Hey! Thought I'd post the 12th chapter on the 12th! ;)
Thank you Gypsyrose98 and Anniiieh yet again for being my awesome and loyal readers! :)
WARNING: Some CP, violence aand...poor Tom.
He groaned, carefully rubbing his head. He still had a headache, and he felt like he'd just ran a marathon. Slowly, he opened his eyes, trying to get up- and that's when he noticed two things. One, he was in some kind of basement cell- a quite spacious cell actually, with a big bed in a corner, a desk and a chair, a table with more chairs, a small couch, a bookshelf filled with books, a small kitchen area, and even a tiny bathroom with a toilet and a sink, separated from the rest of the cell with some solid looking walls. And two, his right foot was chained to a sturdy metal ring in the wall behind him, allowing him about five steps of movement.
"Whatthefuck?"
"I see you are awake."
Tom turned around so fast his headache worsened, glaring at Aurelius, who was standing in front of the barred door, smiling at him like this was a complete normal occurrence- him being chained like a dog in some basement dungeon and Aurelius coming to visit him.
"What's this bullshit? I want…"
"Stop you right there, Thomas- you do not get to want anything anymore", Aurelius interrupted him, sounding casual, "and the faster you learn that I am in charge from now on, the easier your time down here will be for you."
For a few seconds, Tom just stared at him, and then his body stiffened, "do you really think you can lock me in here, just like that? You are not above the law, smugface."
"It's funny you of all people mention the law, Thomas", Aurelius replied, opening the door to his cell with a lazy wave of his hand, "you'd be in Azkaban for life or in one of Dumbledore's camps if we had not gotten you out of that maze last night- not that I am expecting any gratefulness for that from you."
"You chain me to a fucking wall and you talk about gratefulness?", Tom snarled, instantly stepping back when he saw the hated switch appearing in Aurelius' hands, "you…stay the fuck away from me with that!"
Aurelius sighed, knowing he was partly to blame for all this mess. He had been way too soft on the boy, he had let him curse, he had let him be demanding and rude- if he had trained Thomas from day one, he'd never run off to attack Dumbledore, he'd never dared to disobey him like that and put his own life in danger.
"That's two for the cursing", he informed the boy calmly, "you will learn how to talk nicely, Thomas."
"Fuck you!"
Aurelius sighed again, not surprised by the reaction. His father had warned him that training Tom would be a lot of work- and would require a lot of time and patience.
"That's three."
"Oh yeah? How about I make it four, you arrogant piece of shit!"
Aurelius leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, still holding the switch for Tom to see, "go ahead, let it all out, Thomas- just know that you'll regret every single rude comment you are making now later."
"You think you can scare me, asshole? After what Dumbledore tried to do? You are nothing but a kid, a nobody. You are a fucking joke."
"That's five now."
"Ooohh, boo-hoo, five with your fucking switch- I am already pissing my pants", Tom sneered, his expression showing pure hatred, "I am not scared of you, you little dumbass- and as soon as I figured out how to get this damn chain off, I'll fucking beat the shit out of you!"
"And that's six."
Tom balled his hands into fists, Aurelius' calm demeanor irritated the shit out of him, and he desperately wanted him to lose control, to get angry, too, "do your parents know what you are doing down here or are they too busy arguing about what a failure you are again?", he knew it was a low blow, but it seemed to have worked- because Aurelius' eyes instantly darkened, "you better not talk about things you don't know anything about, Thomas", he told him, his voice cutting, "and that's seven."
"Nah, let me correct you there- that's eight, failure."
Aurelius looked ready to explode now, and Tom smiled to himself, relishing in the fact that he had been able to get a rise out of the boy, "you don't like me talking about your Daddies? You think they gonna fight about custody of you when they get divorced, or you think they are both gonna be glad to push you off to the other one?"
He had definitely found Aurelius' weak spot- and he loved loved loved the fact how white the other boy had gotten, "I know I'd be glad to see you gone."
"Do you now, Thomas", Aurelius' voice had gotten cold, "well, that would also mean no food, no clean clothes, and no one to talk to, since I am the only one you are going to see for the next time coming."
"I rather see fucking nothing than you."
