Happy Sunday! :) I am back with chapter 14!
Thank you Gypsyrose98 for being such a loyal and awesome reader! :)
This chapter will ONLY focus on Tom and Gryffindor, and Aurelius and Sirius will be back in the next chap! ;)
"Welcome, welcome!", Maynard was beaming all across his face, "come on in, please, dinner is ready to be served!"
Is he high or something?
Tom forced himself to smile back politely, though- he did want his magic back after all, that's what he was here for- and when Dumbledore's horcruxes got destroyed as a side effect, who was he to complain?
They entered the house- and Tom immediately noticed how dark it was inside. Dark and very…cluttered. The walls were hidden behind lots and lots of pictures, the floors covered in rugs, and the heavy curtains in front of the windows just added to feeling overwhelmed.
It smelled like a mix of books, dust, and something like…algae maybe, and Tom curled his nose. He suspected Maynard was serving them fish.
"Let me show you the dining room- the food will be right out!", Maynard sounded giddy, he was obviously quite nervous, and for a second, Tom felt almost guilty for betraying the man like this. But then, the feeling was gone.
He walked behind Gryffindor into the dining room, another dark room with a huge, heavy mahogany table in the center, and some little shelves with decorations and china placed around them.
"Take a seat, please!", Maynard clapped his hands, "I will get dinner served- I hope you both like sushi?"
You gotta be kidding me.
"Sushi sounds wonderful", Gryffindor replied smoothly, "right, my boy?"
"Uhm…yes. Wonderful. I love sushi", Tom lied, and Maynard beamed, "how perfect! Which type of sushi is your favorite?"
Oh, shit.
"The…the one with the…with the lemons."
"The…lemons?", Maynard repeated hesitantly, "that must be a rather new version that you young people enjoy. I tend to only eat traditional sushi."
"It's…it's a new type of sushi, mixing…fruit with…uhm…fish. They call it…uhm…frushi."
"How interesting."
Maynard sounded earnest, he really was the definition of naïve, and Tom exhaled a breath.
That was close.
"Yeah, it's pretty good. You should try it sometime", he could feel Gryffindor's gaze on him, the Founder watching him just like he had during his first interaction with Maynard at the Retrospective- utterly amused.
Maynard eventually left the room after he had announced he would be right back, and then Tom heard Gryffindor letting out a small laugh, "frushi, hmm? You really are something else, boy."
Tom blushed, "you should have warned me!"
"I had no idea he was going to serve us sushi, trust me", he grimaced, and Tom had to laugh, "you don't like that fishy stuff either, do you?"
"It's the only thing I won't eat- but of course he does not know that, so I can hardly blame him", Gryffindor sighed, "he's just trying to be a good host."
"I hope there's dessert."
"What? Lemon pie?"
Tom had to laugh again, "or lemon cake?"
"Sorry for the wait!", Maynard's happy voice interrupted them, and then he came closer, carrying a big tray, "now here we go- I have prepared a mix of Uramaki, Sashimi and Nigiri to start with. This one right here is my personal favorite, I just love how the salmon adds to the flavor. Please try it", he eagerly placed some sushi on their plates, and then he handed them each a pair of chopsticks and put a jug with water and glasses on the table before he sat down with his own plate.
Tom picked up the chopsticks, frowning at them. He had never eaten with chopsticks before, and when he saw how easily Gryffindor used them to pick up his sushi roll, he had to swallow, sensing another humiliation.
I don't know how to do this.
"How is it?", Maynard asked, carefully dipping his sushi in some weird looking sauce, "I made everything myself, you know- it's one of the things I truly enjoy."
"It is fantastic", Gryffindor assured him, never taking his eyes off Tom while he carefully picked up another roll, "baby boy, do you want to come sit with me?"
Wait, what?
Tom turned dark red, "I…uhm…I don't…I…"
"Bring your plate and come here- I know you get nervous if you are eating somewhere else."
"Oh, I used to get nervous like that as a young boy as well", Maynard interjected, "my mother used to bring my own plates and cutlery from home to make me more comfortable."
He's so neurotic.
Tom had to grin, even though he had no idea what to expect when he slowly walked over to Gryffindor, the plate with sushi in his hands.
"Up you get, boy", and then Gryffindor placed him on his lap, holding him in position with one hand, "shhh…settle, Tommy", he murmured into his ear, quiet enough that Maynard could not hear them, "just relax, okay?"
I'm trying.
"It really is quite delicious, Maynard- do you think I could have some more of the Masago?"
