A/N: It took less than a week.
I'm incredibly thankful to those who have sent suggestions as to why Harry is a parselmouth. I'll let you guys vote on which option I should go with, as well as explain Nagini's sickness, in the end notes.
Harry slowly came back to consciousness the way one only does because of an rennervate. It took him a moment to remember what had happened. When he did, he was filled with fury. Tom had stunned him! Harry sat up, ready to give the bastard some choice words about stunning other people, when he realized that he was on a bed. He blinked, and looked around in confusion. He saw Tom sitting in an armchair next to the bed, calmly observing him. Harry glared at him.
"Where am I?" he demanded.
"Why, darling, in my bedroom, of course." Tom answered with an amused smile. Harry stared at him for a moment as the puzzle pieces clicked together.
"You kidnapped me!" Harry gaped as he stared at Tom. Then his expression changed back to fury and he lunged himself from the bed towards Tom, ready to strangle the bastard. Tom captured his wrists with one hand, and held him still by the waist with the other.
"It was necessary. Calm down. Your mother is unharmed. She'll think that I came to kidnap you, and stunned her to not have her interfere. She has likely woken up by now and noticed that you, Nagini and the potion notes are gone. I couldn't bring the ingredients, but I'll get new ones for you. I even left my mark above the store so that she'll be believed, since it isn't my usual style to kidnap store workers and leave behind witnesses. I'll bring you back when the potion is ready and Nagini is healthy again, don't worry."
"You fucking bastard." Harry snarled, to get the fury out of his system. He could admit that it was a pretty good plan, but he didn't have to like it. "You didn't have to stun me for it!"
"So I should have let you know where I live, when I have Aurors and Hit Wizards after me? And here I thought you were clever. I must say, I'm disappointed-"
"Oh, do shut up, will you? If you had apparated us, I wouldn't know where we are either."
"Perhaps not, but it was more fun this way." Tom answered, his usual predatory smile in place. Harry settled for glaring more at him, and freeing himself from Tom's hands. There was no need for them to be pressed together. He took a step back, making sure there was at least 20 cm between them.
"Do you have a guest room or a sofa that I can use, or do I need to transfigure a bed?"
"Is there anything wrong with the bed that you woke up on?"
"It's yours."
"I'm an excellent bed-mate, dear. I don't snore, nor do I hog the covers or move around a lot."
"The problem is that you would be in it. I prefer to sleep alone, thank you."
Harry could swear that Tom had looked disappointed for a second, but the expression was gone before he could look deeper into it.
"You let Nagini sleep with you." Tom answered in a mock-hurt voice.
"I trust Nagini to not have any wandering hands." Harry shot back.
"I don't have a guest room, but there's a sofa. You can transfigure a bed if you want to."
Harry blinked. He hadn't thought about it before, but he hadn't fully expected to still have his wand. He checked his pocket. It was still there.
"There's anti-apparition wards, of course, as well as other wards to stop unwelcome visitors. Since all wards are tied to me, there's no risk that you'll leave even if you can use your magic." Tom explained. Harry guessed that his confusion had been written clear on his face.
"You pay for any potion ingredients I need, and for my services."
"I'll repay you greatly if you succeed." Tom promised. Harry got the inkling that Tom wasn't talking about money.
"Then we have a deal." Harry said reluctantly. Tom only grinned at him.
After they had settled the deal, Tom showed Harry around what seemed like a completely normal apartment. Except for the bedroom, there was an open kitchen/living room area, a bathroom and a closet.
"Where am I supposed to set up a potions lab?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow. Tom shrugged - actually shrugged. Somehow the gesture seemed to casual to look natural when Tom did it.
"I can probably do without a kitchen."
"...or we can expand the closet." Harry pointed out. "We do have magic."
Tom gave out a short laugh.
"That does simplify things. Okay, we'll set up a potions lab in the closet for you. Just don't expect me to cook just because the kitchen is spared."
"I can cook just fine on my own, thank you." Harry answered. He may be somewhat spoiled by Tipsy, but there was few things better than doing things yourself. Cooking was one of the things he enjoyed, and it was closely related to potion-making anyway.
"Then you can cook dinner tonight." Tom decided. Harry spluttered.
"That's not-! I didn't-! Ugh, fine."
Tom just smiled at him.
