A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Harry Potter.

I have no beta.

ENJOY!

CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.

-This is the 1 year anniversary of The Consort Tournament. Happy Anniversary, peeps!

-This chapter is twice as long as the usual chapters are, because I felt that we should celebrate! There are many sections to this particular chapter though, and while it may take some time to read, I would appreciate that everyone read everything instead of just skipping parts you think you might not like. Fact is, even if the POV changes and we are suddenly looking at things from Draco's or Hermione's perspective, it's still best to read on. Who knows what you'll miss if you skip those parts. And I am sick of getting people, who actually skip over sections that aren't written from Harry's or Voldemort's POV, telling me that certain things don't make sense to them. Read the whole chapter instead of skipping parts, and you wouldn't be confused.


~.O.~


It had been an hour already. The Dark Lord had started off the festivities with an official announcement of the punishments in store for those convicted of spreading the pandemic around. Personally, though it was probably influenced by her being tutored by Bellatrix for almost a year, Hermione thought the punishment chosen was far too lenient. Like there wasn't any lasting damage.

Each of the accused would be forced to swallow the very poison that ended up ruining Magical Britain for almost three months. But there was a much higher concentration of Caelite in the dosage created, in order to steal their magic instead of turning them to stone. And slowly, ever so slowly, they would begin to lose their magic as it was sucked away. In return, the poison would be counteracted with weekly injections of a watered down version of the cure. So while not poisoned enough to die or turn to stone, they also wouldn't be healed enough to ever fully get better. And they would be handled specifically by Light Wizards and Witches in the proper gear, in order to prevent any spreading of their illness.

She was more of the opinion that they should suffer longer and harder, but the public had almost unanimously agreed on the punishment, and she had to give Voldemort his deserved praise for including the inhabitants of the countries at least. The man knew how to lead and how to keep the loyalty of his subjects. That was a give in. So while she was unhappy with the punishment chosen, it was irony at its best and at least it had been a fair decision.

Harry was standing beside her, holding a glass of water because neither of them were interested in alcoholic beverages. Despite being legal, the chances of them really getting into liquor were slim. He looked bored and even yawned behind his hand twice already. "Remember when we were younger and thought that this would be infinitely more interesting once we were old enough to interact with the adults and do 'grown up' things too?"

Hermione nodded, feeling Harry's pain. She had attempted to be positive about the Yule Ball the former year. They could have built connections with people. They could get up to date on the local gossip. There were so many opportunities at hand. Or at least she had assumed there were many opportunities. She quickly learned that there wasn't much to learn and that people loved retelling the same bloody story to anybody who would even listen. Last year, while internally stewing in jealousy over Harry's connection to the Dark Lord, Hermione had ended up hearing the same dramatic story from four different people. And one of them eagerly told it a second time when another witch came along, wanting to know the gritty details.

Gossip was only fun the first time. After several times, it got old and boring fast, which was why Hermione's naive idea of the Yule Ball, had been shot to hell and never revived. She now felt like all of her friends did. Annoyed and not in the mood to be wasting her time. As she worked in the Ministry now, she heard a lot of the gossip already, meaning it was nothing new. Hermione required mental stimulation and the vapid fools she had to associate with were not of the same ilk!

The Yule Ball was boring, and this time she had to actually come because she was working in the Ministry and she was a Junior Undersecretary to the Head of her Department, so she couldn't skip. Also, it would look bad on her if she did skip, and her involvement with Draco Malfoy could be compromised should she ignore such an important event.

In no short words, Hermione could feel Harry's frustration on a spiritual level and she mourned as hard as he did.

Harry had to attend for many reasons. Not only was he the Heir to the Houses of Potter and Black, but he was now Consort Slytherin. And wasn't that just a shocking revelation. When Hermione had found out, she had demanded to know if the Dark Lord had threatened him. To which she learned that the illustrious leader of their community, had actually fallen to the pandemic and Harry had to work overtime to save all of their lives alongside Voldemort's most trusted, and those he felt he could also trust.

Hermione's plan to punch the Dark Lord had been pushed back a little, but she was still going to do it! She had planned for it and everything. Just because Harry was dealing with the man in his own way, didn't mean that Hermione was going to go easy on him. He had entered her friend into a competition that was deadly and dangerous all because he thought he could do whatever he wanted without getting caught. Hermione would make him realise his error, even if it got her in trouble. Though Harry would probably stand up for her should the bloody prat start something.

She could only imagine what Bellatrix would do to her once she found out what Hermione had done to her precious master. But sometimes, certain things were worth it in the end. And if Hermione didn't stand up for what she believed in, no matter the circumstances, then what kind of person would that make her?

"Hermione, would you come with me for a moment?"

Turning, she was face to face with the elegant cheekbones and blue eyes of one Draco Malfoy. Her… something. Lover was far too incorrect but friend was too simple to describe their relationship. But it certainly was a relationship unlike any other she had.

Glancing around and seeing the Dark Lord making his way over, Hermione decided that it would do to leave he and Harry alone. After all, Harry seemed to have warmed up to the man after a few months, so Harry could take care of himself now. But she would be watching just to be sure.

She took Draco's hand and waved at Harry as she was lead away. She also ignored his quip about abandonment and simply smiled. Such dramatics.

"What are we doing?" she asked her blond companion quietly as their arms linked.

"I am going to introduce you to my parents."

Bullocks.

She should have worn the heels! She should have worn some bloody jewelry! This was what she got for wanting to be comfortable. Draco springing such a thing on her at the last moment.

Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy were a lot more… human up close. The air the two gave off at formal events usually made Hermione want to avoid them for fear of having to deal with pomposity. However, when one finally decided to get up close, into their sphere of notice, they could see the obvious flaws in both immediately.

