Antidote

Chapter 23 - Greenhouse

~

The following day, Jolie was left absolutely reeling. The shame, embarrassment, and disgrace of the previous night consumed her entire psyche.

He'd almost kissed her in detention. She watched him look directly at her mouth and lean in.

And she almost let him.

Did let him, actually.

She even felt her eyes close—on their own volition, of course.

If Trelawney hadn't barged in, it would've happened. And that just would not do.

What the bloody hell was she thinking?

There was no excuse. They'd been completely and totally sober.

It was one thing to participate in such acts while under some sort of influence, but it was another thing entirely to want to kiss him sober.

It was as if George was a substance himself; one look at his soft, lustful eyes and she was left feeling suddenly drunk off of him. Delirious, even.

The idea of it simply would. Not. Do.

Throughout the day, in each of their classes together, Daphne was increasingly growing more and more annoyed with her.

The night before, after returning from her detention, Jolie had deftly avoided her intuitive friend—opting to head straight to bed in lieu of letting Daphne investigate.

Then, at breakfast and their morning lessons, Daphne prodded her for information, searching for the reason behind Jolie's foul mood.

At lunch, Jolie watched Daphne fume over her ham and pickle sandwich, angry that their other friends were around which prevented her from being able to ask any more questions.

After almost an entire school day of near-silence, as they sat at dinner, Jolie ardently avoided looking at her friend as Daphne watched her with a piercing gaze.

Theo was busy talking to a 'friend' at the Ravenclaw table, Draco and Pansy were having a whispered, heated discussion, and Blaise was still off sitting with Crabbe and Goyle.

Daphne had free reign to ask whatever she wanted.

Jolie just waited for the quaffle to drop.

After another two minutes of stewed silence—

"Can you just tell me what the hell is wrong?" Daphne hissed.

There it was.

"I already told you—"

"Don't you dare say nothing is wrong," Daphne stopped her. "You've been sulking all day."

"I am not sulking—"

"You are! I'm left to feel nothing but offense—"

Jolie scoffed. "Offense?"

"Yes," Daphne groaned. "I am your best friend, yet you can't even tell me what's bothering you! It's genuinely offensive."

Jolie heaved a long sigh, almost winding herself. Daphne blinked, waiting for a response to her first question.

"Detention was..." Jolie started. "Well—it just didn't go well."

Daphne frowned, scepticism painting her pretty face.

"That's it?" she asked. "It was detention. Did you expect it to be a holiday?"