Title: Manipulation Is Key
Authoress: Meikouaikitsune
Beta: Me for the moment. My beta went MIA.
Warnings: Slash, Language, Character Death, Self Mutilation.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That's all J.K.R.
Chapter: 10
Words:4,570
Bellatrix smiled as she waltzed through the Ministry. After weeks and weeks of planning it was finally her lord's. The Ministry had fallen. Although to be exact the weak had fallen while those with the same ideals as her Lord had held strong and now the Ministry, The Unspeakables and everything that was key to the Wizarding World was theirs'.
It had started with the spies who resided in the Ministry under the instruction of her lord. Then the ideals of those people spread, and with them: doubt. The lives of the spies had been those of luxury and the people saw what the other side had to offer, and it didn't take long for people to change their ideas.
"Avery, the ones who have rebelled; are they being held?"
The man nodded.
"Has every section fallen, have the Officials been able to claim more then fifty percent of the building?"
The man nodded, this time having more information. "There were few who weren't aware of tonight's attack, an attack at all really. They were just waiting for the time to switch sides and a reason to do it after most of our insiders talked to them. The few who rebelled were apart of the Wizengamot and The Minister along with his Secretary; Dolores Umbridge."
Bellatrix nodded. "And what of the Unspeakables?"
"None opposed, they all sided with us, and the person they say to be Our Lord's equal." Avery answered and Bellatrix smiled softly, the boy had so many people behind him and he had yet to realize it.
"Alright. No one gets in and no one gets out. At some point the people who switched sides will be able to leave but not until we have both their magical signature on file and their name. You may leave." Avery nodded and went to do as such with the others.
"C'mon, stop, I'm going to fall with you if you don't." Harry laughed slightly as he pushed Tom back up.
"I can't 'elp it, my world's spinning, you're the only thing holding me up." Tom grumbled.
"It's not my fault you got yourself pissed."
"Actually, it is, and when you're in the comfort of your own home it's quite fetching, you should try it sometime."
Harry elbowed the man in the ribs softly.
"What the bleeding hell was that for?"
"Just shut up, you're smarter that way." Harry said lightly, causing Tom to sulk.
"Right, right. Anyway, what were you doing in Knockturn Alley?"
Harry just shrugged. "'Dunno really, I just decided to leave the house and eventually made my way through the alley; looking at the stores as I passed."
"You still haven't gone back to Hogwarts?"
Harry shook his head.
"I don't have a reason. Originally, I went to get away from my family, but now I have somewhere to go and the company at Hogwarts is worse then the company at the Dursleys'."
"You could still always spy for me."
"Tom, you're a teacher, you can do that yourself."
"Ah but see, I hear what the staff allows me. You hear everything by way of student body."
Again Harry shrugged. "Fine, but if I have to go back so do you."
"Fine." Tom partially tripped as Harry yelped and they both lost their balance and fell. Harry sighed in frustration and smacked his head against the ground.
"Don't do that, you'll break something."
"Hopefully my sanity, it's been a long life." Tom just rolled his eyes.
"Hold on."
"Why?"
"I'm going to try and Apparate us."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you're bleedin' pissed,"
Tom just rolled his eyes and grabbed Harry's arm before they were both gone from the street with a resounding crack.
They landed in a hallway with marble walls and floors, and Harry ended up on his bottom again as he stared up at the woozy Dark Lord.
"Where in the nine hells are we?"
"I think you have a bit of an attitude today, Mr. Potter."
"Tom," Harry whined as he sat up, wanting an answer to his question.
"Fine, I believe we're at the ministry. I wonder where my Death Eaters are." Tom added absently.
"Why would they be here?" the boy asked cautiously.
"Oh,"
"Tom."
"I sent them to capture it?" Tom offered.
"You can't just expect to waltz in and think it's going to fall into your hands, you've got to take into account the Aurors, the Ministry officials, the Minister, the Unspeakables…"
"The who?"
"The Unspeakables."
"Who are they?"
Harry looked at him with his mouth open and his eyes wide. "You don't know?"
"I wouldn't ask if I did."
"Okay, you see the Unspeakables are like the world's defense force. The world just doesn't know it. They're everyday people who sit and observe the world as it moves, only appearing as who they really are when the world needs them. They're powerful too."
"How do you know this?"
"I know one."
"Who?"
"I can't tell you, I'd be breaking a vow without their permission."
