Saving Me

Title: Saving Me

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter, but I do own Alexis and Galen. I also don’t own any clippings of Demonic Prophecies or the story in this chapter called the Mansion at the End of Edingburg Street. Those are written by my best friend and sister in all but blood, Megan.

Pairings: Harry/Voldemort, and maybe a few others.

Warnings: mentioning of rape and abuse, hurt/comfort, M/M, slash, AU.

“Blah” – speaking
/blah/ – mind speaking
~“blah”~ – parsletongue
“*blah*” - story

Chapter 2:

Harry smiled slightly as he watched his daughters climb into bed. He watched as Alexis pulled her hair back into a pony tail, while Galen simply brushed hers out. They crawled into the beds that lay in the guest room, not that far from his master and his room. He watched as they turned off the light and his master tapped his shoulder.

“Yes master.” Harry said and followed his master back to their room. His master helped him out of his clothing and into the pajama pants he had worn the night before. His master changed as well and they both crawled into the bed, Harry curling around his master.

Voldemort ran a gentle, soothing hand up and down his pet’s spine, loving the way it made his pet sigh in content. He was happy his pet hugged Alexis and Galen. Alexis didn’t looked like she needed the reassurance, but Galen sure did. It was almost like she was truly Harry's daughter, but he knew that wasn’t true.

He was brought out of his musings when he heard a knock on his chamber door. He got up and saw his pet sit up in the bed, his bare chest exposed to the air.

He walked over to the door and saw a blurry eyed Galen and a little more awake Alexis looking up at him, Galen slightly hesitantly. “Yes little ones?” Voldemort asked in a soothing voice. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t that cruel hearted, and he was very protective of those he cared for. His Inner Circle was more like his friends, than his servants.

“Umm,” Galen wanted to speak, but it was clear she was slightly nervous around him. He crouched down to her level and looked her in the eyes. “Yes?” he prompted gently.

“We’re scared Papa.” Alexis said when her sister couldn’t find the words. “Can you and Daddy sit with us till we fall asleep?” she asked boldly.

Voldemort looked over at his pet and smiled slightly when his pet nodded frantically. “Okay little ones, come on, back to bed.” He watched as Alexis ran over to his pet and grabbed his hand, pulling him from underneath the covers. His pet smiled at Alexis' antics, and followed her to their room down the hall.

Voldemort looked at Galen and gently took the child’s hand, leading her back to her room. Galen tightened her grip on Voldemort's when he tried to let go once they were close to the door.

“Please don’t leave.” She whimpered. Voldemort sighed lead the girl over to the bed. He sat her down on it and asked,

“What will help you get to sleep?”

Galen looked at Alexis, who shrugged. Galen thought for a moment, before shrugging as well. No one had ever asked her that question, so she didn’t know the answer to it.

Voldemort looked over to his pet. Harry shrugged as well. Apparently, the girls never did this when they lived with his pet.

“Who about we turn out the light and if that doesn’t work, then we can get Severus to give you both a small vial of Dreamless Sleep potion. Will that work for the two of you?” he asked them gently. Galen still did not relinquish her grip on Voldemort's hand.

“I guess.” Alexis mumbled, already halfway asleep. Galen on the other hand, merely nodded. She really didn’t want to sleep in a foreign place without her Daddy and now her Papa.

Voldemort looked at the child after he turned off the light. He could just see her outline in the light of the crescent moon that streamed thought the window. She was laying down, her grip on his hand loosening with every passing minute. Eventually, he could tell that she was fast asleep, her hand letting go of his altogether.

He pulled the sapphire blue covers over her and smiled softly to her, before doing the same with Alexis' amethyst purple covers. He walked to the door and closed to door after seeing Scavok jump on Galen's bed, curl up, and fall asleep. He took his pet in his arms and walked them back down to his room and back into bed.

They both fell asleep with Voldemort on his back and his pet half on him, using his chest as a pillow.

