Consuming Shadows

Chapter 36

Hadrian scaled the front steps gracefully. He gave a polite nod to the doorman as he handed over his invitation, waiting for it to be verified.

His eyes trailed over the expansive gardens, stopping momentarily on the resting flock of white peacocks clustered to the north.

He almost snorted at the pretentiousness of it, barely resisting the temptation.

"Here, sir. Please enjoy your evening." The doorman handed the invitation back, the shimmering gold family shield flashed once, before turning a soft silver in acknowledgment.

Hadrian tucked the parchment back into his upper breast pocket and went inside, slipping through the domineering entry.

He followed the cleanly marked path until the space opened up into an exquisite hall, filled with all manner of sharply dressed figures.

While not the most extravagant party he had ever been to - he had found little could compare to the sheer beauty of Beauxbatons' halls - it was still an absolutely stunning gathering. The elegance was understated, and the decorations were few enough to not clutter the area, but still provide the needed embellishments all high-society functions demanded.

He scanned the hall swiftly, taking in the atmosphere, and recognising who he could. Names and positions flashed through his mind. There were less people than he had anticipated, but given who the majority of those in attendance were, Hadrian supposed that made sense.

His gaze made another lap, searching for one person in particular.

A slight part in the crowd revealed his target to him, and Hadrian felt his gut stir at the sight of the man.

It had been so long since he had dealt with Riddle like this, he had almost forgotten how otherworldly the man's guise as the Dark Lord truly was.

The bone-white pallor of his skin was almost ethereal in the brightly lit space, the twirling lights catching on whatever slip of pale skin it could and illuminating it. The serpentine features of his face were off putting, and while Hadrian knew that was the intention, he could not help but admit there was something fascinating about that face.

Or maybe it was because, for all the differences, he could still see Riddle beneath it, in the sharp cut of his cheekbones and the burning red of his eyes.

Eyes that were currently pinned to him.

Hadrian blinked slowly, before turning his head away as neutrally as he could. He spotted Hermione and Draco approaching, and went to meet them, ignoring the hook in his chest that tugged him in the opposite direction.

"Hadrian!" Hermione called, embracing him carefully. He kissed her on her cheeks in greeting, hardly noticing the flush that appeared at the sudden gesture. "I'm so glad you could make it. We were getting worried."

He smiled at her, squeezing one of her hands. "I'm so sorry, I was preoccupied with something and time got away from me."

"Well you're here now." She said, patting his upper chest in approval. "And you do scrub up nice. Is that a new suit? It's not the one you wore to the Yule Ball."

Hadrian spread his arms a little in presentation. "This occasion called for something different." He said with a grin. "I feel like a brand new me."

In all honesty, the suit was the one he had worn to the Yule Ball, but Hadrian knew a few tricks when it came to tailoring magic. His mother had had to learn a whole different range of spells in their first few years on the run to make ends meet.

As a result, he had learned to appreciate the usefulness of such spells and charms as well.

Draco snorted in amusement, "Well, now that you're finally here, we can proceed to our actual plans for tonight." He snapped his fingers, and immediately a house elf appeared with a tray of drinks. Draco plucked two glasses off and handed one to Hadrian, the other to Hermione, then grabbed his own.