Disclaimer: I don't own any of this...

"What? No, I can't do that!"

Hermione paused warily in the process of lifting her hand to knock on the door to Harry's flat. Did he have someone in there with him?

Oh, please let it be a woman! She thought fervently. Harry had been resolutely single the entire five years since the war had ended. Well, he'd dated Ginny for about three weeks before breaking it off without any real explanation. He always acted like he was happy that way, but sometimes she caught a strange look in his eyes that unnerved her. She was very much afraid that he was hiding depression.

Harry laughed! It was loud and rich. The kind of carefree laugh that she hadn't heard from him since… what? Early second year, maybe?

"It would be fun," Harry said with laughter still lacing his voice. "I can't deny that. But there are some lines we just don't cross, Tom."

Hermione frowned. Tom? Not a woman then. Damn. Still, who was Tom? Why hadn't Harry ever mentioned him before?

"Well, yes, of course you cross those lines, but we've seen what came of that, right?"

Hermione's frown deepened as she realized that Harry seemed to be having a very one-sided conversation. She knew that he didn't have a phone, since he didn't actually have any friends in the muggle world. And he wasn't connected to the floo.

Harry burst into hysterical laughter again, wheezing out something that she couldn't make out.

She hesitated a moment more, then when his laughter began to abate, knocked on the door.

The laughter inside ceased instantly. Footsteps crossed to the door. It was pulled open and Harry smiled at her – that slightly guarded smile that was the most anyone seemed able to get out of him anymore.

Hermione glanced around him curiously, "Is someone else here?"

He frowned as though he didn't understand why she'd ask that.

"I heard you talking to someone."

Harry's eyes grew distant for a moment, that chilling darkness clouding them momentarily, then he shook his head and stepped back to let her in. "No. I was just… thinking out loud."

Hermione stepped passed him with a sigh, "Harry, I heard you talking to someone."

"Well, it's none of your business," he replied sharply.

Hermione flinched. She was not used to Harry talking to her like that.

"Sorry," Harry sighed. "Long day. Can I get you some tea?"

She nodded and moved to the sitting area while he went to the kitchen. A moment later, she heard the murmur of a lowered voice. Curiously, she got up and approached the doorway to the kitchen, keeping her step light.

"Shut up, Tom! She's going to hear us!" A brief pause. "You don't think I know that? What am I supposed to do? She's Hermione!" Another pause. "No, I can't just… Tom, stop it! Ow! Why do you always do that?! No, don't blame it on me! Ugh! I swear to Merlin, you were less annoying before I killed you!"

Hermione stumbled back away from the door. What?!

Rushed footsteps, and then Harry appeared in the doorway. Looking nervous. "How much did you hear?" he asked warily.

"T-tom… God, Harry! You're talking to Voldemort?!"

Harry groaned, confirming the suspicion. "Damn it. Look, this isn't as bad as it looks…" He stopped as though he'd been interrupted and grimaced, "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" he hissed to someone who obviously wasn't in the room.

"Harry…" Hermione breathed cautiously. "Is he…? Is he haunting you?"

Harry snorted, "Fuck, I wish he was. Then I could just exorcise the annoying git." He sighed heavily. "You remember that horcrux that was stuck in me? Yeah, well… It didn't die. So when his body was destroyed…"

Hermione gasped in horror. "He's possessing you?!"

"Of course not!" Harry scowled. "He might be Lord Mighty Git Voldemort, but he can't possess me without my permission. I've got him firmly locked away from my magic and all forms of motor function. And he sure as hell hasn't manifested any sort of growths on any part of my body- Damn it, Tom, shut up! You annoying parasite! Sorry. No, all he can do is talk to me. Bloody annoying, but- Yes, you are annoying! Oh, don't try to use that against me, you prick!"

"Harry," she interrupted warily, "how long has this been going on?"

He shrugged self-consciously. "Couple weeks after I killed him. Oh God damn it! I don't care who cast that curse, you egocentric fuck, if not for me you'd still have a body, so I am perfectly justified in taking credit! Stop it! You know you don't want that either! NO! I will not obliviate her! Gods, just because you never had any friends you wouldn't curse on a whim…"

He scowled, "I am not! It doesn't count! You've cursed me plenty of- Well, no, because you can't curse me now… Shut up!" He finally focused on her again. "What were we talking about?"

Hermione couldn't remember. She couldn't think of what to say. By all appearances, her friend was well on his way to being driven mad by Voldemort's voice in his head, no matter how tightly Harry had locked him down. "You… You can't block his voice?" she asked tentatively.

Harry blushed faintly.

"You could," she realized. "Why don't you?"

He shifted uncomfortably, then grimaced in a way that she thought Voldemort must have commented.

"Harry, why don't you block his voice?" she breathed.

Harry stilled and stared at the floor. He mumbled something that she didn't catch.

"What?" she asked softly.

"Because then I'd be alone," he said just barely loud enough for her to hear.

"Harry, that's not true!" she gasped. "You've got me and Ron and…"

"It's not the same!" he snapped. "You've all got your own lives! You're not…" His eyes hardened as he looked at her again. "Tom is mine. Only mine."

"Harry… He's the disembodied voice of Voldemort," she pointed out as gently as possible.

Harry nodded distractedly, studying her a moment, then whispered with feverish intensity, "I'm going to get him a new body."

A/N: If you're waiting for the next chapter of I'm Done, it's in the works. If you're waiting for My Brother, The Hero... Sorry. I'm working on that too. My muse is being impossible at the moment, but we will get there. Promise.