He Couldn't Be That Bad? // Sebastian Sallow and You (spicy)

30. Late Night Library (extra spicy)

Outside the windows of the library, the pale half moon is crowning the sky, casting cool blue light across the cloudless night.

After dinner we saw Scribner get into a carriage with a carpet bag in hand. Which could only mean she'd be gone and the library would be open grounds for at least the next few hours, if not the whole night. Sebastian insisted we couldn't miss the opportunity to do some extra uninterrupted research in the library and I agree. Even if there is only a little more than an hour before the dueling tournament starts.

So the two of us are in a corner of the restricted section, a candelabra illuminating the little alcove in a warm yellow glow. A writing desk covered in books and scrolls and maps and scraps of paper is in the corner by a window. Tucked away for someone copying books to do so uninterrupted, but for us, it's providing enough cover that if another student or ghost wanders by, we won't be easily spotted.

The surface of the table has a leather topper so the spines of the old books don't catch a splinter, but there is too much on the surface for that to even matter. We've pulled everything we can find about the obliviate spell, the ministry's use for it, documentation of failed memory recovery, and many court documents pertaining to sentencing where the obliviate spell was used in addition to other punishments.

Sebastian brought a scroll to take notes on, but it's already full on one side. And now on the back we're writing incredibly tiny so we don't run out of room. The ink smudges frequently and it's now left up to me to write as my penmanship is obviously superior.

"Are you sure no one will catch us?" I whisper, leaving the bit of parchment to dry before I begin the next line. We've been in here uninterrupted for over an hour now, and every additional minute that ticks by makes me anxious to leave.

"When Scribner takes off, it's just a Prefect on watch. And I know he's currently occupied with his own... distraction." He said the word, tracing a finger up my arm like I was Sebastian's distraction.

Giving him an unamused look, I turn back to the court documents. "It says here that obliviate is sometimes used by the Ministry after interrogation as well as to protect undercover informants if they're discovered. It also says the spell is only to be used in dire circumstances where information not forgotten would lead to endangering the lives of others."

"Sounds about right." Sebastian confirmed and pointed his finger into the book laying open on the table before him. "I found in this old spell book that obliviate has been known to drive receivers of the spell mad. Reports of recipients being in a constant state of deja-vous or something 'just on the tip of their tongue' but not able to place it."

I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear as I lean over the book, skimming over the passage Sebastian just read.

"Maybe that's why Emmeline went mad? The Gaunt's cleared her memory and she went crazy? Couldn't recall why she couldn't recall something." Sebastian furrowed his brow, his eyes skimming the page. "I imagine it's a special kind of torture."

I shrugged, taking my bottom lip in my teeth. "Perhaps. Or they removed too much? Damon was obviously a big part of her life here. They literally had to pull years and years from her life out of her memory in order to remove him fully. It's heartbreaking, could you imagine not remembering anything about Hogwarts?"

"It would be devastating." Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. "By why would they have to remove so much?"

"Agreed. Seems... petty for just some girl Damon was dating."

"You aren't just some girl to me." Sebastian put his hand around my waist and pulled me close for a moment.

I kissed his cheek and continued. "So theory one, they did it because they are a bunch of ass holes."