Lurid of Ravenclaw - An Entry to MNFF’s June’/July Challenge Number Three – Romance.

A warning to all my readers of my W.I.P. Malicious Intentions – Do not read one more line, lest you face MI Spoilers. If you’ve read ch. 14, then you’re completely safe. You have been warned.

“Nothing takes the taste out of Peanut Butter quite like Unrequited Love� – Charlie Brown.


A brilliant sun shone across the water, illuminating dust specs, and gnats; empowering the scent of the brightly coloured wildflowers that dotted the edge of the grassy patch. Halle Weasley sat on the lakeside, skipping stones over the surface angrily, one after the other. So much had happened over the past couple of days. The only thing she could remember clearly, though, was the funeral. She vaguely remembered the graveyard, and the intense fear that had shot through her at the sight of her cousin on the ground, but as she closed her eyes, everything became fuzzy. She threw a stone into the water. Halle liked fuzzy.

She picked up a few more pebbles and threw them half-heartedly into the water, where they scattered and evolved into ripples. The ripples fanned out into the deepest corners of the lake, and Halle watched them tide against the bank somberly with her chocolate brown eyes.

She was shaken out of her reverie when someone’s familiar presence plunked itself down beside her. The presence turned into a living, breathing person – the last thing Halle wanted to interact with at the moment.

‘Weasley,’ came the presence’s voice. Halle sighed, and turned towards the person. The presence grinned at her, and Halle managed a small smile.

‘Hello, Miles.’

‘Hello my dear. You seemed to be looking a bit below the weather, so I thought I’d come cheer you up.’ Miles wiggled his eyebrows and leaned in closer to Halle.

Halle closed her eyes briefly. ‘Miles, you know why I’m upset. I’m sorry to tell you, but your usual antics are not going to make me feel any better right now.’ Halle picked up more stones and tossed them into the lake.

Plop, plop, plop.

Miles frowned at the rippling water. ‘You know, Halle, I can help you. I won’t try to make things all better. That’s for you and your family to cope with.’

‘My family’s too busy with Janus. They’re supposed to be in mourning, and all they can think of is that baby.’

Miles frowned again, and touched Halle lightly on the shoulder. ‘C’mon, Halle. I know you. You’ve been looking forward to this baby for months. You were the one who picked out his name, the one who predicted his future in Divination. I doubt this kid’s going to become a Hippogriff farmer like you said, but he’s turned out alright so far.’

Halle smiled in spite on herself. She did remember Divination, making fun of the kooky Professor Patil. It didn’t excuse the actions her family was taking, though. ‘Giselle hasn’t been … gone for three days and already they’re happy again, cooing over a baby. They’re supposed to be sad, supposed to be grieving – feeling like I do’

Miles ran his fingers through his mop of hair and turned Halle’s jaw in his direction, so chocolate eyes met hazel. ‘I am so sad for you,’ he said directly.

Halle was in shock. For the past few days, people had been staring at her in the corridors, coming up to her and saying how sorry they were, how much regret they felt for her and her family. No one had actually expressed any sympathy towards her, only sorriness.

Halle sighed, and Miles concern for her deepened. He pulled her into a fierce hug.

‘It’s not Janus that’s annoying, it how, up until now, and no one’s cared about me. They’ve only expressed condolences out of courtesy.’

Miles slowly drew away from Halle. ‘You know I love you and wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, right?’

Halle’s mouth dropped a little. ‘What did you just say?’

Miles shrugged. ‘I love you.’

Halle’s head was spinning. Every girl with a boyfriend, or who someone they were madly in lust with dreamed one day that they’d return the feeling, and say those simple, three little words. Miles had said them as if they were the most natural thing on earth, to say that you loved someone so selflessly, for their benefit, and for nothing in return. To tell someone you loved them, just out of the blue…

Miles looked at her with concern. ‘Hal, are you all right? What’s wrong?’

Halle snapped back to reality. Miles was shaking her, saying her name. ‘I’m… I’m fine. You’re in love with me?’

Miles cracked a small smile. ‘Love is a snowmobile, racing across the tundra, until suddenly it flips, pinning you underneath.’ When Halle let out a look of horror, he continued. ‘At night, the ice weasels come.’

She slapped his arm. ‘That’s terrible! And besides, that’s ice Weasley.’ Her eyes widened again. Her voice quavered. ‘You said you’re in love with me,’ she said softly.

Miles nodded and then resumed a serious face as Halle grimaced. He toyed the idea with himself for a moment, then said, ‘How about we say… we’re not lovers–’ Halle shook her head ‘–We’re not in love–’ Halle shook her head uncertainly ‘–But we love one another, and care deeply about each other. How’s that? Does that make you feel better?’

Halle breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Yes, much better, and easier to comprehend.’

Miles whistled softly, staring out onto the lake. ‘But, you know, if we ever were to evolve to the stage where we were in love …’

‘– But not lovers.’

Miles nodded. ‘No, not lovers, but in love, would you accept it?’

Halle considered for the moment. ‘I suppose it could work. Being in love with someone is hard work though, isn’t it?’

They were talking about love although it was an assignment, or if they were talking about a marriage! The last few days had been so unbelievable, and to have something this bizarre and almost laughable thrown into her face – Halle was ready to believe that anything was possible.

Miles draped his arm across Halle’s shoulder and picked up a flat stone from the marshy ground. ‘Yeah, I suppose it could be hard for anyone else. But we’d make it seems seamlessly easy, what do you think, Weasley? Could be pull off loving each other for now, until such times where we fall in love?’ He tossed the stone across the water, and it skipped, making ripples bounce out from where it had skipped the water until it vanished beneath the surface.

