Chapter Text
"Madam Prince!" I call out as I ring the little bell stationed on her desk. It's midday on a gloomy Saturday in November, and I need a specific book from the Hogwarts library. I've been tirelessly working on a paper about dragons for the past few weeks, and I just need one more book to conclude my research. I really hope she's in, because the book I require is in the restricted section. Usually she favors me, because I'm in her library all the time, and I make sure to clean up after rude patrons on my way out. So if I need a pass to the restricted section, she won't be one to stop me. She comes out of the back room balancing a tower of books in her hands. She slams them down on the table, glances over to me, and sighs, knowing what I'm about to ask.
"Y/L/N, what book from the restricted section do you need today?" She asks calmly as she goes to sort through her stack of books, only her beady eyes covered by enormous glasses and her pointy noise sticking out behind the tall stack.
"It's 'The Modern Guide to Dodging Dragons (and Other Dangerous Beasts)'! I'm not quite sure of-" I begin, only to be interrupted by Madam Prince.
"Sorry, Y/L/N, but I know what book you're talking about. It was checked out last week. It's actually a bit overdue, I've been needing that back." She continues to sorting her books, the stack has diminished now though, as her entire face is clearly in view.
"Is it possible you could tell me who has it? So I could convince them to return it? My paper is due in three days and this is the last piece I need!" I'm practically begging, because I know that I need this book for my paper. And if I, who is pretty much the smartest in her class, were to not finish a paper, I would be the laughing stock of Ravenclaw tower.
"That would be a-" She stops stacking for a moment to look up, clearly racking her brain. "Harry Potter." She turns around abruptly to go back to the back room, probably to add to her stack of books.
I know there's nothing more she can do, but I can't help but be frozen because I now know that there is no way I will be getting this book.
I could never chase down Harry Potter and demand he return a library book- I would look insane.
But you know what? Screw it. I need to get a good grade on this paper.
It's lunch that same day, about an hour after my visit to the library, and I decide I can just talk to Hermionie, who I'm already good friends with, and tell her to tell Harry I need the book.
I sit next to Padma, who is talking my ear off about her paper that's practically done. I try to be supportive but she notices that I keep stealing glances at the Gryffindor table.
"Y/N? What's over at the Gryffindor table, huh? Got a new crush I haven't heard about?" She notes as she takes another sip of her soup.
"Ah, I'm sorry Padma, I'm just worried about my own paper. I'm looking for this one book that I need and it just so happens that someone else has it out already." I sigh as I have another bite of the grilled cheese I was eating.
"Hm-" Padma goes in for another sip of her soup. "Who has it- Damn, this soup is good, Y/N! Try it!" I take a spoon and try a sip, agreeing it's really good, before I reveal why I'm having a problem.
"Potter has my book." I sigh and take a sip of tea.
"Okay? Just ask him if you can use it?" She is being alarmingly nonchalant about this obviously anxiety-inducing situation.
"Yeah, but like, that's Harry Potter. That's so weird to just ask. What do I even say? 'Oh, hello mate, sorry, you don't know me- but I need your book. How do I know you have it-'" I try to continue my rant, but Padma stops me.
"Y/N. You sound ridiculous." She puts down her soup and rolls her eyes. "Oi! Granger! Over here, will ya?" Hermionie is pretty much friends with every Ravenclaw, as she's frequently a part of our study groups.
Hermionie gives a confused look but joins us at our table.
"Listen here, Hermionie, Y/N is being ridiculous." Padma tells her as she continues to dig into her soup.
"What else is new?" Hermionie giggles as she gives me a look.
"Not funny, 'Moinie!" I whine.
"Harry has a book Y/N needs for a project and she's too scared to ask for it." Padma holds in a laugh as she tells her.
"Y/N this is a new low! I'll just call him over and you can ask, okay?" I silently nod and accept my fate as Hermionie calls Harry over. "Harry! Come here!" Harry points to himself to motion saying 'me?' before nodding and coming over to our table. He settles across from me and next to Hermionie. 'Moinie gestures to me, hinting that I should ask.
