I'M BACK!

I am so so so sorry that I have been gone so long. For those of you who did not check my profile, have a very good reason. I am now officially done with school and after a long time of term papers and research my faithful computer decided it was time to die. So I have been without a computer for a good 4 months! With only my 3DS to access to a limited internet, I would have gone crazy. And I was not able to get out anything to you all either, even though I know you all were waiting for me. Not that I haven't been writing, oh no. I have a chapter for each of my stories all written out.

Thankfully I have awesome parents as they got me my very own laptop! Now I have access to internet and am able to finally type out all my stuff. Let me tell you, my email is jam packed with all your reviews and I will read each and every one of them. I thank you for all waiting so patiently and without further ado, here is the next chapter!

EDITED: 8/5/17


Meant To Be

Chapter 17

After the little scene with Ron and Hermione, Harry was a lot more careful when opening the door; checking the window to see who it was first. Luckily it seemed to be only a one-time thing as it did not happen again. Ron and Hermione came over almost every Saturday to see them and the other days Tom would come over.

Things by now were almost routine between Harry and Tom now. Neither of them felt the urge to kill the other, nor was there any hate or anger, they just were. It would be hard to describe it to an outsider, but to them it was natural, it made sense. They actually got along and were comfortable with each other enough to have an actual conversation without arguing and Harry no longer felt the urge to flee with Wynter every time Tom came over. Which was why when Tom stepped into the cottage and found no one there he felt a shiver of fear go down his spine.

He had knocked on the door as usual and expected to have the door open and see Harry's expectant face, but instead, there was no answer so he had let himself in. It wasn't breaking and entering because he didn't care and plus the door was unlocked, but as he looked around he could already tell that no one was there.

Harry can't go anywhere, so where is he? Tom thought as he started looking around the house. To town maybe, but he would be back by now.

He checked the kitchen, but it was empty, as was the bathroom. Panic started to grip him as he came up with nothing. It wasn't like him to lose his cool, but the thought of Harry and Wynter being gone made him feel something that he never felt before: fear.

"Harry?" he called out into the silence.

Tom quickly walked down the hallway checking the closet door as he went and tried to clear his mind. He hadn't done anything to anger Harry, so there was no reason for him to leave. Unless.. Unwanted images of Harry and Wynter being dragged away flashed into his mind and he had to shake his head to focus. Who dared to take my family from me? he thought, fear and anger bubbling up inside him.

Wynter's room was just as empty as the rest of the house, the crib empty in the corner with her blankets and toys; the only comfort Tom had was that everything was still in its place, the people were missing. There was only one more room left and Tom opened the door to Harry's room with trepidation, hoping that Harry was in there with Wynter curled up by his side, but they weren't. They were gone. Gone!

Then miraculously he heard laughter.

It was distant but he heard it. Tom strained his ears to see if he could hear the sound again. There! he thought as he heard the unmistakable bubbly giggle and the deeper warm laugh again. Outside? He quickly made his way to the window and looked out.

There they were, sitting in the shade of a tree. Harry sat out on the grass next to a little wading pool where Wynter was splashing the water having what looked like the time of her life.

Relief swept through him and left Tom sagging against the window frame staring out at them as they played in the late afternoon sun. Wynter was wearing a light pink and purple polka-dot swimsuit with a skirt, pigtails on either side of her head splashing the water with both hands with the biggest smile he had ever seen. Her mother was holding her up securely against the side of the pool so she wouldn't slip or fall. Her bubbly laugh is contagious and he could feel himself smiling too.

Harry obviously couldn't help himself either because he let out a carefree laugh as he watched Wynter. He was wearing simple blue jeans and a red t-shirt with some sort of printed logo that was soaked with water. Jet black hair waved freely in the warm breeze and wild green eyes sparkled with joy.

Standing there watching him, Tom couldn't help but think of how beautiful Harry was in that moment. He felt his heart skip a beat (though he would never admit that it did) as Harry gave a breathtaking smile to Wynter as she looked up at him. Shaking his head to clear it, Tom stepped away from the window and back through the house and out the front door, since the little cottage didn't have a back door, and made his way around the back. He paused by the wall to watch the two of them.

Wynter was splashing the water around making what Tom now saw was rubber ducks move with the waves.

"Hey! Don't splash me!" Harry said as water sloshed over the side. He lightly splashed her back and Wynter shrieked in delight.

Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and felt like he was being watched, so he looked up to see Tom leaning casually on the side of the cottage watching them. "hi," he said lamely.

"Hi," Tom said back softly then walked toward them, "having fun?"

"Yes, lots of fun, huh Wynter?" Harry asked her. Wynter giggled and splashed some more. When she saw Tom she started splashing even more as if to show him what she could do.

