Chapter 11
Severus led the boys to the left wing of the house where Tom resided when he stayed with them. He could tell that Harry was becoming more agitated the closer they got to the Dark Lord. Draco was trying to get the child to relax by cracking corny jokes or just trying to engage the boy in small talk. It would work for a little while and then there would be silence in which Harry would turn back to his thoughts. Severus placed a hand gently on Harry’s shoulder and he flinched before trying to relax. He looked up at his professor and the man looked down at him with warm eyes.
“Do try to relax, Harry” Severus stopped and knelt in front of him. “I know your thoughts are running wild, but I guarantee you that you have nothing to worry about. No one in this house will hurt you or let you be hurt.”
“Yeah Harry!” Draco interjected. “And if they do, I’ll protect you.” The blond boy said while puffing out his chest. This got Harry to giggle. The sound was like music to Snape’s ears and made Draco beam at the boy.
They arrived at the study in no time and although he was still nervous, Harry found himself being able to relax only a little. Severus knocked on the door three times and opened it upon the reply to enter. Whatever Harry had expected the Dark Lord’s study to look like was definitely not what was in front of his face. Where he expected the room to be dark and gloomy with curtains closing out any light from the windows, the room screamed of authority. The walls were mahogany and there were book shelves lined up next to each other on the left side of the room. There was a large fireplace that was burning bright and only seemed to add to the warmth radiating around the room. There was a couch and love seat set that had burgundy cushions and a luscious rug lying under a coffee table. This was all on the right side of the study while placed directly centered was a large dark wood desk covered in neatly stacked papers, cigars and office supplies. A small cooler filled with alcohol was next to the desk. And behind that desk was the man of the hour- Lord Voldemort.
Contrary to popular belief the man looked nothing like people described and he didn’t look like he did when Harry met him his first year. That man had been hideously ugly and all around terrifying with his snake like features, pale skin and red eyes. The man before him looked like someone who would work at the ministry with Mr. Malfoy. His hair was dark brown at the roots while the strands alternated between a dark brown and peppered color. It was well kept and combed back, and the hair at the man’s temples were slowly but surely turning grey. He looked up at their entry and if Harry could describe his face as anything it would be handsome. Despite his changing hair color, the man hardly had any indication about his aging save a few lines around his mouth and a line or two on his forehead. His eyes were still red, but instead of the creepy allure they had before, they reminded Harry of a pure garnet gem.
Harry took a step closer to Severus, or rather stepped behind him and grabbed onto the hem of his robe. His professor looked down at him and placed his hand on the top of his head to reassure him. His deep eyes were open and soft in order to show Harry that there was truly nothing to fear. And if that didn’t help, Harry’s tension was eased when Draco let go of his hand ran to the Dark Lord with a shout of
“Grandpa!”
Harry’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open especially when Voldemort pushed his seat back in order for Draco to jump into his lap and give him a hug. The man chuckled warmly at the blond’s show of affection. Harry looked up at Severus and was even more shocked to find the man smirking but also looking at the pair with fondness. Potter looked back at the pair and watched as Draco snuggled into the chest of the most dangerous wizard of their time. Said man only squeezed his companion before laying a kiss to the top of his head.
“How are you today, my little dragon?” Tom asked as he leaned back in his chair to look at his grandchild. “We missed you at breakfast.”
“I know, but I had to stay with Harry. He was scared.” The proclamation made Harry blush which only darkened when both pairs of eyes turned to look at him. There was no malice shining through those red eyes.
“Was he now?” Tom asked while still glancing at the child clinging to his son. He looked away and back to his grandson when he began to fidget and moved further behind Severus. “What was little Harry scared of?”
Harry became flustered at the nickname and he felt like it was on especially with two people talking about him like he wasn’t even there.
“He was scared of you.” Draco said looking up at Tom. “He said you were going to kill him. Y-you’re not are you?” The child asked fearfully.
Tom ran his hands through Draco’s hair. “No, Dragon, I am not.”
Draco sighed in relief at the proclamation while Harry moved to get a better look at the man behind the desk, his eyes wide with shock. Even though his professor had been telling him that all morning, hearing it from the person you were meant to be killed by was much different from someone who knew them. Severus looked down at Harry and pushed him slightly in front of him when he felt the boy let go of his robes. The child didn’t fight it but he made no effort to move much closer to the pair across the room.
Tom ushered Draco from his lap so that he could get up from behind his desk. He made his way over to his son and the young Potter. He had to give the boy credit, he put up a brave face. He could feel the fear and anxiety even before the child walked in the room. Those emotions were even stronger now and he made his way over to the pair and knelt down in front of him. Tom, like his son, kept his expression neutral and his eyes warm and gentle. He had no intention of hurting the child and only wished to ease his fears. When he knelt in front of him, he kept his movements slow as not to surprise him. The boy honestly looked like a skittish rabbit.
