Page 12 of Hex Appeal

Through the window, they could see a group of students frantically chasing what appeared to be their transfiguration projects across the courtyard.

"Is that book pelting Agatha Abernathy with vocabulary words?"Ceries asked, but neither of them moved to help.The situation seemed well in hand, if by "in hand" one meant "total chaos."

Apparently someone's attempt at turning textbooks into study guides had backfired spectacularly.Now dozens of books were flying around with tiny paper wings, dropping random facts like ammunition and trying to forcibly educate anyone in their path.

"Your tie's crooked," she said suddenly.

"It is not."But his hand went to it automatically.

"Here."She reached over, fingers brushing his neck as she adjusted the perfectly straight tie."Now it's perfect."

Their eyes met.The air felt charged, and not just from the academic assault happening outside.For a moment, Malachai could have sworn he saw a flash of midnight jasmine and cherry bombs in her hair color.

A scream from the courtyard was followed by what sounded like the entire Latin dictionary attempting to teach conjugations through aerial bombardment.

"I should probably handle that," he said reluctantly.

"Probably."She settled back with his coffee mug."I'll just finish your coffee.And maybe another brownie."

"That's your third."

"Fourth," she corrected with a wink."But who's counting?"

From somewhere outside, the potion professor, Minerva Everheart's voice called out: "Diana!Your brownies are affecting the library.The card catalog is writing romance novels about the reference section.Very steamy ones.Withdetaileddescriptions of proper book handling."

"Duty calls," Malachai sighed, standing.

"Be careful taming the rabid textbooks."She raised his mug in salute."Try not to get educated to death.Though if you do, at least you'll die smart."

He definitely wasn't thinking about how her lips had been on that mug as he headed out.Just like he wasn't thinking about how much he wanted to hear more about her past, or tell her about his own questionable decisions of his college years.Like the six months he spent in a wizard rock band called "The Incantations" where he'd played magical keytar and worn eyeliner.

And he absolutely wasn't thinking about how her fingers had felt against his neck, or how for just a moment, he'd wanted to catch her hand and press a kiss to her palm.

He had an academic uprising to quell.Everything else would have to wait.

Even if waiting was becoming increasingly impossible.

From somewhere outside, Thaddeus Shadowspire, one of the Herbalism department heads called out: "Diana, your brownies are making the entire Arithmancy class speak in iambic pentameter.Professor Vector just proposed to his calculator.Again.This time with sonnets."

"Have fun principaling," Ceries called after him."Try not to get hit by flying knowledge."

As he left, he could have sworn he heard her say softly, "And maybe I'll see you at midnight in the halls again."

But that was probably just witchful thinking.

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