Disclaimer: Do not own it.

A/N: Ok...I may have lied previously. This story is probably going to be longer than 32 chapters.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 28: Time Keeps Moving Forward

Even though Harry had been the one to ask Tom out on a date, he actually had no idea what he was supposed to do on a date. Orion had been the one in charge last time and Harry hadn't really been taking notes.

So during the weeks leading up to the Hogsmeade trip, Harry asked for advice from those he trusted most.

Abraxas hadn't been able to stop smiling or saying he was so happy that Harry and Tom were finally getting together. His only real advice was for Harry to do something that they both would enjoy. Not the best suggestion since Harry and Tom already did things they both enjoyed on a regular basis.

Orion's sister over heard Harry asking Abraxas for advice and proceeded to put her opinion into the mix. Her advice had more to do with fashion though and she left him blushing over the thought of wearing something that would hug his hips and show off his slender form.

Thankfully Harry's older brother chased Lucretia off before she could make any other suggestions that were altogether inappropriate; according to Abraxas.

Harry had no idea what he had been thinking when he'd gone to Senestra for her input. She'd seemed confused about why Harry would be the one to coordinate the 'date', the concept of which was even more confusing to the basilisk, and she'd proceeded to explain to Harry that it was the job of the dominant in the mating to provide security, comfort, and care.

The only part of her advice that had seemed even remotely useful was that he should find some place warm and safe for him and Tom to spend their mating ritual in.

Harry was rather red by the end of his visit with Senestra. She'd started cooing about future grand-hatchlings and Harry definitely wasn't going to try and explain to her how both he and Tom were male and could NOT get pregnant.

And he definitely did not want to try and explain to her, again, the difference between a date and a 'mating ritual' as she put it.

The best advice came from Sir Leighleas who told Harry to do something relaxing and to not worry about trying to make things perfect. Tom already loved Harry and anything the two boys did together would be enjoyable.

Harry even took the time to go to the library to find some sort of book that would be helpful, but all he really found was a book about dragon mating and a strange novel that detailed the life and passion of a young woman that ran off to be with her secret lover.

The book was confiscated by the librarian when she realized Harry had been reading it, but not before Harry came to the conclusion the book was a work of fiction.

He was tempted to write to his mother, but he wasn't sure how Mrs. Malfoy would react to the knowledge that her two adopted sons were starting a romantic relationship.

Much to Harry's surprise he received a letter from his benefactor Friday morning before the Hogsmeade weekend. It wasn't too detailed, just telling him what Sir Leighleas had already said about having the date in a relaxed setting and to not over think things.

The letter told him that for most people a first date was meant for two people to get to know each other and to try and figure out if two people could stand being around each other for any length of time. A first date was meant to establish whether there could be feelings beyond friendship.

Harry and Tom were well beyond that stage. They already knew they cared about each other and that they could spend time with each other exclusively. Their date would be more about getting used to spending time together in a romantic setting.

Eileen, with her uncanny ability to just know what Harry was up to, dragged Harry up to his dorm room Friday night and helped with the final preparations; such as what outfit he would wear. She also gave him a quick overview about pureblood courtship customs.

The day of the Hogsmeade visit dawned and Harry went to breakfast only to find several girls giggling when they spotted either him or Tom. Harry knew Eileen wouldn't have said anything, but he wasn't sure if Orion's older sister would have kept quiet about the date.

Tom smiled slightly as he put up with the cooing and giggles. He shook his head now and then, but otherwise didn't try to stop anyone.

Harry on the other hand wanted to hide under the table. There were girls, and guys, that were also sending him glares.

"They're just jealous." Eileen whispered when she took note of the squinted gazes and pursed lips that some people were giving Harry. "Lots of people want to date Tom, but from what I've heard he has NEVER been in a relationship with anyone."

"It's true." Alf was grinning brightly as he took a seat across from Harry to block out several of the people from other tables. "Tom is probably the most sought after bachelor at school. He leaves a trail of broken hearts behind him. So many people wish they could be you right now." Which was part of the reason Tom's most trusted followers were keeping an eye on things even though Tom hadn't asked them to.

Two different emotions battled within Harry; embarrassment, which was understandable for him, and jealousy. Harry really didn't like the idea of so many people pursuing Tom.

It was strange for Harry, to feel jealous. He knew what it felt like, he'd picked it up from Tom several times throughout the years, and he had even felt it himself whenever certain people got too close to Tom. This was the first time Harry actually understood why he felt jealous.

"Harry."

Tom's voice and a hand on his shoulder pulled Harry from his inner musings.

"Are you finished with your breakfast?"

Tom's black eyes seemed to be glittering to Harry and his smile made the younger teen's

stomach flip in a weird way.

"Breakfast-" He looked down at his plate with a blush. He'd eaten most of his food without even realizing it. "Yeah. I'm done." He couldn't eat more even if he wanted too.

With a flush on his cheeks, Harry scrambled a little off the bench to stand next to Tom.

"The carriages won't be leaving for at least an hour." Tom said as he escorted Harry out of the Great Hall. "But I thought we could spend some time away from the crowd."

Tom was always in tune with Harry's emotions, a byproduct of the bond he shared with the younger boy, so he hadn't been that surprised when harry had started to feel nervous and embarrassed the longer people whispered and stared.

"T-that's fine." Harry rubbed at his arm with one hand a little nervously. "We need to go down to the kitchens real fast first."

Only three people knew what Harry had planned for the date. Abraxas had helped with the planning and would help to keep people from following Harry and Tom. Eileen had only found out because she had kept asking about it to help Harry pick out his clothes. She would be helping Abraxas. Harry had told Sir Leighleas just in case something were to happen.

