Chapter Text
SIMON
It all started when Baz came back late for term, when he burst through the doors and waltz in like he hadn’t been missing for weeks. I stood up even as Penny tried to pull me to sit back down. He turned and looked at me with that sneer that I hadn’t seen in so long. He looked different too. Rougher, like he had been doing something that was hard. He looked thinner and paler, which I didn’t think was possible. And he looked like he was limping a little.
“I’m not the Queen, Snow. You don’t have to stand when I walk by.” Students started coughing as my magic bubbled up to the surface and Penny tugged on my arm harder.
“Si, come on.”
“What’s the matter Snow? Miss me?” Baz raised an eyebrow. That wanker.
“No, I…I. Of course, I d-” I couldn’t get the words to come out. I didn’t miss Baz, I just wanted to know where he was, what he was plotting. I hated when I had no clue when he would pop back up or what he would do when he did. I enjoyed having the room to myself, at least I keep trying to tell myself that. His smell was fading from the room, and it felt strange, like he was supposed to be around until the war, when we try to kill each other. He wasn’t supposed to leave before that.
“Come on Snow, use your words,” he taunts. I can feel myself getting more and more frustrated and more students start to cough. I think worry or fear flashes in his eyes for a second before his face is unreadable again.
“Whatever Snow. Don’t go blowing up the dining hall.” I watch Baz saunter away and I find that I don’t understand. He normally fights until I go off, but maybe he doesn’t want to risk the student body being in the way. He will probably taunt me more in our room.
I don’t realize that I’m still smoking until Penny speaks up again.
“Simon, you have to calm down,” she says as she coughs. I finally look down at where she is sitting. She looks like she is struggling to breathe, and I notice that Aggie had left sometime between Baz and I arguing. I try to take a deep breathe, but then I see Baz again and my magic flares back up to the surface.
I run from the dining hall, not stopping when I hear Penny yell behind me. Not stopping when Baz watches with his eyebrow raised. Not stopping until I am back in our room at the top of Mummers and I’m laying face down in my bed. I don’t understand what is wrong with Baz. He comes back to school like it hasn’t been weeks. He didn’t even say anything about it, and it didn’t seem like anyone else was going to either.
I don’t know how much time passes until I hear Baz open the door. He doesn’t say anything as the door closes behind him and he starts shuffling things around. I assume he is unpacking, but I don’t lift my head to check. When I finally do turn to look at him, he is already sitting at his desk doing homework. I suppose he probably has a lot to catch up on. He probably isn’t even worried about it; he is probably that sure of himself. And he probably knew everything we covered anyways. He is a posh wanker like that.
I stare at him for a few more minutes, hoping he will shift or move or do something that tells me that he knows I’m watching him. He doesn’t. Baz has too much self-control. I sit up in my bed and stare at him harder. He still doesn’t acknowledge me.
“Where were you?” I demand.
“Has no one taught you to be polite Snow? At least start a conversation with hello,” Baz says. He sounds bored and he doesn’t even turn to look at me.
“Tell me where you were,” I repeat. He doesn’t answer.
“Baz, tell me where you were.” I stand up and start to move towards him. He finally turns around when I get close to his desk. He stands up and I swear those three inches have gotten bigger. I bet he does it just to annoy me.
“I don’t have to tell you a damn thing Snow,” he sneers.
“What were you plotting? The Mage’s downfall, my death?” I accuse. Baz actually smiles a bit. I bet he was doing exactly that.
“Sure Snow. I was out sitting with my family in our secret gothic mansion plotting how to kill you and the Mage at the same time without anyone knowing. I was missing the beginning of term because it is much more important for me to kill you than to get a proper education.”
I can’t believe he actually admitted what he was doing. Maybe I finally got him too- Baz starts to laugh. Like deep belly laugh that causes him to double over. It takes me a minute to realize why he is laughing but then I get it. My magic starts to leak again.
“That isn’t funny Baz. I thought you- “
“Thought what, Snow? That I would actually tell you if I was plotting something like that or that you believe my family has a gothic mansion?”
“I- Well, I thought- “my words get tangled up again and I can’t spit anything out. The smoke in the room gets thicker and it seems like it doesn’t even bother Baz. It bothers everyone but him.
