wanted to talk about!

"Boring?" he sputtered, completely bewildered at how nonchalantly the man treated Quidditch. "It's a deadly game played high in the air at impossible speeds, and many chances to either die or be permanently injured are prevalent." How was that in any way boring?

The Dark Lord shrugged. Shrugged!

"The Japanese have a more advanced version where you are only allowed to stand on your broom, but are expected to do everything else the same. Except the hoops. There is only one on each side and it is much smaller. And there are many more Bludgers."

...Harry wanted to play!

"That sounds bloody fantastic!" he admitted, suddenly wishing he lived in Japan.

"I'll take you to a game some time," promised the Dark Wizard, a small smile on his face. Voldemort had just offered to take Harry out somewhere to watch a sport. Together. As in an outing between just the two of them. A date. That was outside.

Awesome.

"Also, do not forget that I am capable of unsupported flight and can fly much faster naturally than any broom today can," Voldemort added a second later, making Harry's jaw drop. He hadn't seen Voldemort fly personally, even if it was common knowledge that he apparently could and had taught only his best Knights how to do it.

Which meant that he should totally be up for a fly, right? If Voldemort had trained himself so thoroughly, then he had to like to some extent, yes?

"So... if I were to ask you out on a date that will take place about two thousand feet above ground, would you be down for it?" he murmured, trying to appear as if his heart was not holding the man's response on a pedestal.

The crimson eyes narrowed playfully. "Do you think you could defeat Lord Voldemort in flight?" There was a challenge in the older man's words.

Well… "Sure! You're much older than me so if we raced I should totally be able to crush you."

Voldemort stood abruptly. "Then let us race, Harry."

This was going to be fantastic!

Voldemort easily surrounded Harry's flying form. The Dark Lord was very good an maneuvering in the air and while Harry dove and rose with the air currents, Voldemort was basically rolling around him.

It was a challenge, and in response, Harry did a barrel roll of his own, and laughed. His laughter was carried away by the wind, but Voldemort could see the joy on his face and knew that Harry was having a good time.

And Harry had been the one to suggest this. A 'date' a few thousand feet in the air. It was their first 'date' that wasn't held at one of their homes, and Voldemort actually found himself having a good time.

Harry's taunting was exhilarating, and his skills on his broom were impressive. He played a teasing game of tag with the Dark Lord, and smirked whenever he managed to catch Voldemort somehow, his hand usually caressing Voldemort's shoulder or neck as he did so. And then the teen would speed off, making Voldemort work a little more to catch him. And being touched so - dare he say sweetly? - was new for the Dark Lord, but he ended up liking it.

As for Voldemort's method of capturing his consort, he liked to get close enough to tease, but not close enough to touch, because he'd noticed that him whispering in Harry's ear made shivers run all along his lithe body, and that kind of affect while in his natural form, was an ego boost. Harry still found him attractive for some reason, and even liked the slight hiss that accompanied his speech thanks to the forked tongue in his mouth.

On the last turn, which both managed with issue, Voldemort decided to go a step further, and spread his magic out a bit more, engulfing both Harry and his broom easily. His arms wrapped around the younger wizard and they rolled to a stop in mid-air, Voldemort keeping them afloat easily. Harry was pressed to his chest and was still laughing.

§You got me. What do you want as a reward, my Lord?§

Had Harry ever referred to him as such aloud before? He couldn't remember, but he knew he liked it. And judging by his body's reaction, he really liked it. Adding on the fact that words were said in Parseltongue, and Voldemort was almost besotted.

The boy cleared his throat and eyed him up and down expectantly. §That was the hint for you to finally kiss me.§

§You're a cheeky thing, Harry,§ Voldemort said, unable to help himself from being charmed by the other's attitude.

He hesitated only a second, but then did as Harry was obviously wanting him to. What both of them wanted.

The moan he received for his efforts was delicious. And he learned that Harry really appreciated his tongue's strength.

"So something about the Greek Dark Lady has been bothering me," said Hermione conversationally as she took a seat across from Harry and Luna at the small, Muggle diner. A Muffliato had been cast of course, just to be safe. "So as any sane person would do, I decided to do a little research and found some interesting facts that many seem to have overlooked."

