There he was, with his hair messy and his eyes laughing as he teased you for the tenth time today. Maybe it was the look on his face, the fact he didn't smile that genuinely so often, that made your heart beat faster.

But you would never admit that, no.

Theodore, the cynical, intelligent and aloof guy that liked to smoke, that put up a cold facade very often, that didn't open up easily. He was the one you almost kissed during the last party, as your faces got dangerously close and you could feel each other's breaths on your faces.

He was different with you, everyone could see that. The way he teased you, the way he was more talkative when you were around, the way his eyes would always find you when you walked the corridors of the castle.

Your friends could see that there was something between you, they could see it clearly. But, for some reason, you two didn't want to admit it.

Then, there was his strange interest in the guys you had around, you talked to. "Oh, yeah, surely a catch" he said, smirking as he made fun of the guy that invited you to a date and that you rejected. He was a Gryffindor, you knew he didn't like them, especially the way they never shut up.

What a jerk, you thought. "He's nice! I rejected him because I was busy that day, not because I don't like him," you added, telling him (and yourself), a little lie.

The way his eyes found you when you said that felt like a shockwave going through you. "Yeah?" He said, taking a small step towards you as you were busy tidying up the table in the corner of the Common Room.

"You like him?"

The side of your face burned with the intensity of his gaze as he leaned a hand on the table, next to you, as your shoulder almost brushed against his chest. "Is that true?"

You cleared your throat, avoiding his eyes for now, but then deciding to meet his gaze. He knew you didn't really like him, but he was still a bit...worried.