Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters nor the scenery which you could recognise, the only thing I take credit for is the plot.

Pairings: Severus/Marvolo

Warnings: DarkHarry, Dumbledore, Hermione, and Weasley bashing (excluding Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George).

Word Count: 2,985

Pain.

White, hot pain forces Aldwyn to wake in the early hours of the afternoon, his body feeling warm, much too warm for it to be considered normal, but he doesn't feel ill. Recalling that his magic is now settled enough to change his outer figure to match the newly acquired blood in his veins, Aldwyn allows himself to relax a moment.

He lets his tired eyes adjust to the bright light streaming through his bedroom window, coating the room in a golden shine. He tries to ignore the stabbing pains travelling through the back of his head making the headache from this morning return with a vengeance. He can feel the tense muscles in his shoulders quivering as a burning sensation passes through his arms, torso and legs; each limb feeling as if it is being stretched and pulled apart. His muscles, bones and ligaments all straining and stretching as if all his missed growth spurts were happening simultaneously.

Aldwyn feels his eyes watering without his consent as a few pained whimpers escape his dry throat echoing through his otherwise silent room. Second after second bringing on a fresh wave of intense pain which burns its way through his shaking frame, never relenting its grasp.

Terror surrounds Aldwyn's senses, he had never felt such pain, not even during his uncle's worse beatings. He is deathly afraid; afraid that he wouldn't be able to stand the pain; that his body would simply give up and shut down, unable to deal with the immeasurable pain any longer. But he forces his fears away. Trying to calm himself down as he vaguely remembers his Papa's words just before he fell asleep.

Opening his mouth, Aldwyn tries to call for his house elf. Though in its place, another pained whimper escaped in place of the words he is trying to force through. Forcing the pain down as much as he is able, Aldwyn tries again, his voice breaking as he successfully manages to utter the small creatures name.

"Geeney."

Seconds pass before the familiar sound of house elf apparition pops around his bed. If it wasn't for the immense levels of pain and fear swirling through his mind, Aldwyn would have smiled brightly at his friend.

Suddenly, an intense wave of pain shot through Aldwyn's limbs tearing a violent scream from his already parched throat making him arch off the bed and cry out in pain as tears begin to slowly trail down his flushed cheeks.

"Little master, what can Geeney bes doing for yous?"

The small creature whisper tenderly, its eyes wide as saucers as she gazes upon her master's withering form, tears gathering in her own eyes as she frantically tries to wipe them away.

"Geeney… Get… Get Father and… and Papa…"

Aldwyn's voice falters, scratching his sore throat making it even more painful and dry as he tries to swallow around the lump forming. He watches as Geeney nods hurriedly before she pops away again quickly to follow his orders. The small child watches the space where she stood dazed. His gaze only tearing away when blinding pain once more makes itself known, flooding his senses as his muscles clench and release at unimaginable speeds. His body shaking violently, each limb heating up more and more until it is uncomfortably warm.

Another scream rips through his throat.

Aldwyn sobs quietly, large, hot tears flowing down his cheeks as his small fists clench, gripping the bed sheets in tight, white knuckles. His entire body shaking uncontrollably as pain continues to lash and hold his cells under siege. His mind, so completely focused on the needle-like pricks poking his very veins, doesn't register the sounds of thundering footsteps frantically making their way down the hallway. Nor does he hear his bedroom door being thrust open, slamming into the adjacent wall.

The only sound he can hear is his own whimpers and screams.

"Snakelet!"

The shout of the familiar nickname pulls Aldwyn enough from his pain riddled thoughts that he is able to focus. Almost sobbing with relief when he turns his head as much as possible to see the blurred figures of his parents running towards him. He watches as they both throw themselves onto their knees by his bedside, looking down at him with worry-filled eyes.

He feels one of his parents carefully taking hold of his fist, holding the appendix in a tight, soothing grip while the other strokes his hair away from his sweat clad forehead.

"Papa… - he chocks, eyes red and blood shot – It hurts…"

The child feels his eyes watering further as another wave of pain washes over his frame forcing his eyes to close, his back to arch painfully off the bed as nothing seemed to alleviate the pain he is feeling. His form trembling as he body continues to be ransacked with worsening sharp, stabbing aches.

The thin hand holding his own squeezes tightly, prying his fingers open carefully, lacing them with their own as a small pressure is added to his knuckles, Aldwyn guessing to be his Papa's thumb brushing the skin trying to sooth him as best as he is able.

"I know it does, My brave Little Snake. But it will be over soon enough. Your body is simply changing to your new blood and magics. It will be over soon, I promise you."

Aldwyn tries to nod his head in acknowledgement but another stab of pain has him screaming aloud instead, his throat constricting painfully making it difficult for him to breath; his hands clenching at his sides tightly. The one holding Severus' hand almost certainly crushing the man's fingers as the nails of his other hand press hard enough to draw blood from his palm. His teeth bite into his bottom lip piercing through the skin, filling his mouth with the coppery taste of blood.

