Ambrose Pepper had made it through the week without blowing anything up. He felt like luck was with him therefore, as he approached the Ravenclaw table as dinner was ending. He pushed the fact that he'd also managed to do very little magic that week from his head, being the reason for the accident-free timing.

"Hey Cyhirae." Ambrose greeted, giving awkward glances to her nearby housemates. It wasn't a secret they'd gone together at the ball and been kissing. Ambrose had sent her a card over Christmas, not sure if it was right to send a present, and not sure what to send either. He'd had visions of Professor Trishna burning it because he wasn't worthy of being more than a friend to his daughter.

"You got some time to uhm," Don't fail me now, confidence, Ambrose's conscience yelped, "some time to take a walk or something?" He asked, words coming back to him in the nick of time. Perhaps if he was nice, they would be able to talk. And if he was really lucky, he might get to do some more of that kissing. The type that made his heart stop a moment.

"I like the way you've done your hair today." He told her shortly after, blushing, wanting to utter the words you look even prettier today.

The first week back at school was always interesting. Meals were spent catching up with her girlfriends about what they had done over break and what they had gotten for Christmas. Along with gossiping about they're new school assignments and their new professors. More than a few regrets were issued about having stopped taking Care of Magical Creatures now that Professor Ó Móráin was back.

"Hey Cyhirae."

Hearing her name, Cyhirae turned to see who called her. She smiled when she saw who it was, "Ambrose. Thank you for the card." She flushed a bit at the giggles  from her housemates. Since hey had gone to the Yule Ball together Winnie had been pushing Cy to date Ambrose. Saying how cute the were together and how nice he was. Winnie had even created a Sims game where she and Ambrose had gotten together and had a kid.

Cy had to agree that Ambrose was sweet and very cute. In fact the only thing going against him was that he wasn't all that smart. Over the break she had realized and come to accept that she would like to date Ambrose. His answer at the Yule Ball indicated that he wouldn't mind dating her if he still felt anything towards Winnie as well. Winnie didn't feel that way about Ambrose at all, so it wasn't like she had any competition or anything, but Cyhirae was a jealous girl and she didn't want to be with someone who still had feelings for someone else.

"You got some time to uhm, some time to take a walk or something? I like the way you've done your hair today."

"Oh, thank you," subconciously she pulled one of her braids forward and began playing with the end.  She glanced at her friends before turning back to Ambrose and smiled, "Sure." She stepped over the bench and hooked her arm through his, ignoring the giggles and whispers behind her. "Where did you want to go?"

"Uhm, anywhere I guess?" Ambrose replied with a shrug, he hadn't thought that much through really, he'd not hedged his bets on Cyhirae being able to go with him. He smiled as her arm looped through his.

"Its a bit cold out, otherwise I'd suggest we went out. Check out the sound of the forbidden forest on an evening. But another day - I wasn't sure if you'd be free to talk." He admitted, and headed for the doors to the hall, and the entrance hall. They'd done this at the Yule Ball, only dressed rather differently.

"You have a good Christmas? What was it like having Winnie round?"

“Okay,” she giggled, snuggling into his side as they walked out. “We could just wander around aimlessly.”

Cyhirae stiffened slightly when Ambrose mentioned Winnie. Had she misunderstood why Ambrose had wanted to talk to her? Burying her feelings she put on a happy face. “Christmas was good, if way more crowded than usual. It was kinda exhausting actually having Winnie around. She kept wanting to ‘observe the muggles’.” Poor Mrs. Potts. “Daddy had to pull her off of the fence more than once.”

There were a few things Cy really didn't feel like sharing with Ambrose, such as Winnie’s freak out over seeing her father shirtless or ruining one of her favorite romance novels by saying the lead was just like her father. And there were some things that Cyhirae defiantly didn't want Ambrose to find out about, like Winnie’s Sims game.

“Ambrose,” she said quietly, pulling away slightly. “I...” she flushed, staring at the floor, “I like you. I want to be your girlfriend. But I don’t want to date anyone who has feelings for someone else.” She looked back at him. “So I need to know, do you still like Winnie at all? In a romantic way?”

"Winnie?" Ambrose asked, surprised at the question. "Uhm, well, uhm." He wasn't quite sure what to say, but not answering would be awful.

