Albus and I had never really got along, until he decided to mature at the start of sixth year. Since then, me and Albus being kind to each other, wasn't such an unusual occurrence. During our last two years at Hogwarts, we had spent a lot of time together. He had agreed to tutor me in Transfiguration, as long as I helped him out in Potions, we had even stopped calling each other by our surnames, and decided we were on a first name basis.
Then came the casual hugs, that seemed to last a little bit longer each time, the play fights after all the other players had left Quidditch practice, and the 'accidental' touches, his hand lingering on the small of my back, me lightly running my fingers over his chest, after healing another broken rib from quidditch; we both stop apologizing after the first few times. Sometimes, at night when we were alone studying in the corner of the common room, I'd catch him staring at me with this look on his face, like he was confused, but not necessarily about Potions, and that would usually be the time when I would feign tiredness and escape back to the safety of my dormitory.
Towards the end of our final year, we both dropped whatever guards were left, and many a time Albus would just lay with his head on my lap while I sat on the common room sofa reading, the fingers of my free hand drawing messy constellations on his chest. But it had never been anything more, my fingers lingering on his cheek, wiping away mud he was splashed with during practice or his hand cupping my face after he had tucked a stray stand of hair behind my ear. Neither of us asked questions, and neither did anybody else. That was it. But the Friday night before the graduation ceremony, we kissed.
It was around half past two in the morning, and Albus and I were wandering the empty corridors of Hogwarts, after bailing on a rather tedious game of 'Truth or Dare' with the rest of the Gryffindor seventh years. Albus was somehow shirtless and I was sporting a rather short pair of pajama shorts, his sixth year jersey and my quidditch socks. We were both fairly intoxicated, so naturally neither of us cared what time it was and how bloody awful we would feel the next day.
We eventually reached the kitchens, and as Albus half stumbled through the door, I jumped onto his back. He caught my legs and spun us around until we got to the middle of the room. I screamed and laughed, hiding my head in the space between his neck and shoulder, and listening to the quiet rumbling of his own laughter. We were both out of breath when he finally fell down onto one of the benches of a huge table that dominated the middle of the room. I landed on the table, and fell onto my back, still laughing. The kitchens were in darkness, apart from a few candles dotted around, and I couldn't help noticing how the light reflected off the muscles on his back. I ignored the stream of butterflies fluttering up my throat from my stomach and decided to concentrate on breathing. Albus spun around in his seat and smirked at me. I sat up and raised an eyebrow back.
"What?" I asked, blushing slightly when he lost the smirk, and started just staring at me.
"Dance with me," He said, standing up and offering me his hand.
I placed my hand in his, used to his rather erratic behavior, and stepped down onto the bench. "You do realize there's no music, right?" I asked, smiling at him.
"Ahh well Jessica," He replied, lifting me from the bench and spinning me around, leading us to where there was more space. "It's easily fixed."
He snapped his fingers quietly, and a small house elf appeared who smiled brightly at us.
"Any chance of some music Hazel please?" He asked, beaming down at the house elf.
She snapped her fingers, and a piano piece I recognized as 'Kiss the Rain, by Yiruma' played quietly, from an unknown source.
"Thank you," Albus smiled, patting the little house elf's head. She bowed slightly, and disappeared away. He turned back to me and smirked. "Problem solved,"
"Okay," I replied, amazed.
"I've always wanted to do this," Albus laughed as he pulled me into him.
We stumbled awkwardly at first, and Al mostly span me around in the air while I laughed. After a while, I returned to solid ground and Albus placed his hands on my waist, as I rested mine on his shoulders. He grinned at me, and we began turning in a slow circle. I shifted so that both of my hands and my head was rested on his bare chest. I couldn't help but smile, as his hands shifted onto the small of my back.
"You do know that this is totally amazing, right?" I murmured, pulling back so I could look at him, my hands moving to his neck. I didn't care how close our faces where, the candle light complementing basically every feature he had.
"Well," He murmured, a rather delicious smirk plastered onto his face, "I suppose you could almost call it magic,"
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but chuckle at his awful 'joke'.
"You're really beautiful by the way," he said, matter-of-factly.
"Thanks, I guess, you're not that bad yourself," I replied, blushing.
