He had to admit, magic was a wonderful thing. It had been a long time since Fenrir had been able to walk about freely without people screaming and running in the opposite direction. Looking at him as if he was a monster..., which, admittedly, he was. However, he did enjoy a simple walk in the sun once in a while, and thanks to the glamour on him, he could walk around and do a little shopping while he was out. Unlike his usual grisly-self, he looked like a roguish, well-dressed 50-year-old, quite like everyone else walking around Diagon Alley. It was reminiscent of what he used to look like before he gave in to his wolfish tendencies; dark brown, slightly wavy hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, face unmarked by scars allowed his blue eyes to shine all the more brightly- he looked good and he knew it.
Though he was glamoured, it didn't get rid of his wolf senses, so as he was walking, looking into the shops he caught a whiff of a familiar scent. It was mixed in with other scents, but it was there: sunshine, chocolate, and applesauce. It had been on the Dark Lord too. Curious, he followed the scent, wondering if he could find out who the Dark Lord's mystery man was. He had to be really something if he had caught the Dark Lord's attention, enough so he had his scent on the Dark Lord so thoroughly. So Fenrir was surprised when the scent led him to two familiar people: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's friends; the smell was starting to fade, but it was there. They had recent contact with the Dark Lord's lover. There was also a very familiar scent, faint but still there, that he usually associated with the Dark Lord himself. But why was the Dark Lord's scent on Potter's friends? And How?
Without attracting attention to himself, he followed them into a shop and listened in on their conversation.
"...think it would look good on her?"
"I think she has enough clothes, Hermione."
"Well...I guess, but she's just so cute! I can't resist! Oh, I miss her already."
"Me too. It was good to see them. Harry seems pretty happy."
Harry? Must be Potter?
"Yeah, I wish we can see them more often, but I understand he's trying to stay hidden. He needs to keep Wynter safe."
Winter? Is that a person?
"She's his priority now, but at least he has Marque."
"I know, right? I was surprised, but he seems to be making Harry happy. And Wynter has a father figure, so that is a bonus too. And he seems really nice."
Father? Potter has a kid? Well, that explains the applesauce scent on them, but wait, it's on the Dark Lord too...
The magazine he had been holding slipped out of his fingers as it all came together.
"Fuck."
xxx
Fenrir halted outside the Dark Lord's door, only now hesitating. He had apparated out of Diagon Alley after his revelation and had practically ran to his office, but now he wasn't sure if he should say anything. One, it wasn't any of his business. Two, the Dark Lord may just kill him if he knew Fenrir knew, and three, he may be just blowing this out all out of proportion. Yet his nose was rarely wrong.
But if I don't say anything, and he finds out he may kill me anyway, he thought, pacing. Or he may not, we are friends...sort of. He at least tolerates me more than most.
"Fenrir, stop wearing out my floor," came the Dark Lord's voice through the door.
"Hey boss man," Fenrir said weakly as he opened the door to let himself in. The Dark Lord was behind his desk writing something and didn't look up when he came in. He stood there uncertain of what to say.
"What is it Fenrir?" Tom asked, still not looking up.
"Uh. Nothing much. I was just..." he floundered for a reason he was there and came up with nothing. Despite his worry for his life, he felt the words bubbling up and blurted out, "Potter! You're sleeping with Potter!"
The Dark Lord stopped writing and looked up at him. He looked pissed. Slowly rising, he asked, "Who have you told?"
"N-No one," Fenrir said putting his hands up defensively as he heard the lock slide into place behind him. "I just figured it out. I saw Potter's friends at Diagon Alley and they had the same scent on them that you do all the time. I just...put it together."
Tom hung his head and sighed as he placed his hands to support himself on his desk as Fenrir fretted in front of him. Of course, he would find out with that nose of his. "How much do you know?"
"Uh...he has a kid," Fenrir admitted.
-Fuck- Tom hissed and dropped back into his chair and let his Voldemort persona bleed away.
"I-It's true?"
Tom looked at Fenrir's apprehensive look, yet there was no disgust only curiosity and...pride? "Yes."
"And it's..."
"Mine."
"Holy. Shit." Fenrir stated in awe and collapsed into the chair in front of the desk. "How?"
Tom sat back and looked up at the ceiling in thought, wondering how much he should tell him. "It was an accident."
