The Re-Education of Tommy Weasley
Disclaimer: We do not own any of these characters, JK Rowling does.
Warning for the fairly harsh spanking of a megalomaniac turned small child.
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Chapter 2
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Tommy didn't sleep well that night, not well at all. His bottom was so very sore and every now and then he would accidentally roll over onto it and wake with a throbbing in his bum. He was also plagued by nightmares. Re-living his capture in the graveyard along with many not so pleasant memories from the orphanage. He clung tightly to the stuffed Kneazle which he had dubbed "Jerry" and hid his face in his pillow trying desperately to get some decent sleep, when Arthur entered his room and demanded his wakefulness.
With a sleepy grumble Tommy turned to look up at him one little fist rubbing his eyes. He took a deep breath and reminded himself... act like a normal four year old.
"Time to get up!" Arthur said with a cheerfulness that grated on Tommy's nerves. As soon as Tommy was up, Arthur sat down on the bed and pulled the boy over his lap. "Now it's time for your first spanking of the day." Arthur said as he pulled down Tommy's pajama pants.
Tommy repeated over and over in his head 'act like a normal four year old' and found really it wasn't as hard as he thought as he felt like a four year old and so he started to cry immediately.
"No spankkkkk" He whined and whimpered.
Arthur was a little taken aback, for some reason Tommy sounded younger now. He shook his head, Tommy still needed to be punished for his crimes, Arthur had to remind himself that this was a dark wizard that had committed countless atrocities.
"Now Tommy, you know you have your daily spankings, there is no getting out of them." Arthur said to the squirming child, he then look down at the upturned bottom. He was dismayed to find it still a bright pink, with a sigh he brought his hand down on the tiny bottom anyway, might as well get it over with.
Tommy wailed, and it wasn't fake either because his bum was sore and the swat really, really hurt.
"OWWWW Peasee OWWYYYY!!!" Tommy cried wrenching his body back and fourth to avoid the spanks.
Arthur had to force himself to continue. He quickly peppered the upturned bottom with stinging swats, undeterred by Tommy's attempts to escape.
Tommy sobbed and wriggled, it hurt so bad and it was only getting worse, he took a deep breath to steel himself for what he knew he had to do, what any four year old little boy would do in this situation, he begged.
"OWWYYY Pease... peasee OWWWY no moreeessssss." He sobbed.
Arthur almost stopped right there, but he knew he couldn't. He had to finish up, so with great reluctance he continued on. "This spanking is just part of the many more to come for your crimes." He lectured while still raining stinging swats to the rapidly reddening bottom. "Killing is wrong! Starting a war is wrong! You have no right to do any of that!"
Tommy sobbed and wailed desolately at the proclamation of so many more spankings to come. He cried miserably, his legs kicking and his hand going back in order to save his bum.
"TOMMY! No reaching back!" With one swift motion, Arthur swept the offending hand up and pinned it to the small of the boy's back. Then he landed four swats to the boy's thighs.
Tommy howled as his thighs were swatted, that large hand crashing down there hurt even more there then on his bum.
"Pease.... Pease... hurttsss" Tommy sobbed out the perfect picture of a well spanked four year old.
Arthur looked at the red bottom, and decided he could stop for now. He began to rub the sobbing boy's back.
Tommy sobbed for a bit because he couldn't stop it, couldn't help it because his bottom was on fire, oh this was a terrible way to wake up.
After Tommy's sobs had slowed a little, Arthur righted him and his clothing before giving the boy a quick hug. Pulling away, Arthur turned Tommy around. "Okay, ten minutes in the corner to think about why you're being punished young man!"
Tommy was too sore to be aghast by the demand or to fight about being put into the corner though he did let out a loud wail as he was pushed down onto a hard little bench.
He looked up at Arthur with wet blue eyes tears streaming down his cheeks.
"I stand... peasee I stand??" He begged and tried not to cringe at that.
Arthur almost melted at that look, the child wasn't even protesting corner time he simply begged not to have to sit on what was probably one very sore bum and that tugged at his heart. But he knew he couldn't give in. "No, you will sit for ten minutes and face that corner, or you can go back over my knee and then face the corner."
Tommy's eyes went wide something flickering within but Arthur couldn't make it out before, with a pathetic pain-filled sob, Tommy turned to face the corner wriggling about desperately on the hard chair trying to find some way to sit that didn't hurt so very much.
Arthur waited until the ten minutes were up before saying. "Okay, Tommy, you can come out now. Come here and we'll get you dressed for the day."
Tommy nearly hopped of the stool eager to get the weight off his arse both hands going back to rub the terrible sting as he walked over to Arthur tears still streaming down his cheeks.
Arthur sighed and produced a handkerchief from his pocket. He dabbed the boy's cheeks. "There, there, now." He said gently.
Tommy crinkled his nose as the handkerchief came out and wiped at his face and he shied back a bit.
Arthur dried Tommy's tears and then set to work undressing him and then dressing him for the day. When he finished, he held out his hand to Tommy to lead him to breakfast.
Tommy looked at the hand suspiciously and then again reminded himself to act like a normal four year old, so, reaching onto his bed he grabbed Jerry before taking the offered hand with his free one.
Arthur smiled a little at seeing the stuffed toy. Perhaps Tommy was adjusting better than he had hoped.
Holding Jerry tightly to his chest Tommy allowed himself to be lead to the table for breakfast. His eyes widened as he noticed all the chairs had been fitted with plush cushions, something he was sure was not the case the night before at dinner. He wasn't sure how he felt about that confused was probably the best way to describe it.
Molly noticed the confusion on Tommy's face. "We decided that these old chairs needed a little something, they were simply too plain." She explained.
Tommy let his head drop and he hid his face in Jerry, of course they hadn't done it for his comfort, he was stupid for having even entertained the thought if only for a moment. He kept his face hidden shyly in his stuffed toy. He didn't know why it should bother him that it wasn't done out of consideration for his extremely sore bottom but for some reason it did. He didn't want these people to care about him, at least that was what he was trying to convince himself.
Arthur lifted the boy and set him gently onto the cushioned seat. Molly then laid out a plate for him.
Tommy let out a little whimper and wriggled a bit as even though the seats were cushioned his bum was awfully sore. He stared at the plate of food, a small mound of eggs and a strip of bacon were laid out on it for him. He idly wondered if maybe they were going to poison him, he would do no less if he had been saddled with his worst enemy as a needy child. But then he was being left with people who were the opposite of him to teach him to be different so he supposed if it was something he would do it was most likely something they would not do. Oddly he found no comfort in that though as being poisoned would be a welcomed end to this misery.
After breakfast Arthur left for work while Molly led Tommy back to his room. "You can play in here until lunch time." She told the boy as he turned and left, locking the door after it shut.