"Mmhmm," He hummed, tracing the line of my cheekbone with one of his fingers, and then cupping my face gently. He stared at me for a while, and I looked back, my breath slightly catching in my throat when he glanced down at my mouth. He smiled, then raised both eyebrows and leaned his head towards me, giving me plenty of time to pull away. In the end, I closed the gap between us and then we were kissing. On of my hands gently held his neck, and the other stayed on his collar-bone, while his cupped my face. It was short and sweet and I could taste fire whiskey on his lips, but it still left me breathless.
When I finally broke away, my eyes were shut, our foreheads touching, he was just as breathless and I was. I stayed there a lot longer than needed, not wanting to move. "I think I'm just gonna, yeah, go to bed," I said breathed against his lips, as the music stopped. It took a lot of willpower to step away.
He opened his eyes and smirked at me, slowly dropping his hands and I couldn't help but notice his blush stained cheeks. "Goodnight Jessica Rose," His smirk broke into a full force beam as I turned back.
"Goodnight Albus Potter," I smiled.
The night after, our last night in Hogwarts,the Gryffindors had a huge party in the common room, where I once again found myself kissing Albus Potter goodnight in the empty staircase to the boys dorms, but this time I was definitely sober. The last time I saw Albus, was on the Hogwarts express. I wouldn't be able to see him over the summer while I visited my grandparents in Spain. We had both planned on attending The Ministries new Academy for Auror's, but there was no gaurentee we would see each other in classes and on missions. As we pulled into Kings Cross for the final time, he pulled me into an empty compartment and kissed me, threading his fingers in my hair for what seemed like hours. He scattered quick kisses down my neck, and then buried his face in the crook of my shoulder, wrapping his arms around me. I kissed the top of his head, lacing my fingers into the back of his hair.
"I'll miss you," he murmured against my shoulder.
"You too," I managed back.
"I'll owl you about the ball," He resurfaced, but still held onto me. "You should come,"
"Of course," I said back, my voice a lot quieter than I expected.
"Okay," He said, running his hands from the small of my back, up to my shoulders, running his eyes over my face and then letting go of me. "Okay," He repeated, sighing and moving towards the door.
"It's only two months Albus," I smiled sadly, and he smiled back, running a hand through his messy hair.
"Goodbye Jess,"
And that, is how I found myself at the Potters house, two weeks before I was due to start Auror training. I had been back in England for two days, but my family had stayed in Spain. I was sat in a beautiful ballroom, in a pretty backless, white ballgown sipping my second glass champagne, like I had been for the past half an hour. I had no idea why the Potters were hosting a ball, but there seemed to be a lot of people here. I could tell the difference between normal guests and Prophet reporters straight ballroom was full of couples, some swirling around to the music, while the rest chose to sit at tables or stand and chat idly; but of course, only a select few carried camera's and the odd notebook and quill.
After spending a fair amount of time gossiping with Rose Weasley about summer, I let her get back to dancing. I sat alone, watching as Rose danced with Scorpius Malfoy, the fabric of her navy dress creating a waterfall behind her as they span around the floor. She giggled as he lifted her up and down in time to the music, I looked away, my eyes scanning the room and landing on Albus, again. He was wearing a classic, black muggle suit and tie unlike most of the people here, who had decided on classical wizarding robes.
Albus was talking to Rose's dad, making wild gestures every now and again. I had a feeling he wasn't talking to him just for his own benefit, and Albus' eyes glanced behind Mr Weasley's head watching Scorpius and Rose. It was a well known fact that Rose's father was not happy with her choice of romantic interest, and Albus seemed to be trying to keep prevent some sort of conflict. The song finished and Rose left the dance floor, blowing a kiss in my direction. I waved back at her and grinned at Scorpius as they went off, probably in search of food. Albus watched them leave, and then his gaze fell onto me. He stopped talking. I blushed, smiled and tilted my glass slightly towards him, he grinned back and raised his hand and in an awkward sort of wave. His uncle turned around, to look at whatever his nephew was grinning at, his eyes obviously finding me. Mr Weasley smiled and waved, used having me in his house with his daughter. I smiled back and then he turned back to Albus, clapping him lightly on the shoulder. Albus laughed at whatever Ron had said, and then weaved his way through the empty tables towards me. I drained the last of my champagne and smiled as he stood opposite me, offering me his hand.
