Mirage - Shall We Date Wizardess Heart' Fic

Chapter 39: The best apology is changed behavior

She heaved a sigh of exasperation and let her forehead dropped onto the table when she saw the pile of homework she needed to get done by the end of the day. Plus the fact that she didn't reach any conclusion with her earlier search in the archives, depressed her. 

"Aurora, dear? You're still wearing your uniform? Why haven't you change? It's almost time to turn off the lights." Louise asked after getting out of the bathroom and acknowledged Aurora sulking on the other end of the room; the corner where her desk sat seemed darker and gloomy than usual.

"Oh," Lifting her head, she glanced at her roommate."I guess I forgot."

"Go change, silly!" Louise bossed, making her way to the bed and sitting down. She removed the towel from her head and retrieved a golden hairbrush from the bedstand drawer. As she combed a few strands at a time, her hair still came out in perfect clumps.

"Hey, Louise?" Aurora swirled around in her chair so she could face the other youngster."Can I ask you something?"

"Hm-hm" She answered, then raised an eyebrow when Aurora took her time shot out her question.

"Weeell,"  She took a deep breath and rubbed her hands together nervously, "I have this friend..."

"Uh-uh," Louise didn't swallow that poor excuse of a line, "Which one? You don't have any friends besides me, Amelia and Liz. If they want any advice, they can just come and ask." and shrugged, returning once again her attention to combing.

"H-Hey! I have friends... back home..." She tried to oppose her unswerving but, controversial statement.

"Oh, you do? Then, you have to introduce us! The more the merrier!" She crossed her fingers, hoping the taunting tone in her speech would remain undetected; It pretty much seemed that she couldn't help herself.

"Why do I feel you're mocking me?" She tilted her head and studied her face with ambivalence and surmise.

"No, not at all. Go on, dear." and her mouth twisted into a humorless smile.

"Okay... Aaaanyway, what I wanted to ask is..." Before she could continue and finally pouring out her question to her friend, on a peripheral note, she caught a shadowy figurine sprinting across the balcony's area in all its length. Her heart instantly jumped and she paused, turning her head back on reflex. It was pitch dark out there; the faint lights from the chandeliers were hardly spotted in the distance. Her hair stood up on the back of her neck. Who was out there? Whose shadow did she see? Was it from a robber? No, it couldn't possibly be, the professors had the area well guarded and, besides, it was a known fact that there was a very strong protection spell surrounding the academy's grounds, shrouding every building inside and keep it a safe space. Then, who might that have been? Was it all in her head? She fell silent for a minute.

"Aurora?" Louise called out, pulling her back inside the room and to the conversation.

She glanced at her friend upon the call of her birth name."W-What?" 

"You spaced out. Is everything alright?" A concerned expression covered her face.

"Y-Yes, I just thought I saw something..." and, looked back at the window again. For a single instant, everything outside seemed to be still, quiet, the void had darkened a bit more, and the sound from the crickets had completely faded. "... Maybe it was my imagination." She scratched the back of her neck and wore her most awkward smile.