Here's a small treat. this chapter is longer than I usually have made them, I think. Hopefully they'll continue to be longer than earlier. And don't forget to review either. al reviews I get make me happy and more inspired to continue on the fic. =)

"parseltongue"

Chapter 5

When Tom and Severus entered their Headquarter they were met by a bowing house-elf.

"Master, I've placed the woman in the guestroom on the second floor in the left wing. Is there anything else Ducky can help you with?" the elf asked.

"Yes, please fetch all of the healing potions in the potion storage and bring them to the Hospital wing," Tom said.

Then he turned to Severus and studied his friend for a moment before saying:

"Give Harry to me. I'll take him to the Hospital Wing. You have to fetch Madam Pomfrey. She's the best mediwitch there is and Harry trusts her."

With a nod Severus gave Harry to his lord before leaving quickly.

***

When Severus had gone, Tom looked down on his unconscious burden. The child was ghastly pale and his breathing shallow. With a gentle smile he carried Harry to the Hospital Wing and placed him on a bed, and then he began to cast diagnostic spells to see what he could heal, while waiting for the cavalry. The extent of injuries made fury boil inside him and he fought hard to keep his magic under control. Suddenly he heard a rustling sound and turned around. When he saw Nagini enter he smiled softly and then nodded to his familiar.

"Isss the child going to fine? I can't undersssstand why the Bumbling fool would allow sssomeone to hurt a nessstling," the snake said while lifting up her body so that she could see the child.

"I don't know my preciousss, he'sss in a bad condition."

Hissing angrily, Nagini bared her great fangs.

"I'll promissse thisss. That man will die the next time dessstiny decidesss for usss to meet,"she hissed.

Then she slithered up in the bed and gently caressed his cheek with her tail, her great coils laid protecting around him. Tom smiled at his familiar's antics and then sank down on the bed, careful not to touch any of the boy's bare skin. He didn't want to cause the child more pain than his presence probably already did.

"Are you sssure that your presssence causssesss him pain? After all you carried the boy here and he certainly doesssn't ssseem to bee in any pain right now, even though you are sssitting clossse to him," the snake hissed.

Tom's eyes widened and when he stared down at Harry he noticed that the boy seemed to be calm and relatively pain free. Perhaps his presence didn't hurt the child any longer. 'Well here goes nothing,' he thought and then carefully stretched out his hand. Biting his lip Tom let his fingertip touch Harry's cheek and he steeled himself for the pain he was sure to come. But it didn't and Harry remained calm.

"How…" he whispered and then let all his restrictions fall.

Slowly he let his hand caress Harry's cheek and then he buried it in his wild hair. A smile appeared on his lips and when his eyes softened, Nagini smiled to herself, well as much as a snake can smile anyways. Now she knew that eventually it would turn out okay for both of her nestlings.

***

When Severus returned with Poppy, he knew that the entire manor probably heard them. Afraid of hurting her since his magic was restless, he hadn't dared to stun or silence her. Instead he had slung her over his shoulder and apparated away. She had been screaming and kicking all the way to the manor and now his patience was faltering.

"For the love of Merlin woman, can't you just keep still and quiet even for a second?!" he snarled and tightened his grip.

"Severus Snape, unhand me at once or Merlin help you, I'll…"

Her furious tirade was interrupted by a voice casting "silencio". Throwing a happy and thankful gaze at the fair-haired man, Severus nodded his appreciation.

"I thank you Lucius, she has sworn at me since we left Hogsmead."

Lucius threw him an incredulous look and then he shook his head.

"Merlin, Sev, why haven't you simply stunned her?"

Before he could answer he gasped and then growled deeply. One of her kicks finally hit his ribs and jarred them. With a snarl he threw her to the floor and drew his wand in a fluent movement. But stopped when Lucius stepped in between them. Holding his hands in the air Lucius carefully neared his friend, once again sensing the weight of dark magic in the air.

"Easy Sev, remember, we need her help, he needs her help." He said and after a moments hesitation placed his hand on his friends shoulder.

He felt how Severus tensed up at the touch, but then the presence of the heavy magic disappeared and he felt how the dark-haired man relaxed.

"Yes, you are right. Take her to him, I'll prepare some potions we might need." Severus said and then hurriedly left the room.

Lucius stared after him, stunned by his sudden departure. Then he shook his head. He was sure that he would gain some answers tonight, after Harry had been seen to. After all, he knew that his Lord also had noticed Severus strange behaviour and strong magic. With a hint of satisfaction in his eyes he turned to the mediwitch and a smirk appeared on his lips when he saw her flabbergast expression. Oh, she hadn't expected Severus to react like that. With a chuckle he dragged her up and then led her towards the Hospital Wing and she was silent and obedient all the way.

