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[Professor Adorah Zumwalt]

@Nicole Fisk

Adorah believe she had just graduated. It felt a little surreal, knowing she would no longer be living in the castle. As she walked through the crowd, the graduate found her sister, giving her a big hug and feeling even more devestated. There had been so many years they didn't really talk, even living in the same house, and Adorah knew that this year would be especially hard without easily bugging her sister just a few steps away. She looked nearby and saw Nicole and got taken in for a moment. She wasn't sure why things had just never worked out with them, and while she was excited to see where things went with Noel, if they went anywhere, Nicole was seemingly always at the back of her mind. Adorah walked up to the Slytherin giving her a big grin. "Well, this will be you next, huh?"

 

[Nicole Fisk]

Nicole didn't like to let herself get too emotional at big events, even if deep down she really, really wanted to. It would likely be embarrassing enough if she cried at her own graduation, let alone this years. It was sad to see some of the 7th years go, like Samantha or Adorah, or even Noel, though there were a few not to be named that Nicole was happy to see the last of.

With the ceremony over though, it was really starting to sink in that she may actually not see some of the older students for real now. And there was one in particular that Nicole couldn't help but feel like she'd miss the most. There had been this unspoken thing between her and Adorah for awhile now, and moments where Nicole was sure she wasn't just imagining that maybe Adorah had felt it herself too. She had Ajax and she was thrilled, but as she'd watched Adorah up there on stage today, she couldn't shake a myriad of what if's until Adorah was out of sight again.

Thankfully, Adorah was quick to reappear once the ceremony was finished and Nicole straightened up, suddenly nervous as if Adorah had somehow heard all her thoughts during the ceremony. It wasn't too unlikely, Adorah was smart enough to learn legilimency, she was sure. "Crazy right? I feel like I'm still trying to process my OWLs," she said with an awkward laugh. They could stick with the small talk like always, but Nicole hesitated, again aware she might not get another chance to talk to Adorah for a long time. "I'll uh. Miss you being around," she said, giving Adorah a small smile.

 

[Professor Adorah Zumwalt]

Adorah laughed a little at Nicole's OWL comment, feeling similarly even though she was now waiting on the results of her NEWTs. A little taken aback, but also not, at Nicole's next thought, Adorah blushed looking down at the ground as she struggled to process everything that was happening in such a short time. "Uh, yeah. I'll miss... seeing you around." Adorah was worried the comment sounded half-hearted but she meant in sincerely. Maybe it was because of the whole downfall with Aisa that she was still seemingly hooked on Nicole, but Adorha couldn't really find the words to say what she wanted. Instead, she quickly went in for a hug, getting a whiff of the Slytherin's hair as she felt that weird buzzing feeling again.

 

[Nicole Fisk]

Nicole coiled a piece of her hair around her finger as she spoke with Adorah, resisting the urge to stick the piece in her mouth. It was a terrible nervous habit and she was probably awkward enough in front of Adorah without chewing on her own hair. Nicole knew she'd played it safe with her confession to Adorah, still tiptoeing around what, with Adorah leaving imminently, she could admit was a little crush, but she still felt her heart drop a few centimeters when Adorah returned the sentiment in roughly the same way. For a moment, Nicole had almost expected Adorah to fully say "I'll miss you". The wording was similar, but hearing that would have seemed that more important somehow. "Right, yeah, yeah," she said with a small smile, though it grew when Adorah moved into for a hug, and Nicole felt herself going warm all over as she returned it, letting her fingers linger on Adorah's shoulders for just a moment longer than was probably normal. "Good luck and stuff. I'm sure you'll be amazing," she said, hesitating for a moment for leaning over and pressing a kiss to Adorah's cheek. Nicole could feel her own cheeks burning as she stepped back, but she held her ground for now. There were a whole host of what-if's circling in her head as her lips had brushed against Adorah's cheek, but Nicole figured now was the time to make peace with them. She might not get another chance.