Diana, compared to many of her peers in her age group, was remarkably controlled and dignified. She exuded an air of self-confidence and composure, and carried herself in a professional way beyond her years.
It all fell apart during an innocent conversation with Professor Ursula.

The professor had invited her for tea in her office, asking if Diana simply wished to have a conversation. Given everything that had happened between the two of them, along with several other students at Luna Nova, she graciously accepted the opportunity under the belief that a stress-free conversation would help them both take their minds off things.

Sitting in the professor's admittedly lovely office in the tower, they had simple small talk over their tea, exchanging quick pleasantries and daily events. The discussion inevitably ended up drifting to the recent events involving the crisis that had plagued Luna Nova, where upon Diana and six other witches had flown a broom to stop Croix's missile.

Ursula was expressing her admiration for how much Akko had grown as a witch and how the group of students' quick thinking had saved the day. Diana, ever dignified and controlled, merely accepted the compliments directed at her.

"It must've been very exciting then," Ursula offered her. "You two were really on the edge of space when all that finished. I can't imagine what the view looked like." She sighed dreamily, recalling when she and Akko had finally caught up with the mechanical monstrosity high in the Earth's atmosphere. Diana smiled at the memory, but waved her hand at Ursula's statement.

"It was quite lovely, sure, but I was preoccupied with other things at the time. Performing the Shiny Arc with Akko took most of my attention, after all."

Ursula, however, looked at her with wide eyes. "Did you say…you performed the spell with Akko? As in, you worked together to perform it?"

"…Yes?" Diana tried to hide her confusion. Ursula and Croix had broadcasted their escapade to practically the whole world. "Surely you must've seen that."

"Hmm…I guess I did, but…I assumed I was seeing things. That's…very surprising coming from you, Diana."

"Surprising? How?" Her brows furrowed. She couldn't think of much reason for Ursula to find her and Akko performing a spell together all that noteworthy.

"Oh, well...I didn't think you and Akko…" Ursula tapped her chin in contemplation, and Diana edged to the front of her seat in confusion. She stared at the professor a long moment, trying to imagine what it was that incited such a peculiar reaction.

Ursula adjusted her glasses and gave her a quizzical look. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "…To be able to pool your magic like that, your hearts must be very connected, is all."

"I…w-what?"

Connected? What did…connected? Diana had studied magic intensely since the first day she could read, and in all that research she never came across the idea of…Their hearts connected? Akko and her? Ursula must've misspoken, used an unusual euphemism. That was the most likely…connected?

She wasn't implying…She wouldn't…but…what did…?

"I've never heard anything like that!" Diana felt her cheeks grow warm. Was she blushing? She wasn't blushing. Why would she blush?

"Have you really not? I mean, for simple spells, it's not that difficult, but for a spell as powerful as one of the Words, your heart and Akko's must truly be on the same level."

"T-the same level? W-what exactly are you saying?" She was stuttering now. That was frustrating. She never stuttered. Nothing about Ursula's strange (and unprompted!) statement should be making her stutter like a nervous child.

"What I'm saying is you two must really be…Oh shoot!" Ursula suddenly stood up and straightened her skirt. "Is it truly almost 4? I'm afraid I something I must attend to! I'm sorry, Diana, but we'll have to finish this some other time."

Diana blinked as Ursula began to rush her out her office, before even finishing her statement. "W-wait!" She called as Ursula directed her through her door. "What do you mean on the same level? What are you-"

"Some other time, I'm sorry! I really am!" And with that, the door was closed in her face, and her questions were left unanswered. Diana replayed the conversation in head over and over, trying to figure out Ursula's meaning.

Performing magic with another was hardly uncommon. Witch parents would often perform spells with their children to help them gain a feel for magic. Diana could recall her own mother's hands on hers, guiding her wand as she learned her first levitation magic. What could Ursula be talking about then? Performing spells with others was child's play to any half-decent witch. Diana had spent almost all her life pouring her energy into magical research in order to fulfill her family name, and the only thing she had ever come across that was even remotely similar to this idea of hearts on the same level was myths about soulmate magic.

Soulmate magic was a frequent trope in sappy romance novels, but it had no basis in reality. Many upon many witches and magical experts had completely debunked the concept as having no scientific evidence to it. The idea of magic being more powerful when with someone you loved was a silly myth made by the overly sentimental. The stuff of poets and writers, not the real world, and certainly not of any witch who wished to be seen as a professional. Ursula must've been mistaken then.

…Not that anyone said a thing about soulmates of course. Soulmates in general were a silly concept after all. It was just the closest example she could think of. And she and Akko weren't…that. Obviously. Ursula's comment wasn't implying anything like that. Diana was just overthinking things, that was all. She and Akko weren't…
They didn't have any…
There was no…

Connected?!