“Hello, Mr. Potter”
“H-hello, L-Lord-”
Tom held up his hand, ignoring the flinch it caused. “No need to use such a title. You may call me Tom or Mr. Riddle if you wish.”
Harry again wore a face of surprise and Tom had to hide his smirk. “Y-yes sir.”
This time Tom did smile, and it seemed to help the young child relax a bit.
“May I call you Harry?”
Harry nodded. “Yes, that’s okay,” he said looking up into his eyes.
“Good. Now, Harry, Nagini tells me that you have been harboring bad magic.”
At this Harry turned his head towards the fireplace where the giant snake had been dozing. He could feel his panic begin and he suddenly had an urge to run. He would have given into said urge were it not for the steady hand placed on his shoulder by Professor Snape.
“There is no need to worry child. It is nothing to be afraid of or ashamed of. And I have asked for you to be brought here so that I could remove them and help you heal. Both physically and magically.”
Harry gave Tom the confused puppy head tilt and the Dark Lord could not deny that the child in front of him was anything less than precious and adorable.
“B-But I had potions. I’m all better now.”
It was Severus who replied to the child. He knelt down next to his father. “While that may be the case Harry, the potions only helped heal the physical wounds on your body. The weakness you most likely feel at this moment is not only due to your lack of nutrition but the drainage of your magic.”
“By removing the cuffs, your core will eventually heal,” Tom finished off.
The two fully grown wizards recognized that something was causing Harry to become anxious because they could see his small body trembling. He looked between the two of them before stuttering out, “W-will it hurt?”
“Taking the cuffs off will not be painful at all. The pain, or ache rather,” Tom atoned when the child blanched. “Will come from your core healing itself. As your magic gains strength it will feel sort of like you have exerted your body. Like aching muscles after a full workout.”
“But it will go away?” The green eyed boy asked.
“Yes it will,” Severus nodded. He ran his hands through the child’s hair to sooth his worries.
“When can we remove them?” Harry asked.
“If you will sit on the couch next to Draco we can get them off right now.”
The trio moved to the sitting area of the study and Harry sat next to Draco who had opted to read a book while his grandpa and daddy talked to his friend. He closed the book and placed it on the table, scooting closer to Harry for moral support. Said child sent a grateful smile to his blond companion before turning back to the in front of him.
Tom sat on the coffee table in front of the children with Severus sitting next to him. “Severus is going to help me since this will drain me if I do it myself,” Riddle said as a way of explanation. After that, the men had Harry hold his arms out in front of him and warned him to remain very still. The two began moving their wands in complex patterns above the boy’s wrists where the cuffs were. Harry could feel the magic pulsing around his wrists. The tingling was light and pleasant in comparison and the heaviness that the cuffs carried. They began to glow until they began physically vision. Both Harry and Draco watched in rapt fascination as the men worked. They watched until there was a blinding light that caused the two boys to turn away from the scene at hand.
Before they knew it it was over and there was a clunking noise from where the cuffs fell off and hit the ground. Harry moved his wrists in circular motions as if he couldn’t believe he was finally free. Physically at least. He felt tears prick his eyes and he did something he never thought he would do. The little green eyed boy reached out and hugged the Dark Lord all the while thanking him.
Tom was shocked at first but let his arms wrap about the child as he cried.
“Thank you so much,” Harry hiccuped from his place in Tom’s neck. The man holding him reached up and ran his fingers through his hair as the child cried. Shushing him all the while.
“You are ever so welcome, child.”
Harry pulled back from Tom’s hold only for a second to give the same treatment to his professor. He, unlike his father, was slowly beginning to love holding Harry. He snaked his arms around the boy’s tiny frame and hugged him tightly. He let him go when Harry pulled back, only for him to move back into his father’s arms. The potions master could not help the slight feel of jealousy he had, and his father smirking at him let him know that the man understood his feelings. Nevertheless Tom held the child in his lap and cradled his head where Harry placed it on his chest. There were still a few tears falling down his cheeks, but they were happy. For the first time in a long time Harry felt good. He felt protected here in the man’s arms. A content sigh left his lips as he shifted to get comfortable before snuggling into Tom’s chest.
There was rustling behind him, but he paid it no mind. Harry, who was suddenly hit with a wave of fatigue, closed his eyes and opted to sleep. If he had worried to open his eyes he would have found that, just like this morning, Draco was his mirror image. The boy had gotten a little teary eyed when Harry cried, but like the dark haired boy Draco could feel that it wasn’t sadness. The malfoy heir had reached out for his daddy. Not because he was sad but because he wanted to be held. And Severus, having never denied his child’s needs, pulled his little dragon into his lap and rocked him. Since there weren't any further important things to deal with today and lunch wasn’t for another hour or so, Tom and Severus made themselves comfortable around the fire and talked quietly with one precious bundle in each set of arms.