Chapter Text
He first sees her on the train ride to school.
She’s cute.
And she is with her pink hair adorned with a red hair bow. Her face scrunches up as she walks past him, her attention on her friend as they chat while searching for an empty car to sit in. He notices they aren’t wearing house colors so they had to be first year students.
He imagines her wearing the same green as him and thinks maybe it would suit her.
He shakes the thought away with a blush. Those were silly thoughts. He finds himself a place to sit and reads for the rest of the train ride.
--
He sees her again and thinks the blue suits her, probably better than green would have.
His attention focuses instead on the first years sorted into his house.
--
Hazing was normal. He didn’t like it but it was normal. He remembers the older students sending him and other first year students to the kitchens to get snacks after curfew. They were caught on a count of most of them wandering the dungeons, lost.
He’s surprised that Ravenclaw had their own ritual, they seemed above that.
“Are you alright?” he asks.
They’re in the library. He was walking past the restricted section, shelves of books that were not for his eyes so he never really paid attention to it. Seeing the young witch between the shelves, clearly upset made him pause.
She eyes him warily, not trusting the snake crest on his uniform.
He looks at the shelf she disturbed and pushes the book back in its place properly. He never really liked crooked things so it’s satisfying seeing the book line up perfectly with its neighbors. The worn spine’s title is in latin, which he's still learning, but from what he gathered it was a book about poisons.
“There are other books on that subject probably from the same author if you look,” he tries, offering in what he hopes is a helpful tone as he points to the correct section that students actually had access to. “You cannot check these books out without a teacher’s permission.”
She still eyes him warily before she finally whispers: “why?”
“Sorry?”
“Why are you trying to help me?”
He shrugged. “It is the right thing to do, is it not?”
“You’re from Slytherin house,” she says, not elaborating further.
“Ah, well, my house may have a reputation but I am not my house. I am Rock Lee.” He smiled before he awkwardly shuffled away. He had homework to do. “Bye now.”
--
He sighs as he practices the wand movement. Wand work just wasn’t his strength. He understood what he was supposed to do and what the result he should get but things never worked out that way for him. His family all but considered him a squib so when he had received his letter he had been overjoyed. He would work hard and show all those who doubted him. He too could be a great wizard!
First he had to learn how to perform a decent scouring charm.
After that? Who knows? Maybe he’d work in the department of magic or become an auror!
But the scouring charm had to be learned.
“You’re being too jerky with your movements.”
He blinked and looked over his shoulder to see a familiar witch watching him with a quirked brow. She set her bag down, pulled out her wand to join his side. Then with grace she demonstrated the proper movement. Not a rough ‘S’ shape like he had been doing but something more smooth and silky.
“Your turn.”
He nodded and tried.
“Still too stiff.”
He felt his cheeks burn but he tried again.
“Better but do it faster.”
He huffed, turning to her. “Why?”
“So the charm works right.”
He shook his head. “Why are you helping me?”
She looked surprised.
“I am a Slytherin after all,” he mumbled, turning away.
“It’s the right thing to do, isn’t it?” She huffed. “So just deal with it.”
He snorted but went back to practicing.
“You’re getting there.”
He smiles. “Thank you.”
“Sakura.”
“Hm?”
“My name’s Sakura Haruno and you’re welcome.” With that she gathered her things and left.
--
He sees her on the way to the Great Hall for breakfast.
“Good morning, Sakura,” he greets with a smile.
He doesn’t join her in step or wait for a reply he just waves as he forges ahead.
It isn’t until a little over Halloween when he hears a reply.
“Good morning, Rock Lee.”
He’s surprised but he grins and she smiles pleasantly back.
He decides that it’s nice to greet each other in the morning so waits for her from then on. Sometimes when he runs late he finds her waiting for him instead. They walk to breakfast together and sometimes they chat about classes. He gives her tips for certain lessons and she in turn critiques his wand work.
--
At the end of the school year he sees her again as they board the train home. He feels bold and asks if it would be okay to exchange letters during the summer.
“You wanna send me letters?” She looks surprised.
He nodded. “If you will allow me to.”
She giggled. “I suppose I can’t really stop an owl from coming. Sure, that sounds fun.” She tilts her head, looking thoughtful. “Wanna join me and my friends?”
“Ah are you sure?” He glances at the open door to the car, unsure. “I am from Slytherin house.”
“It’s not just Ravenclaws in here.” She inclines her head to the car. “Besides, you’re the nicest Slytherin ever so,” she shrugged.
He smiles shyly before following her.