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Sebastian, Cassandra, Anne, and Ominis sat in the library, the room silent but for the scratching of their quills across parchment, or that of other students flipping through their own books and whispering amongst themselves.
Try as he might, Sebastian found concentrating on his Herbology essay a rather difficult task. All he could think of was the upcoming Christmas holidays.
Cassandra let out a frustrated groan to his right, and Sebastian twisted his head towards her. She balled up her parchment and tossed it onto the pile in the centre of their dark, mahogany desk, then crossed her arms and slumped back into her chair.
“I hate this subject. I hate it.”
Anne and Ominis, seated across from the two of them, said nothing, but had also turned their attention towards her, and lowered their quills.
Sebastian lowered his in turn, and guilt wormed through him. Cassandra had given him back his sister. She’d ripped that wretched curse from Anne’s body three weeks ago, and since then, he had been so preoccupied with helping Anne to catch up on all she’d missed in Autumn term, as well as helping Cassandra to take down Ranrok and Rookwood, that he hadn’t spent nearly enough time helping her with Herbology.
“Maybe we should take a break,” he offered. “We could visit Mercury, maybe, and then take a walk in the gardens-”
Soft footfalls hurried towards their desk, and Sebastian looked up, suppressing a groan. Salazar’s Scrotum. What does she want now?
Grace placed her hands against the wooden desk, a wide grin on her face. “Afternoon, all.”
She reached for the chair and pulled it out, cringing for a moment as the chair scraped across the floor, and checked over her shoulder for Madam Scribner before taking a seat across from Cassandra. Ominis, on her left, had already begun to inch away.
She leaned her elbows onto the desk and stared directly at Cassandra. “Cass, I saw Garreth by the fountain a few minutes ago. He was speaking with Andrew, and he looked really happy. Does that mean he’s already asked you?”
Sebastian’s heart pinched, and he glanced over at Cassandra just in time to see her cheeks pinken. He leaned back in his chair and let out a quiet huff. So she did want Garreth to ask her, then. He knew it. He knew she fancied that stupid, red-haired menace to society.
Ominis quirked a brow and tilted his head in Sebastian’s direction. A shadow passed over his face, and Sebastian bit his tongue to stop himself from saying more. He caught Anne’s eye moments before she looked at Ominis with a sympathetic expression.
“He hasn’t asked, no,” Cassandra said in a quiet voice.
“He must be working up to it, then, no need to worry, Cass.” She waved a hand through the air, and then sat up straight. “Oh, we need to go shopping for your dress! I’m not sure if there’s anything all that grand at Gladrags, but perhaps you, Nerida, Anne, and I can arrange to head out to Bath. There’s a modiste there that I often-”
Ominis let out a loud sigh. “And here I thought that the library was a place for intellectual curiosity, not discussing the Yule Ball.”
Grace turned to face him. “While we’re on the subject, though-” Sebastian groaned and Ominis frowned – he really should have stayed silent. “Are you going with anyone, Ominis?”
Ominis bit the inside of his cheek. “No, I’ve no one to ask.”
Sebastian shifted uncomfortably in his chair as Ominis jumped up from his chair and strode out of the library before Grace could pester him further.
“Excuse me,” Anne said. She packed both of their bags as quickly as she could and hurried to follow him.
Grace slumped forward in her chair, and rested her chin against her forearms, while Cassandra reached forward and gave her shoulder a gentle tap.
“It really might be best to move on, Grace.”
She let out a sigh. “I know that you’re probably right, Cass, it’s only…” She caught Sebastian’s eye for a moment and then angled her face away, dropped her voice to a low mumble, and whispered words that only Cassandra caught.
Grace lifted her head back up, and rested her chin in her palm as she looked across at the two of them, all her energy seeming to have been sapped.
“What were you three working on, anyway?”
“Herbology,” Cassandra said. Sebastian suppressed a laugh at how she’d nearly spat the word with disdain.
Grace picked up one of the crumpled essays and opened it up, her eyes scanning the page. “Oh, Venomous Tentaculas, I hate those. I always need Samantha’s help to- Oh!” She looked back at Cassandra, her brown eyes shining with a new light. “Why don’t we ask Samantha to help us with the assignment? I’m sure with her help, we’ll finish it in no time, and then we can find our dresses!”
“It might be a good idea,” Sebastian said. Loathe though he was to agree with any plans that Grace proposed, the sooner they finished their essays, the sooner they would be free to leave the castle. To avoid Garreth, and to take down more of Ranrok’s loyalists or Rookwood’s Ashwinders.
“Agreed,” Cassandra said. “And perhaps we could invite Poppy too. I’ve seen her- er, I know she’s also rather good with plants.”
“The more the merrier!” Grace said with a smile.
Cassandra, Sebastian, Anne, Poppy, Grace, Samantha, and Nerida all sat in a quiet corner of the library on the first floor, their books open in front of them.
On Cassandra’s left, Sebastian murmured to Anne, seated across from him, while Grace and Nerida leaned in towards Samantha on the other side of the table, listening as she helped them with their own assignments.
On her right, Poppy’s short, brown hair fell in a curtain around her face as she leaned in closer and pointed down at the page.
“No, you see, the Venomous Tentacula belongs to the Dionaea magicus family, not the Dionaea muscipula family. They’re really similar, but-”
“Sorry I’m late,” Ominis said.
