The Keeper and the Monster

Chapter 11: Love and reason

Three days in the hospital wing were a delicious torture, since he spent them with Ophelia.
They didn't talk after their discussion about Marvolo. They needed rest and Sebastian was busy chastising himself for his behavior. In the last hours, he had been way too familiar with Ophelia. He was supposed to keep her away, not hold her hand and flirt with her. But it was hard. He couldn't help it. She was intoxicating, she was a gentle fire in his broken heart, she was the peace in his darkened soul. He wasn't allowed to get close to her, but she was too much, she was Ophelia. And he was Sebastian: discipline wasn't his forte.

After class, Ominis went to visit her. He smiled to her with a concern in his eyebrows and hugged her tightly before sitting next to her bed. They both talked – about the night in the forest, about classes, about their transfiguration homeworks and how Ominis would help her.

Sebastian felt his heart clenching. He missed his best friend. They saw each other everyday, they slept in the same dormitories and shared a lot of classes together, but not as friends anymore.
To think that, a few years ago, he was playing with Anne and Ominis in the Undercroft. Now he'd lost both of them. Bretayed them. Hurt them. What an idiot he had been.

Still, it comforted him to see Ominis and Ophelia's relationship. Sure, it made him jealous as well but he was glad they had each other. They weren't alone.

Anne was alone.

He thought about her all the time. She was his twin, their bond was strong even when they were apart. He cried a lot about her and she was in every dream, every nightmare he had. He wished she was happy somewhere, but she was in this Irish hospital, far away from everyone she knew, mourning. Dying.
Dying alone because of him.

"...and Slytherin gave a magic tapestry to Ravenclaw." Ophelia told the Christmas gifts story to Ominis.

"That's a pleasant story, I guess." He replied.

"Right? I wonder where those gifts are. Do you think they're in Hogwarts?"

"How should I know?" Ominis frowned.

"I don't know, you're Slytherin's descendant. Poppy said they might not exist, mind you."

"To be fair, if such items had ever existed, I'm positively sure they would be exposed as trophies somewhere in Hogwarts."

Sebastian was actively listening while he pretended to read his herbology textbook. Last night, in the Forbidden forest, he had understood something. Ophelia was investigating; and it looked like she was looking for the Chamber of Secrets aswell. Mentioning the cookbook had given her away – she didn't know he was the one who exchanged the books – and it explained why she'd spent time with Marvolo.
Was Ominis investigating with her? He doubted it. His former best friend wouldn't want to deal with his family's affairs. Especially after what happened last year. Anyway, Ophelia seemed quite interested in this story, and Sebastian was too: it talked about the Founders' relics after all. If they were real, the Slytherin one might lead him somwhere.

Slytherin's descendant, Ophelia had just said. Of course. Sebastian needed to go back to the Scriptorium. He knew it had been emptied by the aurors – the decision was made at his own trial - but they might have left something out and it was worth the shot.

Ominis eventually left. He had not addressed Sebastian once, obvisouly. Ophelia and him stayed silent as the nurse took care of their wounds. After that, she served them dinner and Poppy, Natsai and Imelda chose to visit Ophelia at this moment. Again, Sebastian didn't meddle in their conversation and focused on his food.

"You four are the talk of the school" Natsai proudly announced. "I've even heard some kids call Sebastian the Lethifold slayer."

Sebastian bursted into laughing against his will, but kept his eyes on his plate. This surely overinflated his ego. "Sorry. Don't mind me." He heard the girls laugh as well though, except Imelda.