Title: Just Tom
Author: Razberry
Genre: Romance/Angst
Rating: PG... will go up
Disclaimer: Sure, I own Harry Potter. Actually, I'm really JK Rowling undercover. This is going to replace Order of the Phoenix as the fifth book if people like it enough. And if you believe this, you're dumber than I thought.
Warnings: None for this chappie... unless you count a bit of angst.
Summary: Response to one of QueenStrata's challenges. Harry is staying at Hogwarts over the summer, and finds a really nifty mirror that shows whoever looks into it the person that is most like them. Now Harry has to overcome the challenges of getting along with his so called "match"... The only problem? It's none other than Tom Riddle. And what does Dumbledore have to do with this?!
Notes: Yay! Another part! ^_^ As you can see, I'm back to my normal cheery self. Mainly because I just bought the COS video game. I enjoyed it much more than the first one. The graphics are better, it's harder, and well, it has Tom Riddle in it. Who, unfortunately, looks like a retard. And you'll never guess who they left out. Dobby! How could they leave him out!? How!? ....Erm, anyway, enough with the game review. Now for a movie one! ^_^ I looove the HP movie. Tom Felton(who plays Draco, for you ignorant people who didn't know) is sooooo hott! And this film is WAY better than the first one. If you guys haven't seen it yet, go asap! I've already seen it three times. ^_^

Also, if you see a number in a set of these [] that means I have an explanation for that word or phrase at the bottom of the chapter. And since ff.net does not seem to appreciate italics, the character's thoughts will be in /these/. All annoying inner voices will speak in \these\. And since some characters have telepathic abilites, anything that is thought-spoken will be in these. Everyone got that? If not, here's the simplified version for all you idiots out there(j/k).

[] - I have an explanation for that word/phrase at the end of the chapter.
/ / - Peoples individual thoughts
\ \ - Those cute inner voices everybody loves
- Telepathic speech
" " - Regular speech

Okay, well, I think that's it. Now get on with the fic!!!


*~*~*~*~*~*


Sirius' prone form lay crumpled on the floor of the headmaster's office as a rather queasy Snape backed out of the room. He was now more convinced than ever that Dumbledore was a twisted old loony and that the mirror was some kind of sick joke on his part. But still, there was a nagging voice at the back of his head that told him otherwise. He told it to shut the fuck up.

"Is something the matter, Severus?"

Snape jumped and turned to see Dumbledore leaning against the wall by Fawkes' perch, calmly sucking on a lemon drop.

"Is something the matter?! Is something the matter!?!? Yes, something is the matter!!!" Snape shrieked, going red in the face. The initial shock had now dissolved into anger, and the Potion's Master was taking it out on the nearest person, who in his eyes, was the one responsible for this mess.

Dumbledore, ever the calm one, merely raised an eyebrow at the outburst.

"Your stupid mirror is what's the matter! It's obviously broken or something! First it shows Potter and the Riddle boy, and now Black and myself!"

"You looked into the mirror?" Dumbledore asked, somehow managing to sound both amused and scolding at the same time.

Severus at least had the grace to look ashamed.

"Er, well... not exactly. Black found the bundle and opened it. I tried to stop him, and somehow we both ended up on the floor and I accidentally ended up looking into it. So really it's all Black's fault, as usual. He-"

"I don't believe we need to be concentrating on who is to blame at this point Severus," Dumbledore said. "Now where is Sirius?"

Snape gave Dumbledore a look that plainly said he didn't give a damn whether Black was even 'alive', but he moved out of the doorway to allow Dumbledore to see the animagus.

"Ah," stated the Headmaster. "I suppose Sirius wasn't very receptive to the news."

Snape snorted, "A severe understatement, especially since that mirror doesn't even work. It obviously shows a person's worst enemy! This is all some kind of joke. I would look into your adventuring friend if I were you, Albus. I'm not completely sure he's all that reliable."

