Lucius woke up early in the morning, which was unusual for him. He usually slept in as late as he could and was usually running around the Manor scrambling before making it to work in time. Granted he usually set his own hours in the Ministry as the official Ministry Barrister, a title he was proud of. Not nearly as proud at the fact he was now Chief Warlock, at the tender age of twenty-two. He loved being powerful and he was still in the early adult phase. He took over as Lord Malfoy on his eighteenth birthday, married Narcissa when they were both nineteen, had Draco at twenty, and was on his way to climbing his way to the top of the Ministry. Narcissa on the other hand was content on being a stay-at-home mother working very few hours at St. Mungo's, since while Lucius was enjoying law school, she was enjoying nursing school, through Hogwarts joint program with Oxford. He had managed to get his law degree in three years, and got hired in the Ministry the very same day. He made his way to Draco's nursery to check on the children, who were still fast asleep, cuddling as usual. He made his way to the library hoping Tom or Severus would be awake. He grumbled heading down the marble staircase stopping into the kitchen for a magical cup of coffee.
He walked to the library finding Tom hunched over a book in the lounge in front of the library fireplace. "Morning." He mumbled sitting down in a chair levitating a book over to himself since it looked like Tom wasn't in the mood to talk.
"My family is evil." Tom muttered seeing Lucius with coffee. He summoned himself a cup turning his attention back to book. "However one of my ancestors did create a wizard school so Isolt broke from the traditional Gaunt views created a school and married a Muggle." He sighed rambling on about nothing and everything. The history of Ilvormorny was really interesting and he realized he wanted to be more of an Isolt, then he ever wanted to be a Gormlaith.
Lucius moved to sit next to Tom's feet. "While your family might have been evil, you aren't." He corrected his friend. "One of your ancestors did create a magical school, how many wizards can say that. Ilvormorny teaches all of the United States children magic and your ancestor created it." He said honestly it was a big thing to be related to someone who had created and founded a Wizard School; and unlike Hogwarts which was created by four Wizards and Witches, Ilvormorny was created by one witch. "Tom the Gaunt's are powerful, dare I even say more powerful than the Malfoy's, so you have people like Morfin and Gormlaith in your family tree, Narcissa's family tree of Black's had some bad Wizards in it, as does the Malfoy's I'm just really good at pretending that there wasn't." He told his younger friend sipping his coffee. "How about once every one wakes up I'll take you and Severus to the Gaunt Shack and we'll see what we can dig up about your family, and Salazar Slytherin by extension."
Tom smiled listening to the intelligent blonde wizard. "Thank you Lucius for those wise words. I've been trying to analyze this book all night and try to see something good that managed to come from the Gaunt line, and your right one of my ancestors did create a school, and it's because of them that I'm able to speak Parseltongue, as is my son." He put the book down on the floor and looked at the clock above the fireplace. "We should either make breakfast or tell the house elves that we are hungry since Narcissa and the children will be up soon."
"I'll let the house elves make breakfast, I feel like being lazy this fine Sunday. I also hate to sound like an arse, but I would really appreciate if you and Severus could decide on a house. I would really like my privacy back, no offence I love both you and Severus but I really do like trying to have another baby with my wife. Take as much time as you need, but at the same time do try and hurry." Lucius warned trying to be as tactful as possible. He loved having Tom and Severus around, but at the same time he liked having his own privacy and being able to create little heirs without worrying who would hear.
Tom laughed wondering when Lucius would address him and Severus staying with them. I think I'll take Severus into seeing some of the places listed on the parchment Ragnok gave us later today. I know Severus and I now have property scattered over England, Ireland, and France so surely he and I can find a place that we can Fidelius Charm and raise the monster in." He said honestly getting a feeling that his child was awake. "Now that we have settled that we should probably go check on the children." He untangled himself from the chaise lounge and grabbing his coffee.
