Disclaimer: Do not own HP.
A/N: I hate this chapter. I really hate this chapter. It just...feels so wrong to me. Not the first part! I like the first part and how it turned out. It's just the rest of it that feels off. I've rewritten it a couple times and this is probably the best version. Maybe I'll go back and work on it some more later, but for now here's chapter 27.
Reaching Through Time
Chapter 27: Being a Teenager is Confusing
Hogsmeade was in chaos.
The massive hellhound that was destroying buildings and chasing after people seemed to be impervious to most attack spells. It was barely even paying attention to the Aurors that were fighting to subdue or kill it.
Several professors had finally arrived in Hogsmeade and were helping to lead students and residents out of harms way.
The hellhound wasn't really paying attention to those being evacuated, it was more focused on destroying buildings.
At least until Tom tried to slip past when directed by Sir Leighleas.
As soon as Tom was no longer hiding behind a wall that was barely standing, the hellhound spun around and instantly launched itself to attack Tom.
With a curse, Tom was forced to throw up a wandless shield spell to knock the hellhound back. It would have been stronger if Tom had been able to use his wand, as it was the shield would only hold up for a few hits if he was lucky.
"This way!"
A stunning spell hit the side of the hellhounds head and distracted it long enough for Tom to make a mad dash for the Auror that was closest to them.
"Give me to boy, I'll apparate him to just outside the Hogwarts wards." The Auror ordered quickly and insistantly once he and Tom were taking cover behind a partially destroyed building. "Hurry!"
"Apparate us both." Tom refused to let Harry go, who was still unconcious in his arms.
"There's no time!" The sound of the hellhound snarling was getting closer as it practically ignored the spells being thrown at it. "If I take you both I might splinch you."
The Auror was reaching to take Harry, but Tom's lip curled and he took a step away from the man. There was something off about the Auror; especially with how insistent he was about taking Harry. Tom definitely did not like the man's familiar blue eyes.
"Give me the boy!"
Tom ran. He turned around and ran as hard and as fast as he could away from the Auror and away from the hellhound. He didn't even pay attention to where he was going so long as he got as much distance from the danger as he could.
A spell flew right over Tom's shoulder and he hissed a curse in parseltongue.
"Tom?" Harry was starting to come around. "Tom!" He cried out as Tom dodged another spell that came flying at the two of them. He struggled in Tom's arms only for Tom to hold onto him even more tightly.
What in the world was the auror doing? He had to be demented and insane to be trying to attack them and kidnap Harry.
With the chaos the hellhound was creating and the insane Auror chasing after them, Tom couldn't find any stable cover for them. Ladon was hissing directions in Tom's ear which helped to avoid several deadends created by fallen buildings.
Pain erupted along Tom's back as a blasting curse hit the remnants of Tom's wandless shield and broke it.
"Just give me Hadrian and you won't get hurt." The Auror glared at Tom as he slowly stalked towards the two.
"As if I would EVER let you touch Harry." Tom used his body to shield Harry even as the younger boy finally got out of Tom's so that Tom could have use of his hands once more. "Bombarda!"
The Auror threw up a shield charm and dodged to the side to avoid a spell thrown silently by Harry.
"Boys. Don't fight me." The man's lip curled as he fought off the attack from both of the Slytherin students.
"How about you fight someone closer in age then!" A spell behind the Auror hit the man in the shoulder making him spin and fall to the ground in surprise. Sir Leighleas had his wand raised and pointing at the fallen man.
"GO boys! Get back to the castle!" Sir Leighleas comanded as he began to rapidly and efficently fire spell after spell at the attacker to prevent him from getting up. He never gave the Auror a chance to go after either of the teens again as his entire focus was on defending himself.
"Easier said than done." Tom hissed softly before grabbing Harry's hand and dragging him away from the two dueling adults. "Why couldn't the attack happen after winter break?" Tom mumbled as he and Harry hurried to the edge of Hogsmeade and to the road leading back to Hogwarts.
If the attack had happened after Tom turned 17 then he could have appparated them out of danger. He was fairly sure he knew how to apparate, but he had never gotten a chance to practice what with the age and license restrictions placed on apparation magic.
Even with the sound of the hellhound attack getting softer as Tom and Harry put distance between them and Hogsmeade, Tom didn't slow down.
"What was that thing?" Harry asked as they hurried down the path as quickly as possible towards the Hogwarts wards.
"A hellhound. How it got here I have no idea." Tom kept his red eyes forward. "There are several types of hellhounds, but that kind? It is definitely not native to the British Isles." The Grimm was the most common hellhound of the British isles and the hellhound that had attacked had not been a grimm.
Tom sighed softly in relief as the Hogwarts wards tickled against his skin to signal that they had made it to relative safety. He could feel Salazar's magic reconnect to his own and he quickly added more power to the wards around the school.
The two were quiet during the long trek up the path and stairs to the school. Most of the other students were in the Great Hall; those that had been hurt were being healed by mediwitches and wizards that had been called in from St. Mungo's.
"Harry!"
Orion was sitting with their other friends and the moment he spotted Harry tears of relief ran down his cheeks.
Harry didn't have the chance to go to Orion or the others. Instead Tom pulled Harry away after giving Abraxas and his followers a pointed stare. His older and better trained followers slipped their wands out and took up points around the Great Hall to protect the students that were there. Abraxas quickly grabbed Orion's shoulder to keep the younger Slytherin from chasing after Harry and Tom.
"Tom? Shouldn't we be in the Great Hall?" Harry asked as his older friend continued to lead him forward. Tom refused to let go of his hand the entire time.
No reply was given to Harry and Tom didn't even glance down at the younger teen even when Harry asked where they were going. The stair cases seemed to sense Tom's urgency and they moved into their path immediately each time they ascended a floor.
