Okay, let's get this started! I so hope I'm not jinxing myself.

Warnings: This is shounen-ai, yaoi, slash, gay. Whatever you dub it. Tom/Harry Sirius/ Remus

Notes: (X) is pov change and or time jump (…Have I even used a pov change in this story?)

Chapter 12

They arrived in front of a large, two story white house surrounded by a low wooden fence. Dumbledore handed Tom to Sirius and pulled out his wand, tapping the front gate. A series of clicks and moving gears filled the air, ending in one large thump as if a rock had fallen to the ground. Dumbledore took Tom back and started for the house.

Harry staggered into the yard behind his godparents.

So… Harry couldn't even finish the thought. His legs decided they no longer wanted to hold him, so he sat down, watching dully as Sirius and Remus levitated his father towards the front door. He could also see his boyfriend from behind and noticed blotches of red on the back of his shirt. His brain didn't want to take in any more sensory details. It was overloaded as is, and now that he was lying on the ground - when had he lied down? - his mind was trying to catch up. He could still smell the burning carpet and another far more putrid smell that he knew the origins of but didn't want to admit to. His throat felt dry and his lungs like he'd inhaled a bunch of dust that tried to escape with each breath or cough, but always stopped short in the middle of his throat where it was thrust back down when he inhaled.

The sky was too bright. He closed his eyes, wishing for a breeze, surprised that he actually felt one and not just a normal wind, but a cool, wet one. Water?

"You can't sleep here."

Harry forced open his eyes. Sirius was looking down at him, his face a mixture of amusement and worry. "My body claims otherwise." Even his voice sounded strained.

"Well, unfortunately your body doesn't own the front yard, so." He grabbed Harry's arms and in one quick movement had him standing.

The world began spinning even after he closed his eyes again. He clung to Sirius, his godfather wrapping an arm around him, not moving, as if he somehow knew that Harry was too dizzy to go anywhere yet.

"How are they?" He dared to open his eyes again, relief flooding him when his visions didn't resume its gymnastics routine.

"Tired. Remus is mixing a potion right now for blood loss for James."

"Tom had blood on his back…."

"It wasn't his," Sirius said. Slowly, they started moving towards the front door.

"Whose was it?"

"Some wizard that tried to jump him from behind. Never saw a spell like that. Tom didn't even turn around, the guy just started vomiting blood." He tightened his arm around Harry to keep him steady. "Your boyfriend is scary."

Harry couldn't help laughing at that. "So is Remus."

(X)

"Where are we going?" Harry blinked. Where's Sirius? Hadn't he just been talking with his godfather? Someone had lit a single candle, so he couldn't see much, but he was definitely inside a room he didn't recognize. It was too fancy. The walls white and adorned with a couple of landscape paintings. The floor was hardwood and the duvet on the bed more for decoration than comfort. Unlived in. The room was sterile, pretty, untouched, and had no personality at all. No wonder Tom avoided his bedroom.

"Tom." He sat up, doing his best to ignore the burning pain in all his muscles, and slid off the bed. Somewhere in this house were three of his family members and his boyfriend, all of whom he wanted to see. He moved towards the door, promising himself a bath after he found out how his father and Tom were doing. If Dumbledore let him use his shower. Given the prim and proper look of the room and how filthy Harry was, no one had bothered to change his clothes or remove the blood and dirt covering his body, Dumbledore might beg him to take a bath the second he saw him awake and moving.

Harry stopped at the bedroom door, his heart skipping a few beats when he saw the shut door. Stop being stupid. There was no reason for him to fear that every door he came across was locked. He gave his head a firm shake and turned the knob. It glided open silently and Harry stepped out into the long hall. His room was in the middle, the hallway stretching out both ways, doors dotting the walls on each side. To his left in front of him he could see an eight-foot gap in between the walls, a curved, wooden staircase leading down set directly in the middle of two wooden ornate railings.

He moved towards the railings, surprised at the large sitting room beneath him. Everything was white, the furniture, the plush rug. The only colors coming from the wooden floors and blue stripes on the white throw pillows on each side of the couch. The left wall had a gigantic glass window that stretched from the tall ceiling almost to the floor. Outside the window he could see a wooden deck, and beyond that the ocean stretched out endlessly. The sun was beginning to set, showering the deck and ocean in breathtaking shades of red and purple.