"Dance with me?" He asked, skipping any greetings, smiling and raising his eyebrows, then biting the corner of his lip.
My stomach fluttered and I beamed up at him. "Of course,"
I let him lead me towards the floor, fixing my dress as we walked. As soon as we reached the outskirts, he pulled me in towards him. His hands falling perfectly into place, burning into the bare skin on my back. I couldn't help but smile. I kept my eyes on his feet, already desperately hoping I wouldn't step on them. His fingers gently pulled my chin upwards, as we set off moving. He grinned as he span us around in time to the fast music. Albus was clearly used to dancing, whereas me, not so much.
The song slowly died down into a slower tempo, and I felt my stomach stir as Albus pulled me closer to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, as he bent down slightly, and pressed a light kiss to the nape of my neck, leaving a fair amount of goosebumps behind. My cheeks filled with heat as Albus smirked at me and I laughed back. We talked about summer, his never ending quidditch games and my never ending sunbathing. Our plans for the academy and our new flats courtesy of the Ministry. Once we had finally ran out of news, Albus stopped moving, and brought one of his hands up, to brush a piece of my hair from my face. I smiled at him, my hands moving to play with one of the buttons on his shirt.
"You look beautiful," He stated, smiling at me.
"You too," I replied, he laughed and rolled his eyes.
"Come with me," He said, removing his hands from around my waist, taking mine in his instead.
He led us quickly through the crowd of people surrounding the dance floor, and out through a huge set of doors. The Potter's back garden was magnificent. There must have been at least an acre or perfectly mowed grass, bordered with a row of tall pine trees. Stepping stones littered the grass and made a path down to a mostly hidden white iron gazebo covered in glittering fairy lights. I laughed at how fairy-tale like the situation felt. I could still hear drifts of music and the mumble of multiple coversations from the ball, as I came to a stop just before the grass. The sun was just setting, and the summer air was still warm enough to be outside without a jacket.
"Grass is not a good idea in these shoes," I said, pulling up my dress to show Albus the heels that adorned my feet.
"Not too much of a problem," He replied, before pulling me off the floor and into his arms bridal style.
After shaking off the initial shock, I looked at Albus, raising an eyebrow. "I could have just taken them off,"
"Ah, but what would be the fun in that?" He asked, smiling at me.
I laughed and leaned my head into the crook of his neck as he carried me down towards the gazebo and it wasn't long enough in my opinion, before we reached it. He settled himself down on a bench, pulling me onto his lap and tightening his arms around me. We stayed this way for a while, his chin on top of my head while I traced the empty space between two buttons on his shirt with my finger. The sky had darkened considerably before either of us spoke, just enjoying each others company more than anything else.
"I've missed you," I murmured into his shirt, and he pressed a kiss into my hair.
"And I you," He replied, his finger drawing patterns on my back.
"What are we doing?" I whispered, sitting up and looking at him.
He smiled at me, and tucked the same bit of hair back behind my ear. "Merlin knows," He murmured back.
I smiled and stood, Albus following my lead. "Here," Albus said, taking off his suit jacket. It was chilly outside without the shared warmth.
"Thanks," I said and took the few steps towards him. He held the jacket open for me, and pulled it over my shoulders. He kept hold of the lapels on the front and I stopped breathing.
"Do you mind?" He said-looking me straight in the eyes-his voice quiet.
"Mind?" I asked back, as his hands let go of the jacket.
"You see," He started, stepping closer to me. "I have no idea what this is," He waved a finger between us to punctuate his words, moving even closer. "But until we both figure it out," He swallowed and curled a hand around my waist, stopping me from moving away. "I was wondering," His nose bumped into mine as the other hand worked it's way into my hair. "If you would really mind much, if it carried on?" His forehead fell onto mine and I shook my head.
"Not at all," I murmured, letting my eyes fall shut as he closed the distance between us.
He only let his lips linger on mine before he pulled away. "Sure?" He whispered, his hands moving to grip my waist.
I nodded and our noses bumped together.
He laughed, his fingers lightly kneading the skin on my back. "Fantastic," He murmured. He didn't close the gap between us, like I had anticipated, he dropped his hands, but didn't step away. My breath shook, as his fingers gently traced down the line of my neck, and along my collar bone.
"We should probably go inside," He breathed against my lips.
