Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Tom woke with a start in the middle of the night yet again with sticky drawers. After casting a quick cleansing charm, he flopped back down onto his bed. He was annoyed at himself, mostly. In the damn dreams it was always the same person but he could never see them. It was either too dark, or he would be blindfolded. In this most recent dream, he simply hadn't been able to think clearly enough to open his eyes as the pleasure he felt cut through all of his rational thoughts and only left bliss in its wake.

He was just about to start drifting back off to sleep when a strangled cry sounded in the room next to his. He stiffened, listening closely for any other noise. None came, but he did hear Harry turn over in his bed rather violently.

Hastily throwing his covers off, he rushed to the door that closed their rooms off from each other. Only the sound of an almost silent whimper could be heard and he immediately opened the door to rush inside.

Harry had managed to twist himself in his sheets and his breathing was erratic. Pushing down a surge of panic, Tom reached out to gently stop Harry's thrashing. The teen jumped and twisted, a strangled scream stopping halfway out of his throat. Not knowing what else to do, Tom climbed into the bed to lay down next to him and wrapped his arms around Harry.

"Shh...Harry it's okay. It's alright, it's just me. It's okay Harry, you're safe." Tom gradually let his words slip into parseltongue and he reached out with his mind for Harry's.

The scene that was playing out in front of him was a grotesque one. Harry's uncle was laying into him with a belt that had dozens of tiny nicks in the leather. It was designed to cause more pain as the leather bit into skin. Harry's screams worsened when the intrusion started. It was rough, unlubed and rushed. The belt made its way around Harry's neck and pulled so he couldn't breath. The jerky movements caused the belt to drag across his neck and all Harry could do was try to stop feeling altogether. Tom rushed into the dream once he came to his senses and banished the Dursley before reaching out to Harry.

"Shh, Harry it's alright. You're safe now." Harry looked up at him in surprise. "How are you here?" Panic etched itself into Harry's eyes. "You can't be here. You can't know, you have to leave!" He curled in on himself as panic washed over him.

"Harry, it's alright. You're safe with me but you need to wake up. Come on Harry. Wake up. Wake up…" Tom pulled himself back to the present and felt Harry stiffen. "It's okay Harry, you're safe with me."

Harry let Tom's arms wrap around him and pull him close as he cried. He didn't want anyone to know what he had to endure, but he was strangely relieved that he wasn't the only one who had to live with this terrible secret any longer. It was a weird sense of relief that brought about a slightly lighter feeling and yet increased his anxiety over what Tom would think of him.

His breathing had mostly evened out when he felt Tom place a gentle kiss to his hair. "You are always safe with me, Harry." Upon hearing those words, he felt himself relax and quickly drifted off back to sleep.

Harry slowly drifted back to consciousness a few hours later. It was the sound of something rhythmic that had quietly pulled him from sleep. The next thing he noticed was the smell. This didn't smell like the Dursleys or Hogwarts or even like his new bed with Tom. It smelled of honey and sandalwood and a slight breeze near a creek…

He didn't recognize this scent, not at first. It smelled like someone familiar and, dare he think it, it smelled like home. He felt his head rise and fall ever so slightly and only realized that he was using a person as a pillow when arms tightened around him. He cracked an eye and realized they were in his bed. A small moan pulled him from his current train of thought and he closed his eyes once more. Tom had mentioned mind magic before and had made a point to travel to his mind so maybe if he focused he could see what the other was dreaming?

Several minutes went by and Harry had felt like he almost had it. He had managed to find a faint trail of Tom's mind in the place Tom usually went to and he followed it back to Tom's mind. Suddenly, he was seeing the last thing he would have ever expected to see.

Tom's back arched while a hot tongue traveled down his chest. Suddenly, a slight scratchy feeling was making its way across his chest in large, curly movements. He felt a warm, sticky liquid being deposited where the scratching had trailed.

"Is that...are you writing on me with a honey quill?" A sensual snicker could be heard from above him, but no words were said. He focused all of his energy on the quill's movements. He missed the first two words, but the third clearly spelled 'Mine' across his stomach. The next spelled 'Forever' and the one after was 'Lover'. The tongue traced over every word, greedily licking up all the honey he had left behind. For the first time, he found he wasn't restrained and went to reach for his unknown lover. Hands wrapped around his wrists and gently put his arms back down. He surprised himself when he didn't go to move them again, even though he could.

"Please, I want to touch you. To hold you. Anything. Please…" Tom's voice faded as he realized it was probably a lost cause.

