Thank you to all my awesome readers and reviewers. Hope you like the chapter.
X
A face with a smirk seemed to flash into Harry's view; he blinked and the odd sight disappeared completely.
"Tom?" Harry whispered; Tom ignored him and focused instead on sucking his neck. "Tommy?" he whined, resulting in a harsh bite. "Oww; why'd you do that? But look; there's red eyes outside." Never mind the fact they had disappeared now, Harry was still annoyed when Tom shook his head.
"No there isn't," the older man said, not even looking around.
Harry pointed this out. "You didn't even look," he said, affronted, but Tom just shifted himself so that he was free from Harry's body, and then gave Harry a slight push, sending the teenager to the floor.
Harry pouted at Tom, who smirked down at him. "You're out of your head, darling; I can assure you anything you're seeing is a product of your own intoxicated mind."
"But-" Harry started to protest, stopped by Tom crouching down in front of him and placing a finger over his lips. Tom waved his wand with his free hand, and suddenly Harry was clothed in soft pyjamas.
"I love magic!" Harry grinned, jumping to his feet and narrowly missing head-butting Tom in the face.
"You're going to bed now," Tom stated, grabbing Harry by the arm and dragging him over to the bed.
"I'd much rather both of us go to bed," Harry said in what he thought was a lustful way. The look Tom gave him suggested otherwise.
"It's not even been five minutes," Tom said sourly; he was looking deeply into Harry's eyes as if searching for something, and had a look of mild surprise on his face when he had finished. He muttered something that sounded like "overly hormonal teenagers," which made Harry pull a face.
"I can't help it if I'm young and full of energy," Harry protested. "But I guess techn- really you are quite old-."
Harry suddenly found a wand pointing at his face.
"Stupefy," Tom said, and the last thing Harry saw was a flash of red.
X
When Harry woke up some time later, he paid no attention to the fact that he was cold and on the floor, and jumped up, sprinting towards the bathroom.
He crouched over the toilet and heaved, falling back on his sore behind when he was finished. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and drew his knees to his chest, leaning his forehead on them.
His head was pounding and he felt sick to his stomach. He tried to think back to the night before, but found he couldn't remember much at all; he vaguely recalled dancing with Ginny, and images of Tom flashed in his mind. Then he got a vivid picture of a red-eyed, smirking face; he pondered for a moment over it, then he became more aware of the fact his arse was still burning, and he pieced the two together; someone had watched him and Tom shagging, and given the red-eyes, Harry knew it could only be Voldemort or Marvolo, and his bets were on the latter.
Whether from the realisation of that, or the hangover, Harry didn't know, but he hurried forwards as he threw up once more.
He shakily clambered to his feet, running the cold water and splashing it over his face. He gazed into the mirror and sighed; he looked completely dishevelled; he had bags under his eyes, and his hair-well even his father would be horrified at the sight of it, and that was saying something. Dobby, or so he presumed, had left him some clothes out, so he changed from the thin pyjamas and into a much warmer outfit.
He slouched out of the bathroom, throwing his hands in front of his face when he opened the door, only to be confronted with bright sunlight; he hated October weather; how could it be sunny but freezing at the same time?
He groaned and collapsed face first onto the bed.
"I'm glad to see you're looking well this morning," Tom said cheerfully from above him. Harry scowled into the bed sheets. He tensed when he felt the other man lay across him, breathing down his ear. "Next time, beware of how you talk to me," Tom added menacingly, pushing Harry's head deeper into the bed before standing up straight.
"How can I beware when I don't remember how I spoke to you?" Harry questioned, turning over and immediately wishing he hadn't; he shook his head to try and stop the spinning.
"That's your problem," Tom said coldly, making Harry frown. "Here; take this," he continued, his tone sounding softer. He held out a potion vial with a murky green mixture inside.
"What is it?" Harry asked warily; if he had said something to offend Tom, he didn't want to automatically drink a potion he had given him. Not that Tom couldn't lie about what it was, but still.
"Hangover Remedy," Tom answered briskly, so Harry downed it gratefully.
Almost straight away his head stopped pounding and his nausea seemed to vanish away. It was worth the disgusting taste and texture of the potion.
