Ares Salazar Riddle| a hp fanfic

chapter twenty seven

—"HOW IS THE CHICKEN?" NARCISSA ASKED THE BOYS. Draco, who didn't like chicken, grimaced as he put his away.

Ares replied, "It's good. New recipe?"

Narcissa nodded. "I taught the house elves the new recipe. It was how my mother used to make it."

Lucius cleared his throat, catching their attention. "I got a letter from Dumbledore this morning."

Everyone frowned.

The man looked at Ares. "He suggested that I send you to Durmstrang."

The boy's mouth dropped. "He's joking, right?"

Lucius shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. He truly had the audacity to send me that letter."

"I'm not going." Ares said immediately. "Hogwarts is my home."

Lucius and Narcissa shared a look. Both of their eyes softened. Lucius shook his head. "I won't send you to Durmstrang if you don't want, Ares. You just have to deal with Dumbledore when the time comes."

✫ ✫ ✫

"Are you ready?" asked Lucius when Ares walked into his study that evening after dinner.

Ares did not sit down. He looked determined. "Teach me Occulumency. This time fully."

The man looked at the boy— who was now a teenager. He stood up and walked in front of the boy. "No breakdowns, Ares."

"No breakdowns," promised Ares eagerly.

Lucius looked into his eyes and pointed his wand at him. "Legilimens."

"My Ares," Bellatrix whispered, a tear falling from her eye as she smiled shakily. "You look so much like your father."

"My little war god."

The scene changed:

"Get her away from me!" Draco, who walked into Ares's room, said as he almost accidentally stepped on Nagini.

Ares merely chuckled.

The scene changed once again:

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." The boy introduced himself and brought out his hand to shake.

Ares held onto it and shook it. "I'm Ares. Ares Riddle."

The scene changed again:

Tom Riddle was holding the newborn, who was looking up at him. "I name you Ares Salazar Riddle. The war god who will go into war."

Ares finally pushed Lucius out of his mind. Lucius stepped backwards without meaning to as he was pushed out.

"Good, Ares." Lucius complimented the boy. "But a little late."

Ares swallowed and looked away. "Teach me how to be better."

✫ ✫ ✫

"How was your lesson?" asked Draco when Ares walked into his room that night after he was done with his lesson.

Ares flopped on the boy's bed and groaned. "I'm very tired by it."

"It's worth it in the end," Draco reminded him.

The boy nodded in agreement. He stood up and looked at his cousin. "Why don't you have any lessons?" He asked curiously.

"Father's focus is all on you. Not that I'm complaining." Draco said the last part quickly. "Plus, I already had lessons before Hogwarts for years."

Ares looked at his hands and sighed. "I can't believe Dumbledore tried to convince Lucius to change my school."

"I can't believe he had the audacity," added Draco with a roll of his eyes. He walked over to the boy and sat down next to him. "Honestly, what was he thinking? Did he think that my father would actually consider it?"

"I think he did." Ares mumbled and sighed again. "I dunno."

"Dumbledore's scared of you." Draco said the truth. "He wants you far, far away from him and Potter."

"Potter?" The other boy asked in confusion.

Draco looked at him as if he was dumb. "When you turn into a dark lord, the first person you're supposed to kill would be Potter. Y'know, since he was the reason of your father's.. um, disappearance."

Ares thought it over. He was right. "Yeah, I guess." He said and looked away. "It's not fair, though. He hasn't done anything to me."

"Except turn you into an orphan."

The boy glared at him. Draco shrugged unapologetically. "My father turned him into an orphan too, though. We're equal."

"But he had his godparents, Ares. You had nobody."

Ares thought about that as well. Draco was, in fact, right. He hated it, but he was right. He stood up and started walking to the door. "I'm really tired. I'm going to bed."

Ares did not fall asleep that night. He stayed up thinking about everything Draco had said.