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The Black Heir	By : gpsassi Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Voldemort Views: 42492 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created and owned by JK
Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books,
Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being
made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

AN: Thanks to everyone for your great reviews!

I know that Orion has been used endlessly before, but I love the sound
of that name. I like it far better than Polux, Castor, Aldebaran or Antares
even. Orion has such a melodic sound to it.

And I�m really sorry for the anonymous reviewer that got hurt and mad at
me for what happened to Sirius on chapter 18, but if you read chapter 19 you
would see that there�s some hope yet. I�m sorry to hear that you won�t be
reading the story anymore and I hope you find a story more to your liking, just
make sure it isn�t labeled as a Drama. I would recommend a Humor one if you�re
looking for a story that uplifts your spirits, as you said.

Xenia Marvolo, thank you very much for your review, I enjoyed it
immensely. I�m really glad that you think that Lez and Calypso are well written
characters and I agree with you about the canon female characters, I have never
found one that I really like. I have sometimes found a Hermione that I have
liked but then she turns out to be a Mary Sue and it spoils it. Just out of
curiosity, which is your first language? English isn�t my first language
either; it�s my third, lol, just like you. And I eagerly look forwards to your
next review, to read about your comments on the other characters! Thanks for your long review!

Enjoy and
please review!

Chapter 19 � First summon & Birthday Ball

During the next week, Orion helped Narcissa to take care of the
Lestranges and many of the rescued Death Eaters were already healed and were
resting while waiting for their Lord to summon them. Bellatrix had already
awoken when Orion wasn�t in the room but Narcissa prevented him from seeing
her, saying that Bellatrix was a bit mentally unstable and that it wasn�t safe
for him to be around her yet.

Orion was currently standing in the middle of his bedroom. He was in
deep meditation, trying to summon the dark magic he had released in Azkaban.
Following Tom�s advice, he had practiced daily but had yet to manage any
results. He closed his eyes and focused to feel his magical core. He could see
it in his mind, like a great pulsing whirlwind of lights. He went further,
going into layer after layer of his magic, trying to find the source of his
dark magic. He could feel it in his body, somewhere deep inside him, but he
hadn�t reached it yet. Orion thought it must be in the center of the core,
after all the layers of magic, but he had never been able to go so far. Every
time he inspected it, his core seemed endless and he always ended exhausted without
being able to reach its center. Orion frowned while maintaining his eyes
closed. There had to be a way to call the magic up to the surface, to make it
leak from the center and fill his body like had happened in Azkaban. Tom said
it had been triggered by his emotions.

So he started thinking about his father�his face cold and white, his
empty grey eyes looking into space�He felt a shiver running through his body
and sorrow started to fill his heart. But his magic didn�t stir. He
concentrated further and thought about the happy moments he had shared with his
father. But it only brought a painful longing and despair� Orion shook his
head. In Azkaban, his dark magic had roared in anger, trying to destroy
everything. Orion realized that love couldn�t summon it; it was hate and desire
for revenge that had fueled it. He went back to that fatidic night, he
remembered Pettigrew squeaking and pleading for his life. Orion started shaking
in anger and disgust. Pettigrew calling Sirius the traitor,
trying to convince Remus of his innocence. Orion mentally snarled. He
kept going. The Dementors sweeping over Sirius, sucking his memories�.Pettigrew
justifying his betrayal�Snape willing to turn Sirius to the Aurors just to
satisfy his mindless revenge� Dumbledore saying that Sirius deserved to go to
Azkaban�Dumbledore disregarding his father�s innocence�allowing the Aurors to
restrain him�allowing a son to watch how his father was taken away to be
Kissed�..Orion�s fury increased, his desire for revenge intensified�to see Dumbledore�s
blood spill, to see Pettigrew writhing in pain at his feet�Orion allowed the
feelings to take over his mind�then, he felt it. A tingling
in his skin, a furious fire roaring inside him. He mentally inspected
his core�.he saw pitch black threads of magic curling around his core. Orion
concentrated harder, he pictured himself torturing Dumbledore, killing Pettigrew�.and the black threads pulsed violently
and got larger. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He increased his
ire, violent scenarios flashing through his mind. The dark magic started taking
over the core, he could see it, black swirls, no longer threads, vibrating
inside him. He pulled at them and more dark magic was released. He felt it
filling his body, a burning fire consuming him. And, oh, the
power�. the pleasurable fierce power raking his body, demanding to be used to
strike down his enemies. He felt it now all over his body. His palms tingling, his fingertips lightly burning, and his scar
pleasantly pulsing. Orion shivered, the sensation was unexpected, almost
erotic. He felt filled with darkness and his senses became overloaded.

He opened his eyes and stared at his hands. His white palms were exuding
a soft dark aura. He focused to bring more dark magic to the surface. He didn�t
break his concentration and kept thinking about revenge, pain, blood, torture
and death. The soft dark aura became dark dense swirls of blackness. He brought
his palms forwards and furrowed his brow in concentration. He could feel his
forehead drenched in sweat and his body shuddering in heat. Heat, Orion
thought, that�s what it felt like, a roaring internal fire. He focused and the
dark swirls turned into black flames that licked his palms. He felt the heat on
his skin but it didn�t hurt him. Could he shape his dark magic into whatever he
liked? Was it a real fire that could burn others? He made the black flames
flick higher and aimed his palms towards a chair. He gathered more magic to his
hands and wandlessly shot the flames towards it. Orion�s eyes widened when he
saw a beam of black flames reach the chair and quickly devour it in a cloud of
black smoke. He stumbled backwards and his body sagged. He felt very drained. He looked at his palms and saw that the flames
were gone. He tiredly sat down on his bed and thought about what had happened.
It was clear to him that only dark emotions were able to call to the surface
his dark magic and he seemed to be able to give it any shape he liked. Orion
frowned, well maybe not any shape, he would have to practice more and see what
it could be turned into. But turning it into a real fire clearly indicated that
the possibility was there. And it also made sense. The dark magic theorists
believed that its origin was the Earth�s raw magic, so turning dark magic into
a natural element seemed like a plausible thing to do. He wondered how many
wizards were able to do so. He hadn�t read about it, but surely if he could do
it so could other dark wizards. Though it could be considered as wandless magic
and not many were able to do that�.

Suddenly he felt a sharp burning around his little finger. Orion frowned
and saw that his ring was glowing black and he sighed. Voldemort was apparently
summoning his Death Eaters. Why did it have to be now when he felt so tired? He
quickly stood up and cast a Scourgify over him. He grabbed the black mask he
had used in Azkaban and put it on. He threw a hooded black cloak over his
shoulders and pressed his wand�s tip to the ring.

Orion portkeyed into the Summoning Chamber
and saw that the rest of the Death Eaters were already forming a two-row
semicircle around Voldemort�s throne. He could
see that most of those who had been rescued from Azkaban were also there. And
he recognized Venerian Vlonski, Xander Fornax, Konstantin Kavsir and Richard Parkinson
amongst the gathered.

Voldemort rose from the throne and addressed his followers, pinning them
with his red gaze, �Welcome back, my trusted servants.
Finally our family is complete. Those of you who remained in Azkaban instead of
renouncing your loyalty to me will be rewarded above everyone else.�

�Master!� interrupted Bellatrix, throwing herself at Voldemort�s feet
and fervently kissing his robes, �Thank you, Master! Thank you for freeing us!
I always remained loyal, always faithful. I knew you would return to us!�

Orion scrunched his nose in disgust. How could Bellatrix lower herself
and act in such a subservient way? She was a Black! She should have more pride!

Voldemort looked down at her and thinly smiled while tracing a long
white finger along her cheek. Bellatrix shivered in pleasure and Orion almost
choked when he saw her reaction and how she adoringly looked up at Voldemort
while remaining at his feet.

Voldemort unexpectedly locked gazes with Orion and smirked while he ran
his finger along her face. Orion almost shuddered at the intense look that
Voldemort was giving him.

Voldemort lowered his gaze to look at Bellatrix and said quietly,
�Bella, I never doubted your loyalty. Rise and take your place at your
husband�s side.�

�Yes, my Master,� she simpered while she rose.

�Lestranges, come forward,� commanded Voldemort.

Orion saw Rodolphus and Rabastan taking a few steps forwards and kneel
to kiss Voldemort�s robes, before standing up again bowing to him.

�Dolohov, Rookwood, Yaxley, Jugson, Avery, Mulciber, Carrows�� Voldemort
said while those mentioned reached Voldemort and knelt in front of him, bowing
their heads.

Voldemort looked at them with a small smile and said, �You are my most
loyal followers. You will be part of the Inner Circle, like last time.� Then he
frowned and asked, �Where is Crouch?�

Yaxley replied, still bowing his head, �My Lord, I saw the guards
dragging his dead body out of his cell a few years ago. He is dead, My Lord.�

Voldemort�s eyes flashed in anger and he said quietly, �We have lost one
of our most loyal, he will be avenged-�

Suddenly a short fat wizard
apparated in the middle of the room carrying an unconscious woman. The Death Eaters kneeling in front of Voldemort rose and aimed their
wands towards the new arrival and the others remaining in the circle took out
their wands. Orion stood on his tiptoes to see better but he could only see the
wizard�s back.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes into slits and hissed dangerously,
�Wormtail, you have returned to me-�

Orion tensed and angrily took his wand out. He could see the other Death
Eaters whispering angrily and twitching to torture the traitor.

