!*!*! ATTENTION ... দৃষ্টি আকর্ষণ করছি ... ATENCIÓN !*!*
Disclaimer: One way that you know I didn't write Harry Potter is that I was too young to read or write when it was written. And, as I haven't been able to acquire a time-turner as of yet, I can't go back in time and write it before J.K Rowling. So, let's recap. It's not mine, and enjoy reading my fanfic.
Voldemort walked towards the book store with a slight spring in his step, Lucius, Draco, and Severus trailing several feet behind him. He would have preferred to see Harry alone, but Harry had grown fond, actually fond, of Draco, and it didn't seem to make sense to bring Draco, or Daphne as Harry knew him, without bringing Lucius. And if those two were coming, he might as well have Snape come as well.
He entered the shop, turning immediately towards the front desk where Harry would be sitting.
Only he wasn't.
Voldemort came to an abrupt halt and stared at the seated figure of Melissa. Over the past couple of weeks that he'd been visiting Harry, Melissa and he had come to an understanding. They mutually loathed each other. Yes. They absolutely loathed every detail about the other, but they were nothing but polite to each other when in Harry's company, since being unpleasant to each other would only lower Harry's opinion of them both.
Finally noticing that Voldemort that there, Melissa's hazel eyes landed on him with annoyance. "You again."
It really was so temping to curse her into oblivion sometimes.
"Yes, me again. Where is Harry?"
"He's not here."
He sneered at her. "I would have thought that was obvious since I don't see him, but I asked where he was."
"I don't know. He just called and said that he wasn't coming in. Okay?" she snapped, standing up and glaring at him.
The Dark Lord blinked. This was more than her usual belligerence. She actually seemed worried, and, since the topic was about Harry, that could only mean that she was worried about Harry. He felt a prickle of unease flash through him. "What's wrong with Harry?"
"Nothing," she said, avoiding his eyes and carefully stacking some books.
He crossed his arms over his chest and waited, silently, for her to crack.
She did in no time at all. "He just… sounded funny when he called in this morning. And not in a good way."
Voldemort nodded and did a neat about-face, walking out of the store. If Melissa had one redeeming quality that Voldemort didn't feel like cursing her for, it was that she actually honestly did care about Harry. No, scratch that. He wanted to curse her for that, too.
Severus's silky voice spoke from his side. "My lord? Is something wrong with Potter? Can you tell through your connection?"
Voldemort didn't answer him, but, as he walked down the street to Balance, he reached out with his mind, trying to grasp the intangible bond that was his mental link with the Boy-Who-Lived. It was so faint, and fading more and more everyday. Now, even if he tried, he could only feel emotions. None of the other's thoughts or visions entered his mind anymore. As he probed and grasped, a wave of emotion flowed over him, and he didn't like what he felt. Sorrow and melancholy were the two overwhelming emotions, tinged with anger and acceptance.
He shook his head firmly, trying to banish the unwelcome feelings. What could be making Harry feel like that? Oddly enough, he didn't like it. He didn't like the thought that the boy was feeling this way.
He pushed it out of his mind as he crossed the threshold into Balance.
The same buxom, bleached-blonde, curly haired woman who had been sitting behind the desk the first time he had gone there with Harry was still there, talking into the phone at a pace he hadn't imagined possible. Surprisingly, and although she was mildly annoying, he didn't mind her. That might have had something to do with the fact that she seemed to approve of him, for some reason. And it didn't hurt that it was hilarious to watch Draco's reactions when the woman tried to pinch his cheeks and coo over him.
As soon as she saw him, she said into her phone, to the person she was talking to, "I'm sorry, you're boring and irritating, and I have much better looking people to talk with."
A shriek and several unintelligible words came over the phone, and the woman replied, "No, I know that I can't see what you look like, but, judging by your voice and attitude, you're short, scrawny, bad-tempered, and look like a balding hyena…. What? Speechless? I must have guess right. Have a good day now." And, with that, she hung up the phone.
Yes, he really didn't mind her, although was she allowed to answer phones like that?
She beamed up at him. "Hello! Looking for Harry?"
He nodded, turning on the charm with a smile. "Yes, I am. Would you happen to know where he is?"
