Chapter Text
It was a gathering of sorts. The elite Purebloods and Minor Families search for connection or maybe rehash their agreements between their families of sorts. Held at the famed Dark Manor; multiple Lords and Heirs chatted as they await for their leader to show.
Yes, it was a gathering for the Death Eaters. A celebration for their victory of passing the Anti-Muggle Interaction Law, another step in distancing themselves into the hands of those powerless scum and taking their magical children to be raised into a fine wixen they wanted deep rooted in their culture. It was a good law, great even considering the fact that Muggles are never the creative sort.
Or, so they believe.
Harry stood at the corner of the manor looking at the place affectionately. On his hands was a Chateuneuf du-pape that the gathering offered to his guest, planning to drink a whole bottle, or smuggle a firewhiskey somehow inside to feel a bit tipsy. Then, he would probably if he was flirty this time search someone consenting to bed him and do their fun at midnights. Nothing beats a nice little quick sex at a random manor room and ditching their bedding in the morning. Not that he minded when his partner did leave. Merlin or Mortis knows he is absolutely horrible committing to an actual relationship.
Or his son would get them first; whatever was the fact for the day.
He eyed the Purebloods talking amicably to other representatives. He saw the Head of Sports and Entertainment Patrick Wood who was newly appointed after his brother Oliver was declared the face of the English Quidditch Team and his little brother just so happen to have some acquaintance with some heirs and things got to things he is now promoted to being a head of the Government which was great for him. Harry would give the child a thumbs-up.
He also sees Xia Chang which is Cho’s little sister chatting with Heir Parkinsons who last he checked are the faces of Witch Weekly contributing most of the articles and are basically the companies’ greenlighters if a certain event is worthy to be covered.
Harry supposed his son’s gathering would be nothing short of prestigious. Getting inside here marks your place at the British Aristocracy or their echelon something like that.
Honestly, dramatics.
While he was sipping his wine, staring at the guests and observing them. He felt someone touch his shoulder. Jolting out of his embarrassingly empty thoughts. He eyed the person who got to his space.
He has white-haired. He mused it was Abraxas or maybe Septimus with a face like that; shouldn’t be though. Last he heard Abraxas died of Dragon Pox and he don’t remember someone of that—
Wait, he had rather long hair and it was stylish too. This was Lucius Malfoy.
“Potter, what are you doing in this gathering? Only prominent people are allowed inside here.” Malfoy sneered at him and Harry raised an unimpressed eyebrow.
“You must've mistaken me for someone. I do not recall bearing the surname Potter, Malfoy.” Harry replied curtly.
He saw Lucius narrow his eyes at him and he could feel the judgement in his eyes. “Messy hair, tan complexion and a large build even with such small stature. I’m sure you’re a Potter. Are you a bastard, perhaps?”
“Abrax— No wait… Lucius? Merlin, you Malfoys are confusing.” Harry muttered primarily to himself. “I assure you, currently I’m not related to any Potters now. Maybe one of my grandfathers was or some squib who I got what I look like. Point is… the Potters aren’t my family as much as I look like one. You’re not the first person to mistake me for one as.”
Lucius again… Further narrows his eyes and Harry wondered if the pompous git can even see with all the judgement clouding the peacock’s eyes. “You better watch out then. Not-Potter. It would be a shame if you didn’t get out to this gathering.” In a swish of a robe, he left him and proceeded to approach where his son was probably preparing for his show.
Harry dismissed the peacock even if he was disrespectful. Abraxas would’ve rolled in his grave. Huffing, he got to his own wine and swallowed the sweet yet tangy nectar.
The lights dimmed and Harry braced himself as the announcement was commencing. He can see people murmuring in the background and a few excited chatters around him. He smiled nostalgically; oh how he remembers his scrawny little son just coming out of the orphanage. Look at what he had achieved on his day. One powerful wixen with political power to do so.
A loud hiss can be heard and the crowd shivered at that. Yet, Harry can hear his precious Nagini being dramatic instead of being actually terrifying.
“§” Oh did Nagini develop a taste for humans? He should scold his son for that. Humans are not good for consumption really, or not. Most snakes he knew would probably get indigestion if they tried to swallow a human adult.
“§Sure Nagini, I will request Barty to get you crates of Mice after this. Later the humans since you’ll complain again that your body hurts§” His son hissed back and Harry let out a sigh of a somewhat disappointed parent.
God, like he said… He shouldn’t have fed it to humans.
