Chasing Harry

Chapter 13: Outside Space

"Is this wrong?"

"What?" Harry's eyes were unfocused behind his glasses as he mumbled the question dreamily. What had just happened?

Tom's hands were still on Harry's cheeks. He was no longer smiling, and all the months of restraint had broken his resolve from the moment he decided to do what he had just done. Staying this close to Harry for more than a day was too much for him. Yes, he was tired--tired of making allowances. He needed this, for he was beyond wanting. And he was determined to know if Harry wanted the same thing. "This," he whispered, and bent closer once more, catching Harry's lips with his own.

He wasn't gentle. All the months and weeks and days of waiting, of satisfying himself with just wisps of memory from a night that was barely more than a dream. But it was real. And he wanted it to be real again--here, now. He crushed Harry to him, his arms enclosing the fragile boy tightly as he let his tongue travel across the other's plump, luscious lips. And to his joy, Harry responded. As if awakened, the Gryffindor kissed him back with as much enthusiasm as he had given, moaning with disappointment as Tom suddenly ended their all-too-brief kiss.

"No," Harry groaned.

"No?" The fingers that were starting to unclasp Harry's robe stopped as Tom asked the other in surprise.

"I mean no, don't stop," Harry murmured as he tightened his arms around the taller boy's neck.

Tom smiled, white teeth gleaming in the firelight. "I was just getting started."

Dropping feather-light kisses on his face, Tom started to peel the robe from Harry, drawing his breath upon discovering that the other boy had nothing on underneath. He gave Harry a questioning glance, making the Gryffindor flush and mumble, "I don't have anything to wear here."

"I'm glad," Tom answered honestly. He kissed Harry again, bringing his lips down to his neck--sucking on his collarbone and going lower--kneeling while he dropped the robe in a pool around Harry's feet. He gripped Harry's hips gently and sighed, laying his head on the flat belly. He wanted to make sure before he went any further. "Is this what you want?"

Harry didn't even need to think as he raised his head, closing his eyes in pleasure as he answered, "Yes."

Tom started with the waist, kissing his way up as he stood. He heard Harry's shallow breathing as he licked the shell of his ear, tightening his grip around Harry's hips. The flesh of his bottom yielded beneath Tom's fingers and he suddenly moaned--imagining himself taking his body once again. He could hardly wait.

But he was determined to make this last--make this something to remember.

He took Harry hands, raised it to his shoulders, and whispered huskily, "Undress me."

With shaking fingers, Harry followed his order, awkwardly picking at the clasps in front. He was half-impatient yet half-terrified of what he was doing, and he could hardly look at Tom in the eyes as he did as he was told to do. He could feel the lidded scarlet eyes watching him and he felt shy with his exposure. The only thing that stayed his urge to cover himself was the knowledge that Tom wanted him--his body--in spite of all his faults, and his own growing longing to see, touch, and taste what he was just unveiling. For the second time in his life he felt desired, and this time, he wanted to savor it. He didn't want to run away again.

Tom pulled his robe off, short of ripping it off him moments before he pulled Harry to him and kissed him hard. "You're too slow," he murmured on his lips, smiling slightly.

Instead of answering, Harry merely smiled and kissed him in return, loving the feel of Tom's hot tongue in his mouth as he wrapped his arms around him.

Tom backed him against the wall; ground Harry's hips to his as they kissed. He was so aroused it was almost painful. And the feel Harry's own need against him as the boy writhed beneath his touch almost drove him crazy. He wanted to bang him on the wall and take him there at that moment.

Barely able to control himself, Tom lifted Harry and let the other wrap his legs around him without breaking their kiss. He carried Harry to his room, laying the other on his bed. He gently removed Harry's glasses as the other stared at him, blinking sleepily as he let Tom do as he wished.

He was a mix of innocence and sin--eyes so trusting, yet somehow making Tom want to do things he never wanted to do with anyone else. His cheeks were flushed with their earlier exertions and Tom had the sudden insane desire to discover whether the color extended there. Climbing on the bed, he covered Harry's body with his own, touching him until the other boy moaned for more.

They lay together, shaking the bed as they moved in rhythm--with Harry almost weeping at the intense wave of pleasure that swept through him as he finally peaked beneath Tom, thrashing on the covers as he came.

