19Harry woke up slowly, becoming aware first of the fact that he was laying on a luxuriously soft mattress, and was tucked down under blankets, there was a soft breeze blowing over his face from close by bringing in the scent of roses and grass and a mix of sweet flower scents with it.
The next thing he was aware of was a faint throbbing in his hand, something that he probably should have been aware of first but considering how much agony he had recently been in with his hand, the fact that it was not anywhere near as sore meant that it was only when he was a little more awake that he felt it, and the bandage that was wrapped around it.
He started a little when a pair of lips pressed against his cheek, his eyes snapping open to meet warm blue ones that made his heart skip a beat. Tom leant forward and kissed Harry's lips in a few fluttering kisses and then kissed his cheek again before pulling back. He was dressed in pyjamas, his black hair sleep ruffled, and a small pillow crease was on his face.
Harry couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face as he rolled onto his back to take in Tom fully, so different from the always perfectly put-together teen in his Slytherin robes that he had been in the Diary, his image captured in a single moment. Seeing him like this, seeing him so human and so here in this moment with Harry made his heart skip a beat.
It hadn't been a dream, one of many dreams that he had had that he would be able to actually be with Tom, that he would be able to touch him, to see him as something other than the snapshot of him in that moment. He had found himself longing to just hold Tom's hand, to see him in something other than his robes, to see him casual.
It was real. Tom was here with him, or more accurately he was here with Tom. They were in one of the Slytherin Mansions, arriving late last night, Harry had been so exhausted from everything that he could barely remember Tom transfiguring their clothes into pyjamas, using Harry's wand to wrap his hand before they had tumbled into bed together. Harry was a little regretful that he was too tired to really remember anything much about their first night together, but this wake-up definitely made up for it.
Tom took his hand when Harry reached out for him and kissed his hand and then his wrist before leaning forward and kissing him sweetly on the lips again.
"Good morning," Tom said softly, pulling back to look at Harry again.
"Morning," Harry smiled linking their fingers together.
"I thought that we would start the day with some breakfast?" Tom suggested motioning to where there was a tray sitting on the bedside waiting for them.
"That sounds perfect," Harry smiled letting go of Tom's hand reluctantly to shuffle up the bed, moving the pillows so that he could rest against them and the headboard. Tom quickly joined him on the bed though, pressing their shoulders together before resting the tray on Harry's lap and quickly pouring them cups of tea and then grinned at Harry's squawk of outrage when he stole the sausage that he was reaching for. Harry quickly stabbed another and pointedly took a large chomp out of it that had Tom chuckling.
"We had some very baffled House Elves showing up this morning, they felt their magic pull them here after snake face died, and showed up to see what was going on, they are working on cleaning up the mansion and getting rid of…well most of the decor considering questionable is not even the word for it!" Tom scrunched his nose up.
"Bad?" Harry asked taking a sip of tea.
"Horrendous," Tom grimaced shaking his head. "If there was a sign of his craziness, seeing this place just says everything,"
"How long have you been up?" Harry asked.
"A good few hours, I think the burst of energy I got to pull myself free is still going through me, I have had a good look around and working out where we stand here. I have also activated the wards on all of the other mansions and kicked everyone who was in them out,"
"That will have caused more than a few confused and panicked Death Eaters," Harry snorted.
"I hope that a good few of them were in front of Snake Face to see him turn to dust in front of their eyes," Tom grunted.
Harry had doubts in his mind as to their future and he had not really been able to spend much time thinking about it yet, but the worries were there, that Tom would turn into the man that Voldemort had been. That he would be the same person in the end and that Harry would not be enough to be able to stop himself walking that path again, that he would have to watch the man that he loved walking down the dark path, a path that he would not be able to follow him along. That he would have to admit that he had made a mistake and that he would find himself alone and with the impossible choice.
But the more that Tom spoke about Voldemort, the more that he spoke about what he had done, the things he had been doing, the choices that he had made, the more disgust that he showed, the more those worries eased a little.
