All The Magic We Made (Sebastian Sallow x Fem!OC)

Potions, Explosions, and Handy Baking Tips

AN: okay maybe we weren't so back bitches. BUT NOW WE ARE YEAHHHHHHHH

Today I learned that I can utilize murderous cabbages in fights instead of spells. Why was this information gatekept from me? No idea, but if I knew of it sooner, I would have never bothered with Charms.

I think I just answered my own question.

Herbology is quickly making its way up as one of my favourite subjects, mainly because of the fun professor who teaches us how to use deadly cabbages that could chew your hand off. I heard someone refer to them as "cruciferous vegetables" and came to the realization that if I want to fit in here, I need to expand my vocabulary, stat.

And my potion skills as well, apparently, considering the fact that my (attempted) Wiggenweld potion just exploded in my face.

I curse under my breath, brushing the ash from my face. Garreth Weasley, Ginny's overly energetic cousin, looks up from his cauldron with a wickedly delighted gleam in his eye. "I could help you with that---"

"Absolutely not," Sebastian cuts in from one of the other tables.

"But---"

"Weasley, we've all been witnesses to your catastrophic experimentations. At least give the lass a chance to figure things out before making a disaster of her potion."

Garreth pouts, grumbling as he goes back to his potion. Sebastian comes to stand beside me, tilting his head as he peers down into my cauldron.

"That looks horrific," he comments mildly.

"Your faith in me is inspiring." I roll my eyes, shoving him good-naturedly. "Garreth probably could have helped me. He seems to know what he's doing."

"He's an experimenter," Sebastian scoffs. "I guarantee that the moment people heard your little incident, we all initially assumed it was Weasley's doing."

I groan. "So nobody can help me."

"Sharp can."

"Professor Sharp is scary."

"I can." Sebastian smiles broadly.

I narrow my eyes.

"I swear I can!" he says reproachfully. "You're good at a lot of things, Isla Andrysiak, but potions will always be my specialty."

"What did I do wrong, then? Enlighten me," I say, a hint of challenge in my voice.

He tilts his head, peering into the cauldron once more. "What in the bloody hell did you put in this?"

"Just the recipe! Look." I point to the small cutting board next to my cauldron, piled with different ingredients. He takes a look at them, before furrowing his brows and picking up a dittany leaf.

"What's this?"

"Dittany leaf."

"This is basil."

"I was subbing, like in baking. You know, like coconut sugar if you don't have brown sugar, milk and butter if you don't have heavy cream, banana if you don't have eggs—"

"Banana instead of eggs?" It's almost comical, the incredulous look he gives me now.

"Trust me, bro. And besides, the basil looks kind of the same as the dittany leaf. How different could they be?"

"In what world do they look the same?"

"Clearly in this one, otherwise I wouldn't have swapped them."

He snorts, shaking his head. "Toss a couple beetle eyes in there. It won't fix the potion, but it'll make it look normal enough to get a decent grading."

I don't believe him entirely, but really, what do I have to lose? I drop two beetle eyes into the charred, molten liquid, and watch in wonderment as the eyes dissolve, leaving behind a clear, magenta potion in its wake.

"What did I tell you?" Sebastian grins, before heading back to his own cauldron. 

I stick my tongue out at his retreating form. Yeah, he saved my abomination of a potion, but someone has to keep him humble.

I head to the potions cabinet to retrieve some more potions ingredients to get started on some of the extra assignments Professor Sharp has assigned me in the beginning to help me catch up. While rummaging through jars of creepy eyeballs, dried leaves, and foul smelling substances, somebody clears their throat behind me. I turn to see Garreth standing there, hands clasped behind his back and with an with an overly friendly smile.

"Hi," I say with a tilt of my head. "Are you...okay?"

"I'm fine, thank you! How are you yourself, Isla?"

I sigh. "What do you need, Garreth?"

His gasp is dramatic, reproachful. "How dare you assume an ulterior motive when I'm simply making friendly conversation with a friendly face--"

"Garreth."

"Oh alright, you win." His smile becomes more easygoing, a relaxed tilt of his mouth. "I was wondering if you'd do me a favour."

Oh boy.

"No cheating off me for the Charms test or arson," I warn.

"Of course not! Who do you take me for?" he says.

I give him an unconvinced look. He grumbles.

"That was one time. And it doesn't involve any of that this time, Merlin's honour."

Lord help me. "Alright, what do you need?"

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Sharp at the beginning of class." His smile turns impish as he leans closer to lower his voice. "Am I correct in my understanding that he has given you access to his private ingredient cabinet?"

"To give me accessible resources to catch up," I explain.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I was hoping you might be able to snag me a little something something from there, if you know what I mean." He nudges me with an exaggerated wink.

"And ruin my chance of being in Professor Sharp's good graces? No thank you." 

Yeah, so I have an unhealthy need for academic validation. So what?

"Come on, he won't find out," he says. "I really need a fwooper feather for one of my potion experiments, I really think it'll be my breakthrough. It'll be the coolest."

I shake my head again. "I can't break his trust, Garreth. That's not right."

"Pleaseeeee, Isla," he implores. "Please? Just this once, for a friend."

I heave a sigh. I know how it feels to be really excited about something and not having the resources available to me to go through with it. It would make him really happy. And if he'll leave me alone after, I guess one time couldn't hurt, right? One feather can't be too bad. I'm sure it won't be missed. 

"Fine. Just this once," I say quickly before he gets too excited.

"Yes!" he exclaims, pumping his fist in the air---earning some strange looks from around the world. I push his hand down before anyone gets too suspicious about his outburst. Then again, most of them have already gone back to what they were doing before. Probably thinking "typical Garreth Weasley". 

"You're the best, Isla. Bloody hell, you're probably my best friend right now," he says with growing enthusiasm, throwing his arms around me in an embrace.

I pat his back a little awkwardly, not sure how else to respond, before gently removing myself. He has spirit, I'll give him that. "Alright, buddy, let's take a breath. Or, like, let me breathe?"

"Right, of course." He releases me with a broad grin. "See you on the other side, mate."

What did I get myself into?