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The walk to the hospital wing was quiet and uneventful, as it was a short distance and there wasn’t much to be said between each other. They arrived to find a dark-haired girl pouring over some parchments on Kalder’s bedside table. When she turned around, Demi recognized her as Blake Cornell -one member of Kal’s posse. She’d quietly watched the exchange between Noel and Blake, nodding when she’d been addressed and smirking when the dark-skinned female took a shot at the blond male’s ego. The smirk was wiped off her face at the mention of Kalder’s sisters- Demi knew they had a temper when it came to their only brother. To make matters worse, Blake mentioned that Kalder had been close to dying, which only made the Gryffindor all the more emotional. All the while, her eyes had been on the boy resting on the hospital bed, and only when she heard Noel mutter an accusation towards Beatrice than she turned to face him.

[color=darkred]“Then I guess Kalder is a fucking liar, isn’t he?”[/color] Demi snapped at Noel, impulsively jumping in defense of her best friend. [color=darkred]“Wouldn’t be the first time he lies. It was an accident. [i]Balthazar[/i], as you call her so distastefully, happens to be my best friend. And I can assure you that she wouldn’t hurt a fly. It’s not the kind of person she is.”[/color]

It was only after a second that Demi realize the accusation she’d just made, and the very obvious bitterness in her voice. Her paranoia and nerves were getting the best of her, causing her to speak impulsively and get herself in sticky situations. If she didn’t start keeping herself in check, hers and Kalder’s secret would be exposed. And although at one point she would have given anything for having the freedom of showing him off as hers, today she wanted the opposite. It was in the ex-couple’s best interests that their past remained buried.

Noel raised his eyebrow, a rather interested expression on his face. What was she even saying? Turning to her, he narrowed his eyes slightly. “[color=green]Not that I want to contradict the evidence before us--[/color]” He motioned towards the unconscious Kalder. “[color=green]--But as far as I know, Kalder isn’t a liar. I’m more interested in why you think that.[/color]” His voice was surprisingly calm--albeit more confused than anything.

[color=darkred]“I- um-”[/color] Demi stuttered, blue eyes darting around nervously as she tried to find a way out of the quicksand she was sinking into. [color=darkred]“I must have been confusing him with someone else. Sorry about that. It’s late and my mind’s all over the place today.”[/color] she apologized, hoping her bullshit excuse would save her sorry ass somehow.

That was as believable as Blake’s claim that her cat did not eat Benjamin’s rat. Still, if he pushed it too far, she could end up distancing herself from him. Instead, Noel would pat her shoulder. “[color=green]It’s fine. If I’m being honest, it’s not that I blame Balthazar entirely for what happened,[/color]” He admitted. “[color=green]None of us know where Kal’s head has been. Making rookie mistakes like that...his family is a well-known apothecary, their potions are pretty well known in Britain. So someone like him doing something careless is…[/color]” Noel hesitated, not really wanting to reveal how upset he was that his own best friend had changed. 

Demi kept quiet, biting her lower lip, her eyes on her shoes. She knew very well the reason why Kalder had been acting the way he was, and it hurt her to the core to see him like this. The young woman wished she could go back in time, to wrap herself up in his embrace and his love instead of cutting off their bond. If only she’d stayed that night, Kal would be awake and thriving, and maybe -just maybe- things between them would have worked out.

Noel seemed to want to change the heavy atmosphere that had settled between them. Clearing his throat, he would instead poke Kalder’s shoulder. “[color=green]Kalder, I’ve got a pretty girl here to see you,[/color]” He offered him as a joke, looking at Demi. “[color=green]Maybe if you call out to him, he’ll wake up.[/color]”

[i]Goddamnit.[/i] In Demi’s head, the scene played out with her grabbing the flower vase on Kalder’s bedside table, smashing it in Noel’s face and running off in panic. However, this was real life, and there was no purpose for doing something like that. The imaginary quicksand she was standing in was obviously still slowly swallowing her, probably now reaching her elbows. And with the way Noel was acting, she would soon disappear into it. She was so paranoid that his compliment went straight over her head as she focused only on the part where the Slytherin male suggested she talk to her secret ex-boyfriend in an attempt to wake him from his poisoned-induced slumber.

She let out a nervous little laugh that could easily pass off as her being shy or embarrassed. [color=darkred]“I don’t really know what to say to him, though.”[/color] she said in a low voice, purposely dialing down her tone to avoid Kalder hearing her.

Mistaking her hesitation for something else, Noel would grin at her and give her a slight nudge. “[color=green]Just his name. And something dumb. Like…[/color]” He leaned over Kalder. “[color=green]Kal, get your lazy ass up![/color]”

Giving Noel a hesitant look, Demi quietly made her way to the opposite side of Kalder’s bed and leaned in. Her face was inches away from his, and she had to stop herself from pressing her lips against his forehead or cheek. [color=darkred]“K- Kalder?”[/color] she began, stumbling over her words. Referring to him by his first name -and not his last name- out loud in front of someone who didn’t have a clue about their past was awkward at best. [color=darkred]“I… I really hope you feel better soon.”[/color] And as she gently began to comb her fingers through his blond locks, to her surprise, Kalder stirred slightly. 

