Stevie's POV:
The arrival of the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students was as spectacular as it was anticipated.
However, once the initial excitement wore off, the extra students became more of a burden than anything. Suddenly there were lines to use the toilets in between classes, and walking through the halls became more of a slow crawl than the normal swift movements.
"Merlin's Beard! KEEP MOVING. YOU CAN'T JUST STAND THERE BECAUSE YOU'RE LOST AGAIN!" I shouted, squeezing past a cluster of Durmstrang girls who had blocked off an entire half of the first floor corridor.
"What's got you all up in arms today?" Adrian questioned, running to keep up with me.
"I'm not up in arms. I'm just tired of having to leave 15 minutes early to be able to make it to breakfast on time." I groaned at the sight of a Beauxbaton's couple locked at the lips.
"They're only going to be here until the tournaments over. And some of the Durmstrang guys are pretty cool." Adrien shrugged.
I abruptly swung around to face him, forcing Adrien to walk into me, as he didn't have enough time to stop. "They don't even let Muggleborns in their school. How cool can any of them be?"
Adrien sighed and turned me back around, guiding me to continue walking. "Don't tell me you're letting that Weasley boy get into your head already. You haven't even gone out with him yet."
"Piss off." I rolled my eyes, shaking his arms off of my shoulders. I quickly climbed down the stairwell next to me, and headed into the potions classroom. Adrien followed, sitting down beside me.
"How are you feeling about the date anyways? Change your mind yet?" He whispered as Snape strolled by.
I pulled out my potions textbook and set it on the table in front of us. "Nervous, I guess. I've never been on an actual date before- and like it or not I'm still going."
"Honestly, I'm surprised you said yes. Didn't think you cared about anything before the sex." Adrien mumbled, opening his book to the page number written on the board.
I slapped his arm, "That was so uncalled for."
"But not wrong."
"Why are you so concerned with what I chose to do?" I hissed back, flipping passed the potion instructions I was looking for.
"I'm not concerned. Just surprised is all." He huffed.
"Oh really? That's not what it sounds like to me. You've been such an arse since George asked me out. I don't know if you're just jealous or something, but you need to sort it out."
"Jealous? Is that what you think I am?" He snorted, rolling his eyes "You're that desperate for attention, now?"
"Seriously- what is your deal? I don't know what you want me to do." I cried, slamming my hands down on the table.
"Well maybe stop mentioning George when you know I'm in love with you!" Adrian hissed, his breathing starting to speed up.
"You brought it up! I haven't even- wait. You're... what?" I stuttered.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Pucey and Miss Blythe- I was unaware that your conversation was more important than my potions lesson." Snape scowled, staring over at me and Adrian.
"M'sorry sir." We echoed, straightening up against his glare.
"As I was saying, you will be brewing a draught of peace. I expect you all to begin thinking about whether or not you want to be in this classroom next year. From the looks of it, my N.E.W.T.S level class will be quite small..."
~~~~~~~~
George's P.O.V
Professor McGonagall was standing at the front of the room, demonstrating some spell we were supposed to be learning. My eyes were watching the clock above her heading, praying for the ticking to slow down. My date with Stevie was supposed to be tomorrow, and every hour that marked it closer made me more nervous.
Despite dreaming about this day for years, I never wanted it to come. I knew Fred and I were going to switch- because of my nerves being on high alert, it'd been happening every 30 minutes or so. During the actual date, there's no telling how often we could go back and forth.
Fred slid a note to me, his eyes not leaving the gerbil in the front of the room that had just been a tea cup moments ago.
You look like you're gonna to be sick
I rolled my eyes before quickly scribbling down a response.
I'll try to miss your shoes. No promises.
Fred snorted quietly and wrote back to me.
How about you pay attention? I haven't understood a thing she's said so you'll have to figure it out.
I crumpled up the note and shoved it into the pocket of my robes. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't manage to cling onto a word McGonagall was saying. My thoughts kept creeping back to the chance meeting on the astronomy tower, and the way her laugh sounded with her tired, morning voice.
I felt dazed, as if somehow I was Imperiused, but my anxiety was multiplied instead of fading away. Perhaps I'd rather be Imperiused than have this damned gnawing in my chest.
As soon as the clock signaled the end of class, I bolted up out of my seat. I heard Fred scrambling to follow me, trying to match my pace.
"Oi- what're you in such a rush for?" He called from behind me.
I sighed before slowing down, letting him catch up with me. "Just nervous s'all." I mumbled.
"Well knock it off- Lee just got our new shipment of goods in, and we've got a whole new selection of products to try out tonight. Our new prototype of fainting fancies should be ready by now!" Fred chattered.
I nodded and gave him a weak smile, my mind still drifting off to what was to come. Fred continued to rhapsodize about our new products, and I didn't have the heart to tell him I wasn't listening. I knew business would be booming, and Fred and Lee would need me on my A game to round up enough first years to try them out. As we passed the stairs to the dungeons, Stevie came storming up them, a desperate looking Adrian following behind her.
"Look- Stevie stop. Would you just listen to me?" Adrian cried, grabbing ahold of her forearm.
"Let. Go. Of. Me." She spat, attempting to wiggle her arm from his grasp.
