Yes Tom

I awoke early, both mum and-and my father were asleep still. Slowly I slipped myself from the bed and made my way to my room. Putting on some clean clothes, I walk slowly and quietly, or rather, as quietly as I can across aching wooden floorboards. Once down the steps I walk into the kitchen and open the door to the ice box, sighing, I reach in and grab the orange juice.

POP!

"Would young master like Effie to make some food?"

Looking at the small house elf I pause, "Sure, that would be nice. Thank you." Effie disappears again and I wander out through the dining room into the living room. There are some papers upon one of the end tables and I bend down to pick them up. A newspaper, a Russian newspaper, "That's odd."

"Is it?"

Startled I turn. It's my father. I just stare at him; he always manages to startle me.

"You are feeling better I take it?" His silent stare irks me, but I don't acknowledge it

"Uh… I'm more hungry than anything at the moment." I take a breath and he looks at me. "Sir." I tack on, swallowing. He doesn't make any acknowledge the "Sir," and so I just look at him as he looks at me.

POP!

Internally I sigh, thank gosh for Effie. "Breakfast for Young Master. Effie shall make more food for Master."

"Thank you Effie." I reply. With another "Pop!" Effie disappears and once again I'm left staring at my father. "I-I should go eat." I walk forward, "Excuse me," I say as I attempt to walk past him. He doesn't move though, blocking the doorway. "Sir," I say looking up at him, "I should really get some food in me." A second longer he stares down at me and then moves aside allowing me to pass through. I hear footsteps following me into the dining room. He sits down across me from at the table, I look at him for a moment before getting some fruit and eating it, slowly.

No time like the present. "Who is Khristo Kir?"

I almost choke on my food, "Sir?" I manage to spit out after swallowing a piece of melon.

"The author of that letter, Khristo Kir," he pauses and lifts his hand up from underneath the table, letter in hand. "Who is he?"

"Oh…" I look from him to the letter and then shrug. "Not sure, I don't know a Khristo Kir." His look sharpens. "Sir." I say and bite into a strawberry. The sweetness of the fruit causes me to make a face.

"Your mother says otherwise." A pause. "I shall ask just once more, who is Khristo Kir?"

Finishing my strawberry I give him a weathering look. Sighing I lean back into my chair and rub a hand over my face. "Sir honestly, I don't know a Khristo Kir." He stands up. I realize just how towering tall he really is. For a moment, my gut clenches and then relaxes, a shockwave of fear and the unknown rushes into my veins, laced with adrenaline. He takes a step around the side of the table towards me, "I don't know a Khristo Kir but I know a Khristo Krassimira." His body stops and he stares at me.

A nod. "I see."

I pluck another piece of melon up off my plate, "Yeah." I breathe out and then bite into it, watching him.

"Effie!" He says. With a pop the house elf is there, "I shall be taking breakfast in my study."

"Yes sirs."

Gone again was the house elf. "Once you're done eating, I advise you return to bed. You are not supposed to be out of bed, wandering." He says the last part with a hint of distaste or some other unknown emotion-or rather tone. Emotion I've realized is not something that I've been able to detect about him.

"Yes sir." I say quietly. I watch as he walks towards me, stopping to pick a strawberry off of the platter in front of me and then out of the dining room and down the hall. The door to his study shuts. I shake my head and finish my fruit, oatmeal, and juice. Informing Effie that I was done with my meal, I thank the elf and then find myself making my way back up the stairs and getting into bed with mum.

"Honey?" She says tiredly.

"Yes mum?" I say, snuggling up to her, the warmth of her spot on the bed washing over me.

"Where did you go baby? Were you feeling unwell?"

I shake my head as I nestle further into her. "No mum, downstairs to get something to eat, I was really hungry."

"Is your father down there love?"

"Yeah mum, he's in his office now."

"Hmm." She just looks at me and rubs her hand over my hair, massaging my scalp. "Did your father eat as well?"

"Uh, not while I was eating in the dining room, but he took breakfast in his study." She doesn't say anything. "He spends a lot of time in there mum."

Nodding, "I know honey. I know."

We lay there silently and sleep starts to take me over. "Mum, I'm tired."

"I know love, I can tell. Sleep. I'm right here. I won't leave you."

"Love you to mum." I don't hear her response as I drift into sleep.