Sucked In

chapter 23

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I woke up the next morning feeling warm and comfortable. Hufflepuff's common room and dormitories were by far the most comforting to spend time in. The dormitories had four-poster mahogany beds to awake in, with soft patchwork quilts to keep you cosy. The circle-arched walls of the common room were low hung, with yellow and copper hues draped along the walls, as well as plants. Many, many plants.

It was Saturday, and the mouth-watering smell of pancakes and english breakfast wafted from the common room just a couple of doors away. I remembered a remark Cedric had made from last night when I was in Hufflepuff house, it was tradition that Saturday morning breakfast was eaten in the common room instead of the great hall like every day, since the kitchens were only one secret passage away. The kitchen elves had caught on to the stealing of food from the kitchen when the ritual first started, but then happily complied and brought the food in themselves. If I were to be voted into the yellow house, I could definitely get used to this.  

After a hearty breakfast and some funny conversation with a big group of housemates, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, and Susan Bones ask me if I want to come and have a study session in the library with them, but I politely decline since today I have a hogsmeade outing with Terry Boot. It may have been for a dare, but I was actually quite eager to get to know him more, it might be wise to make some more friends in different houses. He said to meet him in the great hall at 9, so there I was, fiddling with the hem of my sweatshirt as I waited. I was wearing blue, straight fit denim, with a navy sweatshirt and light coat over it. It was becoming chillier as winter approached, and the wind was picking up.

Terry got to the great hall 6 minutes late, with his hair styled differently than normal. We started walking, and when I remarked that he looked flustered, he quickly explained that he tried glamour charm on his hair, but it didn't go correctly on the first few attempts. His cheeks flushed a deep shade of scarlet after I paid him a friendly compliment. It could have also been because of the cold breeze, but there was no way to know for sure.

My first trip to Hogsmeade passed me by in a blur of butterbeer, laughter and an assortment of sweets from Honeydukes, followed shortly by an intense sugar rush. My smile didn't leave my face, and Terry grinned boyishly from ear to ear at even the smallest of interactions between us. He had dirty blonde hair and honey eyes, with cheeks that flushed easily when the temperature changed between inside and outside. We sat in The Three broomsticks and watched other students awkwardly flirt with each other, laugh and joke at the bar, or simply just have a good time. Our next stop was Zonko's, Terry buying some stink pellets to prank his friends with, and me just being in awe of the infamous joke shop that Fred and George worshipped. The shop captured their essence perfectly, and I wondered what they would look like browsing shelves upon shelves of mischievous items.

After our energy was drained, we sat on a wooden bench that looked over the Scottish highlands.

"I had a lot of fun today," Terry remarks. "Me too" I said, without moving my eyeline away from the cliffs ahead of us. I turned towards him to find him gazing at me. He opened his mouth to say something, and closed it again. Strange.

Before I could process what was happening, his lips were on mine, desperate but not aggressive, kissing me with thirst yet gently. He tasted faintly of butterbeer and pumpkin. When I finally came to my senses, I pushed him away with wide eyes and he even looked surprised with himself, startled, as if he wasn't sure what he just did.

"Terry I-, what the fuck was that?" I ask frantically, running a hand through my hair. "I- I don't know!" He exclaimed. "I'm, I'm sorry, I have to go." He swiftly walked off without another word. My fingertips ghosted over my plump, rosy lips, wondering what just happened.