"We also had a surprise visitor," Tom said smiling at Harry.
"Who?" Harry frowned utterly confused as to who would have shown up here for either of them.
"A House Elf called Dobby, he brought all of your things from Hogwarts and asked if he could work for you. He seems incredibly loyal," Tom said watching the growing smile on Harry's face.
"He is," Harry nodded.
"Good job I accepted his request to work here then," Tom smiled and then carefully took Harry's wrapped injured hand. "How is it feeling?"
"Still a little sore but so much better than it has for a long time," Harry admitted.
Tom's face went like thunder before it cleared and he carefully reached out for Harry's wand, summoning it from the table next to him into his hand, and when there was no protest from Harry, he flicked the wand and unpeeled the bandages. Harry's hand still looked a mess from the torture that he had been through, and it had wept into the bandages that Tom had put on.
Harry watched calmly as Tom wrapped his hands around Harry's injured hand, forming a dome around it so that he wasn't touching the wound, and then he pressed his lips to the small bit of Harry's skin that could be seen between his own hands and started muttering a musical spell that had Harry relaxing even more into the bed as he felt Tom's magic wrapping around his hand, feeling as though it was sinking into the wound and soothing it from the inside out.
When Tom parted his hands the skin was completely healed, with nothing left to even scar. Tom pressed a gentle kiss to the healed skin. Harry closed his hand over Tom's still under his and leant forward to kiss his cheek, startled blue eyes turning to him.
"Thank you," Harry said softly.
"You don't have to thank me, seeing you in pain…it…"
"Thank you," Harry cut off Tom's unusually floundering words, kissing him on the lips this time. "Let's eat,"
Their meal was spent in comfortable silence as they ate, both of them hungry after the events of the last few days and weeks, though there was a feeling of awe between the two of them that hummed between them that they were actually here and able to do this. Such a simple moment between them that neither of them had been truly sure would happen.
They finished eating and with a small pop their plates and cups disappeared leaving the two of them sitting there on the bed. Harry sighed after a moment and dropped sideways, resting his head onto Tom's shoulder, twining their fingers together and resting against his partner before asking the question that was hovering between them.
"What happened now?"
"Now, we decide the path that we want to walk together. I used the link that technically existed between myself and the Death Eaters and delivered the majority of them to the Ministry this morning, I do not wish to be associated with that madness and I do not wish for those people to be tied to be,"
Harry tightened his hand around Tom's listening in slight disbelief to what he was saying, the fears that he had had for where their path would lead them, a path that he had chosen to step on as well and now had to walk himself.
"I also made a choice," Tom turned to look at Harry and found warm, accepting green eyes looking back at him, waiting. "Lord Voldemort is dead, permanently,"
"You mean you're not going to claim that name back?" Harry asked softly.
"No I am not, that man, that monster is not me, I do not want to have any connection with him. I want to be something else, and someone else," Tom nodded.
"Have you chosen what name you will have?" Harry asked.
"I was thinking Tom Marvolo, for both parts of my past while not being the consequences of my mother's actions completely," Tom said.
Harry took a breath and then did what he had wanted to do for a few moments now, turning and sliding himself onto Tom's knee so that they were face to face so that he could run his fingers down the handsome face of his partner, the man that he had fallen in love with, those beautiful blue eyes that had been tainted by red, his brushed his thumb over those sharp cheekbones, the handsome face that had become as ugly and twisted as what was on the inside. But it wasn't his version of Tom, that wasn't his Tom's path.
"I think it is the right choice, you spent your whole life running from who you were and trying to hide it," Harry said and watched Tom's expression changed to something of hurt and something of anger, "but there is nothing wrong with who you are, who you are is a powerful, intelligent, incredible wizard who I believe that when you put your mind to it you can do anything, and I am going to be at your side for it. You don't have to be Tom Riddle to be yourself, but Tom is who I fell in love with, and Tom is who I will follow," Harry smiled.
"Tom Marvolo," Tom said tasting the name out again.