Pettigrew dropped the woman and launched himself at Voldemort�s feet
while saying in a pathetic small pleading voice, �My Lord- I never left your
service � I was waiting for your return-�

Voldemort angrily pushed Pettigrew away with his foot and snarled, �You
didn�t come when I first summoned my Death Eaters. You remained hidden. You
betrayed me-�

Pettigrew whimpered and said desperately, �No, My Lord! I was trying to
return to you � Black! Black found me. He betrayed you, My Lord. He remained
faithful to Dumbledore, he wanted to avenge the
Potters. He wouldn�t let me return to your side!�

Orion tightly clutched his wand in rage and had to restrain himself from
cursing the traitorous rat.

Voldemort looked down at Pettigrew with disgust and said, �And you
betrayed me as well, Wormtail. You send me to the Potters knowing what would
happen-�

�No!� wailed Pettigrew clutching Voldemort�s robes while remaining
crouched, �I didn�t know what would happen- I never imagined that the Potter
boy could defeat you-�

Voldemort ripped his robes from Pettigrew�s grasp and hissed furiously,
�The Potter brat didn�t defeat me! He survived by mere chance.�

Pettigrew squeaked and replied hastily, �Of course, My Lord, I never
meant to imply-�

�Crucio!� said Voldemort aiming his wand towards Pettigrew.

Orion smiled in satisfaction while he watched Pettigrew thrashing on the
floor while screaming in pain.

Voldemort ended the spell and said to a whimpering and sobbing
Pettigrew, �You return to me because you were discovered, not out of loyalty.
Your friends discovered your treachery and seeked revenge. You have nowhere
else to go. Yet you expect to be allowed back into my ranks?�

Pettigrew crawled towards Voldemort and said sniveling, �I-I can spy for
you, My Lord. I brought a Ministry employee � she has information � she can be
useful. Please, My Lord, please-�

Voldemort looked at him impassively and replied coldly, �You will have
to be punished, Wormtail.�

�Allow me, Master� said Bellatrix giddily stepping forwards. Pettigrew
squeaked and crawled away from her.

Voldemort looked at her with a thin smile and said, �No, Bella. I have
someone else in mind for the task.� He turned around and pierced Orion with his
scarlet eyes, �Black, show us what you can do. You can maim him but not kill
him.�

Orion raised an eyebrow in surprise and stepped forwards. The Death
Eaters stood aside to let him through.

Bellatrix swirled to face Orion and said with a frown, �A Black?�

Voldemort smirked and replied, �Yes, dear Bella. Let me introduce you to
your nephew, Sirius Black�s son, Orion.�

Orion reached them and Bellatrix looked at him in disgust and spat, �The
bloodtraitor�s son?�

Orion looked into her dark grey eyes and hissed furiously, �My father
wasn�t a bloodtraitor! He became a Death Eater and he was loyal to the Dark.�

Bellatrix raised her nose in the air and said snidely, �And what�s a
tiny little boy like you doing here? Shouldn�t you be asleep in your bed
hugging your teddy bear?�

Orion heard many Death Eaters laughing and snickering and Voldemort was
watching them with an amused smirk on his face. Orion clutched his wand in
anger and spat, �Apparently not, since I was summoned here just like you.�

Orion didn�t give her time to reply and turned around to face Pettigrew
who was looking at him wide-eyed. Orion smirked viciously at him and said,
�Hello there, Pettigrew. Surely you didn�t think we wouldn�t meet again?�

Pettigrew frantically looked at Voldemort and shrieked, �He�s a traitor!
He was with his father when they prevented me from returning to you!�

Orion violently clutched Pettigrew�s robes and said furiously, �Don�t
lie, you bloody traitor! You were hiding and never planned on returning to the
Dark Lord�s side. You will pay for what you did to my father, you disgusting
rat!�

Orion threw Pettigrew to the floor and quickly said, �Crucio!�

Pettigrew thrashed on the floor screaming for him to stop. Orion felt
the dark magic rising inside him, clamoring to be used. But he pushed it down.
He didn�t control it fully yet and he didn�t want to show Voldemort that he
could summon it at will. He had only managed that today and he would need to
practice it for some time before using it in front of others. And he had wished
to have this opportunity for a long while. He knew exactly what to do to
satisfy his thirst for revenge.

Orion lifted the spell and hissed, �Sssserpentisss flameossss�

Four snakes made of fire shot from his wand and rose in front of him,
waiting for his instructions.

He heard some Death Eaters gasping, surely the ones that had been
rescued from Azkaban and didn�t know that he was a parselmouth.

Orion looked at his snakes and hissed, �Hold him by hisss wrissstssss
and anklessss. Bite him to keep him in place.�

The snakes slithered towards Pettigrew and each one coiled around an
ankle or wrist. Pettigrew shrieked and made an attempt to move away but the
snakes bit him and his body froze when the poison entered his bloodstream and
his screams soon ceased. Orion could already smell Pettigrew�s flesh burning
where the snakes were touching his skin.

Orion knelt by Pettigrew�s side and conjured a large dagger. He saw
Pettigrew�s eyes widening in fear and Orion smiled at him. �What was it that
you cut off in order to incriminate my father and send him to Azkaban for life?
Ahh, yes, I seem to remember. A finger, right?�

Pettigrew�s eyes grew impossibly large and Orion smirked at him. Orion
leaned over to whisper in Pettigrew�s ear, �This is for all the people you have
betrayed. This is for my father.� And he swiftly brought down the dagger�s
sharp blade and cut off Pettigrew�s left hand in one strike.

Pettigrew�s body convulsed lightly and his mouth twisted to give a
silent scream. Blood rushed from his severed wrist and Orion watched in
fascination how the red thick blood pooled around him. Orion wasn�t sure how he
felt. He felt coldness creeping inside him but also a sense of satisfaction.
Pettigrew deserved much worse, he knew, but he had never expected to feel
rewarded when torturing someone. Orion shook his head. This was a small
measurement of justice. Pettigrew didn�t deserve his pity or mercy.

Orion saw Pettigrew�s eyes rolling to the back of his head. It had to be
because of the burns and the loss of his hand and blood. He cast an Ennervate
and Pettigrew regained consciousness. Orion quickly cast a spell to seal his
wrist and then a dark spell to prevent him from ever attaching an artificial
hand to that wrist.

Orion aimed his wand at Pettigrew�s severed left hand, which lay on the
floor in a pool of blood and said, �Incinerus!� The hand disappeared in a ball
of fire and was quickly reduced to a pile of dust.

Orion stood up and flicked his wand to end the parseltongue spell. The
four snakes disappeared in a puff of black smoke and Orion could see that
Pettigrew�s wrists and ankles were burned almost to the bone. It didn�t worry him, those could be healed with potions. Orion looked at his
robes and pants and saw that they were drenched in Pettigrew�s blood. He
grimaced and quickly cast a strong Scourgify. The poison in Pettigrew�s body
seemed to be losing its effect already, since Pettigrew started whimpering and
grabbing his wrist protectively.

Orion took a step backwards and he cast the last spell he had planned to
use on Pettigrew if he ever found him, �Dementia nocturna!�

It was a very dark curse that would force Pettigrew to relive his worst
nightmares and memories each night for three months. Orion hoped Pettigrew
would be plagued by the Potters� and Sirius� deaths.

Satisfied, Orion turned around to look at the Death Eaters. They stood
silently regarding him and some shifted uncomfortably. Bellatrix was looking at
him as if she had never seen him before and there was a prideful glint in her
eyes. She said condescendingly, �You did well, little nephew.�

Orion smirked at her and replied, �Thank you, dear Aunt.�

Voldemort glanced at him briefly and then said coldly to his Death
Eaters, �Someone remove Pettigrew and give him some potions.� Then he turned to
look at Orion and said quietly, �Take your place besides Bella.�

Orion nodded curtly and went back to the circle. He saw that Lucius was
on his other side looking at him with a satisfied smirk.

Voldemort stood in front of them and commanded, �Avery, bring forth the
witch that Pettigrew captured.�

The witch was deposited in front of Voldemort and he quickly cast an
Ennervate. She woke up and gasped when she saw Voldemort�s red eyes piercing
her. She looked around nervously and cried, �Where am I? Who are you?�

Some Death Eaters laughed and the witch rose shakily from the floor.
Orion felt a stab of pity for her and hoped that she wouldn�t be damaged.

Voldemort aimed his wand towards her and hissed, �What�s your name and
what�s your position inside the Ministry?�

The witch looked at him in fear and stuttered, �Who- who are you? Your-
your eyes...�

�Crucio!� snarled Voldemort and the witch fell to the floor shrieking in
pain.

Orion silently sighed and prayed to Morgana that the witch had enough
sense to answer Voldemort�s next questions without angering him more.

The spell was lifted and the witch sobbed on the floor, still having
spasms from the pain lingering in her body.

