Jake hadn't received detention for his actions, and he hadn't even received punishment of any sort. He had awoken in the chair in the Common Room the next day, stiff as a board from sitting upright. He could only imagine what everyone was going to say to him when they saw him. Probably look at him and treat him exactly as Trelawney had predicted the previous year.
Some time in the middle of the night, he had woken up screaming. He hadn't done that since he started taking the Sleeping Draughts, which he had forgotten to take the previous evening. He hadn't planned on falling asleep and had every intention of going to see Hermione yesterday. His screaming wasn't as bad as it had been, and maybe because of the Sleeping Draughts, with how long he'd been using them for, they may have lessened the effects of his Nightmare in the event he forgot to take one.
He didn't feel like running that morning, so he skipped it and went to shower and put on fresh clothing and robes. It was still incredibly early, so he decided to go and see Hermione, if she was still even in the Hospital Wing. He didn't see why she would be, but he just had to know for sure. He walked out of the Common Room to a dark, creepy feeling corridor.
Pressing forth, he soon found the Hospital Wing and opened its door carefully. He looked at each of the beds, but Hermione wasn't in any of them, "Already back at the Tower... okay."
He then just exited and went down to the Entrance Hall, just as the sun was starting to reach over the horizon. He sat on the bottom step of the Marble Staircase to wait for Breakfast to start being served. He didn't know how long he had sat there for, but he opened his eye when a tap was felt on his shoulder. He looked and saw the girl in question, "Jake, what are you doing down here?"
"Hermione?" He stood up and embraced her, "I'm so glad you're okay," he said quietly.
"Yes, I am too," she returned the embrace.
He felt an odd tension between them, making it slightly uncomfortable to be holding her. He let go and looked at her face; her face was soft, but tense around the mouth. He was about to speak when she spoke again.
"I heard what happened... after I left in tears..." she said slowly.
"If you want me to apologize for my actions, then you're going to be waiting a long time," he informed her, and her reaction was as he expected.
Hermione wasn't taken back, or aghast, it was like she had expected him to say exactly that, "You almost killed Professor Snape... how can you not apologize for that?"
"Because he's biased, callous, a horrible fucking teacher. No one here likes him but his own House. Worst of all, he made you run away, crying, when you clearly needed to see Madam Pomfrey. How can you even suggest I apologize for almost doing everyone a favor?" He asked her, clearly not budging on his position.
Hermione frowned at him, but she said nothing else. The doors to the Great Hall opened moments later and Jake turned to look. Without saying another word to Hermione, he walked over and into the Great Hall, taking a seat a little farther down than he usually sat.
He wasn't surprised when Hermione didn't sit next to him.
He wasn't going to apologize for his actions, he had no reason to. He just had to hope that Hermione eventually accepted his actions and talked to him again. 'Maybe she just needs some time...'
The Hall began to fill with students soon enough, and as expected, every single one of them entered, looking at Jake and whispering not so quietly about what he'd done. He ignored them and ate the breakfast he had grabbed the moment it appeared in front of him. He had no reason to explain himself to them, or act differently, just because of what happened yesterday. As expected, no one sat near him, afraid that he'd blow up again like yesterday.
Of course, it was the Slytherins, who spoke the loudest from across the hall, that said it, specifically Draco, "Watch out everyone! You don't want to be nearly strangled to death, do you? Or potentially exploded for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kidd will rampage through the school and kill the lot of us if we aren't careful! I guess Trelawney's prediction was true for a change!"
Of course, there had been no Professors in the Hall at that time, so Malfoy had been given free reign on what he was allowed to say. Not even Hermione had told Malfoy to shut up. She was doing what she almost always told Harry and Jake to do, ignore him. He couldn't exactly blame her that much, because this wasn't something for her to get involved with, but he still expected her to have his back on it. Then again, maybe because he wasn't saying anything, or even acknowledging Malfoy was talking at all, she was being quiet too.
There was at least one person who didn't seem to be put off by him or his actions yesterday. He had seen someone sit across from him, but it wasn't until she spoke that he realized who it was, " 'ello, Jereemiah, 'ow are you feeling?"
