Harry hid a smirk when he saw Hermione's dazed expression as she took in the castle. Dark clouds had gathered around it, caressing the aged walls, and seeming to support them as well. The wrought iron gate stood tall and proud, shimmering slightly in the unwavering light of the moon. Owls hooted, the cries coming from one of the sparse trees that lined the cobbled path they were now standing on, and all around them the world was still. It wasn't hard to tell this was another realm.

Ron seemed to notice this, and a 'Blimey' fell off his lips, piercing the stillness of the night.

The gates glowed, darkness seemingly melting off the metal, but not dripping, and succumbing to gravity, the droplets merely formed the outline of a man, before the gates dissolved into mist, and allowed him passage through. Harry suppressed a laugh at Hermione's gasp, and seconds later, Tom appeared, his eyes glittering like sapphires, cold and aloof.

He was pale, his complexion glowing brighter than the gates behind him, bleached by the lunar light. The buttons from his waistcoat shined, adding colour to the darkened expanse, and the sharp click of his boots, as they quickly ate up the distance between them.

"I believe you promised a warning, Harry," said Tom silkily.

"Surprise!" muttered Harry weakly, to which Tom merely raised an eyebrow, his face remaining like it was carved from stone.

"Now, Ron, Hermione, Alderan, Lord of the realm has given you permission to enter. However, there are set rules. You cannot wander, there are things in this castle not meant for mortals, and it would be in your best interests to stay with Harry and myself," Tom's voice was pure business, and Harry could see his friends taking it in, slightly awed, but also, thankfully, understanding.

"Of course, we understand," replied Hermione, and Harry was impressed at how firm her voice was. Tom it appeared was too, for he smiled, just a twitch of the lips, but a smile nonetheless.

"Walk through the gate, you saw my entrance, it cannot hurt you, but the conditions are that you must be accompanied by both Harry and I," Tom turned, and Harry followed, with Ron and Hermione by his side. Hermione stared in awe, placing her hand through one of the bars, and her eyes glittering as it went right through, Ron uttered another 'Blimey,' and Tom got impatient, nodding to Harry who nudged them through.

The courtyard was quiet, candles in brackets illuminated the way up to the entrance. A figure stood in the doorway, the aged stance making Harry realise this was Nairne.

"Nairne, what is your business here?" asked Tom, marching up the steps, and standing before the old vampyre.

"This is highly unorthodox, Tom," came the critical reply.

"And it is also none of your concern. If you would kindly get out of our way, instead of hindering us like a blithering fool, then it will be over with, and you need not fret," Tom's voice grew dangerous at the end, and Nairne looked at him, his dark eyes sparkling with indignation, but remained silent, instead stepping sideways and letting them pass.

"What does he do here?" asked Harry, He had heard of the vampyre before, but never actually knew his purpose in the castle.

"He is the librarian. He is our font of knowledge in the ancient way... and some more useless facts," Tom's tone clearly showed he never really liked the man that much, and Harry had to agree.

Moving into the duelling arena, Harry grinned at Ron and Hermione's reaction to the cushioning charms. He himself indulged in a small bounce, and he saw Tom roll his eyes, moving away from the cold professionalism for a moment. Harry smirked back, getting another eye roll in return.

It was strange how being in Tom's chambers felt like coming home. As he sat down on the couch, he leaned back, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment.

Then he remembered who was there.

"Er... mate?" asked Ron, shuffling his feet, and putting on his 'This is really awkward' stance.

"Such a Gryffindor," teased Tom, and Harry glared at him.

"I believe you are outnumbered," retorted Harry, thankful that Tom had loosened up now they were in his territory so to speak.

"And I believe you need my help," Harry blanched at that, glancing up at his friends. Ron looked a little puzzled, and Hermione thoughtful.

"They want you to do it to me first as an example," Tom looked slightly impressed at this, and he smiled a little.

