First Date: A Reimagining

You make your way down the candle lit corridors of Hogwarts, each step drawing you closer to facing your date once more. It wasn't suppose to end like this. After overcoming the embarrassment of Snape reading your comically poor attempt at discovering her feelings, the botched way of finally asking her out and the anticipation of waiting for her response, to the days of stress and preparation leading up to today, you knew you had to be due for something to go right. Instead all you got was an absolute disaster of a first date. You had to awkwardly fumble your way through a conversation with her. You had to make a fool of yourself trying to order for the both of you. And above all else, they had to show up and ruin the whole thing. Surely she wouldn't want anything to do with you after tonight. Why would she? Years from now when she remembers her first date all she will remember what an absolute disaster it was. Still, perhaps talking about tonight would salvage some hope for a future together. At the very least that is what you hoped for.

Quiet murmurs filled the halls as the few students who remained made their way back to their respective common rooms. Surely you were drawing the gaze of a few of them as you were still dressed up in the stylish outfit made especially for you by Andre. Of course drawing the attention of your classmates was nothing new. From your first day at Hogwarts you were infamous due to the actions of your brother. Your curse breaking exploits of the past few years have done little to bring yourself out the Hogwarts rumor mill. As you made your way past the Great Hall, your destination was soon in sight. Turning one final corner, you step out onto the abandoned courtyard. Completely devoid of students except for the girl who captivated your heart years ago. With a deep breath you approached your date for the final time of the night.

"Hey Merula," you greeted the young witch as you sit yourself down next to her. "How are you doing?"

"You mean since we got back from our date tonight? Oh, you know it's been absolutely swell what can I say?" she replies back sarcastically.

"Oh. Well that's good to hear then," you respond, mindfully choosing every word that will leave your lips for the entire conversation.

"It sure is," she responds rolling her eyes. "Look Ymous, what is it you wanted to see me about?"

"I wanted to talk to you about how things went tonight," you answer truthfully as you turn and faced your date.

"Hold on to that thought," the Slytherin quickly replies. "I just saw a shooting star."

You tilt your head upwards towards the night sky in an attempt to spot the object that stole her attention. The stars adorned the night, free to shimmer in all their glory in the sky devoid of clouds. Your eyes continuing to scan the atmosphere, hoping that perhaps you could wish for a second chance if you spotted this supposed shooting star. After another examination of the sky above you give up the hope of spotting it.

"Are you certain you saw one? I'm not seeing anything," you question Merula.

"You need to get your eyesight checked out. Now we just have to wait for another one to come by," she snarks back.

Ignoring her remark you quickly attempted to steer the conversation back to your original intent. "Look Merula, about what I was saying earlier, we need to talk."

"And we will...later. For now keep your eyes up on that sky Ymous" she responds as she stares upwards with a smile on her face. "What do you think about stargazing?"

"Well I think it can be romantic in certain situations," you responded to her offbeat question. "I didn't ask you to meet me here just so we could stargaze though Merula. Why are you stalling me?"

The smile on the violet eye colored girl shifted into a frown as she couldn't hide the truth any longer. "Because I don't need to hear your bad news Ymous. You can forget about telling me about how terrible of a night you had with me, because I don't need that right now," she admits to you.

"What?" you answer back to her admission. Completely at a loss for words realizing Merula shared your worst fears regarding the night. The typically confident witch showing a side of herself you've rarely seen.

"Look, I wouldn't even have gone if you hadn't asked me out," she responds.

"Merula I didn't call you out here tonight to reject you like that," you answer in an attempt to calm down the girl.

"But you set me up to lose. You complimented me first and you ordered for us," she answers back defensively. "You beat me tonight."

Her confession stung to hear. Realizing that in her desire to be the best at whatever she does, she pictured that even a relationship was simply another competition for her to win. That in her life full of misfortune and tragedy, the only catharsis she has ever known is the feeling of being superior to others. That through her tough and confident demeanor, laid a girl that was more insecure than the world ever knew.

"Merula dating isn't a competition. It doesn't matter who complimented who or whatever first," you respond trying to alleviate her fears and worries.

"It matters to me Ymous. And I've been beating myself up for it this entire night," Merula answers back, refusing to meet your eyes.

"Still though, I didn't call you down here to gloat or put you down"

"What did you want to talk about then?" she questions back. Completely unaware that you were facing your own demons regarding the date you shared.