He looked up and saw Madeleine sitting across from him, "Oh... hey, Madeleine... I'm okay," he managed a small, half-smile in her direction, showing that he was at least a little appreciative of her checking on him.
"I 'eard what that 'orrid boy was saying about you. I deed see eet yesterday, but I do not zink zat you are a bad person," she said kindly to him.
"Thank you, that means a lot to me," his smile grew to a full one just as Fleur came up behind Madeleine, not that she was the reason for it, though.
"Madeleine, es-tu ici en train d'embêter Jereemiah?"Fleur asked her, sitting down beside her.
"Non, Fleur, je voyais juste comment il allait," Madeleine responded. Naturally, since Jake couldn't speak French, he had no idea what they were saying.
"Je ne fais que te taquiner, Madeleine, ne t'inquiète pas," Fleur said with a giggle. She turned to Jake and began speaking to him, "So, Jereemiah, I will be 'onest, zat was an eempressive display of power. I 'ave 'eard from some of ze Ravenclaws, particularly a blonde 'eaded girl, zat you are related to Merlin?"
"Yes... yes it's true that I am," he said as Fleur set her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her palm. She had an oddly dreamy look in her eyes.
"I 'ope you do not mind me being so... forward wiz zis, but I zink zat makes you desirable, more zan any ozer guy in zis school," Fleur said to him, "and I deedn't say it ze ozer day, but I was 'oping zat ze Beauxbatons girls 'ad sat at ze table you'd be sitting at, only to find out zat you sat two tables down. It was mildly dees'eartening, eef I am being 'onest."
"Fleur, je croyais que tu avais dit qu'il ne t'intéressait pas?" Madeleine had asked Fleur.
Fleur turned to her, "Je n'ai jamais dit cela. Il est incroyablement désirable, bien sûr je m'intéresse à lui."
Jake started to feel slightly uncomfortable not knowing what was being said. He had a feeling that he was the topic of their conversation, if the occasional glance towards him was any indication. He cleared his throat to get their attention, "Ladies, um... c-can I ask what you both are talking about in French?"
"Oh, zat ees obvious, we are talking about you, of course," Fleur said casually.
"What specifically, though?"
"Oh, zat ees girl talk, not for you to 'ear," Fleur winked at him. For the first time since he saw Fleur, he actually could feel his face burning slightly.
Farther down the table, he didn't see it, but Hermione was looking his way with more jealousy than she ever thought she'd be capable of. She wondered briefly if not sitting with him was a mistake, but she concluded quickly that it was definitely a mistake. She allowed those French Harlots to get near Jake, and she could see that he was indulging their advances. She violently turned her head, lost her appetite, and proceeded to leave the Great Hall. She went to the Library for the rest of Breakfast before her first class started, where all she accomplished was crying into a book.
*******
A few days later, an interesting article had been published in the Daily Prophet . It had nothing to do with Jake, but instead it was mainly, or almost entirely about Harry. Apparently, while Jake was out of it, they had the Wand Weighing ceremony. Rita Skeeter, of course, had interviewed the Champions, and Jake had read the Prophet this time, seeing a lot of things he was sure Harry didn't even say, because this did not sound like Harry at all:
I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know
they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now...
Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not
ashamed to admit it... I know nothing will hurt me during
the Tournament, because they're watching over me...
On pages two, six, and seven, Skeeter wrote entirely about Harry. She briefly mentioned the Champions of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, misspelling their names, and Cedric wasn't even mentioned at all, "You're a real piece of work, Skeeter..." Jake mumbled to himself. She also seemed to interview other people about him, and this was something Jake actually scratched his head at:
Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close
friend, Colin Creevey, said that Harry is rarely seen out of the company
of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggleborn
girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school.
