The afternoon had been great fun in Dimitri’s point of view. He’d learnt so much about Nerisei, what made her tick, what things she liked, what she wanted to do with her life, the places she’d been and the places she wanted to go. Silly quirks, pet hates, they’d covered so many things that Dimitri’s head was awash with facts about the witch he hadn’t envisaged he would have known that morning when they’d headed off to Hogsmeade.
But, it had been enjoyable, enriching, and their friendship had grown throughout the day.
Dimitri did, however, go back on his promise of getting her back before it got dark -- February was always tricky like that -- and as they reached the castle, dusk had all but faded from view. Dimitri’s jacket was around the witch’s shoulders to keep her from catching a chill in her dress as they walked, something he hadn’t thought twice of offering the witch until they reached the common room, and Nerisei handed back before they entered.
That, however, had not stopped the comments, or the cheers coming when the two had emerged in the common room, Dimitri’s cheeks flushing a little bit as he tried to ignore them, but not really being too successful in that process. The option of spending a little bit longer together was pushed away as no longer being an option as Nerisei stood at the bottom of the girl’s stairs and thanked him for the day. He’d told her it was his pleasure, and in turn thanked her for her company for the whole day.
Dimitri had not been expecting the light kiss to his cheek, in truth, not in front of all of these people.
But as Nerisei’s lips touched his cheek with the lightest of touches, the moment felt like he was soaring. Lifted up of his feet, and blown away.
The soft bid of ‘good night’ from the witch stirred Dimitri’s mind from the fog that had been created by the touch of her lips on his cheek, and he belatedly replied to her back as she hurried off up the stairs, leaving Dimitri looking after her until she’d left his sight completely.
It was in that moment that Dimitri knew that he had lost the fight with his feelings.
With his heart.
The nudge in Dimitri’s back almost had him flying across the room because he’d been so occupied with watching Nerisei leave he had forgotten the rest of the world. “So, was she any good?” Phil asked, cocky smile in place as he looked up at the empty stairs where Dimitri had been looking only moments before.
“We’re just friends, Phil, don’t be so crass.”
“Just friends? Spend the whole day with her, alone, and you expect me to believe that?” Phil laughed, patting Dimitri on the back. “Congrats man, she’s way outta your league.”
Dimitri shrugged away from his dorm mates touch and hurried off up the stairs to his own dormitory.
“Oh, come on Dimitri!” Phil called after him, but Dimitri didn’t listen as he hurried off, in to his dorm and then the bathroom.
Running the tap, Dimitri splashed his face with cold water, standing over the sink and trying to work out what in Merlin’s name had happened.
You can’t fall for her, Dimitri scolded himself. If you fall for her, you will only hurt her. You know you can’t tell her. She will never move on if you tell her…
Dimitri had let out a frustrated sound that almost sound strangled in that moment, before heading for the shower. If he didn’t tell her… she would never know how he felt, and Nerisei… Nerisei would never be hurt by him.
That was the best he could ever hope for.
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