When Harry entered their dorm he looked haggard and tired, filled with a bone deep sort of exhaustion.
"Um. Hey", he said awkwardly as he walked over to his own bed and sat down.
"Harry", Tom said softly, wrinkling his brow in concern, "where did you run off to? I looked all over for you."
"I..I'm not sure. I was just running and suddenly this room appeared.."
"The room of requirements."
"Is that what it's called? Well anyway I went inside and just.. well I guess I was just hiding."
"For that long?"
"Yeah... I know it's kinda embarrassing but I just wasn't ready to face anyone yet after.. you know."
"And you... were alone? The whole time?"
"Well yeah. Like I said, I didn't want to talk to anyone. Um, still... sorry for just running away like that."
Tom repressed the urge to ball his hands into fists out of anger.
What was Myrtle thinking?
Did she just change her mind? Get distracted by some other boy?
Tom wanted badly to invade Harry's mind and just take a look for himself but he knew that the other boy had powerful magic and would probably feel it when all his attention was on Tom like this.
He'd have to wait.
Instead Tom let out a sympathetic noise and said: "Oh Harry you don't need to apologize. I completely understand. Do you... do you want to talk about what happened?"
Harry visibly hesitated: "I'm not sure..."
"You don't have to talk about it of course but I just want to let you know that you're alone. I'm here for you, we all are."
Harry swallowed and looked down: "Well maybe... maybe I should.."
Tom nodded in encouragement and decided to be bold and take one of Harry's hands in a comforting grip.
The ravenette froze for a second but then relaxed again, not pulling it away.
"Right okay... My boggart.. It's the reason I moved here. You see, my village was attacked. No one saw it coming, it all happened late at night and most people only woke up once they started setting the houses on fire. They were everywhere, there was no escape."
"Who? Who would do something like that?"
Harry sucked in a deep breath and said: "Muggles. They... they found out about the magical nature of the village and decided to get rid of us 'devil worshippers'. I.. I lost everyone in that attack and I was the only one who managed to get away. I had been sleeping outside since it was a warm summer night, just listening to music. They didn't see me since I was kind of hidden in the tall grass surrounding the village itself."
"Muggles did this?", asked Tom, heart beat accelerating, "How come I've never heard of such a large scale attack?"
"The ministry decided to sweep it under the rug", Harry said bitterly, "They didn't want it causing political scandals and possible muggleborn right reforms."
A burning fury spread throughout Tom's body like fire and he squeezed Harry's hand tight: "And the muggles? What happened to them?"
Harry squeezed his eyes shut and grit out: "Nothing. Their memories were altered and they were sent back on their merry way."
"Oh Harry... I can't believe you went through something like that", he whispered and put a finger of his free hand under the boy's chin, lifting it so that his hypnotizing green eyes would meet his, "Harry believe me when I tell you that we'll get revenge for you. We'll make them pay. They'll regret ever lifting as much as a finger against you. Do you want that?"
Harry opened his eyes again, long lashes casting faint shadows onto his high cheekbones.
The look in his eyes spoke of part shame and part desire, longing.
A dark glint promising pain for those standing in his was, a look Tom was all too familiar with.
"Yes", he gasped, "God yes. I want it so bad I don't know how it hasn't consumed me yet. I want them all dead, to suffer like they made my loved ones suffer."
Tom could not look away from the primal anger and hate that twisted Harry's handsome features into something unrecognizable.
He was beautiful like this, like a raging storm that would destroy everything and anything it touched.
"Tom I... You understand don't you? I know it makes me a bad person feeling like this but is it not justified?"
"Harry, no of course it doesn't make you a bad person. I.. understand how you feel. I hate them too, muggles"
Harry's eyes widen and Tom could see the tears shining in them: "Really? You do?"
"I've never told anyone about this but I know you won't betray my trust. You'll keep my secret as I'll keep yours. I.. I grew up in a muggle orphanage. I didn't even know I was a wizard until my 11th birthday."
"I never would've guessed... you seem to know everything about the wizarding world."
"Through hard work. It wasn't an easy adjustment and being sorted into Slytherin made it much harder."
Harry nodded, hanging onto his every word: "I can imagine."
