Unseen Scars

Harry was slouched over a cup of coffee when Lucius Malfoy and his son entered the dining room. He grunted in a semi-greeting without looking up from his Batman mug.

"What is that, Potter?" Auror Malfoy demanded, plopping onto the chair beside him.

"The guy on the mug or the drink, Blondie?" Sirius asked brightly.

"Black," Lucius Malfoy grumbled, only taking a seat when Remus offered one.

"L'Oreal."

"Sirius," Remus complained when Harry and Auror Malfoy choked. "Don't be rude to our guests."

Sirius pouted.

"You'll have to wait until Harry finishes his coffee," Remus said apologetically to Lucius and his son.

"Coffee?" Auror Malfoy repeated.

"Muggles drink it to stay awake," Sirius replied.

"And what is that on the mug?" Auror Malfoy added.

"It's a Muggle fictional character called Batman," Remus said resignedly, while Sirius snickered. Harry glowered at his godfather, to groggy to be embarrassed. "That's his vigilante name, anyway. A vigilante is someone who does an Auror's job without having the license," he added when both Malfoys looked confused. "His personality is like Severus'."

"Batman?" Auror Malfoy said dryly, raising an eyebrow at Harry. He flipped the blond off in response.

"Harry, don't be rude to our guests," Remus repeated. He set a plate of pancakes in front of Harry. "Have you eaten?"

"I have eaten," Lucius Malfoy replied sleekly. "My son-" he shot Auror Malfoy an exasperated look "-woke up ten minutes before we needed to leave, and chose to fret over his appearance instead of eating."

Auror Malfoy would have glared at his father, but he was too busy staring at the Nutella spread over Harry's pancake. "That smells delicious," he told Remus. "May I ask what that is?"

"It's Nutella," Remus replied with a smile as he started dishing a few pancakes on three more plates. "A type of chocolate spread made from roasted hazelnuts. Would you like some? It's rather rich."

"Please," the younger blond said politely, but Harry could see the eagerness in his eyes. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I have never heard of Nutella before," Lucius Malfoy remarked.

"That's because Muggles invented it," Remus replied, earning an indignant look from Lucius. Sirius snickered at the man.

Harry had finished his coffee by this point and immediately started scarfing down his breakfast as Remus set down the three plates in front of his husband, Auror Malfoy, and himself.

"Potter," Auror Malfoy complained.

Harry swallowed and flipped Malfoy off again. "I'm starving, I love Nutella, and I eat like this when it isn't a formal setting." He shoved another bite into his mouth.

"Barbarian," the blond grumbled, scooting away slightly. He ate his own food much more daintily.

"Wouldn't you prefer to savor it?" Lucius Malfoy drawled.

"Eh."

Harry finished quickly and got up to put his dish in the sink, but Kreacher snapped into view before he could. "Can't do any work around here," he complained good-naturedly as Kreacher began washing his plate and mug.

Kreacher and Sirius snorted in unison, then glared at each other.

"For Merlin's sake!" Harry exclaimed. "Sirius, eat your food. Kreacher, ignore the mutt."

"Mutt!" Sirius cried in betrayal. Kreacher smirked and went back to washing dishes.

"Living in a house of children, I swear," Harry grumbled, sitting back down. At Remus' raised eyebrow, he said dryly, "Swearwolf."

Auror Malfoy almost choked on a bite of pancake when Remus actually pouted.

Lucius Malfoy cleared his throat, not knowing whether to be amused or annoyed. "Auror Potter, my wife said you needed my assistance with the Dark Mark. I would suggest, first, that you speak to Severus."

"He doesn't want to talk to me," Harry said yet again. "I have some questions to ask first. How does the Mark feel normally?"

"As if it isn't there," the man replied after a thoughtful pause.

"When does it feel otherwise?"

"When being summoned, when the Dark Lord's title was spoken, or when the Dark Lord was feeling intense emotion," Lucius Malfoy answered. "It hurts in those instances."

"So you've never felt anything but pain when the Mark is activated?" Harry said with a frown.

"No," Auror Malfoy agreed, as he was between bites. "You are an excellent cook, Professor, thank you."

"I'm no longer your Professor, Auror Malfoy," Remus replied. "You may call me Remus or Moony."

"Draco, then," the smaller blond said after a careful and surprised pause.

"How did Vol -- er, You-Know-Who activate your Mark, or get it to react?" Harry asked.

