The Buddy System. *Updating In Process*

83. Boundaries Drawn in Fire

By the time the Floo flames spat us back into my living room, whatever adrenaline had been holding me upright finally evaporated.

It was like someone had reached inside me and flicked a switch.

Off.

The house felt wrong the moment my feet hit the rug. Too bright, the enchanted lights glowing far more harshly than usual. Too loud, even in its quiet—every crackle of the fire, every creak of wood, every breath echoing a little too sharply in my ears. Too full, even though there were only a handful of people in the room.

I disentangled myself from Draco's arms slowly, carefully, like my limbs were heavy and uncooperative, like my body was moving through water instead of air. My fingers trembled faintly as I brushed the last of the Floo soot from my sleeves, the fine ash smearing before disappearing beneath my touch.

I felt... hollow.

"Rae?"

Azaleah's voice cut through everything immediately.

Of course she noticed. She always did. She always saw the cracks before anyone else even realised they were there.

I looked up at her and summoned a smile from somewhere deep and exhausted inside me. It felt fragile on my face, like it might shatter if I wasn't careful.

"Hey, sweets," I said softly, forcing warmth into my voice. "I got your shopping. It's all up in my room."

Her expression didn't change. Not really. But her eyes narrowed just a fraction, sharp and perceptive, like she was filing away everything I wasn't saying.

"You didn't answer me," she said quietly.

I huffed out a breath and shrugged, suddenly so tired of words that the effort of stringing them together felt monumental. "I don't think I can go through everything again right now."

She stepped closer, her voice low but unwavering. "What's wrong?"

There was no accusation there. No impatience. Just concern—steady, unyielding, and utterly impossible to dodge.

Damn it.

I let out a slow breath and leaned sideways into Draco without even thinking about it. My body knew where safety was long before my mind caught up. He adjusted instantly, an arm firm around my waist, grounding me like an anchor in a storm.

"It's... a long story, Az," I admitted quietly, my voice thinner than I liked. "And I feel awful. Like—completely drained. I just need a bit of quiet. Just for a little while."

Her face softened then, worry flickering behind her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something else—

—and that was when footsteps sounded behind us.

Heavy. Unwelcome.

Of course.

"Hey, baby."

Lucas's voice hit my ears like sandpaper on raw skin.

I physically recoiled before I could stop myself, my shoulders tensing, my jaw clenching so hard it almost hurt. My stomach turned sharply, a sick, twisting lurch that made bile rise in my throat.

"I missed you," he continued, that same smug, familiar smile stretching across his face. "How was Wren?"

I closed my eyes for a second.

Just one.

I genuinely considered pretending I hadn't heard him. Pretending he wasn't there. Pretending this house wasn't still contaminated by his presence.