Larkspur

Chapter 4

After my lessons for the day, I slowly made my way back to my dorm room.
As I got close to my building, Snape crossed my path.
"Hey Professor!" I called out, running up to him.
"Miss Volkov." Snape responded, still walking his diagonal direction.
"Come on. You can call me Larkspur, Lark, L whatever you want." I said back, changing my direction to follow him. He must be going to the main building.
"Thank you for the offer, Miss Volkov." He said and I could of sworn I saw him holding back a smile.
"So I think we should do more of the spells in the dark dimension book, but like actually casting them. That book is filled with spells that focus around thing I can do, even though they aren't made for people already having the ability without a wand. I'm not going to learn by just doing the motions." I said with a shrug.
"We don't know what causes you're abilities, so I don't feel comfortable doing that." Snape said back, still looking forward. I tried to study his face as I walked beside him.
"I appreciate your concern, but maybe we can learn what this shadow-kissed thing is by casting the spells and stuff."
"Professor Dumbledore sent me here to figure out what this ability is and what causes it. Why would you want to be a weapon. I'm not going to risk myself and YOU by having this power retaliate." He said back, with a very serious tone that shocked me.
"But I trust you. I've heard great things about you, so believe me when I say that I trust you." I said. This caused him to stop dead in his tracks. He shuddered under my praise.
"Trust me when I say no." he said sternly and then continued to walk. I stood there and watched him leave, before heading back in the direction of my dorm room.
I finally had made it back to my room. Before I could even sit down, there was a knock on my door. Just in case it was Snape or Dimitri, I shot up as fast as I could so they wouldn't have to wait long.
Once I opened the door, I saw it was neither of them, but a boy I definitely didn't recognize or knew.
"Um, hello." I said awkwardly
"Hey, I'm Jesse. I live down the hall." He said with a pearly white smile.
"Oh..." I said, not really sure how to response to that. He gave me a look, like he was waiting for something while his smile never left his face.
"I'm Larkspur." I finally said as I brushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
"Wow, unique name."
"Ya..."
"Well Larkspur, I came to invite you to a party. The semester is over and we are all graduating in 2 days before the summer semester students come in in a week. The whole floor and maybe the building is coming." He said still smiling, which started to annoy me. Don't get me wrong, he was an attractive looking guy. He had dirty blonde hair and nicely tanned skin with no imperfection I could see. He had piercing blue eyes that seemed to sparkle in the hallway lights when he would shift positions as he spoke. His was well dressed, but his shoes seemed to be very worn in.
"I'm not a senior here at the university." I said after a bit, sensing this was definitely a graduation celebration.
"Oh, I thought you were since you are still on campus and everyone here that's still on campus is graduating in a couple of days." He said, finally dropping that smile to a more curious one.
"Oh well I'm here early for... other things... I actually already graduated from another college in France. It was-"
Jesse cut me off before I could finish my sentence. From the look on his face, it told me I was talking too long and he was loosing interest.
"Well you can still come. There will be other people there than just graduates. Plus I'd like to see you there now that I know what you look like." He said with a smirk.
It was an awful pick up line that I hoped didn't work on other girls, but I'm sure they were all to busy staring at his good looks than the words coming out of his mouth.
"I'll think about it." I said with a shrug, going to close my door, but he put his hand in the way, holding the door opened.
"Wait, it's over by the small pond at the edge of the campus over by the last building to the left of this one. Just go straight once you take that left. Can't miss it, especially with how many people will be there. Oh it's at 11 too." He said, that annoying smiling showing up again.
"Ok. I know where that is." I said with a closed mouth smile as I closed my door in his face. I did indeed know where it was since the last building he was talking about was the building I had my lessons with Snape in the morning.
I made my way to the small couch in the lounge of Lissa and I's suite. I was always scared of going to large events like this since my abilities were unpredictable and social anxiety doesn't help either. I sat there for a bit before making the impulsive decision to go. Lissa wasn't going to be here and I didn't wanna sit around here and do nothing. It was 1994, what else was I supposed to do other than listen to the radio or go down the hall and watch the small tv with the whole building.
