Phases (editing)

sixteen

AN- Chapter songs: Forever by Labrinth, Ends of the Earth by Lord Huron

18th October 1995

Waxing crescent

I found myself knocking on the door to the fifth year Slytherin girls' dorm, after classes the following afternoon. The sky held many clouds, but that didn't stop the rays of light that shined down from the gaps in the cumulonimbus that blanketed overhead. The light shining through the thick smog gave hope. It reminded me that in even the most visually difficult obstacles, there was always a way to prevail. That thought gifted me much comfort as I stood before the dark, almost black, mahogany door.

There must be silencing in the Slytherin dorms because when the door opened I jumped with the unexpected swing of the door. I hadn't heard a single floorboard creak or footstep click. Pansy's hair was similarly toned in contrast to the door and that emphasized her olive-toned skin, which looked like milky satin. I resisted the urge to feel the skin of my own face to compare what mine felt, to what I assumed what her's felt like. She looked to be biting down on the inside of her cheek as she quickly looked around the outside of the dormitory. Once she concluded she was in the clear, her almost dainty hand firmly gripped my wrist to pull me into the empty room, locking the door in the process and casting a silencing charm. The locking charm she murmured sounded new to my ears, and I wondered how it differed from the ones I had in my personal mind palace.

The dorm was similar yet very different from the Gryffindor dorms. The room was a long rectangle; which allowed for all the four-posters to lay in a long line down the width of it. There was a beautifully sheer Slytherin green curtain that hung from all the posts on the beds, and matching silk bedding. The light from the black lake caused an almost iridescent effect on the bedding. The stone walls felt warm in a way and I turned to realized there was a fireplace, the size of the one in the communal space of the Slytherin Common Room, and an ivory flame danced around onyx logs in it.

There were elegant leather armchairs that circled in front of the flickering flame, and I was so distracted by taking in my surroundings that I hadn't noticed Pansy occupied one. There was a layout of prepared teas on the small coffee table between the fire and armchairs. It was mesmerizing watching how Pansy handled the products of tea and the porcelain dishes. She was light and almost resembled a ballerina with how she moved but didn't look delicate. Pansy had an energy that screamed don't fuck with me , and no one did. She was someone that with a look could send you running, that intimidated others, and left me an envious mess.

There was a time I questioned whether I wanted to be Pansy or date Pansy. Then after pondering that thought for a moment, I remembered that time third year when Pavarti thought Cormac Mclaggan was going to kiss her, after the All Hallows' Eve Ball. She asked if she could kiss me in private, for practice purposes. Being the great friend I am, I obliged and was not excited at all afterwards.

"Are you going to stand there and gape the whole evening, Lewis?" Pansy lifted the palm-sized dish with the teacup to her lips, taking a gentle sip from the steaming tea. I blinked back to reality, and became present in the moment. My eyes stayed pinned to Pansy, and she didn't return the contact. She lowered the cup from her painted lips. "Would you please sit?" She asked with a soothing voice.

I nodded, but more to myself since Pansy wasn't looking in my direction. As I walked over to the empty armchair next to Pansy, I heard one of the floorboards creak under my feet. Damn bloody bitch is so perfect that even her walk is delicate and without a sound. I moved around the chair and attempted to gracefully float down to sit.