If the party was a storm raging around them, then Benedict was a safe harbor. The young witch had never thought of herself as a boat, yet the longer he was by her side, the less she felt aware of the others around them. Until he mentioned them, Millie could have drifted here alongside him for the whole night. Resisting being drawn back to the maelstrom that was the Head Boy's party, her mind obeyed the rules of the conversation nevertheless.
"If only someone would talk of it...perhaps in passing to the Headmaster," she answered without mirth, knowing such a thing would incriminate herself as well. Millie's duties as a prefect should have insisted she be the one to tattle, but just as last year, she had lost the spirit as soon as she stepped foot through the door. Taking another sip of her drink helped the thought fade away, along with the storm once more. It helped coax a smile back to her face as well, "Anne is—Miss Moony," she corrected herself, feeling more lucid than she had for a while, "is one of life's true delights!"
Now that was something to make her laugh, and one that Millie indulged in for a few blissful seconds. Together, Anne and Greta had, despite all of their differences, made her treasure the time she spent at school. Without them, the young witch couldn't have imagined herself indulging in such an off-color experience as tonight's party. Her shoulders shrugged in response to Benedict, it was an act that felt so improper and yet so appropriate for the moment. "I suppose they simply don't wish to think more of it than that. Then again, it's possible that next year's attempt will find itself shut down without such a well-connected sponsor."
Millie didn't really wish to think more of it than that. Here she was, flouting the rules and shirking her duties. Which didn't seem so bad with the drink in her hand, the customary flurry of thoughts in her head seemed less of an intrusion to her now. She let them wash over her, flowing on out past the safety of her harbor. Here and now, she could let herself feel at ease.
That is, until Benedict put his hand onto her leg.
All at once, the young witch felt the roar of thoughts in her head again. She could have sworn that a glass shattered, the music stopped, and all the eyes in the Come and Go Room swiveled to point directly at her. Millie did the only thing that seemed right, sliding her fingers underneath his hand to grasp it firmly. Here in her safe harbor, the storm could rage beyond them, unheeded. In the fragile calm of the moment she made a decision, choosing to believe in her cousin's advice and ignore the butterflies in her stomach.
"Let us talk about something else," Millie implored him, gripping his hand as her only lifeline. "has Houstonia shown up in your Common Room again?"
"If only someone would talk of it...perhaps in passing to the Headmaster," she answered without mirth, knowing such a thing would incriminate herself as well. Millie's duties as a prefect should have insisted she be the one to tattle, but just as last year, she had lost the spirit as soon as she stepped foot through the door. Taking another sip of her drink helped the thought fade away, along with the storm once more. It helped coax a smile back to her face as well, "Anne is—Miss Moony," she corrected herself, feeling more lucid than she had for a while, "is one of life's true delights!"
Now that was something to make her laugh, and one that Millie indulged in for a few blissful seconds. Together, Anne and Greta had, despite all of their differences, made her treasure the time she spent at school. Without them, the young witch couldn't have imagined herself indulging in such an off-color experience as tonight's party. Her shoulders shrugged in response to Benedict, it was an act that felt so improper and yet so appropriate for the moment. "I suppose they simply don't wish to think more of it than that. Then again, it's possible that next year's attempt will find itself shut down without such a well-connected sponsor."
Millie didn't really wish to think more of it than that. Here she was, flouting the rules and shirking her duties. Which didn't seem so bad with the drink in her hand, the customary flurry of thoughts in her head seemed less of an intrusion to her now. She let them wash over her, flowing on out past the safety of her harbor. Here and now, she could let herself feel at ease.
That is, until Benedict put his hand onto her leg.
All at once, the young witch felt the roar of thoughts in her head again. She could have sworn that a glass shattered, the music stopped, and all the eyes in the Come and Go Room swiveled to point directly at her. Millie did the only thing that seemed right, sliding her fingers underneath his hand to grasp it firmly. Here in her safe harbor, the storm could rage beyond them, unheeded. In the fragile calm of the moment she made a decision, choosing to believe in her cousin's advice and ignore the butterflies in her stomach.
"Let us talk about something else," Millie implored him, gripping his hand as her only lifeline. "has Houstonia shown up in your Common Room again?"
![[Image: uHwnE8q.png]](https://i.imgur.com/uHwnE8q.png)