A Man Has Horns // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 19 - In a Web of Own Making

The days passed in a blur until Friday when I was expected to be in detention. 

With my last class of Transfiguration ending, I started to head to Professor Weasley's office when I saw that Sebastian was heading the same way. 

I hadn't talked to him since the Boathouse and hadn't acknowledged him since he had stopped to tell me he had broken up with Charlotte. 

"Detention?" I finally muster to say to him. 

He nodded and kept walking. 

I didn't try to say anything else. 

_____

We reached Professor Weasley's office and opened the door to find out that were the only student's attending today's detention. 

"Mr Sallow, Miss Natrix, please come inside," Professor Weasley says not lifting her head from writing on a piece of parchment. "I'll be with you momentarily."

I closed the door behind us and took a look around her office. Nothing had changed but her desk having had growing perhaps a bit messier. 

"Alright." Professor Weasley finally put her quill down and looked up at us. "For today, I shall be asking you to help clean out our caretaker Mr Moony's supply closet of confiscated goods. Before you have any ideas, these items are from decades ago, and most have lost their charms and working condition," she said standing up and walking to the door to guide us. 

We silently walked behind Professor Weasley until we reached the 7th floor of a tower adjacent to the Entrance Hall. 

She unlocked a small door and when opening the door a cloud of dust and moths escaped. 

We walked in and it much resembled the beginnings of how the Room of Requirement had looked on my tour with Professor Weasley. There were items stretched to the ceiling and stacked on top of each other, the only solace being it was a relatively small room. 

Nevertheless, I had no idea where one would begin. 

"I suggest starting with items you can access," Professor Weasley answered as if reading my mind. "Please evaluate each item, keeping school property on one side whilst discarding others. Miss Natrix, I believe you still remember the Transfiguration spell for vanishing items?"

"Yes Professor Weasley."

"Very well. I shall not delay you any further. Please start your work and I will come back to relieve you when appropriate," Professor Weasley finished and turned to walk back to her office. 

I turned to switch the light switch to find it was broken. I took my wand to light the room.

"Did you just do that non-verbally?" Sebastian asked.

"P..pardon?" I turned to him with my wand, realising that I had. "Y..yes, I guess I did."

"Impressive," he said, turning to one of the piles of items, casting Lumos himself verbally. 

I wanted to tell him I had performed an Unbreakable Vow and that had significantly impacted the way I yielded magic. I remember needing to cast the non-verbal Imperturbable Charm and the ease that it had come with. 

"You casted the Imperturbable Charm successfully," I added trying to make conversation. "That's a non-verbal spell."

"It doesn't have an incantation," Sebastian answered. "I struggle to do so with spells that do, especially when it comes to muscle memory stepping in the way," he replied not looking at me but bent over a pile of books. 

_____

We worked for what seemed hours. I would have coughing spells from the dust that was rising in the room which each item that was picked up. Most had no value, ranging from old portraits, student notebooks with insulting language, old dry fire crackers, old Zonko products, silverware and Festive decorations.

There was nothing interesting. 

Sebastian and I hadn't said a word to each other for what seemed like hours. We had cleared about four towering piles of items but it didn't seem to put a dent into the mess. I sighed and pulled a box as a spider the size of a bottle cap jumped on my hand. 

"AAAGHH" 

I jumped and shook my hand violently as stumbled over a pile of books falling to my backside. 

Sebastian whipped around with his wand pointing towards the direction of my scream, "What!? What happened?!"

My heart was beating rapidly as I kept brushing off my hand and my body off from the spider. 

"N...NOTHING"

I looked around myself and saw the spider now scurrying across the floor towards me. 

"AAAAAAAAGH" I screamed scrambling to my feet and jumped to door. 

"IT'S THE SIZE OF A KNUT LILITH" Sebastian noticed the spider and reached to drop a book on it. "We have dealt with ones the size of hippogriff you cannot be serious!"

I kept brushing my clothes feeling like it was still on me. 

"It jumped on me!" I didn't stop, still feeling adrenaline.

"You mystify me Natrix," he said back in a whisper to himself. "It's gone now," he reached to pick up the book and showed the spider being squished on the cover. 

I still stood by the door my heart still beating fast. 

Sebastian stood still and finally looked at me for the first time since we started working in the room. His breathing slowed down and I could sense he was intently thinking about something.

I brushed the hair out of my face with both of my hands. 

"I'm sure Professor Weasley will return any minute now," he said, putting his hands in his pockets and looking over the room. "I don't think anything we would do would give a noticeable difference anymore."

"I agree," I answered, nervously holding my own wrist for comfort. 

"Listen, I wanted to say t-" Sebastian started.

But as if summoned the door open and Professor Weasley reappears. 

"Ah! Very well done," she looked into the room. "You are free to go now," she looked at me and Sebastian slightly confused, feeling as if she might have interrupted a conversation. "And please, no more rule breaking."

We exited the room and Sebastian did not even wave goodbye, having had turned the corner. 

I stood still, feeling guilty and intoxicated.