Tommy heard the click of the lock and panicked, running over he tried the knob and finding it had indeed been locked he panicked. The matron in the orphanage used to lock him in his room all the time, and once there had been a fire and he had been unable to get out, he had been little older then he was right now and he remembered the horror of it, if it had not been for his magic keeping the licking flames of fire at bay till the firefighters could get to him he would have died, and now, now he didn't have his magic to protect him.
A small shiver went up his spine and he started to sob, hitting weakly at the door with open palms. He didn't put too much effort into it as he remembered clearly when he used to wail at the door back then, it had never worked and he had simply left himself exhausted from all the effort.
It was as Molly descended the stairs that she heard the muffled sobs and quiet thuds coming from the door. With a small bit of guilt she ignored it, and continued to the sitting room and started her knitting.
Tommy was not surprised to be ignored but that didn't stop his sobs from intensifying as he plopped down onto his bottom on the floor staring up at the door clinging Jerry tightly to his chest. Looking back that had been a bad idea as he sent scalding hot pain through his abused bum and he let out a loud squeal of pain before breaking out into even louder and harder sobs.
Molly put down her knitting, she still didn't trust the ex-dark lord, but... but for all intents and purposes he was a four year old child. Guilt ate away at her as she considered the fact that Dumbledore had entrusted them with the task to raise the boy into a caring individual. Hearing the sobs get louder, Molly stood up, she couldn't ignore her maternal instincts anymore, she just hoped her brothers would understand. Molly walked over to the door and opened it. She swept the crying boy up into her arms and rocked him gently.
"Shhh... I'm sorry. Mummy's sorry, I shouldn't have just left you there like that." She said softly while pulling him into a warm embrace.
Tommy had been too frightened to protest the embrace, his bottom throbbed and his little heart was beating so fast as the adrenaline of utter fear... fear that he had not felt since the last time he was so young swept through him and thus he clung to Molly as if his life depended on it his back heaving with his sobs.
Molly just patted his back, and swayed a little. "It's alright, Mummy's here now."
Taking in deep gasping breaths Tommy managed to calm himself enough to get the sobs under control...
'Mummy is here?' he thought, he had never had a mummy before and he felt a dull ache settle in his heart, a heart he and everyone else had forgotten he even had, at the words, he had forgotten the rules he had been told before being released to the Weasleys. He was to address the Weasleys as 'Mummy' and 'Daddy' as they were his parents now, he just never thought they would really think of themselves that way.
When Molly felt the boy's sobs stop, she pulled away a little. "How about we go bake biscuits together?" She said keeping her voice light.
Tommy's eyes went wide at the suggestion.
"Bake b-biscuits?" He asked as if he had not believed his ears.
"Yes, wouldn't that be fun?" Molly asked as she carried Tommy to the kitchen.
'About as fun as shoving shards of glass up his fingernails' he thought to himself snidely but said.
"Kay, m-mummy" he had a little trouble getting the word out as it felt funny and wrong on his tongue not to mention rather humiliating.
And so it was, Tommy found himself wrapped up in the activity of baking biscuits with Molly. Strangely enough though, he found himself enjoying spending time with Molly more then he would like to admit. Wasn't he supposed to hate them all? Hate all of this? Shaking his head, he tried to banish those thoughts from his mind. He really couldn't stop himself though, his face lit up when Molly allowed him to have a biscuit before lunch. Honestly, what was wrong with him? It was just a stupid biscuit.
All too soon, lunch rolled by and as soon as the plates were cleared, Molly led the boy to his room. She then sat on the bed and pulled the boy over her lap.
Tommy was caught off guard and it took him a moment to register what was going on but once he did he started to flail over Molly's lap.
"NOOOO!!!" He yelled on top of his lungs.
"Now, Tommy. You know that you have at least three spankings a day for least the next few weeks." Molly said as she pulled the struggling boy's pants down.
"Noooo, noooo!!!" He cried, he couldn't, he just couldn't take another spanking. If he had won the war he would never have put his enemies through spankings, sure they would all be dead but they would not have been subject to this kind of torture, a kind of torture even Lord Voldemort had never dreamt up.
Molly clamped down on the struggling boy as best as she could. She then brought he hand down on the bare bottom, with a crisp SMACK!
Tommy wailed, his bottom was so sore and that swat had really hurt but also he was so very far beyond frustrated.
Molly peppered the upturned bottom with sharp stinging swats, going up and down so as to cover the entire bottom.
Tommy sobbed and kicked his legs.
"OWWWWWWWWWW OWWWWWWWWWWWWYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No moooreeeeeeeee!!!" He yelled.
Molly ignored Tommy's pleas as she continued to rain down a flurry of stingy spanks. "This is punishment for all you past crimes. What you did was wrong!"
Tommy wailed kicking his legs one little hand shooting back to protect his aching backside.
Molly simply gathered up the boy's hand and pinned it to the small of his back. Aiming two swats to the boy's thighs she scolded. "Tommy! You do NOT reach back young man!"
"OOWWW OWWWWWW it hurttssssssss I don't want spankinnnggg OWWWWW mummy stop!!" He pleaded his defenses failing him now as the pain in his bottom sky rocketed.
Molly paused for a second to look at the upturned bottom. Tommy's bottom was a bright red, she was sure that it stung fiercely by now. After landing ten more swats she began to rub Tommy's back soothingly, waiting for the worst of his sobs to diminish.
Tommy sobbed loudly and wailed at the top of his lungs at that point, his bum hurt far too much to care that he was Lord Voldemort and that the spanking was degrading, no all that matter in his mentally regressed brain was the pain, his pride washing out of him in a wave of tears.
When Tommy's sobs had slowed, Molly stood him up and fixed his clothes. After giving him a brief hug, she steered him to the corner where the little bench was. "Okay, dear, just ten minutes in the corner, and then you can go down for your nap."
Tommy rubbed his eyes with one hand and his bottom with the other and he looked up at Molly with wide blue eyes looking between her and the stool "I s-stand?" He nearly begged cringing at bit at the sound of his own voice.
Looking into Tommy's baby blue eyes she almost caved, but she knew that certain guidelines had to be kept. With great regret, she shook her head. "Sorry, sweetie, but it's just ten minutes. Now go, the sooner it starts, the sooner it will be over."
Tommy blinked, did she just call him 'sweety'? He shook his head, that was hardly the problem right now, though it had caught him off guard. The problem at hand was the fact that she wanted him to SIT on a hard stool on his flaming sore bottom for ten minutes!! He shook his head more firmly negating her claim that he would sit at the moment.
"Do you want to go back over my lap young man?" She asked dangerously.
Tommy shook his head vigorously his long dark hair flying about his face, he most definitely did not want that "N-No!!"
"Then you will sit in that corner until I tell you to come out." She said as she pointed to the corner.
