It's All Inside My Head

The Taste of Blood

Note:

Lourdes_the_writer, this one's for you. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Only three days until Christmas holidays.

Harry was counting down.

He had learnt that a few weeks could change a person. A few weeks could do a lot of damage. He had been using the dark arts every day, sometimes for hours at a time. He didn't tire anymore, didn't feel the painful backlash he had felt after killing Hermione. He only felt power. Power so great that it smothered him.

Within the weeks, Riddle had taught him the most gruesome curses, the most violent spells. He had mastered them all.

Harry had lost count of how many people he had killed.

Every time Harry went back into the training room, Riddle was always waiting, staring at Harry like he was a meal, like he was prey. Harry had stopped being afraid of Riddle long ago. Now he was just weary.

He knew that Riddle's emotions were fragile and broke easily, so Harry tried his hardest to behave. Of course, that never really worked. Harry was bruised with the amount of stinging jinxes Riddle threw at him.

But one of the strangest things Harry had encountered thus far were mealtimes. Lucius and Narcissa were never around. Harry didn't even think that they lived in the manor anymore. If they did, they had become very good at hiding.

Riddle insisted that Harry ate with him. Nothing was as bizarre than to see the dark lord eating scrambled eggs. Harry supposed it made him more human, it broke the wall of ice that surrounded the man.

During meals they talked.

Talked about Hogwarts, which inevitably lead to Riddle ranting about Dumbledore. Sometimes he let Harry talk about Hermione, and how he was worried that he felt no guilt.

Riddle had replied with, "Someday you will come to realise, as I did, that to have power there is nothing you must hold onto, there is nothing you must cherish. Because people will find a way to take them away, and if you love nothing, then they have nothing to take."

Harry had thought long about this. He found himself feeling sorry for the man. In his efforts to become who he was today, he had sacrificed so much.

"Including your parents," Dumbledore's voice said in his head.

Harry sighed. He couldn't quite rid that thought from his mind. Riddle had killed his parents. Every time he thought it, he remembered Riddle's words. He couldn't expect the man who loved nothing to understand the love Harry had for his parents.

Or... used to have?

He wasn't even going to go there.

At the moment, Harry was sitting by himself at the dining room table, hit plate empty before him. Topsy had interrupted twenty minutes earlier and had told Riddle that he was needed urgently at a raid. Riddle had told Harry that he would be back for their afternoon training session and had dissapperated with half of his meal left unfinished.

Harry cast a tempus and saw that the time was nearing on one o'clock, their usual training time. Harry got up and made his way to the training room.

Riddle wasn't there.

In fact, Harry waited for an hour, an hour alone in the room. He counted the tiles on the floor, he stared at where the blood had spilled in the middle of the room before Topsy cleaned it up. He waited until Riddle apparated in.

He looked terrifying.

His robes were covered in blood, dripping onto the floor. His face was splattered as well, blood caking his hair and splattered on his neck. His eyes were dangerous as they fixed on Harry.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

Riddle pointed his wand at Harry and cast a stinging jinx at him.

Harry yelped, "Hey! I was waiting for an hour, what happened?!" Then, after a moment, "Are you okay?"

Riddle looked at him before grinning madly, blood staining his teeth, "Am I okay? Your little Order decided to ambush the raid and kill five of my men," Riddle said calmly.

Harry thought he would've preferred that he shouted.

"They're not my Order!" Harry exclaimed, "I took a vow for you, for the dark!"

"I know that Harry!" Riddle yelled, "I was there."

Harry glared at him, "You know what I mean. And what's all the blood from?"

Riddle smirked and licked his lips, "Arthur Weasley got in my way."

Harry nodded slowly. Arthur Weasley, who had been obsessed with muggles, Arthur Weasley, who had taken Harry in like a son, Arthur Weasley, who's blood was now dripping off Tom Riddle's robes. 

"Would he have killed you?" Harry asked. 

Riddle laughed without humour, "If they had gotten the chance, they all would have." 

Harry didn't want Riddle to die. He was a mentor, not a friend just yet. More like a man who demanded respect. 

"Do you have a problem Potter?" Riddle asked, his eyes dark. "Would you rather me die than your precious Weasleys?" 

Harry frowned, "No! I never said that." 

"Do you want me to die Harry Potter? Do you want Dumbledore to kill me?" 

A flash of pain shot though his scar, "I don't want you to die," he gritted out furiously. 

Riddle stalked over to Harry and took his chin in his hand, "Prove it," he whispered. 

Harry's breath hitched in his throat as Riddle descended on him. He felt a strong hands wrap around his waist and tighten almost painfully. Lips crushed against his and Harry was flying. Kissing Tom Riddle was like using dark magic. Strong, powerful and addictive. Harry parted his mouth and he was kissing the man back. Harry was sure he could taste the blood on Riddle's teeth but he didn't care. Riddle smirked against Harry's lips and deepened the kiss, pressing Harry against a wall he wasn't aware they had backed into. Harry gasped slightly and Riddle trailed a hand up to catch hold of Harry's neck. 

"If only they could see the saviour now," he whispered in Harry's ear. 

Harry trembled and closed his eyes, his breath stuttering when Riddle bit at his neck. It wasn't soft, it wasn't tender. It was harsh and angry. Nothing like the kiss he had shared with Draco-

Draco. 

Harry pushed Riddle off of him and sagged against the wall, panting slightly. 

Riddle stared at him in shock, his eyes widening. Harry had never seen him so ruffled. His hair was out of place and his robes were crumpled. 

"I-" Harry started, "I need to go. Can I go?" 

Riddle was silent for a moment before speaking, "Leave," he whispered. 

Harry was already out the door.