บท 97: Ch97. A meeting that was not expected just yet
Tom and Natasha sat in a private room in the Leaky Cauldron, waiting for Hermione's Head of House, Minerva McGonagall, to show up for their meeting.
It was a few more minutes until the scheduled time and Minerva was not yet there so Tom and Natasha were leisurely talking with each other and suddenly, Natasha decided to shift the topic in a direction that slightly surprised Tom.
"I met Narcissa Malfoy yesterday." Natasha offhandedly stated as if she didn't just drop a huge bomb on Tom who worried that his redhead once again did something... troublesome.
After the fiasco with the Jasin brothers, it wouldn't surprise him much. They talked it out then, and Natasha promised to never do anything similar again. Tom would really love to trust her fully but deep down in his heart, there was still a doubt that one day she would try to help him in her own way and do something unnecessary that will cause trouble for him somehow.
Alas, he loved the woman too much to make an issue out of it. He only inwardly wryly sighed.
"Narcissa, huh? Is that why you came home late?" Tom creased his eyebrows and frowned, hoping Narcissa wouldn't be reported missing or something in the future Daily Prophet articles.
Natasha could be very overzealous in her own way and while the Jasin brothers were just stalking them with the intention of harming them in the future, Lucius Malfoy actually sent a bonafide assassination squad after them.
It didn't matter that this squad was made of a bunch of inept spoiled brats. They were there to kill them. Under these circumstances, Tom really couldn't trust that Natasha wouldn't do something... rash.
Not when he knew how overprotective she could get.
"Yeah." Natasha happily hummed with a sheepish face. "I had so much fun that I forgot myself and before I knew it a few hours passed."
Hearing her, Tom's lips twitched. "Is Narcissa even still alive?" Tom dryly asked with a deadpan expression. Natasha having fun... Tom had no idea what to imagine under that classification.
Realizing what Tom was insinuating, Natasha threw him an offended look, "Of course! We only chatted."
She couldn't believe Tom thought she would kill somebody in cold blood without getting permission from him first. The trouble she caused for him with the Jasin brothers was enough for her to wisen up. She would never do something like that again!
Tom still doubtfully narrowed his eyes at her as they searchingly stared into her innocent emerald eyes... before he sighed and helplessly chuckled to himself.
"I am glad you made a friend, then." He shook his head at the absurdity of the situation and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
Naturally, his words shocked Natasha to her core. "A... friend?" She owlishly blinked and thoughtfully tilted her head as her mind was processing the situation from this new angle.
"You spent three whole hours talking with her, no? That sounds like a budding friendship between girls to me." Tom shrugged, taking amusement from how conflicted Natasha seemed due to something so simple.
He really didn't mind her making a few friends. It would be good for her.
"I am happy for you." Tom nonchalantly added in a tone that clearly showed he didn't care either way.
It shocked Natasha how easily he disregarded the whole situation and her confusion about the relationship between her and Narcissa instantly evaporated as her mind focused on a much greater issue.
"Wait. That's it?" She gave Tom a wide bewildered look, "You aren't interested in her? At all?" She had a hard time believing that! The only reason she approached Narcissa was to make sure she could get along with the girl because...
"Huh? Why would I be interested in Narcissa? She is married." Tom confusedly asked, not understanding how Natasha came to that conclusion.
Narcissa was Lucius's wife and Tom would like to think he had some standards!
"And that's supposed to be a problem?" Natasha furrowed her eyebrows, her words showing that her moral compass was not exactly on point before she revealed her reasoning, "I noticed the looks you threw her way at the Quidditch World Cup. I thought-"
"Natalia..." Tom interrupted her with an exasperated drawl, "I threw looks at her to irritate Lucius. Not because I fancy her." He huffed. He really thought she would understand that but apparently, there was a bit of misunderstanding between them.
"So... I asked all about her problems in her relationship with Lucius for nothing?" Natasha asked with a dismayed frown on her face.
And here she thought Tom finally showed some interest in some other woman.
Not once in her previous life would Natasha think she would have problems fully satisfying a man in bed and yet, here she was. Tom's physique was getting better and better by the day and no matter how much she trained to keep up, it was simply hopeless.
Just as Natasha was opening her mouth to complain about the unfairness of it all, a knock resounded from the door which stopped both her and Tom in their tracks, causing them to look towards it.
"I guess our guest is already here." Tom threw a placating smile at Natasha who gave him an offended huff before schooling her expression into one of neutrality.
Realizing this is the best he would get right now, Tom inwardly sighed and shouted, "Come in!"
The door instantly opened and an older stern-looking woman wearing robes walked in, her eyes landing on Tom and Natasha in a searching manner and her lips curled into a small, almost unnoticeable frown.
Tom was about to greet her when the second pair of feet entered the room, making him owlishly blink in utter surprise as an old-looking man with a long white beard, clad in an outrageously striking neon green robe, also walked in and gave the stupefied Tom a grandfatherly smile.
Tom instantly recognized the man and his throat went dry.
It was Albus the unknown factor Dumbledore himself!
Tom had no idea what kind of man this wizard was in his current world. Was he evil? Good? Senile? There was really no telling from his outward appearance nor from his actions in the past.
This confrontation was supposed to happen much later and on Tom's terms but he would have never imagined Albus the inaction incarnate Dumbledore to take the matter into his own hands and actually tag along with Minerva for this meeting.
Tom knew his previous actions made ripples in the political scene of Wizarding Britain but...
'Why the heck did the most passive man in the whole Potterverse franchise get his ass off his chair and actually do something when it comes to me!?' He inwardly complained, very peeved at the fact that Voldemort could kill off entire families and Dumbledore would not bat an eyelash other than wistfully sighing in disappointment, yet, when Tom made 'friends' with Fudge, the whiskered man put in the effort to pay him a visit.
'This is a freaking double standard! I am also Tom! I want equal rights for all Toms no matter if they are bald or not!' Tom mentally huffed while continuing to childishly complain.
There were things he wanted from McGonagall and this man's presence would certainly not make it easy to acquire them. Hell, he was sure Dumbledore had some agenda going on in the background otherwise he would never bother to pay Tom a visit.
"Good afternoon. I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and I hope you are fine with my intrusion into this meeting." The man greeted with a coaxing smile, earning himself a glare from Natasha because, from the way he talked, he reminded her of a more manipulative version of Fury, while Tom only showed his displeasure with a small twitch of his lips.
'And here I hoped to have relaxing and peaceful talks with the Scottish woman.' Tom inwardly sighed, his previously jovial mood completely soured.
He was not a politician! Was it too much to want politicians to finally give him a break?
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