My Time

Chapter 42

Orion and Hayden had returned to Orion's bedroom. Gravitating towards the bed, and Orion pointedly did not judge. They were from different times, the contract and what Hayden thought of them had pushed that point home far greater than anything else could have. They would have differences, not just in opinion, but life in general. Orion didn't care about all that though, he was excited to begin his new adventure with Hayden.

"Do governors of Hogwarts have any say in new classes or some such?" Hayden asked, as he plucked yet another envelope off the pile.

"No, they don't," Orion shook his head, still reading through all the letters that had come for both of them. Most of them were congratulatory, most that were anonymous were filled with vitriol but he just set them on fire. Frankly Orion was surprised there wasn't more angry letters (and howlers come to that) coming through for them. They were turning the world upside down for all the purebloods and he knew intimately how it felt. He'd been the first one to realize all this, except those who learned through their family grimoires according to Death.

"Then what is their purpose?" Hayden enquired, "I mean I know the Malfoy's have a seat, right?"

"A board of governors is a group of highly qualified individuals that are responsible for overseeing and managing an institution. Most institutions, from corporations to non-profit organizations to media outlets to government bodies have a board of governors." Orion told him, almost quoting the words he'd read over and over again as a young boy. "And yes, seats are passed down, the Lord of the estate chooses who presides over them, and yes, they're usually highly qualified."

Hayden scrunched up the letter and flung it into the bin, "What kind of qualifications do you need? And isn't choosing a class managing an institution?"

"Each board of governors are different, especially private businesses, but Hogwarts? Requires years of experience, line management, good financial management." Orion explained, taking another letter from his box. "Something we all learn from a young age, well, except Walburga, she went through her trust vault within four years…we only just found out…he doubled it." Unable to say his name, his own uncle, he couldn't do it. Of course, at the time he thought he'd have the entire Black estate to make up for it, the fool.

"Who else is on the board?" Hayden asked, turning to face Orion, giving him his entire attention. The contracts can wait, it wasn't as if he was ever going to agree to any, he was betrothed now. Hopefully that meant Orion felt more comfortable with him. When they were in the tent away from the rest of the world, Orion was at his best. The quicker they had a home of their own, Hayden realized, the better. Although, in the eyes of society, they couldn't do that until they were married…and he couldn't embarrass the Blacks. They were going to be his family after all, and that's what Hayden wanted more than anything else.

"Lord Malfoy, Lady Abbott, Lady Marchbanks, Lady Prewitt, Lord Pettigrew, Lord Weasley, Lord Brown, Lord Crouch, Lady Slughorn, Lady Shafiq and Lady Lestrange." Orion recited the eleven names, his included made up the name of twelve governors of Hogwarts.

"Interesting," Hayden murmured, "Can they be sold off?"

"No, but they can be handed to whomever the Lord of the family pleases, to preside over it in abstention." Orion told him, "My father hasn't had anyone take over the duties, but I have asked to take over." And he would likely get it, there was nothing he had asked for that he had not received.

"So, theoretically I could buy one of them out, create a contract to preside over the seat for say ten years?" Hayden suggested with a smirk.

"Well, yes, true." Orion said in bemusement.

"Could we give the governors more power?" Hayden hummed as he ripped up the insulting Betrothal Contract up and put it into the bin.

"That will never happen," Orion shook his head, "It's likely already felt that they have too much power as is."

"Let me guess…Dumbledore's words?" Hayden said with a sneer.

"It may well be, I'm not sure, I've not really paid any attention to the Governors policies." Orion confessed, "It's not really a duty that anyone in the family really likes." However, they would have done their duty whether they liked it or not.

They were all just glad Arcturus had not given them such instructions to take on the mantel.

"Hmm," Hayden murmured, "Something else I'll need to read about, there are a few classes I'm determined to see at Hogwarts. If we are to bring our world back to its former glory while creating new magicks, then it must be done."

"Such as?" Orion asked, setting the complimentary note aside, for Hayden to read if he wished, plus, it was expected to at least send out a few thank you notes to those who took the time to answer. They were finally making some headway in the massive boxes the House-elves had put them in. Under normal circumstances a sack would have been used, but with two different sort of mail coming…the House-elves had used boxes that they used for vegetables.

