The Contract

Chapter 138

The Contract

Chapter 138

"I shall come and see Corvus and everyone else tomorrow, go on now, head home, this is a family situation." Aurelius informed Harry, standing up, encouraging the young wizards to do the same. Rookwood was already crying out in excitement at their success. Proclaiming the desire to see if it would work without Harry's blood. He didn't want to wait, he wanted to do it right now, but he couldn't, he'd poured more magic than he usually used in a week into that ritual. If he wanted to do it tomorrow with the others then he needed to recuperate.

"But you are family," Harry pointed out, and it wasn't a manipulation, he said it with all the sincerity in his heart. He'd desired nothing more than family while he grew up abused and belittled. In the past few years, he had gained so much. Corvus, Aurelius, Rodolphus, Sirius, Bill even, and most importantly Rabastan. He didn't have a specific title for them, but he loved them vehemently and would do anything for them. They were his family and nothing would convince him otherwise.

Aurelius' gaze didn't so much as twitch, his control was for the most part, always impeccable. You wouldn't know that his heart was pounding erratically and his emotions were going haywire. "Nevertheless, they won't want company for this, it will be an emotional reunion, and I do know they wouldn't want me to observe their weakness."

Harry wanted to argue, to refute his words, but regretfully he knew it was true. Emotion wasn't a weakness when you were with family, and Aurelius was family. However, he knew he wouldn't be able to change his mind.

"Plus, I do have a meeting I cannot reschedule again in five minutes," Aurelius informed him. "Head on through the Floo." Gesturing towards the fireplace, giving Rookwood a single glance expecting his orders to be followed.

Rookwood flicked his hand and a barely decipherable ding was heard, and the clock on the mantle glowed blue. "You can go now." He said, his voice quiet and respectful, watching with hooded eyes, watchful and cautious with a smidge of curiosity. He'd been warned like the others that Harry Potter was to ne left alone. That if anyone put a hand on him, they would be tortured and killed. That wasn't exactly the Dark Lord's words of course, he made it abundantly clear exactly what he'd do to them including flaying them while they were alive. A very good incentive to leave the boy alone. As if they'd had any desire to hunt him down, not after he'd gotten them all legally freed from Azkaban.

He barely stopped himself making a bleating sound when Harry hugged the Dark Lord, and almost staggered when he noticed such action was returned. If anyone, anyone else attempted to do that with the Dark Lord there would be curses thrown. Likely Cruciatus Curse and if the person was even more unlucky, the Killing Curse.

"I'll see you soon," Harry said, after moving towards the fireplace as if he hadn't just hugged the most powerful wizard in the world. "Thank you for your hospitality, Heir Rookwood, and have a good day, I bid you farewell." Inclining his head respectfully at Rookwood from the fireplace, but facing him while he spoke, to not do so would be incredibly rude, which he had been taught not be. Rudeness wasn't tolerated by anyone in the upper echelon of society.

Aurelius turned unconsciously, keeping both Rookwood and Harry within his line of sight. A habit he hadn't broken, and refused to break. He watched the young wizard Floo out after shrinking down the portrait so it was hidden in his pocket. This, this was all he'd ever wanted, as a child. Family, to be claimed, but the only family he hadwere utterly disgusted by his very existence and it hurt. Between the Gaunts and Riddles they'd shredded him to pieces, those childish hopes and dreams. He'd refused to think on it, and the Horcruxes he'd made helped that. Got rid of those Merlin-awful emotions he loathed so much.

Aurelius almost scowled, if he didn't know the dire consequences of creating them, at that moment, he would have been tempted to make more. The emptiness was far better than these feeling consuming him, Merlin, help him, it was awful. He blinked a little rapidly to prevent himself from leaking. He would not do so in front of Rookwood. "Teenagers," he grumbled out, somehow sounding entirely unbothered.