So, here's the next chapter... I don't know, enjoy it, I guess...
"Tom?"
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"You just did," Tom said, looking up from the parchments he was studying. He raised a questioning eyebrow at his son, silently encouraging him to speak.
"Will I ever look like you and Orion?"
Tom softened a bit, "do you want to look like us?"
Serpens rubbed the back of his neck nervously, unsure of how to phrase his statement, "I don't want to look like James Potter anymore. He's not my real family. I want to look like you guys. I want to know how I really look like"
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Go call your brother then, and we'll take care of your appearance," Tom ordered. Serpens grinned and ran out of the study, searching for Orion.
Tom stood, moving to stand in front of his desk. An idea struck him then as he waited for the boys to come. By the time they barged into his office, he had come to a decision.
"Is it true, Father? Is Serpens going to stop looking like Potter?" Orion asked, excitement emanating from him in waves.
"Yes, but first, I'll explain how the Order made him look like the Potters," Tom answered. The boys nodded and Tom pulled out his wand, twirling it in his hand as he spoke. "I've done some studying, and I've come to the conclusion that Dumbledore has placed some extremely strong glamours on Serpens. It couldn't have been anyone else because these glamours are some of the most difficult in the world. They're called Carthalo's Glamours, in the namesake of Carthalo Cicero, the wizard who invented them. The special thing about Carthalo's Glamours is that they age with the person, just like Serpens' glamours did. This is what makes them as difficult as they are. Furthermore, they become stronger the longer they last. Only a very powerful wizard or witch can place or remove them. Fortunately for you, I'm one of the most powerful wizards in the world. This shan't be all that difficult to remove"
With that, Tom started circling Serpens, wand aimed at him, as he chanted the reversal spells. It took several minutes of Tom repeating the process before a bright light engulfed Serpens and he started changing. The light was so intense Orion and Tom had to shield their eyes. Once the light disappeared, Tom and Orion looked at Serpens, Tom summoning a full length mirror for him.
"Woah," Orion breathed, "that's wicked!"
In front of the mirror, Serpens was studying his new features. His hair had finally calmed down and wasn't messy; it was still black, but wavy and tamer. His bright green eyes had turned a crystal grey color, almost like the Malfoys'. His skin had become paler, making him look even more like a doll. As he stared at his face, Serpens saw a much more aristocratic looking boy. His cheekbones were higher and his nose was smoother, his face complemented by his newly defined jawbone and prominent Adam's apple. Serpens gulped and raised a hand to his face, touching it to make sure this was real. As he caressed his face, another change caught his eyes. His fingers, he realized, were longer. Looking down, he also noticed that the ground was further than he remembered it; he'd gained at least a full foot, he supposed.
Serpens looked back in the mirror, "I look just like the Tom Riddle I had to face in my second year. Well, except for the eyes"
Tom chuckled, "yeah, I apologize about that incident. I didn't really want my first interaction with you to go quite like that, but my younger self still didn't go through the experiences that I did. It doesn't matter now, anyways"
Serpens turned to stare at his father, "how did you do that anyways?"
"I'll tell you when the time is right. As for right now, I suggest you go wash up and wear something nice, you'll be meeting your mother today"
The two teenagers looked at their father, equal looks of anticipation and surprise on their faces.
"Is Mother doing better?" Orion asked.
"A little. I have a theory though. I believe seeing you two will help her," Tom answered. The boys nodded before leaving their father's study, wanting to get ready to meet their mother.
"Bella?" Tom called, entering his bedroom.
"Tom?" Bella asked, looking up from the book on her lap.
Tom smiled, "yes, it's me, Bella. Darling, will you come with me for a moment?"
"Why?"
"I have something for you. Please, just come with me to our living room"
Bella looked up at him, not really wanting to go, but seeing his pleading eyes, she couldn't help but accept his proffered hand. Tom grinned triumphantly and helped her stand.
Over the past weeks, her physical symptoms had all been treated, making her look more like the beautiful young witch she used to be. Her curly hair was looking healthy again. Her skin was no longer a sickly color. Her body filled out and she gained all the weight she needed. Her nails had also grown and were stronger.
Tom was immensely relieved when she had gone back to her full strength, yet the real problem resided in her mental health. The Bellatrix standing in his arms now was in no way the same Bellatrix who once thought life was a dark adventure.
Tom shook his head as they exited the bedroom. Now was not the time to brood. He saw Orion stand up immediately when they went through the door. Serpens was nowhere to be seen however. Tom frowned and reached out with his mind, searching for his eldest son. He brushed against Serpens' mind, realizing that the boy was hiding behind the couch. Frowning, Tom pushed a bit more into his son's head, finding a mix of anxiousness and fear of rejection. Before Tom could delve more into what Serpens was feeling, he was brought back to reality by Bellatrix's loud gasp.
"Orion?" Bellatrix asked, tears filling her eyes.
