Severus strolled down the hall in Riddle Manor. It wasn't quite a Death Eater meeting—not an official one—but all of the inner circle was gathering to go over a large, stealthy raid in London. It was difficult, and the deaths were to be under a dozen to keep suspicions low.

The Dark Lord allowed him into the family wing to go over plans. It was odd; he expected a more dreary place, but it was rather classy instead. The Dark Lord had great taste in decor, if a little barren.

"Sevy!" Barty swung an arm around his shoulders.

"Off, Barty." Severus gently pushed him off.

"Sour man. Anyway, Tibby, let's go over everything. Bells, Dolphy, Ras, Ally, Amy, and Lucy, it's crunch time. Lucy, tell Cissy that she needs to attend the next meeting; we'll go over the other group during that." Barty pulled Severus' arm and rushed to the large table where a map was.

They sighed, gathering around the parchment. Tiberius traced the markings on it with a quill as he explained the different waves of attack and how each group would maneuver through the apartments.

" - and Lucius, this is important; you have to hold off the Aurors there. You will be backed into a corner, and you need to stand your ground until we arrive." Tiberius stabbed a quill in Lucius' direction.

"Yes, ittle blondie, don't piss yourself if you get too scared." Bellatrix cackled, holding her stomach.

"Who told you?" Lucius demanded, with redness on his face.

"The twins," Bellatrix smiled at Amycus and Alecto Carrow.

"You pissed yourself? Why?" Severus inquired, the ghost of a smile on his face.

Tiberius laughed, his voice rough. "We were sitting in the lounge when Harry walked in with Nagini and the two spirits. He asked us if there was anyone Nagini was allowed to eat. They spoke in parseltongue, and Nagini lunged at Lucius. I assume Lucius was scared because he urinated on himself."

Severus's mind broke.

"Harry Potter… lived here?"

He just assumed the Dark Lord had him under some form of sedation or imprisonment. He never considered that he would allow Potter to roam around his family wing. With the inner circle as well.

"Yeah," Barty shrugged. "Had a few encounters, he gave me some muggle books to read. Sevy, they are significantly worse than we thought. I would never stand in the same room as some of them."

Tiberius nodded. "Harry told me as well. We had heir training as well with him and the spirits. He didn't know a thing about heirships or courtships."

"We didn't really interact with him." The sets of twins said in unison.

"The ittle brat hit me with a shovel." Bellatrix seethed.

Rodolphus patted her on the back. "Multiple times."

Severus's brain was even more wracked.

"What do you mean, spirits?" An awful weight sat in his stomach.

Tiberius sighed. "They are a piece of the Dark Lord's soul. One was chipped off when he was sixteen, another when he was seventeen. They are very close to Harry, and act as some sort of guard when they're not teaching him to dance or training him."

Soul pieces.

Potter was interacting with the Dark Lord's horcruxes. And the horcruxes were influencing him.

He sighed. He'd just keep it under wraps until he could find a way to explain it to Dumbledore. If anything, he could play the fool and say that he was trying to figure out what they were.

"They're close to him?" Severus needed to probe for more information.

Tiberius nodded. "Like he said. They are very physically affectionate with him and treat him very gently. I daresay they were his guardian angels, if I didn't know. Our Lord was not like that when we were younger. They are completely different."

It only barely reassured Severus.

"Yeah, " Barty interjected. "I don't think they have it in them to hurt him. Which isn't very Dark Lord of them. Though I can't say it extends to others. I've seen them hurt Bellatrix before when they managed to get away from Potter once."

Bellatrix nodded, biting her lip in frustration. "I taunted Potter, and they wanted revenge."

Again, his tension rose.

Was it a play? An act of manipulation to keep them close to Potter until they could strike? Or was it genuine affection? Both horrified him, the latter more so. He allowed himself a shiver, concealing it by shuffling in his chair.

Severus was completely numb as they refreshed the plans. He had to tell Dumbledore. But what all should he tell? A headache splintered through his mind. He just needed to pick a damned side.

The side that wanted to kill Potter or the side that didn't.

This was bad.

This was very bad.

