Chapter 1- Patching things up
Voldemort left to try and collect his horcruxes, not knowing that all but one had been destroyed. Luckily even if he found that information out, Severus could still patch him back together again. He knew the journal had been destroyed and that he had at times felt more off than usual before the battle at Hogwarts. He wondered if Harry had unintentionally been one as well. He left to go get the ring, locket and to later check back with Severus. He landed and immediately knew it was all for naught.
Voldemort solemnly apparated back to Riddle Manor, feeling overwhelmed enough to begin blasting at the decor in the room. That was how Severus had found him and cautiously gave him a calming draught. He had researched and found a solution while Tom had been gone, beginning the base of the potion. The potion would take until the next full moon to make, so it would be close to a month to perfect it. Voldemort would focus on trying to mend his mind and meditate while the potion had to brew for so long.
Three weeks had passed by, Severus attended to the potion and was waiting to bring it out to the gardens to get the moonlight as it needed plenty of it to work. Voldemort was pacing, glad when Severus told him the potion was ready to transfer outside. They both levitated the cauldron out to the back gardens, Severus carefully tending to it for an added three hours. Once it was midnight it was finally ready. Severus bottled the brew before following Voldemort to his bedroom, preparing for the transformation from the other potion that he had brewed two weeks ago to give Tom back his looks. It would be painful for both potions, thus Severus offered to put him under stasis once it was done so that he could recover.
The potions took a full week of Severus tending to Tom's needs while going through the changes while under stasis, mending the broken mind had to be the worst. Severus had hand bathed him daily to ease the magical fever he had gone through with the mind repairing. The fever had finally let up after a week, to Severus' chagrin. He had anticipated some type of trial but had hoped it would have been remedied sooner. Once Tom was deemed ready to be removed from the coma, Severus removed the stasis before waiting for his Lord to wake on his own, pacing most of the time.
After another painstaking few hours, Tom finally came to. Since Severus did not know what to expect, he had stayed in his chair to see firsthand how the potions worked. Tom at first had taken in the details of the room he was in, then noticed Severus. Instead of saying anything, Tom got up and shakily made his way to the chair Severus was still sitting in. Once he was beside Severus, he grabbed the book Severus had been reading before tossing it aside and planting himself in his lap. "I seem to have remembered everything, I'm sorry love. I have not been the best person to be around and for that I am glad the potions worked."
Severus and Tom decided to have a quiet night and catch up, Tom also needed more rest to heal at any rate. Severus was just happy his old Tom was back to himself.
It took over a month for things to go back to normal in the Wizarding World. Tom had volunteered to a trial for his misdeeds while having a torn soul and had claimed insanity. Lucius had helped to free his name and the remaining Death Eaters followed suit as well, though this meant most had to serve time for breaking out of Azkaban in the first place. Amelia Bones had granted Tom house arrest rather than Azkaban only because he had seemed remorseful and had many backing him up. Severus had Tom life with him and arranged to have a mind healer go there once a week, a ministry bi-weekly check-in as well to see his progress.
After a few months things finally died down and everything went back to normal, aside from Tom legally applying for Minister of Magic. Kingsley had filled in but was getting tired of the desk job and wanted to be out on the field once more. Tom was off of house arrest, not that it had been a bad thing. During the months on house arrest, Tom and Severus got reacquainted to most of the things they had missed. Though this time around they took things slower since Tom hadn't been used to feelings for quite some times and that had also deterred them from anything not platonic for a while. With the mind healer, Tom was becoming more used to emotions and identifying what each one was. This is what ultimately helped him bond with Severus again and to be given a fair chance at the Ministry.
During his house arrest Tom had also helped Severus with potions as he took up his own business while the school was being repaired. Severus' business was very busy most days after the war halted, mostly for those who had been injured or took part and had PTSD. The companionable silence of working together to brew the orders helped to solidify their bond as well, making them get used to having peaceful company. The Death Eaters who hadn't done the worst atrocities had also been able to avoid Azkaban as well. The Malfoys were often visiting Severus and Tom, having been some of the lucky ones for openly defying Tom at the final battle.
Everyone moved on and eventually regained their status before the war, even Draco had refused the marriage contract with the Greengrass' choosing to form a triad with Blaise and after much pursuing, they ganged up on Neville who had accepted. Pansy had found Luna a bit zany but otherwise adorable, though had her eyes on another who honestly was in a relationship that was doomed to fail as it was obvious to those around that Potter was not straight. Pansy also knew Ginny wasn't fully either as she had caught her on more than one occasion checking out Luna.
The school reopened after a few months of repairs, some of the seventh years went back to redo the year they did not complete while others got apprenticeships instead. Draco helped Severus and Tom with the Apothecary. Neville apprenticed with Professor Sprout but didn't redo his final classes. Hermione was one of the only students who went back for her final year that she had missed. Harry moped about not doing much of anything and nobody had blamed him for doing so once he had found Ginny making out with Luna and Pansy. He wasn't so shocked as he knew things were rocky at best and he was happy for Ginny once they announced they were in agreement to dating.
The Ministry allowed more use of Muggle devices, allowing the use of computers and cellular devices that tapped into the Wizarding Wireless Network. They regulated apps to be used as well, creating some like dating and messaging apps that were much faster than owl post or patronus messages. Severus and Tom, among the rest of the Wizarding World had to get educated on how to use the devices. These devices were also allowed for practical use at Hogwarts as well, implementing them in Muggle Studies as well. Once everyone learned how to use them, they realized why muggles loved them so much.
Tom had gone and gotten himself addicted to checking the apps constantly. Whenever he got a notification for something, he had to check it. He even had a group chat with the disbanded Death Eaters who were not in Azkaban. He frequented Wizbook and the other media apps but had questioned Severus before they had decided to try a Dating app. They both realized shortly into rekindling their relationship that they were both too dominant to submit to each other most of the time and agreed to see if they could find a third partner. Whenever either had felt vulnerable however, the other would try his best to console or look after the other. Tom rarely submitted but he had always looked out for himself above everyone else.
Since they had bonded more with Tom's healing among everything else, Severus had been sneaking around to surprise Tom. He knew Tom still had some troubles with emotions, but he still planned with two other ex-Death Eaters and they all knew it was going to shock and surprise Tom. Narcissa was anxious to know what Tom's reaction would be as she was aching to plan the events, if all went well.
Tom could tell something was up with everyone, even in the group chat they had been avoiding answering to Tom's suspicions. He had been wholeheartedly surprised when later Severus had gotten down on one knee and proposed. He had hesitated for a moment before accepting.
It had been a quiet affair, the Ministry officiated it while only their closest friends attended. By the night's end, both were exhausted from both being on the receiving end after two rounds of lovemaking to consummate their marriage before the night was through. Afterwards they discussed and decided to fully try that dating app and get a third in their life. They both agreed another male would be most preferable, one who would submit equally to both of them as they agreed. Thus, to the internet they went.
Hermione and Ginny both hounded Harry to start dating again after he had a few flings with men and had figured out his preferences now. Though he was stubborn and sulked and scoffed as he read the new front page headline from The Daily Prophet. He somewhat had been in contact with Severus since the war ended and thus set to owling him a congratulations on the wedding, trying not to feel sorry for himself as well. It seems even the Dungeon Bat has found someone and Harry had nobody.
