Chapter 49 Part 1

9th of June 1942

He sat down cross legged on the stone slab at the centre of the Castlerigg Stone Circle, surrounded by a runic circle marked out in his blood.

It was his first ritual of his fourth set, the first ritual of the remaining four ritual sets he'd do. 

One ritual every day.

"Master, you have two minutes" Tweenie, his ever faithful elf said.

He breathed in deeply "Right" he said as he breathed out.

He brought his dagger forth and cut his right palm over the runes in front of him that was connected to the runic circle of which he was at the centre of.

His first ritual was a prepping ritual for the adoption of the magical ability of Fila. He'd obtain a greater affinity for lightning and would be more in tune with the weather. He wasn't quite certain to what degree but it certainly would be not significant, he suspected at the very least.

He began his chant as a chime rang out. The magical energies around him grew as he chanted. Swirls of blood red and white colours surrounded him as he completed his chant and he felt something settle within him, not quite painfully but certainly uncomfortable.

The next day came and he constructed the runic circle with his blood mixed with some of Fila's. A screech made him look up and he saw Fila overhead, clouds increasing and darkening into greys as she flapped her wings.

He continued to create the ritual as Fila gather her energies to create the storm.

Thunder boomed as he finished up the runic circle and he looked up ahead and saw Fila at the eye of the storm she brewed up.

Lightning flashed as he took his seat at the centre. The ritual involved three feathers from Fila, 120 degrees apart with a bowl of Fila's blood, a pint mixed with various magical plants that only bloomed during lightning. The potent mix was intended to facilitate the bonding process of the elemental affinity.

He began his chant and he suppressed a grunt as the magical energies were far more intensive this time. A storm of magical energies surrounded him as lightning and thunder cracked open the skies.

A pause in the chanting allowed him to drink up the potent mix, drinking every little drop of the concoction.

'Fila, it's time' he mentally messaged her as he got to the final bits of his chant.

She screeched and he looked directly up and saw her gathering an almighty amount of energy as her wings effectively became lightning until, finally, a massive bolt of lightning shot downwards and him dead centre on the face as he finished his chant.

He screamed out as lightning coursed through his veins, his muscles, his bones as it infused itself within him. It was the most agonising thing he'd ever felt as he fell unconscious.

"Master! Master!" 

He groggily opened his eyes as he winced as he moved. "Tweenie?" he said pained.

"Master you fell unconscious for hours!" Tweenie said more than a little unhappily.

"Well Tweenie, I was hit by lightning" he said with false humour.

Something Tweenie didn't appreciate as he looked at Atticus balefully before conjuring a cup of coffee which Atticus took gladly.

"Will all the rituals be like this?" Tweenie asked hesitantly.

Atticus smiled grimly. Even smiling hurt a little and he had already done rituals that decreased the amount of pain he felt.

"The next five won't be like this" he told Tweenie before he sipped on his excellent coffee "The next five are meant to increase my immunity to magic. The next one is to increase my immunity towards fire, for example dragon fire will largely no longer truly burn me, the next one will be immunity against Nundu breath, the next one will be an immunity the compulsion magic various magical creatures have, the one after that will be immunity against acid whilst the last one is another increase against venomous creatures" he answered Tweenie.

The fifth set was physical rejuvenation. His stamina, his endurance, mental fatigue would all be reduced or increased. He'd likely no longer need to sleep for days on end.

His sixth and seventh set would be rituals to enable near biological immortality and controlled regeneration.

He suspected those would probably hurt the most.

He modified those rituals slightly, to fix his age at twenty eight rather than twenty one. He didn't want to perpetually look like a teenager as he suspected the chances were that he'd look like a young twenty one.

He closed his eyes as he raised his hand. His connection with Fila had deepened, he felt a connection with her magic that he hadn't before.

He opened his eyes and smiled victoriously as he saw his hand crackling with lightning.

He pointed his hand away and exerted a little to cause lightning to spring forth from his hand. "Excellent" he breathed out as he smiled widely.

Conjuring lightning was as easy as levitating something wandlessly now. One of the possible side effects was that he might well be able to feel closer connected to the weather system in the world...what that would mean, he wasn't sure as Aurilak postulated it.

He mentioned that those who had taken an affinity, like fire or water were able to have side effects that increased their attunement to nature. For example, those who had water as their affinity were able to draw water from the earth and able to sense bodies of water allowing them to manipulate their environment to a greater scale.

He was looking forward to finding it out.

For the next week or so, his days were filled to the brim. He finalised the enchantments on the spear and had begun to engrave the spear with the runic schemes he determined.

A few days after that, he was briefing his allies who would join with him to the continent to battle with Grindelwald and his forces. Benedict had joined with him, providing support in manpower and resources.