In his euphoria, he felt Tom shiver in his arms, and Harry tightened his hold instinctively. Without opening his eyes, Harry pulled Tom down, took him in his arms, and thought that he would never ever want to let go.

***

"Ow..." Harry moaned softly as he awoke. The curtains were open, and the sunlight shone directly on his eyes as he blinked into reality. Backing away from the glare, Harry moved deeper to the center of the bed, his right arm stretching into the empty space before him. It took a second for information to sink in but he suddenly realized that he was alone.

Sitting up quickly, he surveyed the room. There was no one inside except him. He frowned, confused. Was last night just another dream? He was afraid it was, but the telltale aches in his body said otherwise.

The door opened and Tom entered. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. No, it wasn't a dream. He watched with some amusement as the Slytherin struggled to keep the door open as he carried a breakfast tray inside. Tom sat beside Harry and placed the try carefully before him with a grin, "Breakfast in bed for the beautiful boy."

Harry blushed as he wrapped the blanket tighter around him. "I am not," he disagreed. Still, he smiled. Tom thought he was beautiful.

"Yes you are," Tom bent down and kissed him on the nose. He stood like that for some time, his hands resting on his knees as they gazed at each other face to face. "Do you realize just how incredible you look right now?" he whispered moments later. "I'm quite tempted to make love to you all over again."

"I..." The words died in Harry's throat as he stared at Tom, frightened and excited at the same time as Tom looked at him hungrily. For a split second, he thought Tom was going to do exactly that when the Slytherin straightened and sighed regretfully.

He kissed Harry again--on the forehead this time--and chucked his chin before saying, "Breakfast first." He sat on the bed and watched animatedly as Harry ate.

"Do you want some?" Harry extended a fork, offering a bite of his food minutes later.

Tom shook his head. "I'll eat later," he said and smiled wickedly.

Harry gaped and put his fork down. He wasn't quite so hungry for food anymore.

***

"Harry's been missing for days!" Ron wailed in Dumbledore's office. "How could I not panic?" He breathed excitedly, wondering where his resolve to remain calm went. He and Hermione had explained all they knew to the Headmaster two days before and Dumbledore had gathered a handful of Aurors to search Malfoy Manor and look for Tom Riddle or any trace of Harry Potter. But the wizards and witches came up empty and Draco Malfoy wasn't saying anything--locked up in his dorm room with the rest of his housemates.

During the past days, reality had somehow sunk in and Ron wondered whether he'd still see his best friend alive again.

"Calm down," Hermione whispered fiercely. "Panicking won't help."

Dumbledore didn't seem to hear Ron's outburst as he frowned into his hands. He had not realized that the situation had advanced this far. "And you two fear that Harry is in Tom Riddle's hands?"

"We can't be sure of that, Professor," Hermione answered. "But, as of now, we have determined that both of them aren't present in the school. Malfoy and his other friends have returned from the Christmas break."

"And Tom Riddle could only be in Malfoy Manor," Ron piped up, remembering his earlier argument with Draco.

"But he isn't there now." Dumbledore paused. "In fact, there is no one there but Lucius Malfoy's wife. And she professed to know nothing of her husband's whereabouts. She said the children left the Manor before New Year and she assumed Tom was with Draco then."

"But he isn't," Ron finished glumly.

The door opened and Sirius and Snape walked in. Hermione was surprised to find the two together without bickering. But she supposed that the current danger was enough to quell even their animosity to each other--even just temporarily.

"Any news?" Dumbledore asked.

"None. None at all," Sirius answered, dazed. "No one had seen any signs of Harry or Tom in any of the nearby villages. Remus and I searched around without sleeping. Even Kingsley helped. But there was nothing." He waved his arm in the air helplessly.

Snape placed his hands on the Headmaster's table. "I have something. It's trivial, but everything is important in situations like these."

Dumbledore nodded. "Tell me."

"I received reports that Taylor Goyle was sighted in Eastern Europe some time before Christmas. Now, six ex-Death Eaters are gone from their homes: Malfoy, Goyle, Crabbe, MacNair, Avery, and Nott. Their families were just given vague explanations of where they had gone."

"Tom could be with them," Hermione suggested worriedly. "And Harry."

"We never should've let Tom Riddle out of Hogwarts!" Snape exclaimed hotly. "Now one of my students has disappeared while another refuses to speak to anyone. And who knows what that Potter kid may be up to now?"

