Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.
Challenges Listed at the Bottom
Word Count: 4242
AN: Timelines? What are they? They don't go here.
Glad It's You (It's Always Been You)
Bucky wasn't watching Stark. He really wasn't.
Okay, so maybe he was a little bit, but it wasn't his fault that Stark was sitting across the Great Hall, right within Bucky's eyeline.
"You're drooling."
Bucky jumped, turning to glare at James Rhodes with narrow eyes. "You're a jerk."
"And that's my best friend you're lusting after," Rhodes pointed out, "so I'd be nice to me if I were you."
"I'm not—"
"Uh huh."
"Everyone knows you fancy Tony, Buck," Steve said from Bucky's other side, his cerulean eyes twinkling with amusement.
Bucky sighed and shook his head. "I hate both of you."
"I don't know why you don't just ask him out," Rhodes said, shaking his head. "Maybe then the little twerp will stop telling me how lucky I am to share a room with you."
Feeling his cheeks heat up, Bucky felt a small bubble of hope blossom. "He said that?"
"He's repeatedly said that," Rhodes replied, rolling his eyes with a put-upon sigh. "He's also going to spend most of our study session asking me about what we discussed at dinner, because he's salty he can't come and sit with us."
Steve snorted. "Of course he is. Tony Stark is basically made up of salt and adorable enthusiasm for everything in equal measure."
Rhodes tilted his head and then nodded. "Accurate. He's also fragile as a newborn baby," he added, glaring at Bucky. "So be gentle with him, or I'll hex you so hard, your grandchildren will be feeling the effects."
"I'm not going to—"
"Of course you are," Steve said, railroading Bucky's denial. "You could live happily ever after with your sweetheart."
There was a chuckle behind them, and Peggy Carter—a Ravenclaw student in their year—pressed her hands onto Steve's shoulders. "Are you trying to matchmake again, Steve?"
"Uhhh."
"Yes, he is," Bucky said, nodding heartily. "Please make him stop."
She laughed again, leaning down to press a kiss to Steve's cheek. "I'll be in the library until curfew if you're done with Quidditch early enough to come and meet me."
"I'll be there," Steve promised, turning his head to kiss his girlfriend before she left. When she was gone, he turned his attention back to Bucky. "Come on, we've got practice. You can drool over Tony later."
"We'll be in the library," Rhodes added helpfully, grinning wickedly at Bucky as the two Quidditch players left the table.
Bucky flipped him off.
…
Tony twirled a quill between his fingers. He was supposed to be writing an essay for Potions, but he really didn't want to. It wasn't like he didn't know the material; he knew it and could recite it in his sleep.
He just really hated writing essays, and Professor Snape was an arsehole that would be utterly unfair just because Tony was a Hufflepuff, so he just didn't see the point in putting the effort in.
Rhodey, clearly done with Tony's fidgeting, plucked the quill from his fingers. "If you're that bored, you little pest, go be someplace else and let me study."
"Rhodey!" Tony gasped, clutching a hand to his chest dramatically. "I feel like my heart's been ripped out of my chest! I can't believe you want me to leave during the only time we can—"
"I'm gonna silence you, Tones."
"Pssh. You love me," Tony replied, waving him off. "I thought you said Cap and the scrumptious beater were supposed to be coming in here, anyway? I need something shiny to look at."
"Or you could write the Potions essay I know you haven't done yet so Snape doesn't give you another detention."
"He hates me," Tony whined.
"Because you don't put any effort in," came a female voice. Natasha Romanoff, Slytherin prefect and pain in Tony's ass, plonked herself down beside him at the library table. "You irritate him with your blasé attitude."
"Oh, do you all sit around in the dungeons with tea and biscuits while he tells you why he hates me?"
She rolled her eyes. "You're not that important, Stark. It's just obvious. You stroll into his class like you own the place, and do the bare minimum even though your potions are always perfect. You're the kind of student he hates; talented and wasteful of it."
"Talking about Snape?"
"What is this?" Tony asked, when Peggy joined them. "Mothers' meeting?"
"Oh, I thought Nat was just picking on you, so I came to join in," Peggy replied with a grin, lifting the book she'd fetched with her to block the balled-up parchment Tony threw at her.
"Of course you did."
Rhodey sighed. "You all do realise this is a library, and Madam Pince is more likely to hex us than tell us to be quiet, right?"
Tony waved his hand to place a silencing ward around them, and Rhodey glared at him.
"I really hate you."
"No you don't," Tony denied. "It's not my fault that I made friends with my magic and you didn't. I told you, if you make friends with it, it'll do what you want it to do."
