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I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

WARNING: SPANKING!

Deep breath, Sirius- where are you?

Ba…bathroom. Second…floor.

I am on my way.

Please…please hurry.

Sirius sounded like he was about to have a nervous breakdown, and Aurelius wasted no time in getting to the second floor boy's bathroom. He did not like that he had to leave Thomas in the middle of his punishment, but taking care of Sirius was definitely more important than taking care of Thomas.

Almost there, Sirius.

Need you.

Aurelius tensed, not knowing what to say to that. He did not do any of this emotional stuff for a reason, hell, they had named him the Ice Prince for a reason.

I'm here.

He did not need to ask Sirius where exactly he was, the anxious sobs coming from the bathroom stall in the middle told him everything he needed to know.

"Are you going to open the door, Sirius?"

Seconds later, he came face to face with a tear-stained, miserable looking little boy.

"Hey."

"Hey there, Sirius."

The boy hung his head in defeat, "I'm sorry."

Aurelius sighed, "let's go back to my quarters and talk, hmm?"

"Okay."

Sirius did not say one word while Aurelius led him back to his quarters, and since most students still had classes, they did not run into anyone in the hallways.

"Take a seat", Aurelius made a motion in the direction of the couch, and Sirius went and sat down, still lowering his head.

"Now, what exactly did you get so angry about?"

"Snape."

"You need to be a little more specific than that, Sirius."

"He…he was being a git again, mocking me- and then…I got really angry, and…I smashed a cauldron down and…and it broke."

"Did you smash the cauldron with your hands, or with your mind?"

Sirius swallowed hard, not really wanting to answer this, "I…didn't mean to, it was an accident, really."

"That means you used your mental powers to break the cauldron", Aurelius sounded disapproving, and Sirius wanted nothing more than to dig himself a hole and hide in it forever.

"Yah."

"I am quite disappointed with you, Sirius."

His stomach clenched, and he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, "I didn't…mean to", he croaked out, "he just…he made me…so angry…"

"You know how Snape is- and I thought you were able to just ignore his insults by now. He is trying to get a rise out of you, angry boy."

Angry boy.

Angry boy.

Angry…angry…angry…

"Don't wanna be angry", he whispered, "wanna be good."

"Well, I tried to help you with that- and we both know how that turned out", Aurelius sighed again, "at first you yell at me for calling you naughty boy and then you lose control over nothing in Snape's class, why…"

"It wasn't nothing", Sirius interrupted him, his voice getting more fierce, "it wasn't. It was…really mean."

"Well, what did he say to you?"

"Something…mean."

"I won't be able to help you if you don't tell me exactly what happened, Sirius."

He bit his lips, "it was…about you."

Aurelius raised an eyebrow, "about me? Do you really think it would bother me if Snape of all people said something mean?"

"It…it bothered me", Sirius replied quietly, "cause…it was about me as well."

"What. did. he. say?"

Sirius flinched, "he was…insulting me, and you and…it made me angry."

"I got that part already, boy", Aurelius started to sound irritated, "why is it such a big secret what Snape said? I am beginning to think it probably was nothing- and you are just afraid to own up to the fact that you lost your temper again over something quite ridiculous."

"You wouldn't understand."

"I am having a hard time understanding you in general lately, Sirius."

"That's…that's not my fault", the boy said quietly, "I…I tried so hard to be a…a good boy for you, and…you just…don't care about me."

He realized that had been the wrong thing to say when Aurelius sharply inhaled his breath, his expression turning cold, "you really have the audacity to say that to my face, Sirius? After I've been doing nothing but taking care of you these past weeks? Helping you with your homework, reminding you to clear your mind, making sure you got the right medication after your Quidditch incident, coming here today to see you, and you are telling me I don't care? You are one ungrateful, rude, and bad little boy- is that what you want to be called? Bad boy?"

He doesn't get it…he just doesn't get it…

And then something inside him snapped. He had worked his ass off for Aurelius to be proud of him, it wasn't his fault that Snape was always such a bastard to him, and being called a bad boy now was really too much.

"You know what? Forget it. I'm sorry for asking you for help, sorry for thinking…never mind. I gotta go", he stood up, his whole body tense, "I can figure this out, I…it's fine."

"Seriously? You are the one being upset now? You owe me an apology, Sirius Black."

"I owe you nothing!", he spat out, the anger already trying to come out again, "you…you are the one who should apologize, for making me believe you cared about me! I was trying so damn hard to make you proud, to…to have you call me your good boy, and…and little pumpkin again", he choked, his voice thick with shame, "and…I wanted a real story, not some stupid stock advice! A story that's scary, so I can snuggle up to you after! And…I wanted you to hug me, and carry me, and play with me, and…and…love me! But you can't love me, I know that now- you only love yourself, Ice Prince."