"I wanted to apologize for how things went tonight. How we couldn't even have a conversation, how my friends wouldn't give us any privacy, and how even through all of my careful planning, things still ended up in a disaster," you admitted. "You deserved so much better for your first date Merula."

Waiting for her response felt like an eternity as the two of you sat in a brief silence. "You know it could have been a lot worse," she finally answers. "I could have been with somebody else," she states reassuringly.

A sense of shock fills you as you look up at the girl once more. "Merula are you saying you are glad you went with me?"

"I'm saying that even though there are a lot of things about tonight I would change. I wouldn't change having you as my date. You were brave enough to even ask me out. Even after I tried to convince you otherwise and realizing that I know I can be a lot to handle at times. You deserved a lot better than me for your first date as well," she clarifies.

Her response fills you with a renewed sense of hope and confidence as the witch reveals more of her true feelings. "I chose to ask out the strongest witch in all of Hogwarts. I don't know if I could do any better than that Merula," you reply back with a chuckle.

"You make a good point," she answers with a smile as the two of you return to look up at the night sky.

Looking over to the girl by your side you see a grin on her face and you felt that, for the first time since coming to Hogwarts, Merula was truly happy. For once, she could find joy in something other than being the best or the strongest in something. As you draw your hand closer to hers, you break the silence. "I'm glad we talked about tonight Merula."

Realizing your gesture the girl looks you in the eyes and places her hand onto yours. Her soft, warm hand a stark contrast to the cold and rough demeanor she typically displayed. A rosy tint begins to form on her cheeks as she smiles right at you.

"I'm glad we talked as well," she responds as she intertwines her fingers with yours.

As the two of you continue to stargaze, hands still interlocked with one another, a warm feeling of content and relief fills you. Deciding to be a bit more daring you ask another question that was weighing on your mind.

"Hey Merula, about what you said earlier in the tea shop. Did you really mean it when you said you liked me?"

She turns to face you once more with an all too familiar eye roll. "I mean everything I say Ymous. And I meant it when I said that I do like you," she admits. "I just don't know how to say or show it at times."

"I really like you too Merula," you respond, coming clean with all of your feelings towards the girl. "From spending time hunting for vaults, to going to the Celestial Ball with you, and even tonight, I've enjoyed every moment I've spent together with you."

"I hope you aren't just saying that Anon," she responds. "Because I feel the same way."

"I mean everything I say too, Merula" you reply looking at the girl once more. Your heart beginning to race as you still find yourself absolutely awestruck with how beautiful she looked tonight. From her trademark smokey eyeshadow, how lovely she looks with her bicolored hair straightened, to the elegant dress she wore just for the occasion. Everything about the young with was simply breathtaking.

"I mean it when I say I have feelings for you Merula." you firmly state as you lean in closer to her.

Realizing she knew fully what your intentions were, she looks back at you with a smirk. "Prove it then," she whispers as she leans in as well, closing her eyes as soon, your lips met for the first time.

The world around you felt as if it was fading away as you become completely lost in the moment. The feelings you've had for her becoming fully realized as you became introduced to her lips. Lips that once before, had stinging words about you and your brother escape from them. All of that becoming but a distant memory, as your find yourself kissing Merula even deeper. Your other arm wrapping around her back, pulling her in. Your eyes still closed, as the two of you share this embrace. Hoping and wishing that this moment would never end, knowing that nothing in this world could be more perfect. Alas, eventually the two of you pulled away, meeting each other in the eyes once more.

"Was that enough proof for you Merula?" you finally managed to respond after regaining your composure.

"Well..I'd say that was good enough," she responds sarcastically with a wry smile on her face. "You were good, though I've never done that before so I can't really judge for certain."

"Neither have I, but I would wager you'd be hard to top," you answer back.

"I don't think you and I are just friends any more Ymous," Merula jokes with a blush as her eyes returned to the night sky.

"No, I can't say we are. Though I think I could get used to calling you my girlfriend," you chuckle.

"Calling you my boyfriend does have a nice ring to it. Though it may take a bit for that fact to truly sink in," the Slytherin responds, her cheeks a deep crimson at this point.

"Take all the time you need Merula, there's nobody else I'd rather spend the days with."

You pull the girl closer to you and wrap your arm around her side. As the two of you stare up at the stars once more, for the first time all day, you felt completely at ease. That despite how disastrous your date has been, perhaps you couldn't have asked for a more perfect date after all. As you look over your shoulder to see the smiling girl in your arms, you knew you wouldn't trade how things ended up tonight for anything.