A/n: It’s been a crazy week, sorry for the late update.

Thanks to my new beta, Aariya07, for editing this chapter.

Chapter Eighteen: Linger in the Doorway

As he came to an abrupt stop, the soles of his boots crushed the small rocks underneath. From the cover of a heavy hooded cloak, Tom eyed the dark house across from him. He leaned against the cool brick of a shop, his eyes taking in the manor with distaste.

The small and shabby manor didn’t surprise himin the least. The Rosier family had never been known for flaunting their money. In fact, they enjoyed the cold, the mold, and everything else that accompanied small and old homes.

Still, he couldn’t imagine Altair inside there, obsessing over his mother and attempting to destroy both his parents. Arietta and Altair were both Natural Legilimens, that was true; but didn’t Arietta have more experience in the mind arts than Altair did? Tom liked to think Altair had enough experience and power to hold his own against his mother. But Tom remembered Maude and Rue’s funeral. Arietta was a vicious bitch and wouldn’t hold back when it came to destroying a mind.

Tom tightened the hood around his face as he watched a few wizards cross the street. He’d ridden the train here and had seen Grindelwald’s mark across Eastern Europe. It wasn’t a mark Tom looked highly upon. Wherever Grindelwald traveled, devastation and poverty followed. Homes and towns were destroyed and wizards and witches lived in fear, always glancing over their shoulders. Men kept their children and wives close while their fists clenched around their wands.

Tom had stopped at a small wizarding village in Germany to grab a bite to eat before continuing on to the Rosier manor. His observations had been rather quick and simple. The wizarding world was living in fear. They did not look upon Grindelwald with respect. Granted, a Dark Lord was usually greeted with hostility from the Light wizards, but this was beyond hostility. This was fear and despair.

Everything was out of control here. Shops were being broken into and destroyed; and rogue wizards who weren’t even part of Grindelwald’s army were killing and harassing civilians on the streets.

There was no spark in Eastern Europe. From the looks of things, Grindelwald was aiming for total destruction. He was not aiming to strengthen his world against Muggles and Muggleborns. All he committed was slaughter and demolition.

Tom knew that coming here had been for his benefit as well. The war hasn’t touched Britain. When he sat in Britain, he was oblivious to what things were like here. But, standing here in the cold, Tom knew this wasn’t a path he wanted to follow. When he rose to power, things would be different, things would strengthen, not crumble. Surely, there would be more than a handful of Light wizards who would be against a Dark wizard in power; but it would be fun to have a bit of a challenge. Power struggles brought out the worst in men, and Tom couldn’t wait to play that game.

But currently, he needed to get the one man he could rely upon during war.

Tom exhaled, imperturbably watching as his breath escaped in a foggy cloud. He put all his anxiety behind a sturdy wall and made his way across the street. His wand was easily accessible should he need it instantaneously. When he entered the Rosier territory, he knew he wouldn’t be welcomed at all. No matter; he enjoyed the thrill of it all. He wouldn’t be leaving without Altair in tow.

Cracks and dirt decorated the marble steps, making the beautiful marble hardly recognizable. This manor had potential, but the occupants inside preferred the gloominess to the grandiosity.

Lifting his hand, he knocked sharply at the door.

He only had to wait a minute before the door cracked open, revealing a dark eye. Tom raised an eyebrow as a chuckle floated past the pale lips. “And who might you be?” The accent was Polish, clearly signaling that the figure was Lycoris Rosier, Blake’s father.

“I’ve come here for Altair. Is he here?”

The chuckles died down, turning into a heavy sigh. “No, there is no Altair here.”

Just as the door was about to shut, Tom quickly placed his foot in the way, stopping it from closing. “Forgive me, I meant to ask for Harry Grindelwald. Is he residing here?” Snow began to fall. A few flakes settled on his arms, contrasting sharply against Tom’s black cloak.

Lycoris hummed, pleased. “He is,” the man purred. The door opened a bit more. “Please, come in.”

