Hey there! :) First of all, Happy Holidays to all of you! :)

I am having some laptop issues right now, so the next chapter will be a lil late, I apologize! I will definitely update again before the year is over, though ;)

Thank you for the comments, and I hope everyone is enjoying some fun family and friends time :)

What are you doing here?

I had a meeting with Dumbledore.

About me?

Not everything is about you, Sirius.

Sirius flinched, watching Aurelius slowly walking closer to them.

"Hey", he finally mumbled, knowing it would be rude just to ignore Aurelius when he had gotten close enough, "how are you?"

"I am doing well, thank you", Aurelius answered stiffly, glancing over to Graham and Jake who had stopped walking as well, "you must be…"

"Graham Nottingshire- and that's my younger brother Jakoby. It is very nice to meet you", Graham extended a hand, and Aurelius took it, "it is nice to meet you as well", he replied after a short pause, "Scipius has told me about…you."

Graham had to laugh, "I hope he only mentioned the good parts", he winked at him, his expression as open and friendly as always, "we are actually going over to the fields- the boys want to show off their talents."

"The boys, hmm?", Sirius had no idea why Aurelius sounded almost angry now, "are you even done with your homework yet, Scipius?"

Seriously?

"What's it to you?", he shot right back, "I can play Quidditch whenever I want!"

"Quidditch is a waste of time, I told you that. You are at school to study, not to chase a ball around."

"Well, good thing I don't have to listen to you anymore", Sirius shot him a smug grin, "because I happen to enjoy Quidditch- just because you don't like anything except for humiliating me during training, doesn't mean I can't have any hobbies."

Aurelius looked like he was ready to slap him, and Sirius had to admit he was enjoying this- Aurelius had not wanted him, and now he was making demands?

Think again, Ice Prince.

"Why don't you join us?", Graham now suggested, "I know Scipius has been looking forward to have you watch him play."

"I have not!", Sirius lied, "and I am sure Aurelius is too busy anyways- don't you have some of your fan clubs waiting for you?"

"Watch your tone, boy."

Or what?

He had already opened his mouth to make another snarky comment, when Graham interfered, "let's go, boys- it is getting dark soon."

"Yes, Graham", Sirius replied as submissively as he could, and he stifled a smile when he saw Aurelius' expression darken.

You don't like that? Too fucking bad.

"I would really appreciate if you could come with us, Aurelius", Graham had shifted his attention to the older boy, "you know, I've just been made Prefect, and I know you were Prefect during your time here- and if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you some questions."

Aurelius seemed to hesitate, but eventually, he nodded, "sure, it will be my pleasure", he sounded as polite as he always did when he spoke to strangers, but Sirius knew it was an act- he knew the real Aurelius, the one who had rejected him over and over and over again.

They all went to the field, the silence between them uncomfortable. Sirius was glad when he was able to get into the air, and by the look on Jake's face, he was as well, "let's have a race!", he yelled at Jake, and the older boy nodded, grinning, "okay, count of three- one…two…"

Graham had led Aurelius to the benches to watch the boys, it was almost dinnertime and had gotten cold, so it was no surprise that no one else was out here.

"Now, how can I help you? What questions do you have?", Aurelius asked absently, his eyes on Sirius, who had just attempted another nosedive, his whole face shining with excitement.

"Why don't you tell him the truth?"

Aurelius stiffened, slowly turning his head to look at Graham, "I am not sure I know what you are talking about."

"I am talking about Scipius."

"What about him?"

"You should tell him how you are feeling about him", Graham said softly, "he needs you- he needs you more than you think."

Aurelius swallowed, staring back at the field, "I…I can't be what he needs", he finally replied, "he…he wants things I…I cannot give him."

"All he wants is you to love him", Graham responded quietly, "and you do, don't you?"

There was a silence.

"Of…of course I do", Aurelius swallowed hard, uncomfortable with where this was going, "I just…I don't know how to…", he closed his eyes, embarrassment washing over him, "I don't know how to show him. I tried, but…it always seems to be wrong somehow, like I am missing something…"

"He told me what you've done for him- helping him with homework, and taking care of him after he got injured, training him…"

Aurelius let out a short laugh, "but none of that seems to matter."

