To Be Luminous || HP [REVIVAL 2021]

Chapter Three

All Your Little Quarks

☆ ☆ ☆

☆ ☆ ☆

"I've been starting to feel more myself the past couple weeks," Kiara hears Scorpius's voice say at the table next to her in the library.

She has not seen him since over a month ago at the Quidditch match, and his familiar voice startles her from her studying. Scorpius is only a couple feet away, sitting with the girl who mocked Kiara's accent—Emmalee. She glances sidelong at them, mildly perplexed by their lack of self-awareness in such a quiet area.

"Go on, Cory," Emmalee says.

Can't they tell everyone is listening? she thinks. Or do they just like it this way?

"I know I may have seemed different. Distant, even. For a while. Truthfully, Emma, I had some . . . things on my mind. These days, it's been feeling as though . . ." Kiara, though appearing busy, listens intently. But then Emmalee rest her chin in her hand, looking bored. Scorpius leans forward, now saying, "Well, anyway. I'm sorry that I've been acting weird. Maybe I could talk to you about some—"

"I forgive you, Scorpy," Emmalee interrupts. "It's just, I've been distant, too."

"Have you been?"

"You haven't seemed as committed to your responsibility as a Seeker. You should be doing more to train, but . . . you've been late to all your practices. Albie always asks me where you are when he's headed out to the field! Cory, I only want to date famous Quidditch players. I just can't be with you until I see that you know anything about commitment. I would hate to see your potential wasted, Scorpy. You could be famous! It's like you don't even care."

Kiara swears she sees something like hurt flash across Scorpius's eyes; it appears as a sheen of water that evaporates in a blink, reflecting white with light then disappearing in an instant.

"I will be famous, Emma. My grandfather took me to a witch that sees the future by reading the constellations. And she said so herself! They're even more clear than crystal balls, because they see what fate itself has written in the stars."

"Hm," Kiara replies vaguely to herself. She does so because Scorpius's statement surprises her—just because magic exists, doesn't mean a witch or wizard would act so irrationally. But it's loud enough for the pair beside her to turn.

Scorpius raises his brows when he sees it's her, and his lips turn into a fine line. When he purses them together, Kiara sees a faintly dark scar going down his upper lip.

"Do you have something to say?" Emmalee snarls at her.

"Yes, I do. I would not be so sure about the constellation reading," she continues, deciding to carry on as though they are all discussing something friendly over a pitcher of butterbeer. "I think many who study them would agree that the constellations we have made from otherwise unrelated stars do not tell stories about our futures here in this galaxy, on this Earth. They are representations of the past—not the future. To think otherwise . . . It is just silly."