Hey everyone! :)
Thanks for the comments and Kudos! :)
Hope you all like this new chapter, it has lots of Tom/ Godric fluff :D
Tom was staring at the chess board in front of him, frowning in concentration.
He moved his king to e7…what am I supposed to do now?
Finally, he hesitantly reached for a knight, carefully making him move across the board to f3.
"Good decision."
Tom looked up, coming face to face with Gryffindor, "good for me or good for you?"
"For me of course", he sounded amused, "I am intending to win this, Thomas."
Tom sighed, biting his lips in uncertainty, but he did not know what else do to, so he left the knight at f3.
Gryffindor casually picked up one of his knights, moving it to c6.
"You are going after my pawn", Tom realized, rolling his eyes, "that's not gonna work out, Gryffindor", and then he moved a bishop to f4 in an attempt to hold onto his pawn.
"Are you sure about that?", Gryffindor asked mildly, moving his king to b4.
They were sitting down now, and Tom completely forgot that he had come here to help Sirius pick out a book for tonight- all he could think about was the game in front of him. He had missed this- battling with Gryffindor on a level he felt respected and equal at.
"You are coming after my pawn, the bishop, and the king now, really?", he had to grin though, and then he moved his bishop back to d2, because what else was he going to do?
"It's all about the king, Thomas", Gryffindor told him, moving his king to b2, "you need to think ahead, baby bear."
"I'm trying", Tom mumbled, not even noticing that Gryffindor had called him baby bear, he was concentrating too hard on the game in front of him, and when he eventually moved the bishop to b3 in an attempt to go after Gryffindor's queen, the Founder chuckled, "getting quite aggressive there, hmm?"
He moved his bishop to b4, and Tom groaned, "no way!"
He had to move his king now, because what did Gryffindor say?
It's all about the king.
Tom moved his king to d2 in an attempt to protect it from Gryffindor's king, even though he had a feeling this was a trap.
"You should always trust your feelings, Tommy", Gryffindor smiled at him, moving his bishop to c3, capturing Tom's bishop.
"Yeah, and I'm feeling a need for revenge!", he moved his king to c3, capturing Gryffindor's bishop, and the Founder sighed, "not those kind of feelings- once you become emotionally invested into the game, you lose."
He picked up his king, and Tom finally realized the trap Gryffindor had set for him, "no! No wait, I made a mistake!"
"Indeed you did- checkmate, Thomas", and he moved his king to c1, effectively winning the game.
"You trapped me!"
"It's called Englund Gambit", Gryffindor leaned back in his chair, eyeing Tom with amusement, "the perfect trap for wild little boys who like to make aggressive moves."
He flushed, "I wanna read some chess books, I need to learn about these things!", he said then, not wanting to comment on being called a wild little boy.
"I've got a whole section of chess books in here", Gryffindor said, "would you like to see them?"
"Yeah, for sure!"
The Founder gave him another look, raising his eyebrows, and Tom sighed. Aurelius did the exact same thing when he talked like that, and he knew what Gryffindor wanted to hear, "yes, please, I'd like to see them, please."
"Good boy", the Founder was smiling again, "follow me, Tommy."
They went to the other side of the room, and Tom did not even think about finding Aurelius and Sirius anymore, the thought of reading some chess books filled him with excitement.
Gryffindor's selection of chess books was huge- and soon he was engrossed in a book about gambits, and he barely noticed that Gryffindor led him to a couch, sitting down next to him.
"What's this mean?", he pointed at a word, and after the Founder had told him, he kept reading.
"And what's that mean?"
Gryffindor patiently explained it, and for the next hour or so, they read the book together, discussing all kinds of gambits.
He did not realize how late it had gotten until he had to yawn.
"I think it's time for bed for you, Tommy", the Founder got up, closing the book, "let's go- it is getting late."
"I'm not tired!", Tom lied, eyeing the book, "just wanna finish that chapter."
"Not tonight. It's time for bed."
Tom stared at him, silently debating how far he was willing to take this, and Gryffindor raised an eyebrow, "you'll get spanked if you keep this up, you are aware of that, right?"
"I thought you were done training me."
Gryffindor stifled a laugh, "you are confusing training with simple parenting, Thomas", but as soon as the words had left his mouth, he bit his lips.
I shouldn't have said that.
The boy gave him a strange look, "you're not my parent, though."
But I wish you were.
"I…I know. I did not…mean it like that."
Yes, I did.
They stared at each other in silence for several minutes, and eventually, Tom had to yawn again.
"I…maybe I am kinda tired", he mumbled, avoiding to look at the Founder.