"Oh?" Tom arched a brow, but didn't argue. This was Harry's day and Abraxas had been dropping hints for weeks about the things Harry had been planning. Most of the hints contradicted each other, but Tom had resigned himself to his adopted brother's torment.

It was then that Tom took note of the bag that was slung across Harry's shoulder. "Are we not eating at the Three Broomsticks?" Tom asked with a smirk.

Harry shook his head quickly. "Too many people." He wanted the date to be about him and Tom; the last thing Harry needed was dozens of eyes on their date.

Tom made a sound of approval and allowed Harry to guide the two of them down to the kitchens entrance. He stood back a little once they were there and the house elves were swarming around them.

Apparently Harry had already made plans with the house elves. When they arrived the house elves already had several brown paper wrapped packages for Harry to take.

"Thank you all so much." Harry smiled happily as he tucked the packages into his bag. He hadn't asked for much, but apparently they'd packed more than he'd asked for. "I'm sure the food will be as delicious as always."

"Master Harry is too kind." The oldest of the house elves said as he smiled at the two Slytherin students. The elf had a green tint to his wrinkled skin and his ears were flopped over and hanging from age. "If you be needing anything else, just be calling for Ol' Paddy."

When Harry had first visited the house elves a week ago to ask if his requests could be filled, they'd been overly excited. The younger house elves had had to be told to go do chores by the older just to give Harry space.

Their reactions had been strange, but Harry hadn't thought too much about it. The house elves back home had always been eager to please so he figured it was just a house elf thing.

Tom on the other hand was surprised. He, being the Head Boy, knew that students were not allowed to call upon the Hogwarts house elves for anything; students weren't even really supposed to know any of the names of the elves just to make sure they weren't tempted to call on them.

He was allowed to call on a house elf, but only in an emergency or if it was needed to fulfill his responsibilities.

But Tom decided not to tell Harry any of that for the time being.

"We still have time before the carriages leave." Tom pointed out once he and Harry were finally able to leave the overly excited house elves to their work.

For a moment Harry glanced around to make sure no one was listening. He even cast a wandless privacy spell around the two of them along with a notice-me-not charm. When Tom asked Harry what was going on, the younger boy just smiled and shook his head.

Almost shyly, Harry reached out and took Tom's hand to lead him away from the kitchens.

The connection of their hands had Harry flushed and his heart hammering. He could remember dozens, hundreds, of times when he and Tom had held hands, but this time it felt different.

Everything felt different to Harry now.

Curiosity filled Tom as Harry led the way out of the dungeons, deeper into the castle, and definitely farther away from the entrance that would take them to the carriages meant to take them to Hogsmeade.

His silent questions were answered though when Harry stepped off the stairs on the seventh floor.

"We're not going to Hogsmeade are we?" Tom asked, laughter barely contained as Harry paced back and forth in front of the wall where the door to the Room would appear.

Harry didn't answer until they were through the door.

What Tom had been expecting to see, their training room or something similar and more comfortable, was definitely not what he found.

"I had to test the room out a few times to make sure it could do this." Harry explained as he took Tom's hand once more and led him away from the door. "Abraxas was with me, don't worry."

The room, if Tom could even call it that, looked more like an old Victorian garden. At the center of the garden was a glittering fountain with fairy lights floating and skipping across the crystal clear water. Three paths, not including the one they were on, branched away from the fountain and past the tall hedges that surrounded the fountain.

The room could be huge, Tom knew that, so he had to wonder just how big this garden was.

"I-Is it ok if we don't go to Hogsmeade?" Harry asked as Tom got a good look at the area around teh fountain and then looked up at the ceiling that had been enchanted to look like a clear blue sky. "We still can if that's what you want...but I-"

"This is perfect Harry." Tom shushed the younger boy by gently grabbing his shoulder to pull him into a hug. Tom sighed softly as he pressed his cheek into Harry's soft black hair.

It was a little known fact that only a handful of people knew, but Tom enjoyed gardens; especially quiet gardens that Tom could just walk through and enjoy the various flowers that were carefully cared for.

Tom had a soft spot for beautiful things and gardens such as the one they were in were definitely beautiful.

Harry beamed and quickly wrapped his arms around Tom when he was pulled into the embrace. He'd been so worried about the date that he'd come up with several plans just in case Tom decided he didn't want to spend the day in a secret garden.

But he had been secretly hoping Tom would like the garden date the most. Harry had put a great deal of time working with the Room to create the sprawling garden once he'd figured out how to 'request' changes.

"Do you want to look around?" Harry asked after what felt like a comfortable eternity wrapped in Tom's arms. "The Garden isn't too big, but there's a hedge maze that way," Harry pointed to the path directly opposite them. "A rose garden and gazebo that way," He pointed to the left. "And a...a cottage over there." He pointed to the right and Tom took note of just how red Harry's cheeks turned.

That cottage had not been Harry's idea and the Room had practically refused to take it away once it'd 'made' it.

As tempting as it was to go see what was in the cottage, Tom decided to hold off. "Let's go look at that hedge maze. Then maybe we can have lunch in the gazebo."

Honestly Tom was rather impressed with Harry's idea for the date. The gossip and rumors had all pointed towards a date at Hogsmeade, even Abraxas had led Tom to believe that's where they would be going, and yet Harry had secretly planned something even better.

Harry had definitely called on his more Slytherin tendencies while planning their date.

The hedge maze wasn't that complicated, but Tom rather liked the simplistic nature of the maze. The point of such a maze was to relax the people wandering within and to distract them from the outside world. With Harry at his size, Tom was able to enjoy both aspects of the maze as well as admire the flowers that were planted on either side of the cobblestone path within the maze.

