Limerence |James Potter|

Seven

"I believe in nothing but the beating of our hearts."

ϟϟϟ

There was a buzz around the school the following days. The first Quidditch match of the season was approaching - Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Selene hardly saw James or Sirius outside of class, they had thrown themselves into Quidditch practices. Even when there wasn't an official Gryffindor team practice, James would drag Sirius away from wherever he was or whoever he was spending time with.

Selene, Remus, and Peter would all laugh whenever it occurred. Sirius would be settling down in an armchair, wrapping himself in a blanket and getting all cozy to take a nap, and James would appear out from behind the chair and levitate the blanket off and drag Sirius way.

Currently, Selene was curled up on a loveseat with her Study of Ancient Runes textbook in her lap. The common room had different people melling about, but nobody that she associated with often.

Sirius had been dragged away after he had set up a Wizard's Chess game to play with Remus, and Remus had disappeared tiredly with his skin as pale as the moon. She wouldn't be surprised if he was absent from classes for the next couple of days. Peter was stalking Mary, although he would never admit that it was stalking.

Selene was reading away when she felt the loveseat dip down beside her. She gulped slightly, recognizing the slight rip in the robe of the boy who sat down next down to her.

She lifted her head up, giving up on reading, and glanced over to Ryan. He had the similar idea as she did, and glanced up from his textbook.

"I'm not really in a studying mood, no matter how hard I try. How about you?" He asked with a smile.

Selene nodded cautiously, her mind wandering to one of the first times she'd actually spoken to him which was only a few days ago.

"You're doing better, I assume?" Ryan asked. He examined her delicately braided hair, straight striped tie, and even socks - a great contrast from last time they met in the Great Hall.

"Do I not look as messy as I did last time we spoke?" Selene attempted to joke, tilting her head to smile at him. Ryan scratched his back uncertainly, earning a laugh from her. "I am doing better, thank you for asking."

"Good, good," Ryan nodded.

An awkward silence fell over them, uncertainty clouding them with such intensity that it was almost suffocating.

Of course, Selene had to end it the best way she knew how. "After winter, trees are relieved."

Ryan stared at her in reticence for another moment, his dark green eyes narrowed slightly. It was like he was trying to figure out whether or not what she just said was funny or not. Which, for the record, was the usual reaction whenever she spilled out puns.

"You're terrible," He sighed out after a moment, a smile crossing his lips. "I think I might cry from how awful that was."

"If that's your reaction... You could say it was a tear-able pun," Selene winked at him playfully.

Ryan laughed, "At least it wasn't a cat pun. That would be a catastrophe."

Selene clapped in joy. "You're catching on. I'm quite a good teacher, wouldn't you say so, Mr. Knight?"

"Or maybe I'm just a fast learner," Ryan retorted, shooting a grin her way that sent a rush of emotions towards Selene.

Selene felt her stomach churn, and definitely not in the romanticized "butterflies in stomach" kind of way. She had a unrequited crush on James and here she was, almost flirting with another gentleman. She turn away from the copper-haired boy in disgust with herself. She felt Ryan lightly touch her shoulder in attempt to regain her attention and heard him say her name a few times, but she didn't turn. Not while she felt so damn guilty.