"You and I both know you like it when I tease you like this, Tom." Tom gasped, his eyes flying open as he propped himself up on his elbows to see bright emerald eyes staring back at him before warm lips engulfed his cock. He couldn't help it, his eyes closed once more as he threw his head back in pleasure.

He thought he heard a gasp from behind him, but he couldn't bring himself to focus on it. He was too busy with the tongue that was currently lapping at his weeping erection. It wasn't until the figure between his legs faded and he heard footsteps by the side of the bed.

A very different tone of voice spoke up, although it was clearly the same one that had just spoken parseltongue.

"Tom?" Tom jolted awake, his consciousness screaming at him for allowing himself to let his guard down enough for Harry to penetrate his mind in his sleep. It wasn't until he felt the teenager moving an arm across his chest that he realized he had fallen asleep with Harry.

"Tom?" The sleepy voice echoed the dream and Tom resisted the urge to flinch. "I'm not mad, if that's what you're thinking." He felt the stress of worry leave his body and sighed.

"It's not that I thought you'd be mad. I thought you'd be scared. I didn't think that this would happen again..."

"Again?" Tom cringed inwardly. The last thing he wanted to do was admit he had been having wet dreams like a teenager but it was better than lying to Harry.

"Yes, I've been having dreams like this for awhile. I didn't know who the person was in my dreams, at least I didn't know until tonight. Honestly, I thought you'd be scared of me for having thoughts like that at all. Especially given what you've been through." He felt Harry shake his head.

"Why would I be? I'm not...comfortable...with the idea of anything like that, but I know other people like it so it can't be all bad. I can't let one person ruin the rest of my life."

"You are wise beyond your years, Harry. Men thrice your age have been known to have stupider lines of logic and reason." The rasp of sleep was starting to dissipate from his voice, but he kept it a whisper nonetheless. "Harry, you are precious to me. I'm not sure...why...other than you being one of my horcruxes. But it seems to be more than that." Harry's response was muddled with sleep.

"Tom...'s late. Sleep...lo…" Harry's voice drifted off as the hand on his chest clung to the fabric over his heart.

"YOU WHAT?!" Severus was very angry. Fuming, in fact. Tom bowed his head, knowing he deserved every second of Severus's anger. "HE'S A CHILD OR HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ABOUT THAT?"

"No, Severus, I haven't forgotten. But for Merlin's sake, I'm having a crisis over here! I need a friend, not Harry's father." That seemed to stop the anger in its tracks. "I've been having these bloody amazing dreams since he came here and I only just then realized who it was in those dreams! I feel horrible he had to see it, let alone see me realize just who it was I've been fantasizing about! I'm well aware of his age and even more aware of the trauma he has had to endure his entire life. I came to you with this for the voice of reason, not emotions!" Tom threw himself into the nearest chair and put his head in his hands. "What am I to do Severus? I can't risk hurting him, he's been hurt enough already." Severus laid a hand on his shoulder when the door to the library opened.

Harry woke up to a cold and empty bed. Letting annoyance take over, he quickly used the bathroom and dressed before setting off through the halls to the library. He stopped just before the door when he heard a booming voice on the other side of the wood.

"-AVE YOU FORGOTTEN ABOUT THAT?" A long pause, followed by a few random words here and there. He managed to catch something about a crisis, dreams and "-reason, not emotions!" He focused incredibly hard to hear the entirety of what was said next.

"-can't risk hurting him, he's been hurt enough already." Harry had heard what he needed to hear and opened the door before walking purposefully in. He didn't intend to have any more secrets surrounding him.

The scene that met his eyes surprised him, but not enough to move his poker face. Severus was actually trying to comfort Tom, and Tom was still in his pajamas. His face was ashen and his eyes were wide with surprise and a hint of fear.

"What the hell has been going on here?" He put his hands on his hips, waiting for an answer from either one of the two in front of him. "I wake up from the most peaceful rest I have ever gotten to an empty bed and someone who thinks they need to make plans about me without me. Well? I'm waiting." Both men recovered from their shock quickly, but Severus was the first to answer.

"Harry, what do you remember of last night?" He could feel a blush flood his cheeks.

"What I remember includes something that is someone else's to share." Severus nodded.

"A very diplomatic answer. But you see, he has already told me about that. And even a fair bit more than I think he told you. So if you'll excuse me, I'll just get back to berating a friend of mine who is not only fantasizing about someone who is underage but who is three and a half times younger than he is!" Severus turned to glare at Tom who had flinched at the mentions of age.

