Chapter 4: Late Christmas Morning
Silence, it fell in the room as the boy's simple question hung above them. Tom was quiet as he looked at the boy, he had no idea how to answer. He couldn't tell the boy that he had murdered his parents. He couldn't tell the boy that he had meant to kill him before. He looked at the small child, his red eyes settled on the child as he looked at Severus. The dower man looked panicked; clearly he was hoping that he wouldn't tell the boy the truth, that he would hold off. Tome slowly rose from his seat and looked around the room, Lucius and Abraxas looked just as nervous as Severus did. It was as though what he said next would change everything, then again it would since now he would have to explain to not only the boy but the occupants in the room. Tom slowly walked over to where Severus and Lucius were and knelt on the floor.
Tom was dressed in simply a pair of slacks a black shirt and a long black robe. His robes pooled about him and he was taller than the child, at that moment he understood so much of the pain, so much anger and sadness he wanted to simply hold the child close and tell him it was over. Harry's Avada Kedavra green eyes looked at him nervously, assessing whether or not he was a threat and Tom gently probed the child's mind. He was terrified yet curious at the same time. 'Will he hurt me?' was the only question running through his head. "Hello Harry, I'm Tom Marvolo Riddle, but you can call me Tom or Marvolo, which ever you prefer." Harry looked at Tom cautiously he seemed at a loss as to what to do. "Am I in trouble?" he asked after a moment. The young Dark Lord sighed as he shed his robe, it was as though it were a costume and as he did so the whole notion of being the darkest wizard of the age seemed to leave his mind. "No you aren't, and I won't hurt you," he said softly as he slowly leaned forward and draped his robe around the boy who was shivering. He watched the black fabric swallow the child and smiled, Harry was cute wrapped in his robe and he watched the child stare at him as though he were a mystery. Harry tentatively touched the black fabric and his eyes widened, "It's made of lambswool and spider silk," he explained. The child attempted to take it off when Tom shook his head, "It's a bit cold to be roaming around this house in pajamas," he said gently. Harry blushed but nodded, he could tell the child had questions.
"Harry you can ask questions, we will answer them," Tom said soothingly, he hadn't heard his voice sound like this since the day he found Severus in pain. It seemed to shock all of the occupants of the room to remember that Tom actually did possess such a voice, "How come you are in my dreams?" asked Harry slowly, "and who's snake is that?" Tom chuckled, he should have known that the about the massive snake in the room. He also managed to ask the one question he didn't know the answer to. "I don't know how I am in your dreams, you and I have a connection, I just don't know how or why. The snake however," he smiled and waved Nagini over, he watched the large green shimmering serpent slither over gingerly, "This is my familiar Nangini, want to say hello?" he asked curiously as the snake coiled around his legs and held her head up for him to pet her. Harry stared at the man and the snake, 'Hello,' Harry hissed. Nagini blinked and snapped to attention she slowly held her head out in hopes that the boy would pet her.
Tom chuckled at her behavior and looked at Harry, 'It's okay, she won't bite,' he hissed. He decided to address the fact that the boy could speak parseltongue later. He watched a shaky hand extend to the serpent and Nangini bowed her head lower he could tell she was excited. Harry gently touched her head with the tips of his fingers and he watched the boy's face light up. 'She's smooth! Not slimy and very pretty,' he hissed in excitement as he gently ran his hand down her scales. He was surprised by how gentle Harry was with the massive snake, most people would have run, and yet Harry pet her as though she were a large dog. Nagini was patient with the boy as he pet her and he felt her slowly move from around him and sit between them, 'I like him, he's kind,' she gushed. Harry gasped and stared at the snake with surprise, his expression was priceless, 'Thanks Nangini I was going to explain his gift later,' he hissed with a hint of irritation. The massive snake snapped her head toward him and looked at him, 'You were the one who suggested that he pet me, he also said I was pretty! Most people just scream. Was I not supposed to say anything?' she asked. Tom groaned and shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose. 'At the moment, no. I wanted to get some food in him and get him in warm clothes before you shocked him,' Tom explained and sighed with exasperation. He forgot how difficult she could be. Nangini glared at him and flicked her tongue at him before twitching her tail, she only did this when she was irritated with Tom. 'Snakeling has questions and is scared. I just want to protect him. You are so dense sometimes Tom,' she replied.
