Chapter 6

                                    

                                          
It was already late when Snape got a message from Lucius to come to the Malfoy mansion. 
"What happened Narcissa...?" Snape inquired, his voice tense.
"Sev, you need to relax....Everything is fine," she replied.
"If everything is fine, why did you call me in the middle of the night?" Snape stated angrily at his friend.
"All right, Tom is back." Narcissa decided to drop the bomb.
"I beg your pardon....Who....?"
"Your mate Tom Riddle.... the dark lord is back," Narcissa explained slowly, her wand prepared in case Snape had a panic attack.
"Wait, what.....oh my god. I need to warn Dumbledore and others.... Merlin... Harry is still at school," Snape became anxious.
"Sev....calm down for a second" Narcissa attempted to grab her friend.
"Calm down....you're asking me to calm down because if Tom returns, Harry and the entire world are in danger." Snape screamed.
"Harry is here...ok...and he's safe" 
"How come he's here at the Malfoy mansion. What the hell is happening". Snape shouted.
"Come with me I'll explain".
Narcissa open the door to a room and Snape saw Harry is talking to a person while laughing.
"Harry...."Snape called.
Tom stiffened at the words and slowly turned his head to meet his mate's gaze. He fell in love with the same dark orbs but now the shock and terror in those orbs struck him hard. Snape, on the other hand, felt as if his world was splintering. His mind screamed, 'Protect!!' He rushed up to Harry, took his wand, and pointed it at his mate.
"I will not allow you to harm him, my lord.If you wish to, you'll have to first murder me." Snape said without hesitation.
"Sev...my beloved," Tom said softly.
Snape hasn't heard the voice in years. But he can't bring himself to wave. He vowed to protect Harry even if it meant sacrificing his life.
"Pa....i mean Professor Snape..it's fine he won't hurt me".
"You shut up Potter.." Snape yelled.
Hadrian immediately closed his mouth. It was amusing how he never felt scared of the dark lord but turned into a scared puppy in front of the potion master.
"It's me, Sev...not that evil Dark Lord." I'm back...our... Harry fixed me." 
"He's telling the truth...he's your mate, Tom Marvelo Riddle."Narcissa assured Snape by caressing his shoulder.
Snape had a fragile feeling. if it had been the old Voldemort, he would have killed Narcissa by now for uttering his name. He glanced into Tom's tear-filled eyes.
"Is this true....?"
"Yes, it is, my dear..." Voldemort moved slowly and hugged his companion. Only he knows how he survived without his beloved's amazing scent.
"You're back...I thought I had lost you," Snape wept after inhaling his mate's scent. Tom's normal scent had returned. When he began to change, he began to smell strange and bitter." 
"I'm so sorry my dear, I'm so sorry for putting you through hell.... please forgive me Sev," Tom choked out.
Seeing his parents made Hadrian feel overwhelmed. Snape broke the hug and kissed his husband. As Narcissa coughed, they were both pouring their feelings into the kiss.
"I really enjoyed watching the show, still I would appreciate it if you could keep these things away from the child." She grinned.
"I don't mind," Hadrian chuckled.
Snape blushed and looked down to cover his face in embarrassment. Tom burst out laughing. Snape then noticed the bandage in Hadrian's hand.
He said, "Harry, what happened to your hand?"
"Oh, nothing, the revival ritual required my flesh and blood."
"Merlin," Snape exclaimed. He is aware that the revival ritual is quite difficult. The realization hit him hard.
"But why was your flesh and blood necessary? As far as I know, these kinds of rituals require flesh and blood from a direct blood relation." 
Hadrian swallowed as he looked at his father.'Of course, the legendary half-blood Prince,' he murmured quietly.
"Hmm... about that...."
"What are you hiding?" Snape questioned sharply.
Tom let out a sigh. His mate has every right to know the truth.
"Hadrian... child, take off the glamour." He told his kid, who appeared to be lost in his thoughts. 
"Did you just call him Hadrian...that was the name we had in mind for our child in the past... Tom, why are you calling Harry that?" Snape, puzzled, asked of his mate. His heart is still aching from the loss of his child.He spent all nights crying in memories.
"Because I'm not Harry Potter...I'm  your son Hadrian Severus Riddle" Hadrian said after dropping the glamour. 
Snape's eyes widened in horror as he realized the boy in front of him was not Harry Potter, but rather Tom...and himself...
"You're not Harry, are you?" "What happened to Potter?" Snape exclaimed
"No, I'm not...and there is no Harry Potter from the start." Dumbledore created Harry Potter using me....your son Hadrian." Hadrian spoke while blinking away his tears.
"It couldn't have been my child....I buried her by myself..." Snape looked helplessly at his mate.
"I'm your son... Dumbledore snatched me from you so he could use me to kill Dad..."Hadrian yelled. 
"Hadrian my child" Tom wisperd.
Snape collapsed on the floor. Tom quickly hugged him to keep him from falling.
"Tom is he.." Snape asked his eyes building up with tears.
"Yes, he is...our child was not stillborn; he was a boy, not a girl, and he was very much alive. To make you believe, Dumbledore replaced him with another child who died at birth." Tom hugged his mate.
"Why....?"
" He wanted to create a hero powerful enough to kill me so that his name would be remembered as the hero's saviour." He knows that only my blood was strong enough to murder me." Tom said in a bitter tone.
Snape burst into tears. He can't believe how much his family has suffered due to that man's greed. Snape looked at his kid, who had a teary expression on his face. He carried him for 9 months. He gave birth to him and He didn't even get to hold him. Hadrian walked and kneeled before his father.Snape grabbed his son into his arms.
"I'm so sorry, how could I...." 
Snape sobbed and hugged his kid, saying, 
"You're alive...Oh my God, Tom, our child is alive..."Snape wailed. You were standing in front of me, and I always ignored you..."I'm so sorry, my child..."
"Why didn't you tell me...?" Snape, who was in tears, asked
"I found out recently....You trusted that man... i thought I'll tell you everything after I collect evidences and revive dad..."
Tom heart swelled up when his son called him Dad. He wiped his tears.
"Can I call you Papa..." Hadrian asked softly, enough to melt the potion master's heart.
"Yes you can" Snape replied love.
"Papa...." Hadrian hugged his father again". Three of them were hugging and comforting each other when Snape panicked as he felt the other's body went limp in his arm.
"Tom...our son," he gasped, staring at the fainted Hadrian in arms.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. He had a challenging day and went through a lot. He's emotionally drained." Tom said as he carried his son in bridal style.
"Narcissa....Inform Lucius that we've been to our mansion. My son and mate need rest". Tom told Narcissa.
"OK, take care," Narcissa said, smiling. She was filled with happiness for his friends. They deserve happiness.