Hello again! :)

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! :)

Enjoy the new chapter ;)

"Easy there, Tommy- you are going to get a stomachache if you keep eating that fast."

Tom ignored him, he kept swallowing down the lunch that Aurelius was feeding him as quickly as he could- anything to be done with the humiliation of being fed. It had been a few days since he had been sick, and he already missed spending all day napping and snuggling with Aurelius, listening to him telling him stories. Not that he would admit that, though- he was embarrassed how he had acted again, hating the regressing- even though his mind seemed to like it because he always felt strangely peaceful after. With him feeling better, it was back to the routine, though- Aurelius would do some easy command training with him in the mornings, and he would have chores in the afternoon again. He was also still chained- after Aurelius had allowed him to be off the chain to make ice cream, he had put it back on, and for Tom, being chained had become the worst part of all this, because it showed him that Aurelius did not trust him, and probably never would. And he had no idea why that even bothered him so much.

"Slow down, little bear- or are you that hungry?", Aurelius fed him another piece of food, and Tom hastily gulped it down, not even knowing what exactly he was eating. It did not matter though, it was food and it kept him full, that was all that was important.

"Nah, just trying…to get done", Tom mumbled between two bites, knowing he would never get used to sit down on the floor and look up to Aurelius, taking food from his hand, "you know I hate this."

Aurelius sighed, "yes, baby, I know", he fed him another piece, frowning. He did not like the fact that progress had been stalling these last days- Tom still did not accept his authority, he hated being fed, and he seemed to have an increased aggression towards the chain- after he had basically ignored the fact that he was being chained after a while in the beginning, Aurelius could now see him pull on the chain in frustration several times throughout the day. It worried him, it worried him a lot.

"What do you like to eat, Tommy?"

"Pizza."

"Well, yes, I know that- anything else?"

"No."

Aurelius sighed again, feeding Tom the last piece, "you don't like anything else than pizza?"

"I like ice cream, apparently."

"Tommy…"

The boy just shrugged, "food's there to eat- that's it. As long as I am full, I am good."

We'll change that, little bear.

Aurelius made a plan- and the same day, when he called Tom over for dinner and the boy got in his position, the expression on his face defeated and unhappy, he carried it out.

"Close your eyes, Tommy."

Tom blinked at him, "why?"

Aurelius wordlessly reached for the switch, frustrated by the fact that the boy still did not trust him, still did not want to obey without talking back. He gave him a quick tap on his backside, and then he repeated the command, "close your eyes, Tommy."

This time, the boy obeyed, but his body had gotten tense, "I…I don't like being blind", he choked out, "please…"

"This is only for a few minutes, I promise", Aurelius replied softly, compassion in his voice, "now open wide, sweet boy."

Tom hesitantly opened his mouth, and Aurelius carefully fed him a piece of perfectly cooked chicken, seasoned with garlic and basil, and he watched the boy quickly chew it, and then he instantly opened his mouth again, waiting for the next piece.

"Can you tell me what you just ate, Tommy?"

"Some…meat."

"What kind of meat?"

"Uhm…turkey I guess", Tom sounded confused, "is this some…kind of test?"

"You can call it that, yes- I would like you to tell me what exactly you are eating tonight, Tommybear."

"Is…there a reward if I get it right?"

Aurelius stifled a smile.

There's my naughty boy.

"Mmmhh…what reward would you like, baby bat?"

There was a silence, and then Tom hung his head, "the…the chain", he finally responded quietly, "I…I want…would like the chain to be off, please."

"That's quite a big reward, Tommy."

Tom bit his lips, he had not expected Aurelius to give in to that anyways, "yeah. I know. Never mind", he hated how small his voice sounded now, and then he could feel Aurelius' soft hand in his hair, caressing him gently, "well, you have been a very good boy these last days- and you did such a great job obeying me when you were sick."

That had been true- expect for that one time when Tom had been tantruming about the medicine, he had been the sweetest boy, constantly wanting to snuggle and requesting more stories about Briegel the Bat and Mischievous the Owl.

