Poems •Sirius Black• /editing/

Poems - 176.

[countdown to completion, chapter 2]

Chapter 176

The weeks leading up to NEWTs she thought would be the most stressful of her life, it seemed to be as she spent countless hours studying with every chance she got, a book in her hand as she walked down the hallway, her eyes straining in order to read the book as best as she could, though it wasn't working out well, seeing as she had walked into about six people on her way to classes, resulting in Sirius throwing his arm around her in a best attempt to guide her in the right direction, she really was a little stressed.

But as the two weeks approached, and her wariness of the exams heightened, she couldn't help but fear what might happen, she did well in her O.W.Ls that seemed like a life time ago, way back in her fifth year, but the NEWT classes deemed to be some of the hardest she ever had to take, so much to the point that some of her - nicer - Professors did their best to emphasise what they should be studying in order for them to perfect their spells for the final exams, Adria could say confidently that she really wasn't looking forward to the practical side of things.

She had five exams over the two weeks, her first being Potions - which was the hardest written exam in the year of her O.W.Ls - and last being Care for Magical Creatures, and whilst the class itself was one of Adria's favourites, she wasn't sure how hard the exam would be, taking care of creatures was hard enough on it's on, but doing it in front of a spectator making sure that you do it perfectly, well, the thought crept up Adria's spine with more fear, and butterflies floating in her stomach at the thought.

The potions exam was replaying in Adria's head as she attempted to sleep, her head on the pillow and her hands clutching the quilt, but she couldn't seem to rid her mind of every thought she had of it, she was replaying every ingredient she would need, how to cut up specific plants, how to stir the potion, though she had no idea what she would actually be making until she got into the classroom.

She knew she needed to rest or she would feel terribly grumpy, but she couldn't seem to help herself, the dormitory was pitch black as she lay there, and Sirius quiet breaths falling from his lips could be heard beside her.

"Adria?" she turned suddenly at his voice, his eyes opened ever so slightly, watching her stare at the ceiling and then him, "what's wrong, baby girl?"

He shuffled closer to her, slipping his arm around her waist to pull her closer to him, allowing her to bury her head into his chest as he embraced her, hearing her breaths quickening, "what if I fail?"

"Oh baby," he frowned, lifting his head to stare into her eyes, cupping her cheek with one of his hands, moving the hair from her face with a frown, you won't fail, babe, you're far too smart to fail."

"But what if my mind goes blank during the exam and then I fail everything, and everything goes dark because I faint out of stress and they don't think I can do any exams and because of that, they say I failed all of them and then I have to leave school as all the students watch me in shame and disappointment and I'm just walking there wondering why I even bothered in the first place!" she rambled on, her eyes wide, her mouth moving a mile a second, "oh merlin, I don't want to do these exams."

"I am one hundred percent positive that you can do these exams, Adria," Sirius mumbled softly, moving to kiss her lips softly as she lay in his arms, "you are the smartest person I know, and you have studied more than anyone in this school for these exams, so if you don't pass them, then bloody hell no one will.

But if you don't, if somehow you fail these exams, then it's not the end of the world, it's not, you have so much qualifications without them, your future won't be drastically impacted without them, we can work around anything, Addy."