Starve

The most excruciating problem with residing inside Lupin's small home, was the maddening prickling under his skin.

He itched and ached for his other wand, the phoenix feather and holly wand he had removed the ministry trace from years back; the wand he used to practice magic. He could almost see it, held carefully in a box hidden in his father's estate.

Instead he used his spare, the second wand he always took with him to Hogwarts and into public. It fit adequately, but tingled sourly in a way which only made his magic hurt so much worse.

How he burned to release and send curse after curse at the wall, to slash deep grooves and burns across the wooden boards until the entire house shook from his fury.

He wanted to do so so badly, it made him sick to his stomach and muscles clench against the burn of staying still.

Remus had panicked at the first instance where Adrian's temper had flared and soured the air so poignantly. He thrashed and screamed, clawing at his own arms to let the burning out.

The mediwizards assured the werewolf in soothing tones, that it was simply an aftereffect of the curse scar. Adrian wasn't as convinced, something about it drew on his weakness and urged him to burn the entire house down with fire. A curse scar wouldn't construct such desirable thoughts.

The worst part out of the situation, was that Remus wasn't leaving him alone like he had first assumed he would. The man would check in on Adrian constantly throughout the day, making sure that he took his potions or didn't skip a meal. It was treated and monitored in such a way Adrian prickled at the loss of his independence, Bellatrix or his father had never tread so carefully over him.

("Adrian, stop scratching."

"I'm not scratching."

"I can still see you-…")

He supposed it was until he relaxed and cooled down from whatever ailment made his body spasm and his magic twitch. It already was fading, the fits taking less time and singing more mutedly in his blood. Remus seemed to notice as well, his relief was very obvious.

The Potters and Sirius Black visited often.

Adrian prefered the heir to the Black fortune and riches, he was bold and annoyingly blunt but also seemed to understand Adrian's habits and personality better than Remus could. He cooled down the werewolf, explaining in simple terms his need to be alone.

Remus had explained in stressed and worried tones, his concern over Adrian's occasional fits. Sirius Black was on edge with the explanations, he never quite relaxed with Adrian after such admissions.

Black's terse and tense visits were much more preferable to the Potter's, who often brought along not only Skylar, but a troupe of Weasley's in an attempt to 'give the Selwyn bloke some decent friends for once.'

Somewhere across magical Britain, Draco was laughing himself to tears.

Adrian was invited to Skylar Potter's birthday party, yet given the more paranoid state the Potter's were now living in, it wasn't a very public event.

Adrian vehemently expressed how he would hate to intrude on such a welcome occasion, which naturally caused the embodiments of fate to laugh.

Potter's simply arranged for the party to take place at Remus' house.

Adrian wanted to clobber one of them.

Between the loud shrieks of Ronald Weasley, and the chaotic laughter of the two elder twins (Adrian could tolerate those two, they had made several investments in his services to obtain illegal potion ingredients), it was beginning to add to the headache pounding in his skull.

Skylar seemed bemused by the situation, offering without a thought to help Ronald remove the thick purplish goo from where it coated the back of his neck.

"It's nice to see them relaxing," Lily chimed contently to Mrs. Weasley. The elder woman nodded her head vigorously, "Oh yes! Simply wonderful, I do hope that Skylar dear enjoys himself."

James laughed heartily as the twins managed to land a temporary dung bomb on their new target, the elder brother Charlie who flailed backwards at the smell.

"Don't you want to play?" Remus asked curiously, peering at the small collection of gingers and Skylar, "I hear that they're going to be heading outside to fly for a bit."

Adrian scowled as he forcefully peered out of the nearest window to observe the sunny outdoors, "I don't like quidditch."

"What?" James gasped as if struck, "but... I had heard that you were good at flying…"

"Who in Merlin's name told you that rubbish?" Adrian snarled out, his neck prickling uncomfortably, "I don't like flying, I don't like quidditch, and I don't like you."

"Adrian dear," Mrs. Weasley floundered, gobsmacked by the aggressive display, "Certainly you don't mean that. I'm sure Ronald would love to show you how to fly…"

Adrian glared at her coldly, his lip curling in a way he knew made his face appear even more grotesque.