"Pagan classes, yes, the books will be widespread, but I want them to learn it too." Hayden told him. "I don't want to think of it as a religion class, they'll likely expect one of Christianity which is what they offer in Muggle high schools, even religious education doesn't sound right…"

"Paganism sounds fine to me," Orion agreed, glancing up when his door was rapped loudly. "Come in,"

Lucretia popped her head in, "Dolohov is here to see you two."

"Hey," Hayden grinned, happy to see her, "Still on for tonight?"

Lucretia blinked, "If you wish," she agreed, before giving a wave and wandering away.

Hayden glanced at Orion, "Okay…is she always that way?" was she just not used to him? Or was it more likely that she just didn't like him? He hadn't gotten that impression when they spoke yesterday.

"You're a Lord, yet you want to spend time with my sister, who isn't going to be a Lady yours or otherwise." Orion replied, grabbing up all the paper and shoving it in the bin, until the room was at least moderately tidy.

"And? Is that weird?" Hayden asked befuddled, joining Orion in his quest to tidy up the room rather impressed he actually cleaned his own room. He'd expected that he'd just leave it and let a House-elf do it. The two piles that weren't discarded were set on his desk. The desk that had so enamoured Hayden when he first entered the room.

"A little bit," Orion confessed, putting the bin back in its original spot for the House-elves to empty. "Not in a bad way, just, different. Heirs and spares are treated differently, one receives lessons and is put into a Betrothal Contract that would benefit two families, primarily them. Spares are giving far more allowances, sometimes even allowed to pick their own bride."

"Rewind, you're confusing me, I don't get it." Hayden said staring blankly at Orion.

Orion smiled, bright and genuine, "And that's why I intend to marry you." He said besotted, kissing him, it was a small peck to the lips. "Now come on, nobody likes waiting."

"Orion! You literally didn't explain anything!" Hayden protested, as he followed Orion out before rushing to put the bundle of opened letters back on the desk before rushing after him. "Orion…" he whined in the Black heir's ear.

Orion laughed, turning Hayden's face away, wiggling his finger his ear, amused. "She likes you, don't worry so much."

"How do you know?" Hayden asked, and he did want Orion's family to like him, so, so much.

"Trust me, I know," Orion grinned, "You should hear her when Jackson Travers is around, she really, really hates him."

"She was betrothed to marry him, wasn't she?" Hayden asked, as perceptive as ever.

Orion glanced at him; he wasn't even remotely surprised Hayden had figured it out. "Yes, she was going to be, when it became known she wouldn't be able to have children…he said some very unforgivable things about her."

Hayden laughed, as they descended the stairs, two at a time, "Ooo, never ever piss of a Black female, I'm surprised he survived." Grinning widely, he'd been entirely honest when he said that Lucretia's magic was just as strong as Orion's.

"Only just, the Travers aren't as well of as us, after my father was through…he never as much as looked at any of us again." Orion told him, "None of the family did actually, and since they broke the initial Betrothal Contract, they had to give us compensation." He'd been really young at the time, probably sounded immature intimidating him, but Lucretia was his sister and he loved her.

"And what did you do?" Hayden asked, as they turned into a sitting room.

The second they entered, Antonin stood, it was clear he was deeply uncomfortable. Not that his face gave anything away, but he was twisting the hat he'd come with into a twisted mess.

"What makes you think I did anything?" Orion asked, giving Hayden his most innocent look, he was capable of.

Hayden snorted, dismissing Orion's attempt at all, "Hey, how are you doing?" his tone going from normal conversing with Orion to soft and filled with sympathy.

There was absolutely no subtly to him whatsoever. Orion made a mental note to try and get Hayden to employ some…actually, no. He cared about Hayden exactly as he is, no, loved him just as he is. He was unique, loving, caring, it didn't matter what standing you had, he was truly the most amazing creature to walk this earth and the most deserving.

"How did you know?" Antonin asked, ignoring the sympathy for the moment. "How do you know." Almost wishing to pace up and down, wear hole in the rug in front of the lit fireplace. Yet it would be rude to do so, that and he'd done it for hours at home and it hadn't made any difference other than cause aches in his feet.

Orion glanced at Hayden perturbed, "My father informed you the last time you were here." Orion couldn't help but point out, had he forgotten in the ensuing trauma? He had been through something similar, very similar in fact.

Antonin turned and blinked at Orion, "Oh, of course, forgive me, a necromancer, did you um, did you see my mother?" did she know who attacked her at the time before her death or was it something they just know after death?

"Please sit, would you like something to drink?" Orion remembered his manners belatedly.

