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The Fate Changed Now What?	By : Krysania Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Tom Views: 8638 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I'm not JKR , not own Harry Potter, and consequently earn no money whatsoever.

Chapter List
- 11
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- 13
Harry’s pov

Harry couldn’t help but relax against the warmth of his partner and slipped his own arm around Tom’s waist. On the other hand he knew his lover enough to be instantly worried by the other’s tone. Tom sounded practically jubilant, by whatever his new scheme, which meant it was either highly ambitious, extremely insidious, or both, and he braced mentally for something unpleasant.
“So?” he asked lightly, “What’s the big deal?”
Tom smiled dazzlingly at him, which raised the danger sign a couple notches more.

“Its looks like I won’t have the time I had anticipated to work on the Stone, so a returning visit to the Flamels’ is imperative before we’ll return to school. I don’t have the future’s freedom to come and go as it pleases me.”
Harry felt like someone had injected icy water on his veins. It was bad enough to let them on their fate without the Stone, but so infinitely worse to hasten their end by violent means. His arm fell from around Tom like it was lifeless. Still his voice was casual when he spoke.

“You visited the Flamels?”
Tom rolled his eyes.

“How else was I to acquire the Stone?”
Harry gathered himself. Tom hadn’t killed them in the first place and he would gain nothing by panicking.

“I thought that you had broken in Gringotts.” he had been way distracted last night, his mistakes were piling up.
Tom appeared thoughtful.

“It had crossed my mind, but my search showed no account to their names in the bank, but maybe it exist under their assumed one.” he smiled.

“Care for a raid in such a case?”
Harry relaxed in the barest way. It didn’t matter that it was probably the most dangerous thing they could do, that kind of excited him if he was honest, and left the couple alone, which was priceless. Also, knowing Tom, he would plan for subtlety, so no goblin will get much endangered too.

“I’m in.”
But Tom didn’t relax with his answer; instead he scrutinized him at top intensity.

“You understand of course that if there is no account, or we’ll find nothing, an interrogation is imperative.” he pointed out.
Harry closed his eyes tightly; he really feared that his lover would see it in that light. All the same he was grateful too; he much preferred that brutal honesty than endless lies. Still, he wasn’t going to give up, for anything.
“Not really, we’ll all work on this and even if you don’t manage to crack the Stone now, due to not enough time, you have Hermione to do it for you. She is much better at academics than battles anyway.”
Tom sent him an unimpressed look.

“That’s hardly reassuring, I won’t count to another for such a task.” he drawled.
Harry returned the look, equally unimpressed.

“Yeah right, she as good as you in academics and you know it, why else would you make such effort to gain her allegiance? Not to mention she busted her arse off too to help me.”
Suddenly Tom got up, looking too full of nervous energy to stay sitting.

“I don’t care if she has the intelligence of Merlin himself I want that information yesterday.”
Harry had enough of this. He got up too, throwing his arms in the air from pure frustration.

“Oh, for Salazar’s sake, Tom, it will be four bloody months till we’ll need it. And don’t tell me that you need to hurry up due to more freedom; we are booked up to the wazoo. . .”
Tom just looked at him.

“It is too important a matter to let it wait.”
Harry bit his lips; he couldn’t find anything to say in this but the truth.

“I don’t want their deaths, especially on us.” he confessed.
Tom’s eyes softened a tiny fraction.

“It will be only the last resort, but in case it will come to that we need to act now.”
“Why” Harry asked simply.
Tom sighed, like looking for patience, and started pacing around him.

“I’m ready to even give them back the Stone for an adequate philtre quantity but I would prefer to go now before they consume any remainings.”
Harry didn’t tense up; too used to the particular reaction, instead, with the other out of direct view, he beamed. This was huge concession, Tom must really want them alive too, but he still wasn’t sure that it would work. The Flamels had destroyed the Stone in his time to avoid it getting in the wrong hands, but maybe it was only what Dumbledore told him not the truth. . . not he would ever know. . .

“I doubt that they really have any, as you didn’t find it, but shouldn’t we ensure our safety too? How did you find them anyway, was it Minerva?”
A shadow of a smile broke on Tom’s lips.

“I could have missed something, and no it was your grandfather that told me, to save you.”
Harry was left literally with his mouth open. Leonard had? As soon as comprehension set his mind started celebrating, he had the perfect reason to avoid it for a long while.

“Then we can’t attack them, not now. With so few knowing the secret and with us staying here it will be a piece of cake for Dumbledore to set the blame at once.”
Tom nodded once.

“You have a point, it is too dangerous now, but I’m not going to give up, its t too important.”
Harry was getting beyond tired with this.

“Will you drop it, we can find something else. I’ve already told you that I don’t want their death. . . I could always refuse drinking.” the last part was more than just idle pondering.
That got Tom legitimately angry, to a point well beyond glaring.

“You wouldn’t go that far, it would make their deaths and everything else meaningless.”
Harry knew that he was probably right; all the same he would rather die than admit it.

“Try me.”
Tom threw a curse at him, which he deflected back. That seemed enough for the other to get back his composure if not actual calmness.

“I could always force you to drink it and then take the horcrux back.” it was more than simple threat.
Backed to a wall Harry dropped every pretence.

“If it comes to this I would rather die, I agreed to something different not one of the same with me involved.”
That seemed to getting through on Tom.

“If we do nothing you will die anyway.” he told him harshly but then he softened.

“But there will be no deaths. . . I’m certain that either Imperious or a psychotropic potion will give us the desired results.”
A dry chuckle came out almost out of nowhere.

“This sounds so much better!” he commented drolly.

Although, to be honest, Tom was trying, he could definitely give him that much.
Surprisingly Tom didn’t explode with this and even reacted with some humour.

“My very best! Anyway you can leave everything to me and stay here, or at the castle; you have my word that I will do everything possible to leave them alive and relatively unhurt.”
Harry blinked at him. Everything possible not a definite, but he could understand why. His partner would certainly avoid a complete limitation, but he appreciated even this. Anyway it was the first part of the sentence that truly bothered him.

Why did he always ended hurt by Tom’s idea of mercy?

“No way, Tom, don’t be a twit. Of course I will come along. . .” and much, much, softer.

“. . .no matter how it’s going to end.”
Tom’s lips twitched with this.

“I thought that you couldn’t deal with this side of business?” it was only half sarcasm.
Harry answered with complete honesty.

“I don’t like it, this is not going to change, but you will do this for me. . . I can’t just pretend its not so and bury my head in the sand.” he smiled if only a little.

“Anyway, you’ll need someone to make sure it will indeed be everything possible.”
Tom laughed openly with this. It was mocking but with him not at him.

“You will not bury your head in the sand?” he laughed some more.
Harry wasn’t bothered in the slightest. Tom used to call him Denial King for a reason. Still, the things he tended to deny usually ended at his favour.

“Not at this.” he told the other in all seriousness.
Tom seemed much better after his laugh.

“Alright, we’ll talk about this again, for now let’s just sleep.” Harry just looked at him weirded by the concession, now that he had gotten him where he wanted. Tom noticed.

“As you have pointed out it’s too risky to hurry with this and its beyond idiotic to debate when we are tripping with fatigue.” a dry smile.

“If things turn bad I won’t have you complaining that you agreed under duress. Now come to bed.”
A warm smile found its place at Harry’s lips. No, this wasn’t reassuring to the least, not even in accordance with Tom’s idea of mercy, but his partner had studied and learned what he could and couldn’t handle and was applying it to the letter. Harry was strangely comforted with this.

“Alright.”

Sleep came relatively easy on Tom, abetted by a heavy arm thrown around Harry’s middle, but Harry was troubled for at least an hour more and his dreams were anything but pleasant.
It had started enjoyably enough; a picnic in the garden with his new-found family, but things escalated just when he wasn’t expecting it. Grindelwald and his followers attacked and started killing everyone. Harry tried to defend them but it was like he didn’t have magic at all and he saw them die in the most horrifying ways possible.
It was as he helplessly watched little Annette get consumed by fiendfyre that Tom found him.

“You are dreaming wake up at once.”
The pull of their link was enough to fight the nightmare’s hold and they both woke up with a gasp.

