gravity

inertia

"Don't go without me," Harry quietly laughed, catching up with her after putting to rest the small talk with the girl up front.

"Sorry," she smiled over her shoulder, gazing at the spines of the classics they were currently perusing, "What do you usually read, Harry?"

For a flick, she swore she saw his eyes pause on the romance shelves across from them with his nose gaining a dusting of blush before he paid his attention to her. "Usually fantasy and silly things like that, I guess."

"I'm surprised," (Y/N) started, letting go of his hand to drag her finger over the spines but not without a bump of her hip against his, "I thought you only read scientific journals and research papers."

An easy smile bloomed over his features at her teasing, the deep dimples on his cheeks stealing the show. "Oh no, I only read those to relax."

She shook her head with a curl stretching her lips as she drifted through the shelves and out of view of his friend up front. Classic titles were designed with fairytale-esque covers, with a few new additions being treated with the same grandeur that made (Y/N) want to shell out the money for a hardback copy of a book she didn't know anything about. Nineties paperbacks dominated the lower shelves of the romance stacks while contemporary pieces she remembered from her teenage years were shelved along the top. All the while Harry followed closely behind, his eyes glancing at her more often than they flicked to the shelves.

Just when she was about to steer the two of them towards the fantasy shelves, hoping to peek into Harry's life, she saw one of the smaller shelves towards the back, full of books covered completely in opaque brown butcher's paper. Each spine had the simple title scrawled along the length with peeks of sticky notes stuck to the covers. (Y/N)'s eyes widened when she realized what she had found.

Letting out a soft gasp, she rushed over to the concealed stacks, only halfway aware of the laugh Harry let out as he followed her.

"Harry, look," she rushed in a hush tone, "It's like those ones on instagram and Pinterest—those surprise book shelves."

She pulled out the first book she could settle her eyes on, the title including something about a court of flowers and grime or something. The sticky note pasted to the front denoted the genre of book with a few key points, detailing a side plot of a love story with fantastical elements and world building. The print of the cover was completely sealed, leaving only the librarian's praise and recommendations handwritten along the back and the short sticky note to help determine whether or not the book was her cup of tea.

"I know," Harry smiled, looking down at the addition in her hands, "I always want to grab one of these, but 'm too scared I'll only pick something I've already read or won't like."

(Y/N) looked up at him with what she was sure were wide eyes with hope swimming through the irises. "Could we pick books for each other? I'll try to pick something you haven't read!"

His smile turned lopsided as his softening eyes flitted over her features. "I'd love that. Pick whatever y'want for me—I trust you."

Practically bouncing in her spot, (Y/N) reshelved the book in her hand and didn't waste a second before her eyes were scanning over the covert volumes before her. She could feel Harry's gaze linger on her for a moment, the line of her body feeling the heat of his eyes before he averted his attention to the shelves.

"What do y'like to read?"

(Y/N) rolled her eyes, a lopsided smile catching at the corner of her lips that Harry had a hard time taking his eyes off of. "Would it surprise you if I told you I like romance or whatever it was that Twilight was considered?"