They made it to the center of the maze after a few hours of leisurely wandering and stopping now and then to rest at various benches that were hidden in little alcoves within the maze. At the center of the maze was another fountain with water cascading gently down crystal pillars creating a gentle tinging sound.

"Make a wish Harry."

Tom had extended a hand out to Harry and in the palm of his hand was a single brass knut. For a moment Harry was surprised by the gesture. When they'd been kids Harry had always tossed coins into wishing wells and fountains even though Tom had always disapproved, and yet now here was Tom handing Harry a knut just so Harry could have a little fun.

With a shy smile Harry took the little coin and rubbed at it with his fingers while he thought about what he would wish for. He had everything he could want though. Harry had a home with a family, he had friends, and most importantly he had Tom.

There was only one thing Harry could think of so after rubbing at the knut for another minute, he tossed the coin into the water.

"What did you wish for?" Tom asked once the knut had settled in the bottom of the fountain.

"You know better." Harry smirked and leaned into Tom's side. "Wishes can't come true if they're spoken aloud."

It was such a muggle thing, but Tom couldn't help but smile. In a world of magic where they could do just about anything, Harry would still follow such an old muggle superstition.

Tom figured it was about lunch time by the time the two of them made it out of the maze once more,. They made it back to the original fountain and then wandered down the path that took them through the rose garden and to a beautifully crafted gazebo that had a marble table set up in the middle.

"Your seat sir." Harry was grinning broadly at Tom as he pulled out a seat. He'd gotten to relax over the last couple hours of walking with Tom through the maze. Being silly was easy once Harry wasn't stuck in his own head.

With a small chuckle Tom took his seat and then waited patiently as Harry began setting out plates, cups, and silverware for them to use.

"And what is on the menu today?" He asked as Harry proceeded to pull out the first package the house elves had given him.

Harry gave Tom a look that had the older Slytherin chuckling again, but he did stop talking.

The anticipation grew as Harry took his time to open the package at an angle that Tom couldn't really see. With a little smirk and a flourish of his hands, Harry pulled out two shiny red apples.

Tom would have felt let down, but the smile on Harry's face had him reconsidering the apples. If Harry was putting so much emphasis on such simple fruits, then there had to be a reason. Something in the back of Tom's mind stirred, but he couldn't quite place what it was.

Seeing that Tom was having an issue figuring things out, Harry just smiled and pulled out a little knife. With careful strokes, he sliced into the apples.

"When we first met," Harry did his best to keep his voice even as he spoke. "I was practically starving. You could have just kept walking. Or you could have handed me off to Cole or Martha." The first apple slice came free of the apple.

And then the memories clicked into place. Tom could remember feeling protective of Harry all those years ago. He remembered making the small boy tell himself several times that he wasn't a freak.

"Ever since then apples became my favorite food." Suddenly Harry felt like he couldn't meet Tom's gaze. "Those apple slices were the second thing you ever gave me...the first being a kind word." Harry had to stop slicing the apple up for a moment to steady his hand and clear his throat. "It's kinda silly, but I thought since our first meal together had apples that maybe for our first date-"

"It's perfect Harry." Tom took the knife out of the smaller hands and then the apple so he could take over for Harry. "I honestly had forgotten about the apples." He murmured as he finished slicing up the apples. "I was more concerned with your black eye and how small you were. And whether or not you were real."

Harry wasn't worried about Tom forgetting about the apples. It was a small detail that most people would have forgotten. Most of that day was a blur for Harry anyway, but he could remember how Tom had sliced up an apple so he could have something to eat.

"What else did you pack for us?" Tom asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Oh! Right!" One by one Harry pulled out the food he had asked for. Some glazed ham, still warm rolls with honey butter, and other little things that both he and Tom enjoyed eating; including a salad and a few vegetables that Harry wasn't thrilled with, but knew Tom would want.

"Now how in the world did you get that?" Tom asked when Harry pulled out the last item from the final package.

Somehow, someway, Harry had a small tub of ice cream that had been enchanted to not melt until eaten.

"That's for me to know and you to wonder about."

Ice cream was definitely not something that was served, even during feasts, so Tom was left wondering just how Harry had gotten the frozen treat.

As per the usual, the meal that the elves had packed was delicious. All through the meal Tom continued to try and get Harry to tell him how he had gotten the ice cream, but the green eyed Slytherin just smiled warmly at him and shook his head.

Harry insisted that it was his little secret.

Tom was only distracted from trying to get Harry's secret when they finally got to the ice cream and started eating it. Since there was only a single tub, and it seemed like bowls had been forgotten, they had to share the tub between the two of them.

The ice cream was delicious, but that wasn't what was distracting Tom. No. It was Harry himself that was shorting out Tom's thought processes. Every time Harry brought his spoon to his lips he would smile and hum softly in pleasure. The way Harry would flick out his tongue to clean his spoon off each time had Tom groaning mentally.

What made it worse was that Tom knew Harry was unaware of what he was doing. He felt nothing but relief when the ice cream was finally gone and Harry put his spoon down.

He had to sip at his water often with how dry Tom's throat kept getting. He had to keep reminding himself that Harry was young and innocent, that he couldn't allow himself to even think of Harry as anything but young and innocent.

"Tom?"

The sound of Harry's voice pulled Tom from his thoughts. Harry was looking at him worriedly and the older Slytherin had a feeling Harry had called for him a couple times.

Tom poured all of his charm into a smile that was meant for only Harry. "What did you have planned next, iHarryi." His words practically purred as they passed his lips and it did exactly what he had hoped; it made the worried look in Harry's eyes vanish.

"Oh! Um..." Harry fidgeted as an unfamiliar warmth spread through his chest. He felt a shiver go down his spine and settle in his stomach. Harry found it impossible to look away from Tom when he was smiling like that.