"Clever move. Ron, Hermione, I give you my oath as a wizard, and a Lord of this realm that I will not harm you, however, if a demonstration is your wish, then we shall now proceed," Tom was business-like again, and sat next to Harry, before gesturing to Ron and Hermione, "Please, take a seat, this will not take long."

"Thank you," they said together, both occupying the armchairs on either side of the fireplace, and it was then Harry knew Tom had anticipated pretty much all of their behaviour so far, although whether he expected his expectations to actually come to fruition was another matter entirely.

"Now, Harry, I want you to imagine two doors, one Light, and one Dark. Behind these doors lie your memories. Open the Dark door, and cross over, I will not be far behind," Tom's voice was gentle, lulling him into another state of consciousness. He could hear Ron and Hermione's steady breathing, the brush of Tom's lips as he spoke… Crossing through, he imagined the cold feel of the brass door handle, and opened it, feeling Tom's presence behind him, shadowing him, and following his every move.

Beyond the door there was chaos. A stream of memory was coiled, forever moving in an endless array of images. The room - if it was a room - contained no walls, and the memory snake seemed to go on forever, in a cycle that was awe inspiring. Placing a finger in the river, he watched as a few memories come to the surface... Tom in his room, telling him he was in stage three, and the vampyrism was advancing too quickly... Alderan apologising when he helped complete the transformation... Lysander talking to him about fighting a room of werewolves...

'Focus Harry!'

It should have been disconcerting hearing Tom's voice in his mind, but he couldn't help it. The memories glittered, like scales from a giant snake, blinding him with their tainted beauty. Dipping his finger in once more, new sights greeted him... The Elvin ritual... The gentle lap of the water in the pond... Tom's hands massaging daisy oil into his back... Their first kiss... The prophecy... Death Eaters... Lord Émeraude...

'Harry!'

Tom's words contained a bite to them this time, and regretfully Harry withdrew his hand, taking a few steps backwards just to be safe.

"What do I do now?" he asked, looking around, and sure enough seeing Tom standing by the entrance. His skin was covered in a thin layer of colour. Purple was the main one, but gold, and specks of icy blue swam through it like shoals of fish, and Harry remembered the last time he had seen Tom like this, and he realised that when he was sealing his magic, he hadn't fully appreciated the beauty of magic coating his lover like a second skin. He looked like a fallen god, and whilst he was biased, he would have dared anyone to challenge that assessment.

"You need to stand there and watch," said Tom with a smirk, striding forwards and placing his hands inside the stream of memory. Once again memories appeared, it was like they were in a cinema, the images hovering in the darkness before them... Hogwarts... Talking with Draco after hunting... Telling Ron and Hermione... Seeing the Castle of the Night for the first time... This time they were jumbled, however, and Harry never understood how Tom could keep track, with them moving so quickly now he could barely comprehend them even thought they were his experiences.

One thing he did notice, was that the snake was changing colour, and then he realised what Tom was doing. Little by little he was masking the impression the memory gave off, tampering with it, and turning it Light but only on the surface. When Tom was done, the river of memory was now encased in a purple haze, flexible, as if it would now mask all memories made after as well as before.

Feeling Tom withdraw from his mind, a sharp stab to his subconscious drew Harry from the depths of his mind, and he opened his eyes to see a somewhat tired looking Tom staring back.

"Are you alright?" was the first question that fell off his lips, and Tom gave a slightly strained smile.

"Undoubtedly you have more Dark memories than either of your friends, it just took a little more work that I had thought," replied Tom.

"Mate, are you okay?" Ron's face was filled with concern, and Harry gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, I never felt anything at all."

"Do you trust me not to harm you? Unless you are absolutely sure, then we are wasting our time," Tom's voice was sharp, and he gave Ron and Hermione a scrutinising look.

"I do," Hermione spoke up again, and wordlessly Harry stood up, swapping places with her.

