Like a sweet post-battle melody, the wizarding world tries to guide its wounds towards healing, clinging to the fragile promise of a new equilibrium.
In the wake of the Battle of Hogwarts, ten years of calm have passed, giving the impression of a fr...
Theodore handed me the joint after exhaling the smoke, creating a hushed atmosphere in our room. We were locked in after dinner with an unaccommodating and somewhat strange old French woman.
I took the joint between my fingers, bringing it gently to my lips, feeling the effects rise instantly.
It offered me a momentary escape from my incessant preoccupations.
I felt the urge to share my thoughts with Theo. I wanted to tell him how difficult it was to be with Val without putting her in danger, but above all I wanted him to know that I loved her.
Yes, I was in love with her. This feeling had struck me at the Winter Ball, in a strange irony, at the moment when our voices were raised in cries in the Clock courtyard.
I knew Valentina felt the same way. Her eyes told me so, and that certainty gave me an indescribable feeling of well-being.
So why was I unable to tell her how I felt?
"Have you heard from Val?" asked Theo in a concerned voice, the mere sound of her name being enough to snap me out of my thoughts.
"I'm not the nagging type, Theo, so no, not since I left her earlier." I replied as I exhaled the smoke from the joint.
After a few seconds, Theo added, "I haven't heard anything from Aurora, and that's anything but usual."
I propped myself up on my elbows, grinning mockingly. "Man, when did my buddy get so corny?"
He punched me in the shoulder and picked up the joint, pulling on it. "I could say the same about you, mate, a real puppy."
I rolled my eyes and laughed, "Those chicks are gonna be the death of us..." He laughed back, but I could tell something was bothering him. "Do you want me to call Val? Maybe Aura just ran out of battery."
He nodded, and I dialled Valentina's number.
The phone rang several times, causing me slight anxiety, and then she picked up.
"Matty?" she replied in a slightly high-pitched voice.
Knowing Valentina well by now, I could see immediately what was going on. I couldn't help smiling at the nickname she gave me when she was drunk.
The laughter of Valentina and Aurora in the background came through loud and clear.
"Are you drunk?" I asked, trying to figure it out before I got annoyed or more worried, while Theo listened to the phone on speakerphone.
"Pretty relaxed, yeah, that's the word." Valentina chuckled. "Aurora pulled out a bottle of wine she had stashed away, and you know how that ends."
I couldn't help but smile, imagining the scene. "I hope you're not having too much fun without me."
"Oh, believe me, the party misses you." She laughs mischievously.
"Want to show me how much you miss me?" I asked, smiling.
There was a short silence before she sent a photo.
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