Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Harry. Potter.

A/N: Sorry it's so late! winces Thanks to everyone that stuck with the story though! I appreciated every review and this one is for you guys out there!

o--o

Scribbled across the parchment and in what was obviously his writing, read the words "The Rise and Fall of Voldemort".

Harry realized that the robe he had thrown on in the morning was the robe he must've jammed the assignment in before.

"Care to explain Potter?" Tom hissed, eyes narrowed even further.

o--o

Chapter Seven

Harry stared. Then blinked. And stared some more.

What was he supposed to do? It had -not- been on his to-do list for Riddle to find or even see the piece of parchment. Actually, Harry mused, when exactly had I lost the assignment anyway?

Briefly he entertained the idea of answering "no" and wondered how many limbs he would lose if he did. Judging by the look on Tom's face, losing limbs would be heaven compared to what the head boy would really put him through.

"Well?"

The biting tone sent a shiver down Harry's spine and he nearly flinched.

"Um," Harry stuttered, brain working overtime to come up with -any- excuse. "April Fools?"

Tom Riddle was not amused.

"What the hell do you mean by this? Me? Voldemort? Who's Voldemort? And what do you mean by the darkest wizard ever? If this is some sick joke then I'm not laughing."

Harry couldn't hold the flinch back this time. He was in trouble, verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry deep trouble if the Tom's glare had anything to go by.

"Hn, really?" Harry asked lightheartedly, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice. "Well, personally, I thought it was hilarious."

Uh, now might -not- be the time to provoke him Harry old chap, Harry's mind told him. Harry wholeheartedly agreed. Taking one more look at Tom's furious face, Harry stammered out a mumbled excuse he wasn't sure Tom even caught before running out of there like hell was on his heels. Which, if you look at it, was true, if Tom's murderous intent was to be taken into account.

Which brings me to my next point.

If anyone was to look at the crowded street of Hogsmeade on the lovely Saturday afternoon (which many people were) they would've seen a black haired boy running down the street for what appeared to be an attempt to save his life from another black haired boy who was chasing him.

"POTTER!" Tom absolutely roared, drawing the attention of the few people who's attention weren't on them already. "GET BACK HERE!"

Harry didn't even bother answering the enraged shout. He was too busy trying to save his ass. Because, frankly, he liked his ass exactly where it was thank you very much and did not fancy the idea of Tom Riddle's foot coming anywhere near it in an attempt to kick him into oblivion.

With a rather scary animalistic growl, Tom, whose legs were longer than Harry's, leapt forward and caught the younger boy around the waist. Harry's eyes widened as all the air was squeezed out of his lungs and he tumbled forward to land face first on the grass. He groaned softly as Tom slammed into his back and further added to his airless lungs.

As random bystanders crowded around them, Harry tried to refocus his eyes and get his brain back in order. Feeling a little more than just -slightly- dazed, Harry grinned rather idiotically as he watched the world spin around him.

"Tell me Potter-," Tom all but demanded, flipping the other boy over and straddling Harry across his stomach, hands at his throat. "-just exactly what this means."

Harry squinted at the offensive parchment that was the cause of all the trouble before glancing up at Tom's face and immediately wished he hadn't. It turns out that Tom wasn't as far away from his face as he thought and glancing up only helped close the distance. Noses now nearly touching, Harry could say nothing as the words dried up in this throat.

Harry stared into Tom's eyes and sudden unwanted thoughts invaded his mind, like, just how handsome Tom really was. Swallowing audibly, Harry forcibly broke eye contact and that's when he got the shock of his life.

Forming a circle around the pair were people of all ages and most of them (those of old enough anyway) were staring at the pair on the ground in a way can only be described as leering.

Harry really didn't know how to act. He was being straddled by Tom Riddle (which, he thought grudgingly, wasn't such a bad feeling after all) in the middle of Hogsmeade, being leered at by various adults and students.

Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay......

With a yelp, Harry suddenly realized the position Tom and him were in and what it must look like to others who were leering.... er, I mean watching.

Shoving the other boy off of him, Harry wondered just how red his cheeks were.

Rubbing his bottom, Tom groaned softly in pain.

"What was that for you moron?" he demanded, his brain not seeming to make the connection between the leers and their previous position.

"Shut up!" Harry hissed. "You didn't need to tackle me like that in public. What are people going to think?"

"Well how did you expect me to react after I saw this?!" Tom retorted, waving the parchment around, -still- not making the connection. Briefly Harry wondered how thick Tom was. "You're lucky I only tackled you! If we weren't in public I would've probably mauled you or something!"

