Nicole reached for her breast pocket, grabbing onto her plum-coloured handkerchief. Her brows furrowed as she brought the cloth to her mouth and began to cough a terrible, wet cough. Her body trembled and rough hands grabbed onto Nicole's shoulders holding her up. Quickly, a broom was conjured beside Rhodri who swiftly stepped up onto the broom with Nicole tight in his arms. Kiesha hopped onto her broom and followed behind them. Squad 14 - under platoon leader Sienna Higgins, under captain Rhodri James - barely gave the Beauxbatons delegation the bow of the head before flying off as well.
Lieutenant Colonel: Keisha Griffins
I flew into the school barely a minute after Rhodri to see Nicole being carried away in a stretcher with a flower sprouting from her mouth, yellow and bloody. I know what those flowers mean. 'Who could she love so much that she's hidden all this pain away?' I wondered - no, asked -, running through the corridors, chasing her. 'Why not tell me?' tears pricked at my eyes, burning, turning my vision blurry. 'What would I do if I lost her to the fool who hurt her like this?'
I burst into the infirmary, breathing in shaky breaths. She was laying there on her side, her eyes looking so dull. Nicole's eyelids approached each other slowly, but surely. These could be her last goddamn moments. Why did I have to get mad at her? "Listen to me Nicole, you have to tell her… everything," Rhodri said, holding Nicole's hand firmly. Nicole mumbled something, but I couldn't hear. "No," Rhodri raised his voice, "If you don't, we'll all lose you."
I walked over to the infirmary bed, and put my hand on her shoulder. Tears ran down my face as I pressed my forehead to hers. "Talk to me, Nicole.. Please," I whispered, I pleaded. Oh, how I wanted to hold her till she fell asleep like we did when we were younger. Maybe then she could be peaceful.
"I-" she coughed out a hand of acacias, and tears flowed like a river down my cheeks. "Love… you," Nicole rasped out before closing her eyes.
"Nicole… Nicole, please, I love you too."
Hogwarts 4th year: Draco Malfoy
How ridiculous, the council has managed to make a mess out of something that should have been simple… again. "Was it really detrimental that they include this Redwood? I mean, look at the commotion they've caused."
"You only say that because you're threatened, Draco. I mean, if you just look at them, they're more interesting than you," Pansey teased, popping a berry in her mouth. I glanced past her to Kakraroff who was still as a statue and pale as fresh snow. He seemed to just be choking, his mouth gaping like a fish out of water. The object of his fear, smiling as he spoke. Clock, was his name. He was leaned against the wall chattering away with a grin plastered to his face.
Their headmaster didn't even wear a robe, he was always in muggle clothes. "How disgusting…" He kept blabbering on about whatever it was he was saying to Kakaroff, but, somehow, his eyes found me in the hall, and it sent shivers down my spine. Such cold black irises. They peirced into my soul.
"What did you say?" Pansey asked.
"Nothing."
Company Commander: Captain Rhodri James
"She has to go to the feast tonight. They'll ask questions if one of us disappears," I said to a medic that stood by Nicole's bed. "Why is she still running a fever?"
Keisha put her hand on my shoulder. "Calm down Rhodri. I want her to feel better as much as you do." How does she do it? She's so calm all the time. I've heard otherwise from Nicole, but it's so difficult to believe.
"She should wake up any minute now, and then…" the medic paused, glancing over to Keisha then back to me. "Her and the Lieutenant Colonel will need to speak.
Keisha sighed and sat down on the stool by the bed, of which I formerly occupied. She rested her head in her hands and the room was nearly silent for a moment. Nicole's breaths were long and loud, accompanied only by the beeping of the heart monitor and the nervous clicking of the medic's pen. "Do you know, commander, if Nicole is an empath or if she has any relatives who are?"
"Her grandmother was one, why," came Keisha's timely response.
"Empaths are quite uncommon, and for no reason defined by science, seem more susceptible to certain magical diseases and are greater affected by certain spells."
Nicole's eyebrows twitched, they furrowed, her lashes fluttered, and her eyelids receded. The sparkle in Keisha's eyes was nothing like what I'd ever seen in all my 3 years of knowing her. It seems she truly does love Nicole.
With each passing moment, Nicole appeared more and more confused. She attempted to sit up, but was thwarted by a quick 'lay down' from Keisha who cupped Nicole's cheek in her hand. She turned away. "What happened," came her hoarse voice. Was she still sick?
"You had contracted Hanahaki disease, Major. You should be fine after a moment with Commander Griffins," the medic responded.
"Excuse us," Griffins ordered.
I waited outside for a while, thinking it would only take so long. After all, they both love each other. It seemed more complicated than that though. They argued behind the door, sometimes shouts could be heard from the two. I stood in perfect posture with my hands behind my back. It deterred soldiers when a captain guarded something.
Keisha opened the door and slammed it shut before storming away. I stayed, because Nichol probably needed a friend right now. Because this door needed a guard. Because they both needed time. I watched Kiesha recede, her presence has been quiet lately. Her black loafers don't command respect as her combat boots did.
