An Essay to Finish
Hans and Poppy progressed up the steps toward the Room of Requirement in silence. Poppy still clung to Hans’s hand, leaning into him as they went up and up. The two were enjoying the simple presence of one another, as they often did.
Nearing the fifth floor of the tower, Hans broke the silence, glancing down at Poppy and asking, “I haven’t really been able to ask this that much in the chaos of everything, and I’m sorry about that, but, how are you doing?”
Poppy looked up at him, her heart beaming as she thought about how much she was glad Hans of all people was her love. Then, for a moment, she thought about the question itself. There was a lot of chaos, a lot of stress, and a lot of unknowns. She was worried about Hans and as always worried about the beasts and classes. Yet funnily enough, she couldn’t recall a time period that she had ever been happier. But, despite this happiness, worry consumed her, and so that was her answer, “I’m… worried.”
“What about?” Hans asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as they crossed the sixth floor.
Poppy looked up at Hans, her brow furrowed. “Classes, the beasts in the forest, poachers, O.W.L.s, but mostly you.”
Hans friend, looking down at her and meeting her gaze as they climbed up the steps to the seventh floor. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine. I will be fine.”
“It’s not that I need to worry about you, it’s that I want to because I love you,” Poppy said, a slight pout on her face as they reached the seventh floor and began to cross in front of the wall that led to the room.
Hans broke his frown with a smile, leaning down and kissing her nose, “I love you too, but I’m fine.”
As Hans lifted his head, turning to look at the door that has just materialized, Poppy said quietly, “That Boggart said otherwise.”
Clenching his jaw, Hans took in a deep inhale while they stepped through the doorway. He kept his eyes dead ahead, willing not to be talking about this any longer. “That Boggart isn’t reality.”
“It’s a reality of your mind. Whatever it is you aren’t telling me it’s destroying you on the inside,” Poppy continued in her much softer tone, “I can see it in your eyes.”
Hans didn’t realize that his grip on Poppy’s hand tightened, forcing her to wince a little, but she did not pull away. This was only a testament to the fact that she was right. “I’ll get over it.”
“You were young,” Poppy said, again, still quiet. They were moving into the Room of Requirement, crossing it and passing the many potion and potting stations.
“What?” Hans was initially confused by both the context of her statement and its meaning.
“When the Boggart turned into you. You were young. How long ago was it? One year? Two years?” Hans face was set once more, immune of emotion as they descended down the stairs, he tilted his head away, trying to ensure that she could not see him, but Poppy only stared at her own feet as she followed behind him, holding onto his hand as she continued, “Whatever it is. You haven’t gotten over it. And you won’t talk to me about it. I don’t-“
“Poppy,” Hans finally spoke, his voice firm, but not unkind, “Not now. Please.”
Poppy closed her mouth, tugging on his hand so that he would look at her. Hans paused, turning to look at her just as they reached the base of the stairs to the next greater chamber. Poppy looked into his eyes, searching for all the pain and sorrow in them, wishing she could will them away. “I’m sorry, I just- I know it hurts. I want to help you. I want to be there with you.”
Hans stared at her for a moment, his face hardened and emotionless, before at last he let out a long exhale, for he had not been breathing for the past few moments. His eyes fell to the floor, “It’s okay. You don’t need to be sorry. I know that you want to help, but not like this, not right now.”
“What can I do to help you?” Poppy asked, moving her left hand up to his face and cupping his cheek.
“Just be there. Be here. If that’s alright,” Hans gave her a tentative smile.
Poppy was glad to see him smile. She was worried she had pushed him too far this time, and that he would be angry, but thankfully, he understood where she was coming from. “Of course it’s alright, you git, why wouldn’t it be?”
Hans shook his head, “Just… it’s good for me to have some manners.”
Poppy only rolled her eyes, smiling as she stood up on her tiptoes to allow her lips to meet his. Hans leaned into the kiss, letting his hands fall to her waist as they swayed on the spot. Through the kiss there was only love and care between them, and they closed their eyes as their bodies pressed into one another.
Eventually they pulled apart, almost simultaneously to look each other in the eye. It was Poppy who spoke first, “I’ll be here when you’re ready to tell me.”
All Hans did was smile a sad smile, averting his gaze and taking her hand, leading her toward the couch they spent most of their time. “Come on, you have an essay to write.”
Poppy did not protest to his aversion to her statement, nor his aversion to the conversation, and instead allowed him to take her to the couch. That time was not now, but soon enough she would have to know. She figured Hans would know this too.
