We Are Stars || Hufflepuff X Gryffindor

Feelings

Following the incident at lunch, Erik and Stella found it excruciatingly hard to leave one another. Fred wasn't exactly happy when they didn't go to Hogsmeade with him, but nonetheless seemed pleased with the amount of time the were spending with each other. As the weeks progressed, they spent every moment they could with one another. Whether it was staying up late in the Library with the excuse of working on a project for Potions, or meeting even earlier at the lake, they always seemed to find a way.

True to his word, Erik had gotten some harmless sleeping potion for Stella, but he made sure she knew that she wouldn't be able to take more than the dose he had given her. While harmless, when taken to often the potion may become additive. Erik had no intention of getting his best friend hooked on a potion that she herself could make.

The kiss was left forgotten, each one thinking that the other saw it as a friendly gesture. But those thoughts did little to stop Stella's longing to feel Erik's lips again or Erik's desire to hold Stella in his arms. Of course they were only friends though, and that's all that they would ever be.

The rest of the school however, didn't see it like that. Rumors were traded like chocolate frog cards about the friends' supposed "relationship". Some said Erik had loved Stella since the moment they met and he had finally worn her down into going out with him. Other's claimed that Erik and Stella had been secretly dating because her parents didn't approve. Still even wilder stories stated something about a werewolf and unregistered animagus helping said werewolf. Honestly how did people think of this stuff?

Nevertheless, Stella and Erik were getting quite annoyed at these rumors. One sixth year boy even approached Erik, demanding that he leave Stella alone so "better" men could try for her affections. Needless to say that the sixth year would be spending his next few days in the hospital wing, and Erik would spend his serving detention with his uncle.

It wasn't the first time Erik had spent an evening cleaning cauldrons or organizing ingredients, but that didn't mean that it was any less awkward. On the first night, Erik thought he would work in silence, but off handedly his uncle asked him if he and Stella had still been meeting at the lake.

"Yeah," he replied cautiously as he cleaned a particularly nasty cauldron.

"Honestly, boy, I thought you two would be smarter than that, perhaps all that time with the Gryffindors has finally made you lose the little common sense you did possess." His uncle sighed at the boy's confused look. "Did you forget that there is a murderer on the loose? Did you consider Miss Stella's relationship to that murderer? That early in the morning, you two would have no protection from him, or the dementors, for that matter."

"Uncle, you don't really think that Sirius Black could get into the castle, do you?" Erik asked his voice filled with concern for Stella.

The man's silence was enough to answer his question, and he didn't like the answer very much. As much as Erik wanted to continue his meetings with Stella, he knew it would only put her in danger.

"Alright, Uncle. We'll stop our meetings."

The potions master gave a small smile, a rare treat even for his nephew. Though it was small, it held more emotion than the brightest of grins. Despite Severus's hard exterior and cold eyes, he loved his nephew more than he let on. Buried beneath the hurt and rejection the man faced, laid a soul who wanted to be loved. And if that love came from raising a Gryffindor who had his head on the Quidditch pitch then so be it.

...

Stella closed her book and sighed. She was still mad at Erik, not only had his duel with the sixth year gotten him detention it had also gotten their fabricated relationship even more attention. At least ten people from Hufflepuff had asked her if she was sad that her boyfriend had gotten detention, "defending her honor". It took all her willpower not to scream at them for taking the word of other students over the word of the people it actually happened to.

Even so, Stella was wondering why Erik had gotten so mad. Usually he was somewhat level headed when it came to this type of thing. It thrilled her for a moment to think maybe he might have had feelings for her. Usually she would push such thoughts away but now she couldn't quite bring herself to.

What would it be like to walk down the street hand in hand with him? How would it feel to kiss him when he made me laugh instead of push him away? How would it feel to fall asleep in his arms? Or ride a broom holding on to him? Would he say he loves me for the little things I do? Would he love me at all?

"What's got you so happy? Like spending time away from me that much?" And just like magic he was there, a smile on his lips and a plate of pineapple cut in the shape of stars in his hands.

"No, just thinking about the time that you tried to come see me in the common room and Lauren thought that you were your uncle," she responded smiling at the memory. It had been in first year and Erik still hadn't quite grasped the concept of everyone hating his family yet.

"Ah yes, she began screaming and I thought her beater brother was going to knock my head off," Erik laughed even though the memory of the death glare the then third year gave him still haunted his dreams.

"If I'm not mistaken, Lauren wasn't the only one screaming," Stella said, raising her eyebrows.

The smile on Erik's face dropped and a look of mock anger replaced it. "That because he was huge! Ugh, just eat the fruit. I had a hell of a time sneaking it away; those house elves never did like me."

"That might be because you thought that they were trolls, in first year," Stella responded with a giggle, taking the plate from Erik's outstretched hand.

"They were very scary to an eleven year old me." His lip puffed out into a cute pout. Erik was always so expressive, so different from his caustic uncle.

Stella shook her head and smiled at the boy, which was enough to keep him from saying anything more. "It's late; let's just eat the fruit and go to bed. I want to be in bed by nine so I can have plenty of sleep," she said, reminding Erik of his true reason for coming to the library.

"Oh Stella, that reminds me. We can't meet anymore in the mornings," Erik said softly. He had to keep himself from laughing when the piece of pineapple Stella had been eating tumbled out of her mouth at his words.

"What? Why not?" the Hufflepuff asked, her face and voice now tainted with sadness. Erik's face softened and he was a second away from ignoring his uncle's warnings about the meetings. But the thought of the murderous Suris Black getting his hands on her quelled any thought of rebellion in his mind.

"Because, dearest, it's not safe. There is a mass murderer on the loose and you, of all people, shouldn't be anywhere near him," he said, placing a hand on either of her shoulders to keep her eyes on him. Stella was instantly enveloped in her friend's warmth as his body was so much larger than her's. Her thoughts went back to what they were before Erik had come in and she gently pushed him away. Why would I ruin this for something that will never happen? My friendship with him is more important to me than whatever loneliness caused those thoughts.

"Alright, but this just means that you are going to have even more time to try and make some Gryffindor friends!" She exclaimed hitting him lightly on the arm, before shoving some pineapple in her mouth. Little did she know how bright he thought she was shining.