AN: I'm happy that I was able to get another chapter done for this story! Forewarning, however; a lot is going to be changing after this. Things will be included that I had no intention of including in the story. It makes things a little more complicated, but I hope that everyone enjoys it regardless.
Also, I would highly recommend switching to AO3 if you currently mostly use this site for reading fanfics. I'm not sure how much longer I plan on posting to this site, and if you want to continue reading my stories in the future, I will primarily be using ao3. I will finish the stories I have on here, but I don't know if I plan on posting new stories on this account. After this one is done, as well as Hidden in Plain Sight, I might switch completely to ao3.
If you want to find me there, I have the same handle there. I go by SpoopyTheOtherAlien on ao3 as well. I also post there first. I sometimes forget to post on this site, if I'm being honest. The engagement is also better on ao3, from what I've noticed.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
As much as Harry wanted to deny it, the closer Yule break came, the more apprehensive he became. There was relief mixed in as well, but the apprehension wasn't easily ignored when accounting for Dumbledore. He caught cold blue eyes staring at him multiple times a day now, mostly during meals. The infernal twinkle had been absent for the past week, and he knew from experience that it meant trouble. One of the last times Dumbledore had looked at him with cold, calculating blue eyes, he had tried to compel him.
Harry shivered at the memory. The coldness seeping from Dumbledore tried to pierce his veins and freeze him on the spot. Then there was the fact that he had tried following Hermione and Neville a few weeks ago but was unable to because of the charmed necklace. The desperation was becoming glaringly obvious, and while he had counted on that from the beginning of the plan, it was still disconcerting. With the start of Yule break in two weeks, it meant that Dumbledore would break at any point.
Hermione could tell he was worried and in her caring way, she suggested they go visit the twins to try and get a breath of fresh air.
"This is a study week," Hermione had reminded. "The classes are just going to be about a review for the Yule exams and are completely optional. Why don't we go see the twins? They always manage to cheer you up," Harry smiled softly at that, though it was strained.
"I'm not sad," Harry said, feeling the need to make that point. His friend merely rolled her eyes in fond exasperation, but her touch was gentle when she laid a hand on his forearm.
"I know you're not," She responded. "If you were simply sad, I would suggest you go to the dungeons or visit Tom." Hermione withheld a grin when the wizard sported a dark flush at her words. "However, the twins are away from all of this. I think you need to get away from Hogwarts for a bit. A change of scenery." Harry blinked at that and tilted his head, dwelling on her words. "I know Snape helps you out more than most, but even when he helps you, you're still confined to Hogwarts."
"You're right," Harry sighed. "As much as I love it here, I do need some time away. I think being couped up here might be causing me to stress more." Hermione nodded at his words, looking at him in intrigue.
"I'm surprised you haven't taken the opportunity to visit Tom more if I'm being honest. It's also a change in scenery." Harry merely shrugged, sporting a slight flush that made Hermione narrow her eyes in contemplation.
"It's not like I haven't thought of visiting more. I just…feel bad, I guess." Harry turned to fully give his attention to Hermione. "I don't feel comfortable just up and leaving Hogwarts without you unless it's the weekend or an emergency happens." He explained since she knew that Sunday was when he typically visited Tom. "I've seen the way Dumbledore's been watching you too, Mione. I don't like it. I feel better staying here to make sure nothing happens when I'm away." Her eyes softened at that as she took his hand, giving a small, gentle squeeze.
"Harry, the necklace you gave me has been a lifesaver. It works perfectly and I haven't taken it off. I don't plan to take it off, for that matter. You're already protecting me, okay? I also have Luna, Neville, and even Ginny. You should also know from experience that I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. Or do you not remember our third year?" She joked, earning a soft snort at the memory. He shook his head, laughing softly.
"No no, I remember it completely. Are you referring to Malfoy's broken nose or the nasty hex you placed on Bullstrode?" He joked, making Hermione grin in triumph. "I know you can take care of yourself, Mione. The reason I've been so anxious is that I don't know what to expect from Dumbledore. What he tried to do that night was one thing, but it'll be another when he becomes more desperate. If he tried to compel me, what will he do once he's fully backed into a corner?" Hermione frowned, sighing softly.
