Chapter One - My Name Is...

Time was a prison. He had come to realise that. Forever restless in his pursuit of what exactly? He did not know.

Days bled into weeks, weeks into months, months into years… Hades couldn't be sure of the last time he was summoned to Olympus, the home of his beloved family.

The walk up to the blinding acropolis was torture on his retinas; light pink and yellow flowers lined the path up to the pearlescent staircase that would lead to his inevitable fate.

As if in unintentional mockery, the blacks and greys of his cloak trailed at his feet, a stark contrast to the light that surrounded him.

Soiling the perfection of this cherished space..

He couldn't suppress the instantaneous cringe of his body as his eyes locked onto the room he was meant to enter. All noise seemed to cease as he rooted himself in the center of the corridor.

Watching. Listening.

But not to them of course. No, the ones he listened to lay far beneath them, chanting their king's name awaiting his return.

"Hades," a woman's voice spoke soothingly into his ear. "Are you alright?"

The woman's voice was muffled, far away from where his mind lay and where his eyes roamed.

He wasn't listening.

For no one would ever quite understand the toll it took on him whenever he left his domain. Each second spent on Olympus was another away from his duties below. The wails of the dead were never truly silenced when he took his rare leaves above, calling to him every moment he was away.

Hades often found himself thinking of the Nether, his dwelling, whenever he came here. He found Olympus was a fallacy in its own right. A place where all Gods and Goddesses were supposed to come together. As equals.

He couldn't help but scoff at that. Not all were equal on Olympus.

Especially not him.

No. Olympus was a place designed to make others feel insignificant; to remind them to remain compliant to their leader. Their King of Gods.

Zeus's reign was won by a mere game of chance, a juvenile approach to divide the three realms between them.

By drawing sticks.

He was still bitter about it, no doubt. Though Hades had had millennias to mull it over, he had always felt that it wasn't truly fate that allowed him to pull the shortest stick but rather a ploy between his brothers to push him out.

No. That isn't quite right.

Cast him out.

Pushing away those thoughts, he instead contemplated what he might do in the coming hours, he knew that Thanatos and Morpheus would have returned by then.

However, nothing good ever comes from those two.

"Hades!"

Breaking his train of thought, the God of the Underworld met Hera's stormy eyes. Her lips pursed in displeasure.

How fantastic, he thought grimly.

"Hera," he replied neutrally, studying her face. "Lovely to see you as always."

Snickering, she gave him a once over. "You always were a skillful liar brother, I will give you that." Hera took a step closer, the bottom of her dress dragging gracefully behind her. "But not good enough," she jeered.

The throbbing in his head intensified as the voices of the dead rose higher in their pitch. He clutched at the back of his head to no avail.

Hera stopped as she noticed the look of discomfort on his face. "Is it as unpleasant as last time?"

He laughed quietly, withdrawing his hand from behind his head. "I believe unpleasant might be putting it a bit too lightly, sister."

A crestfallen look adorned her face. "Something troubles you," the sound of her voice now full of concern. "Besides the voices, of course."

Looking around them, He could spot the others across the room, sitting around the large oak table that lay in the center of the room. A raven haired god perched on it's edge sat mocking the fiery haired god to his right.

"What is Apollo doing here?" Hades scoffed. "Shouldn't he be with his choir of thoughtless nymphs?" Rolling his eyes, He hastily fastened his peplos tighter to his body. "That seems to be all they are good for, anyway. Though even to say that is a stretch."

The Queen of The Gods circled him, her eyes filled with mischief. "Tsk, Tsk…" Hera teased. "Jealousy is so unbecoming brother."

At the click of her tongue Hades felt a tremor of rage run through him. His hands gripped the marble bannister at his side, clinging to it as he did his sanity.

"Jealousy?" Hades whispered to her, the sound of paced cracking filling the space between them. "You are sorely mistaken."

"Am I?"

"I'm afraid you are."

Hera watched eagerly as Hades resolve continued to slip away. "Oh… but I say you are jealous," extending her hand out, she stroked her fingers down his spine, pushing him over the edge. "I would go as far as to sa-"

Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a stinging pain at her wrist. Looking down, she could see Hades ringed fingers clutching her skin between them, her normally porcelain skin was now marred with angry red scratches and streaks.

"Why do you play games, sister..." His voice was sharp as his grip tightened. "When you have nothing to gain from it?" Tugging on her arm he drew her close to him, pressing her body into the now cracked marble.

"Hades… I was only playing, I did-"

The sound of footsteps drew his attention away from her.

Dropping Hera's wrist he turned toward their guest.

Standing before him was dark hair and a smug smile.

Speak of the devil.

"Apollo," Hades greeted, his voice lukewarm as he gave him a blank stare. "How lovely of you to join us."

"Hades," Apollo replied. The smile he flashed was all teeth, an evil glint adorned his eyes as he embraced his brother tightly against him.

The moment their skin made contact vivid visions began to assault his mind. There, in a room, stood Apollo and Zeus side by side. A conversation was brewing, though the words they were speaking were inaudible.

There was something in both of their hands, whatever it was stayed obscured from his view. The look in Apollo's eyes were murderous as he turned from Zeus to him.