Cassandra glanced up. He moved his wand back and forth as he sensed the places before him, then grabbed the back of the chair next to Poppy and took a seat.
“Afternoon, Ominis,” Poppy said in a quiet whisper while he unpacked his own book, parchment, and quill. She twisted back to Cassandra, a flush creeping up her face.
Cassandra let her eyes drift back towards her own text. Poppy cleared her throat and returned to helping her study, while Ominis set to work on his own essay.
After what felt like an hour – but was, she knew, likely only a few minutes, Grace let out a loud groan. Cassandra looked up and saw her holding the sides of her head. Samantha reached a hand out, as though to take hold of it, but hesitated.
“I will get an ‘A’ at most.”
“An ‘A’ is a passing mark, Grace,” Cassandra said.
“But it’s not good enough!” Her voice climbed a few octaves.
Cassandra glanced around, hoping that Madame Scribner wasn’t nearby to hear them. Imelda, seated alone a few desks away from them, lifted her head from a large, brown, leather bound tome, and glared in their direction.
Cassandra looked back at Grace, who had tears in her eyes. “Pinch-Smedleys don’t get less than an ‘E’ in every subject! If I can’t bring my marks up, my parents-”
Her chest rose and fell as she fought back a panic, and Samantha took her hand and stroked the back of it with her thumb. “It’ll be alright Grace, I won’t let you down. I’ll get you that ‘E’, I promise.”
Before Grace could say anything, Garreth turned the corner. “Ah, I thought I heard you all!”
“Who invited him?” Sebastian murmured in a low growl.
Garreth took a spare chair from where Imelda was working and dragged it along the floor to join them. He planted it at the head of their table, beside Sebastian and Anne. The back of his chair faced the desk, and he plopped down, his legs spread on either side, while his arms draped across the top. He flashed a wide, white grin.
“Apologies for being a bit late, I was speaking with my Aunt about something.”
“About what? How to avoid landing in more detentions?” Sebastian asked. He leaned forward, obscuring Garreth from Cassandra’s field of vision.
“If she was, you might benefit from that,” Ominis said.
“No. She was helping me with a Transfiguration spell. A tricky bit of magic, but I wanted to make sure I perfected it first.”
Garreth’s head peeked out as he leaned towards the left, trying to make eye contact with Cassandra. She just saw his blue eyes, and Anne shake her head at Sebastian before the two of them were blocked from her view again by Sebastian’s messy, brown hair.
“Maybe someone confounded you, Garreth, because we’re studying Herbology.”
“Oh, I’m well aware,” Garreth said. He stood up and reached into his pocket, circling over towards Cassandra, and deposited an empty Potions vial in front of her. Before she could ask him what he intended, he tapped it with his wand while muttering something, and the vial transformed into a vase with a single, red rose.
Grace brought her hands up into a clap and let out a squee of delight, Samantha glanced at the rose and back at her, while Poppy shifted in her seat, and Nerida leaned back in her chair, stared at the ceiling and mumbled something.
Cassandra’s cheeks heated and she glanced up at him. “I-um, thank you, Garreth, it’s very beautiful…”
“But not quite as beautiful as you.”
“It’s fake,” Sebastian said. Cassandra looked at him, then. His jaw was set, and he set aside his quill – which he had snapped in two along the rachis. “It’s not even a real rose.”
“Not a problem. I’ll make sure to bring a real one for the Ball,” Garreth said. “Red, to match the dress I’m sure you’ll wear when we-”
A loud string of what Cassandra was sure were oaths in another language came from Imelda as she stormed towards their desk.
“This.is.a.Library!” She crossed her arms and glared at Sebastian and Garreth. “People are trying to study!”
“Yes. Us,” Sebastian said. “So, Garreth, if you don’t mind-”
“I meant you, Sallow, and Weasley! Nobody wants to hear the two of you squabbling and fighting over Moore like a bunch of bloody peacocks!”
Cassandra was privately grateful for Imelda’s intervention. The trouble was, as much as Grace had insisted that the two of them would be ‘perfect potioneers’ together, she didn’t know if she did return Garreth’s affections, and she didn’t want to accept his invitation only to break his heart if it turned out she wasn’t interested in him.
“Excuse me!” Madam Scribner hissed as she turned the corner. Strands of grey hair fell loose from her bun, and she pushed her half-moon glasses back up the bridge of her nose. Behind her, Peeves the Poltergeist cackled and floated up high into the air.
(“What fools these students be, but oh how their troubles do please me!-)
“As Miss Reyes has already screamed out for all to hear, this is a library. Since the ten of you can’t seem to focus on your academic pursuits, I’m going to have to ask you all to leave.”
(“-Befall prepost’rously-”)
“But, Madam Scribner,” Nerida said, “not all of us were-”
“I won’t ask again, Miss Roberts. Whether you uttered a word or not, you are part of this rather distracting group. Now leave, all of you!”
Nerida grumbled, along with Anne and the others, and shot an annoyed look at Sebastian, Garreth, and Imelda as they packed their things, while Peeves continued cackling and singing that stupid song above their heads.
Grace dusted her cheeks with powder, and then turned her face back and forth as she stared at her reflection, making sure that every pimple had been covered. When she was satisfied, she applied a light layer of pink lipstick, then pinched a small piece of tissue between her lips. Perfect. No one would even know she was wearing any.
