Harry, for whom the night had waned pacing his room, the dawn came like a welcome resort when he felt Tom waking up. He immediately ran to the attic, put up the flight of stairs he had removed, removed his protective charms, and pushed the trapdoor upwards as he slowly rose into the attic. Harry saw Tom stirring on the ground trying to get up which he couldn't due to the heavy chains. He lifted the curse, felt himself disconnected from him and saw him jerk his head to clear it as he lay back on his pillow defeated.
"Tom?" Harry called out to him but did not remove the shield around him.
At his voice he finally opened his eyes and turned his head to look at him. "Did it work?"
"I think so..." Harry answered smiling. "I don't see any blood, anywhere... See for yourself." He removed the shield, swished his wand and the chains fell off him. As they did, a sigh of relief left Tom's mouth.
"Are you hurt?" Harry asked, his smile fading.
Tom shook his head. "No, it's... I think, it's the chains, they're really heavy... I think I got bruised a little..." He held up his wrists to his face to see and sure enough there were bruises on his wrists and as he sat up he felt some on his ribs and chest. The pain was difficult to take but it was nothing compared to the last moon however this moon was yet to come.
As Tom made to get up, Harry extended his hand for Tom to take. Tom stood up clutching at his ribs.
"I'll fix you in a jiffy." Harry said when he saw him limping to the rest room.
"I'll be fine." Tom replied walking away without stopping to allow Harry a chance to do so. Well, Tom could fix himself. Harry didn't need to do everything. Harry understood, he probably needed to get fresh.
"Alright. well, I'll wait for you at breakfast table... And then we've got the birthday party, so, be quick!"
Harry left, he didn't want to make him more uncomfortable than what he was already feeling. Tom on the other hand felt like he couldn't breathe and he couldn't. The bruises on his ribs, chest and wrists were so painful he couldn't think of anything but the pain. But in this feeling there was relief because this feeling overpowered everything else, the hunger, the bloodlust, the urge to hurt and claw and tear... It all disappeared when he was in pain... all that he felt was pain, every breath was difficult, his entire concentration was on surviving the pain, he didn't have room for anything else in his mind and that was his relief. He could be among those he loved and not feel like ripping them apart into shreds. This thought gave him comfort, especially when Harry had invited the entire army over for the party. They were angry at him and if he got angry, things would get dirty. Only one thing was great about the party, it was scheduled at noon. All guests would be long gone by the time there would be a moon in the sky, Harry had taken every precaution possible.
Tom freshened up, changed and climbed down his attic slowly. He had put on a full sleeve shirt that he seldom wore, it was actually part of his Hogwarts' uniform, but he had only adorned it to hide the bruises on his wrists. If Harry found out he hadn't healed himself, he would have a lot of explaining to do. He entered the dining room to find Ginny setting up the table. No one else had arrived yet. When Ginny saw him a huge smile flickered on her face and before he knew what was happening, she had hugged him solemnly.
"Happy Birthday, dear!" She broke away from him, patted his hair out of his forehead like she had done several times to smarten up Albus' hair and failed tremendously but not with Tom. She didn't fail at all. His hair set itself smartly falling perfectly on either side of his face just half an inch over his shoulders. Feeling like a proud mother who had just fixed her messy kid Ginny smiled again. "This will be the best birthday of your life!" She kissed him on the forehead, brining a smile to his saddened face, although she couldn't figure out why he was sad his smile reassured her that he would be fine.
"Happy Birthday, mate!" The moment Ginny let go of him, Ron who had just entered hugged him tightly and patted him on the back a little too hard. Harry who stood waiting for his turn behind them saw a flair of pain flit across Tom's face but the moment Tom's eyes fell on Harry a smile appeared on his face, the pain vanished and he embraced Ron as well.
When Ron let go of him, Harry stepped forward but before he could say anything a small voice called out from the doorway.
"Happy Birthday, Tom!" It was Alex. He ran into the room but stopped a few steps short of Tom. After Tom had ignored him for the past two days, he wasn't quite sure if he really wanted him around but he had to wish him. "I brought you a present!" He held out a small package wrapped in pink.
Tom knelt down in front of him. "Are you sure it's mine?" He asked staring at it strangely.
"Yeah, why?" Alex asked taken aback.
