Holly & Yew

C16

Chapter 16: And Nothing is Wrong if Nothing is Right ... We're Happy Now and, Yes, We Practice Magic

PRELUDE TO HOGWARTS ARC (16-19)

The weeks passed and Tom ached for revenge on Mrs. Cole. It would be tricky, especially after the incident with the police and with the psychiatrist. Tom had no doubt that even though he had passed through unscathed after both trials, he was still being closely watched. Once was a mistake. Twice or thrice was a pattern. He briefly considered following through and reporting Mr. Cole's murder to the police, but he couldn't guarantee Wool's orphanage would stand Mrs. Cole being arrested, or if she wasn't arrested, fired. And if Wool's went down, he and Harry might be separated to different orphanages.

Mrs. Cole was decent at running the orphanage, even if she got into her cups on gin a little too often, so it would be most advantageous if she stayed in place for now. Tom would be temporarily appeased with a guarantee of his and Harry's safety.

He needed to figure out a way to merge magic into his voice again; like he had done to Amy and Dennis. He had tried practicing it on Harry, but he quickly found Harry was naturally resistant to being commanded around.

"Come here," Tom ordered, beckoning Harry from across the room.

Harry laughed.

"Why are you saying it like that?" he asked.

Tom glared.

"Like what?"

"All sing-songy," Harry said. "Like come here." He sang it ridiculously exaggerated, his voice vibrato-ing over every syllable.

"I'm not saying it like that!" Tom hissed. "I'm not an opera singer."

"You sound like one!"

"You are challenging my patience," Tom said through gritted teeth.

"You are challenging my ability to not laugh at you," Harry replied.

"Little annoyance," Tom scoffed.

"I'm not little!" Harry protested.

Tom smirked.

"You are so petite," Tom cooed. "So waifish and wee."

Harry lunged at him, and Tom barely dodged in time.

"Nice try, small one," Tom mocked.

"Small one?!" Harry snarled, emerald eyes burning the way Tom so adored. "You call me that again, and I'll give you a matching bite on your other hand."

Tom dissolved into laughter. He loved provoking this side of Harry out. His feisty serpent, fanged and fierce. Wild and wholly untameable.

Harry crossed his arms with great petulance.

"You're so trying," Harry said.

"You're so amusing," Tom replied, wiping a tear away.

_

_

_

Tom eventually did get the knack of it, though it required weeks of subtle practicing on the other orphans. He cornered Mrs. Cole in her office one evening at the end of summer.

"Leave Harry and me alone and I will never again mention or allude to what I know. You won't have to live in fear of the police turning up at the door for you," Tom said.

Mrs. Cole glared.

"As if I can believe you. You will be a blight on my pious soul until the day I die."