Soon enough they were sequestered within the Room of Requirements in the training room that Harry and Tom always shared.
Before Harry could ask Tom what was wrong, Tom pushed Harry onto the couch and started pacing.
"Tom?"
"What were you thinking?!" Tom demanded as he continued pacing. "Going out on a date? With only Abraxas for protection?!" He wasn't even looking at Harry as he ranted. "You should have told me where you were going! You're lucky I was there. You're lucky the hellhound didn't get to you! You're lucky none of the buildings fell down ontop of you!"
Harry's mouth fell open as Tom paced back and forth and ranted loudly and quickly. When Harry reached into their bond he found Tom barely concealing rage, fear, jealousy, and worry.
"Why are you-" Harry shook his head in confusion over the jealousy Tom was feeling. "Tom! Please calm down! You're not making any sense!"
The rage, fear, and worry Harry could all understand; they had just been attacked by both a hellhound and an Auror, but the jealousy? And the ranting? It wasn't like Harry had planned for the attack to happen. Hogsmeade was supposed to be protected and safe; a student should not need excessive protection.
Tom snarled and spun around to glare at Harry with his ruby red eyes. "You mean EVERYTHING to me Harry! If you had died, I don't...I don't know what I would have done." The rage Tom had been feeling over the date and the attack dulled a little as he looked into Harry's worried green eyes.
Suddenly and swiftly Tom moved until he was very close to Harry. His hands were on the younger teen's shoulders and their noses were less than an inch a part. "You're my whole world Harry." There were unshed tears in Tom's eyes and neither could look away from the other.
"To-" Harry's words were cut off as Tom leaned forward quickly to press their lips together.
The world froze and what felt like a shock of muggle electricity shot through Harry starting from where their lips were connected. His hammering heartbeat faded and all he could focus on was the kiss. His first kiss.
Harry's light green eyes went wide before his lashes fluttered. His entire body went limp and he had to grab hold of Tom's shirt just to keep from slumping forward weakly.
Tom's hands moved from Harry's shoulders to wrap around him instead to hold him close. He could feel Harry taking hold of the front of his shirt and a flicker of worry went through him until Tom felt Harry holding on instead of pushing him away.
It felt like their kiss lasted for an eternity, neither wanting to pull away from the other. A feeling of rightness settled in both Tom and Harry the longer the kiss lasted.
With a sigh Tom pulled back until just his breath ghosted over Harry's lips. He tilted his head so that their foreheads were pressed against each other.
"You should rest." Tom whispered, his words gentle and his eyes darkening back to black from their the fierce red they had been. "Stay here. I'll tell Professor Slughorn you're alright and then find Sir Leighleas to make sure he made it back safely."
Tom felt Harry's hands release his shirt slowly. "Promise me you'll stay here." His hand came up to gently cup Harry's jaw and cheek.
"I promise." Harry's voice was just as soft as Tom's and his words came out breathlessly. "But Tom-"
"We'll talk when I get back." Tom came close to Harry again to press a kiss against the younger teen's forehead right over his scar. "Rest." With a hiss Tom switched Ladon and Ophion.
As soon as Harry nodded and settled down onto the couch for a nap, Tom left the Room. He quickly went down to the Great Hall to inform Professor Slughorn that Harry was safe and sound. Tom even made a point to reassure Harry's friends that everything was alright; despite his desire to hex Orion when the boy kept bothering him.
Without even needing to ask once Tom left the Great Hall again, Ladon started giving directions to Tom to where Sir Leighleas was.
The atmosphere of the school was tense and eerie as Tom took the back hallways and secret passages to the floor he needed. Tom paused in surprise when Ladon informed him that Sir Leighleas was not in the hospital wing, but instead in the office of a blue eyed professor.
Why would Sir Leighleas be with Dumbledore?
It took little time for Tom to make it to Dumbledore's office.
There was only a single silencing charm and lock ward on the office door and Tom had little trouble tapping into Slytherin's founder magic to take down both spells without alerting the men inside.
"-was you Dumbledore! You really think you can get away with this?" Sir Leighleas' voice was loud and there was a slamming sound within the office as if something had been thrown. "3 students and a dozen others died! Do you even care?!"
"How dare you accuse me of such a horrible thing!" Tom scowled as Dumbledore made his voice sound hurt. "I assure you, Sir Leighleas, that I-"
"Stuff it Albus." There was a loud gasp from inside the office that made Tom frown. "You may not have been there physically, but I know your magical signature just as well as I know mine." There was silence for a moment. "I know you summoned that Hellhound. I know you controlled that Auror."
"The attack was perpetrated by Grindelwald." Dumbledore's words were even and resolute as he responded to the allegations made by Sir Leighleas.
Tom was surprised when the mediwizard snorted loudly. "One day people are going to see through your lies Dumbledore." Foot steps grew louder as one of the men made their way to the door. "Your sister would be ashamed of you."
Dumbledore had no time to reply when the door was thrust open and Sir Leighleas exited. The mediwizard slammed the door closed behind him. He didn't notice Tom right away as he had been pinching the bridge of his nose in aggravation.
"You two know each other beyond being collegues."
Sir Leighleas' head snapped around and he looked at Tom in surprise, his brown eyes growing wide. He quickly ushered the headboy away from Dumbledore's office so that the transfiguration professor wouldn't be able to listen in on them.
"You know him. You know his history. You've been protecting Harry and me from Dumbledore's manipulation for years." Tom pressed the issue even when Sir Leighleas made hand motions for him to be quiet.
They were too far from the hospital wing and the privacy of Sir Leighleas' office. An empty classroom could easily be listened in on even if they put up privacy wards. Sir Leighleas ran a hand through his hair as he tried to consider where to go.
