Time Turning Conundrum

[Sometime in the past]

Severus opened his eyes. 

He found himself standing on a pavement, still clutching the time turner in his hand. Well, he thought, this certainly isn’t Hogwarts. So where am I? 

Severus looked around and saw many different houses all lined up along a street on either side. Rather haphazardly, might he add. He seemed to be in a muggle neighborhood. Severus groaned. Just how wrong had this gone?

He quickly did a modified version of the tempus charm and checked the time and date. His eyes widened at what he saw. 

5.30 am, June 1933?! 

Severus stared at the floating words in disbelief until they faded away. He hastily did the charm again, just to make sure that it wasn’t a mistake. Lo and behold, it showed the same time and date. 

He had really traveled back in time fifty-seven years? Fifty-seven?

He didn’t know what to do. He had gone through many different vicissitudes in his life, but this far surpasses any of them. Maybe except ‘the lake incident’. That was first on the list by miles.

 He tried to think of something practical to do, and the first thing his mind leapt to was the time turner. Of course, the time turner! Severus brought up the device to the eye level.

he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the item. From a first glance it certainly looked to be the same. 

However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that the sand was firmly stuck to the top side of the hourglass, no matter which way he turned it, and was slowly letting sand fall at an alarmingly…slow rate. 

Severus thought this odd, and filed this away for future reference. But this knowledge would come in handy to him sooner than he thought. He continued to study the time turner further.  

Now, one could only imagine Severus' shock when he saw a new engraving on one of the thicker rings of the time turner stating ‘Four Years’. 

It definitely was not there before he had gone back in time, thus not something to do with its production. And it was certainly not describing how far back in time he had traveled. Unless all of a sudden four equates to fifty-seven and James Potter wanted to befriend him.

But if it didn’t refer to either of those things, Severus’ mind drew the only logical conclusion. He hoped that that was not the case. 

Severus considered turning the dial again. Although it had the possibility to send Severus back even further than he already was, if he had drawn the right conclusion, it would not matter much anyway.

Severus grabbed the dial in between his fingers, and spun it. 

He waited. Nothing happened. 

Severus’ heart sank. If that didn’t do anything, then… he really was stuck here. For four. Whole. Years. That would explain why the sand in the hourglass was falling at an absurdly slow pace. It was counting down four years. 

Severus wanted to throw the time turner onto the ground in frustration. Yet that was simply an idiotic thing to do. He was certainly smart enough not to break his only possible way back. 

But what was he going to do? He certainly hadn’t prepared for this possibility. This time turner was definitely not a normal one, and his current situation confirmed that. 

Severus took a deep breath. 

Alright. He had to look at this calmly and rationally. The first thing he should do was find out where he was exactly. He started forward on the pavement, observing the area as he walked, certainly glad for the lights that the muggles had. Street lights, he remembered they were called. 

As he walked and absentmindedly keeping a look out for clues on where he could be, he pondered over his predicament. 

He, at least for the time being, was stuck in the past. Severus assumed that he had to wait for the full four years before he could travel back to the present. Or future I suppose, Severus thought. He couldn’t be sure if the time turner wouldn’t malfunction or bring him to a different time again. 

He really should have just handed the darn thing in to the Ministry. “Curse you, curiosity,” Severus grumbled as he followed the path into a park. He plodded on, still having not seen much around to indicate where he could be. 

He had certainly picked up from the condition of the houses that it was not exactly a well-to-do place, but it wasn’t dirt poor either. It was more or less a middle class area. The park wasn’t fully developed either, with only a few benches and other small decorations. 

Nonetheless, Severus continued down the path, thinking deeply, I should still try to find out anything that I can at the moment. Maybe I should go around and ask some muggles where exactly this place is. As soon as the sun rises there should be some people around for that. 

Severus strolled (trudged) on.

I could travel to Diagon Alley and take lodgings at an inn there as well. I’m pretty sure that it exists at this time. Ah, Severus paused that train of thought. Right. I don't actually have any money on me. Except for the few Galleons in my pocket, I am practically broke. And since I technically do not exist at this time, I don't have my Gringotts account…

Severus sighed. He would have to solve his monetary issues soon as well. 

