Chapter Text
It was a different age, and a different society. Blood was of utmost importance, second only to a persons’ magic.
People married within their class, often marrying within their families in order to keep their blood-line pure .
In fact, gender was less of a concern than blood or magic - there was always the option of a surrogate, or even a concubine. The blood may not be as noble, but the magic would be just a pure.
While all of those were true, often a family would prefer magic over blood - or blood over magic. Marriages were not arranged, but the families had the power to veto any marriage they did not approve of.
One of the most famous cases was that of the Malfoy-Potter debacle - a long, drawn out affair which trickled down into the following centuries as a feud no one knew the reason for. Even the families changed hands. In the far future, it was known as the Malfoy-Weasley feud, merely because the original ‘Potter’ was adopted by the Weasleys as an infant when his parents’ died of Dragon pox.
But in those days, the Weasleys’ were an unknown name, just as the Potters’ were. The Potters’ were slightly better known, as they were an off-shoot branch of the Godric line. However, they were an off-shoot branch due to the fact that the then-heir had married a new witch, barely better than a magic-less - and against his parents’ will, resulting in his disinheritance.
And history often repeats itself, just as it did in this case. The disinherited Potter and Wife passed away from an unusal case of adult dragon pox, leaving their only son, Hadrian Potter, to the care of their good friends, the Weasleys.
The Weasleys barely had enough, but they always had love, love which they freely showered on all of their children, including little Hadrian.
But love didn’t go far in this world. When Hadrian reached adult-hood, he had very little prospects, and he didn’t wish to place a burden on his foster-family any longer.
So, he put a brave face on, and said he was going to seek his fortune.
But Hadrian knew better. He had no trade - there was no money to apprentice him - and he was no brawny day-laborer. No, Hadrian was not blind to the realities of his situation. His birth parents had left nothing to him, as they had had nothing. His foster parents tried their best, but what they had could barely stretch to apprentice his brothers, and dowry his one sister.
No, he only had one option, the only option remaining for those in his situation.
~~~
He sighed, keeping his hand on the reins steady. No need to let his horse be spooked by some house-wife tossing water out of an upper-story window. This was an exercise in futility. Oh, the ride wasn’t. He adored riding. But his destination? That was ridiculous. His parents knew he would refuse any marriages to a female. Yes, if he married a male, he would have to impregnate a woman for a heir - but that would be manageable.
Not only that, but Pansy was a bit of a simpleton. All she had mind for was clothes and jewelery. Oh, she could manage a household quite beautifully, and her own small household was a well-oiled wheel.
But he wanted more than that. He wanted something that his parents had never had. He wanted love.
Call him a romantic, but he wanted that one, little thing. Was love really too much to ask for? Bloody hell, he would even settle for mere physical attraction! But of his peers, Pansy was the only one free with her affections - the others were paired up to their satisfaction.
A flash of brightly colored silk out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he pulled up his horse, looking around. He couldn’t help but gape as he saw what - or rather, who - had caught his attention.
On a balcony just to the east of the road was a black-haired beauty leaning languidly over the railing. And, in spite of the face-paint (which was rather fetching), quite obviously male by the muscles showing through his gaping silk over-robe.
The beauty grinned when he stopped, and waved, before resting his elbows on the railing, and leaning his chin on them. He cocked his head, and called down, his voice carrying easily. “So, handsome. You just gonna stare?”
~~~
Raven bit back a laugh as the blond just stared at him. So adorable. Had he never seen a prostitute? “ Well? Why don’t you come up here, and we can talk .”
Then he sighed as he saw the blond bite his lip, before calling up. “My apologies, lovely. I have a prior engagement. Perhaps I’ll see you again.”
And with that, the blond rode off.
Raven plopped down rather ungracefully on the floor of the balcony, carefully spreading his silks around his body so they wouldn’t wrinkle.
Of course, the first potential customer he had seen in days would be otherwise occupied. Not that he was in any fix for money. He had his regulars, after all. But… while his regulars were kind - at this point, he was popular enough, he could pick and choose - they were all rather… unattractive. And while he might be a mere prostitute, he wasn’t blind. Nor was he immune to his own libido.
Oh, how much easier things would be if he had been born female. Then, at least, he would have had the chance to be a concubine - and they were seen in a much better light. Not that prostitution was unaccepted. It was rather common. It just wasn’t a profession accepted in polite company.
Raven stayed there, lost in his thoughts, until he noticed the fading sun with a quiet curse. Today was one of his few ‘off’ days, and he had errands to run, and people to see. Shaking his head slightly, to clear his thoughts, Raven stood up, and padded inside to change and wipe his face clean of the face-paint.
~~~
At his first knock on the slightly peeling red-painted door, he heard a commotion, and grinned. He crouched down, opening his arms in preparation for the bundle of energy that he knew would come flying at him.
And he was right.
In less than a minute, the door was opened, and he was nearly knocked over by a screeching four year old.
“Unca Ry! Ade missed you!”
He stood up, pulling the little girl to sit on his hip. “And I missed you too, my flower.”
Then he grinned at the woman who had opened the door. “Mum! You are looking as young as ever.”
