SABAISM | H. POTTER

TEN. | WOLF IS OUT OF THE BAG

"I'm losing my damn mind," Gemini swore, thrusting her head against the cushioned headrest in vexation, "Seriously, Harry! Has the jadedness not gotten to you yet?"

Madam Pomfrey had firmly insisted on keeping the peculiar dyad of magnets for peril tucked away in the hospital wing, dragging the pair of freewheeling Gryffindors into surprising attitudes as the hours wore on. Meanwhile, Harry had chosen the path of despondence; he didn't argue nor complain about his predicament, but he vehemently refused to allow the medic to dispose of his beloved, albeit shattered, Nimbus Two Thousand.

To be fair, he'd long since come to terms with the fact that the iconic broomstick was beyond repair, a mere collection of splintered wood and torn bristles. Yet, despite his rational understanding, a profound sense of loss gripped him. He felt as though he had lost one of his dearest friends, a companion who had soared through the skies alongside him. Gemini, however, very much preferred to express her emotions with theatrics.

"Darling," he began, kneading the bridge of his nose in an effort to ease the tension coiling within him, "It's Saturday. We only have to handle this for one more day." His tone softened as he added, "Besides, we've had an abundance of visitors to keep us company!" The lioness forcefully exhaled, her frustration palpable. "Love. Don't get the signals crossed here. Hagrid's peculiar delivery of oversized, earwig-covered plants that bear an uncanny resemblance to tawny cabbages? A blushing Ginny Weasley bearing homemade get-well cards? Wood's play-by-play for the next match? Ron devouring my stash of sweets? Hermione lulling us to sleep with her endless book readings? I appreciate every bit of it! It's all so riveting! But I am positively sick and tired of just lying here! Are you seriously telling me you aren't restless?"

Harry, in response, glanced down at the wreckage of his broomstick, feeling the weight of his circumstances. "Oi! Put an end to that!" the young woman admonished sharply, "I already told you that you'll be using my Nimbus!"

In moments like these, it seemed an effortless leap from attempting to guilt Harry into partaking in some mischievous escapade to the immediate need to console him. "Merlin, Harry Potter," she puffed out amidst a brief moment of irritation, "I apologize for jumping down your throat. You know how I am when I'm feeling spiritless. But, shouldn't you be a little more thrilled at this moment?" Bewilderment flickered in Harry's vibrant green eyes, disbelief etching itself across his freckled brow. "What the bloody hell are you on about?" he questioned, skepticism clear in his voice.

"What I'm on about, doltish one," she replied, her eyes sparkling with mischief, "is that you're semi-alone with me. I am the most marvelous human being! I mean, if I were to be locked up in a room with anyone, it would hands down be me." The statement drew out a hearty laugh from Harry, who could not suppress a grin at her audacity. "You're full of yourself, aren't you?" he chuckled, fighting against the remnants of his heaviness. The radiant expression that blossomed on Gemini's face was enough to banish any lingering melancholy, drawing him into the warmth of her contagious joy.

"What?" he inquired softly, yearning for her to perpetually regard him in this fashion, as if he were the sun itself on her stormy days. Gemini, ripping open a slender sugar quill, retorted playfully, "Just now ciphering that. Are you, Love?" She polished off the confection in a matter of seconds, a satisfied grin stretching across her face.

"You know, you popping those artificial sweets like there's no tomorrow is likely why you have an almost alarming amount of energy," he teased, launching his own empty wrappers toward her boisterous persona. "Hey!" she exclaimed, a gleeful laugh escaping her lips as she defended against the flying debris, "When Pom-Pom finds fault with the mess strewn about, know I'll be placing the entire responsibility for this chaos on you!" Harry tilted his head back in excessive laughter, the joyful sound echoing softly against the sterile hospital walls. "Of course you would!"