Growing up Pureblooded

Soverign Lord King Ares The Conquer

     Aries awoke to find himself in an ostentatious bedroom, hung with heavy damask tapestries and crammed with antique gilt furniture. He sat up straight in the large feather bed and stretched, catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror as he did so. He was himself, only at least a decade older. He looked like a younger version of Sirius, tall and well-muscled, with broad shoulders and haughty good looks. He had to smile at the sight. This was the first dream he'd had since he was sucked into the pool where he felt comfortable with how he looked.

     He tossed off the thick duvet and leapt to the floor. He was wearing nothing but his pants. A large, elaborately-carved wardrobe stood in one corner of the room, in which Aries found several sets of fine robes. He put on a lovely blue set that matched his eyes, and set about looking for his wand. He always placed his wand on the bedside table before going to bed, and, to be sure, he found a wand in holster lying exactly where it ought to. But it wasn't his wand. The wood was different, and it was ornately carved in a fashion that had been out of style for centuries. It seemed vaguely familiar to Aries, but he couldn't quite place it.
    
     As he wrapped his fingers around the wood, a sudden rush of power ran up his arm. He could sense that this wand was far more powerful than his own; he felt almost as though he could do anything with it. He hadn't felt such a rush since he had learnt how to perform magic in Parseltongue.

     He tied the leather holster to his forearm and left the room, only to start when he found two guards dressed in red uniforms standing in the corridor. They jumped to attention as soon as he opened the door, but said nothing. Aries was unused to having guards, but he was well accustomed to having servants, so he only nodded at them in acknowledgement as he continued on his way.

     The house was palatial – even Aries, who had grown up in the midst of extraordinary wealth, had never seen its equal. Even more striking were the sheer number of servants bustling about, both humans and house elves. All stopped and bowed or curtsied to Aries as he passed. Aries recognized none of them, which was more than frustrating, as he had no idea where he was going.

     Eventually, he saw Draco, and sighed in relief. His brother and best friend was walking towards him, dressed in emerald-green robes. He stopped a few feet from Aries and bowed. "Good morning, Draco," Aries said.

     "Your Majesty," Draco replied respectfully. "I trust you slept well." Your Majesty? Aries thought, but nodded anyway. "Excellent." Draco leaned closer. "If it please Your Majesty, the Prime Minister requests an audience in your private study. There are urgent matters to discuss."

      Aries nodded and followed Draco to the study, doing his best to make it look as though he had a clue what was going on. They went through a large exterior office and passed through a series of elaborately-constructed wards to enter a luxurious private study, in the centre of which stood a large desk. Behind the desk, on a high table shielded with various visible wards, Ravenclaw's diadem sat on a large cushion, along with the Gaunt family ring, Aries's invisibility cloak and the Philosopher's Stone. Aries's eyes went wide.

     Once inside the study, Draco dropped all pretence of formality. He collapsed in an armchair, not waiting for Aries to sit down. "Dad will be here in just a moment," he said. "That Mudblood Granger is being a real pain in the arse. I still don't see why you appointed her Minister for Muggle Affairs."

     Aries made no reply. He had no idea why he'd appoint Granger anything either. Draco continued without interruption. "I told him we ought just to AK her, but he wants to consult with you first." He smirked nastily. "I think he's going soft in his old age."

     Aries blinked in surprise, but kept quiet. He wasn't sure what was going on in the pool, but he wasn't going to mess about until he knew more. The door opened, and Sirius came in, looking younger and healthier than ever. His eyes looked world-weary, but no longer haunted. He plopped down in a chair next to Draco.