Disclaimer: THEY'RE ALL MINE!!!! sees lawyers swoop in to sue her on second thought maybe not. I OWN NOTHING BUT THE SNAPE CHILDREN!!!
A/N: Sorry about the extremely long time between updates. My labtop is an ass. So I hope you like this update. This will be from the third person perspective of Tom Riddle Jr. just in case you're wondering.
Lily Snape walked into the Slytherin Common room after her nightly visit with her parents and siblings. When she looked around, she saw that no one was in the room except for that strange Riddle boy. Now she had grown up around good looking guys, her fathers for example, but there was something about that boy that drew her to him. Maybe it was his deep green eyes, which at times seemed saddened, like they had seen things that no one else had. It had shocked Lily when she realized that she had seen the same look in her dad's eyes when he thought that her father wasn't looking. Lily had asked her Dad about it once and he had replied that it was memories about the war and how he had almost missed out on having such a wonderful family. Lily now wondered what had happened to the boy to cause him to have that look as well.
"Hello Lilian," Tom said, not looking up from his book.
"Hi Tom," Lily said brightly, moving to stand by him. "What are you reading?"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Snape said that I could do more reading about last week's lesson if I wanted to. So here I am."
"Are you always this polite or is it just me?" Lily joked. Tom looked up at her, that look in his eye again.
"It is the way I was raised. My caregiver was always telling me how great my father was, but now being around others my age, I'm starting to think he was truly mad like Professor Potter says," Tom confessed.
"Well maybe I can help. Who was your father?" Lily asked.
Tom shook his head. "You'd run screaming from me if I told you. I don't want that. You're the only decent Slytherin around here. Guess it comes from Professor Snape," Tom said, a small smile on his face.
"Well Dad was almost sorted into Slytherin, but he got some bad advice from Uncle Ron and he decided to go in Gryffindor instead," Lily said.
"Really? I never would have imagined Professor Potter as a Slytherin," Tom mused.
"Well it's 'cause of Father that Dad's now considered an honorary Slytherin. Sometimes he goes around in a Slytherin green and silver tie that he nicked from Uncle Draco. I think that Uncle Draco nicked one of Dad's ties because I heard him talking about it once."
"I never would have thought that a Malfoy would get along with a Potter," Tom said. Lily looked at him.
"Was your caregiver one of those people that think muggleborns are bad?" Lily asked.
Tom shook his head.
"No not really. I guess he had a good friend that was muggleborn but I think she died. He never told me her name but he was always talking about friends of his that he had lost. I was really young when he stopped talking about them though, so I can't remember their names," Tom said, lying. He remembered clearly what names Peter used to cry out in his sleep: James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily. And lately, in the last couple of years, Peter had become increasingly obsessed with Harry Potter, now Snape. Peter had practically blown the roof off of Riddle Manor when he found out about the wedding. Although Harry's new wedded state had done nothing to hinder the man's plans. In fact it seemed to push Peter to want to hurry up the plan. He still wanted Harry with a desperation that bordered on obsession.
"Oh," Lily said, disappointed. "Well I better get to bed. Dad would have my head if he found out I was up so late," she said, pointing to the clock above the mantel that read "Go to bed young lady!" "I'll see you tomorrow!" Lily ran up the stairs, waving at Tom as she left.
"Hmm…" Tom said, trying to make sense of the girl's strange behavior. True, the girl had never been cruel to him like some of the other students had; but Lily Snape seemed to be her own person when it came to the politics of Slytherin. She never seemed to care what the others in her house thought of her; then again, they all adored her. Hmm…perhaps becoming friends with the girl could help raise his status in the house. He shook his head at that thought. No, he had been manipulated enough as a younger child to know that he didn't want to do that to someone else. He let Peter believe that he was following the plan when in reality all Tom wanted to do was help keep Professor Potter away from his caregiver. He really knew of only one way. He must rely on all the cunning his father passed down to him.
Tom swept up the stairs and to his room where he was greeted with the snores of the others in his house. He sneered at the deep grunts of his nearest neighbor as he snored. He lay down in his bed and he started to plan. After all, he wasn't the son of Lord Voldemort for nothing. And by default, Peter had to listen to him because of that fact. Tom grinned, already thinking of ingenious ways to stop Peter from capturing his favorite teacher.
Three months later…
Tom sat in the abandoned Potions classroom doodling on a piece of parchment as he thought of how he was going to phrase the most important letter he had to write for that school year. Well, he might as well get on with it. The words started flowing as if he had planned it all.
Peter,
I am writing to you to inform you that I will not be returning to the manor with our guest in tow. I will in fact not be returing at all. I have been invited by Professors Potter and Snape to spend the winter holidays with them in their home and I have accepted. I thought that this recent development would help further our case rather than the other plan. I hope you are wll and I will inform you when I return to the castle.
Take care,
Thomas Marvolo Riddle Jr.