"You don't believe Dumbledore about Grindelwald." Tom's eyes were starting to turn red once more. "You know a great deal about magic; especially about Dumbledore's magic."
"Damn it Tom, not here." Sir Leighleas hissed as he looked at Tom, panic clearly visible in his brown eyes.
Tom frowned and motioned for the mediwizard to follow after him. "You claim to be a seer. Even though you're a light wizard you know a great deal about dark magic." Everything he had learned about Sir Leighleas over the years was coming together in Tom's mind.
Once they were in the 7th floor corridor, Tom wrenched the door to the Room open and shoved the mediwizard inside.
"You're Gellert Grindelwald." The words only left Tom's lips once the door was firmly closed and had vanished.
"Grindelwald?!" Harry's head poked up from the couch and he looked at Sir Leighleas with wide eyes. "But, but how? Sir Leighleas isn't bad!"
Sir Leighleas silently looked from Tom to Harry and back before sighing softly. As he ran a hand through his hair it shifted from the plain brown it had been to Grindelwald's well known stark blond. When Sir Leighleas opened his eyes one remained brown while the other had turned blue.
"We made a deal years ago." Sir Leighleas turned Grindelwald told the boys calmly. "I told you that one day you would learn something about me and you swore you would hear me out before making a judgement."
"I know you are not a danger to us." Tom shrugged a bit and then walked away from the mediwizard to go over to the couch to join Harry. "If you really wanted to harm us, you had every opportunity over the years."
Even though Tom was being serious about Grindelwald not being a danger to them, he still tucked Harry into his side and kept a close eye on the older wizard. If the man did attack, then Tom would be able to use Salazar's magic to protect them.
With slow movements Grindelwald went and took the seat across from the couch. He made sure to keep his hands wand free and in sight the entire time.
"Sir Leighleas? Are you...are you really Grindelwald?" A look of hurt and betrayal filled Harry's eyes as he looked at the bicolored eyed man. After spending so much time with Sir Leighleas, Harry had come to consider the older man as a friend.
Grindelwald smiled sadly at the young boy. "I'm sorry for lying to you Hadrian, but would you have trusted me if you had known the truth?" He asked gently. "Would you have accepted my help?" The way that Harry quickly ducked his head to look away from Grindelwald was all the answer he needed.
"Years ago, when we were both still young, I was friends with Albus Dumbledore." Grindelwald closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat as he recalled his old memories. "We made so many plans back then! We wanted to change the magical world for the better! But...everything went wrong."
Harry gasped and frowned. "Your friend! In my first year you talked about a friend that you got into a fight with."
Grindelwald nodded sadly. "Dumbledore wanted to merge the two worlds and make muggle-borns into little more than servants. I disagreed and said we should separate the muggle and magical worlds completely." A weak chuckle left him. "We got into a fight that became a duel. His brother and sister tried to stop us. A spell hit his sister and she died."
The man closed his eyes in pain. "I loved Ariana like a sister. She was innocent and exceptionally sweet and kind hearted. She did not deserve what happened." No one knew who's spell it was that had killed the girl, but Gellert would always carry the guilt of her death in his heart.
"I...don't fully remember what happened after that." Grindelwald opened his mismatched eyes with a frown. "I remember leaving for awhile. I travelled a great deal to learn everything that I could, but one day I just...stopped." He shook his head weakly. "There was this sudden rage that overtook me and an urge to attack muggles, to control them."
Grindelwald's frown deepened. "I know now that I was being controlled. My memories from that time are hazy and I felt as if I were in a dream. As an occlumency master I knew the signs, but it wasn't until my incarceration in America that I was finally able to break free of the control."
The two teens had remained silent during Grindelwald's story up until that point. "You suspect it was Dumbledore." Tom spoke up when Grindelwald fell silent again.
"Oh I don't suspect him. I know it was him. Only another master of the mind arts could have the chance of controlling another." Grindelwald cursed and turned his head to glare away from the boys. "As soon as I was free of his control I started having full clear visions again. It was like years of visions were catching up to me. I witnessed everything that he had done to me and had made me do."
Grindelwald's gaze grew distant and haunted. "He forced me to do so many horrible things, all in my own name for a cause I find repulsive." He chocked and his voice cracked. "I know it wasn't really me, but-"
His shoulders were hunched forward and he was glaring blankly down at his knees. There was so much pain in his posture that Harry found himself getting up and going to the man. He reached out, without fear, and hugged the older man around the shoulders.
Shock from the innocent and gentle touch made Grindelwald freeze when he felt the young teen embrace him. He closed he eyes for a moment before giving Harry a quick hug in return. After taking a deep breath that left him in a soft swoosh, Grindelwald pushed Harry gently away and back towards the couch.
"It wasn't long before Dumbledore realized he didn't have control of me. He came after me in America, but I ran. I did everything in my power to hide." Grindelwald nudged at Harry to send him back to the couch. "When he couldn't find me, he created a golem of some sort to take my place and continue attacking muggles and muggle-borns."
"Golems do not have magic." Tom pointed out with a scowl. It was something he had learned during Ancient Runes and had researched further until he had come to the conclusion that golems were for the most part useless.
Grindelwald smirked and nodded. "It's not difficult to create the illusion of magic." He pointed at the necklace chains both boys still wore. "Simply give a golem enchanted objects and it can look like it is using magic."
"Grindelwald wasn't always there during attacks." Harry piped up. "Sometimes it was his followers." He pointed out quickly. "And sometimes the attacks were just blamed on Grindelwald."
