Something in Harry's gut suddenly dropped. He set the tea tray on the table and glanced back at Tom who stared blankly into space. He was resting his head on his chin, the papers underneath his elbow on the end table. He looked deep in thought but at the same time looked like he was thinking of nothing. Harry went over and rested the saucers on the end table, sitting on the opposite side. Tom was still staring into nothingness but woke up a little at Harry's movements. Neither of them touched the tea. Harry looked at Tom, he seemed depressed. He spoke finally,

"Sugar?"

Tom glanced over at him finally. He sat up, shook his head and pulled over the saucer. He fingered the tea idly. He tried to ignore Harry staring at him for as long as he could. Ever since their sort-of confessions, they hadn't talked about it and he definitely didn't want to start now.

"So...what's happenin'?"

"Disbelief." He watched the swirls in the surface of the tea as his finger stirred it.

"It's really serious, huh."

"The possible end of magic as we know it. So yes." His eyes darted up suddenly and he stopped swirling the tea.

Harry almost jumped at their blue intensity. "So...how are we gonna go about this...?"

"Starting with a simple plan would be ideal then as we go alo-"

Harry stared at him seriously. "That's not what I meant." And Tom knew it.

"Harry we have a gra-"

"Tom."

He eyed Harry warily, "I...don't want to talk about this right now." He chipped, words coming out in stiff pieces.

"Why not?" Harry edged his hand closer, across the table between them.

Tom took no notice, "I just don't want to." He replied aggravated. "Not now at least..."

Harry's stubbornness pressed him to keep questioning but Tom was the other person in this world who managed to match his stubbornness par on par. He pressed his lips together giving him slight elevator eyes. "You promise to?"

"Yes." He almost choked.

"Then how about you do...something for me?" Harry looked at his hand that was almost at the other's touch.

"What would you possibly want?" He squinted, with the slightest undertone of sarcasm.

"Well...Can I see you?" Harry looked up again, with raised worried eyebrows. Over their entire course of the crazy turn of events the two of them somehow knew each other better than anyone ever had. Tom probably had a lot more secrets but nothing he needed to even care about. They'd seen all of each other's faces...maybe one or two left to be discovered... They knew pretty much everything at this point. Though there was this little unapproached boundary. Harry was at a 99 percent.

He needed to know that he was trusted completely. This was that deciding factor.

"What?" He grimaced, "What are you on about?" His forehead scrunched.

"Can I see you...can I see, Tom Riddle?" Harry's fingers made contact with the top of Tom's hand.

He glanced down at the touch quickly then back at Harry again, "You want to see...my human self?"

"Yes." Harry's fingers became a whole hand on top of his. He wanted to instantly pull away from the touch but fought against it. He may have told the boy how he felt but that didn't fix everything. It didn't fix how his touch burnt his skin, or how his stare made his heart thump quickly, or how he annoyed him all the time but never wanted him to stop, or how he wanted to kiss him but not kiss him to feel that painful tug which was absolutely wonderful or even just how he confused him happily with all those jumble of emotions that were new and exciting. He loved it and hated it. Would it ever end?

"Why..."

"Can I, please?" Harry pleaded, gripping Tom's hand. "If there's anything that you want to know about me...that you already don't...I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything. Anything." In any other world Voldemort would have used this to his exploitative advantage but Tom was in a whole other universe.

"Are you...sure about that? Why do you trust me so much?"

Harry looked at him seriously, "Why not?" Need he say more? Nope.

"I suppose... I could do that. If you...tell me about your childhood." He knew about if of course. He wanted detail, every single one. If Harry was willing to share this with him just to see him in his self he was either...really stupid or trusted him deeply...which was also stupid. Well not entirely because he wasn't plotting against him, not like Harry knew that, or should he say, Harry knew he wouldn't do that.

"I-" His serious façade broke for a second and something else flashed across his face, "I could do that." Harry nodded, in reassurance and regaining composure.

