A/N: In this, Mudblood is a slur on anyone who isn't a pureblood.

Harry sighed as he squeezed his fist tightly. He stared up at the ceiling for a long while, trying to will his problem away. When it didn't work after a half hour, he growled in frustration before getting up to get a shower. Even when the lukewarm water played against his skin, and he tried to gross himself out of the mood, it was to no avail. He turned the warm water off and stood beneath the cold rain of the faucet.

This wasn't right. He shouldn't like Tom like he did. He shouldn't be feeling any of these things from the boy, and the boy shouldn't be feeling them back, especially not when Tom was six years younger than him. Even then, it was just the youngness of the age. Perhaps, thirty-two and thirty-eight but not anyone underage when. It wasn't right; people would look at him as a monster.

It was about a week later that Tom finally got a chance to practice.

It wasn't exactly planned, because Black could definitely be a little unpredictable, but there was no way Tom was going to let the other boy be in charge. He pushed the other boy back, following him with his lips as he put the older boy in a more submissive position.

How come Harry can't kiss Abraxas, but you can kiss Black? The thought crossed Tom's mind but as he heard the noises Black was making, the control the older boy was losing, to HIM. He really didn't give the question mind, besides he wasn't going to fall in love with Arcturus, he wasn't such an emotional person, not like Harry. Besides, he'd claimed Harry as his; he'd never claimed Tom though.

There was also the fact that Arcturus had an influence he didn't have, and before long it wouldn't be Tom trailing behind the boy, it would be Arcturus trailing behind Tom.

Tom smirked before focusing his attention on the older boy in front of him. HE pulled his lips away from Arcturus' mouth to slowly slide them down the boy's neck, stopping when the older boy's breath hitched or his small mewls changed in volume. Every sound sent a thrill through Tom and he felt his skin heat up and his breathing go fast.

He laid his hands on the other male's hips, his grasp firm and sure as pushed his body against the other's. He grinned against Arcturus' collar bone as the older boy gave a hoarse cry at the contact and thrust hard. Tom felt his legs quake at the pressure. He clenched his eyes shut and took a deep breath to control himself once he had himself in line, he continued his mission of trying to drive the other boy to completion. He slid his hands from Arcturus' waist back to his ass, squeezing harshly as he pulled the older male towards him tightly, and grinded against Arcturus as he panted against his neck. Tilting his own to the side as he closed his eyes, enjoying the opened mouth kisses Arcturus was lavishing his neck with. His hands would tighten unconsciously every time the older boy stopped his open mouth kisses to suck on Tom's neck.

Tom didn't know how long they continued on before the other boy started gasping harshly, his hands tightening almost painfully against Tom as he froze up for a long moment, before collapsing against the other. Tom growled slightly in frustration at the cease of contact, but after a small breathing period Arcturus dropped to his knees, opening Tom's zip with an urgency that the younger man had never seen before. Then his pants were being pushed and he hissed as the cold air assaulted his hard cock in the darkened area.

There was a hoarse shot in the room, and it was only a few seconds before Tom realized that was HIS voice echoing off the halls, because obviously Arcturus' mouth was muffled. He breathed rapidly, trying to regain what little control he had left as he felt it slipping away, his entire body on fire as the older boy sucked just right, or sucked until his lips were flush with Tom's pubic bone, his breath causing moisture to gather there as Tom shoved his hands in Arcturus' hair, gripping tightly. His whole body tensed as the older boy groaned excitedly at the action.

Tom lost his breath and froze after that, his grip becoming increasingly tighter as Arcturus sucked him with a vengeance, almost pushing the two of them over before Tom was curling over the older boy with a loud, exhaled moan

"You look good on your knees," Tom murmured after he'd caught his breath, "especially, when it's for me."

"Do shut up, Tom," the older boy said, indignation coloring his voice.

"I bet I could get you there without using sex too,"

"Dream on,"

"I will," his smirk was definite and humor danced through his eyes. "I think I should go, though."

