Remembered Love
Orion Oberon Black walked down the hall, one arm around his daughter and one arm around his grandson of uncountable millenia, another grandson curled over his shoulders. He was walking down the hall of his own house, preparing to go to bed in his own bedroom. Hell, to lie down in his own bed.
“Are you certain you do not need me to stay another night with you, Celeste? It is no bother, truly?” And as nice as it would be to sleep in the room that was almost unchanged through the centuries, he meant it.
“I will be fine. You deserve your privacy.” Celeste tiptoed to kiss his cheek as they reached his bedroom.
“And you’re certain, Sirius, that you do not want the master suites?”
“I would rather die than sleep in my father’s old room, but Bill and Remus and Kreacher lent a hand and it’s clean and curse free for you.”
“I…I have seen it. It is. It is beautiful.” And Orion could have easily cried. And honestly, did cry a little. He was wrapped up in the arms of his kin and, Merlin, perhaps years embedded in a stone floor by one's friends did cause a few issues, because he hesitated before going alone into the room.
Sirius gave him a tight hug and then changed, completely unexpectedly, into a large black dog. Orion may have jumped and yelped. Celeste may also have laughed at him before hugging him tightly, kissing him on both cheeks, and settling into a chair beside his bed. Harry-dragon nuzzled Orion’s cheek and then flew into the room, settling on a small perch as Sirius turned around twice and lay at the foot of his bed. And yes, Orion definitely cried then.
He slipped easily into sleep with hardly a fear that he would slip back into the near-death coma and never awaken.
Fine. There was fear. But he found himself sleeping with his head resting on the thick black fur of his grandson-dog, and somehow, the fears were chased away.
It was weeks later, when he’d finally found the courage to sleep alone, that the voice came to him.
And he thought he was mad. Because, a dragon-man imprisoned for centuries. Having to adapt to a new life, a new family, a new time. It would be stranger if he were not a little mad. But the voice persisted. Mere whispers at first; he blamed his own loquacious wards and the incredible things Sirius had created from his own mind and heart. But Oberon and the Little Wards swore they were not to blame, and Orion had made certain there were no ghostly voices pestering him from the great beyond.
And still, the voice persisted, growing stronger by the night, but still indistinct, save for his name.
“Orion,” a woman’s voice whispered. “Orion.”
And in the silent ache of his lonely nights, he tried to answer.
But he had no idea whose name to call out in reply until a softly glowing presence hovered over his bed, and a woman’s beautiful but nearly transparent face smiled down at him. “Orion,” she whispered. “Why do you hide?”
“I’m…what?” He breathed.
The presence hovered closer, so close that it warmed his skin. “My own Orion.” She whispered, sweet breath ghosting over his face. “Why do you run?”
“I don’t understand.” Orion gasped, staring up at this strangely familiar face.
“You ran from me for centuries. And I allowed that. But then you were struck down, imprisoned, and kept from me and everyone, for a thousand years and that…” The woman’s sweet smiling face transformed into a glower and a hot transparent hand pressed into his chest. “That is unacceptable. Do you understand?”
“I…yes…?”
“You are allowed freedom. You are allowed companionship. You are allowed family and work and time. I have granted you all of those things, have I not? You saw your family thrive for three generations until they were lost to you. I even saw fit to protect them beyond that, but I have no power over the winds and sea and they sailed beyond my powers. But I let you hold others and care for others. You may have whatever joys you wish, Orion. I would have no less for you. What you may not have is pain, isolation, and sadness. Do you hear me?” Her hands pressed into his chest again. “These things I will no longer allow.”
“I…Morgana?” He whispered, realization fizzing through his skin.
A laugh rolled through the room, refreshing and bold as the bubbling of a mountain stream. “Only now do you know me? But I know you, Orion. This body of yours? I built it. You are mine.” She came closer, warm ghostly fingertips tracing his arms, sweet breath hot against his face. “Every inch of your beautiful form is mine. Crafted with time and skill and love. And how do you repay me for this wondrous gift? You allow yourself to be sealed away. Wrapped in pain and solitude. Beyond my reach.” The warm ghostly fingers traced across his chest. “Well, no more. I will claim what is mine.”
“I…I am safe, Morgana. I am among my kin. I am…happy.”
“Happy?” Her lips grazed his own as she spoke. “There is nothing and no one for whom you yet yearn?”
Orion couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. “I…”
“There is a partner for you? One who is worthy of you? One who knows what it is to be unique? Lost in time?”