"Enjoying the view, Harry?"

He turned, his eyes widening, and held his hands out in front of him. "I haven't touched anything, I swear!"

Dumbledore chuckled as he folded his arms in front of him on the banister and leaned on them. "Nonsense, a little magic and anything you touch will be good as new."

"How's Tom?"

Dumbledore's expression darkened. "Exhausted. The fool used so much magic it's a miracle he isn't among the dead."

"But he's not hurt," Harry pressed. He had to know that Tom was alright.

"Physical, no. Mentally… only time will tell."

"Why wouldn't he be okay mentally?" Did overuse of magic cause mental problems? If something like that was possible, he was sure he'd have heard his mother speak about it more. Still, as long as Tom was alive, he could heal.

Sighing, Dumbledore turned to him. "Tom may be a 'prodigy' as Sirius seems to have nicknamed him, but he is still only sixteen years old. He's seen and done a great deal more than most people will do in their entire lives, but viewing a massacre? Getting swept up in what may as well have been a war battle? Having someone actively attempt to take his life? Killing two people?" He shook his head, his gaze going back to the window.

Oh… Harry sagged onto the banister next to Dumbledore, tears streaming down his face. His cursed luck had held back from harming Tom only for the buildup to assault him in one devastating blow. Not only had Tom been attacked, and watched hundreds of others get attacked, he'd been forced to take the lives of two others. And all of it could have been avoided if Tom had just gone home the night before. Better yet if they'd never gotten together at all.

There had to be a way to fix this. A Time Turner. If he got a hold of a Timer Turner and refused to go with his parents to F.A.I.R.Y., Tom would be spared. They'd never meet, Tom would never go to the Ministry building. His stomach twisted at the thought of having to give Tom up, but this wasn't fair. Agreeing to date someone usually didn't mean giving permission to fate to ransack your life. And maybe once he dealt with all of this, after Milan was safely soulless, he could approach Tom again. He could explain everything that had happened and if by some chance they could form a relationship again, he would be forever grateful.

"If you get me a Time Turner, I can stop all of this from happening."

Dumbledore smiled, shaking his head. "As happy as it makes me to hear that you are willing to give up what little happiness you have achieved this summer for my son's wellbeing, using a Time Turner is not the answer."

"What else can I do?" It didn't matter what, for Tom, he'd do anything. He wouldn't be here right now if not for him. Oh…

"Exactly, you wouldn't be alive right now if you and Tom hadn't gotten together."

"I'll be careful." It was a risk he was willing to take. No one else would remember all the things he was capable of, but he would. He had what it took to become an Auror. He could survive. No, he would survive because after it was all over, he could approach Tom again.

"I'd rather not risk your life. I have a feeling that you and Tom met for a reason. I've never seen him so fully taken with someone. Usually he finds the person he's with annoying or boring after a few days. Or whatever other excuse he comes up with, but you seem to be different, Harry."

Harry groaned, dropping his head onto the banister. How could Dumbledore say such a thing? Now he felt even more guilty. What could he possibly do, but get Time Turner? He could go back far enough to send a letter to Sirius and his father explaining the situation, and they could stop everything. His mother would never get kidnapped, Milan would never escape. There was a small chance he wouldn't get to be with Tom, but given how everything was turning out, that might be for the best, for Tom anyway.

"What can I do if you won't give me a Time Turner?"

"When James is fully conscious again, the four of you will leave immediately."

Harry nodded dully a few times before he remembered the night before. "I... I can't do that." He lifted his head, knowing he had no right, but… "Tom made me promise not to leave him anymore and isn't that the reason you offered us to hide here to begin with!? You didn't want Tom freaking out because he couldn't contact me!?" His entire body was shaking, and he hated it, but he couldn't just not see Tom. "If he tells me he doesn't want to see me, fine, I'll go, but until he does, I want to see him."

Dumbledore studied him a moment before letting out a sigh. "I see you somehow managed to trigger his abandonment issues."

