A/N: Short drabblish thing. Highly unrealistic, I'd say, but what is Hogwarts for?
Read and review, loo-hoos!
-h
Disclaimer: Alas, no.
Midnight Munchies: The Second Munchie
Sometimes
(A fluffly thing, about Lily and James, because they loved once)
For warm cookies and cold milk
Because that doesn't even need an explanation
He walks into the room and sneezes, and automatically she finds herself voicing the traditional "bless you" and looking up to smile at whoever it was who sneezed because she's in a good mood. She falters though, with the smile halfway on her face, when she catches a glare off the lenses of round glasses, and he's before her staring like maybe she's just reversed gravity.
"Thanks," he says back mechanically, because his mum taught him manners when he was young, and he suddenly looks surprised as if he can't quite understand why they are speaking to one another, even if it's only a mundane formality.
She feels like she needs to explain herself.
"It's just you're supposed to say 'bless you' when a person sneezes," she says unnecessarily, because obviously he knows because everyone does and anyways he responded appropriately the first time without really realizing that he had.
He still hasn't blinked.
"I know," he says, and still he sounds surprised, or even a little bit awed.
"Because, it's just," she falters because she realizes that she is fidgeting constantly and he has not yet moved a muscle. "Well, it's automatic," and she doesn't know why the other automatic with her, the one that has her frowning every time he's near and speaking only in harsh tones when he's addressing her doesn't seem to be present right now.
"I know," he says again, and her hands can't seem to find a place to rest that isn't awkward or uncomfortable or unnatural.
"It's just that your heart stops when you…when you sneeze."
There's a small, slight tap on the window, muffled a bit, sort of like when she's reading and doesn't realize she's stuck her tongue to the top of her mouth until suddenly it clicks slightly as it falls to rest back behind her bottom teeth, and she turns slightly to see a raindrop clinging to the glass.
He blinks. Motion finds him again, and he's suddenly walking away, towards the boys' staircase. A pause at the foot of them, and he says something so quiet that she nearly doesn't hear it behind the small sounds of more rain padding down onto earth, staining the ground like pawprints in sand..
"No," he says. "That isn't what makes your heart stop."
He disappears before the words fully sift through her brain, and then she's only staring at the little rivulets forming on the window pane.
"I know," she whispers even though he can't hear her.
She says it because it's true, because not saying it would be a lie, because even though she hadn't sneezed his eyes had told her 'bless you.'
Sometimes it's a touch, or a glance, or a laugh, or a smile. Sometimes it's a frown, or a tear, or a brush of a pair of lips against the nape of a neck.
Sometimes it's only a question. Sometimes it's only a formality. Sometimes it's only what comes with instinct.
Sometimes it's only a raindrop.
Sometimes, it's only boy.
Later, it's been two years, she steps into the room and sneezes. He looks up and opens his mouth, but she drops her bag on the ground and holds out her hands to stop him.
"No," she says. "That's not what makes your heart stop."
Sometimes it's only a look. Sometimes it's only a sentence. Sometimes it's everything and nothing but mostly the in-between.
He stands and advances toward her, putting his hands on her wrists to lower her outstretched arms, and their breath sifts together between them and he can smell the rain in her hair and she can smell the heat of the fire in his robes.
"Bless you," he whispers, and she finds it appropriate.
This is what makes your heart stop, love. And some call first kisses cliché.
Everything happens only in moments, but sometimes- all the time- it's worth it.
A/N: Hmm. Read and review?
Ya'll rock :)
-h