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The next morning, Voldemort awoke and saw his pet laying next to him on his back. He smiled at his pet, before slowly uncovering him and pulling down his pet’s pajama pants. His pet’s penis lay limply in front of him, tantalizing him with the pale flesh.

He used a hand and began gently stroking his pet’s cock until it was hard. He looked up at his pet and saw he was panting, but was still fast asleep. He smiled once before he took his pet to the hilt in his mouth.

He pet called out and awoke to the feeling of a moist, warm cavern on his cock. The feeling was delicious, and he thrust into the enticing heat once before Voldemort held his hips down with one hand, and fondled his pet’s balls with the other.

All the while he did this; he watched his pet’s face as he drew closer and closer to orgasm. Finally, his pet’s face screwed up in ecstasy as he came in Voldemort's mouth. Voldemort came from his pet’s face in pure ecstasy, as he swallowed everything his pet gave him.

Once Voldemort cleaned his pet and himself off, he gave his pet a gentle kiss. “Good morning pet.” He said fondly.

“Good morning master.” His pet said his voice slightly husky from the screaming he had done not too long ago.

~“It certainly is.”~ Voldemort said in a sly voice. ~“You are truly beautiful.”~ He whispered, and smiled when his pet blushed a brilliant red.

~“I’m not master.”~ His pet said shyly. Voldemort frowned. He would need to show his pet how beautiful he truly was.

~“Well, come, we must get breakfast.”~ Voldemort said and picked up his pet, smirking at the squeak he received. He set his pet down in front of the wardrobe and opened the doors. He pulled out a pair of dark grey trousers and a sapphire blue shirt for his pet and black trousers with an emerald green shirt for himself.

Harry quickly got dressed in the clothes his master gave him and then took the given robe. He was always to wear a robe when around other people besides his master and his daughters. “Are you ready for breakfast pet?” his master asked after he brushed out Harry's hair.

“Yes master.” Harry sighed in contentment. He liked living here with his master, his daughters, and the Inner Circle Death Eaters. Everything Dumbledore had told him had been a lie. His master rarely crucioed his Inner Circle members, but he did crucio his other Death Eaters. His other Death Eaters were the ones that joined Voldemort for the killing that came with it. The Inner Circle Death Eaters were his master’s truest friends.

They arrived in the dinning room and saw every seat occupied, except for the seat the twins sat in. Voldemort sat down and pulled his pet into his lap. His pet let out a happy sigh and snuggled into the embrace farther. Voldemort gave off a small smiled.

A few minutes later, in walk two very sleepy eight year old girls. They both looked so innocent with their white night gowns on and their sleep filled eyes. Alexis walked over and looked at the table. Galen walked over to the seat she had sat in yesterday and sat down, still partially asleep. Her wide, innocent hazel eyes were still glazed with sleep, but began clearing we a cup of Irish Breakfast tea appeared in front of her.

Alexis on the other hand, looked from her sister, to Sirius, then back to her sister. She sighed and walked over to her sister. Galen looked at Alexis in suspicion. “Yes?” she asked her voice soft with her age.

Alexis took her cup of tea and moved it so it was sitting in front of Remus. Remus looked as confused as Galen, but continued to watch as Alexis grabbed her sister’s hand and pulled her from the table. She pulled her over to Remus and looked at Remus in a pointed way. Remus sighed, knowing what Alexis wanted. He picked up Galen gently, and placed her on his lap, then handed her back her tea. Galen sighed and leaned back against Remus' chest.

Alexis walked over to Sirius and jumped up onto his lap and giggled slightly at the grunt the action earned her. Sirius glared at the sandy brown hair in front of him, but didn’t knock her off his lap. He looked over to Remus and smiled when he noticed that Galen was fast asleep, once again.

Alexis sighed as she looked at her sister. Voldemort smiled as he watched the two. He had gotten to know the twins yesterday. They had a dry and sarcastic sense of humor, along with a normal, playful one. It all depended on when you caught them.

“She still hates mornings, doesn’t she?” his pet asked. Alexis looked at her Daddy and nodded.

