The grounds were inked in vivid green. The bushes and the treetops were filled with leaves, covering prominent roots and crooked branches that served as shelters for magical creatures from all over the Forbidden Forest. The flowers bloomed on random spots on the grass, making the sight mesmerizing even from a distance. The air from the castle matched the environment, as the students brimmed with excitement with the arrival of spring.
Out of nowhere, the idea of a party had appeared amongst the students. The rumors started in the beginning of the week, and by Friday the gossip had turned into something solid. The party was meant for sixth and seventh-year students only; the location would remain unknown for security purposes, and a determined guide would pick up the guests from a meeting point by the stairwell on the sixth floor; all invited had to pay a tax upon arrival to contribute to the drinks and the food; if anyone snitched, they would be permanently banned from all future parties organized by the same group of students.
There was not one flyer highlighting such details, yet even someone as recluse as Chiara knew the information regarding the gathering. It was all because among her small circle of friends was one of the organizers of the event, Amber Prescott. The curse-breaker was restless in her attempt to convince Chiara to go, using a varied list of arguments to achieve her goal. However, being the resident introvert and preferring to keep to herself for all these years, parties just weren’t Chiara’s scene. She’d much rather spend her night with a thick book, leaning over cryptograms in Ancient Runes, or studying the numbers for Arithmancy. The chaos of Hogwarts parties resembled a nightmare for someone as shy as her. Yet, there was one argument that seemed to stick. They were almost at the end of their sixth year now, and time only traveled faster as the months went by. Their period in school would come to an inevitable end, and Chiara would only have her memories of it. Perhaps it was time that she started making some, otherwise, she could regret her choices in the future.
Groaning, Chiara found herself in the entrance of the room of requirements on the seventh floor, where Amber had told her the party was located. She felt dread pooling in her stomach as she stared at her own clothes with a frown. It had taken her an embarrassing amount of time to choose an outfit, even though she told herself she did not care about the event. Part of her found the entire adventure futile, and she was about to turn around and hide in the Hufflepuff common room, when Tonks opened the door and announced her presence to the crowd. Everyone cheered, making Chiara flush with the attention. How in the world had they managed to be a bit drunk already, she didn’t know. But, as Tonks ushered her inside and pushed a drink on her hands, Chiara resigned herself to the fact that she had to stay at least for a few minutes. She took a sip from the bright plastic cup in her hands and grimaced, the taste was fruity, yet strong. She resisted the urge to cough and took a larger gulp. She was in the midst of swallowing when she spotted her.
Penny Haywood.
Even from afar, Chiara couldn’t avoid the blush on her cheeks. Penny was on the opposite side of the room, talking and laughing with her friends. Her silver outfit shimmered like a mirrorball, and taking the eyes away from her wasn’t an option. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders in waves, luminous and silky even in the dimming lights. The makeup was minimal, yet the rosy gloss on her lips hypnotized Chiara, magnetic. She had to avert her eyes, too afraid of getting caught. The feelings in her chest weren’t new to her, as she had first noticed them in the fifth year. Chiara didn’t dare to mention them out loud to anyone, embarrassed that they even existed in the first place.
This crush was most inconvenient, as Penny was someone inescapable in the castle, yet completely unattainable. They hadn’t exchanged more than ten words in all these years, despite being both Hufflepuffs as Chiara had done her best to isolate herself from attempted friendships. The most popular girl in school, as radiant as the sun itself, kind to everyone and fiercely loyal to her friends. Add to that her brilliance in Potions, warming even the coldest of hearts with her smile. It was impossible not to have heard about the girl on the corridors. The whispers and lovesick sighs followed her around, and Chiara cursed herself for falling in this rabbit hole.
As the night progressed, Chiara found herself beside Amber and Liz with her second plastic cup. The drink was enough to loosen her muscles and take her out of her incessant thoughts, yet not to muddle her rationale. Talking to Liz, she couldn’t have noticed the mischievous glances between Tonks and Amber. The girls rushed away to speak to Tulip, and suddenly the spacious room exploded in excitement as a game was announced. Eyeing the circle on the ground with wariness, Chiara watched as Tonks explained the game they would play – seven minutes in heaven. The metamorphmagus only parroted the words a very drunk Ben explained to her. However, all the explanation had been lost to Chiara, as the music didn’t stop nor the volume lowered for any of it.
In the midst of the chaos, already contemplating when would be acceptable to sneak away to her dorm room, Chiara felt Tonks and Amber behind her all of a sudden. In alarm, she realized that they were pushing her towards the opposite side of the room, announcing to the crowd that Chiara was the first one up. In a panic, Chiara tried to break free from their hold, yet they had already pushed her into a narrow dark closet, taken her plastic cup from her hand and closed the door. With wild eyes, Chiara touched the walls to guess the size of the space. It barely fitted her as it was, what was supposed to happen next? Breathless, Chiara took out her wand and was about to unlock the door when the portal opened again, and someone was quick to enter it. They were covered in darkness once more, the only sound was the muffled music from the other room, and their breathing.
“Are you okay?”
The concerned whisper and the soft touch on her arm froze Chiara at once. She could hear her heart racing in her ears, and her entire body broke into shivers. It was Penny in the minuscule room with her. There was no light to decipher her expression, but as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Chiara could make out the faint shimmer in her dress and the contour of her form. They had never been so close before. It made her dizzy. Forcing herself to act normal, Chiara swallowed dry.
“Yeah, I just… I didn’t listen to the rules. I don’t know what I’m doing here”, she murmured, feeling her arm heat up with the girl’s touch.
Penny chuckled and the air from her mouth hit Chiara’s face. They were as distant as the space allowed, yet too close for Chiara’s sensibilities. She wasn’t used to being exposed to the citric scent of Penny’s parfum, nor the flowery smell of her silky locks, and even less to the softness of her touch. It got Chiara drunk faster than any spiked beverage could. Taking deep breaths in the confined space only made it more torturous. Chiara bit her lip to stifle a groan. Why was Circe punishing her like this?
“I could show you, if you let me.”
The gasp in response was impossible to stifle. The suggestive tone was undeniable. There was something magnetic about them, as Chiara didn’t think their sudden closeness was a mere product of alcohol. She still had half of the plastic cup full when Tonks had stolen her drink, she was capable of making decisions. Her thoughts were fuzzy, yes, but it had nothing to do with firewhiskey. It was Penny’s intoxicating touch and scent, calling to Chiara to come closer. All of her body tingled with anticipation. It was not possible that this wasn’t a dream, that the girl she had an insistent crush on was proposing what Chiara thought. There was barely an inch separating their mouths, Penny’s hands were warm on her waist, and Chiara rested her trembling arms on the blonde’s shoulders, holding onto her own forearms.
“Chiara?”
Penny was waiting for an audible confirmation. Licking her lips, Chiara squeaked a “please” before Penny’s mouth captured her own. All her thoughts fixated on the slow press of lips and how careful their moves were, tentative, as if none of them wished to scare the other. Blood rushed to her ears as the contact slowly deepened, and when Chiara had the urge to feel more skin, Penny brought their bodies flush together. With her back against the wall, Chiara lost a hand in silky blonde hair, earning a small grunt from Penny. The sound stirred something in her, and their kiss gained momentum. Penny’s hands traveled on Chiara’s sides, never daring to move to intimate territories, but close enough to drive Chiara to the brink of insanity. Lightheaded, she pushed her tongue into Penny’s mouth, wanting to know how the girl tasted beyond the strawberry lip gloss.
It was addictive.