"yes m-mummy." he whimpered, that word, it was so hard to say it but it really should not have been, every four year old said it, but to Tommy the words 'mummy' and 'daddy' had never been in his vocabulary. He allowed Molly to lead him over to the chair which he sat in gingerly letting out a loud pathetic sob as his bum sat down and fresh tears started rolling down his cheeks.
Molly waited for the ten minutes to pass, before calling to Tommy. "You can come out now, Tommy." She said as she knelt down and held out her arms, waving her hands a little to welcome the boy into her embrace.
Tommy blinked a bit seeing the obvious invite for a hug and not quite believing it. He kept up his act of a normal four year old and thus after the initial shock he walked over to Molly and allowed her to hug him even if he was a bit stiff about it. A small niggling in the back of his brain was telling him that maybe he really wanted the hug but he quickly squashed it down as he always did.
Molly pulled Tommy into a warm hug. When she felt the boy stiffen she rubbed his back gently, trying to relax him.
Tommy unwittingly relaxed into the motherly embrace, his bum ached and so did his tummy and head from all the crying and his tiny body just didn't have the wherewithal to handle as much emotional strain as he used to be able to, so he was feeling the strain. A yawn overcame him as he leaned heavily into Molly.
Hearing the yawn, Molly picked up the small boy and walked over to his bed, stopping only to pick up Jerry. Laying Tommy down on his stomach, she pulled the covers up to his chin and handed him Jerry. She then rubbed his back and began to hum a soothing lullaby to the boy.
Tommy sniffled and squirmed a bit, unused to being carried, but he didn't struggle too much and eventually relaxed in her arms. He snuggled up in bed and pulled Jerry tight to him, letting out another yawn. He was unbelievably tired and drained, he had never cried so much in his life. It wasn't long before he had fallen into a fitful sleep.
Molly watched him toss and turn as he napped, she didn't envy Arthur for having to give him another spanking before bed She certainly didn't think she would have the heart to.
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Arthur sighed as he woke up Halloween morning, he had never dreaded a happy holiday so very much! He knew the extra hard spankings on Holidays were supposed to be so the criminal turned child could not enjoy the festive days as punishment for their wrong doing. So why did he feel as if HE was the one being punished?
Tommy had been with them a few weeks now and Arthur had taken to sneaking a mild healing salve into Tommy's bath water to prevent the child's bum from bruising from the constant spankings. Logically, Arthur knew this was Lord Voldemort, a man who had killed many innocents, but right now he was just a helpless little boy and he didn't see any justification in subjecting him to abuse. Wasn't it abuse during his first childhood that had made him turn out the way he had?
He knew Dumbledore would not be pleased with the healing salve but he did it without even Molly or the boy knowing at least that way Tommy didn't think he was being soft with him but still the little one was constantly in terrible pain and every spanking hurt so much more then the last for him and really, despite the horrors the man the boy used to be did, little Tommy was really rather well behaved. Arthur feared that was only because he was terrified of earning even MORE spankings, he couldn't act like a real child which was part of the point of this, to heal the boy by giving him a real childhood and loving strict parents to teach him right from wrong, at least that was what Dumbledore had told them, promised them it was, they never would have agreed to be his parents otherwise, never would have agreed to simply beat the boy. They had agreed to be his parents not his abusers.
With another sigh, Arthur rose and got dressed for the day, and then headed toward Tommy's room to wake him up for his first spanking of the day.
Arthur then closed and locked the door, he headed over to the nightstand to retrieve the hairbrush before turning to the sleeping boy. Arthur gently shook the boy awake. "Time to get up now, Tommy"
As Tommy pulled himself out of his slumber, Arthur took the desk chair and pulled it right in front of the bed. Seating himself, he waited expectantly for Tommy to get out of bed.
Tommy rubbed his eyes and looked up at Arthur, very careful as he sat up on his perpetually sore bottom.
"Come here, Tommy." Arthur said to the groggy boy.
Tommy blinked and rubbed his eyes again, that was when he noticed Arthur sitting in, what Tommy had dubbed 'the spanking chair' holding a hairbrush!! Tommy shook his head, he hadn't done anything bad to earn a spanking, last week they had gone down to two spankings a day and then two days earlier they had gone down to one spanking a day. It was a long and thorough bed time spanking with Arthur's hand, it was always rather hard but it was better then when he had gotten two or three spankings a day. So Tommy had no idea what he had done to earn a spanking now especially with the brush. He looked at Arthur confused and shook his head again indicating he would not come over.
"Come here, Tommy. Don't make me repeat myself again." Arthur said sternly, inwardly, he sighed, he just wanted to get this over with.
Tommy knew better then to argue. The weeks of pretending to be a normal four year old had really rubbed off on him and he was starting to feel more and more like said four year old and the act became easier and then it started to become less of an act. He knew arguing would make things worse but he was scared, though he hated to admit that he could feel such a thing, but he had yet to be spanked with the brush, he had been warned of it for if he misbehaved so he tried really hard to not do anything to piss his 'parents' off. His bum hurt enough at all times as it was without any extra spanking. Thus he got up and walked over to the man on shaky legs and looked up at him in utter confusion.
"Didn't do nuffin." He defended as he approached.
Arthur sighed feeling a pang of something in his chest. "I know you didn't do anything. But today is Halloween. Holidays are special days for your punishment. It was decided that you would not be allowed to enjoy the holidays, and so on those days, you are punished more harshly then usual. Today you will be getting three spankings, one with the brush, and two with a switch."
Today was Halloween! Oh, how he hated that day! The day the Potter brat banished him to be like a spirit for over ten years, oh, how he wished he could have killed that boy! Arthur's slight tapping of the brush in his hands brought Tommy back to the present, and his thoughts shifted to his impending punishment.
Tommy whimpered, he actually whimpered and he shook he head again.
"NO!!" He yelled. He could feel his stomach flip at the thought of the switch, he remembered being switched a few times when he was in his early teens and it really, really hurt he couldn't even imagine how much more it would hurt on his four year old bum, his SORE four year old bum.
To his horror tears started to roll down his cheeks, he had never been allowed to enjoy holidays as a child the first time either but at least then people hadn't gone out of their way to purposely make them even worse for him. That hurt him in a place, besides his bum, a place he didn't think should, or could hurt.
Arthur turned Tommy around quickly and landed a hard swat. Turning the boy again to face him, Arthur explained firmly. "This is going to happen young man! Each time you resist, you'll get an extra penalty swat that won't count toward your spanking. Do you understand?"
Tommy yipped. Arthur had a really hard hand and his bum was always so tender from all the spanking that any swats hurt extra bad so he squeaked out a "Yes daddy" as he knew was expected.
