![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
unforthI took the time I might have written a long post to instead write close to my Ni90 minimum; after missing two days, I didn't want to keep missing, and I didn't want to take a break. So...
Deletrious, Caius, Celestine, Lycia, and the three students I didn’t know turned in a group and headed immediately for the exit. I moved a bit more slowly than they, trailing behind, watching Professor Tremens talk animatedly to her group, watching most of them paying close attention, watching Marcus’ eyes seem to wander in my direction. I hadn’t really considered leaving the Great Hall without speaking to him, but as soon as I saw the look on his face I knew there was no way. If I left now, I might never see him again. The idea was so horrible it left me feeling sick to my stomach; I pushed it away and tried to tell myself it was an absurd thing to be worried about, but even as I did that, in the background my thoughts continued darkly. Alone, at night, in the sky with bullets, zeppelins, muggles, and perhaps hostile spells – not to mention over enthusiastic friendly spells! – so much could go wrong that it was chilling. Strangely, I had no thought for what might happen if I were to perish, at least not at first, not until much later.
Finally, Professor Tremens gave the word, and the students in her group split away in the same was as those in mine had – the Lunari’s, Katrina, Guillermo and James, and all of the others went by me en masse. Professor Patronius and Professor Tremens now conferred quietly once more, and the Headmaster continued to watch everything silently.
Marcus came over in a hurry, and said to me quickly, “there’s something I need to do here, quickly. Can you wait outside for me?” I nodded, and headed out in to the hallway; Marcus followed me a few minutes later.
The passageway was completely deserted. I thought nothing of the time that had been passing; I knew what preparations I had to make, and they wouldn’t take me much time at all. Aside from that, though, I didn’t care if I was a few minutes late to the walls. To me, this was more important than the extra five or ten minutes of preparation for the attack.
“Delia,” he said gently as he came up to me. “I don’t suppose I can talk you out of participating in this? I don’t suppose I could convince you to flee?” I shook my head, and he looked unsurprised. In fact, his face looked calm and relieved, which seemed an inexplicable expression to me. I couldn’t imagine feeling anything other than wound up and worried, but I took some comfort in seeing that he didn’t seem nearly as concerned as I did. He said nothing more, but instead we embraced each other tightly. We knew we had only a few minutes, and I for one couldn’t escape the feeling that there was so much more to say than could possibly be said that it almost wasn’t worth starting. Instead, I rested my head on his shoulder, enjoyed the feeling his arms holding me closely, and tried to be happy in the moment. At some point, I started to cry.
“Marcus,” I finally said, softly, in to the ear that was right by my head, “I love you.”
His arms spasmed slightly around me, and then he was holding me more tightly, and the moment seemed to stretch out forever. He didn’t answer me with the same words, but he didn’t need to. I knew his feelings without them being said, now. The embrace had ended my doubts.
Too soon, we both seemed to realize at once that we had to stop, that we had to leave and go about all of our duties, and simultaneously we let the other go and stepped back. “I will see you tonight,” he spoke like it was a promise, and I nodded my wholehearted agreement violently enough that one of my tears splashed away.
We turned, for our directions now lay exactly opposite each other, but as I started to walk I knew I couldn’t go yet. I turned back around, and saw that Marcus had done the same, and without noticing the intervening distance we were together again, and our lips met. I can only describe the kiss as one of the happiest moments of my life; I feel like to try to say more would be to profane one of my dearest memories. Merely to add that it was, in truth, a very modest kiss, but that I didn’t mind at all.
As modest kisses are wont to be, it was quite brief, and then we were separating again. “I love you,” Marcus added earnestly. I smiled; he smiled, and again for a moment we both just stood.
And then we turned and walked to our separate common rooms, without another word. I cried, silently, tears streaming down my face, the entire time. I never learned if he did the same.
Deletrious, Caius, Celestine, Lycia, and the three students I didn’t know turned in a group and headed immediately for the exit. I moved a bit more slowly than they, trailing behind, watching Professor Tremens talk animatedly to her group, watching most of them paying close attention, watching Marcus’ eyes seem to wander in my direction. I hadn’t really considered leaving the Great Hall without speaking to him, but as soon as I saw the look on his face I knew there was no way. If I left now, I might never see him again. The idea was so horrible it left me feeling sick to my stomach; I pushed it away and tried to tell myself it was an absurd thing to be worried about, but even as I did that, in the background my thoughts continued darkly. Alone, at night, in the sky with bullets, zeppelins, muggles, and perhaps hostile spells – not to mention over enthusiastic friendly spells! – so much could go wrong that it was chilling. Strangely, I had no thought for what might happen if I were to perish, at least not at first, not until much later.
Finally, Professor Tremens gave the word, and the students in her group split away in the same was as those in mine had – the Lunari’s, Katrina, Guillermo and James, and all of the others went by me en masse. Professor Patronius and Professor Tremens now conferred quietly once more, and the Headmaster continued to watch everything silently.
Marcus came over in a hurry, and said to me quickly, “there’s something I need to do here, quickly. Can you wait outside for me?” I nodded, and headed out in to the hallway; Marcus followed me a few minutes later.
The passageway was completely deserted. I thought nothing of the time that had been passing; I knew what preparations I had to make, and they wouldn’t take me much time at all. Aside from that, though, I didn’t care if I was a few minutes late to the walls. To me, this was more important than the extra five or ten minutes of preparation for the attack.
“Delia,” he said gently as he came up to me. “I don’t suppose I can talk you out of participating in this? I don’t suppose I could convince you to flee?” I shook my head, and he looked unsurprised. In fact, his face looked calm and relieved, which seemed an inexplicable expression to me. I couldn’t imagine feeling anything other than wound up and worried, but I took some comfort in seeing that he didn’t seem nearly as concerned as I did. He said nothing more, but instead we embraced each other tightly. We knew we had only a few minutes, and I for one couldn’t escape the feeling that there was so much more to say than could possibly be said that it almost wasn’t worth starting. Instead, I rested my head on his shoulder, enjoyed the feeling his arms holding me closely, and tried to be happy in the moment. At some point, I started to cry.
“Marcus,” I finally said, softly, in to the ear that was right by my head, “I love you.”
His arms spasmed slightly around me, and then he was holding me more tightly, and the moment seemed to stretch out forever. He didn’t answer me with the same words, but he didn’t need to. I knew his feelings without them being said, now. The embrace had ended my doubts.
Too soon, we both seemed to realize at once that we had to stop, that we had to leave and go about all of our duties, and simultaneously we let the other go and stepped back. “I will see you tonight,” he spoke like it was a promise, and I nodded my wholehearted agreement violently enough that one of my tears splashed away.
We turned, for our directions now lay exactly opposite each other, but as I started to walk I knew I couldn’t go yet. I turned back around, and saw that Marcus had done the same, and without noticing the intervening distance we were together again, and our lips met. I can only describe the kiss as one of the happiest moments of my life; I feel like to try to say more would be to profane one of my dearest memories. Merely to add that it was, in truth, a very modest kiss, but that I didn’t mind at all.
As modest kisses are wont to be, it was quite brief, and then we were separating again. “I love you,” Marcus added earnestly. I smiled; he smiled, and again for a moment we both just stood.
And then we turned and walked to our separate common rooms, without another word. I cried, silently, tears streaming down my face, the entire time. I never learned if he did the same.