"How about," Tom could see that Harry was having trouble getting his thoughts back into order. Maybe he'd put a little too much charm into that smile; he hadn't thought Harry would be that affected. "We go explore a little?"

Harry nodded and reached to clean up the table. After looking away from Tom, Harry was able to notice the heat in his cheeks and just how fast his heart was going.

"Leave it." Tom told Harry gently as he stood up smoothly. "I have a feeling it'll take care of itself."

"R-right." This was the Room even if it did look like an outdoor park; messes somehow always got cleaned up in the past even when he and Tom forgot to do it themselves.

With much less grace, Harry hurried out of his seat to follow after Tom. He didn't even think twice when Tom offered him a hand to hold. Harry sucked in a gasp though when instead of just holding his hand like they usually did, Tom laced their fingers together.

"So what's in the cabin?" Tom asked as they leisurely wandered down the path and back to the fountain.

"I don't know." Harry confessed. He was having a hard time keeping his blushing to a minimum; which was difficult considering Tom kept squeezing his hand gently now and then. "The door was always locked."

"Hm." Tom pursed his lips in thought. The room had never denied either of them in the past, so why had it created a little cabin and then locked the door to it? It couldn't be for a dangerous reason; the Room was a part of Hogwarts and the magic of Hogwarts would never allow something dangerous to be inside of it without good reason.

"Let's go see what's inside." Tom tugged at Harry's hand and smiled at him when the younger boy stuttered. "Maybe the cabin is where iouri Room is."

Tom was trying to make it difficult for Harry to think, Harry was sure of it. The way he had smiled, how he had purred Harry's name, and then how he had linked their hands; Tom had taken control of the date and Harry wasn't sure if he was relieved or upset.

Just as Harry had found all the other times he had made his way into the garden version of the Room, the front door to the cabin was locked when Tom tried to open the door.

The fact that the Room was denying him actually irked Tom. In all the years he had been using the Room of Requirement, all of his needs had always been met.

"I told you it was locked." Harry was doing his best to suppress a snicker, but there was nothing he could do about the smirk that had stretched across his face.

Tom's nose scrunched up a little and he made a face at the door. Now that he was being denied access, Tom wanted to know why. The only way to find out was to get into the cabin.

"Open." Tom hissed at the door and pushed at the door with his own magic to see if it would give. He could feel something change in the door, but when he turned the handle it still wouldn't budge.

After a moment of thought, Tom changed his tactics a little.

"I am the heir of Slytherin and I command you open." This time when Tom touched the door with magic he made sure to use the Slytherin Founder magic rather than his own.

It felt like the door was fighting against Tom. When he turned the handle and pulled it felt like he was trying to break the door free from a strong sticky charm. Finally, after several minutes of concentration, the door came free with a loud and creaky groan.

"Well. That sure was something." Harry murmured as he tried to look past Tom and into the dark Cabin. Now that the door was open Harry could feel a deep thrum of magic inside. It called to him in such a way that it left a strange ache in his chest the longer he stayed outside of the cabin.

Silently, Harry stepped past Tom and through the threshold of the cabin. The lighting inside was dim and Harry couldn't really make out any obvious furniture. With every step Harry took, the thrumming seemed to get stronger.

"Harry?"

Tom could feel that there was something in the air around them, but he couldn't feel anything the way Harry could. At least he knew whatever it was that Harry was feeling, it wasn't a danger to them. Tom was sure that if whatever it was, was a danger then Harry would have felt it.

"What is it Harry?"

Harry shook his head and paused. He'd been so focused on the strange magic that was filling him that he had forgotten that his fingers were still laced with Tom's.

"I...don't really know." Harry shook his head again. The magic that was around them kept building up and Harry felt like he had stepped into a sauna, but without the heat. The magic was just getting so thick and heavy around him and inside of him.

It felt familiar though and in a way it felt like the magic was trying to...to hold him. It reminded him of the times Mrs. Malfoy would scoop him up and hug him close. Harry felt like the magic was trying to comfort him and welcome him.

"I think..." Harry's mind was starting to feel fuzzy and his body felt like it was moving slower. He would have said he felt tired, except he wasn't tired. Just really relaxed.

As much as he trusted Harry's sensitivity to magic, Tom couldn't stop from worrying when Harry's eyes drooped and his shoulders sagged. There was a small smile on Harry's lips, and he even sighed a little bit now and then.

"Talk to me Harry." Tom tried to stay calm, but his words came out a little harder then he would have liked.

The younger Slytherin hummed for a moment before turning his dazed gaze to Tom. "I think it's Hogwarts."

As soon as those words left his mouth, everything shifted around the two Slytherins. The dark room suddenly flashed with light blinding both Tom and Harry. When their eyes cleared they found themselves in a circular stone room that was lit with colored lights associated with the 4 houses. At the center of the room was a pedestal with a large floating crystal hovering over it.

"The core!" Tom sucked in his breath as he stared at the core that made up all of Hogwart's magic. He wanted to go to it, to examine it, but when he tried to lift his foot he found that both his feet were stuck to the ground. "Damn. Harry can you move?"

The boy next to him had gone so very still and his eyes were slowly opening and closing. Harry looked to be in some sort of trance and Tom felt a cold shiver go across his spine and shoulders at the sight of Harry staring blankly at the magical core.

"Harry?" Still the dark haired boy would not respond. Tom let go of Harry's hand to grab hold of his shoulder to shake him. "Harry?!"

He didn't even turn his head to look at Tom even as Harry's shoulders were shaken.

Tom was starting to feel panic. He knew, logically, that Hogwarts would not hurt them, but being this close to the core of the castle was affecting Harry badly. Even when Tom took control of the dampener and turned it to max strength, Harry still wouldn't come out of the trance.