"Now Tommy, since today is special, you are expected to do something different today. You need to tell me that you were naughty, and what you did, why it was bad, and ask me to spank your bare bottom." Arthur said with no small amount of distaste, what a horrible thing to expect from a child. Just speaking the words left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.
Tommy's jaw dropped open at this, there was no way he would be able to do that.
"No, I don't want to!!" He exclaimed, he was usually surprisingly agreeable, well only because he knew to not be agreeable meant an even sorer bottom, but at this point it didn't seem he had anything to lose and well he just couldn't do that!!
Arthur turned Tommy around again and swatted him. "If you don't want anymore 'extras', then I suggest you do as I have told you. We are not leaving this room until you have asked for the spanking, and I have given it to you. Now, do you have something you'd like to say to me?"
Tommy yelped both hands going back to cover his backside for a moment and he rubbed it with both little hands. He didn't want anymore swats but at the same time he didn't think he could force the words out of his mouth, his four year old mind protesting vehemently against actually asking for a spanking and his adult memories protesting against listing his 'sins' which he still wasn't convinced was completely wrong, though he hated to admit as the days past he felt his firmness on the issue soften especially when Molly would take him in her lap or Arthur would read to him. Things had gotten harder for him when a feeling some what resembling guilt had started to from. He pushed it down with all his might trying to replace it with anger focusing on the anger he felt for his predicament, for all the spankings and the literal pain in his arse.
His mouth open and closed as if he was speaking but no words came out, he turned pleading blue eyes on Arthur more tears spilling down his cheeks.
"Can't daddy." he said in a desperate sort of way.
"I know it's hard Tommy, but you have to. I'll help you out, repeat after me." Arthur softened at the hint of desperation he heard in Tommy's voice. "Say 'I was a naughty boy'"
"I...I was a naughty b-boy." Tommy flinched and frowned, it almost physically hurt his pride to say such a thing, but his bum hurt even more so his self preservation won over and he choked the words out.
"Very good, now say this 'I killed people and started a war, it was bad because many people were hurt or died.'" Arthur continued.
Tommy squirmed, he wondered how he had not thought of this kind of torture, it was surly more effective then a crutiaus.
"I killeded p-peoples and `tarted a war, i-it was bad c-cus many peoples was h-hurted or d-died." He repeated miserably.
"Now say this 'please spank me for my crimes on my bare bottom'" Arthur said that with a slight blush, it was hard for even him to say!
Tommy's mouth open and closed then open and closed again in one rather remarkable impression of a fish yet no words came out, he shook his head.
"Don't wanna!!" He insisted.
With a sigh Arthur and batting one of Tommy's hands away as they were still covering his bum, landed another swat on Tommy's pajama clad bottom. "Just one more thing to say, Tommy, then we can get this thing over with."
Tommy let out a sharp cry of pain and he shifted from foot to foot he hadn't dared to stop Arthur from moving his hands away from where they protected his sore tush though he had really wanted too. He knew better.
He felt heat creep into his cheeks causing him the blush, he couldn't do it, he couldn't say those words.
"Pease s- s- sp... I can't dadddyyyy" He cried.
"You're going to have to, the Ministry was very strict on this particular guideline. Tommy, try harder. I don't want to have to give you anymore penalty swats." Arthur practically pleaded with the boy.
Taking a deep breath Tommy tried again " Pease s-spank me for my crimes on m-my b-ba-bare b-bottom" He choked out quickly in barely above a whisper and by the time he was finished he was full out crying, tear streaming down his cheeks.
Arthur gave Tommy a brief nod, and then pulled the boy over his lap, wanting to get this over with. When Tommy was situated over his lap, he pulled down Tommy's pajama bottoms, and pants, baring the small bottom. He frowned when he looked down at the red cheeks, there was no way he would get through the prerequisite amount of swats without causing some bruising, he had really tried so hard to avoid marking the child in such a way. It was actually a selfish thing more so that he would not have to be faced with the visual evidence of what he was doing, not leaving bruises helped assuage his guilt some, then it was to save the child the added pain, given who the child was (any other child he wouldn't even consider spanking like this). With a great sigh he brought the hairbrush down with a sharp SMACK!
Tommy howled, an ear piercing scream of pain. The brush hurt far more then he could have imagined and with his bum being already sore it was even worse and he couldn't help it the sound just tore from him followed by a pathetic sob. "OOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! Noooo Dadddyyy pease pease noooooo!!"
Arthur closed his eyes briefly, and had to force himself to continue. He brought the hair brush down in a flurry of fast spanks, covering the entire bottom.
Tommy couldn't believe how much it hurt, he couldn't bear it, his legs kicked and his hips bucked but he didn't dare reach back, he had learned better he knew it did no good and it only earned him extra.
"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW `topppp no moreeeee OOWWWWWWWWW no m-mo-oorrreeeeeee I tarwiees I b-be a good boy!!" He sobbed. It was the first time, even given all the spankings he had been given that he ever apologized for what he had done let alone promised to be good.
Arthur froze, he couldn't ever remember Tommy apologizing before. Arthur was sorely tempted to stop right there. But he couldn't, he knew he couldn't, so with great reluctance Arthur forced himself to continue. After landing the full twenty-four swats, as was directed by the Ministry, six for every 'year' of his life, he dropped the brush and began to rub soothing circles on the boy's back.
Tommy howled his throat raw his little hands wrapped tightly in Arthur's robes for he was far too tempted to reach back and he knew that was a bad idea, it wasn't because he needed to comfort of the contact, at least that is what he insisted to himself. His entire torso twisted violently his legs thrashing this was by far the worst spanking he had gotten thus far and he could barely stand it.
"Shh, Tommy, it's over now." Arthur said as he continued to rub the boy's back, occasionally his other hand would card through the boy's hair, hoping to calm him down, trying to ignore the twin purple splotches that adorned the abused cheeks, they made him want to sick up.
"S`not o-over." He sobbed "n-never over." He told him "N-eeverr over. Gunna s-switch me, g-gunna h-hurt." He sobbed out woefully, hopelessly and completely broken.
Arthur gathered the boy up in his arms, resting the boy's sore bottom between his spread legs. He rocked him gently. Unsure of what to say, after all, the child was right, it was hardly over it had just stopped for now. With nothing he could say to hope to assure the child in that area he simply held the him and offered as much comfort as he could.
Tommy sobbed hopelessly into Arthur's chest, at this point he took the offered comfort willingly, he needed it too much to deny it.
Arthur rocked him letting Tommy cry himself out before summoning a throat soothing potion (after all soothing that part of the child wasn't against the rules) as he knew the little one's throat was sore, if he hadn't been able to tell it would be sore by his amount of screaming Tommy had done, the way he croaked afterwards was enough to let him know. He coaxed the potion down the boy's throat before fixing the his clothes and tucking him in again. Tommy was already half asleep and so Arthur rubbed his back until he dropped off into a restless slumber. Breakfast could wait a couple hours.