'Does Harry like Hermione? Does she like him back? Maybe Hermione moved on after all?' He had thought to himself. He hadn't expected Hermione to move on quickly, if at all, honestly, 'What the fuck am I thinking? Rita Skeeter is a dishonest, lying cunt. Of course Hermione wouldn't be in love with Harry. But is he in love with Hermione?' He had always thought Harry was more into Cho with the way he'd seen him looking at the Ravenclaw girl, but maybe he'd been wrong?
In the end Jake decided that wasn't important right now, he shouldn't honestly care who Hermione wants to be with, because he'd already decided it was best for them to stay friends. Hermione deserved only the best, and he knew that wasn't him.
The one thing that Jake hated the most about Skeeter's article was how she callously dragged Hermione into the spotlight. Hermione might be upset with him, but that didn't mean he didn't care a great deal for her. He had promised her father, after all, that he'd watch out for her. He'd have honestly done that even without promising her father.
In the next Potions class, Pansy had to put her two cents in, " Stunningly pretty ? Her ?" She had shrieked, and Snape, as expected, said nothing, "What was she judging against - a chipmunk?"
He heard Hermione tell Harry to ignore it as Harry had been ridiculed relentlessly by the Slytherins since the article was published. Jake wasn't going to let Pansy get away with it, though, "You know... that's funny coming from someone who looks like a Pug, Pansy."
"Kidd, that's Ten Points from Gryffindor for speaking out of line," Snape snarled at him.
"Oh no," Jake's voice was a mixture of sarcastic, snarky, and uncaring, "what ever will I do?"
Snape, surprisingly, only snarled his nose, but continued on like Jake didn't exist.
While Hermione spent a lot of time in the Library with Harry in order to help him get prepared for the First Task, whatever it would be about, she noticed Jake was spending an absurd amount of time with those Harlots, especially Fleur. She was sure they weren't actually Harlots, but she detested them so much, she couldn't help but call them that.
She could also tell that Harry was missing Ron's company greatly, and that she was getting on his nerves, but he had to understand that he had to survive the Tournament. Someone wanted him dead, and she was to help foil their plan. Jake was also supposed to help, but Hermione blamed herself on that for him not being with her to help Harry, or just with her at all.
While in the Library, she noticed that Viktor Krum spent an awful lot of time in there as well, but that was only because he always made such a racket while in there, and his fangirl following wasn't exactly quiet either, "He's not even that attractive, I don't understand what they see in him," she muttered to herself.
Being right beside her, Harry had heard and responded, "He was in the Quidditch World Cup, and he's a Champion in the Tournament. That's probably what it is."
"I guess, because it surely isn't his looks they like," Hermione said, another glance at Viktor before returning to her work for Harry, "Harry... I know you're getting tired of my company-"
"No, no not at all," Harry said quickly.
"You can't fool me, Harry, I know you're missing Ron. You and him have more in common than you and I do," she said, smiling at one of her best friends.
Harry sighed, "I'm sorry, Hermione, but I don't find this fun like you and Jake do..."
Hermione went quiet after that. Since he wasn't helping, she had hoped to just put him out of her thoughts for the time being. She was successful until Harry said something about him. "It's not meant to be fun, Harry," she started slowly, "it's to keep you alive through to the end of this. Or would you rather wind up in the History book about being killed in a Tournament you shouldn't even be in!?" She tried to control her voice, but Madam Pince ended up shushing her anyway.
Harry looked remorseful and his head fell so that his gaze was on the book in front of him, "I'm sorry, Hermione... you're right... I should be putting forth a better effort," he looked at her again, "but how do I know what to prepare for when I don't even know what the First Task is going to be about?"
"That's why we will just have to prepare for anything," she said, looking at him, and she then noticed something; Harry wasn't that bad looking. He was most definitely no Jake, no one would be more attractive and handsome than him, but she couldn't deny that Harry was fanciable too. 'But why should I even bother? Harry doesn't even like me that way, and he barely tolerates me half the time... no guy likes me that way... I've come to realize and accept that...'
"Hermione?"
She looked and saw that Harry was looking at her, "Hmm?"
"Are you okay? You zoned out... have you been sleeping well?" He asked her.