Harry's eyes widened as he saw the beginning signs of drool on the corners of someone of the watchers' mouths. He did -not- want to know how they took what Tom said and twisted it to fit their perverted image of the two.

"You idiot!" Harry shouted, whacking Tom on the head, willing him to just shut up. The situation was already messy enough without Tom adding his comments to the problem. Now everybody probably thought they were dating because Harry sent Tom a love letter or something. "You're making it worse!"

"I'm making it worse?! You're the one that wrote this blasted thing! How did you expect me to act? I couldn't just sit back and do nothing. I had to do some-"

Tom all of a sudden found his words muffled as Harry slapped a hand across his lips.

"Just. Shut. The. Fuck. Up." Harry ordered dangerously, eyes flickering nervously to the crowd.

Tom, miraculously, did as he was told, and stopped talking. Harry let his hand drop and instead gripped the older boy's arm firmly. Without another word, Harry dragged the other with him as he hurried through the crowds.

Not stopping until he reached the shadowed alley behind a building, Harry released the other and turned angrily to face Tom.

"Are you crazy?! What were you thinking?! Do you...."

Tom stared at the furious Gryffindor. Aren't I the one that's meant to be angry? He thought dazedly, watching in silence as the other boy ranted on and on about something.

"...and now they all probably think we're lovers or something! Do you-"

"What?!" Tom yelped, brain only registering what Harry had said. Harry paused mid-sentence to send Tom another glare. "What do you mean lovers?"

Harry made an irritated noise in the back of his throat before massaging his temples. Why am I stuck with such an idiot?

"Were you even listening to what I was just saying?" Harry asked calmly, mentally killing Tom in the most painful ways he could think of.

"Er," Tom said awkwardly, resisting the urge to squirm under the bright green gaze.

"Just shut up and listen."

Tom bristled at the bossy tone, but before he could retort, he received another venomous glare and decided, for his health, to keep his mouth shut this once.

"Because of you everybody thinks that we're dating or something. Now, we're going to go back to school and tell everybody that we're -not- together and will -never- be together. Got that?"

Tom raised a skeptic eyebrow.

"Why would everyone think we're dating Potter?"

Harry closed his eyes and told himself to count to ten.

Killing Riddle will achieve nothing. Although I will probably be driven insane in the next two seconds, killing him Will. Achieve. NOTHING. I must resist temptation to skin Riddle alive. I. Must. Not. Give. Into. Temptation. I do not want to hurt that brainless idiot.

Harry tried very hard to believe it. Really, he did. But in the end, even someone with the control of Harry couldn't keep the murderous gleam out of his eye and couldn't stop the twitching of the vein.

"Because you jumped me in front of all those people!"

Tom eyed the person in front of him wearily. It did not take a genius to figure out that Harry was on the edge of losing control. His eyes and eerily calm breathing made Tom want to take a step back and reach for his wand. He wondered what would be the least obvious way to withdraw his wand and -not- get himself maimed in the process.

Hand inching for the instrument that may well save his life in the next few moments, Tom tried to look as indignant as possible.

"I did not jump you! All I did was, um, cease your rapid, er, movements down the street. It's not like I held you up against a wall and snogged you or something."

"Not that part! What happened afterwards you moron!?"

Tom had never been called a moron before, and frankly, he didn't like it. Frowning at Harry, Tom sighed irritably.

"I tackled you. I flipped you over. I straddled....oh."

Trailing off, Tom suddenly realized where his mistake was. And exactly why Harry looked so murderous right now.

Gulping, Tom backed away.

"Look, I'm sorry okay? I didn't mean for that to happen or for it to look that way. But the whole parchment thing.... Hey! The parchment! Why did you write all that crap on the parchment?"

Harry paused in his advance towards Tom and wondered exactly how he was going to get out of this mess. Somehow "Don't try to change the subject!" didn't sound as flashy or as believable as he liked.

"Well," Harry said slowly, trying to buy time and wondered how the tables had turned so fast. Now it was Tom who was looking murderous and Harry who was glancing nervously around him as if searching for an escape route.

"Yes?"

Harry fought down the urge to giggle nervously. It would -not- do for him to act crazy at this moment. Not with Tom Riddle looking like he was capable of a very -painful- murder.

As if realizing that he was now with a very angry Tom Riddle in a very secluded place and so very trapped between the other teenager and the wall of building, Harry came to the brilliant observation that he may well end up dead soon. Such a smart boy, our Harry.

