Harry's wrist had begun cramping from sitting and petting Nagini for so long. It was strange, but the longer they held contact, the more at ease he felt. It was hard to think of her as the same creature that attacked Mr. Weasley.

She liked to hiss a bit which would freak Harry out but then would move her position before settling into Harry, getting comfortable and silent.

"So warm yes, like a rock."

"I need to pee, so you need to let me get up." Harry hissed to her, and he could have sworn she huffed in annoyance. Did all snakes have an attitude, or was he just lucky?

"You will pet me later." Harry chuckled nervously, and the snake slowly slid off of him. She decided to rest on the right side of the bed, curling into herself. He moved slowly, Voldemort's warning had been repeating itself over and over in his head. He was afraid that if he moved too fast she might see it as threatening and strike.

His feet hit the floor, and he sauntered to the bathroom. He had closed the door and finished his business. While washing his hands he could hear mutual hissing from beyond the bathroom. Either Voldemort was here, or the snake was talking to herself. Either seemed plausible. He opened the door and got the tail end of the conversation before stepping out.

"-ust had a rabbit not too long ago. You'll be fine." The scene was laughable. The Dark Lord was three feet from the bed, and Nagini had herself halfway up his back, trying to climb onto his shoulders. Her huge body hung weirdly between the bed and the Dark Lord's body. He looked very exasperated, yet held a small smile. The smile melted off the man's face when he realized Harry was back in the room. "I'm surprised you're still alive."

"And I'm not surprised that your only friend is a killer snake." He shot back just as quickly. Voldemort wasted no time in whipping his wand out.

"Levicorpus." It wasn't the spell Harry was expecting, so he let out a high-pitched screech when his body was lifted by his ankle. He was suddenly upside down in the air, suspended by an invisible force tied to his right ankle. The big robe began falling and only stayed up after catching Harry's free leg, which was bent awkwardly at the knee. His entire left leg was exposed, and he could feel the breeze on his hip and some of his stomach area.

"You do realize, Harry, that I don't need the torture curse to hurt you?" Nagini ceased her attempts at snakey-back (piggy-back) and slipped off her master quickly, she slithered under the bed. Voldemort took a step toward Harry. This fueled Harry's brain, however, and he felt glad that he was able to think quickly.

"Wait!" He held his hands out. "What I meant was- I'm surprised you have any friends at all." A low blow, apparently Voldemort thought so too. The Dark Lord's nose slits flared and he raised his hand, it wasn't his wand hand. Harry couldn't believe he was going to get slapped by the Dark Lord. Suddenly appearing in the man's hand, however, was- Harry's fork.

"Did you know that there are several areas along the human torso that can withstand puncture wounds while leaving minimal damage?" Harry found it hard to swallow, and he instinctively covered his stomach area with his arms. He hadn't known that. Why would that be something people just know? "I know all of them."

"You're going to stab me?!" He asked, voice getting loud. He wasn't having fun anymore.

"Would be proper justice against your wrongdoings to the poor ceiling. Karma, as they say."

"You're insane!"

"You don't know when to shut your mouth, do you?" The exceptionally tall man flicked his wand, and Harry floated higher. Voldemort stalked forward and gripped Harry's hair painfully, forcing him to bend his neck at a very uncomfortable angle and look into the Dark Lord's eyes. He was using the same hand that held his wand, and Harry could feel the hardwood against his scalp.

"No- I really don't." He whispered in agreeance. Voldemort held his gaze and Harry felt cold metal against his exposed thigh. He tried to flinch away, but his ankle was held in place, and his head was forced to stay still. "Wait-"

"Listen very carefully, Harry Potter," The pronged end of the fork began lowering, getting closer to Harry's hip bone. It was pressed hard enough that it would leave marks, but not enough to draw blood. Harry helplessly tried to move away, he swung his arms, but they felt like they had been filled with lead, and wouldn't listen to him. All he could do was grip the pooled robe against his chest.

"I want you to remember how you feel at this moment," Harry felt frightened, exposed, and immensely creeped out. "I want you to understand how much power I have over you. You will bow to me, submit to me," The fork passed over his hip and dipped over the exposed underwear. It was then pressed sharply against the skin beside his navel. Harry drew in an audible breath.

It was so tense, Voldemort's magic was suffocating him. He could feel it rest in the back of his throat, heavy. He realized suddenly that part of him was urged to get closer to the man, to let the magic fill him. The link buzzed pleasantly, and Harry became confused with his feelings.

"Please…" He whimpered. Not knowing what he was begging for. His head was starting the hurt from being upside down, the blood was rushing to his brain. It was all too much.

"Know your place, Harry," The grip on his hair tightened impossibly. "You will cease your attacks on my character, and you will behave. I have no reservations about scarring you," Harry could only choke out a sob, tears pooling at the corner of his eyes from the pull on his hair. He tried to nod, but he had no mobility in his actions.