"Tom Marvolo," Harry nodded.
"You like the name?" Tom pushed.
"Yes, why is it so important I like it?" Harry asked concerned, "as long as you like it,"
"I am hoping that you will bear it as well one day, so I want to make sure that you like it," Tom said and then grinned at the squawk Harry let out, batting laughingly at Tom with his hands. The two of them tumbled onto the bed as they wrestled until Tom pinned Harry to the bed with a soft smile knowing that he had allowed him to do it. He leant down and pressed their lips together, kissing him sweetly.
"I am going to be joining you in lessons," Tom sighed as he walked into the living room where Harry was sorting through things that had been dug out from around the Mansion.
"Hmm?" They were taking their time sorting through things in the Mansion, and deciding on how they wanted it to look, making it their home. And though it had some feeling of playing house together, Harry was enjoying it nevertheless.
"I am behind on a lot of the newer spells that have come out, I am going to have to learn them as well and pick up on what I have missed out on," Tom huffed dropping onto the sofa.
"At least I won't be alone in learning," Harry smiled leaning against the sofa. "What about your wand, any luck?"
"No, none of them feels right, and I need one soon, I can't keep using your wand," Tom pouted dropping onto the sofa. As he had hoped Harry leant forward and pressed kisses to his face and then to his lips.
"I am sure that we will find something for you, the right wand will come along at the right time," Harry assured him, leaning down to kiss him.
"This place is coming together," Tom sighed happily looking around the room. "Our lives are coming together, even if it is a different way from how I imagined it,"
"I think I imagined a million different scenarios for what could happen, and none of it was as good as the reality," Harry wrapped his arms around Tom from behind and pressed their cheeks together, holding onto the man that had changed his world so dramatically in three short weeks, even though it had been since his second year realistically.
When he had found the diary in his cauldron, mixed in amongst the rest of his books he had thought that Mrs Weasley had slipped it in there for him, something that she thought could help him, and so he had given it a try, writing in it and when the diary had written back he had just thought that that was something that happened with magical diaries.
He had not realised until a good few months into it when Tom had pulled him into the diary for the first time and they had met face to face that that wasn't right, but by that time he had felt as though Tom was his friend, and while he had been cautious he had gone into the diary night after night after night to talk to Tom, he had exposed everything over the years, telling Tom about his childhood, telling him about his fears and feelings for being in the Wizarding World, for the loss of his parents, he had trusted Tom utterly.
And Tom had shared himself back, he had not lied about who he was, and he had avoided telling Harry about how he had come to be in the diary, and if Harry was being honest with himself the more he had come to rely upon Tom he had stopped asking and poking into the matter, choosing to let it lie between them as Tom came to mean more and more to him.
He was his best friend, the person that would always be there for him, and it did not feel as though it was because he was in the diary, but because he wanted to be with him. He was the man that would tell Harry the truth, not cruelly but he would tell him the truth.
Except for when Harry realised that there had been one truth that he had omitted, one very large truth. When he had realised who Tom was he had felt utterly betrayed, on top of everything that he had had to go through in the Graveyard the revelation of who his Tom was had nearly broken him.
"What are you thinking about?" Tom asked concerned, sensing the change in the atmosphere.
"How we came to be here," Harry said softly, pressing his face into Tom's throat and inhaling his scent.
"I am sorry that I kept it from you,"
"Shh," Harry hushed him pressing a kiss to his throat. "I have forgiven you for that, and I understand it. It was more the fact that so many other things could have happened instead of us being here right now,"
"That thought scares me," Tom admitted softly.
"Me too," Harry wrapped his arms tighter around Tom and just soaked up the warmth of his body, the thought of them not being here haunting.
"Come on," Tom twisted suddenly and wrapped his arms around Harry, scooping him up and throwing him over his shoulder, the younger teen laughing at the sudden change as Tom hurried them towards their bedroom.
