Rabastan pulled out vials and began checking the labels on the side, he returned it and continued on when not finding the desired potion.
Adrian was back at the Lestrage household, sitting pathetically on a corner of a long cracked leather couch in the main sitting room. Rodulphus was arguing with his wife, who was too perplexed to quite understand the situation.
"I never had any potions!" Bellatrix argued, "The boy doesn't need any!"
"Because you certainly ended up sane from cruciatus curses." Rodulphus argued, splaying out one hand towards Adrian, "He's eleven!"
"So!"
"He'll result in nerve damage or almost as crazy as you!"
Bellatrix huffed, casting an eye at the curled form of Adrian, who wasn't entirely lucid.
Lutain was curled protectively nearby, watching his master with unease.
Adrian himself looked wretched, his skin was pale and nearly see through in areas where it was naturally thinner. His eyes were glazed, large patches of red from where capillaries had burst on his cornea. His lips were stained red where blood still oozed down his chin, and throughout all of that his legs and arms still flailed uncontrollably from the muscle contractions and further spasms.
Rabastan finally found the proper potion and pulled it out; Adrian's eyes flickered to it. The younger reached upwards, trying to grasp the vial yet the violent trembling of his fingers left any coordination impossible.
"None of that," Rabastan grunted, grabbing Adrian's jaw and pushing the vial between bloody lips, "The bugger bit his tongue too."
"I can heal it!" Bellatrix chirped, only for Rodulphus to argue, "You'll fuse his tongue to his mouth!"
Adrian let out a low keening noise, which Lutain tensed to hear.
"I still don't get why it's such a big deal," Bellatrix huffed, "He's gotten the curse before-"
Adrian violently turned, arching backwards and twisting. He managed eventually, his pained actions ordering silence from the three caregivers in the room. Once his back was facing outwards, and his eyes closed against the back of the couch, the three left the room.
"I will protect you, master." Lutain swore, poking and prodding Adrian's back with his blunt snout.
He felt comfort in the title, somehow finding satisfaction and stability in the fact that if he was unable to decide his own fate, he at least held power over something.
The spell, it was damnation. It was power.
Something from the events from earlier didn't seem to exactly line up. From his understanding, his father held servants under the curse for much longer than Adrian. Multiple castings were common, Bellatrix had confessed the first time Adrian had experienced the spell, that she once had upwards of six individual castings in a single meeting.
Adrian had blatantly failed his orders for accomplishing Occlumancy, yet he had only one significantly short curse.
Perhaps his father was trying to teach him something after all.
...
He had received letters from Theo alongside Draco, although he suspected the latter was just formalities. Theo's letter had been lengthy, highly speculative about the new Defense Against the Dark Art's teacher.
Adrian had immediately looked into the matter, reading only two of the assigned books (which were in fact Gilderoy Lockhart's complete collection) before summarizing that it was all gargoyle rubbish.
There were clear contradictions in the stories, along with simple facts that were impossible due to the time frame of events in the other books. He had pointed out the flaws to Bellatrix, who sniffed once and reduced his book to purple smoke. It even smelt pompous and extravagant.
The destruction of one of his required books meant that he was now forced to purchase another copy, which Bellatrix relented and agreed to pay for herself.
Another matter had come up, something which led to a certain amount of dread as Adrian followed closely behind Bella through the streets of Knockturn.
With Adrian's naming, Bellatrix had explained that it was now implied that he must be marked. Not a Dark Mark, which would be too obvious, but something relatively similar.
Nagini was a gorgeous snake, her patterns and her scales were dazzling and according to Lutain, her shed was always smooth. It didn't surprise Adrian when Bellatrix informed him that Nagini herself would be plastered under the surface of his skin.
Bellatrix admitted that she was not familiar with any sort of permanent marking or inking spells, which led them to pushing through the streets of Knockturn to the well-known parlor Markus Scarrs Indelible Tattoos. Adrian wasn't excited, and with a false cool exterior he entered the store after Bellatrix.
It was ramshack like almost all of Knockturn, the floorboards had thin gaps between them, everything else was aged slightly grey. The man behind the counter looked at them, he had a series of porcupine quills protruding from his scalp instead of hair.
"Well well," The man spoke, his voice deceptively hoarse, "If it isn't Mrs. Lestrange herself."
Bellatrix flashed a somewhat crazy grin and pushed Adrian forward, "You're going to mark this boy, and with the spelled ink."
The porcupine blinked, "Ain'e a bit young?"
Bellatrix beamed, "Nope!"
The man shrugged and walked out from around his counter, looking at Adrian with a critical eye, "Wha' kind of spell again?"
"The portrait spell, and enchantments for movements and physical interaction." Bellatrix rattled off, causing the man to lift one eyebrow- thankfully with actual hair.
"Painting you a pretty lady, eh?" The porcupine winked, eying up Adrian with a lewd grin.
"A snake," Adrian deadpanned, eyes glinting sharply, "Like her arm."
The man paused, looking seriously at Bellatrix who now was twirling her wand, "Get out."
"Oh don't be daft," Bellatrix huffed, walking over to sit harshly on a three legged stool near an archaic looking tattoo chair, "He's not actually getting it. He just wants a snake like it. I can provide memory reference," She tailed off, watching as the porcupine man gulped and eyed Bellatrix's wand carefully.
"Come here, boy," The man grunted, yanking Adrian over to the archaic chair, "Ruddy well get it over with."
....
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