Lucius looked at the clock it was the crack of dawn and Draco was known for sleeping through the night but waking up the moment the sun rose. "They are awake." He got up grabbing his own cup of coffee and following Tom up the marble stairs and into the nursery where both Draco and Demetri were wide awake standing in their crib waiting for somebody to let them out of the toddler prison. They both knew how to get out the crib both magical and non-magical they didn't want to get in trouble. "Good morning." He said grabbing his child from the crib and sticking him on his hip. "You are almost getting to big for that crib." He muttered wanting to put off transitioning Draco to a toddler bed.
Tom picked up Demetri and kissed his chubby cheek. "Morning sweetheart, so what do you want for breakfast?" He questioned looking at Lucius who looked tired and worn out. "So when is the muggle hearing, and your first day as Chief Warlock."
"Wednesday, Millicent just wants this whole event over with and she wants it to have very little attention as possible." He looked at his son. "Yes Draco what do you want for breakfast?"
Draco looked at his father trying to decide what he wanted for breakfast. "What's the thing made with eggs that has stuff stuffed inside of it?" He questioned wanting whatever that was.
"Are you thinking of an omelet?" Lucius asked sometimes wondering what went through his child's head and what exactly he was thinking.
"I think that might be it." The two-year-old told his father looking at Demetri. "What do you want for breakfast, just don't say pancakes, I'm kind of sick of them." He said honestly.
"Omelet's sound fine, really I'm not picky." Demetri said from his father's shoulder. "Just make sure mine has extra bacon."
"Keep eating bacon, and you just might turn into a pig." Tom whispered to his son following Lucius out of the nursery seeing a tired Narcissa standing in the hall still in her lavender pajamas.
"Luci you are up early?" Narcissa questioned looking at her husband with tired eyes for once she had managed to halfway sleep in. "I didn't feel you leave the bed this morning."
"Good morning angel." He kissed her cheek. "Sorry love I had a case to review for the Ministry." He said handing his son to Narcissa.
Narcissa smiled and pulled her son close to her. "Morning sweetheart." She told the toddler carrying him down the stairs and into the kitchen. "So what does everyone want for breakfast?"
"The boys have requested omelets and as long as I get food I don't care." Lucius remarked sitting at the dinner table sipping his second cup of coffee. He watched her grab a pan. "Cissy what's the point of house elves if they barely cook." He remarked watching he grab a cup of coffee after summoning Dobby to make the entire family omelets since they were all too lazy this morning to attempt to cook. "Love after breakfast Tom, Severus, and I will be traveling to Ireland to get some more information on Tom's family history. So you get to babysit the two children."
"Oh gee thanks for including me for babysitting duty." Narcissa said glaring at her husband she tried to look menacing but failed. "One of these days I am going to sleep until two in the afternoon and make you deal with Draco." She said honestly enjoying her iced latte while she waited for her bacon, cheese, spinach, and onion omelet. Narcissa was teasing about sleeping late in the afternoon, even before children she was an early riser, unlike most of her dorm mates who slept late on the weekends, like till dinner late. Dobby placed a plate in front of her. "Thank you." She said grabbing her fork and digging into the fluffy omelet.
Severus shook his head. "I have some things to read and make before my weekend is over. I'll let the boys trek through the Irish countryside, besides I really want to spend my last day before a week dealing with Dunderheads, with my child. Since after all I am tasked with Hogsmeade duty this weekend." He complained watching another house elf place an omelet in front of his face. Severus also didn't want to trek through muddy countryside, that was not his idea of a fun Sunday. He just wanted to curl up next to his son reading Wizard Fairytales and taking naps. Now that was a perfect Sunday, besides he would hear what happened the moment they got back.
Tom knew Severus would find some way to get out of it. "So I won't see you until the weekend after?" He sounded very hurt at the idea. "Damn Dumbles, making you deal with hormonal teenagers who are planning trips to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop and will be snogging anytime you turn your head." He teased taking a bit of his own omelet after cutting Demetri's omelet into toddler sized bites. "Severus we should really think about finding a place, I don't think our flat in London is toddler proof, it worked while you were getting your Potions Mastery, but it's not going to work with our family, besides I'm sure we are starting to overstay our welcome." He said honestly stuffing a bite of omelet into his mouth.