"Naturally," agreed Harry, knowing very well how Hermione got when she was curious about something. Or when she was itching to prove some inept fool wrong. She was spectacular when it came to searching for information and Harry wouldn't dream of challenging her to a drill. He liked learning new things, but didn't think it was fun like Hermione did.

Luna was humming as she proceeded to reach into her bag and pull out a tin full of what looked like caviar, but a little larger and not so black as the caviar he'd been forced to deal with over the years. She proceeded to dump an enormous spoonful into her tea, not explaining exactly what she was doing. Harry was tempted to ask, but decided that the knowledge was better kept away from him. Sometimes life was better when one just didn't know certain things.

While the blonde was busy with her thoughts, Harry focused his attention on Hermione, since she seemed to be boiling with the need to speak unhindered. And the longer she went without talking, the longer she ended up talking when she finally opened her mouth.

"Okay," she began, placing a green, spiral-bound notebook on the table. It was super thick though, and he was a bit wary instantly, wondering if it was completely full with her findings. "You read the news about her making her way to France and somehow breaking into the Flamel's old family home, correct?"

He and Luna both nodded. Harry couldn't get away from it because his father and godfather and cousin had been called in and his mum had Fire-Called him in worry. And then of course Voldemort decided to also come over to explain that he had full faith in the group he set out to apprehend/kill the woman. Harry hadn't been too worried because Bellatrix Lestrange was on the team. And all of them did come back in the end, so it was fine.

"Well the Flamel residence has been standing longer than Hogwarts has, and was created by Nicolas Flamel's great-great-great-great-grandmother. It's been the home of the main line of the family for centuries, housing Nicolas and Perenelle the longest. The ambient magic from being an Ancient and Noble abode that was seeped in traditional magicks over the years, had enhanced the wards. No one not related to the Flamels can get in unless invited by a Flamel's magic. They work much like the wards surrounding Hogwarts do after all."

"Then how could Herakles get in?" asked Harry, completely confused. No sane person would allow a madwoman into their home willing. She had to have broken in.

Luna paused, tea cup held to her lips. "Herakles is a relation to the Flamels, yes?"

What?! Harry head snapped over to Hermione fast enough for his neck to pop.

Hermione was grinning almost madly as she began flipping through the pages of her notebook. "I was looking up information on her to try to understand just why she would try and get into their home. It isn't as if they are alive any longer, so what could it be that she wanted? And then I found out that her great-great grandmother was a Squib descendant of Nicolas and Perenelle. But the woman left the family because she felt that it wasn't fair that she didn't have magic and that Nicolas continued to insist that there was no way to just inject her with magic unless she were cursed with Lycanthropy or Vampirism.

"She felt that since he was capable of making a stone that allowed him to live for centuries, he should have been able to create a method for her to have magic as well. So she outcasted herself and fled to Greece where she married a wealthy Muggle man and had many children. None of them had magic, but then all of her grandchildren had magic, and the great-grandchildren had magic, and then came along Herakles, who is said to be the most magically powerful witch from Greece."

So then, Herakles was related to the Flamels, and she had literally broken into their home in search of something. Her distant relation would allow her to be recognie once enough of the old wards were stripped, which would explain why she damaged them. Unless it was just for fun and she wanted to make her relatives suffer in the future. She had broken in despite her ancestors no longer being alive, and she hadn't bothered to contact any possible family members either. She decided to take matters into her own hands, and entered the main house of the Flamel family and even fractured the wards for whatever petty reason, according to Voldemort.

The papers had said that she took nothing, but many rooms had been overturned. She was in search of something and hadn't found it. And had left injured and forever changed.

Hermione held up her book and cleared her throat. "Draco helped me separate the information when I brought it all to his attention. She has been trekking across Europe for the past five months in search of something, and caused mayhem and destruction in every country she passed through. What people don't seem to realise, was that she was at very specific places. All those dead people in Romania, Austria, and Italy, weren't just random aristocrats, and not all of them were Purebloods. They were all personal friends of Nicolas Flamel in one way or another."