She blinked at him. Harry had never asked her if she slept well, or really asked her anything related to how she's doing, except for Second Year when she had awoken from Petrification. This had to be a dream, but she couldn't slap herself to see, Harry would think she's gone mental, "Yeah, I've been sleeping well enough..." she felt her cheeks burning ever so slightly.
"We can stop for the day if you want? The First Task is still two weeks out," Harry suggested.
"Alright, you're right, let's pick this back up tomorrow. It's almost time for dinner anyway..." Hermione began packing her stuff up and they left the Library a few minutes later. When they walked into the Great Hall, Hermione saw Jake sitting alone, waiting for the food to appear on the Golden Plates.
"Are you and Jake okay?" Harry suddenly asked as they both sat down.
"There is no me and Jake ... I got upset with him about the way he handled Professor Snape, and he tried to justify his actions for it... not much else to it," Hermione said, shrugging.
"So that's reason enough for you to not go over and talk to him?" Harry asked her, just as Fleur sat down across from him.
"He's clearly been too busy talking with Miss Veela over there, why should I interrupt?" Hermione asked Harry, but her eyes were on Jake the entire time.
"He's your best friend, Hermione, it's not like he and Fleur are dating. You have every right to sit next to him if you want to," Harry was looking at her.
"I could say the same for you and Ron, you know... yeah he's a prat at the moment, but he's still your best friend, Harry," her eyes went to Harry as she finished talking.
Harry pursed his lips, but said nothing else as food appeared on the plate. Hermione kept glancing at Jake the entire time during dinner.
*******
The Saturday before the First Task was set to be a Hogsmeade weekend and Jake was glad because he would finally be able to get the book above the one Hermione got him near the end of last term. He felt bad about not helping Harry or Hermione with getting ready for the First Task, but he had been enjoying Fleur's company quite a bit. He wasn't affected by her Veela Charm, he just thought she was genuinely beautiful.
Madeleine was also quite beautiful as well, but as he determined a while back, no one compared to Hermione in beauty. He was sitting at the Gryffindor Table for Breakfast, eating a couple slices of buttered toast, when Fleur, as she had become accustomed to as of late, sat down across from him, "Good morning, Jereemiah, deed you sleep well?"
"Yes I did, thank you, Fleur," he said before eating the last bit of toast. When he swallowed it, he had something to ask her, "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Fleur said, maybe a bit too enthusiastically, "you can ask me anyzing you want to."
"Okay... are students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang allowed to go to Hogsmeade Village?"
"Hmm... I don't know, I can ask Madame Maxime and see eef she weel allow it?" She asked him.
"I'll leave that up to you," he smiled and watched as she stood up to presumably go and ask her. He honestly didn't see why they wouldn't be allowed, but better to be safe. He came out of his thoughts to see a young girl standing on the other side of the table from him, "Oh, hello." She didn't say anything, "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Aimez-vous ma grande sœur?" The little girl spoke in French.
"Fuck..." he said under his breath. He desperately looked around for one of the Beauxbatons girls who could translate for him, but he had no luck.
"Savez-vous qu'elle est une veela?" She asked.
He recognized the word Veela, he had heard Fleur say 'yes' in French dozens of times since they arrived, so he felt like he knew what to say, "Oui."
"Oh, tu fais? Cela signifie-t-il que vous êtes ou n'est pas affecté par cela?" And he was lost again.
Thankfully, Fleur came back at that moment to his rescue, "Gabrielle, tu déranges Jereemiah?"
'Gabrielle must be her name, and my guess is that she is Fleur's younger sister,' he thought to himself.
"Non, Fleur, je me demande juste s'il t'aime bien et sait que nous sommes un quart de Veela," Gabrielle said to her.
"Oui, il sait, et cela ne fonctionne pas sur lui," Fleur said and Gabrielle gasped, "Il a un fer à repasser, je crois. Il m'a dit qu'il n'était pas affecté par la Veela à la Coupe du monde non plus, et celles-ci étaient pleines de Veela."
