Perhaps it was only now that Millie realized the lengths to which they had roamed the halls together, now that she found herself face to face with the elder prefect of her house. The earlier feeling of fatigue was nowhere to be found, yet the waning hours of the night seemed keen to remind her that she should be. Her face still held a grin, and her damp hand felt as if it were still in Benedict's grasp. The young witch refused to let herself look, satisfied by fingers that took hold of the necklace at her throat instead.
"Mmm, yes, much like our plants," she intoned, somehow lucid again in the midst of a more proper conversation. Still, the young witch couldn't shake the smile from her face, no matter how much it might betray her. She only hid it as best she could, letting her gaze drift between the other two prefects. Millie's eyes caught his as Mr. Hunter bid them farewell, forcing herself to nod in what seemed to be a perfectly proper fashion to a fellow student. "Good night, Mr. Hunter. Let us hope the greenhouses are as uneventful."
The walk back proved itself to be a trial for Millie, her mind a storm of thoughts and all the while unable to think. Not with her fellow prefect so nearby, an unspoken question written on her face. Millie ignored it by not looking, filling the space between them with a nervous chatter that might have revealed a few too many details about the Slytherin and Gryffindor quidditch teams, all secondhand from Anne and Greta. That was easier to discuss, occupying enough time for them to arrive at the tower door again, which swung open .
"You're in a rather good mood tonight, Ms. Potts."
In truth, the statement took the young witch by surprise. She hadn't realized just how much she had been talking until her jaw, too, joined the list of sore body parts in need of rest. Millie gave her fellow prefect a half-earnest smile and dipped her head, fingers stuck to her necklace as they had the entire journey back. "I suppose an evening walk is good for the mood. I've never had the opportunity before this year, you see."
If her fellow Ravenclaw was unsatisfied with that answer, she didn't show it. Millie was glad enough to be rid of the company, returning to her own room with a tumble of worries and joys to mull over tonight. One thing she could decide on already, becoming prefect had certainly helped her friendship with Mr. Hunter grow.
"Mmm, yes, much like our plants," she intoned, somehow lucid again in the midst of a more proper conversation. Still, the young witch couldn't shake the smile from her face, no matter how much it might betray her. She only hid it as best she could, letting her gaze drift between the other two prefects. Millie's eyes caught his as Mr. Hunter bid them farewell, forcing herself to nod in what seemed to be a perfectly proper fashion to a fellow student. "Good night, Mr. Hunter. Let us hope the greenhouses are as uneventful."
The walk back proved itself to be a trial for Millie, her mind a storm of thoughts and all the while unable to think. Not with her fellow prefect so nearby, an unspoken question written on her face. Millie ignored it by not looking, filling the space between them with a nervous chatter that might have revealed a few too many details about the Slytherin and Gryffindor quidditch teams, all secondhand from Anne and Greta. That was easier to discuss, occupying enough time for them to arrive at the tower door again, which swung open .
"You're in a rather good mood tonight, Ms. Potts."
In truth, the statement took the young witch by surprise. She hadn't realized just how much she had been talking until her jaw, too, joined the list of sore body parts in need of rest. Millie gave her fellow prefect a half-earnest smile and dipped her head, fingers stuck to her necklace as they had the entire journey back. "I suppose an evening walk is good for the mood. I've never had the opportunity before this year, you see."
If her fellow Ravenclaw was unsatisfied with that answer, she didn't show it. Millie was glad enough to be rid of the company, returning to her own room with a tumble of worries and joys to mull over tonight. One thing she could decide on already, becoming prefect had certainly helped her friendship with Mr. Hunter grow.
![[Image: uHwnE8q.png]](https://i.imgur.com/uHwnE8q.png)