He got the sudden feeling his words had been a mistake when he saw the strange glint in Aurelius' eyes, "very well then- who I am not to grant you that small wish of yours, hmm?", he was smiling at him again, but his eyes were cold, "and that's ten- and I'll make sure to keep count of that, boy", and then he took out his wand, mumbling something, and Tom stumbled back, "wait, wha…", he was not able to hear the rest of his sentence, because suddenly everything became silent. Still. He knew he was moving his mouth, but no sound came out- and then something even worse happened.
I can't see! I can't see!
He felt like panicking now, his sight suddenly gone, along with his ability to hear or talk- he was blind, deaf, and mute now, trapped in his mind.
Fucking reverse that! Fucking stop! You asshole, you goddamn little asshole!
He wanted to lash out, to fucking punch Aurelius in the face, but he had no idea where the other boy was standing, and the chain kept him close to the wall with no way to move more than a few steps. He scrambled forward, fueled by nothing but raw fury, and he howled in shock when he suddenly felt a stinging pain on his backside where the switch had hit him. Right after, he got a soft tap to his cheek, just one.
You piece of shit! Fight me like a man!
He stumbled back on his feet, his blind eyes uselessly scanning the room, his ears unable to tell him where Aurelius was standing. He started another blind attack, and again, he got a sharp lick with the switch- and then Aurelius softly tapped his cheek, twice.
He's fucking counting, he's counting the damn licks!
Tom wanted to scream at him, tell him to stop this fucking shit, but no sound left his mouth when he was talking, and when he tried to lurch forward again, he fell to the hard floor, hissing in silent pain when he felt his knee getting scraped. He decided to take a break from attacking the other boy, knowing that right now, he'd only fail. He would simply wait until Aurelius reversed that damn spell again and then, there'd be hell to pay. Tom slowly scrambled back to the mattress he had woke up on earlier, humiliated by the fact that he probably looked like a retard blindly stumbling around, and that Aurelius was probably having a good laugh about him right now. Well, he'd be the last one laughing.
He exhaled in relief when he made it back on the mattress, the wall behind him giving him some weird sense of security, even though he was chained to it. It was horrible being blind and not being able to see what was happening around him. And, as Tom was about to find out, it was just as horrible not to be able to hear what was happening. He'd been sitting on the mattress for some time now, resting and thinking about what to do- when suddenly, out of nowhere, the switch struck him again- hitting him hard on his back, hard enough for him to cry out in pain and shock.
Whatthefuck?!
He felt the familiar tap to his cheek again, three times, but before he could smack Aurelius' hand away, the boy was gone again- or not?
I am done with this shit! I am so done!
First Dumbledore who had treated him like some toy he could play with, and now Aurelius- it was nauseating, and he was done with being pushed around like he did not matter, like everyone could just mess with him!
I'll show you, I'll fucking show you!
He waited another minute, staying absolutely still, trying to somehow locate Aurelius in the darkness and silence that surrounded him. When he sensed some movement to his left side, he lunged forward with his whole body in the hope to grab Aurelius and drag him down to the floor. And again, he crashed to the ground, causing his already scraped knee to bleed, and then he felt a movement to his right, so he went that way- but there was no one there, all he caught was air.
Godfuckingdamnit!
He bit his lips so hard they almost started to bleed as well, getting up again. He had not expected how much his lack of vision affected his sense of balance, knowing he must look like a drunk with his awkward movements. He didn't care about that at the moment, though- all he wanted was to get Aurelius. To hurt him. He felt something on his left arm, and he lunged forward in that direction, howling out in pain when the chain stopped him, causing him to fall down yet again. And again, he got right back up, even though his whole body was aching now.
"Stubborn boy…", Aurelius mumbled, even though he knew Tom was unable to hear him, "you want to go again? Alright- show me what you've got, big boy", he softly tapped his left leg with the switch, and before Tom blindly went that way, he stepped back, watching the boy crash to the ground again, seeing how he bit his lips in pain and frustration.
"All you are doing is hurting yourself, Tommy", he told him softly, "so much anger…we will have to get all that anger out first, hmm? And maybe after that you'll be ready to behave."
He kept teasing Tom with the switch, making him stumble around the room again…and again…and again. Tom was panting now, sweating, his eyes, even though he could not see, showing fury and determination, and Aurelius knew it was going to be a long day- but he also knew that eventually, Tom would give in. Right now, the boy was far from it- his whole body was covered in scratches, bruises and bleeding little wounds, his clothes were torn on his knees and elbows, his hair a mess, but he kept attacking, still not understanding that Aurelius was playing with him, that he was luring him in one direction to swiftly step to the other side.
