Who: Donna and Sherlock When: Early October Where: Hogwarts Great Hall and various What: Misconceptions Rating/Warnings: Low/Kissing Status: Complete
Running late for a meeting, Sherlock hurried toward the Great Hall, having been stopped by a student outside of his classroom. He was grumbling to himself about this, that, and the other. Why people couldn’t simply pay attention. There would be a whole lot fewer stupid questions by small people in the hallway, that was for sure. And he wouldn’t be late to the faculty meeting he was headed toward.
Only when he pushed open the doors to the Great Hall and headed in, there was no faculty meeting in progress. That was… odd.
Donna, who was used to being late, actually wasn’t too far behind Sherlock and entered the Great Hall a minute later. “Oh” she said when she saw there was only him in the room. Things had been really rather awkward between them since they’d slept together weeks ago. Neither of them had spoken about it and as a result things had become strained. Donna had assumed Sherlock regretted it, perhaps blaming the teenage hormones which had been running through him at the time. Donna knew they had played a part with her but she’d been wanting to do something for a while. Her teenage self had just helped her out.
“There was a meeting today right?” she checked because he would know.
Sherlock had paused near the entrance, and had one arm wrapped around his waist, the opposite hand tapping fingertips against his lip. Had he missed something? Perhaps the rest of the faculty advisors who were gathering for the meeting decided to change the time and place, or cancel it?
Then he heard Donna’s voice from behind him and turned to look. She was pretty. She was always pretty. Sherlock hadn’t put much mind to it before, but now that they’d been intimate, it was all he could think of when they were together.
“There was supposed to be,” he replied gently.
A number of things ran through Donna’s mind whenever she looked at Sherlock, chief among them was how good he’d made her feel when they had been together. In all kinds of ways.
“Well, shit” she said, “I needn’t have bothered rushing” she gave him a wry smile. “Looks like we both missed the memo”
Sherlock nodded. Someone should have thought to send warning to them. But whatever the case, they could make the best out of it, he supposed. “I suppose this means we get to miss the meeting.” He turned his attention back over to Donna and stood for a moment, awkwardly. “Darn?”
And at that she couldn't help laughing, "Darn?" She repeated with a raised eyebrow, "Steady on there" she teased naturally before going quiet again. This was much more awkward than it should be.
Sherlock cleared his throat, his smirk fading. He turned his attention to the empty hall once more. “I can’t say I was exactly looking forward to the meeting. I am relieved to be free for the next hour before afternoon classes.”
"Me too. It's not like there's much for us all to discuss" Donna agreed, "Well unless there is and that's what the meeting was about" she added thoughtfully with a little amused smile.
Sherlock snorted with amusement. “Either there are things to discuss, or there aren’t.” He said, and glanced over at her. “Thank you, Schrödinger.” It was said with playful sarcasm.
That made Donna chuckle, "Anytime" she grinned feeling some of their previous banter return and realising she'd missed it. She'd missed him as a friend as well as anything else.
After a moment of consideration, Sherlock motioned for her to follow him. “Come with me.” He turned to leave the hall, and walked briskly down the corridor that lead to the kitchens.
“Okay” she said frowning a little in confusion before she hurried to follow him, “Where are we going?” she asked him as she caught up, not that she expected much of an answer if he didn’t want to tell her.
“It was supposed to be a lunch meeting,” Sherlock spoke as he walked. He was so quick down the hallway that his robes billowed out behind him. It was rather dashing. He turned a corner and narrowly avoided some younger students. “So, I haven’t eaten. Have you?”
"Oh" Donna said a smile growing, "No I haven't" she told him fully appreciating the dashing view she got from behind him.
“Then we’ll eat together. In the kitchens.” Sherlock decided. Actually, he’d decided a few minutes ago when the two of them appeared in an empty hall. “The House Elves won’t mind having us visit.”
They reached the portrait that would admit them into the kitchens.
“Alright then. I’m sure once you charm them they won’t mind at all” she teased a little ignoring the blush creeping over her cheeks as she recalled just how charming he could be.
Donna stepped into the kitchen after Sherlock spoke the password and immediately her senses were assaulted by wonderful smells.
Sherlock snorted. Charm. Right. He led the way into the kitchen, and they were confronted by hundreds of elves, eager to get them food and drink.
Sherlock gave his order to the nearest Elf, then moved over to a table and sat down. He motioned for Donna to come and sit next to him.
Donna couldn’t help smirking a little when he snorted, he did have charm it was just rather unique. But there were some around who appreciated it.
Giving her own order she moved to sit where he had indicated, “So,” she said once she was sat, “you been okay?”
“I have.” He cleared his throat, watching the Elves instead of looking at her. Sometimes it was hard to look at her. She was far more pretty than she realized. “Have you?”