"I'm sorry love, but it's a part of my contract, Hogsmeade weekends and weekend duty. Who else is going to keep the dunderheads in line?" His shoulder's slumped at the thought of 'house shopping' it wasn't really shopping since every house mentioned on the parchment belonged to them. "Fine." He sighed not wanting to find a place he wanted to enjoy his last day of freedom. He knew taking the job at Hogwarts would put some minor strain on his marriage, since because of various duties he wouldn't be around as often as he would like; but now with Demetri it seemed like his heart might break if he left for Hogwarts.
Narcissa finished her omelet. "Can I be the interior decorator, I'm great with a wand." She joked picking a piece of tomato off her son. "My little mess." She cooed lovely kissing his blonde hair that matched both hers and Lucius. "Who really knows how old some of those proprieties are, trust me from the moment we moved in I was waving my wand trying to make this Manor feel more like home, and less like a family heirloom stuck in time." She said honestly having done a number to the Manor to make it feel less dark and depressing like Lucius father liked.
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Severus said hoping to god her wand didn't go all color happy, the last thing he wanted was a bright pink bedroom. He watched his son finish his own breakfast. "So was it good?" He questioned the toddler picking the piece of bacon from his mouth.
"Delicious." Demetri giggled crawling into his father's lap with a yawn.
Severus smiled down at his son who was making himself comfortable in his arms. "Is this going to be your favorite spot?" He teased pushing back his son's black hair. "So what do you want to do today?" He wondered trying to bond more with his child, before dealing with children he didn't like and who cared very little about potions.
"Help make potion?" Demetri suggested giving his father 'those eyes.'
"I guess, just no dumping random ingredients in this time, Draco you are welcome to join us give your mother time for a nap." He suggested wanting to spend time with his Godson too.
Narcissa smiled while she wouldn't be taking a nap she could however use the hour to clean out her closet and make room for more clothing assuming Seraphina or Marina wanted to join her for a spa/shopping day. "Thank you Severus, just whatever you do please don't burn down the Manor."
Lucius looked at Severus. "Good I'd rather not have my child be one of your dunderheads, and as Narcissa said, don't burn down my Manor." He said looking at Tom. "Let's go find out about your history, I swear to Merlin though if a snake bites me that will be the end of our friendship." He said not wanting to be bit by some random snake, an entire country away from St. Mungo's.
Tom smiled at Lucius. "Ireland doesn't have snakes." He said matter-of-factly getting up from the table. "Besides Luci, I would never let a snake bite you, Dumbasadoor on the other hand..." He trailed off kissing his child's hair and making his way out of the dining room and gliding up the marble staircase with ease.
Narcissa smirked and laughed at the idea of a snake biting Dumbledore. "How very Slytherin of you." She finished her cup of coffee turning to Lucius. "I don't believe you can hike the Irish countryside is appropriate short weather. I'd go change if I were you." She turned her attention back to Draco making sure he had no remains of breakfast left on his face.
Lucius downed his second cup of coffee and levitated the cup to the kitchen as he got up from the dining room table and made his way up to the master bedroom and changed into a pair of dark wash jeans, a green button down, and a sliver robe with green fastenings. He grabbed a pair of boots and placed them over his jeans not wanting to get mud on his designer jeans, because Narcissa would kill him, then revive him and drag him shopping, which is something he hated doing with her. That women could shop like no other. He adjusted the sliver robe and stuck his wand in the pocket specifically designed for wands. He styled his hair and made his way down to the room Severus and Tom was sharing. "Ready?" He asked watching Tom grab his wand from the nightstand.
