I'm having a lot of fun with the idea of a fem!Harry trying to turn Tom away from genocide (not violence) while also sporting a 'Meh, fuck it' attitude about everything else. I'm considering merging this with chapter one but considering I'm posting this the same day I published I'm going to probably just deal with it. As always, please review!
Iris was swinging from a rope tied across a tree limb hanging over a sluggishly bubbling creek, Tom sat below her watching as the redhead somehow managed to hold onto the rotted strands despite hanging upside down as she swayed in the wind. Not that it mattered, his only friend as always was a natural in the air, like she was born for it. Their friendship itself was odd, two months ago she'd punched him in the face as an introduction, now? They were the closest of friends and he couldn't really say why, and honestly he really didn't care either, interesting that.
Eventually the dark haired boy tilted his head to the side and spoke up, "What do you hate most in the world? More then anything?" Iris turned her gaze to him and Tom felt a shiver slide up his spine as her emerald orbs locked onto him, he had no idea why it happened but every time she gave him her complete focus he felt like electricity was jolting across his body. He liked it, a lot.
She began jerking the rope lightly causing herself to swing like a pendulum, eventually she closed her eyes and after she reached a high speed she let go of the rope and landed before him on all fours. Rising to her feet she stared down at her friend a moment as her crimson hair blew in the wind, Tom was more taken by the image then he'd ever care to admit.
"Honestly Tomcat? Bigots, I hate bigots." He cocked his head slightly at that raising a single eyebrow, Iris being who she was caught his questioning sign immediately and gifted him with a giggle and a grin. Something she only ever gave him, and no one else, it made him feel...special.
"Oh don't get all stoic, I hate people who judge other people on how they were born. Skin color, religion, heredity, social class, it makes no sense! You're born how you're born there isn't any reason to hate people for it, sure it's ok to be proud of your heritage but to discriminate against others to make yourself feel better? It's bollocks."
Tom rubbed his chin and fell backwards cradling the back of his head in his hands as he stared into the deep blue sky, watching the sparse clouds slowly move across the endless void. A moment later he was staring into a pair of worried green eyes fixed in a pale face framed by fiery red hair, Iris smiled and kissed the tip of his nose before falling on her back resting her head on his stomach as she shared his view.
"I hate people who look down on me," Tom began, scrunching his brow he sighed lightly to himself as he tried to gather his thoughts, "The Matron thinks I'm a bully but I only hurt those that hurt me. Those that picked on me...I...I hate being seen as weak."
Iris turned her head enough to meet Tom's gaze a single crimson eyebrow rising up across her forehead, "Is it the you hate people viewing you as weak, or that you hate feeling weak Tomcat?" He actually sat there for a solid five minutes as Iris hummed to herself before he responded, and the answer surprised himself.
"I...I hate feeling weak. I guess...I guess in the end it really doesn't matter what others think of me does it? It's my own problem, I'm alone, I've always been alone, and I hate feeling weak. I hate showing weakness to others, because they can take advantage of it." Iris 'Hmm'd' at that a moment before removing her head from his stomach, he lamented the loss a moment before the girl landed firmly at his side snaking her arm under his neck.
He returned the gesture and the two stared up at the sky together, eventually the redhead spoke up, "We'll be weak together, and we'll be strong together, as long as we're side by side no one can ever make you feel inferior. I'll make sure of it." Tom turned his head slightly and shifted his eyes to meet Iris's, as a cloud floated across the sun casting a vast shadow over their little refuge the dark haired boy smiled grimly.
"And I will make sure that no matter what, I shall always remain at your side, and no one will ever think themselves our superior." Smiling Iris snuggled up closer to Tom as she closed her eyes.
Sleepily she replied, "Good, I'd hate for things to get boring." Tom remained silent after that, still staring into the sky. Yes, he and Iris would face off against the world, and anyone who got in their way would pay the price. Eyes narrowing his resolve hardened in an instant, Iris was his and if anyone ever got in between them, well...they'd just have to be dealt with, now wouldn't they?
Harry had been waiting for it, honestly his life couldn't be simple and while he hadn't miraculously discovered the ability to wandlessly cast a patronus or the like he knew he had magic, just as Tom did. So when the owls came, he resigned himself to the fact that he was once again going to be drawn into the insanity that was Hogwarts...this time as a girl...who was very much being obsessed on by a future Dark Lord.
