#hphm reader

Almost two weeks after this relationship had started, Talbott had found you as you were heading out of the castle. It was a chilly day, and you absently wondered when the first snowfall would reach Hogwarts.

He was quick to make his way over to you and he embraced you so easily, so naturally, that you almost forgot this wasn’t real. You longed to forget it wasn’t real.

“Afternoon,” you hummed, inhaling his scent deeply as his arms wrapped around your form. He’d been even more affectionate than usual, though you had no objections. His warmth was certainly a welcome contrast to the brisk air. You hated the way your heart would leap just from being in proximity to him, though, at the same time, you found you craved the feeling. “What are you doing out here?” You questioned, snaking your arms around his waist, under his heavy cloak.

“I was hiding out in the owlery,” Talbott responded sheepishly, glancing down at you. “Three of them practically chased me up there,” he drawled, pulling you closer the slightest bit. “I’m never been so happy to be an animagus before,” he smirked at you.

“I could only imagine the look on their faces when you seemed to vanish,” you giggled, resting your chin against his chest as you grinned up at him.

“I’ll tell you; it was amusing,” he said. He glanced down at you, only for his brow to furrow as he looked you over. “You’re not in your school robes...”

“Well spotted,” you giggled, tugging on the sleeve of your sweater before pulling him over to a nearby bench to sit.

“It’s...nice,” he complimented, flushing faintly. “Where are you headed?” He questioned, pulling you against his side once you were seated.

“Quidditch practice. We have an upcoming match against Ravenclaw,” you said with a grin.

“Ah, then you’ll need all the practice you can get,” he teased, reaching up to poke your nose. You were sure it was pink from the cold, but his touch felt like a blaze of fire. Over the last week and a half, he’d certainly opened up around you - teasing, joking, touching. It was a welcome change.

“I’m not worried,” you hummed casually, playfully nudging him before leaning against his side with a sigh. “I have about an hour to kill...will you wait with me?” You asked, your eyes scanning his face.

He looked at you in surprise before letting out a slight chuckle. “It’s a bit chilly, don’t you think?” He asked.

You were quick to pull out your wand, casting a warming charm. “Any other complaints?” You grinned up at him.

“Well, that settles it, then,” he chuckled, wrapping his arm around your shoulder to keep you close.

You were sure you felt yourself melting with how sweet he was being. The more time you spent together, the more the lines blurred between what was real and what wasn’t. At that point, you weren’t too sure you wanted to figure it out. In the moment, just being with him like this was enough for you.

“There’s a trip to Hogsmeade this weekend,” he spoke after a bit of time had passed.

“Mm?” You hummed, glancing up at him. “Are you...planning to go?”

“Well...that depends,” he trailed, biting his lip. That action immediately filled your head with thoughts of kissing him, and you squeezed your eyes shut in an attempt to block it out.

“On?” You managed to question, your voice just above a whisper.

“On whether or not you’ll come with me,” he responded, and after chancing a look, you noticed just how dark his cheeks were tinted. Just the thought that he didn’t want to go unless you were going with him made your heart thump erratically. When you didn’t immediately respond, he continued. “I-I mean, the third years will definitely be there, and I don’t want to have to deal with all of that,” he murmured, not quite meeting your gaze.

You couldn’t help but be a bit disappointed that he’d mentioned the third years, but of course he had. That was the reason you were doing this, after all. This wasn’t a real relationship; you weren’t really dating. Reminding yourself of that didn’t help with the sting you felt, though.

“Right,” you murmured quietly, tightening your grip on your wand slightly. “There’s a few shops I’ve been wanting to go to,” you murmured. “So if we can stop there, then sure. I’ll come with you,” you said.

“Really?” He confirmed, his face lighting up slightly. “Yeah, sure. Of course,” he said, smiling at you. “Thank you,” he added, lightly rubbing your arm.

“As my boyfriend, though,” you playfully drawled, sitting up a bit straighter. You needed to stay calm. This was all pretend, anyway. “You’ll need to carry all my purchases,” you smirked up at him. He didn’t hesitate in letting out a laugh.

“I think I can manage that,” he said cheekily. “Oi, look there,” he nodded suddenly, drawing your attention across the grounds. It didn’t take long for your eyes to settle on Isabella, Madison and Ella leaving from the Owlery.

“Took them long enough to figure out you weren’t there,” you scoffed. “Not the brightest Ravenclaws, are they?” You teased.

Talbott laughed, pulling you deeper against his side. “It would appear not,” he said, watching as the girls made their way back towards the castle. It was inevitable they were going to pass right by the two of you, so you knew you were going to have to do something.

It appeared that Talbott shared the sentiment, and as the girls drew closer, he turned to face you completely.

“They’re close,” you whispered, gazing up at him.

“Mm,” he breathed, his eyes staring deeply into yours. It was as if he hadn’t even acknowledged what you’d said. “You’ll do well at practice, yeah?” He asked suddenly, his voice a bit louder. You knew he was making sure the others could hear.

“Yeah, of course,” you murmured with a nod, gazing up at him. You reminded yourself to look overly infatuated with him...but that wasn’t a hard sell. The hand that wasn’t holding your wand made its way to his knee, lightly resting there. “O’course you will,” Talbott smiled, reaching up to cup your cheek lightly. Was he...was he going to kiss you?!

You felt you heart beginning to pound and it wasn’t long before your breathing picked up slightly. All he did was stare at you like you were the most beautiful witch he’d ever seen.

“You’re incredible,” he added, lightly thumbing at your cheek. “Good luck,” he said, and with that, he leaned in.

Your breath caught in your throat and your eyes widened a fraction. Was this really happening?! Your grip simultaneously tightened on your wand and the fabric by his knee. You needed something to hold on to to tell you this was truly happening.

He gazed at you affectionately for a moment, his face mere inches from yours. With a final smile, he tilted your head down, pressing his lips to the crown of your head.

You let out a breath, stunned at what you were feeling. You couldn’t tell if you were elated or disappointed. All you could focus on was the tender way his lips pressed against your head.

“Talbott...” you whispered, but it wasn’t for another few moments that he pulled himself back, a satisfied look on his face. “Let me walk you to the pitch,” he smiled, helping you up. You were thankful - your legs felt like jelly.

You chanced a glance to where the third years had been approaching; all you saw was their frames scurrying back to the castle with a few unhappy glances back over their shoulders.

“That worked,” you said, a bit more breathless than you intended. “You’re really quite...convincing,” you murmured, looking away shyly.

“It’s not so hard to be,” he responded as the two of you headed towards the Quidditch pitch. You couldn’t even begin to fathom what he actually meant by that.

——

It was another day closer to the weekend, which meant you were one day closer to spending time in Hogsmeade with Talbott. You were admittedly excited, despite Talbott making it quite clear that he was only interested in fending off the bloody third years.

Just the thought of being with him - out and about - had your mind reeling. So many thoughts were running through your head as you waited outside your Transfiguration classroom. It was a while until class was to start, but you needed time to just...think before you had to sit through class with Talbott.

The way you were feeling about this fake relationship...the way you were feeling about Talbott...it was overwhelming. You knew your feelings were real. You knew this wasn’t pretend anymore.

It only hurt knowing that this was all just a show to him. It had to be. It was just a way to avoid some silly girls.

“Long time, no see,” Penny’s voice rang out, jolting you from your jumbled thoughts.

“Hey, Pen,” you sighed, shutting the book you’d been reading. Well, staring blankly at was more accurate.

Penny’s expression faltered at your less than enthusiastic response, a moment of concern washing over her face. “What have you been up to?” She asked softly, taking a seat beside you.

“Oh, you know. Class, Quidditch, fake relationship,” you said, biting out the last bit. “My head exploding,” you added.

“That’s...a bit concerning,” Penny frowned, surprised by the edge in your voice. “Are things not...going well?” She questioned.

“Ah, things are bloody fantastic,” you scoffed, chucking your book onto the bench beside you.

“You’re not making any sense...” she frowned, turning to look at you fully.

“It’s this relationship!” You groaned, shutting your eyes and resting your head against the stone wall behind you. Penny frowned, unsure what you were getting at.

“You seemed like you were were getting on well enough...” she frowned. “Is he being horrible?”

“No!” You said quickly, looking back over at her. “He’s...he’s brilliant...” you admitted, your cheeks burning.

“Oh,” she frowned, creasing her brow. “Well...then...”

“That’s the problem,” you murmured. “It’s not real, I know that. But...it feels too real,” you admitted, biting your lip.

“Oh,” Penny repeated, gazing at you earnestly as everything seemed to click.

“Yeah,” you grumbled, crossing your arms over your chest.

“So...you have feelings for him,” Penny murmured.

“I...do,” you admitted, letting out a deep sigh. Admitting that out loud - not just repeatedly screaming it in your head - was like a weight off your chest. “I do,” you repeated.

“Wow,” Penny murmured, gazing at you steadily. “What are you going to do?”

“What can I do?” You countered, looking at Penny. “It’s not like he has any sort of feelings for me. It’s all an act just to deter some third years,” you groaned.

“You don’t know that...” Penny murmured. “Have you mentioned any of this to him?”

“I couldn’t!” You said quickly. “There’s no way,” you said, shaking your head. “It would be too embarrassing. And not to mention, awkward. No one would believe us after that,” you murmured.

“He might feel the same,” Penny offered softly. She felt bad seeing you like this.

“I doubt it,” you sighed, shaking your head.

“You never know,” Penny murmured, but before you could argue any further, none other than Talbott strolled up to the two of you.

“Hey,” he greeted, glancing at Penny before smiling warmly at you.

“Hey,” you grumbled, but Penny was quickly dominating the conversation.

“Hi Talbott! I was just being told how much fun you’re having messing with the third years,” Penny chimed, and you were quick to shoot her a look.

“Yeah?” He asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. You wanted to simultaneously throttle Penny and melt into oblivion. “She tell you we’re going to Hogsmeade this weekend?”

“No,” Penny grinned, glancing over at you. “That’s a fun little date,” she smirked.

“Yeah, should be,” he said, taking a seat beside you before reaching for your hand. You were surprised he hadn’t corrected her. That didn’t go unnoticed by Penny, though, who was grinning brightly.

“Madame Puddifoot’s is a great date spot,” Penny continued to ramble, but you couldn’t help but keep your gaze fixated on where Talbott was holding you hand. It seemed so effortless on his part - like it was something he enjoyed. He was playing with your fingers subconsciously whilst carrying on his conversation with Penny. It made your heart clench painfully.

“You ready?” Talbott’s voice broke through your thoughts, and you suddenly realized Penny had disappeared. “Class is starting,” he said with a chuckle, moving to help you up.

“Yeah,” you nodded, letting out a sheepish laugh.

“She had a lot to say,” Talbott mused, leading you into McGonagall’s classroom.

“Doesn’t she always?” You questioned, receiving a chuckle in response.

“S’pose so,” he agreed, taking his seat behind you. “Though she had some good ideas,” he said.

“To shake off the third years?” You questioned a bit sharply, not turning around to face him.

“For us to spend some time together,” he corrected, and when you finally turned to glance at him, you were met with a sincere look - a look you’d grown so accustomed to over the last two weeks. It made your chest clench painfully, though hope swelled inside of you. Did he actually want to spend some time with you? Just for the sake of it?

