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It was all a competition with Jay. Harry preferred it that way. They always had to see who the best was. Few people could understand why they did that. But it was the secret language that they used. By competing, they could show off each other. No wounded pride or true losers.
Then Uma had appeared.
And for the first time, they had competed for something and genuinely wanting to win. Which implied that the other must lose. That only made things more confusing. Because jealousy was an obstacle. Jealousy that hid insecurities. Because Harry and Jay loved to compete. But compete against Uma for the attention of the other? That was a sure loss. And jealousy turned to resentment. The resentment turned into distance.
Harry won.
They both lost.
But Uma wasn't the type to let trivialities like insecurities and communication problems get in the way. She read Harry and Jay clearly. And if she was the spark that started their separation. Uma was the fire that brought them together.
Only Uma could watch them compete and instead of stopping them, she let them do it. If anyone expected her to be the voice of reason, they didn't really know Uma.
So, it was actually the fault of the three that curfew had come and they were still in the forest.
But Jay was intoxicated with happiness.
The reckless impulse of the Gryffindor had led him to climb one of the tallest trees to retrieve Uma's scarf that had been blown up there by the wind. But instead of using a spell, like a sensible person, Jay had started climbing.
In the middle of his little adventure, he had challenged Harry to see who could get there the fastest. And in the blink of an eye, they both began to climb. While Uma seemed almost impressed with the wildness of those acts. Because the only warning Uma gave them was that if one of them got hurt, she would kill them. Both of them.
Jay had an advantage, so he had won. The treetop almost gave way with the two of them holding onto it. But even though it was Harry who won when they descended, that smile on Jay's lips hadn’t disappeared. And that must have been annoying to Harry, but the way Uma was looking at them made him want to climb a hundred more trees. Uma awarded Jay and ordered Harry to recognize the winner. That was a new addition imposed by her and very well received. The awards. The recognition. The competition made even losing worth it. Because that gave Harry the excuse to kiss any part of Jay except the most important ones and compliment his abilities. Harry could express himself freely behind that punishment. And Jay could get the attention he didn't easily admit wanting.
Uma would be there, guiding them every step of the way.
Harry and Jay loved competing for Uma.
But one thing led to another. And the curfew arrived. So, they had to go through the huge castle in total darkness, dragging a Jay that was still in a state of happy jelly. But Harry couldn't be bothered by that. He actually enjoyed seeing the Gryffindor like this.
“Oh, it's a shame,” Harry whispered when they reached the steps leading to the dungeons and onto Slytherin and Hufflepuff “Jay will have to make his way to the tower all alone.”
“Stairs?” Jay looked at the ceiling imagining how far he would have to walk and then shot Harry a reproachful look. “You did it on purpose.”
“Actually..,” Harry put his arm around Jay's shoulders and whispered against his ear “It was Uma's idea to keep going until you couldn't walk. And you loved every second.”
The girl smirked. Eyes of pure innocence. A thousand dangers on her lips. If it weren't for Harry being supposed to hold Jay, he'd already been with Uma in that second, hoping to savor a little more of that danger.
“Cruel,” Jay accused Uma with a smile on his lips asking her to do it again and do it more.
Uma just widened her smile and in response, she hooked her index finger on Jay's belt to take him down the stairs.
“It's vacation, there's no one in Hufflepuff right?” Uma gave both of them a smile “We can stay there.”
“Did I tell you that I love how you think?” Jay staggered over to the Slytherin and hugged her around the waist, burying his face into her neck “Oh… you still smell like the forest...”
Uma shot Harry a look. For the next few days, thinking of the forest would be a trigger for intense memories. But they were still in the corridors and Uma was extremely strict with her House points. So, Harry pulled Jay to one side until he had partially the weight of the Gryffindor against his side and kept walking.
“You smell like the forest too,” Jay whispered maliciously against his ear just to provoke him.
“I have better control than you. Keep walking,” Harry replied, looking at Uma in front of them, moving through the darkness as if gliding over it, nimble and graceful.
“No, you don't,” Jay scoffed in a whisper “You just want Uma's approval and to be told what a good boy you are.”
Just because it was true didn't make it any easier.
“And you don’t?” Harry pointed his wand at Jay's nose.
“I like it better when she disciplines me,” The Gryffindor joked and sighed “I didn't think I would go back to your Common Room.”
Harry felt a weight on his belly. Since they had grown apart until that moment, many things had been lost.
“Get used to it,” Harry shot him a look “It’s better than your Common Room.”
And as if Uma sensed that something was going to happen, she shot them a look to silence them. Jay's jaw dropped open and only closed it when Uma raised her index finger. Like a child, Jay closed his mouth and Uma smiled approvingly before continuing to walk. Harry admired the way she took control of everything. Uma didn't seem to bother that Jay and Harry knew each other longer and thus had more memories together. She was satisfied with hearing them. Because by doing so, she learned better how to handle them.
In the beginning, Harry had believed that Jay's reappearance had been to take his place alongside Uma. Right in his last year and his only chance to win her over. But he had been shocked when Jay gave up and agreed to just be friends with Uma. Harry believed that Jay had stopped his advances towards Uma by noticing that Harry had a crush on her. Of course, Jay would never admit to losing on purpose. But now they were together, back to the point where they were following Uma like she was the only one who knew the way even though they were going to Harry's Common Room. But this time he and Jay were doing that together.
“Well…?” Uma stopped right at the entrance and looked at Harry “I can't do this for you.”
He laughed and switched places with her. Uma helped Jay get stable and Harry started to lead them into his Common Room until he heard one of his favorite sounds. Uma had sighed. And when Harry looked over, Jay had wasted no time and was kissing Uma's neck almost reverently.
Harry and Jay liked to compete. But in moments like this competing and teamwork were almost the same.
Jay extended his hand to Harry and he didn't hesitate to join in. He went straight to the other side of Uma's neck and bit her tentatively, hearing her sigh louder. He and Jay looked at each other. Uma was too good to them, ambitious and victorious, she had brought them together. So, it was inevitable that they constantly wanted to thank her. Harry laughed against Uma's skin, unable to believe that there was really anyone capable of accepting the impudence that Jay and Harry were together.
“Common room,” Uma ordered and separated them by taking each one by the chin “My boys, so precious. And you don't want to be caught outside of your respective Houses, right?” She looked at them dangerously. “And you don't want to know what I would do to you if I get caught here and lose points.”
“I'm almost tempted to let that happen,” Jay admitted with a mischievous smile.
“Gryffindor,” Uma cursed and looked at Harry.
“As you wish, captain,” And he prepared to give them access.
“Hufflepuff,” And Uma said it as a compliment.
Only a Slytherin like Uma would know how to manipulate rebellion and chaos so well in favor of all three. But that was exactly why Harry and Jay loved her.