A sigh sat deep in Voldemort's lungs as he ate at his dinner table. Without anyone. Once annoyed by their presence, it was replaced with a tingle of warmth. Now that they were gone, he felt the cold claws of feelings seeping into his bones. Something within him ached at the loss. Something he thought he left behind in the orphanage. Even the loss of his horcruxes ached, much less than Potter.

He hated the hole that hurt within him when he thought about him. He was so bright, a little sliver of warmth in his desolate tundra of a world. But he didn't even have the strength within him to throw a fit about it. It was like he was drifting off into the sea without any land in sight.

Voldemort sighed, dropping his knife and fork. He had lost his appetite.

He replaced his glamours and strolled to his office. But on his way there, he saw a white owl trying to peck out the windows, keeping pace with his walking. His legs moved on their own accord, opening the garden door to let the owl inside.

Its white wings were covered in frost, and as he brushed away the ice and snow, it revealed black spots. It was then that he recognised it as Potter's owl. He took the owl in his arms and continued to his office.

He let her perch on one of the spare perches he had for his eagles. Untying the small red package from her ankles, he sat it on his desk. There was a golden ribbon tied around it with a big bow in the centre.

The ribbon fell away, and he flipped over the top. Inside was a brown package with a note on top of it. He slit open the lion-stamped seal and read.

'Dearest Nemesis,'

Voldemort smirked.

'It has come to my attention that you have been irritated and low, lately. As the person who is most affected by your bad moods, I will do whatever I can (within reason) to circumvent them. Inside, you will find three dozen biscuits and other small treats. You will also find sheets that are called "Wheel of Emotions". I think it will help you stop being so constipated and confused about your inner workings.

Feel free to owl me when you run out. I'm not sure how frequently we can do this, but every once in a while shouldn't hurt.

Farewell,

Your Detested'

The smile grew on Voldemort's face as he read the letter. He ripped open the package and saw biscuits, eclairs, scones, and a variety of other pastries. Warmth flooded over him as he took a bite out of a biscuit.

There, he promised himself he'd only take one item a day to ration his supply.

Starting tomorrow.

Warmth enveloped Harry as they laid down to cuddle. They had built another pillow fort and laid down next to each other. With a quick kiss each, they settled into their usual positions, gripping him less tightly and allowing them to melt together rather than fit like puzzle pieces.

The soft sounds of instrumental music flittered through the air. Calmness filled his every sense, and he began to relax from the stressful testing day. There was an older air to it; their newer cuddles seemed to be charged with an odd tension, but this reminded him of their beginning days.

Something soft, simple, and sweet.

Tender circles rubbed onto his shoulder and hip, calming him even further. He let out a breath of relief and felt himself slipping into sleep, despite not being that tired.

And in the corner of his mind, there was a tremor of pure happiness from Voldemort's side of their connection.

Harry Potter: Mysterious Connections?

'Dear readers,

Yesterday evening, at Hogsmeade, Harry Potter was spotted with two mysterious figures. As the picture depicts, they were wearing long black cloaks with enchantments that consealed their faces. The two are tall, pale men who accompanied Harry Potter the entire time he was in Hogsmeade.

It is noted that Harry Potter has never been seen with these figures before. The recent development is suspicious as it is nearing Yule Break, where the likelihood of him leaving is high.

The shop attendants that chose to speak with the Daily Prophet told us that they bought "Normal, everyday things. [Harry] Potter bought everything for them, mostly in sets of two." It appears that the treatment of the two people are equal to Harry Potter.

Is this another dark connection? Are these two figures Death Eaters in disguise? Hence the hidden identity? Or are these two less nefarious? Someone that Harry Potter has trusted and is now revealing to the public? Is this a strategic ploy to force attention on him again?

There are many questions that need to be answered.

Follow more at the Daily Prophet, for stories every day for the everyday person.

Rita Skeeter

Head of the Daily Prophet Press Department

December 2nd

All eyes were intruding on him as he strolled down the packed hallways. They turned and chatted with malicious intent behind closeted glances. Harry glowered, his mood dampened already by their hostility.

Even more glares followed him when he entered the sweet aroma of the Great Hall. He ignored them, holding his head high as he seated himself at the Gryffindor table. Hermione glanced at him with pity on her face and slid him the Daily Prophet.

