(no subject)
Author's Notes -
...And for those who prefer a happier ending, here you go. XP
Tripudio Ab Diabolus - Alternate Ending
The other wizard suddenly appeared to regain his composure as well as his ability to think coherently. He yelled at Lucius, "Bring the Anti-Venom! Now!" and the blond scurried off into an adjoining room. He returned a matter of seconds later with another vial which he handed to his Lord, who snatched it from him.
It was at that moment though that Harry prepared to rasp his last words on mortal soil.
"Voldemort, I rejec-" Harry started, then wheezed and coughed. Voldemort looked stricken, but surged foreward and forced the Anti-Venom down the pale throat, and this time the boy did put up a struggle, but failed in the end when Voldemort pinched his nose and the potion was swallowed down.
Harry gagged and spluttered and Voldemort immediately scooped Harry up into his arms, supporting the boy against his chest as he rubbed his back, trying to keep the younger from choking too much. Harry fought viciously at first, but between the bindings and his weakness he couldn't put up much of a fight. Eventually he broke down and began whimpering lowly, the last of his will to fight gone.
Voldemort rubbed his face against Harry's cheek, whispering to him in Parseltongue,
"Harry...please... I didn't know. I am not a good man, that much is true. I'm a horrible person, a monster. I kill my enemies without mercy; But I have never abused a child nor have I raped a single person. Those are things I would never stoop to. If I must kill a child, as it would have been with you, I would only ever have given a swift, painless death.
With you, I admit, as the years went on I made exceptions, as I too blamed you for everything that went wrong with my life and my plans, but now I see that was incorrect. As you also should be aware since you claimed to have done research, the madness had set in, from not finding my mate... from not finding you. You are not to blame, not even for your actions today. You've been manipulated by a conniving old bastard whom thinks he is God even moreso than I do.
How had he never noticed how absolutely divine Harry smelled before now?
Harry was silent for some time and if not for the feel of Harry's breathing against his own chest, Voldemort would have feared the boy had somehow perished after all. Suddenly, after a time, a quiet and worn voice was heard,
"I... I don't know. I really...don't know. That makes sense, I don't understand why I... I knew it, in a way. But I just couldn't stop myself, couldn't make myself not feel that... but it didn't seem real, somehow. It isn't... what's wrong with me?" Harry asked
Voldemort's expression hardened. "I do believe I know, Harry. And if I'm right, there'll be hell to pay."
did not place you with the Durley's when you undoubtedly had other relations,Dumbledore did. And when Lupin, The Weasleys and even Mcgonagall, - among many others - begged to take you in, I did not turn them away, Dumbledore did. I did not fake a prophecy just to make this happen, Dumbledore did.
"But you won't tell me?" Harry said more than asked
"No, Harry. I'm not completely sure yet and now isn't the time, I think we've both been through enough for now" Voldemort replied quietly.
Harry aquiesced, nodded and snuggled into Voldemort's chest, and the Dark Lord was suprised by how easily Harry had started warming up to him. It only made his suspicions even stronger... Dumbldore must have put a spell on him, to confuse his thoughts and then given a subconcious nudge to direct the boy's hate at Voldemort. He didn't particularly want to think about any of that at the moment though, considering how close he had come to losing both his life and his mate's.
He then tilted Harry's face up and stared at him, admiring his delicate, pale features. So beautiful... before Voldemort could stop himself, he leaned foreward, brushing his lips' against Harry's.
Harry made a startled noise in the back of his throat and pulled away; Voldemort allowed him. Harry looked guiltily up at Voldemort from under his lashes and the Dark Lord gently ran his fingers through the boy's raven hair and along the side of his face in a gesture of reassurance.
Harry spoke then, " I... don't know that I can... be in a relationship. I don't know if I'll ever be able to... the thought just sort of makes me feel sick inside, I'm sorry but I-"
"Shh", Voldemort cut him off, "It's quite alright. I don't expect anything of you, I don't wish for you to fight. Please just... stay with me. That is all I ask, nothing more." Nothing was said for some moments after Voldemort's statement.
"Okay," Harry's voice filled the momentary silence, "But you had better let me at least Crucio Bellatrix a couple hundred times."
Voldemort chuckled and nodded, and Harry looked up at him, pensive for a moment before his expression cleared and maybe it was the Dark Lord's imagination but it seemed he leant in to Voldemort a little more, and he seemed just a little happier than before.
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Well, that's it... I think.