Healing, Hugs, and Hunts

Death's Court

Lucius, Frank, and Remus were currently waiting near a designated portal area for Harry's bonded, Hadrian and Riven. Both of them had experience dealing with Death's Court and their experience would be much appreciated. They were following up on Bill and Hadrian's idea that maybe Sirius had ended up in Death's Court as a new hellhound without his memories.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long," Hadrian stated as he and Riven stepped out of a portal.

"We have been here for a bit longer than we should have been," Lucius stated.

"Sorry, Harry was a bit hard to slip away from today. His instincts are acting a bit erratic, probably due to being a Ferros. He hasn't let anyone report for work or in with their families yet. It has been two days since we got here and it really hasn't settled at all yet," Riven added. Lucius and Remus chuckled. They knew Harry was a bit unpredictable sometimes when he was riding that line between fine and feral.

"We understand. How did you manage to slip away from him without getting caught?" Lucius asked still chuckling.

"Oh well after trying and failing to convince him that Hadrian had to report for duty as the Blood Raven and that I needed to check in with King Edgar for something, we came up with a plan," Riven responded with a smirk.

"I took our Rheyo and two Fire Gheyo and worked them hard for training while Riven convinced the Merrow to tempt Harry with a few feeds so that he would be hyped up on pure Merrow blood. Then we set them loose on each other. They will probably be busy for a few hours," Hadrian added with a grin.

"It probably would have been easier if we had just let you bring him with you. We just figured this would be a lovely surprise for him at dinner on Friday," Lucius responded. His son hyped up on pure Merrow blood was going to be quite a handful especially if he was half-feral already.

"It's fine honestly, it was a great introduction to how we are going to have to learn to handle him when his instincts are at the surface," Riven replied.

"That is all very true, well let us get this done. I am ready to hopefully retrieve our missing mate and if we do this quickly maybe you two can get back before Harry realizes that you aren't home," Remus interjected. Hadrian nodded.

"Well circle up, I will port us there," Hadrian offered. The five of them stood together and held their breath as Hadrian ported them straight to a portal room in Aiden's home. He had already sent a message ahead to The Hellhound the day before about coming and what they were coming for. Since it was for his Submissive's family, Aiden had agreed for them to come directly to his home. He did not want to do anything that would piss off Lady Death.

There was a young man waiting patiently for them.

"Blood Raven, Aiden is not happy when he is kept waiting. Come before you are even later," The young hellhound ordered.

"Thank you, Melacour," Hadrian responded. Then the five men followed the hellhound to the main room where Aiden was lounging on a throne.

"You are late. I don't like to be kept waiting. All of this is a favor for you little Submissive and his family. Because you have kept me waiting I am going to have to insist that you bring the little Favored One here over the weekend. I am ready to meet him and he needs to be introduced to the court so that they know who he is to our Lady. Before the Hunt," Aiden demanded.

"Of course, Lord Aiden. I will inform Harry and we will make plans to be here. I must warn you though that he is a Ferros Submissive and he has been half-feral for days. Riven and I had to distract him with Merrow's blood and Gheyo high on blood lust just to be able to leave our home for this visit. So you may have the entire circle here for that," Hadrian warned him. The hound smirked.

"I heard rumors that he is a bit of a trouble magnet as well. Your Alpha likes to brag that your Submissive will make life interesting. It is nice to see that there is some truth to all of that," Aiden chuckled, teasing the Shadow Ace.

"The rumors are all very true. He will definitely keep us on our toes," Hadrian stated with a proud smirk.

"I see you are just as proud about it," Aiden said while rolling his eyes. "Anyways, you are looking for a new hellhound that may be part of your Submissive's family circle."

"Yes, that is what we are here for," Hadrian replied. Aiden gave a sharp whistle and three Hellhounds came into the room and stopped at Aiden's throne.

"These are my three newest and none have regained any memories of a past life. They will transform back into their human forms and then you can claim yours. Know that if he is here he will always have ties to this court and must come when I call. He will have duties here," Aiden stated. Then he gave another whistle and the three hellhounds became human again.

The first was a blonde man with bright blue eyes, the second was a dark-haired man with dark eyes, and the last was Sirius. Remus whimpered and Frank placed his arm around him to comfort him. Lucius broke away from his two mates and began walking to his lost mate. Sirius had this look in his eyes like he did not recognize any of them. It hurt them to see. Halfway there Lucius stopped and called out to him.

"Sirius Orion Evanson-Malfoy, it is time to come home. Our mates and children miss you. Lily wants you home now," Lucius continued to talk calmly to him. Sirius took another moment and between one blink in the next, they saw the familiar gleam in his eyes and recognition made them shine. Then Sirius was running and launched himself into Lucius' arms. He whined and Lucius rumbled soothingly to him. It was not often that the Gheyo showed any weakness to anyone but Remus or James. Azkaban had made him a little mad.