"I am worried about that as well." She admitted with another sigh. "Do you doubt your ability to fight him off?" Hermione asked, curious to know what the answer would be. Harry bit his lips, shaking his head.
"No, not exactly." He answered. "It's not about me worrying about my power against his own, it's about worrying about what he plans to do. He's been alive for a long time. He's fought against Grindelwald and even Tom before. I suppose I'm more worried about what spells he'll try to use." She considered the response, nodding.
"Like a spell that's likely been removed. One from the war he had with Grindelwald." She surmised, making Harry nod immediately.
"Exactly. I'm still earning my Mastery in Defense and studying for it. Dumbledore is over one hundred years old. It would be foolish of me to deny the fact that he has decades' worth of knowledge that I don't. Knowledge, which is likely lost to us now," As much as he studied the multiple spell books in Tom's possession, a few months' worth of studying was nothing compared to years. There was also the fact that he hadn't even gone through the Black library completely yet and wouldn't be able to until Yule.
"You are forgetting one thing," Hermione said with such certainty that Harry was caught off guard by it. "Well, two." She quickly added. "First, you have your own spells that Dumbledore has no idea about. Spells that he would have no way of countering if you threw at him." She had a point, Harry realized with a small amount of relief. "And second, you have spells that only you and Tom can use. Parselmagic is powerful and only a parselmouth could fight against it. You have Salazar Slytherins' grimoire, something only you and Tom can utilize as well." He sighed, knowing she was right.
"Yeah, you're absolutely correct." Harry agreed, thinking back to how he first barged into Riddle Manor all those months ago with the use of Parselmagic. It was almost weird thinking back on that moment when he had wandlessly disarmed Tom and sent a group of Death Eaters to their knees with a single flick of his wrist. That had been an extremely risky move back then, but one that paid off tremendously. If he could have done such a feat, then he should be prepared for whatever Dumbledore threw his way.
"It's okay to be worried, Harry. I'd honestly be a little concerned if you weren't." Hermione spoke, giving him another encouraging smile. "But I also know you overthink things sometimes, or that you doubt yourself when you shouldn't." He found himself giving her a smile in return, having heard about his apparently low self-confidence from several people in the past few months. It wasn't an easy thing to overcome, but he was slowly working on it. Severus helped him in several ways, and so did Tom for that matter.
"Alright," He gave a mock sigh, feeling loads better. "I suppose a visit to Fred and George is in order." Harry couldn't keep the smile off his lips as he said that, missing the chaotic duo and the laughter they brought wherever they went. It made him miss the times when the four of them would sneak off to the room of requirement to either study, or experiment with potions, spells, or prank products.
"You'll also get to tell them about the fun you have in detention," Hermione commented innocently, making Harry flush darkly as his lips parted. He groaned, flopping down on the couch as he looked up at the ceiling.
"Merlin, Mione. They're going to ask so many questions!" He flushed in remembrance at the duo catching onto his crush when he referred to Snape as Severus too many times. They hadn't even been surprised either, which had caught him off guard.
"Severus, huh?" Fred grinned as Harry flushed at the tone and the waggling of ginger eyebrows.
"Finally realized you have a crush on him, Harry?" George had asked, grinning along with his brother. Harry opened and closed his mouth like a fish, turning to Hermione for help, but she just grinned right along with them. "Don't look so surprised. We know you better than anyone else does. Of course we'd notice when you like someone."
"Your eyes get so expressive when you've got a new crush," Fred grinned. "They light up and get a dreamy look in them." Harry just flushed more, hiding his face with a huff. Hermione snorted softly, covering her mouth to stop from giggling openly. The flushed wizard gave her a look as he sighed.
"Go ahead, Mione," Harry said with a small smirk. "Tell them," Snorting again, Hermione turned to the pair of gingers, smirking when they gained a suspicious look on their faces.
"Funny you should say that considering Harry had a crush on you two in his fourth and fifth year," The tables were turned as the twins froze, their jaws dropping.
"What?" They said together, the pair were in shock as they turned to Harry at the same time. He had been surprised they didn't get whiplash. "Is she joking?" Laughing at the surprise in their tone and the slight flush on their cheeks, Harry shook his head.
