Hello yet again! Happy Sunday! :)

Thank you to my wonderful reviewers who always bring a smile to my face! Anniiieh and Gypsyrose98, you guys are both awesome! :)

WARNING: Some violence at the end.

Before Aurelius had practically abducted him, he had spent his days sleeping, drinking way too much liquor, torturing the house elves, plotting against Dumbledore, and yelling at Pettigrew.

He had a new routine now.

In the morning, he had to ask Aurelius- nicely- to let him out the damn swaddle, and then he had to go to the bathroom, use the toilet, take a shower, get dressed, brush his teeth, and comb his hair. Aurelius had added a small shower to the bathroom for him to use, since he had obeyed him and folded the laundry. He gave him privacy to use the bathroom, but he was not allowed to spend more than thirty minutes to get ready.

After he was done, Aurelius would inspect him- which was by far the most humiliating part of training. He would make sure his hair was combed neatly, and that his clothes were straight- the clothes that Aurelius had picked out for him- and after Tom had lied to him about brushing his teeth one morning, he had made him open his mouth to check if he had really brushed his teeth for two days after. It had been hell.

Once Aurelius was satisfied with his inspection, he'd get his breakfast. He would sit down on the mattress, and Aurelius would stand in front of him, feeding him. The position alone was degrading as fuck, almost as bad as the feeding in itself. He only got healthy shit for breakfast, no more bacon and eggs and toast for him, and if he refused to eat, Aurelius would first use the switch for encouragement, and if he still refused, he'd get swaddled and force fed. He never dared to get it to that point though, so he grudgingly ate what Aurelius offered him, knowing he would need the energy for what came next: Command training.

Command training was basically Aurelius giving him one or two word commands, and him following those commands, as humiliating and strenuous as they might be. He would kneel, and crawl, and jump, and settle, and run, and roll over, and do a bunch of other mortifying things that he thought seemed more appropriate to train a dog.

If he executed the command Aurelius wanted correctly, he'd get a word of praise or get his hair ruffled, which was also quite humiliating, and if Aurelius was not satisfied, he'd get the switch, and Aurelius would repeat the command. He had refused to crawl at first, for obvious reasons, so Aurelius had ended up making him crawl around his mattress for an hour after he had gotten a switching that had almost made him cry out loud.

After command training, he'd be allowed to rest for a little, and Aurelius always made sure he had plenty of water to drink. And then came the worst: Obedience training. It was as horrible as it sounded, and basically involved more command training, but with more specific instructions. Usually, Aurelius would train him to stay still for long, long amounts of time. He'd have to stand with his head against the wall, arms to his side, and he was not allowed to move, talk, sing, cough, or even flinch. If he did, he'd get the hated switch, and then the time would start all over again. Aurelius called that part of obedience training composure training, and Tom was never able to stand still for longer than a few minutes, and it mostly ended with him having a temper tantrum and Aurelius switching him, until he was eventually in too much pain to rebel any longer.

Then he'd get lunch- same position, same procedure. After that, another bathroom break, and then Aurelius would swaddle him and put him down for a nap. He always fought it, hating the swaddle since he needed it so much to sleep well. It made him feel small, and vulnerable, and weak. He would fall asleep after a few minutes, mostly with Aurelius' hand in his hair telling him what a good boy he was, exhausted from the training, the licks with the switch and the constant feeling of helpless anger.

He'd nap for about two hours, and then Aurelius would let him out and he would have to do his chores. Chores was another hated part of training which involved him acting like a house elf. He would mop the floor, clean the toilet, fold the laundry, polish the sink, and scrub the shower. If he did well, he'd get cake and tea for tea time, if he did not do well, he'd get the switch.

Once he was finished with the chores, he was allowed to rest until dinner, which was extremely boring since he had nothing to do and Aurelius always left during that time, but he took being bored over training any second of the day. Dinner would be more feeding him healthy shit and him eating as fast as he could to get it over with, and then he would go to the bathroom, use the toilet, wash his hands, brush his teeth, and change into his pajamas.

After the nightly inspection, Aurelius would swaddle him for the night, he'd pet his hair for a little and he'd wish him a good night and sweet dreams, and then he would get his good night kiss. Aurelius would turn the lights off with a wave of his hand after, and he was alone with his thoughts until he fell asleep and once he woke up the next morning, it would all start over again.

And again.

And again…

"You are not focused, Thomas."

