Chapter Summary: In which Tom practices; Tom makes Harry realize that his sex education lectures were lacking; and 12 Grimmauld Place has its first visitors of the New Year.
Beginning Notes: I'm in the process of editing past chapters, though I've decided to focus on finishing the fic before I decide to go back for any further rewrites. I'll let you know when I've updated chapters.
I also wanna apologize for the wait for this chapter. I was planning on posting a chapter on the one year anniversary of posting the first chapter of this fic which would've been on October 14th, I even had most of the chapter done. However, my vulnerable grandmother got covid then pneumonia which turned into her death less than two weeks after hospitalization. Less than two months later, earlier in December, my step-grandfather died from cancer-related complications.
As you can imagine, I haven't wanted to work on much of anything.
Please tell your loved ones that you love them.
Chapter Six
January 2nd, 1999 — Saturday
Tom spent the night in the library doing whatever he could to get a book into his hands. By the time morning came, Tom's frustration at his repeated failures drastically lowered the temperature inside the library, which left a layer of frost on the stained glass windows.
He refused to leave the room until he made progress, deciding to forgo joining Harry for breakfast. Tom didn't need the sustenance anyway.
Tom furiously paced the length of the room, with his hands clasped behind his back, as he thought back to the graveyard in Little Hangleton.
Unwittingly trapped in the grove because of Harry's wards, Tom spent those long, isolated months testing the restraints of his abilities in this form. He'd managed to master making himself invisible and visible at will. It helped to envision his energy surrounding his body and push forward the will and intent to accomplish his goal.
Though, only practice and determination— and the desire to keep from losing his mind due to boredom— brought him to his continued success.
Coming to a stop, Tom stared narrow-eyed at the thin, green hardcover book on the table he and Harry sat at the previous day. It wasn't a book they had read yet. It didn't appear to weigh much; thus, it was ideal for practice with the energy— instead of magic, Tom assumed— he had in this form.
Lifting his right hand, he gestured towards the book and envisioned his energy surrounding it. His brows furrowed in concentration as he visualized it taking ahold of the book and dragging it to him.
Sure enough, the book flew off the desk towards him. However, instead of landing on the palm of his left hand as Tom intended, it soared right through his head before it clattered to the ground. He could not feel the impact, but he flinched all the same before he turned around to stare at the book.
He made it move! A sense of accomplishment flooded him as a wide grin spread across his face. The frost on the windows melted away as the temperature in the library returned to normal.
Now all Tom needed to do was practice. He hadn't wanted the book to fly, after all.
Later that morning, Tom and Harry sat at their table in the library. They were going over what they had learned so far from the book on magical bonds. The notes that Harry took the previous day cluttered the table, and the stack of books they intended to read sat to the side.
"I never knew how many bonds there could be!" Harry exclaimed as he pulled his round, black-rimmed glasses off his face and cleaned them with the hem of his t-shirt. He put them back on and grabbed one of the books from the stack.
"There are plenty of things in this world you have yet to discover, Harry." Tom said with a wry smile. Harry rolled his eyes as he flipped through the book. "I have experience with fealty bonds. Though, I also have knowledge on soul, blood, and marital bonds."
Harry scrunched up his nose. "Blood?"
"Yes, there are various types, furthermore there are subtypes to each type of bond. Bonds usually come into place after completing a ritual." Tom said. "Blood bonds, for instance, can consist of blood adoptions, blood oaths, and there is a marital bond that involves the sharing of blood as a symbol of the joining of two Houses. The ones that I have mentioned are some of the few that aren't shunned."
"Wait, blood adoption?" Harry asked, suddenly focused as he stared intently at Tom's face.
'Interesting.'
Tom nodded as he tapped his fingers against the table. "Blood magic is typically frowned upon, if not outright illegal. It was erroneously deemed Dark magic because it uses blood and a few of the spells and rituals can cause harm. However, blood magic is useful for the purposes I already mentioned, but also in healing, identification purposes, inheritance tests, wards, runes, and more."
"Would... With blood adoption... What does that include?" Harry asked as he fidgeted in his seat.
"Blood adoptions, specifically, are one of the few rituals using blood that are still used and not considered Dark by the general public. It involves the sacrifice of a small amount of blood and magic from the parents-to-be to the child to be adopted," Tom explained. "To my knowledge, a couple will use blood adoption if they have yet to conceive a child. Or perhaps if the couple is incapable of pregnancy, or they refuse to use the requisite potions for same-sex pregnancy. They may adopt an orphan, using their blood and magic in the ritual to make the child their own and have the potential of inheriting family magic."
