Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Challenges listed at the bottom.
Word Count: 2085
AN: Mixture of Eras here, but there's no Voldemort, and Harry and Tom are at Hogwarts at the same time with a mix of different characters.
Explicitly Unspoken
Tom's knuckles were white where he gripped the table. Lucius sat beside him, an amused look on his face as he watched the scene play out across the room.
He glanced at Tom, and arched an elegant eyebrow. "You cannot kill her. Someone's got to tell her the rules, first."
Tom nodded stiffly, never taking his eyes away from the Ravenclaw who'd dared to put her hand on his Harry's shoulder.
Not that Harry actually knew he was Tom's, but details were unimportant.
Really, Tom thought that the girl probably already knew the rules. They'd been in place for long enough that almost the whole school—except for Harry—knew about them.
She was likely just hoping that he wouldn't be able to do anything to her in the middle of the Great Hall.
Idiot.
Tom's eyes narrowed as Harry laughed at something she said. Harry's laughs belonged to him.
How dare she?
Tom already had to share Harry with the friends he'd made in Gryffindor—Weasley and Granger took up entirely too much of his time—but there was no way would he accept their time being cut even shorter by someone thinking that they could lay a claim on something that was already Tom's.
"You should fix that, Lucius," he murmured, his tone deceptively soft. Lucius could hear the danger in it though.
He straightened slightly and nodded. "It'll be dealt with before lunch."
"Good."
Tom stood, his breakfast forgotten as he crossed the hall into lion territory. When they were younger, the Gryffindor's had always glared at him, suspicious about his motives for being there, but now they paid him no mind.
He was as much a fixture at the Gryffindor table as Harry was at the Slytherin one.
"Tom!"
It was always gratifying when Harry showed such enthusiasm at his mere presence, and he awarded him with a genuine smile.
"Harry." Tom looked at the Ravenclaw. "Chang."
She paled slightly, but managed a shaky smile. "Riddle. I should, uh, go."
His eyes widened slightly in agreement, and she moved her hand off Harry's shoulder as thought she'd been burnt. Tom smirked slightly as he sat down beside Harry and immediately stole his coffee.
"You know they serve coffee at your table, right?" Harry teased.
"It's better over here," Tom replied with a shrug. "Favouritism."
"But it tastes the same when I drink coffee at the Slytherin table," Harry pointed out.
"I didn't say they were favouring the lions. The elves favour you," Tom replied. "Actually everyone favours you. It's quite sickening."
Laughing, Harry shook his head. "You're ridiculous."
"As you say," Tom replied, rolling his eyes. "I have to go, I just wanted to say good morning."
"And steal my coffee."
"That too. I'll see you at lunch?"
Harry wrinkled his nose. "Quidditch practice. The team have been struggling with—"
"Are you actively trying to torture me?" Tom interrupted.
Harry's eyes sparked with mischief.
"If I don't see you before, I'll see you after dinner, okay?" Tom asked, and Harry nodded, leaning into his side for a brief moment.
"See you later, Tom."
…
By the time Tom got to the Room of Requirement shortly after dinner, he was in a foul mood. He hadn't seen Harry all day, and apparently, somewhere between breakfast and lunch, Chang had grown a backbone.
Lucius had winced when he'd told Tom that her exact words had been, "Until Riddle grows a pair and asks Harry out, he's fair game."
She was lucky—or perhaps smart enough—that she hadn't said it to his face, of course. His rage would have flowed with such ease from his wand and he'd have made sure that she regretted her words.
But of course she hadn't, and now word had spread, because that's what happened at Hogwarts. The rumour mill was always ticking over, but when something actually happened, it seemed to go into hyper-drive.
Tom was only lucky that Harry was quite possibly the most oblivious person on the planet.
And the thing was, he knew Harry loved him. They'd been inseparable since their first year, even their differing houses hadn't changed that. If Tom could only be sure that Harry thought about him romantically as well, he'd have no problem claiming him publicly and proudly.
It was just… if Harry didn't feel that way, Tom was concerned what such an admittance would do to their friendship. His friendship with Harry was precious to him—probably the most important thing in his life—and he didn't want to ruin it.