Maynard jumped to his feet so hastily he almost knocked over his glass, "yes, yes, certainly. I will be right back", he almost ran out of the room, and Gryffindor chuckled, "so eager…now, let me show you how this is done before he comes back", and then he slowly held up Tom's hands with his own hands, still holding the chopsticks, "you want to hold the upper one like a pencil, baby boy- like this", he gently moved his hands, "and the second stick should go between your index finger and thumb- rest it on your middle finger, just like this", he moved his hands again, showing him what to do, "your index and middle finger do all the lifting with the chopsticks, and to close the chopsticks over the food", he slowly made Tom pick up a sushi roll from his plate, still guiding his hands, "there you go…there's my smart boy", he sounded pleased, and Tom had the sudden urge to please him again, so he went and picked up another sushi roll, showing him what he'd learned.
Praise me. Tell me how good I'm being. Praise me. Praise me.
"Good boy, Tommy. You are doing so good, obeying so nicely for me", and then he could feel Gryffindor's hand in his hair again, gently tousling it, "now all you need to do is actually eat the sushi", he sounded amused, and Tom flushed, "smells like rotten fish, though", he mumbled, very very slowly leaning back against Gryffindor's chest, "gonna make me throw up."
"Here's a deal for you: Eat three rolls of sushi, and I'll cook you something later at my place- whatever you want."
"Whatever I want? Even…pizza?"
"Especially pizza."
"You know how to cook pizza? Really?"
"No- but I know how to put a frozen pizza in the oven."
"You are such a Muggle."
"You are saying that like it's an insult."
"Cause it is", Tom eyed the sushi roll he was holding critically, and then he carefully put it in his mouth, "Muggles are inferior- everyone knows that."
"Hmm…even to Squibs?"
Tom narrowed his eyes, "now that I think about it- maybe it's Muggles and Founders being inferior to everyone else", he swallowed the sushi, grinning at the Founder, "inferior to even house elves."
"You'll regret that, boy."
Before Tom could respond, Maynard came back, carrying a big plate of disgusting looking raw fish, "some more Masago for you- and I added some Anago, which is sea eel."
Gross.
"Fantastic- my boy just told me how much he loved the Masago, so he's definitely going to want to try the Anago as well", Gryffindor was smiling when Maynard hurried to walk over to them, putting some of the sushi on his plate, "enjoy, Aurelius- it has a very specific taste."
Like what? Vomit?
"Thanks", Tom mumbled, trying his best to sound excited, and he could hear Gryffindor chuckle quietly, "you are going to eat the whole plate, baby boy", he told him in a low voice, "all four pieces- unless you want to apologize for your little inferior comment."
"It wasn't a comment, it was the truth!", Tom hissed back, hesitantly reaching for the first piece of Anago, "this smells like dead fish."
"It is dead fish, my boy."
"Not gonna eat that."
"Hmmm…in that case, I better take you to the bathroom and give you a nice long spanking- show you who's in charge here."
"No one's in charge of me."
"Would you mind excusing us for a minute, Maynard? I think my boy needs to go use the bathroom", Gryffindor's voice was calm, and loud enough for Maynard to understand every word perfectly, and Tom wanted to sink into the floor with embarrassment.
"Yes, of course, the guest bathroom is right down the hallway, the second door to the left", Maynard replied politely, and Tom started to squirm in distress, "I…I think…I'm fine, I don't need to go", he blurted out, panicking.
"How about you just go and try, baby boy? It's not healthy to hold it in, I told you that."
Ohgod, stop. Please stop.
He had never felt more mortified than right now, his face dark red, "I…I wanna finish my dinner first, Daddy", he croaked out, "I…I can try later. Please."
Please.
"Hmmm…alright then. Finish your dinner- I know how much you like your sushi", Gryffindor smiled at him, looking completely innocent, and Tom wanted to kick him, but he just nodded, playing the role of the obedient son to the max, "yes, Daddy."
"Good boy", he offered him a piece of Anago, and Tom whimpered quietly, but he slowly opened his mouth, trying to prevent himself from gagging.
This is nasty, it's fucking slimy, don't wanna eat this crap!
"Daddy…"
"No talking with your mouth full, baby boy- eat your dinner."
You'll pay for this, Gryffindor!
He kept chewing, and then finally, he was able to swallow the Anago, hastily reaching for his glass with water as soon as he had gulped it down.
That was horrible.
"Well done- three more, unless I am hearing an apology."
"Please…"
"It's entirely your choice, my boy- either eat, or say you're sorry."
What kind of choice is that? What am I supposed to do now?
