My time

Chapter 72

Hayden peered around, they seemed to be in a rather desolate spot, he wondered if they ever actually had any customers coming here. He himself, didn't like the area much, too quiet, too desolate with many vantage points leaving you quite vulnerable. It was in the nook between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley and completely cut off unlike the other turn into Knockturn Alley. He found himself unimpressed, they had no signage, nothing to indicate a business flourished here.

"This is your work?" Hayden asked, an impassive look gracing his features.

"I know it doesn't look like much," Ignatius answered, looking around, a familiar sight to him, he idly wondered what Hayden was making of it. "But it's more familiar to me than my home at the moment." he dryly retorted. Which was true enough, the Black's had been very generous, buying the land and building the property that it now sits on. He'd stayed with his parents until their honeymoon, same with his wife, their first time under that roof was after their honeymoon.

Hayden snorted, "I'm familiar with that feeling," he adapted well though, perhaps a little too well, but living with people who hated every breath you took to suddenly having everyone love you for something you did as a baby…yeah, he remembered how that felt. "Well, let us go meet your bosses, soon to be former bosses!"

Ignatius groaned, "You are way too chipper," he was dreading this and here he was being all cheerful and chirping out his words. He valiantly tried to stop himself grinning just imagining their reactions, he failed. He couldn't deny he found the idea of a confrontation between Hayden and his bosses exciting. They'd taken advantage of him for years, took his work for their own and denied him multiple promotions yet promoted others less experienced and who quite frankly, couldn't draw stick figures and had no practice or apprenticeship, they got the job solely based on their last name. There were only three of them that was any good, the rest of his co-workers were there to make the company look good with their prominent named staff.

"How big is the workforce in the company? Do you know?" Hayden enquired, following Ignatius, who looked back and almost did a double take, he'd never seen such a demure look on anyone's face, just what did he think he was doing? Maybe he shouldn't have let Hayden decide to come, the next fortnight was going to be intolerable agony, he just knew it.

"Seven people, that includes my boss," Ignatius spoke quietly, as if expecting his boss to jump outside to reprimand him for talking about the company.

Hayden arched his brow, "That's it?" feeling more than a little baffled, he knew the magical world was smaller than the muggle one, but to have only seven people running a company? "How many architecture companies are there?"

"This is…was the only one," Ignatius corrected himself, since Hayden intended to create Peverell architecture firm, with him leading the charge. His wife was going to run the company on a day-to-day basis, and he would get to do what he'd been dreaming of for so long. His creativity had been stifled here to the point where he'd actually feared he'd begin hating drawing and creating wonderful projects.

"So, a boss, a secretary, an undersecretary and that leaves four people doing design work?" Hayden enquired, "I'm honestly surprised the business is making anything."

"Two of them haven't any experience," Ignatius proclaimed, "They've been promoted twice in a year." Unable to contain his bitterness. Usually he could, the only person that he complained to was Lucretia, but most of the time he just kept it all inside. If not for Hayden and his generosity in giving him this chance, he wasn't sure he could have contained it for much longer.

"Pardon me?" Hayden asked, badly startled, "Are you telling me that two of them haven't even been through the rudimentary apprenticeship or course? That they are fundamentally ill-suited for this job?" he couldn't believe his ears, Ignatius had sort of alluded to it, but he hadn't realized outright just how bad it was.

"Yes, that is the case," Ignatius quietly confirmed, as he opened the door allowing Hayden pass, shivering a little as he did so.

Hayden naturally caught the reaction, narrowing his gaze, "Are you alright?" wondering what had caused it.

"I'm fine, just a bit of a chill, I miss the better weather," Ignatius answered, he was not about to delve into anything remotely approaching the truth.

Hayden got the sense that he was lying, but he also couldn't just stand here in public demanding answers. He had no right to demand them, hopefully though, Ignatius would trust him one day, with the truth and his thoughts. They were family, and Hayden wanted all the family he could get. The entire extended Black family and as many children as he could, Merlin willing if it was possible. As Harry Potter, he had been a half-blood, with a muggle-born mother infusing his blood with new magic's from forgotten lines. Here and now, that wasn't the case, but hopefully death knew what it was doing. Instead, Hayden just patted him on the arm as they both stepped inside of the building. Maybe one day they'd be close enough that he'd feel comfortable talking about it.

"You did bring your notice, didn't you?" Hayden enquired, as his gaze roamed around the room, it was in no way altered inside to be bigger than the outside portrayed. Specialised magic wasn't easily done, and was actually quite expensive, its why not many bother with it unless it was important for them. Like the Weasley's they'd just continued to build onto the burrow instead of expanding inside, completely out of their price range.