"Adrian." Remus barked, his voice stern and layered with something dissapointed, "That is no way to speak to elders or to behave,"

"Oh sorry, I haven't had manners ingrained into me," Adrian snappishly retorted, "I was busy learning other lessons of fine etiquette instead of how to talk to blood traitors."

He felt a surge of satisfaction, a sadistic sense of glee at his scathing remark. Lily flinched boldly, while Mrs. Weasley gasped obscurely.

"That's it," James' face darkened and his voice was clipped. He stood up imposingly, which would have had more effect if Adrian wasn't nearly his own height, "That is no way to talk to us."

Remus stood as well, at this point the small group of children had stopped laughing and were now watching fascinated.

"James…" Remus trailed off with a sigh, "You're being too harsh-"

"Harsh?" James echoed in disbelief, "Moony, you have no idea how to raise a child-"

"I'm not being raised, by anyone." Adrian hissed back sourly, "I don't need raising!"

"Then stop being an idiotic kid and smarten up!" James shouted back, face flushing angrily, "or Merlin forbid, I'll convince Moony to drop you right off at St. Mungo's for the rest of the holidays."

Adrian tensed and leant forward slightly, hunkering instantly to accommodate the phantom scales that should have risen to coil around his shoulders. He felt nothing, and with a flash of sorrow he flinched noticeably.

"Dad," Skylar complained boldly, crossing his arms with a frown, "He didn't mean it, he's been around Malfoy too much and he just slipped."

"Yeah-" The two twins chorused, "Everyone knows how that slimy ferret-"

"Is such a fan of us-"

"Why Gred, I do believe that he says the most beautiful names-"

"Oh Forge, I know, It's a marvel our little scaled friend-"

"Nothing mean by that, you're our favourite little slimy snake-"

"We say it in the nicest way-"

Adrian rubbed his eyes sharply and resisted the urge to draw his wand and start throwing curses.

Considering how often he talked and arranged deals with people, he truly didn't know how to socialize with people.

"We'll take him off your hands-" The twins started, one of them lazily throwing an arm around his shoulders.

Adrian opened his mouth to argue, but the Twins' involvement had apparently soothed James enough that the topic was dropped. The twins were a soft spot in the hearts of the pranksters.

"You do that," James nodded and paused consideringly, "Maybe talk to him about those seats."

'Seats?' Adrian wondered instantly, yet whatever it was, he had a bad feeling about it.

He was right. He didn't like the seats to the Quidditch World Cup at all.

Fred and George were the only tolerable ones in the entire house.

More often than not, Adrian woke up to the muffled noises of visitors in the home. Remus, having never been exposed to or used to children, was struggling in his attempts to 'raise Adrian'. He had overheard Sirius muttering about how Remus certainly picked a challenge for his first try.

Adrian tried not to feel smug about that.

He was labeled as the brooding type, which was fine as everyone seemed to give him distance. Well, as much distance as possible in the small home Remus could afford with his Hogwarts staff wages and other unknown income sources. In another life, Adrian may have offered to periodically cut Remus' hair and sell it to Knockturn Alley potion suppliers. Werewolf hair was never ever easy to come by.

Up close, Adrian was able to see another side to Skylar and the others, which contrasted and simultaneously fueled his assumptions in one go. Skylar wasn't a brat; he knew the brattish type after one glance at Draco. Skylar was overwhelmingly good, his morals and compassion so strong it struck Adrian like a physical blow.

He could throw boiling water at the boy, clobber him or spit threats for days on end. Somehow, the golden hero would smile and accept it and apologize because somehow he had upset Adrian, and that was certainly not polite of him.

It was infuriating and suffocating. Adrian wanted to fight a brat, he wanted to fight a selfish naive jerk, who would siffle and mewl under his curses.

Adrian knew that instead of that, Skylar would simply smile sadly and accept anything and everything he cast at him.

It was unfair. He wanted a challenge, he wanted a target that with one glance he knew that he was justified.

Adrian was vindictive, and Potter was so masochistically subdued it ruined all of his assurance.

Not only that, the other boy seemed to take in the burdens of everyone else without buckling under the strain. He offered the Weasley's a shoulder to cry on, he offered his best friend, Ron, someone to confide in.

Adrian had wandered through the rooms one night, a few days before they were to leave for the Quidditch World Cup. The adults were in the kitchen, discussing plans under silencing charms and steaming mugs of tea.

