Witch Hunt (Re-written)

Chapter 10, Godric and Salazar

      Anne treated Sebastian differently after reading the entirety of the journal. Unfortunately, she did the same to you. Not that she held you accountable for her parents' death, being Solomon decided to try returning the favor, but she was a bit gentler to Felix afterwards too.
"The teachers will be coming to the school soon for their start of term planning and I think we should try talking to them."
All eyes fell onto Anne, who immediately thought she said something wrong.
"I don't think-" Felix started.
"No, I think she's right. Professor Fig and I did things alone and he died in the end. But, it would be counterproductive for you or Sebastian to be seen."
"You keep trying to shut me out-"
You glared at Sebastian. "I'm trying to keep you out of Azkaban."
He glared, but fell quiet as Felix snickered from behind his hand.
"Given your past, you protecting a convict is a little funny," he admitted, when your eyes slid his way.
"Being you used to be an auror, is it hard to be a convict now?"
He chuckled back, obviously expecting you to snap back, as if it confirmed something to him. "Touché-"
Granny whacked him on the back of the head, startling him out of his challenge stare. "You leave that girl alone or I swear to your father, I will smack you again."
He crinkled his nose. "Mom, you're supposed to be on my side."
"Since when? Besides, she's family too and if you're right about what you see, all of them are."
"Pardon?"
Granny smiled at all of you, the look said not to worry about it.
"No, no, are we family?" You asked, glancing at Sebastian worriedly.
"No, you're not related to them," Felix replied, giving his mom a sharp glance. "Anyway, the teachers will be here tomorrow. Sharp is going to be the hardest to convince, so I'd suggest you talk to him."
You blinked slowly. "Why me?"
"Sharp believes as I do, that you're my child. Especially given what house you ended up in."
"Gryffindor?"
Granny chuckled. "De'lany was from a long line of Hufflepuffs. So, we're pretty confident that you're our family."
You couldn't help but roll your eyes. "Because you're related to Godric and I'm a Gryffindor?"
"It runs in the family," Felix replied, giving a wink.
"Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin descendants," Sebastian complained softly. "I'm feeling very left out now."
"Sometimes the best place to be, is the one without expectations that come with a prestigious family lineage to live up to," Granny replied and gave a soft sigh. "Anyway, I'm going to go visit that phoenix Felix told me about. I've always wanted to see one."
"I'll lead you Mother," Felix said following after her.
You smirked their way. "I bet a galleon he's going to have a "talk" with his mom."
"I think it's safer to stay out of it," Ominis replied, grabbing your attention.
"So, Omni, are we going to go from great friends until we get older and start fighting about blood status of our students?"
His expression remained unchanged. "Why? Are you going to end up Pureblood crazy when you're older?"
"Not likely, but thank you for finally admitting we're friends."
"I didn't think it needed to be said out loud. I thought it was obvious."
You leaned closer to Sebastian. "Did he just call me stupid?"
"Oblivious, actually," Anne jumped in with a smile. "Though, I'm not, so I'm going to go see the unicorn's in the swamp vivarium. They're beautiful."
She tugged Ominis up to his feet before leaving.
"Odd behavior," you whispered, narrowing your eyes before they flicked to Sebastian who was rubbing the back of his neck. "It's almost like they were ditching us. Do you think Anne has a crush on Omni?"
"She used to, but I'm not sure if she still does."
You climbed up to your feet as you glanced around, missing how Sebastian turned towards you. "Where's Deek? He didn't eat breakfast with us today."
He was almost relieved you spoke, but a part of him was also anxious about it.
"He went to share some of your stress-baking with the other house elves."
You narrowed your eyes, before meeting his. "No one complained before. I can try painting again, I guess. I haven't done it in a long time-"
Sebastian chuckled while you started gathering the plates up. "No one can, your cooking is good, though if you stress-bake, how'd Ominis not ever eat your food?"
"One of our neighbors had lost his wife. I would give it to him so he'd eat, because it looked like he stopped feeding himself."
He moved to help though the left over food was given to the chomping cabbages to keep them happy.
"Can I ask you something?"
You glanced back at him before placing the dishes in the tub of water.
"It must be serious. Usually you just ask."
His expression fell flat at the teasing, but he moved closer.
"Was there a reason you kept helping me?"
"Other than being your friend?"
He gave a light smack on your shoulder with the towel he'd picked up to help. "I'm being serious here."
You shrugged as you moved so your hair would create a curtain so he wouldn't see your cheeks turn red.
"And if I said I did have another reason? Maybe it was a selfish one. What would you say to that?"