"We should be the one worrying that your precious student has done something to Harry," Sirius cut in angrily.

"There is no proof that Tom has taken Harry with him," Snape retorted. "When he and Draco left the castle, Potter was here and you know it. How he disappeared and why he disappeared could be entirely unrelated to Tom Riddle's absence. In fact," Snape crossed his arms, "I doubt if those two were even friends."

"They were."

Heads turned to Ron. The red-haired boy produced the card he had found on Harry's bed. "At least they were close enough to exchange greetings. And I found a Slytherin scarf on Harry's bed."

"It appears that the two boys were closer than we had thought," Dumbledore said in a soft voice. He thought for a moment and turned to Ron and Hermione. "I need you two to return to your dorm. Try to keep everyone calm and tell them that Harry's supposed to be on an extended holiday with Sirius." He turned to Sirius and Snape. "I need to talk to you two."

As Hermione closed the door and left the three powerful wizards behind, she grasped Ron's hand. Ron tightened his grip as he looked at her in sympathy. She was clearly trembling. "I'm afraid, Ron," she admitted. "I'm afraid for Harry."

He squeezed her hand. "So am I," he whispered.

***

In the room, Dumbledore spoke seriously to the two wizards sitting before him. "I'm afraid we cannot wait any longer. I had not anticipated Lucius Malfoy to act this early. I don't believe that Tom Riddle or Harry is with him or with any other Death Eaters."

"How can you be sure?" Sirius asked worriedly.

Instead of answering, Dumbledore retrieved something from under his desk. He pointed his wand below and a small plastic purple bird floated to his table. Sirius and Snape stared at it, mystified.

"Is this some sort of charm?" Sirius asked.

"No, it's an alarm clock. Don't touch it," Dumbledore warned. "I had to obtain something that was last held by no one but Tom Riddle. I figured this was appropriate for what I needed." He placed his left fingers against his forehead, pointed his wand on the plastic bird and said, "Spiratio."

The bird glowed faintly, and so did Dumbledore's fingers--the ones he touched his forehead with. The Headmaster put down his wand after a full minute and he sighed. The glow disappeared.

"What was that?" Sirius asked in awe.

"It's a locating spell," Dumbledore answered. "It's a little hard to explain, and the spell is known to only a few. It's particularly dangerous for unscrupulous people to learn as it allows one to feel the person they are searching for wherever they are in the world, as long they have an article touched last by that person." The aged wizard smiled faintly. "It was developed by Nicholas Flamel himself. I had the honor of being one of the trusted persons he bequeathed knowledge of the spell to."

"And do you feel where Tom Riddle is?" Snape asked, a little anxiously. "Is he all right?"

"That's the problem. I can't feel him at all," Dumbledore admitted.

Snape weakened visibly. "He is dead, then."

"Not necessarily." Dumbledore touched his fingertips together as he explained, "Dead wizards feel quite different. There's a presence, but it is an empty husk--their bodies convey nothing. Tom Riddle, meanwhile, simply isn't there. There's nothing. I performed the same spell on one of Harry's possessions and received the same results."

Dumbledore stood and started pacing excitedly. "I only know of one explanation. It's a vague theory, bit it's possible."

"And...?" Snape asked, exchanging glances with Sirius.

Dumbledore turned to them, his eyes flashing beneath the lenses, "Do you know that a world can be created outside space?"

"A place outside what?" Sirius repeated, confused.

"Another place. Almost another universe--only smaller. Certain powerful wizards and witches in the past have been known to have created such hideouts. Places to stay beyond the reach of anyone else in this world. It is the perfect home for loners--no one can enter it unless the creator himself wills it. But the creation of it requires genius, time, and powerful magic. Only a mere few have succeeded." Here, Dumbledore paused. "Salazar Slytherin was suspected to be one. Godric Gryffindor himself witnessed him disappear for years without anyone knowing where he was. It's entirely possible that the Dark Lord Voldemort had his own--and that Tom Riddle knew exactly how to get there."

"Would it corroborate with your findings?" This came from Snape, who had absorbed the information like a sponge. "Can the Spiratio spell track them if they're there?"

"No, which is exactly why I suspect that place exists," Dumbledore finished.

"How can we get them out of there?" Sirius ventured after a few moments of silence. "We don't even know where it is?"

Hesitantly, Dumbledore answered, "There is a way. But it has some risks."

