Curse of Fate

Title: Curse of Fate
Author: Mistress Nika
Rating: PG-15 (Yes, 15. That's somewhere between PG-13 and R)
Summary: Thousands of years into the future, vampire Harry only wants to join his loved ones in death. However, his curse of immortality is absolute. Therefore he sends himself back into the body of his infant self, vowing to this time refuse eternity. When do things ever go according to plan? Unexpected changes to the timeline, people who aren't as they once were and more send his life spiraling out of his control.
Pairings: Harry/Lucius(main), possible Harry/Severus, possible Lucius/Severus, possible Harry/Lucius/Severus, Sirius/Remus, Theo/Hermione, possible Theo/Blaise, possible Hermione/Ginny, Draco/Luna, possible one-sided Harry/Luna on Luna's part, possible Hermione/Pansy, Cedric/Eleanor(OC), past Harry/Ginny
Warnings: AU, het, slash, angst, language, violence, time travel, VampireHarry, DarkLordHarry
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

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Chapter Twelve:
Harry and Remus were waiting in the ballroom for the first of the guests to arrive. Harry was sporting one of his favorite robes; sapphire blue with sliver trim. He had even managed to get Remus into new robes; red and gold, very Gryffindorish. Sirius was waiting upstairs to make his grand entrance, should Harry decide it wouldn't cause mass panic to do so. Remus took great pleasure in the fact that both Harry and Sirius were wearing their hair in the traditional style of a family lord. They were not exactly pleased with the bow. He had won the fight with Sirius about cutting his hair, however, after claiming that it's extreme length interferred with certain bedroom activities. It was now back to the standard length, for Sirius. Just below midback. Ever the rebellious one.

The floo flared, alerting them to their first arrival. As expected, three blondes emerged from the fireplace. Normally, this particular family would arrive fashionably late, but this was not a normal social event.

"Lord Potter. Mr. Lupin." Lucius stated with a cordial smile, leading his family across the room to where they stood. "Allow me to introduce my wife and son, Narcissa and Draco."

Harry smiled at the woman, whom he noticed flinched imperceptably when his eyes landed on her. "Lady Malfoy, a pleasure to meet you. And you, Draco."

Draco just gave a faint nod, no smile present. He was studying Harry with a strange intensity, almost as if he were searching for something.

"Do you fly?" he asked the boy with a disarming smile, hoping to alay whatever suspicions he had.

"Yes." Draco replied cautiously.

"We'll be having a small Quidditch match later, with properly charmed brooms, of course. Can't allow anyone to get hurt. Would you like to join me for a quick flight before the others arrive?"

After looking to his father and recieving the okay, Draco followed Harry from the room.

When both boys were well away, Remus turned to Lucius.

"You brought them?" the werewolf asked.

Lucius gave a slight nod and pulled from his robes a hint of black cloth and the edge of a silver mask, just enough for Remus to catch a glimpse, before he slid them both back.

"I'll show you where to put them."

Narcissa spoke up, knowing when certain things didn't concern her. "I think I'll go and watch Draco fly, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Remus replied. "Just follow the main hallway to the end and exit the backdoors. You should find them with little trouble."

As the woman left, Remus led Lucius to a cloakroom across the hall. It was cleverly hidden to anyone who was not Harry or bore Harry's Mark. Inside, two plain black cloaks, one smaller black one and a similar red one hung from hooks. On a small table over to a side lay four silver masks. With a gesture from Remus, Lucius pulled out his Death Eater's cloak and mask and put them in their places.

Glancing at the four masks instead of the expected two, he raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the other man.

"Rabastan and Rodolphus." he explained. "After the children are safely ensconced in their beds tonight, the Lestrange brothers will recieve the new Marks."

-SCENE BREAK-

Draco watched the young Potter as he circled high above the makeshift Quidditch pitch. The goals were much lower to the ground and the brooms all had charms on them limiting both how high and how fast they could go, but that didn't seem to apply to the other boy's. Of course, it made sense if his suspicions were correct.

Draco was an observant boy. The moment he first met Potter, he knew something was off about him. It wasn't his maturity. They were both of noble blood and were expected to be more mature than others their age, Potter moreso since he didn't have the luxury of waiting until he was of age to take over the family.

It was the little things. His movements were too precise and yet seemingly natural, as if he'd performed them many, many times before. The way he stood was deceptively casual. The way he addressed his mother and himself. A proper title for her, which even most purebloods no longer used in this day, and none for himself, indicating Draco was far below him in station. The perfectly formed smile that was neither too small as to be impolite nor too large or open as to be extremely childish.

