Title: Crystal
Rating: PG-13/R
Genre: Romance/Angst/Humor
Summary: AU; "He's as… fragile as crystal…" To wear matching rings is believed to be the ultimate expression of love… complete detail inside
Pairing(s): Harry/Tom R.
Warnings: AU Yaoi, slash, Boy/Boy
Disclaimer: Don't own fandom. Concept behind story doesn't belong to me either. Story itself does. So does Moorinto… and various cameo characters. So don't sue me or have me erased because I'm not going to lose my very first-ever paycheck to people who don't know how to read a disclaimer.
Summary: The ultimate expression of love… In the small town of Moorinto, it is believed the ultimate expression of love is to wear a matching ring with the one you love. It could also be the deepest sign of friendship, depending on which finger you wear it on. When the semi-loner Harry Potter suddenly finds his matching ring with the person he least expects, it's an up and down coaster ride to discovering if this person could be his worst enemy… or his greatest love.
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AN: Well, you lucky, lucky people. Don't expect to be this pampered all the time. :wink: I got a writing bug, bit it seemed to only work for this story… pity. Oh, well. And I was actually going to make you all wait until I posted this, but... I'm a nice person. So never say I'm not. Oh, for all curious people (of course I'd help out a fellow yaoi lover, Kazoua ), you can find copies of Only the Ring Finger Knows in any major book store. I suggest Barnes and Noble or Amazon dot com. There's also a link added to my bio for anyone curious about other Yaoi/Shonen-Ai manga titles. I found the website helpful, so I hope you do as well.
Only eight more chapters, people! Sad, isn't it? This is actually the second longest chapter. The longest will be chapter thirteen, and by the time you're done reading that one you will all have killed me. -.-"
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Ron was quickly backing away from his friend, and for good reason. Harry looked angry enough to commit murder.
"You what?" Harry glared furiously at him, and he held his hands up in an attempt to placate him.
"Com on, now, it's not really that big of a deal. All I did was tell him where Nadi goes to school is all."
Harry scowled and stomped to his chair. All morning long people had been staring at him and whispering behind his back. At first he had thought everyone found out about the gift incident and had let slip so to Ron by accident. In reality, everyone was talking about how, after Harry had left for home the previous day, Tom Riddle had come to his class asking if anyone had known what school his sister went to.
"Why did you give him a gift anyway? I mean, I had heard some rumors that Riddle had guys fancying him now… I just didn't think they meant you." Harry slapped the back of his head in irritation.
"Idiot. Nadi told some friend of hers that I went to the same school as Riddle and then suckered me into delivering the birthday gift for her."
"Oh, so that's what happened. Well, that's good news for you, then."
"What do you mean?"
"Man, think about it. People will connect the gift incident to Riddle asking about your sister and throw in the paired ring fiasco to boot. By lunch time, everyone will be thinking that Riddle is in love with your sister and that's that. You'll be nothing more than background fodder in their imaginations.
"Gee, thanks," Harry said dryly.
"The added bonus is that Nadi goes to a different school, so she won't be troubled by our rumor mill."
"Ron," Harry said slowly with sudden clarity. "That's not your only reason for being happy, is it?" Ron looked both guilty and wary.
"Eh… I don't know what you mean."
"It means that is the rumor mill is saying Riddle is dating my sister, ergo he has a girlfriend and is taken, Hermione is all yours."
"Oh, all right, you got me." Ron sighed amorously. "Dear Hermione is just waiting to be swept off her feet by me in the aftermath of this horrible tragedy…"
Harry gave a disgusted sigh.
He was still thinking about it, or at least trying not to, come lunch time as he was stuck in the library on class duty.
Damn it, Hermione, Harry thought furiously, you're supposed to be here helping me! Not refusing to work with me because of a rumor that Riddle is dating my sister! He sighed as for the umpteenth time the book he was supposed to be fetching remained annoyingly out of reach.
