Always light the candles

Chapter 21

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the feeling of a warm body pressed against my side. I opened my eyes, groggy and disoriented, before the events of the previous night came back to him.

A mix of emotions washed over me—confusion, annoyance, and a hint of misplaced affection. I glanced down at Scorpius, still asleep and nestled into the curve of my arm, his peaceful expression a stark contrast to the turmoil within my own chest.

I gently extricated myself from Scorpius's embrace, careful not to wake him. I sat up and ran a hand through his messy hair, my mind racing with conflicting thoughts.

Part of me wanted to shake Scorpius awake and remind him of our current conflict. Another part, however, couldn't help but think back to the vulnerable side of Scorpius I had seen last night, and the unexpected comfort we had found in each other's presence.

I stole a glance at Scorpius, still asleep, his lashes resting against his cheekbones. Despite everything, I found myself struggling to dislike him in that moment, torn between my anger and the memory of the scared, lonely boy I had known all my life.

The war within my mind continued as I sat there, watching the steady rise and fall of Scorpius's chest. I knew that when Scorpius woke up, the cold reality of our situation would come crashing down again.

But for now, in the quiet of the early morning, I allowed myself a moment of contemplation, grappling with my conflicting emotions and the complicated bond I shared with my oldest frenemy.

The sun began to stream through the window, casting a warm glow across the room and slowly bringing life to the dormitory. The other boys started to stir, the first yawns and stretching signals that day was beginning.

I decided to quickly put on the first clothes I could find and head out before anyone truly woke up. Before leaving the room I glanced once more at Scorpius, as if to remember this moment and make sure it really happened.

***

Another week went by. We haven't spoken with Scorpius about that night. He only left me an unsigned note at my nightstand, that I instantly recognised by the handwriting, saying Thanks.

Of course, it didn't change anything between us. Honestly, it only made it worse, because now each time I saw him I was reminded of his body pressed on mine and it left me with hurt and fury that I had nowhere to put. I don't know what I was expecting. That after one storm we would jump back to being best friends?

After that night, I secretly prayed for another storm. But of course, the universe was against me and there were no storms in sight. Seriously, the sky couldn't be more clear. So clear, that even a simple mention of a storm seemed like something made up.

***

Another week of perfectly clear skies, mocking, degrading and Scorpius agreeing with Alexander passed.

Today was the day of the big quidditch match, because of which we had multiple training sessions. The last game of the year. I can't believe I lived to see this day. I expected that I would honestly feel more relieved that it would finally be over, but to my surprise I was quite nervous. It is true that in the last month I have trained more than in the entire years of study, but I still did not feel ready. Now I don't know if I was talking about the match or the fact that I have to play in the same team with Alexander and Scorpius.

The very same match that me and Scorpius joked about not so long ago. I still remember how we laughed when we thought of different things that we could do during the match to dial Alexander or how we bet five euros that Louis Duncan from our team will definitely find an excuse not to attend the match.