Three: Questions and Answers
Disclaimer: They're still not mine; though I am keeping Tom locked in my basement, so, well, book five might be a little late.
A/N: [] as per usual, indicates thought. Sorry the chapters are so brief, but I have a long piece going at FA, so I'm trying to keep it short. Please, if you like this, review! I love reviews to death and they motivate me to write faster.
Harry woke a couple of hours later, feeling refreshed and well rested. Climbing out of the comfortable bed, he dressed in some of the clothes in the wardrobe. The clothes fit well and Harry wondered whether they had been made for him.
[Wouldn't surprise me if they were.]
There came a knock at the door, Harry went over and opened it.
Tom smiled cordially and, as Harry stepped back, moved to just within the doorway.
"May I come in?"
"You already are, but I don't see any reason why not."
He smiled, "Ah, someone with a brain and the audacity to use it in my presence, how refreshingly different. Most of my people would simply say "yes, sire" and leave it at that. I can already see that we are going to get along beautifully."
"That's good, joining you would have been a stupid move on my part were that not the case."
Tom's smile widened, "Yes, it is so nice to have someone who is unafraid to speak his mind around me." he paused, "Come, we are in need of a conversation, we're going to my study."
"All right," Harry said, agreeably enough.
Tom nodded once and turned to leave the room, Harry caught up and followed, one step behind (no accident, that) down the wide hallway. When they got to the end of the hall, Tom turned and went down a flight of stairs, then through the first door on the right after muttering a password. Harry, following still, entered after him. The door swung shut once both men were in the room.
"Please, sit down," Tom motioned to the chairs near the fireplace.
Once they were both seated, Tom leaned back to look at Harry intently for a moment, and then began to speak.
"You have questions," it was not a question.
"Yes, shall I begin?"
"By all means,"
"Well, to begin with, where are we? Where is this place located?"
"We're still in England, about twenty miles from any towns, this place is hidden from everyone. No one ever comes unless I want them to."
"That's good, we wouldn't want any.unexpected visitors, now would we? So, that answers my first question, somewhat."
"There are more?"
"But of course," Harry smiled, "Let's see. Ah, of course, what is my role here?"
"It's whatever you want it to be, Harry."
"Oh? And what if I wanted to, say, co-rule? What would you say to that?" he smirked slightly as he said this.
"I would say that you are very bold," his smirk matched Harry's, "And that that would be agreeable."
"Well, then, that's what I want it to be."
Tom laughed out loud at that, "Oh, I like you, I really do! Fine, done, we're in this together now."
"Why are you giving me this so quickly? One would think you'd be a bit slower to trust me."
"Well, I don't think that's necessary. You chose this honestly, I recognize truth when I hear it, and you're not lying. Though, I have a feeling you're a damn good liar, when it suits you to be." He shrugged, a gesture not to be taken lightly, a gesture meant for use among equals; Harry didn't miss this, "I don't feel that there is any need not to trust you. Besides, I've been planning on bringing you over for a long time; I've always felt that we would work well together. Hasn't anyone ever told you how alike we are?"
"Yes, actually they have. I trust you, too, far more than I ever trusted any of them. I always have trusted you, really, even when we were enemies, I trusted you because, deep down, I understood you and, therefore, had no reasons not to trust. After all, when your friends fail you, the next best thing is an enemy that knows you well. For me, that's always been you."
"That's an interesting sentiment, and entirely too true. But, we're not enemies now, are we?"
"No, I would certainly hope not. We're, allies, friends, co-conspirators. Shall I go on?"
Tom chuckled, "Oh, by all means,"
"Hmm, partners in crime, these are getting more ridiculous by the second, co-rulers, I can't think of any more. Care to have a go at it?"
"No, I think you've just about covered it. 'Friends' is the one I think we should strive to achieve. I would very much like to be able to call you a friend."
"I would also very much like to be able to call you a friend." [And perhaps a little more than that. Now, where the hell did that come from?]
"Yes, well, I have things to do, and you ought to learn to navigate this place. You may go anywhere you like, my, or rather, our Death Eaters, have been informed that you are no longer the enemy, they'll leave you alone. Feel free to call upon them if you need anything. Have a pleasant afternoon."
"What about Snape?"
"You mean Dumbledore's spy? He knows nothing; I only pretend to trust him because it gives Dumbledore a feeling of false security. I miss very little, you know, I've known that Severus was a spy since the beginning. So, you don't have to worry."
"Hmm, yes, I wouldn't want my.change of allegiance to get out prematurely."
"No, no we don't want that."
He turned to go, and then, right as he reached the door, turned and said, "Oh, by the way, would you care to join me for dinner?"
"I'd be delighted,"
"Wonderful, come down to the small dinning room at, hmm, six thirty. If you're not sure where it is by than, ask someone, they'll be happy to tell you."
"Great, I'll see you at six thirty, then."
"Yes, till then."
He turned away and left, Harry sat back in his chair, staring at the door for a few minutes of silent thought.
[Well, well, well, dinner with Tom, things are getting interesting very quickly. I'm liking this place more and more by the moment.]