Letting another sob escape, so much pain filling his small stature. So much pain.

"Father…"

Wanting both of his parents, though he knows they are both here with him, he can't see his father and it was making him nervous. He wants… no needs to see both of his parents but the more he tries to turn his head, tilt it backwards slightly to see his father's brown eyes the more pain he feels. Releasing a keen of frustration, he allows more tears to fall from his eyes as he squeezes them shut again.

"Shhh, everything is alright, Snakelet. I am here, we are both here with you, Little One. None of us are going to go anywhere. We promise to stay with you until this all passes."

Marvolo and Severus continue to sooth their child as much as they are able as they watch helplessly as he arches his back in agony, his lips bloodied and bleeding, his muscles twitching and clenching painfully as scream after scream fill the room. They feel utterly helpless as they know that there is nothing they can do to alleviate their precious child's pain and suffering. Only sitting and watching as Aldwyn rides it out on his own.

However, they continue to whisper their soft words of encouragement in his ears, trying to speak above the horrible, heart-wrenching screams. They never stop talking to him and as promised, they never leave his side as he fights through the immense pain.

Aldwyn, on the other hands, can now feel each ligament, muscle, bones and cell shift, each part of him changing, altering. His bones feeling as if they are breaking one by one before reamending themselves, his skin is stretching and expanding, accommodating his longer limbs and the redefining muscles beneath the surface. Each aspect of himself is on fire, being burnt away, anything left Potter and Evans, anything of his old life being rejected and replaced by something new, something that was his father's and something else familiar.

Then as soon as it had begun, it all stops.

The pain slowly ebbs away as each muscle relaxes individually; his tears stop flowing beginning to dry on his cheeks only to be soon wiped away gently by his Papa. His mind finally clearing away the haze and fog which had clouded it as soon as the pains had begun, become almost unbearable and now he can hear his parents soothing voices clear as day.

"That's it Snakelet. You did do well, Little One. Your Papa and I are so proud of you, Son."

Turning his head slowly, anticipating some amount of pain which never comes, Aldwyn lies there silently for a few moments trying to calm down his breathing as he looks up at his parents. A happy sob eventually breaking free when he feels himself being bought into a hug between the two older wizards.

"You were so brave, Little Snake. So, so brave. It is all over now, Son."

Aldwyn clings desperately to his parents, relishing in their encouraging words as they wrap him tightly in their arms. Wanting to simply forget all about the pain he had just been through, not wanting to remember such an experience but knowing that he would never change any of the events of the past few days. Knowing that he now resembles his father making it all seem worth it.

"May I see?"

Although Aldwyn's voice is muffled by his parent's figures, he still winces at how hoarse and strained his question comes out and at the slight discomfort in his throat as he speaks from the raw screams earlier. However, this doesn't deter him from wanting to see what he now looks like, he feels like he needs to see his new looks. Hearing his parents chuckle at his eagerness, Aldwyn pulls back slightly looking between the two, confusion shaping his features.

Severus brings a hand up, brushing it through Aldwyn's hair as he smiles softly down at his son.

"You are beautiful, Little Snake. So much like your father."

Marvolo nods next to Severus, his eyes sweeping up and down Aldwyn's form in what he makes out to be awe and adoration making his cheeks burn with pleasure and embarrassment.

"Of course, you may see, Snakelet."

Marvolo stands up slowly, watching fondly as Severus carefully picks Aldwyn up off the bed, holding the small wizard close as he situates the child on his hip comfortably before carrying him over to the bathroom, Marvolo following closely at their heels.

Aldwyn soon finds himself being placed onto the cold tile floors of his en-suite bathroom. Turning slightly, he faces the mirror and stills as his breath catches in his throat as he stares at the full-length reflection of himself.

He stares into the mirror taking in as much of his appearance as he can. His eyes moving from the top of his head all the way down to his feet taking in every detail and change he can spot. His hair had darkened from its original raven-black to a more midnight-black, like Severus' he notes, it had lengthened and grown so it sits in manageable waves just below his shoulders.

His face had sharpened, looking more regal then the heart-shaped face he had before, his nose was smaller and thinner and his eyes are a shade darker than before looking more Avada green than emerald. He lets out a sharp gasp when he sees small brown flecks of brown within and a slight ring of black around the outside making the green stand out that much more.

His shoulders are broader than before making his clothes feel unusually tight around his chest, his body and torso having filled out a little bit more, his muscle density increasing making him appear not as scrawny and small as he was before. Some of the tell-tale signs of malnutrition now hidden or reversed, though he is still thinner than most boys in his year. He is happy to note that he had grown a couple of inches as well, just like his Papa said he would, now he was about the same height as Draco.

Feeling extremely satisfied with his new looks, Aldwyn turn around on his heels smiling brightly up at his parents who return the look with ones of intense pride, their eyes shining as they take in his complete appearance, each nodding in approval at their son.