"So your cock fell into him by accident?" Fenrir asked with a laugh.
"Nothing so crude," Tom said with a slight smile, "But to tell the truth, I still don't understand what happened that night. I haven't really given much thought to it."
"What happened?"
"It was the day we captured Harry a year ago," Tom started.
"Yeah. I remember. He got away," Fenrir said thinking of how pissed the Dark Lord had been that day. Throwing out Crucio's all over the place and threatening everyone.
"Yes and no. He ran off and found himself in my bedroom of all places. Some spell or curse was put into effect and the next thing I know we were in bed together. I had absolutely no control over what I was doing."
"And Potter?"
"Same. He was...understandably upset after and I was...I am never not in control and it unbalanced me. And with Harry the way he was...emotional. I let him go."
"Just like that?"
"Yes. Later, I was pissed off that I let him go so easily. So what that we slept together. It wasn't planned, but I still wanted to kill him," Tom said as he thought back.
"But that changed," Fenrir prompted when Tom fell silent.
"Yes. I ended up finding him myself. In a small cottage outside a muggle town. What I found there..." Tom shook his head in amazement, "Changed everything."
"The kid?" Fenrir asked.
"Yes. The kid. It could only be mine. The time frame fit, from the time she was conceived to that moment."
"She?" Fenrir asked catching the word.
"Yes. I have a daughter," Tom said with a soft smile.
Fenrir watched in amazement as the Dark Lord smiled fondly as he thought of the little girl he had. It was not something he had seen before on his face. "What's her name?" he asked in a hushed voice.
"Wynter. A little unique I know, but I like it." Tom paused, thinking. "Things changed after that. I wanted to be a part of her life, so I left Harry alone and I would visit. I could have just taken her and killed him, but...I didn't want Wynter to grow up without parents like I did...and Harry. I also didn't want her to be around all of this," he said gesturing around them. "It's not an environment to grow up in."
"Definitely not. So you had like, visitation rights?"
"Exactly. I got lucky that Harry was so forthcoming, so I would go visit them whenever I could and focused more on my original plans. I had gotten distracted from my purpose because of him."
"And got back on track because of him," Fenrir added with a grin.
"Yes. Funny how that happened."
The werewolf nodded, "So that's why you had everyone stop looking for him." Tom nodded in agreement. "But...the fire." He gulped when the Dark Lord's expression darkened. "Are they okay?"
"Yes. Thankfully. I was able to get them out with minor injuries. I, of course, had to play my part and award them for their accomplishment." Tom explained darkly, referring to the two culprits.
"And the fact that they disappeared soon after..." Tom said nothing, but Fenrir saw the narrowing of his eyes and knew what happened to the celebrated Death Eaters. "Right....Just so you know, I won't tell anyone."
"Good," Tom said steepling his fingers, "I would hate to have to kill you."
"No. I rather like being alive," Fenrir said with a forced laugh. "So you have your own little family now," Fenrir said.
"I do."
"Good for you."
"Thank you," Tom said and he meant it.
"How old is she?"
"11 months. She's already crawling and talking. It's only a matter of time before she's walking."
"That fast? Wow." Fenrir and Tom were silent, each thinking their own thoughts. Tom on his daughter and Harry and Fenrir tried to process all he had heard. "You know it explains a lot. Now that I know."
"Does it?" Tom asked curiously.
"Yeah. You suddenly switched gears to moving forward with the Ministry and not on Potter. No one knew why; not that we were questioning you, but it was just...sudden. It had always been about Potter, and now it's not."
"I suppose when you put it like that, it seems weird," Tom said thoughtfully.
"Weird," Fenrir echoed with a grin. It wasn't a word he was used to hearing from the Dark Lord's mouth.
Tom closed his eyes briefly and sighed, "Harry's rubbing off on me. I meant strange. But there was no reason I could give that would be satisfactory unless I told the truth and I didn't want that."
"True," Fenrir agreed, "I still don't completely believe it and you are telling me the truth. Don't get me wrong, I am glad we are moving forward though. It's just, you were always trying to kill him."
"Yes. And that wasn't an easy hurdle to get over. I don't think it would have worked if Wynter wasn't there. Then again, if it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be in this situation."
"But it comes out in your favor, you are still sleeping with him. I can smell him all over you," Fenrir commented with a grin.