"Yes, Mother, it's me," Orion smiled, coming closer.
Bellatrix left Tom's side, approaching Orion and pulling him into her arms, "my baby, you grew up so much"
"I guess so," Orion mumbled into her neck.
Mother and son remained in their embrace for a few minutes, neither wanting to be the first to pull away. Eventually, it was Orion who pulled out of his mother's arms. He cleared his throat and stood to his full height, smiling brightly at his parents. Just then, Bellatrix noticed another person stand up. She turned to see who it was, only to stare disbelievingly with eyes as wide as saucers.
"Tom, is it real? Is this real, Tom?!" Bella asked, voice choked up with emotion.
Tom smiled and moved to stand next to her, "yes, love, it's real. He's real. I've found him"
Serpens stood awkwardly, staring at his parents and not knowing what to do. He walked around the couch and towards his parents, stopping a few feet away.
"When? When did you find him, Tom?" Bella asked, still in too much shock to move.
"Uh, remember that Halloween night I disappeared? I'd actually gone to retrieve him but it went awry," Tom answered sheepishly. Bella turned to look at him, anger and pain written all over her face.
"You've know that long?! And you didn't think to tell me?!"
She hit him on the chest, angry and hurt that he'd excluded her from his findings. Tom held her down gently, "you weren't strong enough to meet them up until now and I knew you'd have wanted to. I didn't want to risk hindering your recovery"
"What about before that, Tom?!"
"You'd just given birth to Orion"
"That's not an excuse!" Bella screeched angrily.
"He's here now, Bella. That's all that matters"
Bella stared at Tom for a moment, dumbfounded, before starting to hit him again, more violently.
"Never. Do. That. To. Me. Again!" She punctuated every word with a slam to his chest before she suddenly broke down and started crying. She held his shirt tightly, sobbing with so much grief that it physically pained Tom.
"I wouldn't dream of it," he told her gently, holding her close and rubbing her back comfortingly. He turned them around so the boys wouldn't see their mother shaking with greif.
Bella only sobbed more brokenly, "I lost my daughter. I lost my baby boy. And then I lost you! And I never knew what happened!"
Tom shushed her softly, trying to quell her crying, "I know. I know"
"No! You don't! You don't know, Tom! I spent thirteen years in Azkaban! Hoping! Hoping that my baby was not being hurt! Hoping that you weren't dead! Hoping that Orion would know at least one parent! Never knowing what happened to my sons! Never knowing what happened to you! Never knowing if you died or just decided to leave us! Never knowing if I would ever see my boys again or not! The only thing I had in there other than hope was the Dementors' games. And they always gave you more hope only to crush it away! They always had you dead. Always had my boys dead. Always gave me visions of what could have been only to rip them away, leaving me more broken every time! You have no idea what that's like! You have no idea what it's like to go through that, Tom!"
Tom swallowed a breath as he tried to get his bearings back in order. Hearing what she went through was like a slap to the face. "You're right. You're absolutely right," he held her close to him, repeating into her hair the same thing, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry"
Suddenly, Bellatrix heard soft crying, accompanied by a "Mummy. I'm sorry, Mummy"
She pushed out of Tom's arms, brushing the tears from her face quickly and moving towards Serpens, who she realized was the one crying. She pulled him into her chest awkwardly, since he was taller than her, but it didn't matter to them. "Shh. It wasn't your fault, baby," Bella spoke gently as she brushed his hair comfortingly.
Serpens held onto her waist as tightly as he could, shoulders racking as he sobbed more violently, "I-I a-always wished s-s-someone o-out there would l-l-love m-me. A-all along, y-you d-did"
Bella choked on a sob as she tried to contain it, "of course, baby. I'll always love you"
Her words only made Serpens cry more, though. Off to the side, Tom crumbled down to the ground, grief consuming him for all the things that happened to his family. He knew he would be going through his own emotional breakdown later, but currently, he was too consumed with his family's pain to be able to focus on his. He spotted Orion moving towards him, a concerned look on his face. Tom waved him off. Meanwhile, Bella had pulled away from Serpens just enough to pull him towards Tom and Orion. She pulled him down so that he was sitting between her and Tom and they both engulfed him in their embrace, Bella crying softly and Tom rubbing her back. Orion, meanwhile, squeezed his father's knee, trying to bring him at least a semblance of comfort.
Serpens sobbed more as realization dawned on him. He could see it now. He could see how the Light Side never cared about him. He could see how they never loved him. He could see now how even the Weasleys, who he had thought were the most loving family anyone could wish for, were nothing compared to his own. He could see now all the love he had been denied when he had been on Dumbledore's side. And at that moment, he decided he didn't want a family like the Weasleys. His family was perfect, because, even though they were broken, their love for each other was as real as it gets and their bond could never be replaced.
Welp, that's it for now. I'm just gonna ask quickly,
What would you like to see happen in the future?
As always, reviews are highly welcome and appreciated.