“Talbott...” you began, though quickly fell silent as Professor McGonagall entered, silencing the room with her presence.

You were sure this was going to be the longest class of your life.

——

Eventually Saturday rolled around and it was finally time for the trip to Hogsmeade. You were looking forward to it - maybe you’d be able to breathe with all the fresh air; Talbott was intoxicating.

“Hey,” he greeted, finding you finishing up your breakfast before you had meet your professors in the courtyard.

“Morning,” you smiled, taking a moment to look him over. He’d forsaken his school robes for a quarter-zip sweater and jeans; he looked so relaxed and it was quite the change from his normal appearance. It only served to make your heart flip. “You look nice,” you remarked before you could stop yourself, your face quickly heating up.

“Thanks,” he murmured, scratching the back of his head. You were able to see the blush spreading to his ears, which did nothing to alleviate the feelings you felt. “S-so do you,” he quickly added, his eyes quickly scanning you.

“It’s not too much, is it?” You questioned, glancing down at your sweater dress and tights. “I...wanted to dress up...a bit,” you admitted, your face on fire. “Look the part, you know...”

“You look brilliant,” he quickly responded before a smile returned to his face. He watched you for a moment, seemingly taking you all in. “You look brilliant,” he repeated softly.

You were sure your heart was going to erupt at any second with how sweet his words and gazes were.

“We should probably head out there before they leave without us,” you chuckled, taking one last bite before standing. Talbott was quick to stand as well, and you could feel his eyes on you the entire way until you were by his side. He didn’t hesitate in lacing his fingers with yours before leading you out to the courtyard.

Students were already gathered in the area, eagerly chatting about the trip. You spied a bunch of your friends interspersed through the crowd, and even your favorite third years huddled in a group by Professor McGonagall. Glancing up at Talbott, you saw that he’d spotted them as well.

“Hey,” you murmured, shaking your linked hands to bring his attention back to you. To make it believable, you knew you needed to focus on only him. You knew the third years would be watching, so you needed to put on a show. “Just look at me, okay?” You said softly, offering him a smile. “It’s going to go well. After today...I’m sure they won’t even look your way anymore.”

“You think so?” He questioned, the expression on his face conveying just how much he wanted that. You swallowed before giving a nod. If you were convincing enough, you wouldn’t have to keep up this charade any longer. You didn’t want to think about that now, though - it would hurt too much.

“We’ll be so convincing, they won’t know what hit ‘em,” you grinned and he laughed, wrapping his arm around your shoulder to bring you closer. Of course, you could only imagine what you’d have to do to be that convincing.

——

The walk to Hogsmeade was uneventful - you and Talbott were in the middle of the pack, giving you a clear view of Isabella and her minions who frequently turned around to stare. Each time, you’d snuggle closer to Talbott and they’d spin back around in a huff.

“Where should we go first?” Talbott questioned you as you reached the village. All the other students had quickly broken off into groups and had scattered off into the shops.

“I need a new quill,” you told him. “And some things for my broom,” you mused, quirking your lips as you gazed off at the nearby shops. “And...we’ll need to go somewhere to convince the third years to leave you be,” you added, your tone a bit unhappy.

Talbott shifted from foot to foot, frowning a bit. You couldn’t really understand why.

“Let’s get you your supplies,” he said. You were frankly surprised he didn’t just want to get this all over with.

“Sure,” you murmured, gazing at him as he led you off to the shops.

——

“Honeydukes was packed!” You exclaimed, munching on a chocolate frog. A few hours had passed and you were having a great time.

“I’ve never seen it like that,” Talbott agreed, letting out a laugh as he glanced down at you. “We’re lucky we were able to get anything at all,” he mused.

“What we got is going to be gone before we get back to Hogwarts,” you laughed, drifting closer to him as you continued along the path.

“Ah, you’ve got a bit...” he trailed off, and before you could question, you felt his thumb gently wiping at the corner of your mouth. You could only gape and he quickly retracted his hand before looking off in the distance.

“Where should we go next?” You questioned, quickly changing the subject.

“Well...” he trailed off, and you glanced up to find him biting his lower lip. “Penny did suggest one place,” he said, still not looking at you.

“Where?” You questioned, your brow furrowing. You leaned forward, trying to catch his gaze. You honestly didn’t remember much about the conversation Penny had had with you both; your mind had been reeling at the time.

“She said Madame Puddifoot’s was a good date spot,” he said, and you were able to catch the blush spreading across his face. Honestly, it made you want to scream. The thought of being with Talbott in a place that was notoriously romantic was too much to handle.

“Y-yeah, I guess that’s the spot to go,” you murmured, your breath quickening slightly. What better place to parade around your fake relationship? That would certainly shed any doubt the third years had, right?

The two of you made your way towards the infamous shop, your heart practically pounding out of your chest.

“Here it is...” you murmured once you came to a stop outside the shop’s window.

“Oh,” Talbott murmured, grimacing slightly as he gazed inside.

“It’s a bit crowded,” you murmured, glancing around at the overwhelming amount of couples at the tables. There were even some snogging, right out in the open!

“Very crowded...” he responded. “And pink...” he frowned.

“We don’t...we don’t have to go here,” you offered up, and he was quickly nodding in response.

“We can go somewhere else,” he agreed, backing away from the window. “Three Broomsticks?” He suggested.

“Sounds good,” you said, casting one last glance toward the shop as he led you away.

——

“It’s getting a bit chilly out,” you remarked once you two were seated by the nearest fireplace. “I hope it snows,” you mused, happily glancing towards the window.

“You can borrow my scarf on the way back. You know, if you want,” Talbott offered, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

“I’d like that,” you smiled softly over at him.

“What can I get you, dears?” Madame Rosmerta questioned as she stopped at your table.

“Two butterbeers, please,” Talbott ordered and Rosmerta nodded. She inspected you two for a moment with a knowing look before sauntering off for your drinks. It did nothing to alleviate how you were feeling.

“Today’s been a good day,” you murmured, leaning against the table with your crossed arms. “I got my new quill, too many sweets,” you began listing, a bright grin on your face. “The polish for my broom, two books on curse breaking,” you continued happily.

“Free butterbeer and a bloke to carry your packages for you,” Talbott chimed in, resting his hand on your back. “Yes, it’s been a good day for you,” he grinned.

You turned to look at him, feigning a look of appall. “I’m hurt. You’re with me; what’s not to enjoy?” You teased.

Talbott gazed at you for a long moment, his smiling growing. “You’re completely right,” he hummed.

“Of course I am,” you grinned, shrugging your shoulders cutely.

“Don’t look too pleased with yourself,” Talbott drawled, still grinning at you. You just felt so good in this moment. Things just felt so...natural. “I know we’re doing this for show...” he trailed off suddenly, and you felt your breath catch in your throat. “But...it’s been nice...not being alone,” he said.

“Talbott...” you breathed, gazing at him.

“I know, I know. I’ve turned into a sap lately, haven’t I,” he said sheepishly, glancing at you. “But I mean it,” he said.

“So I guess you’re done...flying solo,” you said, only to snort at the pun.

“And you’ve ruined it,” he drawled, playfully pushing you away.

“No, no! Don’t let me ruffle your feathers,” you continued, letting out a loud laugh. Talbott gazed at you before rolling his eyes.

“Never heard that one before,” he drawled.

“Oh, come on,” you giggled, gazing at him brightly. “You should have seen that coming...you have eyes like a hawk,” you said, only to burst out laughing again.

“You’re too much,” he responded, pinching your side. That only caused you to squeal at the ticklish feeling.

“Here you two are,” Madame Rosmerta said as she placed the drinks on the table. She eyed your laughing form before shaking her head and walking off.

“You’re going to get us kicked out,” Talbott grinned over at you, threatening to pinch your side again.

“That’s entirely your fault!” You laughed, grabbing his hand to stop him. You couldn’t find it in yourself to let go, though, and he didn’t really seem all that concerned either.

“So be it,” he hummed, taking a sip of his drink as he shifted his hand to link his fingers with yours.

You couldn’t help but smile to yourself at how natural the action had become with you two. You couldn’t help but wonder if Penny had been right. Maybe it was possible Talbott could feel the same way you did. He was acting like this - he’d been so sweet all day - and you hadn’t even run into the third years. Was he doing this for another reason...?

Perhaps you’d spoken too soon.

Not another moment passed before you spotted none other than Isabella Mott entering the Three Broomsticks with Avery Thorne and Madison Lee following closely behind her.

“Bollocks,” Talbott grumbled, his eyes settling on the girls, just as yours had.

“They’re everywhere, aren’t they?” He glared.

Where you were sitting wasn’t completely out in the open, but you both knew it wouldn’t be long until you were spotted. Isabella just seemed to have a Talbott radar.

“Ignore them,” you said, grinning his shoulder to turn his attention back to you. “Focus on me, remember?”

“And what was your brilliant plan to end it all today?” He questioned, looking frankly exhausted with it all.

“Snogging,” you blurted, only for your eyes to widen at your outburst. You’d actually said it. You couldn’t believe yourself! “I-I mean—“

“Alright,” he responded before you could even attempt to take it back. “Let’s do it,” he said, nodding resolutely.

“S-seriously? It...it just popped into my head. I don’t even know why I said it,” you rambled, clearly flustered.

“Let’s do it,” he repeated, not allowing you to go back on it.

“Okay,” you whispered, gazing up at him. His eyes were piercing and you felt frozen under his gaze. You couldn’t believe this was about to happen. You were going to kiss Talbott Winger.

You weren’t sure how you hadn’t combusted on the spot. It felt like a swirling tornado of fire had filled your chest, and it was taking everything inside of you to not to jump out of your skin.

Talbott turned towards you, his body shifting closer as he seemed to get into position. Your eyes were desperately scanning his face, and you could see the nerves spreading through his body. He sucked in a breath, his lips slightly parted as he shifted his hand to your cheek. He was going so slow - or maybe it was time standing still? Either way, it was too much for you to handle.

“Talbott...” you murmured, not trusting yourself to say anything else as he ever so gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Okay,” he murmured, his gaze drifting to your lips before he began leaning in.

Your breath hitched as the distance between you grew shorter and shorter. The next thing you knew, his lips were covering yours and you felt like you were floating.

Your eyes had drifted shut and you were focused solely on the incredible feeling his lips were providing. You were melting into his touch; the way his hand helped tilt your head to deepen the kiss, the way his other hand gripped at your waist to pull you even closer. It felt like you were on autopilot, and before you knew it, your fingers were tangled in his hair, keeping him rooted in place.

His lips felt magical against your own and it was even better than you could have imagined. They fit against yours like they were meant to be there, and it felt like every synapse in your brain was exploding.

You weren’t sure how much time had passed, but eventually, your lips had broken apart, though your embrace didn’t end. He kept you close, his thumb lightly caressing your cheek as his labored breath fanned your face. In that moment, you knew it: you had completely fallen for the boy. Fake relationship or not...what you felt for him was real.

You let out a shaky breath, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze. His tan face had a pink tint, all the way to the tips of his ears. He looked so handsome in that moment and it only made your heart want to combust.

You happened to chance a glance towards the third year’s table, only to find the majority of the Inn gazing at your table. Suddenly, you felt very self conscious. You’d certainly made a statement.

