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judediangelo75 · 7 months ago

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Day Two: First Kiss

Okay, Day Two for @hphm-ship-week! Had to scrap my original Soulmate AU fic because I'm exhausted and can't pull another 8000+ word story out of my brain. I'm honestly not sure if how I approached this makes sense, concept wise, but I tried.

Enough of my yapping, enjoy the story! (Do I even need to as what version I'm using at this point? Already know I love me some Papa Kendrick and plan on keeping him around until he's completely old and gray)

Word Count: 3,512

Mentioned MCs: David Willows ( @that-scouse-wizard )

Main Pairing: Talbott Winger x Judith Harris (Talith)

Side Relationships: Merula Synde x David Willows (mentioned), Kendrick Harris x Madam Villanelle

(2006)

"Hey, Dad?" Red eyes looked up from the book he was reading, finding two pairs of eyes trained on him. Talbott watched as his two sons walked up to him, sitting at his feet.

"Yes, Bakari, what is it," he asked, placing a bookmark on the page he was reading. Bakari and Kendrick looked at each other, doing that weird sibling communication thing he had seen Judith do with her siblings, both biological and adoptive. He mentally groaned.

'Gods, I hope Merula gets just as lost as I do when her husband does the same thing...'

It was Kendrick who finally spoke up.

"Is today the day you married Mama?" Talbott blinked at his youngest with a baffled look. His eyes glanced at the calendar on the wall not too far from them. He could see today's date marked with his wife's signature burgundy lipstick.

June 17th. Their 11th year anniversary.

The Ravenclaw alumni returned his gaze to the two boys sitting at his feet, who were still awaiting his answer.

"It is... how did you two find out about that," he asked. Kendrick turned to his older brother with a raised brow, telling Talbott all he needed to know.

"Where did you go snooping this time, little falcon," Talbott asked. Bakari crossed his arms with a pout.

"Storage... not my fault you guys keep all the cool stuff there." Talbott tried to muffle his chuckle with little success. He swore the older Bakari got, the more he believed he inherited a bit of Judith's chaotic energy. Either that or their godfather has been more of a terrible influence on his kids than he initially thought.

But then again, what else should he expect from David Willows, the biggest pain in his arse since 3rd year?

"We know that, but you know not to go there without an adult with you. But I'm not going to scold you over that. What did you find to find out about our anniversary?" He watched as Bakari got up from his seat to run and get something. Only a few seconds later, he returned with an old book in hand. But it wasn't just any book.

It was a photo album, one Talbott immediately recognized.

Bakari flipped to a page before turning it to show their dad. The page held a picture of Talbott and Judith sharing a kiss on their wedding day. Written on the bottom was an inscription.

'June 17, 1995: Our first kiss out of many as husband and wife'

It was in his lovely wife's handwriting, with a love heart at the end.

"Was that your first kiss with Mama, Dad," Kendrick asked, his gold eyes shining with curiosity. The father of two chuckled.

"Yes and no. We shared a lot of first kisses in our lives." He smirked at the confused looks on his sons' faces.

"Wait, how," Bakari asked. Talbott shrugged, settling in his chair. He knew he wasn't leaving that seat until his sons' curiosity had been satisfied. Hopefully, it's before he and Judith get to leave to go out for dinner, leaving the boys with their Grandpa Kendrick and Grandma Villanelle.

"We had many first kisses that each meant something different at that certain point in our lives. That picture is physical proof of our first kiss as a married couple. But we had many first kisses before that and even first kisses after, surprisingly." Kendrick tilted his head as if he was an owlet.

"When was your very first kiss then, Dad?" Talbott grinned at the memory, before sharing the tale as it played before his eyes as if it was just yesterday.

"I haven't had this much fun ever since I came here. I never want this day to end," Judith sighed as they sat in their tree. They were watching the sunset from within the branches, watching the breathtaking view. Talbott glanced at the girl, her eyes solely trained on the sunset. Her locs had a bit of curl to them as she allowed him to put them in some braids before undoing them, opting to put them in a half-up half-down style.

'She's so pretty like this...'

"Same here, I never felt this way before," Talbott quietly confessed. Judith looked over at him.

"Felt what way," she asked. He fidgeted nervously, trying his best to control his heart.

"I'm not sure what exactly I'm feeling," the boy mumbled with a blush. Judith pouted.

"Well, try to describe it." The boy spared a glance at her before taking in a breath.

"I feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Especially when I see you smile... and it's because of me... my heart feels like it wants to beat out of my chest sometimes when you look at me," Talbott said, feeling his ears burning. Judith was silent for a few moments before letting out a soft laugh.

