To Be Luminous || HP [REVIVAL 2021]

Chapter Five

How I Wonder What You Are

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She sees him before he notices her.

"Scorpius."

He jumps, almost dropping a bucket of supplies, and blinks hard as if he's looking upon a ghost. Jamie Button lopes up to the table Kiara is seated around and sits patiently. Kiara has a candelabra in her hands, polishing it up with a cloth until the silver shines. Her hands are covered in grease. She sets the candelabra down and takes up a rag, rubbing her skin as clean as she can bother to care.

Scorpius does nothing to acknowledge her, though she doesn't expect much from the boy. He reluctantly lifts Jamie Button up onto the surface of the table and sets his bucket down. Kiara leans forward and examines its contents, seeing a spray bottle, a small bristle brush, and a soft cloth—similar to her own supplies. Jamie Button purrs and rubs her face against Kiara's. She giggles, then turns her head and sneezes.

He almost looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn't. Robeless, she sees his wand is tucked into the back pocket of his pants and his sleeves are rolled up. For all intents and purposes, it looks as though he is ready to clean.

"What're you doing?" he finally asks.

"I have detention," she explains. "I have to polish these, without magic."

"Me too. How many do you think there are? At least thirty. It's gonna take the whole holiday break."

She raises her eyebrows. Kiara never took Scorpius to be overly-dramatic, and she wonders if it's just part of his couldn't-care-less façade.

"There are only five left to do."

"Professor Longbottom said you were going home."

"Hm." Kiara tilts her head, and Scorpius seems like he doesn't want to look at her—but he does. "May I tell you something secret?" she asks him.

Scorpius stares at her, saying nothing at first. He just seems to be trying to find the cruelest way to say no, so she shakes her head at him and clucks her tongue.

"Never mind. You know, from my perspective, you act much meaner than you look."

"You sound much dumber than you are," he retorts. The lazy insult makes her lips twitch up into a half-smile.

He scowls back at her and takes a seat at the head chair of the professors' table—where Headmistress McGonagall normally sits. This is the only table in the Great Hall with candelabras, which Kiara is thankful for. She's certain it was an easy punishment on purpose. Now Kiara, with another dirty candelabra in hand, pops out the candles and watches Scorpius from across the table. He slouches in his chair, stroking Jamie Button's fur while his chin rests in his palm.