In Nobis

Chapter Thirteen

Hara awoke feeling extremely well rested. She stretched blissfully, and slowly blinked her eyes as she adjusted to the bright morning sun. Her peaceful start to the day diminished moments after it began.

"Good morning my little horcrux..." A tight lipped Tom said smoothly.

"I know that voice, and I know that face... Tom what do you want? I'm soooo sleepy still it's too early for whatever it is!" Hara grumbled and fell face first back into her plush pillows.

"Fine, I suppose I'll throw all niceties out the window then." He said with a "humph" to his tone. "I merely want to fully see into your mind to see what occurred to you yesterday."

Hara waved her hand for him to do whatever it was he needed to do, mumbling unintelligently into her pillow.

"Heiress of slytherin, you will sit up this instant before I get cross..." Lord Slytherin warned.

The little girl shot up in her bed like she was ready to attack. "I told you to quit calling me that! It's so weird!" She moved quickly to shove a pillow in his direction to which he ricocheted back to her with three-times the power.

"Manners... you forget yourself little one." Lord Voldemort's voice took an icy tone.

Hara visibly cringed at his tone, no longer sending endless snark his way. Instead she crawled into his lap and curled up. Her big green eyes looked up at him hesitantly. "I.. I don't remember anything... i.. just remember swimming, and falling, and flowers... and you. I'm... I'm sorry Tom..." she winced, waiting for a scolding.

Voldemort sighed, and  eyes softened by degrees. "Shhh little one... let me see anyways, maybe I can fix whatever happened. I need to make sure you aren't hurt..." he took his index and middle fingers and placed them on her temples. Relax... I know when we do this it feels... odd. But try, for me, to relax."

Tom and Hara are constantly connected. They can share thoughts, emotions, dreams, images, and can even let each other see through their eyes at Will. But when they touch, it's as if they were one. The line between Hara and Tom became nonexistent.

The Dark Lord dove deeper into her mind. He couldn't breach whatever was done to Hara's mind. He felt as she felt. Vague memories of falling, and sliding down a rough surface. He felt a warm wind brush across his/her face, he felt a pang of sadness. And then, nothing. Voldemort searches for seams where you could find the start and finish point where a memory has been altered. He checked back to see if false memories had been planted. And again, nothing.

Tom eased out of Hara's mind and sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Is my mind, broken?" The little girl asked.

"It's complete and utter madness in there..." Tom grimaced.

Hara's eyes grew large as saucers at his blunt statement.

"So... it's completely normal, for you." A smirk tugged on the corner of Tom's lip.

"Oh you utter bully!" The little girl launched herself at the Dark Lord completely without a plan and found herself tossed up in the air and struck with multiple tickling jinxes. "Sss-stop! Iii-i can't breath!!!" She managed to puff out in between fits of giggles. "Tom!"

He dropped the giggling girl in a heap in the middle of the bed. "I was merely defending myself." Tom said with a chuckle.

Hara rolled over on her back still huffing and puffing from being tickled so thoroughly. "That's not- fair!" She wheezed out, leveling a scornful gaze in his direction.

"It's your fault for shorting yourself by resorting to such primitive muggle ways... You are a witch, are you not?" The Dark Lord challenged.

The little horcrux balled up her fists, a look of complete concentration overtook her face. "Of course I am!" She said, wearing a smirk that looked eerily similar to Toms.

A blue lightning bug appeared in front of her and she trailed her gaze to Toms hand. The bug followed her eyes and proceeded to buzz and flutter, coming to rest on his hand. he brought his hand closer to him to further inspect Hara's little creation.

She smiled at him, looking at her little bug excitedly. "Told you I'm a witch. A super strong one too!"

"It's not, terrible..." the Dark Lord remarked. "Was it truly necessary to make it so... sparkly though?" He lifted an eyebrow. The tail of the lightning bug flashed evenly.

"Of course it had to be sparkly. Everything looks better with sparkles." At this her smile turned sinister. Voldemort straightened momentarily at the disconcerting expression the little girl wore.

The bug on Voldemort's finger started to flash rapidly before bursting into a huge billowing poof of blue sparkles that covered the Dark Lord from head to toe. Tom's face became completely blank just blinking at the little horcrux with an all too pleased smirk on her face.

"Little Horcrux... I do believe you owe me 5 feet of parchment stating why glitter and Noble Lord's do not mix. And if I were you, I would tread carefully. You never know what could befall of you even in our own home... I heard the elves speaking of a hair eating moth flying around. It would be a shame if something happened to your coveted locks..." Tom said ominously.

"You wouldn't dare touch my hair Tom!" Hara fumed.

"Not I, no... but do watch out for that moth dear." He said with a smirk, before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear and scourgifying his person.

*** I know this is a short chapter, but I'm breaking the longer bit off... I hope you guys won't be disappointed with this and the update to come!