Harry sat down by the kitchen table with his notes while Tom sat up a potions lab in the expanded closet. Since Tom had been in a bit of a hurry while kidnapping him, his notes were in disarray. Harry bit his lip as he moved them around to get them in order, noting down what ingredients or tools he would need as he did. A metal cauldron could possibly interfere with the result… a glass cauldron could be a better choice, but it also added the risk of the potion turning out unstable… the best would be to have five different cauldrons with the same recipe at a time to see if it would make a difference, and from there figure out the amount of ingredients that would be needed… but how would he even know when the potion was done? Harry glanced at his ingredient list and preparation notes again. If it worked, the final result should be a pearly white, perhaps slightly translucent potion. If it didn't, he would likely end up with something orange with poisonous fumes. Maybe. It could also end up as a plum-coloured skin lotion smelling like apple cider. He honestly wasn't sure. There were at least five more results he could end up with, some resulting in explosions and others in good potions that he didn't actually intend to invent at this moment in time.
"Here's an idea for you, use an actual potion master to invent potions!" Harry called out in frustration. Tom looked out through the doorway to the almost-potions lab and former closet.
"I got an Outstanding on my potion N.E.W.T.s, perhaps I can help?" Tom offered.
"How would you prepare the Sopophorous beans for the Draught of Living Death?" Harry asked.
"They should be crushed since it releases the juices more efficiently than cutting them."
"I guess you would make a capable assistant." Harry decided, and waved at Tom to come over. He let an amused smile cover his lips when he realized that he had just made a feared mass murderer his potions assistant. Tom raised an eyebrow at him, as if he knew what Harry was thinking.
"What can I do for you?" Tom asked, as he looked over Harry's shoulder. Harry got the odd feeling that Tom deliberately pressed his chest against Harry's back whenever he could, since this was the second time it happened. Annoyingly enough, he couldn't get himself to say that he disliked it.
"Look over this, and tell me if the pomegranate juice would react negatively with the octopus powder, as well if it's possible to mix Nagini's blood with dragon blood, and if the Bicorn horn with the Erumpent horn, and while on that topic, if the Erumpent horn or the Erumpent tail is the best ingredient to choose, and also how many lacewing flies do you think is enough, because I'm thinking from anywhere between three to twenty-one, and also how would you prepare the dittany?" Harry said, without pausing to breathe. Tom gave him a long look, and then took the paper with ingredients from him. Harry started to write down possible brewing instructions as he waited for a response. Tom stopped leaning against him after a moment, and instead sat down next to him with his own self-inking quill and piece of parchment. They worked quietly for almost an hour before Tom seemed to have an answer.
"Okay, I think if you add the pomegranate juice at least two hours before the octopus powder, any negative reaction will be circumvented, it would be best to only have one kind of blood otherwise the properties could be mixed up, but it shouldn't do a difference when it comes to the Bicorn horn and Erumpent horn, but it also depends on when you add them, though you might want to use the Erumpent tail instead for the potion's consistency, I honestly don't know how many lacewing flies you might need, but I think it should be at least ten, and dittany essence is more efficient than the raw plant." Tom said, gesturing at his notes to strengthen his answers. Harry nodded thoughtfully.
"This potion will likely take at least a week to brew… after I know that I have a working potion, which can take months. How is Nagini doing?"
"Good, considering. My guess is that it takes years for a soul to be damaged, and that's why it's first now that she's showing symptoms."
"...are you telling me that you know why her soul started breaking down?"
"No." Tom answered, a bit too fast. Harry narrowed his eyes but decided to let it be.
"Do I really have to be kidnapped? My family is going to be so worried about me, and I'm not in any danger at all…" Harry sighed.
"No danger at all? Are you sure?" Tom asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll kick your ass before you have time to blink if you try anything." Harry promised. Tom paled slightly for a moment.
"You can send them a letter if you want, so that they know that you're okay and that you'll be free when the potion is done." Tom offered, wanting to steer the subject away from him being hurt. Harry blinked at him in surprise.
"That's… thank you." Harry answered, and gave a weak, sincerely thankful smile. Tom swallowed and looked away.
"I have more to do in the potions lab." Tom excused himself, and left. Harry looked after him questioningly before going back to his notes. He didn't have time to care about a mass murderer behaving weirdly.
