Chapter 2 - Secrets Between Walls

The sky over Hogwarts, painted in shades of orange, was bidding farewell to the day. The sun dipped below the horizon, and the soft evening light bathed the castle in a golden glow. Lorcan wandered through the quiet corridors, searching for a place to escape the thoughts that refused to leave him alone. James Potter's sharp words still echoed in his mind, lingering since that morning:

"If you carry on like this, you'll end up ruining things all on your own."

He dropped heavily into a chair tucked away in the darkest corner of the library, but the weight of his own emotions felt heavier than the air around him. He needed an answer to the storm raging inside him, but nothing came. Then, a soft voice—almost melancholic—broke through his solitude, pulling him back from his thoughts.

"You're radiating some seriously anxious energy, little brother."

Lorcan sighed, hardly believing what he was hearing. He looked up and found himself face to face with Lysander—his twin brother, who somehow always managed to remain calm, as if nothing in the world could ever touch him. Lysander sat there, a book on Magical Creatures resting on his lap, his gaze drifting over the pages but his attention clearly focused on Lorcan. He had a strange way of noticing everything around him, as if he could sense even the things left unsaid.

"Lysander, I'm older than you by three minutes," Lorcan muttered, trying to avoid his brother's knowing stare.

Lysander smiled—one of those dreamy, faraway smiles that seemed to come straight from the Lovegood side of the family. He closed his book with a quiet snap, placing it on the table before turning his full attention to Lorcan, his bright eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Three minutes don't change the fact that you're carrying way too much tension. Did a Boggart scare you?"

Lorcan huffed, crossing his arms. Lysander's words sounded so casual, yet somehow, they cut straight to the heart of the matter.

"It's not a Boggart."

Lysander tilted his head slightly, now genuinely intrigued.

"Oh, then it must be something worse."

"And what could be worse than a Boggart?" Lorcan shot back, defiant.

"Your own feelings," Lysander replied, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Especially the ones you're trying to hide."

Lorcan fell silent. He knew his brother was right, but he wasn't ready to admit it. The air felt thick, heavy with something unspoken.

"It's about Roxanne, isn't it?" Lysander asked, his voice calm, steady.

The question sent Lorcan's heart racing. He shut his eyes for a moment, as if willing the truth away. He couldn't bear the weight of it anymore, but he had no idea how to deal with it.

"Why does everyone keep bringing this up?" Lorcan exhaled, frustration evident in his voice, trying to dodge what he knew was inevitable.

"Because everyone can see it. Well—everyone except, maybe, Fred."

The mention of Fred Weasley made his stomach twist. Nothing unsettled him more than imagining Fred's reaction if he ever found out how he felt about his sister.

Lysander seemed to pick up on his discomfort immediately.

"You're afraid of how he'll react," he observed, his voice unnervingly calm.

Lorcan couldn't hide the fear that gripped him. His fingers intertwined nervously on the table.

"Of course I am!" he exclaimed, lowering his voice to avoid attracting Madam Pince's attention. "He's my best friend! If he thinks I'm betraying his trust, I'll never forgive myself."

Lysander remained silent for a moment, his blue eyes fixed on Lorcan, as if trying to decipher what else could be said.

"Have you ever considered that he might react differently from how you expect?" he asked at last.

Lorcan straightened in his chair, a shadow of doubt flickering in his gaze.

"I have. But I've also considered what happens if he doesn't take it well."

Lysander shrugged, unbothered by rushing to conclusions.

"You could spend your whole life avoiding risks, Lorcan. But sometimes, the risk is worth it." He met his brother's gaze with quiet seriousness. "You'll never know unless you take the chance."

Lorcan narrowed his eyes, thoughtful. His brother had a point. He couldn't keep living in this limbo. Maybe it was time to face what was in his heart, no matter what happened.

Roxanne Weasley strode through the corridors of Hogwarts with a determination that was almost tangible. She'd waited long enough for Lorcan, who seemed lost in his own thoughts. If he wasn't going to act, then she would.

She found him just as he was leaving the library, shoulders tense, expression distant, eyes fixed on some unseen point only he could see. She approached with purposeful steps.

"We need to talk," she said, her voice direct, leaving no room for argument.

Lorcan stopped instantly, as if frozen in time.

"Now?" he asked, his voice laced with surprise.

"Yes, now. Come with me."

Roxanne didn't give him a chance to protest. With a swift movement, she grabbed his wrist and led him into an empty classroom—one of the many used for group study.

She shut the door behind her with a sigh, then crossed her arms, fixing him with a stare so intense that Lorcan felt utterly exposed, as if there was nowhere to hide.

"Right. Now you're going to tell me," she demanded, challenging him.

Lorcan blinked, unsure how to respond.

"Tell you what?"

"What's going on with you. Why have you been avoiding me?"

Roxanne's voice was soft but firm, and he felt his chest tighten. The last thing he wanted was to deal with this now, but there was no escaping it anymore.

"I haven't been avoiding you," he tried to deflect, but she cut him off with a piercing look.

"Yes, you have," she countered, unwavering. "And I want to know why."

Lorcan averted his gaze, the weight of her words pressing down on him. He tried to summon the courage to speak, but the words remained trapped in his throat.

"Rox, I..." He started, but it didn't come out the way he wanted.

"Lorcan."

She took a step closer, and the way she said his name sent his stomach into knots. He couldn't put this off any longer. He closed his eyes for a moment, gathering the strength to continue.