"It's alright now, Love. You are coming back home to your family," Lucius soothed him. Sirius finally pulled back and looked pleadingly at Lucius.

"Did you find them? You are here in Nevarah, does that mean it is over and we are all here now?" Sirius asked. He looked like he was going to ask more when a soft rumble was heard. Sirius stiffened and looked hopefully into Lucius' eyes. He had not heard that sound from his Ace in a very long time. Lucius nodded and then turned Sirius to face the others.

Frank still stood with his arm around Remus but he lifted the other to call Sirius to him. Remus lifted his free arm as well and Sirius launched himself into their waiting arms and allowed them to coo and fuss over him. He was their Princess after all. He was used to being spoiled by the others. Sirius would take all of the attention that he could get from them. Lucius moved to stand near Riven and Hadrian.

"He is the newest of the three. He still needs a lot of training. In terms of being a Hellhound, he is still a puppy. I will look into finding a good mentor for him since he will no longer be in my mansion," Aiden informed them.

"My Submissive's Dera has offered to be his mentor if it was required," Lucius spoke up. Aiden looked intrigued. It looked like Death's Favorite had more ties to his court than he thought.

"Who is your Submissive's Dera?" Aiden asked.

"Briar Evanson. So Sirius is his son-in-law. They are already familiar with each other as well," Lucius answered. Aiden smirked. Good, tending to the rowdy pup would serve as a soft punishment for Briar for all of the meetings and such that he had missed.

"Very well. I will inform Briar later today that he will be taking over as the mentor for the pup," Aiden agreed. "Well, this has been fun but I have things to do. You may all go."

With the dismissal, they all headed back to the transportation room.

"Remember, this is a secret. I want Harry and Draco to be surprised at dinner on Friday," Lucius reminded them. They all agreed and said their goodbyes. Lucius and his mates ported straight home. Hadrian and Riven ported home as well. Their hope that Harry was still preoccupied was dashed the minute the portal faded around them. Harry was standing in the doorway and he was not happy at all.

Hadrian gently pushed Riven aside and braced. Seconds later Harry launched himself at the Ace with fangs and claws. Hadrian Shadow Stepped them outdoors to the training area that he had set up for the Gheyo. He was prepared to spar with Harry and hoped that it would take the feral edge off of Harry so that he would relax a little. It took him far longer to settle his Feisty Kitten than he thought it would.

An hour later he was lying in the middle of the training field with an exhausted and sated Submissive and a fully sealed bond thrumming contently between them. Well, that had turned out much better than he thought it would.

"Will you at least tell me where you went that it was so important that you tried to trick me?" Harry asked as he stroked his claws up and down Hadrian's bare chest. Hadrian chuckled.

"No, Kitten. It was important and it is a surprise. You will just have to wait a few days and then I promise that you will know exactly why we had to do it. Then you will feel bad for attacking me since Riven and I did something so nice for you," The Shadow Ace teased. Harry huffed but smiled up at his Ace.

"Well then, if it is as nice as you say it is I will make it up to you. Not that I heard you complaining about my attack or what happened afterward at all," Harry teased right back. Hadrian squeezed him and then pressed a kiss to his head.

"We better get up and get our clothes back on. I am sure that Draco and his bonded would not be too happy to stumble across us right at the moment."

Harry flushed at the Ace's teasing words. He had completely forgotten that they were naked as the day they were born lying out in an open training field where anyone could stumble upon them. Hadrian wasn't about to admit he had already placed a ward around the area so that exact thing wouldn't happen. He nipped Hadrian on the chest and then jumped up and looked for his clothes. He groaned when he found shreds of what used to be his clothes. Hadrian held out a black shirt to Harry. The submissive slipped it on and was very happy that he was so much smaller than Hadrian. the shirt hit him mid-thigh and covered all of his important bits.

"Let's get back to the house and maybe you can convince one or two Merrow to join you in your bath. I know your instincts are still close to the surface. They will probably stay that way until you have completely sealed our circle and fully bonded to everyone," Hadrian offered. Harry blushed, nodded, and tugged on his bonds to Alec and Glyn. They would be waiting for them when they reached the main house. This would be fun. Harry kissed Hadrian on the lips and then dashed for the house. If anyone saw him and thought that he looked absolutely adorable with mussed hair and a too-large shirt they kept it to themselves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry and Co: Dinner with Parents

Finally, after three very very long days, in Harry's opinion, it was Friday. It was time to go to their parents house for dinner. They had all given each other space this past week to get a true start at settling into their new lives in Nevarah. Harry had finally completely sealed his circle on Wednesday evening and had been convinced to allow some of his bonded to leave for their jobs on Thursday if they promised to be home for dinner and that if they worked on Friday that they had to be home in time for the family dinner on Friday.