"I did," Ignatius said, feeling a little impatient now, he wanted to get this over with so he could spend his time with his wife. He knew once he started working for Hayden that he was going to be busy for some time to come. The solarium in Peverell castle? That was just the start of it, Hayden informed him that he wanted him to do nearly all the buildings that he intended to build, for a whole host of different buildings, school, museum, pub, hotel, bed and breakfast, houses, flats, he was really going to create somewhere safe for magical kind to be without the fear of being found out. Hogsmeade was so loved for that very reason, but it truly was once in a blue moon when properties came up for sale. Normally they were handed down through the family, an inheritance.

The prices on those few properties were out of this world insane. Only people with money to burn like the Black's or the Malfoy's would purchase one. Well, Peverell too now he guessed, but for some reason he couldn't see Hayden buying it.

"Hey, Iggy, you're needed to work on the new project, get it done by tonight, I need to give the boss a cop…copy of it tomorrow morning at the latest." Pausing when he saw Hayden then continuing, "Why are you just still standing there? Get a move on!"

"I'm going to assume he's one of them?" Hayden asked icily, his gaze boring holes into the fool.

"My supervisor, Patrick Rosier," Ignatius replied, with far more kindness than he felt.

"Second son or cousin branch?" Hayden asked, exuding boredom, a dismissive look adorned his face.

"He's the only son of the second marriage of the third son of Easton Rosier, I believe he's nineteenth in line for the Rosier heirship," Ignatius explained dryly, "Soon to be twentieth, I do believe Helena is due to give birth any day now."

"Did a Rosier marry into your family?" Hayden deducted.

"Great-great grandmother I believe, yes," Ignatius answered, oh, it felt so good to ignore him, and watch his face flush red in embarrassment and anger. He wasn't used to being ignored, he used his name like a shield, and regretfully it actually worked, nobody really wanted to start anything with the Rosier family.

Fortunately, he just had to have the backing of a far more powerful and deadly wizard.

There was no way Lord Henry Rosier would even think to start anything with the newly emerged Peverell, not with him having the entire Black family at his back, Orion on his own was terrifying never mind the rest of them. He'd heard rumours of what Orion had done to his enemies, they'd never been able to prove it was him or remove the spell or charm upon the person. The counter-charm remained elusive.

"I wonder how much longer he'll have a job when there's nobody left to force all the work on," Hayden positively purred, eyes gleaming eerily as he stared at Rosier.

Ignatius stiffened, feeling like someone was walking over his grave, but the look on Rosier's face, oh, it was hilarious. He looked moments from peeing his pants. He'd had to endure this asshole lording over him for so long, it took everything in him to remain calm and composed when he just wanted to laugh in his face. Yet he didn't, it would be very unbecoming, he was better than that, he told himself so anyway.

"What?" Rosier squeaked out, staring between the terrifying newcomer and Ignatius – who he could reply on to get his work done in time and with – with dread. He had awards and medals for his work spread across his open office, in a place of pride. Stepping back in alarm, only for his eyes to widen and fear to take hold. Peverell. Lord Peverell. A shuddering breath left him, he knew if Ignatius took exception with such a powerful wizard backing him, he'd be disowned in a nano second.

"What?" Ignatius asked, with an innocent look.

"N-n-n-nothing," Rosier stuttered, backing away, beads of nervous sweat appearing on his face. He wasn't under any circumstances going to start anything with Ignatius, not now. He couldn't risk it. He wouldn't survive losing his family and allowance, unlike this job. A new one could be gotten, maybe they'd hire someone else who was just as capable. Like Patil, he could do it. "Hey, Parth! Get over here!"

"And he would be?" Hayden commanded, as he and Ignatius moved, it was open plan so Hayden could still see what was going on.

"Parth Patil, from the Patil family, they immigrated from India four generations ago, he's the brother of the current head of the Patil family." Ignatius explained, the head of the family had seven children, which didn't leave much in the way of an inheritance, thus the family (the entire family) worked to make an income.

"Does he have any experience?" Hayden enquired, gritting his teeth at the way the wizard was being treated.

"He has yes, he went to his cousins in India and learned the craft while there, some of the designs he's made are phenomenal." Ignatius confessed, "The Patil name doesn't mean as much here, not with the scared twenty-eight keeping closed ranks."

Hayden snorted derisively, "If they don't watch themselves, they'll find that there's only 'half' that sacred twenty-eight in a decade or two." And it was actually true, well, kind of, he could count at least eight names struck off with the last of the family line alive and with no intention of continuing their name, like Ollivander.

