A Glimpse of Us

[Noah Bradley]

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Ophelia Kenny

why then, if she is so perfect do i still wish it was you

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“We don’t have to do it, you know.”[break][break]

Avery Darling’s words had been milling around in his mind for a long time now. Ava - his fiance. Just thinking about it made him sick. She came to him soon after he’d gotten a letter from his father, telling him of the arrangement made between him and Mickey Darling. This is a great opportunity for our family, it read. I expect you to follow through. The redhead told him they didn’t have to go through with it, that they could be with who they want until they figure out a way out of it. Noah agreed, but he didn’t know what there was to do. James Bradley and Mickey Darling were not men to be gainsaid. Part of him wondered if his father would finally be proud of him if he married her, but another part said why the fuck should he care? If joining a pro Quidditch team didn’t make him proud, then nothing will. His only hope was that his mother could talk sense into his father, but he didn’t think it was possible. [break][break]

Clink. Clink. Clink.[break][break]

Noah sat up in his bed, looking around for the source of the sound. It was the middle of the night and he was five stories up. It couldn’t be someone breaking in. Clink. Clink. Clink. He looked to the window by his bed, his hand reaching for his wand on his nightstand. With a wave of his wand, the window opened and in flew the weirdest looking owl he’d ever seen in his life. The thing perched at the foot of his bed, Noah staring wide-eyed at it, when it suddenly opened its beak. He scrambled backwards. “What the FUCK?” The owl thing had opened its mouth so wide it could swallow him whole. There was something lodged in its mouth and the thing just blinked slowly at him. Noah watched it, waiting for it to do something else, but it just sat there with its mouth wide open. The gears started turning in his head and he realized it wanted him to grab the note. “No way,” he told it, shaking his head. “Uh uh, no fucking way.” It just blinked at him. “Come on, really?!” With a groan, he snatched the note out of its mouth. It closed its mouth and blinked at him some more before flying out the window back to Hell where it probably came from. Noah watched it go, waving his wand to shut the window again. What the hell was that thing? He was still clutching the note to his chest. He looked down at it apprehensively, but his heart softened when he recognized the handwriting. Of course that was Ophelia’s… owl thing. He tore it open, eager to see what she wanted at this hour.[break][break]

URGENT! Meet me in the forest.[break][break]

That’s it? After months without hearing from her, that’s all she had to say? He had half a mind to be annoyed, but something about the note bothered him. What was so urgent it couldn’t wait until morning? What was so secret she couldn’t tell him in a letter? His stomach turned uneasily at the possibilities running through his mind. Was something wrong with Lydia? Without wasting another second, he spun on the spot, his body folding in at his belly button as he Apparated to Hogsmeade, just outside the borders of Hogwarts.[break][break]

Noah paced just a few meters from the entrance of the Forbidden Forest, just deep enough to be hidden from the castle, but not deep enough that she wouldn’t be able to find him. Anxiety had his insides crawling. He was worried about her, about Lydia, his mind racing with the endless possibilities, but more than that, he was anxious to see her again. The last time they’d been together, he told her about the arranged marriage. She hadn’t taken the news very well. He wanted to tell her how he felt about her, how it didn’t matter what his family wanted, how he just wanted to be with her, but she left before he could say anything. Now here he was, about to see her again and he didn’t know how to feel about it…[break][break]

The sound of a twig snapping reached his ears and he whipped around wildly, breathing heavy as Ophelia came into focus. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her, but it quickly twisted in agony as he noticed the tears flowing from her eyes. “Hey,” he said softly, bounding to her, his hands coming to her shoulders. “Ophelia, what’s wrong?”

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[Ophelia Kenny]

Ophelia was trying, desperate and rather unsuccessfully, to keep herself together. 

Noah had left the school, graduated, in line to marry someone else and that had been just the beginning of all of her problems. She’d been heart broken when Noah had tried to explain, but she didn’t want to stick it out to have her heart break that much more. She didn’t need him trying to explain to her how he had a duty to his family. She understood that much, but she knew little of the girl he was supposed to be with and equally as little about her feelings towards the arrangement. Did Ava care? From what Ophelia had seen she was rather smitten with Atticus, who was always good for at least a few laughs. He managed to cheer Ophelia up even on her saddest days. 

