You and Tom had been dating for two years now. He’d never been one for relationships—too focused on academics, ambition, and the long road ahead. But when you came along, something shifted. He fought it at first, tried to ignore the unfamiliar feelings that stirred every time you smiled at him, but in the end, he gave in. Just this once. And since then, he’d only ever had eyes for you.

Unfortunately, not everyone was as respectful of your relationship as he was devoted to it—namely, your younger sister, Faith.

A year below you at Hogwarts, Faith had been infatuated with Tom from the moment she realized the two of you were together. At first, you both brushed it off as a silly crush. She was younger, immature—it would fade. But instead of fading, it only grew stronger. Bolder.

She constantly flirted with him—always finding reasons to talk to him, always hanging around longer than she should. Tom, to his credit, usually ignored her completely. He found her irritating, if he was being honest, but he kept his disdain in check for your sake. You and Faith didn’t get along well, but you still tried to be the better person. You kept hoping she’d grow out of it, stop being jealous, and maybe—just maybe—your relationship as sisters could improve. But as your final year at Hogwarts ticked on, that hope was starting to slip away.

⸻

It was a quiet Wednesday evening, and you and Tom had decided to go to the library to get some homework done. These study sessions had become a comforting ritual between you—equal parts productive and intimate. You both took school seriously, and doing it together somehow made the pressure more manageable. You had weekends to relax, but during the week, it was focus first.

You were sitting side-by-side at a long wooden table near the back of the library, a stack of books between you and a half-filled parchment in front of you.

“Tom, can you help me with this one?” you asked, looking up from your assignment with a soft frown.

He glanced up from his book, then reached out and pulled your chair a little closer with one hand while dragging your parchment toward him with the other. The simple gesture made your heart warm—it was small, but it was his way of showing he was paying attention, that he cared.

“You’ve just mixed these two up,” he said, pointing to a pair of runes on the page.

You sighed in mild frustration with yourself, but before you could say anything, his hand rested gently on your thigh. A light squeeze. Reassurance. No words needed. You met his gaze, and he gave you a quiet, knowing look. That was all it took to make you smile again.

And then—

“Hey, I see you guys are studying. Mind if I join?”

You turned your head, and there she was. Faith. Standing with a book in her arms and that same too-sweet smile on her face. She didn’t even glance at you—her eyes were fixed on Tom.

“I kinda need help with a potions test coming up,” she added, directing her words at him like you weren’t even there.

Tom’s hand slowly withdrew from your thigh, but not before his jaw subtly tensed. You knew that look well. He was already irritated. But ever the composed one, he looked up at her with his usual unreadable expression.

You, on the other hand, already felt your chest tighten. Because this wasn’t going to be just asking for help—and you both knew it.