Chapter Text
As the sun slowly set into high noon, signaling the end of morning classes and the beginning of lunch period, Harry and his friends left their last AM class to head towards the Great Hall. On his way there, he sees the very girl he’d hoped to catch a glimpse of. His brisk pace slowly falls to a halt as he stares at her, sleeping away lunchtime in the small garden courtyard again. To him, this has become his little routine, his little guilty secret. Every day he takes this route with his friend towards the Great Hall just to watch her from across the courtyard. Even though it only lasted a few seconds every time, it was worth it to him. Just to see her peaceful face in the warm light the fresh afternoon sun cast upon her. Even when it’s snowing, she sleeps on the wooden bench under the trees without a care about what surrounds her in those moments.
He’s been watching her from a distance for years, ever since he saw her in the Great Hall for the first time when getting sorted into their houses. Even when she was sorted into the same house he swore he was to despise, he watched and admired her from afar. He never understood why he found her so fascinating, so calming. Perhaps it was because his life had been so hectic the moment he received his acceptance letter from Hogwarts and that he had never had a truly peaceful moment since then. Only then to gaze upon the sleeping Slytherin in the background, living a calm, quiet life he so desperately wished for himself. No matter his true intentions, it never really changed that he always found himself searching for her sleeping figure within the castle walls. One day, he hopes to speak with her and ask her how she could be so calm, so peaceful. What her secret could possibly be -
“Harry!” A shrilly voice yells from several feet away. “Hurry up, will you?! We’re going to miss half of the lunch at this rate!” She huffs at him, tapping her foot anxiously again on the polished floor, her bushy brown hair bouncing slightly with the rhythm.
“Yeah, Harry, hurry up!” His red-headed best friend whines, placing a hand on his stomach “I’m starviinngg” Ron says, pouting and rubbing his tummy like a young child. Even from ten feet away, Harry swore he heard Rons’ stomach grumble as if it were a hungry dragon.
With one last long-full glance at the sleeping snake, he quickly turns to face his best friends and breaks out in a quick-paced jog toward them. “Right! Sorry guys. Let’s eat lunch before Ron withers away from starvation.” He jokes slightly, earning a small laugh from Hermione and an annoyed huff from the very friend he’d just made fun of.
“Oh, shut it you!” Ron grumbles; a sour look crosses his face before it turns into a slight grin as his friend finally catches up. Ron places his arm behind Harry, gently shoving him towards the hall as all three pick up the pace again. “At least I’m not a creep that watches a certain girl sleep..” He grumbles jokingly.
Harry stares at Ron in disbelief and confusion before quickly recovering and jabbing him in the arm as they walk. Ron lets out a yelp and holds his arm as Harry snips back at Ron for his terrible and definitely not true; joke. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Ronald.” He hissed harshly, “Clearly, your dying of starvation has made you delusional as well. Looks like we’ll have to stuff you to the brim with ham sandwiches.”
Before Ron could open his big mouth again, Hermoine shoots him a fiery glare. Her eyes demanded that he shut up, or he’ll face her wrath. He quickly shuts his mouth, not daring to anger the more petite girl more than he already has. The trio continues their brisk walk toward the Great Hall in awkward silence, not bothering to say anything for fear of upsetting each other again. The only thing breaking the silence slightly along the way was Ron sighing heavily under his breath in annoyance but not daring to say a word.