So Herakles Sotiropoulou of Greece, a distant relation to the Flamels, had been slowly meeting with friends of her many times great-grandfather. And when they didn't have what she wanted, she murdered them in cold blood. And she had slowly been making her way up the continent, attacking people in every country between Greece and France, and seemingly not seeing any law enforcement the former countries had, as a threat to her safety or personal vendetta, as she had yet to cease her trek. At least until Britain got involved.

The woman had hit Germany before forcing her way into France. As expected, many more had died in Germany, apparently because they didn't have what she wanted. And then she was spotted walking around the Muggle section of Toulouse and someone reported it to the Aurors. Then the French Ministry alerted the British Ministry immediately, and Voldemort sent a team of Britain's best duellists out, as the agreement Harry had drawn up with Minister Bertrand stated he would should the Greek Dark Lady set her sights on France somehow.

And by best, Harry meant the best. Bellatrix, Severus, Lucius, James, Sirius, and Nymphadora. The six had set out, dropping whatever they were doing and they had been able to Portkey to the French Ministry, where they were joined by the best Aurors the French had at their disposal.

Voldemort had told Harry that Bellatrix was in charge of the mission, being the oldest of the group and the most skilled at tracking. All the woman needed was a sense of the Dark Lady's magic, and she would able to pinpoint it from vast distances, and then stalk her across the land.

And she had. They arrived at the Flamel residence not too long after it had been entered, taking the place by storm and driving the woman off before she could cause any damage to any of the living Flamel's residing within. And that was only a family that had hidden themselves in the secret rooms of the grand castle while an unknown magical invaded their home and began tearing things apart. Four children had been among the family members and one of them had allowed the group of law enforcers onto the premises.

Severus would have been able to break down the rest of the wards, but doing so would only cause more problems for the living Flamels in the long run, so it was good that one of the children had been there to let them in with the family magic. Had Bellatrix been given a chance, she would have ruined their already fractured wards even further.

In the end, Herakles was driven off while lacking her left arm, and Bellatrix consulted with the Head of the French Auror division, where she proceeded to instruct them on how to track magical signatures and ward better. Sirius and Nymphadora set aside some time to instruct some of the Aurors on how to cloak themselves either magically or physically with little effort. Severus and James unfortunately got landed together for the 'guard duty' in which both studiously ignored one another and waited patiently for the remaining several hours before their return to British soil.

"Anyway, we know she's related to the Flamels, and that she is searching for something and is going to all of Flamel's friends looking for it. What do we know about Nicolas Flamel? What possession did he have that someone would be greedy for and people have been badgering him about for centuries?" was Hermione final question.

Harry got it just as Luna stated it plainly. "The Philosopher's Stone."

Either Herakles wanted immortality, or never-ending riches. And since most of humanity would gladly take one over the other, it wasn't shocking that the stone was her goal. He was shocked that he hadn't noticed any of this, nor considered it the reason for her to have broken into the Flamel residence.

"Mione, you need to share this with Voldemort, or Bellatrix at least. Just so someone higher up has all this information and it gets around fast enough to hopefully pull up the protections necessary. It was made a law to share whatever you know and I don't want you getting in trouble for waiting to reveal this." He didn't think Voldemort would hurt her since she was someone precious to Harry, but still it was a law and Voldemort liked his laws to be followed.

The brunette nodded, but looked sad. "I know. I just thought you both should know first because this gets even more dangerous and detailed. The only remaining connection to the Flamels, is Albus Dumbledore. He's the only living friend they had that is left."

Shite. Just when he thought that the drama in Britain was over, this had to go and happen. Herakles was no doubt coming to them next, but when, was the main question.

Voldemort did not necessarily take the revelation of Lady Herakles' plans, well. He didn't thrown a tantrum or anything, but his inkwell did explode and cover his desk in a mess. Of course he easily fixed that, but it was the fact that he'd lost control of his magic enough for something like that to happen at all, that had been the shocker. Also, the room suddenly becoming thirty degrees cooler was enough to show them how he felt.

"This means I have to speak with the old buffoon more than I want to."

Harry and his friend Granger shared a worried look, but didn't say anything in response. They simply waited patiently as he collected himself and forced his magic under control once again. And waited for the temperature of the room to return to normal.