"Kind of, ready to know more about my family, but at the same time terrified of what I might find." He said honestly adjusting his midnight blue robes and following Lucius down the stairs to say goodbye to his husband. He took a deep breath it didn't matter what he found nothing was going to change who he was. It didn't matter if he was a descendent of Satan it wasn't going to change his love for his husband and his child. "Have fun making potions." Tom said kissing Severus's lips before kissing his child's cheek. "I'll be back soon, hopefully surrounded by a wealth of knowledge and not hatred for my family line." He was trying to be honest and hopeful, but there was still a thought hidden in the back of his mind of what he might find in that little shack on the deserted island, Dursey, plagued with horrible history. Which was a fitting place to keep the most unstable of the Gaunt Family.
"Good luck." Severus said hugging his husband tightly. "No matter what you find I'm still going to love you." He whispered into Tom's ear. "Lucius watch my husband; I'd hate to have to hex you if anything bad happens to him."
Lucius kissed Narcissa. "I'm pretty sure my wife would kill you if you ever raised your wand to me in a threating manner." He teased honestly grabbing Tom's hand. "Let's get this over with so that I can kind of enjoy the rest of my Sunday, before I'm tasked with reading up on the muggle case, since I am now Chief Warlock, I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank you enough for proxying your seats to me." He told the two men glad to have power and he personally couldn't wait for the trial of muggles which is when he would officially be announced as Chief Warlock. He deeply hoped that Dumbles made a huge scene in the middle of the Wizengamot, nothing would have made him happier and if that happened he could easily get Dumbasadoor tossed out of Hogwarts and someone like Minnie or Flitwick could take over as Headmaster.
Severus smiled and nodded knowing full well that Narcissa would kill him if he ever raised his wand in a bad manner, and she probably wouldn't be gentle or kind. "Just do us proud, and get Dumbles discredited and become the Minister for Magic anybody has ever seen. Come on boys let's go make us some potions." He would be having them help make an easy potion, no way in hell would he let them help him make something like Draught of Living Death, heck he didn't even like sixth and seventh years tackling a potion of that nature. So he figured he'd them help him make a sleeping draught, since it was the hardest to screw up, which is why he trusted a first year to make it. Having had Professor Slughorn he revamped the entire potion's curriculum. He watched Tom and Lucius apparate out of the Manor. He grabbed both toddlers and led them to Lucius's potion dungeon, which he used on occasion.
Demetri smiled sitting down on the cold floor next to a brass caldron watching his father pull various ingredients from the nearby shelf. "Dad where did other dad go?" He questioned wishing he could spend time with both of his fathers.
"He and Lucius had to do something of importance in regards to dad's family. He'll be back soon." Severus cooed gently bending over and sitting down next to both of the toddlers. He waved his wand heating the floor underneath their butts, and under the cauldron. "Please kiddos don't touch the flame under the caldron, I'd rather not have to explain how you managed to get burned." He would have taken a different attitude if they were Gryffindor first years, but they weren't. "We will be making a sleeping draught. Draco do you want to add the four sprigs of lavender into the bowl with the odd looking handle?" He asked handing the child the four sprigs of fresh lavender.
Draco dumped the sprigs into the bowl waiting for his 'uncle's' next instruction he always found watching his father or uncle making potions fun, he hoped he would be like them during his years at Hogwarts, and not as Severus would call it, a dunderhead. He watched Severus help Demetri dump two measures of some herb looking thing. He watched the Potion Master pick up the weird bowl and mix it into a fine paste.
Unlike his child, Lucius was not having an enjoyable time, in fact he was having quite the opposite. The apparition to Dursey went smoothly, however the hike to the shack was proving to be quite the challenge, their boots kept slipping against the muddy rock, even though the boots were charmed with a very powerful tread after about his third slip he shot a nasty glare to the back of Tom's head. "Damn your relatives didn't want anybody getting up here." He complained digging his heels in trying to find better footing.
Tom groaned feeling his boot slip once more. He sighed finding his footing once again making it a tiny distance up the meandering hill he could kind of make out the edges of a shack if he squinted just the right way. "We are almost there." He soothed knowing the blonde man behind him was probably rather furious for coming along with this excursion.