Which brought her to the biggest problem she had, the one that wasn’t heart break or boy trouble, the reason why Ophelia had let go of Noah so easily when all she wanted to do was desperately cling to the stability and care that he offered her. She adored him and even now Lydia tried to encourage her to keep pursuing him. In good faith she couldn’t do that to him. Not when she was pretty sure she was going crazy. 

It had always been at the back of her mind, how unstable she felt. The vivid dreams, the flashes of Deja vu, it had all come to a head about a week ago. She had a dream about Everly, Ophelia had met the woman quite a few times when staying over at their house and had always really enjoyed her presence. She was calming in the same way that Noah was, it was nice. She was nice. The brief glimpse she got from the dream? That hadn’t been nice. But it had continued, every night this week, a different flash of something similar. Tonight had been different, tonight she’d gotten the full image of what had happened. Everly was sick and Ophelia had watched the moments up to what seemed like her passing, but she hadn’t gotten everything. 

Maybe writing the letter was stupid, but she had sent Clarence off with it anyways because she couldn’t help the unyielding anxiety that was building. Something was wrong and she needed to tell Noah. As soon as she’d sent the letter she’d snuck out of her dorm, jacket wrapped around her to fight the cold but the outdoors almost added to the anxiety she felt. It had seemed so much realer and the more real it felt the less real she herself felt. Maybe she was going crazy. All she had to go on it seemed right now was maybes. She hadn’t even realized she was still crying or how much time had passed when she heard her name.

“Ophelia, what’s wrong?” 

Ophelias head came up when he touched her, still having to look up to see his face, apparently she hadn’t gotten any taller. Without much thought she wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed herself into his chest, a soft sob escaping her. She didn’t know if what she’d seen was real, but on the off chance that it was he needed to know, Lydia and Ryder needed to know. Unfortunately she couldn’t bring herself to say anything so soon, too swept up in her own emotion of being able to see Noah again and feeling like maybe she was really starting to lose it. She’d always been odd, sure, but premonitions of impending death and doom? That felt like something she shouldn’t be telling anyone about. But what if it had been real? She was so scared it was real. 

“Noah-..” Ophelia sobbed, breathless as she spoke, unable to bring herself to say anymore words right this second. 

[Noah Bradley]

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Ophelia Kenny

why then, if she is so perfect do i still wish it was you

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Ophelia crashed into him, her arms tightening around his torso, sobs wracking her small body. Noah’s heart broke into a thousand little pieces at the sound. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, one hand cradling the back of her head as he held her close. His name poured out of her and he pressed his lips to her hair. Worry filled him the more she cried, not knowing what was the cause, but he didn’t think of anything other than comforting her. “I’m right here,” he whispered, squeezing her closer to him. “I’m not going anywhere.” [break][break]

He didn’t know when he fell for her. It came on so gradually. One moment she was just his younger sister’s best mate, someone he grew up seeing at their house but never really knew, then she was his whole world. Noah never thought he’d feel this way for someone, always being so skeptical of love and romance. All his life he’d seen the cold and indifferent manner of his parent’s relationship and he just didn’t get how anyone could be happy in love when his parents were so clearly not. But when he saw Ophelia’s smile, heard her laugh, smelled her bright blonde hair… he suddenly understood. And now he figured out just how hard it was to see the one you love hurting.[break][break]

He held her like that for a long time. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when her sobs started to subside a little. When it seemed like she was calming down, Noah leaned back enough to see her face without letting her go, a hand coming to her chin to tip her face toward him. He searched her eyes for a moment, his thumb reaching to wipe a few tears from her cheeks. “Tell me. What’s going on? Are you okay?” He needed to know. Was she hurt? Did something happen at school? Noah felt a surge of protectiveness run through him, his jaw twitching at the thought of someone hurting her.

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[Ophelia Kenny]

Ophelia for the first time in months felt like maybe, maybe she wasn’t crazy. She didn’t feel as crazy when Noah was around. She paused as she listened to him speak, her eyes slipping shut when he wiped the tears from her cheeks, her little sniffles and sobs slowly dying off, though her breathing didn’t really relax how it should have, she was still sort of gasping like she couldn’t catch her breath. 