She gathered her pale blue skirt and stood up, the balayeuse brushing against the floor as she spun in a semi-circle.
Across the room, she spotted Cassandra and Anne. Anne was slipping her own light green dress on, while Cassandra angled her head over her shoulders as she tried to aim her wand over her puffed shoulder sleeves to the back of her pink bodice to close the buttons.
Grace’s heels clicked across the floor as she walked over. “Here,” she said. “Let me help with that.”
Cassandra moved her loose blonde hair over her shoulder, and Grace closed the buttons.
“Thank you,” Cassandra said, turning around to face Grace.
“Of course. Do you need help with your hair?”
“If you don’t mind.”
The two of them moved back towards the vanity, passing by Anne, and then stepping around Priscilla and Violet as they headed towards the dormitory door, chattering away. Nerida, who was already ready, made her way over to Anne who was now likewise struggling with the back of her own dress.
Cassandra sat down, and Grace picked up a brush, gently pulling the bristles through Cassandra’s soft hair. She wrapped strands of hair about her wand and used a Heating Charm to curl them, then arranged it all into a delicate chignon, leaving a few wispy curls to the sides of her head.
“There we are,” Grace said, standing back as Cassandra twisted her head back and forth, and examined herself in the mirror.
Grace spotted Imelda in the reflection, standing by the edge of her own bed. She had picked up her own dark green gown, and was staring at Cassandra. Grace glanced back over her shoulder, and Imelda’s eyes darted away.
(“Thank you, Nerida,” Anne said, admiring her own hair in the vanity to their right.)
“Oh, I still need my earrings!”
Cassandra rose, and held her bell skirt up in both hands as she sashayed over to her end table. But instead of picking them up, she had stopped, and turned her attention to something on her bed.
“What is it?” Grace asked.
Cassandra grabbed a heart shaped box, looking at it with a furrowed brow.
Grace let out a shriek of delight and hurried over, her skirt swooshing as Cassandra plucked a small piece of parchment and unfolded it.
“Whose it from?” she asked while Cassandra’s lips moved silently. “Is it Garreth? It must be.”
Imelda scoffed, and Grace looked over in time to see her shake her head, before her loose, dark waves swung as she headed towards her trunk.
“Garreth sent you something?” Anne asked as she and Nerida came to join them.
“No, it’s, er, from my secret admirer, apparently.”
Anne’s lips twitched in a grin. “Hmmm. Why don’t we check the handwriting? See if it looks familiar.”
Cassandra passed it over, and Anne scrutinised it, eyes roving over the note.
“How did it get here?” Cassandra asked.
(Anne tilted her head as she read through the note and frowned. “I don’t recognise this at all…”)
“He must have asked the house-elves to send it up,” Grace said. She sighed. “So romantic.”
(“Let me have a look,” Nerida said.)
Cassandra opened the box and picked up a piece of chocolate as Grace turned and headed towards her own dresser table to grab her white gloves, when her heart jolted. She had a heart shaped box on her own pillow. With a note, too.
(“I’ve no idea…” Nerida said.)
She grabbed it and began to read.
Grace,
You are the loveliest girl in the entire school, perhaps the world. Every time you walk by, I am overcome with wanting. I have long wished to tell you of my affections, but when I am in your presence, I cannot find the words. I hope only that our paths cross at the Ball tonight, and that I might show you through dance the nature of my feelings.
With all my heart,
Your Secret Admirer.
Grace’s face hurt from grinning, and her stomach warmed. Was this Ominis’s handwriting? She thought it just might be! Had he just been too nervous, then, all along, to tell her how he really felt? Too proper to allow himself to just feel, to be with her, in the moment?
She pried open the box and popped one of the chocolate hearts into her mouth. The sweet, liquid filling coated her tongue.
Ominis sat on the edge of his bed, adjusting his cufflinks as Sebastian stood in front of the mirror on the other side of the room. It was just the two of them, now – Isaac and Edward had left twenty minutes ago. Nobody else needed to fight with the pomade quite as Sebastian did.
“Give it up, boy, it’ll never lie flat,” the Gargoyle atop the mirror taunted.
“It will,” Sebastian said, a low growl of frustration in his voice that stirred warmth in Ominis’s chest.
“There, that should be… oh-” He let out a string of oaths, and a moment later, the empty bottle of pomade hit the ground with a thud, followed by Sebastian’s footsteps stomping to the other side of the room for another.
“I’m afraid the Gargoyle may be right. Your hair may simply not be tame-able.” Any more than he was.
“I won’t give up.”
Ominis grinned and bowed his head, listening as he struggled for another few minutes until letting out a whoop. They both knew his victory would likely only last for the next five minutes, and while Ominis wouldn’t object if they never did go to the Ball at all, he knew Sebastian wanted to go.
Sebastian’s footsteps tapped against the floor as he paced to and fro.
“What are you searching for?” Ominis asked.
“Cologne, I could have sworn I had some.”
“Here, you can have some of mine.” He pulled on his drawer handle and dipped a hand inside for the bottle as Sebastian walked over to him.
Ominis stilled. The burnt pine scent, intermixed with that of old books wafted towards him. His blood rushed downwards, and he crossed his right leg over his left. Zero is an indivisible number, the absolute absence of-
“Thanks.” Sebastian took it, and though he had taken care to avoid brushing his hands against Ominis’s, the proximity nonetheless set Ominis’s heart aflutter and rendered it impossible to think of anything but Sebastian.
