60 Years in a Summer

Chapter VIII -Taking Care Of-

Beta: budchick

Ner words in this chapter: 935

"Talking"

'Thinking'

{Talking on the fireplace/Two-way mirror}

–Parseltongue–

Thinking in 3rd person POV/Dream/Memory/Flashback/Others

Letter/Journal/Book/Newspaper

Time change/Date of time

Change of POV

Chapter VIII

–Taking Care Of–

Saturday, 1 July 1995

HJP's POV

Harry woke the next day, feeling tired. He was hoping that Lord Black would adopt his Tom. Even if that would make his Tom a Dark Lord, he was still his Tom, no matter what. Damn it... his baby brother was the future Dark Lord!

Now what? He had learnt to like that cute little boy! And, at the same time, he knew Tom was going to kill his parents! Couldn't his life be easy for once?

Of course, things could only grow worse. His uncle had to remember that Harry existed early that morning. He stormed into the bedroom and yelled about Harry's running away the night before. He ranted about how ungrateful Harry was and how he deserved nothing that had been given to him. That he took everything for granted and that Vernon should have drowned him when Harry was still a baby.

Harry was barely awake throughout the rant; after all he had spent most of the night awake with Tom. But when his uncle raised his hand, suddenly something clicked in Harry's mind and he tried to run.

But it was too late.

–SYIAS–

Sunday, 1 July 1934

Harry woke up to seeing Tom kneeling before him on the floor, frowning.

"What happened to you?"

Harry shook his head, sitting himself and looked at Tom, checking him over. He was better dressed and better fed but he couldn't be sure and...

"Serpens! I'm fine. What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing, don't worry." Harry easily said as he looked Tom over.

Tom looked fine actually...

Tom raised an eyebrow at Harry and then looked to the side.

"Winky!" the house elf popped in. "Tell Lord Sirius that I need his presence immediately." The female house elf nodded and popped away. Tom looked again to Harry whose body was trembling like mad. "Don't worry? How can I not worry? You look awful!"

Harry pulled Tom to him and hugged him.

"I'm sorry." Harry mumbled into the boy's hair and the boy visibly relaxed.

Harry looked around feebly and realized they weren't at the orphanage anymore. Actually, they looked like they were in a pureblood house. The bedroom was in tones of light green and silver and there were shelves upon shelves on the wall filled with books, as well as one big bed for two. Harry was wondering why Tom needed such a big bed for himself when the wood door opened. Harry looked to the door to see Lord Sirius entering. The man took one good look at Harry and took his wand out.

"I'm no expert in healing but it will have to do." The man said as a way of saying hello.

Harry released Tom and Lord Sirius moved Harry with his magic to the bed. Harry looked at Tom as Lord Sirius started to work only to realize that he had dirtied his clothes.

"I'm sorry..." Harry sighed, trying to clean the blood out of Tom's clothes.

Tom stopped Harry's hands. He took off his robe and traded it for another one.

"I'm fine Serpens. Now stay still." The boy said, grabbing Harry's hands and placing them into his smaller ones.

Harry must have fallen asleep midway through the healing process. Suddenly Tom wasn't sitting next to him but by a desk, next to Lord Sirius.

"They hurt him... his muggle family hurt him!" Harry heard Tom comment in barely contained anger.

"Calm down Tom. Serpens needs you now."

"He needs my other self. Where am I? Why am I letting Serpens be like this? Why...?"

"Because you don't know where to find him. Serpens is hiding that from you to keep the time travel disturbance from happening."

Harry was sure he could feel Tom's eyes on him.

"How long do house elves last?"

"Centuries. What are you thinking about, Tom?"

"I can order Winky to go pick him up and bring him to where he will be well taken care off, can't I? Tomorrow... if she'll pick Serpens up tomorrow during the day it won't be a problem, will it? I won't be changing anything. It has already passed and..."

"Do you know the exact year for Winky to do this?"

There was a silence as Tom thought.

"I don't... but Winky does. Serpens brought her with him from the future after a year where I was ill. He was too worried to leave me for another year without making sure I would be alive when he would return... she won't tell me when he's from. But maybe she can... you know..."

When Harry woke again Tom was laying on the bed next to him, on his side looking at him. Seeing Tom that worried about him made Harry sigh. Any memory of what had happened while he was awake before slipped from his mind.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like this." Harry said huskily. His throat was too scratched to let him talk as he should.

"Was it your Uncles? The muggles you live with?"

Harry closed his eyes and leaned into Tom. His body arched in pain but he didn't care.

"It doesn't matter... I'm your big brother. I should be the one taking care of you. I should be the one buying you all these fancy clothes. I..."

"And as your younger brother I should protect you from those muggles!"

Harry pulled Tom harder against his chest, hugging him tighter.

"I love you, Tom... no matter who you are. I love you!"

Harry heard a sob and Tom grabbed Harry's front clothes tighter as he cried into Harry's chest.

(TBC)