"You are too angry to think, baby bear", he told the older boy after another failed attempt, "use your brain, Tommy- I know you are smarter than this."
Tom could not hear him of course, and he let out an angry sob, gasping for air. Aurelius knew the boy was probably dying of thirst, too, but that would have to wait. The next failed attack caused a big scratch on his left arm, and Aurelius could see that he was desperately trying to blink back the tears.
"I know…your pride again, hmm? But you will have to learn, Tommy."
This time, Tom stayed on the ground longer, and when he finally did get up and Aurelius gently tapped his right arm, Tom went tothe left. Aurelius had to laugh, "look at that- someone is learning", he still had plenty of time to move, the chain preventing Tom from getting too close, but he still felt proud of the boy. He would not let Tom really attack him, but he would help him to get all his anger out. He tapped Tom on his right and left arm at the same time when he scrambled back to his feet once more, and he could see Tom blinking in confusion, obviously trying to make sense out of that. After several seconds, he went straight ahead, and Aurelius smiled in approval, "smart boy- let's see if you can figure out this one, too", he tapped him on the left arm, and Tom blinked again, slowly walking to the right. He seemed to have understood now that this was a game and that he would not get to attack, at least not the way he wanted to.
"Good job- one more, baby bear", this time, he tapped him on his right and left leg at the same time, and Tom went straight ahead again.
Aurelius shook his head, "no, Tommy", he gently repeated the tap, knowing very well that the boy was not aware what they were really doing now- command training, "come on, show me how smart you are, baby bear."
He could see Tom sob in confusion, and he could see he was thinking hard- and after some more seconds, he hesitantly took a step backwards.
"Good boy, Tommy", he gave Tom a quick pat on his head to show him his approval, "come on, time to rest now", he lowered the switch, using it to gently guide the boy back to his mattress- he would not get to sleep in the big bed in the corner for now, the chain would only allow him to move between the mattress and the bathroom. Tom stumbled across the room helplessly, stretching out his arms to prevent himself from running into something, and Aurelius could sense him exhale in relief when he felt the mattress to his feet, and he went to lay down on it without prompting, obviously exhausted, sore, and hurt. Aurelius let a big glass of water appear with a quick wave of his hand, setting it on the ground next to the boy.
"Are you thirsty, Tommybear?", he asked, even though he knew he would not get an answer, and then he softly tapped him on the shoulder with the switch, signaling him that he wanted his attention. Tom tilted his head, but he did not get up, he did not react- and that was something he could not let slide. Not anymore. Aurelius sighed, repeating the command a little more forcefully, and this time, the boy did sit up, and Aurelius hummed with approval, "good boy- and good boys get rewards", he gently took Tom's right hand and moved it to the glass of water, seeing Tom's eyes going wide when he realized what it was. It made him smile when he watched Tom greedily emptying the glass of water to the last drop, and his smile widened when he saw the boy carefully placing the glass on the floor again, and then he curled himself into a small ball on the mattress, closing his eyes.
"Get some rest, Tommy", Aurelius told him softly, quite pleased with the progress they had made, "I'll be back soon, though- you do have seven more licks, unfortunately."
He got no response, of course not, so he went over to the big bed, making himself comfortable with one of the books. He never took his whole focus away from the boy, though- and when he saw Tom getting up and trying to yank the chain out of the wall about thirty minutes later, he knew it was time for another lesson. He waited until Tom had stopped, wanting him to feel somewhat safe, and then he delivered one hard lick with the switch, tapping his cheek four times right after. Tom screamed silently, scrambling to the wall, his eyes wide and fearful, and then he lifted up his hands, trying to protect his face.
"I know…you did not expect that, hmm?", Aurelius said quietly, hating this part of the training, "six more of that, and you'll be done for today, Tommy", he went back to the bed, watching the boy trembling and pressing his body into the wall in panic, his head anxiously moving from left to right.
Aurelius waited for about twenty minutes, and when Tom had calmed down, he calmly went over to him and delivered strike number five, tapping his cheek five times after. This time, Tom got angry again- which he had expected. He got another hard strike for that, number six, and then Aurelius went back to the bed again, picking up his book, watching a furious Tom yanking the chain with all his might out of the corner of his eyes. When Tom eventually stopped, he went back over to him, and he could see how tense the boy was- he knew this was pure stress for him, not being able to hear and see where the next blow was coming from, with no way to defend himself.