"Not one for pillow talk?"

"Maybe another time," Tom answered dryly.

"I need to speak it with you about something."

"Tomorrow?"

"If the time's right, sure."

Tom thought that was kind of vague but he shrugged it off as he tried to clear the fog that seemed to take over his mind. He was just kind of blank, and it felt weird not to have thoughts running through his mind continuously. He shrugged it off and made he was back to his Harry's chambers. He couldn't wait to show off what he'd learned. He'd have to give the man a while to adjust; he was still acting awkward over that kiss.

This wasn't a single occurrence, and the little meet ups he'd have with Arcturus would run late into the night. Most often than not, Tom would sneak back into his and Harry's rooms at early hours in the morning, hours after the older man had gone to bed. It was one of those things where Harry didn't ask, and Tom didn't tell. At least for a while.

There would be mornings where he'd try and con his way out of his first class, and Harry would get pissed at him for making up excuses he knew weren't valid. His Harry knew him far too well. It bugged the fuck out of him when he tried to get away with something.

Then, Harry started asking what time Tom would be home, and back from classes or from hanging out from Arcturus. Tom would usually throw out a random time between nine and eleven thirty, to try and appease the man, but when he was impossible to wake up in the morning, Tom knew he wasn't going to get away with it for much longer. He just hadn't realized how much damage he was doing to him and Harry, it was barely anything compared to their jealousy spats.

"Going to see Arcturus?"

"Yes?"

"When will you be back? It's a school night."

"When do you want me back?"

"Ten thirty."

"Okay."

"You'll be back by ten thirty then?"

"Of course, don't wait up if you get tired though. I don't want you getting sick like before again." Tom finished before closing the door between him and Harry as he made his way out.

"But then I won't know if you're lying or not, "Harry said to himself with a sigh. He moved from the kitchen to the sitting room, grabbing his bad of ungraded assignments as he did. He pulled the coffee table closer to the couch as he laid down, his back propped against the arm rest as he pulled a blanket over himself. He pulled his knees up and placed his papers against them. He summoned a quill and ink with a wave of his hand before getting to work on the assignments. He placed the ones he was finished with face down of the table.

Ten thirty came and went, and he wasn't surprised that it did. He stayed out in the sitting room, his annoyance building as the time passed.

Tom walked in around two forty five, completely nonchalant, as if he wasn't hours late.

"If you're not going to follow through don't give your word you will. Don't tell me you're going to do something you have no intention of doing from the start."

"I told you not to wait up,"

"When do you get to tell me what to do? I'm the adult here. There's a reason I give you a curfew. Don't think you're waking up late tomorrow. Do you really think if I had fallen asleep, you would have gotten away with it?"

"I haven't done anything wrong."

"So lying straight to my face means you've done nothing wrong? Thanks, Tom, that makes me feel fantastic," Harry replied nastily, his feeling hurt and his annoyance turning to anger and hurt.

"That's not what I meant."

"No, but it's what you said. You need to say what you mean, or no one will know what your intentions are. It's fine though, I just don't know whether you realize what you're doing.

"What would that be?"

"You're degrading and disregarding the only person who wouldn't do the same to you. You keep lying to the person who's not, and tries not, to lie to you. Yet you stand there and spit it in my face, day after day. Like the past few days. Don't tell me you're sick in the morning, Tom, I'll drag you out of bed if you do." The sheer anger and hurt Harry was feeling was evident on his face and Tom felt his stomach turn sour and drop. Before he could even reply, Harry was out of the living room, and locking himself in the bathroom, a tumbler in one hand and a bottle of bourbon in the other.

