So I just wanted to say how your comments nearly had me in tears, I was touched by them all. After all the looting I didn't have electricity for a week, which really isn't new to me, but it allowed me time to myself and I did a lot of planning for my stories, and for this one, I was able to plan out the main plotline, because I haven't been sure where I want to take this story, but now I do know, but that might change as the story developed, so maybe I might update faster with a plan in mind but knowing me, I sometimes forget that I'm writing.
But on another note, I am looking for a beta/proofreader for this story, I have to admit that I am terrible at editing my own work...
I do have the next chapter planned out, so I might get it out in a couple of days after this one, but it depends on if anything happens IRL.
"Harry, I don't know what to say to you. I know I messed up pretty badly, and that's putting it lightly. I know my actions can never be excused but let me try and explain what had happened at Hogwarts.
"The best place for me to start would be when I got a job at Borgin and Burkes. It wasn't much of a job, but I would help out at the front desk and with cleaning. Over the time that I worked there, I learnt all the different weird and wonderful objects and artefacts that passed through their hands.
"While I was working there, I did try and get into the political scene, but Dumbledore stopped me at every twist and turn. This had angered me a lot, and with my soul, not whole, I wasn't as sane as I would have liked. So, when I saw that Hepzibah Smith had brought Slytherin's locket, that I had been hoping to get my own hands-on, as it belonged in my family.
"That night I went to visit her, I tried getting it from her, explaining how it belonged in my family, not hers. I got so mad when she kept denying me that she became the first person that I killed with the intention of it. I escaped with the locket, and my mind was already in a crazed state. I wanted to make it mine, so I performed the Horcrux ritual again, using Hepzibah's death as the sacrifice.
"After that, I left my job and tried in vain to get a job at Hogwarts teaching defence against the dark arts. After my failure with the ministry, this was the only other thing that I wanted to do. But Dumbledore refused me the position, so I cursed the spot.
"After that, I started to travel the world in pursuit of knowledge. I don't remember most of those days, I remember my soul being split even more. I never should have done it the second time, it should only ever be done once, if never at all. I learnt many things on my travels, I still remember the knowledge but not the events.
"Somewhere among those days, I started to do rituals to strengthen myself, but with a split soul, I landed up with the deformed body of a human with snake-like features. I returned to Britain around this time. Using glamours, I started to grow the army that you know as the death eaters. When I was young, I had never intended to start a war to change this world. But my hatred and anger towards Dumbledore twisted my original goals and I wanted to fight for everything he was against.
"My insanity only got worse as time went on, so when my spy told me part of the prophecy, I set out to kill you, a baby. And then you defeated me and spent 10 years wondering as a dark and broken soul. You know what happened in those years to follow. When we battled at the ministry, shit, I never should have Bellatrix with me, I hadn't intended on anyone dying, I wanted the prophecy and Dumbledore to know that I was coming for him.
"I had only started a ritual a few weeks before the battle and it wasn't fully complete, so my sanity wasn't what it is now, after finishing the ritual. I've also gathered all the Horcruxes that I can and have stitched them together in a sense. But my first part will be gone forever, and my second one is still missing, and even then, there is still another part that I am missing and don't even know what it is.
"I know I can't ask for your forgiveness when it comes to certain things, but know, that I will never repeat the actions that I took in my past and that I truly am sorry and regret the trauma and hurt I have put you through. And now, knowing that you are carrying our baby, I will listen to everything you have to say when it comes to my fight, and I will fight for you and our child, and I will be there to protect you from any more harm. I will not allow any of my followers to hurt you, even if it means I have to get rid of them permanently.
"In time, I hope you can learn to accept me for all the flaws I have and that you can pity the actions I have made. And I hope, and pray to Lady Magic, that one day we can be a happy family, and that we can learn to love each other." Tom said, pouring out the truth of his past.
Harry sat there with his head down, tears forming in his eyes. Tom may have hurt him, but he really hoped that could be a happy family one day. He had left everything behind for him and wanted to pull out of the war for their baby. He looked to Tom, tears running down his face and nodded, not trusting his own voice. Tom reached forward and cupped both sides of his face. Wiping away his tears with his thumbs.
Tom moved closer to Harry and pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back. He could feel his own eyes stinging with tears, something which hadn't happened since he was a child. He was never going to let Harry go. This one being had so much love in them to give and wasn't going to take it for granted. He was going to try his hardest to not screw everything up. The two sat there in each other's arms for a while, just emptying everything through their tears.
Tom was the first to clam, placing a soft kiss on the top of Harry's head. "I think we should go clean up. You've had a long day. Let's both get some sleep and tomorrow we can do whatever you want. And I'll see if I can get my most trusted healer to see you, although you might not like them." He felt Harry nod his head into his chest. He slowly got up, pulling Harry up with him, and guiding him to the bathroom. He ran a warm bath for them. He helped Harry out his clothes before getting out of his own.