"Hello there sweetheart," Tom said and knelt down by the pool.

"You may not want to sit there," Harry said.

"Why?"

"Because she might-" Wynter splashed and water flew out and wet Tom in the face, "Wet you," Harry finished, then burst out laughing. Tom pulled away as Wynter continued to splash so he would not get wet again. "She got me too," Harry said gesturing to his clothes.

"I can see that," Tom said and gazed at the pool questionably.

"Oh yeah," Harry grinned sheepishly. "I went to the store today and I saw this really cute swimsuit for Wynter," he said lightly tugging on the fabric on Wynter's shoulder, "I just had to get it, but what's a swimsuit without a swimming pool? So I got this," he said patting the plastic pool.

Tom nodded, "She seems to be enjoying herself."

"Yeah, she'll definitely sleep tonight." He sighed and stretched his back, "I should take her out now, she's going to be all pruney. Come on sweetie time to get out." Wynter fussed a bit but she was pulled out and Harry wrapped her in a towel. He removed his wand from his pocket and made the water disappear and the ducks form a line and trot into the bag they came in. Wynter watched in fascination as the ducks moved one after the other into the bag then close itself.

"You could have just vanished them into the bag," Tom commented.

"I know, but I like to show her magic and see her reactions to it," Harry said and floated the pool to lean on the side of the wall. Tom hummed in agreement and followed them around to the front of the cottage and inside. "I'm going to get her changed," Harry said heading down the hallway, "Make yourself comfortable, just don't break anything."

Tom made a face. Him break something? The very idea was absurd. Tom sat down on the couch and relaxed back. It was strange for him to be able to do so, but he found himself comfortable right there in his enemy's home. Though they were not really enemies anymore, what they were was a mystery and it made his head hurt to try and figure it out. He stood back up when Harry returned to the living room with Wynter fully dressed and placed her in her play pen. When he straightened, Tom pulled Harry to him and kissed him deeply. When they pulled apart seconds later Harry looked up at him with a slightly flushed and confused face.

"I don't believe I greeted you properly," Tom answered his silent question.

"Oh...well hi then," Harry said pulling away.

"Has she started to do anything yet?" Tom asked looking down at Wynter in the play pin. She let out a shriek of glee when she saw him and waving her arms at him making Tom smile.

"No, only that she is starting to lift her head up on her own, but you already know that. Don't worry I'll let you know if she starts to do anything," Harry said from the kitchen.

Tom nodded and looked in and saw Harry pulling a metal bowl out of the fridge. "What are you doing?"

"Making cookies," Harry replied, turning on the oven to the right temperature.

"Making..."

"Cookies," Harry finished for him.

Tom paused, watching as he moved around the kitchen. "Why?"

"Because it's fun. Plus I don't really have anything to do around here besides reading and that gets boring after a while. So I bake."

"I didn't know you could."

"There's lots that you don't know about me, Tom. But I'm a pretty damn good cook if I do say so myself."

Tom froze at the sound of his birth name and saw that Harry did too. Harry glanced over at him and asked, "Is that ok?"

Tom thought for a moment and found that he didn't mind it coming from Harry's mouth so he nodded his head, "Yes. It's fine."

"Okay good, I wasn't sure of what to call you," Harry said turning back to the dough and scooping it up into little balls to put on the cookie sheet. "I mean Tom is your name but you don't like it and Riddle is...I don't know but you don't like that name either and I don't want to call you Voldemort because I am trying really hard to separate the two of you."

"Why?" Tom asked.

"Because you are you and Voldemort..." Harry paused unable to explain it, but he didn't need to.

Tom understood what Harry was trying to say. As Voldemort, he has done a lot of terrible things and hurt a lot of people, but as Tom Riddle, he hadn't done much of anything. Except for maybe in his youth, but there were not many people around from that time anymore. "I understand." Harry gave him a grateful smile and went back to work. "Where did you learn to cook?" Tom asked, curious.

"At the Dursley's. They usually made me cook for them and I found that I liked it. It's even better now that I can do it at my own pace and whenever I want. Do you know how?"

"Having lived in the Muggle world for a time I know the essentials, but apparently not as extensively as you do," Tom replied. "Though I don't know why you like to do such a muggle thing when you have magic."

"I told you, it's fun." At Tom's unconvinced look, Harry elaborated. "I guess it's like making a potion. You mix together different ingredients and it creates something that you are proud of. Cooking is like that...only it tastes good."

"I guess I can understand that," Tom said.

"Good. And that should do it," Harry said and placed the sheets into the oven. He set the timer and then led the way back into the living room to pick up Wynter. They sat down on the couch with Wynter in Harry's lap and talked about various things, mostly whatever Harry had read in a book. Tom was surprisingly patient with all of Harry's questions when he got stuck or didn't understand something and Tom was more than happy to help.

