Enchanted

If his mind hadn't been consumed by the blue eyed boy before then it definitely was now. It felt as if the soft touch of the pair of pink lips was still lingering on Harry's cheek, a slight scruff scratching pleasently against the sensitive skin around his cheekbones. As if the stunning smell of Louis was floating in the air around his nose, the fine strands of caramel colored hair brushing his forehead. Then there was that blinding smile of his, that might be able to light up the darkest nights and change the worst downfall into the happiest moments. Every time Louis smiled his way, Harry's heart nearly lept out of his chest, ready to fly directly into the beautiful boy's hands. He'd put restraints on his heart, scared of getting hurt and rejected, living who he truly was and wanted to be. But after yesterday's game and the second kiss on his cheek in front of the corridor of the Hufflepuff's common room, Harry wasn't as sure if he wanted to keep his heart to himself.

Harry'd laid awake half of the night, his lips strechted in a smile and his eyes wide and glistening happily. He listened to Niall babbling in his sleep about cows and gummibears and giggled as the babbling had finally turned into snoring. Somehow, between all the snoring and thinking about blue eyes and shining smiles, Harry managed to fall asleep after Liam had stumbled into the dorm, his body heavy on the wooden floor and his slurred words incoherent. They must've partied a lot after the first success of the Quidditch season. Harry listened as Liam changed his clothes and once the noises died out, he knew his friend was sleeping.

When the morning came, Harry entered the Great Hall with Niall on his side since they couldn't wake Liam who apparently fell asleep with his sweater pooling around his neck and one leg of his pants still hanging on his ankle. 

They sat down on their housetable and chatted with their friends - well, Niall did most of the talking while Harry nibbled on a croissant with ham and cheese. He stared absentmindedly to the table of the Slytherins, hoping to get a glimpse of gorgeous Louis smiling like he was the sun itself rising on this Saturday morning. The nagging nervousness when meeting Louis had almost disappeared after the soft touches at the game and was swapped out with an exciting tingle in his belly when he thought of speaking to Louis again.

With a cup of fresh orange juice at his lips, his mind wandered back to when he was brought back to the common room by Louis, Niall left behind on the pitch after congratulating Liam and other Hufflepuffs, partying with the winner team. 

Harry had his lip caught between his teeth as their steps sounded loud in the empty corridors of Hogwarts. Louis' breath was quiet in comparison to his heart beating mightily in his chest. It wasn't just because he was alone with Louis or because the boy had kissed his cheek earlier, no. It was the gentle touch of a warm hand and long fingers inbetween his own. Soft skin rubbed against his cold hands but slowly warmed up the longer their hands were intertwined. Somewhere along the way up the path to the castle, Louis had brushed his knuckles against Harry's and slipped his fingers inbetween the lanky ones, his gaze attentively set on the reaction on Harry's face. When all he had seen was a shy smile, he'd grinned and grasped the hand of the curly boy tightly and reassuringly, the two boys strolling towards the courtyard of Hogwarts.

A disappointed feeling built up in Harry's stomach as he caught sight of the corridor leading to the Hufflepuff common room. He dreaded the moment of having to let go of the warm hand and the touch of a thumb caressing the back of his hand. It sent tingles through his veins and he couldn't help but smile broadly. His cheeks were red from the physical touch and the cold. He nuzzled his nose in the scarf around his neck and tightened the grip on Louis' hand. He'd never held another boy's hand that casually (not that he'd ever held another boy's hand except Niall's or Liam's) and simultaneously with that much feelings roaming through him. He loved it so so much.

When Louis came to a stop in front of the corridor, Harry turned his way and smiled coyly at the ground and glanced at their hands between their bodies. Louis giggled quietly and pulled Harry to him by his hand so he could touch his cheek with his free hand. Harry slowly dragged his eyes up and looked at the beautiful boy that looked at him as if he was special. Harry'd like to be someone special to Louis. Someday, maybe. The fingertips on his cheeks gently stroked the skin by his jaw, above his chin, near his lower lip. Harry wetted his lips and could see blue eyes staring at his mouth. He was getting nervous. Why wasn't he saying anything? Did he do something wrong?

He mentally shook his head as he noticed Louis' wide smile and the white teeth peeking out between his pink lips. Louis wouldn't be here if he had done something wrong.