"Nope." He said, popping the p at the end. "Had a huge crush on you in my fifth year. I never said anything because I didn't want to ruin our friendship if things became awkward." The twins merely huffed and crossed their arms at the same time, pouting at him.
"We had a crush on you around the same time, Harry," Fred spoke, but there was a teasing gleam in his eye that showed he wasn't upset.
"Never said anything because we were worried how you'd take it. We come as a package deal," George grinned, making Harry snort and shake his head.
"Oh, I know. That's what I wanted," He grinned back, enjoying making them gape at him again. "I'm surprised you didn't know I wanted to be sandwiched between you two back then." The pair had let out shocked laughter, eyes gleaming. "Even if I don't think about that anymore, I'm sure Lee Jordan does," Harry commented easily, making the twins flush again, innocently looking away.
The crush he had on Fred and George in his fifth year had vanished within time. They were all close friends, and he didn't want to mess that up. There was also the fact that his feelings did change after a while. Their teasing was gentle flirting, platonic with the intention of leading nowhere. They were best friends and after a while, Harry couldn't envision himself with them. It just didn't feel right.
"Then you'll just have to ask questions about Lee Jordan," Hermione grinned back, making Harry pause and slowly smirk. "Like if they've managed to woo him yet," Harry grinned at the idea of the twins taking Lee out for a date and how awkward they would be.
"They can be suave when they want something or when they want to tease, but once you add real emotion into it, those two start to trip all over themselves." Harry chuckled. "I think that's another reason we wouldn't have worked out in the long run, honestly. All three of us couldn't be disasters at once."
"Merlin," Hermione groaned, nearly face-palming. "As funny as that would have been, it would have been a nightmare."
"It's a good thing you decided to visit," Fred spoke with a devilish smirk. "Because we've created a new product that we want you two to look at." Harry felt at ease with their presence, moving to one of the tables to get a better look. From what he could see, it was an average candy tin.
"Freddie," George spoke with another grin. "You didn't even tell him what it does."
"I was being nice to you, Georgie. I thought you might want the honor," The two grinned at the same time, moving even Harry closer to the table.
"You see, we got an idea after you told us Dumbledore was stressing you out." Fred began, tone slightly serious. "And we didn't like that one bit,"
"Not at all," George frowned. "No one messes with our favorite Gryffindors while we're not around,"
"Quite true, George. And since our favorite Gryffindors are being messed with, we decided to mess with his favorite food," With a wave of his wand, the tin opened and revealed multiple candies, all of which looked like the absurd lemon drops that Dumbledore constantly fawned over. "The effects all differ depending on the candy,"
"Like elephant on a bicycle," Harry realized, the twins shooting him more grins.
"We got some inspiration from them, but these will pack more of a punch." Hermione raised an eyebrow at that, growing more curious as she gazed at the candies.
"Some are harmless. They removed all the color from your clothes." Fred began, and George quickly added. "or take away your ability to see color for the day." Harry smirked, particularly liking the effect it would have on some of Dumbledore's more…outlandish clothes.
"There's also one that tastes perfectly fine until you get to the end." George leaned back, particularly proud of his upcoming words. "Because it leaves a rotten taste in your mouth depending on how much of the piece you ate. The more you eat, the nastier the aftertaste will be." Hermione felt her eyes widen at the words, a look of slight excitement in them, a look she only got when breaking the rules.
"And there's one that makes you relive your worst memory a few minutes after you first start to eat it," Fred smirked. "Our goal is to get Dumbledore to associate his favorite candy with horrible things, making him incapable of eating them without getting sick, or no longer liking them."
"And we factored in personal taste too," George practically cackled. "The effects would be different for a person that despises lemon drops. Not much would happen to them if they ate it. The more you like the candy. The worse the effect will be." Harry couldn't stop his laugh.
"Merlin, that's absolutely brilliant! You two are geniuses." They pretended to preen at his words. "How long have you been working on these?" From all the work and detail the two had put into it, Harry wouldn't have been surprised if they were working on this for a while now.
"Since you first had to get a restraining order on him," George answered seriously. "We had to stop ourselves from making some of these more lethal," He joked, but Harry could hear the truth.
