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Harry Potter and the Breeding Darkness	By : Danyealle Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Voldemort Views: 297597 -:- Recommendations : 54 -:- Currently Reading : 184
Disclaimer: I am not J. K. Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter. This is a work of fanfiction and no profit is being made. It is a for-fun endeavor and no infringement is intended.

Chapter List
- 24
- 25
- 26
This chapter is written by: Aya Macchiato

Beta done by Danyealle-sama

Again, I remind everyone that the amazing Aya Macchiato has given me permission to continue this story for her. This is another of the chapters that she already had done. All I've done with this one is some basic beta work, nothing more, it's as she wrote it!

Link to the first story...

http://hp.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600095391

-Danyealle

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Chapter 24

Harry spent a couple hours in their bedroom reading while he waited for his past self and his lover to come back from Azkaban with the Death Eaters. He felt the wards alert him when everyone began returning to the abbey and sat reading for another hour after that waiting until he could tell that his other self had left . By that time, Harry's eyes were drooping and he was fighting the need to sleep but was determined to stay up until Tom came to bed.

He left his and Tom's room, slipping his glamour ring on as he walked, and made his way through the west wing to the first floor, through the entry hall, into the east wing, then up to the infirmary where he knew Tom was. He had with him a self-inking quill and one of his bound notebooks so he could make note of any of the things he would need to be addressing the next day in regards to the new still unmarked escapee recruits.

He strode into the infirmary and saw Tom, or rather, Voldemort, standing off to the side by Barty and the two Death Eaters who were assigned to guard the unmarked escapees for the night. Voldemort's head rose and as their eyes met he smirked.

"Welcome back, love," Voldemort said with a vicious smirk and Harry grinned widely. A small thrill shot through him at being called that in front of any of the Death Eaters. Part of him still had trouble believing that the Death Eaters now knew the nature of he and Tom's relationship. Even though they still didn't realize who exactly Harry really was, this was still one step closer to really being out.

Harry couldn't help but notice the wide-eyed double take one of the guard Death Eaters did in response to Voldemort's greeting to 'Evan'. The other hid his reaction better but his brows still rose into his hairline a bit as his eyes danced between Harry and the Dark Lord with something akin to shock. They'd been at the festival, seen the two kiss, and dance later in the banquet hall but it was no doubt still difficult to truly grasp the concept of their Lord being in a romantic relationship with anyone. He didn't exactly come off as a loving person when with his Death Eaters.

One of the very few people who did know who Harry really was, was presently giving him another pointed look. Barty was standing beside the two guard Death Eaters and looking at Harry with an air of curious amusement. Harry dodged his gaze and refocused on the Dark Lord.

"How were the... reactions?" Voldemort asked with a smirk, Harry knew he was referring to how the the Prophet and the populace of Hogwarts had reacted the morning the attack had been announced, something which Harry had experienced even though it hadn't actually happened yet, stupid, confusing, time travel...

Harry snickered. "Amusing."

"I'll bet. You'll tell me more later."

"Of course."

Harry continued striding forward and looked around the packed room, focusing on the side of the room that held only the unmarked escapees. "Do we know any of their names yet?"

Barty stepped forward and pointed at the first cot. "That one is Louie de la Pole. Next is Terance Deverux, then Eli Ferrers, Silas Fairfax, Tate Dudley, we don't know her name yet, she passed out the second we put her on a bed and the healer doesn't want to risk waking her yet. Next is Elijah Herbert, Silvia Fiennes, and Jackson Montague."

Harry was writing in his notebook while Barty spoke and nodded his head when he was done. "Good. I'll go through the prisoner files we got from Vass on the high security ward and pick out the ones we got." He looked over at Voldemort. "Are we going to mark them in the morning?"

"Healer Bohun suggests waiting at least twenty-four hours so that some of the nutrient and healing potions can take effect so they're more stabilized." Voldemort said with an air of disinterest. "I require full consciousness and absolute willingness to mark my followers, so I will wait."

