Keeping The Dark Lord (on his toes)

Chapter - 10 Trust is earned.......right ? ( dec 1992 )

On the 10th of December, Salazar requested that Harry stay behind in class and he almost refused until he saw the expression on the older man’s face.

It was the same type of face that Severus made whenever the Potions master decided that they really needed to talk about something, and seeing as the man in question was currently away for a potions conference, it could only mean that Salazar had decided that the two of them will talk instead.

He followed Salazar slowly as if he was walking to his doom, but the man simply turned around with a fond-sounding sigh, grabbed his arm, and dragged him down towards the Chamber of Secrets. Harry did his best to stop the old instinctive worry from clawing up his throat, even though he knew that the idea of Salazar harming him was completely absurd.

He hadn’t lived with the Dursleys in years, but that did not dull some of his more instinctive reactions to sudden movements.

Salazar didn’t seem to miss the sensation of Harry’s suppressed flinch though and he wasn’t surprised when Salazar slowed his pace and carefully removed his hand from Harry’s arm. Harry had read in Salazar’s personal journals that the man had often helped the students from his house that had problems at home.

They walked further in silence, with Salazar walking a little ahead of him, it wasn’t like Harry could get out of whatever lecture the man had planned so he followed silently until they reached the inner chamber. Salazar immediately spoke to the basilisk, who was apparently named Selene, and Harry almost expected the giant snake to start waving her tail like a puppy the moment she heard the founder's voice.

Luckily the basilisk worried more over Salazar’s scent than his looks, otherwise, they may have had a problem on their hands.

Salazar spent a little time catching up with Selene, but Harry could still feel the founder’s eyes on him as he wandered through the chamber. In his original second year, he had been more worried about surviving than exploring, so now he took the chance.

Finally, Salazar opened one of the pipes leading to the forest and Selene hissed in excitement. He must have seen the expression on Harry’s face because he reassured him that she knew to keep away from populated areas, such as the areas close to the school as well as the centaur, unicorn, and thestral reserves.

Harry then found himself gaping as Salazar hissed and a section of the wall opened to their left. Harry followed Salazar through and he was surprised to see a cozy-looking study. A house-elf gave a small bow before popping away and Harry was surprised to see two plates of food and two butterbeers.

He glanced at Salazar and the man raised a brow. “Both Severus and I have noticed that you have been eating and sleeping a lot less recently, so I am under orders to make sure you eat, explain what’s worrying you, and then sleep…exactly in that order.”

Harry smiled at the words before looking at the older man in surprise, “He knows?”

Salazar nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable, “Is there a problem?”

Harry snorted in laughter before he shook his head, “No, no problem at all, I just didn’t want to imagine him being with someone like the real Lockhart, that would have just been too weird.”

Harry was pleasantly surprised when he saw a flash of red just before the man turned away slightly, but then he frowned a little, “I guess that means you told him who you really are and not the part that you like him…”

He was about to add more but Salazar waved his hand and it took Harry two seconds to register that no words were coming out so he crossed his arms and glared at the other man, who merely chuckled and relaxed now that he was in control of the situation again.