Hey you all! :) Halfway there already with chapter 8! ;)
Thank you Guest and guest for your comments! :) made me so happy reading how much my stories mean to you- and don't worry, I have some more stories I am going to write and publish :D
WARNING: CORPORAL PUNISHMENT in this chap!
The next few days went by in a similar pattern- him being as rude and disobedient as could be, and Gryffindor and Aurelius punishing him for it- but it did not matter how disrespectful he was, they still tucked him in every night, telling him they loved him, and raking through his hair, and he did not understand any of that. They would get tired of him, they had to.
"I'm not gonna eat that shit! I hate green beans!"
Corner time- until he had agreed to eat his green beans.
"Fuck off, I don't want to go to bed yet!"
A spanking- followed by bedtime.
"Don't you fucking dare call me that! My name's not Thomas!"
Another spanking.
"I am not eating that! Why are you not getting that?!"
More corner time.
Anything Gryffindor or Aurelius told him to do, he refused to do- even things that might have been fun. He still basically ignored the fact that he was a five year old boy, acting like the transformation had never happened. He did not look at himself in the mirror, he had not touched any of the toys Salazar had put in his room, and he still cursed as much as he could, something both Gryffindor and Aurelius had gotten increasingly annoyed about, but they never had done any more about it than putting him in the corner for it.
Until that one day.
"We are going to the playroom Tom, would you like to come?"
He just snorted, "I already said no, didn't I? Leave me the fuck alone."
Aurelius raised an eyebrow, "first of all, you said no yesterday- today is a new day, therefore, I am asking you again- and second of all, you know I don't appreciate you cursing all the time, Thomas."
"I don't give a fuck what you appreciate or not!", Tom hissed right back, "and I don't need no playroom cause I don't fucking play- I am not a kid. Why don't you get that, idiot?"
He heard Black inhale loudly in the background, but he did not care. If that arrogant prick kept annoying him, he could do the same thing.
Aurelius simply looked at him, his expression darkening- Tom had never realized how much he looked like Gryffindor when he did that, and he started to feel uneasy, but he would not back down. Never.
"I am done with you disrespecting me like this, Thomas", Aurelius eventually said, his voice icy, "I have been trying to make this easy for you, knowing that this is all very new for you- but I am not going to have you talk to me like that, do you understand?"
Tom merely shrugged, secretly pleased that he had managed to rile the older boy up like that, "nah, I don't understand- I am just a kid to you, right? A stupid little kid."
"I never said that, Thomas."
"You don't have to say it- I can tell by how you treat me", Tom was staring right back at him now, his eyes red, "do this Thomas, do that, Thomas, eat your dinner, Thomas, be a good boy, Thomas…you know what? Maybe I don't want to be a good boy. Maybe I like being bad."
For some reason, that made Aurelius smile, "I think you do want to be a good boy- you just don't know how to do that yet."
His eyes started to sparkle with fury, "bullshit!"
"No cursing, Thomas."
"Or what?"
"Or I'll have to punish you- and I promise you, you won't like that."
"Oh yeah? Fuck you then- like I care about standing in the fucking corner, I'll stand there all night if you want me to!"
Instead of replying, Aurelius merely grabbed him, and then he easily picked him up, "hmm…I guess we need a different punishment for you then, Thomas", he told the struggling boy, "and I think I know how to clean that naughty mouth of yours, baby bear."
Tom kept struggling, panic rising in his chest- suddenly remembering something.
It's not as good as soap, but I believe it will still help teaching you a lesson.
"No! Let me go, put me down!"
Of course, Aurelius ignored him, he simply carried him across the hallway to the bathroom, all while Tom helplessly kicked and screamed, "let me go, damnit! You bastard, you…"
"Shhh…no more cursing, baby bear- you are just making this worse for yourself", Aurelius said calmly, closing the bathroom door behind them, "I have a feeling you know what is about to happen, hmmm?"
He stifled a sob, "no!"
Aurelius smiled, "stubborn boy", he mumbled, and while he was still holding his squirming brother, he reached into a cabinet for the big bar of soap, "we are going to wash out that naughty mouth of yours real good- and I think you are going to talk a lot more nicely after, Tommy."
Tom struggled even harder when he saw the soap, "I won't…you can't do this! I'll scream, I'll kill you, I am going to fucking…"
"No more naughty words, Thomas", Aurelius repeated, carrying him over to a corner of the room, "now, I think three minutes will do it for today- open up, baby bear."
Tom sobbed, wildly shaking his head, kicking him with all his might.
"Bad boy", Aurelius told him, his voice firm, and then he gently held his nose, preventing him from breathing, and he sobbed again, hating the older boy.