Harry glanced over at Barty with a silent nod for him to continue his report. "They're better off than our group," Barty said, "since most of them have only been in there a couple years but they're still pretty bad off. That place... it's not easy to get over in just a single night."

Harry nodded his head, seeing the flash of pain cross through the wizard's eyes.

"How are the Lestranges?" Harry asked, knowing that Barty had been close to all of them, and also asking on Draco's behalf.

Barty grimaced. "We'll have a better idea in a day or two. The Healer has put all of our people into a healing coma. They'll be out for a couple days."

Harry nodded his head and made a few more notes in his book. He turned then looked at Voldemort and could tell his partner was a bit weary. Not that anyone else would be able to tell as the Dark Lord hid it well. But Harry knew the elder wizard was probably exhausted. Taking down those wards had not been a cakewalk, despite how easy Voldemort made it look.

"Is there anything else we need to attend to tonight?" He asked Voldemort. The Dark Lord let out a barely perceptible sigh.

"I have two things I need to address, but it won't take long. Meet me in our chambers." Voldemort said to Harry before turning to the Healer who had just come in from the storage closet, said a few final instructions before turning and leaving.

Harry sighed and was about to leave as well when he felt Barty's hand lightly grasp his upper arm. He turned and looked at Barty with a tired expression. "I'm pretty tired, Barty. We'll talk in the morning, yeah?"

Barty chuckled quietly. "You bet your arse, we'll talk," he said quietly under his breath so that no one else in the room would hear. "I cannot believe you didn't tell me!"

Harry turned back and smirked, unapologetically.

"Does Thor know?" Barty asked.

Harry's expression turned sheepish at that point and he shook his head. "No. He doesn't have a clue. Since he wasn't here for Samhain, he doesn't even know about the whole consort thing yet. Neither does Severus."

"Merlin, I wish I could be there when you tell him... either of them," Barty whispered, snickering. Harry grimaced.

"I'm not exactly looking forward to it. How do you think Thor will take it?"

"Hell if I know. He's a hard guy to predict. I'm mostly wishing I could watch you as you tell him. It's so rare I get to see you squirm."

Harry sneered playfully at Barty, causing the man to guffaw slightly and drawing semi-stunned looks from the two Death Eaters on guard duty. Harry rolled his eyes and pulled Barty further away from the others in the room.

Barty was still snickering.

"What's so funny?"

"That sneer just reminded me of Malfoy," Barty said, still chuckling.

"Lucius?" Harry asked.

Barty nodded.

"I guess it makes sense. I've been spending a bit too much time in Draco's company."

"Ah, yes, your forays into friendship with the mini-Malfoy."

"It's better than spending time with any of the bloody Gryffindors. They're driving me batty."

"Yes, I know. You complain about them daily. I can only imagine. Damn glad I wasn't sorted into that house."

Harry snorted. "You? In Gryffindor. Merlin, I can't even imagine that. Although, honestly, I can see you getting on well enough with the Weasley twins."

Barty scoffed. "Those two menaces? They drove me up the wall in class."

Harry chuckled. "Sometimes I forget that you had to teach them."

"I sure as hell won't ever forget." Barty said with a joking grimace. "They kept trying to test the limits of Moody's magical eye."

Harry laughed, drawing the attention of the two guards and the healer, who all seemed stunned by it and quickly diverted their eyes when Harry looked over then gave them pointed glares.

Barty snorted. "You're a Lord now. Can't be seen joking around by the minions, I suppose?" Barty teased.

"Pfft. Lord or no, I'm not changing my actions that much around you or Thor. Besides, I like teasing some of you. Playing with Severus is always amusing. And, in any case, unlike Tom, I don't have any issues with being seen as human." Harry said quietly, rolling his eyes.

"It's Tom now, is it?" Barty said in a quiet, but teasing voice as he nudged Harry in the ribs with his elbow. "He lets you call him by his old name? I thought he never let anyone use it."