"Ah bon? Peut-être que vous avez enfin trouvé celui-là, Fleur?" Gabrielle asked, and Jake could tell by the tone of her voice that it was in a teasing tone.
"Nous verrons, Gabrielle, nous verrons," Fleur smiled and then must have told her to run along as Gabrielle soon left, "Sorry about zat, zat ees Gabrielle, my younger seester and also a Quarter Veela like me."
"I had a feeling, so... what was she teasing you about?"
"Oh, zat... zat was nozing, nozing for you to worry about at least," Fleur smiled at him, "Oh, Madame Maxime deed say eet was okay for Beauxbatons students Zirteen and up to go."
"Okay, good. Shall we get going then?" He asked her as he stood up.
"Let us go and enjoy ourselves," she said with a wink.
'I know what she means, but did she really have to be so suggestive about it?' He asked himself.
As they began to leave the Great Hall, Fleur hooked her arm through his while his hands were in his pockets. He acted as though nothing had happened, but he knew people were staring and talking, that was human nature. During their walk to Hogsmeade, Fleur asked him something, "So, Jereemiah, you weel 'ave to show me some of ze best places to veesit at 'ogsmeade."
"I dunno about the best places, but I can show you the places I think are interesting. Which, admittedly, you may not find interesting," he said, "I do need to stop by a Tome Shop and get something first, if that's alright?"
"Of course, eet ees not like I want to wander around not knowing where anyzing ees. And 'oo better to show me around zan you?" She said slyly.
"Heh, I've only been one time... but I remember everything from when Hermione showed me around," he said, and he missed it, but Fleur actually had a flash of jealousy on her face.
They soon arrived in Hogsmeade and Fleur was gazing around in awe, "Zees place ees actually better zan I expected eet to be."
"It's the only all Wizarding Settlement in Britain," he explained, "I haven't seen it myself, but I've heard it looks wonderful around Christmas Time. So, Tomes and Scrolls is where I need to go first, if that's alright?"
"Of course," Fleur smiled and he led her to the shop, which had a giant Opened Book for it's sign with the Shop name on it.
He walked around with Fleur still linked to his arm, which he still didn't mind one bit. After a bit of searching, he finally found it, "Here we are, Sanitatem Magicae pro Intermedia , exactly what I was looking for. I've already mastered the spells in the Beginners book that Hermione got for me as a late Birthday pres-" he stopped talking a second, "dammit... I forgot her birthday..."
"Well... just do what she deed for you," Fleur suggested.
"Yeah... I just don't know what I'd get for her... I'll do that on the next Hogsmeade trip, though. I'm showing you around Hogsmeade this trip," he smiled at her and went to buy the book. They soon exited the shop and began wandering around Hogsmeade, "The main attraction for most students is usually the Three Broomsticks, although some would argue that the Shrieking Shack is."
"What ees ze Shrieking Shack?"
"Supposedly it's the most haunted place in Britain, according to the locals, at least," he said.
"You don't agree?" She asked, looking at him.
"Well, I've never been to it, so I wouldn't know," he lied. He had technically been there, and he knew the real reason why it was called the Shrieking Shack, and that was because of Remus Lupin.
"Maybe we can go zere before going back to 'ogwarts?" Fleur asked him.
"Sure, we can do that," he smiled at her and continued showing her around, but it was one particular shop that seemed to pique her interest, "Over there is Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. It's a hot spot for couples to go to, from what I've heard."
"Oh, really? 'ave you ever been zere?" She asked him.
"I've never had a reason to go in there, no," he told her.
"Well, would you like to?" She stopped in front of him and turned to face him, a flirty smile on her face.
Jake looked at her for a moment, realizing just then how scary of a woman Fleur could be when she wanted to be, "Sure," he said.
They then made their way to Madam Puddifoot's establishment, and on the way there, Jake saw Hermione in the distance. She wasn't alone, though, she was with Harry. They weren't holding hands when they walked in, but that didn't really make him feel better.