“I uh-…. I don’t-…. I don’t know what’s-“ Ophelia tried to explain, but she sort of just wound up gripping his waist, her fingers tightening on his shirt. How was she supposed to explain this? That she kept having terrible nightmares about his mother passing and that he needed to collect his siblings and go home on the off chance she was correct. She knew how big of a part their Mother played, she was much softer where their Father was… well. Sort of a terror in Ophelia’s opinion.

”I think-… I think I might be crazy.” She said eventually, looking up at him with wide eyes. That was easier to get out than anything else was, maybe because she’d sort of just been sitting on the information for a while. She really didn’t know what was worse, feeling this way or finding out that she really was seeing the future. She didn’t want that, especially not when it meant that she was going to see things like this. “But o-on the off chance… that I’m not I just- I need you to know wh-what I saw, what I keep seeing…” Ophelia prayed that she was making sense right now, that he was understanding the importance of what she was trying to tell him right now. They could figure themselves out later, needed to figure themselves out if that earlier kiss to her head was any inclination, but that all had to wait. Needed to wait until after whatever she’d seen was resolved. She didn’t need to put more on his shoulders than what she feared he was about to have.

[Noah Bradley]

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Ophelia Kenny

why then, if she is so perfect do i still wish it was you

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Patience had never been Noah’s strong suit, but he seemed to have endless amounts of it for her. He kept his right arm around her, pressing her to him, while his left hand cupped her face. His thumb trailed along her cheek as he waited for her to catch her breath and find the words. Whatever it was, it devastated her. What could have done this?[break][break]

“I think-... I think I might be crazy.”[break][break]

His brows furrowed with concern, but he didn’t say anything quite yet. Ophelia was eccentric, to be sure, but crazy? He certainly didn’t think so, but something about the way her voice faltered when she said it… why did she believe this? He kept stroking her face, waiting for her to continue. When she did, however, he was unprepared. “What you’re seeing?” he echoed. “What do you mean? What have you been seeing?”

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[Ophelia Kenny]

It was a big ask, she knew, for Noah to just take what Ophelia had to tell him at face value. She really didn’t want to go into a deep delve explanation as to why she had a sick feeling in her guy, telling her that what she was seeing was true and that the visions and dreams and Deja Vu all had real meaning behind them. She didn’t want that, she didn’t want this to be real. But looking at Noah now she felt like she had to warn him, she owed him that much at the very least didn’t she? 

“I-… I keep having the same dream.” Ophelia began, looking up at Noah and trying to commit the way his face looked now to memory. He looked worried, but if her vision was real she feared that after this she might not see the same person again. Would he be different? Would all of them be different? She hoped not. She hoped they’d be able to find peace, wanted to help them find that peace if she could. “It’s about your Mom… I just- I keep seeing her very sick and I think-… I think you need to go to her, I think you and Lydia and Ryder need to go to her.” They needed to go to her so they could say goodbye. 

”I-I don’t know I hope you- I hope you get there and.. nothing is wrong and she’s perfectly fine and very confused but- but happy to see you-“ She was talking too fast, her breaths catching in her throat as she tried not to sob again. She had to take a moment to look away, wiping her eyes. “But I see it when I’m awake and when I’m asleep and I have this horrific feeling that I can’t shake-…”  Ophelia trailed off again, another quiet sob escaping her. Was it bad to hope that she was crazy when the alternative meant that your friends Mom was dying? She didn’t know, but whatever she was feeling she wasn’t certain of any of it. 

