FIC: Abandon ~ 24 ~ Tom(Voldemort)/Harry ~ R

[batsutousai]

Title: Abandon
Author: batsutousai
Beta: magickmaker17
Pairings: Harry/Tom(Voldemort)
Warnings: This will have slash(Guys on guys, ppl.).
Disclaim Her: *pulls on Death Eater Halloween costume and points wand at anyone who sues her* 'Avada Kedavra.'

Key:
Mind-speak
:Parseltongue:

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Chapter 24

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Harry was not surprised to see shock and then anger on Snape's face as he entered the Potions classroom. He was also, strangely enough, not amused by it like he usually would have been. The coot's still trying to save my arse. Would you look at that.

Why are you surprised? Tom enquired, having "heard" Harry's mental comment. If you're kicked out, they snap your wand. If they snap your wand, you can't defeat me.

And, the longer I'm in here, the more power Dumbledore has over me. Yes, yes. I know. Harry sighed and settled into his seat next to Draco, who had asked to sit together when they met in the hall.

"Why weren't you at breakfast?" Draco murmured.

Harry shrugged. "Didn't feel like it. Why?"

"Half the school's going on about how you've finally been expelled."

The black-haired boy snorted. "Dumbledore won't expel me until Voldemort's fallen."

Draco sighed. "Snape doesn't look happy."

"I know. I'm not surprised, either. Anyone else would have expelled me for that little prank I pulled. Hermione told me that McGonagall wasn't too happy to learn I was still in school either."

"You should prank Dumbledore next," Theodore mumbled from in front of them as Snape took out his fury on Ron, who was whispering to Hermione.

"It's an idea," Blaise agreed, leaning back in his chair slightly to join in on the conversation.

"It would have to be the ultimate prank…" Harry murmured, scratching the back of his head. "And I'm fresh out…"

"Not much bothers Dumbledore." Blaise sighed.

"The Dark Lord does," Draco said thoughtfully.

"Talk about it later," Theodore hissed suddenly, eyes watching as Snape started towards their group. He and Blaise plopped their chairs back into their proper positions while Harry and Draco busied themselves with setting the rest of their materials up.

Snape came to a stop next to Harry and Draco's table. "Mr Malfoy, I assume you invited Potter to sit with you?"

"Yes, sir." Draco glanced up at the man while Harry pretended to ignore him. Snape, likewise, refused to look at Harry.

"Then perhaps you can attempt to keep him out of trouble," Snape suggested before stalking back up to the front of the room and writing their assignment on the board with a flick of his wand.

Harry sighed as he pulled out his beetles. "That man is always so difficult."

Draco, Blaise, and Theodore all sniggered.

-~*~-

"You want to play a prank on Dumbledore?" Tom looked at the four Slytherins and three Gryffindors suspiciously.

"Of course," Draco agreed before taking a cookie.

"It would serve him right, Marcus," Ginny pointed out, head on Theodore's shoulder.

"Yeah, I mean, Dumbledore should have expelled Harry years ago, no insult, Harry." Seamus looked at Harry apologetically from his seat next to Blaise.

Harry waved it off. "No, you're right. I told him that, too."

"You're going to get yourselves into so much trouble…" Tom groaned, rubbing at his eyes.

"Nonsense. Harry's going to get all the credit for it. We're just helping," Pansy offered.

"And we need you to help us with ideas!" Harry told the Dark Lord brightly, leaning against him.

"And to get in contact with the Dark Lord," Draco added.

"Why do you need Voldemort?" Tom frowned at the blond Slytherin.

Harry snorted. "Marcus, who's the one person who gets under Dumbledore's skin more than anyone else?"

Tom blanched, then shook his head quickly. "I hope you're all joking! Voldemort doesn't do practical jokes!"

"Perhaps we could have someone dress up like Voldemort, then…" Ginny murmured thoughtfully.

"That might work…" Draco agreed, suspiciously eyeing Harry, who was obviously trying not to laugh. "Potter…"

"Sorry, sorry…" Harry laughed. "It's just, I don't think old Voldie's gonna go for that, either!"

