Title: Tom's Savior

Rating: PG-13

Pairing(s): Tom/Harry

Warnings: Total AU, slash

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.

Summary: Tom Riddle and Harry Potter meet at the orphanage, and it was a match made in Heaven.

Word Count: 1,134

Notes: Written for the Gift-Giving Extravaganza 2014 (April). It was written for Mein Liebling who asked for Tom/harry.
I had real trouble with this story. It's definitely not my best, but I hope you like it anyways.

Feedback: Yes

Tom was a very bitter nine-year old. He had no family and no friends. That changed when Harry Potter was brought to the orphanage after being beaten nearly to death by his uncle and cousin, while his aunt watched on.

Here was someone who understood abuse. He shared Tom's mistrust of adults. He knew, like Tom, the only person one could truly rely on was oneself.

Tom decided to take Harry under his wing and protect him. Although Tom was small, Harry was even smaller, and he became the favorite of the orphanage bullies.

Things got even better when both Tom and Harry started experiencing accidental magic around the same time. They were different from others, but not from each other. The bouts of magic caused them to cling to each other, especially when the adults reacted badly to their "freakishness."

Harry always cried when he was called a freak, and Tom learned it was his uncle and cousin's favorite insult. Tom wished he was older, wished he was bigger, so he could make who caused Harry to cry to go away and never come back.

Both of them escaped to Hogwarts at age 11. When they learned about the house system on the train, both wanted to be together, but by the descriptions of the houses, Tom wasn't sure that it would happen. Tom thought he'd definitely end up in Slytherin due to his ambition to prove himself worthy. Harry, on the other hand, enjoyed blending into the background while he gained knowledge for himself. Harry would most likely end up in Ravenclaw due to his love of learning.

When Tom told Harry this, there were tears in emerald eyes. "No matter what houses we're in, we'll always be friends. I'll always protect you," Tom vowed.

Harry nodded, but he still looked uncertain.\

When Harry's name was called for sorting, he timidly walked up to the lone stool. He jumped after the hat was placed on his head, and Tom wondered why. The hat took a long time, and Tom thought he saw Harry's lips moving, as if he was talking to someone. The hat, maybe?

When the hat finally called Harry's new house, Tom was surprised. Slytherin, really?

When Tom had the hat on his head, it took no time until "Slytherin" was called. He immediately sat down next to Harry. "How? I thought for sure..."

Harry smiled happily as he leaned into Tom's side. "I asked the hat to put me here. I told it that you were sure you were going to be Slytherin and all I wanted was to be you. The hat tried to tell me you couldn't know for sure what house you would be, but I argued that you were never wrong. So, even though the hat thought I was better suited for Ravenclaw, it put me here."

Tom smiled. Now he wouldn't have to share his best friend with a bunch of Ravenclaws. He'd have Harry all to himself. Just the way he liked it.

They stayed friends throughout those early years. Best friends. No one was allowed into their 2-person group. When older Slytherins attempted to bully Harry to bring him to their way o thinking, Tom stepped in. Everyone in the school learned to never mess with Harry, or they'd have to answer to Tom, and no one wanted that.

When Tom began to get interested in the Dark Arts, Harry watched worriedly. He didn't like the idea of the Dark Arts, but he never truly went against Tom. He was afraid, though. Afraid for Tom more than himself.

When a Ravenclaw girl became interested in Harry because he wasn't a "normal Slytherin," Tom got very jealous and possessive. He threatened the girl's life if she didn't forget about Harry, unknown to Harry of course. He hadn't even been aware of the girl's interest.

The girl threatened to go to Headmaster Dippet, and Tom shrugged nonchalantly before he stated deadly, "You won't make it to Dippet."

The girl shivered, nearly wetting her knickers before running away. Dippet never knew about the threat.

Not that long after, Tom kissed Harry in their dorm room. He didn't want to lose Harry, especially not to some undeserving girl, and the only way to keep that from happening was by making sure Harry was his.

Harry eagerly returned the kiss as Tom groaned. Harry's lips were so good, so sweet, and Tom wanted more.

They began dating after that. They weren't very public with their relationship, but they knew it was there, and that's all that mattered.

Harry told him that his exploration into the Dark Arts scared him. It was about two months into their relationship, and Harry feared he was losing Tom to it, and he couldn't stay silent any longer.

Tom truly listened, and didn't automatically get angry or defensive. Harry counted that as a small win.

Harry didn't threaten to break up with him, but that was what Tom feared. Harry was the most important person in his life, the only person that mattered. Was the Dark Arts worth losing Harry over?

The simple answer was 'no, nothing was more important than Harry, and nothing ever would be.'

It didn't take long for Harry to realize that Tom no longer sneaked away to read up on the Dark Arts. They spent all of their time together, and Tom never found an excuse to leave.

When Harry realized this, they were in the Room of Requirements, the secret room they had discovered the previous year. Harry gave Tom such a devouring kiss that Tom felt his toes curl due to the pleasure and rightness of it. That night, they gave each other their virginity and neither regretted it.

When the two of them left Hogwarts, Tom had procured a position at Hogwarts as DADA professor – something he was very excited about – and Harry was going to study to become a healer. Tom knew that was the perfect job for Harry, as he loved to help people. He'd have to work hard with Potions as he always struggled with the subject, but Tom had already set aside some time each day to help Harry with it.

They were no longer secretive about their relationship, and when Tom received his teacher's quarters, Harry moved in too and no one batted an eye.

Tom never thought he'd live the ordinary life of a teacher, and without Harry, he probably wouldn't have. Without Harry, he would have delved a lot deeper into the Dark Arts, and he didn't know what would have happened then. Although this wasn't the life he pictured for himself, as Harry kissed him goodnight after a bout of lovemaking that left him shaken and sated, Tom realized he wouldn't have it any other way.