Swat.

Tom bit his lips to prevent himself from hissing from the burning pain the switch had left on his butt. He knew he would never get used to that pain, not in a million years.

"I am focused!", he replied between clenched teeth, "but this is fuc…this is difficult!"

Swat.

"Stop talking back and do your work, Thomas."

Tom balled his fists in frustration, knowing it was pointless to get angry at the younger boy- all he'd get was more licks with the damn switch. He hated the task Aurelius had given him for chores today, which was polishing the mirror above the sink. It kept getting streaks, and the mirror actually looked worse than it had before now, and the more time passed, the more agitated did he get.

"Did you put a spell on this mirror or something? It's impossible to get this shit clean!"

Swat.

"It's impossible because you are doing it wrong, Thomas", Aurelius sounded disapproving, "and I warned you about the cursing, boy- one more and I'll get the soap out again, understand?"

"Yes, Aurelius", he spat out, really not wanting to bite down on a nasty piece of soap again. Aurelius had only disciplined him like that once, but it had been enough to get the message across.

"I showed you which pattern to use, didn't I? Stop doing it in a circular motion, all you are doing is redepositing the dust and the dirt."

"Ever thought of a career as a house elf? You'd be perfect for that job", Tom sounded sarcastic, but he tensed when Aurelius walked to stand right behind him.

"Naughty boy", he felt the smack on his butt, his face flushing in shame. It did not hurt as much as the switch, but it always felt way worse when Aurelius used his hand to spank him.

"Ten minutes, Thomas- and if you want cake again today, you better get this mirror squeaky clean, understand?"

"Yes, Aurelius", Tom mumbled, staring at his own reflection in the still dirty mirror. He hated to admit that he looked better than he had in a very long time. The swaddle made him sleep amazing, and thanks to the training and the ridiculously healthy food Aurelius fed him and the fact that he never got alcohol to drink, he had gained muscles and his skin looked hydrated and healthy, the small dark bags under his eyes gone.

He sighed, picking up the small towel Aurelius had given him to clean the mirror. He did want cake again- it was literally the only time of the day he got something to eat that was not disgustingly organic and fresh, and it was also the only time he got to choose what he wanted to eat, and if Aurelius felt exceptionally gracious, he even let him eat the cake by himself.

"I might ask for cheese cake today", he told his reflection in the mirror, "with tons of whipped cream on it. And maybe some ginger tea? Does that even go together?"

"It can, Tommybear", Aurelius sounded amused, and when Tom flinched, turning around, he spotted Aurelius leaning in the door, his arms crossed, "I am not sure about the whipped cream, though."

"You…let me have whipped cream two days ago", Tom pointed out, "with the caramel cake."

"Yes, but that was because you did an exceptional job at cleaning the shower, little bear."

Tom did not want to admit how relieved he felt at being called Tommybear and little bear again- he secretly had started to love those nicknames Aurelius gave him, it was far better than being called Thomas or, even worse, naughty boy. During training, he mostly called him Thomas, and he hated that, but he was never going to tell Aurelius that of course.

"Aurelius?"

"Yes, Tommy?"

"Could you…maybe…just…I mean, this is my first time doing this since I am not a house elf, so maybe…", he struggled to get the words out, and Aurelius knew exactly what the boy was trying to ask, but he was not going to help him say it, he just waited, an amused smile on his lips.

"Could you…show me again? How to do this? Please? I really want some cake later."

"With whipped cream, I know", Aurelius was winking at him, but he did come over and slowly grabbed the towel, "you want to use an S pattern to avoid streaking, Tommy. Here, just like this…", and then he showed him again, explaining what to do, and Tom silently watched, and once Aurelius was done explaining, he got the towel back to do it himself. He did it exactly the way Aurelius had shown him, and he could not help but grin when he realized how clean the mirror now looked.

"Well done, sweet boy", Aurelius ruffled his hair in affection, and Tom looked at the scene in the mirror, seeing the faint blush on his cheeks. Aurelius rarely called him a sweet boy, and he knew it was the highest form of praise he'd get from him, which made it even more special.

"Can I have some cake now?", he asked, eager to change the topic, and Aurelius chuckled, "yes, you may. Let's go", they left the bathroom, the chain he was attached to dragging along on the floor. Aurelius never took it off, not even when he took a shower, so he was never able to forget that he was completely at Aurelius' mercy, not even for one second.

