GYMNOPÉDIE

Chapter 48

           When February 14th came, the sky was grey nuanced of gloom and snow was still veiling the kaleidoscope atmosphere, full of chocolates, stolen kisses, and pink fumes of lust and love. Gammaliel was admiring the peonies bouquet from enchanted doves that was sent to her, when she felt a pair of eyes lingered on her as she hustled out of the Ravenclaw common room.

            "You are a coward." was the first thing she stated, in morbid timbre she rarely used. Her jaw twisted to the side, catching the blond figure who was propping his back against a divan, face half-covered in his copy of sci-fi book leaving his eyes fixated on her.

          McKinnon shifted himself to face his book. Perhaps, some things never changed, he ran away from his reality to his book, even when he had magic. Because love was one thing he could not control, fingers flipping to the next page when the brunette stared at him. "I know." his tone bitter, both sarcasm and truth. "What else are you going to say to me, Gammaliel? At least I am not one to lie."

          "In a sense, no." The Merlin's heir scoffed, her scarf felt tighter around her neck. He turned to find her peach face tainted scarlet as if steams fumed out of her ears. "Yes, I kept secrets from you. But in a matter of betraying my trust you do, McKinnon."

           Apollo tossed his book to his side, now facing the Irish in her cerulean attire, her chocolate hair around her neck was wrapped with a scarf. Her fist clenched on both sides of her body, breath hitched as she contained her feelings. "You said I betrayed your trust?" he scoffed, and the Irish witch's anger sweltering over his remark. "Quote me when."

          Heat escaped out of her flaring nose, with polished eyes she raised her timbre. "You know why I didn't tell you?" she taunted as the blond's temples twitched out of repressed anger. "Slughorn's party. Last year." continued the girl, noticing something flickered his eyes. "You kissed me while I was drunk!"

           Silence stretched.

          "I was a mess back then, when Morphine told me my dad hated me! I ran to you because—You!" She paced forward with agitation, eyes burning with fury as she leaned to the boy. Her finger dug to his chest, seething with barred teeth. "You, Martin, you were the only one I trust, not Regulus, not Sirius, not James, but you—I trusted you with my life, and you took advantage of me and blamed your so acclaimed love."

          Martin's jaw tensed when he clasped her hands with his, voice raspy as he stared at her with pain veiling his eyes. "Gammaliel, I have apologized to you multiple times, I asked you how can I make it up to you, but you told me it was okay." he declared with nose flared, he felt his blood glazed of lava. "I am really sorry, there is no excuse for me to do that. I panicked and you kept saying things—it pained me to hear the girl I fell in love with kept saying that she wished to die. "

         "You do not love me." declared the witch loudly, eyes flashed neon.

         Martin's lips parted heat emitted from his lips, his soul cracked. He had enough for her oblivious self, then he watched her fall for someone else. But she had no right to claim his feeling wasn't love.

        "I really love you." His voice was faint, the witch shook her head with voidness in her eyes. Denial coursed through her bones as she tried to release her hand off his grasp.

        "You wouldn't kiss me if you do!" Persephone raised her timbre, there was a flicker of azuline devil behind her irises when her palm pushed him away.