Tom threw the man a quick glance and proceeded inside. The manor’s worn exterior was a great improvement over the interior. It was dark inside with no windows showing off the bright grey sky. Instead, heavy drapes covered the windows, casting the house in eternal darkness. The atmosphere stank of mold and dust. Tom shifted, the wooden floor beneath his feet creaking with every small twitch he made.

Keeping his hood drawn, Tom followed Lycoris into a sitting room. There was a hint of a breakfast aroma coming from the adjoining room. “You may sit. I will get Harry for you.” Was it really this simple?

Tom kept his lips closed, considering the man as he glided from the room. Lycoris wouldn’t be the highest hurdle he needed to cross. It was Arietta and Altair he had to dance with.

“Who is this?” A voice sang quietly from behind him.

Tom turned calmly, slowly, eyeing the small witch approaching him. She was just as he remembered. Her dark eyes were deranged and the smile that stretched her painted lips couldn’t be any more unwelcoming. The black hair she passed on to her son tumbled down her back in unruly strands.

From underneath his hood, Tom smirked. “I’m no one of importance.”

She laughed. “No importance?” Her tongue ran across her teeth and she leaned her torso forward, eyeing Tom with glee. “I don’t think you are unimportant.”

He had his Occlumency shields up. The very same shields Altair had helped him construct. But he wasn’t stupid. He knew a Natural Legilimens could easily rip through his shields if they wanted to. Moreover, Tom was on her property now. She would have no qualms about destroying his mind.

His eyes dropped to her fingers, watching idly as the long crimson nails tapped against one another. “Are you Tommy?” She asked breathlessly, her eyes wide with childlike wonder. Tom remembered Altair informing him that his mother wasn’t right in the head. He was looking at the proof. However, Tom felt a certain amount of intelligence coming from her.

An insane man or woman with intelligence was a dangerous enemy. Tom wondered at Altair’s sanity. Had Tom not seen the spark of insanity in Altair that was just waiting to flourish under his mother’s guidance? After all, both his parents were walking a fine line between sanity and insanity.

“Arietta.”

That voice. Tom stiffened at the tone, closing his eyes briefly at the unexpected emotions washing over him. He didn’t realize how much he missed his lover until he found himself standing on a dusty rug, listening to him for the first time in weeks.

Arietta’s smile froze and she turned to look at the boy standing casually in the doorway. “I was just having a bit of fun with your visitor; no harm done.”

Tom eyed Altair from underneath his hood, interested in noting the differences that had already taken affect. The first thing he noticed was the way Altair carried himself. Like his mother, his stance was guarded and a bit hunched forward. It was as though he were ready for an attack at any angle, ready to dodge, to fight back. The boy’s hair was also lanky, falling into his face and eyes. The unruliness that always sprang his hair in every direction was absent. It was as if Altair had decided not to wash or take care of himself.

And then it was his body stature that Tom noticed next. Altair had never been a lithe or muscular boy; he’d always been small. Now, though, he was practically all bones. His cheeks were sunken and pale, showing off the haunted green eyes.

The change didn’t sit well with Tom. It made him driven to do all he could to become a trusted ally in Altair’s untrusting environment.

“Leave us,” Altair whispered hoarsely, his shoulders and neck tense. His eyes were on his mother, challenging her.

Tom didn’t know if they were in each other’s mind, or near one another’s mind, but they were stepping around each other like cornered and aggressive predators. Seeing this exchange made Tom wonder how fast it would take for Altair to snap. To always be tested, to always be defensive, couldn’t do positives on the mind.

But perhaps … perhaps that’s what Arietta was aiming for? To make her son a bit more insane.

The woman hissed like a cat in Altair’s face before gliding out of the room.

Altair’s expression didn’t change. “You too, Blake, I want to be alone.”

Tom stiffened at the command, turning to see Blake Rosier hunched over the back of a chair, watching the proceedings with a tight grin. When Altair demanded his absence, Blake stood up, his grin disappearing. “Are you sure, Harry? I’d like to see you kick his arse.”