Tom got up and went over to the large ornate mirror on the wall. "It's been a while..." He spoke to himself. He needed to focus for this. He saw and felt Harry a few inches behind him. He then watched himself again. Harry closed his eyes. Tom placed his hands on his forehead and ran them all the way up then down to the back of his neck, like he was smoothing over long wet hair. He needed to physically stimulate to help himself. As his hands passed his bouncy brown hair popped through. His skin colour then darkened to a human tone and he closed his eyes to open to Tom Riddle's face. He needn't tell Harry he was done. The fall of magic in the air told him.

Tom himself was a little taken aback at his own appearance, the forgotten familiar face that was his but a stranger's.

Harry made a small breathy noise behind him. Tom turned around, they were the same height now. He reached out and touched young Tom Riddle's cheek, ghosting over the soft skin. He unconsciously leaned into the touch. Harry leaned in, pausing before contact for confirmation in consent. When he felt Tom's breath become hotter on his face he pressed their lips together.

It felt the same, exactly the same and then it occurred to Harry that no matter what appearance or body he was in it would always feel the same. The same magic danced on their skin. The same feelings ignited. The same pull. It was all the same. And he never wanted it to change.

They separated, breath hot on each other, from just a simple kiss. Tom blinked up at him through new long lashes as their foreheads pressed together. The feelings in his chest hurt less somehow, was it because he was accepting it or because he was human again? Did that even matter? He knew the answer.

Souls don't change.

"Let's get planning then. Don't have much time, right?" Harry smirked. Tom glared at him.

"You're an idiot."


It was early morning. Hedwig perched on Harry's back, who was currently laying on the floor. Tom sat nearby with a book and a quill. He was occasionally writing. Harry didn't even bother and settled for playing with Hedwig.

Tom hummed, "Alot of preparations need to be made. "When are you going to send your owl back? The sooner the better. We need a meeting place first of all, we'll plan the rest as we go."

Harry thought for a while, "I know a place, a muggle couple I know have a few extra rooms. We could stay with them. Wouldn't want to show up anywhere with our pockets full to arise suspicions." He sat up on his elbows and Hedwig hopped off to go snuggle up to Tom.

"That's a good idea actually." He wrote down the address from Harry. He looked down at the owl curiously. "Your bird is just as weird as you, Harry." He stroked Hedwig's feathers, amused.

Harry gave him a playful glare, "Yeah well, so are you. What now, though?"

"Send your bird back. And I'm not weird."

"Hedwig." Harry corrected. What did he have against first names? "And can't we teleport her back or something? She looks like she had a rough journey coming here. You're very weird."

"Quite. Amazing feat for an owl. Call me weird again and I'll hex you." He tore the address and handed it to Harry, a perfect rectangle. Was everything he did all neat and proper?

It was then Harry felt proud that he was the factor to bring a little chaos into The Dark Lord's life. The one to shake things up for him.

"It seems there was some human residue on some of the pages." He added and Harry gave him a grossed out face, "Sweat, boy."

Harry grinned.

"I could use that to send...Hedwig back, with some runes or the other." The owl seemed to recognise her own name and looked up at Tom with a little squawk, making him smile. He did that alot more often now. It was nice to see him unfold and blossom. Harry was caught staring again and Tom looked away quickly. Harry swore he saw a small blush under that ivory skin. He'd never say it though.

...

Harry attached the address onto Hedwig's leg and gave her a few strokes before placing her in the middle of the rune circle Tom drew. He placed the page with Hermoine's sweat on another point and incited the incantation. Hedwig disappeared in a puff of white smoke but the paper remained.

"Is she alright?" Harry asked worriedly stepping closer.

"What? Of course it is!" He looked offended, "Who do you think I am!?"

"The Dar-" Harry began but the dangerous look he got shut him up with a smirk.

"Step three?" He asked innocently.


A/N: The sweat thing was totally unplanned. Just a really great coincidence. Also, I fixed Hedwig's gender, I cannot believe I did that xD I know she's a female but I was planning to have Tom refer to her as male and ended up writing her as one in the whole dang chapter lmao. Thinking of multiple plots at the same time isn't good. Highly unrecommended. Thanks to SO-LONG-LOVE for pointing it out. I then went back to actually read the whole story all at once and fix all the plotholes. R&R.