Victor walked into the Great Hall, holding Adele's hand tightly. The moment they crossed the threshold, the girl noticed Luna and immediately hurried over to her. Victor, without a second thought, headed toward his own table. When Daphne saw him, she quickly tried to stand up and leave, but in the blink of an eye, he was right beside her, softly but firmly pushing her back down into her seat. Then, he silently sat down in his own place next to her.
The Slytherin table froze. The entire house had been whispering for a long time about how strangely these two were acting: Victor had vanished completely, while Daphne had become detached and barely spoke to anyone. Because of this, their grand faction had been left entirely without a leader. Now, dozens of curious eyes bored into the pair.
— I'm sorry, — Victor uttered just a single word, but there was a palpable sincerity in it.
Daphne didn't even turn her head, continuing to inspect her plate as though Victor didn't exist at all. He gave a self-deprecating smile.
— You know, I spent half the night yesterday thinking about how to apologize. I wrote poems, played out scenarios... I thought about how to do it beautifully, dramatically, and with flair, just the way I like it.
Daphne kept maintaining an icy silence as she listened to him.
— You know, today I was betrayed by a good friend. I was ready to attack him, even though I knew I didn't stand a chance of defeating him. And while my head was spinning with thoughts of how best to tear into his throat, I suddenly thought of you. Of Hermione. You both consider me a close friend, yet I take you for granted. Well of course, I'm Victor Moss, I do what I want, when I want, — he chuckled bitterly. — And then I suddenly calmed down. I realized that this friend of mine acts exactly the same way, albeit more covertly: possessing immense power, he simply does what he sees fit, without any regard for the feelings of others.
Daphne finally shifted her gaze to him. Not just her—everyone sitting nearby held their breath.
— And while I was pondering whether to be angry with him or just forget it, I had a conversation with my sister. We didn't have any dramatic speeches or grand gestures. She was just there for me, and that lifted all my sorrow, — Victor smiled, looking Daphne straight in the eyes. — Anyway, what I'm getting at is... I'm not going to get down on one knee or put on a grand performance. Just, please, forgive me. I was wrong.
Daphne took a deep breath. Seeing his unusual sincerity, she was already prepared to forgive him, even though she was still a little angry. But before she could even open her mouth, he continued:
— And just so you know: I'm apologizing for disappearing, not for the kiss.
A dead silence fell over the Slytherin table, which, like a chain reaction, instantly rippled across the entire hall.
— The kiss was wonderful, — Victor admitted nonchalantly, while Daphne slowly began to turn beet red. — Even if it was without tongue, it was marvelous. And since I've decided to be more honest with the people close to me, I would like to...
He didn't get to finish. Daphne, whose face was now redder than a tomato, suddenly jumped up, caught his arm in a death grip, and literally dragged the bewildered Victor out of the hall under hundreds of stunned stares.
— Hey, it was hard to hear from here! Did I get that right—did Victor just confess his love to her? — the moment the doors slammed shut behind the pair, one of the Gryffindors asked loudly.
— No, I think he was just about to kiss her... or something like that. God, he's so bold! — a girl at the Hufflepuff table chimed in enthusiastically.
— No, not at all! They've already kissed, and then he dumped her, — explained someone from Slytherin who had been sitting closest and heard every word.
— Wait, I don't get it: are they dating or have they already broken up?!
While the entire hall buzzed with gossip about Victor and Daphne, a sudden commotion broke out at the Ravenclaw table. Several plates shattered to pieces all by themselves, and goblets clinked plaintively as they covered in cracks.
The members of Victor's faction immediately glanced at Adele, assuming it was yet another outburst from his possessive sister. However, genuine surprise was frozen on Adele's face—because this wave of magic hadn't come from her at all.
— Adele... for some reason, I suddenly feel very sad, — Luna said quietly. Her usually relaxed palms were now tightly clenched into fists.
Adele stared into her friend's face for a long moment, then slowly shook her head.
— That's called jealousy, Luna. You'll have to get used to it if you plan to keep hanging around my brother.
— Jealousy? — Luna tilted her head thoughtfully. — Are you feeling sad right now too?
Adele let out a short chuckle, a sound that boded nothing good.
— No, silly. I'm not sad. I am furious.
If anyone had dared to look into her eyes at that moment, they would have recoiled in horror: her irises had darkened, becoming almost pitch-black, as if absorbing all the light around her.
After running far enough away from the Great Hall, Daphne finally stopped. Her face was burning, and her breathing was ragged.
— What... what do you think you're doing?! — she cried out, her voice trembling with indignation.
— What? I was just apologizing, — Victor replied calmly, with a casual shrug of his shoulders.
— Just apologizing?! Why did you have to tell the whole school about... about... about...
— About the kiss?
— Yes! Do you have any idea what they'll think of us now?! — Daphne buried her face in her hands in despair, hiding her scorching cheeks.
Victor stepped closer and began to gently stroke her back to soothe her.
— Well, I figured if I was completely honest, you'd forgive me faster.
Daphne looked up at him, her eyes full of confusion. Then she straightened up, adjusted her robes, and took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure.
— Fine. You claim that you're going to be honest with me from now on? — Victor nodded confidently. — No stupid jokes or ambiguous nonsense?
Victor nodded again.
— Alright. Then tell me... what happened that evening... does it mean anything at all to you?