From a distance they looked alarmingly perfect. At close range, they looked slightly frail and perhaps a little worn. Off the cuff, Hermione knew she could defeat both of them in a duel because Lucius worked with Bellatrix daily at the Dueling Arena while Narcissa had to run a primary school for magical children. The years had not been so kind to either magical. Unlike Bellatrix, who seemed to thrive under excessive work and stress, neither Malfoy seemed capable of withstanding more than a stiff breeze. Neither had been raised with the intention of being fighters even if they could hold their own. Their prowess lay in politics and education, not dueling.

Was it intentional or not?

"Mother, father," Draco began stiffly, chin jutting outward in an almost obnoxious manner that Hermione had come to find amusing instead of annoying, "this is Hermione Granger. She is Aunt Bella's protege, as well as my girlfriend."

Hermione felt like the bait dangled before the sharks, but she wouldn't let this scare her. After all, she was trained by Bellatrix Lestrange herself, and nothing could ever be more terrifying than that.


§Hello, Harry.§

Said young wizard still wasn't used to being addressed by a human in an animal tongue. It was still so new and the only other times he'd done so was in frustration because Voldemort couldn't pull his head from his arse. This time it was a calm and collected greeting and it made him shiver to realise that Voldemort had his own sort of accent in Parseltongue, which Nagini and the Runespoor most certainly did not possess. It was kind of cute though he would never dare to mention such a thing aloud lest the man become a bigger tosser than he already was.

Harry waved in greeting, knowing that there was no getting out of this. And with the way the Dark Twat was eying him, he was going to ask for something. And since this was a ball of all things, Harry had a feeling that he knew what was coming, and there was no true way to avoid it. Though compared to the former year, his feeling son the matter weren't the same as they used to be.

§Voldemort,§ he greeted. §You look like you are having the time of your life.§ It was sarcasm in the extreme because Voldy did in fact, look like he wanted to murder someone. It showed impeccable self-control for him to withhold the urge.

The Dark Lord sneered, looking more annoyed than charmed at Harry's teasing. Definitely in a sour mood and Harry was probably the only living person who could get away with teasing Voldemort. §If I did not have to deal with some fools in the Ministry before this bloody event had to take place, I probably would be having the time of my life. Unfortunately, not even your beautiful face can make this day any better, Harry.§

The complement got a flush from him and a twinge in his stomach, though he was almost appalled at himself. He'd been given all manner of compliments over the years and never once, from anyone, had Harry's body given a physical reaction. Why did Voldemort's obvious appreciation of his aesthetic appearance please him so much? Surely he wasn't that enamoured with the man to find even the most common of flirtations to be arousing? He had more gumption than this!

Still, there was something about what the older wizard said, that caught his attention. §Who managed to ruin your day?§ And were they still breathing?

A sigh and even a great heave of the shoulders. It was so unnatural for Voldemort's usual manner and Harry had to wonder if maybe he'd been reading the man incorrectly all this time. Because whenever he was with Harry, the man just did things that Harry wouldn't expect him to do in public. Or maybe Voldemort found Harry's company much more tolerable than anyone else which was why he was so free with expressing himself whenever Harry happened to be around?

Both were very possible and Harry liked them very much.

§The reason I decided to pass off the Ministry onto Barty's shoulders was because he trained specifically for years, on how to deal with politicians. He was expected to obtain a high paying ministerial position ever since he was born. He was forced to gain the patience necessary in order to run such a business. I despised being unable to torture people when they frustrated me, so I decided that he would be the best person to foist the position of Minister onto,§ admitted Voldemort, his glamour looking too tired to even be functioning if Harry was being honest. Also, poor Barty.

§The basics of the situation, is that some people are idiots who don't know a damn thing about propriety and cunning. The short version is that I had to come in very early this morning and could in no way leave while I was cleaning up some fool's mess in the Time Room. And the mess was extensive and is currently repeating itself in a loop until we figure out how to stop it.§

Harry couldn't help but wince. Not much was known about the Department of Mysteries, but the Time Room was one such place he'd been made aware of by his parents when he was younger. His father and Sirius were Aurors and had once had to stop a witch who had stolen several Time Turners from the Time Room and then caused chaos by turning each one to a different time and then throwing them at muggles whom she had a strong dislike for. One being the former Prime Minister who had to be treated very thoroughly in St. Mungo's once she was relocated.

The news had been all over Magical Europe because ten missing Time Turners plus the witch that stole them, was something to be concerned about. If Harry recalled, Voldemort ended up having to aid in that particular search as well. The papers had gone on and on about it, and Harry remembered his mother assuring him that his father and Sirius would be alright so long as they didn't have to time travel too much on their own.

Anyway, if Time Turners and the Time Room were involved, he could only imagine the problems Voldemort had to deal with. Awful things happened to wizards who meddled with time when they didn't know what they were doing. An incompetent person working in such a dangerous environment would no doubt cause problems for them all.

Voldemort seemed to be at his limit for the day, and the ball was still three more hours. As the Dark Lord, he could not just up and skip out because there could be a chance of him being needed for something. And Harry wouldn't let him since Harry had to stay around even though his position was minor. So if Harry had to suffer the useless banality of Magical's Britain's populace, Voldemort would as well.

Harry pitied him, he realised. Pitied the Dark Lord. Yet at the same time, the man had literally wanted to rule an entire magical community and influence it for what he thought was better. He had to have been expecting that not everyone was capable of the same intelligence or skill as he. So in a way, he'd asked for it by assuming the position of Magical Britain's leader.