"I don't believe any 'looking into' will be necessary, Severus. I have complete faith in Garnet[1]," Dumbledore replied. "Now I do believe you have a couple of boys to instruct in a few hours, and quite a bit of getting ready to do."

Severus, knowing that meant the subject was to be dropped for the moment, nodded expressionlessly and started out of the room.

"Oh, and Severus," the headmaster called. "Would you be so kind as to escort Sirius back to his chambers?"

Snape didn't reply, but took out his wand and levitated his rival out the door, purposely knocking the animagus' head against the doorframe as he passed.

It was going to be a long, hard day.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Though the dishes had long been cleared by a very skittish house-elf, Harry and Tom still sat at the table, watching the other warily. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, but neither one was going to be the first to back out and leave. Finally, after almost half an hour of stony silence, Tom spoke.

"Why do you seem to hate me so much?"

"Didn't Dumbledore tell you?" Harry sneered. It was amazing how much he sounded like Malfoy then, and it would have scared him, had he not been so preoccupied.

"Yes, he did," Tom answered. "And he also said that it wasn't my fault. Apparently it's this 'other half' on mine that caused everything. But..."

"But..." Harry prodded. "Have a little confession to make? Going to admit you're nothing but an evil, sadistic bastard who wants nothing more than the destruction of everything right and good in the world?"

"No!" Tom said hastily. He then lowered his gaze to the floor and spoke quietly. "Not really... it's just that... it was sort of my fault, really. I... I'm not sure but have a theory..."

"Right... a 'theory'," Harry said sarcastically. "More like a lie to worm your way onto my good side and then murder me in my sleep, no doubt."

"Will you just stop it!?!!" Tom yelled, slamming his fists against the table. "The least you could do is give me a chance! I can't remember anything from the past 50 or so years, I didn't even know any of this until yesterday, and you automatically despise me for something I can't even remember doing!"

The crimson-eyed boy slumped down in his chair, exhausted from his rant.

/I really shouldn't have lost my temper like that, it won't help him like me any better, but I can't help it. He's just being so... so... thoroughly hard to like, to put it nicely./

Harry was about to reply with a wild rant of his own when the hidden wall-entrance opened and a certain grumpy Potions Master entered.

"Professor?"

"It's 8:15, Dumbledore requested the first lesson to begin at eight, we're already behind, so follow me," Snape said abruptly. He seemed to be in an even worse mood than usual. Snape led them through the Ravenclaw common room, where they were greeted by Rowena. However, the professor led them past her tapestry into a side room that was obviously a small, private library.

"All right," Snape began, "Take a seat and let's get started."

Harry and Tom took seats on the two cushions that were furthest away from each other.

"Today Dumbledore has instructed me to teach you all about that blasted Mirror of All Souls and it's effects, along with any other useful information that might help you. So I expect you to be taking notes, as this information may be useful in the future." Snape really doubted that last part, as most of what he was about to tell them was pure legend, but he would do as the headmaster wanted.

"Um, sir? We don't have any parchment," Tom stated. Without a word, Snape reached into what the boys assumed was a bottomless bag and pulled out a pair of quills, two inkwells, and a neat stack of parchment.

"Now you do," the professor said flatly. "Now let's begin. As I am sure you both already know, the Mirror of All Souls is said to show whoever looks into it their soulmate. This person does not have to be of a different gender, nor even the same species, as souls have no boundaries." Snape paused here, seeing the disgusted look on the boys' faces when he mentioned a soulmate not having to be the same species. He quickly added, "The soulmate does not necessarily have to be a lover or spouse, just a companion to whom you are most compatible too. Once these two souls meet and actually acknowledge the other as it's match, both beings will recieve substantial increases in power. The pair has an emotional connection, where they will be able to 'sense' what the other is feeling or thinking, and they will be able to communicate telepathically without the help of an enchantment."