"Ruin." was all that Hades could make out from his lips. Once those words left his lips Hades felt an indescribable pain fill his body. His chest burned and his body felt like it was being crushed. Someone neither here nor there filled his mind. A woman's voice calling out for him.

Hades!

Come back to me!

My love, please find me!

Don't let them do this to us!

Then they were gone.

The gasp that escaped his lips frightened him. As much as it had pained him to admit, whoever the woman was had affected him in a way that he had never felt before. The colluding between brothers now felt to be the least of his worries.

Who was that? What was that?

"Like what you see, brother?" Apollo mocked as he smoothed the edges of his peplos down. "There's lots more where that came from."

"What the fuck did you do to me?" Hades snarled, gripping the back of Apollo's head. "Who was that you showed me!"

The look he gave to Hades was one of pure evil. "I have absolutely no idea who you speak of, brother."

The anger burned in Hades eyes as he contemplated which appendage to destroy of his brother first.

Hera had others.

"What is going on here?"

The two brothers broke apart eyeing their queen sister.

"It's nothing." They both spoke in unison.

Shooting Hades a look out of the corner of his eye, Apollo's mouth twitched with the beginnings of a grin.

Leaning towards his ear Hades spoke through bared teeth,"This isn't over," his breath hitched. "Not by a long shot."

Apollo said nothing, only smirking in response as he pushed passed him back towards the others.

"What was that?" Hera asked, worry evident in her voice. "What's wrong?"

Flexing his fingers before curling them into a fist, Hades turned to her. His once grey eyes now an inky black as he tried in vain to control his rage.

"It's nothing," he grit out. Slipping his hands beneath his dark cloak, he pulled it closer to his body. The rings on his fingers burned with the rage that boiled beneath his skin.

He had to leave.

"Please give my sincerest apologies to my brother. It appears I will not be able to attend this meeting after all."

Her face paled at hearing his words. "What do you mean? You can't just leave brother! It is expected of you to be here!"

"Nothing is expected of me, sister," Hades spoke lowly. "If Zeus has a problem with my early departure, tell him he can take it up with me privately in my domain."

He wished to waste no more time here in the world of light and forever life. It took only a twist of his ringer to disappear in a cloud of black smoke from the spot he once stood in.

No one would control his ability to come and go. Not Zeus, Not Hera, and especially not Apollo.

Whatever he had shown him was a warning, and Hades wouldn't take that lightly.

§ § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § §

The clock in the center of town read 10:23 when he arrived. The streets were quiet and the sky was clear.

All was well.

The once dark peplos that clung to his body had now been transformed, replaced by a pair of low slung dark wash jeans and a striped ringer tee.

Opening the front of his cloak, Hades glanced down at his middle realm garb, nearly gagging. Disgraceful! He hissed lowly. A faint glow emanated from the rings on his fingers in response to his anger. Craning his neck down, he spat into the champagne glow, "When I get my hands on you Thanatos, I will have your head!"

The rings flickered seemingly in understanding as the light extinguished.

Their master had spoken, and he would have order.

He knew that he should return now, he had been steaming on Olympus just for this type of opportunity. Yet something held him back.

Or rather someone.

The God of the dead found himself propped up against the wall of a few small shops in the center of the quiet street. The only sounds were that of the buzzing street lamps and the trickling of the overflowing water from the fountain across the path.

Inhaling deeply through his nose, he released a frustrated sigh.

"It's can never just be easy, can it?"

Just as the words left his mouth, the sound of crinkling paper met his ear. The gliding of fingertips against parchment echoing.

Looking towards where the sound came from, that was when he spotted it. Her.

When he saw her, He knew he was done for.

Chocolate brown hair that fell in frizzy corkscrews past her shoulders captivated him. Her lips were pursed in thought and her nose wrinkled in contemplation at whatever she was reading. Long legs crossed over each other as her legs cradled a precious book between her thighs.

He was entranced by her.

She must have felt his stare from across the way as the next thing he heard was her voice.

"Who are you?" The woman's face looked up, staring at him now in the low light of the street.

The sound caught him off guard as his eyes flicked towards hers, looking for any friendliness in them.

Oh what I wouldn't give for a vial of the styx right now.

Caught in the act, Hades opted for a more 'casual' approach. Pushing his foot off the back of the dimly lit side pub, He made his way towards her. The sound of the fountain's water seemed to trail off of his every step.

Unable to think of something else to say, he simply asked, "Who are you?"

The unreadable expression in her eyes caused a tense knot in his stomach. "I asked you first."

"Well I asked you second," He smirked. "Come on... throw me a bone would ya?"

"A strange man appears out of nowhere, staring at me -"

"Presumably."

"- and when I catch him in the act and ask his name, he refuses to give me his. Instead, he acts as if I somehow owe him mine!"

The flush on her cheeks and neck flustered him. It was rare for him to be speechless, yet here she was doing it effortlessly.

Thoughts of telling her the truth of his identity disappeared as quickly as they had formed. He knew he couldn't tell her who he truly was. He thought for a moment, eyeing their surroundings as he looked for any type of inspiration.

