Two for One

Chapter 11: Shopping

Tom bounces up on his toes to grab the library book and the woman behind the counter coos softly at such a cute boy as she hands it over.

Tom turns a death glare on the witch and she flinches back before she can stop herself.

"Careful, Tom," Harry chuckles. "You might petrify someone with a Basilisk stare like that." He lifts the boy onto a hip and moves away from the line and the wary staff member.

Tom frowns (pouts) up at him but at least he isn't trying to crucio people with his magic anymore. "I'm not a baby, put me down."

A tug on Harry's pants makes him look over to find Gellert staring up at him, eyes wide in innocence. Which means something bad is going to happen.

"I want you to carry me as well," Gellert says.

Harry begins to lower Tom but the boy's nails dig into the back of Harry's neck, Tom's library book clutched to his chest with the other arm.

"No, you're carrying me!" Tom snaps.

"You said to-"

"I changed my mind," Tom hisses.

Harry raises an eyebrow. "Are you just trying to spite Gellert?"

Tom scowls. "I like being carried, I just think it's a baby thing to do."

Harry straightens up and gets a better grip on Tom. He looks between the boys and decides that it will be very bad if he doesn't explain clearly why he can't pick up the blond.

"I'm sorry," Harry begins with. "I think that if I pick you up as well, I won't be able to hold either of you properly and might drop one."

Gellert narrows his eyes in concentration, picking apart the excuse. "We can hold on," he protests.

"I probably can't," Harry admits. "I'm not that strong and you're both rather big." Instead, he offers a consolation prize. "How about this; I'll carry you around the next time we come shopping."

"What? That's unfair," Tom snaps. "You just picked me up and we're almost done. I haven't gotten a whole day."

"Um," Harry tries.

Both boys dismiss the adult because clearly, he's incompetent, and instead turn to each other with anger.

"Wait, wait!" Harry cries before they start in on each other.

He really doesn't want a rivalry to be a normal thing between them. He quickly puts Tom down despite the boy's protests and clinging.

"Look, now you're both even. I'm not holding anyone." Harry smiles, pleased that he fixed things.

Tom and Gellert don't look very pleased. They move away far enough that they can have a brief, serious conversation without Harry hearing it.

Harry ends up holding both of their hands home. A day later he finds a schedule, drawn in crayon, pinned to the wall beside the door.

"What happens if we don't go shopping on one of these days?" Harry asks.

"The contract will be renegotiated," Gellert answers with a cute smile. "There are exception clauses on the back."

Harry lifts the paper and, still in the same mash of crayon colours, the boys have written a surprisingly airtight contract with several subclauses and conditions. "Huh."

So the good news is that they are learning to share. The bad news is that Harry has become a toy to be shared.

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