“Sorry. . .I’m so sorry.” Harry couldn’t stop trembling.
“Shut up.” Tom’s voice was mild and he pulled him on his chest until it stopped and even then he didn’t completely let him go.

“What happened? I caught only to the end.”
A deep breath, another. . .

“I’d rather not talk about it.”
Unfortunately it rarely worked on Tom.

“You better, you don’t have nightmares all that often these days and this one was new, not to mention you couldn’t wake.”

Harry tried to disentangle from the other’s arms but Tom didn’t let him.

“I’m waiting. . .”
That got right on Harry’s nerves.

“You want to hear it, they died. They died in ways that would make an Avada look like sheer mercy and I could do nothing about it.” his voice broke, if only a little, and he tried for casual.

“It’s not like you care.” it came out bitter.
He could feel Tom’s eyes skewering him even in the near complete dark.

“For them no, I don’t,” his voice was completely neutral.

“What it will do to you though it’s a completely different matter.”
That literally stopped Harry’s breath; it was the closest thing he could ever hear to an actual love confession from Tom. It didn’t comfort him though, it had the opposite effect. Harry lost the tenuous control he had on his emotions and his trembling returned tenfold.
Tom didn’t say a single word just held him tighter. Finally Harry gathered himself again, enough to be able to speak.

“I couldn’t handle it if anything happens to them, not now that I got to know them.”
There was no derisive comment that he really didn’t know them, as Harry half expected, instead Tom took a moment, stroking his hair, before speaking.

“It was merely a dream, unless you managed to gain a Seer’s abilities, which is improbable. It means nothing.-” curt, dismissive and certain.
Harry had enough of a mind to notice that he was still going easy on him, which meant that he was a basket case, but he was still beyond worried.

“But I couldn’t wake and took you with me too, almost like. . .” he couldn’t finish.
“Stop it, just stop.” Tom’s voice was steel.

“You forced Voldemort to merge with his horcruxes and I killed him, there is nothing left of him to hunt us.”
Harry’s thought run more towards the possibility the two elder wands creating a rift between him and Grindelwald’s mind but Tom’s comment was like oil on fire.

“Are you sure? He could have made a horcrux the night before the battle and followed us.”
He could actually hear Tom grinding his teeth and felt the hold of those hands becoming painful; his voice was full of snark too.

“Quite sure, I would have felt it if he had any hold to the mortal plane, and even if he had he would have been anchored there, incapable of going anywhere. The German won’t hurt them either.”
Harry tried to relax, a moment later Tom eased his painful hold and started speaking again.

“I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, swear on my magic to protect those of the Potter family, if it is within my power, even the one currently imprisoned by Grindelwald. So mote it be.”
It was like someone had cut Harry’s strings, the tension left his body that fast, and he sagged against Tom holding for dear life. It was more than just the oath, although it went many notches above the previous one, it was the fact that it was voluntary instead of a deal.

“Thank you.”
“Oh shut up, I want to sleep. It’s a quartet to three.” there was a bit of laugh on Tom’s voice for all the bitchy tone.
A strangled laugh left Harry’s lips but it was relief, not hysterics.

“Goodnight.”
Harry tried to sleep, he honestly did, but for all that the anxiety had left him he simply couldn’t.

“Harry..?” a clear warming for all the sleepy tone.
Harry tried to move further away, on the bed’s edge, to not impede the other.

“I’m alright,” he told Tom softly, “just sleep.”
Tom didn’t answer with words though. He took again on stroking Harry’s hair and, as it proved ineffective, turned it into a gentle massage to his scalp and moved it onto Harry’s nape and shoulders and later his back.
Harry was on paradise, he would never even dream such tender treatment. Tom’s long capable fingers were lessening the stain to his muscles, bringing him to a state of absolute euphoria and easing him gradually to sleep. . .but, strangely enough, it also started creating a different kind of tension. . .
His partner understood that and his hands started wandering even more freely, but still tender. Harry returned the caresses as in a dream and they slowly passed from half awareness to sleep in something like bliss.

Harry was still floating as they finally made it down for breakfast, not late yet, but notably the last ones and so relaxed with said happiness that he forgot to really pay attention as he sat, a fact he instantly regretted. It was only the tiniest flinch, due more to surprise than any reaction to pain but it was noticed, at once, around the table to his utter horror.
He had to endure Leonard and Alphard’s wide grins (and Minerva’s fierce scold towards them.) Zev’s huge blush and Hermione’s introspective looks (she knew enough to guess that it wasn’t due to the apparent reason.)
Harry seriously thought about diving out of the window. . .
The only ones not reacting to this were Annette, Dorea and Brax. Annette because she was too young to have an idea what it meant and Dorea and Brax due to incredibly good manners. Even Tom was hiding that infuriating half smile behind an equally infuriating faux-innocent expression. He was enjoying his humiliation and Harry hated him for it. He wanted to curse him, but he managed to do something worse: he masked everything down, ignoring him and the others completely.
“Harry,” his head snapped up, “would you like some tea, or coffee like me?” she smiled kindly, encouraging him to relax.
Harry’s blush returned tenfold, but he couldn’t help a tentative smile of his own. His great-grandmother, aka ‘if you don’t feel comfortable to address me as aunt yet, just call me Dorea’ had been really kind to him so far.

“That would be great, Dorea, thank you.” he had started to, really, like her.
Dorea served him the coffee herself, making him feel even more awkward with everything, but she didn’t try to engage him in small talk, for which he was frankly grateful. As the talk around the table slowly returned to normal Harry gradually relaxed and slipped back into his own thoughts. Only this time they were tending more towards turbulent than anything even distantly near to his previous, blissed out, state.
Now that his panic was easing down somewhat he could kind of see a bit of silver lining in their irritating assumption. It was still beyond humiliating, but also far better than the truth. Neither was he overtly surprised, or bothered, by Tom’s sadistic amusement on the whole thing. He was going to dice out his own retribution in a couple hours. On the other hand Harry had an excellent reason to be upset with himself and Tom, well mostly himself.
It was bad enough that he literally melted into a puddle every time Tom explicitly expressed his desire and even accepted his axiom: that everything was and could be used as a power play between them, up to a point. . . (Not that it stopped it from being at least half an excuse from the master of rationalization!) . . .but it was beyond inexcusable to start by demanding equal footing and yet end baring his throat even further than before.
It wasn’t really surprising that Tom used the offered weakness in the same night. His violent nightmare about his family (It was almost impossible now to just call them ‘The Potters’ inside his mind.) was more than adequate excuse and Tom certainly needed to affirm himself after his own barring.
Harry would have been ecstatic with this kind of assertion, instead of the customary withdrawal, never mind consider uttering a single complain regarding the fact that Tom had broken the spirit of their deal. . .

And who the hell would have expected that Tom could really be so tender!

. . .If he wasn’t almost sure, now that he had a clear head that it was done only to soften him up with his partner’s plans. . .
Harry felt acute disgust with himself. There were lives to the line and he was still consumed with their love-life! Although it wasn’t completely hopeless, there was still some time, he had managed at least this much. They weren’t going to approach the Flamels until vacation’s last day or, if he played his cards right, until the ides of April.
But delay was truthfully the best thing he could do for them. Unless Tom managed to crack the Stone a visit to the Flamels was inevitable. Worse so, unless they managed to find something worthwhile to offer, and he wasn’t sure he counted the Stone as such, the conclusion was already predetermined: torture, for the answers, and death, if they didn’t manage to hide their identifies.
Harry felt beyond nauseated with that idea, he wasn’t sure that he could handle destroying innocent people for a second time, so he could live. The face of that girl, Tracy, still hunted his nightmares and it wasn’t going to leave him, ever. Never mind the Flamels, with their deaths already in his conscience. But no, a part of him rebelled with the thought, he had saved the Stone. Flamels’ death at the original timeline was on Dumbledore.
And yet for all his utter disgust with himself, if the push came to shove he wasn’t certain on what he’ll do. If it was a matter of his own life only the answer was beyond clear to him, but this was about Tom too. He knew perfectly well that even if he managed to smuggle the Flamels away, or even outright vetoed it, his partner was going to insist they process with the ritual anyway. Harry was never going to risk him in such a way.
Fleetingly he wondered if it was the start or middle of the slippery-slope.
Suddenly a small hand touched his arm, startling him from his morbid thoughts.