"I'd ask about it and whether you're going to keep washing the same plate forever."
You handed it to him, making him laugh. "Shut up."
That only made him laugh harder.
"I liked your company, okay? You weren't angry when I won the duel in dark arts, you weren't a jerk about me being weird with ancient magic, at least at first."
He bumped your shoulder. "Did you have a crush on me."
You pushed another plate into his chest. "I hate you sometimes."
"Is that admittance?"
Unsure about the teasing, you brushed it off. "No, it's not. Now can we finish these. I don't want Deke thinking he's only here to clean all the time."
You rolled your eyes when he chuckled.
"If I had asked you to the three broomsticks for a butterbeer, would you have gone?"
"Why wouldn't I? We were pretty much always on one adventure or another. Down time with friends might have been a welcomed break."
He went silent for a moment, his eyes watching your movements carefully. "I meant...more than a friend."
Struck by his words, you ended up dropping the plate back into the tub, spraying both of you with suds.
"Are you playing another joke Sebastian? It's very poor taste-"
When you turned, you could clearly see the embarrassment on his face as he wiped it clean of bubbles.
He smirked when he seen the ones sticking to your temple and chin. "I don't think a beard is in your future." He carefully wiped it away, his eyes meeting yours only after removing the one on your temple. "I wasn't by the way. Making a joke. I was going to ask... eventually, but our fifth year wasn't exactly lacking in emergencies and adventures. Then by the end of it, I thought you hated me, justly so, but still."
"No, I didn't hate you. Strongly disliked who you were becoming, yes."
"And now?"
So many emotions passed over his face before he dropped his eyes to his feet.
"You're getting back to the guy I met in defense against the dark arts, he's now just a little older and wiser."
"So, if I asked about going to get a butterbeer?"
"I'd say no," you replied, almost snickering at his dejected expression before poking the crease between his brows. "You're still a wanted criminal Sebastian. We can go once all of this is over."
"Guaranteeing we don't die on this new venture."
Scooping up some suds, you plopped it right into his head. "Don't jinx us!"
"I'm just saying!" He laughed, as a sud fight ensued.
By the time you had worn yourselves out, the floor was covered in bubbles as well as the both of you.
"Man, I haven't had that much fun in a long time," he whispered, watching you trying to build something out of the bubbles. "What in Merlin's name are you doing?"
"Shush, you're distracting me."
He laughed again and shook his head. "If I'm that distracting, how were you the top of the class?"
"I'm good at ignoring you when I need to."
He pressed his hand to his chest dramatically. "You wound me."
Rolling your eyes you pointed your wand at the figure and transfigured it into a statue of a fox.
Sebastian eyed it carefully as you picked it up, took his hand and set it into his palm.
"There you go."
"What's this for?" He asked turning it over a few times.
"It's you," you teased, seeing his eyebrow raise. "Come on the similarities between you and a fox are a considerable amount. Playful, mischievous, utter goofballs, curious, adaptive and smart, all good qualities-"
Warmth pressed to your mouth as your vision blurred, seeing only dark brown and speckled peach, throwing you for a second before you realized what was happening and your pulse shot into overdrive while your mind went fuzzy.
Sebastian hesitated like even he just caught up to what he was doing. His hand slid across your skin to the back of your neck as he kissed you once more before pulling away.
His face was tomato red, getting his freckles to almost disappear. "I'm sorry. I keep doing things without thinking, a habit I will try to work on."
"I didn't mind it." You smiled when his eyes snapped up to meet yours, getting your cheeks to heat further. "You can stop staring at me now."
He chuckled, his eyes brightening further than you've ever seen them as his hands cupped the sides of your face. "Never."
This time you kissed him back, though it didn't last long due to him shifting and slipping on the bubbles.
He fell onto his side, but didn't look hurt as you broke out into a fit of laughter.
He gave a small grunt, before grabbing your wrist and pulling you into the bubbles beside him.
"There's never a dull moment with you, is there?" You teased, the bubble pile growing taller as if to hide you two in it.
He watched the side of your face, this was something he hadn't seen in a while. You laughing and truly meaning it.
"I missed you while I was locked up."
You looked over at him, seeing very little from how close your faces were.
His eyes closed, content to just enjoy the moment, but voices could be heard from the upper balcony.
"I guess they're done giving us privacy," he teased, before sitting up, the room already taking care of the suds now that they were no longer needed.
He stood and held his hand out to you, without hesitation, you took it.
You thought nothing if it, but to Sebastian it meant everything that you showed him trust, something he wasn't going to lose again.
Before everyone else came down, both of you busied yourself with the dishes, trying to appear as though nothing had happened.