Chrysopoeia

Chapter 18 - Dissolution

Cassia rubbed her temples as she pored over her essay on the exceptions to Elemental Transfiguration. Poppy and Sebastian scratched their quills across essays of their own, and Ominis dotted out what Cassia thought might be a rather lengthy letter. A little fatigued, she leaned back in her chair, staring at the chandeliers dangling from the library ceiling.

An enchanted book flapped across the upper floor. Just for a momentary distraction, Cassia waved her wand at it. It came zooming at her faster than expected, and she caught it with a grunt. Her friends all popped up from their work.

"What was that for?" Poppy asked.

"Because it seemed like a good idea." Cassia dropped the book on the table, a little breathless from its impact.

Sebastian pulled the book toward himself. "What have we got here? Sonnets of a Sorcerer. I've heard anyone who reads this will speak in limericks for the rest of their life."

"Then, for all of our sakes, don't open it, Sebastian," Ominis warned. "You spew enough babbling nonsense already."

"Yeah, well, you fart in your sleep."

Ominis blushed, grumbling something under his breath as Poppy giggled.

"Who are you writing, Ominis?" Cassia asked, nodding at the stretch of parchment. The little dots swirled into neat script with each touch of his quill.

"Anne," he said. "I'm telling her about our recent exploits. I wasn't going to because I didn't want her to worry about our safety, but in her last letter, she said she was missing a bit of adventure in her life."

Sebastian leaned forward. "She worries?"

"Yes, she does. She still wants to know that you're okay and that you're happy."

"And? What do you tell her?" Sebastian asked, glowing.

"That you're doing fine, and you've yet to get detention this year. I think she'll be surprised to hear that."

"Yeah, she will be. It's a record for me."

Cassia absently flipped the page of her Transfiguration book, only half-thinking about her assignment. Some Slytherins chattered nearby, and upstairs, a pair of seventh-years flew an enchanted paper airplane back and forth. It seemed everyone was bored with their homework that evening.

"I miss her," Sebastian said softly.

"I do, too," Ominis said. "I know that I at least still have correspondence with her, but it's not the same as taking long walks around the grounds in the evening."

"You mean the ones you'd go on without me."

Ominis shrugged, a light glinting in his eyes. "Oh yes, we'd have some of our best conversations when you weren't there to interrupt."

"'Conversations,' you say. Yeah, sure."

Cassia leaned on the table, watching the boys reminisce about a time before her. Poppy coughed and closed her book.

"I just remembered," she said, stuffing her things haphazardly into her bag, "I'm supposed to meet with... the girls in my dorm. We're talking about... something."

She nearly hopped from her seat as she hurried away, her quill fluttering to the ground behind her. Cassia frowned, wondering if she had imagined the sudden flush of pink on her friend's cheeks.

"That's odd," Ominis said, tapping his quill on his lips. "She never spends time with the girls in her dorm."

"No," Sebastian said, "but she said it was a meeting. Maybe Sacharissa's wrongfully accusing people of taking her things again."