Rage built up inside of him as he read the article. How dare they slander his boyfriends. He gritted his teeth and tried to consume his breakfast. He barely got any food in before Hedwig dropped off a letter for him. She bit at his fingers as he tried to take off the letter, only being distracted when he threw her a piece of bacon.

'Dear Harry,

Please meet me in my office after classes today.

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore

P.S. I enjoy liquorice swirls'

He wanted to snarl at the letter. His day was just getting worse and worse. He banged his head on the table and stayed down. Hermione patted his back, but he still rested.

The side-eyes followed him throughout the day. Even professors were looking at him skeptically, which infuriated him even more. He didn't even do anything wrong. He dared to hang out with someone nobody knew. That was his crime.

The steps up to Dumbledore's office never felt so long. Harry knocked at the door aggressively. The door opened, and Dumbledore waved him in, still sitting at his desk. Harry walked in and sat down across from him, his nails digging into his palms.

"Harry, I have a few questions before we go into another memory of Tom Riddle."

Dumbledore sat with the Daily Prophet in front of him.

"Who are these people?" He asked, pointing at the picture.

Thin trails of blood flowed on his fingers where his nails dug in.

"That's none of your business." Harry growled.

"My boy, I only wish to keep you safe - "

"Oh, like in the Triwizard Tournament? Or with any of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers? Or with the wards around the Dursley's house that let in - "Harry's mouth was forced closed.

Dumbledore sighed. "Harry, we are trying to protect you. You have nearly been caught in many other plots that we have been stopped."

Harry teeth could have been shattered by how hard he was crunching down. "Then tell me."

"We're trying to protect you; the more you know - "

"The worse danger I'm in. Yeah. I get it. But has that stopped anyone from trying to murder or capture me? No." Harry shook his head. It didn't matter that Dumbledore was unaware that Voldemort wanted to keep him alive.

Dumbledore's mouth was in a thin line. "I believe we are done here, Harry. We will be moving on to the memory now."

Still stewing in his annoyance, Harry followed him to the pensive room.

"This memory would be from a magical citizen from when they were young and witnessed this atrocity. This is Voldemort attacking a woman for information." Dumbledore scrolled through his memories and picked up a short, silvery vial.

Harry sank into the memory.

The sound of distant explosions met his ears. He covered them, only barely muffling the sound. The house around him was dilapidated; like it was a second from falling apart. Harry stepped over a chunk of wall to see around.

"Now, now, we don't have to do this." Tom Riddle's voice was rough, like he was one breath away from coughing his lungs out.

"Fuck off, you sociopath!" A woman screamed.

"Oh, no, no, this will simply not do." Tom stalked around her.

"I don't - "

"Crucio." Tom cast the spell flatly, sighing as her screams ripped through the air.

Harry stumbled over more wreckage to fully see him. A child hid in the corner, peeking out from the rubble. And by the door was a woman he was attacking. She was young, in her mid-twenties, while Tom was a little older, in his early thirties. And, fuck, was he still hot.

The fact that he was covered in blood added to the appeal.

"Will you yield?" Tom asked, boredom seeping into his tone. His breath heaved ever so slightly.

"I already told you, I don't know anything . . ." She cowered as a spell hit her, crying out in pain.

"I do not believe you. You must know something." Tom raised his wand, about to cast another spell.

"F-Fine!" She raised her hands into the air, "I'll - I'll yield! She's in muggle London, hiding in a hotel by Diagon."

Tom hummed, a smirk on his face. "Now, that wasn't so hard, now was it?"

She scrambled to the collapsed hallway. But Tom cast another spell that blocked her, sending an electric shock through her body. She spasmed on the floor, looking up at Tom with tears streaming down her face.

"Let me go." She cried pitifully.

Tom tilted his head.

"Avada Kedavera." He simply stated.

A bright green light later, she was on the floor, tear-filled eyes staring at the ceiling without another thought. Tom waltzed over to her and checked over her body. He pulled out a magical coin pouch and a wand, pocketing both. The child in the corner scrambled to not be seen as he passed.

Harry was spat out of the memory.

"Amber was a kind woman who was at the wrong place at the wrong time." Dumbledore sighed. "The woman he was searching for was the leader of the Muggleborn Representation Department at the time, a section in Wizengamont that has since been dissolved as tensions have lessened."

