AN: It's 1:10 here in Massachusetts, and damn it I have to get this out of my system. See, it's sort of based on something that happened – is happening – with me, I guess you could say, and I needed to vent about it…because al of my friends are sick of hearing of the matter…so I made it into a little drabble. Feedback very much appreciated.
Disclaimer: They belong to JoDUH! (don't ask)
He won't stop staring at her. He just won't. Or maybe he can't.
It's one of those fairly tedious lessons, but easy enough to pay attention if you have the right incentive to – and she does – passing the course. It's slightly difficult, even for her, nowadays as they get on with their NEWT's, and she knows it will be even more difficult for him, studying just doesn't come easily to him the way it does to her.
That is, studying schoolwork doesn't come so easily to him. Studying her is different. He can do that. It's simple. He becomes entranced in her – her brown hair (but it's not really brown, there are hints of red and blonde in it, and there are so many shades in every curl that it makes his head spin to just try to take them all in), and her scent (he can't smell her from where he's sitting, but he's knows all to well that she smells like roses and apple cider), and everything else about her.
She doesn't notice the staring until Parvati skips class one day because she feels sick. Parvati always sort of blocks her view of him, which she is grateful and ungrateful for at the same time. Grateful because she is inclined to stare at him herself if she doesn't remember to keep herself in check, and ungrateful for the same reason. But it's this one day, when Parvati has a cold (at least that's what she claims) and she is left with and unimpaired view of him. And every single time she sneaks a glance at him, he's doing the same.
No, that's not quite right. While she is glancing up quickly, half-hiding behind her long hair, and blushing furiously when she sees him looking back, he is staring, completely unabashed, absorbed in something.
She tells Parvati about it later on (out of hearing range of Lavender, or course), and Parvati just grins.
"He's been doing that for ages," she informs her. "Haven't you noticed?"
No, she hasn't noticed, but now that she thinks about it, she's caught him watching her at other times, too, like when they're studying together in the library, at mealtimes.
It's strange, Dean mutters to Seamus one night, after he hears her discussing it with his girlfriend. That she's the smartest witch – smartest student – in our year and yet she doesn't know why he's staring at her.
Of course, everyone else knows. Everyone else knows, and that will have to be good enough for now, until everyone else can show the two of them what they can all see.
Fin