Title: A Sticking Place

Author: charredsunshine

Warning: *shrug* Can't really say. I haven't planned too much out, so there's just the general ones. M/M, slash, H/C, angst.

Rating: NC-17

Summary: "It can only rain so much before the clouds are empty, and you realize there's no sun to evaporate the ocean you left behind." A shunned and abused Harry Potter longs to find the one place he belongs. A lonely and indifferent Lord Voldemort longs for someone to understand him. Will they soon discover that being stuck may not be such a bad thing after all?

Chapter 1: Two Mirrors, One Reflection

"I am absolutely not going!"

Lily and James both scowled at their obstinate son. Not for the first time, they wondered why he couldn't have ended up like his sister. They are twins after all. Caella loves the Ministry Parties. Not to mention, the Minister of Magic is absolutely besotted with The Saviour of the Wizarding World.

"I am not! I hate those stupid parties, and would rather die than suffer through another one. You cannot make me keep company with those arrogant ministry idiots and their children."

James growled in anger, because they couldn't really leave the boy here with no babysitter. Even if they want to throw him into the nearest ditch, it won't be good for their reputation. Being the father of the-girl-who-lived can only hold you so far in the eyes of others. Turning to Lily, he could see she arrived at the same conclusion as him. There is no choice. They'll have to drag the boy with them kicking and screaming. They could already see the scorn in the seven-year-old's eyes when they told him in no uncertain terms that they were, unfortunately, handed the burden of being his parents and they could make him do whatever the hell they wanted to make him do. Like overbearing tyrants, they decreed that he most certainly will go to the party, and he will do it without a single fuss whatsoever. To make his point clear, James even went so far as to immediately plan the outfit, despite the fact that the event was nearly two weeks away.

Harry didn't utter a word. He didn't even look in their direction, because he knew that in the end, they were right. He wasn't in charge in the household, and if he pushed control, he would soon be watched carefully, and the last thing he needed at that point was more attention.

"Why are you so quiet?"

The two watched in anger as the boy walked out on them, walked up the stairs and shut the door.

"I swear, Lily. I am getting near to the end of my patience with that boy. I wish Caella had come out alone!"

"I know James. I know. I wish the same thing, but there's nothing we can do."

"He should know how to fade into the background by now. He's not special, yet he acts as if he's Caella; acts as if he's the-bloody-boy-who-lived. I wish we'd smothered him when he was younger."

"He knows he's of no use to this family, so he's acting out. Maybe we should put him up for adoption..."

"I pity the poor soul who takes him in. Besides, what would we say when one half of the whole suddenly disappears. We should just be happy he hasn't corrupted our precious daughter yet. Merlin only knows...Thank goodness Dumbledore separated them when he did. They were too close for comfort when they were younger."

"Yes. Dumbledore is indeed a wise man in his decisions. Come, dear. Let's go to bed. Take comfort that we have at least one child of quality."

-

They didn't know, but somewhere in the middle of their conversation, Harry walked out of his room, and sat listening on the stairs. When they turned around and saw him on the top step, they paused uncertainly. He was wearing this awfully strange expression on his face. It wasn't one of rebellion, or hatred, but a quiet one. He mumbled that he was going to bed and walked back into his room, locking the door this time.

Harry didn't find it a surprise that his parents felt this way about him. Ever since Dumbledore started training his sister to be the-girl-who-lived, he's been ignored. Not only has he been ignored, he's been despised, regretted, neglected...He remembers his fifth birthday when Caella received a new toy broom and Harry got candy. For their sixth birthday, Caella received a shopping trip to Diagon Alley, while Harry got a tattered old book. For the seventh birthday, she was given a wand due to Dumbledore's influence in the Ministry, and Harry was given his father's old pair of shoes from when he was a child. He used to be hurt. He'd always cry and cry and cry in his room. His heart has been shattered to a dust so fine, it mixes in with sand.