“I think—“ you began, but before you could even finish your thought, Talbott’s lips had captured yours once more.

You certainly weren’t going to fight the amazing feeling, and soon enough, you’d melted back into the kiss. Your mind was racing and you couldn’t focus on anything but him.

This kiss lasted longer than the first, both of his hands holding your head against his. You felt weak; not that you’d resist.

Even as the kiss slowed, he didn’t let you go. He continued leaning in, pressing chaste kisses to your lips in between breaths. You honestly hadn’t experienced anything like this feeling before, though you found yourself growing addicted.

“Talbott,” you managed in between kisses, and he paused just long enough to let you finish your thought this time. “I think...we made our point,” you murmured, your hand resting against his chest.

This seemed to break the trance, and he lowered his hands from your face, allowing more distance between you two. You took in his features, noticing just how red his face was. His lips looked plumper than usual, and that just made you want to kiss him all over again.

“I think so,” he agreed, his voice slightly breathless as he gazed over at the other tables. People had certainly taken notice of you two, including Isabella. The third year looked like she was ready to snap her wand in half with how tightly she was gripping it. She had a look of pure fury etched on her face. The other Ravenclaws looked upset, but Isabella looked murderous.

“That was...um...” you murmured, lightly touching your lips. They felt sensitive and appeared to tingle with the remnants of the embrace. Talbott glanced back at you, waiting for you to complete your thought. Amazing, heart-stopping, mind-blowing all ran through your head. “...convincing,” you murmured, glancing down at your lap. He had to feel something, didn’t he? You had such a nagging in the back of your head that you wanted to ignore, but he’d never expressed a real interest in you, right? After all, all of this was done with the pretense of a false relationship. Was he simply trying to throw off the third years any way he could?

Talbott let out a sigh, and you could feel his gaze lingering on you. “It was,” he spoke softly, turning back to his butterbeer. He wrapped his hands around the glass, staring down into the golden liquid. Oh, what you’d give to be inside his head, just for a moment.

You so desperately wanted to tell him how you felt. You wanted to know if it was possible that he could have felt the same. Despite breaking curses...you weren’t brave enough to confess. You knew you couldn’t handle it if he didn’t feel the same.

——

The trip back to Hogwarts was a quiet one. Talbott was holding your hand securely - as he always did - but his typical stoic expression was plastered on his face as he stared straight ahead. It did nothing to help you sort out his feelings for you.

“That was a fun trip,” you murmured, unable to keep silent any longer.

“Mm,” he responded simply, keeping his gaze focused ahead of him. Was he upset? Unhappy with the kiss? Hell if you knew, and it was slowly driving you mad.

Not another moment passed before you let out a gasp, your gaze fixated on the sky. Talbott was quick to stop, looking at you in concern.

“It’s snowing!” You beamed, your face practically glowing with excitement.

“Look!” You chimed, holding out your hand to catch a few snowflakes.

“You’re something else,” he chuckled, gazing down at you. You were happy to see the soft expression on his face once more.

You were happily gazing around, only to pause when you felt something wrapping around your neck. Glancing back at Talbott, you felt yourself flush as you watched him wrap his scarf around you.

“Thank you,” you said softly, lightly touching the fabric. It smelled just like him, and it made you melt all over again. Before you could stop yourself, you’d leaned up on your toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

You couldn’t believe you’d done that - neither could he, apparently, by the look of shock on his face - but in the next moment, he was cupping your face again and kissing you deeply.

This kiss felt very much like the first two, in that it enveloped all of your senses. You could certainly get used to kissing him, and if that meant continuing this charade for a bit longer, then so be it.

After a bit longer, the two of you broke apart, though you couldn’t keep the smile off your face. You settled for burrowing you face in his scarf to hide how pleased you were. Talbott let out a chuckle, wrapping an arm around you securely as you returned to the school grounds.

——

You’d remained pressed to Talbott’s side for the rest of walk, your mind racing as you replayed all three - three - kisses in your head. Each was more magical than the last, and you found yourself craving the feeling. You were addicted, in a sense.

He’d kissed you so effortlessly, and for the last, no one had been around - so you thought. Who knew; all of your senses were focused on him. That had to mean something, right? Maybe he did feel the same.

The more you repeated it in your head, the more sure of it you were becoming.

“Talbott,” you murmured, grabbing his sleeve once you’d broken apart upon your return to the courtyard.

“Mm?” He hummed, turning back to look down at you. His eyes seemed to shine with a beautiful light; one you hadn’t seen much of - or at all, really - before you two had started “dating”.

“I...there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” you said, gulping slightly as you tried steeling your nerves. “I’ve...been thinking a lot, you know...” you murmured, guiding him to sit on the edge of the fountain.

“Is something wrong?” He asked softly, his eyes scanning your face with a hint of confusion, mixed with a bit of worry. “You can tell me,” he said sincerely, reaching for one of your hands that had previously been twisting in your lap.

“Everything’s brilliant, actually...” you spoke quietly, a smile toying at your lips before you turned to glance up at him. “You’re—“ you began, only to be cut off.

“Bombarda!” A voice shrieked, and you turned your head with just enough time to see a flash of blonde before you were being shoved out of the way.

You hadn’t been hit, you knew that, but you could hear crumbling following the blast from the spell.

Talbott’s body was hovering over you, a grimace on his face as you gazed up at him. Glancing just over his shoulder, you spotted a massive hole in the fountain’s columns, bits of debris falling from the spot.

“What...” you began, only to find Isabella leveling her wand at the two of you from a short distance.

“You can’t do this to me!” She shouted, her outstretched arm trembling as she adjusted her grip on her wand. “He’s mine!”

“Are you out of your mind?!” You shouted, fumbling for your wand. You just managed to pull it out in time to counter her Flipendo. “Protego!” You cast, blocking both you and Talbott from her attack.

“You can’t have him!” Isabella continued, practically seething as she sucked in furious breaths.

“Talbott, get up,” you urged, shifting yourself out from under him.

“My arm,” he groaned, clutching onto his arm in pain. You caught Isabella opening her mouth to perform another spell, but you were quick to act and beat her to it.

“Immobulus!” You cast, waving your wand at her. She immediately froze, and you let out a sigh, relief coursing through you.

“What is going on here?!” Professor McGonagall’s panicked voice rang out, her robes billowing as she rushed over. “Explain the meaning of this!” She demanded, casting a glance at the third year before turning her attention to you.

“She attacked us, Professor,” you said, glaring in Isabella’s direction before glancing back at your head of house. “She’s barking,” you drawled, pocketing your wand.

You took a moment to survey the area, noting the nosy students that had swarmed to find out what had happened. You spotted the massive hole in the fountain, glad that hadn’t been your head.

“Mr. Winger,” McGonagall spoke, seeming satisfied enough with your response before her focus shifted to the Ravenclaw sprawled beside you. “Are you hurt?”

Your gaze quickly turned to him, only for your breath to escape you. He looked pretty banged up - his forehead and cheek had a few nicks, the arm he was clutching was splayed at a weird angle and the edge of his robe was slightly singed. Your heart clenched painfully at the sight of him, and instant worry filled you up.

“My arm...” he groaned, his head tilted towards the sky and his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

“Let’s get you to the hospital wing, Mr. Winger,” she spoke.

“I’ll take him,” you spoke quickly, already wrapping his good arm over your shoulder to help him up. He seemed a bit woozy.

“I’ll send for Professor Filtwick,” McGonagall called after you. “He’ll want to hear about his students.”

——

The next hour and a half was agonizing. After dropping Talbott off in the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey had all but shoved you out, stating that you’d just be in the way. Maybe it was something about how panicked you had looked.

You’d paced around outside the hospital wing until you were sure you were going mad, but eventually, she came to retrieve you.

“Don’t stay too long. The poor boy needs his rest,” she called as you all but raced to his bed by the far window.

“Talbott...” you murmured, taking in his bandaged appearance. It hurt to see him like this, but his smile was a bit reassuring.

“It’s broken,” he said, nodding for you to take the seat beside his bed. “The tosser can’t aim. Barely hit me, but the falling fountain did me in,” he drawled and you were glad to see he still seemed like himself.

“That was rather noble, Mr. Winger,” you grinned, gazing at him cheekily. “Very valiant. Pushing me out of harm’s way,” you hummed, resting your hand on his bandage-free arm.

“I’m practically a knight. See if Sir Cadogan can swear me in,” Talbott responded cheekily.

“We’ll see,” you grinned, only to pause as your eyes drifted away from his face and your hand dropped off to the side. “It was very foolish. Look at you,” you spoke softly, all previous hints of joking gone. “Be lucky this is all that happened. You could have been seriously injured,” you murmured sadly.

“You would have been if I hadn’t,” Talbott spoke, resting his hand on top of yours. “And I couldn’t let that happen,” he said.

You frowned, your lower lip trembling the slightest bit. It had certainly been an overwhelming occurrence. The entire day had been filled with emotional highs and lows. It wasn’t long before your vision had blurred from the sting of tears.

“I...can’t believe she attacked us,” you said, the tears spilling down your cheeks.

“Hey...” he murmured, reaching up to thumb the tears away. “We’re okay now,” he said.

“You’re not...” you murmured brokenly, blinking furiously as more tears fell. “And...and it’s all because of this stupid, fake relationship! This wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t done this,” you cried, your gaze troubled.

Talbott’s eyes studied you for a few moments, his thumb still wiping away your tears. “Do you...” he trailed off, cupping your cheek tenderly. “Do you regret doing this with me?” He asked, his voice slightly fearful.

“Of course not,” you said quickly, resting your hands by his lap. “I don’t,” you said, pursing your lips as you absently toyed with the hem of the blankets. “But look what happened to you,” you said.

“What could have happened if she thought I was available?” Talbott posed, shrugging his shoulders - only to wince slightly as pain seemed to shoot through his bandaged arm. “I’m...happy we did what we did.”

“You are?” You asked in surprise, and he smiled at you again.

“I am,” he confirmed, his hand wrapping around to cup the back of your head to draw you closer. “I haven’t thought of what we’ve done as fake,” he stated, staring into your eyes.

You couldn’t believe you were hearing what you were. It made your heart swell.

“I think that’s just the medication talking,” you murmured shyly, though a smile was threatening to spread across your features.

“That’s possible, I suppose,” he grinned, shutting his eyes and resting his head against the wall. “I liked kissing you,” he added in, causing your eyes to go wide. Your face felt like it was on fire, but you would thankful he wasn’t gazing at you in that moment.

“Now I know it’s the medication talking,” you drawled, shifting to sit on the edge of his bed. “How long are you in here for?” You questioned.

“Madame Pomfrey should let me out by the morning,” he hummed, turning his head to catch your gaze.

“Good,” you murmured, reaching up to lightly touch his cheek. You felt his hand on your arm, lightly thumbing at your skin. You so desperately wanted to kiss him in that moment. “Talbott...what I was going to say...before...” you trailed off, biting your lower lip nervously. “I—“

“Mr. Winger, Miss—“ Professor Flitwick’s voice suddenly rang out as he strolled into the hospital wing, only to pause when he noticed the two of you sitting so close.

“Professor,” the two of you said in unison, shifting slightly back from each other. Your hand dropped from Talbott’s cheek, and you could feel the absence on his hold on you.