He then entered Madam Puddifoot's with Fleur and they were seated at a round table next to a window. The tables, Jake noticed as he looked around, were all decorated with lacy napkins and small, fragile looking sugar bowls. There were several couples, or at least he assumed they were all couples, that kept glancing over at their table, 'Maybe we should have gone to the Three Broomsticks instead? But then I would have run into Hermione, and I don't think she really wants to talk to me right now. Not that I blame her...'
Madam Puddifoot herself was zooming around the interior, delivering cups of tea, coffee, or some delectable looking cakes. Jake and Fleur talked about a few things while they waited for their Tea to arrive.
"So, what's Beauxbatons Academy like?" He asked her with his arms resting on the table.
"Eet ees a wonderful place!" Fleur was smiling, "I apologize for 'ow I acted when I arrived at 'ogwarts. I was just not used to seeing a Castle so... old looking, does zat make sense?"
"I can see that, honestly. It could use a face-lift, but I think the old Medieval look suits Hogwarts. Though I do think some things about the Castle could be updated to a more modern look," he said just as Madam Puddifoot brought them there Tea, and some cakes that neither of them ordered.
It was when he looking quizzically at her that she said, "For special guests such as a Tournament Champion, or one such as yourself, Mr. Kidd, I will give some sweets for no extra charge. I hope you two enjoy your date."
Jake paled slightly, 'Date?' He looked at Fleur, who was sampling one of the cakes, 'Do I want to consider this as a date with Fleur? I mean it can technically be called that... yeah, I don't think I'd mind calling it that if she wanted to.'
He took a sip of his tea, and deemed it some of the best Tea he'd ever had, "Zese cakes are preetty good," Fleur said delightfully.
"Is that because you're not paying for them, or because they actually are?" Jake asked with a slight smirk, grabbing one of the cakes as well.
Fleur gave him an unamused look, but she wasn't able to keep a straight face and started to giggle, "Zey are actually good."
Jake took a bite off the one he grabbed and had to agree, they were really good.
Every time the door opened, a little bell sounded to let Puddifoot know someone had entered or left the building. Jake kept glancing towards the door every time the bell sounded, and it had been about an hour after arriving there that someone Jake recognized as a friendly face walking in, and she wasn't alone. Madeleine Bouchard walked in with another girl from Beauxbatons and that got him thinking, 'Does she like girls and guys?'
Fleur followed his gaze and Madeleine as well. She smiled and looked back to Jake and got his attention. He looked at her with his eye wide opened like he got caught doing something he wasn't supposed to, "Eef you are wondering, yes, Madeleine ees Bisexual."
"I was wondering that. N-Not that it matters whether she likes girls like that or not, I-I was just wondering if she did, and now I know she does..." he realized he was rambling, "I'll shut up now..."
Fleur was laughing, though, "Eet ees okay, Jereemiah, you were curious, and zere ees nozing wrong wiz zat. Eef you 'ad 'ad a problem wiz Madeleine like boz guys and girls like zat, zen we might 'ave 'ad a problem as well, but you do not, so we do not," she gave him a sweet smile, "eet ees not common to find someone so open-minded about somezing like zat."
He smiled back, thankful that the situation ended on a peaceful note. He didn't have a problem with it, and that was the truth; Madeleine could love whoever she wanted to.
Fleur noticed the time after a while, "Eet ees getting a bit late into ze afternoon, shall we go see ze Shrieking Shack now?"
"I think that sounds like a good idea," Jake said and he paid for his tea, Fleur insistent she pay for her own, but he did leave a tip to Madam Puddifoot, which was actually the payment for the cakes and then some, but she didn't need to know that.
They walked out of the Tea Shop and Fleur hooked her arm again around his and they walked casually. It was more of him guiding her than anything because she didn't know the way. When they neared the building, he stopped them where Hermione had the last time he and her both had been to Hogsmeade together.
"Somezing wrong?" Fleur asked him, looking up at him.
"No, nothing's wrong... but... well I know Ghosts and Spectral beings exist, but don't be surprised if the Shrieking Shack isn't actually haunted. No one's been brave enough to go near it and see before, so it may not be haunted," he said to her.