***

Severus stared down into the cauldron in front of him. The potion in it, which was supposed to be watery and pale white, had turned pure black and was as thick as sludge. If anyone had entered at this moment, they either would have laughed or became suspicious, because of the dumbfounded expression on his face. 'Black! It is black!' Snarling at the unsolvable mess he vanished it with a wave of his hand. Then he froze, realising what he just had done.

Swearing under his breath he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'I have to calm down, get a grip'. It had been ages since he failed to make a potion and the fact of it forced him to calm down and rein in of the fury inside him. 'It just turned black, right after I added the vampire-blood.' He knew that it was a sign to him, that his magic had to be totally out of control and raging inside him. Because vampiric blood was considered as a grey ingredient. A grey ingredient is an ingredient with the presence of life energy mingled with the touch of death and is very resistant towards any dark magic.

With a sigh he opened his eyes and stared down into the empty cauldron, then he thanked Merlin that he had brewed a lot of healing draughts over the past weeks. 'I really must have lost control, if the darkness of my magic contaminates grey ingredients. I won't be able to brew anything before I've gotten my magic back under control.' Shaking his head he extinguished the fire under the cauldron and then left for the Hospital wing.

When he neared the wing he could hear shouting voices. His Lord's voice and Poppy's. With a sigh he drew a hand through his silky hair. Wait, silky? Cursing under his breath he fortified his glamours until his hair regained its greasy feeling. When he was satisfied he strode up to the doors and then threw them open. With a quick glance he took in the situation. His lord was trapped in a corner with his wand drawn and pointed towards the nurse. Lucius was unconscious on the floor and Nagini laid curled up protectively around an unconscious Potter, hissing furiously.

"For the love of Merlin woman! I told you that we have nothing to do with the child's injuries! We saved him!" Tom snarled and blocked another curse from the nurse.

"Do you expect me to believe that?" Poppy shouted back, nearly screeching with anger.

"Well, it is the truth after all and my, my, aren't you supposed to hound us for making loud noises in the hospital wing and not the other way around?"

Severus silky voice made her swirl around with fury in her eyes.

"You! You Traitor! How dare you betray Albus after all he has done for you!" she snarled and threw a curse at him, taking him with surprise.

Without thinking Severus quickly raised his left hand and black flames rose in front of him, annihilating the curse. Silence fell in the wing and he could feel their eyes on him. Cursing himself he vanquished the flames and snarled at them.

"We don't have time for this foolishness! Harry needs your help! If you can't trust his word, maybe a vow will suffice."

Raising his wand Severus spoke with a solemn look in his eyes.

"I swear on my life and magic that we didn't cause Harry's injuries and that we saved him"

After his vow Poppy sank down on the floor, dropping her wand, staring at him unbelief written on his face. When he didn't drop dead she understood that they had spoken the truth all along and that she had been hideously deceived by someone she trusted. With tears rising in her eyes she stared down at the marble floor without really seeing it. Her world had been turned upside down and for once she didn't know what to do.

When she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder she looked up and found herself meeting a crimson gaze.

"I can't say that I fully understand the pain you're feeling, but I know I feel something close to your pain. Will you at least stay and listen to my story before you decide what course you'll take?" the dark Lord asked in a soft voice.

What did she have to loose? Nothing… he had already made her world crumble. It could only become better from this point.

"I'll listen to your story, but first I have a child to help." She said and rose to her feet picking up her wand.

***

While Poppy worked fervently on Harry, Tom turned towards the dark wizard standing to his left. Said wizard met his gaze without blinking, seemingly completely calm, but Tom could sense a restless darkness lying under the surface, waiting to surface and bring its devastation with it. He suppressed a shiver and his gaze hardened. This time Severus flinched at his lord's hardened gaze.

"Well Severus, it looks like you have more to explain than I thought. But it will have to wait until later. She might need our help. Why don't you wake Lucius up? He took a stunner meant for me."

With a bow Severus moved to obey his lord's order. Casting enervate on his fallen friend he watched closely for the telltale signs of the wakening. At last Lucius's eyelashes fluttered and then his eyes opened. Severus froze and stared. Was it only his imagination or had the pupil of Lucius's eyes been a slit for a moment? Shaking his head he decided that it had been his imagination playing with him. Letting a smirk appear on his lips he gazed down at his friend.

"My, my Lucius. She took you by surprise didn't she? Hmm, it has happened twice now, that someone surprises you. Beginning o get old perhaps?" Severus said with amusement evident in his voice.

Not even when he found a wand pressed into his throat did the amusement in his eyes and voice falter. When Severus chuckled softly, Lucius growled at him and lowered his wand. Then he struggled to sit up, cursing under his breath.

"Will you move, you overgrown bat? You're in the way" Lucius muttered and snarled when Severus's chuckle turned into full blown laughter.

