Goad
By the end of the week, Reg was sick of not being able to figure out how to use geometry to guess the correct wand movements of any spell.
He was also feeling greedy. He wanted to dig into the muggle library he was carrying around a small bag. So he took steps to get Tom off his back.
They were in the common room. Tom was on the chair closest to the fire flipping fast through a book. Reg was on the floor in front of the fire, leaning back on a large cushion, eyes darting back and forth, actually reading the book he held.
Malfoy and a gaggle of other Slytherin boys entered, breaking the quiet that had settles over the dorm. The boys were laughing raucously about something. Malfoy spotted the two of them and flung himself down opposite Tom.
“How goes the search?” He asked, as the other boys arranged themselves in another corner of the room and continued their raucous conversation.
Tom was about to speak when Reg chimed in, without lifting his eyes from the book. “Tom’s been unable to find the slightest hint of anything and he’s being a right bastard.”
Tom scowled. “I’ll set your books on fire,” he threatened.
“Not my birthday present you brute,” raising his hand to check the bag he wore around his neck was safe.
Tom turned to Malfoy, “I’ve looked at a few books and not found any references.” he admitted.
Reg scoffed at the ‘a few’ part. “Ask him why he won’t ask his source.”
Tom scowled at Reg again. “I want to figure it out on my own,'' he told Malfoy.
Reg finally closed his book and sat straight on the cushion he was on. “Or you’re afraid that there’s someone out there who’s better at magic than you.”
Tom threw his book at Reg’s face. Reg ducked and it fell into the fireplace. Reg was instantly on his feet, wand out, summoning the book out of the fire and making sure it was not damaged. He levitated the book over to Tom and let it bang on his head several times.
“Admit it”, he challenged. “You’re scared she will show you up.”
Tom rose to his feet after he had batted the book away, opening his mouth to retort-
“Wait, wait, wait, she?” Malfoy asked. “There’s a girl involved?”
Reg turned to Malfoy with a smirk on his face, “Oh, he hasn’t told you? It was a girl that told him about guessing the wand movements.”
Malfoy turned to Tom. “What’s this I’m hearing?” He asked. “You didn’t tell me you had a girl?”
“It was one conversation, you wanker”, Tom threw a cushion at Malfoy's head.
Malfoy neatly caught the pillow, climbed onto a chair and cast a Sonorus, “Gentlemen, I have a very important announcement to make.” Malfoy began solemnly. Then he paused dramatically, ignoring Tom’s eyes boring into the back of his head. “Our Tom’s been seeing a girl and hiding it from us!”
Lots of hoots and wolf-whistling and laughter broke out in the common room.
“Who is it?” someone called. “Black is going to be so pissed.”
More laughter broke out.
Tom rolled his eyes at Malfoy’s antics and glared at Reg, who smirked back in self-satisfaction, before adding in a loud voice, “Tom’s worried she’s better than him.”
“No way!” Mulciber shouted, over the laughter that broke out, “No one’s better at magic than Tom.”
“Thank you Mulciber,” Tom said loudly, settling back into his chair and crossing his legs.
“Yeah?” Malfoy asked, “Why haven’t you asked her then?”
An expectant silence fell over the room.
“I don’t know her name.” Tom admitted.
Another round of roaring laughter broke out.
“But,” Tom said, raising one hand, and continuing when the boys felt silent, “I have something that belongs to her, so I’ll summon her.”
Reg frowned, “There’s no way to summon a witch using an object belonging to her.”
Avery laughed, a short grating sound, “Imagine if there was though. I’d love to summon McMillian to my room.”
Tom waited for the ensuing laughter to fade.
Then waited a little longer till all eyes were on him.
He shrugged nonchalantly, “I might as well try.”