Wolves Without Teeth ── theodore nott ¹ ( UNDER EDITING )

chapter forty four

     

Her feet tiptoes down the steps, hushed snores and students turning over in their beds filter through her ears as she walks. It's nearly two am in the morning and another sleepless night greets her. She had slept almost three hours before nightmares started to plague her mind and startle her awake. Winnie had debated entering Harry's dorm, but decided against it when she realised they still have yet to speak to each other.

She didn't think she could stomach crawling into his bed when Cordelia was still running around unknown about their kiss.

So she finds herself entering the common room instead, darkness covering it all in a gentle blanket. There were still stacks of books placed around on tables, left by the students who pulled themselves into their beds hours ago. She thinks she sees Crookshankes curled up on one of the steps leading to the exit to leave the Common Room, but her eyesight is momentarily captured by the boy sitting by the fire. His hair coming off in unkept streaks of charcoal, glasses smudged against the crook of his nose.

Harry Potter, the one other person she's trying to avoid sits feet away from her and she debates walking away. But the idea of returning to the place where her dreams still sit fresh in the air is more suffocating than the thought of facing what happened between them. Her thumb rubs against the skin where her silver ring usually sits as she walks closer to him, deciding to sit on the tiny maroon loveseat across from him, eyes facing the crackling embers of the fire.

It's quiet, but the unspoken words move between them louder than any silence can endure. Her leg begins to bounce in the waiting of it, bouncing and cracking against the floorboards as the fire continues to burn a continuous heat between them. She was never good at this part, yearning to just pretend the whole situation never happened, perhaps if Cordelia wasn't involved in some way, she would be able to simply put it aside. Bury it away with the rest of her secrets and incidents she pretends never happened.

But some things aren't meant to be buried, and she must learn the truth the hard way.

"I'm sorry, for... er... kissing you," he says quietly, but the words demand her attention anyway. Winnie flickers her eyes over towards him, watching as his green eyes explode with regret, it doesn't make her feel upset or disappointed, in fact, a breath of relief leaves her lips so furiously that it moves her shoulders in the process.

"It's okay Harry, I'm not mad at you," she replies, watching as his eyes pinch together slightly, head tilting to the side, causing his glasses to run down the crook of his nose slightly. "Did you think I was pissed off at you?" She questions after a moment, confusion piercing her heart at his perplexed expression.

"Well yeah, I mean, you haven't spoken to me so I just figured," he paused, shrugging half heartedly as she frowned. Eyes moving to the fire, watching the orange flames move slowly, a log falling down further from the ever growing pile.

"I wasn't mad at you, I just," she pauses, biting down on her lower lip. Her eyebrows pince together on her forehead, she wasn't exactly anything for Harry. Sure, perhaps a little embarrassed at the start of the day, but that quickly faded away as she realised it had meant nothing. "I was thinking about Cordelia, and how she deserves to know. I couldn't speak to you and pretend everything is normal without her knowing."

"I almost thought you told her after Potions," Harry admitted, snorting slightly as she glanced over at him. Seeing a closed book resting in his lap, the words potions marked in wide, black letters.

"I was going to," she replied quickly, causing his smile to falter as he looked over at her. It's her turn to snort, and she does while running a hand through her hair, feeling it fall gently against her bare arms. "If I was a better person, I would've gone and found her the moment it happened, but I didn't. I wanted to warn you first that I was going to tell her, and I have to tell her. So don't try to change my mind about it." She warned, looking over at him as he glanced down at the floor, kicking the edge of the coffee table between them with his socked foot.