Some Badgers like Snakes

Elle

"What are you rushing for?" Abby asked as I shivered down a second helping of peas and carrots.
"We've been at dinner all of five minutes and already you've eaten almost two plates full!" She laughed.
"I'm just hungry." I mumbled casually through mouthfuls of vegetables.
"That's Elle, hungry enough to feed the whole school!" Lavender laughed.
"Shut up," I joked back.
"The Hufflepuffs maybe, but not the whole school." I winked and shoved my plate to the side.
"What are you doing? Dinner won't be over for another hour." Abby started to say as I got up from my seat.
"I don't feel well, I'm going to ask to go back to the room, I'll study or something." I smiled at her.
I walked to the end of the long dinner table, where prefects and head boy and girl tended to sit.
"I don't feel too well, may I go back to my room?" I asked the head girl.
"Do you need to go to the hospital wing?" She asked worriedly, reaching up to feel my forehead.
That was one of the many things I liked about Hufflepuffs, the older students were so nurturing; they acted like siblings and even mothers.
"Oh no, I'll be fine, just need some rest. Probably just stress from the first few days and all." I assured her.
She let me go without anymore questions.
I checked the clock in the corridor, five minutes till.
I ran a little of the ways to the courtyard and slowed once it was in view. Underneath a tree that wasn't quite as large as a willow but still romantic and feathery, stood a shadowy figure. It turned around at the sound of me approaching, I noticed a slight glow coming off his soft blond hair in the moon's pale light.
My heart skipped a beat, Jacob.
I walked over to him and he smiled his sly crooked smile.
"Breaking quite a few rules aren't we miss Williams." He smirked.
"If I remember correctly it was you who insisted we hang out, mr. Flint." I teased.
We both laughed. He sat down under the tree, I joined.
"So what do you need to talk to me about?" He asked curiously.
I rolled my eyes, "You're the one who said we needed to talk."
"Ah yes, but you called me here." He mused though I wasn't looking I could tell he was smirking. The thought made me blush for some reason.
"I don't know talk to me about..." I paused to think, "your favourite memory."
He pondered dramatically, stroking his chin as if he were contemplating the meaning of life itself. I giggled at his absurdity. He looked back at me and smiled.
"I guess my best memory would probably be my tenth birthday." He paused, I gave him a sign to continue.
"Father said I was becoming a man and had no use for childish parties, which I didn't mind as my only guests were the atrocious children of his equally terrible friends." He laughed.
"So mother suggested we go for a boat ride, we took a yacht down to the lake and picnicked, mother even bought me a cake." The corners of his mouth turned up just a bit to almost form a smile.
I couldn't help but smile with him, his story was a little stiff for me but the foundation of happiness was still there. It was a start.
"What about you?" He asked looking down at me.
"I don't know if I can pick a favourite..." I thought aloud for a moment.
"I guess there was this one time, I was downtown with mum, it was my twelfth birthday, over the summer holidays."
I started, settling on a story.
"We were shopping, trying on clothes, we went out for a nice lunch, it was pretty fun. We were walking down the street, and there were musicians standing on its' side, people running around, nice and busy." I paused and looked to Jacob, afraid he'd be bored with me, but he was listening intently.
"Then out of nowhere it just started to rain. People started to run into the subways or nearest shop but I didn't. I stood there laughing, and I didn't really know why. I grabbed mum's arm and pulled her back out into the rain and I just...danced. It was unexplainable, abstract, spontaneous." I smiled wistfully.
"The musicians started playing again, they were smiling so brightly it was magical. People noticed and a few started to join in. We were all swinging around, getting positively soaked, beaming and laughing like we didn't have a single care in the world."
I blushed as I said the last part,
"I know it sounds stupid, but it was amazing. Seeing young children, business women, and old men dancing in the rain that way. It was the most wonderful thing I've ever seen." I sighed dreamily and looked up at Jacob. He was staring at me, not creepily, more in an awe filled way.
He looked at me like I was the only thing in the world. I loved it.
"That...sure puts my story to shame." He laughed.
I joined.
We sat there in the twilight just looking into each others eyes. I'd never truly appreciated his eyes properly.
They were a bright jade flecked with little bits of darker green and gold. They were beautiful.
He shifted and the moment ended.
His hand took a loose strand of my hair, blown out of place by the crisp autumn wind, and pushed it back behind my ear. He had leaned in closer, close enough that I could practically hear his heart beating. I tried to see if it was racing as fast as mine. He looked down and I looked up, his adoring gaze locked with mine. I thought for a moment he might kiss me, I closed my eyes gently and heard him sigh.
I opened my eyes to see him push away and lean back against the tree's trunk.
I tried not to feel disappointed.
"Getting chilly isn't it." He whispered looking up at the moon, beginning to peek out from a blanket of silver clouds.
"Yeah, a little windy I suppose." I mumbled, trying not to sound too upset.
We heard footsteps. We both froze.
I didn't think it was exactly against any rules to be out so early at night, but I'm sure it wouldn't matter if we were caught.
I held my breath, Jacob checked slyly around the base of the tree. I saw his shoulders slump in a relieved exhale. I copied.
"Dinner must be over, people are heading back to their rooms." He informed me, I could hear the relief in his voice that we hadn't even caught.
"Thank goodness!" I smiled, chuckling a bit with him.
"Well I uh...we better get going then." I sighed, looking at the ground as I got to my feet.
"Yeah, it was good to see you." His voice the same sad tone as mine.
He stood up and my eyes lingered on his for a second or two longer than necessary. He was just.... I don't know what he was. I just knew that I liked it, I really really liked it.
I gave him a small wave, trying to look cute and flirtatious but probably failing miserably, as I walked away.
As soon as I was around the corner I bit my lip and sighed.
I hadn't gotten a kiss, but my heart felt like it was absolutely melting. I wondered how it'd react if I ever got myself into any real romantic situation. I'm sure simply holding hands would make it burst at this point, never mind something as big as a kiss.
I heard other voices and footsteps behind me in the hall but I blocked them out. This moment had to last for as long as possible. I felt like I was stealing time, so lost in the dream of what had just happened. I held it tight, hoping it would live on forever in my memories. Knowing it was mine to keep secret, locked away in the depths of my heart and thoughts. I grinned.
I practically floated back to my dorm.
"Where were you?!" Abby's sharp voice came as I entered.
Normally such a tone would snap me back to reality but I was far too drunk on this feeling to notice.
"Nowhere." I sighed breathlessly and flipped onto my bed.
From their beds Lavender, Abby, and Arietta shared a confused look.

