Late Night Wanders

“Why are you here, Potter?”

Harry swayed slightly as he tried to fix her with a blurry gaze. His reaction was slightly delayed and it took him several seconds until he pulled his face into a confused grimace and lifted his shoulders into a half-hearted shrug.

“’m a little drunk.”

Pansy sighed. “Yes, I can see that.”

‘A little’ was an understatement. He was sloshed. And judging by the smell of expensive Firewhisky on his breath, she was almost certain that Draco had something to do with it.

“But is there a reason why you’re drunk here? Pansy asked, a perfectly shaped eyebrow raised at him. “Last time I checked you were a Gryffindor. What in Merlin’s name are you doing, trying to get into the Slytherin common room at 11pm on a Wednesday night?”

If she was entirely honest, she was quite impressed that he had made it all the way down to the dungeons in his current state; let alone know where exactly the Slytherin common room was situated.

Harry shrugged again. “Dunno.” He slurred. “Just listened to my gut, ‘nd it brought me here”

“Yeah, well maybe listening to your gut isn’t a good idea when you’re inebriated, Potter.”

She bit her lip as she tried to figure out what to do. She could just leave him here and go to bed, but then she would probably be up all night wondering whether he had made it back to Gryffindor tower without getting himself into trouble. In his current state it would be a miracle if he found his way back unscathed.

Coming to a decision she let out a low groan and grasped the front of his jumper. “I swear to Merlin, Potter. If we get caught, I will personally hex your feet off to make sure you will never again be able to drunkenly wander the corridors at night.” She gave his jumper a forceful tug and began to drag him down the corridor towards a statue of an old hag that hid a secret staircase.

Harry stumbled after her, a soft chuckle falling from his lips. “I like it when you’re bossy” he said, grinning stupidly. “No, wait.” He added, looking thoughtfully. “You’re always bossy. Maybe I just like you.”

“For Merlin’s sake, Potter. Please keep your drunken ramblings to yourself.” Pansy huffed, ignoring the flutter in her stomach. Of course, he had to be a flirty drunk.

“How did you end up this hammered anyway?” she grumbled. “It’s a Wednesday and we have classes tomorrow. Don’t you want to pass your NEWTs?”

“Malfoy.” Harry mumbled. “Shared his Firewhisky with me.”

Pansy stopped in her tracks and turned around to face Harry, her eyes wide with surprise. “Draco shared his Firewhisky with you? Voluntarily?”

Harry nodded, a lopsided grin on his face. “Said he wants to get to know me better, so we shared a couple of drinks and talked.”

Pansy clicked her tongue with annoyance. “Salazar’s balls, Potter. Can you please just tell the poor sod that he has your blessing. If he keeps up with his desperate attempts to impress you, he’s going to get us all expelled.”

She watched as Harry’s face scrunched up with confusion, and had to suppress a laugh. Yes, he was incredibly annoying when drunk, but he did look adorable with his messy hair, the slightly flushed cheeks and those ridiculously green eyes. He was infuriatingly handsome and the fact that his current state stopped him from being his usual cautious and untrusting self, made it all the worse.

Pansy had apologised to him at the beginning of eighth year, and Harry had accepted her apology graciously. They had been friendly with each other since, especially since their two best friends were dating, but he never quite managed to relax around her. She didn’t blame him of course. She would act the same way, if he had tried to hand her over to the Dark Lord; - but it did make things slightly more awkward between them.

To see him so relaxed and confident for once filled her with a warm, comfortable tingle, and she wished it could always be like this.

“What would Malfoy need my blessing for?” Harry asked, drawing Pansy’s focus back to their conversation.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, I don’t know.” She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Maybe, because you’re one of the most important people in his girlfriend’s life? You're practically like a brother to her.”

Harry stared at her for a moment while his intoxicated brain was trying to make sense of her words.

“’Mione loves him.” He eventually said. “It’s not like I could change that. Even if I wanted to. And I don't.”

“Yes,” Pansy sighed. “But you’re liked family to Granger, and it’s always easier to have your partner’s family on your side. Especially when your relationship is as controversial as theirs.”

Harry shrugged. “’S long as ‘Mione’s happy, I’m happy.”