"Thank you," Harry said, a wide smile on his face. Tom raised an eyebrow at him.
"Pity you won't get your memory back," the older boy said thoughtfully, running a hand through his hair.
"Was it really that bad?" Harry asked with concern, and to his surprise Tom laughed.
"Just another thing that makes you unique, my dear," Tom answered vaguely, so Harry decided to change the subject.
"I remember there were a pair of eyes watching us last night and-" he started, as another memory came back to him. "You wouldn't believe me!" he accused; Tom watched him blankly.
"I can't understand why it would have been an issue anyway; I was with you, and I don't intend any harm to befall you when you are in my protection," Tom said, and Harry felt guilty for a moment. "I admit that, yes, Slytherin may be able to get past some of the wards, but if he ever entered the Manor he would soon be apprehended; we don't take kindly to strangers here."
That didn't make Harry feel any better.
"Well yes," he agreed for Tom's sake, "but what about at Hogwarts? I can't avoid being alone forever; not that I'm scared of him or anything," Harry pressed on hastily.
"Well don't be alone," Tom stated, as if that was the answer to everything. "I see you've gathered yourself quite the acquaintance group now, and with rather suitable people too."
"I didn't choose to spend time with them just because they're Pure-blood," Harry muttered awkwardly.
"Not consciously anyway," Tom argued.
"Did you do that at school? Did your friends know you were Half-blood?" Harry questioned, and he saw Tom tense as he did every time his blood purity came up; it was clear he tried to pretend he was Pure-blood.
"I didn't have friends; the other students had unbearable personalities," Tom corrected. "Of course, they presumed we were friends, and as that was to my benefit I allowed them to continue thinking that way. It also allowed me to experiment when I wanted to, but I was very firm in making sure they didn't take that with any deeper meaning."
"Like experimental lovers?" Harry questioned, fighting off the hurt feeling inside. He knew Tom must have taken other bed partners before; he was too talented not to have, but this was the first time Tom had mentioned it.
"Hmm, lovers is a strange word, isn't it? It seems to suggest there must at least be some form of attachment involved," Tom mused. "But yes, I did partake in male and female partners; don't look so scorned, Harry, it was purely to sate my curiosity and give me knowledge. You're the only one who's ever shared my bed, and you're also the only one I've been able to face while doing it so-"
Harry cut him off by kissing him deeply, though Tom, being Tom, soon took control of it.
They were drawn from their passionate kissing by a knock on the door.
Tom pulled away from Harry, smirking as he eyed the bulge in Harry's trousers, and went to open the door at such an angle that neither Harry not the knocker could see each other.
"Draco told me Harry would be here; I need to talk to him," he heard Remus say frantically, and Harry ran to the door before Tom could say no.
"Remus? Is everything okay?" he asked, and he saw Remus' eyes dart from Harry to Tom, and a look of confusion quickly changed to one of realisation. He remembered himself after a moment and shrugged, stepping into the room at Harry's gesture; he saw Tom scowl.
"Can we talk privately?" the werewolf asked, and Harry looked to Tom who shook his head.
"Anything you want to say to Harry, you can say in front of me," Tom answered sharply, a look of mad danger in his eyes.
"Maybe I'll send you a letter instead," Remus tried, only causing Tom to tut loudly.
"You're clearly trying to hide something, so why would I be so stupid as to let you leave without hearing what you have to say?" Tom said almost politely. Almost.
"I'm leaving," Remus said after a moment. "My ties to the pack were with Greyback, and now he's dead, that makes me a free wolf. I've stayed because I've been trying to help the pack while they fought over who would be the next Alpha, but a man named Ulric came out on top. He is far more brutal than Greyback ever was, and he has no preference for who he hunts."
"I've heard of no Ulric," Tom cut in, and Remus turned to him with a sorrowful look.
"You wouldn't have done," Lupin answered. "He was sneaky; he kept to himself, making himself out to be the lowest of the pack, when really he was a monster biding his time. Greyback wasn't particularly loyal to the Dark Lord, but he would work with him as long as Voldemort fed the pack well. Ulric has found a new partner."