Those that were going to return to work agreed to those conditions it really wasn't too much to ask. Especially, since after their first night there, Hadrian, Bill, and Theo had made it a point to speak to each of their bonded about always trying to be home for dinner at night. That it made Harry very happy and was important to him. Of course, Harry had no idea that those conversations had taken place and no one was inclined to tell him.

Bill, Glyn, and Chelan had finally returned from a last minute errand that Bill needed to run. When Harry saw the bag with the name of the jewelry store on it he had trilled in excitement. Bill's gifts were finally done. Sol pulled out her own bag and then commenced to passing her gifts to her circle and Draco preened at the gift and rewarded her with a kiss. Harry and the others had all watched and Harry made the appropriate noises when Draco turned to show his ring off to Harry.

"Trouble, do you want to do the honors?" Harry looked excited.

"Are you sure Bill? The gift is from you, don't you want to pass them out?" Harry asked hoping that Bill let him do it anyway. Bill smiled and handed the bag to Harry with a smile.

"Us, My Love. The gifts are from us. Remember how the next day you mentioned personalizing them with names and the date of the scream that brought us all together?" Harry nodded. Bill reached in and with a small jolt of magic pulled out the new cuff for Harry and handed it over. Harry looked at it with so much excitement. On the inside of the cuff was Harry's initials, the Deathly Hallow symbol, and the date of the soul scream. Harry allowed Bill to put it on him and gave him a kiss.

"Thank you, My Alpha. It is lovely. It looks as if you left an intentional empty space as well, what is that for?" Harry asked as Bill passed him the bag.

"That is so that when we either decide on a circle name or in case Death as our circles Patron through you, gives us a circle name, it can be added to the cuffs," Bill explained. Harry chirped at him and nuzzled against him as Hadrian placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Such a good Alpha. You truly think of everything don't you?" Hadrian praised. Bill flushed a bit from the Ace's words. Harry just smiled brighter and reached into the bag thinking about Hadrian. The cuff flew into his hand. He pulled it out and made sure it was the right one before kissing Hadrian and handing it to him. Harry went around to everyone and passed out a kiss and a cuff. Once they had all been passed out and they had all put them on Harry pressed himself into Bill's side and purred at him. It was very nice to see something on all of them so out in the open that staked their claim on them.

All of them were also wearing the scales that had been exchanged between those that they had bonded to somewhere that they could all be seen. Every member of their circle carried a scale from Harry and Harry carried a scale from every one of his bonded. He had chosen to have a belly chain to wear them on display. So he had been dressed in flowy loose silk pants and his shirt was actually mostly silk scarves instead of an actual shirt. It was very different from his normal style but he felt so good and attractive in it. Every one of his claim marks as well as his belly chain and scales were all on display. He was quite happy to show them all off.

Ethan, Oliver, Draco, and Fleur who had taken to collaborating about their circles' outfits had quickly learned that Harry enjoyed having all of his claim marks on display and had planned accordingly. So now almost everything Harry owned was just as revealing as the outfit he was wearing today for dinner. Draco, who was only barely more modest, was wearing the same exact style of pants as Harry but in a different color and he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt that covered everything but was also completely sheer and showed off all of his marks.

With the two of them dressed this way and their hair put up in similar ways you could definitely tell that they were twins. Apparently, Draco and their Pareya thought Harry and Draco looking like twins every time they left the house together was going to be a thing and honestly, Harry didn't mind it. He had been so envious of Fred and George and even Padma and Parvati always dressing alike. He would gladly allow himself to be dressed up like a doll. Harry wanted the pampering, cuddling, affection, and attention. So he would indulge his mates as much as they indulged him. He was very happy to do it.

"Perry just arrived. I am going to go help him freshen up and slip into the clothes we laid out for him. We should be ready in five minutes," Ethan announced and took off in the direction of their rooms where Perry had headed. He was the last one that they were waiting on before porting over to their parent's home.

"Well, we are going to go ahead and port over that way we can make sure to be out of the way for when you arrive. We can get all of our greetings out of the way so that you guys can come through and get your own smothering," Draco offered.

"Ethan will have Perry situated in just a moment, Love. We want you and Harry to port over with Bill and me together. There is a surprise waiting for you both that we don't want one to see before the other," Sol informed Draco who instantly looked excited.

"Ohh, A surprise? I can't wait. Will you give me a hint?" Draco started to pester Sol. Harry perked up and turned to Hadrian.

