The wolf and the lioness - Gringotts (Patreon)

Narcissa Malfoy, Dueling Room – #12 Grimmauld Place.

The entire place shook, followed by the unhinged laughter of Bellatrix as she unleashed one of her most powerful chains of spells toward the young Aegon.

Who, for the growing interest of Narcissa, received absolutely all of Bellatrix’s attacks without even breaking a sweat, dodging some and blocking others with an unknown magical shield that, to the disbelief of Lady Malfoy, seemed to stop absolutely every single one of her sister’s attacks.

Up until this moment, Aegon had not responded with a single spell, apparently content with watching and studying Bellatrix in her entirety.

-He is extremely fast, I have never seen Bellatrix so… excited- said Sirius with neutrality and a hint of unease as he watched Bella laugh in a manic way before unleashing another chain of spells, one of the most lethal she had, her desire to test Aegon’s limits more than evident.

-I think it is time to intervene- said Sirius with determination, more than ready to stop this madness.

However, Aegon chose that exact moment to respond, before the first spell of Bellatrix could touch him, the young Targaryen wrapped his body in a kind of… sphere of blue magic, appearing an instant later behind Bellatrix and before his sister had time to react, he pointed his finger directly toward the back of the Black witch.

Aegon’s fingers lit up with purple magical sparks, a spell unknown to Narcissa, releasing a torrent of lightning at close range, striking Bellatrix in the back.

The moment the spell struck her, Bellatrix let out a scream of surprise, her arms and legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

-What spell is that?- Sirius asked himself, watching with absolute surprise as his cousin, a lethal battle witch, dropped to her knees with a face of extreme exhaustion, while her wand rolled out of her hand across the floor, completely drained.

It was as if Bellatrix had fought a prolonged duel and was completely exhausted.

At least magically, thought Lord Black with sharp insight, recognizing the symptoms of severe magical fatigue.

With determination, Aegon walked toward the kneeling Bellatrix, taking her beautiful and curly hair with a firm and controlling gesture, taming the wildest of the Black sisters as if she were a simple pup.

-Oh Merlin- she purred, lost in the exquisite sensations, although Aegon apparently did not give it much importance, at least not for now, he simply laughed with some amusement.

-That was a highly stimulating duel, we should repeat it- said his new nephew, Bellatrix’s hair firm in his hand, pulling a moan from her lips, to Narcissa’s embarrassment.

-Sufficient Aegon- said Sirius, making his nephew look at him and nod, releasing Bellatrix’s hair to her evident disappointment.

-Are we done playing already? I thought we were just getting started- said her shameless sister, looking at Aegon as if he were an especially delicious piece of candy, making Narcissa shake her head, Evans frown and Sirius sigh heavily.

And Narcissa noticed it… not just Bellatrix’s reaction… but Aegon’s restraint. He had dominated the duel completely… and still chose not to escalate. That was not arrogance… that was control, something young people usually lack.

-We need to go to Diagon Alley, Lily told me that you need a few things for your… project, and if you are going to stay here, then you will need robes, a wand, even if you do not need it and a potions kit, perhaps a visit to the goblins to obtain those precious gems you requested, they will not be cheap, but if there is anyone who can get those rubies and diamonds it is the goblins- said Lord Black, although it was evident that he was not the greatest fan of goblins.

-I understand Lord Black- he said calmly, giving a slight bow, releasing Bella’s hair to her evident disappointment, before simply wrapping his body in that curious sphere of blue energy and disappearing.

-He is powerful, very powerful- said Narcissa calmly, approval and something more in her voice, replaying again and again what she had just witnessed.

Sirius nodded to himself and said.

-He is, I will go change to go to Diagon Alley- he said, before leaving the dueling room, Evans behind him.

-I will go with you, I must go to… Godric’s Hollow for a few things to install here before we go- said with determination, the face of the redhead, so characteristic for being cold and ruthless, was filled with determination and a naked hope that Narcissa could not fully understand.

Something was happening here and she was sure that it had to do with Aegon, Narcissa had observed the way Evans had looked at her young nephew, and she did not like it.

She hid it well, but Narcissa had easily seen the fascination and veiled interest in her eyes.

And the Malfoy Lady would not allow the future of House Black to end between Evans’ thighs out of all possible options.

Aegon was… young, virile and powerful, evidently experienced with women, that could not be hidden, perfect for her dear daughter, Isabella was already sixteen years old and needed a proper wizard to put her in line.