"Who?" Harry and Tom asked at the same time. They shared a glance that Remus seemed to miss.
"I don't think Ulric knows himself. He won't give any details away, but they're planning an uprising. I want no part of that; Greyback understood my presence was purely for academic assistance, but Ulric knows how to read and write, so he doesn't want me for that; he expects me to be a crazed beast like him."
"I shall pass the information onto the Dark Lord at once; we shall not have beasts believing themselves to be better than us," Tom stated. Harry noticed Remus sigh; he was used to the names and prejudice.
"I'll make sure Draco is no part of Ulric's pack either. He is my wolf-brother, as we shared the same Sire, so his wolf side will allow his distance. Do you think your parents will welcome me back, Harry?" Remus asked, and Harry nodded.
"I know they miss you terribly. I reckon they'll be mad at first, but they'll soon welcome you back," Harry smiled, and Remus nodded.
"Yes, yes; how touching," Tom interrupted scathingly. "Harry, go and find Draco; I need to talk to Lupin alone."
Harry wasn't sure if he imagined screaming as he hurried down the hall.
X
Draco looked surprised when Harry knocked on his door.
"I got sent here," Harry explained, and Draco nodded in understanding and let him in.
"I'm surprised Riddle let you stay the night with him, considering how you spoke to him last night," Draco said, and Harry cringed.
"What exactly did I say?" Harry asked, partially dreading the answer.
"Well aside from acting like a general drunken fool; something I don't think he's fond of, you tried to defy him in front of all of us, and then you called him Tommy," Draco explained, and Harry winced. "I'm surprised he didn't Crucio you right there for that; if I even called him Tom he's probably torture me."
"I got punished enough," Harry muttered subconsciously rubbing his hip. Tom was a particularly rough bed partner anyway, but he really had shown it last night, or so Harry presumed from the aches and the marks on his body.
Draco seemed to get what Harry was thinking because he scowled.
"I don't want to know what goes on in your sex life," the blond complained. "Or anyone's for that matter, especially when I don't have one; I don't think making out with Luna counts."
"And you never will, because I refuse to think of you and Luna in a sexual way," Harry said with a smile. His memory got flashes of Draco and Luna kissing at the ball, and he was glad something had finally happened between the pair.
Draco flipped the finger at Harry, but then a goofy smile crossed over his face until he realised Harry could see him.
"Do you really think she'll want to be my girlfriend, knowing what I am? I'd be a health risk if we ever moved in together or had children," Draco whispered, and Harry couldn't help but laugh.
"You kissed her for the first time yesterday and you're already planning marriage and children?" Harry questioned, and Draco took on a slight pink tone.
"Well, Father always said I should only date with the intention to marry and produce an heir," Draco muttered, "though I suppose the bite means none of that matters anymore."
"It shouldn't have done anyway," Harry added. "Just enjoy your life the way you want to."
Draco was about to respond, when Dobby appeared with a letter in his hand.
It was a message telling him unless he wished to join a werewolf pack wanted by the Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry, and the Dark Lord, then he was to return to Hogwarts with Harry immediately.
"What's going on?" Draco asked as he hurried to ready the Portkey.
"I'm not sure," Harry said with a shrug. "I heard Greyback's pack got a new Alpha who is revolting against Voldemort, and I think he's just found out about it, so he won't be happy."
"Remus said he was afraid something like this might happen," Draco sighed. He held out the Portkey for Harry, and muttered the enchantment to take them back. "I'll tell you if he sends me a letter about it as soon as I get one," Draco told him once they were back in the cold dungeon corridor.
They walked together to the Slytherin Common Room, where Blaise and Ginny were waiting outside, looking very close indeed.
Draco cleared his throat and they both jumped.
"Hello," Ginny said cheerfully, though she was blushing so much her skin was beginning to clash with her hair. "How are you both?"
"Let's just say thank goodness for Hangover Potions," Harry joked and Ginny nodded enthusiastically.
"I know; Hermione spotted me this morning and knew straight away I was hungover. Luckily she gave me the cure and promised not to tell Ron, or worse, my parents," Ginny responded, moving away from Blaise. "Our Mums seem pretty similar; imagine if they got together to punish us."