"Because he would rather have you snuggle him and carry him, right?"

Aurelius bit his lips, were they really having this conversation? This was utterly humiliating, "right", he eventually mumbled, still avoiding to look at Graham, "and I have no idea…I don't even know where to start."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I am not afraid."

"I think you are- you are afraid of failing him, and disappointing Scipius- but with rejecting him like you did, you already disappointed him, and you hurt him."

"I never meant to hurt him", Aurelius said quietly, his voice thick with shame, "I just…I was worried he'd realize I've never…done this before. I did not want him to think…"

"That you make mistakes, too? That you are human? And not made out of ice?"

Aurelius sighed, not wanting to admit how close to the truth that was, "now, where do I start?"

Graham smiled, "you start with a nickname. Do you have one for him?"

"I…I called him little pumpkin, but that was not…it wasn't intentional."

"Did he like being called that?"

"Yes", Aurelius swallowed hard, "he…he told me he did."

"Alright- here's the first thing you are going to do: Next time Scipius flies a looping or something similar, you praise him for that- and you call him little pumpkin."

"Praise him- like, good job? Well done?"

"Any of that will work- here, I show you", Graham shifted his attention to Jake who had just completed a looping himself, "nice work, peanut! Keep it up!"

Jake beamed, and Aurelius could see Sirius looking down in defeat, and it was clear he had heard every word.

"What if he gets angry at me if I praise him? He seems upset."

"He won't get angry, trust me", Graham sounded amused, "just try it out."

"Alright", Aurelius kept his eye on Sirius, and when the boy had managed to complete another reckless maneuver with his broom, he decided to just go for it, "well done- keep it up, little pumpkin!", he called out, seeing Sirius instantly stiffen in the air, and then he slowly turned his head to look at him, just looking- but he did not say one word.

"That was good", Graham told him, "now the next thing you need to do with him is physical affection- Scipius seems to need a lot of touching and personal contact, he's always half on my lap when I read him a story."

Aurelius' eyes hardened, causing Graham to chuckle, "don't worry, I never actually put him on my lap- that's something I only do with my own boy."

"As you should- Scipius is mine", and once he said it, he knew it was true- Sirius was his, and he'd always been his, from the second that they had met. He was his boy, and it was about time he showed him that.

"I am glad you are finally recognizing that", Graham simply said, still sounding amused, "and stop worrying so much- it will all come natural to you. Scipius will help you and tell you what he needs from you, and after some time, it will become automatic, like you'll know when he's wanting to be snuggled or carried or held- or when he needs to be disciplined."

Aurelius snorted, "I always know that part- that boy is a brat", he did not seem annoyed by that fact though, since his voice was fond, and Graham had to smile again, "he tried pushing me the other to get disciplined- but I am afraid my approach was not what he needed", he told Aurelius what had happened, and the older boy snorted again, "I'd have given him a nice long spanking for that- and then made him run across the field for ten minutes straight with a sore backside."

"He probably would have needed that", Graham agreed, "you see, Jake is pretty easy when it comes to discipline- he rarely ever pushes, and he is mostly content with being my good boy. Scipius still seems to need a lot of reassurance and guidance."

"He does", Aurelius looked over to Sirius, who was flying looping after looping, laughing, "that's enough now- you are going to get sick, Scipius", he called out, causing Sirius to turn and look at him, "make me!", he called back, still laughing.

"He's testing you", Graham supplied helpfully, and Aurelius nodded, "he is- but that won't ever end well for him", a grim smile on his lips, he stalked over to the field, ready to tackle his boy. Sirius just laughed when he saw him walk closer, even daring to fly a looping right around him, "this is so much fun!"

"It won't be once you are throwing up, boy- get down."

