Disclaimer: Crazy people don't own anything; I thought you people knew that by now.

Disclaim her: The angel isn't going anywhere.

Note: Out of character majoring with: Harry, Voldemort…

Rating: M for Mature. Children, I advise you to evacuate.

Point of View: First.

"speech" thoughts and/or mind speech (Harry and Voldemort) Parseltongue

I don't own the quote stated below.

A/N: Don't run away from your weaknesses and fears. Face them…learn about them…and defeat them.

Chapter 3: Strategy

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I try to pretend that I don't notice his eyes on my back as I walk a few paces ahead of his through the courtyard of his manor. It's infuriating! It makes me want to do something; to hit him, strangle him, anything that will make my feelings on what he's doing to me right now apparent. Damn his to the hells if there ever was one. Rolling my eyes as I feel his gaze almost intensify, I glance up at the sky and see it's a wondrous clear blue that burns into my pupils. It really is lovely.

As my gaze turns back downwards something flashes in one of the windows that gives me the distinct impression that more than one person is watching me. It appeared that there were faces in those windows… That would be typical. I chuckle wryly and I can feel his confusion through the half link that's been establishing over the past year that makes me feel his emotions. I wonder if he can feel mine. I wish he could, for then he would know how furious I am at his at the moment.

"What, I can't laugh?" I'm smirking even though he can't see it.

He makes no response to my remark and we continue walking. We reach the front doors of the Riddle Manor some time later and I can hear him murmur a charm, and the doors swing open silently. Surprisingly, there aren't any people in the foyer even though I had sensed many in here mere moments ago. This causes me no distress as suddenly feel a few shields fall as the Death Eaters prepare to launch an attack.

"You know," I begin speaking as I imagine myself breaking down shields and then I can hear cracking around the room and some not a mere ten paces away from myself. Such pathetic servants the Dark Lord has these days. However, this includes everyone except Malfoy Sr. Now he can pose a threat at times and it makes me absolutely livid because I know I'm as powerful as Voldemort but Lucius has the ability to take me down! That does not hold well.

"I might have been scared of your Death Eaters attacking if their attacks weren't so predictable to begin with. Take now, for example. They cast those invisibility spells on themselves and think that I won't trace the magical signature to the owner. I mean, really, it's just a pity that I'm not terrified out of my wits." I know I'm grinning like a maniac and personally, I don't give a damn. They deserve to be scared. Thinking that they can actually ambush me. Ha! Idiots…

I draw my wand out from the sleeve that I had slid it up earlier and aim toward where Bellatrix is still hidden but as her shields are broken, I can sense her aura. I'll make that bitch suffer as much as she's made me endure over the past few months. She deserves it! She killed my godfather, the only person I had left that loved…me…but… that's in the past now, I tell myself as regain my stature. There is no need to think of things that hurt you.

I push the feelings that I had for my godfather away and can feel his questing mind gently probing at me. I shove him out sharply and laugh in the satisfaction it gives me as a quickly concealed pained expression appears on the Dark Lord's features.

"Don't try that again, Tom. I'll cause you damage next time. No need for you to lose your mind when this 'war' has only just begun between the-" Saying the word 'light'' makes me snicker. "- And Dark." I start laughing again but this time it is without restraint and I find myself unable to stop. As I feel his slight anxiety develop through my actions I begin to laugh even harder and I feel all shields fall. Stupid fools. Trying to attack me when I'm distracted, are they?

"Silencio!" I yell, as they are barely half a second away from casting spells onto me. Malfoy Sr. is not present at that second. Good for him. I don't want to have to hurt him at the moment. He is…not like the others. The Death Eaters are clasping their throats as they find that they can't speak. I swear, stupid.

All the Death Eaters freeze in place, unable to move with a thought from me but their eyes flicker from me to Voldemort and then back to the freak that I've obviously become in their eyes.

"You're underage, Potter." Voldemort sneers in disgust.

"That's apparent. Where have you been these past five years?" I'm just about ready to smack him again. What is it about him that grates on my nerves so much nowadays? I detest the way he makes me feel.

"I'd rather not get any letters from the Ministry which will reveal my Manor's location."

Anger again swirls within me as it is fought down. It wouldn't do for him to know about some of the worse things I can do without my wand. That would ruin everything and I would no longer have the so-called 'upper hand.' "You won't get any kind of owl about that. They can't detect my wandless magic. Or do you want them to find out about me and have them snap my wand? That will make it all better, yes?"

"You know Potter, you're really starting to get on my nerves."

"The feeling's mutual, you bastard." The moment the words leave my lips his fist connects with my stomach and I land on my back and slide a few feet away from him. My wand flies out of my hand. I call it back with a thought but it is useless as he steps on my wrist.

I can't breathe. No, I couldn't breathe well before, but now it's a completely different story as I'm gasping for breath like a fish out of water as he's knocked the air entirely out of my lungs. It hurts so damn much as I'm choking but not taking in air into my lungs.

