Chapter 5

Tom has often wondered where he would be now if he had made a few different decisions. He wondered where he would be now if he had decided to pursue something other than Muggle political studies after finishing school and a brief apprenticeship with Borgin. And even though he could imagine many scenarios, he was sure he wouldn't be in the same place as he was today.

He was confused when Bellatrix, his secretary and hopefully his future wife, entered his office without smiled at her as he saw the smile on her face. - "Is something wrong Bella?"

"Nothing special. Correspondence has arrived from some of your friends. But I think you should read the letter from Lucius first." - she snorted. - "And then from Dumbledore."

He wasn't sure what surprised him more. Whether it was letter from his friend's son or the wizard who had despised him from their first meeting.

"Something happened?" - He stood from his chair and walked over to her, a moment after he closed the door of his office, he asked - "Did I do something?"

Bellatrix has always been present in his life. First as a friend's daughter, then as a friend, and now as a co-worker and more... He didn't even know when he fell in love with her. There was a big difference in age and status between them. Despite his many successes, both politically and financially, he knew that for Druella Rosier Black he would always be the poor half-blood wizard from the orphanage. A wizard who would never be worthy of her daughter's hand.

Even now when they have disowned her because she refused to marry Rodolphus Lestrange.

She ran her hand over his cheek, gently hooking her fingertips into his hair. - "Nothing happened. I'm just tired and leepy. I dream about going home and there is still so much work ahead of me."

Anyone else might think that dark-haired witch was trying to manipulate him. But he knew what the truth was. If she wanted to go home, she'd just tell him, and he wouldn't be able to say no to her. So he didn't say anything, just pulled her close to him and wrapped her in his arms. To place where she belonged.

xxx

The skills he acquired during training and during the game were very useful to him in life. He has learned to read the reactions of others people. That is why he quickly managed to see the surprise on James Potter's face. He also noticed that Hermione's kiss on Draco Malfoy's cheek had completely stunned Harry Potter.

Unfortunately, he was sitting on the wrong side of the table - "Antonin…" - he whispered to the wizard sitting across from him.

"Yes? Something happened?" - he quickly answered him in Russian.

Antonin Dolohov Junior was extremely talented, but he was also quiet and withdrawn from other students. He was used to people only talking to him when they needed something. This was because he was so introverted that he often ignored attempts to befriend him.

"Be careful. Professor Potter come here. He knows Hermione's uncle from the past."

"I see."

He didn't even have to explain what it was about. Many in their school knew the history of the relationship between Pettigrew and Severus. They started out as enemies and ended up being solid friends. And Hermione loved her foster uncle enough to stand up for him without hesitation. He managed to witness this when she stood in front of the wizard who attacked Peter. This turned out to be a misunderstanding as Philip Swanson mistook Peter for someone else but what was done was irreversible.

"Damn it." - Viktor growled when he saw how nervous James Potter was.

xxx

He felt that he stared to shaking. In the vicinity of the unlucky event at the lake, Peter began to pull away from them. Day after day he got farther and farther until the day came when he was completely out of their reach. He didn't speak to him, or to Sirius, or even less to Remus. Sometimes he felt as if Peter had come to avoid them so much that he eventually stopped seeing them.

Then he disappeared.

All they could find out was that his parents were killed in a werewolf riot in 1974 and he has been in an orphanage to 1978. No wonder that he was so distant from Remus.

"Peter, in Godric's name, where have you been?" - he shouted halfway between the professors' table and the place where his old friend was, he didn't care that he was making a fuss in the Great Hall. - "And what are you doing here?"

James didn't understand what was happening. Why did Severus Snape's daughter treat Peter so warmly and despise him? Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it was irrational, but he didn't feel comfortable that it was Pettigrew and not him who was in attention this young witch. And he wasn't comfortable with the Wormtail abandoning them to the wizard they were bullying.

Surprised, he stopped when he saw how quickly his son's beloved reacted. With a confident step, she walked away from the young Malfoy and covered the former Marauder with her body. In her eyes you could see the same fierceness he had seen in them the moment Hermione Granger…Snape volunteered for the duel.

After a moment he took a few steps more calmly. Potter walked until he was close enough that he didn't have to shout when he spoke, and they would hear him anyway. - "Hello..." - He swallowed, wondering what the best word would be. - "...long lost friend."

"Mr. Potter… I won't say I'm glad to see you again. We can talk later... If I have time."