Initially, he had intended to drag this out all day, but he knew he would not be able to do that. He quickly delivered strike seven, and when Tom attempted to kick him, strike eight.
"There we go…two more, Tommy- almost done", he could see Tom howl in anger and despair, with no sound leaving his mouth, but the expression on his face showed what he was feeling, and then he yanked the chain again, his frustration growing by the fact that it wasn't budging.
"Shhh…you need to calm down, baby bear", he told him, "your anger is not helping you, why don't you see that?"
Tom was furiously yanking on the chain now, stomping his feet and punching his fists into the stone wall behind him, the chain rattling loudly with every move he made, and Aurelius recognized his behavior for what it was: A temper tantrum.
And he was not going to allow him to behave like that. Not anymore. Calmly, he went back over to the boy, turned him around in one quick move and delivered swat number nine, followed by the taps on his cheek. Tom silently screamed, shoving at him, and Aurelius' expression darkened, "naughty boy", he made the boy stumble down on the mattress with a hard shove, and before the boy was able to crawl away, he grabbed his pants, pulled them down in one fluid motion and then Tom got his last hard lick with the switch on his naked backside, causing him to buck helplessly.
"All done now, Tommy", Aurelius told him softly, letting his hand rest on the warm, exposed backside for a second, and as he had expected, Tom tried to curl himself into a ball from the humiliation, desperately trying to pull his pants back up with his hands.
"No, Thomas", the boy flinched when the switch hit him on his hand, but he immediately tried to grab his pants again, and Aurelius sighed, "so stubborn…no, Thomas", he got another, harder lick, and this one helped getting the message across because the boy howled in silence, pressing his injured hands against his body. He did not try to reach for his pants again.
"Good boy, Tommy", Aurelius mumbled, fondness in his voice. He waited about three seconds, and then he gently pulled his pants back up, showing him who was in charge.
Tom barely reacted to that, he just squirmed around on the mattress, but Aurelius could see he was close to tears again.
"You did well, sweet boy", he told him quietly, "I know this was hard for you- but you will have to learn, Tommybear. Dumbledore is out for blood now, and he won't give up until he has you again", he gently caressed Tom's hair while he told him all that, even though he knew Tom was unable to hear him.
Time to end part of his punishment.
Aurelius waved his hand, casting a quick spell which allowed Tom to hear and talk again- but not to see.
"Welcome back, Tommy", Aurelius smiled at the boy, "you are all forgiven."
"Wha…I…can't see. I want to see!", Tom stifled a sob, he felt humiliated, confused, and hurt, "you…you hit me!"
"You got ten licks for being rude and for cursing, just like I told you you'd get", Aurelius kept his voice even, "and I am not going to give you back your vision- not yet."
Tom howled in despair, "you can't let me stay blind like this! I need to see! I need to! This is awful, this isn't fair!", he was choking on tears now, "what the hell do you even want from me?"
"To stop cursing would be a start", Aurelius replied calmly, "and I already told you that you do not get to make demands anymore. You will stay like this until I decide you have earned privileges- and so far, you have only earned the right to hear and speak again."
"Seeing is a fucking privilege now?", Tom let out a bitter laugh, "same as being able to move more than five fucking steps or why am I chained to this wall?"
"That's one for cursing", Aurelius responded, his voice still very calm, "and to answer your question- yes, you will have to start trying to earn those privileges back."
"How?"
"By behaving, Tommy- it's as simple as that."
Tom snorted, a scowl on his face, "you are a sadist, you know that, right?"
"Takes one to know one", Aurelius replied, amusement in his voice, "now, are you hungry? It's way past lunchtime already."
The boy stayed silent for several seconds, biting his lips, but eventually, he gave in, "yeah. How am I supposed to eat without seeing anything, though? That's not gonna work."
"I'll feed you, Tommybear", Aurelius' voice was soft, keeping a close eye on the older boy, since he knew this part was going to be critical.
Tom froze.
Why don't you try it- I bet you might actually enjoy it.
Not a chance. I don't eat any vegetables. They are all gross.
This one isn't- I promise. Come on, just one bite- and if you really hate it, I'll make it up to you.
The day Aurelius had fed him that slimy vegetable, how pleased he had been…and then he remembered more, more things Aurelius had said, and all of those things now slowly came together as one- forming one horrifying truth.