“Cousin Harry?” obviously it was the second time she had called him.
“Yes Annette?” he asked with a genuine smile.

His little grandaunt looked like a perfect little Lady, well almost; her hair looked ready to get away from her ponytail and her eyes were full of mischief.
Huge blue eyes peered at him, full of hope.

“Yesterday, you promised to go flying with me, can we do it now, pretty please? You don’t have to leave until ten and it’s only eight thirty. . .”
Harry hid a smile at her open attempt on manipulation.

“I would love to!”
Hell! He really would, and could take a potion to avoid the unpleasant effects; he would rather avoid duelling with a bruised arse too, Tom could just sit on said punishment. . . He felt his partner’s eyes insisting on him. . .He could also sit on his weird sexual fascination and enjoyment on said bruises! Still, it was impossible to completely suppress a responsive shiver. Damn Tom and his appetite for sadistic games to hell too!
But someone else disagreed too.

“Honey, would you really mind to delay it until tomorrow?” Dorea interfered softly. She regarded Harry.

“I would like to show you some photos of James and maybe some family heirlooms too, if you don’t mind? I intended to do it yesterday but you seemed really tired to enjoy it.”
Little Annette looked utterly dejected but with the mention of photos she brightened again.

“Alright Mum.”
A block formed into Harry’s throat. This James Potter was definitely not his father but he still found himself profoundly touched by the gesture.

“Could Tom and my friends come along too, please?” he didn’t really know why he asked it, Tom certainly didn’t deserve it today, but he really wanted him and, if he was absolutely honest, needed him with him.
Dorea’s smile warmed even more.

“I see no problem with this.”
Five minutes later, when everyone was ready, they adjoined to the library and after Harry examined the family tree, which indeed included a Harrison James Evans Potter, (just a bit above Leonard and to the side but without a date of birth and unconnected to everyone,) Dorea summoned the albums.
Firstly it was a couple of toddler pics, from both brothers, then early childhood images with their parents and finally the Hogwarts years. The elder James Potter, like his brother, looked a great deal alike Leonard, blue eyed and messy haired, but other than the last part and a somewhat similar body type Harry couldn’t see any similarities with himself. He wondered why Leonard and Dorea were so hung on that he was his father, from what he gathered there were more, if distant, Potters.
That until one specific picture, from around fourth year, changed his perception somewhat. . .
Harry examined better the photo trying to figure out the increasing feeling of familiarity. There was no visible explanation for it, James looked like he had defined far earlier than him from the gangly stage. Maybe it was the Quidditch. His sort of ancestor was a Gryffindor player too and the pic was just before a match. He could unquestionably relate with this, but it definitely didn’t explain Tom’s frozen stare.
For a moment Harry was certain that it was nothing more than a ploy from his partner to gain more of the Potters’ sympathy but as the fascination remained unending he murmured “what,” and tried to see James from the other’s eyes.
Surprisingly, as he got where Tom was getting from, he could finally see it too. If one moved past the physical features themselves there were other factors too. . . There was no mistaking that stubborn tilt to the jaw, or the devil may care smile. . . Harry had definitely gotten more from his family as a whole than merely from whomever his father inherited his features.
He nodded his understanding, once, and passed the picture around.

When it reached Alphard his friend let out an almost Gryffindorish whistle.

“Wow! I haven’t seen that one in ages but Harry is definitely a chip from the old block.” the admiration was honest even if the words themselves weren’t.
Harry glared daggers at him. He may not plan to tell them the whole truth, ever, that didn’t mean he wanted to ply them with lies too. . .

Alphard winced.
More pictures came, together with stories. An older woman, young Charlus with Dorea, and more and more of James accompanied by a handsome blond teen in a Durmstrang’s uniform, and even adult ones, most with James in Hit Wizard’s regalia and his subtle similarity to Harry emphasized more and more. . .also, the blond was still frequently there. . .
There were some more candid photos, teen and adult ones: in one they competed for the snitch and in another they held it together, laughing their arses off to the ground.

Harry supposed that it was due to the slower brooms and cushioning charms that they ended down, unhurt, and able to laugh about it.
“Who is he?” he couldn’t help but finally ask, although he already had a bit of idea.
Dorea smiled, kind of melancholic, but answered easily enough.

“This was Axel, your father’s James life partner.”
Harry had gotten past trying to argue the part, but he was definitely curious about the famous ‘Uncle Axel’ and the fact that he met James in Hogwarts while a Durmstrang student.

“How did they meet, if I may? I didn’t know that the schools had any contact, unless it was the Triwizard Tournament.”
An expression of shock with a bit of revulsion crossed Dorea’s lovely face.

“The Triwizard tournament?” she asked faintly.

“Salazar! Where on earth did you hear about that antique thing? I don’t even recall how many people died to the last one, more than a century ago.” she gathered herself.
“No, it was the Triwizard Quidditch Tournament, the tradition that took its place. It happened every five years, up until ten years ago, when it was cancelled. Which is beyond pity, in my opinion, as it encouraged cooperation between magical communities in the premium way.”
Harry couldn’t help but agree with her. While he understood why it was cancelled at the time it did, it was more than worthwhile as a tradition and he swore to bring it back if they truly ended up in power.
Hermione looked she was absorbing the information and seemed more than ready to research something she couldn’t find traces in Hogwarts at her time.

“Lady Dorea, would you mind sharing more at a later date about this fascinating tradition?”
Dorea’s slightly crossed expression turned to a genuine smile.

“Gladly my dear girl.”
Meanwhile Brax was examining an adult picture with acute interest.

“Excuse me, Lady Dorea, but would you mind sharing his surname? I have a strong notion that he is a distant relative of mine but I’m not completely certain.”
Something chilled a bit in Dorea’s face and it was mirrored at Leonard’s, but at the next moment she wore a perfect hostess’s smile.

“Really, Mr Malfoy, his surname was Von Bernstorff, Axel Von Bernstorff.” her voice was polite but there was the barest hint of sarcasm.
Brax straighten his body even more.

“Thank you madam, he was indeed a relative, second cousin once removed. My paternal grandmother was Gertrud Von Bernstorff.”
Harry was beyond uncomfortable with this; it was obvious that this was a very touchy point between the families but also truly strange, for up until now Dorea didn’t have a single problem with Brax and Leonard never targeted him specifically with his teasing.
Tom on the other hand was beyond intrigued with this and even the others seemed to be paying more attention after hearing the whole dialogue.

“Von Bernstorff?” he asked innocently, partly to appease Harry’s curiosity.

“Weren’t they one of the main Grindelwald supporters in Austria up until they broke off and he almost exterminated them six years ago?”
Harry was morbidly fascinated that Tom knew that kind of details, even from years before it had any personal bearing to them, and even more so because it had a direct connection to his family, but Dorea smiled with grim approval.
“It was indeed. Axel was the black sheep of that family, but they’d never forgiven the Dark Lord for killing him and tried to throw his hold over Austria but it was already too late, they died almost to the last one. Richard, Axel’s brother and remaining survivor, brought us home James and Axel’s bodies and disappeared. Even I don’t know where he is, or if he is still alive.”
“He is alive,” Brax sounded certain.

“Us, Malfoys, will never turn against family, for anything. I don’t know the specifics but I know that my family arranged his safety.”
A weight seemed to have lifted from Dorea’s shoulders and she regarded Brax far more warmly.

“Thank you for telling me this Mr Malfoy, Abraxas, it’s a great relief.” she smiled.
Brax seemed to understand the meaning behind using his first name and he relaxed.

“The pleasure is all mine; Lady Dorea.”
Dorea looked pleased and then like she was considering something. She looked from Abraxas to him and back again.

“James and Axel are resting in Godric’s hollow, would you like me to take you on the weekend, or at another convenient date?” obviously meaning both of them.
Harry was touched, so far only Tom had done something like that for him and he had his own stake to the matter. This James wasn’t his father but he wasn’t going to say no in such a kind gesture.

