Chapter 51:
He expected there to be an almost immediate wall up, with Tom's skill in Occlumency, that would send him slamming back into his own mind to face the music.
Instead, it was…odd. He was in Tom's mind, he knew that much, but there were no memories, no thoughts. He was vaguely aware of his body dropping to the floor, before he lost the connection as walls closed in on him. Oh god. Tom's occlumency really was phenomenal. He was applying it while Harry was already in his mind, hence forth trapping him there but not allowing him to see anything…and damn.
If his mind was in Tom's, surely that meant that the young Dark Lord could read all of his thoughts and memories as his own? He was like a new "Harry compartment" or something, opened and rifled through at will.
Abruptly, he tried to force his way back out of Tom's shields. That was odd too. He didn't have a body, so movement was…he called it movement but…minds were confusing. A moment later, he felt it, the strange and horrible sensation of someone picking leisurely through his thoughts.
How was Tom able to do that? This wasn't normal. Legilimency and Occlumency wasn't supposed to work like this…unless…was it because he was a horcrux? DAMN! Why did he think that? When he was practically broadcasting his thoughts? It was like someone telling you not to think about pink elephants. He just automatically couldn't help his thought process.
He felt Tom freeze in his perusal, and almost groaned. Oh yeah, the other was definitely hearing all of his thoughts. He made another frantic push; but he didn't know how to work his mind in mind arts. He couldn't control it, it was just a clumsy, ineffectual shoving motion. Tom batted it away like it was nothing, almost tearing through his mind now.
He hit upon the memory seconds later, the scene flashing across their eyes.
The next moment, Harry was back in his own body, blinking up at the ceiling.
Well, that didn't work.
He supposed Tom had guessed what he was going to do, and planned against it. His wand had clattered across the classroom floor from when his grip had gone slack, and now he lunged for it. Tom moved at the same time, putting his foot across the stick of wood just as his hand wrapped around the handle.
They both paused for a moment. Then Tom crouched down, though keeping his foot down across the holly, putting them on the same level. Harry felt his body tense.
"A horcrux?" Tom questioned, eyes dazzling with fervour and excitement. "You're one of my-our-my horcruxes? I mean, I had my suspicions but…"
"You had your suspicions?" he repeated dangerously. "You knew? Wow, that explains a lot!" he bit down on a wave of disgust that the topic brought.
Tom seemed to become aware of him as an active conscious person at his reply.
"I knew there was…something about you, you're a parselmouth…but I didn't even think until very recently that it could be because of…Salazar." Tom's head tilted suddenly, his gaze sharpening. "What do you mean 'that explains a lot?'" he demanded.
"Well, that's why you're here, isn't it? The horcrux- me being one - that's what this has all been about."
He probably shouldn't have felt so insulted. It wasn't like it could have logically been for any other reason. He tried to pull his wand free, but it didn't really work as he was too wary of accidentally damaging it.
"Harry, I just said I didn't know you were a horcrux, not until very recently did I have suspicions," Tom said, sounding annoyed. "And even if I did know, if the horcrux was all I was interested in, then why would I bother with all…this. I could have just faked your death and locked up you up in a padded compartment of my trunk so you couldn't damage yourself, and thus, the horcrux."
Harry's eyes widened slightly with horror. Tom smirked, faintly. There was a terse lull in the conversation. His throat felt dry.
A multitude of questions warred for asking space on his lips. Why would you even want to be immortal? How did you find out? What are you going to do now? Can't you see how wrong horcruxes are? The most pressing slipped out first.
"Can you get rid of it?"
"Excuse me?" Tom's jaw tightened. "Get rid of it? I'm not destroying my own soul."
"You already did, will, whatever," he spat. "You tore it apart."
"I don't expect you to understand," Tom snapped. "Either way, that matter is irrelevant. I'm not getting rid of it, why would I? And you're not either." The violent conviction in the Slytherin heir's tone sent shivers skittering up his spine.
"Or what, you'll kill me?" he asked, only half joking.
"Again, Harry, why would I destroy my own horcrux."
There was an alarmingly reverent undertone to the other's voice. Tom was way too keen and delighted with this idea - him being a horcrux. It didn't bode well.
"I don't want it," he growled.
"I don't care," Tom replied darkly.
"Are you going to obliviate me then?" he asked coldly. Tom stared at him for a moment.
"No," he said finally.
"Yeah, it would be terrible to mess up my mind now that I'm a horcrux, wouldn't it?"
"Harry," The parseltongue held a soft, sibilant edge of warning. "Damn it!" Harry sucked in a deep, calming breath.
"Get off my wand," he ordered, through gritted teeth.
"You won't be needing it," Tom said. Harry almost flinched. It was like a twisted recall of his second year…Tom Riddle in the chamber. Horcrux Tom. Basilisk fang…
"I've got rid of them," Tom said. He glanced up to see the other watching him intently. "The basilisk fangs." If he didn't know the feeling of legilimency…
"It's really creepy when you do that," he stated irritably.
"You're easy to read," Tom replied dismissively, though his expression was hard. "I mean it, you're not getting rid of it. I won't let you."
"I'd like to see you stop me," he snarled. Tom arched his brows.
"Would you?" he questioned seriously. "Really?"
The silence seemed to stretch, a vast horizon of uncertainty.
"Why would you even want to be immortal?" he questioned instead.
"Why wouldn't I?" Tom replied.
"T-"
"I don't want to die," Tom continued, quietly now. Those piercing eyes cut up to meet his own. "What is there for me? Hell? Eternal damnation? I'll pass thanks." Harry opened his mouth to speak. "And the alternative? I can tell what you're going to say so don't tell me it might not be like that. As if the alternative is any better - blackness. An eternity of nothingness, possible conscious, but unable to do anything! It's hell anyway you look at it." His voice quietened again. "Not to mention, I've still got so much to do. One lifetime is too short."
Something in him ached at the young Dark Lord's words.
"You've thought this out," he muttered.
"I lived in London through the blitz. I had both time and motivation to think it out."
"But horcruxes?" incredulity coloured his tone. Horror and fear. "Splitting your soul? Not to mention, life isn't always so fine and dandy…and immortality? Imagine watching everyone you cared about dying over and over again while you remained the same…frozen in a changing world. That sounds like hell too."
"I'll take my chances," Tom stated, a sense of conclusion in his voice. He was closing up, ending the conversation and the topic. "Come on. Let's get you to your lessons, my dear horcrux."
"Don't call me that…Merlin, I think I preferred 'Golden Boy.'"
This was a nightmare.
A/N: Well, here you go. Hope you enjoyed. Are you wondering how the relationship is going to change with this new dynamic? I have so many scenes planned in my head *evil laugh.* Anyway, thank you for all the reviews. Much love.