Drunk on the feeling of every part of them touching, longing to memorize every corner of the girl’s mouth but needing air, Chiara moved her lips to her jawline and descended until the pale long neck. Inclining her head to offer more skin, Penny only gasped into the wall, tightening her hold on Chiara’s waist as if it was a lifeline. Chiara licked and pressed light bites against the skin, enjoying the way Penny squirmed against her. She didn’t expect one of the girl’s legs to end up between her own, making her gasp with the sudden sensation. Penny took advantage of her open mouth and brough their lips back together. The feelings rushing through her body made the temperature warm, and it was blissful. As their tongues brushed and the lack of oxygen was becoming an issue, there was a pound in the door that startled them apart.
“Time’s up, girls!”
Chiara had never hated an interruption more than now.
------------------------
A week later, Chiara swore her lips still tingled at the sight of Penny. She sat alone at the Great Hall, the room was bustling with the wave of students for lunch on the Saturday. The last seven days had been the most nerve-wrecking of Chiara’s life in the castle. After the girls opened the door of the broom closet, the entire party cheered, watching them come out, eager to spot signs of what they had been up to inside. Penny had been gracious, and dismissed their questions without blinking. There was still evidence of their activities in her mussed hair and swollen lips, as well on her flushed cheeks, yet Chiara didn’t notice any of that. She took the distraction of the crowd choosing the next pair that would be sent into the closet and bolted out of the room. With the heart loud on her ears and her clothes too warm, Chiara took her leave for a much-needed shower.
It had been hard to fall asleep that night, but she kept herself hidden in the four-poster bed, with the curtains closed. Replaying every aspect of their kiss and cataloguing all the sounds in her mind, Chiara had fallen into a fitful sleep. The dreams that plagued her since then made her wake up with her cheeks bright red. She didn’t expect her crush could get so out of hand, but one kiss from Penny had made her feelings more daring.
In addition to it, Penny had changed. No one word had been spoken between them about the kiss, yet now there was tension whenever they were in the same environment. The air felt charged as their eyes locked from across the room, and it seemed to turn into a game of dare to see who averted their stare first. Chiara could feel Penny’s eyes lingering on her body at times, and it never failed to produce a shiver in her arms. When she stared back in a silent question, Penny would flush. It stirred something in her chest to watch the blonde bright red because of her. Chiara was on the brink of insanity already. Then there was the touch. It seemed that the corridors had gotten narrower as whenever they stumbled upon each other on the way to class, their hands brushed. It was unsettling that one passing touch had the power to make Chiara dizzy with desire. One voice in her head that had gotten louder since that night screamed at her to take Penny into a corner and press their lips together. The intrusive thoughts drove her mad, and it was worse when Penny looked at her as if she knew what Chiara had been thinking.
To organize her thoughts, Chiara took advantage of the free afternoon and decided to take a walk in the forest. The air of nature filling her lungs calmed her, and soothed any worries plaguing her brain. She followed a familiar trail, enjoying the sight of the giant trees and the prominent roots, spotting from time to time a magical creature gallivanting through the foliage. There weren’t many chases when a human was around, as the bigger animals tended to hunt away from the castle, but she saw a few fairies and glowbugs, as well as a couple of gnomes. Borf was nowhere in sight, and Chiara lamented not finding him after an hour out. Making her way back, her mind was less muddled and she could focus on her school work.
There was a large windowsill by the west entrance that had become one of her refuges through the years. It was too close to the edge of the forest, and on the opposite side of most classrooms in the castle, too out of the way to receive visits. There was also the fact that most students didn’t even know of its existence, as the Forbidden Forest wasn’t a popular spot among them. As such, it became an ideal haven for an introvert, and Chiara often stayed there when she wanted to hide from the world. She had been sitting on the stone windowsill for almost an hour, lost in the Arithmancy textbook supported on her bent knees. She had been reading a chapter for an essay Professor Vector had asked. It wasn’t due for another two weeks, but the subject interested her.
Suddenly, she felt a shiver in the back of her neck and the tips of her fingers tingled. Chiara didn’t need to raise her head to know that Penny stood a few meters from her. She took a deep breath and looked up, trembling as she watched Penny marching towards her. Chiara didn’t move nor say anything, not that her vocal cords would work if she tried. In slow motion, Penny pushed the book out of Chiara’s lap and made space in between her legs before glueing their mouths together.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Chiara buried a hand into blonde locks and brought them closer, Penny was eager to follow. Contrary to their first kiss, this one already started with speed. The accumulated tension and the lingering stares turned into longing, and their lips brushing together only fueled their need for each other. Chiara felt warm all over as Penny deepened the contact and brushed their tongues. This time, Penny’s hands wandered on the outside of her legs, bringing out a shiver from Chiara. With the blonde’s body pressed between her legs and her warm touch, Penny tempted Chiara in ways she couldn’t even decipher. No chapters on Ancient Runes or Arithmancy equations had taught Chiara how to decode Penny Haywood. Her thoughts and desires were a mystery to Chiara, yet at the moment the only thing she wanted was to keep Penny close.
With a smile against Chiara’s mouth, Penny let her lips wander towards her neck. Chiara was too happy to comply, tightening the hold on blonde locks to stifle her grunts as Penny peppered her skin with soft bites. One of them moved, and Penny’s abdomen pressed harder onto Chiara, earning a low moan out of her. Penny smirked against her neck, but allowed more space between them in the name of her own sanity. Chiara didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
“You left marks, you know”, the blonde pointed out right before planting her teeth on Chiara’s shoulder.
“S-Sorry?”
The insincerity evident in the single word made Penny chuckle against her skin, and Chiara couldn’t help but join her. Soon, they were both lost in a fit of giggles, still attached to each other as they couldn’t refrain their hands from grasping at each other clothes. The idea of any distance between them was ridiculous. As their laughter died down, Penny inclined her head and brushed their lips once more, making Chiara turn into mush with the slow movements. Kissing Penny was both a form of torture and a heavenly bliss. The taste of her lips were addictive, almost as much as her touch.
Chiara knew she was in deep trouble.
Now a bit daring, deciding to test waters herself, Chiara moved a hand to the small of the blonde’s back, pulling at the shirt to expose a bit of skin and scratched her nails there. A shiver formed under her hand. The immediate response from Penny was to press closer, deepening the kiss. Chiara smiled against her mouth, enjoying to know the blonde was just as affected by this as she was. Penny bit her lip in retaliation, but soon returned to glue their mouths together. Yes, this was the type of torture Chiara was delighted to go through. Her head was fuzzy with the rush of chemicals Penny brought along. It was delirious to be so close, and Chiara doubted there was any shady substance capable of producing the type of high in her system that Penny did.
Right when their hands were pressing harder against each other sides, there were hurried footsteps nearby. They broke apart, only to determine if there would be an interruption or not. As the sound got closer, Penny huffed and stepped away from Chiara, fixing her hair and uniform, pressing a hand to her swollen lips. Chiara felt dizzy with the sight of the blonde in such disarray, her mind screaming that she had done that to Penny. She was the cause of mussed hair and dilated eyes. Chiara shut her eyes to calm herself. She closed her legs and grabbed her forgotten book, opening it to a random page to keep appearances to whoever was running towards them. If Penny stopped staring at her with hungry eyes, perhaps her skin would already have returned to the ordinary pale shade.
“Thank, Merlin!”, it was a fifth year that had bust into the corridor, and Chiara was surprised to feel Penny’s irritation so palpable next to her. “Penny, the prefects’ meeting is about to start. It’s your turn to present the weekly reports!”
“The meeting is only at six”, the blonde retorted, her hand on her nose to calm down.