Tom sneered at the name as he finished the signature with a little flourish that Peter had always enjoyed. Unlike his father he didn't have an aversion to the name, he quite liked it actually. And surprisingly, after being raised by Death Eaters, Tom had no hate for muggles or muggleborns. He had a feeling it was due to his strange friendship with Lily. Also, what he had written to Peter was not a lie. Professor Potter had taken quite a liking to Tom after being really cautious the first couple classes. After that he had started taking quite an interest in teaching the young boy more about his craft. Professor Snape on the other hand, only recently stopped behaving like Tom had the plague. Tom didn't blame him; after all, Tom did know the identities of each and every Death Eater, past and present. Tom whistled for his owl Athena to come and take the letter. "Take this to Peter girl," he whispered. Athena nipped his finger then she took off though the special window created for just that purpose.
"Hey Tom," Lily said as she sat down next to him and pulled out her homework. "What are you doing?"
"I just sent a letter to my guardian asking him if I could stay with you guys for the holidays," Tom said, turning to look at the girl. "I really don't need his permission because he isn't actually my official guardian. Actually I'm all alone. No guardian, just him. I'm not even sure that the Ministry knows I exist."
"Sure they do. Every magical baby born is recorded in the Ministry's log book. I know because I was there with Uncle Draco when Chris and Alex were born. I saw the words just appear on the page: Christopher James Snape and Alexander Martin Snape. I was there when Olivia was born also. Dad and Father didn't want me here so I could worry. So they usually sent me out with Uncle Draco and Aunt Hermione." Suddenly she laughed. "Sorry, I'm babbling again. Father says I get it from Dad. So what are you working on?"
"Defense. I was thinking of working on the Expilliarmus spell for the final project of the term," Tom said.
Lily nodded. "Yeah it's good if you need to disarm someone. I was thinking of the Patronus charm."
"But that's really advanced magic," Tom protested.
Lily grinned. "Yeah, but Dad could do it in his third year. I was just going to research it for a while then try it. Remember Father said that we had to thoroughly research the spell, then at the end of the year we had to have made some progress. I'm hoping that I'll have at least an incorporeal patronus by the end of the year."
"You're nuts Lily," Tom said. Lily's grin faltered. "But that's why I like you." Lily's grin brightened until it made a mockery of the lamps that were lit.
"Thanks Tom. I like you too." And just like that they two were friends to the end. Tom was sure that to someone looking in, their friendship starting all of a sudden like that would have seemed strange, but Lily had heard all her life the wonderful tale of how her dad became friends with her Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. And it had happened just like that as well. Well…just as quick as fighting off a giant troll intent on smashing in Hermione's head that is. As for Tom…well he'd never had any friends. For all his life it was only Peter, Tom, and a few random Death Eaters that hadn't given up on the ideal of world domination.
Suddenly the entrance to the common room opened and Professors Potter and Snape walked in like a well choreographed team, which they were, and they walked over to where Tom and Lily were sitting. "Mr. Riddle, you wanted to see us?" Snape asked. Lily looked at Tom with questioning eyes and Tom shook his head at her.
"Yes sir I did. Is there anywhere the four of us might go where we won't be spied on," Tom said pointedly, glaring at one of the boys that shared his dorm who was hiding right around the corner. A squeak was heard as well as running footsteps. Tom sighed as he shook his head in exasperation. "I need to talk to you about the winter holidays," he said smoothly since he knew that some of the older students were either children or grandchildren of the Death Eaters who still clung to their old ideals. Snape and Potter exchanged looks and Snape nodded once and Potter turned back to Tom.
"Of course, Tom. You can come to our office and talk with us there," Potter said, motioning for Tom to get up. He quickly got up and before Lily could get up he pulled her chair out for her. Both Snapes raised an eyebrow over that though the children didn't notice. The four walked the short distance to the office that Potter and Snape shared, by choice not necessity. When they reached the door, Potter opened the door and all of them walked in. When the door was closed and the silencing spells that befitted a Head of House were in place once more, Potter turned to Tom. "So Tom, what did you want to talk about?" he asked.
"Well it sort of has to do with the winter holidays; I just said that in case someone was listening in."
"Well, what do you want to say?" Snape asked.
Tom looked down and he studied the floor for a moment until he could work up the courage to speak. "I am Lord Voldemort's son," he said quietly, hearing the expected gasp from Lily. He was confused however when he didn't get a reaction from either of the professors. He looked up and what he saw surprised him. He had expected to see anger or even hatred on the men's faces but he saw neither of those emotions.
"Yes we know," Potter said quietly. Lily looked at her dad in shock. "We knew ever since you told us your name at the Sorting. Why are you telling us this?"
"When my father died in the final battle my mother was only just pregnant with me. Nine months later, there I was, the bouncing baby brat of the fallen Dark Lord. I can assure you that after my birth, my mother killed herself for having brought that monster's child into the world. For all of my life I was raised by a few Death Eaters, including…Peter Pettigrew," Tom said, looking Professor Potter in the eyes. Potter gasped.
"But I thought he was killed in one of the earlier battles," Potter said.