"I'm gonna start on dinner!" Harry said, loud enough for Tom to hear. He hadn't seen Tom during the last few hours, but he had managed to get together two potential recipes with full instructions. It had seemed like a good time to stop to eat, especially since it was late enough to be dark out.
"Don't touch the eggs!" Tom called back. Harry shrugged off the odd comment and opened the cupboards, trying to find the one with a cooling charm. He grumbled to himself about missing the Muggle appliances his mother had insisted they have in Potter Manor. Fridges were just so… convenient! Not like a cooling charm which could stop working and spoil your food.
"Fucking finally." Harry muttered when he finally opened the right cupboard. He should try to organize Tom's kitchen if he really were gonna stay kidnapped for the next who-knows-how-long. He gave the eggs a cursory glance, and decided that they most likely weren't from a hen, and therefore Tom's comment had been a good warning. He could cook dinner without eggs anyway. Probably. The cupboard looked fairly scarce. He shouldn't be surprised, it was not like Tom could go shopping- wait. Tom could have used a house-elf or a glamour or gone into a Muggle world. There really was no excuse for the sorry state the cooled cupboard was in.
"Hey, why don't you have any food?" Harry asked, loud enough for Tom to hear. He took out some vegetables that looked fresh enough - a stasis charm only worked for so long on food after all. If he found some potatoes and onions he could make soup, but a piece of meat would be even better… Though it was more likely he would find a live rabbit or something, because surely Tom had more food on hand for Nagini than for himself.
"You don't have any salary as a murderer." Tom answered. He had come out from the potions lab, and was now watching as Harry went around the kitchen. "Unless they have anything worth stealing, of course, but it's rather hard to sell things off for a good prize…"
"...I'm just going to assume that you don't own this apartment." Harry answered, and shot Tom a reprimanding glare. Tom grinned at him.
"Lucius Malfoy bought it for me. You could say that it was a birthday gift."
"Could say?" Harry repeated. "That sounds suspicious. Was it even your birthday?"
"Dear, if you want to know when my birthday is, all you have to do is ask."
Harry rolled his eyes at the non-answer, and started cutting the vegetables. He had found potatoes and onions while they talked.
"If I ask, I'll feel obligated to remember it, or worse, buy you a gift."
Tom didn't answer, but instead stood next to him and started to wash the potatoes. They worked together in silence for a while. Harry hummed under his breath as he cut carrots, onions, leek and garlic. He could feel Tom glance at him, but he didn't give it much thought. It was much more entertaining to think about how he had gotten Tom Riddle, Undesirable no. 1, to be both his potion assistant and kitchen assistant in one day. He hadn't even needed to ask this time. Tom's comment about not being expected to cook surely did much when Tom himself disregarded it less than 24 hours after making it.
"It's the 31st of December." Tom broke the silence. "1971." He then added as an afterthought.
"I didn't ask."
"It seemed fair, I know your birthday after all." Tom answered, with a shrug. Harry took a moment to just look at him.
"Okay. So you graduated Hogwarts the year I started?" he asked, trying to figure the age difference out. Tom made an agreeing hum in the back of his throat.
"So that makes you 27, going on 28." Harry continued.
"9 years older than you." Tom agreed.
"...how are you friends with Lucius Malfoy of all people?"
"Oh, that's nothing to worry your cute little head with." Tom dismissed him. Harry had a strong feeling that their friendship had a lot to do with murder and power, but wisely chose to say nothing about it.
"I'm not cute." he protested instead, which resulted in Tom pausing what he was doing to look at him. Harry resisted the urge to pout, as it really wouldn't help his case.
"No, cute would make you seem to innocent." Tom agreed. "You're enchanting."
"I can enchant you, if you want. A good hex or jinx would surely make you some good."
"It's adorable how you keep threatening me." Tom answered, with his signature predatory grin.
"Oh, I promise you, it's not any empty threats." Harry said, and pointed the knife tip in Tom's direction. "I might not even need my wand to fulfill them."
He could feel it when Tom's demeanor changed to serious.
"There's a very good reason I'm the Undesirable no. 1, Harry, and you would do good to remember that."
Harry lowered the knife, honestly stunned that Tom had used his given name. They didn't say anything more as they finished preparing the soup. Tom left him to feed Nagini as soon as Harry started to make everything into a soup. He didn't see Tom again until after the soup was done and the table was set.