"I am not entirely sure of the answer to the first question," Lucius Malfoy admitted. "You would have to ask Severus that. If we were in the presence of the Dark Lord, he could get the Mark to react with Parseltongue."

"Okay, then," Harry said slowly. "Well, the first thing I want to do is see if I can get the Mark to stop hurting entirely. I don't know if I can remove it, yet, so this will have to do. Are you two okay with me doing that?"

Both Malfoys stared at him. "Potter," Lucius Malfoy said slowly, "you want to stop the pain, when I-" he stopped.

Auror Malfoy sighed. "Potter's too nice for that, Father."

Harry poked his side in retaliation, and Malfoy smacked his arm, glaring at him. The older blond watched his son and Harry with a peculiar expression on his face; Harry assumed it was because he was surprised at Harry's kindness.

"I have no issue with this experiment," the man said finally.

"Whatever, Potter," Auror Malfoy agreed.

"You can finish your pancakes," Harry smirked, seeing the pout Malfoy gave his plate. He got up and went to sit beside Lucius Malfoy instead.

"Now?" the man said, surprised.

"Yeah, I promised Andi to help her with Teddy," Harry replied.

"What's wrong with the brat?" Auror Malfoy frowned, but Harry could see the concern in his eyes.

"Just a small cold," Remus assured him, but he and Sirius still looked worried. "He and Andi missed Harry's birthday because of it."

Lucius Malfoy rolled up his left sleeve, expression blank. Harry gazed down at the Dark Mark and focused.

"~Hello?~"

The serpent slithering through the eyes of the skull replied almost instantly. ~You are my master, yet not my master.~

"~Yeah, I don't know how the fuck that happened,~" Harry told it. The snake actually snorted. "~What are your orders about Lucius?~"

~The man who was branded with me?~ the snake questioned.

"~Uh-huh.~"

~How old are you, master?~ the snake asked with a snort.

"~I just turned twenty yesterday,~" Harry said in a slightly defensive tone.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Remus asked, as everyone noticed the tone.

"Lord Malfoy's Mark basically called me a child," Harry pouted.

"You certainly act like one," Lucius Malfoy said in a drawling tone. He yelped in pain when the snake hissed.

"~You can understand English?~" Harry said in surprise.

~I can, master,~ the snake hissed angrily.

"~Lucy was just teasing, and I don't like using pain as a punishment,~" Harry insisted. The snake laughed at the nickname. "~If you do follow my orders, I don't want you to hurt Lucius anymore.~"

~As you command,~ the snake replied. ~How do you punish?~

"~I don't really,~" Harry said slowly. "~The closest I get to punishment is a harmless, yet slightly humiliating, prank, and I usually only prank my honorary parents, Remus and Sirius Lupin-Black, and my honorary brothers, Fred and George Weasley.~"

~Pranks?~ the snake said with a sigh. ~You are a very odd Dark Lord.~

"~I'm not a Dark Lord,~" Harry frowned.

~You are a Dark Lord, master,~ the snake said. ~Only a Dark Lord can control Dark Marks.~

Harry blinked. "What the ever-loving shit fuck-"

"Language!" Remus exclaimed as Sirius burst out laughing. Auror Malfoy, who had finished his breakfast, rolled his eyes.

"What is it?" Lucius Malfoy asked cautiously.

"Apparently," Harry complained, "I'm a bloody fucking Dark Lord."

Sirius immediately stopped laughing.

"Of course you are," said Auror Malfoy with an eye-roll, ignoring the shocked expression on Remus' face. "Only a Dark Lord can control Dark Marks."

"Well that's fucking lovely."

~Are you well, master?~ the snake asked cautiously.

"~I'm more annoyed than upset,~" Harry decided. "~I was groomed my whole life to kill Voldemort-~"

~You're Harry Potter?!~ the snake exclaimed. Lucius Malfoy twitched and blinked down at the Dark Mark in surprise.

"Did it hurt?" Harry asked in alarm.

"No, it just... vibrated?" the man said slowly.

Harry relaxed and responded to the snake. "~Yes, I am.~"

~How?!~

"~You're asking me?~" Harry snorted. "~I know shite about Dark Marks.~" He paused. "~Is it possible to change the Mark? I don't particularly like the design, and I don't think Lucy does either.~"

~Yes, you can change the Mark,~ the snake agreed. ~Focus your magic on me.~

Harry reached out gently with his magic, causing everyone in the room to gasp quietly. Both Malfoys suddenly grabbed their left arms, gasping.

