HP • Legilimency | 𝐍. 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐎𝐘

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞

Finally

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Astria ascended the staircase towards the dormitory, a lump in her throat. Her heart raced as she approached the door, finding Daphne with her head buried in the pillows.

"Daph?" she said softly.

"I'm fine," came a muffled voice. It sounded like she had been crying.

"Daphne, come on, what's wrong?"

There was no response.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm okay," Daphne replied, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform.

"No, you're not," Astria declared firmly, refusing to accept a lie.

"Look, I said I'm okay, alright?" Daphne burst out.

"If you're okay, then why did you run away?" Astria asked gently.

"I... I'm just tired," Daphne said resolutely, but Astria raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"No, don't look at me like that, please. I just... I don't know. It was weird. It was weird, and it caught me off guard, and I just freaked out, okay?" Daphne said, her eyes welling up with tears, and Astria sighed, approaching her slowly.

"No," she whispered, making Astria stop in her tracks.

"It was just a kiss. It didn't mean anything," Astria pleaded, but then Daphne looked at her with sadness, sniffing, and a single tear rolled down her cheek, quickly wiping it away.

"Maybe not to you," she said calmly, and Astria's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Nothing. I don't mean anything by it. I'm just being silly," she said, her voice quivering.

"You... I mean, darn it," Astria sighed, running a hand through her hair and furrowing her brow.

"Seriously? Do you have to do this now?" Daphne asked irritably, and Astria paused again.

"Do what?" she asked, confused.

"That sexy thing with running your hand through your hair that you always do when you make that expression. It's..." Daphne paused. Astria withdrew her hand from her hair, blinking.

"Oh, uh, sorry," she said.

"No... I didn't mean..." Daphne faltered. She exhaled loudly and sat down with her legs crossed.

Astria hesitated, took a step toward her, and sat down beside her.

"You must think I'm a loser," Daphne said with a pout.

"I don't think that. I would never think that," Astria paused, thinking about how to phrase what she was going to say. "Do you... like me? I mean, like, like me like me? More than just randomly kissing me in the hallway... I have no idea what I'm trying to say now," she exclaimed in frustration.

"Yes, you're really bad at this," Daphne said, smiling faintly. "Absolutely clueless."

Astria threw her head back in laughter. "I really am, aren't I?"

"It's okay if you do. I mean, I don't mind... I mean, I do mind, of course, but like I don't mind? You mean a lot to me," she attempted to explain.

Daphne looked at her hands. "I don't know," she said calmly. "I mean, you're my friend. My best friend, and you make me laugh, and I love being with you, so I think, 'well, that's it.' But then, sometimes, you look at me, and it's like... my stomach flips, or you tuck your hair behind your ear, or you bite your lower lip when you're planning something, or you smile that creepy grin showing your teeth, and my heart starts beating a little faster, and, oh my God, I sound so stupid. I get that you have a magical bond and all, but I can't just hide my feelings," she said, groaning and burying her head in her hands.