"Talk to me Harry! Please!" Tom begged as he shook Harry's shoulder again.

While Tom fought to try and free Harry from the trance he had fallen into, Harry was being overwhelmed by the sheer power of the magic that was the castle's core. The magic had completely enveloped him and Harry couldn't even feel his own body anymore.

"Little one."

There was a voice laced inside of the magic that Harry felt and heard. The words were like a brush of gentle fingers through his hair.

"Come here Little one."

Despite Tom shaking his shoulder, Harry felt like there was something or someone tugging at his arm. His legs felt like there were weights attached to them and he was barely able to take as tep foward. Harry could kind of hear Tom calling out for him, but it was like Tom was far away and underwater.

"I will not hurt you Little one." The voice, which Harry was pretty sure at that point was Hogwarts, was gentle and comforting.

"It's ok Tom." Harry spoke when he felt Tom trying to hold onto his shoulder. "It's ok. We're safe." He wanted to smile at Tom, to reassure him, but Harry couldn't look away from the floating crystal.

Trepidation filled Tom and he fought with himself for several long minutes. Harry kept reassuring him that everything was fine, but he didn't want to let go of Harry.

"Tom," With his eyes still on the crystal, Harry reached up and gently took Tom's hand where it was clinging to Harry's shoulder. "Trust me. Please."

Tom's hand tightened for a moment and the urge to just grab Harry and hold him tight against his chest filled him. He did trust Harry, but the younger Slytherin was his everything; his whole world. What if whatever was happening hurt Harry? If Tom let him go then it would be Tom's fault.

"I'll be fine Tom. I promise. I'll come right back to you." Harry's voice was calm and his words had a soothing quality for Tom. Harry's magic flowed through their bond and calmed Tom's frantic and paranoid thoughts.

Slowly, Tom's hand released Harry's shoulder. His fingers lingered on Harry's sleeve until he was out of reach.

Harry's legs still felt heavy as he made his way to the magical core.

"My dear Little one. So brave, so loyal, and filled with endless kindness and warmth." If Harry hadn't been so relaxed by the trance he might have blushed at the compliments. "So curious about the world. And yet, when you found out about me you did not seek out the Guardians for power. No. You just wanted to learn."

Harry had never liked being the center of attention; Tom was much better at that sort of thing. Gaining power would only put Harry into the spotlight.

"You have gone through so much Little one."i The castle's voice whispered into Harry's mind. "You and your dear Tom. Become my heir so that I may protect you both better."

Why in the world would Harry ever refuse Hogwarts anything? The castle had always felt safe to him and it had always done its best to help him. He'd always felt at home with the Malfoy's, but there was just something about Hogwarts that felt...felt like a forever home.

"Touch my core and become my heir."

Harry's hand was barely a breath away from the crystal. Power curled and flowed around his stretching fingers. Magic whispered across his skin, encouraging him as he finally gave in to the urge that he had been feeling ever since he had first laid eyes on the crystal core.

The moment his fingers lightly touched the crystal, the magic surged around Harry in colorful waves. Even Tom could see the magic as it surrounded Harry and embraced him. Harry could feel Hogwarts reaching into him to wrap around his own magical core.

"My Heir."

The deed was done and the deal was made. Knowledge flitted across his mind, appearing and disappearing faster than Harry could understand. He had a feeling though that he'd eventually learn everything that the castle was giving him.

"Heir of Slytherin. Take care of my Little one." Hogwarts reached out with its magic to gently caress Tom's cheek. In that moment Tom was able to move again and he rushed forward to catch Harry as he wavered and staggered. "He must rest now."

Only part of the conversation between Harry and the castle had been heard by Tom, but he had been allowed to hear just enough to know what had been given to Harry.

Once Harry was safely in his arms, the castle sent them back into the Room of Requirement; which had changed to the training room that Harry and Tom were used to.

"It's never just a normal day with you, is it Harry?" Tom mumbled as he helped Harry to stay standing.

Harry groaned softly and rubbed at his temples. "At least I'm not boring." He grinned tiredly up at Tom. "And at least the castle waited until the end of our date." He could almost feel the castle laughing softly in his mind.

That was going to be weird to get used to.

The two Slytherins made it down to their dorm quickly enough, Harry taking them down secret passage ways that the castle was telling him about in order to avoid any students or staff that were wandering around.

It took months for Harry to get used to the constant presence the castle had in his mind and magic. Even when he was away during winter break he could still feel the castle's magic laced with his own. It was weaker the farther away he was from the castle, but it was always there.

Thanks to the connection though Harry was able to know almost instantly where things were in the castle. He found all sorts of secret rooms and passages; even Rowena's secret library was now unlocked to him. Harry found he even knew where all the Guardians were. His connection to the school also made it so that he wasn't overwhelmed by Hogwart's magic any longer.

The only thing that Harry couldn't really do was know where everyone was constantly. If he focused his magic with Hogwarts he could find someone, but it wasn't easy. Humans moved around a lot and their own magic tended to mess with Harry's searching.

Harry's new abilities had another benefit that he hadn't considered; Tom wasn't as strict about having one of his followers with Harry at all times. Granted whenever Harry was almost always with Tom when he wasn't in classes or with his own friends.

There was one thing that disturbed Harry though whenever he used his connection to Hogwarts to find where people where; a few people were practically invisible to the school.

Sir Leighleas was one of the people that Harry had trouble finding, but the man had so many glamours and spells around him that it made sense. At first Tom was hard to find, until Harry figured out that he could find Tom using a combination of Hogwarts and their bond.

Dumbledore was the other person that tended to evade Harry's new sight. And it disturbed both Tom and Harry.

Hogwarts wasn't all to happy about this development either. The castle was able to keep a better eye on Dumbledore than Harry was, but only when the man was inside. As soon as he was outside the castle would lose sight of him.