"Sounds like love to me," she chuckled. Talbott spluttered a response, forgetting himself as he slowly lost his balance. A pair of arms wrapped around his waist.

"Woah! Easy there, you could've fell," Judith chided, though there was no real heat behind her words. He could feel his blush worsen at the feeling of her arms holding him so close. He could smell the same unfamiliar warm, sweet scent coming from her. It threatened to make him dizzy.

"S-sorry..." The two noticed just how close they were. Judith cleared her throat and pulled away a little.

"W-well maybe love is too strong of a word..." Talbott watched as the girl frowned mid-sentence, seemingly remembering something before shaking it off.

"I've read Muggle romance books that talk about similar feelings... you could just like me and care about me. I..." the girl trailed off again to look at Talbott.

"I... I know I like and care about you," she softly confessed. Red eyes went wide with shock at this revelation. She likes and cares about him...?

He let out a breathless laugh, holding her hand.

"I'm glad you feel the same too, little bird," he told her. The girl looked confused for a moment.

"I'm not the one who can transform into a bird, bird boy," she teased, which Talbott chuckled at.

"Consider it my pet name for you. Who knows maybe you can become like me and transform into a bird," Talbott mused as he nuzzled her cheek.

"Really? You'll teach me," the girl asked with a smile. Talbott held out his pinky to her. Her smile widened as she hooked her pinky finger with hers.

"I promise, little bird," he swore. Judith leaned in and gently pressed her lips to the young boy's cheek. When she pulled away, Talbott raised a shaky hand to the spot Judith kissed.

"Wh-what was that f-for?" The girl giggled shyly, eyes sparkling with warmth.

"A little way for me to say 'I care about you, bird boy'." Talbott blushed and leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek. Judith sighed through her nose.

"I care about you too, little bird," the boy whispered against her cheek. The two looked into each other's eyes with a soft smile playing on their lips as the sun set behind them...

"So Mama kissed you first? But she seems so shy," Bakari pondered aloud. Talbott chuckled.

"Oh, she definitely is. But I guess she really wanted to show how she felt about me," Talbott answered breezily. Kendrick let out a tentative hum.

"But didn't you love her? Why did you nearly fall out the tree when she suggested that's how you felt?" The older man blushed, coughing in his fist. Nothing gets by his youngest son, something he definitely gets from his mother.

"I was 8 and she 7, we were still kids. I wasn't mature enough to admit to such a serious emotion like love." Kendrick nodded and Bakari decided to ask his next question.

"So when was your next "first" kiss," he asked, playfully adding air quotations around the word "first". Gods, was he talking to his wife or their sons? They inherited a lot of her mannerisms at their young age...

"It was the night we had our first date. It was our 4th year at Hogwarts. I met her again in our 3rd year but I didn't recognize that she was the same girl from our childhood. But I was crushing her pretty bad. Your uncle Andre encouraged me to play secret admirer for a while until your godfather caught me leaving my latest love note to her. He gave me the right push to finally come clean and ask her out on a date. It was a first for both of us, so we were pretty much the exact picture of two awkward teenagers who obviously had feelings for each other. We were essentially okay for the first half until one of our old friends who came to spy on us broke some fine china, forcing the shop to close. I didn't want the night to end so I suggested we go stargazing. We were out in one of the Creature's Reserve for a few hours watching the stars, even your mom's Porlock joined us. Eventually, we had to sneak by to the castle before Mr. Filch caught us..."

"... I do hope we can do this again soon... I never said this before but... I really do like you...” Talbott gave her hand another squeeze.

“As do I. And thank you, Judith. Perhaps we could take another trip to Madame Puddifoot’s with no interference.” Judith giggled at this.

“I would like that, I never got my “unspillable” hibiscus tea tonight.” Talbott chuckled, deciding to play along.

“Very true, perhaps she’ll give us the recipe. I’d like to try it sometime.” A smirk tugged on the girl’s full lips.

“I think she would have to kill us first.” Talbott returned it with one of his own.

“Or swear a blood pact to never tell another soul lest we suffer a horrific death. Judith threw her head back and let out a warm laugh.

“That would sound about right. After all, everyone has their secrets.” Judith said this as they approached the Hufflepuff Common Room. Talbott waited for her to finish entering the secret passage to enter her Common Room before speaking again.

“I hope to find out yours, I had a wonderful time tonight...” His hand that held hers, slipped free before finding the little Hufflepuff’s waist. Judith squeaked when he pulled her flush against his body, nuzzling her temple. Judith gazed up at him with a flushed face.

“I-I... I-If you plan on sticking around, you just might...” Judith stood on her toes, pressing her lips against the Ravenclaw’s cheek. Talbott stared at her, slightly dazed as she pulled away and out of his grasp.