I audibly swallowed and tried to regulate my breathing. "Probably," I murmured back.
He tilted his head, and I met him in the middle, sighing into his mouth. His hand was back tracing my clavicles. Albus tasted like champagne, and it was somewhat perfect. My hands roamed over his toned stomach, and I barely flinched when my back collided with a metal pillar on the gazebo.I laughed and Albus used it to his advantage to deepen the kiss, moving his hand so they rested either side on my neck. My legs felt like jelly,my feet where beginning to ache and I was finding it hard to stand, so I was kind of relieved, when Albus pulled away, and wrapped his arms around my waist, his lips going to my neck. I hummed in approval, and anchored my arms around his neck. His hands splayed open on the burning skin of the small of my back, as he pulled his jacket from my shoulders and brought his lips back to mine. I traced the line of his jaw with my finger, before pulling myself away. My forehead dropped into the crook of his neck, and he pressed kisses to the skin behind my ear. I shivered, and took a deep breath, trying to get back to normal.
"My feet hurt," I said against his shoulder. "And it's late,"
He sighed against my neck, making me shiver again. "How are you getting home?" He said.
"Apparating," I said, pulling myself away from him.
When we were untangled, I sat down on the bench, and started undoing the buckle on my shoe. Albus knelt down and undid the other shoe. I froze, and blushed, before smiling at him. "Thank you," I managed to choke out around the sudden lump in my throat.
He grinned back, flashing his teeth and running a hand through his messy hair. "No problem,"
He picked up my discarded shoes, and offered a hand to pull me up. I took it, and linked my fingers with his. He smiled at me, and quickly kissed the back of my hand. And that was how it happened. The exact moment I think we both realized that this wasn't really just friends anymore, it meant a hell of a lot more to me. I stopped, and leaned up onto my tiptoes, to press a chaste kiss to his cheek.
"I'm falling Jessica Rose," He whispered, and I wasn't too sure I was meant to hear it.
We got back to the house, and sought out his parents so I could say goodnight. Rose had already left, and I felt guilty for not being there to say goodbye. Mr and Mrs Potter were talking to each other at the corner of the dance floor, their heads bent closely together. We approached them, and I suddenly felt self conscious for my lack of footwear. I broke into a smile, when I noticed Albus' mother didn't have any shoes on either.
"Mum, Dad," Albus said, his arm encircling my waist. "I'm apparating Jess home,"
Mrs Potter smiled and me, and Mr Potter looked as though he was suppressing laughter. "Well, you're quite the gentleman aren't you son?" he remarked, gesturing to the heels in his other hand. Albus laughed and kissed his mother's cheek.
"I wont be long," He promised.
"Thank you for everything, Mr and Mr's Potter" I told his parents, smiling.
"Anytime love, and for Merlin's sake, please call me Harry," Harry Potter kissed my forehead, then his wife pulled me into a hug.
"And it's Ginny for me too," She said into my ear.
"Of course," I replied, laughing.
"Goodnight darling," She laughed back. "See you soon,"
I smiled, and Albus led me towards the door. "Side-along is fine right?" I asked as we came to a stop in the corridor. He nodded, and I linked my arm through his. I thought of home, and the tugging sensation disorientated me for a moment, before I felt my feet land back on solid ground. I slipped my arm away, and muttered an enchantment to open the door. I leaned my hand into the house, and turned on the porch light.
Albus handed me my shoes and smiled. "Thank you," I said again, and he pulled me towards him.
"I'll text you tomorrow?" I asked into his chest. Mobile phones and electricity were slowly becoming my new favourite thing outside of Hogwarts.
"Sure," He replied, before cupping my face and running his thumb over my bottom lip. "Can I kiss you?"
My heart sped up, and I chuckled. "Since when did you have to ask?"
He tilted my head upwards, and lightly pressed his lips to mine. They were barely there, and a second later, he rested his forehead on mine.
"I'll catch you, you know," I whispered.
He let out a breath I didn't know he was holding and kissed me again. "I know,"
"Goodnight Albus Potter," I said, unwillingly pulling myself away.
"Goodnight Jessica Rose," His lips turned up into a small smile, before he apparated away.
I'm super proud of this, I kind of know were I wan't it to go, but this is the only thing I have written. Feedback and suggestions are totally welcome, and thank you for reading!