[HP] Dearest Enemy

Harry had no idea what Tom had said to Alex on Christmas Eve, or even that they had had such a conversation.Originally, Harry planned to spend the New Year at Palampion Manor before going back, but Tom said he would go back early.Harry was a little surprised, wondering why Tom had suddenly passed up the great opportunity to read in the Palampion library.But Tom was stubborn and insisted that Harry go back with him.Alex didn't stop, just looked a little unhappy.

"I will continue to investigate your curse, and I will probably be able to unravel it when we meet next time." Alex said to Harry, "You must not refuse my request at that time. "

Harry's heart moved, and he turned to look at his friend hanging on his shoulder.In the darkness, Alex's soft voice lingered in his ears. The gray-eyed man's eyes suppressed the scorching heat, but the corners of his lips curled up lazily as usual, so his words became a little more careless. mean.

Harry opened his mouth, not knowing how to answer.

"Hey, you've become stingy like that brat Tom." Alex laughed, and the flames in his eyes were immediately hidden. "Then I wish you a happy new year in advance."

"Happy New Year to you too, Aaron." Harry smiled, and was hugged tightly by his friend.

"Take care of yourself," Alex whispered in his ear, then patted him on the shoulder.

Harry suddenly wanted to say something, but ended up saying goodbye to Alex as usual.

"I wouldn't object if it was him," Mr. Palamphen said to Alex after Harry and Tom had both left.

"This is your concession?" Alex laughed mockingly.

"I'm old, Aaron." Mr. Palampion said, patting his son's arm. "All this will be handed over to you sooner or later."

"You know I won't accept it, Father," said Alex dryly, "on whatever terms you ask."

"Alex." The old man wearily stopped his son who was about to leave, "Are you still unwilling to forgive me?"

Alex didn't answer, and walked out again, leaving behind his father's heavy sigh.

Tom's birthday was peaceful, and he went to Diagon Alley himself to buy a cake and some other ingredients.When he apparated to the door of the house and found that Harry had already made his favorite food, the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.

The two chatted while eating.Harry seemed in a good mood, and Tom remembered the last time he kissed Harry secretly in the office, so the idea of ​​wanting to do something to Harry began to stir again.But soon he remembered Harry's rejection on last year's birthday, his brows were slightly frowned, and the little restless thoughts immediately subsided, leaving only the itchy feeling of being gently scratched by the kitten's paw in his heart.

"Not to your liking?" Harry looked up from the other side of the table, noticing Tom's changing face.

"No." Tom blushed slightly, and lowered his head in a concealed manner.

Harry smiled, got up after a while and went to the kitchen to bring out the cake.Tom watched Harry put candles on the cake, and turned off the light with a wave of his hand, and the room was suddenly dark.

"I'm not a child anymore, and I still play this game." Tom complained half-truthfully, the darkness concealed the smile hidden in the corners of his lips and brows.

"Muggles consider children to be adults," Harry said in the dark. "Wizards have always had a hard time surviving, so they come of age earlier. This year is the last time."

Tom waited quietly.It was sort of the repertoire that Harry had given him for his birthday, but never had he felt so uneasy and full of anticipation as today.The candlelight was lit, Harry's face was imprinted with a warm light, and his voice was also dyed very softly by the orange light.

"Make a wish, Tom."

The black-eyed boy looked at his godfather across the eighteen flashing spots in front of him.Harry didn't hide his eyes behind the glasses, the green eyes that reflected the candlelight were as gentle as water.

Can I go one step further and stand beside you, dear Harry?

Tom closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then blew out the dancing lights.

Harry turned on the light, and Tom removed the candles and began to divide the cake.He shoved the first set to Harry, then pulled the second set in front of him.

"What wish?" Harry asked.

"Children would take it seriously," said Tom. "Why ask?"

"I'm curious." Harry replied with a smile.

Tom raised his eyebrows: "Must you know?"

Harry nodded cooperatively.

"I won't tell you." Tom said slowly, his black eyes sparkling, and he smiled like a sly fox.

"That's a pity," said Harry, the smile still on his lips, but that smile seemed bitter for some reason.

It was not that he was ignorant of Tom's wish, but the question slipped from his lips naturally.Tom was trying to get in trouble with him, he didn't want to embarrass him.

Of course Tom was no longer a child, but Harry had always thought of him as one.Harry had already realized this when Tom confessed to himself a year ago.He never lost sight of the man he had transformed was Tom Riddle, and the heights his potential might take him to.He did a good job, he knew what he should do and what he wanted, maybe it was these and Tom's love for him that made Harry hallucinate being kissed by him.

It's not Alex, it's Tom.Harry panicked at first, but not anymore.It's just that I still have doubts in my heart. This ambiguous feeling is like a soft thorn, and Tom's inexplicable disappearance makes this thorn sharper.Tom stood just outside the line Harry had drawn for himself, waiting quietly for his chance. Harry didn't know when he would cross the line and stand in front of him, and at that time, would he still be as clear as before? And firmly rejected him.

It's a strange feeling, isn't it? It's obviously a child I watched growing up, why did it become the way it is now?

Harry was lost in thought, his portion of the cake barely touched.Tom carefully observed the person sitting on the other side of the table, but the black-eyed boy couldn't tell what the other person was thinking from his face.Tom slowly ate his share of the cake, thinking about everything that had happened since school started.

He had told Harry that night that he would not give up, and Harry hadn't pushed him away.It was a good sign, but it didn't mean Harry was ready to accept himself.So Tom didn't do unnecessary things, but quietly waited for the opportunity.

