Draco kept his word as well as the gift Adrian sent him. Adrian was rather amused with the large collections of Honeydukes chocolate courtesy of Pansy. Blaise sent a large spiraling branch from a corkwood tree (Lutain said that the aroma was positively divine). Draco gifted him an impressively thick book on advanced spellwork which was interesting, but paled to the one of a kind collection of dark spells from the Nott library itself. Hopefully each of his classmates appreciated the gilded quills he sent.
Bellatrix kept true to her word and apparated the two into the Black Family household. Something about the house felt bizarrely comforting, something deep in the inch thick dust and grime or in the cracked leather covers of ancient tomes. They left after many hours, Bellatrix apparating back and forth twice to accommodate trunks filled with handpicked books from the ceiling-tall shelves.
Returning to Hogwarts was enjoyable, although it meant he could only indulge the reading of two of his new books. Thankfully, both subjects were on Occlumency, which now was at the forefront of his mind.
The concept of Occlumency was to create mental barriers in one's mind to prevent a user of Legilimency from finding purchase and tampering with your very thoughts or memories. It seemed like it would be a difficult skill; Adrian doubted he'd be able to learn it in such a short time.
The Slytherin common rooms were just how they left it, his room rather much the same. The only exception was Theo who plastered up posters of a quidditch team Adrian didn't recognize.
Adrian felt that in his absence over the break, his use as an information broker had become, if not public knowledge, then widely known in the snake den. His leather journal was slowly being filled with ink, listing the names and the specifics of what deals he had made and what advantages to reap.
The rest of the year was looking to be very interesting.
"I'm sorry but if you don't know the password-" The Fat Lady started, her tone objectionable.
"I'm aware," Adrian interrupted, crossing his arms behind his back. "However if you could just pass a message along for me...?"
The Fat Lady floundered, looking unsure at the other whispering portraits.
Thankfully, she didn't have to decide as the painting swung outwards. An upper year stumbled backwards into the hole, not expecting Adrian to be standing there.
"What- who are you?" The boy stammered, before squinting at Adrian suspiciously. "Wait, are you a snake?"
"Could you please get Hermione Granger for me?" Adrian said calmly. "Or perhaps you could let me inside?"
The upper year stared at Adrian like he had sprouted deer antlers. "Er, yeah. Friends with Potter right? Thought that name sounded familiar-" He murmured under his breath, before he turned and vanished back into the Gryffindor stronghold.
Adrian counted slowly. Exhaling and reigning in his temper as slowly the painting swung outwards again. "Alright, snake. Come on in. But we're watching you!"
Adrian gave a nod of understanding as he stepped through the high lip and stumbled into the tower. It was decorated brightly with warm colours, mostly reds and golds. A bright cheery fire and well abused velvet furniture made the tower seem similar to the inside of an antiques store in Diagon Alley.
"Adrian!" Hermione bubbled, jumping up from a couch where she had been reading on her own. "Oliver said you were here but I didn't believe it!"
Adrian gave a polite smile and awkwardly accepted her hug, then he reached into his side bag and pulled up a slender scroll of parchment. "Miss Granger, I believe I have information for you."
Hermione's eyes lit up and she eagerly guided him to a couch. He handed her the scroll, watching with feigned disinterest as she read over the near biography of Nicholas Flamel.
Her jaw dropped and she ran her hands through her bushy hair. "Adrian this is- this is amazing!" Her eyes started shining with the newfound knowledge, then she chewed anxiously on her bottom lip. "Do you- could you find out another thing for me?"
"Likely, although it may take time."
"Do you know how to get past a Cerberus?"
Adrian paused. "A...cerberus? Are you sure it's not a Kerberos or a Garmr?"
Hermione blinked, utterly baffled before she chewed on her lip again. "It's... big. Really big. It has dark fur and looks like a bull terrier? But as big as a tree!"
"No snake on its tail?" Adrian asked dryly. Hermione only looked confused. "Alright, that is a Cerberus. Cerberuses have a weakness to any sort of music. It'll cause them to fall asleep instantly."
Hermione jumped to her feet and wrapped Adrian in a hug once more.
"Oi! Get off her!" Adrian craned his neck, only seeing red hair before he felt someone punch his cheek.
His head snapped to the side, Hermione jumped off and began to scold whoever it was who had assaulted him. Internally Adrian began a soothing mantra, trying to reign in his aggravated emotions. A small slap was nothing; a minor healing charm could fix it once he left. He had been hurt worse than this, yet the person attached to the hand wasn't exactly helping in the circumstances.
"Ronald! This is Adrian!" Hermione scolded.
"You never said he was a slimy git too!"
"He's helping us!" Hermione scowled. "And you can't just attack him like- like-"
"Like what!"
"Like an idiot!"
