XXxxXX
Sundays.
They were both the best and the worst days of any week. That was one of few things the Riddle brothers could agree on.
But whereas Voldemort attended church (to pray for sight and mental stability), Tom chose to stay home. He never liked the church to begin with, and he liked Father Dumbledore even less. And of course, he would've preferred it if his servants had stayed with him, but most of them were devout members of the Church of England, and it would've been horrible of him as their master to deny them their religious sermons simply because he did not share their beliefs.
This being said, both he and Voldemort were aware that Harry often took Sundays off for church- and that might have been part of the reason Voldemort attended the services- and Tom decided, since Harry would serve him personally tomorrow, it was only fitting he give him a surprise- and possibly meet the Potters his father had despised so- before his work actually started.
.
.
XXxxXX
The carriage ride was long and uneventful, even though the driver- Tom never bothered to remember his name- had insisted it was only a few minutes. Not like Tom really cared. As long as he was able to visit his favorite servant, he could almost call the day spent.
Both he and his elder brother were dressed in black, and while that suited both of them, it somehow stood out more against Voldemort's paler complexion.
They entered the church silently and sat at the front, feet away from the altar.
As Father Dumbledore took his place before the church, Tom allowed his gaze to wander. In the back were the poorest people. That was where Harry should have stood, and yet…
He was off to the side of the altar, in the choir. So he sang? That was certainly interesting.
With a wave, the choir began singing the hymns used for the Mass, their voices blending in perfect harmony, but to Tom, Harry's clear tenor voice stood out above the rest.
And it was beautiful.
.
.
XXxxXX
Unfortunately for Tom, Harry lost himself in the crowd following the service, and as a result, Tom was not able to see him or his parents.
And so Monday arose.
Harry, having been warned by Lucius Malfoy, the head of staff, was sure to have Tom's morning tea ready for him- black, as always- by 7:00 in the morning. Softly, he coaxed his master out of bed and bade him drink, and had him ready and presentable by 7:30- a new record, supposedly, as Tom was not a morning person.
That day, Harry thought himself lucky that Tom had no meetings scheduled. His thoughts were changed, however, when Tom insisted that Harry escort him to his parents' home. He argued that his servant was much too thin, and that it was his job to see that he was treated well, and Harry, finding no flaws in that, conceded to show Tom his home at the outskirts of London.
Just as he'd expected, Tom was appalled by the poor living conditions- though naturally, he didn't show it, Harry detected it in the air around him.
There wasn't even a wooden door for them to knock against, so Harry invited Tom inside and led himself in.
It being 9:00 in the morning, Lily was inside patching up a blanket, not expecting her son for at least that evening- perhaps longer.
And so she was, of course, surprised to see her son so soon, and with an obviously older man at that. No doubt this man was one of the Riddles her son was under the employment of, but why he would visit her downtrodden shack of a home was beyond her. So, at least for now, she decided not to question it.
Treating this with an air of normality, Lily went to embrace her son.
"Harry, my boy! I daresay I hadn't expected you home for at least a fortnight!"
Her speech, Tom noted, was eloquent and practiced, much like his own- much like the typical manner of an aristocrat.
Of course, he'd known the Potter family to be wealthy, but he was sure that Mrs. Potter had started off as a mere scullery maid. Perhaps she'd been educated upon marriage? But it was not his place to ask.
"Will you and My Lord be staying for supper?"
Tom's brow raised. Supper? It wasn't yet time for lunch, let alone supper!
But the last thing he wanted was to appear rude. He had a reputation to maintain outside the manor, after all.
So instead of asking after lunch- not that he needed to, in hindsight, upon seeing the state of the house- he bowed courteously and brushed his lips upon her knuckles.
"We would be honored if you would allow us."
Lily blushed a rosy pink.
"I-in that case, I'd best start preparing right away! Please, make yourself comfortable, My Lord- Harry will tend to you!"
And with that, the matron of the Potter house goes into the pathetically small kitchen area, and Harry and his master were left alone in the equally pathetic living space of the Potter family hovel.
XXxxXX
The next few hours consisted of Tom asking Lily- and James, too, when he came home- about their personal lives. And so, by suppertime, having gathered all that he needed to know, Tom made his decision. But he had the courtesy to wait until after supper to announce his plan.
But he would start subtly.
"Quite delicious, Lady Potter."
The red-haired woman blushed a lovely pink and bowed her head in humility.
"Oh no- surely, my cooking is not at all like what you'd be accustomed to, My Lord."
"Indeed. I daresay not even my personal chef has impressed me thus as you have. T'would please me greatly to savor this sort of meal every day."
Catching on, Harry sent his master a curious look while Tom smiled charmingly and Lily's blush deepened.
Tom decided to stop skirting it.
"James and Lily Potter, in three days' time I will see to it that you are both under my employment and guardianship in the House Riddle."
He left before they could even begin to process his words, beckoning for Harry to follow and smirking as the boy obediently left his mother's side.
No doubt his father was turning in his grave. Not like Tom cared. He'd always despised the old fool- favoring and coddling Voldemort simply because he was older and delusional, and perhaps the man was mentally ill himself, as he seemed to loath Tom while not one other person could even speak ill of him.
And that Tom Riddle Senior hated the Potters was just another reason to invite them into his home. But of course, the primary reason was to see his personal attendant properly taken care of.
As they returned to the manor, Tom told himself that it wasn't concern for Hadrian that drove him- that it was simply so he wouldn't be seen as an abusive, negligent master. But he was smart, and knew better than to lie to himself.
He was a master smitten with his servant. A male servant who was well younger than him.
Thrice forbidden, and all the sweeter for it. And that Voldemort was also infatuated with the boy was the icing on the cake.
Now, it was just a matter of getting his boy to stay by his side. And no matter the means, Tom would see to it that Harry wouldn't leave him- not for anything in the world.
And no God nor Death Himself was going to stop him.