Querencia

"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am, I had no intentions of hurting him. Truly Sorry." The snowy haired man apologized, clearly not understanding any of the words the adder was throwing his way in the form of irritated hisses.

"What a weird man, talking to a snake like he can understand her when he can't." Then again, maybe he had thought the same thing of Tom at first.

"Maybe he had been trying to make you feel less weird," A traitorous, hopeful part of him said, but he squashed it back ruthlessly. "Don't. Remember the older Matrons, Remember Billy Stubbs and the others."

People are only nice when they can get something from you.

"How do you know it's a female?" Tom asked, pulling his mind out of his darkening thoughts as he gathered the small snake into his arms, hushing her quietly and reassuring her that everything was fine.

"Male Adders tend to be of lighter colors," The man pointed, ignoring the unhappy hiss he got in return. "Females are usually brown, or copper, like your friend there. Then again, the book I read on them said adders are also supposed to be shy rather than so boldly aggressive, so I could be wrong."

"Oh." Tom said, looking down and examining her pattern. He hadn't really thought of it before now, but she was in fact a really nice coppery brown, like someone had covered her in penny shavings. He traced the pattern on her scales for a bit, smiling softly when she wiggled happily in his arms, before looking up to see the man hadn't moved an inch. Instead, he had taken to examining the brunette child before him carefully. He didn't bother to look a bit sheepish when he was caught, and instead smiled.

"You have a good friend there in that little Lady," The stranger said cheerfully, and Tom noted quietly in the back of his mind how the man's purple eyes seemed to glow as he spoke. "Nothing in the world better than having someone who will watch your back." The stranger paused as his eyes widened a fraction, he looked up and behind Tom. Curious, the brunette turned his head to see Mrs. Cole in the distance, turned away as she could not see them. "Speaking of Ladies, there's one I need to talk to right now."

That single disaster turned conversation ended up with papers signed, and his bag packed with what little belongings he cared for enough to bring along. Mostly knickknacks, and the adder that started it all after he told Mrs. Cole about the "book he left in the gardens." A lie, but she didn't need to know that. His new guardian had given him a knowing look when he had seen the bag wiggle, and for a moment Tom was afraid he was going to tell him to put her back. Instead, Phoenix merely winked and didn't bring it up in front of her.

(Tom had tried to call him father before, but Phoenix merely shook his head. "Remember what I said before in the office, kiddo. You have the right to do refuse anything you are uncomfortable with. If calling me Dad is too much right now, then you don't have to." The brunette nodded, relieved. Yes, Phoenix was a weird man, but he was understanding. Tom had made the right choice to go with him, however temporary this thoughtfulness may be.)

"She's the one who chose to believe you." The older male had shrugged after he plucked the boy off the ground and had walked a good distance away from the orphanage. (Normally, Tom would protest. He did not need to be held like a child. But Phoenix was very tall, and he was admittedly hesitant to try to test to see if he could keep up with his guardian in an area where all sorts of ruffians skulked about. Besides, the September air was chilly today, and Phoenix was not.) "The lie did her no harm. I don't care if she comes along. Granted your Lady Knight in Scaly armor doesn't pop out to give someone else a surprise hug with her fangs, as heroic as it was for her to try to protect her damoiseau in distress." The five-year-old made an indignant noise at his phrasing. He didn't know what a "damoiseau" was, but it sounded a lot like damsel, and he's read enough stories with knights in them to put two and two together.

Tom Marvolo Riddle did NOT need saving! She was just trying to scare Phoenix off on her own, that's all!

Sadly, his wounded pride has been rather casually ignored as Phoenix scanned the surrounding area.

"I was going to take you to do a little shopping first before we head home anyway. You may want to let her out of that bag and let her wrap around your shoulders- Yes, just like that, excellent. We can stop by a pet shop and get her a proper vivarium and the appropriate equipment needed to ensure she stays a very happy and healthy snake. Wouldn't want our little spitfire to lose her spark, hm?" He grinned as Tom's adder did what the five-year-old thought to be the snake equivalent of puffing up her chest with pride, before Phoenix sighed. "As soon as I remember... Where the entrance is…. Was it "Charing" or "Caring?" Damn, I'm terrible with directions…. My head would have been yeeted and never found again if it wasn't attached to my body..."

Tom stared for a moment, the gears in his head turning slowly.

"...Yeeted?"

"Oh, there it is!" Phoenix brightened, ignoring the annoyed huff his young charge let out when his question had was left unanswered. Tom scowled, but turned to look where Phoenix had pointed.

"...Phoenix?"

"Yes?"

"That is a wall." Tom deadpanned.

"Hm, Well I suppose by some standards of architecturally sound practice one can, in fact, consider that a wall." He replied as he walked closer to said wall.

