Dusk Falls (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Part 5: Explanations

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry potter. That belongs to the lovely J.K Rowling. This plot belongs to me. Cheers~

Harry's POV:

They were eating a rather normal breakfast; if you could call having an irate vampire lurking in the shadows, two lords decorously cutting up their food to take tiny bites, and practically a legion of Death Eaters buzzing around, normal. Harry was having a hard time with it all.

He still felt horrible for striking Tom. There was a churning in the pit of his stomach, a certainty that it was only a matter of time before he got the punishment he deserved for that action. And he would deserve everything he got. He had known better than to attack someone. Knew it, deep in his bones. Had heard it all his life. Don't strike back.

What was confusing him now, though, was why Tom was delaying his punishment. He obviously was to be punished... right? But, in Harry's heart, he knew Tom wouldn't do that. He wasn't sure how he knew, he just did and it confused him even more. Why should someone he just met, had no reason to trust, make him feel so safe?

He glanced towards Tom, before jerking his gaze back down to his food, avoiding the lord's probing eyes. As a rule, Harry didn't trust many people. Dumbledore and the others betrayal of him only further cemented that fact. But, he found himself wanting to trust Tom.

He had felt Tom's emotions earlier, felt the bond forming between them. His newly awakened creature side liked Tom a lot. It was positively giddy to be around him and that just freaked Harry out. It was more than a little unsettling to feel such a strong pull to someone he'd just meet. Emotionally, it felt great. Right even. Logically, in his head? It... disturbed him. No, disturbed wasn't the right word. It scared him. After so many years of abuse. After being told repeatedly that he was nothing more than a worthless freak, he actually dared to hope for something? To want someone for himself. To love and be loved in return. It really scared him. He had thought he had given up such unrealistic dreams long ago.

Tom paused his movements for a heartbeat, staring at him. Giving Harry his full, undivided, attention. "Is there something you wish to say, Harry?"

Harry just shook his head, keeping his gaze firmly on his plate. Tom hesitated a bit longer, sighed, and went back to eating.

"What... I mean, why?" Harry asked when the silence became too much for him.

"Why what?" Tom was looking at him again. Snape and Lucious were watching him now, too.

"Why are you being so... nice?" Harry asked. He looked around at the three men. "What's in it for all of you? What are you getting out of this?"

Harry couldn't know it, but his wary words, the open suspicion in them, wrung the dominate's hearts. A submissive shouldn't have to worry over everyone's intentions. He should be protected, want for nothing. He shouldn't be the scared, skittish person they saw before them. That Harry even asked... felt the need to question their kindness... It made them all want to murder those responsible. Namely Dumbledore.

Harry felt the spark of anger at his words and flinched, ducking as if expecting a blow. Not realizing that the anger wasn't directed at him, but for him.

It was Tom who broke the silence that followed. "You. We get you."

A Harry's sudden look of bitter understanding, Snape hurried to explain. "Not like that. We have no wish to use you as Dumbledore did."

"Then why? Why would you want me?" Harry couldn't keep the slight self loathing out of his tone. After all, it wasn't as if he was anything special. Just the Light's defective weapon. If they didn't want him as a weapon, then why? What could they possibly want to use him for?