'Us' [Dimitri]

A week, or maybe two, have passed since the Ravenclaw Tryouts. Nerisei hadn't really been able to keep track of the days, but she knew they were going by faster than what they used to. Lessons were tough, but that was expected, and now, her schedule was even busier with all the upcoming Quidditch Practices. She had made it into the team, and after Ravenclaw's Win last year, the Team did not want to fail miserably.

But that was the least of Nerisei's worries. Dimitri had been distant since the first day they arrived, and even though the witch did not want to push him, this was getting worse and worse. The fact that she had become Prefect, combined with his family insisting on him resitting the year had hurt him deeply, Nerisei knew that very well, but taking it all out on her was not a solution. For a man that prided himself in staying under control, he sure as hell couldn't handle his feelings, and the girl was not going to sit around and watch him play with her.

Last year, some type of a relationship had started to form. The duo spent most of their summer texting, and Nerisei had even visited him to one of his houses in Scotland, where they spent their time making out and doing... coupley things. Falling to sleep in each other's arms, making memories...
Nerisei knew better than allowing herself to fall for Dimitri, but she never really had any control over her feelings when it came down to him. And even though they were acting like every other normal couple out there... they weren't one.

Nerisei had promised herself not to push the subject, but here she was, curled up in the love seat by the fire, staring at the wall for the last hour, as if her life depended on it. Student entered and exited the Common Room, some waving at her, whilst others completely ignored her, but Nerisei showed no sign of caring. They were't the man she expected to see.

Only when the clock showed it was eleven o'clock at night, did the figure of Dimitri Moreau walk inside the Common Room. Nerisei's eyes immediately found him, and her heart started beating faster, like every single time her eyes landed on him. Only he had that effect on her. Only Dimitri could make her feel so vulnerable, yet so strong at the same time.

"Mitri... I-I want to talk to you." Nerisei blurted out before he had the chance to say anything else. Pushing herself off of her seat, she moved closer, her fingers softly brushing some fallen strands of his hair back, before caressing his cheek ever so softly. The moonlight made his features look so bold, so manly. But Neri knew it wasn't truly the moonlight. Dimitri was growing into a very handsome man. A man she could never have.

Once Dimitri entered the Common Room, and Nerisei had made known what her intentions were, she had hoped that the young man would understand why she had found herself in such position. Dimitri had helped her through so many things, and she had stood by his side through everything. Someone would believe they were inseparable by now, but as Dimitri offered her the slightest hints of smiles, and a cold answer, dismissing her before she even had the chance to voice her concerns, Nerisei felt her heart stop.

And not in a good way.

The young witch stared after the young man, who had just moved away from her, as if her words had meant nothing. Dimitri's moodiness had become worse than what Neri had expected, and their relationship, or... whatever it was they had, was in danger. She could feel that Dimitri was in no way interested in her anymore, and the girl simple couldn't understand... why. What had she done to make him want to let her go? What pain had she caused him? Was loving him with everything she had not enough?

Neri's eyebrows furrowed in concentration, her mouth opening in an attempt to say something, but closing a moment later since nothing could be said. This was definitely not the Dimitri she had met, and for the first time in a long time, Nerisei was at a loss for words.

"You don't talk to me anymore. You don't want to see me. You've been avoiding me like the plague. I thought we had something, Dimitri. We hadn't named it but I thought... I thought there was something there. We... we..." But Nerisei didn't know what to say. She had never been in such a place before, and with a lump forming in her throat, she didn't feel like she was able to finish her sentence.

But then it hit her.

"It's because I am not a Pureblood, isn't it?" She inquired, the pain she felt evident in her tone. Nerisei had been suppressing those feelings of fear for quite some time, not wanting to let them out, but Dimitri had once again pushed her too far by doing nothing. And Nerisei was known for her explosions. "It's because I was not born into royalty like you. It's because I can not dress like a lady, talk like a lady, act like a lady, that's it, right? You've grown distant because there is someone else that fits that criteria and now I am nothing but an obstacle, right?!'