Harry giggled and looked at the pair, 'Is she always like this?' he asked as he smiled at them. Tom looked at him and replied bluntly, 'Yes, she's always like this. Just wait since you can speak to her she'll be stuck to you like glue and you'll be begging me to collect my familiar.' Harry giggled again and shook his head he could tell that oddly his bickering put the child at ease. Severus had gone tense from the hissing and remember that there were only three beings in the room that could understand their conversation. "Harry, I think we should get you in some warmer clothes and get some breakfast," said Tom after a moment, which seemed to put the room at ease again, he made a mental note to look into why the boy could speak to the snake, he shouldn't have been able to the Potters had none of Salazar's blood.
Harry paled at the mentioning of food and Tom had a feeling he wasn't going to like why. "Don't worry, you'll never go back to those foul people called your relatives," Tom said gently as he rose from the floor, he was about to hold out his hand when he noticed Severus was extending his, he looked as though he were looking at the most precious gift in the world. Tom suddenly remembered that the boy was the only evidence that Lily had even lived and allowed Severus this moment. He watched the boy slowly take the Potion's Master's hand and rise from the floor, his other hand was clutching his robes so that they wouldn't fall off the boy. Draco was beaming with delight as he looked at Harry, "You missed Christmas but we decided to put it on hold, come on, let's get dressed so we can go down to breakfast," said Draco with excitement.
Tom noticed that the boy wasn't thrilled about Christmas, he wasn't a fan either, but he had a feeling that the boy would like his gifts. He had run to a few shops which he knew were open and purchased a few books, some toys and clothing. As a child he didn't have much but he didn't want Harry to face that. He could remember Christmas Eve, he had left Harry's room for a bit to find Severus sitting on the floor of the living room, there were piles and piles of photos surrounding him, he looked as though he had dumped all of his memories on the floor and was sifting through them, one by one. Tom had learned in the doorway and watched as the man began to copy some of them magically, some were taken with a muggle camera while others a magical one. With each photo Severus was gentle and tender, as though he were handling the woman himself. She was such a large part of the man, which he didn't realize Harry would cause him to open that dreaded box and look through it again. The box on the floor beside him was the one box that contained both his happiest memories and the saddest. He watched the man quietly slip each photo in a brown leather album, it was covered with a red vine design and he drew a deep breath before leaving quietly, he had a feeling he would see the album under the tree.
Tom was snapped from his thoughts when Lucius nudged him and whispered, "We should leave so Harry can change," he suggested. Tom blinked before nodding and turned to Harry, "Severus will be outside, he will show you to the dining room," he said as he looked at Severus who simply smiled a little and nodded, he could tell that smile meant the world. He left the room with Draco trailing behind him, Tom turned and looked at the boy who was smiling, clearly happy to have another young boy in the house. Lucius was at his side and looked at his beaming son. "Draco?" asked Lucius curiously and Tom knew what the boy was thinking, he didn't even have to use Legilimency to figure it out. "Do you think he will like the presents?" he asked as he looked from his father to Tom. He could tell the boy was both anxious and nervous. Tom sighed as he looked at the short blonde, "Draco, I'm certain he will love them, he's never had a gift." He paused when he realized what he had just said and noticed how Narcissa, Draco, Lucius and Abraxas paled, "What?" asked Narcissa in shock her eyes were wide and she looked beyond upset. "Not one gift?" Tom shook his head sadly and continued, "I don't think he's ever received a present, or even a hug."
The four Malfoys froze and looked at him and then the door they had left, he could tell that they were all going to make a great effort to ensure that Harry had a beautiful Christmas, his real first Christmas. He couldn't be upset with them for that, after all the boy needed to be shown love, all he knew was hatred. Tom sighed as he looked them over and said simply, "I'm off to freshen up, I'll see you in the dining room," he turned on his heel and smiled as Nangini slithered behind him. Silently he vowed to show the boy that he deserved love and to make him smile more. Harry's bright smile was in his memory as the boy touched Nangini, he loved seeing the child look free from pain and fear, even if it was for a moment. Just for a moment, Harry had been Harry and he wanted to make those moments last a lifetime.
~~WL~~
Harry waited until they had all gone before opening the wardrobe and finding a soft cashmere sweater, it was forest green and looked very warm, there was a pair of black and silver pinstriped slacks hanging with it. Harry had only see clothing like this when he washed his Uncle's, never in his size. He slowly pushed through the racks and realized that everything in the wardrobe was made of high quality fabrics and cut in the finest of fashions, there were even a few suits hanging in the back. He slowly pulled the sweater and ran his fingers over the soft and warm fabric, he loved the color but was worried he would be yelled at for not yelling his clothing, although he couldn't find it. He was even dressed in silk pajamas, he hummed, they had all been nice to him and part of him wondered if they really wouldn't hurt him.
