Moths to a Flame

24. Getting Well Again

Sebastian pov

I was minding my own business this morning with Ominis next to me eating his porridge, at the house table. I couldn't eat. I was filled with dread and worry.

"Hey Bash, it's a shame what happened to that girlfriend of yours" Victoria said in a snarky tone. Then she smirked and walked away.

Just then an owl swooped in and I tore it open, it was from Professor Sharp early in the morning two days after I saw him in the middle of the night, it swooped in the Great Hall during breakfast. I ripped open the letter and read it. I smacked it on the table and shoved Ominis and grabbed him.

Sallow, we found her, heading to the hospital wing. Do Not Come! I repeat. Do Not Come
- Professor Sharp

"Om they found her let's go!" I say half way out of the hall.

"Hey! Where you going" I head a small voice behind us. I turned to see Poppy.

"Sharp found Aria hurry" I said and practically ran to the hospital wing with the other two behind me. We slammed open the ward doors.

"Out! I said Out!" Weasley said with such ferocity.

"I told you explicitly not to come here" Sharp said sharply. That didn't deter me. I saw her. My beautiful Aria lying there. She looked terrible. My heart sank. Weasley pushed us out and locked the doors shut.

"What's wrong Sebastian how bad was it" Ominis said. I almost didn't hear him. "Sebastian" I heard the worry in his voice.

"Bad, Om, very bad" I said my voice barely a whisper. Poppy was crying quietly next to him. Then she ran down the hall leaving us.

Aesop Sharp's POV

*Two hours earlier*

When my informant told up where to go and when to strike. We went in for the kill. I rounded up my backup, Matilda, Abraham, and Dinah. The other professors and I used apparition to arrive on the scene. I heard the screams and knew there they were casting crucio. No one screams like the that except for when under the influence of crucio. We have to get in there now. We were in for a fight. I have had experience like this before, and I know Dinah has too. We barged in and were knocking out everyone easily. We followed the sounds of screaming to find her. We were faced with Randell Sweeting himself. Only he wasn't stupid. He knew when to flee and only after a few minutes of fighting he disapperated away. We saw the girl, beaten down, chained and bloodied in a cage near the corner of the room. She was curled up on herself. The poor girl. I picked her up; Ronan got the chains off of her wrist and ankles. She was frail. She had definitely been starved and not been able to clean herself. The four of us were able to appariate to the castle gates and we carefully got her to Noreen, the school nurse.

We got her to the school and Noreen was aghast with horror at the state of Ms Black. I carefully laid her on the bed and backed away to give her some room to do her thing. First she waved her wand to clean her up a bit, and then to assess her body. I saw her eyes bug out. She gave us all a look. I send that owl to Mr Sallow since I promised him I would let him know.

"She needs to be sent to Mungo's" Noreen said to us.

"I can do what I can, but it won't be enough, she must be transferred as soon as possible" Noreen said.

"When is the soonest we can" I ask her.

"At dawn, when they open" Noreen said.

"I'll take her" I say volunteering.

"Alright, well I can clean her up a little before she goes" then the doors banged open. It was Sallow and is friends.

After Matilda and I shooed them out we got ready to take Ms. Black to London. Once everything was set. We made the trip. We got her there and checked in and the medi-witches up to date on everything. How we found her and what ever else they needed to know. I went back to Hogwarts since I had a class to get too in half an hour.

I got to class and what do you know Sallow and Gaunt are the first ones there. No doubt they want to know. I went on with class as normal. After class I called Sebastian and Ominis over.

"Sallow, Gaunt, a word please" I say. They came over and I waited until the last straggler left the room.

"How's Aria? How is she?—" Sebastian said.

"Ms Black has been transferred to Mungo's Mr Sallow."

"Mungo's! Why!?" They both say.

"I'm afraid to say her injuries and condition was too much for our matron to handle" I tell them.

"But nurse Blainey can cure anything she did the last time" Sebastian said.

"Not everything, and she was worse off this time, plus this way she'll get the best care and treatment for her to get better" I tell them.

"Can we go see her! Please!" He begs.

"Yes professor can we" Ominis asks.

"No not at the moment she's far too weak and ill for anyone to visit her we only rescued her a few hours ago" I tell them. "I will let you know when you can, I promise" Sebastian stomped out of the room.

"Thank you professor" Mr Gaunt said then left as well. I huffed into my chair behind my desk and sighed. I'm getting too old for this job.

Sebastian pov

I stormed down to the dorm. I couldn't wrap my head around it. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I flinched. I turned to see Ominis behind me. I don't know what came over me, but I grabbed him and hugged him. He seemed taken back. I know Ominis isn't one to show affection like that, especially with me. He has with Aria, but it's rare for me. I broke down and started to cry. For so many things. For the pain of Aria having to be so bad that she was sent to the hospital in London and we can't even see her. For having just gotten a letter from Anne, she's telling me that she's been better but is currently seeing someone wherever she is. There was so much going on in my mind I just couldn't hold it back anymore. Ominis reciprocated the hug and held me. We slid down to the floor, and he laid his head on my shoulder, and he rubbed my back. Then I noticed he himself had started to tear up. We didn't have to say anything. We both felt it. We knew what we were both feeling. That heartbreak over our shared love for Aria. Our beautiful girl. I love her so much.

"I think you should go lay down for a while" Ominis said after a while. I nodded. I know he could feel it. We stood up and walked to my bed.

"Could you lay with me?" I asked him.

"Sure" Ominis said. As awkward as it was to ask he didn't even hesitate.

We laid down in my bed together. I thought it would be odd sharing a bed with him but as I lay here with him, his arm around me, I realized that we've shared a bed before. Many times in fact. It was nice to have him there. That comfort. Knowing I'm not alone in this, Ominis is going through it too. Holding each other up is something I need to remember to do.

Aria pov

I don't know how. I don't know why. I don't even know when. I found myself lying on a bed with bright candle light. That's when I panicked. I sat up with such force in a cold sweat.

"Easy there missy. You'll be alright" a calm female voice said.

I looked around. My surroundings are vastly different from when I last seen it. I was in a white sterile like environment I was no longer chained and cowering on the cold dirty cement floor behind a cage. My eyes now landed on the young lady in the room with me. She had soft red curls under her white hat, purple robes that clashed horribly with her hair, with a white apron around her waist. She was dressed like a medi-witch, judging by the environment I must be in a hospital.

"Where am I?" I ask.

"Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies" she said.

"How did I get here?" I ask.

"You were brought here upon special request from Hogwarts and were brought here by two of the professors several days ago" she tells me. Did she say days? I'm very confused.