Blaise glanced over at Tom, who looked horrified, and cocked an eyebrow at Harry. "I get the sudden feeling that there's more to all of this than we're being led to believe…"

"All what?" Ginny asked sweetly.

Draco's eyes widened. "…I don't think we need to plan for the joke that's been under our noses this whole time…"

Harry started laughing madly while Tom groaned. "Leave it to the Slytherins…"

"You think…?" Pansy glanced between the three Slytherin boys and Tom, eyes widening. "My Lord?"

"I told you so!" Harry called brightly. "Told you they'd figure it out by Christmas!

"Shut it," Tom growled at the Boy-Who-Lived before giving the Slytherins and a slack-jawed Seamus annoyed looks. "Keep it to yourselves."

"Oh, the irony…" Theodore sniggered. "The Dark Lord teaching us Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"That explains why he's always so annoyed when Harry says Voldie…" Seamus realised before laughing himself.

"What's that look for?" Harry made a face at the Dark Lord next to him, who was glaring at him. "I didn't give them any hints, Tom."

Tom sighed. "No, I don't suppose you did."

"Tom?" Draco enquired while everyone else calmed down.

"His real name," Ginny clarified, "is Tom Riddle. We tend to call him Tom when we can, instead of Voldemort, you know."

"Understandable." Theodore nodded.

"Wait, what do you mean you don't do practical jokes?" Seamus asked the Dark Lord suddenly. "Harry said you helped with the one on Snape!"

"Not by choice," Tom growled, once again glaring at Harry, who smirked.

"Perhaps not, but you did buy pranks from Fred and George over the summer," Harry shot back. This got another round of laughter from their audience while Tom scowled.

There was a knock on the door and everyone fell silent. The knock came again.

"Switch places," Tom ordered, getting up to answer the door. Harry and Seamus moved to sit on either side of Ginny while Theodore sat next to Blaise. The Slytherins all made themselves look more proper while the Gryffindors messed themselves up, Ginny leaning on Harry like she'd been leaning on Theodore only moments before. Tom nodded and opened the door. "Severus. This is a surprise."

Snape glanced into the room and was met with two obviously curious faces, four faces that were trying to look like they weren't curious, and the back of one head, the owner of which seemed to be pretending he didn't exist. "If I'd known you were amusing the students, I'd have waited for later to come by," he told the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.

"Oh, I believe they were planning on leaving rather soon," Tom responded, giving the students a look which quite clearly said they should be leaving.

"But I'm not done with my tea," Harry replied as the Slytherins, Seamus, and Ginny stood to go.

"Harry…" Ginny frowned at the teen, who cocked an eyebrow up at her.

"You can take the tea with you," Tom offered. Harry, please.

Snape pursed his lips at the Gryffindor. "Potter can stay," he growled, glaring holes through the boy.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake…" Tom rubbed at his eyes. "Severus, please, come in. Harry, your tea had best remain in your cup unless you're drinking it; everyone else, I'll see you tomorrow." He sighed, stepping back to let Snape in and the group of students out.

Ginny rolled her eyes and leaned down to whisper into Harry's ear. "Troublemaker. You're wearing the poor man thin. Please behave?"

"Of course." Harry smiled. "Tell Ron not to wait up to yell at me for ignoring him today, will you?"

"Right, right…" Ginny shook her head and followed everyone else out. "Good night, Marcus."

"Good night, Miss Weasley," Tom responded before closing the door. "Please have a seat, Severus. Would you like some tea?"

"Dumbledore," Harry coughed, earning him a glare from Tom.

Snape cocked an eyebrow at the boy, who was smiling innocently at his teal-eyed professor, secretly amused. "Making fun of the Headmaster, Potter?" he enquired in an even voice.

"Well, it's not my fault Marcus sounds like him when he offers people tea," Harry retorted.

A slight smile tugged at Snape's lips as he sat. "Indeed?"

"Good Merlin, I do believe you two are joking with one another. Has the sun risen in the west? Has Hell frozen over?" Tom mock gasped, sitting himself.

"Trust a Death Eater to use a Muggle cliché." Harry snorted, shaking his head.

"Hell is not just a Muggle concept, Mr. Potter," Snape pointed out.

