~Surrender~

Rating: M for slash (homoerotic relationship)

Warning: This is a Harry Potter/Voldemort romance set during Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. Read at your own risk.

Author's Note: So sorry for the long delay! Too much work, and a muse suffering from the winter blahs.

...

Chapter 14:

Game Day

...

"So your parents and Sirius are alive?" Hermione whispered. "And Cedric Diggory as well?" She glanced in fascination at James and Sirius, who were bent over the Marauders' Map, studying Peeves' movements in the Professors' Lounge.

Harry nodded.

"And this was all... Tom Riddle's doing?" Hermione's glance flickered uncertainly to Tom. As soon as they were all safely inside the Room of Requirement, everyone had assumed their true form, and Tom was yet again a boy with dark curls.

"You don't quite trust me yet, do you, Hermione?" said Tom softly. "I know that all of this will take a while to get used to."

"Harry is dating You-Know-Who." Ron rubbed his temples wearily. His face was still pale under his freckles. He gave a slight hollow laugh. "Yeah, that's... that's going to take a while to get used to. I had almost adjusted to the idea of Harry and Malfoy together, but this... Well, I mean, it's not like people didn't use to joke about it all the time, but still..."

"What do you mean, people used to joke about it?" There was a sharp note in Sirius' voice as he glanced up from the Marauders' Map, and Ron flushed bright red.

"It was just a joke! Seamus and Dean used to say that Harry was so obsessed with the Dark Lord they were surprised that he didn't start dating him..."

Tom laughed. "Strangely enough, Bellatrix once accused me of having an obsession with Harry that bordered on the unseemly. I told her at the time that she was being ridiculous, but..." He kissed Harry quickly on the lips. "Apparently, she was completely right."

"Ahem!" McGonagall glanced at them sternly over her glasses, but Harry could see that there was a little smile hovering at the corners of her mouth. "It's all right, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley. I do believe that Tom is genuinely in love with Harry. The Unbreakable Oath he swore to Lily put my mind at ease. Unfortunately, it's going to take more than that to convince Professor Dumbledore of Tom Riddle's change of heart, I'm afraid. The headmaster made it quite clear while he was under the influence of the truth serum that would like to see both the Dark Lord and Harry dead."

A worried frown passed over Remus' face. "What are we going to do about Dumbledore, Minerva? I don't suppose there is much hope of talking some sense into him? I'd be happy to give it a try if you think there is a chance he may see reason."

"Talk some sense into him?" McGonagall snorted. "Don't be ridiculous, Remus! Dumbledore intended to sacrifice an innocent sixteen-year-old, for heaven's sake! I think the headmaster is beyond talking to."

"Then what shall we do? We can't let any harm come to Harry." James' hazel eyes softened as he gazed at Harry. "Or Tom either, I suppose. Perhaps they both need to go into hiding somewhere. You'll want to live with me, I assume? Seeing that Lily's gone all soft for Sni- Severus, I mean? Just think about it: If Lily were to marry him, Severus will be Harry's stepfather, and nobody will want the poor boy to look at Severus over the breakfast table every morning, I'm sure. Harry's been through enough in his life already. It's bad enough that the headmaster wants him dead; he really shouldn't have to deal with seeing Snivellus kissing his mother in the morning."

"Snape will be Harry's stepfather?" Ron gazed at James in horror.

"And Dumbledore wants him dead..." whispered Hermione. "Please focus on the important part, Ron."

"I could have dealt with the headmaster very easily," muttered Tom. "But my recent oath prevents me from doing the logical thing. I can't even suggest to anyone else that they assassinate him. In fact, right now I'm not at all suggesting to any of you that Harry would be far safer if that deranged old maniac were dead."

McGonagall smiled. "I will do my best to keep an eye on the headmaster, Tom. I am not particularly fond of killing curses, but I do cast a rather nifty Imperius, if I may say so myself." She caught Hermione's startled glance and added quickly: "Not that I would ever use any of the forbidden curses, of course."

"Couldn't you just transfigure Dumbledore into something?" suggested James. "You were always so good at transfiguration, Minerva. A lemon drop comes to mind..."

"We will see," said McGonagall briskly. "I do know one thing, though: It will not do to underestimate the headmaster. He is a very cunning and ruthless man- Who's there?" She turned quickly to the door. "Oh, it's just Lily and Severus. Come in both of you - we were just trying to make a plan... Good heavens, Severus, what happened to you?"

Harry glanced at the man who had entered the Room of Requirement hand in hand with his mother, and his mouth fell open. Was that really Professor Snape? Yes, it must be, for the man had Snape's features and was wearing Snape's night-black robes, and yet he bore very little resemblance to the dreaded potions master. This man seemed almost handsome, with his shining dark eyes and that rather charming lopsided smile. When he spoke, his voice wasn't Snape's either; it was warm and melodious: "So this is where you all are."

"You have changed, Severus," said Tom softly.

Snape's left eyebrow arched in an expression of slight amusement. "So have you, my lord, if I may be permitted to say so. Lily told me everything." There was a curious note of softness in his voice as he spoke Lily's name.