"Is this it? The surprise that you and Riven went out and did the other day?" Harry asked. Hadrian nodded and smiled at the pure waves of excitement flowing off of him.

"You knew there was a surprise?" Draco demanded. Harry nodded. Draco pouted. "You knew and didn't tell me? I thought we were closer than that." Harry wrapped his arms around Draco and hugged him.

"I didn't know it was for both of us. Hadrian only said there was a surprise that I would find out about in a few days and every time I tried to get any kind of information out of either of them, they gave me nothing. It was frustrating. Now that I am thinking about it, I should have told you and then maybe you, Fred, and George could have helped me prank it out of them," Harry soothed his pouting twin.

"Yeah, you should have. Next time don't forget that two of us are Maurader Legacies and the other two are blessed by Mischief and Chaos," Draco reminded Harry. Just then Perry and Ethan came back down and Harry ran over and greeted Perry and handed him his cuff. Then, they started to port out in groups. Harry, Bill, Draco, and Sol along with Wikhn and Lyra were the last ones to port over.

When they arrived Harry and Draco were between Sol and Bill with Wikhn and Lyra in front of them blocking their view of the room. Harry could feel the anticipation in the room.

"What's this? The Gheyo Kings protecting my cubs as if there is anything here for them to be protected from!!" A familiar voice spoke with laughter and teasing in his voice. Harry and Draco froze.

"Move please," Harry and Draco said together. Wikhn and Lyra slid to the side and as soon as Harry and Draco caught sight of Sirius standing just outside the doorway they launched themselves into his arms and held on tightly. Not surprisingly, all three were crying. They were given their moment to settle and reestablish the bond that had been missing since Sirius had gone through the veil.

"All right, the rest of us want some attention too," Remus teased. Sirius laughed and then shoved the boys towards their other parents. Harry and Draco said hi to everyone including Luna and Neville. They greeted Ernie McMillan and Su Li as well. They didn't know them very well but since they would be staying with their parents for the foreseeable future, Draco and Harry would be nothing but polite.

"Perhaps we should introduce everyone and then we can all catch up," Lily offered. Harry grinned and paused a moment when Quinn reached out to touch his arm.

"Quinn wants to know if he and Fleur can help out preparing dinner. Since there are so many to cook for," Harry spoke for him. Lily smiled.

"Cissa is in the kitchen now, I think, she is just about to get started you are welcome to ask if she would like help," Lily responded. Quinn and Fleur nodded and then both followed Severus who offered to show them the way to the kitchen.

"Quinn is so funny about food and making sure that our meals are balanced and healthy," Harry explained. Draco nodded and rolled his eyes.

"He has convinced Fleur to his way of thinking too and now the kitchen is their domain. Occasionally, George will help but for the most part, everyone steers clear of the kitchen around meal times," Draco added.

"They have all kind of gravitated towards roles that suit them. Quinn, Fleur, and sometimes George fuss over food. Draco and Ethan fuss about clothes. Fred and Mistral fuss over the house. When George isn't in the kitchen he is learning from some of the others about managing our finances. I think he is going to take over that for Draco's circle. Theo does that for our circle minus the Gheyo. Hadrian and Glyn manage a secondary account for both of the Gheyo suites. I am learning from Bill, Ethan, and Perry how to network and socialize properly. But I have also started training with our Gheyo. It keeps my Ferros instincts more under control," Harry babbled as they all headed for the large sitting room.

"It sounds like you are all settling quite nicely into life together. I know Lucius mentioned that Bill was building with the intention of both of your circles staying together is that the plan?" Lily asked Draco and Harry.

"Yeah, we have all talked about it. We are going to continue living together. We like it this way and everyone has been working well together. The three suites have worked out schedules for patrol and share guarding duties, the Pareya work seamlessly together, and everyone else seems happy with the arrangement," Draco answered.

"We even discussed just merging our circles but with me being a Ferros my instincts would never be able to handle Draco and I both being Submissives to the same circle. My bonded are mine and I find that I am just not okay with sharing them. But Draco is just as possessive. We are living quite happily sharing the same space, we would not live happily sharing our bonded," Harry added. Draco nodded in agreement.

"It is good that you are figuring it all out. I am so very happy for you both. So I am assuming that you both will not be actively hunting this season?" Lucius asked.

"I don't know about Draco but I am definitely not going to be actively hunting. I don't feel the need. Ethan says that might change and that I should think about at least adding another Ace, King, Queen to balance out Hadrian and Glyn in the event of differences of opinions. So I am not saying no and I wouldn't be opposed if the opportunity presented itself or if an Ace caught my fancy but I also don't think I am going to register our circle as actively hunting," Harry informed them.

