AN: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, the only thing I own are the situations and the couple of OCs in this fanfiction.

Chapter Four: Nightmares, Visiting Petunia and More Lies

A few days later

Cerberus tossed and turned in the bed next to Tom.

Cerberus ran through a dark forest, arms wrapped protectively around his heavily-pregnant belly and could feel tears running down his face as a dark blue spell whizzed past him, connecting with the tree closest to him. "Come on, Harry, you don't really want to stay pregnant with that monster's baby, do you?" Ron's voice cut through the darkness around him and Cerberus turned to his left, racing off as a red spell barely missed him.

"Think of everything he's done," Hermione snickers from somewhere behind him and the mocking laughter echoed all around him. "Do you honestly think he could ever love you? That thing growing inside you is the only reason he's even interested."

Cerberus let out a quiet sob as he continued running and felt the surface of his stomach tremble, wetness coating the backs of his thighs, crying out in pain as he fell to his knees. "Nice of you to join us, Harry, dear boy," Cerberus' head jerked up at the sound of Dumbledore's voice straight ahead of him and he saw the old man emerge from the shadows between the trees. Another wave of pain hit him and he fell to the side, letting out a garbled scream as another contraction rippled over his stomach.

"No," he breathes clutching at his stomach, "no, it's not time yet."

"Of course it is, dear boy," Dumbledore chuckles pointing his wand at him, "nine months exactly and you'll give this world a new Saviour, one who will kill the Monster you love."

===============POV=Change=================

Tom jerked awake at the distressed noises his mate was making from the other side of the bed and rolled over to see what was wrong, only to notice that Cerberus was still sleeping. "No," the teen murmurs twisting under the sheets as if in pain, "no, stay away from me, you can't take him." The red-eyed man was suddenly next to Cerberus on the bed, arms wrapping around him and lifting him up onto his lap as he tried to wake him. "No, not my baby, please. Please not my baby." The last part was screamed and Tom flinched as Cerberus' feelings burst over the bond between them, the mixture of loss, anguish and heartbreak causing his arms to tighten around his mate as pieces of Cerberus' dream filtered through the bond, too.

"Cerberus," Tom breathes against his ear shaking him gently, "Cerberus, please wake up." Cerberus whimpered, cuddling against his chest as he began crying and wrapped his arms around Tom's neck. "Shh, it was only a nightmare." Rubbing Cerberus' back, he analyzed the bits of nightmare that he'd gotten from the bond and nuzzled his face against his mate's hair, feeling his rage rise up. "They'll never hurt you or our baby, Cerberus."

The teen let out a sub-vocal whine and Tom's Demon rose to the surface, a deep, bass growl reverberating through the room in answer to his mate's distress as black began to swirl through his red eyes. Cerberus lifted his head at the sound, hands tunneling into the hair at the back of his red-eyed mate's neck and he pulled Tom down into a desperate kiss, straddling his mate's lap. Pulling free of Cerberus' lips, Tom began peppering kisses over the teen's jaw and down his neck as he began unbuttoning the borrowed sleep shirt he was wearing. The teen moaned as Tom's mouth latched onto the junction between his neck and shoulder, nails digging into his mate's shoulders as he nipped at the same spot, throwing the sleep shirt across the room. Cerberus released a rather loud mewl as Tom licked around a nipple and Tom groaned when Cerberus wiggled in his lap before lowering his mate onto the bed with him between his thighs.

Tom sat back on his heels, letting his eyes rove over his boxer-clad mate before moving so he was over Cerberus and leant down to kiss him. During the kiss, Cerberus' hands dragged down Tom's back to try and push the sleep pants he was wearing and his boxers down, off his hips as the teen's magic rose, the rest of their clothes disappearing. "Impatient," Tom breathes as they broke the kiss and Cerberus let out a breathless laugh before Tom made his way down Cerberus' body, running his hands and lips over his skin. Leaving a trail of little red marks here and there on the teen's skin when he nipped and sucked at the sensitive spots he found, smirking against the skin of Cerberus' hip as he moaned.

Cerberus let out a mewling noise, fists clenching in the sheets beneath him as Tom's hot mouth wrapped around him and his hips jerked against the hands pinning them to the bed. "Ahh...T-Tom," he gasps unclenching one hand from the sheets to bury in Tom's hair, tugging gently for him to come back up his body. Once Tom was over him again, peppering his neck and collarbone with kisses, Cerberus rocked his hips against him and Tom froze when he realized what his little mate wanted. "P-Please Tom, I n-need you."

