What if He had a Choice?

64

He did not approach Lupin directly. That would not do any good, and he would need to cultivate a certain attitude in class, nonetheless, but he would approach the man...subtly. Through redirection. So, with a flick of his wand, a tap of a parchment, and an elegant scribble, he left the threat on the man's desk. Hopefully, it would get the other to realize the seriousness of his perilous situation. He would not be messing with Draco any time soon, more than likely, and that was what Tom wished. The boy did not need others messing with him. Not with Tom's own toying with the boy. 

The boy was Tom's. Whether Draco understood it or not did not matter, because he was his nonetheless, and it was not something Tom was going to allow to be debated and questioned by an incompetent teacher. Growling under his breath, trying to keep his anger under control, he slipped into the shadows once more, and made his way back up to the Hidden Room. He had other things to do, and there was much that needed to be cleared up. Draco was practicing his spells, Lucius was wandering around doing Tom's bidding but would regrettably need to have his schedule cleared up soon enough. 

There was a tension between Lupin and Draco's godfather. That was clear enough. Whether it was personal, or something less personal, Tom did not know, but he did intend to find out. If he could figure out why it was the two had a strained relation, perhaps he could manipulate it. 

Pausing halfway back to the room, Tom wondered. There was one more thing he could do. Although he despised such things, he took a deep breath, and made his way around, changing directions. Oh, how he longed to return to his precious little toy, but it would seem that Draco would need to remain in the Hidden Room reading his homework Tom had given him a bit more before Tom could rejoin him and quiz him on his work. 

It also meant that Tom was going to have to wait a bit longer before teaching Draco how to infuse his magic into a piece of jewelry. Well, he would need to find one first, something he had tasked the boy with doing, but he was certain his beloved would pick out something perfectly refined and elegant. 

Barring that, Tom needed to speak with the headmaster. After all, if the headmaster was not willing to do something about this, she would need to be replaced. He would not be having a headmaster of a school he would soon be the ruler of injecting prejudiced beliefs into the first year students he came across. The teachers had already been deplorable, from Draco's experience, under Dumbledore, he had no intention of allowing this sort of thing continue. 

There was also the matter of the fact that Boggarts were not a third year curriculum. Yes, yes, it was an opportunity one could ill afford when faced with the realities of war. After all, Tom knew how important it was to have your worse fear acknowledged, so that you could fight it. Asking third years with next to no practical defense experience, and on the first day of class, it was simply ill thought out, and he could not believe it had been accepted. 

Which meant if the headmaster was not entirely incompetent, she had not accepted such a lesson, which meant that Lupin had gone behind her back. Either way, Draco was his betrothed, it was a matter of pride for him to fix his issues. If Tom could not do it, he would eventually try and find something else...someone else to help him. Tom could not afford this, and this was not something he could accept. 

No, he would have to figure this out, but he was certain if the headmaster was decent she would handle things, and if not...well nobody was entirely irreplaceable in their positions. Well, barring himself and Draco. When the new world order hit the wizarding world he would sit atop it like the king he was, and Draco would be his beloved, right besides him. Obedient to his every whim, and submissive to his every desire. 

The picture was almost too much for Tom to bear, leaving him having to pause, heavy breathing, in an empty hallway to try and get a hold over himself. Closing his eyes to try and will his desire down he took several steadying breaths. He needed to finish this up quickly, so that he may return to Draco. There was not too much time left now, after all, but perhaps he could get a late note from the Headmaster. 

Tom had to handle himself,  because will was certainly not helping matters. Dark eyes gazed the empty corridors. He would need to find a victim to release his pent up needs on. He could always obliviate them later, it would not matter, anyone would do really. The thought almost had him recoiling when he envisioned it.

Changing directions once more, Tom raced towards the Hidden Room.

No. He was not going to allow any but Draco satuate this. It was Draco that caused it after all, and Tom was beginning to get impatient.