Lightning and War

Wild Magic

“Aren’t you interested in the books that Abraxas mentioned he has in his library?”

Harry glanced up from the book of history that he was reading. He needed to know more about Tom’s world if he was going to make his home here. “Yes,” he said, and waggled the book at Tom before he turned back to it.

Tom draped his arm across the pages. Harry sighed and looked up, to meet a pair of eyes so intense that it was like swallowing water. “I meant the books on the rituals and vows that the Potters can use to claim their wild magic.”

“I know, but I didn’t think we would look at them this soon,” Harry started to say. He paused at the furious gleam in Tom’s eyes. “We are, huh?”

“I want to know what kind of family I’m marrying into,” Tom said, reaching down and removing the book from his lap. “And what kind of rumors we can start spreading.” He tugged Harry to his feet with one arm around his waist, and started steering him back among the bookshelves. Harry assumed Abraxas must have told him where to find the books.

“You’re marrying into my family.”

Tom stopped walking for a second, and they stood in the shadow of a bookshelf. Harry’s heartbeat was loud enough that he wondered if Tom heard it, and if he should have said that.

Then Tom’s fingers dug into his shoulders. He turned Harry around for the most penetrating kiss Harry thought he’d ever received. He shuddered and ran his own fingers down the side of Tom’s face.

“Yes,” Tom said thickly, drawing back. He glanced around at the bookshelves as if reminding both of them that they were in a library and he couldn’t just fuck Harry right here. “I know that. But I’d like the extra power if we can cultivate it, to make sure that the both of us are protected.”

“Of course, that’s the only reason.”

“It can be the main reason without being the only one, Harry.”

Harry nodded and drew Tom’s hand to rest on his shoulder again as they walked deeper into the shelves. Harry hadn’t been able to figure out how the Malfoys kept their books organized yet, but he did know that the shelves were arranged in a spiraling pattern. There must be some mystical significance to that, but Harry didn’t care enough to ask Abraxas what it was.

Tom at last looked up and nodded at a large green book that projected over the edge of the top shelf of the bookcase they stood next to. “That would be it. The Malfoys have long made a point of keeping notes on their enemies.”

“And Abraxas would just let us borrow that?” Harry asked, feeling his eyebrows rise as Tom Summoned the book down with a casual flick of his wand.

“Why not?” Tom caught the book with both arms and then opened it by tracing his wand across the cover. There were still golden sparks as the pages began to flip, but Harry supposed he’d disarmed whatever traps guarded it. “I am his lord.”

Harry nodded thoughtfully. He still didn’t understand all the methods Tom used to exercise control over his Knights.

Then again, he probably never would, because Tom simply didn’t relate to Harry that way, and Harry wasn’t one of the politically powerful pure-bloods or disgruntled Muggleborns Tom had mostly recruited to his army.

“Ahhh,” said Tom as he paused on a few pages. “I wish that I’d known some of these things when I was first trying to fight Dumbledore.”

Harry smiled at him tolerantly and leaned on the shelf next to Tom. He would let him look at all the secrets that the Malfoys had probably collected over the centuries. Honestly, Harry wanted Tom as part of his family just by speaking words, not with rituals and all the rest, but if this was what Tom wanted, Harry would support him.