Privet Drive; July 31st, 1995:

In the distance of discontented thoughts and swirling consciousness were the shadows of a shattered child. Forever forced to remain silent, pretending his existence was a falsified pledge and within himself the constant sensation that he was forever lost. It was something he likened to wandering aimlessly through a thick maze of emotional distress often flickering with subtle recognitions of sorrow, pain and unrelenting anger. Inside of him though there was an unending attack of anxiety that left his heart beating a rapid tattoo against his chest. His stuttering breaths, now agonizingly rattling against the walls of his lungs, a distraction to the sweat the dripped steadily from his brow and his shivering form.

Harry James Potter always woke up after reliving the rising of the Dark Lord like this. Desperately fighting against the overwhelming push of desperation as he surfaced from the disturbing images, sensations and the incessant call of 'kill the spare'. His fingers, trembling and cold, dug into the ratty sheets of his equally dismal cot he called a bed. At Privet Drive his sheer luck and cursed life did not collide and he was left in a home where he was hurt more than comforted. Internally he sneered at the treatment that his relatives visited upon him every year he came home. And yet even with all his power as a wizard he still felt and was completely helpless. In the dead of night, when darkness crept upon his shivering form, Harry never felt safe despite the stillness of the house and the guaranteed sleeping of his aunt, uncle and cousin.

With a shuddering breath, he clasped his arms around his waist to find some form of self comfort. The pain from his uncle's discipline tirade yesterday had left him wounded and no doubt sporting bruised ribs and a soft hiss of pain echoed through the air. His summer holidays had started off with a frightening collision with actuality, reminding him that he was worthless in this household. A freak that was never allowed to ask questions and never allowed to eat more than the bare minimum. Even though he had suffered a traumatic loss, the warning the Headmaster had given to his relatives to treat him better, did not change his situation at all. No, in fact, it only made it worse.

They still expected him to take on all the chores around the house, do the gardening outside and prepare all of their meals. And his most shameful responsibility was to become the punching bag for his uncle's flying fists and his cousin's cruel disposition towards 'freaks' without a peep of noise. After all these years of their 'gratitude' Harry knew how to keep silent because of overwhelming pain. However, for Harry the word 'freak' irrevocably played a role in the darkest part of his life. Now even the softest whisper of it from anyone could invoke despairing emotions that he struggled to hide from the world. Emotions that only got worse since his fellow Triwizard Tournament competitor died at the hands of his generosity.

It was the soft tap, tapping against his chamber window that drew Harry's attention away from his wandering thoughts. Painfully moving and shivering with fevered aftershocks of his nightmare, Harry crawled from out the sheets and fought off the rush of dizziness that settled across his brow. Stumbling towards the window and struggling with the latch, it was only after several agonizing moments of fiddling that Harry finally managed to slide open the window just enough so that Hedwig and two other unfamiliar owls could come through.

Harry's brow furrowed, in the darkness of the night, even on his birthday, he usually only got two owls at the most. No one really bothered to take note of his birthday, nor cared that he had survived another trying year. It made him wonder why there was three this time. And one owl that was so specifically out of place in his home. Eagle owls only belonged to those who were not only rich but possessed enough will to be able to control them through loyalty alone.

A quick glance at the numbers on the bedside clock let him know it was just past midnight on the 31st of July. He cringed, knowing he would have missed his tradition if he was passed out any longer than seven hours. His left hand automatically clasped his right arm, where the bruises were stark against his pale skin, in an act of automatic defensiveness. He had just turned fifteen and didn't even realize that his holiday was mostly over. He would be going back to Hogwarts soon...

It was slightly disappointing and confusing though as Harry realized this was the first round of letters he had received from his friends since seeing them off at Kings Cross station. With a disappointed sigh, Harry ran his fingers through Hedwig's feathers to calm himself from the rage he felt building within him at the realization. It hurt and the despairing depression that he was feeling...it was more than enough to throw him off kilter when he needed his friends the most. 

"Happy birthday Harry." He whispered to himself, his familiar hooting happily as he carefully untied the two packages she carried before moving on to the other two owls. He offered a sincere apology and a gentle ruffle of feathers to the large brown barn owl and the sleek black eagle owl carrying two letters for him, he wished to offer a treat but there was none. He himself had barely eaten anything since the day before. The punishment for accidentally spilling the soapy water used to wash the windows on his aunt's carpet. He had gotten quite a beating for that one too. 

Within him though, at the arrival of his birthday, there was no sense of elation, no sense of being older. Just an unfathomable darkness resting against his heart that made his breath hitch painfully in his chest. Always one to be careful and treasure every movement of opening presents, he took his time unwrapping the package that came with Hedwig. There was a deep dark cloud of depression hanging over him, an endless shadow following his every move and breath. It was useless to find any happiness within himself this time. He just couldn't find the energy to even offer a wan smile to his familiar.

With a soft hoot and nip to his fingers Hedwig and the other two owls left through the half open window. But not before the black eagle owl settled on his shoulder and tugged affectionately and irritatedly at his black hair.

"Sorry I don't have a treat for you but if you find me at Hogwarts after the term starts, I will give you as many as you want." This owl's trill of acceptance was darker and more throaty sound than Hedwig's but Harry enjoyed the soothing sound all the same. Offering a sad glance as they disappeared back into the night. Absently pulling his bottom lip between his teeth, Harry carefully opened the packages that he knew came from Ron and Hermione, scanning the first letter addressed to him.

~~~

Harry,

I'm sorry that I haven't been in touch with you but mum and dad said that we should keep our letters to you limited. You never know who can find them and learn useful information now that You Know Who is back. We've been staying at the Order Headquarters over the summer. Not that we know what the 'Order' is but it's nice to get away from the Burrow every once in a while you know. It's getting a little cramped here though. Even if the Headquarters is a place that is gloomy and depressing most of the time.

The Headmaster said that you would be joining us a few days from now, hopefully by the end of next week. I don't like the idea of leaving you with those horrible muggle relatives of yours. I hope you are doing well, maybe you'll feel better knowing Padfoot and Moony are both here. They have been asking about you. 

I'm sorry that I can only offer you a present and written happy birthday.  I feel kind of guilty about that. Even though I don't want to get you into more trouble. Enjoy your birthday. I look forward to meeting you soon.

Mum and Dad send their regards as well as Moony.

 See you soon.

Ron.

The fifteen year old frowned in disapproval at the abruptness of the letter. Wondering if something important had happened and he was once again purposefully kept out of the loop. Unwrapping the maroon paper, Harry smiled happily at the collection of Mrs Waesley's pastries, Bert Bott's Every Flavoured Beans and a second hand book on Quidditch Teams of the World that his friend so generously offered him. A brief light of happiness, so small it was barely a flicker beyond the horizon of darkness in his world, Harry felt something akin to hope settling at the bottom of his stomach.

Hermione's letter to him was a bit longer than Ron's, told of her holiday abroad with her parents and her expectations of OWLS that year. Harry was glad to find a thick tome on Rare Magical Creatures and Unexpected Inheritances in her birthday package. He was so starved for reading that he already cracked open the spine to pursue the contents. The beautifully hand knitted scarf in a dark shade of green she implored him to wear for the coming winter was something that he also treasured. Claiming that it was made not only with imported wool from Wizarding New Zealand but that it was spelled to keep him warm, even on the coldest of days or keep him cool on the warmest of nights. 

Harry carefully folded the scarf and placed his presents underneath the loose floorboards of his room. Quickly scanning the quick missive he received from Sirius, the less than a hundred word letter alerted him to the fact that someone was going to come pick him up that coming Thursday and that they would be seeing each other soon, as well as Moony and the Headmaster.

It was the last letter from the regal black eagle owl that left Harry a bit perplexed though. The parchment that he felt beneath his fingertips was ice cold, probably from the wind outside, but so smooth and thick that it couldn't have been anything but outstanding quality. His name, Harry James Potter, was written in a fluid but beautiful handwriting that he had never seen before in the colour of green and silver.  Carefully turning the letter over, Harry's eyes could just make out a dark green, years old, seal of wax. Pressed within a seal was a crest marked L.A.M in beautiful elegance. Everything screamed power, wealth and careful thoughtfulness to the letter.

It was one he was not sure he should have.

Our Beloved Little Slytherin: Harry,

I regret that you are the one to receive this letter at the tender age of fifteen. Something extremely important is about to happen with this discovery and I, no we, need to tell you this. This letter was written exactly a week after you were adopted and the glamours and charms were temporarily set. Knowing that it will only last until two weeks after your fifteenth birthday, it is imperative that you know of this. It pains me to know that you, a very special boy with a very special destiny, has to be taken away from your true parents because of this blasted war and the dangers present within it. Not to mention the politics and unjust deaths.

I cannot mention your fathers' names as I have been sworn to secrecy by an unbreakable vow present at the adoption ceremony and I promised I would never reveal your true identity or theirs to anyone else. In receiving this letter, little Harry, know that we were either killed for not revealing this secret, or for the discovery of a prophecy spoken over a year ago.

Unfortunately being born within this war, under such unusual circumstances, you are left with a very bleak future and it frankly scares me. I want nothing more than your eternal happiness and joy. Please don't hate me and your daddy when you finally learn the truth of what happened that night so very long ago. No one expected your true parents to die so tragically, the headmaster was shocked just as much. It was never our intention for the war dangers to get so out of hand, no not for them. 

At midnight, exactly the second you were brought into this world, on your fifteenth birthday this letter will be delivered to you. It is a tricky little spell to manage but for you, there were many things a lot of us sacrificed. We all love you very much, our little light of hope in the darkness of our lives. Not only to us but to many, many, many others as well. Looking back now I will never forgive that man for taking you away from the truth and forcing something like this upon your shoulders. Remember that even if we die, your true parents will still love you in even in death.

Always. Just like me and James.

But enough of my childish rambling. I, Lily Hanna Potter nee Evans together with Charles James Potter the III, hereby declare our last obligation to the Order completed in your protection and paid, even with our lives. Within Vault #453 of the Potter Family Trust, which will be opened only upon your birthday, you will find lies the secrets to all the mysteries that are presented in this letter. If Remus Lupin is still alive, your rightful godfather and witness to your birth, please let only him take you to Gringgott's to claim what is rightfully yours.

I must implore little Harry that this letter must not be shown to anyone but him or Andromeda Tonks. Not even Albus Dumbledore as I am writing this letter against his wishes. Whatever you chose to do, this letter will be hidden from prying eyes that it was not written for. It will burst into flames and burn to ashes. So please memorize the information little Slytherin. The truth that I cannot write in this letter is truly out there, you only need to find it. 

Look after yourself precious little Harry. We love you just as much as your real parents did. Never forget that, and don't hate your fathers for what happened. We all love you very much. You will never be alone even when your nights are long and hard. You, our little Harry, will always deserve the salvation and love that this war stole from you so cruelly. It is rightfully yours and such this letter will offer it back to you if you so wish it.  

Forever your faithful Adopted Parents:

Lily and James Potter  

Harry felt his world shattering around his ears. His knees buckled as he slid onto his bed, boneless and trembling with shock, confusion, admiration and a deep heart wrenching pain he had never felt before. Reading, rereading and reading the letter several times over and over again Harry could not help but feel as if his breath was being stolen from his lungs. His hands just would not stop shaking. The letter made some sense to his befuddled thoughts but more than anything the idea of ‘mum and dad wrote to me' was the only thing going through his mind. The nightmare he had lived through mere minutes before and with unkind relatives was nothing in comparison to the panic the words in this letter instilled in his heart.

 Utterly confused and gasping for breath, the scent of the parchment, the quality of the paper beneath his fingers and the aged yellowness of the paper was a telltale sign that this was very real. It was not a joke that the Weasley twins would have played on him, no it was too cruel. This had to be real and in an astonishing realization of reality, Harry smiled softly to himself. It was real; for once...it was real. 

After several hours of sitting in shock and going over the words in his mind, Harry carefully folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. Desperately trying to make sense of what it was that his mum Lily and dad James had been trying to tell him in their words. It only raised more questions than answers but that night Harry drifted off into an dreamless sleep for the first time in a long period of time. The letter carefully clutched against his chest, protectively almost. This was something his mother had wrote, something she had touched...

Grimmauld's Place; 1995

Harry uncertainly waited on the stairs at Grimmauld's Place, his restless eyes gazing forlornly at the closed kitchen door where he knew a very important meeting was being held that he was not privy to. He had to admit, it hurt and even with the open book on his lap that Hermione had given him, it did little to mollify him from his wandering thoughts. Tugging his bottom lip between his teeth, Harry tried in vain to concentrate on the words jumping around on the page. A subtle but destructive headache was building at the back of his eyes as he desperately wiped at them to relieve some of pressure from the pain.

He had arrived earlier that night with the advanced guards of the 'Order of the Phoenix'. Harry had not been thrilled with all the unwanted attention he had received that nightfall and was glad that his uncle had learnt not to leave any visible traces of his beatings where others could see them. Now however, it left Harry flinching with twinges of pain racing up his chest and spine just as he struggled with his rasping breaths and spinning thoughts. He suspected a broken rib as the least amount of damage but there was nothing he could do about it. The rest of the teens occupying the house were already fast asleep. Harry however could not sleep, not when he desperately needed to talk to Remus.

It was about an hour later when the kitchen door finally opened and the adults walked leisurely into the sitting room on the other side of the staircase. Fred and George's extendable ears had already gotten the two into trouble and had made Harry uncomfortable with the unwanted anger of Mrs Weasley. Now though he was uncomfortable because of his hiding place in such plain sight. He wondered what Professor Snape would do should he notice his presence there first.

"Harry? Why are you still here?" It was Professor Dumbledore who spotted him first and the fifteen years old jumped at the sudden intrusion to his wandering thoughts. Emerald green eyes flashed with a trickle of fear at the voice but he could not fathom why. Fiddling with the hem of his shirt he stared at the Headmaster from behind his bangs.

"I-I wanted to talk to Professor Lupin, in private. It's really important." The Headmaster stood at the bottom of the stairs, stroking his beard as if deep in thought before he gave a little nod and beckoned him forward towards the sitting room. It was then that Harry noticed Professor Snape observing the two of them with a frown dotting his features. The sudden change in his expression towards Harry left the teen reeling internally. Yet just as suddenly as that frown disappeared it was replaced by his trademark sneer before he turned away in a flurry of black robes. For some reason Harry was hurt by the sudden change in the man. Yet even if he felt it, he did not show it. Determined not to lose face in front of the Headmaster or give so much of an inkling that Professor Snape was one the few people Harry actually looked up to, he avoided the man's piercing gaze.

"Harry? Why are you still awake?" With uncertain steps he kept his emerald eyes downturned, wishing away all the attention focused solely on him before he uncertainly gazed up at his once favourite teacher. In the distance he could hear Snape degrading his presence there already, likening his rule breaking nature to his presence and likeness to his father. Snape was promptly stilled when the Headmaster admonished him. Harry finally found himself fully able to focus on the task of persuading Professor Lupin to talk to him in private.

"I'm sorry for causing trouble Professor but can I please speak to you alone?" The entire room seemed to be silenced with baited breath, all eyes focusing on his back as Harry pulled the large book closer to his chest in a protective gesture. He was startled when a hand rested on his shoulder, flinching when it grazed one of the deep bruised decorating his body but did not pull away from it.

"You can talk to both of us Harry." Feeling briefly overwhelmed by Sirius' statement, Harry just shook his head in denial to the interruption to the conversation. He knew this information could not be shared, especially if it was true. Harry did not know how his godfather would react but he was sure it would not be good. His mother had also explicitly said only Remus Lupin and Andromeda Tonks would be able to even read the letter. Harry did not know any Andromeda so that only left Remus to talk to. And even if he had been adopted by the Potters, it made Harry only more curious as to who his real parents were. He still trusted them to tell the him truth, even if it was in a letter only delivered fifteen years after it was written.

"I'm sorry Sirius but I need to speak to Remus alone." Cringing at the expression of hurt crossing his godfather's features and his curt response, Harry hurriedly dragged a silent but complaint Remus Lupin away from prying eyes and into the library. The room was quiet enough and far away enough that their conversation couldn't be overheard but Harry still asked the DADA Professor to put up a privacy spell. He did not want this to come out unless he knew the truth r got some answers in return.

"What's wrong cub?" Remus' voiced concern made something warm blossom in Harry's chest and he offered a smile of reassurance, although he was sure it came out more like a grimace.  However, the whole atmosphere was soon shifted when Harry carefully offered the letter to the werewolf before him. The previous DADA Professor gazed at the parchment with a look of confusion before carefully observing the broken seal. 

"What's this?"

"I got it on my fifteenth birthday, I was wondering if you'd take me to Gringgott's tomorrow when we visit Diagon Alley." Remus gave a nod, leaning against an antique oak desk before opening the letter with as much care as Harry had shown in keeping it safe. Several moments of tense silence passed as Harry fidgeted uncomfortably. Watching with concern as Remus' features become paler and paler as he went on. By the time Remus reached the end of the letter, Harry was concerned when the werewolf leaned heavily against the desk; face ashen pale and hands trembling at his side. He looked torn between keep reading the letter and turning his attention to Harry. 

"Oh Lily, what have you done?" The distraught whisper was like a bolt of lightning racing across Harry's skin. It made him wish that he knew what was going on around him and if he would ever awake from this nightmare. It was the soft slide of warm arms around his waist and the gentle pull of an embrace that allowed Harry to find a soothing touch since Cedric's death from someone he trusted.

"It's painful Remus." Harry whispered, fingers bunching the older man's coat between his fingers as his heart ached in his chest and an emotions he was unfamiliar with crept up upon him from nowhere. It was as if he was missing something very important that had been cruelly stolen away from him a long time ago. Something that he knew was only just out of reach and waiting for him to discover its true existence. His ear rested close to the man's heartbeat and in that moment Harry found an uneasy calm settle over him. A calm that was more forced on his part than natural as it should be.

~~~~

'You cannot tell anyone what it is we are going to do today.' Remus reminded Harry sternly as they stepped towards the Floo. It was just past nine in the morning and all the children and their escorts got ready to travel to Diagon Alley. Remus had been assigned to Harry and the young wizard was glad that his godfather hadn't put up much of a fight when it was announced they would be leaving. Although Sirius had been sulking around in his house for a long time now, Harry still felt bad for not spending much time with him. It was almost annoying how much his mind preoccupied him that day.

He could barely even walk in a straight line with all the sleep deprivation that had crept up on him since several weeks before. He could not even offer consolation to his god father when his head was a mess of thousands of swirling emotions he could barely control. It was the gentle touch of Remus' hand on his shoulder and reminder that he was not alone that represented a counter point to his fears and utter exhaustion. His eyelids were heavy, and even though he could breathe a bit more normally that day - it did not help that a pounding headache was also building behind his eyes.

"We'll see you at Flourish & Botts Harry." Ron called and Hermione offered a wave as they disappeared into the flickering green flames of the Floo.

"Alright there Harry," The Twins shouted, repeatedly glancing at him from behind their bangs with concerned gazes and nods to one another. Harry could only offer a small nod and a fake smile in return. Deep within the pit of his stomach excitement and resignation was starting to build at an alarming rate. He had a feeling that his trip to Gringgotts was going to be one to change his life. In the back of his mind there was a niggling that he wanted it to happen, wanted to grasp onto something more substantial than mere memories others offered him.

A steady hand gripped his shoulder as he fell through the hearth in a flourish of green flames. Cursing himself for the near sprawl onto the ground he had barely avoided if not for Remus Harry adjusted his glasses before running his hand through his messy locks to dislodge the soot. He quietly took in the elaborate marble hallways of Gringgotts bank, naturally drawing him in with its splendid wonder and offered young Harry a chance to regain his appreciation of the Wizarding World. 

"We've been expecting you Mr Potter, please follow me." As the goblin beckoned them forward, Harry warily fell into step next to Remus. They had not even asked for assistance, a goblin had merely shown up and started guiding them away from the main hall and the preying eyes that followed their every move. At least with Remus by his side Harry felt a little more at ease. 

Harry gingerly stepped into the cart that was supposed to take him down to his vault. He shuddered as the cart swayed from side to side and picked up speed through the elaborately carved tunnels. The ride down into the tunnels, coupled with his sickly pallor and Mrs Weasley's over the top breakfast did not sit well with Harry. Luckily though, through an immense amount of shear will power alone Harry managed to keep his roiling stomach from overwhelming his senses. Even when he had to lean against the cool wall to regain his composure for a few minutes. He shivered with the exertion; it was already turning his emotions upside down. He could not understand why he felt so sick when he could have taken this mode of travel many times before without so much as thinking of nausea.

"Mr Potter? If you will follow me." Ignoring the clipped and annoyed response of Grinlook, Harry's eyes immediately fell on the elaborate steel, gold and silver vault door marked carefully with the number 453.  For him it was like a beckoning beacon of light that his wary soul needed to calm his raging anxiety and fear. And indeed, it was. With an encouraging squeeze to his shoulder from Remus and a slight push forward, Harry stumbled towards the elaborate door. The small goblin Grinlook stepping up to him and offering Harry a sly smile that immediately made him cringe with concern. 

"Only your blood can open this vault Mr Potter." Grinlook stated before pricking Harry's proffered thumb with a silver ceremonial dagger. The young wizard flinched violently at the quick slash of a silver dagger, rivulets of his blood falling onto the magical lock before dripping onto the floor. Luckily it was magically healed even if it left him reeling internally. His sickly pallor returned at the action but his awe wasn't quelled when the locks, so carefully locked and bolted, slid out of place and unlocked under a shimmer of blue mist as his blood was absorbed through the crystal pendant hanging from one of the hinges.

Biting back his concern, Harry refused Remus' offer to go in with him and braved the inside of the vault himself. For him it was like stepping into a hollow, silenced room that left his breaths brushing uncomfortably cold against his lips and only his own heartbeat could be heard pounding loudly in his ears. The inside of the vault was empty except for the small, beautifully carved onyx box reflected in the light of the lantern Grinlook had given him. Kneeling in front of the small object, Harry easily pulled it into his lap and allowed his fingers to trace the golden outline of an Eastern Dragon. Its egg traditionally clasped in its claws was inlaid as a pearl of smoky black within the wood of the box. The chest itself was just a bit bigger than the size of a shoe box and when he touched it, there was a flash of blue mist, like before, as the invisible lock slid open and the wards fell. 

Inside, laying on a velvet of deep green, four carefully laid compartments on the left side full with four vials, was three pieces of parchment carefully rolled and sealed. Pulling out one of the crystal vials from within its compartment; Harry observed the contents with confusion and a touch of anticipation. Inside all of the vials was a smoky, silvery like material that seemed more wispy than water but slightly thicker than air. It was a strange sensation when he touched the cool vial, it bore no label but he knew that this was the most important of the gift. He stowed them away, careful to not break them, knowing that he would have to ask Remus just what they were.

Turning his attention away from the vial, Harry carefully traced it with his finger one more time before he pulled out the first two parchments. The third was a sealed letter addressed to Lucius Abraxus Malfoy in his mother's flowing and beautiful script. Pushing aside his confusion at the moment for his mother's written letter to Lucius Malfoy; Harry carefully unrolled the first parchment with attention to the quality of the parchment and the inks used. It was strangely written in something that was as dark as blood.

Official Ministry of Magic Birth Record:

Date: 31st July 1980, 23:59

Commemorates the birth of one:

Augustus Saturnus Malfoy-Snape

Father (Donor): Lucius Abraxus Malfoy

Father (Bearer): Severus Tobias Snape

May it so be, the official witnesses:

Remus John Lupin

Andromeda Lila Tonks nee Black

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Harry stared at the first page with a little confusion, his eyes absorbing the information and marvelling at the fact that two male wizards could produce a child. Yet, it wasn't impossible with magic was it? No, he had seen even more extraordinary things happen than that. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he tugged at the next parchment. This one also contained the official seal of the MoM. He unrolled it, only to discover the terrifying truth the contents brought to him.  In all his life, this was not something he had ever expected.

Official Ministry of Magic Adoption Records:

Date: 31st December 1980, 12:30

Seals and files the adoption records of one:

Augustus Saturnus Malfoy-Snape to

Adopted Father: James Charles Potter

Adopted Mother: Lily Hanna Potter nee Evans

Child Renamed: Harrison James Potter

Reasons: Fathers deceased in Tom Marvolo Riddle's ranks on the 27th of December 1980

Extra Notes:  Adopted by the Paternus Mutare charm. Lasts only fifteen years, recastable.

Official Witnesses:

Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Sirius Orion Black

Vault #453; Gringgotts Bank:

At the tumble and fall of parchment from trembling fingers, a silent inhalation of a stuttering breath echoed deafeningly against the hollow vault walls with a tinged note of unbearable sorrow and hesitant fright. Weaving, spinning and invoking the staggering sensation of a single life shattering before one's very eyes. It was once again offering young Harry a glimpse of what utter despair and fear felt like.

His life was now like a thousand intricate glittering sparks woven between webs of lies and expectations he had no idea he could fulfil satisfactorily or what to believe. He had no idea who he was anymore or what to believe. He was completely powerless to stall the pain that ate away at the edges of his soul and lingered as acidic fire racing through his veins.

In that single moment that shattered time the young wizard was left without a choice, without any sort of balance to himself and no pillar of strength to keep him standing. This time Harry James Potter had no idea who he could trust and who not, and he didn't wish to admit that it was breaking him apart inside. For there was no mistake in what the parchment on the floor whispered of. His adoption was only made because his fathers were both supposedly dead. Yet, Harry knew both of them and it was nothing but a passing lie. Knew that both Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape were both alive, probably living a life of torture alone without their child for so long. It left him grasping for the whole truth more, and concurrently left Harry more confused than ever before.

Just who was it that been lying? And for what purpose?

Altogether though it invoked within him the compulsion to empty the meagre contents of his stomach onto the floor ungracefully. The days upon days of nausea finally caught up to him with undue haste. This time it was an urge Harry could no longer hold back and shuddered at the bile rising in his throat, suddenly threatening to overwhelm his heaving gulps of precious air. It did not help that his vision was blackening at the edges with his mind spinning out of control. 

When the frosty touch of the stone wall blossomed across his cheek as he staggered towards the entrance, Harry fought against the knowledge and sensation creeping up his spine that he was not going to be able to move for a while when this shock finally wore off. He cringed as the pain from ages old emotional scars fluttered then ripped and shredded the walls of his heart once again. All the carefully constructed walls surrounding his heart shattering in that instant, rebuilding themselves much stronger with more conviction and filled with terrified reluctance against possible betrayal. All the trust Harry had once possessed was ripped from under him and trampled upon with the new knowledge he had just discovered.

 On the floor, laying at his feet and written in the blood of truth were the records inscribed on expensive ministry parchment. The legitimate parentage it spoke of so carelessly - glared at him with its obvious revelation. Sadly it contained only a revelation of dread, fear, uncertainty, unrepressed rage and also, dare he so much as admit it subconsciously, a touch of hope looming on the ever dark horizon that was Harry's life.

Forcing several large gulps of air into his lungs, Harry hesitatingly gathered the scattered parchments that had fallen from his fingers and replaced them on the bed of dark green velvet. Careful to keep his curiosity in check as the letter he dared not touch in this state drew his eyes once more. No, he needed answers face to face. He no longer wanted to trust what was written on parchment fifteen years old. He desperately needed someone to tell him the truth.

When he shut the lacquered box there was a distinctive click as the lock slid back into its place. A shimmering black mist trickled from out the bolt before fading when it brushed against his fingers in a caressing touch of deceptive warmth. Suddenly gripping the box tightly against his chest in search of comfort, Harry did not know if he should throw it on the ground or keep it close to his stuttering heart.  In the end he decided against neither and gripped it to his side. He leaned against the far wall for support and slid his way towards the door on swaying steps. The large double doors swung open as he got close enough to step outside. It took only a moment before Harry practically fell into Remus' arms when the werewolf stepped forward, noticing something amiss when Harry emerged from the darkness within. 

"Harry?! Har...e....ar...all...ght!" Harry's eyes were glazed over in a film of glass, staring at something far away that others were not privy to. The words the DADA Professor frantically shouted at him over and over again barely registered in Harry's wandering thoughts and confounded mind. It was almost as if someone had cast a confundus charm on him and he had no idea how to pull himself out of it. All he was aware of were the beady eyes of the goblin trained solely on him and Remus' arms, warm and inviting, wrapped securely against his waist as he was tugged ever closer to that ever beating heart against his ear.

 Even at the tugging tone of panicked concern in his previous professor's voice, Harry did not answer. He simply couldn't get his lips to open or his tongue to work could not even form the words in his head. So instead he turned tearful, pleading green eyes towards Remus. At last allowing all of his misery, despair and eternal fear to spill over into heaving sobs of hopelessness. He could feel Remus starting to panic, those arms tightening around his waist to pull him closer to the werewolf as one hand strayed to his locks and gently carded through the strands in hopes of bringing him a semblance of comfort.

"Harry please, please tell me what happened?" Harry remained quiet, interrupted only by his own sobs of hopelessness. His life was lost to him; a life lived in lies, compulsions of others and unfairly cast magic. It was liberating in a sense, but devastating in another. Devastating as Harry not only lived through his own misery but empathised well with his two fathers and it broke him inside. The knowing that he was alive and they may have never known their own child, the child that so obviously stolen from him for reasons no one understood. That alone was enough to send him into another painful wave of desperation and utter panic. 

When his shuddering breaths became hard to breathe and his chest struggled to rise and fall, Harry buried his face in teacher's robes and fought to calm himself as much as necessary to catch his breath before he suffocated. The scent of the open forest, crackling flames, ash and pine surrounded Remus so wholly, almost like a cloud of addictively comforting scents that proved a counter point to Harry's emotions so wholly engulfing him in burning flames.

How long they stood there, locked in an embrace and him shaking with desperate cries Harry did not know and hoped he would be unable to count, yet when what felt like an eternity passed, his mind finally cleared somewhat of the fog that had settled over it. The young wizard felt exhausted, his legs weak, his chest hurt, his soul weary and afraid of what the next moment would bring. It was only in the soft nonsensical things that Remus whispered in his ear that Harry could draw little comfort from. 

For the werewolf personally though, there was his own sense of protectiveness seeping in his bones at the sight of one so young, so desperately affected by his emotions. It made his heart ache within his chest and he breathed a soft sigh of relief as Harry's panic calmed to a more manageable level. The one that he had adopted into his small pack when he first met Harry as a teacher was eating away at his haggard control at being so vulnerable in front of him. It left a slow building anger simmering in his blood and great concern streaking across his heart.

From the moment Remus had seen Harry step out of the vault he knew something terrible had gone wrong. It was not only the deathly ashen pale skin of Harry that told him so or the trembling in his limbs. It was the way his entire scent changed, transforming into something he had never smelt before. It was the scent of utter desperation.

"Harry? Will you let me take you back to Grimmauld's Place? We don't have to meet Ron and Hermione at Flourish and Botts."

"NO! N-no." Harry shuddered. There was no way he was going to back there. Not now, not ever if he could help it. It stung him more than he could admit. The immense betrayal that he had witnessed in the recorded names of the witnesses and the outcome of misplaced trust. Sirius Black had been at his adoption and had known all along that Harry was not Harry but a child stolen from his true parents, he was Augustus Saturnus Malfoy-Snape. 

Harry needed to see the only man who he knew would tell him the truth, the one man that could tell him that this was either real or a very elaborate attempt to shake up his life from the ground upwards.

"Harry?"

"Please Remus, I n-need to see Professor S-Snape. No one else." Within his voice bellied with a tone that offered no wavering argument otherwise. The werewolf seemed to contemplate his request seriously and after a while he gave a nod of consent. Harry let out a small breath of relief, wetting his dry lips with a swipe of his tongue as he queasily made his way towards the cart and ultimately back to the floo room.

"He should be at Hogwarts these last two weeks preparing for the term. I'll take you there, but I cannot guarantee that he will be in a good mood when we arrive."

