Through the Dark

Chapter 27: Phoenix To The Rescue!

Ezra woke up with sore neck. He looked around and saw Alex sleeping beside him wrapped in a blanket. He dragged his hand across his face. As he dragged his hand across his face, he caught a glimpse of his dark mark. Then, it him hard; the Dark Lord could find him through the dark mark.

No one has noticed it so far. He rolled down his sleeve and smothered his son's hair. Hunter's hair is soft and silky. He pondered upon how far they've gone, but then realised that perhaps, it was time to contact Lucius and ask for information. He looked down at Hunter again. The boy slept soundly still; his hands holding the blanket he was wrapped around in loosely. With one last kiss upon the boy's forehead, he sat up slowly and pulled a charmed parchment from a secret compartment he made himself.

Friend, he wrote, I am eager to hear some chirp. The autumn leaves fell fast, and I am sure the wind carried the dried leaves to you.

After the short missive, he folded the parchment in half and proceeded to put it back again where he had take it from. The small note will find its way to wherever Lucius was right now, and he knew the Lord could understand the hidden meaning behind the words. He glanced at the clock, whose hands were pointing the time. 4:15 AM. It was still too early to be awake, but Ezra was now bothered about the Dark Mark. What should he do about it? He cannot use his Magic to give energy to protective runes, if he would dare summon one, for he cannot risk Hunter and himself.

He rolled his sleeves up again. He looked at the dreadful tattoo, the horrible reminder that was etched on his forearm. He watched the black skull and remembered the so many unimaginable things he did in the name of his blind servitude to the one who had managed to brand him for the rest of life. How Ezra wished he was able to see Voldemort for the monster he was, and not for a forgiving, accepting friend he thought he was. Voldemort was akin to a snake charmer; playing a flute or doing some bewitchment that had everyone who was gullible enough to be charmed by whatever he was promising.

And Ezra may loath to admit it, but he was so caught up in the melody of the Snake Charmer that was Tom Riddle, that he blinded himself by it in the end.

Now he was paying for his mistakes; Hunter was paying for it alongside him.

If only he did not succumb to his whims, if only he actually listened to the people around him- ah, there are too much regrets- he might have been the father Hunter deserved.

He took Hunter in his arms again; the boy's head using his arm as a pillow. The boy shifted along and sighed happily as he was settled in Ezra's cocoon of an embrace.

Ezra closed his eyes, trying to eradicate the thoughts that were taking over him. He could only wish for everything to go well for once for the both of them, especially for Hunter. Throughout the night, he wished for a way to ensure that the Dark Mark won't indeed flare up to life and have a band of Death Eaters by their lawn in the morning.

-----

A call from within made him jerk awake. His eyes shifted around the small cave he was residing for the time being- just until he was able to finish his mission once and for all- and due to years of practised ease with using his Magic, he managed to track down that other person's Magic that was calling up to him.

As soon as he was able name whose Magic that was, he smiled.

They were safe. Severus and Harry were safe somewhere. Somehow, Albus felt that some of his burden was lifted, and how he longed to call back to Severus, telling him he was alive, and that there was hope. But he could not be that careless; not now- especially now- that he gone so far. The hunt for the Horcruxes was a tedious job, added with him reuniting and resolidifying the Order, one that had his aged body tired most of the time, but Albus was determined. He wanted to wipe away the world of Voldemort; evil already had a place as it is.