The Moon and His Night

02

LEO POV

"Incoming. Aimes. Six o'clock. Walking over here." Dean mumbled with an annoyed sigh as he glanced behind me quickly before pinching the bridge of his nose.

I fought the urge to groan with every ounce of dread within me.

Why, Godric, why?

I felt a tap on my shoulder and cloaked the dread on my face before turning around to face my ex.

"Leo." Gretchen greeted with a smile, batting her eyelashes like she always did when she was trying to appear nicer than she was.

Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled up into a high ponytail with a few wispy pieces framing her face. Her hazel eyes were accentuated brown eyeliner and long black eyelashes that she enhanced with mascara and growth potions. Her lips were covered in her signature light pink lip gloss that I know for a fact she reapplied before coming over here to speak to me.

"Gretchen." I greeted back with a small exhale, turning around to face her. I fixed the strap of my bag on my shoulder, keeping a grip on it so maybe she would take it as a hint that Dean and I were just about to leave.

We weren't. I was actually waiting for Nora and Cedric. They had an Arithmancy exam that they were nearly tearing their hair out about today, and I wanted to make sure they weren't spiraling.

Dean was just waiting with me. We were talking about whether or not we were going to go to the party tonight in the Room of Requirement or not when Gretchen decided to sneak up on me after I had been avoiding her. Again.

"Can we talk?" she asked, keeping her tone sweet. It wasn't until she leaned over and peered at Dean behind me that her tone and facial expression fell unamused, "Alone."

"About what?" I huffed, wishing that I could just cut her off and walk away from the conversation, but knowing that I was raised better than that. Sometimes I wish I could be as blunt as Dean when it came to women. He didn't give a shit whose feelings he hurt. He lacked the gentlemanly politeness that my mother and father raised me to extend to every woman I encountered no matter what.

"About us, Leo." Gretchen's eyes flicked back to me, rounding with pseudo-innocence, "I miss you."

Dean failed to conceal a snort of laughter behind me.

"Can you leave?" she snapped, her eyes sharpening into daggers that she was now sending Dean's way.

"Just...gimme a minute." I looked to Dean, expressing my annoyance with the situation subtly. Dean exhaled heavily, begrudgingly throwing his bag over his shoulder and walking further down the side of the courtyard we were standing in. "What do you want, Gretchen?"

"I want us to be together again." she gripped one of my hands with both of hers with an unexpectedly strong grip that I couldn't easily get out of without some sort of force or struggle, "I miss us. We were so good together."

"Wh–what? No. Gretchen. I broke up with you for a reason–" I shook my head, my face morphing into that of confusion.

"A reason that I already apologized for." she whined, frowning slightly, "I'm sorry for how I acted, Leo. You know I am. I've grown as a person. I promise–"

I scoffed a laugh, "Oh really? You've grown as a person?"

She straightened her spine as if slightly taken aback, "Yes. Yes I have."

"Okay." I nodded, agreeing sarcastically.

"I have!" I huffed, "I've–you know what? No. I have changed. And I want to prove it to you. Let me prove it to you, babe. Please–" she tried to wrap her arms around my waist, but I unwound her from around me, stepping back.