“Follow your Master’s order, Rosier,” Tom drawled softly, ticked at the first name privilege Rosier gave Altair.

Before Blake Rosier left, the boy turned around, his eyebrows hitched high. “Did you forget whose territory you just stepped foot in, Tom?”

“That’s enough,” Altair spat, motioning angrily at Blake. “I said, leave us.” As soon as Blake walked out of the room, Altair waved his wand and the doors slammed shut, a privacy ward sliding in place. As quick as a serpent, Altair was in Tom’s face, his wand digging deeply into his throat. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you?”

Tom could barely breathe, but he tried his best not to let that show. Instead, he dropped his hood, eyeing Altair. Before he could open his mouth and give the explanation he’d practiced so many times on the train, he felt Altair enter his mind forcibly.

He staggered backward at the force of the entrance. Altair didn’t enter gently, like he had so many times before; instead, he entered brutally. Memories forced their way forward from the back of his mind. Tom panicked, thinking Altair was going to try to remove his memories again. His body froze for just a second before he physically lunged at Altair with all his strength.

He slammed Altair back against the wall, successfully getting the shocked boy out of his mind. “Those are my memories,” Tom gave a raspy growl in Altair’s face, flattening the smaller wizard between the wall and his chest. His hands clutched greedily at Altair, running all over the diminutive body. Moving his palms down the boy’s chest, his fingers sought the wound he knew was present on Altair’s stomach, pressing on it.

Altair moaned before hissing in pain, his face scrunching up with agony.

“Mine,” Tom hissed, his eyes becoming half-lidded.

“You’re a bloody bastard,” Altair breathed, his voice pitched high in pain. “I wasn’t removing your memories. I was trying to see what Dumbledore told you.” The boy’s fingers shook as they struggled to remove Tom’s hands from his stomach, but Tom was far more physically dominant.

Pressing his fingers into the wound, he felt the blood soak the pads of his fingers through the cloak. He had a strange urge to feel the wound he made and he also wanted to cause pain to Altair. He wanted the boy to feel the pain Tom felt, despite the fact that Tom knew damned well that Altair had already felt so much pain.

He clenched his teeth together, trying to gather his self-control before pulling away from the slumped form of Altair. He stared at the crimson stains on his fingers, his eyes becoming dilated. Bringing his fingers up to his face, he inhaled, a sick sense of pleasure washing over him.

“You’re a fool,” Tom whispered softly. “You had no right to leave me.” Inhaling the blood of Altair once more, he dropped his hand and turned to the panting wizard. “Did you really think you could leave so easily? I will always find you.”

Altair looked frail and shaken, his fingers lamely clutching his wand.

“Look at you,” Tom continued snidely. “You say you want to kill me, but you aren’t even raising your wand against me.”

This isn’t how he’d imagined this conversation to go. He had visions of getting down on his knees, coming across as pitiable as he pleaded with Altair to forgive him. But when he was in Altair’s company, he always felt the need to dominate, to act tougher than he felt. The boy challenged every emotion he had.

“It’s too soon,” Altair shot back as he tried to straighten up. His voice was soft at first and then rose in volume and confidence. Green eyes looked down at his black cloak, touching the dark spots around his stomach where Tom made it bleed. “And Dumbledore is a meddling fool. You are not welcome here.”

“I hurt you,” Tom turned his shoulder on Altair, finding it easier now that he didn’t have to see the angelic features. “I apologize for what I did. You need to trust me when I say I regret what I did to you.” There was silence and Tom knew he had to continue. “The Horcruxes I made … they are no longer active. The night I almost killed you was the night my soul merged back into one.”

His bloodstained fingers clenched before he turned to stare at Altair’s empty eyes. “I’m whole once again, Altair. And I’ve come here to help you.”

