A tall, gangly teenage boy with straggly, long black hair sat beneath an apple tree that overlooked the great lake. He was pretending to revise for his potions O.W.L., but the real reason he had ventured from the library was to watch her. She was down by the water, dangling her legs over the edge of the water, her lily-white toes skimming the black-glass surface of the lake. She was sat with her friend, Mary; the two were clearly taking a revision break in order to make the most of the rarity that was the brilliant Scottish sunshine. The two girls began to playfully kick water at each other with their feet, giggling and screaming as they did so. The sight of her beautiful smile lighting up her perfect emerald green eyes warmed his ever-cooling heart. She really was stunning; the way the bright summer sun made her deep auburn hair shine was remarkable.
The boy could have gazed upon her beauty all day if circumstances had permitted, but unfortunately, they didn't permit. Angry began to bubble in his chest and he began to notice the Potter boy's line of vision; how dare he look at her like that. An arrogant, egotistical berk like Potter didn't deserve someone as brilliant as her.
Suddenly, the boy was whipped up into the air by some invisible force and suspended above the ground by his ankle. Now he was really angry.
"Who wants to see me take off Snivellus' undies?" the Potter boy jeered to the gathering crowd.
However, before Potter could receive an answer, she entered the scene, hands on hips, scowling at Potter,
"Leave him alone, Potter," she spat,
Potter grinned at her, making the poor upside-down boy's skin crawl,
"Calm down Evans, I'm only having a bit of fun!"
Potter did not let the boy down.
"James Potter you arrogant toe-rag, let him down!" she drew her wand,
"Alright, alright! Merlin, keep your wig on…" Potter muttered, letting the boy drop in an ungainly heap on the floor.
Anger and embarrassment flooded the boy, and before he could help himself, he spat the vilest words he could think of at his saviour,
"I don't need your help, mudblood!"
She gasped, taken aback at such words coming from his mouth. She narrowed her perfect, almond shaped green eyes and him and glared. Before he knew it, he was up in the air once again,
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO HER LIKE THAT!" Potter came gallantly to her rescue, much to the poor boy's dismay. Although, he probably deserved it; he was been cursing himself ever since he had let that awful word escape his lips.
"Don't bother, James, he's not worth the effort," she said in an eerily quiet and calm manner.
She flashed the boy one last pitying look, before stalking away, linking her arm through the crook of her friend Mary's once again and venturing towards the castle.
That night he had waited outside the Gryffindor common room, waiting for her to come out, pleading with every person to ask to her to please, come outside.
Finally she appeared. The boy grovelled; begging and pleading with her to please, accept his apology. His effort was in vain. With one single word he had managed to destroy the one thing in the world that meant anything to him.
The moment she disappeared back through the portrait hole, his heart shattered into a million pieces. He loved her. Unrequitedly. He would for the rest of his life. A single tear rolled down his pale cheek, and two words escaped his lips,
"I'm yours."