You will learn to obey me, Thomas
Being in charge does not necessarily have to do with being older
I asked you a question, Thomas, and I expect an answer from you
Kneel for me, Thomas
I knew you could be a good boy for me
I always reward good behavior, Thomas
He quietly started to cry, remembering something else- him being at the owlery with Gryffindor, and him asking about training the owls- and Gryffindor's response.
You can train about anyone or anything, Tommy…all it takes is lots of patience, clear commands, and a reward system.
"That…that's why I am here?", tears were streaming down his face now, and he was unable to stop them, "for…training?"
Aurelius crouched down in front of him, a soft smile on his lips, "yes, Tommy, that is why you are here."
He had expected Tom to figure it out at some point, especially since he already had fed him once- but back then, the boy had not known what it had meant, that he had been in training already- the light version of it. Tom's sobs got more frantic at his answer, the realization what that meant for him dawning on him. He had thought he'd be out of here in a few days, to be able to leave this cell, but training meant he would be here for weeks, maybe even months, being completely and utterly at Aurelius' mercy.
"I…I don't…want this", he finally croaked out, his voice thick with tears, "I want…to go home."
"Your home does not exist anymore, little bear", Aurelius replied calmly, "it burned down, remember?"
"I…just build it back up!", Tom was openly crying now, "I am an adult, I am eighteen, you…you can't train me!"
"You won't have a choice in that matter, Tommy", Aurelius' voice was still very calm, "after all, had I trained you the old fashioned way from the day I met you, this would never had happened- you'd never have been disobedient and reckless enough to go out there and attack Dumbledore. I wanted to ease you into training though, and that was clearly a mistake."
"Ease me in by making me kneel, and…and switching me, and forcing me to beg you?", Tom turned his head towards the wall, hating the fact that Aurelius saw him so vulnerable, "you…you really think…I…I am just going to let you do all that to me?"
"No, I don't", Aurelius responded evenly, "I know you will fight me, Tommy- but I also know that at some point, you'll be wanting to be my sweet boy, and you'll be wanting to obey me."
Tom snorted, his head still facing the wall, "not…in a million years!"
"I am only expecting it to take a few weeks, actually", Aurelius informed him casually, standing up, "now, it's time for lunch- and after that, you'll take a nap."
"I am not letting you feed me."
"You will if you don't want to stay hungry, baby bear", Aurelius simply said, letting a plate with white bread and chicken, already cut into small pieces, appear in his hands, "open wide, Tommy."
Instead of obeying, Tom pressed his lips together tightly, his face crunched into the wall. He was certainly not going to humiliate himself in front of Aurelius any further- he'd rather starve. Aurelius waited several seconds, and then he repeated the command, using the switch for encouragement, "open wide, Tommy."
"Screw you."
"That's two- and suit yourself. We'll try again for dinner later", Aurelius told him, "time for a nap then- do you need to use the bathroom before I swaddle you?"
Tom's face turned dark red with shame, and Aurelius knew this was mortifying for the boy- but he would have to learn that he was not in charge of most of the decisions regarding his own life anymore.
"I don't want to be swaddled."
"That's not what I asked you, Thomas", his voice had gotten harder, "now, do you need to go, yes or no? You will most likely nap for an hour or two, so I'd be very careful with what you are going to answer me."
There was a silence.
"Yeah, I guess."
"Yes, Aurelius", Aurelius corrected him calmly, using the switch for encouragement again, "you know very well how to answer me."
Tom took a deep breath, his hands balled into fists. He wanted nothing more than slap the shit out of the younger boy, but fact was that he was blind and chained to a wall, and that Aurelius was holding the damn switch, "yes, Aurelius", he replied with clenched teeth, his tone bordering on rude, but Aurelius knew how to pick his battles with the boy by now, "alright, let's go then. I'll show you the way. The door closes, so you will have all the privacy you need."
"Maybe I should just stay in there then", Tom snarled, "some privacy from you would be fucking nice actually."
"Careful what you wish for, Tommy- and that's three."
"I don't care."
Aurelius stifled a smile at his sulky tone, sensing another episode of mental regression happening soon, which only showed him that the boy was indeed exhausted, but he would make sure he would have a good nap. He planned to put him down for a nap after lunch every day from now on, knowing how important a routine was for efficient training. He easily pulled Tom up, even though he was three years younger than him, "let's go, baby bear", Tom followed him reluctantly, obviously hating the fact that he had to trust Aurelius now to not run into something. He exhaled deeply when he heard the bathroom door close behind him, and then he slowly felt for the toilet, lifting up the lid. All of this was a nightmare, one that he could not wait to wake up from. He peed and flushed the toilet, and then he stumbled back to the door, opening it carefully.