“Ok, then tell Draco that.” Pansy insisted. “Before he gets us all into trouble. He must be getting quite desperate if he’s willing to share his precious Firewhisky with you.” She shot Harry an annoyed look. “It must have cost him a few hundred galleons worth of whisky to get you this drunk.”

Harry rolled his eyes, or at least attempted to, and stepped into her space, his face coming dangerously close to hers as he swayed on the spot.

“’m not that drunk.”

Pansy scoffed. “I hate to break it to you, Potter, but you are absolutely shitfaced.”

Harry just smiled, but didn’t say anything. He was still standing uncomfortably close to her, causing him to tower over her, his infuriatingly green eyes gazing down at her from underneath hooded lids.

“I think you’re really pretty.” He suddenly said, his lips splitting into a lopsided grin.

Pansy swallowed hard, heat creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. “Well, you just proved my point.” She said, ignoring the slight tremble in her voice. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you were sober.”

“Yes, I would” Harry insisted, slowly inching closer until his nose nearly touched hers. “I really want to kiss you.”

Pansy’s breath hitched and she quickly took a step back. “That’s the alcohol talking.” She insisted. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Yes, I do.” Harry insisted. “I always want to. Not just now.”

“I... you... you don’t.” Pansy stuttered. “You’re making that up.”

“’m not.” Harry retorted.

His lips were so close to Pansy’s now that she could feel his warm breath on her skin; the smell of Firewhisky intoxicatingly strong.

“Let me kiss you.” He breathed. "Please."

His voice had taken on a pleading tone that made Pansy's stomach clench with longing and she had to try hard not to give in to temptation and say yes. She fixed him with an intent gaze, her heart hammering wildly in her chest as she shook her head.

“Ask me again tomorrow.” She said, taking a step back. “If you still want to kiss me when you’re sober, then I won't stop you.”

Harry’s face lit up at that and his lips broke into a wide grin. “Promise?” he asked, his emerald eyes sparkling with excitement.

Pansy took her time to consider her answer carefully. She was desperately trying to stay rational and remind herself that Harry was drunk and would likely not remember their conversation when he woke up the following day. There was no reason to get excited; and yet, she couldn’t quite suppress the hopeful flutter in her chest.

It had taken them far longer to get back up to Gryffindor tower than Pansy had anticipated. They had come across Peeves twice and both times she had had to shove Harry into a small alcove and spend several minutes of excruciating proximity with him before the air was clear and they could come back out.

Harry had also nearly fallen over Mrs Norris, which could have ended badly, had Pansy not reacted quickly and hit the pesky feline with a gentle Confundus charm to ensure that she wouldn’t run off to fetch her master and get them into trouble.

After Pansy had pushed Harry behind a statue and was forced to cover his mouth with her hand to stop him from exposing them to the quietly humming Nearly Headless Nick, who was floating happily down a staircase near the Gryffindor common room, Pansy felt like she could cry.

“I swear, Potter.” She hissed, dragging the drunken wizard out from behind the statue to pursue their way up the steep steps. “One more obstacle and you’re on your own.”

At that Harry stopped abruptly, causing Pansy to stagger and nearly fall backwards into him.

“What now?” She snapped, whirling around to glare at him.

“’m sorry you’re angry.” Harry said, looking downcast.

Her stomach clenched as she saw the sad look in his eyes and she let out a soft sigh.

“I’m not angry.” She whispered, shaking her head warily. “I’m scared.”

She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the wave of anxiety that coursed through her and fixed him with an intent gaze. “All I wanted for this year is to lie low, pass my NEWTs and then get out of here. And I was doing alright.” She complained. “until you showed up in front of my common room and for whatever ridiculous reason I decided to help you. So now I’m trudging around the castle at midnight with a highly intoxicated Chosen One, who can’t keep his mouth shut and will probably get us both expelled.”

Harry stepped closer, swaying slightly as he lifted his hand to cup her cheek, his piercing eyes trying hard to focus on hers.

“Don’t be scared.” He breathed, “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise”

Pansy shuddered, not sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry. He was being ridiculous, but his hand felt warm and comforting on her skin and for a moment she was tempted to lean into it and let him take care of her, even though she knew that that wasn’t an option.  