"Maybe going with him wasn't a good idea after all." Tom thought with a groan. He had thought the man was merely weird, but perhaps he had made an error and mistaken his craziness for weirdness instead. (The adder offered to attack him again. He politely refused… for now.) Phoenix only chuckled at his suffering, reaching with his free hand to ruffle his hair and earn yet another, indignant noise today. (Little did Tom know, this would be a very common reoccurrence as he grew up.)

"Alright, alright, that's enough pouting. But if you could do me a favor and take another look at that wall, there should be a sign on it somewhere that says "The Leaky Cauldron." Could you find it for this poor, blind, insane old man?"

"You're not that old." The little boy scoffed in annoyance, but hesitantly turned back and-

He blinked.

Then he blinked again.

"Phoenix?"

"Yes, Tom?"

"….Where did that door come from?"

"I imagine the same place most doors come from, my observantly astute child. The carpenter's."

"No! I mean-" Tom gave an annoyed sigh, gesticulating wildly towards the front of a pub that had replaced the wall they had been staring at earlier. "It wasn't there before!"

"Ah~ But that is where you are wrong, my little snakelet." Phoenix has all but sang, wagging a finger as he practically bounced towards the door. "This pub has been here the entire time. It was here before Charing Cross Road was thought of, before your parents or even my parents were thought of, and it will continue to be here for a very long time still." He didn't allow Tom time to ask more questions before he threw open the door and brought them inside. If Tom had clutched onto Phoenix's suit, it was only because it had surprised him terribly to go from a peaceful silence to sudden loud noises and lively crowds.

(He was just surprised. That's all. It didn't scare him at all. Tom is not scared of anything.)

Phoenix didn't say anything, instead adjusting his hold on him and rubbing the boy's back in an attempt to soothe him. The little adder joined to help as well, poking her head out to flick her tongue on Tom's cheek and hiss words of comfort into his ear.

"I know, kiddo, I know. I don't like loud places either, but we cannot get to our destination without first crossing the perils of… lively social engagement." Phoenix shuddered dramatically. Tom rolled his eyes, further burying himself into Phoenix's shoulder as he glanced around.

(And if he smiled a little at Phoenix's exaggerated act, no one but the little adder needed to know that.)

"Excuse me sir!" Phoenix called to the bartender, (according to his little name tag, he was also named Tom, much to the tinier Tom's dismay. Maybe he could convince Phoenix to let him change his to a cooler name. Something that couldn't be called out and have several others answer to.) "Could you open the way to Diagon Alley? I would do it myself, but I'm hesitant to put my son down."

"Ah, of course, no problem at all! Most younger kids tend to get rather overwhelmed their first time." Older Tom beamed, clapping a hand onto Phoenix's free shoulder. "Come, follow me."

Tiny Tom was unsure if the other Tom felt it, or if he didn't notice since the pearly haired man had not dropped his smile, but Phoenix definitely stiffened at the contact. Little Tom furrowed his brows and glanced at his guardian in confusion. …Did he not like being touched? He didn't seem to care much about scooping him up and carrying him all this time, and he had shaken hands with Mrs. Cole just fine. So maybe it wasn't that…

"Maybe," He thought suddenly, "He just doesn't like sudden contact, like I don't like sudden noises.

There was no guarantee that he was right, though, so little Tom carefully stored the thought away for later examination. (Once again, he politely declined his adder's helpful offer to bite Older Tom… Though he had to admit, he was tempted as he glared at the Barkeeper. In his attempts to be helpful and guide Phoenix out of the crowd and into the back, he would pull and nearly drag the poor young guardian every so often.) Even if his guardian had relaxed, his smile certainly seemed more fixed than genuine as they went along. A distraction is required here, but what…

"Phoenix," Tiny Tom called, tugging at his shirt to gain the albino's attention. "Where are we going anyway?"

It was a weak attempt at a diversion, one could have easily brushed off and explained later, but he had no idea how else to divert Phoenix's attention away from the hand on his shoulder. He wasn't expecting it to work, but when a far more genuine grin claimed his caretaker's face, he felt secretly proud… and also somewhat wary when he saw a hint of mischief in those glowing, lavender eyes.

"Where people who make odd things happen go, snakelet. People who don't even blink when your eyes glow, or lose their tongue when you speak in the language of the serpents." He whispered, as Older Tom opened the backdoor and finally let go to tap rhythmically at the bricks in front of them. The five-year-old stared in awe as the wall broke apart, how it moved and changed, opening a gateway to a lively street with crowds of people with pointy hats who moved to and fro. Phoenix nodded to the Barkeep one last time, before stepping through and gesturing to the lively place around them.

"Welcome, Little Prince." He announced, "To the Wizarding World."