—THE YEAR PASSED BY VERY FAST. The last day feast was finally here and Ares couldn't wait to spend the summer with the Malfoys.
The feast was delicious. It had every kind of food you could ever think of. Hogwarts always had delicious food.
"Well, well—" Dumbledore stood up and stroked his beard with a glint in his eyes, looking at them all. "—the year has ended. And now, as I understand it, the house cup needs awarding."
"We're going to win the house cup!" Draco said in excitement.
Dumbledore looked at the awarding stations and the glint in his eyes died down when he saw which house was winning.
"To Slytherin!" He tried saying enthusiastically. The whole Great hall changed into Slytherin banners and colors, and the Slytherin table stood up and cheered for their achievement.
They deserved it.
✫ ✫ ✫
"Oh, I'm so glad you're both back home." Narcissa said once she saw the boys.
Home.
That word did not go unnoticed by Ares. He felt his heart melt. He was home.
"Dinner will be in an hour. Your trunks are getting emptied by the house elves, so do not go into your rooms for now. Go outside by the pool. It is filled. You can lay down there for now." She showed them the way enthusiastically.
Ares saw the pool in the backyard for the first time ever. This certainly wasn't here during the winter.
"It's charmed to only appear during the summer." Draco told Ares when he noticed the boy's confused look.
"Ah," said Ares in understanding. "Nagini!" He said when he saw the snake slither into the backyard for him.
Draco rushed onto one of the chairs and stood on top of it, trying to get further away from the snake.
"Oh, how I missed you!" said Ares truthfully.
Nagini flickered her tongue and wrapped herself around the boy's arm. She was too big. She couldn't fully fit herself. "I missed you too, Ares."
✫ ✫ ✫
In the dining room, the boys and Lucius finally started to catch up.
"Slytherin finally won the house cup." Lucius's eyes twinkled with delight. "They deserve it after Dumbledore's been point dumping on Gryffindor for so many years."
"That's what I was saying!" exclaimed Draco, glad his father understood.
"We deserved it," Ares joined in.
Narcissa smiled at her boys.
"Did Dumbledore not give out last minute points?" asked Lucius, bringing the fork to his mouth to taste the chicken.
"No, thankfully. I would've killed him if he had." Draco rolled his eyes. "It was pure luck that he didn't."
"He does that?" Ares asked in shock and disgust. That was so mean! Giving out last minute points to another house just so Slytherin wouldn't win?!
Lucius nodded. "Many times, he has done that."
"That's awful."
Draco nodded at Ares's words. "It is."
"Are you both excited for your second year?" Narcissa asked the two boys. Draco grimaced at the mention of school, while Ares nodded.
Draco gave Ares a look. They had just finished their first year and Ares was already ready to go back for his second year?
"I actually am," said Ares, noticing Draco's look. "What?"
"You're mental," replied Draco, earning a laugh from his mother. Ares shook his head fondly.
"This year we're going to go to so many places." Lucius promised the boys, making them look excited. "First stop will be London."
"And second stop?" Draco asked, not being able to hold his excitement.
"Anywhere Ares wants."
Draco turned to look at a wide-eyed Ares. "Oh, Ares, please say Italy! Our manor there is just gorgeous!"
"Italy?" Ares asked in shock.
"Yes, Ares. Anywhere in the entire world." Lucius looked at the boy.
"Italy, please!"
Ares let out a small laugh. "Sure, Draco. Italy it is." He said, earning a 'yes!' from Draco and a smile from Narcissa.
Oh, how lucky Ares was.
From not having his own room and bathroom to having a huge one here at Malfoy manor.
From not wanting to socialize with other orphans to having three friends he knew he could fully trust.
From not having a home to having two homes; Hogwarts and Malfoy Manor.
He was so, so lucky. Other kids didn't get these chances.
He thought about the kids at the orphanage. Little Rue, a newborn baby that had just been there before Dumbledore visited him. Everyone had rushed over to Rue to see her. But nobody let Ares do the same.
The adults would make Ares be far, far away from the other kids. Sometimes, they would go as far as locking him in the room he shared with a boy named Billy, who was honestly never sleeping in the same room as him. He was too terrified of Ares to do that.
Everyone was terrified of Ares.
The same thing applied to Hogwarts in some ways, didn't it? But hey, at least he had Draco with him. And Blaise. And Theo. He knew he could count on those boys.
He knew they had his back, and he had theirs. He was lucky for that. He was lucky to be a Slytherin, too. If he was at any other House, they would surely kick him out.
Slytherin welcomed him with open arms, though.
Anyone could say whatever they wanted to say about Slytherin. Truth was, Slytherin never turned their back on their own.
The same wouldn't have been said if Ares was a Gryffindor or a Ravenclaw, or even a Hufflepuff. They would never accept a Riddle.
But, oh, Slytherin did.
And Ares was truly lucky for that.
YOU ARE READING
Ares Salazar Riddle| a hp fanfic
Fanfiction↳in which ares salazar riddle, the dark lord's son, has to choose between being the next dark lord or be with the boy he loves, who was supposed to be his enemy.