Harry grabbed the black and silver pinstriped pants and set them on the bed as well as the v-neck green cashmere sweater. He slowly took off the night shirt, he didn't trust adults, they only hurt him. He knew that from experience, they always hurt him, they never helped him and part of him wondered if those people would be different. Draco seemed nice, he honestly looked as though he wanted to help him, which was a first. Even other boys found it fun to pick on him. Harry slipped off the pajama shirt and froze, he should have been in pain. Suddenly he remembered the beating he had received and walked over to a long mirror, his eyes widened when he looked over his shoulder. All of his scars were gone. It were as though they hadn't even existed, even the old ones had vanished. He turned around and looked at his chest, the burn was gone, so was the word which his uncle had carved into his stomach. He slowly reached out and touched the mirror, with disbelief and watched the mirror do the same. The glass was cold and smooth beneath his fingers. "How?" he asked slowly before lowering his hand, he had always had scars, the only one that remained was the one on his head, the lightning bolt scar he had for as long as he could remember.
He slowly turned and looked at the bed, they must have healed him but he couldn't understand why, he was just a freak. He didn't deserve healing or to be taken care of, or at least that was what his family had said. He slowly slipped the sweater over his head and then slipped off the pants, only now did he realize that even his underwear was made of fine cotton and actually fit him. Harry slowly slipped into the slacks and stared at his reflection, he looked very different in clothes that fit well, the sweater was a little loose, but not falling off of him. He looked around and found a pair of wool socks sitting in a drawer and slipped them on. He stared at his reflection and marveled at himself, this was the most presentable he had ever looked. Harry slowly opened the door to find the man named Severus standing there, he was smiling gently and held his hand out to him. For the life of Harry he couldn't understand why people kept letting him touch them, Freaks were dirty and that was why Petunia never gave him a hug, much less hold his hand.
Harry slowly took the man's hand and stared at the way they looked together, Severus had large hands with long slender fingers, they were calloused making them a little rough, yet they were gentle. "Shall we?" asked Severus softly as he looked at Harry with a questioning gaze. He had never been asked if he were ready to go, he was usually pushed and yet this man was willing to wait. Harry nodded and walked down the hallway with Severus, he stared at the man who was dressed in all black, his hair was long but this time looked as though it had been washed. He admired the man's alabaster skin and realized that he looked far more relaxed now than when he had in the park. "Don't worry about the table, you'll be sitting beside Draco and Tom," he said with ease as he pushed open a large and beautifully carved pair of mahogany doors.
His eyes widened when he noticed the light which flooded the room, while the table was made of a dark cherry, it seemed welcoming and soothing. The walls were a beautiful green and were covered in paintings. His eyes fell on the high glass windows with large midnight blue drapes, there were silver chords holding them back. From the ceiling hung a beautiful chandelier, it was covered in garland, bows, and a few poinsettias. He could smell cinnamon and pine in the room and stared at the candle holders as well as the center piece, they were a beautiful red, which seemed odd in the room with only dark and soothing colors but not unwelcomed. He froze, he didn't fit in this world, let alone at this table. All of the occupants of the house were dressed in beautiful clothing, Draco was wearing a blue robe with a dress shirt, tie, slacks, and vest, he looked as though he belonged to a prep school. Lucius, Narcissa and Abraxas were all dressed in dress clothes, but none of them looked as surreal as Tom.
Sitting at the head of the table, with an empty chair to his left was the man from his dreams. He was wearing a silver suit with a black shirt and a black and silver tie, his black robe fell from his shoulders and he noticed the man's wavy hair was styled once again. A glint of gold caught Harry's eye and he stared at the ring on the man's finger with a black stone in it's grasp. "Good morning Hadrian," greeted Narcissa with a smile. Harry paused and looked at her in confusion, Hadrian, no one had ever called him that, it was always just Harry. "I apologize but what did you just call me?" he asked curiously, he was honestly confused and looked at her as though she had lost her mind. "Hadrian, that is your name, isn't it?" asked Narcissa after a moment. He blushed after he realized that she was using his full name, not his nick name. "Yes, I'm sorry," he replied sheepishly, he really didn't belong here. A chuckle left Narcissa as she shook her head, "No harm no foul," she replied smoothly which seemed to put Harry at ease a little. Draco was watching Harry curiously, he could tell that the blonde wanted to spend more time with him and was honestly interested in chatting away. "Good morning," he said after a moment before looking at the only other empty seat after Severus had sat beside Draco on the other side. He slowly walked down toward where Tom sat and remained standing for a moment, he could feel their eyes on them and knew they were confused.