However, the one thing that truly intrigued him above all else was the tight control the boy had over his emotions, not to mention the emotions themselves. Even though he felt them most strongly, he did not allow any of them to interfere with his thoughts or actions. Draco had always considered his empathy a curse and had learned early how to shut it out, but for Potter, he'd made an exception.

When he read Potter, he found possibly the strangest combination of emotions he'd ever felt in a person. He had sensed a general anxiety mixed with anticipation, likely for the upcoming event. There were feelings of great affection, loyalty and protectiveness directed toward Lupin. For his mother, Potter was only slightly amused and a bit dismissive. His father was most definitely in the boy lord's good graces with feelings of friendship, loyalty and trust with only minor suspicion that even Potter was most likely unaware of.

However, below the surface raged a maelstrom of emotions much darker and sinister that had been locked away for quite sometime. A horrible, angry, destructive rage pounding away at the boy, trying to break free and cause as much pain, suffering and devestation as it could without discretion. A lust for blood, in the most literal form. An all consuming sorrow and despair, as if he had lost everything he ever held dear in the world. A soul suffering weariness that just wanted to rest. A darkness like he had never felt before.

Draco understood emotions, despite his training to always project a frigid demenor. He had to in order to control his empathy. However, that darkness frightened him. That such a darkness could reside within the deceptively innocent form of the young Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world, frightened him far more.

The boy now doing spirals and chasing birds on his broom was not Voldemort. He sensed none of the petty vindictiveness he would expect of the former Dark Lord, nor a desire for power and revenge. More like Potter expected to have power, as if it were his by right, and perhaps it was.

What it most reminded Draco of was two souls in one body. An older, darker, almost ancient one buried deep within a, by comparison, much younger one that lived the day to day life. However, he was sure that one of those souls was Harry Potter and the other was not the Dark Lord Voldemort. ADark Lord, possibly. Voldemort, most definately not.

-SCENE BREAK-

Narcissa watched from a stone bench amongst a small, but pretty garden as her son hovered a few feet off the ground watching her husband's master, and hers by default.

Draco was lost in thought, studying the boy lord and sizing him up as he had been trained to do. However, he was not supposed to be quite so obvious about it. Perhaps, more intensive training was in order.

She felt a deep, reluctant confusion as she watched the other boy fly. He was smiling, laughing and playing like any little boy should, at heights that would have given her fits had it been her own son. He was seemingly so innocent and happy in that moment. He was at home in the sky, that much was obvious. Almost like the ground kept him trapped, always pulling him back into a cage that he accepted as necessary while secretly longing to break free of.

She had a hard time reconsciling the image of the sweet little boy with the sparkling green eyes with a dangerous, red eyed Dark Lord in a child's body that she had met only briefly.

She smiled as he decended to a more suitable height and drew her son into a game of tag. Had she not known what she did about him, she might have thought he would make an ideal playmate for Draco.

The crunching of gravel drew her attention and she glanced over. She nearly had a heart attack when she laid eyes on what had to have been a Grim sitting next to the bench and looking up into the sky. As it was, her gasp drew the attention of the beast and she flinched back.

A tongue lolled out of the Death Dog's mouth as it looked at her, panting in the summer heat. It gave a soft woof, as if trying to assure her, before looking back up at the two boys.

Worried that the presence of the Grim, which obviously had it's eyes on one of the two boys, may have some dire effect on either her son or her lord, she immediately looked up as well. Neither seemed to have noticed the canine presense and were continuing their game.

Turning back, she actually feel out of her seat in surprise, her bottom coming into contact painfully with the rocks. Sitting next to her, as casual as could be, was none other than Sirius Black. He ignored her, watching the boys with much the same facination as the Grim had. His hair was several inches longer than normally accepted for someone of his rank and tied elegantly with a black bow at the base of his head. His robes were expensive, black with deep blue accents, and they draped his regal frame elegantly. His fathomless grey eyes held a mischievous glint as he turned to look at her.

"Graceful as ever, Narcissa." he said with a chuckle.

She hesitated a moment, continuing to stare at him in her shock. Despite his mother, the ailing Walburga Black's, vehement claims that he was nothing but a shameful blood traitor and a disgrace to the noble Black family, Lucius had informed her that her cousin, the notorious Sirius Black, was one of the Dark Lord's favorites. He was supposed to be incredibly powerful magically and, looking at him now, she believed it. He had spent over eight years in Azkaban, yet none of the pain, stress and near madness that plagued the others was evident. He looked strong, handsome and powerful. Everything a pureblood noble should be. The fact that he had taken the place of the Grim further enforced her belief that her cousin was not one to be triffled with.