Disclaimer: They're still not mine; though I am keeping Tom locked in my basement, so, well, book five might be a little late.
A/N: [] as per usual, indicates thought. Sorry the chapters are so brief, but I have a long piece going at FA, so I'm trying to keep it short. Please, if you like this, review! I love reviews to death and they motivate me to write faster.
Harry woke a couple of hours later, feeling refreshed and well rested. Climbing out of the comfortable bed, he dressed in some of the clothes in the wardrobe. The clothes fit well and Harry wondered whether they had been made for him.
[Wouldn't surprise me if they were.]
There came a knock at the door, Harry went over and opened it.
Tom smiled cordially and, as Harry stepped back, moved to just within the doorway.
"May I come in?"
"You already are, but I don't see any reason why not."
He smiled, "Ah, someone with a brain and the audacity to use it in my presence, how refreshingly different. Most of my people would simply say "yes, sire" and leave it at that. I can already see that we are going to get along beautifully."
"That's good, joining you would have been a stupid move on my part were that not the case."
Tom's smile widened, "Yes, it is so nice to have someone who is unafraid to speak his mind around me." he paused, "Come, we are in need of a conversation, we're going to my study."
"All right," Harry said, agreeably enough.
Tom nodded once and turned to leave the room, Harry caught up and followed, one step behind (no accident, that) down the wide hallway. When they got to the end of the hall, Tom turned and went down a flight of stairs, then through the first door on the right after muttering a password. Harry, following still, entered after him. The door swung shut once both men were in the room.
"Please, sit down," Tom motioned to the chairs near the fireplace.
Once they were both seated, Tom leaned back to look at Harry intently for a moment, and then began to speak.
"You have questions," it was not a question.
"Yes, shall I begin?"
"By all means,"
"Well, to begin with, where are we? Where is this place located?"
"We're still in England, about twenty miles from any towns, this place is hidden from everyone. No one ever comes unless I want them to."
"That's good, we wouldn't want any.unexpected visitors, now would we? So, that answers my first question, somewhat."
"There are more?"
"But of course," Harry smiled, "Let's see. Ah, of course, what is my role here?"
"It's whatever you want it to be, Harry."
"Oh? And what if I wanted to, say, co-rule? What would you say to that?" he smirked slightly as he said this.
"I would say that you are very bold," his smirk matched Harry's, "And that that would be agreeable."
"Well, then, that's what I want it to be."
Tom laughed out loud at that, "Oh, I like you, I really do! Fine, done, we're in this together now."
"Why are you giving me this so quickly? One would think you'd be a bit slower to trust me."
"Well, I don't think that's necessary. You chose this honestly, I recognize truth when I hear it, and you're not lying. Though, I have a feeling you're a damn good liar, when it suits you to be." He shrugged, a gesture not to be taken lightly, a gesture meant for use among equals; Harry didn't miss this, "I don't feel that there is any need not to trust you. Besides, I've been planning on bringing you over for a long time; I've always felt that we would work well together. Hasn't anyone ever told you how alike we are?"
"Yes, actually they have. I trust you, too, far more than I ever trusted any of them. I always have trusted you, really, even when we were enemies, I trusted you because, deep down, I understood you and, therefore, had no reasons not to trust. After all, when your friends fail you, the next best thing is an enemy that knows you well. For me, that's always been you."
"That's an interesting sentiment, and entirely too true. But, we're not enemies now, are we?"
"No, I would certainly hope not. We're, allies, friends, co-conspirators. Shall I go on?"
Tom chuckled, "Oh, by all means,"
"Hmm, partners in crime, these are getting more ridiculous by the second, co-rulers, I can't think of any more. Care to have a go at it?"
"No, I think you've just about covered it. 'Friends' is the one I think we should strive to achieve. I would very much like to be able to call you a friend."
"I would also very much like to be able to call you a friend." [And perhaps a little more than that. Now, where the hell did that come from?]
"Yes, well, I have things to do, and you ought to learn to navigate this place. You may go anywhere you like, my, or rather, our Death Eaters, have been informed that you are no longer the enemy, they'll leave you alone. Feel free to call upon them if you need anything. Have a pleasant afternoon."
"What about Snape?"
"You mean Dumbledore's spy? He knows nothing; I only pretend to trust him because it gives Dumbledore a feeling of false security. I miss very little, you know, I've known that Severus was a spy since the beginning. So, you don't have to worry."
"Hmm, yes, I wouldn't want my.change of allegiance to get out prematurely."
"No, no we don't want that."
He turned to go, and then, right as he reached the door, turned and said, "Oh, by the way, would you care to join me for dinner?"
"I'd be delighted,"
"Wonderful, come down to the small dinning room at, hmm, six thirty. If you're not sure where it is by than, ask someone, they'll be happy to tell you."
"Great, I'll see you at six thirty, then."
"Yes, till then."
He turned away and left, Harry sat back in his chair, staring at the door for a few minutes of silent thought.
[Well, well, well, dinner with Tom, things are getting interesting very quickly. I'm liking this place more and more by the moment.]