He briefly considered leaving, but knew it was too late, so he turned off the lamp light, and curled up under the blanket shutting his eyes. Every night he prayed things would somehow change for him, and he would wake up somewhere else, but knew there was nowhere else for him to wake up to. This was his family. The birth certificate was everything to prove it. There was no other option.

"I'm stuck.

Not for the first time, Harry's eyes stung with the pain of repressed tears, but none were shed. It can only rain so much before the clouds are empty, and you realize there's no sun to evaporate the ocean you left behind. Firmly shutting his eyes against the misery, Harry finally forced himself into a lonely rest. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

-

"What is your message to me, Lucius? You'd better not give me any bad news."

Lucius nodded his head and bowed submissively. Lately, the Dark Lord had been in a bad mood. Like a moody serpent, he snapped at everyone who made even the slightest of mistakes. The hostile takeover of the Ministry had to be perfect. There was no escaping it. If something goes wrong, hell isn't a threat, it's a promise.

"I have discovered that the room will be free for us this weekend. The Ministry is having a party where everyone is invited, so mostly, everyone will be centered around the ballroom."

"That is good. And the guards?"

"I have a potion that when released into the air turns into a potent knockout gas. It is to be released into the room, and we will enter half an hour later when it has diffused through the vents."

"Very good. I am pleased, Lucius. Make sure that nothing on your part goes wrong."

"It need not mentioning, my lord."

When silence reigned, the Death Eater quickly understood he was dismissed, and left the office. Thomas Marvolo Riddle lay back in his seat and sighed. As he sipped his tea, he considered the opinions of his Death Eaters on the subject of him. He can't say he's a very nice person. In fact, he's rather cold. In everything he does, he takes on a Machiavellian approach, and never regrets his decisions. The only one he regrets is not murdering Dumbledore when he was still in Hogwarts. It would have made his life so much easier.

No. Lord Voldemort indeed is not a nice man. It bothers him, though. He may not be kind or gentle, but he does get lonely. Everyone deserves a special someone, right? Unless his actions have erased him from that list of "everyone." If that's the case, then there is nothing he can do, because this war is his priority, and he will do whatever is necessary to come out on top. If only there was someone in existence who could accept his decisions. Someone with a soul dark and lonely enough to understand him. When he was younger, he used to hope for a soul mate, but he never received one. The potion he brewed to help him find the name of his "one and only," didn't show a name, and that could only mean one thing.

"I have no one. I am alone."

He's stuck.

If he'd known being a dark lord was such a lonely road, would he have still taken it? Perhaps. He would have definitely hesitated, but in the end, Tom believes that he would've taken the same route. Sighing softly, Tom pulled out a mirror and looked at his less than appealing nose. Besides...Who would love a man with a face not even a mother could love? Pasty skin, no nose, thin lips, bald head...He was disgusting. If he'd known this was what was in his future, he wouldn't have been surprised with the blank paper. Instead, he grew colder. The concept that he was meant to remain a creature unloved finally sunk in. No one.

No one.

No one would love him.

A firm knock at the door, sent Tom scrambling to put the mirror back into its place.

"Come in."

Severus entered, and the Dark Lord was gifted with another successful report.

-

"Hurry up, loser! I don't wanna be late!"

At the hurtful words, Harry made sure to slow down. His shirt slid lackadaisically over his head. Even his pants took their time zippering and buttoning up. When he looked in the mirror, he personally thought he resembled the stuffed turkey that would be on the Ministry Dinner Table.

"wobble wobble wobble."

There would probably be a lot of stuffed turkeys at the event. Lots of stuffed, arrogant, stupid turkeys.

"Boy!"

Sighing, Harry ended up hurrying just a bit with tying up his shoes. When he opened the door, he saw the fuming face of his father, and went to walk by him, but instead of moving to give him space, James Potter stood firmly in the doorway with his arms crossed.

"When we tell you to do something, boy...What do you do?"

"O-Obey, sir."

"Very good. And here we told you to be ready by 6:00 and you're still not ready as of 6:30!"