The dark-haired boy gave a close-lipped laugh. “You expect me to accept you back so easily?” Altair stood straight, his face twisting in pain. “You betrayed me. You almost killed me. I tried to help you and—,”

“You did help me,” Tom shot back defensively. “Yes, I betrayed your trust and I did almost kill you. I won’t deny those claims. But don’t assume you didn’t help me. You’ve helped me realize true power. Now it’s my turn to help you. You can’t continue on like this. Your mother will break you; your father will play you. I will not allow that,” he said hotly, his jaws clenched. “You have no reason to be angry with me, Altair.”

The boy’s eyebrows rose. “You assume too much, Tom. I have every reason to hate you, to be angry with you.”

Tom played with his fingers before pulling off the Gaunt ring. He laid it on his palm, staring longingly at it, before extending his arm toward Altair. The boy’s eyes widened at the black onyx ring. “Under the influence of the Horcruxes, I didn’t care about anyone but myself and splitting my soul,” Tom started quietly. “No matter how many times I hurt you, you came back. You tried to help me understand the consequences of splitting my soul. Now that I no longer have a Horcrux, I want you to come back to me again.”

It was exceedingly symbolic offering his family ring—which had once held his soul—to Altair with fingers that were stained with the boy’s blood.

“You must think me easy.” Altair’s voice lost its bite and he continued staring at the ring bitterly.

“No,” Tom shook his head, his lips twitching. “I think you are reckless for coming here. I … care for you, Altair, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Altair slowly reached forward and curled his fingers around the Gaunt ring. Tom watched as the small wizard handled the ring in an almost tender manner. He remembered seeing Altair’s surprised stare on the ring that night at the shack. For some reason, that ring attracted Altair. Tom would gladly give it away if it meant Altair would understand his remorse.

“You don’t have any more Horcruxes.” It wasn’t a question, just a murmured statement. Altair could sense lies and he would have known if Tom had been lying about regretting the act of creating the Horcruxes. “It must have been painful for you when you regretted creating the Horcruxes. Professor Slughorn told me the chances of you living were slim to none if you felt true regret.” Green eyes looked up at him. “I want to hurt you and make you feel pain, Tom, but I think you’ve felt enough pain to understand what you put me through.”

Altair reached for Tom’s hand and curled the ring in his palm. “Please, go back to Hogwarts,” Altair whispered. “Start your regime.”

Tom stood there, dumbly, staring at his closed fist where his ring sat. “I don’t think you heard me,” Tom began, looking back up at Altair. “I won’t leave without you by my side.”

“It would be stupid of me to be angry with you, Tom. After all, you’ve regretted the things you’ve done and come here—to Poland, to apologize. I can forgive you, but I don’t know if I can ever become your lover again; or trust you, for that matter.” Green eyes stared up at him, blinking quickly. “I think you’ll be a brilliant Dark Lord now that you’ve got your head on straight. But this is the path I need to take. I need to be here, with Grindelwald. And you need to go back to Hogwarts.”

Tom’s fist clutched the ring as he tried to control himself. He wasn’t going to push romance with Altair right now, but he was going to persist with the argument that he needed to stay here. “Do you need to be so stubborn?”

Altair backed away from him and leaned against the table as he cleaned the bloodstains off his cloak. “You’ve taken care of your father, Tom. Now let me do the same. Besides, you’re on Grindelwald’s territory. I don’t think he’ll take too kindly to your presence.”

“I pose no threat to him. Yet.”

Altair glanced up at him, his shoulders uptight. “Tom.”

“Altair,” Tom mocked, making his voice higher to match Altair’s. He kept the ring loosely in his fist as he made his way over to the glaring wizard. “What do you expect to accomplish here?” He whispered softly, his body leaning toward the one man he could call his equal.

Altair looked back at him, his lips becoming a fine line, easily signaling that he wasn’t going to talk about it. “I think you have your own idea what I’m doing here, Tom. I won’t encourage or discourage that idea.” It appeared as if the boy had spoken the truth when he’d said he wouldn’t trust Tom again. Either that or there was something else behind the scenes. “No matter,” Altair straightened up. “Arietta would have a field day with your mind. I want you to leave.”