“Seriously Snow, even you can’t be that thick.” He straightens back up but looks like he is struggling to hold in a laugh.
“Why would you say something like that?” I ask.
“Oh, come on Snow. I thought you could take a joke.” I can never tell what Baz is thinking. If he is being serious or just fucking around still. I hate it. I hate him.
“Whatever Snow.” He rolls his eyes and walks away. I can’t seem to make my feet move to catch him. He gathers some clothes and a towel and goes into the ensuite. I hear the shower start and I can finally move. I plop down on my bed and rest my head on my knees. Baz makes me so angry; he is just so- I don’t even know. Maybe it would have been better for him to stay gone, even if it was driving me crazy. I start to think of ways to get him to move out, but I’m not sure any of them would ever work, or if I really want them to work. I didn’t like when it was just me in our room. It felt way too big. The only sound in the room is the water in the shower, that is until I hear a crash and a yelp from the bathroom and then I hear nothing but the shower again. I don’t even think before I bust my way into the ensuite to see what is going on. Baz is laying on the floor of the bathtub and he looks pissed.
BAZ
Snow has been a bother since I came back. Sure my entrance was dramatic, but I missed the first weeks of term, I needed some flare. And I wanted his attention. I should have known he wasn’t going to stop demanding where I was until I told him something or he actually figured it out. I hoped it would be the former because I’m not sure I can live down the fact that numpties kidnapped me and kept me in a coffin for those weeks.
It’s not something I want to relive, ever. I thought I was going to die, again, in that coffin. I don’t think they meant to hurt me; I just think they didn’t know what they were doing. I think someone sent them after me. And I’m sure that someone is the Mage.
I tried to study but Simon kept staring at me and it took everything in me to not shift under his gaze. It felt a lot like fifth year again when he was constantly watching me..
“Where were you?” He demands.
“Has no one taught you to be polite Snow? At least start a conversation with hello,” I wish he would actually say hello to me. I’m not sure we ever have. I try to sound bored, even though I hope he keeps talking to me.
“Tell me where you were,” he demands again. I don’t give him an answer this time. I’m not going to tell him the truth. He would have to spell it out of me, but he wouldn’t. Truth spells are illegal, and it would be a bad look for the Chosen One to force his roommate to admit to being kidnapped.
“Baz, tell me where you were.” When he finally stands up and stops just behind me, I can’t take it anymore. I stand up, challenging him. I feel satisfied that I still have three inches over him.
“I don’t have to tell you a damn thing Snow,” I say, pouring as much venom as I can into my voice.
“What were you plotting? The Mage’s downfall, my death?” He asks. I can’t help but smile at this. It’s kind of funny because I haven’t plotted a damn thing since I realized I was in love with him in fifth year.
“Sure Snow. I was out sitting with my family in our secret gothic mansion plotting how to kill you and the Mage at the same time without anyone knowing. I was missing the beginning of term because it is much more important for me to kill you than to get a proper education.” I lie. I watch his face light up and I realize he actually believes me. I can’t hold back my laugh and then Snow gets upset.
His magic pours out of him, and it makes me want to step closer, push harder, but I can’t. I move around him and gather my clothes and a towel. I need to shower. Even after all of the showers at Hampshire, I still feel dirty. I don’t think the feeling is going away any time soon.
I slam the door to the ensuite and start the shower and make it as hot as possible. As soon as I step underneath the spray, I relax. My leg has been bothering me since I got out of the coffin and no healing spell seemed to help. I let the hot water warm me up and relax my muscles for a few minutes before I actually start to shower.
Apparently, my leg was a bit worse than I thought because the second I reach for my soap, my leg gives out and sends me crashing to the floor. I make the most undignified yelp, as I hit the floor. The room spins for a minute as water keeps pouring down my face and I struggle to get up. Everything hurts again and I really hope Simon left the room.
The door to the ensuite flies open, because how could I even think I could be that lucky, as Simon busts in the room and sees me on the floor of the bathtub. I must have grabbed the curtain on my way down because it is currently in a heap, thankfully covering me. I feel heat rush to my face and curse the fact that I drank before coming back.
“Snow.” I groan. He stands there and stares at me, saying nothing. If you could die of embarrassment, I would be dead for the second time.