The next time they met, he had trousers on. Small mercies.
It was unfortunate that his second wish of having something more clever to say was completely wiped away in the face of the Dark Lord Voldemort, softly lit by the streaks of moonlight slipping through the canopy and the hundreds of blue-white lightning bugs he's slowly guiding into jars, magic weaving through the air in a gentle compulsion. He hadn't noticed Harry yet, and he was struck by the serene look on Voldemort's face. It was only then he realized he had only seen Voldemort when he was angry enough for his emotions to bleed into his head, when he was working, or both.
Just as Harry had resolved to melt back into the shadows and leave, Voldemort's entire body froze.
"Harry Potter. I'm beginning to believe you're stalking me."
"The second time you found me."
Voldemort caps the jars, trapping the lighting bugs inside. "What is it, I wonder, that draws us together." He stepped forward, jars forgotten behind him as Harry received the full weight of his attention.
Harry started wishing he had fled earlier, but he stood his ground and stared defiantly into Voldemort's eyes. Long, elegant digits brush aside the hair covering his scar, and Harry felt a strange and fleeing urge to cant into the touch like a cat. Voldemort's lips twitched up at the corners. Shit. Mind reader.
Harry averted his eyes. "Why is my scar not hurting?"
"I don't know." Harry had never in his life imagined Voldemort saying those words. But if he had, he would have imagined it admitted through gritted teeth, or laced with frustration. They were neither. They were spoken with simple curiosity.
"Why are you being so calm?" Harry asked instead.
"The gathering of starflies requires a state of total tranquility. It is a state I find difficult to reach without assistance."
Voldemort brings his hand back to Harry's face while he processes that statement.
"You're high?" Harry was about to say something else, what he has no idea, because at that moment Voldemort cups his face and presses him thumb flat to his scar.
Every thought Harry has ever had was now in slow motion. The tension drops out of his body, and when Voldemort says, "Intresting." He does not register why that would usually be a very concerning thing for Voldemort to say.
Harry didn't realize how much tension he carried in his body on a daily basis until it was gone. Wow. "Wow." He echoed out loud.
Voldemort laughed. It was a surprisingly nice sound, unlike his evil cackles. He closed his eyes to listen to it better, and the lack of sight made him feel strangely floaty. Like the only anchor was Voldemort's hand, still on his face. He leaned into the touch.
Voldemort coaxed his eyes open with soft words, "Only for a moment, I wish to test a theory," and this time Harry could feel something in his scar. It wasn't burning, though, it was a gentler heat. The sensation of Voldemort examining their connection while high was making him dizzy.
Shock ripped through the bond, and Voldemort abruptly tore himself out of his mind, making Harry twitch. "What-" he started.
Voldemort was making a stressed hissing noise. It was making Harry stressed. Harry did not want to be stressed. He covered Voldemort's mouth. "Stop. No stress."
Voldemort looked at him, then nodded. Harry removed his hand from his mouth, and leaned forward, his head falling onto Voldemort's shoulder.
A confusing swirl of emotions came through the connection. "Shhhh. Just. Relax. Until we're not high anymore."
So they stayed there. Voldemort's hand curling possessively into Harry's hair. "Until then."