[Noah Bradley]

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Ophelia Kenny

why then, if she is so perfect do i still wish it was you

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“I keep having the same dream.”[break][break]

Okay, he thought, still confused. How could a dream upset her this badly? And what did it have to do with him?[break][break]

“It’s about your Mom…”[break][break]

All of a sudden it clicked for him. Ophelia kept talking, telling him what she saw and what they needed to do, but Noah’s heart had nearly stopped at her words. I think I’m going crazy, she had said. Now he understood. He swallowed past the lump forming in his throat, his mouth suddenly dry. His mum hadn’t been returning his letters these past few weeks. At first he thought she was busy trying to convince his father to let him out of the engagement, but now… Noah licked his lips, his gaze far away as he tried to piece together this overwhelming amount of information. Ophelia was seeing things. Growing up, he heard stories about Seers and their abilities but he had never met one before. Was it possible that Ophelia… His mum… “We have to tell McGonagall,” he said at last, eyes flicking down to meet hers again. Without thinking, he bent down and lifted her in his arms, carrying her straight to the castle. He went at almost a run, trying to get inside as quickly as he could. If she’s been having this vision for a while then… he didn’t want to think about it.[break][break]

“Professor Walker!” He thanked his lucky stars she was right there when they entered. The witch turned and looked at Noah with an eyebrow raised, her gaze flicking between him and Ophelia in his arms. “We need to get to McGonagall. Now.” So far he was succeeding at keeping it together, but the turmoil inside him just got worse with every passing second. “Please,” he pleaded. Professor Walker nodded and waved him to follow her. Noah breathed a sigh of relief, glancing down at Ophelia. “It’ll be okay,” he assured her. “I promise.”[break][break]

Everything happened so fast. The next thing he knew, Professor Walker was leading them up the winding staircase into the Headmistress’ office. He kept his grip on Ophelia tight, afraid she’d slip away if he let her go. It wasn’t until his former teacher touched him gently on the shoulder that he, reluctantly, set her down. He felt the loss of her keenly and he reached out to grab her hand. McGonagall came down in her nightdress, asking what was going on. Noah glanced over at Ophelia, but she looked so frightened, so he told her everything. After he was done, there was a deafening silence hanging in the air. Please believe him… When McGonagall broke the silence and ordered Professor Walker to fetch Lydia and Ryder to bring them here, Noah exhaled in relief. The Headmistress turned her attention to Ophelia. “You’ll help her, right?” he asked, panic rising in his voice. “Please, help her.” McGonagall assured him she would and led her to a plush couch in the middle of the room. “We’ll talk about these visions soon,” she promised her. “Let’s get the Bradley children home first.”[break][break]

Professor Walker returned with Lydia and Ryder, both of them looking to Noah with confusion. He could feel the tears pricking at his eyes, but he held them back for them. “It’s Mum,” he told them, his voice cracking, before telling them what Ophelia had seen. Lydia was the first to cry, Ryder just looked shocked. “Come,” McGonagall called at the fireplace. Noah grabbed his younger siblings, holding them tight against him, and led them over to her. One by one, the Bradleys stepped into the green flames and called out their home address. When it was Noah’s turn, he took a handful of Floo Powder and stepped in. He paused, his gaze fixed on Ophelia. I’ll come back for you, he promised himself. “It’ll be okay,” he said to her before disappearing in the flames.

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[Ophelia Kenny]

“It’ll be okay.” 

But it hadn’t been okay? Had it? If it had been okay and she had been wrong about everything then Lydia and Ryder would have been back by now. She would have heard anything from Noah. Ophelia had spent plenty of time over the past week with Professor McGonagall, just trying to sort what this news meant for her. She had told her everything that night on the couch, crying all the while her teacher attempted to give her some form of comfort. There wasn’t any confirmation in her ability, at least not yet but she was slowly starting to come to terms with it, at least the stupid bits, like seeing someone fall down the stairs twenty minutes before it actually happened. That had been funny for all of thirty seconds before dread had gotten her again. 

It was starting to get dark out when an owl found her where she was on her walk. She took the letter from its mouth and gave it a gentle pet. It looked familiar but she couldn’t quite place where it had come from. “Thank you.” She whispered despite her confusion as she opened her letter.

”Meet me at the three Broomsticks. -Noah.” 

Ah. That explained it. Ophelia dusted her hands off and tucked the note into the pockets of her dress before she started walking her way from the castle and towards Hogsmeade. Maybe here she’d get some answers. 

Once she’d made it to the pub she made her way inside quietly and looked around for Noah, finding him at one of the booths there. She was quiet as she slipped into the seat next to him, not speaking as she wrapped both of her arms around his and rested her chin on his shoulder so she could look up at him, her thumbs running along his arm. She hoped she wouldn’t startle him with all this, but announcing herself felt odd right now when everything seemed so heavy. 

