A Familiar Letter
Tom was practically asleep in his breakfast, which was the most vulnerable they had ever seen him around them. Their duelling and combat lessons had started to become draining on him as he kept pushing himself between those and the library, they often had to drag him out of either one and make him eat or sleep. And already after a dangerous area of research did Gellert have to begin his training and drive home the stupidity of Horcruxes. Thankfully the boy didn't seem to be interested in losing his sanity and was looking into other possibilities of immortality. Harry was planning on getting Azrael around for them to meet so they could talk immortality in a way that wouldn't piss the God off. Much like horcruxes did.
An owl swooped into the dining hall and dropped the letter it carried on Tom's head dropping the rest of it's letters on the table before taking the bacon Luna offered it and soaring back out the window. Harry grabbed the other letters from the table as Tom woke up and blinked blearily before noticing the letter beside him. Opening it up his eyes only scanned the document before tucking it in his pocket.
"This years item list." His head jolted as he dozed off again and he yawned into his hand before pulling his plate back over and digging in again.
"You really need to sleep better Tom." Luna said around a mouthful of waffle. Neither her nor Harry were too concerned about manners when in what was at the time their own homes, when necessary their manners were perfect when not necessary they were atrocious.
"I'm not tired." Tom didn't look up and Harry snorted, pointing at him with his fork.
"Doll face, had Gilly not moved your plate you would have face planted into your breakfast." The only response Harry got was a glare, Tom really hated the nicknames Harry gave him. Gellert though, despite it having been just less than a month, the Dark Lord had gotten surprisingly paternal with the young teen. Well not that surprising, he had after all adopted Harry and Luna in one lifetime and been an amazing father, if one ignored the murder and mayhem. Gellert had won in that life time as it had been one of Harry and Luna's more blood lust filled lives which meant Grindelwald had won with the assistance of a sea of blood and severed heads, most times literally. It wasn't a pretty lifetime. Nor a very long one.
"I have a raid today but I'm sure you three can be capable of doing it by yourselves." Gellert seemed to re-think for a moment. "Okay I'm sure Tom is fully capable of shopping by himself however, as Harry has the access to the money it looks like you'll all be going." That woke Tom up a little has he snorted, Harry looked indignant whilst Luna was more or less unbothered.
"I'll have you know I'm a very capable adult."
"Sure. I'm off, try not to kill anyone."
"Obviously. That's your job." Luna giggled as Harry got yet another stinging hex and Gellert left, summoning his forces in the ballroom where they would gather before a raid or attack.
"If you were anyone else you would have been dead a hundred times over by now." Tom muttered fighting against dozing off again.
"Yes." Was Harrys only response as he left to get dressed and put on some eyeliner and nail polish, after enough life times he had gained an appreciation for style. Well he had, had to, having the Godfather he had and more than one lifetime under the thumb of the Malfoys having a sense of style was vital to his health.
"Luna." Their door was more often than not left open, okay not true only a few days of making it Luna had simply banished it.
"Yes."
"You get yours?"
"I did."
"Oooo he's gonna hate us."
"He already sort of does, well no, he's just gets tired of us."
"True." Harry walked through to Lunas room, leaning against the wall as he waited. "You ready?"
"Yeah. Tom fell asleep again though." Harry snorted and Luna was right, as she usually was, they found Tom slumped against his dresser, asleep and half dressed.
"Tommy boy." He shot awake, pulling on his robe and buttoning it as if nothing was wrong. "Take this, doll face. Can't have you fall asleep whilst apparating." Harry tossed a pepper-up potion at him. "And if you don't start sleeping properly I'll spike you with sleeping potion. You aren't stupid you know full well how important sleep is to be able to function and actually learn." Tom scowled but took the potion and stormed out of his room, oh he forgot how distasteful teen Tom was. Finding Tom in the entrance Harry grabbed onto the boy and took Luna's hand, apparating them into an alley just outside of The Leaky Cauldron. It was just easier to apparate into the muggle world than it was the magical world, well as long as a muggle didn't spot you anyways.
"We'll get you new robes but do you need a new trunk, what condition is yours in?"
"I don't need new robes."
"I know full well that you went with second hand robes, which I can almost guarantee the re-sizing charms on have run out on, so you could buy more books. Now pull out of your orphan mindset and dig into holier than thou attitude for the time being so we can buy you your things properly." Luna had skipped off at some point, talking to a redhead further down the alley and Tom sighed.
"Fine, yes I need a new trunk. It only looks nice because of glamours and as fucking usual you're right on the robe charms as well." Tom looked as though it physically pained him to say anything positive to Harry but Harry grinned.
"Let's go then."
"What about Luna?" Tom liked her more than he did Harry.
"She'll find us when she wants. Besides she's taken me down a handful of times, no one else can best her." Tom knew that though, he had seen her take him down, even cut his arm or leg off more than once.
"Fine."
"Do stop pouting Tom, its most undignified." As he was so used to Harry was shot with a stinging hex that had him cackling as they made their way down Diagon alley, towards the Trunk shop. Trunks was boring as it so usually was and they made their way to Twilftt and Tattings.
