In the Shadow of Azkaban

Volume I: XII*

I felt ashamed. I did not want Ominis to know I had a moment of weakness with Sebastian. I chewed my bottom lip and my breathing seemed to pick up.

"The Undercroft..." My voice trailed off. A memory that needed to be forgotten, so I could finally move on. Much to my dismay, my own mind betrayed me. I could remember it all so vividly.

...

Sebastian's excitement seeped through his crooked smile. "To be fair. I'm admittedly partial to all fiery forms of magic, but you should learn it." His eyebrows raised and he looked up at me proudly. "I could teach it to you safely here." He placed a hand to his chest as if he were leading someone to battle where his honor was at stake.

My voice felt if it was lighter, "I would like that very much, Sebastian." My heart started fluttering, and my lungs felt like they expanded twice in size. I felt nervous, but I was ready.

He casually mentioned, "It may take a while to get the feel for it. Mimic my wand movement," as he moved his wand in the pattern of the letter "Z." He always seemed so focused and almost alluring when he was casting.

Sebastian was confident, and his mannerisms were charming. He stood behind me and wrapped his fingers around mine against my wand. He whispered in my ear, "The incantation is confringo."

I could feel the smile radiating off of him as he pulled our hands in a zig-zag formation. His voice was smooth, "Just like that." He winked at me as he released his grasp from mine. He walked a little further away and turned to face me. His arms crossed against his chest as he moved his legs further apart, grounding himself.

I lifted my wand to cast and put my whole body into the spell, "Confringo!" I yelled. A line of fire shot through my wand, exploding one of the barrels in the corner of the room.

Sebastian grinned and commented, "You're getting it." He walked a bit closer to me. "Ready to actually try it out? How does it feel?" He asked excitedly.

I cast my wand at multiple braziers around the room. I laughed out of pure joy. "This is amazing!" I said breathlessly. Now I could see why Sebastian partook in this kind of magic.

Sebastian sat down for a moment. You could sense a change in his demeanor. He ran his hand through his hair.

He said reluctantly, "Anne, Ominis, and I used to practice down here for hours. The Undercroft was our retreat. It's not the same without Anne."

It was almost as if you could see the idea forming in his head as he perked up and suggested, "Perhaps when I head to Feldcroft, you could come along. Meet Anne."

Meet Anne? He must have really wanted to spend more time with me. I tried to keep my smile as subdued as possible. "Sure, Sebastian." I beamed. He trusted me, and I him.

Sebastian took hold of my hands. His fingers smoothed against mine. He kneaded our hands together for a few moments.

He looked up at me. His brown doe eyes crinkled. "I am glad you decided to come to Hogwarts this year." He said through a smirk. The skin around his freckles reddened.

He took his hand to my shoulder. He stroked it slightly. For the first time, he was gentle with me. I could see a small bead of sweat forming above his brow. His hand moved down my back. It settled behind my waist. He took my other hand and pulled me into a petite waltz.

We spun round a few times. He was surprisingly quite a good dancer. Sebastian was normally just overbearing, almost to the point of aggression; but he had brought himself into a new light.

I stepped back slightly. His bushy brows slightly furrowed since he was not sure why I pulled away. I brushed my hand through his hair, and the palm of my hand settled against his round cheek. The freckles scattered across his face danced as he smiled.