Dark Clouds upon Us || Renjun x Hogwarts

Chapter n°21

Renjun breaks their eyecontact and makes few steps to stand next to Adalene.
"At least noone suspects anything. Except for Chenle." Renjun mumbles as he stands next to the girl.
"Does it mean you are not mad at me anymore?" "I guess. But-"
"I know it must have hurt you. I feel horrible for saying that. It was like nothing changed right? Me being my old self." Adalene lowers her voice as if she was ashamed admitting it. Maybe she actually was ashamed to admit she was wrong out loud. Both of them stand in silence watching the Shrieking Shack standing omniously on a hill.

"I think I was trying to find bad and annoying things about you for the past few months so it would be easier for me to cope with my mistakes. The others like you as you are. I just wanted to believe you are still a bad person and that I wasn't wrong about you. But since Christmas...it has been different. I tried to avoid you until the Yule Ball, I thought the feelings I had would disappear. But yesterday, when I saw you in that dress, when I saw you dancing with the others..." Renjun breaks the silence finally with his eyes still focused on the scenery in front of the duo. Adalene doesn't reply at first as she goes over his words in her head.
"Do you ever think how would our relationship change if you wouldn't hate me in the first place?" She finally speaks up with her voice still lower than usual.
"I was thinking about it countless times. Would I tell you about my struggles? Would you comfort me whenever I had a hard time? Would you fall asleep on my shoulder when I sing to you?" Renjun replies while lowering his head. His fingers play with his Ravenclaw scarf. Adalene bites lip slowly as she recalls his angelic voice echoing in the empty bathroom.
"I think about the song when I can't fall asleep at night." The girl admits and looks at the male standing next to her. Renjun lifts his head to look at her. A cloudlet of air escapes past his lips as he parts them a little surprised.

"You said you had feelings since Christmas. I think I must have felt something towards you for...maybe a year now? Do you remember that time Chenle fell from a broomstick breaking his leg? He wouldn't stop freaking out until you came to visit him and comfort him. It was one of the rare times I have seen you smiling at someone...your smile was beautiful." The girl to her own surprise finds herself explaining about the important moment in her life. At that time it was the first time for her to feel something else than annoyance or hatred towards the Ravenclaw boy. And it was the first time she wished he would smile like that at her as well.

Renjun stands in silence, letting the fluffy snowflakes land in his raven hair.
"I had no idea..." He finally answers studying Adelene's face carefully. The girl only shrugs softly and looks away, suddenly feeling too vulnerable under his sight.
"I always thought you like Jaemin. I mean, who wouldn't? You two are inseparable."
Adalene can't help but to roll her eyes.
"Yes, it seems everyone must really think that. Can no-one just understand that he is my only friend? That everyone crowned me a damn Slytherin princess and the Parselmouth and no-one dares to approach me because of that? I don't even know how can I be a Parselmouth. I became probably most gossiped student in the whole school and I didn't even do anything...I just wanted friends." The girl whines and bites her lip to stop the tears forming in her eyes. She doesn't know what has gotten into her so suddenly, it's the first time for her to talk about her insecurities to someone so openly. Not even Jaemin knows how much she hurts.

Renjun stands still the whole time, listening to her without saying anything. Maybe it's good, she feels too frustrated and embarrassed right now to let him comfort her or talk to her.
"Let's just go back." She mumbles with a low and little raspy voice without looking at the male next to her.

-//-//-//-

On the way back to castle both of them remain silent, just walking side by side, breathing out cloudlets of hot air. Students pass them either on their way back to castle or to Hogsmeade but no-one seem to pay any attention to them. As they finally reach to the point where their ways separate into their own dormitories, Renjun puts hand on Adelene's forearm.