Forbidden Love

Frayed Ends

As Pansy headed out for her detention with McGonagall, she paused in the doorway, rolling her eyes. "I swear, McGonagall has it out for me. It's just one missed assignment!"

"Maybe if you actually did your homework instead of obsessing over your eyeliner, you wouldn't be in this mess," Aiden teased, lounging on his bed with a smug grin.

Pansy shot him a playful glare. "At least I don't spend half my life styling my hair like some heartthrob wannabe."

Aiden smirked, running a hand through his hair dramatically. "Can't help it if I'm naturally this good-looking."

Abby, who had been scrolling mindlessly on her phone, finally cracked a smile. "You guys are ridiculous," she said, shaking her head.

"Ridiculously awesome, you mean," Pansy quipped before heading out the door. "Try not to miss me too much while I'm gone."

Once she left, the room felt quieter. Abby continued to scroll, though her mind was far from the memes and photos on her screen. The events of the past few hours weighed on her heavily, and she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she had gone too far.

Aiden noticed her silence and moved to sit beside her. "Still upset?" he asked gently, his voice pulling her from her thoughts.

Abby sighed, locking her phone and resting it on her lap. "A bit, yeah. I'm just... I don't know, Aiden. I feel like I really messed up with Harry and Hermione. And then slapping Mattheo... maybe I crossed a line."

Aiden chuckled softly. "Honestly, I'm impressed you had the guts to slap him. He kind of had it coming."

She looked at him, surprised. "You think so?"

"Absolutely," he said with a nod. "But that doesn't mean it's not bothering you. Want to talk about it?"

They spent the next few minutes exchanging light-hearted jabs, with Aiden teasing her about her tendency to overthink and Abby firing back about his hair obsession. It was comforting, the way they could joke around, and it helped to ease some of the tension in Abby's chest.

Aiden, sensing the need for a change in tone, leaned back and said, "You know, you should probably go talk to Hermione. Maybe even Harry. See if they've calmed down."

Abby sighed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I think you're right. I don't like leaving things unresolved, especially with them. It's just... after everything that happened, I'm not sure how they'll react."

"Hey, you've got this," Aiden reassured her. "And if they give you any trouble, remind them that you've got a mean right hook."

Abby laughed, the sound lighter than it had been all day. "I'll keep that in mind."

With a renewed sense of determination, Abby stood up. "Okay, I'm going to the Gryffindor common room. I need to talk to Hermione and see if Harry and Ron have calmed down."

Aiden smiled, watching her head towards the door. "Good luck, Abs."

She paused, giving him a small smile before leaving. As she made her way through the corridors, her thoughts were a whirlwind of regrets and hopes. She couldn't help but replay the events that led to this moment, wondering if she really had gone too far. But deep down, she knew she needed to face the consequences and make things right.