Chapter Text
It has been months since Cecilia Diggory first came to Hogwarts. Catching up with all the other five years has been no easy feat, but she could not have done it without the help of her close friends, most notably Ominis Gaunt and Sebastian Sallow.
Even though she had friends outside of her house, like Poppy and Natty, she had found herself getting closer to the two Slytherin boys, especially after being introduced to the Undercroft.
"Could you hand me the pumpkin sauce, Cecilia?" Ominis asked at the Hogwarts Hall dinner table. Cecilia didn’t hesitate to help her friend.
Sebastian had stayed silent most of the time they were eating, mostly because he had asked Ominis about the location of the Salazar Slytherin scriptorium, which Ominis was completely against. Cecilia knows how much it means to Sebastian to help his sister, but she understands why Ominis is absolutely against it. She felt like the middle man, who wanted to keep both of them happy but felt powerless.
To close the silence between the trio, Cecilia asked them both, "So, I am having a bit of a struggle with this week’s Charms homework. I was wondering whether one of you would be interested in going to the library after dinner to help me progress a little bit. I'm sure you've already finished yours, Ominis," she said, looking up at Sebastian with puppy dog eyes.
Sebastian noticed and let out a sigh. "I can help." He leaned against his elbow while staring at a piece of bread he had not finished yet.
For a while, Ominis didn’t respond. He thought for a while and then said, "I can join on the condition that we don’t mention anything related to Salazar Slytherin or his scriptorium."
Cecilia felt her heart drop because she was afraid Sebastian would get upset at that comment. She quickly gazed at him, afraid that he would react poorly. Alas, he had shrugged it off. She hated seeing them like that since they have been friends much longer than Cecilia has been in the group.
She decided to let out a slight smile. “Brilliant. I will make a small stop in Professor Sharp’s office with my finished assignment and be at the library afterwards," she said.
After finishing her marinated chicken, she stood up and said her goodbyes to her friends as she left the hall.
Outside the door, she could not help but sigh. The tension between them seemed so intense that you could cut through it with a butter knife. She wishes she could do something to ease the tension, but her array of social capabilities was limited.
After leaving Professor Sharp’s office, she picked up her school books and parchments that were spread across her bed and left to go to the library. She stepped into the enchantingly expansive library room, greeted the librarian with a nod, and placed herself in the farthest corner of the room, where most Charms books are located.
As she was reading up the chapter on "Banishing Charm" she noticed Sebastian walking in and waved him to come over. He walked toward her with a smile.
"So, how are we doing so far?" As he sat down, he placed his parchment and quill on the table.
"Well," Cecilia said, "I have caught up with the Fire-making spell and the mending charm, and I’m just starting on the proper uses of the Banishing charms."
"Seems like you have most of it done already," he said, nodding as he started to write on his parchment.
"Yes, but I feel like I’m struggling with the Severing charm at the moment. I have had no practice, and the known misuses are pretty vague.”
Sebastian nodded. “That’s all right.” He took out his textbook and opened the page to the Severing charm, and there was a note inside of it. "I had the same problem last year, and I and Ominis wrote them down after acquiring this information from some of the smarter seventh-years." After saying Ominis’ name, Sebastian’s mood changed. Cecilia noticed.
"Listen, Cecilia," he finally said, sighing, "I feel like I am at a standstill at the moment. I am eager to help Anne, but Ominis’ stubbornness is driving me mad.”
“Sebastian. He did say he lost his aunt, who was looking for the scriptorium as well. Surely he doesn’t want to lose you as well; you need to remember that.”
"I know, but I don’t have any more leads for curing the curse."
Cecilia could feel his desperation, and she sincerely wanted to help him to ease his stress. She had an idea as she pondered this.
"Let me talk to him," she told him. Sebastian has been bothering Ominis about the scriptorium for a while now, but Cecilia hasn’t. Ominis has trusted her judgment before; maybe it will work this time. Sebastian whispered "thank you" under his breath.
A few minutes later Ominis walked into the library, following the direction of his wand. He spoke to the librarian, who directed him to Cecilia and Sebastian at the end of the hall.
“Sorry for being late. I ran into a howler yelling at a first-year Hufflepuff, and I couldn’t stop myself from overhearing.” He said as he sat next to Sebastian.
“That’s all right. We just finished revising the Severing charm. We are starting with the Cheering charm at the moment.”
"Oh, I hate that spell," he muttered. "My siblings used it on me once after I seemed too glum for them. It took around 10 minutes for my mother to realise what was happening."
"That’s quite horrible," Cecilia noted. She knew that Ominis’ family was quite horrible, so she was very sympathetic to her friend.