Lucius looked down feeling his boot slide again. "We better be." He sassed noticing that the path was getting very narrow the closer they got and that was when he noticed a hissing sound. "I thought you said there wasn't snakes in Ireland, this is Ireland and how do you explain that." He gestured to a snake curled around a rock.
"Would you relax it's harmless." He said bending down to get a better look at the snake. ~Hello little one. ~ He told the snake wanting to know why there was a snake in Ireland, all of the books he had read said that snakes couldn't thrive in Ireland's climate.
~A speaker!" The snake hissed wrapping itself around Tom's legs. ~Nice to meet you, I assume you are related to people from the shack. I don't know why I stay those that lived up there are all dead, granted there are still a couple of us that stayed probably because that monkey looking boy killed my mother. I'm Nagini. ~
~Kind of related, want to talk about that family? ~ Tom looked at Lucius. "She says her name is Nagini and that there are a couple other snakes just up the cliff. Back when this shack was full of disowned Gaunt's this entire cliff had snakes. She'd also like to apologize for scaring us, it's just no one has been up this cliff in quite a few years." He made his way a few more feet and slipped again and he silently cursed the cliff which had a magical barrier that couldn't be permeated by magic or apparition. So they were stuck with muggle way of climbing a muddy, rocky cliff.
~Really unstable. One of them killed my mother, you'll find her nailed to the door. ~ Nagini hissed looking at the shack outline. ~Who's your friend? ~
Lucius did not look relived at Tom's translation of the snake. "Still how did the snakes get on this island?" He wondered hating this cliff it was tormenting his ankles and back. He wasn't an outdoorsy type of person, he liked and played Quidditch but that was about his athletic ability. "You so owe me big time for hiking up this hellish cliff with you." He complained having whined the entire way up the cliff. "I am so transfiguring this cliff into a slide for on the way down."
Tom rolled his eyes knowing Severus would also be complaining like Luci was. His husband was the book and pajamas type of person, not the hike up a giant cliff kind of person. "We are almost there Luci, I am so very sorry for dragging you along, I just didn't really want to do this alone. ~His name is Lucius, please don't bite him. Who killed your mother? ~ He hissed at the snake having been a while since he had gotten to speak parsel and this snake was certainly interesting.
~The monkey looking boy, Morfin. ~ She hissed wildly remembering what happened to her mother all of the snakes near the shack had spells cast on them to make them live longer than the average snake, had she been normal she would most certainly be dead. ~Probably the worst of the bunch. ~
He frowned reaching down to pet the sweet snake. ~What a rotten wizard. ~ He cursed under his breath wondering why someone could kill a snake. "Look Luci, a few more feet and there will be flat ground." He cooed feeling tired of the hike too.
Lucius groaned seeing the shack in his view. "Thank Merlin, I was about ready to transfigure a rock into a chair." He smirked nearly running the rest of the way up not wanting to accidently slip some more. "I understand and I'm glad to be your company, but just so you know I despise hiking."
"Understood, let's find what we can and get the hell away this place is giving me the creeps." He said honestly looking at his blonde friend. "I think that is the most exercise I have gotten in a while."
~This is where I leave you, I would like to talk more, but I'm not going near that shack. Too many bad memories. I wish you luck that you find what you were looking for. ~ Nagini hissed turning around and slithering back to her rock a little way down the hill.
Tom could understand the snakes reasoning, after learning that he almost wanted to turn around and just envision what his family was like, he didn't need to know. It wasn't important, what was important was his family. "Luci I can't, not after what the snake told me about one of my relatives." He gestured to the door wanting to turn right back around and forget today even happened.
Lucius crossed his arms over his chest and gave his Tom a seriously annoyed look. "I did not climb up a bloody cliff for you turn around and chicken out. You are a Slytherin act like one. It doesn't matter what one of your distant relatives did, what matters is what you will do, what your son will do. You are not the Gaunt's of the past, you are the Gaunt's of the future. The past is past it's a distance history, besides you are the last remaining Gaunt. Now get your arse into the shack before I hex my boots and kick you in there." He said kindly but with a slight edge to his voice, no way in hell was he letting Tom chicken out.