Harry rarely got mad at him, rarely was hurt by his actions. Was he jealous? Worried that he was spending so much time with Slytherins? Or just truly hurt that Tom would…lie to his face? Now that Tom looked at the situation, he clenched his eyes shut and breathed deeply, he'd fucked up. Not badly, but enough. The only person he trusted, even if it was only a little bit, was hurting because he'd thought the man wouldn't care. Well, not not care, because he knew Harry did, but maybe more that he wouldn't mind. Just like Tom didn't mind that he woke up some mornings to Harry already gone. He'd worried Harry, and that seemed to be a hard thing to do considering they lived under the same roof, and there was no immediate danger to either of them.

Tom wondered how he'd feel if Harry went out with Abraxas, Merlin help him, and didn't return the same night or following morning. Just the thought, the image, made his throat close up and his eyes sting.

He threw his book bag down next to the door and made his way to his room, well aware that Harry wouldn't be out of the loo anytime soon. He knew Harry didn't drink because he was angry; he drank so he could calm his nerves and go to sleep. Tom didn't understand how he could drink though, when the stuff smelled so foul, it burned just to smell. He shrugged off his robe, extinguished his lights, and made his way to bed.

Harry laid in the bad, his head lolled back, and his tumbler balancing on his knee, his finger tracing the rim, listening to the soft, light noise it made. He felt so angry, but at the same time, he felt…resigned? Tom would do what he wanted, regardless of what anyone wished of him. Usually, he'd do things to make Harry happy, yes, but even after so long Harry still wondered if the boy was trying to buy his love and acceptance. He could still feel phantom images of his stomach dropping, his heart beat louder in his ears than usual, the images of watching the clock, wondering where Tom was, annoyed at first when he was an hour of so late, and then worried and furious as the time marched on.

He was in Hogwarts, and Harry knew there wasn't a safer place, but Tom seemed to take after Harry, even if they weren't related, Trouble followed him. If it didn't follow him, Tom created it, and Harry didn't think Tom's age had anything to do with his ability to stir up chaos.

He took a slow sip from his tumbler and forcefully calmed himself, trying to remind him that the boy was curious, had made friends other than Harry here at Hogwarts, and him sneaking back from the Common Rooms was way easier than five Slytherins sneaking back from his room. The boy was pushing his limits, seeing what he could get away with, thinking old thoughts of not being cared about.

Harry wouldn't demand they cease, but he wouldn't give any more cause for them either. He would wait, however, for Tom to approach him and apologize. If he didn't, Harry didn't think he could do much more to help make Tom Riddle more human. He'd have loved to have someone like Tom had him. Jealous of his own idea, and wishing someone had done it for him…

He was here now, and he had Tom, just like Tom had him. So he didn't need anyone else. He finished his tumbler and lowered himself underwater. He banished the glass to the kitchen, rising up continuously until he was standing and reaching for a towel. He didn't bother to change, and just extinguished the lights once he was in the hallway and made his way to bed.

It was a long four days before Tom apologized, and Harry seriously wondered where the boy got that kind of stubbornness. When Tom spoke however, Harry realized it wasn't stubbornness that had kept him away.

Harry had just been walking in the door, back from classes as he lazily undid his robes before throwing them on a chair. When he looked up, Tom was sitting on the couch, curled up with his knees to his chest and a blanket around him.

"Did you go to class?"

"Yes," the boy said softly, "Can I …talk to you?"

"Are you going to apologize?"

"Maybe?" Tom seemed confused with himself and his thoughts and Harry almost felt bad for him. "Will you sit down with me?"

Harry did, "You've been home before the school wide curfew now."

"Yes, all that curfew breaking was messing up my sleep." There was silence for a few moments after that and Harry almost laughed at the lie, "I'm sorry,"

"For what you did, or that I called you on it?"

"I'm sorry for upsetting you. I didn't really pay attention to time when I was with the Slytherins, and since I hang with the older kids, they don't really go to sleep until two or three considering a lot of them have open periods through the day. That's no excuse though. I didn't mean to upset you and I…hate myself when I do make you upset.

It's so stupid, because you're right. You wouldn't do that to me, not if you could help it, and just thinking you would makes me upset. So, actually having it done must…suck."