Tom chuckled, "Yes it does."
"He's good in bed, then. Potter?"
"Yes, very. Once I showed him how" Tom admitted. And he wasn't lying. Harry had become very daring in bed once he got over his shyness and nerves, it sometimes led to some very interesting foreplay.
"He was a virgin then," Fenrir grimaced.
"Yes," Tom admitted remembering Harry's distraught face, "But it did make it easier to figure out that Wynter was mine. There had been no one else."
"He's been good for you," Fenrir commented after a moment. At the Dark Lord's confused look, he elaborated. "This, here between us, talking. It's never happened before. I mean sure we've chatted briefly, but never like this."
Tom thought back on past conversations with the werewolf and realized he was right, they hadn't. "I suppose so. I never had the urge to share my life with anyone. Then again, I didn't have one outside of here. And I would most likely curse anyone who asked."
"True," Fenrir inputted.
"Which," Tom continued, "is why Harry tells me I don't have any friends."
"Who needs friends?"
"Exactly," Tom agreed, "Though if I were to say I had one, you are the closest I would consider."
"Likewise, boss man," Fenrir said with a grin and lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. "Sooo," he said scratching at his chin trying to break the silence, "From what I heard from Potter's friends, you met them? Do they know who you are?"
Tom leaned back in his seat to get comfortable, "Yes I met them, but no they don't know who I am. Harry made up a persona for me to elude them. I don't really care, but I do understand that Harry would be...persecuted if anyone found out that he had a child by the enemy."
"I see. Then what did he say happened?
"Rape by a Death Eater while he was here."
"Ouch!"
"Yes. Not very eloquent, but from his state of mind at the time, that was what it felt like."
"Because you couldn't control yourselves," Fenrir remembered.
Tom nodded in agreement. "He went with one of my followers, not me, who knows what would have happened if they knew that Wynter was mine."
"Throw a fit?"
"Most likely. From what Harry told me, the Order wasn't too happy when they found out he had a child."
"They didn't know?"
"No," Tom explained, "The fewer people knew about Harry's pregnancy, the better. He went into hiding when he started showing. To everyone else, he was out for special training to take me down."
"But he was giving birth to your daughter."
"Yes. Something I wish I was there for, but it was beyond my control."
"Not to mention you were trying to kill him," Fenrir added.
"True."
"So did Potter accuse anyone in particular? I don't have to watch my back do I?"
"No. He was vague and said he didn't know who it was."
"Good to know. So they're safe now?"
"Yes. I placed them in a safe location so they can't be found by the Order or the followers who are foolish enough to try and please me."
"Does it have anything to do with the sudden switch in meeting times?" To that, Tom stayed silent. "Right. Well, at least you're happy."
Tom paused. Was he happy? Yes. Yes, he was. Remembering the dark days in the past when he poured over plans and books in his dark office, snapping at anyone who dared to bother him; he definitely wasn't happy then. But when Harry and Wynter entered his life, everything seemed so much brighter. "I guess I am."
"Good. Even you deserve to be happy. Dark Lord or not."
"I used to believe taking over the world would make me happy."
"And now?"
"Now...I'm not sure. A lot of things have changed, especially my outlook on life."
"Yeah, well," Fenrir said, "Relationships do that to people."
"I don't think I would classify what Harry and I have as a relationship," Tom said thoughtfully.
"Well, what would you call it? Friends with benefits?"
"I don't think so."
"Enemies with benefits?" Fenrir asked.
"Mmm," Tom hummed thoughtfully, "We aren't really enemies anymore..."
"Acquaintances with benefits?"
"I have no idea what to call it. I'd rather not put a label on it. We just...are."
"Sounds complicated."
"We are complicated," Tom agreed, "And it makes no sense..."
"But it works."
"Yes. Yes, it does."
"Well, then keep your complicated family safe and happy. Things will fall into place on its own."
Tom raised an eyebrow in surprise, "That was surprisingly eloquent."
"I have my moments," Fenrir said with a grin.
Tom chuckled and shook his head, then shooed him away. He had work to do.
xxx
"Hey," Harry greeted him as he stepped through the door. "How was work?"
"Fine," Tom replied, picking up Wynter who was crawling over to greet him. "Fenrir knows about us."