Still...

He vanished his glass of water. "Want to dance with me?" the former Gryffindor offered, holding his now empty hand out expectantly and trying not to make it look like something bigger than what it was. It was just to distract, nothing more and nothing less. He still didn't like dancing.

However, it seemed like Voldemort didn't see things the same way. Probably because it was Harry doing the offering. The man stepped closer, a smile forming on glamoured lips as his eyes lightened considerably. The illusion was so believable that Harry sometimes forgot that it wasn't real.

Unlike the last time he had danced with the Dark Lord, he was not annoyed nor was he on negative terms with the man. And he hadn't been manipulated into the dance this time, so his outlook was a lot brighter. And unlike last time, Voldemort did not crowd around him and make him feel cornered. The man's hand merely rested lightly in the center of Harry's back while the other cupped his hand almost delicately.

It was such a difference that Harry had to blink for a second, stunned. He didn't know why it was all so different this time, but he had to admit to appreciating it a lot more. It also showed what their relationship had somehow become if Voldemort was more considerate of his actions and Harry was actually very comfortable where he was stood.

Dumbledore had been right, which was a shocker. Apparently, he and Voldemort were good for each other on some level. And Harry had attempted to deny it only to fail miserably.

The band that had been playing boring music all evening, seemed to morph into something better, despite nothing changing. It wasn't a waltz, because the timing was off, but it was rather slow. They swayed from side to side.

§I would love to do this all night,§ Voldemort said quietly. §I much prefer your company to anyone else's at the moment. You aren't a fool unlike most of the people I could name, presently. I know that when you are here, I don't feel like murdering anyone and we can all go about our business in well-deserved serenity.§

Another flush worked its way into Harry's face. He liked that. He liked knowing that Voldemort preferred him over other people and that for some reason, he helped calm the man's mood. It was an odd feeling, as it had never occurred, not even when animals or creatures told him that he was their favourite human and that he made them feel better. Voldemort was cut from a different cloth than any other being Harry had ever had contact with and having his approval or admiration, no matter the level, was important.

In Harry's case, he was lucky enough for it to be positive.

He was weak. §I wouldn't mind dancing with you again. Perhaps in private, where you don't have to hide yourself and when we have better music on hand.§ Dancing was usually so boring! This time it was different and he'd only had to dance with one person during this ball whereas in years past, he'd had to do more. And he could imagine what it'd be like when they actually had good music.

Voldemort's resting hand slid down a little, now positioned precariously on Harry's lower back and not even an inch away from Harry's arse. He knew why the man had done so and he couldn't help but tease the man while also working toward his own gain. After all, he liked Voldemort's true appearance and enjoyed looking for however long he wanted. He also liked that his suitor seemed to bask in his attention in a way. He had been the one Voldemort wanted. So of course he liked to see the affects of his teasing.

It was like a power trip in a sense. And Harry was high on it. Enough so that he didn't comment on the man nearly groping him, because strangely enough, he didn't mind it now. If it had been a year ago, he probably would have smacked the other without a second thought. Now he just wanted that hand to trail lower and give him things to think about that night when he was in bed. Now that he actually had sexual feelings and thoughts, he liked to discover and explore boundaries so to speak. If Voldemort was on his mind all the while, that was no one's business but Harry's.

Merlin, his mind had become rather naughty in the last year and a half! It was all Voldemort's fault!

After all, Harry had never wanked before seeing the Dark Lord's true form and he hadn't considered relationships of the sexual variety until the Consort Tournament had been established as an actual thing and he was entered against his will. So yes, all Voldemort's fault, this newly awakened sexual interest in Harry's body. So awkward and amazing all at once and he was busy handling it all on his own.

Not that he minded really. Self-discovery was always an important trip, even if it was just to see which type of handling Harry preferred.

"My Lord," a timid voice squeaked, capturing their attention and making Voldemort stiffen against Harry, who hadn't realised that he'd practically been leaning on the man's chest. He didn't remember doing that, and he wasn't pleased to lose the warmth when he had to pull away, nor did he like how closed off Voldemort became in response to the intruder. He couldn't remember the last time Voldemort had gone so stoic in his presence, and he especially did not like that.

He didn't know the person who had interrupted their dance, but Voldemort seemed to. And he was visibly angry. Hell, Harry was even a little angry. Didn't Voldemort do enough already?

"What," the man grinded out between his teeth, "do you possibly need now?" He looked more and more irate by the second and ready to curse someone should the opportunity arise. His voice was borderline hissing, which while dangerous no doubt toward the unknown wizard, a bit sexy to Harry.

The wizard looked stricken and bowed thrice rapidly. "I apologise, my Lord!" he almost cried. "It's just that you are meant to be giving a speech at present and Lady Lestrange is threatening to curse people if they do not start doing what she wants."

Sometimes Bellatrix had patience, and other times, she seemed to be lacking any kind of self-control. Harry mentally cursed her and the wizard.

Voldemort sighed and stepped away from Harry completely, hands dropping to his sides. §I suppose that I must speak with you later on, Harry. And I would not mind another dance any time you wish for it. Also, when you return home, there should be a gift on your bed awaiting you. Have a pleasant Yule.§

He would not admit to pouting when Voldemort had to leave him, though he did end up holding the hand Voldemort had kissed, to his chest for several moments, almost too stunned to function properly. That had been done many a time in his life and never once did he feel like there were a multitude of Flutterminz inside his stomach!

§Hi, Harry!§ a jubilant voice called out.

That was Nagini's voice. Harry looked around, trying to spot the serpent and wondering how she had managed to get into the ball. He found her on the floor, staring up at him expectantly.