"I still say that's utter tripe. You can't make friends with your magic, Tones," Rhodey argued, shaking his head.
"Yes. Yes you can. I can feel it here," Tony poked at his chest. "Inside of me. My magic loves me."
"Wait. You made friends with your magic?" Peggy asked, leaning forward, an intrigued look on her face.
Tony nodded. "We tight now."
Rhodey facepalmed.
"But how?"
"Meditation," Tony shrugged. "Much meditation, and also, I might have been a little bit drunk, but I assume you can miss that step out if you really want to."
"Drunk meditation?" Natasha asked, a smirk tipping up her lips. "And now you're 'tight' with your magic?"
Tony nodded.
"I want whatever drugs the nice doctors are forcing you to take," she said, shaking her head.
Peggy snorted, but there was a glint in her eyes that all the 'Claws seemed to get when they got an opportunity to research something.
Tony just shrugged and tipped himself back in his seat until he was balancing perfectly on the back two legs of his chair.
"Oh, there's Steve and Bucky!" Peggy said, looking over Tony's shoulder. She smiled and waved.
Tony tipped back until he was sprawled inelegantly on the floor.
…
"Rhodes said he was meeting Tony here," Steve said, as they walked towards the library.
Bucky had intended to go straight back to the common room, but Steve and his puppy-dog eyes had won the battle and he'd fallen into step with his best friend instead, thinking wistful thoughts of his waiting bed. He'd taken a tumble from his broom in the latter half of practice and his shoulder was killing him.
They walked into the library, and Bucky nodded to Madam Pince as they walked past her. Her customary glare softened slightly—she'd always had a bit of a soft spot for him—and she returned the silent greeting.
"They're over there," Steve said, pointing and then waving when Peggy spotted them.
Bucky could see the back of Tony's head; that tousled mess couldn't belong to anyone else, and he watched as Tony turned to look at them and lost his balance in the process.
He tried to get his wand in time to save Tony, he really did, but he just wasn't quick enough. When Steve and Bucky reached the table, Tony was looking up at them with a slightly glazed look in his eyes.
"You okay, Tones?" Steve asked, laughing.
"Uh huh," Tony replied, not making any attempt to get up. Bucky considered that he should be a gentleman and offer a hand, but before he could, Tony looked up at him, and Bucky couldn't move.
Merlin, but his eyes were stunning.
"You know," Tony said, a small smile on his lips that just looked lickable. "You've got a really juicy butt."
At the table, Peggy's mouth dropped open, and Natasha blinked—a sign of real shock for her—while Rhodes snorted and then full on cackled at his best friend.
Steve was chuckling and biting his lip so he didn't join Rhodey, the goddamn traitor.
Bucky wasn't quite sure what to say or do, but it didn't really matter. Tony seemed to realise what he'd said and, as the most adorable blush coloured his cheeks red, he rolled off the chair and to his feet in one clumsy movement.
"Uh. I should, uh. Go and see Madam Pomfrey. Concussion, you know? I can't be blamed for anything I said with a concussion so—"
"Sit your ass down, Tones," Rhodes said, shaking his head.
But Tony was already gone, zigzagging across the library unevenly but as fast as if a hungry acromantula was chasing him down.
"Well, that was something," Steve said, sitting in the empty seat beside Peggy, looping his arm over the back of her chair.
Bucky glanced at the remaining chair at the table and then bent to pick up the one Tony had tipped, sitting down on that one instead.
It was still warm.
And yes. He realised exactly how pathetic it was that it made him smile.
…
"Why are we here again?" Tony complained, leaning against the wall in the large classroom. "I don't do 'extracurriculars', Honeybear."
Rhodey rolled his eyes. "You wanted to learn the Patronus Charm, didn't you?"
"Well yeah, but my magic loves—"
"Do not make me beat you in front of all these people, Tones. It'll be embarrassing for you."
"Silence!"
Tony huffed, but followed Rhodey's lead as they turned to the raised podium in the middle of the room. Snape stood on it in all his batlike glory, and the only reason Tony didn't stomp from the room immediately was the addition of Professor Potter, the Defence instructor.
The two of them were together—soulmates, if the rumours were to be believed—and Tony didn't have the first clue how Professor Potter put up with the dour Potions Master.
Behind Tony, the door opened, and Clint Barton slipped in, waving apologetically to the professors as he joined Tony on the back wall.
"Where've you been?" Tony asked under his breath, keeping an eye on the platform to ensure he wasn't caught.
"Kitchens," Clint replied with a grin. "The house elves are hilarious."
Tony snorted. Of course Clint—Tony's fellow Hufflepuff and one of his best friends—had been spending time with the elves again. The boy had an affinity for sentient beings.