"Well," he muttered softly, "I have to get it down one way or another." Tucking the list in his pocket, he set about his precarious climb. He had almost reached the damn thing, when-
"Which one do you need?" He jumped, startled, causing him to loose his hold on the shelf and tumble backwards. "Hey-!" That was his only warning before he was caught from behind. He barely registered the body flush against his and the arms around his waist before the person who had startled him spoke again.
"Are you trying to break your neck, you idiot?" For a moment, Harry just stared at Riddle's upside-down face blankly before scrambling away with a strangled noise escaping from the back of his throat.
"W-what are you doing here?" he snapped, feverishly hoping he didn't look as flushed as he felt.
"Why are you here, skipping lunch?" Riddle countered smoothly, looking greatly unconcerned. "Really, climbing bookshelves? Trying to kill yourself, are you?"
"Thanks for… catching me."
"You're avoiding the question, and you're welcome. So which one did you want?" Harry gave him a blank look.
"What?" Riddle gave him a patient look.
"You know, the book you almost broke your fool neck over? Tell me which one it is and I'll get it for you."
"That's really not your…"
"Look," Riddle said, sighing. "The stepladder is broken and it's obvious you're too short to get it on your own, so just tell me which one it is and I'll get it down." Riddle smirked. "Come on. It's better that risking a painful rendezvous with the ground, isn't it?" With a sigh, Harry relinquished his list and Riddle set about retrieving the books.
"I remember reading some of these last year," he said after a few minutes of silence. "Miss Phelps from room 31C wrote this, right?"
"You've… but most of them are in Latin." Riddle quirked a grin.
"Well, I did have to use a dictionary, but yeah, I read them. All you have to do is read them once, write a detailed essay, and you have a good shot at one of the top universities."
"You're being really nice to me today," Harry said suddenly. Riddle paused and shot him a surprised look, momentarily startled. He set about retrieving the last of the books in silence. Harry was almost regretting bringing it up.
"Last year someone forgot to set out the reference material for the afternoon session. We spent more time looking for the books ourselves than getting any actual work done." Riddle didn't look at him as he rand his fingers over the spines of the books on the top shelf. "Besides, you're too short to do it on your own and the stepladder is broken besides. Helping you was simply the right thing to do."
"But you could have… ignored me." There was an unguarded look in Riddle's eyes, but for he life of him, Harry couldn't read it.
"You're sounding really irresponsible," Riddle said at last, looking uncomfortable. "What did I just finish telling you? If the material isn't here, the whole class suffers for it."
He looks so awkward. I wonder if the fact that he has to be kind to me bothers him. Although, it could be that he's so serious about things. Or maybe he's just stubborn. Harry watched him for a moment, smiling softly in a sort of amusement. Definitely stubborn.
I guess he can't be all that bad. A real jerk would have just left without offering to help, even though it felt more like he was forcing me to let him. He frowned, studying the older student's face for a moment. Although… I've seen that look before. As though he's showing his real self and he's disturbed that he can't mask it. Like… Like when I gave him that gift!
But… it's can't be me that causes this reaction, can it? It can't be, because… it would mean that he doesn't really hate me so much, to have shown so much emotion… when he thought the gift was from me.
It's not like I can ask him. He wouldn't answer me, and besides… he'd most likely just glare coldly at me again. Harry abandoned that line of thought and looked at the stack of heavy tomes as Riddle set the last one on the tall pile.
Now, how am I supposed to carry these…? Hermione is so going to get it…
Before he could answer his own question, Riddle had divided the stack into two and picked one of the halves up.
"Since I'm going in that direction anyway, it would be pointless for you to make two trips if you don't have to," Riddle offered as an explanation.
Well, that's a lie, Harry thought, staring at him in a mixture of curious amusement. Lunch is almost over and his next class is at the other end of the school… on the next level. And the dining hall is on the first floor in the same direction. Slowly, Harry allowed a gentle smile to cross his lips before picking up the other stack of books.
"Thanks." A strange, almost soft, look crossed Riddle's face, but he turned before Harry could analyze it.
"Whatever." Harry watched him go silently for a moment before following.
What do you really think about me, Tom Riddle?