Great! Really cool, Idiot-van! I found myself thinking and it was a thought I'd had for the past few days. You ran away from him! What is he gonna think now? I sighed. I had been really embarrassed around him. Why did I have to be this awkward?! "Sullivan? What are you doing?" I looked up and blushed.

"I don't know, Alder." Maybe blaming myself for being an awkward mess, I added in my head. He took my hand.

"Well, how about we do something?"

"Like what?" I asked, smiling slightly. He smiled and kissed my hand. I blushed and looked away.

"Go for a walk, dear Slytherin," He said before dragging me outside. I followed him without much restraint. "C'mon!" He said. Once we were outside we slowed to a walk. After a while he spoke again. "Did you mean what you said about my eyes? Blue and radiant?"

"Of course! You're my......"

"I'm your what?"

"My.... I have to go!" He held me back.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me."

"My... er.... my... uh.... something?" When he realized I was struggling to say it he let me go.

"Are you.... struggling to talk to me?" He asked, turning slightly pink.

"Yes! No! Well, yes, but it's just because.... because.... I have a lot of things on my mind at the moment! Speaking of, I have Care of Magical Creatures now! Bye!" I raced off. Somehow, I'd managed to embarrass myself more. Cursing myself, I got to the lesson. Hagrid was talking to air.

"Ah, Sullivan, nice ta see yer made it." He turned back to the patch of air he was talking to. He explained the air patches to be Thestrals, and that they could only be seen by people who had experienced death. Alder would be able to see them, I thought. He continued talking about Thestrals throughout the lesson and soon it was over. I scurried into my common room before anyone could see me.

"Sullivan? Is there a reason you're stuffing your head in a pillow?" Oliver Fenning. I looked up.

"I just embarrassed myself in front of Alder!" I shouted, not caring who heard me. Juan wasn't in the common room.

"The Gryffindor you have a crush on?" I gazed at him.

"How do you know?"

"I already knew," he said simply, now rubbing my back sympathetically. "And how exactly did you embarrass yourself?"

"I was an effing awkward mess!"

"Watch your language! But how were you an awkward mess?"

"Stammering and running away from him." Oliver looked at me.

"I know the cure for that."

"And that is?"

"Tell him." The words rang in my ears.

"No. I can't."

"It was just a suggestion." I looked away and stood up.

"Do you have a quill?" He looked at me but gave the quill. I took out a piece of parchment and wrote a letter, I then visited the owlery. I walked over and tied the note to Twigtalon's leg. "That's for Alder, make sure he gets it."

"Sure! How about this a Friday after Transfiguration?" Came the reply. I smiled.

———
That Friday, after Transfiguration we met by the lake. Alder gave me a hard look. I looked at him scared. Transfiguration had been our last lesson for the day and the sun was setting. "Why are we here?"

"So I can ask you a question," he replied, gaze softening. I gazed at him and he looked at me. I  gazed at the lake.

"What do you want to know?" I asked, completely unaware of what was about to happen. Alder gave me a look before uttering the words,

"Whether or not you like me back?!"