[Noah Bradley]

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Ophelia Kenny

why then, if she is so perfect do i still wish it was you

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At first, Noah felt numb. When he arrived home, he saw Lydia and Ryder crouched beside the couch their mother was lying on. Tears were flowing from their eyes and as soon as he stepped forward he saw why. Everly Bradley was pale and sickly, circles darker than he’d ever see beneath her eyes. It looked like she’d lost a great deal of weight, a skeleton-like hand gripping Ryder tight while the other stroked Lydia’s hair. Noah fell to his knees, tears silently streaming down his cheeks. “Noah,” she said weakly when she saw him. “My boy, come here.” He didn’t want to. Seeing her now, it was really real. Part of him had hoped Ophelia was wrong, even if he didn’t believe it. Reluctantly, Noah crawled over to her, one arm protectively wrapping around his siblings and the other reaching forward to brush a lock of stringy hair from his mother’s face. This was really it. This was goodbye. [break][break]

“Why didn’t you DO something?! Why didn’t you tell us she was sick?” Noah was in his father’s face, fury surging through him after witnessing his mother’s death. Lydia was hysterically crying, still holding Everly’s hand. Ryder sat on one of the armchairs, tears falling as he stared into the void. Noah, however, was pissed. James Bradley puffed up his chest, telling him that the Healers didn’t know what was wrong with her. It was unexpectedly quick. “That’s not good enough!” He put his hands on his father’s shoulders and shoved him. “You should’ve tried harder! You should’ve told us!” His father unsheathed his wand, digging the point of it into Noah’s chest, warning him to leave. “Don’t worry I’m going,” he growled. “I’m not marrying Avery either.” That’s when his father scoffed and told him Avery’s father was dead, murdered, and that her brother called off the engagements. “Of course, you couldn’t have been bothered to tell me that either.” And with one last look at his mother, Noah Apparated out of the Bradley manor and back home.[break][break]

A week passed and Noah had scarcely left his flat. He hadn’t showered or eaten in a few days. He couldn’t find the energy to move from his bed. His mother was gone from this world and everything seemed so meaningless. He thought about Lydia and Ryder and felt shame for leaving when he did. He left them to grieve alone, but he just couldn’t bear the thought of seeing his father again. And what of Ophelia? Noah spent several days thinking of her. How terrifying it must have been for her to witness that event before it happened. You promised, a little voice in the back of his head reminded him. With extreme effort, he got up from his bed and walked to his desk, sitting down to write to her. Meet me at the three Broomsticks. [break][break]

Noah showered finally and dressed himself warmly. He grabbed his wand from his nightstand and tucked it in his pocket. Just before he Apparated to Hogsmeade, a familiar picture caught his eye. Noah picked it up, gazing down at an animated photo of his mother and himself. His eyes glistened as they filled with tears, his heart aching for a simpler time. Time could never heal this wound. With a shaky breath, he set the frame back down and spun on his foot.[break][break]

He stared at the glass of firewhisky in front of him, his fingers softly tapping the glass as he waited. Before long, he felt the seat of the booth sink beside him, then porcelain arms wrapped around his and he felt her chin perch on his shoulder. Noah took a deep, shaky breath before moving his hand to fold on top of hers. “She’s gone,” he said softly. “We barely made it.”

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[Ophelia Kenny]

Mm. That’s what she had been afraid of. She pressed her face into his shoulder, giving his arm a squeeze of comfort as she let her eyes slip shut. It was hard, the Bradley family had lost their one loving parent and with her had gone a lot of joy and love for life she was sure. She felt her eyes begin to well with tears, reaching a hand up so that she could wipe them from her eyes before they really had a chance to fall. It was strange, she hadn’t been there but it had felt like she was, the same sorrow and fear she imagined any of her friends had gone through in the moment. Of course she wasn’t about to say anything about it. They didn’t need to relive it for Ophelia’s sake. For all intents and purposes, she had been there, she’d known. 