“I…Morgana…”
“I shall come for you, Orion Oberon Black. The years have passed upon the thousand, and I have ever sought you and your good. And now, you shall be what you always should have been. Mine.”
“Morgana,” Orion sighed, trying to touch her cheek, but his fingers merely trailed through warm mist. “I…I am happy with my family. Please. Please do not cause them harm or upset.”
“I come for you, Orion. No one else.”
“I…I love them, Morgana. I do not wish to be parted from them.”
“And so I must be parted from you?” Morgana demanded. “I have given you over a thousand years without me, must I wait longer yet?”
“I…I do not wish to cause you pain, or make you wait. I did not know you wanted me.”
“To possess the heart of a dragon, the mind of a scholar, the body of my own design? Orion. You foolish, foolish man.” Morgana’s mouth brushed his again and Orion couldn’t do anything but try fruitlessly, to return the ghostly kiss.
“Would it be asking too much,” Orion said at last. “To ask that you join me, here? To live with me and my family for a time? It seems you are an eternal creature, as I am. What is a few decades to you?”
There was a pause. Her eyes drove into his. “You try to elude me. As before.”
“No. Morgana, I have never tried to elude you. I traveled, lived a life, started a family. I lost them to the sea. And then I raised my little Celeste. And was trapped at Hogwarts. But I have never run from you, Morgana. What kind of fool would do that?”
Her ghostly hand slid into his hair and she pulled his head back lightly, glowing amber eyes staring into his own. “You speak true?”
“Morgana, I found, loved, and wed one woman in a thousand years and lived in loneliness ever since. Why would I run from the most beautiful, powerful witch who ever lived if I knew she wanted me?”
“Orion Oberon Black, hear me well. I, Morgan Le Fay, not only want you, I claim you. You are mine and no one else’s. So mote it be.”
The wards rumbled in acknowledgement
“And if that is true, Morgana, then I ask that you come to me and join my family. If nothing else, you might find it amusing. And if you must travel, I will come with you. I just ask you, in your graciousness, to allow me to return to my loved ones.”
“Such a heart,” Morgana whispered against his lips. “Such a capacity for love. It is why I have allowed you such freedom over the years. Such love and care and curiosity could not be contained. Even yet, I have no desire to take things from you. And I shall not. What I shall do is protect what is mine. There will be no more entrapments. No more hiding. No more nights of loneliness and pain. Am I understood?”
“Perfectly,” Orion managed to say before he was drowning in the tantalizing ecstasy of her ghostly kisses once more.
“My dark lord,” Morgana purred. “I shall see you soon.”
“Soon,” Orion repeated and could only ache as Morgana’s vaporous form vanished.
Harry pushed off from Neville’s shoulders and turned human to stand in front of the stunning woman who had just materialized through the wards.
“May I help you, ma’am?”
Amber eyes that glowed almost like Remus’ fixed on him. Long dark hair was twisted back into a braid. She looked like Fleur in her half-transformed bodybuilder mode, if one dialed back the wings entirely and the muscles and height a little. Her muscular arms were bare, but she was wearing dark leggings and armor, and had a sword drawn.
“Is this the Most Ancient and Noble House of black?” The woman spoke, staring around at the gorgeous wild beauty of Nev’s greenhouse.
“Yes, ma’am,” Harry responded, opening up the mate bond so that Sev and Fleur could hear what was happening. “Technically, this is the greenhouse. People don’t usually just pop up here. Can I help you find someone?”
She stared at him. “You are dragon born.”
Harry shrugged a little, keeping his stance wide and his body loose. He didn’t know whether to draw his wings or his wand and that was still a weird sensation. “Technically dragon-blooded, I guess. I’d like it a lot of you would put away your sword, even though I’m guessing from the magic pouring off of you that it’s more of an accessory.”
The woman laughed, a chiming, ethereal thing that somehow reminded Harry of the deep ringing of the wards. “It is likely the most powerful magical sword in existence, child. And also, yes. To me, it is more of an impressive trinket than anything else.”
“Okay, very cool. So like. Are you going to put it away? Or like, gonna chop down the greenhouse or something? Because, I gotta tell you, that would make Neville sad. And no one in the family likes it when Nev is sad.”
The woman laughed again and sheathed her sword. “You are entertaining. He is correct.”
