𝓔𝓵𝔂𝓼𝓲𝓪 𝓝𝔂𝔁𝓸𝓷

It feels wrong and surreal, recalling Rowan was in the same House as Talbott, and yet he knew very little of her; and now she’s gone.

Tonight is different. Although it isn’t the first night he finds himself unable to sleep. It’s been a habit of his, actually, to sneak out of the Ravenclaw Tower in his Animagus form. His usual hideout is the owlery; he finds it rather comforting to watch the nocturnal animals become lively as the rest of the world is lulled to sleep.

His mind goes to Elysia. A part of him wants to give her comfort, despite feeling unsure he can provide her any. He often wonders if she feels overwhelmed with everything that’s been going on. And now she has to deal with actual death, too—not just anyone’s, but Rowan’s. He wonders if she’s able to get any sleep at all.

As he manages to sneak his way out of his dormitory, he has to stop in his track when he notices someone is curled up on the couch near the window in the common room. It’s already past midnight and the light is dimmed. Talbott can only barely make out the outline, and yet he knows.

“Can’t sleep?” Her voice is low, but in the dead of night her voice is as clear as day.

“I could ask you the same.”

Elysia sits up and pats the spot next to her on the couch. The common room is lit by the enchanted stars covering the tower’s dome, but Talbott can’t miss her eyes in the dark looking at him, inviting him to join her.

Abandoning his idea to visit the owlery, he gingerly takes his seat next to her. Wrapped in quilt, she doesn’t seem to find his presence to be intrusive.

She leans her head back on the couch to gaze up at the stars. He wonders if she can tell that he starts getting uncomfortable with the silence. This is mainly why he prefers to be surrounded by the owls; they don’t expect him to say something and start a conversation. This does not mean that Talbott had never been unsure of what to say, it’s just she’s usually the one who initiates the talking anyway.

But tonight is different.

He follows her suit and look up at the stars. There’s a lot of the unsaid; he doesn’t know whether she wants to talk about the unsaid, or will it be disrespectful for him to pretend like there’s nothing left unsaid. He comes to the conclusion that Elysia herself is probably unsure of what to say. What she has to say, she’s already said it.

After a moment of stargazing, he can see her from his peripheral vision turning and studying him. “So you wanna tell me where you were heading?” she finally asks. “Sneaking out like that, clearly the common room wasn’t your final destination.”

He returns her gaze. This close, he can almost hear her breathing. “I’m right where I wanna be.” It earns him a stifled laugh from her, and a little smile that fades too quickly, although it didn’t go unnoticed by Talbott.

She goes uncharacteristically silent, choosing to play with her quilt instead. There’s so many things to say but nothing comes out, both from her and him. He wants to ask if she’s okay, but he knows it’s a stupid question. Of course she’s not okay. After all, he can imagine how she feels.

As the silence grows more and more unbearable, he decides to verbalize what he’s been meaning to ask. “And what about you? Why are you not in bed?” But seeing her repeatedly flapping the end of her quilt suddenly fills him with the urge to stop her; and once he does, he’s met with a startled look on her face. She breaks his gaze to glance at his hand on hers but doesn’t return to look him in the eye right after. Talbott was half expecting her to take her hand away, but she never does.

“I can’t sleep, that’s all.” she offers as an answer, although he knows better than to buy it.

Talbott readjusts himself on his seat so that he’s facing her. The shift consequently makes her inch closer towards him. He’s not sure if it’s the darkened room that makes him feel bold, knowing she can’t see the look on his face very clearly; or if it’s purely his inclination to offer her comfort.

He takes a quick glance at where their hands are touching, trying not to move a muscle in case it makes her pull her hand back. But still he can’t help but lightly brush his thumb on the back of her hand.

“It’s her bed, isn’t it.” He says after a momentarily pause and instantly regrets it when she responds with a choked sound. But he can feel her hand in his tightened into a ball of fist as she lowers her head and nodding profusely.