And then Sirius stormed out the door, leaving Aurelius sitting on the couch in stunned disbelief, shock written all over his face.

I was trying so damn hard to make you proud.

You only love yourself, Ice Prince.

I was trying so damn hard to make you proud.

You only love yourself, Ice Prince.

The two sentences kept repeating themselves in his head in a merciless monotone, and then someone was sobbing- and it took Aurelius quite some time to realize it was him who was sobbing, sobs that slowly turned into cries of anguish.

I want to love you, Sirius, but I don't know how to.

"You can come here now, Thomas."

The boy did not move.

Gryffindor sighed, wishing Aurelius was still here to see this- it would help him understand.

"It's all good, boy- Aurelius told me you can be done now. You did well."

It's a trap. Relius is gonna whip me if I disobey him like this. He told me to stay in the corner.

"It's not a trap, baby boy. Aurelius had to leave in a hurry, so it's just you and me again."

Is he reading my mind?

"Only if I have to- come here now, Thomas."

Tom very slowly turned around, his eyes still full of mistrust.

"Let's go sit down again, hmm? And then you are going to take a shower and get dressed- can't have you spend the whole day in your pajamas."

They're comfy.

"You can talk again, boy- no more quiet time."

"Where did Aurelius go?"

"To Hogwarts- he's been helping one of the students there with Legilimency, and that student needed him."

Tom frowned, sitting back down in the armchair, "what student?"

"Sirius Black- even though he goes by Scipius now. He deaged himself with the same potion you did, to hide from the Ministry."

There was a silence.

"How…is he helping him?"

"He's training him to control his mind better."

Tom swallowed hard, "oh, okay."

Gryffindor carefully entered his mind again, knowing the boy would not notice him, and he sensed what he had expected: A mix of sadness, despair, helplessness- and longing.

Satisfied, he carefully pulled out of the boy's mind again, "now, how many times did you drop the coin, Thomas?"

"Uhm…two times", the boy sounded miserable, "it was really difficult. The coin just…kinda slipped. I tried to balance it with my tongue before it dropped, but then I wasn't sure if that was allowed."

Sweet, sweet boy.

"It was a game you couldn't win, Thomas."

"I know", there was a hint of bitterness in his voice now, "he likes to see me fail."

And I tried so hard.

"You were being a good boy, Thomas."

Tom just shrugged.

Apparently not good enough.

"You gonna give me my two licks now?", he mumbled, "I gotta go back home. Squirrel's waiting."

"Squirrel?"

"My dog."

There was a silence.

"Come here."

Tom walked over to him, feeling tired all of a sudden. He had tried fucking hard to keep that coin up, and Aurelius had not even bothered to tell him he'd done a good job, he had just…left.

Gryffindor gently pulled him across his lap, and the boy instantly started to squirm.

"Shhh…none of that, baby boy", he got a soft pat on his butt, "settle, boy."

"This…is weird", Tom croaked out, not knowing what to do with his arms, with his head…not to mention that the position he was in now was extremely humiliating.

"Arms by your side, boy- head down."

"Is…this gonna hurt worse than the strap?", he blurted out, suddenly needing to know that, and he could hear Gryffindor chuckle, "this won't hurt at all, boy- it's not about the pain."

"What is it about, then?"

"To show you who's in charge."

And then Gryffindor carefully pulled down his pajama pants, and before Tom could protest, he had delivered two swats to his backside.

Smack.

Smack.

"All done, baby boy- and you are all forgiven now."

Baby boy.

Tom did not dare to ask why Gryffindor kept calling him that, just in case it was some kind of joke he did not get- which it had to be. He did not know much about social interactions, given his past, and he did not want to embarrass himself by assuming things that simply were not there.

"Uhm…thank you", he finally replied hesitantly, thinking it was probably customary to thank the Founder now for forgiving him- even though he did not understand why he forgave him in the first place.

And then he felt Gryffindor's hand in his hair, gently caressing it, "what a sweet boy you are", and his voice was different now, much softer, "taking your punishment so well…such a strong boy."

Tom's ears perked up at that, feeling strangely proud suddenly. He had tried hard not to let the coin drop, and it was true that he had taken his licks without crying or whining. He was strong.

"How about a shower now and getting some real clothes on?"

"Pajamas are real clothes."

He yelped when he got another smack for that, "don't push it, boy- I am not letting you walk around London in your pajamas."

