Duplicitous | T.N.

XXI • Downturned Glares

Aurora as of late had been feeling a roller coster of emotions. On most occasions she felt rather miserable and low of energy, yet sometimes she would release a genuine laugh or smile and her day would be completely uplifted. Currently, she was feeling miserable, she had been the past day or so.

Ever since her last interaction with Anthony Aurora found herself riddled with guilt. She had been contemplating tuning back to him and throwing herself to her knees with her hands clasped together in apology and pray for forgiveness. The other parts of her figured it would only anger him and she shouldn't bother.

She hadn't been too stressed since her mothers end but rather just plain sad. She had forgotten the feeling almost, but there she was stressing like crazy over this boy and not in the nice way. Her fingernails were chewed at and her lips chapped. Feet tapped whenever she sat down and she grew seriously paranoid.

That particular day she didn't feel sad nor happy but worried, fearful, regretful. It sickened her.

She would be attending her lessons with the Nott boy that evening and to say she was disappointed was the utter truth. He had found her in such a vulnerable state that day and she wasn't pleased to show her face to him again.

He would surely mock her, as per usual. A nasty bicker between them was to be expected, she flourished in dread at the thought.

She willed her feet to drag themselves to the Library that Friday afternoon. Her head was numb, her eyes were blurred but she chose to ignore all the urges to succumb into her sweet bed.

Her pained eyes focused on the thick oak wood that was the library door. She had to squint to take in every detail. She had crossed that very door thousands of times in her years attending Hogwarts, not once did she pay such close detail. Apparently her stalking evoked such dedication to learn every splinter of wood and the various patterns they formed.

With a deep exhale she pushed through the wood and into the library, an environment she often loved, but in that moment all she felt was stress.

Theodore sat in the same seat as last time, it had become their dedicated table. His concentration was set on the text book before him, he hadn't noticed her arrival. It seemed when he wasn't focusing he had quite a lovely resting face, it wasn't angry or sad but rather focused. Eyebrows furrowed, eyes squinted mouth sewn shut. She favoured the sight.

She could see a dent form in his cheek as he chewed on his inner mouth, he did that a lot. She also took notice to how his hair was worn that day, it was in its natural messy state, a single curly strand hung just above his eyebrows. When his face wasn't scowled or set in a bitter expression Aurora found him rather handsome.

He looked up. His gaze turned sour within seconds of acknowledging her presence and like clockwork all her complimentary thoughts vanished.

She sat right down, pulled out her things and began to scribble down ingredients and notes. Across the table, Theodore stopped reading. He just stared at the girl before him with an emotionless expression, then a sly grin broke through his cold features.

"Feeling warm today are we?" He teased. Referring to her half frozen state during their last conversation.

She sighed. It was only a matter of time, she didn't know why she expected the silence to last for at least ten minutes. "Yep." Was all she allowed to release from her lips.

Auroras mood had been down all day, only that afternoon, her inner thoughts were the cause to her very own sour mood. Overthinking and stress didn't work well with her, she didn't have the energy nor motivation to bicker with someone as low as the boy sitting in front of her.