And what better than the new and shining heir of House Black, who evidently would need an obedient and proper Lady hanging from his arm, thought Lady Malfoy, beginning to scheme a plan in her head.

Or even for herself, thought Narcissa remembering the mischievous sensations as she watched her mysterious nephew dominate and subdue her powerful sister with alarming ease.

And speaking of her sister.

-I am going to fuck him-

Narcissa stopped breathing for an instant as she looked with absolute shock at her reckless sister.

-What the hell are you talking about, Bella? He is much younger than you- snapped Narcissa with hypocrisy.

Bellatrix looked at her with veiled mockery and, snorting, replied.

-For God’s sake Cissa, I can see your perverse and lustful gaze through that veil of false modesty, you were fucking him with your eyes, and I do not blame you, Merlin that spell… I must convince him to teach it to me, besides it is our duty as witches of the noble House Black, to assist our future Lord in everything he may need- said her sister, the implicit meaning more than clear.

Narcissa snorted and with a sigh prepared herself to leave.

-I am leaving, I will prepare myself for the visit to Diagon Alley, and I suppose you will do the same- said Lady Malfoy, making Bellatrix nod calmly.

-Obviously, we must give a thorough tour to our new nephew, mustn’t we?- challenged Bellatrix with a smile, more excited than Narcissa had ever seen her.

Lady Malfoy only sighed… of one thing she had no doubt.

The trip to Diagon Alley would be… very interesting.

And not for the reasons the others believed. Not for the shops, nor the tour, nor the simple novelty of the place… but because from this moment onward, every glance, every word, every movement around Aegon would begin to matter. And Narcissa intended to make sure… that she was always one step ahead.

Aegon Targaryen, later that day – Diagon Alley.

The young dragon stepped out of the fireplace into what was a kind of dusty pub, filled with extravagant people, nothing like the serious scholars he was accustomed to.

-Interesting way of traveling, Lord Black- he said politely to his “father”, making Sirius shudder.

-Just call me Sirius lad, Lord Black reminds me of my grandfather- replied the cheerful man with a slight shiver, making Aegon nod calmly.

-This place is… picturesque- said the young sorcerer, searching for the most diplomatic word to describe the piece of shit pub he was looking at.

The most infamous tavern in Daggerfall and Solitude was far better than this shit, he thought while shaking his head, although it was clear that it was still better than anything Westeros had to offer.

It was not as if his homeland had a very high fucking bar to begin with.

And being honest, the magic of this place was… interesting, much weaker and useless in many aspects, at least compared to Skyrim, but far more refined and with much broader applications.

He did not really know how long his stay here would last, but he would make the most of it, he had his bag with practically everything he needed, so he was not really in a hurry.

Besides, if necessary, he could always transmute a bit of iron into gold and get out of trouble.

-First we should go to Gringotts, you say you need precious stones for your project, right? Then Gringotts is the correct place-

Aegon nodded and followed the Black clan along with Lily through the picturesque alley.

And being honest… he was not really impressed.

He had walked through the Arcane District of Daggerfall, studied in the Mage’s Guild and led the College of Winterhold, with truly esoteric magic and mystical creations that dazzled the senses.

This picturesque place… was a market.

And that was it.

There were interesting things, he could not deny it, that potion shop and even more, that enormous bookstore seemed promising, but all of that could wait.

His greatest priority was to contact his wife, to let her know that he was safe and sound before she did something stupid.

Like activating her powers to search for him, alerting that idiot Eredin for example.

In a short time they arrived at the doors of Gringotts, a place as luxurious as it was ostentatious, but what was truly impressive were the wards he could feel in this place, they were formidable magical defenses, nothing that a well placed Thu’um could not tear down, but they were a display of magical mastery without equal.

Aegon looked at the creatures guarding the entrance, the famous goblins, they were not very tall, but it was evident that they were predators and warriors.

The armor they wore was… acceptable, Aegon supposed, magical in nature but nothing special, at least at first glance.

-What the hell are you looking at, wizard?- spat one of them, tightening his spear with more force, in an attempt at intimidation more than evident.

Aegon scoffed internally, after the battle against Alduin, this insignificant being only provoked laughter in him.

