If I survive you survive

Chapter 8: Close your Mind

Harry knew he shouldn't have been making his way into Hogsmeade that Saturday with Hermione and Ron. Hermione was up to date with all her homework, but he had been in detention all week with Umbridge and had barely done any of it. The thought of it was sitting like a rock in the pit of his stomach.

"I'll have all tonight when we get back and all day tomorrow. I'll be fine" he had tried to explain to her. She just tutted at them.

When Harry saw Tom leaning again the same wall that he'd been last year his face broke out into a smile. He tried to stop it from happening but his stomach flipped and he felt happiness spread over him for the first time since he'd laid eyes on Professor Umbridge. He allowed the warmth of seeing Tom spread through his body.

"Uh guys?" Harry grabbed Ron and Hermione's arms "I'm actually just going to go see my... friend" he could hear how awkward he sounded. Was Tom his friend?

"Oh, Harry do you have to go off together? Why can't you just ask him to join us?" Hermione was eying Tom up and down.

To Harry's surprise it was Ron who came to his aid "just let him go Hermione he's a big boy he'll be fine" he winked at him and pulled Hermione off into the direction of the Three Broomsticks.

Harry walked over to Tom and together they wandered off down the main street.

"Hi" Harry felt stupid. He didn't really know what to say.

"Let's go find somewhere quiet" Tom said he nodded his head towards the path that led away from the village.

"We could go to the Shrieking Shack" the words tumbled out of Harry before he was really registering what he was saying.

"I sort of meant inside somewhere..." Tom was looking at Harry like he was nuts.

"We could go inside the Shrieking Shack it's not actually haunted" Harry said, he was getting used to the pleased feeling that rushed through him when he knew something that Tom didn't.

"How do you know? Have you been in before?" Tom was narrowing his eyes at him.

"Yeah, I went in at the end of my third year when my godfather pulled Ron down a tunnel under the whomping willow. The noises were from a werewolf and bunch of animagi hanging out in there once a month." There was something about Tom that made words come tumbling out of Harry's mouth before he had really had an opportunity to filter them.

"Are you joking?" Tom actually looked mildly impressed which made Harry feel warm.

"No" they were close to fencing that surrounded the old house on the hill. Harry glanced around. They were alone but even still he pulled out his invisibility cloak "come under here" he tried to ignore the way Tom eyed the cloak.

Despite knowing the Shack was fine and certainly not haunted Harry still felt unnerved walking right up to the place as if he owned it. He had expected the door to be locked either in the conventional muggle way or charmed shut but to his surprised the door creaked open when he tried.

"Let's go upstairs" Tom whispered. He was standing very close to Harry to keep himself hidden under the cloak.

"Why?" Harry asked. They were in the main hall and he could see a living room in front of him. He also noticed that the dust was thick and settled but there was still less dust from where Ron had been hauled up the stairs just over a year ago.

"We'll have more warning if anyone comes in. We'd hear the door and then someone coming up the steps" He spoke as if it was obvious.

"I don't think anyone will try and come in here..." Harry trailed off as he looked at the faded pictures on the wall.