Tom blinked, "all…I had to do was rest, technically", he mumbled, pretty sure he did not deserve any praise for that, and Aurelius chuckled, "yes, but you did a great job at being my little snugglebug- it was a special training in how to be sick, remember?"

Tom's face turned dark red at being called a little snugglebug, even though he secretly liked it, "it wasn't…too bad of a training, I guess", he replied hesitantly, his voice still quiet, and Aurelius chuckled again, "I am glad to hear that", he sounded amused, "now, here's the deal, Tommy- you tell me what's for dinner tonight and for lunch and dinner tomorrow, and I'll let you off the chain tomorrow night. Deal?"

"Okay, deal", Tom hurried to agree, the chance of getting off the chain again too good to be true.

"Here's another piece then- open wide, baby bat."

Tom forced himself to chew slowly this time, chewing the piece of chicken carefully. He noticed how crispy the meat tasted, and how the garlic made the flavors even stronger, "that's…not turkey", he stated, "it's…chicken, right?"

"Good boy, Tommy- it is chicken. What's the seasoning?"

"Garlic and…mint?"

"Not mint, baby."

"Basil?"

"Smart boy", Aurelius sounded pleased, "here's something else now", he fed the boy a piece of sweet potato, and Tom licked his lips, "that's sweet potato."

"I am so proud of you", Aurelius ruffled his hair affectionately, and Tom grinned, sitting up straighter. He was beginning to enjoy this.

Aurelius fed him more chicken and sweet potato, along with some green peppers, which Tom also guessed right, and then he even got dessert- not ice cream, but a chocolate mousse, and for the first time ever, Tom was able to appreciate how divine it tasted- having his eyes closed sharpened his other senses, and since he was chewing slowly, he was really able to enjoy it. He was surprised how much he was looking forward to lunch the next day- and when Aurelius called him over to get in position, Tom came running, even though he usually went as slow as a snail when it was feeding time.

Aurelius fed him some rice first, which Tom easily guessed, and then he fed him a piece of salmon, and Tom crunched his nose, "it's fish."

"Yes, but what kind?"

"I…I don't know."

"You will have to figure it out, baby bear", Aurelius replied calmly, "I know you can do it- here's another piece."

Tom chewed and chewed, "tuna?"

"Not tuna, no", he offered him another piece, and Tom carefully stretched his head, sniffing it, "maybe…salmon?"

"Good job, Tommy- it helps smelling it, doesn't it?", Aurelius sounded proud again, and Tom nodded, chewing, "yah. Is there any lemon on the salmon?"

"There is- well done, Tommy. You are turning into a little gourmet, hmm?", Aurelius was smiling, and then he offered Tom some sautéed green beans, and the boy needed some time to think again, but he was determined now- and Aurelius watched with amusement how Tom's whole face was an expression of concentration, and how he carefully chewed the food, trying to figure out what it was. Eventually, he guessed it right, and Aurelius let him have some vanilla pudding with fresh berries for dessert, and Tom guessed that as well.

"Now, was there anything you liked?", Aurelius asked him after, and Tom instantly nodded, "I liked the green beans and the rice, and I loved the blackberries in the pudding, I never realized how awesome those taste."

Sweet, smart boy.

Aurelius was more than happy with the progress they had made- and when he fed Tom filet mignon with potato crisps and sour cream for dinner, the boy sighed with content for the first time he had been feeding him, "this might be my new favorite meal, you know?"

"And why is that, Tommy?"

"The…meat, it's so…tender, and I like the buttery taste of it- that's butter, right?"

"It is, Tommy", Aurelius was secretly impressed with the boy's ability to taste, "I have some dessert for you as well tonight", he fed the boy some crème brûlée, which the boy devoured- telling him after that he had a new favorite dessert, too.

"This has been fun", Tom told him once dinner was over, "I did not even mind…you know. That you were feeding me."

