Dreams - Chapter 24

Instructions

Chapter 24 <><><><><><><> I don't know how long we stay there. The music from the Great Hall slows down into a faint, muffled hum in the background, making the quiet corridor feel like our own private corner of the world. Logan’s shoulder is warm, and his hand hasn't let go of mine once. (God, I hope he can't hear my heart beating through my dress robes...) Eventually, the air gets a little too chilly, and I let out a tiny, involuntary shiver. Logan shifts instantly, his dark blond curls brushing against my cheek as he lifts his head. "Cold?" he asks softly, his light brown eyes looking at me with that familiar, worried expression. "A bit," I mumble, fixing my round glasses which had slid down my nose a tad. "And... my feet are starting to feel a bit numb." Logan lets out a quiet, sheepish chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "Yeah, running marathons in those heels probably didn't help. Come on, let's get you back inside before you freeze into an ice sculpture." He stands up first and carefully pulls me up to my feet. My knees buckle slightly from sitting on the stone floor for so long, but Logan catches my arm, keeping me stable. He doesn't let go of my hand as we slowly start walking down the corridor, heading back toward the main doors of the entrance hall. (We're holding hands. We are actually, literally holding hands in broad daylight—well, torchlight. What am I supposed to do if Bella sees us?! She'll never let me live this down!) As we round the corner near the giant oak doors, the noise of the ball rushing back makes me tense up. But before I can dive behind a suit of armor to hide, I spot two very familiar figures leaning against a stone pillar near the punch bowl. Matt and Teddy. Teddy's hair is currently a slightly anxious shade of dusty purple, and he's listening to Matt, who has his arms crossed and looks like he's trying to be the voice of reason. The second we walk into view, Teddy’s head snaps up. His eyes dart straight to our joined hands, and his hair instantly flashes a sharp, shocked shade of neon yellow. (Oh shoot. Shoot shoot shoot. What do I say?!) Logan doesn't drop my hand, but I can feel his fingers tighten just a fraction in a protective grip. Teddy takes a slow step forward, looking exasperated but... soft. "There you are," Teddy clears his throat, running a hand through his rapidly shifting hair. "We... uh... we were wondering if the Whomping Willow had actually swallowed you whole." Matt rolls his eyes, letting out a highly amused sigh that lets me know he is definitely enjoying the drama. "Don't listen to him, Jackie. Teddy's just mad because he lost our bet about how many excuses you'd make tonight before running out of the room." "Matt, shut up!" Teddy snaps, his face flushing a quick pink as his hair settles into a more subdued, humble shade of light brown. He turns back to me and Logan, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, Jacks... we know. We know about the whole... double-booking thing..." My breath hitches. I quickly look down at my feet, my ears burning a furious strawberry red. (I knew it! The gossip network strikes again. I am officially a terrible criminal.) "I'm sorry," I fumble out shakily, my fingers nervously twisting the fabric of my dress. "I just... I didn't want either of you to look like a kicked puppy, so I thought no decision meant no problems, and then I—" "Hey, calm down," Teddy interrupts gently, stepping closer. A small, lopsided grin breaks through his embarrassment. "We aren't mad. Logan already glared at me in the corridor earlier for being too blunt. We just... we felt bad that you were sprinting across the Great Hall all night. Your shoes look like they're trying to murder you." I blink, pushing my crooked glasses up my nose as I look between the two of them. (They... they aren't mad? They're just worried about my feet? Merlin, they are the sweetest children in this castle.) Logan lets out a soft, sheepish chuckle next to me, his hand still holding mine securely. "See? I told you it was fine, Jacks." "Yeah, yeah, you're a real hero, Logan," Teddy teases, a playful glint returning to his eyes as he nudges Matt. "But tomorrow in the common room, you're still getting tackled for stealing my dance time." "Bring it on, Lupin," Logan smirks, his light brown eyes glistening with confidence. Then, I hear a voice practically scream "Jacks!" I turn around, seeing my twin and Emily running over. I quickly drop Logan’s hand, on pure instinct. When Bella reaches us, her jaw drops to the floor. “Oh my merlin! Emily! Look! She didn’t combust!” "I have eyes, Bella," Emily groans, crossing her arms with a devious, highly satisfied Slytherin smirk as she saunters over. "Though I must say, Jackie, your structural integrity seems to be holding up much better out here than it was near the punch bowl. Nice work." I stare at her, murmuring, “Yeah, well, running in heels gets tiring after a while.” (continued in N/C) <><>