A Snake Named Voldemort

Untitled Part 24

Tom sighed, and once again resigned himself. This really was happening.

"Might I make a suggestion?" the woman who had greeted them before said, slightly timidly.

"Yes, please," Harry voiced eagerly. The woman forged herself at the young man's obvious enthusiasm.

"Why don't you go up to them, try and get to know them a little? You'll know the right one when you see him or her."

Nodding eagerly, Harry stepped forth, many pairs of eyes watching him with unguarded anticipation. Tom, refusing to move, stood by the wall and watched. What did it matter? It's not like whichever one Harry chose would ever come to care for Tom the same way as he or she was certain to do with Harry. Harry had a different personality than Tom did, and had an uncanny knack of drawing others in.

Tom saw the moment Harry spotted the one he'd unconsciously been searching for. A breathtaking smile overcame his features, and even in that moment Tom felt himself soften just a bit. He never forgot the reason he had even agreed to this—he did it to make his Harry happy. If it involved bringing one of these into their lives, then so be it.

Harry was now kneeling next to one with dark—most likely black—hair, placing a trembling hand on top of small creature's shiny locks. The object of his attention stood tensely, looking up at the young man with quiet yet adoring eyes. The thing then had the indecency to brush his grubby paws against Harry's trouser leg in an imploring gesture, and gave the most impish, toothy grin up at him. Laughing, Harry reached down and picked the cretin up.

Righting himself, Harry stood carefully, the brat nestled against his chest. His green eyes found Tom's.

"Him. What do you think?"

Tom scrutinized the would-be invader to their home.

"It looks stupid."

Harry shot him a glare. "He, Tom. It is a he. And he does not!" He dropped his chin to whisper in his new charge's ear. "Don't listen to him—your other daddy is just trying to be funny," Harry said while giving Tom a pointed look.

Tom studied the determined expression of Harry's face and sighed for the millionth time that day, not even bothering to react to Harry's use of "daddy" in reference to him. "If that's the one you want, I won't stop you from getting the mu—"

"Shh! Don't say it!" Harry looked anxiously at the thing (Tom still wouldn't think of it as anything else) as if worried it knew what Tom was about to say. Really, sometimes Tom wondered about his lover.

"Hmph, I still think a pureblood would have been better."

"You know that doesn't matter to me," Harry expressed, still cuddling the thing to his chest. He kissed to top of its head. "Really, you know there is no difference." Looking over at the woman still waiting by the doorway, he said to her, "We want him. Where do we sign?" That was all that was left, since they'd already filled out paperwork weeks before and the foundation had reviewed their files to ensure the adoptee would be going to a good home.

The woman beamed in obvious delight. "Excellent! I knew that sweet little gent would find a family soon enough. Come, we can go to the office to finish things up."

Smiling excitedly, Harry trailed after the woman, cooing all the way to the thing in his arms. Tom felt a twinge of worry when he noticed he was already feeling the beginning stages of jealousy. He knew that much of Harry's time would now be taken up by this thing, playing with it, teaching it, holding it. All Tom could think was there was no way the thing was ever coming into their bed with them, not even for nightmares or whatever. That was Tom's territory.