It choked him. He couldn't say anything else without losing face. He knew he would have to wait for an explanation. Except he didn't know how long he would have to wait. The old Peter was always at the beck of their finger. Always present, always willing to help. Sometimes even too eager to help. He also never called him 'Mr Potter'. It was an unequivocal suggestion that they no longer had anything in common.

"I see. I'mm one of the professors and I have the right to ask you to leave this castle. Unless you have permission to be on Hogwarts grounds."

"Of course I have. I'mm a journalist who will interview students from schools invited to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. But I don't need to explain anything else to you. The permission I have received is only available for inspection by the Headmaster." - A smirk appeared on the wizard's face - "And it's certainly not you."

He was lucky to have developed a certain tolerance for arrogance over the years. Otherwise it would have broken long ago. First the lost duel with Snape's daughter, then his son's unexpected in Hermione and now this. Petter Pettigrew with a tongue as sharp as he had heard only from an ex-Slytherin. And that meant only one thing. Peter must have been in his presence for so long that he adopted his manner of speaking, and his daughter stood by his side like some fucking bodyguard ready to attack.

"You're right. Albus Dumbledore is still the headmaster here. I never had any aspirations to be Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Never? Really?" - Peter hissed so violently that Miss Granger immediately turned to him with surprise on her face.

His fingers clenched into fists so tightly that after a moment he clearly felt the nails cutting through his skin. He didn't think a corpulent wizard would remember the night they drank firewhiskey together for the first time. It was in their third year. With the help of the Invisibility Cloak, he managed to steal a bottle of alcohol from Arthur Weasley's supply. Back then, Lily and Snape's friendship was still strong. Half drunk, he said that when he became headmaster of Hogwarts, he would eliminate Slytherin. It was a stupid drunken monologue of a drunken child. Why was he bringing it up now?

xxx

Draco wasn't quite sure what had just happened. He was so engrossed in Miss Granger kiss that for a long moment he felt like he was somewhere else. It was only a kiss on the cheek, but he knew he would remember it for a long time. He would like to talk to his mother about it. He trusted her with these things. His father was still surprised that he hadn't started showing interest in anyone in the romantic way earlier. He suspected that Lucius Malfoy was now in such a state that he would even accept a wizard instead of a witch.

"You're right. Albus Dumbledore is still the headmaster here. I never had any aspirations to be Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Never? Really?"

The venom in the voice of the wizard he helped brought him out of his thoughts enough to watch the conversation. Something was going on between Mr. Pettigrew and Professor Potter. He wondered if his father would tell him what was going on.

He stood next to the brunette and gently ran his fingers over her hand. She didn't return the gesture, but she didn't withdraw her hand. And a smile appeared on his face.

xxx

"What did my dear brother-in-law write?" - Bella calmed down as they sat together on the couch in his office. At first he thought it was ridiculously useless to have this piece of furniture in the workplace, but he soon found out he was wrong.

"Severus Snape is back."

The witch's head shot up almost immediately and her dark gray eyes looked at him. - "What? Little Sevvy is back?"

He could have anticipated her reaction. Over the years he'd known her, he'd quickly learned that only Sirius Black from the younger generation of that family didn't like Eileen Prince's little son. Narcissa and Bellatrix treated him like a cuddly toy. Lucius had complained more than once in his youth that his future wife hugged Severus more often than him.

Regulus followed him around like a puppy in love.

And Andromeda? She was a great unknown to him, but Tom knew that she liked Snape.

"No, not literally. His daughter showed up at the Triwizard Tournament. Supposedly, she swept the floor with Professor Potter."

A smile appeared on the witch's face. Tom knew what that meant. He was convinced that Bellatrix Black will be at Hogwarts to visit her nephew soon. He himself would like to appear like this. After all, Severus' daughter was the granddaughter of the first woman he had ever loved.

He loved Bella now, but he knew that Eileen would always be in his heart. She disappeared from their world after he said which way he was going to go. It wasn't until later that he found out that it was his views that caused it. She, despite the fact that she came from a pureblood family, has never been a supporter of the theory of the superiority of pureblood wizards.

It took him a long time to realize that if she cared about the purity of her blood, she would never be with him. She would never let him get close to her. And she would never give him place in her bed.

As Tom Riddle got lost in memories, Dumbledore's letter became forgotten.

xxx

How do you like this chapter? I like to write, but all the time I have somewhere in the back of my consciousness a voice saying that what I write isn't enough. So I would appreciate feedback on what I could improve. Regards, Katie Krum