“We, - I would love to.” he corrected looking sheepish; he wasn’t going to force Brax into such an obligation.
It wasn’t needed though.

“It will be my honour.” Brax sounded at his most pureblood, a sly look towards him though, indicated that whatever his reasons it wasn’t about obligation.
“I would like to pay my respects too.” Alphard added suddenly.
The declaration came quite as shock to the Potter matriarch. Dorea certainly didn’t seem to expect such show of open solidarity from her nephew. But her Slytherin mask covered her emotions fast enough.

“Anyone else planning to come?” she put it a bit dryly.
Tom smiled charmingly, shocking the Lady and Harry to their bones and nodded resolutely.

“I would like it too.”
Hermione followed suit a bit more shyly.
Harry’s eyes narrowed in suspicion and he examined carefully his partner. There was a big catch here, no doubt about it. But what the hell could Tom gain by visiting that graveyard again? He was going to get bored to tears. . .

Tom smiled leisurely at him, showing it was nothing to be alarmed about, but Leonard’s paling face offered a very different answer.

‘You said that we won’t go near them for now?’ it was the mental equivalent of a shout.
Tom’s smile turned mocking.

‘Talk about trust, darling! I don’t plan visiting the Flamels yet, but there was a quite interesting grave there.’ at Harry’s half intrigued/half distrusting look he added only a coy:

‘Later.’ Harry accepted it for now.
Dorea, while still looking flooded from the massive reaction to her proposal, took notice of the strange, for an outsider, exchange but she didn’t commend on it and made an effort to control things.
“I suppose that everyone coming then. . .” a teasing smile graced her lips, “No need to ask you Minerva dear. . .” Zevi sent a hurried glance towards Harry and nodded his assert too.

“It’s a date then.”
Tom’s eyes focused on the grandfather clock on the wall and Harry looked there too: a quarter and nine. Maybe they should leave now to make a good impression. He got up.

“We’d better leave.”
Dorea’s expression turned anxious.

“Wait a bit, please.” she summoned another, huge, leather brown book and handed it to Harry.

“This is the Potter Grimoire, I wanted you to check this out too and maybe study it in your free time.”
Harry was way intrigued and touched; he couldn’t help but stroke the cover (decorated with the Potter crest). This book was full of enchantments, a clear indication of the powerful spells hiding inside it, but it wasn’t the most important matter about it.

This was the whole family story combined in a way, all the magic from its members, all their inclinations, their hopes and dreams. . .

“Thank you.” his voice was trembling.
Dorea took a very serious, almost fierce, expression.

“Think nothing of it, Harry, this book it’s your birthright and I think that it could really help you in the coming battle.”
Harry understood perfectly. He finally had the last piece to make out Dorea. His great grandmother was truly genuine with him but she was also a Slytherin, her main concern was the preservation of her loved ones at any means necessary. Harry was more than happy with that arrangement.

“Thank you anyway. . .” a brief smile

“So. . . a bit of blood?” he spoke more to himself than her, this was the usual offering.
Dorea’s eyes turned just the slightest bit calculating.

“No need, dear.”
Harry didn’t even hear her, his attention was completely focused on the Grimoire. A drop of blood, quickly absorbed by the cover and he was lost inside. He was expecting light spells, powerful ones, but light none the less, however this book was a revelation.
Harry had found indeed beyond powerful spells and rituals, but it wasn’t just solely focused on light, greying, or even dark ones, they covered the entirety of the spectrum, every branch too, most of them totally unknown. This definitely changed his motions about his family.

“TOM.” he shouted in his enthusiasm, his partner definitely needed to see this.
Tom’s reaction was just as excited, if not more so, than his own. It would have required a deadly battle to attempt taking it from his hands, Harry had no such intention and they sat down, in the red loveseat, just browsing it out. They didn’t try to study anything yet; they just lost themselves in its intricate, precious, magics showing to each other their findings. If one had to estimate the grimoirium’s worth only priceless sounded even close to right.
It was only the feeling that he had an impeding obligation and the complete silence that forced Harry to raise his head, Tom was still absorbed to their newfound treasure. Hermione was looking at the book with a ravenous expression, the closer thing to lust he had ever seen to her face. That was understandable; her time was going to come soon too. . . But Leonard and Dorea’s reactions weren’t even nearly so. They looked so dumbfounded that you could swear that the sun was rising from the west, or something just as improbable. The others were just confused.
“What’s wrong?” he asked quite concerned.
Dorea’s eyes were focused on his ring, or more accurately, unfocussed.

“You are married!” she cried out. “Leo told me that you two intended to bond but not that you had already done so.”
Harry felt the intense heat rising up to his face, but he honestly had no idea what was her problem.

“What?” he croaked; too shocked to use the manners his pureblood friends had insisted for him to cultivate.
He knew that Tom’s insistence to not hide their rings in this house was going to bite them in the arse. . .
His panic forced Tom to finally leave the book, with apparent regret, too.

“Married you say, ma’am?”
Dorea took a fortified breath and seemed to get her mask back in place.

“Indeed, one of our stronger family traditions and a necessary precaution I fear. This book was specifically warded to never get viewed by anyone except a Potter, by either blood or marriage. The traditional hand fastings in all family history ensured it continued. The only exceptions were when the bride wasn’t trusted and the wedding was just a ceremony nothing else.”
So it was a final test. . .

Harry didn’t really mind and he finally had his answer to the why. He had gotten parseltongue out of the horcrux, and maybe a leaning towards dark magic, it was only natural that Tom would get something equally heavy out of this too. That didn’t mean that he was going to speak about it.

“We are neither married nor hand fastened.”
“Yet.” Tom added with a too charming smile.
Harry wanted to face palm but limited himself on covertly glaring.

If Tom involved the family to their mess there was going to be hell to pay. . . But enough was enough.

Without a word he took the book. Time for a bit of testing of his own!

“Herm?”
Hermione looked uncertain but full of longing, she took a step forward. When neither Dorea nor Leonard protested he allowed her to look. A heavy disappointed sigh was her only reaction.

“What do you see, Mione?”
Another heavy sigh. . .

“Blank pages.” her dejection was so sharp that it constricted Harry’s heart.

He was so going to find a way to give her access or at least share what he could.
Meanwhile Dorea was examining Tom in a way that could be called disturbing.

“If you are not bonded with Harry, then how? Do you by chance posses any Potter blood, as in at all?” she asked trying to pass it for casual.
It wasn’t just the question by itself. . . but the instant reminding on what this family could have been for Tom, if only they had a bit more backbone. Harry wasn’t the only one remembering. He could literally feel his partner’s rage spiking up, not that he was the only one. . .
But Tom managed to contain himself admirably; he only favoured his hostess with one of his most dangerous smiles.

“I shouldn’t really know, being raised in a muggle orphanage and all,” he twisted the knife.
Dorea had to close her eyes in shame and Leonard; the more informed for once, understood the true danger and looked ready to either interfere or to pass out.
Then Tom continued.

“But as I searched extendedly those things I can honestly state that I don’t have even a single drop. My mother’s family were the infamous Gaunts and my father’s, the Riddles, have an extended history of their own but entirely muggle I’m afraid. If there is a bit of relation it can only be traced to before the founders.” which was honestly less than that what the entire magical community shared.
Dorea seemed to be fighting between relief and frustration.

“Then I don’t get it, what kind of magical bond is this? It seems stronger than the legendary Soul-bond.” . . .and yet you are a male couple wasn’t said but sounded clearly enough.
That was the strain that broke the camel for Harry.

He liked Dorea more than fine, but his own frustrations pilled up. (he wasn’t going to admit it even to himself but it was also a perfect distraction to get them away from examining their bond,)

“And I don’t get why all that strain?” he answered in the same tone.
“You accepted me into your family with open arms, more, you have given my relationship more than the tacit acknowledgement, or even the outright ignoring, frequented in pureblood circles. Why, if its makes you uncomfortable?