But now Alex challenged him.The arrogant hedgehog said that Tom would leave Harry sooner or later because he couldn't give him the kind of peaceful life he wanted, and that he didn't understand Harry.Tom really wanted to curse that determined face, but he couldn't do anything that might damage his relationship with Harry.According to his plan, he could subtly influence Harry's opinion of himself for a year, and it had already begun to bear fruit, but Alex had disrupted it all.If he'd found out what he really wanted earlier, Harry might have... Tom sighed softly, putting the last bite of cake into his mouth with a fork.Don't regret it for more than 1 minute, he has to make a new plan, not only to catch Harry's heart during this time, but also to fend off Alex's attack.

Fortunately, that damned hedgehog needs to stay in Germany for a while, and he still has time alone with Harry.Tom involuntarily shifted his gaze to Harry, but seeing those green eyes staring at him, he couldn't help but feel moved.

Suddenly embarrassed, Harry looked away.Tom looked at him in surprise, but Harry began to eat his barely touched cake as if to cover up, as if he hadn't noticed him at all.Tom quickly came to his senses, cut another piece of cake and put it on the plate by himself, the corners of his lips curled up uncontrollably.

It looked like Merlin was on his side, Tom thought cheerfully, and the cake was getting delicious.

However, Tom's good mood did not last long.At afternoon tea the next day, he and Harry talked about their plans after graduation, and inevitably there was a dispute.

"... Borgin-Bock is a dark magic shop, why would you want to work in that kind of place?" Harry forced himself to suppress his anger.

"There are ten times more things you can get in touch with than in school." Tom replied coldly, "I just want to work there for one to two years."

"That's the reason you gave me?" Harry stood up. "One of the best students Hogwarts has ever seen, the only wish is to stand at the counter in a shop that sells all kinds of illegal things?"

"No, I never thought of it that way." Tom glared at his godfather angrily. "I just wanted to gain some experience."

"Then why don't you go to the Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked aloud. "Or St. Mungo's? To some sleazy place like that, what the hell are you trying to do?"

"I want to be the best person." Tom raised his head and said clearly, "Better people than Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Not to be the Minister of Magic." The black-eyed boy sneered, "Of course, enter The Ministry of Magic is certainly the best way out in your and Professor Slughorn's opinion, but I don't think so. Of course I could become the youngest Minister of Magic in the world if I wanted to. But I don't want to put myself Tied to those bureaucrats, before that, I want to take a closer look at the world I want to see, and touch the things I am interested in. Harry, you won't stop me, will you?"

Tom looked at his godfather with his black eyes.It was the first time he had articulated his ambitions to Harry so clearly.He should be the one standing at the top, no one is more qualified than him to lead the entire wizarding world.Even Arafat never heard a word of these words from him.Harry would understand him, they had lived together for so many years, Harry could not fail to understand his thoughts.

However, Harry had an inexplicable expression on his face.Instead of calming his anger and stretching his brow as Tom expected, Harry's brow furrowed even more.Tom waited for Harry's answer, but he said nothing.

What cannot be changed will never change.

He underestimated this young man after all, he was already firm and unshakable before he found out.When Tom told him his ideals aloud, Harry felt that he vaguely saw the shadow of Voldemort.This was what he had always feared, that Tom would go the same way as Voldemort.Although Tom is not naive enough to want to conquer death, power can also corrupt the heart.Tom will not settle for mediocrity like him, he wants to be the center of attention, above all others.

Harry felt an unprecedented sense of frustration, like a castle that had been built so hard that it suddenly collapsed when the last brick was laid, and he had no time or opportunity to make up for it.At this moment, Harry deeply hated that he hadn't devoted all his energy to this child. If he hadn't been obsessed with returning to his own time, he could have made a greater change in Tom.

"Harry, you still don't agree with my idea?" Tom asked, he had a bad feeling.

"Yes, I don't agree." Harry said after a while, "I hope you stay at Hogwarts to take over from me teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"That's impossible." Tom flatly refused. "I don't want to tie myself to school so early."

This was the expected result, the child would no longer obey his words, and would only use his words as a reference.

"Then into St. Mungo's?"

"I don't like being a therapist, and it's not suitable for me," Tom replied simply.

Harry suddenly felt a little tired. He sat back on his sofa and closed his eyes. He needed to find a reason to persuade Tom to change his mind.

"Harry." Tom walked to him and squatted down, gently holding his hand, "What are you afraid of?"

Harry opened his eyes, and the handsome dark-eyed boy was staring at him.

"I'm afraid you're going to get lost," said Harry slowly. "I'm afraid I've made a big mistake."

"You're afraid I'll be 'the guy,' aren't you?" Tom asked tentatively. "What the hell did 'the guy' do? I wish you could tell me."

The expression on Harry's face froze, and he quickly grabbed Tom's hand with such strength that Tom screamed.

"Harry!"

"How do you know?" Harry asked in a low voice, his green eyes fixed on his.

"So there really is such a person?" Tom endured the pain and stared at those green eyes, "A person who is full of evil and can't be worse? And you stare closely at me precisely because you are afraid that I will become that kind of person." Am I right?"

Every time Tom said something, Harry's face paled.The green-eyed man was holding the black-eyed boy's hand so tightly that his joints turned white.

"These are all your guesses?" Harry asked, and Tom nodded slightly.

"I've got some more guesses about you," said Tom slowly. "Would you like to hear?"