"Hey, weren't you all planning on going home after the party?" Hadrian asked them in surprise as he blearily made his way down from the Dorm. As pureblood's their parents had the pull to do just that, send Portkey's, let their Head of House know and bam they were back home in their manors for the remainder of the holiday despite signing up to stay. He was only slightly surprised that Tom wasn't there, if he got up early, he was always guaranteed to be in the library.
"Not this year," Thaddeus groaned, looking pale and sick to his stomach, glaring at Hadrian just a tad seeing he was perfectly fine. "My parents are having a large ball tomorrow, everyone was invited of course, those gatherings are extremely boring." well everyone except the Avery's. What Aiden had done hadn't just screwed him over, but his parents too.
"But the Yule ball isn't?" Hadrian asked would he ever figure these people out? Watching as they banished the wrapping paper that had been used to wrap their Christmas presents which they'd already opened by the look of things.
"Our parents would be there," Carrow explained, grimacing, "We would be expected to be on our best behaviour, sit like little good heirs and speak only when spoken to." he avoided them as much as he could; the worst one was definitely going to be his seventeenth birthday. Despite the extravagant gifts he'd get, it was going to be the most boring day of his life, the only upside? He could legally drink.
Hadrian nodded thoughtfully, wondering idly if he had been brought up by his parents if he would feel the same. Bored of all the parties, knowing his dad…there would have been a few amusing parts to the whole thing. James Potter had been a prankster at heart, even after he grew up, although he had no empathy for those he tormented in the name of fun. His pranks were harmful in nature, made him have a lot of enemies, of the pissed off kind not murderous although that might depend on who was asked.
"By the way Hadrian, the pocket watch? It's brilliant, thank you," Thaddeus said excitedly, it wasn't plain like the one his parents had given him years ago, it was green, with the Slytherin coat of arms on it, it was like he had actually made it himself or altered it at least.
"Glad you liked it," Hadrian replied wryly, it was difficult as hell to buy for the guys who already had everything they could possibly want. He'd never had that problem before; Ron was fine with sweets or something similar and books for Hermione. His heart hurt just thinking about them, what they'd done to him, how they'd so easily discarded seven years of friendship and actually tried to kill him multiple times over the years. He rarely thought about them, at least by name, it certainly caught him unaware.
"Aren't you going to open yours?" Rosier prompted, still a little unsure since he hadn't been part of the 'main' group as long as the others that's not to say he wasn't confident and full of himself, he never displayed his insecurity that was a death sentence in Slytherin especially while moving up the hierarchy.
"Probably after breakfast," Harry said shrugging indifferently, growing up with the Dursley's had certainly made sure he didn't expect things from anyone, although it made him feel great that people did want to give him a gift. Even if some of them are way over the top expensive, but that was pureblood's for you. Glancing over at the Christmas tree, he saw that it was completely empty, the gifts had obviously been moved to the dorms at some point - he honestly hadn't noticed.
"Man you did that last year," Thaddeus said shaking his head, groaning as his head throbbed.
"Why haven't you taken a potion?" Hadrian asked drolly.
"Slughorn is keeping the potions locked up," Thaddeus groaned in despair.
"I like him," Hadrian grinned widely, finding it amusing, he was letting them suffer, at least for now. He'd bet Slughorn helped them before they went to breakfast, he wouldn't let the Slytherin's lose house points. He was as mad as McGonagall would get in future when it came to being the best house.
Thaddeus just glared some more, he wasn't sure how much longer he could wait for Slughorn to take pity on them. The thought of a big mug of coffee was very appealing; it would help his stomach for one which felt like it was trying to climb out of his body. He was tired; he'd spent half the night puking in the toilet, the thought of actually eating was making it roll. "That's it I'm not waiting anymore." he declared.
"You don't have to," Rabastian Lestrange stated as he walked in, he had a tray of vials in his hands.
"Did you brew them?" Hadrian enquired curiously, as the door closed behind him nosily since nobody was holding.
"No, Slughorn caught me on my way back to the common room," Lestrange explained. "I also got a copy of your book for Christmas,"
Hadrian blinked blankly, "Wait, your parents actually bought you the book?"
"Yeah," Rabastian said nodding, "I've already read the first few chapters, and it's brilliant by the way,"
"That's a surprise," Hadrian admitted, leaning back in his chair thoughtfully, he'd assumed the purebloods would avoid the book and declare it nonsense.
"Why?" Rosier asked.
"Because it totally denounces their belief," Hadrian explained, "Pureblood's especially, it contradicts the belief they've been fed for generations, I honestly didn't think they'd read it, you know assumed they would blacklist it and continue on with the conviction that marrying within your family makes you stronger not weaker."
