Chapter 66: CH66 - The Todd Family
Rubbing his eyes to rid them of the last remnants of sleep, Edmund yawned loudly. A quick Tempus charm informed him of the time.
7:43 AM.
'Only four hours of sleep and I'm already fully recharged. Quicker than a battery,' he smirked wryly as he did a few pushups to elevate his heart rate and shake away his remaining drowsiness.
The Todds had been very accommodating of him, providing him with an enchanted house key to their apartment in Diagon Alley as soon as Edmund had moved in. In theory, it was meant to allow him to work the odd hours that the Knight Bus demanded without being much of a disturbance. More often than not, however, he had used it as a tool to stay out late to practice his magic, eliminating the hassle of sneaking around the house. Considering how little rest he needed to function, it had the added benefit of giving him a lot of time to do as he pleased.
But other than that small deception, Edmund had tried to maintain his integrity, acting the part of a grateful child; which, in all honesty, he was. It only took one look at the conditions he was living in to understand why.
His new bedroom was a tad bit larger than one-third of the size of the conjugal dorm he shared in Hogwarts with Ben and Jeremy. With two round windows, a single poster bed, and a small dedicated closet and ensuite to himself, it was more private space than Tom had ever been given as a child.
When Edmund had inquired about the odd-looking partition of the room, he had learned that it was actually just a subsection of Jeremy's bedroom that had been magically expanded in preparation for his arrival. In fact, the first night that he had been shown the area, Albert had taken the time to rearrange the room as Edmund wanted, even going so far as to give him an option about what colour he wanted the walls to be painted—navy blue, he had eventually decided. The effort that all of these things cumulatively involved was negligible with the use of magic, but the thought was touching. Albert and Cynthia, along with Jeremy, had done all they could to make him feel at home.
That was not to say that he had been given open leave to come and go as he pleased. The freedom he had been granted came with caveats, all of which he thought to be more than reasonable. The Todds had asked him to give them a rough timetable of his work week on the Sunday before it began, so they could plan their meals without worrying about him. He had also been asked to keep his personal space tidy, and to ensure that he left his room in the same condition that he had found it. Furthermore, chores around the apartment had been split evenly between Jeremy and Edmund, and both were expected to complete them without reminder. Still, even doing menial tasks like emptying the trash and dusting the furniture could not dampen his mood, as Edmund experienced the first period of his life amongst a loving family. He doubted he would grow as close with them as he had with McGonagall, but their warmth toward him would not be forgotten any time soon.
It was with these thoughts in mind that Edmund stumbled into the kitchen, hoping to grab some breakfast before he showered and got ready for the day. There he found Albert already sitting at the nook, a spoonful of hearty oats in one hand while the other fiddled with the stations on the radio.
"Aha!" the man exclaimed triumphantly as the static gave way to a rather distinctive jingle. "Just in time!"
Noticing Edmund in the doorway, he gestured for him to sit, pushing a plate of steaming scrambled eggs his way. Lifting his fork in way of thanks, Edmund chewed softly as he tried to pay attention to the broadcast.
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! We are very proud to be hosting the first-ever public interview with the new Lord Slytherin, live on the show this morning!" Cynthia's voice crackled and popped through the speakers.
Edmund nearly choked on air, getting a concerned look from Albert that he waved away hastily. Now even more intrigued than before, he asked for the volume to be turned up.
'Secretive bastard,' Edmund mumbled, detecting a faint sense of mirth back from Voldemort through the bond in response. Despite that, the dark lord's voice remained perfectly steady and clear as he answered the questions that were being asked of him.
"—if things go exactly as they are anticipated to do so," Marvolo explained.
"Fascinating!" Cynthia exclaimed with a tone of interest. "And how far along have these plans of yours come along? Don't get me wrong, Lord Slytherin, but there's a big difference between knowing something needs to be done and then actually doing it. The number of politicians I've talked to that have vowed to solve the employment offer inequalities is likely in the triple digits by now. And yet, things stay just the same as they have always been."
"Ha!" Marvolo barked roguishly. "Believe me Ms. Langdon, your boldness and no-nonsense attitude is what convinced me to come onto this platform today. Taking offence at the smallest of words would lead me absolutely nowhere. It seems this may become my slogan with how often I repeat it, but transparency is key for meaningful discourse."
Edmund had to admit that Marvolo had a way with words. Beyond just the power and knowledge contained within him, the dark lord was a skilled orator, and his abilities were being showcased for all of magical Britain at the moment.
Cynthia was clearly impressed too, and her questions and enthusiasm demonstrated that fact. The segment went on for much longer than it was planned for, yet neither party seemed interested in being the first to leave.
By the time the interview finally ended, Albert was pouting, and Edmund was unsure how much of it was for show. "You were getting quite cozy with him," he harrumphed in lieu of a greeting to his wife when she apparated back in. "Did you have to encourage his incessant flirting?"
Cynthia rolled her eyes, scoffing as she wrapped her arms around her petulant husband. "Beyond wearing a wedding ring and introducing myself as Mrs. Cynthia Todd, I'm not exactly sure what else I could do to send the message across, dear," she teased. "Besides, I could tell from a mile away that he's not the kind to be chained down. He's a rake, as my grandmother would probably say if she were still alive."
"You know, I've always been in favour of you getting one of those magical face tattoos that can appear and disappear at will. I can already imagine it: "Taken," plastered in cursive on your forehead whenever you need it," Albert retorted, ignoring the latter half of her reply.
"Whenever YOU need it, you mean?" Cynthia mocked as she bit her bottom lip to stop a guffaw from escaping.
"Semantics," he dismissed, an irrepressible smile breaking out on his face because of their playful banter.
Both of them broke out chuckling, Edmund joining in soon afterward.
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