“Even if you kick me out of this house, I will not leave Poland.” Tom sat down on one of the chairs, crossing his legs and raising his eyebrows at Altair in challenge. “Our roles have been reversed, Altair; can’t you see? It’s my time to help you and I will not fail.”

Altair’s face turned red and he glanced at the clock above the mantle. “I do not need help.”

“And yet, you’re here, in this dilapidated house, waiting for the vicious Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald to take notice of your presence. And, in the meantime, you get to suffer and defend your mind against your own mother every second of the day. Tell me how that doesn’t require help? I need to make sure your feet stay firmly planted in this world, not the world your mother and father float on.”

From his position on the chair, Tom watched snidely as Altair shook his head. “It’s amusing, isn’t it?” Tom whispered, taking pleasure in the sway he had over Altair. Earlier, he had thought only Dumbledore had a certain handle over the boy. But Tom had his own sway over Altair and he would play on it. “That I said the same thing to you when I needed help.”

The haunted green eyes seemed to come alive as they narrowed into slits. Tom leaned back, smug. Oh, he desired Altair so much.

“Said what?”

“I said I didn’t need any help.”

Altair breathed deeply, turning away from Tom and looking into the soot-filled fireplace. “I know you’ll be standing outside this home everyday until I come back to England. And no matter how much I don’t want you here, I’d feel safer with you beside me.” Altair then turned to Tom, his face serious. “You have to agree with me not to interfere. I will be meeting Gellert privately, no doubt, and you cannot accompany me. You also have to agree to a mind bond with me so Arietta can’t enter your mind.”

Tom leaned forward, clasping his fingers together after he placed the ring on the table. Even if he were facing forward, he took note of Altair’s interest in the ring. “I can agree on those terms.” Tom nodded, turning to meet green eyes. “As long as you continue showing me you have your sanity, you can stay here. If you express the insanity your mother shows, I will bring you back to Hogwarts under Dumbledore’s thumb.”

“You sound like a father, Tom.”

“No,” Tom hissed softly. “I sound like a lover who is concerned. Grindelwald is not someone who you can play with, Altair. He’s a Dark Lord. Have you seen the destruction he’s caused throughout Eastern Europe? Like you said before, he may be smart and brilliant, but he is insane. He’s let the Dark control him.”

Altair stood straight, slowly making his way closer to Tom. “It’s very common for a Dark Lord to become servants of the Dark. Just look at you. You were under the Dark’s leash for quite some time.”

Tom glowered, only because he didn’t like to be reminded of how weak he’d been. “What are you trying to say? That your father may have a redeeming quality about him and you’ll try to dig that sanity out? It won’t work like it did for me because he’s been under the Dark’s service for over thirty years.”

The expression Altair had on his face was pure determination. Tom clenched his teeth together, irritated at the stubbornness Altair had about him. “He’s my father, Tom. I don’t know what I have planned for Gellert. I have yet to meet him face-to-face. And, until that time, I can’t be sure if he even has a redeeming quality.” Altair leaned forward, his face tight. “In the meantime, I need to keep your mind protected; not only to keep you sane from Arietta but to keep my secrets secret.”

“What exactly does this mind bond entitle?” Tom crossed his legs, feeling smug now that he won the argument.

“Don’t look so smug.” Altair flashed a mischievous smile. “This bond will allow me to read your thoughts as if they were my own and see all those memories you want to suppress. If I want to, that is.”

“Oh, Altair,” Tom tisked, standing up and using his height as an added threat, “what are you leaving out?”

The boy’s lips thinned and the green eyes looked less than pleased as they narrowed up at Tom. “Who said I was leaving anything out?”

“I know you better then that,” Tom breathed. “This bond goes two ways, doesn’t it? I will be able to read your thoughts and memories.” The very idea appealed to him more than he let on. Getting inside Altair’s head was always something he wanted to accomplish.