He should go to a library soon too. A wizarding one, of course. Although it was highly unlikely that he would be able to find anything even remotely similar to his current predicament, he should still try. Who knows, maybe in some inconspicuous book about, say, Divination, there would be a tiny mention on time travel. 

Really Divination should just be removed from the entire curriculum. Severus thought on a tangent. Hogwash, the whole subject. 

In any case, Severus decided that he would wait for the later morning, find out where he was, and go from there. He supposed he should come up with something to do, if he were to remain in the past for four years. 

I wonder how much a job in an apothecary would pay, Severus mused. Maybe I’ll even pick up a hobby—

Just then, he heard a small sound. Severus looked up from his brooding. He spotted a small boy sitting on a park bench a few paces ahead from him. The boy’s entire body appeared to be shaking slightly. He seemed to be… crying? 

What could a small child be doing out alone this early in the morning?

Severus continued to scrutinize the child and couldn’t help but feel a little curious as to why the boy was so upset. 

Fickle things, children, Severus thought as he watched the boy. He knew that he should just walk away and leave the child to handle whatever it was on his own. It wasn’t as if it was his problem. 

Yet, for some unknown reason he could not bring himself to leave. He just stood there, silently observing the young child. An unfamiliar feeling tugged at his chest, leaving him feeling confused. 

What am I doing? Severus questioned himself. I could very well be on my way to a library or somewhere else far more productive to help my situation rather than just standing here. Another small noise brought his attention back to the boy. 

Severus did not know what exactly compelled him to do it, but he suddenly found himself standing in front of the child. For a moment, he stood there, looking down at the boy, who was hugging his knees to his chest. 

He can’t be more than five at that size, Severus mused. The boy sniffed again, shoulders silently shaking. The odd feeling tugged at his chest once more. Then, Severus did the strangest thing. 

“Are you alright?” 

The boy looked up to the tall, severe looking man, evidently startled at the sudden interruption. Blood-shot eyes met dark obsidian ones, and then he quickly looked down again, clearly frightened. 

Severus frowned. 

He was pretty sure he had not spoken in any particularly rude sort of way, but how could he be sure. He was the most feared professor at Hogwarts for a reason after all. He blinked. Then he mentally slapped himself. Of course a small muggle boy would be terrified of a stranger in large dark clothing suddenly approaching him, that in of itself was quite obvious. 

He looked at the hunching figure of the boy again, and pursed his lips. Sighing, he took out his wand. Well, if he was going to do this he should at least do it right.

Quickly looking around to see if anyone, or any muggle specifically, was watching, then proceeded to do a swift transfiguration spell on his long teaching robes. The boy seemed to be quite distracted at the moment, so Severus wasn’t too worried about him. 

A few seconds later, Severus was dressed in a white, buttoned up shirt, black slacks, a long, black coloured trench coat and a silvery grey scarf to finish it off. 

He looked down at himself and nodded approvingly at his own spell work. The black trench coat would help to cover for the fact that he was wearing a black robe, if anyone had seen him earlier. 

This should be fine now, right? 

He turned back to the still form of the boy, whose hands were over his head, body visibly trembling, though obviously not only from the crying. Severus froze. Was something wrong with the boy? He hesitantly reached out to touch the child’s arm, but pulled back almost instantly at the flinch. The boy let out a small whimper. 

Severus was getting quite worried now. Even he knew that this was not a normal reaction to someone just talking to you, even if it was the ‘bat of the dungeons’. In muggle clothes no less! He felt the need to justify himself that it was not his fault that the child was this scared. 

Severus bent down and tried his best at a comforting tone.

" Hey, kid, don’t worry, I won’t harm you."

Severus winced at how stiff he sounded , but continued to watch for the boy’s reaction. The boy had tensed when Severus said this, and continued to stay huddled up. Severus closed his eyes and sighed. He made another attempt at getting the boy to look up. 