Tom laughed trying to picture Lucius kicking his arse into the shack. He hated to admit it but Lucius did have a point, it didn't matter what his relatives did, it didn't matter at this point, well it mattered a tiny bit; but Lucius was right that he and Demetri were the future, they could do what no others could do which was resurrect the Gaunt Line, make it something great. With one last burst of courage he swallowed hard and entered the shack expecting to find a horror scene, but what he did find surprised him. It was cozy inside, there was a well-worn leather sofa in the middle of a small living room with books lining the bookshelves most of the titles were written in Parsel; probably directly from Slytherin himself. He remembered a couple of books in the Chamber being Parsel too. "Luci it's safe nothing is going to bite you. Just don't look at snake on the door too long otherwise it might turn your stomach."
Lucius took a deep breath and closed his eyes hoping to avoid the gruesome sight of the nailed snake. "Wow there are a lot of books, wait I don't recognize this language." He picked up one of the books trying to decipher it thinking it might have been a variation of Latin.
"It's Parseltongue, and you just found something I know Severus would love. You just found a potions book written in nothing but Parsel made by none other than Salazar himself. I don't recognize any of these potions being in any modern text. Do you know what you might have just found?" He asked stuffing the book into his charmed backpack, since taking the Lordship everything is this house now belonged to him and Demetrius. Tom sounded very excited finding a couple of other potions books, an entire book about parselmagic and parselhealing. "It's like Christmas has come early." He was fliting through the bookshelf like an excited Ravenclaw who was told the library would be open late. He grabbed a couple more potions books and one all about dark arts, not about defending but actual dark arts. He wasn't evil, but he always did love DADA growing up. He found another on wandmaking to enhance the natural parsel magic, using the snakes.
"You look like a Ravenclaw." Lucius said finding a couple of other books that Tom might like to read. It seemed like most of the shack was a library full of books there were just so much in the little shack. He went to one of the adjacent rooms only to find more books granted some of these were actually in English he also found another book, well it was more like a journal, written in both English and Parsel, granted the English was slightly broken and looked like it was from the Shakespearian era. "Tom I think I might have just found the journal of Salazar Slytherin."
Tom came running into the room looking over the book. "Merlin!" He exclaimed flipping through the book. "You did, it goes into detailed history of how Hogwarts was founded and his making of the Chamber of Secrets. Who knows what else could be hidden around here." He was excited glad Lucius talked him into actually entering the shack he might have found the next greatest potion's discovery tucked into a little shack written in pure Parseltongue, he also knew he would end up translating most of the potions into English for his potions loving husband not that he minded he too liked potions as he also had his mastery in the subject, along with DADA.
Lucius was trying to read the diary over Tom's shoulder only being able to make out the bits in English. "Please Tom, don't start speaking and writing in nothing but Parseltongue, seeing as how none of us know it." He went to the other bedroom finding more books over Herbology, runes, transfiguration, spell making, occlumency and charms. "This place is like a wealth of information." He looked at his watch and noticed the time. "Tom why don't we take down the current wards and replace them with a Fidelius Charm, that way the next time you come up here you don't have to hike up a nasty cliff."
Tom nodded in agreement sticking the ten books of various subjects into the extended charm backpack. "There is just so much here, and so much of it is written by Slytherin." He also founded another journal on the true history of the founders, along with a detailed book on Hogwarts History. "Thank you for coming with Luci, I know that hill just about killed you. I also have managed to find a couple of transfiguration and rune textbooks that I know you'll love. I will translate them, since with Demetri I will have plenty of time to read them all." He figured while Sev was teaching the Hogwarts Brats he would be raising his son. He didn't want Sev to give up his dream job of Hogwarts Potions Professor and Tom didn't expect him too. He would occasionally have to do something with the Ministry since he knew so much about Dark Arts and how to defend it. He didn't know how many times Theseus had tried to get him to take an Auror position; which he politely refused.
