Cursed

Chapter 7

"Professor Weasley said we should report the erm... incident... to the Ministry." Sebastian said, shifting uncomfortably, wrinkling the white infirmary linens.

Juniper nodded. "I agree."

He turned to her sharply. "You do? Aren't you ashamed of what happened? Of what she made us do?"

"I am, but we can't let her get away with it again."

Sebastian shook his head in disbelief. "How can you act like it didn't happen? How can you be so dismissive?"

"Seb, I'm not trying to be dismissive, but the first time Gareth and I paid the consequences of her madness. I am not going to let that happen again." She clenched her fist, her nails digging into her palms through the sheet.

"You do realize they'll take you too, do you?" He questioned. His brows knitted tightly together. "When they see one of their own half-dead, they'll want to know who is responsible regardless of what she did."

Juniper processed the information, sensing the desperation in his voice, whether it was out of concern for her or to convince her to stay quiet, she could not discern. Yes, she did extract the woman's emotions, or at least that's what she understood from Sebastian's explanation, but she wasn't conscious when it happened. Could they really pin a crime on her? It wouldn't be a lie if she said she didn't do anything.

The questions swirled in her mind, hoping to find the best outcome with less consequences when Sebastian moved in closer, and placed his hands around her shoulders.

"Please, don't." He whispered hoarsely.

Juniper was stunned by both his vulnerability and physical contact. She wasn't able to touch another human being for months after her first encounter with the deranged witch. The only person she allowed come into close contact was Gareth, and that was because the trauma they shared created a bond of both codependency and security, knowing they went through it together. But even Gareth kept his distance. Sebastian must have been desperate for her not to say anything, and she couldn't blame him.

"Sebastian..." she started. "I'm sorry, but I have to do this." She met his gaze, her eyes watering at the realization that he was subtly tearing up. She reached out to cup his face, but he quickly rejected her gesture, not ready for her to touch him. 

Sebastian shut his eyes tightly, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I did this to you. I hurt you, again."

"We didn't do anything to each other. It was done to us."

"I hurt you."

Juniper watched the tears fall from his eyes. She could feel the wetness from his tears soak through the linen onto her skin, and it broke her heart. 

"You didn't do anything to me."

"I did, and I didn't do anything to stop it." he sniffed.

She propped him up, forcing him to face her. "You couldn't. I did as much damage to you that you did to me. It is not your fault."

The tears continued to stream down his eyes when the doors slammed open, a panting Gareth on the other side. Sebastian immediately stood from the bed and walked towards the bay window, turning his back towards the room.

Gareth ran towards her, embracing her in a clumsy hug. "I hear from my aunt. Are you okay?"

She hugged him back. "I'm fine, the first time was worse. She managed to make us want it and have no shame during it, which is mercy compared to the last time."

Gareth nodded as he pulled away. It was a vivid memory for him still. The part of him that screamed to stop, entirely conscious of what he was doing and unable to control his own body, still gave him nightmares every so often. He looked over to Sebastian, who was wiping his face with his sleeve. "With him?"

"Unfortunately. He vomited when it was over, sound familiar?" She said, holding her arms close to her. Thinking back to the first time, where she lost her virginity and first kiss unwillingly. It scarred her more than anything the witch did the second time. Her mind was not conquered with the desire her body felt, betraying her in ways she didn't think possible. She felt taken advantage of by herself, and it brought her mental state into dark places.

Gareth walked up to him, digging his hands in his pockets as he did. He spoke low, making it so that Juniper couldn't hear more than a mumble. At the same time, footsteps approached Juniper's bed.

"Gentlemen, could you please give us a moment of privacy?" Professor Weasley asked. Both boys made their way out with their heads low and shut the big doors behind them.

"Professor." Juniper greeted her, already aware of what she wanted to know.

"Did he tell you he is willing to report it on your behalf to keep you anonymous? My nephew is more selfless than I thought. I don't know how he found out what happened. He came to me frantic." She rubbed her hands nervously. "You hear about these things but never imagine it would happen so close to you."

Juniper noticed the older woman's unease. "You want me to report it."

"I do, but if Gareth is willing to do so to keep you safe, I won't push you." She spoke. "I am more concerned about what you did at the moment."

Juniper turned to her stunned, wanting to question her, to deny to whatever conclusions the professor had come to, but she spoke first.

"I may have not seen the pensive firsthand, but I know what I saw in that woman, or more like what I didn't see. Whatever you did, that wretched lady had nothing behind her eyes. No thoughts, no remorse, nothing. You did something to her, didn't you?"

Juniper explained everything Sebastian had told her and everything she went through the first time with Gareth, leaving out the more sexual details other than the witch inducing them to forcefully have intercourse with each other. She watched the professor's eyes widen with horror and sadness with every new part of the story. When Juniper reached the end, tears were pooling in Professor Weasley's eyes.

"I am so sorry you went through that. That woman deserves Azkaban, at the least," the professor said, wiping her eyes with a white lacy handkerchief.

"Sebastian worries that I'll be sent there for what I did to her, saying that they'll want justice for an attack on a member of the Ministry." Juniper nervously brushed her fingers through her hair, that was a current mess of frizz and knots.

"They won't find out; I'll make sure of that. You rest. I'll talk to Gareth about moving forward with the official report. Speak of this to no one." Professor Weasley made her way out of the infirmary, leaving Juniper alone with her thoughts.