Tom started to squirm again in Gryffindor's lap, hating this- he did not apologize, he was the Dark Lord, but eating more of this slimy shit was not an option, and neither was getting spanked in the bathroom.
"'m sorry."
"What was that?"
"I…I said I'm sorry", Tom whispered, shame in his voice, "you're not…inferior to a house elf."
"Or a Squib."
"That…depends on the Squib."
"I can still take you to the bathroom, you know."
"No spanking, Daddy", he instinctively nuzzled his head into Gryffindor's chest, unaware of the proud smile spreading on Godric's lips, "no spanking- at least for now", he told the boy in a low voice, and then he shifted his attention back to Maynard, who had been rearranging the sushi rolls on the plates- they seemingly needed to be in some kind of pattern that no one understood but Maynard.
"I am really glad to see you tonight", he began, thinking it was about time they started what they came here for, "I had such a great time with you at the Retrospective the other night."
"That makes me quite happy", Maynard replied brightly, "I had a very nice time as well. I ended up buying one of the sculptures actually, and I managed to purchase it for a mere 18.000 pounds. A real bargain, don't you think?"
18.000? For a sculpture?
"That is a good deal indeed", Gryffindor replied smoothly, "I am sure my boy would love to see it, he is such a fan of that…artist's work."
"That's true, I love Romanov's art", Tom said, making himself more comfortable in Gryffindor's lap, "which sculpture did you buy?"
"It is called Convergence- an extraordinary piece, deeply expressive."
"My favorite one was Awakening", Tom was eager to keep the conversation going, anything to distract Maynard from serving them more sushi, "it felt like…she was looking right into me."
"They are very realistic", Maynard agreed, "the sculpture is in my study down here, I have not had the time to find the perfect spot for it upstairs. I have to feel the spot, you know. Art pieces can be picky."
Sure.
"Could I see it? Please?", Tom did not had to play up that part too much, he was interested in seeing the sculpture, and Maynard smiled, "well, of course- we can take a break from dinner, and I can show you the sculpture. Come along, Aurelius."
It took Tom a few seconds to notice Maynard was talking to him, and then he followed the older man out of the room, planning to keep him engaged into talking about the sculpture for as long as he could.
It wasn't difficult- Maynard was totally into his newest purchase, and Tom could see why: The sculpture really was extraordinary.
They talked and talked, and eventually, Maynard chuckled, the sound of it slightly embarrassed, "now, your poor father has been waiting for us all by himself- we must go back now. He surely has finished eating dinner by now."
They went back to the dining room and Tom was more than relieved to see that the sushi from both their plates was gone, and most of the rolls from the serving plate in the middle as well.
"Oh, you must have been hungry! You ate all this while we were gone?"
"It was simply too tempting, Maynard", Gryffindor answered, "did you have a good time?"
"We did- your son is such a delight to talk to, Godric. He is so knowledgeable, and he has such an interesting, curious mind."
"That's my boy", Gryffindor winked at him, opening his arms in a silent invitation, and Tom walked over to him, his heart beating in his chest. He did not understand why Gryffindor's words made him feel so…strangely happy, since the whole thing was purely a scam.
"Well done, baby boy", he pulled him on his lap again, and Tom let him- a small smile on his lips.
"Now, I made dessert for you as well, let me go and get it from the kitchen. I made tiramisu", Maynard left the room, and Tom looked after him, frowning.
What's tiramisu?
"An Italian dessert made of sponge cake pieces soaked in coffee and liqueur, layered with mascarpone cheese and chocolate."
"Did you…just read my mind?"
"Is that a rhetorical question?"
Tom rolled his eyes, but he had to grin, "is that stuff good? That tiramisu?"
"Not as good as the chocolate cake I got for you."
"With ice cream?"
"And whipped cream."
"You are really not as much of a bastard as I thought you were."
"Hmmm…that's good to know, baby boy", he sounded amused again, and Tom carefully leaned back, snuggling into Gryffindor's broad chest, "I'm hungry."
"I know- we'll go home soon, alright? And then you can have your pizza and cake."
"I deserve an extra reward for eating that slimy stuff", Tom told him, causing the Founder to laugh, "and what would that reward be?"
"I…I think of something."
"I am sure you will."
Maynard came back at that very moment, carrying a big plate with tiramisu, "I apologize for the wait- I had to make sure the slices were even. I do not eat food that looks uneven, it…it's a habit."
No, it's neurotic.
"Be nice, baby boy", Gryffindor said into his ear, "and try the dessert, okay? Just one bite."
"One bite", Tom agreed, keeping his voice low as well, "just one."
"Good boy."