He put him back on his feet, and then he led him to the spacious bathroom which looked like it had never been used before, and before he knew it, Tom was in the shower, enjoying the warm water running down his body.

This is nice…

He had not had a real shower in a long time, so he took advantage of this opportunity- knowing very well he'd never get to use Gryffindor's shower again in the future. It was still nothing but a damn miracle that Gryffindor of all people had even let him sleep in his fancy penthouse suite.

The Founder had left clothes out for him, a burgundy red sweater and a black pair of denims, and Tom hurried to get dressed, enjoying the soft materials of the fabric. He went back to the living area after he had gotten dressed, feeling clean, warm, and comfortable.

"Thanks for the clothes- I…uhm…I can bring them back to you if you…"

"They are for you to keep, Thomas."

Of course he does not want me to come back here again- and why would he?

"Uhm…thanks. I gotta go. See ya around I guess."

"In three days."

Tom's eyes went wide, "you still want to take me to that dinner thing?"

"Of course I do. You thought I changed my mind?"

After Aurelius put me in the corner and you smacked me? Yeah, obviously.

"I can always spank you again if you act out, you know", Gryffindor told him conversationally, and Tom flushed with embarrassment, "I still get my magic back if I help you, right?", he was desperate to change the subject, and thankfully, Gryffindor let him, "yes, you will. Here- ", he handed him a piece of paper, "that's my address. Tell the guy in the lobby that you are Thomas, and he'll let you right up. Be here at six, I'll have a suit ready for you."

"Oh…okay. Sure", he took the paper, carefully putting it in his pockets, "I…see you in three days then."

"Looking forward to it", he sounded amused again.

Tom just nodded, already heading for the door. It had gotten late, and he was worried about Squirrel- Pettigrew would not dare to let the dog go without food, but still, Squirrel was his responsibility.

The walk back from Gryffindor's fancy place to the abandoned office was a long one- but since the weather was pretty nice, he did not mind it too much. It gave him some time to think.

He could only hope he'd not run into Aurelius ever again- the older boy seemed to be determined to make him suffer in every way possible for what he'd done. Also, he had not managed to even steal as much as an embraided handkerchief at that Retrospective, meaning they still had no money. And in three days, he was supposed to convince that nerdy Maynard that he knew shit about art- which he did not.

When did my life become such a fucking mess?

He sighed, knowing the answer to that question- it had always been a mess.

At least I have Squirrel.

The dog freaked out with excitement once he saw him, barking himself hoarse, and Tom had to smile, letting Squirrel jump up on him. He took him out immediately, and Squirrel happily lifted his leg on a tree in an instant, telling him he had not been let out for a while.

Where the hell is Wormtail?

Pettigrew was nowhere to be seen, and since he was getting hungry again after his long walk, he decided he would make something to eat first- God knew when Squirrel had eaten last. The dog devoured his lunch, and Tom's anger grew. Had Pettigrew really not bothered to feed Squirrel this morning?

"Eat up, Squirrel- I'll get you some more", there was not much food left, barely anything, but he'd rather go hungry before he let the dog starve. Squirrel gulped down his second portion as well, and then he yawned, laying down for a nap.

Tom wished he could take a nap as well, but he had to go and buy food for them, and he had to figure out how to make money, and he had to get some information about paintings and artists and designs, and right then, he wished there was someone- anyone- in this world who gave a shit about him, who wanted to help him, who cared about him…someone who called him baby boy and actually meant it.

But there was no one.

"Hey Scipius, are you…okay?"

Sirius forced himself to stifle a sob, hastily wiping his eyes, "uhm…yeah. I'm fine."

Graham did not look convinced, instead, he came closer, "you don't look fine", he kept his voice quiet, "ever since that tryout…we've been worried about you."

"We?"

"Jake and I."

"There's…nothing to…to worry about", he croaked out, trying to smile but failing miserably, "just…lots of homework and stuff."

Graham stayed silent for some time, looking at him with a frown, "how about some tea?", he eventually asked, "I was going to take Jake to Hogsmeade, and you are welcome to join us."

Since Graham was a fifth grader, he was allowed to go to Hogsmeade after classes, taking up to two younger students with him.

"I…I really don't think…"

"Please, Scipius. Whatever is bothering you, you need to tell someone. You always seem so sad lately, and I barely see you in the Great Hall for meals anymore. Let me help you, please."

Sirius felt like crying again, but for different reasons. Graham was practically a stranger, just another Gryffindor, and even he had noticed how miserable he had been- but Aurelius, who he had talked to every single day, had not.

Your loss, Aurelius.