"I know. But please Remus, I r-really, really need to see him and only him. No one else. There is no one I can trust more at the moment." And it surprised Harry that he found himself speaking nothing but the truth. Never in his life had so much as thought for a single moment that he require the help and guidance of Hogwarts' most snarky and strictest Professors. But deep down Harry knew for certain that he was the one man that never once lied to him or tried to be anything but frank with him.

~~~~

When Severus Snape had sat down to start his lesson plans for the coming year less than an hour ago, it never once crossed his mind that Remus Lupin would be reaching out to him in pure desperation and panic. It was a cry for help that left the Potions Master not only confused but filled with trepidation as well. He hadn't even gotten the truth from the distressed werewolf of the situation he was in before the floo call was abruptly cut off and one Remus Lupin stepped into his private office, nearly tumbling to the ground in his haste. Severus could see almost immediately that there was something very wrong with the picture that his previous colleague made as he staggered through the emerald green flames. Looking even more dishevelled than usual, those striking eyes frantically darting from side to side as if awaiting a deadly threat to assault him at any moment.

 A small bundle of out of control black hair, ashen pale skin and clothes that seemed to swallow the petite frame of a child that was clutched protectively against a strong chest. Within those usually softly glowing amber eyes, were the yellowing tinges of rage that the wolf caused within Lupin that sent a shudder racing up Severus' spine. Moony was there, just beneath the surface, biding its time and awaiting the right moment to tear free from its human bonds.

For the Potions Professor to come so close to those ruthless eyes for the second time in his life was disconcerting, it spoke volumes of the power that was hidden just beneath the surface.  Yet when those eyes turned to him, the anger seemed to fade just as quickly and quietly as it had come. An immense sense of control Severus did not come across often and begrudge as he was to admit it, offered a new sense of respect for the man in front of him.

"What is it Lupin? What the hell is going on?" His voice was barely a hiss as he pointed to the bundle in Lupin's arms. The question, harshly spoken and to the point, seemed to snap the wolf out of his stupor as he suddenly began pushing through Severus' private office frantically. Leaving the young Potions Master to hurriedly follow after him before his quarters became the battleground for a raging wolf's anger and unknown anxiety.

"I am not above stunning you Wolf. Now. Tell. Me. What. Is. Going. On." Severus bit out. Each word dripping with more venom than the last, his ebony wand already brandished in defence. He was wavering dangerously on the edge of going through with his threat. The imminent danger seemed to still Lupin, those eyes now locked on him was filled with forlorn and wary concern as he laid down the bundle on one of Severus' velvet couches. The latter of the two adults hadn't even realized they had moved into his private quarters yet. 

"It's Harry, Severus. I-I took him to Gringgotts as Lily's letter asked and when he came out of the vault he was so distraught. That accursed box clutched tightly against his chest and he just won't let it go. When I contacted you, he was already like this. It's like his very essence is fading from him...I-I don't know what he found there but he wouldn't tell me...he...he just wouldn't..." Severus frowned at the flood of information that stung his ears but ignored it for the moment in the wake of the situation. Casting unfathomable dark eyes downwards to observe the young wizard curled up on his couch and sure enough there were just enough features visible to distinguish the bundle of clothes and pale skin as none other than the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry James Potter. A box not much bigger than a shoe box decorated with an elaborate golden dragon, clasped tightly to his heaving chest and in pale ashen hands. Cheeks, hidden by the wavy mess of his unusually long black hair were highlighted with the touch of a fever.

At first Severus was sure that the box had been the cause for the collapse but there was not a lick of dark magic surrounding the box, no it was just plain - locked with a ward that seemed to shimmering around it surface. It must have been something else then that had caused this magical drain, for even Severus Snape could see the very atmosphere surrounding the boy shimmering in a pale blue light, cocooned in a cloth of magic that was slowly leaking out around his form. The wolf was right. It was almost as if the magic was fading, dissipating into the atmosphere and rearranging it...

"Why did you bring him here? The Headmaster would have been able to help better than I, even Poppy..." Severus trailed of, pushing aside his own confusion and emotions as he cast a diagnostic charm on the child in any case. It wouldn't do to let him suffer whatever it was that had the child in its dangerous grip. Severus ran his eyes over the small frame, wondering once again in confusion just why the child was so small and wraith like. He looked almost like he was balanced on the edge of an Ancient Wood Elf Inheritance and a life of under nourishment.

So childlike and small, innocent too. No matter what he saw or did, that was one thing Severus was sure would never fade from Potter. His inane innocence. He didn't think that Potter would grow beyond his five foot four inches height either, no matter how the years would pass him by.

It was information he quickly filed away for later analysis...

He had been forced to train as a fully qualified Medi-Wizard in order to pass his Potions Master's Apprentice exam but that did not mean that he was as well trained as Poppy or possessed the vast vestiges of knowledge that Dumbledore had in that specific field nor tha...

"Harry said that he would not go anywhere else but to you. He said that you were the only one that he can trust." Snape's thoughts were suddenly cast aside with those words, a frown of concentration and confusion crossing his forehead. Never had he ever thought a Potter would trust him with anything.

He sucked in a surprised breath as the diagnostic charm returned the results in shimmering white. Waving his wand with expert precision, he began summoned various potions, salves and distilled draughts that he knew was needed. Severus was deeply concerned as to what his quick charm had picked up and the array of injuries that mapped the child's body. It was disconcerting, the astounding similarities it bore to an abusive household.

"Lupin?! W-what the hell has this child been through?" His voice was now a low growl of anger as the Potions Master set to work on his patient. Tipping Harry's head back to stare deeply into those glazed over, far away eyes. They were so lost and forlorn, with not only shock, but pain as well. It tore at the cold man's heart. Reddened cheeks, clearly an indication that his body was fighting off a high fever was only a prelude to clammy skin and scorching flesh that furthered the claim. And peeking out just beneath the collar of an overly large shirt, were darkened bruises that were clearly inflicted by another human being.

This could not have been done by anyone other than the others who had looked after him for the summer...

"W-what are you talking about Severus? Is Harry hurt? I-I don't know, Severus. I just told you..."

"Not that you imbecile! The child's body... It's like he was in a fight and only barely escaped with his life. These injuries are more than two days old but that does not mean they are not dangerous anymore. In fact, if this infection spreads it can become very dangerous. It's no wonder his magic is failing him. It's trying to preserve his strength, eating away at itself..."

"Just sit quietly and let me work. We can discuss this later." And in that reprimand, Severus' whole demeanour changed drastically as he was faced with a victim and not a student that more than often bore the brunt of his temper. His tense shoulders relaxed slightly as dark eyes darkened even further in concentration. Clasped in his right hand was his wand, as his left carefully unfolded the child's curled up limbs, now and again using both hands to help steady the form and stretch him out on the couch. A small whimper licked at his ears sympathetically and despite himself, Severus allowed a soft sigh to escape his lips. The hard facade that he was so well known for, fell away with his layers of concern.

No one but a select few people ever knew that there was a softer and much gentler side to the Potions Master than he ever allowed others to see. And in cases like these, where he knew something could easily go wrong if a patient were to panic, he was forced to allow that side to show through. He would of course murder anyone who ever suggested that it existed but for once he found himself losing his self control. It had been a very long time since he had seen abuse at such a level.

"Hush Harry. I know that it hurts but I need you to stay like this so I can mend your bones. It'll only take a second, I promise." The whining keen that the child let past his lips made Severus cringe on the inside. His fingers gently brushed away dark sticky long strands from a scorching forehead, resting his hand on the skin there to keep a physical connection with the child. It was tempting to force his way into Potter's mind to see who had done this, but he refrained from the urge and used the contact to rather focus the patient's attention on him. With a swift wave of an ebony wand, his voice's whispers echoed through the room as another cry left Harry's lips at the resetting of his cracked ribs. Severus murmured a soft apology before sweeping the wand over the length of the teen's body once again, carefully checking the progress of his work untill he was completely satisfied. 

With a small sigh of relief, the Potions Master turned to the process of healing that he excelled in. Potions. Mending bones with his wand was not a problem but it was when it came to smaller things, like reducing a fever and trying to calm the obvious shock the boy had suffered, it became much more difficult. Besides a good potion was much better than foolish wand waving, it offered a longer range of relief and controlled remedy.

Reaching for the four vials on the coffee table behind him, Severus helped the sick teen swallow them with much coaxing on his part. After that came the jar of bruise salve, smearing it across the black and blue marks that decorated pale, smooth skin. Irrevocably it angered him to see such darkening colours but he forced himself to never falter in his task. After that came the easier things, like transfiguring those hideous clothes into soft pyjamas, a feather pillow and a warm blanket before he reached for the last vial. 

Before he could administer the draught though, small hands stopped him and those glassy green eyes cleared in a moment of clarity. Dark locks falling over emerald eyes as Potter shook his head from side to side vehemently. His eyes, seeming much brighter without his glasses, stilled Severus with its plea.

"P-please w-wait. B-before you...t-the box. O-oopen it. R-read i...promise me..."

"I promise." Severus replied. He was more stunned than anything that Potter had recognized the dreamless sleep draught by mere smell alone than absorbing the words he had spoken but he gently tipped back the contents of the crystal vial. He had understood the request but why would he be  the one requested to open it? He quirked it up to one of the child's passing fancies and nothing more. He remained kneeled by Harry's side for a little longer, not wanting to shatter the spell that had settled over him in his exhaustion. His hand never once strayed from the warm flesh of Harry's forehead, checking the temperature untill it started reducing itself.

The child had given him quite a scare. Deep down, though loath as he was to admit it, Severus felt something stir within him that he had almost forgotten about completely. The cold life he had been living for fifteen years, flitted gently with the tiniest touch of warmth he had not felt since his child... 

Cursing his sudden weakness, Severus tried hard to discern the feeling of contended calm he got from stroking his fingers through those soft locks. Amazed that it was much softer than it seemed, finer too. The feeling of completeness he gathered from being so close to the small creature that was now deeply asleep on his couch was absolutely astonishing. He didn't think he would ever feel anything like it ever again.

"Severus?" That was his cue to stand and drag himself from his out of control thoughts. Rising from his kneeling position, he tugged the black box closer to him before settling it on the table with a small amount of trepidation. Summoning two glasses from his kitchen and a bottle of his finest scotch, Severus set about pouring himself and Lupin a generous helping of alcohol. He needed it for the trembling in his hands and the subdued sensation of panic boiling in his stomach, though why it was there was still much of a mystery. Long elegant fingers traced the outline of the golden dragon and its shadow pearl as he leaned forward in his armchair. Steeling himself when the lock click open with little coaxing on his part, the amber liquid rippling against the crystal structure of the glass in his left hand.

Severus Snape's Personal Quarters; Hogwarts:

Severus shuddered suddenly, he was cold, so achingly cold when his infinite dark eyes swept across the pieces parchment; not once but several times over and over. Willing himself to believe just what it was that was staring him in the face. Subtly it was offering the truth to answers he had sought since the night of 30th December 1980.

That lonely night, as the snow flurried across Malfoy Manor estate and the small cottage on the grounds that he and Lucius receded to when his beloved wasn't needed in the Manor, was one he would never forget. He and Lucius had just come home from a trip to Diagon Alley to find their beloved child, sweet little Augustus, stolen straight from his crib. His nurse and protector dead on the floor, the only one who could have known who stole their little boy, gone and dead with no answers. It left both him and Lucius in a panic with no inkling as to who had stolen their little baby and why and even how they has passed the manor wards.

Now though...bitter bile rose up in his throat and the Potions Master felt his breath hitch in his chest. That hated night had scarred Severus both emotionally and physically when he had turned his wand on himself mere weeks later when the Aurors suggested his child was dead and called off the search. He had been shattered beyond repair, when not even the best of the private Aurors Lucius hired could find Augustus after months and months of fruitless searching. It had devastated both him and Lucius and if it had not been for Narcissa, already raising a five month old Draco in the manor, imploring Severus to help as his godfather Severus would truly have taken it upon himself to die of the overwhelming grief and panicked pain.

All that aching, all that suffering and sorrow. Had it all been punishment for past sins? For if it were Severus was sure that nothing would have hurt him more deeply than this and now knowing the truth, hurt him even more. The jealousy he had always felt towards Lily when her son was born a week after his was taken was enough to create a deep seated hatred for one Harry Potter and his features that reminded him so much of his tormentor at school did not help at all. Only now, Harry was no longer a damn Potter, had never been one to begin with.

No, he was Severus and Lucius' little Saturn-August.

"What have I done?" Severus mourned deeply. His only child, the shared proof of his eternal love between him and Lucius, had left behind a shattered hopeless soul the night when his life had turned itself upside down. Deep, deep, deep down inside of him Severus felt a wall crumble and something crack inside his soul. Tumbling and falling with not only pain but an immense sense of relief as well. It left him shaken, almost afraid to believe the words written in official ink in case they were not real. For if he did believe them, it meant not only was he betrayed by his best friend and her hated husband but by his mentor and father figure Albus Dumbledore as well...

The last fifteen years spent in constant turmoil and pain made sure that all he wanted was nothing more than believe that his child was alive and well somewhere. And now that he did know, it did not change the pain and immense sorrow. His fingers curled into fists, knuckles stark white with suppressed rage was the prelude to the sudden fit of uncontrolled emotion and magic that shot from within his core. Fuelled by rage and sorrow, Severus magic became unpredictable and volatile. It made Severus inconsolable as a shuddering breath of uncertainty left his lips in a cry of misery. He did not even flinch as every single piece of glass in the sitting room and beyond shattered into a million pieces and fell to the floor with the sound of tinkling glass.

Gripping at his temples, hateful tears brushed against his cheeks and carved a path over his features as the Potions Professor fought for desperate control over his uncontainable emotions. He hated this weakness that he was forced to show but Severus knew that he needed Lucius and he needed him now! Before his magic got so out of control that he hurt those around him and himself as well.

This had happened only once before and that night left him the cold and distant man he was today. Standing on shaking legs and forcing his way towards the fireplace Severus was surprised when strong arms kept him from crashing to the floor in his swift weakness. He knew his attempts would be futile with a damn Gryffindor so close by. Cursing the werewolf for his interference, Severus tried to steady himself before throwing a heated glare over his shoulder at the man's good intentions. He would not be able to reach the fireplace to contact Lucius if this went on for much longer, even now he could feel his magic unhinging completely and he could not reel it back in. Not without help...

"Severus? Just what the hell is going on?!" Ignoring the Lupin's calls to him and demanding an explanation, Severus tried to walk forward again only to collapse onto the hard unforgiving ground. Despair was eating him up from the inside as his back collided painfully against the towering bookshelf, the books tumbled towards the ground only to be caught up with a magical whirlwind rushing through his quarters. Many books floating and rushing through the air that could not be stopped...

"G-get Lucius." Severus managed to bite out before his vision started dancing with black spots that spoke of his magic forcing itself out of him at such a force that it would render him unconscious sooner than he thought. His eyes rested on the sleeping form, just peeking out from under a warm blanket and he felt an icy hand encircling his heart, squeezing, squeezing and threatening to steal the life out of him. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think and his white hot rage was almost painful in its intensity...

"He stole my child!"He chocked out. "The bastard stole my child! How could he? HE STOLE MY CHILD! My innocent little baby boy and turned him into a target for the Dark Lord! I will never forgive him. NEVER!" Severus' throat was now raw as his screams echoed off of the walls. Shattering his heart as they bounced back towards him.

"Severus? Severus Snape! Look at me." The gentle murmur of his beloved's baritone drew Severus from his staggering and overwhelming thoughts and emotions. Fingers that he knew so well tugged his chin upwards, causing black to clash with frantic silver and in that single touch and gaze Severus felt his uncontrollable magic vanishing. Leaving the Potions Master feeling hollow inside and simultaneously desperately afraid of what was to come. Lucius was going to be livid when he found out but that did not matter to Severus, no, not now when all he wanted was to fall into a coma and never wake up again with these mortifying emotions eating away at his soul.

"Severus what happened?" With the dull thud of books falling to the floor and the shattered glass turning to sand, Severus felt all of his energy drain from his body and the feeling of being pulled into the secure arms of his lover was nothing more than bliss to his frazzled nerves. His fingers automatically dug into smooth robes as he hid his shameful expression from his lover as best he could. He had always had such impeccable control, having lost it now made him feel uncomfortable and fearful of his own adverse reactions. 

"I-I f-found him." Dark eyes watched from beneath the curtain of equally dark hair as Lucius' pallor paled even more. Silver eyes, so expressive in their emotions, and so ruthless other times, spoke of disbelief, horror and fear at the words he had just spoken. It was news they had waited fifteen years for...fifteen years of agonizing suffering and the news that had so very nearly shattered their relationship many times over. 

"W-who have you found?" The question that Lucius spoke tore at him. He knew who Severus was speaking of but his ears did not want to believe, his heart feeling brittle in that single instant and soft mutter of words. After so many years of hoping and praying, never knowing if their child would ever come back had worn on his soul and those four words hurt to even think.

When Lucius had stepped into Severus' office after a frantic call to his office from a blasted werewolf, he had not known what to make of the situation but when he saw a panicked Severus he knew it would be nothing good. There were very little things that could shake up his lover like this and their lost son was just one of those things. This could only mean one thing, something very bad had happened and now after that claim Lucius was afraid of just what it might be. He did not want to know that the son he had lost so long ago was dead...he didn't think he could survive another bout of such dep...

"Little Augustus." That was it, the taboo name that was no longer spoken between them. It shattered Lucius, devastating his mental shields as his body sagged into Severus'. Whether it was of relief in believing Augustus was alive or fear that he was dead, Lucius could not tell but the emotions swirling around him was very real as Severus pressed closer to his chest. The smaller professor curled closer against his lover's chest as tears stained fine, immaculately kept robes. Lucius felt nothing but dread. Numb to the rest of the world, feeling only his own swirling emotions as he absently rested his fingers in those silky dark strands to find and ground himself.

Closing his eyes in an attempt to hide the shimmer that gathered at the corner of pale silver lashes, Lucius Malfoy felt a subtle tremble settle over his body.

"Darling Severus, please tell me what happened." A note of pleading emotion in his voice allowed Lucius the first break in his ever composed facade. It hurt and he could not deny it, it felt as if his soul was ripping itself in two pieces with wanting to know and not wanting to. His question however only brought on another bout of soft sobs from Severus and quietly rubbed gentle circles on his beloved's back. Lucius rested his cheek on top of Severus' head and hoped for an answer that would not tear him apart more that he already was. 

"Hush now. Please calm yourself and tell me, I need to know beloved. I need to..." He trailed off, that annoying stinging was back in his eyes and even his voice sounded haggard to his own ears. His grandfather would roll in his grave should he now see Lucius undignified actions but he could not help it. It seemed like hours of eternity before Severus' shivering stilled and those dark eyes, haunted and guarded looked up to him in quiet despair.

~~~~

Lucius Malfoy sat curled up against the arm of the second velvet couch, Severus' head resting in his lap as he carded his fingers absently through silky strands of ink black. Contrary to what it seemed, those dark strands were not oily at all. Not when his beloved had not worked over potions for hours and hours on end. It was soft, gentle and the finest strands Lucius had ever felt. They were almost like spun ebony, and Lucius loved them most. Just like those infinite dark eyes that held such secrets and emotions only he and Severus could ever understand. He could not say if he was in shock or that he had quietly accepted the truth without much a fuss, but the calmed awareness of the dark haired teen fast asleep on the velvet couch less than ten feet from them offered Lucius, a  usually cold man, a calm and contented feeling that he indulged in almost guilty.

If he stretched his senses now, feeling the subtle glow of their young one's magic; it called out to him fiercely in need. A spark of recognition that he only really felt with Draco, played across his magic and flitted across his skin unbeknownst to Severus. He could feel it, the powerful blood spell casted fifteen years ago, it was starting to wear off. The innate wrongness he had felt when he had first met Potter was now fading with the glow of shimmering light blue mist engulfing his body. The twist of his core magic was changing, stretching and rearranging itself and soon, over the course of twenty four hours, his features would be changing too.

It won't be long before there was not a single thread of a Potter left in their little Saturn-August. He could barely suppress the excitement and anticipation building through his vein, a soft smile tugged at his lips as he finally understood what it was that had happened so long ago. It won't be long now until he could start his revenge on everyone who had known of this. 

Lucius reflected that they had found their child just in time. And though as loath as Lucius was to admit it, he was ever grateful to Remus Lupin who had headed back to Grimmauld's Place to spin an elaborate story of Potter going missing in Muggle London just outside the Leaky Cauldron. It was not a very satisfactory story that would hold up for very long, but it gave him and Severus about six more hours to get Augustus back to Malfoy Manor before his magic started changing things irrevocably and attracted unwanted attention from certain lurking Head Masters. He knew that this had to stay secret, no one was to know but those in his family who knew of Augustus' existence before.

Their child came first and the magical coma ahead of little August would not be spent anywhere close to that man. At the mere thought of the man, Lucius shamefully allowed his protective creature side to show through with a haunting growl. Never again would he allow his child out of sight or trust anyone with him besides his son, Severus and Narcissa. No, not after they had just found him again.

With a sigh, Lucius tapped Severus' shoulder to wake him from his slumber. It would be better if they left now, creating less of a risk in Dumbledore finding them again. They could figure out later what to do in the long run. For now, Lucius had to get out of the confined space that was Severus' quarters. Being of creature inheritance, Lucius hated small spaces. Preferring the wide open spaces of nature and the familiarity that the forest could bring him. Severus on the other hand loved to hole himself up in small spaces, preferring enclosed spaces that he knew no other human being could bother him within.

"We should go." He whispered, quietly standing on shaky legs and walking towards the sleeping form on the couch. Saturn-August would be waking soon and then, Lucius knew, all hell was going to break lose. It was not often that you were told your entire life was a lie and the people you had been raised to hate became your parents. Maybe he should enlist Draco's help on this one, perhaps having someone of August's own age would help. But he doubted it. Especially because of the animosity between the two.

"He will be contacting us soon, are you sure you will be ready to talk to him Severus?" Lucius asked, surprised at how light the child was in his arms as he picked him up. He hardly weighed anything at all. Oh, there was a lot of things that needed to be done and tracking down those muggles that were supposed to be raising his son were going to pay. For Lucius there was no doubt.  

"I'll just have to be. There is no way I am going to lose my child again. Now go ahead before he comes through and discovers you and Harry here." Lucius nodded, placing a soft kiss on Severus' forehead and whispering a soft endearment before he stepped through the emerald green flames of Severus' private floo. The last image that he saw was his beloved waving his wand and repairing the damage his magic had done. The large explosion of magic had come as an advantage to them both as it was so strong the Headmaster would not even be able to sense any other magical signature lingering in the room.

"When you awaken my little Saturn child, you'll have a new family and a new life." Lucius whispered softly as walked into his private study. The wards eagerly welcoming a new addition it had so poorly protected before with a soft hum brushing against Lucius' ears.

Internal Woodland; Exact Location Unknown:

It was dark and cold within his wandering and ever-changing dreams that seemed, even now, to slip through his fingers like the sands within an hour glass. He could never hope to hold on long to the comfort that they seldom offered his weary soul. The cool, misty fog that pressed against him from all sides was not unpleasant but rather the chill was enough to make him aware of his surroundings and gentle comfort they continuously offered him.

Green eyes, the colour of a deep and dark forest, observed the gentle but dense woodland that his dream self was wandering aimlessly through. The sights and open aromas of the woodlands easing his ever present concern and wavering panic. The young wizard suddenly found himself in the path of the freezing wind that titillated against his skin and teased a shivering chill from within his soul, still he was not discomforted.

The gentle rustle of the forest leaves sang a beautiful but sorrow filled tune that only Harry could understood and hear. It instilled within him a calm that allowed his breaths, previously straining in his lungs, to come easier to him and his thoughts to come to him in a more orderly fashion. He was vaguely aware of the passing of time in this sacred place, with only gentle flickers of memory reminding him of his reason for being here. How he had entered the mysterious forest in the first place: surrounded by the ever gentle caress of the wind, the sweet misty air soothing his taxed lungs and the hauntingly familiar melody of signing nature did not matter anymore, he was finally calm and at ease with himself.

Harry had never felt the tender calm of his soul so soothed and at ease with himself before and the caress of his concerns and fears washing away with the very air he breathed, was sweet ambrosia to his weariness. It allowed for him to settle down completely. Placing his hand up against the bark of a tree, tracing the gentle veins of a stray fallen leaf; feeling nothing, thinking nothing, being only aware of the breathing and living magical trees and woods enfolding his soul. It was as if everything revolved around the beauty of the place and the nature itself was stained with thousands of years of magic and a caring abundance of rain. 

The spluttering, flowing call of a trickling brook close by called out to Harry and his green eyes hooded behind long lashes. Somnolent feet carried his awareness deeper and deeper into the forest where the mist eventually cleared, the sun filtered in through the high tree tops, lush green shrubs broke across the ground and deep brown tree barks and roots flowed into the earth at a sedate pace. It clearly called to his heart, offering gentle appeasement to a wary soul.

With his thoughts and concerns silent for once, all that mattered to young Harry was the complete connection he felt to the earth beneath his feet as he walked, with a crown of long hair resting upon his brow and the gentle mist curling, like the seeping  smoke from a newly kindled flame, against his receptive skin. Everything felt so right, so perfectly aligned with the world that nothing else alarmed Harry at all.

When he finally reached the slow trickle of the stream, Harry knelt on the ground. Not caring that his clothes, consisting of a green tunic, dark brown breeches and a silvery cloak, were getting wet and were soon stained with deep dark mud and green moss. The scent that curled around him and the silence only broken by the rustle of leaves and the trickle of water was a soothing balm to his essence. Harry reached out to tentatively caress the clear surface of the water. Fingers dipping beneath the cool surface of the gently bubbling brook, not able to resist the way it called out to him and the way his heart suddenly yearned for the touch of the flowing liquid.

"I've been waiting for you to acknowledge me for a long time, little one." Harry started at the musical voice, instantly snapping his attention away from the water and onto the figure kneeling on the other side of the stream. Before him, in a reflection of his own image, a boy as old as he with hair as soft and golden as the sun spun of silk, reaching down to his hips in impressive length, knelt on the ground. It was carefully braided to keep his hair from spilling into his eyes and formed a diadem of gold upon his brow. The eyes that locked with his were of a deep forest green so saturated in colour that they were nearly black with emotion. Dainty, small features and high cheekbones offered a glimpse into a regal face Harry hadn't seen before. It left him quite breathless, almost afraid that this dream was but a dream within a dream and he would soon vanish before his very eyes.

"W-who are you?"

"I am you little one, as you are me. I am the side of you that has been repressed since before you were a year old. I am the Ancient Wood Elf that nestles in your blood, the life force that keeps you going. I control your Inheritance that you are now balancing on the brink of and know that I will never leave you alone again now that I am free of binding magic. You know where to find me now." The elf tilted his head to the side, his gold threaded hair falling to the side in a rippling waterfall to reveal gently pointed ears and set pale skin shimmering with the golden light of the sun, and it was dazzling in its intensity. Harry was stunned, rising from his knees and walking through the small stream of cold water as the sudden magnetic pull of the elf called out to him. He just had to be closer, had to touch...

Bubbling water swirled around his feet, touching his skin with a refreshed and cool stroke. It only added to the comfort and magical tug he felt in his heart. The beautiful creature across from him reached forward, taking his outstretched hand and tugging him closer to the scent of wild strawberries, spearmint and orange blossoms. A soft sigh of contentment slid past Harry's lips as he fought the urge to burry himself against the lithe body of the elf before him. He was so close and yet so far away that it disconcerted the wizard, causing a whimper to spill from his lips unbidden. 

"H-how?" Harry inquired softly as he was led towards a fallen log covered with sweet smelling moss, right next to the trickling stream. The elf merely gave a musical chuckle to his question before seating Harry next to him. Running long, gentle fingers through long hair and braiding it in an image of his own. A soft musical melody rising from his lips as he hummed a gentle lullaby that surrounded the wizard in a calm that left him content in leaning against the lithe figure behind him. He was so close to drifting off into bleak, dark dreams filled with nothing but his racing thoughts and the darkened abyss. Tugging at his hair, the elf drew Harry back to himself. 

"It's not about how, it's about acknowledging what you have been robbed of all those years ago. Look at your reflection my little Saturn and acknowledge who you are." Harry leaned forward slightly, revelling in the feel of his hair sliding from the elf's fingers and cascading down his back, making him wonder when his hair had gotten so long and why it did not bother him the least, in fact he revelled in the sensations racing up his spine.

"You are no longer Harry Potter," The elf whispered in his ear, fingers caressing his neck and sweeping his hair aside. "You are me, Augustus Saturnus Malfoy-Snape. Little Saturn, Severus' most beloved child and Lucius' long awaited youngest son."

"I release you from your burden, Saturn. There is no more Harry Potter, only you yourself." In the clear water, staring back at him was not an ounce of Harry Potter but only Saturn as he had seen him moments before. The exact replica of the elf that now rested his chin on his shoulder.  His hair, no longer black, was now long and like threads of gold, woven and braided like a diadem across his brow, reaching down and touching his hips without a struggle. Forest green eyes, rid of the electric Avada Kedavra green, were now standing out starkly against newly pale and glowing skin. A tentative hand ran his fingers experimentally up against the tip of his gently pointed ear, marvelling at the shiver it wracked through his body at the strangely seductive sensation.

A small smile tugged at his lips. Acceptance, which was what he had strangely told himself in a roundabout way. He needed acceptance in himself of his new self and acknowledge that he was Saturn now, not Harry. There was no more Harry Potter at all and there never would be again, no matter how the Wizarding World called out to him and needed him. He was severed from the burden under that name. No one now but a select few even knew of his existence...

It was utter bliss.

"See it as a blessing, a new family and a new start." Saturn nodded, forest green eyes, almost pitch black, stared at the slowly trickling stream and felt only comfort and love from within himself. Deep down Saturn felt nothing but respite, desperate relief and hope...

~~~~

Lucius Malfoy gazed incredulously at the large stack of papers gathered at his feet, within his line of sight as he stared upwards was his newly found son, deeply asleep on the large canopy bed of his new room and Severus Snape slumbered on one of the forest green divans closest to the bed. By his lover's booted feet rested an intricate black box that had changed everything for all of them. He was not sure whether to praise its contents or curse them to the ends of the earth.

Allowing an annoyed hiss to pass his lips, he ran his fingers through his long hair in discomfort before absently tracing his fingertips across the parchment of a letter addressed to him. Written fifteen years ago and having lived in that accursed and blessed box, the head of the large mansion was afraid in knowing that it was meant for his eyes only. He held it haltingly in his hand, hesitating and unsure if he should crack the seal and risk another painful revelation or just burn it to ashes before even opening it.  

Absently noting the fire that was crackling and hissing ominously in the hearth on the other side of the room, he became aware at filling of the room with the subtle aroma of burning apple tree wood. It was scenting the air with a bitter sweetness that Lucius enjoyed more than the scent of open woodlands where he had first discovered his creature inheritance, it was a small comfort to the endless official and unofficial missives gathered at his feet collected from his study a few hours past. Lucius and Severus both had not wanted to leave their child alone for a minute since his return here. The ominous letter resting in his hand, threatening to shatter the small amount of relief he found in his home. 

It would be no use in trying to awaken Severus and ask for his opinion as he was clearly exhausted from the forced search he had been pushed into attending. Even if it had been a day since Severus had returned from the mandatory search for Potter, the Headmaster had not been kind in his words nor his actions to both those on his side and those not. Almost the entirety of London had been torn apart by Dumbledore's endless spies and Aurors turning over any possible spot where the 'child' could have gotten to.

The Lord of Malfoy Manner though, merely shrugged his elegant shoulders at the Headmaster's distress, glad that no connection had been made between Remus and Severus' quarters the day before. It was a small miracle at the events that had passed, but how long it would hold he did not know. He had to return to the Ministry soon and sort out the mess that had been made of his child's life. Lucius was pleased though that what had been discovered deep in the vaults of Gringgotts that fateful day had yet to be revealed to anyone but those who it involved...

Briefly resting silver eyes upon Severus' sleeping features, Lucius took note of the array of research books laid at his beloved's feet. Merely shaking his head in hidden affection and exasperation, Merlin forbid that someone so much as attempted to drag Severus Snape away from his potions or his endless reams of ancient books. Lucius wouldn't be surprised when his hand burst into flames if he tried to read one of them himself.

Thus all he had now was to turn back to his own boring official work, bar the letter resting like a menace in his lap. He could have been reading and relaxing but he had to finish this work as well, Malfoy Manner did not run itself and neither did his family estate. Certainly jealous of the young Hogwarts Professor, Lucius shook his head to clear his wandering thoughts. Resting on a subject he did not like to think about at all: that Severus was clearly exhausted from the tireless facade he had had to keep up in front of the Headmaster the day before, and also because of the startling revelations and discoveries laid upon his shoulders when their little Saturn had sought them out. It was a miracle that he had come to them instead of those who he had grown up trusting.

He didn't know whether to be proud or disconcerted that their child had no one to trust anymore, it was not an easy thought to contend with.

Flickering eyes rested upon the sleeping form once more before deciding it wouldn't be long anymore before Saturn woke up and then, if hell wasn't going to break lose, there were going to endless reams of questions to be answered. It was up to them now as his parents to offer all the proper and truthful answers to those question and if it opened a path to trust, then  it was all the better.

Lucius knew however, that one did not just pick up where one left of in a situation like this. Love and trust of such an intimate level had to be rebuilt from the ground up. Much care and concern was needed with the fragile state that their child was already in and was only going to get worse after his awakening.

The wrong reaction, the wrong words or even the slightest of mistakes could easily turn Saturn away from them forever and that was not something Lucius ever wanted to experience, not again. Knowing he had just found his son again and then to lose him again to something so brittle was not acceptable.

Sliding his finger across the blood red seal of the Potter House to attempt to push his anxiety behind him, Lucius was surprised by his own boldness in cracking it and opening the dreaded letter after all. He was going to hate himself for this and he knew it.

Deep down Lucius hoped desperately to find answers to his own questions that the box itself could not offer; nor the one sided memories that had yet to be viewed in a Pensieve. With a touch of trepidation and pushing aside the clench of his stomach, Lucius read scanned the parchment  and noted with not only surprise at the contents, but also his rested calm soon boiled down to all consuming rage.

"To the Esteemed and Honourable Lord and Master of Malfoy Manner, His Highness, the Presiding Prince of the Woodland Elf Council, and the Governor of Hogwarts" It began formally. Lucius frowned deeply, it was rare for anyone to write anything with all of his formal titles present, and it was even less likely that they knew of his status within the Elvin council of Old. It was quite disconcerting to see and Lucius knew almost immediately that he was not going to like what was written inside.
 

To the Esteemed and Honourable Lord and Master of Malfoy Manner, His Highness, the Presiding Prince of the Woodland Elf Council, and the Governor of Hogwarts

Lucius Abraxus Malfoy of the Malfoy Lineage:   

I, Lily Hanna Potter, wife of James Charles Potter offer my magic and life in apology to the grave mistake that was made on the 31st of December 1980. After being approached by the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I was asked if I would look after Severus' orphaned child as both he and his lover, Lucius Malfoy, died in a Death Eater raid several days before. I, being unable to conceive after three agonizing years, had been ashamedly ecstatic at the prospect of having one of my own. I simply could not let my once most beloved friend's only child fall into the social system that the Minister could not run accurately.

At the request of Albus Dumbledore, in protecting Harry from him, we were asked to cast the Paternus Mutare Charm. Something I will regret forever, knowing the beauty that we had hidden from the world in search of protection. Today, just over eight months since his adoption, I have come across horrifying news when I happened across the Prophet in Gordic's Hollow.

I have unwittingly discovered that not only was young Harry the target of some unmarked prophesy spoken a few months before, you, Lucius Malfoy, who we thought was dead, is still alive. I may only be expressing a hollow hope that Severus is alive as well, yet I know it is but a silly wish of mine. I cannot help but think, if that silly old man had lied to use about your death, then he could have lied about Severus as well. But I will look into the matter when I have more time.

I have already written a formal letter to Harry explaining of his parentage long ago, though I know it will lead him to his birth certificate and adoption papers I would like to inform him of than myself one day. Yet, knowing the unpredictability of war, I have also charmed it to be delivered fifteen years from now when the Mutare charm starts to waver.

If James and I are dead and unable to tell Harry the truth, I have also written to you in hopes of revealing my distress at this new discovery. I cannot help but stress my sincerest apology for the wrongs I have unknowingly committed in trusting a silly old Headmaster, which obviously had other designs in taking your child away. Of his reason, I claim no knowledge but it is disheartening knowing that I too was cheated in this situation.

I will store this letter with the birth certificates and vials of memories in Gringgotts. I know that if I were to send it to you now, it would only be intercepted and incinerated by enemies on both sides; this letter contains too many painful secrets to be risked. But know this, I wish to rectify this mistake as soon as I can. I have already left a specific clause in my will to do so if I am not able to so before my death. Sweet little Harry is not ours, he belongs with his father - you. 

If this letter should only find you after fifteen years and me and James are both dead, know that someone has been tampering with records in the Ministry. It is not a comforting thought but at least I know Gringgotts is safe from human intervention. It is the 29th of October as I seal this letter, and it will be locked away tomorrow when we leave for a brief visit to Diagon Alley.

Yours

Lily Hanna Potter

"What are you reading?" Lucius jerked in surprise as he was dragged from his simmering anger. How had this happened and just why was it never rectified? Biting the inside of his cheek, Lucius knew a long struggle with both the Ministry and the corruption within it was going to exhausting and tireless. Severus' innocent inquiry did little to distract him from it.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, impossible dark eyes locked with uncertain silver. Shared between them was a single gaze of concern and flaming, boiling anger. Shaking his head to distract himself from his consuming rage, the Head of Malfoy Manner waved his hand and incinerated the paper with a simple wandless Incendio.

Vanishing the ashes as they fell onto his robes and the thick carpet beneath his feet. After having so many years of experience of controlling his emotions, it was easy to hide his rage from his beloved and the implications of the questions it would inevitably bring. It did not do well for his emotions but internal battle, but at least Severus would not ask about it again.

"Nothing important." Lucius replied in a nonchalant manner. Reaching for his dictator quell and parchment, as he activated it and began dictating a reply to one of the invites to the Ministry he had received earlier that day. Lucius only received a frown from Severus before letting the subject drop.

Reaching for one of his large potions tomes before cracking open its spine and delving into the contents, Severus turned his attention away from the subtly distressed Malfoy Lord. If Lucius had dismissed it, then it was probably not something important. After briefly glancing at Saturn's sleeping form, Severus was satisfied when he displayed no outward sign of panic or pain and concentrated on the words forming on the pages.  

Augustus Saturnus Malfoy-Snape's Room; Malfoy Manner:

A pained whimper followed Saturn into a lingering wakeful state. A body, small, lithe and newly revealed, curled closer around the subtle stiffness around his ribs and the painful tug of bruises decorating his torso and arms. Wrenching the newly discovered Saturn from his gentle and refreshing dream of an endless, comforting woodland and back into a world he was unfamiliar with and reluctant to return unto. He was not sure whether to welcome it or to fear his new form of calm acceptance. After a moment of basking at the touch of a soft bed and silky sheets, Saturn took a few minutes to collect his wandering and out of control thoughts.

 Long, silver lashes fluttered open to the waning moon's rays spilling in from large French windows. The heavy velvet curtains of unknown colour had not been pulled shut and now the moon bathed the entire room in the silvery light of the volatile night. In the corner of his eye shimmered a small flickering flame in hues of golden orange and shadowy white. The dancing shadows of a burning candle offering little warmth to the coldness of the room.

Shivering at the abrupt  brush of cool air creeping across exposed skin, Saturn fought off the urge to burrow deeper into the warmth of the eiderdown duvet he was provided with. The slide of silk across his flesh as he turned on his side elicited a different form of shiver racing across his skin, as eyes of impossible green swam into focus without the aid of his glasses. It was a pleasant but unexpected surprise for the young wizard and drove home the point that he was no longer who thought he was. Nothing was the same and it would never be. It did not bode well for the uncertainty that his heart balanced on the edge of. 

"W-where?" He groaned to the empty air, wincing at the scratch in his voice and the hacking cough that followed his words. His question however remained unanswered.

Saturn started when his frantically searching eyes rested on a black and white figure curled up on a settee dragged closer to the canopy bed. Frowning at the figure sleeping so soundly next to his bed without concern, Saturn observed the rest of room spread around him in the light of the moon with hesitancy. Inside he felt himself cling onto the last bit of strength and sanity residing in his heart. It was fading quickly though with the overwhelming sense of rising panic that couldn't be quelled by his own mind's comforting whispers.

The seriousness of the situation was finally creeping up on him and Saturn had no idea where he was, why he was there or even how he had gotten there. All he knew was the pushing emptiness in his chest that told him someone should have been with him at the moment of his wakening but wasn't, was enough to order a hitch into his breath.

Wracking his mind for any form of answer to his arrival here, Saturn could find nothing but brief, hazy flashes of Remus, a box, important truths and the darkness of Gringgotts tunnels. He could clearly remember asking to see Professor Snape, but no matter how hard he sought - there was no memory of anything afterwards or even if he had gotten to Professor Snape. If he had, Saturn could only hope that the Professor had not rejected the truth of his birth. Deep down, Saturn could not help but hope for a chance in the future.

There wasn't any more denial in the events that had taken place, even now as he sat lonely and dejected in the dark, he could feel the physical changes of his body and the strange acceptance in his mind.

Biting his tongue against the whimper that rose in his throat, Saturn dug his nails into his palm until he felt nails pierce flesh. Briefly but ineffectively calming the panic that flashed through his body, still lingering now on his brow from his distressing thoughts. Ignoring as best he could, the wracking shivers and muddled slow thoughts swirling in his mind. Saturn pushed himself up and attempted to bring his trembling hands back under control.

Newly fixed eyes restless, travelling from one side of the room to the other and then back again, unsure of what to settle upon to gather his thoughts properly. It was easy however to note the large decorated double doors, closed and heavy, in the distance. A collection of six candles balanced on silver candelabra next to his bed flickered and fluttered at the touch of an unseen breeze. Bringing only a dark gloom to the room rather than comfort of light.

Their uncertain light threw an uneasy illumination across the rest of the large, stately room. Highlighting a bookcase running against the far wall of the room from one side to the other that also steadily reached its oaken shelves for the beginnings of the high beamed ceiling. The scent of dusty, leather bound books swirled in the air also brought out the sensation of flickering, fading magic covering the shelves. It was a teasing caress against his skin that was not all together unpleasant but left his heart uneasy as it indicated that the collection was very real and also very magical.

Suppressing a passing shiver, Saturn quickly turned his eyes away to focus on the large span of windows that were open, allowing for the moon to flit in from outside. On the stately wooden floors were the beginning of rich Persian carpets running the distance from the dark settees to the edge of the empty hearth. The fire must have burnt out some time ago as not even the scent of ash and flame lingered in the air. He couldn't see in the deep dark but Saturn guessed that the wood of the floor was most likely the same colour as the rest of the darkened furniture well. 

Saturn did not know what to make of this place decked in such ultimate luxury when he was used to the smallest room at the Dursley's and the cupboard under the stairs. It was almost unimaginable that a room bigger that their entire house should be the one that he woke up in. He had never felt anything like this before and the touch of silk against his skin, the heavy eiderdown weighing against his chest and even the presence of the sleeping figure next to his bed in silent vigil, allowed for a small blossom of hope to erupt in his heart only to be crushed again by fear of the unknown.

Feeling his breath hitch painfully in his chest, Saturn clutched at the silk above his heart, hoping to stave off the strange sensation engulfing it, only to feel the drag and pull of tight bandages across his torso. Had his cracked ribs had been discovered and why were they healed? He wasn't supposed to be shown kindness to...

Unnerved at the sensation, Saturn turned his eyes away in shame. Shifting his attention back to studying the room and all of its magical trinkets, desperately attempting to figure out just where he was and why he was not locked away in some dark and dreary place. Luckily he felt his full blown panic lessening as something else began eating away at his heart. The further he thought on the emotion, the more Saturn felt the desperate need to leave the confining restriction of the room and the heavy blankets. He needed to open air, to discover the flow of the forest calling out to him outside through the open windows. He needed to find...

The figure sleeping on the darkly coloured armchair stirred suddenly and drew Saturn's attention away from his racing uneasiness and towards the sleeping figure once more. Not for the first time startled by his presence and their reason for being next to the broken child who only had a past steeped with lies and pain. Feeling frustration building in his eyes, Saturn wiped at the stinging behind his eyes and hoped that the wet sensation on his cheeks were not tears. He could not afford to show weakness, no, not now when he was barely holding onto the last threads of his sanity.

With a startled breath of ache at his sudden frantic movement, Saturn sighed in relief when his feet finally touched the cool floor. A frown dotted his pale features when the light from the candles brightened and he could just about recognizing the figure deeply asleep in the armchair. Pale skin, thin lips pulled into an ever present frown with long dark hair framing regal features. Not to mention the ebb and flow of familiar onyx robes and Dragon Hide boots...

"P-Professor? Professor Snape?" Saturn inquired, biting down his concern when the voice that left his lips was not his own, nor was the way in which he carried himself. Everything felt so different and now the Professor was not answering him. Clearly he was in the throes of his own deep, dark dream. The young wizard felt his stomach clench in concern when a whimper of pain stained the air.

"Professor! W-wake up!" He was too afraid to shake the Professor awake, so perhaps he should go find someone to help instead? Battling two different arguments inside his mind was tearing Saturn apart, one part wanted out of the constricting room, the other wanted to hide and make himself a small a target as possible for when they found him awake and he wasn't supposed to be. 

Without making a single decision, Saturn deliberately kept his footsteps light against the wooden floors. Momentarily Saturn ignored his emotions and sense of not wanting to be discovered. He just wanted to find someone who could help the Professor, who was by now tossing in his sleep, making sounds of discomfort and pain. Wincing slightly when his ribs pulled painfully against the bindings on his chest, Saturn pulled his bottom lip between his teeth in distress. Yet before he could leave through the door, there was a flash and flicker of a large mirror hanging above the fireplace. In his dazed state, his feet carried him there with another revelation. He had clearly changed, but how? Had his dream been merely that or was it a strange spin on reality?

Saturn's footsteps guided him towards a large gilded mirror shimmering in the moonlight. Averting his eyes for a moment, he was eventually overcome with curiosity and sure enough the moment he stared into the looking glass, he saw it. There was no more Potter. Saturn looked exactly like he had seen himself in his dreams. His hair, now as golden silk, cascaded down to his hips in threaded locks, his eyelashes, pale silver in the shimmer of the moon's rays just as startling a colour as his eyebrows. It was his eyes that startled them, so dark in colour that they looked like the canopy of a deep forest under the night sky. They stared back at him with such pain and sorrow that it made his breath stall in his chest and his fingers dig into the torn flesh of his palm again. His higher cheekbones, fuller lips and more defined features were unknown to him as where the tip of his ears that were now pointed. Was it true? Was he a Woodland Elf as his dream self had called it? Or was it something else...

Carefully running his finger across the tip of his ear to make sure it was real, only proved his fears further. It was no lie. Strange as it may seem, Saturn felt more at ease with this body than he had ever felt in his own. This was who he was always supposed to be, the only question now was, was he going to be able to accept this change or would he be hurt more than he already was by another rejection?

Saturn didn't think he could survive another family not wanting him and casting him aside.

"It's true then." He muttered mournfully to himself, he was not sure what to do now but that choice was taken from him when a keen of fright swirled against his sensitive ears. With his heart now hammering painfully against his chest, Saturn turned on his heel and ran towards the closed doors. His bare feet treading silently on the floor even in a sprint as he tugged with excessive force at the heavy doors. A sigh of relief filling his lungs when the doors swung open, hinting at the fact that he was trusted as they had not been bared and locked.

That meant he was not a prisoner right?

Saturn had to bite back his own cry of pain when his breaths were starting to hurt him and the bandages tugged too tightly against his torso. He slipped into a strange trance like state that he had only ever felt in his dreams before. Incessantly it was tugging him deeper and deeper into the large mansion he did not know yet his magic was guiding him through easily enough. He rounded corners, raced through empty hallways filled with sleeping portraits and finally stepping into the heart of the home. His heart constricting against his chest at the concern he felt flitting through his chest, was Professor Snape going to be alright whilst he was away? It had sounded like he was in some sort of pain. 

Leaning against the wall in front of another set of double doors, Saturn was surprised to find that inside pulsed a familiar brush of magic that called out to him in kinship. He was not aware of his surroundings or the panic that he should be feeling, but he knew that that source of the magic was safe, warm and would help. They just had to as it was the same pulse of magic he had chased through the mansion in the middle of the night.

Saturn hesitated though, not knowing if he should knock or turn back to see if the Professor was still alright. Why was he so concerned in any case? The Professor had always hated him and berated him for his rash stupidity. Sucking in a surprised breath at the pang of pain encircling his heart at the mere thought of those memories, Saturn nearly bit through his tongue when a gentle, soft voice called to him from inside the close off room. 

"Come in young one, I can feel your presence outside." It was so quietly spoken that it sounded only like a whisper, but to Saturn it was as clear as a silver bell ringing in high chapel towers. The doors swung inward with a soft creak and touch of magic, revealing an elaborate study stacked with bookshelf covering every wall, parchment and quills scattered on the top of an ancient wooden desk and a immaculately dressed figure stepping out from behind that desk. The regal figure revealed the one man that Saturn didn't know how to react to, but there was no denial that this was his father. He had taken after this man more that Professor Snape, especially now that his hair was so long. Tugging at the hem of his pyjama shirt, Saturn had internally hoped he would only meet Lucius Malfoy with Professor Snape at his side.  Deep inside though, his heart told him to cast aside his weary indecision and step forward towards the man. Only comfort would he find there, not pain...

The conflict inside of Saturn froze his hesitant steps forward. Anxiety and fear eating at his heart and yet also he yearned to burry himself into the warmth of those immaculate robes. Hoping and praying that his newly discovered father would offer him the comfort and security his heart so desperately sought. A frustrated sound of fear lodged itself in his throat before he could stop it and the moment it left his lips, the figure he always found so daunting instilled within him now a fear he could not explain. He was rooted to the spot, drawing back when the intimidating figure of Lucius Malfoy stepped closer to him. 

"Come now my child. You must have so many questions." The tone was gentle, comforting and soft. Saturn found himself turning his dark eyes on the man that was his father, relief sliding through his pulsing veins at the words 'my child'. He wanted to flinch when elegant fingers buried themselves in his long hair but only found himself leaning closer to the touch, his mind screaming at him to run but his heart rooting him to the side of the first man in his life to ever offer him such a simple comfort and affectionate touch.

Inside of him though there was such a mess of emotion that Saturn did not know what to feel anymore.

"What has happened?" Saturn shook his head, eyes downcast as he absentmindedly pressed against Lucius' side.

"I-it's the Professor. H-he w-won't wake." He finally whispered, surprised when the top of his head was stroked softly before a firm hand started guiding him forward.

"Well then, let's go wake Severus. He'll be relieved to see you awake. We have both been very worried about you." Saturn enjoyed the slow spread of warmth that those words brought, hoping that it would never leave for he had never felt it before. Not when his life had always been such a mess of hate and destruction, secrets quests and only a pat on the head for comfort. 