"I'm..."

"You have been entirely too disrespectful. I told your mother I couldn't handle it anymore, boy. I told her and she tried to get me to understand how you're useless and feel it, but I can't do it anymore. You will no longer undermine my authority!"

"Well I'm sorry if I don't want to go to a party where a bunch of prissy men have stucks shoved so far up their arses, I can see the tip coming out their mouths. No one wants me there! Why do you insist on dragging me!?"

Before Harry could even blink, he was on the floor with redness blossoming on his left cheek. For a moment, he wasn't quite sure what had happened. His father was always neglectful, but he'd never gone so far as to be...abusive. Harry's eyes widened and he looked up with an expression of stupor.

"I will take no more lip from your useless arse. I will make sure you are properly in your place from now on. Now we are already late because of you, so you will pick yourself up off the floor, and get your ungrateful behind over to your mother so we can all apparate. Because of you, Caella won't be taking the carriage."

James's expression was cold, and betrayed no sense of love for Harry if any just so happened to exist. He yanked Harry up by the hair, and threw him at his mother.

"Now go. I will not have my little princess suffer for the likes of you any longer."

Throughout the entire party, James, Lily, and Caella saw neither hide nor tail of Harry. They were sure he was in some corner licking his wounds, however, so none of them was worried. Privately, Caella considered that it was a good thing her parents hated Harry so much.

"It leaves them to give more love to me."

She barely remembers the good times they shared together when they were younger. Such memories were far overshadowed by greed and arrogance. If Harry looked at her in that moment as she thought ill thoughts about him and sucked up everyone's attention like an idle sponge, he would have thought that out of everyone, his twin had the most stuffing.

-

Lucius and Severus had been reporting daily. The current party the ministry was holding was in honor for thanks giving, and it was only for the impressive few. People such as the-girl-who-lived, the Minister of Magic, the star seeker for the Chuddley Cannons, and the most elite of purebloods were invited. They wouldn't bother breaking in when all the lessors were most likely still stationed at their posts.

"All is going well?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Since you seem to be my most competent Death Eaters, you are to go and check up on the others. I fear that any disappointing news will quite literally send me spiraling into a fit of insanity, so save me the trouble."

"Yes, our lord."

"You are dismissed."

The two Death Eaters once again quickly left. To be honest, the Dark Lord was anxious for one week to be over. If he's kept on his toes a second longer, he'll burst a vessel. They were already planned in the direction they would take to get into the building. Six of them would be dressed in classy outfits to blend in. They would hand in the invitation, and take the elevator to remain inconspicuous. By the time anyone realizes there are Death Eaters in the building, it will be all too late. Lucius had of course, long ago acquired invitations for them.

Half an hour later, Lucius and Severus returned to inform him that all was smooth, and he had nothing to worry about. When the Dark Lord looked inside himself, he realized that he could rest in comfort.

"You have worked hard. You are dismissed."

Somewhere inside, Tom has a good feeling about this event. Something positive is to happen.

-

At the end of the party, when they went home, Harry was informed that there was going to be another party at the end of the week. The casual way his father mentioned it told Harry that he was once again going to be given no choice in the matter. Harry walked up the stairs quietly, and put up his suit, thinking of the way his father slapped him earlier that day.

"Boy!"

"Yes, father?"

A hand reached out and grasped at Harry's throat, lifting Harry off his feet.

"You embarrassed me today. There were people asking about you, wondering where you wandered off to, wanting to know the progress of the brother of the-girl-who-lived! Yet what could I tell them? What was there to show them? Nothing! Abso-fucking-lutely nothing! So do you know what that means, boy?"

"No, sir."

"It means you will not wander from my sight next event. Is that understood? You will stay within two feet of my sight always, so that I may pass you about."

"Yes, sir."

"Good"

James watched in pleasure for a moment, Harry flailing around in his grasp, gasping for air. He decided quickly that nothing was more important to him than his pride and prestige. He would make sure the boy was properly fixed by the end of the week.

