Rumor's Confirmed

          "Good Gods," Apollo finally breathed, looking at Rabastan, who was still behind Roark, his hands still resting on his tense shoulders, massaging gently.  "No wonder you have their looks," he said, which only made Rabastan smirk at his observation. 

          "Who's looks?" Zac asked.

          "The Lestrange's.  Look at Rabastan, then look at Roark..." Suddenly a thought hit him and he went pale.  "Oh, Rory, no."

          "Yes."

          "But...he's your lover."

          "Yes, he is.  And?"

          "What do you mean AND?  Roark, your lover is your cousin!"

          "A couple of times removed, actually," Rabastan spoke up, a frown appearing as he looked at them, feeling Roark go rigid.

          "Well, it's not as if they knew they were cousins, and it's certainly not as if they can help how they feel about one another.   And, as Rabastan just pointed out the connection is twice removed."  Ila said reasonably,

          "MOTHER!!"

          "ILA!!"

          A soft chuckle sounded in his mind.  : I really like your grandmother, love.  She, at least, sounds like a very sensible woman. :

          : "Oh, she is.  Certainly much more sensible than SOME members of this family." : Harry spoke up with a glare at his uncles and his grandfather.

          "Thank you, Harry, and don't you all yell at me," she snapped at them, turning to look at her husband, and her two sons, a scowl appearing.  "At least I," she pointed to herself, "and they," she pointed to Harry, Rabastan, and Roark, "are looking at this logically."  She looked at Roark, asking him softly, "Is he as gifted as you are, Rory?"

          "Yes, Grandmother, he's certainly much stronger and has much better control, but then he IS nearly sixteen yahren older than me," he said as he got to his feet and moved to look out the patio doors.

          The sun was beginning to come up as he looked out over the back garden.  A slow smile twisted his lips as he stepped out of the trees.  : Hello, lover, : came softly into his mind.

          : Rodolphus. : he breathed,

          "Did you and your brother go to Saggitara, Rabastan?"

          "We did.  We were there just over a yahren when our...Guardian," a sneer appeared, "came for us saying we had a job to do."

          Roark turned back to the room, his head tilted.  "So, what happened there?"

          "We honestly have no idea, Roark.  Within a couple of sectars of being there, Harry said you began to pull away, to withdraw from anyone and anything around you.  You became very quiet, always looked tired, and were constantly late to your classes.  Then one morning you didn't show up for breakfast...nor lunch..."

          "I went back to our room to check on you," Harry spoke up softly.  "When I saw that you were in the exact same position you had been in when I had left for classes that morning...I tried to wake you,  but you just weren't responding.  I panicked and started screaming for help.  Screaming for Severus, for Ethan and Roan...for anyone.." he shook his head, running a hand over his face.  "They came running, along with several other teachers.  They tried to wake you, but you were completely unresponsive."

          "I received a call from Severus, telling me I was needed on Saggitara right away.  When I asked what was wrong, he said he would tell me as soon as I arrived."

          : Rodolphus? :

          : I wasn't there, babe, so I can't really say what may have happened, but...maybe we can find out.  The Saggitarian Psychic Institute keeps very detailed records of every single one of their students.  We may be able to access your file, but I think we'll need to talk to Severus and Ethan first."

          "We brought you home because everyone there seemed to be afraid that, in order to escape whatever it was that had put you in such a state, you were willing yourself into death."

          Silence.  Then..."WHAT?!" he gasped.  "I can DO that?!" he asked, a shudder rippling through him, saw Harry getting to his feet.  "Harry?"

          "I had never been so scared in all of our lives," he said as he reached him, a hand coming up to cup his cheek.  "You wouldn't wake up...wasn't moving at all, and when we tried to reach you...You just weren't THERE.  You had always been in the back of my mind, just as I was in yours...but suddenly you were gone, and I couldn't find you...couldn't reach you..."

          Roark turned into that hand.  "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

          "Not your fault, little brother, and don't you dare start believing that it was.  Whatever the hell happened...whatever prompted you to do what you did, to escape is what is to blame.  And to this day, you have refused to discuss it."

          Roark opened his eyes, raised them to meet Harry's, saw the memory of his fear reflected there, and shook his head.  "I just don't remember."  : Rodolphus, do you think there may be a way for you, for Rabastan, and Ethan, if we were to ask him, to help me remember?"

          : Hum...that would depend on a number of factors, babe. :

          : Which would be what? :

          "Well, number one, what kind of wall you've built around the memory," Rabastan said as he joined them, slipping his arm around Harry and pressing a kiss to his temple.  "Relax, babe.  He's here, and he's safe.  We'll figure this out."

          : Bas is right about the wall.  There are also the blocks and seals that were placed on your gifts.  From what I can tell, nearly all of them have shattered, and nearly all the blocks have come down.  The problem is, I can sense there are places within you that are still bound.  What I CAN'T tell is if they were placed there, or if it's your own mind working to protect you from whatever it was that so terrified you in the first place.  Again, we will need to talk to Ethan...to Severus.  As they were both there, they would know what blocks and seals were placed, and what is your own mind.:"

          "It is irrelevant now anyway," Adama spoke up, making them turn to look at him.  "You have psychic gifts, Roark.  Gifts that have not been seen...or even HEARD of for millennia.  Gifts that were only common within the ancient families of the Kobalian Royalty, or the Nobility.  You MUST be trained."

          He froze, staring at his grandfather, then drew in a deep, uneven breath.  "You want me to go back."

          "Yes.  It must, of course, be your choice, but the Institute can teach you how to control your gifts."

          : You don't have to do that if you don't want to, babe, : came softly, feeling his sudden inexplicable fear at the thought of returning to Saggitara.  : There is something about Saggitara that absolutely terrifies you.  I think, between myself, Ethan, Roan, Severus, and Rabastan...as well as those Durin's that have exceptionally strong gifts.  We can teach you to control, and to use those gifts properly."

          Suddenly, before anyone could think to move, or to say another word, Roark whirled.  He HAD to get out of there, needed to get away from all of them.

          He needed Rodolphus.  Needed him RIGHT NOW.  Yanking open the patio doors, he left the house at a run.