Normally, the sweet, earthy musk of Ambergris that filled the air now was a pleasant odour to Ominis, but he always preferred Sebastian’s natural smell. Not that he could ever tell him that.
He swallowed as that old jealousy threatened to engulf him once more. But it wasn’t Cassandra’s fault that Sebastian was in love with her. And besides, she fancied Garreth. Ominis only had to wait for Sebastian to come to his senses. To realise that the person he truly belonged with was right here, the whole time. Waiting only for him to notice. To return his feelings.
Sebastian’s fingers grazed his as he passed back the bottle, and he gave a small leap.
“Sorry, Ominis,” Sebastian said.
Ominis returned the bottle to the drawer. It was a lovely dream. But even if Cassandra never did return Sebastian’s feelings, (and how could she not, one day? He was Sebastian) Ominis could never be with him, anyway. He would be forced to remain a bachelor, or carry on his cursed genes with a woman of his parents' choosing.
He leaned back on his bed, shoulders slumping, and his hand brushed against something. He turned around and reached for it, feeling the edges of the box. It was in the shape of a heart, and there was a small piece of parchment attached to it.
He let out a quiet sigh. He had tried to be polite. He had tried to be subtle. But it was clear that he was going to have to tell Grace tonight, to her face, that he was unequivocally uninterested in her.
“Oh, chocolate!” Sebastian said. Ominis opened his mouth, ready to offer him the box. “From my…” He hesitated for a moment, before continuing in a less eager tone. “My secret admirer, apparently.”
It was as though a dagger had plunged into the space between Ominis’s ribs. He closed his mouth, breathing in through his nostrils as a beat of silence fell between them.
“Who do you think sent them?” Sebastian asked quietly.
Ominis shrugged. “I don’t know.” He tore open his box and picked up a few chocolates, then stood.
“Oh, you got some too?” he asked, his tone shifting to curiosity.
“Yes. From Grace. I’ll meet you, Anne, and Cass at the Ball, Sebastian.”
“Ominis, wait-”
He shoved the chocolates into his mouth as he closed the door behind him.
Garreth clenched and unclenched his sweaty palms as he waited behind Andrew in the refreshment queue just outside the Great Hall. He shifted the weight from his left to right foot, and, when even that failed to calm him, he adjusted his black bowtie and white jabot, as well as his ruffled cuffs and maroon jacket for what must have been the thirtieth time that hour.
Being apart was torture, sheer torture, and he didn’t know how much longer he could bear to go without seeing those gorgeous, blond locks of hair. How he longed to run them through his fingers, and to kiss those tender lips.
“Thank you,” Andrew said, accepting the goblet of water from Professor Moon. He moved to the side as Garreth stepped forward.
“Here you are, Mr. Weasley,” Professor Moon said, passing one to him in turn.
“Thanks,” Garreth said. He took a deep gulp, but even that did not quench his thirst. Even with the goblet drained, his mouth remained dry.
He put the empty goblet down on the table beside Professor Moon, who flicked his wand at it. It levitated in the air, and suds of soap scrubbed through it as Garreth returned to the Great Hall, where the enchanted violins played a pleasant tune that filled his ears.
(“Ohhhh,” Lenora Everleigh said in a high-pitched sigh to Charlotte Morrison. “There’s Everett.”)
He searched the Hall, knowing that it was unlikely that he’d missed the three of them coming in. Lenora passed him by, her shoulders bumping into his for a moment before she gave a brief apology and continued on her way.
(“Miss Dagworth, Miss Dagworth, stop hitting her at once!” Professor Garlick said as she passed behind him.)
Garreth spun in a circle. He couldn’t stand it much longer… His eyes widened, and all murmurs around him died out, the only sound his own heart racing. Because there he was. Ominis.
He didn’t know how long he had been there, nor how he didn’t notice him the moment he came in. He walked alone through the Hall, sticking to the walls where the Slytherin table normally stood. Students parted before him in a wide berth as he waved his wand back and forth, the red light blinking as he searched.
Garreth hurried towards him. “I’m here, darling.”
Ominis spun, his brow furrowed. His beautiful blond hair was slicked back in its usual style, and yet, it was far more enticing than Garreth had ever seen. He held his blinking wand in front of him, the red light highlighting his black tuxedo, bowtie, and white jabot.
“Garreth?”
Warmth coursed through his body at the sound of his name coming from his lips.
“It’s me.”
He reached a hand up to cup his face and taste him, but before he could, someone grabbed him from behind and shoved him into the nearby wall. He looked up to find Sebastian, his arm pinned against Garreth’s chest. He bore a scowl and his dark eyes were ablaze.
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on Ominis,” he growled. “He’s mine.”
Garreth let out a derisive laugh and tried to push Sebastian off of him, but even with both hands, he didn’t budge. His Beater muscles, long hidden underneath billowy robes, were now more visible underneath his tight jacket, and the width of his shoulders was clear as day.
“Afraid of losing, Sebastian?”
Cassandra shifted into his peripheral vision, then, and brought two, gloved hands up to her mouth.
“Not at all. I’ll duel you for the honour of his hand.”
“For his heart, which is already mine,” Garreth said.
“No!” Cassandra cried out in a quiet sob.