“I’m so sorry.” Ophelia whispered after a long moment. How was she supposed to comfort him right now? She was t exactly adept at this sort of thing. Most of the time PDA made her uncomfortable but right now just leaned against him felt… well it felt normal. As normal as something could after everything that had happened. That was it really, wasn’t it? She had quite literally seen the future, in the worst possible way. She didn’t know how much she trusted it, but it was still there. 

Was she supposed to apologize for having told him? Maybe. But the alternative was definitely that they found out via letter, rather than being able to be there like she had seen. She wasn’t entirely sure she could handle the loneliness that vision would bring. That sounded horrible, to die knowing your children weren’t there and they could have been. “Im glad you got to be with her though. I’m glad you all made it.” 

[Noah Bradley]

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Ophelia Kenny

why then, if she is so perfect do i still wish it was you

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He didn’t know what to think or feel. He missed her with every fiber of his being and there was no getting her back. Noah shut his eyes tight, a few tears escaping their bonds and falling silently down his cheeks. He knew he had to be strong, but here with Ophelia he felt free to be himself. He could allow himself to feel the overwhelming sorrow that plagued him. “She looked so…” he trailed off, unable to put it into words. Not that he even needed to, she’d seen her clear as day in her mind. “I got in a fight with Dad, left Ryder and Lydia behind I should’ve - I can’t -” he sputtered, his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions. Noah clutched to her with everything he had, his heart breaking in two. She said she was glad they got to her and he nodded in agreement, unable to say much more on the topic. It was good they got to say goodbye. He had wished… well, if they’d known she was sick sooner they could’ve been there for her last few days rather than her last few moments. [break][break]

“Thank you,” he said at last, turning so he was facing her. Noah wasn’t sure what more there was to say about it. Without her, they wouldn’t have known something was wrong until she was already gone. “I know it was scary for you.” He reached out to tuck a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, his fingertips lingering on her cheek. He wanted to tell her - needed to tell her - just how he felt about her. Last year, he had tried to but she ran off before he could get a word out. Now, she was right here, right in front of him. So why couldn’t he say it? “I was worried about you.”

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[Ophelia Kenny]

Ophelia had a habit of trying to ‘crawl under someone’s skin’ when they were upset. At least that’s what her Mother called it. Usually it manifested as her trying to get as close as physically possible to them and it took everything in her not to do that now. Instead she tried to comfort Noah in a way that was socially acceptable. She leaned on him, held him, just tried to let him know that she was there and she wasn’t leaving. She hesitated when he mentioned leaving Ryder and Lydia. “…They may not understand your reasoning now, but they will.”  She supplied softly, like it was a fact. She knew at the very least, her best friend would understand, would forgive him and allow him his own time to grieve and hurt. Lydia was understanding and kind, almost to her detriment, but Ophelia wouldn’t change anything about her. She loved her so much. She didn’t know Ryder well, but she couldn’t imagine the boy staying upset about something like this for very long. 

she hesitated when the conversation turned towards her again, it had been scary, but not nearly as scary as what any of the Bradley children had gone through. Ophelia  hadn’t lost her mother, shed just seen the unfortunate death of someone else’s. A part of her mind wondered if she’d only ever get these visions about people she knew, she hoped not. It would be much easier to distance herself, pretend they weren’t real if she didn’t know the person. 

“I’m okay, Noah.” She murmured when his thumb brushed over her cheek, but she leaned into it anyways. It felt nice. She had missed him with every fiber of her being. After a moment she decided that she really didn’t care if anyone was watching or if he might be uncomfortable with it. She wanted to hug him as tight as she could. Moving up to her knees she leaned in and wrapped him up in a full embrace, pressing herself against him as best as she could with the awkward position they were in. “I’m so sorry.” She repeated, her voice faltering at the last moment as her emotions began to betray her and her eyes welled with tears. “I wish-…. I wish things were different.” 