"Do you honestly believe that?" Ignatius questioned, as he gestured Hayden to go upstairs, leading the way towards his bosses office.

"I know it," Hayden murmured, frowning, "It isn't a bunch of guesses or half-truths for a book, it's reality, the truth is there for anyone who wishes to see the truth for what it is." He did wonder what would happen to all the first-generation wizards and whether they'd be accepted into families. Like Abbott and Ollivander, not to mention Rosier and Nott as well, and Malfoy, he thought, recalling Cora.

Ignatius remained quiet the rest of the way to the office, which truly wasn't that far. The space was small, and his boss was too much of a cheapskate to hire someone to make the office bigger and more spacious. Instead, they all had tiny offices that housed zero privacy.

He knocked three times, waiting.

"Get in!" was the sharp retort, "What is it?" he barked when he saw it was Ignatius, he knew it was the wizards day off. He should know he'd had to fight tooth and nail to try and get the wizard to come in, to make up for the time he took for his honeymoon. Time was money after all! And he wasn't paying him to traipse around the globe.

One glance at the wizard and Hayden didn't need an introduction.

It was a Rowle, and like the Crabbe's and Goyle's of his time they were practically clones, no matter who their mothers were. The inbreeding in those lines were too strong, if they just tried once…just once to let new blood in, the child (or children) would be exceptionally powerful and better looking likely.

The deep-seated hatred of muggles remained and had done so since way back to Damocles Rowle, the politician, and Minister for magic. He was responsible for Azkaban prison, and utilising the Dementors, he idly wondered if Thorfinn had appreciated that fact, he thought with a bitter pang of amusement. His own descendant had ended up in the very place he had made the worst place on earth. The last one actually since Thorfinn had never married or had children, his entire life had centred around the war, and doing as Lord Voldemort bid.

Bit too old to be Thorfinn though, so it definitely wasn't him, his father or grandfather for sure.

"I've come to give you my notice," Ignatius declared, removing the envelope from his cloak pocket and placed it on the desk.

"What?" Rowle asked, it took him a few seconds to actually digest what the wizard had said, standing up, "You wouldn't dare! Not after I took a chance on you! Nobody else will hire you!" he spat, ripping open the envelope, the veins in his head throbbing as he actually took in the information. He furiously ripped the paper in half, unable to believe the audacity.

"I've found somewhere else willing to hire me," Ignatius explained graciously, not taking it to heart, or at least trying not to. Working here had slowly made him feel like he was worthless, he liked to think it wasn't done on purpose.

Slumping back on his chair, rubbing his eyes, "Alright, what do you want? A raise? How much?"

"I'm not here trying to get a raise," Ignatius kindly explained, "I'm just giving you my notice, I will remain for the next fortnight, it will give you a chance to look for someone else." Being magnanimous, far more than his boss deserved, especially after the way he was treated.

"You dirty rotten little shit!" he snarled, standing up again, index finger on the table, "If you leave, I'll make sure you never find work again in your life. Mess with me, you mess with the sacred-twenty-eight!" he was practically frothing at the mouth such was his rage.

In another lifetime such a threat would have worked, would have had Ignatius back down, and endured a lifetime of people using him. Not that he would have had the guts to leave quite so early in life, Ignatius wasn't a wizard who liked confrontation. It made him feel sick to his stomach when it happened. Put him in a duel and he'd be happy to rough it out but confrontations definitely not. It had taken him everything – the love of a good woman – to ask Arcturus Black for his daughters hand in marriage.

Hayden laughed, "Ah, yes the sacred-twenty-eight, a bunch of inbred almost squib like idiots," sounding vicious and cruel, "Who think they're better than everyone else all the while their practices are destroying magic and our world dooming itself to extinction!"

Ignatius squeaked, at both the abruptness of Hayden's verbal attack and the sudden feeling of coldness that enveloped the room. It was such a small quiet thing that neither his boss or Hayden noticed he'd made any nose whatsoever. His magic was bloody terrifying! How could Orion stand it? How could any of them stand being in the same room with him for an extended period of time? Even as he thought this, he felt heart-warmed that he was being defended. Lucretia was really the only one he could remember defending him so zealously. His parents got on his case if his older brother got hurt when he was the younger of the two! What did they want him to do? Stop him? That would be a laugh.

Rowle turned to face Hayden, his face set in a degrading disgusted sneer, before it blanched off his face within seconds. It wasn't just the magic; it was the feel of it. He hadn't felt the likes of it before in his life, it was overwhelming. It made him want to kneel before Hayden and profess his allegiance. Such strong magic, but eventually, he pulled back, refusing to let it overwhelm him. "You only wish to be part of something so magnificent!" even he knew his own words were untrue, but he couldn't let such blatant disgust at their way of life to go undefended.

