Consuming Darkness: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 68

-Ronnie-

I scarfed down another biscuit that I had loaded with freshly made raspberry jam. It was the fourth one I had piled onto my plate, needing to drown myself in carbs after the night I'd had. I'd woken up again in the Forbidden Forest, wounded and surrounded by dead spiders. And again, I couldn't remember how I'd gotten there and I had another puncture wound in my arm this time instead of my side. After a few potions, spells, and a big bath, I was physically okay but mentally I was a mess. My mind still felt foggy and no matter how hard I tried to recall the events of last night, I was unsuccessful.

I hadn't called on Sebastian to come help me for a few reasons. The main one was that I worried he would swoop in and take care of me and we would ignore the conversation we needed to have. This cycle of miscommunication and avoiding the hard stuff until it went away needed to stop. I was starting to realize that it wasn't going to just simply go away because I wanted it to.

I scanned the Slytherin table for Sebastian or Ominis but instead, my eyes found Ignatius and Reggie. They sat isolated from the rest of their friends, staring blankly at their food. Uncharacteristically messy hair and wrinkled robes caused my glance to linger for a moment longer. I noticed the dark circles under their eyes and a blank, distant stare that haunted me even though it was not directed at me. They looked even more like shit than I felt.

Imelda plopped down across from me, her plate filled with a well-balanced assortment of foods.

"Morning C'apin!" I saluted her half-assedly.

She laughed. "You alright after yesterday?"

"Wha'?" I shoved another bite into my mouth. The buttery biscuit melting on my tongue almost making me audibly moan. There is really nothing better than a baked good.

"You and Sallow work it out after your wee duel?"

"Oh!" Thank Merlin she wasn't talking about how I stumbled into our room looking haggard well after curfew. I didn't want word getting out about it. "No... we haven't talked yet."

"You still going with Finn to the ball then?"

My attention was pulled as a letter fell next to my plate. My name elegantly printed on the front. I immediately knew it was from Ominis. He enchanted his quill to write the words he spoke to it, and the penmanship was immaculate.

Meet me in the Undercroft as soon as is convenient.

-Ominis Gaunt-

I crumpled the note quickly and shoved it in my robe pocket to ensure Imelda didn't read it over my shoulder.

"I don't know Imelda... I'm still confused about it all and I need to go meet Ominis," I replied absentmindedly.

"Practice at three today Underhill!" She called after me.

I waved my hand to her over my shoulder in acknowledgment and walked out of the Great Hall.

The only thing that made sense for Ominis to want to talk to me about was the relic. Maybe he had talked to his father again. I wished that I had found at least something that could have been any help in figuring out where the relic was. My trip to Professor Pierce's office had been unsuccessful and cut annoyingly short by Finn. I could sneak back in after curfew and see if I could find anything else but I doubted he kept it in there.

Sebastian and I arrived outside the Undercroft at the same time, and an awkward air hung over us as I approached. So many words hung at the top of my tongue but I wasn't sure what to say. If I was being honest with myself... I missed him. I wanted things to be back to how they were when we had skipped down the cobblestone streets of Sebastian's childhood home. I'd worried we'd ruined it. I worried we were not going to be able to salvage it this time. I had hoped that the duel would help him clear his head but he hadn't tried to reach out and it was driving me insane! I could always petrify him again.