"Can I see him?" He didn't know how he kept his voice so firm, but it made him feel more determined. If he had to rip the entire house apart to find his boyfriend, he would. Only he hoped not because right now he wasn't sure he could make it down the stairs without collapsing again right now.

Dumbledore frowned. "… I don't think that's a good idea."

"You know if Tom wants to see me, he will."

"Yes, but right now he's asleep, and he needs rest."

"... Fine. What about my father?" He wanted to see Tom, but the more he thought about it, he knew he didn't have the energy to search a house he'd never been in before for him. Besides, there was no reason to rush. Tom was safe here and Harry trusted Dumbledore that his boyfriend was, as he claimed, okay, at least physically. After a few more hours of sleep, he could start his search.

"Yes, of course," he said, blinking. "I would never ask you to stay away from your father." He straightened up and moved down the hall, Harry following him silently and doing his best not to think about what would happen next or what had just happened at the Ministry. He needed to stay focused on the now.

They stopped one door before the last at the end of the hall. Dumbledore opened it and Harry walked in.

Inside, stretched out on a bed similar to the one he'd woken up in was his father. On the floor, their backs against the bed frame, Sirius and Remus were sleeping side by side. The two of them looked as bad as Harry felt, their clothes ripped, blood spots on their sleeves. He hoped none of the blood was theirs.

"Harry, I'm not angry at you. Perhaps a little, but I know the blame for all of this lies with the Ministry and Milan." Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "I just want Tom to heal first."

"I think you're underestimating him." Or maybe Harry was overestimating his boyfriend. Tom was so much stronger than he was, amazing in every way, and Harry found it hard to believe he was okay, and Tom wasn't. Not that he knew what Tom had gone through while he'd been running for his life from Alexandre.

"Tom is a teenage wizard, no different from you—"

"Then he's fine," Harry said, daring to cut Dumbledore off. "You've known me since I was born. I… I love Tom. I'm not leaving him again."

Dumbledore stared at him, shock clear on his face. "You barely know him."

Harry flinched. He knew that all too well, but hearing it, especially from Dumbledore… "I… I know, but—"

Dumbledore held a hand up, Harry's words dying. "I'm not saying you two don't care for each other. I know you do, but I have raised Tom since he was five years old and I am confident that I understand him far better than you do right now. I'm not trying to break you up. I'm merely asking you to let him rest and heal. When his health has improved, I will take you to him myself."

"Okay..." What else could he possibly say to that? Dumbledore did know Tom better than anyone, and if he was telling the truth, he just wanted Harry to wait until Tom had gotten some much needed sleep. But if Tom's mind was… Don't think that way! Tom is fine! "I want Tom to be happy."

"Then we want the same thing." He smiled at Harry and closed the door.

He killed two people? The thought hit him hard as he stood there looking at his family again. Tom had killed two people because of him. Tom was strong and his very aura often warned that death was a possibility if you angered him, but he'd never actually seen Tom enact any sort of violence. But to think that Tom had killed two people, one to protect himself, and he guessed the other one had to be the man Tom had been going on about before he passed out, the man he'd killed to save Harry. "Thank you."

Tom might never recover from his actions. Somehow, Harry had to make things right. He would kill Milan himself if the chance arose for bringing about this horrible summer or he would get a hold of a Time Turner and stop everything from happening to begin with. Right now, though, he was too tired to give either plan much thought.

Later, he promised himself. Sighing, he slid onto the floor and leaned against Sirius. His eyes closed immediately.

(X)

"Anything," Remus asked, stepping into the room. Harry shook his head. He'd been in the room, mostly sleeping, for the last two days and not much had changed since then. His father had woken up a few times, but only long enough to drink some water and to smile at Harry after asking if he was okay. "Sirius and I were talking." He sat next to Harry on the floor. "We think you need to take a shower."

Harry turned to his godfather, his face burning. "I, I could probably use one.…" His clothes reeked of smoke and he was pretty sure his hair did too. He'd washed his arms and face off in the sink, but his leg still had dried blood on it from where the glass had punctured it. He'd seen soot, blood, and who knew what else in his hair and on his neck and suspected there was more hiding on his body, but it seemed pointless to know about it until he could deal with it. "I don't have any clean clothes to change into."

