(A/N: Hey folks, I'm back again with more fic goodness for you to enjoy. I wanted to take a second to thank all of you for reviewing and commenting to let me know what you think, it really does give me a huge boost of confidence and helps me to keep writing. But anyway, on with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 23

The meeting had dispersed after several hours of careful planning and conversations. It likely would have gone on longer but several members of the household had still not eaten and stomachs were protesting rather loudly. As it was, Harry and Tom sat alone in the Library, the maps long tucked away in their preservative containers and re-warded to ensure their survival for generations to come. They were left with the miniature copies that had been hastily drawn up by Remus and Hermione.

"Do you want to discuss the obvious?" Tom questioned as Harry paced back and forth along the length of the windows. Somewhere along the line they had accommodated the change to the environment outside and reflected the small sprouts that had shot up overnight. The enchantments behind them never showed inclement weather but somehow perfectly reflected what the grounds were supposed to look like, it was fascinating.

"The obvious, Tom, there's a lot of things that aren't very obvious for me right now. I've just had an entire room of people agree to protect me with their lives. I'm a little more than overwhelmed by that alone," Harry admitted, standing still and letting his shaking hands clench into fists.

"Ah, my apologies dearest, I hadn't considered the fact that such a concept was new to you. Surely you have realized that your friends and family made their decisions when they elected to join us?" Tom questioned, standing from the couch and sedately making his way over to Harry. The stress was obviously getting to him, as the shaking in his hands quickly became a trembling in his entire body. Tom wasted no time in pulling him close.

"What? No! I thought that they agreed to join us because it was going to keep them safe! I didn't think for a second that they were doing it with the understanding that they were going to risk their lives to protect me. I've already had people die for me Tom, I don't want it to happen again," Harry breathed, his fingers digging into Tom's robes as tears came crashing past a controlled façade. All the work that they had put into his control had vacated his mind in that moment and all that he could do was cling to Tom in order to stop himself from falling over.

Tom said nothing; after all, what could he say? Dumbledore or not, it was his hand that had seen Harry's parents die. It was his servant that had slain Cedric. Tom clutched Harry tightly to himself and let the other man's emotions crash into him like waves upon the shore. Guilt ate at him like a cancer as Harry's sobs turned into choking coughs. It wasn't just concern for his friends and family that was coming out in that moment, it was every inch of pain and fear and sorrow that they had been working on containing through Mind Magic over the past weeks. Whether or not this was the appropriate time for it, such things did not wait. Tom simply warded the doors of the Library against the sound and held his future husband against himself with all the strength that he possessed.

"I'm sorry Tom, I really am. I don't…I don't know how to handle this," Harry finally breathed after what Tom reckoned as an hour of tears and sobs.

"You don't have to know. Harry, I don't know how any Lord of Light has handled it in the past. Dumbledore has seen to it that they have all perished before they would accumulate the followers that would have protected them," Tom said honestly and finally maneuvered them over to the couch. He gently lowered Harry onto the cushions before dropping himself gracelessly alongside his partner. Flicking his hand in careless fashion the couch became wide enough for the both of them to curl up together on it. There was little encouragement that Harry needed to bury himself in Tom's chest once again and so they were laid out together much as they had been for their first kiss.

"I know. And I know that it isn't really my choice whether they stand by my side or not. It just, it really had me messed up to picture any of them dead because of me. I don't want any of them to die, not now. Not ever," Harry said and Tom was quick to give a harsh click of his tongue, gripping Harry's chin and forcing their eyes to meet.

"Fear of death is a dangerous thing. It led me into madness Harry and I will not see it consume you. Immortality is unattainable for all except the Master of Death, and that is a quest that causes insanity in itself. Dumbledore's mind was half lost just obtaining the Wand, and we don't even know if it is the true Elder Wand. It could have been for naught," Tom paused and shook his head as if to dislodge an uncomfortable thought. "No, it was for naught. It is better to live and die in our proscribed time than to risk madness attempting to extend our lives unnaturally," Tom said and Harry nodded, it was a hard lesson learned and he was not going to disabuse his partner of the knowledge that had been gained from past mistakes.

"I know. I know. And I will come to accept it with time. But I can't help feeling helpless. Why did that old bastard have to decide to involve innocent people?" Harry whispered as something like rage began to eclipse the fear that had coiled in his gut.

"Because that is what he does. It has always been his way. It was my way for a time as well. Whether he is corrupted or mad with power, he has chosen Evil as his path. And Evil has never cared for innocents who chance to get in the way," Tom said, already weary of the stress that the old man had placed on Harry's shoulders.

"Then all there is to do is to stop him. Right? There's nothing left to do," Harry said and shuddered with fear and discomfort, his body curling against Tom's even though they were nearly identical in size these days.

"That is correct my beloved. We stop him, no matter the cost. And we train our successors to be better," Tom said softly, stroking one hand along the length of Harry's back.

"Alright. I can live with that, I suppose. Sorry for flying off the handle like that," Harry whispered and blushed once again, or at least it seemed that he blushed, his face was still likely very red and puffy from the tears so he wasn't so sure that it was noticeable.

"No, it is a logical response to immense emotional duress. You've only been practicing at Mind Magic for a few weeks; your control of your emotions is not diamond hard. It only makes sense that you break down upon hearing something so disquieting," Tom assured and leaned in to press a kiss to Harry's cheek.

(A/N: And that's all for now! I hope you enjoyed it and that you will leave a review or a comment to let me know what you thought of it. Thanks for reading!)