Ancient is the Love of Life

Chapter 6 ~ Forgotten but Never Forgiven

TW:  Panic attacks, Anxiety attacks, Spiraling thoughts, Bad language, Negativity, Description/Depictions of wounds, gore, blood, etc.

Harry ~

I bolt upward with a stifled gasp, frantically scanning my surroundings for the unknown assailant that had invaded my dreams. Only the outlines of the furniture greet me. With a deep exhale I flop back against the mattress, sweat cooling against my body and causing me to shiver as I come down from the adrenaline high.

What the fuck was that? I silently grumble while blinking up at the ceiling. I can't recall much of the dream, but I remember large white wings and fevered lilac eyes watching me. With a quiet snort, I turn onto my side and curl up once more. Deciphering half-dreams can wait till the morning.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Mey-Rin!" I roar as a resounding crash echoes throughout the manor. The maid's rambling apologies further direct me on where to go as I stalk through the halls, my healer's satchel already hanging from my shoulder. I find the clumsy woman in one of the receiving rooms off the main hall, a broken vase and crumpled flowers scattered at her feet.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Odon!" Mey-Rin wails. "I tripped and the vase flew out of my hands."

I click my tongue and move around the mess to examine her. "This is the nth accident in as many days," I grumble as I carefully extract a tiny sliver of porcelain from Mey-Rin's palm with a pair of tweezers. Otherwise, she's alright except for the usual hysterics when this happens. "There now, you're fine." I dab a bit of homemade antiseptic paste on the shallow cut and then expertly apply a bandage.

"Thank you, sir." Mey-Rin sniffles with a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

"If you weren't so attached to those ridiculous glasses of yours I'd snap them in half for all the trouble they give you!" I swear those things were created with the sole purpose of driving me mad with their inefficiency! But for whatever reason, the maid refuses to part with them. I heave a sigh as I shoo Mey-Rin from the room before she goes to try and pick up the vase pieces. I banish it with a swish of the Elder Wand.

I pack up and walk out of the room, massaging the bridge of my nose to relieve the slight headache that is trying to form. I swear if she or Finny break one more thing I will hex them into the next century!

Sebastian's dark chuckle seems to echo my silent threat. "Having fun, Hadrian?"

"I'm going even more insane than I already am, does that answer your question?"

The butler smirks as he shifts the suitcases in his hold. We will be leaving for Houndsworth first thing tomorrow morning, so naturally, the rest of the staff are running amuck like chickens with their heads chopped off!

"Have you packed the entire mansion?" I tease as I count at least eight different bags and cases all miraculously balanced in the butler's arms. Sebastian's upper lip curls faintly in amusement as he sets the bags in the room I'd just vacated. He'll collect them tomorrow morning as we leave.

"One never knows what the young Master will require upon his missions for the Queen."

"So, any idea what's so special about Houndsworth?" I inquire as I lean against a wall.

"Something about a mutt I believe was the gist of the matter." Sebastian practically spits the word 'mutt', a glower briefly settling over his porcelain face. I blink as an image of a black, feral dog comes to the forefront of my mind's eye. I blink again as the corners of my eyes prickle slightly, the faint wisps of grief brushing against the edges of my soul.