"And you shouldn't mind that, Tommy- it's all in your head anyways. No one else is watching us here, and no one is making fun of you for doing what I am asking you to", Aurelius replied, his voice even, "you are strong for giving in like that."

Tom did not look convinced, but he did not argue, he just blinked at him, tilting his head, "I…got everything right, Aurelius", he eventually said, his voice getting quiet, "and…the deal…"

"I'll let you off the chain, just as I promised", Aurelius told him, looking him straight in the eyes, "but before I do that, I'd like to know why the chain was so horrible for you- more horrible than the first time."

"It was not…", he stopped when Aurelius raised an eyebrow, the gesture a silent warning, and then he bit his lips, looking down, "it…it made me…feel like…like you don't trust me", his voice was merely a whisper now, "because you…you still think I will run away again, right?"

"Look at me, Tommy."

He sighed, but he obeyed- and to his surprise, Aurelius was smiling at him, "I do trust you- but I will have you promise me not to try to escape again, and to stay until your training is finished."

"When's that gonna be?"

Aurelius let out a soft laugh, "you'll know, little bear."

He rolled his eyes, "but, soon right? You are not planning to keep me in here forever, are you?"

"As I said, you'll know", Aurelius winked at him, and Tom groaned in frustration, "and if I do try to escape again…"

"Then we'll have to start over- which means back to the chain and back to command training."

"I…I won't try it again", Tom mumbled, meaning what he had said- he knew there was no way out of here for him now, not until Aurelius let him.

"Smart boy", Aurelius praised him, and with a wink of his hand, the chain opened and his leg was free.

Tom moved his foot tentatively, smiling to himself, smiling about his newfound freedom again. One of the things he liked most about being off the chain was that he got to sleep in the big, comfortable bed again, and when he snuggled into the sheets that night after Aurelius had swaddled him, he let out a happy, sleepy sigh.

This is so…cozy…

Aurelius had heard him sigh and laughed, "you cozy, sleepy bear?", he sounded amused, and Tom nodded, yawning, and then Aurelius bent down to give him his goodnight kiss, right on the top of his head, and Tom smiled, not wanting to admit how much he loved this.

"Goodnight, baby bat- have some sweet dreams", Aurelius gently ruffled his hear, "you did well today, Tommy."

Tom mumbled something, and seconds later, he was asleep- a happy, content smile on his lips.

"Master Snape?"

Snape reluctantly looked up from the second grade essays he was correcting at the moment, "what is it now, elf?", he hissed at the trembling house elf in front of him, "didn't I explicitly say not to be disturbed again?"

"Umi is very sorry, Master Snape", the elf squeaked, "but…there is another delivery for Master Snape."

Umi handed the Potion Master a small package, and then the house bowed his head and quickly left his office, not wanting to be nearby when Snape got into another rage. Delivering the flowers earlier- some stunning, long-stalked roses- had been bad enough, and he had no idea why the unpopular Professor suddenly got so many gifts. Was it his birthday?

While Umi hurried back to the Hogwarts' kitchen, Snape examined the package with a look of disgust on his face. He had never been one to find any students' pranks particularly funny, and sending him cards and flowers basically screamed prank. Eventually, he did open the package, just to find a box with fine truffles inside- and a card.

A sweet for my sweetheart.

Snape snorted, curling the ridiculous card into a ball with the plan to throw it into the fire later. This was really getting out of hand, and he cursed himself for not interrogating Umi earlier about where these sudden deliveries came from. He was certainly going to put an end to it. Right now. The flowers were lovely, they really were, but he did not feel much remorse when he dumped them into the trash seconds later, along with the box of truffles. After all, they could be poisoned, who knew? The card landed in the fire, and Snape watched it crumble to a pile of ashes with grim satisfaction. He went back to his desk right after, swearing revenge on whichever student thought it might be hilarious to send him romantical crap like this- that kid would have detention with him until graduation!

"I'm bored."

Aurelius, who was already at the door, turned around, "make some tea, then", he suggested, "I know you like to experience with that."