"I didn't know T and T's did Hogwarts robes."
"Of course they do. Much better material and therefore more expensive. Most don't pay so much much for school robes but the expense and being T.T's also means they last longer."
"How? Sizing charms all work the same."
"Yeah but they use a different charm that's known only to those who work in the store, instead of stretching the fabric which results in the fabric weakening. Their spell hides excess fabric in void space and when comes time for re-sizing the needed fabric is brought out and the spell re-hems it. Quite a genius bit of magic really, void spaces are tricky."
"Right." Harry knew he just peaked a new interest for the boy and could only hope that the boy wouldn't completely burn himself out before Hogwarts.
"Hello, Hello. What can I do for you today, Lord Harry?" Mr Twilfitt came out the backroom, he had re-met the man when shopping with Luna so he knew him this life time also.
"Mr Twilfitt, Tom needs new Hogwarts robes."
"Oh of course, this way Mr Tom. We'll get you measured up right away." Tom subtly avoided the hand the tailor-wizard went to put on his back and went to a back room to be measured, before Mr Twilfitt came back. "Anything else Lord Harry."
"Yes actually." The man was kind there was no doubt but he also didn't hide the greed in his eyes very well, the man liked Harry. "Obviously Tom's robes but Luna and myself will also need some more robes."
"Of course, of course. We're always happy to do business with yourself and Lady Luna."
"I know." Soon enough Tom came back through.
"Your orders will be sent via owl post within the next 1-3 business days."
"Thank you, pick a long distance owl please."
"Thank you Lord Harry, good day."
"Merlin you have all the bloody shop keepers wrapped around your finger." Tom muttered as Luna caught up with them entering Flourish and Blotts.
"As if you don't." Harry grinned at him and they found themselves running into the Malfoys.
"Oh Tom." Abraxas smiled politely, bringing his parents attention to the three just entering the shop.
"Abraxas. Lord Malfoy, Lady Malfoy."
"Hello Mr Riddle." Lord Malfoy greeted him with a handshake. Tom and the other three had been on better terms upon the reveal of his parseltongue the previous year, which lead to the surety of Tom being the Heir of Slytherin that almost completely overrode his lack of knowledge of his parentage in his new position in the Slytherin Hierarchy. "Who's this?" The blond mans attention was on Harry and Luna now.
"They're are, I suppose, my adoptive siblings. Harry and Luna." Harry shrugged at the introduction, he supposed Tom wasn't wrong.
"You were adopted Tom. It's good you're no longer living in the muggle world."
"Yes it is."
"Ah Lord Harry." The shopkeeper's timely interruption of the awkward interaction was welcomed as she came over. "Your order came in and I was just about to post it to you."
"Oh thank you madam, good timing that I'm here then."
"Indeed, I'll have them by the counter for when you're finished your shopping." Harry smiled at the woman and she wandered back to the till desk.
"Lord Harry?" That was Abraxas at thirteen he hadn't completely perfected his 'pureblood' mask.
"Mhm. Well, here for Hogwarts I assume."
"Yes, I'm in Tom's year."
"I know. Luna please avoid the unstable books stacks, I really can't be bother... " Luna pulled a book from the middle of the stack, Harry caught the various falling books before they could bury her. "or not."
"Thanks Harry."
"Yeah." He reset the stack, staring over her shoulder to see the book. "Huh we've never seen this one here before."
"Each time is like spot the difference." Neither cared for the eyes on them as Luna flicked through the old pages, putting the book under her arm to buy later.
"Pretty sure it's Azrael's doing but it's nice."
"What about me?" Harry grinned as Azrael came in the door, he looked more human, still ridiculously tall but he was somewhere between six and seven feet and so obviously, at least to Harry and Luna, lacked wing and had gained iris'. Tom paled, seemingly figuring out who this was and his fear of death that stayed true no matter what time line it was, the Malfoys of hadn't though.
"Your little surprises Darling."
"Oh I see, I didn't think you'd find one already." The Malfoys weren't able to comment on Harry's use of wandless magic with Azrael's interruption.
"Luna found it."
"Oh well, that's different." Luna giggled as Azrael dodged Harrys smack, as Harry usually did to Luna Azrael hung his arms over Harry's shoulders and rested his chin on Harry's head. "So how come we're here? You couldn't just order all this rubbish?"
"We're here for Tommy, it's like a tradition I guess to come to Diagon Alley for Hogwarts stuff."
"My sentimental little thing." Harry elbowed the God in response and they turned back to the Malfoys.
"Well it was lovely to meet you all but we best get going lots of shopping to do."
"Yes, yes of course." Lady Malfoy nodded and put her hand in the crook of her husbands arm, saying their goodbyes and steering them away.
"You're so awkward." Tom muttered as he picked out his books for the year, and they paid for them at the desk, with the addition of Azrael beside Harry. Between the apothecary and stationary they bumped into the Notts and Potters who looked at Harry weirdly though that happened often enough that it didn't particularly bother him anymore. After shopping the four of them stopped stopped at The Leaky Cauldron for a late lunch, Harry ordered which left an incredibly uncomfortable Tom with Azrael and Luna. Well it was Azrael he was uncomfortable with.