"I can give you all I know, so you could write it down, but I want you to memorise everything for the OWLs at the end of the year."
As Ominis was describing the charm to the two, they were frivolously taking notes from everything he said. After about half an hour, Sebastian and Cecilia were finally done with their homework.
"It would have taken us a lot longer to finish this if it hadn't been for you, Ominis," Cecilia said as she began gathering her parchments.
“That’s what friends are for. Do ask me again if you need help; it helps me revise my knowledge as well.” Ominis said as he stood up, "Now, I think I will be going back to the common room if you don’t mind."
Ominis took out his wand and started moving towards the door. Cecilia looked at Sebastian, who nodded. Cecilia placed her school books in her bag and ran after him.
Outside the library, she stopped Ominis by pulling his robe. "Wait, Ominis, can we talk for a second?"
The other Slytherin stopped and faced her. "Yes, of course. What is it, Cecilia?”
The blonde girl bit her lip, gathering courage. "Can you help me and Sebastian with finding the scriptorium? I know you don’t want us anywhere near that place, but I am afraid that Sebastian will find a way one way or another, which might put him in even more danger. I don’t want him to get hurt in the process.”
Ominis stayed silent for a while, pondering what she had said. "I suppose you are right." His response caught Cecilia by surprise. "Let’s meet near the Slytherin common room right before curfew and let Sebastian know. But if anything seems remotely dangerous in there, we are leaving as soon as possible. Agreed?”
The girl smiled and agreed. She was happy that he had finally agreed to go with it, as it had been pestering her for days.
Ominis and Cecilia parted ways in the hall; one started walking towards the common room, and the other went back into the library to notify Sebastian of the plan.
After midnight, Cecilia looked up from the book she was reading in her bed to see whether her roommates were still fast asleep. Since everyone was silent behind their curtains, she assumed that to be the case. She opened her blinds and sneaked out to meet with Sebastian and Ominis, who were already outside of the Common Room.
"Sorry it took a while," she apologized, as the snake behind her went back into hiding. "Pricilla Turncot took a while longer to fall asleep than usual."
"Don’t worry about it; we arrived just a few minutes ago," Sebastian reassured her. They both looked at Ominis.
Ominis, who sensed eyes were probably on him, said: "Before we go, I want you two to promise me to never reveal this knowledge to anyone else." The pair confirmed with a unanimous "yes."
After that, Ominis directed them to a wall and touched it, revealing a staircase. Following Ominis, they walked inside.
The air was very dusty and dry as if it hadn’t been used for centuries. Cobwebs on the walls and floors gave the impression that there was not a working cleaning charm anywhere in the room. They finally reached a door at the end of the corridor with snakes on it.
"It’s a dead end," Sebastian sighed.
"No," Ominis said, but as if unsure, "I speak Parseltongue. I can hear snakes whispering."
"Can you open the door?" Sebastian asked, slightly impatient.
"I can, but," Ominis sounded like he didn’t want to say anything but felt compelled to. He paused and then started hissing at the door. A few moments later, the door opened.
"You are truly full of surprises, Ominis," Sebastian said as he patted the back of his friend and walked inside the door.
The trio had walked into an even dustier room. As they were exploring, Cecilia noticed a piece of parchment on the floor. She was surprised when she realized who the author was.
"Ominis, this letter is from your aunt," she said as she ran towards him.
"What does it say?" He asked.
"That she wanted to prove that the Slytherins are meant to do more than just dark wizardry by coming here."
Ominis stayed silent. "That sounds like something she would do. She didn’t like how our family pursued magic, just like me."
"I think I found a clue," Sebastian added to the conversation. "The snake statues have the same symbols as the next door in the room. I believe we are supposed to add the appropriate symbols to the snakes for the door to open."
"Brilliant find, Sebastian!" Cecilia cheered. The two of them attempted to solve the riddle by trying out symbols they had found around the room, with Cecilia getting stung once by the statue at one failed attempt. Meanwhile, Ominis walked back and forth uneasily.
"It’s open!" Sebastian marvelled as the door opened to the other room. "Great job, Ceci!" He picked up the girl, hugging her cheerfully. Cecilia was glad but, at the same time, slightly surprised at his reaction. The last time she was picked up like this was when she was picked up by her father as a little girl. She blushed.
Sebastian noticed and put her down, face flushed. "Sorry, I got carried away there a bit."
"Don’t worry about it. It’s all right." She assured her friend. "Ominis, let’s go. The door opened!"
They walked in, and before they could react, the door behind them closed with a slam.
"Seems like we are stuck here," Sebastian groaned, "another dead end!"