If it’s about protecting you, you don’t have to. We can leave even right now and it won’t change a thing. I’ve already given my word to Leonard to protect you all and I’m going to keep it. . . Though, I would appreciate borrowing the book.”
No one dared to smile with the last part. Tom’s stony expression for all his affirmative nod had them to their toes. He supposed that his own angry outburst didn’t help matters.
Dorea wetted her lips.

“Harry I can swear to you, on my life and magic, that your orientation has no true bearing to me or affects my opinion for you, or my behaviour, nor said behaviour is actually relevant in your ability to protect us.” she took a deep breath, ready to continue. Harry both wanted to stop her and was entranced with her words.

“Yes I have a problem with this but it has nothing to do with you and your partner, this is about me. . .” another breath.
“See, my husband and I were very much in agreement with the pureblood saying ‘out of seeing out of mind’ regarding this matter and my husband had no problem to ignore everything, and even host Axel in this house, assuming James did his duty to the family too. James wasn’t happy with this arrangement; he considered it a betrayal, which it wasn’t far from the mark, considering Charlus’ help into misinforming their parents, especially their muggleborn mother, during their Hogwarts years, and so chose to leave, visiting only once in a while. . .”
Harry had started to truly see. . . he wasn’t sure he liked it though. . .
Dorea continued speaking:

“About eight years ago, when my brother in law died, my husband and I swore to ourselves and each other to never repeat that mistake again, no matter what. If our son turned out with alternative preferences we were going to respect it. . .”
Leonard let out a very embarrassed and childish complain with this . . .

“Mum. . .”
Dorea continued like if she didn’t hear.

“We weren’t going to put any kind of pressure to him, even if it meant that Annette’s husband was going to take the Potter name, or even that we were the last of our line. So, you see, you’d given us a chance to repent, if only to ourselves. Charlus is going to be happy, if only we’ll get him back.”
Harry was more than alright with this, even if it was kind of strange for him to help in another’s atonement.

“We are going to get him back. If we’ll find him alive I’m going to bring him back, or else his body, that I swear.” he looked down.

“I’m also apologizing for making you speak for those painful things, I was way rash in my reaction.”
Dorea smiled and it was real.

“You had every right to hear them and I’m sure that my son has more than hinted for those facts already. In any case, I accept your apology, though it wasn’t strictly necessary.
Harry smiled back.

“No need for such things between family.” he returned and then raised an eyebrow.

“So, any way to share the defence/offence spells at least? Tom and I are going to do excessive damage in Nurmengard but imagine how much more devastating we are going to be if our friends, and even the aurors, attack in such ways too.” barely remembering to add.

“I’m sorry if I sound disrespectful.”
Hermione, whom so far pretended to not hear, trained hopeful eyes to him.
Dorea, to her credit, thought about it.

“I’m not that sure, not that I don’t want to help, but it could be dangerous for you.”
“Maybe not mother.” Leonard added, sounding on fire.

“Harry hadn’t taken the oaths we did; he may be able to pass them on.”
“Out of the question.” Tom cut him harshly.

“It sounds too dangerous for him.”
Harry could bet that a desire to keep that incredible magic private played its part too, except protectiveness alone, but he was touched all the same.

“I’m going to study all the rules and consequences and then decide.” he compromised.

“Still, is there no other way to share this even with one person?” he asked one last time.
Leonard smiled at Hermione seeming to understand where this was heading.

“Well, as marrying her is out, you can either blood adopt her or make her your blood-sister. I have been considering doing it with Min some years now.”
Minerva swatted his arm but looked touched and more than interested.
“Out of the question.” Tom repeated. It was getting tiring.
“Why?” Harry questioned, barely holding back his annoyance.
Tom had the nerve to look disappointed that he didn’t get it.

“Think darling. Such an act could have disastrous complications to our plans.”
A feeling of dread filled Harry, Tom had said plans not plan, he didn’t like where this was heading at all.

“I don’t care, it’s my decision. Hermione has stood by me on hell and high water for years now, my sister in everything but blood. Its not only about giving her access on the grimoire, I want that, I just didn’t know that it could be done.”
Tom examined him carefully, not pleased but far from livid, he had already started calculating.

“It is probably going to be quite the stir, at year’s end, when her final marks return to Hermione Evans or Evans-Potter.” he told him neutrally.
Harry felt the faintest sting of anxiety by hearing this, he hated it when the public stuck its collective nose to his business, but he ignored it, he had learned to deal with this.

“It could work to our favour; Salazar knows that our surnames could change too after our ritual, it will be a good diversion.”
“True.” Tom smiled and nodded his assert.

“Very well, I will support you in this. If it leaks out that she is your sister the plan will continue as it is. If the leading rumour comes out that you married her, you will be in charge of our cover.” he offered his terms.
“Agreed.” Harry couldn’t help a sigh of relief. He had finally dodged this bullet.
Then Tom continued.

“I had concluded that you would be the one to sire our children, to be sure of their health, and then blood-adopt them. But I suppose the opposite can work too. Well not the opposite exactly, but it’s a liveable compromise.” he delivered those in the most casual way possible.
Harry wanted to scream in frustration, he hadn’t dodged the bullet at all.

“Tom,” he started in near panic.

“I don’t need or even want something like that.”
Tom’s smile was almost affectionate for all its dangerous edge.

“You better stop lying to me so openly, love. Of course you need it; there is no question about this. As for wanting it, you may not, yet, but it will come.”
Harry wanted to strangle him, especially considering that there may be one shred of truth to his words. One.

“When hell freezes over.”
Tom’s expression turned both arrogant and serene.

“I can wait.”
Harry was barely a step before homicidal but as it was nearly coming to Tom taking what he deserved and shielding the others Leonard saw fit to interfere.

“Hey guys no need to fight over this.” he saw no curse coming his way and continued.

“You Harry want to share the spells with everyone present, correct? And you Tom don’t want to risk him, right?”
Harry stared at his grandfather with admiration.

That was what was making him a Gryffindor, not his bluntness or anything else so much, as this bravery to interfere into something that could literary demolish him like a twig to protect the others present!
He shared a look with Tom. No, it wasn’t anywhere that simple, but the other matter was personal and had nothing to do with here and now.

“Yes.” they said together.
Leonard beamed.

“Then hear me out. We are going to undertake the fraternity ritual, you with Hermione and I with Min. Alphard will marry traditionally Minerva and Zev Hermione. The only remaining is Brax, with whom I suppose I can undertake the ritual once more, he is sort of family too. . . Problem solved.”
Harry wasn’t sure what to think in this. It was an oversimplified solution no question about, though he supposed that it could work. But he doubted that it could be done before the battle or that the others wanted to hurry anyway. He was going to talk with them later. . .
Still it was kind of funny to watch the others’ reaction. Alphard looked eager like a puppy, Minerva looked stern but she was actually frozen, Hermione and Zev were a marching red and Brax looked confused if it was a step up or down . . .
Tom leaned towards him, barely hiding his amusement, both for the plan and the various reactions. He examined Abraxas.

‘If you want him as a family member you can always marry him to the little mess later on.’ he teased, indicating the littlest one present.
Annette’s hair was freed from her hair tie and messy as Harry’s for all the longer length. She may seem aloof to the adult matters discussed here, interested only in her fairytale book, but he could swear that her attention was truly focused on them and she seemed to straining her ears towards hearing more. It looked like a tendency in the family. . .
Harry was still pissed with Tom but he held back a laugh with the mere idea. On pureblood mentality it was a great idea but on a personal level he was never going to even think about it until Annette was old enough to form a valid opinion, even if Brax favoured it. Never mind that for all he didn’t care about Lucius he owed it to Draco to get born.

‘Nah, I would prefer not, for various reasons.’ he answered him truly serious about it.
Tom still didn’t lose his amusement.

‘You are right, he does not deserve her; we are going to find her someone better.’
This time Harry couldn’t help a laugh at the thought of Tom as matchmaker, but it drew Leonard’s attention to them.