There were sixteen of them that would join him from those families whilst there were several mercenaries that they would use, sporadically to target their warehouses once opportunities presented itself.

His scientific projects were all on hiatus for the moment, much to his annoyance. 

As was duelling. One of the effects of his rituals was that his magic, while not unstable, was fluctuating as the rituals took effect which would not end until the seventh of July, when the last ritual would take on effect.

Because of that, he spent much of it working on his shield creations. He was getting close in developing a shield that could protect against the killing curse but there were still some aspects that was proving difficult to overcome, namely ensuring that the shield worked without the emotional component. 

The off white colour that was within the unforgivables bypassed shields and he'd isolated that frequency but he was having trouble constructing a shield that wouldn't need an emotional component, merely magical power. 

For the moment, it was proving to be elusive but he was slowly getting there.

When he wasn't working on that, he was working with Tweenie with a task that was proving necessary as time went by.

It would be his most intricate web of deceit, one that he would do all he could to ensure would ensnare his target. 

It would be poetic justice, he thought, for his target to be caught in it.

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Belsing POV

He groaned. 

"Wha..." he groggily said as he parted his eyes and hissed as the brightness of the room hit his eyes.

"Whe.." he mumbled confusedly as he blinked his eyes before he moved his body but found he couldn't. He jogged his arms and found them bound jolting him firmly awake. "What the fu..." he hissed out as he rapidly looked around, his eyes adjusting to the bright light.

"I wouldn't bother." A suave voice called out and the light was moved away and he saw a white haired man with black eyes seated opposite him.

He inhaled sharply. He'd heard of a man of this description in Knockturn. A man everyone was wary of crossing as he became more and more prominent in the underground business.

The only man who had access to Basilisk Venom.

"Why am I here?" he said as evenly as possible as he watched the man who sat in his chair, relaxed and at ease, his legs crossed as he watched him.

He smiled thinly. "You are known within the...less savoury elements of society as a man who has quite the taste of obscure magical artefacts." He tapped his finger on the armchair.

"Well, if you wanted something, you could have just asked. Preferably over a Shepard's Pie of course" he said with as much humour as he could muster.

The man chuckled softly but shook his head softly "Perhaps next time." He said with intense eyes.

"Well, as long as there is a next time" he said with a shaky smile.

The man leaned forward, his dark eyes gleaming in the light. "I have a task for you. It does not depend on your willingness in truth" Belsing felt cold dread run up his spine.

"Your sanity, in the end will depend on how willing you cooperate. It doesn't matter to me if you end up brain dead after you complete your task but for the sake of efficiency and for it to work properly, you have this chance to cooperate." He looked at him with a vicious gleam in his eyes "It will not be offered again."

Belsing gulped. "What do you mean insanity?" He asked shakily.

"For the task to be fulfilled, I will be modifying your memory" Belsing looked at the man in horror "And I will be adding instructions that you will follow to the letter. The success of its reversibility will depend on your cooperation. Should you fight it, the risk of schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder and so on increases exponentially" he smiled cruelly before he sat back in his chair, his eyes inhumanely dark as he watched Belsing looked at him with pure terror. He didn't know what schizophrenia was but multiple personalities was something he'd heard about before in Janus Thickey's ward, people who'd been obliviated or had mind magic done to them breaking their minds and making them insane.

"Please..." He started choking and his eyes grew wide in horror.

"Do not beg. Do not offer any substitutions. Your cooperation is what I want, it is not what I need. There is nothing else you can offer me. Do you accept and will you comply or will I have to do it forcibly?" he said in a calm tone with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

His eyes teared up and he nodded rapidly and he felt the choking restraint leave and he breathed in and out deeply and looked at the man with fear in his eyes.

The man fluidly got up from his chair, his wand in his hand before it slowly was raised to face.

He smiled cruelly "Don't worry...It won't hurt...too much"

He trembled as the wand was pointed at between his eyes.

"Legillimens!"

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Scrimgeour POV

He knocked on the door and took a step back as he waited.

As he waited, he took a few moments to reflect back on why he was here today. That meeting with that mysterious man was often on his mind, the implications of a supposedly hidden Dark Lord causing him no end of worry. He hadn't dared mention it to anyone should the man be correct.

There was little evidence regarding the man's claims. By all accounts, Albus Dumbledore was a pillar of Magical Britain, a man who stands between subjugation and freedom of the Isles, a man of the Light who has several acclaims to his name.

He was broken out of his thoughts as a woman who was getting on in her years opened the door.

"Yes?" she inquired as stood by the slightly ajar door.

He straightened out "Are you Bathilda Bagshot?" he asked politely.

"I am." She answered with scrutinising eyes "And you are...?"

"I'm Rupert Scrimgeour, reporter for the Daily Prophet." He paused for a second "I have a few questions that I'd like to ask you, if you don't mind" 

She eyed him for a few seconds before she opened the door and gestured him to come in "I expected one of you to come at some point" she said as he walked into the home.