§How?§ he asked simply.

She gave a snakey shrug. §Master's white follower had stopped by the manor this afternoon in search of my master and could not find him. I sneaked into his robes once again and decided to come and find entertainment. So far, I have seen three two-leggers who would make good meals, but I knew master would be disappointed if I dared to eat them, so they have managed to stay living.§

§Because he doesn't want you eating his subjects?§ Merlin knows that Harry wouldn't.

He would swear that she snorted at him. §No. He fed me yesterday.§

What a gluttonous serpent Harry had managed to befriend. He bent down and allowed her to slither up his arm, before lifting the rest of her body with ease and looping her around his neck so she had a good vantage point of the entire ball. Yes, she had definitely eaten recently. She was heavier than usual.

§Ah! My master is speaking with the two-legger who smells like blood!§

When he glanced on over, he could see Bellatrix standing at Voldemort's side. Her mouth was moving a mile a minute. She smelled like blood? Creepy.

§So, Harry, what do you plan to do to celebrate my master's hatch day?§ the serpent asked a moment later, eerily fixing him with her attention.

Blinking, he shook his head. §I don't even know when his birthday is, Nagini. I've also gotten the heads up from him that he doesn't actually like his day of birth.§

Nagini scoffed. §Master simply says that because he never had a good hatch day. While others seem to get whatever they want, he never had anyone to get him anything simply because they wanted to get him something. Not in the horrid orphanage, not at Hogwarts, and not even now. And whatever his followers give him, isn't really liked because they don't understand him well enough to gift him with proper gifts.§

Voldemort had never really celebrated his birthday. It was kind of sad once he thought about it and the fact that the man had no family and had grown up during World War II while living in an orphanage. Of course he wouldn't like his birthday after his childhood.

But what could Harry do?

§Nagini, what would Voldemort like to get on his hatch day?§

§I am glad that you asked! I can think of many things!§


When Lily Potter gave birth to her son, she had envisioned many things in her future. After watching Molly Weasley rear her growing brood of sons, Lily had thought that she had seen all manner of children and temperaments, so she assumed she would get a son who was probably going to be like one of Molly's boys.

Her son was in fact, nothing like any of them.

Bill was blessed with a level head and a sort of 'cool' air about him that others envied. Charlie was full of passion, with a dangerous attitude toward informality. Percy was strict and a very by-the-book individual, having a no-nonsense type of behavior. George and Fred were playful and devious, with sharp minds capable of more than even they thought possible. Ronald was lazy and ignored whatever talents he could have developed because he felt like he stood in the shadows of his brothers, so he saw no point in doing anything. Sometimes she wondered how the boy made it to Gryffindor.

The point was, Lily had six examples of boys. She remembered very clearly, the boys she had gone to school with and the attitudes they had had once upon a time. As a new mother of only twenty years of age, it hadn't been so shocking that she would make assumptions about her first child. How wrong she had been though.

Harry was quiet, but not with the internal superiority that Percy possessed, or the haughty attitude Severus once had. He didn't think he was better than everyone else and didn't spend his time thinking about it.

There was a calm air about him that had come along some time during his early years. He used to be very energetic and loud, but Lily remembered that changing drastically after the death of their first Kneazle. Harry hadn't been the same after her 'murder' and he'd become more pensive and less likely to act out. Harry's patience could put Bill to shame.

Intuition was something Harry had in abundance, more so that the twins could ever hope to have. Add on his creativity and he had outshone both boys easily by the time he had reached his early teens.

Charlie was known for having no sense of self-preservation, having nearly lost his arm once to a dragon he'd tried to calm down. Harry had more passion for his line of work than Charlie, and his inherent faith in creatures and animals put him at risk half of the time. After all, her son was currently sharing space with the Runespoor that used to belong to Hogwarts. In her opinion, he'd taken Charlie's most prominent traits and then enhanced them to the maximum, putting himself in perpetual danger all the time.

There was not an ounce of laziness in Harry's character. He was nothing like Ronald Weasley and Lily was secretly glad for such.

Harry was his own person and it had taken a lot of time for her to realise that. She knew it well enough now, but sometimes he would just up and doing something that she wasn't ready for. Like walking into the kitchen of his childhood home, wearing the Dark Lord's familiar like she was a scarf, and asking his mother about how he was going to surprise his intended for his birthday.

Sometimes it was hard to remember that Voldemort was human. That he was a part of a culture and race that celebrated their day of birth each and every year. So she had never given much consideration to the man's birthday nor had she ever thought she would have to. But her son looked slightly panicked and she couldn't just leave him to figure it all out on his own. What sort of mother would she be if she did that?

So Lily did what she thought was best. She put the kettle on, summoned some biscuits that had been picked up from her favourite London bakery, and sat him down at the kitchen table. It was time for a chat.

"How has he done so far with your… 'wooing'?" she asked after a moment of silence. Harry had been insistent on Voldemort earning the right to his hand as payment for the tournament. Her son hadn't tossed the plan aside simply because he was now Consort Slytherin. If there was one thing that was constant about Harry, it was his stubborn attitude.

"He's trying, which I appreciate a lot more than I thought I would. We've had lunch at my place, although Nagini had sort of crashed our 'date'. It was still fun, and we ended up talking about some interesting topics. Also, he likes to tease a lot more than I thought he would, and he's very receptive to teasing in return."

The thought of Harry literally teasing the Dark Lord in any manner almost made her ill. And she knew very well that both were highly receptive to each other at least on a basic level, if she remembered that morning in the hospital wing correctly. The two were at least on a friendly level and with the stress and drama out of the way, their relationship had lightened considerably. So she knew that to an extent that they got on, but it was hard to ignore the fact that it was Voldemort her son was flirting with!