"So, cheesecake today?", Aurelius smiled at him, "that's a good choice there."

"And ginger tea", Tom added, his face lighting up when Aurelius let the cake and tea appear with a lazy wave of his hand. And, the cake had whipped cream on it.

He reflexively stretched out his hands, and Aurelius sighed, "no, Tommy."

"Please, please, may I…"

"You know very well you have not earned that today, baby bear", Aurelius' voice was soft, "get in position, Tommy."

Tom fought with himself for a minute, hating this, but at the end, his hunger won- like it mostly did. He sat down on the mattress, looking up to Aurelius, who was holding the cake on a plate.

"Open wide, Tommy."

He closed his eyes, but did as asked. Just like always, he tried to eat as quickly as possible, not wanting to drag his humiliation out a second longer than necessary. He had some tea as well, and Aurelius always let him drink the tea by himself since it was hot and he did not want him to get hurt. Tom did not care for the reason, he was happy to just be able to do something independently. After he was done, Aurelius left to let him rest- and Tom leaned against the wall on the mattress, taking a deep breath. He wanted to get out of here, badly, but he knew Aurelius was not planning to let him out anytime soon.

He's probably going to make me stay here until I am his perfect little slave.

He sighed, deciding to lay down until it was time for dinner. He was still only able to move between the mattress and the bathroom, the rest of his cell out of reach.

I wish I never met Aurelius. Or Gryffindor.

He remembered thinking that the next day after Aurelius had made him kneel for ten minutes straight in the morning, had fed him some nasty vegetables for lunch, and had made him scrub the toilet for chores. He had refused to do all of it, he had cursed and yelled, and now his butt was stinging from the pain of the switching Aurelius had given him for his disobedience- and there was no cake for him today, either.

"You will learn to behave, Thomas", Aurelius told him coldly, turning for the door, "use the time until dinner to think about if you want to keep being a naughty boy or if you want to start obeying me. So far, you have gotten at least ten licks for misbehaving every day- not something that makes me want to take you off the chain anytime soon."

"I don't care!"

"Your choice, Thomas", Aurelius did not sound sympathetic at all, "keep being stubborn then- the switch is not going anywhere", and then he had the nerve to smile at him, and something inside him snapped, "you smug little bastard!", he went after him, ready to punch him in the fucking face, done with all the training and all the bullshit! He stormed towards the door, irritated by the fact that Aurelius made no attempt to move, to run away from him, and he was more determined than ever now to get him, to punch him, to…

"Aaaahhh!", he howled out in pain when he suddenly stumbled, the chain mercilessly pulling him back, and then he fell down, hitting the ground with his body, hard.

"Poor baby", Aurelius sounded amused, "you forgot about the chain, hmm? It really is a shame you only ever use your intelligence for getting angry, Thomas."

Tom stifled a sob, still laying on the cold, hard ground, the pain in his leg excruciating. He hated it when Aurelius got all arrogant and smug with him, showing him what a pathetic, dumb little idiot he was.

"Fuck you!"

"You'll get disciplined for that stunt later, boy", Aurelius simply told him, ignoring his insult, "and if I am hearing another rude comment from you today, we are going to do a little more specific command training tomorrow, understand?"

Tom sobbed, knowing exactly what Aurelius meant by specific- lots and lots of crawling around on the floor, "I…please…I…understand, Aurelius."

"Good. Now settle, Thomas."

Tom's face burned with shame and rage when he limped back to the mattress, curling himself into a ball. Settle basically meant he had to lay down calmly without moving, it was one of the first commands Aurelius had trained him in. He watched Aurelius leave out of the corner of his eyes, feeling humiliated, angry, hurt, and embarrassed.

It really is a shame you only ever use your intelligence for getting angry, Thomas.

He sobbed again, balling his hands into fists. Aurelius was always so damn confident, knowing exactly what to do, what to say- and it was so infuriating that he always, always lost against him.

"I'll show you that I can use my intelligence for something else", he whispered to himself, and just like that, a plan was born. He'd pretend. He would pretend to be Aurelius' sweet boy from now, he would happily let him feed him, and as soon as Aurelius let him out of here, he would take his revenge.

You'll see what else I can do with my intelligence, smugface!

Sirius sighed, stretching himself out on the very comfortable couch in his apartment at the warden's block. He needed his rest for later, for another round of evening entertainment.

