The start of the school year was already coming and Mirus was feeling nostalgic. Sirius, Barty and him had returned to England a week earlier to do back-to-school shopping and this return had not been welcome.
For more than a month, he and Blaise had grown very close without, however, going beyond the limit of friendship. Despite sometimes tender gestures, hands that remained a little longer than normal on the other's arm, complicit glances, they had decided not to rush into anything. After all, a holiday romance did not interest Mirus and a relationship started in this particular context risked not surviving in a more ordinary atmosphere.
Draco was happy to see his brother again and they spent a lot of time telling each other what they had done during their respective vacations.
- But when you say Blaise, are you talking about Zabini? What was he doing in South America?
- Apparently his mother takes him to a faraway country every summer. Big coincidence that we had the same destination for this one.
- And that wasn't a problem with Black and Crouch?
- The beginnings were complicated, I had to make him promise not to tell anyone about it. A magical vow, obviously, so that no one could make him say it under duress or read it in his mind. He is good at Occlumency but a good Legilimens like Dumbledore would have no trouble reading him.
- Does he know about Harry?
- Yes. I hadn't planned on telling him about it right away, but with Sirius Black so close to me, it was inevitable. Especially when the big idiot accosted me and called me his "beloved godson." And then, I admit to having a little more than a simple crush on Blaise and I refuse to start a relationship with a lie. It would be doomed from the start.
- You are not wrong. So he knows you're my brother and not my father's cousin?
- Yes, and it seemed to relieve him in the end. You impress him less than Lucius, he added with a laugh.
Draco pouted at these words.
- Don't sulk, it's unworthy of a Malfoy! Otherwise, what else has happened since I left?
- I already told you about Moody and Hagrid in my letters. It's a big blow to the Light side, two big fans of Dumbledore dying with a bad image like that.
- How does the old man take it?
- He made a whole speech about the Dark Lord, insisting that he wasn't dead and could come back at any time. The death of Harry Potter was brandished as a worrying sign, he being prophesied as being the only one who could defeat him and that he had to be given back the title of Chief Warlock so that he could protect the Wizarding population from this threat.
- Ooh… I doubt it went over well with the Ministry.
- Absolutely. Fudge threw a fit, insisting that Dumbledore wanted to usurp his place. He has since led a campaign against him in the Prophet. The old fool is now only headmaster of Hogwarts and even this position seems precarious.
-And Marvolo?
- The Dark Lord is still hiding. He will reappear when Dumbledore has lost all credibility and all his positions.
- The people are not likely to demand his return if they see Voldemort arrive?
- That's the subtlety of the plan, they won't see V… the Dark Lord. They will see Lord Slytherin reclaim his title and position in the Wizengamot.
- Not bad, not bad at all.
- Besides, Father told me that the Dark Lord would be present at dinner tonight. Apparently he wants to see you, he seemed upset. Did you contact him while you were traveling?
- Uh no. Do you think that's why?
- I don't know but father heard him grumble several times about the fact that you were so far away.
.oOÔOo.
The atmosphere at dinner was tense. Lucius and Severus kept their gazes down while Narcissa and Sirius chatted, trying to lighten the atmosphere by talking about the plants seen on the wizarding island.
- Okay, that's enough now, Marvolo!
The adults jumped when Mirus let out his exclamation while Draco seemed to shrink in his chair.
- Sorry for not having contacted you, I took advantage of my vacation to think about something other than England! You don't see Lucius sulking because I didn't write to him!
- Mirus… You shouldn't…
- No, Sirius. A month and a half of absence is not that long, we have had periods of silence much longer than that. Marvolo, explain to me why you take it so badly.
The adults stared at their plate, expecting monstrous anger from their Master at this disrespect. So they were surprised when the Dark Lord burst out laughing.
- Don't worry, Mirus, I don't blame you. Of course, it would have been nice to hear from you but, as you said so well, we had periods of silence longer than that. No, just because you didn't contact me doesn't mean I was in a bad mood.
- Then what's wrong?
- I don't know if Lucius informed you but I called my Death Eaters and their children to me this summer.
- No, I was not informed.
- I felt it was time to reveal my return to them.
-And what put you in a bad mood?
-Dumbledore. This old goat has been making waves at the Ministry since the start of the holidays. For the moment, the Minister seems determined to make him seem crazy, but his speech still touches people.
- Important people?
