boundless (Amit Thakkar x OC)

Amit (or, my bright star)

Cutting through the drizzly Transfiguration courtyard, Emilia ducked into the Defense tower doors and looked left, letting out a little relieved sigh as she caught sight of a familiar blond reading a book.

Emilia approached, calling out, "Ominis! It's Emilia, your potions pa-"

The rest died in Emilia's throat as a tan Slytherin girl glanced up from her book, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Who on earth are you?" she said.

Emilia fidgeted. Now that she was looking at her, she and Ominis looked absolutely nothing alike besides hair color; the shoulder-length curls should've been a red flag. Emilia cursed her inability to tell faces apart.

"I'm so sorry- I thought you were... I mean, you're friends with Ominis, right?"

The girl shut her book with one hand and stood, never taking her eyes off Emilia. "That I am," she said flatly. She went silent, obviously waiting for Emilia to pick up the conversation again.

Emilia was formulating her most painless exit strategy before something clicked in the back of her mind. "Oh, wait- you're Gianna! Amit's potions partner?"

Gianna seemed genuinely caught off guard by that. The gears in her head seemed to turn until a sense of realization brightened her eyes, and she visibly relaxed because of it.

"I see. You're that little Hufflepuff he's always getting distracted by."

A spark of happiness lit up Emilia's whole body, and her face began heating rapidly along a bashful smile. She'd never imagined that someone might be... distracted by her.

"...What... do you mean by that?" she asked in a sheepish voice.

Gianna smirked slightly. "I don't mean anything. Perhaps you ought to ask him."

Emilia considered the girl's words with a growing sense of resoluteness. She thanked her heartily before spinning around and running back the way she'd come, weaving around Ominis.

"Who was that?" Ominis asked, sitting next to Gianna.

"Your potions buddy," Gianna teased. Ominis laughed softly, shrugging as if slightly embarrassed. Warming, Gianna's gaze lingered on Ominis a while longer, wondering silently at the flare of jealousy she'd felt over him.

Emilia sat back on the bench, absorbing the birdsong and staring out across the dusk sky and the distant Black Lake. The day had been blissfully sunny, warm enough to melt the sleet and to negate the need for a jacket. A small flower had pushed itself from the cold earth, prospecting the beginning of spring.

"Emilia?"

Emilia swung her legs over the bench, rising to greet Amit. She had spent hours plotting how exactly she would deliver her speech to him, but all that planning drained away as she caught sight of him. His simple blue waistcoat with loosened white sleeves and tan corduroys was standard fare for his style, but her eye was caught by his only accessory, softly draped across his shoulders.

"You've still got my scarf."

Amit glanced at the scarf as if he'd forgotten it was there. He looked at her again, a small shine to his brown eyes.

"Of course."

Emilia simply felt breathless. Even now, he still managed to send the rush of butterflies to her heart.

Plan completely derailed, Emilia sank to sit on the bench once again, resting her head in her hands. She heard Amit slowly approach her and sit beside her, allowing her silence to stretch. It was awkward, but Emilia appreciated his insight.