I cleared my throat before saying, "Sorry, Harry, uh- I'm Y/N."
He interrupts me to my surprise just to add "I know." with a smile.
I'm barely even able to get out the next part because of what he just said- but I persevere. "I need a book from the Library that I think you have, well actually I know, Madam Prince told me, um- anyway, can I borrow The Modern Guide to Dodging Dragons for a paper I'm writing?"
"Of course, Y/N! I was meaning to return it anyway, could I come around your common room later and give it to you?" He asks eagerly.
"Yeah, sure! You know where the Ravenclaw common room is- right?" I confirm.
"I'll find it." He gives me a smile before announcing he's going back to his lunch. "Bye, guys! See you later, Y/N."
"It's that easy, Y/N." Hermionie gives me with a laugh.
"Someone needs to get you on anxiety meds- I'm telling ya." Padma notes as she goes back to the love of her life- her soup.
Hermionie laughs and says bye before going back to her table.
It's hours later and I'm sitting in a nook in my common room. I have a cup of tea that I'm sipping as I revise my paper. It's raining and I can hear the pattering on the window lull me, making me feel almost tired, even though its only an hour after dinner. It crosses my mind that Harry never came by to give me the book. I was thinking of going to get it myself, but come on, even I'm not that desperate.
And at this exact moment, I crave a nice pumpkin pastie. So, I do what any logical person would do and sneak out to the kitchen to get one. I leave my paper and tea in the nook and make my way to the entrance. As I open up the big door, I notice a certain someone is sitting outside.
"Y/N!" Harry says as he jumps up from sitting on the floor.
"Harry- what are you doing out here?" I ask him.
"I have your book!" He says as he hands me the book I've been wanting. "I- uh- couldn't figure out the riddle."
I chuckle at this, and thank him for the book. "You know, Harry, I was wondering. What did you need this book for anyway?"
He looks around for a moment before saying, "Is it okay if I go into your common room?"
"Yeah, sure, here." I open the door wider and close it behind him. I allow him to follow me to the nook I was sitting in, and luckily, since I'm a Ravenclaw, everyone else had their nose in a book and was too busy to care Harry Potter was sitting with me.
I go back to sipping my tea, waiting for him to talk about why he needed the book.
He finally explains what he needed the book for. The first task of the Triwizard Tournament. He tells me all about his fears going into it, and I intently listen.
Pretty soon into our conversation, the common room is almost empty. Everyone's gone off to bed, except for Harry and I, who are discussing the tournament and laughing about our teachers.
I check the clock, and it's already 11.
"Harry-" I note. "I think it might be time for you to go back to your dormitory." I point to the clock.
"Oh, shit, yeah." He gets up and turns around, then looks back at me. "Y/N- I can't."
I give him a confused glance before he continues. "I don't have my invisibility cloak, I came over here before curfew. I'll get caught if I go back."
"I guess you could just stay here and go back to your dormitory in the morning, It won't be an issue honestly, the girls and I found a way to bewitch our room into making it so much larger than it seems. We all have our own rooms now and they're massive."
"Good plan, Y/N, thanks." I led him up the stairs to the girl's dormitories and showed him just how much space we added. I have my own room and bathroom, decorated in midnight blue furnishings and tapestries. The room is bewitched to have the sound of wind rustling through it, but I also added a charm to have the sound of a fan flowing through the room because I have a fan in my muggle room at home.
I put down my tea and put away my paper. I was already racking my brain of where Harry should sleep, and dreading if he were to sleep in my bed because my anxiety would surely guarantee I would get no sleep at all.
I was already in my pajamas and so was Harry, so the only thing to sort out was where he was going to sleep.
"Should I just-" Harry began.
"You could-" We sort of overlapped our comments over each other.
"You start." I tell him.
"Should I just sleep next to you? I don't know how you guys managed to do this, but your room and bed are huge." He tells me, laughing.
"Yeah, that works. Night, Harry." I tell him as I get into bed, internally screaming because in none of my wildest dreams had this ever come across my mind.
I expected to not be able to sleep because I would be worried about him being next to me, but I actually fell asleep faster than normal.
Strange.