What am I even doing here (Private)

Dan shoved the dusty book back onto the shelf, the spine compressing as it was wedged between the tiny space left for it. He angrily set his measly scrap of parchment down, only half covered in ink, the leftover ink on his quill already dried. He hadn't found a helpful bit of information in ages, and it was getting late, he knew. People were gone and the Madame Pince was shelving the last cart of books, occasionally eying him skeptically, probably wondering when he would return to the common room, or if she would have to chase him out. Probably the latter, because he was not anywhere near done with his essay.

In Charms, professor Flitwick had decided that it was a good idea to set an essay due in two weeks, one of which was Hogsmeade, and the other a Valentine dance. It goes without saying that Dan was the opposite of motivated to get it done, and left it to the last night to finish. Now, it was coming up on closing time, and Dan had found only two useful books that he might be able to take back to his common room to finish the essay with in the few early hours of morning, allowing no foreseeable time to sleep.

Dan pulled out a chair tucked under a desk and sat, putting his head in his hands and closing his eyes for a second or two...or three... a moment later, he stirred, picking his head up. Oh god, he thought. Had I fallen asleep?! He first looked around for Madame Pince. Not seeing her at the moment, he leaped out of his seat and grabbed his essay, ditching the quill, and pulling all the books off the shelf he could find that might be of use. He pulled the last down that he could, spilling dust everywhere, before a voice sounded behind him, causing him to jump and his stack of books tumbled to the ground.
"What," snapped the hook-nosed librarian, "Do you think you are doing here so late?" She eyed Dan, creepily close. Dan withdrew, taking out his wand and levitating the books back into a stack. "Checking these out, if you please," he snapped back. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help himself. He hated it when people were rude, for no apparent reason other than for the purpose of being rude. Madame Pince gave him one last glare before levitating the stack herself to her desk and commenced to checking them out to him, diligently stamping each book with haste.

Dan shoves the stamped books into his bag, hearing the door close behind him. Was someone there? He turned, but saw nobody. Strange. He mentally made a note to go out the doors cautiously. After he finished putting his books away, he slung his satchel over a shoulder, and started towards the door.

Carefully, he pushed it open, his eyes darting here and there as they would when tromping around the halls after curfew, which he was about to do. He saw movement, and he quickly turned, seeing a flash of red...hair? His eyes widen as he realizes it was... "Adelaine!" He smiled sweetly. The small Hufflepuff girl clutched on to his arm. Man, was she a sight for sore eyes. Being stuck in a room full of books that he wouldn't even dream of opening, and especially not reading.

"Hey, how are you?" Dan asked, smiling. He listened to her question, and frowned a bit, scratching his head of messy chocolate brown hair. As he looked into her adorable, innocent eyes, he didn't want to say no, but... He really needed to get this homework done. Sighing, he decided he would have to disappoint. "I'd really like to, believe me. Much more than this charms stuff, but I have a project and I really have to get it done. By tomorrow morning."

He heard her voice softly apologize, and her hand released his arm, and this made a feeling turn over in his stomach. Like he should do something. Hold her hand? Yes, that seemed right. But... how?? He looked down at her hand hanging by her side very quickly before looking back up. Just reach out and grab it? His brain shouted yes, but his hand shivered. Finally, in some sort of spasm, his hand reached out and tightly interlaced with hers, and he forced on a smile like Yeah, I meant to do that.

"I'm really sorry, but we can hang out tomorrow, I promise," he told her, gulping. Hopefully it was a promise he could keep. "But hey, will you walk back to the Common Room with me? Ours are pretty close," he offered. He could walk her back to the Hufflepuff common room, sort of like escorting her home after a date. That is what guys were supposed to do, right? He felt his hand become clammy. Wow, that must be attractive. He must look really gross right now. Putting on a half-smile, he began down the hall to the Grand Staircase, gently beckoning Addie along with him.