Aldwyn fidgets under the intensity of his parent's scrutiny, feeling suddenly self-conscious as Marvolo and Severus slowly taking in the changes their son had went through before his father breaks the prolonged silence by chuckling softly. Kneeling on the floor, Marvolo places his hands on Aldwyn's shoulders pulling him into a quick hug, ruffling the smoother hair as he pulls back.

"I think Mother Magic may have a sense of humour, don't you think so Severus?"

Aldwyn looks at his father as the man stands up once more, his eyebrows furrowing and his lips turning into a downward frown, he cocks his head to the side, his hair hanging loosely over his shoulder as he raises a single eyebrow in silent question.

"I think that both your hairstyle and colour are not from my family; neither are your facial expressions it seems. That small black rim around your eyes is not from me either. You seem to have gotten them from somebody else."

Marvolo chuckles again turning his gaze from his son to his consort whose eyes widen in shock, the onyx iris' scanning over Aldwyn's features more closely before meeting Marvolo's gaze steadily his face one of shock and elation.

"What do you mean, Father? I thought the ritual was to make me look more like you?"

Aldwyn looks between his two parents before turning back to the mirror, studying his changed features further especially the ones his father had pointed out, his eyes squinting as they scan the length of his face. When suddenly his eyes widen, his lips curling into a wide excited smile as he spins around at such a speed that he almost tilts off balance.

"What is it, Little Snake?"

Aldwyn's gaze focuses on his Papa, one hand pointing towards his eyes as he blinks rapidly staring at the man in wonder as he tries very hard not to bounce on the balls of his feet in his excitement.

"I can see! I can see perfectly, without my glasses!"

Marvolo and Severus chuckle at their son's digression and his antics, both nodding their heads in agreement as they each lay a hand on Aldwyn's shoulders looking upon the boy with pride and love shining in their eyes.

"I am guessing it is because Mother Magic or Salazar Slytherin decided to fix your eyesight as well my Little Snake, you shouldn't need your glasses at all now."

The young wizard jumps up in the air cheering happily as he grins wider.

"One less thing to tie me to Harry potter! I really am Aldwyn Salazar Slytherin now!"

Marvolo lifts his son up into the air, hugging him tightly against his chest as Severus walks closer, resting a hand on Aldwyn's back.

"You were always my son, Aldwyn. Nothing was going to change that, Snakelet. You are mine and Severus' perfect little boy and you always will be."

Aldwyn smiles at his parents, before cocking his head to the side, his mind remembering why he had been scrutinising appearance again.

"What did you mean earlier, Father? Who else do I look like? I was only supposed to look like you, right?"

His father chuckles slightly, twisting himself a few degrees so that Aldwyn is being held between himself and Severus as they both look down at their son again.

"It would seem, Snakelet, that you are not simply Aldwyn Salazar Slytherin. – at his sons baffled look he continues – You are now, legally Aldwyn Salazar Prince-Slytherin. Your appearance is the perfect combination of myself and Severus. My guess is that by asking Severus here to become your second parent, Mother magic must have made you not only my son but also Severus' in magic, blood and soul."

Smiling shyly at that piece of information, Aldwyn looks over towards Severus, his eyes uncertain as he gazes up at the potions master.

"You don't mind?"

Severus looks down at his son, confused as to where this sudden shyness is coming from but knowing the boys background and childhood upbringing knows it is most likely due to that. He rubs a hand lightly up and down the child's spine trying to sooth his nerves.

"What do you mean, Little Snake?"

Aldwyn looks down at his hands clenched in the fabric of his father's cloak, his lower lip being worried between his teeth as he looks through his eyelashes at his Papa.

"You don't mind that I look like you as well?"

Severus breaths out a silent sigh as he gently takes Aldwyn from Marvolo, cradling the boy against his chest. One hand holding the back of his head guiding it to rest against his shoulder much like he had done in the leaky Cauldron. He rocks himself from side to side, his never ceasing its movement up and down Aldwyn's back.

"Of course, I do not mind, Little One. You are my son and I am proud that you resemble myself in part. You are my perfect little boy and I am proud and happy to call you such."

Aldwyn smiles into Severus' shoulder feeling relieved and as if a weight is being lifted off his shoulder as he wraps his arms around the man comfortably, whispering into his Papa's ear.

"Thank you, Papa. I love you."

Marvolo joins in, wrapping an arm around Severus' waist and the other around Aldwyn's shoulders hugging his small family close as they stand silently in his son's bathroom for a few moments. Basking in their new familial ties and bonds.

"We love you as well, Little Snake. Always."

"Now, who wants to go see if we can confuse the Malfoy's?"

A/N

Thank you to all who have beared with me while I edit everthing in this story and for fixing some of the spelling mistakes and plotholes I left through the chapters. I am happy to anounce that I am almost done with the edits and am starting to write the last couple of chapters for this prologue book. I will post up on my profile when I am starting the next book with a short summary of what to expect.

I hope you are all enjoying the story so far and will continue to do so as I continue on.