Harry mentally scolded himself for the slip but also found himself wondering if Barty had already known that the Dark Lord's name was Tom. Harry chuckled, as the perfect response to Barty's teasing came to mind. "Of course I call him by his name. Do you think I call out 'Voldemort!' when we're in bed?"

Barty blanched and Harry laughed at his reaction.

"You two are really...?"

"Yes. Really."

Barty grimaced again and Harry rolled his eyes. "You know he doesn't always look like that. I mean, you saw what he really looks like. Back when he was resurrected."

"Ah, I had wondered if he could go back. Ever since that first meeting where I brought Sev to the manor, I've only ever seen him with his old face."

"Of course he can look however he wants but his human face is still his real face. He can switch between his real face and the serpentine one at will. It's like a switch for him."

"Well that's a relief, for you. And now that I think about it, he really was quite a looker. Our Lord was truly a handsome man in his youth."

"He still is. He just uses the snake face to instill fear and respect. He's got this idea in his head that if the Death Eaters saw him as human they wouldn't follow him. Which is ridiculous because he's amazing, powerful, brilliant, and none of the changes just because he looks different." Harry rolled his eyes slightly. "He almost never uses his Voldemort guise when we're in the western wing since no one but us and the house elves can get in there."

Barty nodded his head in understanding but looked a bit awestruck. "So how long has this been going on?" Barty asked finally as the pair of them exited the infirmary.

"I thought we were going to talk in the morning?" Harry asked with a tired, and slightly annoyed look.

"This is a big castle. I'll walk you to the entrance hall."

Harry chuckled and shook his head before finally sighing in defeat. "Since spring. We'd been sort of... getting closer, even before I moved in to his manor over the summer, but I suppose it was during the summer when things got really serious."

"You're really sleeping with him?" Barty whispered with a mixture of awe and incredulity.

Harry paused in his stride and looked at Barty. He rose a single eyebrow at the older wizard. "Bit of a personal question, don't you think? Besides I think I made that fairly clear a moment ago."

Barty just smirked and gave him an unapologetic shrug. Harry knew he would never be this brazen if Voldemort were actually around but he and Barty had developed a comfortable relationship over the months and had only grown closer during the last month while Barty was living in the abbey. And, honestly, Harry was glad that Barty wasn't suddenly treating him differently, given his new position as 'Lord' and Consort.

Harry rolled his eyes, shook his head and resumed his strides down the hall, turning into the small corridor that led to the staircase. Barty jogged to catch up, chuckling quietly under his breath.

"So?" Barty asked as the two began to descend the spiral stairs.

Harry looked at him curiously. "So, what?"

"What's it like to shag the most powerful wizard alive?" Barty asked with a mixture of reverence, and humor.

Harry coughed out a laugh. "Did you seriously just ask me that?"

"Yes, I did, and I want an answer."

"Well, you're not getting it!"

"Oh, come on, Harry!"

"Barty! Watch what you call me, while in the bloody castle!" Harry hissed as his eyes darted up and down the stairs, and he quickly reached out with his magic to make sure no one was around.

"Bullocks! Sorry, bad slip there."

"No, kidding!" Harry growled. "It's not just us and Wormtail in the abbey anymore. There's going to be a whole mess of Death Eaters living here after this, so no more 'Harry'. Got it?"

Barty ducked his head, sheepishly, honestly feeling a bit stupid for the slip. Fortunately, most all of the Death Eaters from the raid had gone home already, and all of those rescued from Azkaban were asleep or in a magical coma. The two resumed their journey down the stairs in silence for a moment.

"I apologize, my Lord," Barty said, and Harry found himself grimacing at the new monicker for the first time. It was one thing to have all of the Death Eaters calling him that, but it was weird for Barty to do it.

"You don't have to call me that either. Well, not unless we're in a meeting, obviously. Evan is fine."