Tom just nodded his head as he began to walk aimlessly with Harry besides him. "Right, well, we better find Bellatrix, or Rudolphus: we really need to get home."
Harry nodded, as funny as it was to him that the Darkest Lord of all time sounded like a bumbling idiot at the moment. He'd rather get home. "Hey…where'd Kiata go?"
Tom shrugged. "Probably to Black Manor, she can smell your scent and at the moment that's probably where it's fresher. She'll probably be waiting there for you when you return."
Harry nodded, it sounded logical enough.
"On that subject, I thought Dumbledore was the secret keeper of Grimmauld place?" Tom said questionably.
"Well, he was, but Sirius convinced him to let me become the keeper since I had as much right to the house as anyone, and it was done awhile ago when Dumbledore could control me through my naivety. I guess I fucked up that though." Harry said grinning.
"It did take a long time to get him to do it though, if it hadn't been for Sirius I don't think it would have happened."
"What'd he do?"
"Well, he threatened to ban them from his property and stop their meetings. You do know that Grimmauld place is actually the Order's Headquarters right?"
"I do now,"
"Oh so you didn-"
"Dolohov, I want it acknowledged in the Daily Prophet that the Ministry has taken a different side in the war. MacNair, I want you to find Yaxley and have him contact the Sirens. His wife is one of them we maybe able to capture their loyalty."
"Very good, Bellatrix, and here I thought you needed an order to do things right." Tom said slowly from the doorway. Over a dozen figures turned and bowed their heads in acknowledgement towards him. He waved his hand to dismiss them and everyone went back to their event.
"My Lord, Sir Harry." Bellatrix acknowledged.
"Quit calling me that Bella, we're Family. You can stop with the titles." Complained Harry, the woman just smiled softly at him and nodded her head.
"Bellatrix, I'm going to be blunt because I know I'll make a bigger fool out of myself if I don't," Harry mouthed 'he's drunk' as Tom continued to talk, "we need help getting home, more specifically to my Manor. Harry cannot Apparate and I'm not able to."
The woman nodded. "Would you prefer a port key or a group Apparation?"
"How about a Portkey?" Harry intervened.
Bellatrix nodded as she reached next to her and grabbed a blank parchment off a desk. With a softly spoken 'portus' she handed the two the parchment before they disappeared. Tom falling on Harry as the two were forced through space before they landed in Tom's greeting room. Both breathing heavily as they tried to regain their senses.
Tom laid his head in the crook of Harry's neck, too lethargic to really move at all.
"You smell like alcohol."
"I've been drinking."
"But it's still there." Harry continued to whisper, too afraid to break the moment.
"I would think so." Tom said softly as he rolled onto his elbows above Harry, looking down at the teen. Harry's cheeks bled red, matching the hue of Tom's over heated skin.
Tom leaned down slowly, giving the teen a chance to turn his face away, though before he knew it Harry's fingers were laced through his hair and the boy was nibbling on his lips gently. His fingers playing along Tom's back before the man lost his strength and straddled Harry's waist as his own fingers twined through Harry's hair.
Tom moaning as Harry's tongue ran across his lips asking for entrance. It was strange and enthralling to have his Harry like this, he was so use to being the dominant one. He moved slowly as Harry's tongue entered his mouth, both moaning as their erections brushed against one another's. Tom tried to pull away realizing that, while he was drunk, it wasn't right for him to take advantage of Harry.
"No…" Harry moaned.
"Lu-Harry, I'm drunk." He tried to reason.
"That's your fault." Harry whined as he pulled Tom's lips back to meet his as he squirmed beneath him, the floor biting into his back.
"Stop,"
"No." Harry continued, moaning when Tom bucked against him. One of his hands pulling both of Harry's into his grip, holding them above Harry's head against the floor. His lips traveled everywhere on Harry they could reach before he trailed them down to the younger's neck. His thrusts falling out of their rhythmic movement as Tom became lost on Harry. The boy moaned loudly and let his head push back against the floor.
"Please…" Harry begged, whimpering as Tom sucked on his neck.
"Please, what?" Tom asked breathlessly.
"I don't…know, just don't stop."
Tom smirked as he moved back to Harry's neck, the boy bucking wildly beneath him. Kisses that tasted of Firewhiskey landed themselves everywhere on Harry they could manage, Harry himself hoping to taste them again. The boy arched against the floor and Tom moaned loudly; he wouldn't last much longer.