"Did you wash your hands, Tommy?"
"Seriously? Why the fuck…", he yelped in surprise when he could feel the stinging pain of the switch on his backside, "I am honestly getting tired of your foul language, Thomas", Aurelius' voice had gotten cold, "and you still get three licks from earlier, don't you think I forgot about that. Now, let's go get your hands nice and clean- the way I want you to clean them from now on", he dragged Tom back to the sink, turning on the hot water, "we are going to do this every time you disobey me about washing your hands, Thomas", he made Tom stand right in front of the sink, the boy instantly beginning to struggle.
"Settle, Thomas", he used the switch for encouragement again, and after three times of repeating the command, Tom finally calmed down.
"Good boy, Tommy", he grabbed his hands and forced them under the hot water, "let's get you clean, baby bear."
Tom howled as soon as his hands came in contact with the heat, trying to pull back, "stop! It's hot! It's too hot!", this reminded him of something, but he could not put into words what exactly it was, but he needed this to stop, "oooowww!", he cried out when he got the switch again for struggling, "no! It's hot, it's hooooot!"
"You better remember that the next time you want to act out and refuse to wash your hands", Aurelius responded calmly, reaching for the soap with one hand while he held the struggling Tom with the other, and then he gently started to put soap on Tom's hands, Tom howling from the agony of the hot water pouring down on them, "stop! Hurts! It hurts!", he was stomping his feet again, tantruming, and Aurelius just hummed, taking his time. He was determined to let Tom figure this out on his own, knowing that the pain would be quickly making him want to surrender. Tom was having a complete meltdown now, crying and screaming and squirming, trying everything he could to get away from the heat, and all Aurelius had to do was patiently held his hands under the hot water- until the pain eventually became too much.
"Please…it hurts, it hurts, Aurelius!", Tom was sobbing now, "please stop, please!"
Sweet boy.
"Thank you for asking nicely, Tommy", he told the boy, feeling quite pleased, "now, let's get those hands washed, hmm? Show me what a big boy you are."
Tom flushed with shame, but he slowly rubbed his hands together, which were an angry red from the heat, and then he slowly scrubbed the soap in, obviously hating this.
"Good boy", Aurelius praised him softly, "almost done- let's turn the water on again…", he could hear the boy sob anxiously at that announcement, but he did not move, and Aurelius smiled, turning the cold water on, "and then, we get all the soap off", he gently pushed Tom's hands under the stream, hearing him exhale with relief, the cold water soothing on his burning hands.
Aurelius grabbed a towel and dried off his hands, "all done- ready for your nap now, Tommy?"
"I don't need a nap. I am not tired."
"You don't have to sleep- but you need to rest, baby bear", he knew the morning had been a lot for the boy- mentally and physically. Training was hard work for both sides, he was actually pretty exhausted himself, and he knew he was in for another fight when it was time to feed Tom his dinner. He carefully led Tom back to his mattress, the older boy not saying a single word.
"Lay down, Tommy."
Aurelius sighed when the boy did not react, gently tapping his backside with the switch, "lay down, Tommy."
He had to repeat the command three more times before Tom finally obeyed, and as soon as he was laying down, he started to tightly wrap him into the blanket, but of course, Tom fought him, trying to kick his feet and trying to move.
"Settle, Tommy."
It took four encouraging taps with the switch until the boy was finally calm enough to get swaddled, and as soon as he was tightly secured in the blanket, Aurelius stood up, "sleep tight, Tommybear."
"I won't. I won't sleep. I am not a baby", his voice was cracking, and Aurelius could see he was barely holding it together at this point, "this is all…you'll regret this, Aurelius. All of it."
"Shhh…quiet time now, Tommy", Aurelius went over to the big bed, "I'll be back later", he did not want the boy to know he was staying, knowing that he'd never fall asleep with him nearby- his pride again.
Tom did not respond, he simply turned his head to the side, the only part of his body he was able to move, and pressed his lips together. Aurelius kept watching him silently for a while, not making any sound, so the boy would assume that he really had left. It took about twenty minutes, and he could see that Tom was fighting it- every time he started to get drowsy and blink his eyes, he abruptly forced them open again.
