𝑨𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒕 - ʜᴊᴘ x ᴏᴄ [𝐌𝐀𝐉𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆&𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆]

𝟓𝟎

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

ʀᴇᴛᴀɪʟ ᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘʏ

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Aurora and Cassiopeia walked side by side down Boutique Avenue, the crisp Parisian air teasing their skin. The streets were lined with high-end boutiques, their windows gleaming with opulence. The distant sounds of laughter and clinking of coffee cups filtered through the cool breeze, but the space between Cassie and Aurora felt colder than the winter air.

Cassie wasn't in the mood for shopping. She wasn't even sure why she was still here. Every step felt heavier than the last, and the weight of the shopping bags in her hands seemed to match the growing tension between her and Aurora.

"So, Paris," Cassie said, her voice more distant than she intended. "Doesn't feel as magical as everyone says, does it?"

Aurora glanced at her with a small, hesitant smile. "It's better than London, at least. Less gray. And, you know, less Fudge."

Cassie muttered under her breath, "That's not really saying much."

Aurora let the words sit in the air before she pushed through the door of the boutique, her usual enthusiasm a little too forced. The shopkeeper greeted them, but Cassie didn't hear it, her mind elsewhere.

As Cassie wandered through the racks, she could feel Aurora's eyes on her, but she refused to meet her gaze. It was easier this way—staying focused on the silks and velvets, the bright colors that felt almost mocking in the silence.

Aurora, seeming to take the hint, picked up a dress. A garish green monstrosity that Cassie couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at.

"Should I buy this?" Aurora asked, a glint of humor in her voice.

Cassie didn't even look at it. "Absolutely not. It's hideous."

Aurora snorted, tossing the dress aside. "Fair enough," she muttered, reaching for another one—a deep burgundy red that immediately caught Cassie's eye.

Cassie finally glanced at it, her lips curling into a slight, reluctant smile. "That one's... powerful. Perfect for your interview. First impressions and all that."

Aurora's gaze softened a bit, though her smile was faint and unsure. "Speaking of the interview, what are you going to do while I'm at the Ministry?"

Cassie shrugged, holding up a pair of shoes and inspecting them for no real reason. "I'll go to the museum or something."

Aurora's brow furrowed. "Are you sure you want to go alone?"

Cassie didn't even look at her. "Don't worry about me, Aurie. I'm not a child. I can handle it."

Aurora's smile faltered slightly, and she instinctively reached out as though to touch Cassie's arm, but Cassie pulled back just a bit too sharply. Aurora hesitated, hands twitching before she quickly let them fall to her sides.

"Old habits," Aurora muttered, trying to laugh it off, but it didn't reach her voice.

Cassie's eyes flicked to her, but she didn't respond. The words she wanted to say were stuck, caught in her throat like a bad taste. She didn't want to let Aurora back in, not yet.

Aurora cleared her throat and tried again, her voice softer. "I mean, I'm still your friend, right?"

Cassie didn't answer immediately. She moved over to another rack, pretending to look at something she didn't care about. "Yeah, sure," she muttered. "Friends."

A tense silence hung between them. Aurora was too quiet now, her usual warmth buried under layers of unspoken words. It seemed as though the space between them had grown wider with each passing moment.

Aurora picked up a watch, and Cassie only half-watched as she made the purchase, her movements slow and deliberate.

When they finally left the store, the bags they carried were heavy with overpriced nonsense.

Cassie glanced at the receipt and sighed. "Seventy-seven Galleons, twelve Sickles, and twenty-one Knuts? For this?"

Aurora smirked, though it didn't reach her eyes. "You bought all the shoes."

"And you bought a hundred watches," Cassie snapped, though the sharpness in her voice was softer than it would've been a few weeks ago.

Aurora's smile was strained. "All's fair in Paris."

Cassie didn't respond. They kept walking down the busy street, but it was obvious that the two of them were worlds apart. Cassie stole a glance at Aurora out of the corner of her eye. Her shoulders were slightly hunched, her gaze distant. The sparkle in her eyes that Cassie had always admired seemed dimmed, clouded by something she couldn't quite place but felt in every breath she took.

She wanted to ask if everything was okay, if she should apologize for the distance she'd put between them. But she didn't. The words wouldn't come.

Aurora didn't try to speak either. They just kept walking, side by side, but miles apart.

And for the first time, the city of Paris, with all its charm, felt like the loneliest place in the world.