The library smelled of parchment, ink, and a faint trace of Luna's perfume — something floral and soft, impossible not to notice. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to focus.
"Focus, Seraphina," I muttered under my breath as I guided Luna through the motions of a simple Levitation Charm. "Feather in your hand. Wand movement steady. Incantation clear."
She followed perfectly, her emerald eyes wide with concentration. The feather lifted smoothly into the air, hovering a few inches above her palm. I blinked, forcing myself not to sigh audibly at how beautifully she did it.
"Good… very good," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. But my cheeks betrayed me, warming slightly. Focus.
"Thank you, Seraphina," Luna said, smiling. That smile — bright, pure, and somehow entirely captivating — made my chest tighten. Stop staring, I told myself. But her presence made it nearly impossible.
We moved on to charms. She picked up the basic incantations almost instantly, her talent far beyond the level of a first-year student. Her wandwork was precise, deliberate, almost effortless. I tried to mask my surprise with a neutral expression, but inside I was grinning like an idiot.
If only she weren't so beautiful, I thought. I could teach without turning into a flustered mess.
I scolded myself silently, shaking my head. She's my student. Focus on teaching. Focus on her magical growth, not your dumb crush.
And yet… every time she looked at me with those bright emerald eyes, or laughed softly at a small joke I made, my heart did that stupid, uncontrollable fluttering thing. I tried to clear my mind and focus, repeating her spell instructions with extra care, correcting her wand movement, guiding her hand where necessary.
Despite my inner turmoil, she was a delight to teach. Her intelligence and talent made everything smoother. She picked up everything quickly, often anticipating what I was going to explain next. It was… exhilarating in a way I hadn't felt in years.
"Excellent, Luna. That's perfect," I said, finally stepping back to let her practice on her own. My hands were shaking slightly, though I tried to hide it behind a casual adjustment of my robes.
She glanced up at me, eyes shining. "Am I… doing okay?"
I blinked, taken aback by her innocence and earnestness. "Yes," I said firmly, even if my voice wavered a tiny bit. "You're… amazing. You're very talented."
Her smile made my knees feel slightly weak. Focus. Teaching. You are the teacher. Act like it.
I took a deep breath and guided her through one more exercise, carefully explaining the magical theory behind it. She listened, nodded, and executed it flawlessly. My pride in her skill was mixed with an entirely different, far more distracting pride — the kind that comes from secretly admiring someone you shouldn't be distracted by.
After the lesson, I stepped back, pretending to adjust my notes while secretly stealing glances at her. "Well, that's enough practice for today," I said, trying to sound strict. "Don't get lazy."
"Yes, Seraphina!" she replied brightly, gathering her materials. Her grin lingered on her face, and for a split second, I thought I might melt right there in the library.
Why does she have to be so perfect? I groaned silently, pressing my hands to my face. But despite the blush and the racing heart, I knew one thing: teaching Luna Black would be a challenge unlike any spell I'd ever mastered.
One part magic.
One part… heart.