Ch41. Rune Protection and Weapon

Hadrian sat in the Black Library with his head leaning back and his mouth wide open as Narcissa's wand, slightly glowing, pointed at the inner upper part of his mouth, almost entering it.

"Aaaa?" Hadrian let out of his throat and Narcissa barely understood the meaning due to his questioning uncomfortable gaze.

"No, Hadrian, for the tenth time, I am not done yet." She quipped in annoyance as she leaned closer to have a better view of his inner mouth and firmly gripped his chin.

"Tsk." Narcissa poured more magic into her wand and felt her focus waver. Hadrian clutched the armrest as he felt his mouth burn. She blinked and gave him an apologetic look without really meaning it anymore since it happened quite a lot in the previous hour. "Sorry, dear."

"Aaa." He responded in discontent.

"Yes, yes. I will try to speed it up a little." Narcissa rolled her eyes, amused at his antics, and proceeded to feed her wand magic at the exact same pace.

She was simultaneously administering anesthetic magic, carving a rune, and instantly healing the burned spot at once. The focus required was tremendous, therefore, Narcissa had to be careful but still sometimes slipped. In those instances, poor Hadrian felt every bit of having a rune carved in the upper part, inside of his mouth.

Hadrian tried to relax yet again as the pain receded. He was quite annoyed at Narcissa's nonchalant tone and almost started regretting letting her persuade him into doing this! No matter the benefits, he just lost a lot of his manly pride!

"Aaaaaaa!" He shrieked again, trying to not move as his mouth when he felt as if acid was spilled there. He started to feel the coppery taste in his mouth as blood filled it.

Right there! That was when he lost most of his pride. See!?

Narcissa didn't even acknowledge him this time and just healed the damaged part as if nothing happened. Yet, her eyes literally danced in mirth at his panic!

"Do not worry." She cooed. "I did this to Draco too." Her smirk got positively menacing and Hadrian got a sudden overpowering urge to feel enormous pity for poor young Draco.

"I must say, you are doing quite fine. Overall, there is a lot less blood and whining." Narcissa flippantly quipped. "I really do not know how that boy will survive serving the Dark Lord when he can't even withstand having a rune burned into the insides of his mouth. Crucio will destroy him."

Hadrian really thanked Narcissa for teaching him to veil his thoughts because just now some very colorful curses about her sprang to his mind.

"And done." Narcissa smugly put her wand to her holster and her eyes flashed mischievously.

Hadrian relieved he survived the experience, took a relieving breath. Obviously, appearing worried was not a good idea at the moment as Narcissa engulfed him in a playful comforting hug.

"Who is my brave little boy." She mockingly and exaggeratedly shook his small eleven years old form from side to side, only stopping when she felt him getting more and more annoyed.

"Aww." She pinched his cheek playfully.

"Yes, you are." And cooed in a childish voice, receiving a stink eye from Hadrian, making her barely contain her laughter.

"Do not worry, let me kiss the boo." Smirk momentarily appeared on her face and before Hadrian could give her a piece of his mind, she pressed her soft lips to his in a sloppy kiss.

"Well, that is disgusting, sister dearest."

Suddenly sounded from behind them and Narcissa quickly jumped away from Hadrian as if she was just caught doing something wrong.

"I would never think my prim and proper sister is the naughty sort." Andromeda teased yet her eyes betrayed a hint of disgust.

Narcissa speechlessly looked at Andromeda and turned to Hadrian for help but then understood. She just pushed her tongue deep into the mouth of an eleven years old boy.

"Ew." She scowled in a hint of self-disgust as her complexion turned a little green. "I was so focused on the rune I forgot he is not under aging potion."

Hadrian, highly annoyed by the Black sisters just crossed his arms.

"Rune?" Andromeda asked.

"Yup." Narcissa pounced at the opportunity to change the topic. "I was carving a Mental-interference rune into Hadrian's mouth."

Andromeda looked at Narcissa, her eyes showing not an ounce of understanding.

"It will prevent him from being affected by mind-altering potions or food. Good enough to even stop Amortentia if the victi-, ahem, the user is good enough Occlumens. You know... the one father carved to each of us." She told her, irked at having to explain it to Andromeda who should know about it already.

"Oh..." Andromeda intelligently replied with a grimace as she remembered the painful experience but quickly turned to Hadrian with an apologetic gaze. "Anyway, sorry my Lord, Narcissa, I have to cancel the invitation to the diner and request clearing my schedule for the following days. My Nymphadora returned from her vacation with the Weasley boy and is bawling her eyes out. The prick bluntly told her the dragons are more important to him after having what he called a 'goodbye sex' without actually telling her it is goodbye sex." She said, positively murderous.

"Oh... Sure, no problem. Do comfort her. If..." Hadrian responded.

"No problem!" Narcissa interrupted, nodding, and beaming happily. "We can use the aging potion we prepared for the diner in more... productive way." She winked at Hadrian and Andromeda rolled her eyes.

Hadrian decided to quickly change the topic.

"So, Andy, did you get what I asked for?" He asked her, eyeing the briefcase in her left hand with great anticipation.

Both women smiled at his childish joy and Andromeda nodded.

"Ah, I tried to contact that Mr. Smith you told me about but..." She awkwardly trailed off and the joy in Hadrian instantly died.

"Go on." He ordered, having a bad premonition.

"Ah, he was arrested. Trying to use a lot of banknotes with the exact same serial number, they said." Andromeda rolled her eyes as Hadrian's world shattered.

