alluringly entwined | f.w, d.m

35

"I'm fine." Oshun waved a weary hand.

"But you've had the cold for almost four days now," Forest said with a worried frown. "Perhaps you could go to Pomfrey. She has to have medicine or something to help you."

"No, no. It's just a cold... I think," Oshun insisted, sounding completely congested. "It'll be gone soon. I just need to, uh, rest."

Forest stared at her roommate apologetically from the door, ready to leave for classes. "I'll come and give you food for lunch, alright?" she said warmly.

Oshun nodded with a limp smile.

After Forest left, Oshun just sat in her bed, breathing heavily through her mouth since her nose was clogged. Her sheets were all messed up from tossing and turning at night. Her garbage bin was by her bed. Full of used napkins.

Her curls were in a knot on top of her head, but she took it out since she was beginning to have a headache. She couldn't breathe properly and her eyes felt puffy.

She wanted to die.

Even furball Baloo stayed away from her. It was kind of insulting since she wanted to snuggle with him, but it was fine.

She slowly sank into her bed, laying down. She couldn't sleep though, and she had been stuck in the dorm for four days since she didn't want to get anyone else sick.

She had been sweating at night, so she was left in a sports bra and tiny shorts. But as she lay in her bed, one leg was out of the blanket and her other was beneath.

Oshun didn't realize she fell asleep until her eyes shot open at the sound of a knock at her door. Her tired eyes drifted to the clock to see it wasn't even lunch yet, so it wasn't Forest.

Knuckles struck the door once more.

"Coming," Oshun muttered stuffily as she pulled herself out of bed, wiping the tip of her nose annoyedly.

She scratched the back of her head as she wrapped her fingers around the knob and opened the door.

"Fred?" Surprise was written in both her face and tone.

"Hey," Fred said quietly. His features were softened into a frown. "Are you alright? I haven't seen you in a few days." He was in his school uniform, minus his robe, and his book bag hung over his shoulder.

"I'm great." She shot a lopsided smile before rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. "I've just been sick."

"Oh." He nodded subtly and hitched his book bag higher up his shoulder. "I thought you might've been avoiding me—that you've been upset with me."

"Why would I be upset with you?" She stifled a laugh and turned to walk back to her nightstand to grab a tissue.

He stepped into her dorm and shut the door behind him. "Because I haven't been around you as much—I haven't spoken to you at all," he said evenly as he leaned against the door.

She chuckled after blowing her nose and tossing the napkin in the bin. "And that would upset me, how?" she asked pleasantly, though the congestion in her nose made her sound silly.

He studied her silently for a few moments. "I don't know." A heavy sigh blew from his lips. "I apologize for being a dick, Oshun. I didn't mean to completely ditch you after the days we spent during the holiday. I just got caught up with everything else and I just wasn't used to having so much attention from girls since I've been stuck with Granger for so long."

"Okay." She didn't know what else to say as she went to the bathroom, leaving the door open for him to still talk.

"Okay?" he repeated slowly, confusedly. "What do you mean 'okay'?"