Work Text
Harry’s eyes fixed on the slice of red welling up from his finger. It was all he could see… red, red, red. Images from his vision flashed before his eyes: a sea of bodies fallen across the snow, the dark sky lit up by green flashes, by cackling laughter, by agonised screams—“Harry?”Tom’s voice pierced through the memory of his nightmares. Harry shook his head, then held out his hand. A droplet of blood slunk down his wrist.“Sorry,” Harry said. “But is this really necessary?”A frown marred Tom’s face. Harry hated to see disappointment twist those handsome features, but the boy he’d been tumbling for the past year did have a habit of subjecting Harry to particularly unusual demands. “Of course it’s necessary,” Tom grumbled. He grasped Harry’s hand and held it aloft. They both watched blood drip over the runes on the stone floor.“If I don’t know where you are, then how will I find you when I lose you?” Tom continued. He squeezed another drop from Harry’s finger, then released his wrist.“If I get lost, you mean,” Harry corrected him. “Which really doesn’t happen all that often…”“It might.” Tom raised the knife to his own finger. Droplets of blood splattered onto Harry’s blood below. The runes glowed briefly, then fell dark. “A Point Me spell seems easier than whatever this is…” Harry stared at the blood-stained runes dubiously. “Why are you always against everything I do?” Tom snapped. “I just want to protect you. You’re the only person who’s ever loved me. Can’t I love you in return?”“That’s not what I… Come on, Tom. Of course you can,” Harry said helplessly. “But these rituals we keep doing—well, they’re a bit disturbing, aren’t they?”“Disturbing? You think I’m disturbing?” Tom recoiled. “No!” Harry hurried to say. He grabbed the sleeve of Tom’s robes before he could storm off, as he was wont to do during a misunderstanding. “Forget it, I’m just woozy from the blood loss. You’re right, if I get lost in the Forbidden Forest one day, I’ll be glad you can track me down.”“Yeah?” Tom eyed him.Harry tugged him in for an embrace. “You’re just looking out for me.”“I am,” Tom mumbled as he allowed Harry to draw him close. “It’s not disturbing.”“No, it’s not.” Harry wound his arms around Tom’s waist and kept any further thoughts on the matter to himself.