She was wild, a force of nature.
Loose red curls, bright green eyes... I never really stood a chance. The moment I realized I was falling for her was when I first heard that crazy loud laugh of hers; it was pretty much impossible not to. Hear it, I mean. Her friends would roll their eyes and laugh along, because it was infectious.
The way she behaved, on the other hand was so… composed. So thin-lipped-narrowed-eyes-I-follow-all-the-rules. I hated it. That was not who she was, I could see it. What I couldn't see was why she tried so hard to repress her passion, her fire. So, I teased her. Mercilessly. Endlessly.
And then, sometimes, all hell would break loose.
Those were the moments I loved the most. It was like a phoenix awakening: a burst of raw power and heat and RED. She would loose her composure, her Perfect Prefect attitude. She would become her essence. Deep down, I wished she would see what I saw. And then, I wished she'd like me for seeing her. She didn't, though.
She hated me.
One day, I literally stumbled upon her; she was crying. She looked at me with that big almond shaped eyes, begging, please please please… Please what? I didn't know. But she was so desperate, so desolated, so beautiful , in a tragic sort of way, that I knelt down and hugged her, tight. Don't let go, she begged me. I need.. I need… And I just hugged her tighter.
From that day on, it was like there was an invisible bond between us. We wouldn't talk, walk together, laugh together; rather, we just sat quietly next to each other in the Common Room, studying or simply reading.
And then, she laughed out loud at something she read, or nothing at all. I don't know. I never knew. I just – I laughed. And kissed her.
… and she slapped me, because I ruined everything. But her eyes were positively shining, and she couldn't stop smiling, and she was a phoenix again, so I thought it was worth it.
It really was.