Chapter Text
Danielle pushed the door of her dorm room open, stretching. Her day was incredibly stressful to say the least, and she wanted nothing but to just crawl under the sheets and not wake up until tomorrow. But she hadn't removed her robes when she saw an owl perched on her window, beak tapping the glass incessantly. Danielle raised the window, and the owl dropped an envelope on Danielle's bed before flying back out. Danielle inspected the back to check the sender. Ominis Gaunt.
"Ominis?" Danielle murmured. "Why would-" Her eyes widened as she read the contents of the letter.
Danielle,
Sebastian is not himself. He's been obsessing over the relic ever since you took it (YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO ME) and refuses to talk to me. Meet me outside the Feldcroft catacombs as soon as you can
Ominis
"This isn't good." Danielle muttered. She traded her school uniform with a matching blazer with her house's emblem over a white dress shirt with a small blue ribbon at the collar (skirts and caves don't go well together, as she found out regretfully when she went inside Richard Jackdaw's tomb) and a pair of grey trousers. Casting a Disillusionment charm over herself, she snuck out of Hogwarts. She got Highwing, and soon she was flying off into the night.
Danielle landed a few feet away from the rendezvous point, jogging the rest of the way. She saw Ominis leaning against a tree
"I got your owl." She panted. "Where's Sebastian?"
"Already inside." Ominis said grimly. Danielle sprinted past him, not caring to look if her blind friend was behind her.
"Be careful," Ominis warned, "the last time Sebastian and I were here, this place was crawling with Inferi." A skeletal hand burst out from the ground.
"Still is, apparently. Confringo!"
Soon twenty Inferi were shuffling and stumbling towards them. An Inferius lunged at Danielle, and she set it on fire with Incendio. From her peripheral she saw another Inferiius making its way towards Ominis from behind.
"Ominis, duck!" Danielle yelled. "Depulso!"
She winced as the force of the spell sent the creature flying so hard its skull cracked as it hit the wall.
"One wave down, Merlin knows how many more." Danielle muttered. "Let's go."
Halfway through the cavern Ominis swore.
"What?" Danielle asked, worried. "What's wrong?"
"Solomon. If he gets wind of this- and he will one way or the other- he will undoubtedly go straight to Professor Black. And as much as I disagree with Sebastian's method of saving his sister, I won't stand by and watch him get expelled or worse that easily. I'll try to beat him."
"What are you going to tell Black?" Danielle asked.
"I'll figure something out. Can you hold your own?"
The Ravenclaw girl nodded. "Yes. Go; Sebastian and I will meet you back at the Undercroft."
It took Danelle a good half-hour to reach Sebastian.
"Sebastian!" She called out, then froze. Surrounding her friend was a horde of Inferi, thirty to forty strong. Danielle was about to cast Confringo when she noticed something strange. The creatures were surrounding Sebastian, but none of them were moving. Danielle tried getting her friend's attention again, succeeding this time.
"Danielle!" Sebastian said, grinning. There was a wild, almost manic, glint in his eye. In his hand was he relic, the object glowing red. "Isn't this amazing? Controlling Inferi? Merlin knows what else this can do? I know this can cure Anne. I know it."
"Sebastian," Danielle said gently, "you're not yourself. Give me the relic, love. Nice and easy."
The Slytherin boy narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You want it for yourself."
Danielle knit her brows. "No. I just-"
"What have you two done?! Accio Relic!"
The object flew out of Sebastian's grip, and he yelped. The two students whirled. Before them, a murderous look on his face, was Solomon. Shit. Before both of them could do anything, Solomon destroyed the relic. With it gone, the Inferi snapped back to the present. And they were not happy.
"No!" Sebastian shouted. "I'll kill you! Confringo!"
The ex-Auror blocked it, and soon the three magic-wielders were locked in combat.
"Reducto!"
Danielle rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the curse.
"Diffindo!" Danielle yelled, and inwardly smirked as Solomon grunted in pain. She followed her attack with Stupefy, leaving the man open for a follow-up Exploding Charm from his nephew.
