Chapter 63:
Hogsmeade trips had been cancelled for the foreseeable future due to the attack, leaving Harry with no option but to flick frantically through Owl Order catalogues to try and figure out what he was getting all his friends for Christmas.
Some were easy; he got Zevi some state of the art potions ingredients to play with, Lestrange some dog biscuits, Ron a new broom since he was on the Quidditch team now too (and because it was something he'd like, and be more likely to accept.)
He got Abraxas a scarf (he asked Draco to pick out the colour, cause he failed at that type of stuff that Malfoy's seemed to care about) with protective and heating charms.
They were more expensive than the stuff that he normally got for even his close friends (he got less close friends just normal gifts like chocolate, or in Neville's case a quirky magical pot plant for him to grow) but that was just another thing he'd picked up from Slytherin. Get someone something good, which they either or liked or had some other special significance…or don't get them anything at all.
He might have bent the rule slightly with Lestrange, but the other had been more annoying than ever before. Harry just got the feeling something was up - as if he didn't have enough on his plate regarding other people's grievances with Ginny!
Lestrange's ire had only increased after his and Tom's mock fight, and he couldn't help but wonder why.
Of course, the little lackey had probably just got hopeful that he would be Tom's 'new favourite' or something equally Death Eater-ish and lame, but really. It was infuriating, and, admittedly, getting a tiny bit alarming in its intensity.
There were several times that he thought Lestrange would attack if there were no witnesses around to stop him, or if he was brave enough or confident enough to think he'd succeed. Lestrange seemed more the type to stab you when you're back was turned. He'd made sure not to turn his back either way.
He was still stuck for ideas of what to get Hermione and Tom.
Hermione, his immediate thought had been a book, but then he'd started wondering if Hermione ever minded getting nothing but books. He was toying with the idea of getting her a necklace or perfume, or something vaguely feminine, but then adding protective charming.
It was therefore useful, and a little different.
Yet, he was worried that she might think he was trying to patronise her or…he was wary of misjudging the situation. Hermione hated the way girl girls (not that Hermione wasn't a girl!) like Lavender and Parvati giggled over boys and talked incessantly about things like make up.
And yet…he remembered on Privet Drive how some of the older girls complaining to one another how the boys they were friends with just treated them like 'one of the guys.' He hadn't understood it at the time, but…
Tom was even more difficult to Christmas shop for; not in the least because he was fully capable of getting himself whatever he wanted, if he wanted it - and then, if by some chance he wasn't able to get what he wanted (like, er, world domination or Harry willing joining him or whatever his scheme was) then it wasn't something Harry could or would ever give him either.
Due to this, it was totally unfair that Tom should have Christmas and his birthday only six days apart. He didn't know what to get.
He knew the others were getting the Slytherin all sorts of fancy, expensive things like books that came up with information you ever asked for, a pet snake apparently, a small sphere that sparkled around objects of supreme power and several old, ancient pureblood-y things…Lestrange was being naff and giving Tom a Lestrange Family ring for his sixteenth birthday.
He wasn't sure how Tom would take that; especially as it implied him to be under the favour of the Lestranges, rather than the other way round.
In the end, he considered just asking.
He decided to bring the topic up during Occlumency that night.
To be honest, he was fast losing any enthusiasm for the Mind Art - he was terrible at it, had so far seen no improvement, and was also now wondering whether it was a good idea to keep blocking the connection anyway. He didn't like the pain, but he hadn't even known about the Azkaban breakout.
It wasn't like any of the light adults with whom he had contact ever told him anything about what was going on, so, really, the link to Voldemort was the only way he had any idea about what was truly going on in the war.
Tom seemed to be getting fed up with his lack of progress too, but hadn't, so far, commented on it. One of their lessons was going to explode soon enough though, and in the meanwhile, his barriers from the paradox (and, thus, the block Tom had put up) was crumbling.
He had yet to wake up with screams ripping from his lungs, but it was steadily getting worse again. Bloody Mind Arts.
"Tom?" he asked, during a pause, clutching his throbbing head.
"Yes?" Tom asked, his tone perhaps a tad tight.
"What do you want for Christmas, or your birthday?"
Tom stopped, looking at him. He arched his brows when no reply came.
"I didn't realise you cared about that type of thing," Tom said finally. Harry shrugged.
