it only hurts this much right now ━✫ sebastian sallow

chapter 7

"I do have a skill for keeping out of the spotlight, I suppose!" He grinned, taking a few steps closer to where Sofiya sat. She nearly wanted to beg him to keep his distance.

"I suppose so," She glanced briefly at the boy, "Are you a seventh year?"

He nodded in return, "Roman Albrecht's the name. Sound familiar at all?"

Sofiya shook her head, yet continued to wrack her brain at the unfamiliar name.

"No need to worry about it, we are finally meeting now, aren't we?"

"Yes, well," The girl looked back up at Roman, ready to meet his piercing gaze, "My name is-"

"Sofiya Laurier, is that right?"

Sofiya's eyes widened once more as Roman spoke for her. "Yes- How did you?-"

"You may not know of me, but I know of you!" He crossed his arms over his chest, his charming smile easing Sofiya's nerves, "Word travels fast in the castle, especially of a new fifth year who single-handedly defeated Ranrok and his loyalists!"

At his words, Sofiya felt her cheeks heat up once more, a bashful smile warming up her features. She consistently forgets that others recognized her for her feats, even if they didn't personally know her. It was a bit embarrassing, but for this specific situation, she felt proud.

"But being a hero does not excuse being out past curfew, I'm afraid. So let me ask you again: what exactly are you doing out of your room so late?"

The girl shrugged in response, "I simply wanted some time alone, I suppose. One of the girls in my room does snore awfully loud some nights, and the other absolutely despises it when I turn on a light to read. I thought sitting out here would provide the right amount of comfort... And privacy."

Sofiya kept her gaze on the boy, and watched as he leaned over her slightly. He had taken a few steps closer and was nearly looming over her now. After a brief moment, however, he backed away.

"Just what is it there that you're reading? I can not say I recognize the cover." Roman asked, cocking his head slightly to the side.

"Oh, it's called 'The High-Bouncing Lover'." Sofiya smiled softly, "It's a Muggle book, but my absolute favorite."

"Muggle, aye?" He nodded, "And what is it about?"

Sofiya felt her heart flutter as Roman continued to ask about the book. Almost nothing could beat the love she had for the novel, although receiving the option to talk about it came quite close.

"It's a story about a man helping his friend reconnect with a past lover, although she has already married someone else." Sofiya gazed lovingly at the cover of the book, adoring the worn yellow color and the bright blue words spelling out the title.

"It's quite sad, in all honesty. They both still have feelings for each other, but the woman and her husband suddenly leave the town without warning. The man is killed shortly after, and their love never resolves."

"Sounds tragic, I did not strike you as one for tragedy!" The boy chuckled.

Sofiya laughed along, giving him yet another shrug, "This is the only one. I read it so often as a child, I suppose it made a special place in my heart. Or so to speak!"

The pair fell into silence for a few moments, and Sofiya's giddiness began to wear off as the tension settled in. She had nearly forgotten she was in a bit of trouble with the Prefect, starting to worry that their friendly discussion was going to dissolve into punishment. Even with the chaos of last year, she managed to avoid detentions and anything of the like - she'd quite like to keep that record.

"...That reminds me, you raced Callum Conway and Garreth Weasley this morning, did you not? And you won?" Roman asked.

"Yes, I did! All in good fun, of course." She had nearly forgotten about the race, but it seems word really did travel fast.

"Yet you did not try out for the Quidditch team? Those two are quite good at what they do, and to beat them in speed says a lot about what you could do on the field."

"Ah, Imelda said something similar..." Sofiya rubbed the back of her neck, "I never got the chance to, really. When I came to Hogwarts last year, the entire season happened to be canceled. Now this year, tryouts began a bit too quickly for me to even consider being on the team - not that I believe I could match everyone's skills, to begin with."

"Nonsense!" Roman exclaimed, "I wish I was there to see you in action, but even without doing so I am sure you would be a great fit!"

Sofiya laughed a bit at the boy, waving her hand dismissively, "No, no, I doubt it. You are all far beyond my skill set."

The girl then slowly rose from the sofa she was sitting on, stretching her arms out and relieving the tension she felt from sitting around for so long. She faced Roman with a small smile, his unexpected visit a lot more calming than she thought it would be.

"Well, I believe it's finally time for me to head to my room, as I'm sure you will not mind."

Roman simply smiled wider in return, briskly nodding to the girl as he stepped aside, "Right, right! You deserve some rest before it gets even later."

As Sofiya began to walk past the boy, her book held tightly in her hand, she gave him a nod in return, "Thank you, Roman. It was nice to finally meet you."

She flashed him one final smile before facing forward, her footsteps barely audible in the otherwise silent room. No response came from Roman, though it might have been because she rushed off a bit quickly to her room. He was still a Prefect after all, and she was not going to be around if he changed his mind about a punishment for being out past curfew! Better safe than sorry, no?