Belatedly realizing he had extended a hand to help her up, she took it, standing and gracefully brushing off her dress. Cautiously, she seated herself in her previous place next to him.

"Sirius," she finally said, careful to maintain her normally cool and detached tone. "Lucius told me you were here, but somehow I didn't expect to see you."

"Yeah, well," he responded with a shrug and a casual flick of his hand skyward, "I wanted to watch Ha-- them fly."

"I see." She narrowed her eyes at her cousin. Being in the Dark Lord's service didn't seem to have improved his manners any. "You couldn't have watched from a window? What if my son sees you?"

With another shrug, Sirius leaned back against the wall behind them, crossing his ankles and lacing his fingers behind his head. He directed his gaze back up at the two boys. "It's not the same. Besides, the secrecy charms are already up. He can't tell anyone and no one can take it from his mind. If he sees me, you and lord blondie will just have to deal with the inevitable questions. He can always be obliviated if needed."

"Don't be cheeky!" she exclaimed, falling back, out of habit, into the scolding tone she'd taken with him when they were younger. "No one's obliviating my son."

"Yeah." he said, ignoring her just as easily as he had fifteen years ago. "Might cause permanent brain damage... Oh!" With a cry, he leapt from his seat and dove under the bench, using the rose bushes that surrounded it to hide himself. "I do, however, care if he sees me!"

Narcissa looked from the newly vacant seat to the sky in confusion. Harry and Draco were coming in to land just in front of her, their clothes slightly askew and hair windblown.

"The Parkinsons are here." Harry stated, placing his and Draco's brooms back in their places and turning to head in. Draco went to follow him, but Narcissa remained.

"I find myself quite enjoying your garden, my lord." she stated. "Draco, please tell Emogene where I am if she wishes to see me."

"Yes, mother." he replied dutifully, following the other boy inside.

The moment they were gone, Sirius poked his head out, glancing around cautiously. Narcissa raised an elegant eyebrow at him, a knowing smirk on her fine lips.

Sirius sighed and began climbing out from under the bench, tugging at his robe and cursing under his breath as it caught on the rose bush. He ended up dirty, his clothes torn, his hair sticking up at odd angles and he seemed to have lost a shoe at some point. He glared at her for a moment before cracking.

"Alright! Yes! He told me to stay inside and out of sight!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up dramatically.

She couldn't help but snicker. "Why, dear cousin, would you risk angering the Dark Lord for such a trivial reason?"

Sirius smirked rougishly. "What can I say? I live for danger. Bugger!" With a frantic dive, he was safely hidden back under the bench.

"Oh, and Narcissa?" Harry called, sticking his head back out the door. "Tell Sirius if he doesn't get back upstairs and stay there, I'll string him up by his ankles, hand the house elves a couple of fish and point them in his direction."

Sirius had the grace to look sheepish as he slowly poked his head out and smiled apologetically at Harry.

-SCENE BREAK-

The party was in full swing when the more controversial of guests arrived. The Lestranges caused a bit of a stir among the non-Death Eater guests and most of the children. The Zabinis were decidedly neutral and greeted the two Azkaban escapees with only a curious glance and raised eyebrows. Damon Zabini, ever the Ravenclaw, was busy studying the two brothers, trying to determine how exactly they seemed to have escaped their stay at the prison relatively sane. The Parkinsons, though not Death Eaters, were Dark supporters and welcomed them warmly and with only a questioning glance at Harry, wondering how he had fallen in with them.

Sirius had made an appearance, scaring more than five children and three adults in the process. Apparantly, his rather maniacal grin and rumpled appearance made them slightly uncomfortable. Harry wasn't sure he should feel comfortable around his godfather either at this point. The man was definately up to something. Harry insisted Sirius go and change and he had retreated back upstairs, dragging Remus along with him, nearly twenty minutes ago. Harry hoped to all that was holy that they were just having a snog.

Harry surveyed the room, taking particular note of the children he'd be attending Hogwarts with. Several of those he already knew had siblings, both older and younger, that he'd never met before.

Damon Zabini, a fifteen year old Ravenclaw, stood talking with his year mate and girlfriend of two years, Olivia Parkinson of Slytherin house. The two were discussing the gathering of predominately Dark families and the inclusion of three escaped Death Eaters. They were joined by Bianca Bell, also a fifteen year old Ravenclaw and Damon's best friend since childhood. The Ravenclaw girl was quick to add to their conversation, telling them of how she had noticed her father, Malcolm "Flobberworm" Bell, behaving. He stroked his left arm, avoided questions as to where he'd been and had come home with blood on his clothes. It seemed Harry needed to have a "chat" with Bell about discretion.