All of them except humans, apparently. Most of the people they knew thought Clint was a pain in the ass, with the odd exception of Natasha, who seemed to think he was precious. More than once, he'd seen her attack people for being mean about Clint in her hearing range; a hearing range that was far superior to normal humans.
Tony was pretty sure she was part creature, not that he'd ever tell her as much.
"Today, we're going to start you off with the Patronus," Professor Potter said, his tone far more cheerful than his colleague. "It's a seventh year special that we teach every year, because in recent years, a study into soulmates has revealed that your Patronus can lead you to your mate."
Tony sighed deeply. He didn't care about finding a soulmate. Just a Bucky would be fine for him, thank you very much.
He didn't think his Patronus was going to lead him to the Gryffindor; Bucky's mate would be someone awesome like Nat.
They were both mildly terrifying, after all.
"What do you mean, they can lead you to your mate, Sir?" Peggy asked, head tilted to the side slightly.
Potter smiled at Snape. "Shall we give them a demonstration?"
"If we must," Snape replied, but Tony could have sworn he saw the hint of a smile on his face.
Tony shivered. Weird.
"Before we do that, have any of you ever seen multiple people cast their Patronuses at the same time?"
There was a lot of shaking of heads, and Potter smiled. "Well, under usual circumstances, they avoid each other. They go around one another, or in opposite directions towards other threats if there's more than one. However, if you were to cast a Patronus close to your soulmate's, well. Let us show you."
"Expecto Patronum!"
They intoned the charm together, and from each of their wands, a cloud of white emerged, forming into a stag and a doe respectively.
The students—Tony included—watched with wide eyes as the doe seemed to nuzzle against the stag for a moment before they walked around each other, brushing their sides together.
Tony couldn't help but smile when they seemed to assess the lack of threat in the room before they lay down together, the doe tucked safe against the larger figure of the stag.
He glanced at his professors to see Professor Potter watching the Patronuses with a small smile, and Snape looking at Potter with the same expression on his face.
Huh.
Maybe the dungeon bat could actually have emotions. Who'da thunk it?
"I'm never getting used to that," Clint said, and Tony looked at him to see him watching Snape as well. "Natasha said he was a real human, but like… I didn't actually believe her. I was pretty sure he was a robot."
"I thought you told me robots were cool?" Tony asked, frowning. "That automatically discounts Snape."
Clint snorted. "A vampire then? Or a golem? Something that wasn't fully human. Come on, Tones, have you ever seen Snape have an actual emotion? He looks happy. It's weird."
Tony laughed at hearing his thoughts voiced by someone else, and turned back to the stage just as the Patronuses were dissipating.
"We're not expecting anyone to get their animals today," Professor Potter said, smiling around at them. "But we're going to give you the basis of the spell, and perhaps some of you will at least progress to the cloud-of-mist stage before the end of our session. Afterwards, I'll be available to help you if you need it during my usual office hours."
Tony listened carefully as Professor Potter—with a few comments from Snape—explained the theory of the spell and the steps to casting it.
"So basically, we have to be like Peter Pan?" Clint muttered, and Tony frowned.
"Who's Peter Pan?"
"He can fly if he thinks happy thoughts," Clint replied, shrugging. "And he's been a kid for decades. Lucky bastard."
Tony blinked. "Did a potion cause that, or was it a ritual?"
Clint stared at him. "Remind me to introduce you to Disney when we're done with school. You'll love it."
"Does it have robots? You promised me robots."
"Pretty sure there's at least one robot. Called Wall-E."
"Wall-E. I like it," Tony said. "I look forward to meeting him."
Clint just laughed, but he did that a lot when he was telling Tony about the Muggle world, so Tony shrugged it off.
"Okay. Think happy thoughts," Tony muttered to himself. He closed his eyes and relaxed his mind for a moment, searching internally for his core.
With his happy memory in mind—cuddles with Rhodey—he intoned, "Expecto Patronum."
When he opened his eyes, it was to see white mist pouring from his wand. It wavered for a moment before solidifying into a fox, which looked around and then sat down in front of Tony, licking at its paw.
Tony grinned and looked at Rhodey, who was staring at him with disbelief.
"I told—"
"Don't say it, Tones."
"You so!"
"Dammit, Tones," Rhodey said, shaking his head. He looked down at the little fox who was peering up at him curiously. "He's cute though. Fitting for you, I think."
"I'm not cute!"
"You're adorable," Natasha said, from Rhodey's other side. "Why do you think we put up with you? Now come here and tell me how you just did that."
…
Bucky sat beneath the Quidditch bleachers, his wand held loosely in his hand, staring into thin air.