A fox-like grin spread out across Sebastian’s face, as though this was precisely the answer he hoped for. He took a step back and pulled out his wand as Garreth peeled himself off of the wall and dived his hand into his jacket for his own.
Sebastian gave a slight bow, and Garreth did so in turn. They held their wands up in the centre of their faces, before swiftly swinging them down to their right, spinning on their heels, and marching a few paces away from each other.
Garreth spun back around in time to see a bright red light coming straight for him, and only just had the time to conjure a Shield Charm before Sebastian’s Basic Cast hit him.
“Dirty Slytherin tricks,” he muttered.
Cassandra wept into her hands as Garreth and Sebastian duelled for Ominis’s affection. Thousands of shards of glass cut deep into her, and her heart squeezed and burned from the rejection.
How could Garreth do this to her? He’d gifted her that rose. He’d promised to dance with her – she dreamt of doing so, of spinning into his arms and feeling the warmth of his hands in hers. And now here he was, vying for Ominis.
(“You are such an arse!” Sebastian growled.)
Ominis. She lifted her head, taking a few deep breaths through her nostrils as a fire burned in her core. This was his fault. He’d seduced Garreth, obviously. Tricked him. He must have gotten his hands on a Love Potion. Yes… yes of course. She should have known that he was a traitorous snake all along, someone who would use any means to get whatever – or whoever – they wanted. The rotten apple did not fall far from the tree.
(“Am I?” Garreth said.)
She glanced around the room. Where was that horrid prick? She needed to teach him a lesson. To make him pay for taking away Garreth’s ability to choose (her) – and she knew precisely what punishment he needed to suffer.
There he was. He sauntered through a throng of dancing and quarrelling students, and passed by Professor Kogawa as she tried to pull two Gryffindor boys apart. Cassandra fingered her wand and twisted away from Garreth and Sebastian.
(“Asinum est!”)
Ominis came to a stop in front of Grace, and as she turned towards him, he bowed low, as though to give it a kiss. Thunder and a braying noise filled her ears as she shoved her way through the crowd.
Grace pulled her hand away in disgust. “What on earth do you think you’re doing?!”
Ominis’s eyebrows knit together. “Grace, my love, whatever is the matter?”
“I am not your love!” She wiped the back of her gloved hand against her skirt. True, she had fancied him once upon a time – but it had been mere infatuation, a phase. He wasn’t the one she truly longed for. He wasn’t-
Her heart skipped a beat as Sebastian rushed towards them, then, and her face split into a grin. His lovely, long brown ears twitched in righteous anger, and his large, square teeth jutted out over his lips. He let out a loud, defensive bray that stoked the embers in her chest.
She dropped her shoulders and stepped around Ominis, reaching out for Sebastian as Garreth and Cassandra came rushing up behind him.
“I promise, sweetheart, there’s nothing going on between Ominis and I. I am entirely yours.”
She grabbed hold of his warm hand and lifted herself onto her toes in search of his tender lips.
“What the- Get off me!” he spat, dancing out of her grip, a look of vicious hatred upon his face.
Tears pooled in her eyes, and she opened her mouth to protest. Surely, he had to know that he was the only one who had her heart. Who ever did, who ever could.
“You vacuous, despicable, bastard!” Cassandra screamed. From the corner of her eye, Grace saw Cassandra raise a wand and point it directly at Ominis.
Sebastian looked over at the two of them, his hackles rising, and hurried towards them.
Garreth jumped in between Cassandra and Ominis just as she had brought her hand back, the start of a spell on her lips.
“Don’t you dare hurt him.”
“Garreth, please!” Cassandra said, tears streaming down her cheeks. “He’s tricked you! You’re not seeing clearly!”
“Back off, Cass, I’m not lett-” Sebastian brayed, the sound a beautiful melody to Grace’s ears even now. He ripped Cassandra’s wand from her hand.
Grace walked up and took hold of Sebastian’s arm. He glanced over his shoulder for a brief moment and shook her off with a strong wave of his arm. “Sod off, Grace!”
A horrid hissing sound came from the left as Ominis came to stand in between them.
“Ominis, please, don’t!” she pleaded.
(“Mmmph, Ominis, I didn’t know you could speak Parseltongue…” Garreth said in a low moan.)
Sebastian and Cassandra reappeared in her frame of vision as he side-stepped to the left, keeping Cassandra’s wand held high above her head and out of reach no matter how she jumped for it.
(“Give it back, Sebastian, or else!”)
Garreth inched towards Ominis as Grace picked up her skirt and followed Sebastian and Cassandra. She needed only get her away from him, and then, surely, he would see sense. See that they were made for each other.
“Oh, Cass.” Poppy passed by Grace then, dressed in a canary yellow ball gown and fine, white gloves. “There you are, my dear.” She grabbed hold of Cassandra’s arms, who looked over at her with wide eyes.
Grace glanced back towards Sebastian, but he was already heading back towards Ominis and Garreth, fury set in his furry face.
Imelda held her arms out by her side, partly to hold up her skirt so that she wouldn’t trip on it – and partly because, despite Anne’s assurances that she looked lovely, she felt like an idiot, and the idea of everyone laughing behind her back was making her sweat.
“Hold on,” Anne said as they turned a corner, the violins’ melodies now booming from the Great Hall, along with the distant murmurs of students. “Your headpiece is off-centre, again.”
They stopped and Anne reached a hand up, readjusting the small, white feathered accessory. She was tempted to rip it off altogether, but Anne insisted. She still wasn’t sure how she even let her talk her into going at all.