Tom entwined his hands with Harry's and laid them by Harry's head kissing the boy harshly on the lips as he pushed him as hard as he could against the floor. Both their breaths were harsh and Harry couldn't figure out if he was even on the ground any more it felt so good.
"TO-" his scream was cut off as Tom kissed him heatedly, Harry's body shuttering as he fell from his high, Tom also crossing the brink. Falling on to Harry, he closed his eyes and held the teen close as Harry nuzzled into the nape of his neck, his eyes closing tiredly.
"Remus Lupin." Bellatrix held her hand out to the wolf as she greeted the man.
"Lestrange." He greeted formally. "How's Harry?" he asked fondly.
"He's good, I just sent him home; it seems my lord was too drunk to do anything but walk." Remus shook his head.
"Would I be right to say the Werewolves you ally yourself with have allied themselves to Harry and My Lord?" Remus nodded.
"Yes, they've decided that while Dumbledore has offered us freedom, he has not offered us a secure place in the future. My clan believes that with Harry as the heart behind the rule and Voldemort as the determination, things will change for the better."
"I quite agree; now the Unspeakables, I realize you must be kept a secret but I need to know who they are so we know who and who not to relay information and other things to."
"Well, let's see…"
The Auror was silent as he walked down the streets of Knockturn Alley, his magical eye moving rapidly as he watched people pass by him and as he passed by others. There were so many magical signatures; Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter, Narcissa Malfoy, Morphin Marvolo…Alaster paused, the man was supposed to be dead. He continued on taking everything he saw in.
"Welcome to Weasley Wizard Wheezes!" Fred called as a little boy and his mother walked in. Another woman following the mother who spoke in a foreign language to her as her son roamed the store.
"And don't forget that the boy will never be able to show his face in the light again. The beacon of light letting himself wash into the darkness how ironic. Though what gets me the most is that fool Dumbledore who supposedly had the boy under control. It goes to show you how the world works now a day." The woman behind her nodded.
"I know what you mean, why I was just talking to Narcissa Malfoy the other day, and all she would go one about was how the man responsible for her husband's death would pay. No one has any true allegiances anymore. I remember the days when Narcissa would boast about being dark." The mother nodded as she paid for the Tongue Turning Gum her son had chose.
George watching the women idly as Fred rang them up happily. Once they were gone George disappeared into the back of the store.
Percy quirked his lips as he looked around The Minister of Magick's office after the building had been evacuated of resistance. There really was nothing of great importance in the room. Only a few folders on Harry Potter, Dumbledore and Regulus black, he took out a piece of parchment and held it in his view. Whispering a Latin phrase the room's picture appeared on the parchment before he rolled it up and walked from the room like he was never there.
At Hogwarts three teachers sat around a table in the Room of Requirements, discussing the rumors they had heard from their classes as well as the behavior of the head of the light.
Fluer Délacour walked her way into the rooms of her favourite Quidditch player and sat across from the girl.
"Alicia." She greeted as the two began to talk.
Harry woke up to sunlight in his eyes and arms around his stomach as he received a warm tranquil feeling. He turned slowly to look at Tom. The man was still asleep as small puffs of air escaped his lips and he continued to hold Harry loosely. The boy grinned as he stretched out, his muscles oddly lax.
"Mornin'," Tom mumbled as he turned over.
"Oh no you don't, wake up!" Harry laughed as he pulled the blanket away from the sleeping Dark Lord.
"Leave me alone, I want to sleep. I have a bloody headache."
"Well, you should have thought about that before getting totally pissed yesterday."
Tom looked over at the boy as last nights events played out in his hangover muddled mind and Harry's smile faded.
"Why are you so angry?" The boy asked weakly.
Tom just shook his head and stood from the mattress in the middle of the room. He stretched and Harry remained quiet.
Harry walked away from the area, leaving Tom in the receiving room. He was guilty. Tom regretted it and he was angry about it too. Tom hadn't wanted what had happened last night. Now he was angry with him and the boy couldn't stay in the same room with the man at the moment because of that. He could feel the emotions leaking off him. He knew! He knew that something like this would happen. People only wanted him around when he was useful and when he wasn't: they wanted him gone.
It seemed Tom was the same; Harry resisted the tears that threatened to spill. He had let himself fall into this mess; he wouldn't become weak now. He walked around until he found the kitchens, almost throwing himself into a chair that stood by the counters. A house elf appeared and he ordered breakfast even though he was positive he wouldn't be able to eat it.
