Sebastian Sallow Fucking Sucks

Chapter Five

"When's the last time you've been to Crossed Wands?" Natty asked. She guided me, hand in the crook of my arm like the prisoner I was. I trudged beside her, desperate for an escape but finding none that didn't involve setting something on fire.

"When I won."

She laughed so loud it startled one of the nearby portraits. "I see you're one for stopping when you're ahead. Let's see if it was beginner's luck."

I shot her an exasperated look, and she laughed again.

"You're too funny. Do you know that?"

"Most people tell me I'm crazy," I mumbled.

She patted my hand, laughing away as she led me to the courtyard. "So funny."

I had to admire her for her positivity. Natty was like a lumos maxima spell-gone-right when she wasn't obsessing over Harlow. Then she was scary. Very scary. Yet somehow, she managed to balance her education, her social life, and her public causes easily. It made sense she was the Gryffindor Quidditch captain—they were the only ones at Hogwarts that really had their shit together. Everyone else, Prefects included, were out of their minds. I, in all my heroic glory, was at the top of that list.

We entered the courtyard, and the smell of recently casted spells hit my nose—smoke, fire, earth, and dust. Of something olden and sacred like forgotten holy places. Tension laced the air, and it hit me directly in my shoulders.

"They're dueling singles today so you can easily join. Let me speak with Lucan." Natty pranced off.

I sighed. It was too late to stop her, but if I didn't show up Sebastian would have come looking for me anyway. I wholly believed he was capable of breaking into the Ravenclaw common room. Who was to say he hadn't already and stood over me while I slept.

That shouldn't make you excited, you freak.

The true reason I'd stopped going to Crossed Wands was with the growth of my magic, I was terrified I'd accidentally turn a student to meaty ribbons when all I meant to do was tie their shoelaces together. Everyone had been eager to know the new fifth year at first, to ask for my assistance, a monkey doing circus tricks. But as the dark truth of my reality had made my sweet world bitter, even the galleons weren't as warm in my pockets anymore.

But that was before. I was tired of being taken advantage of. Once I began distancing myself, I was ostracized. I went from being heroic and kind to strange and unstable. It was better that way. My friends hadn't cared: Natty, Poppy, Samantha, Ominis. Sebastian...Except he had, it seemed. He'd just been playing the game longer.

But I played harder.

"You're all set." Natty joined my side, giving my shoulder an assuring squeeze. "Nellie and Eric are first. Then you'll play the winner if you take the match. And from there, of course."

I cracked my knuckles, rolling my wrists. I could do this. Dueling was easy, second nature really. But the more I lingered on the bristling edge in the courtyard, the hitched whispers, how the clock swung heavily back and forth, my chest constricted.

The matches moved quickly. Eric beat Nellie after fifty-two seconds when she'd tripped. There'd been a second (unsanctioned) duel over if that crate had been placed there on purpose, but Brattleby broke them up. My first match was swift. I slowed down to give Eric a little grace.

"I'm next." Natty grinned excitedly.

"Against who?"

"Natty... and Sebastian!" Brattleby announced, spewing off their stats to the crowd.