i love you

first kiss

More time passed and while Mia would normally be stressing twelve hours a day over unnecessary worries (i.e. stupid people, stupid emotions, and even stupider homework), she found herself walking through her days with not a care in the world apart from making absolutely sure that she would find a way to run into Emily. She could tell Emily acted similarly, beginning to send owl messages about as often as Mia felt inclined to send to her. Mia felt like a first-year again, always giddy, always trying—and failing—to hide a smile from her peers. Mia had even convinced Emily to try out for the Quidditch team, urging her that her flying skills were being commendable and that she would make a beautiful addition to the Gryffindor team (albeit the reason being primarily selfish as she was beginning to believe if she didn't have at least two hours dedicated to gawking at her in any instance she may very well just drop dead).

She had been daydreaming...a lot. She thought primarily of Emily during her days, a lot of things. The most prominent being her regret to never seem to be able to find the right time to kiss her. She continued making excuses to herself, What if she doesn't want it? What if she's still put off because of Scar? What if she thinks that's my only intention? It seemed every time she wanted to so badly, she had always found another reason to convince herself otherwise. But she also knew she wouldn't be able to survive much longer...it was eating her up inside, getting worse with each glance, each brush of a hand, each quiet moment desperately asking to be filled...

On a random Wednesday afternoon following her herbology class, Mia had a pleasant run in with her favorite (albeit-probably-shouldn't-be-because-she's-a-slytherin) professor caught up with her as she head back in to grab some lunch. Hagrid had pulled her aside, politely requesting she accompany him back to his shed for a cup of tea. Happily, she obliged, looking forward to have another one-on-one moment with the hurly sweetheart.

As they reached his modest (and quite fairly, adorable) home, they eagerly stepped inside, Mia taking a seat at the oversized table and Hagrid moving to the counter to pour the tea into a teacup Mia wasn't even sure might be qualified to be called a teacup.

Hagrid delivered her the tea and slowly sat across from her, looking up with a gentle smile as Mia thanked him.

"So, my greatest prodigy," Mia scoffed, "I must admit, my invitation to you was not entirely...for a simple catch-up...," Hagrid looking back up at Mia nervously, hoping she wouldn't mind his asking for her help once more.

Mia laughed lowly, "I didn't suspect it was. What can I do for you, friend?" Hagrid beamed at the response, excitedly jumping a tad in his still-too-small seat.

"Well okay, you see, I might have come into the hands of some...a few I mean, baby dragons." Mia's smile fell into a look of a disapproval.

"Oh, Hagrid, not again," she groaned.

"Hmmm...well I'm afraid it is again, Mia. Listen, I really just need someone to help me deliver all the little buggers to London and, you know, since you already have the experience—"

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Mia cut in. "I'll help but seriously, please tell me I'm not missing another entire week of classes, I can't just—"

"No, no! No, I promise. It's just two or three days," Mia looked at him, unsure. "Merlin's honor, I swear, Mia." She eased up a little bit, side-eyeing him with a half-joking, half-incredulous stare.

"Okay...okay fine. But only because you're my favorite groundskeeper."

"I'm your only groundskeeper!" he exclaimed in return. Mia simply laughed and drank from her now growing cold tea.

***

Mia was returning to the castle when the thought had finally hit her like a brick. Three days away with Hagrid means...three days away from Emily. Her mood shifted harshly and she sulked back to her dormitory, flopping on her bed with what she recognized to probably be an exaggerated reaction. She didn't care though. She had finally found a reason to get up every morning and now she was going to remember life without it? For three days? She hadn't even had the chance to kiss her yet...

When telling Emily about her excursion the following morning, she was nothing but understanding but Mia lightened in recognizing that she had always seemed, if only slightly even, disappointed. Though she knew she would survive to see the other side of the three days and return to Emily (Hagrid was always good company to keep), she also knew that she would be adequately distracted from her dragon-transportation task and clouded with thoughts of Emily and imagining returning to her embrace upon arrival.

Finally the night before her departure had come and Emily and Mia went to sit beside the Black Lake for a few hours, each basking in what they knew would be a goodbye, even if only for a few days. Mia felt the constant pressure in her own head, heart, and body to find some way—any way— to kiss Emily before the night came to a close. She tried desperately to focus on anything else, sitting closely beside her, feeling the tension of her cloak brushed faintly against hers; not close enough to feel her skin against her clothes but just close enough to send shivers through Mia's entire body. Her heart had certainly never skipped so fast, and if it had, she was sure it had never felt this good. She imagined turning abruptly, giving Emily no time to think, to react, and just releasing the overwhelming strain that was her desperate need to know how it would feel to finally feel Emily pressed closely against her, kissing back into her, making all of her daydreams come to life. Still, something was stopping her. God, what the hell! She pushed her anger towards herself as deep as she could, shutting out anything that would ruin this perfectly tender, special moment that she needed to last as long as possible.

Despite her pains, they lifted up from their spots from the grass, no kiss accomplished, no more than the swift, accidental brush of a finger or the prolonged gaze that left both of them quietly giggling. Emily offered to walk Mia back to the Slytherin entrance seeing as she would need as much sleep as she could muster for her endeavors the following morning. Mia happily accepted and hoped, oh god she hoped, that this would mean she could steal just one kiss.

They approached the portal and looked to each other with a gentle smile, each tilting their heads just slightly so they could capture the moment neither of them wanted to end. A few moments passed and then they were eagerly grasping each other closer into a hug. They held each other for longer than usual, neither of them willing to let go of the other. Mia felt like a final puzzle piece squeezing into the center of a long, frustrating puzzle and completing something you'd never think you'd finish. She was so whole, so complete in the warmth of Emily's embrace. She clasped the back of her shirt in her hand and squeezed hard, doing the same with her eyes, realizing there was no magic in the world that could make this moment last as long as she willed it to. Finally, they broke apart, arms still wrapped around one another, gazing with an unmistakable longing in each of their eyes. Mia knew this was her last chance, repeating with uncontrollable frenzy in her head, kiss her, kiss her kiss her kiss—"I really wish I could kiss you right now," she finally managed.

And almost as quick as the words fell from her lips, Emily had closed the distance and pressed hers firmly against Mia's. Mia's shoulders relaxed and she fell into what was indubitably the greatest kiss of her life. Emily's lips were even softer than she had imagined. And though she had smelled her before, this unbelievably intimate lack of space between them allowed her to really engulf her scent. She breathed deeply, leaning more into the kiss, savoring something that felt as if she had been born and raised to wait for. She couldn't place her finger on just what the scent was but knew that it was something that would continue to bring her comfort and happiness for a long time to come. She pulled her in as close as she physically could, feeling her chest press up against her own, doing everything she could not to release a sigh against her lips. Reluctantly they pulled away, smiling deeply into each others eyes as they pressed their foreheads into each other, still embracing each other tightly. They exchanged one more, short kiss, Mia reveling in how it felt just as incredible as the first, before standing back and whispering a giddy 'goodnight' to one another. Each turning away with a grin wider and stupider than the other.