~~~~

The large elaborate room was cooler than it was when Saturn stepped inside, an indication of the night cooling and becoming deeper. Flinching aside slightly when Lucius pulled his wand from a cane Saturn hadn't even noticed him carrying, he was overwhelmed with a touch of panic. A magical family, had greater means to hurt unwanted children then those without. A fact that Saturn was all too aware of suddenly. His feet tensed and ready to carry him away at the first notice of danger, Saturn found his heart stubbornly hoping to help the Professor instead.

A small breath of release left his lips, not going unnoticed by his father in least. When only the candles, the hearth and flickering oil lamps were kindled throughout the room Saturn felt himself relaxing slightly. A warm hand rested on his shoulder, offering a pillar of strength Saturn had not known he could rely on or needed in such a situation.

Saturn did not like that it spoke volumes of what Lucius had noticed of his reaction and in turn it made his cheeks heat in embarrassment. It was difficult to build a resolve not to show fear, when such dangers lingered on the horizon after such an inevitable change of emotion. It did not however quell the dread settling at the pit of his stomach as reality began to solidify around him.  

"Severus? Wake up." At the mere call of a name and a few soft spoken words there was a stir, and then the rustle of dark robes. The notable breaths of distress stilled almost immediately when the sleeping figure uncurled from his armchair. The pull of that strange magic within Saturn that he had felt in his dream was back now, inexplicably tugging his body closer to the armchair and the figure that was rising from it, just like a puppet on marionette strings. The young elf waited for the stillness to shatter, for the moment to break and for him to awaken from this dream in his small bed, still in pain from the injuries his uncle had inflicted. The tension was rising, the atmosphere vibrated with it the moment there was definite movement from the armchair only revealing its back to him.

Saturn could not help the tremble racing through his bones.

Dark robes that Saturn always remembered in such frightening intensity, stilled as they were now, only added an air of sophistication to the Professor that Saturn had never noticed before. The fear he had always felt in the menacing figure evaporated into smoke when forest green collided deeply with eyes of the same colour. A startling revelation, the same eyes he had always seen as pitch were actually a deep green that was almost impossible to see unless the light of the moon glinted upon the surface of the depthless orbs. This was what Saturn saw now and understood he could not deny his parentage.

No, it was impossible. He had his donor's more regal and gentle features, his long straight hair and strong jaw and of his bearer that had borne him into this world, he possessed his shy mannerism's and deep, unsettling eyes...

In that moment where their gazes were locked, Saturn inexplicably saw only affection, concern and great relief where he expected hate, anger and unrepressed rage. Before the young elf could take another step forward though, a thin hand sneaked around his wrist and tugged him forward. Causing him to stumble into voluminous robes that were scented sweet with cinnamon and orange blossom and there within he found unforeseen comforting warmth.

Saturn understood the reason, it was reassurance that he was alive and not just a dream. Much like how he himself was feeling. After a brief moment of stiffening his body in expectance of pain, Saturn relented finally and leaned more into the touch. Surprised when long fingers tangled in his hair and sweet whispers of relief tickled the top of his head. The quiet whispering reassurances, cloaked in that distinctive baritone that Saturn had only heard in menace before, was now chasing away all he had feared upon opening his eyes. Feeling small and inadequate against his bearer's frame, he pressed closer and out of character wondered if he would ever get any taller than he was now.

"My precious child, are you alright?" With those soft words, Saturn did not acknowledge the emotional quiver and obediently allowed the Professor to push his chin upwards and assess his medical state. Quickly averted his eyes when he knew he would be reprimanded for hiding his pain, Saturn did not protest at the low growl as he was led back towards the large canopy bed. It wouldn't do to fight now and when he noticed the softness of the sheets, already exhaustion was creeping upon his weary bones again. Promptly a glass of water was pushed into his hands along with two vials of potions; which he clutched with the broken skin of his palm without complaint but made no move to take.

"W-where am I? W-what happened to Remus? Does he know? W-will I-." Saturn was silenced when the Potions Master placed his fingers upon his lips and indicated to the vials in his hand.

"Drink them please." It sounded like a plea but Saturn knew better with the glare of warning he was given. And in an alarming show of unfounded trust, Saturn did just as he was told. Wincing at the taste as they slid against his throat and stained his tongue. Suppressing the shudder that raced across his spine, Saturn allowed himself to be pushed back onto the feather pillows and burrowed into the warmth of the bed once more. He had never realized how tired he was in the first place.

"You are in Malfoy Manner," Lucius' voice said and Saturn turned his eyes towards the elder Malfoy, brows furrowing at the information but accepting the explanation just as well as his eyes were growing heavy by the passing of seconds. He valiantly fought against it though, willing himself to hear the rest of the answer to his frantic questions.

If not for the work of the calming draught Professor Snape had given him, Saturn was sure he would have been scratching at the walls in panic by now with bloodied fingertips and bleeding lips. It brought forth an interisting question though. Had he been given the potion before he had awoken as well?  Was that why he was so calm and contented in the panicked situation.

"Remus Lupin is at Grimmauld's Place right now and yes he know, he said he will slip away as soon as he can to come and see you." Apparently satisfied for the moment, Saturn wriggled under the covers further. Hating the forced drowsiness creeping into his limbs from the sleeping drought present in the second vial.

"Thank you." He whispered softly, trusting the answers he was given for the moment. With the hitching push of pull of his consciousness as he hung onto the last threads of his consciousness, Saturn fell himself falling into an abyss of dark restful slumber. All he became aware of as his eyes finally closed were warm fingers, previously buried in his long hair, resting on his forehead in a familiar and welcoming touch.

Where had he felt it before? It was so gentle and welcoming...

Saturn murmured something that he could not understand but a small flicker of a smile drifted across his lips, not seeing the hurt and affection present in both his parents' eyes. All he felt was the artificial work of potions and the sensation of contentment warming his stomach. It did not take much to throw him over the precipice and into the abyss he was floating above before and when he fell there was an echoing murmur of words he would still remember come morning.

"Sleep well now Saturn, we will answer all your questions when morning comes. There is yet a long night of respite ahead."  Who had spoke it, he did not know but it brought him comfort all the same. Comfort he did not think he was ever capable of feeling his entire life.

Saturn Malfoy's Room; Malfoy Manner:

Abruptly jerking awake with a forgotten name fading upon petal soft lips, a silent scream dying in his throat and utter terror rushing through heated veins, young Saturn Malfoy-Snape was forced to sit up in panicked terror. Blearily rubbing away the sleep that had gathered in the corners of tear filmed green eyes, and surveyed his surroundings with quick calculated looks. After a while Saturn tugged his bottom lip between his teeth and desperately fought to bring back control to the pain erupting through his stuttering heart. He waited with baited breath for the other metaphorical shoe to drop and completely thrust him into another veritable nightmare of hateful relatives and horrifying situations too terrifying for his young eyes to be a witness of.

He found himself hatefully blinking in rapid succession to clear the burning sting at the back of his eyelids. Cringing at the sensation of his heart strung out by a thread, his soul too tightly wound for his body and the last vestiges of a forgotten dream lay upon the back of his eyelids. Saturn laid his emotions bare. Allowing it to show through the film in his eyes and the clenching of his fists. Fighting his panicking breath, he was disgusted when it took the best part of ten minutes to so much as regain control over his unorganized thoughts.

Turning his attention to recent events, Saturn was grateful to be able to recall bits and pieces of the night before. Someone speaking to him civilly, tenderly almost, the brush of long fingers gently carding through long locks and on the fabric of his pyjamas was left behind only the lingering scent of saccharine orange blossom and heady cinnamon.

It was gentle, sweet and left him yearning for more.

In the miasma of unclear memories swirling in front of his eyes laid a raging confusion at his emotive dream, leaving a dull hollow ache in his heart and a delayed reaction to his surroundings. With a sigh and a valiant attempt at control, he found it easier to push aside his current thoughts and emotions to allow his eyes to adjust to the early morning light. They promptly rested upon a familiar room; dipped in golden sunlight there was only beauty and comfort to be found. It contained such luxury, such beautiful decadence and draped in heavy velvets, silks and expensive cotton of deep green, the floor a brilliant brown that brought out the colours of the forest, colours that he adored.

When bare feet unexpectedly touched the floor, Saturn was pleasantly surprised to find the dark wood warm and inviting beneath his feet rather than cold and desolate as he had thought it would be. His instinctively tensed shoulders relaxed a fraction as he carefully stepped across the floor without making a single sound. Coming to a rest in front of the warm hearth hissing and spitting with flames varying in shades of white, orange and azure. It was blissful peace to his stiff muscles and pained bruises, allowing for a small sigh of contentment to pass unexpectedly parted lips. Leaning towards the fire like a young sapling bending to the whimsy of the winds and the flow of nourishing water.

The scent from the fire was sweet, warm and soothing. Something he had not yet scented before but enjoyed all the same, washing over tired and trembling limbs with a medicinal touch. Saturn was truly grieved to have his attention stolen from the dancing flames by an amused chuckle caressing his sensitive hearing. It was a strangely blissful sound with breath catching in his throat when he traced the source. Dark, hooded eyes observed the tall man leaning casually against the doorframe before he abruptly averted them to the open window in search of a distraction. For in that moment he realized it came easily to him to use his long hair as a protective curtain to hide his emotions and demeanour behind it.

The opalescent golden locks long and unbound, cascaded to his hips in a neat and straight waterfall that had not a strand out of place. Strange though, for he had not even brushed it out yet or braided it in the way he remembered from his dreams. For now it remained a useful tool as a buffer to reality outside of his thoughts, forming a protective barrier against someone else wishing to invade and guess at his emotions or easily decipher the terror hidden within the depths of his eyes.

His father though, seemed amused by his reaction. Walking past the threshold in casual summer robes that cascaded around his feet like a river of silk. Long fingers beckoned him forward out of his hiding place in plain sight and Saturn obediently obeyed the call to move forward. It was an action Saturn did not dare ignore or act as if he did not see. Yet, it gave him the perfect opportunity to quietly observe the man standing before him. For the first time he actively paid attention to the man named as his Donor Father, Lucius Malfoy. He was utterly and dangerously beautiful, a man that was powerful, used to getting what he wanted but also held an innate softness and sorrow within those shining silvery eyes that it was breathtaking. It left his newly discovered son almost breathless with the affection he felt directed towards him and the acceptance in the relaxed posture standing so close to him.

Lucius Malfoy was an enigma of ageless wisdom and wonder, one he could not yet quite grasp, nor understand at first glance. It was both a comfort and also a veiled threat to his abused mind, for emotions being unable to be read opened a door for a cold disposition towards punishment and pain. Thus, it meant that whilst in his presence, Saturn had to be on his best behaviour and not step a single foot out of line. Something he was going to have trouble with but hoped that he would overcome eventually all the same.

For hidden within the layers of his anger, confusion and will of acceptance, there was just something about Lucius Malfoy that tugged and pulled inside of his soul, like a thread attaching him to the man, that persuaded him to trust, to believe and to love unconditionally. It was a strange sensation for him, one he had never felt before. Perhaps it was the bond of family that marked them now and even through his fear there was also hope.

Silent footsteps carried him towards the tall figure, halting hesitatingly before his father and gazing at his slightly curled lips and sparkling eyes of amusement through the barrier of his hair. Saturn was amazed that he had not flinching when soft fingertips pushed his hair away from his face and traced the pointed tip of his ear with easily seen affection and admiration.

"So you have finally come into your rightful inheritance." Lucius murmured, revelling momentarily at the strange sound of contentment spilling from his child's lips at the contact. Saturn on the other hand was completely drunk on the sensation, leaning further into the touch before abruptly startling and pulling away again in fright. What had possessed him to trust-.

"You are so much like Severus when he younger, little Saturn. Shy, afraid of the world and reserved to the moving of fate." Lucius Malfoy remarked sadly, distantly before retracting his gentle touch and awkwardly letting his hand fall to his side again. Instead of getting angry he merely gifted his son with a rare smile before moving to usher him out of the room in into the heart of his new home. The Lord berated himself harshly for the slip in his remark, the gentle nostalgia racing through his veins and the incessant screams of 'what if' drowning out his thought. For he knew very well that now was not the time for difficult reminiscences that would only make things more difficult later when this sweet reprieve of acceptance would be shattered by difficult questions and even more difficult answers. Answers that Lucius was not sure they could give at all for with some things they too were left in the dark.

"I thought you would be an early riser." Lucius Malfoy remarked absentmindedly. "That is why I came to check on you. Breakfast will be served in a few minutes and then Severus and I will answer all of your questions." The rumbling voice, soothing and neutral, announced at the questioning gaze in Saturn's curious eyes. His youngest son nodded politely, his thoughts once again drawing him into a world of his own as the splendour of Malfoy Manner slid past his vision without his acknowledgement. All the young woodland elf was aware of where the darkened hallways decked in silvers, greens, reds, blues and yellows and portraits, numerous portraits of his ancestors all observing him curiously as he passed by.

By the time they both stepped into the 'dining hall', Saturn was breathless with surprise when the doors swing open without a creek. The light filtering in from a large spread of windows on the far wall, looked out upon the vast spread of the estate and lighted the room perfectly with iridescence. It revealed a room that Saturn liked, offering warmth and the lingering sensation that this was a true family room. A room lighted with countless hours bathed in happiness, love and 'family'.

It was a cosy little room, smaller than Saturn thought it would be but larger than the one the Dursley's possessed and it was filled with deep and warm reds plastered on the walls, wood carefully carved and worked into place with soft cream penmanship marking tiny decorative swirls running across the walls, almost invisible in their fine threads. The same soft coloured carpet squished between his toes pleasantly. Dark tasteful wood decorated the table and chairs and by the window on the left was a small lounge where two settees and three armchairs were arranged around the hearth in a semi-circle. It was the sort of place for a father and mother to sit and read a newspaper, discuss everyday things and for the young children to play on the carpet by their feet. Never straying far from each other, and always staying close at heart with unconditional love.

How a family should be.

A pang of pain singed against his chest, not stilling when he gripped the hem of his pyjama top as a distraction. With a soft sneer hidden away from prying eyes, Saturn shuddered at the bitterness rising in his throat. He had missed out on so much growing up, and now it was most hurtful to know what he had missed, to know that it would never be corrected and it would never once be the same again. Swallowing hard against the sudden lump that formed in his throat, he quashed down the emotions overflowing within his heart before they could flicker across the surface of his eyes. Promising himself that one day someone was going to have to answer to him and it was probably not going to end well.

"Are you all right, Augustus?" Saturn jerked at the gentle touch fleetingly resting on his shoulder in an attempt to bring Saturn back to himself. Shaking his head to clear his raging thoughts and seething anger, he offered a small nod in answer before taking the seat that the Lord of the Manner pointed out to him. He was pleasantly surprised to find that in front of him was a spread of freshly picked summer fruits, warm baked bread right from the oven, and homemade butter melting across its surface. Next to the array of jams and marmalades was a pot of golden honey, its sweet scent rising from within its depths to remind Saturn that he had not eaten in more than two days. It was a wonder he was still able to stand.

"Thank you." He whispered, brushing his hair behind his ears and picking a sweet cutlet of papaya. One of his favourite fruits that he had tried at Hogwarts, loving the slight bittersweet taste as it exploded across his tongue. He looked up briefly at the weight of a stare and caught his father's eyes, an unreadable frown tugging at his lips before he seemed to shake his head to himself and turned to his own breakfast. A comfortable silence reigned for a while, one Saturn had not thought he could stand as long as he did but eventually he was squirming in his seat, surprised that three quarters of his plate was already gone and he was still picking at the grapes.

"Where is Professor Snape?" Saturn asked eventually, confusion furrowing his brow when he noticed the absence of his other father. It had been bothering him subconsciously for a while now, the emptiness of the room. Like someone very important was missing and they were waiting for baited breath for his arrival.

"He'll be here in a while, he's just finishing up some things at Hogwarts."

Saturn hated the silence, hated the tenseness that spread through his body and the thick air circulating the atmosphere the moment they had stepped through the study doors. In fact the confused Wizard did not even want to so much as think of asking questions that would only yield more confusion and fears in end. Thus he was wracking his mind for any that would not seem offensive but what he needed answers for most desperately. But most of all he found difficult ones that were grating at his soul and the quiet looks of concern and awed silence observing his every shift of clothes was driving him insane. One would swear he was to break at the lightest tap of reality, it certainly felt like it, especially now but he would fight to the death rather than admit it.

For they all knew, if something went wrong, this precarious knife edge they were balancing upon would shatter any bond that that hoped would be formed. It was difficult, for Saturn knew that once again everything was going to rest upon his shoulders. This was his quest for answers, his need to know that was driving him into the deep end and he hated it. He wished he could just stay quiet and pretend that nothing had ever happened, yet it did. Hoping to hide his sigh, Saturn did not retreat the seat offered him right away, instead his quiet footsteps followed him as he intently gazed at the shelf of books, ran experimental fingers across the spines of an ancient tomes and brushed fingernails lightly against a large wooden desk. Dark eyes restless, like a rabbit seeking an escape as a soft lullaby, one he had heard a mother sing to her beloved child in London once, was hummed beneath his breath just to fill the void the silence left behind. Silence so oppressive and thick with unspoken questions he was not quite ready to find answers to.

So for a moment longer he lingered within his ignorant bliss.

"Po- Harry, would you, for the love of Merlin, please sit down! We are not going to bite." Saturn stilled, grateful that he had not displayed his flinch outwardly. The Professor was right, he was stalling and it was not helping the level of precarious patience they were already balancing on the precipice of. Hands, previously occupied with the edge of the large desk, fell uselessly at his side before he turned towards the one that had carried him, his 'mother', and offered a resigned nod. Keeping a smile to himself for Saturn was sure Snape would kill him if he ever though the word out loud. He schooled his features with some difficulty before curling his knees close his chest in search of self comfort. The sun from outside kissed his skin in fleeting warmth as he picked at the hem of his silk pyjamas, briefly wondering where they had come from before turning his attention to his newly discovered parents at the warned clearing of a throat.

"I am not a Potter anymore, Professor. I never have been." He may have admitted the fact softly, his voice now possessing a more melodically soft and harmonious tone, was like the breath of a wind on a cold day. Yet, nestled within softness was a tone that held an earth shattering power, spell binding with its intensity and whispered scream. A whisper could be more deafening that the loudest of screams and his voice was exactly that, the crying whisper within a scream. Words that would always be taken more seriously and heeded without a single doubt, not a booming voice of control but one with carefully controlled calculation.

Forest darkened eyes briefly glanced back at the magical bookcase, there was truth to his words as well. Now that he knew the truth, being a Potter all his life meant nothing compared to heritage he had been born into and had been stolen from him. There was no need to be ashamed of his parentage, in fact he should be proud to shed the visage that the public had so carefully constructed for.

"Then what do wish to be called?" This voice, more soothing than Professor Snape's and in likeness to his own, pulled him from his silent musings. A smile of appreciation lifted the corners of his mouth in being able to avoid his rush of anger momentarily. Why did he want to run and hide, sweep into the woodland out in the estate and never come out? He'd be happier with the trees, streams and small animals as his company and yet every moment that inched by seemed to invoke the reality of their strained relationship. Would it really shatter at the wrong words or would family bonds of ages past prevail in the wake of a devastating storm of others' selfish deceit?

What amends were to be made when neither party had known of the treachery in the first place? None, his mind answered but his heart questioned.

"Just Saturn, it is my name after all. The one you gave to me." He whispered whimsically in joy, almost as an afterthought to himself he added: 'What's in a name! That which we call a rose y any other name would smell as sweet(1*). And I shall not be called by any other name, not in pretences or falsified pledges.'. Recalling the words of Shakespeare, which his cousin had thrown out so long ago, made more sense in its opposite meaning now. For now his newly discovered name meant the window into a new life and memories he had left behind unwittingly. The gentle shimmer of delighted joy lighting both silver and dark eyes brought a smile to his lips. Satisfying his frayed nerves with calm acceptance.

Over the course of breakfast and the walk to the study, Saturn had seemed to have calmed his emotions completely and even with the lingering anxiety, it was still a daunting task that lay ahead of him. Whether it was thanks to the good breakfast, or his father's presence reading the Prophet as a father should at breakfast or the gentle actions of Professor Snape ruffling his hair as he stepped through the Floo, Saturn did not care. A milestone seemed to have been reached between them and one he would hopefully cling to with inevitability. Deep down he wanted believe that they would never hurt him, but experience made him wary of all things related to relatives, parents and adults.

'Forsake thy name, little one. There is nothing but pain in Harry Potter.' Saturn started at the words whispered in his mind but made no outward indication of what he had heard. He was talking to himself again wasn't he?

"Would you lik-."

"You are not going to turn me over to Voldemort right?" The question, unbound from its reigns of tight control burst forth from his lips in a sudden flash of fear. It seemed to stun both of his parents speechless. In the shocked silence lasting several agonizing seconds, Saturn observed a scowl of exasperation and disbelief creeping across his Hogwarts Professor's features and a delightedly amused chuckle drifting most bizarrely from Lord Malfoy's lips. Saturn had averted his eyes quickly in hopes of not seeing their imminent wrath but when no blows came he turned his eyes back to them.

"H-how could you insinuate that I would offer my only son to that fu-."

"Calm yourself Severus. He meant no harm and it is a legitimate question." Lucius' appeasement ringing pleasantly through the room, calming not only the Professors wrath but Saturn brief flash of fear crawling across his skin in a droplet of cold sweat caressing his spine. The young Woodland Elf could not seem to understand why Lucius seemed too amused at his wholly insulting question. Summoning three beautiful leather bound books from the bookshelf behind the desk, Saturn watched amazed as his father fondly traced their covers before reaching across the minimal space between them to place the books by his feet.

"I am actually surprised you phrased it as a question and not made the accusation sooner." He murmured to himself almost. "And so politely too, it is a shame Draco never inherited that trait from me. Alas young Saturn, rest assured and sleep sweetly at night that not I or Severus would do such a thing, nor even think of it. There may be many things you missed out on when you were taken from us and that also ties in with understanding that where our loyalties lie are not always what they seem."

"But in answering the question you truly meant to ask, I will answer thusly. No, we will not hand you over to the Dark Lord. We will not inform him of your existence even, we will never ever doing anything that could possibly place you in danger, we will never hurt you intentionally and we will give you whatever you ask for within reason."

"I hope that offers you some consolation to know, for I will never break my word and neither will Severus. Those book at your feet are my journals for the last sixteen years, carefully kept and recorded. Read through them carefully for they explain everything you would want to know that cannot be answered here." Saturn's spine turned rigid, forest green eyes once again flickering to the outside forest in longed yearning.

"B-but the two of you are...I saw you when he... " He trailed off, not being able to complete his thoughts for he knew it was futile. Severus Snape did not even seem present, his dark eyes concentrated on something else entirely and Lucius Malfoy offered him a frown of regret he could not understand completely. It irked him, why was his father so quiet. Tears burned at the corner of his eyes, did his bearer not want him was he not good enough? What had he done wrong to deserve the crippling pain eating at his heart.

At least Lucius had curiously enough to talk to him, to have patience with his...

"Please not believe for a second that I or even Severus joined the Dark Lord willingly, or in the wild follies of our youth." Lucius' voice turned to a pained whisper. "Tell me young one, what would he possibly have to offer me what I do not already possess? I have money, endless political power, the finest lineage of Pureblood Woodland Elves in the history of the Wizarding World, and I possess our world's greatest secrets. There isn't anything more I could possibly want, for I have a beloved, two sons and a friend that stands by my side through bitter pain and joyous occasions. No, there never had been anything." Saturn sniffled softly, his hair falling over his shoulder to shield his uncertain eyes behind its veil. Why did he feel so lost? Why was it so painful to hear these things that he had known somewhere deep down all along?

The day had not yet even touched midday and he was already so emotionally exhausted and they had not even began to answer question but already everything had been said that he wanted to hear forever from ones that loved him unconditionally.

"My mother asked me to join their ranks in order to protect the Woodland Elf Council from being discovered and used to the Dark Lord's advantage. I could not just sit by and watch as so many of my kin was scooped into the darkness of war, I could not risk my home, my family and my duty."

"Woodland Elf Council?" Saturn asked quietly, he had been wondering a lot about Woodland Elves since he had been hearing the name in his dreams, his thoughts and passing fantasies.

"I will explain all of it in time, but for now. Let us get past the difficult questions first." Saturn nodded absently, turning his attention to his Potions Professor.

"Then you really are a spy Professor Snape? I am sorry if I never believed you." Saturn turned his head away in shame, he had seen the uncomfortable and defensive raise of those shoulders and the mask of 'Snape' slipping into place when he had first asked his dangerous question. He did not enjoy seeing the same old mask that had hated him so, despised his very existence and even now tore at him, for he knew deep down there was a gentler side to the Professor once he could trust. A sight he had only caught a glimpse of in the flickering memories of the night before. He did not speak but nodded, dark eyes once again resting on the basin standing on edge of the desk, something Saturn had not yet noticed or understood the significance of its appearance.

"Professor? I know this is asking a lot of you but can you tell me exactly what happened?"

"I cannot tell you for I fear that the mere mention of that night usually has me in tatters, but I can show." And for the first time Saturn noticed five vials, the same ones from the cursed black box and an extra one, filled with silvery liquid dancing inside their casing as if wishing to escape and dance upon the air. He frowned at the sight, curiously watching the Professor's actions as he poured the contents into the watery basin and motioned him forward. As Saturn looked closer he saw similarities to the ruin and Latin engraved cabinet in the Headmaster's office.

"A Pensieve?" He asked and Severus nodded. As he gripped the edges of the bowl, just before he was tugged inside he gazed up to notice both of his fathers looking at him but not moving forward to join him.

"You are not coming?" He asked, hoping to mask the disappointment in his voice.

"No, we have seen them. I do not think a single person could live through such an experience thrice." Severus answered before motioning for him to go on.

"We will wait here for you."

Lucius Malfoy's Private Study; Malfoy Manner:

Saturn groped his way through the stifling dark liquid of despair, his knees thudding heavily upon the carpet as a strangled cry left his lips in a rush of air before the dam of tears he had been attempting to hold back since leaning on Remus for support sprung forth anew within his eyes. Trailing ugly wet tracks of hatred and a new definition of utter, uncontrolled misery down flushed cheeks. His breath rasped in his lungs as he wailed in empathy, in pain, in fear and most of all in regret for all the lost times forever shattered. His mind was a reel of telling images burned forever in the back of his eyelids. Images he could never forget.

Devastation and destruction of a cosy little nursery, the crib empty and a young witch dead by its side. The pale panicked faces of his fathers as they frantically searched the cottage for their lost child, years of happiness gathering upon those walls, stained now with only grief and utter helplessness. The hollow emptiness forever a reminder of their failure to protect, cherish and love. Only an empty deafening silence that had shattered Professor Snape and built him into the vindictive and hate filled man he was today, sharpened the edges of Lucius' tongue and cold disposition to the world where warmth once resided...

He wept, wept for them all. For that was not all, no the betrayal had not stopped there...

Someone with red hair, green, green eyes appeared next with the ultimate treachery. A bearded old man presiding over the quickly arranged ceremony, and with tears in their eyes they claimed the little baby boy with golden hair like spun gold and dark, dark eyes as their own. Irrevocably changing him to what was the biggest lie the Wizarding World did not even know of. For in the distance words of spun darkness rang out in predictions, offered words of a moaned prophesy was a certifiable reason.

He had been crying for the touch of his bearer then whilst struggling in James' arms. Those dark brown eyes falsely alight with joy...

They didn't care that he was stolen. Didn't care that the hair he had come to love now was dark, ugly and unruly. That his eyes were never truthful or as depthless as they could have been. But the image that struck him the most, cried out to his heart and snapped something deep within him in a flash of internal pain and desperation was his fathers. He did not know what to do, who could he turn to for comfort? Was he truly that loved and lost all within precious few months? A heart wrenching sob tore through the empty air. Why was he so alone? Had they not said they would wait for him? Had they not...

Saturn gratefully curled into soft robes smelling of potions, spicy cinnamon and orange blossom when they tugged him closer. All that danced and flickered before his eyes was the haunting image of his bearer, so lost and broken in grief, lying helplessly limp in his donor's arms. Neither moved, neither spoke, all that was left was the bitter tears of something they knew they would never regain and with it a changing realization that left them bitter, numb to the world with no one to turn to but themselves.

Clutching the soft material between long fingers, Saturn truly cried. It did not matter that his was the man that had hated him since the first time he had seen him enter his class, nothing mattered anymore for the world was upside down, inside out and nothing was supposed to be as it was. Strangely comforted by the hand pressing his head to a warm, comforting chest where a soothing heartbeat, one he had not heard yet, rang through his ears in a gentle, lulling rhythm. A breath of air allowing for all the innate tenseness to drain from his body, leaving him without support or control over anything that rushed through the core of his magic.

"Hush now, hush. Calm yourself Saturn, my child. Your father is not going to be happy when you destroy his office with your magic." Severus hushed, quietly concerned by the books flying through the room, papers spilling to the floor and the furniture gaining a life all on their own in his son's despair. Saturn did not respond however, for left inside was only the raging fear and haunting emotions slowly ebbing away and giving way to a body heavy with regret and pain. Uncontrollable sobs did not seem to want to cease at all.

After a time though, they subsided to quiet hiccups and endless tears. Fingers brushed away the vagrant strands of hair clinging to his heated forehead, all his internal distress undoing the careful weave of intricate potions and healing spells Severus had invoked to heal him two nights before. Saturn hardly noticed though, he was just grateful that the pain reeling inside of him and egging on something outside of his consciousness stilled with the crash of books, the scrape of furniture and tug of papers all coming to a halt. It was a strange sound he could not comprehend, yet what he had lost moments before seemed to still and he regained control of whatever it was that had shattered inside of him.

Warm, safe, nostalgic and welcoming his mind supplied for him as he burrowed further into the warmth spreading across his shoulders and enveloping his body. It was home, safety, security and everything he had never had in his life, and it was bittersweet, left him wanting and satisfied all the same. Was this the tenderness of a doting, loving parent that would do everything for their child? Saturn nodded to himself, it was and there was no sweeter memory to be found in his mind.

There were no more veiled truths, no more unexpected fears. No, there was only family left and even if there was still a long path of acceptance ahead and many more differences to be solved, Saturn did not care. He had two fathers, who both claimed to love him and would never leave or hurt him. It was enough to satisfy his pain and uncertainties that clawed at his consciousness. When the tears dried up, he still did not dare move from the arms that offered him so much reassurance that salvation was in fact very real to shattered souls broken by the hatred and dark side of society.

"Saturn?" The little elf's shoulders shook but his violent sobs had seemed to die down. Gentle fingers carded through his hair, lulling him into a half slumber where no dreams dared to creep up in front of his eyes. Within the safe cocoon of his bearer's arms, he found no worry or silly thought to bother him and best of all, it no longer hurt so much, the space inside of him where he never thought it would be filled with his father's love and unexpected truths. A soothing voice was whispering comforts and little nonsensical things in his ear that made no sense but kept the dark emotions at bay in any case.

"Saturn? Are you alright? Would you like a calming draught?" Saturn shook his head, stalling the fingers already digging through the pockets of voluminous robes. Forest green eyes finally lifted from their hiding place against warm robes, glancing upwards shyly into a vibrant shade the exact colour of his. A breath of colour stained his cheeks when warm thumbs, undeterred by the sight, brushed away the stray tears that still escaped from behind long silver lashes. Saturn let out a shaky breath, an unspoken question already answered when he was pulled tighter into the embrace and once again rested his ear against the beat of a heart. Saturn himself was not entirely sure how to react but he stayed still, melted into the embrace and allowed a shaky sigh of relief to brush past his tongue.

He was loved, his father wanted him. Both his fathers wanted him. It was utter bliss.

"W-where is Father?" He asked softly, surprised at his own boldness.

"He got called away to the Ministry but do not concern yourself, he will be back in a few hours." Saturn nodded dumbly, not really listening as the implications of what he had just said rushed through his mind. Had he really called Lucius Malfoy his father out loud? Yes, he had and it mattered not for it was true.

"You won't mind i-if I call you Dad right? Or Father formally?"

"No. No Saturn I would not mind." Saturn could not understand the hitch of emotions in his father's breath but clung to the embrace tighter anyway.

'I will be in the lab on the first floor should you need me. You may go outside, the wards cover the whole estate just be careful not to wander into the forest too far.' His father's voice rang in his ears conspiratorially, as if he had known Saturn would be wandering into the forest. He has finally had the courage to step outside, now eternally thankful for the set of jeans and a long-sleeved polo shirt lying on his bed invitingly. He knew then that he could finally walk outside, travel into the woodlands that had called out to him since the moment he had seen shadows of the trees outside. It was soft bliss the moment his feet touched soft grass and good solid earth beneath his bare feet.

All the emotions he had been feeling since the moment he had awoken evaporated into smoke, leaving behind only a lingering presence of its previous existence. It left him grateful, contented and eager to feel the floor of the forest dig into the soles of his feet, roots pressing up from below the ground to tickle his skin and the soothing touch of water between his toes with the call of the small stream rushing in his ears like his excited blood. It was just as he had imagined it, the freedom breaking through his skin as his fingers traced the barks of trees and his feet expertly led him into the collection of trees.

The scent curling around his nose and breaking through his skin allowed for a small shudder of delight to grace his skin. The call of twittering birds heady in his ears and the blossoming of many, many spring flower opening at his approach instilling a calm trance like state he had not been able to achieve outside of his dreams.

It was sweet rapture.

Drop, drop, splash. He smiled, there it was...the call of the trickling stream. The same soothing sound from his dreams, one he would not soon forget. With a song on his lips and pleasant, sure steps, he walked towards the sound. How long he tracked through the damp earth tickling his toes and feet and the brushes of warm leaves against his head, Saturn could not tell but he did gape in awe when he finally reached the stream that had called to him. There was a small clearing now, lush of wild grass, briar roses and large tree trunks fading into the distance. Yet, on the other side of the small stream was a weather tempered building, a chapel once, but only two of the original walls remained. The roof was lost long ago to the passages of time, the crumbling bricks and mortar taken back to the earth from whence they came and the inside gutted by the touch of nature.

Ashes of time scattered with the skeletal remains of what once may have been viewed as the centre of eternity. Still the soul of the building stubbornly clung to last vestiges of its hidden power and structural strength. The magnificent splendour it had once been was still utterly astounding in its depilation, with briar roses clinging to cracks in wall, vines curling around ruined bricks and forgotten walls but what was within the small sheltered square of shadows at its centre drew him in. For in the afternoon light trickling in from the trees, shafts of light highlighted a gilded harp still as beautiful as the day it was made, shimmering in the afternoon sun. Around its golden frame and carefully stringed structure, was a lone tree bending white with the purest of elder flowers kissing the stings.

With his feet following his command, Saturn walked across the small stream - the water touching his bare ankles from where he had rolled up the bottom of his jeans. It was drawing him in, the harp that was in the middle of nowhere inside a dilapidating church with a stool close by its side. Like someone cared for it, that it was not as lonely as it first seemed. Heady was the scent of elderflower when he placed foot on the blessed ground. A shudder of anticipation racing through his veins as he was drawn ever deeper into the lull of calm the harp instilled within his soul.

"So alone and yet still cared for, who you plays you out here so alone?" He whispered, almost expecting an answer to be whispered back to him but only the wind caressed his ear, tugging at his long hair playfully as he seated himself on the stool. Calmly brushing of his fingers against the cool frame. The subtle sound of nature now amplified against the two wall behind him. A sigh stained his lips as he reached for his hair. Fingers instinctively braiding, twining and pinning the hair away from his eyes so that he could see and explore without it getting in his way.

'Play, do not be afraid.' That whisper in his mind urged and Saturn did, fingers caressing the strings as he plucked at one experimentally. Joy singing in his heart when a clear, untainted note resonated and danced around his ears, tickling a smile across his lips and a happy flush blossoming across his cheeks. Seeking to feel the same rapture again, Saturn pulled and plucked and ultimately granted himself with a melody he had not even known could produce. It was sweet, whispering gratitude and joy in dedication the woods surrounding him and he could feel it start breathing, living again around him. Leaves swayed with his tune, his own voice humming softly as he played for the trees and flowers, the stream and all seem to come to life. The stream gurgling happily, its depth now a sparkling brilliant white and blue with shafts of sunlight, the flowers regaining colours he had not noticed before bent their head toward the sound of the melody.

There was no discontentment, just pure enjoyment in everything around him, even the elderflowers brushed his hands in companionships as the grass wound and caressed his ankles. He did not understand how it happened but he allowed it overwhelm him all the same, for there was nothing holding him back now. Nothing left to tether him the wills of others, no he was his own master with the flowers bending to his will, the trees singing with him and the stream tugging happily in his heart. There was not a trace of sorrow in his heart, not a trace of fear, he just was. Was what he was always meant to be.

Forest green eyes looked up when a twig snapped, locking on a set of silver that were smiling in awe. His father leaned against a tree, his robes bending to whimsy of the wind as he offered a soft smile. His usually imposing figure gentler and more relaxed, at ease in the forest like Saturn had not seen him before - like he had come to the safety of his true home.

"Do not stop now, this forest has long since been too quiet without an elf's music. See how happy it is? The trees are dancing with joy, the flowers bowing at your feet. You, my son, my beloved Saturn are the woodland elf they had been waiting for, for a long time." The words were quiet but profound in what they revealed. And Saturn listened intently, not moving as Lucius Malfoy walked towards him. His fingers caressed the strings as he played the last of his tune with dancing fingers and swaying shoulders. Doing as his father bid him not out of duty but want. Leaning close to the elderflowers Lucius rested long fingers on its little white flowers and caressed their minute petals, enjoying the petal soft kisses caressing his fingertips.

