Some Badgers like Snakes

Elle

Was I even still alive?
Our lips pulled apart, I looked up at Jacob trying to distinguish the looks behind his eyes. He looked scared, and excited, and happy, but mostly terrified.
He was smirking contentedly just a little bit, but his eyes were screaming for my confirmation.
I smiled.
It spread over me slowly, like melting butter. The confused numbness suddenly got replaced with a glowing warmth,
starting at my lips and flowing down to fill my fingertips and eventually even my toes.
I had to fight every urge to throw my arms around his neck and kiss him again and again.
I'd never pictured my first kiss much, I hadn't known it would have been this amazing.
I hadn't realized until now how much I'd been dying to kiss Jacob, how much the tension of not knowing our feelings had been holding me back, like lead coursing through my veins. That weight had been lifted off my chest and made me feel so light I thought I would have floated away.
I couldn't though with Jacob holding me so tightly.
His arms were still wrapped around my waist, he was looking down at me, his forehead leaning gently on mine. I never wanted it to end.
He began to pull away, his lips brushing my skin and making my whole body tingle.
I put my hand on his, holding it to my hip.
"Just a minute more." I whispered breathlessly.
He let slip a sliver of a smile and obliged. We stood there silently for another minute or two, listening to our heartbeats and soft breaths.
"I don't know what to say." I laughed quietly, looking into his eyes and melting even more.
"You smell like strawberries." He marvelled.
We both chuckled and put some space between us.
I was almost glad for the fresh air, I hadn't completely noticed the severity of my pounding heart and nerves.
What did we do now?
I slid down to the floor, glad to have something to lay my weight on.
Jake sat next to me, leaning against the wall. I put my head on his shoulder and took his hand. I started playing with both our fingers, wrapping them around each other and intertwining them.
Basically doing all I could to not ruin the moment by speaking.
"So..." Jacob whispered quietly.
I could feel his face so close to my hair, as if he didn't want to be apart from me in anyway.
"So." I replied softly.
"Please say something." He laughed awkwardly.
I giggled and looked up at him.
"Are we a thing now? Like what just happened?" I asked, trying to use the adrenaline pumping through me before my nerve ran out.
He looked startled. "We don't have to be a thing if you don't want to be a thing." He stuttered awkwardly.
"Do you want to be a thing?" I asked casually.
I kept praying he wouldn't hear my pounding heart. I bit my lip, waiting for his answer.
He turned red. "Honestly?" He asked nervously.
I nodded, trying to hide the giddy smile that was trying to crawl across my face.
He ducked his head, took a deep breath, and met my eyes.
"More than anything." He revealed, looking at me with his unintentional puppy eyes.
My heart exploded. I didn't know how to respond that.
I slowly sat up, cupped his face in my hand and kissed him softly.
It wasn't a long, passionate kiss by any means; just a light brush of lips on lips.
This time I took the time to savour it though. His skin, his face, his lips. I could feel him blush under my hand and it only made him that much cuter. His smell was intoxicating. Despite having just played a quidditch game he still smelled like cologne and maybe something almost woodsy.
I pulled away, leaving my hand on his face.
"Same." I sighed happily. wearing his signature smirk.
He grinned up at me.
I wished this moment could last forever. If only it were possible.
"So is that a yes?" He mumbled stupidly.
I chuckled.
"It's definitely a yes." I whispered, staring into his eyes. And for a second, if only in that one short moment, I'm pretty sure time did in fact stand perfectly still.