"Enough!" A new voice cried out, one which led all of Adrian to hiss and coil to lash and kill-
He twisted instantly; his back hunched as he curled inwards and drew his wand. His entire visage shifted from the forcibly relaxed to something wounded and vicious.
"Talk sense in her, Skylar mate." Ron said frowning. "She's gone and lost it."
"I have not!"
"Skylar Potter." Adrian stood, removing his hand from his face and instead held it aloft. He forced his shoulders back in a way which seemed painful, and plastered a thin lipped smile onto his face. "I've heard plenty of interesting things and I do enjoy..." Adrian stood from the couch and took a few steps, shaking Skylar's baffled outstretched hand. "Interesting things."
Hermione huffed. "Adrian finds out information. He helped Pavarti before the holidays with that one spell for eye-bags!"
Adrian gave a small nod, confirming the information. His eyes never left the gentle hazel mixture of somewhere in between blue and Lily's green.
"He found this." Hermione whispered, handing over the scroll which Skylar forcibly broke Adrian's gaze to roll open. Skylar stared a few moments, reading Adrian's uniquely spider-like handwriting.
Ron snatched it and squinted at the uniform small print. "Did a rat write this?"
Hermione smacked his arm.
Skylar puffed up one cheek, looking lopsided as he looked over the writing more suspiciously. "You write this, mate?"
Adrian's hands twitched with the barely restrained urge to throttle Skylar.
"Can I get you to do my potions essay?" Ron joked, although that changed to gobsmacked when Adrian gave a curt nod.
"Ronald, Adrian deals out bets, wagers," Hermione struggled to explain. "Deals and that sort."
"Deals?" Skylar's expression was more critical, and with one hand he rubbed it over the edge of his jaw under his left ear. "That sounds a bit shady there, mate. Careful who you go bargaining to."
Adrian felt the entirely understandable urge to smack the boy just as Weasley had done before. Of course Adrian knew full well that he was dealing complicated business, there Skylar Potter to criticize his work. Skylar had everything handed to him-
"I mean, I just don't want you getting into tough business." Skylar interrupted roguishly, "If you do, give us a shout. A friend of Hermione's is a friend of mine."
-Adrian had to work for everything.
"I wouldn't mind if he gets a bit roughed up," Weasley muttered, still loud enough for Adrian.
Weasley didn't know pain the way Adrian had.
"If that's all you need, Miss Granger?" Adrian clipped stiffly, taking a few steps back to slowly glare at Hermione who blushed and shook her head. "Then I'll take my leave. Best of luck to your ventures."
He turned and walked as quickly as he could out of the tower, the air had begun to fill and become stiflingly hot.
He wondered for the smallest moment what it would feel like to kill the famous Skylar Potter.
The rest of the year drifted by almost like a Spring mist. Everyone was caught in the mindless repetition of classes and homework, studying material over and over in the shadows of looming exams, such that one day seemed to blend into the next into the next.
The upper years were quiet, strangely so, as they vanished to wherever they went to study.
And then the exams were upon them and even Adrian found himself concentrating on his studies. His occlumency was still hopeless, but he hardly had time to worry about that now. When he wasn't studying, he and Lutain were both pressed with lethargy.
Adrian had almost forgotten entirely about Hermione and her questions until the leaving feast was upon them, when the house cup was unfairly stolen from Slytherin and awarded to Gryffindor.
Once he'd snapped out of the lethargy that accompanied exams, Adrian had worked out that the "Golden Trio", as the rest of the school had started to refer to the three, Skylar, his pet Weasley, and Hermione Granger, had passed the Cerberus with his aid and ventured into the spelled depths of the forbidden corridor on the third floor to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone.
Although the prize would be marvelous, the risk surrounding it was too great. Evidently it had lured something to the castle, something which had let in the troll, attacked Snape (a couple of the upper years mumbled seeing him walking with a limp) and ventured after the fabled artefact. The trio most likely were aware of the threat and acted accordingly to stop it.
Adrian mused what misguided fool would try to sneak into the castle even with Dumbledore leaving for one day.
The Great Hall was filled with the echoing chaos of whistles and clapping. All three tables rejoiced as the green banners shifted to red with flourish. Fireworks crackled in the enchanted sky overhead, illuminating the grimaces and scowls of Adrian's housemates. He kept his own face perfectly neutral.
Adrian met with Hermione's breathless excited eyes over the distance. Her smile grew wider and something in her eyes were warmer as well. Ronald Weasley stated something, inaudible at that distance, which distracted the witch from Adrian's gaze.
It didn't matter. As far as Adrian was concerned, he had established something that would linger much longer than any fool-hearted attempts to steal a relic.
"Time to go home," Lutain cheered, content enough to lounge alongside the gilded plates from the feast.
Adrian felt the same.
End of Year One