"I already did", Tom held up his tea cup, "and it's hours until dinner."

"You could read something, Tommy- the bookshelf is filled with books for you."

"All books are boring."

"That sounds like you just haven't found the right book yet, my little grumpy bear", it sounded affectionate though, "tell you what, I am going to read you something tonight, and I am sure you are going to like it."

Tom frowned, "but what am I supposed to do until then?", there was a hint of stubbornness in his voice, and Aurelius sighed, coming closer, "drop the attitude, first of all- or I can give you some more chores to do that will keep you busy until dinner, understand?"

Tom grumbled something, but when Aurelius wordlessly reached for the switch, he jumped, "no, wait, I understand, I understand!"

"Good boy", Aurelius put the switch back, his lips curling into a smile, "how about some drawing?", he waved his hand, making some paper and pencils appear, "do you like to draw?"

"I…I don't know", Tom shrugged, "I never…you know. It's for kids."

"Well, I like to draw- it can be very helpful when you had a stressful day", Aurelius pointed out, "why don't you try it?"

"I don't even know what to draw", Tom replied, sounding somewhat frustrated, "there's nothing here that's interesting."

"You don't have to draw something you see, baby bear- you can draw whatever you want. Whatever comes to your mind. Just draw something from your imagination."

"I don't think I have any."

Poor, sweet boy.

"Everyone does, Tommybear- and I know your picture will be amazing, whatever you decide to draw", he kept his voice soft, "I'll see you later, hmm? Be good", he winked at him, and then he was gone- and Tom sighed, looking at the pencils and the paper on the table.

Well, he was bored- so why not give it a try? He would just find something to draw around here, something to do to pass the time until Aurelius came back. He sat down at the table and reached for a pencil, suddenly feeling strangely excited. He had never colored pictures or drew anything as a child, so this was…new. And before he could think about it, the pencil had started a life of its own- and then he was drawing. His mind went blank, and he could not hear, all his focus went to the drawing in front of him, the drawing which slowly turned into a picture.

"Tommy?"

"Tommy!"

He winced, abruptly turning around, "uhm…yes?", he blinked at Aurelius groggily, slowly coming back to reality.

"I've already called your name four times, dreamy bear", Aurelius was grinning, "been busy drawing, hmm?"

"Yeah. Is…it time for dinner already?", it felt like Aurelius had just left.

The younger boy nodded, "it is- may I see your picture, Tommy? I am really curious what you've been working on for three hours."

Three hours?!

"It's…it's not done", he sounded embarrassed suddenly, "and…it's not that good, I mean, I…"

"Tommy?"

"Ye…yes?"

"I am not going to laugh or make fun of your drawings, sweet boy- not ever."

"I…I know", he swallowed hard, because he did know deep down that Aurelius would not mock him, and then he slowly turned the picture around, showing it to the other boy, "it's…a forest", he mumbled, hoping Aurelius was able to recognize that, "and…the trees are…haunted."

Aurelius examined the drawing with interest, it was certainly very dark- a forest, full of grim looking trees and hedges, along with some animals who also looked quite brutal, most of them fighting each other. There was one animal, a snake, which looked like its tail was set on fire, while it was trying to get its head out of a rope at the same time.

"Poor snake", Aurelius pointed at it, "that looks really painful."

"The snake's evil", Tom responded quite forcefully, "but don't worry, the lion is coming to help", he pointed at a strong, big looking lion who was emerging from the left side of the picture, carrying something that looked like a bucket between his sharp teeth.

The lion, hmm? Oh, Tommy…

Aurelius smiled to himself, understanding, "it's a great drawing, honey bear- I think you are quite talented, actually."

"But…it's not even done, and it's not colored, and…"

"Doesn't matter- I still think it's amazing. May I have it once it's done?"

Tom stared at him in shock, "you…are you serious? You would want this?"

"Of course. I'd frame it and hang it up in my room, actually."

