Title: Will Never Leave
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Voldemort/Harry
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 755
Summary: Ghost!AU. Harry's has a friend.
Notes: Written for Krissy (Firediva0)
Marathon Competition: Ninth Mile - Write a gift fic. It can be for whoever you want, your friend, a stranger you want to be nice too, anyone. Make them smile.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Jewel Day Challenge - Sapphire- Necklace: Write a Ghost!AU
Seven-year old Harry stared at the ghost. "You're always with me."
The form nodded, his translucent eyes showed an emotion Harry had never seen directed at him before. "I'm connected to you," the baritone voice whispered soothingly.
"Do you promise to never leave me?" Harry innocently asked.
"I will forever be at your side," the ghost vowed.
Harry bit his bottom lip. "Will you tell me your name?"
The ghost was quiet for a moment, before he finally answered. "Most people call me Voldemort, but you can call me Tom."
"Tom." Harry tested the name on his lips. "I like it."
"Boy! Get out here and cook us breakfast!" Aunt Petunia screeched.
Tom's ghostly form disappeared. "I'm still with you, but only you're allowed to see me," he explained.
Warmth settled over Harry. He wasn't alone. It was a feeling he wasn't used to. And he liked the idea of having a secret friend.
Voldemort watched over eleven-year old Harry as the boy was sorted into Gryffindor. When he first appeared to the child, he had been planning to use the boy that was supposed to be his enemy. The reason Voldemort followed Harry around was because of the piece of his soul in Harry's scar, not that he had meant to make the boy his Horcrux. It was accidental.
He was simply planning to use the boy to get his body back, but he felt a strange emotion when he looked upon the young boy. He felt affection. It was an alien feeling, and when he thought about killing the boy or attaching to the boy, and maybe even draining Harry's soul from his body in order to take over the body, guilt overwhelmed him.
He wasn't supposed to care about the boy, but their childhoods had been so similar. Both of them were orphans, hated by the people who were supposed to raise them. While Voldemort had grown bitter, even before he started at Hogwarts, Harry seemed to be able to hold onto his pure heart and soul, despite his Muggle family's bigotry. And Voldemort found himself not wanting to taint or get rid the pure soul.
Harry's heart touched something in Voldemort, something he long thought dead. And that was Voldemort's own heart.
What was he to do, though?
He didn't want to forever remain a ghost. He also found himself unwilling to hurt Harry. And he certainly didn't want to abandon Harry. After all, he promised the young wizard to always be at his side, and Voldemort never broke his promises.
Voldemort stared wide-eyed. Lucius Malfoy, one of his most loyal Death Eaters had thought he was doing the Dark Lord a favor by killing Harry Potter. He didn't know about the Horcrux. That y itself wasn't that big of a deal because he had other Horcruxes.
He hadn't wanted Harry dead, though. Still, Harry should have woken up once the Horcrux was destroyed. He was sure Harry's own soul would be intact.
So, why was he staring at a ghostly Harry Potter?
And that was the question he uttered. "Why?"
Even though Harry wore a wide grin, his voice was quiet when he explained. "I was given a choice. I could either move on to the afterlife of start breathing again. I didn't like either choice, though. I fought to become a ghost."
"Why would you want to be stuck on this plane as a ghost? You'll never be able to move on. Never see you family."
Harry looked at Voldemort like the answer should be obvious. "Because you made a promise to never leave me, and you kept it. I didn't want to leave you either."
"I'm a bad man who did horrible things. I killed your parents," Voldemort reminded him.
"I know, but you were also loyal to me this whole time. Teaching me. Protecting me however you could. And you never lied to me. I want to be with you. Will you let me stay with you? We can be ghosts together."
Voldemort never imagined anyone would choose to be a ghost, especially for him, but Harry always had a knack when it came to surprising him. "I'm honored by your loyalty."
"Is that a yes to me staying with you?"
If Voldemort's heart wasn't dead, he was sure it would be beating erratically because of the look of adoration in Harry's eyes. "It's a yes. I can't imagine anyone else I'd rather spend eternity with."
Harry's grin made everything seem right in Voldemort's world.