There was Nagini slithering at the podium looking at the crowd. Harry was amused looking at their fearful expression. Harry didn’t really mind it. Looking at the snake’s very limited expression, or expressive (Nagini has always been one expressive snake to their absolute confusion. Who knew that the snake would somehow twist their mouth and eyes to say its complaint).
Harry raised his glass and poured himself another bottle of Champagne this time.
While he was humming and blankly looking at his champagne. Someone whispered near him that he almost dropped the hundred looking galleon champagne glass that he instinctively stared at. “Potter? Do you have a death wish attending this place?” He heard someone furiously scold him.
He looked at the offending person and dear god Lucius de-aged himself. Wait— The Malfoy’s commonly have baby blue eyes. Who in the goddamn fuck is this one with grey eyes? Was it the Bl—
Oh… right. Draco Malfoy, he had to fucking deep dive scuba explore his mind to get that name out of his mouth.
“Erm… Sorry? Do I know you? I guess you’re Lucius’ spawn basing on your hair?” He replied and Draco and oh he was so adorable as Abraxas was sadly never this cute as he got much mature features already at fifteen as much as he wanted to pinch the child’s cheek. Circe knows Tom and Abraxas always hang out at their quaint mansion and he meant quaint just met the minimum requirement to be called a manor.
“Did too many Bludgers hit your head, Potter?” Draco huffed at him and Harry was really out of it to answer the hackled, raising adorable Malfoy and Harry simply replied with a shrug. “Wha—” Draco told him; he grabbed his hands and proceeded to guide him into a room where little guests can be seen.
“Seriously Potter, do you have a death wish? My Lord will be furious at you and he will draw out your death if he sees you. Merlin knows your family is far up in Dumbledore’s arse.” Draco hissed at him and it kind of reminded him of fledgeling snakes trying anfd failing to be intimidating.
“I’ll be fine.” He answered and Draco is definitely having a heart attack which… was a little inconvenient. “Besides, I’m not Potter as everyone seems to tell me as much.”
“You literally would pass as Lord Potter’s cousin; what do you mean?” Draco incredulously told him and Harry can see him lose his sanity more. “Wait… No, you actually look— I’m probably hallucinating.” Draco shook his head. “Anyways, I’ll map you to the back exit. I don’t want trails flying around this celebration. I pity the house-elf cleaning your remains if you stay on.
Finally, Draco left him and Harry exhaled in amusement. Oh how he was so worried. Really a rare sight for such a child.
Like he will listen, he would be a horrible parent if he missed his son’s announcement. Merlin knows it has been decades for how long he had been pushing this law.
Or not… He didn’t really keep track of time. He had been exploring East Asian Countries after his brief stint in the Americas. Travelling and making acquaintances for the last three decades would definitely take a toll for everyone. Of course, he never failed to send his son some trinkets from his travels and letters weekly to tell him how he has been. However, he did an inkling that his son would not be amused showing his face for three decades even if he did tell him he will be exploring the world. Merlin knows that Tom will place him in some lavish office and make him do Wizengamot shits even though he loathed them when he was the acting Lord.
He was getting off-tangent. He should get to the hall again to wait for his son talk— and he was already there giving his passionate speech.
Tom never looked over forty. Greying strands that gave him an imposing look, crisp robes that he had a suspicion that he himself designed basing on the snake decoration littered at the robes cause if anyone other than him did his robe it would probably be more subtle. But, Tom was never subtle in flaunting his powers and it shows clearly.
Harry affectionately eyed his son who was now speaking in front. Harry did not see Nagini napping, who was now a little confused.
“—act. We had a lot of opposition against this act. Those Blood Traitors who dare try to mingle with those… muggles. Who dared to threaten the Statute. They were always naive and it will threaten our World. Now… Our Children will be safe in their hands, however, we have to train our Obliviate spell as multiple muggles seeing discrepancies will be a threat too.” Tom rattled on and Harry attentively listened to his agenda.
Tom has always been a charming man. A speaker and presence that demands your attention. Harry has always been joyous when Tom came out of his shell and get what he wanted. Even if it— was not what he planned.
He never really wants to remember his old life. Full of hardships and tragedy that one would only see as an author dumping all of their burden in one single character. He never saw that one his life as he never experienced it. Life was supposed to be free, something that you had somewhat control. It was supposed to be something that you take love on.
