alluringly entwined | f.w, d.m

42

"So tonight is the Valentine's Day party in the Hufflepuff common room." Giovani blew out the smoke in the form of rings. "Are we going?"

"Yeah," everyone answered, but not Oshun. She didn't need to answer because she didn't plan on going to anymore parties.

She sat on the floor by her bed, painting her toenails in her dorm. Her mates smoked weed and conversed around her, scattered in the dorm.

She always painted her own nails. Her hands were always steady, so she took advantage of it to do her own pedicures and manicures.

"Oshun, you sure you don't want to come?" Tavius shifted to lay on his stomach upon her bed, his head dipping down to hers.

"Mm-mm." She shook her head and her tongue poked out as she carefully painted her pinky toe.

"Alright." His tone was indulgent and smooth. He sat back up as the blunt got passed back to him. "Did anyone get a Valentine's gift for their spouse?"

"No," Mavi and Joaquin answered at the same time as Da'Shylah, Giovanni, and Forest answered, "Yes."

"What'd you lot get for your spouses?" Joaquin asked as he stretched out on the armchair, exhaling smoke into the air.

Forest crossed her legs as she organized her box of makeup on the floor by her bed. "That sweater." She lifted her chin at Tavius, who had on a designer sweatshirt on.

"I got Ginny a delectable box of chocolates," Da'Shylah said fondly, laying on her stomach on Forest's bed.

"I got George a pack of Quidditch cards he collects," Giovanni said as he got comfortable on Forest's bed, blowing smoke out of the side of his lips.

"You and George have been getting on really well, huh?" Tavius smirked slyly at his twin.

"Yeah." Giovanni nodded with a dimpled smile. "He's amazing. He and Fred are two completely different people when you get to know them both."

"Oshun, sweetheart, would you agree?" Joaquin tried to include Oshun in the conversation since she never really said much anymore.

She nodded easily and twisted the bottle of pale yellow polish shut.

Silence.

Her head turned to see all her mates staring at her. "What?" she mumbled, and stood to put the polish away in the bathroom.

She knew they were still worried about her, after all that had happened, but they also weren't very good at hiding their worry.

"Nothing." Joaquin cleared his throat and took a drag of the blunt. "Mavi, have you even spoken to Nott since the holiday?"

"Why the bloody hell would I need to speak to him for?" Mavi's dark eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"Make a connection?" Da'Shylah put in, lifting her shoulders in a shrug.

"I can make a connection by plummeting my fist in his face," Mavi muttered.

"He's been off lately," Tavius said, and patted the spot next to him for Oshun to sit. "Not as loud-mouthy as he was before the holiday."

She sat next to him and stretched her legs out, hands propped behind her for her toes to dry properly.

"And he gets even more volatile when people who aren't Pureblood cross paths with him," Giovanni mentioned, blowing out the smoke.

"His father was pretty hard on him for no valid reason during the days I spent at their manor," Mavi allowed, and twirled a curl around her finger, her back resting against the headboard of Oshun's bed.