A/N: The last scene is supposed to be very awkward because I honestly think it would be. Enjoy.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ada led the three sisters out of her office beaming at them. Mildred, Maud and Enid turned as they saw them coming towards them.
"They are letting us back in!" Ethel told the three girls happily. The three dark haired friends smiled and went to hug the blonde sisters happy that they were coming back to school.
"Let's be grateful Bellatrix is gone, she did a good job on you" Esmeralda commented as she saw Mildred's face covered in bruises.
"They look worse than they are" Mildred replied truthfully.
"This is great everything is back to normal" Enid replied happy that Bellatrix was not going to be tormenting the school anymore.
"Yes, but I cannot help but feel we have forgotten something" Maud replied as something was nagging at the back of her mind.
"Actually me too" Enid replied as she had the same feeling "But the question is what?" Enid said out loud as both Enid and Maud fell quiet lost in their thoughts. For a few moments no-one spoke as the two girls thought and that is when Enid remembered.
"MARCUS" Enid shouted out
"That is it! He is still in that storeroom" Maud replied happy they had remembered what they had forgotten. The two girls ran in the direction of the cupboard they had locked the boy in followed by Mildred and the sisters.
Maud cast a quick unlocking spell and opened the door. Marcus had clearly being leaning against the door because he fell out as it was opened and everyone gasped and ran to help him up.
"Are you okay?" Esmie asked her friend concerned.
Marcus looked at the group of girls stood before him before smiling.
"I LOVE BELLATRIX, I LOVE BELLATRIX" the boy shouted loudly.
"Wait why is he still under the spell? Everyone's else's wore off" Enid questioned confused as to why his had not worn off.
"Love Potion works a little differently" Esmeralda replied smartly "It can only be broken with a antidote" the eldest girl replied.
"Right and how long does that take to make?" Mildred asked
"About a week" Ethel replied knowing the answer.
"What? I can't deal with him shouting about Bellatrix for a whole week" Enid complained.
"I LOVE BEALLTRIX, I LOVE BEALLTRIX" the boy shouted again.
Fortunately his shouting reached Hecate's ears and she appeared in front of the group of girls.
"What is all this shouting about now?" Hecate asked angrily.
"Bellatrix gave Marcus love potion Miss" Mildred replied answering the question.
Marcus looked at Hecate as she appeared "You are not Bellatrix, I LOVE BELLATRIX, I LOVE BELLATRIX" he shouted once again.
"Oh for goodness sake stop doing that!" Hecate told him as she clicked her fingers and the boy blinked as the potion wore off. The friends all smiled at each other, they had forgotten that Miss Hardbroom had a way to break spells which should be harder to break.
Marcus blinked a few more times looking around at the crowd of people looking at him.
"What did I miss?" he asked confused before he noticed the sisters stood there. "Esms, what are you doing here?" he asked with a smile as he noticed his friend.
"It is a long story" Esmie replied with a laugh knowing it was going to take a long time to explain.
A while later Esmeralda was sat next to Marcus on his bed in his bedroom as she explained in depth everything that had happened since he had gotten locked in the cupboard. He listened intently as the girl spoke.
"I am very glad about the reward Ethel received I mean a shield charm of all things, I thought she hated me" Esmeralda admitted something she had thought because of her sister's treatment towards her.
"She doesn't hate you, she hates the code there is a huge difference" Marcus replied logically.
"Well at least I know that now, after all she has to feel some love towards me in order to produce the shield charm" Esmie replied.
"I think I could produce a shield charm for you too" Marcus replied saying this thoughts out loud not realising what he was saying. He had meant to keep it to himself.
"What did you just say?" Esmeralda asked the teenager thinking she had misheard him.
Marcus mentally slapped himself for being stupid enough to say it out loud, if she did not like him that way it would be dead awkward but he knew maybe it was time to take the chance. He realised he was just sitting there not replying and knew he had to reply.
"I said I think I could produce a shield charm for you too, see the thing is I really like you" Marcus said confidently before becoming incredibly embarrassed and looking away.
"Please do not reply to that, that was really stupid" Marcus then said blushing and looking away.
"Mark..." Esmie replied before pausing to think what she wanted to say. "I like you too" Esmeralda replied finally admitting it. Her sisters had been nagging her to admit it for months but she always denied it until now.
Marcus moved his head to look at her amazed.
"You like me? Are you just trying to not hurt my feelings? I mean how can someone like you who is so pretty and smart possibly like someone like me who does not care about schoolwork?" Marcus asked thinking she was way out of his league.
"Well yes you hate schoolwork but...you are one of the only people who see my flaws...most people are always calling me perfect" Esmeralda told him hating when people used that word to describe her when she had flaws just like everyone else. "and you are really kind and caring, Mildred told me how you got drenched saving her cat from the school roof...most people would have left him there" Esmeralda honestly replied knowing not many teenage boys would have helped the cat if they had to get drenched in the process. "and you are really good with my sisters which is one of the most important things to me because some people can't deal with the fact that they come first" Esmeralda told him explaining the reasons why she liked him.
"So you really do like me then?" Marcus replied clarifying that she was not just trying to make him feel better.
"Yes I do like you Marcus" Esmeralda replied with a small smile as she was embarrassed.
As they finishing confessing their feelings to each other Esmeralda could feel the teenager moving closer to her she played with her hands nervously trying to focus on a spot on his wall as she felt his lips touch her cheek.
Esmeralda who had never had a boyfriend before, or indeed even kissed a boy because she was more concerned with studying and there was also the fact that she attended a all girl school,felt her cheeks burning as he did that.
Marcus laughed next to her. He could sense she was nervous as the girl was normally so confident around people.
"Are you okay?" he asked concerned not wanting her to be uncomfortable.
"Yes sorry I am just not used to dating...in fact I never have" the girl admitted causing Marcus to chuckle at her, not because he thought it was a bad thing but because she said it so causally whereas most people would be embarrassed.
"Fair enough, I know turn towards me and close your eyes" he told her.
"Why?" Esmie asked him fearfully.
"Please do it" he asked her again. She rolled her eyes turned towards him more and closed her eyes.
"Don't peep" he told her knowing she might of being tempted.
"I won't just hurry up" she told him nervously.
He waited a few seconds and then leaned in and pecked her on the lips quickly. She opened her eyes her cheeks pink.
"See it is nothing to be nervous about, I thought you were confident about everything?" he replied laughing.
"No I get nervous at times too" Esmeralda replied.
He looked at her his eyes on her as he leaned in again giving her the chance to pull away but she met him halfway and they kissed properly for the first time.
They kissed for a few moments then pulled away both smiling before sitting there awkwardly for a few moments.
"Oh I best go and unpack" Esmie said breaking the silence as she remembered she had not unpacked yet.
"Okay I will see you later" Marcus replied happily.
"Yes of course...bye" she said to him as she got up and left happily.
"Bye Esms" he said. She smiled and walked to his door waving before closing it. Marcus waited until she was gone and then cheered to himself.