Chiara had the urge to rub a hand on her back, but quenched it. She didn’t know where they stood, nor if Penny would be comfortable with her touch like this, especially in front of someone else.
“Exactly. It’s five past six! Rowan sent me to find you.”
Both of their eyes widened. Chiara had no idea it was so late, and for the expression on Penny’s face, neither did she. How could it be that they had spent over half an hour making out? It felt so little time had passed. Penny turned to her with an apology in her eyes, and Chiara dismissed it before she could utter one silly word. It was her duty as a prefect, the blonde had to go. Perhaps they could talk later, or not talk too if that’s how they were handling these feelings. Penny reached for her hand, then gave up in the middle of the motion, not quite sure how to act. It was endearing, and it made Chiara’s heart skip a beat for a different reason.
This was dangerous.
“You have to go. You’re already late. It’s okay”, Chiara whispered, deciding for both of them.
“I’ll see you?”, the blonde inquired walking backwards towards the boy. It was clear she wanted an answer before leaving, At Chiara’s nod, she beamed and hurried away.
“Shoot!”, Chiara tossed her head back into the wall, heart still racing.
Yep, she was in deep trouble.
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The next day, after her morning shower, Chiara flushed when she noticed three small purple spots low on her neck. It brought breathtaking flashes to the front of her mind, as if the dream she had wasn’t enough. She was glad for the empty bathroom, as for once she had left the bed at an ungodly hour. Chiara knew some girls had a makeup spell just for these, yet the exact incantation had never reached her ears. To her luck, it was possible that the collar of her shirt covered them well. Anyhow, having a few hours to spare, Chiara decided to check the library. Perhaps the spell would be useful in the future as well.
She hoped so.
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It took a little over a week for them to have some privacy again.
Every time Penny found her during breaks, someone else interrupted them before anything could happen. The first few times, Chiara felt the urge to chuckle at the evident frustration in bright blue eyes, and Penny huffed at her in light admonishment. Being the most popular girl in Hogwarts had its disadvantages, as it seemed everyone wanted a chunk of her time. The blonde always made the effort to be graceful, reminding herself she was a prefect, and as such it was her duty to aid students if they had any struggles. Yet, as the time passed, Chiara could see her genuine disappointment. She understood the blonde’s feelings, as their failed attempt to spend time together was taking a toll on her as well. Part of Chiara longed to hex the ones interrupting them, or to just tell them that Penny deserved a break. It wasn’t her place, though, and it would be quite inappropriate. So, Chiara swallowed her emotions and kept waiting for their turn.
The hours had stretched during classes, and Chiara had been irritable since early in the morning. She had woken up behind schedule, missing breakfast and almost being late for Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall had given her a disapproving stare that had her cheeks flushed. It was difficult to concentrate on the lecture when her stomach growled and her head hurt. Add to that the stunning girl sitting a few rows in front of her. Every detail about Penny was distracting, from the scent of her shampoo that filled the classroom with soft floral notes to the way she bit her lip in concentration. Chiara cursed her inability to remain unaffected, as they shared too many classes together. Her once harmless crush was flourishing into something far more dangerous.
A little after the last class of the day, Chiara wandered through the corridors trying to decide between going straight to the Great Hall to wait until dinner and heading to the Hufflepuff common room for a shower first. The scent of soap that came from washing herself and the fresh sensation afterwards were leading the race. Thus, she changed routes. The witch was almost at the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room when a hand went out of a door and pulled her by the robes. Chiara let out squeak in fright, turning around ready to hex someone when she faced an apologetic Penny with her arms up in surrender. All her irritation faded away in an instant, and she would be ecstatic if it wasn’t for the heaviness on the blonde’s shoulder and the tiredness in her eyes. They walked to the low windowsill in the empty classroom, with soft cushions thrown around. Once seated, Chiara was surprised with the blonde throwing herself in her arms, burying her face on Chiara’s shoulder. Blinking at the turn of events, Chiara was quick to wrap her in an embrace, and her chest warmed feeling Penny sinking into her.
With no intention of letting go, Chiara twisted her body to take off her bag, and adjusted their positions against the cushions, holding Penny against her chest. She felt her own muscles loosen at the warm contact, as if the best antidote for the stressful day she had was just this – a few minutes with this girl. Chiara was content to lose a hand in the blonde locks, scratching the skin with gentle fingers. Little by little, the tension that still resided on Penny’s shoulders evaporated, and Chiara could feel their mood shifting as the blonde breathed her in.
“Did something happen?”
It seemed only murmurs and whispers were appropriated for this conversation. Penny pulled away just enough to respond, still attached to Chiara.
“No, I… “, she sighed. “Nothing specific. Sometimes, there’s just too much to do. Too many meetings and clubs and reports to write. It’s a little overwhelming. But it gets better after a few minutes.”
“Oh. You need a break.”
As Penny nodded against her neck, Chiara’s mind started to work ways to help her. It was evident that the blonde has been stressed, and from the what Chiara knew of her, Penny wouldn’t dismiss her own responsibilities, nor ask for time in fear of disappointing her peers. Well, Chiara wasn’t allowed to meddle with her decisions, yet she could at least help her feel better. Under protests, Chiara stood up and asked for a pouting Penny to wait a few minutes. She left her bag and scurried away from the room, walking towards the kitchen.
The place was bustling with activity since dinner would be served in less than an hour. Heavy steaming pans and varied trays filled with food were scattered on the long tables, as elves took turns in organizing the dishes to perfection. So, Chiara approached one of them to ask to take a few items. In no time, she had a small basket with juicy steak and mashed potatoes, as well as crispy roast chicken and rice with broccoli. The elf had also prepared a bottle of juice, then added chocolate cake for dessert. Chiara beamed in appreciation, being sure to thank him for the help. She skipped to the classroom, proud of what she had come up with on short notice.
Sitting with her legs against her chest, Penny had her head turned to the window, contemplating the starry sky. She was lost in her own mind, not even noticing the creak of door opening, and Chiara took the opportunity to take in the sight. With her head resting on her knees, Penny seemed to make herself smaller, as if she wanted to disappear. Chiara longed to take the feeling away from her. Making her presence known with pointed footsteps, Chiara gave her an uncertain smile as she presented the contents of the basket. She realized how romantic her proposal seemed as she noticed the light blush on Penny’s cheeks. To her luck, before she could stammer a stream of apologies, Penny deposited a light kiss on her lips and started to unpack their dinner on the nearby table.
As they sat side by side on the windowsill, munching on the savory steak and the crispy chicken, Chiara watched as blue eyes turned brighter. The minutes passed by as the girls talked about the last few days, with Penny explaining how her friend Tonks’ had invented a prank competition with Tulip, making the life as a prefect hellish. As their friend, Penny used all her resources to not be the one in charge of investigating their pranks, because she didn’t know if she’d be capable of handing them over for punishment. And it made the prospect of Hogsmead weekend both exciting and dreadful, as it would also mean that Tonks and Tulip would go to Zonko’s to replenish their stocks. Chiara was content to listen to the girl talk, until her next words made her freeze.
“Uh… Y-You could come with me”, Penny fidgeted with her hands, her eyes hopeful. “To Hogsmead, I mean. We could grab some butterbeer, or go to the tea shop. I-I heard Madam Puddifoot has the most delicious treats and…”
The phrase trailed off when Penny took notice of Chiara’s tense posture. The next weekend brought the full moon. These days were taxing on Chiara, as she felt drained of strength and blood, making one think that she had come down with illness. A few hours before the moon rose, she felt weak, spending the better part of the day laying down in the back of the Hospital Wing to prepare for the upcoming transformation. Her diet consisted mostly of meat heavy dishes, as the protein helped her replenish her strength faster. So, although going out with Penny seemed like a dream to her, the full moon made the proposition impossible. Yet, the blonde didn’t know Chiara was a werewolf, so her negative answer only seemed like plain rejection. Seeing Penny’s eyes downcast broke her heart.