"Anyway, Voldemort is actually trying in this, and I think it's only fair that I do something too. I mean, I've never been adverse to the thought of marrying him, and now that I know him even better than before, I really wouldn't mind, it's just that I need to know that this isn't a passing fancy and that he is actually interested."

She could understand that desire. Lily had once done so with James, to make sure that she wouldn't just be another one of his many conquests. Or that he didn't simply view her as a prize to be won simply because for a time, her friendship with Severus had been on the rocks. It had taken almost two years for James to prove himself fully and Lily had finally relented because she'd truly fallen for him. James had actually changed for the better, which was how she knew that he was genuine. So Harry going through the same sort of testing period with his own… possible-future-husband, was a bit of an eye opener. Human nature never really changed, did it?

Harry took a sip of his tea and sighed. "I have made it more than abundantly clear that I find him attractive."

Lily was certain that everyone had made such clear to the man.

"Not the way you are thinking, mum," Harry clarified. "His glamour is good looking I suppose, but I'm talking about his real form. While I won't tell you much, just know that it is humanoid at the very least and that I find it infinitely more appealing than the glamour."

'Humanoid' meant human shaped at least, but not human-like in appearance. What the bloody hell did Voldemort truly look like? She could recall Harry telling her about Magical Transmutation and snake-like features back when he was under the assumption that Voldemort was playing with his feelings over the whole Seventh Task situation. Voldemort had probably done something for his body to have mutated until it didn't look exactly human anymore.

Add in the 'snake-like creature' description, and she had an idea of a sort. The Dark Lord was more animalistic in appearance and Harry liked that more than his glamour of an attractive, young man. An off sort of fetish, but not one she would say anything about. She would prefer not to think of her son's sexual activity at all if Hecate be merciful.

"I know him pretty well now," Harry went on to say, "but I'm still so unsure of what would be a good gift. He insists that he hates his birthday and Nagini insists that it's because he never had anyone who wanted to celebrate his birth. Between the orphanage, the second World War, and Hogwarts, he's had no one during his entire life to be there for him, so he doesn't really see it as something amazing to be celebrated."

Lily was feeling some form of pity for Voldemort, the greatest Dark Lord in history. Despite some of the things he'd done and the attitude he carried around in general, not even she would want a child growing up in such a place during such a time. It probably affected him on a deeper level than even he assumed. She never thought the words 'pity' and Voldemort could be in the same sentence. However, his stances on Muggles made more sense now that she considered his upbringing and the influence it probably had on his psyche.

This was not her day.

"Voldemort cares about his heritage," said Lily. "From what I've gathered from everything Albus has ever told me, is that Voldemort is very reliant upon image and reputation."

Her son nodded very insistently, eyes wide. "He is. He's pretty vain in his appearance and his mutation causes him severe dysphoria, which is why he hides beneath a glamour and can't seem to understand that I like his appearance. He's self-deprecating at the worst of times, and merely sarcastic at the best of times. It's frustrating and elicits strange emotional responses within me."

"And Voldemort cares a lot about the welfare of the magical world, the safety of magical children, and the connections Magical Britain has managed to establish ever since he took control. He has compassion in his own way and views the world from a specific lense that I will never understand," she concluded seriously.

Harry nodded solemnly. "I've been trying harder than anyone but he keeps shocking me with revelation after revelation. I don't know how much more I can take."

Harry wasn't the only one.

"You probably know him better than anyone does."

Nagini's head lifted and a long stream of hisses erupted from her mouth. Harry had to place a hand over her open mouth to halt the explosion.

"Nagini insists that she knows him better than anyone because he was 'still a hatchling' when he found her in Albania. Nagini is like the only mother-like figure he's ever had."

That would explain the man's behaviour very well in fact. How odd. Also, the serpent was incredibly intelligent and Lily had to be wary of what she said in front of it if it understood English so very well.

"Nagini thinks he would enjoy anything that came from me, because it's me. I would still prefer to give it some thought instead of just buying him some casual gift. I mean, he'd given me a birthday gift and two Yule gifts in the past year, and all were ancient tomes that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin, and all were very well thought out gifts about creatures and such. So it's sort of a personal thing now. Once Nagini told me, I was just filled with a need to give him something. I can't decide what it should be though, because what can you possibly give the greatest Dark Lord in history?

"It's not like I can give him a chance at a real childhood or anything, so what could have meaning for one such as he?"

How indeed?

"Perhaps it would be best if you gave him something personal but don't tell him it's for his birthday until the end of the day or your time together. If he truly doesn't like his birthday, then bringing it up early on in the day would probably ruin the mood. Tell him in the evening after whatever you do, whether it be dinner, an outing, or something else you can think of, but make sure you are honest and sincere with your desire to make it a good day.

"You don't feel like you are being cornered, do you? Like you have to please him?"

"No!" Harry said quickly. "Last year my answer would have been different, but this year I find myself wanting to make him genuinely smile. Not one of those annoying fakes one that he used at the Yule Ball. Rarely does he have reason to just smile and I kind of like being the only person he smiles at."

There was a blush spreading across his cheeks and a wiggle of his shoulders that Lily could understand somewhat. There was a sort of possessiveness there. Harry liked Voldemort to an extent and after a year and a half of having the Dark Lord's continued attention, he'd grown used to being wanted. As Voldemort was different when not in the public eye, Harry had probably seen more sides of the man than anyone else save for his snake.