"I don't want to hurt you or the baby," he murmurs against Cerberus' throat before lifting his head to stare into his mate's eyes as he placed his hand over the other's flat stomach where he could feel a small flutter of magic emanating from.

Cerberus stared up into Tom's eyes for a moment before his hand joined his mate's and their baby's magic fluttered a little faster, as if trying to reassure them. Tom watched as his mate's eyes slipped closed for a moment, content to just feel their baby's magic before those mismatched eyes cracked open and Cerberus leant up to kiss him. "Please," he murmurs against his lips, "you won't hurt us."

Tom felt the desire from a few moments ago rise again as his mate stared up at him with a pleading look on his face and his Demon tried to figure out why he wasn't listening to his mate. "Okay," he breathes kissing the corner of his mate's lips, "tell me to stop if I do."

===============Time===Skip=================

The Next Morning

Aunt Petunia was still deeply asleep when Cerberus had gotten Tom to show him where her room was and he'd sat with her by himself for a little while to see if she'd wake up. As he listened to her deep, even breaths, he read over the parchment that had popped out of Narcissa's wand when she'd ran the diagnostic scan and Cerberus could feel his magic rising with his anger. "Why don't we go eat breakfast, Cerberus?" Tom breathes from the doorway and he glanced back at the red-eyed man before he nodded.

Cerberus sat at the table at breakfast looking the most content Tom could ever remember seeing him as he hummed to himself and mixed strawberries and blueberries into the small bowl of oatmeal that also contained his nutrient potions, hoping to make it taste better. Taking a bite, he hmmed at the taste before continuing to eat his breakfast and looked around at the empty seats at the table. He and Tom were the only ones up yet, something that had caused the Dark Lord to snicker something to himself as he took a sip of his tea and Cerberus cocked his head at his mate. "What was that, Tom, I didn't hear you?" he asks as he finished his oatmeal and stared hard at the light blue prenatal potion and silver morning sickness potion sitting next to his herbal tea.

"I said that your parents are probably working on making you an older brother," Tom says before taking another sip of his tea and chuckling as Cerberus' face turned bright red and he turned his glare on him before turning back to glare at his potions. "You really should take those, little one."

The teen grumbled under his breath before he grabbed the blue bottle, unstoppered it and knocked it back so fast that he barely tasted the unpleasant potion. Though, his stomach didn't seem to enjoy the potion either and Tom reached over, uncorked the silver one so he could take it as his face tinged a pale green. The effects of the silver potion were almost instantaneous as his stomach settled, the nausea quickly receding and Cerberus closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. "You okay, Cerberus?" Sirius asks as he stepped into the room, making his way over to the table and nodding to Tom before taking a seat in the same spot he sat in last night.

"Fine, my potions just didn't agree with me," the teen mumbles as he sweetened his tea which quickly heated back up at a touch from his fingers to the side of the teacup and he picked it up to take a drink.

There was a cackle of mad laughter before Bella's voice rang out in a song, "Sevvy and Reggy playin' tonsil hockey. Didn't the two of you get enough last night?" Cerberus broke into laughter, placing his tea down before he could drop it and folded his arms on the table top before dropping his head down onto them, still laughing. "Yes, I got him to laugh and got to embarrass the both of you, my job is done." Cerberus was still laughing once everyone had taken a seat at the table for breakfast but it had died down to the occasional chuckle or snicker as he finished his tea and picked out pieces of fruit from the bowl in front of him. He refused to look at his parents after the initial glance when they'd entered the room when both of them had blushing, red faces which had caused him to start laughing harder before he finally calmed. "You seem to be in a good mood this morning, Cerberus," Bella says playfully, causing his cheeks to tint pink as he looks down at the tabletop and Tom to inhale a mouthful of his tea before breaking into a coughing fit.

"I knew it," Sirius chuckles catching Cerberus' attention and he glances out the corner of his eye to see Sirius holding his hand out across the table towards Rabastan, the blush on his face getting brighter. "Pay up, Lestrange."

"The hell, Sirius," Regulus growls at his brother. "Do not be making bets about my son's sex life." Cerberus was now tomato-red as he stared down at the table before glancing at Tom who was watching him to make sure he was okay and he gave the red-eyed man a sheepish smile. "Oh," Regulus turned towards his son and the Dark Lord, "Healers advise against sex after the fourth month during male pregnancies."