He filed that away for later as he walked into the home, scrubbing his shoes clean before she led him towards the living room.

"Tea?" she asked kindly.

"Please" he said with a smile and soon enough he was seated opposite her with a lovely brew of tea in his hands.

A few minutes passed as they sat in silence before he broke it "You mentioned that you expected someone like me...a reporter?" he probed a little.

Her laugh was tickling as she set down her cup of tea. "Yes...Yes I did." She said with a sigh.

He watched her carefully as she readjusted herself and got herself comfortable on the sofa.

"Before I say anything, why are you here?" she asked.

"I'm here to ask about Albus Dumbledore" he answered, getting straight to the point.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise before she muttered "Well I suppose that makes sense too" just loud enough for him to hear.

She sighed "What would you like to know?" she said simply.

'Is he a hidden Dark Lord?' 

He didn't ask that of course "I know that he grew up in this village, before it became completely magical." He halted for a moment "I'd like to know about his early years"

She scrutinised him "Are you writing a biography?"

"No, I have not planned on it but the option is there, I suppose"

"Hmm." She simply said as she scrutinised him before shaking her head. She looked into the distant as she leaned back in her chair "The Dumbledores did indeed live here in their youth, having moved here from Mould-on-the-Wold, after the tragedy that had hit their family"

His interest peaked "Tragedy?" he knew she was likely referring to the nasty muggle baiting incident but he wanted to clarify.

"Yes tragedy." She affirmed "Percival Dumbledore had been sent to Azkaban for the killing of three muggle boys, something that had followed the poor family for a long time. They never determined why he did what he did, you know" she shook her head.

"I'd always found it a little odd and I'm quite sure there is more to the tale than you think." She frowned for a second and met his gaze "Maybe something for you to look into" she mused before she shook away that thought.

Perhaps it would be. His research had determined that Percival Dumbledore had been sentenced in 1891, 51 years since the incident. Whilst it was effectively a lifetime for muggles, it wasn't all that strange for some to still be alive.

Maybe he could discover why by questioning those muggle families, maybe one of the three had siblings.

"What were the Dumbledores like?" he asked, changing the subject.

She hummed a little "Secretive" she declared after a few moments of silence.

He tilted his head questioningly. "Secretive?"

She nodded deeply "It is the best way to describe them, I think. We felt a little bad for Kendra but the secretive nature of the family made them a little...difficult to integrate within the community here. The boys were around all the time, of course, but the girl rarely was seen outside of her home. Kendra never accepted anyone in the home, always striving to meet with people well away from their home.

Why, I remember that they had been quite the source of rumours. Everything from little Ariana being a squib to a secret Vampire" she chuckled a little dryly.

"Ariana?" he asked surprised. His research hadn't determined a fourth Dumbledore.

She looked at him a little perplexed "You don't know about the sister?" 

He shook his head "I didn't" he admitted "There is nothing about her in the places I've investigated. The Daily Prophet records don't mention a fourth Dumbledore. When Percival Dumbledore had been sentenced, they only mentioned that he was leaving behind a young family. The educational records that I could access also don't mention her"

She cackled a little "Well, it seems that Albus was quite good at covering up the dirty laundry" she mused before she side eyed him "Ariana Dumbledore is perhaps one of the most important figures in Albus' life. Everything in his early adulthood centres on the fate of the girl"

He furrowed his brows but she continued "Ariana Dumbledore died in 1899 under mysterious circumstances, a supposed break in where she got hit by an errant curse"

That was news. "Supposed?" he inquired.

She smiled grimly and got up and hobbled over to the fireplace where there was a picture stood up. She returned and outstretched her hand with the framed picture and he tentatively picked it up.

His eyes bulged but he couldn't take his eyes off from the picture "Is that..."

"That is my great nephew Gellert and Albus. It was during the altercation between Aberforth, Gellert and Albus that Ariana was unfortunately hit by a curse that killed her. Oh Gellert had been so panicky that day." She sighed before she despondently shook her head "He had been so guilt ridden in the role he played"

He finally took his eyes off the framed picture that was in his trembling hands. So...there was something here.

He met her gaze "How..." he trailed off, unsure to ask what he wanted to know.

She picked up her tea and sipped on it without a care before she let the cup of tea rest on her lap. 

She met his gaze again. "Let me tell you the story of a great friendship and perhaps something more between two talented people, abruptly ended on a tragedy..."

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18th of June 1942

Emily POV

She watched as the landscape changed from countryside to urban. They were only ten minutes from Kings Cross.

She glanced at her compartment and saw that it was quite filled. She smirked inwardly as she thought back on the last month.

