At The Tip Of Your Fingers

- Chapter 5 -

Thomas fetched me way too early that morning, while I was still asleep. It wasn't even 8 am when I heard a knock on the door, and at first thought it was my neighbour going to work, but the knocks got more and more pressing and I ended up getting up. I, wearing a Harry Potter night shirt, my hair looking like a crow's nest, opened the door to Thomas, looking fresh as rain. He was close shaven and his still wet hair smelt like sandalwood. Might as well say I looked like an old mop standing next to him, but since he'd already seen me in way worse conditions, I let it slide. I was not quite awake yet but still noticed the paper bag in his right hand.

-Good morning Caroline, he greeted me formally. I hope you are feeling better today because I brought you croissants.

I stepped back to let him walk into the apartment. He went to the kitchen and I followed him automatically. Silently, we brewed coffee for him and tea for me, then sat facing each other for breakfast. Neither of us felt the need to talk and I welcomed this new found calmness. I glanced at Thomas and noticed he was staring at me with an odd gaze.

-Nice pajamas, he remarked gulping down his steaming coffe.

I looked down on my Slytherin pride shirt. That had been a gift from Jules when the last movie had come out on the big screen. It was a few years old and the colours had passed a long time ago. I noticed that frequent washing had distanded the cheap fabric and gaped around the cleavage, revealing more flesh than I would have liked. I pulled the top of my shirt up to hide it better.

-You do not have to be so shy, Caroline, may I remind you the first time I saw you you were completely naked.

I blushed bright red at the humiliating memory. I bit into my croissant and raised my bowl to my lips to hide my furious blush. Once we were done, I grabbed the dishes so Thomas would not be the one doing them once again. He objected, but when I would not stand down he gave up and went in my room to start moving my belonging, freshly packed, to his car. I finished the dishes as fast as I could and rushed to swipe the table. I hurried to the bathroom to shower and get dressed. As the day would be dedicated to my move, no need to feel coquettish, I chose a wide white shirt and a black legging. I tied my hair in a ponytail and went up to Thomas who was almost done loading my boxes. By some sort of miracle, his car was large enough to contain the entirety of my mess.

We sat in the front and Thomas switched on the ignition. As we drove towards my new apartment, I felt worry start to gnaw at me. Maybe I had been to quick to accept his proposition. It was an unhoped for offer, but it did mean living in close quarters with three perfect strangers.

-I did not think to tell you but your room is not furnished. We might need to go somewhere to buy you a bed and a wardrobe. Would that be okay? I mean... financially.

I did the math in my head and concluded that, since I would not need to pay a security deposit, I could afford to spend some money for housing. Of course it would not be a king size canopy bed made out of solid wood, I used to fall asleep in when my parents were still alive. But a swedish bed in a kit would suit me perfectly.

A huge bag at my feet forced me to sit crossed legged. The position was not the most comfortable, but Thomas had promised the ride would not last too long. I heard the beeping of my phone warning me of a new text message. I took out the device and scrolled to my inbox. My handler at the publishing house had just sent me a new typescript to edit. I was a romance novel, another story about the prince and the shepherdess. The work promised to be easy, but not that fascinating. As I read through the first chapter, Thomas took a turn a bit too tight and I fell to the left. My knee collided with his hand on the shift. I cried out in surprise and my phone flew out of my hands. Thomas turned to me, looking worried:

-Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I am so sorry, I know I am a very bad driver.

-Do not worry, more shaken than injured, I was just surprised. Sorry I shouted, I know it is not the best thing to do in a moving car.

I picked up my phone on the ground and let Thomas drive us peacefully to his home.

He took a turn in one of the poshest neighbourhoods in town and parked in front of a white stones building, both old and elegant. A high gate of forged iron surrounded the property borded with flowers. I instantly fell in love with the place that reminded me of the country house that belong to my ex boyfriend's parents.

Every summer since we were 8-years-old, we spent our August in an old farm that his father, a famous novelist, had just bought to come, unwind, and devote himself to writing his novels. The house had been surrounded by daisies in which we would play hide and seek. Every day we would fetch fresh milk from the morning's milking, and we would dip in large slices of country bred covered in a thick layer of jam. Growing up we had given up our childish games and let our skin burn in the afternoon sun. The year we turned 16, as we were exploring, we found and old shack that we used to hide from our parents to kiss. Our loving cuddles got heated, and, eventually, dizzy with need, we made love. It was the first time for both teenagers that we were back then and I kept a very fond and romantic, even though painful, memory of the time.

Thomas opened the gate and got me in the garden. He pushed open the front door and I walked in, not an apartment as he has implied, but a lovely house. The decorating and furnishing were simple and chosen with taste. Everything was in tones of white and beige, giving me a feeling of tranquility. The zen atmosphere it gave seduced me on the spot and I could not wait to explore the rest of it, and meet my new roommates. As if he could read my thought, Thomas told me:

-Marc and Nico are working right now, we will see them at dinner tonight. Maybe we can even go out for a drink to celebrate you moving in with us. That would allow us to get to know each other better. What do you think?

-This is a fantastic idea, I cannot wait to meet them.

We walked through the rest of the house. The atmosphere was favourable to meditation all around us. The doubts I had in the car started to fade and I sighed in relief. Thomas showed me the staircase:

-Up there, first floor is our, the guys, rooms. There's also a bathroom.

We climbed up and found three rooms each more wide than the other. They were all impeccably tidy and took note to make sure I would do the same for the duration of our cohabitation. I was not a very neat person and often let my stuff on the floor or on my bed. AS a child we had a maid, Anna, who took care of my room every day. However my father always made a point to make me tidy it myself. In truth, the kind Anna took pity on me and did it for me, then we would lie to my father so he would think I had been the one doing all the work. But now that I thought about it, I was a little bit ashamed of these ploys.

The bathroom was exceptionally clean as well, there was a large bathtub and two wide sinks. The window, that took an entire wall, let the sun in incredibly. The room was bathed in light and I could already see myself immersed in a hot bath surrounded in a halo of light. Further down the corridor was a second staircase.

-Here, the tour is almost over. The flight of stairs go up to the second floor, that's where your room is.

My floor was a loft that, despite what Thomas had told me, was incredibly spacious.

-This is immense! I expected a closet under the stairs or a storeroom after what you told me!

-Maybe but look at the ceiling height. You lose a lot of space there.

-Have you seen me? I am tiny, I fit anywhere.

-It is true that you are not very tall, he granted with a laugh. Let's get your stuff, I think it's time you settle in. After that we'll go buy you some furniture. If we time it right, we can be done by the times the boys are back. And then we can get ready for a great evening.

We went back down the stairs and started empting his car.