"How many pureblooded wizards are there that mention that in everyday speech?" Harry shot back.

Snape shook his head. The teen had him there.

"Hell and tea aside... You needed something, Severus?" Tom cut in.

"Well, part of the reason I came here was to find Mr Potter and give him a proper apology."

"Hell has frozen over," Harry whispered, awed.

"What made you think he was here?" Tom asked suspiciously.

"The knowledge that Mr Potter and Miss Weasley's relationship is nothing more than that of friends," Snape responded evenly. "Whereas you and Mr Potter are too close to be normal friends."

Tom shot Harry a look. I told you to tone it down!

Oops. Harry smiled apologetically. Then something occurred to him and he turned to look at Snape. "Please tell me you didn't tell Dumbledore," he whispered. Tom's eyes widened and he, too, look at the spy.

Snape cocked an eyebrow at the young man. "I haven't told Professor Dumbledore anything concerning the two of you since Hallowe’en."

"Why not?" Tom enquired curiously as Harry slipped into the seat next to him. The Dark Lord allowed Harry to cuddle against his side as he watched the Death Eater.

"You said our Lord doesn't know about my spying because of Mr Potter?" Snape asked instead.

"Harry asked me not to tell." Tom nodded, tightening his arm around the young man.

Snape turned his gaze on Harry, bottomless black eyes curious. Harry shrugged in response to the unasked question. "I haven't hated you for years now, Professor. I respect your work, even more so now, and I won't let another person be killed that didn't deserve it while I might have a chance at stopping it." His voice was soft and honest, surprising the Potions Master.

"I've underestimated you," Snape admitted before glancing back up at Tom. "I don't like this game Dumbledore's playing and I don't like being controlled."

Tom cocked an eyebrow at Snape. "Voldemort controls his troops too, as you well know."

"But he doesn't play games," Harry murmured. "Not with his followers, at least. I mean, yes, he'll use the Cruciatus Curse on them if he's not happy, but he doesn't move them around like chess pieces, sending one out to die to let him move in some back way so he can either get closer to his enemy or stay alive one day longer. He tends to do the work himself, if only because he trusts no one." The teen glanced up into shocked black orbs. "Right?"

Snape looked up at his co-worker. "What have you been teaching him? He sounds like a Slytherin."

Harry scowled while Tom chuckled. "Harry has the mind of both a Slytherin and a Gryffindor. He'll do stupid stuff on the spur of the moment, but, if he thinks things through, he's really quite devious."

Snape shifted his gaze back to Harry, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I'd noticed," he said dryly.

Harry smirked. "You weren't the only one pranked, if it makes you feel any better."

"Oh?"

"Marcus enjoyed dinner as a woman," Harry agreed, then squealed as said man's fingers found a very ticklish spot in Harry's side. Snape shook his head, hiding another amused smile as the teen attempted to escape his teacher. "Mercy! Mercy! Ahh!! Not there!!" Harry called, giggling helplessly.

"I don't show mercy to Gryffindors," Tom shot back, grinning.

We have an audience! Harry managed mentally.

Oh, very well. Tom stopped the tickling and settled back against the couch while Harry tried regaining his breath.

"Prat," Harry gasped.

"Thank you." Tom smiled before looking back at Snape. "If you suddenly stop spying for Dumbledore, he'll know something is up."

"I haven't had much to report lately anyway," Snape pointed out.

"No, I suppose not." Tom scratched the back of his head. "Our Lord has been wary about your trustworthiness since he returned, as I'm sure you're aware. It's the main reason he told me to try for the job here when the Weasley twins suggested it."

Snape nodded. That's what he'd thought.

"Perhaps…" Tom glanced up at Snape with a slight frown. "A test?"

"A test?" Snape asked, scowling.

"Yes…" Tom hummed. "To make sure."

"Marcus, just spit it out," Harry ordered.

Tom smiled at the teen briefly before turning his gaze back to Snape. "Do you have any information that you haven't yet told our Lord?"

"Nothing that I can actually help him with," Snape admitted, glancing at Harry.

"Headquarters." Harry nodded.

Tom scowled. "What about your headquarters?"