"Thank you for taking me with you to the game. I really enjoyed being with you and your friends," Louis spoke into the silence, his lips smacking as he parted them to take a deep breath. He smoothed his hand down Harry's shoulder, along the fabric of his coat until he reached his wrist and grasped his free hand, holding them to his chest. Harry's breath faltered as his fingers made contact with Louis body above some layers of fabric. How hot would his bare skin be? "I'd love for us to spend more time together. If you'd want to?"

This was the first time Harry saw somewhat nervousness in Louis' expression. He always was that confident, sassy guy that could make Harry blush in a mere second. He seemed so sure of himself. Every word thought through, every move calculated and every touch with purpose. Seeing him looking at Harry anxiously with hope in his big, blue eyes was new and a bit endearing.

"I loved it, too," Harry whispered and blinked his eyes down to where his hands were held against the other boy's chest. "I like spending time with you," he added even quieter but Louis must have understood his murmuring. 

He squeezed Harry's hands knowingly and drew the Hufflepuff's attention back to his face. He grinned at Harry again, looking truly happy and relieved about Harry feeling the same way about them. "Can I sit with you at breakfast tomorrow?" He then asked and Harry bit his lower lip. 

He nodded smiling and closed his eyes for a second, centering himself admits the wild storm of emotions raging around his head. 

"I'll see you then, Harold," Louis teased and held both of Harry's hands with one of his so he could prod a finger in Harry's cheek where a dimple appeared moments after. The hand flattened and cupped Harry's jaw and Harry was sure his face stood in flames as Louis dipped his head, gaze glued to Harry's as long as it was possible, and rested his lips on the other side of his face in a soft kiss. Something inside of the Hufflepuff exploded. Harry stopped breathing, his heart thumping heftily behind his ribcage. Louis' lips lingered exactly three seconds, his thumb stroking softly up and down the bone of his jaw, then the kiss ended and with it bursted the little bubble that had formed around them. The sparks buzzed and glimmered in the air. Harry smiled and was met with a grin. "Have a good night, Harry" Louis spoke in a gentle tone and pulled his hand back, squeezed Harry's hands on his chest for the last time before he let them go. 

Harry inconspicuously smoothed his hands down Louis' hard chest, clothed with a thick jumper, just to feel his body beneath his fingers, before he retracted them and stuffed them in his coat pockets. "Goodnight, Louis." Harry stretched his lips even farther and full on grinned at the beautiful boy.

"Sweet dreams, Harold." Louis raised his hand in a small wave and left.

Harry watched him go until the dark halls swallowed him, mind fussy, eyes bright and cheeks hurting from his big, big smile.

His thoughts were interrupted by the current main subject of his mind. Louis was standing on the other side of the table, his wrists covered by thick, beige wool. He looked really cuddly and Harry wondered if Louis liked to cuddle as much as he did. The Durmstrang boy smiled softly as he sat down in front of Harry, greeting Niall in the process. Niall waved happily at Louis and gulped down a spoon if his cereal.

"How're ya doin', mate?" Niall asked and sipped on his apple juice.

"'M good, thanks. Yourself?" Louis smiled kindly and grabbed a banana, peeling it.

"Good, good. Did you party with the others? I couldn't see ya there," Niall wondered.

"No, I went back with Harry."

At the mention of his name the boy peeped up and caught the gaze of those two striking blue eyes that shone warmly. A small smile tugged at Harry's lips and he fiddled with half of the croissant in his hands, a wave of nervousness suddenly washing over him. He hoped he didn't prevent Louis from meeting new people and dancing at the party. If he did, he was an awful person. But wouldn't Louis have said something if he didn't want to go back with Harry? He hadn't forced Louis to do so, he would've been perfectly fine with going alone to the common room and nevertheless he'd kept him company on his way, even held his hand and kissed his cheek again.

The sudden change in his expression seemed to alarm the older boy, his eyes caring and apprehensive, his eyebrows raised in a silent question. Harry shook his head and forced a smile. He wasn't holding Louis back, was he?

"Did you sleep well tonight?" Louis asked softly and cocked his head to the side, having finished peeling the yellow fruit and closing his lips around the top, taking a bite. A flaming heat ignited at the bottom of his belly as he conjured those soft lips touching his cheek last night.