"Exactly." Grindelwald nodded. "It's ridiculously easy to place the blame on someone when an entire populace fears for their lives." He had come to terms a long time ago that he would never be able to live a normal life as himself after all of this; which was why he had constructed his 'Leighleas' persona.
"I had planned on staying hidden for the rest of my life...until I had a vision about you and Tom, Hadrian."
Silence filled the Room as both teens watched Grindelwald with a mixture of shock and concern.
"I had a vision of pair of powerful students that would be in danger while in school. I saw what Dumbledore would do to them." He winced and looked away. "He plans on draining Hadrian of his magic and of turning Tom into the next Dark Lord after faking my defeat by destroying the golem."
"Over my dead body." Tom growled angrily and clenched his fists tightly. It would be a cold day in hell before he ever let Dumbledore touch Harry.
Grindelwald nodded and straightened his posture. "I won't let any of that happen. I am partially to blame for the danger you are both in and I swear I will do everything I can to protect you both."
"It's not your fault sir!" Harry said quickly.
"You are too good for this world Hadrian." The smile Grindelwald gave Harry showed just how exhausted the older wizard was. "I may not have directly caused this mess, but by not standing up against Dumbledore to begin with I set events in motion that have led to this moment."
Before Harry could deny what Grindelwald was saying Tom reached out and took Harry's shoulder. Tom gave Harry a quick shake of his head to stop the younger teen from arguing.
"I should go." Grindelwald stood and brushed his hand through his hair again until it was just as brown as before. His one blue eye darkened to match the other brown. Other small changes happened across his body until Sir Leighleas was once again standing before Tom and Harry. "I need to make sure all of the injured have been taken care of." Even the pitch of his voice was different.
"We will meet you at the regular time." Tom stood as well and after a moment of thought, held out a hand to the disguised man. "You are an ally, Sir Leighleas. You have proven yourself loyal to the both of us many times over. For that I thank you."
There was no hesitation as Grindelwald took Tom's hand and shook it firmly. "Thank you Tom. I swear I will never betray your trust."
Harry smiled a little when Sir Leighleas turned to him, but he didn't move from the couch. He was exhausted and it must have shown because the mediwizard simply nodded to him before leaving out of the door that had reappeared.
When the door closed, Harry lowered his eyes so that he was looking at his lap. He heard Tom sigh a little before returning to the couch.
"Harry..."
Tom's warm body settled down next to Harry on the couch, but he didn't do anything other than gently touch Harry's shoulder. "You can't avoid me Harry." His voice was soothing and the words were soft as he spoke. "Please look at me."
Slowly, Harry tilted his head up until his met Tom's gaze. "W-why did you kiss me Tom?" He asked only to squeak when Tom sighed and grabbed Harry. He was pulled onto Tom's lap and the older teen's arms went around Harry to keep him in place.
"I told you," Tom kissed the side of the younger boy's head gently. "You are my entire world, my everything." His eyes closed as he nuzzled against Harry's head and buried his face into the soft black hair Tom had come to adore over the years. "I was going to wait until you were older to tell you, but seeing you with Orion and almost losing you today..." He shuddered and refused to think about what it would have been like to lose Harry.
With Tom hiding in Harry's hair, the younger teen couldn't see the light blush that was spreading across Tom's cheeks. His own cheeks were a bright red and he was biting his lip in embarrassment.
"What about the blood adoption?" Harry felt breathless. This wasn't the first time Tom had ever held him, but it felt different from all the previous times. Even through his robes he could feel the heat coming from Tom's hands and arms. He could feel Tom's heart beat from where he was pressed against Tom's chest.
"I never took the Malfoy name." Tom said slowly. "Since I am the heir to the Gaunt and Slytherin Lordships I will have the option to nullify the blood adoption when I take the Lordships after I graduate."
Even if he had taken the Malfoy name when he had been adopted, he still would have had the option available to him. The ancestrial magic tied to both family lines would be powerful and it would more than likely burn away the small amount of Malfoy blood he did have.
"O-oh."
"Are you..." Tom cleared his throat a little and pulled back from Harry so they could look at each other. "Are you upset with me?"
"No!" Harry exclaimed almost immediately. "I'm just surprised! And nervous. And I don't know what to do next." He never wanted Tom to think he was upset with him; Harry loved Tom!
That thought stopped Harry and he swallowed nervously.
He had always known he had loved Tom, but this was the first time it had really hit Harry. He still felt confused about everything, but he understood now that his love was a lot deeper than that of brothers or friends.
"Good." Tom kissed Harry's forehead gently, and then his cheek, before tapping a finger below Harry's chin to get him to tilt his head up. "May I kiss you again?"
There was just something about how Tom said those words, his voice low and soft, that had Harry's heart racing. His own voice failed him so he nodded against the finger that was holding his chin up.
He hadn't been prepared for the kiss before, but this time Harry thought he knew what to expect. He squeaked softly when Tom's lips lightly pressed against his for a moment before lifting away. The touch had been as light as a feather and to Harry's shock and embarrasment he whimpered.
With a smug smirk that Harry couldn't quite see, Tom pressed his lips harder against Harry's.
The pleasant shock that Harry had felt during the first kiss came back and he shuddered. His hands came up and he grabbed onto Tom's shirt again so the older boy wouldn't be able to pull away for a second time. Heat filled Harry so completely and he was left breathless and gasping when they finally did barely separate for air.
"T-that was," Harry brushed his fingers against his lips and felt how he was smiling. "Wow."
Despite how mature Harry seemed, Tom was reminded that he was still so young. He was just barely a teenager and only starting to learn about physical intimacy.
The two kisses they had shared would be the only ones they would have until Harry had time to grow a little more.
"Let's stay here for a little while." Tom adjusted how he was holding Harry so that they would both be more comfortable on the couch. "Then we'll head down to the Great Hall for dinner."