Saturn was acutely aware of his father's closeness, yet neither of them moved to break the lingering comfortable silence that settled when fingers retracted from the harp and twined in his lap. Without question Saturn felt the happiness within the joy of the forest calling out to him, listening intently to his music and thanking him with little petal kisses and whispering endearments that he understood and so did his father, he seemed to sway softly as if listening to his own melody in the forest's calls.

"Just how can I play so well when I have never touched a harp before?" Saturn asked curiously, calling out to his father who seemed to have slipped into a trance like state. Those silver eyes flickered open to briefly smile at him, fingers tracing the gilded frame of the harp before stepping forward to run his fingers across soft cheeks in fatherly affection.

"It is within a Woodland Elf's nature to play, without learning, the instrument that suites them the most and return unto the forest the magic that drains away from it."

"Is that what I am? A Woodland Elf? Are you one two? W-what instrument do you play? How can I understand nature so well and talk to myself in a roundabout way?"

"You certainly are an inquisitive little elf aren't you? Definitely inherited that from my mother." Lucius chuckled fondly, running a stray hand through his hair as he leaned comfortably against the sturdy wall of the church behind him. It had been a long time since he had seen such a curious flicker of warmth spark in someone's eyes besides his mother's. It was nostalgic, joyous and comforting.

"Yes you are a Woodland Elf, a pureblood one in that your body chose to accept your creature half over your human half. Descendant from the Royal line through my mother's side. Woodland Elves are natural creatures of the forest," He recounted. "Elementals that love woodland forests the most, for their lays their original birthplace into this world. Nature talks to us through whispers, sometimes intuition and dreams as we are the gentler creatures of magic. Preferring kindness and peace to darkness and hate. Within every Woodland Elf there resides your soul, the wilder side of you, untamed by society that often appears to us as ourselves and talks to us, in rare cases, whispering in our minds as clearly as I hear you talk to me."

"As for what instrument I play, well. I was about four years old when my mother had decided to drag me back to the Woodland Kingdom and lead me through the stalls of thousands of instruments. Strangely though I was naturally drawn to the flute, curiously picked it up and have played ever since. I used to come play here many times when I was younger but as time passed and I forgot my inherent happiness, I was to leave the woodlands mourning at the loss. However, I can sense the true magic is starting to flow again. The magic that has been overrun with darkness since the first war is being cleansed once again. " Saturn took in all the information offered freely with an eager childlike fashion. Grateful for the open way in which his father to spoke to him.

"Will I meet her sometime, my grandmother?" He asked innocently.

"She died when I finished my seventh year, Saturn. But I am glad that you found her pride and joy. She would have wanted you to find her harp and led you here most likely. It is about time that music once again lighted their trees and dying flowers, flowers that danced at her feet and caressed her skin when she thought there was no one looking. Do not stop coming here, she would love to hear you play for her beloved woodland again." Saturn nodded, suddenly sobered by the news as if a deep melancholia called through the forest again.

"But I will take you to her grave when I return to the Woodlands this winter break." Saturn smiled, his feet brushing against soft ground as he turned to look at the pensive gaze directed into the distance with silver eyes shielded carefully.

"Alas, let us leave the sombre memories behind. Draco will be here tomorrow and the two of you and Narcissa will travel to Diagon Alley to collect your school things. They should be back from France by the morning, they are very eager to meet you. For now, let us go inside. I am sure there are still many things you would like to know." Saturn did not say a word, just followed after his father as they made the long journey back towards the manner house. Even though secretly there were no more questions he could think of wanting answered except about his grandmother, his father's life and his bearer's past.

"Thank you father." He whispered softly.

It was warm in the library, almost uncomfortably hot, with thousands of book and scrolls covering shelves spread to the four corners of the large room from floor to ceiling. Containing no doubt an extensive collection that could rival Hogwarts' own library. Crowded with endless books, large forgotten tomes of ancient magics, a shelf dedicated strictly to family history and scores of valuable journals. It was no doubt that Malfoy Manner held an impressive array of literary delight and hidden between were vital records for those willing to appreciate their almost forgotten presence. It was a place of retreat, a place of sanctuary that one returned to after a long tiring day of exhausting work.

Dusty tomes, sticky vellums, old worn leather and deteriorating pages reached out its tendrils of soothing aromas to a single dozing figure, completely lost in the flicker of dark dreams, sprawled across one of the settees arranged around the fire. Hair, shimmering silver beneath the waning rays of the moon spread around a delicate form like a halo of purity. A small frame curled around a book possessively clutched against a chest with a collection of parchments, marked heavily with black ink inches and spoke clearly of hard work, lay motionless at the angelic like creatures feet. Like the slumbering figure's limbs, beneath a cleaned quill and a magically sealed ink bottle, there was no an inch of movement to indicate awareness in the collection of parchments.

An air of understandable exhaustion, clinging desperately to the slumped frame like a forgotten cloak, stained the wraith like figure melted into the soft cushions of his resting place. But for the brush of a frown upon untainted brow, it may have seemed as if the young elf had not a single care in the world. Beneath the limp hand falling over the side of the settee, there existed two stacks of books. The one that the tips of fingers unknowingly brushed against tenderly were a collection of three perfectly kept journals, the other, a lonely stack filled with a collection of research books from the library, school books from the year before and two heavy tomes that were yet untouched by age. Gifts he had received from his friends for his fifteenth birthday. Books that the young slumbering elf valued as proof that he had not completely lost the connection to the life that now lay at his feet in tatters of betrayal.  

Outside, through the large open windows, the sun was just beginning to make its slow ascent into the sky with the promising kiss of morning. Trails of mauve, blood orange and bright yellow struggling to find their place upon the planes of sky shattered by intervals of dark storm clouds gathering in the east. It was barely a second after dawn lighted the dark night sky before long silver lashes fluttered and curled open with bleary distress. Dark emotions, forgotten the day before, lighting across fair features before they settled into sorrowful light of understanding. Leaving behind a dulled light in forest darkened eyes, now filled with wisdom and understanding unbecomingly dark for a child that looked so young.

There was a moment of silence before a single word ripped through the room in a whisper of confusion. A single name he had almost forgotten in his joy of discovering a new life. Cedric. It was a whisper laden with emotions, a harsh realization that fate still hung upon his shoulders. Now cutting into his soul more heavily than ever before and even though Saturn had been given a second chance at family, a new life...his reality had not yet changed.

His past was still haunted by a man who wanted him dead, tortured and broken in all the ways known to wizards. A man that had already tortured him for most of life, shattering what hope Saturn now had left of a normal life. Shivering with the realization, young Saturn Malfoy barely noticed the sudden frosty damp clinging to his skin when the clouds, heavily laden with water vapour, shattered and broke with a flash of water and flashing lightning. Sitting up and making himself familiar with his surrounding, blearily forest green eyes observed the collection of finished papers at his feet with an uncertain frown of how they had gotten there. 

Had he really finished his summer work the night before? It was such a blur of images where he recalled Remus Lupin turning up in the library in a flash of green fire. Affectively startling both Saturn and his father by the sudden unannounced arrival. The Lord of Malfoy Manner who had been reading a complicated looking tome in his lap, occasionally turning pages as Saturn himself had thumbed through the journals he had been gifted before, had merely raised his wand in nonchalant interest before dropping it to his side again when he realized who their visitor was. Offering a nod of greeting before turning back to his work.

'Hullo there little one.' Remus had said fondly, brushing aside long hair and pulling Saturn into a brief embrace. Amber eyes trailing across the small elvin frame to check for injuries and unknown aches in great concern. The gaze tickled across Saturn's skin, allowing for a delighted chuckle to echo through the room. The action caused his father's silver eyes to lock with his, a gentle smile and nod was indicating approval of the werewolf before his father promptly returned his attention to the tome spread on his lap. 'I can't stay long Harry but I have brought you a few of your things. Professor Dumbledore has taken your wand in hopes of tracking you better but I have managed to get a few things that I know you may need.' Saturn had nodded his appreciation, gripping his small collection of books, parchment, securely wrapped invisibility cloak and a few galleons he had managed to save from the year before.

It was truly a blessing.

As Remus had disappeared into the depths of the night once more Saturn had, with some prompting from his father, tackled the mass of summer homework he had not yet managed to complete. It had not been an easy accomplishment to manage in only one night, yet when his two fathers had come to wish him goodnight Saturn had stayed up defiantly, ignoring their concerns for his health. Now, with things completed it offered him a bit more freedom to research his family history and his creature inheritance.

What Saturn had desperately hoped would not happen had happened and his dreams had been troubled, his sleep restless and with it a sense of not having gained any rest at all. Thus he valiantly fought back a yawn and gathered up his parchments and books before heading for his room. The path he had taken the night before in finding the library was partially hazy and soon the young elf got lost within the walls, making a wrong turn here and slipping down one too many staircases.

Saturn's aimless wandering in search of his room has managed instead to land himself outside of his father's private lab. There he found the Hogwarts Professor dutifully working over several cauldrons and bottling vials with various potions. Cutting an imposing figure, completely surrounded by his element. Dark eyes focused on nothing but his work and yet Severus Snape maintained such an omnipresent awareness of the world around him as he glanced upwards the moment Saturn had stepped closer to the entrance.

"Up so early already?"  

"Morning Dad." Saturn greeted cheerfully. Covering another yawn with the back of his hand and shaking his head to clear his jumbled thoughts. Just what has gotten into him this morning? He could barely keep his eyes open and the annoying ache building behind his eyes was anything but pleasant.  Fighting back another shudder, the young elf tried to keep his eyes focused and his mind focused but it was proving difficult for some reason. 

"Did you fall asleep in the library?" Severus inquired and Saturn nodded guiltily. Abruptly scowling at his father's smirk of amusement at his answer before he made to turn around. He could not bear to feel abashed by his father's amusement; he had other things on his mind. Like just how he was going to get over four years of hatred between him and his brother. Would Draco give him a chance or would his new life shatter at the seams and leave him stranded in the middle with nothing but a few pleasant memories as company? It was a grim possibility that left him nearly breathless with its implications.

"Did you finish you summer work?" At Saturn's affirmation, Severus stepped away from his cauldron by placing a stasis charm on the bubbling contents. Briefly tugging his son into a warm embrace before ruffling long golden hair affectionately. Tipping back a dainty chin to observe a hidden turmoil within eyes the colour of a dark forest, a turmoil he wanted to sooth but stalled himself. Instead with a slight frown tugging at his lips, he brushed away an errant strand of hair determined to hide his son's left eye from him. "You can leave those with me, I'll look them over." He indicated to the completed summer assignments, briefly wondering at the flush that decorated his son's cheeks before he tugged himself out of his arms. A stack of parchment placed in his hand as a sort of peace offering. A peace offering for what he did not know but accepted all the same.

"Draco and Narcissa will be here in an hour, best get ready before that. Draco will not allow that luxury once he gets here, once he has been set on visiting Diagon Alley he will get there before everyone else and leave after everyone else." Severus chuckled at his son's confused expression but chose to hide the excitement that had inflicted Draco the moment he had heard his little brother had been found, despite the initial response of disbelief he had been gradually Floo calling both Severus and Lucius for all the details, begging them not leave out a single word. He just hoped that when they finally came to face each other, both of them could see new beginnings and not the years of rivalry that had existed between the two.

Gazing at the clock, Saturn realized he had only enough time to get ready and sit down in the dining hall before then, so with a wave over his shoulder he finally orientated himself in the large mansion and made him way back to his room. Scratching absently at the annoying itch that transversed the scar on his forehead. He had honestly forgotten that it still existed and now that he had received a reminder of it through his nightmare, Saturn was also reminded of the past he was trying hard to forget and the betrayals that came with it. Luckily he had not seen the look of concern shadowing his father's features before Severus stepped away from his work and headed in the opposite direction of the mansion. 

An hour later found Saturn seated at the dining room table, halfway through a bowl of fresh yogurt, honey and platter of summer fruits when the dining hall doors opened with a dramatic creak. Dark eyes briefly lifted from his bowl to wearily observe the two figures entering the room with ease borne from years of living there. Across from Saturn, Lucius Malfoy placed his newspaper on the table before he stood and headed towards the new arrivals. His eldest son, as immaculately dressed as ever, squirming predictably under the affection of a brief embrace and whispered greetings before silver eyes, so close to the colour of their father's, locked on Saturn's forest green with barely concealed excitement.

A flash of something Saturn did not understand passed through their immaculate depth before Draco started towards him as if in a trance, fate tugging them closer and closer...

The young elf instinctively stiffened, climbing to his feet to search for the easiest path to take should things get out of hand. Eyes trained impeccably on the floor, forcing himself to find an interest that would hold his attention so that he would not have to gaze into those silvery eyes that reminded him of his father. The gentle, soothing light also there and Saturn stubbornly wanted to cling onto the last hope of sanity where they were supposed to be filled with contempt and hatred. Dragon hide boots came to a stop just in the range of Saturn's sight before a breath of surprise was forced from taxed lungs, arms, strong and certain, encircling his shoulders and pulled him tightly against a strong chest. It wasn't the gentle touches his fathers had given him, no, this was an embrace of reassurance that Saturn was really there and not just a dream. 

"I am so glad." The emotionally darkened voice whispered so that only Saturn could hear. "I really thought father had been lying when he said you had finally been found."  The voice whispered, gentle, full of affection and sending the youngest of the two brothers reeling with the implications. Draco was glad to see him? Glad to have a brother and all the tension and hatred between them was now only evaporated smoke of memory? Saturn whimpered, the last assurance he had sought was freely given and it was a relief. One he would never forget, so he tentatively returned the embrace even though a bit warily. A fleeting flutter of his heart an indication of happiness and peace he could not entirely explain.

Yet, in the dark part of his mind Saturn fought with distrust. What if Draco was only doing this to satisfy his parents and the Professor? What if all this was a lie...

"My beloved brother, the one I have been yearning for my entire life. Little Saturn, my littlest brother." Saturn flushed, dark eyes seeking out his father for help but Severus Snape merely gave a shrug of indifference. Abandoning the young elf to emotions he did not understand and a wariness that stiffened his shoulders and made him bite incessantly at his bottom lip. Saturn got the idea that the Potions Professor was deriving some kind of hidden pleasure from his abashed uncertainty and reaction to his brother's freely given affection. Affection that left him quite breathlessly with the strength in which it was given to him.

"Draco, let him go. He is not going to disappear again; you have the entire day to get to know him." A stern womanly voice declared and Saturn released a breath of relief, offering a fleeting smile and watching a smirk blossom across his brother's own features. Saturn, suddenly aware of his dishevelled state, frantically straightened his crumpled shirt and grass stained jeans in an attempt to hide his appearance and desperately prayed that Draco would take no notice to it in comparison to the immaculate way in which his newly acquired brother seemed to be dressed. Something he had a feeling was going to be forced on him that day. Brushing long hair from his eyes, Saturn took a breath and offered his hand in significant meaning between them.  

"Friends, brothers and a long standing truce to not harm each other at every turn?" He asked, quite shaken at the words he was speaking himself. He watched his brother's reaction to his words before his hand, instead of being shook, was carefully intertwined between warm fingers and tugged behind a wizard quite at ease with the turn of the situation. 

"Friends, eternal brothers and a truce," He affirmed before glancing over his shoulder at his mother's amused expression. "It's time you dressed Saturn, you cannot go to Diagon Alley looking like that."

"W-what exactly are we going to be getting today?" Saturn asked with trepidation for it seemed both Narcissa and Draco were preparing for a long day spent amongst the shops of the alley and the entertainment it had to offer. As he had never really enjoyed the tedious workings of shopping, and filled him with trepidation for this trip. Gazing expectantly at the beautiful blond woman standing at his side for an answer when she stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron Floo behind him, Saturn kept his eyes steadily on the ground when she did not answer him. He practically jumped with fright when long fingered nails brushed his chin upwards before sweeping long locks of golden silk behind his shoulders and out of his way. Her eyes, the same colour of blue as Sirius', swept her gaze across his features expectantly.

"Keep your chin up, your eyes staring straight ahead." She said softly. "You are a Malfoy now Saturn. Malfoy's do not show any outward awkwardness and weakness despite your abashed inherent shyness. You are going to have to start acting like one to make it convincing." Her voice was gentle and like the brush of the first of winter snow, seemingly frosted cold with admonishment but allowing for an unexpected spread of warmth to settle within his veins. Saturn could do nothing but nod absently, his infinite dark eyes trying to attain the aloofness that he had seen both Lucius and Draco adopt outside of the comfort of their home. Despite feeling as if he failed miserably when he tried to project confidence in his appearance rather than the wariness that he felt, he still forced himself to show now outward difference in his emotions.

"Good. Just like that, now do not forget that today nothing can rattle your defences."

"Come to do yer Hogwarts shopping Lady Malfoy?" A familiar voice called and the mentioned Lady turned her eyes away from the boy who she now claimed as her youngest son. He fingernails picking invisible lint from Saturn's shoulders before turning his attention to the Inn Keeper that had called out to her. She hid her own grimace at the man's appearance and waved a dismissive hand over her shoulder.

"Yes Tom, just a few things we will need in the coming year."

Narcissa's hands rested on Saturn's shoulders when she stood behind him, offering a pillar of strength that Saturn had not known he had needed until they gently curled around his shoulder, squeezing his flesh softly to calm his desperate anxiety racing through his veins. It was a touch of motherly affection, a touch Saturn had felt only a few times since accepting his new life. It was an addicting touch and even though he was not entirely sure what to make of the Lady of the Manor, he revelled in the small comfort it gave. Those thin but strong fingers kept him steady in the wake of many eyes suddenly turning on their arrival as Draco stepped out of emerald green flames.

Dressed in one of Draco's borrowed robes, coloured with silver silk, it pooled around his bare feet  and concealed the fact that Saturn chosen not to wear any shoes with his outfit. Considering himself lucky in that moment, rather than annoyed, that he was almost seven inches shorter than his brother. It was a sore spot for the young elf and his dainty shortness, he had struggled with it his entire life and even though he would blame the Dursley's for putting him that accursed cupboard, he had a feeling he was not meant to grow any taller despite the considerable height already present in his family.

The moment the taller of the two brothers' stepped closer to his side, there was a collective gasp as the eyes trained on them, realized without a doubt the likeness between the brothers. There was no way they could deny their relation anymore even if they had wanted to and for Saturn, who had lived a life in emotional poverty and pain, it was a sweet revelation racing across sensitive skin, his head tilting curiously to the side at the whispers from their audience became fevered with speculation. One whisper in particular caught his attention with unthinkable pain:

'The illegitimate child of Lucius Malfoy, their shame known no bounds.'

Absently running elegant fingers across the watery material of his borrowed robe, Saturn tried desperately to collect his scattered thoughts at the painful remark before brushing an annoying strand of hair out of his eyes. His hair, now neatly brushed and braided like a circlet of rank upon his brow, simultaneously hid the telling scar of a dark history and much to Saturn's relief, the tips of his pointed ears as well. It was a reason that his father had also confessed to keeping his hair long, a glamour could hide their ears but it sometimes it slipped and with long hair it was easier to hide their inheritance that many did not even know existed.

'Keep them hidden my dear Saturn, wizards and witches fear what they do not understand and cannot control.' 

"Um...sorry." Saturn apologized for the hate filled remarks,  barely able to control himself from flushing when Draco pulled his fingers away from fighting with the hem of his long bell sleeves. In order to distract himself and forget his tension at the situation he was thrown in, Saturn folded his arms within the comforting silk of his sleeves and hid his hands completely from view. Hoping that not being able to see them would distract him enough from not picking at a loose piece of lint in the hem. "What will we be getting today?" The question spilled from his lips a second time that morning and judging by the delighted amusement lighting Draco's mother's features, she had been waiting specifically just for that question.

"Let us see," Narcissa consulted a scrap of parchment in her hand absently as her wand tapped at the brick entrance of the Alley without even looking at what she was doing. "I'll be heading to Gringgotts to sort out some of the family finances, which sadly will take about the whole day knowing their slow service. You and Draco have the day to explore, buy an entire wardrobe for you, and finding a new wand yet untraced by the Headmaster and Ministry." Saturn frowned at the last item on the list, a new wand? He had forgotten that the Headmaster had taken his in order to 'search' for him better, yet how he had gotten in Saturn did not know as he was sure he had had it last when Remus took him to Professor Snape. Could the werewolf have accidentally taken it back with him to sell the story of his abduction outside of the Leaky Cauldron.

Turning his attention to Narcissa once more he tugged at her sleeve before she could glide off to the bank.

"W-will I definitely be returning to Hogwarts this year then?" She seemed to think over the question for a moment before nodding.

"Lucius told me so this morning, you will be returning under you true name as a new student. Even if the Headmaster may be the only one to recognize you, he cannot do anything to you in the castle with those many students and faculty members. Besides Draco will be with you every step of the way, he will not let anything happen to you." As if to calm the panic she saw building in Saturn's eyes, she brushed her across his cheekbone in a brief touch of comfort.

"Do not concern yourself with the details, we will work everything out before you leave."

"Thank you." Saturn whispered with a grateful nod, a breath of relief leaving his lips when she confirmed what he had wanted to hear. His father and bearer had only mentioned it in passing to him the night before but now that he definitely knew, it took a great weight off of his shoulders that he would have more this year to spend with Professor Snape. For Saturn had noticed the Professor was busy whenever he arrived at the Manor and barely had time to stay long before his presence was required back at Hogwarts. The only thing that truly worried him, even though Narcissa had told him not to, was his said protection against the Headmaster. Would he really be safe when he was to enrol under his real name? Should Dumbledore not already know that he had found his true inheritance? Would he take it away from him again?

He shuddered at his own unanswered questions. They were worrying enough without answers and with answers, Augustus Saturnus Malfoy-Snape was too afraid to face them for the small possibility that he would lose everything he had come to hold dear by a silly mistake that could have been avoided. He was balancing on the edge of a precipice that in one wrong step, he would plummet to his death and never again wake up from it. It was a sensation was wearing him out and if it were not soothed soon, he was sure he was going to go insane with the 'what if's'.

"Draco please do not forget to gather all the books you will need for school this year. Your father is at the ministry should you need him, you have his emergency Floo number and be sure not to overspend on silly things. If there is any extra books that Saturn may want for himself, get them for him. He seems to have a love a books more than you do." Narcissa's voice startled Saturn out of his thoughts and before he could ask her what her statement meant, her clicking heals formally walked towards them, lips brushed against their foreheads in parting before she disappeared into the reaches of the Alley.

"You know the rules, please keep to them." She left behind in her wake a sheepish looking Draco, a stunned Saturn and a few curious eyes observing the three of them without shame as to being caught staring. Draco, who flushed at the attention, seemed to have been chastised completely by parting kiss. He seemed to regain his range of motion after a few moments when he rolled his eyes in exasperation and started walking towards to end of the Alley. Tugging his brother behind him for a few feet before he could seem to walk on his own again as they disappeared into the far reaches of the Wizarding World's thriving centre of important shops.

The two month older Wizard muttered a four letter curse beneath his breath that shocked Saturn, who in turn enjoying himself briefly by allowing a building chuckle to spill from his lips. Yet, at his brother's deadly glare he closed his mouth and pretended he did not see Draco's uncomfortable and awkward stance after his mother had glided into the distance. Moments later when their footsteps led them to the Southside of Diagon Alley, Saturn found his amusement rapidly vanishing.

An ancient building, stained with time and age, rose from the ashes of the pavement, much like a dark shadow creeping across the stone marking an important grave begging not to be forgotten. It was solid in its appearance, rather frightening with its intensity of meaning and sturdy enough that the weathering of time did not dare to touch the hallowed silhouette ii cast upon the earth in any way. It was a tattoo of life that would still linger there till time no longer existed or the memory of its existence was completely forgotten and lost.

Ollivander's Wand Shop

Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C

The sign above the door proudly proclaimed a history far more advanced than the stylized building. Leaving behind quite the historical record of ownership and established wand making since the beginnings of life. Saturn, having not returned to this side of the Alley since his first year, once again felt himself in awe of his surrounding and the new discoveries just waiting for his acknowledgment. It was a nostalgic brush of one of his most cherished memories. The only grief he could feel keenly was the realization that the loss of his phoenix feather wand he was very real. The wand he had formed an attachment to and felt as if he owed it his service, he fruitlessly hoped to once again feel its weight in his hand when he knew it would become an impossibility.

"Are you coming in dear brother or are you going to keep gawking?" Draco called, ruthlessly awakening Saturn from his thoughts as he was tugged into the shop by a magnetic force governing his every move. Above the door a bell sounded the arrival of customers in the shop and Saturn kept his flushed cheeks turned away from praying eyes, where his brother casual remark had lighted them in mortification at being caught staring. Notable footsteps seemed to echo from the back, drawing closer and closer just as Saturn noticed his heart rate spiking at the approach to the front of the shop.

"Ah, 10'' Hawthorn, unicorn hair core, eternally pure wrapped in darkness. Draconis Lucius Acacius Malfoy eldest son of Elvin Prince Lucius Abraxus Malfoy. I have been expecting you since the beginning of the summer young man. Especially the guest you have brought with you, our fair little Augustus Saturnus Malfoy. 11'' Holly, phoenix feather core, subtle, gentle but also deceptively strong. However, I suspected that your wand would not long hold its affinity once Harry Potter's true inheritance was discovered and your magic started changing." Saturn, who had absently cast his eyes across the boxes and boxes of wands rising to the ceiling, felt his world come crashing around his ears at the rambling words of the ancient man across from them. This old man, so strangely omnipotent in his knowledge, had already recognized him and his true identity.

His hand automatically made for his forehead to check that his scar was still hidden beneath his hair when Ollivander's chuckle stained the air at his chuckle.

"Fear not little one, the wands have been whispering of your inheritance since the beginning of the summer. I only knew you would be visiting me soon. It has been a long time since I have come across a woodland elf so pure of heart and fair of features. Much like your grandmother. It seems only yesterday she bought her first wand here and her mother before her. Time is fleeting within these walls."

"Please Mr. Ollivander, you cannot tell anyon-."

"Do not fret fair little elf, no one truly listens to a rambling old man. Your secret is safe with me. Now what can I help you with today?" Feeling momentarily appeased by the shopkeeper's promise to keep his secret, Saturn stepped towards the counter. Pulling his bottom lip between his teeth as he stared deeply into Draco's eyes, looking for help in approaching the situation when his brother merely shrugged and walked to the other side of the room, silvery eyes observing the more famous of wandlore posters decorating the walls. 

"I need a new wand,"

"I know. And fair little elf may I ask for a strand of your hair?" Saturn was momentarily thrown by question.

"My hair?"

"Yes. For woodland elves of your purity and lineage, a wand needs to be made from scratch with a strand of your own hair. It will forever be loyal only to you, and far more useful that a wand made for ordinary Wizarding. So sweet and supple the wand with be for not even the ministry and enemies could track its or the magic it channels."

"If you give a strand of hair to me now and three drops of your blood, I will finish your wand in a few hours time." Intrigued by the request but listening to the wand maker all the same. Saturn tugged three strands of long hair from his head and handing it over to the older man. Offering his thumb to the needle Ollivander held out to him in askance of his blood. Three drops, just as promised, dripped into a tony vial before he sealed the three strands of hair in the blood.  

"For these three strands of hair so graciously given by you young Prince, I will create three wands. One only for you and two others that a wizard or witch may need one day." Saturn stared at the place where the old man had stood only moments before for what seemed like a long time. He did not know what to make of the conversation or his new wand but as the door was tugged open and a first year, late in shopping for his school supplies entered, Saturn turned his attention to Draco who seemed to be staring at him from a distance. A familiar sneer greeted the first yer before Saturn beckoned him outside.

"We don't have all day Po-. Saturn, there is still a whole lot of shopping to do and next is a new wardrobe."

"Draco please," Saturn begged his brother to slow down. He was so tired, all the energy that had brimmed over in his shimmering skin and made him giddy with happiness that morning at the prospect of getting out, had faded within the third hour spent in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. For more than three hours he had been forced to try on: new robes of exceptional quality, dragon hide boots, dress shoes, high end Muggle clothing that the Madam also kept in her shop, polo shirts long and short sleeved, jeans, slacks, hoodies, trainers, prod and poked for three new perfectly tailored school uniforms of the highest quality not yet marked with a house symbol and two winter cloaks with a platinum clasp in the front of two beautifully bloomed roses twined together in eternal embrace.

And that had only been the beginning. By the end of their time spent at the shop Saturn had shuddered at the greedy gaze Madam Malkin had offered the two brothers and the sweet smile that spoke volumes of her happiness at their expansive shopping trip that she threw in three extra pairs of free silk scarves she said would look great with Saturn's fair skin on formal nights. It was a pile of clothes carefully rung up and spread through more than ten shopping bags, leaving  Saturn too afraid to even ask for the total or protest at the sheer numbers. When she had offered to deliver the large purchase to the Manor, they had happily agreed, for even with shrunken packages they would not have enough space to carry the load with them for the whole day.

Saturn was just about to protest when she not too discreetly told Draco the purchase total but the young Malfoy Heir merely waved her off before she could finish. A dismissive hand easily silencing her with a barely concealed glare of annoyance. And in seeing Saturn's adverse reaction he had briefly glanced in the young elf's direction with a reassuring smile and a nod. It was a smile Saturn had not seen grace his brother's features before but found becoming on handsome features all the same. Hoping to see more of it...

'The price does not matter, Saturn. Father would happily pay for anything you may need, even to dress you in the finest, most expensive clothes money and fame can buy. It is his pride to dress his sons so immaculately and show off his beloved children's existence to the world. Besides it's not like he cannot afford this, take it as an expression of his love for you.' Draco had shrugged at his last words before saying his last goodbye's to the Madam. Saturn, despite not enjoying the attention and amount of expensive clothes, was from then on appeased by his brother's seeming endless spending. Cringing internally in sympathy for their shared father, for Merlin knows no man will enjoy giving money out to such a ridiculous extent. However, after another lengthy stop at the Apothecary for the year's potions ingredients, Saturn was just about ready to collapse from exhaustion and scream in sheer frustration when Draco told him they were not yet half way through their work at the Alley.

With painful breaths pushing and tugging wetly against overtaxed lungs and strained ribs, it soon reminded young Saturn that he was not yet completely healed from his relatives' heavy hands and abuse. He seemed to have stupidly forgotten how being surrounded by so many people ate away at his energy and control more than he could remember before, for the semblance of normality he had managed to school his features to reflect was beginning to fade with a scowl of anger flickering across his forehead. 

They were hopefully heading for their last shop before taking a small break to settle his exhaustion but Saturn stilled with a breath of exasperation and bemoaned his fate. He was never going to get any rest when they finally entered Flourish & Botts. Even with the remote possibility that he could find a nice chair to relax in amongst inanimate objects with the ability to take him away into different worlds of his imagination Saturn did not believe that his brother would afford him enough time to get acquainted with a single book. Running experimental fingertips across the numerous spines of heavy books, the young wizarding elf shuddered at the distinct pleasure that they offered him now. For within their numerous pages he could find respite and rest, a sanctuary that he loved more than anything else and never even realized their importance to him before. 

It was a new obsession Saturn had not truly realized and appreciated before, finally understanding Hermione's fascination with books and all they had to offer. However, thoughts of his forgotten past and the friends that had been swept away in the confusion tugged now painfully at the tip of his heart. He did not know if they knew the truth of his past, were told about it by the Headmaster or soon would know that all he had ever been was a terrible lie shattered with hundred of betrayals.

What would they do when they realized he was a Malfoy? One now quite happily placed within his family, not caring what the world thought of him or even attempting to fight against fate in hopes to cling to his old life. What would they do? Surely they too would still hate him more than anything when he returned to school. Just like Gryffindors are set against Slytherins. His family could not have been more Slytherin than they were and neither could he, he realized when he found blending into a new background far more easily than what should have been normal. 

'They will definitely hate me now.' He thought mournfully to himself, hastily turning stinging eyes away from the section of shelves in search of his brother who seemed to have disappeared ahead of him. Pulling his newly bought cloak around his frame with a shiver of cold when the clap of thunder resounded outside, the young elf returned to the side of Draco, whishing he had not strayed into such dark thoughts. He finally found Draco in the third row of bookshelves close to the school textbooks, already collecting double of all the books they would indefinitely need for the coming year. After seeing his brother's frown at his haste in collecting school books Saturn offered a shrug, wondering for what reason his brother seemed to intent in leaving quickly. 

"I may be top of the year Saturn and study hard but that does not mean that I like it all. However, since you seem to like books as much as Uncle Severus, why don't I leave you here whilst I go run a few errands for Mother?" With that said he pushed his stack of books in Saturn's arms and headed for the doors in hurrying footsteps after making sure Saturn had the supplies list. His fleeing footsteps amused the younger of the two as Saturn noted it looked as if Draco was running from a miniature dragon biting at breathing fire at his ankles. With a small chuckle he eventually collected the rest of them before setting a rather large stack of books by the feet of an unused chair. Quickly headed through the bookshop to pick up all other private books that would capture his sole interest.

With titles like: Elves & Fae: The Line of Royalty, Elvin Inheritance; An Introspective Look, Musical Masterpieces Sculpted by Nature and Understanding the Control of Elemental Elves, Saturn was sure to soon be whisked away into a world of information his father had yet had the time to explain to him. Besides as a Woodland Elf, he felt he had a right to know exactly what his creature inheritance would offer him. Soon though he was already buried deep into a book that he did not noticed his brother walk by the shop several times towards several different destination or the subtle change in the weather outside. The light drizzle and storm clouds suddenly shifted to an ominous presence hanging heavily over the shops of Diagon Alley. The happiness of many of the consumers vanishing with the approach of quite the storm.

Feeling the shift in the atmosphere though, Saturn allowed a small sigh of contentment to spread across his lips as the misty humidity pleasantly tickled across sensitive skin. A brush of anticipation licking at his heart as a strange need to be outside enveloped his limbs in vibrating ecstasy. When the first fat raindrop finally raced towards the dry pavement at nature's behest, Saturn turned his head to the window. Having clearly heard the call of joy from both the rain and the earth beneath his still bare feet planted on a soft carpet. It was sweet rapture, the gentle reprieve settling across his body and Saturn wanted nothing more than to slip into a trance and tickle the strings of his harp.

Ignoring the race of booted feet to find shelter and the various shouts from outside, Saturn read on in absolute peace. More at ease with himself now that nature's more powerful breath was whispering sweet things in his ear. Little stories of times long past that only he could understand and beating a melody of need to be outside against his ear that was almost impossible to ignore. His fingers absently tapped at the edge of the now closed book in his lap, his concentration long having fled with a melody building inside of his mind. His fingers, never still, wanted nothing more than to explore and play the instrument that waited for him at home.

The patter against the roof, the cries of ecstasy from the wind and willows miles off were like a soothing balm to a tortured soul and Saturn did not open his eyes until he was suddenly disturbed from his joyous day dream.

"Enjoying yourself there fair little elf?"

"Mr Ollivander?" Saturn asked, ready to stand up to greet the man when the wand maker merely shook his head and walked forward, offering the elf his completed wand with a smile of pride and courage. Many eyes turned towards them suddenly but Saturn ignored them, for the feeling of smooth wood gracing the palm of his hand was the sweetest feeling he had not felt in a long time. A briar vine with blood red roses crept across his hand without digging thorns into his skin when he bonded with the wand. A flash of gold and white roses suddenly blossoming from the tip to shower the room with multicoloured rose petals.

"I do not usually step out of my shop, especially with the last group of first years sure to be looking for new wands but for you little Prince, I will make an exception. She is finally finished," Having a more careful look at the wand Saturn decided easily that it was the most beautiful one he had ever seen. The craftsmanship superb, the detail uncannily lifelike and even the colour of the wood, varnished to perfection offered a natural shade so dark it seemed almost black and yet dancing in a shaft of light it was more the deepened red of a perfectly ripened cherry. Along the hilt were carved twining and weaving briars blossoming with perfectly formed roses. Their petals painted white and gold with steady hand adding only character to the beauty that already existed there.

It was perfect and it was just for him. 

"11 and a 1/2'' Cherry Tree, Blood Soaked Elf Hair core. A fair wand for a fair and pure little elf with a big heart and an affinity to flutter about the unchangeable fates to do the impossible. Look after her well Young Master Malfoy, for she will serve you very well. Very well indeed when in times where it is called for it in desperate need. "

"Always remember fair little Prince; the most fair and beautiful of roses often hide the biggest thorns. Never doubt the power that runs through your veins nor the blood that had gifted it." After several moment of not knowing what to say, Saturn tucked the wand into one of the robes pockets carefully and waved goodbye to Mr Ollivander. Relieved that in his hands once more rested the affirmation that he was still a wizard and had not yet lost the part of his magic he had enjoyed for most of his life. It was a coveted dream that whispered across his skin in pure relief. 

"Thank you." He whispered, knowing that the old man would hear his true gratitude even though he had long left the bookstore. After once more running his fingers across the tip of the wand, Saturn felt his heart settle and the deepest reaches of his soul relax. His magical core getting rid of its incessant tension building off of fear and anxiety. Saturn picked up his books and went to the counter, deciding that the earlier they finished their shopping, the earlier he could go home and visit not only his harp but tell his fathers all about what had happened. 

"Finally decided to join the land of the living?" Draco teased as Saturn walked leisurely beneath the drops of rain descending from sky. He had barely stepped out of the bookshop before his brother had spotted him. Saturn smiled, in his pocket laid his newly purchased books, a brand new wand and inside his chest was the beat of a heart that was rested and content. The longer he walked beneath the falling rain, the more at ease he became with his surroundings and more aware of the whispers echoing in his mind pleasantly. It was like every rain drop had a tiny little voice calling out to him, offering comfort when they touched his skin and sat like droplets of diamonds in his hair. Saturn was not even cold, in fact the uncomfortable heat he had been feeling since the start of the day, dissipated rapidly as his happiness once again shone through his skin in an iridescent shine.

The simple reaction to rain was something that stunned his brother Draco quite spectacularly. Sadly he had not inherited his father's creature side but rather his mother's more cold and sharp disposition to the world. However many a times had seen his father's skin give off the same shimmer of opalescent light, it was a claim to the families royal lineage in the elvin realm where their internal power was so great that an inner light, magical and beautiful all the same, was practically visible through their skin when they became filled with bliss at nature's caress or even experienced great distress to use their internal magic as a shield. 

Young Saturn though, too content to stray from out the gentle caress of the rain, strolled along the pathway not far behind his unusually silent brother breathed a sigh of relief when he led them towards Rosa Lee's Teabag. Finally, Saturn could nourish a warm cup of tea before Narcissa came to collect them for a late afternoon lunch. It was a small relief though that even when he felt rested, most of the concerns for the days had already been taken care of.

Distracted by a sudden flash of thunder and a strangled cry of despair from the tree it hit, Saturn shivered with the pain he had no idea he too could feel if he became so aware of his surroundings. Preferring to keep his eyes trained on the ground in order to regain the composure he had momentarily lose in surprise, the young elf did not dare look up unless someone saw the flash of pain streaking across his features. That however did not bode well for Saturn as his body was suddenly forced to a halting stop, reeling internally when he collided with someone else. Books, a wand and a pack of quills adhering to the rules of gravity scattered to the ground as the two equally startled teenagers fell to the ground with soft thumps. Hair falling over his shoulder to touch the dirty ground, Saturn dazedly got to his feet, feeling as if he had hit his somewhere even though he could not remember it.

"Sorry." He mumbled quietly, gripping the side of his head as he scrambled to get to his knees.

"Careful Saturn! Are you alright?" it was Draco's voice that brought his back to himself and he finally lifted forest green eyes to look at who had walked into.

Momentarily dazed at the sudden pain erupting across his ribs, Saturn breathed out a startled breath, trying to take in what exactly it was that he saw before him. A flush of mortification suddenly erupted across his cheeks. His fingers valiantly fumbled hastily to collect the stack of books she must have been carrying before offering her, her bag of quills, a wand she must have dropped and a box of unopened Berty Bott's Every Flavoured Beans that had luckily not spilled in its tumble. The young elf stilled completely though the moment forest green eyes locked with a pair of silvery grey so intense with their whimsical shimmer of happiness that inside of him there twisted something quite painful and erupted a swarm of butterflies to flutter in his stomach. 