"Nah- I rather fly a double looping now!", Sirius grinned, but Aurelius could see his grin was a little forced- he was starting to feel dizzy from all the loopings, but of course, he was too stubborn to admit that.

"Last warning- or I am taking you back inside for a spanking."

"You…you can't spank me."

"I can and I will, my boy. Now, get down."

Sirius hesitated- but only for a second, then he started to fly another looping, faster than he had before, "this is…"

He had meant to say awesome, but then suddenly his stomach roiled, protesting against the constant loopings, and he stumbled to the ground, emptying the insides of his stomach into the grass.

He fell down, gasping, feeling awful- his head was dizzy, his mouth tasted like acid, and his stomach cramped, and he started to whimper with fear when he saw Aurelius coming closer.

Nonono, sorry! I'm sorry! Sorry, Relius!

"Shhh…deep breath, my boy…in and out…", and then Aurelius was suddenly next to him, holding him, and he threw up again, his eyes filling with tears.

"'m sorry!"

"Shhh…I know you are. It's all good, I am here now. I am here, little pumpkin."

And then Sirius started to cry, stretching out his arms, and after hesitating for just a moment, Aurelius picked the younger boy up, holding him tight.

"You're…holding…me", Sirius mumbled in between sobs, and Aurelius instantly got nervous, "is this…okay?"

"It's…perfect", and then Sirius looked at him, his face a mess of snot and tears, "carry….me, Relius?"

"Yes, I'll carry you. Where do you want me to go?"

Sirius just blinked, frowning, and Aurelius realized that he should probably make that decision- he needed to focus and stop being so damn insecure.

"I am going to take you to my quarters, and then you'll take a nice warm bath, get you all clean again", he started, hoping this was what Sirius wanted, and when the boy smiled, snuggling closer, he exhaled in relief.

I can do this. I can do this, I can give him what he needs.

"I want a story after my bath", Sirius now demanded, snuggling even closer, "and lots of snuggles!"

"Okay. We can do that", Aurelius answered quickly, and then he looked over to Graham and Jake who were standing by the sides of the field together, both of them smiling at him. He mouthed a Thank You in Graham's direction, and then he started to slowly carry Sirius across the field back to the school.

"This is…nice…", Sirius mumbled, yawning softly, "carry me all the time now, Relius."

"You are a little too heavy for that, pumpkin."

Sirius grunted, "like that…when you call me that", he finally whispered, "wanna be your…good boy."

"I know, I know that now", Aurelius replied quietly, "and I am sorry. I was…scared."

"But…you're not scared of anything. You're strong, Relius."

Aurelius had to smile, the awe in Sirius' voice had been obvious, "even I get scared sometimes", he told him, "and…I've never…done this before. I don't have any siblings or cousins, you know. I did not want you to think that…that I'd fail."

"You won't fail", Sirius mumbled sleepily, loving to be this close to Aurelius, to be held like this, "you…you are awesome, Relius. And…I can help."

"That would be good", Aurelius instinctively planted a quick kiss on the boys' tousled, sweaty hair, and Sirius let out a small, happy sound.

"You like that, baby bear?"

"Yah."

He smiled, giving him another kiss on his hair, causing Sirius to sigh in content, "missed you", he eventually mumbled, yawning again, "missed you…so much."

"I missed you too, little pumpkin."

They had gotten back to Hogwarts, and since it had gotten late, the hallways were mostly empty. Aurelius wasted no time carrying the boy to his quarters, and once they had gotten there, he took him straight to the bathroom.

"Do I get bubbles, Relius?"

"Would you like bubbles?"

"Yah."

"Alright", he thought of a spell for bubbles, and when the bathtub filled up with tons of bubbles, Sirius' eyes lit up, "yay! This is gonna be so fun!"

"Don't splash too much- or they won't be a story after your bath."

"I want my story!"

"Then you have to sit nicely in the tub."

"I can do that!", Sirius had already started to undress himself, not bothered the slightest by Aurelius standing right next to him, and then he jumped into the water, laughing, "look at all the bubbles, Relius! I am gonna build a tower!"

