Zander's pov

"You want me to do what?!" I said aloud.

Sh! Someone is going to hear you!

"I'm by myself," I snapped, glancing around the empty class room. "Anyway, what did you say?"

Your first task is you have to stay with your father during all the holidays.

"Why?" I moaned, combing my hand through my now shoulder length hair.

Your father is a very powerful man that can even control even the minster. If the son he's finally close to asks him for something seemingly harmless why would he say no?

"Granted." I pursed my lips. "Do I have a choice."

No.

"Well, then I can't say no so I'll do my best."

Goody.

"When do I get to meet you?" I suddenly asked.

Me? She sounded slightly flattered. I don't know. I hope we meet soon but... I don't know.

"Hm."

"Zander?"

I looked up and saw Millie in the doorway.

I stood up. "Oh, uh, hi, Mil. Did you need something?"

"I thought I heard you talking to someone." She looked around the empty classroom.

I smiled. "Nope, just myself."

She tried not to look suspicious. "Okay."

"Hey, we have next class together. Let's be off, shall we?"

I walked towards her.

"Alright," She said uncertainly.

I offered my arm. "M'lady."

She laughed as she slipped her arm into mine. And we walked to our next class.

***
1 year later
A/n: Time skip because I need Zander to be older to stay on the storyline.

It was Christmas and I was spending this lovely holiday with my less-than-pleasant father. He insisted to take me to all the ministry's Christmas parties (that were important enough for him) and I had to pretend I liked them. Turns out that he was actually quite easy to butter up even though he did it himself to others quite often. Along the way I had learned tips on how to bribe and threaten people into getting what I wanted.

At first we thought that I would be looked down on because, let's admit, I was a little off my rocker but people actually pitied and ignored my insanity.

Right now I was preparing myself for another Christmas party. I straightened my collar in the hallway mirror and picked up my wand and slipped it into an arm sheath I had made. It annoyed me when I had to search through my robe pockets and find my wand or if I put it in my sleeve and fell out, so I made the sheath so that it would stay on my arm and would be easily accessible.

"Are you ready to go?" My father asked, sweeping down the hall in his long dress robes.

I put on a fake smile. "Yes, of course."

He put his left hand on my shoulder and I noticed he was wearing the silver ring with black diamond inlaids again. He wore it on and off I wondered if he had a secret lover. He apparated is to the front of a large mansion. I stumbled a little and flexed my fingers.

"Oof, I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

My father smiled.

"You're almost seventeen, you're going to have to."

I faked another smile and followed him into the party.

The party was warm and people smiled and laughed ate, talked, and danced. My father wandered off to go talk to some acquaintances, leaving me alone.

Hey.

I turned my head to see who was talking to me and realized it was the girl

What?

You have a mission.

Besides waiting and living with my father.

Yeah. There is a guy at the party you're attending that we need to talk to. Get yourself to a secluded area and I'll handle the rest.

I nodded and then realized she couldn't see me.

Okay.

Until then, have fun.

Pfft, yeah right.

"Z?" Someone lightly touched my shoulder.

I turned around and smiled. "Mil!"

She smiled back. "I didn't know you were coming to this party."

"Yeah, well I have to do what my father says."

She laughed. "My father knows the host so he was invited that way."

I nodded.

Not so boring now, huh?

Shut up.

"It's beautiful."

Millie and I turned to look at the large ballroom's decorations. The air seemed to shimmer and there were ginormous trees decorated with various elegant ornaments.

I nodded again and looked at her.

She wore a flowing sparkly blue dress with a sequins belt and long floofy bishop sleeves. Her hair was swept up in a gorgeous hairdo that sparkled.

"You're beautiful."

Millie blushed.

"Thanks."

We stood in awkward silence as a song ended and a new one begin.

"Dance?" I suddenly asked, offering my hand.

She took it and I led her on the dance floor.

"I should tell you, I don't know how to dance," Millie told me.

"That's okay," I replied. "I'll teach you."

I listened to the song for a moment and pinned it a waltz.

"Like this." I showed her the steps. "One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. You're getting it."

She smiled at our feet as we moved in rhythm. I spun her out and she giggled when she tried to come back in but I spun her a few more times. We continued to dance until the song ended. A livelyer song began to play.

"Shall we?" I asked.

Mil laughed. "I still have no idea how to dance."

I smirked. "Who cares?"

I began to do funny dance moves around her like the Duke of Weselton in Frozen and she began to laugh really hard. I laughed too and grabbed her hand and swung us around the dance floor. When the song ended we were out of breath and smiling so big our faces hurt.

"Would- would you like to walk in the garden," I wheezed politely.

"I-I would l-love too!" Millie gasped back.

We walked off the dance floor and through an open door, into the crisp winter night air.

"Look, Z, I'm a dragon." Millie blew into the air so that you could see her breath in the cold.

I chuckled appreciatively.

Snow was falling lightly and we both sat on a bench and watched it.a

"Why are you living with your father?" Millie asked suddenly.