He was drunk. He didn’t know what he was saying.

Letting out a small gasp she pulled back and crossed her arms, hoping that it would hide the tremble in her hands.

“Merlin and Morgana, Harry.” She muttered, voice shaking violently. “I honestly don’t know how much more of your drunken blither I can take.”

Harry’s lips split into a soft smile. “You called me Harry.” He slurred. “You never call me that.”

Pansy sniffled and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, I don’t do formalities at this time of the day.” She said, letting out a big sigh. “Anyway, let’s get you home, shall we? We’re nearly there.”

It was almost midnight when they finally arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady, and Pansy was eager to drop Harry off and get back to her own common room. She felt exhausted and could only hope that her way back would be swift and without any disturbances.

The Fat Lady narrowed her eyes suspiciously at them, biting back a comment while she was waiting for one of them to give her the correct password. Pansy could see by the way her eyes sparkled with glee that she was itching to go and tell all her portrait friends about all the things the Chosen One seemed to be getting up to these days. What a bloody gossip.

Pansy gave Harry a hard nudge in the ribs. “You have to tell her the password, Potter. Get on with it.”

“Uhhm…” Harry mumbled; his eyebrows furrowed with concentration as he was trying to remember the correct phrase.

“Potter…” Pansy’s voice had turned into a low growl. “Please tell me you remember the password.”

“I…” the wizard paled, looking at her with wide eyes. “I don’t re-“

“Harry?”

Pansy whirled around, eyes wide with fear, as she stared down the dark corridor, anxiously searching for the source of the low voice.

“Is that you?”

A tall wizard with semi-long, mouse-brown hair came into view, the soft-brown eyes darting back and forth between Pansy and Harry as he tried to assess the situation.

“Neville!!” Harry yelled with glee, earning himself a hard shove into the ribs by Pansy’s elbow.

“Bloody hell, Potter. Are you trying to get us caught?” she hissed. “Be quiet.”

“’S fineee.” Harry slurred, “It’s just Neville.” He gave the tall wizard a wide grin. “Where you coming from?”

Pansy watched in surprise as Neville’s ears turned a deep shade of red and he shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. “I’ve been with Luna.” He said, a sheepish grin spreading on his face. “She has a Herbology test tomorrow, so I offered to help her with revision.”

Pansy let out a disbelieving huff. Yeah right. There was no way they were revising. Not for Herbology anyway.

Harry huffed out a happy laugh and gave Neville a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Good on you, mate.” He grinned. “Good on you.”

Neville blushed an even darker shade of red at that, but looked rather pleased with himself.

“Anyway, what are you doing out here?” he asked, eyeing Pansy with curiosity.

“Potter here got pissed with Draco and thought it would be a good idea to come visit the Slytherin common room in the middle of the night.” Pansy explained quickly, unable to hide her annoyance. “It took me ages to get him back up here and now the drunken idiot can’t remember the password.”

She shot Neville a pleading look. “Please tell me that you know it, Longbottom.”

“’Course I do.” Neville said, still looking at Pansy with an air of confused puzzlement. “It’s Domun Leonis.”

“Finally.” The Fat Lady huffed, as the heavy portrait swung open and revealed the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

“Alright, let’s get you inside, mate.” Neville said, pushing Harry through the portrait hole with ease. “You coming?” he added, casting Pansy a questioning look.

“Uhm, no." She said, feeling a small twinge of regret. "I think I better try and get back to my own dormitory.” She had never been inside the Gryffindor common room before and would have liked to see it. But now was not the time.

“What?” Harry exclaimed, turning around to face her and nearly falling over his own two feet. “No, you can’t go now. ’S dangerous out there.”

“Yeah, well, if I get caught, I will blame it all on you.” Pansy retorted, giving him a stern look. “At least I don’t have a babbling drunkard with me this time.” She jibed, the corner of her lip twitching involuntarily.

“No!” Harry exclaimed. “Please stay.”