"I fail to see what it is that is so funny, so stop laughing or I'll hex you" Lucius threatened and raised his wand.

When Severus saw that the tip of the wand glowed and that small green sparkles fell from it, he slowly stopped laughing. 'I better stop or he'll really hex me and he has a nasty Bat-Bogey Hex' Shaking his head he smiled again against his friend.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you're beginning to get old. It's our little secret."

Then Severus had to evade a barrage of different spells from his enraged friend. It was the voice of their lord which finally halted the fair-haired man's assault.

"As entertaining as it is to see, this isn't the place to duel in and besides… madam Pomfrey is looking at you with a sinister look upon her face. I would run if I were you," Tom said and grinned evilly.

Gulping Severus and Lucius turned around slowly and took one look at the enraged nurse. Then they turned around and ran out from the Hospital wing as if the devil himself was at their heels.

Chuckling loudly, Tom watched his friends' flight. Then he turned towards the nurse.

"How is he?" he asked and stepped closer.

Now when she knew that he wouldn't harm her or Harry, she was more relaxed around him, but she still didn't trust him completely. Pondering upon the question if she should answer him or not, she took in the look of his face. He looked human. She had heard the he had turned himself into a snake-like monster, but now he looked like the man she remembered from her school years at Hogwarts. It was also said that he had no feelings, but she could clearly see the concern in his eyes and based on that she made her decision.

"He's in a bad condition, but stabile. He had several broken ribs and a broken wrist which I have healed. He also had internal bleeding and a concussion, but I've dealt with them as well."

Then she took a deep breath, to gather and calm herself, before continuing.

"There also are signs of old healed injuries and he also is severely undernourished, which has curbed his growth."

"Damn thossse mugglesss to the ssseventh hell! If they weren't dead already I would keep them under the cruciatusss until their brainsss had turned to musssh!"

Filled by anger, at the Dursley's treatment of Harry, Tom didn't notice that he had slipped into parseltongue or that his eyes flashed. It was only when his familiar hissed that he frightened the nurse, that he realised and forced himself to calm down. With a somewhat sheepish smile on his face he turned towards Pomfrey.

"I'm sorry, I usually have more control over my feelings than this. It's just that the ones who did this to him, are supposed to be his family… "

Shaking his head Tom looked at the sleeping child.

"They are supposed to love and care fore him, not abuse him…" he whispered.

The sight of Harry laying there so helpless on the bed covered in bandages made memories of his own unhappy childhood surface. Closing his eyes he hugged himself, but it wasn't enough. He wished that someone would hug him and tell him that everything was going to be alright.

But he knew that it wouldn't happen. The only one he had ever loved, had died by his hands and the guilt and the shame he felt was still there, buried deep inside of him. Suddenly he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. When he opened his eyes, they met Poppy's worried blue ones. Some moments passed and he stared at her, surprise written over his face. Then when he realized that his jaw was about to drop, he quickly caught it before it could. She feared him, but still she had moved to his side and was truly worried for him. 'It… it feels nice… to have someone care for you' He thought and then smiled. Then her voice brought him out from his thoughts.

"May I call you by your given name?" Pomfrey asked.

Tom's smile softened and he nodded. A long time had passed since he had allowed anyone to use his true name, or when the name hadn't brought up feelings of hatred and disgust. Now it was the name he had made up which made his skin crawl in a not so pleasant way. Voldemort… no that part of him was dead and would never resurface again. Never…

Once again it was her voice which brought him back from his musings.

"Well then, Mr Riddle…"

"Tom, please call me Tom. Even now after my change, I'm not particularly fond of my surname"

She looked surprised at his explanation and it showed in her voice when she spoke.

"Why ever not? I think it's nice and it fits you. You are somewhat of a riddle after all…" she finished with a smile on her lips and in her eyes.

He tried to tell her with his gaze that he didn't find the joke particularly fun, but the twitching in the corners of his mouth ruined it. She smiled at him again, but then she turned serious.

"Tom then. Harry is stable and I've put him under monitoring charms which will alert me if his conditions changes, so I think it's time for hat story you promised me. Oh and I have some questions for Severus as well" she said and at her last words her eyes got a nasty glint in them and it made Tom shiver.

With a nod he threw one last look at Harry. Then he snapped his fingers and waited for a house-elf to appear. A loud crack made Poppy wince and made the elf look sheepish.

"Nelly is sorry, Nelly hasn't mastered silent apparition yet." The elf said.

"it's okay Nelly, you're not in trouble. Can you fetch Severus and Lucius and bring them to my study?"

With a happy nod the elf disappeared with less sound though, this time. Tom smiled and then turned to Pomfrey.

"Very well. Follow me and I'll tell you my story." He said.

But before he left the room he threw a questioning glance at his familiar, who told him with a nod that she would watch over the boy-who-lived.