Voldemort coldly looked down at her and said, �If you want the torture
to end you will answer my questions without delays.�

The witch shook in fear on the floor but replied in a hoarse voice, �I�m
Bertha Jorkins. I was on my vacations�� She looked around uncomprehendingly, �I
don�t know how I got here-�

Voldemort interrupted her impatiently, �What do you do in the Ministry
of Magic?�

Bertha looked at him wide-eyed and stuttered, �I-I work at the
Department of Magical Games and Sports.�

Voldemort frowned and looked at one of his Death Eaters, �Rosier, you
reported that the Ministries were planning to reinstate the Triwizard
Tournament this year. Do you have any new information regarding the
Tournament?�

Rosier calmly replied from his place at the semicircle, �Yes, My Lord.
Everything is settled already. Durmstrang�s and Beauxbaton�s delegations will
be arriving at Hogwarts in October.�

Orion tensed. Did they have something planned for the Tournament? He
didn�t like it one bit. Hogwarts will be filled with children and an attack
during the Tournament would cause many unnecessary deaths. His friends will be
there as well and he didn�t want them to be in any risky situation.

Voldemort smirked and turned towards the witch. �Tell me what has been
planned for the tasks.�

Bertha replied uncertainly, �I don�t know much. I- I don�t remember�
There are three tasks�and the cup�.I think there�s a goblet��

Voldemort looked at her with a frown and hissed, �Your department is
organizing the Tournament and you don�t remember the details?�

Bertha shook with fear and blabbered, �I-I don�t have a good memory�I
try to remember but I can�t�I don�t know�.� And she broke down in sobs.

Voldemort looked at her disgusted and swiftly aimed his wand at her and
said, �Legilimens!�

The witch�s body tensed and rigidly remained still. Her eyes became
unfocused and her arms dropped by her sides.

Orion looked at Voldemort in awe. He was able to cast the spell without
looking into the victim�s eyes! He could see Voldemort concentrating and his
eyes were glazed over, as if he wasn�t in his own mind. It was fascinating to
watch.

After a while Voldemort broke the spell and looked at the witch with
interest. �You have a strong Memory Charm blocking one of your memories.�

Bertha had recovered from the spell and looked at him wide-eyed, �I- I
have? I don�t remember��

One of the Death Eaters snorted and Voldemort looked at her with a
vicious smirk. �I can remove it for you. Would you like me to?� he said
quietly.

Orion frowned. To remove a Memory Charm was very dangerous,
the victim could suffer from brain damage if it wasn�t done carefully. And
Voldemort didn�t seem to care if he did it with delicacy as long as he got the
information that was being blocked. Orion made a move to come forwards but
Lucius forcefully grabbed his arm and shook his head at him. The message was
clear, he shouldn�t interfere. Orion looked at Voldemort and the witch with
apprehension.

Bertha looked at Voldemort warily and replied, �I don�t know�It could be
dangerous�I don�t remember much about that type of charms but-�

�Enough!� interrupted Voldemort impatiently, �Look at me.�

Bertha instinctively obeyed and Voldemort swiftly placed his hand above
her head. He murmured a spell that Orion didn�t hear and Bertha started
shrieking in pain while her body violently convulsed. Voldemort kept looking into
her eyes and he clutched her head tighter. The witch screamed in agony and
large tears were rolling from her eyes but she didn�t seem able to close them.

Orion lightly trembled where he stood. It was a horrible scene to watch,
she was in such agony, her screams were torturous.
�No� he whispered under his breath when he saw that the witch had started
drooling from her mouth. Voldemort was tearing her mind apart! He had to stop!
Orion made another move forwards but Lucius fiercely clutched his arm once more
and hissed, �Stay still, boy! Let him do it! It�s too late now, anyway.�

Orion shook his head fiercely and violently removed his arm from Lucius�
grasp. Just when he took another step forwards, Voldemort stopped and removed
his hand from the witch�s head. She dropped to the floor like a rag doll and
Orion stared at her horrified. Her face was frozen in a distorted grimace of
pain and she was drooling copiously. Her eyes were wide-open and seemed empty.
Orion involuntarily shuddered. Her eyes looked like Sirius� after the Kiss.

Orion looked up at Voldemort in anger and saw him looking back at him
with a raised eyebrow and a taunting smirk on his face.

Voldemort silkily asked, �Something you wanted to say?�

Orion angrily clutched his wand by his side, he
could almost feel his knuckles cracking. Yes, you bloody bastard, he thought
furiously, that was unnecessary, you destroyed her mind! But what could he do
now? It was too late. If he said something he would only be tortured for
showing disobedience and disrespect.

Voldemort smirked widely when he saw the boy�s eyes flashing with anger.
There stood the boy, in front of his Death Eaters, looking so small yet
confident in his power and rightful anger. And he was so stunningly beautiful
with his dark hair, contrasting white skin, and sparkling emerald eyes. A precious unique jewel in the midst of darkness. What
remained to be seen was if he was smart as well.

Orion swallowed his angry retort and curtly shook his head before
returning to Lucius� and Bellatrix�s side.

Voldemort thinly smiled in satisfaction and addressed his Death Eaters,
�It seems that Bartemius Crouch was the one to place a Memory Charm on the
witch. She discovered something very interesting when she went to his house to
have some documents signed by him.� He paused and continued, �Barty Crouch Jr.
is alive and is being held under the Imperius Curse by his father.�

Some Death Eaters gasped in surprise and Voldemort said, �We will plan
his rescue on a later date. The witch also had valuable information on the
Triwizard Tournament.� He turned to look at Bellatrix and said, �Bella, dispose
of her.�

Bellatrix eagerly strode forwards and said, �Avada Kedavra!�

Orion closed his eyes in despair when the green light filled his vision
and he felt his heart turning a little colder. He didn�t mind seeing in pain
those who deserved it or even causing that pain himself, but that witch had
been innocent and she had tried to give them information. She had suffered a
great deal and it could have been prevented. He could have acted sooner�.Orion
shook his head. He wasn�t being realistic. He couldn�t have stopped it, even if
he wanted to. Voldemort would have just cursed him and continued with the mind
violation. But could he justify his actions with that argument? Would he stand
aside and do nothing when this happened again? Was he prepared to cast aside
his principles and morals to allow these things to happen in order to avoid
being tortured? Orion opened his eyes and warily sighed. He would intervene
when he had to protect someone truly innocent and when he knew he could win. He
gained nothing if he intervened when he could be easily stopped.

Voldemort said in a commanding voice, �You can leave now. Inner Circle,
stay behind. We have much to plan.�

Death Eaters started apparating away and Orion saw Rosier, Lucius,
Bellatrix and the Lestranges remaining with some others. He gratefully strode
away from the Summoning Chamber without looking back.

As soon as he closed the door he saw Narcissa waiting for him. She
approached him and gently lifted his chin, �Are you alright?�

Orion gave her a small wan smile and nodded.

Narcissa sighed and said, �I think you�re too young to be participating
in these meetings. I don�t know what the Dark Lord is thinking about, letting
you see those things. But Lucius assures me that you won�t be summoned
frequently and that today was only your introduction.�

Orion replied earnestly, �I don�t know why the Dark Lord wants to summon
me either. But I think it�s because he wants me to be his follower when I�m
older and perhaps he wants me to be prepared. I don�t mind. It was hard but
it�s better for me to become used to it.�

Narcissa clicked her tongue and walked away with him, �You�re too young
to become used to those things. Draco is also getting ready to become his
follower but I would never allow him to participate yet, even if the Dark Lord
commanded it. And thankfully, he hasn�t. I will have a serious talk with Lucius
about it. He can dissuade the Dark Lord from requesting your presence.�

Orion looked at her and said, �I don�t want to put Lucius in a sticky
situation-�

Narcissa interrupted him, �Nonsense, we are your guardians now. You are
our responsibility and we will look after your well-being.� She raised her chin
haughtily and said, �I won�t have any of my children deprived from a normal and
happy childhood. No matter how many Dark Lords I have to face in order to
accomplish it.�

Orion looked up at her in wonder and asked, �You�re my guardian? You
consider me your child?�

Narcissa warmly smiled at him and said, �Yes, we are your guardians.
Lucius informed me, just before the gathering, that the papers had come through
and that we won your custody.� She cupped his face and looked into Orion�s
eyes, �You�re family, you�re a Black, and now you�re my child.�

Orion felt his eyes fill with unshed tears and warmth spreading in his
heart. Narcissa sighed and lightly stroked his hair while she looked at his
face. �You look so much like your father.� Orion happily grinned and she smiled
back at him, �He was my favorite cousin when we played together as children. Always so wild and fun, and so charming. Bella and he never
got along but we were friendly before he ran away from his parents� house. And
I admit that I never liked Aunt Walburga much, so I partly understood his
reasons for leaving.�

Orion chuckled, �Yes, grandmother had a very strong character and was,
perhaps, a little bit mad. It does seem to run in the family.�

Narcissa smiled playfully, "Yes, it does."

Orion had already unpacked all his things and was currently observing
his room in Malfoy Manor. His father was in a room next to his already being
attended by the mediwitch that Narcissa had hired and Draco�s room was across
the hall from his. The Lestranges had been given quarters on another floor.