But then…the Seven Words of Arcturus were a different beast entirely from first grader levitation charms. Ursula, Chariot would be the formal expert on all matters related to them. If anyone knew all the ins and outs of such powerful and unknown magic, it would be her. Diana may have done years of research, but Ursula had a good decade over her. And it's not like she would lie, would she?

She probably just meant that she and Akko were close. But then, why was it surprising to her that they could perform magic together? After all, Akko was her best friend. Though perhaps even that was too strong a descriptor. They had hardly been on good terms for very long. They were just good friends. Just friends. Her acquaintance really. They were amicable towards one another. They definitely knew each other and spoke on occasion. Diana definitely didn't see her that way.

Did she?
No of course she…
They weren't…
Even if she…

"Oh no." She said, when the realization finally struck her. "Well, this is inconvenient."

So she (maybe) had a cru-inconvenient thoughts involving Akko. Possibly. Could go either way. That was…something?

In the (still up-in-the-air) event that she did, potentially, have an unconfirmed, less than formal attachment to Akko, Diana didn't really know what to do with that. Diana kept her emotions close to her chest. If she was to represent the full worth of the Cavendish name, she needed to be independent and in control. Being overly emotional would reflect poorly upon her, so she quelled any thoughts of outbursts and emotional reaction long ago, so that she could be a professional. Which meant that now, she had been forced into territory she had no experience in. This was not a subject she was willing to approach anyone, let alone Akko, with. Not to mention, she wasn't quite sure how to approach the girl in question anymore at all.

Ever since the crisis with the missile, Akko had outshined everyone on campus and became a veritable celebrity. Diana had enjoyed a level of popularity beforehand, as she had been known as the single most talented witch in Luna Nova. But when the smoke cleared and Akko stepped into her destiny, she had eclipsed everything Diana had done.

It was the perfect underdog story. More and more, people learned of the witch who came to school with no family name and no magical talent, who couldn't even fly, who through sheer work and determination conquered the odds, mastered powerful spells and ushered in a new age of magic. And while Akko liked to occasionally boast of her newfound hero status, she still remained modest and friendly, and that just made the school love her even more.

Akko had help when she saved the day, and certainly, the other eight witches involved were the talk of the school. But Akko was practically ubiquitous. It was the quintessential tale of rags to riches. How would Diana compete with that? She never left riches. She was always expected to do great things, was always the shoe-in, the favorite. She was a Cavendish, but somehow, that meant little next to the school hero.

Diana groaned at her train of thoughts. So perhaps Akko had become a celebrity. Fine. So what? They were still friends, weren't they? And it's not like Akko had any difficulty approaching her when she had been the popular one. So Diana could talk to her about this, couldn't she? Mention that Ursula had brought up…inconveniences? She didn't enjoy talking about her emotions like that, but now it was on her mind, and it would make things very awkward if she let it stew.

Diana steeled herself and walked through the halls of Luna Nova in search of the girl. It was better to be honest about this sort of thing, and nothing had to come out of it anyway. She could just share her thoughts with Akko, and get over her…whatever it was. She would just tell her of Ursula's strange fixation on their hearts being connected, and then gauge Akko's reaction to it. She'd probably find it laughable, really. It was a very silly idea, after all. They would laugh and move on, and all would return to normal.

She spotted Akko at the end of the hallway, and her cheeks felt warm. Which meant nothing, because this was simply an embarrassing subject to talk about, is all. She was just going to ask what Akko thought of the idea, and that would be the end of it. No deeper reasoning, no further plans. Just some small talk.

Diana found she had to force herself to walk forward. Inconvenient.

"AKKOOOO~!"

Just as Akko had noticed her making her way over, voices had sung out for her attention. It was, of all people, a group of three Minotaurs who worked at the school. They had been hanging banners of upcoming events around campus, and stopped in their tracks as soon as they had seen Akko. They cheered out overlapping greetings to the young witch, who just laughed and greeted them right back.

"Hi Slag! Hi Crunch! Hi Periwinkle!" Akko waved to each worker. "Oh Crunch, is your sister feeling any better? I haven't seen her today."

One of the Minotaurs, Crunch apparently, chuckled as he knelt down to meet Akko at her eye level. "Naw, she's still sick, but she says she'll be good enough to come in t'morrow. She's always workin' too hard."

"Agh, I hate when people do that. If I got to stay home from work I'd just relax and enjoy my time off!" Crunch barked out a hearty laugh, and the other two Minotaurs couldn't stop themselves from snickering as well.

"I'll be tellin' her you said that then! Listen, I gotta get back at it. I don't got no time off yet. Be seein' ya, Akko!"

She was even friends with the staff, for goodness sakes. When the spirits and faeries went on strike, it was Akko who stood by and represented them as their spokeswoman. Now almost all the faculty adored the girl. They'd exchange cheerful greetings, playfully tease the witch when she was late for class and happily ignore any of her misdemeanors they were supposed to report to the teaching staff.

It was also clear what the staff thought of her. Diana couldn't keep her mind from the image of Akko leading the workers in a chant. 'Aristocrat! Aristocrat!' Perhaps in the past, Diana had been admired, but had she ever really been loved, like the other witch was? When the whole school was against Akko, when Diana herself was against her, Akko still had Lotte and Sucy. She had Ursula watching over her, and she won the hearts of not just them and not just the workers, but plenty others around Luna Nova. They stuck together no matter what Akko did, or what happened to her.

Diana cared for Hannah and Barbara, and no one would doubt that they were genuine friends. But Diana had never been so low. Would they have remained with her, if Diana had been put through the same? Would they have become friends if Diana hadn't been born into a witch family?

…Another difference between them then. Akko would never doubt the authenticity of her friends. She was a kind, genuine person. Even in their big "Let's Watch Akko Try to Fly" parties they had on occasion (which really could use a more concise name), Diana contended herself to sit on the sidelines sipping tea, whereas Akko connected with everyone. Even Hannah and Barbara had managed to find friendships among the Red and Green teams, while Diana couldn't bring herself to intrude on their dynamics.

If they deferred to her advice and expertise, that she could handle. She was groomed for it, after all. Tutoring? Easy. But trying to connect with people, the way that came so easily to Akko? She had no talent for it. She never needed it before.

Akko understood people. She believed in her dreams and encouraged others to do the same, and won the hearts of her friends through her genuine kindness and enthusiasm. Diana had looked down her nose at Akko, had scoffed and belittled her right alongside Hannah and Barbara.

Akko…didn't need to know what Ursula said, then. There was no need to talk about cru…Inconvenient thoughts. Akko could connect to whoever she wanted and make her own happiness. She didn't need to settle for someone who had treated her so coldly in the past. Whatever (unnamed) realization Diana had made regarding their relationship would just be kept to herself. It would probably just…go away, after a while. When Akko found someone more worthy of her time.

"Diana!" Akko waved cheerily. "Hi! Were you waiting for me?"

"I…no Akko, it's nothing. Just saying hello."

She seemed disappointed at her answer. Or perhaps that was Diana projecting. Could go either way. It didn't really matter. She should just go. But before she could, Akko had spoken to her again.

"Hey Diana? You okay?"

"…yes? Why do you ask, Akko?" She didn't want to have this conversation. Not now, when everything was still so fresh.

"Well, you just look a little sick, is all."

"Hmm?" She didn't want to act cold to her, not again, but Diana was still doing her best to discourage her from talking to her, at least for now.

"You look really grumpy and your face is all red."

"Hmm." It was clearly not working as intended. "I am not sick."

"Oh…well, are you grumpy about something? You can talk to me, you know!"

"I know." She really didn't want to be having this conversation right now.

"So are you mad about something or not?"

"No." Why couldn't this be the one time Akko just…minded her business?

"Then why do look so mad? Maybe I can help if you'd tell me!" Akko really couldn't take a hint. Diana didn't want to share what was on her mind, and if she did, there was no way she even could say it to Akko's own face. How would she even phrase it?

"Because I have a crush on you and it's inconvenient to me." Yes, that would go over swimmingly. Akko didn't need to know anything about that. She just needed to either keep acting disinterested or give a lie, so Akko would let her stew in peace. Maybe Diana did have feelings for her, but frankly, it didn't matter if their hearts were…connected or not. Akko was the school hero, the one who revived Yggdrasil, the witch chosen by the Shiny Rod. Diana was…

She was suddenly aware of Akko's shocked expression. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide. That was…odd. Diana hadn't said anything that would prompt such a reaction. She'd just been giving her short, one word answers. Nothing that should've…
…

"Ah. That was...out loud?"

Akko, without changing her expression, just nodded silently. Diana suddenly felt very dizzy. Blood was definitely rushing to her head, and her legs felt very unstable. Akko was still gaping at her, waiting for her to say something. She should probably say something. Her throat was quite dry all of a sudden, and it was difficult to think of any something to say that could remedy this. So Diana said the first thing that came to her.

"…huh."

With that out of the way, Diana spun on her heels, walked evenly away Akko, and turned the corner to where she could not see her.

Hannah and Barbara hadn't been doing anything in particular, so they were mildly surprised to see Diana stride into their shared room with a blank expression and purpose in her steps. They were more surprised, however, at Diana walking right past them to her desk without saying a word of polite greeting to either like was typical of her. They watched as the composed witch pulled out her desk chair, straightened her skirt for a moment, and sat down with barely an acknowledgement that she was not alone.

So one must imagine their shock when the ever-dignified witch proceeded to slam her head face down on her desk with an audible groan.

(So I posted this on AO3 days ago because I like to double dip because I'm a rotten person, but for whatever reason I just could not get this to post here. I must've uploaded it like 4 times.)