Earnshaw Heights

Chapter Five

Normani had a strong desire to lift Niall's spirits after everything that he had just shared with her. She thought about how difficult his time here would be having to spend it sharing a living space with Lauren, who brought up so many difficult memories. She looked at Niall's face and saw the sadness that had filled his eyes. Mani vowed to herself that she would do whatever she could to make this time best for Niall, even if that meant forgetting about the interesting, beautiful witch she'd be living with. Without thinking, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the lake.

"Mani, stop! What are you doing?" he shouted at her, but there was a smile in his tone that Normani had been dying to hear again. She laughed while continuing to pull him, not so secretly enjoying how much stronger she was than him. As they approached the edge of the water, Niall's panicked efforts to pull away from Mani increased, but she still managed to inch him closer and closer. Niall halted for a moment, as though he were considering something. He suddenly stopped fighting and gave in, causing Mani's continued force to pull both of them into the water. With a rather large splash and yelling from both of the pair, Niall toppled onto Mani as they both fully submerged into the lake.

"It's freezing! Oh my god, I hate you!" Mani shrieked at Niall as she quickly stood up out of the lake, soaking wet. Her hair was dripping lake water down into her face, and her now-soaked white shirt was showing her no mercy in revealing her assets. She kicked water at him, drenching him once again. Niall laughed genuinely, and the sound made Mani smile despite the fact that her entire body was shivering. She extended a hand to him to help him up, but pushed him back down into the lake at the last second, only to drench herself yet again from his splashing.

They continued like that for a few minutes, splashing and laughing, enjoying each other's company and their final evening of freedom before the program would commence. They drew attention from all of their nearby peers, but they remained unphased, stuck in their own fantasy world that was removed from everyone and everything around them.

"You know, Normani," Niall said suddenly, shaking his hair off next to the water, "I seriously have never felt so comfortable around someone before. It's really odd."

"I feel exactly the same way," Mani admitted, relieved to not be alone in her feelings. "We just met, and I honestly don't think I've ever been closer to anyone in my life. Ever. You're kinda freaking me out with it."

Niall chuckled at her response. The pair stood by the lake attempting to shake off some of the excess water to no avail. "You know," Niall whispered more to himself than to Normani. He side-eyed the witch next to him, a small smile creeping onto his face. Immediately catching on to his thoughts, Normani took off into a run only milliseconds after Niall.

"That rematch would be an excellent way to dry off!" Niall shouted behind to Normani, pulling a few feet ahead of her. Both of them were incredibly quick in their race up the hill back towards the castle, but Normani was struggling to catch up to him with her clothes stuck tight to her every curve and her boots being thoroughly soaked through. Niall reached the castle doors only a few seconds before Normani did. He hunched over in an attempt to catch his breath, but he had a huge smile plastered to his face.

"And that," he paused, catching a few more breaths, "is what should have happened earlier today."

"No way, bud. You got a head start and you're not wearing soaking wet heeled-boots." Mani crossed her arms over her chest, aware of how exposed her body still was from the lake water.

"Alright, alright. Soon we're going to have a fair match, deal?" he proposed to her.

"Deal," Mani agreed, knowing fully well that Niall would find a way to give himself some advantage, which for some reason made her smile at him.