"Let's get you to bed, then", Gryffindor replied, trying his best to hide the uncertainty from his voice.
"Okay."
They went upstairs in silence, the playful mood from the chess game gone. Tom brushed his teeth without getting asked to, and Gryffindor grabbed a warm pair of pajamas for him to wear and put it on his bed where Bacon was already waiting, curled into a ball.
"Thanks", he got changed quickly, and then he slowly crawled into the bed, "Relius always tells us a story at night", he blurted out, not exactly sure why he had felt to tell the Founder that. He suddenly remembered that he had been supposed to pick out a book for tonight with the other boys, "is Relius gonna come tuck me in?"
"I am assuming Aurelius is asleep already- it's late."
The boy hung his head, "oh…okay."
No story then.
"I can tell you a story if you want", the Founder looked somehow uncomfortable, "a short one, though- you need to sleep."
"Is it about dragons?"
Gryffindor blinked, "do you need it to be?"
"Sirius would", Tom grinned, "he's obsessed with dragons right now- but I'm not picky. You can tell me anything", he thought he sounded kind of desperate, and blushed with embarrassment, "I mean…not something boring, obviously."
"The story is about a dog."
Bacon's ears perked up at that, and he gave a small bark.
"That's perfect", Tom informed him, snuggling under the covers, "we love stories about dogs, right, Bacon?"
Another small bark.
"Very well then- once upon a time, there was…"
It turned out to be a good story, it was funny and exciting, but Tom still found it hard to concentrate and kept fidgeting. Whenever Aurelius told them a story, he sat on the bed, Sirius next to him and Tom on his lap, and whenever he grew restless, Aurelius would tighten his grip, holding him close. Tom had started to crave the warmth and safety of that grip without being able to put it into words.
Bacon huffed at him in annoyance after a while, feeling disrupted by Tom's squirming, and Gryffindor stopped talking, looking at the boy, "everything alright, Thomas? You seem a little…restless."
"I'm good", he automatically replied, "just…uhm…Relius always…uhm…he…uhm…", his face turned red, too embarrassed to tell.
"Do you want me to hold you, Tommy?", his voice was surprisingly soft, and Tom swallowed hard.
Yes. Yes, please!
"No…uhm…I can handle it. You're not…you don't have to…", he started to stutter, and then Gryffindor sighed, walking over to him, and then he pulled him on his lap, "shhh…quiet time for little boys now", he hummed something, and Tom squirmed, not knowing how to deal with this, and Gryffindor tightened his grip, "be a good boy, Tommy."
He stopped squirming, settling down by snuggling closer to the Founder, and Gryffindor smiled, "good boy- are you ready to hear the rest of the story now?"
"Yah."
He felt a soft pat on his butt, and it made him blush, "yes, please", he corrected himself quietly, and he felt a hand in his hair, caressing it.
And then Gryffindor kept telling him the story, and by the time it was over, Tom was asleep- snuggled into him, a soft smile on his lips.
My sweet boy.
He frowned instantly, where had that thought come from? The boy was not his, and he should really stop treating him like he was. He had failed the boy in every way possible, and he had deceived and abused him, and he did not deserve him for a father- he deserved better.
He needed to focus on getting the boy what he needed- and that involved talking to the principal of Belvedere. Getting the boy into that school would hopefully help them all to move on.
Gryffindor had never been one to procrastinate, so he contacted the principal the very next day, setting up a meeting for the day after.
Renard Belvedere was one of the grandsons of the late Laurent Belvedere who had been principal before him. He was a tall, striking man with dark hair and grey eyes.
"Mr. Gryffindor, it is my pleasure!", they shook hands, and then Godric led the man to one of his private, less formal offices, "I have to say- your home is beautiful."
"Thank you- and likewise. I was friends with Laurent for quite some time, he was an honorable man."
"That he was- and he is deeply missed", Renard sat down, accepting a cup of tea by a trembling house elf, "now- you told me one of your boys is interested in attending my school?"
"Thomas, yes", he left out the fact that he was not really his boy, "I thought meeting you would help him decide if Belvedere is really a good fit for him."
"You sound a little apprehensive, if you allow me the comment, Sir."
"Please, call me Godric- and to be completely honest, I was a little bit surprised by his choice, knowing how competitive your school is."
Renard took a sip of his tea, "our acceptance rate was about five percent last year", he did not sound apologetic about that fact though, "obviously, I would treat an application from your boy…differently. And please, call me Renard."
"I appreciate that, Renard- let me send for Thomas, I know he is looking forward to meet you", he gave the house elf who had served them tea and biscuits a signal, and the elf bowed his head and left the room, coming back a couple minutes later with Tom.