Her hair, even though straggly and slightly curly, fell to her waist in a natural flutter, conforming itself around her robed figure in a curtain of dirty blond that only added to her astounding beauty. The likes of which young Saturn had never seen or bothered took notice of before. Protuberant eyes, beautiful in their extraordinary colour, offered a look of permanent surprise carved upon her gentle brow and a thin but curved wraith like figure, two inches shorter than him when she finally stood, nearly stole his breath.

To his eyes, despite her far away whimsical look, she was absolutely beautiful and he once again averted his eyes should she see his pink cheeks. He cursed his bearer's pale skin for he too had inherited it and it showed clearly when he was flustered, just as he was now fighting to regain control of his dignity. His hands almost absentmindedly reaching for the hem of his robe to pick at the peace of lint that had distracted him earlier when he wished to be anywhere but where he was.

"I apologize, I was not looking where I was going." He whispered, momentarily caught off guard by his heart that was beating a painful tattoo against his chest. She merely offered him a whimsical but gratuitous smile, her fingers suddenly reaching forward when he helped her to her feet, tugging softly at awry strands of his long hair in fascination. There was a whisper of awe upon her brow as she run the lock of hair through her fingers. When young Saturn, too stunned to move by her boldness, swallowed hard, her  gentle fingertips reached up to trace the shell of his ear and stopped at the tip. 

"When Daddy brought me out shopping today I never thought I would see a living willow elf born of royal lineage before my very eyes. My name is L-."

"Luna?! Luna where are you honey? We need to leave." Luna as she was called, pulled her hand away from Saturn's ear before she pulled back completely and turned around after offering the elf another of her beautiful smiles. Luna, a fitting name Saturn decided for she was as fleetingly silver as the rays of the moon with the gentle mood to match. Her sudden absence left the young Woodland elf quite startled and rooted to the spot. He light pattering footsteps carrying her away gracefully towards a taller man possessing hair much like hers. There were only the vestiges of a soft song tickling his ears before she disappeared out of sight. Leaving Saturn feeling quite lost as he stood in the middle of the street, kissed with droplets of rain as the sun finally broke through the barrier of clouds.

"Are you okay Saturn? Need any help?" Draco's sharp call finally drew Saturn back to himself and he shuddered suddenly, shaking off the daze that seemed to have rooted him to spot. At his brother's smug smile of knowing, Saturn scowled and glided towards the teashop. His robes billowing out around him, much like his bearer when he was angry. He missed the knowing smile spreading across his brother's lips or the womanly figure observing the scene from a distance away with an expression likened to womanly intuition. 

 Platform 9 3/4; Kings Cross Station, London 

In the distance the Hogwarts Express, a large red steam engine let out a billowing whistle and belching smoke surrounding the crowd gathered on the platform around it. A fifteen minute warning until the express was to board. There was a notable change in urgency when students saying goodbye to their families huddled in small groups for the last of their quiet endearing whispers. Completely unconcerned with the world outside their little circle of friends and family. Thus no one had yet to notice the new student waiting to board the train for his fifth year; whose infinite dark eyes were sweeping across hundreds of heads to search intently for an unknown threat to him or his family, especially in concern to those who would know of his true existence.

"Calm yourself child, no one is going to recognize you." Severus Snape soothed, a hand resting on Saturn's shoulder to keep his son's fidgeting steady. The two of them were barely even aware of a few curious stares resting upon the back of the two unlikely visitors to Kings Cross station, wondering at the child's appearance and likeness to a Malfoy and the surly Potions Master's presence close to him. In the distant corners of the platform several calls of parents to control their children could be heard, whispers with dark remarks and unfounded speculation lashing out at the two unsuspecting figures, completely oblivious to their surroundings. 

For the past week Severus had become more and more concerned when Saturn showed signs of retreating into himself in a bid to avoid the passing of reality around him. He was especially concerned with the long bouts Saturn spent retreated into a whimsical mind frame connected to the passing fancy of nature. His nose buried incessantly in endless reams of books and continuous time spent humming melodies beneath his breath. It was still disconcerting to the Professor despite his lover's reassurances that their son was but reacquainting himself with his true nature and settling into the new changes of his life, they could not have expected a short and smooth transition into a life so different from the one he had been living before.

Despite the small reprieve the words of wisdom had offered him, Severus Snape had been delighted to learn that Saturn had inherited his more studious and serious nature, preferring his books to the Quidditch Pitch Draco loved to waste his time on. However, the increase of intensity in the young elf's despondency, paranoia and anxiety was worrying in their own right. Presenting him with a problem Severus was not entirely sure how to solve or even approach by the guarded wall that seemed to have been constructed around Saturn's pained heart. He knew there was pain in those eyes when Saturn thought no one was looking and it hurt him all the same when he saw that distinguishable flicker in dark eyes. 

It seemed that the more time had moved forwards to the 1st of September, the more Saturn became an anxious ball of energy that just would not be consoled. Stressing over the smallest of details in his new back story, questioning his made up history should the students accost him with difficult question, looking for a solution to each and every discrepancy in his past and in turn driving both Severus and Draco nearly insane with the details of his 'past' life and how he had gone to Durmstrang before deciding to return to Hogwarts to be closer to his family. It was a simple enough story, being vague enough to satisfy curiosity and at the same time not giving away too much.

It was with a sigh that Severus pulled himself back to reality, questioning the sudden change that seemed to overcome his son as his eyes were glazed with a faraway look outlined in intense control and hidden concern highlighted by his bottom lip tugged between his teeth. As the students gathered in great mass around the Hogwarts Express, Saturn seemed to shrink in upon himself more and more. Almost afraid of the large crowd pressing in from all sides and despite Draco's lessons and cautions the week before in maintaining a perfect image at school, Saturn seemed to slowly but surely lose control of his emotions.

It would not bode well should everything fall apart at the seams...

"Will I really be alright Dad?" Saturn inquired quietly, his question heavy with the implication of his own unconfident belief in failure. The question was so softly spoken that the Hogwarts Professor nearly missed it completely and almost made him cave with sympathy, breaking his promise to keep his distance whilst saying goodbye. Instead, to curb his urge to tug his son into a warm embrace, he brushed a stray strand of golden hair from Saturn's eye and nudged that delicate chin upwards. He could clearly see an ocean of turmoil reeling deep within infinite dark eyes. After crumbling in his concern, Severus pressed a brief kiss upon a smooth brow. That hateful scar that he had come to associate with Potter, hidden now behind an ingenious skin coloured potion used to conceal visible scars. After checking for the twentieth time to make sure all the distinguishing marks were hidden, Severus felt more assured when there were none. 

Before him stood a child, a new student starting Hogwarts in his fifth year and he was just there to check that his transition to the train was smooth and not filled with bombarding questions to his presence and heritage for there was no doubt that he was a Malfoy. He may have been a curiosity but not one to be paid much attention to after the Prophet's report the day before that Dumbledore was hiding the fact that Potter was dead and the Savoir of the Wizarding World no longer existed. 

"Nothing will happen on the train." Severus reassured. "Perhaps just a few curious stares will follow you but other than that many people will be too afraid to ask questions. There is no doubt you are a Malfoy because of your resemblance to Draco and his friends also already know all they need to know of his youngest brother's existence. Nothing needs to be added." The look of relief his words gifted him with was significant to his son's deep seated concern. It was not something that Severus would easily forget, or stop berating himself for. His son was clearly filled with such anxiety that Severus could not even begin to fathom how to sooth his concerns.

His son's look of absolute fear was something else. Leaving the Potions Professor wondering just how Saturn, who he was so sure he had hated for four years, had found so much trust and love within him and Lucius within so short a period of time. It was almost inconceivable that such trust would be given so willingly and yet here they were. Standing close together as a family, Lucius patiently engaging Draco in a stern lecture in how to protect his brother, Narcissa talking patiently to some of the other Pureblood Ladies and then there was he and Saturn. Left alone a little to the side, given a moment of privacy to say their momentary goodbyes before meeting once again at Hogwarts in a few hours' time. 

"All I can say is do not talk unless spoken too, even though I know you miss your friends, please bear in mind that they do not know the entire truth of your situation and they think that Harry Potter is dead as the newspapers have claimed despite the Headmaster's insistence that he is not. It will not do for a Malfoy to show up in their compartment to claim he is their lost friend."

"Draco will be in the Prefects carriage for the first part of the trip, leaving you to your own devices for a while. Pick a carriage where you will not be disturbed and keep your head down, have a good rest and leave the Headmaster's meddling to me. I will meet you at Hogsmeade station where Professor McGonagall will then lead you to the Castle to sort you with the first years. Are there any more questions you may have?" Severus hated himself for the way he was listing things so unemotionally when the look in Saturn's eyes were seeking more. His last question though he asked gently, wishing not spook the delicate thread of control Saturn seemed to have gained that morning when his trunk was neatly, almost obsessively so, packed and waiting at the bottom of his bed.

Ready to face his nightmare of being in close proximity to the one who had ruined his life with only a thin veil protecting his true identity.

"No, sir. No more questions." Saturn replied, feeling as he were an interisting potion ingredient with the stares suddenly trained on him from many students who seemed to have finally taken notice of him. 

"Good. Are you sure you want to take the Express? I can Apparate you back with me-."

"No," Saturn shook his head from side to side. It would not do to ruin their plans now despite the generous offer. "I think it would be better if a few students see me onboard the Express and ask questions as to my identity rather than just appearing at school out of thin air. And besides, the Headmaster is at the castle right now and he might corner me when you are not looking and I w-." The young Woodland Elf was suddenly cut off from his words by the last five minute call whistling from the red steam engine. There were only precious few minutes left before the train would be departing from the station.

Dark eyes collided with silver over Professor Snape's shoulder and Draco and Saturn both nodded in silent understanding. It was time for them to leave. Severus, left to observe the exchange, marvelled at the silent communication that already existed between the two. It was almost as if they had invented an entirely new silent language this past week that only they could understand with fleeting glances and small motions of movement. As Saturn cast a feather light charm on his trunk, he turned to offer a final goodbye to his father. Completely  surprised when Severus pressed another parting kiss to his forehead and gently guided him towards the entrance. 

"Be good." Was all his father murmured before there was a very soft 'pop' and not a soul was left standing where the Hogwarts Professor had been moments before. The sudden disapparition leaving the young elf reeling in his surprise, who in return received the same form of goodbye from his other father. Chuckling at the long hair that tickled his cheek, the few words of encouragement and concern like a breath of strength whispered in his ear. They were words that he took in heart, hopeful that they would calm the incessant fear twisting his stomach.

Everything he had been preparing for, for this day felt like a ten tonne weight that he bore solely on his shoulders, and now it clearly showed as Draco had to literally drag him away from the little space their family occupied. With a fleeting smile to his donor father, Saturn whispered a goodbye and promised to write three times a week.

"Relax, nothing is going to happen. I will return to you as soon as possible. Find an empty compartment and stay there, I won't be long." Saturn, stuck in a daze gave a quick wave goodbye to the Lord of Malfoy Manor and his Lady before disappearing inside the steam engine. It was lucky that there was an empty compartment at the far end of the train that he could easily occupy all by himself.

It was easy to stow away his trunk and pull out one of the many extra books that he had brought with, his anxiety though refused to settle as fears he had been suffering, which he felt he could not share with his newly discovered family, brought a shimmer of frustration in his eyes. He wanted to settled down for the long ride to what he felt was his doom, not knowing what to expect when he finally arrived in Hogwarts.

 For who knew just what was awaiting him at Hogwarts? Yes, he had his father and his brother and hopefully his new house to protect him, but there was not a soul who did not know that Professor Dumbledore was a force to be reckoned with in his own domain. And if he believed Harry Potter dead, how would he react to Potter, now Malfoy, returning to his true name? Worrying his bottom lip between his teeth and cursing his anxiety for interfering in his trance like state where he could connect to nature, Saturn soon fell into a fitful doze against the window. His large tome clutched to his chest as a protective barrier to the outside world. He was so far into his deepening slumber that he did not hear his compartment door slide open and two other distinctive presences creeping in to join him in his solitude without his permission just as the train gave a lurch forward.

"W-who is-."

"Shhh," Luna Lovegood hummed softly to her male companion, motioning for him to keep quiet by placing her fingers on her full lips. "The young Elf Prince is sleeping, dreaming troubled dreams of troubled pasts. It best be not to disturb him." Her words carried a definite weight of warning that seemed to still her companion as Neville Longbottom, a fellow fifth year, cast a longing glance at the now closed compartment door with trepidation. Wondering perhaps if it would be such a good idea to join Luna in the only relatively free compartment on the train with the sleeping stranger who could be anyone. The mimbulus mimbletonia he had received for his birthday that year was now resting in his lap, letting out a strange warble of crooning sounds as he scratched its head and tried to distract himself from the astounding beauty of the teen sleeping on the other bench. 

The compartment was filled with an uncomfortable and oppressive silence as Neville quietly trailed his eyes over the teen curled up on the opposite bench. Not recalling ever having seen him or her at Hogwarts, for it was not definite if it was a boy or a girl, the strong set jaw and high cheek bones saw that he thought it was a boy, yet if one looked quickly at the long length of hair, longer than most of the girls in Hogwarts, there were doubts in his theory and confused his thoughts.

He startled from his reverie when a soft cry of distress stained the air, the restlessness dreamer sharing their compartment was indeed lodged in some dangerous dream or other, for with his cries long elegant fingertips carefully curled around a heavy tome. Twitching and turning knuckles white as blunt fingernails dug futilely and spasmodically into the leather bound cover of the tome clutched to a rapidly rising and falling chest. The cries that were leaving his lips were the only other sound besides Luna flipping through her Quibbler magazine that tainted the atmosphere of the compartment. In retrospect to knowing a quiet and melancholic journey lay ahead in him, Neville pulled out his summer homework to go over his work looking to improve it, yet his mind kept returning to the loss of one of his friend. Weighing heavily on his shoulders, Neville found it more and more difficult to be absorbed in his work and find a calm to his restlessness. 

Scratching a quill absently across a piece of parchment his thoughts one again turned to his obscure and strange birthday present. If he could just test the defensive mechanism of the plant, his grandmother had told him kept the plant safe from harm, with a simple prod from his quill he would find some reprieve-.

"I wouldn't do that." A soft tenor  cautioned, abruptly stilling Neville's hand several inches away from prodding the hide-like protective layer of the mimbulus mimbletonia. His sharp quill tip hovering in the air with guilt as brown eyes looked up to see just who had stopped him. Forest green eyes, so extensively depthless with an array of differing emotions, looked pained and distressed as they seemed to peer up at him from behind a curtain of golden hair so soft it glittered and swayed like newly weaved silk in the sunlight streaming in from the window. The strands protectively enveloping its master in what appeared to be a protective curtain against harm. Hiding a deceptively wraith like figure and dulling the astounding beauty that Neville guessed was just beneath the surface from preying and overly curious eyes.

"Why?" He found himself asking almost dumbfounded as the other teen stood, his wraith like figure drawing nearer and nearer to their side of the compartment as he was offered as shaky frown that suggested he disapproved. Fingers with nails strangely stained in dirt and not immaculate in their appearance as the rest of the compartment companion, reached out to stroke the top of the plants head-like structure quite lovingly. Setting its leaves and bulbous appearance quivering in its pot with pure delight and crooning enjoyment.

Neville found himself watching transfixed as gentle, elegant fingers seemed to pet the plant without so much as causing distress to the thick hide or instilling fear in himself of what it might do to him. The plant in fact seemed to lean to him, batting his fingers expectantly for more when he made to pull away from the touch. A musical chuckle staining the air with delight as the elf like figure seemed to admonish the plant before getting ready walk back to his side of the compartment.

"I'm sorry I stopped you but this little guy was afraid of the sharp tip. I heard its cry of distress and it seems to me he is pretty much attached to you. Keep its loyalty and it will serve you as a good and rewarding companion."

"W-who are you? How do you kn-."

"He is a willow elf." Remarked a dreamy voice in the distance and the unknown stranger seemed to freeze in place, a look of surprise gracing handsome features as infinitely dark eyes drifted to the other side of Neville to the one who had spoken of his heritage. There was a long and tension filled silence in which the elf just stared, full lips forming her spoken name softly before he offered his hand to Neville instead to shake, whether in genuine introduction or as a way to distract himself Neville did not know but he shook the stranger's hand all the same. 

"Hello, my name is Saturn." The stranger proclaimed and Neville nodded absently, introducing himself to the elf as Luna had called him. Saturn on the other hand seemed far away and distant, his head still fuzzy from sleep and his ears still ringing from the sudden cry that had awoken him. His eyes had snapped open to the image of one of his good friends sitting across from him, looking withdrawn in his sorrow and wanting to prod his strange new pot plant, which was by now yelling in his ear with distress, desperately not wishing to hurt its master but the imminent danger of the quill tip...

Thank goodness he had stopped Neville just in time, for he was sure whatever the little plant was going to do in vengeance to its distress, was not going to be pretty for any of them present in a small and confined space.

Yet the moment his ears had registered that whimsical voice calling him an elf, his eyes had lighted upon the girl he had run into a week ago, Luna as he remembered her father calling her; and in his surprise he could barely control his excitement at seeing her again. Her blonde hair was lighted by the sun's rays streaming from outside, glittered as a beautiful halo of silver encircling her head with an ethereal light. The sudden realization of the beauty of the image she made had thrown young Saturn completely off kilter, their eyes colliding in a flash of silvery-grey and forest green and Saturn felt his breath stall in his chest as he quickly averted his eyes. Afraid that she would know his secret with her piercing eyes

"Luna." He whispered softly, his fingers curling around his sleeve as he attempted to calm himself from the sudden rush of elation streaking through his veins and his heart beating a wild tattoo against his chest; hoping desperately that his aloof nature had not been shattered by the flush of warmth he felt wanting to settle across his cheeks to give away his emotions. He had not known if he would ever see her again but he had still hoped and now being with both her and Neville in the same train compartment felt so right that he found himself relaxing, knowing that he was content to stay where he was.

Even though he was still shaking from the strange dream that had flashed before his eyes and the stinging prickle of his carefully hidden scar, Saturn made his way back to his seat before he was bombarded with a series of endless, relevant questions to his presence on the train as they did not recognize him. He carefully recounted the tale that he had been rehearsing since the day of knowing he would be coming back to Hogwarts. Being careful not to give away too much detail or leave out certain facts for he was now a transfer student from Durmstrang; pulled from his studies there because of his father's fears that he was in danger and placed in a wizarding school much safer and closer to home. He recounted being told by Professor Snape that he would still be sorted with the rest of the first years as he did not know what house he would be joining or 'how it was done'. 

"We never had a transfer student before," remarked Neville with quite awe. His mood seeming to lift the more Saturn spoke. "What's Durmstrang like?" He asked and Saturn gave a shrug, answering one of the questions as vaguely as possible on the grounds that the location is very secret and the schooling system very strict, it was the exact same answer he had prepared for as well in anticipating that it would be coming up eventually. It was easy to spin a story now that he knew Neville had not recognized him nor ever would should his scar stay carefully hidden. 

"We had a few Durmstrang students last year for the Triwizard Tournament." Neville recounted with wonder before his face fell. " One of Hogwarts' Champions, Cedric Diggory died. The other, one of my closest friends went missing over the summer and I do not know if he will ever be coming back. Professor Dumbledore told my Nana that he believes Harry is still alive, just lost somewhere. But it's been more than two weeks now and finding him alive seems more and more slim every day. Did you ever hear of him, Harry Potter of Gryffindor house?" This one was not a statement Saturn was quite ready for and felt his breath stuttering over an answer before turning his eyes away and calming the sudden panic that spread through his veins. Outside the scenery flashed past the window in a rush, the sun was already low on the horizon as the skies darkened, it would soon be time for them to change and disembark.

"My brother talked about him a few ti-." Silence reigned the moment the compartment door slid open and a familiar figure stood leaning against the doorway.

"I have been looking for you everywhere Saturn. Are you...oh new friends, I see. Be careful who you meddle with." Draco warned with a sneer and a flash of contempt in his silvery eyes before turning to his brother. He however had not been aware that Saturn had seen the glare or the flash of hatred in his  eyes and the deadly cold glare of Saturn, reminiscent of Uncle Severus' deadly gaze, shot through his spine where he knew he had caught out. He solefully took to heart his brother's warning scowl before grudgingly informing them the train was not a long ways away from the Hogsmeade station and that it was time to change into their school uniforms. 

"You can come join me and the rest of Slytherin fifth years, we have managed to find an empty compartment. You'll be better off with us than this lot." Once again stalling at the dark glance that lighted dark eyes. The glare had not yet dissipated and Draco felt as if he was really doing everything wrong today, perhaps his concern that Dumbledore might corner his brother was eating away at his common sense, after all Saturn had warned him not to act like this even if he hated Gryffindors.

"No. I'd rather stay." Was the deathly quiet whisper of anger. "Now if you'll excuse me I'll just go change." Keeping his flashing anger hidden and stripping his mounting annoyance out of his voice at the easy way in which Draco slid back into his school persona, Saturn did not take well to Neville being insulted when now he knew of the value he had as a best friend.

"I apologize, if you'll excuse me for a moment." Saturn offered them a smile before heading to the back of the train to change. He could feel one pair of confused eyes following him, the other pair boring through his back with whimsical fancy as he disappeared down the hall. His fingers curling into fists, he could not believe Draco, after having pleaded with his brother the night before to remember that his friends were once good to him and if he was to return, he would not like to lose some of his support, he still went and made things worse. It was not a good start to his first day returned to Hogwarts. It was going to be a long day and it had only just started...

Hogsmeade Station, Scottish Highlands 

When the train came to a halting stop and the students were finally disembarking into the cool summer night air, Saturn could hear the familiar baritones of Hagrid bellowing loudly as he called all the first years to him. So when long fingers, biting cold through his robes, curled around his upper arm he jumped in fright and started to pull away. His eyes looked up to collide with an identical pair the same colour as his, he was offered a frown to his reaction by his father. Several older students' eyes curiously following their progress as Professor Severus Snape led him away from them, the first years already cowering at the sight of the Potions Master when they passed and the young elf let out a delighted laugh of amusement, especially when a familiar smirk decorated his father's lips.

"You really are quite intimidating sometimes Father." Saturn whispered after making sure no one would be able to hear him, not saying anything in return when his father's smirk widened even further. When some of the more hasty students walked passed them towards the carriages he separated himself a bit from the comfort he felt at his father's side, keeping an acceptable distance as his eyes restlessly observed the looming castle in the distance. A heavy sort of dread was starting to build through his body that he could not control. 

"Professor?" Saturn called out uncertainly, having just remembered been told that he was to not call his father 'Dad' when other students or staff could overhear. For extra protection he was strictly only a Malfoy, the 'Snape' part of his surname dropped to offer him a bit more freedom without letting the staff know that the surly Potion's Master had a son. One they and many students would like revenge from. "Where are you-." He suddenly stilled, his footsteps abruptly pulling back the Potions Professor in surprise as his eyes swept across the expanse of the carriage standing mere metres from him. He had never seen them before but now harnessed to the carriage was a strange creature, pitch black and horse like in its appearance but it also shimmered with demon like characteristics, carrying bony bat like wings on its back and red red eyes that followed his every movement. From their nostrils they snorted white mist, as if they were cold. Saturn was alarmed, realizing for the first time that there was actually a creature pulling the carriages. He had been under the impression, since his second year, they moved all by themselves.

"W-what-." He stared in surprise...

"You are not mad, I can see them too." A soft voice declared and Saturn looked up into silvery-grey eyes already settling into one of the carriages with Neville, offering him a nod and an encouraging smile when father murmured an impatient 'come on'  and started guiding him forward and away from the carriages, just far enough from prying eyes that were once again sweeping across his form. In that moment he felt a distinct feeling as though he was suddenly made of spun glass under all the stares, sucking in a sharp breath of pain before it felt as if the pressure building in his body was eating away at his soul as he was squeezed and pulled through the pain of a side-along apparition.  A second later, the young elf suddenly found himself at Hogwarts' gates as his father briefly brushed a gentle finger across his cheek to calm the inherent panic creeping across his body. His breaths, coming out in short, sharp bursts, rasped and rattling painfully against his lungs.

"Sorry, I have forgotten to warn you. Professor McGonagall asked me to bring you to her; the first years will be here in a few minutes." Saturn gave a shaky nod. "How was the train ride?" Saturn briefly recounted his dull journey as they climbed the steps of the castle in perfect step before a hauntingly familiar voice cleared her throat. Both of them looking up simultaneously to see a lopsided smile stretching usually severely stern lips. It was not a face Saturn knew would offer him so much comfort until he saw her, a small sorrow filled smile tugging his lips upwards as he redirected his eyes to the floor.

"This is a first Professor Snape, I have never known you to take an active interest in any student besides your Snakes. However if you would hand over Mr Malfoy to me for a few minutes, he will soon be sorted and the Welcoming Feast can finally begin. " There was a moment of uncomfortable silence where Saturn stared at the grass beneath his feet in hopes of dispelling the awkwardness that had settled across the trio standing inconspicuously at the front of the castle. A distinctive dread weighing down his body and tugging at his heart. For the first time truly concerned of the house he may end up in. What if his fathers did not approve?

"You know where to find me," whispered Severus softly enough so that the other Professor did not overhear hear him. "Now off you go, I'm sure everything will be fine." At his kind words the Transfiguration Professor have a small frown before nodding, ushering her new charge up the steps as the Potions Professor broke away in the direction of the Great Hall. Saturn was surprised when they entered the small alcove to the side of the Great Hall where he had last entered the same date five years past. It was cold there and Saturn felt himself tugging his robes tighter around his body, the corner he had chosen to situate himself in was away from all the students as he stared patiently at the walls in hopes of passing the time. 

"Welcome to Hogwarts," She began in her crisp Scottish brogue when the new first years entered the alcove, her stern voice startling them from their previous occupation of gaping at Saturn in curiosity. Although she failed to scare some of the more daring girls, transfixed with the young elf's appearance. Their stubby little fingers reaching forward, wanting desperately to grab a hold or even pull at the strands of immaculate golden locks. Despite not enjoying the attention, Saturn did not want to cause a scene by telling them off so he impatiently folded his arms across his chest and tried instead to deter them from coming any closer by a glare so close to the one his father was used to giving.

"Girls, girls! Please! Pay attention and leave Mr Malfoy be. What I am about to say is very important." She admonished before quickly explaining the functions of the school, the teachers and the different houses. Having already known all the information Saturn offered his once teacher a small smile of appreciation before allowing his mind to drift off into a different direction whilst keeping an interested look plastered across his features. His sensitive ears were already picking up the lively conversation spreading through the Great Hall, subdued by melancholy and fear of Potter's disappearance and the possibility that he had not been laying as the Ministry had been insisting he had. He could feel it, the dread settling across the students, perhaps even speculating Voldemort had taken him and killed him. Leaving the body somewhere where no one could find it.

"Attention! Attention students! The sorting ceremony will now begin and we have a special sorting tonight, a fifth year student from Durmstrang will be joining us at Hogwarts this year and I want all the upper years to make him welcome, especially his house mates." Startling from his thoughts by the sudden voice ringing in his ear, Saturn turned towards the doorway which the Professor had left open. He bit his bottom lip in nervousness and tried to force his sudden creeping of fear into the back of his mind.

He could already feel the endless stares waiting to see him.

"Our first sorting will be Mr Augustus Saturnus Malfoy, if you would please step forward." The quiet whispering in hall quieted down the moment his name was called. Numb feet carried him reluctantly towards the sorting hat unknowingly. The hat quietly observing his progress with curiosity as much as the sorting hat could show when it seemed to have finished his song, a song Saturn had not listened to. Saturn's heart was thundering against his chest, his breaths turned to panic the moment he felt that stare.

For there was no mistake to the weight of the gaze that had settled atop his crown of golden hair. When he forced himself to look up, his suddenly defiant dark eyes locked daringly with a pair so pale they were the colour of the summer sky. Long lost was their twinkle, probably dispersed under the pressures of the past week, and when the Headmaster saw Saturn, the young elf knew he knew who he was for the grandfatherly mouth did not twitch upwards in a smile of welcome, but rather remained solemn and drawn in its inherent sorrow. Yet in those blue eyes were hidden emotions so well concealed that Saturn could not guess their intensity and he felt suddenly afraid, looking across the Head Table to search for his father's approval who in turn gave only a small nod of a head bowed in encouragement. 

His scowling features, so much like his bearer's, now dropping to the floor as a shudder of cold fear wracked through his body. His fingers as numb as his limbs as he slid onto the stool, his awareness of the Hall fading with his internal struggle of emotions. When he finally came back to himself by forcing courage into his soul, the stool now seemed so much smaller than he remembered having clambered up as an eleven year old child. His eyes stared straight ahead at the line of first years awaiting their turn beneath the brim of the old hat.

There was a stunned silence echoing through the hall before Saturn jerked when a gentle hum filled his head. He had forgotten how powerful the strange sensation of a talking hat was.

~Ahhh, Mr Potter. Well I suppose it is Your Highness Prince Malfoy-Snape now. It has been a rare occurrence for me to sort a student descendant of two prominent fathers stationed in the Wizarding World such as yours. It seems that our Headmaster has been up to his 'greater good' tricks again. His reasons I cannot claim to understand, however be not too quick to hate just yet. Your capacity for forgiveness is already so strong that it makes your magic a pleasure to experience.~

'Please just get on with it...I-.'

~Humour an Old Hat for a while would you little Saturn? But very well, although I can sense your great desire to be close to your father in Slytherin this year I am afraid there is a new teacher that might hold something like against both of you should the truth somehow come out. I will not place you where the Headmaster can get to you easily as I sense your reluctance to be near him and going by your new found studious nature and a special friend, I can open up a new path for you in-~

"RAVENCLAW!" The Slytherins all stared at the youngest Malfoy with something akin to stunned awe and barely concealed confusion whilst Saturn's eyes searched for Draco. His brother could nothing but offer him a disappointed shrug and frown, and when his eyes sought out approval from his father the young elf was relieved when their eyes locked over the table and a hidden message was passed between them. One that he understood well and felt relief spreading through his body that his bearer was not angry with him, even encouraged him to the House table where he promptly seated himself next to the only other Ravenclaw that he knew.

"I knew we were of like minds," She said conspiratorially. Her large silvery eyes locking with his like a beacon of hope before he was offered a genuine smile, not one brought on by whimsy and for the young elf it was a truly astounding sight. "I hope we can be friends." She held her hand out and Saturn nodded, a thrill of excitement shooting through his veins at the soft touch of her hand in his as his mind soon afterwards drifted off to other places where he was not sure he could get distracted by her overwhelming presence that seemed to draw him to her like a moth to a flame.

He briefly looked up when he heard the Headmaster start his speech only to cringe internally when the newest Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher interrupted him and began introducing herself as a member of the Ministry and her new role at school. Saturn felt sorry for her, for even when the Headmaster graciously stepped aside even Saturn could see she was dancing on the last thread of his sanity. Something, even in his new disposition towards the Headmaster, Saturn would not even dare to do.

"Hem-Hem... Thank you, headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of a vital importance..."

"Are you suffering from Wrackspurts again Saturn?" Luna abruptly called the elf from without his heady daze. His mind finally coming back to him where he had been so carefully observing the subdued behaviour at the Gryffindor table with a sense of longing. Wishing deep down that he could offer them a small comfort for the 'loss' they believed they had suffered. Especially now when he saw the pained and withdrawn looks of his two previous best friends. However when they looked up, as if sensing his eyes, it was not with curiosity that they looked at him but with undeniable contempt and Saturn nearly choked on his breath at the pain lancing through his heart.

They had clearly heard his surname and already it was being held against him. It was painful and in an attempt to school his features again, Saturn turned his eyes away and allowed his hair to fall over his side like a curtain protecting him against pain.

"Saturn? Are you alright? You seem quite lost. It seems that the Wrackspurts have been breeding again. The Great Hall is filled with them." Luna's dreamy voice proclaimed and Saturn quietly turned his attention back to her, long silver lashes blinking owlishly as he tried to understand just what it was that she had said. After finding no answer to the strange name he had just heard he turned towards Luna with a frown creasing his brow.

"A what?" He asked very softly. His brow shooting to his hairline when she boldly tugged him to his feet with surprising strength. Her attention wavering to him and some students standing nearby that made him distinctly aware of her uncomfortably straightened back as she tried not to listen to the whispers that were now boldly following them. The last of the straggling students' eyes boring into the backs of both of them. Saturn winced with irritation and internal sympathy the clearer he heard the malicious whispers following them:

'Loony Lovegood found a friend?'

'Do you suppose he is as insane as she? I mean a Malfoy in Ravenclaw? That is practically unheard of. It must be true.'

'I hope he finds better friends than her. He seems descent enough.'

'She'll soon drive him away. Look at her so in-.' At the last remark from a student in his year, Saturn felt her fingers tighten on his hand almost as if she was afraid what they were saying would one day come true and it was then that Saturn realized that she was very much human beneath his whimsy. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and expertly shut out the stifling sensation of the stares following them towards the western side of the castle. Silence following them as she hummed to herself, stopping just a few feet away from the start of a spiral staircase, out of sight from all the other students.

"Do not mind them, I like your company." Saturn told her, surprised by his own honesty in the statement and the pure want to comfort the wavering glance of uncertainty that she shot him. At his words she smiled almost blindingly, pulling him closer to her side. His dark eyes staring at the top of her wavy hair where he was sure the moonlight was glinting off particles constructed of pure silver.  

"I usually don't mind the infestation of Blibbering Humdingers, but sometimes they say hurtful things yes?" Her voice was low with emotion and Saturn pulled himself out of his warm haze and nodded absently, their feet echoing in the small enclosed space of the staircase that thankfully did not move. Blibbering Humdingers and Wrackspurts? What the hell was she talking about? On the other hand what she said was strange but he could not understand why most people would think her insane, it seemed more whimsical, a Lady caught up in a world of her own not bathing in the waters of insanity. The young elf found it endearing in a strange sort of way, adding to her whimsy that she hid behind. For he knew behind this strange appearance and absentminded whimsy was a very beautiful soul filled with mysteries and corresponded with the phases of the moon, just like Selene. 

"Wrackspurts, you know, invisible little creatures that make your brain go fuzzy and Blibbering Humdingers that make students laugh at others and whisper ugly things." Saturn nodded, filing away the strange information for later. If he too could construct such an impenetrable mask of insanity that she displayed, he could also avoid a lot unnecessary questions and allow hurtful bullying to roll off his back without affecting him. Saturn found living in such a state of awareness with nature, where he did not care for those directly around him, could also give off the impression that he was not completely all there, something broth Draco and Professor Snape had mentioned many times before the train departed that day, his father Lucius though, had only smiled at him knowingly for young Saturn had seen his father slip into the same trance many times before as well. 

It was a brilliant idea, one that could very easily protect him from students by giving false impressions and inapproachability.

"Professor Flitwick will be talking to the first years, do you want to listen in? Even though I've been here for four years I always enjoy his welcoming speech." They came to a halt in front of a large door after having just reached the precarious landing from a long spiral staircase, one Saturn now finally knew where to look for it and would not easily forget. The door, bearing no form of a handle nor a keyhole, was decorated with only a large brass eagle knocker. Who, at their appearance, suddenly gave out a screech of welcome and with narrowed eyes, observed the two students who dared to be late.

"I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all. To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. What am I?" Saturn stared in wonder, the way of entrance was more difficult than the other two houses he had previously visited. He had never expected answering riddles to enter his common room and he could also see the advantage of always coming back with a few friends for the riddles could easily be much too difficult to answer by oneself. Luckily it was Luna that looked towards the door with a faint smile of omnipresent knowing, her silvery-grey eyes lighting up in pleasure as she quickly worked out the answer to what still seemed to puzzle Saturn in turn. 

"Tomorrow of infinite time." The bronze knocker spread its wings lazily before going still. The door gave a welcoming creak as it opened to display a spectacularly beautiful array of high end and timeless furniture in dark wood and blue fabric. It was an airy circular common room filled with overstuffed divans, armchairs, settees, many, many desks and beautiful blue and bronze satins hanging from high arched windows. The large display most likely looking out across the entirety of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry grounds.

Bookcases, filled to the brim with endless reams of books, scrolls and journals lining the walls, were a close imitation to the Malfoy Library. One Saturn had found increasing fondness for in his last days at the mansion. A soft plush midnight blue carpet depressing pleasantly beneath their feet when they stepped thought the doorway and into the common room. To the left Saturn could just make out a beautifully rendered statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, studiously guarding the entrance to dormitories laying upstairs with a quill in her right hand and staff her left, a crown of marble, fashioned like a beautiful and timeless diadem, resting upon her brow and veiled head. A semi -circular bookshelf shimmering right behind her in the light of the moon. The arched alcove a serene place of study and comfort. The perfect place of sanctuary for the intellectually inclined.  

"Ah, Mr Malfoy and Miss Lovegood. I was just about to explain to the first years our rules and extend a warm welcome to our House, would you like to join us?" The small Professor explained upon them intruding, beckoning them both eagerly forward with his squeaky voice and enthusiastic hand movements. "Rowena Ravenclaw, the House of Ravenclaw, sculpted in likeness to her incredible wit and intelligent mind was what kept the founders together long enough to create the school we know today. It is a great honour to be accepted into one of Hogwarts most prestigious houses, the one that is most respected outside of the school even though the other houses may seem stronger and filled with more conviction, it will always be the Ravenclaw's that are subtly keeping everything together and it is our duty to keep the peace."

"The common room is our sanctuary, the place we can return to, where we are always welcome when we need to rest or even share a good talk with friends. The dormitories are up the stairs, boys on the right and girls on the left. The boys are not allowed into the girls' dormitory but because of the founders trusting the girls more, they are allowed in the boys' dormitories by invitation only."

"Now, no students are allowed out of the dormitories at night after eight for the first years, after nine for the fourth years and up and all the lights will be extinguished in the common room by eleven. Notices will appear on the common room notice board as they become available. No first years will be allowed in the Quidditch team this year but the tryouts for the new team will be held sometime in the week." There was a disappointed murmur around the first years as they wanted to protest against the last rule and Saturn smiled, he had also been quite surprised when he had broken that rule in his first year, although he was not sure he would be playing Quidditch that year. He would have to find a way to ask his father of that.

"Oh my," The small Professor squeaked as he glanced at the ticking grandfather clock in the corner. The hands steadfastly pointed at ten to eleven. "It seems that the feast went on longer than normal tonight. You may be excused to your dorms for the night and should you have any further questions my office is on the fifth floor next to the Charms classroom. Tomorrow is a long day at school and we all need our rest." The part-goblin waved off the first year students before hurrying over to Saturn, who found himself wishing his newly discovered friend a good night before he turned towards his new of head of house.

"It is strange for a transfer student to be joining us from Durmstrang but then again we live in very strange times. The fifth year dormitories is the fifth door on your right once you reach the top of the stairs. You will be sharing with Mr Terry Boot, Michael Corner and Anthony Goldstein, who I am sure will welcome a new student with open arms. Our house is very protective of our creature inheritances. The house elves have altered your school robes with your new House colours and your trunk was brought up several minutes ago. Should you need any help I am sure that the Prefects will be more than willing to help you or you can just come by my office in the morning." Saturn could not help offering his new Head of House a grateful smile. Having only realized now that his Charms Professor was so much more than just an outstanding teacher, there was a gentle heart and soul filled with genuine caring hiding just beneath the surface. 

"I can see that you have already made friends with Luna, such a bright young girl, misunderstood, but very bright. She will be more than willing to help you in any way she can. Now off you go to bed Mr Malfoy, and fear not. You are not the first Malfoy to join the ranks of our House. In fact there were quite a few Malfoy's that outshone most of Hogwarts' long history of well achieved students in this house." The small comfort surprised Saturn and he it showed on his face for the small teacher patted his hand. "I look forward to your presence in my house. 'Wit beyond measure, is a man's greatest treasure.'"

"Thank you very much Professor but when will I know about the classes I will be taking?"