The door suddenly flung open and Orion spun around and smiled when he
saw Draco striding in. Draco had changed a lot. Orion briefly remembered how
Draco had looked like the night he had gone to Hogwarts to rescue Sirius. Gone
was the short, thin faced boy of years past. Draco was tall and lean and his
pale blond hair hung loose around his face. He was very handsome and now there
was a marked air of confidence and arrogance about him.

Draco pulled Orion into a tight hug and said, �I�m so glad you�re
staying to live with us. I haven�t seen you in ages, apart from that one
night.�

Draco broke the hug and looked at Orion appreciatively. He said with a
smirk, �You�ve grown.�

Orion laughed, �I was just thinking the same thing about you. We aren�t
small boys anymore, are we?�

Draco quirked an eyebrow and drawled, �I was never a small boy. You
were, as I remember, very short. Still are a bit,� he said with a taunting
smile.

Orion lightly smacked him on the head and replied, �I�m much taller,
thank you very much. Besides, I�ll still grow some more.�

Draco led Orion to the bed where they sat together and he asked, �What
do you want to do this summer?�

Orion sighed, �I don�t know. I�m going to ask your father to teach me
how to manage the Black vaults and ��

Draco quickly interrupted him, �That�s boring! We have to do something
fun. This is our first summer together in almost two years! We can practice
Quidditch and I can teach you how to horseback ride. Oh, and your birthday is
coming soon!� he said excitedly, �My mother is planning on throwing a ball for
you!�

Orion looked at him disbelieving and said sharply, �I don�t want a ball!
I�m not in a festive mood considering that I have just lost my father!�

Draco looked at him warily and said uncertainly, �I didn�t mean to
disregard your father�s death��

Orion looked into Draco�s silvery light grey eyes and sighed, �I
shouldn�t have snapped at you like that. I�m sorry.� He sighed resignedly and
continued, �If your mum wants to have a ball the least I can do is to be grateful.
She has taken me in after all.�

Draco grabbed his hand and said, �She only wants to have a ball to cheer
you up.�

Orion silently nodded and then Draco said excitedly, �And we also have
tickets for the Final of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!� Then he added
arrogantly, �We�re going to be in the Minister�s box, you know.�

Orion chuckled, �Of course, we are. Where would Malfoys seat if not in
the best box of the stadium?�

�Exactly,� said Draco ignoring Orion�s taunting tone, �and it�s going to
be great! Bulgaria against Ireland. Your pal Krum is
playing, I can�t wait to see him flying!�

Orion snorted, �He�s hardly my pal. But he is a great seeker,
I think I�ll enjoy the match very much.�

Orion looked nervously at Draco and asked, �Do you think that your
father will allow me to invite a friend to stay over for a few weeks? For my birthday and all?�

Draco frowned and asked, �Who do you want to invite?�

Orion replied quietly, �Lezander.�

Draco scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, �You�re still with
him?�

Orion raised an eyebrow, �You know that I am. I have written to you
about him since the first day we got together.�

Draco turned his face to look away from Orion and replied icily, �I
don�t think my father will like it much. He�s doesn�t come from a dark
wizarding family.�

Orion scowled and replied, �And why does that matter? He�s my boyfriend
and if Lucius doesn�t allow him to visit me then I will go and stay with
Lezander for the holidays!�

Draco turned towards him in anger and said, �And you rather stay with
him than with me? You�ve seen him all year! I haven�t seen you in almost two
years! Am I not your best friend anymore?�

Orion sighed and said gently, �You are, but I also want to see him. We
had a huge fight and things weren�t going so well and I want to fix it. I need
to spend some time with him to mend things.� Then he brightened and said, �And
besides, I�ll be going to Hogwarts with you this year! I forgot to tell you! I
made it into Durmstrang�s delegation!�

Draco frowned at him, �What are you talking about?�

Orion raised his eyebrows in surprise, �Of the Triwizard Tournament of
course!�

At Draco�s uncomprehending stare, Orion understood what the problem was
and he started laughing. Draco scowled at him and Orion said in between
chuckles, �Oh, my! Dumbledore hasn�t told you yet! This is priceless!�

Draco huffed in annoyance, �Hasn�t told us what?�

Orion shook his head in amusement and replied, �That Hogwarts is going
to be hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year! You must have read about the
Tournament in some history book, Draco. The three tasks that have to be
completed by three champions, one for each school, Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and
Hogwarts��

Realization finally shone in Draco�s eyes and he said excitedly, �Yes,
yes! I read about it! And it�s going to happen this year?� Orion nodded and
Draco�s face darkened, �And the old coot hasn�t told us about it yet?! What was
he thinking? The students have to get ready and train during the summer!�

Orion snickered, �I have no idea what went through Dumbledork�s mind but
I guess he is going to tell the school on the first day of class.�

Draco huffed in indignation, �Well, he should have told us sooner. Your
headmaster obviously told you ages ago.�

�Yes, he did,� replied Orion proudly, �We had to go through a Dueling
Tournament to get selected to be in the delegation so I can safely say that we
will be serious competition.�

Draco arched an eyebrow and drawled arrogantly, �Well, I�m also going to
be a serious contender. You�ll see, I bet I get selected
as Hogwarts� champion.�

Orion smiled at him in amusement but then said pensively, �Hmm, but I
still don�t know if there�s going to be an age restriction. Dumbledore was
negotiating to set one and I still don�t know what the final decision was.�

Draco stared at him in disbelief, �An age restriction? Whatever for?�

Orion rolled his eyes and replied, �They believe that we�re too young to
compete. They only want to allow those who are seventeen or older to put their
names forward.�

Draco crossed his arms angrily and raised his chin haughtily, �Well,
that�s rubbish. I�ll put my name forwards anyways. I�ll find a way to bypass
the stupid rule.�

Orion shook his head and chuckled, �Good luck with that, then. I will
have a good time seeing you try to outsmart Dumbledore.�

They spent the rest of the day talking about their year and playing
chess or flying around the Quidditch pitch. Orion hadn�t felt this carefree in
ages and he realized that he had missed Draco greatly. Draco could be
superficial at times but his light-heartedness was refreshing and endearing.
Draco didn�t seem concerned about the Dark Lord or the incoming war, he just
liked to enjoy his life as much as possible and it allowed Orion to catch a
glimpse of what a normal childhood should be like. He could distinctly see
Narcissa�s influence in his friend�s attitude. Narcissa had obviously shielded
Draco from the more unpleasant realities of the times they were living in and
Orion partly envied that. He just hoped that Draco would be ready to face the harshness
when things got more serious. But Orion realized that Draco was also partly
aware thanks to Lucius, even if he didn�t dwell much on such matters. Draco
could easily discuss Death Eaters and the war, he just
didn�t see much cause for concern. Draco had great faith in what his father had
told him about the greatness of the Dark Lord and he was convinced that the
Dark Lord could defeat Dumbledore and that the Dark would ultimately triumph.
Orion was a little more skeptic, he knew that the Dark wasn�t ready yet and
that they needed more allies but he didn�t bother in popping his friend�s
bubble. Orion was certain that Lucius would take care of preparing Draco for
the times to come and he liked to see Draco enjoying his life unconcernedly in
the meantime.

Orion suddenly woke up from his nap and automatically rubbed his
invisible scar. He hadn�t had visions in a long while since he always went to
sleep with his Occlumency shields raised. He had decided that he needed some
peace for a while and therefore he had started blocking his visions. But in
this afternoon nap he had forgotten about raising his mind barriers. It had
been a regular Death Eater meeting but the interesting part was that Voldemort
had order Pettigrew to spy on Dumbledore in his animagus form in order to
gather information on what the old wizard knew about Harry Potter. It seemed
that Voldemort hadn�t given up finding him yet and it worried him. Why was
Voldemort so adamant about finding him? Was his theory about Snape and the
prophecy correct? Orion sighed and turned in his bed. He wished people would
just forget about Harry Potter, why couldn�t they leave him alone?

He also remembered something else. Voldemort had briefly referred to
theirs plans about the Triwizard Tournament, but he hadn�t said anything
specific. It seemed that the Inner Circle had everything set already. Orion
wondered what they wanted to do. How could they use the Tournament? Maybe to
create some havoc and terror, maybe frighten the light wizards�Was Voldemort
planning on making his return public during the Tournament? Did he feel
prepared already?

Orion frowned, but surely the Death Eaters who had children attending
Hogwarts that year wouldn�t want to put them in danger. They wouldn�t risk an
attack on Hogwarts, would they?

Orion stood up and decided to push his concerns to a side. Lucius would
tell him if something that could affect Draco and him happened and Calypso
would be warned by her father as well. He�ll worry about it when the time came.
He had another business to attend to.

Orion quickly moved around the Manor and reached Lucius� office. The
wizard always spent all his time there and it was the surest place to find him.
Orion knocked and heard a muffled �Enter�

He opened the door and strode in. Lucius was seated behind a great
mahogany desk and was perusing some parchments while holding a cup of red wine
with his other hand.

Lucius arched an eyebrow when he saw him and asked, �Already finished
with the finance manuals I gave you?�

Orion replied, �Yes, but I wanted to speak to you about something else.�

Lucius motioned for him to take a seat and Orion sat in front of him and
involuntarily fidgeted a little bit. Lucius had been very patient with him and
had dedicated long hours to teach him about the management of his vaults and
the business deals that Sirius had participated in. Orion had learned a lot and
respected Lucius� brilliance and mind for business. But he was sure that Lucius
wouldn�t be happy about what he was about to request, considering Draco�s reaction
when he told him.

