𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 - Slytherin Boys

In Thunder and Rain~B.Z

The rain was relentless, each drop a tiny hammer against the ground, mirroring the frantic rhythm of my heart and blurring the edges of the Forbidden Forest, turning the grounds of Hogwarts into a muddy swamp. Lightning split the inky sky, illuminating the grounds outside Hogwarts in brief, stark flashes. Thunder roared. I should have been in the Slytherin common room, curled up with a book like any sensible witch. But here I was, soaked to the bone, waiting. Waiting for him.

Lightning cracked again, illuminating the castle’s gothic silhouette for a split second before plunging us back into near darkness. I shivered, pulling my soaked cloak tighter around me. What a bloody stupid situation.

Tonight, the years of suppressed feelings, the stolen glances, the aching longing, all reached a boiling point. Tonight, I was done being gentle. I was done being understanding. I was done pretending I didn't feel anything.

He materialized from the darkness, a silhouette against the raging storm. Even in this downpour, with his usually impeccable hair plastered to his forehead, he possessed an undeniable magnetism. He stopped a few feet away, his expression unreadable.

"Blaise, please! Just talk to me!" I shouted, my voice barely audible above the roar of the storm.

He stood a few feet away. Blaise Zambini. Usually, I found his aloofness intriguing. Tonight, it just pissed me off.

"You shouldn't be out here. You'll die of the cold." He stated simply completely avoiding my gaze.

"Don't you dare patronize me, Blaise." I snapped, my voice trembling, not from the cold, but from the sheer force of my emotions.

He raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"Patronize you? I'm merely concerned."

"Concerned?" I scoffed, the sound lost in the wind. "Is that what you call it? Is that what you call ignoring me for weeks? Is that what you call pretending I don't exist unless it suits your convenience?"

He didn't answer, his face a mask of impassivity. The silence stretched, punctuated only by the drumming of the rain and the crackle of lightning.

"It's for the best." He finally said, his voice devoid of emotion.

"For the best?! For the best for who, Blaise? Because it sure as hell isn't the best for me!" The rain plastered my hair to my face, and I swiped at it angrily. "Why not, Blaise? Are you ashamed of it? Are you ashamed of me?" The words were out before I could stop them, fueled by hurt.

He shifted, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. "Y/n, this is-"

"No, you listen to me!" I interrupted, taking a step closer. "Then what is it, Blaise? What the fuck is going on?" I was shouting now, my voice laced with frustration. The rain was running in rivulets down my face, mimicking the tears I refused to shed. "Tell me! I'm not stupid, Blaise. I know something's wrong. Is it your mother? Did she say something? Is she the one telling you to end this?"

The words hung in the air, raw and exposed, like a fragile spell cast in the middle of a hurricane. He remained motionless, his gaze fixed on me, his expression inscrutable.

"This has nothing to do with my mother." He whispered quietly.

"Then what does it have to do with, Blaise? I'm standing out here in the middle of a fucking thunderstorm, begging you for a reason! Don't I deserve that much?" I took a step closer, ignoring the chill that was seeping into my bones. "Tell me, Blaise. Please."

"And what, pray tell," he finally said, his voice dangerously soft, "do you expect me to do with that information? I'm not good for you, Y/n."

"That's bullshit!" I yelled, my anger surging back. "That is the biggest load of pathetic, cowardly BULLSHIT I have ever heard! Don't you dare try to protect me from some imagined darkness inside you, Blaise! I'm not some delicate little flower that's going to wilt in your shadow! I'm stronger than that! And I'm certainly stronger than you seem to think I am!"

He turned to face me then, his eyes burning into mine. "You don't understand," he said, his voice rough with emotion.

"Then make me understand!" I challenged, stepping even closer, until we were almost touching. "Tell me what it is you're so afraid of! Tell me why you think you're not good enough for me, because I'm telling you right now, Blaise Zambini, that you are! I want you, all of you, flaws and all! I want your silences and your secrets and your goddamn moodiness! I want everything, Blaise, because I'm in love with you, you arrogant, infuriating bastard!"

"Y/N," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "You know I'm not... good at this. At feelings. At…" He trailed off, searching for the right words.

"At being human?" I supplied, a bitter edge to my voice.

He flinched, just slightly. "Perhaps."

"So that's it then?" I asked, the hope that had been flickering inside me threatening to extinguish. "You don't feel anything."

He didn't answer immediately. The rain intensified, blurring the world around us. The wind howled, tearing at my clothes, chilling me to the bone.

"Damn you, Y/n," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Damn you for making me feel this way."

And then he reached for me, his hand cupping my face, his thumb gently wiping away the rain-soaked tears. His lips crashed down on mine, a soft but desperate kiss that was both angry and tender, passionate and pleading. It was the most honest kiss we had ever shared.

I kissed him back with equal fervor, pouring all my frustration, my longing, my love into that single moment. The rain continued to fall, but I didn't feel the cold anymore. All I felt was Blaise, his arms wrapped tightly around me, his body pressed against mine.

When we finally broke apart, breathless and shivering, he looked at me with an intensity that stole my breath away.

He pulled me closer, his arms wrapping around me, holding me tight against his chest. I could feel the frantic beat of his heart mirroring my own.

"It terrifies me," he confessed, his voice muffled against my hair. "The way you see me. The way you make me feel. I've spent my entire life building walls, keeping people at arm's length. And you…you just waltz right in and threaten to tear them all down."

"Is that so bad?" I whispered, tilting my head back to look at him.

He looked down at me, his eyes dark and intense, a storm raging within them. "It's terrifying."

And then, he kissed me again.

It wasn't a gentle, tentative kiss like last time. It was a desperate, hungry kiss. A kiss born of years of suppressed longing, of unspoken desires, of fear and vulnerability. It was a kiss that tasted of rain and salt and raw, untamed passion.

It was fierce and demanding, a battle and a surrender all at once.

The storm raged around us, but in that moment, I felt like we were the only two people in the world. Lost in each other, consumed by the heat that had been simmering between us for so long.

When we finally broke apart, breathless and trembling, the world swam back into focus. The rain was still falling, the thunder still rumbling, but everything felt different now. Transformed.

"So," I said, my voice hoarse, "where does this leave us?"

He took my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. His touch was grounding, reassuring.

"I don't know," he admitted, his usual composure slightly shaken. "But I'm willing to find out. If you are."

I smiled, a genuine, radiant smile that reached my eyes. "I am."

"I am a disaster, Y/n," he said, his voice hoarse. "I'm selfish, I'm cold, and I'm probably going to hurt you. But I can't… I can't let you go."

"Then don't," I said, my voice trembling. "Don't ever let me go. We'll figure it out, Blaise. Together. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out."

He pulled me close again, burying his face in my hair. "I don't deserve you," he murmured.

"Maybe not," I said, tightening my grip on him. "But you have me anyway."