OoOoOo
Tommy had a miserable morning, he was sore and stiff when he woke up again and he was walking funny because even his muscles were sore from the last spanking. He had cried quietly all through breakfast as Molly had made him sit firmly on his bottom not allowing him to kneel up like he had tried.
After breakfast he had some chores to do, he wasn't normally made to do chores besides keeping his room clean and every now and then he would help Molly cook (he liked that but wouldn't admit to it) and help set the table. But the rules of holidays for the rejuve were specific, he was to get three extra hard spankings, do extra chores around the house and was to be excluded from all holiday fun and celebrations.
Thus he had, had to polish all of the furniture he could reach as well as sweep the floor with a broom transfigured to be his size. It hurt his bum to move, he had whimpered his way through his chores and all the sweeping and polishing left his arms sore. When he finished Molly set him down to tell him what would be going on that night.
"As you know Tommy it is Halloween, we will be having a party, but you are not allowed to come. I expect you to behave in your room and not to leave except to go to the bathroom. I will bring your dinner up to you at dinner time and you will eat it in your room. Understood?" She instructed.
"Oh..." Tommy said, though he supposed he should not have been surprised to be excluded he didn't understand why he was getting that pain again, that pain in his chest that he didn't like and didn't understand but it was there. He looked down at his lap and gathered himself, he didn't want Molly to know it upset him, he didn't want it to upset him. "Yes mummy I unnerstands." he told her his voice a bit choked.
Molly's heart nearly broke at hearing the quiver in his voice, but she had to tell herself to stay firm. "Go to your room now, your daddy will come along in a few minutes." She said as she steered him in the direction of his room.
Tommy gulped loudly at that, he had learned to hold great fear of his 'daddy' as he was the one that gave him the majority of his spankings, in fact the only times Tommy really saw his 'daddy' other than meal times and the occasional story every few nights when he knew 'daddy' felt obligated to read to him was when he was going to get a spanking and so that is what he associated the man with.
His entire body shook as he walked to his room to wait, he was going to get the switch and he didn't know how he was going to take it. He couldn't take it, it would hurt too much even on a completely untouched bottom but on his swollen and bruised cheeks it would be pure agony. Tommy felt sick to his stomach.
Tommy looking around his room he was feeling really panicked as he sat on his bed. He thought for a little bit and just couldn't stand it so he quickly jumped off his bed and crawled under it. Now if his mind had not been regressed so, he would have realized that maybe under the bed wasn't the best hiding spot, and that Arthur could find him easily but in his four year old mind, he had to hide, had to hide from the switching and under the bed just seemed like the safest place.
Arthur sighed as he steeled himself for what he would have to do. Molly had outright refused to take any part in the holiday punishments, so the task fell unto his shoulders. So with a heavy heart, he held the switch to his side and walked into the room, he should not have been surprised that he found it apparently empty. After retrieving the little bench that sat in the corner, he turned and locked the door.
"Tommy! Come out, I know that you are in here." Arthur bit his lip, he knew he had to make some threat. "Tommy if you don't come out by the count of three, I'll find you and use the hairbrush on you AFTER your switching." Arthur desperately hoped that Tommy didn't call his bluff, he was certain he would not be able to go through with it.
Tommy shook and whimpered then quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, if Arthur couldn't find him then he couldn't give him the switching or the extra spanking.
"Tommy." Arthur said warningly. "One."
"No daddy." Came the scared little response from under the bed "I... I not here." He tried and then smacked himself in the head for that bit of useless four year old logic.
"Tommy, come out. I know where you are, you do not want to have me get you." Arthur said firmly, if circumstances were different, he would be laughing. "Now, Two."
Tommy let out a small strangled sob as he slid out from under the bed there was no use earning another spanking if Arthur knew were he was anyway and would just come and get him. He used his sore arms to push himself out from under the bed sliding on his belly. Once all the way out from under the bed he didn't get up from his place laying on the floor he simply looked up at Arthur tears rolling down his cheeks. He hated that he was already crying, he hated how scared he was and he hated that switch he could now see Arthur was holding but most off all he hated his 'daddy' for spanking him.
"Tommy, stand up and come here." Arthur commanded as he sat down in the desk chair.
Tommy pushed himself up onto his knees then reluctantly rose to his feet. He walked slowly over to Arthur both hands already back over his bum.
"Tommy, you need to repeat what you said earlier. Do you remember the words?" Arthur asked.
Eyes wide Tommy shook his head, he wouldn't ask to be switched, he didn't think he could get the words out even if he had wanted to.
"N-No, p-peaseee!!" he felt like he was going to sick up.
"Tommy, I know you don't want to, but you have to. I'm sure you don't want anymore penalty swats." Arthur said gently.
Tommy shook his head, he didn't want penalty swats. " Iwasanaughtyb-boyIkillededp-peoplesand`tartedawaritwasbadc-cusmanypeopleswash-hurtedorddiedpeases-spankmeformycrimesonmmyb-ba-barebottom" He said in a shuttering rush getting it out as fast as he could.
Arthur nodded, accepting Tommy's rushed plea, just wanting to get it over with. Arthur closed his eyes so that he would not have to look at the crying boy. With a heavy sigh, he pointed to the little bench in the center of the room and said "Go over to that bench and bare your bottom and bend over, Tommy."
Tommy began to cry harder his stomach lurching a bit and he mentally beat himself up, he shouldn't be scared! But still he felt as if he was going to sick up as he made his way over to the little bench he then looked up at Arthur, the man had never made him bare his own bottom and some how that made it all even worse. Shaky hands went to the clasp on his jeans. He had clumsy little digits and had trouble undoing his own pants at the best of time but the way his body was shaking he simply couldn't do it and he let out a frustrated sob.
Arthur saw Tommy's difficulties and moved to help him. After undoing the button and unzipping the fly, he stood back, clearly waiting for Tommy to finish the task and do as instructed.
Tommy whimpered and shook his head he couldn't bare his own bottom he couldn't "Nooo daddy I don't wanna." He whined wincing a bit at the sound of it.
"Tommy, please just cooperate, I don't want to have to give you any extras." Arthur didn't care that he was practically begging to the four year old.
"P-Pease daddy I c-canttttttt I cantt!!" He let out another sob unable to articulate it any better then that.
"Tommy, it won't change anything except making it worse! You'll still get a switching, and if you keep this up, you'll get another spanking as well. Just do as you're told, Tommy, please." Arthur hoped desperately, that Tommy would obey this time.
Tommy clenched his fists and took a deep breath, shuffling his feet a bit before hooking his hands in his waist bands. Holding his breath he pushed both pants and underpants down quickly letting out a muffled sob as he did so.
