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Chapter 46

Tom prided himself in being practical and objective. He never thought he would encounter such suffering in his life. He travelled through Europe. He used his magic to help people and was humbled by the effects of the war. He saw men and women going hungry. He saw orphans trying to find their parents. He saw adults begging to find their children. He helped where he could. Tom learned to heal people. He learned a lot in that year away. Tom saw such misery but he also saw hope. He helped reunite children with their parents. He helped men find jobs and worked alongside them. He saw many men and women help each other without expecting anything in return. He realized that a year was not enough and one became five. He traveled beyond Europe, to Oceania and parts of Asia.

Tom learned that muggles were not less than him. Many times, his fellow men helped him. He had nowhere to sleep for the night when he was in Ukraine. A young man took him inside his home. He had a young wife who was heavy with child. They fostered him for two weeks. Tom smiled when young girls danced around him. He spent eleven months trying to understand muggles and found that magic is much more than spells, curses and potions. Muggles had to develop their own magic and were so successful and resourceful. Tom learned that he was shallow, callous and also too enamored with himself. Tom learned to be patient, he received kindness and also learned to defend himself. The money ran out after seven months into his trip. He took odd jobs here and there and learned to be self-reliant and smart. He learned to follow his instincts and trust the right people.

The young man wrote to his parents every month. He did not write to Minerva, as they agreed that they would not. Minerva weighed heavily inside his heart. He was in love with her but she made it clear that she was not. She shook her head when he proposed that she come with him.

"I am not running away. My life is here Tom. I love you. You are my best friend but that's all there is to us." Minerva said sadly.

Tom took it in stride. "I will see you when I come back." He said and gave her one last kiss that night before they boarded the train to London.

Tom traveled back to England by boat. He made sure to shave and look presentable. It was late at night when he turned the key to his Hammersmith home.

He heard a feminine noise of pleasure. "I'm home. It's me Tom." He almost shouted. He entered the parlor and found his father buckling his belt while his mother ran her hands over her dress. She had longer hair now. She looked younger than him and his father did not look much older than he was.

"Sweetheart." His mum said and kissed him. She was flushed.

"You really should owl." His father said with a frown.

Tom looked away. "Nonsense. Sweetheart, I have missed you so." She said and dragged him to the sofa. Tom almost cringed to think what was happening in that couch five minutes ago.

"Are you back for good?" His father asked while he sat down opposite to them.

"Of course he is." His mother answered for him.

Tom chuckled, "I am."

"Good." His father said. They had dinner and chatted happily.

"You too look very well." Tom said.

"What can we say? Good genes and all that." His father said while smoking.

Tom shook his head. "We decided to stop using the glamours. We are not active in the wizarding world anymore. I quit the hospital too. I am back in university." She said excitedly. It was hard to reconcile her as his mother.

"She's reading literature." His father offered.

Tom laughed when they told him about their vacations in America. "Very much like the pictures wasn't it Sev?"

His father nodded, "It was. We are planning to go once more before the year is out."

Tom told them about his travels. They followed every word. His mother hugged him again. "I am happy that you are back." She said carefully.

Tom slept easily on his childhood bed. He spent three days aimlessly until he decided to write to Minerva. He asked her to meet him at King's Cross. Tom dressed and left for the train station.

He waited for Minnie. She arrived to station 9 ¾ five minutes later than he did. She looked stunning but there was something off about her.

She smiled. Tom missed her smile. He kissed her cheek softly. "I missed you very much."

Minerva hugged him a little bit and grabbed his hand, "tell me everything about your trip."

Tom did. They went into Diagon Alley and had tea at Fortescue's. Minerva looked tired. "Tell me about you. Are you in the ministry now?"

"I was for a couple of years. I realized that it was not the place for me. They don't like muggles very much." Minerva said stiffly.

"What are you doing now?" Tom asked her.

"Hogwarts. I teach Transfiguration." She said with a smile, "I'm also head of House."

"What happened to Dumbledore?" Tom asked.

"He's headmaster now. Professor Dippet retired the year we graduated." Minerva said and filled him on Hogwarts.

"What about you? What are you going to do?" Minerva asked him.

"Ministry. I plan to work on muggle relations." Tom said openly.

Minerva chuckled, "misuse of magic?"

Tom shook his head, "no, muggle education. I want to create better understanding of muggles among wizards. They all treat them as less than. It should not be the way Minnie. I will make all those wizards see that the anti muggle sentiment is idiotic."

Minerva laughed once more. "Good luck with that."

Tom kissed her hand. "Now tell me about you. Is there someone?"

"There was." Minerva said. "A muggle. I fell in love the summer before starting at the ministry." Her voice changed. She sounded sad and still very much in love with this Dougal McGregor.

Tom school his facial features. He listened attentively as Minerva explained the whirlwind romance that took place five years ago. Tom forced himself to not betray the jealousy he felt. He sympathized with her.

"What about you? Is there anyone?" Minerva asked him with a smile.

"Dozens of girls. You know how attractive I am." He joked and she laughed with him.

"A girl in every city I bet." She said with a grin. Tom felt his heart constrict painfully.

They talked for hours about school days. Her job, his plans for the ministry but never about them. It was as if that half a year never existed. Minerva appeared to have forgotten that they had sex almost every day for months.

Tom hugged her goodbye. "When will I see you again?"

Minerva kissed his cheek, "three weeks. Three Broomsticks." She said as she apparated.

Tom apparated back to Hammersmith and found his parents kissing each other. He quickly realized that he could not live in the same roof as them.

"Oh you've come back. How is Minerva?" His mum asked.

"Did you know she is a Hogwarts' professor?" He asked as they settled to have dinner.

"I did. Albus mentioned it when he became Headmaster." His father said as he ate his food.

Tom nodded. He knew what his father's answer would be if he asked why he had not been informed. "You never once asked about her. You should have come earlier if you cared so much."

His parents had been adamant that it was time to come back about a year and a half since his travels started. So Tom remained quiet. He decided to let them know about his decision to leave home.

"I am in need of a favor. Could I please stay at the manor?" Tom asked.

"But you've just come back." His mother said a little sadly.

"I feel as if I am intruding." Tom said.

"You are." His father said.

"Severus." His mother yelled at him.

"He is. Tom is an adult who has not been home in five years. He needs his own space. "We can do Sunday dinners."

Tom smiled and agreed, "that's reasonable."

His mother nodded, "fine, but every Sunday, you are here and I don't like the idea of the Manor. It's too big for you. Your father will lend you some money to rent a flat."

Tom did not have any objections to the agreement. "I will look for a place."

"I want you out by the end of the week." His father said as he left the room.

"Severus." His mother yelled, "nonsense. You are unreasonable. I miss having sex on this sofa. It's a good sofa."

Tom wished he'd been in his room sooner.