"Instead of poison, we have another specific candy that will make him horribly ill the next day. It was the best we could do without outright killing him. We exhausted all of our patients by not charming one to make him choke," Hermione snorted softly.
"It's a good thing he'll be gone soon. Otherwise, death by lemon drop would have been the next best plan," Harry choked on a laugh, shaking his head.
"That would have been priceless, though. A man who defeated a dark lord dying from a lemon drop?" The more he spoke, the wider his grin spread, another chuckle escaping the more he thought of it. The twins grinned softly, their arms going around Harry's shoulder affectionately.
"Good to hear you laugh like that, Harry," Fred spoke, giving a playful squeeze.
"Yeah. We've missed it. Once Dumbledore is gone, you have to promise us you'll laugh more!" The playful tone made him smile more, returning the affectionate squeeze, eyes bright.
"I can make a better promise," Harry added. "Once Dumbledore is gone and Yule is here, you're welcome to join me and Hermione in the Black Library," Their eyes gained a devious gleam, excitement thrumming through them. "Remus will also be around. I know he'll be happy with the prospect of research and the ability to experiment again. I know he's wanting to make another map too, and he's interested in the one we talked about for Diagon Alley," If possible, the twin's eyes lit up even more.
"An original Marauder helping us with the map?" The twins spoke in unison. "Wicked!"
It was about an hour later when Harry cleared his throat, knowing he should go ahead and tell them the truth.
"So, you know that crush I had on Professor Snape?" Their smirks made him blush darkly, wanting to sink away at their knowing looks.
"You mean the one where you got all stary-eyed when you talked about him?" Fred inquired nonchalantly, pleased with himself when Harry's face darkened more. "The same crush that made you smile to yourself whenever you thought about him?" Letting out a slight huff, he shook his head.
"Okay, I get it. You remember the crush I had on him. Well," He smiled to himself, ready for them to know. "I thought you would be happy to know that my crush was not unrequited," They grinned widely at him.
"Hell yeah," They wrapped their arms around him again, fondly ruffling his hair. "Look at you go, Harry."
"We're happy for you," Fred was sincere. "It's obvious that you cared deeply for him, and from what you and Hermione have said, he obviously cares deeply for you as well."
"He better make you happy, though." George smiled darkly. "He won't know what will hit him if he ever hurts you," Even though Harry knew Severus would never hurt him, it was nice hearing the protective tone in his best friends' voice. It reminded him of just how much he was cared for, and how much he cared for them in return.
"Thank you," Harry spoke to Hermione later that day when they returned to Hogwarts, smiling to himself. "I knew I was stressed from everything going on, but I wasn't aware of just how much I was overthinking things. Visiting them helped me a lot. I don't think I've laughed like that in a long time,"
"I don't think you have either. It was nice hearing it again," Hermione said with a kind smile. "Besides with me, I've only heard you laugh like that recently when you talk to Professor Snape or Tom through the journals," Harry considered that, knowing she was right. It looked like Hermione wanted to say more, but she was interrupted by Luna, who walked up to the duo.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked softly, multiple creature books in her hand that made Harry smile. Some of the tomes looked like they were pulled from a family library, if the weathered covers and faded words were anything to go by. He pulled out a chair for her windlessly, smiling up at her.
"Not at all, Luna. Is Neville with you?" Harry inquired, to which the younger shook her head.
"Not today. His grandmother requested his assistance. I believe it is about what is happening at the Ministry." Hermione and Harry shared a look at that, the pair's eyebrows creasing with worry. "Oh." She spoke up, a dazed look in her eyes. "Have you not heard?" Harry felt himself frowning more.
"Heard what?" Hermione asked, growing more concerned as well. She watched as Luna reached for her bag, digging out a recently printed paper. From the looks of it, it looked like it was the Daily Prophet, which usually ran in the mornings.
"It came around Lunch," Luna explained, folding the paper out so they could read for themselves.
BREAKING NEWS: DELIVERY FOR THE MINISTRY
At approximately eleven this morning, three fugitive Azkaban escapes were found dead at the Ministry of Magic. The three were disposed in front of the Fountain of Brethren, for all to see. The three victims were Bellatrix Lestrange, Rudolphus Lestrange, and Rebastian Lestrange.