Fucking asshole!
"Open up, Tommy", Aurelius said again, his voice very calm, "come on, I know you need to breathe, baby bear."
"Mmmmhhh!"
"Shhh…I know…just three minutes, okay? And then you'll be all forgiven, Tommy."
I don't need your forgiveness!
He kept struggling, but Aurelius grip was tight- and eventually, he had to open his mouth to gasp for air, and when he did, Aurelius immediately pushed the bar of soap in, and he howled.
"MHMHMMM!"
The soap tasted disgusting, and foam instantly started to form around the corners of his mouth, and he his struggles became desperate.
"Shhh…calm down, baby bear. Be a good boy for me now."
Aurelius was still holding him with one hand, and he used the other hand to prevent him from spitting out the soap, so he was forced to endure the agony of the bitter tasting soap in his mouth, as much as he struggled and fought.
"Two minutes left, Tommy", Aurelius now said, and Tom wanted to cry out in despair.
No more! Can't do more! Hate this! Stop!
All he could do was whimper around the soap though, his eyes wet with tears.
"If you are being good now, I'll stop after one more minute, baby bear", Aurelius told him, compassion in his voice, "be good and stop struggling- and you only have to do two minutes."
He sobbed again, hating the older boy, but the soap was so nasty, and he had swallowed some by accident, so he whimpered, and then he stood absolutely still, letting Aurelius hold him.
"Good boy, Tommy- such a good boy", Aurelius sounded very pleased, "your minute is almost up, baby bear. Almost done."
He could not help it, he had to gently nuzzle against Aurelius' chest, even though he hated himself for it, and the older boy smiled, "yes, you'll be all forgiven, baby bear- and I still love you just the same."
And why the fuck did he felt relieved now?
"All done, sweet boy", Aurelius finally said softly, and then he carefully led him over to the sink, removing the soap, "spit it all out- and then rinse your mouth out. Take as long as you need. You are all forgiven, Tommy."
He coughed, nodded, and then did as Aurelius had told him- anything to get that taste out of his mouth.
As soon as he was done, Aurelius slowly turned him back around, looking at him with raised eyebrows, "anything you would like to tell me, Tom?"
He forced back more tears, "I'm…sorry!", he croaked out, feeling embarrassed, sad, and angry at all once, "no…more!"
"No more, Tommy- but if you curse again, we'll be back here, understand?"
"Ye…yes."
"Yes, Aurelius", the older boy corrected softly.
"Yes…Aurelius", he hung his head, the shame forming a lump in his throat.
"Good boy."
Not your boy!
He balled his hands into fists, feeling completely overwhelmed with the situation, "can…can I go now? I'm tired", he hated how weak he sounded, how small…
Just like a little boy.
"Yes, Tommy, you may go", Aurelius responded, seemingly understanding that he needed to be alone now, and as soon as the older boy had finished his sentence, Tom turned around and stormed out of the bathroom. He ran back to his room, his whole body shaking when he got there, and then he grabbed Brownie, hugging the teddy forcefully.
What the hell had just happened? Aurelius had disciplined him, had washed his mouth out, and he had called him a bad boy- and he had not been able to stop him, he was so damn weak, he would never be able to hurt Aurelius again, not in this state he was in now…
Holding onto Brownie, he went to a corner of the room, curling himself into a small ball. He wanted to disappear, to die, all of this was so, so wrong- and he felt so strange…
Quietly sobbing, he kept clinging to Brownie, the only friend he had, the only one who cared about him, and he rested his head against the wall, enjoying the coolness it provided.
He did not know how long he had been sitting there, but eventually, he heard a soft knock on the door, and footsteps coming closer.
"Tommy?"
He whimpered.
"What are you doing in the corner, baby bear?", Aurelius voice was very soft, and then he slowly came closer, crouching down right in front of him.
"Corner cause I'm bad boy."
The little boy in front of him sounded heartbroken, and sad, and confused, and Aurelius smiled at him, understanding immediately what was going on, "you are not a bad boy, Tommy- you were naughty, and I punished you for it, and you are all forgiven, baby bear. It's all good."
The boy looked at him, tilting his head, obviously trying very hard to comprehend what he was saying. It was adorable, and Aurelius gently extended a hand to his youngest brother, "come here, Tommy", and the boy obeyed instantly, confirming Aurelius' suspicions- his little brother was mentally regressing.
He had seen it with Sirius before, and he knew what the little boy needed right now.
"You are going to hold my hand, Tommy", he told the younger boy as he walked him towards the door, "and you'll walk right next to me, being nice and quiet."
