The moonlight shimmered over the Hogwarts grounds as Reiko and Tranquility walked side by side, their footsteps soft against the dewy grass. Training had ended for the night, but neither of them was in a rush to return to the estate. The air between them was calm, yet filled with something unspoken—something fragile yet undeniable.
"You’ve been different lately," Reiko murmured, glancing at Tranquility from the corner of her eye.
Tranquility chuckled, his golden gaze fixed on the stars above. "Different how?"
Reiko frowned, lightly swatting his arm. "You know exactly what I mean. You’re quieter, more serious… even during training. That’s not like you."
Tranquility sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe I’m just finally thinking before I act," he said, only half-joking.
Reiko raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you do that?"
He laughed, but there was a softness in his voice when he spoke again. "Since I realized what’s important."
Reiko tilted her head, sensing the weight in his words. "And what is that?"
Tranquility stopped walking and turned to face her fully. The cool night breeze played with his hair, his expression unreadable yet intense. "You."
Reiko blinked, caught off guard. "Me?"
Tranquility took a step closer, his voice quieter now, more careful. "I’ve always admired you, Reiko. You’re strong, but you don’t shut people out. You carry your responsibilities with grace, but you still allow yourself to laugh, to feel. I…" He hesitated, his hands clenching at his sides. "I don’t know if I could do the same without you by my side."
Reiko’s breath hitched slightly. Tranquility was rarely this open, this vulnerable. She had known him all her life, had stood beside him through childhood mischief, through royal expectations, through battles and trials—but this was something different.
Something deeper.
"You don’t have to be like me, Tranquility," she said softly. "You just have to be you. And you’re enough."
His eyes searched hers, as if trying to find some hidden truth within them. "You really think so?"
She stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him. "I know so."
A slow smile spread across his lips, but there was something new in his gaze—something tender, something unguarded. "Then I’ll trust you on that."
They stood in silence for a moment, the night wrapping around them like a gentle embrace. The world around them faded, leaving only the quiet rhythm of their breathing, the soft flicker of magic between them.
Then, with a quiet chuckle, Tranquility took her hand in his, squeezing it lightly. "You’ll spar with me again tomorrow, right?"
Reiko rolled her eyes, but her smile was fond. "Only if you promise not to whine when I win."
He grinned. "No promises."
Their laughter echoed softly in the night, but beneath it lay something else—an unspoken promise, a bond that neither of them needed to say aloud.
They had always been together.
And perhaps, they always would be.