Pairing: ?/?. (To reveal the pairing would ruin the plot. Read to find out.)

Rating: PG-13.

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Characters owned by J.K. Rowling.

Summary: Obsession can be a dangerous thing.

Those jade eyes haunted his dreams.  Sometimes there were nightmares, too, but he was never frightened of them for very long, and they affected him less as they came to visit him at night with increasing regularity. 

He smiled, his fingers tracing over the smooth pale flesh and the perfect lips.  He made a detour around the rims of the boy's glasses and ended with a light tap at the tip of his nose.  'Beautiful,' he murmured in a silky whisper, a little thrill of excitement settling in his groin as the boy flinched and turned away. 

Dreams and nightmares had no distinction anymore, not really.  His affection had been rebuked so often that he was convinced the boy was playing hard to get.  That was fine.  He was patient.  Besides, the boy could do nothing to escape here; he was trapped.  And he was going to be certain that in this room, at the very least, all his affections would be accepted. 

Whether the boy wanted them or not. 

'Don't do this,' he mouthed.  'I don't want to.  I'm not interested,' the boy tried once more, his throat working around the silent words. 

He shook his head.  'You'll see.  You'll want to.  I'll make you.  I'll make you love me,' he sighed, his fingers roving over the dark mane of hair and hesitating at the mark on the boy's forehead.  Something in his demeanour changed when he saw the scar and he snarled, 'And I won't be toyed with any longer.  I've waited and waited.  I've been a gentleman and I've never pressed the issue.  But you continue to ignore me, and I won't stand for it.  I won't!' 

He savoured the horror that twisted the boy's face at those words.  'You see?  It's no use fighting me.  I'll get what I want in the end.' 

The boy shook his head and shied away from his touch once more. 

'You'll see,' he whispered benevolently.  'We'll be together and I'll make you regret all those years of neglect.  Neglect!  After I worshipped you and loved you and you've never even looked at me!'  Angry spittle marred the boy's face and he suddenly gasped in horror.  'I'm so sorry,' he whimpered, stroking his shaking fingers across the stained spots.  'I'm so sorry, there -- beautiful again.  As you've always been.  Oh, and you'll be mine soon enough, Harry.'  

Colin smiled and unhooked the dripping photograph from the cord, magical essence spotting the table beneath.  He placed the delicate picture among a mass of others and he caressed a row of wincing Harry Potters.  'Soon,' he promised, lifting his free hand to close the light.