“Look, you really don’t have to worry, I genuinely will not hurt you. How will I be able to talk to you properly if you’re huddled up like that?”

The boy remained still at those words, but after a moment he stiffly removed his arms from his head, still clearly untrusting of this stranger that had just walked up to him. 

At least he’s smart enough to still be cautious around strangers, Severus thought as he scrutinized the small child. The boy’s face was covered with mucus, and his downcast eyes so puffy and bloodshot that one might’ve thought he was crying for hours. 

Severus was almost reminded of himself when he was younger, but that wasn’t the point of this endeavor. He looked at the boy's dirty dark hair and could personally relate to having no chance to wash his hair, though how could he be so sure. For all he knew this boy could have just been out playing for too long and gotten lost from his parents. 

At six in the morning? Excellent thinking, Severus, he thought sarcastically.

Although that might’ve explained the tears. 

"Why were you crying?" Severus asked the boy, hoping to get straight to the point. 

The boy tensed, and answered in such a small whisper that Severus wouldn’t have heard if he wasn’t bent down close to the boy. 

"N..no Sir, I wasn’t." 

Severus had to refrain from rolling his eyes as he watched the boy in mild disgust. The boy hastened to wipe his tears and mucus away with his worn clothing. As if that would change anything. 

Severus grimaced and sighed.

The boy froze at the sound. He hesitantly looked up and saw the tall man holding a handkerchief out to him, staring at him with a mixture of disgust and something else he couldn't quite discern. What's the tall man doing? He asked himself in wild confusion.

The boy was clearly shell-shocked at the gesture, just staring at the handkerchief in obvious bewilderment and disbelief. Severus rolled his eyes. Was the boy capable of doing anything other than cry? He impatiently waved the handkerchief at the kid, wincing at the flinch he induced once again. 

"Come now, take it and use it to clean up that...mess on your face. It is not a pretty sight." Severus berated, hoping that the boy would just take the handkerchief.

“But why Sir? Freaks like me don’t deserve help from Sirs like you,” the boy blurted out before he could stop himself. The boy immediately slapped his hands over his mouth, eyes wide, clearly terrified of what he had just done. 

Severus narrowed his eyes at the child, replaying the question in his mind. Had this kid just called himself a…freak? What in Merlin’s name is going on? He leaned in closer when he heard the child mumbling something. 

“Pardon? I can’t quite hear what you’re saying.” Severus asked. Yet the boy continued to mumble urgently. 

Severus was about to ask again and try to make out what he was saying, when the boy suddenly burst out,

“I’m very sorry Sir! I didn’t mean to question you, I’m very sorry for asking questions, I’m sorry, please don’t do it! I’m very sorry Sir! I really didn’t mean to do it!” 

Severus was shocked and instinctively leaned back at the sudden outburst. He stared at the boy as he looked up at Severus with large pleading eyes and wringing his hands in desperation. 

Severus was extremely confused. What did the boy think he was going to do to him? Just then he remembered the kid covering his hands over his head earlier. Something clicked, and Severus’ eyes widened in realization. Did the boy think that he was going to…hit him? 

If he was honest, Severus was a tad offended. Even he wouldn’t use physical abuse on a student for asking a question, and he was a person who took some form of pleasure in having students powerless just under his gaze. Not to mention a death eater! 

Severus hastily put up his hands in a show of…friendliness? It wasn’t surrender, certainly not, but he was feeling quite flustered at the time and it seemed to be the only safe option at the moment. 

“Hey, hey, I won't hurt you, really I won’t!” 

The boy stopped with his pleadings, which largely relieved Severus, but they both still eyed each other warily, the boy with more fear than Severus would have liked. 

“Plus, nothing is wrong with asking questions, kid. Whoever in Merlin’s name told you that?” 

Severus slowly started to make his way towards the boy once again, holding out the handkerchief. He stopped when he saw the boy shrink away from him. Severus threw his head back. He took a deep breath. This was why he never liked dealing with children. Never doing what they’re supposed to. 

