Tom never stayed in bed after 5 a.m. No matter how late he slept his morning routine always had been same. Harry would have been in deep slumber by the time till Tom woke him up an hour later. But today Harry's enthusiasm didn't let him sleep properly and he jumped out of bed the moment Tom was ready to leave for jogging.

"What? There is still time for Diagon Alley to be opened. "Tom chuckled. He knew of Harry's impatience. "Even wizards rest at night."

"No I just wanted to go for walk with you." Harry flustered. "Don't they say early rising is good for health?"

"You remembered that today?" Tom nodded with a sarcastic smile "go then get freshen up quickly." He pushed Harry towards washroom.

Passing through a sleeping London in chilly breeze was something new for Harry. His light body felt like a feather flying in air as he sprinted. Being chased by all over his life he had developed his speed automatically. Tom's long strides too had difficulty to match with him. Harry felt satisfied for leaving Tom behind at least in one case.

Tom glared at the boy with envy. Harry's steps were so light it was not touching land properly, giving a vibe that he was flying. Tom snorted, He wanted to fly up in the sky from very childhood when he didn't know about his true self. But he still hadn't matured the skill. He didn't want to take help of any object like broom or carpet or any kind of animal to fly, reason he never joined Quidditch apart from the fact that he didn't have time to waste on some stupid game. Otherwise he was able to fly his broom on the first day of Friday's quidditch lesson in first year. Yet he never went back to the field despite of requests from the then newly appointed young Madam Hooch. He had to practice more extensively on developing his flying skill once he got back to Hogwarts.

"Harry!" Tom called out as they had reached in the bank of Thames. "Let's have a swim" He was panting a little but Harry seemed totally fine.

"But I don't know how to swim." Harry grasped, even if he knew he would hesitate to swim in such cold water this early. Besides he doesn't have gillyweed with him either.

"Don't know swiming?" Tom's smugness was back in the place of earlier envy. "What would you do if you fall from boat in the lake? The giant squid might eat you."

Harry pouted. The giant squid of Hogwarts was domesticated and Tom was just making fun of him. But it was weird that Tom Riddle sometimes show a lighter mood specifically towards him.

Tom was already undressing. Harry tried not to look at teen dark lord with nothing but an underpant yet he couldn't help but admit Riddle had got a perfect figure, the tall lean body had not an extra ounce of flesh anywhere, shoulders just started broadening and little muscles were already visible. Even professional quidditch players often don't manage to have such physique. Too bad voldemort wasted this gift to become a serpentine monster.

Tom smirked noticing Harry's face turning red. The boy looked quite cute while blushing. He sometimes got surprised on his thought process. He never did consider anything cute ever, he didn't flinch when his anger towards Billy unleashed the destructive magic that strangled the tiny rabbit and hanged it from ruffle, even though he exactly didn't plan to kill that creature that way but all he felt was satisfaction for avenging that brat. If required he would kill any creature that people consider cute, it was hypocritical when people consume meats yet shiver to kill them. But around Harry in times he think a little differently and he needed to figure out the reason. However he was proud to make Harry blush, the sense of earlier defeat was gone, he made a show to dive into the cold stream of Thames.

Harry was amazed to see with the ease Tom was cutting the stream. His usual long limbs were looking longer underwater. Didn't he feel cold at all? Or might be Voldemort was always cold blooded like a snake.

When Tom came out his wet body was literally glowing in morning sunlight. Harry had to avert his eyes again. Tom smiled smugly as he dressed up after the water on his body dried quickly. He surely enjoyed the rare admiration for him on those exquisite green eyes that usually held contempt towards him.

On their way to orphanage Tom came to the backyard and Harry followed. Wool's had a little garden there. Strangely despite his indifference to living beings he kept a good knowledge in gardening, perhaps for his good grades in herbology lesson. So he had the responsibility of watering them in the summer.

"sssnakesspeakerss...wheress my treats?"

Harry turned to find a green snake climbing down from a nearby plant towards Tom.

"here's your favorite..." Tom hissed as he took out from his pocket a small packed filled with small fishes freshly caught from Thames. Harry didn't notice when and how Tom caught those but catching fishes with bare hands was counted talent for wizards too. Tom indeed had authority in wandless magic.

As Tom fed the snake he looked at Harry. The boy didn't look surprised or scared as he talked to the snake. Which was quite strange, wizards too feel uncomfortable on his ability to speak parseltongue.

"whossse thisss new boy..friendss.?" Tom noticed Harry took a few step closer to the snake as if he understood the snake was talking about him.

"he is Harry..he lives with me." Tom hissed without moving his eyes from Harry.

"Harry...he hasss green eyesss like my ssscaless..you likes greens." Harry's ears turned red at the snake's last words and Tom frowned. Why was he blushing again? Did he heard the snake?

"enough blabbering, you got your treat. now go" Tom held the snake up and placed it at nearby plant.

"Harry..i liked him friendsss.." Harry chuckled, what a talkative young serpent it was.

"What are you smiling at?" Harry grasped at Tom's tone. Oh Merlin did Tom suspect that Harry was a parselmouth? He should have been more discreet to act, but he couldn't afford Voldemort to find out that.

"What? I found it was funny that you were petting a snake. Now are you going to decide when I should smile or not? Harry tried to act confident.

"You are telling me, you were not surprised that I was talking to a snake?" Tom was still frowning.

"Why should I? You are a wizard, you can do things other people cant." Harry shrugged. "Now are not we getting late? I think Diagon Ally is opened now. And Harry left the place before Tom reacted.

Tom considered for a moment. It was true Harry didn't yet know how rare parselmouths were. But he still was not convinced. But anyway he still had time to find out whether Harry knew snake's language as well or not, they had to leave for Diagon Alley now.