𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐄𝐑 ❪ M. FLINT ❫

XXIII

The crammed library had caused the girl to sit out near the Black Lake, the shade from a large tree giving her the coolness she very much needed. "Oi, love, I was looking for you." Marcus called out towards her hunched figure, watching as she gave him a tired look.

"I went to the library, but it was crammed." She frowned, patting the space besides her.

Dropping his books, Marcus kneel before her. "What's that?" He pointed towards an open book and a paper, the paper was covered in spilled ink.

"Accident." She informed him, not sparing him a glance.

"I think you need a break." Marcus suggested, holding her hand and preventing her from continuing her notes. "At least five minutes?"

"Fine." She muttered softly, dropping her supplies onto the grass below her. "How are you not stressed?"

He shrugged, moving to sit besides her. "Some people do different kinds of studying, I guess I don't want to overwork myself."

"Marcus, I've seen you stress." She bumped her shoulder with his, watching as his brows furrowed. "Five minutes before class begins? You always throw your book open and scan things worriedly."

"If I can't learn it in five mintutes, then I won't learn it a day before." He pointed towards her littered books with a shrug, earning a huff from the girl.

. . . ✿ . . .

The Great Hall was quiet as it anticipated the arrival of its students. Many of the older students were busy taking their NEWTs, meanwhile the younger students finished their end of year exams.

The young Gryffindor's knee bounced up and down as he messily scribbled his name atop of the last page, standing up among the rest of the students and roughly shoving it onto his professor's desk.

He passed by his classmates, stopping only when he was informed it was nice to have him back once again. He clutched his book on one hand, while adjusting his brand new camera on the other. The blond's bright eyes scanned the hallways, hoping to find the pair who were kind enough to replace his old camera with a new one.

A small smile formed on his face when he noticed the h/c girl laughing with the broad male, eyes scrunched in laughter. A dreamy sigh left the young blond as he stared at her, shaking his head he quickly called out to the pair; running in their direction.

"I-I've got your gift." He beamed, holding up his gifted camera highly. "I wanted to personally thank you." He stated, a light blush coating his pale cheeks.

"You're welcome, Colin." The girl smiled, nudging Marcus when he only grunted. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Me too." Marcus confessed, "But, please, the next time you take a picture of someone ask for their consent."

The blond eagerly nodded his head, dropping his book before digging into his robe pocket. "That reminds me." He pulled out the first picture he took of the ebony eyed boy, the same image he demanded he give to him. "I do apologize, it was my first train trip to Hogwarts, I was simply excited." He smiled, handing the picture over to Marcus. "Have a splendid summer."

"Thank you," Marcus muttered, "Likewise." Y/n peared over his shoulder, smiling at the boy with a small wave. "So, maybe he's not all too bad." Marcus whispered towards the girl.

"That's because he's not bad at all." Y/n stated, snatching the image out of his hand. "And not a bad photographer either, I think I will keep this." She smiled, holding the photo away from Marcus's reach.

"No, you won't." Marcus tutted, moving closer to grab the photo. He huffed when she backed away from him, causing a small giggle to erupt from her as she shook her head. "Come on," he groaned.

The girl continued to hold her arm out, stepping backwards until she hit the wall softly. "But I really like it." She smiled, watching curiously as he stepped closer.

He trapped her in place, he had stepped close enough to feel her breath softly on his face. Close enough to see she had the tiniest scar above her upper lip, something you would be able see if you were to stand as close as he was. His attention was no longer on the photograph she held away from her boy, but on her eyes.

She felt her breath hitch as he glanced between her bright orbs down to her lips. She felt his nose lightly touch hers as he leaned in close, eyes fluttering shut when she finally leaned in to close the gap.

In that moment the worry of their arranged future slipped from their conscious, including the fear of failing their NEWTs. The feeling of electricity that ran through their bodies the second their lips touched was an unexplainable one. It was like being hooked on a drug, high on ecstasy and too afraid to go back to reality.

A soft hum left Y/n lips when Marcus pulled away, leaning his forehead on hers as their cheeks were coated red. It felt like an eternity, the wait of having to express such action towards one another in fear of how the other would react. But the action had said enough, it left them starved as they stared at each other silently.

"You can keep it." He whispered, moving his hand to rest on her cheek, no longer interested in the photograph that was an inch away from his reach.

"I wasn't planning on handing it over, but thank you." She grinned, nudging her nose lightly with his as he rolled his eyes. He shook his head lightly, capturing her lips once more with a smile.

. . . ✿ . . .

BONUS

A bright flash went off, causing the pair to pull away. The sound of Colin's giggles echoed as he ran away before the pair could confront him.

"I'm going to kill him." Marcus fumed, watching as the girl laughed at him. "Did we not just talk to him about consent?" The girl nodded her head, kissing his cheek before leaving him. Her soft laughter grew louder as she heard Marcus chase after the young blond with heavy steps.