Give in to Love, or Live in Fear

The next day, in the Great Hall, Mirabelle and Marcus were eating breakfast, their full silver plaits expressing their hunger after a long night of laughter.

''Can you believe the holiday break is almost up? It feels like it's just begun.'' Marcus spoke through the bacon he was currently chewing.

Mirabelle smiled, to her, it felt like it was going on for centuries.

''And then after summer break, we will return and it will be your last year. Unless of course,'' She smirked lightly, her accent rolling curtly off her tongue, ''You have to repeat a year.''

Marcus laughed a dry, sarcastic laugh.

''Oh, look who can't seem to look away.'' Marcus smirked a smirk of his own, jerking his head in the direction of the Gryffindor table, more specifically, Oliver Wood.

''Shut up.'' Mirabelle looked away from Oliver, and back to Marcus.

''You wont have anything to tease me about after holiday break.'' Mirabelle said, knowing she shouldn't have started what she did with Oliver to begin with.

''What do you mean?'' Marcus asked, draining his goblet of pumpkin juice.

''I mean, Oliver and I, we won't be doing this nonsense after holiday break.'' She said as if it were quite obvious.

''And does he know this?'' Marcus rose a brow. He didn't exactly like Oliver, but he still felt sympathy when she displayed signs that Oliver was not aware of this fact.

''I will tell him.'' She said.

''Then go tell him now! The dude is going to be devastated.'' A part of Marcus felt bad for him, but the other part of him kind of wanted to see his reaction.

Mirabelle decided she would tell him the next time they seen each other, though she dreaded it. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she couldn't do this any longer.

The longer they were together, the harder it would be in the end.

Her chance to tell him came sooner than she had expected. Oliver surprised her by wrapping
his arms around her waist from behind her in the empty corridor she was in.

She broke away. ''No embracing, remember?''

Oliver sighed. Her rules were rather ridiculous.

''We have to make the best of our last days and I don't think hugging will do that.'' She said.

Oliver glanced up at her. ''What do you mean? 'Our last days'?''

''Well, we can't keep doing this after holiday break. Surely you know this.''

''Why not?'' He asked, his voice growing quite anxious.

Mirabelle looked at him as if he should already know why. ''We can't. You didn't think we
would be doing this all summer as well, did you?''

Oliver sighed. ''Mirabelle! You can't keep doing this too me! Of course, I though we would be.
Silly me!'' He nearly shouted, his heart racing from within his chest.

''I'm sorry, Oliver.'' She looked rather startled.

He wrapped his arms around her. ''I'm sorry, Mirabelle. I just don't understand.'' He mumbled against her shoulder. His sadness unmistakable.

She didn't hug back. ''Oliver. We can't see each other this way anymore. It never should have started. But we still have less than a week left.''

''What if I can change your mind before then?'' He asked desperately, pulling away to look into her eyes.

She didn't think he could, so she agreed. ''If you change my mind, then I suppose this could go on. But, I don't think you can.''

Oliver walked around with a heavy heart after this knowledge. He didn't think he could change her mind either. She was far too stubborn. Even if she really wanted to be with him.

But, that wouldn't stop him from trying.

During their hours apart, he attempted to think of how he could possibly change her mind. He knew she didn't think of what they were doing as anything serious.

It hurt him to think, but he assumed it was just a bit of fun too her.

He supposed he could use that. Plead that if it doesn't mean much, then why not keep doing it?

He spotted Mirabelle walking down one of the many staircases of Hogwarts and ran up to her, skipping the invisible step.

She unintentionally stepped back, slightly startled.

''If it doesn't mean anything, then why does it matter if we stop or not?'' He asked, all the words he had rehearsed seemed to flee his mind.

Mirabelle looked down at him, then around the castle.

''Wait... what?'' She asked, his suddenness catching her off guard.

''If you don't think this means much, then why not continue?'' He asked, looking up at her from the stair below the one she stood on.

''Because... It would be pointless, wouldn't it?'' Mirabelle asked.

''No. I wouldn't be too me.'' He said quietly, feeling rather sorrowful.

''I'm sorry.'' She frowned. ''See? This is why we shouldn't be. I'm far too cruel and I don't even realize it most of the time.''

''It's fine! I don't care about that. I just care about you.'' He bit his lip, knowing he had probably said too much.

''I don't see why.'' She shook of those irritating shivers and began to descend the last half of the long stairwell.

Oliver followed. ''There are many reasons. And I'm sure every one of them will cause you to
run away.''

''Darling boy. You must relax. We are not that serious.'' Mirabelle said, continuing to walk.

That darling boy swallowed his grief and tried to keep up with her long, graceful strides.

He knew he had to do something. Something to make her change her mind.

Without giving it much thought, Oliver gently pushed her against the wall she was walking next to, looking deeply and softly into her eyes.

She was pleasantly surprised and couldn't contain the shivers his actions were causing.

Without intention, she bit her full bottom lip.

If she thought she was flustered, then she clearly did not know what was happening inside of
Oliver's mind. He could hardly stand straight on his feet.

Mirabelle wildly kissed his lips, not caring to keep her eyes open.

Oliver didn't kiss back. He was far too stunned. But when he did regain the use of his limbs, lips and mind, he kissed back just as enthusiastically, if not more so.

His hold on her wrists grew limp with every second that passed and he had forgotten where he was and what time of day it was. Or was it even daytime at all?

He pulled her nearer to him in the heat of their kiss. He needed her closer.

When Mirabelle broke apart to breathe, Oliver left hot kisses down her neck and collarbone.

This drove her to madness. Her breathing was heavy and hot and it felt as those it wasn't winter at all.

She weakly pushed him ever so slightly away as she attempted to calm her breathing and rapid heartbeats.

Oliver stroked her cheekbone, the round beauty mark under her left bright green eye.

He loved everything about her and he didn't want to loss her.