Mirrored Exile (HS)

twenty five

chapter twenty five - fire away

Lucy Caddel

He forms a small smile before he speaks. "Mind if I join?"

I hesitated for longer than I wanted to. "Sure." I grasped at my necklace as he climbed up the ladder, shutting the trapdoor under him.

He then gets up onto his feet and leans against the concrete wall. He had pulled on a black jacket that was zipped up a bit at the bottom with pockets and a hood. I remain sat on the cold, hard ground with the joint still in between my lips. I honestly forgot it was there when I saw Harry climb up the ladder. I stand up with him but I'm still against the corner, taking a puff of the rolled cigarette.

"Could I have a puff?" He asked. I hand him the cigarette and he brings it to his mouth. Inhaling and exhaling it into the night air. The smoke faded as the seconds went on. "How'd you light it?"

"A lighter." I quickly said. I think he knew I still had his lighter. The celeste blue lighter. I slip it out of my back pocket and hand it to him. He chuckles with the guilt on my face.

He flicks the lighter switch to light the cigarette again. The fire created a bit of light on his face to see his lips. "I was never asleep." He admits between a puff and handing back my cigarette. The lighter flicks off and smoke blows away into the cold air that quickly swallows it.

"Huh?"

He turns his face to me. "I heard you get up, I heard you go out the door and I especially heard you pop open the trapdoor." He rants.

"Oh." I brought the cigarette to my mouth with full embarrassment. "I really thought it was only the trapdoor that woke you."

"I wasn't gonna fall asleep until you did, that's a rule I stick by now." He laughs. The dimples showing in his cheeks. The darkness of the night makes it hard to see his face fully, but the moon lights it up just enough to know where he is and what he's looking at. In this instance, it's me.

"Is that a rule you've always had? Or did you just make it up when you were put with me?" I joked, not expecting a serious answer.

"To be completely honest, I started it the very first night when we stayed in that apartment." He rubbed the back of his neck before I handed him the cigarette again.

"The first night? You hardly knew me, what made you come up with such a thing." I laughed.

"Well I left you in that room asleep, I didn't think it'd be bad if I just went out for ten minutes to grab some equipment while you were sleeping. Obviously, it was a bad decision." His eyes glistened from the moon before he looked at his fingers. "And because of that, I made that rule. I knew your life was in that much danger so yeah, That's when it became a thing I guess."

"I'd hate to be the reason you're so tired though," I admitted quietly.

"I've been doing this for nearly 5 years now, I'm used to it so don't worry." He comforts me with an empathetic smile. I trace the chain of my necklace while I begin to look at the sky.

"I like your necklace." Harry points with his finger. "What's the thing on it?"

"It's like a full moon, see the outline." I held it up for him to see the thing, a circular ring. As I said that, the breeze picked up. I'm just now realizing I forgot to pick up my sweater that I took off earlier. I tried my best to hide the fact I was cold but the goosebumps on my skin didn't help.