Blackbird

Chapter 12

It didn't matter that he'd expected her to slap him instead of kiss him. The second her lips were on his he opened up to meet them. His hands were around her neck, sliding up to her hair as he tangled his hands in it the way he'd always dreamed of doing. His other hand slid down her shoulder, toward her waist. She moaned underneath him, and her hands shot up, running roughly through his hair as she arched up into him. Ted found himself almost growling with pleasure as his hand moved down to her lower back, pressing her hard against him. Their kiss, which had started out slow and longing, quickly deepened into something much, much more.

Ted had seen the way she kissed Rabastan, but he doubted it had been anything like this. This, desperate. Like a raw hunger neither could satisfy but they could damn well try. Ted didn't think about what was happening, he couldn't. All he knew is that all he ever wanted was to kiss Andromeda like this, and keep kissing her until...

They heard a sharp rap behind them.

Andromeda pulled away, staring at him with wide, terror-filled eyes. They heard someone muttering, and they both knew exactly what that meant.

Filch.

Ted swore. Why did this have to happen now?

"He's coming." Andromeda looked like it was the hounds of hell coming and not the caretaker and his little kitten. But then, that cat was a piece of work. This one time it bawled at him just because he'd dragged a little too much mud in and then he'd had to make a run for it before...

Andromeda started toward the door. That was no good. Filch was just on the other side of it. She was going to run straight into him. Ted seized her wrist. "This way," he said through the side of his mouth. They ran off toward a secluded corner of the trophy room and hid behind a couple of man-sized shields. Andromeda's cloak had just whipped behind a corner when Filch came bursting into the room.

He looked around, almost like he was sniffing for something.

"Moved on, did they? But we definitely heard yells coming from here, didn't we, my sweet? A dueling game gone awry, perhaps?"

He and Andromeda must have sounded pretty damn angry, but there was no time to dwell on this, Mrs. Norris was coming their way.

Professor Filch had been installed as the caretaker in Ted's third year, and seemed to have a personal vendetta against all students. But he was kind of thick, so by now they knew how to out-smart him. But this year he'd shown up with a kitten, who possessed things Filch didn't, like a superb sense of smell and the ability to see in the dark.

The kitten sniffed eagerly in their direction, her eyes glowing. Ted raised his wand but Andromeda grabbed his arm, shaking her head curtly. He knew she was right, but he couldn't help glaring at her. Did she have a better idea? He looked around for something to distract the cat with, but it turned out he didn't need it.

He heard a crash on the other side of the room. He looked behind him to see Andromeda with her wand raised, an almost smug look on her face. A small trophy was missing from the shelf next to them.

Looks like she did have a better idea. She caught him staring and gave him a sharp tap, jerking him into motion. The two of them raced forward just as Filch and the cat raced toward the source of the noise, though the cat moved somewhat hesitantly, still glaring in their direction.

"This way Mrs. Norris. Oh! Perhaps it is not students at all, perhaps it is Peeves up to his usual mischief!"

Ted looked over his shoulder just as Mrs. Norris looked over at them. Their eyes met. He was about to stick his tongue out at her when Andromeda grabbed his arm and dragged his arm roughly forward. Once again, it was a smart move, but he would never tell her that. The two of them raced through corridor and down the winding staircase, stopping only when they had reached a shadowy corner by the kitchens.