Daff had lost all track of time, getting Oscar settled into his new plot after Professor Skeeter said she could keep him here over the summer months and she could pick his care back up in September. It had to be past dinner now, but she'd brought some crackers to nibble on while she worked on the plot and the late spring evening had started to fade from blue to gold to purple, which was the only indicator she'd had about how long she'd been out here.

It wasn't until she heard the greenhouse door open and close that she realized she was humming quietly to herself to fill the silence, Hector happily munching on the plant scraps she'd had to take care of in moving him. It had been quite the endeavor, moving him, with as big as he was, and not getting chomped on. He'd gotten her once, on the arm, but it wasn't too bad, but she had been sweating a little, hair coming loose from its plait and a little bit of dirt smudged on her cheeks. The effort was worth it though, to see him continue to flourish, even as her project came to a close.

She was just about done, shoveling some fresh soil and fertilizer onto his roots carefully when she saw Noble come around the corner. "Hi," she greeted him with a wide smile. "I had to transplant him, it was quite the endeavor." Though he was hardly eighteen inches tall or so at this point, he was rather feisty. "Did I miss supper?" Hopefully she would be able to get a late night snack or something along those lines to hold her over until tomorrow.

Perhaps she ought to finish up, and maybe clean up, to head in and get something before dinner was over. "Not at all," Daff chuckled fondly, glancing at the cabbage who was still happily munching on his plant scraps. "Got me pretty good," she held out her forearm for Noble to see the circle of teeth marks. Only one or two had bled a little, but nothing too bad. She was sort of used to it by now after raising him all year.

"But I think the bigger space will be good for him," and Professor Skeeter would look after him all summer for her, which was helpful. Daff started to collect her tools, piling them into her basket haphazardly, so they could head back inside, when she heard the telltale sign of rain hitting the roof of the greenhouse. It wasn't surprising, a downpour this time of year, but she really wasn't in the mood to walk back in it. Plus it was one of her favorite sounds on Earth.

She left her basket out of Hector's reach and moved to the big sink on the end wall to wash her hands. "Do you mind waiting to see if it stops? I'm too tired to get soaked walking back." She laughed quietly, watching the rivulets running down the panes of the greenhouse against the darkening backdrop of the evening sky for a moment before turning back to Noble as she dried her hands on her apron.

Daff had busied herself with cleaning up around the sink, neatening up the edges, to the point where she almost missed his reply. A blush rose to her cheeks though she wasn't sure why, exactly. Tucking her hair behind her ear, careful of the lone daisy sitting there, she cast a glance at him, wondering if she was reading too much into what he'd said. She'd enjoyed getting to know Noble over the last couple of years; had to admire his patience in tutoring her in potions to the point where she was nearly as good as he was, though still not as dedicated. She envied his tenacity and drive, his certainty in what he wanted to do with his life. It hadn't been something she'd just woken up and decided one day; Daff had slowly realized this little school crush was more than that, but she hadn't wanted to say anything for fear of ruining their friendship.

Still, she smiled warmly at him, untying her apron and hanging it on the hook. Her dress had been spared most of the abuse, just the hems a little dirty from kneeling on the floor for so long. There was an undeniable giddiness sitting in her chest that she couldn't quite squash as she looked at him, toying idly with the end of the braid that hung over her shoulder. She bit her lip, unsure how to reply, but that smile on his face had her feeling a little bolder than usual. "Is that so?" She prompted, curious to see what else he might say.

"Not for you," was her immediate response. Daff realized she ought to have thought that through a little more. She sounded too eager and she could be getting too far ahead of herself. However, whatever it was, if he needed something of her, she would do her best to help or support him.

She was still anxiously waiting to hear what it was, almost bouncing on the balls of her feet as if she wanted to take a step toward him, but unsure of if that was appropriate or not. And for a moment all she heard was the rain on the panes of the greenhouse as she held her breath. 

Daff had drifted closer in waiting to hear what it was he wanted to tell her. Her gaze was fixed upon his, breath caught in her throat as he admitted to having feelings for her. There was an inexplicable rush of warmth through her than had nothing to do with the temperature of the greenhouse, evident in the blush on her cheeks. She could barely hear the rain on the glass over the pounding of her heart, giddy with the realization that he reciprocated the feelings she had tried to fervently shove down so she didn't ruin their friendship.

They were close enough now that Daff reached out the fix the hair that he'd just ruffled by running his hand through it. She smiled up at him softly. It was hard to find the words that accurately described what she was feeling, and she had never been very good with them to begin with. Anything that crossed her mind seemed insufficient to what it was she wanted to convey. Instead, Daff leaned in further and closed the gap between them, pressing her lips gently to his. Surely that would say what she wanted to without needing to find the words.

Daff was surprisingly focused, the sensation of acting on her feelings after holding them in for so long was almost overwhelming. Considering this was her first kiss too, Daff didn't exactly know what to expect, but it was a good sign he didn't push her away.

"Indeed," she chuckled, cheeks flushed, heart racing. He was holding her there and Daff was enjoying that feeling as much as the kiss. "I've wanted to tell you for a long time, but I was nervous." She admitted, biting her lip, wide blue eyes concentrated on his.

Daff wasn't sure it was possible to blush anymore, but nobody told her cheeks that, as he leaned in to kiss her. Even the light pressure was enough for her to hold her breath. The smile on her lips was soft, but earnest as she nibbled on her lower lip. Exams were over and they would be leaving soon, him for good and she wasn't sure what came next, but Daff wanted to stay in the now.

"I'm so glad you did," she admitted. It felt like she was floating, no longer tied down by hiding the feelings she'd been keeping tucked away for months, possibly a year now.

Oh. Oh. Daff was still basking in the current moment and Noble was talking about the future and she was playing catchup. He wanted to settle his career. He wanted to do things the right way. She still had two years left of school. That wouldn't be enough time for him to build up a business, right? Suddenly she was full of questions, but they were all tumbling over one another in her head and she didn't know where to start.

She was only sixteen. Not technically too young to marry, but young enough that this all still very daunting. But— "I think," Daff was going to harboring secret feelings for him to starting to think about the rest of their lives together; was that actually possible? Merlin, she wanted it to be. "I would like that." She smiled at him, reaching up to run one hand through his hair.