The twins had left with their older brothers (Adrian had formed a sort of peculiar bond with the one boy, Charlie. A mutual friendship over snarky puns involving Wyverns and Hungarian Horntails), leaving the house unsettlingly quiet.

The lack of Lutain's snark and softly scraping scales made everything seem that much lonelier.

Adrian knew that the Potters wouldn't abandon Skylar here all alone, no matter how important their discussion was. Which led to the unfortunate scene Adrian stumbled into.

Ronald Weasley, normally brash and hard headed, mewling and sobbing disgusting sounds onto the shoulder of Skylar. The latter of course had a sort of unwavering sympathy, patting the other boy's shoulder firmly yet somehow gentle.

"I can't..." Ron sobbed, entire body shaking as he trembled harder, "...Ginny."

Oh, right.

Ginny Weasley.

'Leave her in the Chamber' The words flashed through his mind with chilling coldness. His own tone so blank, it was unrecognizable.

'Let her starve to death.'

Adrian flinched so violently, his shoulder clipped the doorframe with a emphasized bang. The noise startled the two, alerting them of his presence.

"You!" Ron shouted, sniffling against the viscous snot in his nose, "You...you… you slimy git!"

"Ron," Skylar started, his voice sharp yet somehow understanding, "Ron leave it, he wasn't-"

"No!" Ron shouted, ignoring how the sound would likely carry into the kitchen, "He...He's a Slytherin, he was in on it, mate!"

Skylar looked torn, his brown eyes widening as he looked at Adrian in a silent plea.

"What happened to her?" Ron sobbed, on the verge of screaming in his grief, "What did you do to her?"

"I-" Adrian stumbled to make a noise, overwhelmed and in shock at the focused conviction. It was impossible the boy knew, he couldn't know.

"Ron!" Skylar shouted, one hand clapping the redhead's shoulder firmly, "Ron, mate, let him go. He wasn't part of it, mate. He's Mione's friend."

"Some friend!" Ron shrieked angrily, his face flushing horrendously, "Goes around making bloody bets, crawling to Malfoy and those other gits…"

"I make deals," Adrian countered sourly, sneering sharply in return, "A few that you've used if I remember right."

"No," Ron laughed ugly, "You just crawl from one bloke to the next, hoping you get a scrap from anyone."

Adrian recoiled in surprise, before it swiftly shifted to aggression.

"Excuse me?" Adrian hissed, almost shifting to parseltongue. Ron jutted his chin out, hands curling into fists.

"You heard me!" He barked harshly, "You're just a dog, crawling on your belly for everyone so you don't get blamed, you spineless coward…"

"Ron!" Skylar started, shoving the boy backwards and physically out of his accusatory trance, "Ron, mate, no. You don't know his life, it's different for him…"

"I do what I have to do to survive!" Adrian growled back, eyes glittering dangerously as his blood tingled for his other wand, to point and silence that mongrel, "You three have me to thank for everything."

"Right!" Ron laughed, trying to sound patronizing, "like Mione couldn't do any of that without you!"

Adrian opened his mouth to retort, he never had the opportunity to respond before the Weasley continued with his tirade.

"Hermione is smarter than you any day!" He continued, "So what if you got us potion ingredients? Mione would have found them herself! So what you found out that Chamber stuff, she would have found it anyways. You aren't important to us, you aren't needed, and you aren't our friend!"

"Alright that's it!" Skylar shouted, pushing Ron away so he was now across the room. Skylar outstretched his arms, holding them palm spread to form an imaginary barrier between the two boys, "Ron, Adrian's helped us out more than Mione could. Yes she's smart, but it would take her time to find that stuff, it helps to have another person looking!"

Skylar's voice was sharp, his face in a pointed expression yet somehow he still retained the gentle lilt to his tone. Ron opened his mouth to argue, and Skylar sighed, "C'mon mate, just because Slytherin wrecked your family doesn't mean the same didn't happen to him."

That jarred Adrian. Deeply.

"And you," Skylar turned, nodding to Adrian who still stood tense in the doorway, "I know we've gotten off on the wrong foot, but some of that's your fault too."

Adrian blinked, "Wha- my fault…"

"You haven't exactly made it easy," Skylar admitted, "although Hermione really is fond of you. You have moment's too, where you're a prat-"

Adrian flushed angrily and opened his mouth to argue.