"You do that, sweet boy."

Sirius stilled, his eyes going wide, "can…can you say that again?", he eventually whispered, and Aurelius came closer, sitting down on the edge of the tub, "sweet boy", he repeated quietly, and then, getting more confident, "you're my sweet boy, aren't you? My sweet, perfect little pumpkin."

Sirius was still staring at him, "can…I have more? Of that?", he sounded almost desperate now, and Aurelius had to smile, "you are my boy, Sirius", he told him softly, but with an edge of firmness in his voice, "not Lupin's, not Graham's- you're mine. My sweet boy."

"You…you mean that?"

"I do, sweet boy."

Sirius stretched out his arms again, and Aurelius had understood that it meant the boy wanted to be picked up by him, "let me get a towel first, okay?"

"Okay", Sirius kept his arms stretched out the whole time, and when Aurelius came back, he let out a needy little whimper, and Aurelius hurried to get him wrapped in the fluffy towel, "that was quite a short bath", he stated, amusement in his voice, and Sirius grinned, "this is way better than a bath", he snuggled closer again, nuzzling his head into his chest, "story now? Please?"

"What story would you like to hear?"

"A dragon story! Something with dragons racing!"

"Racing?"

"Yeah- like, there were dragons that were always fighting, and then they had a race to solve their fight", Sirius explained, "and only one dragon wins!"

"Are they both nice dragons?"

Sirius firmly shook his head, "nah, one dragon is a meanie. He has to lose the race."

"What type of dragon is he?"

Sirius thought about that for a moment, not even registering that Aurelius helped him into his pajamas and carried him over to the bedroom, "he's a Norwegian Ridgeback", he finally declared, "and the other one is a Hungarian Horntail."

"Alright. So, once upon a time, there were two dragons. One was a Norwegian Ridgeback, and the other one was…"

Sirius had snuggled close again, listening attentively. Aurelius clearly still needed lots of help when it came to storytelling, but thankfully, he was the perfect helper for that. He would often interrupt Aurelius to add some details or ask a question, and the longer he talked, the more confident Aurelius got. And, to Sirius' delight, he attempted to disguise his voice for the dragons, it wasn't great yet, but it was a good start.

"…he let out one more furious roar, and then his defeated body crashed to the ground. He'd lost the race, and he had lost his life."

"So, he lost everything", Sirius concluded smugly, still snuggled closely into Aurelius' chest, "serves him right!"

Aurelius chuckled, "does that mean you liked the story?", he tried to hide it, but Sirius could hear a hint of nervousness in his voice, and it made him smile.

"It was awesome!"

"Was it…as good as Graham's stories?"

"Nah."

Aurelius swallowed, "it…wasn't?", he looked so crestfallen that Sirius was unable to pretend any longer, "it was way better!", he blurted out, shrieking when Aurelius instantly started to tickle him, "little brat!"

Sirius just giggled, squirming in his arms, "you still love me!", it was meant as a joke of course, but when Aurelius' expression became earnest, he stilled.

"I do love you, Sirius", he finally said quietly, "and I am sorry for hurting you. I did not mean to, it's just…this is all so new for me."

Seconds later, Sirius had wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tight, "love you too, Relius", he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion, "and…we can figure this out together, right? You and me."

"You and me, my boy", Aurelius replied, hugging him back, both of them smiling at each other.

I'm his boy now. Finally.

He woke up again by sunlight shining straight into his face, and when he blinked, slowly opening his eyes, he noticed once more how freaking soft the sheets of Gryffindor's guest bed were, and how comfortable the mattress was. He had slept amazing, too- without even the hint of a nightmare.

Rubbing his eyes, he slowly sat up, turning his head to look at London Downtown's traffic from above through the panorama windows, and he fervently wished again he could paint this.

Stop dreaming- you're a deaged criminal, not a fucking artist!

The thought sobered him up enough to turn his head from the window again, heading towards the bathroom. There were clothes for him waiting on a chair by the door, a dark green sweater and a pair of black jeans, along with white underwear and socks.

