Crimson

Chapter 17: A Magical Weekend

Your hair whipped across your face as you spun around.

No one was there.

With furrowed brows you turned back around only to bump into the chest of a certain violet haired night student.

"Oh I'm sorry- I didn't-" you stammered quickly.

"Relax, y/n." Avery said slowly, draping his arm over your shoulder and beginning to walk. "I'm only messing with you."

You rolled your eyes. Roman was one thing. Dealing with Avery was a whole other story.

"What are you doing? Shouldn't night students be in their dorms during the weekend?" You asked, walking discretely through the plaza.

Avery's icy blue eyes studied yours through hooded lids. A smirk lit up his graceful features as he licked his lips.

"You didn't ask the other night students."

You tried to stop walking but Avery swiftly turned a corner.

"What do you mean?" You asked. "Have you been following me?"

At that, Avery chuckled and stopped walking- but did not release you. His laugh was anything but a reflection of his eyes. Intricate, airy, like a child who wasn't really a child at all.

Avery tilted his head down to meet your gaze, and in that moment, you almost forgot what you had even asked, until he answered.

"As beautiful as you are, I don't have time to spend chasing after day students." He said, a twinkle in his eyes. "But in a night dorm of less than ten boys, rumours spread fast."

Without warning, Avery pulled you into him by your shoulder.

"But why let everyone else have the fun and leave me out of it?" He teased.

This was your first weekend here. At your old school, you never had this many boys vying for your attention. And while Avery came off as a promiscuous troublemaker, something told you there was more to him than he was letting on.

"Alright, well there's just over an hour until supper in the hall," you replied. "I don't have homework yet so I should be free until then-"

"Wonderful-" Avery said as he wrapped his arm around you and began walking again.

"Hey where are we going?"

"Do you like games?"

Not the kind you like to play, you thought to yourself.

"Yeah of course I do." You replied with a slight smirk.

Avery's face lit up, and before you knew it, aside from a few dips and dives from other day class students, you found yourself at a gazebo not far from the garden where you'd first encountered the night student.

Avery gestured ahead of you to the seat under the gazebo, accompanied by another chair and table, and beckoned you to sit. You sat down semi-cautiously as Avery joined you across the table, peering over his hands through hooded blue eyes.

"What are we playing?" You asked with a raise of an eyebrow.

Avery's grin widened as an array of cards flew out of his sleeve and danced from left hand to right hand.

"Let's make a wager." 
The words slipped from his tongue as if he'd said those words a million times.

At your skeptical gaze, Avery continued, his teasing blues watching you through strands of violet hair.

"If I can guess your card, out of all 78 cards and four suits..." he stopped shuffling. "I get to kiss you."

Your eyes widened in unison with his smirk.