Being liked by someone who seemed to detest everyone around him, had to give one a sort of high. So Harry's minor obsession with collecting the Dark Lord's true smiles and being the focus of his happiness, while a little odd, wasn't anything she hadn't heard of before. After all, James insisted that he was the only person to get Lily to Ugly Laugh and he took great pride in that fact. And Lily took pride in knowing James' sensitive areas better than even Sirius did.

It was a relationship thing and Harry had fallen into it without noticing.

She felt so old, sitting there and discussing her son's burgeoning addiction to garnering Voldemort's positive attention.

Some things people were ready for when they became parents, others simply came at them without warning. It was by grace and patience, than Lily could be the solid rock her son needed, even if it wasn't doing much for the situation at hand.


"I was not ready for this when I decided to become a parent!"

Rigel sighed and rolled his eyes. Of course his brothers just had to come and ruin what could have been a calm afternoon, by telling his mother that he had gone to visit his twins. And now he was sitting at their kitchen table, his mother on his right while George and Fred were sat on the opposite side of the table.

His mother was overreacting. So what if the twins were genuinely interested in him and hadn't been playing with his feelings? They had been kissing her arse for the past few months in order to stay on her good side! For almost five months! How could she have thought that they were being dishonest when they had basically given her an extra ten percent of their shares from their business, all to prove themselves?

"I never once thought that the Weasley family would be connected to my name!" the woman blustered, looking more shocked by the minute.

George tsked and shook his head. "One of our great-grandfathers and some of our distant aunts are Blacks. We're like second cousins or something. We'll make a good mix, don't worry. The Weasley ethic is pretty strong in us and out family is known for intense fertility."

Rigel buried his head in his arms, deciding that he wanted to go up in flames right there and then. His mother had decided to take advantage of the twins' interest before it died out. She didn't count it actually remaining strong and thriving. She didn't even consider the fact that it would be a Weasley/Lestrange/Black mix should the relationship progress any further in the next few years. And the casual talk of such private matters at the breakfast table was so scandalous! Especially to the Lady of a Most Ancient and Noble House!

And now his mum had realised how serious this was.

Fred grinned, foolishly not sensing any sort of ill will in the air. He was too optimistic in Rigel's humble opinion. It was adorable at times, but right now, not so much.

"You can come over for Christmas dinner and meet our parents!"

That day ended up being the first time he'd heard his mother swear. He'd also been bribed into not telling his father by getting permission to go to the Weasley Christmas Dinner, plus a chaperon-less trip to Diagon Alley any time he so chose.

He would gladly take it. After all, it worked in his favour more than hers.


Sev,

I am going to need all the alcohol in the world in order to do this. Harry came to me
for romantic advice about the Dark Lord. You will never understand how awkward that
was to sit in the kitchen and discuss the man's sexual attractiveness with my own
offspring! But sit I did, and Harry basically unloaded months and months of pent up
feelings on me all at once.

I was not prepared and there was no way I could have predicated the discussion. In fact,
I didn't think that Harry would really go along with the whole engagement to begin with,
since he seemed so fixated on making Voldemort work for the right to his hand. I was
thoroughly proven wrong, because Harry does in fact pay a lot of attention and has
given this much thought.

I also feel like we should have attempted to reach him a little more. Harry has always
preferred solitude to everyone else and we learned very quickly that forcing him to interact
with others that he didn't willingly go to, wouldn't benefit anyone. So we left him to
his own devices, which ended up with him being secluded for a good part of his childhood.
If we had tried to expand his world a little more, maybe he would have been better
equipped to handle someone's romantic/sexual interests.

I just hope we didn't fail him, because in the end, I couldn't help all that much and I
feel horrible.

Lils.


Lily,

You are in fact, a wonderful mother. Mr. Potter is one of the few students I've ever taught,
that did not annoy me or curry my displeasure. One does not raise a child like him and be a
terrible parent. It is simply not possible for him to have grown up so modestly without your
positive influence in his life. I shudder to think of how he would be if you hadn't been there
for him.

Mr. Potter is a growing, young man who is experiencing things a little later than his peers.
This is for many reasons that are beyond anyone's control and you cannot place blame on
yourself.

1.) He has anxiety and does not like to be around people. He physically seems incapable of
socialising with others he is not familiar with for an extended period of time. His patience
runs thin and then he becomes frustrated and feels unwell. And if exposed to the situation
for any large amount of time, he will start to feel mentally drained. His First year at Hogwarts
demonstrated that perfectly if you recall.

He had to be administered to the Hospital Wing multiple times for calming and invigoration
draughts because he refused specific potions meant to aid him. Magus was nothing like
Hogwarts because it wasn't a boarding school. Children went in at eight and came
home at four via Floo Network. After years of acclimating himself to such an environment,
the sudden shift of not having privacy once classes were finished for the day, and being
exposed to his peers on a constant basis without a moment to breathe, had left him unwell.

Mr. Potter was simply never going to be one of those people who like social interactions. And
there is nothing wrong with that.

2.) Your son is an Orator and can speak to animals and creatures any time he so chooses.
It is a common fact that magical children who are born with the skill of understanding and
speaking an animal tongue, tend to pay attention to that animal more than others. The Dark
Lord has always been fascinated with serpents for example. Because his attention was
always spread in various directions from being surrounded by animals and creatures, Mr.
Potter had to learn how to split his attention properly.

In his mind, 'properly' leans more toward animals and creatures and less toward an even
divide of his attention. Once again, not a problem.

3.) The tragedy in his early years influenced him heavily, where he determined that people
in general were not worth his time. He suffered a traumatic event at the hands of other
children and never truly got through it. Add in his anxiety and his adoration of animals and
creatures, and the choice to avoid people seems obvious if one looks at it from his perspective.