"You will receive your time table in the morrow before classes start." Saturn nodded, still reeling from the rush of information he found it was much easier to take in and wished his Professor a good night with genuine gratitude. Never again would he underestimate the Charms Professor for this was a side of him Saturn had always suspected he had had but never experienced either. Tracking up the stairs was quite difficult for Saturn finally felt his heart settling down but soon after turned his limbs to lead in tired exhaustion. After all the shocks of the night and the strange feelings bubbling inside of him, Saturn was just happy that a bed was waiting for him and tomorrow was another day. One he would face head on with a new friend at his side and a new calm with which he established himself in his new House, one of silent gratitude and happiness.

After a brief introduction and surprisingly few question from his dorm mates, Saturn changed into his pyjamas and sat on the edge of his bed. His fingers absently running a silver brush of fine quality through his long hair, pulling it back into a long braid before tying it off with a blue ribbon. Pulling shut the sky blue curtains around his canopy bed to regain a sense of privacy that he felt he lost when many eyes observed his movements with curiosity and a shimmer of jealousy. Fingers tugged the bronze sheets and blue eiderdown duvet up to his chin before he snuggled into the cool and soft bed. It was scarcely a minute later that his eyes slipped shut, making the young elf hum of soft melody to himself in an attempt to chase away the pain brewing behind his eyelids.

That night he drifted off serenely into a pleasant dream highlighted by the sounds of nature as he bathed in a cool lake. His worries chasing themselves away as soft arms enveloped his form from behind and dirty blonde hair fell over his shoulder, sweet nothings of strange creatures whispered in his ears as nothing but the touch of nature and a gentle sprite surrounded his weary soul.

Now calming his soul under the gentle touch of his new friend that had such a strong reaction to.

Three days had gone past, three full days spent going in and out of classes, exploring the library in a new light with Luna and trekking through the Hogwarts grounds on pins and needles; desperately anxious and afraid of what was to come, of knowing that it was only a matter of time before the Headmaster was to corner him. It left young Saturn quite exhausted, fevered with apprehension and constantly fighting his newly found instinct to try and find comfort from his father, something that could both be dangerous for the both of them if he were to give in. That night, just before the clock struck eleven, his quill scratching thoughtfully across a parchment headed carefully for his father's subject discussion on Moonstone Properties, everything seemed to still the moment it finally did happened.

The small reprieve Saturn had found in throwing himself headlong into his school work, patiently improving his potions skills with Draco's help after classes and grateful that his father seemed nicer in class, well not nice, he just did not single Saturn out as much as he had before. His brief happiness in finding calm in his fifth year was shattered into a thousand pieces with the mere flash of blinding white flame. Saturn had a very brief glimpse of Fawkes the Phoenix before a carefully sealed envelope dropped in his lap, another flash later and there was no indication that the phoenix had visited the common room at all. Casting a furtive glance across the Ravenclaw common room for late night straggler, Saturn was glad to breathe a sigh of relief in its empty state. Saturn in turn was soon close to losing control of emotions again when he worried his bottom lip between his teeth, staring apprehensively at the innocent looking letter resting in his lap. Silent trepidation bubbled over in his suddenly lax fingers, dropping his quill to the floor and dragging an ugly stripe of ink across the parchment.

The dip and curl of the elegant script was one Saturn recognized almost immediately; fingers trembling and afraid as he shattered the red Hogwarts seal on the back of the envelope. He did not know what to expect and in his trembling anxiety, Saturn found that his eyes had to scan the parchment several times to make sure that what he was reading was true. It may have only been a short missive, in a roundabout manner, telling him to visit the Headmaster in his office for a friendly chat the next morning. However, the mere idea of being alone with the old man set Saturn on desperate edge as he read the contents once again, looking for a false motive that would separate him from his family.  

'To the Attention of one Mr Augustus Malfoy:

As a new student to our established institution, I fear there is much to discuss yet in your stay and welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I would very much enjoy your company for a cup of tea tomorrow afternoon when classes finish at 17:30 to discuss your transition into the different schooling system.

In hopes of you satisfying my behest; I look forward to our meeting.

Your Eternal Servant,

Albus Percival Wulfric Brain Dumbledore,

Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

P.S For the record, I truly enjoy the taste of chocolate éclairs.'

Saturn shivered as his legs shakily raised him from his seat, the wooden chair he had just occupied scraping across the floor harshly. The sound, a hollow screech in his ears that set Saturn on edge with the abrupt meaning behind those words. The Headmaster knew and wanted to see him alone. Alone, where Dumbledore could easily corner him, Obliviate his memories and force him back into the Harry Potter persona against his will. In his sudden frantic movement, testament of Saturn's grace and inherent stealth, the elf's footsteps were quiet but rushed; treading carefully upon the stone staircase in hopes of not awakening the students who had already fallen into the clutches of deep sleep for the night.

Upon entering his dormitory, Saturn was eternally grateful that the curtains around the other fifth year boys' beds were all drawn shut, only a light flickering from one of the curtains hinted that one of the boys' were reading. It made it so much easier for Saturn to hastily dive into his trunk, throw his Invisibility Cloak across his shoulders and rush out of the Ravenclaw common room without another sign.

Ignoring the indigent squawk of the brass eagle as he flew through the common room door, Saturn soon found himself running with panting breaths down the spiral staircases, across the many different corridors with only one destination in mind. Turning hastily down the correct hallways, rushing past an endless expanse of locked classrooms, empty alcoves and dodging the more dangerous of moving staircases as easily as he found himself orientated in any forest he were to wander into, Saturn was glad that the night was approaching midnight, the hallways were almost always completely deserted.

His cloak, even though fluttering behind him in a rush of iridescent material, kept him well hidden from the prefects stalking the hallways on their last patrol,  even managing to glide past Professor McGonagall reprimanding a first year for being out of bed without her even noticing his rushing presence fleetingly flitting past her like a soft breeze. His heart, beating a frantic tattoo against his chest, surged now painfully as he flew down a well trodden path to the deep dungeons of Hogwarts. The moonlight, ethereal and breathtaking, streaming in from the few windows decorating the castle walls, lighting the grey stone with silvery sheen before reaching out its gentle tendrils to almost brush absently against Saturn's hidden skin in a loving caress.

The moon, keeping silent vigil in the sky, was high in its vast blanket of night surrounded by endless luminaries, an ethereal figure Saturn would have taken comfort in if not for his pain and hidden panic rushing through his veins. Instead, now its presence incessantly chased the young elf's pain and panic to new peaks as he did not stop once to take a breath. Not even when his breath was rasping painfully against his chest and begging him for a short break. Saturn however, needed to see his father for there was no way he was going to so much as attempt to step into the Headmaster's office alone, no. Not this time, not ever. Not without his bearer and the support he offered endlessly, silently, like a pillar of eternal strength. 

It was a few minutes later that Saturn stilled in front of his father's office, his mind racing as he slipped the invisibility cloak from his shoulders. Forest green eyes frantically glancing from one side of the empty corridor to the other, making sure that there was not a single soul there to see him. Strands of long hair slipping from his braid swayed with chilling breeze as he froze, a concerned frown to tugging at his lips in the imagined sound of footsteps heading in his direction. Yet when no one came into sight, Saturn allowed a small breath of relief to rush past his lips, eternally grateful that the entire corridor was deserted. Making sure to knock several times once there was no answer, Saturn allowed for an exasperated sigh to speed past his defences. His fingers absently running against the wall as he silently counted the next few doors. One....two....three...

'If you should ever need me and I am not present in my office or brewing chambers, I will be in my quarters. Three doors down from my office, next to a large portrait of Salazar Slytherin lies the arched doorway hidden behind an illusion. Place your hand on the wood of the door, the blood wards will let you in. However, when you come make sure that no one sees you.' Now as Saturn stilled in front of the elaborately carved door, shimmering into existence next to the painting as he pressed his hand against the illusionary wall, forest green eyes flickered towards the beautifully painted portrait of a regal, tall man sitting in a green and silver chair. Snakes carefully carved around the feet of the chair, reaching towards its master like blooming briars. 

Those eyes were so dark and depthless, that Saturn had difficulty discerning their colour or understanding the emotion that seemed to flicker across their endless fathoms. Silently observing the young Woodland Elf through a curtain of long pitch black hair, the same length of Saturn's. His expression now straining the uncomfortable silence with curious contemplation and a strange, indescribable frown. The small white snake that was coiled tightly in its master's lap, raised its head as long elegant fingers stroked its scales almost absently, turning its beady little black eyes on Saturn with narrowed contempt at their disturbance.

"Can I help you little Ravenclaw? The Potions Master is now officially off of the duty roster, I also do not have any instructions to let you in or any student for that matter." Saturn jumped almost a foot high in surprise at the reedy voice suddenly calling out to him accusingly, his attention flickering towards the door where he had laid his hand upon the ebony wood. Yelping indigently when a sudden flash of pain raced across his palm, the sensation of blood trickling across his palm and wrist causing the elf to tug back his limb and cradle it against his chest, scowling at the portrait with contempt as if it was his fault. A scowl, in likeness to his surly father's, furrowed his brow in anger. At least the Potions Master could have warned him that his stupid door would be drinking his blood, perhaps he would have been more prepared in what to expect. It was almost inconceivable to think he had actually had to shed blood in order to enter blood wards...

"I wasn't under the impression that I had to make an appointment to see the Professor," Saturn seethed. He was not in the mood to be interrogated by a portrait. "He had after all gave me permission to enter withou-." Saturn was suddenly interrupted by the a shimmer of light engulfing the door, its lock sliding silently out of place and automatically  opening the door without a loud creak. The young elf, startled and stunned by the reaction, gazed open mouthed as the ominous black door open wide in its invitation.  Beckoning him inside where the light from several sconces on the wall were already lit, showing the pathway inside.  Just before Saturn was able to step inside though he overheard something he was not supposed to and stilled abruptly with shock...

~Masster! Look, look! The door issss opening...only thossse of like blood can ennterr...he mussst be the lossst childe... the one....~

"No! No, no, no, no! Please you cannot let anyone know! No one is supposed to know my father has a child! He'll be in so much danger; I cannot risk being the cause of it! Please!" Saturn suddenly shouted in panic, cheeks flushing as those dark eyes that had been so unreadable before, turned upon him with widened shock and a gentleness Saturn had not seen before. The regal nose turning up ever so slightly as the white snake stared at Saturn with something akin to surprise. Its head swaying from side to side, tongue tasting the air and both of them shamelessly taking in every detail of the young elf in clear excitement.

~He sssspeaksss...he speakssss massster...~

"You speak little one?" Salazar asked, suddenly sounding much gentler and Saturn, in realization of what he had done, cringed visibly. Staring hopefully at the opened door as an escape, he really needed to see his father...

"Yes, but not of choice, Master Slytherin. Now please can I go? I really, really need to see my father." Without waiting for an answer and silently promising himself to apologize to the founder for his rudeness when he came back out, Saturn headed into his father's private domain. His heart clenching and unclenching in his chest as the door slid shut behind him with a hollow click, a long stretch of a narrow stone hallways enclosing him from all sides as he trudged the path towards his salvation.

"D-dad? Are you here? Are you awake? Dad?" Saturn called, breathing a sigh of relief when the chilly air and the very narrow passageway opened to a much larger and much more inviting antechamber. All trace of the dungeons fading the moment he stepped into the wider room, it was constructed much like a common room. Filled with several bookcases, ceiling to floor, two divans's facing each other around two overstuffed armchairs of black velvet. A large fireplace, already lit, flickered between a white and red glow illuminating the room along with several perfectly controlled balls of light dancing across the ceiling with perfect light.

Casting the silent figure, stretched happily in one of the armchairs, skin aglow with golden light and turning silver over the few scars Saturn could see once the black robes were dropped and the crisp white shirt beneath rolled up. A descent coffee table in dark wood was decorated with a cup of cocoa and a container of honey, several potion vials still full, standing innocently in an ascending row of size.

"D-dad?" Saturn breathed, gasping when those dark eyes snapped open at his call. Staring over the top of a large tome, carefully taking in his son's appearance with confusion before understanding dawned upon those usually severe features and they immediately softened, the dark wand that had been drawn in defence now falling to his side. Beckoning the young elf forward as he too stood. Opening his arms in invitation for a fatherly embrace, brushing long fingers, much the founder's in the portrait, through long golden locks coming undone from a long braid in the child's obvious distress of tugging at it. 

"Saturn? Whatever is the matter? Its past midnight already...are you hurt?"

"D-dad? I don't know what to do." Saturn breathed into his father's chest, hating the sound of his whining lodging in his throat only to melt the moment his father's warm, and rapidly becoming familiar, arms circled his shoulders in the comfort he had been craving since abstaining from it at his arrival at Hogwarts. The concerns that had been eating away at his soul the last few weeks and the added stress of the past three days in constant panic in anticipation of this moment and still being separated from his family, suddenly collapsed under the gentle touch of his bearer. Despite the abrupt touch of concern at the Headmaster's letter wracking undisguised shivers across his skin, Saturn felt a lump of emotion stubbornly searing across the back of his throat. Just stopping short of actually allowing water to gather at the corner of his eyes in mocking play of his stubborn control.

He would not crumble now, it was still too early in the year to shatter beneath the pressure, he would no-.

"I could perhaps answer you, my child, if you only told me what was bothering you?" Flushing in embarrassment at the sudden reminder that he had just stormed into his father's private quarters, trembling with unknown emotions without so much as offering a single reason for his visit and then falling into his arms, shamelessly taking the offered comfort like a starved child. Fumbling with his jean's back pocket, Saturn retracted a crumpled piece of parchment and tentatively handed it over to his father's fingers, already patiently extended in their wait. He raised no voice of protest as the Potions Master nodded, leading him absently over to the black velvet couch that seemed strangely familiar; sinking gratefully into the soft cushion as Saturn's sudden exhaustion pulled a stifled yawn from his lips. Only now realizing how tired he was, how exhausted these three days of a sporadic sleep affected him. 

There was not a single change in his father's expression however as he scanned the letter, glancing over the top every now and then to observe Saturn before he absently placed it back on the table after having straightened the creases as a distraction. It was within his dark eyes that Saturn saw a change though, sinking into the cushions next to his son and saying nothing for a long time. Saturn could already see that his father's brilliant mind racing through a thousand scenarios in keeping his son safe from the clutches of the Headmaster. However, it was no lie that both of them were extremely curios as to how Headmaster Dumbledore would justify his actions now that the truth was out in the open.

"D-dad?" With a sigh, Severus tugged the little elf closer to his side after having poured a cup of cocoa from the small teapot. Having sweetened it to Saturn's taste and placing the steaming cup in the elf's fingers, he watched as his child became absorbed in his drink. Saturn, now too content to move and quietly awaiting his father's answer, leaned against his shoulder with his head resting there patiently. Absently sipping at the warm, sweet liquid and glad that his father was so deep in thought that he did not even admonishing Saturn when he pulled his still socked feet onto the velvet couch beneath. Ultimately bringing him closer to the warmth that his father offered his emotionally strained shivers and wringed out nerves.

His soft golden hair brushing against Severus' shoulder and cheek as his son leaned into him, the Potions Master silently revelling in the brief touch of elation that came with every time Saturn took comfort from him; relaxing his tensed limbs deeper into the couch. His mind was a tangled mess of thousands of contradicting thoughts and plans but ultimately he knew there was no way around it. Staying silent for a while, he merely watched quietly as his son finished off his cup of cocoa and then proceeded to tug nervously at the hem of his grey and blue pullover. The indigo and bronze striped tie of his house, having come loosened over the course of the night and his rush down the dungeons gave something to distract Severus for a few seconds longer as he straightened the wayward knot.

"Dad what are we going to do?" After Saturn had found his voice once again, his forest green eyes that now glanced up at his bearer from behind tiredly drooping lashes, observed the tightening in the Potions Master jaw. Long elegant fingers curling into tight balled fists and settled awkwardly in his father lap. It was a clear indication to his forced subdued mood, his silence for a few seconds longer also hinted to the elf that the Professor was thinking through his plan one last time.

"In the end, there is nothing to do but to show up. The Headmaster may not be able to do anything whilst you are his student, but when he summons you there is also no way you can refuse."

"B-but, what if-." Saturn's protest was almost automatically silenced as the dark eyes that had quietly been observing so closely moments before, closed in exasperation. A long finger pressing against his lips to keep him silent for a while longer. With a simple wave of his hand a leather bound book came soaring into the dark wizard's hands where he kept it in his lap before eyes of the same dark green collided together in a rush of differing emotions.

"The Headmaster cannot harm you within these walls, all that he can do tomorrow is tell you the truth of why you were taken from us. I suspect that even though he has his reasons, no matter how good they are, take them with more than pinch of salt. Albus Dumbledore is known for his great ability in manipulating even the most reluctant of wizards and holding them willingly beneath his thumb." Saturn, who had allowed his mind to wander away from him now sat up a little straighter at his father's warning. The importance of his bearer's words striking a panicking cord inside of him, forcing difficult questions to the forefront of his mind. What if he couldn't keep himself from forgiving the Headmaster despite the pain he had caused? What if the reason they were going to hear was worse than they thought?

"Hush now, it does not matter what you chose to believe or not, for I will be with you every second that you are present in that office. There is no way I am going to leave you by yourself at his mercy for even an hour. You do not even have to do the talking, because you see, my little, Saturn. There is no way that only you are allowed an explanation for his conduct fifteen years past. He has a lot to answer to and despite me being not able to get Lucius to come with us, he will answer to me. He owes me at least that much for remaining loyal to him through these trying times." Saturn, still too stunned to talk turned innocent eyes upon his father's features and when he knew he was not going to get more information, he laid his head back on that strong shoulder and burrowed deeper into his father's side.

"I know this is a strange question, Saturn. But bear with me for a little while longer, just what do you know of Legilimency and Occlumency?"  

"Legilimency? I-I've never heard of it. Is it dangerous?" The Potions Professor not expecting his son to answer in the affirmative, turned his attention to the black leather bound book in his lap. Curling his long fingers across the cover, tracing absent patterns across the intricate gold writing on the cover that read quite clearly: Legilimency and Its Opposition: Occlumency by Saffron L. Strugent. Curious about the title and vaguely aware of coming across the term Occlumency in one of the many interisting books he had read in the Malfoy Manor Library the last week of his summer, Saturn waited patiently for his father to elaborate on what he was going to say. For there was no doubt that he would, even if it was reluctantly, his father had after all yet to lie to him a single time. 

"Legilimency is an obscure branch of magic, very difficult to master that the Headmaster is very proficient in. The Dark Lord also possesses that skill but that is not relevant now. However to be able to possess the ability, is to glimpse other's emotions, memories and passing thoughts before being able to interpret them as useful," Holding up his hand to silence Saturn's frantic question he could see coming, Severus continued gently. "The only way to protect oneself against the invasion of another mind is by the use of Occlumency; affectively shielding those memories and hiding them out of reach where no one could reach them despite their power."

"So the Headmaster wi-."

"I cannot say for sure that the Headmaster will be using it against you, Saturn. But I do not have the time tonight to even teach you a little bit of shielding yourself. I will give this book to you to study for a month before we attempt to build up your shields against both the Headmaster and the Dark Lord, one can never be too careful. Tomorrow though, all I can say is whatever you do, do not look directly in the Headmaster's eyes as he may not force himself into your mind whilst I am present but he can merely skim the top of your thoughts."

"Do you really think I am in danger?" Severus sighed and handed over the leather bound book to his son's long fingers, long fingers that he now noticed held the perfect length and grace of a master potioneer. If only he could get the extra time to actually sit his child down and learn where his mistakes and anxieties lay, there was a great possibility that Saturn could have inherited his father's affinity for potions with only a bit of extra refinement.

"There is no doubt that I constantly worry over your safety." Severus noted watching his son carefully as Saturn, in his inherent curiosity, flipped the cover of the book to begin perusing the introduction page already. The young elf quite surprised and abashed to find his father's fingers curling around his to close the book with a decisive snick. 

"Easy now," Severus cautioned, tugging the book from Saturn hands and laying it closed in his son's lap. "It's already past midnight and there is nothing that you can learn tonight that will help you should the Headmaster corner you tomorrow. But there is no need to worry, I will be with you and that is all that matters. Now, I believe with a nice cup of warm cocoa and a pleasant visit that it is time you crept back to your common room. I will meet you tomorrow evening at the staircase leading to the Headmaster's office an-."

"But won't he be angry that you are with me Dad? Won't he force you to leave. I don't think I can do this without you." Saturn pleaded, watching and moving automatically as his father tugged him to his feet. A hand resting between his shoulder blades ushering him towards the front door of his quarters, hushing his sudden whimper of panic before familiar arms pulled him into a gentle embrace. The young elf immediately leaned into the touch, not even protesting with abashed embarrassment when his father tugged his braid loose, ruffled his long golden locks affectionately and pressed a kiss to his forehead. 

"The rule of Hogwarts will forever remain that a student of this institution is allowed adult supervision and support when visiting the Headmaster, you do not have to be alone. Now, before you pass out from exhaustion run up to your dorms and get a good night's sleep. Rest is the only thing that will keep your strength up in facing the Headmaster, if not, then I will know that you have been reading that book all night." He warned, long fingers pointing to the book pressed against Saturn's side. Eyes closing automatically as another kiss was pressed against his forehead, exhaustion truly threatening to weigh him down completely.

A hand guided him the last few steps out of threshold and a final brush of gentle fingers tugging at a strand of hair in warning, Severus sent off his son into the night.

"Sleep well Saturn."

Saturn, newly inducted fifth year Ravenclaw, love child of Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy, tugged his summer cloak tighter around his school robes as he walked next to his new friend, Luna. The black lake, now swishing and shivering by their feet was stretching out into the distance. The giant squid's tentacles were lazily tracing patterns upon the surface of the murky waters. Forest green eyes constantly turned back to gaze upon the large celestial clock of the Astronomy Tower as if it would miraculously tell him the time now rather than showing only the date, month and the lay of the moon and stars. It was useless though so Saturn turned his attention back to Luna, who was absentmindedly throwing large pieces of fish to the giant squid as treats whilst humming a soft tuned lullaby. 

"I always thought that he was rather playful," Came her airy voice and Saturn was forced to turn back to himself, nodding quite absently at her cheerful chatter. He just could not string together a moment in his usually deep trance connecting him to nature and thus, could not relax in her warming presence at all. Despite his internal joy at being able to spend his lunch break outside, with the soft grass tickling his bare feet and the gentle lap, lapping of the water against the river bank ringing pleasantly in his ears; everything Saturn tried to calm his anxiety was not working and it was beginning to show. 

It came as a painful blow that he had barely slept the night before and despite obeying his father's orders of not reading the black leather book, he had still not gained a wink of sleep and the desperate deprivation was showing. He was ashamed that he had already slipped up in potions, nearly falling asleep over his cauldron as the fumes turned the tips of his hair sliding out of its braid, greasy and curly. Luckily his father had not called him out, merely brushed past him and with annoyance gripped the scruff of his neck to wake him before he toppled into the cauldron.

It had worked and in his sheer panic and embarrassment, Saturn was quite surprised that he had brewed the perfect potion without Draco's assistance, much to his father's delight as well. And now every time he accidentally walked past a mirror he could not help but cringe, for a thin smattering of freckles he never knew he had was now visible on his pale skin, dark circles decorated the hollows beneath his eyes and even his usually straight hair was crumbled and curling. Falling out of its braid and when he was forced to keep it loose, it had already twice accidentally revealed his pointed ears that day.

It was just pure luck that no one had seen and he had managed to cast a quick glamour to conceal them before it was too late. He just hoped that it would last until after the meeting with the Headmaster, he did not wish to reveal that particular part of his inheritance so quickly. He fought back a shiver, desperately afraid of what was to be revealed in the Headmaster's office that night. However every time his father seemed to glide past him in the corridors that day, those dark eyes were soft and filled with reassurances. Even adding more to his gentle reassurance was the fingers that gently brushed the back of his hand when no one noticed.

With a small sigh, Saturn turned his eyes towards the expanse of sky and still finding no placation, took to pacing up and down next to the lake. He was sorely tempted to summon his donor father as well but his bearer had told him that morning, just before class, that he was currently on duty for their shared master and could not come. Thus affectively shattering the small hope Saturn had found in the idea. It was not as if he did not trust his bearer, he just felt more at ease that both of his parents would be able to support him through the pain of the upcoming meeting. It was an impossibility though that he soon realized would not come to pass.

"Saturn? I think we should go. It was nice and all to visit the Giant Squid but the bell has rung two minutes ago." Letting out an undignified yelp of surprise, the young elf unceremoniously tugged Luna's hand in his and barely managed to grab their schoolbags before rushing along the considerable stretch of grass towards the castle. A pair of late students, hastily heading to their classes through a maze of corridors, left Saturn nearly dizzy with hesitation as he turned towards the third floor, classroom 3C. He was already late for his first Defence Against the Dark Arts class with having not yet had a class with the new Professor Umbridge, it was not helping with his concern. He just sent his earthly prayers to Luna who had to dangerously return to her fourth year Potions class situated in the dungeons.

"I apologize for being late Professor, I was by the lake and did not hear the bell ring." Saturn called as he entered through the dungeon like door, the entire Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw class turned their heads incredulously to look at him and his daring entrance, probably questioning his sanity in showing up late. The Professor, dressed in garish pink, however only looked at him with a saccharine smile so sweet, that it nearly made Saturn gag. A short stubby finger pointed him towards the only open desk in the front next to Padma Patil. Waving a dismissive hand at his lateness as she scrawled something on the black board before turning back towards him.  

"As you were late, but apologized so sweetly I will only take five points from Ravenclaw for the trespass Mr Malfoy, but do not let it happen again. " Saturn nodded gratefully, just glad that he was let off with so little punishment as he hastily searched his school bag to pull out his book and wand. Only to see her shaking her head disapprovingly in the corner of his eye, hastily he looked up just as she sickeningly cleared her throat and waved her toad like hand to bring the classes' attention sole attention back to her. 

"There is no need to talk!" She yelled. "There will also be no need for wands in my class, Mr Malfoy. Not for any of you. I was just about to tell the class that it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which after all, is what school is all about." Saturn openly stared at her, barely keeping back a glare as her words practically stupefied him. It was with great reluctance that he relinquished his cherry wand to his front robe pocket, instead pulling  out a piece of blank parchment and inked a quill. Finding it strangely much easier to suppress his protests unlike the rest of the class, in hopes of not gaining more unwanted attention than he already experienced. After a fierce argument echoing through the dark room, and being told not so tolerantly to read through the first chapter of Defensive Magical Theory. Saturn kept his head down, did what he was asked and soon found himself fighting off yawn after yawn as he rubbed at his bleary eyes.

The notes he had reluctantly, but studiously made on his parchment along with his own little notes scribbled hastily in the margins of his new book; brazenly correcting the author of his mistakes, Saturn was soon not able to stifle his exhaustion anymore. Biting his bottom lip in hopes of stalling the oncoming drowsiness, he knew there was a mistake in laying his head down in the middle of Chapter 3: The case of Non-Offensive Responses to Magical Attack. Just to resting his eyes for a moment and soon, not unsurprisingly, found himself drifting and sleepily dozing on his desk.

The last thing he was aware of was the new Professor's hideously pink, stout form clicking her heals across stone floor and heading away from his desk to patrol the rest of the classroom desks. It was the sharp sound of her sickening clearing throat grating at the edge of consciousness and a loud bang of hands slapping the end of his table that finally startled the pureblood elf from his dream of creating a perfect potion to please his father. Not able to immediately reign in his emotions, he glared at her for interrupting his sleep, did she not know that he had not slept at all in the last three days?

Forest green eyes soon widened in startled surprise as he came back to himself, staring into those toad like features; now gleaming with her sickening, sadistic pleasure. He shuddered at her penetrating gaze, making his stomach roil and turn, regretting the cheese sandwich he had eaten for lunch. Hastily brushing his long hair back over his shoulder where it had fallen forward over the top of his desk, Saturn sat up and blearily waited for the bomb to drop.

He did not have to wait long before he felt his world reeling on its edge, anxiety twisting his stomach and emotions gnawing at his soul all over again. 

"Really Mr Malfoy! Not only were you late for my class but now you are asleep as well? Even though I can see you have worked ahead of your peers, I also feel disrespected and slighted. Another five points from Ravenclaw Mr Malfoy, Friday night detention will be served with me tomorrow. I'll see you at seven o'clock and do not be late." The bell clanged out the last of the day's class and Saturn, who had not said a single word through her abuse, dejectedly packed away his book and parchments. Noting absently that her attitude towards him had changed, something had caused her to glare at him with such a hateful spark that he felt decidedly uncomfortable and fidgeted with his sleeve. Ignoring the disgruntled looks of his classmates, Saturn absently observed the sun now promptly hidden behind the mountains just outside the window.

His punishment could have been a lot worse.

Glancing at the clock ticking away on the classroom wall, Saturn took a deep, steadying breath and headed towards the Headmaster's Tower. Tracing his knowing steps much deeper into the castle than the third floor. Even though he was exceptionally early, there was no way he could face his common room's comfort for twenty minutes before having the heart to leave it behind again. Saturn made sure to take his time though, taking the longest route possible that he knew of and walking exceptionally slow, observing the castle as he walked on. He knew it would waste some time and when he reached the front of the gargoyle guarding the spiral staircase, Saturn had to only wait another ten minutes lost in his thoughts, before his father was striding up the corridor in a flurry of black robes. A sour look tugging his lips down into the frown and dark eyebrows furrowing with the annoyance of a tiring day. 

"You got no sleep whatsoever last night, am I right?" Severus noted and Saturn nodded ashamedly, his father's fingers pulling a lock of his curly hair towards him to observe it rumpled state with a frown. Under interrogation as to activities, his father's anger quickly dissipated once it was established that his sleep deprived son had not opened the black leather bound book yet. Saturn, just glad that his father's irritation seemed to disappear by him telling the truth, was quite surprised when the Potions Master dug into one of his robe pockets. Placed in his hand as a reward was a bottle filled with amethyst coloured potion; curling his long fingers along the crystals vial, Saturn smiled gratefully.

"Thank you Professor, now perhaps I can finally get a night's rest." The young elf knew immediately what it was and carefully placed in his robes. His fingers absently brushing the tip of his and in search of comfort. He was however when his father's deep voice called 'Chocolate Éclairs,' and the stone gargoyle slid out of the way and the staircase descended. His heart nearly jumping out of his chest when he realized that the time had come and to the young elf it felt like he was marching off to his execution. 

"We should get going Saturn. It would be better if this over with as quickly as possible." Saturn barely had a chance to find his feet and make them work before they reluctantly began dragging him up the spiral staircase. Even though his father's comforting presence was right behind with a hand pressing against his shoulder, he found his hand trembling quite severely as he knocked on the door. A clear 'enter' from a familiar voice nearly caused his heart to implode when he came face to face with the man he feared and hated the most. The betrayal he had experienced by the man's old hands was so painful that he did not wish for it to happen again.

"Ah, Mr Malfoy, Severus. I have been expecting both of you, please come in. Come in." And within those words weighed down with the weight of the world, the regret of all the world's sins, Saturn took a steadying breath and stepped into the circular office.

Silence reigned for what felt like an eternity, the tension churning the air made most of the portraits on the wall turn away and stalk out of their frames to find more obliging company. None of the occupants in the room took notice though and the youngest of the trio looked on with worried eyes as his father's arms folded across his chest in an attempt to defend himself against emotional hurt. His right hand, long elegant fingers dangerously clutched at his wand as the Potions Master fingered the tip. Clearly attempting to warn the Headmaster to not attempt to attack either of them and in that small protective stance that shielded Saturn, by standing in front of him, made the young elf breathe a small sigh of relief for another barrier.

"You owe me an explanation, Albus. You owe me a lot for what you have done for you and your cause. And. I. Want. Answers." Professor Snape's words were so softly spoken, so dangerously dripping venomous hate that Saturn, who was now longingly staring at a free chair, shivered at the deep baritone. He had never truly seen his father enraged before, not like this, where his tone was so soft one had to strain to hear his words and then promptly cowered at the menacing figure he cut against the office backdrop. 

"I know, my boy. I know." The Headmaster returned gravely, his shoulders seeming to crumple beneath their own self created weight of deception and pain. "Please sit down, Severus, Augustus. Have some tea to calm yourselves before I explain everything. I believe that young, August is probably exhausted after a tiring day. What would you like then?" Saturn, who had been too caught up in his thoughts was promptly startled with a question directed directly at him and in seeing his father was not going to take his seat; choosing stubbornly to stand behind Saturn as he slid into the soft, armchair. Saturn wearily turned his forest green eyes, hidden behind a curtain of golden hair, upon the weathered face of the Headmaster he once adored so much. The tension his silence caused in the room was so thick and oppressive that it was nearly suffocating him; making it harder and harder to breathe until a hand settled on his shoulder.

"Relax." It commanded and Saturn did, leaning back in his chair as he made sure to keep his eyes hidden behind his hair, not wishing to directly look into the Headmaster's glittering blue eyes.

"C-can I please have some cocoa instead, with honey, please?" His now feeble, soft voice seemed to snap the two older wizards out of their staring contest and in that moment, where the headmaster offered a sad, lonely smile at his inquiry, Saturn nearly forgot that he was angry at him. For staring back at him was the only grandfatherly figure that had ever been kind to him when he was at school. It was however not that hard to feel the confusion his thoughts brought to the forefront of his mind, clashing horribly with his anger and fear.

He felt suddenly queasy at the rush of conflicting thoughts.

"But of course, of course you can. When I look at you now, you are just like your father."

'Which father? I have two.' Saturn wanted to reply but said nothing in return, all he knew was the he desperately needed something to keep him busy for a few more seconds to curb the panic that was already clawing painfully at his limbs. Causing them to tremble and shake as desperate anger boiled in his stomach, fear streaking through his veins and the whispering wish to forget the betrayal as if it had never happened all left the young elf quite dazed and confused as an overly warm cup of cocoa was pushed into his hands. If it was not for the tightening hand on his shoulder Saturn was sure that he would have shattered the frail cup between his fingers without even knowing the strength now residing unnecessarily in his own hands.

"Professor?" Saturn, who had now patiently finished half of his cocoa, looked imploringly at the light dancing across those half-moon spectacles after regaining some of his control, always careful not to look into those twinkling eyes that seemed to have dulled in their reflection. "Please tell me! I know what happened. My Mu- adopted Mother, Lily, wrote me a letter that I received on my fifteenth birthday. I-I know everything. That you stole me from my real parents and gave me to the Potters after claiming my fathers were d-dead. Why?! Why did you do that?! I c-could...I could have..." Saturn trailed off, his voice cracking with emotion as his breaths were now coming in short sharp bursts that were laced with his mounting panic, reminding him that this was not fun and games anymore.

This was his new, dark reality. 

"I could have had a happy life with them, could have known my parents. B-but do you know what I regret the most, Professor?" No breathed a word at his angered question and Saturn turned his eyes away from the Headmaster to stare vacantly out the window, rapidly descending into darkness before slumping uselessly in his seat. He could feel the tears that were incessantly tickling the corner of his lashes; threatening stubbornly to break lose at any moment.

"I could have escaped the Dursley's and their abuse and been happy with my own parents, which were still alive." He trailed off, the grip that had previously been gentle and reassuring against his shoulder was now painfully tight, squeezing in anger and desperation. Saturn however did not feel it, he felt nothing but the numbness his words caused creeping across his skin. In the corner of his eye he could clearly see the Headmaster's once proud shoulders sink at his every, accusing and hurtful word. He could hear how his father's breathing, which had been calm before, now became ragged with emotion and internal suffering.

The young Ravenclaw, who had been feeling cheated in his inherent bravery, was still the only one to have had the courage to ask the questions they all knew were coming. The accusations that had still not been defended by the Headmaster, caused more pain for the young elf than he could handle. In his desperate ache, Saturn closed his eyes and leaned against the back of the chair. All the pent up emotions that had come hurtling out of his body in such a rush left him now feeling completely disjointed.

"If not for your bravery child, I know I would never have been able to face these questions. I know that I cannot answer for my own foolishness in how I acted all those years ago but in my folly, I know I destroyed not only one life but a whole family." The air in the Headmaster's office seemed to turn cold as Saturn felt his father's hand trembling against his shoulder. "It was Christmas night, 1980, merely five months since your strained birth at St Mungo's when I interviewed Professor Trelawney for the Divination Professorship and in the middle of our interview, she made a prophecy. A prophecy so accurate that I was afraid of it. It involved you and Tom Riddle." Here, Saturn could hear the hitch in the Headmaster's voice.

"She foretold that the Dark Lord would mark a child born at the end of July, as his equal. And in my inherent, stupid selfishness I knew that if Riddle was to so much as suspect his greatest Death Eaters of bearing and birthing that child into the world, the punishment would not only be severe but fatal for us all. I did what I thought was right and entered Malfoy Mansion on the 27th when Severus and Lucius travelled into Diagon Alley." There was a marked silence and Saturn could practically feel his father vibrating with rage now and as reality sunk in, he too felt anger and confusion as he rested his head in his hands, a desperate ache was pushing up against his forehead.

"I will forever regret what happened in that cottage." And for a moment Saturn thought he could believe it. "The young nurse, so young and vibrant, put up such a fight that I underestimated my disarming spell. She hit the back of her head against the marble changing table and snapped her neck, by the time I reached her it was far too late and worst was you, little August. Wailing so loudly that I feared Narcissa would wake and come to investigate, I apparated to Gordic's Hollow where Lily and James had just agreed to take you in."

"But you lied! H-how could you ask them to take me in, they couldn't provide me more protection that Professor Snape and Lord Malfoy! They died, they died to save me, thinking that I was an orphan that they had taken into the depths of their hearts..." Saturn trailed off, the empty cup of cocoa shattering against the wall where he suddenly threw it in a rage. How was his father so calm? How was the Headmaster making it so hard for him not to forgive him? He just couldn't take it, his whole life was a mess and even if the Headmaster had sought to protect all three of them, three innocent people were still dead because of him. And the death toll could only rise from here.

Voldemort finding out that he was not missing and the son of two of his most 'loyal' Death Eaters was way worse now that it would have been when he was just born and still an innocent babe and he told that to the Headmaster, clutching desperately at his long strands of hair as he fought off the nightmarish images constructing themselves in front of his clenched eyelids. He was barely even able to keep control of the sobs that were lodging themselves in his throat. He just couldn't take this calmly, his hand was scrambling for his wand but before he could use it, a hand closed over his.

Calamity reigned over him now, he could not control it.

"Hush, calm down." He didn't, fighting the restraints as he stood suddenly.

"H-how can you be so calm Dad?! How can you-." He saw desperate pain ignite in those dark eyes, now nearly black with emotion as a hand around his waist kept from falling to the floor in despair.

"Calm yourself child, what I have to say to the Headmaster has no place touching your ears." And to emphasize his point there was a gentle press of a kiss against the tip of his ear that was now exposed. "But the truth, the truth we have now will set the path of the future. So off you go to the Great Hall, Saturn whilst I finish this. I can see your conflict more clearly than you can understand and you will not survive the rest of the words." Reluctantly Saturn accepted the hand that pushed him towards the door, sadly grateful that he would not have to hear more but stung that his father did not trust him to control himself to the end of the meeting.

"I am truly sorry, August and I hope that perhaps one day, you can forgive me." Saturn heard the parting words but did not acknowledge him, he was too confused and deeply buried within his pain and sorrow. How could this man, which had meant so much to him, done something so profound that three lives were lost in protecting him? It made him numb on the outside as his feet carried him through the castle, the Headmaster's office door slamming shut before he could so much as make out what his father's now rising voice was saying.

There was no way he could go to the Great Hall for dinner, so instead he just walked through the castle in a daze of regret, would it all perhaps have been better If he had never been born? Would the world not have been a better place had Voldemort never even lived? He thought so but in his pain there was nothing he could do against it, the pain was too much and whilst he reached the fifth floor he climbed the staircase and numbly answered the brass eagle before entering the room. If he was hungry, he could venture down to the Kitchens later but right now he needed to go outside without anyone knowing where he was.

Grabbing his Invisibility Cloak, Saturn headed for the Black Lake a second time that day. Where he had found some calm that afternoon, he hoped that the embrace of nature would offer a brief reprieve of comfort before he drifted off to a dreamless sleep that night. When the tears finally came, he let them come. Leaning against the bark of an old elm tree that was gently whispering in his ear, whispers he could not understand that night but when the heavy bows bent towards him in a large embrace, brushing leafy fingers across his abdomen and head, Saturn leaned back and finally let everything go in a whispered prayer. 