Bellatrix Lestrange, Rudolphus Lestrange, and Rebastian Lestrange took part in a heinous attack nearly two decades ago against Frank and Alice Longbottom, torturing them to insanity. The three were imprisoned for using the Crucitas curse on the victims for an extended period of time, resulting in them being placed in St. Mungo's indefinitely.
Not long after their escape, the trio were involved in a battle at the Ministry. Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius Black, one of the last male Blacks in the bloodline. Sirius Black had been exonerated and cleared of his charges since then but at the cost of his untimely death.
The trio were some of the most infamous Death Eaters, answering to only their leader. Their first massacre only came to a halt with the demise of their leader nearly two decades ago. Now, two years after they escaped from Azkaban, the three have met their demise as well.
There are currently no suspects connected to this strange event, nor any eyewitnesses to give their statements. Mercenary, Vigilante, or good Samaritan, they have our thanks for apprehending some of the most feared criminals in our generation.
We can all rest much easier now that the feared trio has been apprehended.
Harry could hardly believe his eyes, which were wide as he reread the article, just to make sure it was real. He and Tom had discussed what needed to be done with the Lestranges, but to his knowledge, their deaths weren't supposed to happen for at least another month. Or until Dumbledore was apprehended at least. He couldn't help but wonder if something had happened that made Tom kill them sooner than anticipated.
"Merlin," Hermione breathed out, eyes latched onto the image of the three Lestranges tied around the fountain, unable to believe her eyes. She knew that Harry recently had a conversation with Tom about this, but she was under the impression it would be much later. Not that she was complaining, however. Knowing those monsters were gone made her breathe just a little easier. She could remember ending up on the fourth floor with Harry and Ron, seeing firsthand what the attack had done to the Longbottoms. She could remember Neville slipping the gum wrapper into his pocket, unshed tears in his eyes as he said goodbye to his parents that didn't even know him.
It broke her heart.
"Good riddance," Hermione mumbled after a moment, eyes flashing. "I hope they suffered for what they did to Neville's parents." Luna, ever gentle, nodded in agreement, her own eyes flashing for a brief moment in seriousness.
"Me too," Harry mumbled. "My parents are completely gone. I can't imagine what it would have been like to see them, but not talk to them. It's worse than being dead." Harry said softly, looking at the blurred picture on the cover. It was slightly censored to hide what he assumed were deep wounds. He doubted Tom was gentle with them, and he sincerely doubted he had simply used the killing curse on them. He would have used it once he was finished making a point.
But unlike the three he killed; he wouldn't let them stay alive to suffer as the Longbottoms had. He would have killed them almost immediately after he was done torturing them, and he certainly wouldn't have tortured them into insanity. As he gazed at the picture, deep in thought, he missed the way Luna's eyes glazed over.
"He did it for you," She spoke softly, almost to the point where Harry had to lean in closer to understand what she was saying. When the words registered, he felt a hot blush warm on his cheeks. He shifted his gaze, avoiding Hermione's suddenly piercing eyes. Before he could say anything, Luna was speaking in a dreamy voice.
"The orchestrated war is winding to a close. Even those in the middle have turned away," Harry blinked at her, the words playing in his ears as he tried to get a grasp of what it meant. "One of the monsters has been slain, the other will be quick to follow."
It hit him suddenly. He remembered telling his fears to Tom a few days ago. The public will never forget what the Lestrange family has done. Of the people who broke free from Azkaban, they are the ones who strike the most fear and disgust in the civilians and the ministry. That unrest is what worries me.
He did it for you.
Luna's words enter unbidden in his mind, trying to shove them aside as he focused on the meaning of her other message. Taking a deep breath, he tries again.
Those in the middle were the regular day-to-day civilians. Now that the Lestranges have been apprehended, the public will relax at knowing they're gone. There will be some who will question the Lestrange family and their demise, and there will be some who will always be suspicious as well. However, the majority would be relieved knowing the three cruel escapes were no longer at large. With them gone now, the 'war' would slowly fizzle out into nothingness after a while.
