The silent, majestic entrance hall of Gaunt Manor welcomed Aurelian in solitude.
As he stepped through the door, the young lord removed his thick traveling cloak and held it out, and it floated on its own to the coat rack. For the first time in a very long while, the echo of his footsteps was not accompanied by the patter of Hestia and Flora's.
That detail still surprised him a little, but as he recalled the reason for their absence, a laugh escaped his lips. His fiancées hadn't insisted on accompanying him to the mansion for the holidays—something unheard of for them. Before saying goodbye at Kings Cross Station, both of them had hugged him so tightly they nearly suffocated him and whispered in his ear that they had a great many things to prepare at Carrow Manor.
When Aurelian, genuinely confused, asked them what on earth they had to prepare so urgently, they had smiled broadly at him, as if it were the most obvious thing in the universe. They told him they had to pack, sort, and prepare all their belongings, dresses, and the family heirlooms they wanted to take with them, because at the end of the school year, they were moving in to live permanently with him at Gaunt Manor.
Watching them leave with their parents, that determination in their eyes, Aurelian had nodded, realizing a small but important detail he'd overlooked: he had to start planning the wedding as soon as possible. Because knowing the Carrow sisters as he did, he was sure they'd demand that the wedding ceremony be held as soon as humanly possible after they received their Hogwarts diplomas.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Aurelian went upstairs and headed to his room. He flopped onto the bed on his back, letting out a sigh of exhaustion. He had come home from Hogwarts truly worn out. The academic pressure, the training, the politics, and his new ambitions had taken their toll. Now, in the comfort of his home, he just wanted to relax and do absolutely nothing for hours.
The mansion was unusually empty. At that moment, the only inhabitants under the roof were him, Wormtail , and Stinky. As Peter had told him when he arrived, Nagini and Barty were out enjoying an unusual "date" where Barty hoped Nagini would reacquaint herself with the world, and his father… his father was very busy with his work and wouldn't return from the Ministry until late at night.
After staring at the ceiling of his room for a while, Aurelian got out of bed with a big yawn. He stretched his arms and decided to start wandering aimlessly through the mansion's hallways, letting his mind reflect in silence.
His wanderings led him to the spacious kitchens on the ground floor. Upon entering, he found a peaceful scene—if one considered who was living in the house. Peter Pettigrew was sitting alone at a long wooden table, eating a huge slice of chocolate cake in complete silence, his gaze lost in his own thoughts as he chewed. Hearing the footsteps, Peter looked up. Seeing that it was his Master's son, Wormtail tensed for a second, but then smiled slightly and greeted him with a nod.
Aurelian, not wanting to disturb his meal, returned the nod politely and continued on his way toward the mansion's grounds.
The cold air hit his face as he stepped out into the backyard. He walked along the cobblestone paths until he found Stinky. His faithful house elf was bundled up in a small black wool sweater, kneeling on the ground as he tended to some flowers with extreme care so they could withstand the frost.
Aurelian approached silently and, without making much noise, sat down on the grass, right next to the little creature.
"Sometimes I feel like I don't thank you enough for everything you do, Stinky," Aurelian said softly, watching as the elf pruned a withered leaf. "You're always there to help me, keeping this house perfect and taking care of me."
Stinky stopped immediately. His huge, bright eyes turned toward his master, and he shook his head emphatically.
"Oh, no, no, my master Aurelian has no reason to thank Stinky," said the elf in his high-pitched voice. "This is Stinky's job. And Stinky is the happiest elf in the whole world for being able to keep the promise he made to Mrs. Elaine. Stinky swore to her that he would always, always take care of her little son."
Aurelian's heart swelled with a warm sense of nostalgia at the sound of his mother's name. He let out a soft chuckle at the elf's stubborn humility and loyalty.
"I thank you again anyway, for always being by my side," Aurelian insisted, resting a hand on the creature's small shoulder. "But I'd like to reward you with something, Stinky. I want you to ask me for something. You can ask me for anything you want. Money, a day off… whatever is within my power to do, just say it and I'll give it to you."
Stinky's eyes widened in astonishment at his master's offer. He lowered his gaze to the ground, nervously fidgeting with his long fingers, processing every word of the favor being offered to him.
After a few seconds of hesitation, the elf moved a little closer to Aurelian and, in a trembling voice, confessed his greatest desire.
"Stinky… Stinky would like Master Aurelian to never have any other house elf besides him," whispered Stinky, clasping his hands. "Stinky wants to be the only elf who serves Master's family forever."
Aurelian remained silent for a moment, moved by the purity of his first friend's request. He didn't want more freedom; he didn't ask for anything for himself—he only wanted the right to serve and love his family.
A broad smile spread across Aurelian's face.
"Consider it done, Stinky," Aurelian promised him with complete solemnity. "You are and always will be the only elf in my family."
Upon hearing the promise, Stinky's long ears fluttered frantically up and down, moving wildly with the immense and overwhelming happiness that flooded his little body. Tears of joy welled up in his eyes.
Aurelian ruffled the elf's head affectionately and let out a hearty laugh.
"Never change, Stinky. Please, never change."
The incessant scratching of a pen on paper filled Aurelian's elegant private office.