“There,” Anne said, stepping back and admiring her work. “Alright, now let’s go find the butterbeer and watch everyone make fools of themselves.”
Right. That was how.
They walked on, their evening slippers slapping against the stone floors soon drowned out entirely by the music from the Hall. The conversations within, which she couldn’t pick out from one another, sounded rather irate.
Fools indeed. Imelda grinned. This would be fun.
Up ahead, Nerida and Samantha stood by the four hourglasses, just outside the large, oak doors. Samantha’s shoulders were shaking as Nerida rubbed and patted her on the back.
Imelda froze on the spot, but Anne strode forward.
“Samantha? What’s the matter?”
Nerida met Imelda’s eyes, then. Imelda straightened, keeping her face impassive for a few brief seconds as Samantha sobbed.
(“-said… said she was in love with… with Cass!”)
Imelda’s heart pinched and she rolled her eyes. First Sebastian and Garreth, and now Grace? Was everyone in their bloody year obsessed with her?!
(“Since when do you like-”)
It wasn’t as though she didn’t understand of course. Cassandra was a classic beauty, and half the school would be shallow enough to fall for that. With her long, blonde hair that looked as though it were spun from golden thread, especially when the sunlight caught it at just the right angle, and her green eyes that sparkled whenever she stared across the Wizard’s Chess board–
This was stupid. She shouldn’t have come. But Imelda wasn’t going to lose face in front of Nerida, who was looking at her in curiosity now. Nor did she want to stand there and listen to Samantha sobbing.
She spun on her heel and marched into the Great Hall, but came to an almost immediate halt. She thought this was supposed to be a dance, but everywhere she could see, boys and girls had their wands out and were furiously trying to hex one another.
Bats flew straight out of Everett’s nose, while Adelaide dodged something Lenora had cast her way – the spell hit Cressida in the back, who let out a cry and jumped on the spot as red welts spread up her arms.
“Mr. Prewett, no!” Professor Kogawa screamed, rushing through a throng of quarrelling students to reach him as he launched something at Eric Northcott.
“What on Earth is going on?” Anne said from beside her, looking around in shock. She gasped. “Is that Sebastian?”
Imelda looked to the left and spotted a boy with a Jackass’s head, exchanging blows with Garreth – definitely Sebastian then – while Cassandra tugged on Garreth’s arm-
“Oh, no.”
Imelda hefted up her skirt and hurried forward, she couldn’t let Cassandra- Garreth’s elbow connected with Cassandra’s face as he aimed another punch Sebastian’s way, and she let go, stumbling backwards and clutching at her nose. Poppy, who had been clinging to Cassandra’s arm in turn, let go then and rushed towards Garreth, her brows knitted together.
“Moore!” Imelda took hold and tugged her towards herself, while those two morons continued to fight – neither even noticing that the very girl they were rowing over had been injured because of them! She had half a mind to hex them herself.
(“What is the matter with you?!” Anne bellowed at Sebastian.)
“Cassandra, Cass, let me see.”
(“Nobody hurts Cass and gets away with it!” Poppy said.)
Cassandra blinked, her eyes red and filled with tears, and lowered her hands. Imelda’s heart sank. Blood dripped from her nose, beads trickling over her delicate, pink lips. Imelda took off one of her white gloves and pressed it to her face.
“Here. You don’t want to ruin your dress.”
She looked over her shoulder. Where was Ominis? He could heal her up in a min- Wait. Why was he pawing at Grace? And why was she shoving him off?
“You don’t deserve him!” Garreth bellowed, bringing his fist back again as he advanced on Sebastian, who Anne was trying but failing to pull away.
Him?
She glanced around the room again, and her eyes landed on Isaac, sobbing alone in a corner, while Professor Garlick and Professor Weasley launched the Full Body Bind Curse on a couple of seventh year Ravenclaws. Peeves, meanwhile, floated above, gleefully observing the chaos.
The chocolate.
She’d gotten a box too – but she hadn’t been able to tell if there were any peanuts in it, and hadn’t risked eating any.
“Come on, Cass,” Imelda said, tugging her forward.
“No!” She fought to pull away. “Garreth! I need to stop Sebastian before he hurts him!”
Imelda shook her head and continued on. Cassandra stumbled as they walked, cursing Imelda’s name and vowing that once she had her wand back, she would regret it.
“Cass, Cass my dear, where are you going?” Poppy asked, trailing behind them.
Imelda sighed, and glanced around the room. She spotted Professor Sharp through the crowd – his tall, imposing, figure stood heads above the rest, and his arms were wide apart as he held Lenora and Adelaide away from one another, their faces contorted in a pure rage.
(“Everett is mine, you hideous harlot!” Adelaide spat.)
“Professor Sharp,” Imelda said, coming to a stop in front of him. (“Let me go, Imelda!”) “Cass is under a Love Potion-”
“I can see that, Miss Reyes. She and everyone else, it would seem! Except for yourself-”
She scoffed. “I’m not responsible for this.” As though she would ever do something like this. Imelda liked a good joke – who didn’t? But hiding a brat like Zenobia Noke’s gobstones was just teaching someone a lesson – she had gotten them back eventually. This was…
“I wasn’t suggesting you were,” Professor Sharp said. Adelaide clawed at Professor Sharp’s arm and he let out a sigh. He let go of the two of them for a moment, which Lenora took as an opportunity to rush forward and wrap her hands around Adelaide’s throat, and then he dived his hand into his jacket pocket, and pulled out his wand. “Depulso! Petrificus Totalis!”