Saturn shivered, the castle was really cold with the creeping tendrils of wind that night and he was particularly careful to avoid any dangerous attention that might follow him into the labyrinth of hallways and endless corridors down towards the basement. The young elf was not only well aware that his father would have his hide should he develop a cold upon his exhausted state, he would give him more than one detention should he get caught in the forbidden area that were the kitchens. It was a risk he had been forced to take under his father's orders and now was exceptionally careful with every foot he placed forwards into the unknown for heavens knew his luck that night was rapidly running out.

Ever since he had missed dinner in the Great Hall and had not reported to his father's quarters by nine o'clock, those of his family that knew of his absence had nearly torn apart the castle in looking for him. It had been Draco that had finally cornered him after being asked by his father to find him, who promptly informed him that the Potions Master had nearly drafted the entire Slytherin House in helping to find him. How Draco had so easily gained access to the Ravenclaw common room though, the young elf could only guess after all he had barely been back ten minutes since his time private time outside. It had been a pleasant surprise to witness the worry and concern that had lighted his brother's eyes when he had found him, especially since he and Draco had been at stubborn odds since the arrival of the Hogwarts Express at Hogsmeade Station. 

'Uncle Severus is worried sick about you! Please go and tell him goodnight before he races through the entire castle looking for you and trust me Saturn, if he should do that, you won't be happy when he is the one to find you.' Saturn had understood the words all too well and had done exactly as he was told despite his hidden trepidation. When he had pushed open the door to his father's office after being beckoned inside, he had been exceptionally glad to find that his father had not been angry at him as his brother had hinted but rather concerned about his health.

After more than twenty minutes where he had been pulled into a suffocating embrace, looked over again and again and reassured that he was real Saturn had quietly leaned against the wall and observed his father for a few minutes as he attempted to pull himself back together again and continue with his exceptionally large stack of parchment that still needed to be marked. And before Saturn could close his eyes, slide down the wall and fall asleep in his father's welcoming presence he was tugged from his daze by being led towards the door. The clock resting on the fireplace mantle already reading 10:30, despite his reluctance to let go of the comforting embrace he was offered Saturn had eventually been, with a push, forced to exit the Potions Master's office.

'You should write to Lucius, my child, he is worried about you.' With a kiss to his forehead in goodnight, Saturn walked into the corridors of the dungeons. A slip of paper allowing him still thirty minutes out of his common room clutched in his left hand as he glanced over his right shoulder.  Severus Snape, notorious for his strictness and surly demeanour had just ordered him down to the kitchens to get something to eat that night before he was to go straight to bed and drink his potion. And that was exactly where Saturn was going to now, only when his father had mentioned it had he realized that he was quite hungry once his emotions had no longer been overwhelming his thoughts.

He briefly recalled the way the pale light from the shimmering flames in the hearth had danced across his father's sallow features, and in that single moment he had known that the meeting with the Headmaster had not gone well for his beloved father seemed quite sickly in pallor and his shoulders, usually so strong and defiant, had been weighted down with the burden of the world just like Atlas had once been forced to carry the burden of the globe upon his shoulders, imprisoned next to the river of Styx. Saturn had wisely chosen not to ask and left quietly in search of the kitchens he had not visited since a year before. 

Brushing his fingers absently against the pricking scar concealed on his forehead, Saturn frowned in confusion and wondered if he should tell someone for it was terribly achy these days, especially when he dreamed of Cedric and the Dark Lord's resurrection. With a sigh, Saturn carefully arranged his hair to fall over his forehead in order to conceal the scar further should the potion his father had given him worn off by now. It was quite an internal struggle that he faced when he halted in front of the Kitchens' entrance. He could not decide if he was really hungry or if something else was making his stomach want to eat itself from the inside out.

With a sigh of resignation Saturn withdrew his right hand from his robe pocket and stuck out his long fingers to tickle the pear. The wayward fruit seemed to giggled quite delightedly at his touch before it swung open to reveal the vast kitchen plane above. His breath, quietly unnoticeable before ,now left his lungs in a surprised whoosh as hundreds and hundreds of little house-elves circled his form at once. Little fingers reaching towards him, screaming and babbling excitedly at him all at once in so many languages that the royal elf started to regret his decision to come and tried to back pedal his way out. Only to find it nearly impossible as he was surrounded from all sides. 

"Whoa! Whoa! Quiet little ones, whatever is the matter?!" Saturn yelled in concern, pulling his hair over his right shoulder where some of the little creatures had grasped a hold of the long strands and pulled to gather his attention. Wincing at the constricted feeling he felt, Saturn knelt on one knee to bring him closer to their panicking forms. This had been a lot worse than the first time he had come down to the kitchens and the time afterwards as well. The front rows of house-elves almost immediately burst into tears at his action and Saturn wondered if he had done something terribly wrong. Reaching out a hand to pat two elves heads in comfort as they babbled and bowed to him, only made him more confused and he wondered if his father had not done this on purpose as a sort of punishment for his absence at dinner. Knowing him though, this would be exactly what he would do.

A stunned silence reigned for a few more seconds before Saturn stood once again, just about ready to turn on his heal when a very familiar face stepped forward and bowed to him. His body reaching down so low to the ground that a long nose nearly touched the ground in his enthusiasm and Saturn felt a spark of happy remembrance of this elf saving him in his second year despite all the danger he had put him through in the first place. 

"Dobby is speaking for the elves in saying we are honoured young Elf Prince that you has came to visit us. The Woodlands Elves and their royalty has always been nicest to us, respected us and we wills be very happy to serves you tonight. What it is that you require of us, we wills do anything you asks?" Saturn, after a moment of registering just what had been said, was stunned into silence. Here he thought that house elves would hate him for his creature inheritance as he was so much like a human and the representation of their enslavement.

Saturn, taking a careful breath, briefly glanced around the kitchens to observe many eyes gazing at him with wonder and ware so he gathered his thoughts as best he could and pushed aside the overwhelming sense of protection their presence lit beneath his heart.  Clearing his throat, Saturn fidgeted with the bell sleeves of his robes, before he decided how to answer their imploring question whilst not offending them in anyway.

"Um, I-I wish to t-thank you very much for your kindness, my friends" Saturn began only to be forced to trail of once again as a wave of babbling words assaulted his sensitive ears. Allowing him to tilt his head to the side in an attempt to try and listen to what they were all trying to say, scream and whisper to him all at once. He could only catch a few words here and there, forcing a blush to blossom upon his pale cheeks before it once more became a muddle of words and sounds that he could not understand.

'He thanks us! He thanks us!'

'So gentle and kind! Just like his kind before him! What cans we do for him?'

'We shall serves him, only him when he asks.'

'Obey all that he asks without questions.'

"Thank you! But please I do not want to keep you from your work for the castle so would you mind perhaps if I ask for just a simple cheese sandwich and the delicious slice of your strawberry and cream sponge cake?" Silence was not long in staying to make a home but such a simple and polite request was all that it took for them to once again rush through the kitchens on their own little tasks as they placed his request before him with a jug of freshly squeezed pineapple juice, seconds within his asking for it. With another quiet 'thank you' Saturn turned towards his impromptu meal and nibbled gratefully at the freshly baked bread and warm cheese as it melted across the buttery surface.

Being so caught up in his thoughts and finished his sandwich, Saturn was just about to place his fork into the piece of desert before his head whipped around to stare wide-eyes as the kitchen entrance was opened for a second time that night. In a panic, Saturn was about to dive under the large table but it was too late, his blonde hair had already been seen as two identical faced peaked beneath the surface of the table.

"Well now, look at what I found! This is certainly not what we expected when we sneaked down here for a late night snack." A very familiar face noted amusedly and Saturn, flushing in his embarrassment, hid behind his long strands of hair as he sat in front of his lovely piece of cake once again. Not sure whether to ignore the twins or actually acknowledge them but something was also holding him back. What if they recognized him? Knew that his life had been nothing but a lie and he also wanted nothing more than to regain their friend-.

"Is it Gred?" Fred asked and offered a strangely welcoming smile to the young elf that was now trying to disappear, quietly declining another cheese sandwich from two eager elves that hovered around his seated form.

"No, 'tis not dear Forge. A Malfoy in the Kitchens, polite to elves. Someone can whack me over the head with a bludger and I would not believe it. But then again, a Malfoy in Ravenclaw, studios, keeping to himself and speeks little. You are alight Saturn, you are alright..." Saturn, who's hand halted halfway to his lips with a morsel of cake, stilled midair when his left hand was taken into Fred and then George's grip before being shook vigorously. The force nearly making him drop his cake before he could offer a sincere smile and a genuine 'thank you'.

"Now, as a newly established acquaintance, I wonder if you are willing to buy some of our new products. The Skiving Snack boxes is all that you will ever need in escaping from class. And as an esteemed Ravenclaw yourself, one can every once in a while escape from all the expectations of class if you really need it to study for another test..." Saturn smiled, finishing off his pineapple juice  before offering some to his newly established friends. His elation at being accepted once again by the twins as an acquaintance meant more than being scorned by them like Ron seemed to be bent on showing him every time he walked past him in the hallway.

The conversation came easy between the three of them and Saturn soon found a new admiration for their business sense and inventing abilities, so much so that he actually openly complimented them and the ingenious intuition. He had always been so busy with the rest of the world and his own problems that he had scarcely had time to even talk to the twins like this and as time ticked by Saturn was surprised that it near midnight when their conversation finally wound down. With a smile and a wave over his shoulder, Saturn whose hair had been braided like a circled upon his brow once again in extra precaution in hiding his scar, slid down his shoulders to tickle his arms as he headed for the door. Shaking off the hands that seemed to have gripped a hold of the strands in wonder.

"I am sorry about the loss your of friend, but going what my brother had told me and I understand of Potter's personality, I am sure that he would have wanted you to chase your dreams. And going by the ingeniousness of your ideas and dream to run a joke shop, I would invest myself but as I know you do not like Malfoy money, I will instead encourage you to continue forward. Yet for now I better get to bed. If my 'Mum' knew I was still out of bed, I would be dead by sundown tomorrow." At their delighted laughter Saturn breathed a sigh of contentment. He had had such a terrible day and had forgotten just how much these two busy bodies could cheer him up should his life crumble beneath his fingers.

"Till next time, Fred, George. I shall ask my father if there is any open shop in Diagon Alley for you to use when I owl him next. I'm glad I have met you." And with that he disappeared through the portrait hole and stealthily headed towards the spiral staircase of the fifth floor, feeling as if nothing could damper his mood. Not even the detention he had to serve with Umbridge.

"You seem happier today, Saturn. Did the sandman visit a good dream upon you? I always thought that he was a gentle creature that loved to play with our emotions." Luna's airy murmur called Saturn out of his trance like state, forcing him to look over the top of his black leather bound book of Legilimency and Occlumency, where he reclined on one of the common room divans. Luna, who was sitting on the ground by his feet with her homework spread around her in crumpling pieces of parchment and chewing the edge of her quill, stilled the young elf's elated humming to stunned surprise. The resonance of his soft singing voice suddenly bathing the common room in an excruciating silence that seemed to lift the other occupants' heads from their books at the loss to stare at him in confusion, askance in why he had stopped.

Looking at the extensive notes spread across his lap, Saturn once again flicked his forest green eyes towards his peacefully reclining friend that leaned against his legs in search of comfort only she could find in him. The young elf had truly come to enjoy these little times of companionship they managed to steal from the busy schedule of their lives and her whimsical smile of happiness, lighting now her astoundingly beautiful features made his heart flutter in his chest as he offered her an equally brilliant smile and absently stared at the clock mounted on the wall. 

Only fifteen minutes was left of his brief reprieve of happiness and comfort before he was expected in Professor Umbridge office and his anxiety that had been building through him since the confrontation with the Headmaster yesterday, had left him strung out and emotionally upset. There was no doubt though that Luna had miraculously made an exhausting day good. And her continued presence by his side, despite the glares and murmurs from the students in Saturn's year of their strange relationship, made it even better.

His brief happiness that day, as he reflected upon the meeting in the kitchen with twins the night before, had seen Saturn through a tiring day where he surprisingly spent most of it in a trance like state of elation at nature's breath in his ear and the prospect of two new friends peaking on the horizon. Managing only enough control to pay attention to pass from class to class without getting into trouble. 

"Hn, I just had a good day today and perhaps the Dreamless Sleep Potion has also helped me in getting the rest I have been missing." He returned in his own airy voice. Surprised how easily it came to him to become so detached from the world, turning off all the pain in his despondency and honestly if he had been truly paying attention he would have seen that through his theoretical potions class that morning, his father's self-same coloured eyes never truly straying far from him in desperate concern at his state of being. But he had not and remained woefully ignorant as to the world around him, had not even heard Draco call out to him in the hallways once.

"I can see that the Wrackspurts have been feeding off your dark emotions, perhaps I shall go ask the House Elves if they have some Dirigible Plum juice for you. It should help, it always has for me." Yet, before she could stand up to head for the Kitchens, Saturn rested a firm hand on her shoulder and stood. Closing his book with a snap as he swung his heavy book-bag over his shoulder, hiding the seemingly dark vellum in one of the many compartments of his messenger bag before he leant down to boldly place a chaste kiss at the top of her head. Catching the sweet scent of hair as it tickled his nose in sweet orchids and coconut, a combination so heady that he closed his eyes briefly in rapture before hiding his flaming embarrassment at his action. Turning away quickly lest she see his flushing cheeks and suddenly fidgeting fingers. 

Where he had gotten the impulse to act on his instinct he did not know but it felt as if his heart was going to leap out of his chest when Luna, who had been lost in thought before, now seemed to awaken to reality and offered him a genuinely happy smile. She had not been affronted at all and took his strange display of affection in stride as she too gently patted the top of his left hand just as he made to pull away. The affection between them seemed to have been growing exponentially since their first meeting on the train and Saturn was lost in a different type of elated trance as he exited the common room, yet before the door closed behind him there was a call for him.

"Be careful Saturn, Professor Umbridge is worse than an infestation of Blibbering Humdingers!" He heeded her words, quite lost in his trance as he replied absently.

"Thanks Luna, I'll make sure to be extra careful." And after seeing one last brilliant smile from her at his small reassurance, Saturn descended the staircase and stepped down the last step and onto the second floor where he would be serving detention with the DADA Professor. The only Professor that year that seemed to have already procured the hatred of the entire school, worse than any of the students that hated his father. The young elf felt a twinge at that, for none of them knew the kindness and compassion that the Potions Master hid so well from the world. He did not care though, for even though there was an inkling gnawing inside of him that her punishments would be worse than anything the surly Potions Master could come up with, he boldly faced the dungeon like door and knocked. His heart, still soaring from the sweet kiss did not plummet and he carefully schooled his features to not show his flushed features and happy countenance.

The clock had just struck eight o'clock on the dot when she called for him to enter with her sickeningly sweet voice. And Saturn, reluctantly but very careful, stepped inside the office as to not worsen her opinion of him. The sudden elation of his mood that he had carefully built up over the last few hours, practically vanished in a second as he stared disgustedly at the bright fluorescent pink that assaulted his retinas and burned into his brain. Dear Merlin! He was going to go blind and if he were paying any attention to his own reaction, he would have quickly wiped the expression off of his face but he was too distracted by her own sickeningly sweet smile to notice.

With a mere irritated wave of her hand she directed him towards the table and chair in front of her desk.

"A, Mr Malfoy! Punctual this time I see, at least you have long enough of an attention span to learn one lesson since our last encounter. I just hope that you will walk away here tonight with another lesson sunk into your mind. Now, please have a seat so that we can begin." Saturn, who had been fighting with his internal instinct to bite back venomly at her sadistic tone, kept back his dark retort of sarcasm before it could bubble across his lips unchecked with the reminder in his mind to stay low this year.

"What will you have me do Professor?"

"Lines, Mr Malfoy. Only Lines."

'Keep calm, keep calm and remember Dad! She is vindictive and will hurt him should she ever find out.' He reminded himself sternly, clenching his teeth and grinding them painfully as a piece of parchment was conjured on his desk with the wave of her wand. Her punishment did not seem worse than what he had known but something in the room was making him decidedly uncomfortable. He had to forcibly calm himself as he dug through his bag for a fresh quill only to stall at her clearing throat.

He really hated that, a dark frown decorating his features as he pulled his hand into his own lap.

"Oh no, Mr Malfoy. There will be no need to for you to retrieve your own quill. You can use mine, the black one to your right." Frowning at the sudden glee invading her voice, Saturn picked up the aforementioned quill with obvious suspicion. It was a long cylindrical shape with no feather and the moment his long fingers curled elegantly across the black quill he hissed at the burning sensation that numbed his arm entire arms and settled heavily against his heart. The tip was uncommonly sharp and looked somehow more threatening than it probably was, especially now that the magic he felt licking across his skin was carefully and purposefully undoing his previous mood. 

"W-what shall I write, Professor?" Saturn stuttered, not liking the way his breath seemed to become heavy in his chest. She however, seemed to observe him intently for a moment before pouring herself a cup of tea as if nothing was wrong and the child she was observing before her was not one that she had found an inherent hatred for. 

"I have recently come across some interisting information, Mr Malfoy." She began, tugging Saturn's attention back to her again as he looked up. "And regardless of your status as a Malfoy. A silly and embarrassing love child of Lucius Malfoy no less, dabbling in the Dark Arts at Durmstrang, living off of your father's fortune and harbouring filthy blood;  I shall not tolerate you tainting their exceptional blood purity with a creature inheritance. The stain of your whorish mother seems to have come through in you, where your mother no likely seduced your father as elves are known to do." Saturn, who had been listening to these words felt his breath stall in his throat. If she knew what it was that she was saying, she would be losing her job as both a ministry worker and a teacher and the boiling anger he felt building in his veins was enough to make his blood ring painfully in his ears.

"You will thusly write: I am a half-blood freak." Saturn, showed, with increasing difficulty,  no outward change but inside his entire body was in tumult that was throwing off his entire equilibrium of a good day. What worried him the most was just how she had found out about his creature blood when he had gone to such extensive length to hide it from the world. 

Defiantly he straightened his back and picked up her quill to hover over the parchment in a brief lapse of hesitation. It was too easy, he realized. This was not a battle of discipline, it had nothing to do with breaking school rules and showing disrespect. This was a bid to humiliate him, shatter his spirit and break his resolve to live with his new family. And it would work had he not lived through so much humiliation his whole life. So with determination he knew that he would not have it! Not now, not ever and determined to throw her off balance in her smirking, satisfied features of a toad who had just eaten a flat fly, Saturn offered his own smirk of condense dance and made as if the words she had just spoken had no profound effect on him at all.

When in reality, Saturn knew it was much too close to home in his vast expanse of abuse and personal insecurity.

"How many lines, Professor?" He asked calmly, testing out the tip of the quill too see it not making a mark on the parchment. With a frown he was forced once again to look upon her smug features. Yet before he wrote a single word, he kept his attention focused solely on her. Hoping that she could feel the hatred rolling off of him in waves and yet, she did not shift at all. Seeming to enjoy his desperate anger and the touch of fear she could note in the depths of his ever dark eyes that were like bottomless pits, so cold and distant that it was almost impossible to see any emotion at all, she smirked and giggled softly in delight.

"Untill the message really sinks in Mr Malfoy, that you do not deserve your great heritage. Oh, and there is no need to concern yourself, you will not be needing any ink at all." 

I am a half-blood freak. He wrote, wincing at the sudden sharp and painful sensation digging and dragging into the back of his left hand. Dark eyes watching detachedly as the words appeared on the parchment stained in such a deep red that it could only have been his blood, the words he had just written appearing simultaneously on the back of his hand in a sickly red colour. The perfect reflection of his written words now leaking blood  in the carefully placed cuts. Saturn understood it now, this detention was going to eventually break him but for now he would stubbornly cling to the last of his remaining control. The cuts healed themselves but left a decidedly smarting red patch on his skin. Abraded and hurting with every brush of his robe sleeve as Saturn bit his lip to keep himself from lashing out at her in desperate anger.

He would get through this, he would not break. Not so early in the year and not even a sadistic toad could break him, not with pain for he had lived with it in his life for too long, understood those who used it for power too well and was not afraid to liken her to Voldemort in the glee she seemed to gain from his internal suffering. For there was no doubt Saturn was suffering, wanting nothing more than to fall into his Dad's arms and wait for his father to come and visit him. He was already so exhausted and the sweet moments of affection and friendship he had stolen with Luna earlier that day seemed to evaporate as quickly as it had come. The further he wrote, the deeper the etches of the words were carved upon his hand and he shuddered with heartbreak, dark and dangerous emotions building up inside him that would be no good should his mind ever try to execute them.

He needed his Dad but he was too afraid to get him into trouble with this evil, vindictive witch.

"Let me see Mr Malfoy." Saturn, exhausted by enduring the pain for such a long period of time, stood shakily from his seat and boldly stalked towards her desk to show her triumphantly his left hand. Her finger deliberately digging into the bleeding cuts on his hand that spelled out the words, 'I am a half-blood freak'. The young elf did not even flinch when the pain that assaulted his hand burned anew through his body and mind. Her ugly, sneering eyes observed his own emotionless black ones deeply before she let go and picked up her own quill to continue marking essays as if nothing was wrong. Saturn's desperate anger reached a new fever pitch and scowling deeply, he fingered his wand that was hidden up his sleeve quite deliberately. Debating whether he should hex her and risk expulsion from Hogwarts or bite back with his sarcastic words instead; risking more detentions than just this one...

What would his father do should he know?

"I see that it has sunk in well, but not deep enough yet. You may go Mr Malfoy, I shall see you back here next week so that we can continue." Saturn winced suddenly at the pain of his nails digging into the palm of his hand, biting his tongue in hopes of holding himself back. For Dad, for Dad, for Dad, only for Dad will I endure! He repeated in his mind like mantra of hope that would see him though his boiling anger that had been simmering ever since the day before. Yet, for once in his life, it was not working. He was losing it as he grabbed his book-bag and slung it over his shoulder with probably more force than was truly necessary. Valiantly fighting back the sudden flood gate of emotions that was rapidly crumbling under the last of his resolve.

Feeling quite thrown off balance when he wished to cry in anger, wail his deep frustration and to his own frustration not being able to hold back anymore, Saturn halted menacingly in the doorframe. His streaming golden hair, that had always been like a halo, was now in itself seeming more dangerous than ever as it swayed with the slight breeze.

"May I say something Professor?" He asked sweetly, humming a little beneath his breath as he rebuilt the walls surrounding his emotions from scratch. He was going to regret doing this but he could no longer hold back, not anymore. With a tug on his bottom lip he steeled himself for what he was about to do, something that he would not be proud of later.

"You may Mr Malfoy but after that I suggest you return to your dorm, it is after midnight and I am sure that students are not allowed out of their beds this late." Steeling himself, Saturn recalled the hurtful words that she had spoken against his family and straightened his shoulders in preparation for breaking his inner vow. He knew he was going to regret this but the once hidden Gryffindor and Slytherin qualities of biting back were driving him forward, there was no stopping him as he lifted his head to glare at her with the most deadly gaze he could afford, delighted in seeing her stare at him with a tint of fear. His figure, even though small and elf like, was not much but the sudden aura that swirled around his feet and engulfed his entire being was as deadly as they came. Shadowing and channelling both the power and control his fathers were both known for and executed so well over others.

It was a heady feeling, this control that crept across his skin like a gentle caress of an old friend. 

"At Durmstrang, Professor we may have studied the Dark Arts in classrooms, books and practical's. However, at least there wands were allowed in the classroom so that we knew how to defend ourselves should the Dark Lord ever rise again. And trust me Professor he will rise again, lest he has not already as Mr Potter has claimed so bravely last year." Saturn remarked bitingly, bitterness lighting his condescending tone as his robes swirled around his feet when he turned on his heel. "Never once was there an incompetent, filthy little toad dressed in pink that spied for the ministry in my distinguished school of Magical Arts in Europe." He scowled, his mutter loud enough so that she could hear him clearly. He kept his composure though, even though he was sure that his fingernails had drawn blood already where they dug painfully into the flesh of his wrist. 

"Tut, tut Professor. I am deeply disappointed in not only you but your woefully incompetent Minister of Magic but your ineptitude in controlling children in your class is the worst I have ever seen." Saturn sneered  to himself, not once glance over his shoulder even though he knew that she was aware of the disgusted, aloof expression he was making. He was also aware of the raging anger that would be crossing her features and it would only make her uglier and more deadly than before. So  instead, he straightened his back with a new found power and determination and waved impertinently over his shoulder as if what he had said had not happened at all. His footsteps carried him hastily away from the door should she really chase after him and challenge him to a duel.

He could already hear her heeled shoes echoing over the stone flood as she followed him at a startling pace for her prim and proper 'manners'.

"That is another two weeks of detention for you MALFOY! Impertinence to a teacher, disrespect to the Minister! I will have all of your blood one day! ALL OF IT! YOU HEAR ME! ALL OF IT!" Saturn chuckled, she did not scare him. He had faced much worse and had survived, still standing if not a little worse for wear. Besides the fresh, sharp pain from the quill cutting into his skin that night had been so refreshing, so pleasurable knowing that doing it without showing any form of outward reaction was driving her insane. She, who so desperately wanted to shatter him, to see him break under the abuse. He knew that her retaliation would be worse than ever, something that he was suddenly very aware of with the numbing pain in his left arm in the stain of dark magic.

"I look forward to it, Professor!" He yelled over his shoulder, throwing her a disarming smile before catching a brief glimpse of her blotchy, flushed features filled with rage and anger as she shook her toad-like fist in his direction probably vowing his eternal revenge. Daringly he waved at her, his wand threateningly clasped between his fingers before he rounded a corner and walked deeper into the castle. His shoulders once again growing heavy with another weight added to his desperate concerns and pains.

As if he would not know how to protect himself against people like that. The mocking smile slid almost immediately off of his strained features as he protectively brought his hand towards his chest. Even though he had won that round against her, he knew that he had just done something incredibly stupid once again and if he got out of it alive, he would be fairly lucky if his fathers did not kill him first. Especially Severus, yes his bearer was going to murder him should he find out. However, knowing people like Umbridge, despite her being sadistic, she would not risk getting herself fired in bragging of her triumph over a Malfoy. No, she would keep quiet, even about keeping him in detention. 

Making enemies now was not a good thing and neither was getting on the wrong side of her, but the things she had said had truly hurt him and even though Saturn had vowed with his life to keep it secret to protect both his fathers, he did not know exactly how long he was going to be able to hide his newly deepening scars from wondering eyes. With a wince, he rounded another corner and leaned heavily against an open window seat to briefly stare at the cloudy night sky as he breathed the cold air deeply. His hand was hurting again and his head was swimming through a dark murky lake of conflicting emotions as Saturn pulled back his sleeve to observe the severity of the wound. The light from only the stars as a new moon was black in the sky, left him quite disconcerted and disconnected with the world.

The despondency he had been feeling since his arrival at Hogwarts was getting much worse.

Blood was sluggishly leaking from the still open cuts, staining the edge of his white cuffs deep, bloodied red before he brought his wand to the wound and whispered a quick healing spell that his father had taught him when he had cut himself in the Woodlands of Malfoy Manner. However, it did not work. With a tired sigh, he waved his wand and transfigured a white bandage from a piece of lint on his robes and wrapped up the wound as best he could, hoping that it would close over night and that his father would not inquire about the white piece of cloth tomorrow should it still be needed.

Just when he finished pulling his bell sleeve over the bandage to conceal it from prying eyes, he was viciously startled from his reverie by a pair of hands clapping his shoulder and familiar voices calling to him delight and surprise. A scream that Saturn could barely hold back, died on his lips by the quick and violent way in which he was forced to come back into awareness. Two very familiar faces hovered before him with equally concerned looks before it spread into brilliant smiles that nearly blinded him with its intensity. Sucking in a short, sharp breath before tugging at his bottom lip Saturn stood away from the alcove and whispered frantically in questioning to their sudden appearance.

"What hell are you doing? You'll get into trouble its past midnight already!" Their smiles did not fade at his accusing tone but merely seemed to stretch their faces as they laughed. He cringed at the volume and practically begged them to keep it down, his heart was already racing so much that his knuckles had turned white as he clutched his wand in defence. They had been lucky that he had not been all aware of his surroundings otherwise they would have been hexed, cursed or even jinxed by now. He however, let out his own indigent squawk when the hands that rested on his shoulder moved lower to his back and began guiding him away from the lonely alcove and towards the stairs that would take him to his common room.

"Oh, hush now. Don't get you knickers in a twist, Malfoy. We often stalk the halls at night, looking for younger years to prank, only..." Fred trailed off, waiting for his twin to pick up where he left off.

"...we never expected once to find one of the worlds purest of blood wizards taking on a toad with such boldness!"

"I have never been so proud, George!"

"Neither have I Fred, we now have an honorary Gryffindor with the slick style of a Slytherin!"

"We shall forever support you, Saturnus! All hail of Ravenclaw Emperor!" They intoned together, and Saturn who had been looking from one to other as they took turns in completing their ideas, absently smiled at them as he frantically tried to calm the excessive beating of his heart. He had never expected for another student to be out so late at night and now they had heard his anger, but then again he reminded himself that they were in the Kitchens the night before as well. Testing the boundaries of the new disciplinary system that Umbridge instilled into the school and being downright careless as he thought.

But in that moment where he was sure his trembling hands and numb limbs were going to collapse under him, they could not have shown up at a better time. Because even though their touch keeping him steady was light and soft, it kept him from falling over and sprawling on the floor in an undignified manner. With a shuddering breath though, he looked from one pair of blue to another with slight trepidation. Hoping that they did not notice the sudden panic that seemed to want to break through the surface of his control.

"Unfortunately Saturn, we can only take you so far. We shall look for your tomorrow, perhaps a few of our Pucking Pastilles will get you out of one of her detentions." George said thoughtfully and Saturn nodded, staring apologetically at the brass eagle knocker that looked at him with a narrowed glare before spreading its wings and flapping them irritably.

"When young I am in the sun, when middle aged I make you gay, when old I am valued more than ever." The eagle barked and Saturn smiled, he and one of his classmates had gotten this one  a few days ago and he answered quite confidently, 'wine', before the door creaked open and two sets of eyes observed him quite enviously that he got the answer so quickly. Yet at their gay goodnight, Saturn offered a wilting smile before climbing the staircase to his dormitory. He was shivering and whether it was in exhilaration of anguish he did not know but when he ran cold water over the wound before going to bed, it helped to calm his panic and sooth the pain. Not once questioning their presence as he slipped off to an exhausted sleep, hoping his nightmare would be kept at bay that night.

Emerald green eyes, flashing a deep, dark colour with different emotions, settled upon the spread of the Forbidden Forest stretching before him into the everlasting distance. After making doubly sure that no one had followed him outside or saw him heading towards the edge of the forest, Saturn closed his eyes and slipped into the expanse of dark, olden trees that reached their tendril-like hands in his direction.  Marvelling at the coolness beneath their canopies and shivering at the magic that tickled his skin. Making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as the forest's voice started calling to him in a gentle, beckoning manner. With a sigh he briefly stared through the gaps in the tall tree canopies to look towards the sky; the clouds were fluffy and white that morning and the threatening atmosphere of rain and cold had strangely vanished with the rising of the sun.

He had woken that morning to a throbbing ache reaching across the expanse of his hand, which had overnight stained the white bandage with spots of blood as it had dried and started to slowly heal. However, it was a sad fact that his hand would never properly heal if Umbridge kept him in detention for more than three weeks. So with a small sigh, he was well aware that he was going to have to begin to prepare himself for the constant pain and ache in his left hand, even incapacitating him to some extent. He just hoped that the tendons would not be severed or severely damaged by end of the year. And in his preparation, Saturn knew that he going to have to need some time alone in the forest to recollect himself.

So after a quick breakfast in the Great Hall, keeping the white bandage concealed by wearing one of his longer sleeved jumpers to ward against the autumn chill, Saturn had told Draco and his father in passing that he was going to be outside for the rest of the morning. Whether it was to finish some of his homework, work on getting through the intensive Occlumency book or writing a letter to his father they did not ask. He had only received the raise of an eyebrow and a nod, and the reason why he had told them in the first place was so that they would not come looking for until lunchtime. He did not want to be bothered by the concern that he would to be searched for in a panic as to his whereabouts. 

With a simple wave and a quiet goodbye to Luna, who had propped herself in the library to study for a class test, he stepped outside with the last promise to attempt to help her in understanding DADA better and walked into the sunshine outside. Glad to find that most of the students had decided that today was a good day to stay inside or away from the forest, Saturn made his way inside the forest where he presently found himself. The grass was exceptionally soft beneath his feet, his hair that he had kept loose that day, was haphazardly being tugged by the soft breeze that was also rustling the leaves of the trees. The awareness of his thoughts and emotions shifted instead to connect with the call of nature drawing him closer and deeper into the forest. 

Keeping in mind that there were still many dangers present in the large forested area, Saturn did not stray too deep. Keeping to the path that Hagrid had tread into the grounds for many, many years. He only strayed from that path as he noticed a small clearing of brilliant green grass and multi-coloured flowers to his left. His bare feet tickled by the clovers popping up from the grass as a bush of elderflower tugged him closer towards it, Saturn did not turn back. He had no intention to go away, not quite yet. All he desperately needed now and yearned for intensely was his harp, but it was but a shallow wish as he was not at home with his fathers.

No, he was at school where he was desperately struggling to stay afloat and ahead of his classmates. Instead, the young elf allowed for the call of nature to overwhelm him as he stretched out on the long grass. Forest green eyes turning skyward to observe the tops of the trees as the grass and small, weed-like flowers, tickling his ears and toes as his buried his fingers in the strands of emerald green. He was more surprised than he ever was when several flowers of differing colours, even a bunch of lilies, sprung up in close proximity of his position and in hopes of cheering his mood. Singing out to him softly, lulling him into a comfort only he could feel brush through his hair like that carding fingers of his father when he was in distress. 

Ignoring the sudden surprise of whispering flowers and gentle comforts, Saturn sat up against an elm tree and pulled out the shrunken contents of his pocket. A bottle of green ink, a large quill constructed of an eagle owl feather and a fresh, clean piece of parchment. The tip of the feather tickling his nose as he brushed it across his lips from side to side in contemplation of what to write to his father. Knowing that only the first week of school had crept by, and yet to Saturn it felt like a lifetime had passed him by without his knowing. So, out of boredom and want to write a good letter, he emphasized it in his letter, being very careful to not place any dangerous information in his words, or to alert his father that he was having some trouble readjusting into his life. What he did enjoy though, was telling his father of all the delights and joys he found in his newly established Ravenclaw House, the lay of common room and how the Slytherins did not seem to mind his presence all that much when he wanted to stay close to Draco.

In fact, they seemed to have almost adopted him into their ranks, making sure to be nice to him in the corridors and when they passed him by.

And Luna, he had so much to write about his new friend and the strange brushes of emotions surrounding her that when he finally reached the end of his long letter, Saturn was greatly surprised that he had almost written one and a half feet of parchment with great enthusiasm. He was glad though, the flow of words and putting some of his enthusiasm and happiness with Luna in the letter left him feeling lighter and more at ease with himself than ever before. He did not even spared a single thought to Ron and Hermione, who seemed to have gained a new way of avoiding a 'Malfoy' at all costs. And the few times that they did pass him, they would not look him in the eyes, would not speak to him except for a deep glare of hate and Saturn no longer struggled with keeping himself aloof and distant in their presence, reminding himself that the knowing would only place a strain on his relationship with his new family.

And just as he was signing off the letter with a great flourish to his name, Saturn nearly jumped out of his skin at the touch of a soft and cool nose against his hand, several whiskers tickling his skin before he had time to look over the masterpiece of prose resting in his lap. Looking up from his work, he could see three rabbits sitting around him, all differing in colour with tails so fluffy and split in two that the young elf gave a cry of surprise and delight, these were magical hares. Very rare, very pure and so gentle. Especially their fur, it is said to have contained healing properties. His hand the absently rolled up his scroll before tying it with an emerald green ribbon and sealing it. 

"New friends! I did not know I was going to be visited today of all days, please don't be shy. I won't hurt you." He murmured softly, cooing at them to bring them closer to him and smiled in delight when two of the bolder leporidae jumped into his lap and nuzzled his abdomen for attention. Saturn who had taken off his jumper hours before at the stifling heat in the clearing, now sat quietly with a short sleeved polo shirt of emerald green, basking in the affection they visited upon him and offered him by nuzzling his hands with their twitching noses. They may have been only a few who were brave enough to come close to him but Saturn was glad that they had. His fingers never strayed far from their soft fur as he hummed a sweet melody to himself and to them to calm his nerves and emotions that were just bubbling beneath the surface.

When it came time to return to the castle though, the air had turned cooler and the sun was not as bright as before. It seemed that the clouds had multiplied and darkened, once again bringing forth a foreboding of rain that Saturn was forced to ignore. Saying goodbye to his newly made friends, who hopped away into their little holes and burrows, Saturn headed instead for the Owlary and to send off his letter. His mind straying back to the sudden shivering mist that seemed to engulf the forest from which he had just come from. In the moments he walked out of the Forbidden Forest, the dark mists of unrest had started to multiply again. And with a lingering sigh, a pang in his heart at observing Hedwig so alone on one of the school perches now, Saturn greeted her with a great guilt building in his heart.

Silently berating himself for forgetting about her presence in his life for the last few weeks, forgetting the comfort her companionship had always offered him when the Dursley's got terrible in their abuse. She seemed to still recognize him though as she landed on his shoulder, having difficulty in tugging at his long golden hair affectionately before obediently holding out her leg for the letter. Which Saturn tied with a gentleness shared only between Wizard and Familiar. She gave a soft hoot and stared at him with bright amber eyes as Saturn fought back another flash of emotions. He shivered though, sure that someone else would soon walk up here and realize that he was petting Potter's snowy owl as if it was his own. So with a soft whisper of:

"I am sorry girl, for not being able to see you sooner but so much has happened that even my mind still spinning with it. Would you mind taking that to my father, Lucius Malfoy, and if he doesn't reply immediately you can back to the school. He will probably send his own owl to me at a later date." She gave a soft nip to his ear in understanding and took off, spreading her wings wide as she took to the sky.

The young elf watched her go, only turning his back of her when she was out of sight and almost forgotten from his mind as a new trepidation stared building up in him. His scar, which had been relatively quiet that day, pricked once more as he headed down to the castle. His hand absently brushing his hair over his scar, a habit he had picked up since before he had become a Wizard and hoped that his friends would not notice or that his father was absentminded that day. His hand was still wrapped in a swathe of white and he was embarrassed that his mind had drifted so much in the forest that he half an hour late for lunch and sure to have made his father and brother worry again for his safety. 

Two weeks, two weeks of impossible haste had already crept by, leaving Saturn with a bitter and dark emotion gnawing away at his insides that he could not understand. Only the hesitating impression of absolute self torture and imploding emotions remained behind of his cracked resolve that was evaporating with every second just a little more and more to push him over the edge of insanity. And it had been several times now that he had caught glimpses of emotions and feelings that were not his own, racing across his gut at times in aching anger or insane joy. For the young elf it was disturbing how much his scar was hurting over the last few days and how the differing emotions were so desperately clear and painful at times.

He could have sworn he had been doing so well, finding it almost ridiculously easy in hiding the aching, bleeding wounds upon his left hand that were reopened every single night except for the two weekend days. But that was hardly enough time to heal the damage that had been carved so deep that he was sure the quill had already started cutting through his nerves and tendons, for sometimes he could not even feel his hand as the pain numbed his entire arm. However, with the force behind his emotions and pain, it was getting more and more difficult to conceal the expression of pain cross his features when it became like that during his classes. Especially during potions practicals when he was often dealing with ingredients that required the use of two hands and not one. And over the last three days, it was something he was sure his father seemed to have taken notice of. And, yet, he still had to call him out upon.

Despite the fact that Saturn could deal with the pain, he felt as if something more dangerous was brewing in his system and had been all day. He could hardly breathe with the press of pain against his chest that echoing dangerously through the walls of his heart. Even biting his lip as a distraction was not helping, the pain radiating up his arm was leaving a trail of destructive fire in its wake that made him wince. Causing his left hand to constantly tremble at his side where he easily concealed it.

Hoping that no one would notice the obvious weakness he was guarding so protectively.