"Wait a second you found a transfiguration textbook written by Salazar?" He asked incredulously wanting to read it the moment Tom had translated it. He knew Narcissa would love the books on charms seeing as how that was her favorite subject in school. He grabbed his wand looking at Tom, let's get rid of these wards and replace it with some of our own. I also think you would like to get to know that snake a little more."
"Am I really that predictive?" Tom grabbed his wand standing next to Lucius and waving it the correct motion to get the protective wards away from the shack so the next time he needed more textbooks or to dig further he could just apparate into the shack instead of making the same exact trek up the cliff he did earlier. They watched the wards come down and Tom casted the Fidelius Charm and made Lucius the secret keeper, there was no one he trusted more than Luci and Narcissa. They were there at his wedding they helped him kidnap a child, so one of them might as well had been the secret keeper and he figured when he and Severus did manage to find a place he would also have Luci be the secret keeper, because they weren't trusting Dumbasadoor for anything and with the golden child now dead, he knew the old wizard would be looking for a replacement. "I kind of want to take Nagini with me, she's stayed besides it will be nice to have someone to talk Parsel with, besides who knows she might know something I don't parsel wise."
"Well if Dumbles ever sees you with a snake, he might end up crapping his robes. I for one would love to see that reaction, just have Nagini stay away from my son, I don't need Draco traumatized of snakes before his first year of Hogwarts because my child will be a snake, as will yours either that or a Claw both you and Sev both have some Ravenclaw tendencies."
"Luci you have some Puff tendencies you are loyal to your family and friends to a fault." Tom elbowed the blonde wizard. "Besides the Sorting Hat is all knowing, granted it would have been bloody funny to see you in Hufflepuff robes. I for one would have been proud to have Flitwick as my Head of House, Slughorn was dreadful. I'm glad I was a Slytherin besides Luci you are forgetting that I'm a descendent of Salazar himself, pretty much meant I was being sorted into that house even with my few Ravenclaw quirks.
"I do not have any Hufflepuff tendencies, I think you've gone mad." He teased living the shack watching Tom walk slightly down the cliff to finish his conversation with the snake.
Tom made his way the short distance to gorgeous snake. ~Nagini would you like to come back with us? ~
~Yes I'm sick of my rock and you seem stable unlike most of the Gaunt's I have met. As long as you give me rats I'll be yours forever. ~ She hissed wrapping herself around him hissing gently at Lucius.
"Why is she hissing?" Lucius asked from the top of the cliff wondering if bringing a large snake around his family was a good idea.
"She was introducing herself, and inviting you to pet her if you so desire." Tom said smiling at his friend who tentatively reached out a hand to pet the large snake.
"Pretty snake, can you stay away from my peacocks, I don't care if you hunt, but don't touch the peacocks." Lucius did not want to wake up one morning and find his precious white peacocks slaughtered.
~Nagini Lucius said you can hunt around the Manor just please stay away from his precious peacocks. ~ Tom warned the sweet snake. "Let's get back to the Manor so Severus and I can a place to raise Demetri and that way you and Narcissa can get your space back and not have to worry about a giant snake being around your manor." He said honestly Apparating back to the Manor the snake wrapped tightly around his torso. The moment he landed Narcissa let out a large scream and grabbed her elegant wand pointing it at the snake wrapped around her friend.
"Don't move you have a snake wrapped around you." She lectured not wanting the snake anywhere her children.
"Cissy calm down, meet Tom's new friend, pet, familiar. Hell I don't know." Lucius said walking over to his wife and lowering her wand not wanting to have his child come running wondering what the commotion was all about.
"It's a snake." She said evenly looking at her husband. "Our friend has a snake for a familiar." She felt like she might faint at the thought. She might have been a Slytherin which had the mascot of a snake, but it didn't mean she liked snakes in fact real snakes terrified her.
"Relax Cissy, Nagini will not hurt you. If you want you can pet her she is quite friendly and knows that you are one of my closest friends and she has promised she will never harm Draco or Demetri, or your peacocks." Tom said watching the snake uncoil herself from around him and slither up to Narcissa. "She's a rainbow boa, she doesn't have venom.