The two of them fell over unceremoniously and landed on the ground with a dull thud.
“I was merely going to suggest you might provide some assistance,” he continued, reaching into his pocket anew. He pulled out a pair of keys and extended his arm. “Here, Miss Reyes, I have a few antidotes in my office. It isn’t enough for everyone, but I want you to give one to Miss Moore, and ask her to brew more. I cannot leave the Hall while students remain in this state.”
“Right, sir.” She took the keys, and then spun on her heel, pulling Cassandra along, Poppy still clinging to her. Imelda suppressed a groan. Fine. She might as well come, too.
The three of them left the Great Hall, only making it a few paces before Imelda had to readjust her grip on Cassandra, as she continued trying to free herself.
“Where are you taking me?!” Cassandra demanded through a sob. Imelda bit her lip as she looked at her puffy, pink cheeks. She had to remember that she wasn’t hurting her. That she wasn’t the cause of this. “I need to help Garreth-”
“It’s a tonic for a broken heart,” Imelda said. “So you don’t have to feel the pain anymore. Of… of Garreth choosing Ominis…”
“Then we’ll be happy together, my sweet,” Poppy said, turning Cassandra’s face towards hers. Poppy started to lean in, and Imelda quickly put a hand in between them.
“No.”
Cassandra fell quiet then, and allowed Imelda to drag her and Poppy along through the corridors until they reached Professor Sharp’s classroom. Imelda unlocked the door and stepped inside, lighting the room with a wave of her wand, and then went into his office.
She scanned the shelf, reading the small labels with their looped, cursive writing, and then found the antidote. She picked up the small, clear bottle, and passed it towards Cassandra, blocking her view of the shelf with her body, lest she read it and refuse the cure.
“Here, this will make the pain go away. I promise.”
Cassandra uncorked the vial with a sniffle and tilted her back, downing the potion as Poppy watched with large, doe eyes.
Cassandra’s lips puckered and she scrunched up her face, then shook her head. She blinked, and her eyes darkened, as though all emotion had been ripped from her.
“I feel awful…”
“Well, consider it an improvement, then. You were under a Love Potion-”
“I guessed as much.”
She took off her gloves and advanced towards the ingredients shelf, looking down at them and whispering to herself. “Good, it’s all here. Alright-” Cassandra spun back to face her. A fire had replaced the void in her eyes, kindling something within Imelda’s core.
“Thank you, Imelda, for curing me.” Her heart skipped a beat. “Poppy, here, take this-”
“What is it, dear?”
“A tonic. Trust me.”
Poppy uncorked it while Cassandra returned her focus to Imelda. “Can you bring the rest of the antidotes to the Hall? Start with Sebastian and Ominis, it’s crucial that you do. Then cure whoever else you find. I’ll stay here and brew as many as I can, and then-”
“What… what happened?” Poppy asked, shaking her head.
“Peeves happened,” Imelda said. “That chocolate we all got from a ‘secret admirer’ was his idea of a joke.”
Cassandra’s jaw tightened and her chest puffed. She picked up a bundle of ingredients, spun around, and deposited them onto a cutting board. “I’m going to kill that damn poltergeist…”
Imelda watched Cassandra’s back for a moment. Strands of her blonde hair fell from the chignon and trailed down between her shoulder blades. She grunted and shifted as she tried to navigate using the dagger whilst wearing puffed sleeves, until she found a rhythm and set to work.
“Imelda?” Poppy said.
“Hmm?”
Imelda turned around and saw her looking up at her, while levitating a bundle of antidotes. She glanced towards Cassandra and then back at Imelda. Imelda opened her mouth, ready to tell her to keep her opinion to herself when she saw Poppy’s lips twitch into a soft, knowing grin.
“Ready to go?”
“Yes, yes.” Heat crawled up her face and she cleared her throat. “Accio antidotes.”
Ten vials flew her way, and together, she and Poppy left Professor Sharp’s office. She could only hope that when they got back to the Great Hall, she could find Sebastian and Ominis quickly enough to cure them. For Cassandra’s sake.
Sebastian and Cassandra walked into the Great Hall on the morning of the 26th, heading for the Slytherin table and passing by grumbling students, many of whom sat as far from one another as possible or had their heads bowed low to avoid being seen.
Sebastian understood exactly how they felt. The moment that Professor Weasley had given him back his normal head, he’d run straight out of the Great Hall and joined Cassandra in Professor Sharp’s classroom. He hadn’t even returned to the common room last night – and his back was paying the price for the night on the Undercroft floor.
He sank into the bench by Cassandra’s side, groaning and wishing that he could lean against something soft. He settled for resting his left forearm atop the table, whilst he reached for the breakfast sausages, potatoes, and a piece of toast to pile onto his plate.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Cassandra said, continuing to try and reason with him, as she had since she had found him ten minutes ago. “I’m sure he doesn’t blame you.”
He played with his food. “I know, it’s just…”
It was just that he felt low all the same. He’d realised last year how Ominis felt about him, and had always tried to be gentle, to never give him false hope. Peeves' idea of a joke had to be the least funny thing Sebastian had ever experienced, and if it were possible to murder a poltergeist – something he and Cassandra had discussed at length while he helped her brew the remaining antidotes until Professor Sharp could take over – he’d have risked expulsion to do it.
