2 YEARS LATER

"Aren't you going down to Hogsmeade today?" Luna asked as she settled down in the seat across from me, and pulling her own essay out from her bag.

I narrowed my eyes at the sixth-year girls that were sat on another table as they started to mutter 'loony Lovegood' to each other and cleared my throat pointedly. They cast a glance over at me, seeing the eyebrow I arched their way before hurriedly turning away to get back to their work.

"Hogsmeade?" I asked, looking back to Luna, "I don't think so. I need to rearrange the patrolling schedule – the Ravenclaw sixth year prefects had a falling out and are making life difficult for me."

"Does that remind you of anyone?" Ginny asked with a pointed glance my way. Ignoring her words I picked up my quill, looking over the patrolling schedule.

"But if you don't go to Hogsmeade," Luna interrupted, voice concerned, "what's Goldstein going to do?"

"Anthony?" I questioned making her nod, "What does he have to do with anything?"

"He's waiting for you in Hogsmeade." She took in the surprise on my face and looked between Ginny and I with hesitation, "Didn't you know?"

"There might have been something I forgot to tell you," Ginny admitted slowly, wincing slightly, "But in my defence, I've been really busy with the team."

"Honestly, Ginny." Rising to my feet, I looked briefly down at my wand and chewed my bottom lip contemplatively. "Did he say where he'd be waiting?"

"Honeydukes," Ginny called out after me as I began to make my way out of the library.

Waving thankfully at her, I paused in my step, contemplating. Backtracking slightly, I came to a stop beside the group of sixth years who eyed me apprehensively.

Clearing my throat, I declared loudly, "10 points from Gryffindor – each." They began to complain, quieting down at my glare, "And when you need to explain to the rest of the house about how you lost us 60 points be sure to mention the derogatory way you spoke about another pupil of the school. You should know better, especially after the battle last year. Prejudice views aren't tolerated in this school and if they continue, I'll see to it that you get punished further." They avoided my eyes, looking to their essays with the decency of appearing ashamed. "Do you understand? Good."

Continuing out of the library, I was in my dorm in record time. As I got ready, I reasoned with myself that I knew he wouldn't care how I was dressed and that there was no need to be so concerned about what to wear, especially if I was going to put a coat and scarf on top. But that didn't stop me from spending ten minutes deciding what to wear. And I would have spent longer had I not remembered that he had probably been waiting a long time.

I took the first carriage down to Hogsmeade and when it had come to a stop, I hurried to alight it before making my way to Honeydukes. Stopping outside of the shop, I took a moment to compose myself – I didn't want to seem like I'd rushed down here.

Stepping into the shop, I looked through each of the aisles and manoeuvred by way through the hordes of excited students. When there was no sign of him I felt my shoulders slump a little. Had he left already?

Someone took my hand, surprising me. My first instinct was to wrench my hand out of theirs but upon looking into familiar blue eyes, I stopped my struggles.

"Merlin you should have seen your face," he grinned, using our joined hands to pull me out of the way of a group of students.

"No one told you to go around surprising people," I protested, unable to stop myself from smiling.

"I thought you stood me up." Reaching up slightly, I fixed the blue and bronze scarf wrapped around his neck.

"I am a busy woman," I insisted with a roll of my eyes.

"How could I forget?" He chuckled slightly, "I'm dating the head girl."

"And don't forget it." Nodding slightly, I slumped against him with a sigh. "If I knew how much work was involved in being head girl, then I probably wouldn't have taken the job."

He wrapped his arms around me, rubbing my back soothingly as he remarked affectionately, "You always were lazy."

"It's what makes me charming," I objected as I straightened up to look into his face, "So, what made you come down to Hogsmeade then? Did you miss me too much?"

"Something like that," he agreed vaguely making me narrow my eyes at him.

"Goldstein –"

"Come on," he insisted, taking my hand and leading me out of the shop. I frowned, giving the chocolate a wistful glance before turning back to face him, "I don't know about you but I'm starving."

Eyeing him curiously, I kept it to myself as I found myself sitting across from him and ordering lunch. He was keeping something from me but I'd found out eventually. Before I could ask what it was, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small giftbag from his inner pocket.

"Here," he said, sliding the giftbag towards me.

I took it curiously, eyeing him suspiciously as I did so. "What's this for?"

"It's an early birthday present," he explained, looking away from me.

"An early birthday present?" I repeated slowly, peering into the giftbag before raising my eyes to his, "I thought we agreed to meet up for my birthday?"

"About that," he winced slightly, "I've got some work thing scheduled on your birthday so I won't be able to make it."

"Work thing?" My eyebrows rose rapidly as I leaned towards him, lowering my voice, "Work thing! You're training to become a bloody auror! What work thing?"

"It's part of the training," he explained quietly, rubbing at the back of his neck, "We're going on a three-day mission."

"How can you say that so casually?" I exclaimed, "You know better than I do, the number of people that get injured on these missions."

"It's because I'm certain I won't get injured," he stated confidently, reaching out to put a hand on top of mine. "Don't you trust me?"

"Fine," I muttered under my breath, linking our fingers together, "But if you come back hurt from this mission, I'm breaking up with you."

He fought a smirk, "You care about me Shephard."

"Weren't you a Ravenclaw? How could you say something so stupid?"

He didn't say another word. Raising the hand he held to his lips, he pressed a kiss to the back of my hand as our food was brought to us.