He had to say, watching Tom work was fascinating. His face was a mask of concentration, and he could see his eyes moving beneath the closed lids. Now he could fully understand why Tom never wanted to do this in Hogwarts. By performing this much mind magic, he could see how vulnerable his lover was, and his mind was open for a skilled legilimens to take advantage of, something he could see Dumbledore taking particular advantage of.

It took about twenty minutes for Hermione to be released, by which point she looked slightly dazed, but otherwise fine. It was more Tom that Harry was concerned about. Hermione through her copious amounts of reading probably had more Dark memories than one would suspect of the Gryffindor witch, and he could see lines of strain and fatigue forming on Tom's face as he started on Ron.

Harry really couldn't help the concern that flooded him at this. Tom would never outwardly show his tiredness unless he really couldn't help it, and a selfish part of him wanted to order him to stop, despite his friends being in danger if this was uncompleted. He could feel Hermione's gaze on him as stared at Tom, and at one point he acknowledged it, seeing a small smile on her face, before his eyes returned once more to his lover. By this point he would have been blind if he never realised Hermione had figured it out. Ever since her and Ron had started dating, she had became annoyingly observational in relationship matters, and he knew they would be having a discussion later, but really couldn't bring himself to care.

By the time Tom was finished with Ron, his fatigue of palpable, and Harry knew he had to return Ron and Hermione to the castle, but he really never wanted to leave in the first place.

"Take us back, and then return, we'll cover for you," whispered Hermione, and Harry for once was thankful of her ability to know almost everything, including what he was thinking.

"You both feel okay, right?" Harry asked worriedly. The last thing he wanted to do was take them back if something had gone wrong.

"That was weird, but no, I'm fine, Harry," said Ron, his hand reaching for Hermione, as if he needed physical proof that she was alright.

"I'm fine too, that was quite fascinating, I think I might study more into Legilimency, that is if I can borrow your cloak," Hermione's eyes were lit up with enthusiasm.

"Sure," replied Harry absentmindedly. "Now give me your hands, I'm going to take you back now before anyone gets suspicious."

In almost the same amount of time it took him to Phase, he was back, moving quickly over to Tom. The elder vampyre was slumped slightly on the couch, his eyes half shut, and his breath too slow for Harry to be comfortable with. Acting spontaneously, Harry rolled up his robe sleeve, and not caring about the pain, bit into his wrist.

Offering the appendage to Tom, his lover began to drink, and Harry was almost blown away. It was unlike anything he had every experience. He could hear Tom's heartbeat in his head, the pulse becoming steadier as the moments passed. Euphoria bubbled in his system, and he couldn't help the spark of arousal that flashed through him. The pleasure seemed to double the more Tom drank, and soon he was panting, and trying to contain the moans that were clawing up his throat. Tom's eyes were dark, almost black, and within them was an animalistic quality he had never seen before, it was wild, frenzied… and before he knew it, gone.

Gasping, he leaned back, licking the blood that came from the twin punctures, still oozing deep, red blood. In minutes they were gone, the only memory was the high, that seemed to swell in his chest, and infect every other part of his body. Looking up at Tom, he saw a little of the animalistic quality lingering in his eyes, and before he knew it, his lover pounced, pining him to the couch.

The kiss was burning. The taste of his blood on Tom's lips sending fire through his system, burning out all thought, and leaving only smoulder ashes behind. It was fierce, teeth clashing, tongues tangling, as they tried to get as much of each other as they could. He could feel the heavy heat of Tom's arousal pressing into his thigh, and he gasped as Tom shifted suddenly, their members grazing, and sending a jolt of pleasure through his system that nearly overwhelmed him.

Tom hissed, trailing kisses down Harry's arched neck, and his mind was trying to cope with the sensations making their way through him. Interspaced between Tom's kisses, the elder would hiss 'Thank you' and Harry grinned, his eyes rolling back in his head as Tom began to attack the buttons of his robes. Shivering as his chest was exposed, he ran his hands down the elders back, biting into Tom's shoulder as one of his nipples was claimed by talented teeth, the pearly bud rolled between them, and tasted, until he was a quivering mess in Tom's hands.

