LIFELINE | 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙮

▪︎ 16.

Eliza was glad that term was coming to an end. Even though she might be the only one. The faster it's started, the faster it'd be over, was what she believed.

People were now sacrificing sleep and denoting those hours to wordless study. Fifth and Seventh year students worked day and night. Madam Pince had to regularly shout at the students who were pleading with her to let them study over time for the fear that they would fail.

After much blackmailing and scolding, Claire and James agreed on studying with Eliza and Rehan instead of leisuring. After opening their books, they realized they had five years' worth of magical knowledge to cram up and thus took their studying session a bit seriously.

Rehan and James were now getting suspicious of Eliza's routine. Although she spent the nights studying with them, they were beginning to wonder where she went off during the day and how she was grasping so much in such less time. Eliza provided them with little to no answers and urged Claire to do the same.

"Don't tell them." Eliza warned as she retold her kiss. "They'll drive me up the wall."

Percy and Eliza made sure to keep it a secret. Percy knew that if his brothers, especially Fred and George, found out they'd be teasing him to death and the same with Rehan and James.

"Don't speak out loud, Jameson!" A seventh year yelled one night in the common room, jumping everyone from their stupor.

"There's just a day left, and I don't know anything!" Percy said, fretting about near the black lake which was deserted during the lunch hour.

Their O.W.L.s were starting tomorrow, and now every student was in the same condition as Percy's, if not even worse.

"Percy, you're a Prefect, you know everything." Eliza said, voicing his words.

Percy turned towards her, "No, I don't! What if I walk into the halls and forget everything? What if they don't allow me? What if they accuse me of cheating? What if I don't pass the exams? What if —"

Eliza bent forward and kissed him, cutting him off. Percy, gladly taking up the distraction, turned red but kissed her back nevertheless.

"You'll do fine, Percy." Eliza assured, looking into Percy's blue eyes. "Even if you don't get a single O.W.L. I'll still kiss you like this." She said, kissing his cheek.

"And like this." Eliza said, pecking Percy.

"And like this." She said, pressing her lips to his, deeply kissing him, making Percy's ears hot. Eliza particularly enjoyed flustering Percy. When he was red and in a loss for words, looking helpless, trying hard to get a grip, but failing.

"I—" Percy started weakly, his voice small as he looked down on Eliza.

"Shh, don't waste your time in saying nonsense when you could be doing something else." Eliza told.

"Like?" Percy questioned.

"Oh, I don't know," Eliza teased. "You're the man. You should know what you should be doing."

Getting the hint, Percy shifted in his seat, "Don't tell me you're telling what I think you're telling."

"I don't know," Eliza said, acting completely oblivious, "What are you thinking?"

"Alexandera!" Percy said, trying to find words. "Y-You know what I'm thinking."

Eliza shrugged, "How can I? We don't share the same brain, Percy." She continued teasing. "You do know you have to say it for me to understand it, right?"

"I-I – you know – it's that —" Percy stammered, still red in the face.

Eliza laughed. "You're such a dork."

"I'm not!"

***

Their first exam was Potions. Many students were waiting outside the Great Hall, exchanging words of nervousness. Claire was looking angrily at James and Penelope as he tightly held her hand in order from running away from giving the exam.

Rehan was with Oliver, reassuring him that the exams really didn't matter to Oliver and that he could always be a great Quidditch player. Oliver smiled nervously at Rehan.

Claire and Eliza put their backs to the wall. Eliza was trying to recollect the antidote of a potion as Claire looked at her nails when, in reality, she was stealing glances at James and Penelope.

All forms of activity stopped as the door to the Great Hall opened. Professor McGonagall led them to their positions as Professor Tofty was sitting on a high chair, being their invigilator.

Quickly spotting Percy's red hair, which was a few steps in front of her, she went forward and stood on her toes, giving a small kiss on his cheek, muttering good luck and getting a good luck in return.

"You just had to do it, didn't you?" Claire asked as Eliza shrugged.

Within five minutes, they were sitting in their seats with their special Anti-cheating quills.

"You may start..." Professor Tofty looked at his watch, "Now."

A flurry of quills started. Everyone peered low to see their question paper.

Taking in a huge breath, Eliza looked down at hers.

She read the first question, and her heart leaped up. She knew the answer to it. She read the next and the next. She couldn't help with the stupid grin forming on her lips. The exam was going to go in a breeze.

Taking her quill, she started writing the answer to the first question, feeling confident with every word.