A genuine smile spread across his face, heart light at the added freedom this offers. No more cries for 'The Boy Who Lived' to save society or sacrifice himself in a war he never asked to fight for.
The other will be quick to follow. While those words promised the defeat of Dumbledore, something inside of him shuddered at the meaning. Quick. Meaning soon. He fights down the unease the thoughts bring up and instead thinks of the lemon drops that were waiting on Dumbledore's desk, ready to be eaten. He thinks of the pain it will cause. It makes him forget about the upcoming confrontation that is close to happening.
"I'm glad this is going to settle now," Harry spoke at the silence that had risen, wanting to breathe light back into their conversation. "The public will feel much safer," Hermione hummed, nodding immediately.
"And they will be safer as well. I remember facing off against them in our fifth year." Hermione had a small frown on her face at the memory. While people blamed Antonin Dolohov for her injuries, it had been Rodolphus Lestrange who had cursed her with the purple flame. From what she could remember from the battle, Dolohov had used dark spells, but nothing lethal. Most of the other Death Eaters had primarily used curses to stun or disarm them, or they had outright focused on Harry. When the Order came, they quickly turned their attention to them instead, fighting them even harder.
At the time, it hadn't mattered much to her because she was focused on surviving. It wasn't until afterward that she realized many of them were going easy on them, likely because they were so much younger. They were only fifteen years old after all.
"Rodolphus was one of the more brutal ones," She spoke, scrunching her nose at the painful memory. "The order blamed Dolohov when it was actually him who tried to kill me," Harry felt his frown deepen at that, remembering it as well.
"His brother was also the one who had tried to kill Ron with a similar curse," Harry recounted. "Besides the Lestrange family, the only other brutal Death Eater from that battle was Macnair, but he's just creepy in general." Hermione flinched at thinking of the executioner.
"Maybe he's next," Hermione mumbled under her breath. "Merlin knows no one will miss him," Luna hummed at that, looking a little dazed.
"No, he would not be. He is less unhinged, but that will not save him from his fate. His desire to see blood will be his downfall. Slytherin protects those they care about most," Harry couldn't breathe, the world stopping for just a second as her words landed, unsure of how to take them.
Was she prophesying Severus killing Macnair for him? It didn't make much sense considering Tom had ordered him to be left alone. None of his followers would dare disobey him, especially the ones who were ranked higher.
Hermione's confusion was obvious as well, her lips parted in shock as her lips started to move, quietly repeating Luna's words to try and make sense of it.
The more Harry thought about it, another thought came to mind. Perhaps he would be the one to kill Macnair? He was a snake in lion's clothing, and if Macnair planned on hurting his friends, nothing could stop him from protecting them. When Slytherin made friends, those friends became extremely important to them. They had a sense of trust and closeness that couldn't easily fade away. Their friends were small in number, but those friends they did have were extremely close. It made him think of his friendships and how close-knit they were. As he continued to ponder, Luna spoke up again, making his thoughts freeze in their tracks.
"You have Slytherin's heart. It will stop at nothing to protect you." Harry couldn't breathe at the words, face flushing darkly as he heard Hermione gasp beside him. When he turned to look at her, there was a small look of surprise, but it was mostly overshadowed by a familiar look of realization.
It was her 'I knew it' expression, and Harry had no idea what that meant.
As their conversation shifted to charms and magical beasts, Luna had to excuse herself an hour later, citing something about gedlewals being active this time of the day. When she left, it was just him and Hermione at the library table, their books spread across the surface. As he flipped the page, he felt his brain short-circuit as he realized something extremely important. Something that he had so obviously missed.
Luna had said Slytherin's in her last mystical comment. As in a single person, not plural. His heart thrummed wildly in his chest, face slowly heating up again.
Slytherin. He had Slytherin's heart.
"Oh," He whispered, placing his rapidly flushing face into his trembling hands, heart fluttering more.
Luna hadn't been referring to Severus, had she?
She was referring to Tom.
When he eventually lowered his hand and met Hermione's eyes, he released a long breath that he wasn't aware he had been holding. Of course she would have known. Of course she would have seen it. His friend had always been good at that.
"You knew," He stated in a small voice, the shock of it starting to vanish. Hermione gave him a slight smile, placing her book on the table gently, rubbing a finger on a small crinkle in the page.