He hadn't asked if he could use the bath or left the room unless it was for the toilet to make sure he was around whenever his dad woke up. That, and he didn't want to accidentally run into Tom if he woke up and stumbled out into the hall. Not that he didn't want to see Tom, but the more he'd thought about everything the last two days, the more he realized there was a good chance Tom was angry with him. Who wouldn't be after getting dragged into something like this? Kidnappings, a battle, a massacre, having to kill two people? He'd be lucky if Tom didn't get a Time Turner and warn himself to never speak to Harry, ever.

"We should probably burn all our clothes," Remus said. "I don't think the strongest cleaning spell can save them."

"I don't want any mementos from the attack anyway," he muttered. He'd let Sirius and Remus deal with the burning, though. He'd seen enough fire to last him for a while.

"Sirius and I went into Bay Village this morning and bought some clothes."

"Why Bay Village?" He understood avoiding Godric's Hollow, Diagon Alley, or London since they all had strong ties to those areas, but even for a random choice, Bay Village was really out there.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Harry, we're on a cliff overlooking Robin Hood Bay."

"We are?" Tom grew up by Robin Hood Bay…? For some reason, his mind wouldn't move past that tidbit of information. He'd seen pictures of Robin Hood Bay with its old-time buildings and long winding streets that slanted down towards a large beach. It was one of the few Wizarding villages left, but wasn't known for anything special beyond the ocean and tourism. Which was odd. He'd been sure Tom had grown up in some fantastic place famous for multiple things, not somewhere so normal.

Now In his mind's eye he could see a young Tom running down those cobbled streets until he reached the beach, laughing the whole time. Yeah, right. Tom had probably taken the entire village in, gotten bored within minutes, and started some kind of research on the beach's ecosystem or something when he was six.

Right now was not the time for imagining his boyfriend's childhood. He needed to get cleaned up. Sirius and Remus had offered to use magic that morning, but the two of them still looked so exhausted, he couldn't bring himself to say yes. "Where's the shower?"

"Come on." Remus stood up and wrapped an arm around Harry when he did the same. They walked into the hall, Remus giving Harry's shoulders a tight squeeze as he led Harry four doors down. Harry caught a glimpse of the giant window and deck as they walked by. "I love that view."

"Yeah." He wanted so badly to go onto the deck and look out at the ocean, but he could do that later, after he showered. Movement caught his attention, and he stopped at the end of the opening, swallowing hard. Tom lied stretched out on the couch, his right arm covering his eyes. "Tom…"

"Did you want to talk to him? I could shower first."

"N, no…" Dumbledore had made it clear he wanted Harry to stay away from Tom until he was rested.

Remus frowned. "No? Are you two fighting?"

"No," Harry said, instantly. "It's just that… Dumbledore knows Tom better than I do…"

"That's hardly anything to be jealous about."

"I'm not jealous. He asked me to stay away from Tom until he heals." He leaned on the banister, trying to get a closer look. Tom moved slightly, frowning as he did, and Harry turned away, unable to watch.

"That's…"

"It's okay," Harry said. "It's Tom, I'm sure he'll be in perfect health real soon."

"Harry, if you want to see him, go see him." Remus's voice had taken on a hard edge.

Harry turned to his godfather, surprised. Usually Remus was the one who encouraged everyone to follow the rules. "… Actually, go shower first. I'll bring you the change of clothes and then you can go see him."

Only if he asks for me. "Thanks." He stepped into the bathroom; glad his godfather wasn't making him go see Tom right away. Hopefully, Dumbledore would move Tom out of sight by the time he finished showering and Remus would have to drop it all together. Funny how after everything that had happened, he wasn't having nightmares about Alexandre or Milan or even the Hellhounds or fire. His nightmares consisted of Tom telling him how much he despised him for dragging him into hell. In a few, Tom left him for Hermione. "Where do I put my clothes at?"

"Rubbish bin." Remus grabbed the bin from the small closet. Inside was what was left of Sirius's clothes.

Guess we are burning them. "Got it."

"Don't take too long, I'm next. And I'm sure Tom wants to see you." He winked at Harry.

