Starling Darling, Harry Potter Love Story

Twenty-One

Star and comment.

"Pothead" texted you.

Pothead: Are you coming?

You: Erm, where?

Pothead: Library? Helping me not die?

You: OH
You: YES
You: FORGOT
You: UM, COMING!

Pothead: It's okay😂

You: Use that emoji again and I'll kill you

Pothead: What's wrong with my emoji?

You: Everything, Harry. Everything.

Pothead: You called me Harry

You: You proclaimed your love to me
and I said I would get there in time. 
Why would I not call you Harry?

Pothead: This is a conversation 
that needs to be had in person
because I'm about to scream

You: Ok... I'm coming

~~~

"Harry?" Star called into the empty library.

"Over here," Harry called back. She turned her head to the left with a smile and waved at him.

"Hi."

Harry got up and walked over to her. "My, you're being civil with me!"

"I try," Her cheeks heated up, scaring her to death.

"Oh, now you're blushing!"

"You had to point it out?" She groaned. 

"Well, when the girl I've liked since my first year says she'll try to get past her issues to date me, I'll point out any sign that she likes me."

"You're foul."

"You like me! And, right now this is the time I can actually say it without you saying that I'm lying!"

"I wasn't going to say that you were lying. I was going to say... actually I don't know what I was going to say."

"You were going to say you don't like me. It's probably reflex for you at this point."

"Okay, maybe I was going to say that."

"I know you much better than you think I do, my Starling Darling."

Star giggled and then froze. "Don't," she hit Harry, "make," hit, "me," hit, "giggle."

"Why'd you hit me?" He yelped, grabbing his now sore arm. 

She held up one finger, "Because you called me Starling Darling," She held up a second finger, "and because you made me giggle. It's gross."

"There's no way you don't like my nickname and also, your laugh is cute. So, shut up."

"Aww, I've got you wrapped around my finger, don't I?"

"You're so arrogant."

"Am I wrong, Harry?"

He sighed heavily. "No, no, you're not."

She grinned. "Can I help you get past these dragons or what, Harry?"

"I love it when you say my name," The look on his face was wistful. "Okay, sorry, well, I have books about dragons over there!" Harry smiled as they gingerly walked over to where he was sitting. 

"I don't think books about dragons are what you need, Harry!" She laughed. 

"What?"

"You need books about spells. Tricks. Enchantments."

"Oh, that's smart!"

"I'm more than a pretty face, Harry. I'm a brain too," She winked. 

"Well, I know you have a brain," He scoffed. "I'm just saying-"

She cut him off. "Harry, I know! I'm making fun of you."

"Why do you always do that!"

"I do it because it's so easy!"

"I'm going to go get some spell books, Starling!"

"Aww, you're leaving me, the love of your life, in the dust?"

~~~

"We've been studying for hours," Harry deadpanned. 

"Would you rather fry your brain temporarily or die by a deadly  fire-breathing dragon?"

"This is killing me though, Star! Do you want me to die right now? In front of your eyes? It will scar you!" Harry groaned.

"You're so dramatic!"

"I'm dramatic?"

"Okay, drama queen get back to reading your book."

"Soon I'm not going to be able to read because all of these words are jumbling my brain. If you see smoke coming out of my ears, remove the book from in front of my face and get Madam Pomfrey."

"Shut up and read, boy. Read!"

Harry whined a couple of words before stuffing his nose back into his 'deadly' book. "Harry! Harry!" Star said after a couple of minutes of silence. "Harry!" She punched his shoulder. 

"Ow! What?"

"I'm sorry, I'll keep the life-saving measure I just came up with to myself," Star found herself hilarious but Harry didn't seem to think so. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. At least give me a reaction!"

"What, really?" He leaned over the table and kissed her cheek. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Don't kiss me yet, Harry! I'm thinking since you're so good at flying you could somehow use your broomstick throughout the challenge."

"Wait, that is smart. How would I use it though? I'm not allowed to take anything into the arena except my wand."

"Hmm. Oh, wait! Do you know how to use a summoning spell?"

"Sort of. I'm not the best at it, though."

"Well, you're in luck, I know how to do a summoning spell, and once you know how to do it, you can never unlearn it. Kind of like riding a bike."

"Are you going to teach me how Ms. Lupin-Black?"

"Yes, I am. I'll be the best teacher you've ever had, Mr. Potter."

"Okay, I have a question," Harry asked. 

"Ask away."

"Starling Potter?"

"Harry Lupin-Black?"

"Can I kiss you again?" Harry requested.

She winked at him. "Maybe later, sir. I'll, uh, see you soon. We can make some time so I can teach you and then we'll have another meeting with Ron and Herm before challenge day."

"Does that 'maybe later' kiss maybe involve your lips and not your cheek?"

She beamed at him. "Maybe." She walked away, with a new swing in her hips.

"Can that maybe change to a yes?" Harry was mesmerized by the way her hips moved. 

"Maybe!"

Star was messing with his mind. Even more so than she had in the past four years. 

➟YES.