Wildflowers

That's All

The next morning was a whirlwind of activity in Kat's cottage. She jumped out of bed, her mind already racing about the day ahead. The inevitable run-in with Severus loomed large in her thoughts, gnawing at her nerves. She moved quickly to the shower, hoping the hot water would calm her, while Miles lay comfortably tangled in her sheets with Boo, the black lab curled up at his side.

As the water rushed over her, she could hear Miles' voice from the bedroom, soft but clear. "None of this would've happened if I'd just stayed. If I'd never left Ilvermorny in the first place."

Kat let out a breath, rinsing the shampoo from her hair. "That might be true," she admitted, her voice echoing slightly in the steamy bathroom. "Maybe I wouldn't have met him. But that's not your fault. It's mine. I got greedy, Miles. I saw something I couldn't have, and I went after it."

By the time she stepped out of the shower, towel wrapped around her, Miles had swung his legs off the bed, standing up in nothing but his blue and white striped boxers. He stretched with a yawn, then rummaged through her vinyl collection until he found a record he liked. With a sly grin, he pulled it from its sleeve and set it on the turntable. The opening beats of Genesis' "Invisible Touch" started to fill the room.

Without warning, Miles began lip-syncing to the lyrics, swaying dramatically, his hips moving in exaggerated circles. He turned to her, eyes full of mischief, as he belted out in perfect sync:
"She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah! She reaches in and grabs right hold of your heart..."

Kat couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her. Miles danced closer, twirling her around in the narrow space between the bed and the dresser, the towel almost slipping off her. "Come on, let me see that smile," he teased, spinning her again before pulling her close, singing directly to her now.

"Well, I don't really know her, I only know her name..."

Kat joined in, giggling as they lip-synced the next line together.
"But when she crawls under your skin, you're never quite the same!"

Miles spun her one last time, pulling her into a playful dip as the chorus hit. Boo barked happily at their antics, wagging his tail, while Binx the cat peeked in from the hallway, clearly unimpressed.

When the song slowed, they straightened up, both a little breathless, but the heavy mood from earlier seemed to lift. For a few minutes, they forgot about Severus, Lucius, and everything else hanging over Kat's head.

"Feeling better?" Miles asked, his hand still resting on her waist, a playful smirk on his lips.

"A little." Kat smiled, catching her breath. "You're such an idiot."

"I know," he said, laughing as he stepped back to turn the record player off. "But you love me for it."

She sighed, the worry creeping back in. "You're too sweet to me, Miles. I don't deserve you."

He turned to her, his tone softening. "You deserve more than you think, pretty girl. Don't let anyone make you feel like you don't."

Kat stood in front of the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with eyes that looked far more tired than she wanted to admit. She pulled on her clothes for the day, each movement feeling heavier than usual, the events of the past days weighing on her mind. Her fingers trembled slightly as she adjusted her shirt, trying to push away the creeping anxiety.

Looking at herself one last time, she leaned in closer to the mirror and whispered softly, "For this part, you must be very brave... He cannot come back, no matter what."

Her eyes darkened with a new resolve, though inside, she still felt like she was unraveling. There was no going back—she couldn't let herself be pulled back into Severus's orbit.