Harry shuddered at the thought.
"I don't get why your mothers are so strict," Draco commented.
"Ours would let us get away with murder," Blaise agreed, and Harry found his choice of words ironic; Draco must have thought so too, because he shivered.
"Come on, Blaise; I need to ask Pansy something," Draco declared, signalling he wanted Ginny and Harry to return to Gryffindor tower. Blaise and Ginny both looked reluctant but made no complaint, and they all bid their goodbyes.
"Can I ask you something?" Ginny asked soon after they began their walk.
"Sure," Harry smiled, making Ginny smile back, though she looked nervous.
"I err, don't remember much of last night, but I remember meeting Tom; he's your boyfriend, right?" she asked, and Harry nodded, even though Tom would definitely not refer to himself as Harry's boyfriend. "He isn't, err, I mean, I might just be remembering wrong, but he seemed pretty possessive and-" she froze, trying to find the right words; Harry looked at her expectantly. "He doesn't, you know, abuse you, does he?" she finally finished quietly, looking as if she expected Harry to hit her.
"Of course not, where did you get that idea?" Harry assured her.
"I don't know; he just seemed one of those obsessively jealous types, you know? Like I say, maybe I just invented something in place of the real memory," Ginny laughed.
"No, don't get me wrong, he's a bit possessive, but not in a maniacal sort of way," Harry added, and Ginny grinned further.
"Good; we have enough maniacs around here."
X
On Wednesday, Harry realised he had very much lied to Ginny.
Or he thought he had; he couldn't be sure, but the fact he doubted himself suggested he understood Tom could easily be maniacal.
Jonathan Anderson had been found hanged from a beam in the Clock Tower; Aurors had found no sign of foul play, and with a note left simply saying 'I'm sorry', the Aurors concluded that it was suicide. Harry found this suspicious after Draco mentioned it was peculiar how Tom found out about the rumours Anderson had started about Harry, and now the Ravenclaw was dead.
Draco knew as well as Harry that it was a very unlikely coincidence.
No matter how much Harry denied that he and Anderson had been a couple, nobody but the people who knew about Tom believed him.
Some students were offering him their condolences, and randomly hugging him as they sobbed, while the meaner ones made comments that that was two boyfriends Harry had killed. Surprisingly, though it was younger Slytherin students who were mostly saying that, the sixth year Slytherins and Snape himself had jumped to Harry's defence.
Snape seemed to be the only professor who believed Harry had no connections to Anderson; other professors had told him he was welcome to take time off lessons if he needed it, and even McGonagall said she would excuse him from the next assignment.
He found this all rather frustrating, especially considering the more intelligent students had concluded to the rest of the school that he was simply still in denial, which is why he wasn't acting as upset as people expected him to be.
He half wanted to write a letter to Tom complaining, but he hated to think what Tom's reaction would be, especially considering he had no proof that Tom did have anything to do with it.
He sighed; he spent too much of his time in the dark nowadays.
The school itself was in a state; all through the term students had been on edge, and many students had left the school after deaths and disappearances of family members, but now two students had died within the Hogwarts area, and it scared a lot of people, even if one had supposedly been suicide.
Ravenclaw house was in complete tatters, and the seventh year students were excused from all their lessons, having lost two of their close friends in such a short space of time. They were the ones who gravitated towards Harry the most, particularly Marietta who remembered Harry from Cho's death.
The worst part was, though the school was slowly being destroyed from the inside, the one man who could stop it; Dumbledore, wasn't around to save it.
X
"Hey, Harry, can I talk to you in private?" Neville asked him Saturday as Harry did his homework in the dormitory.
The weather outside was stormy; the sky was dark and the atmosphere dreary; Harry found it quite relaxing, even if he did need light to see what he was reading despite it being early afternoon.
"Err, sure," Harry answered awkwardly, looking towards Dean and Seamus who were looking at a Muggle magazine filled with pictures of scantily clad women.
"I thought we could go for a walk," Neville supplied, smiling brightly.
Harry looked at Longbottom as though he was stupid. "It's raining," he stated, and Neville blushed. Dean and Seamus sniggered.
