Before meeting Reid, all those stories and all those books she had read had always seemed so... unbelievable when they began describing relationships. Hearts breaking? Gazing into people's souls? Melting into hugs? Those things had sounded completely ridiculous until she had actually experienced them all.

And the correct description for this moment was 'melting into his arms'. Kitschy and weird, yes, but that's how she felt. She smiled slightly as she buried her face in the hollow space between his neck and chest and was content to stay there in total silence. He seemed to be thinking about something, and being a sixth year with no important exams, she figured she should just let him be.

Yay! He's talki-

. . .
WHAT?

His whisper sent shivers down her back but his words made her push herself away so fast she hit her head on the hard, cold stone wall. But the pain didn't even phase her - not for one second. Her eyes grew into large round orbs as she stared at him, completely and utterly speechless.

Did he really just say that?!

"Um," she said finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence as she finally processed his words. "Are you wearing your locket?" she asked suddenly, and without waiting for an answer, pulled him to her again and felt around through his shirt for it. Ahh - there.

Taking out her wand, Rachel muttered a spell and - with downcast eyes - watched as her Christmas present to Reid flew away from his neck and towards her hand. Dropping her wand carelessly by her side now that she didn't need it, the sixth year gently turned the locket around so that the black side was showing.

With baited breath, Rachel bit her lip and waited. Waited for the true nature of the locket to appear - his words should have triggered it. She couldn't bear to look up at Reid until the image showed...

Gulp.

There it was. "Look," she whispered and handed it to him, the no longer black part showing.