Since her outing as Lady Slytherin, things had changed significantly. She was undisputed leader, the person who was looked at with adoration and awe.

It hadn't taken long for the rest of the House to understand the shifting dynamics...the way the heirs of powerful families supplicated to her was enough for people to understand that magical power was not the only reason for them to do it.

She'd established the rules.

No longer were Slytherin's allowed to bully indiscriminately, and if they did they were required to ensure none knew if it was them. 

The words mudblood were restrained to within the Slytherin common room and she'd set the target of each year to tolerate muggleborns to see if they were capable of converting them into true magicals rather than muggles with magic. 

It had been rocky at first, she'd met resistance until she'd pointed out that if they were unable to convince them, how were they going to convince Magical Britain about the merits of traditions and their culture? She didn't care all that much about the redundant traditions that were downright idiotic and insulting but it was an easy way to get them onside

After that, earnest attempt was made. They'd found purchase as they made inroads with Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. It had been extremely noticeable to everyone the changing behaviour of Slytherin where before they sneered, mocked and attacked muggleborns, they now tolerated them if they didn't ignore them.

She of course had an ulterior motive to it, she could care less if muggleborns were accepted or not. Atticus had been successful in his arguments convincing her that at least a measure of equality was needed to head the magical world towards a direction that wouldn't lead the society towards a deathly downward spiral.

And so, she would readjust and use it to her advantage. Family lines that have died out would have their wealth and positions, if they were families of permanent seats at the very least, intact.

Over the centuries there have been countless attempts to seize the wealth of dead family lines, either by the Ministry or nominally related families. Hardly ever, if they were more than three generations apart, did it work.

Family magic had to be there, beyond simply having the necessary blood. She suspected that muggleborns born from squibs, with their wilder magic, would have an easier time stoking that slumbering ember that is family magic, in the right conditions.

Names mattered in the magical world, as did knowing where you belonged. Magic was a strange power, one that had depths that most never truly realised. Chances were, these squib descendants likely had weak links to family magic, courtesy of their lines' magic being reignited.

And so she could potentially have many lines reactivated, all indebted to her and that prospect had her relishing the possibilities. Atticus would be the person who'd give them the chances denied to them, and she'd give them their heritage. Even if they were legally disinherited, magically it was something that could not be done and no family would explicitly to disinherit those who had the family magic if they were not from the main line ensuring the ability of muggleborns to inherit even if that is not what those families had intended. 

Most sensible families made provisions of ensuring their wealth remained intact in the case that an immediate heir could not be established, protecting their wealth until a magical and blood heir could access centuries of history.

With her unique status as the Slytherin, when she twisted it the right way, she'd be revered in both ends of the spectrum. 

In the end, she would win.

The other rules she made was to make connections with other members of Hogwarts, citing that the world was never just Slytherins and that whilst they were the leaders, they needed capable people in the future and so she'd set them to make allies with various peoples.

Gryffindor would never become an ally that was certain with Dumbledore as its head but the other houses were receptive, especially as the change in behaviour seemed permanent – which it would be if she had anything to say about it.

"What are your plans for the summer My Lady?" a reverent voice called out.

She turned towards the voice and saw it was Lestrange.

She gave a small smile "I will be spending it mostly with Atticus" she answered easily. She brushed her hair behind her ears "We have plans to increase our duelling intensity" she said with a smirk.

"Is he as good as the rumours say he is?" Dolohov asked with an excited gleam. He wanted to enter the duelling circuit after Hogwarts. He was talented enough to become a champion she thought.

She lazily rolled her shoulders "I don't know what the rumours say but he is...quite good" she told them as she glanced at the occupants of the compartment.

"Better than you?" Malfoy asked tentatively.

"For the moment" she allowed and the surprised looks she obtained amused her.

Really, did they think she'd accept a lesser for a partner? 

"I might be better than him at the same age" she added with a light shrug.

"Do you think he would agree train with us during the summer?" Carrow asked curiously.

"If I asked, certainly" she allowed. She glanced at him "I'll have to see about that though." 

The train pulled into Kings Cross "We'll meet again in a week's time to discuss the summer editions of the International Magical Press" she told them.

They all agreed and soon enough she walked off the train and made her way towards the usual spot and saw him standing there lazily.

He smirked when he saw her and she raised an eyebrow in return.

She tilted her head in question at the smirk which he understood.

"Everyone here is picking up family members, their children or siblings but here I am, picking up a poor little fourth year girl, a cradle robber in action" he sighed dramatically.

She rolled her eyes at his antics "If anything, I'm the seducer in this relationship" she said pointedly as she forcibly grabbed his hand. "Corrupting a member of high society with my wily ways" she said dryly with a deadpan expression making him snort.

They apparated to Sayre Manor and as she walked through the Manor, the distinct quietness was immensely noticeable. She knew that he took some drastic actions, hiding away his sister and mother but even so, the lack of residents was surprising her.