"I meant around the castle; it's kind of important," Neville said quietly, still feeling embarrassed by what Harry had said; Harry found it difficult not to roll his eyes.
"Fine," Harry answered shortly, standing up. He knew he had taken the other boys aback by his attitude, and as he and Neville left, he heard Dean mutter "think he's going into the anger stage now." Like he'd move on through the grief stages that quickly if Anderson really had been the love of his life.
"How are you holding up, Harry?" Neville asked as they walked down an empty corridor.
"Good," he answered, and Neville looked at him like he was sure he was lying. "I mean, it's sad about what happened with Anderson, but I hardly knew him, despite what everyone else thinks."
"Mmhmm," Neville said; he didn't believe Harry at all. "Anyway, I need to ask you about a couple of things."
"Go ahead," Harry said, faking a smile; he had to control his anger around the boy.
"I don't really know which to start with," Neville said with an irritating laugh. "I guess I'll go for the nicer stuff first; you're friends with Ginny, right?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, why?"
"Well, um," Neville started, pausing as he began to blush. "I kind of have a crush on her, and she's broken up with Dean now…"
"Why are you telling me this?" Harry questioned sharply. "Why not Hermione or someone?"
He knew full well Ron would probably kill anyone if they asked for dating advice on his sister, but Hermione would surely be more open-minded.
"She already knows, and she said I should just be myself and ask her out," Neville sighed. Harry could understand why; if Neville was himself he would never get a date.
"I don't know; you'll have to figure it out yourself," he replied. He was kind of narked that Longbottom had drawn him away from the comfort of the dorm room just to ask for dating advice.
"No, no; that wasn't everything," Neville protested with a squeak as Harry turned away. "I've had some more lessons with Dumbledore."
That certainly caught Harry's attention.
"We've been looking at You-Know-Who's past," Neville explained quietly. They were on a deserted fifth floor corridor; there was really no need to be so sneaky.
"What did you find out?" Harry asked, using a louder tone of voice.
"Well, not much, to be honest. But did you know back when he was little he grew up in an orphanage? Gran used to threaten to send me to one when I was naughty, and I can see why I was so afraid; it looked horrible," Neville said.
"How horrible?" Harry asked, feeling sadness as he imagined Tom growing up in an awful place.
"It looked pretty dingy and depressing, and Dumbledore said he didn't think the orphanage workers paid attention to any of the children. You-Know-Who still managed to be a creep though, even as a kid," Neville said darkly. Harry just wondered what Tom might have looked like as a child.
They carried on walking, passing the Grand Staircase as they went; although it was Saturday, most students seemed to be relaxing in their own common rooms, and it was basically deserted, bar a few students running about on the ground floor near the Great Hall, having had a late lunch.
"I just thought you might want to know," Neville muttered after a few minutes of an uncomfortable silence. "You know, because he possessed you through that diary, Dumbledore said; he thought you might like to learn more about him and he gave me permission to tell you."
"That was oddly thoughtful of him," Harry mused, wondering why the elderly headmaster would consider such a thing; once again he thought the man knew more than he let on.
They both turned as they heard footsteps running against the stone floor, and Hermione appeared, panting.
"Neville; you need to come quick! It's about Hagrid's-you know," Hermione said secretively, grabbing Neville's hand and pulling him with her. "Bye, Harry," she called as they disappeared from view.
Harry felt nerves start to claw at him; he had been left alone, something Tom had been adamant should never happen. The corridor he was in had only small windows, and it was dark, lit only by torches manacled onto the walls. He was on the third floor corridor which had been banned in his first year, and as the place was still taboo, and the third floor in general didn't house any dormitories, it was completely deserted.
As if responding to his fears, the candles on the wall began to flicker, and Harry felt his heart start to race.
He brought his wand out, trying to steady his shaky hand.
"Hermione?" he called softly; no matter his predicament, he would not call for Longbottom.
Nobody answered, but the sound of someone salivating was behind him, and he span around, seeing nothing.
'You're just being paranoid,' he told himself, but then he heard crazed laughter, and a figure slammed him against the wall.