He hadn't got Tom anything in the past because he'd never felt close enough to the other to feel obligated too, especially as he was aware that Tom wasn't all that fond of the season, for reasons as yet unknown.
"Are you going to give me any suggestions or not? Because frankly, I don't have a clue about what to get you." .
"You're such a Gryffindor sometimes," the other said, not particularly spitefully.
Harry waited in silence, knowing the other would speak, eventually.
"You could join the Dark Side?" Tom offered, smirking rather wickedly.
"You don't really want that as a Christmas present," Harry scoffed, reasonably confident. Tom's head tilted, his gaze sharpening as he too noted the self assurance on this, his wand twirling absently through his fingers.
"And what makes you think that?" he asked.
"Cause you'd get bored," Harry replied, honestly. "You enjoy seeing how much you can taint my 'innocence' -"
"-Now that sounds incredibly suggestive," Tom said, his smirk broadened. "I'm starting to see why Lestrange keeps trying to insist your fancy me." Harry spluttered.
"I do not fancy you!" he gaped. "I-what-" Tom was laughing now. "Lestrange said that?" he demanded furiously. "When? He's lying! He's-"
"Trying to turn me cold against you in a fit of awkwardness and contempt, like I normally do whenever some bitch starts drooling after me?" Tom suggested. "Yes, I am aware of that." The amusement had faded somewhat from the other's tone at the statement, but traces still remained. "But that's because he actually does fancy me, and is jealous."
Harry paused, not sure he'd heard correctly, the young Dark Lord had said that in such a nonchalant, uncaring tone. Tom shot him a look, mildly entertained and half chiding.
"Salazar, you're oblivious," Tom shook his head. "You didn't know that? I'd have thought he'd have tried to punch you by now."
Harry couldn't quite get over his shock, questions coming out in quick succession.
"Lestrange's gay? As in - for you? How do you know?"
"Cause he told me," Tom said, appearing disdainful now. "Around the time I met you."
"Is that why he bloody hates me?" Harry questioned, wide eyed. "Holy crap! And you…" Harry ran a hand through his hair. "He actually told you? Is he insane? Salazar, I feel so sorry for him." Tom arched a brow at that, which he pointedly ignored. There was a moment of silence. "He actually told you-" Harry started again.
"Yes," Tom definitely looked entertained now. "Why, does it bother you?" the other winked.
Harry flushed, sending a curse in the Slytherin heirs direction, which Tom swiftly dodged.
"No, so shut up, you know perfectly well I don't fancy you, get over your self."
This conversation had very quickly gone wrong. He wanted to get back to Christmas presents. After a moment, Tom inclined his head in acknowledgement.
"Of course I know you don't, relax. After all, I probably know the contents of your thoughts as well as you do," the Slytherin heir dismissed.
"Good," Harry said. There was another pause. "Hermione thinks it's the other way round," he added, revengefully. "That you fancy me."
"Deluded child," Tom remarked scathingly, before adding, "though I suppose I can see where she might get that from."
"Where could she possibly get that from!" Harry scowled. "We're both straight!"
"I think it's called subtext," Tom remarked. Harry made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat.
"But it's Hermione! She's supposed to be smart!"
"'Supposed to' being the key words in that sentence," Tom replied, lip curling. Harry glared. Hermione was smart. She just wasn't always right. He looked away, feeling uncomfortable.
"So, what do you want for Christmas?" he asked, jaw clenched. Tom was silent, thoughtful.
"Come to little Hangleton with me."
A/N: 1000 REVIEWS! OH MY GOD! Thank you guys so much. You are amazing. And I feel the need to reward you (no this update isn't it, solely, though it is quick, isn't it?)
So, here is my idea, given to me by your numerous reviews on the subject, and this chapter actually. I'm not sure on it, in fact, I'm VERY uncertain on the idea…but,…I am aware that I have a lot of slash fans in my readership who think this story would be better as slash. NO I AM NOT MAKING THIS STORY SLASH, EVER but…I could do a oneshot for Destiny's Darling that is slashy. Not heavy. I just can't write that, even if it was a guy and girl, but…slash. A strictly just that one piece slash oneshot, that could very well be terrible and disappointing cause I can't do romance and have never written slash before in my life. Does that sound like something you would be interested in? If so, give me some scenarios, and PLEASE be gentle cause the whole idea terrifies me in the thoughts of trying to write it.
Meanwhile, hope you enjoy the story. Apologies if this chapter was a bit of a filler.