Thanks to his connection to Hogwarts, Harry was able to get a better handle on his sensitivity as well. By the time June rolled around he was able to actually lessen the strength of the dampening charm.

With the help of Tom and Hogwarts, Harry was able to learn more about wards and how to manipulate them. Harry was even able to set the wards to accept Tom if he wanted to apparate in or out of Hogwarts. That way Tom would be able to visit even after graduating.

"Do you have everything packed?" It was the last Saturday before the end of term and Tom and Harry were spending it sequestered in the Room of Requirement. They'd been going on dates every other week and each time they'd gone to the Room.

Their final exams were finally done so they were cuddling together on a sofa in front of a gently crackling fire. Harry's head was on Tom's lap. Tom's fingers were gently brushing through Harry's hair while Harry napped.

"Mhm." Harry hummed before sighing happily when Tom continued to pet his hair.

That summer was going to be difficult for the two of them to get alone time. With the war still going on, the Malfoy home would still be full of teenagers and children that the Malfoy's were taking care of.

Tom would also be starting an internship at the Ministry thanks to Mr. Malfoy's connections.

So this would probably be one of the last moments of quiet and privacy that Tom and Harry would have.

"Are you falling asleep on me?" Tom asked with a chuckle when Harry's breathing slowed.

"Mhmm."

The last few months had been good for Tom and Harry. They'd grown closer and the awkwardness between the two of them had faded by the third date. As much as Tom desperately tried to keep things slow between them, they'd shared kisses almost every time they were alone.

For the most part their kisses were innocent. Surprisingly enough it was Harry that tried to push them further and it was Tom that would stop them when things heated up too much.

"Come on sleepy head." Tom stopped playing with Harry's hair to instead poke at his cheek. "We can't sleep in here. And I have a meeting with the prefects and headmaster."

Harry grumbled and cracked one eye open to stare up at Tom. He looked up at him sourly before huffing and sitting up. "Scheduling a meeting right before break is ridiculous." He mumbled hatefully.

"It's just for last minute things. And for me to put in my suggestions for new prefects and who the new headboy should be." Tom wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders comfortingly. "The meeting shouldn't be too long." He kissed at the corner of Harry's mouth to try and get him to stop pouting.

"I still think it's stupid."

Tom agreed completely, but he still had an image to keep up. Many of the prefects were his followers by this point and he wanted to make sure they knew their orders for the next year.

It was his long term goal to make sure Harry ended up as a prefect and then as Headboy for his 7th year. But seeing as how Harry would only be a 4th year student in the following year, Tom would have to rely on his prefect followers.

It was Tom's long term goal to get Harry to be Headboy for his 7th year. That way Harry would have as much protection as possible.

"We'll go down and see Senestra after dinner." Tom reluctantly stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles in his robes.

"Sounds good." Harry was still upset that he couldn't spend more time with Tom, but he'd get over it. Knowing that they were going to go see the ancient basalisk though had Harry feeling like he wanted to and visit all of the Guardians one last time before boarding the train and heading home for the summer.

Tom kissed Harry's forehead before leaving the Room. Harry on the other hand had the Room shift until he was in the tower room that Fawkes liked best. Apollo joined them after awhile and the three spent time talking. The Demiguise also gave Harry a couple books that he thought would be useful over the summer.

Harry had just enough time after Apollo and Fawkes were done talking to him to go that he wanted to go and meet up with Albino.

But first Harry would have to find one of the older students to go with him. Hogwarts had limited 'sight' of the grounds and it was one of the few places that Harry could potentially be attacked while at school.

Thankfully Harry ran into Orion and Rupert who had been on their way out to the quidditch field for a friendly game. The quidditch field wasn't too far from the glade that the thestrals could be found.

"You are going to join the team next year, right Harry?" Orion asked as the three of them were joined by a few other third years that were interested in a friendly game.

Casual mixed quidditch matches among the third years had become a normal thing.

"I don't know." Harry rubbed at the back of his head. "Maybe? I just don't want to fall behind on my studies."

"You have to join Harry!" Rupert grinned as he shoved at Harry. "Slytherin is losing their seeker and no one else has the natural talent that you do." When Harry continued to frown, he tried again. "And how else are we going to play against each other? Casual matches are fine, but a real game would be so much better!"

"I'll think about it."

Harry was positive both Orion and Rupert would be bugging him all summer until he gave in and tried out for the Slytherin team the following year.

"If Hadrian doesn't want to play then he doesn't have to." Harry's head whipped around and he spotted Eileen following after the group.

"He wants to play, he's just being too much of a goody goody about it." Orion huffed at the girl.

Once again Orion and Eileen started arguing back and forth while Rupert and Harry rolled their eyes.

"Why don't you two just kiss already?" Rupert said with a smirk as both Orion and Eileen flushed brightly.

Once they were at the quidditch pitch, after Orion and Eileen both yelled at Rupert, Hadrian split off to go see the thestrals. Eileen joined him as well as one of the older Ravenclaw girls that had become one of Tom's followers some time ago.

For the most part the older Ravenclaw and Eileen left Harry alone while he went to the thestrals. Neither of the girls could see the invisible horses, but they could see when Harry's robe was picked up and nipped at.

"You are leaving soon." Albino said a little somberly.

"It's just for the summer." Harry's words were mumbled so he wouldn't get any strange looks from the girls.

"We would all prefer if you stayed." Albino nudged at Harry's chest and snorted softly. Several of the other thestrals that were still near Harry tossed their heads and nudged at the dark haired boy as well.

Harry laughed and shook his head. "I can't stay. I'd love to honestly, but I would miss my family." As much as Harry loved Hogwarts he also loved the Malfoy's. They'd been his first family after Tom and Harry would always see them as such.