Stubborn, prideful boy.
Eventually, the security and warmth of the blanket, along with his exhaustion, won the battle, though- and Tom feel asleep, his whole body relaxing. Aurelius watched him, a small smile on his lips, "have some wonderful dreams, sweet boy", he said quietly, "I know this is hard- but it will only make you stronger, Tommybear- and you'll need to be strong for what's waiting out there for you…"
"What the fuck is this here?", he had walked down the hallway and eventually made it to the office area- and then he had entered the one with Dumbledore's name on it, not even bothering to knock.
Dumbledore looked up from the document he was reading, his lips curling into a smug smile, "ah, yes, Sirius Black- I am glad you agreed to take this job."
Sirius snorted, "I did not agree to anything. Thompson screwed me over, and two of his thugs brought me here. I have no interest in working for you, Dumbledore- especially after you sent your little assassin after me."
Dumbledore just waved his hand like this was old news, "a mistake. Mikhail was clearly not up for the task…you on the other hand, you have a talent, Sirius Black. A real talent."
"And what's that supposed to be?"
"A talent to fight. A talent to kill", Dumbledore's eyes were gleaming now, the expression on his face showing his excitement- and his arousal, "and my wardens are getting bored- the entertainment here is quite limited as you can imagine."
"You keep me out of your sadistic little games, Dumbledore", Sirius replied, disgust in his voice, "I am sure most of these people in here are innocent, and I saw a few of them earlier- they need medical attention, they need…"
"Of course, of course", Dumbledore sounded bored, "I am sure all that can be arranged. You are only here for our campers in Block C- and one of your old friends is waiting for you there already."
Sirius tensed, "who…is waiting for me? What the fuck am I doing here, Dumbledore?"
"You are here for the entertainment, Black- mine and the wardens. You will find a small arena in the hallway between Block B and C which is all you need for your job. I expect you to work every night for two hours at least- which means you will have to drag it out a bit."
"Drag what out?"
For the first time since he had been here, Dumbledore looked impatient, "I thought my instructions to Thompson were clear? The campers in Block C are eating too much, whining too much, and they are just a waste of space in general. You are here to get rid of them, one by one."
"You…you want me to kill them?"
"That's what I just said, didn't I?", now Dumbledore sounded very impatient, "your first day of work is tonight, I am expecting you to start in an hour actually. I prepared a room for you in the warden's block, which is Block E. You will find it by going down this hallway, and then make a left", he told him all that without emotion, making it clear he was not here for small talk, "now, go. I have work to do, Black."
Sirius gasped, taken aback by Dumbledore's rude dismissal, "I already told you I'm not agreeing to this! I'm not going to fight anyone who doesn't agree to a fight on his own free will!"
"Just like Malfoy, right?", Dumbledore sneered, "you can stop pretending you are holier-than-thou with me here, Sirius Black- we both know you are nothing but a violent, sadistic drunk."
"That's…"
"Accurate", Dumbledore finished his sentence, his voice cold, "and if you don't want to find yourself on the other side of the camp here, I'd advise you to cooperate. I'll pay you well, and you get to beat up your enemies- what more can you want?"
"My…enemies?"
"Go take a look in Block C, go find your friend, and if you still don't want the job then, let me know", Dumbledore picked up his quill again, effectively ending the conversation, and Sirius bit his lips, slowly leaving the office. Which one of his friends had Dumbledore put in this atrocity of a camp? Sirius knew that he would lose his shit if he found Remus in here, or anyone who should be at Hogwarts right now.
He trembled when he entered the hallway to Block C- it was easy to find since there were signs everywhere. The howls and cries in here were even louder and more desperate than the ones in the other hallway- and the prisoners here looked even more pitiful and malnourished. Sirius did not recognize anyone at first glance, but it was hard to tell anyways since most of their faces were bloody and beaten.
There was one cell with one prisoner though that he would have recognized anywhere- and now he knew what Dumbledore had meant by old friend. Huddled in a corner of the cell, his clothes torn and dirty, was no one else than the one responsible for him wasting twelve years of his life in Azkaban, for him being forced to hide in Grimmauld's Place now.
Peter Pettigrew.
yep...there he is :D
there will be some fluff H/C between Tom and Relius in the next chap, don't you worry! ;)
And I'd love comments from you! :)
stay safe!
Antonie :)