After a while, the timer in the kitchen went off.

"Oh they're done," Harry said glancing to the kitchen. He got up with Wynter and made to put her back in her play pin but hesitated. He looked at Tom who was watching him curiously and decided. "Here," he said handing Wynter to Tom.

There was a flash of what looked like fear in Tom's eyes, "What?"

"I have to get the cookies before they burn, hold her."

Tom floundered for a moment unable to truly understand what was going on and in that moment his daughter was placed into his arms.

Harry smiled at Tom's uncertainty, "Just let her rest against you, she knows what to do. Just hold her tight enough so that she doesn't fall."

Tom nodded and Harry let Wynter go to let her fully rest against him. He was careful to let her settle against him before he secured his arms around her.

"You got her? Okay, I'll be right back. Oh, I hope they didn't burn..." Harry said and left for the kitchen.

Tom couldn't believe that he was holding his daughter. For one, Harry would never let him and two, he didn't know how; he was afraid of dropping her. But it was surprisingly easy, she was so light and she just sat there in his arms looking around to where Harry went. After a minute she tilted her head back to stare up at him and Tom looked down into bright green eyes. They were so similar to Harry's it was uncanny, but they looked up at his with such innocence and happiness that he instantly wanted to protect that.

Wynter suddenly shifted in his arms and he gripped her tight, afraid that she would slip. She made a sound and Harry peeked in from the kitchen.

"Just let her move she'll be fine. You won't drop her," Harry called out to him.

Tom listened and loosened his grip and she turned herself slightly to lean into the crook of his arm so she could look up at him better. When she was settled she gave him a big smile and Tom couldn't help but smile back. She lifted up her arm and lightly touched his face with her tiny fingers and cooed at him.

"She likes you," Harry commented coming back to sit on the couch next to him.

"Does she?" Tom whispered, using a finger to touch her hand and she wrapped her fingers around his, tugging on it.

"Of course, she knows who you are. Here," Harry said handing him a cookie, "Try one." Tom looked at the cookie with suspicion. "Oh come on, I'm not going to poison you."

Deciding to give it a chance he took it and took a bite.

"Well? You do like chocolate don't you," Harry asked as he watched Tom chew. He did nothing for a moment just chewed...then put the rest in his mouth.

Harry smiled, "Glad you like it."

Harry allowed Tom to keep a hold of Wynter as they continued to talk. Mostly about how big Wynter was getting and when she was going to show signs of magic. So far there had been nothing but that was okay, it was still early. By the time Harry was finished baking and he put them away Wynter had fallen asleep, tucked in Tom's arms.

"And she's out for tonight," Harry commented.

Tom looked down at Wynter as she slept, "Looks like it."

"Time to put her to bed then," Harry said and led the way to her bedroom.

"How do I...?" Tom asked, standing over Wynter's crib.

"Hold her head and lower her...there, see easy right?" Harry said.

"She's so light," Tom commented.

Harry laughed, "You say that now, try holding her for a few hours."

"I was..." Tom said uncertainly.

"No, she was just leaning on you, if you were actually holding her...she kills my arm after a while."

"Is she really that heavy?"

"Doesn't look like, does she?"

Tom nodded and looked down at Wynter sprawled out on her back. So peaceful and sweet...

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"I was just thinking...how it was possible that people like us could create something so..." Tom shook his head unable to come up with the words.

"I ask myself that every day," Harry said, "Come on," he said and led him out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"How old is she now?" Tom asked.

"Five months, two weeks," Harry replied.

"She's getting so big."

"I know. Before we know it she'll be walking."

"Talking."

"Using magic."

"Going to school."

"Dating..." Harry said hollowly.

"Oh god," Tom muttered.

They stood in the cramped hallway for a moment staring at each other, then cracked a smile at each other.

"Look at us, parents. Did you ever think it would ever happen?" Harry asked.

"Never. I just hope I'm doing everything right."

"Me too. But I think we are doing a good job."

Tom nodded and glanced at Harry who was looking at Wynter's door. Staring at him with his windswept hair and bright green eyes Tom felt his body start to react to him. That was not good. He quickly reverted his eyes, "I should go." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harry clench his teeth and nod. So it wasn't only him. "Then I shall take my leave."

Harry nodded again and turned toward him for a kiss as was their custom. Tom lightly cupped Harry's cheek and leaned down to kiss him. As soon as their lips touched he knew it had been a bad idea.

Harry instinctively wrapped his arms around Tom's neck as the kiss deepened and he felt Tom slid his around him. I should have just let him leave, Harry thought as Tom's mouth found his neck. Even though he thought that he was relieved that it was finally happening again. It had been far too long.