Tom undressed and got into the shower, allowing the warm water to run down on his body while he was staring into space.

Yesterday night had been…weird. He had no idea what had come over him to let Gryffindor carry him, kiss him goodnight and tell him story- had he really gotten that desperate for affection?

It's not like he's gonna be doing that anymore anyways- he got the horcrux, so the scam is over now.

He did not know why that filled him with anger suddenly- he'd always known this was all a scam, so why the hell did it bother him all of a sudden that Gryffindor had used him?

I am getting my magic back for it, not like it was for nothing.

He started to scrub himself vigorously, causing his skin to turn red. Coming back here had been a mistake- he should have just stayed with Squirrel instead of letting Gryffindor trick him into his mind games.

Good boy, Tommy.

That's my boy.

Well done, baby boy.

He scrubbed himself even faster, trying to make the voice in his head stop- he did not want to think about what Gryffindor had said to him, and he especially did not want to think how it had made him feel to be called baby boy and good boy.

Eventually, he stepped out of the shower and got dressed, still in a bad mood. He planned to ask Gryffindor to give him back his magic, and then he'd get the hell out of here, go back to Squirrel where he actually belonged.

He stepped into the hallway, immediately noticing the smell.

Pancakes? Is he really making pancakes for me?

Tom bit his lips in annoyance, why did he keep thinking Gryffindor was doing this for him? He was probably making himself pancakes, or he was making them for Aurelius- Gryffindor did not give a shit about him, he was merely amused by him, and he better stopped obsessing about him right away. It would only led to more misery.

He lingered in the hallway, suddenly dreading of walking into the kitchen and finding out the pancakes were really not for him, and that's when he noticed the slightly opened door across from the bathroom. It seemed to be Gryffindor's office, and even though Tom knew he shouldn't, he found himself carefully pushing the door open seconds later.

It was Gryffindor's office- a spacious room with plenty of bookshelves, a big desk in front of the window, and a white leather couch on the side of the room, decorated with some small pillows.

Tom did not even know what he was looking for, and just when he had decided it was better to leave, he saw it.

A small jewelry box on top of one of the bookshelves, and before he realized what he was doing, he had walked over to the box, slowly opening it.

Ohmygod.

It wasn't much, but it was certainly worth more than enough to live a very comfortable life. There were some rings, a bracelet, and some diamonds, sparkling in the light.

Just one of those and I'd never have to steal again.

Tom swallowed hard, his hand already stretched out to touch the jewelry, but then he forced himself to pull his hand back.

I can't. He'd kill me.

But then he would have to steal from someone else- they were pretty much out of money, and since attending the Retrospective had ended in a disaster, he was certain similar events would not be any more successful, either.

I have to think of Squirrel- he's hungry. And it's getting colder, I need to get warmer clothes soon, maybe another blanket…

Tom swallowed again, and then he very slowly reached out for one of the rings.

Just this one, this small one, he won't even notice it's gone. He's filthy rich anyways, he won't miss one damn ring. He won't.

He had to tell himself that to justify what he was doing- stealing, and then he hastily put the ring in the left pocket of his jeans, closing the box again.

He won't even notice- and if he does, I'll be far gone.

Taking a deep breath, he left the office, and then, plastering a smile on his face, he walked into the kitchen, "uhm…morning."

"Good morning, Thomas."

Thomas. Of course. Why the fuck had he thought he'd get called baby boy again?

"You…you promised me you'd give me back my magic", he reminded the Founder, desperately trying to keep his voice firm, "so, if you could that now, I'll be on my way."

"How about some pancakes first?"

And then Gryffindor put a plate in front of him, and Tom's eyes went wide.

"That's a…a dog!", he blurted out, unable to stop himself from sounding excited, "a pancake dog!"

Gryffindor smiled, "I had hoped you'd like that, baby boy."

Baby boy.

Tom bit his lips, forcing himself to think of anything but the stolen ring in his pockets, "how did you do that?"

