TALK ━ Harry Potter

08. Alive

EIGHT ALIVE

"Harry kissed me," was the first thing Eurydice said in lieu of a greeting when Heloise walked up the steps to the astrology tower the next night. She was pretty sure she was hyperventilating, "Like, on purpose. He kissed me, not the other way around. I always thought if we kissed again, it would be me initiating it like it was the first time, but no! Heloise, I'm freaking out, I haven't slept since it happened, do you know the last time I couldn't sleep? I don't! I love sleeping, it's like my second favorite activity besides reading. Merlin, I'm boring. Heloise say something!"

Heloise, who was staring at her friend with crossed arms and an amused smile finally spoke up to say, "Oh, I was gonna wait until you ran out of breath, it seemed you were getting there rather quickly."

"Shut up!" Eurydice exclaimed, feeling overwhelmingly joyous as the two girls playfully pushed each other around. "This is serious!"

"Yeah, seriously dumb! A boy kissed you, you're beautiful, I'm surprised it doesn't happen all the time, are you really surprised?" the blonde asked as the two of them settled down, a loose grin on her face as a curl fell into her face. "Is this really so newsworthy?"

Eurydice rolled her eyes, grabbing her friend's hands and forcing her to look her in the eyes as she shouted, "Yes! It's not any boy it's Harry bloody Potter!"

"I don't think that's his middle name. Pretty sure it's James, but I could be wrong. Or maybe it was John, hm," Heloise mused much to her friend's dismay who simply scoffed and let go of her. She could tell the girl was having way too much fun about her freaking out and really she was offended if anything. Heloise should be just as concerned as her if not more.

"Don't get smart with me," the dark-haired girl groaned as she sat down on the floor, "I just... I don't know what to do, Heloise. I haven't spoken to him since it happened. What do you even say after you kiss someone? Do you think he likes me or do you think he only kissed me because he knows I like him? Do you see why I'm freaking out?"

Heloise sighed, "I hate when all we talk about is boys, it gets rather boring, but I will humor you just this once. Di, I adore you, but you're overreacting. He's a boy, they're really not that complicated. He probably just likes you or thinks he likes you and is trying to figure it out. I mean what was the context? Give me more details."

"I had been reading on the couch in the common room and everyone had gone up to bed, but Harry stayed so I started reading out loud to him, quite romantic if you ask me, and then he just asked if he could kiss me! Like it was a totally normal thing to ask an unsuspecting girl!" she explained, her heart racing as she remembered the feeling of Harry's lips against hers. Her fingers pressed against her lips, searching for the ghost of the heat they had created.

"Well, to me, it sounds like he wanted to kiss you, but wasn't sure if you wanted to kiss him so he asked. Did you really need me to explain that to you?"

"I'm not dense, Heloise, just so incredibly confused," Eurydice sighed as she laid down with her back against the cool floor, her eyes staring out at the stars. "For the first time in so long, I just feel... alive. No one's ever made me feel that way before. Not like this. It's... it's exhilarating."

Wordlessly, Heloise laid down next to her, looking out at the same sky for a moment before turning to face her best friend, "If he really makes you feel that way, then maybe you should do something about it. I mean, clearly, he's got at least a little bit of a thing for you, what's to stop you from just... going for it? It really isn't as complicated as it seems, I'll be honest with you."

"Going for it is not quite something I'm known for, Heloise, you know this," the girl tsked, her eyes searching for the constellations she knew. She wondered what it might be like to gaze up at these stars with Harry by her side. Honestly, she just wanted him to kiss her again. She wasn't sure if anything would ever compare to this feeling ever again, but she would kiss him a hundred times in an attempt to recreate it.

"It could be," the blonde beside her shrugged, "I mean, that's really up to you."

"It doesn't feel like it," Eurydice sighed, "I'm really not used to anything spectacular happening in my life, I'll be honest Heloise, I'm quite boring."

Heloise snorted at this, "Hey, you said it, not me."

Eurydice gasps and reaches over to shove her friend to the side who is just laughing at her attempts. The girl sits straight up, glaring at Heloise and trying her best not to laugh, "You are the worst! I'm never confiding in you again!"

"Oh, that's a lie and you know it," Heloise sits up, shaking her head as fits of laughter continue to slip past her lips. "You'd end up talking to the portraits on the walls if it wasn't for me! Admit it!"

"You're right, but my god, you don't have to say it!" the dark-haired girl exclaims through wheezing laughter as the two girls playfully attempt to smack each other. She never laughs this much with anyone else, she'll give Heloise that. "Merlin, you're annoying."

Heloise just laughed more at this, shaking her head as she pushes herself back into a standing position and holding out a hand to help up her best friend, "You wouldn't know what to do with yourself if it wasn't for me and you know it. Besides, if you're the boring one, someone's got to keep things interesting! Might as well be me, right?"

"Yes, I suppose it might," Eurydice gave up on fighting her, instead opting to sling her arm around the girl's shoulders as they began to head down the stairs. It was probably getting close to curfew and their respective common rooms were rather far from each other. "Also, I hope you know you provided me literally zero counsel on the Harry situation, so thanks a lot."

"To be fair, Di, when have you ever listened to a single thing I say anyway?" Heloise asked with a light chuckle, her hand ruffling the girl's dark hair. "I already know you're gonna do you anyway. Why not just read on the couch some more and see if he kisses you again? I'm sure it would work."

Eurydice rolled her eyes at this as they walked, "It's not that easy, though and you know it. I mean, there's so much to consider --"

"Like what? You like him, it sounds like he likes you," Heloise cut her off with a shrug, "I mean, I might be oversimplifying it, but it's not as hard as it seems. You could have something great with him, but you might need to be the one who shows your hand first, you know?"

"I do know and I'm not happy about it," she sighed, running fingers through her hair, "What if I pursue something, though, and there's just... nothing there but fleeting feelings that weren't built to last? I'd rather just not know at all."

Heloise paused in the hallway so she could face Eurydice and place both her hands on the girl's shoulders, reiterating, "There's only one way to find out. You'll never know if you don't try, Eurydice. If this boy is really making you feel all these things, making you feel alive? Go for it, don't waste a moment by waiting for some idiot boy to make the first move. Got it?"

Reluctantly, Eurydice nods. "Got it."