Unspeakable

Chapter 16: Secrets

"Diane-" Sebastian had caught up with her quickly, grabbing her wrist to force her to stop before she got to the back room.

Diane turned back an angry look to him before she set Katie down, who darted off when she heard her siblings playing.

"You're not going to stop me." She hissed quietly.

"You can't do this, you know the rules! If you're caught..."

"I have to save him, Sebastian!" She whispered fiercely. "It's just a wiggenweld potion! It heals sickness, that's all!"

"But if you're caught..." he said, his voice strained. She would be arrested, and who knows what else. The Ministry took it very seriously.

"It's not like I'm casting a patronus in front of him!" Diane insisted. "It's just a potion!"

"He'll know! It will be obvious!" Sebastisn growled.

"Then he'll be healthy, and confused." Diane wasn't going to back down from this. "You would have done it for Anne in a heartbeat! Why is this different?" Diane rounded on him in challenge.

Sebastisn frowned and hated that she was right. "It's risky."

"So was everything you did. But this-" she took out the small green potion. "Is a lot safer than Slytherin's scriptorium."

Sebastian let out a long sigh, looking back in the direction Ominis was. "He's going to kill me," he muttered before letting her go. "Fine."

Diane turned around to hug him tightly, smiling happily. "Thank you." She whispered.

Sebastian sighed and looked away with a blush. "At least call it something muggle-ish." He insisted.

"A healing tonic it is." She smiled, rushing into the back room eagerly.

Sebastian watched her hurry off, his eyes following the bustle of her skirts. Goddamn it. He hoped he wasn't going to regret this decision... but rules were made to be bent a bit, right? He just didn't like the idea of Diane risking going to jail. He didn't know what he'd do if that happened...

Well.... Actually he knew exactly what he'd do. He'd break her out. But she probably wouldn't be very thrilled with that decision.

Walking into the back room, he was hit with the smell of sickness before he ever saw Danny. It hung in the air thick and strong, making Diane pause in her steps before she rushed further into the room.

Mary was sitting at the chair beside a bed, where Danny lay wheezing for breath. He was so much thinner than the last time Sebastian had been here only a few months ago, and he had a gray tint to his skin.

Yeah... he would have let her at this point even if she hadn't convinced him.

"Go ahead." Sebastian said quietly to Diane, pushing her forward by the waist gently to urge her.

She looked up to him in surprise, that he was suddenly so willing, and smiled softly. "I owe you one, Seb." She whispered softly.

He looked a bit stricken by the nickname, and gave that familiar flirty smile. "I like having friends who are in my debt."

She flushed brightly as he repeated the words from when they'd first met, looking away bashfully. Now wasn't the time!

She gave him one last look before turning back to Mary and Danny. Mary seemed lost in thought, hardly even paying attention that they were even there.

"Mary..." Diane reached out and touched her shoulder gently.

Mary turned around in surprise and her eyes widened as she saw who it was. "Diane!" She said in a teary voice, wrapping her arms around her happily. "I'm so glad to see you... oh, Diane." She cried softly. "I don't know what to do... he keeps getting worse no matter what I try."