Standards

CHAPTER 18

Lucius stared up into the night sky, his vision blurred because he had just cried. He wanted to go back to his mates and children. He wondered how Draco and Neville were getting on, if they had started training? What type of gifts had Draco gotten from his mates this month? Did his mates miss him? Will they ever forgive him? Was James being fed? Has Harry held James or talked with Draco? Were Delphini and Lily doing okay? How were Tom and Severus handling the children?

None of his questions were answered. He was feeling helpless.

He knew what he did was wrong. The aphrodisiac was no reason for him to act the way he did. Even if the aphrodisiac was influencing his every action and every thought. If he had not been in the influence of the aphrodisiac, he never would have slept with Regulus.

In the eerie silence of the night, Lucius did not notice the presence of evil. Maybe his magic was okay with letting the evil in, because he felt strangely calm.

He had tried to find a way to get out. But he was meeting dead ends everywhere. There was a reason no one wanted to enter this land. If you enter once, then it is impossible to find your way back out. And that was the reason everyone was hesitant to step into 'No Mans' land to look for him.

Lucius felt alone. He was utterly scared and he knew he was never going to feel whole without his mates. Maybe it will be best if he just died.

Lucius flinched in shock and broke out of his stupor when a cold hand touched his arm. Long claws dug into his arm and he immediately pulled, trying to get out of the creatures grip.

Lucius trashed around and then when he finally caught a glimpse of what was holding him, he stopped. His mind went blank and his heart seemed to start pacing like he was running, but he was actually knelt on the ground facing a nightmare.

The thing was tall and lanky. The right eye of the being were so black that they seemed like they were hollow. And the left was nowhere to be seen. The eyelids were sewn together, most do not sew their eyelids together but this one was a special case and had been caught and the people had tried to sew its lids together. The jaw of the thing was dropped open and a large black tongue was lolling on the side of its mouth and big teeth were in perfect view of Lucius.

Lucius did not know what to do. He was at a loss. Maybe it was shock that was keeping him in place and maybe his instinct had ran away because he did not know why he was not trying to run away. He had read that peoples first instinct when met with these things was to run and get away as far as possible. But Lucius was staying put and not identifying himself as prey, maybe that was a good thing or maybe it was a very stupid decision.

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Harry frowned at the weird emotions he was feeling. Calm yet scared. The emotions aren't his for sure because he was worried and the emotions were feeling like they did not belong. Severus was filled with anger and Tom was filled with guilt. So those emotions were not theirs.

Harry huffed in frustration and apparated. He was trying to find his way to 'No Mans' land but it wasn't working. He had tried everything and he couldn't just apparate to 'No Mans' land without knowing the exact place he wants to be. The magic around the place was very old and was a bitch to everyone. The storm had covered the paths and now Harry was not able to find his way. When the guards had went to dump Lucius there, there was no storm, which had made it so much more easier for them to navigate their way. But now because of the storm they couldn't find their way. It was like the path to 'No Mans' land had changed, maybe it had.

Harry shouted in frustration and kicked his office chair as he landed there. Pain filled his foot, but he ignored it and his wolf healing seemed to come in handy because the pain quickly disappeared.