Sirius opened his mouth, most likely to de-escalate the situation, but Aegon did not allow it, instead he simply took a step forward, placing himself just meters away from the goblin warrior, looking directly into his eyes and whispered, letting his Draconic voice seep into his words.

-Your armor and your spear, what are they made of?- asked the young mage politely, but his words charged with the magic of the Thu’um.

The result was immediate, both guards took a step back, their survival instincts stronger than their evident disdain toward Aegon, both gripped their spears with trembling hands, averting their gaze to avoid the cold gray orbs of the mage.

-They are… they are made of goblin silver, forged in the depths of Gringotts- said the now intimidated goblin, doing his best and failing to avoid stuttering under the presence before him.

Aegon nodded and without thanking, continued his path under the incredulous gaze of Sirius, Lily and the Black sisters, all of them, just like the goblins, had felt the power in his words and it was more than evident that they had questions.

And once again, he chose not to explain. Power revealed… but not understood. That distance… that uncertainty… was what made it linger in the minds of others, those were the words on his master in Daggerfall, a lesson he had learn very well.

-Aegon, what was that? I felt your magic, powerful and… penetrating- said Sirius, there was no reproach in his voice, only… curiosity.

Something new and refreshing for the young dragon.

-That was a family gift, we can talk about it somewhere else- he said, not really finding a reason not to do so, Lord Black had opened the doors of his home and offered his support, Aegon would respond with education and gratitude.

In seconds, the group arrived at one of the tellers, who was counting a pile of gold coins, without a doubt the local currency, deduced the young Targaryen.

Sirius stepped forward and spoke.

-Good afternoon, we require the services of Gringotts in the acquisition of some very specific materials- said Lord Black, his voice firm and with authority, completely different from the cheerful and playful man Aegon had met before.

The goblin finished counting the amount he was working on, before separating it and making some notes, giving his full attention to Sirius.

-What kind of materials?- asked the small being abruptly, not wasting time on small talk, something Aegon could respect.

Seeing Sirius’ look, the young dragon stepped forward and said firmly.

-An uncut diamond of exactly seven carats, accompanied by three rubies, five emeralds and seven topaz, same measurements and characteristics, an inert arcane metal, magically stable, five cylinders of bronze with perfect balance, free of impurities, one hundred kilograms of quartz and one ton of pure iron, in ingots-

At those words, all his companions looked at him in absolute shock, at the colossal and expensive request Aegon had just made.

He knew it was expensive, but the megascope was a very specific device and he had to calibrate it precisely to contact his wife.

Besides, if his intuition was correct, he would obtain the materials at no cost.

The goblin salivated at the size of the order Aegon had placed, while continuing to write the request.

-And how do you intend to pay for such an order, wizard?- asked the teller, looking at Aegon with curiosity.

Aegon smiled, raised his hand and used his magic to open his bag, making one of his pure gold ingots, those he had transmuted with magic, levitate out of the bag, directly toward the hungry and attentive eyes of the goblin, who literally looked at the ingot as if it were a damned newborn.

-Five of these should cover the cost- he said calmly, while handing the ingot to the trembling goblin.

-This… is gold, completely pure, one hundred percent, as if it had been forged with…- the teller’s eyes widened in surprise, before looking at Aegon in absolute shock.

The young dragon looked at him in silence and asked.

-Do we have a deal then?- said Aegon, knowing he had this in the bag, the goblin’s expression was more than obvious.

The teller hesitated, but did not release the ingot.

-Make it ten ingots- he said, looking at Aegon with determination.

The young dragon responded instantly, firm and calm.

-Give me double the iron and bronze, as well as a couple of daggers made of goblin silver, and we have a deal-

-Done!- said the goblin with evident excitement, while he literally trembled in his chair.

Aegon rolled his eyes, but levitated nine more ingots from his personal reserve directly onto the desk, while the teller called a damned squad of warriors to transport the gold.

-Gringotts appreciates your preference, due to the importance of the transaction we will ensure everything is ready by tomorrow and send it directly by owl, young alchemist- said the goblin with absolute respect, surprising the entire Black clan in the process to the bone.

Aegon nodded naturally and said.

-I understand, I have just arrived to the island with my father, Lord Black, if the service is efficient and of first level, I will not hesitate to do more business with Gringotts, there are many experiments that require costly and exotic materials after all- he said, putting honey on the lips of the goblins.

At that moment Sirius took a step forward and said.

