Cast yourself (you are the spell)

Chapter 29

"Eww!" Josette's face contorts in disgust. Hope curls her own lip as she understands the implications of her statement. "Can you be gross and illegal someplace else?"

"I still have to take a bath," Hope complains, her nose upturned in that snobbish way she knows Josette hates.

"Get. Out!"

Hope sneers and turns away, completely fine that she won't be taking a relaxing bath tonight. She hadn't wanted to anyways. Screw the scented water. Screw the jets and bubbles. Whatever.

Hope has one hand on the door knob when she hears a small, reluctant voice.

"Wait." She pauses, tilting her head slightly. Josette looks like she's going to die of embarrassment. "Could-could you maybe hand me the loofah? I'm not done yet."

Hope wants to tell her that she can just summon the loofah herself, but it seems that Josette's quite flustered because she's forgotten what magic is.

"Why don't you come out and get it?" she asks, crossing her arms. Josette sighs. She doesn't look very angry anymore. Just tired.

"I'm naked," she states plainly. Hope averts her eyes, not realizing that her question could have come out as flirtatious. "Don't be a perv."

"Besides, it's the least you could do," she adds, floating closer in the water. Hope arches an eyebrow, a silent question in the space between them. Josette answers. "Don't think I haven't forgotten about earlier. You broke my sister's heart, and then called me an idiot in front of the whole school. I won't ever forgive you for that."

"I..." Hope nods, her head spinning at how confidently Josette said those words-like she was completely and utterly sure, as if she had resigned herself and no longer cared. Reality hits the pureblood like a splash of water to the face. The comical situation had allowed her to forget about what had transpired during lunch, but Josette's words are a harsh reminder. Her own words come out trimmed. "Right. Of course."

How could she have ever hoped differently?

How could she have hoped-

The pureblood can't ignore the hurt gathering thickly in her body, can't ignore the tiny frown of her lips and the crinkle between her eyes. The hurt is there in her back when she bends down to pick up the loofah, it's there in her legs when she walks the short distance to the large tub, it's there in her arm when she hands it over.

She's hurt, and hurt Hope Mikaelson falls back into vindictive, childish antics.

Just before Josette can grab the loofah, Hope pulls it just out of her reach, and the muggleborn almost loses her balance. She braces a hand on the side of the tub and glares at Hope.

Hope's eye lingers on the prominence of her collarbone before the skin disappears back underneath the water and she glances away, oddly flushed.

"Give it to me."

"Say please."

"Give. It."

Hope leans down.

"Why don't you ask nicely?"

Josette grabs her tie and tugs her forward, probably only trying to get the loofah, but it causes Hope to slip on a wet spot on the tile.

She hits her head on the faucet and falls into the tub with a big splash, biting her lip on the way down and exacerbating the pain in her mouth from earlier.

She allows herself to sink for a small moment before throwing her head up and spluttering out water and soap. Her robes are completely soaked, and the water is so, so hot.