“Ah, I see you’ve told Mr. Winger about what was said the day we practiced Obliviate,” Professor Flitwick spoke with a grin. “Hearing the sincerity in your confession, I knew it was only a matter of time before you ended up together!”

“I hadn’t, Professor, but thank you,” you spoke hastily, quickly averting your gaze as your face blazed with embarrassment.

“I—oh, well...oh dear, this is a conundrum,” the professor spoke, clearly flustered with his misinterpretation. “I suppose I shall leave you two to it, then,” he said quickly, backing out of the hospital wing. “Come to my office once Madame Pomfrey dismisses you and we can discuss the situation.”

You chanced a glance at Talbott once his head of house had left, only to find him looking at you in shock.

“You...” Talbott began, but you were quick to hold up a hand.

“Please don’t. I don’t think I can take any more today, thank you very much. Madame Pomfrey has enough on her plate, mending your arm and patching you up,” you sighed, gazing at him. “I don’t think she’ll have time if I die of embarrassment,” you drawled. Talbott clearly wasn’t going to drop this, though.

“You fancy me,” he murmured quietly. “And you Obliviated me after saying so?!” He questioned, clearly unamused.

“You said to make it a good secret...” you murmured sheepishly, absently toying with his scarf that still hung around your neck.

“Bloody hell,” Talbott drawled, resting his head against the wall once more.

“It wasn’t the right time,” you argued, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Did Penny know? When she arranged this whole thing?” He questioned, shifting his eyes over to you.

“Not until after,” you murmured, biting your lip. “It’s...what I was going to tell you,” you said, chewing on your lower lip. “Before...in the courtyard,” you said. “I...fancy you, Talbott. I like being with you like this. I...don’t want this to be pretend,” you said, pouring your heart out to him. Once you’d started, there was no stopping you. “I’ve fancied you for some time, you know. Everything that’s happened to us...it just felt right. And I know...I know you probably don’t feel—“ you rambled, only to fall silent as he reached for your arm.

He stroked your arm, allowing it to slide down to uncross your arms and take your hand.

“I told you,” Talbott began, gazing at you earnestly. “I haven’t thought of what we’ve done as fake,” he said, pursing his lips in thought as he gazed off into the distance. “You’re important to me...I care about you,” he spoke, flicking his eyes back to you. “I...fancy you, too,” he said.

“You...do?” You gaped, the words swimming around your head.

“That’s what I said, isn’t it?” Talbott grinned at you.

You rolled your eyes at Talbott’s cheeky response, though you couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across your face. Talbott Winger actually fancied you.

“Come here,” he murmured softly, drawing your gaze back to him. Your eyes locked with his and you felt warmth creeping up your face. Scooting closer, you smiled as his good arm wrapped behind your back. “I fancy you,” he repeated, pulling you closer.

“So you’ve said,” you responded, grinning at him as your eyes drifted down to his lips. “And I fancy you,” you hummed, your faces mere inches apart at this point.

“So where does that leave us?” He questioned softly, his eyes searching your face.

“Together, I suppose,” you grinned before your lips molded together. Never would you have imagined that this fake relationship would have turned into something more, but you couldn’t wait for more time spent with him.

——

By the time you had to get up, you were considerably more exhausted than you had been before going to bed. You didn’t know how you were going to make it through the day. The morning dragged on and you couldn’t help but think about meeting up with Talbott after his class. Your mind certainly hadn’t been helpful in preparing you for whatever was going to happen then.

All you knew was that you would be in front of those third years, and you and Talbott would have to be convincing. Whatever that meant set your nerves on end.

As one o’clock approached, you found your breathing growing heavier as you made your way down the the dungeons. Brave of heart, brave of heart, you mentally chanted, steeling yourself for what was about to unfold. You were a Gryffindor. You needed to be brave.

Stepping off the final stair, your eyes settled on a group of students, all gathered around the door where you could pick up Snape’s monotoned voice lecturing. It didn’t take long for your eyes to find a head of curly blonde hair belonging to Isabella Mott. She was closest to the door, periodically glancing in the classroom and giggling to her friends - a few of which you recognized from last night.

Sucking in a breath, you made your way closer to the classroom. Bravery, courage, you mentally chanted, making your way closer to the door. It was only then that you felt eyes shifting to look at you, but you kept your gaze on the classroom, spotting Talbott at one of the tables with his head in his book. You mentally scolded yourself for the little flip in your stomach that you felt.

“You’re the curse breaker,” a voice spoke, pulling you from your thoughts. You turned, finding none other than Isabella Mott grinning up at you. She seemed...excited.

“That’s definitely her,” one of her friends whispered softly, nodding. You thought it was Ella Wilson, but you’d never been great with names.

“I suppose I am,” you responded, glancing down at the shorter Ravenclaw. Her face seemed to light up at that. Once again, you were struck by how pretty she was, and you couldn’t help but be surprised that Talbott hadn’t entertained her advances, at least a little bit.

“So cool,” another friend - the Slytherin, Avery Thorne, you thought - spoke up, arching an eyebrow in your direction.

“How do you balance quidditch and curse breaking?” Madison Lee chimed in, leaning towards you. Okay, you could see how one could get annoyed with the barrage of questions. Isabella was quick to cut in, though, before you could answer.

“What brings you here?” She questioned, gazing at you. You grinned to yourself: it was showtime.

“I’m waiting for someone,” you said simply.

“Us, too,” Amelia Stevens interjected, and the rest of her friends giggled excitedly. Just wait until they realized you were all waiting for the same person.

Isabella grinned, glancing once more into the classroom before turning back to you. “It was really cool to meet you. You’re quite the celebrity at Hogwarts,” she said, and you couldn’t help but laugh. The girl was clearly a suck up.

“Thanks, I guess,” you laughed, scratching the back of your head. You were sure her opinion would change any minute, though. Looking back in the classroom, you noticed the students packing their things, and you felt your heart rate quicken.

“Here he comes,” Ella whispered excitedly, shaking Isabella’s arm as the sixth-year potions students began filing out of the class.

You chanced a glance at the third years, each one practically pushing to get a glance at Talbott. They just about had hearts in their eyes. You glanced back towards the classroom, surprised to immediately lock eyes with Talbott. He’d seen you, and was quickly making his way towards you. You felt your breath catch in your throat.

It suddenly dawned on you that Talbott and you hadn’t even discussed what you were going to do! All you had told him was that you’d meet him, but then what?! You were sure you could feel your heart pounding against your rib cage as he made his way closer.

“He’s so handsome,” Avery gushed as he exited the classroom.

“Hi, Talbott—“ Isabella’s voice spoke but Talbott didn’t even look up. He closed the remaining distance between you two, a soft smile making its way onto his features. You weren’t sure you’d even seen him look so content, and it only made you more self conscious since he was looking at you.

“Hey, you,” he spoke levelly, reaching up to lightly tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. Your face felt hot, but with the way he was looking at you, you couldn’t help but return the smile as you gazed up at him.

“Hey,” you responded, your voice almost getting lost in your throat.

His smile only grew, and not another moment passed before his arm had slid over your shoulder, effectively pulling you into his side. You let out a soft breath and raised your own arm to wrap around his middle, keeping you secured against him. The gasps from the other girls did not go unnoticed by either of you as you began heading away form the area.

“How was class?” You questioned, trying to ignore the uproar from the third years behind you.

“Much better now,” he responded, leading you out of the dungeon.

Once you were a decent distance from the classroom, his hold on you dropped, though you couldn’t help but be a tad disappointed. He was warm and inviting, but you were quick to mentally scold yourself for such thoughts. This was all an act, remember?

“You’ll be pleased to know,” you hummed as you headed towards the great hall for a late lunch. He raised an eyebrow, glancing down at you as he waited for you to continue. “You’re apparently dating a Hogwarts celebrity,” you grinned up at him, and he immediately snorted in amusement.

“Excuse me?” He grinned, taking a seat across from you.

“Isabella Mott. She was practically gushing over me before you came out,” you laughed, grinning at him. “The whole lot of them had questions, actually.”

“Careful,” he warned, though a grin was plastered on his face. “You might have a fan club before we know it,” he joked.

You scoffed, playfully rolling your eyes. “Not bloody likely,” you drawled.

“Perhaps Penny was right about choosing you for this,” he mused, beginning to eat.

“Perhaps so,” you hummed, taking a few bites of the food in front of you. “Did you happen to get a look at their faces?” You questioned. You weren’t able to see anything from how tightly you were pressed against his side.

“Briefly. Pretty amusing looks if you ask me,” Talbott grinned, glancing at you. “I think they bought it.”

“How could they not?” You laughed. You practically bought it. Talbott smiled and nodded in agreement, only to purse his lips moments later.

“I don’t think that’ll be the end of it, though,” he mused, resting his head on his fist before looking off in thought. “I don’t think they’ll give up that easily.”

“Then neither will we,” you said, offering him a smile. “When do you expect we’ll see ‘em next? Dinner?” You questioned.

“Mm, probably,” he agreed.

“Then that’s when we’ll strike next,” you laughed, though you couldn’t help but feel your heart beat quicken at the thought of what was to come.

“Alright,” he said, offering you one more smile, though he didn’t speak any more on the subject. Was he not as affected as you were? Were you reading too much into this? Probably.

——

After lunch and two classes later, you were about to pass out from exhaustion, but at least you only had dinner left to get through.

Entering the great hall, your eyes scanned the room until you found your group of friends chatting amiably. Your eyes met with Talbott, only for your heart to do a little flip as he sent a small wave in your direction.

You made your way closer, smiling as you took your seat among your friends.

“It’s about time. This one’s been watching the door like a hawk for the last ten minutes,” Charlie laughed, nudging Talbott. The bird pun wasn’t lost on you.

“Oh really?” You grinned, glancing across the table at Talbott who was looking anywhere but at you. Had he been waiting for you? The thought was a bit exciting.

“How’s your day been?” Penny questioned from beside you, an eager look on her face. She was clearly hoping to hear about something between you and Talbott.

“Pretty eventful,” you laughed, just as you felt a hand take yours from across the table. Looking up, your eyes met with Talbott’s and a fresh wave of heat spread across your cheeks. Why was he having such an affect on you?!

“So cute,” you heard Tulip whisper from the other end of the table. You had half a mind to retract your hand, but Talbott’s grip remained firm, even lacing his fingers with yours.

“Are they here yet?” You questioned him softly, turning to glance in the direction where the third years had been the other night.

“Right there,” Talbott said quietly, nodding his head to the side. Creasing your brow, you turned, surprised to find the third years at the same table as you. They were a fair distance away, but the fact they were this close at all!

“Merlin,” you scoffed, spotting Isabella angrily twisting her wand in her hands.

“Someone isn’t happy,” you grinned, looking back at Talbott.

“I’m guessing they’ve noticed that Talbott’s off the market,” Penny laughed, glancing between you two.

“With the show we put on earlier, I’d say so,” you grinned, glancing back at Talbott, who seemed to be staring intently at you.

You creased your brow, watching as his eyes seemed to dart along your face. “What is it?” You frowned, gazing at him. His gaze was so piercing and a bit unnerving. “What are you doing?”

“Counting your freckles,” he murmured, continuing to gaze at you intensely.