Halle leaned into his shoulder. Her worries all seemed so… few now. Sure, she could regret the past couple of days, still mourn for her cousin and celebrate the birth of her brother, and she could still enjoy the summer sunshine, Halle supposed.

‘I think we could definitely convince people, if that’s what you mean,’ she said lazily, heaving another stone into the lake.

Miles caught her hand in his, and rubbed it lightly. ‘Yeah, you up for the challenge?’

Halle snuggled into Miles’ neck. ‘Yeah, I think I’m up for it.’

---

At breakfast, Halle dutifully endured the thousands of questions being pelted her way by Millie.

‘What did he want you for? He came to me, asking where you were!’

‘He wouldn’t say no! He wouldn’t stop pestering me until he found you!’

‘Why did he want to talk to you? Did he end up finding you?’

Halle smiled into her waffles. ‘He wanted to talk to me, is that right, I’m not telling, and yes, he did end up finding me. In the order you asked your questions.’ Halle reached out and grabbed the container of maple syrup.

‘I’ll tell you some other time, if you can wait that long.’ She grinned, setting down the syrup. ‘When there are not so many ears listening.’

Millie put on a grumpy face. Halle had already figured out Millie was hiding her feelings. She wasn’t going to bring it up, though. She supposed people had a different way of dealing with their grief.

‘As long as you do tell me,’ Millie reasoned, turning back to her cheerios.

---

Miles caught up with Halle as she left the Great Hall. ‘I have something to tell you,’ he said, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

Halle sighed, and then expressed a small smile. ‘What, oh one and only Miles?’

His grin widened. He looked like he was the cat that finally caught the canary. ‘You’ll see, my love, if you follow me.’

So Halle allowed herself to be dragged into an empty classroom on the bottom floor, and waited patiently while Miles fiddled with something on the desk. She leant her thighs against one of the lower desks, and blew the wispy tendrils of hair off her face. The air was damp with humidity, and Halle’s hair was sticking to her neck.

‘Miles,’ she said, closing her eyes lazily against the heavy air, ‘Do hurry up. It’s too hot in here.’

‘Of course it’s hot, Hal. It’s steamy with love.’

Halle snorted. ‘Steamy with love? You’re a classic, Miles.’ She opened her eyes, and blinked in surprise. ‘Oh.’

Miles was down on his knees, a rose clenched awkwardly between his teeth. Beads of sweat were working their way down to the tip of his slender nose, and his arms were covered in sheen of sweat that trickled to his wrists where his palms were opened, and facing Halle. He removed the rose from his teeth and presented it to Halle with a flourish, bowing. Halle took the rose, dumbstruck.

‘You, Halle Weasley, are completely original. Any other girl would have fainted, screamed, squealed, or thrown herself at me by now.’

Halle smirked. ‘I’ll do no such thing, Miles. Now, I demand to know what all of this is about.’ She waved the rose about and crossed her arms to illustrate her point.

‘Well, my Halle, I fear I have moved onto the part of our agreement that entails me falling in love with you. Please don’t take the taste out of my peanut butter by saying you don’t love me back.’

‘The taste out of your peanut butter?’ Halle raised an eyebrow and let Miles slide onto the cool desk beside her. She was shocked, but her body and her mouth seemed to be doing all right, so her brain didn’t interfere.

‘Well, someone once said that nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love. I just so happen to enjoy peanut butter. I even happen to enjoy the way it sticks to the roof of your mouth.’

‘Have no fear,’ said Halle calmly, fiddling with her rose. ‘I won’t take away your taste of peanut butter.’

Miles’ eyes widened. ‘You’re in love with me, Miss Halle Weasley?’

Halle smiled, and slid off the desk slowly. She presented the rose to Miles, who held it in his hands limply. It was his turn to be surprised.

‘I do believe I am, Mr Miles Spinnet.’

Miles stared into Halle’s eyes. He could see every sparkle, every change in colour in her eyes, and every drop of sweat dotting every freckle across her nose.

‘Oh Lord, who can tell? Save he who love hath tried,’ he murmured as Halle looped her arms around his neck.

He focused in on Halle’s eyes as they drew closer, and her felt her warm breath on his mouth. He smiled.

---

Halle laughed as she ran into the Great Hall with Miles in tow. All the students were immersed in their own lives, reading the papers or dedicating their attention to their cereal. All of the students except Millie.

She exchanged a glance with Halle, who simply smiled. Millie stared at Miles sternly. ‘You treat her right, you hear? Otherwise you’ll be hearing from me.’

Miles bowed, bringing down Halle’s hand. She let out her first giggle in three days, and Millie stepped back stunned. Miles grinned and said, ‘You have my word, fair maiden.’

Millie smiled wryly. ‘Off with you, then.’

‘As you wish,’ said Miles, pulling Halle with him back through the door.

As the exited into the sunshine, Miles stopped Halle on the sandstone steps. ‘You’re glowing,’ she said softly.

Halle put a hand self-consciously to her cheek. ‘I am?’ she said uncertainly.

‘Yes, you are,’ Miles said, regarding her seriously. ‘Lovers alone wear sunlight.’

Fin.

A/N: “Oh Lord, who can tell, save he who love hath tried,� was once quoted by Lord Byron, and the “Lovers alone wear sunlight� was quoted from E. E. Cummings, and of course, the peanut butter quote form from the Comic Strip Peanuts, where Charlie Brown once said, “Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love.