Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count: 728


Overdue Attention


Harry blew the stray hair from his face as he flipped the page of the book he was currently searching through for a reference he needed. Trust Snape to have chosen the most obscure potion in the sodding book for Harry to write an essay on.

Jerk.

Ron sat across from him, lolling back on his chair, only the back two legs on the ground. Hermione sat beside him, grumbling about his lack of work ethic, and Harry had to bite his bottom lip to stop himself from chuckling.

They were already an old married couple, and they hadn't even left school.

Turning his attention back to the book, he scanned the pages, focusing on any mention of the potion he was searching for.

Focused as he was though, it meant he startled badly when hands landed on his shoulders and squeezed. He yelped, drawing a glare from Hermione, who paused her writing specifically to give him a dirty look. Ron guffawed, earning himself a dig in the ribs from Hermione. He wobbled on his chair, nearly toppling backwards, but somehow managed to keep his balance.

Harry looked up, though he already knew who the hands belonged to. He felt the familiar swooping of butterflies in his stomach when he found himself looking at Tom Riddle anyway; despite how long they'd been friends, and then even since they'd been dating, Harry still felt all fluttery whenever he saw Tom.

"Hi," he murmured, smiling up at Tom.

"Hi yourself," Tom replied, bending slightly to press a kiss to Harry's lips. "Are you seriously not finished?"

Harry snorted. "Not yet. I can barely find any references to this sodding potion."

"You can always take a break," Tom wheedled, pulling out the chair beside Harry. He sat down, entirely closer than necessary, and subtly batted his eyelashes. "You'll still have time to spare on your essay, right?"

Harry sighed and shook his head. "As much as I'd much rather be spending time with you, I really need to get this essay finished."

Tom groaned and sat back in his chair. "Fine, I'll wait."

"You could always go and find Lucius," Harry suggested, as he looked back at his book. "I'm sure he'll have something to entertain you."

"He's not you," Tom grumbled.

Sweet though that was, Harry would not be swayed. He continued scanning the book, half distracted now though by the quiet conversation between Tom and Ron. It was strange that the two of them were… amicable now. For a long time, they'd hated one another, and Harry had felt like the rope in a particularly rough tug of war.

He was definitely glad for it, most of the time, but right now perhaps not so much. He huffed, turning the page. He was aware of the sudden lull in conversation, and glanced up to see that Hermione had her wand in her hand and had cast a silencing spell on Ron.

Harry's brow's lifted slightly, before he nodded. He could respect that.

Though now that Tom no longer had Ron to occupy him, he'd turned his full attention to Harry once more. First it was sweet, fingers tracing nonsensical patterns on Harry's arm, but then the hand lifted to his shoulder, his neck, that space behind his ear that never failed to make Harry shiver.

"Tom, I love you, but you're really fucking annoying," Harry said, never taking his eyes from the page he was reading.

"I'll help you write your essay tomorrow," Tom murmured in his ear. "Promise."

"You're so high maintenance," Harry complained. "I give up." He slammed the book shut and pushed it away from him, and then looked at his boyfriend. "Pain. In. The. Ass."

Tom just smiled at him smugly, and then began packing Harry's bag for him. Harry caught Hermione's eye, and she shook her head at him, rolling her eyes. Despite his irritation, Harry seemed to have misplaced his ability to care too much about the essay.

Tom grabbed his hand, and pulled him to his feet. "I'm long overdue your attention, Mr Potter," he murmured, tugging Harry from the library and towards the staircase which would take them to the seventh floor, and more importantly, the room of requirement.

Harry let himself be tugged and smiled despite himself. Cuddling Tom really did seem like a better way to spend his evening.


Written For:

Lyric Alley: 18. But now I give up

National Hobby Month: 1. Writing

National Bird Day: 12. Blackbird: School

Play God Day: 7. High maintenance

Appreciate a Dragon Day: 9. Dragon (Shrek): Batting eyelashes

Crystals & Gemstones: 3. Green Aventurine: (phrase) 'butterflies in my/your/etc stomach'

Tarot Reading: 3. The Magician: Write about someone focusing all their attention on something.

NeonFae's Nibbles: Bakewell Tart: Misplace (1) / "He's not you." (2)

365: 30. Amicable

Musical Yearly: 142. Disney: A Whole New World: There's time to spare

Insane House: 377. Wand