“What?!” You gaped, your eyes widening.

“Stop moving,” he murmured, clearly trying to concentrate. You were sure to any onlookers, it would look like a passionate exchange. For you, it was making your insides flutter uncomfortably. It didn’t help that he was lightly thumbing the back of your hand either.

“You guys are naturals at this,” Penny giggled, glancing between you two.

“Talbott,” you murmured, flushing deeply. It was a bit embarrassing being under his scrutinizing gaze. “Is it working?” You questioned Penny, unable to look away from Talbott.

“Oh, yeah,” she laughed, leaning forward slightly to glance at the third years.

“You’d think they smelled dungbombs with the looks on their faces,” she said, and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Good,” you hummed, smiling at you continued gazing at the boy in front of you.

“Almost finished? I’d like to eat,” you playfully drawled. He remained unflinching for a few more moments before nodding.

“Thirty-one,” he responded, turning back to his own food.

“Huh?” You frowned, gazing at him for a moment longer.

“Freckles. You have thirty-one,” he said simply. You couldn’t help but self-consciously touch the patch of freckles that scattered along your cheeks and nose.

“I-I see,” you murmured, you face feeling hot once more. Just what was he playing at, making you feel like this?!

——

Dinner didn’t last much longer, though you had been sure Isabella was going to scream at you two when the third years left dinner a bit early.

Just to really rub it in, you’d raised yours and Talbott’s linked hand, just to make sure she’d seen. She practically had steam coming out of her ears as Avery and Madison tugged her along.

“Well, that was amusing,” you grinned at Talbott and Penny. “Hopefully they’ll give up soon,” you mused. You didn’t think your heart could stand much more.

You let go of Talbott’s hand - despite his subtle protest that didn’t go unnoticed by you - before standing and stretching.

“I’m going to call it a night,” you yawned and turned to bid your friends good night.

You were unsurprised to find Talbott standing as well, following you towards the exit of the hall. He’d taken your hand once more, gently lacing his fingers through yours before you left the hall.

Once you were out of the boisterous hall, you turned to him, confused why he hadn’t dropped your hand like he had the night before once you’d been out of sight from others. You were beginning to expect that he enjoyed the contact, especially with how often he did it. Surprisingly, you didn’t mind all that much.

“Walking me to my common room again?” You questioned, glancing down at your linked hands that he had yet to drop, before your gaze lifted back to meet his eyes.

“I...was hoping you would accompany me to the library,” Talbott said, momentarily glancing off into the distance. Was he looking to see if the third years were lurking about?

“Why?” You frowned, rubbing at your eye. You could feel the exhaustion hitting you like a wall. “I think the third years have gotten their fill for tonight,” you said.

“They won’t be there,” he responded, glancing back at you.

“Then you don’t need me,” you said. The more he gazed at you, the more frustrated you became. It was bad enough that mere thoughts of him had kept you up all night, but here he was, wanting to continue parading around this fake relationship some more. It was torture...or so you told yourself.

“I...I want you there,” Talbott spoke, his voice lowering slightly. You were taken aback by his sudden admittance - when did he ever like people around? Sure, he’d let down some of his walls around you during the events of last year, but asking for company was completely out of the normal for him.

“I thought you preferred being alone,” you argued, pulling your hand from his to cross you arms over your chest.

Talbott let out an exasperated sigh, looking down at your unamused form. “It’s important we be seen together,” he pointed out.

“Enough people have seen us together today. I’m tired,” you countered, yawning for emphasis.

“It’s...it’s important at the start of a relationship,” he said, keeping his gaze level, though his voice faltered the slightest bit. You wanted to argue that this wasn’t a real relationship, despite what the butterflies in your tummy were telling you, but you couldn’t force the words out. “Just for a bit,” he added, taking a hesitant step closer to you.

“I really shouldn’t,” you frowned, another yawn escaping you. You were so close to curling up in bed, but something about the look he was giving you prevented you from rejecting any further. “Alright, alright,” you sighed, letting out a huff that ruffled your fringe.

“Thank you,” Talbott said softly, reaching down to take your hand once more.

“Just for a bit,” you repeated his words, eying him challengingly, to which he simply smiled and nodded.

You continued to pout, but allowed him to lead you to the library. You were unsurprised to find it as empty as it was given the hour, but you supposed that would give you ample quiet to nap.

“What was so urgent that you needed me to accompany you for?” You questioned, watching as he pulled out a chair for you. It made your stomach lurch pleasantly - which only served to frustrate you more.

“Herbology,” he answered softly. Once you were seated, he disappeared down an aisle, returning a few minutes later with two thick books. “I have a test on bouncing bulbs at the end of the week that I haven’t had much time to study for,” he said.

“Won’t I be distracting or something? Wouldn’t you prefer to study in peace?” You frowned, crossing your arms on the table to rest your head on.

He glanced at you for a moment, silently observing before chuckling softly to himself. “I don’t think you’ll be much of a distraction with how heavy your eyelids look,” he hummed, flipping through a few pages from one of the books he’d grabbed.

“Never discount how distracting I can be,” you childishly argued, though your eyes were already shutting. It was warm and quiet and Talbott smelled rather lovely...you could certainly get used to this feeling.

“Duly noted,” you heard Talbott’s voice respond before everything seemed too far away.

——

You were asleep - not too deep but not nearly as conscious as you could have been - though you were vaguely aware of the hand you felt tangled in your hair. Fingers were lightly moving, massaging and lulling you back into unconsciousness.

——

“Hey,” you heard a soft voice, rousing you from the rather pleasant dream you’d been wrapped up in.

“Mm?” You breathed, your brow furrowing before your eyes flitted open just a crack. You were met with Talbott’s form, gazing down at you with a soft smile. It suddenly came back to you that you were in the library, not your bed, though you were still too tired to really care.

“It’s time to go,” Talbott spoke gently, his head resting on his hand. You noticed the books were gone from in front of him and his bag was all packed. Was he just waiting on you?

“Wh-what...time is it?” You blinked a bit more, groggily sitting up.

“Almost nine,” he said, enough sense to respond sheepishly.

“That’s a few more hours than a bit,” you grumbled, rubbing the cheek that had been resting on your arms.

“I needed to study, and...I was a bit distracted,” he admitted.

“Were you...playing with my hair?” You questioned suddenly, remembering the sensation. Talbott quickly looked away, his eyes settling on a spot on the table in front of you.

“A few people had been walking by, so I figured I’d keep up pretenses,” Talbott murmured, tucking his hand under him.

“It felt nice,” you admitted, your voice thick with sleep.

“Right,” he said, and you noticed the bit of blush coating his tan cheeks.

“Well...we should be off. Pince is making her final rounds,” he said, standing up. He offered his hand to you, and you took it, allowing him to raise you up and escort you out.

Perhaps accompanying him to the library hadn’t been the worst thing that could have happened.

——

A few days later, you were in your afternoon potions class - one of the few times you weren’t with Talbott - absently skimming through your textbook as you allowed your potion to simmer.

“You know, I really can’t stand it,” Merula drawled, lazily stirring her cauldron beside you.

“What is it today?” You drawled, shifting your gaze to the yellow concoction you were working on.

“You’re all anyone talks about. It’s sick,” she glared at you.

“Let’s just face it: I’m a celebrity,” you cooed, repeating the words Isabella Mott used to describe you. It made you laugh to yourself at the very thought. You finally glanced over at her, taking in her look of utter disgust. You lived to see Merula Snyde get ticked off.

“Sod off,” she glared, turning back to her potion.

“Out of curiosity,” you hummed, adding some porcupine quills to your cauldron.

“Who was it that was talking about me. So I know who to send an autograph to,” you teased, smirking over at the Slytherin beside you. Merula didn’t look up, angrily throwing peppermint sprigs into her potion.

“Avery Thorne and Amelia Stevens,” Barnaby chimed in from across the table. Merula shot him a look but didn’t speak any further. “Third years,” he said. Your eyes widened, looking at Barnaby incredulously. They were asking...about you?!

“What’d they want?” You asked, attempting to remain indifferent.

Barnaby creased his brow as if he was trying very, very hard to remember the conversation. “They wanted to know more about you. Classes you had, places you liked to go...oh! How long you’ve been dating Talbott,” he said. There it was. “I must admit, I’m surprised,” Merula spoke up then, crossing her arms over her chest. “I always figured you’d go for some dumb, strapping Gryffindor,” she drawled.

“Talbott’s...strapping,” you said, your cheeks heating up.

“Winger’s a twig,” she said. “Doesn’t suit you,” she challenged.

“We get on just fine,” you defended, narrowing your eyes. Merula raised an eyebrow, only to smirk. Clearly, she’d found a soft spot, and was ready to dig the knife in.

Merula opened her mouth to start, but within moments, Snape was hovering behind you both with his characteristically unamused glare.

“If you insist on incessant chatter, that can only mean you have produced a potion of exceptional quality, therefore not finding need for my instruction,” he drawled unhappily, inspecting your cauldrons.

“No, sir,” Merula and you spoke quickly and quietly.

“Then see to it that you finish in a quiet manner,” he spoke harshly before strolling off. You quickly stuck your tongue out at Merula before returning your attention to your potion. Of course, that just gave you ample time to wonder why the third years had inquired about you.

——

“Something...odd occurred in my potions class this afternoon,” you told Talbott as the two of you headed to your Divination lesson. Your hand was wrapped around his arm while he carried both of your books. He’d insisted, and admittedly, you found the gesture sweet.

“What? Snape crack a smile?” Talbott questioned, grinning to himself and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“I said odd, not impossible,” you grinned, playfully nudging him. “No. Apparently, the third year Slytherins were asking Barnaby and Merula about me,” you said, glancing up at him.

“Were they really?” He questioned, a surprisingly happy tone in his voice. “You think they’re ditching me for you?!” He asked hopefully and you nudged him again.

“No,” you drawled. “Asking about us,” you amended. “How long we’ve been dating,” you said, and his face fell.

“Oh. Bugger,” Talbott muttered under his breath.

“I just hope they don’t start following me around now,” you drawled, exhaling a sigh that ruffled your fringe.

“Maybe we need to be more convincing,” Talbott posed. “So they just give up,” he shrugged.

“It’s worth a try,” you shrugged as well, though you couldn’t help but be a bit excited at the prospect.

——

If you had thought your potions class had been odd, you certainly weren’t prepared for what the next day had in store for you.

It was one of your slower days class-wise, so most of your time was spent catching up on homework or meeting with teachers when necessary, but today was certainly going to be different.

Starting with breakfast in the great hall, you were acutely aware of the feeling of being watched. You couldn’t pinpoint the person...or people, though you supposed Barnaby’s news had rattled you. What reason could the third years have had for asking about you? You were almost certain it wasn’t just curiosity.

After breakfast, you were certain you were being watched. You’d been leaving Snape’s classroom - you had to hand in your notes and had tried to apologize for your dispute with Merula - but after he’d kicked you out, you’d passed the waiting third years who had class. Your eyes had settled on Amelia Stevens and Avery Thorne who were most certainly glaring at you. You tried keeping your gaze focused in front of you, but you knew you’d heard them whispering about you as you passed.

