Chapter Text
You were rummaging through her suitcase. It was break time, everyone was in the common room having supper.
You managed to steal the keys to her room from Morella. She is an easy one, sweet but surely not fragile if she hadn't let her go to Annabel's group. You scoffed at the gun you saw in the suitcase. "Knew you weren't that clean one." "Pff— sewing kit. What is she? A medieval lady?" You scratched the back of your neck, realising perhaps that was stupid. "Victorian lady," you muttered, correcting yourself.
You were about to close the suitcase when you noticed something. "There it is," you whispered to yourself in disbelief. "This ring... This was his."
You froze as you heard her footsteps coming towards you. You knew you were about to be caught, yet instead you were struck still, your mind projecting every image that appeared to you but unable to connect any of them.
She banged on the table, making you flinch out of your thoughts. You looked at her in disbelief, as if you were the one to catch her in the wrong place.
"Who the hell are you?" she growled, grabbing your collar, making you finally snap back into Nevermore from your perplexed thoughts.
You held the ring tight, hiding it away. "Lady with a gun... as well as a sewing kit," you whispered with an impressed smirk on your lips. "I apologize, but calm down for a moment, please." You cleared your throat, looking at her damn grip on your collar.
She loosened it before grabbing the gun back from your reach. You turned back with a sigh, slipping the ring into your pocket. "Don't worry... I'm not sure how to use it," you shrugged with a giggle.
You gulped as you looked at her displeased expression. You scratched the back of your neck, sighing as you looked away. "Well..." You looked down. "Morella shouldn't know, please." You met her eyes with your watery ones.
"I thought it was her suitcase."
"You want me to pretend this didn't happen?" she glared at you before throwing you out of the room. "Explain how you got in here," she yelled as you suddenly sniffled. "And what were you doing here, especially?" She was furious and cautious.
"I'm sorry." You broke down into tears as she looked deranged at you.
"Lenore!"
Morella rushed towards the both of you, confused. "Are you alright, Matilda?"
You wept into your hands, just the way Morella cried to her and her allies when she had to leave her side and join the group of Spectres, her dearest Annabel's.
She cleared her throat, figuring Morella seemed fond of you. "Uhm... I went too far, I suppose," she muttered to Morella and you.
You looked up at her with a tear streaked face and shivering shoulders as Morella held you.
She sighed, taking in your disastrous look. "Well. Make sure your friend is trustworthy, Morella," she muttered, annoyed yet calm.
"And your keys are with you?"
Morella looked bewildered. "Sure." She took out the key from her pocket, making her brows frown in confusion. "There must've been some misunderstanding here."
Morella smiled at her consolingly before looking at you, pathetic in your sheer panic, as you clung to her arm.
Morella held you close to the room as Lenore looked down reflecting on herself. "I apologize, Matilda. Didn't mean to yell," she spoke with little concern.
"T- the door was open... and sorry, I got distracted. I sure had no intention of stealing anything." You spoke, stuttering, as a final admission.
Morella took a deep breath, concerned about your state. "Oh, Matilda... breathe... calm down. We trust you."
She tried calming your panic down as Lenore understood that you were certainly startled by the yelling.
"I definitely went too far. I'm ashamed of myself for making you feel terrible." She embraced you gently, making you gasp.
After some moments, your sniffles settled. She broke the hug, and you looked at her with a churning in your stomach at the loss of her somewhat familiar warmth.
You opened your mouth to say something, but she cut you off. "No need to apologize. We sure are friends now."
"Thank you, Lenore..." you whispered as she hugged you once again. Morella gave a warm smile at your final ease.
"Where's your room? I shall take you there. It's past lights out already," she offered as you stood up from her bed and bid goodnight to Morella.
"444," you whispered giving a knowing glance at her.
You both walked through the hallway, your hands clasped behind your back as she walked beside you, syncing with your slow strides.
You took out your room keys as you reached your door. "Your roommate?" she inquired.
"None." You smiled, and she looked surprised. "After the last exam, my roommate was sent to... the land of deaths, I suppose," you said, looking up at her.
"I hope they assign you a roommate soon. Goodnight." She smiled at you, but you were lost in thought— you didn't respond immediately.
"I'm better off having the room on my own, Lenore," you finally spoke up with clarity in your voice. "Don't dwell on today's incident, darling. You certainly were rightful. I was somewhat weird." You smirked.
She paused for a moment before grabbing your hand towards her— a gentle peck on the back of your hand.
You met her eyes, surprised. "You're interesting, Matilda. Sleep well."
She left back to her dorm.