"No, it's a well rounded argument, if it can be called that, you covered all your bases," Rabastian, "I'm not that far in and I can see that myself. I really can't wait to read the rest of it, so let's go get breakfast so I can." he added impatiently.
The others were too busy sighing in appreciation when they took the potions to respond.
"Should have walked slower," Hadrian smirked, as he stood, "That isn't enough for everyone that drank." he observed the numbers of potions from the tray. His words had the other Slytherin's who had remained sitting slouched bolt upright to get their own hangover potion before they ran out.
"You did that on purpose," Rabastian commented as he began walking, the others would come when they were ready.
"Doesn't make it any less true," Hadrian laughed in amusement. Opening the door they both left, letting the others come when they may.
"Why didn't you drink with us last night?" Rabastian asked curiously, facing Harry, maybe he would find out why Tom didn't either. Both of his best friends acted like old men, didn't have fun, didn't let loose, didn't drink, sat and talked at parties, it was exactly how his grandfather was.
"Why is drinking so important to you?" Hadrian answered the question with a question of his own. "All it results in is people thinking they need to drink as an excuse to have fun."
"It's a rite of passage!" Rabastian exclaimed, "Everyone drinks…well nearly everyone."
"Well I'll pass that particular rite of passage, there's nothing fun about drinking then spending your night puking in the toilets, telling yourself you wouldn't do it again but only to - yes, do it all over again." Hadrian told him wryly. Even as a teenager he hadn't been bothered about drink, probably a result of his uncles drinking habits, drinking whiskey and scotch in large glasses like it was juice every night. In fact Seamus and Dean had been the only drinkers in the dorm but it was light stuff.
"Have you ever been drunk? I mean something other than Butterbeer but it's not really alcoholic so it doesn't really count," Rabastian questioned, entering the Great hall, unsurprisingly the house tables were there - too many had stayed during the holidays this year to make it one table, which had only happened once during his years here.
"Course I have," Hadrian replied honestly, shaking his head, "More than once," his entire life had been turned upside down, of course he'd drank. Which he immediately regretted, how he had managed to get away before they caught him was anyone's guess. Sheer dumb luck that time. It was sort of why he refused to drink now, he couldn't let his guard down even here, who knows what the hell he'd say. "And not Butterbeer, which is my favourite by the way." he told Rabastian as he sat down, Tom wasn't here so library it was.
"Happy Christmas," Myrtle said hyperly, thrusting a brightly wrapped package under his nose causing Hadrian to go cross-eyed and place the egg on his plate, having just filled it up ready for a big breakfast, the others weren't eating so much, just single slices of toast - unbuttered.
"A book from a Ravenclaw?" Hadrian teased, accepting the package, "Thank you Myrtle, I'm sure I'll love it."
"Aren't you going to open it?" She asked expectantly, sitting down on the seat as if she did it all the time - which she assuredly did not.
"I'm eating my breakfast," Hadrian protested, but caved at the look on her face, "Alright, alright, I'll open it," pushing his breakfast aside. He ripped the brightly and perfectly wrapped package in half to get to the contents, and it was a book. "It can't be…"
"What is it? I can't read it…I had no idea you knew another language," Rabastian said nosing in, trying to see what it was.
Hadrian turned to stare at her, his face was a blank mask quite possibility for the first time since he met her, "How did you know?" his tone booked no excuses.
Myrtle blinked in confusion, "I've heard you both speaking it, I had no idea it was a secret…" she trailed off.
"Please tell me you didn't spread it around," Hadrian groaned.
"No, I didn't tell anyone," Myrtle reassured him, she hadn't really had a chance, she'd asked her dad for the book out of their vaults without telling him who it was for. It had come this morning so she'd wrapped it and given it to him as a present.
"Where did you get it?" Hadrian asked, as he reverently trailed his hands over it. Parseltongue books were extremely rare; they'd at one time belonged only to the Slytherin family, since it was only them that could read the books. They'd written books for themselves and their kids, so they compiled a long list of 'first editions' although how they could be called that he had no idea since only one book was ever printed of it.
"From my family vault," Myrtle said after a few moments of silence, as she contemplated on whether to tell him or not.
"You had a Parselmouth in your family?" Hadrian asked, his brow furrowing, could Tom have deliberately went after Myrtle having found out? No, Death had said her death was accidental, but he'd taken advantage of it, so obviously that wasn't the case at all. He felt someone sitting down stiffly next to him, and he didn't need to look to know it was Tom.
"Not that we're aware of," Myrtle admitted, "My great-great grandfather was friends with Corvinus Gaunt back in the seventeen hundreds, from what we could make out from Abraham Warren's diary it was given as a gift for helping with something secret, but the next passage never made sense, it was like he'd stopped writing then started again after forgetting he was half way through his own musings."
