good luck
Alexander was sitting in the bleachers, next to Washington and Eliza at the quidditch game between Gryffindors and Slytherins. The three of them were rooting for Gryffindors (obviously), but Peggy and Angelica were supporting Slytherins.
"TRAITORS," Alex yelled teasingly at them, when they were heading to the Slytherin side. All was going well in the game (Alexander wasn't really there for the actual game, he was there to support his friends and to watch John's glorious hair bounce around) until John lost control of his broom.
Alexander leaped up when he saw this. But John was really good at flying, he though. There was no way he would loose control of the broom.
He saw Angelica and Peggy hurry towards them.
"Hey," Eliza said. "What is happening?"
"I don't know," Peggy said. "I-"
"Look," Angelica yelled, and she pointed to where the teachers were sitting. Seabury was muttering, with his eyes faced on John.
"Do you think he's casting a spell on him?" Washington asked. The broom was being more uncontrollable by the second. Other quidditch players were starting to notice. Lafayette was keeping an eye on John, simultaneously playing while watching him. Hercules was staring at John worriedly, but he probably couldn't help John because he was on the opposing team.
"I think so, I mean you do need constant eye contact and stuff," Angelica said. "We need to break the spell."
"I'm on it," Peggy said, and she sneaked away. Lord knows what she's going to do.
"Hurry!" Eliza called after her, and then they all returned their attention on John. He dangling from the broom now.
Alex started shouting encouragement at him. "COME ON JOHN, STAY ON THERE. STAY ALIVE!" he yelled. Hurry Peggy, hurry, he thought. John looked like he was about to break.
Lafayette started flying toward John, and took their attention off of keeping bludgers away. Because of that, a bludger hit John's broom. And he fell.
And then the area where the teachers were sitting promptly bursted into flames.
John fell, and landed on his right shoulder. His bat fell from his hand, and he lay there, lifeless.
Alexander was horrified. He felt like he needed to do something, needed to fix John, but he couldn't make himself move.
Peggy reappeared at his side. "Alex, come on," she said, shaking him.
The group made their way into the pitch, and ran over to John. Alex started shaking him. "Come on, John, come on, wake the fuck up-"
"Out of my way!" McGonagall yelled. "Oh," she said, looking down at John. "He hurt his shoulder real bad. Ok, you four get him to the hospital wing. Quick." She turned toward the students watching the game. "The game still continues," she said loudly. "A quidditch game only ends when the snitch is caught. Gryffindor will just have to do without a beater." The Gryffindors groaned, and the quidditch players resumed their game. Alex saw Lafayette and Hercules look sad, but then they kept playing.
The four of them carried John to the Hospital Wing. Alex tried to convince the others that he could carry John by himself.
"You're too small," Washington said. "You're like a small little child. It's like I have a son."
When they got there, carrying John's alive but limp body, Madam Pomfrey made a huge fuss over him.
"Oh, look at him," she said upon seeing John. "You probably dislocated his shoulder just by the way you carried him! Here, lay him on this bed, I'll tend to him." She bustled about, grabbing ingredients for some kind of medicine. "Oh, go on now. Shooo!"
Angelica and Washington left. Washington left a cute little pat on John's head. "Get well soon John," Angelica said upon exiting. "I mean, you probably can't hear me, but see ya later."
"How are they making such little fuss about this?" Alex asked Eliza and Peggy. Eliza smiled softly.
"We weren't Muggle born. We've seen quidditch injuries before, and anyways, Madam Pompfrey can cure almost anything. There's nothing to worry about," Eliza said reassuringly. She patted John's hand, and then made her way out. Madam Pompfrey also left the room, probably going to grab more stuff. "Don't worry about it Alex."
He looked over to Peggy. She looked distraught.
"Hey, are you ok?" he asked her. She shook her head. "Hey what's wrong?" Alex hugged her.
"I feel like this is my fault," she confided to him, speaking to the cloth on his chest. "If only I had gotten there faster, I could have-"
"Shhh," Alex said. "It is not your fault, Peggy Schuyler. You did your very best, and the bludger would have probably still hit him. And what you did was pretty awesome. Setting the teachers on fire, that's a story we'll tell our children."
"Thanks," Peggy muttered. She looked up at him, her eyes misty. "Don't worry about John, ok? He'll be fine."
She left, and Alex was all alone with John. John's right shoulder looked seriously messed up; it was dirty, bloody, and his robes were sticking to the injury so there was no telling how serious it was. John's face looked peaceful and like he was in serious pain at the same time. There was a bit of hair in his face. Alex moved to brush it away, when the doors bursted open and Madam Pomfrey hurried in.
"Out!" she said, gesturing to the door. "I told you, out!"
"But I need to see if he's ok!"
"He will be ok if you would leave so I can treat him-"
"Well-"
"Look," she said, sighing. "It's obvious that you really care about this young man. A lot. Now, can you please leave so that I can treat him and I'll call for you whenever I am done," she said softly.
Alex nodded. "Ok then," he said, his voice thick with emotion. He would stand down. For John.
What happened after the game was a blur to John. He remembered everything before he fell. The rest was just fragments.
He remembered how Alex was shaking him, trying to wake him. My shoulder, John thought. You're hurting my shoulder.
He remembered arguments between Alex and another woman (Madam Pompfrey, perhaps?). Alex lost the argument.
He remembered shrill screaming from Martha Manning. Alex was by his side when Martha went to visit him.
He remembered how Alex barely left his side, how his friends had to bring him food, and sent him parchment and ink so that Alex could work while staying near John.
Alex was by his side when John woke up.
John felt weak. He hadn't had any real food in like, a week. He was mostly unconscious, for a week. He also had a strong ache in his right shoulder. His eyes fluttered open.
"Hey?" he said to Alex. The two were alone in the room. Alex was writing something. Alex looked like he barely slept in the past week. He also looked like he barely ate, in the past week. What did I expect? John thought.
"Oh my god hey!" Alex said, practically pouncing on John. "How are you? Are you ok? Do you know how worried I've been? Do you need anything, I-"
"Did we win?" John asked. Alex rolled his eyes.
"Oh my god, that's so you, you little piece of shit," Alexander said, and took John's head in his hands. And kissed him.
Oh my god.
The kiss destroyed him. In more ways than one.
It was everything John could have asked for, and more. The kiss was full of pent up energy, like they just had to take the weight off of their chests. It was passionate, it was wild, it was Alexander. It felt like a great burden had been lifted, like the two were meant to have this moment if they only waited.
And then the kiss destroyed him. Because John knew that this wasn't supposed to happen. John knew the consequences. He knew about his father, how John would never be safe again if it got any further than this.
And so John stopped it. With a heavy heart, he broke it off. He took his good hand and pushed Alex off of him.
"I can't," John said. "I'm so so sorry."
Alex's face broke him. It was full of despair, longing, like his world was going to shatter. And it was because of John.
'What's wrong," Alex said quickly. He was so eager to make it right, but he couldn't do anything. "I mean, John, I like you a lot, and we can make it work, we can-"
"Alexander. Stop," John looked away. "We can't do it. My father will hear about this."
"John, we can make this work." Alex took his hand. "Please-"
"We can't. My father will hear about this." John pulled his hand away. "Please just go. Please."
Alex stood up, his eyes misty. He walked to the door. "I'm sorry," he said, and left.