“No, no”, Chiara hurried to lift the blonde’s chin to look at her in the eyes. “I… I wish I could go to Hogsmead with you, drink tea and walk around. But this weekend, I just… I can’t. There’s something urgent I need to take care of. I’m sorry I can’t explain.”
Despite seeming to understand, the aura around Penny dimmed once more. She was disappointed with the negative, and Chiara’s heart ached at the sadness in her eyes. Penny had such a bright personality, that whenever she was down, the contrast was loud. Eager to fix it, Chiara rested a hand on her cheek and brushed their lips in apology. Penny responded at once, pulling the girl closer by the waist, and Chiara felt her heart race with joy. All she wanted was for Penny to understand that her answer didn’t reflect her feelings, that this negative wasn’t meant to be permanent. Chiara squeaked as the Penny pulled her to her lap, not wasting time reconnecting their lips. Chiara felt her body warm all over as they were flush against each other. She gave a playful bite on Penny’s lower lip, enjoying the way her cheeks flushed and her eyes dilated. The response was to bring their mouths back together, and Chiara swore she was drunk on the feeling.
In the dimming light of the room, Chiara felt pure bliss.
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That weekend, the dead of the night saw Penny wandering through the west side of the castle, lost in thought. It was much later than curfew allowed anyone to be out of their common room, and the blonde was on duty to make sure there were no students sneaking around to make out in darkened corners. Penny smiled at the irony when all she wanted was to have a certain silver-haired girl against a wall to press kisses on her lips. Chiara had been absent from class yesterday, and despite searching all around, the girl seemed to always be out of reach. For a moment, Penny had considered taking the matter to Professor Sprout, worried that Chiara had been sick or in need of help. The Hospital Wing was cleared, though.
Penny felt a bit hurt with the possibility that Chiara had been avoiding her. She was quick to shake that thought, however – Chiara was sweet, and she had given Penny no reason to believe that she didn’t want her company. The memory of Chiara saying that there was something she had to take care of during the weekend startled her. Of course, Chiara had said she would be occupied during the weekend. It was possible that instead of being sick, her absence was due to whatever she needed to resolve. In truth, Penny was a little upset with this mysterious previous commitment that had gotten in the way of their Hogsmead outing. She had been looking forward to the chance to take Chiara on a walk on the village, to have a nice dessert with a warm cup of tea, to get to hold her hand.
Groaning in frustration, Penny turned a corner to walk over the west entrance of the castle. She was upset, there was no denying it. Chiara had taken the effort to reassure her, the memory of their kisses was vivid on her mind. And Penny understood that the issue was the schedule, and in no moment Chiara had rejected the idea of them going out together. It gave her hope in the midst of her disappointment. As she stood by the windowsill, remembering the kiss they shared there, Penny caught a glimpse of white on the corner of her eye. When she turned around to check, the sight took all the air from her lungs.
There was a giant white wolf on the archway, the fur almost shimmering under the moonlight, staring at her with big light blue eyes just a few meters away. Penny froze in shock, unsure of how to get her muscles to move, or if one action would be enough to upset the creature. Despite her surprise, in no moment Penny considered to draw her wand. It was an odd feeling, completely irrational, to feel at ease in the presence of a being that could tear her apart with one strike of its sharp claws.
At once, the wolf pounced and Penny closed her eyes in acceptance of her fate. She didn’t expect to feel the creature circling her in excitement, rubbing its giant head on Penny’s abdomen and crying when the blonde remained limp. Letting out a startled chuckle, Penny gave in and patted their head with shaking hands. The white fur was silky under her fingers, and on instinct she moved to scratch behind their ears. Penny marveled as she watched the wolf melt against her, the nervous tail denouncing their excitement.
A bit out of breath, Penny sat on the windowsill, the wolf following her to drop their head on her lap. Their ears flickered, and they rubbed the head on Penny’s arms, asking for pets as if they were a household dog instead of a giant wild wolf. She giggled, using both hands to scratch behind their ears. It was mad to watch a giant creature be reduced to a pet with a couple of soft scratches. The moonlight entered through the large glass windows, and Penny took the time to admire the wolf in front of her. As if sensing her stare, they focused their eyes on her – light blue orbs held an unsettling intensity. The familiarity made Penny shiver.
She knew these eyes.
Laughing out of nervousness, Penny shook her head and closed her eyes. What a ridiculous idea had popped into her head. It couldn’t be. Her brain was playing tricks on her. Yet turning to the window, Penny gaped at the stunning full moon high on the sky, free of clouds to hide it. She felt lightheaded, recalling the tension on Chiara’s shoulders when Penny mentioned going out this weekend; her insistence that she had urgent matters to take care of; her absence from classes in the past day. But there could be another explanation for it, not involving werewolves and full moons. Looking back to the wolf, their stare remained on her, soft and patient. How could that be possible? Still incredulous about her wild hunch and analyzing the coincidences, Penny shook her head once more. Chances were that she was going mad, anyway. What was the harm of talking to a wolf? These eyes were too familiar to dismiss, their intensity unnerving, as if they were more intelligent than an ordinary wolf of the forest.
“Are you…? Circe. Are you my…?”, Penny hesitated, she felt mental with these words on her tongue. “Chiara?”
Suddenly alert, the giant wolf moved away from her to circle the corridor in excitement. They returned to her jumping on the windowsill and attempting to lie their long body on her lap, not understanding the concept that they were too large to fit. Their tail moved in a furry of emotions, and small groans seemed to want to communicate with Penny on a deeper level. The blonde felt the blood rush away from her face, too stunned to analyze the response she had gotten, yet unable to deny the strangeness of the situation. She forced herself to breathe, to think it over.
For all Penny had studied in Defense Against Dark Arts textbooks, werewolves were supposed to be dangerous beasts, bloodthirsty and violent. Undiscernible from an ordinary wolf in appearance. They were one’s worst nightmare, a natural predator who wouldn’t hesitate to mangle anyone in their path. Yet, the creature sprawled on her lap, looking up at her demanding head scratches seemed anything but dangerous. In the past, Penny had had a traumatizing encounter with a werewolf – one who yearned for blood and violence. That night took her friend from her, and Penny swore to herself to avoid werewolves at all costs ever since. However, this creature snuggled up on her lap didn’t have the eyes of a killer, didn’t inspire crippling fear nor gave her terrified chills.
Penny didn’t how to reconcile the two concepts in her head. If both statements had some truth to them, perhaps it would be wise to admit that not all werewolves were the same, and as such, each one should be judged on their own merits. Penny breathed out an agitated sigh, watching the enormous wolf rubbing their head on her abdomen once again. They were restless, likely more used to running through the woods instead of laying down.
With her heart hammering in her chest, Penny left a kiss on the top of their head, scratching behind their ears one last time. It was a mesmerizing sight to have such a majestic creature so close. The way they melted against her, trusting and sweet made her head fuzzy. Was it really possible that Chiara and this creature were one and the same? This evening had brought Penny more questions than answers. There was no further information available anymore.
“Go! Enjoy your night”, she whispered, receiving an animated groan in response. It made her giggle. “I don’t understand you, but I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
Watching the majestic white wolf running to the forbidden forest, Penny held a hand to her racing heart. At the edge of the trees, they turned back to her and let out a long howl that made Penny tremble. For the rest of the night, she couldn’t think of anything else.