Though this kid seemed to be a different sort, a…special case if you will. Why am I doing this again? Severus asked himself once more. He looked back down at the child shirking away from him. 

“Come now child, I am doing you a favor and providing a handkerchief to help you clean that horrendous mess of yours. I need you to trust me when I tell you that I will not hurt you, do you understand?”

Severus said this to the boy in a firmer tone than he has so far, but it seemed to be what the kid responded to. 

The boy finally registered what Severus was saying, and slowly reached out to take the handkerchief. He tenderly held it in his hands, though not making any move to use it, clearly apprehensive. 

Severus sighed in relief. No matter, he thought, as long as he took it. 

“Well, now that that is out of the way, I shall take a seat here, and you will not run away from me, is that clear?” 

The boy let out a small ‘Yes Sir’ and Severus lowered himself down into the park bench next to him. He lent back and closed his eyes, relieved to finally have the chance to stretch his legs. He did spend a lot of time stalking around Hogwarts before all of this mess, not getting the chance to relax in a while. He opened his eyes when he felt someone watching him. 

Severus glanced down to his right where he caught the boy looking at him in the most curious of ways, almost in…awe, before the boy saw that he was seen and hastily looked away.

Severus smirked. 

It did feel good to be appreciated for what you do, especially when all the other children do is look at you in fear, trepidation, and some weird looks from the young witches. The fear wasn’t such a big problem, he admitted, but he wasn't constantly planning their demise, for Merlin's sake. 

Although, he was still confused about that last one. Minerva and Filius always made fun of him whenever he asked about that, saying something about acting like an oblivious old wizard. He never understood what that meant.

In anycase, having that awed look casted at him was rather… nice.

Severus looked up towards the night sky and closed his eyes once again. Without opening them, he said, 

“I did say that I wouldn’t hurt you, did I not?” 

Severus looked down to see the boy looking down at his hands with the handkerchief, his face bright red. Mildly amused, he smirked again. Severus decided that he rather liked the boy, or at least preferred him far more than those dunderheads back at Hogwarts. 

Just then he remembered something, and frowned. 

“You never did answer my question did you? With all that sniffling and crying it was rather hard to make out whatever you were saying. Who told you it was bad to ask questions? A rather ridiculous statement if you ask me.” Severus asked the child once more. 

He watched from the corner of his eye as the boy fiddled with his handkerchief, and narrowed his eyes at the oddly terrified and conflicted expression on the boy's face. Was he prevented from speaking about this person, whomever it was?

He continued to watch as the boy fought with some inner turmoil.

“You don’t have to worry about anything, I won’t just get up and go tell somebody,” Severus added sarcastically, in a useless attempt at hurrying the boy up. 

Finally, after a good few minutes, the boy hesitantly looked toward Severus, eyes not quite meeting him. 

“Well, sir, you see, sir, it was Ma…Father that t-told me, sir, he saying that f-freaks shouldn’t ask questions, sir, and that freaks like m-me should only answer when spoken to, sir, M…Father already told me that c-crying is terrible, sir, Im very sorry for crying, sir, I won’t cry again, sir, sorry again sir.”

All these words seemed to tumble out of the kid’s mouth, and it was quite obvious that he hadn’t had many people to speak to, as his oral literacy skills, to Severus’ disgust, were terrible, to say the least. He grimaced at the stuttering, but decided that that would be a problem to tackle another day.

Wait, since when did he decide to meet with the kid again? Ah well... it doesn't matter. Severus thought. Not at the present, at least.

Severus slowly digested what he had just heard, and tried his best to discern as much as he could from it. Obviously the boy was not well educated, though he did learn how to speak, likely from his mother or this father. 

Though it seems that he doesn't usually call his father 'father', rather he calls him something else. Ma...what? What starts with 'Ma' that he could possibly be calling his father?

Severus observed the kid as he pondered, watching him as he squirmed under his gaze. Well, outside of that is the more concerning part where this father told him that he was not allowed to ask questions. Whose father does that? Well, other than mine, I suppose...

Severus sighed. Wondering all of these questions was getting him nowhere. He saw the boy looking warily at him, probably worried about how he was taking the information. So, Severus obliged.

