𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬

Chapter 25

When mid-May hit, most students worried about O.W.L.s, but Adeline and Harry had the realization that they only had two and a half weeks left with each other before they had to cease all contact until September. Studying didn't seem to matter so much. In fact, it hindered their time together because their head of houses had mandatory group study sessions and more assignments than they could count on two hands.

So their last weekend before exams, they both arrived in the forest with a stack of books and parchment, and ended up spending most of their time finishing up their essays rather than doing anything else—actually studying this time, with no twenty minutes on/five minutes off method.

The silence was comfortable, and they'd tap each other's knee and flash a smile at the other every once in a while. Harry would sneak a few hugs as rewards.

As the sun began to set, Harry slammed his book shut.

"I'm so sick of doing this." He ran a hand through his hair and fell back into the grass.

Adeline rubbed her eyes. "I don't know what words are anymore. I keep rereading 'charm' so much that I forget how it's spelled, so I'm looking at it as if it's this new thing—I'm brain fried."

"I don't want to hear the words 'potions' 'defense' 'charms' 'transfiguration'—We're not talking about school anymore." Adeline gave an exhausted laugh and threw her notes to the side. She crawled next to Harry and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I want to do something fun."

"Quidditch?"

"I don't have my broom."

Then Harry sat up. "Let's go swimming."

Adeline looked at the water with a raised brow. "Isn't there a... giant, deadly squid in the Black Lake?"

"Totally," Harry said. "Let's do it."

"I'm not getting my clothes wet." She pointed at her sweater, which was a deep green. "This is hand threaded—"

"And probably five million galleons since you're a rich git."

Adeline chuckled and then ripped up some grass, throwing the blades at Harry. "Did you just call me a rich git?"

"In a good way," Harry stood, and then he took off his shirt and threw it to the side, along with his glasses.

"You look pretty without your glasses," Adeline said as she stood and took off her sweater (there was no way she was getting that wet all for Harry Potter). "Really, you look pretty all the time. But it's easier to see your eyes."

"You make me sound like a girl." Harry scrunched his nose, and Adeline kissed the tip of it. Harry had to admit, the compliment made butterflies flutter in his stomach. "Thank you."

Harry grabbed her hand and took her to the edge of the last tree in the half circle, where rather than grass, rock formed and led to a bank. They climbed onto the rock and stood at the ledge, which was only a few meters from the water.

"Ready?"

Adeline nodded.

They ran and jumped in, giving a bit of a splash and hitting the bottom sand. They pushed off of it and surfaced.

"That was lame," Harry complained, wiping his eyes.

"My hair," Adeline paddled with her feet and brushed it back. "It wasn't worth it."

"Oh please, it looks fine."

"Just fine?!"

Harry rolled his eyes and reached out to squeeze her cheek before tapping her face. "You're gorgeous." And then his eyes widened as his face twisted into a mischievous grin. "You know where a good cliff would be? Under the viaduct next to the boathouse."