Cerberus' cheeks were scarlet now and he buried his head against his arms on the tabletop again. "Thank you," he says which came out muffled by his arms and Tom nods, reaching over to run a hand through Cerberus' hair.

"Did you enjoy your shopping trip with Draco and Narcissa yesterday?" Tom asks as he tried to steer the conversation to a different subject as his mate reached over and stole a piece of bacon off his plate.

Cerberus opened his mouth to answer but yawned instead, covering his mouth with a hand and picked up his tea to take a quick sip. "It was fun, I got new clothes so I don't have to wear Dudley's hand-me-downs anymore," he breathes before another yawn had him covering his mouth again. "I also got a new familiar, his name is Darkness and he's shedding so he's inside the box I brought home yesterday."

The others at the table looked interested in what kind of familiar Cerberus had and glanced at Tom, who had a resigned look on his face. "Darkness is a Silver-Eyed Death Viper, he's also very protective of Cerberus, as well as the baby," the older man says before taking a sip of his coffee and gave his mate a small smile when the teen yawned again. An elf appeared and whispered something to Tom before he nodded, the elf disappearing once done speaking with him. "Petunia has woken up."

===============POV=Change=================

Neville leant against the wall in the men's restroom in the Leaky Cauldron, a little out of breath after hurrying to get away from Augusta Longbottom and the hawk-like gaze she'd been giving him for the last week since his birthday. He'd been so surprised the morning of his birthday when he woke to find that he looked nothing like himself and, definitely, nothing like Frank and Alice, the two people he'd believed to be his parents. What made it worse was that he'd glamoured himself just before Augusta had burst into his room, demanding to know why he still looked like her son and daughter-in-law, causing him to act freaked out and try to figure out what was going on. Since then, she hadn't allowed him out of her sight, except to go to the restroom and to sleep, though he had the sneaking suspicion that she was having the House Elves spy on him. "I want to know what the Hell is going on?" he growls as the glamour that caused him to look like his old self broke and he stared into the burgundy eyes looking at him from the mirror before inspecting the silky, black curls that fell down to the middle of his back. Casting another glamour over himself, he changed his eyes to pale grey and gave himself strawberry-blond curls before leaving the bathroom, heading towards the door. Once outside, he took a deep breath and headed towards Gringott's, intent on getting answers.

===============POV=Change=================

Petunia stared into the new face of her nephew and could pick out hints of her sister and James' features as they mixed with the features of his true parents. "Those weird letters from Lily make sense now," she murmurs and Harry, no, Cerberus raised an eyebrow at her. "I got a letter from Lily on October tenth, almost two months after you were born, giving me the terrible news of your death. I didn't know how to react to the news that I'd never get to meet my nephew, I also didn't know how to express my sadness for my sister's loss and then, just a few days later, I get a letter telling me of how well you're doing and what a wonderful child you were."

Regulus was sitting in the seat next to Harry, examining the bed-bound woman who would've raised his son in a loving environment if she hadn't been controlled by Dumbledore or scared of her husband. "She'd been able to tell you?" he asks and Petunia nods before a frown appeared on her lips.

"Her letters changed after the second one, more mechanical, like she wasn't able to write everything she wanted to," Petunia says looking towards the window in her room. "Do you think we'd be able to go outside, I'm starting to feel a little cooped up?"

Regulus stood, patting Cerberus' head as he gave the woman a small smile. "I'll go ask Tom before I go get the wheelchair Narcissa brought over for you," he answers before leaving the room.

===============POV=Change=================

Heritage and Inheritance Test

Name: Vesuvius Lestrange

Father: Lord Rudolphus Lestrange

Mother: Lady Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black

Adopted by: Lord Frank & Lady Alice Longbottom

Magical Guardian: Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, Augusta Longbottom (Illegally)

Adopted Name: Neville Longbottom

Lord of: The Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom (by way of Adoption)

Heir to: The Ancient and Noble House of Lestrange

Creature Inheritance: Dark Elf (Active), Nature Elf (Inactive), Vampire (Active)

Mate's Names: Marcus Flint, Blaise Zabini

Vaults & Properties:

Longbottom Trust Vault

Longbottom Main Vault

Longbottom Manor (England)

Lestrange Trust Vault

Lestrange Main Vaults

Lestrange Manor (England)

Blackrock Castle (Russia)

Black Family Chateaux (France)

Blocks & Spells:

Blood Glamour cast by Alice Longbottom

Creature Blocks set by Frank Longbottom

98% Magic Block set by Augusta Longbottom

Neville stared down at the parchment in front of him with confused burgundy eyes, a Rosier trait that his real Father shared, as well, and glanced up at the Goblin across the desk from him. "How did no one notice this?" he murmurs as the Goblin took the piece of parchment when he held it out to him. "I mean, someone had to realize..."