He gently threw a still laughing Harry down onto the bed and then moved to their small wardrobe and started digging a few things out, using Harry's wand to change the colours and styles of some of the robes, transfiguring a few other things for them as Harry simply rolled onto his stomach on the bed and watched him.
"Here," Tom placed some things down next to Harry.
"What are we doing?" Harry asked curiously, but stood anyway and started changing.
"We, my love, are going on a date," Tom smiled.
"A date?" Harry paused looking at him shocked.
"Yes, our start has been far from traditional, but I will try and give you all the normal moments in a relationship as well," Tom nodded.
"You know you don't need to do things like that Tom, I am happy with what we have," Harry took his hand and stilled him from changing, tugging him closer to himself.
"I know, but you deserve it, and I am sure that my future self never got to have something like this either, I want to get to experience the normal and simple things with you, appreciate them, appreciate you and our relationship, no matter where we are in our lives or what we are doing,"
"A date it is then," Harry smiled softly, leaning up on his toes to kiss Tom before going back to changing. "Do you have somewhere in mind?"
"I do in fact," Tom winked at him.
"Ready!" Harry said finishing buttoning his robes and turning to Tom. "You look…so handsome," Harry breathed taking in his stunning partner.
"You look stunning," Tom pulled Harry to him with the hand that had been injured, always seemingly aware of it. He pulled Harry gently against his chest and leaned down to kiss him sweetly, Harry was unable to do anything but melt into him and the kiss.
He laughed when he felt the squeeze of the apparition and realised that Tom had apparated them out of the mansion while they had been kissing.
"Two more jumps," Tom said before placing two more kisses on Harry's lips and then apparating them again, and then again. Harry was excited as he looked around when they landed for the third time, ignoring the squeeze of the multiple apparition knowing that it meant that they were abroad for them to have taken three jumps to get here.
"Where are we?" Harry asked spinning around in Tom's arms, looking around wide-eyed.
"Ithica," Tom smiled seeing Harry's happiness.
"Greece?"
"Yes," Tom chuckled. "Come on, let us find somewhere to eat," He took Harry's hand and led him along the road towards where they could see and hear the sound of the sea, the beautiful beach right ahead of them.
He watched Harry's expression with all the love that he felt for the younger teen as he watched Harry looking around them, excitement and eagerness at seeing something new clearly filling him.
With that in mind, he steered them towards a restaurant on the front of the beach, quickly arranging for them to have a table outside where they could see and hear the sea still, and had a stunning view looking out over the sea and a large part of the island, the white houses and bright colours of the Greek Island so different to what they were used to in Britain.
"Thank you," Harry said to him breaking him from his thoughts, and mainly just soaking up watching Harry's expression and saving it to his memories.
"Hmm?"
"For bringing me here, thank you for this," Harry beamed at him. "You were right, we needed this,"
"I am always right," Tom smirked.
"So modest," Harry snorted.
"Always, I have impeccable taste, what have I to be modest about?" Tom said, and Harry opened his mouth to snark back before he realised that Tom was looking right at him when he said about taste, and he went bright red making Tom chuckle and take his hand, kissing the back of it.
"Ah young love, what can I get for you two?" The waitress beamed at them as she came up to their table.
"Do you mind?" Tom asked.
"No," Harry smiled settling back into his seat, more than happy to allow Tom to order for them. "Your restaurant is stunning," He added to the waitress after Tom had ordered for them.
"Thank you!" The waitress paused before smiling even wider at him. "My parents own it,"
"It's wonderful,"
"Have a lovely meal!" She hurried off and Tom chuckled.
"What?" Harry asked confused.
"Never change my love, please never change," Tom smiled.
"Aren't we headed home?" Harry asked confused when Tom took his hand and started leading him further down the pier instead of back to the apparation point that they had arrived at.
"Not yet," Tom smiled linking their fingers together, "I thought that we could have a little walk along the beach,"
"That sounds perfect," Harry pressed himself against Tom's side and they quickly made their way down to the beach, the two of them paused to take their shoes off, Tom looking around before shrinking their shoes and slipping them into his pocket, and then Harry quickly reclaimed his hand and they started walking along the white sand as the sun started setting over the sea.
