ALLURING || D.M.

Chapter 51

Her eyes rolled for the tenth time that day, biting her tongue, "Fine, it'll be as you wish". Lestrange would give her life for even a sip of firewhisky in that moment. Her ponytail was all messed up by now, fingers running over it again and again in frustration.

Her body took a quick turn, her eyes glued to the clock, counting mentally the three minutes she still had on the ward as she arranged towels to pass the time far away from any occupied cot. Her exhale was a clear sign of her exhaustion, the smell really bothering her after spending two hours surrounded by it. Leyline flu season had arrived just in time to cut the Hogsmeade visitors list short, the entire place was a fog of coughs, fever and the disgusting medicine people had unanimously neglected to take.

Once she was in the clear her small body practically ran to the back room, the door swinging shut behind her. Clear air a blessing to her nostrils as she allowed her eyes to open. Hailee was already there, perched against the counter, one hip angled just so while she held a mug that smelled aggressively like coffee.

She'd learn to like the dim room, her name in cursive on display in the old board in white chalk. Out of simple habit she headed to the corner to wash her hands, fingers retaining the eucalyptus aroma of the soap in an instant, pressing her hands on the white towel with more force than necessary.

It's quiet in the way only hospital spaces ever are, never silent, just muffled. A kettle clicking softly, steps outside, multiple voices. "Please tell me that's real coffee" Lilianne says, tired of the coffee smelling candles Elisa Lughthorn insisted to get for the room.

Harris glanced up with disinterest, "Have at it" she moved to sit at the edge of the table, legs crossed at the ankle, hot mug in hand. The sound relief when the dark beverage hit her was enough for the dark haired witch to ask, "Tough, huh?".

Lilianne moved, basically dropped to the closest chair. "I just spent forty minutes convincing a grown wizard that a potion tasting like fermented bark was not, in fact, poison" Her head tipped back to avoid groaning at the irritation it brought to her. "Did he take it?" The girl raised an eyebrow, entertained at seeing someone mad beside herself "No" Lestrange huffed, "Said he'd rather suffer".

Hailee hummed, "Yeah, they're bold when they're not feverous" she sipped her coffee, "Give it a day and stuff them on that". Lilianne laughed, tired and thin, rubbing her eyes. Even though they could not be described as friends, the girls had settled on this sarcastic dynamic when their break times overlapped. "You were on intake yesterday too, weren't you?" Hailee asked, moving the liquid in her cup to keep it from densing.

"Mm, flu overflow" Lilianne closed her eyes, yearning for the weekend, noting to take an extra dose of medicine to not get sick herself, "Half of them coughing, the other half pretending they aren't". The girl couldn't help a short laugh, "Denial is a surprisingly universal symptom".

Lilianne smiled faintly, legs aching in that deep, boneless way that tells her she's been standing too long. "You're good with them" The girl added, almost absently, making Lestrange straighten a little. "With who?".

"Patients. You explain things, weirdly don't take joy in mocking them" She paused, "It's odd". Lilianne blinked quietly, "I just... tell them what I'd want to know".

"That's a different approach" Harris muttered after making a face, Lilianne looked at her properly now, not smiling, not impressed either, the girl just looked observant. "Thank you" The brunette resolved to say after a second.

"I don't give compliments often" Hailee added after a second, "Use it wisely". For some minutes both resolved to take a sip of their coffee, then gesturing vaguely with the mug. Lilianne dropped her gaze back to her, "You think the season'll get worse?"