Chapter Seven:

Rose leaned heavily against the wall next to the Library doors, feeling the cold seep into her back. The school was nearly deserted, and the silence only magnified the hollow ache in her chest. She glanced up at the clock that jutted out from the wall—three thirty-seven. Willow was over half an hour late. Each passing minute had felt like a lifetime, and Rose was beginning to feel like a ghost haunting these halls, waiting for something—anything—to pull her out of the numbness that clung to her.

She didn't want to be here, especially not outside the Library. The place felt like it was suffocating her. The thought crossed her mind that maybe Willow was inside, but no, if she were, she would've come out by now. Or at least, Rose told herself that.

Pushing herself off the wall, she let out a shaky breath and, with leaden feet, entered the Library. The emptiness hit her immediately. No Willow. No one. Just the overwhelming quiet and the weight of everything that had happened.

She turned to leave, desperate to escape, when a soft clearing of the throat stopped her in her tracks.

"Ms. Murphy?" Giles's voice was quieter than she remembered. The sound of it made her heart lurch painfully in her chest.

Rose didn't turn around. "I'm not here to bother you. I was just looking for Willow. We were supposed to meet…" Her voice trailed off, brittle, like it might shatter at any moment.

"That's… umm, alright. You're more than welcome to wait for her if you'd like." Giles offered, but his voice was strained, heavy with something unspoken.

Rose hesitated, and finally turned, bracing herself for what she might see. Giles stood near the entrance to his office, his glasses absent, his face etched with defeat. It broke her heart to see him like that, and she nearly crumbled right there.

"Really, it's fine, Mr. Giles," Rose whispered, barely able to speak past the tightness in her throat. "She's probably just running late, so I'll… I'll just leave."

But before she could take another step, Giles spoke again, his voice rough, like it pained him to say the words. "Actually, if you have a moment… I'd like to apologize. For this morning… and for everything else."

Rose's breath caught in her chest. She could feel her heart breaking all over again. She didn't want to cry—not here, not in front of him—but the glassiness in her vision betrayed her.

She stayed rooted to the spot, unable to move, and Giles remained where he was, as if he too were afraid to step any closer.

"I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am," Giles continued, his voice trembling slightly. "For putting you in that situation… for taking advantage of our friendship. Even though I know we were both under the influence of a spell, I still should have known better. I should have been better."

Rose's throat tightened painfully, and she swallowed hard, trying to keep herself together. "It wasn't all on you, Mr. Giles."

"I know," he said, his voice breaking, "but I should've protected you. I… I took something from you, something you can never get back, and I'll never forgive myself for that. I wasn't the person you needed me to be."

"Rupert, you can't blame yourself," she said, her voice barely a whisper, a desperate attempt to ease the ache in his words.

"Oh, but I do." His voice was raw, filled with anguish that tore at her heart. "And if I ever see Ethan again, I will kill him for what he did to us—for taking away our autonomy, for making us into something we weren't."

Rose blinked rapidly, forcing away the tear that threatened to fall. "He knew you… he called you 'Ripper,'" she whispered, trying to change the subject, to ease the weight of guilt pressing down on them both.

Giles's face darkened. "Yes. From my past… before I joined the Council."

He took a step forward but stopped himself, as if afraid to close the distance between them. "Rose, please… I need to know if you're alright. I need to know that you're okay."

"I'm… I will be," Rose whispered, her voice fragile. "But I'm more worried about you. Ethan said this guilt would eat you alive, and I don't want that to happen. Please, Rupert… I don't blame you, and I never will. Please, don't let this destroy you."

The silence that followed was thick with sorrow, both of them standing across from each other, bound by a shared sadness and shame. Rose felt the weight of his gaze, saw the way his shoulders sagged under the burden of his guilt.

"I should go find Willow," Rose said softly, breaking the silence with a sigh that seemed to carry all the sadness in the world.

"Yes, of course," Giles replied, his voice hoarse. "And when you do… could you thank her for me? She… she overheard our conversation this morning and rather pointedly put me in my place."

"So… she set this up, didn't she?" Rose managed a small, fragile smile, the first one in what felt like forever.

Giles chuckled, though the sound was more of a sad exhale than anything else. "It would seem so."

"I hope you have a good night, Rupert," Rose said softly, her heart aching as she looked at the man standing across from her.

"You as well, Rose," he replied, though there was a sadness in his voice that made it clear neither of them would.

As Rose turned to leave, her hand resting on the door, she paused, glancing back one last time. "Oh, I almost forgot… Ethan said something. He said fate is a bitch. What do you think he meant by that?"

Giles rubbed the back of his neck, his brow furrowed in thought. "I've been wondering that myself."

Rose hummed thoughtfully, giving him one last, bittersweet smile before stepping into the hallway. There, waiting with a knowing smile on her face, was Willow.

"We're not going to talk about it," Rose said, her voice thick with unspoken gratitude, "but… thank you, Willow."

Willow shrugged with a sly grin. "I Don't know what you're talking about. Ready to get your study on?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Rose said as she stood next to her friend, grateful for her presence.

As they walked down the hall, Willow glanced at her sideways. "So… you're a witch, huh?" Rose turned slowly, her eyes narrowing. "Don't worry. I haven't told anyone and I won't. If Giles trusts you, then so do I."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "You don't think the others know?"

Willow shook her head with a playful grin. "Nope. But… maybe you could teach me some things? I've dabbled a bit, and… I'm kind of really into magic."

"You know," Rose said, her voice soft but teasing, "I could just make you forget you ever found out."

Willow's smile widened. "But you won't, because now you have someone to talk to about it!"

Rose let out a soft, broken laugh, the first real one in what felt like days, as they walked side by side, leaving the weight of the Library behind them.