Mischief Managed

10: Falling Fantasy

Is that what love is supposed to be- something some people are lucky enough to feel, but never blessed enough to understand? Or, perhaps, it would not be a blessing to understand love. Perhaps there's a chance that love holds none of the magic and destiny we all believe it to.

❋ ❋ ❋ ❋

"You've been so distant lately...I feel like we barely talk anymore," Dylan said. He was leaning against the castle wall, his posture nonchalant but his voice full of concern.

His school bag was tossed across his shoulder, and his curly hair was disheveled.

I sighed. We'd already had this conversation two weeks ago, when I was forced to stay home from a Hogsmeade trip in order to catch up with school work.

"Sorry, I've just been busy. With O.W.Ls, my violin practice, hanging out with you and my other friends, and the-"

I cut off my sentence there, hoping Dylan didn't catch that'd I nearly finished 'and the once a month all-nighters.' Naturally, I would never tell Dylan Remus's secret- it wasn't that I didn't trust Dylan, but I...felt that Remus' condition wasn't my secret to share.

Unfortunately, the mishap didn't go unnoticed.

"The what?"

"Nothing, Dylan, I didn't say the- anything," I said irritably, trying to cover up my mistake by filling my voice with annoyance.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" he demanded, brushing a curl from his face after the wind blew it in front of his eyes.

"No!"

"Then why do I feel like you're lying to me?" he asked, frowning.

"Maybe because I am, Merlin! Do I have to tell you every detail of my life?" My patience was growing thinner and thinner as he seemed less likely to drop the subject.

"Of course not," Dylan answered. He looked alarmed at the rate our argument was escalating.

"Good, I'm done talking about this." I lifted my chin stubbornly up towards his face, which was a mistake because his blue eyes softened my anger. Couldn't I just be angry without anything- or anyone- calming me down?

"Alright," he said, clearly eager to move on.

"Right," I huffed.

"Mmkay," he bantered. He grinned, and his smile, against my will, turned my insides to mush.

"Bloody-" I looked, mesmerized, at his face and gave in. "Fine, fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"Let's see..." he drummed his fingers on my shoulder and tucked a piece of my blonde hair behind my ear to shelter it from the growing wind. "How about...how your day went?"

"How my day went?" I said, raising an eyebrow in skepticism.

"Yeah, why not?"

"Well, then, if you must know, it was quite uneventful," I said playfully, the last bits of my anger ebbing away.

Dylan waited for me to continue.

I thought for a moment.

"Actually...Sirius did charm the entire Gryffindor table's silverware to dance away from their users- and without James's input this time."

"You thought that was funny?" he questioned. I felt him stiffen beside me, but I chose to ignore it as I replied, "Meh, it wasn't his best, don't you think?"

"I don't know..." Dylan looked deep in thought. His eyebrows bent downwards in his concentration. "You talk about Sirius a lot."

"So? We've been friends for years." The hair on the back of my neck rose defensively.