RP Corridor

Evangeline, with fingers like silky butterflies, reached out and touched Sirius' eye where the bruise was forming; he'd got that for her. He'd got a black eye, for her. And suddenly she was filled with intense gratitude. She stepped forward and gently, softly, sweetly, pressed a kiss to his cheekbone. Immediately afterwards, she blushed and looked at the floor. Shouldn't Andrew be receiving that kiss? Shouldn't he have been around to save her?

His hand shaking, Sirius touched the spot on his face where she had kissed him. Suddenly his eye didn't hurt as much. In a daze, reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

S: Look at me.

He muttered. This shouldn't be happening.

Evangeline looked up, and the Library Look was back. No pretenses, no icy shield, just her. Really her. Exposed and innocent and confused by what was her feelings were telling her to do, and what her head was. However, in the haze of just having kissed Sirius, whom she was meant to despise, her rationality was forgotten, taken over my impulse.

E: I am.

She said in a small voice.

Almost. He almost kissed her.

He took her hands to stop his own from trembling, and took in a deep breath. As the lavender hit him, he could have sworn he made a small noise in the back of his throat. And he almost let it take him. Let it guide him to her lips. Almost.

He took in another breath, a sharp one. No, he couldn't.

Evangeline's eyes were half-closed, and she was so ready to kiss him, so close she could feel his breath on her skin like a fan and she swore that she could hear his heartbeat pounding in time with her own and he smelled like a man, and real man, not a man like Andrew, but a man worthy of her kisses - but he stopped, so she stopped. Opening her eyes, she looked into his, and felt the moment pass them by.

E: Thank you, again.

She whispered and released her grip on his hands, though they didn't fall, as he was still holding them.

He dropped her hands. His own swung by his sides.

S: No problem.

Tentatively, Evangeline held out her hand for him to shake.

E: Truce?

She bit her lip. Her guard was still down.

S: Truce.

He breathed. Taking her hand, and shaking it gently. With his other hand he tucked a curl behind his ear.

Evangeline smiled flickeringly. The electricity she felt as they touched was so intense, all she wanted to do was be close to him, as close as possible. But she couldn't.

He drew back, knowing he couldn't. The moment was gone.

S: Better go to the hospital wing.

E: I'll walk you.

She smiled; even if she couldn't kiss him like she wanted to, she could be close to him for as long as possible. That would have to be enough.

S: Ok.

They set off.

Just outside the hospital wing, Evangeline stopped. The walk had been a silent one, but a somewhat comfortable silence.

E: Sirius... what were you doing when you saw me getting... well, you know?

S: Oh.

He was snapped back to reality.

S: Dahlia. Called me out here.

E: Oh... okay. Shouldn't you find her?

S: Find her?

He said, as though this was a ludicrous action.

What a ludicrous universe we live in.

E: Yeah, you know - locate her.

S: Why?

He said, before realising he'd said it.

E: Because she's your... special person...

S: Oh? Oh! Yeah!

He acted as if she had slipped his mind. Again.

S: She'll be fine.

E: Okay. You should go into the hospital wing, get your eye sorted.

S: Yeah. My eye.

He poked at the bruise.

Evangeline tutted and grabbed his hand.

E: Poking only makes it worse.

S: I wasn't poking it!

He retorted, laughing.

E: Yes you were, that was a definite poke! Come on, hospital wing. I haven't got all day.

She folded her arms and tapped her foot, a smile teasing at her lips.