“You know she always will.” Alexis replied, grinning as Sirius growled from her constant moving.

“So, who’s the eldest?” Rodolphus asked Alexis.

“Um, their twins.” Draco replied in an incredulous voice.

“Draco, I hope you don’t believe that twins come out at the exact same time.” Narcissa Malfoy said with a smirk to her now blushing son. “They come out one at a time so naturally, one is always older, even if it’s by a few minutes”

“I knew that!” Draco said, clearly offended. Everyone in the room laughed, except for his pet. His pet had a small smile on his face, but Voldemort decided that would be enough for now. His pet was making excellent progress with human contact and becoming social.

“Well, I’m older by ten minutes. That’s why I’m two inches taller too!” Alexis said excitedly. Harry looked at her. Galen and Alexis acted so mature sometimes, that when they did, it was hard to believe they were only eight years old.

Remus looked down when he felt Galen shiver and conjured a blanket, and then proceeded to wrap her up in it. she stopped shivering immediately and fell back asleep. Harry smiled at his and ate his breakfast when his master instructed.

Once everyone had finished their breakfast, excerpt for Galen, who was still fast asleep on Remus' lap, his master set him down on the floor, before standing up himself. Harry looked at his master, who in return, smiled softly at him. “I though we could take a tour, before talking in my study.” He said, looking at the Inner Circle.

Most of the people left till it was only Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, Severus, Sirius with Alexis, and Remus with Galen, still sleeping. His master looked at them and then led the way out of the dinning room, Alexis holding Sirius’ hand and Remus carrying Galen.

The tour took most of the morning, but Harry loved looking at everything. Galen had awoken when they were in the garden, and was now walking with his master, holding his hand. She was looking around at all the flowers in awe and even asked his master a few questions about them. Her favorites were the black roses and the blue roses, and the black lilies, along with the night lilies.

After they reentered the house, or manor, they walked straight to his master’s study and sat down on the many chairs and sofas. His master sat in the black, leather, wing backed chair with Harry on his lap. Alexis and Galen took the sofa across from their chair and proceeded to lay down and take up the whole sofa.

Lucius spoke to his master about thinks that were happening at the Ministry, while Severus spoke about the Order. Harry stiffened when he heard that Dumbledore had told everyone that Harry was being trained to kill his master, but his master’s reassuring arm around his waist enabled him to relax once more against his master.

“Daddy?” a small voice asked from across the room. Harry looked over to his daughters and nodded, telling them they had his full attention. “We were wondering if we could sing you a song.” Alexis said, Galen nodding, but looking at the floor. Harry briefly wondered if she would always be that shy.

Harry turned to look at his master. ~“Master, would it be alright if they sang?”~ he asked in parsletongue.

Voldemort looked at his pet, then at his pet’s daughters, then back at his pet. ~“If they wish to sing, then I don’t see why that would be a problem.”~ he said and smiled when his pet kissed him gently on his cheek.

~“Thank you master.”~ Harry said, then looked over to his daughters, a pink tinge on his cheeks from when he had kiss his master. “It is okay if you wish to sing.” He said and smiled when their faces lit up.

“Thank you Daddy!” they exclaimed and Alexis ran to their room to get something. When she returned, she had her violin in her hands, and began playing a song that would always sooth Harry's frazzled nerves, after taking a beating from his uncle.

As Alexis played, Galen began singing.

I’m standing on the bridge
I’m waiting in the dark
I thought that you’d be here by now
There’s nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I’m listening but there’s no sound

Isn’t anyone trying to find me
Won’t somebody come take me home
It’s a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won’t you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don’t know who you are
But I
I’m with you

As Harry listened to the song, he was reminded of his life with the Dursleys and how this song seemed to fit that. Every night, before he had adopted Alexis and Galen, he would sit in the park and cry. Most nights it would be raining, but he didn’t care.

There would be no sound, except for the rain, and his sobs.

