LIFELINE | 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙮

▪︎ 35.

A few days have passed since Eliza and Percy had a moment alone outside the walls of the Gryffindor common room.

So, both of them decided to skive off the lunch hour and find an empty classroom for themselves.

"Sometimes, I'm glad that Rehan and James found out about us. I mean, I can't keep making excuses, can I?" Eliza whispered as they broke off from a kiss.

"I think my brothers are getting suspicious though," Percy replied, as he didn't remove his gaze from her lips.

Eliza kissed him again, "We're telling our parents after this year."

Percy stole another moment and then gulped. "I don't know how my parents will react."

Eliza gently bit his lip before kissing him. "You're seventeen next year, and plus, I'm pretty sure they're going to be overwhelmed by you getting Head-Boy badge."

Percy frowned. "You don't know if I'll get the badge or not." He said.

Eliza nodded her head mockingly, "You're right. I don't know it. I feel it. C'mon, Percy, you deserve that badge more than anyone." She said.

Percy turned pink. "Y-You think so?" He asked, disbelief in his voice and a little hope that she wasn't kidding.

"I know so."

Percy looked at her searchingly. He blushed. She was looking at him in such a way that no one had ever looked at him. He wanted this moment to be etched into his brain forever. He loved her so much. She made him feel things he thought was remotely impossible for his life. He was known as uptight, rule lover, and pompous, but the way Eliza was looking at right now made him feel none of those things. Yes, he was all those things at a time, but she made him feel that it was okay to be how he was and that he would still be wanted.

His voice stuck on his throat.

"Alexandera?"

"Yes, darling?"

 He blushed more at that. Should he say it now? He should. But what if—?

"I... I-I love you."

Eliza's eyebrows flew up in shock. Her heart was thumping wildly. Did he just say that? She couldn't believe her ears. Surely, she was dreaming. There was no way he said that he loved her. 

Percy was about to start rambling when a slow grin found her face.

"Say that again?" She requested wanting to hear it again.

Unsurely, thinking as if he said the wrong thing, Percy spoke but with much less confidence, "I love you. But—"

She cut him off. "I love you too." She said with a huge smile on her face.

Percy's whole face brightened up, turning red and hot. For the first time, his blush and him getting flustered didn't make him uncomfortable. It made him truly happy.

"R-really?" He asked.

Eliza laughed, "Yes, really. I love you. I love you. I love you." She said. 

Three words, three times, three meanings.

 It made Percy's heart swell up in emotion. He was loved, he was noticed, he was prized. Not his siblings, not his classmates. Him. Eliza had no idea how much those words meant to him. He didn't know how to tell her how much he liked hearing those words directed at him. He wasn't great on talking feelings.

He did the only thing he could think of. He kissed her, deep and careful, explaining what he felt through the kiss. He felt like he could survive Azkaban by this mere memory because it felt so powerful.

"I love you." He said it again.

"I love you too." She said it back.

Percy kissed her again, more passionate than before. He felt so many things. He thought he was going to faint. The girl he loved, loved him back, and he was kissing her now.

They kissed again. And again, and again. They felt relentless.

But, like every story, this moment also had to come to an end. The door flew open, and they were seconds too late to push each other away as they saw a shocked red head.

Ginny was standing near the door, sheepishly, while Percy and Eliza looked at her, in disbelief, and slightly irritated at ruining this moment.

"Sorry! I'll – I'll just go now..." Ginny said hurriedly, leaving the scene.

Percy and Eliza scrambled to their feet. "Ginny! Wait up!" Percy called after his sister. Horror stricken that she might tell it to everyone.

"Er – I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there. I just came down to write my diary. Er—" Ginny mumbled apologetically and rapidly.

"Never mind all that, just – just don't tell anyone, okay? Just keep it to yourself." Percy said, highly embarrassed that his little sister caught him in the middle of kissing. He was supposed to be looked up at at his achievements, not while he was being close. It was also very awkward. 

"Alright, alright, I won't. I'll just go now." Ginny said, hugging her books closer to her. 

"Are you sure? Please, Ginny, I'm done for if anyone who finds out, especially Fred and George..." Percy gave an involuntary shudder. "Just don't mention what you saw here, alright?"

Ginny shrugged. She seemed to be in the mind of her own. "I won't."

"I'll buy you a large bar of Honeydukes chocolate if you keep quiet." Eliza offered, with a small grin.

Ginny returned the grin but only half heartedly, and then scarpered away.

Percy towards Eliza, his brows furrowed and his glasses sliding down, a nervous and worried expression on his face.

Eliza sighed. Well, since the niffler was out of the box, it was only sometime till it found the gold. Their days of secret came to close, now that one of Percy's siblings found out.

"I think she'll keep the secret. I hope she'd keep the secret." Percy said, trying to convince himself. "Yeah, she will. Ginny's not the type to spill the tea. She won't—"

"Shh!" Eliza said, shushing him and walking towards him. "We were in the middle of something, and I'd like to get back to that." She said, grinning.

Percy looked around in concern. "You really think so? What if—?"

"Just shut up and kiss me already."