No Body No Crime □■ Hermione Granger

Chapter 43

There used to be more moments like these in Arlene's past, moments which, unknown to her, would soon become rarer and rarer, moments were everything felt right, moments were even though there was plenty of sadness to go around, there was also plenty of joy.

It was an odd feeling of sorts, the kind that hits you in seconds and leaves a warm afterglow, the stomach butterflies, the nostalgic pangs and floaty bliss all at once. No drug in the world could ever be as instant and as euphoric as those moments.

And that's what Arlene felt that afternoon when Hermione kissed her. At first it was shock, then it was pure euphoria, her heart started to beat faster with an acceleration that shouldn't have been possible, she was sure this was Hermione's first kiss, but she kissed with the same passion that she had for righteous causes and dusty books, a passion that made Arlene's knees go weak and her lips numb.

She didn't know how long the kiss lasted, it somehow felt like hours and seconds at once –both too long and not long enough- and once they finally pulled apart Arlene wanted nothing but to lean back in.

Neither of them spoke, not due to lack of trying though, Arlene didn't know what Hermione's excuse was, but hers was whenever she came close saying anything, Hermione's eyes wipe it all away and leave a string of words too mismatched to form a proper sentence.

Pretty, Smart, Talented, Amazing,

Coincidently, they were all words she'd use to describe Hermione.

Finally, she cleared her throat "So,"

And then they kissed again.

"You and Granger? Wow."

Arlene sat with Draco and the others in their usual compartment as they bid farewell to their third year, she had her upper body tangling from the window, staring at the castle as she took a drag from her cigarette.

She blew out a mouthful of smoke, smashed it on the side of the train and climbed back "Wow indeed, I mean, I'd been kissed before, but never like that you know."

Theo interlocked his fingers and rested his chin on them "That's so cute! Please tell us more."

"Fuck off, -and stop smoking inside!" she ordered as she dropped back into her seat next to Blaise.

Theo, who had his legs sprawled over Draco and his chest resting on Pansy –whom he was sharing a cigarette with- snorted "Right, because the prefects are definitely not getting drunk right now."

"And even if they do pass by," added Pansy "What are they going to do? Give us detention?"

Before Arlene could argue that yes, they could and absolutely will punish them, an owl took the opportunity of the open window and flew in.

For Arlene was scribbled in a chicken footprint look alike handwriting that could only belong to her mother.

She skimmed the letter quickly and turned back to the others with a smirk.

"What." Blaise finally said when it became clear she wasn't going to say anything.

She leant back dramatically into her chair, crossed her legs in the classic melodramatic fashion they were all familiar with and cleared her throat.

"You are talking with one undisowned Arlene Black." She declared.

Pansy pushed Theo off her and leaned in to peak a look at the letter "You're serious?"

Arlene's grin widened "Yup," she stuck the parchment out and allowed it to be snatched away.

Theo and Draco immediately tried to grab it, failed then opted to push into Pansy's personal space to read it. It was rather hilarious, Pansy cornered on the side of her seat with Theo on his knees behind her to look in through her shoulder and Draco standing up and holding on to the baggage bars for support.