The halls of Hogwarts were quiet. The kind of quiet that made your footsteps echo just a little louder than they should. You and Percy walked side by side, the golden prefect badges on your robes catching the flicker of the torches as you rounded a corner.

He held his wand out like he always did, overly alert for mischief even when it was well past curfew and the only sound in the castle was the creak of shifting stone.

You nudged him gently with your elbow. “You know,” you whispered, “we’ve been dating for months now. You’re allowed to relax a little.”

Percy didn’t look at you right away, but you could see the faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I am relaxed,” he replied stiffly, eyes still scanning the corridor. “This is me at my most carefree.”

You laughed softly, leaning in a little closer. “Merlin help us.”

He finally turned to look at you, his expression softening the way it always did when he thought no one else was watching. “I just like doing things properly,” he said, quieter now. “Especially with you.”

You blinked, caught off-guard by the sincerity in his voice. It was easy to forget that behind the rule-following and clipboard-carrying was a boy who blushed every time your hand brushed his under the table.

“You do know that technically we could use this time to, I don’t know… sneak a kiss in a hidden corridor?” you teased, stepping just slightly into his path.

Percy stopped walking. His eyes flicked toward the nearest alcove, then back to you, his ears already pink. “That would be wildly inappropriate,” he murmured, clearing his throat.

You tilted your head. “But?”

He hesitated.

Then — almost too fast for you to react — he stepped forward, gently grabbing your wrist and pulling you into the shadows of the alcove. The torchlight barely reached where you stood, pressed lightly against the wall with Percy’s hand still wrapped around yours.

“But… maybe just this once,” he whispered, his voice barely audible before he leaned in and kissed you. It was soft, careful, exactly like him. Like he was still half-worried Professor McGonagall would appear and dock points.

‘When he pulled back, his forehead rested briefly against yours, breath warm in the chilled air.*

“That’s all,” he said, clearly trying to reassert his composure. “Back to patrol now.”

You laughed again, quietly. “Sure, Head Boy in training.”

He gave you a look. “Don’t joke about that. I’m aiming for it.”

“I know. And you’ll get it. Just… try not to write me up for kissing you on duty.”

He squeezed your hand before letting it go, cheeks still flushed as you returned to the corridor. “I'll let you off. This time.”