-

Things grew worse for Harry as the week progressed. After the first event, Harry was given more work around the house. Before, he would take out the garbage and sweep the floors in the kitchen and dinning room, and weed out the garden before making breakfast, but now, he was given all the jobs his parents did such as the bathrooms, and the gardening, and the dusting, and the making of lunch and dinner. They even went so far as to free their house elf, and replace it with Harry.

"Boy!"

At random moments, his father would lash out at him in anger and strike him on the face. There wasn't really any reason not to do it in James's eyes, and no one really bothered to stop or question him, because no one cared. Sirius and Remus came over, but they didn't say a word. James lied and said that he'd tried to harm Caella. He said that he found Harry pushing a pillow into her face when in reality, Harry woke up to James doing the same to him just the night before. Sirius approved of the abuse, and Remus said not a word. The green-eyed boy grew to realize that just the very sight of him set his relatives off. His mother not only ignored him now, but sneered in disgust. Caella acted as if he simply didn't exist, and his father continued to abuse him. When Harry considered escaping, he realized he had nowhere to escape to. Who would take him in; a boy who has no value?

The week seemed to pass by slower than normal as Harry wished the party had come long ago. He watched sadly as his sister tried on hundreds of new dresses as if she didn't have hundreds already in her closet. Her small body twirled in girlish happiness, and the light brightened in her eyes. Meanwhile, a little boy's shoulders sank, and the light that twinkled in his eyes dimmed to a near nonexistence.

"I think I'm done, daddy."

"Alright, princess. Let's get going."

-

Harry sat at the table assigned to him and nibbled listlessly at a square piece of cheese. Frankly, it didn't taste any good, but for lack of anything better to do, he used it as a mode of entertainment. He would take three nibbles from each corner in a counterclockwise fashion until the while thing ended up finished. So far, he was about half way through. When Harry looked around and spotted his father showing his sister off, Harry wished he wasn't here to even see it. He wished he could leave and not suffer the pain of being ignored. Tiny fingers grasped at the cheese and flipped it over and over.

"Forget this."

Along with the mumbled words, Harry tossed the cheese onto the table, looked to make sure his father wasn't watching, and left. The way he saw it, James was going to abuse him anyway, Harry might as well give the man a reason to do it. When he walked out the ball, he ignored the onlookers that he shoved past, and journeyed towards the elevator. He wanted to get away. Far away. He stared at the buttons and pressed the highest number.

"Going up."

When Harry stepped off the elevator, he looked around, wondering what was exactly kept on the thirty-second floor. Knowing the the buffoons who control the establishment, they probably store all their gold here. Harry opened the nearest door, peered in, and was almost disappointed he was wrong. Surprised, but disappointed nonetheless. Instead, he saw these rows and rows of shelves that didn't hold books, but crystal balls.

"Prophecies!"

The verdant gaze stared in wonderment at the different names at the bottoms. It seemed that here in this very room was every wizard's life. It's like millions and millions of weddings, and only one planner. Who this planner was, Harry didn't care to know.

"Oh! This Tom Riddle person has two prophecies!"

Perusing the shelves and muttering to himself, Harry couldn't acknowledge the footsteps that signaled someone entering the nameless room, or the telltale whispers. When curiosity won him over, Harry wandered back over to Tom Riddle's prophecies, and picked the globes up off the shelves.

"How do you activate these things?"

Putting it closer to his face, Harry scrutinized the thing carefully. As he became more and more unaware of his surroundings, be started mumbling his theories.

"Open."

Nothing.

"Open, please?"

Nothing. The colors in the globe swirled and swirled brightly, mocking Harry with their mystery. He desperately wanted to know what the prophecy was.

"Come on! How do you work this thing?"

Harry set one down and picked up the other with both hands, and shook it vigorously.

"Work. Workworkworkworkwor...!"

