Almost First Kiss.
Katie Bell and Lee Jordan. Written for the "Almost Kiss Competition" on HPFC.
Disclaimer: ...really? Well, to refresh your memory, I do not own Harry Potter. I'm borrowing the characters and I promise to give them all back.
Summary: Katie can't sleep. Apparently, Lee can't either. Little ficlet.
Katie stumbled down the stairs to the Gryffindor common room, muttering about how unfair life was. All the girl wanted was to sleep. She just wanted to lie back on her pillow and to drift off so that she didn't have to face the world where there was something in the castle after muggleborns. She was in her third year, and with the worries of homework, boys, her appearance and whatever the heck was in the castle combined, she couldn't tell her mind to shut up and let her sleep. Not for an hour, a minute, a second. She just couldn't.
She went to sit down in her favorite chair by the fire, wanting to curl up in a ball and be found in the morning. Just as she was about to flop down on the comfy seat, a voice behind her made her stop.
"I'd rather you didn't sit on me, thanks." She gasped in shock and whirled around, embarrassed out of her mind.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were there... Wait, Lee? What're you doing down here?" she whispered, backing away to go and sit on the couch. The boy moved forwards and sat on the edge of the chair, wringing his hands nervously.
"Fred and George snore louder than a pair of bears," he grinned. She saw straight through the excuse.
"Couldn't sleep either?" she asked, and he sighed a bit.
"That obvious?" He shook his head and stifled a yawn.
"No, just I couldn't, and I figured if you could sleep you'd be up in your dorm. You're worried, aren't you?" She stood up and walked slowly over to him, sitting on the arm of the chair and putting an arm around his shoulders. "You're not alone on that."
"This should be the other way around... I should be comforting you, not you comforting me. Not just because I'm a guy, but because I'm older too. Hey, c'mere," he said softly and she dropped down into the seat and he pulled her onto his lap. She felt his hand stroke her dirty blonde hair. She shuddered.
"You cold?" he asked his wand already drawn and a slight twinkle in his chocolate brown eyes. She nodded a little and snuggled closer, while with a flick of his wrist, he transfigured a pillow into a blanket, throwing it over the two of them.
"I'm scared, Lee," she whispered into his chest, blinking against his neck.
"I know, Katie," he sighed, wrapping his arms tighter around her waist as she relaxed.
"What are we going to do?" she asked, looking up as he looked down.
"We're gonna be strong, and be brave. And we're gonna be okay," he said reassuringly. She shuffled a bit, getting comfortable on her spot on his legs.
"Okay," she whispered, suddenly tired. He lifted her head with a finger and smiled, as she smiled tiredly back. He bent his head down and was about to swiftly press a kiss to her lips, when he realized that she'd drifted off.
"Only took you a year and a half," he chuckled, moving his hand away and it fell back down onto his chest. He continued to stroke her hair gently until he fell asleep himself, his free hand wrapped loosely around her waist.
"LOVER BOY, GET YOURSELF BACK UP HERE NOW!" Fred called, and Lee awoke with a start. Katie was still on his lap. He decided not to wake her. She looked so angelic when she slept. When he didn't respond, the two ran down into the common room at a ridiculous speed for the time, and when they saw the two huddled together on the armchair, smirked and mouthed to Lee 'We'll talk later'. They ascended back up the stairs chucking to themselves, while Lee resumed stroking Katie's hair.