"Very interesting, Professor. However, I am concerned about it's credibility. Are you sure this isn't some kind of myth?" Tom asked skeptically. It all sounded quite ludicrous to him.

"Most of this information was gathered from various myths and legends, Mr. Riddle, and it's authenticity is doubtful," said Snape, "However, the Chamber of Secrets was also a myth, was it not? If you don't remember, I'm sure Mr. Potter here would be happy to scream at you about it. Now let's continue."

If looks could kill, both Snape and Tom would be ashes on the floor.

*~*~*~*~*~*

It was now noon, and Severus had so far only managed to prevent five fights, spout off a few silly legends, and wish a million times over that it wasn't summer so he could take points off of Gryffindor.

"STOP IT!!" Snape screamed, as he ducked an incoming book of medicinal herbs. The brawling teens paid him no heed, and continued chucking various objects at each other, before resorting to fists.

Snape couldn't even remember what had started the argument, just that one moment he'd been prattling on about some old witch's prophecy about lightning and crescent moons, and the next, things were chaos. Dodging chair that had been knocked his way in the scuffle, he raised his wand and yelled, "STUPEFY!"

Tom and Harry both fell motionless on the floor. Wiping his brow, the exhausted Potions Master healed any major wounds(leaving the bruises and minor cuts as a sort of punishment for the two, as he couldn't give detention over summer), levitated them into their respective rooms, and decided now was a good time for a lunch break.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, a conscious Sirius was having a very interesting conversation with Dumbledore. After telling his side of the story(he didn't mention his dream, as it had almost completely left his mind now), the animagus leaned back on the sofa to hear Dumbledore's opinion.

"I really don't know what you want me to say, Sirius," said Dumbledore, eating another lemon drop. "I don't see how the situation is any different from Harry and Tom's, and I suppose you will both have to learn to live with it. Actually, I'm surprised I didn't notice how similar you two are before this..."

"Similar!? How are we similar!?" Sirius yelled. "He's an arrogant, selfish, stuck-up, greasy bastard!!!"

"You are both exteremely prideful," began Dumbledore. "You have large tempers and have difficulty controlling them. You are equally honorable and just, in your own way, and highly opinionated. You are both amitious, brave, and very clever when you want to be, but you sometimes let your pride and arrogance get in the way. You have both been hurt and humiliated by someone you trusted, and have come out of deadly situations alive and well. You see, Sirius, if you look beneath the surface, sometimes you will find something very different than what appears before the eyes of men."[2]

"...I... I don't understand..."

"You will in due time, dear boy, you will in due time."


*~*~*~*~*~*


To Be Continued...

Notes: *wipes brow* Whew! Another chapter, down the drain! Only... um... a lot to go! ^_^" So was the wait worth it? I tried to make this one longer and better for you guys than the last. Think of it as a slightly late Christmas present. Yay for presents! And I got even more 'cause it was my BIRTHDAY New Year's Eve! Everybody sing Happy Birthday for me, mk? *pauses, crickets chirp* ...Well, fine then, DON'T sing... maybe I'll be so devastated I won't be able to write... *everyone breaks out into song* That's better! Luv ya guys! ^_^ Ja ne!

EXPLANATIONS AND DEFINITIONS
[1] Garnet Grey(the adventuring friend) is my original character that will show up later in this fic. But he won't be a main character, he'll just make an appearance or two. And maybe give our couples a little help. ^_~
[2] Um, that last line Dumbledore said was completely, utterly, totally out of the blue, and I don't blame you a bit if you didn't understand a word of it. Hell, *I* didn't understand it until I read it a few times over... Anywho, with the rest of the stuff, it should be explained later in this little discussion thing I have planned. But then again, my traitorous fingers might have other ideas... *glares at hands*
[3] Yeah, I know there wasn't a #3 in the fic, but I just wanted to say that the chapter title is Japanese and it basically means "I'll kill you" which is totally appropriate for this chapter. Any of you out there who are Gundam Wing fans should have recognized that as Heero's trademark phrase. ^_^


*~*~*~*~*~*


And now to thank my wonderful reviewers...