Suddenly, Harry froze mid-shake. A tiny circle of pressure was forming on the left side of his head. Nervously, Harry turned his head to the side to see something he never expected. Standing next to him were six wizards, one with his wand pressed firmly against his head.

"Stand up, and don't make any sudden moves."

-

"What will we do with him, my lord?"

Tom Riddle sat staring at the child in the corner. If the Dark Lord was to be honest, he was upset. This child was causing a delay in their plans. They were supposed to be finished by now! Now there's a hostage. A child no less.

"How much time do we have, Lucius?"

"About four hours more, my lord. These parties usually run very late."

"This was not a part of the plan, was it, Lucius?"

"Assuredly not."

"So then why is he here?"

"I assume he grew bored and wandered off."

"This far?"

"I cannot be certain. I can promise he isn't a decoy, if that is your worry."

"That is far from my worry. My worry, is that we now have a witness. A child. We all know how lose the mouths of children are, and the last thing I want to do is perform any occlumency spells on him."

"I see the problem. We cannot let him go."

"No we cannot."

"So why don't you take him in?"

"I do believe that idea has to be crazier than Bellatrix."

"I have observed bruises beneath his clothing. When asked who his family is, he did not wish to tell us. I think that between both factors, the child, and the family it may have none will miss each-other. The child might even be happy with the new environment."

"In case you haven't noticed, I am far from a suitable father-figure. Never-the-less, to an abused child."

"I think he would prefer your honesty."

"You don't know him!"

"I don't have to. There are certain basic things children prefer."

-

In the end, the raid was a success, and the Minister of Magic fell under their control. At least for the moment, they could rest in peace. Well...until Dumbledore darkens their moods again. He'll have to do something about that insufferable man. As Tom's mind wandered, he turned his head towards the boy who sat next to him in his office.

"Come to think of it, I haven't even asked him his name yet."

The dark lord found it terribly awkward, but the boy wasn't so bad. He didn't seem to be the loud type. What the Dark Lord wasn't so sure about was whether to consider that a strength, or a vice. Perhaps years of neglect have taught the child to keep quiet, and look down. He did not even object to being brought here. Where is his family?

"I am sure you miss your family, so tell me their names, and..."

"No!"

"He speaks!" "No?"

"I...I don't...the thing is...I can't really say that I miss my family, exactly...well..."

"You don't wish to go back is what you're saying."

The child looked away as if he should feel guilty, even though Tom knew the boy didn't. He stared silently at the child and placed his quill and papers back in their proper places. He can't exactly force the child to go back, and it makes things infinitely easier. Now he doesn't have to worry about how to maintain security, or how to protect his death eaters.

"Then you shall not go back."

"What?"

"I believe I was quite clear. For as long as you feel comfortable, you may stay here. You will hardly be a burden upon my finances, and this manor is still too large for the amount of people living here."

"You mean..."

"Yes. This will be your new home."

If anything, the Dark Lord expected a nod of acceptance, and a smile. Perhaps a large smile. What he did not expect was small arms wrapping themselves around his waist, and a small face burying itself into his chest.

"Thank you! I've been so worried. I've wanted to run away so many times, but..."

When Harry looked up into the eyes of the Dark Lord, he could see he had shocked the man so greatly, he was stiff in his chair.

"I'm sorry! I didn't meant to...I only meant to..."

"Just...Just make sure it doesn't happen again. Ever."

Smiling his widest, Harry nodded his head vigorously. A new beginning, a new start.

"I'm not stuck anymore...

"I'm not stuck."

A/N:

Alright. Please tell me what you think. I know I should be working on my other story, but this idea popped up in my head, and I just can't seem to get rid of it. I think I'll work in-between, because Merlin-be-damned, this plot-bunny won't leave me alone! *sigh* I am completely at it's mercy, and can only hope my readers understand. I hope this first chapter isn't lagging. I am charmed by the plot-line that I've come up with, and I hope my positive writing skills shine through. Once again, please tell me what you think in reviews. ^_^