"So," Cedric chirped brightly from the driver's seat of his bee-yellow sedan, "have you met your new neighbor yet?"

Harry stared at the taller boy, perplexed. Had he met his new neighbor yet? No. Because he hadn't even realized that he had a new neighbor until right that very moment and only because he'd said something about it. "Uh…no?"

"You didn't notice, did you?" Sheepishly the raven shrugged. Cedric chuckled and pushed his sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose. One handed, he turned the wheel and the beaten car hummed as it turned the corner onto their street. "How anyone can overlook a moving van, especially one parked outside of Hill House as the thing has been empty for years, I'll never know."

His shrug turned into more of a roll of his pointed shoulders halfway through. "You know me, Cedric. I always have my head in the clouds, one way or another writing my 'wizard tales'."

"Your 'wizard tales' will sell for millions and make you a very rich man." Harry blushed and ducked his head, turning to look out the passenger side window at the street. They were passing Hill House now, its imposing form-decrepit yet still somehow inexplicably imposing-stark against the cloudless blue sky of the brief Alaskan summer. Cedric maneuvered around the moving truck which seemed to take up half the street. Oddly enough, despite the open back of the truck being filled to the brim with furniture and sealed boxes, there was no one in sight to bring the items inside.

The long term residents of Godric's Hollow had always considered Hill House to be haunted, and for good reason. Murders. Suicides. Accidents. One way or another, whoever owned it always seemed to somehow end up very very dead within ten years. No one native to the area really wanted to live there and as such it had stood empty for almost forty years. It's need for repair was dire.

And its new owner was, beyond a doubt, an outsider. Something which would prove either amazing or disastrous.

"Any reason that you're bringing them up?"

"Him, Harry. Him." The friendly teasing in his tone left the raven rather weary. "I haven't seen or spoken to him myself but Cho told me that she saw him coming in this morning; tall dark and handsome?"

"And considerably older if he's bought a house for himself especially a house in a state like that." He said as Hill House disappeared behind them. "If I didn't know better Diggory I would swear that you're trying to set me up with him!"

Harry was into men. By now, that much was no secret any everyone who knew him had long since accepted and adjusted to that fact. He'd asked Cedric out the year before: the taller, blonde male was as straight as he was handsome and had turned him down gently. They'd settled into a comfortable friendship after that.

"Well, you're hardly making much relationship progress on your own Potter. I figured you could use a bit of help."

The raven huffed as the car rolled to a stop in his driveway. "God, Cedric, you're worse than my Godfather and my mother combined!"

That did nothing to stop the other boy from erupting into peels of good natured laughter. "At least talk to him?"

"If you think my mother will let me off without doing that you've lost your mind completely. If it isn't homemade baked goods it'll be for the typical 'hello neighbor, I'm gay-I mean Harry-nice to meet you' because we both know how brilliant I am with words." Between his calculus homework and his impending 'social outing' the next hour would not be 'fun' by any definition of the word. "Thanks for the lift home."

"No problem. It's on the way anyway. See you later?"

"We do have have another week left of school."

"Isn't that the said truth? Good luck with your homework. And your introductions."

Harry grumbled under his breath and pushed the car door shut with a bang. Slinging the strap of his bag over his shoulder he began the trek up to his house and, after briefly fumbling with the keys, walked in through the front door. The smell of chocolate chip cookies slammed into him immediately afterwards; relieved, he dropped his school bag with a thud and strode into the kitchen.

"Hey Mom."

His mother, Lily, stood in front of the stove with an apron on and her long crimson hair secured behind her back. "Hello, love. Welcome home." Her green eyes were the same color as his and there was a smear of flour and chocolate across one of her cheeks.

"Are those for our new neighbor?"

"Yes, darling. They'll be done in twenty minutes; would you mind taking them over?"

"I will, as soon as I finish my homework; can you let me know when they're done?" Harry picked up an apple from the fruit bowl and rubbed it on the front of his shirt. He knew his mother preferred it when the fruit they ate was actually washed but, though she sent him a sharp look, said nothing.

"I will. Go work on your assignment love."

Was he excited about Math? Absolutely not. Did he want to get it the hell over with? Yes. And quickly. And that was why Harry grabbed his schoolbag from where he'd left it beside the door and rushed up the stairs. Twenty minutes later Harry had managed to hammer out most of his assignment and he'd dearly wanted to light his book on fire. True to her word his mother called him down and handed him a large decorative plate of piping hot cookies with orders to take them down to Hill House.

Harry was out the door and headed up the block moments later, forcing himself not to think about all of the stories regarding the property. Superstitions were just that, after all. Superstitions. Stories. Not real. Coincidences at most.

He was only marginally successful in doing so.

Harry edged around the open back of the moving truck and peered inside. Nothing seemed to have been moved between the time he'd seen the truck in Cedric's car until now. The face of Hill House made the building look forlorn and empty, its porch sagging to one side like an unhinged jaw flapping in the wind and empty windows staring blankly into empty space.