"Now bend over the bench." Arthur instructed gesturing a bit in the direction of said bench with the switch.
Tommy bent himself over the bench his entire body shaking, his bottom quivering as he gripped the legs of the bench so hard his knuckles yellowed.
Arthur gasped as he saw the damage to Tommy's little bottom. Tommy's bottom was a patchwork of dark red splotches, with the occasional purple one in there. Arthur could practically feel the bile gather in his stomach as he felt like he would be sick up. In his dazed state, he dropped the switch and it fell to the ground in a loud clatter.
Tommy closed his eyes tight and waiting for the first biting blow small little whimpers spilling from his mouth he was sure if it didn't start soon the wait alone would make him sick up.
Arthur couldn't stand it anymore. Dumbledore and Ministry guidelines be damned! Walking over to Tommy, he plucked the quivering boy up off of the bench and laid him down on his bed. "Stay there, don't move." Arthur applied a sticking charm on the boy's stomach to be sure that he didn't move. Then Arthur turned and unlocked the door, he walked hurriedly, with much purpose in his step.
Tommy let out a frightened squeak. What had he done? He didn't even argue that time he bent over right away! Then a sickening thought came over him and he fought frightened against the sticking charm as he screamed out frantically after Arthur "I BENT OVER DADDY PLEASE DON'T GET THE BRUSH!!!" unable to unstick himself he buried his face in his pillow and sobbed putting both hands back one over each cheek in a feeble attempt to protect his bare bottom.
Arthur returned not long after with a jar of salve and a vial of potion. Reaching the distressed boy, he gently pushed Tommy's hands out of the way, and rubbed the healing salve over the boy's bruised bottom. "Shh... Tommy, you won't be getting a switching, let me rub this into your bottom. It should help heal your bottom." Arthur undid the sticking charm and opened the vial of potion. Walking over to look into Tommy's face, he held out the vial. "Drink a sip of this, it's a sleeping potion. You can take a nap so that it can give your bottom time to heal"
Tommy was utterly confused, he wasn't getting switched? But he had to they said he had too. Why was he being healed? He looked at the vial skeptically, maybe they had had enough and they were going to poison him now, it would make sense they would heal him after all if the mortician saw his bruises the Weasleys would probably get in trouble for child abuse or something. He reached out and took the potion in a shaky hand, it was probably really strong stuff if he only needed a sip. He wouldn't argue it, if he didn't take it willingly he would probably get it in his food or something he might as well die voluntarily, give him the allusion of control. So he tipped the vial back and took a sip of the liquid.
Arthur waited until Tommy fell asleep before leaving to go to Hogwarts.
OoOoOo
Arthur stormed into Dumbledore's office a look of sheer determination on his face one that said he was not leaving until he had gotten what he wanted.
Dumbledore looked up at him from behind his desk, eyes twinkling. Why hadn't Arthur noticed before just how infuriating that twinkle was?!
"Arthur, my boy, happy Halloween. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" The old man said affably.
"I won't do it anymore!" Arthur blurted out ignoring Dumbledore's pleasantries.
"Won't do what anymore, my child?" Albus asked calmly
"Tommy. I wont abuse him anymore. You asked him to take him in as one of our own, to teach him what he did was wrong and teach what a loving family was and how to be good, we signed up to be his parents not his abusers and I won't do it anymore. If you want someone to do this the way you have set it forth you will have to find someone else." Arthur told him
"Now, now, you know you are needed for this job, there is simply no one else that could provide the kind of family environment for the boy that is needed. The wizarding world needs you..."
"No." Arthur cut Dumbledore off before he could go on about the greater good. "If you want me to do this we do it my way, I am no longer going to subject Molly and myself or even Tommy to this abuse. Molly is beside herself with this, you have made her, us into child abusers and we won't have it anymore. If you want us to be Tommy's parents fine but we will do this our way from now on or we won't do it at all. I understand the need to be firm with the boy and I can see the need for spanking but no longer just because. He will get spankings when he misbehaves and only then. No more mandatory daily spankings no more ruining his holidays. You should have seen him this morning... in fact..." Arthur pulled out his wand and then walked over to Dumbledores pensieve wheeling it over to the mans desk he pointed the wand at his head and pulled a silvery strand from his temple placing it into the basin.
He looked at Dumbledore expectantly.
Dumbledore sighed. Arthur wasn't one to get his dander up often but when you did it was like a hail storm. So he thought it best to go along with the man and stood up following him into the memory.
Coming back out of the memory Dumbledore felt slightly queasy.
"We are doing the exact same thing to him that the muggles did to him as a child that made him hate muggles so bad that he sought to wipe them away, only we are doing it worse and masquerading it as a happy family do you really want him to think this is what a normal happy healthy family is like?? All we are doing is making him hate wizards just as much as he hates muggles. How am I to teach him to not hate muggles if he hates me?" Arthur asked in exasperation.
Albus sighed, he had truly meant well when he had implemented this new form of punishment. Voldemort was not the only one to be subject to this new form of correction, though he was the first and at this point the only one he would not be the last there would be many to follow as the ministry was getting ready to de-age the captured death eaters. De-aging would begin once all the issues were hammered out of the process as well as finding suitable parents for them all. Voldemort was simply a trial run to see what worked best and to get details hammered out.
"What you say does have merit we do not wish him to be worse off then he was before all of this. I did not lie when I said I thought Tommy could be saved if shown what a true loving family was like. I do believe if he is given a true loving family and raised the right way he will learn right from wrong and be repentant for his past actions thus not repeating them. I will allow you to raise him as you would any other child, however I do expect you to keep a firm hand on him, to nip any bad behavior in the bud immediately. If it proves that he is unrepentant and has not learned right from wrong after his first evaluation we will re-evaluate things for his next regression. We may then have to go back to daily spankings." Dumbledore said raising a hand to stop Aurthur's protests "That is how it has to be to keep him from the dementors kiss."
"Fine, but one stipulation, if after his re-evaluation he is shown to be truly repentant, I want to have him de-aged again only without his memories. The only way to really rehabilitate him, to really give him a childhood would be for him to really have a clean slate or I fear he will simply be haunted by all that he has done and maybe fall back into old habits." Arthur said.
"We will talk about that when he comes for his evaluation, if he does indeed become repentant we will see." Dumbledore told him.
OoOoOo
Arthur walked back in to the Burrow rather pleased with himself he had been gone over two hours so he judged it was about time to check on Tommy, the child hadn't eaten since breakfast and he should be waking up soon anyway, he hadn't taken much of the potion.
Walking quietly into the boy's bedroom and sat down on his bed he shook him lightly to wake him.
Tommy's eyes popped open wide confusion written all over his face and more then the 'I just woke up and I'm out of it' kind of confusion.
