"So, what does this make us now?" Teddy asked Charlotte. They were pushed shoulder-to-shoulder together in the tower still, limbs pressed close and threaded into the others. Warmth radiated off of both of them, pulling them in and wrapping them in a blanket of love.

"Dating?" Charlotte said, curling into Teddy's side and tucking her feet under her. She nestled her head into the dip between his shoulder neck, reveling in the ability that she could do that now without worry. They had been physically close before, always touching and clinging to each other as their lives depended on it, but there had always been the pressing tension that had strung between them nagging at the back of their minds when she really thought about it. That feeling had melted away, water flowing down down down away from them. It was easy, a gentle push and pull of emotion.

Teddy grinned, warmth flooding Charlotte's heart. "Of course," he whispered, tilting her head up and pressing a kiss to Charlotte's lips. "I love being able to do this now."

Charlotte smiled into the kiss before pulling away, dragging a hand over her face. "Oh my god, my sister is so going to make fun of me for this," she groaned. "I told her all about you, all of my pining that's happened for years."

He laughed. "Years?" Warmth twinkled in eyes. Charlotte shoved his shoulder playfully.

"Hey! You were just as bad as me, you can't talk!" Charlotte's words were full of light, of warmth, of happiness. She thought back to a certain night where she had been particularly pining to her sister when she had been drunk and happy. "Do you remember that night when we went to the concert?"

Teddy flushed, walking back through his memories like Charlotte had, remembering that night. He had gone home and gushed to his parents, keeping her name out of it, but his parents had been teasing about it for days to come. "Of course I do," he said, watching both of their cheeks grow in heat.

"We almost kissed that day," Charlotte said. "Have you ever heard the saying 'Drunk words are sober thoughts?' I feel like that could be applied to us here."

Teddy laughed, pulling Charlotte closer to him once more. "Well, Lotte, I don't have to be drunk now to kiss you," he said, leaning down to connect their lips again.

A shining spotlight was pouring down a bright beam upon her, illuminating her features and glinting off of her heart. Teddy's hand in hers squeezed tight and safe, and she was floating in an ocean of whatever color he wanted the world to be. This is what love could be, what love really was.

Love was in the smiles, the shared laughter that echoed in tiny spaces. It was in the ability to make each other laugh even when tears pricked at bright eyes and smiling lips turned into frowns. It was in the push and pull of tides that washed over her heart when they heard the other's voice. After so many days, months, years, Charlotte and Teddy could smile in love with their hands clasped together in a pretty picture frame.

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Charlotte gripped Teddy's hand tightly in hers, hoping that there wasn't sweat slicking her palm. She knew that he wouldn't care even if there was, a warmth growing in her heart at her thought, but still, she grimaced at him and whispered an apology. He just laughed, smiled, and squeezed her hand even tighter.

"You know that James is going to give us so much crap for this, right?" Charlotte said. They were standing in front of the Great Hall, the doors firmly closed but sound still filtering through. Laughter echoed in their ears, the shrieking of the younger years and the gentle shushing of tired sixth years who greatly needed a cup of something energetic.

Teddy groaned, dragging the hand that wasn't attached to Charlotte over his face, but it was light-hearted and with no malice behind it. The shock of hair on his head was a vibrant blue, and Charlotte knew that the other boys were jealous of how his robes always seemed to fit him just right. And maybe she paid closer attention to the way that he always seemed to choose a shirt that had some old band on it that she had never heard of that he loved. And maybe if she wrote them down, went back home, and listened to them, even if she hated it, then he would be none the wiser.

They looked at each other, one hand from each of them on the wooden door. A nod from each of them brought them to push it open, striding through the door.

Charlotte pulled Teddy slightly behind her towards the Gryffindor table, dragging him into a seat beside her. They were sat right beside two very nosy first years, James Potter, and his best friend/mortal enemy, Polly. Both of the eleven-year-olds narrowed their eyes at the pair of hands that were held tightly together, currently resting on Charlotte's thigh.

They let the older two get settled, letting them pull rich plates of food to them before they pounced. "Are you two dating?" James asked bluntly at the same time as Polly said that she was glad they finally got their stuff together. Charlotte had to hold back a smile at Polly's words. She always knew more than she let on, observant and smart.

Charlotte and Teddy glanced at them, smothering laughter behind their hands. Their hands separated as they brought food to their mouths, letting the clamor around them distract James and Polly for the time being. With a twinkle in both their eyes, they nodded at James to confirm his question.

James let out a shriek of excitement, drawing all of the eyes in the room towards him. "I'M MAILING MY DAD AND YOURS!" he shouted, practically vibrating in his seat. Besides him, Polly was shaking her head and patting James gently on his shoulder, a look of resignation on her face at the fact that he wasn't going to calm down anytime soon.

Charlotte laughed. "James, you let them know. I'm sure they will be very happy to hear it." She looked up to the staff table to see if anyone was stalking over to yell at Teddy, not wanting him to get in trouble again. James Sirius Potter, constant trouble maker. Instead of someone with an angry look on their face speeding over, everyone was sitting at the table, forcefully minding their own business, while some had their hands over their face to smother laughter.

For once in her life, Professor McGonagall had a smile pulled over thin lips in contrast to Professor Longbottom, who had his eyebrows furrowed as he slid a stack of galleons over to McGonagall. McGonagall, seemingly feeling Charlotte's eyes on her, looked up and winked.

Teddy spluttered, having caught sight of the wink. "What did you do to get Professor McGonagall to wink AND smile at you?" he said, an incredulous tone creeping into his voice.

"I think that she was betting with Professor Longbottom on us. We made her win ten galleons, it looks like," Charlotte said. Teddy reached his hand up and pulled hers up to make them high-five each other, using it as an excuse to wrap their fingers together once again. Charlotte did one of those silent laughs, the kind that wracks your body and splits a smile over your face, shaking her shoulders and vibrating her chest.

"That's why she was such a big pusher for us to work together on every. single. project. we did," Teddy said. "I wonder how she knew."

Polly rolled her eyes at the pair of them. "You guys are stupid, literally everyone could tell that you were in love with each other."

Charlotte and Teddy both blushed, heat rushing to their cheeks, but Charlotte just smiled at Polly. The younger girl had a strong grip on her heart, making Charlotte feel the warmth of an older sister bond that she had never felt before.

Charlotte leaned into Teddy's side, surveying the Great Hall once last time before she prepared to leave to go to her first class. The year was almost halfway over, and she had gained so much in such a short time. She had a boyfriend, a pseudo-little sister, and her friends were becoming a little family. She felt like her heart was growing and growing and like it was never going to stop. She was warm and she was loved and she was happy. Happy enough to feel floating and never falling. Happy enough to stretch up to kiss Teddy and to feel like they were the only ones in the room even when they were surrounded by people.

Author's Note

Wow, look at me updating. Not super happy with this chapter but I like it more than the last two, so that's a plus. Thank you for reading!

- Nicole