Chapter 13: After the Storm
Theo's wand soared through the air, landing several feet away with a clatter. The courtyard fell into stunned silence. Students looked between scorpius and Theo, many of them wide-eyed with disbelief at the swift conclusion. No one had expected it to end this quickly—least of all Theo.
For a long, tense moment, Theo stood there, his face flushed with a mix of rage and humiliation. His fists clenched at his sides, and for a second, it seemed like he might charge at scorpius without magic. But the moment passed, and instead, he turned on his heel and stormed away, his group of Slytherin friends trailing behind him like shadows.
The crowd began to disperse, whispers filling the air. Some students looked impressed by scorpius's skill, others confused by what had just transpired. It wasn't just a duel that had ended; it felt like something much bigger had shifted.
scorpius let out a breath, his wand still loosely in hand. rose stepped up beside him, her heart pounding with both relief and admiration. The tension in the air was fading, but the adrenaline was still coursing through her.
"You were amazing," rose said softly, looking up at him.
scorpius smiled, though there was a weariness behind his eyes. "I'm just glad it's over."
Grant and hope approached, both of them wearing matching expressions of concern and pride. "That was intense," Grant said, shaking his head. "Theo's going to be furious for a long time."
"Let him be," hope said with a shrug. "scorpius won fair and square. It's about time someone stood up to those Slytherin purists."
rose knew hope was right, but she also couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't entirely over. Theo might have lost the duel, but the tension between them—and the expectations of their houses—wasn't going to disappear overnight.
As the last of the crowd filtered out of the courtyard, rose and scorpius walked together, their friends close behind. They made their way toward the lake, the chilly wind whipping through the trees, but the fresh air felt like a welcome change after the charged atmosphere of the courtyard.
When they finally reached the shore, scorpius collapsed onto the grass with a sigh, leaning back on his elbows and staring up at the cloudy sky. rose sat beside him, pulling her knees to her chest, watching him closely.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice quiet.
scorpius nodded, but his expression was distant. "I am. It's just… I knew Theo would come after me eventually. I just didn't think it would happen like that."
rose placed a hand on his arm. "You stood up for yourself. For us."
He glanced at her, his eyes softening. "I just hope it's enough. You know this isn't the end, right?"
rose sighed. "Yeah, I know. But we'll face it together, just like we did today."
scorpius smiled at her, the tension finally easing from his face. "I wouldn't want to face it with anyone else."
They sat in silence for a while, the wind rustling the leaves above them, the sound of the lake lapping against the shore a calming presence. rose felt an odd mixture of relief and uncertainty. The immediate danger had passed, but the path ahead of them was still littered with obstacles—both seen and unseen.
"We've broken a lot of unwritten rules," scorpius said after a long pause. "Not just today, but by being together."
rose nodded. "Yeah, but some rules deserve to be broken."
He smiled again, a real smile this time, one that reached his eyes. "I like the way you think."
Grant and hope sat a few feet away, talking in low voices, giving rose and scorpius space. The four of them had been through so much together already, and it felt like this moment marked the beginning of a new chapter—not just for rose and scorpius, but for all of them.
As the sun began to set, casting golden hues over the lake, rose leaned her head on scorpius's shoulder. They sat there, side by side, watching the light fade into the horizon. The future was still uncertain, and they knew more challenges lay ahead. But for now, in this quiet moment, they had each other.
And that was enough.