"Are you going to tell me or do I have to force it out of you?" Tom hissed, eyes narrowed once again. He could feel a migraine coming on. He was always getting migraines around Harry Potter these days it seemed.

"Well, you see, it's actually rather complicated and well, not so easy to explain and, really, you'd be bored by the explanation, so, uh, why-"

"Tom! There you are! You know, I heard the funniest thing just then. People were saying that you were straddling Harry on the grass and... uh, am I interrupting something?"

Both of the said teens turned around to see Cameron standing at the opening of the alley, squirming and looking uncomfortable. He was shifting from foot to foot and wouldn't meet their eyes.

Harry took this chance to push past Tom and hurry towards where his brother was.

"Don't forget what we talked about Riddle!"

With that, Harry sent a warning glare back at Tom before disappearing past Cameron and into the busy town.

Tom was left gaping after him, the parchment still clutched loosely in his hands.

"So, I, uh, guess you guys are together now?" Cameron asked tentatively and took a small step in surprise when Tom growled audibly.

"Hell NO!"

o--o

Harry ignored the glances his way as he made his way down to dinner.

Nope. He couldn't see the speculative looks, nor hear the sniggers or remarks as he walked past students.

Harry was hurrying past the library when a conversation made him slow and listen.

"...going out with Tom Riddle!" Voice number one told somebody excitedly.

"How lucky!" Voice number two was obviously envious.

"It's too bad that they're going out together. They're both so hot!" Voice number three said dreamily.

Harry suddenly had a bad feeling on what (or who) this conversation was about. Turning on his heel, the young man was just about to leave when he froze in his tracks.

"Oh my God!" Voice number one burst, as if she had just seen "The Light". "They're going to be together!"

"So?" Voice number two was confused. She didn't understand why her friend was so excited.

"As if together together. Two frickin' hot boys, together. As in TOGETHER! Snogging and everything!" Voice number one was approaching the sound barrier with the pitch of her voice.

Silence.

Harry twitched dangerously.

"That's disturbing." Voice number two said, a strange note in her voice.

Harry wholeheartedly agreed.

Silence reigned again.

"Do you think we can watch?" Voice number three finally asked.

At which precise moment, Harry fled.

Pale and more than slightly shaken over what he had heard, Harry walked dazedly into the hall and didn't notice the sudden silence.

Sliding himself into a chair, Harry shakily picked up a fork and tried to eat.

"Hey Harry."

Harry looked up and smiled (grimaced, actually) at his sister.

"Rose."

"So...."

Harry tensed at his sister's tone and hoped to God that his sister didn't think that Riddle and him were going out as well. Since Rose was such an intelligent human being, Harry was sure that she wouldn't jump to conclusions and think that! Rose wasn't that sort of person! She would think everything through and balance the facts before making -

"You and Tom finally got together huh?"

- her decision.

Harry had the sudden and unquenchable urge to bash his head against the table. He would have too if it wasn't for the appearance of the last person he wanted to see on Earth.

"Potter."

"Fuck off Riddle."

Fierce mutterings flared up and down the table at Harry's rude and cold greeting towards his "boyfriend".

"Lover's spat..."

"..so sad. I hope they get back together soon..."

"I wonder what happened...."

"...I didn't know Riddle was gay..."

"...had the hunch Riddle wasn't exactly the straightest broom in the closest in the room if you know what I mean..."

"...at his hair. Who keeps his hair so long if he wasn't gay?"

"...keeps himself so well groomed..."

"...good couple..."

"...knew he swung that way, I would've asked first..."

Harry gritted his teeth as he heard the mutterings and took slight satisfaction in the fact that Riddle seemed to be just as pissed off (if not more) than he was and was currently scowling at everybody in sight.

"I need to talk to you Potter," Tom ground out from between his teeth, looking as if every word was causing him immense pain.

Hope that hurts you bastard! Harry thought rather sadistically, stubborn in his attempt to pin all the troubles on Tom Riddle (seeing as it was Riddle who pinned him to the ground).

"No. Now fuck off."

"Harry!" Rose admonished sternly, eyes disapproving. Harry pouted slightly and rephrased his sentence so that it contained no profanity.

"No. Now go away!"

"Harry!" Rose rebuked again and Harry's brow furrowed.

"I said it without swearing! What more do you want?" Harry, as it was clear, was in no mood to be polite.

"Not that! Don't be so rude. Go talk to Tom," Rose ordered. Harry's jaw dropped.

"You're taking his side?"

"I'm not taking sides. Now go talk to your boyfriend and get this hitch worked out!"