Our footsteps echoed in the hallways around us, our hands swinging gently in between us. I'd never felt as much effortless strength as when I was walking with Jacob.
"So you two are like a thing now?" Lavender asked sheepishly from behind us.
I looked back dreamily, resting my head on Jacob's shoulder. We both chuckled.
Lav rolled her eyes.
"You're both positively nauseating." She groaned.
We all laughed and I put my eyes back on Jake's.
"Come on, it's barely been a week." I smiled, not bothering to look at my best friend as I replied to her.
"Six days of pure mushiness." She grumbled.
"Love you Lav." I sang, squeezing Jacob's hand.
He laughed.
I'd somehow fallen even harder for him in the past six days. I hadn't seen him smile so much in all the time we'd known each other. The past week had been...magical.
"What have you done to her?" She turned to Jacob sheepishly.
He laughed, looking down at me.
"I was going to ask her the same thing." He smirked.
Aw!
"Bleh!" Lav fake gagged.
It was now my turn to roll my eyes.
"Stop being such a hater."
A bell rang sending lingering students into a sudden frenzy.
"I've got to get to practice." Jacob perked up, shifting his weight to move his books to his other arm.
"See you later." I beamed up at him.
He stated still, looking at me adoringly for a few seconds. I blushed as he walked away.
"Bye." I whispered after him.
He whipped around and smirked before throwing me a wave and darting off down the corridor.
"You two are ridiculous." Lav sneered.
"Jealous are we?" I teased.
She rolled her eyes. "As if!"
"Seriously though, I'm kind of happy for you guys. You finally just let it happen. You've only been secretly pining for each other for years." She sighed dramatically.
"Quit it!" I pushed her.
Despite all her teasing and mocking I was really grateful for Lavender.
She liked to make fun of us and we played it to the extreme just a bit when she was around but all in all it had been pretty great. She had welcomed in Jacob so easily and had made me so happy along the way.
I snapped back to reality, Lavender was making the most obnoxious kissy noises if ever heard.
I take it back.
"I hate you." I rolled my eyes and punched her arm.
She barely flinched, laughing it off and increasing the volume of her sound effects.
We honestly weren't that bad!
We hadn't even really kissed except for that one time, and were way too awkward for any obscene public displays of affection. The most scandalous, lovey-dovey thing we'd done was hold hands in the hallway a couple times or given each other an awkward, swift peck on the cheek when we didn't think anyone was looking.
"At least I have someone to kiss." I stuck my tongue out.
She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah 'cause that's what I want, someone to exchange saliva with at this age. Gross, no thanks!"
"Shut up." I grumbled, stalking off to class.
She laughed as she bounded after me.
"Stupid, long legs." I mumbled pathetically as she caught up with no problem.
"Oh my God, stop it! You're barely any shorter than I am!" She laughed.
With her height, creamy dark skin, full hair, and willowy figure the few inches may not have been much but they sure looked like a lot.
"Anyways." She began, starting a new conversation.
"When do you plan on informing Abby about your little love affair?" She asked wickedly.
"First of all, do not call it that. Never call it that." I replied, disgusted.
"Secondly, I was thinking....hmm, never. That work for you?" I added.
I had been dreading telling Abby about me and Jacob. As a crush I hadn't thought it was a big enough deal to bring up, but now...
"I have to tell her don't I?" I asked nervously, biting my lip a little.
"Well it seems to be your lucky day." She forced a smile,
"Here she comes now."
I held my breath as Abby came stomping down the corridor.
"I can't believe that our practice got cancelled just because the Slytherin team has to train new members!" She seethed, letting out an aggravated growl at the end.
Great, the perfect time to tell her that I was dating the Slytherin seeker.
"Shame." Lavender said simply.
I didn't say anything.
"So, what have you been up to?" Abby asked the two of us.
"I haven't been doing much, but Elle has something to tell you." Lavender added quickly.
My eyes widened in fear and I shot her a panicked look.
Abby turned to me.
"Well, what is it?" She asked.
I showered the halls quickly, looking for an escape route. I saw a familiar head of shiny brown hair balancing a stack of books in both arms.
"Well um...you look nice today...And uh, I'm dating Jacob. Good time for everyone. Okay bye!" I shot out quickly and darted down the hall.
"Wait, what?!" She called after me angrily.
"Hey Clarisse!" I slid awkwardly in beside her.
"Um, hi." She replied cautiously.
"Let me help you carry those." I offered.
She smiled awkwardly and handed me half of her stack.
"Th-thanks." She mumbled softly.
"No problem." I smiled, grateful to have found a way out of the dreaded Abby conversation.
"So, uh, whats up with you?" She asked.
I chuckled and began to tell her the whole story.