***

"What do you propose?" Lucius Malfoy asked tiredly. Nights of no sleep had taken its toll and he looked exhausted as he collapsed on an overstuffed armchair in a deserted house somewhere in England. A fire in the old grate was the only light in the darkened room. The shades were drawn and the place was magically charmed to keep anyone from entering.

"We have to take him out of there," Taylor Goyle urged. His dark glance swept across the four other people who sat with them--men who remained loyal to their cause. "I propose that we Summon him from that place. It's the only possible place where they could be right now. The Order of the Phoenix has been sniffing around for them and has come up empty. It's possible that Our Lord has brought the Gryffindor child to his home."

Avery intervened, "It's simple enough to say, but Summoning him from that place is dangerous. We run the risk of destroying it, killing him, killing us, or sucking ourselves into it and staying there forever. We can't even go there without his will. How can we possibly take him from there safely?"

"It's more than dangerous," Taylor agreed. "But what else can we do? We need him, and we have to make him see that he belongs with us--here, and that we can achieve what he had always dreamed of before his first death." His eyes flickered. "The risk, I believe, is worth taking."

Heads turned to the blond man opposite Taylor. Lucius sighed again from his armchair. He lifted his hand from his face and said, "What do we need to do?"

***

"Is it ready?" a woman whispered from beneath her hood.

"Minerva," Dumbledore nodded.

The four wizards and one witch clasped hands in the middle of the forest. Around them, the wind stirred suddenly, whipping their dark robes around them. Dumbledore started chanting quietly, his deep voice heard by none other then his companions in the night.

As a leaf blew with the wind, scratching his cheek, Remus gave a silent prayer that everything would turn out all right.

Far from the group in Hogwarts, a band of six Dark wizards prepared to cast their own spell. At the heart of their circle, a dagger lay, crusted with dried black blood.

***

"It's silly."

"No, tell me," Tom urged.

"You'll laugh." Harry shook his head, smiling. "I think of the silliest things sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Tom asked not without irony.

"Fine. I do that all the time. But I'm not telling you this time."

"Even if I paid for your thoughts with a sickle?" Tom laughingly produced a silver coin from behind Harry's ear, who promptly scowled and pushed him away.

"You're making fun of me!"

Tom laughed, pulling Harry against him as the other tried vainly to get away. He hugged Harry tightly, losing his balance as Harry gave a sudden violent kick and they dropped, laughing, on the grass. "You're impossible!" Tom gasped as he brushed the leaves off his chest. He pulled himself up to a sitting position and glared at Harry who was still on his back, grinning.

"Look who's talking," Harry snickered. "I wasn't the one who nearly broke the kitchen table in half this morning."

The corners of Tom's lips twitched. "I clearly remember you stretched on the said table while you were screaming my name."

"Screaming? I was moaning!" Harry howled.

"Trust me, sweetie," Tom said, his voice deceptively soft. "You were screaming so hard I was afraid you would break."

Harry looked away, abashed. "Well you don't have to remind me."

"It's a pity I couldn't take a picture then." Tom suddenly moved, imprisoning Harry between his arms as he looked down naughtily. "You looked rather fetching."

Harry raised his head and met Tom's lips with his own. He nipped Tom's lips mischievously, smiling against the other's mouth as he said, rather breathily, "I have a problem."

"What is it?" Tom asked distractedly. He was busy nuzzling Harry's cheek as he spoke.

"Tom..." Harry started. He backed away slightly, holding Tom off with one hand. "I think I--" He suddenly stopped what he was about to say as he noticed something strange behind the other boy, "What's that?"

"What?" Tom spun around.

"The tree. Something's wrong with the tree," Harry pointed. Indeed, the tree behind them seemed it be undergoing some strange activity. It was, somehow, flickering.

Tom stood and walked nearer. He laid his hand on the bark. It seemed steady enough. He turned, about to tell Harry that there was nothing to worry about when he saw his hand flash along with the rest of the tree. Alarmed, he jumped away from it. "Harry, I think there's something wro-- Harry? HARRY!"

"Tom!" Harry reached out, his eyes wide with panic.

But it was too late. He was falling. The ground had disappeared beneath his back and he saw Tom's blurred form--moving farther and farther away as he dropped. He heard him shout from a distance before everything disappeared.

And, once again, there was nothing but darkness.

TBC