- Yes and no. My spies brought me back at least two Aurora, including a cousin of yours.
Narcissa raised her head.
- Andromeda's daughter?
- Quite. She is a metamorphmagus, which means she can take on any appearance. She would have been an asset in our camp. In Dumbledore's camp, she will throw a spanner in the works. It seems the Weasley family is firmly on Dumbledore's side. I refuse to allow the youngest of mines to take part in the war if there is to be one, but I fear that it will not be the same on the side of the Light. And the elders of the family have places that can bother us, notably young William who works at Gringotts.
- The twins can be formidable too but I think they can be persuaded to remain neutral if we don't directly threaten their family.
- I trust you on that. The two youngest seem to worship Dumbledore, if what young Nott reported to his father is true.
- Okay, so it's this pocket of possible resistance that's making you so bad?
- Humf… Only you dare to talk to me like that Mirus, you know?
- Obviously, you would not hesitate to throw the Cruciatus on anyone who did so. Good thing I'm your favorite!
Mirus accompanied his last sentence with a big, slightly goofy smile, triggering a new hilarity from the Dark Lord.
- This is the other reason I was upset this summer.
- That I'm your favorite?
- No, I wish you had been there when I called my Death Eaters.
-Huh?
- I wanted to ask you something important, Mirus.
The solemn tone made all eyes focus on Voldemort. His look had become very serious.
- You know that I care about you, it's no secret to anyone here. It is thanks to you that I was able to come back after these years of wandering in a wraith form... very unpleasant, shall we say. For someone like me who has always seen affection as a weakness, it took me a while to understand and accept it. What's more, you are a very promising young man. Your magical power is already remarkable and, coupled with your vast knowledge, portends a more than favorable future.
- Thank you Marvolo, I appreciate these compliments. But what exactly are you getting at?
- I would like to make you my heir.
A dead silence descended on the dining room.
-Your…heir? Why?
Marvolo sighed.
- I will never have descendants. No, don't look at me like that, I know I could take a wife if I wanted to. It turns out, however, that the overuse of rituals to improve my chances of survival in my youth had an unexpected side effect. Unless it was the use of the Philosopher's Stone that caused this state of affairs. It doesn't matter in the end. It seems that my genome has changed and I literally can't have children.
- Okay, but why an heir? It's not like you're going to die.
- That's not the question. Even though it is highly unlikely that anyone will find a way to defeat me, my encounter with you in the past made me realize that nothing is impossible. You survived the Killing Curse, after all. So, do you accept?
Mirus glanced at Lucius. Even though he was only his father biologically, agreeing to be Marvolo's heir was a big choice. The patriarch looked at him for a long time before showing a slight smile of approval.
- I… I accept. Thank you Marvolo, you don't know how much that means to me.
The emotionally charged atmosphere was starting to become awkward for Mirus who, despite the years spent with Fenrir and Sirius, still had difficulty getting used to the fact that adults could have positive feelings towards him.
After clearing his throat, Voldemort decided to change the subject.
- Let's talk about something else. Barty told me you completed your transformation?
- Yep, replied the young man, clicking the final "p".
-And are you going to tell me what your shape is?
- No, I'll show it to you after dinner, Draco has been bothering me since I came back to see it, this will be the opportunity.
.oOÔOo.
- And there, you should have seen my parents' faces when they saw a huge Zouwu in their garden! That was hilarious, wasn't it Mirus?
- Yes, it was memorable. Don't worry, Lu, I'll show it to you tomorrow in the Room of Requirement.
- I should hope so. Dad will be green with jealousy knowing that I saw a Zouwu up close. And I feel that you must be very affectionate in this form.
-And you are absolutely right. I never thought Mirus could purr so loudly. Everyone has been there! Even my godfather had hairs everywhere, very visible on his black clothes.
The three young people were laughing freely when the door to their compartment suddenly opened.
-Luna! How can you show up with Malfoys and laugh with them after Harry died! You were his friend, you shouldn't hang out with future Death Eaters like them!
The three blonds looked at the redheaded fury who had just burst in.
- Ginny, I don't think Harry wants me to stay unhappy, you know.
- Come with Ron and me then. We were his friends too, you don't need to hang out with shitty dark wizards like those two. Harry wouldn't have wanted that.
- GINEVRA WEASLEY!
Everyone jumped when they heard two perfectly synchronized voices ring out.
- Fred, George? Why are you screaming like that?