Harry hummed softly in agreement and his eyes fluttered shut. Within minutes he was dozing in Tom's arms.
While Harry napped, Tom gently ran his fingers through Harry's hair. He felt lighter than he had in a long time now that he knew Harry would remain his. He had a feeling he would still get jealous whenever Harry spent time with his friends, but at least Tom was content in his knowledge that Orion would have no chance to steal Harry away.
Tom chuckled darkly. Oh he couldn't wait to see Orion when the news was broken to him that Harry was no longer available for a relationship.
The ministry officials were finally able to subdue the hellhound with the help of Newt Scamander. Unfortunately the famous magizoologist had not arrived in time to save the 15 people that had been killed because of the attack.
Most of the deaths had been because of buildings falling, but a few had been from the hellhound biting and clawing them when they'd gotten too close.
In the end Newt Scamander could do nothing to stop the Ministry from putting the hellhound down.
Bann had been one of the many people that had been injured. He'd been helping to get other students out of danger when the hellhound had been literally knocked into him by one of the Auror's spells. He ended up with a deep scar across both arms when he'd shielded his head and face.
The wounds had been healed, but because they had been made by a dark magical creature, the scars would take years to heal and fade.
Harry had not known the three students that had died, but he mourned for them. Two had been fourth years and the third had been a seventh year that had been trying to save a couple kids that had been too young to attend Hogwarts.
The memorial for the 15 people that had been killed was held by the Black Lake a week after the attack. It was a quiet affair with several people speaking for the dead and a plaque was magically created with each name engraved on it.
Most of the people that had gathered left after the memorial had finished. The friends of the deceased students were going to get together back at the castle.
Harry found himself wandering around the grounds of Hogwarts, Abraxas and Tom on either side of him. The nature spirits were following after Harry, but weren't actively trying to get his attention like they usually did; which he appreciated.
"What do you think death is like?" Harry asked as he kicked at a rock just in front of him. The rock skipped across the ground before landing with a plop in the shallows of the lake.
Tom frowned at Harry's question. "That is not something you should be curious about."
"With what just happened, I'm not surprised Harry is asking about death." Knowing Tom and Harry as well as he did, it took only a few minutes after seeing them at dinner after to the attack for Abraxas to figure out that something had changed between the two. When he had confronted Tom about it, Tom had admitted to the kiss.
Abraxas couldn't have been happier.
"I'm just curious." Harry shrugged a bit and kicked at another rock. "According to Apollo I looked past the veil. I think I actually saw Death." The figure had definitely looked like a mysterious personification of Death with the black hooded robe. "Death is just strange to me. I know my parents had died when I was a baby, but they're not even alive yet. Can they still be dead if they haven't even been born?"
It was an old conversation point that the three had had several times after Abraxas had learned the truth about Harry.
"Huh." Harry paused in his wandering, both physically and mentally, when he spotted a heard of strange looking horses. "What are those?" He pointed off to the horses and then looked to Tom and Abraxas when they didn't say anything.
Tom was frowning in the direction that Harry was pointing in and Abraxas was giving Harry a very concerned look.
"What are what Harry?"
"Those horse things." Harry scowled when Abraxas shook his head slowly. "You seriously don't see them?" It was yet another thing that Harry could see that no one else seemed to see.
Tom reached out to gently touch Harry's shoulder to sooth him. "If I concentrate I can see something blurry." He had to tap into his connection with Harry to see anything, but at least he could do that.
"Come on. We should go inside." Abraxas shivered lightly as a breeze surrounded the three teens. He had a vague idea of what it was that Harry was seeing, and he wanted to get away before any bad luck rubbed off on them.
It was a few days after the memorial when Harry finally had the opportunity to sneak away from his friends. He'd been avoiding Orion ever since the kiss he had shared with Tom in the Room. They hadn't really talked about the two of them being in a relationship, but Harry knew that things were different.
Avoiding Orion had been difficult though. They shared classes, meals, and a dorm room together so it wasn't like Harry could just not talk to him.
Tom must have said something because his followers had started keeping an even closer eye on Harry even when he was with Orion and Eileen.
"You know you shouldn't be wandering around by yourself."
Of course it would be Alf who would notice Harry sneaking out of the common room before dinner.
"I just need some air." Harry sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. Avoiding Orion had left Harry feeling tense and irritable. He hated running away from his friend, but he had no idea how to talk to him about everything that had happened.
Harry knew he would need to talk to Orion eventually. They had gone out on a date for a reason and Harry didn't want to end up hurting Orion because the other boy thought that there was a chance for a relationship.
Alf nodded and motioned for Harry to start walking.
"Can't I be alone for once?" Harry grumbled angrily. He just wanted a few minutes on his own to get through his thoughts. He would have gone down to the chamber, but Senestra never seemed to understand. She would try to be understanding, but she wasn't a human so her advice usually boiled down to either 'kill your prey' or 'talk to your mate'.
Despite the fact that Harry always told her that they were not 'mates', Harry knew he couldn't go and talk to Tom about his feelings. Especially since the older Slytherin was the cause of said feelings.
Harry was also pretty sure Tom's advice would be for him to just be blunt with Orion and to stop being such a 'Hufflepuff' about everything.
"Tell you want," Alf sighed as he scratched at the top of his head. "I'll escort you outside and give you some space ok? As long as you stay in my line of sight." It was the best he could do without disobeying Tom's direct orders.
Harry nodded eagerly. As long as he got some space to think then he would be fine. He knew that if it had been anyone else to follow him out then they would have been on him like a fly on honey.
Even Abraxas was loathe to let Harry be even a few feet away when not in classes or the dorms anymore.