-I wish to make a withdrawal from the Black vaults, there are purchases to be made after all- said with determination, making the teller nod quickly and assign Sirius a guide toward the depths of the bank, giving him maximum priority after such an impressive purchase.

-I will go down and take the gold Aegon, in the meantime, you can go ahead with your aunts and Lily to speed up the shopping, we will meet in one hour at Ollivander so you can get your wand- said Sirius calmly with a soft smile.

The young sorcerer nodded calmly and was about to respond, at least until Bellatrix intervened.

-Do not worry Sirius, Aunt Bella will take care of everything… oh we will have so much fun with Madame Malkin, I am sure that with the proper incentive she will assign us a private room, you will need a complete wardrobe, at least ten formal robes and thirty casual ones, enchanted of course, also five pairs of boots and a proper dueling outfit- said Bellatrix while dragging an overwhelmed Aegon out of the bank, Narcissa and Lily behind them looking at the Black duelist with veiled disapproval.

Aegon could not help but look at his robe and ask somewhat offended.

-What is wrong with my robe?- he asked with a somewhat petulant tone.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and replied.

-It is not worthy of a Black heir, oh it is adequate do not misunderstand me, but it lacks the elegance, luxury and class that you require- said the dark-haired witch with determination.

-I am more interested in that bookstore over there, I wish to compare the techniques and spells I know with those of this island and—

Bella interrupted him firmly.

-Oh Merlin, you sound like a damned Ravenclaw, relax nephew, once we finish with your robes we can go and see as many books as you want- promised Bellatrix, while stroking Aegon’s arm with veiled desire, easily identifiable for the young mage, who simply raised an eyebrow at the witch.

Bellatrix simply smiled with satisfaction and whispered.

-That spell you used against me, it was painful and exquisite, I want you to teach it to me, I promise to compensate you properly… your Aunt Bella is a dueling champion, you know? She has several tricks you could learn, although I was thinking of another kind of payment… a more physical one- she whispered in his ear, caressing his arm with subtlety and more than clear implication.

Aegon simply sighed, it was more than evident that the day would be very long.

-I am sure he would look quite good in robes of red and black, I do not know why, but it is a hunch- said Lily, looking at Aegon with a critical eye, analyzing him from head to toe.

-Red and Black are the colors of House Targaryen- intervened the young mage politely, drawing the attention of the three witches.

-Your family sounds important Aegon, and powerful, considering your magical skill, where are you from? Why have we never heard of a House Targaryen?- inquired Bellatrix with intelligence and curiosity.

Aegon looked at her and replied with an enigmatic smile.

-Curious right? I suppose you will have to stay close to me to find out, Madame Black- he said, his tone filled with amusement.

-Do not call me that young nephew, call me Aunt Bella, or simply Bella if you are not comfortable yet, Madame Black reminds me too much of the harpy you incinerated in Grimmauld Place- she said firmly, making a face of disgust at the mention of Walburga Black.

-Bella then- he said calmly, nodding just as they arrived at Madame Malkin’s.

-Good, it is time to begin, I will arrange everything with the owner, I will make sure we are assigned the best room, we do not want Aegon’s modesty to be violated, do we?- said Narcissa, looking him up and down, a gesture both different and very similar to her sister’s.

Bellatrix released Aegon’s arm for a moment and walked with Narcissa into the shop, leaving him alone with Lily, who looked at him with hesitation on her face.

-A Septim for your thoughts?- he asked with amusement, making the beautiful redhead look at him in surprise, before sighing and speaking.

-I wish to ask you something and, depending on your answer, commission your help- she said with simplicity and frankness, surprising him.

-Is it possible… that someone who died in this world… is alive in another?- asked Lily, her voice barely a whisper, looking at Aegon with overwhelming intensity.

At that specific question, Aegon nodded slowly and replied.

-Yes, it is possible… in fact, it is almost a certainty- he answered, making Lily exhale heavily, but her eyes shone with intensity.

-I want to speak with you alone, tonight, there is a story about me that you must hear, after that, I wish to commission your help, I am sure we can reach some kind of agreement-

The words of the redhead piqued Aegon’s curiosity, who nodded softly.

-Tonight then, Madame Evans-

-Lily, just Lily, even if you are young, it is evident that you are not a child, I can trust your maturity, Aegon- she said with a small smile, which Aegon returned.

Both entered the shop, lighter than before.

There was much to do.

And very little time.