"No," Adrien tightened his grip around her "not until you hear me out."
"Seriously A- you're hurting me." Stevie whimpered, no longer struggling against him.
"She said let go, mate." I snarled, standing protectively behind Stevie.
He let go of her arm with a huff, shoving it back to Stevie's side. "Oh great- her knight in second hand armor."
"Are we going to have a problem here?" Fred asked, coming to stand behind Adrian.
The combination of the fact that we were cornering him and that we towered over him quite a bit, made Adrian back down quite quickly.
"No. I guess we don't." He slinked away, turning fast on his heels and running back down the stairs to the dungeons.
"Are you alright, love?" I asked, moving to stand in front of Stevie.
She took in a shaky breath before nodding her head. Her arm was slightly red where Adrian had grabbed it, just showing below the hem of her sleeve.
"I'm gonna head up to the common room. I'll see you later." Freddie whispered, leaving Stevie and I alone, with the dozens of onlookers in the corridor.
"Do you wanna go somewhere and talk? Or I can take you back down to your common room." I offered, smiling softly at her.
"Uh yeah, I'd love to talk actually." Stevie started heading towards the front steps of the school, ignoring the glances of those around us.
I followed her, not asking where we were going. We passed through the entrance corridor, and she quickly began racing down the rest of the steps, heading towards the lake. Since it was beginning to fade into October, there was a slight chill in the air that got worse the farther we descended. Stevie didn't slow her pace until we were outside the boathouse and she yanked the handle, pulling open the solid wooden door.
"Shut it behind you. Last time we didn't, a blast ended skrewt followed us in here. It wasn't terribly fun." She called over her shoulder.
I did as she asked and watched as she began climbing the ladder into one of the boats hanging on the wall.
"Come here often I presume?" I joked, quickly climbing up after her.
"You can say that. I come here to get away from everyone. I don't usually bring other people here just..." Stevie's words trailed off.
"Pucey." I finished.
She nodded before wistfully looking across the room, lost in some thought I couldn't uncover even if I tried. There were multiple blankets and pillows piled in the boat, making it feel more like a hammock than anything else. We swayed slightly, the breeze growing stronger now, and I suddenly realized how nervous I was. Somehow the rush of being able to save her from Adrian had overshadowed the fact that I am absolutely terrified to be alone with her. Yet- when I looked at her face, her sad eyes glistening with unshed tears, I felt my fears melt away.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I offered, reaching out and gingerly taking one of her hands in mine. My quite large hands covered her dainty one easily. She was freezing, and I quickly picked up her other hand to help warm her a bit.
"I'm going to sound crazy." She smiled at me, shaking her head slightly.
"I know a thing or two about crazy. Try me." I encouraged, smiling back.
"I've known Adrian since our first year- he's one of the only people that I talk to. My dormmates suck, and so do his. Naturally, we quickly became friends and take every class together. He's my best friend, but after you asked me out it's like he changed. He was so mad at me for saying yes, and spent the past week trying to change my mind. Then during potions today he-" her voice trailed off and she took in a deep breath. I squeezed her hands lightly signaling her that it was okay to continue. "He told me he's in love with me. I knew he had feelings for me, but I thought it was a crush at best. Both of our parents have been pushing for it- nothing's better than a pureblood relationship to them. But who wants to grow up exactly according to their parents plans? Then suddenly I'm the arse because I don't want to date him? I've never seen him so mad before today. The way he looked at me right before you interrupted- it kind of scared me. And then I also kinda feel guilty because maybe our friendship this whole time was me unknowingly leading him on. Perhaps this is the only way to not disappoint my parents, go into a loveless marriage and then- fuck, I'm so sorry I'm just rambling to you." I smiled at her and pulled her into my arms. Her body relaxed against mine, and I instinctively brought my hands to run through her hair. "You're not an arse just because you don't have feelings for someone. You don't need to do everything your parents want, either. You're allowed to have your own dreams."
She sniffled a little and laughed into my chest "You haven't met my parents."
"Well, I'll make sure to disappoint them when I do." I joked, closing my eyes.
We stayed there for a moment, just the two of us, swaying slightly in the boat. It was like we were the only people left in the world. My heart wasn't beating out of control- it was just thrumming desperately against my throat. My hands were calm and still against her body and I swore I could almost stay like that forever. She pulled away from chest and brought her face inches away from mine. I felt my breath hitch in my chest, stopping me from being able to breathe properly. I moved my hand to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Can I-?" I couldn't even get the words fully out before she crashed her lips into mine.
The world was sucked out from under me. I felt like I was floating- somewhere beyond time and space. There was nothing left except her lips on mine, and the smell of her perfume. I silently begged for more time here, for us not to switch right now. I pulled away from her lips and rested our foreheads together- I wanted this to be a moment between just the two of us, not letting Freddie be able to take over. I closed my eyes awaited the familiar sense of my soul being sucked out of my body, ready to be in the warm common room, to feel a lifetime away from this moment.
Yet, when I opened my eyes, I found Stevie's staring back at me.
"Did you...feel that?" She panted, pulling back from me.
"I- uh, yeah. I did." I coughed out, trying to catch my breath.
"Wicked." She grinned, and jumped forward to close the gap between our lips again.