By the time she was done, Nerisei didn't look just flustered. Her dark brown curls were flowing messily down her back, her eyes dark and gloomy. She had overstepped once again, but during times like these, how could someone blame her? "Speak up, Dimitri! For once, speak!"

Watching Dimitri fumble with his words was not a surprise. It wasn't the first time that the witch found herself staring at Dimitri Moreau, who was at a loss for words as well, unable to form a coherent sentence and give her the answer she had been craving. Even if it was rejection, Nerisei would have preferred it if he said it. Because sometimes, not saying anything was worse. It gave the other person nothing to chew on. And right now, not saying anything was allowing Nerisei the liberty to come up with a million different scenarios in her head, all of them ending with her humiliated by Dimitri.

Because she had made the bloody mistake of falling in love with him.

"It's... it's not you. It's me. But, I'm working through it. I just... need time, Neri."

Excuses... Cheap excuses that ended up with the same exact sentence. I need time. Was that the only thing Dimitri knew how to voice? Because every time things were starting to get rough, Dimitri was the one growing cold and distant, going days without speaking to her and asking for time. As if Nerisei was not a human being. As if she didn't need time. Was it only his feelings that mattered? It was all about him in the end? Not them?

"It's always about you, Dimitri. Always. Every time things get tough, you grow cold and distant, and expect me to what? Pretend it's okay? In case you have not noticed, I am a part of your life, or well, I kind of consider myself to be. Everything you do affects me too, and it is not the first time this is happening. You are asking for time. You are always asking for time. Do you think I don't need time? I don't deserve an explanation? Anything? I am a human, Dimitri, like you. I have feelings, concerns, fears... I understand what you are going through but you... you can't even fathom what I am going through. It's always about you!" Nerisei yelled, and by the end of her sentence, she was standing in from of Dimitri, staring up at him in determination.

The witch had initially wanted to talk to him about them. What this relationship truly was, and how they were going to deal with it, but Dimitri was once again avoiding anything that had to do with it. But he couldn't run away from it forever. Eventually, he would have to man up and deal with the consequences of his actions.

Taking a deep breath, Nerisei moved away from Dimitri and towards the window, staring outside as rain kept falling. Using the sleeve of the oversized beige sweater she had chosen for today, the young witch wiped away the tears that hadn't yet fallen down her cheeks. She was done crying. But even as she said that to herself, she knew it was a lie.

"If you don't want me, Dimitri, let me go."

For all Nerisei cared, Dimitri could have left right at that moment. Of course, no part of her truly wanted him too, but if he made that choice, if Dimitri decided to turn around and walk up those stairs, it would have been easier. Because he would be doing something. He would be walking away from her, but that was still better than floating around without an answer. The witch had meant her words. If the Moreau heir did not want anything to do with her, he could very well let her go. Pretend as if nothing had happened between them, walk up those stairs and move on with his life. Nerisei would of course end up crying herself to sleep, falling, perhaps, into a deep depression, but eventually, she would move on. Because her life was not going to stop there. She wouldn't allow herself to give up on all of her goals for one stupid boy that couldn't see how much she mattered.

But Dimitri Moreau did not take the easy way out.

Truthfully, maybe walking away would have been the smarter choice, but the boy moved quietly across the room, wrapping his arms around Nerisei's body and holding her against him. The witch went stiff for the first couple of moments, not wanting him close, especially as he started talking. It was yet another rehearsed sentence. Yes, I want you, and this is actually the problem.
If Nerisei could have one dollar for every time Dimitri had said that, she would be twice as rich than what she already was.

"Please... don't turn around. Just... give me a moment."

Nerisei snorted but didn't make a move to turn around. She didn't really want to look at him, to be fair. He had caused her enough pain for now, and all she wanted was to avoid him just as much as he had been avoiding her all this time. Maybe this was what he truly needed. A taste of his own medicine. Giving him the cold shoulder when all he was trying to do was be sweet to her. Maybe, just maybe, if she treated him the same way once, he would stop doing this to her.

But Nerisei Volkova was not Dimitri Moreau.

And she would never be anything similar to him.

"I'm still... trying to deal with my father's decision."