Orion looked up at Lucius and said, �You know that Narcissa has planned
a ball for my birthday in a few days. And I gave her a list with the names of
my friends so that she could invite them. But I was wondering if I could ask
one of them to stay at the Manor for a few weeks.�

Lucius replied calmly, �Yes, of course. I see no problem in that. Who do
you want to invite?�

Orion fidgeted again but said with determination, �Lezander Zraven.�

Lucius frowned in thought and then said, �I don�t recognize his family
name�� Then Lucius marginally widened his eyes and he fixed Orion with his
stare, �Zraven from the Vampire Clan?�

Orion nodded and decided that he had to be honest. If Lezander was
staying they wouldn�t be hiding their relationship. �Yes, he�s the son of the
Master Vampire. And�er�well, he�s my boyfriend.�

Lucius raised an eyebrow and asked, �How long have you been with him?�

�A year,� Orion replied quietly.

Lucius pierced him with his light grey eyes and said sternly, �You can
have any boyfriends or girlfriends you like while you�re underage but you
shouldn�t invest so much time in a relationship that you know you will have to
break when you turn seventeen. You shouldn�t grow attached to anyone.�

Orion frowned at him and said, �I have no desire of breaking my
relationship with Lezander if we�re still together when we turn seventeen. I
don�t see why-�

Lucius interrupted him and coldly said, �I�m sure your father already
explained this to you, Orion. When you turn seventeen you will be betrothed to
a dark pureblood witch or wizard in order to have a powerful heir. You should
break up with Lezander as soon as possible before becoming more close to him.�

Orion scowled and replied, �I�m already close to him and I don�t want to
marry anyone else. Besides, my father isn�t able to conduct the negotiations
anymore. I don�t need to become betrothed when I turn seventeen. I could just
remain with Lezander.�

Lucius looked at him with determination and replied, �Narcissa has taken
charge of the negotiations for you, as is expected. When you become of age you
will be already betrothed to the one we select for you.�

Orion looked at him angrily and hissed, �To the one you select for me? I
will decide whom I marry! I won�t be forced into an arranged marriage!�

Lucius snapped at him, �You will do as you�re told! You are the Head of
the Black House. I won�t have you mixing your blood with a vampire! He�s not a
dark wizard. You will do your duty and produce an heir for the Black
bloodline!�

Orion crossed his arms in front of his chest and replied angrily,
�That�s my decision. My father told me that he wouldn�t force me into anything.
I�m aware that I need an heir but I will decide whom I marry. And if I want to
marry when I�m much older then I will. I don�t need to be engaged at seventeen.
That�s too soon and I can be with Lezander in the meanwhile.�

Lucius snarled, �Your father was too lenient with you. As your
guardians, we will choose the best candidate for you. We do this for your own
good. We know who is from the best and more powerful bloodlines. You will marry
when you turn seventeen. You can return to your vampire after producing an
heir, though I discourage it. He is not the proper partner for you. And you
will need to break your relationship with him as soon as possible. It has been
going on for far too long. That�s the end of this discussion.�

Orion rose in anger and glared at Lucius, �I highly respect your
opinion, Uncle, but I won�t be forced to break up with him. When I turn
seventeen I�ll be legally able to break any marriage contract that you sign in
my name. I accept that I will have to marry a dark witch or wizard but if you
want to avoid the scandal of breaking a marriage contract then you will present
to me the candidates you have selected and I will consider your opinion when I
make the choice. But the choice is mine! And I will remain with Lezander as
long as I wish to. There�s no reason for me to break our relationship before I
get married.�

Lucius rose from his chair and approached Orion. He clutched his
shoulders and said coldly, looking down at him, �If you break a marriage
contract you will bring shame and dishonor to the family. I won�t allow you to
do that!�

Orion looked up at him and said desperately, �Then let me choose! I have
already admitted that I won�t be able to marry Lezander but at least let me
choose the mother or father of my child!�

Lucius frowned at him and replied sternly, �If we let you choose the
final decision will still rest with us. If we don�t approve of the choice you have
made then you will have to choose again until we reach an agreement.�

Orion looked at him pensively and said, �If I agree to that will you let
me stay with Lezander in the meanwhile? Will I be able to invite him over and
be with him in the open?�

Lucius replied in a slightly frustrated tone, �He�s not an adequate
boyfriend for you! You can be with any other dark wizard in the meantime and
you�re too young for a serious relationship anyway. Any relationship you have
now will have to be terminated eventually.�

Orion stepped back, dislodging his shoulders from Lucius� grasp and
replied stubbornly, �That�s my concern, it�s my problem. I will be with him
regardless of what you say. If you don�t allow him to stay with me at the
Manor, I�ll still see him at school. It won�t change anything.�

Lucius silently regarded him and then said, �If you agree that the final
decision of selecting your spouse rests with Narcissa and me then you can
invite him over and you can remain being his boyfriend until your marriage.�

�The final decision with my approval,� retorted Orion.

Lucius hissed angrily, �Yes.�

Orion smirked at him and said, �Very well. We have deal. Thank you.�

Orion left the room satisfied. Lezander would stay with him for a couple
of weeks and they could be together in public without concerns. He had already
predicted that the Malfoys would be selecting his future spouse, so that didn�t
come as a surprise. Besides, he would cross that bridge when he turned
seventeen. He had no compunction in breaking a marriage contract if Lucius
didn�t keep his promise of asking for his approval first. He had given him fair
warning.

After the boy left, Lucius sat down in front of his desk and frowned. He
didn�t like it at all that Orion was so stubborn about his relationship with
the vampire. And he liked it even less that the boy wanted to choose his own
spouse. He was the last male Black and he was extremely powerful. The boy had
proved so in several occasions. The boy needed to mix his blood with another
powerful bloodline and it would be a great and advantageous match if Orion were
to marry Draco. The Malfoy line would be greatly strengthened if it mixed with
the Blacks again and the parseltoungue ability could perhaps breed true in
their heir. And the Dark Lord had already told him that he would decide as well
with who Orion was to be paired with. Lucius smirked. There were some types of
magical marriage contracts that couldn�t be broken. The boy clearly hadn�t read about
the matter thoroughly.

�I�ve missed you,� whispered Lezander, hugging Orion as soon they had
closed the door of Orion�s bedroom. Lezander had just arrived by floo at Malfoy
Manor and after a quick and cold introduction to Narcissa and Lucius, Orion had taken him to his bedroom. Lezander had
been given a room next to his and they had already left his trunks there.

Orion nuzzled Lezander�s neck and replied, �I�ve missed you too. I�m
sorry for the way the Malfoys greeted you.�

Lezander sighed and stroked Orion�s hair, �I already expected it. After
you explained to me all about the dark pureblood traditions I suspected that
they wouldn�t be too happy about us.�

Orion looked up at him without breaking the hug and said, �They have no
right to interfere. Lucius told me that he was okay with it.�

Lezander raised an eyebrow, �He�s okay with you becoming my mate?�

Orion fidgeted and answered, �Er..well, no. I
didn�t tell him about that. We reached an agreement where he wouldn�t force me
to marry anyone I didn�t approve of.� Orion looked up into Lezander�s pale blue
eyes and asked nervously, �You still want me to become your mate?�

Lezander smiled warmly at him, �Of course I do. We�re still too young
but when the time comes I want to bond with you.�

Orion asked uncertainly, �But what about your parents? What about our respective
duties?�

Lezander sighed and took Orion towards the bed. They sat in front of
each other and Lezander replied, �My parents were disappointed that you weren�t
able to visit them but we will have to try again next year. My father won�t
approve of you until he meets you but my mother is already working on him to
make him see that I don�t really need a vampire mate, just a powerful one. And
you are powerful. When Father meets you he will sense it. So I�m not too
worried about it.� Lezander paused and locked his eyes with Orion�s, �And about
our duties, well, we can reach a compromise when the time comes. I�m sure we
can manage.�

Orion beamed at him, �Yes, you�re right. It�s simply a matter of
organizing our time together when the war starts and you take your place by
your father�s side.� Orion frowned and then asked nervously, �But what about my
need for a pureblood heir?�

Lezander scowled, �Is it really that important? Won�t a child with me be
sufficient?�

Orion looked at him warily and replied, �It would be sufficient for me,
Lezander, but it is important for the dark wizards that my bloodline mixes with
another dark one.�

Lezander remained stonily scowling and Orion sighed and said, �It
doesn�t matter now. I can avoid getting married with a dark pureblood and
perhaps when I�m thirty or older I can produce an heir with someone. It
shouldn�t affect our relationship. I don�t want to argue because of it. I just
want to be with you.�

Lezander�s face softened and he replied, �Yes, those are concerns for
the future.� He laughed, �We are really far too young to be worried about such
things.�

Orion chuckled, �Yes, it�s madness. Heirs, blood, duties, war�.I wish I
could just forget about all that stuff and simply enjoy life.�

Lezander pulled him into a tight hug and lay on the bed with Orion by
his side. Lezander gently kissed him and then said, �I wish you didn�t have to
concern yourself about those things either. I wish I could just whisk you away
with me and keep you at our Citadel, safely protected from the outside.�

Orion smiled at him and traced Lezander�s lips with his finger tip,
�Yes, I can already see the headlines �Boy-Who-Lived abducted by crazy frenzied
vampire��

Lezander grinned and unexpectedly rolled Orion on his back, pinning him
down with his body. He brought his face inches away from Orion�s and purred,
��Boy-Who-Lived madly in love with sexy, hot, seductive vampire��

Orion chuckled and raised an eyebrow. He said tauntingly, �Seductive? I
don�t see much seduction happening here.�

Lezander mockingly growled before kissing Orion passionately. Orion
battled for dominance with his tongue against Lezander�s until he gave up and
simply allowed Lezander to explore his mouth while he relished in the warm
feeling of Lezander�s hand caressing his chest and the taste of Lezander in his
mouth. Orion moaned against Lezander�s lips when Lezander grinded his hips
against his and he pulled Lezander�s head to deepen the kiss.

