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Calm down Lucy, it's just Alec, Lucy told herself as she paced around in the Room of Requirement. And that was exactly the problem: it was Alec. This year, Lucy saw the return of her ability to speak in complete sentences around Roo without feeling like she was stuck inside a volcano, which she took as a sign of her finally getting over the embarrassingly obvious crush she had on him, and she was so grateful for being able to look him in the eye again, that she hadn't realised that the stupid symptoms hadn't actually disappeared, but rather, they transferred. Onto Alec. She didn't notice it at first, because she always knew, if somewhat distantly, that Alec was good-looking, and he was her best friend, so it was only natural that she wanted to spend more time in his company. Sure, she might have become a little more self-conscious around him, blushing and getting flustered more, but she didn't think much of it, until one day when they were both laughing at something stupid that Lucy realised, and it had felt like her world had narrowed down to that one moment and funny enough, the only thing that went through her head was oh. After that, it was like a dam had broken in her mind and Lucy couldn't stop thinking about it, although she tried her hardest to pretend that nothing was wrong. She wasn't stupid, she knew her attitude put off quite a bit of people and she wasn't willing to do something stupid and confess and scare Alec off like she did Roo, because she couldn't bear it if things became awkward between them. There were times when all she wanted to do was snog him senseless, but Lucy was perfectly willing to endure that and other invasive thoughts, because it was just another stupid crush that had no hope of being reciprocated and it wasn't worth losing what they already had because of it.

At least, that was she'd thought at first. Lucy was sure that Alec thought of her as nothing more than his best friend, maybe like a sister, except she noticed that he occasionally glanced at her in a way that had her wondering. It might just be wishful thinking, but Lucy thought that there were times that Alec almost seemed flustered around her, just like she was around him. Now that she was aware of it, she started noticing these small details more and more (and thinking back, he might have been like this for a while) which sparked a small seed of hope inside her. What if she was wrong, and Alec did like her as more than just a friend? She tried not think too much of it as they attended classes and hung out like usual, but she couldn't help but wonder, but the uncertainty and her unwillingness to broach the topic drove her crazy, and maybe she might have been a little more snappish around people, which made her feel worse because her problems were her own and she couldn't take it out on her friends. It got to the point that Lucy was disgusted by her attitude and cowardice and impulsively asked Alec to meet her in the Room of Requirement that morning.

Lucy finally gave up and sat down the sofa that the room helpfully provided, bowing her head down with strands of her blonde hair brushing against her knees. Merlin, what was wrong with her? What was going to happen here anyway? She'd tell Alec she liked him, then she'd ask if he liked her back. If he did, great, but if not, well, it'll go away, Lucy was sure. She didn't think too much of the consequences of exactly what would happen after this. She didn't usually do that—she could admit that—and she wasn't about to start now. She growled under her breath, running her hands through her blonde hair before sighing and leaning her head back against the sofa. It was her fault for arriving early, but Lucy hoped he'd come soon. Sitting here and waiting was practically torture at this point. She hated feeling so uncertain and anxious; she didn't usually let herself feel like this, but the rejection she got last year was painful.

Lucy looked up when she heard Alec's familiar voice and felt something in her gut twist at how concerned he looked. She didn't even realise what this might have looked to him, too busy being selfish and wrapped up in her own issues. She tried to smooth her expression and attempted her usual cheerful smile, although judging by how stiff that felt, it didn't look too convincing. "Nothing's happened, or at least, I don't think anything's happened yet," she added hesitantly, peering up at him. Despite the guilt, she could feel a glowing warmth in her chest to match the heat creeping up her cheeks, his comforting presence enough to calm her down. Which was just another reason not to screw it up; Lucy had other friends, but none of them were Alec, her funny, sweet (even if he denied it) best friend who always had her back and quite honestly, Lucy didn’t know what she’d do without him. So much for 'just a crush’, she thought distantly, s**t.

But she asked to meet him here for a reason so she pushed herself off the sofa and looked up at Alec. ”Anyway, Alec,” she started after taking a breath, ”I kind of wanted to ask you something, which I know, I could’ve done anywhere else, but I’d rather no one else came to interrupt or anything, so just bear with me,” She knew she was rambling and beating around the bush but try as she might, the words just wouldn’t come out. It shouldn’t be that hard, just a few words: ‘hey, I like you, do you like me back?’ but for some reason, Lucy just couldn’t do it. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head: if she couldn’t tell him, maybe she should show him? It sounded like a profoundly stupid idea and before she could change her mind, Lucy took a deep breath, leaned up and pressed her lips to his for a brief moment before moving away, her face burning. It was barely a kiss, but her lips still tingled pleasantly and she could feel a fluttering in her chest. She didn't look away from his eyes though, trying to gauge Alec's reaction. "I guess my question's a bit obvious now," she admitted sheepishly, "but if you want, it doesn't have to mean anything." She tried not to let her dread at that seep into her voice because even thinking about that hurt, but even if he didn't reciprocate her feelings, she tried, right? That was the best she could do.