"Same-sex pregnancy?!" Harry squeaked, the book in his hands clattered to the table, a flush creeping up his neck.
"To my understanding," Tom smirked at Harry's evident embarrassment and ignorance. "Most same-sex couples that want children would rather use blood adoption. Actual pregnancy, giving birth, or going through non-blood adoption are certainly choices available, though they aren't as common."
"However, a few do want to experience it for themselves. They would thus use specific fertility and reproductive potions or complex human transfigurations, sometimes both, to make it possible." Tom said, amusement clear in his voice at Harry's reaction.
Harry looked a little dazed at the information, his jaw slack and his eyes somewhat out of focus.
"Triads may also make use of blood adoption after two of the three conceive a child, to make the child blood related to all three. And, occasionally, a godparent may blood adopt their godchild."
"Wait, so you're really telling me that wizards can get pregnant too?" Harry asked as he leaned closer with wide eyes.
"I can see that this is a shock to you," Tom chuckled, amused at Harry's ignorance on the subject. "But I have to wonder why. Same-sex couples and triads do not have the same stigma as in the Muggle world. Same-sex pregnancy is not looked down upon in the greater Magical community. This is information that was supposed to be explained during your sexual education seminar."
"Well, no one bloody told me that!" Harry blurted out, leaning back in his seat as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I mean, we had a couple of lectures by Madam Pomfrey in my third year about puberty and sex but I'm pretty sure she didn't mention any of that!" Harry said as he rubbed the stubble on his chin before his gaze darted away from Tom.
"I sort of knew that different sexualities and gender identities were more accepted here, there were several same-sex couples and a few wixen while I was at Hogwarts," Harry said, moving his hand from his face to the back of his neck.
"But, I figured... Well... I mean, no one thought I might not be straight. They all assumed I'd settle down with a nice witch. They had those expectations for me, and, well... I figured I'd never be able to be out with my sexuality to the public without some sort of backlash."
Tom's eyebrows rose at the confession. He wasn't necessarily surprised that Harry wasn't heterosexual. He'd seen his lingering stares, the way he'd blush if Tom caught him staring, the way he'd stutter if Tom complimented him. He was only surprised that Harry was confessing to him.
"It's no one's business but your own and your partner's what or who you prefer. Let me be the first to assure you: most won't blink an eye." Tom said with confidence. Even in his adolescence, there was little prejudice in the Magical community about this. He saw his fair share of witches, wizards, and wixen who publicly and shamelessly sought him out for romantic or sexual endeavours.
He knew of a fair few Pureblood boys who dallied with one another without fear of disownment or getting caught. One or two of the couples even went on to be bonded.
"You might have the occasional person who have a negative opinion due to ignorant beliefs, but most will have no issue with you for the gender of your partner. This is largely due to the fact that there are potions and spells to allow reproduction despite one's biological sex."
"Thank you," Harry said, shoulders sagging as the tension left his body. He laughed, relief evident in his voice, and raked his fingers through his short, messy black hair. "Merlin, but I never thought I'd be having this conversation with you."
Tom agreed with the sentiment. If someone would have told him a year ago that he would be talking to the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, his fated enemy, about any of this? He would have cast the Cruciatus Curse on them before feeding them to Nagini.
It was jarring how different they were now, how different Tom was. However, he couldn't help but feel content with how things were now. He was, however, still determined to get himself a body and truly return to the living.
(He daydreamed about all the senses he would experience again. The decadent food he wished to eat, having a satisfying hot shower, and sleeping in a comfortable bed on expensive sheets. And touch, by the Gods, Tom longed for touch. He once went without basic human comforts for more than a decade; he despised being without such things now.)
"I'm grateful for it though. I've been worried about public reactions if I started dating anyone other than a witch because I know eventually the press will discover it no matter how many precautions I take. It's relieving to know that the positive reactions may outweigh the negative when it does happen." Harry said as he looked down at the table, clasping his hands in his lap.
"I'm glad to have been able to ease your mind." Tom said with a charming smile as he leaned forward. "I do suggest controlling how the information is released to the public. Perhaps doing an interview with a journalist you trust."
Harry baulked before shaking his head rapidly. "No way! I want nothing to do with the press."
"Harry, be reasonable." Tom said chidingly. "If you do an interview, with a vow or oath from the journalist to write the article truthfully, you would be able to control the information that gets released to the public."
Harry hesitated, appearing to think about what Tom suggested. Tom didn't much care one way or the other if Harry came out on his own terms, but he knew how important it was to control the information the press got access to.
