Chapter Text
“Are you coming, right?” Oliver’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, resting his chin on the table.
Percy had a weighty bibliographic book on some politician, using it to shield most of his face. Yet, his eyes remained fixed on the pages, unaffected by Oliver’s presence. He had to wait until Percy reached the end of the sentence to capture his attention.
“To the match?” Percy asked, devoid of enthusiasm.
Oliver furrowed his brow, noticing a glimmer of mockery in Percy’s gaze. With a smile, he slightly parted his lips, allowing Percy to catch a glimpse of his tongue pressing against the roof of his mouth, poised to snap with a resounding noise in the hushed place.
“Don’t you dare. We’re in the library!” Percy lowered the book to emphasize his seriousness.
Undeterred, Oliver raised his eyebrows in defiance. If Percy was going to ask obvious questions, he would respond in his own insufferable way. They could both play this game. Percy’s shoulders slumped, likely taking into account the other early-morning library goers who sought a peaceful start to their day.
“I want to finish my homework.”
“You can do it later.” Oliver straightened up, his smile widening. “We can do it together. After the celebration.”
Percy pondered for a moment, his gaze fixed on Oliver. “That means you’re confident we’re going to win.”
“Undoubtedly.” Oliver’s smile held a touch of certainty.
Percy sighed. “So why should I come? You’ve already given away the ending.”
Sometimes...
Honestly, Oliver often wondered why he found Percy’s responses so captivating. There was something about the way he spoke that stirred Oliver’s excitement.
“I could throw you over my shoulder and take you with me,” Oliver teased.
Percy raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with authority. “And I can have you removed from the Quidditch team for disrespecting your Prefect.”
Oliver placed his hand on the book, trying to playfully distract Percy. “You wouldn’t do that,” he asserted. “You wouldn’t even be capable.”
Percy grabbed Oliver’s wrist, firmly pulling his hand away to retrieve the book. “Don’t tempt me, Wood,” he warned. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.”
Once again, Oliver shouldn’t have found Percy’s unwavering determination so alluring, but it ignited his competitive spirit. With a smile, he stood up.
“I have to get ready for the match,” Oliver announced, cupping Percy’s chin playfully. Winking at him, he added, “I’ll be waiting for my number one fan.”
Observing the blush on Percy’s cheeks was a personal victory for Oliver. It didn’t matter that Percy brushed his hand away, hiding his face behind the weighty book.
“I wonder who that person is,” Oliver mused.
“Use a mirror, Weasley,” Oliver chimed with a hint of mischief. “I assure you, you’ll have your answer.” His audacious humming earned him disapproving looks from the library’s occupants.
But none of that mattered. Oliver had a game to win and a certain boy to impress. It was bound to be a marvelous day.