"Not for certain," She explained, worrying her bottom lip. "I started to assume about a month or a month and a half ago," The bushy-haired witch explained. "From the messages you showed me and the way you described his interactions with you…" She trailed off for a moment. "It led me to believe there was something there," Harry sighed, rubbing his face slowly, aggravated at the flush on his face that would not go away.
"Severus is not going to like this at all," Harry mumbled, not wanting to make things awkward between Severus and the person he followed. Hermione considered that as she tilted her head, looking at him with a strange expression.
"And how do you know that he isn't already aware of Tom's feelings for you?" Harry was jolted at that, looking at her with wide eyes. She held up her hand, stopping him from speaking. "If I can figure it out from a few messages you've shown me and a few conversations you've told me about, I know he's likely to come to the same conclusion too. He's more intelligent than I am by miles." Harry felt his nose twitch in displeasure that that, heart sinking.
His sullen demeanor must have been more obvious than he wanted because Hermione was touching his hand gently, a look of concern in her eyes.
"This is bothering you more than you're admitting to," Hermione realized when she looked deep into his pain-filled green eyes, frowning more at the way they avoided her gaze. "Oh, Harry." She whispered in understanding. "You're in love with both of them, aren't you?" Her words broke the damn as he leaned forward, crying into her shoulder. She quickly wrapped her arm around her best friend, rubbing soothing circles on his back. "And you're just realizing it now, aren't you?"
"I don't know how it happened," Harry whispered brokenly. "I think part of me has known for a while now, but I ignored it. With my growing feelings for Severus at the time, it was easy to focus on that. But," His green eyes were screwed shut, trying to stop more tears from falling. "I can't ignore how he makes me feel, Mione. For Merlin's sake, I always blush whenever he compliments me or tells me how much he cares-"
"Hey," Hermione soothed him, rubbing her hand up and down his back more, tightening her hold on her distressed friend. "It's okay, Harry. You don't need to explain anything to me." She promised, her heart clenching at the broken voice of her friend.
"I don't want to lose Severus because of this, Mione," Harry whispered in a small, panicked voice that broke her heart more. "I love him so much. I'm prepared to ignore my feelings for Tom and let them fade away, so I don't lose Severus. It would kill me if I lost him," His heart sunk further into his chest at the thought of Severus sneering at him, or even looking at him with hatred, disgust, or Merlin forbid, hurt. He couldn't do that to the man. He would work to control his feelings for Tom. He would make the feelings go away and-
"You'll need to talk to him about this eventually, Harry." Hermione carefully said, not wanting to make him panic more. She felt him tense in her arms, shaking a bit. "You know I'm right. If I caught on to your feelings…" She trailed off, knowing he got the hint. He tensed more, heart racing in fear, ready to burst out of his chest and flee.
"I'm so scared, Hermione. I don't want to hurt him," As gently as she could, she held him closer, tucking him into her chin.
"It would hurt him worse if you kept this a secret, Harry, trust me." Harry swallowed the lump in his throat at her words, knowing she was right. It was either hurt Severus by telling him he also liked Tom, or hurt him by not telling him.
But, if there was one thing he heard about relationships, it was that communication was important. Taking a deep breath, he condemned himself to his fate.
"How are you so calm about this?" Harry asked after his tears had subsided, his voice returning to normal.
"Triads are extremely common in the Wizarding World, Harry. I know you used to have a crush on the twins, but relationships like that are more common than you realize." He pulled away, nearly gawking at her.
"You can't seriously be suggesting Severus would be okay with a triad, Mione!" Harry opened and closed his mouth, trying to form coherent words from the racing thoughts in his head. "I know you've seen him get jealous. I don't-"
"Just talk to him, Harry. It doesn't need to be tonight, but it needs to be a conversation you have. And no, I'm not saying he would be fine with a triad. I meant his reaction might not be what you're fearing because of how common triads are in this world." She soothed. "I know in the muggle world that monogamy is the norm, but that isn't the case here. The only monogamist creatures here are werewolves, but you already know that." Harry took a breath, nodding when he thought of Remus. "I'm not saying everyone is open to a triad, either, just that it is extremely common."
