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“Is your mom an artist? Because you look absolutely beautiful,” said Garreth with a big grin on his face.
“Wow, that was terrible, my friend,” Leander answered.
“Oh yeah? Why don’t you try it then?” Garreth smugly suggested.
“How about… did it hurt when you fell from—” He was cut off by a cushion smacking him in the face.
“Oh, by Merlin’s beard, are you serious with that one?!” Sebastian said while rolling his eyes.
“Hey, it’s a classic,” Leander sighed in frustration, attempting to throw the cushion back at Sebastian but failing miserably. Garreth and Sebastian both laughed at their friend’s weak attempt to defend himself.
Idiots, you thought to yourself as you observed them from afar. Apparently, Garreth, Sebastian, and Leander had chosen the library for their weird competition on “what’s the best pick-up line.” You were trying to study for Astronomy, digging yourself into the book you were holding about star constellations when you suddenly felt the chair next to you move. It was Amit, and with a big smile on his face, he greeted you.
“Hello, (Y/N). Sorry I’m late. I was lost in the sky trying out my new telescope and totally forgot to check the time.” He clumsily sat down beside you.
“Oh, it’s okay. I’m really grateful that you’re taking the time to help me with my studies,” you offered him a smile. YES, I AM! you thought. Honestly, how was astronomy so hard to understand? They’re just dots in the sky… millions of millions of them. It was actually very hard for you to find a single constellation in the night sky.
“Oh, it’s nothing really. I do appreciate your trust with this, AND I just love talking about it for hours, you know. It’s my favorite subject after all,” he said proudly. You couldn’t understand how someone could enjoy looking through a pipe for hours to observe the night sky. You looked at his face while he tried to figure out where to start and got lost in his eyes — the way he grinned from ear to ear as he scrambled the parchment in front of him, the way his voice sounded while he excitedly spoke about his favorite subject. He was a better sight than your textbook. You felt the chair Amit was sitting in move, and you couldn’t help but blush a little as he shifted closer to explain better.
“Okay, let’s get started,” he said, leaning toward you.
As Amit was about to begin, you heard a loud noise coming from “the trio of flirting experts.”
“OW!” Sebastian grunted as a book was smacked in his face. Amit and you looked up to see a girl angrily picking up her books and leaving the Slytherin standing there.
“Haha, that was brilliant! I’ve learned so much about NOT dealing with girls. Thank you, truly, my friend,” Garreth clapped his hands in amusement.
“Yeah, thanks Sebastian. Now we know we shouldn’t try that one on any other girl,” Leander joked, crossing something out on his paper.
“It was just not the right person for it,” Sebastian said, sitting down while still rubbing his head.
“Oh, so it would have worked on any other girl then?” Garreth questioned with a hint of sarcasm.
“Well, apparently, ‘Your parents must have been thieves because they stole the brightest stars in the sky and put them in your eyes’ doesn’t work when said parents are… dead.” Ouch, you thought. Poor girl. Garreth and Leander both tried not to cry with laughter hearing him explain himself.
“What are they doing?” Amit suddenly asked, turning toward you.
“Oh, they’re having a competition of ‘how to flirt with a girl,’ and I can tell you: no one is winning so far,” you explained to him.
“Oh,” he said simply.
“Well, you can’t steal stars, so maybe that’s why the girl didn’t like it,” he said so innocently that you were actually trying to figure out if he was joking or not.
“As if you can do it better, Amit.” Both Amit and you looked toward the voice of Sebastian, who sounded frustrated with the whole event. He, Garreth, and Leander made their way to your table where Amit and you were sitting. They placed their books on the table and moved closer.
“Don’t make a fuss now, Sebastian. AND PLEASE spare me your flirting competition!” you said jokingly to all three of them.
“Ha ha, yeah, please spare us,” Amit tried to ease Sebastian but failed.
“Come now, it’s not a ‘competition,’ just a little fun between us,” Garreth said as he sat next to you.
“That’s right,” Leander added.
“Okay, whatever you say,” you replied.
“No, no, it’s really just for fun—you can try it too, (Y/N),” Sebastian teased.
“PASS,” was all you said to him.
“Fine, what about you, Amit?” Sebastian turned to Amit, who was trying to hide behind a book.
“Oh, me? No, no, I’m not good with that kind of stuff,” he said, trying harder to hide behind the book in front of him.
“Really? You never thought about how to flirt with a girl?” Garreth said in disbelief.
“No,” Amit said, avoiding eye contact. Just then you noticed he wasn’t trying to hide from the trio but from you. Sebastian noticed it too and had a mischievous grin as an idea formed.
“Okay then, why don’t you try it now?”
“WHAT?!” Amit screamed, almost falling out of his chair. Garreth and Leander both laughed as they caught on to what Sebastian was planning.
“Yes, right now! Just look over to (Y/N) and think of a—”
You cut him off. “What?! Why me?” You blushed at Sebastian’s suggestion.
“Because I have a feeling you’d be a good judge,” he winked at you. You could see how Amit desperately tried to disappear into the book, and you feared he’d jump right in to hide. You sighed and shifted in your chair.
“Don’t listen to him, Amit. You’re not a cheap flirt, just like OTHERS I KNOW,” you said, the last part with a hint of spite.
“Thank you, (Y/N),” Amit said.
“Come on, just one.”
“Yeah, look her in the eyes and just say it.”