“So, what you two think?”
Harry weighted it for one last time

“It’s a good plan. . .”
“. . .for a Gryffindor.” Tom couldn’t help but add his piece.
“. . .for a Gryffindor. . .” he agreed. . .but it wasn’t to continue. . .
“Wait.”
. . .Dorea’s almost agonising voice cut him mid-phrase. It was then that Harry understood his mistake. He had taken her calm expression and the fact she didn’t contradict Leonard, both times, as tacit acceptance, now he could see that the woman had been actually shell-shocked.
At his questionable gaze his great-grandmother seemed to visibly put herself together. After a bare second there was nothing of said anguish marring her beautiful face and she seemed to choosing her words very carefully.
“Harry, I won’t deny that there are spells here that could really help in the fight against Grindelwald, nor I could stop you from adding your close friends into the family if you chose to. Even if couldn’t understand such a desire on your part, or planned only to use you, I wouldn’t be able to do so. This book is your birthright. Your blood, power, and Leonard’s oath made you the de facto head of this House, and I honestly doubt that my husband’s return will change that fact.

But I’m asking you to really consider it.” a long pause.
“It’s not a matter of fear that the family heritage will fell into alien and maybe undeserving hands; Alphard is my blood and I love Minerva as such. I also have the best of impression for your friends, the little that I got to know them. But this grimoirium it’s not only about powerful spells and rituals, but extremely dangerous secrets and truths holding from before Merlin. Things, that my son shouldn’t have disregarded that easily. So please, study it with the utmost seriousness and weight things beyond carefully before deciding.”
Harry couldn’t help himself but look at her totally incredulous. It wasn’t only the things she was insinuating that truly shocked him (and he really didn’t need an open link to his partner this moment. . .he was getting dizzy with the other’s calculations and conclusions. . . not that he didn’t came up with more than a few himself.) but more the words themselves and the matter of fact deference. . . Leonard’s regard to him was one thing but his mother’s quite another. . . Dorea really consider him a Lord! He forced himself to calm the hell down and deal with it.
Dorea wasn’t much different than Narcissa Malfoy truly, only at a more difficult position, but with a vast understanding regarding Potter men. The last thought relaxed him a bit. She wasn’t just surrendering power over her family to him but taking him into said family. Her openness and imploring to his honour warranted that he could do nothing but go along with her; even the way she brought up the secrets ensured that Tom wasn’t going to share them, ever. An excellent Slytherin manipulator, truly!
His equilibrium fixed, he smiled at her.

“I understand completely, Dorea, and I swear to never disclose even one family secret unless it’s absolutely necessary.” he had learned a bit about semantics.
He could feel the other’s approval.

Tom added his on part.

“Unless necessity forces me to break it, you have my solemn oath too.”
Dorea relaxed too after their oaths and if there was a problem with the loophole she didn’t show it.

“Thank you gentlemen I know that I really could count on you two and your discretion.” the last part was a tiny bit pointed, though not maliciously so, more like confused and calculated, her eyes moved from one to the other.
Harry was puzzled with that, she hardly know any of their secrets, none that she could disclose too. Tom’s combined amusement with irritability didn’t help matters, but then he realised that they had spoken parseltongue, quite unguardedly, to her presence and his cheeks heated up. (He honestly didn’t want to think about her current opinion about his lineage.)

He hastily tried for a distraction; it wasn’t long till he fount it.
Leonard looked both terribly disappointed that he wasn’t able to help and quite horrified at what kind of secrets he was unthinkably ready to unleash in case it helped his father.

“I’m a fool.” he said the moment their eyes met.
Harry found himself comforting the other without much thought and a hand to his shoulder.

“No, your plan had true merit, but we are not that desperate to use it. Your heritage doesn’t need to get compromised or sacrificed.” he stressed on the pronoun. He wasn’t going to take the other’s rights.
Leonard understood his meaning.

“Our heritage.” he insisted.
Harry found himself agreeing, touched by the other’s warmth.

“Thank you, it means a lot.”
Leonard looked the tiniest bit uncomfortable.

“You said it yourself, no such thing inside family!” then his frustration returned.

“There must something else that could help with our chances and aid the aurors too.” he added openly aggravated.
“I’m sure that you will find something.” Tom smoothly interfered to their talk before Harry tried for another placation.
The ‘or else’ was of course heavily implied but for once instead of simply scaring Leonard it made him think and gotten him right to his ‘eureka’ moment. His face lightened.

“I think that I’ve got an idea.” Harry continued glaring.
Tom nodded him with his eyes to continue.

“This house is of full magical artefacts and commodities from around the world, like flying Persian carpets, protective amulets, or various trinkets for magical storage and the like. Even some of my father’s prototypes, things that he wasn’t ready to bring on the market yet but would work wonders on a battle with some work. Everything is at your disposal.”
Harry felt a huge smile forming to his lids and his enthusiasm held no bounds. This was easily as useful as the grimoire and maybe even more practical. It could be useful to the aurors too. . . He could feel that his partner was just as excited and maybe even more so, as it tapped right into his scholarly side. He was beyond curious regarding that side too, but his practical part won over everything else, for now. . .
They shared a smile. If it was as good as promised, Grindelwald was for many nasty surprises. . . They needed to check it as soon as possible.
“Excellent work!”
Leonard’s eyes nearly bulged. He certainly didn’t expect such high praise from Tom. He barely managed a “thank you.” but his chest puffed with pride.
Truth to be told neither did Harry, but even if definitely had something behind it, it didn’t change the fact that it was more than deserved for today.

“Indeed amazing work! Thank you Leonard!”
This time his grandfather took it calmer, although still blushing a bit. But a fierce light came from his eyes.

“Don’t thank me, the bastard killed my uncle and took my father, I’m going to do my damnest to pay him back. This is not only a matter of Aurors and power games, Grindelwald is going to ruin the day he heard the name Potter.”
Harry could definitely agree with this. He felt their shared blood surging forth and he never felt closer to Leonard as much as he did now.

“It is going to happen, that much I swear.” he answered meaning it to his core.
“Hero, did you check the time?” Tom’s lilting voice brought him back to earth.
Harry’s eyes snapped up. . . He knew that had forgotten something. . .a quartet to ten. . . Wait. . .a quartet to ten?

“Crap!”

With a bit, well a lot, of effort they managed to be in the Auror department right in time and not look too rushed too. It was the start of a long day. . .
It wasn’t that the aurors were exactly hostile; more like uncertain, towards them, but the fact was that even the Minister’s Undersecretary couldn’t bring them forth as anything else but volunteers, which strictly speaking they were, and they spent the first hours of their training working alongside cadets with the most basic of exercises.
That unflattering estimation to their talents went up in flames soon enough; he and Tom had spent almost their every free hour training since they got back in the past and it was showing, even with totally lawful curses and almost no dark arts. Their friends had put almost the same hours and were beyond justifying their presence too; even Leonard was doing much better in the controlled circumstances of the Aurors’ gym. They busted the rookies up and moved to the experienced aurors soon enough.
Things gotten much better after this. . .
There was a unanimous silent agreement to let him as the only person facing Tom on one to one and vice versa and even to keep them in different fractions at the mock battles for a bit of balance. Harry enjoyed himself immensely with this and even got the chance to finally pay Tom publicly back for what he had suffered the last days. The fact that they were dealing mostly with light stuff was clearly to his advantage, though to be fair his partner had gotten way better at light magic the last few years and he needed all his concentration to keep on beating him in duel after duel.
But his duels with Tom weren’t the only exciting thing of the day. They had started focusing on strategy more and more and were even taught some Auror exclusive tricks. Harry truly loved the new things he was learning and some of the advice was downright useful and wasn’t found in any book, only life.
Most of the aurors were quite impressed with them, especially after their first duel, but Senior Auror Bones, Moody’s temporally replacement, was looking at them disquietly and with a constant deep line between his eyebrows, a feature that deepened the more hours passed. Harry’s first impression of the man was that he didn’t quite like them and the way he kept looking at them and yet avoided their eyes made him worry that Amelia had spilled the beans into her family too, not just the school.
If that was the case they were literally busted. There was no future for him in the Auror corps and even Tom was going to have a problem with any work at the Ministry. . . If it got leaked their political dreams were literally ashes. Harry was beyond horrified by the implications and consequences of such a thing.
Not that there was a chance that Tom was going to break them up to avoid it and he wasn’t sure if he should be touched or terrified by this, (he was both) but the fact remained that even if he attempted it himself it was going to do more harm than good anyway.
There was of course and another dangerous possibility, that of her family figuring out that she was under a curse. One boyfriend, (even prospective fiancé) or even two, leaving her was nothing truly peculiar, for all that she was pretty, but Amelia was a very level-headed witch and yet she had hexed Tristan Davies to an inch to his life.
That wasn’t going to remain unnoticed, or quiet, and a thorough examination at St Mungo was going to reveal things. It was perhaps impossible to outline the exact curse, except by its symptoms, but if the healers managed to seclude that it was from parseltongue then it was a year into Azkaban added to the deal.
Damn Tom and his vicious possessiveness to hell and back!