"Well, normally I would agree with this father of yours on the crying point, but you certainly seem to need that at the present, hence I suppose forgiveness is in order on that particular note."

The boy looked extremely relieved at that statement, even shocked, and perhaps a little…touched? It was again odd, he mused, to have that look given to him. Yet Severus didn't really mind it coming from the boy. Odd, yes, but did he dislike it? No, he concluded, and decided that it was quite the opposite.

“Though,” Severus continued, “I do use the term father loosely. Whose father in their right mind tells a child that asking questions is bad? Preposterous! If I told those idiots to never ask questions, there would be more than triple the amount of exploding cauldrons than there already are! This father of yours seems to be quite a dunderhead if I have ever heard of one."

That got out a small, unsure, but genuine, laugh out of the boy, and Severus almost smiled at the sound. Almost. Usually he found the sound of children laughing to be like scratching fingernails on a chalkboard. However when this small, presumably muggle child laughed, it sounded almost— pleasant .

This kid has got me both doing and feeling extremely strange things. Severus frowned. What in the world was wrong with him? He was the most feared professor at Hogwarts, for Merlin’s sake. Not some children's entertainer. 

Severus was brought out of his thoughts by the boy suddenly sitting up right, at full attention, his eyes wide and fearful as they darted around the park, as if looking for a threat of some kind. Severus sat up on instinct, tense, and instantly did a homenum revelio spell to check for any presence nearby. He sighed in relief when it showed nothing. 

Severus cast a glance at the boy, who was still sitting up stiff as a board, clutching the handkerchief tightly. Severus was confused and, admittedly, a bit concerned. 

What’s caused him to react like that? 

He reached out and touched the boy’s shoulder, and was immediately thrown off by the kid himself. He frowned as the boy looked at him with a wild expression, breathing hard. For a fleeting moment, he was hurt by the action. Then, he was mad. 

Severus wasn’t a patient man by nature, and he had already stretched himself far too much on that front earlier that day. He made a sound reminiscent of a growl and frowned.

“Now look here kid, I am really trying my best to help you here, and I really don’t know what you want from me. Since my presence is unwanted, I might as well be on my way. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” Severus made a gesture to get up, but found himself being stopped by something being thrown at him, or at his feet, to be more precise. 

He looked down in annoyance, but that was quickly and easily overrode by the sheer absurdity of the situation. The boy had thrown himself at the man’s feet, body shaking. As if the situation couldn’t get any stranger, the boy actually started to beg . To Severus.

“Sir! Please sir, don’t go! I am very sorry I did that, angry you should be at me, sir, but I beg of you, sir, don't go! Sir has been very, very, nice to this freak, sir, please don’t leave!”

Severus stared down in bewilderment and pure shock. What was happening? Someone was begging to him? Sure, multitudes of Witches and Wizards have begged him before, but that was in a life and death situation. Never in this way. 

Yet, he supposed the most astonishing thing was that someone wanted to be with him. Him! Who would ever want that? Severus was in disbelief. Then he remembered something from the kid’s speech and frowned. Then he got very angry once again. However, this time, for an entirely different reason. 

He strode over and squatted down in front of the boy, took a hold of his chin, although not exactly roughly, and forced the boy to look up at him. He frowned again at the mess on the boy’s face. He did seem to be doing that a lot today, didn’t he? 

“Hey kid, listen. Do not, and I repeat, do not, ever call yourself a freak ever again. Do you understand? You may be a sniffling mess, and undoubtedly an overly terrified fool, but you are not a freak. Do I make myself clear?”

Severus looked down pointedly at the boy's face and narrowed his eyes. The kid nodded vigorously, as some might call it, though Severus made it difficult to do so with such a firm grip on his chin. 

Severus wasn't sure what about it made him feel upset. He supposed he’d rather be the one to call other people degrading names. Made it less meaningful, he guessed. Although that reason didn't exactly feel like the right one, he took it nonetheless, not wanting to dwell on it too much.

Severus nodded, satisfied.

