Harry takes you out of the dormitory in the evening, guiding you to a secret spot by the Black Lake, where you both hide among the tall grass.

The moon hangs low over the Academy grounds, teasing silvery bunnies of light across the dark surface of the water. You lie side by side, gazing at the stars, tracing constellations on the black canvas above.

The young man's arm stretches beneath your head, his fingers gently combing through your hair as you both listen to the soft sound of water lapping at the shore. A touch soothes you, and, in return, he is calmed by your quiet giggles and warm pecks on his cheek after yet another quarrel with his friends.

The moonlight catches his profile, the soft lines of his face relaxing for the first time in what feels like weeks. He smiles, but it's small, almost bashful. “Just…” he says quietly, still gazing up at the sky.

You roll onto your side, fully facing him, propping your head up with your hand, wordlessly asking him for an answer.

He turns to meet your gaze, his emerald eyes catching the light just enough for you to see the depth in them. “About how everything feels different when I'm with you,” he hums, pressing his lips to your wrist. “How it's easier to breathe. How nothing else matters.”

His kisses timidly dot the inside of your palm. “I wish we could stay like this forever,” the wizard whispers, “just us.”

Harry's hand slides up, his fingers tracing the line of your jaw before cupping your cheek. His touch is gentle, tentative, yet he savours you without restraint.

Slowly, as if testing the waters, he leans down. “You make me feel like I can manage anything,” his lips barely graze yours⎯a feather-light touch. His other hand glides down your waist, softly pulling you closer to his chest. “Like nothing's impossible when I'm with you, sweetheart.”

His thumb brushes over your lips, and instinctively, you kiss the pad of his finger, earning a soft, almost inaudible chuckle from him. His grip around your waist tightens slightly, as if he is afraid to let you go.