“G-Goodnight Talbott, s-sweet dreams.” With that parting, the girl hurried into her common room. Talbott stood there for a few seconds longer before a smile broke out on his face.

He turned to leave the basements to his common room, touching his cheek in the meanwhile.

‘I think I may have found my mate for life...’

"Mom is 2-0 as far as first kisses go," Bakari said with a giggle. Talbott couldn't help but give his son the evil eye (he didn't mean it though).

"This isn't a game Bakari," he said with an exasperated sigh. Bakari simply shrugged with a playful grin. Kendrick shook his head at his brother.

"Well, when was the first time you guys kissed on the lips? You two seem pretty shy with each other to stick to the cheek," Kendrick pointed out. The two boys watched as a frown found its way on their father's face.

"Dad? What's wrong? Was it bad," Bakari asked quietly. Talbott shook his head.

"No, no... that kiss was magical... Everything about that night was magical. It's just that... well, you know your mother has her scar?" Bakari and Kendrick nodded, It didn't escape Talbott's attention that Kendrick touched the birthmark over his left eye. It was almost the same shape as the burn scar that was on his mother's face.

"Well, she always felt like it made her ugly, a monster even... It was Valentine's Day and Madam Pince was supposed to be the one hosting the Ball. Everyone at the school knew she would make it a dreary affair so naturally David and your mother helped. I wanted to do something special for her. I wasn't the only one thinking about doing something special for their person. Your godmother and I fought over who would get to use the library. I ended up winning that battle and turned the library into something out of a storybook romance. That was the first time I saw her so awestruck. Even though we spent the entire night as each other's dates, I couldn't stop admiring her..."

They were slow dancing together, lost in their storybook fairytale world. The soft glow coming from the fairies he invited into the library illuminated his little bird's face. It made her eyes seem like glowing embers of a flame. Those long sunbleached locs were in a high ponytail, showing off her angelic face. Her red-to-black floor-length gown highlighted the curves of her body as her black heels brought her closer to his height.

She was gorgeous...

...but Talbott could see that her mind was elsewhere.

“Judith?” The dark-skinned girl mentally shook her head, looking up to meet his gaze.

“Y-Yes,” she quietly asked.

“Is everything alright? You seemed lost in thought,” Talbott said softly. Even with faint lighting, he could tell that the girl was blushing.

“Y-Yes, I'm fine. I just zoned out for a bit,” she said. Talbott knew her well known to know when she was lying, but he didn't look to push. He couldn't help to take in her features again. From her lovely eyes down to those soft lips. Judith seemed unnerved by his staring because it was her turn to break the silence that befell them.

“W-What?" Talbott blinked slowly as if he was waking up from a daze.

“I’m sorry, Judith. It’s just that...” Talbott trailed off for a moment, his heart hammering against his ribcage as he met those eyes again. The eyes of the person that he was falling in love with.

“You’re so beautiful, little bird,” he whispered, almost breathlessly. He watched as the girl ducked her head so the Ravenclaw wizard couldn’t see her face.

“T-There’s no need to l-lie to me just because it’s V-Valentine’s Day,” she mumbled. Talbott frowned upon hearing this. The pair stopped dancing.

“I’m serious, Judith. You’re really beautiful, no matter the day...” Judith shoved him away. Pale gold eyes looked up, glaring at avian Animagus. A small shiver ran down his spine as the scar covering her left eye intensified the effect of her glare.

“Have you lost your bloody mind?! Talbott, LOOK AT ME! This burn scar is hideous! It makes me look like a monster! No wizard in his right mind would think I’m...” Judith trailed off as if she couldn't bring herself to say the word. Red eyes narrowed as the young wizard stepped closer.

“That you’re what, Judith? That you’re beautiful? Gorgeous? Breathtaking? A literal angel on Earth?” Judith floundered to find a response as if Talbott stunned her with a spell. Taking the opportunity, Talbott grabbed Judith by the waist. Judith ducked her head.

“T-Talbott... d-don’t-”

“Don’t tell me how to feel, Judith. I refuse to hear you talk down about yourself when you’re so much more than your physical looks,” Talbott said firmly. A firm but gentle hand cupped the girl’s cheek, forcing her to meet her date’s eyes. The two stood in silence as Talbott’s thumb slowly swiped across Judith’s bottom lip.

“T-Talbott,” Judith whispered.

“Mmm... yes, little bird,” Talbott answered in kind. A sharp canine peaked from behind plump, glossy lips, biting down on the soft flesh of the lower lip. Talbott silently observed the small motion, feeling warmth blossom on his cheeks and inside his chest.