"Lord and Lady Lestrange went into seclusion once they realized that they were expecting you, the only people to know were the members of the Black, Malfoy and Lestrange families, or so we thought," Ragnok growls reading over the parchment. "Lord and Lady Longbottom had closed themselves inside the Family Manor around the same time. How no one, especially us Goblins, noticed the announcement of Vesuvius' death and the Longbottom's return with you, is extremely suspicious."

Neville ran a hand through his thick, black hair that fell to his mid-back and growled under his breath as he accidentally scraped the tip of his tapered ear with a fingernail. "I need a way to get in touch with my parents," he breathes and Ragnok smirked before grabbing a red quill out of his ink well, quickly writing out a letter to Lord Slytherin.

===============POV=Change=================

Bellatrix was practice dueling with Rabastan and was winning when their Lord came into the room, a piece of parchment held in his fist as he made his way over to them. "Rudolphus, Bella, the two of you might want to read this," he breathes handing the letter to Rudolphus and Bella hopped off the stage, moving so she could peer over Rudolphus' arm to read with him.

'Lord Slytherin, I hope this letter finds you and your mate well, I've some

important information to pass along. It seems that your mate wasn't

the only child stolen from his true parents. At 11 o'clock today, just

before lunch, I got a visit from Neville Longbottom, except that he

definitely doesn't resemble either of the people reported to be his

parents.

After he'd explained the situation and what has happened during

the last week, I had him remove the Glamours he was wearing

and take a Blood Test. The boy is Vesuvius Lestrange and he

wishes to have a meeting with his parents, soon, as Augusta

Longbottom has been watching him like a hawk over the past

week since his seventeenth birthday.

Awaiting your response,

Ragnok Skullcrusher

Head Goblin; British Gringott's Branch'

Rudolphus seemed to have turned into a statue, grip loosening and tightening on the letter before Bella ripped the parchment from his hands as she dropped into a sitting position on the floor, a broken-sounding wail leaving her throat. "We almost killed our own son, Rudolphus," she whimpers clutching the letter to her chest and Rudolphus sat next to her before pulling her into his lap. "If we hadn't stopped to torture those kidnapping bastards, had just killed them and continued, we would've killed Vesuvius."

"Shh," he murmurs kissing her forehead as he ran a comforting hand through her messy curls and rocked her back and forth. "Now, I'm almost happy the Aurors arrived before we could get to him."

Rabastan stared at his brother and his wife before carefully prying the letter from Bella's clenched fist. "How the hell did they manage to trick us into thinking Vesuvius died?" he growls turning his gaze to the couple on the floor. "I mean, I can understand how Dumbledore kidnapped Cerberus, he knew no one would question the lack of a body, because no one but us knew about him, but there was a dead baby in Vesuvius' crib."

Something Rabastan said must've jarred Bella's memory because she was suddenly on her feet and running from the room, screaming, "That slimy son of a bitch, his Muggle bitch wife and bitch mother."

"Did either of you understand what she's talking about?" Rabastan asks looking at the other two men and Tom shook his head.

The two looked at Rudolphus for an explanation, only to stop short when they noticed burgundy eyes swirling with rage. "The Longbottom's, if there is no Heir for the Lestrange family, inherit everything if you, me and Bella die, or would've if my son hadn't figured out who he is," Rudolphus growls moving so fast that he was suddenly on his feet and quickly making his way after his wife to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. "Bella, calm down, Our Lord'll arrange for a meeting with our son," he yells when he heard a rather loud shattering noise.

===============POV=Change=================

Neville was sitting in Ragnok's office, waiting for an answering letter from the Dark Lord in regards to a meeting with his parents and looking over the results for the test the old Goblin had made him take, his eyes landing on the names of his mates. "Marcus and Blaise, huh?" he murmurs to himself before looking away from the parchment to the window behind Ragnok's desk that gave a view of the mines. "This is going to be interesting." Twirling the Longbottom Lord ring around his right thumb, he watched the Goblins and occasional Witch or Wizard move past the window, planning the best way to approach this situation.