Barty smiled slightly and perked up a bit as the two continued to walk down the winding staircase.

"You're really not going to tell me anything about your sex life?" Barty asked with a tinge of mock hurt and disappointment in his voice. Harry turned around and glared at the now grinning Barty Crouch, through narrowed eyes.

"I don't kiss and tell," Harry settled for as he turned away from that damn playful smirk. Barty was weird like that sometimes. Harry sometimes wondered if the guy were bi-polar. He could be perfectly serious one minute and then turn into a playful, teasing, git the next. It really was a considerable contrast from the Moody persona he had portrayed during Harry's previous school year.

"Oh, I bet that some part of you has been dying to gush about your bedroom escapades with the Dark Lord. And who else, besides me, can you do it with? I really don't see you talking about this with Thor. Great bloke but I really don't see him as the sort to enjoy raunchy gossip."

Harry barked out another laugh. "What do you think the Dark Lord would do if he knew you were trying to get me to talk about our sex life? I know you're not a sadist and no one enjoys being on the receiving end of the Dark Lord's Crucio."

"I'm only offering what I think you need."

"And what is that?"

Barty shrugged and grinned. "A friend."

Harry halted completely in his steps and blinked at Barty with an air of surprise. "What?"

"I'm not blind. I see you nearly every day, or rather, every-other-day, for you and I've listened to you bitch and moan about those bloody Gryffindors for months."

"What are you getting at?"

"Feel free to curse me if I'm wrong, my Lord," he added with a cheeky grin that earned him a hard glare from Harry, "but I think that being around all your old friends and having to play nice with them is just reminding you that you don't have them anymore. Friends, I mean. Pretending to be friends, but not actually being able to rely on them the way a person relies on, and confides in, their friends, is crap. We all need friends. I know I miss my old friends. I miss Reg, and I've missed Bella, Rudolphus, and Rabastan. It's obviously why you've been getting friendly with mini-Malfoy. It's also why you've never treated me like you treat the rest of the Death Eaters."

Harry looked at Barty with an unreadable expression for several long seconds as he thought over the older man's words. He would admit that he'd connected with Barty a lot, and really did treat the man differently than any of the others. Barty was, in reality, quite a bit older than Harry but having been locked away in Azkaban for a year then spending about a decade under the imperious curse had stunted his mental development. He really wasn't any more emotionally developed than Harry was. Harry realized in that moment that, aside from Tom, Barty and Draco were the closest things he had to actual friends, with Thor coming in next. Although, he was more like a friend-like mentor since the man was older and he was actually emotionally and mentally developed enough to act his age.

Did he really miss having friends? Yes. That was an stupid question. He wasn't going to lie to himself. Honestly, it was probably the most substantial reason he was trying as hard as he was to quietly woo his old friends over to the other side. Having Ginny, or the twins, or Hermione join the Dark wouldn't actually help the war efforts any. None of them had any real influence or power, and even if they chose to fight for the Light, it was unlikely that any of them could contribute any real defense, so even taking them out of the equation by making them neutral didn't make a difference.

But part of Harry really did want to bring some of his friends with him. Harry almost growled at himself in annoyance. Even after the way they'd all abandoned him, time and again. He sighed. At least he wasn't deluded enough to want to bring Ron along. Ron was a lost cause and Harry knew that.

But he really did miss having friends. He missed having people he could confide all his secrets to, aside from Tom. He did want to have someone that he could gush to about Tom... and their sex life. Barty was right. He really did want to tell someone about his life with Tom. He really did want to consider Barty a friend.

And Draco. How weird. Did he want to tell Draco the whole truth? Honestly? Yes, he did. But part of him didn't. Or perhaps he was just wary of doing so. In any case, telling Draco would have to wait.

He looked up into the other man's eyes and found Barty smiling back at him. He rolled his own eyes, huffed quietly and resumed going down the stairs.