The three Crabbes and the three Goyles all stood over the snack bar, stuffing their faces and grunting occasionally in what Harry assumed was an effort to communicate. Actually, Leonora Goyle stood a bit apart from the other five and only watched them eat with a blank expression. She was nearly the exact opposite to her large, apelike companions. Of average height, she was pale and slender with dark hair and eyes. Harry could sense an intelligence within her, carefully concealed. He didn't have to read her mind to realized she was a battered wife. When her husband grunted at her, she immediately jumped into action, refilling his cup with quick efficency, before drifting back into the background.

Lavinia Bell, a seventeen year old Slytherin just entering her final year, stood with her mother and Collette Nott. The pretty blonde teenager, so unlike her small, cowardly father, spoke to the two women with a confident grace and elegance, holding her own with ease. She had obviously taken after her mother and had been groomed from early childhood to be the perfect lady. Rumor had it the girl was somehow part Veela and, despite her father's lack of a title, she had already recieved several marriage proposals.

Darcey Nott, thirteen years old and of Ravenclaw house, was getting to know the Lestrange twins, Valdemar and Valeria, both of whom were fourteen and home schooled by their mother. Rabastan was watching his children closely, having only met them for the first time since they were very small children a few months ago.

Rodolphus, Lucius and Lionel Parkinson all kept trying to distract Rabastan. They knew the two teenagers did not want the father they barely knew hovering over them like he was apt to.

Theodore Nott Senior, Malcolm Bell and his twelve year old Hufflepuff daughter, Eleanor Bell all sat to the side, discussing nothing in particular out of concern for what the shy young girl might hear.

Jonathan and Sarah Michaels were standing alone, looking nervous and distinctly out of place. They had tried to be social, but were simply not comfortable talking with the kind of people Jonathan arrested on a routine basis. It was likely that, had Harry not insisted the Death Eaters stay for a meeting later, they would have already left.

Adeline Zabini, Narcissa Malfoy and Emogene Parkinson all stood together in a close circle. It was obvious that the three noble women were close friends and every so often warm laughter could be heard from their direction.

Renaldo Zabini was curiously absent. He had not arrived with his wife and children and already rumors were circulating that Adeline was soon to be a widow for the sixth time. He had lasted longer than the last three husbands already, a full three years.

Draco, Blaise, Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson all sat in a corner where comfortable seating had been arranged. They were all discussing Harry. It was surprising that, out of all those present, it would be those four who actively wondered and came the closest to the truth. Draco had apparantly been listening in on private conversations and used his empathic abilities on Harry without him knowing. He was now informing his friends of his findings. The Malfoy heir was surprisingly accurate. He claimed that Harry had taken control of the Death Eaters, but was not Voldemort. Instead, he bore the spirit of an ancient Dark Lord and had come to bring order to the wizarding world. The boy certainly had a vivid imagination.

Harry was just about to head over to the Michaels when a surprised shout caught his attention. Whiping his head around, he quickly stiffled the laughter threatening to consume him.

One of the enormous unbreakable bubbles had apparantly broken free from the ceiling and begun bouncing around the room. Rabastan, Rodolphus, Lucius and Lionel had not noticed and, as the bubble bounced it's way across the room, it landed right on top of Lucius. However, as it was unbreakable, it didn't pop. Instead, it sucked the man up and continued on it's merry way. The Malfoy lord looked absolutely gobsmacked as he bounced, head over tail, across the room, splayed eagle in the supposedly inpenetrable bubble.

Every single one of the guests watched him with amusement, some openly laughing while others mourned the loss of the his dignity while covering up smiles of their own.

Lucius finally recovered enough to glare at those assembled and attempted to reach for his wand. However, his limbs would not cooperate. Mad laughter broke out as he began yelling angrily for someone to get him out, but the bubble's surface was as effective as a silencing charm.

"Somehow," Harry murmured to himself, "I have the feeling that Sirius had something to do with this."

-SCENE BREAK-

"C'mon, Moony," Sirius whined pathetically. "I want to get back to the party."

The werewolf just ignored him, repairing the last tear in his mate's robes before handing them back to him.

"Why do I think you're up to something, Padfoot?" he asked with a knowing smile.

The animagus quickly threw the robes on and shot him a bright smile. "I'm a Marauder, Moony my dear. I'm always up to something."