Title: Shattered Glass and Broken Hearts

Author: charredsunshine

Warning: M/M, angst, hurt/comfort

Summary: The Wizarding World has finally performed their last betrayal. Labelled a traitor, the-boy-who-lived is thrown into Azkaban without a trial. Can the dark lord fix what's lost, or will his efforts be entirely too late?

Chapter 8: Would you like some Syrup with that Aww?

Harry listened queitly to everything Tom had to say. Even when he wanted to scream out questions and accusations, he kept quiet. Even when he wanted to storm out, because it was all becoming too much, he kept quiet, because he was waiting for the moment Tom would give a legitimate excuse for why he feels he would've been better off with Dumbledore. When Tom finally quieted, and Harry had had yet to hear an excuse, Harry turned to the Dark Lord: his face entirely closed off.

"Thomas, Marvolo Riddle."

"Yes, Harry?"

"I want you to give me one good reason why I shouldn't get up this second and walk out the door. Give me one good reason why I should stay in your faction."

When Tom tried to think of a reason, he couldn't find one, and instead of answering, he bent his head in guilt.

"I joined your side, thinking that I was getting the better end of the deal. Instead, things have been worse! Not only have you kept secrets from me, you've lied to me, AND you've attempted to MANIPULATE my FEELINGS. Did you even feel guilty when I called you Damien? Did you? Did you feel like the fraud you were?"

Tom was quiet.

"HUH!?"

"Y-Yes."

"Good! Cause you are! You're nothing but a fraudulent little...fraudulent little...How DARE you! Are you truly so desperate!? Have you no pride that you have to try and fool your way into my good graces!?"

"I'm sorry." The quiet whisper didn't reach Harry's ears through the rant, however. He went on about how he couldn't believe he'd thought the dark lord would be a better choice.

"I'm sorry!"

"Sometimes I wish...Sometimes I wish you hadn't..."

"GOD DAMNIT! I'M SORRY!"

Harry turned around to give the dark lord a real piece of his mind, but he stopped in shock when he saw the wizard had his hands firmly clasped to his ears, trying to block out the sound of Harry's tirade, and yelling.

"I'M SORRY! I didn't mean to lie! I didn't mean to disappoint you! I didn't mean...I didn't mean to UPSET you so much! I just...I'm sorry!"

Harry looked at the shaking man, and sighed gently. What was he going to do with this person? Harry walked over and knelt before the dark lord, hiding his shock well at the sight of angry tears. Whether they were tears of anger towards Harry or the dark Lord himself was unknown, but Harry found the sight oddly transfixing. He'd never imagined the dark lord could actually cry. The possibility of actual human emotions had just seemed so...far off.

He reached his hands up, and parted Tom's hands away from his ears.

"Ssh. Tom...Tom, it's alright. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"You don't understand what it felt like to hear those words."

"What words, Tom."

"The ones you used to reject me! What others!?"

"What do you..."

Tom stood up to leave the room, but Harry's hand wrapped tightly around his wrist stopped him from moving. When Tom tried to free himself, Harry just held on tighter, and before the dark Lord knew it, he was being yanked towards the Gryffindor and thrown onto the bed.

"You, Thomas Riddle are going nowhere until I get some answers. Now I am isick/i and tired, understand? I am going to get to the bottom of what's wrong with you, and I am going to do it now."

When Tom looked daringly at the door, Harry moved to block him.

"That exit is light-years away, so start talking."

Right in front of the door, Harry sat himself crosslegged and stared. When he saw the dark lord crying, he realized that there was so much he didn't know about the man. Sure he's been told the truth, but...It's just the prejudice that this is the DARK LORD. Harry had too many expectations when he came in.

"You're right. I don't understand anything about you, but you can't expect me to want to learn when you keep lying and manipulating me."

"I know, but...I guess I didn't know what else to do. I felt like I had no choice.

"I am not an impossible person, Tom. I don't see how..."

"Yes you are! You are impossible! I didn't ask you to sign a marriage contract! I didn't even ask for your hand! I just told you the circumstances and then you just..."

"I don't understand why it even bothers you!"

"I was HAPPY, you brat! I was happy! The first day I found out about you, I was happy."

"How could you have been happy? You barely knew me!"

"I was happy because of the idea of you."

"What?"

"You don't get it."

"Then explain it to me! Explain it to me, because by Merlin, this is the first time I'm hearing ANY of this! Why would you be happy with the idea of me?"

"You don't...You don't know what it meant to me to find out I had a mate. You don't know what being a mate is. A mate is someone you dedicate your whole life to. Your happiness is firmly grasped within their hands, and they become your everything. At the same time, the sentiments are returned. Your mate is the person you spend your whole life with. You wake up in the morning, and they're there. When you hold your mate's hand the first time, there's that jolt of electricity. Twenty years later, there's the warmth of familiarity and companionship. I WANTED that. I WANTED that kind of a relationship with someone. Ever since I was young, I was a genius at school and a nuisance outside of it, but I was never loved. That's what you represented for me. When you rejected me the way you did, it just...It was like everything just crumbled into fine dust. I just wanted to do anything to change your mind."

"Why...Why is this the first time I'm hearing these words? I never..."

"How do you expect the dark lord to share his feelings outside of an emotional breakdown? It's not very 'in character' is it?"

When the Dark Lord turned his head, Harry smiled just a little bit.

"That, Thomas Riddle has to be the most romantic excuse I have ever heard."

"Do you forgive me?"

Here Harry sighed, wondering if he truly did forgive him. There was the terrible manipulation, but the intentions were vaguely in the right place. Also, he told the truth before Harry managed to confront the man with his dream.

"Well the way I figure it, you're a Slytherin. Manipulation is an instinct, and...you just went with what you thought would work. What's really getting you off the hook is that you told me the truth before I confronted you."

The Gryffindor smiled when Tom's head bowed in relief. The dark lord was proud that he made the right decision in telling Harry the truth. He could just imagine if he'd chosen otherwise.

"Listen. I know that I was hasty in what I said that day."

"Yes..."

"And I shouldn't have treated you the way I did."

"Yes..."

"So I guess I've made my decision."

"What decision?"

"Why don't we start off simple. Show me what you have to offer."

"Harry..."

Harry smiled at the approaching excitement in the Dark Lord's voice.

"I'm agreeing to a courtship."

-

AUTHOR NOTE:

Alright. I know this chapter is PAINFULLY short, but I thought it would be nice to put everyone out of their misery and find out if Harry forgave Tom or not. Plus, this chapter has a little more depth in Tom's character. It came out better than I thought it would. A little sappy, but cute nonetheless.

I hope everyone enjoys!