Harry Riddle - Love is a different time

Went and fell

"Harry," a familiar voice whispers in the dark. "Harry, wake up."

He rubs his eyes blearily, squinting at the light of a wand over his face.

"Aethon?"

"Yeah, I- I don't have time. Professor Slughorn just woke me up, says my father is here to take me home."

" Now ?" Harry sits up as if jolted, eyes wide awake.

"Yeah," Aethon says apologetically. The school announced it would close next term until the war had subsided. That was two days ago. Already people were leaving with their families. Most of them in the middle of the night, easier to apparate discreetly instead of using the train ride home. "Horrid timing, but I just had to say goodbye to you first." He gulps, blue eyes despondent. " This all seems pretty serious. I dunno how long until... well until we see each other again."

The seriousness of the situation hits him like heavy bricks. Harry doesn't want to think of not ever seeing his first Hogwarts friend. "We'll see each other soon," Harry says, even if they can't see how. They needed to hear it. "When it's all calmed down," Harry hopes fiercely, he really does.

Aethon's lips are in a thin line, nodding at Harry's words as if willing them to be true too. He bites his lip, then takes something from his finger and gingerly places it in Harry's palm. Cold metal and familiar circular design with the Malfoy crest on top. His family ring.

"I want you to have this." He begins.

Harry pushes the ring back, appalled. "No, Aethon, this is - it's too much -"

"Harry." Aethon sternly closes Harry's fingers around the expensive heirloom. His hands pushed it into Harry's chest. Speaking quickly. "Show this ring to any pureblood and they will know you are under the protection of the house of Malfoy... you can pawn it if you need to, it's worth a lot... or if you need to find my home in Wiltshire... it has a tracking spell that will take you to the mansion. You'll always be welcome. Do you hear? You and Tom. Always ." He orders, voice strained with emotion. Blue eyes pleading.

"Please take it... Harry, I... you're my friend. My best friend." His voice drops at the end, blue eyes staring at him, there is a question there. " Please , please take it."

It was too much.

This amount of care from someone. Harry felt overwhelmed. Like the warmth in his heart had drowned him with so much- gratitude, closeness and sorrow for his school friend. He knew Aethon was kind, but this? This was something he felt he didn't deserve. Like he was taking too much than what was meant for him. Harry pulled Aethon in for a hug. Gripping the ring in his fist, feeling its hard design in his palm.

"Thank you Aethon." He choked. "Thank you for being my best friend."

Tom had a special untouchable place in his heart, but Aethon's presence had filled his small heart- expanded it to have something more. Something he never knew he could have. Like, Tom, had the knowledge of his ancestry fuel him. Aethon fueled Harry, making him have hope. Have something new again.

Returning to Hogwarts without him would be... unimaginable. No, Aethon would survive. The Malfoys were strong.

Please protect him. Harry thinks, watching his friend go in the night. Please someone protect him.

***

As soon as the announcements were made, Tom and Harry decided, almost immediately they were not returning to London. It would be suicidal to stay there, knowing nearly all the children had evacuated out of the city just last September. They had to find a different place to stay, preferable, somewhere that would still connect them to the wizardry world.