"I didn't think that I would ever get to see something like this," Harry admitted as they paused on their walk and turned to watch the setting sun light up the sky and the sea in front of them in a mixed pallet of oranges, pinks and reds. Harry sighed contentedly and rested his head against Tom's arm, leaning into him a little more.
"What do you mean?" Tom asked, shifting a little to wrap his arm around Harry, hugging him close as Harry rested his head against his chest.
"I didn't think that I was going to survive Voldemort, I was sure that things like this weren't going to be for me, getting to see something like this, or experience it with someone that I love," Harry wrapped his arms around Tom's waist.
"I don't think that I have ever appreciated things like this before, my focus has been so singular, so focussed on power and revenge, that I have not taken the moments to actually enjoy things like this. The last few years before I put this part of my soul into the diary I was able to travel, schoolmates took me places wanting to impress me and make me feel indebted to them, but I didn't really enjoy it, I was too busy trying to influence them and gather supporters. I think that is how I became that monster, there was no joy or happiness in my life, there was only power. You are my joy and happiness,"
Tom turned Harry so that he could look down at him, brushing his hair from his eyes before he leant down and gently pressed their lips together, trying to press everything that he was feeling, the overwhelming pressure in his chest that didn't hurt but instead seemed to fill him in a way he had never felt before, trying to show Harry how he was feeling with the kiss. Harry sank into him, and Tom thought that he could taste and feel his understanding in the kiss, and the return of those feelings.
"I want to give you everything that you deserve. All the happiness, all the joy, I want to show you the world, and I want to give you all the moments that you want," Tom breathed out, pressing their foreheads together as he closed his eyes and just soaked up the moment.
"The only moments that are important to me are the ones that you are here with me for," Harry was smiling softly as he cupped Tom's face, leaning up to press gentle kisses to his lips. "As long as you are with me, that is all that matters,"
Tom just smiled and wrapped his arms around Harry, pulling him closer gently and kissing him sweetly again.
"Pardon!" the two of them turned, pausing in making their way back to the apparation point when they heard the call. They noticed the waitress from the restaurant that they had eaten at hurrying towards them. "Here, for you both. I hope you do not mind, but you looked so lovely," she said holding out a photo to them.
Harry took it curiously and then beamed when he saw the picture of the two of them standing in front of the sea, the sun setting behind them, wrapped around each other, the wizarding photo moving as the two of them leant into each other and kissed gently, lovingly before parting and looking into each other's eyes, and then leaning forward to kiss again.
"Thank you," Harry said breathlessly looking up at the woman.
"You are lovely young men, please come back," she smiled.
"We definitely will," Harry passed the photo to Tom and hugged the woman quickly, "thank you!"
"You are very welcome," she smiled.
"Thank you very much, this will really be treasured," Tom nodded to her, more reserved than Harry, but the expression on his face as he looked at the photo said everything.
That night when they got home Tom transfigured a photo frame and carefully placed the photograph into it before setting it on the mantlepiece of the fireplace in the living room that they had come to use every day, smiling softly at the sight of it as Harry watched him with a warm glow in his chest, knowing that he had made the right choice in that office when he had chosen to leave with Tom.
The Boy-Who-Lived Evil?
The last few months have been confusing and there has been a lot of different information and mixed stories. The previously completely reliable Albus Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump and Headmaster of Hogwarts was removed from his position as Mugwump and he and Harry Potter The-Boy-Who-Lived have gone against most of our Country's leaders by trying to say that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned, and in fact, had not been fully defeated when Harry Potter was a baby.
This announcement, along with the unfortunate death of Cedric Diggory during the course of the Triwizard Tournament has divided opinion and people do not know who to believe, Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, or Minister Fudge and the Ministry.
It seems however there is even more division in our world as Albus Dumbledore has now come forward and announced that Harry Potter has in fact gone dark and is an evil waiting to take over our world, he has said that he was corrupted by the evil of the night that he survived the Killing Curse and that he has finally shown his true colours.