Speaking with Dumbledore was always taxing in some form or another. And with how morose the old man had been in recent weeks, he wasn't looking forward to this. Because he knew very well that Dumbledore would use this as an opportunity to impart more wisdom onto Voldemort's unwilling shoulders. He wasn't looking forward to it.

"Good work, Miss Granger. My attitude may not be the best at present, but I am grateful and you will be rewarded for your diligent work."

Harry beamed at him with obvious pride and lead his friend from the office, allowing Voldemort time to himself. He didn't miss how Nagini had followed them out either, and resolved to lecture her later.

He had to compose a letter. Something to let the old fool know what was happening.

Dumbledore had gone to the Will Reading. It had made the papers. And what had been noted, was that no one but family had also attended the Reading. All those friends the Flamels had gained over the years, couldn't attend because they'd been slowly killed off over the past half year.

And no one had noticed. The fact that even Voldemort hadn't noticed was shameful, and also put some things into perspective. Particularly, he wasn't perfect and even he could overlook the most obvious of facts. After all, he'd been following the trail of murders and Herakles' travels quite closely and still had put nothing together on his own!

So Herakles was after the Philosopher's Stone and it was either in the Flamel Family Vault, or it was in Albus Dumbledore's possession. And since he was the very last friend of Nicolas', that meant the Dark Lady would indeed be intruding upon Voldemort's territory sometime soon. Which meant preparations had to be made.

He had to look at the future and consider just where she might pop up. And there were all sorts of events happening in the upcoming months that could be the perfect opportunities for an attack. Which meant higher protections and triple the amount of guards and wards.

All of this over a rock.

In a way, he felt that the entire situation was ridiculous. She either wanted eternal life, or eternal riches. And while he understood wanting immortality, he knew of a much easier way to obtain it. She had already murdered many innocent people, and a Horcrux wasn't difficult to make. Reabsorbing one on the other hand, was painful according to his tomes. But creation was easy enough if a little disgusting.

And if he considered eternal riches, he felt it was pathetic. Wealth was nice to have. It was nice to know that you wouldn't be struggling to exist. No starvation. No lack of clothing. A roof over one's head. It was great to know that he was secure and that he would never go back to a time where he had nothing. But material objects did not make his world go 'round. It was a reason why he didn't like Valentine's Day. Which was right around the corner. Damn it all to hell and back!

It was just a letter. He could do it easily. And he could be borderline decent in it. It was a sensitive subject. While Flamel's death didn't bother him in the least, his last living friend obviously wasn't taking it well if it had him staring at a frozen lake for hours at a time, talking about circles breaking and hoping that Voldemort would live a life with no regrets.

And Nagini had abandoned him for Harry. So he was all alone in the silence. No rats for her when she finally came back.

Lily,

It is that time of year again. The time where the Great Hall is inundated with pinks,
reds, and whites. All colours that I absolutely despise. Yet for some reason, the
students and other professors, welcome it with open arms. Very few people share my
displeasure with the holiday, and none of them are actually inside Hogwarts either.

What do you see in it? Surely nothing happens on this day that can't happen on any
other day of the year? A special dinner and chocolate can happen at any time so I
do not see the appeal. Surely there are people who understand my feelings. Yes?
I cannot be the only person to see a heart-shaped vial and think it ridiculous?

Sincerely,

I-Am-Tired-Of-This-Bloody-Holiday

~.O.~

I-Am-Tired-Of-This-Bloody-Holiday,

It seems like you're in quite the predicament! If I didn't find your suffering to be so
amusing, I might just feel bad for you. However, I think it's a nice time of year and
that you're only grumpy because you refuse to go to the pond and do some fishing.
There are many available witches, wizards, warlocks, and beings of non-human origin
meandering about after all. The pond is ever full and open always.

I'm certain you could find someone easily if you bothered. And it's not necessarily
the holiday itself, but more of what comes with it that makes everyone so happy.
Such as special sweets that only come out this time of year. And nice attractions to
visit. And of course most of us actually get the day off. So it works out in our favour.
Unfortunately, you are the one who accepted the offer to be a Headmaster to about
one thousand children at any given time.

