CHAPTER THIRTEEN

BROOM CLOSETS AND CONFIDENCE

It's dark when we finally part. Around 8 o'clock. We've missed dinner and lunch but I don't care. We talked all day long. I know so much about him now, he's an even better person than I thought. He has 2 little sisters, 6 year old twins called Mi-Mi and Josie. He told me that they never argue and I laughed and told him that me and the boys fight all the time. We played 20 questions and I found out all his favourite things. His favourite colour is blue like the sea, his favourite food is chocolate cake and his favourite thing to do is play quidditch (I kind of expected that because last year - and probably this year- he was Keeper for the Slytherin team).

I walk to the kitchens for food thinking about today. It's like a dream. This amazing boy, a boy with violet eyes and a sunshine-smile , likes me? I still feel like I'm going to wake up and it'll all be gone. We aren't going out or anything but I like him a lot and he says he feels the same. We agreed to meet in secret for a while. I know it's hypocritical of me, after shouting at Mel for hiding her relationship with Louis, to have a secret ... whatever this is with my brothers best friend. But this is different. For one thing, Louis is a boy and I'm a girl, in our family no one really cares if the boys go around snogging and shagging whoever they want. But the second one of us girls gets a boyfriend then all the boys gather together and threaten (and sometimes hex) the boy. Another thing, Al is Caleb's best friend and I know how much they mean to each other, if Al was to find out then he would get so mad and probably stop talking to Caleb, which would be bad for both of them.

After letting the house-elves force feed me - not that I'm complaining - I head up to my dorm. The second I walk in Mel and Rikki start to interigate me.

"Where the hell where you?" Asks Rikki. Before I've even opened my mouth Mel jumps in.

"Yeah. We've been looking for you all day. All day. We looked everywhere, even went to ask your brothers if they knew where you were. You missed dinner, Lils. You didn't even tell us that you were busy you just ... left." She says, her voice raised. I know they only shout because they care but it's ruining my great mood after my amazing day with Caleb. I forget about feeling bad for lying to them and start shouting back, probably for the first time ever.

"OK. Number one - you obviously didn't look everywhere because you didn't find me, did you? Number two - I didn't realise that I had to tell you two everytime I went somewhere. What are you my keepers? Thirdly - I was outside. Sorry if I worried you or something but I don't appreciate being yelled at ok?"

"Sorry. But why the fuck were you outside? It's fucking freezing out there." States Rikki.

"Was it? I hadn't noticed. What have you guys been up to?" I ask them. They look at me suspiciously for a moment then, simultaniously, shrug it off.

"Looking for you, you half-wit" Grins Mel, "What on earth were you doing outside." God, what's with all the questions tonight? I'm surprised at how easily the lie rolls off my tounge.

"It's been a stressful few day. Actually it's been stressful since the year began. I needed some alone time so I went outside and read a book, did some homework, nothing much really. It was lovely actually." I smile, sighing inwardly that the day had to end. I walk into the bathroom, it feels as though I'm drifting. I take a shower (I prefer not having to do it in the morning) and pull on my pj's. I grin the whole time. How I love being happy.

When my alarm goes off in the morning I don't get the feeling of dread I usually get. I turn it off and leap out of bed. I jump on Rikki and Mel a few times to wake them up and get dressed as quickly as I can. I even put on makeup, which I hardly ever do. I admit that these things might have something to do with a certain violet-eyed hunk. Maybe. I rush down to the Great Hall to breakfast before Mel and Rikki are even dressed.

I walk in and see him, sitting with Al at the Slytherin table, just the two of them. It's sad really, that their friends stopped talking to them when those lies were spread about Albus. I guess you find out who your real friends are in your time of need. He catches my eye as I walk through the double doors and smiles. He winks at me once then turns back to Albus, who was so busy stuffing his gob with pancakes that he didn't notice Caleb smile and wink at me. I sat at the end of the Gryffindor table, with an amazing view of Caleb. I'm such a weirdo. I practically stare at him all through breakfast. And he notices too! Every now and then, when Al isn't lookinng, he'll look at me and grin and I'll look away blushing. We do this for like 20 minutes until Rikki and Mel join me.

"Hey why'd you rush out this morning? Is this about last night because -" Mel starts.

