"Father?" Harry asked, standing in front of him.
Voldemort hummed, lazily looking up from the book he was reading. Then he froze as he stared at him; his crimson red one wide as saucers whirling with strange emotions that Harry didn't understand.
"H...
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*****
Slytherin Castle
September, 1991
Marvolo picked up today's edition of the Daily Prophet, before turning towards the gossip page. While he doesn't put stock into such a thing, with his son's emergence into the public eye, he needed to keep tabs on public opinion of the Heir to four houses. Not much has been published involving Hadrianus yet, but Marvolo knows, it is only a matter of time.
After all, they didn't have much information on his son yet.
As he turned the page, he was both surprised and yet not, to find his son and himself the subject of at least eighty percent of gossip columns, with the Boy-Who-Lived making up the rest! Everyone seems to be enamored with his son, how cute and polite he was, how he is topping all the classes, and how fashion sense seems to start a new trend among the adolescent wizards, swapping away all the old traditions and fashion styles!
Marvolo snorted. Clearly, neither of them saw beneath the polite mask of his mischievous imp. He sighed, folding the papers back, and picked up the pile of letters as Davy brought them, trying not to dwell on how quiet the Castle has become since the child was gone.
He was bored.
Before the child left the entire Castle was filled with joyous laughter and mirthful glee, he hadn't realised how much Mother Castle had been laughing and playing with the child as well. She was so full of light and gaiety whenever Her Heir was around. Now that the said child had gone to Hogwarts, Mother Castle seems to be sulking, missing him.
Marvolo sighed, dropping the letter from his son on the desk of his study, his eyes involuntarily going towards the unoccupied giant furry bean bag chair beside him.
Now that his son was gone no one was here to claim that seat and read or poke around like a curious puppy, or talk his ears off, or annoy him into giving him permission to visit all the creatures around the Castle, or ask him to accompany him flying around on his broomstick, or fluster him with those weirdly uncanny yet strangely insightful questions.
Nagini, who seemed to still be pouting, was coiled up in front of the fireplace on her heating mat that her Hatchling had gifted her, probably yearning for the child's presence more than Marvolo, given the fact that she had spent every moment she possibly could with him for the last few years. And according to his letters, he seems to be missing her as well.
"Hadrianus sent you a letter," Marvolo informed the Maledictus who immediately perked up at the mention of her child.
":What does he say?:" The eager mother asked.
":Apparently he is freaking out after smelling blood and pain on so many girls yet none of them seem to be interested in visiting the Infirmary,:" He chuckled, ":He also sent you a letter in Parsel-script. I suggest you explain to him about women's menstrual cycle or at least suggest some books, before he does something drastic and probably embarrassing. :"
