30th August 1983 - Malfoy Manor

Growing up and living as an infant once more was detestable. I was not usually prone to strong emotion but the inadequacy of my disgusting, snotty, juvenile body, the complete and utter lack of personal agency and, worst of all, the constant, condescending barrage of attention from my new 'mother' managed to turn my admittedly sour countenance from my past life into something altogether more miserable.

I didn't hold that against Narcissa, however, or really anyone except whatever fucked up god decided to send me to be reborn in the wizarding world of all places, and as the twin brother of one of its more infamous characters at that.

But characters they were not, not any more at least, they were living, breathing flesh and blood just like I was, and damn if that wasn't a terrifying thought.

Existential dread aside, however, I found myself adapting to my new life relatively quickly. It wasn't like I could actually do anything other than watch and listen for the first few years of my life.

It was about as much fun as it sounds, and we're it not for Draco i'd probably have truly lost it. It sounds odd but he proved my saving grace in this new life, a guardian angel of sorts. Whenever anyone was getting too interested in playing with little Orion, treating me like the baby I physically was but mentally detested, he cried and kicked up a fuss making himself the centre of attention instead.

That suited me just fine, it gave me the peace and quiet to brood in silence rather than stew in the rage that being coddled and condescended to brought.

I didn't hold grudges though, it was waste of emotion and effort, so I still found myself warming to my new parents. Regardless of the quality of their moral fibres, they still showered me with love and affection, Narcissa more than Lucius, and I wasn't quite so miserable that I couldn't be moved by the genuine love they held for me, even if I hated the manner in which it was shown.

The years passed painfully slowly, but I gradually managed to get across the message through actions alone that I didn't enjoy being coddled and would much rather just be left alone. Not that it stopped Narcissa entirely, but I'd take what I could get.

Learning to crawl was the first taste of freedom I had in years, and took to it with gusto the moment my limbs could support me. The terror it caused my parents when, with my speedy little limbs and adult intelligence, I disappeared from my cot and hid from them was not something that caused me joy, but I nevertheless revelled in the almost forgotten feeling of just being alone. I was even worse when I learnt to walk.

I was not a people person. In fact, I was about as far from a people person as people could get. A few people in my previous life had labelled me a psychopath, but that wasn't accurate. I had empathy and a moral compass, I could tell right from wrong and outright detested dishonesty but I just... found it hard to care about others, or anything really. It made me selfish and apathetic, but at the same time there wasn't an awful lot that I actually wanted other than just being left alone, so I didn't consider myself a bad person per say. Just not a good one.

Living comfortably was just about the only ambition I had, and at least with the extremely wealthy Malfoy's that seemed like a sure thing. Well, except for Voldemort and the war, but we made it out of that pretty well in the books all things considered.

And besides, that was a problem for future Orion, not me.

Right now, at a whopping three years of age, I was currently a lot more concerned with Draco's latest... scheme, if it could be called that. My brother couldn't even read and yet he was already obsessed with quidditch and brooms. Father had, obviously, forbidden him from going near a broom until he was older after he'd convinced Dobby to bring him one.

The elf hadn't gotten off lightly from that one when Narcissa learnt of it. I was empathetic, but not enough to stop her. I'd demonstrated my ability to speak over a year ago, but I rarely did so. As in my old life, I found I didn't ever have much to say.

Currently, much to Dobby's terror, Draco had bullied the elf into showing him where they kept the brooms seeing as he couldn't bring one to him. I made a point to stick as close to Draco as I could bare, mostly because despite my antisocial nature and general dislike for children, he was about the only one who didn't speak down to me and, to be perfectly honest, I was bored. The antics of my brother were about the only entertainment I got when I grew tired of perusing the Malfoy library.

Discretely of course, I did not want anyone kicking up a fuss over how supposedly intelligent I was at such a young age. I couldn't actually think of anything worse happening to me under my current circumstances. Dobby helped me read under my parents radar and in return I treated him like the intelligent being deserving of respect that he was.

It didn't stop his whimpering and whining from being annoying, but I wasn't going to take out my irritation on him. He may have been the cause, but it was my fault that I was such a miserable bastard so it would hardly have been fair.

Unfortunately for him, however, Draco didn't think the same. Already he felt a strong desire to copy everything our father did, including kicking the elf up the backside when he was supposedly being too slow.

