Death is but the Next Great Adventure

Dad-Hugs

In the last chapter: After Harry's birthday, he finally tells his parents about his immortality, but not about Tom. Harry has a curious encounter with a crow. Tom finally invites Harry over to talk. Harry tells Tom everything, including that Harry is Tom's last horcrux, so he's also still technically immortal. Harry and Tom play doctor, things get tense in the best of ways. Tom invites Harry back the next evening.

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Harry pursed his lips at his reflection and picked a bit of near-invisible lint off his sleeve before deeming his appearance appropriate for the meeting he was about to have. It was only a few minutes to noon, but Harry knew that was all he needed to apparate to Little Hangleton and find his way through Riddle Manor to have his second meeting with Tom. Actually, Harry had been in the process of getting ready all morning, but had purposefully kept himself as busy as possible with making sure every little detail was perfect, in order to prevent himself from arriving much too early and putting himself in an awkward position.

Only a day had passed since their first meeting, but Harry was almost just as eager to go back and continue to 'get a feel' for what Tom was thinking. In all honesty, their first meeting had gone far better than he'd expected. He thought Tom would hang on more desperately to what he knew in order to ground himself, that Harry would have to pry his beliefs and thinking models from his stubborn grasp but the Tom he'd met yesterday seemed reluctant towards his past-self. Harry really hoped that was the case. He dared to hope that he wouldn't have to destroy what he'd spent so long trying to mend. To him, it felt like he'd spent months tending to a sick, broken bird, waiting so desperately to one day see it fly. . . Only to have to snap its delicate neck because it pecked at him. Harry swallowed hard around the stone in his throat at that thought and straightened his robes as he looked to the clock.

With it being time for him to leave, Harry stepped away from his mirror and was about to apparate when there came a knock on his door.

"Come in."

Sirius slipped into his room, expression solemn.

"Harry, can we talk a bit?" He asked. Harry hesitated at the sudden request from his parent. For, he could sense that this conversation wouldn't be a short one and Harry would surely be late to his meeting. But Sirius had been oddly quiet over the last few days and Harry could recognize that the conversation was going to be important. He nodded and gestured toward two armchairs he had in his room that faced each other. They took a seat and Harry allowed his mind to go blank of any other duty he had that wasn't listening to Sirius, as he didn't want to give the other man even an inkling of his drifting attention.

"You and I haven't really talked since . . . since you told us about your abilities. Now, I've done a lot of thinking over that time and I want you to know my thoughts on the matter. I know I haven't been a parent for very long in the grand scheme of things—most parents get quite a few years of childhood before they have to be ready to deal with more important things—so I know I'm not the best at knowing what I'm supposed to do. Especially with you, Harry. From the moment I met you again, it was clear you've been doing things on your own, your way, for quite some time and I had no idea how I was supposed to support you, to give you what you needed.

"Over time, though, I realized that you are still a kid and even though you can take care of yourself for the most part, that doesn't mean you should have to. There'll be times when you know you can do something on your own, but you know it would be easier and less burdensome to have someone do it for you, or at least be with you to have your back. . .

"I realized that that's what you coming to us was. You've been handling it on your own for years without a problem, and you could probably continue to do it for years to come, but you allowed us in and now you're not alone." Sirius' dark eyes were earnest as he held Harry's gaze, even if his expression was tinted with an inner pain.