Tom looked like he was going to speak again, but Harry just reached over and pulled the kid against his side, running his hands through Tom's decently long hair. They hadn't had it cut in a while and it fell below his ears.

"It's a whole bunch of emotional suck, and we both suck at communicating…" Harry murmured. Tom snuggled into his side, sighing softly, and Harry could tell that the sigh let off a lot more than used up air. He could practically feel Tom's whole body relax at once.

"You understand though, right?" He felt the answering nod against his side and smiled, "How was your time with the Slytherins?"

"Passable,"

"They must have pulled out the show stoppers to please you," Harry said with a laugh.

Tom just stuck out his tongue.

Everything was right…again.

Harry wondered how long it would last.

They'd been straight for a while after that, everyday up until today, actually. They'd spend the evenings after dinner relaxing on the couch, reading or talking. Sometimes they'd just lay in Harry's bed until Tom passed out and Harry carried him back to his room. Sometimes the boy would wake up in the middle of the night, and Harry would find him curled up next to him the next morning from a nightmare.

Tom would still give him weird looks, and Harry tried to ignore them, tried to ignore the huge situation that surrounded them now that Tom had kissed him. He tried not to pay attention to the fact that Arcturus seemed to be jealous of Tom spending more time with Harry, when it used to be the other way around.

Tom had been avoiding him all day; he knew he wasn't just imagining it either. Tom had even skipped his Defense class today, which Harry was slightly irked about. Tom had never skipped Harry's class, let alone any other, so Harry wanted to know what was going on with the young man.

Things had been a little weird after Tom's kiss in early December, very, very awkward. The event had not only mortified him, but now he was more aware of Tom's...quirks. There'd be times that he would be arguing or just talking with Tom, when he could see and almost feel the young man's urge to throw him down for a repeat of The Kiss; so it had been dubbed.

He walked his way into the kitchen, just walking around idly, and noticed that dinner was set out. There was a plate with a bunch of his favorite foods on it, and right next to it, there was note. From years of seeing it, Harry knew it was Tom's.

I'm hanging out with Arcturus. – Tom

Short and to the point, as usual. Harry sat and began to eat, pushing his food around the plate. All he really wanted to do was lie on the sofa and watch movies with Tom. Valentine's day sucked.

He pushed his plate a way and went to lie down in bed. His blankets still pushed to the side in a heap from that morning.

He jumped on the bed, his back falling against the comfortable mattress. He realized though, that the bed didn't bounce as much as it regularly did.

As he was reaching over to shift the blankets, he felt a hand moving up his thigh, before a warm body rolled on top of him. The blankets hung around Tom as Harry stared up at the young man, his face clearly showing surprise.

He knew it was wrong; he really did, especially because of his hero/martyr complex. He whimpered pathetically as Tom grinded down on him, so much like last time. The lust and sexual tension he'd been trying to ignore the past two and a half months was coming to a crescendo, to the point he thought he was in pain.

His biggest fear at the moment - all thoughts of the changed future or outcome of this travel out of his mind - was Tom stopping.

"You're way too young…" Harry spoke breathily a moment later, his hangs clenched in the blanks.

Tom only smirked at him, grinding down hard, "I'll grow,"

"You're my son,"

"Not biologically, we don't even have the same last name,"

There was a long silence filled with heavy breathing, keening, moaning.

"You're infuriating, Tom, especially when you're right,"

"I always get what I want, Harry, you know that,"

"Oh, yes, I know, I raised you, you little heathen,"

"You don't mean that, Harry, you're just feeling a little stressed out because they'll think you're a monster if they find out, but they won't, so let me take that stress away for you."

Tom grinned impishly before he slowly started to rotate his hips. Harry arched, slowly pushing back as he panted softly. Tom looming over him, hands rested by both sides of his head on the bed, a look of wonder on his face as he stared down at the older man.