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Ahead of lunchtime the next day, Penny marched through the corridors armed with a large plate with the juiciest medium rare meat the elves on the castle could cook. She had to be careful not to jostle it even with the lid, unless she wanted to spill the blood pooling on the bottom. Her focused stare kept the few people who met her on the corridors away, as most of the students were either in bed yet or getting dressed to go to the Great Hall. With purpose, Penny entered the Hospital Wing. She couldn’t think of anywhere else Chiara would spend the day, given that the textbooks all mentioned it took a werewolf a couple of days to recover from transformation.
Upon seeing Penny alone, Madam Pomfrey was about to ask about her symptoms when the blonde lifted the lid on the plate. With her heart hammering in her chest, Penny hoped that the matron wouldn’t make her say the words. Truth was, she was still in denial about the events of last evening. There too many coincidences to dismiss, though, and she had gone there on a hunch. With a raised eyebrow, Madam Pomfrey gave her a long look, then seeming to make a decision, she motioned for Penny to follow her through a door on the back of the room. Despite her dry mouth, Penny hurried after her with trembling hands. The woman stopped in front of an open door, and there it was Chiara.
The girl was lay down on the mattress, curled up in bed under a thick blanket. Her eyes were closed, and from where Penny stood her skin looked ghostly – so pale it seemed that a vampire had drained her. Breathless, Penny left the plate on the bedside and sat down on the chair in front of the mattress. It was real. Her random hunch in the middle of the evening was true. Still trembling with the whirlwind of emotions, Penny rested a hand on the girl’s arm – the skin was icy, and Penny rubbed a hand over to warm it up. She regretted it when light blue eyes stared back at her, unblinking.
Penny gaped for a moment, before deciding on her words.
“Hi. I’m sorry, go to back to sleep”, the blonde left a kiss on her frigid hand. Frowning, Penny brought it to her mouth and blew hot air on the skin.
Chiara crooked her head to the side in confusion, much like her wolf form did last evening. The coincidence made Penny chuckle in disbelief. It was beyond endearing. Chiara’s eyes were wide, and despite not uttering a word, Penny knew that she wouldn’t go back to sleep any time soon. Now awake, she started sniffing around. Something had caught her nose and she was restless in her attempt to find it. All of a sudden, her eyes fixated on the bedside table, licking her lips. Penny felt her chest ache, resisting the urge to plant a kiss on her mouth. It wasn’t the time, as the girl was not in the right state of mind to accept this type of affection. Thus, Penny grabbed the plate from the bedside table and brought it on the level of Chiara’s eyes. She sat down on the bed, devouring the pieces of meat with gusto, seeming to approve of the taste as her eyes brightened with each bite.
Penny could barely believe how much affection fit in her chest. As her heart expanded watching Chiara clean a plate with a pile of meat, she feared her feelings still had plenty of space to grow.
---------------------------
It had been a few weeks since the full moon. Penny had spent that afternoon with Chiara, a bit nervous about the state she had been in. Despite Madam Pomfrey’s repeated reassurances that the girl’s strength would return with a couple of days, her worries remained. Such feelings were unexpected, as Penny couldn’t recall a time she felt quite so protective of anyone. The urge to take care of Chiara was a bit maddening to her own ears, as all her senses wanted the girl in her arms, looked after, safe. Penny had felt a bit ridiculous not wanting to leave the Hospital Wing, and Madam Pomfrey could see it in her eyes. The matron smiled at her and assured that Chiara would be able to walk out on her own the next day. It all happened as predicted, except that when Penny had walked out of the common room to pick her up, Chiara had been upstairs in the shower.
Misunderstandings aside, all had been well. Penny had been nervous that her finding out on her own about such an intimate part of Chiara’s life would upset the girl, or make her recoil into her shell. All Penny didn’t want was to be pushed away, yet the opposite happened. As she was more aware of her surroundings and the events from the night, Chiara had pressed herself into Penny’s arms and shed a few tears. She had told Penny that it was relief that she knew, explained how afraid she had been that Penny would pull away with the news. They both recognized their own fears mirrored in the other, and worked to clarify any doubts that could still linger.
Except for their evident feelings for each other, and where they stood.
“When I felt your scent nearby, I just had to run to you. The only thought in my mind was to reach you. It’s difficult to rationalize that it was not a good idea, or how it might scare you to see a giant creature that most wizards are terrified of.”
Chiara had her eyes downcast at the confession, yet held on to Penny’s hand as she explained herself. It was fascinating to hear about her conscience while in wolf form, how her thought process changed and she mostly responded to her instincts. Penny found it even more endearing that, when catching her scent, all Chiara wanted to do was go to her.
“Your wolf is stunning”, she marveled, recalling the majestic creature on her lap. “And ridiculously captivating. I didn’t even have time to be afraid of her, I was just taken.”
Despite her blush, Chiara raised her head to meet Penny’s stare. Her eyes were bright with affection, and a small grin danced on her lips.
“Not the description one uses for a werewolf often”, she squeezed the blonde’s hand. “I appreciate it more than I know how to say it.”
Penny was in deep trouble.
That was her last thought as her friends arrived in the Great Hall that afternoon. Tonks had been narrating a story to Tulip in obvious excitement, the conspiratory tone raising her interest. Something was up, and unless it involved pranks around the castle, Penny was all ears. Tonks waited for Amber and Rowan to join them to start from the beginning. In the meantime, Penny made herself a mug of strawberry tea, as Tulip teased the news as if it had the potential to change the dynamic of their friend group. That sparked Penny’s interest more. As soon as the girls were all seated, Tonks started.
“Jae bought a bunch of roses”, she waited until the questions arrived to maintain the suspense. “He’s finally going to ask Chiara out.”
All blood rushed out of Penny’s face, and she tried to swallow the cotton in her throat to formulate her thoughts. Who did Tonks mean? It couldn’t be her Chiara, could it? No. However, running the list of names in her mind, Penny knew there was only one Chiara in Hogwarts. It made a cold sweat form on her back. Jae Kim was her friend, yet much closer to Tonks and Amber than to Penny. It was not surprising that she had no idea who he fancied. She didn’t remember him being interested in anyone in particular in the last few years, always too busy running his business to go out on a date. Or so Penny had thought. Now, Tonks announced that not only he had a crush on Chiara, but he had bought roses to ask her out.
Penny felt like throwing up.
“What? Why now? I never thought this day would come?”, Amber asked, her eyes alight.
“Wait, am I the only one who didn’t know he had a crush on Chiara?”, Rowan inquired, baffled at the name.
“I didn’t either”, Penny rasped, coughing and taking a sip of her tea to mask her shock.
“Thank you, Penny! When did this happen? Chiara is so shy, I’m not sure how she’ll react to this.”
Penny wanted to agree with Rowan out loud, but her voice was odd to her own ears. Her thoughts were scattered, and she wanted to know more about this revelation. She was so blindsided by this. Amber explained along Tonks that Jae had a harmless crush on Chiara since last year, and how adorable it was to see him become shy around her. They had added that Jae had never had the courage to talk to her beyond a couple of words, but that Chiara had always been kind to him. Tonks couldn’t say what had motivated him to ask her out now, yet she seemed to be brimming with excitement to know what would happen, having already started a bet with Tulip about the outcome. Tonks thought that Chiara would decline his invitation, but remain polite about it. On the other hand, Tulip gambled that Chiara would give him one date, then bail. If she wasn’t freaking out inwardly, Penny would have chastised her friends for being so pessimistic about something important to Jae.
“Uh, I don’t know. You said she’s kind to him, but if you spend five minutes with Chiara, you’ll know she’s kind to everyone.”