The two walked in silence for awhile as they left the castle. There were a few other students outside, but with days getting shorter and the season getting colder, most were heading inside.
"If you do want to talk to someone, I can lend an ear." Alf told Harry once they were far enough away from any listening ears. "This is about Tom and Orion I assume?"
With a groan Harry nodded. When wasn't something about Tom?
"He's been pretty jealous these last couple years." Alf said when Harry chose not to enlighten him. "Tom hides it pretty well, but there are times when his mask slips." The younger Slytherin still didn't say anything. "He hasn't been jealous these last few days, but it's like he's gotten even more protective of you."
"He's always protective." Harry grumbled. "I'm not made of glass."
Alf chuckled as he reached out to ruffle Harry's dark hair. "Of course not little prince, but that doesn't mean our Lord will be any less protective of you. That's what people do when they're in love."
Seeing Harry squirm and blush was entertaining for Alf and confirmed a few things that the young Malfoy was trying to desperately not talk about.
"Why do you call Tom 'Lord' anyway?" Harry demanded as he and Alf marched across the grass towards the trees that were nearby.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry watched as Alf smirked.
"Because that's what he is."
It hadn't taken long for everyone in Slytherin to recognize Tom's power and intellect. He out performed his entire class and had already learned the second and third year material halfway through his first year. It was a rare sight, but everyone had witnessed at least one act of wandless and wordless magic from Tom.
The power dynamics in Slytherin had shifted quickly and even the older students had started following Tom in the teen's second year.
"There are three things that people respect, Harry." Alf explained. "Power, Blood, and Presence. A person could be powerful, but not have the blood or presence to back them up. A person could have the blood, but without power or presence they won't get far. A person could have presence, but only the weak willed follow someone that doesn't also have power or blood."
It seemed unfair to Harry, but he could understand where Alf was coming from. He'd learned about this sort of thing from the Malfoy's after all.
"Tom? He has all three." Alf shivered a little and he grinned as he thought about just how far Tom would be able to go in their world. "He has plenty of power, magical, political, and intellectual. Although he is a half-blood Tom comes from the Gaunt line and has the Malfoy bloodline backing him up; not to mention he is the Heir of Slytherin. As for presence? Well...no one can deny he has a certain magnetism.
That's why we call him our Lord. We willingly follow him because we respect him. Being our Lord means we are also under his protection." So long as they followed and supported Tom, Alf knew all of Tom's followers would benefit under his leadership.
"It's also an ancient title. Your father is 'Lord' Malfoy. My father is 'Lord' Mulciber. When Tom graduates he can take up the Lordship for the Gaunt and Slytherin lines."
A memory flickered through Harry's mind and he could vaguely recall the inheritance tests he and Tom had taken almost 7 years ago.
That did make Harry wonder though about his own heir-ship. He'd taken the inheritance test before the blood adoption had happened and anchored him in the past. If he had been in his own time he might have been the heir of Gryffindor, but Fawkes had told him that the current heir was still alive so Harry couldn't claim it. But that also brought up another thought.
Was Harry still the Potter heir?
Harry doubted it. Since he wasn't exactly going to go and admit that he was a Potter. His parents hadn't even been born and Harry had no idea how old his grandparents were or if they were even together yet.
If he went back to Gringotts and took another inheritance test would the Potter heir-ship vanish?
Alf watched the younger boy as he fell silent. If Harry had been a typical Slytherin, Alf would have been worried about the boy planning some sort of scheme, but he knew differently. Harry was probably worrying about something that he really didn't need to worry about.
Harry came out of his thoughts when they came closer to the copse of trees where the strange invisible horses were.
"I'll just be over there." He told Alf as he pointed over to the trees. "I promise I won't sneak off."
"I'll hold you to that. I would rather not have Tom kill me for losing you." With a wink Alf went over to the closest tree and leaned against it. He might as well be at least a little comfortable while he waited.
As soon as he was sure Alf wouldn't follow after him, Harry made his way over to the herd of strange horses. He moved slowly, cautiously, especially when they looked up at him and started shying away.
"I won't hurt you." Harry whispered. He stopped moving when the closest horse began tossing its head nervously. Only when they calmed down did Harry try and get closer.
The horses seemed to understand fairly quickly that Harry meant no harm. Most of them stayed away, but one or two let Harry get closer after eyeing him warily.
"Oh. You have wings." His voice stayed soft and gentle as he got a better look at the horse in front of him.
It only took him a moment to connect the dots. He wasn't in Slytherin for nothing after all.
"The last guardian is-"
"A threstral. Me to be precise." An amused voice said from one side of Harry making the boy turn in surprise.
While the other horses, threstrals as Harry had just found out, were black or dark shades of grey, this one was pure white with pink eyes.
Even though the threstral couldn't really smile, Harry could see humor glimmering in its pink eyes as it snickered at him. With a toss of its head the other threstrals pranced away leaving Harry alone with the albino threstral.
"So...you're the Guardian of Hufflepuff?"
"You may call me Albino." He snickered when Harry frowned. "Helga had a unique sense of humor. Something I always adored." Unlike the other threstrals, which had kept just out of Harry's reach, Albino moved forward and gently nudged at the teen's arm until Harry reached up to gently pet at the white scaly snout.
The white thestral made a strange soft hissing like sound and leaned into Harry's hand as he rubbed just behind the creatures horns.
"I've been asleep for such a long time. It's nice to finally be awake again." Albino's sigh whistled slightly. "Very few can see thestrals normally, but being a guardian means I can't exactly spend time with other creatures."
"Why not?" Harry asked with a tilt of his head. "I mean...do you have to sleep?"
Harry had to pull his hand away as Albino tossed his head up to shake it.