"She's been my best mate for ages, and I guess, I mean, I thought about asking her to the ball, you know, as mates, but she and Zel went together." He frowned and squeezed her arm, trying to reassure her. "We're just friends, I think that's safest for the world, anyhow." He lowered his voice, face reddening as he admitted it, "And for the record, you're better at kissing."

Turning his face away and putting a hand to it in embarrasment of what he'd just said he chuckled.
"No, we're good, Winnie and I, I'm not her type anyway... am I?" There was hesitation in the end of his question and he bit his lip gently.
"I hope I'm ok at kissing too... I guess a bit of practise wouldn't hurt..."

Cyhiare was relieved that his first reaction was to insist that he and Winnie were just friends. “No,” she said gently, “you’re not.” At least not now, but Cyhirae didn’t want to add that part, both for selfish reasons and kindness. And it was hard not to feel like she had won some sort of victory when Ambrose said she was a better kisser, even though she and Winnie were not even competing.

 “I thought you were good, though,” she flushed, “you’re my first kiss. So admittedly I don’t have anyone to compare you to.” She gave Ambrose a small smile; a line like that was a perfect set up. “We could try practicing now,” she said softly, “if you’re interested.”

“... you’re my first kiss. So admittedly I don’t have anyone to compare you to. We could try practicing now, if you’re interested.”

Momentarily lost for words between being Cyhirae Trishna's first kiss and being offered practise, Ambrose opened and closed his mouth in surprise with no words.

"Good timing we're passing this classroom door then..." He managed to say, though it wasn't his clearest line, as he twisted the door handle, relieved to find the classroom beyond was empty.

Pulling Cyhirae in with him, he shut the door after them with a nervous chuckle.

"I'm really your first kiss?" He asked her, once she was turned to face him again. His cheeks were rosy red and he suddenly felt rather shy. "I feel... I feel honoured. And you're mine - well you're my first proper kiss. I don't count Winnie because that was just science."

Between knowing Cyhirae and learning Astronomy under Professor Trishna, and his Muggle primary school stint back home, Ambrose knew was science was enough to know he was safe to use it in that context.

"And all I did was ask you out to the ball." He recalled, looking surprised all over again for being given a very powerful kiss in the corridor that day.

With a blush and a turn of his head, he asked slyly,
"So what do I get for confirming I'm your 'official' boyfriend then?"

"I'm really your first kiss I feel... I feel honored. And you're mine - well you're my first proper kiss. I don't count Winnie because that was just science."

 Cyhirae giggled as Ambrose pulled her into the empty classroom with him and shut the door. She flushed, beaming when he said she was his first proper kiss. She even ignored the fact that he had kissed Winnie first. “Yes, you were.”

"And all I did was ask you out to the ball."

“I was so happy when you asked me.” She snuggled up against his side, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I thought I’d have to go by myself.”

"So what do I get for confirming I'm your 'official' boyfriend then?"

“Hmmm?” Cyhirae pulled away from his side and smiled coyly at him. “I thought you said you wanted another kiss?” She leaned in close, “Was I mistaken?”

"Never mistaken!" Ambrose declared, and despite himself blushed. "Sorry, this is all a bit new still, like?" He explained, gesturing between them with one hand, as Cyhirae had wrapped herself around one.

He sniffed, a gesture that could be seen as rather dodgy, had he not followed it up with,
"You smell really lovely, you know?" and a beaming smile. Luck rather than gesture in that moment, had led to that sudden realisation about his new girlfriend. He'd work on the compliments and tact, never quite mastering it fully as he was both a human being, but a man, and a man is never fully party to a woman's inner monologue, and therefore, always at risk of saying something silly quite innocently.

Leaning closer to her, he gave another sniff and nodded to himself, checking.

"You do though!" Ambrose insisted, his expression changing to that of surprise that it might have been the wrong thing to say.

"Right, er, yes, kissing."

His grin returned and he leaned forward, tentatively, but gently finding her lips with his. It still felt a little awkward, nothing to do with Cyhirae, just that he was rather a novice. Feeling like he was sat at an awkward angle, Ambrose accidentally placed his hand on Cyhirae's leg and hastily snapped it away as he realised his error, blushing.

Cyhirae, still snuggled into Ambroses arm, smiled at him, “It’s new to me too, remember?” She felt so deliriously happy and, underneath it all, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat smug. She was the first of her friends to have a boyfriend after all.