Pansy’s heart gave a sudden jolt at the pleading look on his face and she quickly averted her gaze to meet Neville’s eyes instead, silently pleading him to jump in and explain to Harry that she really should go; but the tall wizard only shrugged and offered her a welcoming smile.

“It’s almost midnight.” He said, chancing a glance over his shoulder into the large room beyond the portrait. “The common room will be empty right now. Might as well come in and have a look around.”

Pansy shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good-“

“Please?” Harry interjected. His voice was barely audible when he spoke, but the longing in it was so blatantly obvious that it sent bouts of shivers through Pansy’s entire body.

Her rational mind told her that she should try and get back to her dormitory as soon as possible, but a part of her was curious and wanted her to stay.

She gave Harry a wary look, heart thumping loudly in her chest as her eyes locked with his, carefully considering her options. She wasn't a Gryffindor like he was. She wasn't brave or courageous. All she wanted was to stay out of trouble and get through this year. And yet...

Letting out a sharp breath of air she pulled her face into a pained grimace and nodded.

“Fine.” She huffed, her whole body shaking with nerves. “But I can’t stay long.”

Harry grinned at her with elation and motioned for her and Neville to follow as he disappeared through the the entrance to the common room. Neville gave her a friendly wink and stretched out a hand to help her climb through the hole.

Pansy let out a small sigh, wondering how in Merlin's name she got herself into this situation, before she begrudgingly accepted the wizard's hand and followed him inside. 

Her eyes widened as she stepped into the spacious room.

“Wow.” She breathed, unable to hide her surprise. “I didn’t think it was so…”

“Red?” Neville asked, smirking at her perplexed expression as he nudged Harry towards a big three-seater sofa with red velvet cushions.

Pansy shook her head. Of course, she had expected to see a lot of red in here. It was the Gryffindor common room after all. What she hadn’t expected, was how vastly different the interior was from her own living quarters.

The Slytherin common room represented elegance and wealth. Pansy was used to black leather chairs and highly polished mahogany furniture with perfectly matched details in cool tones of silver and green. Everything was placed with precision to create a tasteful ensemble that was comfortable enough, but mostly just there for show.

This, however, was the complete opposite. The Gryffindor common room was a wild array of overstuffed armchairs, comfortable sofas and fluffy rugs. Soft cushions and warm knitted blankets were scattered all over the place, and the low crackly fire in the hearth had doused everything in a warm glow that really brought out the shades of red and gold that were so prominent in the room.

“So cosy.” Pansy finished her train of thought. It was cosy. There was no other word for it.

Harry let out a soft chuckle as he dropped onto the sofa and smiled. “Yeah,” he sighed, looking utterly content. “’S cosy.”

Pansy watched as the raven-haired wizard sank deeper into the soft cushioning of the settee and let out an appreciative hum, before tilting his head back and closing his eyes; the sight of this happy and content Harry causing her heart to stutter in her chest. She didn’t think she had ever seen him so relaxed before; not in her company anyway. To witness him letting down his guard like this made her feel incredibly privileged.

“Do you mind watching him for a minute?” Neville asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. “I think I have some sober-up potion upstairs. I’ll go and grab it.”

Pansy nodded, but didn’t move. She felt thoroughly out of place and didn’t want to offend by touching anything she shouldn’t.

“You know, for someone who just called this place ‘cosy’, you look incredibly uncomfortable.” Neville laughed. “Relax, Parkinson. You’re here because we invited you in, remember. Just make yourself at home.”

At that Harry lifted his head and opened his eyes. “Yeah.” He said, giving her a somewhat droopy smile. “Come sit here.” He gave the seat next to him a quick pat. “’S comfy.”

Neville raised his brows at her and shrugged as if to say ‘can’t pass up an invitation by the boy who lived’ before he turned around and disappeared up a narrow stone staircase, that Pansy was sure would lead to the boys’ dormitories.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the sofa, feeling as stiff as a broom handle as she sat beside Harry and folded her hands neatly in her lap.

Harry laughed. “Doesn’t look relaxed.”

“Well, it’s hard to be comfortable when I so obviously don’t belong here. I stick out like a sore thumb.” Pansy retorted, casting him an irritated look.