The boy was dressed in a suit, his hair neatly combed to the side. He looked nervous, and he was trembling when he entered the room, pressing a folder to his chest.
"You must be Thomas", Belvedere smiled at him, and Tom stepped closer, "yes, I…I am Thomas", he flushed red, feeling like an idiot, "it's…an honor to meet you, Sir."
The man seemed amused, "it is very nice to meet you, too. Your father told me you would like to attend my school?"
Father?
"Yes, Sir."
"What made you chose Belvedere?"
"I…I really like to draw, Sir", he whispered, his face dark red. He was fidgeting again, and Gryffindor silently beckoned him over, and when he was close enough, he pulled him on his lap.
"What do you like to draw, Thomas?"
"My favorite thing to draw is Bacon", Tom answered, feeling more confident now that he was safely snuggled into Gryffindor's broad chest.
"Bacon?", Belvedere repeated, his eyebrows raised.
"That's my dog, Sir", Tom explained, smiling, "he's a puppy, but very smart- he can dig real deep holes, and once he was hiding in one, and I was lookin' for him for like hours", he fell back to the way of talking he used when he was excited, "and I'm teaching him how to ice skate!"
"That does sound like a very talented dog", Belvedere answered, sounding amused, and then he exchanged a look with Gryffindor, unseen by the boy, "could I see some of your drawings, Thomas?"
"Yeah, for sure!", he blurted out, completely forgetting that this was not the way to talk to a principal of one of the most prestigious schools in the world, "it's mostly Bacon- and I like to draw landscapes, too- but flowers are difficult as hell to draw, so I kinda cheat and draw lots of fields instead."
Belvedere had to laugh, taking a sudden liking to this blunt, refreshing boy- and he looked at the drawings with approval. The boy was talented, but his talent was still very raw.
"These are quite good, Thomas", he told the boy, meaning it, "I especially like the one of your dog chasing after a snowflake."
"Thank you, Sir!", the boys' face lit up, and it was adorable, "that really happened, actually. Bacon's first time seeing snow, he thought he could eat the snowflakes, so he decided to give it a try but then it melted on his tongue, and he got real angry and started to bark at them. I think he holds a grudge, Sir."
Belvedere stifled a laugh, wondering where in the world Gryffindor had found this boy, "now, how old are you, Thomas?"
"I'm thirteen, Sir", the boy answered easily.
"Hmmm…I see", it sounded rather vague, and Tom's face fell, "you…take thirteen year old's, right? I mean, you start at ten, right?"
"Our first graders are ten, yes- Belvedere accepts students from ten to twenty years."
"Kay, I was getting worried there", the boy smiled again, and Belvedere hated to disappoint him- but he had to, "I think it might still be too early for you, Thomas", he told him calmly, "but let me talk to your father for a little bit, and then I'll explain it, alright?"
The boy bit his lips, "yes, Sir", it sounded subdued, and when Gryffindor gave him a soft pat, he got up, and then he left the room.
As soon as the door had closed behind him, Belvedere chuckled, "your boy, hmm?"
"It's…complicated."
"That I believe- but you do see why I cannot take him, right? At least not right now."
Gryffindor nodded, "he's gotten better- but when he's excited, he easily forgets everything he's learned so far."
Belvedere leaned back, "may I ask why you don't train him? He certainly has potential- and he seems to adore you."
Godric sighed, "I tried- and it did not go very well. He's still too wild, and regular punishments had no effect on him."
"And you don't want to force him."
"Exactly."
"Does he listen to your older boy?"
"He does- better than he listens to me", Godric admitted grudgingly, "he basically worships the ground Aurelius is walking on- which apparently makes for easy training."
"And you like the old-fashioned approach better?"
"I am an old-fashioned kind of guy", Godric replied drily, and Belvedere had to laugh, "seriously though- I am not one to cuddle and spoil my boys without them behaving for me at first- but Aurelius seems to think that making the training fun and loving is the way to go with Thomas."
"Well, both sides have their advantages- and I usually use a mix of both."
"How so?", he sounded interested.
"I do try to make the training pleasant- and the better they obey, the more pleasant it gets. Positive reinforcement. I reward them for being good, instead of just punishing them for disobeying."
"And that works?"
"My oldest is quite rebellious- I have to be extremely strict, and he needs a very firm hand, so I am doing more of the punishment for disobeying with him. My second oldest is more of a free spirit like your boy seems to be, and with him, I only use positive reinforcement. He gets rewarded for everything he does correctly, even small things. As soon as what I want him to do becomes natural, the rewards become less and less, until I stop them altogether."