Such games were too risky to come against close scrutiny. . .

he needed to find Amelia soon, preferably alone, and free her from the curse. . .
Maybe Harry was getting really paranoid with this but for now it was imperative to take the Auror outside for some damage control, he was doing everything he could to keep the link closed and his thoughts only for himself, but by the converted looks he caught the other giving it was obvious that he had come to the same conclusions himself. He needed to interfere, fast, before Tom decided that the Auror needed to die. . .
His chance came faster than he anticipated; Auror Jasper Bones approached him at lunch’s break.

“A word, Evans, if I may?”
“Certainly sir.” Harry hastened to agree with a professional smile.
Tom looked like he would love nothing more than a chance to take part into the discussion, thankfully he was busy into an intense talk with the aurors and cadets, one that his firm polite mask was forbidding him from interrupting.
The temporally chief Auror led him somewhat away from direct sign and set privacy wards, very strong ones, if Harry had to judge them. He didn’t waste time in addressing his problem too.

“What exactly do you plan on achieving by coming here?”
Bad, bad, start. . .

“Sir?” Harry tried for innocence but it wasn’t his stronger suit.
Auror Bones looked frosty but not completely hostile. Still he tried to intimidate him by using his towering height and bear like physique. That method, together with his considerable magical power, must have frequently positive results, too bad it wasn’t working on Harry. . .
“Don’t play games with me, Evans, I hate deceit. You two, together, were able to face thirty aurors and win, holding back I may add. Hell, you two proved equal to the Dark Lord too. Auror academy can offer absolute nothing to you or Riddle so what on earth do you truly want?”
Harry’s first reaction was relief; the man may have been suspicious but he didn’t have anything concrete. Still he showed absolute nothing and kept the link completely close, no matter Tom’s insistence, it was too soon for anything else.
“You named our reason to be here, sir. I won’t deny the, at least, passing thought of becoming an Auror but I can honestly state that we are here to nail Grindelwald, nothing else.” he stated everything meeting the other’s eyes; his shields were still in place but leaving no doubt that he was honest, the Auror did the same.

Unfortunately his mind was too fortified for Harry to break in without his awareness. He allowed a smile.

“Also, I can’t say that I’ve learned nothing today.” the compliment came relatively easy as it was quite true.
The grizzled Auror laughed a bear like laugh but it didn’t held much mirth.

“I believe you, boy, but that doesn’t mean that I can fully trust you.”
Harry hated to be called boy, for obvious reasons, but that was nothing compared to the rest, he kept his composure by the skim of his teeth.

“What on earth do you mean sir?” thankfully the circumstances allowed for some of his anger to be seen.
The Auror examined him like a hank.

“What reason do I have to trust you, kid?” he capitalised at their dissimilar statuses.

“With your stunt in Hogsmeade Grindelwald will be definitely after your skins but that doesn’t mean that you lot won’t simply use my aurors as shields, letting them to take all the heat.”
Harry cursed inwardly a blue streak and cranked his occlumency shields all the way up. The Auror was either playing at his game or they were in worse shit than he thought.

“With all due respect, sir, this is a load of crap. Where did you come up with these serious but completely dumbfounding charges?”
If it was due to Dumbledore Tom wasn’t going to kill him, as he was gunning, Harry was going to wriggle his bony neck by himself. . .
Another bear like laugh.

“I wasn’t born yesterday, Evans, today you were good no doubt about it, but it bears no contest at what you did in Hogsmeade, I saw the results. Now tell me again what you need my aurors?”
Harry’s fury spiked into dangerous heights. This sounded way too familiar for his tastes.

“I see your point now, Auror Bones, but it won’t do. Four days ago we survived by the skims of our teeth against Grindelwald and now you belittle and distrust us for seeking backup, less than a dozen teens and all but one without having finished our formal education. Excellent point indeed! We can definitely count on you. . .” he turned to leave.
“Evans.” the Auror croaked, he definitely wasn’t laughing anymore.

“What will have me do? You, the girls and Potter are the only Light wielders of your company, but you can hardly be classified a Light wizard and the Potters are considered entirely Light only the last five generations or so.” a frustrated breath.

“The rest of your friends are the heirs to the most prominent Dark families and Riddle a category by himself; there are already whispers regarding him. No, the strange part is that you are fighting against Grindelwald instead on at his side.”
“Take the last part back, sir.” it came out as a hissing order, the honorific close to an insult.

“My friends and I are loyal British subjects and not traitors.”
The chief Auror froze but to his honour he neither blustered nor fleeted from what he saw to his eyes.

“I apologise,” he answered stiffly; “I had no intention to slight you or your friends.” strangely he was honest.
Harry nodded his acceptance. His rage had cooled down, crystallizing into one single point, and so allowing him to remain in complete control of himself. He could undeniably see Dumbledore’s fingerprints in this misconception but that didn’t discount the Auror’s game.
“But I don’t understand why you are continuing this sir, I already agreed to leave.” seeing Bones’ shocked look he decided to drop some masks and shake things, just in case he could fix that damaging belief.
“It’s exactly that specific mentality that has kept our people divided for centuries now. With half the population alternatively subjugated of its natural magic it’s almost logical of them to turn on a foreigner overlord to regain their rights. It sounds to me as either a half arsed excuse or a self fulfilled prophesy, take your pick. In either case an excellent work by the Ministry!”
The Auror definitely didn’t expect such an opening, but he accepted even this with equanimity for all his bluing colour, and only blinked rapidly trying to find something to answer.

“They are hardly half the population.” he tried to misdirect.
Harry smiled, it wasn’t pleasant.

“Even so, does that gives the Ministry the right to oppress them?” he was frankly surprised that the other hadn’t shouted to get him arrested.
Astonishingly the Auror laughed again, this time it was actually mirthful.

“Ami was right; you are the most outspoken Slytherin one can hope to meet!”
Harry didn’t know what to make of this. Amelia’s mention could be either a threat or something positive; he wasn’t sure for all the approving tone.

“Your point sir?”
The chief Auror gave him a look, one that examined his soul without occlumency.

“Give me something that I can trust, your word of honour that whatever you will learn with us it won’t get used to take the Ministry after Grindelwald’s threat is over.” Bones opened his cards.
Harry could hardly disagree with that. He was ready to offer and sacrifice many things to avoid a forceful take over, that didn’t mean that he was going to do it easily as it would weaken their position too much in such a case.

“I would gladly do it with some terms.” he stated.
Bones’ eyes narrowed.

“Like what, Evans?”
Harry was ready.

“Like allowing us to fight with what comes more natural to us and not prosecuting us for this when everything is said and done.”
The Auror considered this furiously.

“I will talk with the Undersecretary and we’ll approach the Minister. But it will not be a carté blanche and I won’t condone sick thrills. Stick it to Grindelwald, his soldiers, or spies. But the last category will need confirmation by veritaserum.”
Harry had no problem with any of this; it was in fact far more generous than what he expected, especially considering that look in Bones’ eyes. Definitely suspicious! He vowed to free Amelia post haste.

“Do that, sir, and you’ll have my solemn oath, I don’t approve of sick thrills.” he should stop there, it was a good place. . .

“But that doesn’t mean that the dark arts consist only of those, or even mainly, it’s just another way to do things, its not evil.” but he never knew when to stop. . .
Weirdly, the Auror smiled kindly.

