The Prince of Hell

Questions are answered and friendships are formed

The next morning, after breakfast, the Morningstar family head back to Malfoy Manor.

Zepar is happy that he gets to see his new friend again so soon.

The two boys go off together pretty much the instant the family gets to the Manor, Draco immediately asking Zepar about his life in Hell.

The grown ups retire to the informal sitting room, where Lucius starts the questioning.

"So is the name Morningstar just a coincidence, or are you the literal Devil?"

"I am the Devil. Lilith, my wife is a Greater Demoness, Queen of Hell and blood adopted mother of our little Zepar.

Zepar's birth name is Jameson Potter. The night his brother was hailed as the Boy-Who-Lived, he was given to an abusive family, his birth mothers muggle sister and her family.

His Magic reached out to us accidently the night he was placed there. I became his father figure by healing him when he was beaten, talking to him, comforting him, and just before his third birthday, bringing him to Lilith and I.

Lilith has always wanted a child, but because of God's punishment, she is unable to conceive. When I first told her about Zepar, she was adamint that he become ours via blood adoption and complete purging if he wanted it.

He's been our son ever since. We confirmed the blood adoption at Gringotts, and have raised Zepar ever since.

He's been trained in all manner of things, Magical and Non-Magical. The only reason we're up here, in the Mortal Plain, as we call it, is because we want Zepar to receive his Hogwarts letter and find his Mate. And by the way he was acting around Draco last night, I would say that Draco is his Mate. We'll just have to see on their sixteenth birthdays."

Lucius and Narcissa both take a few moments to digest this new information about the people sitting opposite them and the young boy who captured their sons attention the night before.

"Mum, Dad, can Zepar stay here tonight?"

The grown ups look over at the two young boys, who had just entered the room.

"If it's alright with his parents, then we have no worries with that."

Zepar turns his puppy dog eyes to his parents.

"Of course you can stay tonight Zepar. You know the rules."

Zepar nods frantically, and, after his father conjures a bag of clothes and other necessities for his stay, allows an overenthusiastic Draco to drag him back to his room.

The older Morningstars smile after the boys.

"I'm so happy that growing up in Hell hasn't affected Zepar's ability to make friends. I must admit, that was the only thing I've been really worried about."

"He's our son Lilith. He can make friends with pretty much anyone. When he grows up, he'll be so handsome, he'll have boys and girls throwing themselves at him."

Lilith laughs, resting her head against her husband's shoulder. He is right of course. He is a spitting image of her husband with her black hair and red eyes. He is going to be so handsome, just like his father.

Narcissa looks at the Morningstar couple. The love radiating off them is pure and true, the kind of love that can last centuries.

"What are you going to do about Dumbledore? He's bound to use Legilimency on Zepar and find out the truth."

"Our son has been trained in the mind arts for the last seven years. His teacher was a better mind reader than Dumbledore could ever hope to be, and Zepar can keep him out flawlessly. Our son will be fine against that."

Narcissa and Lucius share a look. Obviously Lilith and Lucifer were not going to risk anything happening to their blood adopted son, and they weren't about to risk him being taken away from them either.

It's clear to the Malfoy Lord and Lady that these two would do anything for the boy they've come to see as their own.

They feel the same about Draco and he's their biological child. They don't want to risk anything happening to Draco either.

A few minutes later and the boys reappear with artwork to show their parents.

Draco and Zepar clearly have talent in art, because their drawings are pretty life-like.

"These are amazing boys. You two are so talented."

Zepar smiles at Narcissa's praise, as does Draco. Lilith uses some of her Magic to preserve the paintings, framing them in obsidian frames, which contrast the art perfectly.

"Thank you Mum."

"Yes, thank you Lady Morningstar."

"Please call me Lilith Draco. I have a feeling I'll be seeing a lot of you in the coming years, and I don't want any formalities between us."

"Okay Lilith. May I call you Lucifer, Lord Morningstar?"

"Of course child. Zepar, your mother and I need to head home for a few minutes, I trust you'll be good for Narcissa and Lucius."

"Of course Papa. I'll be good."

Lilith and Lucifer hug their little boy before Shadowing back to the Morningstar Manor, and from there, back to Hell.

Lilith checks on a few special areas of Hell, Lucifer checks on the other Greater Demons, who are doing their jobs. Azazel comes over to Lucifer.

"You taken your boy to the Mortal Plain?"

"Yes. Lilith and I are just visiting before we head back. Zepar has already found his Mate in a young Wizard with Dark Veela blood on his father's side. The perfect balancer for my headstrong son."

"I'll say. You were real headstrong when you were younger, and this kid is practically you, but with a bit of Lilith mixed in."

Lucifer laughs at the truth of Azazel's words. He was real headstrong and rather arrogant when he first followed Lilith down here, but thankfully, Zepar hasn't inherited that part of his personality. He's only inherited the headstrongness.

Lilith soon appears beside him, and the Morningstar couple Shadow back to the Morningstar Manor before Shadowing to Malfoy Manor, arriving just in time to see their son take his first ride on a broomstick, the years of dance practice clearly helping him stay on the thing.

He and Draco play a game of Quidditch, ending in a draw, both boys displaying incredible talent.

Lilith and Lucifer stand beside Narcissa and Lucius, smiling at their son. They are so glad that he's found his Mate so young.

Draco and Zepar, who are unaware of their parents' thoughts, keep flying around until it starts getting dark, and Lucius and Narcissa call them down for dinner.

Both boys are windswept and happy, talking animatedly with each other over dinner.

When time comes for Lucifer and Lilith to head back to Morningstar Manor, they say goodbye and goodnight to their son, and promise to see him the next morning.

The boys sleep in the same room, each dreaming of their own things, but mostly each other, signalling the bond that is beginning to form between the ten-year-olds.