Tom cursed. What in the nine levels of hell had led him to do what he did last night? He had taken advantage of Harry's trust in him; he had practically raped the boy last night. Pinning him to the floor like some wild animal as he got off, then waking up to see the boy smiling at him unsurely, it was like adding salt to the wound. He sighed as he made his way to his quarters, intent on a mind refreshing shower and clean clothes.
"Fluer, from Beauxbatons, I believe she's a quarter Veela, has she told you where their allegiances lay?" Bellatrix questioned as she and Remus walked throughout the Ministry, discussing the possible allies of all of the Unspeakables.
"I believe they are with Harry but only because he saved Ms Délacour's younger sister in the Triwizard tournament, forfeiting his chance as a Triwizard tournament finalist in exchange for saving someone he didn't know. They believe he would be someone fitting of changing the Wizarding world in the right direction."
Bellatrix nodded, it was all falling into place. They had everyone allied with them except the Giants, the Vampires, and the Sirens.
The Sirens were still unknown, but as for the Vampires. They were playing neutral; there was no way to convince them otherwise. They had been in hiding for so long that they decided to stay that way, living by the standards of the younger world.
The giants were unknown as well but either way the best thing would be for them to stay out of the war all together. At the moment they were more likely to side with Dumbledore. They needed someone to advise them otherwise.
"Do we have anyone that can negotiate with the Giants to stay out of the war?"
"No, I'm afraid not." Remus said shortly.
"Is there anyone they trust enough for us to send there?"
"No, the only half giant or giant I know at all is of the light." Bellatrix nodded.
"Til we meet again Mr. Lupin."
"Yes, until then Bellatrix." The man said before he turned to leave the room to the nearest apparation point.
&TJGHLTF
After a very awkward conversation where Harry's only words were; 'When can we go back to Hogwarts?' and 'Yeah, I'm sure.'. Harry found himself with a hand full of Floo Powder and a funk he couldn't get out of. Tom's behavior towards him hadn't changed from what it had been at the beginning of the year. And while usually he would have been glad of that fact, at the moment it just made him want to choke as he cried. The worst part was: he didn't know why that was.
"Are you sure you want to go back? Just the other day you said you didn't have a reason for returning."
"Yeah, I'm sure." It was like a mantra now Tom had asked him so many different times whether or not he was ready. Harry found it useless though, if Tom were disappointed in him, why would he ask so many questions that made it seem like he cared. Harry just pushed his thoughts away and threw the floo into the fire. His destination was Tom's office and as he tumbled out of the fireplace he made a beeline for the door; making it into the corridors before Tom came through the floo.
From what Harry could tell by the light in the Hallways it was around lunchtime. That meant he could show up at his next class avoiding lunch and the awkward questioning that would come but first he had to do something.
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Hermione sat in the Library, an array of books in front of her as she ate a sandwich she had snagged before arriving. Of course, she was in the back of the library, away from Madam Pince.
She looked up when someone coughed lightly; for a moment she almost thought it was the librarian, getting ready to scold her. She looked up and frowned, almost grimaced as she saw Harry.
"Hi," he had greeted her awkwardly.
"Hello," she turned her attention back to her book, blocking her empathy as she continued to eat her sandwich.
Harry just stared between her and his feet, shuffling them nervously. "Look Hermione, when we were at Grimmauld place, I'm sorry, I really am. Please, please, don't be mad at me." He begged weakly, which made Hermione look up in worry; she had never heard him sound so…broken. She was worried for reason too; Harry looked on the brink of tears when she met his face.
"Harry, what's wrong?" He just shook his head.
"Nothing, just don't be mad."
"I'm not mad," she said standing up, "I just didn't know what to expect." She hugged him and he put his arms around her tightly. She pulled away and before he could say anything pulled him further into the library between two bookcases. She sat against the back wall and pulled him down into her lap.
"You're to skinny," she said playfully as she hugged him.
"How are you?" he asked quietly, leaning into her.
"Fine fine, same old Hogwarts; house rivalries, Quidditch debates, mean snakes. You know the norm, but it has been boring with out you and Tom here. No one to stir anything up." She felt how Harry tensed at Tom's name and decided to steer the subject elsewhere. "Oh, did you know there's a Hogsmeade weekend this week? They're scheduling it so that people can get their Christmas shopping done before the Yule ball. This way everyone can get what they need without having to rush around,"
"Are you going?"
"Only if you're accompanying me." She said softly.