Tom sat down next to Harry and served himself soup, but didn't say anything. Harry couldn't help but feel tense by the closeness. He hadn't needed the reminder that Tom was a murderer, and that he was kidnapped. He liked it better when he could forget those facts and be himself. It really wasn't hard for him to just be himself, something he had marvelled at when he first realized. Really, it was already during their second meeting that he had started to feel more comfortable around Tom, and during their third he had opened himself up more than he had ever done to his friends. Not that it said much, Harry didn't enjoy talking about himself. That he spoke about his feelings on fame was enough for him.
"A sickle for your thoughts?" Tom asked, breaking the silence. Harry blinked at him.
"Not a whole galleon?"
"29 knuts are already too much, why would I offer 17 sickles to give you a galleon? Especially when you haven't shared your thoughts."
"I was deliberating the fact that I'm able to be myself around you, who I don't even know."
"Are you saying that you want to get to know me, darling?"
"Could you stop flirting for just a moment?" Harry asked. It wasn't going to get anywhere, no matter how handsome he thought Tom was.
"I could, but there's no fun in that." Tom answered.
"Oh, forget it." Harry sighed, and continued eating. The soup did taste pretty good, if he could say so himself.
"If I'm really making you uncomfortable, I'll stop. I don't actually know if you're into blokes."
"You said it yourself just a couple of days ago, I have never shown romantic interest in someone. I don't do attraction."
"Ah, but you like to look at me, that you have to admit." Tom said with a teasing smirk. Harry blushed and looked away.
"That doesn't mean anything. There's plenty of people that are nice to look at. Just because your hair and cheekbones and I'm shutting up now." Harry grumbled.
"If you don't do attraction, what do you do?"
Harry shrugged helplessly.
"Nothing. Maybe I haven't found the right one, maybe there's no one for me. I'm happy on my own for the time being."
"No meaningless sex?" Tom asked with a pointedly raised eyebrow. Harry blushed again.
"No sex at all."
"What about kissing?"
"Once. There was mistletoe. Shut up."
"I'm not saying anything." Tom grinned. Harry pointedly went back to his dinner. They both ate quietly until they were full. Harry started on the dishes after he had put away the leftover soup. Tom surprised him by drying the clean dishes without have been asked.
"Did you write your parents a letter?" Tom asked as he put away their bowls. Harry blinked.
"Oh. I knew I had forgotten something." he said, more to himself than to Tom.
"You forgot?" Tom repeated, actually stunned for a moment. Harry sheepishly dragged a hand through his hair, making the curls seem even wilder.
"I was working on the potion." he answered simply.
"Don't overwork yourself."
Harry turned to look at Tom for a long moment. Finally, he nodded.
"Okay."
When there were no trails of their dinner left and he had cleaned up and put away his notes, Harry sat down at the kitchen table again. He had an empty piece of parchment and a self-inking quill in front of him. He could hear Tom in the bedroom, but he had no idea what the man might be doing. With a determined sigh, Harry picked up the quill and put it against the parchment.
Mother, father, whoever else is there with you,
I'm fine. Yes, Tom Riddle have kidnapped me, but I promise you, I'm fine.
His familiar is sick, and he kidnapped me in hope that I can heal her. At first, he wasn't going to go to such lengths, but then mother endangered him since she had offered me help. It's my own fault for accepting said help, without informing Riddle about it. It wasn't the first time he visited me in the Magical Menagerie, since he did entrust me to care for his familiar without him watching over us. I should have expected the situation and prevented it, but I didn't. I'm sorry.
There's no need to save me. Riddle agreed to let me write this letter when I told him that you would be worried. He has even let me keep my wand, which I must say have surprised me.
I don't know if I'll be able to write more letters. Most likely not.
I'll be back with you before you know it. As soon as his familiar is healthy again, Riddle has agreed to let me go. He has even promised to compensate me for my help, though I don't know how.
I'll see you soon,
Harry
He put down the quill again and read through the short letter. It seemed enough. They would likely still be worried, but there was nothing else to write. Or… well, it was worth a try. Tom would likely read through the letter before letting him send it anyway, so he would know if it wasn't okay. Harry lifted up the quill again.