Harry tried his best to ignore the way his lips stretched around the banana, forcing his eyes away from the obscene picture in his head and concentrating on the piercing blue of his eyes. "Uh...yeah, good," He stumbled a bit over his words. "Niall's snored," He added dazedly just to say something. 

A loud gasp from the left had him come back to reality and he saw Niall clutching his chest dramatically. "I do not snore!"  

Louis giggled at the blonde boy and glanced back to Harry who bit his lips tensely and had big, round eyes, scolding himself for being careless of his words. "Didn't mean to insult you, Ni," He apologized quickly, looking seriously sorry.

Niall immediately stopped his act and draped an arm around Harry's shoulders, drawing him into his side lovingly. "Not mad, I was just joking, H. Sorry." Niall stroked his shoulder and Harry relaxed, smiling faintly.

"Okay," He croaked, feeling dumb for being that sensitive. He snuggled into his best friend, breathing in the familiar scent of sweets and honey. His eyes found Louis' attentive gaze on them and he feared to have weirded out the boy. But Louis just smiled understandingly with the banana still in his hand and a blanket of warmth wrapped around Harry's heart. 

"What're doing today?" Louis asked, his fingers combing through his artfully messy hair that must look that perfect twenty four hours of the day. It was a bit unfair because Harry's curls always did the opposite of what he wanted them to do. Most of the times he didn't even touch them and just let them be.

Niall squeezed Harry's shoulder encouragingly and Harry smiled, feeling not as nervous as he did seconds before. "I'm going to, uh, study a bit and spend the afternoon with my friends." 

"Hopefully Liam'll be up by then" Niall chuckled, then, "Why don't you join us, Louis Tommo?"

Louis raised an eyebrow, amused by the random nickname, but not commenting on it. Instead, he looked at Harry warily and said, "I wouldn't want to bother you."

And Harry melted under the warm stare of his blue eyes and his sweet, considerate words. 

"You'd never! Right, H?" Niall turned to Harry with his question, being aware of Harry cherishing the rare times the three of them could hang out, and seeking his consent.

Being still overwhelmed with the fact that Louis wanted to spend so much time with him, Harry couldn't speak for a moment. But what if Louis just wanted to be with his friends? No, he'd told Harry he liked spending time with Harry.

"Uhm, you can come with us if you really want to," Harry said and glanced at Louis, hopefully. As much as he loved being with his two friends, Louis coming with them would be absolutely amazing.

"You sure?" Louis questioned again. Harry thought it was really sweet how the boy cared about Harry wanting this for real. Every action of Louis was thoughtful and meaningful, and he liked that. Very much. So, Harry nodded heftily, smiling, and Louis said, "Good, then. When and where are we meeting?"

"We'll go to Hogsmeade after lunch, so how about we meet up here and go together?" Niall asked.

"Isn't Hogsmeade that small village?" 

Niall nodded. "It's super cute and cozy. There are a lot of shops and the famous Three Broomsticks, where we often go on weekends."

Louis smiled excitedly. "Sounds fun!"

After they'd cleared their plates, Harry stood up and swiftly skipped to the library after saying goodbye to Niall and waving shyly at Louis who grinned and winked at him. With red cheeks, Harry sat down at his favorite place, just next to the purple armchair he loved dearly, and spread his stuff out on the table. He fortunately could concentrate on his schoolwork, being able to push the thought about his gorgeous boy in the back of his mind. He began with writing that damn three rolls of parchment paper for Potions, after that he did some research for Herbology and finished a quiz for Transfiguration. He did all of his homework fast, so he had time to study an hour before he gathered his things and went to his dorm in order to change his clothes. He put away his school bag and swapped out his current clothes for dark grey jeans and a ruby red jumper. He also put on black boots, a thick black coat and a scarf with his house emblem and colors. He quickly grabbed his wallet and wand, stuffed them in his pockets, threw the green beanie on his head and was ready to go.