He didn't know what he was doing wrong. All of his friends had gotten the Patronus Charm down, they all had their fully fledged animals and could seemingly produce them with little hassle.
Bucky was the only one who couldn't.
The furthest he'd managed was white mist, and he'd even spoken to Professor Potter about it. He'd only said that Bucky being frustrated with himself wouldn't help, and he recommended taking a break, or even just relaxing into it.
It'd come when he was ready.
Which was great and all, but Bucky hated not being able to do something; especially when everyone else seemed to be getting it easily.
"Hey."
He looked up to see Tony standing close by. He looked adorable, and Bucky could only stare for a moment because he was wearing a Slytherin scarf, and Gryffindor mittens with his Hufflepuff robes, and it was a mess of colours but so, so goddamn cute.
"Hey, Tony," he replied eventually, when he remembered how words happened. "What are you doing back here?"
Tony blushed. "Uh, Steve said you were having a hard time with the Patronus? I thought maybe I could help?"
"I'm not sure—"
"Just… listen to me," Tony said softly, interrupting the doubtful words. He seemed confident despite his apparent shyness, so Bucky nodded. "I know everyone thinks I'm daft when I say I made friends with my magic, but it's true. That's why it comes so easily to me."
Bucky nodded. He didn't know if 'friends' was the correct word, but he'd read enough theory books to know that bonding with your magical core was a swift way to make magic come easier for you.
"So, just… okay. Close your eyes."
Bucky did so.
"Try and clear your mind, just listen to my voice," Tony said, and his tone was soft and warm, and if Bucky could only ever hear one thing again it would be Tony's voice. The instruction was an easy one to obey.
Tony guided him softly, slowly, and Bucky could feel the way his magic was channelling through him.
"Okay, think of a happy memory," Tony whispered at the end. "Anything you want, just make sure that the primary emotion is happiness."
Bucky thought of his friends—of Steve, who'd been by his side since they were babies, of Natasha, who he loved because she was terrifying, of Rhodes, who was the consummate 'dad-friend' to all of them and of course, of Tony, who he loved beyond words, despite his lack of ability to actually tell him as much.
It wasn't a memory, but it was the happiest thing he knew.
"Cast the spell, Buck."
"Expecto Patronum," Bucky said, and he slowly opened his eyes to see the white mist flowing from his wand, solidifying into a wolf that prowled around in front of him with intelligent eyes.
Bucky stared at it for a long moment and then looked at Tony. "I did it."
Tony grinned. "Yes, you did."
Bucky turned back to his wolf. It was beautiful, all sleek and dangerous, and he immediately loved him.
"He's pretty," Tony said, giggling when the wolf walked around him and back towards Bucky, leaving a trail of white mist behind him.
"Can I see yours?" Bucky asked. He'd heard about Tony's success in the first lesson, but hadn't been close enough to actually see the fox.
Tony smiled and nodded. He cast the spell, and a playful little fox bounded from his wand.
Bucky grinned. The fox was so totally Tony.
The two animals circled one another for a moment. Bucky expected them to part off back to their owners, but they didn't. The fox sat down, watching the wolf expectantly.
To Bucky's surprise—and Tony's, if the audible gasp was evidence—the wolf licked at the snout of the fox and then nuzzled its neck. The fox looked like it was purring happily, and pushed its nose against the wolf's neck.
"Holy shit," Bucky whispered. He glanced up to see Tony watching them with wide, scared eyes. He turned his head to meet Bucky's gaze and let out a little yelp.
And then he ran away.
Bucky watched him go, and when Tony was out of sight, he looked down to see the evidence of their being soulmates was gone, leaving only a wisp of fading white mist behind.
Well, shit.
…
"Mr Stark?" Tony looked up to see Professor Snape watching him with narrowed eyes. "What are you doing up here at one in the morning?"
Tony shrugged, turning back to the opening of the Astronomy tower.
"It's considerably past curfew, Mr Stark, and as loath as I am to admit it, you're usually far superior at sneaking around than to get caught."
"I'm not sneaking," Tony pointed out. "I'm just sitting."
"Which leads me to believe that something is wrong," Snape pointed out. He approached Tony, standing beside where Tony was sitting, and then he did something unexpected.
He sat down on the ground beside him.
"Would you like to explain what has you so caught up in that brain of yours?"
Tony looks up at him, blinking at his continued presence, and then accepts it for what it is.
"Were you happy, Sir? When your Patronus got all cozy with Professor Potter's?"
Snape made an understanding noise. "Ah. I was not. In fact, I believe I had quite the tantrum about it—Harry's words, not mine. We had quite the unique past."
