The next morning came too quickly, and i found myself standing in front of the mirror in the Slytherin girls' dormitory, methodically pinning back my dark hir with silver clips. My fingers moved automatically, the practiced motions doing little to still the undercurrent of unease that lingered from last night.
I had spent hours in the library, longer than i should have, pretending to study while Theo sat across from me, reading in silence. He hadn't said another word after his observation - 'always in control' - but the weight of his presence was enough to make me feel like my carefully built walls were crumbling. I hated how aware i was of him, how he could make me question myself with a single glance.
By the time i'd left the library, it was late. He hadn't followed me, but i could feel him watching as i walked away. I told myself it didn't matter - that this was nothing more than an annoyance, a brief distraction in the grander scheme of life. But i wasn't convincing anyone, least of all myself.
My reflection stared back at me, eyes sharp and calculating, lips pressed into a firm line. I looked every bit the composed, untouchable girl i had always been, the one who could handle anything thrown her way. I could almost believe it. Almost.
"Ready to face the day, darling?" Pansy's voice broke through my thoughts. She was lounging on her bed, lazily twisting a lock of hair around her finger, watching me with her usual amused smirk.
"I'm always ready," i replied, smoothly, turning away from the mirror. I picked up my bag, slinging it over my shoulder with practiced ease. Pansy raised an eyebrow, as if she didn't entirely believe me, but she didn't press the issue. We both knew better than to pry.
"I heard Professor Slughorn is giving us a surprise quiz in Potions today," she said, swinging her legs off the bed and grabbing her own bag. "Honestly, it's as if he enjoys watching us suffer."
"Of course he does," i said dryly, but my mind was already drifting back to the night before, back to Theo's quiet presence in the library. I needed to stop thinking about it. I had more important things to focus on.
Together, Pansy and i made our way to the Great Hall for breakfast. The Slytherin table was already half-full, Pansy and i drifted off to join Draco and the rest of our inner circle. Theo was there too, of course, his posture relaxed, his attention fixed on something in front of him. He didn't look up as i approached, but i could feel the air between us change, like a current shifting beneath still water. I chose a seat two spaces down from him, careful not to sit too close. I didn't need any more fuel for the rumors that already swirled around the Slytherin common room.
Draco was in the middle of a rant about Gryffindors - something about Quidditch practices and how unfair it was that they got more time on the pitch. His voice grated against my nerves, and i found myself tuning him out almost immediately. My focus drifted back to Theo, even though i had sworn to myself that i wouldn't let him distract me.
Suddenly, as if sensing my thoughts, Theo's eyes flicked up to meet mine.
I froze, my fork halfway to my mouth. His gaze was steady, unblinking, as though he could see through the layers of my carefully constructed facade. For a moment, i felt like i was back in the library, the two of us surrounded by silence, the unspoken tension between us thick enough to cut through.
But this time, he didn't look away.
Neither did i.
The world seemed to slow around us, the noise of the Great Hall fading into the background. It was just the two of us, locked in this silent, dangerous dance. I felt the corners of my mouth twitch, the barest hint of a smile tugging at my lips, but i stopped it before it could fully form.
He raised an eyebrow, and just like that, the moment was over. He dropped his gaze back to his plate, as if nothing had happened, as if i hadn't just been completely undone by a single look.
I forced myself to return to my breakfast, my hands a little shakier than they should have been. It was absurd - I was absurd. This was Theodore Nott. Why was he affecting me like this?
I had no answers, only more questions. And i hated not having answers.
The rest of the breakfast passed in a blur, and before i knew it, we were heading to Potions. The dungeons felt even colder than usual, the stone walls pressing in around us as we descended into the darkened classroom. Professor Slughorn was already at the front, his rotund figure bustling about as he prepared ingredients for the quiz. The tension in the air was palpable - no one wanted to be caught unprepared.
I slid into my usual seat, setting my bag down with a soft thud. Theo took his place a few rows behind me, and though i couldn't see him, i could feel his presence like a shadow at my back. I tried to focus on Slughorn's voice as he gave instructions, but my mind kept drifting, my thoughts circling back to the way Theo had looked at me this morning.
Get it together, Lyra.
The quiz was exactly what i expected - complex, meant to trip up those who hadn't bothered to study in advance. Fortunately, i had prepared for this. I moved through the questions with ease, my quill scratching across the parchment in quick, deliberate strokes. By the time Slughorn called time, i had finished, and i felt a small surge of satisfaction. At least in this, i was still in control.
As Slughorn collected our quizzes, he began handing out ingredients for the day's potion - a particularly tricky Draught of Living Death. I knew this one well, had practiced it over the summer, but i couldn't shake the feeling that today was different. My Hands were steadier than they had been at breakfast, but my mind.. my mind was a mess.
As i gathered my ingredients, i caught a glimpse of Theo out of the corner of my eye. He was working with quiet efficiency, his movements smooth and practiced as though he could brew potions in his sleep. He hadn't said a word since entering the classroom, but that didn't stop the weight of his presence from settling over me.
By the time i reached the third step of the potion, something was wrong.
I added the crushed asphodel to the cauldron, watching as the liquid began to bubble. But instead of turning the pale silver it was supposed to, it darkened to an inky black.
I frowned, trying to retrace my steps. I had done everything right - measured the ingredients carefully, followed the instructions to the letter. This had never happened to me before. I didn't make mistakes.
But the potion continued to darken, thickening into a viscous sludge that bubbled ominously.
"Having trouble, Selwyn?" Theo's voice was low, a whisper that sent s shiver down my spine.
I glanced up to find him standing at my table, his arms crossed, a faint smirk playing at the edges of his lips.
"I don't make mistakes," i said, my voice firmer than i felt.
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes flicking to the potion. "Everyone makes mistakes."
I didn't respond. I couldn't. Because in that moment, i realized that Theo wasn't talking about the potion at all.
He was talking about me.
