𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 |𝐃.𝐌

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 | 𝐚 𝐧 𝐚 𝐩 𝐨 𝐥 𝐨 𝐠 𝐲 𝐟 𝐨 𝐫 𝐚 𝐥 𝐢 𝐞

"𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬"
-'traitor' by Olivia Rodrigo

──────────⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰──────────

HEMERA

"Can you all stop acting like some sort of government diplomats?" The words that so eagerly push themselves out of my mouth are followed by what I know sounds like a pathetic excuse of a scoff. The sharp exhalation hardly ever works in my favor and clarifies my derision without making me look like a scornful child, but I trouble my mind no further by second-guessing my expression. Unlike Pansy and Draco, I don't quite sneer at anyone in my field of vision first thing in the morning. To them, scoffing comes easier than saying hello. "If I wanted to talk to him, I would."

"A lie leads a man from a grove into a jungle, Hemera," Theo mumbles around the puff of burnt substance he drags into his unfortunate lungs. The gray tendrils spurting out of the ashen tip of his joint dissolve in the air, but the smell of tobacco lingers no matter how much I swat my hand around to clear it. I swear this man is good at only two things: smoking like his life depends on it and engaging in carnal activities like his bollocks will fall off if he keeps that desperate body part of his to himself for more than a week. "Plus us? Ambassadors? That's a bit far-fetched, don't you think?"

I roll my eyes at how convincingly offended he sounds even if he, deep down, knows it's true. I resist the urge to tell him to put out the cigarette for the sixth time in the span of just three minutes and empty the remaining water from the watering can over a pot of Alihosties. "All I know is that in the past eighteen hours, both Pansy and Blaise have talked my eardrums thin about you know, the incident. And I'd be exceedingly appreciative if you didn't make it your goal to finish them off."

"You mean the fight." He casually says, one of his bushy eyebrows climbing up. I can't believe that out of everything I said, his selective hearing decided to focus on my wording- even if I, unlike him, don't think it displays a hint of falseness.

"No, I mean the incident. Draco and I don't fight, only express contradictory opinions that lead to minor inconveniences." I mentally give myself a congratulatory pat on the shoulder for sticking to the plan. Whatever happened in the common room, don't treat it like a fight before the reality of it hits you like a backhanded slap and shakes your brains scattered. "And when I say that I'm tired of you guys behaving like we can't talk things out on our own, I mean it."

Within four strides, Theo manages to get up from the chair he's been occupying since he came to the Greenhouse and approaches me.

"God, you're terrible at expressing your gratitude for our advice. But it's okay, we can fix that by practicing your daily affirmations, starting today." A cocky smile moves his lips. "Repeat after me, 'I am Hemera and I love my friends. My friends are amazing. My friends only want what's best for me. I will start listening to my friends more, especially to Theodore because he's the smartest of them all."

"Now, you stepped over the line with the last one."

He expels a breathy chuckle at that and his chestnut curls sway over his forehead with the double shake of his head, the ends long enough to reach his eyebrows.

He sobers up- at least as much as that indescribably jejune personality of his allows him to. "You haven't talked to each other in almost a week and I know this might not sound like a lot, but you two have been tight like a pair of balls basically since forever. Whether you like it or not, it impacts us all."