Harry took another breath, nodding.
"Thank you for this," Harry said slowly, flushing in embarrassment. "I'm sorry-"
"Don't apologize for anything, Harry. I remember when I got into that argument with Viktor last year, and you did the same thing for me." Harry paused, but soon nodded, a small smile on his face. "We've always got each other's backs." He smiled wider.
"Of course we do, Mione. There's a reason I adopted you as my blood sister." He teased, earning a playful huff.
Harry slowly opened the journal that was glowing, his heart pumping in his chest loudly. He swallowed hard and peered down.
Is something wrong? I felt an abundance of sadness and fear through our bond. Has Dumbledore done anything to you? I will apparate immediately to your side if he's tried to mess with you again. Smiling at the concern, he conjured a quill and wrote a response.
Everything is alright, Tom. I'm sorry for disturbing you. I promise that everything is okay. I just had a difficult conversation with one of my friends. It's all been worked out now. It was silent on the other end, but soon, words appeared on the paper.
I see. I am relieved that you are alright, however. You know where I am if you need my assistance with anything. You must be anticipating Dumbledore to make a move any day now. Grimacing at the words, Harry withheld the shudder that wanted to escape. I will be there if you call for me, Harry. I will not allow him to hurt you.
Severus had said something similar to him not long ago.
Thank you, by the way. He scribbled down. I was only able to read the Daily Prophet about two hours ago. I wasn't expecting you to kill them so soon. He felt a thrum of anger that wasn't his own and frowned.
Neither was I.
What happened, Tom? It went silent again. He had a feeling the man didn't want to share. Only if you feel comfortable telling me.
One of the lower-ranked Death Eaters let it slip that you had claimed the Black Lordship, and Bellatrix was displeased. She spoke of how her nephew deserved the title more, because he wasn't a Filthy Half-Blood and wouldn't tarnish the Black family name. She then went into account that instead of merely killing Sirius Black, she should have also killed you as well. Harry held his breath, eyes widening more. That was the final straw. As soon as she threatened to hurt you, I put her in her place, as well as her lovers.
Lovers. He hadn't been aware that she was with both of the Lestrange brothers, but the conversation he recently had with Hermione came back to his mind.
Perhaps it was more common than he realized.
Anyone who dares insult you in such a way will answer to me personally. I will not tolerate their insolence regarding you. He flushed again, biting his lips to try and quell the smile that was threatening to split forth. Nor will I tolerate their blood politics. Being a half-blood myself, I took great insult to what she said. Harry winced at that.
Merlin, it takes a lot for them to upset you. What did she say about Half-Blood exactly?
That we were an abomination. That we couldn't decide what we wanted to be. Since we were neither pureblood nor muggle blood, we were the scum of the earth. Harry sucked in a breath, his own anger boiling in his chest at her words. She also said we needed to be killed off, along with all the muggles and muggleborns.
I'm glad I wasn't there to hear it. I don't think my patience would have lasted long. It's rich coming from her. She's the product of incest, for Merlin's sake. If anyone was the abomination, it was her.
I agree. They were ruining the flow of magic. Harry wanted to continue the conversation, but he was expected in Severus' room soon. The thought made him swallow hard, afraid of facing the man after his realization.
But he needed to.
I've got detention with Severus soon. I should get going.
Detention? Dare I imagine what you did to aggravate him? Laughing softly, he penned a quick response.
Nothing like that. I secretly use that time to study for my Mastery in Defense. I perfectly behave in class; I'll have you know. If anyone were to give me detention, I imagine it would have been Dumbledore, but the man isn't allowed in the same space as me, except for the Great Hall.
I have no doubt you're well-behaved in class. Your intelligence is evidence of that.
Harry flushed at the words and shut the journal slowly, hiding his face in his hands with a deep, foreboding sigh.
"Merlin, what am I going to do?"
Yes, this will now stray into the 'poly' / triad territory. It will be Severus/Harry/Tom. Severus and Tom will not be romantically or sexually involved, though. They will share Harry.
I know some of you will be happy with this change, while some of you won't be. Regardless, I thank everyone for all that they've stuck with so far. It means a lot.