"You just want to be counted among my friends because I'm a Lord now," Harry said, teasingly.

"I was a Slytherin." Barty teased back. "It's all about putting yourself into the best position of power and influence then taking advantage of it."

Harry snorted.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Harry exited into the main corridor.

"Are you just going to ignore my offer? No reply at all? I offer you my friendship and you don't even honor me with a response?" Barty asked as they rounded the corner and headed towards the large double doors that would take them into the entrance hall.

"You aren't really so insecure that you actually need me to give you a response, are you?"

"Of course not!"

"Well, I think you know the answer."

"So we're friends?" Barty asked and Harry paused and looked at him with mild bewilderment.

"You're very weird for a Slytherin." Harry remarked after a moment.

Barty chuckled and looked sheepish for a moment. "Want to hear one of my deepest, darkest, secrets?"

Harry's brows rose into his forehead. "Er... sure."

"The bloody sorting hat considered putting me in Hufflepuff."

Harry choked on thin air before guffawing loudly. "What?" he exclaimed through his laughter.

"The damn thing said I was incredibly loyal and not afraid of hard work. I nearly fell off the bleedin' stool."

"Did you ask it to put you in Slytherin instead?"

"Didn't have to ask it anything. It said I could have gone to Hufflepuff but that I had more cunning in me and was too sneaky for the badger house in the end."

"Merlin, Barty! How bizarre a thought that is. You in Hufflepuff." Harry said, shaking his head and chuckling.

"Yeah, I shudder to think how I would have turned out if it had gone the other way. I never would have been best mates with Regulus. Never would have gotten close to Bella, even though she was five years ahead of me. But she never would have associated with a bloody 'Puff."

Harry's laughter ended instantly and his eyes widened with realization. "Wait, the 'Reg' you've always mentioned was Regulus? As in Regulus Black? Sirius's younger brother?"

"Yeah, didn't I mention that at some point?"

"If you did, I must have missed it. Did you ever meet Sirius?"

"A few times, yeah. Reg and I were in the same year at Hogwarts, two years under Sirius, Severus, Lucius, and Narcissa, and five years under Bella, Rudolphus and Rebastan."

"How did you get close with Bellatrix, anyway?" Harry asked, honestly curious.

"Reg was her favorite cousin, for obvious reasons, and she dotted upon him like mad when he started Hogwarts. Since he and I were close, it sort of rubbed off. Plus I am sort of a distant cousin to both of them. My grandmother was a Black, you see."

"Oh! Merlin, you're right! Charis Black married a Casper Crouch! I noticed that a while back and totally forgot to ask you about it. So Casper Crouch was your grandfather, then?"

"That's right. One of the Dark Lord's early financial supporters after Grindlewald was defeated, which was one of the reasons my father was so openly anti-Dark magic. He was trying to distance himself from our Dark family ties for political reason." Barty sneered with obvious disgust in his expression.

"Your father was a bloody wanker. Sent Sirius off without a trial and sent off his own son to that hellhole."

"The only reason he got me out was because it was my mum's dying wish." Barty said with a sigh. "She was dying anyway and begged him to make the switch."

"And even after he gets you out, he makes you spend a decade under a mind control curse. It's unforgivable what he did!"

Barty snorted humorlessly. "Did I ever thank you for finishing him off?"

"Er.. no. Honestly I had wondered how you handled that... It doesn't bother you?"

"The only part of it that bothers me was that I wasn't able to do it myself." Barty spat coldly.

Harry nodded in understanding and the two passed into the entry hall and strode across the open grand space to the opposite doors that led into the west wing.

"Well, this is where we part." Harry said, giving Barty a small soft smile.

Barty nodded. "Right you are. Will my Lords be joining the lesser people for lunch tomorrow in the dining room?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't know yet. I imagine tomorrow will be busy. Goodnight, Barty."

"'Night."

