FLING
trigger warning: mentions of addiction
The following days were much like many Tom and Lucia had spent together, with time spent watching muggle television from their beds and leaving the hotel occasionally to get food.
This was becoming a kind of routine, where neither wanted to face what was to come. One event of which was Lucia's impending return to Hogwarts.
Lucia had promised to meet with her friends Mel and Darcy, of whom Tom knew from the bar. Tom had insisted he'd rather stay at the hotel than come with Lucia, which she was somewhat happy about considering she hadn't been able to spend time with her friends since his arrival.
Lucia put a pair of black jeans and a light green, silky tie up shirt, pulling her hair back into a high ponytail.
She got an Uber to an urban looking bar, with advertisements for fancy cocktails and DJs playing the coming days lining the outside walls.
When she entered, she saw Darcy and Mel already at a small table with drinkss in hand.
"Hey! So sorry I'm a bit late, the traffic was horrific." Lucia said to announce her presence and leaned in to hug both the girls who looked up smiling at her.
"Hey! Girl, don't even worry. We started drinking already though, I hope you don't mind." Mel assured, raising her half empty glass. Her dark, voluminous hair was cascading down her shoulders, which were covered by a blue shirt paired with a black textured skirt that complemented her dark skin tone beautifully.
Lucia sat down and ordered a martini from the bartender, who gave her a charming smile and wink which she chose to ignore.
"So what have you two been up to? Alannah's birthday feels like so long ago." Lucia asked, placing her phone on the table face down so they had her full attention.
"Well I've started my new internship at the publishing agency. It's been incredible, the way some of those people's minds work is fascinating to witness." Mel explained.
Lucia was always the youngest amongst her friends, preferring spending time with those of a higher level if maturity.
"That sounds amazing, I'm so happy you've decided to follow that pathway. You just wouldn't have been happy in the law degree." Lucia assured, happy to hear positive news.
The bartender sat a glass in front of her and she thanked him warmly.
"Yeah, I'm really happy I went that way too. I don't think I would have ever done it without your encouragement though. So thank you." Mel responded, alcohol slightly affecting her, but her words were genuine nonetheless.
"How about you, Darc? What's happening with uni?" Lucia steered the conversation to Darcy, taking a big sip from her drink.
"It's going really well. It's actually where I met Patrick, who you would have seen at Alannah's. I'm finding the course so enthralling, even if I am drowning in readings half the time." Darcy chuckled, running her fingers through her brown hair. She had on a dark mesh shirt with black leather-looking pants, accentuating the paleness of her skin.
"That's so good." Lucia responded, "Patrick seems great."
"Yeah, I'm so lucky to have found him. It's nice to be with someone you can actually have a decent conversation with, you know?" Darcy explained, "How about you Lucia? What's been going on with you and Tom?"
Lucia chuckled, taking another sip from her drink. "Well to be honest my life has been a bit of a mess lately. I finally moved out of home, but I'm just in a hotel for now since I'll be going back to school soon." Lucia explained. She had always told her muggle friends that she attended a boarding school far away, and surprisingly most of them didn't ask a lot of questions.
"That's so good. I'm so glad you got out of that place. It was so toxic." Mel commented, putting a hand on Lucia's shoulder.
Mel had been kind enough to have Lucia stay at her apartment many times when Lucia's home life got too much. Always a shoulder to cry on, or a person to get drunk enough to forget with.
"And Mr. Dreamy from Alannah's? Don't dodge that question." Darcy added, raising her eyebrows.
"Well, Tom's been staying in the hotel with me... I don't even know what we are to be honest. He's... He's wonderful, but in the long run I don't know if our lives would allow us to go further than a little fling." Lucia sighed.
"He seems really great." Mel contributed.
"He's really not like anyone I've ever met before. I feel like I'm only just beginning to understand him. I guess I'm just lucky to have him now, even if it isn't forever." Lucia said, fiddling with the olives in her drink.
"But the real question is... what's he like in bed?" Darcy elbowed Lucia, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"That's the thing, we haven't even slept together yet." Lucia told them, knowing they would be disappointed about the lack of details she could give them. "It's the slowest I've ever moved with someone, but to be honest it's also the most connected I've felt with a person. Don't get me wrong, we've made out many times that almost went further and I gave him a blowjob the other day. But as much as I want to go there with him, it doesn't feel like the most important thing, you know?"
"Sounds like you've got yourself a keeper. I started to think I might have something with one of the men at the publishing house, but as soon as I showed any kind of response to his affection he made it very clear he just wanted to get between my legs." Mel said regretfully, "God, I hate men sometimes."
"That's so disgusting. Remember that guy I went on a date with last year who prepared a whole speech about the importance of sex on the first date? Something about trying before you buy." Lucia laughed, "Let's just say I was out of there before he got to the health benefits of the human orgasm."
Darcy choked on her drink, some spurting in front of her as she tried to regain her composure.
"Fuck, most men ain't shit. Keep those decent ones ladies, you know how foul and loathsome the other fish in the sea are." Mel said, raising her drink in a toast.
"To the rarity of decent men, and to those who can locate the clitoris." Darcy announced, clinking her glass with the others who were laughing uncontrollably.
"I've missed spending time with you guys." Lucia said slightly solemnly as they calmed down.
When Darcy and Mel were still in school, the three could hang out so much more frequently. But since Darcy and Mel had moved on to the hustle of adult life, they hardly could find times when they were all free.
"I miss you guys too. But you can always visit. Just rock up out of nowhere and demand my time, and I'll pull a sicky." Mel assured.
"Yes, you can always help me with my assignments Lucia. You've always been the brains of the group." Darcy smiled.
"That is totally not true, remember when I gave you what I thought was molly but it was actually ketamine? I don't think it gets much dumber than that." Lucia scoffed.
"Yeah I still haven't totally forgiven you for that." Darcy laughed, "Bloody strong ketamine at that. It was still a good night though."
"For sure." Lucia shook her head.
"Which reminds me, I brought the little green something you wanted." Darcy remembered, "I'll give it to you on the way out."
"Life saver. Thank you so much." Lucia said appreciatively.
"Lucia, please try not to slip into that again." Mel sighed, always having been the responsible one of the three, "I know weed is okay, but last time... it went a bit far. I don't want to have to try DIY detox you from heroin in my bathroom again."
"Mel, I promise I won't, it's just to relax a bit." Lucia assured.
"If you say so, but if Tom comes running to me to help get you clean, I won't have the heart to tell him it isn't the first time it's happened." Mel said sternly.
"Okay, Mother." Lucia teased, but she knew Mel was right in what she was saying, "But I wouldn't get to that stage again."
Mel just raised her eyebrows and took a sip from her almost empty glass.
"I promise." Lucia repeated, hating the looks of concern and sympathy written all over her friends' faces.
It was different this time. She was sure of it.
author's note
sorry it's been a couple of days since I updated, I'm doing exams at the moment so my brain is literally exploding.
I had written something yesterday but I didn't like it, so I ended up writing a totally different chapter to what I'd planned as I feel like this one fits the story more.
I in no way intend to glamourise addiction in my writing, as its something that hits quite close to home. So rest assured I won't ever be acting like its something desirable.
thank you so much for 1.9k reads, all of your support means so much.
I love reading your comments, so don't hold back on them!