"I'm telling you, there's something up with him, Hermione," Ron whispered, glancing at Harry over dinner. Hermione followed Harry's gaze across the Great Hall to a laughing girl sitting at the Slytherin table.
"I know exactly what it is," Hermione replied, flicking her head towards the Slytherins.
"What are you looking at?" Ron asked, and Hermione rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh.
"He's got a crush on Y/N," she said.
"Y/N? That Slytherin who's dating Blaise?" Ron repeated, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. Hermione nodded vigorously, before elbowing Harry in the ribs. He jumped, turning to her with a scowl.
"What is it?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
"You like Y/N," Ron stated bluntly, and Hermione slapped a hand to her forehead.
"Very subtle, Ronald," she sighed.
"What? No I don't, that's ridiculous, she's a Slytherin," Harry spluttered, his cheeks turning the same colour as his tie.
"Why don't you just tell her?" Hermione asked gently.
"Have you forgotten that she's dating Blaise Zabini, Malfoy's best friend? They'd do me in if they figured out," he replied.
"You're Harry Potter! You've faced You-Know-Who, a girl can't be any worse!" Ron encouraged.
"What do you mean you chickened out?" Ron asked, sitting beside Harry on the couch in the Gryffindor common room later that night.
"I opened my mouth and nothing came out! Then she laughed, and it made everything worse because she looked so pretty. Then Blaise came over, and it was a disaster!" Harry huffed, pulling the hood of his Quidditch jumper over his head.
"What were you going to say?" Hermione asked.
"I was going to tell her that I want to take her to Hogsmeade, but it just wouldn't come out," he replied.
"Oh, Harry, it's alright. You can try again tomorrow."
Harry did try the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that. He never seemed to be able to muster up the courage, until Hermione told him that Y/N had broken up with Blaise the previous night.
"She's in the library, now's your chance," Hermione encouraged, and Ron nodded beside her.
"Remember, she's not as scary as You-Know-Who," he said, giving Harry a thumbs up.
"Right, not as scary as Voldemort," Harry repeated nervously, giving them a weak smile, before slipping into the library. He found Y/N at a table in the back corner, and he quickly sank into the seat across from her. She glanced up, and his heart skipped as she smirked at him.
"Harry Potter, what an honour. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Y/N teased.
"Hi, uh, I just wanted t-to say that I think you're...really beautiful," Harry spluttered, grimacing as she giggled.
"Thank you," she replied.
"You're welcome," he said.
"Is that all you wanted to say, Potter?" she asked with a chuckle.
"No, I...I'm sorry about what happened with you and Blaise," Harry said.
"It's alright, he was a git anyways. I couldn't be myself when I was around him, y'know? He just wanted to control me, and I didn't want to be in a relationship with someone like that. I'm glad I did it," she explained, smiling shyly.
"Nobody has the right to control you. You should be able to be yourself, and be happy in a relationship," Harry replied, and Y/N nodded.
"Exactly, he was my boyfriend but he was acting like he was my father!" She rolled her eyes, and Harry chuckled. A comfortable silence came over them as Harry built up his courage.
"Look Y/N...I really like you, a-and I know that you were going out with Blaise, and you just broke up so you might not be ready yet, but I was wondering if-if you might want to go to Hogsmeade or something with me?" Harry blurted. He clenched his fists nervously on the table, watching as she thought over what he just offered.
"You're not a bad guy, Potter. Meet me in the Great Hall at six on Saturday," Y/N said, picking up her books and bending down to press a kiss to his cheek. Harry smirked when he saw the tinge of pink on her cheeks as she sauntered out of the library.