"I fucked up." He mumbled lifelessly as he sat in the chair, completely ignoring both women.

Narcissa took the opportunity of his distraught state and quickly sent a Legilimency probe. It didn't take long for her charming melodious laughter to fill the room.

She walked around Hadrian and as she was facing his back, she leaned forward, squishing her breast on his back, reddening his cheeks from shame at his failure more than anything else. Her highly amused voice rang straight into his ear in a playful mocking tone.

"Do not worry, dear. I will take care of setting up a business in the muggle world for you. You do not need an incompetent thug to do it. What actually made you do something so idiotic..." She yet again released another round of laughter, making Hadrian's cheeks go even redder.

"Whatever." He pouted and gestured for Andromeda to put the briefcase on the table.

"Well, here you are." She opened it, revealing a handgun.

Seeing it, Narcissa scowled.

"Why do you need one of those muggle gans, Hadrian?" She admonished harshly, flinching at the cold glare she received back.

"Firstly, it is called 'gun'. Not 'gan'. Secondly, let me show you, Cissy." Hadrian told her as he reached for the gun. "Cast three shielding charms one after the other, would you?" He ordered her and pointed at a wall.

Narcissa still didn't understand why her husband needed such an inferior tool but she received a direct order. With a meek subdued nod, she waved her wand in the direction of the wall, casting three strong Protego Charms.

Hadrian nodded in satisfaction and took aim directly into the middle of the first Protego charm. He fired, making Narcissa flinch back due to the sudden noise. The bullet flew towards the first shield, completely shattering it. The second didn't fare any better as it was disintegrated on the impact just as easily. It was the third that finally had a slight effect. It redirected the bullet, slowed by the two previous shields, slightly to the right before the bullet impacted the wall and harmlessly bounced away from it. The wards completely mitigated the impact.

Narcissa looked at the spectacle, completely shocked. She understood well what this 'gun' would mean for a wizard in a fight. This gun was completely different than those her grandparents told her they encountered during the war against Grindelwald!

Even Andromeda and Hadrian were quite surprised the bullet went through all three Shielding Charms, revealing a wry smile. Both clearly disturbed at the fact.

"How..." Narcissa uttered as her head swirled in thoughts, her teachings about muggle inferiority deeply challenged.

Hadrian tapped her arm in reassurance and smiled at her when she suddenly gained that determined look he didn't like in the slightest. She cast another Protego Charm in front of the wall and nibbled her lips as she pondered. Both Andromeda and Hadrian let her, patiently waiting for what she would do.

After ten minutes, Narcissa finally smiled and created another Protego Charm next to it.

"Try now." She proudly exclaimed and Hadrian obliged.

He shot at the newly-made Shielding Charm and instantly a surprised expression appeared on his face. The bullet impacted the shield, both started fighting for dominance. The bullet was rotating at incredibly high speed, trying to drill its way through the Charm as the Shielding Charm pulsed with magic.

Narcissa's smug expression fell, however, when the Charm, after a three-second long tug-war, shattered and the bullet harmlessly flopped to the ground. Yes, the Shielding Charm stopped the bullet. No, it was not a viable opinion in a fight. Narcissa was pissed.

"What did you change?" Hadrian curiously asked Narcissa.

"Well, you know, there are shielding spells that are made to shield against transfigured mass hurled at the user. A variant of these was mostly used against, uhm, what were they called again?" Narcissa pouted. "Tunks? Tonks? No, no, that is Andromeda's husband." She pondered.

"Tanks." Hadrian quipped, getting a grateful look from Narcissa.

"Uh, yes. These shielding spells are not readily taught. Not since Dumbledore got rid of them from the Hogwarts curriculum after he became the Headmaster. But, they have enough strength to stop the fire from these Tanks. Even if they take a lot of magic." Narcissa nodded, mostly to herself but her knowledge astonished Hadrian.

"To be honest, looking at the gun, these tanks became better too. Right?" She gave a questioning look at Andromeda who just sadly nodded.

"A lot better, sister. I doubt these shielding spells will be able to stop a modern tank. And if they can, then not more than a couple of times before being breached."

A groan ripped itself from Narcissa's mouth as she again started to go through everything she knew in her head.

"So, how did you enhance the Protego Charm?" Hadrian asked again, pulling Narcissa from her reverie.

"Ah? Yes, yes. I just tried redistributing the power all over the shield." She frowned. "Apparently it didn't work."

Hadrian looked at her as a proverbial light-bulb appeared above his head. He just realized he has a genius as a wife. Seeing a gun for the first time and already modifying a quite useless spell into a lot less useless defensive means! She basically described the redistribution of kinetic force on the shield to make it more durable without even reading a book about physics!

"Andy, buy books explaining science and give them to Narcissa." Hadrian said and before Narcissa could protest he continued. "She will learn mostly physics and chemistry. If her interest is piqued, then, you can get her books on other muggle subjects. And no, Cissy, that is an order."

He turned to Narcissa who couldn't decide if her gaze should be scathing or grateful, her affection towards her husband fighting her upbringing.

"Cissy, you will get a helluva lot better at runes and magic due to the knowledge." Hadrian softly commented with a gentle smile and gratefulness momentarily won in Narcissa's mind as she hugged him from the behind.

"Now," Hadrian's expression turned gleeful and his gentle smile morphed into a menacing grin as his eyes flashed in a vicious light. Andromeda squeaked something close to 'oh, shit' as she decided to promptly retreat from the room. "I want you, Narcissa, to carve various runes onto the handgun. Let's make it a magical weapon, shall we?"