"I awake?" The little one asked as if he had never expected to wake again, and he hadn't.
"Yes, you're awake. How do you feel, Tommy?" Arthur asked gently.
"Oh... Guess I not take nuff." he mused and wondered what Arthur would do with him now that he was still alive.
"What do you mean, 'not take nuff'?" Arthur prompted the dazed child.
"poison, not taked nuff if I waked up." Tommy told him his confusion mounting. Wasn't the obvious?
"Poison? Why would you drink poison?" Arthur asked, puzzled.
Tommy cocked his head and sat up, his eyes opening a bit wider when he realized besides a bit of residual sting his bum didn't hurt nearly as bad as it had but then again Arthur had healed him.
"The poison you gaved me afore you left." Tommy clarified.
"Tommy, that wasn't poison, that was sleeping potion." Arthur explained. "We would never give you poison."
"I... but..." Tommy looked really confused, the man had told him it was sleeping potion be he had thought it a lie but now he was really lost "You not switched me, I thought...." Tommy shook his head in disbelief. The man was lying again, he was mad his poison had not worked and he was trying to fool him to cover his own arse so Tommy wouldn't tell anyone he tried to poison him.
"Yes, I didn't switch you, because I thought it was wrong. I went and spoke to Dumbledore. From now on you will not be receiving mandatory spankings, you'll only get what your naughtiness earns. And your holidays won't be ruined either. How does your bottom feel? I can get more healing salve." Arthur said.
"I...I..." Tommy blinked owlishly, he couldn't comprehend the kindness "I... s-stingy"
Arthur turned to retrieve the jar of salve that he had used. Snatching it from the bed stand, he scooped his hand in and took out a generous portion. "Lie still while I apply this on your bottom."
Tommy looked at him with no small amount of fear in his eyes, he didn't trust the man, he was frightened of the man who had done little more then spanked him since he had come to live with him but he knew better then to disobey, disobeying meant spanking and if the man was already going to do something unpleasant he really didn't want to add more spanking onto that so he laid still, tears welling in his eyes his small frame shaking.
Arthur lifted the blanket covering Tommy, revealing Tommy's still bared bottom. Arthur was just starting to rub the salve into Tommy's bottom, when he noticed that the boy was shaking. Alarmed, he looked up and saw Tommy's tear streaked face. "Tommy, what's wrong? I know the salve is cold, but it should make your bottom feel much better."
Tommy let out a small sob when Arthur pulled the blanket off of him his frame shaking a bit more.
"G-Gunna hurt me, always hurt me." he got out in a small voice a part in his brain that was getting smaller and smaller as time went on was screaming at him for acting in such a way, for showing weakness, for being such a child.
Guilt sank like a heavy stone into the bottom of Arthur's stomach. Scooping the little boy up into his arms, he held him close. "Shh... Things will be different now, you won't be getting any more special holiday spankings, or daily spankings."
Tommy looked confused and disbelieving "But... Dumdore... punish me for, for... To make me not evil..."
"I spoke to Dumbledore. I told him that I wouldn't spank you like this anymore, I felt it was counterproductive. Yes, what you did was evil and bad, but the point of all this was to give you a second chance, not to simply have a repeat of your previous childhood. We will still be strict, but it will never get to the level that it was before, that was abuse." Arthur explained.
Tommy felt waring emotions within him, he was used to hating things and being hated, hate was something familiar to him and thus at least comforting in its familiarity, he was not however used to anyone caring that was uncharted territory. He preferred to be able to hate his new parents and how was he supposed to do that if they were going to start being good parents to him?
"Oh." Was all he could manage to say. "I not get no more spankings??" He asked almost hopefully.
Arthur paused, he would like to say 'yes', but he knew that they still had to be strict with him. "You'll still get spankings, but only ones that you earn. No more mandatory daily spankings, and no more 'special' holiday ones."
Tommy pouted, he actually pouted "Don like spanking." He told him crinkling his nose.
"Well, then don't do anything to earn them, and we'll be fine." Arthur said, a touch playfully as he tapped the boy's nose.
Tommy batted his eyes and crinkled his nose more under the finger and nodded.
The sound of rattling dishes caught the attention of the man and boy. Molly brought out a tray laden with food. "Tommy dear, I know you missed lunch, but dinner is only an hour away. So you can have this snack to tide you over. Besides, we have to get you ready before the guests arrive."
Tommy looked up puzzled. "Why? I stay here, right?"
Arthur spoke up. "I spoke to Albus, he agreed that there would be no more spoiling of holidays. That means that not only will you not have to endure holiday spankings, but you will be allowed to enjoy the holidays. So when you're done eating, we'll get you dressed up for the party."
"I gets to go?" He asked as if he couldn't believe what his ears were hearing "Mummy said her not wan me to." Tommy hadn't been aware that that had been part of the rules he had just thought he wasn't wanted.
"Oh, Tommy. It was a Ministry rule that you were not allowed to enjoy any holidays, so anything enjoyable you were not allowed to take part in. But since we have had that rule revoked, you are allowed to come. It wasn't that I didn't want you there." Molly said as she pulled the boy into a warm hug.
Tommy found himself instinctively nuzzling into the crook of her neck sniffling slightly "But you hates me." He pointed out the words muffled a bit, he didn't know why it should bother him that the blood traitors hated him he hated them didn't he?
The air in the room stilled as the two adults became very quiet.
"Tommy? In a way, you are right, I did hate you. You took away my brothers, there is a hole in my life that can never be filled because of that." Molly said with a sad earnest voice.
Tommy felt his insides freeze as he heard Molly's admission, he had known, but to hear it said out loud... Why did his heart constrict so painfully?
Molly continued, unaware of Tommy's struggles. "We can't lie, and we won't insult you by sugar coating things and pretending, it isn't going to be easy for us to put all that you did behind us, to forgive you. But I see you now, not just as you were, but as you can be. I believe in you Tommy, that you can grow to be a good man, a man that I would be proud to call my son. We want to love you, we do, or we never would have agreed to do this, and we will try our hardest by you just like we know you are going to try as well."
Tommy had to hand it to them for being honest at least but it seemed the waring emotions within him got worse with her words, the part of him that wanted to change and be part of a loving family was growing yet the part of him that wanted to hold firmly to his old beliefs and hatred was fighting so very hard against it.
OoOoOo
Tommy stood before Arthur wrapped in a towel, his wet hair sticking up all over as it had yet to be brushed, staring wide eyed at the emerald green robes Arthur was holding. He had been prepared for red and gold robes considering who he was dealing with here and he should have counted himself lucky he was even being allowed at the party at all, he was not at all prepared for the beautiful silver trimmed green ones he had been presented with.