It was past midnight.
I'd been lying awake for hours.
The soft yellow quilt was pulled up to my chin, but it didn't calm me down. I couldn't stop day dreaming, or I suppose it was night dreaming now.
I thought over all the small details from that night.
The way Jacob nudged me when he told a joke. The way I'd practically been leaning on him as we'd sat under the tree talking. How he always listened and his eyes lit up when I talked. I honestly wouldn't have changed a thing. My mind went quiet. I listened to the crickets chirping softly outside my window and the faint hoot of owls in the distance.
Lavender's peaceful snores came from beside me. They were quiet enough that I found them cute. I wondered if Jacob had any "flaws" like that, I'm sure they would make him even more adorable.
'Stop it!' Came the little voice in my head.
'I told you not to fall for this guy! How stupid are you?' It er, I reminded myself.
'First of all have you actually forgiven him that much?! He insulted you, and others, I honestly can't believe you're still talking to him!' It cried out to me.
'Secondly, what are you doing, falling head over heels for a guy that you
A) just met, and barely know!
And
B) he likes you as a friend! You're practically begging to have your heart broken!'
I was right.
Nothing about this made sense. I was angry at myself for being so deliriously happy. Although I suppose,
" I can't change the past." I whispered.
"I can forgive, I can move on, and I can try to have a better future." I smiled at the thought.
Sure I had been hurt, but it was just that, a had. It was over, I'd forgiven him, he'd proved himself and was doing it more and more with every passing day. I needed him in my life.
I hadn't felt this happy at one in the morning in so long, I didn't want it to end. So maybe he thought of me as a friend, he hadn't kissed me, after all. I would just have to respect it. Maybe with time, my feelings would go away (though I doubted it) or maybe his would grow. I would never know if I didn't try to find out. I settled it, Jacob was something I needed, no matter how hard I tried to deny it.
I calmed my mind and settled into bed. I closed my eyes and drifted off to the thought of his, big, green, eyes.