"Well, the ears are bananas covered in peanut butter, and the snout are blueberries. The mouth are strawberries cut in half, and the eyes are blackberries."

"Thank God I am not allergic."

That made Gryffindor laugh, "yes, thank God for that- now dig in and eat, and drink your orange juice."

"What's with you and orange juice?"

"It's healthy."

Tom rolled his eyes, but he obediently drank his juice and ate his pancake, even though he was sorry to destroy the dog face while doing that. The pancake was delicious, and he munched happily for a while, Gryffindor watching him in amusement, "good?"

"Very good", Tom assured him, chewing with his mouth open, "can I have a squirrel pancake next? Or a tiger, can I have a tiger?"

"I am afraid I don't know how to make a tiger, Tommybear."

"You need something orange- oh, I know! The oranges you used for the orange juice! And then the blackberries for the black part, and something for the whiskers…something thin…"

"I have licorice", Gryffindor offered, and Tom instantly nodded, "that will work! You need to make stripes out of the oranges and blackberries for the ears, and the snout has to be pink. Do you have anything that's pink?"

"Raspberries?"

"I mean, they are more red than pink, but that's okay", Tom said generously, "and you know what would be really cool?"

"I have no idea, sweet boy."

"Teeth!", Tom declared, "the tiger needs sharp teeth. White, sharp teeth."

"Hmmm…how about marshmallows?"

"You have a lot of candy."

"I like to be prepared."

"For what?"

"Just in case a hungry little boy comes to visit me."

Tom hated himself for flushing, and he bent over his plate, avoiding to look at the Founder, "uhm…marshmallows are good", he finally mumbled, "can I have my tiger pancake now?"

"Ask nicely, Tommy."

"Can I have my tiger pancake now, please?"

It wasn't perfect, but for now, Gryffindor was satisfied, "coming right up, hungry boy."

He quickly baked the other pancake, decorating it with a tiger face- and he seemed to have a talent for that because Tom's whole face lit up when he saw it, "that's awesome! It looks so real!"

The boy immediately started to eat, announcing it was the best pancake he'd ever had, and Gryffindor went back to watching him, a small smile on his lips.

Finally, the boy had eaten both pancakes and drank all his juice, licking his lips, "that was so good!"

"I am glad to hear that, Tommy. Now, I think I promised you your magic back, hmm?", Gryffindor did not bother to tell the boy that the spell he'd cast on him back in his dungeons had not turned him into a Squib- it had merely been a spell to weaken his magic a little, but it had not taken it.

"Yeah", Tom stood up, "is it…gonna hurt?"

"It won't, don't worry", Gryffindor walked over to the couch, and Tom followed him slowly, "am I gonna pass out?"

"No- this will be fairly quick", he already knew what spell he was going to cast: A protection spell, allowing him to get informed when the boy was in danger, "just close your eyes and relax, baby boy."

"Okay."

Tom obeyed and closed his eyes after he had sat down on the couch next to Gryffindor, and then the Founder mumbled something, and he felt getting dizzy- but only for a few seconds.

"Was…that it?"

"That was it."

"That was quick."

"I told you."

Tom had to smile, "I am a wizard again!"

You've always been a wizard, sweet boy.

Gryffindor smiled back, "yes- but no wand for you, Tommy. At least not yet."

"You can't stop me from getting a wand!"

"Try me, boy."

Tom stood up abruptly, glaring at him, "I gotta go back to Squirrel now anyways. Thanks for the food", he briskly turned for the door, ready to leave, when Gryffindor's calm voice stopped him again.

"I think you have something that belongs to me, Thomas."

He froze.

No. There's no way…

"I…don't know…what you are talking about", he croaked out, too afraid to turn around and look at the Founder, and he could hear Gryffindor laugh softly, "I think you do, boy- and before you leave, I'd like to have that back. Now."

Shit, shit, shit!

yep...things are finally good with Aurelius and Sirius ;) and there will be spanking in the next chapter, no surprise there lol.

As always, I would appreciate some feedback from you all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

xoxo,

Antonie