Unexpected visit (3)

Voldemort POV:

I checked the clock. 02:21 AM. This boy had been gone for nearly 5 hours now. What on earth is he doing in America? His priorities should be here right now, especially with Lupin potentially showing up any day, and his plan is rather flawed. I can't fathom why he suddenly felt the need to see that Muggle again after nearly eleven years. It didn't matter to him before, but now he just had to go back. I should have erased his memories of that 'friend' of his. How long does he plan to stay there? He hasn't given me any information aside from his current location. What was the boy's name again? Peter? Perser? Percy. Right. Percy Jackson. I remembered him and his mother, quite an exceptional Muggle woman. Perhaps I should go to New York as well and drag my foolish heir back to England. Yes, yes, I should go there, and if he doesn't provide a valid reason for his sudden trip, I may have to take drastic measures. Mmm, I wonder if someone will die.

Nico Pov.:

It was relatively late as I left my cabin through the shadows, precisely 9:21 PM. I arrived at the Zeus cabin. "Are you ready?" I whispered into the darkness. "Just a second more." I sighed in frustration. I should have gone alone. If only Jason hadn't constantly nagged me to come along. How did he even know I wanted to go?

Percy had been missing for about 2 days now. We found a note in his cabin stating that he would be staying with his mother for a while. No further explanation or reason. What worried us the most was his unusual behavior in the week leading up to his disappearance. He became quieter, stood around for several minutes staring into space, suddenly trembled uncontrollably, barely responded when spoken to, but in the two days before he vanished, he practically locked himself in his room and wouldn't let anyone in, not even Annabeth. Then he suddenly left without anyone noticing. When we found out, it was nothing short of a shock, especially for Annabeth. I'm sure she blamed herself for his circumstances.

"I'm ready; let's go."

Narrator POV:

Almost simultaneously, three people traveled to the Jacksons' apartment. One came from Hampshire, England, while the other two came from Long Island, New York.

Just as Jason and Nico emerged from the shadows next to the apartment door, Voldemort appeared from a swirl of colored particles right in front of the two boys. Both parties stared at each other, each with different thoughts and expressions. While Jason wondered what the other had seen through the mist, Nico was convinced that the mist had not affected the stranger, as his gaze had briefly shifted from the wall to the shadows and finally to Nico. Nico himself was contemplating how that man had appeared out of thin air.

Voldemort, who was certain that the children had seen him Apparating, contemplated whether he should kill them, wondering if mastering this shadow trick would be worth keeping them alive. Jason grew impatient, he was eager to talk to Percy and didn't understand the seriousness of their situation. He couldn't be blamed for not knowing the identity of the most feared man in magical England. He had simply relied on the mist, and no one could fault him for that. He had no way of knowing.

However, he decided to push his way to the doorbell, pressing it and causing a loud ring to echo inside the apartment. This interrupted the thought process of the two individuals who were about to take a step that could have ended badly, very badly.

As both parties waited infront of the door it was clear that they all wanted to go to the same place, and even though they were skeptical of each other, these three had no choice but to wait patiently. Nico, suspicious as always, had not completely turned away from the man he had bypassed earlier and now eyed him carefully.

The man's expression had subtly changed, a slight smile replacing the previously tight lined lips, and his cold brown eyes softened and became loving. His whole body relaxed. Voldemort had perfectly assumed the role of a loving single Muggle father of next door, who hadn't lost any of his charm since his youth. The boy who had noticed this transformation wondered if this person was still the same as before, the one he thought would kill them at any moment.

The door opened, and Sally stood in the doorway. "Oh, Jason, Nico, I actually expected you earlier, but I'm glad to see that you've finally made it to the door." Someone behind the teenagers cleared their throat and stepped out of the shadows. Sally looked up. Right behind the two demigods stood a man with well-groomed brown hair, a square face, and faint wrinkles under his brown eyes. "Tom!?"

Thomas Eurale, or Tom, as he was known among Muggles, looked just like that. Like the man he would have been without five soul splits. "It's nice to see you again, Sally," Tom said with his charming voice, which didn't fit Voldemorts image at all. The woman, who was praised as a beauty even by the gods, couldn't help but stare at the breathtaking man before her. "Oh, uh, yes, um, it's nice to see you too," she stammered. "Come on in."

After the guests had taken off their shoes, they all finally entered the apartment. Before any of them could even begin to ask a question, Sally simply said, "In the living room," and left her guests standing in the hallway.

On the couch in the living room, two boys were cuddled up closely on a relatively large sofa. If Nico and Jason didn't know Percy well enough or didn't know about his relationship with Annabeth, they might genuinely think that this boy was his secret boyfriend. Tom, on the other hand, wasn't particularly shocked by the sight, even though he had hoped that his son would have gained some wisdom during the eleven years of separation. He had been mistaken.