"Think about it this way." Tom started, holding up one hand. "Would you rather the press continue hounding you for any scrap of information they can find, against your wishes, regarding your social life?"
"Or would you rather feed them on your terms, keep them satisfied, and off your back?" He asked as he held up his other hand.
"You… make an interesting point. I'll think about it." Harry said, then his voice deepened as he clenched his jaw. "I have a friend whose dad runs an independent paper, though I'm sure you remember them. The Lovegoods."
Tom leaned back in his seat but nodded his acknowledgement with a frown. "Indeed, I remember them." It was all he was willing to say about the situation, reluctant to apologize for his past actions when he didn't feel true remorse for them.
(What was the point of rehashing the past when they were working together for the foreseeable future? He couldn't change what he did. Some of it he didn't particularly want to change. Some of it he could still understand why he chose to do what he did. Tom would much rather look towards the future.)
Harry's tensed body and the flinty look in his eyes told Tom that he wasn't pleased with Tom's unwillingness to talk about the kidnapping and imprisonment of the Lovegood girl. Her father was an outspoken political dissident of his regime at the time. Tom— Lord Voldemort needed to squash that, and so he did.
Tom feared they would always stumble upon a memory that would rile their tempers. "Harry…" Tom implored with a quiet but firm voice as he stared at Harry with a blank expression, refusing to meet the rising anger with his own.
Harry closed his eyes, clenching and releasing his fists, as he drew a deep breath before slowly exhaling. He did this several times until the tension left his body.
Tom watched the other man calm himself until he opened those lovely green eyes. He raised an eyebrow in question, and Harry gave a small nod. Tom nodded back. Yet another memory was pushed to the side so that they could work together in relative peace.
"Now, back to the topic at hand. I'm certain we have a type of soul bond." Tom said, redirecting the conversation back to the main topic. "Perhaps even a type of blood bond given the ritual I used to resurrect in your fourth year. Though, as I have no physical body, I'm doubtful if that would carry over into death."
Harry nodded along as he grabbed the book they were in the process of reading. He collected the notes from yesterday, putting them in order before starting on a fresh piece of parchment. Quill in hand, he looked back up at Tom— ready to continue taking notes.
"No, it's more likely that our affliction is because of a soul bond of some type. Accidental, of course. Most bonds occur with consent and all parties are aware of what is happening. But bonds are a form of ritual magic and can also form if one mishandles ritual ingredients or misspoke the words or for some other reason entirely. For instance, a new ritual reacting abnormally to a ritual one has already performed. Ritual magic is tricky at the best of times." Tom instructed, watching as Harry took notes.
"So, accidentally making me a Horcrux is likely the soul bond… but wouldn't it have been destroyed when you…" Harry grimaced, clenching the quill in his hand. "When you killed me? And if not then, surely it should have ended when you died?"
"Not necessarily. It may have snapped back into place upon one or both of our resurrections." Tom explained. "Soul bonds, in particular, are stubborn that way."
The two of them leaned towards one another as they started reviewing the notes taken, settling in for their morning session.
"Master, today is Saturday. They'll be here soon." The house-elf popped into the library a few hours later, interrupting their research.
This one sentence sent Harry into a frenzy as he frantically stood up from the table and released his wand from its dragonhide holster. "Fuck, I haven't cleaned!"
The house-elf snorted at Harry, "Master should not have ordered Kreacher to take the weekends off."
Harry rolled his eyes as he bustled around the library, tidying up with his wand as he went. "Yes, yes, Kreacher, you're much smarter than I am. Could you do a quick clean up? I'll pay you extra."
"Kreacher wants a pack of those fizzy drinks as payment, the ones Master gets when he goes grocery shopping."
Harry laughed, nodding as he shot a cleaning spell at the windows. "Deal, though I'll still give you an extra galleon for making you work on a day off. Focus on the kitchen, first floor bathroom, and the drawing room. I'll take care of the library and the bathroom on this floor."
"Kreacher lives to serve." It said sarcastically, bowing low before leaving the library.
Harry sighed, gesturing with his wand to send the books on the other tables back to their bookshelves. He then sat back down to tidy up their table.
"Who is arriving today, Harry?" Tom asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Should I stay in the library?"
Tom watched as Harry's posture sagged, and he brought his hands up to his face, covering it as he gave a great big sigh.
Harry gave a tired shake of his head before lowering his hands. A sadness lingered in his eyes for a moment before it slipped away, and a fond grin made its way onto his scruffy face.
