There she was, the quiet girl who seemed totally unaffected by his popularity. She was such a refreshing change from the squeeing fangirls that followed him hither and yon. She never failed to smile at him when he arrived, even if there was ill-disguised impatience in that smile, knowing that a gaggle of girls would soon be arriving to disrupt her quietude.

She was so different from those girls, fresh and sweet. Sure, she was only about fourteen, but she was incredibly mature. She was calm and collected and took her studies seriously. It was obvious that she wasn’t in the library to garner attention; quite the opposite, in fact. She was there to study, and he – ah, well, he was there to bask in her silence, her aloofness.

Perhaps, some day, he’d find the courage to tell her he came here for her. Despite international fame, he was shy at heart, awkward at best around girls, and completely uncomfortable with those he didn’t know well. The thought of speaking to this little mouse scared him more than the thought of the First Task. So for now, he’ll sit and watch, absorbing some measure of her calm. Perhaps he’ll find his courage, and perhaps he won’t, but for now, simply being in her presence is enough.

His eyes narrowed as another joined her. Potter. Their heads were together, ducking over something he held in his hands, and she was whispering frantically to him. He glared at Potter, a litany of curses running through his mind. As a low giggle reached his ears, he shuddered inwardly. Now that the giggling group had shown up, the angel was sure to leave. As he watched through narrowed eyes, she huffed, gathered her belongings and left, with Potter in tow, no doubt to go to their common room, where he couldn’t follow. He sighed and made to gather his own things.

The peace of the library and its soothing occupant were ruined for him. He might as well go back to the ship.