Noel nearly jumped as he watched Kalder groan. He was kidding, but apparently Kalder was reacting. “[color=springgreen]Demi…[/color]” He muttered. “[color=springgreen]Cakes…[/color]”

The hand caressing his hair stopped, the Gryffindor girl’s eyes as wide as saucers as she heard her old pet name coming from the unconscious man’s lips. Back when they were dating, Demi would affectionately call Kalder by ‘KalBear’: a play on the pronunciation of his name. In return, he would refer to her as his ‘DemiCakes’ due to her undying love for chocolate cauldron cakes (and pretty much all cakes in general). Sure, it was rather corny and all when they stopped to think about it, but so were they. The couple wouldn’t have it any other way. 

However, she never thought that there would be a day in which her pet name would come to bite her in the ass. 

She had to think fast. If she didn’t come up with something on the spot, Noel could easily become suspicious. Or worse: put two and two together and realize something was going on. Luckily, the short trip down Memory Lane made it so a stroke of inspiration hit Demi like a lightning bolt.

[color=darkred]“Will you look at that?”[/color] Demi said quickly, turning to Noel with a fake surprised grin. [color=darkred]“I’m pretty sure he just said ‘gimme cakes’. I guess Kalder likes cakes so much he can’t stop thinking about them.”[/color] she chuckled nervously, praying to the heavens that A) Kalder didn’t say anything more than that, B) his mumbles didn’t get any clearer or easier to understand, and C) the young man standing in front of her bought her fake-ass story yet again.

Noel burst out laughing, doing very little to control himself. “[color=green]I’m not surprised, that massive sweet tooth of his is insatiable,[/color]” He tried to quiet himself down as he realized he was much too loud.

Demi breathed a sigh of relief when Noel, yet again, bought the lie she sold him. His laugh was contagious, and the young woman couldn’t hold back the amused smile that rose to her lips. Honestly? Seeing Noel in this kind of new light- concerned for his friend and joking around with her as if she were a friend of sorts- made him kind of -dare she say it?- cute.

Against her better judgement, she decided to take the daring risk of addressing Kalder yet again. [color=darkred]“So Kalder-”[/color] Demi began, resuming her light caresses on his hair. [color=darkred]“You say to give you cake, so what kind of cake would you want?”[/color] she teased, looking up and Noel and shooting him a mischievous wink.

How he found himself wishing he was in Kalder’s place. Noel watched them for a moment, shaking his head. To his surprise, however, Kalder had the smallest smile, probably delirious. “[color=springgreen]...cherry...flavored…[/color]” He mumbled.

Demi choked for a second, and now it was her turn to burst out laughing. Although this could mean absolutely nothing to Noel, the inside joke hiding underneath Kal’s seemingly innocent words only made him look all the more endearing in her eyes. Not only was cherry Kalder’s favorite Jolly Rancher flavor, but it was also the signature flavor of Demi’s red lip gloss. And God only knew just how much of it he’d tasted on the seven months they’d dated.

[color=darkred]“Tell you what: as soon as you wake up, I’ll bake you a nice and tasty cherry cake. How does that sound?”[/color] she told him sweetly, a hard to miss adoring expression in her features. [color=darkred]“So that means that the sooner you wake up, the sooner you get to have your delicious cherry cake.”[/color] 

She had meant her words in a sweet way, but when she examined them in her head, they came out rather suggestively. Demi had a smirk on her face now as she thought of the dirty way Kalder would have interpreted her phrase if he’d been awake.

Noel bit his lower lip. “[color=green]Figures, he’d probably like that,[/color]” He commented, although he would pause for a moment. “[color=green]Have to admit, it was a joke, but...I’m starting to wonder if maybe he likes you.[/color]”

Demi scoffed. This lying thing was coming too easily to her now that she knew it could all be blamed on Kalder’s unconscious state. [color=darkred]“I doubt it. I’m pretty sure the wealthy, pure-blooded Slytherin Quidditch captain and heir to the Sigourney fortune wouldn’t have his heart set on his rivaling American half-blooded Gryffindor captain,”[/color] she replied sarcastically, heart sinking a little as she was reminded of all the reasons why things between her and Kalder were doomed from the very start. [color=darkred]“Any reason why you would come to that conclusion?”[/color] the girl asked innocently enough, secretly fishing for any suspicious clues that she and Kalder could be unknowingly dropping.

