Walking out of the common room Harry allowed a smirk to cross his lips, the conversation with the older years and Severus had given them all a lot to think about and would without fail have them coming back to have those budding questions answered. From the true alliance of himself and family, to just why he was not scared by the name of Dark Lord.

Entering the dorm room Harry couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. Draco as promised had saved a bed for him and unpacked the items which Harry's trunk had allowed him access to. Seeing Harry walk in Draco turned and tilted his head in question, placing one finger to his lips Harry sits on the bed before motioning for Draco to come closer. Closing the curtain's and throwing up a silencing charm he sighs, his shoulders visibly sagging in relief.

"This way we can talk without fear of our cover being blown".

There were few moments where Harry felt comfortable enough to let his guard down but with Draco, he felt secure enough to do just that. Maybe it was having the power to destroy a person or perhaps knowing he had a friend, but in rare moments Harry could feel safe with somebody other than Tom.

Falling back onto the pillows Harry turns his head to regard Draco "before the Dark Lord took me in I thought I would be alone" tiredness and the safety he felt with the youngest Malfoy made the words fall from his lips quicker than he thought possible. Whilst Tom, Barty, Bella and even Sirius had begun to show him what love felt like they were all adults who at times forgot that Harry despite his power was still only a child "suddenly I am at the centre of a war playing such a major part".

Shaking his head as to remove sudden thoughts from his head he sits up to lean against the headboard, now was not the time to open his soul to its deepest depths and share things with Draco that only Tom had access to despite the comfort he felt around the youngest Malfoy. "Dumbledore is very clearly aware of my part in this war and does not like the fact I have not conformed to his preconceived plans".

The conversation in the office had shown Harry just how manipulative Dumbledore really was in trying to convince him just how disappointed his parents would have been knowing he was in Slytherin, and that as the saviour of the wizarding world it would be in his best interest to transfer immediately to Gryffindor.

Shaking his head Harry mused that he shouldn't have been so surprised that Dumbledore had tried those tactics, for all the old man had known until that fateful day at Olivanders is that Harry had grown up with no knowledge of the magical world. He should have been easily to manipulate, easy to mould into the perfect Gryffindor Golden Boy in the image Dumbledore wanted, but instead his own game had been used against him. In Dumbledore's attempt to bring glory to the light he had instead created a bond between two people that would ensure its destruction instead.

These tactics should have been expected but what hadn't been was the rush of emotions that had flown from him. The thought of Dumbledore taking him away from his family after having caused the loss of his first one had created an anger and a deep-set hatred that Harry did not even have for the Dursley's.

It was movement from Draco that brought Harry from his musings as he watched the boy shift to sit beside him "do you think he will try again?"

"Without a doubt" Harry replied, "but he won't like it when he realises that I won't be alone for future meetings"

At the confused look on Draco's face Harry carries on "following my outburst in Dumbledore's office Severus brought me to the common room where the prefects and some seventh years were waiting-"

"-The Dark Lord's next recruits" Draco interjected.

"Correct. The Dark Lord had mentioned that the prefects would ask questions to see if nothing had occurred that broke the Wizarding Law-as it happens, I am classed as a minor and we can always legally bring a representative with us to any headmaster or head of house meeting. Strange for the headmaster-never mind the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, to not know the law"

Turning to face Draco completely he kept going "the conversation with the next recruits was interesting, they and Severus are unaware of my true position. All they know from the information Severus provided them is that I am of importance to the Dark Lord but I believe they have realised that I am not the Golden Boy they all believed me to be. I have a feeling Severus will be calling on me in the coming days to explain the power he has seen when I have lost my temper"

Twice now Severus had seen a portion of what Harry held within him. Whilst Harry was naturally magically powerful and with his core growing and expanding every day with thanks to his training and the nutrition potions Tom had forced down his throat, he was additionally helped with holding a potion of Tom's soul within his body. A once foreign entity that had only grown stronger and more powerful over the years, a link between two wizards which Harry had begun to believe allowed for more than just transfer of thoughts and shown with Tom easily taking control of his words earlier today.

Whilst the conversation with the elder Slytherins had not revealed much in way of magical alignment, it had been a dance to show a small portion of Harry's true nature. From his clear hatred of Dumbledore to his upbringing with the Moros family. For the seventh years this caused many raised eyebrows. The Moros family had once been as dark as Black and Lestrange. but had turned their back to the light so to see Harry with so much hatred towards Dumbledore made them begin to question all that they believed to be true. Harry had been betting on this, give them enough to make them come back but not enough that it would cause destruction if they ended up not being loyal. Harry did not know these people and he would make sure they could be trusted before his true nature was exposed.

"You can trust Severus you know"

This comment from Draco came as a surprise. Whilst he knew that Severus was extremely intelligent and powerful, he was one of the death eaters who had not been called in to train Harry for it appeared that Tom was weary due to how close he was with Dumbledore.

"What makes you say that Draco?"

At this Draco began to shift, suddenly unsure of if he was in the right to have said such things.

"He is my godfather, there are very few people in this world I trust more than him"

Meeting Harry's eyes he continued, growing with confidence with every passing word. "I know he was not one of the invited to train you which means the Dark Lord is weary of his position". Without saying anything Harry motioned for the blonde to continue. "All I will say My Prince, is that if Severus is making you question his loyalty it is because something would have happened to make him doubt everything he knows. Find that and you will solve your dilemma with him"

"You raise a valid point Draco, though I do not hold the information to prove this"

Casting a tempus Harry moves to stand "though I think it's time we called it a night, Draco. Thank you for your insight and for putting many of my belongings away. You have been extremely helpful-I will see you in the morning for breakfast. I have a feeling tomorrow will be an interesting day"

With a nod of the head Draco stands, proud of the praise he had received but also glad he could go to bed. "Goodnight My Prince"

Placing a sticking charm to keep the curtains closed after Draco left Harry changes into his pyjamas and falls into bed, the conversation with Draco regarding Severus still playing in his mind. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to sleep without getting to the bottom of it he calls out for Tom.

