Two for One

Chapter 50: Fancy Space Rock

Harry meets them at the train station and scoops up Credence and Gellert into a big hug. "How are you already this tall?!"

"Dark magic," Gellert answers brightly and for a moment Harry can't tell if he's joking or not.

Tom walks up then, followed by stares from several of his Slytherin minions.

"You can talk more business if you'd like," Harry offers, ruffling Tom's hair.

"With those ones?" Tom scoffs.

"Never mind, should have expected that," Harry admits. "Home then?"

"Home!" Credence cheers.

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Credence is so excited that he can't sleep by the end of the day and keeps babbling away to the snakes as he tells them all about Hogwarts.

"Almost fluent, that's incredible progress," Harry praises.

Credence puffs up. "I was practicing with the basilisk. Also, Tom brought home the basilisk."

"Of course he did, I expected nothing less," Harry sighs. "You want a mug of warm milk? You still look a bit jittery."

"Tell him a bedtime story maybe," Gellert suggests where he's also petting snakes. "Like the one you told us, the Tri-Wizard Tournament you had to compete in."

Harry pauses. "No, it was the Triplicate School Cup. And the main character in the entirely made-up story is James Evans."

"Whatever you say, Harry."

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Even during the winter break things have to be packed in because they couldn't do it during the school terms.

On the second day back, they're already getting dressed in fancy robes.

"Do we have to go to the charity ball?" Tom complains, standing by the front door in his cute little robes while Credence and Gellert try their best to tame Harry's hair into something proper.

"We don't," Harry admits, just giving up on his hair and batting the other two away. "To be honest, it's your money and if you don't want to donate it-"

"No, I mean do we have to attend? Can't we just throw some money through the floo?"

"Uh," Harry begins. "Yes, I suppose, but I would have thought you'd like to meet the people who will be taking the money before you donate."

Tom makes a grumpy face. "Let's set up a private meeting then, why do we have to go to a party with all those other people?"

Gellert laughs. "Don't worry, brother, I'll do all the talking, you just stand beside me and look intimidating."

Harry smirks. "That's going to be difficult because Tom is such a cutie with the little pouty face."

Tom ducks a poke and just apparates away himself.

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They ended up meeting Albus at the charity and he tours them around, excitedly explaining several art pieces and old relics being auctioned off. Harry normally wouldn't care at all but Albus makes it sound so interesting.

Albus was a fun surprise but the reason Harry pushed for this was because he wanted to see how the boys have changed after so long away.

They're always open at home, but they also keep things 'family friendly' and smooth out their sharp edges. They do it to reassure Harry, not because they actually want to hide anything from him, but it still means Harry needs to dig a little bit.