“Come on, we won’t judge… not much.” They all pressured Amit to say something. Amit began to stutter, trying to wiggle out of the mess he got himself into. He couldn’t do it. Not while you sat right next to him.
“Guys, come on, let him be,” you started to get annoyed. Amit’s cheeks turned even redder when he heard you defending him. In that moment, he realized how red your own cheeks were, clearly embarrassed by all of this—but still, you tried to defend him. He looked at you while Garreth, Leander, and Sebastian continued to tease him. He had enough. Here he was hoping to spend some time with you, about his favorite subject no less. You stared into his eyes, seeing how painfully he tried to think of something to say. You smiled at him.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to—”
“(Y/N), if I say I like your robe, would you hold it against me?” Amit said, not breaking eye contact with you.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Garreth, Leander, and Sebastian almost choked at the words that came out of their shy friend. They all looked at him in utter awe.
You stared into his eyes in disbelief as you realized what he was implying with the pick-up line.
“I mean, uh, what I was trying to say was, uhhh, you see, I, uh…” Amit stumbled over his words, shocked. Realizing what he just said to you, he desperately tried to find a hole he could vanish into. I’m so stupid! Why did I say that? he thought to himself when he noticed your stare. You couldn’t believe it. You looked at him as he seemed about to have a panic attack.
“Hahaha,” you started to giggle. Amit paused in his motion. Oh no, he thought. I totally screwed up.
“HAHAHA!” You laughed so hard you began to cry.
“That was the best—” you began to say between laughing and crying, “the BEST pick-up line I ever heard, haha!” You nearly fell off your chair.
“I… what?” Amit said, stunned.
“Bloody hell, Amit,” said Garreth, laughing as well.
“Wow, Amit, I didn’t know you had it in you, mate,” Leander said, writing the pick-up line on a piece of paper in front of him.
“Wow… just wow,” Sebastian said, letting his arms fall to his sides in defeat.
Amit was trying to understand what was happening when he felt your hand on his shoulder.
“Seriously, Amit,” you said, still giggling a bit, “I was not expecting that from you. And I’m honored to say…” You cleared your throat to sound more serious. “I declare you the winner of this stupid pick-up line competition.”
“IT’S NOT A COMPETITION!” Garreth, Leander, and Sebastian screamed in unison.
“OKAY, THAT’S ENOUGH!” All of you turned to see a very angry librarian standing in front of you.
“Mr. Swallow, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Prewett! Should I remind you that the library is for studying and not for your LOUD shenanigans!” she angrily said to them.
“Detention for all of you.” She pointed at each of them.
“But Madam Scribner, we were just—”
“Just on your way out of here!” She cut Sebastian off.
Ouch. The three of them quickly gathered their belongings and began to run out of the library.
“And you two?” Madam Scribner pointed at you and Amit.
“Yes, Madam Scribner?” you both said in fear. Man, she really was scary.
“If I hear another peep from you...”
“We will behave, Madam Scribner. After all, we are here to study Astronomy,” Amit said nervously, holding up his book as if to ease her.
“Hmpf,” was all she said as she turned and left.
You let out a sigh as you watched her walk away. Amit, still confused and embarrassed by the event that just happened, looked at you with a small smile.
“Better do what we came here for,” he said.
“Yes, I agree. So, where should we start?” You noticed Amit was clearly still flustered.
After two agonizing hours, you had had enough.
“Okay, that’s it for today!”
“As you wish. You did well today, (Y/N),” he said, grabbing his books.
“Thank you again, Amit. You’re a lifesaver,” you said, offering your sweetest smile.
“Don’t mention it. You know how much I love talking about it,” he said, turning his head, feeling his cheeks grow warm.
“Yes, believe me, I KNOW,” you teased him.
“Hehe... sorry, I’m rambling so much about astronomy.”
“Well, it’s part of your charm. Even though I don’t understand everything you say... yet,” you said as you walked out of the library with him.
“Yet?” he questioned.
“Yes! I do hope you’ll share your knowledge with me again,” you smiled.
“Of course!” He beamed brightly.
“Though I really hope that next time I don’t get tangled in a competition,” he sighed.
“But you did win,” you giggled.
“Well, yes, but uh, I wasn’t trying to win!”
“I know.”
Suddenly, before you could say another word or even step away, you reached out and grabbed him gently by the collar of his robe. Without warning, you pressed your lips to his in a soft, quick kiss that somehow felt just right.
He stood frozen for a moment, eyes wide, completely stunned. Then, as if shaking off the shock, Amit slowly pulled you closer, his hands finding your waist. His lips met yours — this time more passionately, more urgently — as if making up for lost time.
You melted into the kiss, your heart pounding as his warmth enveloped you. When you finally parted, breathless, you smiled and whispered,
“Oh, and by the way... to answer your question—yes, I would hold my robe against you.”
You winked, your cheeks flushed, and just as you turned to run toward your dormitory, you felt his hand gently grasp yours, stopping you.
“Wait,” Amit said quietly, his eyes full of warmth and something deeper. He pulled you back into another tender kiss — slow, meaningful — making it clear that this was only the beginning.
“Good night, Amit!” you said, laughing softly, your fingers still entwined.
He stood there, completely breathless and grinning like a fool.
“She just... kissed me,” he whispered to himself, heart racing.
With one last smile, he finally started toward his dorm, already looking forward to the next time you’d be together.
“I’m counting on our next study session, (Y/N).”