He did not notice that some of his Gheyo shifted a little at the announcement that he wasn't planning on Hunting. Lucius and a few of their other parents noticed but didn't think anything of it at this point in time. It was brushed off as instinct showing itself.

"And what about you Draco?" James asked.

"I am not going to register as actively hunting either. I am perfectly settled with my circle as of right now. My instincts say we are complete right now. That may change at a later time but right now I am good. I won't be closed off if someone comes along that interests any of us but I am not attending with the intent to hunt," Draco offered.

"I am not going to hunt this season. I am planning on learning everything I can about Nevarah, how things are, and what is expected of a good Alpha. I will observe and learn this Hunt and then I will be prepared to hunt next time," Neville stated before being asked. He was determined not to go into a courtship or anything else without being properly prepared so that he could provide properly for his circle when the time came.

"That is exactly what I expected from you, honestly, Big Brother," Harry teased. "You are always so calm and smart about your decisions. I don't even know how we are actually related or even managed to be friends with how reckless I always was."

"Was?" Alec interrupted. Harry blushed and waved him off sticking his tongue out. Most of the people in the room chuckled at him.

"Don't worry, Submissive mine, I think it makes things quite exciting," Kisten soothed him. Harry grinned and moved from Bill's lap who was still chuckling at him and crawled across his bonded until he got to Kisten and cuddled up to him.

"That's why you are my favorite," Harry teased. Sticking his tongue out at the rest of his bonded as he settled in Kisten's lap. Kisten beamed and held him tighter. Harry then turned his attention to his baby sister. She had inherited a month ago as a Nameless Submissive before all of the craziness of the attack had happened.

"Are you going to hunt Luna-girl?" Harry asked with a smile. Luna grinned back.

"Oh absolutely. Mera and Mum have already started helping me get ready. They have taken me out to get new clothes and to purchase favors to exchange. I am so excited," Luna replied.

"That's exciting. Let us know if we can help with anything," Draco told her. "Ethan and some of the others have explained introductions, favors, and other things about The Hunt. Harry and I would love to help you sort favors and anything else you need. Since we aren't actively hunting it will be fun to help you with your hunt." Harry nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course, I will need both of your help. We are going to have so much fun," Luna told them both.

"What about the two of you?" Harry asked Ernie and Su. They had been sitting so quietly. Harry didn't want them to feel left out. Their parents had decided to bring them into their home so Harry would do his part to make sure they felt included.

"I don't know that I will actively Hunt. I want to find a mentor and learn more about who and what I am. Alice says that the Druid will come with the Fae and that we can petition for a mentor among them so that I can learn properly," Ernie answered. "Maybe I could possibly find a family connection as well."

"That sounds like a good plan," Draco replied. He knew what his brother was up to. "What about you Su?" The Ravenclaw blushed.

"I want to Hunt. Lily and Cissa have agreed to help me with my Hunt as well. We are also looking into a mentor and possible family connections for me as well. I am pretty sure I have family here I heard my father talking about it before he passed away," Su answered.

"Though it could take a while before someone responds since everyone is preparing for The Hunt," Ethan pointed out. Other natives of Nevarah nodded in agreement.

"Both are welcome to stay here as long as they need to. Even if it is years," Lucius made sure to insist. He didn't want either of the two teens to feel unwelcome in their home, no matter what they had going on.

"Oh, before I forget. I have been in correspondence with King Alcandor for you Lily. He says that he won't have time right now to meet with you himself so he will be sending his Queen. He has requested that you bring Draco and Harry with you for the meeting. Also, Harry's bonded Merrow are allowed to accompany you for protection. They want to see if the boys have a Merrow form as well as needing to use their magic and blood to help track your lost Merrow. Since they are the only ones who possess his signature as his children," Perry joined into the conversation. Lily smiled gratefully.

"Thank you for your help with this. Lucius and I will be going to the meeting as well as Draco and Harry. We would be most honored to have Harry's Merrow suite as our guards," Lily told them.

"If a hunt is required to locate him we will request help from the Merrow courts," Frank stated.

"We would be happy to help hunt for Harry's missing parent," Glyn told them. "If Harry doesn't mind of course."

"Of course, I don't mind. My lovely, talented Merrow would be uniquely motivated to succeed," Harry praised. "If it comes to a hunt Da, you are welcome to take whomever Glyn thinks is best suited for the hunt."

"Thank you, Son. We will make sure to consult with him about it," Frank responded with a gentle smile.

"Dinner is ready. But could I borrow a few people to help set up tables in the garden? Since there are so many of us here, I figured that would be the best option so that we are all comfortable," Narcissa asked as she popped into the sitting room. Frank, Xeno, and a few of Draco and Harry's bonded followed her out of the room and to the garden to set up whatever she needed them to.

