CLOSE TO YOU • jp + sb [1]

01.14 | DREAMS ARE ALWAYS BETTER THAN REALITY

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

     THE final month at Hogwarts was a whirlwind of emotions for Selyna Diggory. With graduation looming on the horizon, she was supposed to be focused on her upcoming future, but her recent decisions and relationships had consumed her thoughts. For the past two weeks, she and James Potter had been officially dating, and James was clearly relishing every moment of it. His enthusiasm was palpable, and though Selyna had initially requested they take things slow out of respect for Sirius, James's impatience quickly became evident.

James was not known for his patience. From the moment they had decided to give their relationship a chance, James had been eager to embrace their newfound romance. They had been inseparable, sharing affectionate glances and tender touches, often in public places where Selyna could feel the eyes of others, including Sirius, on them. Despite her best intentions to keep their relationship discreet, James seemed determined to celebrate their coupling openly, which Selyna found increasingly difficult to manage.

It was a stark contrast to her relationship with Sirius. When she had asked Sirius to take things slowly, he had respected her wishes, allowing their relationship to progress at her own pace. Sirius had been a master of patience, waiting for Selyna to be ready for each new step. James, however, seemed to view the request to take it slow as a challenge rather than a boundary. His eagerness often manifested in grand gestures and enthusiastic conversations about their future—conversations that seemed to rush through time as if he were trying to make up for lost opportunities. James had already broached the topic of children, something that seemed utterly out of place considering they were still in school.

Selyna had expected Sirius to be more bitter or resentful about their breakup, particularly since it was so public and immediate. To her surprise, Sirius had managed to maintain a sense of calm, largely because of a conversation James claimed to have had with him. James had assured her that he and Sirius had 'cleared the air' and that there were no hard feelings. Yet, Selyna remained sceptical. She knew the intricacies of her past with Sirius were complex, and she couldn't shake the feeling that things might not be as smooth as James claimed. The idea of Sirius forgiving and forgetting so quickly felt implausible.

The one undeniable similarity between her relationships with both boys was their shared love for snogging. In every corner of Hogwarts, whether in hidden alcoves or the more public spots like the library, Selyna found herself immersed in passionate kisses with James. It was exhilarating and, at times, overwhelming. While she had enjoyed similar moments with Sirius, the intensity seemed more pronounced with James, perhaps due to the sheer volume of their public displays of affection.

As the days passed, Selyna couldn't shake the growing discomfort. The juxtaposition of James's fervour and Sirius's restrained demeanour made her question her own choices. It became clear to her that James's eagerness to rush into their future was a double-edged sword. While his energy was intoxicating, it also felt like a constant reminder of how different he was from Sirius. She found herself often comparing her relationship with James to her past with Sirius, something she had hoped to avoid but found nearly impossible.

Selyna's internal monologue often echoed the sentiment, "Dreams are often better than reality." The idea of a perfect relationship, one where everything fell into place effortlessly, seemed to stand in stark contrast to the reality she was experiencing. Her initial dreams of finding love and happiness seemed to have been wrapped in a fantasy, only to be met with the complexities of real-life relationships.

In the evenings, as she walked the familiar halls of Hogwarts or sat quietly in her dorm, she replayed moments from her time with Sirius and James. The passionate kisses, the whispered promises, the love and heartache—they all blended into a swirling mix of emotions. Despite the joy James brought into her life, the shadow of her past with Sirius lingered, making her question whether the reality of her current relationship could ever truly live up to the ideal she had envisioned.