"I want to thank all of you for helping me, saving me and taking care of me," he said slowly, he was nervous as he said this, he had never said thank you toward someone who showed him genuine kindness. "Not at all Hadrian, it's our job to protect you and take care of you," said Tom smoothly. Harry looked up to see those familiar red eyes looking at him, Tom really did look like one of the men Petunia would fawn over. He nodded before looking at the chair, they clearly wanted him to join them. Harry slowly pulled out the seat and settled down for a moment. He felt awkward, as though he were the piece that didn't fit. They were perfect, honestly picture perfect, all of them dressed to impress, each of them smiling and beautiful. Yet, he wasn't, he wasn't any of those things.
Lucius had launched into a conversation with Severus about illegal potion's ingredients which interested Harry, he just couldn't keep up. "I'm telling you that they are charging far too much for Dragon Liver, I understand that its to protect the dragons but can't they make it a little more affordable?" Severus asked with a groan. Lucius chuckled as he smiled and looked at the man, he looked younger as he did this, "Sev, you are one of the most sought after potion's masters of the century, and you have your own line of potions. You're rich, even though your fortune is small compared to mine it's still an impressive size," Lucius stated as a fact. Harry listened to a number of people chuckle around the table as Severus' face twisted into a sneer, "Still it's not affordable for those of us who aren't me." Lucius leaned back in his chair and quirked a brow, "Oh?" he asked as he picked up a scone, "I was under the impression that you were still a frugal bastard."
Harry's jaw practically dropped when he heard this, none of his relatives cursed like that, except Vernon when he was really angry about Harry. Before Lucius could say another word he was smacked in the head by both his wife and his father making Harry smile. The blonde Lord simply rubbed the back of his head and asked, "What was that for?" Tom pointed at Lucius and replied, "Language, and I thought you were a Malfoy, yet you have the mouth of a sailor." Harry turned red as he suppressed his laughter, Lucius looked irate and crossed his arms before grumbling. Harry looked over at Tom only to notice that Nangini was coiled at the man's feet, he hadn't noticed her before. 'Good Morning,' he hissed. The snake lifted her head and blinked sleepily, 'Morning,' she hissed, although it sounded more like a groan. 'What's the matter?' asked Harry as he watched the beautiful green snake uncoil herself. She flicked her tongue before responded, 'It's morning.' Tom chuckled and looked at Harry, no one else at the table seemed to notice that the boy was carrying on with the snake except Draco. 'She's nocturnal, morning's aren't her thing,' Tom explained.
Harry hummed and then asked, 'Why is she down here then and not curled up by a hearth?' The snake perked up and looked at Tom, her glare was heavy and Harry could only imagine what it felt like to be on the receiving end of it. 'I insisted that she join us, she was worried about you last night and I didn't want her causing problems for you while you slept,' he explained. Nagini turned her attention to Harry and tilted her head as though she were pointing at Tom, 'That and he's a real pain sometimes,' she commented. Harry hummed as he watched Tom glare at his familiar, something told him that this was an usual occurrence for them. Harry then turned to Draco and asked, "Are they always like this?" Slate grey eyes met greens and the boy grinned, "Yes, my father usually forgets to engage his filter while speaking in front of me. What were you talking to Nangini about?" he asked. Harry looked at Tom who simply gave a nod of encouragement, "I was just wishing her a good morning, but apparently she's not a morning snake," he replied.
Draco giggled and looked at the large snake on the floor. "That would explain why she chases the elves in the morning if they wake her or try to move her the clean the ash out of the fireplace," he said with a grin. Tom laughed, his laughter filled the room causing everyone to look in their direction. Draco chuckled as he watched Nangini slither away in irritation.
Breakfast was winding down and Harry noticed how Draco became even more eager, "Now you may open gifts," said Narcissa. Harry felt his heart plummet as he walked over to the sofa and took a seat, he had a feeling that there wasn't a single gift for him there. "Harry, why are you sitting there?" asked Draco curiously. Harry stared at the blonde in confusion and then at the adults around him, "Go look under the tree," encouraged Severus. Harry slowly got up and walked over to the tree in the room, he had yet to see the massive one in the center hall. Draco was sitting on the floor cross legged and held out a package wrapped in green paper with silver stripes and a large black bow. "Here, it's for you," he said with a smile. "I've got presents?" he asked in confusion. There was silence in the room as he looked at all the adults, they looked upset and a little sad, even Tom looked saddened when he said this. "Yes Harry, you have gifts," said Abraxas suddenly, his tone was gentle.