Harry's head pushed back against the mattress, his cheeks flushed red and his mouth open slightly in panting breaths. Tom groaned at the sight before leaning down to lay open mouth kisses against the older man's neck, smirking through them when he felt Harry's hands tighten on his hips. He let his touch push against muscles in the man's throat and relished in the moans he heard. His hips were still moving in slow, teasing motions and he could feel Harry's grip get almost painfully tight. He pushed down harder, pulling the man into a kiss.

It was hot and harsh, Tom biting Harry's lips, pulling on them between his teeth, and then soothing them over with his tongue. It only made Harry wilder as he moved his hands up Tom's body and fisted his hands in the boy's hair.

Tom felt the dominance of the act roll through him, and it left him hotter than he'd ever been and throbbing, he realized he could hear himself…keening, and he closed his eyes with the feelings, unashamed when it happened because of Harry. No one else would have this control over him; no one else would have this control over Harry. Tom would make sure of it.

He felt euphoria take over him, when Harry rolled them. Tom ended up on his back with Harry between his legs before the man lost what little control he had left, one hand in Tom's hair, the other by the side of his head. Returning open mouthed kisses on Tom's next, murmuring his name in a continuous litany that had Tom's eyes wide and his breathing shallow as he clenched his hands in Harry's clothes.

Harry was saying his name, and Tom was the one doing this to him, the one making him lose control, and he absolutely loved it. It wasn't the rush of power that he got when he did the same to Arcturus. It was warmth, and things he couldn't explain. Maybe one day he would be able.

It's how he knew the difference between messing around with Arcturus and loving Harry. The other boy was a tool he needed to use in order to be like this for Harry, no matter how much he loved the boy; he would not go into this an amateur. He wanted everything to be perfect. He didn't want Harry to think he was naïve and unlearned and give him another reason to push him away because of his youngness.

He slept in Harry's been that night, once all was said and done, and having those strong but comforting arms wrapped around him all night, with a warm body pressed up against him, took him to a place he'd never been before, and he knew never wanted to leave.

He refused to.

They were eating dinner in the Great Hall, Tom sitting at the Slytherin table with Arcturus. The more they hung out, though, the more Tom realized that Arcturus' old friends didn't hang out with the Black as much. Tom shrugged it off though, for another time. They were just finishing when Arcturus spoke, "Hey, do you want to hang out tonight? You haven't been around in a while."

Tom thought of Harry, and how things had been so much better lately, so much more comfortable. He felt...bad for Arcturus' though,

"Sure, but I have to be back by curfew. I've been getting in a lot of trouble lately.

"Were you grounded?" Black asked playfully.

"No, just having some family time,"

"Sure,"

Tom rolled his eyes, but rose with the boy to exit the Great Hall. They took a detour through the dungeons, taking the long way to the common room so they could talk. It was idle chatter, but Tom could tell Arcturus wanted to ask him more; there would be awkward silences that Tom knew the boy wanted to fill. He shrugged it off though, and told himself if Arcturus had something to say, he'd say it, the older boy wasn't really quiet with his thoughts.

They were just making their way out of an unused part of the castle when Tom caught the voices. It seemed Arcturus didn't though.
"Who does he think he is? Hanging out with a mudblood, putting a blemish on the pureblood status he has, putting a stain on all purebloods, especially a younger mudblood, who got into Slytherin no less!"

The voices were getting closer, and Tom realized they would end up passing the group as they walked by. Things couldn't be that simple though, because when Rosier saw them, his face twisted in malice and Tom had a really bad feeling that things were about to go bad. He reached out and grabbed Arcturus' arm, bring the boy to a stop and obviously snapping him out of his thought.

"Well, well, look who we have here. We were just talking about you, Black, and how low you've sunk."

"Watch your mouth, Rosier," Black spat, "And just how have I sunken so low?"

"Hanging with a Mudblood!"

"Half-blood,"

"And you defend him!" Rosier snarled pulling his wand out, "You're a disgrace and need to be put in your place, Black!"

