Blue Diamonds

I try to see into your eyes, to catch that icy stare, but you're closed to me, distant. And so I carry on as normal. I hide my real self from the world.

'Harry? Why are you trying to eat soup with a knife?' says Ron.

Ok, so not quite as normal.

'Just too busy thinking,' I mutter, switching to a soup spoon. Ron gives me a look, asking me silently what's wrong. But nothing's wrong. It's just not right, not with you all the way over there.

'What about, Harry?' Hermione smiles. 'Hasn't Sirius written?' she adds in a lower tone, her smile dissolving.

'No, he wrote last week. Just... just about... stuff,' I say lamely.

I wonder if you're thinking of me. I doubt it, unless you're thinking how stupid I looked a minute ago, trying to eat soup with a knife. It's a sad thought. I push it aside and laugh at a joke Ron just told, although I have no idea what it was about. At the same time, I tell myself I don't want you, that it's just a silly, teenage, hormonal phase and I'll be over you soon.

This is my mantra. It's running through my head all day, every day. I try to believe it too, but in my heart I can tell...

No. I'm not going to give in. I don't want you. It's a phase. I don't want...

Suddenly, you're looking at me. The sun is in just the right place and your eyes look like blue diamonds in the light. The blood rushes to my head. I can tell you're going to shout something insulting across the hall; I probably have soup down my front or something.

But you just hold my gaze for a few glorious seconds, then look away. As simple as that.

So simple that it sends my mind into a whirlpool of wild thoughts. It's like being on some kind of wonderful drug. I gulp down the rest of my food, then head outside. For some reason I want to find something that I can keep by my side to remind me of you at all times.

By the lake, I find a lot of small, round rocks. Struck by an idea, I fill my pockets with them and dash back to the Gryffindor common room. There, I set the stones out on my bed. In order of size, not that it matters. Ron comes in. he wants to know what the hell I'm doing. I tell him it's an experiment for Transfiguration. Unofficial thing. I think he buys it. He's gone anyway. And so I begin.

Three hours later, all my little stones have been transfigured into sparkling blue diamonds. I'm exhausted, but happy. I'm about to fall asleep, when Hedwig flutters through the window. Bewildered, I detach the note she's carrying from her leg and start to read it. It's very short.

What are you going to do with all those rocks from by the lake?

There's no signature, and the handwriting's unfamiliar. But there's a faint scent clinging to the scrap of parchment. It's a bit spicy and a bit mysterious. It triggers a switch in my mind, but I don't know whose scent it is. Do I?

It's your scent. I remember now. We bumped into each other once, in the corridor, and you smelt like this. A grin splits my face in two. Kind of hurts my cheeks, but I'm so happy that I don't care.

Hurriedly, I find a quill and some parchment and scribble a note back.

I'm making something to remind me of someone.

I nearly wrote, "to remind me of you" but thought better of it. I send the letter off with Hedwig and lie back, wondering if you'll write back.

You do.

Can you show me?

My heart flutters. Why are you so interested in what I'm doing? Could it mean that you feel the same?

I send Hedwig back with one of the rocks I turned into diamonds. Shortly after, you reply again.

Who do they remind you of?

This is something better said face to face. But am I ready for that? I think it over, ad decide I am.

'Take me to him, Hedwig,' I say. She sets off downstairs, through the common room. There are still a few students up, even though it's gone eleven. They don't seem to notice me half-running through the room after an owl, still dressed in my school uniform.

Hedwig leads me to the owlery. At first, I can't see anyone, but then I see you. You're by the window, hidden in the shadows. You jump when you see me.

'You didn't reply to my letter,' you say quietly, 'you didn't tell me who the diamonds remind you of.'

'I thought I'd tell you in person,' I reply, moving towards you.

'Who is she then?' you grin, and I can tell you're playing around. You know it's you.

'A beautiful blonde girl with blue eyes,' I play along as I close the gap between us.

'What's her name?'

'Uh...' Uh indeed. How can I answer that? You've done it on purpose, to test me. So I won't answer. As such.

I kiss you instead. Maybe not quite what you were expecting, but still. I wrap my hands around your waist and cheekily hook my thumbs in the belt loops of your jeans. Casual. You're less casual. Fingers pull, almost painfully at my hair, slide down my neck and start to slip my cloak off. I pull away.

'Not here. The owls might not want to watch a live sex show while they prepare for hunting.'

'Let's go then,' you say huskily, taking my hand and dragging me out of the owlery. We only just make it outside before lust overcomes us and you push me against the castle wall, kissing my lips, face, neck...

My cloak falls to the floor, followed by my tie and soon after, my shirt. Your black T-shirt goes too. Our bodies press together. I fumble with your belt buckle as you stealthily undo mine. Our lips find each other again and lock in a searing kiss.

As I lose myself to you, I think how, only a few days before, we would argue like cat and dog.

'Harry...' you moan.

'Draco,' I answer.

This is how it's meant to be.