"Fenrir...Greyback? Did you tell him?" Harry asked eyes wide.
"No. He figured it out."
"H-How?"
"He has a really good nose," Tom said and pulled Harry against him, making him blush, "Apparently, I smell like you."
"W-Well, you are around me all the time," Harry reasoned.
"Yes, but that's not why," Tom said with a grin and leaned down to kiss him. But he was interrupted by a small hand tapping his face.
"Dadee oown," Wynter requested, done with him.
"Okay, okay," Tom said pulling away and putting her back on the floor. He watched as he crawled away back to her toys, pulling them toward her and sitting down.
"So," Harry said turning back to his cooking, "How did Greyback take it? Was he mad?"
"No. He doesn't care. He seemed thrilled that I was getting laid," Tom said leaning back against the counter to watch Harry cook.
"Yeah, well. When is the last time you got laid before I came along?"
"I'm not answering that."
Harry threw his head back and laughed, and turned away to get to his spices. "Well, I suppose that's a good thing. About Greyback, I mean. He won't say anything, right?"
"No. I trust him to keep his mouth shut."
"You? Trust someone? Shocking," Harry said teasingly.
"He's one of the rare few that I do trust. Besides. He knows I'll kill him if he says anything."
"That will work too," Harry agreed.
Tom nodded in silent agreement and settled back to watch him. There had been a significant change in Harry that he had noticed. He was subtle, but he had found he watched Harry very closely to gauge his mood. Harry was a very private person and preferred to keep things to himself, which was why he knew Harry was keeping something from him. Yet, over the last month, Harry had been really happy. He still fidgeted around him and wouldn't look at him in the face at times, but most of the time, he was just generally very happy. It was slightly unnerving, but also reassuring. Tom had no idea how to make anyone happy save for himself (and even that was iffy) but Harry was happy, he could tell with the smile on his face and Wynter...she was always happy and anything made her smile. Like her own reflection which she recently discovered.
Which brought up the question Fenrir had asked. What were they really? They weren't enemies anymore and they weren't acquaintances, not with them sleeping together. And like he said before, they weren't exactly friends and they weren't in a relationship, then what was it between them?
Tom thought for a moment, trying to figure it out, then said out loud, "What are those older men called? The ones who spend money on someone younger?
"What!?" Harry exclaimed in surprise and confusion.
"I forgot what the term is called. And you are a part of the younger crowd," Tom admitted grudgingly, "You would know."
"Why do you want to know?"
"Fenrir asked me what kind of relationship we had and I have no idea," Tom explained.
"O-Oh?" Harry asked a bit flustered. They had never put a label on what they were and Harry had never brought it up. And now that Harry had realized his feelings for Tom, for him to bring it up himself made Harry's heartbeat quicken in a good way.
"I've never given it much thought, but now I can't stop thinking about it. So I thought maybe it would be like someone takes care of someone else sexually and buys things for them."
Harry turned fully toward him, his face completely serious, "Are you calling me a hooker?"
Tom actually looked shocked, "No!"
Harry laughed and turned his attention back to the stove, "I should hope not."
Tom came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist so he was leaning back against him, "Are you making fun of me?"
"N-No," Harry stuttered trying to get his heart under control, "It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. But I think the term you are looking for is Sugar Daddy."
"That might be it," Tom said thoughtfully, placing his chin on Harry's shoulder so he could watch him work.
"I don't think so. Not when we are both pretty wealthy. Neither am I a Gold Digger."
"Then what would you call this?" Tom murmured into his neck.
"I-I don't know," Harry said. He hated when Tom got all sweet and clingy, it made him feel all gooey inside. "A family I guess." He managed to say as he looked over at Wynter playing with her toys.
"I suppose so. Not really what I thought, but it will have to do."
"Ah!" Harry said, having a thought, "I'm your Baby Mama!"
Tom laughed and pulled away, "I doubt you want to be called that."
"It is true though. Wynter is our baby together."
Tom had to agree with that.
"Mama?" Wynter called questionably.
"I didn't call you, jelly bean. But you should wash your hands."
"An?"
"Yes. Come here, we'll wash them."
"Oke," Wynter said and started crawling toward them.
Harry then turned to Tom, "Hungry?"
"Starving." Tom said, then added, "Baby Mama."
Harry laughed, "Go help your daughter."
"Gladly."