light shower . l.b

one

Riddle Manor, 1991

A childs laughter could be heard throughout the house, echoing off the walls, footsteps getting closer and closer to the office door. The doorknob turned and slammed open, and a girl, who looked to be about 11, ran inside with an envelope in her hands.

"Dad! Me and Mattheo got our Hogwarts letters!" She exclaimed excitedly, flailing her arms about and slamming the envelope on her dads desk. A young boy, also looked about 11, ran into the room after his sister, panting. 

"Jesus Delancy, you run fucking fast." The boy said, out of breath and looking up at his father.

"Language, Mattheo. It's great you two got your letters." They're father responded, looking up from his parchment. Over the years, Tom had grown to love his two kids. At first he despised them, wanting absolutely nothing to do with them, and frequently left them in the care of Bellatrix and Narcissa. As time flew by, he began to care for them more and more, growing a soft spot for the two. Tom couldn't feel love, but he knew that he loved them.

It wasn't until Halloween, 1981 that Tom knew how much he cared about them. 

The door to the Malfoy Manor opened, and all the death eaters close by stood up, anxiously waiting for their Lord to return. It had been hours, far too long for someone as powerful as Lord Voldemort to kill a small family of three. Bellatrix seemed to relax as soon as she saw Voldemort enter. She had never admitted it to anyone, but they all knew that she was in love with him. Not that he reciprocated it anyway.

"My Lord.. what happened? You look... well.. ghastly." A man asked hesitantly, he had platinum hair that reached just below the shoulders. 

"Enough, Malfoy. I want you all gone. I do not care if you live here, I want you to leave." Voldemort reacted, his voice laced with hatred. 

Everyone was quick to leave, not wanting to anger him or else they might've ended up as his next kill. Or Nagini's. As soon as the final person left the house, Voldemort, or Tom, walked slowly upstairs. He thought he would be able to spend the rest of his night in peace, until he heard a baby crying. He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing, and opened the nursery door.

Walking over to Mattheo's crib, he scooped him up. Truthfully, he had no idea how to care for a child, always leaving it up to Narcissa. He did the only thing he knew how to do, and he slowly started swaying Mattheo in his arms. Slowly and surely enough, his crying stopped and instead was replaced with tiny, quiet, snores. Tom placed him back in the crib and was about to exit, when he noticed Delancy looking up at him. Her wide, innocent eyes, staring directly at him. 

Not realizing what was happening, he felt a tear fall down his cheek. One tear turned into another, and another turned into a stream. Embarrassed, Tom left the room and spent the rest of the night in his office.

"Dad?" a voice sounded, interrupting his flashback. His head snapped up, looking at Delancy. He always assumed he would allow his children to address him as Father, nothing else, but clearly his word flew out the window when it came to his kids.