He grinned when he thought of Yaxley's face from the other night, the panic and horror in his eyes before he had tightened the rope on his neck- and the satisfying crack when his neck had broken…and how the wardens had cheered. They all loved his performances, and Sirius did not even care anymore that what he did was illegal, inhuman, and completely unethical.

He was finally someone again, not just a pathetic clown hiding from the Ministry, he had a job now, he was respected, and he made some very good money, too. And besides, he was finally able to get his revenge on the Death Eaters- it was just a shame that their leader was not here yet. Sirius knew that Dumbledore was spending most of his time trying to find Voldemort, to capture him, and to bring him to the camp- and his face turned into a diabolical grin when he thought what he was going to do to with him.

"You'll be begging me to kill you at the end, Voldemort", he mumbled, laughing to himself, "you'll be here soon enough- and then the real fun will start!"

"Kneel."

He kneeled.

"Stand."

He stood.

"Sit."

He sat.

"Good boy, Tommy", Aurelius sounded pleased, gently caressing his hair, which was already sweaty from the exercise, "looks like you have finally realized it's better to behave, hmm?"

"Yes, Aurelius", Tom lied, pushing his head closer to the touch, and Aurelius smiled, "there's my good boy. You are going to crawl a little now for your rude little act of defiance from yesterday, and then you can take a break."

"Thank you, Aurelius."

He could hear Aurelius laugh softly, "I knew you would come to your senses. Now, crawl."

Tom went down on all fours, trying to stay calm at the humiliating position, and then he slowly started to crawl around on the mattress, going back…and forth…and back…and forth…

"Settle, Tommy."

He collapsed to the mattress, breathing heavily. He stayed like that, silently watching Aurelius getting him a glass of water.

"Drink it up, little bear."

He drank, he was always thirsty as hell after command training, and after he had emptied the glass, he carefully put it down, looking at Aurelius for instruction.

"Settle, Tommy", Aurelius smiled, "you did well this morning. I am pleased with you today."

"Thank you, Aurelius", Tom replied automatically, forcing himself to sound grateful, when it fact, he wanted to roll his eyes. Really, it was easier than he had thought to fool Aurelius and pretend to be a sweet little slave.

"Sweet boy", Aurelius said quietly, gently caressing his hair again. Tom stilled, hating himself for liking this, for feeling somewhat proud for pleasing the younger boy.

It's an act, I'm just faking this!

He managed to get through the day with only three licks- a record- and after Aurelius had left that night, leaving him swaddled and chained like always, he stared into the darkness.

I can do this. I can do this. I'll keep pretending, and then…he's gonna let me out soon.

The next days were hard- not because of the training, which had gotten somewhat easier since he knew what do expect now, but because he had to bite his tongue all the fucking time. He wanted to talk back when Aurelius made him jump and kneel, and when he fed him some slimy, disgusting shit for dinner, and when he swaddled him so tight that he could not even wiggle his toes anymore, but he reminded himself of the greater goal: Getting out of this hell. And five days into being Aurelius' sweet boy, into obeying his every wish and eating the healthiest food there was without complaint, he finally got his first reward.

"Come here, Thomas."

Tom had been in the bathroom, busily cleaning out the cabinet, but he got up immediately when Aurelius called him. It was basically automatic at this point, something he did not even thought about anymore. He walked back to the mattress where Aurelius was waiting for him.

"Sit, Thomas."

Tom sat down on the mattress, confusion on his face. He knew he had at least another hour before chores were over, and Aurelius never asked him to come see him during his work. Still, he knew better than to ask questions.

"Good boy, Tommy", Aurelius caressed his hair, pride in his voice. He was smiling at him, an open, friendly smile, and for a second, Tom felt a pang of guilt for deceiving Aurelius like this- but then he thought about the other day when Aurelius had made him scrub the toilet for ten minutes, and the anger was back.

"You have been a very good boy this week", Aurelius went on, "and I think it's time to reward that."

Tom's ears perked up at the word reward, but he stayed perfectly still, knowing better than to speak without permission.

"I am letting you off the chain now, sweet boy."

Ohmygod.

All Tom could do was stare, he had not expected Aurelius to do that this early- but it showed him that he was a better actor than he had thought. Not being chained would give him a whole new sense of freedom- and he would be able to attack Aurelius, and he would be able to try to get out of this damn cell.

Who's the idiot now, Aurelius?

