The library was quiet, though the weight of the tension between Rowena and me made the air feel thicker than usual. Candles flickered across the shelves, casting long shadows over the piles of parchment and half-finished spells. I sat at my usual table, quill in hand, pretending to work—but my mind kept drifting to her presence.
Rowena stayed near the doorway, her hands folded lightly in front of her, eyes flicking between me and the scattered notes across the desk. I could feel her hesitation, the careful way she didn't step too close, didn't try to speak too loudly.
"Seraphina…" she started softly, and I immediately tensed, hand gripping the quill tighter.
I didn't look up. "Don't," I muttered, voice low but sharp. "Not yet."
She froze, then let out a quiet sigh. "I understand. I just… I wanted to say that I never meant to hurt you. Not like that."
I clenched my jaw. My hand hovered over the parchment, ink ready, my anger simmering just below the surface. But something in her tone—the gentleness, the sincerity—made me pause.
"I know," I said finally, not looking at her. "It… it still stings. A lot. I thought… well, I thought maybe…" My words trailed off as I pushed the emotion down, letting the quill scratch against the paper instead.
She stepped a little closer, carefully, like approaching a wild animal. "Seraphina, I care about you. You know that. You're like… a little sister to me. A very special little sister."
I flinched, my shoulders stiffening. "You know that's not exactly comforting," I muttered, my voice almost a whisper.
Rowena let out a small, almost nervous laugh. "I know. I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to make it harder." She glanced around the library, eyes softening as she took in the space I'd made mine. "This place… it's amazing. The work you've done here. The spells, the organization… it's incredible."
I finally looked up at her, quill resting on the page. Her gaze met mine, steady and unjudging. My chest tightened, and for a moment, I thought I might melt under the weight of it.
"Thanks," I said quietly, the word almost foreign on my lips. "I… I've put a lot into this. And it's… nice to have someone notice."
She smiled, the tension in her posture easing slightly. "I do notice. And I appreciate you. Even if we… have awkward moments."
I let out a short, humorless laugh, the tension in my chest loosening just a fraction. "Yeah… we do, don't we?"
Rowena took another step closer, still careful, still respectful of the space between us. "I want us to… get past this, Seraphina. I don't want things to be weird between us forever. You're important to me."
Her words caught me off guard. Important. Not just in passing, not just as a friend, but important. Something inside me shifted, the tight knot of humiliation and anger loosening just a little.
"I… want that too," I admitted softly, nibbling on my lower lip. "It's… hard, you know? I thought I could just… move on, but…" My voice faltered, and I shook my head, staring back down at the parchment.
Rowena stepped closer and, surprisingly, lightly rested a hand on my shoulder. "Hey," she said gently. "It's okay. We'll figure it out. Together. No rush."
Her touch was warm, grounding, and I felt my shoulders finally relax, a little. The fire in my chest cooled, replaced with a hesitant sense of relief.
I smiled faintly, still nervous, still embarrassed, but a little more at ease. "Okay… together," I repeated softly.
And for the first time since the rejection, the library didn't feel heavy. The spells, the parchment, the flickering candlelight—it all felt lighter. A little more like home.
Rowena and I sat together, awkwardly close but careful, talking quietly about books, magic, and the school. Each word, each shared glance, slowly chipped away at the wall that had formed between us.
The tension wasn't gone. Not entirely. But for the first time in weeks, it felt like maybe… just maybe… it could be mended.