She tapped a pink and sparkly pencil against her painted lips in thought. "I don't know for sure, but, if I took a guess, I'd say he's at his apartment. It's funny, though… the same thing happened last year."
He jumped at the chance for information. "What exactly happened?" he inquired with just the right amount of polite inquiry in his voice.
"Last year, on the same day, he called and said he couldn't come in. He sounded…"
"Funny?" Voldemort supplied.
She nodded. "Yeah. That describes it." He opened his mouth to ask a question, but she beat him to it. "You want to know where he lives?"
He blinked. She was actually going to offer up the information? Without him having to either coerce, charm, or magic her into doing it? Well, that was nice, if a bit boring. He nodded.
"260 Popham Street. He's in apartment eight."
"Thank you."
She waved his thanks aside. "Just go see what's bugging him. He's too cute to be sad or whatever's wrong with him. I'm sure your good-looking mug will cheer him up." Leaving him to digest that, she turned to Draco, practically cooed. "And how are you today, Sweetie?"
Draco shot her a look of deep disdain and turned his nose up at her.
"Aww… You're so cute!"
He glared at her. "I am not cute. I am handsome and gorgeous and beautiful in a manly way!"
Voldemort felt like smacking someone, and Lucious actually smacked himself in the forehead while Snape rolled his eyes. Draco had apparently forgotten that he was in the guise of a young girl, and saying that he was beautiful in a manly way, while looking like that, sounded so incredibly wrong.
The blonde receptionist looked up at Lucious. "I think your little sister has gender confusion issues."
Voldemort had started to wonder about that as well, but in the opposite direction. Draco was just too at home being a girl.
While Draco tried to avoid being hugged by the woman, Voldemort watched with amusement. It really was fun to see Draco try and avoid getting his cheeks pinched. He was fairly certain that the blonde young man would rather be put under the cruciatus curse. Then, with an imperial nod of his head, he said, "Come on." And the three men followed him out the door, Draco looked relieved at getting away from the blonde secretary.
Voldemort walked to Harry's lodgings, glad that they were only a few blocks away. For some reason, he felt… worried. That in itself was odd. He couldn't remember the last time that he was worried about someone other than himself. He frowned. Maybe it wasn't his own worry, but some seeping over the link from Potter. Yes, that made more sense.
Once they reached Popham Street, he looked up at the street numbers, enchanted green eyes searching for the numbers 260.
Severus found them first, and nodded his head towards the building smoothly. "There, my lord."
The building was tall and old fashioned, with slightly peeling white paint and little, carved stone balconies jutting out under the larger paned windows. Without pause, he mounted the slightly crumbling brick stairs and pushed open the front door. The inside felt the same feeling as the outside, the feeling that it was slowly going to seed but was still well loved. Gleaming shoes tracked across a worn brown carpet, making little puffs of dust appear in their wake.
Three pairs of footsteps followed him, and he could hear Draco's high pitched voice complain, "Potter lives here? I suppose I shouldn't have expected any better…"
They continued up the stairs, which creaked in a rather worrisome way, passing apartments as the spiral staircase rose through the building. Then, Voldemort stopped directly in front of a cream colored door with a brass, "8" in the middle of it. He paused for a split second, and then brought his fist down on the door, rapping bony knuckles on the hard wood. There was no answer. Just as he was about to try again, there was noise from within the apartment. He stilled.
"Okay, okay! I'm coming. Just hold on a minute," a familiar voice yelled. The door opened, and he continued, "Jeez, Hermi-" He stopped mid-sentence and stared at his visitors with undisguised shock.
The Dark Lord was taking in the sight in front of him with just as much interest, but much less shock. The boy's hair was even more wild than usual, sticking up in every direction, and he wore a pair of grey sweatpants and a dull green T-shirt that was several times too large for him and hanging off one shoulder. Even though he was busy studying Harry, he hadn't missed what Harry had been about to say. Hermione. Hadn't that been his muggleborn friend? And why was he expecting her?
Brilliant green eyes blinked at him. "Tom?"
Now Voldemort did a double take. "Did you just call me 'Tom'"? He tensed. Had Harry somehow found out who he was? No, that didn't make any sense. He would be trying to kill him if he knew who he was.
