Inspired by a picture on Tumblr. If you want to see it, private message me and I'll send you the link.
Whenever Rachel found herself in the library (which was a lot lately, the common room was way too noisy sometimes), she found herself not studying, but staring. Staring at the blonde with the reading glasses that sat right next to the window every time, papers all around her with faces on them. Rachel never got close enough to actually look at the faces, but from the glances here and there, she could tell they were good.
It took her days to finally get the courage to sneak closer to the mystery artist. She found an unoccupied seat two tables down from her. She actually seemed to notice her that time and looked up, smiling at her. Rachel smiled back, blushing just a smidge. The blonde had returned to her work.
For about a week, nothing happened. Rachel would enter the library after lunch every day, sit down at that desk by the window, smile at her silent companion, and they'd just acknowledge each other's existence. Until finally, the blonde moved closer.
Rachel arrived at the library that day to find the girl sitting right next to the seat Rachel usually took. She halted in her steps, frozen as she realized that they would be sitting right next to each other. Curiosity was overwhelming, yes. But at this point, so were her nerves.
The blonde looked up from her papers and turned her head slightly, noticing Rachel and grinning at her. "Hi!" she mouthed.
"Hello…" Rachel mouthed back. She sucked in a breath and hurried over, pulling the chair out from the desk silently and sitting down.
"I've noticed you this past week," The blonde was actually blushing. Maybe Rachel was allowed to hope that she felt this little twinge in the bottom of her stomach too? "I'm Quinn," she introduced, holding out her index and middle finger in a weird sort of handshake.
"Rachel."
"Aren't you the Slytherin Seeker?"
"Was. I quit. Santana wasn't being very nice to me lately…"
"Isn't she the Beater?"
"The best one."
"I was gonna try out from the Ravenclaw team but it seemed like too big a hassle."
Rachel suddenly realized that she was still holding onto Quinn's hand, and slowly let go, brushing her fingers along Quinn's before dropping her hand at her side. Quinn smiled at her and pointed at her papers. "Nowadays I just draw."
"What do you draw?"
"People mostly. Like, I see an interesting face and I just remember it. Then I come here and I try and recreate it. People's faces can be so beautiful sometimes…" she trailed off, her voice ending in a whisper as she ran her fingers over the various pieces of art she had created in that very room.
"Can I see some of them?"
Quinn nodded and leafed through the sheets before coming up with their Charms Professor's face. "Flitwick on a good day. See, he's being all smiley and stuff. He's always like that. It's easiest to draw faces as you always see them, right? Oh and this is McGonagall on HER good day! All lines and a wrinkles. And this is Madame Pomfrey. I spent a lot of time stuck in the Hospital Wing last year so I saw her face a lot. Long story. And this…I think you'll recognize these faces."
Rachel laughed as she rested her eyes on a montage of faces. They were all people in their year, and she recognized Noah and Santana, her fellow Slytherins, the Gryffindor Keeper Finn Hudson, the two Hufflepuff blondes Sam and Brittany (who everyone thought were related), the Asians Mike and Tina (who were most definitely a couple), and right in the corner was her face, looking extremely serious and concentrated.
"I always see you studying. So I kind of never got to see you when you smile. So I couldn't draw you like that…" Quinn explained, pointing at the pencil Rachel. "But, if that's OK, one day…I'd like to actually draw you. Like, with a beautiful smile on your pretty, pretty face."
Rachel felt a warmth start to colour her cheeks, and she looked down at her hands, clenched neatly on her skirt. "Oh really, you're…you're sweet…"
"I'm speaking the truth."
Rachel smiled and looked back up. "So, when shall we meet? For the sketch, I mean?"
Quinn leaned forward conspiratorially and Rachel could almost feel her breath. She removed her glasses, and Rachel noticed how stunning her eyes were. She felt like a dear in headlights as those blue orbs moved across her face, taking in every detail, drinking it all in.
"What are you doing tomorrow?"