As it turned out, he did not like tiramisu- the coffee taste was strange now for him, now that he was a child, and he hated the mascarpone. He did eat two bites of it though, while Gryffindor and Maynard made easy conversation about this and that.
"That picture over there- is that a Franchielli?", Tom finally blurted out when he got too bored listening to Gryffindor's and Maynard's chitchat, "from her time in Sicily?"
"It is, I adore her oil paintings", Maynard replied, clearly pleased, "she has such a strong connection to the sea, the waves…I read in an interview that she believes she is a sea animal, and was reborn."
"Do you believe in that stuff?"
Maynard laughed, shaking his head, "no- that is all just a bunch of hocus-pocus."
Hocus-pocus- you have no idea.
"Do you have any other paintings by her?"
"I have a few in my living room- would you like to see them?"
Tom exchanged a quick look with Gryffindor, and the Founder gave him a small nod.
"Yes, that would be great!"
It was the opportunity they had been waiting for- and when they got into the living room, all it took was a few questions, a few comments here and there, and Maynard began to talk- and soon, they were in quite a heated discussion about the importance of Franchielli's work in relation to naturalism, with Maynard defending her vigorously.
"You cannot deny though that she has taken lots of impulses from Caravaggio, especially in her attempt in portraying the priests as regular workers."
"Well, I would say she has taken his idea and made it better."
"Better how? She is technically just doing the same thing he did- if Caravaggio was still alive, he might accuse her of plagiarism."
"He would have to accuse Rembrandt of the same- and many others as well."
"Exactly. I think…", Tom stopped when he became aware that Gryffindor was leaning in the door, his arms crossed over his chest, his lips curled into an amused smile.
"Having fun there, my little art connoisseur?"
Tom blushed, "how long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to understand that Franchielli is basically a fraud."
"I do protest, she…"
"I'm joking, Maynard", Godric had to laugh, "it is getting late, though- and I need to put my boy to bed soon."
"I apologize, I truly did not mean to let you wait again", Maynard sounded ashamed, "I got carried away, as I often do."
"No need to apologize, Maynard. I am glad you are getting along so well with my son."
"I do- it is always a pleasure to talk to someone who is as passionate about art as I am", Maynard smiled, "and I hope I can welcome you into my home again soon."
"Definitely. I will stop by at the Gallery on Friday- how does that sound?"
"Wonderful. I am looking forward to it, Godric."
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then Gryffindor picked Tom up, "time to go home, baby boy- unless you need to use the bathroom before?"
Haha- very funny.
"No, I really don't", Tom pressed his face into Gryffindor's chest, "we can go."
They said goodbye to Maynard, and then Gryffindor carried the boy out of the house, into the small streets of the fancy neighborhood Maynard lived in. It had gotten late, and it was dark- but the full moon and the streetlights provided plenty of light for them to see.
"I can walk, you know", Tom mumbled, resting his head on Gryffindor's shoulder, "I am not that tired."
"I don't mind carrying you- we are almost home anyways."
Tom did not know what to respond to that, so he simply yawned, closing his eyes for a few seconds.
"Still hungry, though."
"I'll get your pizza ready as soon as we get back."
"Is there…pepperoni on the pizza?"
"It will be."
Satisfied, Tom yawned again.
"Not that tired, hmm?", Gryffindor sounded amused, "did that discussion with Maynard exhaust you that much?"
"He's very persistent about stuff", Tom mumbled, "and Franchielli is a fraud- at least her priest portraits are. Her ocean paintings are amazing, makes you feel like you are standing in the water yourself."
"How did you learn all these things?"
"Books I've read."
"Do you ever draw anything yourself?"
Tom snorted, "what, me? No- I'd suck. I just…like to look at art, and talk about it. That's all. I am not as crazy about it as Maynerd, I'm just…interested in it."
Godric thought of the boy standing in Maynard's living room again, arguing- and he thought of the fire in his eyes, and the excitement of his voice…but clearly, the boy was not ready to admit that to him. Not yet.
"Well, you certainly were a big help tonight."
"Does that mean you found the horcrux?"
"I did- hidden in a shelf in the closet. Dumbledore will feel it when I destroy it tonight."
"But then…he's going to come after you."
"He will have to find me first to come after me."
Tom stayed silent, not really knowing what to say to that. Gryffindor ended up carrying him all the way back to his penthouse, and then he carefully put him back to his feet once he closed the door behind them.
"Would you like your pizza now?"
"Yeah."
Tom was staring out the window again, the lights…the traffic…it was amazing. He must have stood there and stared for quite some time, only getting out of his daze when he smelled something- something delicious.