Their magic joined together, blending more and more, as their skin was exposed. Experimenting, Harry removed Tom's shirt, and pressing their chests together, the moaned as their magic melded over the large expanse, allowing him a glimpse into Tom's need, before his lips were once again claimed.

He knew from this kiss that something had changed. The tempo was slower, it was more gentle, and opening his eyes he gazed into the sapphire blue ones of Tom, flinching slightly at the intensity, but he understood the meaning. Pulling away, he nodded, and once more Tom trailed kisses down his torso, but this time moving past his bellybutton and into uncharted territory.

Skilled hands removed his belt buckle, sliding down his trousers, and allowing his already weeping member to jut out proudly against his flushed flesh. He almost jumped of the couch when Tom's mouth engulfed it, his tongue swirling an intricate pattern on the head, changing it now and again just to surprise him, but not enough to make him come. Swallowing deeper, he felt the back of Tom's throat, and the elder hummed, the vibrations causing him to buck, the need to feel more of the wet heat getting stronger by the minute, and a strangled cry coming harshly from his mouth.

He was so close… so, so close, if only Tom would... But it seemed as if Tom had other plans, and long fingers journeyed passed his balls to a place that only receive special attention in the shower. Feeling a digit probe his entrance, he almost cried out when Tom released his cock, and intense eyes gazed into his own pleasure glazed ones.

"Are you sure, Harry?" Tom's voice was full of concern, a far cry away from the wild passion of before. To Harry the question was ludicrous. He couldn't stop now!

"Yes," he managed, trying not to roll his eyes.

"It will hurt," warned Tom, and hearing a muttered spell, he felt one of Tom's now slick fingers plunge in. It burned slightly, but that soon faded, and he wriggled impatiently until Tom added a second, and soon after that a third. By this point, his erection had wilted slightly, and then Tom crooked his fingers. The stab of pleasure sent his member right up, and he couldn't help the moan that slid from his lips. His hips jerked, and Tom smiled, hitting his prostrate again and again, until Harry's mind was a jumbled mess of incoherent thoughts bouncing off each other and only getting more fragmented.

"Are you ready?" Tom's voice anchored him again, and he sighed. Yet another stupid question. It appeared the heir was on a roll tonight.

"Yes, please Tom, just do it," begged Harry, and he heard Tom mutter another spell, and nearly cried when Tom removed his fingers, only to replace them with the blunt head of his member.

Inch by inch it was excruciating, and panting, he had to urge Tom to go on, the fear in his lover's eyes only getting more evident by the seconds. Mercifully, it was soon over, and Harry could feel their magic joining once more, this time more intimate, soothing the pain as it let him glimpse Tom's need again. Wanting him to move, Harry wrapped his legs around Tom's ass, digging his heels in until the elder got the point. Soon they had set a rhythm, and Tom raised Harry's hips, pulling him to meet his thrusts, searching for something, until... It felt like fire had exploded inside him, and he let out a surprised gasp. When Tom hit his prostrate again, he felt the magic amplify it, and Tom gave breathy moan, his thrusts quickening as the pleasure washed over them, until together they both fell over the edge, screaming their releases.

Panting heavily, Tom withdrew and collapsed next to him, his arms seeking Harry, who scooted along, settling down so his head resting over his bare chest. Hearing the frantic beating of his lover's heart, Harry felt their magic settle again, smouldering along their skin contentedly. Tom's fingers found his hair, combing through the black strands gently, and before he knew it, he was asleep.

A/N: Thank you for the feedback! This is my first unbeta'd full sex scene, and so comments would be appreciated - I'm going to apologise right now if it is awful though. With this chapter I felt back into the rhythm for the first time since I started writing it again, and so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it :D

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter :(

I apologise for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes contained within this chapter.

Please review!