“I may not find anything wrong with your opinions, Evans, I may even agree with you to a point, but the fact remains that most dark arts are against the law. If I caught you, or anyone, practising them, excluding the aforementioned circumstances; expect me to fight you, doubly so if you ever try to take the Ministry by force to change things.” he draw his line.
Harry found himself genuinely smiling.

“What about the political approach?”
Lord Jasper Bones of the House Bones regarded him solemnly.

“If you come into position to bring your ideas into the Wizengamot or the House of Lords I will definitely hear them and if they are fair, and not just leaning the scales towards the other side, House Bones will vote them, on any subject.” he smiled almost teasingly on the last part but it lasted a bare second and he returned on his sombre countenance.

“But it should happen fairly, no extortion or Imperious.”
Harry beamed; this went much further that he could ever hope from House Bones.

“Thank you, Sir, I truly appreciate your support and you won’t find a reason to retreat it.” and both because there was no pounding to his head anymore and he wanted to be just he added.

“But to be fair too it’s not only my ideas, Mr Riddle has half the ideas to the very least.”
The senior Auror’s eyes frozen over.

“I don’t doubt it, Mr Evans, but until a specific purpose is met Mr Riddle is a persona non grata to my family, except in this chamber or a battlefield. It’s only due the fact that I consider it immaturity and not maliciousness that I won’t take specific acts.”
Harry turned faintly green.

“I see.” it looked like every mask had fallen.
The old Auror’s eyes sharpened even more, if it was possible.

“My niece sent very flattering letters the previous year regarding you, I usually agree with her judgement but in this case I wonder if she was wrong, time will tell.”
That hurt, for all that he understood the other’s point, he hadn’t freed her the moment he learned the truth after all, and he blushed in shame.

“I have nothing but respect for Amelia and House Bones. For all its worth, I’m sorry.”
The other’s expression softened a bit.

“You are honest,” he observed, “maybe Amelia wasn’t that wrong.

“Apology accepted.” he concluded formally.
“Thank you sir.” Harry was very relieved but also he had started to worry with the other’s observations. Maybe she shouldn’t have been that honest. . .
The Auror noticed.

“Mr Evans, Harrison, my niece cried her eyes out the previous Easter, but it’s much preferable to cry once than for her whole life. I don’t believe that the law should interfere in the bedchamber regarding conceding adults and I will never search or disclose something of that nature,” a devious smile. . .

“that would have changed of course if you had tried to marry her.” he left with that comment and another bear like laugh.
Harry’s relief and bewilderment lasted only a moment, Tom was waiting at the corner.
He exchanged a frosty nod with the Auror and the next moment he was regarding Harry with almost reddish eyes but he didn’t look angry exactly. . . it was something else.
“How much did you hear?”
Tom smirked.

“Everything.”
Harry managed to not gulp or wince.

“I’m surprised you aren’t mad.” he added offhandedly; although he didn’t believe it, he could bet that his friend was going to pay him back shortly.
The smirk shifted more towards a playful smile.

“Why shouldn’t I? It was your right and I trust you to represent us.” matter of fact tone, honest eyes.
Harry was suddenly light-headed.

“You do?” in some small part of his mind he knew that he sounded like an idiot, but at the moment he was too overwhelmed to care.
Once again Tom raked him with his eyes.

“Indeed, and you didn’t disappoint me. You were a bit too sanctimonious and honest for my tastes at times but, other than that, utterly magnificent!” this time Harry managed to decipher that look; it was ravenous hanger. . .
Harry’s light-headedness returned tenfold, this time he couldn’t breathe too.

“Thanks, I think. . .” he tried to joke ignoring it and his furious blush.

But the heavy compliment had him smelling a rat.

Even if Tom truly approved of his handling there was no chance to overlook, never mind forgive, that he tried to keep him completely away. He only hoped that his partner was going to keep the specific fight for a private place. . .

“If you trust me that much, what are you doing here?”
Infuriatingly, Tom had the correct answer ready too.

“Your anger spiked, dangerously so. I considered it neither time nor place for us to collect Auror pieces from the ceiling.” Harry had absolutely nothing to say in this and then Tom dropped his bomb.

“He knows too much though.”
Harry’s last vestiges of pleasure evaporated; his blood started pounding almost murderously and the fact that he was already annoyed, due to Amelia, didn’t help matters.

“I won’t let you hurt him.” it was a simple fact.
Tom accepted it easily enough and nodded.

“As long he won’t make a move against us he is safe.”
Normally Harry would have accepted it, more or less, but not now.

“Enough is enough, Tom. You will not hurt that family, no matter what.

You have done them enough.” it was an order hissed with conviction.
Tom’s eyes flashed deadly but he kept control.

“Think so, darling? I believe it was well deserved.” Harry didn’t back down and Tom’s lips tightened.

“I take it they are under your protection.” it wasn’t a question.
Harry answered anyway, “Yes.” he tried to make Tom see his point.

“I respect Auror Bones, he is truly righteous. . .the whole family are. Even Amelia was the most honourable person in the Ministry, up my time. We need such people.”
He was going to be in hot water. . .for a long time. . .but it needed to happen.
Tom nodded his acceptance, but of course he wasn’t going to leave it as such.

“Should I worry about the esteemed Auror? Usually I need hours to convince you for something and you fallen almost backwards to do his biding.”
Harry didn’t know if he wanted to laugh, gag, or get angrier.

He didn’t miss, of course, the deadly seriousness behind the humorous tone, but he had started to suspect that the irrational jealously was nothing more than an excuse for Tom to curse those he disliked and get away with it too. . .

Knowing he was throwing oil on fire he chose to do neither and didn’t back down.

“Hardly, but he is right, you need to stop cursing people, for a while at least.”
The silence was deafening, deadly.
“Are you under the impression that I should try for sainthood, just like you, because I’m marrying you or do I need to remind you of your own oath and the consequences should you chose return to the Light?” there wasn’t even a hint of understating to the other’s eyes, his face was stony and totally adamant.
Harry’s answer was instant and just as uncompromising.

“If you force me into a position to chose, I will just leave politics and you, staying neutral and protecting my friends the best I can.” it was only after he uttered his own impasse that he realised that he may have hurt Tom’s feelings, as crazy or impossible it was sounding, so he tried to ease the sting, making his point too.

“But I don’t want it, nor do I believe that I asked for something completely irrational.”
“I believe you called them sick thrills.” Tom’s voice was pleasant, his eyes anything but. He wasn’t backing down either.
Harry tried again.

“Look Tom, I’ve never called it that to your face, and if you are sick once, for doing it, I’m twice so, for enjoying it. Nor I’m expecting you, or frankly want you, to change, but we have an arrangement and it’s not only a matter of my sensitivities, as you would put it. . .” he examined the other to see if his words had any effect, did he detected any tiny softening on Tom’s face? He wasn’t sure.
“I won’t say it doesn’t bothering me, when you get too far, but I’m far more concerned in the risks that you are taking. You are getting reckless, Tom.” Harry had opened his heart completely and spoke exactly as he felt, without guile.

“It was one thing when you were one student among many, no matter how popular, but now we are already public figures, our campaign has already started and there is no way that you will get away with such close scrutiny. We barely avoided a blood feud, I doubt it will happen a second time.”
Tom examined him for a long while, then his lips curled just so and Harry wanted to hit his head at a wall.

He had aroused the other’s competitiveness, they were screwed. . .

“So you think that I’m too reckless and can’t effectively hide?” he teased but continued before Harry could answer, this time deadly serious.

“I didn’t like it, how ready you were to take the Auror’s side against me, but you have some point and I will think about it. . .” Harry barely held a relieved sigh; this was the closer that Tom was going to come into acquiescing.

Even if he ended just being more careful it was going to be a relief.
He was again robbed for a chance to reply, said Auror’s thunderous voice made sure of this.

“Boys, the break is over. If you want to fight, take it inside the platform.”
But Tom didn’t seem completely satisfied with this conclusion to their talk and baited him with another bone-melting blood-burning smile. . .

“. . .By the way did you just openly admitted getting off on this?”
Harry groaned. This was pure hell; he could maybe get out of the doghouse some day. . . but this. . . Tom was never going to forget it, or stop using it, not even in a billion years. . .
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