She knew that no one except for Harry and Neville would see her, but she was still painfully aware of how odd she must look in a place like this, with her perfectly tailored blouse and pleated skirt, and the green and silver tie still neatly wrapped around her slender neck.

Why in Merlin’s name was she still wearing her school uniform this late at night anyway? She shuddered at the thought of what her mother would say, if she knew that Pansy had been too caught up in the story of her new book to bother with her appearance and change into more appropriate evening attire.

Her heart sank at the thought of her parents. Well, at least her father was locked up safely in Azkaban, she thought, glad that he wouldn’t be able to come after her and curse her for fraternising with the Gryffindors.

She shook her head lightly, blocking out the dark thoughts about her family and refocused her attention to Harry, noticing with a jolt of her heart, that he was looking at her.  

He looked thoughtful as his piercing green eyes assessed her appearance carefully, his gaze travelling across her body from top to bottom, lingering slightly too long on certain areas.

Pansy felt the urge to slap him and tell him to keep his eyes to himself, but a small part of her enjoyed the way his pupils dilated and swallowed the green of his irises, as they traced along her soft curves.

“I’ve ‘n idea.” He said, grasping the hem off his hideous scarlet jumper and pulling it over his head, before draping it carefully around Pansy’s shoulders, the deep red looking entirely too unfamiliar on her.

“There.” He said happily. “Now you fit right in.”

Pansy felt extremely hot all of a sudden; not sure whether it was caused by her embarrassment, or the warmth of Harry’s jumper. Maybe a bit of both.

She tried not to let her mind linger for too long on the strip of soft skin stretched over taut muscle that she had glimpsed when Harry had pulled his jumper off; exposed only for a brief few seconds, before his t-shirt fell back into place. Of course, the bloody bastard had to be ripped.

Opening and closing her mouth several times, Pansy felt like a fish above water as she was trying to think of something to say. What was she supposed to say? ‘Thank you’?, ‘How do I look?’ or maybe a defiant ‘Take this horrid thing off me?’.

She was spared a decision, however, when Neville walked back into the room, finally breaking the awkward tension that had been building between her and the raven-haired wizard.

“Here, drink this.” Neville said, eyeing the scarlet jumper on Pansy’s shoulders with curiosity as he thrust a small vial into Harry’s hand. He watched as Harry knocked back the potion with one big gulp, nodding with satisfaction as he took the empty bottle out of Harry’s hand.

“Right,” he said, pushing the vial into his pocket. “I’m going to bed now. Don’t stay up too late.” His lips pulled into a knowing smirk and he looked at Harry. “We have classes tomorrow, remember? So don’t get too carried away.”

He offered Pansy a polite nod, casting one last glance at the hideous piece of clothing around her neck, and disappeared back up the staircase.

The room fell into silence, causing Pansy’s heart to race, as she waited nervously for the potion’s effects to occur. She watched as Harry’s blurry gaze turned more focused, sharper, causing the green in his eyes to sparkle even more than before. Then realisation hit, and his face slowly fell, the dopy grin on his lips being replaced by a mortified grimace.

“Oh, shit.” He hissed, dragging his fingers through his mussed-up hair. “I’m sorry. I can’t believe I dragged you all the way up here in the middle of the night.”

Pansy’s stomach churned, as she saw his expression; the regret on his face instantly making her feel unwelcome. Now that he was sober, he might not want her to be here at all. Maybe she should just leave.

“Well,” She said, ignoring the tremble in her voice. “Technically it was me who dragged you up here.” She got up and tried to arrange her face into a polite smile.

“I should probably go now. Thanks for letting me see your common room.”

She swallowed hard, trying not to show her disappointment. She should have known that Harry would regret inviting her in once he had sobered up. He didn’t trust her. Not after what she had done.

“No!” Harry jumped up. “I didn’t mean…” he reached out and grasped Pansy’s hand, causing her to gasp as his touch sent a wave of warm magic through her veins. “Please don’t go.”

Pansy swallowed hard as she dropped her gaze to Harry’s hand, staring at his fingers in shock as they wrapped gently around her own. She could feel his magic like a magnetic pull, the sheer force of it causing her whole body to tremble as a warm tingling sensation spread up her arm and settled deep within her core.

