Hello Lord

An offer

Okay, this is where things were getting complicated. Harry wasn't really sure what to do now that Voldie and his Corpse Munchers weren't trying to kill him. Honestly, things were a little awkward. They were staring at him as if he was the crazy one. Oh, how the tables had turned. "So, you aren't as concerned about light and dark as you pretend. Then why fight for Dumbledore?" Harry scoffed. Voldemort was as blind as the rest of the wizarding world. "Everything is so black and white. If you don't practice strictly light magic, then you're a dark wizard. I'm expected to be light, the second I appear to be anything else, I become a liability. I'm smart enough to know Dumbledore's favouritism won't save me from Azkaban. Or being killed. There's a war going on, it's practically impossible to not pick sides."

Voldemort was confused. "If you dislike the light so much, why fight for them?" The young wizard looked at him like he was an idiot before asking. "I just said, I have to pick a side, I can't just not fight." He nodded, yes he'd certainly heard that part. "Obviously but why fight for the light. If they win I hardly doubt it'll be so easy for you to continue your illicit business endeavours." Potter frowned, and it was clear he'd considered this before. He sighed, leaning back and looking around the room. "There's always gonna be crime, It just have to be smart about it. Joining the dark isn't exactly an option so what else can I do?" Voldemort smirked, looking at Lucius and Severus, who clearly hadn't caught up quite yet. "And why on earth not?"

Harry threw him an incredulous look. Did he have amnesia or something. "Are you forgetting the part where you want me dead? Big prophecy and all that!" The Dark Lord gave a slightly concerned look at that, evidently still worried by the prophecy. "That certainly is a problem, although I still have yet to hear the entire thing." He glared at Malfoy at that, and a snort escaped Harry. "Well I know it, and it seems kind of vague to me."

Severus leaned forward, even he didn't know the whole thing. This entire situation was insane, Potter torturing him, holding his own against the Dark Lord, and now having a civil conversation with the man as if he hadn't tried to kill him twenty minutes ago. Perhaps this could work in his favour though? He was supposed to protect Potter, condemning him to the light side, or so he'd thought. If Harry were to join the dark, it would change everything. His Lord wouldn't kill him for spying, if he wasn't actually spying!

He watched as the two death eaters and their master leant forward, eager to hear the prophecy that had ruined his life. "The one with the power to banish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the dark lord knows not. And either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches, born as the seventh month dies." He fell silent, allowing the others to process what they'd heard. He of course knew the prophecy by heart. It had been replaying in his head since Dumbledore had told him, the night Sirius had died.

Voldemorts hands clenched around the two wands he held as he took in the first implication of the words. He watched as Potter glanced down worriedly, frowning at him. "Look, can I tell you what I think before you start trying to kill me again?" He narrowed his eyes, thinking it over. It had been proven again and again that the boy was difficult to kill. The old him would have killed him immediately. "Very well." He sat back, gesturing for him to talk.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, swinging his legs around and sitting back in his chair. "Okay, so I know prophecies aren't exactly clear, but the wording seems almost deliberately vague. It says I only have the power to vanquish you, not that I will. And the whole part about one dying. I mean why use live and survive instead of the same words? It could be interpreted as, we have to kill each other, or as no one else can kill us. We're both powerful, it could be left at that."

Voldemort thought about it. Harry was right, it could simply mark them as equals. The wording was so vague, they could either depend on each other or destroy each other. "Perhaps it is not as simple as first seems." Potter sat up, with an eager look on his face. "Does that mean you're not going to kill me?" He glared at Lucius as he began to protest. Severus was suspiciously quiet. "I rather suppose that depends on you. Will you fight against us? Or will you join the dark? As you said, neutral is not a choice."

Fuck. It was really the only thing going through Harry's head, all other thoughts hitting a blank wall of fuck. He wasn't entirely sure how he'd thought this meeting would go, but having a chat with Voldemort and his lackeys, and recieving a fucking job offer? He hadn't seen that coming. He cast a quick tempus, revealing the time to be 3pm. The club would be opening in a few hours. "It's happy hour somewhere." He jumped up from his desk, walking out to the main areas and behind the bar. "Can I offer you a drink?" Malfoy slumped on a stool, pointing at a bottle of fire whiskey, causing Harry to laugh. He poured the man out a glass, and one for himself, sliding it across the counter. Voldemort and Snape declined, which didn't surprise him. "Well I'll admit this is a complicated situation."

Voldemort snorted at the understatement. Complicated barely covered it. "What exactly would this include? What would I do for you, and how exactly would this benefit me." Now he could finally see how this 17 year old wizard ran a criminal underground. He was starting to sound like a businessman. The only problem was, he wasn't entirely sure what he was offering either.

They spoke a while longer, the sun setting, and the club filling with customers as it got later. Eventually, they had to call it quits, with the details far from being ironed out. "Could we meet again tomorrow?" Voldemort agreed, suggesting Harry come to Riddle Manor, which after consideration, he hesitantly agreed to. Bidding his goodbye, he apparated back to hogsmeade, making his way up to the castle. The chill night air was refreshing, allowing him to think over the events of the day. Unfortunately it was over too soon, and he entered the school, walking to the Great hall. "Harry Potter, you are not funny!" He ducked as a piece of paper sailed over his head, and he recognised it as the note he'd left that morning. "Where on earth have you been?" He sighed as Hermione lectured him about how selfish and dangerous it was to disappear like that. "C'mon mate, where were you?" He looked at Ron, deadpan, replying after a moment. "I told you, having tea with Voldemort." The entire Gryffindor table flinched, and he rolled his eyes. "It was surprisingly civil." Hermione glared, continuing to ask him and continuing to get the same answer, before storming off. Ron stood awkwardly for a minute, looking between Harry and Hermione. "Don't worry mate, I'll go calm her down, she just worries too much." Harry was surprised, and smiled slightly as he looked at the redhead. "Really?" Ron nodded, taking a seat next to Harry. "Yeah, I mean, I know what you were really doing." Harry raised an eyebrow, what was the idiot thinking now? "It's alright, you've got yourself a bird. I'll keep Mione off your back, you go have your fun." Harry laughed, and Ron seemed to take that as an affirmative, leaving the hall to go after Hermione. Harry couldn't stop laughing at the implication that Voldemort was his secret girlfriend. At least this would get those two off his back.

Severus looked down as Potter laughed with Weasley, acting completely as one would expect the Golden Boy to. How had he not noticed. No one had. The boy was a criminal master-mind, and much more powerful than he let on. He'd keep an eye on the boy for now. He would watch, and he would wait.