After a pause, both Malfoys released their arms, and everyone got a good look at the new Dark Mark.

Instead of a skull and a huge serpent, there was instead a Deathly Hallows symbol, with a familiar snake wrapped around it.

Harry snorted as the other four people in the room stared at it.

"What's so funny?" Sirius asked immediately.

"That's the snake I accidentally set on my cousin Dudley when I was eleven," Harry said wryly, gesturing to the new Mark.

"This is..." the older blond stared at his arm. Draco Malfoy pulled down his own sleeve, eyes widening.

"Oh, I probably should have asked," Harry said, embarrassed.

"Thank you," Lucius Malfoy said quietly.

Sirius gasped. "Did L'Oreal Malfoy just thank you?"

The blond rolled his eyes.

~Master,~ said the boa constrictor, ~do you still wish Lord Malfoy to be your second-in-command?~

Harry blinked. "~Uh... I guess, for now? But I don't want slaves.~"

~They do not have to be. What do you wish your Dark Empire to be?~

After a pause, Harry said quietly, "~A family.~"

~Might I suggest a Pack, then?~ said the boa constrictor in a gentler tone.

Harry stared at the Dark Mark. "~That... works. What the fuck?~"

The boa constrictor laughed.

"What is it?" Remus asked curiously.

"I told the Dark Mark I didn't want slaves," Harry replied, earning an eye-roll and a muttered "Bloody Gryffindor" from Draco Malfoy, "and that I wanted... a family, so it suggested making it a Pack instead."

Remus' eyes were misty.

Auror Malfoy narrowed his eyes at him. "Your Muggle relatives were shite, weren't they." It wasn't a question.

"I... yeah," Harry admitted, and ignored the wide-eyed look from Lucius Malfoy. "Oh, the snake asked if I wanted you to be my second-in-command, but that was before I made my... Dark Empire?... a Pack, so I want Moony to be my second."

"Me?" Remus said in surprise.

"You're more responsible than Padfoot," Harry replied, "and pretty smart and clever." He would have chosen Snape, but...

"I think you mean pretty, comma, smart, and clever," Sirius smirked, making his husband blush lightly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He gave Remus an expectant look.

"Are you sure you want to pick me?" Remus said worriedly.

"Snape doesn't want anything to do with me, so yes," Harry agreed, managing to keep the pain out of his voice. Both Malfoys stared at him.

Remus gave him a little smile. "Alright, cub."

Harry blinked again. "I have to ask the Dark Mark one more question. ~Do I need to use a tattoo as a Dark Mark or can I use something else, like a piece of jewelry or some shite?~"

~If you're going to use a piece of jewelry,~ the boa constrictor replied, ~I would suggest using different styles of bracelet. There are two different types of familial bracelets, for those related to you and for those you consider family but that aren't related to you, courting bracelets, bonding bracelets, for those you are married to, and familial-adjacent bracelets, for the parents of your romantic partners.~

"~Does my godfather count as related to me?~" Harry asked.

~It is a bit of a stretch, but yes.~

"~And the man married to my godfather, and their son?~"

~What is their last name?~

"~Lupin-Black.~"

~You are descended from the Blacks, anyway,~ the boa constrictor said with a sigh. ~Dorea Potter Nee Black birthed Harrison Michael Potter, who married Rebecca Potter Nee Fleamont, and they bore your grandfather, Fleamont Potter.~

"~So, my godfather and his husband and son are related to me?~" Harry said wryly.

~Distantly.~

"The Dark Mark says I don't have to use a tattoo as a Mark," Harry told them, and the Malfoys looked startled. "I can try to change yours if you want," Harry added to them.

"I like the tattoo," Auror Malfoy admitted.

"What would you choose, instead?" Lucius Malfoy asked him curiously.

"Bracelets," Harry answered. "Moony and Pads would get familial bracelets, the type where it shows they're related to me, and... I guess you would get the one where you're not related to me. Since you're not my romantic partner-" Lucius Malfoy grimaced "-or the father of my romantic partner."

He missed the slight pout on Auror Malfoy's face, and so did Sirius, but Remus and Lucius Malfoy didn't.

Harry was about to ask Sirius and Remus if they wanted to get a Marked bracelet, but then a familiar voice shouted from the drawing room Floo.

"BLACK! WHY IS MY MARK THE BLOODY DEATHLY HALLOWS SYMBOL?!"