Poppy had made a quick stop at her common room to grab her bag and papers, where Hans waited for her, before the two continued to the Room of Requirement. Now Poppy plopped herself down on the far right of the couch, setting her bag at her feet and opening it up. Hans moved past her, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch with a book in his hand.
The Hufflepuff looked up at Hans with a frown, glancing at the considerable space between them. Hans caught this look, and tilted his head, “What?”
Poppy shook her head, patting the cushion next her and looking at Hans expectingly. It seemed to dawn on the Ravenclaw, who went, “Oh. I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“Honestly, you’re so tactless,” Poppy rolled her eyes as Hans pressed his body against her, resting his head on her shoulder and closing his eyes for a moment. Though she mocked him for it, she was glad he sought her permission before being too touchy.
“Me?” Hans’s eyes popping open, and he turned his head so he could look at her. Poppy was opening her book for Potions as Hans shifted. “Tactless? As if,” Hans sat up a little as he pressed a kiss to her neck, causing her to freeze and a shiver run down her spine.
Hans moved up, planting a kiss on her neck every few inches as he moved up just beneath her jaw, where he paused as Poppy whined, “Hansss, I have to work.”
The Ravenclaw smiled, pressing a kiss to Poppy’s jaw, noticing how she inhaled sharply as he did so. He wrapped one arm around her body over chest, pulling her shoulder against him as he moved to just below her earlobe and kissed there too. Now Poppy was leaning into him, forgotten protests lost in her mouth as her mind became fogged by the sensation’s that Hans was sending through her body.
“Argh- Hans-“ Poppy whimpered as he moved past her ear, kissing behind it as she squirmed.
Hans paused, a smirk on his face, something that she could not see, “Yes, darling?”
Poppy did not say anything for a moment, not expecting him to stop and listen, and now irritated with herself that she had said anything to make him stop. It was only a small part of her that now wanted to do the essay, and far more of her wanted Hans to continue. “I- you-“ she stammered, quite flustered and twitching her head back so he could continue to press kisses to her neck.
Hans did not, but only pulled away, his arm dropping from her chest and moving with him as he sat back. His body was now but an inch from Poppy’s and just out reach, leaving her longing for contact with him once more. “Use your words, dear,” Hans was smiling, an amused and most pleased look on his face.
The goosebumps and tingling sensations were now beginning to fade, leaving Poppy with much disappointment. She could see it in his eyes now, he was most definitely teasing her. “You are so cruel.”
Hans’s smile turned into a grin, “You called me tactless.”
“Yeah but- you- you can’t- Hanssssss…” Poppy tugged at his arm, trying to pull him close to her again, but he would not budge.
“Sorry, darling, but you have an essay to writ,” he nodded to the bag at her feet, his eyes twinkling as he tried and failed to suppress a grin.
Poppy glared at him, it was more of a mock glare, and Hans could see that she was not truly mad with him, if not a bit irritated and disappointed. She crossed her arms, turning away from him, “Hmph!”
“Are you pouting?” Hans asked, noticing now that she had turned her gaze away from him and would not make eye contact, something that only made Hans smile more.
Poppy didn’t answer, but only leaned forward to grab her Potions book off the floor and opening it once more. She reached her other hand into her bag, fumbling around for a quill, parchment, and an inkpot. As she drew back to a straightened position she noticed Hans still watching her out of the corner of her eye. She could not look at him, as it would most likely break her failing fierce demeanor, so instead she busied herself with unrolling the parchment.
Hans didn’t answer, but only continued to watch her feign irritation. She began to look at her Potions book, her brow furrowed as she tapped he tip of her nose with her quill. The Hufflepuff was trying her hardest to focus on her class work, but her remembrance of the feeling of Hans kissing her neck sent a tingling feeling through her body that only strengthened the fire in her core, and she couldn’t be more desperate to feel that again.
After a few moments of Poppy continuing to ignore Hans, he scooted closer, no longer able to hold himself back. He put an arm around her shoulder and leaning into her, resting his chin on her shoulder as he looked at her face from the side. Poppy still did nothing, staring with a look of determination at the book, before spreading the parchment in the armrest next to her and beginning to write.
“Poppy…” Hans taunted softly, his breath tickling her neck.
Poppy paused, not turning her head, but giving him a most displeased look from the corner of her eye. Hans grinned, sitting up a little and giving her a kiss on the forehead, pulling her away from the armrest with his arm and against his chest as he planted several more kisses above her left eye.
Poppy tried and failed to suppress laughter, fighting weakly against him as the book once more slid off her lap, “Hans!”
Poppy fell back against his chest, Hans’s arms wrapping around her body and holding her as he leaned back against the couch and rested his chin on her head, closing his eyes. Poppy struggled for a moment, before relenting and allowing him to hold her in a tight embrace. It wasn’t that she didn’t want the hug, he just couldn’t win.