She gave him a fake pout when he insisted that she really did smell good, “Well that’s better than being smelly I suppose.” She smiled at him to show she was joking.

When Ambrose’s lips met hers she leaned in to him, deepening the kiss somewhat. It was somewhat of an awkward angle to kiss at; Ambrose seemed to agree as he had braced his hand on her leg for a moment. Irritated, Cyhirae broke the kiss momentarily and shifted so she was standing in front of him and slid her hands around his neck. “Much better,” she said as she leaned in to resume the kiss.

"It's new to me too, remember?"

Not that Ambrose could tell!

Despite his accidental placing of the hand on her leg, Cy was not discouraged. Ambrose wanted to pinch himself to check this wasn't all a dream.

Allowing her to slip her arms around him and continue, Ambrose managed a while more before he suddenly felt the need to giggle.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry," he apologised, having slipped his hands awkwardly around her waist.
"I just - pinch me, seriously. Because before Christmas I thought no girl would take a second look at me, and I was just going to remain mates with you, Winnie, Addison, Zuni and the rest of the girls forever." He explained, colour in his cheeks.

"But now I'm kissing Cyhirae Trishna in an empty classroom, Cyhirae bloody Trishna! Only the cleverest girl I've ever met, pretty.. and… smells good too," he laughed at the last part as his thoughts failed him. "I thought Professor Trishna would have caused me to end up in the hospital hut by now, honestly. Pinch me. I must be dreaming."

Ambrose pulled away from their kiss and apologized as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

She reached out and pinched him on the cheek like he asked. “You put yourself down too much,” she said softly. “You were the only boy who asked me out even though you felt that my father would hurt you for doing so.” She smiled brightly at him, “That took courage.”

“You may not be book smart but…” her smile softened, “you’re really nice and really sweet and really cute.” She snuggled into his side again, “It’s more surprising that it took someone-” ‘me’ “this long to realize what a great guy you are and what a great boyfriend you’d be. Dad will accept that.” ‘Eventually.’

“Besides,” she gave him a slightly irritated smile, “if Dad did try and do anything to you, Headmistress McGonagall would not tolerate a professor gunning for a student just because the student happens to be dating the professor’s daughter.”

"Here's hoping!" Ambrose agreed, a little nervously. It still made him a little worried - he respected Professor Trishna, and he was a friend of the family or sorts, exchanging intellectual letters with Ambrose's father, Francis, at irregular intervals.

"I don't know, I know I put myself down, but its not like I'm hailed on the same level you are," Ambrose explained, gesturing gently with a hand to her - the cleverest girl he'd known in a long time, "No man is ever good enough for a man's daughter, my uncle told me at Christmas, Zeta's dad. I'd like to hope I am good enough though." He smiled at Cyhirae, "And it matters loads to me that you think I am."

He squeezed her, beaming.
"If I'm cute, you are something else, Cy, you're gorgeous, funny, clever and your kisses are the best. In fact..." Ambrose raised an eyebrow coyly, "Might have to just check that last one..."

Cyhirae snuggled into Ambrose’s side. “You’re welcome. I think you’re more than good enough,” she reiterated.  “You make me happy and that’s what matters. Dad’s just going to have to get used to it. I’m not a baby anymore and he can’t treat me like one. Besides,” she huffed, “He can’t talk. I’ve heard about him and Mom.”

Not that she wanted to think about those stories about her parents canoodling while they were still in school. Like most children, Cy wanted to strongly maintain the denial that her parents only had sex once and that produced her. Anything else was too nauseating to think about.

Cy giggled, blushing at her boyfriend’s flattery and leaned in to kiss him again. “You’re greedy,” she said right before their lips met.

Ambrose wasn't sure he wanted to hear about Professor Trishna and his late wife, even if they were Cyhirae's parents. There were things you didn't want to visualise even by accident about your professors.

"Greedy?" The Gryffindor queried. "You don't sound like you're complaining..."

Then he laughed despite of himself and momentarily clapped a hand to his mouth.

"Sorry not sure where that came from. Being round you makes me say some funny things I guess - I'm not afraid." He dropped his hand and resumed a position they were in before then, "And yes, very greedy... especially for kisses."

End