Defying Gravity

VI: Circe

Disclaimer: We do not, and never will own the rights to any familiar characters or original Harry Potter world ideas. They belong respectively to the original author, J.K. Rowling.

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3 October 2013
Highlands of Scotland
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Fifth year was insanity. Already a month and three days into the year, and I barely had time to breathe. Between prefect duties, preparing well in advance for my O.W.L.s, and classes in general, I hadn't had a proper conversation with any of my classmates or friends in a while. The only human being I had been spending time with was Lennox, and that was only because the twat didn't know how to leave me alone. There was a Quidditch match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff today, so that meant he'd have no choice but to leave me be for a few hours. I was going to spend every blissful minute of it figuring out a way to get a letter to Caesar and figuring out a gift for Wynn.

Wynn. Bloody hell I could strangle him.

I wanted things to always be like they were between us at the cottage, the same freedom to talk and act like the best of mates, but we couldn't. The farther I let him in, the more he seemed to forget that promise he made in third year. He didn't understand what I went through to cover up every interaction Lennox reported to my grandmother. It hurt to blow him off as one of Liera's friends that I was forced to interact with to stay in her good graces. It worked, but for how long would she stay ignorant to my lies?

"Circe! There you are!" Liera's voice cut through the noise of my thoughts, and I looked up at her in surprise.

"Is something wrong?"

That constant smile on her face only grew, "Victorie wants to go hang out in the commons before the game. It's sunny and uncommonly warm. Might as well enjoy it while we can."

It sounded nice, and by the lack of a sweater and robe, she wasn't lying."Who else will be there?"

"Teddy and Wynn. Come on! We haven't spent a lot of time together in a while."

She was right, and I missed my friends, all their shenanigans included. To hell with the consequences of Lennox finding out I was around Wynn without him. Let him tell Grandmother. I'd just lie again.

"Oh, alright."

Her answering squeal made me cover my ears.

*~*

It was uncommonly warm, and I was glad I'd opted for not wearing my sweater or robes over my skirt and button up. The boys and Victorie seemed to have had the same idea. The boys were sprawled on the grass, Teddy's head in Victorie's lap, Wynn with his shirt untucked and curly hair sticking up in every direction. Liera pulled me to them, and plopped me down right beside him, Eris curled comfortably into my lap.

His bright smile was soon directed towards me, "Long time no see, stranger. Finally decide we were better than paper and quills?"

Wynn's smile was a little too bright, and the muscle in his jaw ticked. He was upset, and the unspoken comment about all the time I'd been spending with Lennox was hanging in the air between us. The guilt I'd shoved deep down ran its fingers along my bones. Lately, I felt like the two of us only knew how to frustrate each other.

The other three in our company had directed their attention to some object Teddy had pulled out of his pocket, so I took the opportunity. "I'm sorry," I whispered in his ear.

His curls, soft as silk, brushed against my cheek as he pulled back to look at me, those cornflower blue eyes blazing and then softening.

His fingers wrapped lightly around my wrist, and he rubbed his thumb across my exposed forearm, a small gesture that I had grown increasingly familiar with. The warmth of his hand was gone as quick as it came.