He stifled a smug smile, bowing his head, "thank you, Aurelius", he did not need to fake his gratitude, because he was grateful to be off the damn chain finally- since he was able to see again, being chained had been the worst part of this nightmare, even worse than being fed.

"You deserve it, Tommybear- you have made me very proud lately", Aurelius sounded like he meant that, and Tom did not like the fact that his stomach churned at the praise. He knew he did not deserve it- he wasn't really being good, he was faking it.

Doesn't matter. He'll be glad when this is over anyways- then he can find himself a real obedient little slave boy.

And then Aurelius waved his hand, and just like that, the chain unclosed, and he was free. Well, technically, he was still locked up in a cell, but now he was free to walk around the cell, which for him, was the next step in actually getting out of here.

"You are welcome to sleep in the big bed now instead of on the mattress- and you will find plenty of books in the shelf to read. You also have access to the wardrobe now, and that means I am going to let you pick your own clothes from now on."

Tom grinned at the prospect, he hated to wear whatever Aurelius chose for him in the morning, even though he always picked something warm and comfortable for him.

"And, one more thing, you get to make your own tea now- I put plenty of tea bags in the shelf over the kitchen sink, and I am letting you use as much as you want. So, if you want to drink tea for breakfast, lunch, tea time, and dinner- go for it."

That's awesome!

Tom had loved to test out different teas for tea time, and to have the opportunity to make his own tea now whenever he wanted was great- and it gave him some independence back, something he desperately craved.

"Thank you, Aurelius."

"You are welcome, little honey bear", Aurelius sounded amused, and Tom flushed red at being called little honey bear- Aurelius had started teasing him about the amounts of honey he wanted for his tea, since it was next to the cake the only sweets he was able to have.

"You will find some milk and honey for your tea in the cabinets as well by the way", Aurelius added, still sounding amused, "I am letting you explore now- I'll see you later, baby bear."

Tom just nodded, he was used to the fact that Aurelius left him alone in the afternoon, but today, for the first time, he would not have to spend the hours until dinner with being bored out of his mind.

Fucking finally.

He smiled, and then he started to walk around the cell, exploring every inch of his prison. The wardrobe was interesting enough, now that he was finally able to see all the clothes he had been forced to fold, and he spent some time thinking about what to wear the next days. He ignored the books on the bookshelf, he did not care to read, but the kitchen with the shelfs were able to hold his interest for longer. Aurelius had gotten him a huge variety of different kinds of tea, and Tom's smile widened when he carefully started to make himself his first tea. He'd never done that before, it was a house elves job after all, but nevertheless, he did not remember ever being happier about a cup of tea than this one, the first one he had brewed himself. He added a generous amount of honey, used a small spoon to stir it, and then he sat down on the couch with his tea, feeling strangely…content.

Start look for an escape now! Stop wasting your time with your silly tea!

His inner voice got more urgent, and he finally gave in to it, ashamed of himself for lazing around with a cup of tea when he should use the time until Aurelius came back to find a way out. Thirty minutes later, he went back to the couch, frustration written all over his face. The only window had bars in front of it, and no handle to open it- besides, it was too close for him to squeeze through. The barred door was locked, and when he looked through the bars left and right from the door, all he could see was a hallway and white walls.

I have to attack him when he's trying to leave when he already has the door open.

The only way he could do that was in the afternoon- since he was swaddled after lunch and after dinner. Attacking Aurelius would be hell of risky- even though he was three years younger than him, he was about as tall, and maybe even stronger than him. And, he had a wand and was able to use wandless magic. Still, sitting in here for more weeks to come was not an option- he had to get out, he had to.

Tom decided to keep playing the good boy for a couple more days until he got a sense for Aurelius' routine. His routine had changed as well- there was no more fucking command training in the mornings, just obedience training, but it had gotten better because now Aurelius made him do some work, paperwork mostly, which was redundant, but not as bad as what he had done before.

The new freedom he had now was great- and it did not take long for Tom to take it for granted that he was able to pick his own clothes, make his own tea and sleep in the big bed without being swaddled after lunch. Aurelius only swaddled him when he put him down for the night, but when he was supposed to nap after lunch, he did not swaddle him anymore, and Tom had thanked him for it, even though he hated to admit that he napped pretty crappy now- and it took him forever to fall asleep, too.