"I don't want to go, and I don't need to either. I'm not doing anything for Christmas this year." They both looked up as a Slytherin girl walked past, giggling as she disappeared out of their sight.
"You have loads to do this Christmas, like spend it with me here and buy me a gift and let me pile gifts on you as we sneak around the castle. Messing with slimy Slytherins, and you have to help me find a gift for some one."
Harry looked up, his will faltering at how excited Hermione sounded. "What if I already did?" She looked at him pointedly. "Fine, geez, but who do I have to help you find a gift for?" He looked over to find her a red scarlet. He gasped.
"Hermione!"
"What!? It's not that bad." She mumbled.
"Who is it then?" He got a mumbled reply.
"Hermione," he called in a sing song voice.
"I said Blaise Zabini." Harry started laughing softly and Hermione hit him.
"The Slytherin? We're on the same page right?"
"Yes, the Slytherin, do you have a problem with that?"
"No, not at all, but why?"
"I don't have to be smart around him; I don't have to be strong. He said he finds me fascinating, and he never lies to me. If I ask him a question; he just tells me the cold hard truth. Yet at the same time, I find his words the most meaningful." Hermione said softly.
"Sounds to me like you're in love." He said as he laid back on her, closing his eyes and not bothering to open them when another person walked by, giggling.
"You would know." She shot back softly.
"I would, but I don't." Harry said sadly.
Hermione tightened her arms around him. Maybe he would answer some of her questions now that he was calm.
"What happened?"
Harry just shook his head and Hermione felt emotions flood her; shame, regret, sadness – the worst of them all as it almost consumed her.
"What did he do to you Harry?"
Harry turned and hid his face in her chest. "Nothing, nothing at all; I did it all by myself. I let my self do something I promised I wouldn't; I started to care for him, forgetting who he was."
She wrapped her arms around him. "Have you talked?"
"No, he didn't say anything…and I was just too intent on getting away…I don't think I like being an empath anymore."
Hermione just shook her head. "You need to learn to live with it, Harry, it's who you are. No one can change that, and the more you deny it, the more you will die on the inside."
"Good thing only outside appearances matter." He joked.
"Very funny," Harry nodded and sat up. "Let's go eat,"
"Dinner isn't for at least another hour."
"Then let's find Dobby and raid the kitchen." Harry cheered quietly as he stood and pulled Hermione to her feet.
"Are you going to eat if we go?" Harry nodded.
"All right c'mon." She grabbed his hand and led him out of the library, ignoring the stares.
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Tom sat in his office, at his desk with a quill in his hand. He could hear murmurs as his Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs talked quietly, doing their class work. Professor Hughes had assigned them book work, his mind too heavy with other things to concentrate on teaching a class. He just couldn't get it off of his mind, Harry had been so…odd – no not odd, Docile maybe? Yes that was it; Harry had been docile, talking only when spoken to and distant. And it baffled him as to why.
"Hey, did you hear about those two Gryffindors?"
Tom tried to ignore the conversation he could so plainly hear.
"You mean Granger and Potter, yeah I heard. Someone said they were snogging in the back of the library. Someone said that Harry was all over her, but they also said Hermione didn't seem to mind."
Tom blinked, not His Harry.
"Abbott, Brocklehurst no talking in class, keep your gossip quiet until you reach the corridors." Professor Hughes admonished. The two girls blushed hotly returning to their work. All the girls tried not to anger him but only because they didn't want his attention on them while they were…admiring him. Tom rolled his eyes – women.
He tipped his quill back and forth. Dark Lords never got nervous; they got agitated, and that's exactly what Tom was. He was agitated. He had logic for it too. He allowed the students to leave as the bell rang, signally the beginning of their weekend. He was glad when the room was empty save for himself as he growled in frustration.
"Those better bloody well be rumours." He hissed as he stood.
GHUHLIJ
Harry sat next to Hermione. When the girl had talked him into going to Hogsmeade with her he hadn't known that the trip was tomorrow. He groaned as he thumped his head against the Gryffindor table. He really needed to keep track of the date before he got himself stuck going somewhere again with out time to prepare.
"Come on, Harry, eat, it's not so bad. I could have made you go to that new store that's run by Gilderoy Lockhart in Diagon alley."
"Oh Merlin no, I'll go, I'll go." Harry mock panicked as he began to eat his dinner. He smiled; maybe it wouldn't be that bad – after all, Hermoine never intentionally tried to push him into things she knew he couldn't handle.