"Yes," He hissed out, just wanting it to end. The hand in his locks released him, and his head felt so heavy in response. He sucked in a breath and was dropped from his position in the air with a flick of a wand. Harry tumbled to the floor, his head hitting the carpet. The rest of his body followed suit, and he was laid out, his toes almost on the tile of the bathroom. The air was knocked out of him, and he took a moment to steady himself.

The blood rushed from his head all at once, trying to get back into his body. His legs were tingling, his scalp throbbing terribly. He released shaky breaths one after another. While recovering, Harry hadn't realized the Dark Lord had taken his leave. His heart pounded in his ear so loud, that it felt like it was trying to leave through his throat.

After a few minutes, he sat up slowly. The robes had been pushed up still, and he could make our four distinct lines leading from the middle of his thigh to the line of where the underwear started. He lifted the robe and followed the line up to his stomach. There was an ugly patch of raised skin, and four small indents. He was sure it would bruise. It hadn't broken skin, and Harry was grateful for that. He didn't think he could deal with blood right now.

With shaking hands, he pulled the robe down. He didn't want to look at his skin right now. Not when he had yearned for the Dark Lord to touch him while he tortured him.

"Morgana's saggy tits." A hissing noise startled him badly, and Harry yelped.

"Master wouldn't need to be cruel to you if you weren't cruel to him,"

"That was beyond cruel," Harry countered, turning in his spot to look at the snake who had poked her head from underneath the bed.

"You're alive," Was the simple response. And it was true. How many people had lived after countlessly insulting the Dark Lord? How many people had lived after insulting him to his face? "You are precious," Harry snorted loudly, shaking his head. "He said so. So it is true. Our Master does not lie,"

"Normal people don't harm what they consider precious,"

"You provoked him,"

"He technically started it," Harry offered before waving his hand. "Besides, he kidnapped me,"

"He saved you," She hissed out before slithering towards him hesitantly as if he were the dangerous animal, not her.

"Ah, is that what it's called in parseltongue?"

"They want you dead. Me too. All of Master's precious things are in danger," Harry shook his head again, and Nagini bumped her nose against his knee. It was strangely affectionate, and he felt like she was attempting to comfort him.

"Not me,"

"Especially you. Master lives because of us. He told me we need to be destroyed for him to die. It is why I am not allowed out of the manor," Harry hesitated.

"Couldn't I get the Horcrux out of me?" He received a simple blink, so he tried again. "What if I got what was precious out of me?"

"Only through death," Harry's blood ran cold. That couldn't be true, could it? Surely there would be a way to get it out of him without killing him. Dumbledore would figure it out, he wouldn't just let Harry die. Would he?

"Pet me, Harry," Nagini demanded resting her head on top of his knee. Harry reached out and stroked her down the middle. Had Dumbledore even known? He'd never said anything to Harry about it, he never really told Harry anything to be fair. If it were true and Dumbledore didn't know it, he would find out quick enough. Would Harry's death be for the greater good?

"Are you completely sure, Nagini?"

"Yessssss. Master asked me if I wanted to help him with his precious. He said it was irreversible. I wanted to help," That surprised Harry to hear.

"He asked you first?"

"Of course. He is kind," Harry looked up to the ceiling, there wasn't ever going to be a way to convince the snake otherwise.

"Sure," He continued to pet the snake, and she ever so slowly crept into his lap. Harry assumed she was trying to be sneaky which was hilarious due to her sheer size.

"You give good pets, but our Master gives the best pets,"

"Anytime he's touched my head he's almost ripped my hair out. No thanks,"

"I will tell him not to do that next time then,"

"Please don't," He could only imagine the Dark Lord's reaction with Nagini telling him he wasn't to grab at Harry's hair anymore, only pet it nicely. He reached up to rub at his sore scalp.

"I will," He groaned and stopped petting the snake in favor to rub at his face. An unwanted flush grew across his cheeks and he hated how flustered he felt, for no reason. "Keep petting me, Harry," And he did, but only because petting her scales seemed to calm him, not because he was growing to like her.

Not at all.

The four days following the incident Harry had yet to see Voldemort again. He had several wonderfully dull conversations with Nagini and a couple more interesting ones. He asked her questions about her life, and she happily recanted some of her favorite moments. She said that before she became precious, she was allowed to go with the Dark Lord when he went away.

She had her own chair, a smaller throne, for when the Dark Lord needed to walk around. Harry was busting a gut laughing, and Nagini expressed her displeasure with Harry rasping and rolling around. He tried to explain how funny it was that Lord Voldemort had a throne built just for his pet snake. The visual however tickled him, and he wasn't able to explain it between gasps of breath.

