Chapter 4 :D. I don't own Harry Potter obviously.

She took a small step closer to Albus; he noticed that there were thin streaks of red in the whites of her eyes and they were shadowed by deep lines, as if she had been crying again. She was clutching a piece of parchment so tightly in her fist that her knuckles had become strained and white.

"Erm…if you like," Albus said quietly, all too aware of a group of second year Gryffindors listening to their conversation furtively from a murky corner of the library, their faces half-hidden in the shadows cast by the shelves. Adessa seemed completely oblivious of this fact as she continued to watch Albus anxiously. He looked at her superciliously for a moment, his eyebrows drawn together, before saying, "how about we go in the Restricted Section? It's more…private there."

For a moment Albus thought she hadn't heard him, but then Adessa nodded and turned away from him, seemingly not caring that Madam Pince may be lurking behind a shelf somewhere. Albus, however, glanced around quickly before ducking under the barrier which separated the Restricted Section from the main Library and following Adessa into the furthest corner, away from the soft glare of the low-hanging lamps. This section seemed completely cut off from everything else; the turning of pages and scratching of quills was silenced and Albus had the slightly disconcerting feeling that someone, or something, was watching them. The books themselves had an almost threatening presence, as if they wondered how anyone dared disturb the stillness. Albus felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle uncomfortably and decided to concentrate his attention fully on Adessa to take his mind away from these unpleasant sensations.

She breathed deeply, staring at a point above his left shoulder. "I'm sorry Albus," she began shakily, her voice cracking when she said his name. "For…for not going to Hogsmeade with you. You might not believe me, but I did want to go with you, I really did!" Lines marred her forehead and her eyes moved to his face, wide and bright; she was almost begging him to believe her. "It hurt me a lot to have to turn you down but…" her voice trailed away and she was once again staring past Albus' shoulder.

Albus felt like he should be annoyed at her for confusing him, and he had been, until now. She looked so desperate and panicky; he felt his resolve waver as he watched her. "But then…if you wanted to come with me, why did you turn me down?" he asked, his forehead furrowed in confusion. Girls really don't make any sense, he thought, bewildered.

"Because of my parents," Adessa said abruptly; her jaw had stiffened and she seemed to have steeled herself for him to start shouting at her, but he just looked more bemused.

"Your parents?"

She nodded. "They're big supporters of the…old ways. They work for the Ministry and if anyone there knew – imagine what they'd get for that? But at home…it's different. They hate Muggle-borns and…" she looked sickened as she spoke and seemed determined not to look at Albus, who's expression was blank. "They're always saying that the worst thing that ever happened was H-Him being defeated. I don't dare say what I think in front of them but I – I think they're wrong. I can't let anyone know what they believe! All my friends would turn away from me…they already wonder why I never invite them round to my house during the holidays. And…my parents forbid me from dating any boy who's not a Pureblood. I know you're a Pureblood…not that I care about that at all!" she added quickly, looking stricken, "but I dread to think what they would do if I told them I was going out with the son of Harry Potter. They'd probably kill me, not to mention you. I didn't accept your offer to go to Hogsmeade because I was scared of my parents' reaction. I've never told anyone about this before, but this letter pushed me over the edge." She held up the piece of parchment she still clutched in her hand and her eyes suddenly grew dark, her frown more pronounced. "It's from them. They tried forbidding me from having contact with my friends, even the ones who are Purebloods, because they're 'Blood traitors'. It was the last straw for me. I'm sorry, Albus…for lying to you and for having such an awful family. You must hate me now; I just…wanted you to know…"

There was a long silence in which the two of them could hear the candles sputtering in the lamps and a faint whispering issuing from the books lining the shelves. Albus tried to let the information sink in before saying, rather lamely and in a slightly hoarse voice, "I don't hate you."

Adessa let out a sardonic laugh which echoed through their row of books. "Of course you do!"

Albus raised his eyebrows, "no, I don't. I don't care what your parents, or mine, think. I like you, Adessa. A lot." Albus was too sure of what he was saying to realise that he had just admitted to a girl that he liked her. Adessa looked him in the eyes for the first time since she had started talking.

"I like you too. A lot."

"Then why can we not at least try going out? We can keep it a secret. We don't have to tell your parents, or mine…not even our friends if you don't want."

She looked at him almost pityingly. "They'd find out, Albus. And my parents would murder you."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. Come on, let's go for it!" The way his eyes lit up with anticipation and a thrill she had never seen there before seemed to fill Adessa with a feeling that was inexplicable, and before her mind had caught up with the rest of her body, she had thrown her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. Albus froze against her body for a moment before pulling her closer into him, spreading his hand against the small of her back, his mouth moving with hers, tasting the sweetness of her lips on his. He could hear her tiny gasps of breath and feel her heart fluttering beneath her robes; the delicate scent of her skin made his breath catch in his throat; the warmth of her prompted him to pull her even closer, so that their bodies seemed entwined…

"FROLICKING!" Albus and Adessa pulled apart and Albus spun around to see what Adessa was staring at over his shoulder, her mouth gaping. Madam Pince was standing between the rows of books, her face crimson with shock and rage, a duster clutched in her pincer-like hands; she had obviously been about to dust off her precious tomes when she had discovered the two students, who were now turning a similar shade of scarlet. "OUT! HOW DARE YOU…CAVORT AROUND THESE BOOKS? GET OUT!" And she chased them from the Library, both of them trying desperately not to laugh.

Once they were in the cool of the corridor, Albus took Adessa's hand, grinning. She grinned slyly back and they proceeded down the corridor to find somewhere more private to continue their 'frolicking'.

Thanks for reading :D. I might make the next chapter the last, depending on how I feel about this story..