[Noah Bradley]

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Ophelia Kenny

why then, if she is so perfect do i still wish it was you

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Ophelia said she was okay, but Noah didn’t completely believe her. He didn’t have time to think about it though because she moved to crush him in a hug, pressing her body against his. Noah’s arms enveloped her, pulling her tighter to him. He could hear the sadness in her voice and he buried his face into her shoulder. He wished things were different, too. Maybe if he hadn’t been in a hurry to move out, maybe if he caught it soon enough… He didn’t want to think about his mom right now. So, he focused on the flowery scent of her shampoo, the feeling of her arms around him, her body against his. Noah heaved a sigh into her shoulder. He didn’t want to move from this spot.[break][break]

“There’s more,” he said after a few moments, still holding her tight against him. “The engagement’s off.” Death had to happen to make it possible, but he didn’t tell her that. At least not now. His hand trailed up and down her back, hoping to soothe her from whatever emotions came with his declaration. Maybe now he could… maybe he’d finally…[break][break]

“Ophelia,” he said softly, raising his head and leaning back just enough to see her face. His hand came to her face, cupping her cheek as his thumb brushed away her tears. “I didn’t - I wanted to tell you -” he was choking on his words like an idiot. A hot flash of frustration washed through him at his own incompetence. What was there to say? He thought… he thinks… he’s pretty sure he loves her. How do you even tell someone that? Noah was silently staring in her eyes for a few moments, the words spinning in his mind but dying on his tongue. “I -” he blinked slowly. He didn’t have the words but… he had action. With another sweep of his thumb, Noah closed the distance between them, his lips pressing softly against hers. Electricity shot through him at the contact. For months he’d been wondering what it would be like to finally kiss her. He never imagined this.

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[Ophelia Kenny]

“The engagement is off.”

Ophelia never thought once in her life that four words could bring her so much relief but the fact that tears began falling feely from her eyes at just how relieved she really was spoke measures. She sniffled and tried to wipe her cheeks as she let out an awkward laugh, nodding her head over and over again. “That’s- that’s great that’s amazing! That’s… God good for you.” Ophelia whispered that last bit as she sniffled again and wiped the tears from her eyes. Stupid tears. She was trying to be supportive. She didn’t want him worrying about her after so much had happened to him. 

She listened again as she spoke, looking into his eyes as she tried to figure out what exactly it was he was trying to tell her. Ophelia knew what she hoped he would say. She hoped, rather desperately, that this meant that they could actually be together, but the more he stumbled the more uncertain she grew. She was pretty sure she loved him. She wasn’t certain of what that felt like, aside from the love she had for her friends and family, the only outlier was Noah. She felt strongly about him. So strongly in fact that this last year had been like torture for her. Even at her worst of times she wanted Noah. He made her feel safe and protected and- Oh shit. 

 Noah was kissing her. Just like that her fears began to melt as she kissed him back, a little voice in the back of her head reminding her that she had never been kissed by anyone before. She hoped she was doing it right. She scooted herself impossibly closer to him and fisted her hands in his shirt, hoping that no one looked over to see them in this little corner booth. She liked privacy and this was a rather private moment. It was funny how comfortable this felt too. It was that same rush of relief she’d felt just moments earlier. She wished it could have happened earlier. Maybe when she wasn’t crying, but it was oddly perfect for them wasn’t it? She’d take the safety and clarity she felt just by being around Noah over the safety of her wand any day. This felt much more permanent than magic and charms. 

[Noah Bradley]

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Ophelia Kenny

why then, if she is so perfect do i still wish it was you

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Suddenly the fog cleared from his mind and in its place was clarity. He loved her. That had to be what these feelings meant - the way his heart sputtered around her, the overwhelming protectiveness, the flush of warmth with every touch. The way her lips moving against his felt so right in this fucked up world they found themselves in. All thoughts of anything else left his mind and only Ophelia filled the void. His hands gripped her tight, his arms crushing her to his chest as he poured all his feelings into the kiss. He hoped that now she understood what she meant to him. The kiss started to slow and get softer. When he was almost ready, he started to pull away, but not before placing a few more kisses to her lips. His own tingled dramatically as he stared into her eyes. “I’m crazy about you,” he breathed. There. He finally said it. It felt as if the world had been lifted from his shoulders, his body relaxing and a peaceful sigh escaping him. “I have been for a while. I tried to tell you last year, but…” But he faltered and she fled to deal with the heartbreak his engagement caused her. He brought a hand to her face, brushing her hair from her eyes. “I only want you.”

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