Even now as he sat next to Draco at the Slytherin table, Luna bold enough to join him by sitting at his left side, kept him company and complaint underneath the scrutiny of the rest of the school's stares and whispers of hurtful things. Especially to his sensitive ears that picked up the jabs against his mother, wondering if she was as insane as Luna was and the reason why Saturn could tolerate Loony Lovegood. He hid the evidence of his internal anger with great difficulty beneath a mask of indifference, and suffered in his pain by hiding his emotions as best he could. Which was faltering that night as the weakness hidden beneath his long robe sleeve in a swathe of white bandages, started aching again. Dark eyes glazed over with emotions he himself could not understand as they briefly flicked upwards to the staff table. Looking towards his father for reassurance that he was still alright, however, it seemed that he only got close scrutiny in return from eyes the same colour as his and a concerned frown from no longer twinkling blue eyes.

Goose bumps broke across his skin, he had felt the weight of his father's intense stare for a long while now, weighing down his guilt and embarrassment even further and making it difficult not to flush under the close scrutiny that Severus' all knowing eyes visited upon his fragile mind. And in knowing that he could not lie to his father, it made turning away from him now even worse. For Saturn sometimes had an inkling at the back of his mind that Severus Snape could easily practice wandless Legilimency without even waving his hand. All he had to do was stare into his eyes with those deep black orbs, unravelling his secrets and pain...

It was a feeling of vulnerability that left the young Ravenclaw quite breathless and suddenly afraid.

During the rest of dinner, the Great Hall was never once quiet for long, nor was Draco who was excitedly telling him that there was another high level potion that Severus had given them permission to brew over the weekend with his help. Saturn, who was excited by the prospect knew that his hand would hold him back. So instead he tried not to show his disappointment, instead he attempted to convey as much interest as possible at the words that were flitting from his brother's lips in an exited rush. However, he found the task near impossible. Having been feeling off that entire day after having another fall out with the toad-like Professor at his earlier detention, Saturn knew that his world had fallen off its equilibrium and left him grasping for the straws of control that became thinner and more difficult to find than usual.

"Saturn, are you alright?" Draco tone of voice changed and despite the heartfelt concern, did not do much to cease the shivering that wracked Saturn's entire body now. He was cold and the pale pallor that sneaked across his cheeks displayed the fine smattering of freckles that was usually invisible across his nose. He felt really sick in that moment, disorientated and quite dizzy all of a sudden. The feeling of a small, feminine hand creeping into his to twine their fingers together underneath the table made him jump with desperate pain as she accidentally brushed against his openly bleeding wounds. The simple action brought him back to himself in a flash, she too had not realized that his hand was so severely injured and he could not blame her.

The rest of the Slytherin table, who had taken notice of his action though, fell into a haunting silence awaiting for his explanation. All stopping to stare interestedly at the youngest Malfoy as he blinked lazily once, twice and thrice to try and still the pain radiating up his arm and hammering against his skull. With a controlled sigh, his glazed eyes clarified a little and he offered a small smile in reassurance that he was alright. Apparently that was all they needed, for they turned back to their desserts, leaving him in pace with his racing panic that someone might know of his pain.

Saturn knew inexplicitly that there was something wrong with him now and it being more difficult to concealing his emotions, forced himself with a neutral expression crossing his brow. Brushing away the stray strands of his hair that had fallen into his eyes, nonchalantly, to turn and stare directly into the silvery eyes of his brother, who by now had guessed that something was very wrong. Shuddering suddenly at the reminder of the piercing gaze that his other father had often times directed at him at Malfoy Manor when he had been concerned, the young elf wanted nothing more that to disappear up to his common room and never come out.

It was a haunting gaze he could never shake, so instead he averted his eyes to stare absently and guiltily at the sweet covered table top.

"'M fine," He murmured softly, pushing his desert plate away from him in quiet disgust. It was still half-full and staring at him welcomingly with its beckoning fingers of sweet aroma. However, Saturn cautioned himself, knowing very well that his roiling stomach would not allow him more than what he had already finished. The young elf shivered with the brush of the cold wind against his skin, his mind churning with endless theories of how he could have gotten so sick but finding no answer to his question.

Saturn, who could feel Luna lean closer to his side, her hand retracting from his, rather painfully, to briefly rest her fingers on his forehead to check for a temperature startled him completely. Stilling instantly at the touch, frozen in place by the public display of affection before he promptly flushed under the scrutiny he soon found himself under. His heart, which had been stuttering and beating unnaturally fast the whole day, was now set alight with a different emotion that made him want to smile and find the courage to face another day of torture in silence. Her sweet attention however, was attracting too much awareness and he was forced to gently tug her hand away from his forehead. Mourning the loss of her touch deep inside of him, burying the emotions quickly lest someone see. Frowning at her strange, unusual action before understanding just what she had been trying to do, Saturn felt a warmth he had not felt before settle inside his stomach and rush delightfully through his veins.

"Thank you for your concern, but I ok fine Luna." He whispered conspiratorially and smiled softly when a bright smile lighted her pale features, directed only at him in sincerity. Saturn, in his swirl of differing emotions, did not even notice that the rest of the hall was all staring at the small exchange between the two of them in complete silence of awe. Even his father's eyebrow had risen a fraction of an inch in his surprise before Luna promptly shattered the stunned silence by turning towards Saturn once more with a frown dotting her features. Critically observing his actions as if she knew exactly what was wrong with him, and he truly hoped that she did not because Saturn just could not face a visit to the Hospital Wing just yet.

She turned unashamedly towards Draco and quite seriously, with considerable sadness, told him that Saturn suffered from a Wrackspurts Infestation that had taken up a permanent residence in his brain. Draco, who was frowning so hard that it looked as he was about to pass out from trying to understand what Luna had just said, turned incredulously towards his youngest brother in grave concern for his sanity and choice in friends. Saturn on the other hand, forced a laugh to bubble from his lips. Smiling secretly at his good friend before looking up briefly to find a pair of dark brown orbs staring at him from across the hall from the Gryffindor House table.

He demeanour changed as he smiled wistfully, even daring to wave at Neville, who it seemed had crept out of his shell and remembered that even as a Malfoy, Saturn had not hurt him or said hurtful things towards him on the train ride to Hogwarts. Even having scolded his own brother for the way in which he had treated his newly discovered friends. Saturn wondered when Neville would have the courage to talk to him again but was promptly distracted when Draco quite boldly tugged at his long braid to gather his attention that had wondered away from him quite spectacularly.

"W-what is she talking about?" Draco remarked incredulously, who was by now almost white with confusion and concern for his brother's already wavering sanity. Looking quite distraught when Saturn laughed again and pushed aside his concern as if it was nothing. Really, Saturn thought, Draco was worrying way too much about silly things. The young elf, in concern for his brother's display of emotions though, patted him on the back and smiled secretly towards Luna; who it seemed was by now completely distracted by the world around her again. Humming softly beneath her breath as she finished the last of her pudding with great interest to staring at the space on top of Saturn's head.

"They are invisible little creatures that fly into your head and make your thoughts fuzzy." He recited, momentarily forgetting that he was feeling sick and quite lost in his emotions as awareness of the weather outside crept across his thoughts. His vision suddenly lurched, his stomach turned as his mind screamed at him to run! He very nearly choked on his goblet of pumpkin juice even though he recovered it quickly. Hoping that the sweat that had broken across his brow remained unseen as he smiled quite serenely, knowing that it looked more like a grimace, at the rest of the table. They, in turn, stared at him as if he was quite insane and a lost cause that could never be save. Something which Saturn would never admit hurt his fragility quite a bit.

"You're insane, you know that right?" His brother's House mate Blaise dared and Saturn merely shrugged indifferently. He didn't care what was being said behind his back, he had learned to ignore it as best he could since his second and first year at Hogwarts. This sort of play-scrutiny was way better than being a Potter though, where around every corner he was ridiculed and shunned when it suited the student body and loved at other times. He had hated it and this directness of thought and actions was better than any other form of insults he had lived through before.

"Are you sure you alright?" Saturn chuckled and stood with a nod to his brother, Luna following his lead as he looked towards his father once last time. Gripping at Luna's shoulder to steady himself as a wave of dizziness assaulted his mind, he saw dark eyes the same as his narrow in suspicion but ignored them. Shuddering at the sudden reminder of how his father used to look at him with so much hate. "I'm fine. So stop worrying. Besides there is nothing wrong with Wrackspurts, it just gets quite distracting at times." He murmured, hardly able to control his laughter as the rest of the Slytherin table, his brother included, and now stared at him as he had truly lost his mind.

And Luna nodding enthusiastically next to him, did nothing but help his case in cementing the fact. After a few uncertain steps, Saturn recognized the path of their destination and groaned a bit. It was towards the Library, where he was sure with his pain he would not last very long. And having still had some time before curfew and the ability to study in silence, Saturn found Luna leading the way towards the towering bookshelves and tables. Knowing that he was once again going to be teaching Luna some of the more difficult theory of defence. She had been asking him for a while now to help with her homework, somehow knowing that Defence Against the Dark Arts was his best subject, despite the teacher that taught it he was still the top of his class.

"Your brother was nice," She said airily and Saturn nodded.

"When he wants to be," He cautioned though, knowing that deep down Draco hid a dangerous side that he had glimpsed through his first few years at Hogwarts. Thus, opening old wounds that were still difficult to trust. Especially after the incident on the train, for now though, Saturn had forgiven him for his trespass but as was his wont to do, he still waited for the other shoe to drop. Knowing that this peace inside of their little family would not last, especially with Umbridge scrutinizing him all the time.

As Saturn had awoken that Saturday morning, he and Michael Corner, one of his dorm mates he talked to often in discussing homework and Quidditch, headed down to the common room to find several of the students already there, gathering quite excitedly in a circle around something they did not see. Saturn, who had been glad at the prospect of finding someone to talk Quidditch with that was not his brother or the Weasley twins, found a sort of friend in Corner that he had not expected to find that year at all but appreciated all the same. And when he had been urged to join the team try-outs by Corner, Saturn had to sadly declined. Knowing that it would only add fuel to Umbridge's fire in her private campaign against him and he would attract too much attention to him; someone might even recognize his flying technique that he could not risk and knowing that his left hand was in constant pain would not help either.

Despite the desperate longing he felt to take to the skies again and merely soar whilst forgetting the troubles of the world, especially with the stabbing pains in his left hand that had not stopped at all since that morning, he was sadly forced to keep his desperate need bottled up untill one day when he knew he would be back at the Manor again and free to do what he pleased under the watchful eyes of his parents. A soft, beautifully tinkling laugh stilled Saturn's heading towards the Great Hall when he turned his eyes towards the edge of the large circle of students. Dark eyes flashing with curiosity and recognition when he spotted long, curly blonde hair through a gap in the gaggle of students' right in the centre of all the chaos. At the sight of her and in fearing for his friend's safety, Saturn forgot his manners and hastily began parting the students to get to Luna. Trusting Boot, who he had just noticed coming down the stairs, to disperse the rest of the crowd as he was that year's Prefect.

"What's all this?" Boot murmured in his tenor voice highly accented with nobility and several heads all turned towards him at the sound of his voice, several girls stretching across all seven years of students, quickly moved away in a huff of disappointment and anger. Revealing Luna sitting upon the floor. Her curling hair looking quite dishevelled and sleep mussed, in her plain blue pyjamas as her large silvery-grey eyes colliding happily with her only friend. Following the gaze of her eyes though, Saturn was quite surprised to see one of the magical rabbits he had met in the Forbidden Forest lounging quite happily in her lap.

He stilled instinctively, in fact that was not the only time he had seen the same brilliant red rabbit before. It seemed to enjoy itself where it was, seated in her lap as if it belonged there and he imagined that it did, looking puffed up and clearly content. He could clearly recall how it had followed him through the Forest every time he had ventured inside the canopied woodland. Brushing up against his ankles, hopping along behind and beside Saturn where it had even once shielded him from Hagrid, ushering him towards the shelter of a tree trunk to hide behind with surprisingly strong pushes to his feet.

It was as if it had known that he was not allowed in the Forest where he often times returned as needed, and the little magical rabbit had made itself a job by looking after Saturn when he visited the forbidden place to students. And he appreciated its boldness, only wondering why it had followed him to the common room and how Luna had come across it. Noticing the prefect's interested stare in the direction of his friend, Saturn shielded her by bending down to scratch behind one of its overly long, flopping ears in trespass.

The touch however brought a great rush of calm across his wary soul, stilling the wavering sensation that Umbridge left behind with every torture and the hidden reasons of why he was not informing anyone of his plight in fighting off a teacher. Luckily though, the rabbit had shown its loyalty to him by saving him from discovery by the Care of Magical Creatures Professor one Sunday evening late into the night, so Saturn was prepared to take responsibility for its appearance there. It would not do if his newly made friend was in trouble for sneaking into the castle after his scent of familiarity.

"A Whisper Hare, where did you find one Lovegood?" Corner asked suddenly surprised, reminding Saturn that he was also still in the common room even when Boot had disappeared through the blue door. The tall, handsome black haired boy leant down to observe the large rabbit, twice the size of a wild hare, quite closely. It seemed a large ball of fluff with thick, curly fur that shimmered white every time Luna brushed her fingers through it, two fluffy tails twitching in time with its quivering nose that was as pure and white as the freshly fallen winter snow. Saturn, who could barely contain his anxiety, helped Luna to her feat and smiled apologetically towards his friend. The Whisper Hare already leaning towards Saturn expectantly as she shuffled closer to her friend.

"She's come looking for her friend, I presume." Luna noted in an airy voice, leaning into Saturn's side as she passed the quietly subdued Whisper Hare towards the young elf quite unashamedly. Leaving Saturn flushing pink under the intense scrutiny, taking the rabbit in his arms and almost immediately felt his tension drain from his body in a rush of emotions. Now, as he stared down his nose at the quivering whiskers and lazy black eyes, he wondered just what he was supposed to do with his new furry friend when the rest of the common room suddenly burst into whispers around him and pointing quite excitedly. The other fifth year present though, looked at Saturn with a strange mixture of confusion and distrust before covering it with a soft smile and waved over his shoulder as he headed towards the common room door.

"Whisper Hares are not considered dangerous in the castle, Malfoy, but make sure you register it with Professor Flitwick as your familiar before the day is out. It would not do for an unclaimed familiar to wander around the corridors without a Wizard to look after it." With that, the door closed and Saturn frowned deeply. The rest of the common room plunged into a stunned silence as many eyes followed Luna and Saturn out of the Ravenclaw common room as they headed for the fifth floor office of their Head of House. With a sigh and knowing he would never get rid of his new furry friend, he went to claim her as his familiar in the rush of the morning. Which, surprisingly though, Professor Flitwick gladly granted with a smile and cooing joy. Quite happy that a Whisper Hare could be claimed by a student, a Malfoy no less. Who seemed to have amassed a theory that animals did not like much after third year.

The rest of Saturday morning, after breakfast, found Saturn and Luna sitting by the black lake. Wrapped in warm scarves and winter cloaks to ward off the cold that was creeping across the school grounds and digging into their flesh with unnatural intensity. It was but another testament that winter was fast approaching, if not already clinging to vestiges of their consciousnesses, by the approach of Christmas a little over two months away. And so was Halloween only a week away. A strange sensation for young Saturn as he was sure something would go awry on that fateful day, as it usually did every year of his life. It was the day that the Potter's were murdered, one of his friends nearly killed, another possessed by Voldemort but also the cursed day that he was marked by the Dark Lord.

With a deep sigh, Saturn observed Luna over the edge of an advanced potions book, that he was asked to read through by his father before they were to brew the potion that night, and secretly hoped that the information that he had read would stick in his mind for a while to come. Because with the way the overcast sky and wind tugged at her hair, Saturn found himself quite suddenly deeply distracted. He subtle movements in a dance like pattern was saving him from the thoughts and pain of endless reams of torture sessions with the Toad.

Luna continued to sing quite happily, splitting her time equally between feeding the Giant Squid fish treats and offering Lily, his new furry friend, carrots as she lounged by his side and nibbled at the grass. Saturn laughed as he noticed Luna once mixing up her treats and quite happily offering Lily fish and the Giant Squid a carrot. Neither animal it seemed were quite happy with her then, but when she fixed her mistake with a humming giggle Saturn quickly turned away should she see the flush staining his cheek and decipher the thoughts now racing through his mind. It was with a pang that he was dragged back to reality by Lilly hopping on top of his open book, realizing once again just what he had named her. After the woman who had given his life for him to life but also betrayed his parents in such a deep way, but in not honouring her memory, Saturn felt that he was undermining her sacrifice. He smiled secretly though, for the Whisper Hare's deep red colouring did not warrant another name.

In his haste to claim a sweet familiar, Saturn just hoped that his fathers never asked for his familiar's name should he hurt them by the honour he bestowed upon her death.

"Hmm, Saturn? Do you think perhaps that mars was too bright the night before? I saw it all the way from the dormitory last night. The stars did not seem very kind at all, in fact the New Moon was quite sad, quite, quite sad." The young elf, who had been drifting through his thoughts and ideas as he scanned a partially visible page on the Dreamless Sleep potion jerked awake from his thoughts by his friend's strange remark on astronomy. Trying desperately to remember what a bright mars meant in terms of the lay of planets, only to find that when he looked up he frowned deeply in confusion. His infinitely dark eyes, outlined in black from lack of sleep, widened in his drawn face at the sudden heady shift of the atmosphere around the two of them. Just in the distance he could begin to see it, the rapid approach of a thick, misty clouds stretching out across the Forbidden Forest and heading straight for them at an alarming rate.

He shuddered suddenly, feeling unnaturally cold and emotionally drawn as the pain in his left hand seared in blinding intensity, sending little stabbing pains up his arm to settle on his shoulder and a dizzying sensation racing across his mind. His hand became stiff, difficult to move but he finally managed, with great difficulty, to regain his footing on the cold ground. Hastily standing and clutching his injured arm to his chest. Eyes widening as he saw Luna picking up several stones to skip across the water, not knowing or seeing what he was. In the back of his mind, where warning bells were going off loudly and the castle was too far to run back to, Saturn was forced into something else. He knew that he had to protect her! Something dark and dangerous was heading towards him, something he recognized very well that was spreading cold depression in its wake to chill the two of them to the bone.

"Luna!" Saturn cried in alarm, suddenly very serious as he jumped toward the edge of the river bank where he could reach his friend before she could be left in the path of destruction. He gripped her arm and dragged her away from edge of the lake just as the edges began to freeze and all the light and happiness was stolen from the world. "Get away from there!" He yelled too late, his wand suddenly raised and held out in front of him like a protective barrier. He knew this sensation well, knew their purpose and goal in approaching them but what he did not understand was what they were doing so very far away from the reaches of Azkaban. He pushed Luna behind him more, feeling her trembling fingers as she tugged periodically and spasmodically at his cloak and strands of hair to keep herself steady against the onslaught of depression and dark emotions.

"Saturn! What?!" The fifth year jerked suddenly, biting his bottom lip to drag himself back from that dark place where he had just come from, coming face to face with several Dementors hovering mere feet away from their position. They were so close, offering so much sorrow and sadness that he just could not find that little place of happiness inside of him untill Luna's own yells and whimpers of fear reached his ears. His left hand, bleeding anew, clasped hers reassuringly even when the sticky substance of his blood dripping across their connected hands made him dizzy and more disconnected from the world and raced numbing pain across his quivering heart and soul. He jerked suddenly, one of the rocks Luna had picked up moments before had been thrown over his shoulder and had cut open his cheek. The sudden sting of pain snapping him out of his stupor as he summoned some of his greatest memories and raised his wand with a new determination.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" His powerful bellow echoed through the clearing as the brilliant flash of silvery-white erupted from his wand tip that nearly seared his eye sight into blindness as he held his breath with anticipation. The cold that had crept into his bones, only now warming slightly as his Patronus raced through the air in a protective circle around them. He was desperately afraid to see his famous stag Patronus galloping around them, where others could guess his identity, but stilled when the dementors fled abruptly and there was no stag protecting them, no. Where his stag should have been, had been replaced by a brilliant silvery-white hare that jumped and glided gracefully through the air instead. Resting upon his shoulder briefly to nuzzle his cheek and Luna's before dissipating into a silvery mist curling around the two of them in protection.

Saturn staggered with stunned surprise, the world around him was fading fast. Sinking to his knees on the frozen ground with the strange sound of clapping and cheers echoing in his head, Saturn soon found himself staring up at the blue sky and wondered briefly just how he had gotten there in the first place. Something unknown was flitting through his stomach, making him sick as pain racked through his mind and body. Luna, who was worriedly leaning over him with her eyes wide in surprise and fear, brushed his hair away from his eyes whilst she spoke but through the rush of ringing through his ears, Saturn could not hear a single word that she spoke.

His mind was spinning, his body feeling as if it was falling through the ground and he could briefly see her lips moving in desperate silent pleas. He reached his hand up to reach for her but the sudden pain assaulting him mind made it fall back to his mind, black spots dancing dangerously before his vision as his dark eyes glassed over and his eyelids fluttered dangerously.

"F-find h-him! P-please find m-my..." He trailed off abruptly, overwhelmed by the rush of pain lancing up his arm and splitting his head in two. Luna though, had understood. Nodded and yelled for one of the students to get Professor Snape only to find that it was futile, he was already there. Making his way through the large crowd that had gathered around the two. Finding young Luna gripping his son's hand and crying over his unconscious bleeding form.

Luna Elena Lovegood was definitely in shock, the tears that she had cried moments before over her friend's unconscious form may have dried up in the wind but it still left a bitter taste on her tongue and made her feel hollow and useless on the inside. Her body shuddered and wracked with shivers in accordance to the after effects of Dementors' presence as she followed after her unconscious best friend, Saturn. Carefully being carried by the Potions Master as if the Elvin Prince weighed nothing more than a child and posed no burden or threat to a man she knew could be exceptionally bad tempered. Downcast and dejected though, her silvery-grey orbs stared expectantly at the back of her Professor with a sense of dread and confusion, her emotions were already in an upheaval at the incessant cold that had seeped through the seams of her clothes and into the deepest depths of her bones.

A sensation that had immediately stilled her happy and joyful thoughts.

She shivered suddenly, flickering before her very eyes was the vague recollection of her mother's sudden death when her experimental spell backfired. She had been only seven years old at the time, but knew that from that moment onwards she would never see her beloved mother again or speak to her when the moon was high in the sky to whisper wishful prayers to. It was all happening again, over and over again as her mind screamed at her to help, but she was unable to. That time Luna had not known enough as a young child to even help her mother as she was chocking on her own blood. Forced to watch with a grim fascination and panic of a child as the life she loved so much of her mother was drained out of her blue eyes.

Her face and lips had been flecked with her mother's blood and life force as she had stayed where she was in shock for the rest of the day until her father came home, by then it had been all too late and there was nothing that could have been done to bring her back. Shaking her head to get of the haunting images playing behind her eyelids, Luna shyly glanced towards the fast moving figure of the Potions Professor. Saturn, her dearest friend, was visible enough for her to catch sight of his very long hair falling almost to the floor, concealing pale and bleeding features.

There was no doubt that Saturn had saved her from much worse, for she was sure that those Dementors were not there out of luck. No, they had come with only a single purpose. A purpose to destroy lives and Saturn had seen it before even she had, had known exactly what was happening as if he had lived through it before and knew what to expect. And the incredible warmth from that beautifully gentle Patronus had called out to her skin, snapping her from her memories as she watched her friend crumple at her feet. She loved Saturn, knew that he was in trouble but was also so helpless once again. What was she to do? The aching feeling in her stomach made her pause and take a deep breath. So sure that she would be throwing up if it was not for her determination to follow her friend to edges of insanity.

A chill raced up her spine and settled at the back of her head; she was vaguely aware of several people crowding the cold and unforgiving hallways to observe them, opening up before them was the rest of the empty and chilled castle. The world was calling to her once more, as the wind often did on the loneliest of her days, causing her to hum softly to herself. A sad little tune spilling from his lips that soothed her ears and mind as she tried to warm her heart again from the pangs of pain and fear. It was the same sensation of disconnectedness and despondency creeping through her veins that had haunted her throughout her second year of Hogwarts. when Sirius Black had been on the lose.

"Miss Lovegood? Here, perhaps this will help." Luna stilled, wondering exactly how she had reached the Hospital Wing without noticing it. Plopping herself into a soft chair beside and empty infirmary bed, she looked up from where she was tracing her fingers across her wand with soft tentative strokes and deeply lost in her own thought. Her eyes instantly collided with her Potions Professor's. Who's eyes were just as dark and mysterious as Saturn's forest green orbs, always telling her so much whilst still hiding the rest of the world. She smiled, Luna loved to stare into their depth for hours at time when Saturn allowed it but under her scrutiny the Professor turned away and she smiled secretly to herself. Knowing exactly what this man meant to Saturn without him even telling her as she stretched out her trembling hand to grip the large chunk of chocolate Professor Snape was holding out to her.

Still half concealed in its gold and brilliant red wrappings, she recognized it as a sweet treat from Honeydukes. The dark red colour of raspberry and milk chocolate swirling together to form a delicious taste of ambrosia that she often craved. She couldn't help but let an airy laugh of wonder past her lips, it was one of her favourites. Bringing her fingers to her lips where the chocolate was already melting in contact to her body heat.

"Thank you, Professor." She said absentmindedly. Watching, quite surprised as Lily the Whisper Hare came hopping into the Infirmary with a secret purpose, stilling at her feet as if contemplating the distance between the floor and her lap. Luna was surprised that the rabbit had took such a large leap into her lap, but soon made herself comfortable there. Luna had noticed then that in an instant, the Professor's sharp eyes were once again trained on her. He said nothing for a moment and allowed her to nibble on her large piece of chocolate, watching quite fascinated as the girl offered a piece of chocolate to her pet and then extended the courtesy to her Professor. Severus waved it aside, not for the first time wondering why his son was so attached to her.

Luna's large eyes turned in the direction of Madam Pomfrey's curses and cries as she busied herself behind the privacy curtain at the bed where Saturn was, concern washing through her as she knew what was to come next. Her eyes flicked guilty towards her own right hand, where it was rubbed red and raw rather painfully. It was nothing compared to what she had seen on Saturn's hand though when he had guiltily told her a week ago what Professor Umbridge had done to him, knowing of the hatred she held for his kind. And she had wept that night, crying for her friend and praying to her mother to tell her what to do. The answer however, stayed silent and she was left blundering in the dark.

She too had suffered underneath the scrutiny of the Toad's wrath for insisting that the Minister had an army of Heliopaths at his side, but Saturn she knew suffered so much more than her because he could not tell anyone.

Just as she contemplated the reason for her teacher's wrath at her claim, she found her mind drifting elsewhere. Luna's friend had passed out and Professor Snape had taken a seat next to her. His head was hung in his hands with his exasperation, she could see his shoulders trembling with the effort of keeping his emotions from showing. Just like her father would have bravely done for her should she have been in the hospital wing after collapsing suddenly. Luna had her suspicion as to why the Professor was reacting this way, but kept silent instead. Not wanting to make this worse for Saturn than when it was going to be. After several moments of silence, Luna became aware of that intense stare again and turned towards the Professor, who had fixed his gaze upon the Whisper Hare resting in her lap.

Those dark eyes not watching the rabbit, but rather observed the red patch of skin stretching across her right hand that she rubbed against the rabbit's fur for comfort. He frowned suddenly, looking towards the shielded bed where Saturn lay with great concern.

"Miss Lovegood, perhaps it is not such a good idea to bring your pet into the Infirmary. Madam Pomfrey will have your head." Luna, who had been soothing the pain in her right hand across the magical fur of Saturn's familiar, chuckled and unwound her long cloak from her shoulders to cover Lily with a wave of her hand. Pressing her fingers beneath the cloak to tickle those long, floppy ears. Giggling delightfully when whiskers tickled her fingers and hand in annoyance, sharp teeth nibbling at her skin in warning.

"She's not mine, Professor." She replied softly. "She probably only followed Saturn here to make sure he was alright. After all, she found him in the common room just this morning. Probably been looking for her Prince for days." Luna whispered conspiratorially, her smile growing at the frown of exasperation that tugged her Professor's thin mouth downwards and made him furrow his brows in anger. It was always so easy to read people when oneself was considered insane, knowing their facial expressions conveyed their true feelings and tolerance of you. Luna knew through her heart that Professor Snape hid a very gentle side that he only let through every once in a while, a gentler side that no one but she could see and a select few realize it even existed.

For an absentminded, sometimes considered crazy young girl, Luna was remarkably apt at reading hearts and the quality of souls. And she knew very well that Professor Snape's soul and heart alike were much lighter and tender than most ever perceived, that most even wanted to think. For deep down, beneath the hard wall around his heart and his amazing ability to hide his every emotions and adapt to every situation, was a purity that Luna saw reflected in her best friend twenty thousand times more.

"Miss Lovegood may I remind you, this is not the time for games."

"I'm not playing a game Professor. Lily here belongs solely to Saturn, he claimed her as his familiar this morning with Professor Flitwick. See, she is even trembling with concern at his condition." Lifting her winter cloak, Luna showed the trembling rabbit to the Professor, who was by now switching through four different earthly colours in her concern for her Wizard. Luna cooed softly at the frightened pet and hid her once more from sight, afraid that the Matron would find her and throw them both out. Knowing in that instant what the Professor had said only moments before was right, Madam Pomfrey would indeed not like it at all should a familiar be discovered in the Infirmary close to a sick patient.

"Miss Lovegood..." The Professor trailed off, his dark eyes flashing as Madam Pomfrey's voice cut through the air with a gasp and a silver instrument fell from her lax fingers to clatter loudly on the ground. There was the rustle of curtains and hurried feet as the nurse rushed towards her storage cupboard in haste, making Luna's ears peak with concern at the rattle of potion vials and pieces of parchment.

"Oh my! Severus! Severus! Come here quick!" Luna's calm mood vanished within a seconds as she felt tears well up in her eyes. Her friend was dying wasn't he? Just like her mother... "We're going to need some of your more potent healing potions, Severus. This is terrible. I've never seen anything like it before." The Professor, whose features had gone completely white with warring emotions suddenly turned towards the open curtain that was supposed to hide Saturn's sickly pallor from view. Yet, just as he was about to move he found he couldn't. His son's friend was hanging desperately onto his robe's sleeve. Her long fingers keeping him in place when his concern was clearly spiking through his entire body in a rush to get to his son's side.

He scowled over his shoulder but softened his expression when he saw her chewing at her bottom lip. For the first time since bending over Saturn's unconscious form, showing a vulnerability to him that he was sure she never dared to show others. For those tears that shimmered in her eyes were very real and very frantic, she was on the edge of panic and desperate emotions. He could see it...

"Professor! Please, please do not hate him!" Luna cried suddenly. "As his father, please forgive him his fears and pain. He's been suffering for so long. But I wasn't allowed to say anything, he wouldn't let me." Severus Snape, who was attempting to pry her fingers from the edge of his sleeve stilled in his movements to stare at her in quiet surprise. How long had he sat there for these four to five minutes wanting nothing more than to chase Pomfrey away and look after his own son? When she whispers urgent words like that they were making the hair at the back of his neck stand on end in confusion and fear. How much did she know? Her silvery-grey eyes blinked owlishly at him in a silent plea before she let him go.

Her eyes now hidden behind her left hand, clearly concealing the tears that were threatening to fall since her encounter with the Dementors.

"Miss Lovegood, I will not say this again. Do not move, do not go anywhere until I get back." Severus bit out. "Do you understand? When I get back, you will tell me everything. Everything Miss Lovegood." He watched her carefully as she gave a resigned nod, her hands trembling by her side once again as his sudden deadly anger washed over her in waves of desperation.

Luna shivered through the fall of her tears as the magnitude of the situation crawled upon her. Saturn was going to get into trouble because she insisted that they went to greet the lonely Giant Squid. She could only cling onto the fur of her friend's familiar as she berated herself for her mistake, if it was one thing she could not stand, it was to watch as the most important person in her life was getting hurt by not only a cruel and extremist Professor but by his own father as well.

For she knew very well, there was only one shade so dark in eye colour and it belonged to Severus Snape. The bearer of Augustus Saturnus Malfoy.

"Madam Pomfrey, please give this child some Calming Draught!"

The world was spinning on its axis; sights, sounds, emotions and pain were all muffled against the cotton haze that had descended upon his mind and shackled his body to the conscious world in a haze of confusion. At the muffled call and yells of his name over and over again, becoming clearer and clearer with every second that passed by, forced forest green eyes to snap open in rush of memories and remembrances of just how he had gotten into the sterile scented environment of the school Infirmary.

Saturn shuddered suddenly, clenching his eyes shut once again with the searing pain that raced across his mind and split his concentration at the brightness of the room.

He trembled at the memory of the Dementors rushing towards him and Luna with one purpose. His desperate attempt to chase them away with a good Patronus that would save them, the only thing that had saved him from crumpling into a useless heap the moment their presence had taken a hold of his consciousness. But something had shattered inside the young elf that moment his Patronus had rushed forth from the tip of his wand, the control he had gained over the pain erupting over his left hand had evaporated in an instant before chasing black dots across his vision and rendering him useless after such a small infringement. Saturn's thoughts stilled once more at the call of his name, bringing him back to himself as he forced his eyes open once again, this time finding his vision blurred, but the pain in his head fading bit by bit.

He sighed at the familiar and gentle hand that was resting across his forehead as a focal point for his focus. His mind was much clearer and more organized than when he had first become aware of the world around him again. Even though his body was still shuddering in cold from the effects of the Dementors and their depressing presence, Saturn felt fire and warmth shooting through his veins when familiar long fingers, sure and gentle, even when a little impatient, pushed a bright blue coloured potion into his hand with small words of encouragement to drink it. He shivered at the sweet taste of chocolate that it chased through his body and nodded thankfully, suddenly jerking his hand away from the man, who he recognized as his Bearer, when he went to undo the white bandage wrapped around his hand.

"N-no!" He croaked loudly, turning his eyes away in shame and fear at the sudden deep scowl of anger that decorated his father's features at his unpredictable action. His father was trembling in anger, those dark eyes lighting with a fire that only Saturn recognized as true anger directed towards him and his actions. Saturn made to standing from the hospital bed but found strong hands, much stronger than he remembered, pushing him down onto the cushions.

He jerked back at the touch, only now realizing that his father had successfully grabbed a hold of his injured hand and was unravelling the bandages with cold precision that made the young elf's entire body rigid with fear at what he was sure to discover hidden there. Written in bloodied wounds, reaching deep into his flesh, were the accusing words: I am a half-blood freak. The moment his father had unravelled the bandages and read the words, he looked up to gaze into his son's eyes. Saturn recognized that look immediately, knew what was coming and desperately let his head drop forward towards his chest to hide his features behind his long curtain of hair and shame.

Desperately trying to hide his flush of humiliation and pain.

"Please don't." Saturn pleaded desperately, his father, however, said nothing. Vanishing the white bandage with a lazy swipe of his wand before those long fingers expertly dipped into a thick, sweet smelling, blue cream that came from a black jar on the bedside stand. Where already an array of four full potion bottles were awaiting their turn in the chain of events in his path to healing. Those expert fingers rubbed the cream soothingly across the open words etched deeply into his flesh, setting it alight with blinding pain that made the young elf cry out before it cooled the pain so rapidly it made his mind spin with the numb sensation creeping slowly up his arm.

His pleading from before, that he had repeated through the process, were only words that increased the depths of his father's frown though, filling the atmosphere with waves and waves of anger that made the young elf quite dizzy once again. Making him want to cry in frustration, to yell in pain and desperation for this was the only thing he never wanted his father to see, or for him to face. If he faced it with Severus Snape at his side, it made the abuse against his character very real and very dangerous for now his own emotional desperation was racing up his spine in dangerously suicidal thoughts.

Wanting nothing more than to hide his shame and pain, disappear forever and ever with no burdens to drag him down to humiliation and desperate fear as they were now.

"Augustus, can you please kindly tell me why you thought you could not come to me with this? Why you thought you had to hide it?" Saturn flinched at the sound of hurt and disappointment in his father's voice, his heart now hammering painfully against his chest like a small bird just having being caught in the jaws of a large cat. He flinched internally at his father's demeanour, those words that were so softly spoken with the Potions Master's own emotions hurt him deeper than any knife could have cut, searing across his soul in excruciating sensation. The hidden anger and a touch of fear was so well pronounced in his father's tone that Saturn felt his world shifting and reforming around him.

He was suddenly back in his cupboard as a small, suffering child. Helpless, in his desperation and crying to a deity that he knew would never come to save him from the darkness and pain that was his lonely life. After all, the Dursley's had just told him he had had a father that never loved him, a mother that died in the wake of his drunken destruction and he himself was just a waste of life and space. He shuddered, pulling his arms around his waist when his father let go of his injured hand, freshly wrapped in new bandages and no longer hurting him as much as it had before.

He was slipping, his sanity falling away from his grasp and wanted nothing more than to disappear into nothing an-.

"Saturn! Answer me. Please!" The young elf jumped, dragged back to reality with a large intake of air the stretched his chest painfully. He could feel those dark eyes upon him in scrutiny, the same look of imagined hatred he had always felt as a lonely Gryffindor getting him into trouble with this man. Saturn bent his head forward to hide the film of tears that were filling up his eyes and clung to his long silver lashes in a moment of reprieve. Slipping down his cheeks and staining his lips with the bitter reality that he had just lost everything he held dear. There was no way his father could ever love him anymore if he was so angry that his voice was a deadly and venomous as the words that he was expecting to cut through the air.

"S-she would have hurt you. Had she known, I'd have been taken away from you. Taken to a place where I don't want to return to as a lie. Can't you understand?!" He suddenly cried in desperation. His breaths spiked in panic in wanting his father to see, to feel the desperation he had felt and know how it had hurt him not to say anything no matter how much he wanted to. Afraid of what she could do to rip apart the little happiness he had found. "SHE WOULD HAVE HATED YOU TOO! GOTTEN YOU FIRED!" The sudden anger in his own voice was surprising as Saturn clutched at his chest as if it truly pained him.

"Made your life worse than it was with sadistic pleasure. I cannot allow that to happen, not when you both became everything I have left to live for." Saturn added quietly, desperately wanting to run away from the confrontation that was laying ahead of him. Wanting to disappear into the shadows, never show his face again and live in the woodland's where he truly belonged. He tugged painfully at his hair to bring him back to himself but that was hardly needed for what was said next, shattered everything he thought he had worked towards to protect his father.

"Saturn? Did you really think for one moment that I could not handle a cruel woman intruding on my family by myself?!" The only noticeable sound besides Saturn's stuttering breaths was the hum of a powerful silencing charm around the curtained section of the infirmary bed. "If you had come to me earlier, my idiotic son, I could have her fired by the next day! What she did and still does is illegal, Saturn! Illegal!"

"Just how long have you been suffering in silence, enduring that woman's torture as if it was nothing and why did you never think to trust me with it? It hurts, Saturn, to know that your own son is too afraid to tell you he is being hurt by another adult for what is in his blood!" The young elf's shoulders dropped as a sudden wave of exhausted emotion raced across his mind and body, making him numb and unresponsive to the world around him. He felt slighted, humiliated, that he had not seen the pain he was causing not only himself but his father as well.

After the long stretch of a few moments spent in uncomfortable silence, Saturn watched, frightened, as his father's shoulders suddenly slumped just as his and all the anger and emotions drained out of him in his exhalation of a breath. Leaving behind the image of a haunted man that now pushed the last of the potions' into his hand without its cork already gone. Saturn knew what it was, knew why he was given it once again but did not take it immediately. Observing his father's form frightfully, waiting for the blow that he hoped would never come. Hoping desperately that he could be forgiven.

"Please do not defy me anymore! Drink it and do not even think of leaving a single drop behind. There is a lot to discuss, a lot left to do after this."

"I cannot believe you left your wound untreated for so long, Saturn, you nearly suffered from blood poisoning." Saturn drank the potion, his entire world hanging onto the last thread of his sanity before his eyes fluttered closed. Desperately afraid of what would happen should his Donor find out what he did. In fact, he was sure that if he had thought about it sooner, the head of the Malfoy family would have made sure the woman was fired from not only Hogwarts but the Ministry as well.

Why had he not thought for a single moment that he no longer had to face everything on his own?