Chapter 4: Reunion
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, story, or settings, but if I did I can guarantee you the series would have ended differently.
"Dalen... What has that bastard done to you," the cowering child's head jerked up to look at the tall figure, he knew that voice. Dalen stared open mouthed at the man, his mind working furiously, and his mouth moving silently, trying to say something. Then he found the word, the single word that had been denied him for so long.
"Daddy."
~~~~~Into the Light~~~~~
Marvolo hissed, James had forced his child so far into his mind that he hadn't developed further than a four or five year old. However he pushed his anger and pain aside, preferring to see his child for the first time. He didn't know the boy in the slightest, all he knew was that the boy was his Dalen. The name he and his wife had decided on before the kidnapping. He had argued against it, but now he couldn't bring himself to change the name of the child his wife had no doubt died to protect.
Desperately he looked over the tiny child's figure immediately noting all of his features and his beloved Marian's. Dalen had his nose and his face. His hands were his as well, however, Dalens eyes were his Marian's chocolate brown. As was his hair and his tiny stature, though that was probably contributed to the starvation he had endured. Marvolo gazed fondly at his two children, his son and godson, he was happy he finally had both with him. He would pay whatever it would cost to help his child, whatever the cost.
~~~~~Into the Light~~~~~
Draco gaped. This pitiful child was his godfathers son? Instantly he grew even more protective of the tiny boy huddled in his arms. He turned to look at Marvolo, then at his father. His open mouth drew a wet chuckle from Marvolo,
"Da" Dalen whispered again, desperation clouding his features. His arms drew up close to his chest, wringing his hands and tangling his fingers with each other. The terrified red had intensified in his eyes and Dalen fearfully lowered his head until he was staring at his knees.
Marvolo carefully approached his son, his emotions freely decorating his face. Carefully he kneeled beside the bed and reached out to touch his sons arched back, Dalen flinched violently and let loose a little whimper of fear but Marvolo did not remove his hand. He just kept his hand firmly on his child's shoulder, then after a couple of tense moments Dalens body relaxed and leaned into his fathers touch. Quietly and peacefully Dalen fell asleep on Draco's lap, his fathers hand rubbing his back.
~~~~~Into the Light~~~~~
Severus stumbled through the floo, his sight blurred through his tears. He lay trembling on the floor of the receiving room for a minute or two before he was able to push himself up of the floor without feeling sick to his stomach. Without bothering to wait for Lucius to greet him, he made his way towards the dungeons, hoping that Potter was at least conscious.
"So... Snivilly has finally come to visit. Been a while since I've seen your ugly mug." James laughed, but Severus made no reply as he approached Potters cell.
"Why?" James stopped laughing, Severus' question caught him off guard. "That lousy freak made me sick the way he was always parading around like he was better than my Nick. I should have-"
"I didn't mean Dalen. I meant why obliviate Nick. You could have turned him against Dalen, you could have made him participate even. So why obliviate him?" James stopped dead. His entire body froze and his face paled.
"I didn't want him to hate me." He whispered, shame colouring his voice, "I didn't want him to be ashamed of what I had done. Especially to the person he saw as his brother for his first years." Tears began to course down James cheeks, he loved his child, loved him above the hatred for Dalen. It became obvious that James would rather die than have his son hate him. Severus watched the pathetic form of his school rival as he sobbed for the son he had technically abandoned. He smirked and shook his head,
"You don't deserve any better than what you gave out. You tortured my godson, you ruined his mind. My lord may hurt you physically, and my business partners will hurt you the way you didn't hurt, but I... I will hurt you mentally.
"I will give you such visions and such fear that you won't sleep, you won't eat, you will do nothing but regret the day you ever crossed me or mine. And you want to know the worst part, you won't be able to forget what you did. You won't forget my god sons face as you tortured him, as you hurt him! You won't have the luxury of death or insanity. You will wake with my name upon your lips and his screams in your ears, and his pain upon your body. Twelve years of pain and suffering. And you still have Marian's pain to pay for." Severus' spoke with the deadly passion that he regarded his potions with. He never once raised his voice, and he never once moved from his position, with his hands in his pockets and a sneer upon his face. Then James laughed, a low chuckle at first, before it became the maniac like shrieks of a man possessed.
"You think that your 'business partners' can hurt me? He, hehehe, they can't hurt me like my prisoner was hurt. "As he grew older, he made me work to hear him scream and beg for mercy! I had to make him cooperate with me because I will do anything it takes to annihilate your filth!" He shrieked in pain as Severus cursed him over and over again. Severus was horrified, James had done everything he could to cause his godson pain he was truly crazy. Severus exited the dungeons without looking back.
~~~~~Into the Light~~~~~
It was four weeks after Severus had discovered Potters sadism and what his godson had suffered, but he still trembled with hatred at the mention of Potter. Marvolo had been told about Potters confession and he had been in a state of constant hatred and anger, causing the death eaters to steer clear of the furious dark lord. It was decided that Potter could not remain alive, he would be tortured and killed as a public example of what Voldemort would do to those who committed the same crimes. During the first two weeks Dalen had been quiet and utterly submissive. Several times Lucius had had to call for Marvolo when the child had suffered a flashback, or had called himself or others names, Master was one frequently used in reference to Lucius, Severus and Marvolo. He had fallen into the habit of degrading himself by calling himself Freak or Creature. It had drawn Severus to tears when he had found himself explaining to the lost child that his name was Dalen and that he was human.
Dalen spent most of his time with Draco and Marvolo in his room, but whenever he was outside of it he was in the garden on his fathers hip. His legs were growing stronger again and soon the task of relearning how to walk would be upon them, but it was something that everyone was looking forward to. Severus would sit for hours upon end with Dalen huddled in a ball beside him, asleep. Dalen had become a frequent fixture in the house. He was still silent, but he tolerated people touching him now, as long as they were gentle and were calm when they approached him. It hadn't taken long for Dalen to warm up to Marvolo, Lucius, Severus and Draco but it was still difficult for him to believe he was human. Human, and deserving of the love that was showered upon him everyday. All of those who met him vowed to protect him and keep him safe and to help heal the broken boy.
~~~~~Into the Light~~~~~
Lilly had watched Nickolas carefully after Severus had revealed the memories that her ex-husband had buried. She watched as he slowly deteriorated with the horror of what had happened to his little brother. She watched as his school work piled up and his friends slowly faded into the background. It hurt her to watch her child in pain, but it hurt her even more to know that the boy she had raised and considered a second son had been tortured viciously under the roof of her home. It was emotional pain for both her and her son. She had vowed that she would never hurt her children, and she had broken that vow. Both of her children were hurting, and one had mentally deteriorated into the mentality of a young child. Never again will you touch my children James Potter! She swore silently. Her eyes met Dumbledores, and he knew that should he ever approach either of her boys then he would suffer a pain worse than death. Unbeknownst to her, he made the same promise to both the tortured children and every child within Hogwarts.
A/N: hey y'all. So sorry for the late update, I know I left you all waiting for this but has been a really rough week, I got a pretty bad review calling me a sadist and all that shit so I was kind of worried about this being deleted, but as you can see, still here. Anyway thanks for all the support and the reviews I am absolutely crazy about all the followers I've gotten. I am working on another story for an actual novel and a film script for my portfolio so this kind of got laid on the side, sorry again. Again thank you, and I will get the next part up when I can. Keep the reviews coming and please no flames. If you don't like, don't read it's that simple. Love you all so much, enjoy your weeks.