Heading up to your dorm room after lunch to pick up some books for your afternoon lessons, you were certain the third years had it out for you. Whilst on the grand staircase, Madison Lee and Ella Wilson has shoved past you so hard, you’d had to grip onto the railing to avoid losing your footing as the staircase shifted. They’d simply glanced over their shoulders, laughing in amusement. Your afternoon study hall had been the worst, though. You hadn’t thought things could get much worse than almost tumbling to your death on the grand staircase, but Isabella Mott had proved you quite wrong.

You were sitting in the library, your nose buried in A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration when you heard the chair across from you scraping against the floor.

Looking up, your eyes locked on Isabella’s unamused face staring back at you.

“Can I help you?” You questioned, inspecting the third year.

Isabella was looking at you as though you’d set her hair on fire. For such a pretty girl, she had a fierce glare...which was being directed at you.

“Or...not?” You trailed when she didn’t speak. “Look, I’m trying to study, so if—“ you began as more uncomfortable silence came from the third year, but at that, she finally spoke up.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at,” Isabella spoke, her hands clenching into fists as they rested on the table. “All of a sudden, you’re glued to his side?”

Your eyes widened, surprised to find her confronting you about Talbott. This certainly hadn’t been a part of Penny’s plan.

“Talbott and I have always been close,” you said, and her rage seemed to boil over.

“Don’t speak his name,” Isabella snapped, and you noticed a few other students turning to look at the commotion. You were used to dealing with these sort of outbursts from Merula all the time, though, and you kept a level expression on your face. That only seemed to irritate her more.

“And why wouldn’t I say my boyfriend’s name?” You asked calmly, but that only caused the third year to slam her hands on the table.

“He’s mine!” She shrieked, and you leaned back slightly from the harshness in her tone.

“Miss Mott!” A voice called, and you turned to find Madame Pince rushing towards your table. “This is the library,” she scolded. “Take your outbursts elsewhere. Shoo,” she said, ushering the third year out. Isabella was sure to shoot you a final glare as she marched out.

You were sure that wouldn’t be the last outburst you heard from her.

——

You were sure you’d had enough. These third years were going to kill you before the day was out. Deciding you needed to be away from it all, you quickly made your way towards the greenhouses, knowing that no Herbology classes were going on at this time. Entering, you shut the door behind you before leaning up against it and letting out a relieved sigh.

“What are you doing in here?” A voice rang out through the silence, and your body jolted in surprise. Looking towards the direction of the voice, your eyes settled on Talbott sitting on the floor with a pot in front of him. His robe was absent and his sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, his hands almost completely covered in dirt.

“Talbott,” you breathed, resting your hand on your chest as you attempted to slow your racing heart. You took a few steps towards him, inspecting him curiously. “I...I didn’t think anyone would be in here,” you said.

“Clearly,” he grinned, gazing up at you. “What’s going on?” He asked, confused bu your arrival.

“Your fan club has it out for me,” you drawled, lowering yourself on to the ground next to him. “So I figured I’d hide out in here,” you said.

“Brilliant,” he hummed in amusement, only to scowl moments later as the bulb that was sitting in the pot suddenly jumped out and began to bounce around.

“Get back here,” he grumbled, trying unsuccessfully to corner the bulb.

“Still studying for your test?” You grinned, watching as Talbott grew more frustrated.

“No, I’m doing this for fun,” Talbott drawled, shooting you a look before he was able to grab hold of the bulb.

“Professor Sprout won’t be impressed,” you teased, moving the pot closer to him so he could quickly plant the finicky bulb. “I thought you were good at this,” you joked.

“I am,” he grumbled, finally succeeding in planting the bulb. He let out a sigh before turning his attention back to you. “I going to fail this test tomorrow,” he groaned and you couldn’t help but giggle.

“Probably,” you hummed, and he cracked a grin in your direction.

“Thank you for your vote of confidence. You’re really a supportive girlfriend,” he joked, though you couldn’t help but flush slightly at the use of the term.

“Surely there’s got to be other aspects of Herbology you don’t completely fail at,” you joked, looking around the room in hopes that he didn’t realize the affect he had on you.

“You’re so mean today,” Talbott said, but there was no harshness in his voice. Chancing a look at him, you found a smile tugging on his lips as he stood to place his pot by the window. “There is one thing I’ve been working on. Not part of class but I’ve been helping out Professor Sprout in my free time,” he said.

You gazed up at him curiously, watching as he offered you his hand to help you up. You took it, only for your face to heat up when he didn’t drop it. Lacing your fingers - something you’d learned he did each time when taking your hands - he led you over to the opposite side of the room.

“What is it...?” You questioned, glancing up at him. In a decorative pot was a clump of dark, flower-less stems. It sort of looked like it was dying. “You’re not helping your case for being good at herbology,” you teased and he rolled his eyes.

Taking out his wand, he waved it over the stems. You watched curiously, and not another moment passed before heaps of white flowers began blooming out of every section on the stems. They were quite beautiful, and you couldn’t help but smile at the magic he’d done.

“It’s asphodel,” Talbott told you, pocketing his wand. “I help Professor Sprout grow it for Snape and Madame Pomfrey,” he explained, glancing down at you.

“It’s beautiful,” you smiled, lightly touching the pointed leaves.

“Here,” he spoke, quickly snipping off a stem before handing it to you. Talbott Winger was giving you flowers. You were sure this day couldn’t have gotten any stranger. “Just...don’t tell Sprout,” he added with a sheepish laugh.

“It’ll be our little secret,” you answered, smiling softly as you leaned in to sniff the blooms.

——

The study period passed...unproductively. You learned absolutely nothing from the passage on the history of wandlore that you’d been trying to read, and you found yourself glancing towards the door more often than not. By the end of the period, you’d all but decided to go hunting for Talbott.

Then you scoffed. Why were you thinking so hard on this? You barely knew him, and you were hardly friends. Hell, you were only friends because you’d practically forced it on him. He certainly hadn’t been keen to the idea.

The next hour and a half dragged on dreadfully slow, and Talbott had yet to make an appearance. Your huffy attitude had once again given way to concern.

“Hey!” Penny suddenly called, jolting you from your thoughts. Looking at her, then the direction she was suddenly waving, your eyes settled on the slender form of Talbott, now failing to slip into study hall unnoticed from the attention Penny was drawing.

He hurriedly made his way over to the two of you, ignoring the frown Professor Sprout was sending him.

“You’re too cheery, Penny. It’s a real fault,” Talbott grinned at the Hufflepuff before slipping into the spot beside her.

“This is a perfectly appropriate tone, thank you very much,” she responded indignantly, though her smile didn’t fade. Sometimes you couldn’t help but wonder how the two of them became friends.

“Sure,” he responded simply.

You couldn’t help but watch him as he settled in. He let out a deep sigh, definitely looking a bit stressed. He didn’t look nearly as hopeless or distraught as he had last time, though. He pulled out a book and ran his fingers through his hair before looking up, his eyes meeting with yours. You quickly opened your mouth to ask him something - anything - to cover up for your blatant staring, but thankfully, Penny had beaten you to it.

“You weren’t in potions today,” she spoke, turning towards Talbott.

“Is...everything alright?” She questioned, her concern evident on her face and in her tone.

Talbott turned, clearly looking taken aback by her question. Maybe he was surprised she had even noticed.

“I...” he began, casting another glance at you, then Penny again, before his gaze settled on a spot of nothing on the table. “It’s a long story,” he sighed, scratching the back of his head. He didn’t elaborate further, so you spoke up.

“Is it...about your—“ you began, though he was quick to look up and shake his head.

“No, no, it’s not,” he said, continuing to shake his head. You were vaguely aware of Penny glancing between you in confusion. You raised an eyebrow, prompting him to elaborate.

“It’s...?” Penny trailed.

“It’s these bloody third years!” Talbott erupted, surprising both you and Penny with his outburst.

“Excuse me...?” You questioned, your brow creasing in confusion.

“Talbott, you’re not making any sense. You’re going to need to explain to us what’s going on,” Penny said, her voice soft and caring.

Talbott let out a huff, rubbing his forehead in an act that looked almost like annoyance. It wasn’t long before his expression morphed into one of embarrassment.

“There’s these third years...a few Ravenclaws and one or two Slytherins - it really depends on who they grab at the time...” Talbott sighed, shaking his head as if to rid himself of a bad dream. “They won’t leave me alone,” he frowned.

“Are they...bothering you?” Penny questioned, clearly following just as well as you were.

“Jinxing you...?” You offered, your confusion evident. You didn’t understand how a group of third years would keep him from class.

“They won’t leave me alone,” he repeated. “Following me everywhere, leaving me notes. I think one tried to sneak me a love potion,” he said.

You couldn’t help but laugh, which clearly wasn’t the right response, because Talbott shot you quite the glare.

“Come on,” you said, glancing between him and Penny. “They’re just third years. How bad can it be?” You questioned.

“Love. Potion,” he repeated unhappily.

“Have you tried...I don’t know...asking them to leave you alone? Expressing your disinterest?” Penny suggested, clearly trying to help.

Talbott sighed again, pursing his lips. “I think they like it when I get annoyed,” he frowned. “Like they want a rise out of me.”

“Talbott Winger, the ladies man,” you grinned at him. He shot you another look before turning back to Penny.

“I barely have a moment to think before one of them’s chirping in my ear or—“

“Ruffling your feathers?” You grinned, unable to let the opportunity for a bird pun fly by.

“You’re as bad as them,” he drawled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“So words don’t work on them...” Penny hummed, ignoring your bantering. “Have you tried actions?”

“I don’t follow...” Talbott frowned, his thick brows knitting together.

“Well, you can tell them you’re not interested all you want, but maybe it would sink in if you showed them you’re not,” Penny mused, her eyes bright like she’d just successfully brewed Draught of Living Death.

“...meaning?” Talbott frowned, glancing over at you briefly before looking back at Penny.

“You need a girlfriend,” she said simply. You couldn’t stop yourself from laughing aloud, especially at the flustered look on Talbott’s face.

“Doesn’t that defeat the purpose, Pen? He clearly doesn’t want that or he wouldn’t be complaining about all of this,” you said, continuing to giggle in amusement.

“I certainly don’t want to date third years,” Talbott responded, his eyes narrowed.

“It wouldn’t be real, of course. Just a show. You know, to get them off your back,” Penny said, tapping her chin in thought. “But who would fit?” She hummed.

“I don’t know about this...” he frowned, glancing between the two of you at the table.

“Chiara, maybe...?” Penny continued to muse, ignoring his hesitation. “Just for a few weeks to get the third years to leave you be...”

“It can’t be that bad getting attention from some girls, can it?” You questioned him. His eyes met yours and you felt a slight jolt at the intensity of his gaze.

“You know I don’t like attention,” he responded, quirking his lips. It was true, you did know. You knew just how much he preferred being left to his own devices. It was his way to avoid getting hurt. But maybe Penny’s plan did have some merit. He definitely needed some more friends, as far as you were concerned.

You listened to Penny list off names, watching as Talbott remained stoic, as usual. The more you listened, the more you felt a slight nagging in the back of your head. The thought of Talbott with a girl - real or not - didn’t quite sit well with you. You didn’t want to dwell on why that was the case, though.

“Maybe Badeea if we want to keep it in your house...” Penny hummed.

