MASSIVE CW! ABUSE, MANIPULATION, TOM RIDDLE? HE'S JUST A MASSIVE ONE!

Little Rabbit (Is Hurting)

"Little Rabbit," Tom said soothingly, running long fingers through his hair. "You need to eat."

Harry didn't want to eat. Not after last time, not after what Tom had done to him. "It's rabbit stew". The words haunted him, haunted his thoughts. The poor bunnies he loved so much, turned into food.

"Harry," Tom's voice held more of a warning this time. His tone was darker, his grip on Harry's hair tightening. "You need to eat, Harry."

"'M not hungry," Harry mumbled, eyes closed. He didn't want to look at Tom.

"Look at me." Tom demanded. Harry shook his head, just a bit. It was his act of defiance. "I said look at me."

Harry didn't want to. Harry didn't want to do anything when it came to Tom. Harry would have rather been beaten, or killed, or… anything else! Anything other than what Tom had done to him. Tom was a cruel, wicked beast. Harry was nothing but the prey he toyed with. Harry knew that now.

"Would you like another one to go, Little Rabbit?" Tom's voice was hot on Harry's face, lips uncomfortably close to Harry's own. Tom only ever touched lips with Harry because the older teen knew how uncomfortable it made Harry feel. Tom liked watching him squirm.

"N-no." Harry muttered, eyes still squeezed shut.

"I think you do, Harry," Tom's voice was a sickly sweet melody, his hot breath moving to Harry's ear. He blew air into the cavity, and Harry twisted, trying to get away. Tom's grip on his hair was strong though. "I think you like when I hurt them, Little Rabbit. I think it makes you feel better."

"No!" Harry shouted, eyes darting open as he protested. Tom smiled wickedly down at him.

"There are those pretty eyes," Tom muttered, pulling Harry up by his hair. The young teen cried out, flailing slightly, but stilling at the look Tom had given him. Those red eyes did nothing but curse his days and haunt his nightmares. "You need to eat, Harry."

"I'm not eating! Not after that!"

"That was just your punishment, Little Rabbit," Tom sat beside Harry, finally releasing his hair to grab at his chin. "Bad children must be punished, you understand, don't you?"

Harry understood, but he didn't agree to it. This wasn't punishment, this was torture. Yet, it was all he knew. Harry knew that, deep down, if he had grown up with Tom he would have been okay with it. It was the previous freedom that messed with his head, that made him defiant. Even those people weren't this bad.

"Oh, Harry," Tom clicked his tongue. "You know I don't mean to hurt you,"

Yes you do, Harry wanted to spit. The only thing you enjoy is hurting me.

But Harry held his tongue.

"I do so much for you, Little Rabbit." Tom's thumb stroked his face. The teen stood up, forcing Harry to look up with him. "I clothe you, keep you warm, I teach you, I feed you. I don't have to do that Harry."

Harry winced, his mind fighting with itself. His words were true. He didn't have too.

"I know you do…" Harry managed to say, eyes starting to look down. Tom's snap made him look back up.

"You should be thankful, Little Rabbit," his hand slid from Harry's chin to his neck, squeezing softly. "There's so much worse I could do to you. You're a very pretty boy, Little Rabbit. And I'm the only one here."

His hand slowly slid back up to Harry's chin, thumb wiping the tears that had begun to well up in Harry's eyes.

"But I care so much for you, my Harry. So, so, so much. You know that, right?"

Harry managed a small nod. Tom was right, he did care for Harry. That was the reason he kept him, right? That's the reason Tom always told Harry, at least. When those other people had given Harry away, that was proof that Tom was all Harry needed. But…

"Use your words, Little Rabbit. I want to hear you say it."

"I know…"

"Know what?" Tom prompted. Harry gulped, trying to wet his dry throat.

"I know that you care for me…"

"That's right, Little Rabbit. You're quite smart, you know. You should be thankful."

Harry felt a few hot tears slide down his face, wetting Tom's hand and his face. He tried to blink them away, missing Tom's own twisted smile.

"I-I am thankful!" Harry tried to protest. It was true, wasn't it? But it wasn't, after all, Harry kept trying to run.

"You say that, Little Rabbit, and yet you run away so often. What am I to think? Don't you care for me, Harry?"

"Of course," Harry said with a gasp. "Of course I care for you! You read to me, and you cook, and you don't make me burn my hand on the hot pans!"

"Then why don't you ever show me that you love me, hm?" Tom took his hand away, leaving Harry feeling even colder than he had a few days ago. Was it Tom's magic? "You always run for me, throw the food that I give you on the ground, and now you're even refusing to eat it. How do you think that makes me feel, Harry?"

"B-bad…" Harry guessed. Tom rubbed his head, and if Harry were a more naive child, he'd think it was meant to be loving. "Like I don't…like I don't care."

"That's right, Harry. It makes me want to give you back to them."

"N-no!" Harry stood up, practically collapsing, legs weak from having been in bed for so long. "Please!"

"You know what they'll do to you, Little Rabbit." Tom caught the boy, pulling him close. "They'll beat you, hurt you, tear up your pretty pale skin. They'll curse you, make you feel like you're nothing."

"Please," Harry's voice was a sob.

"They'll rip you apart, those muggles. You're too beautiful to have been born without magic, my Little Rabbit. So, they'll rip you up, piece by piece, and turn you into rabbit stew."

Tom slowly sank to the ground with Harry, the boy crying and heaving against his chest. Tom's smirk grew wider, and he struggled to keep the glee out of his voice. Finally…perhaps this would knock some sense into the boy.

"But Little Rabbit, I won't curse you with that. I care for you too much to see you go back to them. You'll stay here with me, won't you?"

"Y-yes! Yes! Tom! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"You'll start to learn, Little Rabbit, that I am the only one who ever cared for you," He runs a hand through Harry's hair, grinning madly. This was exactly what the boy needed. Tough love, that parenting book had called it. Perhaps Tom should have let him freeze a bit more? No, no, Tom couldn't handle his Little Rabbit being sick. "Say it, Little Rabbit."

"You're the only one who cares for me." Harry spoke between hiccups, body shaking. He was cold, and Tom was so warm, he just wanted to give in, just for a moment. Let Tom think that he has won. In reality, Tom had, even if Harry didn't know it yet. There were a lot of things that Harry didn't know, after all.

"That's right," The glee was no longer contained, each word Tom said holding the evidence of his smile, even if Harry couldn't see it. "I'm what's best for you, Little Rabbit. I'll protect you. I don't want a repeat of this week, Harry. The thought of having to punish you…it's making me ill. You're safe with me, Little Rabbit, as long as you listen to me. Can you be a good listener?"

Harry nodded into Tom's chest. He didn't have the words, he didn't know what to say, he just…didn't know. Tom didn't let Harry's lack of words ruin his mood. He had won, even if it was only a battle and not the war. Harry was a war worth fighting, that much was true.

"Now, that's my Little Rabbit. Won't you come eat." Tom let loose a laugh. "I promise, it's not a rabbit."

"What is it…?" Harry managed to ask, wiping his nose on Tom's shirt. The older teen just waved his hand, making the snot disappear.

"It's pancakes, your favourite."

"Oh…"

"Come now, Harry." Tom stood up, bringing the shaking boy with him. "You'll be alright. You're going to be good from now on, right?"

"Yes…"

"Yes what, Little Rabbit?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very good," Tom praised. It almost felt nice, just for a moment. "Keep listening so well, and things will be all back to normal soon."

Except, that wasn't true. For the next few months, in every soup he made, the broth was always made from rabbits. Harry was none the wiser. He always told Tom how good it tasted.