After a few minutes they took a break for air and Lezander looked into
Orion�s green eyes and whispered softly, �You�re so beautiful, meu inimă�

Orion cocked his head to a side and asked with curiosity, �Meu
inimă?�

Lezander grinned and replied, �You�re quite the linguist, you pronounced it perfectly. Though with
that little agile tongue of yours I shouldn�t be surprised.�

Orion smiled and replied, �Be serious, what does it mean?�

Lezander leaned closer and whispered to his ear, �It means �my heart�,
in Romanian.�

Orion widened his eyes and asked, �Is that where your Clan lives?�

Lezander wickedly smirked at him, �I would have to bite you and make you
mine if I disclosed that secret.�

Orion chuckled but then looked up at Lezander, �Why have you never
bitten me?�

Lezander raised his eyebrows, �I didn�t think you would be comfortable
with it.�

Orion frowned, �Well, I don�t want you to bite me to drain me from my
blood. But don�t vampires bite their mates when they are together intimately?�

�Yes, we do. We drain very little blood but it is a very intimate
moment,� replied Lezander earnestly. He locked eyes with Orion and asked
uncertainly, �You wouldn�t mind?�

Orion smiled warmly at him and replied, �Of course not. I trust you and
I don�t want you to restrain yourself just because I�m not a vampire.� Then he
smirked at him roguishly and said, �I would like to experience those legendary
vampire kisses for myself.�

Lezander leaned closer and his eyes sparkled. He purred, �They can
become quite addictive, you know? I wouldn�t want to be accosted in public by
you, forever demanding to be bitten again.�

Orion laughed and replied, �It�s you who�s incapable of keeping your
hands away from me in the presence of others. I do think you�re quite the
exhibitionist.�

Lezander wickedly smiled, �Of course I am. I want everyone to know that
you�re mine.�

Orion grinned, �I am, as much as you�re mine as well.�

�Always and completely,� replied Lezander before nuzzling Orion�s neck.
Then he whispered, �Are you sure?�

Orion chuckled and tilted his head upwards to give Lezander more access,
�Yes, get on with it or I�ll find myself another more willing vampire.�

Lezander didn�t waste any more time and finally indulged in something
that he had desired for a long time.

Orion gasped when he felt Lezander�s fangs pierce the skin of his neck
and he closed his eyes when he felt the rush of his blood. He could feel
Lezander�s warm lips gently sucking his neck and soon felt a feverish pleasure
coursing through his body. He could feel Lezander�s heart beating against his
chest and he arched and moaned in pleasure when he felt a heightened arousing
feeling raking his body. Orion blindly caressed Lezander�s long silky hair and
then felt Lezander's tongue lapping his neck. The pleasure slowly subsided and
he dazedly opened his eyes.

Lezander�s face was inches away from his and he was grinning at him.

Orion, still a little bit dazzled, said, �Wow! That was�that was
amazing.� Then he shook his head to clear it and asked with a pout, �Why didn�t
you continue?�

Lezander chuckled, �I didn�t want to weaken you. When we are bonded I
will be able to do it for a longer period of time without affecting you.�

Orion�s pout intensified and he said, �Well, that isn�t fair. I�m
beginning to feel rather envious of the muggles you take. They shouldn�t be
allowed to take pleasure from you.�

Lezander laughed, �It would be quite unfair if we didn�t give them
anything in return. Their blood sustains our life after all. And stop pouting
at me. You look delectable like that.�

Orion asked surprised, �I do?� Then he grinned, �Well, now I know just
what to do when I want to get something out of you.�

Lezander shook his head in amusement and deeply kissed him. Orion
relished in the metallic tang in Lezander�s mouth. It was strange to think that
it was his own blood but it felt warm and he liked the taste of it in Lezander�s
mouth.

Lezander broke the kiss and sat on the bed, pulling Orion to a sitting
position as well. Orion looked at him with curiosity and Lezander took out a
necklace from one of his pockets.

�Happy Birthday,� said Lezander softly while giving the necklace to
Orion.

Orion looked at it and saw a small glass cylindrical vial hanging from
it. It was filled with a dark red substance. He looked at Lezander
inquisitively.

Lezander said quietly, �It�s my blood.� Orion raised an eyebrow in
surprise and he continued, �It�s not enough to turn you or bond you to me but
it is useful if you ever need to heal from serious wounds. I want you to wear
it always in case you need it.�

Orion smiled at Lezander and he hugged him tightly, �Thank you, Lez. I
know how much your own blood means to you. I�m honored that you trust me with
it. I�ll always wear it.�

Lezander smiled warmly at him and took the necklace to clasp it around
Orion�s neck.

Orion thought in amusement that he seemed to unwillingly collect a lot
of necklaces. He kept Tom�s locket safely warded in his school trunk since he
was always around Lucius but he still wore the Deathly Hallows portkey, which
was glamoured into an onyx pendant. He said to anyone who asked, that it had
been a gift from his father.

Lezander then asked, �At what time is this ball of yours?�

Orion gasped. He had almost forgotten! The ball was tonight. He quickly
grabbed his wand and cast a time spell. �We only have an hour! Narcissa will
skin me alive if we are late.�

Orion stood up and dragged an amused Lezander with him, �Come on, we
have to get ready!�

The ball was in full swing and he hadn�t stopped dancing with Lezander
for a single moment. Lezander was an amazing dancer and he led him perfectly
around the ballroom. Orion could see a scowling Draco being pestered by a
determinate Pansy. But Draco seemed to be in a foul mood this night and had
refused everyone who had asked him to dance. Evander was dancing with Kara and
to Orion�s amazement, Viktor had finally convinced a
reticent Calypso to join him on the dance floor. Orion winked at her
conspiratorially when Lezander and he passed the couple in one of their twirls
and she just rolled her eyes at him. He had seen Blaise dancing with a handsome
boy moments ago and Theo was chatting up a girl in one of the corners. The
adults were either talking between themselves and occasionally looking at the
young couples or dancing as well.

Orion felt this had been his best birthday ever. He felt extremely happy
in Lezander�s arms, being able to be with him in public and knowing that Lucius
couldn�t chastise him for it. Then his happiness vanished and was replaced by
sorrow and guilt when he remembered that his father wasn�t there with him and
that he was enjoying the party while Sirius lay soulless on a bed. He sniffled
and burrowed his head in Lezander�s neck.

They kept dancing but Lezander parted a bit from Orion and gently lifted
his chin and asked in concern, �Hey, why are you sad? Aren�t you enjoying the
ball?�

Orion grimaced and replied, �Yes, very much. That�s the problem, Lez.
I�m here enjoying my life and I forgot that my father is an empty shell that
will never share these moments with me.�

Lezander looked at him sadly and replied, �But there�s still hope. You
plan on studying Necromancy in order to gain back his soul. There�s still a
chance.�

Orion locked his eyes with his and said with despair, �Yes, but I don�t
even know if it�s possible and if it is, it will take many years. How will he
be like when he returns? Or what if I�m unsuccessful? I miss him so much. I
don�t deserve to have fun while he�s in that condition.�

Lezander shook his head and said with determination, �You can�t do that
to yourself, Orion. You must live on and fight for him. You can�t drown in your
sorrow. You know that you did everything in your power and now you just need to
be strong and find a way to get him back. You always succeed when you put your
mind into things. You will succeed this time as well. If you try and fail it
won�t be your fault either. There are some things that are irreversible and
escape our control. You can�t blame yourself either if in the future you fail
in doing something that hasn�t been done before. And you have others who love
you and care for you as well.�

Orion nodded and gave him a small smile, �You�re right, of course. I
just can�t help it. Sometimes I�m fine but then I remember him and I feel so
useless and impotent. What�s the use of being magically powerful if I can�t
even protect those whom I love? If I can�t even save him from
death?�

Lezander warily sighed and pulled Orion towards him without missing a
step, �It�s only natural that you feel that way. It will get better in time.�

Orion silently nodded and vouched that he would find a way to defeat
death somehow. He would bring his father back, whatever it took. Lezander
gently caressed his hair and Orion leaned towards the touch while closing his
eyes. He followed the slow rhythm of the music and started to enjoy the feel of
Lezander�s body against his own. He goofily smiled when Lezander started
whispering encouragements in his ear.

