Ok guys I have to apologize for taking SO long to update this story, I feel like a great big bag of words this story's rating won't let me type and aren't at all fit for polite conversation, or in this case polite notes. Things have been crazy in my life for a while and I feel terrible for not working on this story when I did have the time to over the past year, I had terrible writers block and was rather stressed out a large amount of the time.

I'd also like to thank all of you who reviewed, and added this story to your follow and/or favorties lists, it really means a lot to me and it really helped me start writing again. You guys are awesome.

Warnings : The usual

Disclaimer : I don't own anything but the plot, any OCs that may show up and my ideas, Harry Potter and all other characters from the works of J.K. Rowling are merely visiting to play in my sandbox.

My Wonderful Beta : Storm Scripter

So now that's done, let's get this show on the road!

Chapter 9

No one had ever considered Harry a fearful child, quite the opposite in fact most thought he was rather brave and out going for someone his age. Harry was always quite willing to try and be friends, he succeeded in making many, only to lose them when they found out his very best friend was 'That Tom Riddle', they had heard so many horrible things about.

This had never bothered Harry, for Tom would always come before those who left him because of his friendship with Tom. Tom's friendship was his most valuable treasure and something he would never willingly let go of.

But recently Harry had been worrying, worrying that perhaps...Tom would let go ... leave him. Would Tom outgrow Harry's friendship like Susanna Park had outgrown her doll and leave him for the world of magic they had recently found out about? Harry needed him, Tom was essential to Harry's life, but when it came down to it did Tom really need Harry?

Fear seeped into Harry's life and would attack him at the strangest of moments. Like when he was staring at the sky from his place on Tom's bed and he suddenly realized he would have to sleep alone when Tom left for that magic school Mr. Wool's journal talked about. Or the time he was helping Isobel in the garden and he found the strangest creature, it almost looked like a tiny person with a strangely pinched face, grasshopper wings and stick-like oddly jointed limbs but couldn't show it to Tom before it got away from him because Tom's nose was buried in a book about magic.

What if Tom left him, for magic?

Without realizing it Harry had begun to hate magic, for it was the very thing that he felt was pulling Tom away from him. Tom wasn't even eleven! He shouldn't be leaving him so soon!

Young Harry began to fall into a pit of despair, his smile dimming so much that even Mrs. Cole took notice, though she wouldn't inquire about such things, especially not from that child as he was called occasionally.

And so it's here that we find Harry, sitting alone on the cold steps in the back yard of Wool's orphanage, on a dreary over-cast day. All around him children his age were playing games, some with dolls and toy trains, others skipping rope, while some simply played with each other for they had no toys, it wasn't as if the orphanage had enough of them.

Tom was once again at church, another day for the older boys and girls to help the community by cleaning the church and get some education about the word of the Lord. Harry knew Tom hated these days for he was forced to be polite and work alongside the other children like he was one of them, and then listen to those dull old nuns preach to them about how they would all go to hell if they didn't do as they were told and how wonderful God was for he was their saving grace.

Tom had spoken to him once, about how when he tried to work by himself, how one of those nuns had cracked the backs of his hands with a ruler when he said he wanted to work alone and out right refused to work with the others when they were cleaning the children's classroom.

The gray eyed boy barely spoke about anything other than magic these days, he had quit reading science books from the library and had begun to tear through the books they had found in Mr. Wool's trunk with a hunger it was near desperation.

Desperation to be with other magic folk, not some magic-less nobody like him.

Harry sighed and stiffened as a shadow came over him. With wide eyes he looked up, dread filling his stomach as he realized that Billy Stubs was towering over him. At the age of six, Billy was already much stronger and quite a bit taller than most of the children in their age group.

Billy knew this and had developed a strong taste for bullying those whom were unfortunate enough to be smaller than he was.

And Harry had recently become his favorite target.

"What are you doing Haaaaaary?" Billy asked dragging Harry's name out in such a way that the smaller boy had to hide a wince.

"Is poor Baby Harry alone? Don't got no one to play with you?" He asked making his lower lip tremble mockingly.

"Tommy boy ain't here to keep you company is he? No, I think me and my friends should start playing with you so you don't feel left out." He grinned threateningly and suddenly reached out to snatch Harry who ducked under his out stretched arm and ran past him, dodging Billy's lackeys as they too tried to grab him, Billy's grubby hand passing near enough for his ragged nails to scratch along Harry's forearm.

The chase was on.

Billy and his group of friends set about chasing Harry around the yard twice over, running through tea parties, tripping over skipping ropes and pushing other children down as they pursued him before Harry decided to try for the sanctuary indoors.

Harry's luck was running short though as the gang of bullies followed him inside, chasing him up the stairs, hands stretched out to catch hold of his clothes, hair, or limbs.

Panicking Harry flung himself inside the room he shared with Tom, slamming the door behind him.

Thinking quickly Harry grabbed the chair from the desk and propped it under the door knob as he had seen Tom do when Mrs. Cole was on another one of her late night warpaths and backed away from the door as the weight of four boys slammed against it, causing it to shudder and shake, the hinges moaning quietly in protest.

'Please, please hold up, please don't let them in.' Harry pleaded mentally to the door. Scared as another loud bang erupted from the other side of the door the five year old climbed under the bed he shared with Tom, covering his ears with his hands, keeping his silent mantra of pleas going in his head.

A few more bangs later and the sharp clack of Mrs. Cole's shoes could be heard coming up the stairs and then the hall.

"What in God's name do you think you boys are doing?" She squawked, the tone of her voice not unlike the sound of nails running down a chalk board.

The sudden silence that followed gave Harry the sudden urge to giggle.

"N-nothing Ma'am, just trying to have a little fun with Harry but he won't let us in." Billy stammered, trying to get on her good side.