"My godson, Teddy, and his grandmother, Andromeda, will be stopping by today," Harry said as he straightened up the parchment notes then placed them on top of the books on their table. "Andy leaves him here for a few hours on the weekends. It lets me get to know my godson and it lets her have a few hours of peace. I also babysit if needed during the week, but that isn't as often."
'Harry has a godson?' Tom racked his mind trying to pinpoint who could have made Harry Potter a godfather. Surely not his friends, as they were far too young to be parents already. 'Wait, Andromeda. The blood-traitor sister of Bellatrix and Narcissa?'
Tom remembered the announcement of her daughter Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin's marriage. He knew Lupin was as close to Harry as Sirius Black. Perhaps the girl and the wolf had a child? They must have died during the Battle of Hogwarts. Tom frowned at the twinge he felt in his chest, rubbing at it as he got lost in his thoughts.
"I'm gonna go take a quick shower," Harry said as he got up from the table again and started walking to the library door before he stopped and turned back around.
"I usually set up Teddy's playpen in the library so that I can watch him and study at the same time." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I dunno if it's smart to introduce you to anyone right now, let alone my infant godson. He's never been around a ghost before. Maybe you can hang out in my study? I have a bookshelf in there with books you can practice with."
Tom had intended to do what Harry suggested, truly, but his curiosity got the better of him.
Once Harry left to get ready, Tom made his way to an empty corner of the drawing-room before masking his presence, which effectively turned him invisible. The boy, and his grandmother, would arrive through the recently renovated fireplace.
Harry told Tom as he gave him the tour that first night that he had parts of the house renovated after the war. One of the first things he set up was the Floo Network to the updated fireplace in the drawing-room and the one in his study so he would be able to contact others quicker than an owl.
However, Harry also had security wards set up around both fireplaces to prevent unapproved people from visiting or contacting him.
It didn't take long for Harry to finish showering or to get ready. Before the hour was up, he'd already found himself sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace. Tom stared at the man, taking in his appearance. Harry must have forgotten to dry his hair, for it was still damp. Harry was dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans and a comfortable-looking knitted emerald green jumper that looked to be two sizes too big. He only had a pair of grey socks on, not bothering to put on a pair of trainers since he wasn't planning on going anywhere.
He had one leg crossed over his other knee, and he had a book in his hands— Ancient Runes Made Easy— with a muggle notebook and biro on the cushion next to him, presumably so he could take notes as he read.
Several minutes passed before a chime sounded from the fireplace. Harry dog-eared the textbook before putting it next to the notebook. Releasing his wand from his holster, he stood and waved it at the fireplace, bathing it in a green light before another chime sounded. In the next moment, a woman holding an infant on her hip, with a diaper bag hanging from her opposite shoulder, stepped through as the fire turned green.
The woman, whom Tom assumed to be Andromeda, looked remarkably like her sister Bellatrix Lestrange. They shared the same strong jaw, thin mouth, thick hair, and both women were tall. However, Andromeda had light-brown hair that was beginning to grey, whereas Bellatrix had black hair. Her eyes were wider, with Crow's feet at the corners. She had laugh lines, but she also had stress lines set deep between her eyebrows. She wore a plum-coloured blouse, a knee-length black skirt with dark grey tights, and she had her long hair up in a tight bun.
The boy she held in her arms had short light-brown hair, dark wide eyes, and a heart-shaped face. He had a stuffed wolf toy in his right hand. Andromeda dressed him in a burgundy-coloured onesie that was patterned with golden snitches. Tom had a strong feeling the onesie was a gift from Harry.
"Andy! Teddy! Welcome, welcome." Harry greeted the two of them, grabbing the boy from Andromeda's hands as she handed him to Harry.
"Hello, Harry. Lovely to see you again. How was the rest of your holiday?" She asked as she placed the diaper bag on the coffee table.
Harry made silly faces at the boy in his arms, eliciting childish giggles from him. Teddy's hair changed rapidly from a light brown to the same shade of black as Harry's, and it took on the same messy quality as well. His eyes changed from what may have been a dark brown to Harry's bright green.
"Oh, you're a sweet boy, aren't you?" Harry cooed, gently bopping Teddy on the nose with a grin before looking back at Andromeda.
Tom couldn't help but be amused at Harry's antics. He'd never have guessed that Harry was good with children.
"I spent most of my holiday busy with Ministry business and studying, to be honest." Harry said, before ducking his head at Andromeda's stern face.
"You need to take more time for yourself, Harry. If you keep going like this with no relaxation, you'll burn yourself out." She scolded him with a frown and a tone to her voice that had Tom believing this wasn't the first time she had worried over him.