Penny wanted to hug Rowan in appreciation, too lost in her musings to know what to say to this. Her body rejected the idea with vengeance. Jae, or anyone, asking out the girl she had feelings for made her sick and fearful. She couldn’t even bring herself to find it funny nor adorable. Part of her wanted to scream that they were together, that Chiara was taken and Jae couldn’t ask her out. Yet, a small voice in her head counter argued that this wasn’t true; Chiara wasn’t taken. The girl had said no to Penny’s date. Granted, she understood it was because of the full moon, but there hadn’t been time to ask her out again as Penny was planning an outing Chiara would be happy with. Therefore, Chiara wasn’t her girlfriend. As far as Penny knew, their arrangement could be a casual one. Who’s to say that Chiara didn’t want to go out on a date with Jae? Penny felt a headache incoming at all her fears drowning her brain. She drank her tea to occupy her mouth.
“Don’t be pessimistic, Rowan. Let him try. He bought flowers”, Amber chuckled. She placed her bet under the YES column, and wrote that Chiara would go on three dates with him.
Penny looked over to Chiara, on the opposite end of the Hufflepuff table, reading from a hardcover copy of Jane Eyre she had borrowed from Penny, while she munched on a few biscuits. She seemed peaceful, having no idea she was the main character on the gossip around the table today. Penny wondered what the girl wanted; if she would be receptive towards his advances; if she even liked roses. It struck Penny that she didn’t know Chiara’s favorite flower. Suddenly, as if sensing her stare, Chiara looked up to Penny, and the blonde felt her heart react to light blue eyes. Frowning, the girl crooked her head to the side in a silent question. She could tell something was amiss. Penny averted her eyes to the door, and there it was Jae with a small bouquet of red roses.
The girls couldn’t stifle a gasp beside her, and Penny wished that the ground opened under her to take her away. She couldn’t watch this, and couldn’t answer Chiara’s silent question. Thus, Penny mumbled an excuse about forgetting something in the library, and bolted out of the room as if a death eater was hot on her heels. As soon as the Great Hall was out of sight, she felt tears brimming. She kept on walking without a destination in mind, and only stopped when she realized she had reached the quidditch field. Stifling a sob in her robes, Penny ran up the stairs to the empty stands. There wasn’t a game today, and the Slytherin training had ended over an hour ago, making the stadium a perfect place to be alone.
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Chiara couldn’t shake the heaviness on her chest. The sadness in Penny’s eyes bothered her beyond words. Then, the blonde had left the room in a hurry, wouldn’t meet Chiara’s stare. It was unsettling, and all her concentration that had been on the book turned to Penny. Something had happened, and she had half a mind to follow the blonde to talk to her, or at least offer her a hug when a throat cleared. Snapping out of her musings, Chiara raised her head to find Jae Kim standing on the other side of the table, with a small bouquet of roses in hand. The vision was an odd one, as if it didn’t quite fit in this place. Frowning, Chiara wondered if he needed help with something. On an ordinary day, she wouldn’t mind, but the look on Penny’s face made her restless, and if Jae wasn’t there, Chiara would have already been on her way to find her.
“H-Hey, Chiara!”, Jae exclaimed, his tone a bit too loud for the environment. Chiara gave him a small smile, wondering why there was strained laughter from Penny’s group of friends. “W-What’s the crack?”
Chiara closed her book, holding it to her chest. She didn’t know why he sounded so nervous, but there was something amiss. Her plan was to see what Jae needed and be on her way. As soon as the thought formed in her mind, a storm begun outside with a loud thunder. It startled her.
“I’m alright. Is everything okay, Jae? You seem nervous.”
He let out a forced laugh, running a hand through his hair. At last, he took a deep breath, as if preparing himself to execute an arduous task. His voice trembled, and Chiara wondered for a moment if it wasn’t better to bring him to the Hospital Wing. She would let Madam Pomfrey take care of that one, as her worry for Penny fogged her judgement, which was never good when treating maladies. That is, until she made sense of his words. She must’ve misheard him.
“Wondering, I-I… ah. Merlin, I was wondering if you… Er… Yes, I was wondering if you would go out with me sometime.”
Chiara blinked. She eyed his state, then the flowers being crushed in his hand and gawked. Feeling the blood rush to her cheeks, she realized he was in fact asking her out on a date. It made her hands tremble out of sheer shock. That proposal came out of nowhere. They barely spoke to each other, and even then, it never surpassed the basic greetings. In her head, Chiara wondered if she had ever done anything that might have given him any hope, and came up empty. There wasn’t anything she had done that might’ve leaded him on. Realizing too much time had passed with her lost in thought, Chiara shook herself.
“I’m sorry, Jae. I… “, she looked him in the eye, wondering what was the best way to let him down with kindness. When she thought about a date, only one name came to mind. It was unfortunate that Penny hadn’t asked again after the first time. The fact remained that there wasn’t space for anyone else in her life in a romantic way. Penny had claimed everything. “I’m taken.”
The words had left her mouth before she could think them over. She watched as Jae’s eyes widened at the same time as hers, both caught off guard with the phrase. She blushed, albeit for a different reason this time. Penny and Chiara had so much to talk through, and despite the nature of their relationship still being unresolved, the statement was true. Chiara had handed Penny her heart after their first kiss in that tiny broom closet. From then on, she could only hope that Penny chose to take care of it instead of crushing it. But it was undeniable, Chiara was taken. She did want to go on a date, but not with him.
After a second, Jae’s shoulders dropped and he left the crushed roses on the table. Chiara felt bad for him. It was a sweet gesture, and if her feelings towards him were different, the flowers would have her delighted – even though she wasn’t very fond of roses. He analyzed her face for a moment, trying to decide if her words were just an excuse. Chiara didn’t blame him. It was rare to see anyone around her. She had few friends. For all the castle knew, she wasn’t seeing anybody. They couldn’t have known of her private affairs with Penny. Not that the girls were hiding, but they hadn’t even talked about their situation with each other. For Chiara, that conversation was long overdue.
“It’s okay. Uh… these are for you”, he pushed the roses towards her, and now there were more petals on the table than tied to the stem button. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Thank you. These are beautiful. I’m sorry this didn’t turn out the way you wanted, Jae.”
She mustered a small smile, yet her attention deviated when muffled “I WIN!” came from the middle of the table, followed by light admonishments. Chiara knew it had come from the spot where Penny usually sat, and raised her eyebrow in Jae’s direction. She wondered if the girls were giggling about something else, or if they had heard them. Jae’s voice was louder than usual, but the chatter around the Great Hall would drown the words, wouldn’t it? However, once aware of the scene, Chiara felt the nagging feeling of stares on them. Had the entire hall been paying attention to their interaction all this time? It made her uncomfortable.
“Eh… don’t worry. It’s just my friends. They’re probably wondering how did it go”, he flushed, fidgeting.
“Wait, they knew you were coming to ask me this?”, Chiara inquired, realization hitting her in the chest.
“Yeah, I suppose. Tonks knew and she has a big mouth. She was probably running bets, the prick.”
Chiara closed her eyes with a silent curse, which he mistook for embarrassment for anyone gossiping about her business. He had no way of knowing her mortification was for Penny, and what she must’ve felt knowing her friend was on the way to ask Chiara out. Was that jealousy, or just hurt? Chiara wasn’t fond of any of the options. Thus, she thanked Jae once more for the flowers, and grabbed her bag to leave. There was a bad feeling around this. Rushing her steps, Chiara made a mental list of places to look for Penny. It was evident that the girl would be upset, and Chiara had the familiar urge to reassure and protect blossoming.