Movement out of the corner of one eye made him jump and look up. Nothing was there, but the sun-bleached curtain was rippling as if in a draft. Or as if it had recently been moved.

A cold shiver passed through him, goosebumps erupting over his skin from head to toe. Feeling as if he was being watched Harry picked up his pace and all but bounded onto the porch. The rotting wooden planks bowed beneath his weight but didn't break.

When he reached up to knock the door swung open with the squeak of unoiled hinges. A draft, cold and dry and heavy with the smell of dust and sweet rot, broke over him like a wave as he stepped hesitantly over the threshold and looked around. There were two pairs of prints left behind in the thick lair of dust which had gathered across the floor along with every other surface. One from a pair of fine men's boots. The other from what appeared to be a large dog. The interior was dim and there were no other signs of life.

"Hello?"

A black shape came tearing around the corner with a snarling growl and launched itself down the hall at him. Strings of drool flying from its viciously snapping jaws. Harry yelped, stumbled backwards and fell into the door which had swung shut behind him with a thump. The massive beast crouched low, preparing to leap for his throat and tear it out and-.

"Nagini!" The owner of the house had appeared on the stairs like some sort of specter, dressed in leather and denim with nary a hair out of place. His peculiar crimson eyes seemed to glow in the half light of the house. "That's more than enough. He's welcome here."

Harry didn't expect reasoning with a vicious animal to work and was about to say as much but to his utter shock the dog instantly went quiet and sat down.

"Forgive her." The man had begun to descend the steps with the soft clank of steel-toed boots. "She and I have been companions for a very long time and she tends to be a bit overprotective. Nagini is a good dog and meant nothing by it." He sent the dog a pointed glance. "Did you?"

Nagini whined and, as he came to a stop at the base of the stairs, lay down at his feet. Harry stared at the suddenly placid dog in total shock.

"It's almost like she understands you." He knew that it was stupid to think that but it was the only way that he could possibly word it.

The man didn't seem to think so. At least not too much. He smiled, revealing perfect white teeth, and chuckled. The tone was dark and satiny and did absolutely nothing to assist with his sudden red face and dry mouth. "You could say that she does. In a way." He extended a hand, large and long fingered, towards him. "Tom Riddle."

"Harry." He managed after a moment's flailing, shifting the weight of the plate onto his arm and taking the offered hand. His grip was strong but not painful and his palm was warm and calloused. "Harry Potter. I…if you don't mind me asking-?"

"About my eyes? A birth defect; don't feel ashamed for your curiosity Harry. I take it you're one of my new neighbors?"

"Yes. My mother made some cookies for me to bring over as a way for me to welcome you to the area. I'm guessing that you're not from around here?" For daring to move into this house. And certainly for having an accent the likes of which he'd never heard before.

"Not from around here? I'd say that's a reasonable enough description given that I come from across the pond. A small town in the heartland of Great Britain." He released his hand and took the plate. Harry was very much relieved to be freed from its weight. "Shall we have a seat and enjoy these while they're warm? I'm afraid that I haven't yet gotten around to dragging in the table or the chairs but we can sit in my truck if you'd like?"

It was better than playing Russian Roulette with that one floorboard which wouldn't be capable of holding his weight. "Sure."

Tom's smile grew slightly larger and he motioned to the door. "After you."

Nagini leapt up the instant that Harry opened the door and bolted out after him, tearing around the side of the house and out of sight.

"Well, she certainly seems eager."

"She always seems eager." The creaking of the porch did nothing to faze the brunet and he crossed it without batting an eye, pulling a set of car keys from the pocket of his bomber jacket as he did so. Harry thought it was a bit hot for jackets at the current time of year, but then again it had been a good bit cooler inside of the house.

Nagini had already leapt up into the open tailgate of the massive dark green pickup which sat in the driveway behind the house atop which a pair of bull horns had been bolted. The truck chirped when the button to unlock it was hit. Harry moved around to the passenger side as Tom slid into the driver's seat and placed the plate on the middle arm rest. The seats were deep and upholstered in slate grey leather. A dark green snake hung from the mirror, an odd choice for a shaped air freshener but to each their own, and the interior was shockingly clean considering that it belonged to a single man of nearly thirty.

The truck smelled like leather and spice and Tom-wood smoke, pine and why the hell did he know how the man smelled when he hadn't even known him for five minutes?-and Harry couldn't stop himself from staring as Tom removed his jacket, putting his powerful forearms on display. The bottom of his shirt rucked up over his washboard stomach as he turned around to push up the back window and allow Nagini to stuck her head through and make off with a couple of cookies.

"Chocolate is bad for dogs."

"She'll be fine. She's eaten worse before." He picked up one of the cookies and took a bite. Harry had to force himself to look away. "These are delicious. You said your mother made them?"