To his surprise, Harry flushed slightly. "Oh…Erm… It's just that your name is Thomas, and… Can I call you Tom?"
He considered it, enjoying watching Harry shift nervously while he debated it. Finally, he nodded. "Yes, you may." It almost made it seem like he knew who he was, calling him by his real name.
Harry flashed him a smile. "Good." Then, he frowned. "Right. Good… But what are you all doing here?"
Voldemort glanced behind him. He had almost forgotten that Lucius, Draco, and Severus had accompanied him. Lucius's face was unreadable. Draco was frowning at Harry's hair, probably wishing that he had a comb and hair gel, and Snape was watching Voldemort and Harry's interaction rather intently. He turned back to the emerald eyed boy, who was waiting for an answer.
"I – we were worried about you. Melissa," he said, just refraining from hissing the name, "told us that you called in sick or something, and then you weren't at Balance, either."
"Yes, but how did you get my address?"
He grinned at Harry. "Magic."
Harry's eyes widened, and then he laughed rather woodenly when he realized that it was a joke. "Funny. But I'm fine. See?" he said, gesturing towards himself.
"I think you look sad," came Draco's voice.
He internally smirked at the seeming innocence in which Draco had uttered that remark. "Yes, Harry. Didn't you hear Daphne? She thinks you look sad. So, I don't think we can go until you've proven to her that you're perfectly okay. Are you going to let us in?"
Harry was gaping at him, mouth opening and closing without any sound coming out. It was actually quite cute.
The Dark Lord made an "tsking" sound and swept past him into the apartment. "Manners, Harry."
Severus, Lucius, and Draco stepped past Harry into the apartment.
He did a quick sweep of the room. First off, it was much neater than he expected, with warm, honey-toned wooden floors and white plaster walls. Squishy-looking green furniture was set in front of a large fire place. Paintings and pictures covered one wall in a patch work of images and another wall was covered almost entirely with shelves of books. The place had a certain feeling about it. It felt homey.
Harry was still standing at the door, one hand on the handle. "What…" He shook his head as if confused by what had just occurred, namely his apartment getting overrun by people. With a sigh, he shut the door and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You all… aren't going to go, are you?"
Before Voldemort could say anything, Draco piped up again, putting his disguise to good use.
Baby blue eyes focused on Harry and seemed to glisten with unshed tears. Pink lips trembled. "You… don't want us here? You don't like us?" he asked, something that sounded like a sob entering his soft voice.
Voldemort had to hand it to him. The boy really did have acting skills.
Harry proceeded to freak out slightly himself and try and calm down Draco, who was most likely enjoying the charade. "No! I didn't mean it like that, Daphne! Of course I like you," Harry immediately protested, kneeling down in front of Draco. "It's just that this isn't the best time. That's all."
Draco hid his face in his hands. "You don't like me!" he said in a muffled voice, and his shoulders started to shake. Probably from laughter. But it had the desired effect, and Potter looked more upset than before.
"What? I told you! I do like you! I swear!"
Draco looked up suddenly, face serious. "Luke says it's bad to swear."
"I – Um… What?" Harry asked, at a loss for words at the sudden switch of mood.
There was a stifled sound which was probably Severus and Lucius trying not to laugh.
Draco stepped forward and jabbed a finger into the confused brunet's chest. "Well, if you do like me, then tell me why you don't want us here. And don't lie! Lying is bad."
Harry looked towards Lucius for support, but the man ignored him. Then he looked towards Voldemort, who only sent him a smile.
The moment Harry had turned away, Draco smirked. Then, Harry turned back to him and the blonde's expression melted back into one of upset innocence. Yes, Draco was enjoying this far too much.
"I… Today marks the date of something, that's all," Harry finally said in a strained voice.
"More," Draco demanded promptly.
Harry plopped down on the couch and frowned at Draco. "You're greedy. Fine… I moved here two years ago. Two years ago, I left my old life behind and started a new one."