“Glad you think so.” Harry said, waving Neville back with his hand behind his back but the other boy wasn’t budging. “Also, who’s told you about me, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Not you specifically, but the family. I…I…I feel it in the wards. The love. I…I may need to sit.” The woman slid down to the dirt of the greenhouse floor and plants and vines immediately flowed around her, creating a basketlike throne with a flowered canopy. Which was. You know. Normal. “And do not worry…Neville is it?” The woman spoke, breathing deeply, eyes closed. “I will put things back as I found them.”
“It’s fine, ma’am. Like what you’ve done with the place.” Neville murmured.
“Well, just make yourself comfortable, ma’am, I guess.” Harry said, guiding Neville behind him as they walked toward the door. “Can I ask your name, please, and who you’ve come to see?”
“I have come for my own.” She murmured, eyes closed.
“Okay. That’s. Um. That’s cool. And your name, please?” Harry asked, practically shoving Neville out the door.
“Tell Orion I have come,” she said quietly. “I can see why he wishes to stay. This place is steeped in peace.”
“Alright, bye,” Harry muttered and hustled Neville to the house.
She felt his presence before he entered the greenhouse. She opened her eyes to see him kneeling beside her.
“Morgana.” His hand gripped hers, his lips grazed the back of her hand and she almost couldn’t bear to open her eyes, to have her ears and her hands and her emotions disproven. “I had feared you were a dream.”
Morgan Le Fey opened her eyes and stared into the dark eyes she had been searching for for centuries. All her desire for superiority, for control of the situation, vanished and she was kneeling, wrapped in the arms of Orion Oberon Black. And like some ridiculous mortal, she found herself weeping into his chest.
“Where in Hades have you been?” She wept as his arms surrounded her.
Orion held her like he would never let her go. He laughed softly as he kissed her hair. “Living my life and then trapped under a castle for about a thousand years. You?”
“Searching the realms for you. And ruling them. Occasionally.” Morgana muttered, breathing in the scent of woodsmoke and ozone that was Orion Black, clinging to the tall muscular body she had literally breathed to life.
“Of course. Ruling the realms. Just as a diversion. In your free time.” Orion Black laughed a little, his large rough hand skimming down the back of her neck to the base of her spine and back again. “Morgana, Morgana, how much there is to learn about you.”
“Know that you are mine and we shall build from there.” Morgana held him with all her fae strength.
He gasped a little but gripped her just as strongly in return. “Very well. Have I argued about that since you mentioned it?”
“You ran from me. I created your human body. I claimed you as my own. And then you thanked me and left.”
“I remember the creating. I remember the thanking. But the claiming?” Orion’s smoky breath warmed her neck and she shuddered with pleasure.
“Am I so easily forgotten?” She muttered, unable to do anything but cling to him.
“My human mind was newly made. As well as my body. You offered…” he swallowed. “A testing, of sorts. And it was wondrous. And then I asked what treasure I owed you for the body and you said no mere treasure would ever be enough, so I thanked you and left.”
“Are you saying…?” Morgana asked, disbelief filling her, followed by a bubble of laughter. “If I had said ‘Orion, because I made you a body, you are now mine for all time’ you would have stayed with me and avoided all of this?”
“I…yes,” Orion laughed softly. “You were and are the most powerful witch or fae I have ever encountered; we walked together as equals and friends before you ever granted me a body, then you gave me my heart’s desire; your beauty dazzled me, your touch…” Orion held her closer and kissed the side of her head as he released a sigh. “I would have stayed with you if only to learn from you, much less…”
Morgana cursed into his chest. “I inferred…”
“I thought you were happy to conclude our business. I had no gift for inference. I still do not.”
“Dear gods, I could have had you all these years?”
“I’m happy to have had Cassandra. I loved her dearly. I love my family, all the way down to my current heirs. All occurred as it should have. I am sorry to have caused you such trouble, though. It would have been ideal to have met you again just before the…you know.”
“The four most treacherous wixen of their age sealed you away from me?”
“Yes, that.”
“No more of that,” Morgana repeated, holding him close. “Do you hear me? There will be no more pain and imprisonment for you.”
“As you command, my lady.”
“Oh, I like that.” Morgana purred. “That is how it always should have been. Come here.” She cupped his face and brushed his lips with hers. His breath hitched and yes, she liked that even better. She pressed into him, intensifying the kiss, devouring this delicious decadent man who had eluded her for far too long. And, wonder of wonders, Orion kissed her with equal passion. And as she pressed him back into the thick bed of vegetation, her vow echoed through her mind.
No more. No more pain or isolation for either of them.
Orion, as he always should have been, was hers.