"Well, it's pink... it's not really my colour..." Tom winked at him, Alex understood and smiled finally.
"Oh, that's because I asked Lily to wrap it up for me, she probably didn't think about colours..."
"Well, mind showing me what it is?" Tom asked looking very curious.
Alex smiled widely. "It's the best you'll get this year!" He ripped open the package, opened up a small box and inside it was a fat, multi-colour wrapped toffee.
"Uh.. what's that?" Tom asked now actually confused.
Alex started excitedly. "I asked Uncle George to make me a sweet that countered the effects of Nosebleed Nougat and make it function like it can cease bleeding from all wounds... I figured you could use something like that..."
Tom looked at him, then up at everyone else all of whom were in the same state he was, about to burst out and the next second they were all laughing. Poor Alex, sat amongst them quite lost at what was so funny.
Tom laughed so hard he nearly forgot he had bruised ribs. He ended up coughing but covered it up quickly with a smile as he turned back to Alex. "Give me that," He was quite embarrassed but he took the sweet from him and pocketed it. "Thank you, but let me assure you, I will not be needing it." He stood up grabbing Alex as he went up, carrying him in his arms.
Alex was still quite lost. "What was so funny?" He asked after he settled comfortably in Tom's arms.
"He was." Before Tom could answer, Dudley answered from the doorway. "You see Alex, he gets into trouble so much that now we need sweets that can help heal him... And now, I am not the only one pointing that out, so are you..." He raised his hand in a high five as Alex gave him one smiling. "And you..." Dudley turned to Tom. "You should be more embarrassed than you look!" Tom laughed out again as did Harry and Ron. "A little boy knows how clumsy you are, when are you going to grow up?"
"My apologies," Tom smiled replying Duds amusingly. "Is 22 old enough, that's what I turn today, you know."
"Definitely!" Duds replied smiling evenly and hugging him lightly.
"Mind stepping out for a bit?" A gruff voice called out from the window and they all turned to it. It was Porch. "Happy Birthday, Tom!" He wished him from the window then pointed at his other hand. "Got your cake! Come outside and see." Porch couldn't obviously come in. He was too big to be allowed. But they could go outside. Before anyone else, Alex jumped down from Tom's arms to run out and as he did he held onto to Tom's wrist to steady himself as he landed on the ground. Alex didn't notice when Tom grabbed his wrist massaging it as he went but Harry did and the moment their eyes met Tom let go of his wrist and turned to Hermione who had just entered ignoring Harry completely.
"Happy Birthday!" Hermione wished him as she extended her present to him.
Tom smiled and took it as Hermione stood with her hands folded again. He was beginning to understand her now. She apparently didn't like hugging people around. He knew someone else who didn't either but he couldn't even bear to think of him. The very thought of him made him sad and in today's case angry. "What is it?" He asked her.
"Open it."
Tom opened the small package. There was a small box inside. When he opened it found something that he wasn't expecting at all. It was his fake galleon still tied to the chain he had put it in. Michael had pulled it out of his neck at Bolt's funeral.
"It's yours and it'll always be." Before Tom could say anything, Hermione said it.
"Thank You." Tom had simply no other words for her. This meant a lot to him.
He pocketed it as well. He was turning to Harry when Ron stopped him. "Don't you want to see my present?"
"My?" Ginny said raising her eyebrows.
"I mean ours." Ron said his ears going red.
"We prepared it together and I know it might surprise you but we would feel really happy if you accepted it."
Tom stared at them. Why wouldn't he accept anything that they would bring him with love? Before he could say anything Ginny brought a box and opened it for him. Inside was some sort of garment. It seemed nice but when he lifted it up he realized what it was. It was a robe. It was a wheatish cream coloured robe with a matching hat. It was an elegant robe with some embroidery on the borders. It was for special occasions and trending among young wizards these days.
"We know, you don't wear these and we know why. But this is our tradition, your tradition. We don't want you to miss out on it for anything. Wearing it elsewhere would be your choice but we would really appreciate it if you wore it at the party today." Ginny said before Tom could have a chance to refuse.
Tom didn't say anything. He couldn't define it to them, what he felt when he wore robes. He couldn't define the reflection that met him if he adorned it but he felt it was time they saw it for themselves.
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