Swallow your pride 2

Boundaries

Aurelius's PoV

Aurelius felt a wave of relief wash over him as the nurse informed him that Isidora had recovered and left the infirmary, but it was quickly replaced by confusion and worry. He pushed past the nurse and hurried out of the infirmary, his mind filled with questions.

Where was Isidora? And most importantly, was she okay?

Aurelius quickened his pace as he left the infirmary, his heart beating faster with every step. He was filled with a sense of urgency, a need to find her. *Aurelius made his way through the castle, his heart thumping with every step he took. He checked the Great Hall, the courtyards, the library, but there was no sign of Isidora anywhere. Frustration and fear were building inside him, and he quickened his pace. He had to find her. He had to know that she was safe.

As Aurelius searched the castle, his mind was racing with the what ifs. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Isidora was nowhere to be found, and he couldn't help but worry that something had happened to her. He retraced his steps, checking every corridor and common room he had already looked in twice. But there was still no sign of her. His fear and frustration were growing, and he began to feel a sense of helplessness. Where could she be? Where could she have gone?

The only thing he could think of was to go to Sebastian and ask him for help. So he hurriedly left the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and headed for the professor's Sallow office. He knocked on the door urgently, his heart beating faster with each passing second. He waited impatiently for Sebastian to open the door, his mind racing with all the possible scenarios of what could have happened to Isidora.

Sebastian pulled open the door, his expression stern. "Aurelius," he said, his voice cool. "I take it you're looking for Isidora."

Aurelius nodded, his expression a mixture of desperation and urgency. "Yes, I am," he said, his voice low and intense. "I need to find her. She's not in the infirmary, and nobody's seen her. I'm worried that something bad has happened to her. *Please, Sebastian, I need your help. "

Sebastian nodded, his expression softening slightly at the urgency in Aurelius' voice. He stepped aside, gesturing for Aurelius to come in.
"Come in," he said gruffly. "And close the door behind you." Once Aurelius was inside, Sebastian turned to him, his expression serious. "Take a seat," he said, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk.

Aurelius sat down in the chair, his body tense and his mind racing. He could feel the weight of Sebastian's gaze on him, and he knew that he was about to get some answers. He took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves.

"She's in the Undercroft. Aurelius was getting up from his chair, but Sebastian stopped him.   "Wait... I showed her the Undercroft so that she would have somewhere to hide when she felt... uncomfortable. And at the same time, I will train her to control Ancient Magic there." Sebastian paused and continued cautiously.   "I know this will be hard for you to understand, but I want you to give her time and not try to spend time with her until she is ready. Now she needs to focus mainly on herself. Do you understand?"

Aurelius' expression darkened as Sebastian spoke. He couldn't understand why Isidora needed to hide, why Sebastian was so adamant about her needing time and space to herself. And the fact that he couldn't spend time with her...it was like a physical pain, a sharp pang in his chest.
"No," he said, his voice tight with frustration. "I don't understand. Why does she need time? Why can't I spend time with her?" the words came out more as a demand than a question.

Sebastian leaned back in his chair, a stern look on his face. "You don't understand because you're thinking only of yourself," he said firmly. "You're not thinking about what Isidora needs right now. She's struggling with... some things, and she needs time and space to work through them. And she can't do that if you're constantly around her, distracting her and pressuring her."