— No.
Daphne went numb. She couldn't understand what she was feeling at that moment. Hearing such a swift, cold response, she should have been offended or flown into a rage. Yet, whether because of his absolute honesty or something else, she didn't feel insulted.
— Listen, — Victor continued softly. — Do I love you? Definitely not. Do I like you? Yes, perhaps, though I haven't fully figured it out myself yet. One thing I know for certain: you are a close friend of mine, and I was genuinely upset when I realized I had hurt you.
Daphne listened in silence, trying to wrap her head around his strange logic.
— But then... why did you kiss me?
Victor shrugged again, a slight smile playing on his lips.
— I just felt like it. I don't know... The mood was right, it was a fitting moment. I wanted to kiss you, so I did. And I don't regret it one bit. To be honest, I'm even proud of myself.
Daphne was completely baffled. In the end, she simply gave up, letting her shoulders drop helplessly.
— You can be as proud of yourself as you like, but your sister is definitely going to try to kill me now.
Victor paused to reflect for a moment, putting a finger to his chin.
— The probability of that is roughly fifty-fifty.
— Why?! Knowing Adele, she must be sharpening her knife already!
— You see, my dear little sister is growing wiser, — Victor sighed heavily, leaning against the windowsill. — She's starting to realize that I'm the one to blame for the abundance of girls around me. So our odds are even: either she comes for you, or... — Victor shuddered visibly, instinctively covering his groin with his hands, — or she comes for me.
Daphne couldn't help but chuckle. Victor, however, scowled, turning to her with a pout.
— You think it's funny? Well, I don't. All you stand to lose is your life. But I risk losing the one thing without which this entire life will completely lose its meaning!
Daphne merely shook her head and was just about to say something back when she suddenly froze. Victor's face was completely serious. There was no familiar smirk, not a shred of theatricality—in this moment, he was entirely, chillingly sincere.
— You're joking right now, aren't you? — she asked cautiously.
Victor shook his head.
— No. My manhood is dearer to me than your life or even my own. You wouldn't understand, being a girl, but if you take away a man's... ahem, weapon, then everything else loses its meaning. It's a fate far worse than death.
Daphne blinked in astonishment a couple of times, processing what she had just heard, and suddenly snorted into her fist, bursting into loud, genuine laughter.
— Ha-ha-ha! How... how could I even be mad at you?! — she managed to squeeze out through oncoming tears, barely able to breathe from laughing so hard.
Victor raised an eyebrow in bewilderment, watching her reaction.
— Ha-ha-ha! I just forgot... How could I forget that you... you're just crazy! Utterly insane! Victor, you're out of your mind!
Daphne fell into a state of pure hysterics. She kept laughing, her whole body shaking, until the storm of emotions gradually subsided, replaced by a pleasant, hollow exhaustion.
— Done laughing? — Victor asked quietly when she finally quieted down.
Daphne, still smiling, nodded and carefully wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
— Why did I ever get involved with you?.. And fell in love like a fool, to boot. Damn it, I fell in love with a madman! But I've gotten so used to you that I completely stopped noticing your quirks.
Victor nodded understandingly.
— I agree, you're a fool. So, am I forgiven?
— What choice do I have? You won't leave me alone anyway.
Victor scowled in thought, crossing his arms over his chest.
— Hmm... You know, if you really want that... I can try to leave you alone.
Daphne froze, silently searching his face. Then, smirking, she suddenly closed the distance, caught his head in her hands, stood up on her tiptoes, and kissed him herself. Victor froze for a fraction of a second from the surprise, but quickly joined the game—since she had gone on the offensive herself, he simply couldn't refuse her.
However, just as he raised his hands to wrap his arms around her, Daphne pulled back immediately. Victor let out a disappointed sigh.
— And what was that just now? — he asked, tilting his head in puzzlement.
Daphne shrugged carelessly.
— I don't know. I just felt like it.
— Oh... One to one.
With a victorious smile, Daphne turned around and began to walk away down the corridor. Victor, shaking his head, quickly caught up and fell into step beside her.
— Next time we'll try it with tongue, — he suggested in all seriousness.
Daphne raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at him.
— What makes you think there will even be a next time?
— Well, why not? To be honest, I didn't even dare hope for a second time, and yet look here—progress! — He nudged her playfully with his shoulder. — Don't worry, I know how to use my tongue masterfully, you're bound to love it.
Daphne stopped for a second, staring at his back, shook her head resignedly, and continued on her way. Victor's cane materialized in his hand, and he began to tap it rhythmically against the stone floor, setting the pace for their walk.
— So, my lovely assistant, what are our plans for the rest of the day?
— None. All classes have been canceled due to the incident with the Chamber of Secrets, — she mused for a moment. — We could hold some extracurricular sessions. You've been gone for a long time, and our faction has grown quite lazy.
— Ah... The moment daddy steps away for a bit, the kids start misbehaving, — Victor chuckled. — Well then, we shall dedicate this day to collective enlightenment. And by the way, don't forget to invite that girl from Ravenclaw... uh... whatever, I won't even bother trying to remember.
Daphne immediately understood who he meant, and her face suddenly turned serious:
— What about your sister?
— Adele? — Victor thought for a moment. — Well, that's simple: the moment we run into her in the corridor—we scatter in opposite directions. And whoever she runs after will be the one to deal with that problem.