"I…fucking…hate…" I'm trying to breathe but to no avail.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He whispers, a bit addled at my actions. Why can't he just dig into my thoughts and figure out what the hell is wrong with me for Merlin's sake! I could die by the time he manages to figure out what's happening to me! But…then again…I guess that would be a pleasant alternative to staying and living on in this misery.

He picks me up while I'm off thinking these things and quickly walks me out of the room. He breaks into a run when he's out of sight of his Death Eaters, cradling me against his chest while I don't give an ounce of protest in my entire body. As he continues maintaining contact with me, I realize I can breathe a little, even if it is in small gasps. He still running through the halls at a pace so fast it makes my eyes blur all objects together. A second later he Apparates us both to a set of rooms that I presume are his.

I'm too much on the verge of unconsciousness to realize that he has set me down on his bed and is drawing out his wand and is murmuring one spell after another trying to improve my breathing and/or cure it.

After he says yet another spell, this one being much more complex than the others so far, I feel my world suddenly come into focus and I'm breathing beautiful air into my lungs once more. I settle back against the pillows and am glad to find that this bed is actually comfortable. As I blink and gaze up at the Dark Lord I can see that he has a frightened look engulfing his features that he can't seem to control. He looks almost as if he's on the breaking point and one more thing will be what it takes to push him over the edge.

"Potter?" his voice is low.

"Yes," I reply as I push my bangs away from my eyes as they're obscuring my view.

I shakily begin to draw myself out of his bed but he reaches me to push me back down with a grip I can't drive off. I know he can feel my heart hammering in my chest as if it's going to explode.

"Are you all right Potter?" He draws off my glasses and places them on the nightstand as a hand remains on my chest.

"Never better, thanks to you. You didn't need to do that."

"You were going to die from the lack of air. What did you want me to do?"

"Let me die." I retort in disgust.

"There's more to life than dying Potter."

"Not at this point there isn't." I mutter as I attempt to turn away but he grips my chin in his hand, forcing me to look at him. I make my features blank as he searches my face for something that will help him figure me out I suppose. He bends down so our faces are dangerously close together and the thought crosses my mind to spit at him. But I know that that wouldn't do any good.

He sighs as he backs away once more. "Do want to tell me why?"

"No." If he found out what-

"If I found out what?" He says softly. How could I not feel him slip pass my defensive barriers!

"Nothing that should be of any concern of yours." I attempt to glare at him menacingly but he ruins it as he's pays no attention to me.

"Of course I'm paying attention to you, you think I can't see that glare you're directing toward me?" Again? How the hell is he getting in my mind?

"Potter…do you want to stay here at my Manor?"

"Are you even giving me a choice?" I ask flatly.

"I actually am." He's staring at me and it's making me uncomfortable for reasons I can't name.

"I don't know." I respond honestly.

"I'll take you back if you want me to."

"Harry?" He asks as he sees me looking beyond him into something only I can see. If I go back then you'll be able to come after me again and there won't be anyone to help me. "Harry?" he asks again.

I can't believe I'm agreeing to this but I don't have any other choice at the moment. "I'll stay here if it doesn't bother you that much." I mutter as I feel my cheeks color and I avert my eyes.

If he notices my blush, he says nothing of it. He releases his death grip on me and I lie back against the pillows and sigh out. You're going to miss fucking me until I'm raw, aren't you? My backside still hurts a little from where you did me a couple days ago. Voldemort is looking at me again, his face unreadable.

"Did you want something?"

"Do you want me to move you to a different room?" He asks as I resume eye contact with him.

"Is that necessary?" I'm only doing this to see if he's going to force me into a different room.

"This is my room."

"And?" In my mind I'm chuckling to myself. I want to get him riled. He won't kill me after all.

"I believed you would want to get as far away from me as possible."

"Your bed is comfortable." I'm barely concealing a smirk as I fight to not laugh out loud. My eye twitches slightly.

"There are plenty of other just as comfortable beds in this house."

"So?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you? I know you're not dense Potter. I would like you to move into different quarters."

"I'd rather not, thank you." I say amused.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't have a hearing problem, I know you can hear me. I will not be moving out into different quarters while your Death Eaters are here. They'd attack me the first chance that they got and then I'd have to go and kill them and then that would lead to awkward questions and so on." I roll my eyes as if that's the most obvious thing in the world and that he should have known that in the very beginning.

"Fine." He's apparently a little annoyed even though he knows I'm right about what I said.

"I'm glad that's settled then." I answer in response.

He sighs out and walks toward the door. As his hand is on the doorknob he pauses. "You can go wherever you want but just don't go and throw yourself into any confrontations with my servants. I'll give them orders to not harm you but if you provoke them, I might not be there to help you."

"Who said I needed your help?" I retort with open maliciousness held in my voice.

"I did. I'll be back in awhile."

"Why are you telling me this?"

He shrugs offhandedly and I frown. He's changed somewhat from how he behaved when I fought him a couple months ago. He stares at me for a long moment and I smile cheekily back.

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A.O.T.I.F.: Well, another chapter done.

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