The Fear in The Child

Rooms, Preparations, and Thoughts

He felt unsettled. He did not know what it was, but he was incredibly unsettled. Perhaps it was because he was honestly just so unnerved. He was within the Malfoy manor. He had only been in the Malfoy manner but a few times, and it was quite frightening to think, really. The last time he had been in the Malfoy Manor was at Abraxas' insistence, but now he was here with Draco and with Lucius, and everything was both so wonderful, and absolutely terrifying all at once. He could not really reconcile with the fact that he was even in this situation to begin with. It was, interesting. It really was interesting that Magic herself would see Dumbledore as such a vile creature that it would dare to bring him back. From the dead, if anything was to be believed, just to try and fix the crap which Dumbledore had done. Tom just did not understand why it was him, of all people. He doubted that he was Dumbledore's most hated person, and he highly doubted he was the one who hated Dumbledore most, after all, Draco seemed to hold Dumbledore in contempt, and he knew for sure that most of the Slytherins of his year and those within the House just on a general basis hated Dumbledore. It was practically a prerequisite to joining the house. 

While he was certainly flattered that Magic thought him the best candidate to make Dumbledore pay for all of the things that he had done, and Dumbledore had most certainly done quite a bit that he needed to pay for, he just could not help but think that there was a better candidate than him, of  all people. Sure, he was highly skilled in magic, and he was more than able to hold his own against many people who were much older than himself, and his magic was quite powerful, he was also incredibly vengeful and hated Dumbledore with a passion which would light all seven levels of hell at once, but...at the same time he was barely fifteen. While he was certainly happy not to have to go to that Orphanage again, thank goodness, it was unnerving as well. How was he supposed to manage to get at Dumbledore? Of all people? The stupid man was highly regarded among many circles, and he could not help but wonder if perhaps he had made a rather grave mistake here. If Magic had made a mistake. 

He could not think like that for long, as Lucius was happy to get Draco to direct him to a guest room where he would be staying until he returned to Hogwarts. The room was bathed in greens and silvers, as one could be expected from a Slytherin family, and it was quite comforting. Not many besides Slytherins could take comfort in the dim colors of greens and silvers, but Tom was a person who enjoyed the Slytherin color scheme. He had made mention of it several times. When he was at Hogwarts in his younger years, and he supposed, quite a long time ago as well, there was often contention among the Slytherins. Some of them did not particularly take to the colors quite well, Tom had no issues with it, however, and in fact reveled in them. 

"I know father can be a little, intense, sometimes." Tom smiled, but shook his head. 

"Do not worry yourself over it." Tom said simply. "He was quite polite." Draco nodded. 

"The party starts in a few days. I will talk to Father about perhaps helping you afterwards, there are a lot of preparations to do before that, and Father and I shall have to go with you to get you some robes." Tom's eyes widened. That would cost quite a bit of money, he could not do that to the Malfoys. 

"No, no, no, it is...perfectly alright. There is no need for that. I am sure that there is something second hand I can use, you do not have to go and get new anything for me." Draco pinned him with a look.

"Tom," He sighed heavily. "I know you do not like it, but it is something Father and I want to do. You are the guest of the house, and you are more than that, you are the Malfoy family guest. You have to be dressed well, and second hand robes simply will not do. Even if they are my own second hand robes and  are otherwise considered perfectly suitable." Tom sighed heavily, knowing that it was pointless to argue with the younger Malfoy. 

"Very well," Draco nodded with a small smile. 

"I will ask father if we can go tomorrow. It is best to get these things done sooner rather then later after all." Draco said with an air of bright joy. Tom did not really know what to do. He had been with the Malfoy family before, of course, Abraxas had invited him once or twice, but it was always unnerving and it was always frightening and he had to be extra careful not to let anything undue slip from him. It would not serve to have the elite of the Wizarding World Slytherin Purebloods realize that he was living in an orphanage where he was beat and starved, and held more bruises on his skin more often than not. 

"I will leave you to get settled, then, and be back soon." Draco said, turning on his heel quickly, and closing the door after him. 

Tom sighed heavily. This was going to be quite daunting. He was not entirely certain if he could handle this party. He had handled social interactions quite often, and many of them on large scales, but that was not what he was worried about. He was mostly worried about Abraxas. He knew that the Malfoy would notice him, would recognize him. They had begun to get along quite well before he had been abruptly ripped to this time, and he did not know anything that would have happened afterwards, as he personally had not lived through it. Sure he was certain that he could read about it but what good would that do? Second, third, and possibly completely false accounts of others? 

It was not as though he could simply avoid the other completely though. He was living under the Malfoy Manor roof, for the moment at least, and hiding would certainly be unbecoming. The best he could do, he supposed, was pretend he did not know anything. It would be better than anything else that he could come up with, and it was a classical Slytherin tactic, yes, but one which worked quite well even among other Slytherins. So, Tom felt that perhaps it was the best way to go.

He just hoped that his older self had not been as open with Abraxas as he, quite honestly, feared that he would have been. He was sure Abraxas would test him, he just hoped it was nothing too extravagant.