Chapter 59:
"What makes you think I want to talk to you about anything?" Tom asked. Harry raised his brows.
"Seriously? You're asking me that?" he demanded, incredulously. Tom smirked at his response, before reaching into his bag and pulling out a…book. Harry glanced at the other, askance, taking it when Tom handed it to him. An Empath's guide for beginners.
"Empath's? Empathy? Is that the thing where people can read other people's emotions?" he questioned, confused. "Cause I'm not an Empath. I can't-"
"You're not an Empath," Tom confirmed, guessing where he was going. "Empath's can read all emotions, you just pick up on mine and Voldemort's because of the soul bond."
Soul bond…Harry shivered. Urgh. It sounded like such a kind of nice, soul matey type thing, rather than the horrific horcrux situation it actually was.
"It's the same principle anyway, sort of, " Tom continued smoothly. "Due to the apparent breaking down of the paradox, (which has before now, in a way, kept you in flux between both of our minds so you don't go too deep into either, at least when your mind is active, with help from our Occlumency barriers) you're going to start to feel the connection grow stronger, hence, you are probably going to start getting more emotions, much like an empath would, only yours would be on a much smaller scale. Are you with me so far?" Tom questioned.
Harry blinked twice, causing Tom to chuckle slightly.
"The book will teach you how to control the emotions when they come in, and how to separate them from your own…which is what an Empath would have to do. So, read it, learn it, and apply it," Tom instructed. "Unfortunately, you're situation is unique, so this is the closest I could get."
It took a moment for Harry to realise that he felt touched that Tom had gone to the trouble of finding the book for him. It took another moment for his suspicions to rear their heads.
"Why are you giving me this?" he asked, frowning, "not that I don't appreciate it, so thanks, but…"
A second later his head imploded with pain, his teeth gritting to prevent a whimper from slipping through. His eyes watered. Then, it was gone. He stared up at Tom, breathless.
"Magic, strong magic, as you know, is fuelled by emotion - the non empathetic part of the connection means it will hurt when you start getting emotions, especially negative ones…as you just saw," Harry was almost certain he detected a hint of amusement, and scowled. Sadist. "It's irritating if you collapse every time I cast magic around you," Tom said, "and I will not have that liability. So…read it, learn it, apply it."
Harry tucked the book into his bag, about to speak, when Hermione rushed in, looking terrified.
Tom's features were impassive, with the barest hint of annoyance, and fear not visible to anyone without a connection.
Harry felt annoyed himself at the sight of it, the annoyance that was. It really wouldn't kill Tom to put some effort into not treating his friends like dirt. He stood up.
"What is it?" he demanded, worried.
"He-V-You-V" she seemed to compose herself. "Voldemort's outside the castle."
Harry felt underwater, drowned, every sound suddenly seeming distorted..
"Everyone's looking for you Harry, the teachers are worried sick - I only knew you were because of the Mar-" Hermione came to an abrupt halt, glancing at Tom. Harry nodded to show he understand, knowing what she was going to say was 'the Marauders map'.
Tom was looking perfectly innocent, slightly confused and a little irritated. Harry studied him warily.
"I swear to god if you know something about this…" he trailed off. "You had better start talking now. What the hell is he doing here? Isn't there like - I mean…"
Why would Voldemort risk coming all the way up to Hogwarts?
"Dumbledore's out there now," Hermione told him breathlessly. "He's trying to sort everything out, and the Aurors have been called."
Harry felt sick to the stomach. Did Voldemort know…? No, he couldn't. Tom had said he hadn't told about the horcruxes! And no one else, outside of Dumbledore knew, and Dumbledore wouldn't tell and Tom didn't like sharing! He…he'd never flat out confirmed Harry's thoughts. He'd made it sound like he had, with his responses, but he'd never…f***. Tom also had the slight tendency to pathologically lie when it suited him, and Harry had most certainly made it very clear that he wouldn't be doing the other any favours if he told. This was the teenage Dark Lord who'd wiped his memory after all...
Why on earth did he feel so betrayed? He should have expected this. He felt like such an IDIOT. He felt cold, doused in ice as he turned to Tom. The other was watching him carefully.
"You lied," he said flatly.
"I'm a psychopath, we do that some-"
"-NO!" Harry yelled. "Don't use that as an excuse…you made the choice, no one forces you to do anything. You bloody bastard. Did you lie all about what happened once I blacked out, too?" he demanded furiously.
Hermione had turned ashen.
"Oh, so you'd prefer to be dead?" Tom questioned delicately. Harry shook his head, unbelieving of what he was hearing.
"I'd prefer you didn't sit and lie to my face! I thought you were my-" Harry dragged himself to a halt. I thought you were my friend.
Tom suddenly had an odd glint to his eyes, and Harry could feel his forehead beginning to twinge with the brewing emotions, but he couldn't bring himself to read it. He didn't like the connection. The only reason he'd looked earlier because he was terrified of Voldemort knowing...and now he knew.
"I suppose the two of you planned this whole thing, right?" Harry laughed, humourlessly. "Find some way around the paradox and let me think you'd changed, was that it? You know what…screw you."
He started to walk out the door, only for that invisible vice to clamp around his left arm.
"Don't walk away," Tom ordered, nearly hissing. Harry could feel his blood pounding in his head, his aura crackling threateningly. "You don't understand-"
"-No, I bloody well don't understand!" he snarled. "Let me go or I swear-"
"Your heart stopped," Tom took a step towards him, dangerously calm. "Do you understand that? You were about to die!"
Harry snapped his wand out as his temper snapped with it, shifting to a duelling stance.
He'd promised hospitalisation…
A/N: Shorter, I know, but I BET you weren't expecting that! HA. Sorry, that was a childish response. I just really hoped I surprised you, did I have you convinced Tom was niceish? Of course, he still might be, you don't know his reasoning, but he could just be a total psychopath…what do you guys think? Thank you so much for all the reviews, as always! If I reach 1000...you shall be rewarded. I don't know how yet, but you will be…feel free to give suggestions. =) Wow. I'm in shock.
Oh, and the next chapter should be longer, and probably one of the last of my super quick updates in a while. End of the holidays and all that jazz...need to concentrate on my studies.
Okay, so a lot of people have asked me for suggestions for any good Slytherin/Dark/Grey Harry stories, and quite a few were anonymous, so I'm putting it here…you may be familiar with a few of these…
1) Welcome to Hogwarts 1949. - abandoned, but absolutely brilliant in what there is. Best characterisation of Tom I have ever seen, in my opinion, and inspired me to write a fan fiction.
2) What if the world turned it's head sideways - again, brilliant, seems to be abandoned, but there's two years worth of Slytherin Harry. 1st and Second year. Very good. Based on the premise of what would happen if Harry meant Fred and George before he got really talking to Ron. The most realistic of what would happen if Harry went Slytherin that I've ever read, and I've read more than I remember or admit to…
3) Anything by Dark Cyan Star or Epic Solemnity's Death of Today. I'm not a slash fan, but these were brilliantly written, and he/she marks strong slash scenes so if you're not into that, then you can skip easily.
4) Kurinoone's Dark Harry series.
I will get back to you if I think of more, =) I can't remember names of all the good stories I've read. As you might have noticed, a lot of them involve Tom and Harry, or Tom and Voldemort, though "What if" doesn't majorly outside of canon events, and is AWESOME.