Bloom | George Weasley

17. Study Buddies

My stomach groans, again.

"Let's take a break! Let's take a break!" Orla starts chanting next to Henry, who joins in.

"I still haven't finished the exercises I need to do by lunch." I protest.

"Cause you've been drawing that stupid logo the whole day!" Henry interjects, flopping onto his side. "It's 2 o'clock, we're hungry..."

My quick glare shuts him up, but not for long when Orla decides to start annoying me too. Eventually I give in, and send them to the Great Hall for food, insisting that I stay to finish what work I can in the package.

And with them disappearing from the empty classroom, I'm stuck staring at the trigonometry question in front of me, about to burst into unnecessary tears as if that would help me solve the function. Despite reading it over three or four times, none of the words register within my mind and the frustration grows so much that I slam my head against the desk.

Thank Merlin no one is in this classroom.

My sniffles get trapped what with my face smushed onto the table, and when I rise back up, the paper peels terribly off my oily face and i'm back to burnout.

Flicking, smacking, tapping - nothing works to get me to focus on the maths in front of me. So, right before I breakdown completely, my hand grabs my sketchbook, already open to the ideas page for the Weasley Twins' request.

It's so much easier to do this.

Proportions, shading, colour palettes, designing; I would take that over the study packet any day.

"See, no progress." Orla, marches in with a couple plates, followed by Henry. The sit down on either side of me and set out my cutlery and dish.

A tired thank you leaves my lips before I start eating to satisfy my stomach. And for a few minutes it's just silence between the three of us.

My mind once again wanders into overdrive of school, graduation, late applications for university, and this god-awful packet professor Flitwick gave me. I have to once again hold in my tears as I try and wrap my head around all of the things I want to do, so my hand subconsciously reaches for my pencil to start swirling upon the thick artist paper for my clients.

Henry and Orla share a look that I don't see.

"Oi, Madhvi, when's this maths thing due?" Orla asks and I groan back with a mouth full of food.

"When do the twins want their logo finished?" Henry chimes and I swallow quickly to give him an answer.

"As soon as possible. Though, that's my own deadline, I wonder what they'll ask for next..."

"And your applications for schools?" Orla's voice prompts me to fold my face into my hands.

I mumble something incomprehensible, which causes my two friends to hum in confusion.

"I don't want to do this." I say with a sniffle.

"Do what?" Orla's hand comes to rest on my shoulder in comfort.

"This!" I cry, sitting up. "Maths! Drafting! Environmental design! I don't want to do any of it!"

A hiccup escapes me as I wipe at my eyes.

"Maybe I don't want to do architecture..."

Orla grabs at my hand, patting it gently.

"You need a nap." She says.

"I'm not a child." I protest like a toddler and her and Henry laugh.

"We know." He snorts.

"You're upset," Orla joins back in, "Frustrated, burnt out, and tired. You're not gonna do anything right now, so go take a nap."

"I hate this." I mumble again and she runs her thumb over my knuckles.

"I know, but we're not going to make any big decisions until our head is clear, alright?"

I nod weakly and she raises an eyebrow.

"Alright." I agree and she smiles.

"Good. Henry, walk her to Ravenclaw tower? I'll clean up the stuff here."

"Okay." He says and helps me up, wrapping a comforting arm around my shoulder as we trude into the hall.

"Maybe I don't want to do architecture." I whisper to myself, but my friend catches it.

"Maybe you do, maybe you don't." He says. "But like Orla said, we're not making any big, life changing decisions right now, okay?"

I look up to his kind and reassuring face, kind of wishing George was here to crack a joke and make me laugh.

"Right, no life changing decisions..." I trail off as the laughter of a familiar voice catches my attention and I look to see my younger brother and Jacoby giggling at the end of the hall, her book bag on his shoulder. "But if I become an architect, will I have to leave the wizarding world?"

"Tch, no thinking anymore, Madhvi." Henry scolds, picking up the pace to the tower.

On the way, we catch Edith, who Henry asks to take me to bed and get me knocked out so I stop spiraling. After waving goodbye, I'm whisked like magic under my comforters, and handed a small vile of lavender to put under my pillow by Edith.

Without questioning, I do as she tells me too, laying my head down and closing my eyes.

Surprisingly, I fall asleep without any more thoughts.