Holly & Yew

C34

Chapter 34: Chasin' your pretty thoughts ... You're mine ... You're sinking in my soul

The winter holidays began with a snowstorm that coated everything in glittering ice. Harry and Tom were left to their own devices for another year's end. Their break felt a lot less merry this time around, the war taking over their thoughts now that classes had ended for the year. They listened to the radio more often, news interspersed with gramophone records and live organ music. Nothing seemed to be happening, which was both relieving and anxiety-inducing. They were calling it the Bore War on air.

The highlight of their break was finally finding a way into the restricted section of the library.

It began when Harry and Tom were climbing one of the giant marble snake statues in the library for fun. The statue had deep fissures between the bone-white scales, the perfect slots for their hands to grip.

They had just reached the top when Harry lost his grip on the smooth head of the snake. He grabbed onto one of the snake's giant curved fangs for balance, even though Tom had already secured an arm around his waist. Harry readjusted until he was sure he wouldn't slip off. When he let go of the fang, it snapped back into place with a loud click. One side of the base of the statue popped open.

"I broke it," Harry said, horrified.

They slid down the coils of the snake quickly, examining what had happened to the statue. The platform base was hinged like a door.

"It's a passageway," Tom said breathlessly. "Excellent, Harry."

There was no question that they were going to go down it. They zipped down a copper slide, the statue door shutting behind them automatically.

The end of the slide left them in a narrow passage in the dark and suddenly all the excitement drained from Harry in an instant. Oh bloody hell, why did he think this was a good idea?

Harry was going to throw up. He tried to climb back up the slippery slide. It didn't work. His heartbeat sped up. He scratched desperately at the walls. Firm stone, barely an arm's width on either side. They were trapped.

Tom tried to reach for him, but Harry shoved him away, unable to breathe. His chest felt so tight, he thought he was going to have a heart attack.

"Calm down," Tom said soothingly. "It's okay, darling. We're not stuck here. We can keep walking. Just match my breathing."

Harry crumpled to the floor instead, shaking. He wanted to get out of here right now. Right now.

Tom hesitantly touched his shoulder again. Harry didn't respond.

"Harry?"

The word—his name, Harry recalled with detachment—sounded like it was echoing from underwater.

Tom sighed, picking him up like he weighed nothing. Harry's skin was numb.

"We'll work on this together later, darling," Tom whispered, walking. "But for now, sleep."

Darkness snatched Harry up, Tom's magic cradling around him like hands cupping a firefly, hiding away the light.

_

Harry groggily blinked awake, eyelashes brushing the side of Tom's neck. He shut them again almost immediately. Too bright. He felt Tom's amusement in the way Tom's magic curled around him.

Winter light cascaded from the ceiling, harsh and bright. Harry's face was smooshed against Tom's neck.

He yawned, trying to pull back. The chair shifted below him.