A/N: About the title... I hate U2 with a passion, mind, but I was listening to the radio and this song was playing and its title kinda fitted the chappie. That, and the fact that the original title had been given to chapter 12. Oh well...

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TIME-TRAVEL
Chapter 10: Sunday, Bloody Sunday.




Sunday morning found the two boys entangled in bed. The sheets were twisted in ungraceful ways and the blankets were lying on the floor. Harry was wide-awake, watching Tom sleep. He brushed his fingers through the soft strands falling on the boy's forehead and Tom stirred. Harry could've sworn he purred. He looked so peaceful, so beautiful... Harry couldn't bear the thought of leaving. He couldn't do it. He had to and he knew it, but he couldn't.

His emerald eyes felt watery as he became overwhelmed with thoughts. That was an everyday thing to him. He wondered quite often what would it feel like to have normal life. A life where there was no need to hurt people's feelings in order to save the day- A life where there was no need to save the day, at all.

Surely he would've started crying if Tom hadn't started shivering. Harry reached for the nearest blanket to cover his form, but it did nothing to ease the shifting. Tom was shaking violently, muttering in his sleep. Harry often wondered why Tom got a room for himself, and his question was answered when Tom started moaning loudly.

-Oh, no... not another nightmare...-

Harry tried, in vain, to wake Tom up, but he would only squirm out of his touch. The shaking increased, he was gasping audibly and Harry was going mad with each painful breath he took.

He was, in fact, starting to panic, when Tom opened his eyes. He clung to Harry desperately and curled into a ball, losing himself in Harry's chest. His fingers like claws, scratching and bruising the boy's skin. Harry didn't even breathe when blood dripped down his back. He suddenly heard Tom screaming, between sobs.

"I don't... want you... to go... I... need you..."

Tom's head raised up to brush Harry's and pressed his lips to the other boy's. Just as his grip became stronger, Tom deepened the kiss. Harry became nervous when Tom started undoing the buttons of his pyjama top. He didn't know how to react, but he pulled away slightly to ask "are you... sure about this?"

Tom nodded fervently as he pulled the pyjama top off Harry. Tom felt himself warming as Harry placed kisses all over his neck, while helping him out of his clothes. Never once breaking contact, the boys were naked in just minutes. Tom was still attached to Harry, who was biting gently the soft skin of his neck. He squirmed slightly as Harry moved to lick his earlobe. He let out a gasp, allowing a tong to make its way into his mouth. Battling hungrily, he let his hands travel the length of Harry's thighs and felt extremely pleased to see the boy shifting under his touch. Sweat was running down their spines, but none of them seemed to care. They were ravishing each other mercilessly, need flowing from their every pore.

Harry's tongue left the safety of Tom's mouth to explore every inch of the boy's flesh. He slowly made his way down his chest, tasting the salty liquid covering it, when he heard the words that forced him into madness...

"I love you."

* * *

A few hours later, both boys were clean and fully dressed. The time had come for them to part ways. They walked hand in hand through the halls of Hogwarts, earning accusing looks their way. They reached the Entrance Hall as slowly as humanly possible and walked out into the school grounds. They made their way into the Forbidden Forest, the chosen place for Harry to depart.

They came to a stop. Tom gazed into Harry's eyes through his half-closed lashes and sighed. "I'll miss you" he said, " you don't know how I'll miss you."

Harry was afraid words might fail him, but, trying hard not to break down, he assured Tom with a sad smile "I'll miss you, too. You're the first person I've ever fallen in love with. I never said 'I love you' before you" he admitted, "and I know I'll probably never feel like this ever again."

Tom kissed Harry sweetly. "I love you, Harold Smith."

That's when all of Harry's efforts vanished.

"Tom, I... I have to tell you..."

The boy surveyed Harry with a frown on his features "what?"

"I lied to you"

Tom looked confused, but somewhere deep inside, he knew he had expected this.

Harry lowered his head, staring at the floor "I couldn't tell you I- it would've damaged the future. And... I still can't tell you anything, but... there's one thing I want you to know..."

Tom tilted Harry's head up with his hands and smiled encouragingly.

"My name... is not Harold Smith. I'm... I'm Harry Potter."

Tom chuckle "so, I was right when I called you Harry, wasn't I?"

Harry grinned, relieved "I take it like you forgive me?"

"Well..." Tom pulled Harry into an embrace "I knew you were hiding things from me, subconsciously at least, so... I guess I can forgive you..." he smirked "Harry."

Harry's grin broadened. Though he needed Tom by his side and he knew he couldn't have him, he couldn't help but feel happy about their whole experience. The temptation to stay with him just one more day was battling with the fact that he had to keep an eye on him while his visit to Hogsmeade. He couldn't forget he was on a mission and he had to know Tom was, indeed, innocent. He had to see for himself the moment when Salazar took advantage of Tom. He hesitated before saying "goodbye, Tom."

He lost himself behind a tree from which he could see Tom but he couldn't be seen. When he noticed the boy leaving, he pulled out his wand and muttered a few words in Latin. Dumbledore was the one who taught him the invisibility charm.

He ran into the castle, following Tom closely, and crossed the Great Hall, trying hard not to bump into any student. He was quite surprised to see Tom heading into the third-floor corridor, passing the statue of the one-eyed humpback witch. He muttered Dissendium! and its hump opened wide. Tom walked through it and Harry hurried behind him.

-So, he knows about the secret passage, huh?- Harry smiled.

* * *

When they reached the Ghosts Park, Harry took shelter behind a tree. He didn't know if Salazar could see through invisibility charms, but he couldn't risk himself. It didn't take long for the spectre to make its appearance. He floated grimly through the trunks of the trees, making his way to the sobbing boy. He stopped right in front of him, as the boy greeted him with a bitter twitch on his lips.

