A promise in the dark

𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦

       𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐖𝐎𝐎𝐃

The Ravenclaw common room was my escape, my refuge from the noise of the world. But tonight, even here, I couldn't find peace. The fire had burned low, casting long shadows that flickered across the room, and the rain outside the enchanted window was relentless, drumming softly against the glass.

I sat curled in my favorite chair, a thick book resting on my lap. It should've been captivating—the kind of dense magical text I usually lost myself in—but the words blurred together, meaningless shapes on the page. My mind wouldn't settle.

The room was too quiet, but not in a peaceful way. It was the kind of silence that made the air feel heavy, like the whole castle was holding its breath. I tried to shake the feeling, focusing on the rain instead. Watching the drops race down the window was soothing in its own way, but it wasn't enough to chase the unease creeping into my chest.

I leaned back and let the book fall shut in my lap, staring at the ceiling as my thoughts circled uselessly. Maybe I was overthinking everything—reading too much into the odd looks in the halls, the cryptic whispers that always stopped just as I passed. Or maybe I wasn't.

The soft creak of the common room door broke through my thoughts, sharp as a crack of lightning.

"You're in the wrong common room, Riddle,"
I said, not bothering to look up from my book. My voice was calm, but my fingers tightened slightly on the leather cover.

There was a pause, just long enough to feel deliberate. Then came the sound of slow, measured footsteps, each one more irritating than the last.

"And here I thought Ravenclaws were known for their manners," he said, his tone smooth, laced with something infuriatingly smug.

I sighed and finally lifted my eyes. Mattheo stood just a few steps inside the room, his dark gaze sweeping over the space as if he owned it. The firelight cast flickering shadows on his face, sharpening the angles of his jaw and making the smirk tugging at his lips all the more insufferable.

"Well, you've had your look," I said, tilting my head toward the door. "Now, feel free to leave."

I watched as one of the reavenclaw girls Daisy appeared at the top of the staircase, her eyes locking onto Mattheo's almost immediately. She didn't hesitate—striding over to him with confidence and pressing her lips to his in a kiss that was both quick and intense.

Daisy's hand slid to the back of Mattheo's neck as they deepened the kiss, their movements casual, as if this wasn't the most intimate thing they'd shared.

I didn't wait for a response, instead grabbing my book and standing up quickly, the words escaping me before I could stop them.

"God, get a room," I muttered under my breath, my voice laced with a mix of annoyance. I didn't give them a second glance as I turned on my heel, making my way to the staircase.

My footsteps echoed in the empty room as I left them behind, the sound of their kiss lingering in my ears longer than it should've.

I closed the door behind me, cutting off the noise of the common room and leaving it all behind. I dropped my book onto the bed and shrugged off my robes, not even sparing a second thought to what had just happened.

I made my way to the window and stared out at the rain, the steady patter against the glass almost soothing in its simplicity. The night felt calm, the way it always did when I wasn't caught up in other people's nonsense.

I leaned against the window frame, watching the rain blur the world outside. The storm didn't bother me. It was just another thing I couldn't control, and honestly, I didn't care to.

I reached for my book again, flipping it open but not really reading. My mind was elsewhere—quiet, undisturbed. In a world full of noise, it felt like a gift to be able to ignore everything.

The fire in the hearth crackled softly, the only sound in the room besides the rain. And I couldn't help but smile to myself. It was rare that things felt this easy, this... uncomplicated. Maybe I was finally learning to let go of everything that didn't matter.

I let out a quiet sigh, sinking into my bed. The world outside was a blur of rain and shadows, but in here, I was safe. Safe from the whispers, from the expectations, from people like Mattheo Riddle and whatever games he was playing.

The minutes ticked by, but I didn't move. The stillness was all I needed, and the peaceful rhythm of the rain helped clear my head. I didn't have to care about them. I didn't have to care about anything but this moment.

I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of the fire and the coolness of the windowpane. Life was too short to get caught up in things that didn't matter—like the drama of Hogwarts and the people who thrived in it.

Tomorrow would come, but for now, all I had to do was breathe. I closed my eyes, the soft hum of the rain outside lulling me into a sense of calm I hadn't felt in a long time. The warmth of the fire had long since faded, but I didn't care.

The room felt safe, cocooned in its stillness, far from the noise of the world outside. As the pages of my book slipped from my fingers, my body sank deeper into the comfort of the bed. My thoughts quieted, fading like the last embers in the fireplace. With a soft exhale, I let go, surrendering to the silence and the weight of sleep.