A coldness covered Harry.

You knew he was a bad person.

Harry bit back a retort. He wanted to defend Tom—no, he was concretely Voldemort at this time. He wanted to defend Voldemort, but there was nothing to defend. He was in the wrong, hunting down a person who had sinned by merely representing muggleborns.

"I see," Was all he could muster.

"You see now why you need to kill Voldemort. If he did it once, he will do it again." Dumbledore sighed as he looked over the rows upon rows of bottled memories.

Change is possible.

"Now, you can see why you need to be the one to kill him." Dumbledore placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "I know it is a large task, but we will help you every step of the way."

He wanted to protest again. Wanted to tell him that Voldemort could change, that he has moved his positions since he's talked to him. But Dumbledore's mind was cemented. He thought Voldemort was evil as a small child, and he'll continue to think that he's a force of pure evil for the rest of his life.

Especially after all of the acts of horror he has committed.

"I know." And he did. Harry knew they'd stop at nothing to help him kill Voldemort.

And for that matter, his horcruxes as well.

Himself included.

"Think on that, Harry. We are here for you." Dumbledore patted him again.

Harry left the office feeling numb. His thoughts were on repeat like a record. He needed… someone. Tom and Riddle would bring up the memories of Voldemort, while Hermione and Ron would make him think of his duties as the-boy-who-needs-to-murder-Voldemort.

A small smile was on his face.

Hopefully, Luna would be in the room of requirements again.

Severus hated Order meetings.

Today, they were arguing on the scene in the Daily Prophet. Though he knows he should be more concerned about it, he couldn't bring himself to care. If they were in dark robes and disguised, they were Death Eaters. And the Death Eaters would not harm him. But their friendliness was something odd.

Perhaps one of the sets of twins was sent to watch over Potter? They did look similar to each other. They must be twins, or maybe brothers?

Severus shook his head. He was thinking too much. Potter was safe with them, and that's all he wanted to know.

What was weighing on his mind were the two horcruxes. He tried not to pry, but he knew they were physical -

The two people flanking him were the horcruxes.

A swirl of unease ate at his stomach. Potter knew they were the Dark Lord's horcruxes. He knew what they were. Yet he still decided to be with them. He certainly looked like he was there willingly.

As the others had said, they were courteous and kind to him. Did he think he was an outlier, or did he think they were truly capable of change?

His brain hurt. Too many questions and not enough answers for him. He needed answer, now.

"Severus, anything else to report on with Voldemort?" Albus asked him.

Severus winced as fire engulfed his forearm.

"Yes." He would tell a little bit of the truth. "Apparently, Potter was in the family wing with the rest of the inner circle while he was captured by the Dark Lord. He had numerous occasions of contact with them while he was there."

"What?" Alastor snarled. "Bullshit. They would have ripped him to shreds."

"He wouldn't have dared!"

"You-Know-Who wouldn't have allowed that!"

Severus felt indignant at their disbelief. "Tiberius had the most contact, and he's the sanest of the inner circle. He said he gave him heir-training. The Dark Lord also apparently gave him lessons."

He'd just omit the details about the sentient horcruxes.

"This won't do." Dumbledore shook his head. "Those were Death Eaters he was with. I would not doubt if they were there to train or pass on information. We need to watch closely before they get their claws into him."

"If they haven't already," Alastor muttered.

"Harry wouldn't do such a thing!" Molly defended the boy.

Severus snarled. "He was there for an entire month. We don't know how easily he'd crack under long-term pressure."

But was that such a bad thing?

If Potter defected, then that would mean that he wouldn't have to fight for both sides. Potter would just passively watch as their world was conquered by the Dark Lord. And he'd be safe, not breaking Severus' vow to him.

Severus sighed.

So many questions.

Not enough answers.

A bubble popped on Harry's potion as he turned the heat to a rolling boil. He hummed to himself in the empty classroom. Well, empty except for Professor Slughorn.

" - and it is hard, sometimes, to hide those who you love the most." Professor Slughorn sighed, scooping some beetles into his cauldron.

"It's sucks. I can't be open about them, and it would be worse if I was." Harry groaned.

