Iliana laughed quietly at Nova’s dramatic relief, shaking her head as she slung her bag over her shoulder. “You say that now, but if half your answers are right already, I reserve the right to complain while helping you.” Nova’s sing-song teasing earned an immediate warmth in her cheeks again, and s...

Iliana smiled faintly as Nova explained herself, glancing sideways at the increasingly detailed sketches appearing across the page. “I think people just aren’t used to someone offering nice things without expecting something back,” she whispered back honestly. “Which is sad, now that I say it out lo...

Iliana couldn’t help the quiet laugh that escaped her as she listened to Nova and Nate go back and forth. There was something endlessly entertaining about the way Nova steamrolled straight through Nate’s stoicism without a shred of fear. “You say that like greeting overwhelmed first years isn’t exac...

Iliana felt him before she saw him, the touch at the center of her back enough to draw a small smile to her lips as she glanced over her shoulder at him. “Mm. Onto the next,” she agreed softly. And when he left the choice open subtle as always she answered it without hesitation. Her fingers slid eas...

Iliana felt the words settle somewhere deep, quieter than the teasing that usually passed between them. The honesty in it, the way he admitted what she did for him; made her chest tighten just a little. And then he had to go and say that . She blinked at him, caught off guard, and sure enough, a fai...

Iliana let him talk, hearing the fatigue under his words as clearly as the concern. It softened something in her all over again, because for all Nate tried to carry everything himself, moments like this made it obvious just how much weight he kept braced on those shoulders. When he took her hand, he...

Iliana felt it immediately; the way Nate shifted, the way his arm came around her and pulled her in closer without hesitation. It caught her off guard for half a second, not because she minded, but because it was… different. More open. More certain. More public than he had ever been before. Her fing...

Iliana hadn’t meant to overhear. Really, she hadn’t but Nate’s voice carried just enough edge to it that it caught her attention before she even rounded the corner. And Sophie’s… well, Sophie never exactly lowered her voice. Ili slowed just slightly as she approached, catching enough to piece things...

Iliana smiled to herself at his exasperation, a soft, content sound escaping her as she settled even more comfortably against him. If she leaned any closer, she’d practically melt into him; and honestly, she didn’t see a problem with that. His steady warmth, the slow rhythm of his breathing, the way...

Iliana hummed softly at the feel of his hand moving in slow, steady circles across her back, her body relaxing even more against his. She tucked her face briefly into the crook of his neck, breathing him in like the moment might slip away if she didn’t anchor herself to it. “I don’t think I’ll be ge...

Iliana let out a soft, almost surprised laugh into the kiss, the sound caught somewhere between relief and joy. When he pulled her toward him and shifted them under the blanket, she didn’t resist in the slightest; if anything, she melted into it, settling sideways across his lap like it was exactly ...

Iliana didn’t miss it. Not the way his gaze dipped to her mouth, not the way his breath changed just a fraction, not the quiet tension humming between them like a held note. Nate might have thought he was being subtle, but he was far too close for that now. Her smile softened instead of fading, eyes...

Iliana felt it immediately; the shift of his leg, the weight of his hand settling on her thigh like it had always belonged there. Her breath caught, just barely, but she didn’t pull away. If anything, she leaned into it, turning her cheek more fully into his palm when he lifted his hand, eyes soften...

Iliana watched him fidget beneath the blanket, the way he kept giving her space even while inching closer, and it tugged at something painfully familiar in her chest. He talked around it; around them, but she could hear it anyway. In the pauses. In the way he wouldn’t quite look at her when he said ...

Iliana didn’t look at him at first. Not when he moved closer and sat down, not even when he spoke again. Her gaze stayed fixed on the edge of her mug like she was afraid to meet his eyes and see something she couldn’t handle. But his words quiet, steady, heartfelt settled around her like the blanket...

Iliana was quiet as he spoke, her eyes fixed on the edge of her mug like it might hold the answers she hadn’t been able to find for years. She listened, and though there were no sharp edges to his words, they still hit deep in ways she didn’t expect. Taking another slow sip, more for something to do...

Refilling the mug she sat the bottle down on the side table and sat back down in her chair with a soft huff of noise. "Of course," came when he spoke explaining why his father had bothered to tell him the story. Though his comment about refusing to tell anyone on pain of torture because th...

Ili stood there just sort of staring at him as he stumbled over himself to answer her question about how he'd found her place and shook her head some, "Nate it's fine… I was just curious. You're welcome here." Making her way back into the room her steps slowed when he mentioned why he'd co...

Ili shook her head instantly, "It's not too much. I don't want to see you destroy yourself or give up on your dreams just because well, you know…" She didn't want to say it outloud, Hogwarts walls had many ears and the less said outwardly the better honestly. She nodded absently, "If ...

Ili had left school grounds as quickly as she could once Winter break had come, heading straight for her apartment with Astra and Pika in tow. Aunt Marya would be furious if she left either at the school over the break. She'd settled in and aside from a few shopping trips along Diagon Alley, Ili had...

Iliana watched him closely as he spoke, her expression unreadable at first but not because she didn’t care. Quite the opposite. As anyone who knew her would see she was trying to think, to solve, in that fiercely quiet way of hers that came out when someone she cared about was hurting. “I hate that ...

Iliana’s smile softened at his words, a quiet understanding in her gaze. "Parents do have a way of making sure we never escape those conversations, don’t they?" she mused, amusement laced with something more knowing. "No matter how much we accomplish, there’s always another expectatio...

Iliana’s expression softened as she listened, her heart twisting at the weight in Nathaniel’s voice. She shifted slightly on the bench, her fingers curling together in her lap as she considered her words. “Nate…” she started, her voice quieter now, thoughtful. “You shouldn’t have had to carry that a...

It was nice to see she wasn't the only one feeling a bit nervous when he offered his arm she carefully took hold of it giving him a little smile in return. "I would love too, thank you." Ili let him lead them, glancing around as they walked through the space. It looked beautiful, more than...

Originally Iliana hadn't planned on attending the dance, she just felt too stress to have a party even knowing Winter break followed and she'd have plenty of time to study then. But Aunt Marya had owled her and Ili could have swore she felt her excitement for dress shopping through the parchment. An...