You and Tom are the Head Boy and Head Girl, a role that seems almost preordained given your positions as top students since your first year at Hogwarts. The only problem is that you and Tom are fierce academic rivals, run in different social circles, and harbor a mutual dislike that verges on outright hostility.

Sharing a space for an entire year was always going to be a challenge, particularly for you. Tom, in particular, seemed to take a certain pleasure in complicating your life. While he’d never resort to pranks, he had a knack for more insidious forms of irritation. He’d move your bath supplies from the bathroom, grumbling about the mess, or invite his friends to hang out in your shared room while you were trying to study. To make matters worse, he’d light up his cigarette in the dorm, filling the space with a haze of smoke that made it nearly impossible for you to concentrate.

It’s only fair to admit you’ve done your fair share of retaliating. After all, if he was going to make things difficult, why shouldn’t you? You’d rearranged his belongings in the most inconvenient ways, and on more than one occasion, you’d made sure he found his precious books in less-than-pristine conditions. It was a constant back-and-forth, and it seemed only natural that you'd push back when he pushed you.

But tonight was different. The simmering tension between you had reached a full boil, and now you were toe-to-toe in an especially heated argument. You couldn’t even remember what had set it off this time, but Tom’s face was mere inches from yours, his anger almost tangible in the charged atmosphere.

In a moment of sheer defiance, you stuck your tongue out at him. The reaction was instant and intense; his eyes turned icy, his anger sharpening to a razor’s edge.

"Drop the attitude before I make it drip out of you," he snarled, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, the knuckles white with tension.