He never got it at all. All he got was dead friends, dead relatives and manipulations left and right. He even faces slander frequently. He was miserable and it was evident with his disastrous divorce that the media ate up so much. Imagine really, a scope of the famed Boy-Who-Lived who taken out a dangerous wizard; not a stable relationship though. That was above him.
He weeped really, at his innocence that never was.
Arriving here, it was like a fresh start. Something that he finally decided to. Even if he did have to face troubles, especially the Grindelwald fiasco that he was the most stressed of them all. It was difficult that another obsessed Dark Lord tailing you that he had to sometimes change address with most in Fidelius that he had multiple unremarkable Wizards as the keeper. Even if— some betrayed the location (He never knew their fate, Tom always say he will handle those).
Ah Tom, it was like it was still fresh to his mind. A kid in an orphanage just wanting love and obsession to live from someone. Painfully relatable really. Even if the very young Mrs. Cole tried to deter him from taking the child. He didn’t care about her warning since he really just saw a child who was lonely who inly had himself to trust in this world.
Obviously, it was difficult at first. Tom was a suspicious child, but patience really is a virtue the day he saw him warm to him and finally trusting him a lot. Warming smiles, never the cold face he gives others. As a parent, it was his greatest accomplishment above them all.
Lord Voldemort, at least never a Genocidal Maniac. But someone with power held in his hand that the Wizarding Britain bowed down to.
Harry could’ve been a much prouder parent. Even if he did not approve of some of his other ventures. Like hiring children who are barely out of school. Couldn’t Viper wait a little for some critters to grow a little to figure themselves out? God knows existential crisis during their age is dreadful. He would know, a middle age crisis is never a pretty experience.
“§I smell someone… familiar.§” Harry heard Nagini hiss and Tom abruptly stopped his speech to take in what his companion just told him. Harry widened his eyes, did he blow his bloody cover.
“§What do you mean?§” Tom asked, hissing back. The crowd already softly murmured to themselves. His son’s highest ranked minions and they are minions. They’ve never really achieved the heights their grandfathers did, well maybe not Goyle there. He was never a Slytherin for him and his grandson looks like he would rather do other else than talk with another Pureblood which he somewhat relate to.
Merlin knows the amount of begging he did internally to escape a Wizengamot after one historical session. Which boiled down to other Lords stroking their own dicks in meaningless galas and being Lord Gaunt he was expected to be in there. The only one he talked to there was Aurelius Lestrange and that is simply the man had an interesting hypothesis in handling dark creatures and he had a cool Gobstone board that they very privately play when they both agree the gala was so stale a peasant would starve at the sheer blandness.
He missed him, his heir was not fun at all. Or he was, he really only hung out with Tom which was… okay?
“§He smells like… you? But much much older. It reminds me of a tortoise§” Nagini mused on and Harry huffed in amusement.
“§Did he smell, I don’t know… Like Treacle Tart and Death?§” Tom hissed and Harry widened his eyes. Oh no, did he get spotted?
“§Was it called Death? That is a weird smell. It smells like dead but not a corpse. I would know. He doesn’t smell rotting. He smells like the next mother§” Nagini hissed back.
The moment Tom clicked it all is the moment Harry was preparing to maybe floo anywhere. Should he go to some beaches, perhaps? The shores were very pleasant today. He wasn’t really prepared to face Tom this day and he really has no words to tell him. He saw Tom search the crowd.
And fuck, he literally shouted for him.
“FATHER!” He said and the crowd was startled at the sudden volume. Harry exhaled. He was always weak for Tom. He stepped up in front of him staring at his son who he decided was looking at him full of fondness. He pinpointed the moment his son lightened up.
Then Tom casted a strong wandless hex and he batted it away. God, Tom has always been a petulant child. “Tom, really? In Front of your guests? Didn’t I teach you how to greet them politely?” He replied a tiny bit unamused.
Still, his happiness to see his son is very powerful.
Crowd murmured this time and he inwardly laughed at the moment Lucius paled at his presence again. He had a feeling Lucius told him to Tom. He would never know, Tom has always been secretive to him if it matters to his gathering.
“Father, it has been long.” Tom greeted him.
“Later Tom… You have a speech to deliver, correct? I’ll wait for you in the manor dining room.” Harry waved and exited.
God… This got a little complicated. Oh well, he should delay his planned expedition in Africa. Spending time with his Viper is more important than whatever he will do there.
Hopefully, Tom does not drag him to British Politics. He can and will ground him if he sees a sheet of paper in his room. Lord duties be damned.