"Dumbledore's the Secret Keeper," Snape explained.

Tom sighed. "That wouldn't be something you could tell and have it be useful," he agreed sadly, obviously wishing that weren't so.

Harry pinched Tom. "Oh, stop, you."

The Dark Lord rubbed his arm, absently staring at Snape. "There's supposed to be a raid tomorrow, in Bristol. It's planned for about six."

But, I thought it was planned for five-thirty…

Hush. It's a test. I want to see if we're stopped.

Oh…

"I…see…" Snape was watching the other two wizards emotionlessly. "If that is all, I should be going, as should Mr Potter."

I think he wants to talk to you away from me, love, Tom told the teen in amusement.

Big surprise, Harry shot back dryly before standing. "I am getting tired."

"Says he who slept in this morning," Tom retorted, rising to hug Harry. "Sleep well, you brat."

"Not with Ron's snoring, I won't. Sure I can't move in with you?"

"I probably snore even louder than Mr Weasley."

"No one can snore louder than Ron." Harry grinned, tipping the Dark Lord a wink. "See you in class tomorrow."

Tom snorted and walked Harry over to the door, where Snape was awaiting them. "I'm sure I'll see you at breakfast, Severus," he said lightly to the Potions Master as he ruffled Harry's hair. Then he shooed them out the door and closed it.

"I'm assuming you wanted to talk to me, Professor?" Harry enquired, glancing up at the man.

"Yes. I'll walk you to your common room," Snape agreed. Harry nodded and they started off before Snape asked his question. "Has he done anything to you?"

"You mean taken advantage of me?" Harry rolled his eyes. "No. I don't think he'd get away with it if he tried. I'm sure I know about as many hexes as you do by now."

"I doubt that."

"Well, I'm not planning on trying to find out any time soon." Harry shrugged. "No, Marcus is the perfect gentleman. For a Death Eater, I mean."

Snape shook his head. "What about your, shall we say, station in the war?"

"I don't think he can change me being the Boy-Who-Bloody-Well-Wouldn't-Die, Professor. Not even Voldie can change that," the teen responded seriously.

Snape glanced over at the boy with surprise. "Really?"

Harry made a face. "Professor Snape, I never asked to be a part of this war. I never wanted fame or fortune or what-have-you. I'd rather be Neville Longbottom than Harry Potter most of the time, quite honestly."

"Understandable," Snape agreed, surprising Harry. "What about your views?"

"I never picked a side in this war, not really. I fight to stay alive, and protect those who have protected and befriended me. It's how I live. I've seen the bad of both the Muggle world and the wizarding world. I've seen the good, too. I've got to tell you, we're all human in the end. I disagree with Voldie's views on purebloods, but, like you, I dislike Dumbledore's manipulations." Harry stopped as the Fat Lady's portrait came into sight and glanced up into surprised black orbs.

"If given the chance to join Voldemort and stay with Marcus, I can't say I won't take it. But, if that course of action leads to death like we've seen since his return, and before his so-called death, I may stay with Dumbledore." The teen shrugged. "The future is yet unsure. We shall see." Then he turned to the Fat Lady. "Golden. Good night, Professor Snape."

Snape turned and returned to his dungeons to think over their conversation.

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A/N: Maaaaa…… I officially hate this chapter. Sorry….

~Batsutousai ^.^x

Abandon & Reclaim Series:
Abandon the Prequel: Sixth Year
Abandon Chapters:
01 || 02 || 03 || 04 || 05 || 06 || 07 || 08 || 09 || 10
11 || 12 || 13 || 14 || 15 || 16 || 17 || 18 || 19 || 20
21 || 22 || 23 || 24 || 25 || 26 || 27 || 28 || 29 || 30
31 || 32 || 33 || 34 || 35 || 36 || 37 || 38 || 39 || 40
41 || 42 || 43 || 44 || 45 || 46 || 47
Reclaim Chapters:
One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || Seven || Eight || Nine || Ten
Eleven || Twelve || Thirteen || Fourteen || Fifteen
Epilogue
Side Stories:
Ginevra Weasley & Theodore Nott
Minerva McGonagall || Minerva McGonagall (again)

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