If he wasn't hurt by her rejection, he might have made a puppy dog face. He might have pouted. He might have made some witty comment about how she was missing out on Professor Carmichael's 'thrilling' lessons. But even he could identify the disappointment the caused his shoulders — and his heart — sink a little deeper.

"I guess I'll have to settle," he said, surprising even himself with the bitterness that found its way into his tone. He didn't dislike Sisse, so he ought not be so disappointed by the prospect of sitting with her. She might have been Maddy and Sloane's friends first, but she was also his friend!

"I ought to let you go then. Mr. Bell's probably wondering where I've gone off to," he said and took a step sideways so she could pass. "I guess I'll see you at school then."

---

  

---

Thoroughly perplexed by the change in the air between then, Sloane couldn't place why she suddenly felt antsy. There was something about his tone of voice that had her wishing she hadn't said it like that. Was he really that disappointed? Surely he was just playing with her...

"You're going to see my face so much this year you'll be sick of me." She attempted to tease him lightheartedly, the way the rest of the conversation had been going, but honestly wasn't sure who she was trying to convince anymore. Honestly though, so many classes together and the common room and quidditch, it was a miracle he wasn't sick of her already.

His dismissal of her earlier suggestion had her scrambling, for some reason she didn't want to leave this uneasy feeling better them. "See if we can catch up at Honeyduke's before you go though, yeah? We shouldn't be too long at the bookstore." Hopeful had a color for Sloane and it was a pale lavender creeping into the ends of her hair; and it was even more obvious on her face.

---

  

---

Even if he did see her at every turn during the school year, he couldn't shake his dampened spirit. He couldn't even focus on her face; his eyes shifted downwards, looking between her hands and his clenched ones as he tried to hold back any further indication of his emotions. He opted to nod instead and respond with an uninterested hum.

"I'll see. We've been here for a while and Mr. Bell and my mother have company coming over when we get home," he said. It was a sorry excuse and unlike him at that (for he'd usually go out of his way to see his friends), but it was all he could give.

"Bye, Bixby. I'll see you at Hogwarts." Or maybe he'd write her before that. Maybe.

---

  

---

Brows knitted together in both consternation and confusion, Sloane felt out of element. What was happening right now? Why did she feel like this? Uneasy and unsure as to what exactly had changed in the last few minutes.

She hated it already.

"Alright," She sighed a little, shoulders slumped in what felt like defeat. "Enjoy the rest of your summer if I don't see you." What else could she say. They'd be seeing one another plenty once to the term resumed, maybe she'd figure it out by then. Maybe her mom would know what had just happened. Thank Merlin for moms.

---

  

---