Seventh Year

Celebration!

     I wake up as the sun is starting to peak over the horizon. Wait, I'm in my bed? How? The last thing I remember is... I blush as the memory comes back. I fell asleep in Severus' arms! How embarrassing! I smile when I finally remember what we spoke of. Everything went better than I was expecting. I'm glad.
    It's too early to be awake. But I'm stuck this way. I slip out of bed quietly, grab a book and a blanket, and head to the common room to read until everyone else in the castle wakes up. I find a comfy chair near the fire so I can see what I'm reading, and wrap the blanket around me.
I finish the book in about an hour, and lay it down next to the chair, glancing outside.There's no point finding another book. Everyone will be awake and loud before I can finish it. I stare into the fire and fantasize.
    "Severus!" I run toward him, reading by the lake. He closes his book and looks up at me, smiling broadly. I realize I made a mistake by running down a hill toward a lake. "I can't stop!" I pass by him, trying my best to slow down. He grabs my wrist and manages to stop me before I fall into the water. He pulls me into his chest and wraps his arms around me.
    "Don't scare me like that ever again." He squeezes me tightly, and I can't help but smile. He holds me at arm's length, and examines me. "Are you hurt?"
    "No, I'm not. Thanks to you, Severus." I smile at him and bury my face in his chest. I feel him kiss the top of my head.
    "I love you."
    "I love you too." I feel him place his hand under my chin, and gently raise my head to where we are looking into each other's eyes. He wraps his unused arm around my waist, and I blush, waiting for what comes next. He tilts his head down, leans in and-
    "(M/N)! You're up early! Couldn't sleep eh?" The Ravenclaw prefect nudges me, and I laugh.

    "No, no. I just fell asleep earlier than usual last night, so I woke up earlier." I laugh, and let my mind roam to what I was fantasizing.

    "Ah I see." She smiles at me mischievously. "Severus seemed really happy to be holding you last night." She elbows me playfully.
    "So you took me to my bed. Thank you."
    "I didn't realize you were so tired."
    "Neither did I. But I'm refreshed today."
    "Are you sure it's only sleep making you feel good?" She raises her eyebrows at me, and my face turns tomato red.
    "How dorky did I look last night?"
    "Super dorky." She laughs, and I take it as she's joking. "You looked so happy. I almost let Severus take you up to bed. Almost."
    "That would have been breaking the rules!"
    "So? No one would have known. But I didn't let him. I would have if he had asked, though."
    "You'd risk getting in trouble to see me happy?" She nods, and I smile. "Thank you so much." She opens her mouth to say something, but a rush of Ravenclaws swarm the room. I pick up my book and fold my blanket before taking them back to where I got them from.
    "Are you okay, (M/N)!?", " James went too far pulling that prank on you!", "Will you and Severus still be friends after what happened?", et cetera are aimed at me as I move about.
    "One question at a time!" I laugh. "Of course I'm okay. Actually, I'm great. I need to thank James for doing that to me."
    "So everything is okay between you and Severus?"
    "Are you two going to marry each other!?" The room falls silent at the first year's too-loud question.

    "Maybe." I can't help but smile and hug the girl. She squeals in delight, and the entire room erupts into applause.
    "The two of you are together! Congratulation!" The majority of them say in sync.
    "Shoo shoo! Stop crowding (M/N)! Let him get to his boyfriend on a day off!" The Ravenclaw prefect somehow manages to make a bubble of no people around me.
    "Thank you," I whisper to her. And with that, I leave to find Severus.