Hadrian knew Vi was angry. He could feel it pulsing through their still tenuous connection. And every pulse of anger scared him. He knew she wasn’t mad at him but she still scared him.

“Hades, we need to calm her down,” Draco whispered in his ear. “Can you sing?”

Hadrian swallowed hard but nodded.

“If you can’t it’s ok,” Draco told him.

“No, I can do it just give me a moment,” Hadrian whispered.

Draco nodded and stepped in front of him to shield him from view of everyone. Moments later, Hadrian began to sing. He began to weave a melody meant to diffuse all of the anger. He didn’t see Vi’s shoulders stiffen. He couldn’t see anything with Draco in front of him. But he could tell the anger was slowly draining from the area but not from Vi. He tapped Draco and he moved so Hadrian could make his way to her.

“Vi, you need to let him go,” he told her.

She turned her head to him and what he saw was his pain reflected in her eyes. All the hate and anger his family unleashed on him; he saw reflected in her eyes. He knew then why she was so angry and it wasn’t just because the man had insulted and humiliated her, though he suspected it contributed to it. Her uncle had insulted both him and Draco by insisting that they were not family. Now, he had to protect the man who so callously dismissed him and Draco as less than human.

“He’s not worth you dirtying your hands with his blood,” Hadrian whispered lowly.

“He forgets it’s the same blood that runs in his veins as in mine,” she growled. “He forgets who it was who saved our family from ruin and nearly died while doing so. He forgets it is not his son who will inherit the throne after his death but my brother and that’s only if it doesn’t go to my father first. He forgets many things in his arrogance and those things will be his downfall.”

Vi gave him a final growl then shoved him away from her. She turned and made her way up the stairs to the headmaster’s office. Hadrian looked over his shoulder at Draco confused.

“Uncle, I suggest you refrain from any derogatory comments about Vi’s mates or she will kill you,” Iv told the man Vi had pinned to the wall. “As a kyuketsuki and an alpha at that, she will not hesitate to protect her mates. I think she would particularly relish killing you after everything you have put her through. Come, we should join your mate before she becomes angrier and can’t be reasoned with.”

Iv gestured for Hadrian and Draco to make their way up the steps to Professor Dumbledore’s office. Hadrian waited for Draco to reach his side before he started up the steps. With each step up he took, he shrunk further into Draco. The sounds of arguing drifted down and echoed around them. Hadrian buried himself deeper into Draco’s side. He didn’t like arguing. It reminded him too much of home.