I looked at her from the corner of my eye. "Hm?"

"Your father. I know you dislike him."

I was quiet.

"Well, I decided it wouldn't hurt to try it out," I fibbed. "He's not that bad of a guy, really."

Millie raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Yeah."

Liarliarliarliar.

Shut up.

No. It's time for you to get alone.

Fine.

"Excuse me," I said.

"Wait!" Millie said, grabbing my arm as I stood. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-."

"No, no, it's not that," I said gently. "It's, ah..." You need to go to the bathroom. "I need to go to the bathroom."

She looked like she didn't believe me but she let me hurry off.

Where do I go?

Ummmmm, uh, keep walking.

I walked back into the ballroom.

Right.

I turned right and found a door. I looked around to make sure no one was watching and slipped in. It was a dark drawing room.

Now what?

Sit on the couch.

Why?

Or don't.

My body suddenly spasmed and I floated up.

"Whoa."

I looked down as my body fell to the floor. I was floating above my body.

"What the-."

Sorry, we needed you like this.

"Do I get my body back when we're done?"

There was a beat of silence, as if she was wondering what other stupid questions I would have.

Yes. Now please focus.

I floated into a couch.

"This is so weird."

Zander, focus.

"Right, I'm focused." I floated out of the seat.

Follow my directions.

She instructed me to float through the walls until I came to a darker corner of the ballroom.

Stare at the fat guy with the white beard until he looks at you.

"What if he doesn't?"

It's a proven fact if you stare at someone they'll feel your eyes on them.

"Oh." I stared at a fat guy with the white beard.

Wrong fat guy.

"How many fat guys with white beards are there?" I turned my focus to another man.

That's the one.

The guy looked over and saw me. He looked startled.

Tell him to follow and then float through the door to your left.

I crooked my finger at the guy and floated through the door.

Face that picture on the wall, back facing the door.

"Why?"

Dramatic effect.

"Fair enough."

I floated over, careful to not miss floating through the furniture. In a few seconds the door opened and closed behind me.

"What do you want?" His voice shook.

The girl put words in my mouth.

"Time is almost up, Mr Delise."

"I... don't know what you're talking about."

I turned around.

"The Puppet Master is not a patient women."

He blinked and narrowed his eyes. "You're Cosmo Whitehurst's son."

I stiffened.

"You of all people should know we have servants everywhere," the girl said through my mouth.

Let's go.

I floated through the wall and back to the room with my body. I froze. Millie and my father were bent over my lifeless body.

You forgot to lock the door, you idiot!

I quickly flew quickly through my father and into my body. There came that awful feeling of reattaching to my body and I sat up.

Say Azkaban.

"Azkaban."

"Zander!" Millie yelled. "You were dead."

"Was I?" I asked calmly.

I stood up and dusted off my robes.

"Son, are you alright?" My father asked as he and Millie stood. He grabbed my arm and I yanked away and then realized my mistake.

"I'm fine." I smiled, hoping to cover the mess up.

I could tell by my father's fallen face he now knew that I still hated him.

Millie still looked concerned. "What happened?"

You were thinking about Azkaban and then you found it hard to breath and then woke up.

"I... was thinking about Azkaban... and then it was getting hard to breath... and then I woke up."

There was silence as my father and Millie stewed over this.

"You must still be traumatized," my father guessed.

"Yeah," I pushed some hair out of my eyes and tilted my head, letting the insane look I had on now show. "Guess so."

"Should we go home?" He suggested.

"It is getting a bit stuffy," I answered. I turned to Millie. "See you when school starts."

Millie searched my face. "See ya," she finally said.

My father hesitantly put his hand on my shoulder and apparated to his house. I walked over to the stairs and began to go up them when my father's low voice stopped me.

"Zander, are you using me?"

I turned around. "Excuse me?"

"I know that you're not living here because you want to. You're a good actor but I've been taught how to sense people's emotions." He twisted the ring on his finger subconsciously and I once again wondered about a secret lover.

I sat down on a step and rested my arms on my knees. "Sir," I didn't bother hiding the mock in my voice. "I'm curious, why would I use you when I didn't use your generosity to get out of Azkaban?"

He frowned, thinking over it.

"And," I continued. "Other than living with you have I ever imposed on your generosity?"

"No," he finally decided. "But you're up to something and I'm gonna find out what."

"Well," I stood up. "In the meantime, I'm headed off to Hogwarts in a few weeks and I'm turning seventeen in February, so I'll be out of your hair."

"But what about a job?"

You've got one waiting.

"I've got one waiting."

My father looked surprised.

"You- What?"

"You heard me."

"In- in the ministry?"

"No," I said shortly and turned around and walked up the stairs.

I got to my room and sat on my bed.

"What will I do when you're done with me?" I asked.

Don't worry about that.

A/n: Hoi! This chapter is a bit of a filler. I had to give at least a little time to Zander being with his father and doing errands for the Puppet Master. Don't forget to vote and keep reading!