"Mmmhh…it could be worth a try. Old-fashioned training definitely won't work for him, but he does need to be trained."
"He instantly calmed down when you put him on your lap", Belvedere remarked, "so that is something to consider."
"He is still very much a little boy."
Belvedere smiled, "that he is- and as soon as he is a little more…polished, and does not need his Daddy to make him feel safe, he is welcome at Belvedere."
"Would you like me to bring him back in?"
"Yes, that would be great."
Gryffindor gave a quick nod to the silent house elf in the corner, and the elf bowed his head, and left the room to fetch the boy.
Tom appeared only seconds later, looking pale and unhappy, "are my drawings not good enough?", he blurted out before Renard had even said a word, "I can work more hard on them, I swear, I can…"
"Come here, Tommy", to his surprise, both men were smiling at him, and he automatically went over to Gryffindor, stretching out his arms, "want up!"
He needed to sit on his lap, he needed that safety right now, the comfort of being close and being held, and the Founder gently pulled him on his lap, "I need you to be a good boy now and listen", he told him calmly, "this has nothing to do with your drawings, baby bear- they are amazing."
Tom frowned, "it's cause I am still not…being good, right? Cause I'm too wild", he sounded miserable, and Gryffindor carefully pulled him closer, "do you know what going to Belvedere means, Tommy? You have to wear a uniform every day, there won't be much playtime, but lots of work instead- and no bedtime stories."
"What about snuggles?", he sounded so earnest, "and Bacon?"
"There won't be snuggles at night- and I believe dogs are not allowed at Belvedere."
"We do have a very strict policy against pets", Renard said, "there are horses for the students to use for horseback riding- but they stay in the stable."
The boy chewed on his lip, thinking hard, "maybe…it's not…uhm…maybe I need to be a little older to attend. I still like to play a lot."
My sweet baby bear.
"We will have a spot open for you whenever you are ready, Thomas", Belvedere now told him, "and I have a feeling I might see you in a year or two- your Daddy will know when you are ready."
Tom wanted to tell him that Gryffindor was not his Daddy, but the word sounded so…good, so he just snuggled closer, "I need to learn how to draw flowers first anyways", he said, "and that might take a while."
He did not understand why that made both Gryffindor and Belvedere chuckle.
"You are one lucky guy", Belvedere told Gryffindor, getting up, "it was nice meeting you today- and I do hope I see you soon, Thomas", he winked at him, "I'll see myself out."
"Thank you, Renard. I will keep in touch."
Belvedere laughed, "I sure hope so", and then, he was gone, accompanied by the house elf.
"Sorry for that", Tom mumbled, pressing his face into Gryffindor's chest.
"What are you sorry for, Tommy?"
"For…not acting like…I should. It's…hard when I get excited or I'm nervous. The words just come out, and…I can't control it."
"Would you like to control it?"
Tom blinked, "I don't know", he said quietly, "it's…easier to be…to not…", he struggled with getting the words out, but Gryffindor seemed to understand, "it's easier to act like a little boy sometimes, hmm? Because you had to act like an adult for so long, taking care of yourself with no help."
"Yah", he forced back the sudden tears, "I…what's gonna happen to me now? You gonna send me somewhere else?"
Please don't.
"Do you want me to, baby bear?"
Baby bear.
It was the last straw, and he suddenly burst into tears, and once he had started to cry, he did not seem to be able to stop, "wanna be…your good boy!", he was sobbing, "don't…send me away!"
"My sweet boy…I do not want to send you anywhere, I just thought…I can't be a good father for you. I…I wasn't a good…father for any of my boys for the last months…"
"But you're a good father now!", Tom told him, his face wet with tears, "and…I like playing chess with you, and learning stuff, and…I like snuggling with you, and…I love Bagel, and you gave him to me, and you call me…baby bear, like Relius does, and…and…", he choked on his tears, "I wanna learn! I wanna learn how to be good for you!"
"I am not going to train you like I have before, Tommy- I would use a…different approach. I would use rewards, and whenever you do something good, you would get a reward", he told him, needing him to know what was going to happen if he stayed here, "and you would be my boy- just like Aurelius and Sirius. Is that what you want, Tommy?"
The boy smiled at him, his face a mess out of drool, tears and snot, "yes. I want to make you happy."
Just like I want to make Relius happy.
the HEA will have to wait a little longer though- Dumbles will be back next chap, more evil than ever.
I would loooove some comments :)
see you soon!
Antonie :)