Suddenly the small hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he felt an
intense magical aura washing through his senses. His invisible scar started
prickling furiously but it didn�t hurt much. He opened his eyes and immediately
locked gazes with narrowed scarlet eyes that were watching him intently. Orion
tensed when he recognized them. What in Morgana�s name was Voldemort doing at
his birthday ball? He looked around over Lezander�s shoulder and saw that
Voldemort was surrounded by some of his Inner Circle and other wizards that he
didn�t know. Bellatrix was hovering at Voldemort�s side talking animatedly
about something but he saw that Lucius was watching him as well. Lucius�
expression was unreadable. Orion frowned and thought about the list of guests.
He realized that they were all Death Eaters or families that had supported
Voldemort in the past. It wasn�t surprising then that Voldemort dared to make
an appearance. It was probably beneficial for him to interact with other dark
purebloods and prove that he was healthy and strong. Only his higher ranked
Death Eaters had seen him so far and if he wanted more followers he needed to
show himself at some of the more exclusive gatherings.

Lezander must have felt him tense since he asked, �What�s the matter?�

Orion quickly replied, looking away from Voldemort and his large group
of wizards, �Nothing. It�s nothing.� He didn�t want Lezander to know. Lez
didn�t like Voldemort at all, even less when he had told him that he was the
Boy-Who-Lived. Orion clutched Lezander tighter and pressed a reassuring kiss
against his neck while praying to Morgana that Lezander didn�t find out. A
surge of anger that wasn�t his own raked his mind and Orion gasped, quickly
raising higher his Occlumency shields. Why did someone have to anger Voldemort
right now? Orion glanced at Voldemort and saw that he was still observing him.
Orion frowned in confusion. He had angered Voldemort? Why-?

Lezander spun them around while following the dance and Orion was cut
from Voldemort�s vision. Orion relaxed and kept dancing with Lezander.

Then Lezander asked, �Who is that wizard?�

Orion tensed and asked nervously, �Who, Lez?�

Lezander turned his face to look at him suspiciously and said, �That
wizard holding court with others. He hasn�t stopped looking at us and he has
these weird ruby-colored eyes.�

Orion lied smoothly, �Nobody, just one more
dark wizard. No one to worry about.�

Lezander narrowed his eyes at him and then his eyes widened in sudden
realization and he gasped, �It�s Voldemort! Those eyes! Nobody else has those
eyes.�

Orion sighed and said reluctantly, �Yes, it�s him. Ignore him. Let�s
dance somewhere else.�

Lezander grabbed Orion tightly to prevent him from moving away and
whispered harshly, �He�s looking at you! I don�t like it. He looks at you with
a possessive glint in his eyes.�

Tom�s words echoed in Orion�s mind but he cast them aside and laughed,
�Don�t be silly, Lez. He�s just watching the couples dance. And I�m the only
young one that he knows personally. He�s simply curious.� And he partly
believed his own words himself, it did make sense�.though Voldemort's
anger�.Orion shook his head.

The song thankfully ended and Orion dragged Lezander to the corner where
his friends were already gathered.

Draco looked highly miffed and hadn�t shaken Pansy off from his side
yet. Draco coldly greeted Lezander and Lezander looked at Orion inquiringly, as
if asking the reason for Draco�s bad mood. Orion simply shrugged his shoulders.
Who knew what bee Draco had on his bonnet.

Viktor came laughing towards them and patted Orion on his back, �Great
party, Orion! Though these Malfoy house-elves are
incorruptible. I couldn�t convince one to give me a small glass of
scotch!�

Orion laughed and replied, �That�s not my fault. I�m sure Draco could
get one for you. They have to obey him implicitly.�

Draco smirked at them and replied, �Very well, scotch for everyone if
the birthday boy drinks three straight!�

Evander cheered the proposal and he was soon seconded by the other boys.

Orion huffed but accepted the challenge.

Draco snapped his fingers and called, �Dobby, bring Ogden�s scotch for
everyone.�

Soon a house-elf carrying a large tray popped in front of them, bobbing
his head and looking at them with huge green eyes.

Orion smiled at the elf and took a glass and gulped it down. He gasped
and his eyes watered when it burned his throat. The other boys started laughing
heartily.

Lezander was grinning at him and Orion glared back at them and replied,
�That was horrible! I won�t be drinking that stuff again!�

�Oh, come, come, Orion,� said Evander chuckling, �Be a man!�

Orion scoffed, �I want to see you trying!�

Evander impishly grinned at him and quickly drowned a glass and looked
back at Orion impassively.

The others snickered and soon Orion had to drink four more to satisfy
their demands. By the end of it Orion felt his mind a little clouded and felt a
goofy grin plastered on his face. Lezander kept looking at him in amusement
while shaking his head.

Calypso eyed Orion in disapproval and he roguishly smiled at her and
said, �Fair Calypso, will you honor me with this dance?�

The others hooted and Orion turned to look at Lezander who had a raised
eyebrow but then nodded at him with a small smile. Orion turned to Calypso and
pulled her to the dance floor.

�Orion, I hate dancing!� said Calypso in exasperation.

Orion grinned at her and started dancing with her while he replied,
�Nonsense. I saw you getting very cuddly with Viktor before. You can�t fool
your best friend.�

Calypso huffed against his neck, �He forced me! He wouldn�t take �no�
for an answer.�

Orion chuckled, �Have a persistent admirer, do you?�

Calypso snorted and said primly, �Too insistent for my taste.�

�Ahh, you prefer the chivalrous and gentle ones?� said Orion smiling
goofily at her.

He stumbled a bit in his steps and Calypso looked at him with a smirk,
�A little drunk, are we? Just pray that Mr. Malfoy doesn�t learn about this.
He�ll give Draco a harsh scolding if he finds out.�

Orion chuckled, �I think Draco can manage.�

Orion spun her around and Calypso gave a small shriek before returning
to his arms and she said scowling, �Never do that again!�

Orion smiled at her broadly and twirled her around once more. When she
was back with him she said, �Orion, dammit! I�m never allowing you to drink
again!�

Orion laughed and pulled her closer, �My dear friend, I have never felt
so happy in my life.�

Calypso rolled her eyes and replied, �A substance-induced stupor,
fantastic!�

Orion broke into laughter and Calypso was unable to suppress her grin.
It lightened her heart to see Orion so carefree and happy, even if it was
momentarily. After everything he had gone through he deserved it.

They kept dancing while Orion spun her around more times much to
Calypso�s annoyance and in one of their twirls she got sight of something she
was quite curious about.

Calypso said quietly, �Have you seen who�s here? It�s amazing to see him
in person. He exudes so much power and confidence. He�s everything I imagined
and more.�

Orion blinked at her and asked, �Who?�

Calypso rolled her eyes and replied, �The Dark Lord of course! He looks
incredible and so young! I wonder how that�s possible.�

Orion looked around still wearing his goofy smile and saw Voldemort
talking to some witch. Orion dazedly realized that he did look amazing. He was
easily the most attractive man in the room, perhaps excluding Lucius, but none
other had his powerful stance and dark allure. Voldemort then turned his gaze
towards him and Orion happily grinned at him. Voldemort arched an eyebrow in
surprise and Orion chuckled, he had never seen Voldie looking so startled
before. Orion then looked at the wizard besides Voldemort and saw Lucius
looking at him suspiciously. Orion beamed at him and waved his hand. Lucius
raised his eyebrows and then narrowed his eyes towards Draco.

Calypso immediately brought down Orion�s waving hand and hissed, �Orion,
for Mordred�s sake, stop acting like an idiot! You�ll get us in trouble!�

Orion finally ended the evening in Lezander�s arms happily dozing off in
a plush couch, blissfully unaware of Draco scowling at him while Lucius harshly
reprimanded him.

The two weeks with Lezander at Malfoy Manor rushed by and Orion had
never enjoyed himself so much. Narcissa had miraculously warmed up to Lezander,
which wasn�t all that surprising considering all the charm Lezander laid on her
whenever he was in her presence. It amused Orion greatly to see his boyfriend
gallantly kissing her hand and giving her small compliments about her exquisite
taste in d�cor and fashion. Lucius remained coldly aloof but that was expected
and to Orion�s surprise, Lezander and Draco didn�t seem to get along at all.
Orion was aware that Lezander had tried to become Draco�s friend, more for
Orion�s sake than anything else, but Draco always treated Lezander coldly and
with indifference. But Orion had soon stopped worrying about his friend�s bad
mood and he had spent all his time with Lezander. They had explored the vast
estate together and it was Lezander who had finally taught him how to horseback
ride. Orion took to it easily but he still preferred flying on a broomstick.
They had also found a charming lake and spent countless of hours lazily
swimming around and pushing each other into the water. It was over all too soon
for Orion�s taste but he felt closer to Lezander than ever and they parted in
high spirits.

