There was a warmth in these moments between the young witch and her friend that made her feel truly comfortable. The kind of comfort she needed no drink or necklace to feel at ease in, the kind that seemingly made her immune to the fear of idle stares and whispers. She had no place for it in her mind at the moment, and all it took was trusting in what her cousin wrote to her. Yes, she could be good friends with a young man of her age, with a touch and closeness that only reflected how deeply he felt toward her in kind.
In those moments, she felt a rare and easy kind of comfort. Millie could relax and simply respond, enjoying herself in the conversation between them. Speaking of Houstonia and their shared amusement at his silly antics might have been written off as idle chatter to anyone else, but then they might have missed what it really meant. Her friendship with Benedict was no mere folly, just as Dahlia had suggested. It was just the sort of thing the young witch should be cultivating at Hogwarts, right alongside knowledge.
She was only grateful there was no exam for friendships.
A few seconds later, Millie was convinced she would have failed. It was the only thought that she could hold in her head, while the nervous coil in her stomach bounced painfully against her ribs and her shoulders shook with laughter. They were little laughs, but enough to turn her flushed and breathless, punctuating them with little pauses to gasp in enough to continue. The young witch made an earnest try to calm it, if she could steady herself then perhaps they could go back to the moment when Benedict had pushed past friendship and put his lips on hers. She would have taken the failing grade in friendship just to relive that moment again.
If his hands were warm in her palm and on her leg, his lips set hers on fire. She touched them, almost not believing they could have kissed someone. Her fingers felt the same lips as always, but when she pressed her hand against her mouth it wasn't nearly the same as when Benedict had done so. He was still close, so close, and yet she felt the urge to push herself back. With a little more space between them, with her hand clamped to her mouth, maybe Millie could stop laughing.
Maybe they could start again.
She looked away as her eyes blinked back a dampness that had never been there before. Even nervous or scared, Millie was never so distraught as to cry. She took in a breath, determined to stop herself from one mistake, at least. The young witch might have already tarnished her friendship with Benedict, who might never speak to her again after this. To turn the night into tears would be unthinkable, inviting back in the storm she thought had already calmed.
Her shoulders still shook, shaking out the hair she had so tactically placed behind them. When it fell around her face, the young witch felt a wave of relief wash over her. That nearly swept away what little she had of her defenses, drawing a long, gasping breath in one last-ditch effort. A hand found her necklace, leaving her none with which to reach out to him, and that might have been the worst part of it all for Millie.
She searched with her eyes, looking through strands of hair for something, someone to hold onto. Millie Potts had never wanted someone to set an impossible expectation onto her as she did now. Spotting Anne in the crowd again wasn't hard, but the Slytherin girl had only a withering expression for her. Her heart nearly fell apart alongside her courage, and her eyes made their way back down to her lap, almost missing the one sturdy thing in front of her.
The one she could count on to be there, even when she messed up. A friend still, wasn't he? At least he hadn't run away, even Millie was shocked by that. It might have sent her back into laughter, and that was the last thing she wanted. She already felt frozen in place, stuck in that fear that had already sent her laughing once. There was no affording twice, she decided. "Ben..."
A pause. She could look up at him, she had to. Her hand came away, freeing up her voice again. Half her vision was clear, hair tucked back behind her ear again, the other waiting until it wasn't only her necklace she could cling onto for dear life any longer. "Can we go back? I'm so embarrassed, Benedict, I feel as if I've ruined everything."
In those moments, she felt a rare and easy kind of comfort. Millie could relax and simply respond, enjoying herself in the conversation between them. Speaking of Houstonia and their shared amusement at his silly antics might have been written off as idle chatter to anyone else, but then they might have missed what it really meant. Her friendship with Benedict was no mere folly, just as Dahlia had suggested. It was just the sort of thing the young witch should be cultivating at Hogwarts, right alongside knowledge.
She was only grateful there was no exam for friendships.
A few seconds later, Millie was convinced she would have failed. It was the only thought that she could hold in her head, while the nervous coil in her stomach bounced painfully against her ribs and her shoulders shook with laughter. They were little laughs, but enough to turn her flushed and breathless, punctuating them with little pauses to gasp in enough to continue. The young witch made an earnest try to calm it, if she could steady herself then perhaps they could go back to the moment when Benedict had pushed past friendship and put his lips on hers. She would have taken the failing grade in friendship just to relive that moment again.
If his hands were warm in her palm and on her leg, his lips set hers on fire. She touched them, almost not believing they could have kissed someone. Her fingers felt the same lips as always, but when she pressed her hand against her mouth it wasn't nearly the same as when Benedict had done so. He was still close, so close, and yet she felt the urge to push herself back. With a little more space between them, with her hand clamped to her mouth, maybe Millie could stop laughing.
Maybe they could start again.
She looked away as her eyes blinked back a dampness that had never been there before. Even nervous or scared, Millie was never so distraught as to cry. She took in a breath, determined to stop herself from one mistake, at least. The young witch might have already tarnished her friendship with Benedict, who might never speak to her again after this. To turn the night into tears would be unthinkable, inviting back in the storm she thought had already calmed.
Her shoulders still shook, shaking out the hair she had so tactically placed behind them. When it fell around her face, the young witch felt a wave of relief wash over her. That nearly swept away what little she had of her defenses, drawing a long, gasping breath in one last-ditch effort. A hand found her necklace, leaving her none with which to reach out to him, and that might have been the worst part of it all for Millie.
She searched with her eyes, looking through strands of hair for something, someone to hold onto. Millie Potts had never wanted someone to set an impossible expectation onto her as she did now. Spotting Anne in the crowd again wasn't hard, but the Slytherin girl had only a withering expression for her. Her heart nearly fell apart alongside her courage, and her eyes made their way back down to her lap, almost missing the one sturdy thing in front of her.
The one she could count on to be there, even when she messed up. A friend still, wasn't he? At least he hadn't run away, even Millie was shocked by that. It might have sent her back into laughter, and that was the last thing she wanted. She already felt frozen in place, stuck in that fear that had already sent her laughing once. There was no affording twice, she decided. "Ben..."
A pause. She could look up at him, she had to. Her hand came away, freeing up her voice again. Half her vision was clear, hair tucked back behind her ear again, the other waiting until it wasn't only her necklace she could cling onto for dear life any longer. "Can we go back? I'm so embarrassed, Benedict, I feel as if I've ruined everything."
![[Image: uHwnE8q.png]](https://i.imgur.com/uHwnE8q.png)