Before Tom could even move, he realized he couldn't move. Arcturus was on the ground crying out in agony as Rosier laughed. All Tom could do was watch.

The boys didn't pay him any mind, he wasn't worth their attention it seemed, and before long they'd run; all but one, who rushed over to Arcturus, frantic as he tried to wake the boy up. Tom could feel himself come back and he heard himself speaking before he knew what he wanted to say. His voice shook, and he felt like the scared boy from Diagon Alley all those years ago, and he absolutely hated how weak he felt, how hopeless he felt when someone important to him was being attacked. What if that had been Harry? What if the spells hadn't been just grade school hexes?

"What'd you say to me, Mudblood? It's your fault he's like this. If he didn't hang out with you, he wouldn't have been targeted."

"I said you're doing it wrong. You can't wake him up, you can't shake him, he has a concussion, and you're only going to make it worse."

"You made it this bad to begin with, fuck off, Riddle!"

Tom saw red and hexed the boy away from Arcturus before he could do anymore damage. The boy, Merlin if he knew the arse's name, slammed against the wall and was knocked out cold.

Tom knelt next to Arcturus and pulled his head into his lab, whispering an eskipey over his head to heal the gash that was slowly dripping blood. He made sure the boy had an even breathing pattern before casting a few more spells on him, an elation he couldn't explain passing over him when Arcturus' body seemed to relax slightly.

As he was walking away, he woke the other boy up and told him to take Arcturus to the Infirmary, if he managed to mess that up; he was infinitely more stupid than he let on.

He had the insane urge to see Harry, to make sure his imaginations and thoughts were just fantasy.

So that's what he did. He made his way back to their rooms. Just the thoughts he'd had, of Harry possibly being attacked and him freezing up like an idiot made him shake. It was so frustrating. All he could do was watch, and he didn't know why. Had he been scare? Shocked? Unsure? Had he not cared about Arcturus enough?

No, he did care about the older boy and that's what made it worse. He'd totally frozen up, had been completely and utterly pathetic. That wasn't the type of person he'd ever been. Not at the orphanage, not with Harry, and not at Hogwarts. He'd never allow himself to freeze up like that again. Harry might not care what his last name was, or whose blood was inside of him, but the other Slytherins did. He had something to prove to them, and he would prove it.

He was already first in all the classes, and friends with Arcturus, but he'd have that whole house at his beck and call by the time he graduated. He wouldn't accept anything less of himself. If Headmaster Dippet didn't deal with Rosier, then Tom definitely would. He'd handle it, personally, and Rosier would never attack Arcturus again, or even think about harming either of them.

He had that uncontrollable urge to see Harry though, to make sure with his own two hands and eyes that the older man was safe. His imagination was running away from him, and he continuously saw Harry falling with the curse from Rosier's lips instead of Arcturus. It enraged him, it made his insides sour, and it left him…afraid.

He hadn't felt fear like that since he'd been in the orphanage, no matter how apathetic he'd been towards his caretakers; they could definitely instill fear in anything that crossed their paths.

He turned the last hallway to their rooms and entered quickly and quietly, slipping off his robe and shoes, dropping his bag by the door, before making his way to Harry's bedroom where he could feel the other man was. He wasn't disappointed to walk in and see Harry lying on his side with a book open on the bed and Harry hanging over it.

He slid in next to the older man and lay against his back. Taking so much more comfort than he'd ever felt when being this close to Harry. Over a stupid school boy quarrel, he now valued Harry far more than he ever had, but what was wrong with that?

"Hey, Tomtom, what's up? You okay?" Harry asked after turning to see the boy curled against his back.

"Had a bad day,"

When Tom offered up no more information than that, Harry knew pushing would do nothing, so he just pulled the boy close to his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders while he continued to read his book, a few fingers playing with the strands of hair that reached below Tom's chin. It relaxed him and he closed his eyes as leaned against Harry.