"I suppose I do not need to sleep, but it's tedious to stay awake for decades or longer when I am not needed." Weariness filled his words and if Albino had had lips Harry was sure he would be frowning. "How would you think you would feel if you stayed awake for several days on end with nothing to do and no one to talk to just because you decided to stay awake?"
With a frown that made his nose wrinkle, Harry shook his head. "I don't think I would be able to do that." Sure he'd had sleepless nights in the past or had been unable to sleep for long periods of time, but usually that lack of sleep only lasted a night before he would collapse from exhaustion the next night.
"So I sleep." Albino turned his head and looked over at the castle. "If I am needed, Hogwarts will summon me. Or I will sense a call from the Hufflepuff heir."
The two fell silent after that and Harry went back to gently rubbing at Albino's dry skin that reminded him of shed snake scales.
"When Helga was still alive she decided not to name her own children as her heirs." Albino's words jolted Harry from his inner musings after several long minutes of quiet. "She feared that if she named an heir then her descendants would abuse the power she left in the castle. So she chose a different path."
"A different path?"
The white thestral nodded its head and looked at Harry with one of its milky pink eyes. "She decided that her heir would be one that exemplified Hufflepuff qualities. In all my years I have only seen one or two." Again Albino sighed and made that whistling sound that reminded Harry of an elderly person that had trouble breathing.
"I sense a fierce loyalty in you." Albino's unblinking gaze was focused on Harry, as if he was unraveling all of Harry's secrets one by one. "If circumstances were different I would claim you as the Hufflepuff heir, but I cannot. But I know Helga would adore you so I will give you a boon."
Albino lifted his head until his curve of his bony snout could press lightly against Harry's forehead. "All of the creatures loyal to Hogwarts will know to never fear you. They will help you if ever you ask or have need."
There was a light tingling against the skin of Harry's forehead and he absently rubbed at it once Albino lifted his snout away.
"Thank you." Harry whispered a little awkwardly. "I'm...I'm confused." Harry admitted after a moment of wondering why all the guardians seemed so keen on giving him 'boons'. "All I wanted was to be able to talk to all the guardians. I never really expected to get boons from any of you. Why do it?"
Hearing a thestral laugh was strange and sent shivers down Harry's spine.
"Because we can sense that there is something special about you. We each feel something about you that resonates with the different Founder's magics. Enjoy the boons, do not look a gift horse in the mouth."
Albino was laughing again as he turned and trotted away from Harry before the young Slytherin could comment; either about the fact that he was 'special' or about the very muggle saying that the thestral Guardian had told him.
Harry didn't really have time after that to think as Alf was calling out to him. Dinner was fast approaching and he wanted them both back in the castle before it got any darker.
Even though Harry hadn't gotten to think about how he was going to talk to Orion or about his relationship with Tom, he did feel better. Getting away from the castle, even for a little while and with an escort, had helped to relax Harry and he felt a little more clear headed.
So after dinner Harry made sure to ask to talk to Orion alone in their dorm room before anyone else joined them for the night.
Once they were in their dorm room though Harry couldn't seem to get over his nervousness in order to talk to Orion. He cared about his friend and he didn't want to say or do something that would end their friendship.
"So..." While Harry had been fidgeting and fretting over how to talk to Orion, the other boy had taken a seat on the edge of his bed.
"So-" Harry licked his lips and sighed softly. He couldn't put this off any longer so he squared his shoulders and called on as much courage as he could. "I-"
"It's ok Harry." Orion was barely containing his smirk when Harry finally seemed to work up the nerve to break up with him. "This is about our date right? I know I had fun, I think you had fun, but I'm smart enough to know when things don't work out."
Hearing Orion's words made Harry deflate slightly. "You're not mad?" He asked softly.
The other boy frowned slightly before shaking his head and smiling warmly. "I'm a little sad, but I'm not mad. I probably should be mad about you avoiding me, but it was kind of cute. I definitely deserve an apology for that."
Harry's cheeks flushed and he scowled down at the floor. He hated it when people referred to himself or anything he did as 'cute'. "Sorry." He mumbled after grumbling about the cute comment.
"Hey...I knew before I asked you out that it was a long shot." Orion got up and hesitantly went over to Harry. "We're still best friends."
The moment Orion lifted his arms up, Harry was giving him a hug.
"But you know," Orion smirked playfully once the friendly embrace ended. "If you ever want to try again, I'd be more than willing." He even wiggled his eyebrows at Harry which made him laugh.
"Just...promise not to avoid me anymore." The playful smile that Orion had been giving Harry wavered and Harry winced.
"I promise Orion. I'm sorry about that. I just-"
"You didn't want to hurt my feelings. I know." He lightly punched Harry's shoulder and then ruffled his hair. "You're too gentle for your own good. I'm not a sensitive little Hufflepuff like you, you know. I can take rejection."
Harry made a face and quickly smacked Orion on the shoulder. "I would like to remind you that I am in Slytherin."
Orion blinked owlishly and tilted his head a bit. "You are? I could have sworn you were sorted into Hufflepuff."
"Does this look yellow to you?" Harry pointed at the emblem on his robe and then at the trip.
The other boy made a show of taking a closer look at the green on Harry's school robe. "Huh...I guess I must be color blind. Sure looks yellow to me."
With a laugh Orion quickly dodged away from Harry's fist, which had been aimed at Orion's shoulder once more.
Everyone quickly noticed that Harry wasn't avoiding Orion anymore after that. Rupert even mentioned how weird it had been to see Harry practically running in the opposite direction and that it was nice for their group to be back to normal.
Seeing as how things had in fact gone back to normal, Eileen took Harry to the side before lunch.
