Chapter Text
The Great Hall used to feel cold to Qifrey. Maybe it was the slight blue tint to every light. Maybe being surrounded by stone and seawater sucked all of the warmth from the air. This never bothered Qifrey at first, in some ways it was comforting. An overwhelming feeling of cold. That numbness that threatened to eat away his very nerve endings, so he would never feel anything ever again. That was the earliest memory he had. The cold and the dark were his oldest and most loyal companions.
And then came Olruggio.
That boy filled with fire in every fibre of his being. His magic, his eyes, his hands- they all emanated a tender warmth. Warmth so overpowering, and still so gentle. Warmth that was far kinder than Qifrey’s frigid solitude ever had been.
But there was the issue. Qifrey was a creature who had crawled from one cold place to another. It simply wasn’t in his nature to hold warmth within his heart.
Qifrey could sit by the pleasant bonfire that was Olruggio’s presence all he liked. He could feel the blood begin to flow through his cold veins once more, his frozen heart cracking as it learnt how to beat again. That dizzying sensation of being truly alive even stayed with him for a time, whenever Olruggio left. But the feeling always faded, and Qifrey was left alone and cold, always so cold, once again.
Why did Olruggio have to leave him time after time? Qifrey’s heart wrenched at every little goodbye. Sure, it was always a perfectly mundane reason. To attend a class, or to sleep, or to tend to some other responsibility more important than staying by Qifrey’s side through every mark on the clock. But maybe, if he only knew how important just his presence alone was to Qifrey, maybe then Olruggio would spend even a little more time with him. Maybe then Qifrey would never have to face that chilling loneliness ever again.
But how could he ask such a thing? Deep down, Qifrey knew this was a purely selfish desire. And yet he couldn’t help but pursue it like his life depended on it. Olruggio was the only thing that made him feel alive, after all. For Qifrey, to live without Olruggio would be to walk through life already dead. How could he ever tell Olruggio something like that? That was far more than Qifrey could ever put on someone’s shoulders. To give his entire life to somebody, to let them know they already held his soul right in the palm of their hand.
Qifrey knew that he wanted Olruggio to understand how he felt, however selfish it was; but Qifrey would rather explain the very depths of the most unreachable corner of the darkest sea; that would certainly be easier to comprehend. How could Olruggio ever know something so unfathomable?
No, Qifrey would just have to make do with what he already had. Those little sparks of joy in their fleeting moments together. Even if it was just a single spark of warmth. Qifrey would have to accept anything Olruggio was willing to give him. But even still, Qifrey couldn’t help but imagine something more…
“Qifrey, is something on your mind?” Olruggio looked up at him, peering around a ridiculous stack of papers on his desk to catch Qifrey’s eye. “That was quite the sigh just now.”
Olruggio’s head tilted like a curious puppy. Qifrey broke his gaze quickly, feeling his face flush. This is exactly the problem he was having. Olruggio’s warmth was so very infectious. And as much as he tried to be happy with what he had already, Qifrey couldn’t get enough of him.
“I’m fine.” Qifrey mumbled, hunching over his study notes, practically burying himself in his robes.
“You really don’t have to stay up with me, I’ve told you, I always leave things to the final clockmark like this. Just go to bed, I’ll be fine.”
“I know that, you dolt. And I’m still here.” Qifrey chastised, though his voice was a little muffled from under his sleeves.
Olruggio only huffed in response. After he heard him settle down, Qifrey righted himself again. He looked over the few pages of notes among the mess that belonged to him. Qifrey had finished his work hours ago, and was quite losing his mind with boredom. And yet, the thought of walking through the hallways alone, back to his cold bed… his stomach froze with dread.
The two young witches were sitting in Olruggio’s bedroom in the Great Hall. It was a fairly small space with little more than a desk, a cupboard and a bed. Not that any of these items were particularly understated.
His desk and bed frame were carved from fine mahogany, with legs carved into the intricate patterns of winding ocean currents and sea creatures. His bed was buried in dozens of cushions and pillows, sometimes Qifrey wondered how Olruggio found any space for himself. And of course the cupboard, though a simple item by its appearance, was far more spacious in its interior. In addition to this, Olruggio was left with just enough space in the room for a beautiful, lush, deep red rug in the centre of the space, which the two boys had certainly spent more time laying on, chatting the night away, than they had ever spent tucked in their own beds.
But this evening, the witches sat on either side of Olruggio’s desk. It was plastered with half-drawn seals, pages and pages of notes strewn across the table. Olruggio’s room was not unfamiliar with a state of disarray, but this was something else! An increasingly tall tower of discarded pages had formed high between them over the course of the night. It had begun to teeter dangerously to one side, but by some feat of magic (the mundane kind we call luck) it had yet to topple over entirely.
“Ok, I think this one will- AHRG!” Olruggio exclaimed as he drew a seal closed. He jumped back as it immediately began to flicker, sparks flying in every direction.
Qifrey sighed, scribbling a seal down on a random page. A thin tendril of water rose over the ink, spraying up over the pile of papers in a graceful arc, before it splashed unceremoniously over Olruggio’s spell. The sparks died in an instant, and Olruggio picked up the drenched page by one corner, analysing the smeared ink as it faded away. He chewed the tip of his pen thoughtfully.
“Ah, ok. I see the issue now.”
Qifrey made an exasperated noise.
“That’s the hundredth time you’ve said that! Surely there’s something I can do to help.” He leant back on his chair, teetering on the back legs as he pressed his hands to his face.
“No, I really have it this time… I think.” Olruggio reassured.
Qifrey grunted incredulously.
“I won’t say it again, I’m not holding you here. Just go to sleep already.” Olruggio’s tone sounded teasing, but Qifrey detected some genuine frustration under it.
“And I won’t say it again either, you couldn’t make me leave if you tried.”
Olruggio locked eyes with him, a devious grin spreading over his face.
“Oh, is that a challenge?”