“K-Kiss me... p-please...”

That was all the wizard needed. Talbott didn't even remember closing the gap between them. All he remembered was suddenly feeling those sweet lips shyly moving against his. The tentative caresses of their lips coming together, hands pulling their bodies closer, the faint sound of hearts beating as one...

When they finally pulled away after what felt like forever, Talbott found himself looking at his little bird's eyes for what was the umpteenth time that night with a single thought on his mind.

'So this is love...'

"I can't believe Mama could ever believe that she was a monster. Monsters aren't lovable like her and she's plenty beautiful! That man at Flourish and Blotts last week wouldn't have been flirting with her if he thought she was ugly," Kendrick retorted, upset on his mother's behalf. Though Talbott could've gone without the memory of the man trying to hit on his wife. When he was less than three feet away. With their boys, one with her facial features and another with her eyes, sitting right next to engrossed in a book.

For God's sake, he was positive that the man didn't even bother to look at her left hand to find the gold diamond ring nestled on her ring finger.

If it wasn't for the fact that he was in his mother-in-law's place of work, he would've made a scene. Talbott has always been an overprotective and territorial man when it comes to his wife. He knew what kind of treasure he held for years. Any man would be blessed to have her and Talbott always felt blessed to be able to hold her fancy, becoming her boyfriend, later fiance, and now husband.

While he didn't deck the man, he did make a point to walk over to greet his wife with a lingering kiss on the lips before addressing the suddenly flustered man.

When the man scurried off, Judith lightly scolded her husband who didn't even look the slightest bit ashamed of what he had done. Bakari rolled his eyes at his dad's antics while Kendrick giggled endearingly. Even Madam Villanelle fondly shook her head with a small smile.

Before Talbott could reply, the blessed sound of the front door opening and closing signaled the arrival of his wife and her parents.

"Talbott, boys, I'm home," Judith called. Bakari and Kendrick tripped over themselves to rush to greet their mama. Just as Judith entered their study, two beings latched themselves onto her legs.

"Mama!" Judith laughed at the joyful cry her boys made, kneeling down to hug them.

"Hello, my little princes," she cooed lovingly, kissing their foreheads. Each boy was branded with the same lipstick that adorned the calendar.

"Happy anniversary, Mama," Bakari said with a grin. Judith raised a brow and looked at her husband. Talbott simply raised the old photo album as an answer. The 33-year-old year witch let out a laugh, squeezing her oldest.

"Thank you, my love. Why don't you two go see your grandparents in the living room? I'm sure your old grandpa would love to see you and your grandma brought a new book for you to look at."

"I may be 68, but I still heard that baby girl!" The Winger family laughed at the indignation heard in Kendrick Senior's voice. The two boys ran off to greet their grandparents as Judith walked over to her husband, gracefully making herself comfortable in his lap.

"Let me guess, Bakari went snooping in the storage room with no one there to watch him?' A nod.

"And Kendrick did nothing to stop him, not wanting to get caught up in his shenanigans?" Another nod.

"And he found the picture of us on our wedding day?" One last nod.

Judith let out a fond sigh.

"I've birthed a nosey fiend," she groaned, resting on Talbott's chest. Talbott chuckled, kissing her forehead.

"It's only going to get worse since he has you as a mother and David as a godfather." Now Talbott was laughing at the offended pout on Judith's face.

"I admit, it did lead to an interesting conversation. About our first kiss." Judith raised a brow.

"Which one," she asked, causing her husband to grin.

"Oh, just the one from when we were kids, our first date, and the night of the Valentine's Day Ball." Judith laughed.

"That's it? I'm surprised you didn't tell them about the others. They love it whenever you tell them stories about us growing up," she teased. Talbott only shrugged, picking up his wife like when she was a bride on their wedding day.

"We would've been here all night and if I remember correctly, we have a date tonight," he drawled as he walked out of the study to head to their bedroom. Judith giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You're definitely right. It's always nice to have time with each other whenever our anniversary comes around," she sighed blissfully. Judith looked up at her husband, who was already looking back at her with that same lovesick smile from when they were students at Hogwarts. Talbott leaned in to kiss her lips.

"Happy Anniversary, little bird," he whispered against her mouth. Judith returned the kiss with a small smile.

"Happy Anniversary, bird boy..." The two stared at each other for a few moments longer before the sound of something dropping broke the trance they were in. Kendrick and Villanelle were quietly laughing as their boys stared at them with gobsmacked expressions.

"DID WE JUST WITNESS THE FIRST KISS ON YOUR 11TH ANNIVERSARY?!" The two couples laughed at the boys' enthusiasm for witnessing their parents' love on their special day.

Life was good.

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