"Have you decided what to do about the Longbottoms?" Ragnok asks as he enters his office and moved around the desk to his chair. "Frank and Alice can't be charged for anything as your real parents left their minds addled but Augusta can be charged."

"The Longbottom Vault will continue to pay for Frank and Alice's care in the Janus Thickey Ward, it will do so until their deaths," Neville says turning his attention back to the parchment in front of him. "As for Augusta, I want her cut off from all of the Longbottom Vaults, she will be evicted from Longbottom Manor and she will be charged for everything she has done or instigated against myself." Silence filled the room as Ragnok quickly wrote out the list before beginning the long process of getting everything going. A tawny owl with a gold 'G' on its chest entered through a chute in the wall, flying over Neville to drop a letter in his lap before exiting the same way. Opening the letter Neville read over the contents.

'Vesuvius, I would like to invite you to dinner, 7 o'clock, at

Slytherin Manor so you can meet with your parents as they can't

be seen out in public. When you leave Gringott's just hold this letter

and say 'Serpents' the portkey will bring you directly to the

Manor's Apparition point in the foyer.

Sincerely,

Tom Marvolo Riddle-Slytherin'

Studying the letter for a little longer before folding it up and putting it in the pocket of his robe, Neville sat back in the chair, looking towards the clock on the mantle to his left. "Five-Thirty," he breathes before glancing towards where Ragnok was still furiously working and stood up. "I'll be by tomorrow to see how everything is progressing, Ragnok."

===============Time===Skip=================

Bella sat on the floor of her and Rudolphus' closet looking at all of her clothes with a critical eye, her large, fluffy, dark purple bath towel wrapped around her. Chewing her lip, she turned her head towards the door to listen for Rudolphus, only to hear the shower still running and sighed, standing from her seat on the floor. "Okay," she breathes as she starts going through outfits one by one. "No, no, no, maybe," she pulled out the maybe outfit and placed it over her arm as she continued looking for an outfit. "No, definitely not, no, no, maybe, maybe, no, maybe, no, no." Reaching the very end of her closet, she smiled at the sight of her wedding dress before taking her choices out into the bedroom and laying them on the bed. Bella examined each outfit before growling under her breath, heading back into the closet for shoes and undergarments. When Rudolphus stepped out of the bathroom, clad in black boxers and towel-drying his long, black hair he was greeted by the sight of his wife standing at the end of their bed in her bra and underwear, staring at the different outfits she had strewn over their bed. The moment Bella noticed him, she stalked towards him, grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the bed. "Help me, Rudo, I can't decide what to wear."

The burgundy-eyed man looked over the outfits she'd picked before picking an ankle-length, dark purple dress with lacey sleeves the same color and holding it out to her. "Now, go finish getting ready while I get dressed," he breathes giving her a kiss on the cheek before levitating the other outfits back into the closet, following along behind them to go get his clothes so he could dress.

===============POV=Change=================

"What kind of company are we having?" Cerberus asks before breaking into a huge yawn as he curled back up on the bed, his hair still a little wet from his shower and Tom paused in the doorway of their closet to watch him. "Whose coming?"

Tom wanted the news about Neville being Vesuvius a surprise so he finished doing up the buttons of his shirt. "Bella and Rudolphus got some good news, so expect Rabastan, the Malfoys, Fred and George, your parents, Sirius and one more person who shall remain a surprise," he says and Cerberus sat up before sliding off the bed, straightening out the wrinkles in his clothes with a flick of his fingers.

He finished drying his hair with another flick of the same fingers and began to brush through it before tying it back from his face. "Bella and Rudolphus got good news, only family, close friends and a surprise person are invited?" Cerberus murmurs and Tom noticed the look of contemplation on his black-haired mate's face.

"Yes," Tom answers glancing at the clock on the desk in his study before making his way over to the side of the bed where Cerberus was standing, seeing that he hadn't put any shoes on yet. "Which shoes are you going to wear?"

Cerberus summoned his slippers out from under the bed and slid them onto his feet, raising an eyebrow at the eyebrow Tom raised at him. "My feet hurt," he breathes and Tom lowered his eyebrow before pulling the teen into his arms, holding him against his chest as he breathed in the scent of his mate.