"Salazar" Tom acknowledged him.

"Don't worry, my dear boy." Salazar said soothingly, in a very horrifying way "I will help you..."

"Are you sure you can?" asked Tom ironically.

"Oh, certainly, I will help you... if you... help me."

Harry was watching the scene developing from behind the tree trunk, thinking to himself -Oh, no... this can't be good. If I could just walk to him and tell him not to- why am I even thinking like this? Dumbledore would kill me. But I can't stand just seeing him in pain and I'm sure Salazar won't do much to ease him...-

"I'll do anything you want, just" Tom said between sobs "help me get over this. I can't suffer like this. I can't go through this again..."

"I'll help you..." Salazar promised "now... please, take out your wand."

"What for?" Tom asked out of mere curiosity.

"There's a simple spell that'll take away the pain... Ancient, Dark magic. Only a few people know about it..."

Tom obeyed and rummaged through his robes' pockets, taking out his wand. Salazar whispered something into his ear, before walking straight into him.

Tom cleared his throat and closed his eyes. He placed the tip of his wand in his forehead and muttered something barely audible. A blue light shone where the tip of the wand had been, before it was placed on the left of Tom's chest. He muttered again" and a read light appeared. Tom moved the tip of his wand to his navel and, after muttering yet something else, a white light shone brightly all over his body.

Tom writhed violently while Harry witnessed the scene in awe. He'd never seen anything like this and he doubted he'd ever see it again. He couldn't bear to see Tom in pain, but even though he wanted to help him, he knew he couldn't.

Gradually, the white glow died and Salazar walked out of Tom's body, with a horrified look on his face. He looked up and down the length of his ghostly body and screamed. Tom pulled himself to his feet, admiring his own body. Tom laughed in a high-pitched voice...

-They... They have... they... switched places?- Harry couldn't believe his eyes. -Salazar had possessed Tom's body. And Tom now resides in Salazar's ghost. No, this isn't right... this has to be a mistake... this has to be a nightmare...-

But Harry knew well enough this was real, and he couldn't do anything to change it. Rage consumed him as he heard Salazar laugh once again and say, with a cold, sneering tone "I've waited far too long to waste any more time on useless explanations..." Harry only came out of his hiding place after making sure Salazar was gone. He muttered "Finite Incantatem" and the invisibility charm lifted to reveal a horror-struck Harry. He ran to where Tom (in Salazar's shape) was floating absently and gasped "Tom?"

The spectre turned his head to stare at him. Tom was still wearing his horrified expression; he looked as if he wanted to cry but, somehow, he couldn't.

"Harry?"

-Harry, you fool!! You weren't supposed to be seen!! Now you're going to say the wrong thing and screw everything up! Think, Harry, think...-

"I wanted to see you once more and then... I followed you through the third-floor corridor and that statue and... then I saw Salazar and he said he would help and I... I just cowered behind a tree and by the time I walked out it- it was too late... I've never seen anything like that..." he tried to fix his mistake the best he could, otherwise, Tom would've asked why he hadn't done anything to stop Salazar.

"I was scared..." he yelled pleadingly. He was scared, that wasn't a lie, but the reason he didn't react would have to be kept in secret. What pained him the most, was he had to leave, when Tom was confined to an eternity in Salazar's spectre... and still feeling miserable.

"I... I can't believe it..." Tom said, apparently without caring about Harry's 'cowardice.' "I trusted him... I told him my every secret and... he betrayed me... he stole my body, my life..."

Harry said the only thing that came to his mind "I know this isn't much help, but... what I told you before... it was true. I've never loved anyone before you."

Tom nodded sadly "I... I'll never forget you, Harry."

Harry knew this was the time for him to leave. He turned away, tears welling in the back of his eyes.

"Just promise me something" Tom called behind his back.

Harry turned to stare at him.

"Promise... you'll never come here again. Promise you'll remember me. Please, Harry. I want you to be happy. Please, be."

Harry said nothing. He nodded slowly and walked slowly into the heart of the town. But, before he could reach his destination, something broke inside.

His heart ached and he could do nothing but sink to his knees and cry.

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I'm frightened by what I see
But somehow I know that there's much more to come
Immobilised by my fear
And soon to be blinded by tears

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A/N: the lyrics above belong to an Evanescence song (Whisper). I don't know, it just seemed to fit the story, specially this chapter.
Now, let's move on to the thankyou's:

BookCrazy77: I completely agree. Call me obsessive, but I can't wait to see "The Hours" (Christian Coulson worked there). I'm just too lazy to walk to Blockbuster...

Carya:
well, here it is. Hope you liked it... it was a complete pain in the ass to write, but it's done. I swear the next ones will be better... Oh, by the way, I loved the smilie thingie! (¬_¬). Obsessive and deranged, but that's just me...

Fallen Dragon:
what's the deal with plot bunnies, anyway? I have muses. Lots of them. Umm... maybe some of them should die... hell, one surely did... ((Sirius: hem hem)) *shriek* ((Sirius: muses don't die)) but... but... ((Sirius: the character died, not the muse)) oh. Oooookaaaay......

lady leah:
well... I can't say anything or whatever I've written will be spoiled. Yes, the story IS finished... I only have to type it on the fucking Word thingie...

Solana: I can't say anything... but there is MUCH more to come... to stay tuned... hehe...

Dark Whisper:
you love it? Isn't it a little too much? J/k...

Now, people, review or I won't update!!! Ok, I still will... but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to get reviews... I mean, I got only six for this chapter! I cherish those as if they were made of gold, of course, but I want more!!! *sob* I want to be loved... MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!