And, with that simple sentence, everything clicked into place. Voldemort took a seat next to Harry. It made sense. While he hadn't known the exact date, it was now extremely close to the time of year when Harry had disappeared from the wizarding world, leaving them at his mercy. And today was apparently the day when he mourned the world he had left behind.
Harry was still talking, words coming fast and almost spilling out, as if he had wanted to talk about it for an age. "It wasn't that it was a bad life, even if it wasn't easy. It was good. I had people who cared about me and loved me, but… I was sort of important."
That was an understatement.
"People expected me to do certain things and to be who they needed me to be. And I was. I did that for years… But there came a point when I just wanted to be myself. That life, though, the life I left behind... Bloody hell… I miss it." He turned his head to the side suddenly and looked at Draco, saying abruptly, "You remind me of one of the people who I knew."
Draco swallowed nervously and said in a high-pitched voice, "Really?"
Harry nodded, apparently oblivious to the nervousness of the other. "Yeah, you do. Only he was a boy. He hated me, actually, but I suppose some of that was my fault. The first friend I made hated his guts, and I never even gave Malfoy a chance. Not that I'm saying he wasn't a git or anything, because he was. He was a complete prat. It's just that… we actually had a lot in common. I think we would have been friends. Could have been." His voice lowered, and he almost seemed to be talking to himself. "I wonder what would have happened if I'd shaken his hand… I wish I had."
There was silence in the room until Draco broke it. "Potter… Do you mean that?"
And then everyone realized what he had said. He'd called him Potter. Not Evans.
Harry was on his feet before anyone else could even move, and suddenly there was a wand in his hand, pointed at them. There was no trace of the boy who worked in a book shop or taught yoga now. In their place was a hardened warrior. Piercing eyes were narrowed, and his jaw was clenched, whole body tensed.
"Who are you?" he snarled.
Voldemort shot a deathly glare at a cowering Draco before turning back to the wary wizard. If Potter didn't kill Draco, Voldemort was going to. He eyed the unwavering wand currently pointed at his face with disfavor and considered his options. What to do…
Sorry it's been so long since the last chapter. And I don't even have an excuse for it other than the fact that I've just been busy. How boring. I should at least be able to say that I didn't write because I got abducted by 3 meter tall, scaly aliens with piercings. Instead, all I can say is that I've been helping someone study, studying myself, and that I've started training to be a bar-tender. Moving on. A lot happened in this chapter, didn't it? And it's all Draco's fault. Poor guy. Voldemort's totally going to go Dark Lord on his ass. But he won't kill him... probably. Maybe. We'll see. Now, here's the question. Does Voldemort lie again or tell the truth? What do you think is going to happen?
Ja ne,
Rumer Hasit
Shannon the Original: Thank you. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
Fireotaku18: Ah. Are you drooling over that scene in Balance where Harry's practically straddling Voldemort? I thought you all might enjoy that little piece. This chapter doesn't have much of that, but there will be more of it. Fear not.
gypsydancer529: My story made you howl with laughter? What a wonderful compliment. And once Voldemort finally realizes that he likes Harry, I mean really likes him, I think he's going to pursue Harry with everything he's got. It's going to be great. As for the fan-girls... I love them. Fan-girls are a necessity.
Janelly Slytherin: I know. I made Draco hug-able. What's the world coming to? I find that I rather like writing him as a girl, though. It's amusing, and it fits him a little too well... Glad you liked the attraction between Harry and the Dark Lord, too.
Liz: Wow. Thank you. Thank you very much, Liz. I've read quite a few Harry/Voldemort fanfictions, and for you to say that this is one of the best... Thank you.
Barranca: Exactly. Harry doesn't seem to have any problem with "Thomas" hanging around. But how is he going to feel when he realizes who it really is?
Angelic Abomination: I'm not sure Voldemort could be careful enough to have Harry not freak out when he finds out that his "Thomas" is really Voldemort. I mean, is there really an easy way to explain that? And, yes. Severus did notice the sparks between his lord and Harry. He's just sharp like that. I'm not sure whether he's for it or against it, though.
Melikalilly: Thank you. It's nice know that you like it and think it's good. Thank you for reviewing.
xDarklightx: Well, I'm glad that you like it, but I do apologize for not getting a chapter up sooner. But, hopefully the actions in this chapter made up for its late coming.
krysania: Funny and hot and amazing? What wonderful adjectives to describe my story. Nice to know you feel that way. Thank you for your review. It brought a smile to my face.