Twenty minutes later, they were all being ushered to the garden for dinner. It was a lovely meal and Harry loved the time to get to know Lily, James, Frank, and Alice better. He had also spent a lot of time very close to Sirius. Of all of the circle children, Harry had spent the most time with Sirius and his absence had affected him the most.

A few hours later they all said their goodbyes and headed home for some rest. Saturday would be somewhat busy. Harry and a few of his bonded would be going to Death's Court. They didn't have any plans after that because they didn't know how long that would take. Draco and some of the others would be going into town to get outfits for both circles commissioned. Then on Sunday, they would be meeting with the Merrow Queen about their Third. It was going to be a busy weekend and then next week would be busy with last-minute preparations for The Hunt to start the next week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry is introduced to Death's Court

Harry was nervous. They would be leaving for Death's court soon and he was currently still being fussed over by Ethan and Draco. Bill, Theo, Hadrian, Wikhn, Kisten, and Cethin would all be going with him. As well as Briar, Sirius, and Jun meeting them there. He apparently, would also be meeting his Great Grandpa Thorne as well. Hadrian had suggested that he bring the Hallows with him as well. He figured it would be helpful and make Lady Death happy.

"All right, you two, stop fussing over him. He looks magnificent and we don't want to be late," Bill came into the room and insisted they finish. Harry looked so grateful. They had been fussing over him for the last few hours. With a sigh, they stepped back and waved them off.

"We only wanted to make sure he was perfect. He will most likely be seeing Lady Death today. We just want him to impress," Ethan stated. Harry chuckled. He knew from the looks that his bonded were giving him that he looked quite good. He was wearing a pair of loose black slack-type pants with silver stitching and his top was once again a scarf-like material but it was in black and a navy blue that matched his hair. It was also lined with silver stitching. He proudly displayed his claim marks and bonded scales.

"Lady Death and I are very close. She has seen me when I was starved, broken, and nearly dead many times. She loves me anyway," Harry told them. Bill draped his arm over Harry and then they said their goodbyes and headed to the transportation room where the others were already waiting for them. As a Shadow Mage, Cethin took control of their portal and took them, once again, to the transportation room in Aiden's manor.

Melacor was once again waiting for them and Harry cooed over the boy and ruffled his hair. Harry thought the younger boy was absolutely adorable. Hadrian had to physically pick up Harry and distract him from petting the young Hellhound. They continued to follow Melacor to the throne room while Harry demanded that Hadrian put him back down.

"But Hadrian, look at him. He is so cute and serious. I bet he is an adorable puppy," Harry whined as they entered the room. Melacor went straight to Aiden to be as far away from Harry as possible. Someone snorted. Harry looked up to see his Grandpa Briar and his father Sirius working very hard not to laugh. Harry grinned at them. Hadrian pinched the Submissives ear and he yelped, pouting at his Ace.

"Behave," Hadrian scolded him and then put him on his own feet between himself and Bill. Harry continued to pout but stood in place and didn't say anything else.

"I see that the rumors about your Submissive are absolutely true. He is quite the troublemaker," Aiden spoke up and Harry blushed and looked shyly up at the man sitting on the thrown.

"Sorry, I don't mean to be," Harry stated quietly. He suppressed a whine and ducked his head. Hadrian and Bill both rumbled at him soothingly.

"Did I say that you have anything to be sorry for? Melacor needs to be treated his age every once in a while," Aiden stated calmly. Harry looked up at The Hellhound and smiled brightly. "There is nothing wrong with a bit of trouble-making, it keeps everyone from getting too comfortable."

"Some of my bonded definitely agree with you," Harry stated happily.

"Now let's get down to the reason you are here," Aiden stated. But before he could go any further they were interrupted when the room became a little darker and colder. The shadows in the room converged on one spot and thickened before a figure stepped out. The figure was tall, hooded, and hunched over. The parts that could be seen were skeletal and holding a scythe.

Everyone in the room bowed to the immortal. Well, everyone except for Harry who launched himself at the figure. Just before Harry made contact the image changed and Harry was wrapped up in the arms of a tall, beautiful woman with bone-white skin, black hair down past her waist, and red glowing eyes. Harry squeezed her tightly and grinned up at her.

"Well, Child of Mine, you make it quite difficult to make an intimidating and dramatic entrance when you insist on cuddles every time you see me," Lady Death teased the little Submissive.

"Yeah well, it's your fault. Every time I have ever seen you, I get cuddles, it's expected now," Harry told the immortal. Lady Death squeezed him once more and then tucked him into her side and turned to address the room. There were shocked expressions on a lot of faces to see the deadly, prickly, and intimidating immortal being cuddled.