Well, if the Ice Prince did not want him- screw him. He did not need Aurelius, and he would go have tea with Graham and Jake, because why the hell not?

"Alright. I'll have tea with you."

Graham smiled, the expression on his face kind, "I am glad. Jake is already waiting, he'll be happy to have you join us."

Sirius was not so sure about that, figuring Jake would be jealous as fuck- he knew he would- but Jake was his typical friendly self, greeting him warmly and announcing they had to go to this new café that had opened in Hogsmeade which served the best fudge cakes, "you are going to love them, Scipius!"

As it turned out, Jake had been right- the fudge cake was delicious, and with Jake telling a funny story about a spell going wrong in Flitwick's class, he slowly started to enjoy himself. It was relaxing to just sit in this café with Jake and Graham, eating cake and drinking tea, and it let him forget about the shitshow that was waiting for him at Hogwarts after he had made the cauldron explode in Snape's class.

It had started to rain outside, but the café was cozy and warm, and Sirius smiled when Graham ordered another slice of cake for him and Jake.

A few minutes later, Jake excused himself to go to the bathroom, and for some time, they just sat in silence, the other guests talking around them in low voices, with some cluttering of tea cups coming from the kitchen.

"How is the training going? Is Aurelius happy with your progress?", Graham suddenly asked, and Sirius instantly stiffened.

"Yeah, it's going well", he replied curtly, hoping Graham would get the message and change the subject.

"Is Aurelius a good mentor?"

Far from it.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Sirius avoided to look at Graham, who seemed thoughtful again, "I was surprised he did not come watch you at the tryouts."

"He had better things to do", he hated how bitter he sounded, but he was sick and tired of everyone treating Aurelius like he was a gift from heaven, "he does not care for Quidditch."

Or me.

"Did that make you upset, Scipius?", Graham's voice had gotten quiet, "that he did not show up?"

"I've never expected him to", Sirius lied, knowing very well he had scanned the rows of people for Aurelius, "and I sucked at the tryouts, I didn't even make it, so…"

"You did not suck", Graham assured him softly, "if the Quaffle had not hit you, they would have made you Keeper- and rightly so. You have a lot of talent, Scipius."

He shrugged, "maybe. Doesn't matter."

"Why does it not matter?"

"Quidditch doesn't matter."

There was a silence.

"I see", Graham finally said quietly, "because Aurelius does not care for Quidditch, right?"

He shrugged again.

"You should not give up playing just because Aurelius does not like Quidditch."

"That's…not how it is", Sirius mumbled, wishing Jake would come back from the bathroom, "I…I actually defied him when I did the tryouts, he…he wanted to train me instead."

"Is that why you've been so upset lately? Because Aurelius punished you for that?"

"He didn't punish me- he…he kicked me out, called me ungrateful and said he was done training me", Sirius blurted out, not giving a damn anymore about keeping that a secret, "but then…he came to see me in the Hospital Wing after I got knocked out, and he's been helping me with my homework, and…so I thought…I thought…", he struggled with getting the words out, but Graham seemed to understand, "you thought he cared about you, and you wanted to make him proud, hmm? To be his good boy?"

Sirius flushed, but then he quickly nodded, too embarrassed to talk.

"I am assuming you tried doing that by studying like crazy- Jake told me you don't come to see the team practice anymore, and he also said you are never with your friends in the Common Room when they are playing games."

"I…I tried so hard", it was suddenly difficult to force back the tears, "and…he just…doesn't want me. I told him that earlier, that he does not care about me, and it made him so angry…and then…I yelled at him, I told him all that, and I said some horrible things to him, so I am sure he hates me even more now."

"I don't think Aurelius hates you, Scipius", Graham replied softly, secretly having an idea why Aurelius had reacted the way he had, "anyone would be happy and proud to have you as a boy- you are ambitious, funny, kind, and a good friend."

"Yeah, and a super talented Quidditch player!", Jake added, who had heard the last words, "if you were my younger brother, I would be so proud of you and brag about you all the time!"

Sirius could not help it, he had to smile, a warm, happy feeling spreading in his stomach, "you…you mean that?"

"We do", Graham assured him warmly, "and Aurelius is going to realize that soon enough as well", he actually planned to help the other boy realizing that better sooner than later, "now, how about some more tea?"

They ended up having a very good time- and when Jake asked him to come watch him practice the next day to give him some advice, Sirius felt better than he had in a long time.

Who needs Aurelius- certainly not me.

yep... Aurelius' loss ;) Snape will finally appear again in the next chap!

I'd love some feedback from you!

xoxo,

Antonie :)