Encanto + The Wizarding World

Chapter 6

Bruno's POV

I had a bad feeling about what Mama wanted to talk about, and Athena looked terrified as well, but I saw out of the corner of my eye a small look of determination befall Athena before she crumpled over, unconscious.

Before thinking, I yelled "help! Julia!" And ran out of the door. She was already coming up the stairs, food stuffed into her apron.

"What happened?" She asked when she saw Athena.

"I don't know she just collapsed!" My breathing was getting heavier, and my heart was beating twice as fast as normal.

Pepa and Mama were here now, hovering over Athena as they had the night we found her. I got down next to her, taking the teacup she dropped on her stomach and putting it back on the table.

"Is there anything we can do?" I asked. I knew the question was pointless, but I asked it anyway.

"No. She can't eat if she's unconscious. We have to wait." Julieta talked as though she hated it as much as I did.

Mama and Pepa left to go get Inez, while Julieta and I stayed here with Athena.

"What were you two doing in here?" She asked me, breaking the silence.

"Having tea." I said.

Julieta raised an eyebrow, and her, being the all knowing sister she is, said "I'm pretty sure two people don't have candle-lit tea dates at ten in the morning. Are the two of you together?" She asked.

I nodded, knowing she wouldn't tell anyone, not even Mama or Pepa.

I stroked Athena's face with the back of my hand, moving the strands of hair that had fallen onto it away. I sat down on my legs and pulled her head into my lap, running my fingers through her long hair. Julieta watched with a tender face, as tears threatened to spill over my eyes.

Inez burst through the door, scaring Julieta to her feet.

"Where is she? What happened to my girl?" She yelled.

"She fainted. We're waiting for her to wake up." Julieta explained.

Inez looked down at her, seeing her head in my lap, and not shocked at all. Perhaps Athena told her about us. They seemed quite tight from what I'd heard and from what she told me.

Inez knelt down next to us, and put a hand to her forehead. She sighed and bit her lip before sitting back and waiting with the rest of us.

"So," Mama said. My stomach dropped. "What's been going on between you two and how long has it been going on?" She didn't sound very mad about it, but not particularly happy either.

"We should explain together, not just one of us, Mama." Truth be told, I was terrified, but Athena always helped put my fears at rest. I felt a heavy breath in my face, from Athena.

Julieta noticed as well, and immediately put a piece of bread in her mouth. She chewed it the same as she had before: slowly, carefully, and nearly choking on it with her foggy head. Her eyes shot open.

Athena's POV

I felt food in my mouth, but I didn't remember putting it there. Nevertheless, I chewed and swallowed it, memories coming back to me. I opened my eyes, and found Bruno and Tia Inez closest to me, Julieta close by on my right, Pepa and Alma nearer my legs.

Bruno's hands were on my face, and I realized my head was in his lap.

"Hi." I croaked out.

"Hey." He said, relief showing on his whole face.

"Theens, are you okay?" Tia Inez asked, worried.

"I'm fine now." I said, looking at Julia and smiling. She smiled back, glad that I was okay.

I sat up, scratching my eyes and looking at the broken teacup by Bruno's chair.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You fainted." Bruno answered.

I remembered exactly now. I wanted to look for what Alma wanted to talk to all of us about, terrified that it seemed to include me.

"What did you want to talk to us about?" I asked Alma, not thinking before I spoke.

"Well it seems my question has been answered," she said as she glanced at Bruno and me, me still leaning against him even though I didn't need to. Behind Alma, I could see Tia Inez trying not to laugh, thankfully no one but me was looking at her.

"How long was I out?" I asked, worried I had ruined multiple people's days.

"About an hour." Bruno said, helping me up. I pressed a hand to my head, the headache getting temporarily worse when I stood up.

"Are you okay?" Julieta asked quickly.

"Yeah, I always get dizzy or a headache when I stand up."

"Why? Do you not eat enough?" She asked, looking at me up and down.

"I don't know. I've nearly always been that way." It wasn't a lie- it had some truth to it.

Julieta looked unsettled, but didn't say anything else as we went downstairs and sat at the kitchen table. Tia Inez joined us for dinner that night.

"How long have you been together?" Alma asked me bluntly.

"A few days, I guess. We've been talking for months but nothing happened until a couple days ago."

She nodded, satisfied with my answer. She didn't say anything else while we ate, but the rest of us chatted like birds.

"What happened that you two came together?" Julieta asked.

My face turned red as I thought about it, and Julieta started to take back her words, but I answered her anyway.

"We were talking under a tree, and he asked me what my favorite thing about the village was. Can you guess what I said?"

"Let me guess, you said Bruno was your favorite thing in the village?"

I held back a huge grin at her answer, and nodded my head. Bruno squeezed my hand, which were interlaced under the table. I wanted nothing more than to escape and be with him, but this would have to suffice for now.