"Danielle, watch out!" Sebastian warned. Too late. Danielle grunted as an Inferius drove he to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. The tried snapping at her neck, and Danielle, out of options, poked the Inferius on the eye with her wand. An agonized shriek.
"Accio!" She summoned one of the lit torches and used it to whack the Inferius, setting it on fire. Unfortunately her coat was victimized as well. She frantically took it off, swearing. Sebastian cried out, and then he was beside her, groaning.
"You all right?" Danielle panted as both students scrambled to their feet.
"Exp-"
"Crucio!" Danielle shouted. Solomon fell to the floor, bellowing in agony.
"Confringo! Bombarda!"
"DEPULSO!" Solomon roared, and the two students were blown off their feet. Danielle was slammed against the wall. Darkness.
When Danielle came to, her head was throbbing, the cavern spinning. Through unfocused vision she saw Sebastian and his uncle locked in a brutal duel. Danielle took out a Wiggenweld potion, yanking out the stopper with her teeth before downing the contents.
"I won't let her suffer!" She heard Sebastian yell. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Danielle's eyes widened. A blinding flash of green light, and Solomon flew back.
"No!"
And then there was Anne, kneeling beside her uncle. With a glare that would've made Ranrok himself wet his armor, Anne blasted her brother with Depulso, hard enough to send Sebastian flying. Despite herself Danielle was impressed. The young witch was powerful, given her condition/
"Anne-" Too late. Anne redirected her wand to the book.
"BOMBARDA!"
And with that the only thing that could possibly cure Anne was gone. She took Solomon's body, and Disapparated. Danielle rushed to Sebastian's side.
"Are you hurt?" Danielle asked, surveying the boy, checking for injuries. "Sebastian, talk to me."
Gaze unfocused, Sebastian looked at Danielle-then promptly bolted.
"Oh, for the love of- Sebastian!" Danielle shouted, sprinting after her friend. "Sebastian, wait!"
She finally caught up with him outside the catacombs, out of breath.
"For fuck's sake, Sallow," Danielle panted, "I told you to stop."
But Sebastian was not listening. He paced, muttering "I killed him" over and over. Anger suddenly swelled inside Danielle.
"Yes. Yes, you did."
"But-but I have to!" Sebastian protested, stammering. "I-"
"Do you, though?" Danielle snarled. "Huh?"
Sebastian looked at her. "Whose side are you on? His?"
"No, but not with yours either as of now." Danielle said with icy hostility.
"He wouldn't listen, Danielle!" Sebastian growled. "What part of that can't you understand?"
"BUT THAT DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO JUST OUTRIGHT FUCKING MURDER HIM!" Danielle roared, losing her temper.
"I can't believe you. After all we've been through? Between the two of us, who cast an Unforgivable Curse first?"
Danielle opened her mouth, then closed it.
"That's what I thought. You're in the wrong here as much as I am. I'm starting to regret involving you in this whole thing." Sebastian said. Danielle got into his face.
"Oh, yeah?" The girl hissed. "Well, I'm starting to regret knowing you in the first place."
It was the wrong thing to say. Something flashed across Sebastian's face. Anger, hurt, Danielle couldn't decipher.
"Sebastian, I-" Danielle began, but Sebastian stormed off without another word.
Danielle and Sebastian avoided each other days after the incident in the catacombs. An idiot, she cursed herself. A complete and utter fucking idiot. I 'm starting to regret knowing you in the first place. In a fit of rage, she punched the wall nearest to her. She yelped, swearing viciously as she shook her hand.
"All right." A voice snapped behind her. Ominis. "What happened in the catacombs? Sebastian's not talking to me, and if you don't start talking, I swear to Merlin-"
"Let's not do this now, Ominis. Please." Danielle said, sighing tiredly.
"Oh, we will definitely do this now." Ominis spat. "What. Happened?"