P.S. You can ask Lucius Malfoy if you don't trust me, or if you desperately need to get in contact with me.
There. He hoped it was okay. Harry left it on the kitchen table to dry, and walked over to the part of the room that served as living room. He could just as well transfigure that sofa. Which reminded him…
"I'm not planning on wearing the same clothes for who-knows-how-long!" he called to the bedroom.
"Just borrow some of mine!" Tom called back. It was a bit ridiculous that they were yelling back and forth through a door.
"I don't think they'll fit me!" Harry yelled back. He got his wand out and started on transfiguring the sofa to a comfortable bed. He heard Tom open the bedroom door.
"Are you saying that the clothes you are wearing fit you?" Tom asked. Harry finished transfiguring the sofa before looking down on his clothes. An worn Muggle shirt with a print of some punk band that his godfather Sirius had given him, and a pair of old jeans. He turned towards Tom.
"Well enough." Harry answered with a shrug.
"I would comment something along the lines that I can't believe that you wear Muggle clothes, but since you work with animals the whole day I guess I can excuse it." Tom sighed.
"There's nothing wrong with Muggle clothes!" Harry protested.
"Of course not, darling. Back to the actual subject, you can resize my clothes so that they fit."
"...you do realize that I'll have to borrow underwear as well?" Harry mumbled, his demeanor taking a sudden turn to shy.
"Indeed, unless you chose to go commando." Tom grinned, showing of his teeth. Harry shivered. "I think I look forward to seeing you in my clothes." Harry blushed, and then cursed himself for doing it. It was the third time today, damnit.
"Just fetch me some clothes to sleep in already. Also, a towel and a toothbrush. I want to take a shower, and it's not like I got my own stuff with me." Harry paused. "Why would anyone kidnap a person? There's way too much they need."
"Usually the kidnapper doesn't care about the kidnapped person's welfare." Tom pointed out dryly.
"So why do you care?" Harry questioned, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Because, my dear, I find you interesting."
"Just go fetch me those clothes." Harry said, and turned back to look at his bed. He had yet to transfigure some pillows and blankets for it. He could just conjure some, but then there would be the risk of them disappearing in the middle of the night. After looking around a bit, he tore up a bit of parchment in smaller pieces and transfigured them to blankets and pillows. Happy with his bed, Harry put away his wand. When he turned around, he saw Tom looking at him.
"You know, it would have been a lot easier if you slept in my bed." Tom said with a teasing smile, and handed him some clothes and a towel.
"Do you have a toothbrush or do I need to transfigure that as well?" Harry asked, ignoring Tom's comment.
"You need to transfigure one." Tom answered, and Harry nodded.
"Where's Nagini anyway? I don't think I've seen her since before you kidnapped me."
"She has some warm stones in the bathroom that she enjoys sleeping on."
"...so I have to shower with a snake in the same room."
"Well, you could throw her out, but I don't think you will." Tom said. Harry sighed.
"As long as it's a snake without hands, I guess I don't see the danger." he said, and went to the bathroom before Tom could respond. Harry made sure to lock the door with a few spells just in case, before turning around to look at the bathroom. Nagini was indeed laying on some warm stones in a corner.
"I'm going to take a shower, Nagini." Harry said, as he put down the clothes and towel Tom let him borrow on the toilet seat.
"As long as I don't get wet, hatchling." Nagini answered. She had opened one eye to look at him. Harry turned his back to her so that he could undress.
"Can you avoid telling Tom about my body this time?" Harry asked, as he remembered the snippets of conversation that he had overheard yesterday. Nagini snorted.
"So he's Tom now, hatchling?" she asked. Harry decided that the best course of action would be to ignore her. He wasn't quite sure when he had gone from Riddle to Tom, and he didn't want to think about it. Instead he let the last of his dirty clothes fall to the floor and put his glasses on top of the clean clothes. After he had blinked a few times to get used to the blurry vision, Harry found his way to the shower.
20 minutes later, Harry got out of the bathroom with a pair of Tom's pyjama pants on, his hair dripping water down over his chest and Nagini curled around his shoulders. Tom whistled from where he was sat by the kitchen table. Harry felt his cheeks flush, and cursed since that made it four times.