“No,” you spoke up quickly, drawing looks from both of them. “I-I mean,” you frowned, clearing your throat. “Who would go along with this? It would be an odd request to approach someone with. Plus, those girls don’t know him that well.”

Talbott caught your gaze, holding it for a moment before you quickly looked away.

“Its just...I mean to say that it might appear fake, and then the third years would never leave him be,” you quickly tried to clarify, ignoring the heat rushing to your cheeks.

“You’re right, you’re right,” Penny hummed, quirking her lips. “It can’t be just anyone,” she hummed. “They’d have to play the part well, and it has to be someone the third years wouldn’t walk all over. Someone well known and respectable,” she mused.

“Sounds like you, Pen. You’re the most popular witch in our year,” you chuckled, scratching the back of your head. Mentally, you were kicking yourself for even suggesting that. You saw the looks she and Talbott would exchange on occasion. You couldn’t help but wonder if there was something there between them. Penny was his first friend at Hogwarts, after all.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Penny offered, turning to Talbott with a warm and inviting smile. You suddenly felt nauseous.

“You’re too bubbly for me. No one would believe it,” Talbott grinned at Penny and she playfully stuck her tongue out at him. You couldn’t help but think of how couple-ish that exchange looked.

“Actually...I was thinking you would be perfect,” Penny said, and your eyes doubled in size when you realized she meant you.

“Wh-what...?” You asked dumbly, chancing a look at Talbott who was silently observing you.

“I don’t know why we didn’t think of it sooner. You’d be perfect!” Penny continued.

“I...I hardly think I’m someone people would respect or anything like that,” you denied.

“Rubbish. You’re a top-notch student, prefect, everyone’s seen what a star you’re becoming at Quidditch,” Penny rambled, your cheeks darkening as she went on. It didn’t help that Talbott was staying silent on the matter either. “And how many cursed vaults have you broken in to? Everyone’s heard about that and I’ll tell you: everyone’s impressed. Shall I go on?” She grinned.

“N-no, that’s quite alright,” you murmured, quirking your lips. You chanced a look in Talbott’s direction, finding his gaze still locked on you. It was...unnerving, to be honest. “Well?” You questioned finally with a relenting sigh. “How ‘bout it?”

Talbott gazed at you for a long, hard moment. You felt as though you’d melt on the spot. “Alright,” he finally spoke, and you released the breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding.

“Great!” Penny chimed, clearly looking pleased with herself. “This will be fun,” she added and you caught Talbott rolling his eyes.

“Fun,” he scoffed. “I fail to see the fun part,” he drawled.

“You’ve got a fan club and a new girlfriend. How is that not fun?” You questioned sarcastically. Talbott shot you a look, though for a moment, you thought you saw amusement flicker in his eyes.

“So, how should we go about this...?” Talbott questioned, turning back to Penny.

“Well, you two will need to get close. Really close,” Penny grinned, glancing between the two of you. “In fact, you should be sitting over there,” she told Talbott, pointing to the spot beside yourself. “Go,” she nudged, grinning at him.

Talbott let out a grunt, pushing himself up from the table before walking all the way around it.

“You’re way too excited about this,” you drawled as you waited for Talbott to rejoin you.

“It’ll be fun, trust me. Messing with a couple third years? Pretending to be in a relationship? It’s all very amusing. I wish I had someone to fake-fancy me,” she giggled.

“You passed on the opportunity,” you reminded, just as Talbott slid into the spot beside you.

“Sit closer,” Penny urged, a bright grin on her face. Maybe the fun was just going to be on her end, you thought.

Talbott begrudgingly slid closer, his arm momentarily brushing yours. “Okay?” “Well, you have to look happy about it. She is your girlfriend, now,” Penny hummed, and it was your turn to scoff.

“He’s never happy,” you drawled. You could feel Talbott glaring, but you forced yourself to keep your eyes on Penny.

“What’s going to sell this? The third years are unrelenting,” Talbott grumbled. “Obvious things. Things only friends wouldn’t be doing,” Penny grinned, looking between your two. “Hold hands, keep the physical contact whenever you can, longing looks - no more glaring, Talbott,” Penny giggled.

By this point, your cheeks were on fire. It hadn’t sunk in before that you’d actually be doing all of this. You suddenly felt very self conscious.

It certainly didn’t help that in the next moment, Talbott had reached over and taken your hand. Without thinking, you quickly snatched it back, ignoring the pleasant jolt you’d felt from the brief contact.

“What are you doing?” You asked hurriedly. “There aren’t any third years around now,” you said, though you felt your face growing hot.

“You two really should practice,” Penny frowned at the exchange. “So it’s believable when the third years are around,” she said.

You couldn’t even glance at Talbott in that moment. You were embarrassed and unsure of why the contact had felt so nice. Sighing, you reached for his hand, allowing him to take it once more. You watched his hand shift for a few moments before his fingers ended up slipping between yours.

“More comfortable that way,” Talbott mumbled, refusing to look directly at you.

“So cute,” Penny giggled. “Besides, the more people that see you acting like this, the better. Word travels, you know,” she hummed.

“You probably shouldn’t tell your friends about this,” Talbott spoke up, glancing down at you beside him. “That it’s not real,” he mumbled.

“Good point,” Penny chimed, nodding her head. “If your closest friends believe it, there’s no double the third years will too!”

“This all seems rather involved, don’t you think?” You drawled, letting out a sigh.

“Come on. It’s just for a week or two until the third years lose interest,” Penny said. All you could do was sigh.

“If they lose interest,” Talbott grumbled, turning to his unopened books.

——

Eventually the study period came to an end and the great hall began filling with students eager for a meal. You friends began filing in as well, each one casting glances at where Talbott’s hand remained linked with yours. He hadn’t let go once, and you were sure your cheeks were a permanent shade of red at this point.

“Evenin’ everyone,” Charlie chimed as he joined you and your already seated friends, including Talbott and Penny from before, plus Ben, Liz, Barnaby and Tonks. “This is...new,” he remarked, raising an eyebrow as he gazed at your linked hands.

Despite the looks, none of your other friends had remarked on it yet, and you felt a fresh wave of embarrassment wash over you.

“Thank Merlin someone said something,” Tonks exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table in excitement. “I thought we were all gonna avoid the giant hippogriff in the room!”

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Penny supplied, grinning brightly. “They just told me this afternoon,” she hummed.

You glanced over at Talbott who was clearly trying to melt into his seat, though he hadn’t dropped his hold on your hand. You quirked your lips, unamused he wasn’t speaking. This was all for his benefit, after all!

“Yup, it’s true,” you said, resting your head on your palm.

“I didn’t know the two of you were that close,” Barnaby remarked, looking over at you curiously.

“Well, Talbott’s a very private bloke,” you playfully drawled, patting his hand that was linked with yours.

“You should have heard him gushing during our study period,” Penny grinned at the two of you. You felt your cheeks burn - clearly, Penny was determined to mortify you.

“Good on you, mate,” Charlie said approvingly before beginning to eat. The rest of your friends quickly followed, changing the conversation to an array of things that thankfully did not focus on your new relationship.

“Maybe next time you can speak up,” you quietly grumbled to Talbott, shooting him a look before beginning to eat.

About half an hour passed - both you and Talbott remaining awkwardly silent. Well, at least with each other. You chatted with a few of your other friends, though they didn’t miss the opportunity to ask a few questions about you and Talbott along the way. You were definitely looking forward to hiding in your dorm for the remainder of the evening. This was far too much for one day.

“That’s them,” Talbott’s deep voice spoke quietly, his hand clenching the slightest bit around your own. Looking up, you found him staring across the hall at the table on the far side of the room. Penny turned as well, craning her neck to get a good look.

Huddled in a group were three Ravenclaws and two Slytherins, just as Talbott had initially described. They were giggling loud enough that you could hear them from across the hall, waving their wands exuberantly.

“You have your own little fan club,” you grinned, observing the third years with interest.

“Very funny,” Talbott grumbled. “The blonde is the ringleader,” he jutted his chin in the girl’s direction. You observed the girl he singled out, inspecting the Ravenclaw girl with long, curly blonde hair and deep dimples. She was truthfully, very pretty. You were surprised he didn’t have at least some interest in her.

“That’s Isabella Mott,” Penny said. “Her parents work in Hogsmeade,” she informed. Leave it to Penny to know everything about everyone.

“She’s a pain in the arse is what she is,” Talbott scoffed. “Can’t even sit in the common room in peace anymore.” You couldn’t help but grin at his frustrated remark.

Beside the blonde was another Ravenclaw with short, red hair and a Slytherin with jet black hair and sharp, arched eyebrows. Penny was quick to identify them as Ella Wilson and Avery Thorne.

Amelia Stevens and Madison Lee were the remaining Slytherin and Ravenclaw, respectively. The former was quite small with frizzy chestnut locks while the latter had a thin face framed by dark hair with slight waves.

The group chatted boisterously, unaffected by the looks they were garnering from a few surrounding students. You could definitely see how Talbott found them annoying.

“They’ll leave you alone soon enough,” Penny tried to assure the unamused Talbott. “This plan will work,” she nodded.

“That remains to be seen,” Talbott drawled before letting out a sigh. You could tell he was at his wit’s end with these girls and you couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for your earlier teasing. You were quick to decide that you’d make sure to see this plan though as best as you could.

——

By the time dinner had finished, you were beyond exhausted. Keeping up a façade in front of your friends wasn’t as easy as you’d been anticipating, but you supposed it was good practice.

Letting out a small yawn, you stood and bid good night to your friends, only for your brow to crease when Talbott pulled himself up as well. You turned to give him a questioning glance, but he was silent packing up his things.

“What are you doing?” You frowned, speaking just loud enough for him to hear.

“I’ll walk you,” he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “It’s a boyfriend’s job,” he added cheekily.

“Have a good night, you two,” Tonks called, a knowing smirk on her face. You felt hot all over again.

Once you had your things gathered, Talbott was quick to reach for your hand once more. Thankfully, you didn’t pull away as you had earlier. After holding his hand for the last few hours, you supposed you were used to it.

You headed out with Talbott, hearing your friends playfully jeering behind you. When someone let out a whistle, you were sure you’d die on the spot. It caused multiple people to look and you just wanted to hide.

You quickened your pace, forcing Talbott to hurry as you slipped out of the great hall. You were quick to drop his hand, flexing your fingers to ward off the stiffness that had formed.

“Well, that was something of an event,” you said, turning to glance at him as you slowed your pace, the two of you headed for the grand staircase.

Talbott cracked a smile, nodding his head as he continued gazing straight ahead.

“Do you...think it’ll work?” You questioned softly, pursing your lips.

“I...would hope so,” he murmured, casting you a glance as you climbed onto the first staircase. “It has to,” he said, steeling his voice. You offered a nod at his determination.

“Well...I’ll be as convincing as I can,” you said, leaning against the railing after moving to the next set of stairs. “Where do you usually see these girls?” You questioned, gazing at him steadily. He looked as exhausted as you felt, maybe even more so.

“After potions. One o’clock,” he responded shortly. “When I’m trying to leave. They have the period after me,” he said. “Then of course, they always seem to find me around the castle,” he sighed.

You quirked your lips, nodding intently as you listened to him. “Alright. Tomorrow at one. I’ll meet you after your class,” you said.