Really he had no idea what he was thinking when he decided to make himself Tom's confidant, at first he'd just wanted to earn the boys trust after socking him in the face. Which oddly enough, coming from an adorable little girl seemed to greatly amuse and intrigue the boy causing his interest to grow further. And of course, Harry being Harry he had to let out that he could also speak to snakes, and now Tom was all kinds of super possessive over him, or her...or whatever... GAH! This shit was so damn confusing!
What the hell was he thinking about? Right. Owls. Tom and Harry stared down at their letters both of them sporting incredulous looks, Tom due to finding the idea of a magical school existing and deigning it necessary to deliver post via owl to be borderline retarded. Iris in turn was perplexed by the name printed across her still sealed letter, 'Iris Alya Black'. Harry remembered the Black family naming conventions and frankly, this was confusing as all hell.
All members of the Black family, be it extended or even banished, had at least one constellation in their name, Harry had chosen his names on a whim and hadn't bothered with a middle one. It appeared someone else had, which was a really bad thing considering the wax seal on the letter wasn't the Hogwarts standard. It was a raven, with two words written under it, Tom glanced at her shaking hands and grasped his only friends wrists lightly to try and calm her down.
"Iris, what's wrong, why are you acting like this? I know this whole wizarding thing sounds ridiculous but why are you so shaken up, what does that thing say that has you so worried? It looks like latin but I don't know what it means." Turning to her friend, and Harry would admit it at this point, Tom was a friend, Iris shakily replied trying to keep her composure in check.
"Always Pure, the motto of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, a house I thought I'd never have any part in Tom." There was a cough and the pair turned to meet the gaze of an aristocratic looking man standing before them, his suit, while dated, was immaculate, and his beard and mustache were trimmed close so the dark hairs almost seemed to be shadows.
"Quite, it would seem the family acted a bit...hastily and you weren't a squib after all, it's time to bring you back into the fold, daughter of the Black." Harry eyed the man a moment when he finally put two and two together, he'd only ever seen the mans portrait once, and only remembered it because Sirius had caught it on fire with a molotov cocktail moments after he'd shown it to him.
"Arcturus Black," Iris stated with cold hatred. This man allowed Bellatrix and Narcissa to be sold off into slavery, had disowned Andromeda for having the gall to walk away from tradition for love, and had allowed his entire birthright to fallow due to pride.
"Indeed," he stated as he ran a hand down his beard, "Perhaps I should have a marriage contract written up sooner rather then later, you seem a bit...feisty..." Before he could say anything else Tom's eyes glowed red and he splayed his hands before him sending the man flying into the opposite wall, slipping into parseltongue the boy seethed out his reply.
"Ssshesss mine fool!" Arcturus's wand fell into his hand and with a brief gesture he was freed, pointing it at Tom the boy was encased in ropes in an instant.
"Foolish boy, parselmouth or not you cannot hope to best a the head of the House of Black." Now here was a thing, Harry hated bully's, braggarts, and anyone who decided to treat those weaker then them like toys. Yeah, sure, some day Tom might become Voldemort and try to take over Britain and Harry would have to defeat him. But today? Today he was Iris Black's only friend, and she was angry.
"KILL HIM!" She hissed out in rage as her hands splayed forward, a moment later a dozen snakes exploded into existence charging towards Arcturus, and much to her annoyance the head of the house of Black managed to destroy all the serpents in record time. Feeling winded at the wandless magic she'd just performed Iris leaned against Tom's prone form huffing heavily as sweat ran down her face.
Rather then being angry Arcturus stared down at the pair with an incredulous look, "How in the bloody hell did your mother ever think you were a squib?"
Harry, not caring in the slightest at this point spat out "Because she's a bitch?" Which had Arcturus freeze up a moment. Ironically, Harry had no idea who 'his' mother was, so this was actually kind of funny for him. The head of the house of Black stared down at the two for a few more moments before chuckling and cancelling the charm on Tom.
"She really is," the man said still laughing lightly, taking a glance at Tom and Iris he eventually shrugged to himself, "Two parselmouths and both capable of semi-controlled wandless magic...impressive, most impressive. Come along, we need to hit Diagon Alley before lunchtime, I'd rather avoid the rush."
Tom shot Iris a very confused look and she could only respond with a sheepish shrug, hell even Harry was confused at this point. But...hey, at least he wouldn't be bored any time soon.