Tom was staring at him, frowning, not understanding- because as soon as they got into the hallway, he started fidgeting, trying to pull, and trying to walk at his own pace.
"No, Tommy", Aurelius patiently pulled him back, making him walk right next to him again, and the boy sobbed in confusion, pulling harder.
"No, Tommy", this time, he delivered a soft swat to the boys' backside, and then pulled him back, "behave, Tommy."
The boy cried out when he swatted him, and then he wanted to run, but Aurelius simply tightened his grip, remembering all too well when he had done the same with Sirius- but his middle brother had been much more compliant once he had smacked his butt a couple of times.
They left the hallway and went up the stairs, and the boy next to him was still pulling his hand, kicking his feet, and trying to walk in the other direction, and he behaved just like a playful puppy who had been put on a leash for the first time.
Aurelius knew that he had to be patient- eventually, Tom would give in, just like Sirius had, and then his youngest brother would walk next to him obediently, not because he was scared of getting spanked, but because he wanted to please him and make him proud.
Therefore, when Tom stopped fidgeting for a second, Aurelius immediately praised him, telling him what a good boy he was, and Tom looked at him with wide eyes, absorbing the praise.
"Such a good boy for me", Aurelius repeated, using one hand to rake through Tom's hair, "we're almost there, baby bear."
They had gone up the stairs, and now Aurelius opened the door leading to the roof- where the owlery was.
It was cold, and the snow was falling down quietly, and the older boy wasted no time transforming their indoor clothes into warm and comfortable jackets and boots.
Tom's eyes started to sparkle as soon as he saw the first owl landing, and he pointed at it with one finger, "owly, Relius!"
"Yes, it's a Snowy Owl, Tommy", Aurelius told him, gently pulling him back again since the boy wanted to run in his excitement, and the boy let out an angry sob when he was prevented from running towards the owls and struggled.
Another soft swat, "behave, Tommy, or we're going back inside."
"No! Wanna see owlys!"
This time, Aurelius simply swatted him three times, and by the third time, the boy was nuzzling against him again, sniffling, and apologizing.
"Good boy, Tommy", Aurelius murmured, placing a soft kiss on the boys' hair, "let's go say hi to the owls, hmm?"
"Ya! Wanna say hi! Wanna be friends!", the boy was smiling again, looking excited, and happy. Aurelius had an idea he would be after his Dad had told him about Tom's reaction when he had mentioned the owls. The little boy had been trying to hide his interest, but Salazar had not been fooled- and since then, Aurelius had been looking forward to taking his youngest brother up here.
They made their way to the huge owlery, the family owned about a dozen owls- and their pride and joy were the gorgeous Snowy Owls, which they owned five of.
"Baby owl!", Tom exclaimed now, his eyes shining with wonder, "small like me!"
"Yes, Tommy, just like you", Aurelius had to swallow, he was getting emotional- but this was nice, having his youngest brother acting happy, having him actually talk to him, not just curse at him, and having him accepting his current state.
Too bad it won't last.
As soon as the regression was over, Tom would be back to his old, hostile self- cursing, screaming, and disobeying them again, but with more of his eighteen year old memories gone. And eventually, the regressions would stop altogether, leaving him with the brain and mind of a regular five year old boy, with only a few strong memories from his old life.
"What's his name, Relius?", Tom was still pointing at the small Snowy Owl with one hand, and firmly held onto his hand with the other one, not even attempting to pull anymore, "does he have brothers, like me?"
Oh God, you're killing me here, Tom…
Aurelius forced himself to smile, "the little guy does not have a name yet, actually. Do you want to name him?"
"Yes, yes, yes! I have a name! I know a name, Relius!", the boy was jumping up and down now, full of excitement.
"Can you tell me, Tommy?"
The small boy took in a deep breath, adding to the dramatics, "it's…it's Snowy! Cause he is a Snowy Owl!", he was beaming all across his face now, and Aurelius could not help it, he picked the boy up and hugged him, "that's a great name, Tommy", he whispered into his ear, "that's actually the best name for an owl I have ever heard."
"Really? The bestest name?", his whole face was radiating happiness now, "you mean it?"
"Of course I mean it", Aurelius pulled him closer, smiling when the boy immediately snuggled into him, "now, do you want to help me feeding the owls?"
"YES! I help! I can help!", he was talking so fast his voice was almost cracking, and Aurelius laughed, "my sweet little helper- come here then, let me show you what to do, Tommy."
The boy nodded, grinning from ear to ear, and he listened obediently when Aurelius explained to him where to put the food- they were mostly just snacks, since the owls preferred to hunt their own dinner- and Tom followed every instruction happily, and the grin never left his face when he watched some of the owls picking up some of the snacks.