I’m looking for a place
Searching for a face
Is anybody here I know
Cause nothing’s going right
And everything’s a mess
And no one likes to be alone

Isn’t anyone trying to find me
Won’t somebody come take me home
It’s a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won’t you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don’t know who you are
But I
I’m with you
I’m with you
Yea yea

Then, when his master saved him, he finally had someone that would look after him and protect him, and help him to enjoy human contact once more.

Oh why is everything so confusing
maybe I’m just out of my mind
yea yea
Yea yea
Yea yea
Yea yea yea

He remembered the confusion he felt all the while he had been in the basement. What had he done? Why had they enjoyed tormenting him so much? All he wanted was to be loved, but they said no one could ever love a broken boy, and Harry thought that to be true.

It’s a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
won’t you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don’t know who you are
But I
I’m with you
I’m with you

Then his master took his hand, and brought him a home, where he was loved and cared for, and it didn’t matter whether he was whole or broken, because his master said he would never leave him. And Harry believed him.

Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don’t know who you are
But I
I’m with you
I’m with you

He had Sirius and Remus, and his twins. But most of all, he had his master, who helped him in anyway he needed it.

Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don’t know who you are
But I
I’m with you
I’m with you
I’m with you

Everyone started at Galen and Alexis. Alexis could really the violin and Galen…oh Galen had the voice of an angel. Voldemort looked at his pet and saw that his eyes were closed and he had tears running freely down his cheeks, but he had a smile on his face. When he opened his eyes, he looked at Voldemort and, nodding, Voldemort released him and his pet walked over and hugged the twin girls.

Voldemort looked around the room and saw that everyone had a look of awe on their faces. “Daddy, play with us!” Galen said, breaking everyone out of their awed state.

His pet looked up to him shyly and Voldemort smiled, nodding to his beloved pet. Harry sighed and took the guitar, which Voldemort hadn’t even seen, from Alexis. “What are we playing?” he asked his daughters.

Alexis and Galen looked at each other for a moment, then nodded and whispered in Harry's ear. Voldemort watched his pet smile softly at the twins, before nodding his head and began playing.

It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen
All dressed in white
Going to the church that night
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat
Sixpence in a shoe, something borrowed, something blue
And when the church doors opened up wide
She put her veil down
Trying to hide the tears
Oh she just couldn't believe it
She heard trumpets from the military band
And the flowers fell out of her hand

Alexis began singing the chorus with Galen and his pet played the guitar for his little girls. Voldemort admitted Galen's voice fitted this song as well as it did the last one.

Baby why'd you leave me
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream

As Voldemort looked closer, he saw fresh tears sliding down his pet’s cheeks, along with down the cheeks of Galen and Alexis.

The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray
Lord please lift his soul, and heal this hurt
Then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard
Then they handed her a folded up flag
And she held on to all she had left of him
Oh, and what could have been
And then the guns rang one last shot
And it felt like a bullet in her heart

Voldemort was captivated by the three standing in the middle of the room, and it appeared as though everyone else in the room was as well. He looked at Sirius and Remus, who were silently crying, and then over to Severus.

Severus' eyes were shut, his face set in pain and sadness. That was when Voldemort remembered Lily. Severus had loved Lily with all his heart and it looked like he still did. Voldemort knew he needed to tell his pet what really happened that night.

Baby why'd you leave me
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream

Voldemort looked over to the Malfoys, and saw sadness on their faces, a reminder of Lucius’ niece and sister, that had died because they were neutral in the first war. Dumbledore had gone to their house and asked them to join the Order, when they refused, Dumbledore decided that he could risk the two turning to the Dark side and killed them. Lucius had arrived a few seconds too late to save them. Voldemort knew he never forgave himself.

Oh,
Baby why'd you leave me
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
Oh, now I'll never know
It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream

Voldemort thought back to all the casualties in the war they were fighting. Contrary to what the Daily Prophet said, most of those murders weren’t done by Voldemort. They had been done by Albus Dumbledore.