”Very good.” He said simply and let go before standing up and dusting his transfigured trench coat. He looked down again and was amused by how the boy’s face lit up at the small and insignificant praise. He turned away and heard a small sound of protest but ignored it, and proceeded to sit back down on the park bench. 

He crossed his legs and studied the boy from the bench and raised an elegant eyebrow at the obvious relieved expression on the boy's face.The boy tensed on instinct but blushed and ducked his head after a few moments.

Severus smirked, leaned back and closed his eyes. He didn't understand why he liked the idea so much, but he was glad that the boy was warming up to him. 

A kid who was terrified at the very sight of him not just about a while ago was now relieved at the prospect of the very same man staying with him. How ridiculous is that? Or amazing, I suppose, Severus thought. 

He opened his eyes to a fracture and peered down at the child. He was still kneeling down on the stone pavement, but sneakily (or so he thought) looking up at Severus with some sort of odd look that Severus couldn’t quite place. He sighed and closed his eyes again. 

“Come now, don’t stay on your knees like that, it is rather unsightly in public. Sit down, at the very least.”

Severus waited for the sound of the boy getting up and sitting back down at the bench next to him, but it never came. Severus wondered where the boy could have gone. He was just about to open his eyes and look when he felt something leaning against his leg. 

Severus tensed and his eyes flew open and he immediately sat forward. He stilled at the sight of the boy leaning back from him, his eyes wide and frightened once again. There was a moment of silence, and the boy instantly started apologizing to Severus.

“I'm so very sorry sir! I shouldn’t have done that sir, I really shouldn’t, I’m really sorry sir, I wasn’t given permission to but I still did so, sir, even though sir didn’t say anything, I’m very sorry sir! I really am a freak, sir, I can’t even follow instructions right,I—I—” 

The boy was breathing heavily, and seemed close to crying again at this point. Severus’ expression softened a fraction. 

“Hey. Look at me.”

At Severus’ firm tone, the boy timidly looked up at him, with an expression mixed with fear and anxiety. Severus gazed into the child’s teary blue eyes. 

“What did I say about calling yourself that word?” 

The boy froze at the question, the realization hitting him. He opened his mouth, undoubtedly to start apologizing again. Severus raised his hand and the boy’s mouth snapped shut. Severus allowed himself a small smirk, but schooled his expression and looked pointedly at the boy. 

“No need for unfounded apologies. We shall work on that, but  as long as you realize what you’ve done, we shall leave this matter for now.”

The boy seemed so relieved that Severus almost just wanted to leave it there, but he knew if he wanted to get the point across he would have to go on.

“However, be warned that the next time I catch you making such a mistake again, you will be adequately punished. Do not worry,” Severus assured the boy when he flinched at the mention of punishment, “I will not abuse you in anyway. Corporal punishment is only for those whom I find are extremely misbehaved, which, at the moment, you are not.” 

The child visibly relaxed at that, seeming to trust Severus’ word, though only to a certain extent, as he still looked at Severus nervously. 

“I am not usually one to forgive easily, child,  but I shall make an exception for you. Just this once.” Severus added as an extra warning, and made a satisfied noise at the boy’s vigorous nodding. 

Severus leaned back a little, still gazing into the child’s eyes. He wasn’t going to legilimize a young child, no, but he found that people thought you more honest and sincere when you did so. 

“Now,” he began, “About that action earlier,” he watched as the child stilled once again. He gave the boy a smirk and leant back against the park bench’s backrest. He let the boy feel a few moments of tension before continuing. 

“I, surprisingly, did not mind.” 

Severus observed the boy, whose expression was filled with surprise, disbelief, and obvious hope. How bad is his situation, Severus pondered, that he’s given hope by being allowed permission for such an insignificant and commonly looked down upon action? 

Severus wanted to bring up the question almost immediately, though looking upon the hopeful face of the boy, he didn’t feel like it was the best idea to do so at that moment. He had just gotten to know the boy after all. Who was he to inquire about this boy’s situation? 