“I—” She stops herself, a sob is threatening to break out, but she manages to hold it in by taking a sharp breath. “I can’t stand looking at it, Talbott!” He instinctively lets her rest her head on his shoulder. “I can’t sleep with her bed, empty—staring at me.” Her voice is muffled by her low sob. He loosens her fingers so that he can hold her hand in his while his other hand lightly rubbing a small of her back.

He’d be lying if he said he’s not a little nervous to have her in his arms like this. Sure, they’d been on a date a few times before and she did invite him to join her for the summer before their sixth year began. The plan, however, had to change when he heard that she’d finally found her brother—only for Jacob Nyxon to disappear again, along with other things. All before their fifth year even ended. He overheard Rowan asking her at the start-of-term feast if her brother came home that summer. Talbott didn’t need to hear her answer since the pained look on her face told him he didn’t.

Quick to regain her composure, Elysia draws back from him. He should’ve known the moment would not last; but still, Talbott finds himself wishing it could last longer, even if it’s just for a little. He realizes he’s disappointed for having to let go of her, but careful not to show her. The last thing he wants is her mistaking that she makes him uncomfortable. She hurriedly wipes away any trace of tears on her face while smoothening his rumpled shirt where she was clutching on for dear life just now. He furrows his brows in disapproval and shushes her when she starts apologizing.

In her desperate attempt to lighten up the mood, she tries to laugh it off but it only comes in a long sigh. Even though she’s avoiding his gaze, she has yet to let go of his hand. She fixes her gaze on their intertwined hands, resuming her previous silence.

He must’ve fallen asleep. It was the sudden strange sensation of cold that roused him. He proceeded to lightly pinch the bridge of his nose to wake himself and noticed a warmth from the weight resting on his side and slightly numb arm.

Elysia. The top of her head and the sound of her low breathing greeted him. She seemed quite cosy wrapped in her quilt despite her head resting on his shoulder—which Talbott coudn’t imagine to be so comfortable.

The night they shared came back rushing. He had moved the chaise by the sofa so that they both could stretch and rest their legs even with the half-leaning, half-sitting sleep position they took. He remembered both of them had their heads fallen back on the sofa backrest, not touching one another.

He had advised her to go back to her bed, but she refused; reassuring him that she’d have a better chance at getting some rest out here than in her dormitory. She even urged him to retire to his own bed and thanked him for keeping her company.

Knowing he would be the one not getting any rest should he leave her be, Talbott decided to stay put. After all, he did wish this moment he shared with her could last just a little longer.

She had offered to share her quilt. It was big enough to cover them both but not enough they’d be wrapped together back to front. However the prospect of being so close to her while on this particular occasion made Talbott decline her offer, be a gentleman, and let her stay warm.

But in the crack of dawn, even the warmth of the quilt made her slightly shivered. He dared not move too much lest he disturbed her sleep as she tightened her hold around him.

The sound of someone politely clearing their throat jolted him into full awareness. Once he came down from his initial shock, he finally spotted the cause of the strange chill in the room: the Ravenclaw’s patron ghost—the Grey Lady, studying him with calculating yet sympathetic eyes near the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw.

“Mr Winger?” A familiar voice quickly made Talbott turn his head away from the Grey Lady to the one that gently called him from his other side. Talbott could immediately feel the blood rushing to his face as the realization of his Head of House sitting patiently in a chair nearby dawned on him.

All the while, Elysia, whose sleep had been disrupted from Talbott’s sudden movements, had yet to appear aware of being watched by two more sets of eyes.

Flustered, Talbott tried to create a respectful distance between Elysia and himself, but her frame curled up against him. He was mortified he purposely averted his gaze from Prof Flitwick while trying to rouse Elysia.

“Elle, come on.” He gave her a little shake since simply nudging her failed to rise her. He didn’t want to wake her and would’ve let her sleep in. His heart skipped a bit when Elysia lightly stroked his face, still half-asleep. He stole a glance at Flitwick who had his brows furrowed and eyes closed, looking like he was running thin on patience. “Elle, please. Flitwick’s here,” he whispered urgently.