When none came, he finally asked, "What would you like me to be called?"

That caught her by surprise.

She watched him take a single step closer, a bold move that should have frightened her, she thought. Instead, it only intrigued her.

"What does it matter what I would like you to be called? You have a name do you not?" her tone came out haughtier than intended.

Clenching her teeth in disapproval, she snuck a look at his face to see what he was thinking.

He was smirking. He was bloody well smirking!

Closing the gap between them, Hades took a seat beside her on the fountain's edge. He watched as her spine straightened and her body angled slightly away from him.

"That's fine," he thought. "I like a challenge."

"It matters a great deal to me, you see." He smiled softly.

His confidence only made her more uneasy.

"Why?" she asked quietly. "Why does it matter?"

He stared at her for a minute and then two. Giving only a blank look in response to her question.

The unknown girl squirmed in her seat, anxious for what he would say.

Hades couldn't keep the same thoughtless face for very long. Before he could stop himself he felt the deep rumble of his laugh escape his throat. "Why does it matter to me, you ask?" He bit his lip in an attempt to cut off his laughter, "Because I wish to impress you."

It was her turn to be silent now.

It was at this time that she finally took the chance to fully look at him. His hair blond locks hung wildly at his shoulders, eyes the colour of a stormy ocean staring at her intently. His hands were strong electric blue veins in stark contrast to his pale hands, giant rings adorning his fingers. His face held strong features, his jawline sharp enough to cut, a long slender nose.

"He was attractive by conventional measures," she thought. "but does he have brain and wit to match?

"You would impress me by telling me the truth," she replied. "I'm sure it's something rather flashy to match the outward appearance."

It was in that sentence where he had found the inspiration for his name. Looking up into the night sky he found what he was looking for, one of his favourite constellations.

His smirk returned as he leaned closer to her, pushing a loose tendril of hair out of her face. "You would be correct in that assumption I am afraid," retracting his hand from her hair, he held out his hand. "My name is Draco."

Now that was a surprise. She eyed his hand for a moment as if waiting for it to bite before she finally relented. Clasping her hand with his she gave a brief smile. "Hermione."

"Hermione…" He spoke softly, "how alluring."

Embarrassed by the compliment, Hermione pushed another piece of hair behind her ear before closing her book. "It was wonderful to meet you Draco," she spoke in a rushed voice. "Unfortunately I have to make it back to my flat now, classes start early tomorrow."

A deep frown set into his face as he understood their meeting was coming to an end. "Ah," he sighed sadly. "I see."

Standing up from his spot beside her he offered his hand again, pulling her to her feet slowly.

"Until we meet again, then?"

Hermione nodded politely, gathering her things in her hand she packed them away in her satchel, securing it around her shoulder. "Have a good night, Draco."

"You as well."

He watched as her retreating form was nearly out of sight, but just as she was about to disappear from his view he witnessed something heartstopping.

She turned around.

As quickly as she did, she turned back.

It didn't matter though, he still saw it.

With a heavy heart, Hades set out to return to his home. Clearing his throat, Hades stepped into the alley, allowing the shadows to cloak him.

"Hecate," Hades called into the darkness.

One… two… three…

A thin black mist slowly rose from the alley's ground.

"Hecate, I know you can hear me."

Nothing.

"Hecate." His patience was beginning to wear thing. The thoughts of Hermione and Thanatos swirled in his mind.

He just wanted to return home.

Just as he spoke the last syllable of her name, she appeared.

Clad in her ethereal ensemble of all white, she reached out for her friend. "I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Hades. I was tending to Morpheus when you summoned me."

He said nothing, only motioning towards her hands indicating he needed her to open the Ether.

Slipping the veil back behind her head, Hecate walked towards him, standing beside him as she gestured for him to walk. "May I ask you a question?"

Groaning, Hades eyed her suspiciously. "What is the subject of this question?"

"Who is she? You seemed quite smitten." Hecate beamed.

He felt his chest clench at the mention of her, Hermione.

"Eavesdropping?" He spat. "I thought you promised never to do that to me?"

She shrugged, looking up at the stars as she continued to walk. "I wasn't eavesdropping. You know that I can see between worlds, Hades. I happened to see a flash of you two." She smiled innocently once more. "Who is she?"

"Leave it, Hecate."

Morphing her smile into a grin, Hecate stepped aside, as she opened the portal. Nodding her head, she allowed the Receiver of Many to pass through the Ether.

"Of course, my lord."

Grunting in response, Hades moved passed her, allowing himself to be sucked back to whence he came.

As the portal to the Underworld closed, Hecate waited to make sure that the gateway had been completely closed.

Looking up towards the sky, She held her hands over her heart and whispered,

"At last the Spring."

• • • • • • •

Hello everyone! I hope you all are having a fantastic day. Here is the newest chapter to SV, I hope you all like it! I am so sorry for the long wait. Uni has been really kicking my butt and I haven't had much free time to write. I hope this makes up for it a little bit? As always I love and appreciate every single person who takes the time to read and/or review this! Without you this story wouldn't be possibly! xx Please let me know what you think. :) Until next time! xx All my love - L