Heliophilia; d.m

XI

The silence was so deafeningly loud when we couldn't hear each other's voices, when we were almost hiding in the corners.
We couldn't just become someone for each other, which is why it took so long to realize. So much time was almost wasted.

—

VIOLET

The last few days were different. Filled with sorrow and unspoken words.

As I walked through the corridors, I hardly heard anyone laughing, but I could feel it in my gut, as if even the walls, even the wooden floors, the paintings hanging here and there, were all imbued with an astringent, heavy sense of grief.

And for me personally, I felt awkward and tense between Draco and me. We avoided each other, and I couldn't look at him, but he and what had happened that day never left my mind.

At that time, I especially wanted to go home.

And even on the train home, I sat in a compartment with the student from other houses, persuading Kristen to come with me. Maybe it was ridiculous, but there was nothing I could do about it. I was embarrassed.

Maybe in a couple of months, when it was time to go back, things would have worked out on their own, because I didn't think it was possible to continue ignoring each other for a few more years. And I didn't think I wanted to.

"Violeeet..." I heard Mariel's melodious voice behind me and smiled. One thing remained constant in all of this, Mariel could make me smile, just by being there.

"You're late again." I turned to her, and immediately ducked into her warm embrace.

"Yes, I couldn't choose the color of the wig, sorry." At that time, she had very long black hair. Similar to mine.

"What are you trying to do, look like me?"

"Yes! I'm always jealous of your hair... you know that." She pinched my side, smiling broadly.

I knew that.

She never missed an opportunity to touch my hair and often joked about how I should cut it off and make a wig for her.

"Okay, it suits you. Can we go now?"

"Sure. Let's go. I can't wait to hear some news about last months."

—

"So, how was the tournament?" Dad asked as he sat down in the chair. I was sitting on the couch next to Mariel and twirling a mug in my hands.

"Not pretty good. The boy from Hufflepuff, Cedric, died." I didn't know him at all, but I felt bad about it. Unfortunately, I was more familiar with death than I should have been, and I knew what it was like to lose someone you loved.

I thought that from the moment my mother died, I began to perceive everything a little differently. Especially death.

It was hard for me to remember that day, but what was worse that I was beginning to have completely unsolicited and completely unacceptable thoughts about what had happened in the common room, a few minutes before Cedric's death.

"Oh, that's terrible. What happened?" Mariel's voice was shocked and a little drooping; she was looking at me questioningly, pinching her lower lip.

"I don't know. I still don't understand what exactly happened. But it happened in the maze." I answered a little evasively, not wanting to go into details, because I really didn't quite understand what had happened, but I did hear something. Something about someone's return.