"Well obviously he doesn't want to play with you if he's in his room with the door shut." Harry could very nearly see the sneer on her face; he could so clearly hear it in her voice. "And with you making all the noise you are out here. I'm surprised the Queen herself doesn't know you want to play with Harry. Now get back downstairs and outside before I decide to punish you all!" She snarled and the sound of the boys rushing down the hall followed the squeaked replies of 'Yes Mrs. Cole'. The sound of those running feet was music to Harry's ears, as was the sharp clack of shoes that in turn followed them.

Lady Luck had decided to smile upon him once more.

Climbing back out from under the bed Harry decided to leave the chair where it was in case they decided to come back and glanced around the room for something to do.

The dark green cover of the last bipology *- wasn't that what Tom had called it?- book Tom had borrowed from the library caught his eye and he decided that even if he couldn't read all the words he could at least look at the pictures in it.

Tom had started teaching him how to read last year and he knew most of the common words but sometimes larger, complicated words tripped him up.**

And so Harry sat there on their bed, picking his way through the large words until he gave up, and merely decided to look at the pictures of birds, fish, other animals, some even had humans on the pages.

Tom was seething on the walk back to Wool's. That stupid hare brained Betsy Tate had gotten him noticed by one of those stupid church goers who sometimes came to confess on the odd days that the children of the orphanage came to clean.

The man had been tall and thin, his eyes clear light gray with fading dark circles beneath them, clothed in what looked to be a wealthy fashion with a rather sharp looking suit in a dark, crisp looking material. This man had noticed him when Betsy had gone to whine about Tom doing something freakish again. Honestly it wasn't as if Tom had wanted to use his magic in front of her, he just wanted to reach that stupid candle holder that had been on the top shelf in the room they had been cleaning.

The glint in the man's eye when that pig tailed fool had rushed up to Mrs. Cole, squealing about how he had made the candle holder float down to him had sent a chill down Tom's spine. It was the same knowing look that he used towards others, never once had anyone directed anything of it's kind towards him.

The man had asked Mrs. Cole questions in a darkened alcove of the church, now and again sparing a glance towards Tom while he placed hymn books in the backs of the pews and righted the ones that had been shoved in place upside down.

Tom didn't like this man, though he knew that the man was more than likely to be magical.

His worry at the moment was for naught because after his discussion with Mrs. Cole the man left without another look in his direction which caused Tom's shoulders to relax more than he would ever admit.

So now the question currently burning in his brain was how to punish Betsy. And how to do so without anyone else knowing that it was him, because Betsy herself would need to know who she was being punished by.

Perhaps he should make her favorite doll dance her way into his awaiting hands when they were alone - that wouldn't be so hard to arrange- and then pulls it's head off in front of her?

He quite liked that idea.

But Tom was pulled from his plots of revenge when the dingy building of Wool's came into his line of sight.

Once inside he quickly went upstairs, intent on changing his clothes and then finding Harry.

He turned the knob and found unexpected resistance when he tried to open the door, almost as if...

"Harry? Are you in there?" Tom called, his brow furrowed as he removed his hand from the door knob.

"Tom? "came the muffled reply, followed by the sound of feet hitting the floor and the scuffle of Harry moving something. The door soon opened to reveal a rather ruffled looking Harry with the chair from their desk not far away.

"Why did you have the door blocked?" Tom looked from the chair to Harry and back again.

Harry mumbled something, looking down at the floor and his worn socks.

"Care to repeat that, I couldn't hear you the first time." The elder boy said as he slipped off his coat and hung it in their wardrobe.

"Billy Stubbs wouldn't leave me alone." Harry repeated himself, his head sinking further down.

Tom stiffened, cold fury filling his veins, how dare that stupid idiot try and lay even a finger on his Harry? How dare anyone try to do such a thing to him? Spinning around madly Tom grasped Harry's shoulders looking him over carefully to see if he was hurt anywhere, to his relief, he found no damage.

"Did he hurt you?" He asked to make sure there wasn't some injury he couldn't see, keeping a critical eye on Harry to catch any sign of a lie trying to pass his lips. He'd strip him if he had to.

"Just a scratch." Harry said, pulling back his sleeve then holding out his left arm for Tom to inspect. Three angry red lines were drug down from just an inch below his wrist to his elbow, they really looked worse than they felt, leaving Harry with only a slight sting when he twisted his arm too much.

"I'll kill him." Tom muttered under his breath as he traced his fingers over the scratches.

"Tom, it really isn't that bad, doesn't hurt at all, only stings a bit." Harry said honestly, trying to curb some of Tom's rage.

The elder boy narrowed his eyes then sighed, "He'll still pay Harry, he needs to know he can't do this to you."

Harry sighed and nodded, knowing it would be useless to fight Tom's need for revenge.

"Alright Tom, just don't get in trouble again."

Tom pulled Harry into a hug.

"I promise I won't Harry."

Gosh this chapter felt a lot longer in word than it does as I'm adding the final touches.

* Harry means biology but misheard Tom when he was talking about it, it's not a type-o.

** I was reading chapter books at Harrys' age (5) and had a fairly decent grasp on the english language. Tom's read the book once or twice to him, and as my amazing beta reader Storm pointed out, hanging around Tom it's hard to see Harry not picking up some more uncommon words for children his age.

Once again, I really am sorry for going so long without posting a chapter, but what can I say? Life happens. *shrugs*

As much as I love writing Only You, real life, my friends and family will always come first to me. I'm not sorry about that, the only thing I feel sorry about is leaving you guys hanging for so long, I know how it feels and I feel terrible for doing it to all of you who have been reading this story.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Only You, please review,

- Birdy