Besides, I know you like Rosemerta's Valentine Wine. Even if it's a garish shade of
pink. And I think you only really dislike the holiday because the Weasley twins once
pranked you and turned your hair a bright shade of pink. Which actually looked very
good on you and was admittedly impressive of them. And the fact that spells could
not conceal it, nor would it wash out for weeks, made it even more traumatic for you.

Just listen to your Walkman and ignore the festivities if they bother you so much.
Or you can take my advice and go fishing for romance!

Lily. ^-^

~.O.~

Lily,

Rosemerta's wine is a family recipe that has been passed down for four centuries,
and every year she serves the bottles over forty years old. Of course it's delicious.
I feel no shame. It is a delicacy and I will treasure it every year.

As for the holiday, in the words of a great literary figure, 'Bah! Humbug.'. I don't
need romance, I need for romance to leave me alone.

Severus.

Harry stared at the bouquet of flowers on the counter. They were a bright shade of teal and all smelled rather lovely. And he didn't know where they came from, but they were nice. And his wand told him that there was nothing dangerous about them so he knew they were placed with friendly intent at least.

He took the little white card from the pot and looked it over, grinning to himself. Voldemort had taken the initiative and gotten him flowers for the dumbest holiday of the year. Dumb in the sense that many people only ever did grand gestures of love, on Valentine's Day, when it should be a year 'round kind of deal. Still, Voldemort had thought of him, and that was very sweet.

ßHi!ß a small voice practically screeched in his ear.

Harry jerked back and looked around frantically, wondering where it had come from.

And then, one of the flowers in the vase, moved, and shot up into the air. ßHi!ß it screamed.

His jaw dropped. It was a Pulchriteal. They were incredibly rare and very difficult to find. And Voldemort had gotten him one for Valentine's Day!

Pulchriteals were like mini flowers when still, but in movement, they resembled hummingbirds because their wing's moved so fast they couldn't be seen. And apparently they were very energetic too! Though it was to be expected from their description.

ßHello,ß he murmured, holding out a finger and waiting patiently for the little creature to land. ßI'm Harry.ß

ßHi Harry, we don't have names!ß

The young Potter sputtered. ßW-we?ß

And then another Pulchriteal appeared beside its friend, landing on his finger. The plumage of this one a lighter shade of blue, showing that he was the male, as the books stated. That one difference was all that existed to tell them apart.

Voldemort had gotten him two Pulchriteals, who were apparently friends at least. So that he wouldn't have to find another on his own when it came time for courtship!

The Dark Lord had thought of everything, and now Harry simply had to pay him back! Because he was so sweet in thinking of Harry and his interests!

ßMay I name you both?ß he asked softly, feeling incredibly excited but not wanting to scare them.

ßSure!ß they crooned, little beady eyes blinking.

So adorable!

§Am I not receiving anything on this most annoying day?§ Nagini demanded as she slithered into his office. §Is it not appropriate for you two-leggers to show appreciation?§

Voldemort sent the serpent a look. §You're a snake, why would you need to celebrate the day of love? You have no mate of your own, nor do you consider human practices interesting most of the time.§

§I want rats. Lots of juicy, fat rats to eat. Since there are no prisoners for me to consume, rats will have to do. And I raised you, you twitchy, salt water maker. I deserve something in return for all of your dramatics over the years.§

People did not understand how annoying snakes could be. Voldemort would liken them to cats. Scaled felines. Demanding, no concern for others unless it benefited them, and loud when they whinged. And Nagini dared to say that he was dramatic? He wasn't the one complaining about not having anything to eat. Despite the fact that she had eaten two days prior and did not need to eat for at least a week!

§You will get fat if you keep eating so much.§

§I will not.§

§I have a feeling that you do not pull this kind of attitude when you're with Harry. You favour him.§

She snickered. As well as a serpent could snicker anyway. §No, we gossip about you mostly. And he gives me the rubbing I deserve, and actually talks to me instead of paying attention to parchment at all hours of the day. You might take some lessons from your two-legger mate-to-be in that regard.§

He sighed, wanting to break something but not willing to put forth the energy required.

Being a Dark Lord was taxing in a way he hadn't assumed it would be.

A/N: The first is done!

Part of the 2017 Christmas Bundle.

How was it? Let me know!

Check out my other Harrymort fics!

See ya! :D

CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON.