Chapter 7: Morning After the Dreams

Brayden woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside his window, and the warm sunlight peeking through the cracks in his curtains. He stretched his arms and yawned, trying to shake off the lingering feelings of unease from his dreams. After getting dressed, he headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast, hoping to clear his mind with a hearty meal. As he walked into the Great Hall, the long tables were already filled with students chatting and laughing over their breakfast. The smell of bacon, eggs, and toast wafted through the air, making his stomach growl with hunger. He spotted his friends, Alice and Michael, sitting at the Gryffindor table and made his way over to them. Alice, however, was not interested in small talk. As soon as Brayden sat down, she turned to him with a curious expression. "Hey, Brayden, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday," she said, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. Brayden raised an eyebrow, sensing that Alice was not going to let him off the hook that easily. "What about yesterday?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Alice leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "I saw you sneaking out of the library late at night. What were you doing? You looked like you were in a hurry." Brayden sighed inwardly, realizing that he had been caught. He didn't want to reveal his research on Rowan, but he also didn't want to lie to Alice. "I was just...studying for my Transfiguration test," he said, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. Alice narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying his story. "At midnight? In the library? Alone?" she pressed, her tone skeptical. Brayden shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling like he was being cornered. He didn't know how much he could trust Alice, but he also didn't want to shut her out completely. "Look, Alice, I...I was just trying to get some work done, okay?" he said, trying to deflect her questions. But Alice was not ready to give up yet. She leaned in closer, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "I think there's more to it than that, Brayden. I think you're hiding something. And I'm going to find out what it is." Brayden felt a shiver run down his spine as he met Alice's determined gaze. He had a feeling that he was in trouble, and that Alice was not going to let him off the hook until she got the answers she was looking for.