When Harry entered their bedroom, Tom was already there and in the process of undressing. Harry grinned and let his eyes linger over his lovers form as the man stripped down to nothing but those snug, formfitting boxer briefs he wore.

Tom obviously felt Harry's gaze because he turned around and smirked back, knowingly. He strode towards Harry and began to help him with removing his robes.

"It has been quite a day," Tom said in a quite voice but a smug accomplished grin spread it's way across his face.

Harry laughed lightly. "That's for sure. Although, for me, it was yesterday."

"True, true. The plans went off without a hitch. We have retrieved my old followers, and acquired new recruits. On top of all that, all of my followers now know that you are mine." Tom ended in a low, possessive voice that sent a shudder up his spine, and a surge of Tom's delicious Dark power that made Harry slightly light headed.

Harry let out a slow, shuddering breath, looking at Tom with slightly lidded eyes, loving the elated, greedy look in the elder wizards eyes.

"Not everyone knows. Snape and Thor don't. And once the Azkaban escapees are all conscious, they'll need to be informed as well."

Tom brushed his words off. "It's not a concern. They will all learn soon enough. The fact remains that it is now known amongst almost all of the Death Eaters that I have a claim on you. That you are to be revered and respected. Treated as my equal."

Tom finished removing Harry's robes and shirt then sat down on the end of the bed. Harry smiled down at him and allowed his lover to disrobe him. He loved watching Tom's long, slender fingers, as they worked the button on his trousers and slowly pulled down the zipper. Tom looked up at him with hunger in his bright red eyes as his hands slid to Harry's hips then his thumbs hooked around the belt loops there and tugged downward. Harry's pants slid off his narrow hips and fell to the floor.

"You wanted me to tell you about the reactions to tomorrow's news?" Harry asked in a breathy voice.

Tom shook his head. "You can tell me in the morning." He leaned in and pressed his lips just below Harry's naval. Harry's breath hitched as jolt of pleasure shot through his gut at the feel of Tom's warm breath, and the nearness of Tom's mouth to his already painfully erect member.

Tom leaned back, grinning up at Harry smugly, and Harry grinned right back. A quick bit of maneuvering later, and both had removed their boxers, leaving the two completely nude. Tom sat back down on the bed and scooted back a bit, motioning for Harry to straddle him. Harry climbed onto the bed, placing his knees on each side of the elder man and was quickly pulled down by a forceful hand placed behind his neck.

Harry moaned into Tom's mouth as their lips crashed together and he felt the possessive need that was churning through Tom and across their link. Tom's free hand went down and gripped Harry's hip, pulling their pelvises flush against each other and bring them each some much needed, glorious friction.

Tom's hand that had been at his neck shifted into his hair and fisted his hair tightly. Tom's hips came up, starting a rhythm that Harry quickly met, grinding their hips together.

"Mmmm... oh... oh..."

"Yes... Oh fuck, Harry..."

"Merlin, Tom! Uuoh!" Harry moaned out as Tom pulled again on his hair, separating their lips.

Tom's hand left Harry's hip and came up to his mouth where he licked his palm quickly before slipping his hand back down between them and gripping both of their cocks together.

Harry called out and whimpered wonderfully. He thrust his hips, pumping both of their cocks into Tom's hand and bringing the both of them closer still to that glorious release. But suddenly Tom was pushing Harry off and flipping him over onto his back.

He straddled Harry then and attacked his mouth and neck. Licking his chest and nipples, all the while, resuming their earlier position, only now with Tom in control. After a few minutes of this, he had Harry writhing in torturous euphoria and a puddle of need and desire.

"Please Tom... Please," Harry panted as his back arched up, pressing his cock into Tom's hand and against Tom's own rock hard member. "I need you... I... more... in me. Now!"

Tom chuckled slightly, but it was breathy and heavy with his own desperate desire. "As you wish, my love," Tom whispered in Harry's ear as he let his talented tongue trace over the lobe, and the spade earring there.