"Do not test me, Gaunt." Danielle replied through gritted teeth, turning to leave. She was yanked back. She snapped. Danielle whirled, rearing her fist to hit Ominis. But the boy, even though blind, sensed her attack. He gripped her wrist, shoving Danielle until she was against the wall.
"Do not," Ominis snarled, "try that again. Now, tell me."
Danielle glared at Ominis, before shoving him away.
"You want to know what really happened?" Danielle seethed. "Sebastian killed his uncle. In cold blood. Just because he wouldn't listen to him. There, happy?"
She didn't wait for Ominis's reply as she walked away.
Danielle couldn't sleep. Her fourth and final Trial was upcoming, and she had a feeling that it would be her hardest yet. It will test your affinity to beasts. A small part of her knew that she wasn't exactly going to catch a giant Puffskein.
"Screw it." Danielle grabbed her robe from the bedpost and shrugged it over her nightgown. Casting a Disillusionment Charm over herself to avoid detection, Danielle set out, already knowing where to go: the Undercroft. When she arrived, she made a beeline for the triptych, studying it.
"What happened to you, Isidora?" Danielle murmured as she ran her fingers across the canvas. "Why was your painting burned? What would you have said to me?"
"The Keepers' Trials must've driven you completely mad, huh? Talking to an empty canvas."
She whirled. Leaning against the pillar was Sebastian. He was a mess; his hair was tousled, his uniform severely wrinkled. It was clear where he was sleeping.
"Hey." Danielle said quietly, avoiding eye contact.
"What the hell are you doing here?" The Slytherin boy snapped. Danielle tensed, but took a deep breath.
"I...couldn't sleep. My last Trial's just around the corner."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.
"Okay, I came here because I was hoping you'd be here. I wanted to apologize."
Sebastian gave Danielle an impassive look, but made a 'go on' gesture with his hand.
"Snapping at you for killing Solomon-"
Sebastian snorted. "Snapped? Fucking understatement."
"Let me finish." Danielle said sharply, then pursed her lips. "Snapping at you was hypocritical, since as you said, I cast Crucio at Solomon before you delivered the killing blow."
"Ans the other thing?" Sebastian asked. They both knew what the boy was talking about. Danielle swallowed a lump that suddenly formed in her throat.
"I-" She began, "I didn't mean it. I was just so worried for you."
At that a look of confusion crossed Danielle's friend's face. "Why?"
"Solomon might be gone, but you still have one more relative." Danielle replied.
"Anne." Sebastian guessed.
"Yes. And if she goes to Black, the headmaster would have no choice but to report it to the Ministry. And I don't-" The dam broke.
"I don't want you out of my life." Danielle choked out, her voice barely above a whisper as tears fell down her face. "You've come to mean so much to me, and this..." Danielle pointed at herself, then to Sebastian, "this thing, this bond, between us, I don't want to lose it." A beat. "I don't want to lose you."
"Danielle. Danielle, look at me." Sebastian said gently. Danielle did, slowly raising her head to meet her friend's gaze.
"You won't lose me. Friends don't see each other eye-to-eye all the time, but what's important is that, when it matters most, they have each other's backs. And I will always have yours. Always. Understand?"
In answer Danielle lunged, slamming her lips against the boy's with such force than Sebastian stumbled back. Sebastian turned them around, pushing Danielle until her back was against the pillar . Her arms were draped around Sebastian's neck, his hand on her waist. She was acutely aware of her state, wearing nothing but a nightgown under a thin robe while Sebastian was fully dressed. His hand drifted lower, resting on her hips. Throwing caution and modesty to wind, she untied her robe shrugged it off her. Sebastian's grip tightened, and Danielle's knees nearly buckled. Everything can go to hell, Danielle decided. Ranrok and his Loyalists, Rookwood and Harlow, the Keepers, her final Trial- Danielle's eyes flew open. Her final Trial. She pushed Sebastian away, both of them breathing heavily
"I- I have to go." Danielle stammered, picking up her robe and frantically putting it on. Sebastian nodded. As Danielle practically sprinted out of the Undercroft,, one sentence ran though Danielle's mind: What just happened?