"I won't," he promised, his face burning. He needed to get back to his father's room and lock the door. Food would be nice too. And a new life since he was asking for so much. One that didn't include, well, any of the current misery he and his family were currently experiencing. One that let him be with Tom.

"Let me know if you have any cuts that need healing."

Harry nodded. "Did you and Sirius talk about the Time Turner?" He'd brought it up the morning after his father had woken up the first time. His godparents hadn't said much in response, merely shared a look. Harry hadn't been able to talk to them much after that since he was constantly falling in and out of sleep himself.

Remus leaned against the doorframe. "I'll be honest, Harry. I don't think the Ministry is going to give us a Time Turner for something like this."

"But so many people were hurt," Harry protested.

"I know, but that doesn't give us the right to change the past. We can't just rewrite history every time something bad happens."

"We could still ask." Even if he didn't stop Milan right away, if he could just warn himself to stay away from Tom… His throat closed up and he had to stop to gather himself before Remus noticed. I'd never believe myself… He even if he went back in time and warned himself against getting involved with Tom, he'd never believe that anyone could take over his life in such a short time. He could hardly believe it right now. The very idea of not being with his boyfriend was causing him physical harm. He really was in love.

"Yes, and I'll send a request and see where it gets us, but I'm not holding my breath. Someone requested a Time Turner to stop the first Wizarding War against Grindelwald and they denied it. I can't imagine they'd give the okay to stop Milan."

Harry's shoulders slumped. "Oh…" Far more people had died because of Grindelwald than Milan, that he was certain of. If the Ministry refused to stop a war like that, then the chances of them okaying a Time Turner for something like this… "Okay." That was probably for the best now that he was aware that just the idea of not being with Tom was causing him problems.

"We can talk more when you're finished." Remus left the room, closing the door.

Harry didn't wait. He started removing his clothes fast, both out of anger and just wanting the disgusting things off. He tugged at his pants, his knee going through the ripped part in the leg. With some further struggles and a few growls, he managed to strip everything off. "Well…." His intention had been to check for cuts, but he was too dirty to see anything.

He climbed into the shower, turned on the hot water, and began scrubbing his entire body with the first bar of soap he could find. It seemed to take forever to make any progress removing the soot. After he'd practically removed his skin with the soap, he started on his hair. Seeing more dirt and blood mix into the water at his feet made him scrub more frantically. It took three more shampoos before the water was clear again. Once he was sure he was clean, he allowed himself to just stand under the hot water, enjoying the comfort and relief it brought.

Time seemed to stop until a loud bang drew his attention to the door. Right, Remus still needs to shower. "Almost done," he called out. Sighing, he turned off the water. I'm going back to sleep. Maybe his father would have a better idea about everything. Something that didn't involve Tom losing his mind or Harry having to hit the reset button.

He climbed out of the shower and grabbed a towel from one of the cabinets. After drying off, he wrapped it around his waist. At least he looked presentable again and didn't smell like a fireplace.

He opened the door expecting to see a pile of clothes waiting for him on the floor. Instead, he saw two feet. "Tom?"

Tom looked up, his back against the wall, some clothes clutched to his chest. He was clean and looked tired, but not like he'd lost his mind. "Remus said you needed clothes…."

"I do." Remus! So that was why his godfather hadn't pushed him harder to go talk to his boyfriend. He should have known when Remus had given up so easily.

"I wanted to see you, but I didn't have the energy to find you. Dumbledore wouldn't tell me where you were. I saw Remus downstairs with these… he said I could give you the change of clothes…." He looked up, his eyes pleading. "You're not avoiding me, are you?"

The look of fear in Tom's eyes was too much. I can't do this. "Of course not. Dumbledore was just worried that I'd get you worked up." He went into the hall and sat down beside him. "This is the longest I've been awake since we got here."

He nodded, his gaze dropping back to the floor.

"Let me change, and—" He'd barely moved when Tom's hand wrapped around his wrist tightly, his other arm still holding the clothes tightly against his chest. "Tom?" He turned, claiming Harry's lips, the Gryffindor going into a mild state of shock. When he didn't respond, Tom kissed him again, harder.

"I can't lose you."