Arthur chuckled softly at Tommy's shocked look. "What? You didn't think we'd have you go out there naked, did you?"
Tommy shook his head and crinkled his nose fighting a smile of his own, he would not smile he would not... He cracked a smile and to his horror a small giggle escaped.
Arthur was pleased to hear Tommy's laughter, even though he looked like a child, he had yet to act in any positive child-like manner. He had never seen Tommy smile or laugh before, it was a freeing experience knowing that he had made the right decision when he stood up to Dumbledore.
"Okay, little man! Let's get you into these and to the party!" Arthur said cheerfully.
Tommy couldn't help that stupid giggle that had managed to escape, now that the hippogriff on his chest that was all those spanking had been removed the carefree emotions of childhood started to seep into his brain replacing the constant fear he couldn't control it and he cursed those damn emotional regression potions once more.
"Kay." Tommy nodded.
Arthur smiled at him as he dressed him, running the comb through his hair he lifted the child up and carried him down the steps where the party had already started.
Suddenly feeling shy with all the new faces around Tommy hid his face in the crook of his daddy's neck.
"Oh, what an adorable little boy you have there, Arthur!" One middle aged woman cooed. "How old is he? And why haven't we seen him before?"
"This is Tommy, my new son. He's four years old." Arthur said happily, he seemed the picture of a proud father.
Tommy squirmed a bit and leaned in closer to Arthur shyly.
Many of the other guests clamored around the newest addition to the Weasley family.
Tommy was not one used to being cooed over and it was a little frightening so he clung tightly to his father.
"Daddy." he whispered into his fathers ear "Too many peoples."
Arthur patted Tommy's back and gave him a small smile. "They're just curious about you, you needn't be frightened." Arthur said a bit louder than necessary.
The small crowd got the hint and returned to their previous conversations.
Tommy let out a small relieved sigh and relaxed again, all the people were much better when they weren't all looking at him.
The party continued on, Arthur had set Tommy down to mingle with the guests. There were other children at the party, but Tommy shied away, unsure of how to act. The children didn't question Tommy's timidness and tried to include him in their games, and despite himself, Tommy found that he enjoyed them. The food was delicious, and for the first time in weeks his bottom didn't hurt.
Tommy had just broken away from a rousing game of exploding snap to get some refreshments. Delighting in the cool taste of pumpkin juice in the stuffy hot room, he quenched his thirst as he happily munched on a cauldron cake. Tommy was so caught up in his dessert that he didn't even notice someone approaching until he felt a hand on his shoulder.
Tommy jumped his head snapping up to see who touched him. He let out a small terror filled squeak when his eyes met the sparkling blue eyes of none other then Albus Dumbledore. Tommy looked for an escape path but he was literally backed up against a wall with no place to run.
"Tommy, my boy! So good to see you, how have you been?" Dumbledore said jovially.
Tommy took a deep breath and stuck his chin up in the air, he wouldn't let this man know he scared him. "Go way Dumbdore." He demanded.
Dumbledore patted Tommy's back and said in a grandfatherly fashion. "There's no need to be rude Tommy, I was just checking up to see how you were doing."
Tommy shrugged Dumbledores hand off with a squeak, he could feel the man's magic through his hands and it made his stomach hurt, he couldn't help but whimper.
"What's wrong, my boy?" Dumbledore asked worriedly.
"G-Go way! Lea' me lone!!" Tommy yelled at him backing up till his back hit the wall behind him.
It was at that moment that Arthur stepped between the two. "Is there a problem, Albus?" Arthur asked mildly, but with an undertone of steel.
Molly had scooped the panicked boy up and held him protectively in her arms.
Dumbledore looked at the proceedings more than a little puzzled, why were they acting like HE was the enemy? "Not at all, my dear boy! I was just having a chat with young Tommy here, I wanted to wish him a happy Halloween."
Tommy clung to Molly unabashed this time, just about snuggling into her as close as he could get, she was definitely the lessor of two evils. As much as Tommy hated it, the fact was, Dumbledore scared him. His sheer power made Tommy feel sick to his stomach. The fact that the old wizard wanted him dead or at least as miserable as possible, and had the power to bring such things to fruition, didn't help Tommy's fear and disdain for the man. He hid he face in Molly's chest unable to help the shivers that ran through his small body.
Arthur spared a glance at his wife and new son, and what he saw brought back his previous ire at the old man. With a frigid voice he said. "Albus, you're scaring him. I think if would be best if you leave now."
Dumbledore smiled affably. "Nonsense, my boy, we were just having a friendly chat." Dumbledore looked at Tommy and said. "Weren't we, Tommy?"
"Don wanna talk wif you!" Tommy said clinging to Molly.
Dumbledore gave a little smile, and nodded in understanding. "I see, you wish to return to the festivities. I shall not keep you then, I have to be back at Hogwarts for the school's Halloween feast soon. I will be going now, and let you enjoy the party, but I'll stop by for a chat tomorrow, around noon."
"Noooo, don wanna talk wif you!" Tommy said more forcefully glaring at the old man though leaning into Molly for the courage to do such a thing.
Dumbledore gave the smile of an indulgent grandfather as he patted Tommy's head. "Oh, my dear boy, you needn't be shy! I'll see you tomorrow." Before any of the three could respond, Dumbledore turned and left.
Tommy cringed and whimpered, he could feel the man's magic crackle every time he touched him and it was a very unpleasant feeling to him.
Molly simply held Tommy tighter, trying to calm the boy. "It's okay, Tommy. Mummy's here now." She said softly as she rocked the boy gently.
He laid his head on her shoulder "Don wanna talk to him." He said in a small voice.
Arthur sighed, they didn't really have a choice, they couldn't really deny Albus Dumbledore access to the boy. "We'll talk about this tomorrow, Tommy. Now why don't we return to the party, hmm?"
Tommy nodded and wriggled in Molly's arms to be put down. Now that Dumbledore had left the house he felt safe to be on his own again.
Tommy returned to the other children and found himself lost in the games, the way that children do. A couple hours later, a tired Tommy found himself drinking pumpkin juice and leaning against his Daddy. Tired eyes drooping until they finally shut and Tommy drifted off into slumber.
Arthur looked down when he felt the weight leaning against him increase. Chucking lightly, he took the empty cup out of Tommy's limp hands and then gathered the boy up. Excusing himself, he carried Tommy up to his room. Arthur decided the dress robes could survive a couple transfigurations and opted to simply transfigure Tommy's current clothes into pajamas. Arthur then set the sleeping boy in his bed, and brushed the stray hair away from his eyes. Finding the stuffed kneazle, Arthur placed Jerry in Tommy's arms, the boy automatically gripped onto the stuff toy and snuggled with it. Arthur smiled as he dimmed the lights and left the room. Maybe this day wasn't as bad as he thought.