He tried not to scream as the faceless figure from before came into his vision.
The sowed mouth was open and rotting, and saliva was dripping down the manufactured mouth. At this close range, Harry could see makings of sharp teeth trying to make their way through the skin.
"In-Incendio," he muttered, and the creature shrieked, stepping back as it tried to fan it's flaming body, and it collapsed to the floor.
Harry took the opportunity to run, but he had taken only a few steps when the figure grabbed his ankles and pulled him to the floor.
Harry yelped in shock, dropping his wand as the creature dragged him down. He reached desperately for it, using one hand to try and grip at the hardened floor as the figure seemed intent on yanking him towards it.
He grabbed desperately for his wand, managing to grip hold of it, and he sent a quick Incendio at the figure again, this time aiming it at it's face. It screamed in agony, holding it's hands around it's head.
Harry jumped up, intent on running far away, but he ending up spinning into Marvolo Slytherin.
"I must thank Lupin for telling your werewolf friend about the entrance to Hogsmede through the Whomping Willow," Marvolo said casually, gripping hold of Harry's wrists. "Oh, would you look what you've done? You've killed my lovely creation."
He gestured to the figure that had collapsed on the floor; Harry struggled harder to get out of the tight grip.
"Why are you here?" Harry hissed.
"To check up on you, of course. I had sent my friend there to give you a message, but I sensed he was in trouble and how right I was; looks like Tom is teaching you the murderous way," Marvolo said with a cruel smile. He waved his wand and the figure's body disappeared. "I'll have to create a new one now; how would you like me to make it?"
"Not at all," Harry answered, finally freeing himself from Slytherin's grip.
Harry raised his wand, and he scowled when Marvolo laughed.
"You really think you'd stand a chance fighting me, my Harry?"
"You said you didn't want to hurt me," Harry pointed out, shivering at the look Marvolo gave him.
"I said I didn't want to kill you; I don't mind hurting you if I need to," the Dark wizard smirked. "Expelliarmus!"
Harry's wand flew out of his grip and into Tom's waiting hand.
"Oh, dear," Marvolo said mockingly.
Harry glanced fearfully at the man for one second before deciding to flee.
"You can't run from me forever," he heard Marvolo hiss.
Just before he reached the door another creature jumped in front of him; this one was similarly dressed in dark cloth that swamped the body, but this one had facial features, only there weren't human; fully red eyes, with trails of blood underneath, and a mouth filled with sharp fangs. Even the finger nails had been pushed away in a bloody mess and replaced with claws.
"I lied; I always have a backup," Slytherin said, and Harry could feel the smirk in his voice.
The creature lunged at Harry, spinning him around and pressing him into the wall harshly.
A clawed hand reached around him, slowly going lower on his body. The hand tried to work it's way under Harry's trouser, and as he realised the intent of this creature, Harry kicked his leg up, hitting the creature in the spot he had been trying to molest Harry.
It backed away in pain, and Harry sprinted to the door.
He heard Marvolo scream "get him!" and a curse flew over his head.
He wrenched the door open and ran out onto the staircase. He could feel the creature right behind him, and then something heavy filtered through the air above him; it had jumped over him, and stood at the entrance to the stairs he was about to go up.
He saw Marvolo watching them from the doorway, and Harry slowly backed up. He felt his foot leave the platform; there was no staircase that side of the platform, and it was a long way down.
He brought his foot back, trying not to tumble off the edge.
The creature stared at him, and he stared straight back.
Below them he heard a loud sound, and something heavy walking about. Harry quickly glanced down, taken aback as he saw what looked like a giant beneath them.
The figure looked down too, looking fearful, and then it fled, jumping over Harry's head to the window above him.
The jump created a gust of strong wind above him, and then he was falling towards the ground.
X
Oh; me and cliff-hangers xD
Next chapter you're in for a treat. I'm splitting it in two, so they'll be shorter chapters, but it works better that way (I'll upload them at the same time though, or maybe a day in between.) The first part will be done in Draco and Tom's POV (and maybe Luna's too), and the second will be my Hallowe'en chapter, so make sure you're ready for the 31st. See you then.