Harry nodded, trying to get his brain working again. After a kiss like that, it wasn't easy. "I wasn't trying to. I wanted to see you, but… I was scared."

Tom released Harry's wrist and dropped his hand to the ground.

He's still tired. "Can you walk?"

Tom snorted, refusing to look at him. "Barely."

"You won't be comfortable sitting in the hallway."

"Probably not."

Harry slid his arm under Tom's and helped him to his feet. They awkwardly made it down the hall, Tom still holding onto the clothes.

He's like this because of me…

When they arrived at the door, Tom opened it. He jerked away from Harry, staggering into the room, and threw the clothes at Harry. Harry caught them by mere chance.

"Tom-!"

"Get dressed." His voice was surprisingly cold.

Harry stepped into the room, closed the door, and turned around. He fumbled with the clothes, doing his best not to burst into tears. Did Tom hate him for everything that had happened? He'd suspected as much, but knowing the truth was even worse. He could hear rustling behind his back. Taking a few breaths, he pulled on the clothes and dropped the towel on the floor next to his father's bed.

He turned back around, his face burning, and stopped short of actually crying. Tom was sitting on the floor with two pillows and a blanket that hadn't been there seconds before, looking at Harry expectantly.

"I thought…" Thank Merlin. He sat down next to Tom, throwing his arms around him. Tom's entire body went rigid and Harry pulled back, his stomach knotting up. "I'm sorry…."

"… You aren't scared of me?"

Harry frowned. "What?"

"You said you were scared!"

"I am! I'm scared you hate me for getting you involved with Milan! I was scared you'd never want to see me again… that you might be hurt or that you couldn't handle everything that'd happened mentally..."

Tom narrowed his eyes. "Do I look like a sobbing fool? Those people came at us with every intention of taking our lives. They set the rules for that duel, not me. I merely followed through with them. If Dumbledore thinks I'm going to regret taking someone's life when it was their stupidity that led to it, he's sadly mistaken. I have no sympathy for those who attempt to harm the people I care for."

"O, okay."

"When you didn't show up, I thought you'd disowned me for killing Alexandre." He leaned against Harry, his eyes closing.

"I put a piece of railing through Milan's stomach and tried to kill him." He still couldn't believe Milan had survived being impaled. Harry hadn't even been expecting the attack, so how had that monster survived?! He could feel his fists clenching at the thought.

Tom placed a hand over Harry's. Somehow all the tension Harry had been feeling vanished.

"You weren't happy with me when I attacked your kidnappers."

"Because I thought they were innocent Muggles, but Milan has to be stopped."

"Then we're in agreement."

"We are." Though he didn't feel good about that. His mother had raised him not to harm others, or at least not to kill. He knew that wasn't always an option. His father and Sirius had always told him if there wasn't an alternative, you fight back. You survive. And that's what they'd been doing at the Ministry. The fact that he had no remorse about almost killing Milan is what worried him. Or trying to kill him, anyway.

"Good, that makes things easier. Because I'm not going to hold back if I see him." He began stroking Harry's arm with his thumb. "He'll be lucky if I don't torture him first."

"I'm not sure if my dad and Sirius would allow that or not…"

"I wasn't asking permission."

Harry nodded, not quite sure how to answer. Tom's thoughts were indeed darker than they'd been, but if he was right, his boyfriend just seemed angry and that he could understand. He was angry too. Angry and worried that Tom or anyone else that he cared about might not survive another run in with Milan.

"Dumbledore told me you wanted to get your hands on a Time Turner."

So, Dumbledore can get him riled up, but I can't? Now he was definitely mad and holding a slight grudge against the headmaster. Maybe Tom would have an idea on how to handle the situation though if he did grab a Time Turner. Maybe they could go back together and convince themselves to date after Milan was dead.

"I just thought… if I could stop this from happening and still run into you at F.A.I.R.Y…"

"... I wouldn't call it the worst idea. Just seeing you at the bookstore… I don't know how to explain it. I knew I had to talk with you again. There's just something about you… I can't stand the thought of not being near you."

"Well, that's not a problem. My dad and I talked about setting fire to the hotel so the privacy request would be lifted because I didn't want to leave Wiltshire without you. We almost did it too." That seemed like such a long time ago.

