The Not so Dark Hours (Tomarry)

CHAPTER 11

"Potter?" I hear Tom's voice calling from outside my chambers. I continue to stay still.

As I lay here in silence another wave of grieve washes over me. I don't know what's happening to me. Well, I do, but I don't want to accept it.

I keep re-visiting my memories, mostly the bad ones. In the spotlight is Sirius' death and my blossoming 'friendship' with Tom. Sirius would be so disappointed, not to mention all the Weasleys, and Remus. Oh god, I miss my friends and family. What must my classmates think of me? How are Neville and Luna? Dean and Seamus?

A choked sob escapes my - before - tightly locked mouth.

"Okay, that's it. I'm coming in. Alohomora!" Tom says, but the door remains locked. "Really? Fine. Let me in!" He says in parsletongue and the door swings open before I can stop it. I just turn on my stomach, arms resting around my head. I don't need the dark lord to see my ugly crying face. I haven't shaved for a while either and I must stink. It's been three days since my last shower. I feel really icky and as someone I kind of respect I can't have Tom seeing this... This abomination.

"Harry." He coos. Ew, what am I, a baby? I feel him sitting down on the bed, close to my head and I turn it into the other direction. "What's wrong? You can tell me, you know?" I simply turn my head to the other side. Why can't he just leave me be the depressed teenager I am. I just want to have my sulky moment and perhaps never come out of it.

In the blink of an eye I suddenly find myself flung on my back with Tom on top of me, pinning my arms above my head, albeit gently. Now the curtains are open, light flooding the room and I can't cover my snotty, puffy, and red face. I try to turn my head to hide at least a bit of ugliness, but he simply transfers one of my hands into his other hand and grips my chin with his now free hand. I feel my face heating up and bite the inside of my cheeks.

"There you are." He croons softly. "I'm sorry if I'm over-stepping here Harry, but I can't watch you go down the drain like this. This is not just affecting you any more. I can feel your despair through our connection and it hurts to know you are like this and not having the power to do anything. I'm not used to not being in control. Please, let me help you?" He almost begs, and I almost break seeing the high and mighty dark lord crumble like this. He was the one constant in my life, like a boulder in the surf, standing unwavering against the crashing waves. I nod. I can't do otherwise.

"Thank you, that means a lot. I know we haven't exactly been seeing eye-to-eye before and I was a bit of a raving lunatic, but I really enjoy what's happening. In the past I would have called whatever this is a weakness, but now I see it is a strength. I finally understand why you surround yourself with that weird bunch. Not that I would befriend them myself. One dork in my life is enough." He grins at me and I shove him off of me playfully. He lands on his side next to me with an 'oof', propping his head on his hand to look at me. "What's bothering you, Gryffindork?" I sniff my snot up, but he hands me a handkerchief, which I greatfully accept. I sound like an elephant, blowing my nose, but Tom doesn't seem to mind.

"I miss everybody, well, most of them. my friends, family, classmates, hell, I even miss Snape! Especially Sirius though. I keep reliving all of it. I just can't get it out of my head, sorry to say this, but what would Sirius say if he knew of us? What would my friends and Remus say. I don't really care about the public, they either hate me or like me depending on Skeeter's mood, but my friends and family's opinions matter to me. I won't give this up of course, I wouldn't do that to a friend," at that Tom flinches, "but I can't help but wonder, you know?" I sound like a broken record and I know it. These things may not be super dramatic or important to others, but they've been weighing on me for a long time now.

"Master needs a break from those insufferable humans!" Harriet hisses and I facepalm. Tom raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow at the small snake peeking out of my shirt.

"So I was right. She isn't a squirrel." Tom states and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Harriet, meet Tom. Tom, meet Harriet, my familiar." I introduce them to each other. Tom greets Harriet friendly and Harriet greets back, if a little suspicious. She does seem excited to have found another parslemouth though.

"About your concerns..." I look up at him nervously, "I don't think you should be concerned, n'est pas? This is a perfect way to gather those whom are your true friends and filter out those who aren't. True friends will always support you even if that forces them to adjust, the other ones are just haters. That's at least what I read in that muggle magazine you told me about. I had one of my umm, 'employees' bring some of them to me. They had some interesting 'tips and tricks'." I snort and the snort then turns into a whole hysterical laughing outbreak.

"You-" I wheeze, "the great dark lord read a muggle teenage magazine?! This is priceless, I have to tell Ron, he will..." Suddenly my laughter comes to an end as I am reminded of my friends. Tom must have noticed the shift in my mood, because he stops fake-sulking.

"Well, don't worry. We'll find away so we can keep meeting and talking even and simultaneously get you back to school somehow. I have an urgent meeting with an old friend today, which will require the rest of the day, it's only 10 o'clock anyway, so do whatever you wish. You can also un-shrink Harriet as long as she stays in the garden when she is un-shrunken. See you this evening, I'll have the house elves prepare you favourites for dinner. Just list them on a piece of paper and Violet - my personal house elf - will pick it up at, let's say 11:30?" He smiles at me wholeheartedly and my heartbeat speeds up for whatever reason. I nod excitedly and thank him, before skipping further into the garden, looking for a place where Harriet can freely un-shrink.

POV Third person

"That boy." the Dark Lord says bemused and shakes his head before gathering his followers in the foyer. "Off we go!" He says, determined to make it back for dinner.

A/N Hope you enjoyed this chapter, stay healthy and happy!