SHADOWS OF SORROW [S.S]

7 - In the Shadow of the Keepers

"How is it, that every time I'm trying to avoid her, she finds me, but if for once I need something, she seems to have evaporated?" Sebastian laid down his head on the counter as Sirona filled up a cup of Butterbeer for him, making sure it was not too close to his head in case he would move around on the counter too much, knocking it over. "Oh boy, what would you need her for anyway? Can't she have a life of her own for a few days?" As if Sirona saw the future, Sebastian barely missed the cup, lifting his head to look at the witch. It's not that he wanted to meet her or missed her or anything like that, the problem was that she has been gone for 3 days now and he couldn't think straight, worrying for his possibly only hope to save Anne. "She tends to get lost in the woods and the highlands. Last time I asked someone if they saw her, she reportedly took down a Poacher Camp near Castle Rookwood. Can you believe that? Telling me she doesn't want that power of hers. Telling me she is scared of Rookwood and Ranrok just to miss classes and fight Loyalists or Poachers or Merlin knows what else. Talking of Merlin, she seemingly also runs around solving those riddles he left behind in the Highlands." – "So, you're worried." – "I am not!"

Sirona took a deep breath, nodding silently, trying to find the right words to console him, knowing he was lying when he said he didn't care. "I just need to ask her for a favor. That's all. Everybody else seems to catch her on the run and ask her favors as well, so why the hell can't I?" The witch raised an eyebrow at that, pulling out a chair to sit across from the Slytherin. "She's been talking to everyone else but you, running into every direction of the compass to raid Loyalists and Poacher camps, doing favors to your classmates but you can't seem to get a glimpse of her?" He nodded, almost desperate as he took a few sips of his cup, not knowing why Sinora would repeat everything he said, realizing it made him feel even worse. "Oh Dear, I don't think you're the problem for not being able to find her. She's avoiding you..." Sebastian froze at that, not even believing her for a second until he recapped everything that happened the last few weeks. Since their little trip to the Restricted Section of the library that got him a ticket to detention and a letter to his uncle, he hasn't seen her for longer than their classes. He didn't know whether she found the book she has been looking for or whether it had any clue on how to maybe heal Anne. But she promised to tell him... He lied for her because of that. And everyone he's been asking for her, just told him some unbelievable tales about swimming with the giant squid in the Black Lake, feeding him toast and following butterflies through the Forbidden Forest, flying on a Hippogriff, and collecting flying pages all over Hogwarts or Hogsmeade. "Maybe you're right... She seems to have time to talk to others, why not me after what I've done for her?" Sirona sat up in a confused manner, eyeing the wizard for a second.

"What do you mean, what you've done for her?" Oh, he said too much... It's not like the witch didn't know about his trips to the Restricted Section or other places he wasn't supposed to be in like the Undercroft, but she always told him to stop. The knowledge he was looking for beheld a dark path. At least that was what Sirona always said. "I helped her get a book she needed. After midnight... And maybe we had to break into the Restricted Section for that." – "Oh, Sebastian..." She shook her head in a disappointed manner, about to get up from her chair as he grabbed for her wrist. "Wait... Please tell me whether you saw her or not. I really need to talk to her." He bit his lip, considering if he should actually say the next part but it might make the difference she needed, to get the information he was seeking from her. "It's about Anne..." Sirona froze as if someone cast Arresto Momentum on her, before slowly turning her head, considering, as if she actually knew the answer he was looking for but didn't want to tell him. "Please."

"She's in Upper Hogsfield right now, running an errand for me." Sebastian let go of her wrist, shocked at the confession, that it was her who obligated Amaya right now. "She's helping someone up there with some potions and seeing whether she can find some old letters I lost. At the speed she's been running errands lately, she should be back in about an hour or two-" Sirona didn't get to finish as Sebastian stood up, eyeing her up and down like he didn't know the witch. Why is it that she only trusted him at the mention of Anne? Wasn't he enough? He thought they could talk about everything that was on their minds together, find the best approach for their problems but he might have been mistaken. Sebastian didn't dare say another word as he grabbed his things, storing them in his magical robe pocket and dashing out of the Three Broomsticks. "I can't believe her..." He shook his head before gazing up High Street, his eyes fixed on the mountains of the Highlands just above the rooftops of the houses where Upper Hogsfield should be. He couldn't run after her like a fool, could he? She might just be practicing the new spell he saw her learn in the Common Room. The teachers have been teaching her a lot of extra credit spells like Flippendo, Diffindo and Glacius but he felt like she wasn't safe out there if she didn't know the more powerful spells. Maybe he should go after her... What if she came upon another set of Loyalists? He still remembers their laughs vividly as they hurt Anne, how could he risk the same happens to her?