The Library Kiss

I pull back the curtains around my four poster bed. The sun shines directly down at me from the tall window next to my bed.

"You seem awfully happy this morning. What happened?" My roommates ask. I step into the bathroom. Looking at my reflection, I notice that a wide grin is plastered across my face.

"Nothing special," I say, stepping under the cold stream of water and pulling the curtain closed. I let the water run over my back, sending chills down my spine. I am still grinning, I realize. Why won't it go away? I wonder. After all, our kiss last night wasn't that spectacular... Well, okay maybe it was. I lean against the cold marble tiles of the shower, letting the memories of yesterday flood back to me.

---

I was hunched over the library desk, surrounded by heavy volumes on counter-curses and potions for Snape's essay. I rubbed my eyes, desperately trying to stay awake; it was only just starting to darken, but these droning lectures almost put me into a snoring state. I ran my fingers through my hair; tousling it and making it stick up in random directions. I startled when I heard someone cough on the other side of my book pile. Removing two of them from the stack, I saw a mane of hair leaning over another pile of books.

"Ginny!" I said in a surprised tone. She startled, just as I had and looked up to see me across the table. "When did you get here?"

"Oh, um... about fifteen minutes ago... didn't you hear me?" she replied, tucking a few loose strands of soft auburn hair behind her ear. I shook my head. In the past hour I hadn't been taking in any of my surroundings; not even the words I had been reading.

"I can't study any bloody longer. I swear I'm going to die soon if I read the words 'serious damage' ever again." I grumbled as my head dropped with a resounding thunk to the table. I heard Ginny giggle, then heard her chair scrape as she pushed it back, then felt her soft, warm hands against my neck as she massaged my tense skin. "Mmh, that feels great," I said in a plea for her to continue, however she removed her hands. Promptly I lifted my head off the table and turned around in my chair. I could just see her head into an aisle. My chair fell as I hurried to follow her. I raced around the corner only to skid to a halt, flying into her arms where she was standing, merely five yards from Madame Pince's desk, luckily obscured by a bookcase. She held me like that for many moments, not letting me go, before closing her eyes and leaning in to me. Instinctively I also closed my eyes, parted my lips and leaned in...

---

I open my eyes and turn off the shower. Stepping out, I see my reflection grinning at me wider than ever before.