He climbed into the bath alongside Harry. Picking up the sponge and washing his back for him. Tom could see that he was in a bit of a fragile mood, and just wanted to take care of him. After they washed up, Tom wrapped fluffy towels around the two of them before guiding Harry into the bedroom and getting some pyjamas for the two of them. He handed a pair to Harry, getting a soft thank you in response. Once dressed and in bed, Tom pulled Harry close to him, letting him use his chest as a pillow. He threaded his fingers through Harry's hair and watched him fall asleep before he drifted off to sleep as well.
Harry woke to the smell of food coming through into the bedroom and his body gave in to the mouth-watering smells and allowed himself to get out of bed. He found tom cooking eggs and bacon in the kitchen and there were already pancakes ready and waiting to be eaten. Harry sat at the counter grabbing a plate and stacking up the pancakes (I'm not talking about American pancakes, just search pannekoek, Afrikaans for pancake, and you will see what I am talking about.) Harry covered them in cinnamon and sugar before rolling them up and stuffing his face with the sweetie goodness. Tom chuckled at the squirrel-like appearance that Harry was showing off at the moment. He finished cooking the eggs and bacon and presented them to Harry, who just about breathed them in.
"I'm going to head off to the manor in a few minutes," Tom told him, he had to start planning and getting the place ready for their soon to be family. Harry mumbled through the food, before shooing Tom off to finish his breakfast. It wasn't until he was finished that he realised that Tom had left while he was eating. Harry cleaned up the little mess that had been made, and stared at the empty apartment he was in, he didn't know what to do.
Harry had tried surfing the T.V that was in the small lounge, but nothing caught his attention, so he skimmed read the titles of the books on the bookshelf, but nothing stood out. He might as well unpack the little that was in his truck. As Harry opened his trunk, he was greeted by his school uniform, which unsettled his stomach. He was hit with the overwhelming reality that he wasn't going back to school, how could he, he ran away from the people that go there. Harry left the clothes in there and unpacked the books, hiding them amongst the other books around the house.
After his trunk was just about empty, Harry flung open the doors to Tom's cupboard shoving the little he brought into before he started to search through the clothes in there, seeing what he might be able to take for himself. He found a large white button up in the cupboard and pulled it out, stripping down his boxers before putting on the shirt. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and pulled the shirt flat against his stomach. He noticed the slight bump that wasn't normally there, it looked like he had been overeating instead of being pregnant.
Harry started to mentally calculate how far along he would be, if he counted the day that he and Tom had slept together, he would be 50 days along, or in other words 7 weeks and a day. Although he didn't know much about pregnancies, he knew that pregnancies lasted about 9 months and there are 3 trimesters. He assumed he would probably be in the first one.
Harry was craving something sweet to eat, so he wandered into the kitchen and pulled out a recipe book that was about baking. He found a caramel cupcake recipe and started to pull out all the ingredients. After an hour of baking, Harry was finished and was taking a bite out of the first cupcake, that he thought something was missing, he pilled out the leftover bacon and cut it up into bits before sprinkling it over the top. Harry was in bliss eating the sweet and salty treat that he didn't notice Tome come in.
Tom walked in to find Harry sitting on the counter stuffing his face full of cupcakes. He walked up to Harry standing in between his legs, kissing the squirrel in front of him. Harry grinned at him, and he couldn't resist licking the icing off the side of his lips. He goes in for another kiss dipping his tongue into the others mouth and tasting the cupcake he had just eaten. Tom pulled Harry closer into himself, not wanting him to lift him off the counter as he was at the right height for him to be devoured. Tom pulled away slightly from Harry, sharing their breath for a moment before he pecked his lips and pulled away. Harry pouted as Tom pulled away.
"Why did you stop?" Harry asked
"I don't want to do anything that could hurt the baby, so until you have a proper check-up and have been given the clear to go any further than we can. I'm not risking both of your lives. Male pregnancies are already risky as is, and for us to have conceived a child with no aid of spells or potions, I don't even know what could happen at the slightest discomfort caused to the baby."
Harry continued to pout as Tom started cleaning up the kitchen with his magic. He was amazed how Tom did everything wordlessly and wandless. Tom gently pulled Harry off the counter and lead him into the adjacent lounge. He pulled Harry into his lap as he sat on the couch. He had some good news to share with him, but for now, he would enjoy cuddling with him in the late afternoon sun.
How did you find the chapter, and are there any scenes you might want to see, like filler chapters full of fluff, or even smut, but that's in the future, or maybe something that could affect the plot, I like to hear your opinions and it also motivates and inspires me to continue growing this story.
I'll also say it again, but I am looking for a beta reader for this story because I suck at editing my own work.