Tony nodded. Everyone knew about Snape and Potter; their history, particularly during the war, wouldn't lead anyone to believe they could even exist in the same room, let alone be in love.
"Did you match with someone you don't like?" Snape asked, arching his eyebrow.
Tony shook his head. "I, uh. I really like him. I just… I guess I don't know why I would be matched with him. He's perfect, right? Strong, patient, really nice. I'm… me."
Snape snorted. "Despite our… disagreements, Mr Stark, you're not exactly the worst pick of the bunch. You're intelligent when you choose to apply yourself, after all, and Miss Romanoff seems quite fond of you. She often tells me I should cut you some slack."
Tony snorted at that. Anyone else, and he'd know it was a lie, but he could absolutely imagine Nat telling the most feared professor in the school to cut Tony some slack.
It wasn't even hard to picture it.
Snape pushed himself to his feet, and then offered a hand to Tony, to help him up.
"You should speak with Mr Barnes," Snape said, turning away. "I don't believe your feelings are one-sided."
"I… how did you know?"
"We may be old, Mr Stark, but us professors are not blind."
Tony chuckled. He followed Snape down the many steps of the tower in silence, until they reached the bottom.
"Professor Snape?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you, Sir."
Snape nodded, and Tony turned towards the Hufflepuff Common room.
"Oh, and Mr Stark?"
He turned back. "Yes, Sir?"
"Twenty points from Hufflepuff for breaking curfew."
…
Bucky was watching the downpour of rain through the library window instead of writing his Charms essay. He'd regret it later, he knew, but he couldn't concentrate. Ever since Tony had run away from him, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of the Hufflepuff.
Rhodes had taken to giving him sympathetic looks and shrugs, but everybody knew that his loyalty was, and would always be, with Tony.
"Uh, it's grim out, isn't it?"
Bucky spun so quickly, it was a surprise he didn't fall on his arse.
"Tony."
Tony nodded sheepishly. "Sorry I vanished," he offered. "I just…"
"It's fine," Bucky said, shaking his head. "We don't have to—"
"No," Tony interrupted. "I ran because I was scared. I… I really like you, Buck. Like a lot. But then, when I saw that, I thought it must be wrong and what if I did it because I helped you find your magic and what if you didn't and—"
"Tones."
Tony stopped rambling and just looked at him, a hopeful look in his eyes.
Bucky took a deep breath. "I've had a crush on you for over a year. I'm surprised Rhodes didn't tell you. He, uh, might've mentioned to me that you like me."
"Rhodey is a blabbermouth with all my secrets," Tony said, pouting. Bucky felt like his mind was going to melt at the cuteness. "But apparently not yours. Or maybe he did tell me and I just wasn't listening. I, uh. I do that a lot. Not when you speak but. Well."
Bucky chuckled and then reached out to snag Tony's hand and tugged him closer.
"So… will you come with me to Hogsmeade next weekend?" he asked. "Just you and me?"
Tony nodded and then bit his lip.
"What is it?" Bucky asked.
Tony tilted his head. "Do I have to wait until then for a kiss? Because the weekend is a really long time away."
"It's in three days," Bucky replied, grinning. "But I'm sure we can work something out."
He leant forward and kissed Tony gently. It was chaste, just a press of lips, but it brought Bucky the biggest joy, and he thought that he could cast a whole army of Patronuses on the feeling alone.
Tony blinked up at him, wide doe eyes full of adoration that Bucky couldn't believe he'd never seen before.
"I'm glad it was you," he murmured, nuzzling their noses together.
Tony smiled against his cheek. "I'm glad it was me too."
Written for:
Written in the Stars: 7. Enthusiasm
This or That: 6. Running away from someone.
Elizabeth's Empire: 13. Smirking
Amber's Anime Adventure: 3. Smiling
Lyric Alley: 22. Here inside of me
Artist Appreciation: 20. San Francisco: Prompt - (weather) downpour
Resolution Evolution: 9. Write a fic of one of your housemates' favorite hp/fandom crossovers
Buttons: W2. Blabbermouth
Seasonal:
Indoor Plant Week: 2. African Violet: (word) fragile
International Body Piercing Day: 1. Daith piercing: (word) Narrow
Summer Colours: 13. Cerulean
Summer Flowers: 9. Canna Lily: (dialogue) "I'm never getting used to that."
Other:
Southern Cookout: Meats: Ribs- (trait) confident
Auction: Day 7, Auction 3: Friends To Lovers
365: 19. Juicy
Scavenger Hunt: 54. Write a fluffy fic with an angsty prompt: "I feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest."