Tom hesitated for just a moment before continuing: "The orphanage.. It was awful. Muggles are evil to their core, they hate and want to destroy everything that doesn't fit into their world. You can imagine what it was like for me when my magic made itself known. It may be hard for you to understand, having grown up in a magical village and all that, but even the children are like that. They don't have empathy. They are like animals, ruled by selfishness and fear."
The other boy was silent for a while, not replying and Tom suddenly regretted speaking, something he was unused to feeling.
Had he said to much? Did Harry think it pathetic?
Then Harry looked at him, really looked at him and Tom truly felt seen like he never had before.
The boy seemed to mull something over in his mind and then he spoke: "Actually I understand perfectly. I was raised by muggles too. I didn't come to live in the village until I was older. I mentioned that my parents died, didn't I? When I first got here? Well I was sent to live with my mom's sister and her family. They hated me, I was treated like a house elf if not worse. I only got out when I found out that I had a godfather.
But I only had him for a year when he.. he.. "
The boy let out a little sob, looking back down.
Tom reached out without thinking, gently brushing a tear away his thumb.
Harry looked up at him, flushed and a, tad embarrassed.
"Ha, sorry about this. I thought I cried all the tears I had but I guess not."
"Don't apologize, you don't have to hide your feelings from me."
Harry nodded and Tom realized that his hand was still cupping his face.
He didn't move to pull away though and Harry seemed comfortable leaning into it.
Then Harry softly spoke up again: "Are you.. are you a muggleborn then?"
"No. I'm a halfblood. Riddle was my father's name."
"And your mother? Why don't you take her name?"
"She was from the Gaunt line and while I didn't think it possible that woman was even more pathetic that the muggle she fell for. She doesn't deserve the legacy I'd leave her. And you? You're a halfblood too, aren't you? What line does your father come from."
But Tom could see Harry close off at that: "I can't.. I can't say, Tom. I'm sorry. Just know that I have nothing to do with them anymore."
"Alright. You don't need to tell me", he reassures him, stroking over his cheek on soothing motions.
"Tom",he said quietly, another hot tear escaping his eye, "I.. need to tell you something. You can never tell anyone about this, I'm begging you. I need to get this off my chest."
"You can tell me anything Harry, anything."
"I understand if you don't want to have anything to do with me anymore after I tell you..."
"That's not going to happen. Please Harry."
"I killed someone Tom", Harry whispered, "One of the Muggles. I used an unforgivable. I'm a murderer."
Tom's heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened just a fraction.
Harry hunched in on himself, looking like he was bracing himself for a violent reaction from Tom.
But Tom of course was elated.
He thought back to Harry's boggart, the second form of the long haired man being hit in the chest by a green light, smile freezing on his face.
Tom closed the little distance between them and pulled the shorter boy into his arms, holding him tight.
"It's alright Harry", he murmured against the boy's hair. It was soft and smooth like silk, smelling faintly of honey and cinnamon and Tom felt himself drown in him.
The boy trembled against him before gripping at his cloak tightly and Tom knew that he wouldn't ever let him go.
Not now that he's found someone who truly understands, who's the same as him.
They held each other for what felt like hours, only seperating when they suddenly heard the door open again.
Harry practically sprang away from him, looking embarrassed.
His face was a mess, blotchy and red from crying and his glasses were askew.
Tom looked up and saw Jonathan standing in the doorway.
He blinked a couple of times before wordlessly closing the door again and leaving.
Harry scratched his neck akwardly: "I.. I think I'll try to use the last hours of the day to finish off my homework. I don't think I'll be able to sleep anyway."
"You can copy mine if you want, I'm almost done with the essay on vampires."
"That's kind of you but I'm working on one about ghouls... besides I need something to occupy my mind."
Harry straighted his clothes and his glasses and walked towards the door.
Before he left he turned back around to face Tom: "I.. can't even express how grateful I am for this. I.. I won't forget this Tom. And your secret is safe with me."
"So is yours with me."
Harry smiled and left.
Tom was left staring after him, body still tingling and mouth dry from where the boy had clung to him.
Laying back on his bed, he didn't notice when the others eventually trickled in one by one, mind far away.
---
Author's Note:
Y'all remember when Harry survived a muggle crusade in America? Yeah me neither. Wonder what's he up to?