"Did she?" Tom smiled. "Including, I suppose, how she made me swear an oath never to kill anyone again, or suggest to others that they kill anyone, which is why I am not suggesting that anyone assassinate the headmaster, in spite of the fact that he wants to see both Harry and myself dead."

A slight shadow fell over Snape's face. "Ah, yes. The headmaster... Something tells me that he will not be terribly pleased to find the formerly dead walking the halls of Hogwarts."

"Can I see the stone, Tom?" said Lily. She leaned forward, and her long red curls fell in front of her face. Snape reached out and brushed the curls out of her face with a gentle movement that seemed so instinctive and natural that Harry had to smile. To his surprise, Snape smiled back.

Tom pulled the small cracked stone out of his pocket and handed it to Lily. He had taken the stone out of its setting, and the dark jewel gleamed softly against Lily's palm.

"This little stone is enough to overcome death..." breathed Lily.

"Not by itself, no." Tom put his arm around Harry. "Using the stone to bring back the dead requires some very difficult magic - so difficult, in fact, that Albus Dumbledore, who is a perfectly competent wizard in his own way, damaged his hand horribly when he tried to use the stone."

Harry peered at the little black stone. "I wonder who Dumbledore wanted to bring back from the dead. There must have been someone he loved..." Harry swallowed a sudden lump that had appeared in his throat. There had been a time when he had thought, naively, that the headmaster had loved him...

"Which spell did you use, Tom?" Hermione leaned forward.

Tom shrugged. "Oh, I don't think it will be familiar to you, Hermione. He rattled off a quick spell in a strange language. "That means..."

"Let the life breath, which has fled like the wind, re-enter the body of the one I hold dear," said Hermione quickly. "You are not the only one who knows Sumerian, you know." She sounded slightly offended. "I am familiar with the passage, of course. I just didn't know that it was a real spell."

Tom blinked rapidly. "I see... You do know a lot, don't you? I'm rather relieved that we are on the same side, Hermione." He pocketed the stone again quickly.

"Speaking of being on the same side," put in McGonagall briskly, glancing at her watch. "Need I remind you all that the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match is about to begin? Lily, you and I will keep an eye on Dumbledore during the match. Severus - you will be refereeing, I believe?"

Snape nodded. "That's right. I don't referee often, but this particular match interested me. Normally, Gryffindor wouldn't stand a chance against Slytherin, of course, but I understand that the Gryffindor team has a few new players."

James shot him a suspicious glance. "That's right, Sni- Severus, and you'd better not try to sabotage Gryffindor in any way, or I'll..."

"Sabotage Gryffindor?" Snape kissed Lily softly, and Ron covered his face with his hands. "I wouldn't dream of it. If Slytherin is beaten this afternoon, so be it. There are, after all, more important things in the world than Quidditch... Not that I believe for a moment that Gryffindor will have the slightest chance of winning, of course."

James, Sirius, and Remus exchanged quick glances. "Oh, we'll see about that!" said Sirius lightly, his grey eyes dancing.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" McGonagall sounded impatient. "This match should be spectacular! Harry Potter, James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin playing for Gryffindor! Oh, and you too, of course, Mr. Weasley." She grinned. "The Slytherin team won't know what hit it."

Snape smiled serenely. "Perhaps not. But you are forgetting one thing, Minerva..."

"What's that?" McGonagall wrapped her Gryffindor scarf tightly around her neck and headed for the door.

"The Gryffindor team may have added a few experienced players," said Snape softly, "but the Slytherin team has an outstanding Seeker this year."

McGonagall stared at him. "An outstanding Seeker? You can't be serious, Severus. Why, the Slytherin seeker is only Draco Malfoy, and that boy..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked at Tom in horror. "Wait, that boy is...

"... ready to play Quidditch!" Tom finished the sentence for her. His silver eyes glittered. He whispered a few words under his breath, and the next moment, he had assumed Draco's form. He held the door open for McGonagall. "In fact, I can't wait!"

Was it Harry's imagination, or did McGonagall suddenly look rather pale?

...

Under ordinary circumstances, the Quidditch match would have been over in ten minutes. The Gryffindor team was pure magic. James, Sirius, and Remus were superb Chasers; they moved with the easy speed and grace of the wild animals they were at heart. Harry had of course resumed his old position as Seeker. In what turned out to be a stroke of genius, Harry had decided to boot Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Cootes off the team, and he had assigned Ginny Weasley and Demelza Robins to Peakes' and Cootes' earlier positions as Beaters. It was a bit of a risk, having two former Chasers play Beaters, but it worked out remarkably well. Demelza, who had always been slightly worried about being hit by rogue bludgers, turned out to be rather adept at hurling them at the opposing team, and Ginny was certainly not one to let anyone from the other team escape unscathed. In fact, thought Harry, she seemed to have it in for the flaxen-haired Slytherin Seeker in particular.

In spite of rather decent players like Urquhart and Vaisey, the Slytherin team wouldn't have stood a chance against the new Gryffindor team - if it hadn't been for the fact that the Slytherin Seeker was playing with a skill that seemed to border on the supernatural.