“[color=green]He seemed annoyed that we were reassigned partners,[/color]” Noel admitted, crossing his arms with a slightly smug look. “[color=green]Not that I blame him, I was pretty pleased when Professor Blackthorn informed me of the changes.[/color]”

Demi raised her eyebrows questioningly. [color=darkred]“Were you, now? You would think that a wizard with such an [i]honorable[/i] and [i]prominent[/i] pureblood ancestry like yourself would be insulted to be paired with the daughter of an American construction worker, of all people.”[/color] the sarcasm was evident in her voice, purposely egging Noel on. She was never one to give a damn about people’s descents: after all, no matter the ancestry, everyone still bled the same color red if you cut them. But this Slytherin in particular loved to boast about his blood status, so she wanted to understand the reason why he seemed so pleased with his new arrangements.

It was good to know she wasn’t completely blind to his ambition. It would make things that much sweeter. “[color=green]Where you come from is important, but it’s what you do that determines how the world sees you,[/color]” He explained. “[color=green]It may be hard to believe, but mine is the house of [i]ambition[/i]. It’s all about the future, not what has been.[/color]” Admittedly he stole that last part from Kalder himself, who had often put emphasis on what was to come.

Demi couldn’t help but laugh. [color=darkred]“You are so full of shit, Jameson. Did you know that?”[/color] she teased, informing him that she was not believing a single word of his inspirational speech.

Ouch. Still, he found it amusing, lightly biting his lower lip. “[color=green]Maybe you’ve changed my mind.[/color]” He would admit.

That took Demi off guard. Although she had a haughty scowl in her features now, her cheeks were the slightest shade of pink. His game was weak: she could see right through it. Was he even making an effort? [color=darkred]“Read my previous statement.”[/color] the girl replied, once more implying that this was another of Noel’s lies. [color=darkred]“Honestly, Jameson, I thought your seducing game was stronger than this. Are you really even trying?”[/color] She couldn’t help but smirk.

Noel stared at her for a moment, an interested expression on his face. “[color=green]Is that what you think I’m doing?[/color]” He asked her curiously, his smirk matching hers. “[color=green]I wouldn’t mind showing you what I’m [i]actually[/i] capable of.[/color]”

Once again, Demi snorted. But if you looked closely, the heat on her cheeks was slightly more visible now. Her treacherous mind had decided to take her down the rabbit hole of possibilities that Noel meant by that statement, and she had to force herself to stop before her thoughts became apparent on her face. [color=darkred]“[i]Please[/i]. We both know that if it wasn’t for Potions class I wouldn’t give you the time of day.”[/color]

Moving closer to her, Noel leaned in, one hand on the bed. “[color=green]So you’re saying I have a chance now?[/color]” He couldn’t help but tease, using her words as his own leverage.

The Gryffindor girl smirked, eyes unflinching even as her heartbeat accelerated by his closeness and the smell of his cologne. [color=darkred]“Noel, honey: you never had any in the first place.”[/color]

That should have been the end of it. And to anyone else, it would have been a sign that things were done and over with. But when it came to girls, Noel considered himself an expert. Demi wasn’t the first, nor the last to say those words to him, and it never stopped him before. His other hand reached out to her, his index finger lightly pressing under her chin and lifting her face to him. It was a very simple gesture, but even he found himself getting lost in her eyes for just a moment as he stared down at her.

“[color=green]Are you sure about that, Demetria?[/color]” He asked her, his voice somewhat husky.

If Demi’s heart had been racing moments before, the moment Noel touched her face, it went straight to cardiac arrest. Her name on his lips sounded inviting, like a mystery waiting to be discovered. And the way he was looking at her with those breathtaking blue-green eyes… She could have sworn to see sparks flying. In that instant, the defenses she had bragged about so widely had been put to the test… And they were failing.

Before either of them could properly react, Kalder shuffled and let out a cough. On instinct, Noel immediately backed away from Demi in alarm. For a split second he completely forgot about what he was doing, his eyes wide and hopeful as he looked at his friend, but unfortunately, that was all Kalder would do.

Kalder’s sudden interruption was enough to put an end to the dangerous moment that was happening between his ex-girlfriend and his best friend. Demi jumped, eyes moving away from Noel and to Kalder, hoping this was the moment he would wake up and claim her as his. Sadly, his eyes remained as closed as they had been since he’d fainted hours before. Guilt and shame at her actions immediately rose in the Gryffindor. Had she seriously been about to get [i]involved[/i] with Noel while Kalder was passed out right there next to her?! What kind of person was she?!

Fighting back the negative feelings, Demi cleared her throat, trying to look anywhere but at Noel. Her eyes landed on the grand clock at the end of the room, and she let out a gasp. [color=darkred]“Shit.”[/color] She muttered, turning to Noel and getting ready to act as if nothing had just happened. [color=darkred]“I think we should get going, Jameson. It’s getting kinda late, and we’ve still got to finish the assignment.”[/color] The young woman didn’t know if spending any more time with Noel -and by themselves, at that- was a sensible idea after the little scene they’d just had. But she wasn’t about to let some silly thing like that get in the way of her N.E.W.T.s.

Back to his last name. Somewhat disappointed, Noel watched the flustered young woman for a moment, and decided to follow along. “[color=green]Right, then,[/color]” He muttered with a nod, taking one last look at Kalder before walking out.