It took her all the willpower she could muster to withdraw her hand and step back, unable to look at him as she cleared her throat quietly.

“I…” she gasped, mortified by the quiver in her voice. “It’s late, Harry. I need to get back.”

She wasn’t entirely sure who she was trying to convince, but Harry looked just as unimpressed by her words as she felt.

He shook his head. “It would be safer for you to stay here until the curfew lifts. You can leave early and get back to your dormitories before anyone would notice.”

Pansy scoffed. “You want me to crash here?” she said, fighting the urge to laugh. “What, are you mad?”

Harry shrugged. “Why not?”

“Why not?” she repeated, unable to keep the indignation out of her voice. “Merlin’s pants, are you still drunk?” she asked, shaking her head in disbelief. “Because you don’t actually like me, Harry. That’s why not.”

Her eyes were stinging and she had to try hard to relax her face and stop it from pulling into a bitter frown. She didn’t want him to see how much it affected her that he would never see her as anything other than the girl that tried to sacrifice him to Voldemort.

“What?” Harry stared at her, utterly dumbfounded.

“What in Godric’s name makes you think that?”

She let out a humourless laugh. “I’m not blind, you know. I can see the way you tense up when I’m around.” She bit her lip to suppress a sob. Good Gods. Could this get any more embarrassing? She really needed to pull herself together.

“You don’t trust me, and that’s okay.” She added quietly, lips trembling violently. “Just don’t pretend that it could ever change. It’s not fair on me.”

A heavy silence followed her last words as Harry stared at her, shock written across his face.

It seemed to take him a while to get his thoughts into order and when he finally spoke his voice was practically dripping with incredulity.

“You think I get nervous around you, because of what you did?” he said flatly, a thin line forming between his knitted eyebrows.

Pansy’s throat felt tight all of a sudden and she didn’t trust herself to speak, so she only nodded; stubbornly avoiding Harry’s gaze.

“Merlin’s saggy left tit, Pansy! Are you really that dim?” Harry laughed.

The reaction caught Pansy off guard and she could feel anger bubbling in her chest. “I am not dim.” She said defiantly, shooting him an annoyed glare.

“Well, you must be if you think that that’s why I try and stay away from you.” Harry retorted angrily.

Pansy’s heart gave a painful jolt. So, she hadn’t been imagining it. He was avoiding her.

She watched as the wizard began to pace up and down in front of her, his hands pulling strands of unruly hair, a string of obscenities falling from his lips as he shook his head in agitation.

She was just about to yell at him, anything to make him stop, when he suddenly rounded at her, causing her to gasp as he stepped closer, his emerald eyes fixing her with an intensity that made her shiver.

“I don’t normally talk to you, -” he began, his voice shaking with suppressed exasperation. “- because I don’t trust myself around you. I’d probably say something stupid and make you think I’m a complete idiot.”

Pansy’s eyes widened. “Why would you-“

“I like you.” Harry cut her off, his expression growing fierce.

“And it drives me mad.” He continued. “It’s like I forget how to talk when you’re around, and my hands shake and my stomach does this horrible flutter thing that makes it hard to eat or breathe… it…” he let out a sharp gasp and closed his eyes, seemingly struggling to control his emotions. “It makes me want to do things.”

“What things?” Pansy asked. Her voice was barely more than a whisper as she gaped at the handsome wizard, her heart hammering so loudly in her chest that she was sure Harry would be able to hear it.

Harry shook his head, looking defeated. “You don’t want to know.”

“But I do.” Pansy urged. “I think.” she added. She didn’t know what she wanted anymore. Her head was swimming, struggling to keep up with all the information she had just received, the flutter in her stomach growing stronger, as the fact that Harry Potter had just admitted to liking her began to sink in.

Harry let out a shaky breath, desperate longing mixing with confused uncertainty as his eyes found hers.

“Did you really mean it?” he demanded.

“Mean what?” Pansy asked shakily.

“You said you wouldn’t stop me if I tried to kiss you when I’m sober.” He explained. “Did you mean it?”

Pansy could feel her cheeks heat with embarrassment. She thought he had been too drunk to remember anything about their conversation from earlier.