A lot of the Inner Circle Death Eaters were living in the manor with him, because Dumbledore had killed their families. The reason Bellatrix was slightly insane was because she had to watch her baby girl get killed right after saying her first word, ‘mama’.

That was the reason she went after the Longbottoms. It had been them that had taken her child from her, and she wanted revenge.

McNair had lost his wife to the Orders hand not too long ago, so he rarely said anything to anyone. He was still in mourning. The song that was being sung was like a paying respect to all the lives that had been lost.

Oh, this is just a dream
Just a dream
Yeah, Yeah

As Galen stopped singing, his pet and Alexis continued playing a bit longer, and when they finally ended, everyone had tears running down their cheeks, including Voldemort.

“Pet,” he called softly and found himself with an armful of a sobbing Harry. Alexis walked over to the two of them and looked up at Voldemort. “Papa…” she said sadly, and she too was added into the embrace. Everyone looked over at Galen, who was still standing in the middle of the floor, staring at the ground.

Tears ran down her cheeks as she sang quietly to herself. “Papa, can you get a piano in here?” Alexis asked, looking at Galen. Voldemort waved his wand and conjured a piano, which Galen all but ran to.

She began playing and singing to a song no one had ever heard, except for Alexis.

Couldn’t save you from the start
Love you so it hurts my soul
Can you forgive me for trying again?
Your silence makes me hold my breath
All the time has passed you by

For so long, I’ve tried to shield you from the world
You couldn’t face the freedom on your own
Here I am
Left in silence

Galen's heartbreaking voice echoed around the room. She was lost in her own world while she sang, and it appeared that only Voldemort noticed the entrance of the rest of the people from breakfast.

You gave up the fight
You left me behind
All that done forgiven
You’ll always be mine
I know deep inside
All that done forgiven

Alexis began to play the violin with Galen and they continued with the song. Sadness hung like a cloud in the room.

Watched the clouds drifting away
Still the sun can’t warm my face
I know it was destined to go wrong
You were looking for the great escape
To chase your demons away

For so long, I’ve tried to shield you from the world
You couldn’t face the freedom on your own
Here I am
Left in silence

Voldemort felt his pet shaking with silent sobs and held on to him tighter. He opened up the connection he had with his pet and spoke through their minds as to not disturb the music in the room.

/Pet?/ he asked.

/We will need to sing one more song before she will return to us. She has too many pent up emotions that are now being released./ his pet explain. Voldemort merely nodded.

You gave up the fight
You left me behind
All that gone forgiven
You’ll always be mine
I know deep inside
All that gone forgiven

I’ve been so lost since you’ve gone
Why not me before you?
Why did fate deceive me?
Everything turned out so wrong
Why did you leave me in silence?

Galen and Alexis pain was heaving in the room, causing the other’s to share and embrace that pain. They could feel it bringing them all closer together.

You gave up the fight
You left me behind
All that gone forgiven
You’ll always be mine
I know deep inside
All that gone forgiven

Galen and Alexis finished the song and stayed still for a moment before Harry picked up the guitar and began playing. Galen looked up and smiled while Alexis joined in with the violin.

I'm dying to catch my breath
oh why don't I ever learn
I've lost all my trust
Though I’ve surely try to
Turn it around

Can you still see the heart of me
all my agony fades away
when you hold me in your embrace

Voldemort listened to the words flowing form Galen's voice and realized that they could easily explain his pet.

Don't tear me down
for all I need
make my heart a better place
give me something I can believe
Don't tear me down
you're opened the door now
don't let it close

Harry watched as Galen began returning to herself with every second the song came closer to the end.

I’m here on the edge again
I wish I could let it go
I know that I'm only one step away
From turning it around

Can you still see the heart of me
all my agony fades away
when you hold me in your embrace

Lucius watched as a pale blue mist surrounded the trio as they formed the song. It was clear what it was, all the emotions inside the three of them were trapped in the mist and was being carried away.