"No, no thank you, I want to get back to my father," Antonin gave Orion a smile, it wasn't bland but it wasn't exactly full of merriment or delight. Given the topic of conversation it was hardly surprising he was barely smiling.

"How is he?" Hayden asked tone still soft, from where he sat on the couch, having sat before Orion even said for Antonin to do so. He'd already been invited in by the family, so technically Orion hadn't needed to give him leave to sit.

"Stopping it is only going to prolong the agony, the damage has been done," Antonin told them his agony very real and very present.

"Why not get Phoenix tears?" Hayden asked, "Even three drops will undo all the damage." And then some.

"He's serious," Orion informed him before Antonin could demand if he was being funny or glare coldly at him.

"And just where will I find Phoenix tears?" Antonin asked dryly, "The Apothecary?" just to be clear, phoenix tears were not available at the apothecaries. They were one of the rarest items you could possibly get. Next to impossible, right next to Basilisk skin, Basilisk hide and all other Basilisk parts.

"Do Gringotts not procure items for people?" Hayden asked, barely moving his lips, and deliberately not adding the 'yet' to the end of that sentence.

"If it's done it's not very often, I've never come across such a thing," Orion murmured, but it was no surprise really, anything they could want…was procured for them and freely available.

"Doesn't Dumbledore have Fawkes?" Hayden asked, making no effort to include Dolohov, in fact, propelling him out of the conversation by casting a silencing charm.

"Not yet, not that I'm aware…" Orion confided, aware that sometime in the future Dumbledore would have a phoenix. That and its name was apparently called Fawkes.

"Damn," Hayden grumbled, "I thought he got that phoenix right around the time he defeated Grindelwald."

Orion just shook his head, he didn't know.

"Wait, what about a purification ritual? Would it get rid of the toxins in his body?"

Orion shook his head, "That wouldn't be able to heal damage, would it? They're cast during naming ceremonies as a cleansing for babies."

"The more power that's put into them the further the cleansing and purification goes." Hayden commented, "I found it amongst the Black books, it would have…helped with the Horcrux I thought, but it was just a thought… it isn't evidence." Which was why he didn't go on about it.

"I could ask my father…" Orion said quietly, brow furrowed, "Is the book just about rituals?" trying to gather as much information as he could to help him.

Hayden hummed, "No, I was actually reading it because you…um it was mentioned." He ended lamely, he didn't want Orion to know he'd read his journals, or rather a version of Orion's journals. For all he knew those journals may have been Walburga's design too.

Orion frowned, giving Hayden an odd look, having caught the 'you' there. "Rituals I would be interested in?"

"Not you, per se," Hayden grimaced.

Orion blanched, "Of course," realizing that Hayden's future self only knew the magically altered version of himself. Not something he was going to dwell on, that much he vowed. It was absolutely terrifying thinking about it, the only upside was the fact that according to Hayden, they'd never met. He wasn't sure what he meant with his earlier words but he'd figure it out. "We really should remove the silencing charm its very rude." Especially given that he'd come here when his father was clearly not in the best of ways.

Hayden removed it with an eye roll, "Sorry, but you really should ask the goblins at Gringotts. It will probably cost twice the price that they would pay for the ingredients itself. It might be freely more available in America, or Africa, they can find it for you if anyone can."

Antonin mused thoughtfully, "I hadn't considered using the goblins, they're well known for procuring items for anyone who ask, but that's normally physical items, not potion ingredients."

"Oh, bloody fucking hell!" Hayden blurted out, smacking his hand over his eyes, "Remind me never to piss you off." His tone a levelling out as he said this.

"Hayden?" Orion murmured, pressing firmly against his left arm, attempting to get the wizard to lower his arm.

"Tell him to burn in hell," Antonin said still seething.

"He's already doing that," Hayden shuddered.

"What's it like?" Antonin asked entirely too curious, as he leaned forward to better hear Hayden.

"Like the Bloody Baron, only you know, cuts where he's been cut to pieces, but still whole, you cut him to pieces while he was alive and burnt the pieces didn't you?" Hayden asked, arching a brow. He could see almost blue 'flames' around the visage of Dolohov's uncle.

Antonin looked impressed, "You really are a necromancer, aren't you?" there was no way else he could know this information. He had literally only just finished his business, situated his father and came here. His memories were well protected by his mind shields. He would have felt if anyone, anyone got passed his mental shields. Then his lips tightened, and he gripped his wand, but made no move to unsheathe it. "I demand the assurance that you won't tell anyone." Orion, he trusted, but Lord Hayden Peverell?