“It does,” Altair admitted. The small wizard turned his shoulder on Tom and paced back and forth slowly. “But, considering I’m a Natural Legilimens, I can block you out of my mind easily. Your half of the link will need to penetrate through my Occlumency walls. We only need my link to work on your mind to alert me if Arietta gets past the shield I place in your head. By having this bond, you’ll have a very strong Occlumency shield in your mind, almost as strong as mine. I’m the only one who should get past it. If Arietta goes so far and breaks through, I will be alerted of your location the moment she penetrates through.

“Of course, there are negatives to this bond,” Altair continued. “For one thing, I may need to put all my focus on blocking Arietta from my mind. In doing so, I may let you slip inside my head.” Tom covered his grin expertly, raising his eyebrows to silently urge Altair to continue. “Another downside is that we are connected. Meaning that if Arietta and I engage in a mental duel and she damages my mind, she will damage yours in return.”

“Why would you need to participate in a mental duel with her?”

Altair turned to look at him dubiously. “My mother and I will engage in a mental duel, I guarantee you that. One of us will end up brain damaged, or both of us will. Two Natural Legilimens cannot duel one another physically or magically; it will need to be done mentally.” Tom didn’t like the sound of a mental duel. Not when he knew how vicious Arietta was.

“You won’t hesitate to tear her mind, will you?” Tom questioned, wanting to make sure Altair knew Arietta’s unconcern when it came to brutality.

“Going back to the conversation at hand,” Altair interrupted the conversation in favor of returning to the original topic. “Your mind will be just as damaged as mine. Luckily, the caster who initiated the bond can sever it at any moment. I will be able to do it quickly, before the duel, but I thought I should warn you just in case.”

The mind bond sounded legit enough. It would keep Arietta out of his mind and Tom could get a chance to worm his way inside Altair’s mind at the same time. It also granted him solid assurance that he could stay here in Poland. The downside of the bond wasn’t exactly a disadvantage. Granted, Altair could see inside his mind easier, but when couldn’t the boy enter his mind?

“Do it.”

Altair gave a deep, almost tired sigh. “I was hoping the last term would make you back off. Must I remind you that, with this bond, I can easily destroy your mind as well? I can take advantage of you … destroy you.”

Tom sat down again, his face not at all affected. “Really?” Tom drawled. “That sounds familiar, where have I heard that before? Ah, yes. You said that almost a year ago when explaining what a Natural Legilimens could do. You could do that to me in seconds even without this bond. Why haven’t you done so yet?” He lifted his chin, studying Altair. “That’s your problem, Altair. You’re too nice. You are all bark and no bite. You need to be more vicious.” Tom hissed, narrowing his eyes. “If I were you, I would have destroyed my mind by now.”

“That can easily be arranged, Tom,” Altair growled, locking his jaw.

“No,” he breathed. “I will help you become more sadistic. Your mother won’t know what hit her.” Tom leaned forward hungrily when he remembered something. “I’ve read about mind bonds before, Altair. Some of my guilty pleasures may rub off on you. My carelessness for death and torture may be your new weapon.”

Altair scoffed. “That rarely happens, Tom. And who knows? My love for Albus may rub off on you.”

Tom paled and felt mentally ill at that notion.

Before he could retort, a hand pushed at his chest, flattening his back against the chair. Altair was looming over him and Tom couldn’t help feeling aroused. The boy was all but straddling his lap, and Altair looked delectable when he was angry. “You’re Head Boy, Tom. You have followers in Britain who may need your presence. Are you sure you want to stay in Poland?”

Tom already thought of the consequences of his leave of absence. He already weighed his options. And he already knew what he could gain if he stayed here. Malfoy, Black, and Mulciber were watching the Slytherins in his absence. It would be a test of their loyalty when Tom saw how things were when he got back to Britain.

His fingers grazed Altair’s flawless cheek. “I’m staying here until you decide to come back with me.”

