This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Finding Love
Chapter 1
Harry sat, starring into the lake as the giant squid lazily made ripples on the surface of the water. Everyone was away at the end-of-year part, having a life, celebrating the fact that the war with Voldemort was ended by a treaty. Less people had died than there would have been if Voldemort had refused to sign it. Luckily for the whole of the Wizarding World, Harry had managed to convince the former Dark Lord that after he had killed everyone, there would be no one to boss around with. Voldemort was Minister of Magic now and surprisingly, everyone was happy enough with the choice. While Voldemort was ruthless about what he wanted to be done, he did it with a fairness and justice that had even the old and frail wizard kind nodding in approval.
So everyone was at the party, except Harry. Ron, Hermione, Neville…even Dumbledore, the man he had come to see as an adopted grandfather, had moved on. He was not seen as their Chosen One anymore. He was simply a boy. And with that reasoning, they all left him to fend for himself the second the treaty had been signed. They took the attention away from him and snatched it up for themselves. They were the famous ones now, not Harry. Not that he cared. No, he couldn't care less because they had left him. Harry had come to see now, that all they had been after was the fame. And when that was done, so was he.
He smiled bitterly, hugging himself, trying to warm his body of an imagined chill. He should have known better. After years of being physically and mentally abused by the Dursleys, Harry had thought he had a chance of somebody loving him if only he did all that was demanded of him. He had wanted to be hugged and comforted. How naïve he had been. In his heart, the last little bit of hope he had clung to so desperately for affection, withered away at last. Still, Harry would not let the tears in his eyes fall. He stood up, hands clenched into fists, suddenly angry.
"To hell with all of you," Harry said in a quiet, broken and angry voice. "To every single one of you!"
"Even me, Harry?" a smooth masculine voice he knew well spoke behind him.
Harry whirled around in shock. "What do you want?" he asked, his face showing none of the anger or sadness he was feeling inside of him. "Everyone's at the damn party. Shouldn't you be there? You're missing it."
"So are you," Voldemort pointed out in the same quiet voice that Harry was using.
Harry only shrugged at this. "No one will notice if I'm not there. They don't care anyway. They have my fame now."
"I noticed," Voldemort told him. "And I don't need your fame. I'm already famous all by myself. Why are you here all alone?"
Harry smiled, eyes turning to some distant point only he could see. "After today, no one in the Wizarding World will ever see me again."
Voldemort's whole body stiffened in surprise, his face showed how shocked and unprepared he was of the news. "What do you mean you're leaving?"
"There is nothing to hold me here," Harry explained to him in a calm voice, spreading his arms out. "I thought of Hogwarts as my home for a long time. But the headmaster, he has declined my application to teach here. Imagine! Refusing me after all I had done for him. Hermione and Ron and everyone, they avoid me like the plague. They've forgotten of me. You're the first one to have spoken even a word directly to me in a month. And house elves don't count."
"Isn't that pathetic? No. Leaving is better."
Voldemort's jaw clenched. He had fire in his eyes. "You're not leaving," He all but made it a demand.
"I don't answer to you," Harry said, his old fire coming into his eyes. "Besides, what can you give me that could possibly make me want to stay?"
Voldemort stepped up to him, searching into Harry's eyes, looking for something. For a very long moment, neither one said anything. And then, the former Dark Lord brought up his hands to cup Harry's face and said only one word before he kissed Harry.
"This."
Harry had seen the intent on Voldemort's face the second he kissed Harry. He had been all for opposing him, but the second their lips touched, Harry was lost. The kiss was a promise of all that he wanted, and more. Someone to love, to hold and to cherish until they were both old and chained to a rocking chair. Voldemort was barring his soul to Harry and Harry found that he was not averse to giving his back in return.
When they both came up for air, they leaned their foreheads against each others, taking comfort in the contact.
"I don't ask well, Harry," Voldemort said in a hoarse whisper. "Will you stay? For me?"
And Harry finally smiled a smile that told the Minister that all was right with the world now.
Chapter 2
Harry and Voldemort stayed there for nearly the whole night. It was only when the sun started shining through the Forbidden Forest that they took themselves back to the Great Hall. Surprisingly, there were still people partying. The Weird Sisters band was still playing, albeit a bit out of tune due to the time. Harry was unsure of what to do at this point, watching as everyone turned to see who had come through the Great Hall doors.
Voldemort took that question out of his mind by pulling Harry to his side and leading him through the throng of onlookers. Some of them were gaping in disbelief at the couple and some were sneering plainly at Harry. It made Harry wish that the floor would eat him up instead. These people had been close to him at one point. So close to him that he had once considered them family. The past year had taught him differently.
"I wonder what they think of you now," Voldemort said in an amused voice as they made their way through the hallways to the former Dark Lord's quarters. "Since we're now obviously together."
"I imagine that they would try to suck up to me again," Harry said quietly. "I know better now, and it's past the time where they would have made amends. They aren't my family any longer."