"Look, I don't care about that. I didn't think before I decided to start rifling around in his head while he was sleeping, that's on me. But if you think you get to take away my opportunity to yell at him, you're a damn sight wrong!" He had been so upset he hadn't realized he was poking the potions master in the chest. "Do us all a favor right now and go find more crap on Dumbledore so we can get rid of that bastard once and for all." To everyone's surprise, Severus bowed. "Yes, my Lord. I apologize for behaving so irrationally. I'm not used to being able to voice my opinion where it involves you and I'm afraid it got to my head. Don't go easy on him, for me." Severus left the two in shock and gently closed the door behind him.

"Well, that was…Tom what was that?"

"It seems that Severus has decided to accept you for the ranking I have given you. You were very powerful just then." And bloody hot, too… "You gave him a task and he immediately accepted it and then went to do it."

Harry sat down on the chair across from him and picked up a cup of tea.

"There's more to the significance of the robes and the mask you made me wear isn't there?" Tom sighed.

"Yes. I created the idea in case I should ever take on either a life partner. The mask shows my eyes, which I'm sure you've noticed no thanks to Bellatrix. It was both made as a power move for protection as well as the importance the person wearing it would have to me. You, for all intents and purposes, are just as powerful as I in their eyes. I didn't give you those robes lightly. They were intended for the last lover I would ever have, but I've grown to care for you since I sent you that damn journal. Suddenly, you being informed on your life and being included in the decisions that revolve around you seemed more important than the possibility of me giving those robes to someone I know won't exist."

"So basically, your entire band of death eaters think I'm shagging you?" Tom barked out a laugh and Harry followed. It was the only thing he could do to get a grip on his emotions. "Well, that's embarrassing."

"I am sorry Harry. It was the only way I could ensure your safety."

"I understand. Now, would you mind talking to me about that dream you were having while you're properly awake?" Guilt flooded Tom's face.

"Let me first start by saying that I would never do or say anything to harm you. I also want you to know that I'm very much aware of the fact that you are underage and that I'm much older than you. I may not look it, but I wasn't exactly born in the same era as you were." He held up his hand, stopping Harry from speaking. "The fact of the matter is this; I am fifty-four years older than you. You need time to heal from your previous living arrangements. We have an entire ministry to reform and on top of it all, we have to get rid of Dumbledore. You've had a lot of changes these last few weeks, and that's a lot for anyone to take in." Harry found himself fidgeting with the hem of his shirt with his legs pulled up on the chair with him.

"Well...what if I'm curious? I know what you mean with all the other reasons and all that but...I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to be feeling. I'm disgusted with myself for being curious because of what has happened but I can't seem to help but want to know what it's supposed to be like. I'm afraid of trusting someone in that way, but it's almost like I have to know what it feels like to trust someone in that sort of situation without having it come back to haunt me. I know it will take time. But I don't know how I'm supposed to feel until then." He chanced a glance at the older wizard, who was now making himself a cup of tea.

"I suppose I can understand where the confusion would be with all this. The only one who should be disgusted is that filthy muggle for doing that to someone, let alone a child left in his care. You, Harry, are far too beautiful of a person to be remotely disgusting. You're kind and caring and you'll go to any lengths to keep those you love safe. Most people in your position would feel confused and upset and not know how they are supposed to feel and that's okay. I will be here in any way you need me to be." While Tom talked and stirred his tea, Harry had gotten up and walked over to him silently. He kneeled down and settled between Tom's legs on the floor before hugging him.

"Thank you Tom." He felt arms wrap around him and held him tight.

"I mean it Harry, I'll let you do whatever you want to satisfy your curiosity but we do have to wait until the major things we have planned are put into motion. Here," he knelt on the floor to even out most of the height difference and wrapped a silver chain around Harry's neck. "The horcrux is no longer there, but I have charmed it to help you strengthen your portion of our mental link so you can come visit me in my mind whenever you like." Harry thanked him and they went their separate ways for the day.

Later that week found Harry staring out at a sea of followers. They were informing the rest of the death eaters about the plan they had regarding Harry Potter.

"In short, Harry Potter will be filing an official case against Dumbledore as his real father is alive and amongst us this very moment." Whispers broke out and Tom managed to silence them with relative ease. "You will find out once the case goes public. Yaxley has assured me that Rita Skeeter will be publishing an approved article depicting the events in the courtroom. We shall bring Dumbledore to his knees once and for all!"