Controlling

Chapter 35

Harry spent bit more time in Death's realm, catching his family up with the happenings and his plans as well.

When he came out of his servent's land, the sun was up and it had already traveled a good portion of the sky and, by Harry's estimate, it was around 4.30 in the evening.

He cast a tempus to confirm that he had only been gone for less than 24h, because there has been instances where he came out a week later or more.

After that, Harry went down stairs, unsurprised by the table filled with food waiting for him.

He ate, mostly in silence, as he read the Daily Prophet of the day and the international newspaper, a routine already familiar with.

Then he followed the wards indication to search for Tom, finding him in the library, comfortably sitting on of the chairs as he took notes while he read.

"What are you working on?" Harry asked, breaking the overwhelming silence of the room, his whispered question bouncing around.

"Trying to find a way around the wards of Azkaban" Tom reply distractly.

Harry frown at that.

"Why are doing it in the first place?" Harry asked, a mix of confusion and curiosity on his voice.

Tom paused briefly as if to consider the question before resuming his work.

"They are there because of me" he answer, a hint of guilt on his tone that Harry detected.

"No, they are not" Harry said sitting down beside him "They are there because of the horrible things they have done"

"Done under my orders" Tom added, cutting off any of Harry's attempt of justification.

"Even then, are you sure it's a good idea to free those people?" Harry asked, thinking of Belatrix and many other violent death eaters residing there.

"If I can't help them, I'll personally dispose of them" was the cold answer Harry got.

"If you're sure about it" Harry compromised before adding "Do you want my help?"

Tom paused briefly once again before shooking his head and refocus on his task.

"No, i can manage. Just ask the dementors to say clear, I'll do rest" he added as an after thought the last bit.

"Aright, I'll pass on the message when it's time" Harry agreed, glad to be of help, but even without that bit, Harry would have done it anyway, albeit in a more subtle way.

After that, Harry relax because while that had not been the best of the interaction he had with his mate, atleast Tom was still open to talk with him.

Harry didn't know what he would have done if Tom started avoiding him and ignoring his existence.

It would probably set him in a very very bad place, the longing and pain he suffered in the last time-line would be nothing compared to the thought that his mate refused to acknowledge him.

The next three days passed calmly, too calmly in fact that Harry missed the quietness that settles over two of them when he boarded the train back to another of school.

Harry had sat with Tom in an empty compartment which slowly filled with Tom's partners, because he refused to called them friends when he is old enough to be their grandpa.

After that, the previously silent cabin, became noisy and Harry blocked out any noise while he mentaly focused on one of his more time consuming project.

As a result, any word direct at him went completely ignored until Tom's voice reach him and he automatically went through his most recent memories to know what he said.

"Alright, I'll dress up" he reply, briefly opening his eyes to see Tom sitting in front of him already with the  Slytherin uniform on.

With a twitch of his finger, his previous clothes were replaced by the Ravenclaw unform.

The noisy compartment fell into an abrupt silence as the occupants, Tom aside, stared at Harry with parted mouths and wide eyes.

With all their training and self control, the shock Harry caused made them completely and utter stun that took a few seconds to composed themselves, even then, their eyes would, inevitably, be drawn to Harry still figure.

Despiste the fact that Harry had spent a significant part of his time with them, albeit quietly sitting next to Tom, they hadn't really paid much attention to him, for one he is not on their year, two, as the famous Harry Potter the kid didn't show anything special and three, the few rumors going around all descrive him as a quiet and reserve person, rarely sighted outside of Hogwarts library during free time or not sighted at all during those.

So, as Tom didn't seem to mind the kid who was practically sleeping on his shoulder, they decided to ignore him too, which was a bit of a feat seeing as they act as couple, something that isn't strange in the Wizard World, atleast in Britain, seeing as arragen marriages are still a thing, sometimes with an age gap of almost 40 years, a three year gap didn't faze them.

Now, however, the fact that a 12 years old child could do wandless and wordless magic was too much to ignore, in fact, when the group seperated to go to their respective tables, Tom was bombarded by them with questions, all regarding Harry, something which greatly annoyed him as it strangely please him.

He had managed for the to drop the matter, but next day, rumors were already circulating within the Slytherin walls'.

Tom didn't know what to feel when thinking about Harry. On one hand, he was the one put him back together and support his plans, on the other, the sole reason for that was because he was his mate.

It also didn't help that Harry didn't know him enough, well the sane version of him, to really want a relationship.

'But he stuck with you and tried to get to know you' a little voice whispered in his mind, one he was still getting used to, it was a part of him, but not him entirely, it was his creature side that had been both hopeful and sad since the discover of who their mate is.

(Revised)