This stunning announcement is followed by the announcement that Harry Potter has fled Hogwarts and his location is currently unknown, adding to the belief that what Headmaster Dumbledore is saying could possibly be true, especially when backed up by the information coming from Harry Potter's friends that he has indeed fled Hogwarts, disappearing without any notice, or any sign that this was what he was planning to do. They have also shared information about Harry Potter that gives another aspect to this story.
"Harry has always struggled with his temper, he just lashes out and snaps," Says Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter's best friend since first year, the young man looking strained and sad as he speaks, "we thought that it was just the stress of everything, he has been through a lot, and everything has been a little mad you know, but his temper just kept getting worse and worse, we were scared of him, to be honest, he really terrified us at times,"
"He would have these nightmares and would shout all these mad things, it was terrifying to watch, I was scared sharing a dorm with him at times, I never knew what was going to happen or how he was going to react, it was like he was mad!" Seamus Finnigan, a dorm mate of Harry Potter stated.
"He lashed out at Seamus for absolutely no reason, just lashed out at him on our first day back at school this year, it was terrifying, he just attacked him! We thought that he was going to curse Seamus!" Pavarti Patil added, a fellow Gryffindor.
"Harry disappearing is incredibly worrying, his temper this year has been scary, he has been lashing out in classes, and snapping at everyone, he has been out of control for a while but this year was worse than ever, I don't know what has been going on, and I have been more and more scared of him as the year has gone on. Not knowing where he is, what he is doing, or how he got out of the castle with his things without anyone knowing actually scares me," Hermione Granger, also best friend to Harry Potter says, and Ronald Weasley wraps his arm around her in support.
Is it true that Harry Potter has gone dark? Where is he now? What really happened during the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament that led to the death of Cedric Diggory?
Tom watched Harry concerned as he read over the paper again, his fingers curling around the paper as his eyes scanned over it again, his breathing was heavy and furious as he took in the words and finally he lowered the paper into his lap, staring down at it with unseeing eyes.
Then he stood and made his way over to the desk in the corner of their living room that Tom had been using to plan out what he was going to do going forward. He took some spare pieces of parchment and a quill, quickly scribbling four letters and folded them, slipping them into envelopes and passed them to Hedwig, who twittered determinedly at him and took off at an impressive place clutching her letters.
"Are you ok?" Tom asked softly.
"Not really no," Harry laughed weakly. "I thought…I suspected that they were not really my friends, but for them to do something like this. They have taken everything and twisted it completely, even though they know the truth, they have made me seem mad,"
"You're not, and they will regret this," Tom promised, he was a little startled when Harry looked up at him, and furious green eyes locked with his.
"Oh, they're going to regret this alright!" Harry said firmly. "I am going to make them regret that they ever thought that they could get famous hanging off of me and spinning this bullshit!"
"Who did you write to?" Tom asked curiously, trying to ignore the flare of arousal at that look in Harry's beautiful eyes.
"Neville Longbottom, Sirius, and Luna Lovegood and Rita Skeeta, I think it is time to set a few things right," Harry clenched his fists.
"Well, then I think we are due a trip to Gringotts," Tom wrapped Harry in his arms and hugged him tightly, offering comfort without trying to contain Harry.
"Gringotts?" Harry asked confused.
"We need to get myself added 'officially' as a Slytherin Heir to give myself some clout, and you need to claim the Potter Lordship to be able to have the clout you need as well,"
"Potter…Lordship?" Harry growled.
"Yes…you didn't know?" Tom sighed realising the problem quickly.
"No, I knew nothing about it. Let me guess, Dumbledore?" Harry grit out.
"I would guess so, considering Black was in Azkaban and Lupin was a werewolf, Dumbledore would have used the chance to claim the Potter Lordship and run it 'for' you while you were underage, he also," Tom started to say, and then grimaced, knowing that what he was going to say would probably blow Harry's top.
