Magic

26: Lily Luna x Charlie ~ Confusions and Confessions

"And so, I guess what I'm trying to say is...I really, really like you. And I always have." Lily stuttered, trying hard to maintain eye contact with Hugo. 

The two stared at each other for a long moment before Hugo burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, I can't do this. Your face is too funny."

Lily hit herself in the head with her Charms textbook. "It was your idea, you git!"

"Well yeah, but it's one thing to confess to some boy you fancy, and another to confess to your cousin, whom you've known since you were born and know embarrassing stories about." Hugo said, still laughing. 

"You could have mentioned that before you made me do this in the bloody first place!" Lily complained. "I really shouldn't have told you I fancied him."

"But I'm your favorite cousin!"

"No, that's Lucy."

"I'm your favorite male cousin!"

"That's Teddy."

"He's your god brother!"

"Fine, then it's Fred!"

"Why do you hate me so much?!"

"Well maybe if--"

"What's with all the yelling?" Lucy asked, sitting next to Lily in the common room. 

"Yeah, we heard you lot all the way outside." Charlie said, sitting next to Hugo. He winked playfully at Lily, and she looked down at the ground. 

"So, Charlie," Hugo said, making sure Lily was listening. "I heard Maxine asked you out."

Lily rolled her eyes, knowing he was clearly trying to get back at her. 

"Yeah, she asked me to Hogsmeade last night at dinner."

"Tell me you said no! I hate her! She's so--Merlin, Charlie, you said yes?!" Lucy yelled, making half the Gryffindors in the room look at her. Lily kicked her foot. 

"Of course not." he replied, looking at Lily out of the corner of his eye. 

"Did you spill pumpkin juice on her robes afterward?" Lucy asked hopefully. 

"The other way around, actually. Burning hot soup all over my robes."

The other three stifled laughs.

"I actually fancied her once, for a few months in fourth year. But then I fell for someone else, so it ended." Charlie admitted. 

"You are so disgusting!" Lucy laughed.

"What do you have against her?" Hugo asked, rolling his eyes. 

Lucy and Lily shared a look before saying, "Mind your own business," in unison. 

"Anyway, I'll be heading to the--" Lucy began. 

"--library to snog your boyfriend?" Lily winked. 

"No, we have a prefects' meeting today." Lucy corrected. She got up from the armchair and left the common room. 

Hugo sighed. "I should go, too. They'll kill me if I skip another meeting."

He rose and walked after her, leaving the two alone. There was a long, awkward silence between the two, before Charlie decided to speak. 

"There's something I need to tell you, but if I say it we might not ever speak again."

Lily met his eyes, and her pulse quickened. "Okay."

The two stared into each other's eyes, and as Charlie's lips parted to speak, Maxine stepped into the common room. 

"Wait...don't say it. Please." Lily whispered. 

As Charlie turned to look at Maxine, Lily couldn't help but stare. With his thick golden curls, fair skin, gorgeous green eyes, and freckles dotted like stars across his face, he was extremely attractive. She could see why anyone would fall for him; why she had finally fallen for him. For a moment, she felt a pang of guilt. Since her feelings for him had become stronger, all she'd done was push him away, despite the fact that he was willing to do anything to make her smile. But could she really burden him with her feelings, when dozens of other girls wished to be in her position? By being with him, she knew it would break many hearts, and for a moment she doubted herself. But then, he looked back at her, and Maxine turned her head to talk to her friend, and Lily knew she only had a second to make up her mind before her opportunity disappeared. 

And so, just as she'd imagined herself saying hundreds of times before, she opened her mouth and said, "Charlie, I--" But she found that she could not continue. 

Charlie placed his hands over hers, and Lily blurted, "I like you." And before she could react, his lips pressed against hers.