After trying not to look like I was trying for this party, I decided on a simple white, long sleeve v neck that had medium sized buttons going down half way of the front of it and skinny jeans that I had ripped myself. I was careful putting it over my head not to rip the buttons off or get stuck in the shirt over my head.
Once I got my outfit on, I looked in our shared bathroom quickly and stared at myself. My hair was down with it's black, wavy curls and I thought that was good enough. I looked over and saw that it was 3 minutes past 11. Once getting to my door, I slipped on my black sneakers, grabbed my bag and headed out to something I thought I'd never attend.
Once I arrive, I already wanted to go back to my dorm room.
People were already drunk, stumbling around. Making fools of themselves.
I started to feel uncomfortable as I continued to walk deeper into the crowd. I went to turn around and slammed into someone I didn't know was behind me.
Jesse
"Hey you made it!" He said to me with a smirk on his face. He smelt of booze, but he didn't look drunk.
"Um, ya. Had nothing better to do." I answered back, looking over his shoulder to see if I could make an escape to leave.
"Let me get you a drink. Come with me." He said and before I could protest, he reached down and grabbed my hand pulling me with him.
We made it to a small table where a group of people we standing. He grabbed a cup and then a bottle from under the table and filled my cup up with whatever it was. It didn't smell fruity and it burned my nose.
He then turned to stand beside me and introduced me to the group of people around the table. I couldn't care less as I let my eyes wonder around the grounds. Off in the distance, my attention was drawn to what looked like a woman in a nightgown. As I stared her down, I realized it was ghost.
"Shit." I said as I tried to keep myself calm. I was not gonna freak these people out, even though I didn't know them or cared about them, but it was still embarrassing.
Jesse must of heard me swear and his attention was back on me.
"Hey, wanna go somewhere where its just us?" He asked.
This time I answered, wanting to get away from this woman in white.
"Ya sure. Lead the way."
Thank god he walked the other direction away from the ghost. He took me to the sandy bank of the pond, not too far from the party. People were swimming in the pond and others were talking along the sides of the pond on either side so we weren't totally alone, just in our own space.
Jesse didn't even start a conversation with me, he surprised me by pulling me in for a kiss.
I let it happen, but then I felt uncomfortable.
"I don't know you." I spat as I pulled away from the forced kiss.
"So? I'm graduating in a couple of days, this doesn't matter." Jesse said, going back in for another kiss.
"Doesn't matter? I'm not that kind of girl, dude. I'm not interested." I said as I went to walk away, but he grabbed my wrist.
"Then why did you come? You don't know anyone here." He said with a cocky smirk.
I couldn't find the correct words to tell him why I came. I honestly didn't know why I came. I could say I was bored, but he wouldn't believe that.
"Come on. From that first kiss, I can tell you've done it before." Jesse said, moving closer to me.
"I would never let a guy degrade me like that." I snapped.
"Are you sure?" He asked, moving closer.
I started to panic and I knew what was going to happen if I didn't calm down.
When he grabbed my wrist to pull me back to him, his back was to the pond now and mine was to the party, so imagine my surprise when I turned around to see a small group of people standing right in my face. I let out a small shriek, stumbling back into Jesse's chest.
"What?" he asked with a hint of anger in his voice. He was definitely upset I rejected him, but confused why I just acted the way I did.
"You don't see them?" I ask with a shaky voice.
Before he could answer, a loud voice drew everyone's attention back to the center of the party. I continued to be frozen in my spot.
It was Dimitri. He was with a small group of professors, breaking up the party. Everyone started to leave, Jesse even pushed by me ignoring my frozen state.
I continued to lock eyes with what I now knew was ghosts. The woman from earlier was with them and they kept tilting their heads, looking at me weird.
"Larkspur?!" I heard Dimitri call on in a confused and concerned voice.
I continued to stare at the ghosts until one went to reach for me.