Four days after Aurelius had let him off the chain, Tom spend another afternoon sitting on the couch pretending to read a book, while he was really watching Aurelius leave. He had figured out now how the younger boy unlocked the door- with a spell. It meant there was no key he could steal from him, and it meant he really had no other choice than to attack Aurelius once he had already opened the door.

"I see you later, my little honey bear", Aurelius winked at him, opening the door, "be good."

"Yes, Aurelius."

Tom knew this was his opportunity- but before he was even able to stand up, Aurelius had already left, the door closing with a click.

Damnit.

He was fast, very fast- if he wanted his attack to be successful, he would have to basically already stand next to Aurelius when he opened the door- and how the hell would he do that without looking suspicious as fuck? Tom brooded over that problem for the next couple of days, enjoying drinking way too much tea and being able to laze around on the couch in the afternoon. Training was easy now, and he did not even mind the chores that much anymore, since they now involved taking care of the kitchen and bedroom area as well, and he preferred that over scrubbing the toilet any time.

"Ready to go to sleep, Tommy?", Aurelius' voice sounded soft, and Tom yawned, slowly walking closer to the big, cozy bed, "yes…Aurelius", he yawned again, he was always more tired at night now since he slept awful during naptime, but he was not going to admit that to Aurelius- not in a million years.

He had just brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas, which Aurelius let him pick out as well. He also did not need to show his hands for inspection anymore, another humiliating aspect of the life in here gone.

"Let's get you ready then, hmm?", Aurelius smiled at him, and Tom blushed, the pang of guilt back in full force.

I am lying to him. He'd never smile at me like that if he knew that this is all fake.

He went to lay down on the bed like he did every night, watching Aurelius swaddling him wordlessly, laying absolutely still.

"Good boy, Tommy."

Aurelius sat down on the bed next to him, caressing his hair, and Tom carefully pushed his head closer to the touch, even though his inner voice yelled at him to stop acting like a whiny child.

"Little snugglebug", Aurelius laughed quietly, pulling him closer, "you are going to sleep well tonight, hmm? All safe and warm…"

Tom had to smile, replying by yawning quietly and looking up to the younger boy, blinking sleepily. He loved their little nighttime routine, another thing he'd never admit, though. Aurelius always snuggled him for some time, and he always told him what a sweet, perfect boy he was- which could not be farther from the truth. Still, it was nice to be able to pretend for a few minutes at night that Aurelius actually cared about him, that he might even like him…

"Quiet time now, sleepy bear", Aurelius' voice was still very soft, and Tom closed his eyes, snuggling closer. Quiet time was another command he had been trained in early on- it basically just meant he was not allowed to talk or make any kind of noise anymore.

"Good night, Tommy", he got his goodnight kiss on the top of his head, and then he could hear Aurelius getting up. By the time he had left, Tom was already fast asleep.

Life stayed the same for the next days, and Tom was able to earn more privileges- Aurelius had started to let him eat his lunch by himself, and he did not need to clean the bathroom anymore, Aurelius would just use a quick cleaning spell. Still, the thought of escaping never left his mind- and then, about ten days after Aurelius had let him off the chain, he finally got his opportunity.

"I'll see you later, Tommy- enjoy your book", Aurelius winked at him, and Tom forced himself to smile back, he had no clue what the book he had randomly grabbed was even about- he still used it to be able to watch Aurelius leave, and to wait for him to make a mistake.

"Thank you, Aurelius."

The younger boy smiled at him, opening the door with a spell, "that tea smells good by the way- is that one of your own creations again?"

"Yes, it's Earl Grey mixed with lemon tea and some pomegranate", Tom replied, taking another sip of his tea. He had started to mix teas together out of boredom first, but now he was actually quite enjoying it.

"I might have to try that one day", Aurelius winked at him again, and then he was gone, his footsteps fading in the hallway, until it was silent again.

The…door…

Aurelius must have been too engrossed in their conversation about the tea that he had not even realized that the door had not clicked into the lock like usually- it was still, barely, open. Tom stared at it for about thirty seconds, not moving, and then, he started to run. He practically bolted out the door, his heart hammering against his chest when he made it into the strange hallway, and then he went down the narrow hall, hoping and praying that he would be able to find an exit soon, or a place to hide, or…something.

The hallway led to some kind of storage area, filled with all kinds of boxes, and since there were only small, barred windows, Tom kept going, a stupid grin on his face, even though he knew how risky his attempt to flee was.