Thankfully it was enough to finally jolt her awake, though she was still left a little dazed. Her first instinct was also to make a distance between him and herself as she smoothened her slightly tousled hair with hands before looking down at her quilt and back to Talbott before quickly rising to stand up—which Talbott followed suit.

“The sun almost comes up,” Flitwick started. “See me after breakfast. I’d better not hear other students speak the two of you getting all cosy in the common room.” With that Flitwick took his leave, signaling the two of them to return to their dormitory.

Elysia started hastily gathering her quilt, uncharacteristically quiet but understandable given what just occurred. She, much like Talbott, must have lost for words.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” He seemed to catch her somewhat off guard, probably not expecting him to be the one who broke the silence. She turned to look at him and Talbott could swear he could hear her picking her words in her mind.

“I’ll be fine,” she finally said. “Won’t be getting more sleep, but I’ll be fine.” She sounded more sincere, if not partially to convince her own self that she’d be fine.

Talbott tried to picture her dormitory. Rowan’s bed next to Elysia’s. How strange it must be for her; the ache of seeing the empty bed and the pain of turning her back knowing the bed was empty. It made him swallow.

“Then I’ll see you at breakfast,” he told her, hoping he didn’t sound too demanding in his words. But Elysia just lightly nodded before bidding him farewell. And with that she disappeared into the stair leading down to the dormitory and out of sight.

Talbott found himself sitting back down on the couch and wiped his hands on his face, but not without tracing the place where Elysia touched his face. He was unsure of what he was feeling. Strickened with grief at the death of his peer, and the glee of being so close to Elysia. He silently cursed himself for finding a bit of joy in an otherwise dire circumstance.

A distant muffled noise below the Common Room dragged him out of his daydream. Some people must’ve already gotten out of beds. With that Talbott started to make his way to his dormitory but the sight of Victor Ketsueki at the bottom of the stair giving him a look with somewhat a knowing smile made his blood rushed to his cheeks. Victor was a nocturnal. Was it possible that he saw him and Elysia snuggled up together in the Common Room? But luckily for Talbott, Victor didn’t say anything to tease him. He just waited until Talbott reached him before he began walking with him to the dormitory.

Victor hummed a tune he did not recognize but the fact that he hadn’t said anything was nerve-wracking to Talbott. The thought that Victor might be the one who told on him and Elysia to Prof Flitwick crossed his mind.

“Did you tell Flitwick?” Talbott cursed himself for sounding so accusatory towards Victor. He was meaning to make his words sound more like a question. Now with his tone, he just indirectly confirmed what he thought Victor might have seen.

As if it wasn’t enough, Victor started to chuckle. “Wake Flitwick at the break of dawn? No, mate,” Victor denied. “If anyone, it must be the Grey Lady. She was already there when I saw you two sleeping oh so soundly.” Now Talbott was annoyed at the teasing. But he paused to think that the Grey Lady was there with Flitwick when he woke up.

Victor let him be and walked past Talbott to the bathroom, leaving Talbott alone with his thoughts. He creaked the door to the dormitory open ever so gently, afraid he’d wake Andre. He hoped Andre was still asleep.

But just his luck, Andre was already awake although he was still lying in his bed. He noticed Talbott coming in. “Up early?” Talbott let out a sigh of relief since apparently Andre had just woken up and must’ve thought Talbott just woke up real early and didn’t notice his absence from the night before. Talbott raised his brows as a response.

Andre started to stretch and yawned in his bed. “I can’t wait for breakfast,” he said to no one in particular and left their room, possibly to the bathroom.

Oh no, Victor’s at the bathroom. Would he tell Andre about him and Elysia? Talbott never took Victor as the gossip type, but it was rather scandalous what he did last night.

Wait, what did he do last night, exactly? He was comforting a grieving friend—nothing more. No one would bat an eye if it was Badeea or Tulip. And yet—

Talbott quickly made his way to the bathroom. He was unsure whether to expect to catch Victor and Andre talking about him or not. But once he got to the bathroom he only found Andre lit up talking about Quidditch to a Fifth Year and no Victor in sight. Talbott let out another sigh of relief and went to wash his face at the sink.