"I know, Andy, I know. I already told Kinglsey I wouldn't be available at least until after I get my N.E.W.T.s, and he was understanding about it," Harry said, planting a kiss on top of Teddy's head. "I'd really rather not have anything to do with the Ministry. But I don't want the seats to go unused."
Tom hadn't realized that Harry had seats on the Wizengamot. He drifted closer to the seating area so that he could pay more attention. He didn't peg Harry as a person who wanted to be a politician; however, he was certainly the kind of person who would do so to make the world a better place— even if he hated every minute of it.
The house-elf popped in to place a plate of finger sandwiches on the coffee table before it made them both a cup of tea to their preferences.
"Thank you, Kreacher." Harry said with a smile as he sat down on the sofa and gestured for Andromeda to join him. The house-elf bowed then left the room.
"I'm surprised Kreacher is still alive." Andromeda said as she grabbed her teacup, blowing on it to cool the tea down. "He was considered ancient when I was a child."
Harry chuckled as he settled Teddy on his lap. The boy booped Harry on his nose with the stuffed wolf toy. "Oh, you've got Mr. Wolfie, huh? Hello, Mr. Wolfie!" Harry greeted the toy with a faux-serious look on his face, his lips twitching as he tried not to laugh as Teddy waved the toy around and babbled back as if it were saying hello.
He turned back to Andromeda as he grabbed his cup of tea. "Yes, he told me he's more than six hundred years old. I'm not sure how long house-elves typically live for, but he's implied that it's rare for them to live so long."
Andromeda nodded in understanding before she took a sip of her tea, then placed the cup on the saucer in her other hand. "Regarding your seats, have you thought about assigning a proxy until you're truly ready to take them up?"
"Yeah, I've thought about it." Harry sighed and put his teacup and saucer on the coffee table. "I haven't officially claimed my seats because of all the post-war business, but the next Wizengamot session is on the eleventh of this month. I plan on claiming them in that session, but I'll need to assign a proxy in the same session."
Tom went through the potential proxies in his mind that Harry could name and came up short. He knew many of the adults that Harry trusted were killed in the Battle, while others already had Ministry careers or had no interest in politics.
"Who did you have in mind?" Andromeda asked as she placed her teacup on the table and grabbed one of the cucumber sandwiches on the plate.
Tom's attention caught on Harry's nervous bouncing leg, and he had a suspicion on what was about to be asked.
"Er," Harry stuttered as he hugged Teddy to his side. "Well, Andy, I was thinking…"
"Oh no." She groaned, bringing her free hand up to her face as she covered her eyes.
Harry chuckled nervously. "Listen, I don't have very many people I trust to have my best interests at heart. If you have a better suggestion, I'm more than happy to hear it."
Andromeda sighed as she lowered her hand and leaned back in her seat. "Give me a day or two. I have a few people in mind who would be a better fit than me. I'm too busy with my family practice to also attend regular Wizengamot sessions."
"Sure, as long as I can meet whoever it is and give them the rundown on my views, how I expect them to vote, and I'll want to get an oath out of them as well." Harry said as he relaxed, sending a small smile down at Teddy who now had his thumb in his mouth.
"Great," Andromeda said, as she pulled her wand from the inside of her sleeve, banishing the crumbs off her lap before returning her wand to its previous resting place. "I'll floo you on Monday, or Tuesday at the latest, to let you know if either of them agree to be your proxy and agree to your request for an oath. Then we can set up a meeting before the next session."
After they finished their tea and sandwiches, Andromeda said her goodbyes and gave a quick kiss to Teddy's forehead before leaving through the floo.
Tom wondered whom she had in mind for Harry's proxy. He certainly had his own suggestions, but there was no guarantee they survived the war.
Or that Harry would hear him out.
End Notes: There most likely won't be any mpreg between the main pairing, just heading that off right now. Don't get me wrong, I occasionally enjoy reading fic which includes mpreg as a main plot point or simply as a background thing, I just feel like my iterations of Tom and Harry aren't interested in getting pregnant/giving birth. Which is one of the reasons why I included the blood adoption trope. That will come into play in future chapters in multiple ways and I'm really excited for it. I also decided to include Wizengamot and Lordship shenanigans— I'm mostly being self-indulgent with this fic so I have several things I wanna implement. I hope you guys will enjoy it!
Thank you all so much for reading and leaving reviews, favorites, and/or alerts. I appreciate all the support!
Also, I usually update on AO3 first. Most of the time I don't have the energy to update in two different places on the same day, and then I end up forgetting to update on here until like a week or so has passed. So if you want to read sooner, I recommend checking out my AO3 which is under the same username of kayewritessometimes