"I'm just making sure you and Orion are alright." She insisted before Harry could ask what was going on. "I don't want to be caught in the middle of a lovers quarrel."
With his cheeks turning bright red, Harry scowled. "That's not going to happen. Orion and I are just friends."
"Oh! Well then," Eileen smiled sweetly. "If that's the case how about you and I go out together? I know it's rather soon after your date with Orion, but I would rather not miss my chance." Her smile was almost a little too sweet.
"Why are people asking me out?" Harry mumbled with a scowl before taking a deep breath to sigh. "I-I can't Eileen...You and Orion are my best friends and after what happened with Orion I really don't think going on a date together would be a smart idea."
Harry rubbed at his neck for a moment. "Besides...I might...I think-" He stopped stammering when he heard Eileen giggle.
"I thought so." She smirked at him and shrugged. "You're taken, but it's not Orion. I don't mind. Honestly I was just asking because I could; can you blame a girl for trying?" Eileen gave Harry a pointed look. "I can see you're having a hard time figuring things out though. Do you want to talk about it?"
"N-no! I just-"
"Hadrian. It's fine to be confused, but you should at least talk to Tom about your feelings." She smirked when Harry flushed and started stammering again. "I'm a Lady, Hadrian. I've been trained to notice even the smallest detail. Ever since your date with Orion, Tom has been practically glued to your side. He touches your shoulder whenever you're together and he has this little secret smile just for you."
Most of the students in the other houses probably hadn't taken notice of the increased attention Tom was giving Harry, but Slytherins were cunning and sly; they could see things that most people would miss.
"Don't make Tom wait too long for your answer, it's cruel to make Tom wait even though I think he'd wait for an eternity for you."
Harry deflated and his shoulders sagged. "I know..." His fingers went through his hair and his bangs were pushed back away from his face.
Eileen waited a moment before speaking up again. "Something happened between the two of you."
"We kissed." Harry blurted out quickly without thinking. "I've always loved Tom, but it feels so different now." His words were rushed as he finally allowed himself to voice everything that he'd been thinking about since the kiss. "I'm so scared I'll mess this up! It's always been the two of us and he's the one person I was always able to count on growing up. If I lose Tom because I did something stupid-"
"You won't." Eileen grabbed hold of Harry's shoulders to shake him out of his dark thoughts. "Talk to him Harry. Stop stewing and just talk to him. Honestly. You would think you're a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor."
"Why do people keep saying that?!" Harry asked loudly and in exasperation.
Eileen smiled fondly at Harry and then took his hand to tug him out of the empty room she had dragged him into to talk. "Because you're too sweet and naive Hadrian. You don't really care about gossip or about your standing. It's not a bad thing," Eileen quickly assured him. "But sometimes you really should care about your self preservation."
The two made it to the great hall and settled into lunch. Harry grumbled as Orion started poking fun at him while Eileen politely told Orion to act more like an heir should.
Eileen was right though and Harry knew it. He needed to talk to Tom about things; if only to better understand their new relationship.
Despite all the teasing about how 'gentle' and 'sweet' Harry was, he was in fact a Slytherin and he knew how to be cunning when he needed to be. So during his classes between lunch and dinner, harry started planning.
There was one more Hogsmeade trip before the Holidays; Dippet had tried to cancel it after the attack, but too many students and teachers had argued against the decision.
Harry knew Tom and he knew that the older Slytherin would want to talk in private with no chance of them being interrupted. He also knew that Tom would probably want to spend the day alone and Harry would definitely want as much time as possible to relax his nerves.
By the time dinner arrived, Harry had everything planned out in his mind. All he needed to do was to speak with Tom.
Thankfully Harry got his chance once dinner was done and everyone was heading back to their dorms. They were in the dungeons and not to far from the Slytherin common Room when Harry made his move.
"Hey Tom." The moment harry called out to him, Tom separated from his group. Harry waited a moment until most of the Slytherins had made themselves scarce; mostly due to Tom glaring at them.
"Is something the matter Harry?" Tom asked once they were relatively alone. If it weren't for the fact that he had Headboy duties to attend to he would have taken Harry into the chamber to speak.
Harry took a deep breath and mentally kept himself from fidgeting. "I want to go on a date with you." Harry took his time to speak each word. The last thing he needed was to rush what he was saying and end up having to say everything a second time.
Tom blinked in surprise.
Tom had not been ignorant of the way Harry had been avoiding Orion since the attack. He'd found himself enjoying Orion's discomfort. He knew that Harry had been putting distance between himself and his friend because of his and Tom's kiss in the Room.
Remembering the kiss had Tom feeling warm and he could feel his heart beat getting a little faster.
"I-Is it alright if we go on a date?" Harry asked hesitantly when Tom didn't say anything.
"Of course. If that is what you want Harry." After the kisses he had shared with Harry, Tom had made the decision to take things slow. Harry was still so young and he didn't want to do anything that would make Harry uncomfortable. Despite that decision though Tom couldn't seem to keep himself from being close to Harry as often as possible and touching him on the shoulder or arm.
"Ok," Harry hadn't expected Tom to agree so quickly. Then again maybe he had been expecting it. "It's a date."
"It's a date." Tom smirked and reached up to brush Harry's bangs out of his face and away from his scar. He'd be a much better partner than Black could ever hope to be. "Until then."
Tom was only starting to turn to go to the Slytherin common room when he felt his arm being grabbed. He turned to ask Harry what was wrong only to be shocked into silence when Harry grabbed hold of the collar of his robes to pull him down.
Their lips met for a fraction of a moment before Harry was saying something, probably goodnight or something of that nature, and then hurrying away from Tom and through the secret entrance of the common room.
A/N: Special thanks to Louise to, and Deb
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