His Demon was starting to be able to pick out the scent of the pregnancy on his mate and held the other man tighter for a few seconds before pulling away, kissing his forehead. Cerberus stared up at him for a few moments before looking over his shoulder at the clock in the study, making a face when he saw they had five minutes. "We should head down," Tom breathes taking Cerberus' hand and leading him out of their suite, heading towards the foyer where everyone would be arriving, except for the teen's parents and the Lestranges who all stayed in the manor unless Severus was called to Hogwarts or Grimmauld Place. Before they could leave Nagini wrapped herself around Tom's shoulders, while Darkness began slithering out of the room ahead of them, too heavy for Cerberus to carry.

===============POV=Change=================

Neville stood in the living room of his new apartment in London, staring out the large window that made up the wall behind his couch and waiting for it to be time to take the portkey to Slytherin Manor. A woman in the apartment across from his seemed to be checking him out and he raised an eyebrow before pressing the button beside the window that would close off the window. His thick, curly black hair was still partially damp from his shower and fell to the small of his back, as well as into his face, hiding his burgundy eyes from view while he watched the outside world. Shaking his head, he glanced towards the clock before taking the portkey out of the pocket of his nice robes and with one more glance around the room, he whispered, "Serpents."

===============POV=Change=================

Bellatrix was bouncing with anticipation as she, Rudolphus, Rabastan, their Lord, Cerberus, Severus and Regulus waited for the rest of their dinner guests to arrive. The floo went off and Tom waved a hand, allowing Lucius, Narcissa, Draco and the twins to come through the fireplace. "No Sirius tonight?" Lucius questions and Cerberus chuckles, hiding it with a cough behind his hand that fooled no one.

Regulus snickered from his spot beside Severus, who smirked. "He is currently suffering from a case of the blues for setting off one of the twins' noise-makers next to Cerberus while he was napping," the potions master breathes and Narcissa shook her head before moving over to give the dark-haired teen a hug.

"What color blue is he?" Fred asks and Cerberus' chuckles progressed to full-blown laughter.

Tom shook his head before he pointed his finger towards a nearby tapestry that was a light grey-blue. "A little darker than that," he murmurs causing the twins to burst out laughing probably from imagining what Sirius looks like. "He was told to join us if he could undo it before 7:30."

There was a whooshing noise, like a portkey having been activated, before a loud thud echoed through the room and everyone glanced towards where the noise had come from. A figure was kneeling on the other side of the room, taking calm and even breaths before standing from his kneeling position. "Why did that portkey hurt worse than normal?" he murmurs to himself as he straightens his clothing, not seeming to notice the other people in the room. Cerberus studied the newcomer with curiosity, his thick, black hair seemed to have a tamer version of Bella's curls and when he finally glanced up at them, everyone in the room gasped. He looked like a younger version of Rudolphus, except for the hair and a couple of the Black features, his burgundy eyes moved over everyone standing in the room with him. Stopping on Bella and Rudolphus, "Mother, Father," he murmurs and Bella made a happy noise before moving towards him, wrapping her arms around him when she reached him. Rudolphus was a little more hesitant, as if expecting the teen to disappear and slowly followed his wife.

"That was definitely a surprise," Narcissa murmurs running a hand through Draco's hair as she watched her brother-in-law and sister be reunited with their son.

===============POV=Change=================

Augusta sat at the dining room table at Grimmauld, where the Order was still meeting, staring away from Dumbledore as she sipped the tea a morose Molly with a tear-stained face had brought to her. "What do you mean you've lost the Lestrange boy, as well as everything the Longbottom's own?" the old man growls smacking the table with an open palm.

The ex-Lady Longbottom turned her attention to Dumbledore as she placed her cup down on the table, a cold look in her brown eyes. "It's not like I lost the Saviour of the Wizarding World," she hisses snidely, long nails digging into the table, "twice." Dumbledore snarled at her, standing from his seat to loom over her which worked until she stood, as well. "What's wrong, Albus, can't take being responsible for the death of the real Harry Potter when he was two months old? How about the disappearance of the teen you've forced to be him since he was almost the same age?"

The blue-eyed old man silenced her with a wave of his hand, the twinkling having been replaced by an evil glint. "Watch your tongue, Harpy," he growls pointing a single, crooked finger at her, "please remember who confunded Longbottom into marrying you, in the first place."