With the help of the strange pulling and their own desires they stumbled into Harry's room and within minutes their clothes were gone and were free to explore each other's bodies. Unlike any other time they had slept together, they were both completely willing. No words were spoken as flesh met flesh except their breathing and moans of pleasure.

Tom rocked his hips with Harry's as they rubbed against each other, pulling gasps of pleasure from Harry's lips. Before they could both come he pulled away and ran his hands down his sides to his stomach to place the anti-pregnancy spell. With that done he slickened his fingers and slid them into Harry's hole, preparing him for his entry.

Harry gasped at the intrusion and grasped Tom's shoulder to get him closer; spreading his legs to help Tom get better access to him. He wanted this, no matter how much he may want to deny it, he wanted this. Wanted Tom inside him, with him...Harry didn't even understand what that meant but as long as Tom kept doing that with his fingers and mouth, he never wanted him to stop.

Tom looked down into deep green eyes that silently pleaded with him to hurry up. He didn't need to be told twice and didn't waste any time to fully sheath himself inside of Harry.

"Oh God," Harry gasped, throwing his head back.

Tom groaned with him. It felt unbelievable after so long resisting being with each other. It was like coming home.

Tom immediately set a fast pace; driving himself deep and hard into Harry, one that Harry seemed to like with all the noise that he was making, and oh how he loved to hear it. It didn't take long for each of them, they were already on edge as it was.

When they were close, Tom took a hold of Harry's cock and started stroking him in time with his thrusts. Harry came crying out Tom's name and pulling him down. Tongues dueled fiercely in a passionate kiss as they both came, riding out the waves of their orgasm.

Tom collapsed onto his side as dark spots started blurring his vision again. He felt Harry weakly grasp his arm before everything went black.

xxx

Harry opened his eyes and realized immediately what had happened. He sighed, "Again?"

"Apparently," said a voice from beside him.

Harry turned his head and saw Tom laying down beside him, one hand behind his head. He blushed and looked away, gripping the sheets between his fingers. He looked out the window and saw that it was dark out, so not that much time had passed, unlike last time.

"Three weeks."

"What?" Harry asked looking over at him.

"How long we lasted. Three weeks," Tom answered.

"Oh," Harry said and looked to the window again.

"You noticed it's still dark out," Tom commented.

"Yeah. We weren't out as long. Why is that?"

"I am not sure."

"...now what? This can't keep happening," Harry said softly.

"I have yet to pin point what it is that is pulling us together, but we can last three weeks with just intimate touches."

"I guess we have to sleep together all the time now," Harry said sarcastically. He quickly looked to Tom when he didn't say anything to find him staring at him. "W-What?"

"I am not...opposed to it."

"What?" Harry repeated, his heart beating fast.

"It is not as if I don't like it, I do find sleeping with you to be highly enjoyable."

Harry blushed and looked away unable to say anything. It was ridiculous to even think it. It was one thing to kiss him, but to sleep together was a completely different. "I thought that was what we were trying to avoid," he managed to get out.

Tom looked up to the ceiling, "It was, but it does not seem to be working. Whatever this is that is pulling us together seems to want us to sleep together, it makes sense to just do it."

"H-How can you say that?" Harry asked bewildered that they were even considering it.

"I do not like being controlled," Tom said his face darkening slightly. "It would be better to do it on our terms and not be forced into it."

"But...but..." Harry floundered.

"If you are uncomfortable with it, we can just return to the way things were... and be right back here in three weeks," Tom said loftily.

"Fantastic," he muttered.

"It won't have to be every day, but often enough so that we are in control."

Harry stared at the ceiling and thought and Tom let him. What Tom said did make sense, if they kept doing what they have been, they would end up back in bed with each other sooner or later. And they could only use Wynter as a distraction for so long as was proved that night; as soon as they put her to bed they had been all over each other. Harry couldn't really play the "they were enemies" card anymore because their...whatever it was, had changed into something different and they actually got along.

He blushed when he remembered what Tom had said. Harry couldn't lie to himself and say that he didn't enjoy having sex with Tom. It was absolutely brilliant and satisfying and...there really were no words to describe it. It helped that Tom was very pleasing to look at too. There was only so much that simple kisses could do, and lately, they hadn't been enough.

Even though it was all logical to just do it, he was afraid of what it might mean. They were already getting close and if they were to take it a step further, who knew what might happen.

Yet it was a chance he was going to have to take.

"Okay."


Whew! Finally got that out. No matter how many sex scenes I do they are still hard to write. Anyways, I hope you liked this update, I tried to make it extra good for you for being so patient with me. Hopefully, I will have the next chapter put as soon as I update everything else. Ciao!