"Also what?" Harry narrowed his eyes.
"He would also have had access to your money," Tom said. He watched Harry's eyes blaze with fury, his hands clenching tightly onto his shirt and it looked like he was about to go up in fiendfyre, and then he took a breath and the fury on his face washed away to a more thoughtful one.
"He was in guardianship for my account Gringotts, but he would have had to use that and any money that he took for my care wouldn't he?" Harry asked with terrifying calm.
"Yes he would have, but I doubt that he has been," Tom grimaced.
"Me too, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised going by that article if some money hadn't gone to the Weasleys and Hermione, it is very convenient that they suddenly came into money before our third year, and they spent it on a holiday instead of saving it to make their lives more comfortable with how poor they were, and Ron was able to get a new wand that year, all of them were able to have new robes, and though they have kept up the pretence of being poor, they haven't really been now that I think of it. Winning tickets to the Quidditch World Cup out of everyone at the Ministry the year after they 'won' all that money,"
"It does sound incredibly suspicious," Tom nodded, watching Harry with cautious interest.
"If there is one thing that the Goblins hate more than anything it is thieves, and the second is probably someone playing them for fools. And I am sure that the public will love to hear how the people accusing me of being dark have been stealing money from an underage orphan for years!" Harry said lowly.
"You're perfect," Tom breathed out. "We will make them regret this," Tom promised.
"Oh I know we will. While I am this furious, can we go to Gringotts now please?" Harry asked, looking up at Tom.
"Of course," Tom nodded, but he cupped Harry's face and pressed a kiss to his forehead, "I am sorry that they have done this to you, they don't deserve you,"
"All I can think is that…where would I be if I had found this out and didn't have you in my life, or what if I had chosen to stay and not come with you because of them?" Harry shook his head.
"But I am here, and you did come with me. And I told you at the time, Harry, that wasn't a in that moment or not at all choice, I would have always been here for you even if you had stayed with them for the next ten years," Tom pressed kisses to his cheek. "I am with you, you're not alone, and we are going to make them realise the fools that they are,"
"Thank you," Harry sank into his arms, allowing himself that moment as Tom tightened his grip around him to give him the comfort he both wanted and didn't at the same time.
"You never have to thank me for being here for you, we are a partnership, your pain and anger is my pain and anger, I will help you bear it as much as I can," Tom kissed Harry's forehead and then summoned their robes to them. "Come, let us get your revenge,"
The first hour was exceedingly boring to Harry, and he was more than glad that this was something that Tom enjoyed and was good at considering his mind was half not on sorting out all this paperwork and focused instead on the betrayal that even though he had had his suspicions.
He knew that after what had just happened and had been revealed that he should probably be more cautious, that he should trust Tom to go over this for him and trust him to deal with it, but he trusted Tom like he trusted no one else, Tom had held his life in his hands without Harry even knowing, Tom's freedom had been held back because he refused to take Harry's life, he was the only person Harry thought that he would completely trust.
He wouldn't allow them to take that from him.
"Tom…" Harry frowned interrupting Tom and the Goblin. The Goblin wasn't too pleased, but Tom turned right away at the tone of Harry's voice, finding him looking over some of the many documents that they had been and still had to pour over.
"What is it?" Tom turned his attention completely onto Harry who help the paperwork out to him.
"Is this what I think it is?" Harry pointed to the section that had gotten his attention, and watched as Tom paled before utter fury swept over his face.
"Could we have a few moments please?" Tom turned to the Goblin, who with faint annoyance, but clearly remembering that they had brought thieves to their attention, and were going to be big names using their bank, nodded and left them alone in his office.
"It is isn't it?" Harry asked.