"No, no, no. I was just ... hungry. Starving." This wasn't really a lie but it wasn't the reason I was in a hurry.

"Oh. Are you sure, Lils. You're acting strange. Kind of ... I don't know." Says Rikki, trying to think of a word to describ my behaviour. I have a few. I'm happy (obviously) but I'm also feeling kinda guilty for lying to everyone and nervous in case they figure it out. If this is me after one day then I dread to think what I'm like in a few weeks. If it lasts that long. I hope it does, Caleb would make aall this lying worth it. Speaking of Caleb, out of the corner of my eye I see him raise from the table and exit the Great Hall. Again, he pauses at the door and gestures me to follow with his finger.

"Erm. I'm gonna go ... to the library. Yeah, erm, I've got to do a bit of homework before class. See ya."

"I thought you said you did your homework yesterday?" Rikki shouts after me, but I'm already gone.

As soon as I'm out of the hall, Caleb pulls me into the nearest broom cupboard and holds me closes. I breath in his smell and sigh. He smells amazing, intoxicating even, like fresh air but manlier.

"I miss you." He murmers, his face buried in my orange hair. He's so much taller than me that he has to bend down to do so.

"You just saw me yesterday." I giggle as he rubs his face in the crook of my neck.

"I still me you." He says, "I saw you walk into the Great Hall this morning and I just wanted to grab you and kiss you." I blush.

"I miss you to. And believe me I feel the same." I mutter, embarrassed.

"Good." He says, the he lifts my face with his index finger and brings his lips closer to mine. The kiss starts of slow. His tounge darts out and licks my bottom lip, asking for entrance, and I open my mouth. Our tounges dance, swirling and fighting for control. He wins, obviously. He grabs my hips and pulls my body flush against his. I gasp and hook my arms around his neck, my body having a mind of it's own now. He raises one of his hands, the other arm still holding me against him, and buries it deep in my hair. I am thankful that he is holding me steady because my knees are weak by just the sheer passion in his kiss. He doesn't try and take it any further though, which I'm grateful for. There are feelings pumping through my veins that I've never had before, a longing deep inside me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to "give it up" in a broom closet with my secret ... whatever Caleb is to me. No matter how gorgeous he is. No matter how much I want him and I can't deny it. He pulls away for breath and I open my eyes. His beautiful eyes stare into mine and I search his eyes looking for something, for what I don't know.

"What are you thinking about Brown-eyes?" He asks, running his thumb across my cheek.

"You. Me. Stuff."

"What kinda stuff?" He asks, he looks a little worried.

"Just how much I like you and stuff." I look down akwardly. I'm not very good at this stuff. I've never had to be.

"You don't need to be shy around me Brown-eyes. Or nervous or embarrassed. You know that right?"

"That's just ... me. I've never ... I'm not ... I just." Understanding flickers in his eyes.

"Was I your first kiss, Brown-eyes?" He looks shocked. Why on earth would he be shocked.

"Don't act so surprised. I mean ... y'know ... who'd want to kiss me. Nobody even notices me. I'm not pretty like Dominique or funny like Roxie or really smart like Rose and Molly. I'm just ... me. You're the first boy who's even noticed me and I ... oh God. You're the first noy who ever noticed me and what's the first thing I do? I hop into a broom cupboard with you. Guess that makes me kind of a slag, huh?"

"Oh Lily. You can't actually believe that. You are pretty, infact you're beautiful. And funny and smart. And if people just got their heads out of their arses and paid you the attention you deserve then I promise that every single bloke in this entire school, except your family obviously, would be dying to snog you. And don't you dare call yourself a slag. You are the classiest, nicest girl I've ever met. You're so innocent and good, it would be intimidating if I didn't find it so cute." He kisses my cheek and I laugh.

"Are you sure you aren't just saying that so I keep snogging you in broom cupboards." I joke.

"Definetly," He jokes back, "But that doesn't mean it isn't true."

"Thank you." I whisper.

"What for?" He asks.

"For noticing me." I smile and lean in and kiss him softly. My body begs for me to keep kissing him but instead, feeling confident, I pull back, wink and saunter out of the broom closet and walk to class. The hallways are empty meaning I'm late, again.

"You're killing me Brown-eyes." He shouts after me and I laugh.

"Payback for making me want you all the time." I retort, honestly. But I'm surprisingly not embarrassed.