Silver Flames (Victor Rookwood X FemaleMC)

Chapter 8 - Revelations

The morning light slipped through the heavy curtains, bathing the room in a muted glow as Elvira's consciousness stirred from the depths of slumber. Her eyes fluttered open, greeted by the familiar, yet momentarily foreign, surroundings of her room at Hogwarts. A dull throb pounded in her temples—a souvenir from the previous night's indulgence. Elvira's hand flew to her forehead, pressing against the skin as if to squeeze the memories into coherence.

"Ugh... How did I get back here?" Elvira murmured to herself. As she sat up, her mind began replaying fragments of the night: the cold air, the enigmatic presence of Rookwood, the dizzying closeness. The last thing she remembered was her vision blurring and her legs giving way beneath her.

As the events of last night unspooled in her mind, a cocktail of emotions flooded through her—panic at how vulnerable she had been, embarrassment at her overt flirtation, anger at herself for losing control, and an undeniable pull of attraction towards Rookwood.

"Shit..." Elvira whispered to herself, feeling a twisting knot settling in her stomach. Elvira pressed her palms against her eyes, trying to shut out the relentless replay of her recklessness. The more she considered it, the more her anger shifted from her actions to Rookwood's evasiveness. The way he deftly dodged her probing questions, hiding information behind a veiled smirk—made her blood boil. She felt foolish and played. Next time, she promised herself, she would get her answers.

Pushing the tangled sheets away, she swung her legs out of bed. Her brows furrowed as her gaze landed on a pale blue vial that stood over a folded piece of parchment resting on the nightstand next to her. How had this vial appeared by her bedside? Her mind raced through the fog of her memories, but nothing surfaced. Her gaze landed on the piece of parchment. Slowly and reluctantly, she reached for it, unfolding the note with trembling fingers. There in the middle of the parchment, elegant, black cursive letters read:

For your headache.

-V

Reading the note, her confusion deepened into a sinking yet thrilling realization. Rookwood had been in her room. Her heart skipped a beat. He must have been the one who carried her to her room, her bed.

Elvira's lips twitched into a half-smile despite the whirlwind of emotions. Rookwood was strangely considerate. She would be lying if she didn't feel a slight rush at the thought of his body against hers. Shaking the thoughts away, she retrieved the vial—a shimmering blue liquid—and hesitated for a moment before she downed it in one gulp, feeling immediate relief wash over her.

With the headache subsiding, Elvira hurriedly began preparing for her Charms class. She pulled on her robes, her movements brisk and slightly erratic as the weight of last night's revelations pressed upon her. As she braided her hair, her mind raced with thoughts of Victor. Was it all just a game to him? She pushed her thoughts aside and ventured down the stairs of Ravenclaw Tower.

Elvira made her way through the bustling corridors, her mind still buzzing with studies and upcoming classes. As she entered the sun-lit Charms classroom, the familiar smell of old parchment grounded her in the present.

Sebastian, Ominis, Poppy, Gareth, and Natty were already gathered at their usual table, each engaged in their pre-class rituals. Elvira reluctantly slipped into the empty seat beside Sebastian, who offered her a concerned glance.

"Glad you came back in one piece," Sebastian said, his voice low and steady. He leaned closer, his brow furrowed in worry. "You alright El?"

Elvira smiled, nodding. "Yeah, just a light headache from last night" she replied, her voice tinged with amusement.

Before Sebastian could probe further, Ominis leaned across the table, his eyes alight with excitement. "I've made a breakthrough with the translation of the book you took from the restricted section," he whispered and glanced around, making sure no one else could overhear.