The Sniffle I Snuffed

Junie knocks on the bathroom door ten minutes later, a bundle of clothes and a warm towel in her arms. “Hey. Can I come in and just put these next to the shower for you?”

“Yeah,” the response comes after a moment, and Junie opens the door, making sure to avert her eyes even though the shower curtain covers Nava completely. “Um, these might be a little big for you, but at least they’re not too small…?”

“All good. Oversized is very in right now.”

Junie frowns slightly, and then shakes her head, chuckling slightly. “If you say so.” She leaves the clothes and the towel next to the sink, ducking back into the hallway and closing the door. She’s about to walk away when she hears a few sneezes coming from inside, not covered by anything, a wet sniffle and a cough following. She holds her breath, listening as Nava sniffles again, groaning quietly. Oh, she sounds so sick… heaven, it’s so stupid, because Junie doesn’t even know her, but she feels a strong desire to wipe Nava’s nose –

Nope. No. Junie shakes her head to rid it of the thought, tiptoeing away and entering the kitchen. She fills a pot with water and places it on the stovetop, lighting it and staring as it begins to bubble slightly.

It takes a while to boil, even though Junie keeps her wand trained on it, keeping it warmer than only the stove could. Once the bubbles take up the whole surface area, she takes it off the heat and pours it into two thick mugs – ones she painted herself when she was younger – with a teabag inside each. She twirls her index finger a few times, and the tea goes with it, continuing even when she stops.

Junie picks up a mug in each hand, setting them down on the coffee table and plopping herself in the armchair. She holds a hand out to the fireplace, watching as it crackles to life – she needs to collect some more firewood soon, that reminds her.

She sits there, revelling in the pleasant warmth of the fire, for about five minutes, and then she hears the bathroom door open, soft footsteps padding down the hallway. Junie turns her head and smiles at Nava, her hair still slightly damp, her face flushed, dressed in Junie’s pyjamas. “Hey,” she says. “Feel a little better?”

Nava nods gratefully, sitting down opposite her. “Yeah, loads. Um… thank you.”

Junie waves a hand in dismissal, gesturing to the tea. “Don’t mention it. Drink.”

Nava takes the cup, sipping it slowly – it’s cool enough to drink now, at least. “What’s in this?” she asks after a second, and Junie thinks for a moment before responding. “Ginger, lemon, honey… I think that’s it. I don’t know, really, I get the bags in town.”

“Where’s town?”

“A little up north. There are way more people there.”

Nava inspects her. “Why don’t you live in town?”

Junie feels a cold sensation wash over her, and she resists the urge to shudder. “I – just because I don’t. Mind your own business.”

“Okay, Jesus,” Nava mutters. She takes another sip of her tea, swallowing with some difficulty. “My throat hurts…”

Junie sighs. “Yeah, I bet. Are you still feeling, um – congested?” The word brings goosebumps to her arms, and she rubs them, not sure why she feels such – exhilaration? – at the thought.

Nava gives a small nod. “It’s way better after the shower, but yeah… a little bit. You don’t have anything to help it?”

“Just tea, sorry.” Junie eyes the handkerchief Nava discarded on the coffee table earlier and tilts her head towards it. “That, too, if you want.”

Nava makes a face. “Yeah, no way. Sorry, but it’s kind of… really unhygienic.”

“It’s more hygienic than wiping your nose on your sleeve like you were doing.”

“Nope.”

“Fine.”

Junie drinks her tea slowly, watching Nava do the same in her peripheral vision. After a few minutes, she sees the other girl’s nose twitch slightly, and she rubs at it, clearly trying to make it stop itching, but it doesn’t seem to work. She inhales shakily, and then exhales, and Junie stays silent, curious to see where this is going.

Eventually, a few minutes into the endless subtle sniffling and itching, she teases, “You don’t need a handkerchief, do you?”

“N-no,” Nava snaps, wiping furiously at her nose for the nth time. “I’m j-just – my nose is just a b-bit itchy.”

“Are you going to sneeze? –”

“No –”

“ – Because you can’t sneeze into my pyjamas.”

“ – I’m not going to sneeze, okay? I’m jusd – I’b just – snnrkh – itchy.”

Junie quirks an eyebrow, watching as Nava rubs her nostril with her knuckles. It emits a wet-sounding noise as she does so. “Mhm. Sounds like it.”

Nava scowls at her. “J-just shut up, okay? I don’t ndeed to sneeze, and I don’t ndeed to use your stupid hadkerchief, sdo – just – just shut up and stop looking at me!”

“Fine, fine. You don’t need to sneeze.” Junie grins, averting her gaze, tapping her fingers against the side of her mug. “If you do, though…”

There’s a beat of silence, and then a sharp inhale, followed by a harsh “ktshchhIEW!” Junie can’t help but flicker her eyes back up to Nava, who’s sitting there frozen, thick snot dripping from her nose and coating her fingers. Junie resists the urge to say ‘I told you so’, instead sighing and placing her mug on the coffee table, picking up the handkerchief and approaching Nava. “Here,” she says, dabbing lightly at the other girl’s nose, which twitches again and lets out another sneeze. “DJhheESCHiew!”

“Oh, heaven – bless,” Junie giggles, not flinching. She wipes Nava’s hands and beckons a fresh handkerchief from the cupboard, placing it on the couch next to her. “Just use it. You can get a new one every time you sneeze if you want – there’s no shortage.”

Nava’s eyes dart between Junie and the handkerchief, and eventually she reaches for it, sniffling and blowing her nose into it. “… Thagks,” she says after a moment, giving a slightly sheepish smile.

Junie returns it, sitting back in the armchair. “No problem.” She feels another strange twinge in her stomach as Nava wipes her nose again – she ignores it.

Nava sighs, sniffling again. “Um… you know how you said you can bring the fever down? Can you – can you do that now?”

“Oh,” Junie says, blinking. “Yeah, definitely. Sorry. I – it will put you to sleep, though.”

Nava’s brow furrows slightly. “… It will? Why?”

“It needs time to work. It can’t just take it away instantly.”

“Isn’t it literally magic?”

“You have a very misguided idea of how magic works.”

Nava rolls her eyes, dropping her handkerchief on the coffee table. “Whatever. Just do it.”

Junie waits for a ‘please’ or ‘thank you’, but none comes, so she sighs, withdrawing her wand and crouching next to Nava. “Lie down and keep still.” The girl obeys, and Junie draws a crescent in the air around her, murmuring incantations under her breath.

Nava fidgets uncomfortably, clearly trying to stay still, but after about three minutes, snot is trickling from her nose onto her mouth, and she sniffles loudly in an attempt to get it back in. Junie continues to cast, ignoring the sniffling. Nava will grow tired soon – the spell takes energy from both the healer and the patient, and Junie has none to waste on a little snot.

After another few minutes, she’s done, and Nava’s head is turned to the side, her mouth open, her eyes fluttering closed. Junie lowers her arms, wiping sweat from her own brow, feeling a strong wave of fatigue. She needs rest now, too – oh, rest, how wonderful the word sounds – she leaves the living room and begins trudging down the hall to her bedroom, glancing over her shoulder once at the sleeping girl on her couch.

She flops down on her bed, faceplanting in the pillows, breathing in the soft, clean scent of lavender. She barely has the energy to pull her quilt over herself, shivering slightly and curling in on herself.