He had gotten to disclose more and more of his relationship with Professor Slughorn. The man was just so easy to trust and to pour his thoughts and feelings into. And he gave good advice, too.

"Are you sure about that?" Professor Slughorn pressed again.

Harry shook his head. "Yeah. They're a bit… controversial."

That was not to say it lightly. How would their world react to him dating the horcruxes of Voldemort? They'd label him a terrorist. Say he's gone dark and that he should be lynched or something like that.

"That happens when you date someone in the dark. Just remember to be safe. From what you've said, I have no need to doubt them, but always be careful. Graveyards are filled with people who thought their partner would never do such a thing." Professor Slughorn sighed, staring listlessly into his cauldron.

His tone made Harry think he spoke from experience.

"I know, I know. But they are very sweet. We've only had one big fight, and that was entirely on me." He still got a bit shaken up when he thought about it. It was an awful week for the both of them.

"Forgive my memory, but was that One or Two?" Professor Slughorn looked up at Harry's cauldron and gave him a thumbs-up on his potion.

That was their code. Tom was One, Riddle was Two. It was their way of communicating that had it, so Harry kept their names a secret. Professor Slughorn, of all people, would know who Tom and Riddle were.

"One," Harry stirred his potion. "He's more guarded about the diary I gave him. Can't blame him. Two is as well, but he hides it better."

Professor Slughorn nodded. "Yes, yes, it will take time to restore all trust. And maybe they will be guarded. It is something you'll have to learn to live with."

"I know." Harry shook his head. "Doesn't stop me from feeling like shit."

"Language, Mr Potter." Professor Slughorn chastised him, but his tone wasn't serious. "Perhaps you can try to desensitize yourself to it or give yourself reminders that all is fine when you see them. Or overall, avoid the areas where their diaries are located."

"That's a good idea." He'd try all three. "Say, if I added a mermaid scale, sliced, to this, couldn't I make it 1.5 times as effective?"

Professor Slughorn looked at his notes. "Yes, but it needs to be sliced thin enough. It's an upper-level potion, and you'd need to add more mint and lichen. I'll watch your potion while you check the excess supply; I prefer not to dig into the class supply."

Harry rummaged through the potion's closet. A small smile tinged his face as he did so. He'd never been caught dead here last year, yet he'd been here over and over again this year. He bet that he'd be there more next year, especially to study.

"We have about, hm, two handfuls of lichen and three of mint." Harry may have been making potions for a while, but he still didn't know how to measure ingredients.

"Hm, you can make the potion if you promise to help me harvest more ingredients." Professor Slughorn thought for a moment. "Take half a handful of both for safe measures."

Harry came back with his hands filled with mint and lichen.

"Pardon my terrible memory, but will your boyfriends be attending the Slug Club party? And if I may, the annual Winter Dance?" He asked, passing him a clean knife.

Harry bit his cheeks. "They said they'd have it covered so they could attend at least the Slug Club. They were discussing how we'd do the Winter Dance, and if we can't figure something out, I may just eat and leave early to spend more time with them."

Professor Slughorn chuckled. "Do as you wish. The heart wants what the heart wants."

The heart wants.

And Harry wanted him and his boyfriends to be able to walk around in public without fear or judgment.

The heart will want.

But the heart will not receive.

Severus: Harry Potter is affectionately interacting with the Dark Lord's horcruxes.
Severus: (internal screeching)

Voldemort: What are these terrible feelings that consume me when Potter and my horcruxes are gone? And why does Potter say I have emotional issues?
Voldemort: oooo baked goods!

Harry: That fucking Rita Skeeter took a picture of me and my boyfriends, calling them Death Eaters! (murder instincts intensify)

Dumbledore: Who are these men? We just want to protect you.
Harry: You're not my dad, old man. And you're pretty shit at protecting.

Tom Riddle: (Murdering innocents)
Harry: Is it me or is it kinda sexy to be drenched in blood?

Dumbledore: Harry, we are here for you and want to protect you.
Also Dumbledore: (Plans to make sure he dies one day)

Severus: So Potter might be defecting.
Everyone: Bullshit!
Harry: (laughing evilly with his boyfriends)

Professor Slughorn: Be careful, Mr Potter (Wise words of advice)
Harry: But I want to go on cute dates with my boyfriends NOW!