Harriet peered from the corner she’d stationed herself at watching the various couples waltzing. She leaned further back into the wall, despite the chill of the stones on the skin revealed by her low backed silk dress. She smiled a bit to herself as she watched the comings and goings, purposefully trying to avoid thinking about the fact she hadn’t seen the Head Boy make his appearance yet.
She looked down at the diamond and emerald bracelet that had been left in her room along with the dress she was currently adorned in. She still wasn’t sure where Tom had gotten the Galleons for it, but growing up with Tom in Wool’s had taught Harry that when Tom desired something nothing stood between him and it.
To be perfectly honest, Harry would have been more than happy to avoid the Slug Club New Year’s Eve party altogether. She was only there as Tom had asked her and she’d never been able to refuse Tom anything, not since they were small and he’d defended her that first day at the Orphanage from the older children. He’d insisted she come, that they celebrate his birthday as they’d always done- together.
And yet, here she was, standing alone.
It was starting to feel more and more like Tom was slipping away from her. The invitations from the sycophants who saw Tom as the trailblazer and wanted some of Tom’s shine were taking up more and more of his time. Tom, who embodied Slytherin ambition, knew how to use a good opportunity when it presented itself and utilized these to continue moving his way up into the upper echelons of Wizarding society. Merlin knew he already had quite a few prestigious job offers lined up for after graduation.
A shock of white blond hair caught her eye, pulling herself from her thoughts, and she turned to see Abraxas making his way over to her. She smiled as he approached, noting his eyes roving her figure.
However, before he could make it she saw his eyes widen and change course right as she felt an arm slip possessively around her waist.
A scent she’d recognize anywhere, leather, tobacco, and parchment, enveloped her as she felt the whisper in her ear, “You look absolutely ravishing darling.”
Harry turned towards him, taking in how sinfully good he looked in the black Wizarding robes tailored to perfectly emphasize his imposing figure.
Tom’s lips quirked into a smirk.
“You should be careful of the thoughts you are broadcasting, doll. Although I have to say, nothing here holds a candle to your beauty.”
Harry felt herself flush, both from the compliment and the reminder that her Occlumency shields were still so shoddy he was able to just peek in whenever the fancy struck him.
“Is that what finally brought you here? Wanted to feed that enormous ego of yours or were you worried Abraxas was going to come and keep me company?” Harry teased, but with a slight edge Tom immediately caught.
Tom tightened his grip on Harry’s waist, fingers stroking her exposed skin as he sent her a charming smile, dark eyes cold as they bore into her own emerald gaze. It set Harry immediately on edge.
“Abraxas should be lucky he did not make it over here before I did or he’d be starting the New Year experiencing my displeasure,” he coldly stated. He paused, tilting his head down as he drew in Harry until she was flush against his chest before continuing. “No matter how many invitations I receive, the ambitions I have, my greatest desire is you. In all the darkness, you are my anchor. You are mine, as I am yours. There is no one I’d rather be with on my birthday than you. The way it’s been since we were children stealing those chocolate bars or peppermint creams for our birthday."
"Now,” Tom’s smile turned predatory as he raked his eyes over Harry’s body, hand gripping reflexively on her waist, “you are even adorned in the items I selected and I must say you look every inch a Slytherin queen, a goddess ready for worship. The best wrapped gift I could receive.”
Harry felt her traitorous heart speed up as Tom dragged her out of the party, only to push her up against the nearest wall, caging her body with his, one hand bracing on one side of her head while the other ran his fingers from her waist up her side, grazing her breast, before moving to stroke through the silky black strands of her hair and giving them sharp tug. He moved to nuzzle her neck, murmuring, “We still have a few hours left of my birthday and I think I would like to make the most of it.”
Harry smiled, letting Tom nip her neck, sure that there would be marks come tomorrow.
“Whatever the birthday boy wants,” she replied breathlessly. Tom gave her a devilish smile, before he grasped her hand, leading her back to the Slytherin dorms.
Later, after they lay in Tom’s bed, spent and sated, Tom heard Harry murmur against the crook of his neck before falling asleep, “Happy Birthday, Tom.”