Hayden's harsh laugh made every single hair on Rowle's body stand up on edge. "Hmm let me see, a pathetic list made by a self-imported deluded old fool or a core just bursting with magic…so difficult to choose." Using his hands like scales raising and falling, "I'd rather be a nameless first-generation wizard than be on that foolish list, pray to lady magic she can change your idiotic ways before your family ends in ruin and lost to the ravages of time."

Ignatius glanced away, never in all his years had he seen his boss utterly speechless. He was literally gaping at Hayden unable to formulate a reply. This was the guy who got into a duel because someone called him stupid, for turning down a job from an important family. Under the belief if he looked too busy, the more people would want him, the more people would pay for his time.

"But I must thank you for giving me one of the best architects in the magical world," Hayden positively purred, green eyes gleaming wickedly. "You were foolish to ignore him thusly, he's worth every single worker in here, but instead of promoting your most qualified worker, you tried to kick him to dust. While promoting the worthless worms you surround yourself with. Do you get the odd backhander for every month you kept the insipid laughing stocks of their families?"

Ignatius felt his heart grow until it was fit to bursting, his stance straightened as he stood proudly. Awed at Hayden's ability to just speak in a confrontation, he knew he wouldn't have been able to do it, at least not easily.

Hayden laughed, "Oh, damn, I was right, is it enough to keep your business afloat? Especially when you've no longer got anyone that knows how to do the work? Even more so when you've got competition, your bid to squash any independence in Ignatius has just been the ties that broke the bind." Leaning over the desk, staring at Rowle with smug satisfaction.

Rowle all but cringed away from Hayden, as his lips and fingers became frostbitten. Which wasn't possible! It just wasn't possible! What was this wizard? it wasn't natural. He shivered as goosebumps ran up his arms, he wanted him gone, he couldn't even formulate a respond. He hated that most of all, he wasn't like a lot of people who only come up with their most biting retorts hours later after stewing in anger. He gave as good as he got right away, but this wizard was unlike anyone he had ever met before. He was terrifying.

"As an apology you're going to accept his resignation gracefully with a polite thank you, and then you're going to give him the rest of the fortnight off." Hayden commanded, the high on telling people what to do – instead of being told what to do – was a high all on its own. No wonder Orion got a kick out of it, he shouldn't get too used to it, he didn't actually want to turn into the people like them.

Green tinged Rowle gave a jerky nod, inching further away from him as possible.

"I didn't hear you?" Hayden barked out. "Did you hear him?" turning back to Ignatius including him in the conversation.

Ignatius felt anxiety skitter down his spine, he really just wanted to go. however, he didn't let that part of him dominate him, it hadn't won him Luce, hadn't won him the rest of the Black family. "I didn't hear anything," although, the thrill of getting his own back did add to the feelings suffusing him, his stomach was all a flutter.

Hayden noticed Ignatius' anxiety, of course he did, he was just that vigilant. It came with having a death threat hanging over his head since he was eleven. Not that it needed a lot of fine tuning, he'd been ever vigilant at the Dursley's. Between Vernon's aggressive moods and Dudley's 'Harry hunting' days, there hadn't ever been a moment where he could relax. He'd thought for a moment after Hagrid got him that he'd have that chance…then he'd realized quite quickly that it wasn't meant to be.

Here he didn't need to be, and often found himself relaxing only for something to have him kicking into high gear. Like the wards being breached for Dorea and Cygnus. Talk about being surprised, but it was a welcoming one. It meant he could actually be happy.

Happy, really, truly, happy.

Rowle put on his usual blank façade he used during Wizengamot meetings, "Yes," he informed him, "Your resignation is accepted as of now." he was smart enough not to make the situation worse, and that he was off limits, if he tried anything he suspected very heavily that he'd reduce the family name to nothing. He could be called many things, included impulsive, but never stupid.

"Out of sheer curiosity just how much are you getting to employ their useless relatives?" Hayden asked, sitting himself on the desk, looking for all the world, as if he was just catching up with a friend he hadn't seen in a while if you discounted the frigid temperature in the room.

Rowle stared at the wizard in disbelief at his blatant nosiness after forcing him to let go of his best employee and thieving him in broad day light! Now he was asking how much he was getting in backhanders? Truth was, it was enough to put up with them…but not enough to keep the company up and running, it would start haemorrhaging money soon, especially without someone around beside himself who could do the work. "Three hundred galleons," he confessed, rubbing his temple.