The Ravenclaw witch stared back at her reflection in the window, the rain falling harder as the time passed. She didn't particularly listen to the rest of Dimitri's words, mostly because she already knew what he was trying to say. Nerisei was intelligent, and she cared for Dimitri a lot. She knew what made him this moody, and she understood, but it was not her fault. Yet, the man behind her was treating her in a way that proved it kind of was. As if it had been her fault that he failed in Potions. Her fault that his father insisted on him resitting. Her fault that he didn't get Prefect. Of how much more was he going to hold her accountable for?

"It'll pass. I just... wanted that place. It's not your fault."

With a soft tsk, Nerisei moved her body away from Dimitri. His once warm touch made her shiver now. He had grown cold, inside out, and Nerisei was not able to handle it. He was being too much. But on the other hand, she wanted to fall into his arms. Grab his face, kiss him into oblivion...

There were times like these that Nerisei found herself unable to form a coherent thought. She wanted to push him away, yet pull him closer. She hated him, yet she loved him more than anything. She didn't want him to touch her, yet the thought of his hands on her body...
"This has to stop.." It was merely a whisper, but Nerisei knew Dimitri would be able to hear it in the dead silence of the room. Of course, she did not mean their relationship had to stop, but he constant cold attitude did.

Biting her lip, Nerisei moved back into his arms, contemplating whether it would be the right moment to kiss him. Her brain screamed no, and after such a fight, she knew Dimitri would probably be uncomfortable. But for some reason, her heart kept urging her to do it, as if it was trying to make her understand this was the perfect moment.

Not wasting another minute, Nerisei stood on her tiptoes, brushing her lips softly against Dimitri's for the slightest of seconds, her eyes, half closed, watching his reaction. But as she was about to pull away, Nerisei felt a strange need. A need for something more that the girl could not really express with words. And like that, instead of pulling away from Dimitri, her lips crushed against his, full of need and despair. She couldn't lose him. She needed him.

The moment their lips connected, it was as if no one else existed in this world, besides them. Nerisei had missed Dimitri and all of the things they were doing together. From the couple of hours they spent together, studying, to sitting together in class, teasing each other. But also, their kisses, the way he held her close, played with her hair, caressed her skin. Nerisei had missed every little thing Dimitri had to offer, and now, now that she was kissing him again, she couldn't stop. She didn't want to stop.

As one of his arms pulled her closer, whilst his other hand cupped her cheek, deepening their already passionate kiss, Nerisei was unable to hold back the softest of moans that escaped her. Shivers were running up and down her spine, her brain was on fire, just like her body. She couldn't breathe properly. She felt like her heart was ready to jump out of her chest. And she loved it!

Dimitri pulled back slightly, though, as if reading her mind, and Nerisei allowed herself to breathe, calming down her nerves that were passing their limits. What was this feeling? She couldn't remember feeling like this before. Tingling sensations, forming just below her stomach and spreading all over her body. With each of Dimitri's touch, another wave of fire spread itself, making her toes curl and her heart skip a beat. What was this man doing to her?

"I'm sorry..."

But the witch didn't have the chance to answer, because Dimitri's lips were on hers in a matter of seconds, and Nerisei's brain stopped functioning again. Instead, the Ravenclaw witch took a few steps back, pulling him along with her. When her knees came in contact with the sofa, she broke the kiss, turning around and forcing Dimitri down on it, before climbing into his lap and claiming his lips once again. Her fingers were tightly wounded into his shirt, unwilling to let go because if they did, she did not know where they would stop. If they would stop.

"Dimitri..." Nerisei mumbled, breaking the kiss softly to look at him. They were both breathing heavily, too caught up with each other. This was not the right moment to take a step forward into their relationship, Neri knew that, and she was not planning to try and push the man beneath her. No, despite the ultimate lust she felt, she was not going to take this too far. But kissing him... she didn't want to stop doing that. Ever.

Taking one of his hands softly, she guided it to one of her breasts. Knowing that Dimitri would probably hesitate, or pull back, Nerisei kept her hand there, not allowing him to pull away as her lips found his again, in a slow, loving kiss. It was her way of showing that this was okay. That she liked it. That she wanted it.