"He has to have known about the Horcruxes for him to write something like this, he would have needed you dead before you turned 18 and were called in to access all this information. The only way that he could fully expect you to be dead, was to know you were a Horcrux. The only way to have removed it from you without one of the soul pieces willingly absorbing the others as I did, was to destroy the vessel housing the Horcrux,"
"He was raising me to die, and then planning on taking all the fame, and all my money," Harry snorted, shaking his head as he looked at the will that Dumbledore had forged his signature on, leaving nearly everything to Dumbledore, but also bits to the Weasleys and Hermione.
"This is blood signed, he has to have stolen your blood at some point to seal your signature," Tom shook his head.
"He has had plenty of opportunities when I have been unconscious in the Hospital Wing to steal my blood," Harry shook his head furiously.
"He was raising you to be a pig for slaughter!" Tom growled out. "We are going to crush him for this, I swear Harry, that man…"
"I know we're going to," Harry linked their fingers together. "Let's finish this part of the plan, and go home,"
Tom took his hand before calling the Goblin back in, not letting go even as he and the Goblin swept through everything, getting their affairs in order, and making Tom Marvolo an official person, the Goblin not even blinking twice at the request.
Harry started when there was a flash at the side of the room and stared in disbelief at their guest who sat on Tom's bedside cabinet preening himself, before looking around the room curiously while chirping in what Harry thought was a hello to him.
"Harry? What was that?" Tom called from the bathroom, a little muffled from where he was brushing his teeth.
"You need to come see," Harry said a little stunned.
"What is the matter?" Tom hurried into the room looking concerned before skidding to a halt and staring himself at the phoenix as he also chirped happily at him.
"Fawkes?" Harry asked curiously and the Phoenix chirped happily and fluttered onto the bed, seemingly making himself comfortable on Harry's lap. "Erm…"
Tom hurried into the bathroom and spat out the toothpaste in his mouth before hurrying back out, looking at his partner sitting on the bed with a phoenix making himself quite comfortable in his lap, Harry stroking him gently even as he looked at him in disbelief.
"Erm…" Harry repeated. To which Fawkes chirped happily, having a little chatter to Harry before he hopped to the end of the bed and settled on the footboard, ruffling his feathers a little and clearly getting comfortable.
"Are you staying?" Harry asked hesitantly. And though Fawkes chirp was confusing, the head bob wasn't.
"Permanently?" Tom inquired. And against them got a head bob and a chirp before Fawkes seemed to remember something. He turned and preened himself a little more, plucking a loose feather and dropping it onto the bed looking pointedly at Tom.
"Your wand!" Harry gasped realising what the gift was right away.
"You're just giving this to me?" Tom asked stunned. "My old wand was a phoenix feather,"
"Tom, it wasn't just a phoenix feather…it was Fawkes!" Harry blinked realising that the other teen didn't know. "He has only given two, the one that went into your wand, and the one that is in mine,"
"What…really?" Tom looked at him stunned and Harry smiled nodding, feeling truly light for the first time since they had read that article this morning.
"Yes,"
"That is…incredibly unusual, especially with the time distance between us, and us being together, I…we are truly bound together," Tom laughed leaning down to press their lips together.
Harry laughed and tugged him down onto the bed on top of him, wrapping his arms and legs around the taller teen as Tom pressed him down into to the bed and kissed him intently and passionately, washing away the memories of the day.
At least until Fawkes landed on Tom's back squawking indignantly.
"I am setting up your own room for you if you are going to stay here!" Tom huffed as Fawkes fluttered down onto the footboard again, ruffling his feathers and looking at them annoyed.
"We have gained a chaperone," Harry snickered, shuffling with Tom to get comfortable under the blankets. Tom pulled Harry against him, spooning behind him before waving his hand to turn the lights out.
"Only for the night, then he will have his own room," Tom grumbled before he pressed a kiss to the back of Harry's neck. "Ok?"
"Not fully, but better, especially as Fawkes seems to have chosen us over Dumbledore," Harry said, and the twitter that they received from the footboard seemed to be agreeing.
"After everything that he has done, it is no wonder," Tom sighed.
"Just knowing that you're here for me, that is all I need," Harry sighed sinking further into Tom.
"Always, My love, always," Tom promised.