The first stop was the common room and the dorms, rationalizing that if the girl wanted privacy and space, both of these would be empty at this hour, as everyone was supposed to be at the Great Hall. It was a dead end, as were the showers. Then, Chiara followed to the library, but the doors were locked, which meant Madam Pince was out and the place was empty. She checked the abandoned classroom near the dungeons they used a few times, the west entrance, and even the room of requirements. Not one living soul. Huffing to herself, Chiara forced her mind to remember every conversation they shared, which places had Penny mentioned that calmed her. Anything useful.
“I love gardens, especially flowery ones. My mom has herbs all over our backyard, and we use them to brew potions. I guess she and granny passed onto me their love for it.”
Nope, too far. And the flower patches in Hogwarts were scattered through the grounds, or in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. Both options were unlikely.
“I like taking walks. It feels like my brain turns off for a while. It’s peaceful, but nothing beats the quidditch stadium after a match. The silence of that space can be so loud. It drowns anything else.”
With a gasp, Chiara eyed the glass windows as the rain fell hard against them. Penny wouldn’t be out with the weather raging like this, would she? The grounds were soaked with the hour of violent water falling; and if the cold rain wasn’t enough to discourage the daring souls, the potent gusts of wind did. As another lightening covered the sky, and Chiara had her answer. Penny was brave enough to face cursed vaults and dangerous magical creatures, rain wouldn’t faze her. Not to mention the storm hadn’t even started by the time the girl left the Great Hall. While her thoughts ran wild, Chiara rushed through the corridors to the fastest route to the quidditch stadium.
As soon as her feet touched the puddles on the grass, the frigid shower damped her clothes – almost as if one had emptied a full bucket on her head. Every now and then, a thunder startled her, making her hand rest on her chest the whole path. Reaching the arena, her clothes stuck to her skin and the only reason her bag had escaped was because of the impervious charm she had casted on it. Or so she hoped. Cold to the bones, Chiara persisted in her search. She walked over the stands and scanned the seats for the girl who had captured her heart. A new lightening covered the sky, giving Chiara the perfect vision of the sole form curled up on the other side of the arena.
With her heart wanting to beat out of her chest, Chiara sprinted towards the area, afraid that if she took too long the girl would disappear. What a silly thought. When she reached Penny, all air seemed to leave her lungs with the effort. She sat beside her to catch her breath, leaning her back on the wood to stare upwards. The sky was a shade of grey that denounced there was more water to fall, and light mist covered the soaked grass of the field. The only noise reverberating through the space was the rainfall and the wind, which did drown anything else. Penny had been right, it was peaceful.
The sudden presence beside her, startled Penny. Her eyes were reddish and Chiara felt her heart sink. How could Penny think Chiara’s heart belonged to another? Silly witch.
Trembling, Penny focused her stare on Chiara, taking the time to scan all her micro expressions, the twinkle in her eyes, the curved-up shape of her lips. Penny couldn’t find an answer for the question that had been plaguing her mind ever since she left the Great Hall. Chiara, for her part, allowed the girl to do her inspection, feeling that there was something she needed to find. As Penny ended her search on her face, she moved to Chiara’s bag – and escaping from the half-opened zipper was a few stems of roses, the petals having been lost on the way here. Even with the rain falling, Chiara could see fresh tears forming on her eyes.
“You said yes”, Penny sobbed, her chest tightening in the worst way.
On the next second, Chiara gathered the blonde in her arms, holding her close to her chest. It saddened Chiara to see her in such a state, especially for something that couldn’t be further from the truth. The whole idea that Chiara would accept to go on a date with anyone else was ludicrous, it twisted her stomach into knots. She could imagine if the situation was reversed, and someone asked Penny out. How crestfallen she would be at the mere possibility of losing the girl in her arms. But such conjectures shouldn’t cause so much suffering in them. It wasn’t real, just a ghost of a thought, a possibility. Penny had to know that Chiara didn’t plan on going anywhere.
With that thought, Chiara pulled away a little to press their lips together, using the hand behind the blonde’s neck to bring them closer. Penny responded at once, grasping onto Chiara’s robes to keep her in place. The notion that Chiara would rather be anywhere else was ridiculous, yet her heart soared knowing that Penny wanted this as much as she did. Brushing their tongues together, Chiara got lost in the sensation of Penny’s lips on her own, dismissing the thought of her soaked clothes and the frigid temperature. After a moment, Chiara pulled away to pepper short kisses on Penny’s lips before moving out of reach. The dazed look in Penny’s face didn’t match her reddish eyes.
“Uh, I’ve been meaning to ask… what are you doing this weekend?”, the trembling tone was not only because of the freezing air. Penny crooked her head to the side, still not making sense of the words. “Visitation to Hogsmead is allowed then. We could have an afternoon tea, maybe? Or… Or if you’d rather a more adventurous outing, we could buy some candy at Honeydukes and visit the Shrieking Shack. It’s not really haunted. Oh, I was thinking I could take you to a picnic in the Forbidden Forest! As a wolf, I could’ve sworn that I stumbled upon a patch of nightshade. And Hagrid says he’s seen unicorns in the area, so we could hunt for some hair or even a piece of horn laying around for your potions. That is, if you want.”
Gawking, Penny couldn’t believe her ears. Chiara was asking her out on a date. After watching Jae walking up to her in the Great Hall, fleeing the scene, only to see his flowers in her bag, Penny had assumed the worst. How could she not? She spent long minutes drowning in her own insecurities, remembering the first time she asked was not well received. Even if Chiara had a very reasonable excuse, the rejection stayed with Penny. Yet, now Chiara looked at her with such earnest and unbridled affection that it was hard not to believe this. The uncertainty in her stare told Penny she was also afraid of a negative response. It seemed that they shared the same insecurities when it came to one another. The cycle had to end.
Penny chuckled in disbelief.
“Anything with you is wonderful to me.”
The light in Chiara’s eyes brightened, and she could feel the smile stretch on her face. It made them laugh. Penny felt warmth fill her body and pressed a kiss to Chiara’s lips, their teeth making it hopeless to maintain the contact. Penny felt a squeal of excitement stuck in her throat, the joy inside her yearning to bust out somehow. It manifested in the softness of her stare, and the insistent smile on her face. In that moment, heaven was no longer a dream.
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“But what about the flowers?”, Penny wondered aloud as they strolled back to the castle, in no hurry to reach it.
Chiara made a mental note to check if she had pepperup potion in her bag, or if she’d need to pick up some vials at the Hospital Wing. Perhaps Penny did have them in her trunk. The last thing she wanted was for Penny to fall ill. She heard the question amid her musings.
“Uh… Oh”, confused for a moment, Chiara then recalled the rose stems in her bag. She squeezed Penny’s hand in her own, amused. “Can I tell you a secret?”
Penny nodded at once, eager to learn more about Chiara. It wasn’t to anyone that the girl offered information so easily. It warmed Penny’s heart to have a private look into her thoughts.
“I find roses to be rather… bland”, Chiara murmured with an awkward grin on her face. “There are far more interesting flowers out there. Meaningful and beautiful flowers. Roses are such an uninspired choice. A generic flower, a cliché in a bad way.”
Penny was stunned and highly amused. She couldn’t believe that Chiara considered a staple of classic romance to be bland, yet the opinion was rather fitting. Penny made a note to herself to never present Chiara with roses of any kind. It made her thrilled to know there was a future for them, and the small details to keep in mind only filled her with excitement. She had been cataloguing Chiara’s tastes and thoughts already, fascinated with every piece of the girl she was offered. Now, she knew rather than haunt her, this knowledge would be useful for their relationship. Penny could barely contain herself. She also felt a bit relieved that Jae had gotten the one flower Chiara seemed to despise. Despite being his friend, Penny couldn’t help her feelings. They would have to talk about this soon, yet at the moment, all her attention was centered on Chiara.