"Yet another stunning move from Gryffindor!" came McGonagall's enthusiastic brogue over the loud speaker. "Miss Weasley sends the bludger flying - it looks like it will hit the Slytherin Seeker in the head. No - it veered off to the side at the last moment. How terribly odd! Miss Weasley must have put a bit of spin on that bludger, it seems. Wait, wait! Miss Weasley is complaining to the referee. Is something wrong with the bludger? No, Professor Snape has declared that there is no evidence of foul play; the match will continue. Oh, dear, Miss Weasley is not going to argue with the referee, is she? The two Seekers are taking off - have they seen the snitch? The Slytherin Seeker is remarkably fast... But Mr. Potter is in hot pursuit. They have seen the snitch! They have seen the snitch!" McGonagall's voice rose to a fevered pitch. "They are both reaching for... Oh, dear - there comes another bludger from Miss Weasley! Good gracious me! It's shattered the Slytherin Seeker's broom! He's going to fall, he's going... No, wait. The Slytherin Seeker is... still flying? How is that even possible, with half his broom gone? I've never seen anything like it!"

Harry could hear the shouts and cheers from the crowd below rising towards him and Tom as they sped towards the little blur of gold. He leaned forward on his broomstick, trying to force even more speed out of it. From somewhere behind him, he could hear his father's voice: "Get it, Harry! Get the snitch!" Harry could sense Tom by his side, so close that he could feel the heat from his body.

Harry's fingers closed around the fluttering snitch - and so did Tom's. The two Seekers locked eyes.

"Let go of the snitch, Harry!" There was laughter is Tom's silver eyes. "You are a fantastic player, but you know that I am a great deal stronger than you."

Harry tightened his grip on the snitch. "No, you are not."

Tom's eyes narrowed. "Let go, Harry!" His voice sank to a seductive whisper. "Let go, my love..."

"You let go!" Harry felt a pleasant tingling at his spine at the sound of Tom' voice, but he was not going to let go of the snitch.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?" McGonagall's voice, over the speaker, grew more agitated. "Can it be-? Yes! Both Seekers have caught the snitch at the same time! In all my years, I have never seen anything like it!"

A shrill whistle sounded, and Tom and Harry descended slowly to the ground, their right hands still clasped firmly around the fluttering golden ball.

A confused murmur rose from the crowd. "Who won? Which Seeker got the snitch first?"

"Stand aside, please!" Snape strode rapidly across the field, and the players stepped back to let him through. Snape paused in front of Tom and Harry, and his dark gaze lingered for a moment on their hands, interlaced around the snitch. A slight shadow of something that resembled a smile brushed over his face for a moment.

"Silence!" squeaked McGonagall, and a hush fell over the crowd. "The referee is about to make a call."

"Please give me the snitch," said Snape calmly, and Harry and Tom handed the little golden ball over and waited breathlessly.

Snape pulled his wand out of the pocket of his dark robes. "This appears, at first sight, to be a tie, but as you may know, snitches have flesh memory. The snitch itself should be able to tell us which Seeker's hand was the first to touch it." He muttered a quick spell, and Harry could see little luminous letters forming on the surface of the snitch. Snape stared at the letters for a moment, his face impassive. Then he said quietly: "The results are clear. For the first time in recorded Quidditch history, the two Seekers reached the snitch at precisely the same moment. The points awarded for catching the snitch will therefore be divided equally between the two teams: 75 points to Slytherin and 75 points to Gryffindor." Snape sighed deeply. "Since Gryffindor House had already scored six goals to Slytherin's zero..." He shook his head ruefully as he glanced at the three Gryffindor Chasers, "...Gryffindor wins the match 135 to 75."

McGonagall repeated the score, and the Gryffindor fans went wild. James, Sirius, and Remus flung their arms around Harry and yelled themselves hoarse. Even Snape smiled ever so slightly as he looked at the four of them. Tom shook hands with all the Gryffindor players, including Ron, who winced a little.

Snape bowed lightly to Tom. "Well played indeed, Mr. Malfoy."

Tom inclined his head gracefully. "Why, thank you, Professor."

Suddenly, Snape stiffened. His dark gaze seemed to search frantically in the gathered crowd of spectators. "Where is she?" His voice sounded hoarse. "Harry! Minerva! Where is Lily?"

McGonagall, who was still flushed with excitement from the game, wheeled around. "Lily? She is right over... Oh, Merlin. She was right over here, in the front row. I'm sure she is fine, Severus; she's probably just lost in the crowd for a moment..." Her voice was shaking a little. "We will find her in just a moment, you will see..."

"Mr. Harry Potter!" A small first year student was elbowing his way through the crowd. "I have an important message for Mr. Harry Potter!"

"It must be from her..." Snape grabbed the first year student by the shoulder. "What is your message, boy? Quickly, spit it out!"

The small student looked up at Snape with an expression of terror on his little freckled face. "It's... It's just from the headmaster, Professor Snape, sir."

"From the headmaster?" Snape's usually pale face turned ashen.

"That's right, sir," whispered the first-year. "The headmaster wishes to see Mr. Potter in his office right away. And he would like him to bring Mr..." The student consulted a piece of paper in his hand, "... and he wants him to bring Mr. Riddle as well."