Still not slash...
Chapter 101:
Sirius' Trial loomed until suddenly it was the night before, and Harry's stomach was twisting.
Sirius hadn't wrote to him in a while, they hadn't been able to write properly due to the Ministry and their sudden pre-hearing surge of attention.
He hadn't managed to steal Marvolo back yet, and Ginny was looking positively waxen, and if he cared to examine her eyes when they glared at him, they were filled with plea, fear and desperation.
He couldn't help but wonder if the old Ginny was locked inside there somewhere, screaming. He really needed to talk to that locket, but Tom hadn't taken it off since he'd got it, and those dark eyes were constantly alert and watchful.
He couldn't help but wonder if Tom suspected something.
Roger's master plan that wasn't such a great master plan after all was floating him about in his head, because his gut was urging him to pull a similar stunt, spurred by the same sense of tunnel vision, paranoia and panic.
He bit his lip, staring blankly at the homework in front of him - an essay on Snarglepuffs from Herbology. He honestly couldn't bring himself to care about Snarglepuffs right now, too jumpy, too…he stood up, agitatedly, tossing the sheets of parchment down onto a table with irritated fury, pacing.
He paused when he noticed he'd attracted attention from the rest of the Slytherins.
Tom arched a brow at him.
"Sorry," Harry muttered, eyes catching the locket almost instinctively.
Tom twirled his fingers through the chain, appearing careless, but his gaze was too intent, too challenging. Harry looked away again. Tom had been coolly pissed off with him since he'd found out about the Unbreakable vow, but he hadn't backed off and sulked, not in the slightest. Harry hadn't quite figured if that was a good thing or not, and didn't have the time to analyse it further with his plans to Get Marvolo.
So far, he couldn't see how he was going to manage it without an actual confrontation, and that was something he'd prefer to avoid.
"Is it the trial?" Zevi asked, worriedly. Harry shrugged.
"It'll go fine," Abraxas dismissed. "If you want, I can put in a good word for you with the Wizenemagot - us Malfoy's have a lot of influence."
"Thanks," Harry said softly, touched despite the arrogant tone, for he knew the blonde meant it. "But that's okay…maybe if things go badly."
"It won't," Alphard snapped, tetchily. "He's a Black. The law should be on his side, and it's criminal that he was sentenced without trial. They'll be bending over backwards just to stop us from pressing charges. The Blacks are still a powerful family too."
Harry smiled, weakly, talk of the trial was nauseating his stomach.
What if it did go wrong? Something was bound to go wrong, wasn't it? This was a good thing happening in his life, something would inevitably spoil his chances of happiness. He was happy now, largely, inexplicably, when he just hanging out with Tom, without all the drama like when they'd just been having that dinner in Little Hangleton, but that wasn't going to last either.
He was painfully aware that time was slipping away through his fingers, and that Voldemort was only defining himself with every grain of sand that fell, even though there was also progress.
Tom could hold the Horcrux, so he was clearly having an effect….but…in a way that just made it worse, knowing how things could be different and knowing that Tom seemed set to become Voldemort anyway, and reverse everything.
Maybe that was why he needed the remembrall. He didn't know, and he didn't want to think about it. The worst part was that he w
asn't allowed to attend - the trial, and god, his thoughst were a mess! - he'd sent his memories off, and now could do nothing but wait for the results to come through.
It was maddening; and only served to increase his feverish desire to do something productive.
Like get Marvolo back.
It was clear from observation, and Pansy, that there was no good time to steal the locket…and he really wanted it back.
Ginny wasn't going to last much longer and…and he just wanted it back. His fingers were itching for his its weight and the reassuring hum of the Horcrux around his neck.
He was, somewhere in the back of his mind, fully aware that this was really not a good thing, this…withdrawal. Nonetheless. He was drawn to it, and he wanted it back.
Even if it was Tom's…didn't he technically have more claim to it than Tom anyway? He was the one that shared a part of the same soul, Tom didn't if he could hold it.
He would do it tonight.
A couple of days was long enough.
Zevi watched as Harry disappeared, still completely restless but oddly calm, into the Dorm.
His lord's gaze followed the retreating figure, thoughtful. Zevi's stomach churned.
"He's up to something," Abraxas murmured, with a sneaky, affirming glance at Tom.
Tom didn't respond to that, confirming that he probably thought it true, and there was a deadly edge to his aura that skimmed across all of their bare skin like the flat side of a knife, liable to flip to wound in under a second.
Yes, Harry was up to something, and it seemed Tom had some idea of what it could be about, and wasn't even remotely happy about it.
This wasn't going to be pretty.
"He could just be worried about his Godfather," Alphard said tersely. "Stop stirring, you're as bad as Lestrange."
What once may have been a mild, vaguely humorous jab was now a biting insult, coloured by Tom's distaste and disfavour of the brunette, and Abraxas restrained a flinch.
"What do you think, my lord?" Zevi asked, quietly.
Tom looked at him, gaze seeming to pierce right through to his soul, though he kept impassive, before feeling that old mix of disappointment and relief when those eyes released him from their hold.
The next second, the Slytherin heir had rose to his feet, smoothly, and headed towards the dorm room.
An awkward silence followed.
"I really hate it when they do that," Alphard muttered.
Abraxas glanced across the room, and without checking, Zevi knew he'd looked over to his grandson.
"Just leave them to it, they normally seem capable of working things out," the blonde said.
"I know," Alphard said, with a slight playful whine. "But I wish I could watch them when they do - don't you feel like we only ever get half the story? And miss all the good bits that make them so intense around each other! Can you just imagine what they're like when they're alone!"
"Alphard…" Abraxas warned, disapprovingly.
"What!" Alphard said defensively. "Don't say you've never thought it…do you remember that time we accidentally walked in on them in the middle of arguing?"
"Oh for god's sake…"
"You're such a gossipy old woman, Black!"
Harry's eyes shot to the locket when Tom dropped it on his bed, telling Harry to 'keep an eye on it' as he headed to the ensuite bathroom.
Harry froze, wary.
Tom was testing him, he had to be…but it was just so perfect a chance.
He could take Marvolo and run.
He nodded back at Tom, absently, filling those dark eyes on his face for a moment.
He waited, a minute, wondering if Tom was going to come bursting out like someone in a film.
When nothing happened, he cautiously approached Tom's bed, picking up the Horcrux. It gave a pleasing hum, and he smiled softly.
Time to sort this out.
He turned around to quickly leave, though he could hear water running in the bathroom, and almost had a heart attack.
Tom was leaning against the bathroom door, arms folded, watching him.
"More training, Golden Boy?" he questioned, dangerously.
A/N: Urgh. Writer's Block. Urgh Bad writing. Urgh Horrible update. Urgh Stress. So MUCH stress in my life.
Yay your awesome reviews! I've made a start on the slashy reward (but I'm blocked on that idea, any ideas to expand on DrunkTom and SoberHarry?) and still need an idea for the non slash reward. I apologise if they don't stack up evenly, slash is very difficult for me, but I shall humbly make another attempt.
PS: Can I ask a massive favour? On my FF profile, there's a link to my original writing (poetry) on a site called Writers Network. If any of you are at loss for what to do and have some free time, could you please take a look and tell me your favourites? I need to put together a portfolio for my uni of choice applications….quickly, and to highest quality. I'd love you forever, and be willing to add more rewards on!
Next chapter should be much better, I actually have it vaguely planned in my head….I promise.
I feel like such a failure. :( This chapter just didn't want to jazz.
Feel free to flame away! With a flame thrower!