Don't tear me down
for all I need
make my heart a better place
give me something I can believe
Don't tear it down
what's left of me
make my heart a better place

I’ve tried many times but nothing was real
make it fade away
don't break me down
I want to believe that this is for real
save me from my fear
don't tear me down

The music stopped except for the piano as Galen continued to sing.

don't tear me down
for all I need
make my heart a better place

The guitar and violin joined back in and Alexis began singing with Galen. Everyone watched as the mist grew darker with all the expelling emotions and as the last word was sung and played, the mist disappeared altogether.

don't tear me down
for all I need
make my heart a better place
give me something I can believe
don't tear it down
what's left of me
make my heart a better place

Harry and Alexis returned to Voldemort's arms, and everyone looked at Galen. She looked from Remus and Sirius, who were holding each other’s hand, to the Malfoys who were hugging, but still looking at her, to her sister, Daddy, and Papa, who were watching her with a bit of concern.

She ran over to them and Harry, Alexis, and Galen cried out for the lost lives of their true families. Once everyone calmed down, they moved to the dinning room for dinner when a house elf told them it was served.

Dinner was very quiet as no one knew what to say to break the tension surrounding the room. Harry was sitting in his master’s lap, Alexis on Sirius’, and Galen on Remus'.

“Well, that was a very interesting day, don’t you agree Feorge?” Gred asked his brother trying to lighten the mood.

“I must agree Gred, but it’s a same no one has noticed old Snapey’s new hair style.” Forge replied. Harry looked over to a very pale Severus and, for the first time in a long while, laughed out loud. That got Galen and Alexis to being laughing as well.

Soon, the whole dinning room was filled with laughed, including Severus, though Voldemort knew from the look in his eyes, the Weasley twins were dead meat.

The rest of dinner was on a lighter and happier note and soon, it was nearing midnight. Voldemort and Harry walked Galen and Alexis to their room and tucked them in, since they had never gotten dressed to begin with.

Once they were tucked in, Harry surprised everyone by kissing them both on the forehead; Voldemort doing the same, before turning off the light.

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A few mouths had passed before anyone even realized it. Harry was no longer afraid of human contact, and tended to seek more and more of it. He still craved Voldemort's touch the most, but any contact would do. Everyone had taken to greeting him with a hug and saying goodbye the same way.

The twins were growing up more and hung out a lot with Gred and Feorge, and liked to prank the Inner Circle Death Eaters. Once, they had even gotten Sirius, the supposed unbeatable prankster.

Everyone at breakfast stared in shock as Sirius walked in with green and silver hair. He glowered at Galen and Alexis, but didn’t push the latter girl off his lap when he sat.

It was now nearing midnight and Voldemort was sitting with Harry in the twins’ room. “Papa, can you read this to us?” Alexis asked in a sweet voice.

“You wrote it, why can’t you read it?” Voldemort asked in an amused voice.

“Because it’s better when someone else reads it.” Alexis explain as if she were talking to a two year old.

Voldemort glared at her. “Alright you brat.” He said and began reading.

“*I’ve only ever lived in one home. The abandoned mansion at the end of Edingburg Street. Or so the Shadows tell me. They whisper when they think I’m asleep, tucked away into my small bed with the sheer canopy hanging above. I imagine it looks like the sky and when I’m feeling lonely I stare into it and think I see twinkling stars instead of shimmering dust that had fallen from the flaking gold molding that lines my room. The Shadows say the sky is filled with stars but that’s only when they think I’m asleep. They don’t know that I stay up, lying on my side with my hands tucked neatly beneath my pillow and my blanket pulled up just to the end of my shoulders. As they think I’m dreaming they talk. In quiet whispers with tiny voices like the pealing bells painted on my bed. And while they whisper I listen and hear of all the things beyond my only home at the end of Edingburg Street.

The Shadows told me about blue skies and little purple things called butterflies and roaring waves. I don’t know how waves could roar; the little water in my bedside basin only ever trickles from the faucet and never does much else but sit there and ripples. And butterflies, I’ve never seen them. But I’ve had butter and there are flies that gather on my dinners and breakfasts. The Shadows talk of strange things (because how could a butterfly be pretty and purple?) but most of all they talk of the Tree. And when they do their voices lower even more until I think they’re more breathing than actually talking and soon begin to wonder if they’ve stopped.

