Poison Ivy | T. Riddle ✔

[42] Inhuman Nephew

The table was set for breakfast when Perseus came out of his room. He was descending the stairs to join his cousin and her husband but stopped, because it seemed as if some others visitors were there as well. He stood still, not wanting to come down just yet.

The stairs offered a clear view of the living room due to the height and specific positioning. He wished to observe them first; preparing himself before he actually got to meet them. After all the years of captivity, he found it a bit difficult to interact with other humans. Therefore, he wanted to take his time, compose himself and then face them.

Demelza had gone to the kitchen, while Nathan was seated on the table talking to a child who seemed to have arrived with the other two visitors.

Perseus felt as if he knew them, he had seen the woman somewhere before and it was then it struck him that the two were probably Demelza's parents. Demelza shared a striking resemblance to her father though she had inherited the charming personality from her mother.

However, he couldn't recall the young boy but seeing him sent an unmistakably familiar lurch of dread in his heart. He felt as if the boy wasn't human; as if there was something very strange and dark about his very existence.

The feeling was rather similar to how he always felt around Tom.

"Perce, is everything alright?" He looked up startled to see Demi waiting at the foot of the staircase. "Are you not going to join us for breakfast?"

He shook his head, "I'm just... Coming."

She smiled, "very well then. Mother and Father have come for a visit. You see, they didn't bring Danny home last night because he had insisted on staying. But now they're all here and want to meet you." She waited for him to come down and join her so that she could accompany him to the living room.

"Did you tell them about me?"

"I had to," she replied, "Mother has been overjoyed to find out that you're back. She had been asking me to go and wake you up since long now but I had refused. I didn't want to disturb you."

"Demelza, have you told them about my memory?" he paused upon reaching her, "do they know that I don't remember them at all?"

"Yes. I told them everything and asked them to give you some time to adjust. You don't have to worry, they're absolutely fine with that."

He was about to say something but then the boy's image flashed in his eyes once again and the similar feeling settled in his heart. "Who is Danny?" he asked.

"He is my son," she answered, "his name is Eridanus but we all call him Danny."

Perseus grew silent, pondering over her words. Her son. Eridanus. That meant the child was his nephew.

"Perseus, do you want me to accompany you or will you come in by yourself?"

Her voice shook him out of his thoughts and he shrugged, "I... I'll come with you."

"It's alright, we are all your family," she resumed in a soft voice, "no one is going to judge you or hurt you. We only want you to be happy and well."

He nodded in reply. Internally, he was a little nervous. He was about to meet his aunt and uncle who had always treated him like their own son. He felt bad that he didn't remember them and that even though he was back, he was nothing like the Perseus they knew and loved.

But more so, he was rather uneasy at meeting the boy Eridanus. He couldn't understand why he felt consistently as if he wasn't a human, as if something demonic had latched itself onto the child's soul and was waiting to leash out, trapped inside his small delicate body.

Eridanus was Demelza's son, then why did he remind him so much of Tom Riddle?

He felt Demelza gently take his hand in hers, "come now, Perce They're all waiting."

The comforting gesture was much needed at the moment as Perseus looked at her gratefully. She understood exactly what he might be feeling therefore she wanted to put him at ease by letting him know, in one of their own silent ways, that everything was going to be alright.

Shaking away all the dreadful thoughts, he let her lead him into the living room. Everyone turned to face him soon as they entered. Belvina stood up, eyes welling up with tears while her face depicted clear relief and joy upon seeing him after so long.

"Perseus... My dear boy," she reached forward and engulfed him in a warm motherly embrace.

Perseus who had been a little uncertain at first, gently hugged her back. He was surprised at how loving she was towards him, it felt like a very different experience for him since he no longer had memories of people being affectionate to him.

This is what it feels like to have a mother, he thought, this is what family is like.

After her, Herbert too embraced him, patting his back affectionately, "you left us for too long, son."

It seemed as if he was experiencing such emotions for the first time. The warmth and safety he felt just by being with those people was a strange but comforting sensation to him. He had a family. He had people who cared for him. He was loved. Even though he wasn't what he used to be, he was finally back with the people who called him their own.

He sat down with them for breakfast. Demelza brought out fresh bacon and buttered toast for him. She had just set down the plates and was about to leave when Eridanus stopped her by grasping her hand in his dainty one, "Mum, who's this?"

Perseus, who had temporarily forgotten about the boy, looked at him again recoiling at the way his instincts were warning him regarding the child.

"Ah, we almost forgot to introduce you, did we?" she smiled, "Danny, this is your Uncle Perseus. Perce, meet Eridanus; your nephew."

He extended his hand for him to shake. Perseus was a bit reluctant, but seeing the boy look back at him with wide innocent eyes made him soften a little and he grasped the offered hand. "Hello, Danny."

A small smile spread on his features, "hello, Uncle."

Perseus internally rebuked himself for fearing such an innocent child. But the feeling regarding him hadn't subsided. In fact, it had only gotten worse by the instant he had shaken his hand. He just couldn't shake off the sense of something evil coursing through the child's veins.

And even though he was convincing himself that it was merely a superstition, he just couldn't digest the fact that the boy's large grey eyes were too familiar to him.

Neither Demelza nor Nathan had eyes of that specific color and shape.

The only person he knew who had such striking eyes was none other than Tom Riddle.

And it was this fact which disturbed him even more than his instincts indicating that the child was inhuman.

***