𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐈𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 [𝐣.𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫]

34: 𝔒𝔚𝔏𝔖 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔇𝔞𝔳𝔢𝔶

TW: throwing up

Before Brigitte had time to comprehend what was happening, she was yanked from her stupor by a flash of bright light.

She immediately let out a low groan, shading her eyes. Her head pounded against her skull, like a fish being bashed apart on a jagged rock.

When she finally opened her eyes, it was James Potter that was standing over her, a frown pulling against his eyebrows. "It's time to get him, Brigitte. OWLs are today."

She could see Peter in the background, vanishing empty cups with his wand, clutching a goblet filled with a mysterious substance.

Lily, Marlene, and Mary were making their return to the land of the living also. Brigitte heard Marlene let out a low curse. She felt a wave of nausea wash across her, clutching her stomach. James immediately sprang into action, pulling her up and leading her to the bathroom.

She made a beeline for the toilet and immediately threw up. James raked his fingers through her knotted hair, pulling it away from her face. He rubbed her back gently. She coughed weakly, wiping her face on a piece of tissue.

She pulled herself up, feeling feverish and sweaty, and immediately went to wash her face. Her headache intensified when she bent over to splash herself with cold water. James looked at her with concern from the mirror.

"Why did you drink last night? After all that work you put into studying, why would you jeopardize it like that?"

Brigitte flicked her wand, and instantly her knotted hair fell down her back in smooth, ripples. She ignored James as she brushed her teeth, watching his arms crossed against his chest in her mirror peripheral. She knew that he was pissed, but it didn't make any sense to her. After all, it wasn't like her OWL score mattered to him.

She heard a pounding on the bathroom door.

"Brigitte, hurry up!" Lily cried, "it's OWLs today and I'm going to be sick!"

Brigitte unlocked the bathroom and allowed Lily to rush in and kneel over the toilet. James sighed, leading Brigitte back into the dorms.

She immediately sank back into her bed, clutching her temples. James reappeared holding a banana and a potion of some sort. Brigitte smiled when she recognized the murky, bubbling concoction.

"James, I love you," she muttered, downing the potion instantly.

James ducked his head, cheeks completely red. He busied himself organizing the girls' room and handed Brigitte the banana. "Shower. I'll wait for you outside, and then we'll have breakfast and do last minute revisions. Sound good?"

Brigitte nodded.

********

James lived up to his promise, leaning casually against the doorframe when Brigitte appeared, hair still damp, swathed in towels.

Her mind was still foggy with a hangover, and she let out a disturbed cry when she him, waiting expectantly with her satchel slung over his shoulder, before he ducked out of the dorm, yelling his apologies. This triggered the slide, which sent him tumbling to the base of the step.

Brigitte got dressed hurriedly, balling up her tie and stuffing it into her pocket. When she finally appeared, James blinked in astonishment, hair in utter disarray. His cheeks had a pink tinge that intensified when he saw her.

"You- er," he scratched the base of his neck, tugging at his collar ostentatiously. She looked down and noticed that all her buttons had been done in a staggered fashion.