"Do you know what it says?" Hadrian asked out of pure curiosity.
"Something about a bathroom, the rest of the writing is completely indecipherable." Myrtle shrugged, "My dad's obsessed with finding as much as he can about the family tree. It was all he would talk about for months when he learned something new. We are all Ravenclaw's that piece of information was repeated a million times."
"The seventeen hundreds, right around the time plumbing was invented," Hadrian said flashing a knowing look at Tom, whose own eyes widened, Hadrian leaned over whispering, "Both of them somehow, despite being students managed to keep the entrance secret while installing the sink and creating the new entrance as we know it. They must have been brilliant; I mean a Ravenclaw and Slytherin working together? The fact it isn't widely known means he didn't tell anyone. Ever." to a Ravenclaw it was bound to have been extremely difficult to keep such a momentous secret.
"It doesn't mean they were students," Tom pointed out a flaw in his logic.
"I suppose, but it does make the most sense if they were," Hadrian mused thoughtfully. Turning to Myrtle he asked her a question, "Do you know what age he was through the journal?" diary was such a girlish thing, journal sounded so much better and manlier.
"He spoke about Hogwarts so he was at school, I'm not sure what year my dad would though, I only half listened." Myrtle admitted sheepishly. "Why do you want to know? The book is only mentioned once in passing, that much I do know he was disappointed - dad wanted to know more."
"This is amazing Myrtle, thank you," Hadrian said, grunting when she hugged him quickly before scampering off towards the Ravenclaw table with a quick 'Bye!'
"Girls," Hadrian muttered shaking his head, but he had a smile on his face as he looked at his book. It really belonged to Tom, this was his family's heirlooms that had been squandered, not this particular one, and no Corvinus Gaunt had gifted a piece of priceless work. Had Abraham Warren known what he'd been handed? Although one might question why he gave him something he couldn't read…unless…unless it could be learnt, maybe he had been able to read it? It could be spoken, that was proven.
"I don't get it, what language is it in?" Rabastian asked, truthfully he hadn't been listening, he didn't like Myrtle or the fact Hadrian had close ties outside of the house. Well it was more to do with her being a female Ravenclaw, than the girl herself.
"You completely zoned out didn't you?" Hadrian asked him green eyes glimmering in amusement. Catching sight of the rest of the Slytherin's making their way into the Great Hall looking much better than they had a while ago.
"Maybe," Rabastian said, his tone sheepish but his face never wavered from its set mask - ever the Slytherin even on Christmas day.
"This was written by one of the Slytherins, I mean the actual Slytherins," Hadrian answered his previous question, opening the book to see if his or her name was written down. Rowena Slytherin, Hadrian's hand trembled, this must be Salazar Slytherin's daughter, the date was right around the time he would have had children, years before he left Hogwarts. "Merlin, how could he have given this away?" he'd definitely been a snake speaker; otherwise the password wouldn't be activated with the language.
Tom was staring at it pretty much the same way Hadrian was - as if it was a national treasure, to them it was.
"Some friend you've got there," Rabastian whistled appreciatively, awe in his dark eyes.
"Yeah," Hadrian admitted with a choked laugh.
"Some friend for what? What's going on?" Thaddeus asked, going straight for the toast.
"Fried food is good for a hangover by the way," Hadrian pointed out, "And nothing." before looking at Rabastian, "If you do discuss it use the common room," knowing the wizard was probably dying to tell them all.
Rabastian nodded his head in respect to the demand, and understanding it for what it was.
Placing the book back in its wrapping paper to keep it safe while he finished his breakfast. This was a book he definitely didn't want to get grease or juice on. Seeing the look on Tom's face caused Hadrian to grin, "You want to read that right now, don't you?"
"No," Tom denied, eating his own breakfast without even pausing for a moment. While the book was enticing, really enticing his real thoughts were on the book in his cloak pocket. It held he bonding he wished to perform with Hadrian, he wanted them to be together forever, he wouldn't tolerate anything less. He was his, and he'd be damned if anyone else ever got to have him. And he hated the fact he was nervous, he never got nervous.
"Liar," Hadrian replied quietly, bumping his shoulder, "You get that gleam in your eye whenever you really want something." he added pointedly. He knew Tom well enough from both sides of life to recognise the signs. The only difference was there was no red avarice gleam in his eyes.
Tom didn't reply but Hadrian wasn't surprised really, they instead just quickly finished breakfast.
"Come on, let's head down," Hadrian said dropping his fork having finished his breakfast, wiping his hands on a few napkins before picking up the book. He was very glad he'd spent that small fortune on Myrtle's gift; she definitely deserved it after this irreplaceable gift.
Tom didn't need told twice.
Unbeknown to Hadrian...his life was about to take another spin. An emotional one - he had always assumed he would be alone after all.