"She did. "He said. "So, Nagini…is she a German Shepherd or something?" To him, she looked much more like a wolf.

"Something." He answered. "Pass along my compliments, if you would? And my thanks."

"Of course."

They ate in silence for a while. Half of the plate was gone by the time neither of them could eat anymore and Nagini had shoved her muzzle down his shirt to goad Harry into petting her, much to Tom's obvious amusement.

"I hate to ask, honestly, but there's so much in that truck that I doubt I could finish all of it tonight on my own and I'd like to at least put the master bed and bath to rights. Would you mind?"

"Oh, no. Not at all." Harry straightened up quickly in his chair, earning an unhappy grumble from Nagini who turned and jumped back out of the trunk. "Hill House is an awful shape; you'll need help with the renovations?"

"Are you offering?"

Anything to get to know the man better. Most specifically which team he played for and whether or not newly eighteen was too young for his range. "It's only the neighborly thing to do, isn't it?"

There was a knowing glint in his eyes but he simply smiled back and nodded his head. "Yes, quite. The neighborly thing to do." He pushed his door open and stepped out. "Leave the plate in the car. I'll come grab it once I have a trustworthy place to put it."

Harry nodded and followed after him, appreciatively taking advantage of his position to stare at what was visible of Tom's back through the thin cotton of his shirt. If anything the man looked even better under the sunlight without the jacket than he did with it, the sunlight made his pale skin gleam like alabaster beneath the intricate black detailing of his sleeve tattoos.

From this angle he couldn't make out what the image was, but thought it was a howling wolf against a backdrop of pines.

The only jewelry that he wore was a golden ring inset with a large black stone, but Harry thought that he'd look incredible with one of those Helix piercings which Dudley had gotten just to spite his parents.

"We'll just take them all into the big room off the front entrance; you saw it I'm sure? The furniture will be for last as that will be the most difficult part." He brushed his chestnut curls back from his face. "Sound good?"

"Yeah." Harry said as Tom hoisted himself up into the truck.

"I'll pass them down and after we've gotten all of the boxes out we'll start to take them into the house."

Tom passed him the first pair of boxes. Something metallic rattled around and Harry almost dropped them when the weight took him by surprise.

"So Harry, tell me, what do you do?"

"Me?" he repeated, surprised as he set the box down. "I'm a high school senior. Eighteen. I usually work odd jobs over the summer around the neighborhood for a bit of pocket money. That sort of thing."

"Odd jobs? Marvelous. I'll be having a lot of those for you to help me with; I'll pay you for those and for this as well." He said. "Sound agreeable?"

He'd be practically employed by Tom. All of summer by the look of the state of the house? This was perfect! "That's be great, Tom. But you really don't have to pay me. I'm happy to help."

"And I'm happy to give you something in return." How Tom could lift four boxes at a time and still not break a sweat Harry had no idea. "If nothing else, feel free to come around at any time; the key will be under the mat."

"Anytime?"

"Day. Night. Morning. To hang out. Hide from your parents. Hide from your fangirls."

"I wish I was popular enough to have to hide from fans. Though I'd much rather they be fan boys."

"No you don't. Trust me. It's easy to get rid of the woman, at least the ones with any sense, by telling them you're gay. The men…not so much." He leapt down, landing gracefully beside him.

"You-?"

"Prefer the D? Yes." How Tom could be so blasé about telling such a thing to a near total stranger when telling his own parents and closest friends had been the single most embarrassing experience in his entire life Harry would never know. "What, upset that you're no longer the only one who's bent? With the way that you've been staring at me I thought you'd be relieved."

He'd noticed? Harry hastily picked up the nearest box and hid behind it. "Why do you think that we're the only two around?"

"We're in the middle of bloody Alaska, one of the most isolated places on earth aptly called the last frontier, in a town with a population of about two thousand people. Given that 'the Gays' only make up about 4% of the total population of the United States there can't possibly be that many of us around here."

Well he did have a point in that.

"So," Harry asked as he followed Tom back inside, setting his box down with a huff. "What do you do for a living Tom?"

"I've done a few things. Everything from office work to modeling." He could certainly believe that. "But between my savings and inheritance I no longer need to work. Do you plan to go to college Harry?"

"Oh, no. I want to be an author actually." He told him. "The people who have read my work think it's pretty good."

"I'm certain that it is. I'd like to see some of it eventually if you wouldn't mind?"

"I might bring something by someday."

By the time all of the boxes had been brought in and all of the furniture had been placed Harry felt as if he'd been bench pressing for four hours straight Tom seemed entirely unaffected leading the raven to wonder just how ridiculously fit the man was.

"Thank you for your help, Harry. It was good meeting you." He watched him dismount the steps from the porch and head back down the block and out of sight. Only then did he allow his smile to curve into a brutal smirk. Of all the places where I could ever have stumbled across you again, my legionnaire, I never thought it would be here.