I don’t like it when they talk about the Tree. They start to sound like breathy monsters that hide under beds and closets (the Shadows say that small children imagine this when they sleep but I never have, I only dream of my little room and perhaps of the sky) and if I peak just a tiny bit so that I can see the barest sliver of my dark room now pitch black since I had blown out my light hours ago I can see blazing red eyes and slick, long teeth that flash as they talk. And I squeeze my eyes shut and try to block out their whispers. That’s when I don’t like the Shadows. When they talk of the Tree. They talk about how its branches reach high up into the air, trying to tear down the sky and how its leaves never bloom more than once. And that when they do bloom they grow beautiful white and pink blossoms as tiny as a thumbnail. At first I thought ‘how could anything look beautiful with such tiny flowers?’ but the Shadows talk of how they grow in groups, like the little families of mice that scitter-scatter in the walls. But the Shadows say the flowers are bad. They say it with glee. Not the kind of glee I have when I play in the hall but a glee that makes my skin crawl most uncomfortably and makes me imagine creepy smiles and starless skies.

I try to fall asleep but I’m too scared. I want to look up at my canopy and think of the sky but if I open my eyes the Shadows will know I’m awake and they never know. So I curl into a ball as they talk about the Tree. How its blossoms attract all sorts of things. Little animals I’ve never heard of and flying birds I’ve never seen. But then they talk about how the Tree eats. The Tree opens its whole trunk and reaches with its branches. The Shadows say the Tree swallows everything whole and its sap bleeds big rivets of red. I know it is blood because I pricked my finger once on a sharp corner and when I bled it stained my finger red.

I always want to cry because I don’t like hearing about the tree. How the sky turns gray when it blossoms and all the stars are gone. I don’t like the sky without stars, its sounds scary and dark. But the Shadows like it, they talk about it excitedly in creaky voices that remind me of the floorboards in the parlor. They laugh in great cackles that make my hair stand up and my knees shake, never mind that I’m tucked in bed. And as they laugh they say in dry voices how by the next blossom there’ll be a new little girl living in the mansion on the end of Edingburg Street.

I’m always confused when they say that. I’ve only ever lived in the mansion on the end of Edingburg Street. Why would someone else come to live here? And then I think that the Shadows don’t like me and I feel sad and lonely but I have to remember that I can’t look at my sheer canopy, not until I wake up. But that never lasts long because then the Shadows say that when the Tree blossoms for this new little girl the Tree with gobble her up and I feel afraid for her. Who would want to be gobbled up by a tree?

By then the Shadows grow quiet and if I listen really hard I think I can hear a few yawning and saying goodnight. And then when my room feels empty and it’s only me and my dolly Annabel I go to sleep. I sleep for a long time sometimes, if the Shadows are up long past their bedtimes.

When I wake up all the candles are lit and Annabel and I sit down for breakfast. All the Shadows are gone, still asleep or wandering until I go to bed again. Once breakfast is over and the flies have come to sit on the plate I take Annabel and we go play in the entrance hall just at the end of the large broken staircase.

I like to play by the staircase because the large front door makes me think of the Shadows and when they talk about the Tree. There’s only one window in the mansion on the end of Edingburg Street. A tiny little window set into the middle of the front door and if I get a chair to stand on I can see outside. But the tree is outside, planted into the earth of the mansion on the end of Edingburg Street’s front lawn. It always looks so dead. With shriveled up branches that droop to the ground and pale, peeling bark all twisted in a most gruesome manner. I can never imagine it looking alive with a rich chestnut trunk and pink and white flowers with branches that reach high into the air to try and tear the sky down. But I can imagine the great pale trunk opening and pulling in the small animals and birds and bleeding red sap.