"I knew we shouldn't have come here," Ominis admitted nervously, "and we should have left the moment Cecilia got stung."
"There has to be a way out," Cecilia said as she looked around the room. She proceeded down the hall to another door. It was a black door with a woman’s face full of agony. On the floor, there was "Crucio" written with a glow, and next to it was another letter. Another letter from Ominis’ aunt
"Your aunt was here, Ominis," she explained, "but she couldn't proceed because... she couldn't cast an Unforgivable Curse."
Ominis sighed. “I knew she was too kind-hearted. This path was doomed for her from the start.”
"Cecilia, what do you think?" Sebastian asked, pausing as he looked at the written "Crucio" on the floor. "Do you think we are supposed to cast Crucio to unlock the door?" She looked at the door, and Sebastian continued, "Knowing Salazar Slytherin and his free-thinking in regards to Unforgivable Curses, he didn’t want anyone to pass this door who is too afraid to use these curses."
"So," Cecilia said, "we are supposed to use the Unforgivable Curse on someone?"
"No, absolutely not!" Ominis yelled. "There is a reason why it’s an Unforgivable Curse!"
"There is no other way out of this room, Ominis," Sebastian spat back, "either that or we are stuck here forever. I know you know how to cast it."
"You know very well why I can’t. You have to mean it to cast it; I simply categorically refuse to cast it. You know why."
Sebastian turned to Cecilia, who seemed to be the only willing participant in getting out of there. "Cecilia, it must be one of us. I know how to cast it. If you want to, I can teach it to you so you can use it on me."
The girl looked at her friend, slightly terrified, and saw no other option. She did not know how to cast any Unforgivable Curses, only their existence and the fact that they are "unforgivable" for a reason. She didn't want to see Ominis and Sebastian in any more pain than they already were; she didn't want to cause them any further pain.
"Please use it on me." Sebastian's eyes widened as she stared at the girl, who didn't appear afraid but was terrified of the potential pain ahead.
Sebastian swallowed. He knew he had the means and motivation to do it, but for him to use it on Cecilia of all people, he could not help but hesitate a bit. Alas, he also knew that that was the only way to proceed through the next door. There was no proper time to think; either you did it or you didn’t.
He raised his wand and cast "Crucio!" A red spark of electricity went through the wand and all over Cecilia, who collapsed on the floor, grinding her teeth and screaming in pain. She was in the fetal position, trying to handle the cruciating pain all over her. At the same time, the door opened to an office.
When the curse was lifted, Ominis jumped in to assist Cecilia, whose head throbbed and her body pulsated. They walked into the room, and after the boys had placed Cecilia on a nearby chair to recover, Sebastian went exploring. Ominis stayed with Cecilia.
"This curse is destroying who he is. I can't believe he cast it on you," Ominis whispered with disappointment in his voice. He also tried to comfort Cecilia by letting her rest her head on his shoulder.
Cecilia had no idea what to feel or how to feel the entire time. There had been no choice, but the pain was unbearable and the recovery was worse than after getting hit by a Bludger. She had no reason to be mad at Sebastian; she volunteered. At least it worked as they expected, and they had finally found Salazar Slytherin’s scriptorium.
"I found something," Sebastian announced as he walked towards the two. He stopped for a bit after noticing Cecilia resting on Ominis’ shoulder. He shook his head and continued: "I think this is Salazar Slytherin’s spellbook. I believe this could point us in the direction of a possible cure for Anne."
"Great, then we have what we came for, and surely we will never have to come back here again," Ominis said as he helped Cecilia up. "Sebastian, let’s take her to the undercroft to recover. I feel it would arouse attention if she stumbled like this into the common room." His voice sounded a tad bit annoyed at his friend, most likely since instead of helping the girl whom he had willingly cast Crucio on, he had gone to explore.
After walking around, they found a statue that had helped them get out of the scriptorium. As they moved towards the Undercroft, dodging Peeves pulling a cat’s tail on the way, Cecilia started to feel better enough to completely understand what had happened.
When they stepped into the room, Ominis and Sebastian helped Cecilia sit on a nearby crate in the corner of the room. Sebastian squatted before Cecilia, taking her hand in his and looking into her hazel eyes. "How are you feeling?" He asked.
"I feel better," she said. "We did it, Sebastian." She smiled through the pain, and in her heart, she hoped that the key to Anne’s recovery was in the spellbook they had recovered. The messy brown-haired boy smiled back and subconsciously stroked her hand. Cecilia wondered whether it was a way he has tried to cheer Anne up before. It felt comforting.
