LIFELINE | 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙮

▪︎ 28.

"Make you say what?" Eliza teased further, watching Percy squirm under her, unable to say the word he wanted to say. It was such an turn on for Eliza watching Percy fumble with his words, looking away in embarrassment, his face red. She wanted to grab him by the collar of his sweater and pull him into a deep kiss.

"Honesty, Percy, what are you trying to tell me?" Eliza prodded on. Her resolution to make him break was so strong that she wasn't about to give up any second.

"I'm trying to tell you to stop hinting me about – about – h-having sex." Percy said, whispering the last words before burying his face in his hands.

Eliza laughed. Even though he had buried his face, she could make out the red gleam that stretched to his ears.

"You're such a doofus." Eliza said lovingly as she ran a hand through his flaming red hair and messing it up. "I can't believe you're so embarrassed to say the word sex."

"Don't say that out loud." Percy mumbled from behind his hands.

When Eliza took his hands into hers and removed them from his face, he looked elsewhere, too mortified to look at Eliza. It was only when he felt grounded when he closed his eyes as they kissed softly.

"You do know that you have to do it at some point, right?"

"Alexandera!"

***

"What happened to that date of yours, Claire?" James asked casually one evening while they were trying to get their homework done.

"You're asking about it now?" Claire questioned with an appalled look.

James frowned, "I noticed that you aren't out there snogging him."

"Why would I? He turned out to be a desperate piece of arse." Claire said, shrugging. "I'm not interested in boys like that."

"What kind of guys are you interested in then?" He asked, perking up.

"Someone's that's not desperate, that's for sure." Claire said, snorting.

James rolled his eyes.

"Why are you interested anyway?" She asked suspiciously.

"No reason at all."

Rehan and Eliza coughed out loudly, masking their cough with their water bottles.

***

It was the first match of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

When the Gryffindor team walked out, the Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Gryffindors cheered loudly because they were eager to see the Slytherins beaten. But the Slytherins made their boos heard as well.

Madam Hooch asked Flint and Oliver to shake hands, which they did, giving each other giving each other glares.

"On my whistle," Madam Hooch said. "Three... two... one..."

And they were off in the air, Eliza clapped encouragingly with Percy beside her, who was clapping harder.

Malfoy shouted something at Harry, shooting underneath him as though to show off the speed of his broom.

"What a show off, that boy is." Eliza said with an eye-roll. It'd certainly be a sight to see the blonde boy beaten.

"Genetical issue." Percy said with a huff. "His father is no better."

A bludger streaked past Harry, almost hitting him. The Slytherins booed, for Harry's miss.

George was ready with his bludger as he hit it hard in the opposite direction towards another Slytherin player. But it changed mid-air, aiming straight towards Harry again.

It was odd because bludgers never usually behaved in such a way. They never targeted a single player, and as far as Eliza knew, the bludger's job was to topple as many players as possible.

Harry dropped down to avoid it, and George managed to hit it again, hard
toward Malfoy. Once again, the Bludger swerved towards Harry's head.

He sped past the pitch, reaching the other side. The bludger still followed him.

"Did someone tamper with the bludger?" Percy asked as he watched Harry trying to avoid the ball.

"Must be the Slytherins." Eliza replied.

Harry ducked as Fred knocked the bludger off course. Everyone had thought the bludger would go its way, but it switched mid-air and pelted towards Harry again.

Rain drops started falling down, starting slowly and then increasing. The many students conjured up charms to keep themselves dry. Percy, with a flick of his wand, conjured a charm for himself and Eliza.

The game was now looking dreary, and Slytherin was leading sixty points to zero.

"Come on, Harry! Get the Snitch!" James yelled through the rain, although it wasn't audible except to the people around him.

The Gryffindor team called for a time-out. Clearly, it was for the tampered bludger. Eliza hoped that they would look into it and find the culprit, but to her surprise, they got back on their brooms again.

Harry must've somehow convinced Fred and George not to stick by his side and let him continue with the match.

As soon as they were in the air, the rain started pouring even harder. Harry was now doing all sorts of broom stunts to avoid the mad bludger. The Slytherins laughed at him.

He did a stupid twirl in between to keep the bludger at bay. Malfoy flew around him, making a mocking expression. Harry glared at him but then froze for a second.

That turned out to be a huge mistake because the Bludger that was fixed on him hit him.

"Ooh," Eliza said, wincing, "That's gotta hurt."

She was right. Harry's arm felt like it had broken. But he had to ignore that. He saw the Snitch. He was going to get it. Broken arm or not.

He shot at Malfoy, whose face initially was sneering, but as Harry got closer, a look of face replaced his face.

"What the—" He gasped, moving out of Harry's way.

Harry took his remaining hand off his broom to snatch the Snitch. He felt his fingers close on the cold Snitch but headed straight towards the ground.

"He's going to crash!" Eliza said anxiously.

With a splattering thud, he hit the mud and rolled off his broom.

"We've won!" James cheered loudly. But Eliza wasn't that focused on that.

"Come on," She said, pulling Percy's hand and dragging him down to the pitch.

Several people also rushed, mainly Harry's friends but also Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Aha," Harry said vaguely as Eliza and Percy reached him. "We've won."

And then, he fainted.