Altair hissed angrily, grabbing Tom by the neck and slamming him back against the chair. Tom gave a laugh as Altair tried to strangle him. “We are not lovers, Tom. Just because I forgave you for being a bloody arsehole and a complete fucking bastard, doesn’t mean I like you or want you. I’m only allowing you to stay inside this house because I know you’ll stand outside this manor for eternity. I’m not physically removing you from Poland because you’ll just keep coming back. And I’m not initiating this bond for your own good, but for my own good. I don’t want my secrets being presented to Arietta on a silver platter. Do you understand? Don’t assume you can touch me so freely or I will remove every memory of us from that inflated head of yours.”

Tom gave a lipless smile, not at all phased by the words. Altair noticed his excitement and gave a disgusted sneer. “You would be aroused by this, Tom. Only your sadistic mind enjoys torture this much.”

“I’m sorry, Altair, what were you saying? I was distracted by the delicious image you would make covered in blood.” He wasn’t really wondering that, but he was enjoying those acidic green eyes brightening with each word. Those eyes had been so dull when he’d arrived. Now they were back to their normal light. Tom felt smug knowing that he had put that light back in them.

“This may be a bit painful,” Altair confessed, his tone suggesting he wasn’t at all sorry for Tom.

Tom inhaled deeply, lifting his chin to stare into Altair’s eyes. The boy’s brows were furrowed and, before long, Tom felt the wizard enter softly into his mind. Tom could feel the icy presence of Altair as the wizard wandered near his mind barrier. The Legilimens seemed to spread his ice-like magic around his mind, freezing his barriers and collecting his memories and thoughts. It was a quick process and, before long, Altair was already leaving his mind.

That’s where it became painful.

It was almost as if a piece of Altair was left in his mind. His head gave a painful tug toward the retreating Altair, almost as though his mind wanted to follow. Tom gave a whimper, his eyes crushing together as Altair fully exited. His head was throbbing but the icy quality of Altair’s magic seemed to soothe the burn.

If he concentrated enough, he could feel the added strength in his mind. It was unbelievably defensive and everything that was Altair. He saw a thread in his mind. It was attached to the front of his mind barrier and stretched endlessly into a black abyss where Tom was sure it led to Altair’s mind. He attempted to follow the white glowing thread, only to be blocked.

At least now he knew what direction to travel when he wanted to see inside Altair’s mind. When the boy was busy defending himself against Arietta, Altair would no doubt have to let his defenses slip on his bond with Tom. And when that happened, Tom was sure he could slip inside.

“Don’t be too sure,” Altair remarked jadedly.

Tom opened his eyes, narrowing them at Altair. “You can read my mind that easily?”

“I can. It’s this easy for many people who don’t have a barrier. Try having to listen to Lycoris think nasty thoughts about Arietta all day. And the kicker? He knows she’s listening.” Altair swallowed passed the vomit. “It’s disgusting, vile, and wrong on so many levels. The children at Hogwarts had minds this open. I heard them all day. Over the years, I learned to tone them down and keep a shield up. Which is what I’m going to do with you. I’d rather keep myself sane than listen to your egotistical and manipulative thoughts.”

Altair pulled away from Tom just as the door opened.

Blake poked his head in, surveying the situation through less than pleased eyes. “Lord Grindelwald is on his way over, Harry. I thought I’d warn you.”

“Thank you, Blake.” Altair gave a cool nod, turning his back on the Rosier heir. Tom sat up, watching through hooded eyes as Blake hesitantly left the room. “Take this,” Altair ordered, pushing the ring closer to Tom. “I don’t want Gellert seeing this.”

“I gave it to you.” Tom replied coldly. He cast a suspicious look at Altair’s profile, wondering about the ring and its true value. Still, it would be cowardly to take back the Gaunt ring when he’d presented it to Altair.

He watched as Altair turned to stare down at the ring, considering.

Further down the house, they felt the shift in magic.

It could only mean one thing.

Gellert Grindelwald was here.

Altair took a deep intake of air, his fingers closing around the ring and hurriedly placing it deep within his cloak pocket. “We will discuss things later, Tom. We are far from finished with this conversation.” Tom gave a tense nod, watching as the door slowly opened.

He only hoped Altair was strong enough to confront his father and play it smart.