Narcissa glared slightly at her husband and Tom and bent down to smile at the snake who was a rainbow color. "Hello Nagini." She pat the snakes head slightly terrified of it still and not liking the idea of her son anywhere near the snake even if it didn't have venom. "She's pretty."
Severus heard voices and bottled the three potions he and the children had made in small phials. He made his way out of the Malfoy Potion dungeon with both children behind him. "Tom what is that?" He asked gently wondering what the bloody hell his husband was thinking bringing a snake home with him where there were children.
"This is Nagini, she's from the island. Her mother was killed by one of my ancestors. I understand her fluently." It was no surprise to anyone in the room that Tom was a Parselmouth, they also knew Demetri was.
Demetri smirked at his other father and went over to the snake. ~Pretty you pretty. ~ He hissed to her as she put her head in his lap which scared both Severus and Narcissa both at the snake in the lap of a toddler and the fact that a two-year-old was speaking parsel.
~You're sweet. ~ Nagini hissed to the boy looking up at Tom. ~Two speakers in one house? Is he yours? ~ She asked curling around the toddler who was petting her scales running down her back.
~Yes Demetri is mine, and the one who looks ready to kill you is my husband, Demetri's other father, and the blonde child hiding behind Lucius is Draco. ~ Tom said sitting on the floor next to his child who was blushing at the snake calling him sweet. "Draco it's okay she won't hurt you." He told the young blonde who was holding onto his father's leg for dear life. "See Demetri likes her." He didn't want his godson to be terrified of him or the snake, or Demetri for the matter.
Draco looked from behind his father's leg. "Dem is it alright?" He asked the other child who was sat on the floor with a snake laying in his lap.
~Perfectly safe. ~ He hissed as both his parents and a snake looked at him in concern since he had just spoke to Draco in parsel.
~Demetri you aren't speaking English; Draco can't understand what you just said sweetheart. I know it was hard to switch back the first time I talked to a snake. ~ He told his son gently in their language which Nagini understood completely.
Demetrius tried focusing on reverting back to the language everyone else spoke. "Dray it's fine, she won't hurt you." He watched his blonde friend walk over to the snake trying to keep an open-mind.
"It's a rainbow." Draco pointed out noticing her scales which had a rainbow sheen to them. "Can I pet her?" He asked his godfather.
"Yes, just be careful." Tom warned guiding the toddlers hand over to the middle of Nagini's back.
"She's slimy." Draco nodded sitting down next to Demetri. "So you can talk to snakes, that is so cool. Who knows maybe I can talk to dragons."
Demetri smiled at the snake and Draco. "That would be really cool you could control the dragons and I could create an army of snakes and you and I could control the World." Demetri said petting the snake not caring that she was slightly slimy.
Severus glared with what had just came out of Demetri's mouth. "There will be no controlling an army of snakes. You are not an evil wizard, nor will you ever will be." He declared looking at his child. "You may talk to them, but you will not control them. Snakes are living creatures and have their own free will."
"Yes daddy, no controlling snakes they make their own decisions." Demetri said never having seen his daddy that mad before. "I will not control a snake, I'm not an evil wizard."
Tom smiled at his child. "You don't want to become evil, trust me being able to talk to Nagini will have people you as evil. We just want what is best for you and controlling an army of snakes is not one of them." He brushed a piece of hair from his son's eyes. "You and I have the same abilities and I'm not evil." He whispered holding his son close. He might have been grey but he was far from dark. "Now that that is over, let's have some lunch. I have got so much to tell you." ~There are some rats in Narcissa's garden if you are hungry, but no peacocks. ~ He told the snake who slithered out of the Manor intent on destroying some rats.
Hey look another update, thank my boss who decided to give me three days off to write to my hearts content. :) Thank you all for your lovely reviews :)
Next chapter: We find out more about Severus and Tom's past while they move into their new house.