Radix Acclaro

7 - Spiders

The next few weeks were the happiest in Harry's life. He was held, he was loved, and he was praised – the three things he'd never received from his 'family' he now had in abundance from the supposedly most evil Wizard in Europe and his right-hand man. The irony of the situation was not lost on him.

After that first day of talking the six Draconians fell into a pattern of sorts. The bulk of the day, including breakfast, lunch, and usually dinner would be spent together either with the Slytherins teaching the muggleborn Gryffindors how to truly function in Wizarding Society, or else testing the limits of their bond.

They discovered that while the bond did not allow them to communicate mentally, they could detect the emotions of their bond mates; it reminded Harry of his scar and the Dark Lord's former temper.

"Tom?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"How come my scar doesn't hurt when you're near anymore, or when you're really angry?"

Harry almost laughed out loud at the ...flummoxed...expression on the Dark Lord's face.

Lucius quirked an eyebrow, "I had forgotten about that," he commented blandly.

"As had I," Tom replied bemused, "I can only conjecture that it must be because of the bond. I am no longer a threat to you, so the Blood shield placed on you no longer reacts to me."

"Well I guess that's a good thing – a life long migraine is not my idea of a good time," Harry mused absently.

The young Gryffindor was kneeling on a cushion on the floor doing a jigsaw puzzle on the coffee table with Hermione and Draco while the elder Slytherins conversed around them. It was an activity that had become habit for the six after dinner and Harry had learned a lot listening to them.

He looked up from the puzzle when he realized the conversation had not continued after his comment. Tom had knelt next to him, his dark honey eyes were filled with so many emotions that it took the boy's breath away.

Slowly the Slytherin took Harry's face between his large hands and gently placed a kiss over the lightening bolt shaped scar that had marked the two as equals so long ago. Without a word Tom stood and returned to his chair but Harry had gotten the message loud and clear and a puzzle piece inside him that he hadn't realized was missing slid into place.

Tom would not, could not apologize for killing Harry's parents – to do so would cheapen their deaths. To apologize, to admit that any of the deaths were a mistake would say that his goal and their sacrifice was a mistake and that was something Tom would not do.

Harry's parents were heroes, as were all those who'd opposed the Dark Lord and paid for it. They were patriots and if Tom apologized they would no longer have made a noble sacrifice, they would simply become the faceless victims of a madman.

The secret Slytherin in Harry understood and finally relaxed. Tom did regret the lives lost, he was guilty of so much, but he would not be guilty of tainting society's view of their lost protectors.

Harry had never been so grateful for anything.

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There were Death Eater meetings once a week and they used these meetings to test the proximity requirements of their bond.

For the first test they were all separated. Hermione stayed in the Manor proper while Harry went to a Cotter's hut on the far end of the estate. Draco returned to Malfoy Manor, Snape went to Hogwarts to give a 'report', Tom to the meeting and Lucius – Harry wasn't really sure what Lucius was doing, to be honest.