"Are you even aware that you look like sin on two legs?" Tom asked as he let his eyes wander slowly over Harry's body. Harry shivered slightly under Tom's scrutinizing glance. He wasn't sure why… it made him feel a bit uncomfortable, yes, but it was not only that. It was strange.
"I'm not a sinner." he replied, and casted a drying spell on his hair. Hopefully magic had more effect on his hair than the towel did.
"Not yet." Tom agreed. Harry glared at him, and Nagini gave out some hisses that sounded suspiciously like she was laughing.
"Have you looked over the letter?" Harry asked, both to change the subject and because he was curious.
"Yes. I've also sent it for you, and informed Lucius about the situation. I agree with you that your family might feel better if they know how to contact you." Tom answered easily. Harry would have been charmed if he actually trusted the man.
"What are you trying to gain by being so nice to me?" Harry demanded.
"Pleasant company."
"I guess you don't get much company because of your occupation." Harry mumbled, since he had decided to go with Tom's answer for now.
"Especially not as lovely company as yours." Tom agreed.
"Oh? Lucius' company is not as pleasing?" Harry questioned. "He's quite the looker…" he added truthfully. Draco wasn't aesthetically displeasing of course, but he prefered Lucius' more mature looks if he had to have an opinion.
"Perhaps he is, but my type is rather dark and fiery, not pale and sophisticated." Tom answered with a small smile. Harry blinked before he realized that Tom referred to him, and he blushed again.
"Are you deliberately trying to make me blush?" Harry muttered with a scowl.
"It is very entertaining." Tom answered. Nagini seemed to laugh again, and Harry glared at her.
"If you don't have any business in the kitchen, I'm going to bed, so leave." Harry decided. Tom chuckled at him, but got up from his seat at the kitchen table and went into the bedroom. Harry sighed in relief.
"Don't even say it." he said to Nagini, and sat down on his bed. He just knew she would continue talking about him and Tom being mates otherwise. Nagini snorted, and uncurled herself from his shoulders so that she could lay on the bed. Harry turned off the lights before he got under the covers. He put his glasses under the floor and stuck his wand under the pillow. Nagini moved so that she was laying ontop of him.
"It's nice with another speaker around." Nagini said after a while.
"Gets lonely when only Tom understands, doesn't it?" Harry asked. This day had already been so odd, that a deep conversation with a snake seemed like nothing.
"Master is good company, but there are only so much to say, hatchling."
"Good thing that I'll be staying until your healthy then, is it not?"
"Depends." Nagini said. "Is it going to be soon?"
"It can take months." Harry admitted.
"Good. Then hatchling has time to realize that this is his nest." Nagini answered, in a tone that didn't allow any protests. Harry looked at her as well as he could in the dark without his glasses.
"I already have a nest, Nagini. You've been there."
"That wasn't a nest. That was a cage." Nagini answered. Harry didn't find it in himself to disagree.
"You would expect it to be the other way around." he finally said. "Goodnight, Nagini." he then added, feeling tired after the long day. Nagini didn't answer, but that was just as well. Harry soon fell asleep, feeling safe even when he knew he was prisoner and Tom - a murderer - were just a few meters away.
A/N: First, if you happen to be reading Harrietta Potter: The Boy-Who-Lived, you'll be happy to know that I'm writing an update. I hope to get it done before Sunday. With that in mind, it'll likely take a week before this updates again.
So! Nagini's sickness. If you've already guessed it, congratulations, and if not, here's your answer.
Nagini is a Horcrux. This will not be covered in the fic, as Tom will never reach a point where he informs Harry of this. Possibly Horcruxes will be mentioned, but not that Nagini is one. Anyway, Nagini's soul is breaking down because the shard of Tom's soul is trying to take over. The potion that Harry is making will likely mend the two souls together - perfect if you want to absorb a Horcrux without remorse.
Now for the voting. There's two options.
1. Harry is a parselmouth because the Peverell line comes from Slytherin, and with Lily's clean blood the old magic got strengthened.
2. Creature inheritance! In that case, Harry's creature status would have been bound by Dumbledore. It would not come from the Potter line, but from his grandmother Euphemia's family. James would also be unaware of his creature status, thanks to Dumbledore. Euphemia would likely never have told her son about it if he didn't show any signs, instead she would have assumed that it didn't get passed on.
Please review x I love all of you that do. Every review makes my day. (Please mention in your review if you want a reply!)