Harry could not speak. All he could do was splutter. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tom smirk. Snapping his mouth shut, Harry glared threateningly at the other boy.

"I don't want to speak to you! Now leave!"

Tom scowled and leaned forward until his face was centimeters away from Harry's.

The whole hall watched with bated breath. Several girls fainted due to the over working of their brain in coming up with rather, er, interesting positions that the boys could be in.

Most of them contained chains, leather and whipped cream.

Harry and Tom would have a heart attack if they knew what some of the female (and male) population were thinking.

"Now, if you don't come out Potter, I will kiss you here, in front of the whole hall," Tom hissed quietly, making sure only Harry heard.

Harry glared back, eyes daring the other to make one move.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Last chance Potter. Come with me now or suffer."

"Bite me Riddle."

Which is precisely when Harry found a pair of soft kips suddenly pressed up against his own. The said teenager was so shocked that he could do nothing until Tom pulled back and smirked down at the younger boy.

The hall burst into a flurry of movement and noise.

Several more people had joined the group of unconscious people on the floor. Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling madly, somehow managing to hear what had transpired between the two boys, even though he was sitting more than half a hall away. Lily and James were staring in utter shock at the pair and Sirius and Remus were smiling knowingly at each other. Snape just scowled, not seeing what the big fuss was about.

Harry jumped from his seat and lunged at Tom, eyes glowing with anger. Tom's eyes widened and he barely managed to dodge the attack.

"YOU'RE A DEAD MAN RIDDLE!"

The hall quietened as the student body, turned as one, to see Harry run after Tom as the Head Boy ran for his life.

It was a few minutes after the hall doors banged to a close after the two boys that the chatter began again. And all were discussing the exciting events that had taken place that night.

o--o

"Fuck you Riddle!" Harry panted as he leaned up against the wall and gasped for breath. The other boy wasn't looking so much better and was resting a few metres up the corridor.

The two had been running for half an hour (mainly consisting of Harry chasing Tom), neither willing to stop and call a truce.

"Yeah, well, it didn't have to come to that if you'd come with me in the first place!" Tom retorted.

Harry scowled darkly.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"I have things I want to say to you right now! Several in fact. And none of them flattering, but, unlike you, I have more class."

"...fuck you!" Came the slightly delayed response as Harry deciphered the meaning of the sentence in his head.

Tom just snorted and rolled his eyes.

"What did you want?" Harry asked tiredly, mind refusing to stray to the "UNSPEAKABLE" event, capital letters and all.

"You haven't answered my question."

"What question?" Harry was confused. What was Riddle going on about?

"What is this piece of parchment about?"

Harry's eyes flew up, landed on the assignment and groaned.

"I told you, it was nothing. Just a joke!"

"No it wasn't! Now tell me!" Tom demanded, looking like he was at his wits end. Harry didn't give a rat's ass either way.

"Nothing. If that's all you wanted to ask, then I'm leaving. I'm still hungry."

Turning around, Harry hadn't taken two steps when he suddenly found himself pinned up against the wall, faced with a furious Tom Riddle.

No words were said.

The two just stared at each other, trying to see whose stubbornness was more, well, stubborn and whose anger was worse.

Something passed through them and both suddenly found themselves unable to speak.

They were at a loss for words.

And even if they had been capable of forming coherent sounding sentences, none of them could've talked.

Nor would the sentence be heard as Tom had promptly leaned down and kissed Harry hard.

Harry's eyes widened and he gasped, mind freezing completely and shutting down.

Harry was left, on his own, without his mind, to deal with the lips of Tom Riddle.

It was a lost battle from the beginning.

Harry, fighting desperately against the strange, new feeling welling up in his chest, struggled futilely (and not too hard) against Tom.

The bugger didn't budge and continued to assault Harry's mouth with his own.

Harry sighed once and gave in to the bond.

It wasn't like he was putting up much of a fight anyway.

It seemed like eternity when the two finally separated and both stared at each other for a full five minutes before the implications of what the two had just done hit them.

They sprang apart from each other like startled rabbits a second later.

o--o

A/N #2: Thanks to everyone that reviewed! I will try to get the next chapter out, but I am really stuck on ideas. I really don't know which way to take this story, so if any of you have any ideas, I will be eternally grateful!

Finally, some Harry and Tom and action. sees looks on readers' faces and holds up hands I know, I know. You were all wondering whether this was a slash story didn't you? Well, it is going to be a slash story, but not graphic. At all. I can't write graphical stories. turns red

So... yeah...

Thanks to those who reviewed chapter 6!

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To the rest.... please review!