"Tom?" Harry whispers in his mind, prodding at the link between them as he closes his eyes, falling easily into the waiting mindscape that had built between them "are you still awake?"

Many miles away Tom stops his writing and smiles softly, he had been expecting the young Slytherin to call for him many hours ago but had remained quiet to give the boy chance to deal and settle with the sudden changes and challenges with stating Hogwarts.

"You should be asleep little snake"

Setting his quill down Tom places a quick drying charm over the parchment in front of him before standing. In the past month there had been no need for them to fall back into the old routine of seeing each other in their mindscapes but Tom could already feel the awaiting presence in the back of his mind-as if somebody was standing behind him, and knew tonight that would change.

Changing into a pair of sleeping pants and sliding between the sheets Tom closes his eyes and allows himself to fall into a dream like state, the familiarity brought about from years of the same routine practice taking hold of him with ease.

"Marlo!"

With a laugh Tom pulls the younger boy close, over the years the room they had created in their minds had become one of security and comfort. With comfortable sofa's and a large fireplace, it had similar qualities to Tom's office back in the manor-his mind all those years ago had created the scene based from memory to make it as real as possible.

Despite the short period of time since last seeing Harry, Tom had felt the emptiness and wasn't quite sure what to make of that feeling. He had everything he wanted, the world at his fingertips and yet…

"When did you first get suspicious about Severus?"

Of all things he had expected to hear from the young boy, Tom had not expected that.

"What makes you ask about Severus, Harry?"

Any thoughts about these sudden feelings disappeared and Tom's focus shifted to that of the potion's master. Taking a seat on the sofa closest to the fireplace he watched as Harry sat across from him, the small frame being engulfed by the large wingback chair-it would be a few years yet until he fit the chair correctly, but for the time being Tom could take pleasure in seeing his young Slytherin look so small.

"It was something Draco commented on earlier this evening. Severus was never invited to the inner circle meeting, was never allowed to tutor me despite being a potions master and does not know my identity or place with you. You don't trust him Marlo, so what makes you suspicious of him?"

Tom couldn't deny any of these claims, for the past few years he had noticed the reluctance in Severus and despite having two spies set deeply into the light with Bella and Barty, they could never gain the same information Severus could.

"It never used to be that way" Tom began "Once, Severus was loyal to a fault, he was the one that brought the fake prophecy to my attention and told me that your parents had gone into hiding"

"How did he know this? Not the prophecy-but that they had gone into hiding?"

Tom shrugged "Dumbledore perhaps? Severus had gone to school with your parents and godfather, if anybody was going to find that information out it would have been Severus"

Harry stopped and considered this information for a moment, his teeth pulling at the skin around his thumb as he purposefully ignored the look Tom sent his way regarding this behaviour.

"And he changed after they died?"

With a hum in agreement Tom sent a mild stinging hex to Harry's hand to stop his biting "On my return from being bodiless he heeded my call like many remaining death eaters, but he was more subdued, he no longer appeared as loyal to me"

Looking Tom in the eye Harry had a sudden thought "did you ever tell him what really happened that night, Tom? Or have you allowed Dumbledore's version of things to cloud his judgement? Severus is a smart man, but he can only form opinions based on the information he is given-and right now all he has in Dumbledore's wrong story"

Silence fell between them as Tom mulled over what Harry had just said. Tom had always assumed that his followers would not care how lead them to victory just if they got there, but maybe Severus was different. Maybe Severus needed that deeper understanding of what had happened to bring him back.

"Severus is as dark as they come, he comes from the Prince line who were notorious potions masters and supports of the dark cause. Light magic does not come easily to Severus despite how hard he tries and for many of the early years he fought his identity"

Tom remembered how Severus refused to accept his true nature following conversations with Lucius. He could see just how easily Dumbledore would have been able to get inside of the potion masters mind, how easily he could manipulate a man fighting himself with false promises and information.

"I believe a conversation with Severus is well overdue"

For a while both sat in silence. With Tom turning over new ways of bringing the potions master back onto his side and Harry considering his next steps.

"Dumbledore wants me to transfer into Gryffindor"

At this Tom laughs "good fucking luck to him"

With a raised eyebrow at the sudden language from the elder man Harry can't help but shake his head. It was common for him to hear such language from Sirius and at times Bella-a Black trait apparently, but never Tom.

"You are as Slytherin as they come, always have been and always will be. Dumbledore just doesn't like the fact his preconceived plans are falling apart. You have knowledge of this world, you believes you to have been brought up in the Moros household-a notorious dark family who only defected because of their love and fear for your life" At this Tom smirks"He is three steps behind and doesn't like that fact so instead he will try and claw he way back by making you feel like you've made a mistake"

Standing, Tom walks towards Harry and kneels in front of him "You have not made a mistake. You are powerful and that grows every day and one day Harry, he will get what he deserves. Hell will bow to our names from the wrath we shall place on him. He tried to break us but instead Harry…" Placing his hand on Harry's cheek he allows the connection between their souls to hum, magic passing between them as he speaks in parsletongue, in a language made for them "he made us".