"Morthus, I'm here to pick you up," the man remarked, glancing at the kids beside him. "As always," he added. The two who were the actual recipients of the 'as always' statement seriously wondered what this guy meant by it. The one addressed turned around, while Percy left the situation to be handled by father and son, knowing that any interference would be futile. Therefore, he didn't realize that his two best friends were standing right behind him, waiting for his reaction. Morthus, however, noticed the two boys next to his father but decided to ignore them for the time being.

"I don't want to go yet, Father," he informed his father, fixing his gaze on him with the intention of asserting his will. Percy, who knew his friend all too well, could easily imagine the silent battle of wills between father and son. He had often tried to persuade this man back in the day but had never succeeded. To be honest, he still had a bit of fear of his best friend's father.

With each passing second, Jason grew increasingly restless. This family drama was none of his business, and he just wanted to talk to Percy, ask him what was going on, and help him. In a way, he simply wanted to be a good friend to someone who had been through far too much for a teenager. So, he ignored the argument beside him and asked, "Percy, can we talk? Privately!" When Percy heard his friend's voice, he turned around in a flash, catching the attention of his soulmate as well. "Jason? Nico? What in Zeus's pink underwear are you doing here?" he exclaimed in shock before something dawned on him. "Oh, I forgot. It's nice to see you, Mr. Eurale. I apologize for not greeting you." Percy quickly assured, as Voldemort hated being left out, and Percy had learned that lesson. One could argue that the Dark Lord had a very high sense of self-worth, and that was indeed true, he always wanted to be noticed and acknowledged.

Morthus, who now felt somewhat excluded, scrutinized the two he had previously overlooked closely. "You didn't answer the question! What are you doing here?" Morthus asked angrily. Nico, who had already roughly figured out who this boy was and found him somewhat unsympathetic, replied, "No offense, but it's none of your business. We just want to talk to Percy." Anger surged uncontrollably through Morthus as he heard Nico's disrespectful response. He was on the verge of drawing his wand and teaching Nico a lesson he wouldn't forget for puiet some time, but he restrained himself due to the presence of his soulmate and his father. His father would kill everyone here without hesitation, even Percy, and he couldn't allow that. Besides, he didn't want to show Percy this side of him. Voldemort observed everything calmly, knowing what was going on in his heir's mind.

"I think you should..." Voldemort, as a kind-hearted father, began. "I think you should sit down and calm down. The atmosphere here is murderous," Paul interrupted, entering the chaotic living room. Tom Riddle turned his attention to the man who dared to interrupt him: Paul Blofis. Paul, the newcomer, didn't seem to notice the cold, scrutinizing gaze directed at him, but someone else did and became even more distrustful.

Sally entered the room, carrying a stack of blue cookies, just as everyone had found a place to sit. She found herself in a war zone, with two parties fighting over her son. On the right, in the chairs, sat Nico and Jason, tapping their feet impatiently. Directly across from them were Morthus and Tom, with Tom in the armchair and Morthus in a chair. Percy and Paul sat on the couch, which Percy had shared with Morthus earlier, simply because Paul didn't want either of the two parties sitting next to Percy. This made the whole situation even more uncomfortable.

"Can't you just talk to each other?" Sally exclaimed in despair, placing the plate of cookies on the table. The boys didn't respond and averted their gaze, even Paul and Tom remained silent, with Tom lost in irrational thoughts.

Tom couldn't stand Paul, and not just because he had interrupted him. He didn't quite know why he felt such irrational hatred toward this man, but he genuinely wanted to see him dead. Every minute in his presence intensified this irrational urge. However, Voldemort was not a person who would let his impulses guide him, that's Paul wasn't dead on the floor yet. What Tom couldn't know was that his irrational urge to kill was pure instinct, much like a wild animal's instinct to eliminate any threat. In the same way, the Dark Lord wanted to eliminate the man who had interfered with his family. However, it should not be misunderstood. Tom couldn't love, he couldn't love Sally Jackson. He was also incapable of having children. His soul was damaged, his birth was highly unusual. Nevertheless, something inexplicable had happened during the time he spent in the Jacksons' house, something that resembled their children's situation and yet was completely different. One could compare this phenomenon to animals, although they were not a real family, the Dark Lord felt an uncontrollable urge to protect what was his. Eleven years ago, the day Tom first picked up Morthus from the Jackson, both adults, swore themselves to protect their children and their precious friendship. The moment they shook hands a phenomen similar to an unbreakable swear took place. Well Tom's thoughts could also be interpreted as jealousy, but it was a much more complex feeling.

Magic is indeed a wonderful thing.