Written for Thanatos Angelos Girl's 24 Hours of Romance Challenge at HPFC.

Four Moments

. . . blood

Her cheek is dripping blood, just slightly. He notices from the corner of his eye. Yes, he's stuck around to fight. No, he doesn't want to. She runs past him, not sending a curse his way, and he doesn't send one back because he went to school with her and always thought she was pretty and accidentally touched her hand once at the Yule Ball.

. . . clover

She likes tutoring the first years in Charms. It's fun and it gets her mind off a certain red-haired boy. She's in the middle of helping a first year charm a clover into having an extra leaf when he enters the classroom, patting down his Slytherin green tie – green like the clover – and says, "Is Professor Flitwick here? I've got my extra credit."

"No," she says genially, because he's never been that bad, really, "but if you want to give it to me I'll make sure he gets it."

He trusts her for one reason or another and leaves the paper on the desk behind her and walks out without saying another word.

. . . storm

It's storming out, a summer storm even though it's October. He walks down the hallway, late to class, and bumps into her, headed to the library. Her books fly everywhere. She's been crying.

"You okay?" he asks, and helps her up.

"Fine, thank you," she replies curtly.

She trots quickly down the hall and a crazy idea comes to him. "You going to Slughorn's party?"

"Yes, with Cormac McLaggen."

And she's already gone around the corner and he's not quite dejected.

. . . diamonds

The snowflakes twinkle like falling diamonds in the night sky. Her best friend and fellow prefect has begged her to check the Astronomy Tower tonight and not him – it's too cold for his liking. But she can't get enough of the snow and so she lifts her face up to it and smiles as they fall upon her lashes.

"Nice night."

It's a boy. He's smoking atop the Astronomy Tower at midnight and she should get him in trouble but instead she smiles as she makes out his distinctive eyes and smile in the darkness and nods and pretends she never saw him as she returns to the warmness of the castle.

"All good up there? You were gone for a while." her friend asks, and she thinks he looks handsome in his concern.

"All good."