she's whiskey in a tea cup

“Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

“You know the feeling’s mutual, right?”

“It’s over now.”

“You know I love you, right?” 

“Really, yeah.”

“It’s just for fun,” Puck reminded her, his tone light-hearted and carefree. “If you get that scared in here, just—hide your eyes. I’ll lead you the rest of the way.” He hadn’t expected this question to come so soon. In fact, he hadn’t expected it at all. Once Sofia had grabbed his hand, Puck wondered if maybe they might settle back into their old ways, no questions asked, the past few weeks forgotten, as if they had never happened to begin with. But here it was, and he had to give her an answer.

“I hope not.”

She’d be lying if she said that she hadn’t come to Hogsmeade in hopes of running in to him -- she didn’t like sitting in limbo, she needed to know. If it was over -- at least she could attempt to piece herself together, just push through it and in time she’d be fine. The silence that she had received from him over the past few weeks had spurred on that theory, she had prepped herself for the worse -- his answer however was the opposite. 

Puck led Sofia into the Shrieking Shack, his hand hesitantly guiding her just above her lower back. It felt odd; he hadn’t seen her in weeks, or spoken to her even. And yet— Yet, he couldn’t help but fall into a natural, familiar rhythm with her, as much as he didn’t want to.

“It’s probably not even that scary, you know?”

“Uh huh -- that’s what everyone says before they get their heart scared out of them--” she muttered, they needed distance -- some sort of space until they sorted things out, yet here they were side by side and she even though she was well justified to move away from his touch, she lingered. She couldn’t help it, it was him and this was their normal, “fucking hell --” she screeched as a wailing woman jumped out of the shadows, “thanks that was great--” she mumbled to the woman as she took his hand and pushing pass her, moving down the dark hall. There was a million topics she could start with, a casual conversation -- anything to lead up to finding out what she needed to know, but she was never one to beat around the bush, “are we over?” 

“I’m not gonna abandon you with the ghouls. That’s tacky. C’mon, it’ll be quick, in and out.”

“Okay-- lets go” 

“Sure.”

”Give me one good reason it’s not.”

“You weren’t so happy to see me last time? What if we’re midway through and you decide you need space -- I’m left to deal with the ghouls by myself--”