There is nothing wrong with being a late bloomer. In his mind, he had more important
things to consider. His future being the most prominent concern. Also, he is rather dense
at times, having not understood when he was being propositioned on countless occasions.

Sometimes it is best for young people to figure things out on their own, and the fact that
he came to you for assistance shows how high he holds your opinion and knowledge. Even
if you could not help like you wished, he knows that you support him, and that is just fine.
You tried your best and sometimes that knowledge is good enough. You raised a fine child,
so do not ever think you failed him.

He is fortunate to have you.

Now let us do away with these intrusive thoughts and focus on matters of a more grave
nature. What are we going to do once Mr. Potter and the Dark Lord have children? I do
not fancy the idea of being a nanny, and you know that I will be the first person either will
think about. It's not as if Bellatrix gives off pleasant vibes that tell people to trust her with
their children. And Lucius and Narcissa have other things to be doing.

Basically, I am doomed to nappies and dummies. I had thought that after Draco, this would
never have to happen again.

Severus.


Sev,

Thank you.

On another note, I happen to think that you would make quite a fetching nanny. You seem
to understand children very well, have an abundance of patience that I can't hope to emulate,
and you know all manner of protective enchantments! Between the both of us, you would be
the best nanny!

On a more serious note, if I actually get a grandchild, I will be endlessly excited, no matter who
the sire is! As you know, James and I cannot have any more children because we are both
incapable. I had always hoped to give Harry a sibling. Magical Britain does not have an orphanage
though, and we could not adopt a muggle child, so he could only busy himself with animals.
Sometimes that was a good thing. Imagine the terror a sibling would have felt when their big
brother walks into the kitchen wearing a deadly snake like a scarf!

I never thought Harry would have children. Sometimes I used to wonder if he would ever get
married. It seemed implausible because of how distant he is with other people. And any time I
did consider his future, children never fit into the vision. I suppose with him preferring to be
solitary, I was easily convinced that he would not want children. And it isn't as if James or I
would force him into 'furthering the line'. While there may be no other Potters left, we both
don't like the idea of making it so that he has to have a child.

But if my Harry gives me another baby to dote upon, I will be happier than ever!

Lils.


Voldemort blinked when he felt the wards of his property, shake. Someone had just entered the grounds. Someone with permission had just entered the grounds. Someone he had to be close to had entered the grounds, though he couldn't feel them out exactly. Still, if it was one of his Knights, he would tell Vashti to tell them he wasn't home.

After calling the Elf and informing her of his wishes, he went back to writing out the long and tiring list of names that he'd gathered from St. Mungo's of the beings that suffered because of the pandemic. As the community had managed to escape the situation as a whole, it was to be considered a victory, and what did people want when there were victories? Trophies, plaques, awards, medals, or even monuments.

And so a monument was to be erected and the names of those unfortunate enough to have been caught by the pandemic, would be listed thereon. In remembrance as well as a reminder of the event that forever changed dozens of families across the nations. Still, it didn't feel like it was enough.

There was a knock at the door and he blinked. So it was in fact, not a Knight.

"Enter."

When Harry Potter stepped into the room, Nagini wrapped around his shoulders, Voldemort's jaw almost dropped. Harry had willingly come to Voldemort's home all to see him? Something inside of him was pleased at that. Not often did he get visitors who simply desired to visit him.

Nagini waved her tail in greeting, and he sent her a displeased look. She had been missing for days and he had assumed that she had either gone hunting in the forest around the manor, sneaked off with Lucius to terrorise the man's House Elves, or somehow found her way into Harry's home once again. He'd been correct to assume that she had left of her own volition.

Voldemort shifted a sheet of parchment to the side, having finished filling it out. "I do hope Nagini behaved herself."

Harry shrugged. "As much as Nagini is known to behave." He then snorted when Nagini's tail lifted in order to smack him across the head.

They shared a look of amusement, both extremely aware of the serpent's manner and temperament. Nagini reprimanded them for not appreciating her humour enough.

§I will have you both know that I am wonderful and you both would have dreadfully dull lives if it wasn't for me. I am the light of your lives and don't you ever forget such.§

With a roll of the eyes, Voldemort fixed Harry with his attention. "How many I help you, Harry?"

A small grin spread across the young wizard's face. "I need you to come with me for a bit."

"Why?"

A roll of the eyes. "Do I question you when you come to call?"

"Yes," Voldemort stated bluntly, remembering quite well how he was greeted by his soon-to-be husband over the past year and a half. Harry still remained the only person to insult him and live, as well as the only person to tell him he wasn't as special as he thought he was, and that he was a 'twat'. Often, the younger wizard whinged whenever Voldemort had gotten too near and would pout something fierce. It took on a more teasing tone as of late, but he still did it now and then.

Harry blushed, fidgeted, and then scoffed. "I still humoured you, so do me a favour and do the same, Voldy."

Sighing, the Dark Lord stood. No matter what, he was actually glad to have a distraction from all the work. He hated paperwork. "I think I'm beginning to miss Twat Waffle and Cockwomble."

Harry's mischievous laugh made him wary instantly. "Good to know that the Dark Twat appreciate my efforts."

He took it back. He took it all back.

Though Harry dragging him from the manor, by his hand, certainly made everything so much better, even if he didn't understand what was going on. And suspiciously, Nagini remained at the manor, giving no reason as to why she was not joining them. No insistence to come along.


"So why the sudden need to have dinner?" Voldemort asked as he placed a Royal Flush down. Yes, the Dark Lord was aware of Poker and had agreed to play. And he was also very good at it. Though since Harry had learned from Sirius, who was in fact, not good at card games, he probably shouldn't give the man too much credit.

