“Mm, hmm,” Alicia confirmed with a nod; anything she gave Oliver today wasn’t likely to turn him green, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t turn him green any other day. “Well, carefully so you don’t hurt yourself, but yes, and then a whiff in each side. It’ll help you breathe again.”
Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion when Oliver yelped as if in sharp pain. At first she wondered what could have made him hurt like that, since she had seen him take Bludgers without embarrassing himself like this, and then she saw his hand. “Did you just..?” she shook her head and held up her hand; she didn’t want to know. “You stop pinching yourself and I promise I won’t take any pictures.” Then she grinned evilly at him. “I’ve plenty of other embarrassing pictures, no need just yet.”
Still, he did as he was instructed, and that in itself was a minor victory for Alicia. As Oliver kept his head back, she took the small bottle from him and put it on the nightstand. “You know,” she sighed, “I’m actually inclined to agree with you on that,” she told him. “Even if you’re basically saying that I’m a violent lunatic too for not playing anymore.”