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"That is IT!" Hermione fumed. She tore off her dragonhide gloves and flung them aside. "You are showing that book to me right now, Tom Riddle!"
Tom preened over his absolutely perfect Headache Relieving Draught and said, "Granger, some people just have talent."
"Hmm… This potions talent that didn't appear until sixth year, when you used to be firmly in second place, year after year, including on our OWL scores? I don't buy it. Hand over the book."
He gave her a vicious grin as he shoved it into his bag. "Make me."
She watched him leave the potions room.
"You can't let him get away with that," Ron said. To his surprise, Hermione was smiling when she turned back to help him clean up their station. It was the smile of a girl who had set a teacher on fire, and kept a woman in a jar. The smile of a girl who was Up To No Good. Stars, but he was gone for her. "Oh, you've got a plan. What do you need?"
"Just a little word in someone's ear…"
"Tom, I can't… I've got practice…" Harry said.
"But you had practice this morning!" Tom protested.
"I know…" Harry said, eating mechanically. "Angelina's on a tear. Some new thing, guaranteed to get her the cup."
Tom did not understand what was so complicated about murderball. Just win more games than the opponents? Right?
"Tell her you need time with your boyfriend."
"I'll try…"
Tuesday in Transfiguration, Tom tried to ask him. "She said if I had enough energy for broom cupboards, I wasn't playing Quidditch right."
"Am I supposed to believe that everyone on Gryffindor's team is celibate? Because I've heard stories about the Weasley twins."
"That was Oliver Wood's team. This is Angelina's team. She's got a different attitude."
"Mr. Potter, Mr Riddle, if you would please return your attention to your work…" Professor McGonagall said sternly.
By Wednesday, Tom cornered Harry after DADA class, fuming. "You weren't at practice yesterday evening!"
"What? I was!" Harry protested.
"You couldn't have been, because the Slytherins had the pitch."
"Oh! That… no, our evening practice isn't on the pitch. That's for general fitness. Running around the lake, though she's going to add staircase runs when the weather gets bad."
Thursday, Tom reminded Harry that he had a free period, but he said, "Sorry, I've got plans with Ron. He said he hasn't seen much of me this year."
"I haven't seen much of you this year, darling."
"You've seen more of me than anyone else."
Friday, he tried to join Harry for study hall in the library, only to find him deep in a new group with Granger.
That's when the penny dropped.
Honestly, he could have escalated.
He should have escalated.
But damn it all, he wanted his boyfriend back.
He walked up to the library table. "Miss Granger, I would like to propose an exchange. You can borrow my Potions book for one hour if I can have one hour with my boyfriend."
She grabbed the book out of his hands. "Go on, Harry."
"I thought you needed my help to explain…"
"Harry, your boyfriend misses you."