Promised And Kept - Tom Riddle x reader

Part 3 - Disparity and Discrepancy

After another long day's work with Miss Toffana, you sat in the living room and waited for Tom to arrive back home as well. Nagini had curled up in front of the fireplace after her weekly feeding of mice, which Tummy had offered to do a while ago. The elf and the snake had become friends shortly after their first encounter. Tummy had found a liking for Nagini immediately, while Nagini had mistaken him for prey. After a rapid hunt through the house and some harsh words of rebuke from Tom in Parseltongue, Nagini had accepted that Tummy wasn't on the meal plan. The elf loved spending time with the snake and she followed him almost everywhere he went. In the beginning, you still hadn't been sure if she saw him as a friend too, or rather still as a tasty, large rat, but Tummy didn't seem to mind at all. Sometimes he talked to her all day long, which Tom found quite irritating, but you liked listening to him ramble from the other room. At least that meant she hadn't attacked him yet...

Tummy had moved in along with you after the wedding. It was seen as an old tradition that one of the parent's house-elves accompanies the newly wedded wife into the household. He was still proud that he had been given the honour to accompany you and gave his all to anticipate your every wish.
You had changed some things up and deviated from the traditions your parents had cared for though. Firstly, Tummy had been given clothes. He was free to leave but decided he wanted to work for Tom and you anyway.
Madam Malkin was ordered to tailor him a tiny uniform in dark blue, with red epaulettes and golden thread in the front. You paid him a monthly fee, established a timetable of working hours and had set up a small room for him to sleep and enjoy his free time in. Tummy had been enthusiastic ever since you had known him, but you had never seen him shine like this before. He seemed to work even harder to equalize the things you had given him and you had to ask him to take it down a notch day after day.
Tom hadn't been keen on the idea of giving an elf so much attention, but alas, he had given in eventually.

"Little Miss Nagini is fast asleep," the elf said, his voice low to make sure he wouldn't wake her up.

"You gave her more mice than you should have, didn't you?" you asked, knowing he spoiled the snake any chance he got.

Tummy put his hands behind his back, looked down at the wooden floor and twisted the front of his left foot from side to side. "I did. Apologies, Madame."

"It's alright, just don't overfeed her, or else she'll sleep for a month straight."

The elf nodded sincerely and looked back up at you. "I'll start preparing dinner now, yes? Master asked for your favourite."

"Please do," you answered and watched him leave into the kitchen.

Your gaze wandered around the living room and over to the shiny new TV that stood in the corner. Tom had asked Ben to take him to a store where he could buy one shortly after last Monday, where you had both seen your first movie at the cinema. He paid him back the cost in Galleons and had to endure another car ride. The things people will do for entertainment.

The TV at home wasn't as modern as the cinema, it only showed pictures in black and white and the program wasn't very versatile. But Tom turned it on almost daily nonetheless. He was fascinated - mesmerised. Every time you saw the TV from the corner of your eye, you had to stifle a grin, thinking of how reluctant he was before entering the cinema to now owning and using a muggle TV in his home. It was always like that. Tom didn't know something, loathed the idea of trying it, you pushed him and he ended up giving it a shot. Then came a few days of him not wanting to admit that he enjoyed it until he finally gave in and obsessed over it.

When Tom arrived and dinner was served, you met him in the dining room, where Tummy had already prepared everything.

"You won't believe what I had to put up with all day," Tom sighed as he gave you a quick peck on the cheek before he sat down opposite you. "Longbottom's unit is unbelievable."