All Tom could do was stare, he seemed completely stunned, and then finally, his lips turned into the smallest smile, and he nodded, "sure…you…you can have it when it's done. I…I can finish it tomorrow I think."

"Thank you, Tommy", Aurelius' smile widened, "how about some dinner now? You must be hungry after all this work."

"Yeah, I am", Tom slowly stood up, "can I have steak for dinner? With green beans and potatoes?"

"Ask nicely, baby bear."

"May I please have steak and green beans and potatoes?"

"Yes, you may", Aurelius did not bother to hide the pride from his voice, "go wash your hands and then come have dinner, Tommy."

Tom obeyed without another word, and he did not make any sign of protest when Aurelius started feeding him his dinner, "tell me what you think about the steak, Tommybear- is it as good as the filet from the other day?"

"It's not as tender", Tom told him after he had swallowed some, "but it's more…juicy. Would go really well with some red wine", he looked at him somewhat hopeful and Aurelius had to laugh, "nice try, sneaky bear- there won't be any alcohol for you, though", he fed him some potatoes, "what's your opinion on those?"

"They're good- need a little more salt, maybe", Tom replied, chewing slowly, and Aurelius smiled, "I'll let the house elves know", he fed him some more, and Tom chewed happily, not even trying to rush this like he normally did. He had started to appreciate how amazing the food Aurelius served him here tasted- it was mostly healthy and fresh, but it was good. So good.

After dinner, Aurelius sent him to the bathroom to get ready for bed, and Tom, who was pretty tired actually, hurried to get into his pajamas. Aurelius was waiting for him on his bed, a book in his hand, and Tom snorted, "you're really doing this?"

"Absolutely", Aurelius sounded amused, "trust me, you'll like it."

Tom rolled his eyes, but he did not argue and climbed into bed, snuggling into the blankets, "I am probably asleep before you have even finished the first ten pages", he told Aurelius, "what's the name of the book, anyway?"

Aurelius turned it around, and Tom read the title, "Treasure Island- is that a children's book?"

"It can be", Aurelius still sounded amused, "but mostly, it's an adventure."

"About a treasure on an island, I assume."

"You'll have to wait and see, little bear", and then Aurelius started to read, and Tom listened quietly, snuggled into bed. He never had anyone read him anything as a child, always thinking it must be boring anyways to listen to some stupid stories- but this turned out to be anything but boring. Aurelius used different voices for the different characters, and his reading was fluent and engaging and after a few minutes, Tom was smiling, hanging on his every word.

"…and that's the end of chapter one", Aurelius clapped the book shut, smiling, "what do you think, little bear?"

"It…was okay."

Stubborn boy.

"Just okay, hmm?", Aurelius let out a small laugh, "well, I guess that's better than awful", he winked at him and put the book back in the shelf, "anyway, it's time to sleep now- let's get you ready for bed, Tommy."

Tom just yawned, and then he drowsily watched Aurelius swaddling him. He had stopped fighting it, because what was the point? He liked being swaddled, and it helped him to sleep amazing- so why fight it? No one was here to see it anyways.

"Sweet dreams, snugglebug", Aurelius ruffled his hair, fondness in his voice, and then he got his goodnight kiss, "I'll see you tomorrow, Tommy."

"Aurelius?", it was whispered, but he had no problem hearing the boy.

"Yes, Tommy?"

"Why…why is the Doctor not scared of the Captain?"

Aurelius stifled a smile, "I think we have to keep reading the book to find out."

"Or you could…just tell me."

"Not a chance, sneaky bear- you'll have to wait."

"And who is the one-legged man? And why…"

Sweet boy.

"Shhh…you are going to have to read it yourself tomorrow or wait until I read it to you."

Tom groaned, "if…I wasn't swaddled, I could read it now!"

"That's true", Aurelius sounded amused, "poor baby", he winked at him, and then he gave him another goodnight kiss, "at least now you have something to look forward to tomorrow, hmm?"

"Yah. And…I get to finish the picture tomorrow, too."

"That's two things to look forward to then."