Finally it was August 22nd and Orion was climbing the stairs with the
Malfoys to reach the Minister�s box. Earlier in the day, Draco and he had gone
exploring the campsite around the World Cup Quidditch stadium and they had
amused themselves with the weird muggle clothes that some wizards were
sporting, clearly completely unaware of what they were wearing. Orion had to
explain to an amused Draco that the purple nightgown that an old wizard was
wearing wasn�t a muggle male fashion article and that the neoprene wetsuit that
a young witch was using wasn�t the latest in muggle fashion, but something to
be wore in an aquatic environment. They had also laughed at the weird and funny
tents of some wizards. The Malfoy tent was of course, the most spectacular. It
was a white palace in its own right, pridefully bearing the Malfoy coat of arms
and with two beautiful peacocks strolling at the entrance. Orion had almost
rolled his eyes when he saw it but he understood that Lucius had an image to
maintain and he could hardly complain, it was fascinating.
A magical work of art in his opinion.

They finally reached the box and Orion saw a short plump man with a
bowler hat, dressed in a suit that seemed to have come out of a 1930s movie,
saying, �I'm no great shakes at languages; I need Barty Crouch for this sort of
thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat... Good job too, these
Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places ... ah, and
here's Lucius!"

Orion didn�t have to strain his brain much to deduce that the wizard was
Cornelius Fudge, the idiotic English Minister of Magic. What caught his
attention was the elf saving Crouch�s seat. The elf seemed extremely nervous
and constantly looked at the empty seat by her side. Orion wondered if Barty
Jr. had already been saved by the Death Eaters. He hadn�t heard anything about
it and he sincerely hoped the wizard was alright. He despised Crouch Sr., he
had been the one to send Sirius to Azkaban without a trial and Orion had been
furious when he learned at the Death Eater meeting that the man was holding his
own son prisoner under the Imperius Curse, which was highly hypocritical of him
considering it was a dark spell banned by his own Ministry.

Orion looked at Narcissa and saw that she was wearing her social
pureblood mask; she had a look that suggested there was a nasty smell under her
nose, and Orion was unable to suppress his chuckle. Narcissa looked at him and
surreptitiously winked at him, which only made him chuckle harder. He had come
to love Narcissa dearly, she was a proper pureblood witch at all times but also
had a warm heart and could be quite funny around her family. She spoiled both
Draco and him and always strived to spend some time with them, while she
juggled with all her social engagements.

Lucius confidently strode forwards, �Ah, Fudge," he said holding
out his hand as he reached the Minister of Magic. "How are you? I don't
think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?"

"How do you do, how do you do?" said Fudge, smiling and bowing
to Mrs. Malfoy.

�And our nephew, Orion Black?� calmly said Lucius.

Fudge�s eyes widened and he looked at Orion and said nervously, �Ah, a
pleasure of course.�

Orion rigidly smiled at him and gave him a very curt and short bow.

Fudge fidgeted and turned to Lucius saying, �And allow me to introduce
you to Mr. Oblansk - Obalonsk - Mr. - well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of
Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And
let's see who else - you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?"

It was a tense moment. Mr. Weasley and Lucius looked at each other and
Lucius� cold gray eyes swept over Mr. Weasley, and then up and down the row.

"Good lord, Arthur," Lucius said softly. "What did you
have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have
fetched this much?"

Orion and Draco snickered below their breaths and Orion cast a glance
towards the Weasley children. There was Ron, turning into a furious and ugly
shade of red and he could see the twins at the back, conspiratorially
whispering to each other. There was another red-headed boy, whom Orion
remembered had been the prefect that had given him the directions to Hogwarts�
dungeons, and the boy was hovering by Fudge�s side, clearly attempting to be
noticed. Orion snorted, the only fairly interesting ones seemed to be the
twins.

Fudge, who wasn't listening, said, "Lucius has just given a very
generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and
Injuries, Arthur.�

Draco shot Ron a contemptuous look and then took Orion to settle
themselves between Narcissa and Lucius, who was besides Fudge�s seat.

The Weasleys sat on the row behind them and Orion heard Ron muttering at
their backs, �Slimy git.� Draco coolly ignored him, as was proper in public,
and he passed an omniocular to Orion.

A large and energetic man charged into the box and said excitedly,
"Minister - ready to go?"

"Ready when you are, Ludo," said Fudge comfortably.

Ludo whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat, and said
"Sonorus!" and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling
the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of
the stands. "Ladies and gentlemen. . . welcome!
Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World
Cup!"

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce.
. . the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

Lucius quickly turned towards Draco and Orion and muttered a spell
towards them. Orion looked at him inquisitively and Lucius just smirked at him
and quickly glanced towards the Quidditch field.

Orion followed Lucius� glance and saw a hundred veelas gliding out onto
the field. They were extremely beautiful, with their white-golden hair and pale
white skin. They started dancing energetically and Orion understood that Lucius
had cast a spell over them to make them immune to the veelas' charms, to
prevent making fools out of themselves.

The dance stopped and angry yells were filling the stadium, clamoring
for them to keep dancing.

Orion glanced backwards and saw Ron frozen in an attitude that looked as
though he were about to dive from a springboard, while absentmindedly shredding
the shamrocks on his hat. Orion sniggered and elbowed Draco to look backwards.
Draco sneered at the oblivious Weasley and said under his breath, �The idiot.�

Orion nodded but then his eyes zeroed on a hand that appeared from thin
air and which quickly grabbed Ron�s wand before vanishing. No one else had
noticed and Orion turned his eyes to the game. Orion frowned. That hand came
from the seat besides Crouch�s elf. Someone was there, under a disillusionment
charm, perhaps? But no, the charm made the whole body invisible�.it had to be
an invisibility cloak! Who could possibly be there and why did they need a
wand? Crouch Sr.? But that couldn't be, he was still working on the
organization of the portkeys to be used after the match, according to Fudge.
Orion�s eyes widened in realization, Barty Jr.! Merlin�s staff, the poor wizard
was still under his father�s thumb! Had he been able to throw off his father�s
Imperius Curse? He must have if he was able to steal a wand. And the elf was
surely there to keep an eye on him. How had Barty Jr. convinced his father to
let him attend the match? Orion shook his head, that
was of no consequence. Should he do something to help him? No, it was best to
not get involved unless the circumstances were on his favor and he could do
something without getting into trouble.

He turned his mind to the game and was soon following Krum�s movements
with excitement and clapping at his daring maneuvers.

During the game, Orion leaned towards Draco and asked in a taunting
whisper, �Tell me, Draco, are you sure you don�t have any veela blood in you?�

Draco turned towards him and said indignantly, �Of course not!�

Orion grinned and said nudging Draco in the ribs, �Are you sure? You do
have platinum blond hair and milky white skin, just like them.�

Draco arched an eyebrow and replied with a smirk, �Ah, what you�re trying
to say is that I�m just as handsome as they are and that I exude a powerful
magnetic attraction.�

Orion laughed and replied, �No, you�re mistaken. I saw the clear
resemblance between you and the veelas when they turned into fierce raving
bird-like creatures. Just like you when you are in a foul mood or wake up early
in the mornings.�

Narcissa chuckled at his comment and Draco slapped him on the head.

After the game, Draco and Orion excitedly commented on Krum�s perfectly
executed Wronski Feint while they all returned to their tent. They pleaded with
Lucius to let them go out and join the Irish festivities but he absolutely
refused, saying that no relation of his would be seen mingling with those kind
of wizards while singing at the top of their lungs. Draco and Orion finally
gave up and distracted themselves going over every Quidditch movement and
strategy they had seen.

A while after, Lucius came
out of his room dressed in a black hooded robe, grasping a mask in his hand. Narcissa trailed after him looking worried and Orion stood up.

Lucius turned to address Draco and Orion and said sternly, �I want you
to go to the forest with your mother and stay there until I came for you. It
will be over soon.�

Orion frowned and asked, �What are you going to do?�

Lucius smirked at him and said, �Some of us are going to indulge in some
muggle-sport with the permission of the Dark Lord.�

Orion narrowed his eyes at him and said coldly, �That�s completely
useless and you�re taking risks unnecessarily.�

Lucius snarled, �It is good to keep the light wizards on their tip toes
and make them a little bit scared. No one is going to cast the Dark Mark, it will not cast suspicions on the Dark Lord�s
return.�

Orion chanced a glance at Narcissa but she wore a resigned expression
and Draco would never go against his father. Orion sighed and replied, �Very
well, but we will cast green sparks if any of us get separated from one
another. Things are going to turn chaotic.�

Lucius strode out of the tent and Orion muttered, �This is stupid.�

Narcissa replied tiredly, �It is. But they haven�t been able to do it in
over a decade. I think
it gives them a sense of camaraderie.�

Orion turned towards her angrily and snapped, �And what about the
muggles? They have to endure torture just because a group of immature Death
Eaters want to feel young again?�

Narcissa warily replied, �Lucius assured me that they were only going to
give them a little scare. They aren�t going to torture them. They just want to
cause trouble for the Ministry of Magic.�

Orion sighed, well, that was at least a worthy reason. He just hoped the
muggles wouldn�t be injured, it really gave the Dark
side a bad reputation.

The noises outside the tent suddenly changed. The singing abruptly
stopped. Screams and the sound of people running could be heard.

Narcissa widened her eyes and said frantically, �It has already started!
Let�s go!�

She clutched each of them by their arms and they hurriedly left the
tent.
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The Black Heir