Hayden narrowed his eyes, his control slipping, as his powers came to the fore, and suddenly there were two additional figures in the room. It also become frosty, the very air they breathed became chilled. Their breaths fogging up as they breathed out, in trembling bursts. As he slowly stood, power exuding in droves from him.

"Do you know necromancers can actually bring people back?" Hayden spoke calmly as if he wasn't threatening Dolohov. "They can power them, overpower them, and it would be their own magical signature left behind. Nothing like Inferi, no, that is child's play compared to what necromancers are capable of doing. I wouldn't even need to do it just now; I could do it in the middle of a party where dozens upon dozens of people would insist, I was present and no way I could have done anything."

Orion could barely breathe watching Hayden in all his glory. For someone who said they couldn't kill to save everyone…he was very effective in his threats. The power, Merlin, help him, but it was rather arousing…he'd never realized he was attracted to power this much. Or maybe it was the attractive package the powerhouse came in. Orion shifted, crossing his legs to conceal his problem. He would have added a pillow but that would be like drawing way too much attention to it.

They were having a very short Betrothal period he decided. After his sister married Ignatius Prewett and they were back from their honeymoon, he'd mention it. He'd never do the disservice of mentioning it until after she was married, she was revelling in the time she was getting to spend with their parents. It was normal, after all when they had him and he had reached a certain age, his father and mother had paid more attention to him since he was the 'heir'. There came a time though when you didn't feel the need to win your parents approval so deeply. He knew how it felt to desire that though, it had died for him when he found out about the contract, he wasn't sure how his sister felt about it.

Antonin was frozen, staring at Hayden with far greater respect than ever before. He had felt the magic of the heir of Slytherin, and it was nothing compared this. Necromancy was types of magic now, not an actual, factual ability. He was terrifying in his glory, the raw untapped power…Merlin, Orion was truly one lucky wizard.

"Do not test me, Antonin Dolohov." Hayden's tone was dark and vengeful, green eyes glowing with the full extent of his power on display.

Orion whimpered, pressing his legs together as tightly as humanly possible.

"Merlin's balls," Lucretia said, staring into the room shivering, eyes agog at the scene in front of her. Even all the way across the room, Lucretia's breath fogged up too, a testament to Hayden's powers.

Antonin knelt on his left knee, arm over his right knee and forehead across his arm.

"Bloody hell," Orion murmured, copying his sister, stunned.

"I swear allegiance to the Lord Peverell, and the Peverell family. To the allegiance to which it stands, and solemnly swear my loyalty and will perform the duties my chieftain swears of me for the entirety of our lifetime. Or may my magic be taken from me, and Merlin help me." Reciting the words from memory, despite the fact a Dolohov had never taken sides before, never swore allegiance to a chieftain, a master, in other words.

And since he'd done this now, he would never be able to swear his allegiance to another.

Hayden gulped, well, that answered that one, clearly Dolohov wasn't a Death Eater yet.

Another part of Hayden was thrilled to have the backing of a wizard of Dolohov's standing, his magic, his spells, he was quite frankly of the most powerful wizards in the magical world alongside him, Tom and Dumbledore.

Way too thrilled if he was honest, understanding all too well the thrill Tom Riddle likely felt with the powerful men kneeling before you, freely offering you, their allegiance. Judging by the way Orion was acting…it was by no means the usual way to go about it either that or something else entirely.

Ooo so will Hayden agree or will he say something that will cause a lifetime of hatred from the Dolohov? Or will Hayden slowly amass enough power that Tom Riddle doesn't dare go against him? and can you believe Dolohov has been in it more already than Tom? not that it matters I still haven't decided what to do with him, in all honesty. Whether to have the Black family take care of the growing problem or have Tom become a major political/personal alley of the Peverell/Black family to make the world to their image? would you like to see a primary school inside of the Peverell estate? or will we have it somewhere in Hogsmeade? Or will we see it created where the Riddle estate is? Will Tom reclaim it? become Tom Gaunt? or does Tom Slytherin sound better he's already Tom Slytherin in Lord Of Time so I don't really want to do it too often and too many times! Well, I'm going to see if Quantum Bang has any stories that sound good :) R&R please and bye guys take care and stay safe xx