Augusta grit her teeth as she fought the silencing spell before it broke and she snickered, "Alright, Albus, keep deluding yourself into thinking everyone in the Wizarding World owes you something." He moved to silence her again and she twitched her fingers, sending the spell off to the left. "Newsflash, the only reasons you have any followers in this war is because they think Voldemort is scared of you and you had the Golden Boy, Boy-Who-Lived, on your side. Now that he's gone, only the stupid, blind and ignorant will continue to follow you. Luckily for you, there's a lot of them."

===============POV=Change=================

Cerberus was flabbergasted at the news that Neville was really Vesuvius, Bella and Rudo's supposedly-dead, apparently kidnapped son. At least Vesuvius had been able to hold his reaction to a minimum when Tom had told him about Cerberus being kidnapped to be Harry Potter. His reaction to the news that Cerberus was pregnant was rather more comical and had the giant blue-black viper lounging around the pregnant teen's feet letting out hissing chuckles as Bella fretted around her gaping son. "Is he okay?" Draco murmurs at Cerberus through the corner of his mouth and the other teen's mismatched eyes widened as he shrugged his shoulders in an 'I-don't-know,' gesture.

"He looksss like a fisssh that'sss been pulled out of water," Darkness hisses from his place at Cerberus' feet as he placed his great, big head on the table next to Cerberus' plate. "Can I have one of thossse tiny, whole chickensss?" Cerberus rolled his eyes at the thirty-seven foot snake's antics before stabbing a partridge off the plate in the center of the table and setting it on the table in front of Darkness. "Thank you, Massster."

"Your welcome, Darknesss," Cerberus hisses running his hand over the scales over one of Darkness' silver eyes as his attention shifted back to Neville, who seemed to be coming out of his surprised stupor.

"Congratulations, Cerberus, Lord Slytherin," he says with an embarrassed blush as he ran a nervous hand through his hair.

There was a resounding crash from the doorway to the dining room and as everyone turned to see what was going on, Darkness coiled himself closer to Cerberus, readying to attack anything that threatened his Wizard. "I'm pretty damn sure, Lord Slytherin wants to know what I just found out, you tiny, little..."

"Flint, put down the House Elf," Tom growled cutting off the rest of what Marcus was about to say to the elf he had in a shield bubble floating off the ground. Waiting until Marcus did as he was told, Cerberus let out a soft giggle when the elf kicked Marcus in the shin, hurting himself more than he did the eight-and-a-half-foot Heir. "Now, what was so important you had to interrupt our dinner?"

Marcus made his way over to the table as he pulled what looked like an edition of the Daily Prophet out of the pocket of his robes. "This is tomorrow's morning edtion, Skeeter handed it to my Mother before she left work this morning, thought you should know what Dumbledore's up to," he murmurs handing the paper to Tom. "The editor won't allow Skeeter to publish anything anti-Dumbledore anymore and has pushed her out of everything at the Daily Prophet, she is only able to write for Witch Weekly at the moment."

Tom's eyes went fully black as his magic roared through the room before he slammed the Daily Prophet down on the table and stood from his seat, stalking out of the dining room. "I'm going to kill that old bastard," he snarls as the floor beneath his feet scorched, leaving a trail of charred footprints behind him. Cerberus moved just enough to angle the paper so he could read it and froze at the headline. 'Dark Lord's Love Child! Harry Potter, Whore of the Dark Lord; Pregnant!' 'Beloved Hogwarts Headmaster Reveals the Shocking Betrayal of the Boy-Who-Lived!' Feeling tears well up in his eyes, the teen stood from his chair and ran from the room, the large, black snake following quickly behind him.

Cerberus followed the trail of scorched footprints, hoping to catch Tom before he could make good on the words he'd said before he left the dining room and tried to keep his tears from falling. Tom was in the front parlor where the apparition point was when Cerberus found him and placed his hand on the older man's arm. "Tom, Dumbledore's not worth it," he breathes moving so he was standing right behind Tom so he could lean his head against his back. "He's trying to make you angry and draw you out before you've got a plan." When he didn't get any kind of reaction from his mate, Cerberus moved around until he was standing in front of him.

He startled a little when Tom's black eyes moved to him and he cupped the side of his face, giving him a soft kiss on the temple. "You're right, he's trying to get a rise out of me," he murmurs wiping the tears that had fallen from Cerberus' mismatched eyes away with his thumbs before wrapping his arms around the teen's waist.