He's never been in love before, so he doesn't recognize it at first. But soon enough he's going to realize:

Love is watching her smile.

It's thinking of her whenever he sees the kind of candy she likes (Peppermint Toads- he overheard her once say she likes the way it feels when they jump in her stomach) and it's how he has the impulse to buy one and give it to her, despite the fact they supposedly hate one another.

It's how he wonders what they'd be like if he hadn't been a prat to her in First Year, how he wonders if they could've been friends.

Love is how he regrets everything he says to her as soon as he says it; every comment, every comeback, every, "Looks like I beat you again, Weasley," and every, "Why do they even let you on a broom?" and every, "I don't know what he finds appealing about that birth defect you call your face."

Love is how he can't ignore just how good she looks when she's shouting at him about how he's such a bloody pillock.

And it's the twisted feeling he gets in his stomach when he sees her talking to another bloke, and it's the butterfly feeling he gets in his stomach when she's near him.

Love's the way he notices how when she's nervous, she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, repeatedly. He notices she does that a lot when she's around him, but he also notices she does it around Weston Nichols, the hero of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Love is the real reason he punched Weston Nichols in the face when Weston mentioned how he'd "like to tap" Rose Weasley, and if he offered she'd be "totally willing," too.

It's how he doesn't understand why she doesn't understand why he punched him, and how no matter how he tries to explain it to her, he just can't bring himself to say he stopped hating her a long time ago.

But it's also how he really, really wants to tell her, even if it's partially just to see her reaction.

Love is when he sees her laughing, he can't help but smile.

Love is brushing his teeth for extra long, just in case she looks at his mouth while he's smiling or talking so she'll think he has nice teeth.

Love is how when he thinks about this, he actually gets embarrassed, a word that used to never have been even in his vocabulary.

Love is worrying if she would mind if his clothes looked wrinkled.

It's wondering what she thinks of the new Charms assignment, or if she'd laugh at the joke someone had just told him, or if she still fancies Weston Nichols even though he's started going out with some Hufflepuff girl, or whether or not she thought he was being a prat at a given moment.

It's wondering what her lips taste like.

It's hating himself for wondering in the first place.

The way he seeks her out, only to freeze up as soon as he sees her.

The way he wants to touch her hair, just to see if it's as soft as it looks.

The way he can't ever stop thinking about her.

The way he wants to hit his head against the wall just to get her out of his head for one bloody second.

The way he wants to understand why he feels like he's going mental.

The reason he kisses her in the middle of another one of their bellowing arguments, right there in the corridor.

And love's the reason she kisses him back.

Love.

Love.

It's what drives us all bloody mental.

But it's what makes it all worth it.

A/N Yay! One-shotty drabbley thingy!

Anyways, I just got back from a trip to Turkey, which was amazing! I highly recommend you all to visit!

ANYWAYS. Sorry I haven't updated Going After Scorpius Malfoy lately, but I totally intend to multiple times this week! This is because, due to my lack of a social life, my summer is freeeeee! At least, until July 1st, when I go to camp for a month, where I won't be able to update. :( Sorry, but I'm really going to try to make up for it in the next couple of days!

ANYWAYYYYYYYS you should review because you're my favorite.

Yeah.

xx

Ali