In The Shadow of Our Choices

Chapter 104: Roses are Red

Previously:
Andrew confronted Sebastian about his uncle, and Sebastian admitted to the murder, though he purposefully laid the blame with the relic in an effort to win Andrew over. Andrew left without saying anything, taking Sebastian's wand with him and leaving him partially bound by an incarcerous spell.

CONTENT WARNING:
I... uh, just... content warning? Dubious consent kinda?

Sebastian

Sunday, it had taken Sebastian about a quarter hour and much cursing to free his legs from the cords. He'd found his wand at top of the stairs, just inside the Undercroft door and resting atop a note.

Don't bother trying a memory charm - I've already recorded everything you said. Besides, remove too little of my memory and I will simply confront you again, or, if you remove too much, my father will notice.

Sebastian had wracked his mind for his next move the rest of the day and come up empty-handed. Now he was waiting for Sharp to start the Monday afternoon lesson - his first class with Andrew since the mess in the Undercroft. He wasn't sure what to expect in the slightest. It was a conscious effort to keep his leg from bouncing, to channel the nerves into stillness. However, Andrew arrived a bare minute before Sharp was due to begin, sliding into his usual seat next to Sebastian without so much as looking at him. Sebastian watched from the corner of his eye as Andrew unpacked his bag while Sharp limped across the room, slamming the door shut.

"You'll recall," Sharp began with little preamble as he made his way back to the front. "At the beginning of the year we reviewed love potions. In order to prepare you for your N.E.W.T.s, today you will pair up with the same partner you had during that lesson and you will remake the potion you were assigned - without your books." Sharp glared as the class groaned. "If you need a reminder of your partner or the potion, it's on the board. I'd get started now - I'm sure you'll need the time."

With a wave of his wand, a list of pairs and potions appeared on the board. Sure enough, Sebastian found his name next to Andrew's with Soulfire Solution scrawled under it. His nerves seemed to be eating away at his stomach.

"How much do you remember about the procedure?" Sebastian asked.

"Enough," Andrew said brusquely. "Go get some pearl dust, will you?"

He was already digging ingredients out of his potion kit and lining them up. With an eye roll and a severe dose of deja vu, Sebastian queued behind the other students to grab a vial of pearl dust from the cabinet. Around him, other pairs of students were bemoaning the task set to them, though some were laughing as they tried, and failed, to remember the steps of their potions. Had Andrew not found out about his uncle, this might have been an enjoyable lesson, but alas... Sebastian glanced back at his dour-faced partner and sighed. Ahead of him, Cressida Blume grabbed her ingredients and scurried off to join Ian Knowles at his table - even they got along, and it was Ian. On his way back to their table, he skirted around Grace, who was threatening Garreth with detention if he didn't put down the vial of Wormwood essence he was holding over their cauldron.

Contrary to their classmates, the silence between Sebastian and Andrew was heavy as they worked. Andrew had lit the fire under their cauldron and ground a dragon claw to dust while Sebastian had been gone.

"I already added the crocodile heart," Andrew said without looking up.

When the cauldron reached a boil, he scraped the dragon claw in and held his hand out for the pearl dust, which Sebastian placed two pinches in. With this final addition, the potion turned from a vibrant red to a saccharine pink. Sebastian picked up the stirring rod and Andrew shot him an odd look.