My Slytherin Prince (Rewrite)

Chapter 16

Hayden told his father all about his classes and about the Tournament and about his troubles with Dumbledore and the Ministry and of course, his problems with his soulmate.

An hour and a half later, Hayden finished and had tuckered himself out. It was only midday but he had already exhausted himself.

Tom was upset, of course this wasn't directed to Hayden, but to the school. What was going on that they would neglect one of their precious students, even if he was a Slytherin.

Thing that concerned him the most though was the conditional Hayden came home in.

Hayden was pale, paler than he should've been, and he had tired marks under his eyes that dictated just how much sleep he was getting. His normally bright and vibrant eyes now look dull and lifeless and he looked as if he was being completely weighed down by something.

Hayden was currently curled up on the couch, shivering ever so slightly. Tom was worried. He had a feeling that this reaction had something to do with the mate that his boy refused to name, but he didn't know what situation could warrant such a response.

He wanted to ask Hayden to see what was really going on, but now wasn't the time. He needed to provide comfort for his son, hopefully he'll find out soon though.

Tom reached out and brought Hayden into his side. Transfiguring a couch pillow into a thick blanket, he covered his shivering son. Before he knew it, Hayden had fallen asleep against his side.

Tom couldn't be more happy to allow him the rest he so obviously needed.

About a half an hour later, Tom heard a knocking on one of the windows of the study they were in. Looking over he saw an owl sitting on the ledge with an expectant look in its eye and a waiting letter in its beak.

Wandlessly, he opened the window for the bird who landed on the side table by the sofa. Gently, without waking his son, he took the letter from the owl then watched as it flew off.

Closing the window, he opened the letter to see it was an invitation.

It was from the Malfoys, inviting him and his family to a ball that was taking place that weekend.

He would have to see if Hayden was interested in going. It might be nice for him to be able relax at an event that doesn't really hold any importance.

---

When Hayden woke up he did quite recognize where he was or how he had gotten there, but at the same time he couldn't really find it in himself to panic or even care that he didn't remember at the moment.

Lazily looking at the room he wasn't in, he realized that he was in his bedroom in Riddle Manor. Thankfully, whoever put him there (most likely his father) had the good sense to light a fire in the fireplace by his work desk.

He slowly sat up, letting himself wake back up before he started the strenuous task of trying to stand up.

For some reason, getting up from his bed was easier than his struggles that morning.

He had to find his father, he still had to discuss his plan on how he was going to deal with Dumbledore.

Hayden sighed, he was too tired for this.

Grabbing one of the blankets on his bed, he wrapped himself up and left his room so he could find his father.

Thankfully, it didn't take to long find him as he was in his study.

"Can I come in?" Hayden asked as he lightly knocked on the door frame.

"Of course you can" Tom answered as he gestured for Hayden to come in and sit, "I'm glad to see you awake again. Did you need something?"

"Actually, yeah. I was wondering if you would be able to help me out with my plan for Harry Potter and Dumbledore"

"What can I do for you?"

"Do we have anyone in the dungeons?" Hayden smirked.

---

Hayden shivered, wrapping his blanket closer to himself, as he walked down the spiral stone staircase that led to the dungeons with his father.

'How are you doing? ' Tom asked, worried for his son's condition.

"Alright, I guess? I could always be doing better, but, ya know" Hayden said, seemingly resigned to his fate.

Tom could help but feel like somehow, his son's pain was somehow because of him. He just wished he knew how to help him. Wandlessly, he sent a warming charm onto the blanket Hayden was wrapped in.

Hayden breathed in relief as he felt the warmth surround him again. Smiling, he looked over to his father who was still looking forward as if he had never done a thing.

"Thank you"

---

The staircase soon ended and opened into a small little room that only consisted of a door. Opening the heavy metal and wood door, a wide hallway stretched before the two with a couple of rooms that led to individual cells on each side of the hall.

"Is anyone even still alive down here? When was the last you put someone here?" Hayden asked, noticing the almost echoing silence of the dungeon.

"I can honestly say I don't remember." Tom began, "I myself haven't been down here in almost 3 years, but I know that many of my followers have been. There should be someone, I can't contest to how alive they would be though"

Hayden hummed in acknowledgement as he looked through the barred window in the first door. After a couple rooms, he finally found a sign of possible life in the third door on the right.

In the cell laid a man with scraggly, dirty brown hair and scrawny, thin arms holding his head up off the ground as he shivered in his sleep.

"Who's he?" Hayden asked.

"Hmm? Oh, just some Mudblood that thought they could make a difference. Disgusting" Tom answered his son.

"Do you have any plans for him, other than just letting him rot of course?" The ravenette asked, looking back at his father.

"No, I don't. If you want him you can have him" Tom said, giving his son a slight smirk.

"Oh, I have plans for him," Hayden said as he looked back to the man shivering on the floor, trying his hardest to sleep.

"Lets wake him up," Hayden said, a dangerous glint shining in his eyes as his plan was finally coming together.

Slowly but surly.