Potions Catasrophe

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli had an arm around Gabriel's shoulder as the two of them made their walk to the hospital wing. The blonde was very thankful it wasn't his foot, and that the stairs were no issue for an injured hand. Worried grey eyes shifted from ahead of her to the side of her so as to look and see how bad his hand was. it was boiling alright, and she supposed it would scare any students in her guardian's care to follow the directions. As they entered she gave him a slightly lopsided smile, finding a place to sit him down. She was certain that a nurse would come by and help him, it was only a small burn after all.

"Are you okay?" she asked, sitting beside him, arm still firmly around his shoulder as a form of comfort, regardless on if it was awkward or not - considering their height difference. "Here let me see?" she asked, taking hold of the bottom of his burnt hand, careful not to touch anywhere that had burns or blisters on it. "Not too bad, at least it wasn't your face, yeah? That's the money maker." She joked, trying to make him feel better.

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabriel's face was burning nearly as much as his hand. He'd known turning up to a potions lesson had been a bad idea, but amongst other things, he'd wanted to show Saveli and her father that he was a competent wizard. Above all, he'd wanted to prove it to himself. Tears stinging his eyes, the Slytherin entered the hospital wing, Saveli's arm still held comfortingly around him. On any other day, the physical contact would have added piquancy to the situation, but today, Gabriel didn't feel as if he deserved it. All he really wanted to do was curl up beneath his duvet - or better yet, go home. Facing his negligent father suddenly seemed more appealing than staying at Hogwarts, where everyone could see how useless he was. First the duel, and now this. It was any wonder they hadn't kicked him out yet.

As the two Slytherins sat down, Gabriel held up his hand. It didn't hurt much any more, which was probably because the heat had numbed it, but the tainted potion had caused the affected area to swell and turn slightly yellow. He grimaced at the sight of it, his tears beginning to obscure his vision. "I'm useless," he said suddenly, his tone bitter. "I'm as useless as my father."

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli was shocked by what she heard Gabriel say and at first didn't think it was possible for him to be so defeatist. Then he spoke again, and she tapped him in the head firmly. "Gabriel Rhys Fletcher don't you ever say something that stupid again." Saveli was so upset that her friend would think so lowly of himself. She cared deeply for him, he was nothing like his father in her mind. She grabbed the side of his face with her hand so he would look her in the eyes. a thumb moved to caress away a tear. "Now you listen to me okay? You messed up, so what. Everyone does. People get splinched every day trying to apparate, I've spilled ink on white shirts taking notes. I've failed classes."

She moved to hug him now. "You are so much more than your father, you are an intellectual, and funny, and my best friend okay?" She asked, squeezing him so tight she wondered if he could breathe.

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabriel jumped as Saveli tapped him on the head, but what she said next surprised him even more. His eyes flicked between hers, welling with tears that fell over his best friend's thumb. He hugged her back as best he could with one arm, keeping his burnt hand well out of the way, and continued to cry. He wouldn't even have cared had there been anyone else in the hospital wing at that moment. He was tired of trying to act as if he were confident - as if nothing ever bothered him. And as humiliated as he was for sobbing into a girl's shoulder, he didn't stop for the embarrassment alone. "I'm not," he insisted, shaking his head. "I'm not clever. I can't even brew a god damned potion when the instructions are right in front of me, Saveli. I'm useless. I am. And everyone knows it. You, my dad, Professor p-" the Slytherin faltered- "everyone." Gabriel pulled away then, rubbing his eyes. "I'm such a failure, not even my own family loves me." He regarded Saveli through them, wondering if she really had that much belief in his capabilities. Nobody else did. Merlin, he loved her.

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli hugged Gabriel close, cooing soft words to him, hoping that he would let it out and stop acting like he was bullet proof. That was her job. Sav moved closer to allow Gabe to rest on her slightly, if it made him comfortable, and stroked back his hair. She understood what he felt, and for a moment her mind flashed back to the letter that her father had sent to her. She shuddered at the thought, focusing now on what her friend had to say.

"Yes. You are." She insisted with a strength in her voice that dared him to question her. Saveli moved again and tilted her head to look into his face. "Who cares if your birth family loves you. They don't matter, because you are loved. Gabriel you're my best friend. Remember when McKay pushed me into the pool at his birthday and I was so cold and shivering but my parents told me to suck it up, they were too busy talking about business to his parents, so you let me wear your shirt so i could stay warm?" Saveli grinned at the memory. "You might as well be my family Gabe, I love you. Don't ever say that you aren't cared about and wanted, because it's a lie."

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabriel remembered. How could he forget? That was the same day he'd kissed her - a kiss she had either forgotten or discounted on the evening of the Yule Ball. He'd been cold without his shirt, but he'd prioritised her needs over his, as he always had done and would continue to do until the day he died. Another tear slipped over his angled cheekbone, followed by two more. She loved him? The Slytherin whimpered slightly, pulling her back into a hug. He didn't even care that his hand hurt when he wrapped it around her. "Thank you," he whispered, tasting the salt on his lips as he spoke. "I love you too." He knew Saveli had meant it in friendship, but quite frankly, that was enough. It was enough to know that the person who mattered most in the world to him loved him, too. That he wasn't alone, no matter how useless he felt.