"They like it, Relius", the boy announced, "Snowy just ate some!"
Aurelius smiled, nodding.
"Snowy was looking at me, Relius!"
"Snowy was looking at something else now, Relius!"
"Snowy is gonna take a nap, Relius!"
Aurelius laughed again, glad that he had brought Tom here, "yes, Tommy, Snowy is tired now. He is a small owl and needs lots of naps, just like small boys."
"Like me!"
"Yes, just like you", Aurelius pulled the boy into a hug again, his chest hurting with the knowledge that this would not last- and maybe it never would, "are you tired, baby bear?"
Tom blinked at him, "maybe, Relius."
"Maybe?", he raised an eyebrow.
"Gonna snuggle with me?", it sounded hesitant, like the boy expected him to say no, and it broke Aurelius' heart, "of course I am going to snuggle with you, baby bear. Come on, time for a nap- it's getting pretty cold here anyways."
They went back inside, and Tom did not pull one time- he just walked right next to him quietly, matching his pace with his own.
"Good boy, Tommy."
They went down the hallway again, and there was Gryffindor who looked like he had been waiting for them.
"Daddy!"
Aurelius had expected for Tom to start running now, based on how happy he sounded, but the boy kept holding his hand, and Aurelius felt like bursting with pride.
Gryffindor smiled, opening his arms, and Aurelius gently let go of his hand, "you may go, Tommy."
Seconds later, Gryffindor had an armful of boy- a happy, blabbering boy who was telling his Daddy all about the owls, while Godric listened intently.
They exchanged a look, and his father winked at him, and Aurelius smiled.
"I think he needs a nap", he eventually told his father in a low voice, and Godric nodded, "I agree. I'm going to put him down- he's going to sleep tight, aren't you, Tommy?"
Tom snuggled closer, "sleepy, Daddy…", and then he yawned, "wanna visit Snowy again...baby…owl…", he closed his eyes, a small smile on his lips.
"You can visit Snowy tomorrow, Tommy", Godric told his youngest, "bedtime now for little boys", he turned around, ready to put his boy to bed, but Aurelius' voice stopped him.
"If…when he…wakes up, is he…will he…"
Godric sighed, a look of compassion on his face when he saw the pained expression on Aurelius' face, "yes, son, he'll be back to normal when he wakes up. These regression episodes don't last long, and they will get shorter and shorter with time."
"Isn't…there a spell, something…"
"I'm sorry, my boy- but there isn't. We will have to earn his love the regular way."
Aurelius nodded, "I…understand", he mumbled, "it's just…I hate punishing him, that's all I've been doing- and today he…for the first time he was…like my actual brother."
"He is your brother, Aurelius- it does not matter which state he is in. He is still very very angry, and he is still refusing to accept his new life, so it will take some more time until he'll be ready to understand that we want him here, and that we love him", Godric replied, slowly raking through Tom's wild curls. The boy made a happy sound in his sleep, leaning his head towards the touch.
"He'll be even more angry when he wakes up tomorrow."
"Most likely, yes."
"How long is this going to take?"
"I wish I knew", Gryffindor sighed again, holding the sleeping Tom close, "hopefully not too long- I know this is hard for you. It's difficult for me as well, and for Dad- he has been nothing but kind to Tom, and he treats him even worse than me at times."
"I know…but he's worth it, remember?"
Godric smiled, proud of his oldest, "yes, he is- and you are already the perfect big brother for him that I knew you would be. I'm so proud of you."
Aurelius blushed slightly, "thank you, Dad. You…you should probably put him to bed now, he's drooling all over your robes."
Gryffindor chuckled, "brings back memories- but yes, you are right. I'll see you later, alright?"
"Sounds good."
The Founder smiled at his oldest son again, and then he carefully carried Tom into his bedroom, softly humming while he put the boy down.
Tom blinked drowsily but did not really wake up.
The Founder kept humming while he undressed his youngest, and then he gently put a diaper on the small boy, knowing that Tom would most likely have an accident in the state he was in, and Tom stirred when he fastened the diaper, mumbling something.
"Shhh…all good, baby bear…Daddy is putting you to bed now."
Tom grunted in his sleep, and Gryffindor quietly put the pajamas on him, and then he went and picked up Brownie, placing the teddy into Tom's arms.
"Sleep tight, my boy", he told him in a low voice, "Daddy loves you, Tommy."
And Tom kept sleeping, a happy smile on his lips.
Love you, Daddy.
too bad it won't last...it will, eventually though ;)
I would loooove some feedback! :)
xoxo,
Antonie :)