A Man Has Horns // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 5 - A Simple Fun

I needed to tell Garreth that it was all my fault. The only reason we didn't get called for a foul was because he couldn't believe I'd be such an absolute dingbat to have him knocked over just because of a stupid, misdirected comment.

The common room was a swirl of mixed emotions - some students were cheering loudly, while another few would sna at them, reminding everyone that we hadn't won anything yet.

"What a wet rag Nellie was, it was all a part of the game!" someone scorned.

The general consensus in the House seemed to be that Sebastian's actions were fair play, and we deserved the win. No one seemed too concerned about the close call, as if it was just part of the game.

It was a little past 3 p.m., meaning the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff friendly match was likely underway. I could only assume their game would be far less dramatic than ours had been. Scanning the room, I realized Sebastian was nowhere to be found—he had probably gone to change and head off to watch the match. Maybe Charlotte was trying out as well.

Just then, Imelda emerged from the dormitories, her eyes scanning the room before locking onto me from across the way.

"What the fuck was that?!" she noticed me and called out across the room before even waiting to reach me.

She shoved a third year student out of her way.

"If he pulled that stunt during an official match? Fair game. But during a Quidditch friendly?! Has he Merlin-damned lost his mind?!" Imelda stormed over, her fury palpable as she let loose. "No way in Azkaban that wasn't going to be a foul!" she fumed, her voice rising with each word. "The only saving grace was Weasley's ridiculous affection toward you. If it weren't for that, Quidditch this year would've been ruined!"

"It was just a friendly? Surely the ga-"

"Did that look like a friendly to you?" she snapped back. "I know you've never seen a real Quidditch match, but trust me, there was nothing friendly about it. This wasn't just some practice game - this was the match that would decide our entire lineup for the season!" Imelda inhaled sharply, her eyes narrowing with frustration.

"If we had gotten a foul today," she continued, her voice dropping with deadly seriousness, "we'd be stuck playing one more game this year - against the loser of that so-called 'friendly' going on right now." She made air quotes, dripping with sarcasm. "Everyone's so eager for Quidditch to resume that we're bending the rules left and right, but no matter how you look at it, this was officially branded as a 'friendly'. He should have never pulled that stunt."

With an exasperated sigh, she stormed around me and threw herself onto the couch, sinking into the cushions as though the weight of the situation had finally hit her.

"It was my fault," I couldn't help but slip out.

"Explain," Imelda said sharply, still in her coach captain mentality.

I sat down next to her on the couch, the weight of what I was about to say pressing down on me. Leaning in, I half-whispered, "Garreth made a joke about Slytherin, just something in passing, and... I joked to Sebastian to hit him with a Bludger, knock him off his broom. It was before... you know what happened. I completely forgot about it, but apparently, Sebastian hadn't."

Imelda's head snapped toward me, her eyes wide with disbelief. The silence between us grew heavy as the realisation of my part in the chaos sank in.

"You can never tell him!" Imelda shot up and looked at me.

"Sit down," I pulled her down back to the couch. "Garreth went off at Sebastian. I had never seen him so angry. Sebastian was about to tell him that I was the one who had asked for it and he nearly did."