"... That would have been interesting to wake up to…" He snickered, his arms going around Harry now. "All because I couldn't sleep until I got a kiss from you and then I overslept. I didn't even think about the privacy request. I wasn't thinking much of anything after I left you."

Harry flushed and grinned. "Would you still have joined us if we did burn the hotel down?"

"That depends if I was joining you for dinner or in Azkaban."

Just talking with Tom like this had his heart dancing. "I want to stay with you."

"Good, because I want you to stay with me. I'm glad neither of us are harboring any dark feelings towards one another." Without warning, he pulled Harry down onto the floor with him. "How's your father? Remus seems fine and your saint is as annoying as ever."

Harry couldn't help laughing. Tom didn't seem to be any different than before the Ministry. Perhaps the entire ordeal hadn't set in for either of them yet. A few days from now they might both be jumping at the smallest sounds and terrified of getting near a fireplace. They could deal with that when and if it happened.

"Dumbledore let you see them and not me?" He was beginning to wonder if Dumbledore had lied and he really didn't approve of their relationship. Probably shouldn't have told him I was in love with his only son.

"Dumbledore is a fool. Sirius found me the first night in the middle of the hall. He said you were doing fine and before I knew I was back in my room with Dumbledore holding a plate of food in front of me. Remus, I just saw downstairs. I asked about you again and he handed me the clothes. He promised if I just waited by the door, I could see you again… I didn't know what I was going to do if I did scare you but…"

"The only time I'm scared of you is when I think you're going to leave me."

Tom nodded and kissed Harry once more.

(X)

Harry lied on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. At some point the two of them had drifted off while snogging, proof that both of them were far more tired than either of them had been willing to admit. Tom had his arms wrapped around Harry's neck, and one leg stretched over both of Harry's own. In other words, Tom had him pinned down and wasn't letting him go anywhere. Not that he was complaining. It was nice to have Tom holding him hostage like this. For once, he felt like he couldn't possibly get pulled away and dragged into some strange situation. It was a great feeling.

Tom sighed, one of his hands trailing down to Harry's side causing the Gryffindor to shiver. "I'm hungry. Want to get something to eat?"

Now that Tom had brought it up, so was he. "Kind of."

"Come on."

It took a moment, but untangled themselves and got up. Harry gave his father a quick look over. He was still sleeping, but the color had at least returned to his face. They left the room together and descended the stairs, Tom clasping Harry's hand tightly.

For the first time Harry got to see the rest of the first floor. Beyond the sitting room was a large bar type kitchen, a small rectangle table to the right of it. More windows, not nearly as large as the one that took up most of the wall on the left in the sitting room, as well as two doors. One next to the staircase, and another next to the front door. Harry wondered if the one by the stairs was the library that Tom had mentioned.

Dumbledore was sitting at the kitchen table, Sirius across from him. They both looked surprised to see them.

"You could have told me you were going to see Harry," Dumbledore said, glaring at them.

"And you would have stopped me," Tom growled. He pulled Harry closer as if daring Dumbledore to try something, but the headmaster only sighed.

"James woken up at all," Sirius asked.

Harry shook his head. "Not since this morning."

"I take it you're here for some food," Dumbledore asked.

"We didn't come down here for you," Tom said.

"And here I was worried about you," Dumbledore said, mock sighing. He smiled and brought his wand out. With a quick flourish towards the stove, the oven door popped open. Another quick movement had a pan that had been sitting in the fridge go flying into the oven. The door closed. "Why don't the two of you enjoy the scenery outside while your lunch cooks?"

Tom didn't answer him. Instead, he pulled Harry towards a door he hadn't even noticed in the left-hand corner next to the giant window. Tom opened it, revealing a table with chairs, and a few lounge chairs spread out on the deck. The sea breeze swept over them in a pleasant rush as they stepped outside.

Without releasing Harry's hand, Tom walked over to one of the lounge chairs overlooking the ocean. He sat down in it, stretched out, and pulled Harry onto the chair beside him. It wasn't big enough for them both to lie side by side, and before Harry could figure out what to do, Tom had him half lying on top of him, his arm firmly around his waist.