As he arrived at the Great Hall, Liam and Niall were already chatting with Louis. Suddenly, a feeling of nervousness grew inside of Harry. Seeing Louis with his closest friends felt so serious even though him and Louis were far from a real thing. He'd so desperately wanted them to like Louis but as he watched their conversation for a few seconds, his doubts went out of the window. They laughed, Louis' eyes crinkling cutely and his teeth shining. Harry nearly slapped his forehead while remembering how Louis' so charming and that he drew everyone in with his big and bright personality. Harry loved his smile very much and had to bite his lip to not grin ridiculously at the sight of a happy Louis. He walked to his friends and sat down between them after they scooted to the side to make place for him. They greeted each other, everybody in their coats and woolly scarves, Liam yawning a few times as he had been rudely woken up by Niall only one and half an hour before. Niall snickered and told how he he'd thrown a wet washcloth in Liam's face and interrupted him mid-snore, making him sound like a rusty horn with the cloth coating his nose.

They ate their lunch, Harry glancing up to watch Louis eating soup. He looked rather endearing with his tongue darting out to catch the spoon, his pink lips closing around it and sucking the pumpkin soup off the spoon. One time Louis caught Harry staring and smirked, making the curly haired boy blush and avert his eyes to his own plate. He just couldn't help it. Louis was so beautiful that the word itself didn't do justice for his beauty. He felt as if every time he looked at Louis his breath was being knocked out of his lungs, making him breathless and his heart race. One could say he might over exaggerated, but Harry found his reaction well justified.

As soon as they were finished, Niall clapped his hands and jumped to his feet, bouncing out of the Great Hall with way too much energy while the other three boys followed the Irish lad. Liam carried Niall's gloves as he'd forgotten them in his rush. Outside, the clouds were thick. Liam thought it looked as if it would be going to rain soon, so they should speed up walking to Hogsmeade.

Harry and Louis followed behind the two other boys, Harry feeling Louis' glances while his nose was runny due to the chilly wind. He almost turned to Louis to say he has to be aware of the path and his steps but he loved being the center of Louis' attention way too much. So he didn't say anything. He just indulged in the sneaky looks of those pretty sapphire eyes.

The four boys walked down the path and through the forest parting the Hogwarts property from the small town that could be seen from the courtyard on a clear day. Louis' hand brushed against Harry's or would accidentally knock his shoulder, small sparks of magic bustling around Harry's head as he blushed a deeper shade each time they'd touch fleetingly.

As they saw the first houses emerge between the thick, dark trunks of tall trees, Niall bounced the last few steps and dragged Liam with him. Liam looked at them as if to say 'help me' and Harry giggled. Louis told Harry he loved how he laughed and the Hufflepuff almost hid himself in the dark shadows of the forest that now became continuously less dark. Louis chuckled at his conflicted expression and brushed his knuckles gently over Harry's cheekbone.

"Wanna show me around?," Louis asked with that sweet smile and Harry could only nod, paralyzed from the warm fingertips drawing the contour of his jaw. The touch felt much more intimate now that they were alone, hidden from wondering eyes and curious questions. Louis actions were just for him. "Then let's go, yeah?"

Harry breathed out. "Yes!," He beamed and pulled Louis a few steps with him by his elbow, suddenly extremely excited, before he let go and strolled next to the boy into the direction of the arch that marked the entrance of Hogsmeade.

"Do you guys come 'ere often?"

"Uh, every other week if we find the time," Harry answered and thought about how they often had to cancel because he'd had to study. He felt bad about it but was glad his friends supported him in that matter.

Louis hand fleetingly brushed his lower back in acknowledgment as they passed the entrance to the village. Harry showed the beautiful boy around all the places he'd already visited in Hogsmeade which were not too many. As they went by Olliwanders Harry told the story of him getting his first real wand and Louis laughed loudly about imagining little Harry smashing two windows in the process of finding his wand and being really upset about it. Another time, Harry, Liam and Niall had bought almost half of the contents of Honeydukes the first weekend they were officially allowed to go to Hogsmeade. They all three were sick for almost four days and couldn't leave their beds. Then they passed by the Three Broomsticks where they had spent many relaxed evenings and Niall or Liam had drank one two butterbeers too many. Harry had a lot of happy memories here and grinned the entire time he reminisced about those. Louis' eyes were warm and curious as he caught Harry's excited gaze a few times and he listened attentively to every word the curly boy said.

After nearly an hour of touring around the village, they came by Madame Puddifoot's, a tea shop with pink windows and delicious sweet treats. Harry's never been here before except one time he had had to save Niall from an horrible date that had hair on her teeth and had wanted Niall to spend an insane amount of money. 

"Do you want to go in and have a cuppa?," Louis asked softly and stroked a curl unter Harry's beanie. Harry's breath got stuck in his lungs for a moment.