Hayden huffed a laugh, "I hope it was worth it, I can't believe you actually knew that it was all Ignatius' work. You best watch your next step, because I am going to do my level best to convince him to sue you to hell and back for theft of intellectual property." He swore, and he wouldn't stop until he got Ignatius the money that was rightfully his.

"No! no, we can work this out! Please!" Rowle stood, once again loathing the feeling of loss of control.

"Then get that damn Gringotts check out and give him his due, for every single bloody day he's worked for you. You get one chance, just one, if it's unacceptable then we take you for what everything." Hayden wrapped that threat as a warning.

Rowle swallowed, the Peverell family couldn't be that well off? Could they? They'd been all but extinct, everyone thought they were in the male line anyway. They would have the Black family money if nothing else, and with the Peverell and Black family combined…they really could take him for everything.

Merlin, he felt sick, but he nevertheless wrote the check, it was likely more than the damn sad sack would see in his life. It was an entire vault filled with galleons he was going to give away. Seven years' worth of bribes and contributions gone in the blink of an eye. It would take forever to build it back up, if that was even possible, he might not be able to keep them on, not without someone to do the work, and he couldn't contribute the time needed for every project on his own, he had his estate to run, Wizengamot meetings and family to see to, this was just a side thing he had going to explain money coming in.

With shaky fingers that he couldn't conceal for the life of him, he handed over the Gringotts check, cursing the very day he hired the damn wizard.

"Are the reparations appropriately satisfactory?" Hayden enquired, making no move to see how much the wizard had been given. "Is it worth all the work you've done for the company all these years?"

Ignatius nodded utterly amazed by the offer, "Yes," yes it was definitely satisfactory, bloody hell, this would see Luce and him living very comfortably for the rest of their lives, never mind their new jobs, and the income they'd get from Luce's parents, they were going to be more than alright. He felt shaky, he needed a damn seat, and maybe a couple of pints of whisky! "Yes, it's perfectly acceptable." It was more than the inheritance his parents had been able to give his brother.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go! have a second honeymoon, I'll see you next week." Hayden said laughingly, as he grasped a hold of Ignatius' wrist, and slowly pulled him out of his ex-boss's office. "Thanks again!" he said chipperly, as he strode down the stairs with an astonished Ignatius.

The money he'd just got, the holiday, the defence, he didn't care how on edge Hayden made him, he would be there to his last breath.

"Give my best to Lucretia," Hayden told him as they left the building.

"I will," Ignatius promised, and with that he apparated away.

Hayden once again drew wizards and witches to him, no matter where he went, and due to his humbleness and defence of others, he grew a healthy base for loyalty. Powerful wizards had disciples, and Antonin Dolohov was the first of many to come, to be their shield, and to follow in the glory that comes with their powers.

There were none that matched Hayden Peverell in power, one did come close though, in another like they would have been equals, but Hayden was far more powerful than Harry Potter had ever been.

Hayden apparated to Little Hangleton, his jaw dropped, the sight of Riddle mansion a surprise. He could only really remember it boarded up and derelict and unoccupied. Now it was positively thriving, the gates were open, the area welcoming, lush green grass, and the mansion was…well, gleaming for the lack of better word. Turning around he found the entire area completely deserted but homes intact.

It seems the war hadn't quite hit the small village.

Hayden froze when he felt a wand tip digging into his back.

A/N – have no fear there's an update for this on schedule next as well, in other words the next update will also by My Time! So, you won't have to wait too long for another update! Two or three days roughly although my weekend should be pretty free so I'm thinking two days but lately whenever I've planned anything it's just bit me on the butt lol so I likely shouldn't attempt to make any plans! Hmm I will need to look into how long it would take for Tom to actually get the Riddle estate from the muggles (I do like to keep things as realistically as possible) to see what has been done to the estate for the next chapter! It's going to be hard work trying to keep up with everything that's going on LOL I hope I'm not dropping the ball but I wouldn't be surprised with how much different projects that are all going on at the same time! It doesn't help that time moving on as well, giving me little time to incorporate it all! So, if you think I've been forgetting anything (highly likely) then don't hesitate to remind me! exams, Riddle estate, Peverell estate, surprise party, wedding…have I forgotten anything you think? R&R please and honestly are any of you surprised by Hayden's staunch support for anyone he cares about? Do what you like to him but you go after someone he cares about and all hell breaks loose! :D yeah it's fun to write that although Rowle was cowed too easily for my liking, but…well, he's not high enough up to be considered something of a threat to Hayden! not many will be and those that are are people he's going to care about that's the trouble with overpowered characters I guess but its all fun!