*pop* 

"Master" the female elf said dutifully "Shall I prepare lunch?"

"Hello Elsie" He glanced at Emily with questioning eyes and she nodded slightly. He turned back to the elf "Please prepare lunch" he paused momentarily "Surprise us" he added before the elf bowed and popped away.

"Where is your great grandfather" she inquired as they walked towards the dining hall.

"He's with Uncle Richard at the moment" he answered "We're alone for the next few days" he answered with upturned lips as they arrived at the dining hall.

Her lips twitched but she said nothing further as she took the seat that Atticus brought out for her and she offered a small smile before she sat down at the table.

"I think he wanted to meet with me at some point this summer too" she mentioned offhandedly as she took a sip of the glass of wine that was given to her.

She saw a look of mild consternation pass across his face before he sighed resignedly "I think he wants to finish the betrothal contract with you"

Her eyebrows rose. "Truly..." she murmured as she looked at him quizzically.

"Aren't you Head of House now?" she asked with a tilted head, genuinely curious.

His lips curled before he nodded sharply "I am." He dragged his hand through his hair "But never has a Sayre as young as me, since Henry Sayre I suppose, created his own contract. Plus, he doesn't want me changing any of my..." he halted for a moment as a look of pain passed and she remained quiet but observant. It seemed that the wound was still fresh.

The rejection of her own father had been painful, even if she'd never admit it. Even if he'd been a muggle, even if she hated the blood that ran through her veins that she gotten from him, to be rejected by your own blood, by your own father was something that hurt.

She wondered if that kind of hurt was the same for him...even if it was rooted in guilt rather than rejection.

"father's terms." He finished.

"Have you seen the contract?" she inquired as she felt inwardly a little wary.

He shook his head "No, not yet but I had spoken with father when he was writing it." He glanced at Emily "I know that you discussed it with him so I suspect the things you agreed with are probably there?" he said more questioning than anything else.

She shrugged lightly "There had been a few things that I made clear, some things that we hadn't resolved yet" like the number of...children.

She looked at him with half lidded eyes as strands of her fell away from her ears. "I suppose I'll find out soon enough" she answered. 

Soon enough, lunch was served and they quieted down as they ate before they finished.

Once she finished her last bite, she took her glass of wine and drank it all. She looked at Atticus who was just about finished with his own meal.

"What do you plan on doing today?" she asked him. She had a few ideas of what they could be doing.

She missed his presence at Hogwarts, even if she'd been busy with her projects. Anne Sayre once mentioned something about being able to unbind to someone and she hadn't truly understood until she keenly felt his absence.

She was not looking forward to potentially years of this kind of absence whilst he was in mainland Europe.

It was why she was looking into joining him in the war.

She was also concerned about the possibility of losing him and it terrified her. He was hers and the prospect of being all alone again was something she was refusing to even think about.

He hummed as he mulled it over "I was going to go over my plans in the Wizengamot" he looked at her with sharp eyes "I will be formally taking up my seat at the Summer Equinox, after all"

She nodded in understanding. They'd talked briefly about that a few months back. Most members were sworn in at a magically relevant day, for traditions sake.

"You can help me with it, if you wish" he offered and she smiled.

"It would be my pleasure" she got up and stretched her lithe body and she saw that he was keenly following her body as she stretched. She smiled to herself as she turned to him.

"I'm feeling a little stiff. I can help after I take a bath" she said blithely as she glided towards the direction of the stairs before she halted and looked over her shoulder at him and saw he was still looking at her.

"If you want..." she trailed off softly as she turned a little further, meeting his eyes "You can join me?" she offered to him with a soft tone to her voice.

He said nothing before he got up, striding towards her. She followed his every move as he got behind her, his hands on her hips causing her heart to race a little as his arms snaked around her waist, his head in the crook of her neck.

He kissed her cheek lightly "I'd love to." He whispered to her and she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the stairs.

She undid her tie they walked up the robes, dropping the tie on the steps. She glanced at him with a curl of the lips and saw he was looking at her with an amused look and an undeniable hunger in his eyes.

She resisted saying anything as turned back forward, eager to get to the bathroom. They arrived at the first floor bathroom door and she pushed open the door.

The bathroom was as exquisite as the rest of the home, spacious in as any room in the Manor with seamless marble floor that was heated to twenty four degrees, regardless of the weather.

The bathroom was split into three sections, the far end of the bathroom was a charmed shower that vanished water as soon as it hit the floor. On the left was the sauna room whilst on the right was the large bathtub that could fit three people with ease.

She let go of his hand and began to unbutton her shirt. She twisted on her heels and met his gaze as she continued to unbutton her shirt. She gave him a teasing look as she continued to walk backwards with grace, all the while keeping eye contact.