He never liked anyone touching him before. He barely could stand it when Arcturus touched him, but his Harry was here, touching him idly, and Tom basked in the attention the other man offered him freely. It was so confusing how the touches could differ so much for the same action. It was such a contrast that everything he had every disregarded or ignored, now meant so much more to him.

He wondered how Arcturus was doing, and wondered if that stupid boy had made it safely to the infirmary with him. If not, Tom thought, he'd be taking care of him too.

The annoyance and anger he felt at the group who'd attacked Arcturus was cold and calm. He thought that was a good thing. It let him dwell on it, plan and scheme without having to worry about losing control of himself. Rosier's friends were just as responsible for Arcturus' state as Rosier was. To stand there idly while Arcturus was attacked, while a fellow pureblood was attacked.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a knocking on their chamber door. He curled into the area Harry had been laying when the man rose to open the door. He was gone for a few minutes, and Tom could distinctly make out the voices of Headmaster Dippet and Professor Dumbledore.

"Let me talk with him for a mo," Harry told them before Tom could hear him entering the room.

"Tom, did you and Arcturus get into a fight."

"No," Tom answered sourly.

"Then why is he in the hospital wing?"

"Because Rosier attacked him,"

"That's not what Zabini told Headmaster Dippet, he said you're responsible for Arcturus being in the infirmary."

"No, I'm not!" Tom almost screamed in outrage before looking away, breathing, calming himself. "Rosier and his friends, along with Zabini, heard Arcturus and me, but not before I heard them. Rosier was talking about putting Arcturus in his place for hanging around a mudblood so often and with such friendliness. So he attacked us when he came about us and all I could do was bloody watch and do fucking nothing because I was…scared, I was hesitant and Arcturus paid for it. Zabini tried to wake him up, or something and I told him he was doing it wrong and he was going to only hurt Arcturus further. He brushed me off, and I absolutely hated how he'd done it, considering I had been Arcturus' friend far more actively than he had. So, I blasted him against the wall, and healed Arcturus to the best of my knowledge and then woke the kid up to take Arcturus to the infirmary while I came here. Because I had wondered what I would have done if you'd been in Arcturus' position and it unsettled me, so I came home."

Home. Harry savored the word as he sat down on his bed, pulling Tom closer, "Well, it was your first time in the situation, you'll out grow it, and I'm sure you'd never let me get hurt. Now, why would Zabini blame you?"

"He's jealous, he likes Arcturus, but he won't give him the time of day because Arcturus likes me. He set me up."

"And you use Arcturus to your advantage, don't you?"

"Of course, he knows it though, and I'm almost positive he doesn't mind."

"So that's where you learned it all…Anyway, a discussion for another time. I'll be right back."

So Tom listened as Harry told them his story, and listened in fascination as he talked circles around them before ushering them out with a simple, "You will find the person you're looking for goes by the last name Rosier and shall be in the Slytherin common rooms, Tom just got between a little jealousy spat and got blamed. He hasn't done anything wrong, so have a great night gentlemen." Then he heard the door close, the lock slide into place and Harry's magic permeate their rooms before Harry was crawling back into bed with him.

"You can't play Arcturus forever; pretty soon he's going to want something in return. Or he'll get his suspicions about us because you're not giving him the time of day anymore. You need to be careful, Tom." Harry murmured before giving the boy a kiss.

"How'd you get rid of them so quickly?" Tom asked in fascination, "You talked circles around them and they barely even noticed, I bet they didn't realize it until they were standing on the other side of the door."

Harry's laugh echoed happily through their rooms and Tom felt himself grow warm from the pleasure of putting Harry in such a state, "Don't worry, Tomtom, you'll be good at it one day, far better than I am, I'm sure, after all, you are the heir of Slytherin."

And then it clicked.

Tom was the heir of Slytherin, that's how he'd totally dominate the house by the end of the semester. He felt himself smirk.

"Harry, where's Salazar?"