Title: Guilty (This title could refer to Tom, Harry, Dumbledore, Merope... take your pick.)
Written For: I have killed three birds with one stone with this fic. The first poor bird is the Slash/Femmeslash Boot Camp, which I have used prompt #20 {guilty} from. The second bird is the Cliched Beginning Challenge on HPFC and I have a feeling what I have done was not in mind when this challenge was created by the lovely sangkar. The last bird is that this is a birthday present! Requested by Laux14 for the lovely Hannah {han8661}. Happy Birthday, Hannah!
Warnings: mild slash, most dreaded Dark Lord crying (gosh, the horror. what was I thinking?), slight dumbledore hate, ur... and... um... oh! au, easy acceptance of meaningless murder (you will understand soon... that is the best way to describe it... I think)
Enjoy!
"My name is Lord Voldemort," he screamed, grabbing Harry's throat and pushing him into the wall.
Harry gave no sign of noticing the hand constricting most of his air, as he wheezed, "Your name is Tom Riddle. This time already has a Voldemort running around and you are definitely not him."
"Not yet," he growled.
Harry chuckled. "Not yet and, if I have anything to say about it, not ever."
Tom stood, hand still around Harry's throat, seething.
Harry sighed, he was not giving in for the moment. "What is so terrible about being called 'Tom'?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.
"It's the name of my filthy Muggle father," Tom answered.
"Ah, but why is it so terrible to have the name of said father?" Harry inquired, smiling a little. He knew how Tom would answer this question, too, and he had the perfect rebuttal.
"He abandoned my mother," Tom replied, as though it should be obvious. "He abandoned me."
"Tom," Harry sighed, weary of how the other would react to his logic. "If you were placed under a love potion and forced to marry someone, never realizing what you were doing... If you suddenly woke up one evening to find you had missed this huge part of your life, do you really think you would stick around with the woman who caused it? No matter what state she was in?"
Tom paused. "Love potion?" he squeaked.
"Yes, Tom, a love potion," Harry confirmed. "No one... ever told you?"
"No," Tom said, releasing Harry. "Who told you that?"
Harry thought for a minute, before his eyes lit up in understanding.
"Dumbledore," he ground out and hit the wall with one fist.
"Figures," Tom said, surprisingly calm. He went to sit on the couch placed in the center of the Room of Requirement, where they were currently situated.
"Tom?" Harry asked cautiously, waiting for the anger that was sure to come from Harry using his given name.
"Yes?" he said, voice cracking. He made no comment on his name.
"Tom, are you... are you crying?" Harry asked incredulously.
Tom turned his head away in response, confirming Harry's thoughts.
Harry crossed to the couch and seated himself beside Tom. Ignoring the other's protests, Harry grabbed Tom's chin and turned his head so he could see the tears streaking down his cheeks.
"Why are you crying, Tom?" Harry asked quietly, using his sleeve to wipe the tears away.
"It's not important," Tom answered petulantly, crossing his arms and leaning back.
Harry sighed and leaned back next to Tom, pulling the other boy to his side. Tom laid his head on Harry's shoulder.
"It's important to me," Harry pressed.
"Why?" Tom said.
"Hmm?"
"Why?" Tom said, louder. He broke away from Harry and turned to face him. "Why do you even care?"
"Why shouldn't I?" Harry inquired, pulling Tom back.
Tom choked in shock. "Because of what I've done. Harry, I have basically spent the past fifteen years making sure your life is considerably miserable."
"That wasn't you, Tom, and, like I said before, it will never be you. I won't let it happen," Harry comforted.
"But-" Tom started, but Harry shushed him.
"It all depends on the choices you make, but I truly believe that you could never go back to being such a person."
Tom sighed and relaxed back into Harry again. "Thank you," he said softly.
"You don't need to thank me," Harry said, just as quietly. He pressed his lips to the top of Tom's head and moved into a more comfortable position. Harry ended up laid across the couch with Tom's head on his chest. "Now are you going to tell me what brought on the tears?" Harry asked again.
"It's just," Tom paused, "I killed him. I killed my own father and now I find out that I was... mistaken. He didn't deserve it as much as I thought he had."
"There's not much you can do about it now, Tom. It's in the past. But, I'm sure, on some level he understands your reasons and, maybe, he would forgive you," Harry tried to assure Tom. He ran a hand through the other's hair.
"Maybe," Tom replied, doubtful. He let it go, however, and brought up something else to talk about. "What are we going to do about Dumbledore?"
Harry smiled slightly. He understood that this was not the last time he would have to comfort Tom about this, but he was grateful to know that he was at least successful for the time being.
It would be difficult, but Harry loved Tom (ironic as it may seem) and wished for nothing but to see him happy.
He laid another kiss to Tom's head and happily took up planning the Headmaster's demise.
Yes, he would definitely do anything to see Tom happy.