Harry couldn't help laughing and placed his head on Tom's chest.

"What's so funny?"

"You're so worried I'm going to leave you haven't let go of me since I found you in the hallway."

"It's not funny," Tom snapped. "I'm done chasing you. You won't stay put, so I've decided to make you stay put."

"Okay."

Tom looked surprised. "Really?"

"I already told you I didn't want to be separated from you… How do you feel now that you've gotten some sleep?"

"I'm still really tired… I thought I'd be fine by now, but I used a lot of magic the other day."

"Ye, yeah you did… Thank you for saving me. Again."

Snickering, Tom grabbed Harry's hand and kissed it. "I will always save you." Harry turned so he could look at him. He had no doubt that Tom would do just that.

"Me too."

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," Sirius called out, both teens jumping. "But I wanted to talk with both of you." He joined them on the other side of the deck and pulled one of the chairs over. "I see Dumbledore was worried for nothing."

Blushing, Harry moved to the side of the lounge chair. Tom scowled but didn't pull him back.

"We've been here a few days now. How do you two feel?" He looked from Harry to Tom. "You look like newlyweds."

"We aren't," Harry protested.

An arm snaked around Harry's chest from behind, Tom's head resting on his shoulder. "What do you want?"

"I'm not here to steal Harry from you. I wanted to make sure he was okay. And you. You have skills a seasoned Auror would envy, but you used a lot of magic the other day."

"I'll be fine so long as Harry stops vanishing from my sight."

"I'm still worried about mum and dad… and I feel like I should feel guilty for almost killing Milan, but… I'm okay." And he was. Somehow, he'd avoided the worst possible outcomes, at least where it concerned Tom.

"You were fighting for your life and the lives of everyone around you. I'm glad you didn't kill him, but if you had to take someone out, Milan would be a decent candidate for 'kill without guilt'."

"Are you and Remus okay? That second rush of Hellhounds was unexpected." Tom leaned back, this time pulling Harry with him. "I know Remus was bit."

"Remus was bit?" And there'd been another herd of Hellhounds? That must have been why a Hellhound was able to jump his father inside the elevator after the wave.

"We've dealt with worse," Sirius grinned. "Remus is a superb healer, as you've seen firsthand now. His arm is fine. I won't deny having you as back up definitely made things easier."

"Back up," Tom snorted.

"You didn't think you were the hero, did you?"

"I'm the antihero of this story. That means Harry is my love interest and we'll be married soon."

Sirius started laughing.

"Wh-what!?" Married!? They couldn't get married! Not right now. Not with his mother still stuck with Milan and he had to go back to school in a few weeks and… He frowned.

"What's wrong," Tom asked.

"I was just thinking how I won't be able to see you anymore after school starts." And anything could happen then.

"You two could always have dates during Hogsmeade trips."

Harry nodded, but it wasn't the same. He'd gotten used to Tom being at his side. And it wasn't like they were enjoying a summer full of fantastic memories or even good ones that would hold them over until they saw each other again. If Tom had any sense left, he'd run and never look back right after Harry got on the train.

"I thought about that too," Tom said. "I'm trying to find a way to convince my father to let me go back to Hogwarts."

"But you graduated!"

"Yes, but I'll think of something."

"Well… don't try to become a teacher or anything. It'd be weird."

"Perhaps I'll claim I need more of a normal and structured lifestyle after this horrendous summer."

Harry wasn't sure it'd be that easy, but he wasn't going to tell Tom no. Not right now, when the rest of his world was falling apart piece by piece. That there might be a happy ending at the end of it all would help keep him going.

"We've been talking about our next move," Sirius said. "I know James wanted you in hiding, but after seeing how you handled yourself in the Ministry, I think you've earned the right to help us track down Lily."

Harry sat up at that, Tom's arms falling away from him. "I can go with?"

"I'll talk to your dad after he's regained consciousness. I know it's risky—"

"Milan will kill them all if he gets James and Harry," Tom screamed.

"With the way Milan's been changing his methods, I don't think we have the luxury of thinking Lily won't be killed if we don't find her soon."

"I was thinking the same thing," Harry said, grimly.

(TBC)