"Not bad" she replied looking at the table, things were getting awkward again and she didn't want that. "I miss you" she admitted after a moment, "I miss our friendship" and everything else if she were honest but she wasn't admitting that yet.
Sherlock shifted. He followed her gaze to the table, then brought his eyes back up to her face to try and read her expression. It was difficult. She was good at hiding things. And right now he assumed he was seeing what he wanted to see.
“I’m right here,” he offered. Sherlock would have done anything for her. She’d weaseled her way into his heart somehow. As cramped and guarded as it was. “I haven’t gone anywhere.”
It wasn’t that Donna tried to hide things, she’d just grown up used to doing it so it was almost second nature. She would be surprised and a little proud to know he couldn’t read her as easily as he did everybody else since she thought he’d be able to see everything.
“Are you sure? It felt like you did” she said her gaze now holding his.
“No, I--” Sherlock frowned. The lines between his eyebrows grew a bit deeper, more defined. He shook his head. “I thought you were the one who was avoiding me.”
“I thought you were” Donna said with a wry smile, “Looks like we both thought wrong. I wasn’t sure how you’d feel after...what happened between us”
“I’ll be completely honest when I say that I’m not sure how I was supposed to be acting around you after what happened.” Sherlock said, softly. “It’s not exactly a common occurance for me.”
“It’s not all that common for me either” Donna told him nudging him with her shoulder, “If you want to just forget it happened then we can” she offered, eyes leaving his then.
“I’d rather not forget it.” Sherlock admitted. “In all truth, I was hoping it would happen again. But this is one of those areas where I’m… lacking.” He felt a little out of his league, felt a little embarrassed to admit there was an area that he was … okay, complete shit in.
That was music to Donna's ears, not the lacking but that he didn't want to forget it. "It can definitely happen again and I promise you aren't lacking anything" she teased him gently with a smile.
Sherlock smirked. Okay, so he was pleased that he’d done it all correctly. He wanted to make sure she enjoyed herself. Sherlock cared for Donna. She was probably his second favorite human being on the planet. Besides John, of course.
He reached over to take hold of her hand. It was awkward. “Perhaps we should take our lunch to-go, then?”
“I think that is the best idea I’ve heard all day” she told him, squeezing his hand where it was interlocked with hers now.
Just a few minutes later they were leaving the kitchen with packed lunches in hand. Sherlock held open the portrait of the bowl of fruit so she could step through, then fell into place beside her as they started back up through the castle. He assumed they would head back to her room. Or his. But he was going to follow her to wherever she wanted to go.
She was heading to her room, it had been where they had first been together after all and it seemed almost rude somehow to assume anything about his space. She knew he was a private person, so she’d wait for that particular invitation. It didn’t take long for them to get there and the moment they were inside she turned to kiss him, because well she was allowed to now.
Sherlock only had time to set the food down before Donna was on him, kissing. Oh. He had sort of assumed they would ease into things, but jumping in feet first worked, too. His arms wrapped around her, and his lips met hers. It reminded him how much he actually did enjoy kissing. She was very good at it, too.
It wasn't that she was thinking about easing or jumping. It was more she'd been worried for so long and now found that she hadn't needed to be. And she really enjoyed kissing him. “I like kissing you” she admitted as she pulled back to smile at him.
“It is… entertaining.” Sherlock wasn’t sure that was the right word for it, but that was the word that came out. “Are you comfortable?” He asked. He was, of course, but he wanted to make sure that she was at ease with their current… situation. Whatever it was that was going on between them. He wanted to make sure she felt satisfied. Safe.
“Entertaining” Donna repeated amused, that was definitely a different description for it but one she didn’t mind. “Well we could be more comfortable if we sit down” she told him with a cheeky grin, “But in the other sense then yes I am” she added.
“Oh. Right.” Sitting would probably be good. Sherlock took hold of her hand and glanced around the room, then moved to sit on the sofa, tugging her along with him. All the while wondering if ‘entertaining’ was the wrong adjective for the kissing. It was true, wasn’t it?
“Come sit.” He said, though he’d pretty much dragged her along with him.
It wasn’t the wrong adjective it was just an unusual one but then Sherlock was an unusual fellow and Donna rather liked that.
Laughing she sat down next to him on the sofa and snuggled in close, “See much better” she grinned up at him.
“Much.” Sherlock said, then wrapped his arms around her to pull her against him. It was a little awkward. He wasn’t suave by any stretch of the imagination, but he wanted to give her what she wanted. What she needed. What he wanted, too. He brought his mouth to press kisses against her jaw.
A little awkward was just fine with Donna, it kind of worked well for them both. She smiled as he kissed her jaw, “See? You’re a natural” she told him, before claiming his lips once again. They might be an unusual couple but they fit well and that was the important part.