Albino seemed to sigh, though it sounded like a rattle in his chest, but he understood. "You will take care of yourself yes?"

"If I don't then there's a long list of people that will lock me up for my own safety." That got a little giggle from Eileen even though she had no idea who Harry was talking to. She just assumed it was either one of the snakes that was almost always with Harry or another snake.

All of the guardians seemed to be of the same mind about Harry and Tom leaving the school for any length of time. Senestra was even more frustrated since Tom would be graduating.

"Hadrian?"

Harry turned his head while trying to push one of the younger thestrals away. Eileen was gesturing for him and the older Ravenclaw was already walking back towards the quidditch pitch.

"Dinner will be soon. We should probably head back."

"I'll be right there Eileen." Harry wanted just a few more minutes with Albino and his herd. "I'll be fine. I'll only be a minute."

Eileen frowned, but shrugged when Harry just shooed her away with a wave of his hand. It wasn't like she'd be that far away and it'd been months since Harry had last gotten into trouble.

"You have good friends." Albino tossed his snowy white head and the other thestrals backed off. i"I feel great loyalty to you from them."i

"Not really sure what I did to deserve it though." Harry couldn't spend forever with Albino or else he knew Eileen would back track to get him.

With a hissing laugh Albino lowered his head so he and Harry could see eye to eye. "Sometimes I forget that you are a Slytherin. Sometimes friendships just happen, young Harry. Enjoy it."

Harry snorted and gave Albino one last pat on his scaly neck. "I guess." He hesitated before sighing at himself. "I better go. I'll see you in a few months." They shared a goodbye before Harry stuffed his hands into his pockets and hurried off after Eileen.

When Harry didn't catch up to Eileen after a few minutes, he grew concerned. He hadn't lagged behind that much, and yet he couldn't even see either of the girls that had been with him.

In fact...the trees were starting to look thicker.

That wasn't right though. Harry knew he was going in the right direction back towards the castle. The Thestral glade wasn't that far from the quidditch pitch and he should have been able to see the towers through the trees.

With a frown he turned back to return to Albino and the other thestrals. It'd be faster to ask for a ride back to the castle and then ask for forgiveness from Eileen.

"Shit." Harry cursed as he dropped his sensitivity and looked around sharply when he realized he was nowhere near the thestrals. Magic, disgusting magic, was all around him and instantly Harry knew what was going on. He had been trapped in a type of location loop that kept him from moving forward or back.

There was only one person that would do this. Dumbledore.

Harry lifted his wand to begin undoing the trap only to feel a presence right behind him. He spun around and threw up a hasty silent shield.

"I'm impressed." Dumbledore was grinning and his blue eyes were twinkling. He stepped out from behind a tree and lifted his hands to show he was unarmed. "It didn't take you very long at all to realize you were trapped."

The dueling lessons with Sir Leighleas quickly came to Harry and his mouth snapped shut. He took up a dueling stance and waited for Dumbeldore to make the first move. His sensitivity would come in useful to predict what sorts of spells Dumbledore would throw, but Harry had to be careful.

Without his dampener Harry could still become overwhelmed by a powerful spell despite the control he had gained over the last few months.

"Just stand down Hadrian. I don't want to hurt you."

"Bullshit." Harry was at his whits end with Dumbledore and he was tired of dealing with the man.

The older man wearily sighed and shook his head sadly. "You're in danger my boy. I am just trying to protect you. Grindelwald-"

"What about Grindelwald?" Harry snarled. He was trying to get Dumbledore to keep talking while he built up his magic to take down the trap. He'd already silently and wandlessly set up several more shields to be on the safe side.

"He's after you my boy. You and Tom. I just want to keep you safe."

Despite his warm and trusting nature, Harry was still a Slytherin. So he lowered his wand slightly as if to show he trusted the man, Harry was working towards a different goal. He needed to keep the old man busy until Harry could find the edge of the trap so he could take it out.

"That's it Hadrian."

Only a few people knew just how good of a manipulator Harry could be. And of those people only Tom knew how to not fall for Harry's tricks. So when Dumbledore lowered his wand just enough, Harry struck.

He slammed his magic against the edge of the trap and grinned when the trap fell.

"Hadrian!"

Harry didn't stop to think; he ran. Even with all the training he had gone through the last few years with Sir Leighleas and Tom, he knew he was no match for Dumbledore. His best chance was to get as close to the castle as he could and hope someone could come to help. As a last resort he'd call upon the guardians, but he would rather not have to.

"You stupid boy!" Dumbledore yelled as he chased after Harry, slinging spells at him over and over. Most of Harry's shields stopped the hex's and curses, but one by one the shields failed as they were bombarded.

He knew he wouldn't last long. Dumbledore could fling spells faster than Harry could create shields.

"You leave me no choice Hadrian."

Harry's last shield failed and he was sent flying by a tripping hex. He cried out as his he stopped his fall with his free hand and then rolled. With his adrenaline running high, Harry didn't notice that his wrist had snapped from his fall.

A body binding spell hit Harry and he could do nothing but watch helplessly as Dumbledore, with his cold blue eyes and viscous dark magic, stalked up to him.

Dumbledore bent over Harry, but didn't touch him, once he was close enough. The man's eyes fluttered shut as he took a deep breath as if smelling Harry. "Your magic is just so potent Hadrian. I can't afford to let you have free will. If I can't have you under my control then I will just have to strip you of everything you have."

With his entire body bound, Harry was forced to watch as Dumbledore's hand lifted and reached towards him.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

A red curse hit Dumbledore against his side and the man was flung away from Harry. Sir Leighleas charged past Harry to stand between him and Dumbledore.

