Meant To Be

Chapter 21

In an office at Riddle Manor, while everyone was asleep in their beds, Tom was sitting behind his desk doing paperwork. It was completely quiet with no one around, just the crackling of the fire, rustling of papers, and the scratching of his quill. It was quite peaceful and it was the only time that he was not bothered by annoying people. Not that he chose to stay up late and do work, but with spending so much time with Harry and Wynter, he ended up neglecting it and it ended up piling up on his desk. He wasn't complaining though, he would take spending time with his little family over paperwork any day.

Just thinking about them brought a smile to his face. Wynter, so small and full of life, looking at everything with such curiosity and joy. It was certainly a breath of fresh air being around her as she took in all the new things around her; treating everyday objects and experiences with such enthusiasm. Big, bright green eyes staring up at him with such love and trust; grinning at him with a toothless smile every time she saw him.

And Harry. Where did he even start with Harry? He was a pain in the ass, never doing what he wanted him to do; always got in his way, annoyed him to end. And yet...Harry was the most beautiful creature he had ever set eyes on. He had this boyish charm about him, a little rough around the edges, and most of all, he fought back. Tom couldn't think of the last time someone had to argue back, to get up in his face and tell him no. It was refreshing...and also very irritating. But that was how their relationship was; always challenging each other, getting on each other's nerves, and talking to each other, laughing, having fun. Harry could be quite an intelligent conversationalist when he actually used that brain of his. Speaking with Harry and making those green eyes darken in anger and irritation and how fast he could do it was always a game for him; though as time went on it got harder for Tom to do so as Harry learned to deal with him. But the harder the challenge the greater the fun and also the reward.

-Master,- Nagini hissed from her spot in front of the fire, -You have a creepy look on your face.-

Tom sat up and glared at his familiar, -I do not-

-You do, it is most frightening.-

Tom scowled and focused on the papers in front of him. He could hear her hissing in amusement as she watched him try and fail to be more professional. Tom shook his head and started worked on going through reports and plans on his next course of action. He didn't get much done before his mind was right back where it started.

Just thinking about Harry was enough to drive him up the wall; it made him wish he was back at the cottage. He knew what he would find here if he did. Deep green eyes, ones that Wynter had inherited, would stare at him in mild annoyance and amusement from beneath wild ebony locks that stuck up every which way no matter how hard he tried to tame it. Soft, full pink lips begging to be kissed. Creamy, sun-kissed skin that he loved to touch and caress; it still amazed him as to how sensitive Harry was when he touched him, no matter how many times they made love. And his legs, god his legs! After years of Quidditch training, Auror training, and years of running from him, Harry's legs were well-toned and lightly muscled and Tom loved they wrapped around him and held him tight when they moved together. It always made him feel so... wrong.

Tom sat up straight and frowned. No that wasn't right, it wasn't wrong. It felt great, fantastic even, not wrong. There was nothing wrong with it, it wasn't wrong. Nothing was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Something was wrong.

The moment he pieced that thought together, warning bells went off in his head and he concentrated as to what was causing it. He surged to his feet when he noticed that the source was coming from the cottage. The cottage that Harry and Wynter were; where his family was and something had happened to cause the alarms he had placed to go off.