Chapter 28

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Chapter 28

The start of 1996 arrives in the form of New Year's Day, with the slow, creeping light of dawn, filtering through the high windows of Hogwarts as the world outside remains shrouded in a wintery chill

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The start of 1996 arrives in the form of New Year's Day, with the slow, creeping light of dawn, filtering through the high windows of Hogwarts as the world outside remains shrouded in a wintery chill. The festive cheer from the night before lingers in the air, but it's muted, softened by the haze of early morning and the inevitable hangovers that follow a night of celebration. A few of the students hid it well enough from the teachers, since none of them were legally allowed to drink, but there was three Hufflepuff Seventh-Years who were holding their heads in their hands, clearly questioning their life choices from the night before.

In the late morning, Emerson found herself in the Great Hall, nursing a cup of strong coffee while she picked at a piece of toast. Her hair was an absolute mess, naturally cascading down because she didn't have the strength to tie it up as she normally did. Her head felt heavy with a dull throb pulsing behind her temples that she had never experienced before.

Somehow however, the effects of her hangover dissipated entirely, replaced by an odd warmth in her chest when she looked up and saw Mattheo walking towards her. He didn't even hesitate, or glance over at the Slytherin table. His focus was completely on Emerson, a soft smiling playing on his lips. Emerson couldn't help but notice that his dark curly hair was a little messier than usual, but still somehow looked perfect, while his eyes were slightly red-rimmed.

He slid into the seat across from Emerson, his movements slow, as if the weight of last night is still dragging him down too. It probably was, she reminded herself. "Morning darling," He murmured, his voice rough with sleep and the remnants of too much Firewhiskey. Surprisingly however, it was the most appealing sound that Emerson heard in her entire life. The way his voice is hoarse from sleep and the late-night conversations made her pulse quicken.

"Good morning," Emerson replied with a small smile, her voice equally hoarse but the happiness in her voice was prominent. It felt strange to greet him like this, so casually, without the usual sharp edge of sarcasm or snark, but it also felt... Right.

For a while, they both just sat there in companionable silence, the clatter of dishes and low murmur of conversation from other students filling the space between them. Mattheo ignored the strange looks from a few younger Ravenclaws, as if they were worried that he'd turn around in his chair and curse them. His attention was completely focussed on Emerson, who was pouring herself another cup of coffee.

As Emerson sipped her coffee, she caught his eye, and he gave her a lazy smile, one that's devoid of his usual bravado. "How's your head?" He asked, nodding toward the cup in her hand.

"Could be worse," Emerson remarked with a wry grin. "Yours?"

"About the same," He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with a rueful chuckle. "But, last night was worth it. It was really fun."

"Yeah, it was," Emerson nodded, the memories of last night still playing on her mind. They had played on her mind ever since she woke up that morning, probably worsening her headache but she didn't care.

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