His lips twitched but he pulled his shirt over his head before dropping it on the ground. She licked her lips as her eyes roved over his body which was in excellent condition. 

She ached to put her hands on his body but she resisted as she got down to her bras and her skirts. He unbuckled his trousers, kicked off his shoes just as she did and was down to her underwear whilst she took off her skirt.

She turned around and sauntered towards the bath, swaying her hips slightly as she walked.

"Morgana's sake, Emily" he groaned out making her smile widely as she turned on the bath. She looked over her shoulder and saw him walking towards her, with a certain stiff member on display.

"Is something wrong?" she said in a light tone as she ran her fingers in the bathwater.

He scoffed as he slapped her backside, she bit down on making any noise, keeping a neutral expression her face as she turned around with a raised eyebrow.

He looked at her lust filled eyes and a slow forming grin "It was there to be hit" he shrugged as he met her gaze.

"Is that so?" she purred slightly as she grabbed his penis, cupping it with her hand which caused him to groan a little.

"Hmmhmm" he made out in a strained voice. His arms went around her and he unclipped her bra whilst she began to take down his underwear, his member springing free at full mast. She wriggled out of her bra, her breasts hanging free as she touched his member delicately which caused him to shiver.

She looked up and met his gaze and stood on her tip toes and he leaned in, brushing his lips with her until he pressed his lips on hers firmly, cupping her cheek as they began to kiss and press against each other.

His member was pressed at her stomach and she suppressed a shiver as she felt the warmth of his cock.

They've made each other come, often several times a night and she was feeling exceptionally...unfulfilled but she had a plan.

She broke off the kiss and pushed against his chest, pushing him away slightly. She saw the frustration in his eyes, something she felt herself but suppressed.

She turned around and dropped her panties and stepped into the bubble bath, ignoring him before she sunk into the water, sighing contently as she went with her eyes closed.

She heard him put a foot in before he too was submerged and at the other end on the bath. She opened one eye lazily and saw him look at her a little amused with a tinge of exasperation in his face before he hung his head at the edge of the bath.

She closed her eye and sunk a little deeper in contentment as she rubbed her legs against his thigh. She felt him flick his finger against her foot, forcing her eyes open.

His were still closed though he was wearing a smirk on his face "You closed the avenues of further playing, don't go changing the terms now" he said in a smug tone.

She pouted a little, not that he could see and stopped. She fell asleep for a little while in the permanently warm bath until she was woken up but him kneading her foot.

She hummed a little contently as she opened her eyes, an expectant look on her face that he ignored as he continued to massage her feet.

She hung back her head, her eyes closed but fully aware of the pleasant massage. His hands went up her ankles, her legs as she felt the contours of his palms and fingers.

The silence was pleasant, warm as they enjoyed each other's presence.

"How was Dumbledore's reaction to the change in Slytherin?" he asked curiously as he continued to stroke her leg.

She let a small smile grow on her face "He looked at me as if I was the antichrist" she said with a vindictive gleam in her eyes.

Atticus' eyebrows raised and looked at her cautiously "Really?"

She couldn't help it and chuckled a little "Yes." She sat up a little in the bath and brushed her wet hair behind her ears "With the establishment of the Slytherin Court, my rule is absolute. Even if the rest of Slytherin House don't know why it is the case. Before, my heritage had been a problem, despite my power and academic achievement. A...barrier that I could not pass, no matter how brilliant or powerful" 'or cruel' she thought privately "I was." She shrugged lightly before she glanced at him "Now there is nothing to deny my rightful place at the top" her lips curled as she finished speaking.

He hummed as he watched her closely. "Did you set the rules you mentioned before?" he asked keenly.

She met his gaze and nodded. She knew that he was sceptical about the possibility of the Dark families adhering to it. She also knew that he was subtly challenging her about it.

He cared more about the muggleborns than he did of his fellow nobles, at least his fellow Sacred Twenty Nine. Not that she could blame him one bit. Many of them were exhausting to deal with, with all of their supposed superiority. But they were where power resided.

She'd been...tempted, at the time when Orion Black made the accusation of being a half blood, to deny it and say she was pure.

Whilst she hated that she had muggle filth in her blood, it was also what allowed her Slytherin blood to be cleansed from the inbreeding that polluted the Gaunt line. She inwardly grimaced as she thought on the prospect to be as...inbred as her relatives had been.

Her mother had not been beautiful, far from it. Whilst the signs of inbreeding were not as high in her as they'd been in her uncle, her eyes and face were far from pretty.

In the end, she'd accepted her origins. Atticus had accepted her, as did his family, wholeheartedly and without restraint. Ultimately, to deny who she was, even if there were things that she was not proud of, would only cause her problems.