"Come and eat, dreamy boy."
"I wasn't…dreaming. Just…looking."
He walked over to the kitchen island, his stomach growling in anticipation at the sight of the pizza, covered in pepperoni, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese.
I love pizza.
He started to eat hungrily, not bothering with cutlery- he just picked up the slices and put them in his mouth right away. The pizza was good, and warm, and very satisfying, and eating it took all his concentration.
"Slow down, boy- you are going to get a stomachache."
"I won't- I always eat this fast", Tom replied, grabbing another slice, "where's my cake?"
"Ask nicely."
Tom stilled, "you…you didn't say I have to be a good boy anymore- just for the dinner."
"The dinner you are still eating?"
"I want my cake!"
Gryffindor just smiled, realizing what Tom did not realize- that the boy had started to push, to test the boundaries, and that was a very good sign.
"Only good boys get to eat cake, Thomas", he told him calmly, "and bad boys get to send to bed right after dinner- without a story."
"What…story?"
"A very scary story about a boy who broke into a haunted house full of vampires."
"Why…did the boy break into the vampire house?"
"He was trying to steal some money."
"Did…the vampires suck his blood out as punishment?"
"Ask nicely for your cake, and I'll tell you."
Tom seemed to think about it for a while, but the desire to hear the story was bigger than his refusal to obey Gryffindor, "can…can I please have cake? I'll eat it very carefully."
"Good boy", and then Gryffindor placed a plate with chocolate cake in front of him, and the cake was covered in vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, and Tom's eyes lit up with joy. He had not had sweets in a long time now, and just like every kid, he loved anything chocolatey.
"This is fucking perfect!", he shoved another spoonful of cake down his throat, "I could eat this every freakin' day!"
"I bet you could", Gryffindor did not comment on his foul language, knowing he had to go slow with the boy. Eventually, he would know what was expected, and he would talk appropriately- but they were not there yet.
Eventually, Tom had eaten everything to the last crumb, and he leaned back in his chair, sighing in content, "that was…so…good. Vampire story now?"
"Yes- and then it's time for bed. It's late."
"Gotta…go…home."
"You are going to stay here tonight, baby boy. Come on, let's get you ready for bed."
Tom yawned, thinking of Squirrel, and Pettigrew- and the pull out couch, and then he thought of Gryffindor's guest room, and the silky sheets…
Just one more time- can't hurt right?
Gryffindor ended up taking him to the bathroom, patiently helping him to get changed and to get his teeth brushed, and when he was snuggled into the most comfortable bed of the world minutes later, he realized how amazing he felt- he was warm, and full, and cozy, and Gryffindor was there, about to tell him a scary story. He'd never been told a story before.
And then Gryffindor sat down next to him on the bed, and he started to tell him the story in a low voice, about the naughty boy who had broken into the haunted house, and the vampires luring him deeper and deeper into the house, into the attic where they mostly stayed, and Tom snuggled into the sheets, listening with wide, anxious eyes.
It's so scary!
He almost could not stand the suspense when Gryffindor got to the part where the vampires started to conduct an ancient ritual, causing the boy to fall into some kind of trance.
"Is he gonna be okay, Daddy?"
Gryffindor smiled, knowing Tom had not intentionally called him Daddy, "yes, he will be fine- the werewolves are coming to the rescue, remember?"
"They need to hurry!"
Sweet boy.
"They will, baby boy- all across the forest, the werewolves were gathering, and…"
Tom kept listening with bated breath, and when the werewolves eventually managed to free the boy from the bloodthirsty vampires, he grinned from ear to ear, "it's a happy ending story!"
"That it is- all my stories have a happy ending."
"There's more?"
"A lot more", Gryffindor smiled at him, carefully starting to tuck him tightly into his sheet, "for another time- now it's time to sleep for my boy."
"Are there more vampires stories?"
"There are, baby boy- quiet time now, though. It's time to sleep."
Tom yawned, "not…even tired!"
"Shhh…quiet time, Tommy. Close your eyes."
The boy obeyed, and when Gryffindor bent over him and gave him a soft kiss on the top of his head, he went still, his heart beating faster.
"Goodnight, baby boy."
And then Gryffindor left the room, but he kept the door open a little, letting some of the hallway light shine into his room, making him feel safe and cared for.
Goodnight, Daddy.
He fell asleep almost immediately, a big smile on his face.
things are finally looking a little better for Tom...and they soon will for Sirius as well ;)
I'd love some comments from you! :)
stay safe!
xoxo,
Antonie