Run Away ✧ Sebastian Sallow

chapter two

Please meet me in the Undercroft when you're awake. It's urgent. 

-Ominis Gaunt

Why in Merlin's name was Gaunt writing to her now? Antheia couldn't remember the last time she felt so scared getting a letter before, maybe it had been the only other letter Ominis had sent to her? 

The two weren't friends anymore. Actually, she wasn't sure if they were friends to begin with.

On occasion, the two spoke when seeing each other around the school the past year. If it had been a quidditch game, a house party, or if they shared a class, they were civil with one another. But they certainly were not friends. They made awkward small talk and that had been the extent of it.

Antheia was on edge already when she entered the Undercroft, "What's the meaning of this letter, Gaunt?"

"Can you not call me- Never mind," Ominis sighed, "I'm sorry to bother you. But there is something that I think you deserve to know and I thought it would be best if you heard before everyone else finds out."

"Find out what?" The words made her stomach twist in knots.

Or maybe it was just the pressure of being in the Undercroft again. It had been a long time since she had bothered with that part of the castle. During sixth year she hadn't stepped foot into the hidden room once. There were too many memories that she was trying to avoid there. 

Ominis Gaunt never made her as nervous as she had felt at that moment. Even despite not being friends, he didn't scare her. Well, he was a little scary, but it hadn't been his fault. Every time she saw him it was like a black cat had crossed paths with her. A bad omen that always led to something bad to follow.

"You may want to sit down," He tried to say calmly, but even his voice sounded tired and weak.

She wasn't sure if it was for her benefit or his, but the longer she stayed in the room the more memories would come back to her. Sitting and having a chat wasn't her priority.

"It's okay," Antheia dismissed, "Please just spit it out already."

Not knowing the reason for the blind boy to write to her had filled her and made her anxious. But once Ominis had told her the news of what happened she was filled with dread.

The rest of the day, she hadn't been able to shake the conversation that had taken place in the Undercroft. It was an endless loop replaying in her head along with everything else.

"You've barely touched your butterbeer, Thea," Natti had pointed out that night. Thea, only her close friends called her by that name. It wasn't even a nickname that she liked but had been given the exception to people she cared for.

"I'm fine," Antheia dismissed. She had thought that she was done lying after yesterday with Shah, but apparently, that had been a lie to herself.

Her head was still stuck in the morning conversation with the blind boy. The image of tomorrow's headline was burning into her mind as if it had been printed already. Everyone was going to know soon that she, in fact, was not fine.

"Antheia was just feeling a bit under the weather," Desmond had tried to explain on her behalf, squeezing her hand under the table. "I blame Shah's class. All these cold nights and staying up so late. It seems like half the class has caught a cold already. That's what Nurse Blainey told her earlier."

"Yeah, it's probably just nothing," She agreed.

The nurse had off-handingly mentioned that to her, only she hadn't gone to see her for a cold. Right after she left the Undercroft from her talk with Ominis, she went directly to the Hospital Wing.