"This is my Favored Child. He is blessed by me. He holds all of my Hallows," Lady Death nudged Harry forward and between one blink and the next he felt a weight settle around his shoulders and head. He was also currently holding the elder wand. Harry reached up and could feel a thin circlet with a stone sitting in the center.

"If he so chooses I invite him to join my court," Death tucked Harry back under her arm. Harry looked a Bill and Theo and sent them a mental inquiry to see how they felt about it. Both sent him feelings of contentment and nodded at him. It wasn't traditional. Usually, a Nameless Submissive would join whatever court their Alpha belonged to. However, with them having such a mixed circle, belonging to any of the four main elements would be troublesome for some of their bonded. But, joining Death's court wouldn't cause that kind of problem.

They had all actually already discussed the different options that they could do. Harry had been happy that they had agreed to go with this if it was offered. Harry grinned up at Lady Death.

"My circle is happy to join your court. I am happy to be yours," Harry told the Immortal. She smiled at him.

"I have two gifts for you if you will have them," Lady Death told him. Harry nodded. Death reached into a void space and pulled out a sword that Harry recognized immediately.

"The Sword of Gryffindor," Harry exclaimed. "I used that to defeat the Basilisk when I was twelve." Lady Death smiled down at him.

"Yes, you did. That was another time that you got very close to joining me too early. Then my sister Fate sent you the Phoenix. The sword came to you and so it is yours. I do not think the name suits it any longer. The sword is goblin-made and only takes in that which makes it stronger. You slay the Basilisk with the sword and so it absorbed the venom and now anyone cut with her blade will suffer as if bitten by a Basilisk. So I have renamed her Basilisk's Bite," Death produced a sheath and then handed both to the stunned Submissive.

"Thank you. I will treasure it always. I am sure that my bonded are quite conflicted with how to feel about me being handed a blade that can poison with a slice. I am a bit clumsy," Harry told Death.

"I wouldn't hand you a weapon that would harm you in that way. You still have Basilisk venom running through your veins. Because of this, you are immune to all snake venom and most poisons. The only threat that blade poses to you is the normal kind," Lady Death chuckled at the look on Harry's face.

"Well, that is convenient. Thank you," Harry told her.

"My second gift to you My Blessed Child, is a name for your new circle. Serpent's Requiem. In honor of your blade and my court," Lady Death stated. Harry beamed up at her.

"I love that. Thank you. On behalf of myself and my circle I am so honored to accept both the blade and carry the name that you have gifted us," Harry told her formally and then ruined it by hugging her tight. Death hugged him tightly once more before gently nudging him back to his bonded. Harry pulled both Hadrian and Bill close to cuddle him.

"Treat my Blessed Child accordingly. Should you witness him in danger or if he is in need of assistance you will offer him what he needs. He has suffered too much in his very short life and I will be damned if he suffers anymore." With the last word out of her mouth barely a moment, she stepped back into the shadows and disappeared. Harry beamed up at Hadrian who was looking at him a bit worriedly.

"What is it?" Harry asked him.

"Nothing, Kitten. We can talk about it later at home," Hadrian told him and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Harry shrugged and turned to Aiden when he cleared his throat.

"Well, welcome to Death's Court, Serpent's Requiem. I believe our Lady said everything that needed to be said. We are happy to have you and you are welcome here anytime," Aiden told him. Harry smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Lord Aiden, I am happy to serve our Lady," Harry told him.

"I have been informed that you also have family in this court as well," Aiden commented. Harry grinned and nodded.

"My Granddera Briar, My Great Granddera Thorne, and my father Sirius," Harry told The Hellhound proudly. Then they were informed that there would be a meeting and that Harry and his were welcome to stay for it. Harry decided that he was curious about it and wanted to stay. If this was going to be his court then he needed to be involved. Theo, Bill, and Kisten excused themselves to head into town for Theo to take care of some business. Hadrian, Wikhn, and Cethin stayed with him.

Harry found that he absolutely did not like sitting through the meetings. When he glanced up at his granddera and father they both looked like they might actually be dying of boredom. At least he wasn't the only one.

"All right, we are done for today. Be looking out for any messages I send about meeting again. Especially, with The Hunt around the corner. Dismissed," Aiden waved his hand and everyone got up to leave. Briar, Thorne, and Sirius made their way over to Harry and his men.

"I would like to have you and yours over for dinner someday before the hunt starts. Your Mera and the rest of your family circle have already been by. I want you and Draco to make plans to come but at different times. It will be better for getting to know your circles as individuals," Briar explained.