“Also, there was the fact that I would only say yes to you”, Chiara shrugged, as if the information didn’t make Penny’s heart stop for a second.
With a fluttering in her chest, Penny changed their route and pressed Chiara onto a wall on the lateral of the castle, glueing their mouths together. Chiara only crossed her arms around her neck, responding to the kiss while suppressing an excited laugh in her chest. She felt a bit delirious, drunk on the feeling of having Penny so close as the storm still raged on.
Well, they weren’t in a hurry anyway.
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It was a few days later that Penny reunited enough courage to talk to Jae in private. With Chiara’s soft reassurances, the blonde sat down with him in the kitchen during detention, and explained how Chiara and she had been dancing around each other since the secret party, and that their relationship had blossomed into something she cherished deeply. He listened to the story with rapt attention and a light blush on his cheeks, as embarrassed as Penny herself. She was afraid he would be upset, or made certain to tell him that she didn’t know of his crush on Chiara before, that she had no intention of hurting him. Right then, Jae interrupted her, very firm in his assurance that he understood and wasn’t angry – perhaps a bit disconcerted for meddling in their relationship without knowing. He seemed concerned that he had caused them problems. He confessed that he had been disappointed when Chiara turned him down, but it was a harmless crush. Life moved on.
In the end, it all had been clarified and Penny felt relieved that her relationship with Chiara wouldn’t cause issues or a divide within her friend group. Right after telling Jae, he insisted that he should go with her to break the news to their friends. Jae had a blast watching their shocked expressions. They all broke into a mess of interjections, exclaiming how there were no signs that Penny was dating anyone, let alone the resident introvert. Rowan’s first comment was that Chiara had taste, which led to Penny’s blushing cheeks and plenty of mocking from the rest of the group. Tonks had joked that Penny only left the room when Jae was about to ask Chiara out not to hex him on the spot.
“Eh, we’ll be even after a proper duel”, Penny winked, making Jae turn a bit pale.
Tonks and Tulip wasted no time in running bets on it.
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Their first official date happened on a Saturday morning, as Penny refused to wait any more time and permission to go to Hogsmead was only in the afternoon. Her eyes shined at the opportunity to spend time with Chiara and hunt for potion ingredients as well. Thus, the girls left for the Forbidden Forest with a picnic basket in hand. The path they took was covered in moss and fallen branches, seeming not meant for humans to brave through. The tall, crooked trees and the cold air would be ominous if it wasn’t for Chiara’s hand in her own. It was impressive how her mere presence was a comfort to Penny, how it made her feel protected and safe. Their walk was spent with light conversation, and about half an hour in, the bushes started to turn greener and a multitude of flowers surrounded them. Penny felt a gasp in her throat at how mesmerizing the sight was, it didn’t even seem to be inside such a haunting forest. She wasn’t one for exploring the woods often, and only now realized just how well Chiara knew this place, as she transformed every month there.
A few hours later, Chiara and Penny were seen sprawled on the soft blanket in the middle of a clearing among the tall trees. They had just lay down, as the previous hour was spent collecting leaves, poisonous berries and even small pieces of branches. When Chiara found a few strands of unicorn hair hidden in the bushes, she swore she had never seen Penny’s eyes with such unbridled joy. With the few kisses she got as a reward, Chiara made a mental note for her wolf to search for potion ingredients every full moon.
After lunch and their rather productive search, Penny lay with her face hidden in Chiara’s neck, their legs a mess of limbs, lost in the sensation Chiara’s nails scratching her lower back. During their time together, Penny had been cataloguing every bit of Chiara she could, especially the small details – how she took her tea; how it took a while for her to be alert in the mornings; which book genres took her attention; what were her favorite flowers. There was so much to find out, and Penny felt the quiet joy of one who had time to figure it out. They were together, and thus she had the pleasure of discovering each information with time. For some reason, it was unexpected when she realized that Chiara had been doing the same. It seemed that the girl had catalogued more useful information though, as Chiara was quick to discover that Penny turned into mush when Chiara scratched her head or the skin of her lower back.
At the moment, taking full advantage of the knowledge, Chiara enjoyed the afternoon in a state of pure bliss. Their conversation was in murmurs and whispers, ranging from the pranks Tonks and Tulip were still setting up on the castle, which drove Penny a bit mad with worry, to their future careers. Chiara dreamed of becoming a Healer and working in St. Mungos, as the hospital was a reference in the United Kingdom for medical maladies. Though, her parents still cultivated the faint hope that she chose to stay in Florence, where her family came from. It divided the girl a little bit, and Penny understood. On the other hand, Penny wasn’t sure she wanted to stay in Britain. Professor Snape had been in contact with his connections, striving to find her a suitable residency to be a master potioneer. When they sat down to discuss the best programs around the world, Professor Snape had been rather emphatic on her considering Moscow, in Russia – the General Apothecary had a stellar reputation, having formed the finest potion-makers in the globe. As it was, Penny was on the fence about what she wanted.
“Moscow sounds exciting”, Chiara whispered against blonde hair.
“You think so?”
“Of course. It is a challenge, yes, but you love these. There’s one of the most difficult languages, the best minds to help you reach your full potential. Think of the ingredients and the potions you’ll only find there. Not to mention, you get to see the Bolshoi.”
“You like ballet?”, Penny left her hiding place to face Chiara. Now that was interesting information.
“I mean, it’s a beautiful form of art.”
“But…”
Interrupting her own sentence, Penny felt a light blush on her cheeks. She couldn’t help but wonder how their career choices would affect their new connection. She was aware that their dreams had to be the priority when making this decision, and Penny would be the first to tell Chiara to choose the place that would help her the most in achieving the career she wanted. However, would it be possible for them to survive living in two different continents? Penny was afraid of the answer, and part of her felt silly to be so affected by it when there was a full year until graduation.
With one glance, Chiara seemed to read her thoughts.
“Hey, don’t worry about us”, she pulled Penny for a light kiss. “Don’t. We both passed our apparition exams; there is the floo network, and portkeys, not to mention time. We’re both witches, we’ll figure it out.”
Penny felt her heart soar at the assured tone, as if Chiara was certain their future would be intertwined. Almost at the end of the sixth year, Penny knew that this should be the last of her worries, and with Chiara on her side, her security was contagious. Penny dropped the subject to occupy her mouth with something far more pleasant.
“Also, do you really think that I would miss the opportunity to watch the Bolshoi?”, Chiara gasped, feeling Penny’s teeth stop their path on her neck.
“Oh, so you’d only visit me to see the ballerinas?”
There was a mischievous glint in Chiara’s eyes, in clear intent to ease Penny’s worries. They still had the final year at Hogwarts, and Chiara would rather they handled this matter without unnecessary nervousness looming over them. Despite their first kiss only happening a couple of months ago, the girls were certain their relationship would endure outside the castle walls. The thought made the butterflies in Chiara’s stomach take flight.
“I hear they’re stunning ballerin-… Ouch”, Penny gave a soft bite on her jaw in retaliation, making sure to soothe the skin with her lips.
“I hope you know that I’ll remember that when you visit me.”
“It's a deal”, Chiara whispered against her lips.
Penny had trouble keeping the grin out of her face long enough to continue kissing her. With Chiara’s hand on her hair, and their entire lives ahead of them, Penny thought there were worse problems to have.