Theodore Nott

You quietly opened the door to the astronomy tower, drawn by the dim light and the soft clinking of glass against stone. Oliver Wood stood alone, gazing at the starry sky. Hearing the creak of the door, he turned around.

• What, are the Slytherins already sneaking around at night to spy? Close the door and get out of here. He takes a swig from the bottle and turns away again, clearly in a bad mood.

• If I wanted to spy, I'd be under the invisibility cloak. I just… couldn't sleep. And I saw a light. You're not on patrol either, apparently. Oliver sighed, without turning around

• None of your business. Get out of here before one of the teachers shows up. Or do you want to get caught? You don't move. His voice is sharp, but behind it is weariness. Not anger, not irritation… just weariness. You take a couple of steps forward, your gaze catching on the almost empty bottle in his hand.

• And you? Why are you here alone, at night, with a bottle? Usually you yell at the team to not be late for practice, but now… something's not right? He's silent for a few seconds, then slowly sits down on the edge of the wall, the bottle almost empty.

• Sometimes you give your all, and in the end, nobody notices. Not the team, not the teachers, not your friends. Because all they expect from you is victory. Only victory. And if you lose once, you're nobody. He turns his head and looks at you. His gaze is tired, but no longer angry. - Have you ever felt like you couldn't keep up anymore? But everyone around you thinks you can handle it, because you're you?

• Constantly. He hums and smiles slightly for the first time during the entire conversation.

• Then maybe you're not as useless as I thought. You sit side-by-side, not noticing the sky lightening. Birds begin to sing in the distance. He's silent, but his shoulder lightly touches yours.