Grey
Spending a day relaxing after the emotional and mental roller coaster was a relief. Harry had not stopped to just think about his position right now. He had to sort out allies, a cover story for his name, a job and what to do with Tom Riddle himself. It was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and Harry was sitting in his study, flipping through the papers he needed to adopt Riddle without any trouble from the muggle world. He figured he could just imperio them but decided to save that for when something actually went wrong.
On his right side, he had a charms tome open. It was titled 'Every document charm for charming your way into muggle hay' by Hamish Brown. It was titled ridiculously but had the incantation of a handy charm that would be cast on a blank paper and the muggles would see what they expected to see. Bringing out his holly wand, he tapped a folder full of blank pages and muttered- 'domenta efa' with a crisscross wand movement. After the spell was cast, Harry could see a faint glimmer of magic across the papers. Satisfied that his spell had worked, he got up and made his way into the kitchen for a quick bite to eat.
Walking towards the kitchen, Harry cast a thoughtful glance at the walls and the different items that decorated the house. Earlier today with the help of Neri, he'd ordered and bought muggle and wizarding portraits, geometric art sculptures, marble vases and figurines, huge vases, magical artifacts and more. It had been contenting, in a way. He'd never had a home of his own. The Dursley's barely tolerated him breathing and being on the run from Voldemort had destroyed any semblance of dreams. Even Grimmauld Place felt unfamiliar and cold. Hogwarts was perhaps the only home he'd ever known. The only home he'd ever loved. But now after the war, Harry was tired and just wanted to be. He'd spent so many years just fighting relentlessly and without break, only to lose it all at the end.
But he had a home now and he would soon have a son, even if said son was the future Dark Lord who had caused all of his suffering. Harry would protect this haven, this home and he wouldn't die protecting it this time.
Harry intended to live.
The artifact he liked most among the ones he had bought was a huge metal sundial made of iron and copper. It showed the location and state of the members of the family with a symbol representing each member. Right now, Harry only had his, a lightning bolt displaying home, safe on the sundial. Soon, he would be joined by Riddle's.
Harry wasn't sure if he could treat Riddle impassively. He was and had always been, a highly emotional person. He was quick to anger and to judge but the war had tempered his emotions. What had earlier burned white-hot, were now a mellow flame. Combined with this improvement was the determination to change the future, the determination that not one of his friends would have to suffer the loses and pain that they had. He wanted Riddle to develop good and if, to do that he needed to put a restraint on his anger, then so be it.
Harry was aware of the resentment Riddle would no doubt hold towards muggles. Even though he would be only four, Harry wondered what kind of monsters the muggles had been to have Riddle turn out to be the Devil. He hoped he would be able to bring out the goodness in him, which existed in every living being. Dumbledore had believed that Riddle was inherently incapable of good and love. He believed that as Riddle had been concieved by the influence of amortentia, he was unable to feel love. Only hatred and anger. But extensive studies had proved this belief wrong. Harry had researched and found two mentions of cases where the child had been concieved with the influence of a love potion. Both the times, the child had been able to love albeit it was slow and difficult. But it was there.
Dumbledore had been wrong. He'd taken one look at Riddle, his ice-cold demeanor and kept him at arm's length. Never offering a hand in help. Harry could understand that, even though he didn't want to. For Dumbledore, the Greater Good had always taken priority. After killing the last Dark Lord Grindelwald, he was tired and wary. Tom Riddle's abnormal, powerful magic, disciplined control and uncontrolled genius had made him see Grindelwald in him. When he had seen Harry, he realized that he was nothing like Tom Riddle. He was emotive not cold, scared and in awe but not resentful. Dumbledore had been happy to see the differences but Harry knew the truth.
They were similar in far more aspects than they were different.