"Maybe you should let me have ice cream for dessert tomorrow, so it's three."

Aurelius had to laugh, "I'll think about it, cheeky bear", he stood up, "quiet time now, Tommy."

Tom sighed, he had wanted to ask more about the book, and the ice cream, but quiet time was quiet time- and it meant no more talking.

"Tomorrow, Tommy", Aurelius reminded him softly, "goodnight. Have some wonderful dreams."

And just like most nights now, he actually did, and when he woke up the next morning, he felt well rested and energetic. It was crazy how much difference a solid ten hours of sleep made, and now much better he felt without drinking a bottle of bourbon after dinner anymore.

For the next few days, life was somewhat easy- he had chores in the morning now, but they did not take him as long as they used to. He had become an expert in folding the laundry, polishing the mirror, and mopping the floors. He still disliked it, but he did not hate it anymore- and it even felt him with a weird sense of satisfaction when he was able to see the difference he'd made after, like he had actually accomplished something. After lunch, he'd still nap- just without the swaddle. Aurelius had started to snuggle him until he fell asleep though, and even though it was embarrassing as fuck, he liked it. He liked it a lot. In the afternoon, he had free time now- which he usually spent with mixing crazy sorts of teas together, drawing, or reading. Aurelius still read to him every night, and Tom had started to look forward to it all day.

Feeding time was a lot easier now, too- since Aurelius asked him about his opinion for every dish, made him try new things, and tested his tastes with fun little games. He had become an expert on food- and he enjoyed telling Aurelius his opinion on the food, knowing Aurelius actually wanted to hear it from him.

"Chicken should have been cooked longer- it's a little raw in the middle."

"That tomato is definitely not fresh."

"This is great, and I love how the paprika adds to the flavor."

Aurelius always listened earnestly, with a hint of amusement in his eyes, and one day, after Tom had spent ten minutes critiquing the lobster risotto he had had for dinner, he decided to take his training approach to the next step, "lobster risotto is hard work, little bear", he told him mildly, "took the house elves about an hour to make it."

Tom scoffed, "an hour, really? Shouldn't take them longer than forty-five minutes."

"No one can cook a lobster risotto that quick", Aurelius pointed out, "you couldn't, either."

"Sure I could!", Tom immediately replied, "but I am not a house elf. I don't cook."

"Sounds like you are just scared to lose against a bunch of house elves", Aurelius went on slyly, and as expected, Tom went right into his trap, "just get me the ingredients, and I show you I can make it faster than any house elf!"

Stubborn boy.

Aurelius smiled to himself, "alright, will do- and then tomorrow you can show me what you can do, baby bear."

He kept his promise, and when he came to see Tom in the morning, he brought all the groceries and the recipe with him, but Tom would not even glance at it, "I'll just do this my way", he told Aurelius, "watch and learn."

He went on and prepared the dish, and Aurelius did watch him- pride in his eyes. Tom had come a long way already, and when he saw him confidently standing in the kitchen now, doing something he had always declared to be a servant's or house elf's job, he knew that his training was progressing nicely. Still, there was more to learn for the boy.

"I am done!", Tom eventually announced, "now you have to try it!"

"I'd love to, Tommybear", Aurelius smiled at him, "do I get a plate?"

Tom grinned at him, "I was actually gonna feed it to you- fair's fair."

Aurelius had to laugh, "getting cheeky there, baby bat?", he sounded amused though, "I'll let you feed me if that's what you want to do- go ahead", he winked at him, and then he sat down on the ground right in front of him, and Tom blinked, obviously surprised that Aurelius just went with it, "uhm…okay. Open…your mouth", the command was hesitant, and it made Aurelius smile again. Clearly, Tom had gotten so used to him being in charge and had mostly accepted it that he did not seem to want to boss him around anymore- which was progress, too. He opened his mouth and accepted a spoonful of lobster risotto from the older boy, who was looking down at him expectantly, "how is it?", he blurted out after he had not even swallowed it, and Aurelius let out a small laugh, "Tommy, it's perfect- just like you."