"Oh look now you're the awkward one." Tom scowled at him.
"That's Death." He seemed terrified by what he just said as if Azrael would take his soul right then and there.
"Really, I didn't know." Azrael snorted and pinched his side.
"Give him a break darling, the boy's terrified of me."
"Well, I don't know why."
"Well perhaps he's more terrified of what I represent than me currently."
"I suppose."
"We should go back to the twins next time." Luna suddenly spoke. "I miss them."
"Which ones." Harry asked.
"Both, so it's be our original time." A waitress came by delivering their food, Harry thanked her with a smile that sent her off with a blush.
"You could go now you know." Azrael said as he nicked a chip Harry's plate, Tom doing his best not to react to the conversation.
"No, I want to finish this time line but when we die." Luna said, digging into her lunch.
"Alright, next time line queued up." Azrael grinned continuing to eat off Harry's plate.
"I literally got you your own plate."
"Your plate tastes better."
"You don't taste anything."
"Fine you taste better." Harry roared with laughter at Azrael's response whilst Tom went red, absolutely mortified, Luna sighing used to the pair together. It was true, Harry was an anomaly for the God, it wasn't exactly that he couldn't taste things but he didn't taste like a human, but like he could feel warmth from Harry anything that was Harry's or Harry was different. Like food.
"Can we go back now, before you say or do something worse?" Tom had apparently inhaled his food when no one was looking because he was finished, well it was more likely that it was just that Harry and Azrael wouldn't shut the fuck up.
"Such a spoil sport. Oh I wanna go to London first." Harry said, getting up from the table.
"I'll take Tom back, some of them need healing anyways." Luna offered.
"I'm not needed?"
"It's not terribly bad." Luna grabbed Toms hand and disapparated.
"Lets go Azzy."
"What did you want to buy?"
"Records and a player, well I don't know what shops are still intact since it's a bit blowy uppy. Wars are so inconvenient, why are humans so like just boom."
"It's in their nature darling, they don't learn."
"Well can it not be in their nature." Harry dragged them out of The Leaky Cauldron. "It's annoying as fuck and a bit boring at this point."
"You love wars."
"I like killing the occasional person here and there, there's a difference. Wars kill millions, fuck up economies and destroy all the interesting stuff like shops when I wanna go shopping, it's annoying. Like they already had a world war in this time line a couple years ago not to mention how ever the fuck many wars before that, humans are just shitty creatures really." They wander down the roads of muggle London, looking for shops with record players and music.
"Mmhm, keep me busy though."
"Which sucks arse for me 'cause I like having you around."
"Aw darling." Azrael ruffles Harry's hair.
"Shut up, I fucking know you miss me too."
"I do, yes." Harry snorted as he pushed open the door to a record shop, looking a little worse for wear.
"Hey, excuse me?"
"Oh yes."
"You sell record players?"
"We do."
"Cool, can I get one of those and one of every record you've got in stock." The shop assistant looked completely stunned at Harry's request.
"Isn't that a bit much."
"No I wanna annoy the fuck out of Gilly without getting bored. Besides Nurmengard's always so quiet it makes my brain itch."
"Okay, okay fine. You may need to make the shop assistant work again though."
"No, no it's okay. Just let me go get my manager." The assistant regained his wits and beggared off into a back room, coming back soon enough with the manager.
"What did want?"
"A record player and one of every record you have in the shop."
"I don't have time for you youth fags messing around like this, get your dirty blood out of my shop." Harry fumed.
"Okay well for starters fuck you, second don't have time my arse your shop is empty, third you just lost a whole lot of business that I will take elsewhere oh and finally fuck you." Harry stuck both his fingers up at the manager before storming out.
"Was that necessary."
"Yes, that little shit pissed me off."
"I saw that. Why don't you get a player and a few records from one place and go to another to get more records and so on, it's likely you'll get similar reactions if you ask the same request again."
"Snotty little homophobic fucking arsehole. Didn't they just get bombed a whole bunch shouldn't he be grateful and shit."
"I'll make sure he dies in the next attack."
"Nah it's fine, I'll come back later."
"Of course you will." Azrael ruffled Harry's hair as they came to another record shop this time taking Azrael's advice they got in and out of the shop much quicker and so on, until Harry was happy with his new record collection.
Azrael took them back to Nurmengard, dropping them off in the entrance hall to quite the bloody scene.
"Luna, I thought you said it wasn't bad." Luna shrugged from where she was healing some guys who's guts were spilling literally.
"I miscalculated."
"Dude." Harry snorted. Sending his shopping up to his room and rolling up his sleeves. "You didn't call me?"
"Didn't even think to." Harry shrugged and tilted his head, unbothered as he got to work healing various injuries, Azrael grabbing a stray soul here and there. Honestly you'd think wixen who were going out essentially into battle would know better healing spells, or any at all really but apparently not. De-cursing some unlucky chump, Harry moves around the opposite side of the room to Luna, re-attaching limbs and healing gashes and breaks.
Makes you wonder if they are even decent fighters from the sheer amount of injuries they all sustained.