Still, it was pretty fun the just sit there and enjoy each other's company.

"Because you can't be the only person reaching out in this- whatever it is that we have going on. And perhaps I just wanted to eat something other than a quick lunch with you."

Harry stuffed the cards back into one pile and proceeded to shuffle them. "It's touching that you've taken this seriously even if you don't understand everything. And the thing is, I don't really get all of it either, so we're both lost on proper manner and requirements and we have to build this relationship from the ground up since no prior experience has been had."

Voldemort nodded and accepted his cards. "I suppose that makes sense. The food was delicious and it was nice to know that you actually slaved over the food yourself."

"Remus taught me how to make a proper roast. It's by the blessings of Circe herself that my father never managed to interrupt those few lessons I had on cooking. Who knows what would have happened then?"

He would forever swear that Voldemort shivered at the prospect of Harry learning how to cook from his father. James wasn't really good in the kitchen, nor was Sirius. Both would have made an utter mess if they decided they were interested enough to look into it. It was a good thing that his mum decided to keep them away back then. She could understand their temperaments and knew what to do to keep them occupied.

"How is your family been doing after the recent scare?"

Astonishment made Harry gape, because he hadn't expected Voldemort to really care too much about people he didn't seem to have an opinion over. However, perhaps he didn't give the man enough credit after all. Harry had to stop making assumptions lest he make an arse of himself.

"They're fine now. Sirius finally proposed to Remus. The life and death part of the situation finally scared him into realising how much he really cared. I had literally been waiting for that moment since I was seven. Mum and dad seem to have been even closer having worked really hard to help out in any way they could. And while I miss Shelob, she was an old feline and wouldn't have lived for much longer anyway. I am simply grateful that the whole process didn't bring about pain, and that she was small enough for it to happen quickly and painlessly."

He missed her very much, like he did Ungoliant, but she had moved on to the Rainbow Bridge and eventually he'd see her once again, so it was fine. At least her joints didn't hurt anymore. And he had Nagini and the Runespoor, plus all the Hogwarts animals and creatures, and his clients to care for. So he wasn't without animal or creature companionship.

He arranged his cards in the proper order, hissing in annoyance when it became obvious that he would not be getting anything better and that Voldemort was probably going to keep his winning streak well into the evening.

"I apologise for being unable to truly assist you," Voldemort said, crimson eyes almost downcast. "It was by my own foolishness that I could not do right by Magical Britain, and I feel a strange sense of guilt from it." He looked physically pained to have to admit such a thing.

Voldemort felt guilt. Something Harry never thought he would hear in his life. But then again, his life had taken an interesting turn as of late.

"Guilt is not something common in my life and I do not like it." The admittance seemed to take every bit of Voldemort's strength to get out.

Voldemort set his cards down, once again beating Harry, who groaned. At the same time, he was endlessly amazed at the man's good fortune. "Voldy, guilt is not meant to be pleasant. It shows that you have feelings and are conscious of your actions. You aren't here to murder and torture people and when you learned of the threat to your home and the people residing within it, you were quick to get to work because while you like to act as if you are cold and heartless, you are anything but."

The Dark Lord shifted uncomfortably, his crimson gaze refusing to meet Harry's. And that was fine. Voldemort struggled to acknowledge his humanity and Harry would make sure that the man would eventually understand himself and not be embarrassed by his completely natural reactions to life in general.

"I don't blame you or anything. And if anyone blames you for what happened, then they're idiots."

That managed to crack a smile, Voldemort's thin lips pulling rather wide across his pale face. He had fangs and they weren't very long, but still visible. A fluttering in Harry's insides made him feel strangely warm and comforted. Because Harry had been the one to get Voldemort to smile like that. Not some pompous smirk, it was an actual smile. And it was a sign of victory.

"Now can we please get back to the part where you own my arse in this game?"

He dealt the cards once more and nodded to himself. He would win this one.

He did in fact, not win that one. Or any of the other games afterward. And yet he still enjoyed himself immensely. Also, the memory of Voldemort, garbed in his dark robes, drinking vodka and playing Poker, would forever be ingrained in Harry's memory and he wouldn't trade the evening for the world.


"Goodnight, Voldemort."

Harry was staring up at him as he stood in the foyer of the shop. The peculiar look on his face was one that Voldemort hadn't seen before. Confusion, but also slight apprehension. He didn't like it.

"Something the matter?"

"Not really. I'm just wondering how to do this right."

Before he could ask what 'this' was supposed to mean, Harry reached up, hooked a hand around Voldemort's shiny, bald head, and tugged the man down into what he realised was a kiss. A kiss from Harry. While Voldemort was in his true form.

There was no revulsion from Voldemort's forked tongue. Harry didn't shy away from his chilled flesh or absurdly thinned lips. His hand was gentle and his body was warm, a perfect juxtaposition compared to Voldemort who was all cold and sharp edges.

He felt light-headed and pleased, and strangely timid all of a sudden. The feelings mixing around inside of him allowed Harry to take the control, coaxing Voldemort into responding. And he was so unprepared for Harry to be the one to take this step!

When they pulled apart, Harry smiled softly at him, aiming those lovely eyes that narrowed far too dangerously for Voldemort's sanity.

"Happy birthday, Voldemort," said Harry quietly. "And if the future permits it, I will hopefully be here to make all the others just as happy."


A/N: Another is done!

-I have been doing some planning for the future of this fic. I have
many ideas. It's all a matter of somehow fitting them together in
in order to get a more cohesive ending. And even then, an ending
is still pretty far off.

How was it? Let me know!

Check out my other Harrymort fics!

See ya! :D

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