Chapter 41

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A million emotions all revolving around fear and panic rushed through my mind as the bubotuber plant proceeded to swell, the small pustules looking like they was about to erupt. Professor Sprout already hated me enough and one more incident would probably get me a week of detentions.

"Lily please help me!" I yelped in a last resort attempt to save myself. Sirius was absolutely no help as my partner, he just decided to sit with James and Peter while secretly prodding at the Venomous Tentacula behind Sprout's back.

For a second, I thought I saw pity cross her green eyes before her face turned stony again and she turned back to carefully working with her bubotuber. Lily's partner, Marlene, grimaced and covered her eyes as my plant continued to swell to enormous proportions. My heart sank and the last thing I saw before I squeezed my eyes shut was the plant seeming to double in size.

"Miss Stryker!" The furious voice of Professor Sprout screeched across the greenhouse just as a wave of pungent slime hit my face. I opened my eyes to find my entire front was covered in yellow pus and the bubotuber now resembed something like the remnants of a dung bomb that went off. Wincing, I tried smearing some of the pus away as my skin began to bubble, boils forming on my arms and face.

"Oh no, no..." Professor Sprout's voice softened slightly and she firmly grabbed my arm, immediately steering me out of the greenhouse. "I told you specifically to handle with care and you did not listen to me. A few detentions with this, and that's being nice! I know you're going to regret not following directions when you have to miss quidditch practice for detention, especially with the Quidditch Cup coming up against Hufflepuff..."

Her voice droned away as she lead me into the castle and down a corridor as my face continued to swell painfully with boils. The lecture I tried to tune out stopped as we rounded a corridor straight into two giggling people.

"Mister Wood! Miss Sandles! Out of class?" Professor Sprout barked. "Ten points from Gryffindor! Get back to class!"

Squinting through my swelled face, I faintly saw the outline of Robert hurriedly helping Brenda away down the hall. Stunned, I let Professor Sprout pull me along as I though the hall while reasoning with the fact that Robert probably didn't recognize me through my disfigured appearance. My heart sank, nearly more painful than my burnings face and I wanted nothing more than to storm after my boyfriend and the shy chaser.

Why was he out of class with Brenda?

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"Why don't you go talk to Sirius then? Why don't you just date Sirius then?" Robert grumbled. "I mean, you already spend more time with him."

Shocked, I stared at my now angry boyfriend. One minute, I was telling him I had been able to practice before the Quidditch Cup with Sirius despite my detentions, the next he was telling me off. Sincerity gleamed in Robert's usually kind brown eyes, like he honestly wanted to break up. He still had no idea I saw him out of class with Brenda, and for a moment, I was tempered to confront him.

"I uhm..." I choked, feeling deep sadness well up in my chest. Right before my eyes, my relationship was cracking apart, and a rare tear seemed ready to fall at any second- as soon as he said those dreaded words. Suddenly, Robert seemed to realize what he was doing, and grabbed one of my hands tightly as if he thought I was going to run at any second.

"Lexi, I'm sorry." Robert said hurriedly, but there wasn't an ounce of sincerity in his eyes. "I'm just stressed, with the match tomorrow and all."

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