An Art of Balance

Chapter 23: The Morning After

Warning: Mention of alcohol (I feel like this is getting out of hand)

After Rowan had left them, it had taken Lizzie a long time to stop crying. Orion had held her close the whole time, his hands stroking her back with soothing motions. His movements had stopped when she had told him the whole story in between her sobs, but still he hadn't let go of her.

He had just watched her in silence until she had calmed down enough to think straight. When she had finally gathered enough courage to look him in the face, the sadness visible in his eyes had threatened to tear her apart once more.

"Why did you lie to me?" It was apparent that Orion tried to keep his voice level, but Lizzie could feel the hurt and disappointment ringing in his words. He had said so himself; he had trusted her.

Ashamed of herself, she cast down her eyes and shook her head. "How could I have told you the truth?" she whispered into the darkness surrounding them. They were sitting far from any place the silver light of the moon could reach.

Orion took his time to answer. "I don't know; I just wish you had."

Lizzie felt like crying once again, but there was not a single tear left she hadn't shed already; she felt empty inside. "Me too."

They had walked back to the Common Room in silence, but it couldn't have been a greater contrast to the way they had wandered the castle earlier. Where it had been a comfortable silence before, it now hung heavy between them, neither of them knowing what to say.

Lizzie desperately wished for him to say something, anything, to let her know he understood and everything would be okay; but Orion remained silent until they reached the Common Room.

They had been gone longer than what Lizzie had thought; all the lights were extinguished and the fire was burning low in the fireplace, casting the tiniest flickers of light over the few remaining figures sleeping in armchairs or on some of the sofas.

It brought back the memory of another time they had found themselves alone in here in the middle of the night. Lizzie remembered bitterly how much she had hoped Orion would catch on to her words and give her the opportunity to tell him the truth; but he hadn't and she had been too much of a coward to break both of their hearts on her own accord.

"You should get some sleep now," Orion told her quietly. He pulled her into a hug and Lizzie closed her eyes as she rested her cheek against his chest, not wanting the moment to end. "Get some rest and we'll talk tomorrow."

She reluctantly let go of him as she registered the shift in his position towards the entrance door. "What are you doing?"

He brushed a rogue strand of her hair out of her face as he looked ponderingly down at her. "Both our spirits are troubled with what has happened. Sometimes being alone is the best way to bring order into the chaos of the mind."

And with that, he left her alone with the dying fire and her burning conscience.

Lizzie felt completely exhausted from both the physical exhaustion of playing Quidditch and the onslaught of emotions raging inside her. She actually contemplated going to bed for a moment, but with all the thoughts running through her mind on repeat, she knew there was not the slightest chance to find sleep anytime soon.

Besides, Rowan would probably be up in their dorm by now. Lizzie shuddered at the thought of confronting her friend over the mess she had created. She knew she would have to eventually, but not tonight. Orion was right; she should probably try to get some rest.

She wandered over to the big sofa in front of the fire place. Brian, the Hufflepuff Keeper, was slumping in an armchair close to it; he was fast asleep, nestling a half empty bottle of Firewhiskey in the crook of his arm.