*blank* - Yes, patience is a virtue, unfortunately I don't have it. Nor do many of my readers, obviously. But I DID manage to beat your deadline. ^_^ And could you please leave a name next time? It's really quite helpful.

npetrenko

Jessica Black

BabyPufoo - ...Please don't kill me... *whimpers*

Lady Geuna

Jaded Green

Dragon Mistress Cassie - Glad to see such excitement over my fic! ^_^

Ainsley Keaton Malfoy - *rolls eyes* Yes, you are the friend with the hippo joke... and try to stop spacing out, Lucius gets awfully bored waiting for you. ^_^

GreenEyedLily - Yes, I have heard of "Bound", it was the very first Harry/Tom fic I read, and I love it. But I would have to say that I disagree with you. This fic does NOT have the same plot. It's been awhile since I've read it, but I'm positive the founders don't show up in tapestries, and "Bound" is much darker than this is going to be. I did NOT take the idea, this is almost totally different. In fact the only similarity I see is the fact that it's a HP/TM and they are soulmates(eww, hate that word). I have actually taken special care to make sure that this fic does not follow the same lines as "Bound", as I feared I might accidentally take something from it. I really hate people who steal others ideas, and I am appalled that someone would even suggest I would sink so low as to steal an idea that was not my own. I'm sorry if this offends you, but I just really had to get that off my back.

Soulless

aoiame-chan

Cliffe - Glad you are pleased with my portrayal or Severus, I've been trying terribly to keep him in character.

Fiera - Yeah, I like the random surprises too. ^_^ Half of the stuff that's happened, I didn't plan... it just HAPPENED. Just call me Lady Impulsive... well, not really...

Usa Yui and Usa Kou - If you're wanting more Tom/Harry fics, I suggest you go read "Bound". It's a fantastic story, way better than mine, but it's also a bit darker. I highly reccomend it though. As for the Sev/Bill story I mentioned, I've found two. One of them can be found here: http://www.titti.co.uk/hp/hp_index.html along with several other fics of various pairings. The one you're looking for is called "Our Summer At Hogwarts". However, that fic is NC-17, so if you don't like it, don't read it and come complain to me. The other one can be found on fanfiction.net, it's called "Unfogging the Future" by PepperjackCandy. It's mainly a Draco/Harry, but there is a side pairing of Bill/Sev.

Tavalya Ra

The Kuro no Tenshi

tdei

arcee

Zahrah Radcliffe

The Plot Bunny Whisperer - Realistic? You think so? Thanks... I mean, I've been trying reeeaaaalllllyyyy hard to keep them in character, and have them act accordingly, but I wasn't sure how I was doing.

Nagini

AJ - Don't worry about it, no offense taken at all. ^_^

kandra

Shinigami - *gives aspirin* Here, hope this helps your headache, cuz there is gonna be a few more tension-filled chapters until- *covers mouth with hands* Oops! Almost gave it away! ^_^ And as for your questions... you'll just have to find out!

lunablue - Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in....

xanpetuk

The One and Only Amazing Typo

wingsprite - Your birthday is Dec 31st too! ^_^ Awesome! *sings* Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us...

Fin-Phoenix

hermionegranger

QueenStrata - I really wasn't expecting the Siri/Sev stuff to come in that early either... but Siri-chan was curious and took over my brain. I swear! Crazy? Me? Nooo... And I was going to do Britney Spears instead of Barney, but I didn't want to upset anyone who actually liked her... and I figured anyone who was reading Harry/Tom slash wasn't going to like Barney, sooo... yah. ^_^"


*~*~*~*~*~*


Note to everyone! I am accepting reviews as sufficient birthday presents! So go click on that little box in the corner and boost my ego by telling me how cool this fic is! ^_^ Ok, well... at least let me know you read it.... please?