Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

Romancing the Hopeless Romantic (Terence Higgs)

I was so certain that I'd posted this last night, but when I got to my desk and didn't see it ticked off my list, I realised that I hadn't. I must have dreamt it or something, but better late than never I guess. 

Terence is a character that I've wanted to write about since the very first Adrian one shot but I could never think of anything. As I've been writing these, I've realised that I have a soft spot for many of the Slytherin side characters. I never knew about it, but I'm certainly not complaining. I hope you like it ~

The library, like many of the other parts of the castle, had parts that were very rarely visited. But those sections were quite often my favourite. Many of my fellow students found it too cold to wander down to the lower levels of the castle, or towards the outskirts of the school grounds but my nature rendered me more appreciative of the silence that those locations gave. Well, as much silence as I could get when accompanied by my loud-mouthed shadow.

Although the library was much quieter than other parts of the castle, all thanks to the watchful eye of our terrifying librarian, there were corners of the room that were so still they heightened the steady ticking of the clock. The quiet was enough to lull anyone into a calmer state and, because I needed to unwind from a particularly stressful potions lesson, I made a beeline for the Alchemy section. As always, the section was completely empty of human presence and it seemed like since my last visit, no one had set foot in the place.

Scouring through the nearest bookshelf, I ran my fingers across the spine of the tomes and read the titles that I hadn't managed to read last time. When I finally reached a book at the end of the shelf, I noticed that it was particularly dusty, like it hadn't been moved in years and reached to draw it out. It was wedged in tight, like being secured into position with a sticking charm and with a frown, I drew my wand out of my pocket and recited the counter curse. When I tried again, it came out much easier.

Blowing the dust from the book cover, I coughed a little when the it permeated the air. Brushing the cover clean, I stared at the title; what was a Potions book doing in the Alchemy section? And how in Salazar's name had Pince allowed it to stay here? Curiously opening the cover, my eyebrows rose in surprise when I discovered a folded, aged piece of parchment tucked away safely. Removing the note from between the pages, I read the name penned in elegant cursive across the paper.

Setting the book aside, I slowly unfolded the note and ran my eyes over the long letter – a love letter?

Holding the note more securely between my fingers, I couldn't help but smile as I continued to read on, deciphering the words of a secret love that a man simply could not confess to one of the girls he shared a class with, someone he had never dared speak to. The woman, one he affectionally referred to as Dottie, had apparently never seen the way he looked at her with eyes that scream out the love I harbour for you and Merlin if that didn't set my own heart racing. Not many people knew how easily moved my heart was beneath my Slytherin exterior.

"That look in your eyes means trouble," Higgs called out as he rounded the corner, approaching me. Flushing guiltily at being caught fangirling over someone else's words, I hid the parchment behind my back and gave him an innocent smile.

"What on earth are you doing here?" I asked when he was close enough.

"I know you like I know the back of my extremely handsome hand," he pointed out, rolling his eyes. "Of course, I knew that I'd find you here, hiding away."

"How exactly can a hand be handsome?" I shot back when he came to a stop in front of me.

Terence extended his hand sinewy towards me as if to prove his point, wiggling his long fingers. "You tell me, Conrad."