Tom shook his head. "No that was another servant that went as him so to alleviate suspicions that he was alive. Four years ago Peter turned to me and he told me that he had a plan to finally get rid of you Professor Potter. I was to go to Hogwarts, become friends with Lily, invite her back to my home, and from there Peter would lure you to Riddle Manor in order to finally have you. He keeps telling me that it's a way to get back at you for killing my father, but I really know that he's completely obsessed with you. When you married Professor Snape Peter got royally pissed off and he started babbling a lot of stuff that made no sense to me then, but now it makes perfect sense to me. Professor, I don't want to trick you and have to kidnap Lily. Sir, I want to be on the side of good, not evil. I hate my father with everything I am and I've come up with a way to stop the Death Eaters once and for all."
"And how is that Mr. Riddle?" Snape asked.
"Father had a charmed journal that only those of his bloodline could open. It contains the names of every Death Eater past and present. It showed whenever one died, or when one betrayed him," Tom said, looking meaningfully at Snape.
"It would be a valuable instrument in bringing down the last of the Death Eaters," Potter said excitedly. "Severus, we could finally remove all threats to our existence."
"Not so fast Harry," Snape said, sharply. "What is your plan Mr. Riddle?"
"We wait a couple years until Lily and I are a little older. Then we could pretend to be dating. I bring her back to Riddle Manor, grab the journal, and the Aurors swoop in and capture all the Death Eaters. I could even order them all to be there to greet me and my girlfriend," Tom said, thoughfully.
"Why would they listen to you?" Potter asked.
"Every Death Eater was sworn to follow the Dark Lord and his decendents until the Death Eater's death. I'm sure those that still believe in the Dark Lord will still follow that promise. Am I correct Mr. Riddle?" Snape asked.
"Yes. Every time they see me they are always bowing and scraping. I think it finally might work to my advantage. By default, they have to listen to me."
"And if we agree to do this, what is in it for you?" Potter asked, quietly.
"I just want to be free of my father's legacy. To just be Tom Riddle, not Thomas Marvolo Riddle Jr. Is that too much to ask?" Tom asked. Once again Potter and Snape exchanged looks. Potter went and kneeled by Tom's chair. Once there he pulled the younger boy into his arms and he gave the boy what was probably his first hug.
"No Tom it's not too much to ask. I'm still trying to get people to forget that I'm the Boy Who Lived. I don't think we'll ever be truly free of what people expect of us, but we can live our lives like we want to, not how they want us to. I promise you that," Potter said to his pupil.
"You don't hate me for being his son?" Tom asked in a small voice. Harry pulled back and he smiled at the boy.
"Of course not. You're not your father, you're you. I have always believed in not punishing the child for the sins of the father," he said, looking at Snape meaningfully. To Tom's surprise Snape fidgeted a bit under that stare. Noticing Tom's curious gaze, Potter laughed a little. "He had trouble getting his head around that concept. For the longest time he was constantly punishing me for what my father had done to him when they were in school."
"But then I pulled my head out of my arse and I realized that I couldn't live without him," Snape said, kneeling next to his husband. Lily moved also and she sat on her Father's knee and she looked at her friend.
"I don't hate you, Tom," Lily said softly. Tom smiled at his only friend and his professors.
"We will help you Tom," Snape said, "we will help you rid the earth of filth that has been around for far too long."
"Thank you!" Tom said, hugging Potter tightly.
"If you want to, and only out of class mind you, you may call us Harry and Severus," Harry said.
"I'd like that," Tom whispered, yawning despite the early hour. Harry smiled at his husband and he stood up with the boy still in his arms. Severus opened the door that led to their private chambers and Harry placed Tom on the bed in their guest room, next to Lily's room. The twins had their own room, though they slept in their parents room most of the time and Olivia was still sharing a room with her parents. Eventually the guest room would become Olivia's but for now, it could be Tom's.
"You go ahead and go to bed sweetie," Harry said, kissing Lily on the forehead. Lily nodded and she went into her room. "Well this is going to be a fun couple of years," he said sarcastically.
"I can't wait," Severus said sarcastically. Harry kissed him gently on the mouth and the two walked hand in hand to their bedroom.
Across the country…
Peter Pettigrew sat in his fallen master's throne enjoying what he could from his young master's absence. He cared about the boy only as a means to an end, and if he was killed by the angry parents of young Lily Snape, well that would mean that Peter wouldn't have to worry about finishing raising the little brat. Suddenly Tom's owl Athena flew into the room and she landed on the arm of the throne. Peter quickly read the letter and an insane grin suddenly rose on his face. The boy's plan was perfect. He would intergrate himself into the girl's life, make her trust him, and then when the time was right, Peter would have Harry. His insane laughter floated along the halls, as he imagined all the ways he would break Harry when he finally had him in his grasp…
2nd A/N: Wow all that evialness from one little rat…hmm…naw, I despise him. There is no way I'm going to make him good in any of my stories. I'm kinda attached to little Tom now. I swear he started out evil and they as my fingers typed he turned good. smacks her muse It's all your fault. You made me make him good!
Tom Riddle: looking innocent I did no such thing. chuckles evially
Anyway, read and review please!!!! puppy dog eyes
