𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 (𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖈𝖚𝖘 𝕱𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖙) 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙿𝙻𝙴𝚃𝙴𝙳✔

𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓: 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

She had snuck out into the night again the moment everyone was asleep.

Ivory didn't want to go to bed and wake up the next day. She didn't want to leave this place, she didn't want to face her responsibilities when she left for France.

'If you leave through those gates you shall never be welcomed ever again.'

Her father's voice rang through her ears. A tear rolled down her cheek as she replayed the last words her father had said to her. And the next thing she knew, Ivory was crying again. Sobbing so loudly that if anyone was still up and roaming the Quidditch stadium, they'd have heard her.

How could she be so stupid?

She regretted yelling those awful things to him. As much as she hated Leonard, he was still her father. The man who had raised her to be the person she is today. The man who had taught her to be strong, independent, and witty. The man who once called Ivory his daughter and loved her mother dearly. He was the reason why she and Ivan were still alive and somehow Ivory had missed that fact.

Now she lost him, just like she had lost her mother.

Ivory was blinded by so much hatred that she didn't even realize what she had done the moment she yelled at his face and stepped out of those gates. Anger always got the best of her, turning her into something so reckless.

Ivory felt someone gently tap on her shoulder, she sniffled a cry and didn't dare to face the person looming over her.

"Just go away." Ivory mumbled, wishing to be left alone.

She felt something weigh over her shoulders. Looking down, Ivory saw black robes that wasn't hers, draping over her body.

"I said go a-"

"I'm not going anywhere." He sat down next to her on the bleachers. Marcus used his hand to wipe the tears away from her cheeks. She was quite astonished by the sudden action but nonetheless, she allowed him to touch her face as his fingertips gently grazed over her soft skin.

"What's wrong?" There was so much concern in his voice that it warmed her heart. It was the Marcus she wished to talk to everyday but Ivory understood that he had a reputation to keep and she didn't blame him. She had one too.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Ivory looked away from him and gazed up at the beautiful night time sky.

She was always so fond of the moon and stars, it's no wonder why she continued to take Astronomy lessons even if it wasn't exactly part of her academic career. It was all just for her enjoyment of constellations.

Marcus didn't dare push the subject further and kept silent, already knowing what this was about. Feeling herself starting to get cold from the midnight breeze, Ivory stuck her arms through the armholes of Marcus' robes and hugged herself tightly. Sure, the sleeves were too long for her arms but it oddly kept Ivory warm.

She fished through her jean pockets for a pack of cigarettes when Ivory realized she had left them behind inside her tent. A loud spark ignited, causing Ivory to snap her attention back to Marcus. Watching him inhale the toxins from the stick before exhaling the green smoke. It surprised her at first since she never saw Marcus smoke before until now.

He offered it to her as she gladly took it. Ivory voluntarily rested her head on his shoulder, Marcus didn't mind it and allowed her to do so. Silence fell over them as they sat there listening to the crickets sing. Ivory had stopped crying as the two continued to pass the cigarette back and forth until Marcus took the last bit before extinguishing it.