"That being said," Ominis spoke, "I feel that we are done here. I no longer want any part in this. And you, Sebastian, should be cautious about the contents of that spell book. You know what Salazar Slytherin was like. It could be more dangerous than we realize."
"I understand," Sebastian agreed with his friend, "and I will try to find anything that could help Anne, and then I am tossing the book for good."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Good. On that note, I am returning to my bed. Please make sure Cecilia gets back to her room as soon as she has recovered, and please don’t get caught."
"How certain are you that you will not be caught?"
"I have my methods. People underestimate my hearing and my wand’s navigational skills." He turned to Cecilia. "Recover swiftly, and let’s keep in touch, all right?" The girl agreed. His worry was flattering.
Ominis took his wand out and exited the undercroft, leaving Cecilia and Sebastian alone. The room was quiet. Cecilia sat, with Sebastian still in front of her, stroking her hand and attempting to reassure her.
"Listen, Cecilia," he finally said, "I’m truly sorry. If it had been another way..."
"No, it’s perfectly fine, Sebastian. You were the only one who could have cast it. Ominis and I did not have the means to do it. I didn’t want Ominis to go through his childhood trauma again."
Sebastian laughed. "You are truly remarkable. To think that we were introduced to each other only a few months ago. During that time, you have become one of me and Ominis’ most trusted friends and companions, which is surprising considering his distaste for other people."
Cecilia giggled. "He is not that bad."
"Even if we have our differences, he is a good friend." Sebastian’s smile faded, and he looked away for a moment.
"What is it, Sebastian?" Cecilia noticed his sudden change in mood.
"I have," he paused, "been wanting to do this for a while now."
"Looking for the cure for your sister’s curse, I presume? We are getting close; I can feel it!"
Sebastian rose until his brown eyes met Cecilia’s. She blinked in surprise as his face looked really serious. "What is it?" she asked.
"How do you truly feel about Ominis?"
"What?"
"I just need a firm answer."
She was caught off guard. Ominis was a good, caring friend despite what other people had assumed about him, but she was more curious about the nature of the question.
"I guess I feel something platonic about him," she finally answered, "he has helped us through thick and thin. I guess I could say I look up to him as the brother I never had." Sebastian seemed content with the answer.
"What about me?"
"What are you getting at, Sebastian?" Cecilia asked. She started to feel a slight discomfort in her heart after he asked that question. She has felt the same way about him as she had about Ominis, but after what happened tonight, she was not quite so sure.
"I want to know whether your feelings for me are the same as your feelings for Ominis. I do feel like what I have toward you is more than platonic," he said.
"What do you mean?"
After that question, in a swift reaction, Sebastian grabbed her other hand and leaned in to kiss her on the lips. Cecilia’s face flushed red, and her brain was in utter shock; she did not see this coming.
Sebastian backed away, still holding her hands. "Well?" he smirked.
"All right," Cecilia said after a brief pause. She could not think, as her heart had taken control of her entire body, "I didn’t expect this."
Sebastian let go of her hands and stood up. “If I’m being too straightforward with my approach, I apologise.”
“I’m not sure how to take this, Sebastian,” Cecilia looked down. “Truthfully, I have seen you only as a friend until now.”
“Are you saying,” he paused, “you don’t feel any difference at all?” She shook her head even if her heart disagreed.
Sebastian sighed and sat next to her on the crate, staring off into the distance. “I honestly thought we felt the same. We’ve been together practically daily. You have been an amazing help with Anne, and,” he looked down, “I have grown really fond of you to the point where whenever I see you with Ominis, I feel my heart being crushed.”
“There is absolutely nothing between me and Ominis, I can promise you that. I see you both as my friends.”
“I want to be more to you than Ominis can ever be. I want to overflow you with how I feel, but at the same time... Since I am attempting to find the cure for Anne, and you are on your extra assignments all the time. Doubt there is any room for anything romantic between us, and yet…” He paused.
Cecilia stayed quiet. It was sort of flattering hearing how Sebastian felt about her. He is a pleasant companion, who can be a bit headstrong at times. It reminded her about the fact that everyone has imperfections, even her.
“I’d say we should see how this plays out,” Cecilia smiled at her friend, “Let’s work on ourselves for now and make an attempt in the end. This most likely won’t go on forever.”
Sebastian turned to her, smiling as well. His eyes looked kind. “I think that sounds like a plan.” He reached out his hand to her. “Now, what do you say about sneaking back into the Slytherin dorm for the night?”
After the conversation they had had, Cecilia did feel a lot better than before so it would be a splendid time to sneak back. She took his hand and cautiously tip-toed back into the dorm. Hopefully, they weren’t spotted on the way.