The boy made small, slow and hesitant movements back towards his previous position, constantly pausing to look up at Severus’ expression. For Severus’ part, he just continued to lean back and closed his eyes. 

___________

Seeing the tall man so relaxed, the small boy slowly leaned against the man’s right leg. He was stiff at first, but as he listened very closely to the tall man’s calm breathing, he started to relax as well. The boy didn’t know why, but he felt calm around this mysterious man, almost… safe . 

It might’ve been that the man had been very kind and nice to him. No one else he knew has even been like that. Although the only people he knew were his mother and… the boy trailed off, not wanting to think about his home life at that moment. 

He fiddled with the man’s handkerchief as he pondered.

The man had also done everything that he said he would, the boy thought as he looked up from his spot at the tall man’s dour but relaxed face. All those people did were promise him things, and say that they’d do things, and things that they won’t do. But those people just never did anything right . 

But the tall man was different. He had said he would not hurt him—and he didn't! He had told him exactly what he was going to do, and he did it! He felt like he could actually believe what the tall man was saying, unlike with the other people.

And the tall man was funny too! No one he has seen had ever called that man a Dun-der-he-ad, as the tall man said. The boy didn’t know what exactly that meant, but he thought that it was a silly word to call i-di-ot people, as the master liked to call him, and he liked that the man had dared to call him that without worry!

The boy didn’t really understand what some of the things the man was saying, like caul-droons? And who was Mer-lin? He sometimes remembered his mother saying the first word at home sometimes, and he just thought that the second guy was something like the Emmanuel person that the master liked to talk about.

The tall man hadn’t said anything for a long while, but the boy didn’t mind. He rested his head more comfortably against the tall man’s black pants and closed his eyes, just like how the tall man was doing. He felt the tall man shift a little and let out a small grunt. Though, to the boy, it sounded like one of those noises people make when they’re happy, so the boy felt happy too. 

The boy wondered what the tall man would think if he heard the master call him an i-di-ot. Would the man get angry like he did just now? Why did the man get so mad in the first place? No one at his house had any problem with calling him a fre…that word. 

It was very strange for the boy to experience this, and he had to admit, it felt kind of—nice. Having the tall man get mad for him, not at him—that was a new feeling to the small boy. It felt like the tall man was getting angry at those people , for him ! Even though the tall man clearly didn’t know who they were. 

Just then, the boy saw a faint light seep through his eyelids. He cracked them open and saw the first signs of the sun rising. It took him a moment to register what was going on, but when he did, he scrambled to his feet. 

He knew that he had to get back home before dawn, but he really wanted to stay with the tall man too. He nervously turned towards the tall man. He watched as the man looked at him with a blank face, but the boy saw something strange in the man’s eyes. Did the man want him to stay too? 

The boy looked anxiously in the direction of his house. Seconds were ticking away, and he didn't have much time left. The tall man glanced in the direction that the boy was, and looked back, showing understanding. 

The boy turned to the tall man, quickly muttering a thank you, but in all honestly he was just trying to drag out the time. He quickly held out the tall man’s handkerchief, but the man just shook his head and said in a low, yet somewhat light tone, 

“No, you keep it. It’s yours now, kid. It is filled with that filth that was on your face after all. I wouldn’t want to keep that , now do I.” 

The boy’s eyes widened and he clutched the handkerchief to his chest. The man smirked at him, and nodded in the direction of his house. Was this a goodbye? 

The boy really did not want to leave, but he knew that he would face the consequences if he didn’t. So, with great effort, he turned around and ran in the direction of his home. But just before he had gotten too far—

“Hey kid!”

The boy halted. He didn't know what to do—the tall man had called him! The boy quickly spun around to see the man sitting on the park bench, facing towards him. 

“What's your name? I never really got to ask, did I? I can’t really keep calling you ‘kid’ every time we meet.” The man raised an eyebrow and smirked. 

Hope filled the small boy’s chest. He could meet the tall man again! He excitedly tucked the handkerchief into his pocket, and, for the first time in a long time, responded happily, 

“Tom Riddle!”

to be continued