"Of course, that sounds great. I will let Draco know and we can work out what days to come. We will send you a message," Harry told Briar. Then they said their goodbyes and parted ways.

"Hadrian, will you take us to the shopping district? I was talking to my father Frank and Mooney and between them and something that Ethan said about me being a Ferros gave me an idea. I want to get everyone a courting gift. I want to purchase everyone a dagger. I think it will settle my instincts a bit to know that everyone will be carrying a blade. I am also going to insist that everyone learn at least the basics of good self-defense. Is that doable? Can you and the other Gheyo work out a schedule to teach us all?" Harry asked his Shadow Ace.

"We can absolutely do that, Kitten. I will take you to the Gheyo section to purchase the blades. There is a place there that has the highest quality. Since the hunt is so close and people are preparing to Hunt, it may take a little bit to get the order in but all of your Gheyo including the Merrow will be very happy with the quality," Hadrian told Harry. The Submissive was happy that he had brought it up if the waves of pride coming from his three bonded were any indication of what they thought of his idea.

"Thank you, My Ace," Harry told him. A few minutes later Hadrian led Harry and the others into a simple-looking shop that had blades of all kinds everywhere. Hadrian led Harry to the counter. Harry started looking around and was only mildly startled when a man stepped up and spoke to them.

"What can I help you with today, Blood Raven?" Harry looked up at the smooth voice to see that it belonged to a very handsome Gheyo who had short spiked black hair with green streaks and lovely dark eyes. He had a scar on his face that went from over his left eyebrow across his nose and down to his chin on the right side. It was a serious scar and meant that he had survived a great wound that meant something to him. He felt like Brishen and Charlie did so he was obviously a Joker and based on his coloring he was most likely Shadow. Harry felt a nudge and looked up to see Wikhn smirking at him. Harry blushed and rolled his eyes.

"I am not shopping today. My little Kitten wants to purchase a set of blades to gift to our circle. I told him this was the best place to get the highest quality blades," Hadrian informed the Shadow Joker.

"I did not know that you had bonded. I don't think anyone knows that you have bonded," The Joker stated with a smirk. "He is lovely, your Kitten." Harry grinned when Hadrian wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close.

"Soul bonded," Hadrian told the man with pride. Harry laughed.

"It was a soul scream," Harry added.

"I see, I actually heard something about that. So what can I help you with today?" The Joker asked.

"This one. Of all of them in the case, I like this one the best. I think it will be perfect. What do you think Hadrian?" Harry asked and pointed out the one that caught his eye. Hadrian chuckled and kissed him on the head. It had a black handle engraved with a large Basilisk coiling around the hilt.

"Perfect, Kitten. Of course, it is," Hadrian smiled. Their Lady wasn't through gifting her Child yet today apparently.

"And how many are you wanting to purchase?" The Joker asked.

"Twenty-three," Harry told him only for Hadrian to hold up his hand.

"Order thirty," Hadrian stated and bopped Harry's nose when he went to protest. "There are twenty-four of us now. But what happens if you do find someone that you are interested in courting? You have already stated that it has crossed your mind to court a third Ace, King, and Queen. Being a Ferros, it is also a good idea to add another Joker or two or even another mage. This will give you seven extra daggers that you will have now or ten years from now already made and waiting for you to gift to someone you have decided to bond with." Hadrian explained to his feisty submissive. Harry thought about it for a moment and then smiled and nodded.

"Such a smart Ace. Always thinking ahead. I think I will reward you later," Harry purred at him and pressed a kiss to his lips before turning back to the lovely Joker. "I want thirty. I want the blade engraved as well. I want this symbol on one side of the blade and Serpent's Requiem on the other."

The joker wrote it all down and then flashed a beautiful white smile at Harry.

"I can show you an example of what it will look like if you want," The Joker offered.

"That would be lovely, thank you," Harry responded. The Joker pulled the sample blade from the case and did a bit of magic and then handed it over hilt first to Harry. The Submissive took the blade and looked it over. The Joker had used a font that made the S's look like snakes and it was loopy and perfect.

"I love this. I want it exactly like this. It is perfect," Harry told the Joker. Then Harry looked startled a moment. "How rude of me. I never introduced myself. I am Harry Evanson-Malfoy, though that may change, we haven't decided yet. And you are?"

"Donovan, at your service," The Joker gave a small bow.

"Thank you, Donovan," Harry smiled at him. They finished up their transaction with a promise to get things done quickly and that hopefully they would be done before the actual hunt started. Hadrian led them to the first portal area and ported them home. It had been a long day and Harry was ready for a nap. Tomorrow was going to be just as long since they were going to meet the Merrow Queen. But honestly, that was tomorrow's problem. Today's problem was apparently that Harry might be hunting.