She bit her lip and nodded; her heart racing so fast that she was beginning to feel lightheaded, as relief washed over Harry’s face and he stepped closer.

He was only inches away from her now and she could feel the heat radiating off him, as his gaze briefly dipped down to her lips, before it settled on her eyes; the piercing green of his irises giving way to the black depths of his pupils.

“That’s what I want.” He muttered. “When I’m around you.”

“To kiss me?” Pansy asked.

Harry nodded. “Kiss you, touch you, hold you,” he said. “- just be near you all the fucking time.”

Pansy’s breath hitched, and before she knew what she was doing, she grasped the front of Harry’s t-shirt and closed the last few inches between them with a forceful tug at the soft fabric.

Harry stumbled and let out a surprised huff, which quickly turned into an appreciative hum as she pressed her lips firmly against his.  

Her whole body was quivering with excitement as she deepened the kiss, carefully exploring the feeling of Harry’s lips on hers.

They were softer than she had expected, and she felt a rush of excitement as they began to move, cautiously returning her efforts with a sweet eagerness. He began to suck and nibble tenderly on the rosy flesh; his hands finding her waist and gently pulling her closer until her chest was firmly pressed against him. Heat coiled tightly in Pansy’s core as he began to trace the curves of her hips, and back up across her waist and to her shoulder blades; her own arms rising up to wrap around his neck.

She let out a small gasp as he caught her bottom lip between his teeth, her fingers digging into the thick strands of jet-black hair at the back of his neck, and she could feel him shudder, as her fingernails scraped gently across his scalp.

The longer they kissed, the more demanding Harry grew; hands roaming shamelessly across her body as his tongue pushed between her lips, eagerly exploring as if he was trying to memorise every little detail about her. She could still taste the Firewhisky on his breath, the sweet and smoky aftertaste so intoxicatingly strong, it was addictive.

She didn’t know how long they had stood there and kissed, eagerly drinking each other in, exploring, touching, tasting each other, until Harry finally pulled back; his breath coming out in short, hot puffs as he squeezed his eyes shut and rested his forehead against hers.

Pansy felt a small twinge of regret at the loss of his lips against hers, but revelled in the way he stayed close, his arms still wrapped around her waist, the warmth of his body so grounding and comforting, she wished they could stay like this forever.

As if Harry had read her thoughts, he let out a small sigh and lifted his head to look her in the eyes. His pupils were still blown, lips swollen and pink, his cheeks flushed; and Pansy had to suppress a small giggle when she spotted the complete mess that his hair had turned into. He looked utterly endearing, making her feel all warm and giddy on the inside.

“Have I convinced you to stay the night yet?” he rasped, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Pansy huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes theatrically, her lips drawing into a wide smile as she nodded. “Fine.” She said, pushing herself up to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll stay. But only if I can borrow this for when we got to breakfast tomorrow.” She tugged at the sleeve of Harry’s jumper, which was hanging slightly lopsided from her shoulders.

Harry’s lips split into a wide grin, his eyes darkening briefly with a sort of possessive desire that sent a hot shiver down Pansy’s spine. “You want to wear my jumper in front of the entire school?” he asked, unable to hide his excitement.

Pansy bit her lip and nodded. “I do.” She confirmed. “If that’s ok with you.”

Harry let out an elated laugh and pulled her flush against his chest. “Yes.” He said happily, showering her head and face with soft, almost playful kisses. “I would love that.”

Pansy giggled at the affectionate onslaught and let Harry pull her over to the sofa where they settled in a comfortable tangle of limbs, Harry’s arms still wrapped around her in a tight embrace.

“Merlin, I can’t wait to see everyone’s faces tomorrow.” He smiled, suppressing a big yawn as he threw a heavy, knitted blanket over him and Pansy to cover them both.  

Pansy hummed in agreement, too tired to answer, and let herself sink deeper into Harry’s warm embrace, only vaguely noticing the feeling of his fingers trace softly through her silky hair.

“Goodnight.” Harry whispered, placing a soft kiss on the crown of her head.

“Night.” Pansy murmured, drifting off into a deep, comfortable slumber.                                                  

~ the end ~