"Hurry up elf!" Draco spat as we snuck through the manor gardens, avoiding the peacocks as best we could.

"Yes master Draco, sorry master Draco." The elf whimpered back pathetically, grating on my nerves.

"Shhh" I whispered to Draco, both because we were supposed to be sneaking and because the cries of Dobby were like nails on a chalkboard to my ears.

After another couple minutes of dashing between hedgerows like we were some kind of spies, our hoods up and sticks in our hands as mock wands to complete the image, what was technically our 'shed' but actually put some houses to shame, came into view.

Draco turned to me. "That's the bad guys house. They've stolen our brooms and we need to take them back!" He told me in a serious manner that was supposed to be authoritative be was actually just mildly amusing.

But I was playing along, so I didn't laugh. Of course, in Draco's mind the 'bad guys' were the evil muggle-lovers and we were the noble death eaters.

I know, yikes. Narcissa had told him off more than once for other such instances of make-believe, but Lucius' bedtime stories really didn't help.

I wasn't going to spoil my brothers fun, however, so I went along with it. I nodded at him seriously. "Yes sir, what are your orders."

Draco liked being the one 'in charge' in our games, and that suited me just fine.

The silver haired toddler waved his wand. "I'll app... appar... I'll go in and kill the baddies and get the brooms. You watch for any nasty muggles... or Mummy and Daddy."

Then he jumped up, did a spin in an attempt to recreate the twisting effect of apparition and sprinted towards the shed.

I have to admit, not many things made me smile, but that brought a bright chuckle out of me.

I looked at Dobby, who was wringing his hands nervously, his eyes cast downwards towards the shed.

If I were a nicer person I'd have told him to go and tell our parents so they could put an end to Draco's game without Dobby getting in trouble. Unfortunately for the elf I liked Draco more than him, and I'd make sure Draco didn't get into any real trouble on my own.

"You can go, Dobby, and don't tell my parents a thing for at least an hour. I won't tell them you helped us, but Draco might. I'll try and convince him not to." I told him, as if I could convince Draco of anything.

Dobby nodded furiously. "Yes master Orion, Dobby thanks you." Then with a snap he aparrated away.

I walked up to the shed, then, listening as Draco made a racket inside looking for the brooms, and waited outside with my eyes peeled.

It was unfortunate, then, that I soon saw the towering form of Narcissa Malfoy approaching from around the corner of one of the many hedges, a frown on her face that told of her displeasure.

She appeared much the same as she did in the films, with a silver streak in her otherwise black hair.

I discretely stepped back and kicked the door to the shed twice to give Draco some warning to hide, and hoped he got the message. When the banging from inside stopped, I was optimistic that he had.

"Orion, what are you doing out here?" My mother said accusingly, stopping before me with her arms crossed and giving me the look that only cross mothers could.

I looked up at her and met her eyes with an innocent look on my face. "Nothing." I said as genuinely as I could.

Now, I wasn't a big fan of lying, not only because I was just plain bad at it but because I held honesty as one of my few virtues. But I valued loyalty above it.

Much of my past life was hazy and lacking in detail, but a single quote remained clear as day. 'Loyalty is its own reward', they were words I chose to live by. And who else should I have been loyal to if not my twin brother?

Her scowl deepened. "Orion. We keep the brooms in that shed. You haven't been trying to take any of them have you? You know it's dangerous, and your daddy told you not to."

I suddenly found it very difficult to meet her gaze. "Umm... no?"

That was the wrong answer, she reached out and grasped my hand and began to pull me back to the house.

"It's very naughty to lie to your mummy, Orion." She tutted as we walked.

I spared a quick glance back and saw Draco sticking his head out of the shed door, watching me as I went. I gave him a wink, and he returned it with a bright smile then disappeared back into the shed.

That kid was really growing on me, I just hoped he lacked the ability to actually use any of the brooms, or at least was as good on them as he was supposed to be. It would really suck if he fell off and hurt himself.

Thankfully he returned to the manor unharmed half an hour or so later and joined my on the 'naughty step'. I'd heard our father's displeasure from two rooms away as he chewed Draco out for flying without his permission, but the enormous grin on Draco's face was undimmed as he sat beside me.

"Thanks Orion," he said happily.

I smiled, nudging my shoulder into his in brotherly fashion rather than giving him a verbal response.

Maybe being a kid again wasn't completely awful.