He'd protect his friendship with Harry over everything else in the world, and so at least for now, he'd keep his feelings secret.
Still, between Chang and the fact that he hadn't seen Harry since breakfast, his mood was not the best.
"I think I'm dying," were the words that announced Harry's arrival, and Tom huffed, amused despite his dismal mood.
"Tell me you're being dramatic please," he requested, when Harry practically threw himself onto the sofa.
"Maybe a little. But also, I'd maybe have more look at Quidditch this year if I replaced half of my team with adolescent trolls."
Tom patted his legs and Harry lifted his own into Tom's lap. He moaned when Tom dug strong fingers into the aching muscles of his calves.
"Ugh, my hero," he murmured, smiling at Tom briefly before he closed his eyes.
They were silent for a while, and then Harry opened his eyes to meet Tom's. The usual emerald green seemed darker, and Tom felt a stab of lust.
Harry looked aroused.
The look was gone in a moment though, and Tom wasn't confident that he hadn't imagined it.
"What time is it?" Harry asked.
Tom twisted himself to look at the clock on the wall, wrinkling his nose. "Just after eight."
Harry groaned. "I still have to write two essays."
"Potions and Charms?" Tom asked, arching his eyebrow.
Harry nodded. "How did you know?"
"Because I told you to do them three days ago," Tom pointed out with a smirk. Harry kicked him, light enough that it didn't actually hurt. "Get your books, I'll help you."
Harry wandlessly summoned his books from his bag and Tom rolled his eyes at the display of power—and utter laziness.
"Show off."
"Jealous," Harry replied, nudging him.
Tom couldn't disagree, although it wasn't Harry's power that stirred the emotion. No, currently, it was the quill that Harry was holding delicately between his teeth.
"Potions first," Tom said, trying to focus himself. "Since I know you can write the Charms essay in your sleep."
"Kay."
…
Tom stirred, blinking his eyes open. The lights in the room had dimmed, and he frowned for a moment. When he felt movement against his chest, he realised that he and Harry had fallen asleep in the Room of Requirement.
He cast tempus, not wanting to disturb Harry if he didn't have too. Unfortunately, it was after four in the morning, and he didn't have much of a choice.
"Harry," he murmured, shaking his shoulder gently.
Harry let out a whimper, then an almost inaudible complaint, before he opened his eyes.
"Tom?"
"We fell asleep," Tom said softly, his voice husky and sleep rough.
Harry blinked at him sleepily. "Kay."
He laid his head back down and closed his eyes, lifting a hand to scrunch it into Tom's robes.
"Harry, we've got to get back to the dorms before people start getting up and realise we're missing," Tom prompted, laughter evident in his tone.
"Noooo," Harry complained. "You're comfy."
Making sure to be careful and support his tired friend, Tom pushed up until they were both sitting up, and Harry blinked at him.
"It's ten miles to Gryffindor," he complained.
Tom shook his head. "No it's not. C'mon. Sooner we get you there, the sooner you can go back to sleep."
"M'kay."
Eventually, Harry got to his feet and got his stuff put away in his bag. Tom draped Harry's invisibility cloak around both of them, one arm around Harry's waist—only to support him of course—and guided him out into the corridor and towards Gryffindor Common Room.
When they arrived, Harry mumbled the password and pushed the cloak at Tom. "Take it with you so you don't get caught."
"You know I don't need it," Tom said, smiling slightly.
"I know," Harry replied, his eyelids already drooping. "But if you get a night detention, I'm gonna be pissed so just… take it. I'll see you in the morning."
Tom nodded, and brushed his hand down Harry's back. "Go and get some more sleep."
…
Much to Tom's displeasure, when Harry entered the Great Hall the following morning, Chang had already gotten her claws into him. She was walking beside him, talking animatedly, flicking her hair and fluttering her eyelids like the insipid chit she was.
"You know," Tom murmured to Lucius. "I've tried to be patient, but she's pushing it."
"I'll see that it's dealt with today," Lucius replied, watching the pair with distaste. Tom was about to go and intercept, but was rendered unnecessary when suddenly, Harry changed direction, clearly startling her as he walked away from her without so much as a goodbye.