Her counterpart hadn't been able to accept herself, going as far to create a fake name and ridding herself of her roots. Though she suspected insanity had probably taken root in her by that time.

Roots that she hated, yes, but it was prominent in her rise...from nothing to very top of the world. 

She, after all, loved stories and what better story did she have than her own. She gazed at him, his wet hair hanging loose as he held her foot in his hands, waiting on her response.

From nothing and alone, to the top and with an equal.

"The rules are not terrible" she said lazily "And they know it too. The reputation of the house might not be the greatest but it has certainly dipped in the last six months. Not to mention, redirecting their ire towards the muggles is something that I'm working on...something that will be easily done. Of course muggleborns are more visible, and far more present in magical society but that is something that can be addressed, over time" she answered with a sigh.

He hummed but said nothing further. She knew that he was full in on his precious Illos. She was too, of course, but she saw the value of ensuring that Magical Britain was in their pocket. It was, after all, one of the most powerful countries in the world.

With their heritage, it would be easy to sway either side to their cause. Speaking of swaying...

"You mentioned that the Flamels are in?" she asked lightly as she watched him looked at her feet as he switched to the other foot.

She suppressed a moan as he hit the right spot. "Yes, they are. It's a risky prospect but one that I thought was necessary" he mulled it over "At least in the time scale I want to work at. By the time the war is over, I want to everything set up and organically work without requiring my complete attention so that I can build Illos"

He looked at with a curious expression on his face "They didn't seem to be against the idea of a magical King" he said with a little humour in his tone though she could tell that he was a little concerned about it.

"I don't see why they would." She said a little dismissively as she eyed him "We're literally building a country." She said flatly.

"It would be insane for us to not have some measure of control" she said with pursed lips as she tilted her head "You didn't mention me?" she said with a controlled tone.

He shook his head slightly "Not overly. They're still friendly with Albus and even if I have them under a secrecy oath, it is only a mild one. They deserve a measure of trust." He looked away for a moment and she knew he was thinking on Nymera.

Whilst he didn't overtly mention the Selwyn's, she knew that he was responsible for it. The Selwyn's facilitated the attack and warranted nothing less than utter destruction.

The family has been reduced to two members now from the main line with several distant cousins.

The Selwyn family will take quite some time to recover. She didn't fail to notice that he did it when Hogwarts was still ongoing. She knew he could be ruthless but she wasn't certain he'd be ruthless enough to destroy families root and stem.

The Greengrass family certainly warranted that response and yet he was very quiet on that. She was tempted to poke him on it. To know what he had planned for them but she decided to wait on it.

"We'll see if they're worth it, I suppose" she said quietly to which he didn't respond.

"Did you get your revenge on Black?" he changed the subject and she turned to face him. 

Her lips curled "I did" she responded with a vicious smile. 

He looked at her with a little mirth in his eyes before he turned a little serious "Was it really a good idea to torment Black like I think you might have?" he asked with a tilted head.

She looked at him with a flat look "Yes." She answered simply and she rolled her eyes at the expectant eyes he had for her.

"He...instigated the whole marital contract situation" she said with a clipped tone, barely concealed fury in her eyes.

"Ah." He simply answered, unease in his voice "Well, okay then" before he paused momentarily and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You know you can't torment people who are going to follow you all the time?" he said with a questioning look.

She looked at him with a deadpan expression "I'm aware." She said a little snippily before she retreated a little into the bath water.

"Good because it's a weak way to instil loyalty. Not only that, if they begin to fear you more than they revere you, it opens up to traitors"

She wanted to say that he would know all about having traitors in your ranks but she curbed her tongue.

When he realised she wasn't going to reply, he asked "How was his behaviour afterwards? I've met the boy before, in social functions before and during Hogwarts. He never seemed like someone who would quit so easily."

Her lips upturned "I have no concerns about him for the moment." She told him in a tone that suggested she wouldn't speak on it further. She had spent an hour on him after everyone left Slytherin's chamber. She didn't torture him, of course but she did do much to ensure he'd never be a problem to her again.

In a strange turn of events, Walburga Black had thanked her for...educating him for her. It had been incredulous but she supposed having favour of the woman who'd rule House Black, if she had her way, which it seemed might well be possible now, was not a terrible situation.

"Interesting that you're embracing the idea of being royalty" she probed gently as she eyed him curiously.

He smiled at her wryly before he turned away to look at the ceiling, a grim look on his face when he returned his eyes at her.

"You were right"

"I'm often right" she said with a straight face as she tilted her head. "You're going to have to be more specific" she said in a dry tone that mocked him a little.

He rolled his eyes before that grim look returned "About ruling, about the necessity of setting the terms without having to compromise" he thinned his lips "I was being naive when I thought I would have minimal involvement in that aspect"

She hummed as she watched him carefully. She was rather happy about his change. It had been foolish of him to think that he wouldn't be overly involved given how much he already loved Illos before it has even been created. She doubted he wouldn't be involved in every aspect. She doubted he'd let politicians get their fingers in his home.

