Lux [h.s]

thirty-two

"Cora."

Cora's eyes shot open. She looked around, searching for the source of the whisper that had woken her up, but the only other person in the room was Harry, and his back was to her. She frowned and sat up. The mattress rustled under her, and Harry turned around so fast that he nearly tripped over the chair.

There was a faint pink hue coming from the window, but the inside of the wagon was draped in darkness, to the point that she couldn't make anything out in the darkest corners. "What time is it?" she whispered, the haze of sleep tangling her tongue.

"It's dawn." Harry fixed the way his coat was resting on his shoulders just to have a reason not to look at her in the eyes. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't." Maybe. She didn't know what had woken her up. She rubbed her eyes and took a good look at him, realising only then that he was getting dressed. "Going somewhere?"

"I told you yesterday."

She blinked as the memory slowly came back to her. He had indeed talked to her about it—before everything else. It'd completely slipped her mind. "Wasn't I supposed to come with you?"

He tilted his head, seeming to be hanging between curiosity and confusion. "I assumed you didn't want to, after... you know. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Cora jumped off the bed. "No, I want to," she said, more eagerly than she's expected. Harry jolted, and she looked down, blushing when she realised she'd inadvertently grabbed his wrist. She instantly let go of him.

Harry brought his hand to his chest and massaged his wrist. Cora knew she hadn't gripped him tight enough to hurt him. She wondered if he could feel his skin burn where she'd touched him just like her hands were tingling in that same moment.

"Put on something warm," he just said, choosing not to address it. "No dresses, we're riding."

He walked out, and Cora stared at the pink-reddish light that was now coming in through the small window. She wondered if she'd regret going with him so soon after their conversation. Maybe it would've been better to spend some time apart, but she didn't want to let go. She wanted to stay around him for as long as he let her. She wondered if it made her pitiful.

A pinecone fell to the floor with a thud and she jumped, suddenly shaken out of her thoughts. She picked it up and glanced up to find the hidden nook it belonged from. Skat was sitting on top of the bookshelf, looking down at Cora with her amber eyes. Cora felt judged.

"I know I'm making a big deal out of nothing," she said with a sigh, not sure whom she was talking to.

She had to get a hold of herself. Harry didn't want her, he'd said so himself. Trying to read something more in his behaviour would only bring her endless disappointment. She didn't even know why she was so hurt, if she had to be honest. She didn't know much about him. Was she allowed to like him while he was still such a mystery to her, or did that make her foolish? Maybe that was what Naomi meant whenever she told her she was naïve.

Naomi. Guilt plagued Cora. Her friend hadn't been there when she'd come look for her, but she hadn't thought much about her over the past days, either. How could she miss so little someone that had been by her side for so long?

She put on the warmest clothes she could find and darted out in the clearing they'd stopped in for the night. Harry was waiting for her with two horses.

"Here," he said, handing her the reins of Saiph, and she greeted her with a gentle pat on the neck.

Harry got on his horse and looked down. "You can't come with us, but I'll be back soon."