"You'd want to?" Harry was truly surprised Louis wanted to go in this girly tea shop but somehow, something in his stomach swirled with happiness and hope about Louis' question.

"Yeah, sure. Do you?" Louis tilted his head and stepped in front of Harry's to look him straight into the eyes. It made Harry a bit nervous. 

"If you'd like?" It came out as a question and Harry cringed at his awkwardness.

"I'd love to drink tea with you," Louis answered and smiled reassuringly as if he sensed Harry's caution.

Harry's cheeks got warm under the intense stare but he kind of loved it really much how every bit of Louis' attention was directed towards him. "Okay, we can go in." A small smile creeped its way into his face. It broadened as he watched Louis' eyes crinkle and his eyes sparkled.

"Then let's go," he beamed and took Harry's hand as he opened the door to let a sweet smell wrap its tangles around them. 

Harry twisted his fingers slightly as they stood in the middle of the shop and Louis let go of his hand in an instant. But he didn't seem weird or made a move to question it. He just accepted it and Harry's heart swelled. The curly haired boy watched Louis as he took in their surroundings. It was a lot of pink. The floor, the tables, the counter, the aprons of the workers, the curtains across the windows. White flowers decorated the windowsills and warm light shone out of little curved lamps on the creme colored ceiling.

"It's cozy," Louis commented and seemed genuine with his curious gaze and soft smile.

Harry bit his lip, eyes fixed on the gorgeous boy. He'd always just watched the shop from the outside, jealous of the girls giggling with their date and sipping tea and eating berry cookies. He loved the atmosphere of this place, the colors, the small tables with a little vanilla scented candles, flying tea cups and happy laughter. He'd never been inside, though. But now, with Louis by his side, standing here and looking for a free table felt natural. So, he smiled and breathed in and out deeply. "It really is," he whispered and Louis wouldn't be Louis if he didn't catch his murmured words, turned in his direction and smiled. Harry loved this thing about him. How he always acknowledged every word of Harry, and even if he didn't answer, Harry felt heard and understood.

They got led to an empty table in the back next to the window after Louis had asked for it. As if he knew Harry wouldn't want every pair of eyes on him. He let Harry sit with the back to the open room, even pulled his chair out and took his coat to bring it to a rack where he also shed his coat. As he walked back he caught Harry's gaze and smiled, and Harry smiled back instead of ducking his head. It felt good. Intimate, even.

Harry's brain felt like caught in a haze as he watched Louis place an order by the elderly woman who came by, asking Harry which tea he wanted and if he'd like a sweet treat. "Uhm, peppermint tea and a strawberry cookie, please?," He said more towards Louis than the woman who smiled sweetly at the two of them.

Louis noticed how Harry spoke with him and nodded. "Good choice, love," He grinned and Harry died a little bit inside as Louis told the waitress his order. "For me Yorkshire and a blueberry muffin, Ma'am." The waitress grinned and told them their order would be here in a few minutes.

Harry twisted his fingers nervously and glanced around them, feeling blue eyes watching him. How could it be that he loved Louis attention in one moment and turned into a skittish puddle in the next? He almost flinched as Louis' fingers touched his hands and rested them on top of his fists in a calming manner. Weirdly enough, Harry relaxed immediately. "Are you nervous?" It didn't sound insulting, just curious. Harry counted five seconds and two deep breaths before he nodded, his eyes watching their hands. "Can I let you in on a secret, then?," Louis asked, his voice shushed in the midst of the monotone chatter around them. Harry nodded again and glanced up for a second, but blushed and looked down again as he caught Louis' warm but piercing stare. His next words surprised Harry. "I am really fucking nervous right now!" He let out a breathless sound and Harry looked at him with big eyes.

"You...are?" He couldn't believe his words. Louis had always seemed so confident and sure of himself. I'd hadn't crossed Harry's mind that Louis could be nervous, too.

"I really am, love." He smirked but lifted his hand from where it had rested against Harry's, so the curly haired boy could see the slight trembling of his fingers. It was as if Louis let down his confident walls and now let Harry see that he wasn't the only one being nervous.

Harry's mouth gaped as he didn't know what to answer. He settled for "Why?", because that's the only word that's buzzing through his mind. Why was Louis nervous around him? What has Harry done to make him nervous?

