Sallow

5 The road to Hogsmeade, again

Sebastian

It was friday evening, end of the first week at Hogwarts, and I was exhausted. I was laying on one of the common room sofas reading a book I had managed to sneak from the library. It wasn't even from the restricted section, but Madam Scribner said I wasn't allowed to take any books until after my detention tomorrow morning. Dusting the entire left wing! Utterly ridiculous, just for practising some magic I'd found in a book. Sure it may have flooded the library, but this was a magic school! it's the whole purpose of this place. Anyway, she disagreed, so my first weekend was detention, already.

The other parts of the week had been interesting though. A new student had started this year with some fascinating rumours surrounding her arrival, and when I'd met her, she'd bested me at duelling almost without breaking a sweat. She was... intriguing. She shared my passion for secret duelling clubs and I found it fun duelling with her. Maybe she and I would be fighting for first place this year. She was also... pretty. Not that it mattered, just something I'd observed. Besides, I had things in my life that prevented me from wanting anything. Things that took my free time. I didn't need a distraction. Though sometimes her banter had me feeling funny, as if I didn't want to leave, or me being excited to go to class to see and speak with her. It was a weird feeling, not one that I'd felt before. Fascinating.

Anyway, there I was reading this book, when my best mate, Ominis, showed up out of the void. "Blasted screwts, Ominis, a little warning next time." He had a habit of just popping up, as he was so quiet when he moved. "Why would I warn, when I can get one up on you? Life is so much more fun that way." I snorted at his words and went back to my book, when Ominis levitated it out of my hands. I was going to tell him he could shove gobstones up its nether-region, when he beat me to it.

"Professor Weasley wants to speak with you, by the way. Right now, she's waiting outside." I jumped up. "Why didn't you tell me?" Ominis looked puzzled. "I just did." I didn't bother to correct him for the fact that he didn't tell me immediately, essentially making me look like I was keeping a Professor waiting, and quickly made my way up the stairs and outside the common room.

"Ah, Mr. Sallow, good that you're here. How has your first week been?"

"Fine Professor. Just grand." She looked at me with knowing eyes.

"I'm sure your detention with Madam Scribner would have been just grand - " Nothing gets past this woman - "except that your plans have changed. You are to assist our new student, Miss Della James, to Hogsmeade tomorrow morning so she can collect her required items. Is this well and good with you?" A day out with the oh-so fascinating new student? What great luck, I'd be able to really get to know her.

"Definitely, sounds good to me. Am I really out of detention though, or has it just been postponed?" She looked at me sternly, then sighed. "It has been cancelled. I want you to use this opportunity to reflect on your actions, and be sure to not get into Madam Scribner's bad books again. Understood?"

"Yes, Professor. Though, to be fair, I don't know if I'm ever leaving her bad books." I gave her a sheepish grin. She huffed, though I think I spotted a small smile, and dismissed me. "Tomorrow, at the castle entrance, 10am."

Later that evening I got into bed, excited. A whole day with her, this was going to be fun.

————

I got to the castle entrance at 9:30. Sure I may have been eager, but so what? I didn't want to be late and give a bad impression. I took being a tour guide seriously. 10am on the dot she was walking down the stairs towards me.

Oh my. She looked quite... good. I swallowed. I mean she looked good anyway, in her school robes but well, now she glowed. Her hair was done in a low bun, with a twist round the one side. Some of her front hairs fell around her face framing it, and it suited her really well. I took in her white blouse, with sleeves that came to her elbows, and little ruffles at the end. Her blue corset top hugged her figure in a way that made it hard for me not to stare, and she walked elegantly in her knee-high boots. I may have known she was pretty, but just pretty didn't make me feel this way. I spoke before I made a total fool of myself. "Well, fancy seeing you here."

She was witty and playful in her response, and I felt magnetised to her, impossible to stop looking. We made for fun conversation, when she alluded to get going.

"Right then, I shall endeavor to be the very best of guides. Shall we?" I don't know what came over me, but I almost stuck out my elbow for her to grab it. Since when did I become a gentleman courting a lady at a dance? I didn't want to come off too strong, or give her the wrong idea, so I corrected my gesture to point towards the door. Was it smooth? Did she notice? I don't know, she smiled at me, not mentioning it, so maybe i've gotten away with it. Phew. Speaking of, her smile was... something else. Her whole face lit up. I'd seen her smirk and grin at me, cheekiness and playful insults fuelling them, and a soft, bashful smile after crossed wands. But a wide, genuine smile? This was the first, and it was stunning. She was stunning. I had to stop before I became a bambling, bumbling, buffoon completely obsessed with her. Remember no distractions from Anne. We made our way towards hogsmeade, mostly in comfortable silence. She was looking at the scenery, I tried my hardest not to look at her. It was quite difficult. I felt the need to say something, anything, before we'd gotten all the way to Hogsmeade and I lost the opportunity to speak with her - just us.

"I was glad Professor Weasley asked me to join you today." Was that too forward? Does she think I'm creepy now? I usually found talking to girls easy, whether I was harmlessly flirting or not, but her? I was questioning my entire existence and every word to come out of my mouth. It was baffling. I carried on trying to cover my tracks. Talking about duelling was good. It was our commonality. She continued the conversation, not once running away screaming that I was a weirdo, so I counted that as a win. We'd been talking of how she'd saved me from detention when -

"You mean you'd be up for anything I say?"

I seriously do not know what came over me. Primal instincts? Cupid shot his arrow into my back? I lowered my voice and stepped towards her, not breaking our eye-contact. Surely my conscious brain had gone on holiday.

"Anything."

Too late to back out now. I'd flirted with her, fully charged with double-meanings behind that word. I could see her mind had gone into a frenzy with it too, her cheeks were becoming pinker by the second. I decided to tease her, not knowing what else to make of my answer. Also, to my relief, Hogsmeade was just over the bridge.

"Thinking unholy thoughts there, Miss, James? My deepest apologies for interrupting, but we're here." She really turned red. I found it adorable. I wanted to touch her in some way, grab her hand? my arm around her shoulder? I don't know - she was just absolutely destroying the 'cuteness receptor' in my brain - along with any sanity. She hurried forward into Hogsmeade, and I followed, a stubborn smile refusing to leave my face. She paused a little way in, and seemed to take in the sights and smells. The way her eyes moved around the village, brimming with curiosity, had me almost weak. The smile that ghosted her lips was too much for me, and I could not stop staring. She turned to me, and I pretended to have been looking past her, and not directly at her, when we now met eyes again.

"It's wonderful." She said.

That funny feeling stirring within me once more, I replied.

"Indeed, it is." She meant Hogsmeade. I did not.