- What we just heard saddens us. How dare you pretend to...
- …know what Harry would have wanted? You weren't even close to him.
- Pffff, of course we were close. Why do you think he asked me to the dance last year? To count mandrake leaves? If you want to know, Mum said I could have been the future Lady Potter.
Mirus took care to keep an impassive face. If he hadn't been so good at hiding his emotions, he would have laughed out loud. The redhead's chances of being a lady at all were close to zero. With her manners, she would be lucky to attract even a Pureblood from a minor family so a future lord...
- But of course, Ginny. Go back to your compartment...
- …and stop living in your imagination. Harry is dead.
The girl's face darkened and she turned on her heel without responding.
- Sorry about her. She spent the summer alternating between crying fits and tantrums.
- Our mother had spoiled her off so much by reading her the Harry Potter stories when she was little that she made a big deal out of it.
- Imagining stories with Harry as a hero and her as a princess to save before marrying him.
- No problem, Mirus finally replied. Thanks for intervening, I'm not sure I would have managed to keep calm if she had continued to yell at Luna like that.
The twins nodded before exiting the compartment. The door was barely closed when it opened again, revealing a young man with brown skin whose gaze immediately turned towards Mirus.
- Blaise, come in, sit down.
He didn't need to be asked and sat down facing Mirus.
- Mirus, Draco, Lovegood, he greeted, bowing his head.
- You can call me Luna, if you want.
- Very well, call me Blaise.
Silence fell for a few moments.
- Oh, by the way, Blaise, we are all here in the secret so don't stress about making a misstep, exclaimed the young girl with a dreamy smile.
- Oh? I should have known you knew the truth, you were Harry's friend after all. It seems logical to me that he talked to you about it.
- Ah! As if! Luna knew before she even greeted me!
The brunette stared at the blonde.
- Interesting. Seer?
- Hmm... I don't have visions like a normal seer. I would say more that I know things, that's all.
After a moment of reflection, the brunette nodded to show that, even if he didn't really understand the difference, he accepted it.
The four young people discussed many topics, debating wildly about the desperate maneuvers of the headmaster of Hogwarts this summer and putting forward increasingly wild hypotheses about their next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Between a man possessed by the Dark Lord, a self-centered pedophile, a werewolf, and a Death Eater in disguise, the far-fetched ideas seemed to be the most likely.
.oOÔOo.
- Welcome to this new year at Hogwarts. Before starting the sorting of the first year students, we will proceed to that of a new student who is entering the seventh year. Having found family in England after a childhood spent in Hungary, young Mirus Malfoy decided to complete his studies with us. Young man, if you would please sit on the stool so that Professor McGonagall can proceed.
Mirus sat down on the stool on which he had already been placed a few years before and the Transfiguration professor placed the Sorting Hat on his head.
- Mirus Malfoy, you again. I really want to send you to Hufflepuff for what you did to me the last time I was on your head.
- Mmhmm. I would rather be in the same house as my brother this time. You know I have much worse memories than the ones I showed you last time? I once surprised my uncle with a rather revealing leather outfit...
- SLYTHERIN!
Mirus shrugged his shoulders. He was quite happy that it worked without him having to really think about that evening. It had already taken him several weeks to recover from seeing his uncle in a submissive outfit while his aunt brought a flogger into their room. This box was firmly closed in his mind. With chains. And padlocks.
- Well, now let's move on to the sorting of our youngest students.
The sorting took, in Mirus' eyes, an incredibly long time. When it was finished, the meal was served.
Blaise and Mirus sat next to each other, their legs regularly touching. Draco stared at them with a small smirk, remembering his brother's words. Indeed, it seemed to him that he felt more than a little crush on the brunette. He promised himself that he would make Zabini's life hell if he dared to hurt his little brother. There was no doubt that the other blond knew how to defend himself and that Draco was much weaker than him, physically and magically. However, Mirus had had enough emotional pain to last a lifetime and he truly wished he would never have to experience it again.
When the meal was over, the director stood up to give his speech at the start of the year. Mirus listened with one ear to the usual reminder of the rules as well as the information of the return of the former Care of Magical Creatures professor after the death of Hagrid to which he made absolutely no reference.
He looked up when the principal introduced the new DADA teacher. She seemed unfriendly and the flash in her eyes when Dumbledore passed over her name so quickly didn't bode well.
- Hem, hem.