“Huh?” He questioned, confusion spreading across his face.

“I’ll meet you,” you repeated with a slight laugh. “We’ll let those third years get an up-close look at us,” you grinned. “Sound good?”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure,” Talbott nodded, gazing down at you. “I...” he trailed, biting his lip. “I didn’t, y’know...thank...you...for doing this...for me,” he stuttered out, unable to meet your surprised gaze.

Taking a deep breath, you advanced into the room, though you didn’t make it to your regular seat. Instead, you found yourself sliding onto the bench beside Talbott.

“What are you doing?” His level voice drawled, though you picked up on the mild surprise in his tone despite his attempts to mask it.

“You asked me about Avis,” you said, not quite meeting his gaze.

“I did,” he responded shortly with a raised eyebrow, but you were continuing before he could question further.

“And truthfully, I haven’t practiced as much as I should have. You see,” you quietly rambled as McGonagall began scanning the classroom to check attendance. You felt her eyes linger on you for a moment at your unusual placement before continuing on. “I’ve been rather distracted with our upcoming Palmistry test and I was hoping...well, I was hoping you would help me practice...” you continued to ramble, your voice growing even quieter from your lack of breath. You could even feel him leaning towards you to catch your last few words.

“Palmistry’s a very wooly topic,” he responded, though you knew how he felt about Divinations class in general.

“But also worth a large chunk of our grade,” you pointed out, your eyes finally shifting to his face, where you could tell he was silently mulling over your words. “Please?” You added, and his gaze immediately shifted to you.

“Fine,” Talbott responded, and your face lit up brilliantly.

“Thank you,” you breathed, gripping his sleeve in appreciation.

“We can meet up after dinner in the library,” Talbott told you with a faint smile of his own, the familiar blush returning to his cheeks as he inspected your smile carefully. Memorizing, almost.

“Oh,” you frowned, retracting your hand. That caused the hint of a smile to drop from his face as well.

“What?”

“Well...we have Divinations before dinner, so...”

“So?” He frowned.

“So, I was hoping we could practice now,” you said, looking up at him hopefully.

“But we’re in class,” Talbott said, like it was the most obvious thing.

“Very observant,” you drawled with a grin.

“And McGonagall will have our wands if we aren’t paying attention,” he added. As if on cue, McGonagall cleared her throat, giving you both a pointed look for your whispering.

“Yes,” you continued after a few moments, once McGonagall had turned back to the board. “But she won’t know. Talbott, please,” you murmured, glancing over at him pleadingly. “You don’t want me to fail, do you?” You asked innocently.

He shot you a look, clearly debating with himself over the option with the least amount of consequence. “Be very, very discreet,” Talbott murmured after a moment, placing his hand on the desk for you.

Your face lit up, your eyes scanning his unamused features. “You’re the best,” you grinned, turning to rummage through your bag for your Divinations textbook. “Okay,” you let out a breathy hum, locating the page in your book before turning back to Talbott’s outstretched hand. “Let’s see,” you hummed quietly, pulling up his sleeve a bit before pulling his arm even closer.

You began inspecting his hand closely, cross-referencing the lines with the ones shown in your book. Frankly, it all looked like gibberish to you. Letting out another hum, you subconsciously began rubbing his arm as you turned to read one of the passages in your book. It wasn’t long before you felt his arm tense beneath your fingers.

“So tense,” you whispered with a grin, glancing back up at Talbott who appeared to be struggling to focus on McGonagall’s handwriting.

“This doesn’t feel like you’re doing it right,” Talbott remarked, casting a quick glance in your direction.

“That’s why it called practice,” you countered, grinning at him before turning back to trace one of the lines on his hand. “According to this...” you hummed, your brow furrowing before you checked the book again. “No, that’s not right...” you pouted.

“Hm?” He questioned softly, casting another glance towards you. “According to this,” you pointed, quirking your lips. “...you’re already dead,” she stated.

Talbott immediately let out a snort, drawing the attention of a few of your classmates. He quickly cleared his throat in an attempt to cover it up before turning back to you. “You’re going to fail,” he said bluntly.

“Shh,” you quietly snapped, pursing your lips unhappily. “You’re distracting me,” you grumbled, pulling his hand even closer.

“I’m distracting you?” Talbott scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Yes,” you pouted, gripping his wrist to give it a shake before turning back to his hand with a huff. You could practically feel him smirk at your mild frustration. “Now, your love line,” you hummed, quirking your lips once more.

You could feel him tense yet again, though you couldn’t bring yourself to look at him this time. You decided he deserved some teasing, though. “Oh, well this is no surprise,” you hummed.

“What?” Talbott questioned and you couldn’t help but grin at his sudden interest. You didn’t look up, though, needing to remain composed.

“Well,” you continued, feigning seriousness. “Your love line curves this way,” you hummed, tracing your finger along the crease on his palm. “Which can only mean one thing.”

“And that is...?” He trailed, his eyes squinting as he examined his hand.

“It clearly means that you’re in madly in love with your classmate. You know, that cute one with a knack for Quidditch and curse breaking,” you cooed with feigned innocence, cutely cocking your head to meet his bewildered gaze.

“You really are bad at this,” Talbott responded, clearly flustered. “Really bad,” he repeated, yanking his hand away from you.

“Oh, come on,” you grinned, reaching for his hand once more. You gazed at him steadily, grinning when he didn’t pull away again. “Well? What do you have to say? Going to dispute my inner eye?” You joked, resting your chin on the back of your hand.

“McGonagall,” he spoke in a hurried whisper.

“Huh?” You frowned, only to turn and find McGonagall making her way down the aisle. Before you could even react, Talbott was snatching your hand and tugging it beneath the desk, out of sight. With your free hand, you pulled your notebook over you textbook to hide it and plastered an innocent smile on your face.

McGonagall glanced down at the two of you suspiciously before continuing along to call several students up to the front to practice Avis. You watched McGonagall until she was back up front before a quiet sigh from Talbott drew your attention back to him.

“That was close,” Talbott murmured.

“You’re holding my hand,” you responded, glancing down on your linked hands resting on his lap.

“No—“ he began to protest, but your maintained your grip firmly.

“Your palm is sweaty,” you continued, glancing up at him playfully.

“I—”

“It reminds me of our first date,” you murmured softly. It was so reminiscent of the first time you’d held hands in the courtyard those many months ago. At those words, you felt Talbott’s hand relax in your own.

“I think about that night a lot,” Talbott confessed, glancing down at you with a soft expression. You could feel your insides beginning to flutter, almost as if someone had cast Avis within you.

“You’ve told me that before,” you grinned at him, but you were sure you cheeks were just as flushed as his were.

“Oi,” Andre called in a loud whisper once McGonagall was safely out of earshot with the first group of students. Both Talbott and you turned to face Andre, only to be met with his smirk. “You think just because you’ve been on a few dates, that gives you the right to flaunt your affection?” He teased.

“Some of us are trying to pay attention, you know,” Tulip chimed in teasingly, leaning forward in her seat behind Andre.

Just like that, you felt Talbott’s hand tighten around your own. No one liked teasing, but you were sure it was especially difficult for someone who preferred to fly solo.

“You’re both hysterical,” you retorted in a harsh whisper. “A regular comedic duo,” you said, though that clearly only made their grins grow.

“When’s McGonagall gonna teach us to conjure lovebirds?” Tulip questioned Andre playfully. “I’m sure these two would excel at that,” she hummed.

“That’s enough out of you lot,” Talbott said evenly, a slight edge to his voice. Tulip and Andre exchanged a final glance before turning back to their books with matching grins.

You let out a breath, turning back to your own desk, only to cast a glance in your desk mate’s direction.

“Interesting bunch of friends you’ve got there,” Talbott remarked.

“You fell in that category not too long ago,” you hummed, lifting your joined hands back onto the desk. You really needed to study at this point, or there was no way you’d pass Trelawney’s exam. Detaching your hands, you began inspecting the lines on his palm once more.

“Not anymore?” Talbott’s voice questioned after a few moments, and your gaze drifted back to his face.

“Well, no...” you trailed, biting your lip. You could tell he seemed a bit disappointed with that response, so you quickly continued your explanation. “You have your own category now,” you smiled, resting your hand on his exposed forearm. “A special category,” you said, your eyes glued to his.

You could see the different expressions crossing his face, mulling over your words. You knew this was all new to him. To you, as well.

“I-I see,” Talbott responded, clearing his throat slightly.

“Unless you don’t want—”

“No,” he was quick to cut you off. “I like my category,” he murmured bashfully, the blush spreading to the tips of his ears.

“Me too,” you smiled softly, scooting slightly closer to him so that your arms were brushing. “Now let me study or I predict my own failure,” you chuckled softly.

“You don’t need to have the sight to see that,” Talbott drawled with an amused grin.

“Hush,” you responded, and he did just that, allowing you the rest of the lesson to inspect his hand. You were aware of him watching you from time to time, studying you studying his hand, but you didn’t much mind.

By the end of the lesson, the topic was starting to make some semblance of sense.

“Thanks for letting me use your hand, Talbott,” you grinned at him as the class began packing up their things.

“Any time,” he drawled with a grin, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

“Mr. Winger,” McGonagall called out, and his eyes immediately went wide. You quickly tried to duck out, but she was calling out your name before you could take a step. “You, too.” Her stern voice was intimidating and you could only imagine what she was going to say as the two of you made your way up to her desk.

“Yes, Professor?” You questioned, trying to keep some sort of innocence in your tone. You knew she wouldn’t buy it.

“I trust you two are well aware of my classroom’s policies, but in case you have forgotten, this is a time to learn, not a time to socialize with your significant other,” McGonagall said sternly.

Both Talbott’s and your heads shot up at her use of the term significant other, as neither of you had exactly put a label on whatever it was going on between you. You’d only been on a few dates, after all. You both snuck a glance at each other, but McGonagall’s voice quickly snapped your gazes back to the floor.

“Frivolity of this manner is best reserved for the weekends, not my classroom. If this persists, I will have to separate you. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, Professor,” your voices sounded, and she gave a short nod. You two were quick to retreat into the hallway, pausing once you were out from under McGonagall’s sharp gaze.

“Well, that was something,” Talbott said, and you both broke out into little fits of laughter.

“I swear, she’s got eyes in the back of her head,” you laughed, leaning against the wall. Your heart was beating a bit quick from adrenaline, and you needed a moment to catch your breath.

“You weren’t exactly being discreet, like I asked,” Talbott drawled, leaning beside you. You feigned appall at his words, only to smile once more.

“You know, significant other has a certain ring to it,” you began, biting your lower lip before glancing up at him.

“Does it?” Talbott questioned, clearly surprised that you were mentioning it. He didn’t seem off-put by it, though.

“Doesn’t it?” You posed, leaning slightly closer against the wall. “McGonagall is rarely wrong, you know. And I think my reading of your love line was pretty spot-on,” you laughed, your eyes disappearing into crescents.

You reached for his hand, playfully pretending to inspect the lines once more. Talbott rolled his eyes, but the smile remained on his lips.

“You’re really something, you know that?” He laughed, boldly reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Your something?” You pressed, and his smile didn’t fade.

“If that’s what your inner eye sees, who am I to deny that?”

“Do you know what else I foresee?” You continued, leaning up on your toes.