Gemini Peverell: Thanks! Sorry this one took so long, but I do hope you enjoy it.
IkutoisSmexy: You loved it? Wonderful. And of course Draco would want to manhandle Harry. I really did love writing that section. So much fun to write...
TinksVamps: Well, here's Draco as a little girl again, being his adorable, bratty self. This time he's using his adorableness to manipulate Harry. I'm glad you like my characters and how I portray them, too. I know that you want to see some lemony goodness, but it might be a little. I like to build up to a relationship through time and tons of sexual tension!
Reshmi Solaris: More please, you say? Well, here you go.
sousie: You know what? I kept thinking about your suggestion about another male, one who opened the dojo, and the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. I even liked how you thought the character should be. So, thank you for that. I think that he'll be appearing in a few chapters.
Zana20: Yeah, I'm not too sure about the importance of muggleborns and all of that, but the books seemed to put some emphasis on it, or at least that's how it seemed to me. And I'm glad that you liked the chapters. Thanks, and it's nice to know that you think I'm a brilliant writer.
elfinmyth: Thank you very much for the compliments. And being a twelve year old... Yes. Draco is way too comfortable being a girl. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter.
itachisgurl93: Yes! I did get that one piece from Miss Congeniality. Points to you for catching that. I fell across the movie while channel surfing when it was on that part and I thought it was pretty cool.
olciak123: I wanted to have some self defense information in that chapter, but I thought it would be a little boring if it was only that... so I added fan-girls and flirting. Glad you liked it, though. And as for who studying under whom... I have no idea...
Mystia Katsuragi: I think Voldemort should take some of Harry's classes, and so should Draco... as Daphne of course. But, yes, I do like the idea of him taking classes. And, yes, it was awesome how you were the 100th reviewer. Magical? Maybe. Awesome? Definitely. Thanks for reviewing.
Kathrin J Pearl: The attraction was palpable through the computer screen? Really? Well, then. I'll take it that I did a good job then. I hope you liked it.
shadow haunt: Creepy in a funny sort of way? I'll take that as a compliment. And thank you for the review.
RRW: It think that you're right. There would definitely be a waiting list to get into a class like that. I think I started choking with laughter when I read the part about Draco entering Rupaul's Drag Race. Question, though. What does your username stand for?
sasunaru2themax: Thank you. It's nice to know that someone thinks that my story is brilliant.
Isys Skeeter: Yeah... Well, I'm not entirely sure that Voldemort has a lot of experience with love. I think he'll notice soon. Or I hope he will. And as for Draco kissing his own reflection... It just suits him.
Izara Sprightly of Redmont: Gosh. You are just... awesome. I love reading your omakes. Thank you for writing them.
AuroreD-92: I know, Draco's just... Draco. I'm not sure there are any words to describe him. He is one of my favorite characters, though. I loved writing him manipulating Harry in this chapter.
JoeCool989: You're attached to my story? I don't think anyone's actually said that before, and I was kind of happy to know that you are. I am really sorry that I haven't updated sooner, though, and I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for reviewing.
Darklight-phoenix: Yep. Draco as a girl. I'm just happy that it could make you smile.
Jessica: Thank you for the positive review. I hope you liked this chapter.
Moonraven81: So you like how I'm portraying Draco, Harry, and Voldemort? Good. Oh, and there will be more information about why Harry left later.
Peltra: No... I don't think Harry knows. I mean, it's not that he's stupid or anything, but... Would you think that it was your mortal enemy who you haven't seen in two years when a handsome man walked into the place where you work and introduced himself?
Kitty Nekkyo: Draco is back! As a girl again! Muahahaha... He totally fits being a girl... which is slightly disturbing. As for the fan-girls... Heck, yeah.
iwishtheskywasgreen: Thank you!
AP Mom: Cute? Well, muchas gracias, mi amiga. And I do try to make it humorous and interesting. Glad you think my version of Harry's... "hot", too.
jieha: Loving the story? Good. And I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.