He wandlessly summoned the lube and quickly set to preparing Harry who was calling out nonsense and practically shaking with the intensity of his desire to be filled.

Tom brought Harry's legs up over his shoulders and forcefully plowed into his young, nimble lover.

"Uugh! Gods... you're still so tight. Even after all these months..." Tom ground out as his body was wracked with bliss.

Harry grinned smugly despite the near-painful stretching that always greeted the first plunge of the night. "Magical healing factor, I suppose," he breathed out. "Who knows, maybe I'll always be tight for you."

Tom groaned out and his head collapsed down onto Harry's chest and he hummed hungrily. "Wouldn't that be lovely," he breathed through a sly grin.

"Yes... sure... lovely. Come on, Tom. Fuck me already."

"Cheeky brat." Tom chuckled and pulled out slightly before plunging back in again harshly.

Harry called out in shock and in pleasure.

Tom set a quick, rough pace, rocking the entire bed and bringing Harry to the point where he was screaming profanities and clawing at Tom's back by the time the pair came, simultaneously; each ones own individual pleasure echoing across the link and amplifying the others.

Tom heaved a satisfied sigh as he slid down onto the bed beside Harry, who almost instantly nuzzled his way into Tom's side.

Tom waved his hand, bringing the blankets up and covering them. He wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulder and held him tightly against him.

"Mine," he whispered in a satisfied, possessive growl.

Harry chuckled and just snuggled in closer in response. "And you're mine."

It was early the next morning, November 1^st, and Lucius Malfoy was growing very impatient as he paced back and forth through the entrance hall of his home. His wife was dallying and he couldn't wait much longer for her. He had to Apparate her to the Dark Lord's castle, because only a person baring the Dark Lord's mark could Apparate in through the wards, but he also needed to get to the Ministry. He had important things to do today. The Ministry would, no doubt, be in an uproar in reaction to the events of the previous night's attack on Azkaban and he needed to manage then properly direct the Minister's panic.

While he stood, waiting impatiently in the entrance hall for his wife to finally finish with whatever it was she was doing, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to the previous night. When the Dark Lord had first announced that he would be holding a Samhain Festival at the castle, he had been a bit surprised but also greatly pleased. In the early years of the last war, the Dark Lord had held such events but such celebrations had fallen to the wayside in the later years. Lucius had been even more surprised, but also quite pleased, to learn that spouses and trusted adult family members were welcome to attend the event.

It was like a hint that things might actually return to the old ways. Where the Dark Lord was more than just a leader in a revolution but also a figurehead in their traditions, culture, and rituals. It caused a powerful, excited bubble of anticipation to build in Lucius' chest.

Then his mind wandered to the other shocking revelation of the previous night. The Dark Lord's consort. Even after all these months, Lucius still didn't know much about Evan Harris. He'd done some light digging out of his own curiosity and could find no reference to anyone by the name that met the man he'd come to know as the Dark Lord's apprentice. He assumed, thusly, that it was most likely an assumed name although it made Lucius that much more curious as to who the man really was.

The wizard was fairly young from what he could tell. Maybe somewhere around twenty, not that he would judge the Dark Lord's choice, in fact Lucius could imagine having a youthful consort could be quite a boon. Evan Harris was clearly a powerful and skilled enough wizard to earn his position at the Dark Lord's side. Lucius had seen the man duel in the advanced training sessions and their training leading up to the attack on Azkaban. He had felt the man's powerful magic aura. Seen with his own eyes the level of skill the young man possessed. He was truly an impressive wizard and, if the Dark Lord wanted to take the young man as his own, he would never dare to question such a thing.

It was still shocking, though. He had to admit, part of him had a very difficult time seeing the Dark Lord as a person who would feel romantic affection for anyone or ever be willing to display anything resembling tenderness. But that belief had been shattered with what he had witnessed during the ritual and the dance later the previous evening.