Louis' cheeks painted a faint shade of pink, which looked truly beautiful, and he traced Harry's knuckles. The table was round and small enough so they could rest their elbows on it and talk quietly without being disturbed. "Because, Harold, you are quite lovely and I don't want to do anything wrong when I'm with you," He admitted honestly and smiled shyly, his eyes flickering up to Harry's astounded face for a moment.

"You couldn't," Harry heard himself say and thought how true those words were. Louis could do anything and Harry's heart still would jump after him. Every little thing he'd learned about Louis convinced him of the absolute perfection this boy was .

"I think I really like you," Louis whispered and showed a side of him that was truly unknown to Harry up to now. His blue eyes were big and hopeful, his mouth parted and his eyebrows furrowed in honesty. 

Harry had no doubt these words came from the deepest place of his heart and right now he felt as if he could look there just by staring into Louis' eyes. He was mesmerized, enchanted, and a bit speechless. His heart missed a few beats and thumped loudly in his chest. A lump of nervousness, excitement and fear built in his stomach. He was nervous about admitting officially to liking a boy, excited to admit he liked Louis, afraid of being judged by his friends and everyone around him. His breath kicked up and he pulled his hands to himself, cradling them in his lap. For a moment, Louis looked defeated, but he caught himself quickly and smiled understandingly as he noticed how torn Harry looked. He gave him time to think. Harry appreciated it more than he knew.

Harry gathered his thoughts and chose to be protective of himself first, so he asked, "Do you mean it?", with a small voice. 

Louis' eyes brightened up, his lips curled into a honest smile and he nodded his head. "I do. You kind of caught me off guard with that cute smile and big eyes of yours. I knew I had no chance as soon as I saw you that day in the Great Hall."

His word reassured Harry that he was being honest. He could relate a lot to Louis. He felt the same, even if he'd fought against those feelings at the start. "I li—"

"Here's your tea, gentlemen," The kind voice of the waitress cut through their delicate conversation. Both of their heads snapped up as the woman placed steaming cups of tea and their sweat treats on the table. Harry nodded a thanks and Louis thanked her charmingly. When she had stepped away, Louis nibbled on his lip and arranged his tea with a bit of sugar and stirred it. Then, he looked up at Harry and smiled his sunny smile and Harry felt warm. He didn't ask Harry what he wanted to say, but Harry knew that firstly, he wanted to know, but secondly, he waited for Harry to be ready. 

Harry felt ready after taking a bite of what had to be the most delicious cookie on earth. "Louis?," He called quietly and stopped the boy mid sip. Louis set down his cup and directed his attention towards Harry. He smiled openly and tilted his head cutely. "I...might like you, too." Harry breathed out after the words were out. It felt good to have it out there, but at the same time, he felt vulnerable.

Louis' expression melted, his smile widened. "You do?," He echoed Harry's words from before. Harry nodded, smiled shyly and ducked his head, watching the surface of his tea wobble. "That makes me really happy, love." How could Louis turn Harry with only a few words into a blushing idiot?

"Me, too," He admitted and couldn't stop himself from grinning as he saw the fond smile of Louis. It was a smile that softened his eyes, crinkled the skin next to them and radiated happiness. That smile could brighten the darkest nights.

They ate their sweets, Louis giggling and brushing crumps away from the crease of Harry's lips, his fingers lingering and his eyes fixed on Harry's mouth. It made Harry blush furiously. Their hands brushed every other time and they both knew it was purposely. They talked about Harry's friends, Louis' friends back in Durmstrang and their first experiences with magic. Harry found out about Louis' talent of doing wordless spells and found it weirdly hot. Louis ate up the funny stories of Niall and Liam and also told a few about him and his four younger sisters. Harry was stunned as he found out about this detail.

They picked up Niall and Liam at the Three Broomsticks after having spent almost four hours at the tea shop, Niall showing them the magic flower with changing colors he wanted to gift that pretty girl he was allegedly talking to. Harry was almost bursting with happiness for his friends and about Louis and him. It was amazing how fast time moved when you spent it with a wonderful boy who was really interesting and lovely. They didn't mention their confessions about liking each other, but they both felt relieved about the tension being finally cut. They strolled home behind a cackling Niall and a tumbling Liam, their hands brushing, hearts warm and smiles wide.