"I'm just... trying not to ruin things."

She frowned, confused.

"What things?"

Lorcan ran a hand through his already messy blond hair, frustration evident in the gesture.

"Our friendship. My relationship with Fred. Everything."

Roxanne hesitated. Something in his voice made her wonder what lay behind all that tension.

"What does Fred have to do with this?" she asked, curiosity written on her face.

Lorcan let out a nervous, humourless laugh.

"You know. He's my best mate. How do you think he'll react if he finds out I fancy his sister?"

The silence between them stretched for a moment, heavy, and Roxanne felt a cold shock ripple through her body. His words hit her harder than she'd expected.

"You like me?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Lorcan's eyes widened, and it was only at that moment that he realised what he'd just said. His eyes went even wider, and he found himself lost for words.

"I..."

She stepped towards him, now walking with the certainty in her steps.

"You like me..." she repeated, more as a statement than a question.

Lorcan froze. Roxanne then smiled, with an unexpected lightness.

"And you were so busy worrying about Fred that you forgot to consider whether I like you."

Lorcan's heart raced. He could barely breathe, and for a moment, it felt as though the world had stopped.

"You...?" he asked, almost breathless.

"I do." Roxanne answered, simply and clearly, though a bit shy as she moved even closer to him. She took his hand gently, intertwining their fingers.

Lorcan watched the scene unfold in slow motion, as though everything was happening in a dream. Roxanne closed the distance between them further, as if it were possible.

"So..." Her voice was almost a soft, but mysterious whisper. Lorcan found it incredibly attractive, and a chill ran down his spine as if he'd just taken a sip of Firewhisky. "If you're so worried about my brother, I think we have only one alternative."

Lorcan swallowed hard, his heart racing. He could no longer control the anxiety that was overtaking him.

"What?" he asked, his voice quiet, trembling.

Roxanne smiled, her brown eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint.

"We can keep this a secret."

Lorcan blinked.

"You want... to hide this?" Lorcan asked, doubt clear in his voice. Even he didn't know exactly what the "this" meant, but something deep inside him told him he was somehow getting lost in this moment. The scene felt surreal, as though it were nothing more than a passing thought in his head, something he couldn't yet process.

Roxanne watched him with a calmness that contrasted with the storm of emotions he was trying to control. Her eyes were so certain, so determined. It was as though she knew exactly what she was doing.

"For now. Until you're comfortable talking to my brother, since that's so important to you," she replied with a serenity that seemed to give him some relief. As if, somehow, she were more sure of everything than he was.

Lorcan hesitated, looking at her. She was there, before him, with a patience that almost felt magical, as if she understood all his uncertainties yet was willing to wait, no rush, no pressure. He'd held himself back for far too long. It was impossible to stay in that dilemma, in that indecision.

"This seems like a terrible idea," he said, though somewhere inside him, he knew it was exactly the opposite.

"Probably is," Roxanne chuckled softly, as if she enjoyed knowing that he still had doubts. As if his fear and confusion were part of what made this moment feel so real.

"But do you think we should do it anyway?" he asked, not really wanting to hear the answer, but knowing there was no way out.

She smiled in a way that seemed to understand everything he couldn't say, the energy around her radiating confidence.

"I'm sure we should."

Lorcan didn't have time to think it over more. She moved closer to him, a smooth motion, and he stepped back against the table behind him, still taller than her, feeling the tension in the air. Then, in a split second, the world around them disappeared. Their lips met in a kiss that seemed to stop time, a moment that was just theirs. The scent of jasmine from Roxanne's hair filled his senses, and the warm touch of her hands holding his face made the ground beneath his feet vanish.

He'd never felt something so deep, so right, and yet so overwhelming. She smiled against his lips, a mischievous smile full of promises, before deepening the kiss. Everything inside him seemed to ignite. How had they managed to wait so long for this moment? How had he ignored this desire, the one that now seemed to flood him completely?

Lorcan slid his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Roxanne's body fit perfectly against his, as though, finally, he could allow himself to feel everything he'd kept inside for all those years.

When they finally pulled away, Roxanne's eyes were sparkling, playful, with a look he recognised as a mixture of amusement and certainty.

"Well," she whispered, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "I think now you can't run away from me."

Lorcan chuckled softly, his fingers brushing Roxanne's face as her forehead rested against his. Their closeness, the softness of the moment, made everything feel more real than it had ever been.

"Now I'm sure this is a terrible idea," he said, with a quiet laugh, almost inaudible, as if trying to convince himself but failing.

Roxanne didn't move, her eyes still glowing challengingly, captivating. She knew he wasn't really questioning what they were doing. It was just the fear of the unknown that still held him back.

"But you won't back out," she replied, her voice calm but with a firmness Lorcan couldn't ignore.

He sighed, his chest tight, and a small smile appeared at the corner of his lips, his heart still racing from everything that had just happened.

"Not even if I wanted to," he murmured, more to himself than to her.

Roxanne tightened her grip on his hand, as though marking the moment, sealing it with a silent pact that bound them together more than any words could.

"So it's a secret. Just ours." she affirmed, and there was something precious and inevitable in the way she said it. As though it was the only thing that made sense.

Lorcan looked at her, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension, but when his eyes met hers, he knew nothing else mattered. He was getting himself into a huge mess, something that could change everything around him, but looking at Roxanne, he didn't care in the slightest. What mattered now was that, finally, he was here, with her, and there was no turning back.

And, somehow, he didn't want there to be.