"I will not let you harm Hadrian!" Sir Leighleas hissed as he proceeded to duel with Harry's attacker.

"As if you can stop me." Dumbledore was so focused on stopping the mediwizard's attacks that he didn't notice Tom rushing up to Harry to unbind him.

"Tom!" Harry was yanked to his feet as soon as the spell was off of him. "I'm sorry!" He didn't have time to say anything else as Tom pulled him along into a frantic run.

"It's not your fault." Tom barely got the words out he was panting so hard. "Dumbledore set several traps and tricked all of us." He'd been delayed because several students had been imperiused. If it weren't for the fact that Hogwarts herself had alerted Tom to the attack then he might have been too late.

One of the duelers behind them screamed in agony and Harry whimpered involuntarily. Tom's hand tightened around Harry's, but he didn't dare look back.

They were both quick to figure out that it had been Sir Leighleas that had fallen when another spell barely missed Tom and Harry.

"Damn it all." Tom hissed out. They'd made some time and put enough distance between them and Dumbledore, but it wasn't much of a lead.

Making a snap decision, Tom stopped and shoved Harry behind him. He snarled viciously and began casting rapidly at the man that was so determined to capture them.

Harry quickly threw up shield after shield, supporting Tom as he fought against Dumbledore who's approach had only just barely slowed. He split his magic between the shields and giving Tom extra power.

"How the hell is he still so strong?!" Thanks to Harry, Tom was on even footing with Dumbledore, but only barely.

It didn't make sense to the Headboy. Dumbledore had used several high power spells to delay Tom and Sir Leighleas, trap Harry, and had just finished dueling with Sir Leighleas. So how did he still have so much power?

"Tom-" Harry groaned softly. He was being forced to tap into the magic of Hogwarts to keep them both from falling to Dumbledore's spells. The man had given up on non lethal spells and was now attacking them with everything he had. "I don't know how much longer I can go."

How had no one noticed the fight? They weren't that far from Hogwarts, and yet no one was coming to help. Had Dumbledore set even more traps and imperiused more people then Tom had first thought?

"Give up boys." Dumbledore didn't even sound winded. His eyes were blazing as he matched Tom spell for spell. "You are only making this harder on yourselves."

There didn't seem to be any way for them to escape. If Tom stopped attacking, then Dumbledore would hit their shields and break them before they could run or apparate away. Tom couldn't send Harry for help because Harry was the one keeping the shields powered and if Harry ran he would become a target for Dumbledore.

Tom's best plan was for them to hold out as long as possible until SOMEONE took notice. It was a bad plan and Tom knew it.

"Please," Harry was on his knees, his legs having grown too weak to hold him up. "Hogwarts. Please help." He couldn't take too much of Hogwarts power all at once, it would burn out his own magical core trying to control so much power. He also couldn't keep siphoning off magic the way he, it was wearing him out too quickly.

His pleas were heard and a sudden surge of power enveloped Harry and Tom. The two boys heard the trill of a phoenix and they were filled with renewed energy by its song.

"A phoenix?!"

The magic continued to grow stronger and stronger until Harry had to slam his eyes closed to block out the overwhelming colors.

Harry felt a tug in his chest that he had hoped to never feel again. "To-om!" He grabbed onto Tom's leg instinctively and held on as the magic that had been building and swirling around them coalesced into them.

It felt like they were being lifted, spun, and thrown all at once as the magic surged into their bodies. The world was a blur of color and shape that left both Tom and Harry feeling dizzy and nauseous.

After what felt like an eternity, they slammed onto the ground again.

"That," Harry swallowed hard to keep from throwing up. "Was definitely not what that should have felt like." He was sure they had just traveled through time, but it'd been so much more violent then from what Harry remembered.

"I feel like a heard of hippogriffs decided to have a dance party on me." Tom was laying on his stomach on the damp ground, one arm pillowed under his head and the other flung out to the side.

The two groaned for another minute or so before Tom was finally able to push himself up into a sitting position up on his knees. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he noticed the front of his robes were muddy from their fall.

"Well! It's about time." Harry lifted his head to look at the demiguise he had gotten to know. "Come, come you two. You need to leave quickly."

Harry finally noticed that he and Tom were laying rather close to the edge of the Hogwarts wards.

"He must not find out you have arrived. Not yet at least." Apollo was saying as he reached out to help Harry to his feet; since Tom didn't seem to need the extra hand. "Head to Gringotts. They will be able to help you from here."

"Gringotts. Got it." Harry's head felt like someone was pounding at it with a mallet and he was swallowing constantly to keep from being sick. He was feeling the backlash of the sudden and overpowered time travel that he now knew had been done by Hogwarts.

"Gringotts?" Tom could see Apollo the demiguise, but he couldn't understand the creature the way Harry could.

Harry groaned again and took Tom's hand to lead him past the wards. He shivered as they slipped past the wards and his knees buckled at the feeling of Hogwarts's magic no longer fully encompassing him.

"Take care young Heirs." Apollo waved at Tom and Harry before tapping into Ravenclaw's magic to return to the castle.

"Explain to me what happened," Tom was rubbing his temples trying to ease his own headache. "After we get as far from here as possible."

Harry nodded. "We need to get to Gringotts."

"Then off to Diagon Alley we go." Tom slipped an arm around Harry and took several steadying breaths to focus his magic. He was delighted to find that thanks to whatever it was that Hogwarts had done, his magic was back to full strength.

After a moment of fighting off his headache, Tom apparated them both away from Hogwarts and Scotland and to just outside of The Leaky Cauldron in London.

Special thanks to: Louise to, Deb

A/N: Remember guys, I do have a tumblr: ethrildragon. I usually announce updates and stuff over there. (I also love random questions)