Hi, I'm back again! Hopefully with a better written story this time... This has been edited but if you see any mistakes, please let me know! Thank you!
Disclaimer:I own none of this, minus Mattie. She is mine.
Sunlight shone through the thick, warped windows, highlighting the dust that floated thick through the air of the Hogwarts library. The drifting of the free floating particles was interrupted as a girl walked through the beams of faded yellowy white. They followed in her wake as she exited the library, smiling at the severe looking librarian, Madam Pince, on the way.
Mattie hummed quietly to herself as she trekked towards the Gryffindor tower, all the way on the seventh floor. The high notes vibrated through the air, combining with her rhythmic steps to create a melodic solitude that echoed off of the stone walls and floor of the corridor.
The peace was interrupted, however, as boisterous laughing erupted from around the corner and, upon rounding it, someone's pointy elbow ran smack dab into her shoulder.
"Ooph!" the teen grunted, dropping her tall stack of books as the momentum of the other person pushed her backwards. A sharp pain throbbed on her collar bone as she stumbled.
"Sirius! Now look what you've done!" she heard someone call out. A hand on the witch's arm steadied her as she teetered, and she turned to see two of the more popular boys in school joking with each other, ever the pranksters.
"Apologize, you tosser!" the voice, which she now knew to belong to one James Potter, continued. The glasses-clad boy made eye contact with her, making a jab at his friend. "Sorry 'bout him. Such a klutz." He shook his head mock shamefully.
"Only because I'm sweeping girls off their feet so often!" his best friend, Sirius Black, jabbed back.
"More like knocking them off their feet," James fired back. The taller boy shoved him and turned back to the girl, who was blushing and holding back a smile.
"I am so very sorry for running into you, m'lady," he said while bowing deeply. Mattie's face flushed from pink to red, but she made an attempt to put a disgruntled expression on rather than one of embarrassment. "If you could ever forgive me, I'd be most grateful!" Giving up, the girl let loose a grin and looked up at James with an eyebrow raised. He smirked.
"She's not impressed, mate!" he called, causing the Gryffindor girl to roll her eyes. As she set about picking up her books, however, another set of footsteps came from around the corner.
"Honestly guys, what have you done this time?" a familiar voice tinged with exasperation asked. The girl glanced up to see the one and only Remus Lupin approaching with an exhausted half smile on his face; she ducked her head, hoping to hide the red on her cheeks with the wavy brown locks which swept forward at the action.
"We did apologize," James started.
"I apologized," Sirius intoned.
"You could help her with her books?" Remus stated. Weathered brown shoes stopped in the girl's limited line of vision and then there were warm brown eyes looking into her forest green.
"You okay?" The girl nodded as he handed her a book.
"Yeah," she grimaced as her voice cracked. "Yeah," she tried again, at his bemused expression. "One of them ran into me though," she stated, rubbing her shoulder ruefully, and glancing over his head with a pointed look. The boy missed her seemingly constantly reddening face, (Damn her nerves) glancing back at his friends for a moment before helping to gather the rest of the worn volumes.
"Thanks," the girl muttered, standing up and realizing that she only came up to the boy's shoulder; he smiled and nodded.
"No problem." Mattie smiled back. Remus had a warm, slightly crooked smile that caused the corners of his eyes to crease up. It also stretched the scars across his face, she couldn't help but notice, wondering not for the first time exactly how he'd acquired them.
"Jesus, woman, how many books do you have?" Sirius suddenly exclaimed as the girl finally got her stack sorted out.
"Um, eight?" she offered, her voice increasing in octave. The two black haired boys looked at each other incredulously for a moment before Potter whistled.
"Well, Moony, looks like we've found the girl for you." Both teens' faces colored at the statement.
"James, really, I mean," the boy began to stammer. The two pranksters shared a look and then they were eyeing the pair coyly.
"Hey, it's Hogsmeade weekend next week," James started.
"We know you don't have a date, Moony," Sirius continued, looking at both in turn, "and judging by the amount of books you have in your arms, you don't have any plans, either."
"I, well," the girl joined Remus in the stammering.
"It's a date, then!" James concluded. With a wink, he and Sirius were off running back around the corner.
"I…" What just happened? Mattie thought. She chanced a glance at the wizard next to her, noting that he looked mortified. The boy peeked down at her and immediately started rubbing at the back of his neck with a hand.
"Um-"
"So-" both teens got out at the same time, cringing together. The sandy-haired one of the two cleared his throat.
"Do you want to go to Hogsmeade?" he asked, causing the girl's stomach to flip. "I'm really not doing anything, and James and Sirius'll kill me if I back out…" Remus chanced an expectant look at the girl, though it quickly changed to one of terror. "-Not that I wouldn't have wanted to go with you in the first place, but now the opportunity has arisen-"
"Sure, I mean, yes, that sounds like fun," Mattie smiled awkwardly, cutting off his nervous rambling. The teen's face lit up, causing the girl's expression to mirror his, and his pulled his arm down from where it had been practically wringing his neck.
"Really? Cool. I'll, uh, see you Saturday, then," he waved awkwardly, then cringed. "Not that we won't see each other in class, I mean-"
"See you tomorrow, Remus," the girl cut him off with a grin. The boy stopped and smiled back, before continuing towards the direction of the library. Thank you, James and Sirius.