The World and Her Stars

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Can we not do this here? People are starting to stare, and with how loud you all are, they're bound to try and join the conversation as well." I motioned to the group of 4th years peering over and trying to read our lips.

"Can I help you?" I glared over at the group of kids and raised an eyebrow. Their eyes went wide and they all scattered.

"Look, it happened. It's over. That's the end of it. No need for further discussion. We're good." Theo stated bluntly before returning back to the celebration in the middle of the room.

"He's going to be a joy." Blaise exhaled heavily.

"Just don't fucking bug him about it and he'll be fine. Honestly, you guys are the nosiest people I have ever met in my life." I rolled my eyes.

"This kind of stuff happen in Bulgaria, Riley?" Draco nudged Leo with his elbow.

"Hell, if I know. They're bloody accents are so thick I hardly knew what language most of them were even speaking." Leo huffed in response.

"You went there for how many years and you never learned a lick of the language?" Goyle chuckled.

"I learned it but it doesn't mean I comprehended it, Gregory." He tapped a finger to his temple a couple of times.

I swear, the topics of this conversation were moving so fast I almost got whip lash.

"Okay...I'm going to change out of this coat before I completely burn up in here. I'll see you guys in a couple minutes—um—where are we at tonight?" I asked.

"We can meet in my room. The only one they had left for me was a solo room so I've basically got the set up." Leo boasted, turning up his nose slightly and gleaming his eyes.

"You have a solo room and you didn't tell us?" I smacked his arm.

"Mate, that's the fucking set up right there." Draco smacked his other arm.

"Maybe I should retract my invitation in response to this abuse." Leo glared from me to Draco, rubbing both sides of his arms.

"Shut it. I'll see you guys there later—" I rolled my eyes, "—You guys coming up too?" I directed towards my roommates.

"I'll be up there in a moment. I just need to let Adrian know." Pansy pursed her lips and sent a millisecond long glare at Draco before walking off.

"She's really sticking it to you, aye Malfoy?" Leo nudged him sarcastically and gave him and dramatic wink.

"Whatever makes her feel better." Draco mumbled and rubbed the back of his neck.

Millicent, Daphne, and I headed upstairs, leaving Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Leo to chit chat about some mindless subjects that I don't care enough about.

"Tell me, Rose, does Leo have a girlfriend back in Bulgaria that we don't know about? Because I can't tell if he's flirting or if that's just how he is." Daphne hung her coat up in the closet neatly.

"That's just how he is but...he has a pretty specific type so..." I smirked to myself. Leo's flirty personality has gotten him in trouble many a time, although he means no harm by it. That's just Leo. The pet names, the pecks on the cheek, the arms around the shoulders...it's just how he shows endearment to the people he cares about.

It occurred to me that neither one of us have seen the other genuinely interested in another person. Like reallyinterested. He can read me like a book, so he knew immediately that my arrangement with Theo wasn't one of genuine origins. I've seen him have one or two very top-secret little flings on family vacations to France and Spain, but never anything that actually made me think he was emotionally attached.