Whilst she undoubtedly would rule...perhaps not with an iron fist but certainly with a firm one, Illos would be theirs and she rather wanted him to stand by her rather than push her to the forefront and let her deal with the parasites on her own.

"And foolish" she added with a smirk before she dropped it "You were never going to be in the background with Illos. You might not want to be a politician but you are a leader. You were always going to play the game, by right of birth and power." 

She meant it too. He was a leader in his own right, even if he shied away from it.

He said nothing to that and they fell into an easy silence until she broke it.

"How are you rituals going along?" she queried "You must now be midway in your fifth set?" with intense curiosity in her voice.

His eyes gleamed and he nodded happily. "I am. I have a few rituals left of the fifth set before the true prize rituals begin" he said with a large smile.

"Hope you know I intend to be there for each ritual now that I'm here" she said with a raised eyebrow.

He shrugged carelessly "You can watch if you like. You'll be going through the rituals in just over a year and a half's time."

She smiled at that. They'd worked out the power of the rituals would remain the same if it was done every third day with the final ritual done on the 3rd of March. She'd be doing rituals just before her seventeen's birthday which was fine as long as the final ritual was done after her fourth maturity.

She was peeved that she'd have to wait so long but she would wait. She had plenty to distract her from it anyway.

"Higgs made an interesting comment a few weeks ago regarding this vote" she changed the topic.

"Oh?"

"Hmm. About how the Minister will actually vote this time" 

His eyes turned sharp "Truly?" he murmured as his eyes grew a little distant before he shook his head.

"Yes, Spencer-Moon is not leaving it to chance. He wants Britain to remain neutral, especially after the disaster that was France." 

"We've expected that the vote would go against war, even without the Ministry voting against it" his lips thinned "But that wasn't what we cared for anyway."

"Then what?"

"We intend to rally fighters to our cause when we leave for the ICW" he said with a glint in his eyes.

She narrowed hers and he continued "I intend to provoke some of them to join us when we depart for war."

"How?" she asked sharply.

He smiled thinly "By appealing to their sense of honour, their supposed nobility and the duties of their House." 

Her eyes widened but she was distracted by a sound.

*pop*

She turned her head towards the elf.

"Master!" the elf turned to her with wide eyes "Mistress" the elf said noticeably more politely if distant with a bowed head before he returned his attention to Atticus.

"Tweenie, are you done with what I tasked you?" he inquired with keen eyes.

"Yes, master, I am done! All worked according to plan" the elf answered. He smiled grimly at the elf and nodded at it causing it to pop away.

She looked at him curiously with a tilted head "What was that about?"

"Its the Honey Trap plan" he said with a wicked glint in his eyes. She smiled in response.

"Ah" she said as she hummed. The trap to ensnare the Liesmith. Grindelwald and Dumbledore were obsessed with the Hallows and what better way for him to die on his way to obtain one of Death's Hallows, with no idea that it was a fake and a trap?

Problem was, it was sort of convoluted and he was apparently under the impression because it was convoluted that it would work. Little clues, vague directions and intrigue that played on the Bastard's arrogance in his intellect would ultimately ensnare him into the trap.

"If it doesn't work, I get the next attempt" she said with twitching lips. She wondered how normal it was for couples to plot the deaths of their enemies.

It was an adequate bonding experience. 'They who spill blood together, live long and happily together' she thought amused.

"Have at it. As long as it happens after his reputation is destroyed. Men like him like to leave a legacy."

"Of course" she said as if it was a stupid thing to mention. She wouldn't settle for anything less than complete destruction.

She retracted her foot from his hands and proceeded to stand up, the water running down her naked body. He looked at her with intense hunger in his eyes.

"Shall we discuss your strategy now?" she said in a bored tone, ignoring his gaze as she stepped out of the bath and onto the floor with grace.

He made a strangled noise "Sure" he said and she turned to him and saw him with a strained look.

"You know, you could have me" she said in a lazy tone as she waved her hand over her body, drying herself.

She extended her hand and a towel flew towards her that she grabbed. She turned to him, in all her naked glory with a dull expression on her face.

His face was strained as his eyes roved on her body. "I know" he said in a despondent tone. "But..."

"But you made that stupid remark about waiting" she said as she rolled her eyes. She wrapped the towel around her "You do realise you're not going to see me for some time, don't you? Waiting on some arbitrary time is incredibly foolish." She sighed a little dramatically as she turned around and began to walk out but not before she heard him mutter something.

"I am a fool, I know" she heard faintly and she smiled to herself.

Good to hear she mused. Maybe she'll make him completely hers by the end of the summer.