The slightly plump older red-head - Molly - smiled fondly at him. “Oh, Hadrian. Such a flatterer. We were starting to worry that you would be late.”
Hadrian shook his head. “Oh, I just had to close up shop - I got a tad bit distracted.” He winced. He hated lying to Molly, of all people, but… the truth would be even worse.”
Molly shook her head, and ushered him in, peeling Adalinde off him, ignoring her protests. “Well, go on in. Everyone is waiting. I’ll get this imp washed up.”
As he entered the dining room, Hadrian dropped a kiss on his sisters’ head, dodging the annoyed swat and clasping his brother-in-laws’ hand with a grin. Then he couldn’t help a squeak as his sister-in-law and best friend pulled him into a sudden embrace. He turned, raising an eyebrow. “’Mione, what was that for?”
He frowned as she merely shrugged. “I missed you, you idiot.”
Hadrian shook his head, and chose to embrace her back, careful of her pregnant belly, pulling away as a bread-roll hit him in the back of the head. “Oi, mate! Get your own.”
Hadrian turned, and clapped his brother on the back. “Oh, Ron. You know I prefer them to be a different form.”
Ron just laughed, and pulled him down to sit on the other side of him. “Sit, sit! Mum refused to serve us until you got home.”
~~~
Hadrian smiled as he waved good-bye. No matter his Mums’ entreaties, he pled an early morning, and refused to spend the night. That chapter of his life was over and done with, as much as he wished to have it back on his bad days.
With a small, bittersweet smile, Hadrian turned his back on his house. Yes, this would be the last visit. It was time for Hadrian to fade away. His family was happy, and well-cared for, with more money then they had while growing up. For all that Hermione came from a non-magic family, she had came to the family with quite a sizable dowry.
With a decisive nod, Hadrian turned to apparate back to his apartment.
~~~
Raven was lounging on his balcony, admiring the stars, when he heard a rock clattering against the railing. He raised up on one elbow, and peered over the edge. All he could see was a shock of blond hair. That was more than enough, however, for blond hair was rare in these parts.
Careful not to be seen, Raven snuck back into his apartment. It wouldn't do to be seen in his everyday robes by a potential customer, even before false dawn. Once in, though he ran his hand through his hair, turning the originally useless motion into the practiced grab and twist he used to put his hair up in a bun.
Raven had been playing this game for what, four, five years now? And he was starting to tire of it. Perhaps... Perhaps it was time to move on, perhaps find a permanent patron, as hard as that was for those of his gender. But... The sound of another rock tore his concentration. With hands shaking ever so slightly from lack of sleep, Raven lined his eyes with kohl, and reddened both his lips and cheeks.
It wouldn't do to appear anything less than put together. Hastily, he switched robes, this time for a rather light sleeveless silk, tied at the waist.
With a deep breath, he pasted a smile on his face, and stepped out.
Only to be hit on the forehead with a pebble. And that was the last straw. To hell with a potential customer. This one was surely drunk on fire whiskey. What other reason would there be for this romantic fiddle-faddle? Without saying a word, he bent down and gathered up the multiple pebbles.
~~~
The blond winced as a sudden rain of pebbles rained down upon his head with unerring accuracy. “What was that for?” he called up, finally noticing the person had came out.
A snarl came floating down, then there was silence for a minute. Finally the man leaned over the railing, a glare barely visible on his face. “You are a fool! Go away, and don’t come back.” Then he stalked back inside.
The blond sighed, rubbing his head. Perhaps he was being foolish. After all, there was no question what the other one was. And he was Draco Malfoy, the heir to the Malfoy family.
~~~
The next morning, Raven stretched, leisurely waking up. He glanced outside at the sun. It was nearly noon, and he needed to get his groceries before dark fall.
It wasn’t one of his formal silk robes he donned, but neither was it one of his utilitarian cotton ones. This was silk, yes, but it had more layers than his evening robes, akin to a kimono, but without the brightly patterned fabrics his evening robes had. He didn’t mind going out in public. After all, he was what he was, and nothing would change that.
He was actually rather happy. With his hair up, and slight face-paint, it was obvious to all what he was, but as long as he didn’t flaunt it in their face, the city-folk were rather accepting. And, best of all, his family would never recognize him, if they happened to be looking for him.
As he browsed the stalls, mentally making his list, he was bumped into from behind. He turned with a kind word on his lips - surely it was an accident, no need to be upset - but then he saw who had knocked against him, and he snarled. “You! Why are you following me?”
The blond looked at him, something akin to panic in his eyes, and darted around him with a hissed “Not now! Hide me.”
Raven shook his head in exasperation, and looked around for what the blond could be fleeing from. He didn’t see anything, and turned around and said as much.
The blond looked at him, eyes darting ‘round. “No, no. A girl, brown hair, brown eyes. I cannot let her see me.”
~~~
Raven blew on his cup of tea, eyes looking over it at the blond. “So, do I have this straight? This… Pansy is trying to murder you, simply because you refused an engagement.”
He nodded. “Yes, I am afraid so. It seems that my mother promised her I would accept, and so she has been waiting for me.”
Raven laughed, eyes dancing. “I have never been so glad to be out of reach of all that ridiculousness. So, what are you going to do?”