"Does he kiss you goodnight when you sleep with him too?" Nagini had spent some nights with Harry, curled around his form, and sometimes she left through the wall like a god damn ghost. The first time she did that Harry almost had an aneurysm, and he felt along the same wall for a good hour to see if he could replicate the magic.

"Kissssss?"

"Yeah, you know…" How does one explain kissing to a snake? "Like this?" He leaned forward and laid his lips on the very top of her head, between her eyes. He got blinked at, and then her forked tongue slipped out.

"That was a kisssss?" Harry nodded. "I have never had one. Do it again," Harry laughed, and his stomach hurt. It felt like he had abs from laughing so hard before.

"Okay, but only once more," He indulged the snake, she hurriedly placed her head closer to his lips, bumping into his nose. "Ow- Hey!" He chuckled grabbing onto the sides of her head to hold her still. He pecked her again.

"It is a human thing?"

"Yes, people do it too- well it's something they do to show their love,"

"You love me?"

"I- no…" He answered too quickly, yet Nagini didn't seem to take offense. "I meant, it's how we show affection. Like pets, or… when Voldemort gives in and feeds you a rabbit every time you ask,"

"Ah, I understand," Just then his dinner arrived. The tray made a barely audible noise when it appeared, and Harry's inner clock had been expecting it. He pats the bed and Nagini grumbled before sliding off from across his legs. She watched him get up and approach the plate. Tonight was turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy. The vegetables were green beans, and the drink looked like a light red juice. Probably cranberry. He had just sat down and picked up the fork when Nagini pushed herself off the bed and hissed.

"The meat," Harry looked down at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"What?"

"Nagini will trade you," The Horcrux offered.

"What on earth could you give me as a tradable item?"

"..."

"Merlin's beard- just take it." He threw the turkey breast to his fellow Horcrux, then watched in horror at the speed at which she struck at it. He couldn't believe he let himself walk by her when he knew she was hungry. He was lucky to still have his feet. The thought made him start to bring his feet up onto the chair.

"You spoil her, Harry," Harry dropped his fork onto the plate and spun in his seat, Voldemort was standing behind him, watching the scene. Harry wasn't sure how long the man had been in the room. Standing in the corner basked in the shadows creepily.

"You gave her her own throne. You spoil her," Voldemort cocked his head, an almost smile gracing his lips. Seemed like he was in a good mood.

"You could have your own throne, Harry," Was the extremely unexpected retort, and Harry gapped openly. What? What did that...Oh. Oh. A throne just like Nagini. A glorified pedestal. He grimaced, remembering Voldemort's comment from days ago.

"I won't bow down to you in front of everyone, and I definitely won't sit like a trophy for everyone to see."

"I suppose it would be acceptable in private as well."

"I'm not- what? No," His face heated up immediately, and he sputtered indignantly. Why did it feel like he was being flirted with? "Stop it," Both wizards' attention was taken away when Nagini hissed happily between the two of them.

"When you pet Harry you must be gentle, Master. His fur is sensitive," Harry closed his eyes, mortified. His flushed face felt like it was going to explode. The link sparked amusement.

"Is that so?" Was the curious response.

"Yes," Nagini said matter of factly. Harry opened his eyes and openly glared at the snake.

"Don't listen to anything she has to say! She's confused," He looked up to the Dark Lord and paused when he saw that the man was smiling deviously at him.

"Don't worry, Harry. I promise to be gentle next time," Harry felt like he was going to choke on his spit, his face couldn't get any redder.

"Why do you have to make things so weird?"

"I find profound happiness in your extreme discomfort."

"Wow. Awesome." Harry nodded to himself, he already knew this but hearing the man admit it so freely was surreal. He'd had enough, and turned in his seat. He was going to eat his dinner, and if Voldemort wanted to stare at the back of his head, he could have fun with that.

"Master has been away for so long,"

"Yes, yes. I've had work to tend to," Harry listened but pretended like he wasn't interested. He bit into his potatoes. "Tomorrow you'll be able to show Harry the rest of the house," Harry choked on the spud. He open-mouth coughed and beat his chest with his fist trying to dislodge the mash. He swallowed excessively and took a drink of his cranberry juice before turning around again. The teen was pretty sure the bastard had been waiting for him to have food in his mouth before dropping that bomb.

"Wait- Seriously?!"

"You've behaved yourself and hadn't immediately insulted me upon my arrival, I can be kind if you'd remembered," It was true, their conversation hadn't gone into the name-calling territory. He wasn't going to risk ruining this before he even got it, he'd been stuck in the room for probably two weeks and it was hell.

"When can I-"

"Tomorrow," Was all that was said, then Voldemort left the room. Nagini followed happily, joyed to be in his presence once again.

Harry ate the rest of his dinner and dreamed about open doors that night.

It didn't turn into a nightmare surprisingly.