"Zen I guess zere ees only one way to find out," she smirked, unlinked their arms, grabbed his hand, and led him towards the Shack. He didn't resist her pull as they got nearer and nearer. Fleur stopped at the front door to the Shack, and was about to open the door when a horrible noise was coming from inside. Jake saw her turn and in her desperate attempt to get away from the Shack, ran right into him and knocked him over, falling on top of him.
He let out a grunt of pain as one of Fleur's knees collided right into his groin. He had never been hit there before; Hermione had accidentally grinded her knee against him before, but he had never been actually hit in the groin before then, and it hurt badly.
"Oh, Jereemiah, I am so sorry! Deed I 'urt you?" Fleur asked him as she got off of him.
"Not..." he drew in a deep breath before releasing it, "Not badly," he lied through his teeth. It was some of the worst quick pain he'd ever felt, and the pain still had yet to even begin to subside. He put a hand over his groin to protect it from any further potential attacks, just to be safe. He used his free hand to stand up after he rolled over and was back on his feet soon, "Gimme a moment..."
"I am so sorry... I deedn't... I do not know what ees een zat Shack, but eet startled me," Fleur explained, "deed you 'ear it too?"
"I heard... I heard something... but I was completely blindsided by you turning... to run away," he carefully moved his hand from his groin and stood at full height again, "You might be the Beauxbatons Champion, but I won't let anything bad happen to you, Fleur."
He saw her cheeks turn a slight pink, but it may have just been from the cold, as it was getting colder as it turned to evening hours, "Zat ees very kind of you to say..." Fleur looked at him, and it was a look he'd seen once before on Hermione. Unlike Hermione, though, Fleur must have acted on the feeling she had and stood on her tiptoes to make it easier as she placed her lips gently on his. He didn't run, or push her away, like she probably expected him to do. He didn't kiss back either, though, "E-ees somezing wrong?"
He was in a daze from feeling her lips on his, 'She straight up just kissed me... w-we barely know each other... I mean, I liked it, her lips are soft, but it caught me completely off guard...' He came back to his senses when he felt her finger gently graze against his lips. He moved his head that time, down towards her face, and kissed her, and she gladly kissed him back. He had no real experience with kissing, and the only kissing he did have before today was when Hermione kissed him when she thought he was asleep. And he can't even count that because he hadn't kissed her back. Hermione still claimed his first kiss, and he wasn't angry at her for that. There wasn't anyone else he would have rather had as his first kiss, it could have only been Hermione.
Fleur's hands went up and into his hair as the kiss went on for a moment longer. They separated, but she kept her hands where they were, "Eizer you've done zat before... or you seemply 'ave good eenstincts. I 'ave keesed dozens of men before, and none of zem compare to you, Jereemiah."
He looked at her through his one eye and smiled, "You're the first girl I've ever kissed..." he said, which wasn't a lie, just not the whole truth.
"Zen zat makes eet more special for you, being your first kees," she gave him a sultry smile. "Would eet be to forward to ask you to be my boyfriend?"
He was practically floored by her question, "Wh-What?"
"Do you want to be my boyfriend? I know we only just met less zan a monz ago, but does zat make it a wrong zing to ask?"
"Um... w-well..." he stuttered. He felt stupid, not saying anything coherent to Fleur. She kissed him, then he kissed her, and now she asked him to be her boyfriend. Things were happening incredibly fast.
The look on her face was turning from flirty to hurt, quickly, "I am sorry, zat was... zat was not somezing I should have asked."
"No, no it's not that you shouldn't have asked... but I'm only in my Fourth Year, you're in Seventh Year and you live in France... it's not a no, it's just... a not yet..." he closed his eye, "I'm sorry, Fleur..."
"No, eet ees okay," she said, but she didn't sound upset. He opened his eye and she was standing closer to him than a moment ago, "Zat doesn't mean I do not want to kees zose leeps of yours," she grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him down to her level, kissing him aggressively, almost hungrily before they went back to Hogwarts.