Harry stared at the blonde in confusion before slowly taking the package and looking at the tag, "It's from Uncle Sev, he always wraps them in that paper," Draco elaborated. Green eyes looked up to see a pair of nearly black ones watching him, he slowly turned his attention back to the gift and untied the bow before ripping through the paper. His eyes widened as he looked at the leather cover of the book and he pulled the rest of the paper away. He was quiet as his fingers traced the vines on the cover, he slowly opened the beautiful book and stared at the first picture, his eyes widened as he saw a smiling couple, the wind was blowing through the trees and standing there before his eyes was a beautiful woman with green eyes and bright red hair and a man who looked very much like him. Written underneath in spidery scrawl were the names James Potter and Lily Potter nee Evans. He stared at the photo and smiled, he had never seen his parents and yet here they were before him. He gently touched the page, it took everything he had to not cry, he was simply beyond happy as he looked at them. He slowly turned the page to find photos of Lily, she was smiling and laughing in many of them. She was even pouting in a few. But the one that caught his attention was the photo of her in a red and gold uniform standing next to a boy with black hair, black eyes and a hooked nose in a silver a green uniform, they were standing in front of the sign claiming the platform to be Platform 9 ¾ the Hogwarts Express. He looked up and closed the album before clutching it to his chest, "Thank you," he said softly. Severus smiled a little and nodded.
~~WL~~
Draco tore the paper off of another one of his gifts, but oddly they didn't seem special, it was Harry who was smiling that seemed far more special. He liked it, he didn't understand why but he did. He liked the idea that the boy was happy enough to smile, even though when he opened Uncle Severus' gift he looked more like he was going to cry. Something told Draco that Harry had never seen his parents before and he felt a little sad. As time went by he noticed Harry received books, shoes, clothing a few toys but there was still one package under the tree. He pulled it out and stared at the silver paper with black cord around it. He froze when he looked at the label, it was the Dark Lord's hand writing. Usually Draco would receive books from the man but this felt like something soft had been wrapped in it. He was just as curious as Harry would be to see what was in it.
"Harry, you have one more, it's from Tom," he said softly. Harry looked at the man in question and so did Draco before he accepted the gift. Everyone in the room was frozen and seemed to watch as Harry untied the bow. He slowly moved the paper out of the way and lifted it from the paper, "A cloak?" he asked curiously. Harry swung it around his shoulders and Draco gaped, "No way!" he jumped to his feet and looked at Harry. "What?" he asked before looking down. His green eyes widened, "My body's gone!" he said with excitement. Draco nodded and looked at him, "Those are really rare, not even we have one," Draco said after a moment. Harry looked over to the Dark Lord with a question burning in his eyes.
"It was your father's, I picked it up from Gringotts," Tom explained. Draco could tell he was lying, it was impossible without the key, which meant Tom had to meet with the Headmaster, only the problem was that Dumbledore knew what he looked like. Draco wasn't about to call him out on it, but made a note to find out just how he got the cloak for Harry later. In the mean time he could only imagine the trouble they could get into under it. The idea was certainly appealing to him. Draco got up after a moment and walked over to both his father and mother and gave them a hug before hugging his grand father. Harry had taken the cloak off and he looked over his shoulder to see the boy nervous. At that second he realized that the simple action of thanking his parents had upset the boy and began to mentally scold himself.
Harry looked at Severus first and stood before him, "Thank you for the gift, I've never seen my mother or father until today," he said respectfully. Severn smiled and nodded before looking at Harry and saying smoothly, "You're welcome, Harry." The boy still looked nervous for a bit until Severus gently pat the boy on the head and placed a hand on his shoulder. Draco figured that this would be the closest interaction Harry would allow, he was still nervous and he couldn't blame them. He watched the boy turn toward Tom and noticed how Tom waited patiently for Harry to speak. "Thank you, the cloak, it's beautiful," he said softly. What happened next shocked everyone in the room. Tom reached out and pulled the boy into his arms, he held the boy close to his chest and closed his eyes. Tom looked relaxed as he held the boy. "You're so very welcome Harry," he replied.
Harry looked stiff until he finally relaxed and wrapped his arms around Tom's neck and he heard the boy hum with content. Perhaps he could be held by someone, even if it was the Dark Lord.