"But," Skylar hurriedly added, "you're really not bad. Bloody good dueler and wicked at Care."

'What,' Adrian blinked, trying to think.

All semblances or traces of thought refused to form, dancing out of his grip like his occlumency barrier turned against him. He floundered, looking as shocked as Weasley.

"I think," Skylar started, his voice much more soft and gentle than he had used with either of them, "that Ginny would really have liked you."

'Leave her in the chamber.'

He flinched, viciously and in such a way his chest physically ached.

He missed Lutain so dearly.

Ron looked scrutinizing, his face pinching tightly, "Fred and George say you're not bad," Ron admitted sourly, "and she was closest with them."

'In the chamber?'

"Right," Skylar started brightly, "she loves..." Skylar faltered slightly as he corrected himself, "Loved, flying horses, the winged ones ya know? What were they, uh…"

Skylar trailed off awkwardly, glancing at Ron who looked as if he was somewhere caught between brooding and mourning, "Granian," He quietly confirmed, "drove Mum up the wall with how she wanted one out back."

Adrian stared, yet behind his open eyes he saw the excited expression of his father tugging and pulling him further down.

'In the chamber? All alone?'

"No," Adrian cleared his throat, from where it felt like it was closing on him, "Aethenon are the only species registered in Britain."

Ron seemed baffled, and in a few seconds his expression shifted through a scale of different emotions. Anger, sadness, satisfaction, curiosity, and caution. It settled on something neutral, bland yet with the smallest touches of acceptance, "Yeah, that one. Got Charlie to try and make a stable out back."

The idea that housing an Aethenon at the Weasley estate was even possible, was laughable. The creatures were huge, and required enormous amounts of fodder and grain just for daily life, not counting the exercise and expensive riding gear.

Somehow, the mental image of a little girl trying to persuade loving parents that they needed one was charming. Bittersweet in a hollow aching way.

Adrian had taken that, had taken her away from them.

'Leave her in the chamber to starve.'

Adrian had killed Ginny. He hadn't ever thought of it like that, so bluntly stated in his head. He knew that he had killed her, he left her to her demise.

The ramifications of his actions hadn't ever set in, they hadn't ever occurred to him. She had just been a first year, in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was a casualty in war; she held no more significance than a shirt Bellatrix had ruined during training. She had died, but it felt more to him that she had...expired; her use and her ability had ended, she was the shed Lutain left behind as he continued to grow.

He had never thought of her as someone with individual dreams and desires, an individual life that everyone would mourn and miss and remember.

She hadn't...she hadn't (or had she always been?) a person, in his eye. She was just an object, a possession of the wrong side…

He had left her behind, left her lying in a pool of water too weak to stand or speak.

He had turned his back on her and left her on the floor.

"I mean he didn't," Ron added on, now deep in the throes of nostalgia, "well, he did, but it was more of a shack. The Gnomes got in after a week, we used it as a quaffle post, see how far we could chuck gnomes in it."

Her hair had spread around her fallen form, outstretched like stringy wet rays of sunshine. Her complexion was far too pale, like spoiled milk.

"That's what that shed is?" Skylar asked intrigued, "I always thought it was for gardening,"

"Merlin no," Ron almost smiled, "Charlie was proving to mum he and Gin' could have a pet, although Charlie wanted a dragon…"

His father had been so happy, his expression thrilled and so lifelike Adrian could have felt cooled skin.

Adrian didn't even curse her, he left her to perish like a muggle.

"You okay there, mate?" Skylar asked, his smile faltering as he caught sight of Adrian's rapidly paling complexion, "You looking a bit peachy there…"

His father had laughed, he had smiled and crooned sweet words of praise and pride as he turned and walked over wet stone.

"Ron, go get-" Skylar started, his voice sounding muffled.

Adrian didn't notice.

Somewhere over the sounds of Tom Riddle laughing in his head, he had heard the desperate breathy sounds of Ginny sobbing.

He had walked away and left Ginny Weasley crying alone in the chamber, he had walked away.

Hadrianus Selwyn killed Ginny Weasley.

It suddenly didn't sound as alluring as it once had.

He teetered, and heard Skylar give a cry of alarm.

'Leave her in the Chamber.'

'All alone? In the Chamber?'

'Let her starve to death.'