You Only Live Once

CHAPTER 12

 The morning air was crisp and biting, but the warmth from the previous night's party still seemed to linger in Mira's bones. She stumbled out of the Gryffindor portrait hole, blinking against the sudden brightness of the corridor. Theodore Nott was leaning against the opposite wall, his arms crossed over his chest. He had been waiting for fifteen minutes, long enough to start wondering if she had forgotten their weekly ritual or simply succumbed to a deep, alcohol-induced sleep.

"How was the party?" he asked, pushing off the wall as she approached.

"I've had soooo much fun. Remmy was right, it was the best party ever" Mira slurred slightly, a wide, loopy grin stretching across her face.

The truth was, escaping had been a mission. Remus had fallen asleep on the common room sofa with his arm draped firmly across her lap, and Mira had spent a good ten minutes wiggling out of his grip without waking him. She hadn't slept a wink, and the firewhiskey was still dancing through her system, making the world feel soft and blurry around the edges. It was her first time being truly tipsy, and she decided she quite liked it. Everything was brighter, and the stone walls of the castle seemed far more interesting than usual.

Theo took one look at her glassy eyes and the way she swayed on her feet and decided their usual walk around the lake was a bad idea. Instead, he guided her toward the Quidditch pitch, figuring she needed somewhere quiet to sit down before she fell over.

"What's your favourite colour, Theo?" Mira asked once they had settled into the wooden stands. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, leaving the pitch bathed in a deep, pre-dawn blue.

"Blue" he answered simply.

"Why?"

"Well, the ocean's blue and so is the sky. And my eyes, don't forget about them. They're the most remarkable shade of blue" he explained. He gave her a playful, arrogant smile, the kind that usually made her roll her eyes, but today it just made her giggle.

"Mine is lavender" she announced, nodding solemnly as if delivering a state secret.

"Why?"

"Well, it's not pink and it's not purple. But it's soft and cute and you can wear it"

Theo didn't just chuckle; he laughed. It was a loud, genuine sound that echoed through the empty stands. Mira stared at him in surprise. He was usually so composed, so careful with how he presented himself to the world. Seeing him lose his cool over a color choice was fascinating.

"Stop laughingggg" Mira whined, hitting his arm repeatedly with her fist. Her movements were slow and lacked any real force.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" he said, raising his hands to shield himself while still catching his breath. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his dignity. "It's just—I think your favourite colour should become blue"

"Why?" she asked, her head tilting to the side.

"Well, my reasoning is way better than yours" he defended.

"You cannot tell me what my favourite colour should be"

"I'll make it my life's mission to change your mind"

"You should be in my life to do that" she replied.

The words slipped out before she could filter them. As soon as they hung in the air, a cold splash of reality hit her. She thought about the two-year limit, the ticking clock of her presence in this timeline, and how much she had grown to love this life. The castle, the late nights, the people—it was all becoming too real to leave.

Sensing the conversation was heading toward a depth she wasn't ready for, Mira scrambled to her feet. She used her tipsy state as a cover, stumbling intentionally and breaking into a run down the rows of seats.