I never like looking at the Tree but I like to look at the sky. Even if its all blue without any stars because instead of stars there are sometimes great puffy clouds that float lazily like my toy boat in the little water basin by my bedside. Today I wanted to see the sky more than ever because I was still afraid of what the Shadows had said before going to bed. So taking the chair I left in the corner I dragged it across the scuffed floor to look out the tiny window, Annabel peeking out beside me.

But instead of the sky I saw something much more beautiful. And I like the sky a lot. There in the front lawn of the mansion at the end of Edingburg Street the tree was filled with white and pink blossoms that fell when a breeze blew by in great swirls of pretty color. The branches reached high into the air, just barely touching the sky and I gasped at such a lovely sight. I forgot all about the all the things the Shadows said about the Tree. After all how could something more beautiful than the sky be so mean? And I didn’t feel that I had dropped Annabel, and I didn’t hear the Shadows whispering loudly, more loudly than when they do when I’m asleep, and I didn’t see that the sky wasn’t blue and it didn’t have clouds or stars but that it was gray and cold.

I jumped down from the chair and I pushed it away back to its corner. I’ve never been outside before, because the Tree always scared me, no matter how much I loved the sky and the stars and the puffy clouds. I had to stand on the tips of my toes and pull with all my might on the long bar that stretched across the front door. It moved bit by bit with loud groans until finally I was able to open the door and run outside.

I stared at the Tree, wanting so badly to climb its branches and sit with all the pretty white and pink flowers. But there was a creaking and a hiss and a great rumble in the earth and the whole trunk of the Tree opened up as the branches pushed me forward and the Tree gobbled me up without chewing and the Tree bled red sap.

The new little girl came the next day holding a little dolly of her own. My dolly Annabel was hidden by the other Shadows. And when the little girl goes to sleep we all come out and talk in quiet whispers that we can each hear very clearly. We talk about blue skies and little purple butterflies and roaring waves. And then we talk about the pretty Tree and I feel so happy. I love the Tree with its white and pink blossoms and feel all giddy with glee when we talk about its red sap and high reaching branches that try to tear at the sky. I cackle with the Shadows about the new little girl that will come when the Tree blossoms again and I smile with great sharp teeth like the others before I feel tired and leave with them for bed. And I sleep a long time sometimes because we’ve been up past our bedtimes.

And I wonder if the little girl was awake all along and listening to us talk just like I had before the tree gobbled me up like the small animals and flying birds. As I sleep I dream of who else will come and stay in the only house I’ve ever lived in. The abandoned mansion at the end of Edingburg Street. Or so we tell the little girl when she thinks we know she’s asleep.*”

Once he was finished, he was staring at the Alexis in fearful shock. “You have a twisted imagination.” He commented.

“Galen gave me the idea, I just wrote it!” Alexis said.

“Okay, then you both have a twisted imagination.” He said causing the two girls to blush, and the cat to snort before falling back asleep. “I swear that is the laziest cat…” complained Voldemort.

“Tom, leave the poor cat alone.” Harry said. He was no longer told to call Voldemort, master. Instead, he was told to call him by the name only the Inner Circle Death Eaters called him; Tom.

“Okay, okay. Well, goodnight you two.” Tom said and turned off the light before shutting the door.

Harry and Tom walked back to their bedroom and changed for bed. They crawled in and snuggled next to each other, not really tired, but enjoying the nearness of the other. They were on the verge of sleep when a knock came upon their door.

Tom opened it to reveal Galen and Alexis. “Yes?” Tom asked raising an eyebrow.

“Can we sleep with you and Daddy?” Alexis asked.

“Why?” Tom inquired.

“We’re scared.” Galen said quietly.

“Of what?” Tom asked, already knowing the answer.

“The shadows.” Alexis said looking at the floor, blushing.

“Scared yourselves with your own story? Well, I guess you can sleep here tonight.” He said and shut the door once to two girls had entered. The girls snuggled in between their Papa and Daddy, and fell right asleep, Tom and Harry following soon after.

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