The boy blushed, but Aurelius could see how much the praise meant to him, "so…it's good? Better than the house elves?", he asked, sounding somewhat anxious.

"It's very good for a first try, little bear", Aurelius told him softly, "the house elves work in a group, so obviously it's a lot easier for them- but you will get there, sweet boy. I think if you had some time to experience and practice, you could take over the whole kitchen soon."

"I…I have some time in the mornings", Tom started, "I mean…maybe I could cook instead of chores?", he looked at him with a hopeful sparkle in his eyes, and Aurelius' chest warmed again at the thought of how far the boy had come, "I think that's a great idea, Tommy", he replied, "why don't you write down a list of dishes you would like to cook and I get you the ingredients for that?"

Tom nodded happily, "yah, I can do that."

And just like that, he had a new activity besides experimenting with teas, drawing, and reading- his days were full now, and he loved spending hours in the morning trying out new dishes. One day, after Aurelius had left in the afternoon, Tom was busy drawing a picture of Beagle, his owl- someone who he avoided thinking about, just like he avoided thinking about anything that had happened the day his Mansion had burnt down- and when he looked up for a second, his glance fell on the door. The opened door. Just like last time, the door had not locked all the way. Tom stared at it for what felt like forever, knowing what that meant.

And then he made his decision.

"Hey there, sweet boy", Aurelius' voice was soft when he walked over to Tom, who was sitting in a corner of the room, his back pressed against the wall, silently crying, "shhh…I know, baby. This was hard, hmm?", he sat down next to the boy, and when he slowly started to caress Tom's hair with one hand, he cried out loud, pressing his tear-stained face in his chest, "so ha…hard!"

"I know…and you did so well, little bear- you made me so proud. I know how much you want out, sweet boy…shhh…come here…it's all good…", he let Tom snuggle close, and the boy kept crying, until the cries eventually turned into sad little sniffs.

"Relius?"

"Yes, baby bear?"

"I…don't want out that bad anymore", he finally whispered, "that's fu…messed up, right?"

"No, it's not Tommy."

It actually means your training is almost over.

Aurelius planted a soft kiss on his hair, pulling him even closer, "you are going to get a reward for being so obedient, Tommy", he told him, "you passed the test this time. Come on", and then he led him to the door, and Tom blinked, "where…where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, baby bat. There's someone who's been waiting very impatiently to see you."

Sirius had just stretched himself out on the couch for a nice, long nap when he suddenly heard some loud shouting and yelling from the outside. He opened his eyes again, annoyed at being interrupted. He needed his sleep to be able to fuck over some more Death Eaters tonight- not that there were that many left now, anyways.

"Fucking hell", he cursed, grabbing his wand and leaving his apartment at the warden's block. He cursed again when he realized what was going on- the camp was getting attacked. There were wardens running around frantically, and spells were being casted in the air- and Sirius felt his anger rising when he saw some Aurors walking around the camp like they fucking owned it. This was his kingdom, now that Dumbledore spent his whole time obsessing about finding Voldemort, and he would certainly not let some brazen Ministry assholes take over now!

"Fucking bastards!", he growled, "I'll fuck all of you over!"

"I highly doubt that, Sirius Black."

He turned around so quickly his head started to spin, and he paled when he came face to face with no one else than Godric bloody Gryffindor, leaning on the wall with the most arrogant smile on his face, "I've heard about your little…job, Sirius Black", Gryffindor went on before he was able to say anything, "they say you've never been defeated before."

"Obviously", he scoffed, "I'm fucking invincible, Gryffindor."

To his surprise and annoyance, Gryffindor let out a small laugh, "we shall see about that, Sirius Black- because tonight, you will have a new opponent in your little arena- and that's going to be me."

yep...and we all know how that's going to end for Sirius- warning ahead, the next chapter will be...intense.

and there will be more Aurelius/ Tom H/C in the next chap! ;)

I'd love some feedback from you!

xoxo,

Antonie :)