“Thank you, by the way,” Cassandra said, breaking the silence. “For taking away my wand, before I could…” She trailed off, staring at the marmalade she spread across her toast, and his own heart hitched.
He’d almost been too late. If Garreth hadn’t jumped in when he had… if a Professor had seen her using the Imperius Curse, he wasn’t sure if being under a Love Potion would have mattered. There would have been too many questions.
“You’re welcome.” The bench creaked as he leaned in to whisper. “And thank you for not using Ancient magic on me in retaliation – you looked like you were going to attack me.”
She stifled a laugh. “I didn’t want to hurt you, but I did want to turn you into a chicken.”
He chuckled. “Well, thanks for changing your mind, then. One transfiguration spell on me was enough for one night, I think.”
“I didn't. I couldn't do it. I tried, but I couldn't find the surge. I couldn't grasp it.”
He furrowed his brow as she bit into her toast. She hadn't had trouble with it for weeks – not since they'd started finding the traces across the valley.
“I think… I think it's because it's based on my emotions,” she said, as though reading his mind. “I mean, I've always used fear as the anchor, but… well, the Love Potion gave me fake feelings for Garreth, so maybe that created a barrier-”
Fake feelings? But then, did that mean that-
“Morning,” Anne said, taking a seat across from Cassandra.
Ominis took place beside her, directly opposite him.
Sebastian shifted in his seat and stared down at his half eaten plate. He could wait until lunch. Besides, there were apples in the common room, he could run there and-
“Sebastian,” Ominis said, cutting through his thoughts. “Please, this doesn't have to be awkward.”
Doesn't it?
“It's not like you were a complete arse last night,” Anne said before spooning porridge into her mouth.
Cassandra and Ominis both laughed, and though the sound and sight of Ominis smiling lightened his spirit, Sebastian groaned all the same, then sunk his head onto the table and covered his head with his arms.
“I'm never going to live that one down am I?”
“Definitely not,” Cassandra agreed.
“That braying is a sound I'll never forget,” Ominis said, voice shaking with laughter.
Sebastian lifted his head. Anne gave him a grin, and he smiled back. Thank you.
She gave a nod, and Sebastian sat up straight, picked his fork back up and plunged it into another sausage.
He caught Grace's eye as he brought it to his mouth, and before he could react, she had looked away, her cheeks reddening, and she hurried to sit at the Ravenclaw table.
Anne twisted her head over her shoulder to see what had his attention, then turned back to face them, her lips twitching in a grin.
“Samantha looks pleased,” she said, poking a fork into her mushroom omelette. “I do hope that they get together, they'd be quite the pair.”
“Don't start with the matchmaking now, Anne,” Cassandra said with a teasing grumble.
“I can always tell when two people belong. It's just about making them see that and confront their feelings. Perhaps if we arrange to lock them in the greenhouse together-”
“No!” Sebastian, Cassandra, and Ominis all said at once.
“Do I want to know what she was planning?” Imelda asked as she sat down on Anne's other side.
“You don’t,” Ominis answered before Anne could divulge it.
Anne grinned and grabbed a piece of toast. Sebastian could see the cogs whirling in her mind as she glanced back over at the two. He shook his head.
“How are you all faring this morning?” Imelda asked.
“Alright, I suppose,” Cassandra said. “Embarrassed, but… thank you again, Imelda, for bringing me to Professor Sharp. It was quick thinking, picking me out of the lot of us.”
She laughed and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. “Well, I could hardly grab Garreth.” She eyed Sebastian. “The two of you were a bit busy being jackasses.”
Sebastian let out another groan as the others chuckled. There was a flash of orange in the corner of his eye, and he glanced over to see Garreth pause and stare over at their table.
(“What are your plans today?” Imelda asked.)
Garreth kept his gaze on Cassandra for a moment, before meeting Sebastian’s. There was a flash of pain behind his eyes, and he gave a forced smile and a nod before heading towards the Gryffindor table.
(“I don’t really have any,” Cassandra answered.)
Fake feelings. She never had fancied Garreth, then. And now, he knew it. Now, he had conceded defeat.
Sebastian straightened and looked back at Cassandra. Maybe there was hope for him, yet. Now that there was no one else vying for her affection. Perhaps, that afternoon, they could walk about the castle, just the two of them. They could stumble upon a mistletoe, he could tease her about how he’d have to kiss her now, to test her reaction, see if she did want him to-
Anne cleared her throat and pulled him from his thoughts. She tilted her head and shifted her eyes towards Imelda, then back to him.
Sebastian looked over. Imelda’s eyes were soft as she looked at Cassandra, and she had leaned forward across the table, asking if she wanted to take their brooms out on the Quidditch pitch later to race.
He slid closer to Cassandra, brushed his elbow up against hers, and spread his legs under the bench so their knees could touch. She didn't move away.
Imelda looked at him, then, and the flash of green behind her brown eyes confirmed his suspicion. He steepled his fingers together and continued to stare. A silent understanding passed between them. He knew Imelda would fight dirty where Garreth hadn't dared – but he wasn't afraid. Sebastian never backed down from a fight, and when it came to Cassandra’s heart, it was one he was sure he would win, in the end.