So much for I am only using my intelligence for getting angry- suck that, Aurelius!

He saw a staircase at the end of the hall, and his excitement grew. A staircase would lead to the ground floor, to the entrance- and the exit.

First thing I am gonna do is get myself a nice big bottle of whiskey and then I am gonna find myself another Mansion- and some house elves to fuck over.

He grinned at the thought, he had been helpless for too long- and it was time to get his life back, his life as the Dark Lord!

I'll show you all what you get for messing with me- first Dumbledore, then Gryffindor, and then that goddamn smugface of…

"Going somewhere, Thomas?"

Everything stopped. He was certain even his heart had stopped beating, and he was not able to speak, to even form any thought in his mind, he was completely frozen, unable to move.

"I have expected you, Thomas", and then Aurelius came closer, leaving his spot at the wall where he had been standing, waiting for him to come running- right into his trap, "did you really think I was falling for your little scheme?"

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck…

"I…don't know what you mean", Tom croaked out, feeling cold sweat forming on his back, "what…scheme?"

"Are you telling me right now that you did not pretend for the last two weeks straight?", and now Aurelius' voice was dangerous, "this, today was a test- a test that you have failed, Thomas. If you had really changed, you would never have dared to disobey me and try to run away. Let's go, Thomas", he attempted to grab him, and Tom stumbled back, horror in his eyes, "I am not…going back there again. I am not."

"Oh yes, you will, Thomas- and this time, I am going to make sure to keep you in there until you are trained to perfection, boy."

"NO!", his scream was loud and full of fear, "no, let me go! I am not going back! I am not!", he started to scream even louder when Aurelius grabbed him, hard, the panic making him lash out, "stoooop! I fucking hate you, I want to leave! LET ME GO!", he cried out when Aurelius swatted his backside forcefully, and then the younger boy dragged him back down the hallway, back to his prison, back to his own, personal nightmare.

"Noooo!", he kicked and struggled with all his might, the terror of what Aurelius would do to him now enough to unleash all his energy, all his power- but it was still not a match for Aurelius' strength.

"I am gonna kill you! I'll fucking kill you!", he kept screaming, and when Aurelius opened the door to his cell again, he started to cry, "let me fucking go!"

Aurelius just laughed, the sound of it sardonic, "still making demands, hmm? I daresay you will calm down nicely once you are my helpless little boy again, Thomas", and then he dragged him over to the chain, and Tom, who knew was about to happen, started to wail, hyperventilating, "not that, please, not that again!", he kicked his feet, howling out in pain when Aurelius pushed him down on the mattress, turned him around and then started to use the switch on him, "you-will-learn-to-obey!", each word was accompanied by an unforgiving lick with the switch, and Tom screamed and screamed, tears running down his face, "you fucking asshole! I hate you, I hate you so much, I wish you were dead!"

Aurelius did not respond to that, he just calmly put his right foot on the chain again, and then he reached for the blanket, "sounds like someone is a cranky little boy- you'll have an early bedtime tonight, naughty boy. Maybe being swaddled nice and tight will help you get all that anger out", and while Tom struggled and cried and called him every curse word he knew, threatening him with the worst possible way to die, Aurelius efficiently swaddled him, ignoring his squirms and cries of enraged, helpless fury.

"Get some rest, Thomas- you are going to need it", he got up, leaving Tom swaddled and chained on the mattress, furiously moving his head from left to right, "you have been a very bad boy today. Bad boy, Thomas."

Tom felt his face flush in humiliation, and the rage he felt made him lash out again, "it's no fucking wonder your parents don't want to stay around each other anymore with you as a son! You are probably their biggest fucking disappointment!", he knew he had gone too far when he saw Aurelius' face turn ghostly white, but the other boy did not respond, he just…left. Left him alone on the hated mattress, chained to the wall once more like an animal, and he knew this was it- he'd never ever get out of here again now.

And then, he started to cry, the sounds of it loud in the silence surrounding him, and he cried and cried and cried, until he eventually, finally passed out from pure exhaustion, with no Aurelius snuggling him, and kissing him goodnight, telling him what a sweet boy he was.

I know, I knooooow! But I promise things WILL get better in the next chap, and there will be endless Tom/ Aurelius H/C and fluff ;) and Remus will appear again!

I'd love some comments and/ or criticism from y'all! :)

have a great week!

Antonie ;)