Catching the canary

Chapter 32 - Serpent

Sebastian brought our hands to his lips and kissed my knuckles over my wand.
"Im going to do everything in my power to make sure we stay together my love"
That's what I'm afraid of, I think, but I flash him a pretty smile. He releases my hand and I flex my fingers over my wand. I can feel my magic for the first time in days. Stepping over to the table he seizes both satchels and holds one out to me. I take it, noticing its weight. I have to make it out the door, to my friends, to Ominis. Holding the satchel by the strap I put all my body strength into swinging it. The heavy bag smacks into the side of Sebastian's head, knocking him back and to the ground. He roars with anger but I'm already bolting through the door. Fresh air fills my lungs as I frantically looked around for my friends. My eyes zero in on Garreth and Poppy couched behind the garden wall, waving and beckoning me to them. As I go to run to them large arms engulf me. I lash out blindly, trying to frantically free myself from the grasp.
"Let go of me!"
"Dearest stop, it's me! It's me! It's Ominis!"
I cease my struggling instantly and open my eyes. Ominis. Merlin it is my Ominis! My heart pounds in my chest. I fly into him, the comforting scent of his skin washing over me as his arms close back around my shoulders tightly. Immediately I come back to my senses and start to drag him away from the cottage and towards our friends.
"Ominis! We have to go, he's coming! It was Sebastian all along! He's gone mad and-"
A loud boom echos out as the front door to the cottage is blown off its hinges. The explosion knocks us from our feet, dropping us to the ground where I sprawled on top of Ominis. From the resulting cloud of smoke strolled Sebastian, malicious grin plastered to his face, wand in hand.
"I should have known you wouldn't have come with me so easy. It's that fire and spark in you that I love so much Little Witch. But I must say that it's starting to be less endearing and more annoying!"
Ominis struggles beneath me and I desperately try to stand as Sebastian advances on us.
"Everte Statum!"
A bolt of golden light flys at him from across the yard, striking Sebastian directly in the chest and knocking him head over heels away from us. Poppy stands upon the stone wall in a defensive stance. I struggle to pull myself and Ominis to our feet, he holds tightly to me with his wand out stretched in Sebastian's direction. Garreth takes off in a low crouch, rushing towards us.
Sebastian is on his feet and flings out his wand,
"Confringo!" A ball of fire shoots towards us. I shift left, dragging Ominis with me and out of the way, but Garreth isn't so lucky. The ball hits the ground mere feet from him and sends the poor boy flying.
"GARRETH!" Poppy screams, leaping from the wall and to his side. She frantically pats out the flames on his uniform. He doesn't move. I'm trembling with the fear that I may have just killed myself and my loved ones. My eyes catch on something in the grass. It's the tiny paper cobra which must of fallen from my waistband during my struggle. A dangerous and brilliant idea forms in my mind. I lean back into Ominis's chest.
"I know what to do. I need you to trust me."
His breath tickles my ear as he whispers,
"What do you need of me?"
"I need a distrac-"
"OH ISNT THIS LOVELY! Not even reunited for 10 minutes and already you two are back to sharing secrets! Isn't that so fucking sweet."
"Tell me when he's less than 10 paces away" he whispers low enough for only me to hear. I give his arm a squeeze in acknowledgment. Sebastian begins to stalk forward towards us.
"Ominis fucking Gaunt! Wonderful to see you my old friend."
"Let us go Sebastian. She doesn't want to leave with you. It doesn't have to be this way."
"Now is that anyway to talk to your best friend and lover. Or did you forget how shamelessly you were begging for my affection? Did you miss the taste of my balls that much?" He steps closer to us, almost in range.
"Fuck you Sallow" he hisses. I grip my wand and aim it down at the little snake praying this worked. Sebastian took 3 more steps.
"Now!" I whisper.
"Incarcerous!" Thick ropes form from mid air, wrapping around Sebastian tightly as he struggled against them.

My turn.

"Vivere Serpentia!" Green lighting shot from my wand and struck the snake, it started to writhe to life.
"Engorgio!" The cobra began to stretch and grow, soon towering above us. It's large dark shadow falling over Sebastian. She hissed in rage, hood flared, as he grunted and thrashed.
"Merlin you're brilliant." Ominis whispered under his breath. I knew he could hear the voice and breath of the now basilisk sized cobra. Sebastian's gaze met mine, he sneered at me.
"You think I'm afraid of your little pet! You won't hurt me Little Witch. You can't! Your love for me won't let you!"
I felt a pang of guilt in my heart. I did still love him. Ominis's hands gripped my waist and he moved me behind him, shielding me with his body.
"You're right Sallow. She can't hurt you. Unlike you she's not a monster,"
Sebastian grinned but Ominis continued speaking,
"But I'm not her Sebastian. And I am very much capable."
The smile faltered on Sebastian's lips.
"Oppugno!"
As Ominis shouts the spell, the Cobras head rears back, jaws opening wide. With a thundering hiss she strikes, silencing Sebastian's scream of terror as her massive jaws closed around him. I buried my face into Ominis's chest and he held me to him, trying cover my ears with his arms, but it couldn't block out the ghastly swallowing noises that filled the air. She had eaten him whole. I wanted to be sick. The cobra curls into a satisfied coil, resting her massive head on her body, hood folded away.

Ominis's hold on me loosens. I'm shaking like mad and the heart of stone that I had grown over the past few days was cracking. Bash...

"My dearest, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" He ran his hands up my arms and over my body.
"No, my darling, I've only minor injuries. I'll be fine, but what about Garreth?" I turned from him and sprinted over to where the brave Gryffindor lay motionless on the ground, head nestled in Poppy's lap. She was crying.
"I can't...I can't get him to... wake up"
I examined Garreth, finding no external evidence of injury. It must be inside.
"Poppy I'm so so sorry. Trust me. I'm going to do everything I can to save him."
I held my wand out, hovering it about his still form. Summoning the power of the ancient magic within me I spoke,
"Rennervate."
A flash of brilliantly colored red light filled the yard. Weasley sat bolt upright with a terrible gasp.
"What in the bloody hell happened?"
Poppy launched herself at Garreth, seizing him in a fierce hug and plastering him with kisses as she laughed with relief.
I felt Ominis's arm settle across my shoulders.
"Come dearest. We all need to return to the castle, and we will need let someone know where to...to find Sebastian." He ended awkwardly. I glanced over at the snake and then quickly averted my gaze. Bash...
"Let's go home." He whispers as he presses soft kisses to my hair.