Circe Riddle (Book 3)

Chapter 55

TW: Homophobia

(Circe's pov)

I honestly hated being back here. I loved living with the other girls at that place– the main reason being that it wasn't here, and being here now made me remember that. I hated a lot of things about this place and just generally the feel of dark magic lingering everywhere, the dark wood, carpets, and curtains just made everything feel more depressing and darker.

A little after breakfast the house elf came into my room and handed me two boxes "For you and Theodore, your father told me to give them to you and insist that you wear them" I picked up the two boxes and opened them to reveal rings– engagement rings. The elf left after I saw them. It was easy to tell whose was whose- Theodore's was a simple silver band with some very lightly engraved designs into them, while mine was still a smaller silver band but that wrapped around a dark emerald. It wasn't too flashy but it was noticeable- maybe a little too noticeable. I transfigured it to something much more simple and less noticeable, something that was more similar to Theo's ring and without the emerald. I apparated outside Mattheo's door and knocked softly. It's me. I told Mattheo in my head and a couple seconds later he poked his head out the door before opening it wider to let me in. He closed the door as soon as I stepped in and eyed the box in my hand and the ring I had reluctantly put on- after the modifications. I glanced at the bed and saw Theodore wrapped in the covers, his eyes open but he looked very tired. "Father requested we wear these" I sighed and tossed the box onto the bed. Mattheo glanced at mine and raised an eyebrow "I modified it" I explained and he nodded his head before glancing over at Theo who had opened the box and was inspecting the ring.

(Mattheo's pov)

"I'm sorry"

I turned and looked back at Circe, she was looking down and I put a hand on her shoulder "It's ok" I assured her "As long as you don't actually start dating him your good"

She smiled slightly "Don't worry, he's all yours"

"You make it sound like I'm terrible" Theodore spoke up from the bed

"You're not terrible, trust me, your just not my- type or whatever" She claimed

"What is your type?" I asked

"I honestly don't know" She walked over to the corner of the room were I had a giant bean bag that I had just got and she fell down into it and stared blankly up at the ceiling "I- I don't smell anything in amortentia anymore"

"What do you mean? how, when?"

"When I was at that place there was a girl who was working on amortentia and I helped her out with it and afterwards I couldn't smell anything, absolutely nothing, and I knew it was just me because she was smelling something– so maybe I just don't love anyone, or I don't have a soulmate or whatever" she shrugged

"Maybe your sense of smell was weird or something" I suggested

"Maybe, but I don't think so"

"Do you want to make it now and see if you can smell something?"

"I don't want to waste your time with something as pointless as this"

"It's not pointless"

A day later we were done with the potion and the smell of firewhisky, forest rain, smoke, and books filled the air. I was standing in between Theodore and Circe. Theodore had barely gotten any sleep last night and was resting his head on my shoulder and I put an arm around his waist and pulled him into my side. I turned my head slightly to glance at Circe "So...?"

She shook her head and sighed "I can't smell anything" A frown formed on her face "Why can't I smell anything" She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night either- none of us had. She ran a hand through her hair that she had put the green streaks back in. She created a charm of sorts that made the color go away when either father or any of the other Death Eaters that might tell on her saw her and it came back when they were out of sight. She let out another shaky breath.