The young man sat behind his desk, reviewing and signing a mountain of documents and Gauntcorp's year-end financial statements. The only sound accompanying his work, aside from the quill, was the soft snoring coming from the large canvas hanging right behind him, where the magical portrait of Salazar Slytherin slept peacefully.
Suddenly, the office door burst open with a crash that made the inkwells rattle. Tom Gaunt crossed the threshold with his usual demeanor. The sudden noise startled the portrait behind Aurelian.
The abrupt sound woke Salazar immediately. The elderly founder startled in his frame, rubbing his eyes and frowning with deep irritation. As his vision focused and he saw who had just burst in with such poor manners, Salazar's frown deepened even further.
"By all the gods… does no one in this house have any manners? Let the elderly rest in peace!" Salazar complained in a raspy voice, crossing his arms.
Aurelian, completely unfazed by the dramatic entrance or the portrait's complaints, continued signing the contract in front of him. He dipped his quill in ink and kept signing.
"Hi, Dad," Aurelian greeted him calmly, crossing out an unacceptable clause on the parchment. "How are you? How's the Ministry?"
Voldemort walked to the center of the office and flopped down on one of the leather sofas. He let out a weary sigh and rubbed his temple.
"It could be better, frankly. Everything has become so tedious," the Dark Lord replied with annoyance.
Seeing that his son remained immersed in his paperwork without giving him his full attention, Voldemort shifted his gaze toward the painting. He fixed his cold stare on the portrait of his ancestor, who returned a look of utter disgust and superiority. Voldemort snorted with disdain at the painting's haughty attitude, initiating a silent but intense war of glances between the two most feared Slytherins in history.
When Aurelian put down his final signature, he set the quill aside and looked up. He immediately noticed how his father and the portrait were glaring at each other. He shook his head slowly, amused by the clash of egos.
He cleared his throat to break the tension.
"Tell me, Father… why are you so insistent on having me here at home for this Christmas?" Aurelian asked, resting his elbows on the desk. "I was quite comfortable at the castle."
Voldemort looked away from the portrait and sat up straight on the sofa, assuming his usual posture.
"I will be hosting a small, very exclusive Christmas party here at the mansion with our closest and most useful allies," Voldemort explained, interlacing his fingers. "And I expect, of course, that you will actively participate in it. You are my heir and the lord of this family; your presence is mandatory."
Then, lowering his voice slightly and glancing toward the fireplace, he murmured in a nearly inaudible tone.
"And besides, I wanted to spend time with you."
Aurelian paused. A slightly mocking smile spread across his face. Seeing the invincible Dark Lord admit that he simply wanted to spend the holidays with his son was an opportunity too good to pass up.
"Sorry, Dad, but could you repeat that second part?" Aurelian asked, feigning confusion and bringing a hand to his ear to tease his fearsome father. "I don't think I quite caught that."
Voldemort clenched his jaw. A faint, imperceptible blush crossed his pale cheeks. He looked away toward the window, refusing to repeat such sentimentality out loud a second time.
Aurelian burst out laughing, savoring the small victory.
"Of course I'll attend your party, Father," Aurelian assured him, softening his tone. "And I wanted to spend time with you, too. We haven't spoken face-to-face in months."
Taking advantage of the more relaxed atmosphere, a soft hiss echoed from inside Aurelian's robe. Nythoros poked his little head out through the boy's shirt collar and slid down until he settled on his shoulder.
The snake looked up at the portrait and hissed friendly.
"Greetings."
Salazar Slytherin, completely forgetting his staring contest with Voldemort, smiled broadly from his canvas upon seeing his old companion.
"Nythoros!" Salazar exclaimed joyfully. "It's a real pleasure to see you so full of life, old friend."
Voldemort, sitting on the sofa, opened his eyes slightly, surprised by the appearance of the little snake and by the fact that his ancestor's portrait greeted it so familiarly.
Nythoros turned his head toward Voldemort and stared at him intently.
"I remember you…" hissed the basilisk, addressing the Dark Lord. "You were the resentful young heir who awakened me many years ago and made me chase children through the sewers… You've aged."
Aurelian gently stroked the scales of his familiar and looked at his father, relishing his astonishment.
"I formally introduce you to Nythoros, Dad," Aurelian said proudly. "He is the basilisk of the Chamber of Secrets. Through an ancient ritual, he has become my familiar. That is why he can now shrink his size and always be with me."
Voldemort's eyes widened slightly as he processed the news. Taming a basilisk and turning it into a familiar was a feat of magic that not even he himself had been able to attempt in his youth. A new wave of pride washed over him. His son was an unstoppable monster.
Aurelian rested his elbows on the wood, interlaced his fingers, and rested his chin on them. The playful smile vanished from his face.
"I have plans, Father," Aurelian declared, lowering his voice. "Grand plans for the future of our family and the entire wizarding world."
Voldemort leaned back on the sofa. A slow smile spread across his lips.
"It's about time, son," the Dark Lord replied, pleased.
----------------------------
I have a Patreon account. If you would like to support me, I would greatly appreciate it. You will be able to read up to 15 more chapters, listen to all chapters as audiobooks, and view images of the characters in the story for free. Thank you very much for reading my story :D
patreon.com/Daoistrg