When the announcement about the Dark Lord's new consort had first been made, Lucius had wondered if it were just a power play. If it was a partnership based on convenience and power as had long been common among the powerful and influential pureblood families but then he had seen the two together. The kiss they had shared after passing through the ritual cleansing fire and the dancing later... The dancing had shown him for sure that there was far more to the relationship of the Dark Lord and Evan Harris than power or political maneuvering. The Dark Lord had been... tender with Harris. Gentle caresses, honest smiles, the Dark Lord at smiled! And it wasn't a sadistic or gleeful smile, it was a warm, caring smile.

As shocking as it had been to witness such a display from his Lord, it somehow left him feeling... excited? Hopeful? He wasn't even sure. He was happy, which was probably odd. Happy for his Lord? Yes... and no. That wasn't entirely it. He was happy for the Dark Lord; happy that the man had managed to find love, because it was clear from the look in the man's normally frightening red eyes that he was in love.

Lucius considered himself lucky. So many of his peers had married for power or convenience. Arranged marriages for the sake of their families and their bloodlines. Marriages devoid of any real affection. However, Lucius truly loved his wife. He had courted Narcissa during their last year at Hogwarts and had been overjoyed that his father and her father both approved of their match.

However, he was not simply happy for the Dark Lord having found love. He was also eager to see what sort of changes this would continue to bring to his Lord and their cause. He had already seen a dramatic shift in strategy and goals from the previous war. The Dark Lord was more sane this time, more focused. His plans and tactics weren't nearly as violent, and he was more concerned with winning the war with as little conflict and as few deaths than he was with simply crushing the opposition utterly and making them suffer.

Lucius would admit that in his youth he had eagerly followed the Dark Lord and had even enjoyed the violence but he had, perhaps, mellowed a bit with age. He had more than a decade of experience with careful political maneuvering and had grown accustomed to a comfortable, stable, life and time spent raising a son that he desperately loved. With such experiences now under his belt, the violence he once relished was no longer quite so appealing.

This Evan Harris had been by his Lord's side since before Lucius and the other Death Eaters had even been summoned to return. Harris had apparently played some crucial role in the Dark Lord having returned to bodily form. Harris was always treated differently. The way they spoke to each other, the body language they used in each others presence, the nearness they often had to each other. Now that he thought back on what he had witnessed of the two of them, he realized that they had likely been involved intimately this entire time he had known Harris.

Perhaps it was this young man that had brought many of the changes he had seen in his Lord? If he was, Lucius had only thanks to give the young wizard.

Lucius wondered about him though. He had a very, very difficult time imagining anyone being in an intimate relationship with the Dark Lord. Evan Harris was a good looking young man. With as much power as he possessed, he could likely have any partner he desired. Obviously, this was true since he had managed to gain the interest of the most powerful wizard alive. And while Lucius revered the Dark Lord deeply, he couldn't help but mentally cringe at the thought of the man being intimate with someone... and the way he looked...

But then he thought back to the previous night. It wasn't nearly as shocking as he would have expected it to be, seeing the Dark Lord, in all his horrific glory, kissing Harris. With his features softened with uncharacteristic tenderness, it almost wasn't disturbing.

Almost.

Lucius turned and gave an annoyed, impatient huff and Narcissa finally rushed into the room, apologizing for taking so long but she couldn't find something or other because one of the elves had misplaced it. She had a bag with her that included her own kit of medical supplies and potions. She was anxious to see her sister. He knew that. Her shoulders were tense and her brow was creased with nervous worry. It was uncharacteristic for his wife to so openly show her dismay and he knew it was a sign of just how worried she was.

Lucius sighed and walked over to his wife, resting one of his hands on her shoulder while bringing the other up and threading it gently down through her silken golden locks. He leaned in close and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. They shared a look that said more than any words and she gave him a worried, but grateful smile.

He wrapped his arm around hers and a moment later they vanished from the hall with a crack.
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Harry Potter and the Breeding Darkness