After a few moments of silence, Poppy against his chest with her head resting on him, she began to start struggling again, trying to pry his arms off of her. Hans let her sit up, leaning his head back against the couch and keeping his eyes closed as she shifted away. Poppy leaned down and grabbed her book, looking back at Hans, who was now a cushion away from her, leaning against the opposite armrest with his head back and his eyes closed. One of his arms was hanging off the couch, and the other was gripping the couch’s back at the top.
Poppy smiled, noticing how swiftly he had gone from teasing and bothering her to completely letting down. After gathering up her book and writing intensive, she scooted toward him. “Scoot over.”
Hans’s eyes snapped open, looking as she swatted his side with the book. The Ravenclaw did as she demanded, scooting a little to the left so she could squeeze between his right side and the back of the couch. She was partially laying on top of him, her torso at diagonal angle, with her left shoulder pressed against his right peck and her right shoulder pinned against the back of the couch. Hans dropped the hand that he had gripping the back of the couch on top of her, wrapping it around her as she settled down.
Poppy’s head was now leaning on his right shoulder, with Hans’s arm over her stomach and holding her tight. Her bottom rested on the top of his thigh, pressed against the back of the couch, with her legs over his. After shifting a little so her position was a bit more comfortable, Poppy opened the book once more and set back to reading.
Hans looked at the book, his eyes whisking over the pages swiftly. He had already finished the essay, so everything she was reading now already comprehended in his mind. “If you need any help, ask,” Hans murmured, before tilting his head back and resting it once more on the arm rest, closing his eyes.
Poppy only grunted in response, turning the page of her book, too immersed in the reading. The essay was now pinned on the cover of the book, and whenever she would need to write anything Poppy would close the book to do so.
Many minutes of silent passed, so long that Poppy was nearly finished with her essay. As Poppy paused for a moment, thinking on how she wanted to word her next sentence, her mind wandered to Hans. He had been silent for most of this time, with his left hand drumming a quiet pattern on her left thigh, and his right arm wrapped around her. Now, as Poppy paused her essay, she noticed the drumming had stopped, and his breathing was slow and methodical. Had he fallen asleep?
Poppy couldn’t tell, as she could not see his face, but he had been silent for so long and he had become so still. Poppy only patted his right forearm, smiling as she shifted but a little, snuggling against him, and with that, set off with her essay.
Finishing the essay took far longer than starting it, let alone writing the meat of its passage. But in the end, she had finished, her quill marking the last period as she exclaimed happily, “Done!”
Hans suddenly became very tense, and his right forearm shot from where it rested against Poppy, hitting the couch as he began to stir, muttering groggily, “Wha-? Oh. B-“ Hans stifled a yawn, “-brilliant.”
Poppy froze, turning her head slightly so she could barely see his face, noticing how his eyes were blinking avidly to adjust to the light. “Oh! I’m so sorry- I wondered if you were sleeping- I didn’t- I’m sorry.”
Hans chuckled, giving her a kind smile as he turned his forearm so he could see the face of his watch, before dropping his eyes back to her. “It’s okay. You kept me from sleeping through curfew.”
“What time is it?”
“Nearly nine, decent timing. It’ll allow us to go get some dinner,” Hans yawned again, sitting up, causing Poppy to slide off him a little and sit forward.
Poppy was now sitting on his lap, her back pressed against his chest as she grabbed the book, quill, and inkpot, tossing those items into her bag. Hans arched his back, spreading out his arms and stretching as he yawned for a third time.
“That tired?” Poppy asked, turning her head to look in his general direction.
“No, I just woke up. It’ll wear off,” Hans shook his head, dropping his arms to his side and wrapping them around Poppy, pulling her back tighter against him and pressing his nose into her hair, taking in a deep breath. That strange yet intoxicatingly sweet smell that always lingered about her would be the death of him.
Hans let go of Poppy, allowing her to scoot off her lap and roll up the parchment, this time carefully placing it on the top of her back, and then binding the bag up. The two stood and exchanged one more hug, before moving toward the exit of the Room of Requirement. They encountered Deek on the way out, wishing him well before whisking away.
As Hans led the way, taking Poppy by the hand, the Hufflepuff could not help herself but stare at his face that was focused on the process of descending the stairs. The way his eyes sparkled and his brilliant smile was something that Poppy would never get used to, something that would always make her insides swell with happiness.
She had spent the whole day with her second favorite person, behind Highwing of course, what more could she ask for? Yep. It had been a good day.