Instead of taking his usual seat at the Gryffindor table, he made his way down the opposite side of the hall to take the space quickly made for him between Tom and Lucius.
"Why do people insist on talking to me before I've had coffee?" he grumbled as Tom dutifully poured him a fresh cup.
Harry accepted it gratefully and immediately chugged it, disregarding the heat entirely.
When it was empty, he put the cup on the table and let his head fall to Tom's shoulder.
Tom could hear mutters down the table about the 'pampered princess' and he snorted as he poured Harry a second mug. He knew the mutterings were in good humour—the Slytherins knew better—and they weren't exactly a lie.
He did pamper Harry like he was a princess.
"How are you, Lucius?" Harry asked, his head still on Tom's shoulder.
"I'm fine, Harry. Are you okay? You're less animated than usual."
"Didn't sleep well," Harry grumbled. "Or, I did for half the night but then I woke up and going back to sleep was gross."
"You have a free period before lunch, right?" Tom asked, frowning slightly. "You could take a nap?"
Harry squinted. "But you're in Ancient Runes then."
Tom chuckled. "I'll skip. Meet me in the library, okay?"
Nodding, Harry nuzzled against his shoulder. "You're the best."
…
Harry stomped into the library, a fierce glare on his face. Tom watched him approach with wide eyes, because Harry very rarely was in a bad mood.
"What's wrong?" he asked, standing up to meet him, ready to go and kill whoever had hurt Harry.
"You'd tell me if you were seeing someone, right?"
Tom blinked. "Harry—"
"You would, wouldn't you?"
"Of course I would," Tom offered, thoroughly wrongfooted. "But Harry, I'm not seeing anyone."
"Oh. You're sure?"
"Harry, where in Merlin's name did you get the idea from in the first place?"
"Oh. Cho. She said that she'd 'heard on the grapevine' that you were seeing someone and that I should probably give you some space."
Tom was going to kill her.
"Ignore her, she's an imbecile," Tom said, tugging Harry into his arms. It was a risky move, but he couldn't help himself. Anything to take that look off Harry's face. "There's only one person I care about, and you're standing right here."
Harry pulled back to look up at him. "Promise?"
"I promise."
Harry nodded. "Kay. Oh, Lucius is looking for you."
"It doesn't matter now," Tom assured him. "I'll find him later. Come sit, I think I promised you a nap, didn't I?"
He knew that Lucius would be looking for him because of Chang anyway. The witch would need to be dealt with, but really, Tom couldn't be seen getting his hands dirty.
Wasn't that why he had a sidekick anyway?
"Hey, Tom?"
"Hmm?" he looked down to where Harry had settled onto his chest like he belonged there—which he did.
"You're mine, you know that right?"
"Harry?"
"I know we've never said it explicitly or anything but… you're mine. And I'm yours. Right?"
And all at once, calm settled inside Tom, because of course Harry knew without Tom having to actually say the words.
"Of course I know that," he replied softly, pressing a kiss to Harry's head. "Get some sleep, I'll wake you up for lunch."
"Kay."
Written for:
Bromance to Romance: 9. "I think I'm dying." / "Tell me you're being dramatic please."
Record Collection: 4. Write about jealousy.
Written In The Stars: 7. Pampered
Book Club: Beowulf: strong / hero / green / fierce
Showtime: 10. Lion Sleeps Tonight - (time) Night
Liza Loves: 11. Pond Turtles - Item: Clock
Angel's Archive: 4. Hedwig: Harry Potter
Scamander's Case: 13. Risky
Film Festival: 8. Sarcastic
Marvel Appreciation: 1. Light
Lyric Alley: 7. I've tried to be patient
Forecast: 16. Time
Entitled: 11. Out of Mind, Out of Sight - Item: Invisibility Cloak
Build A Comic Book: The Middle: Sidekick
Geek Pride: High School Musical: Prompt 2: "Someone's got to tell her the rules."
Founder's Says: Helga Says: 9. "There's only one person I care about, and you're standing right here."
Brand Wars: 18. Gamora: Keeping a secret to protect something/someone / "It doesn't matter now." / Emerald Green / Danger
Jet Plane: 22. Costa Rica: Rage
365: 125. "[Name] is looking for you."