Dangerous Endeavours

2 | New Professor

"Y/N!" Imelda called out to me the moment I stepped foot into the Common Room. I glanced over at her and exhaled sharply. I wasn't her biggest fan. She was always a show-off with her broom-riding skills. Personally, I couldn't stand her and I'm sure some of our peers felt the same.

Whenever she walked past some of the students, they'd send sly side-eyed glances at her. Not that she ever noticed. She was too perfect for that. To top it off, she didn't know the difference between telling the truth and being a downright bitch. There wasn't a line with her.

"What is it?" I asked, forcing a polite tone.

"Did you know Sallow's back?" She asked, taking a bite of an apple. Some of its juice squirted me in the eye and I rubbed at it in annoyance. Sebastian was the newest talk of the school. Other Slytherins were whispering and I only caught his name here and there. But Imelda wasn't shy to ask me outright, "Do you know why he left? What happened?"

"Do you have any more questions?" I grumbled, swiping an apple for myself. Imelda frowned. "I knew he was back. I don't know why he left or what happened." It was a lie sprinkled with some truth. I knew what happened and I planned to keep that secret until the day I die.

I searched the Slytherin crowd for signs of Sebastian but I couldn't pick him out anywhere. "He isn't even out yet. How do you—"

Imelda cut me off, "One of the Slytherin boys announced it." I pursed my lips into a thin line and her brows furrowed, "What's the matter?"

"I just don't think everything should be talking about it," I admitted before taking a bite out of my apple. "Everyone in this House is nosy. I don't want them questioning him about every part of his life and absence."

"What's so bad about that?" Imelda asked.

"Curiosity killed the cat." I deadpanned before waltzing off, leaving a befuddled Imelda. I manoeuvred through the crowd, finding a pillar near the boy's Dormitory. I leaned against it, waiting for Sebastian to walk down. And Ominis.

I noticed he wasn't out here either socialising with the crowd. Since Sebastian's departure, he went a little mute; he didn't speak to anybody that wasn't me, Natty or Poppy. I felt terrible for him and all that he went through with us. Sebastian and Ominis' friendship nearly crumbled apart and I managed to keep it pieced together by doing the one thing I regret.

"Imperio!" I shouted, casting one of the Unforgivable Curses. Ominis fell right into my hand, becoming my very own puppet on strings. I spotted the shadow of green colouring his greyed-out irises.

"Move out of the way. You are free to leave this catacomb until Sebastian and I have left."

Watching him obey had me nauseated.
But I had to do it. There was no choice.
Not in my eyes anyway.

"Someone's deep in thought." Ominis' voice came from beside me, tugging me back to the present. Sebastian was waving his hand back and forth in front of my face and I slapped it away. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing," I answered quickly, smiling at them both. "How was your happy little reunion?" I asked, swiftly changing the topic of conversation.

"I'm glad Sebastian's back." Ominis admitted, "It's been quite bland without him."

"Funny," Sebastian interjected with an all-knowing smirk, "That's similar to what I heard last night."

I could feel the lingering eyes on the three of us. Student chatter had gradually died down and Ominis and Sebastian noticed soon after me. Sebastian turned his head to everyone's startled, pondering, and wary faces. I bit my fist out of fear of what Sebastian would say or do when faced with the attention.