detention
The two professors led the way to Professor Weasley's office. I was wondering why two professors were with us and not just one. It turned out that we were not going to Professor Weasley's office but to Headmaster Black's office. Sebastian and I exchanged looks before walking up the long staircase to the headmaster's office.
"I hope you two have a good reason for going missing last night. As I am sure you are aware, there was a duel after class was over and Zenobia was hit with the slug-vomiting charm," Professor Weasley said looking at us with disappointment in her eyes. "Zenobia is currently in the hospital, unable to be cured from it. We have to let it run its course. However, we were told by mister Brattleby that you were in attendance. After that, no one could find you. Your sister has been given multiple detentions for the act." I felt anger rising in me.
"Did anyone tell you that Zenobia cursed my sister with boils? Did no one care to check into that?" I spoke with annoyance in my voice.
"We are handling both instances. Zenobia will be assigned her own detentions after she is out of the hospital. We were not aware of who had caused the boils on Juniper. No one came forward to tell us, well, now we know why," Headmaster Black said. He was stupid. He did not care to look into it before because we were not perfect pure-blooded witches like other students. My fists tightened and I could feel my fingernails digging into my palm.
"Why wasn't it handled before? Did anyone bother to ask my sister?" I looked at the three professors standing in front of me, dumbfounded. I had never spoken to anyone in a position of power like this before, let alone the leaders of the school. It almost felt good. I had stupidly let my sister duel Zenobia, knowing they would not have done anything about the boils themselves.
"I- well- it seemed as if- everything turned out all right?" Black said stupidly.
"It obviously didn't." I sat back in the chair I had been told to sit in upon entering the room.
"Juniper still had boils for two days after the incident. At least Zenobia will be done with hers soon," Sebastian said while he looked at me and back at the three professors.
"Beyond that issue, we brought you here to discuss where the two of you went last night," Professor Sharp looked down at me. I avoided his eye contact and looked at Sebastian.
"We were just-" I started to say.
"I had an emergency back home with one of my neighbors. Willow was with me when I found out because she was upset about the duel even happening. She was nice enough to accompany me, not realizing that we would not make it back by curfew. By the time we were done with my neighbor, it was late and Willow was not feeling well, so I had the idea to just stay at the house."
"Unaccompanied?" Professor Weasley was taken aback.
"Miriam was there." Sebastian shrugged. I looked at him, knowing he was lying through his teeth but my heart picked up speed knowing he would lie for me.
"Do you think she would say the same thing if she were asked about this?" asked Professor Sharp.
"I do. You can write to her right now about it." He seemed so carefree, like none of this mattered, as if we were not in immense trouble. He looked over at me and I could not help but smile at him. He did not have to come after me last night, he did not have to lie for my sake today, but he did.
"Even if the story checks out, it still was not acceptable for the two of you to leave Hogwarts overnight without notifying anyone. You both will be issued detentions."
"No, please. We promise it won't happen again," I said, hoping my good track record when it came to behavior would save us. I sat with my hands together in my lap to keep them from shaking due to my nerves.
"This is Miss Starling's first behavioral infraction," Professor Sharp said. "Perhaps we could give her just one." I wanted to high five Professor Sharp for pointing out what I had hoped someone would.
"But Sebastian was just doing what he thought was right. Can't he be given a break too? He could not help how things timed themselves." I looked at Professor Sharp with wide eyes, hoping he would decide to pardon us both.
"Okay. Just one detention, but it is today. You two will not be going to Hogsmeade with your classmates," Headmaster Black huffed a disappointed sigh at Sharp's decision. I tried to hold in a smile as we had gotten out of massive trouble but remembered what awaited us in just a few hours. Detention.
Sebastian and I stood outside of the Great Hall for whoever would be in charge of our detention. I nervously paced back and forth thinking of what could be waiting for us in detention. I had never truly gotten into real trouble before.
The grounds were practically empty between students going to Hogsmeade and students traveling home for the weekend. It was not often that I got to see the halls so empty. It was a little nice, aside from the current circumstances. A loud huff escaped my lungs as I placed my hands on the top of my head.
"Starling, stop pacing. Everything turned out okay." Sebastian rubbed his tired eyes while lounging on the nearby stairs.
"I can't. My record has been tainted now." I thought about my perfect grades and the wishes for my life that had been cloudy lately. I had always wanted to be an auror, but ever since the events of last spring, I had thought otherwise.
"It is your last year here. What are they going to do? Throw you out?"
"You think they would do that?" I asked nervously. A moment of silence passed between us as Sebastian looked at me like I had three heads and I let out a chuckle. He was right. What could they really do? At that moment, Professor Howin made her way through the doors of the Great Hall.
"Ah, hello, you two. Got in a bit of trouble, did you?" Professor Howin asked.
"Wouldn't be me if I hadn't," Sebastian said, grinning at the professor.
"I was surprised to hear you had dragged Willow Starling into trouble with you, Sebastian." Professor Howin had a disappointed look on her face as she stared at the ground before motioning us forward. We followed her out of the school and towards the Beasts classroom. Before she even said it, I knew what we would be doing.
"Today, you will be spending your detention time cleaning up the pens and the cages of each beast. After you are finished with that, you both can help groom and feed them." It wasn't the worst punishment that I could think of in this case. I did not mind cleaning up after the beasts and I loved spending time with them.
I started working right away. The faster that I got done cleaning up, the faster I could put this behind me.
"Hey Starling, slow down, you almost got shit on me," Sebastian said, looking at me like I had done it on purpose.
"Sorry. I am just trying to get this over with. I haven't had a chance to catch up with Juniper and have a chat about what I heard from Everett yesterday and it is really bothering me. Between detention and Juniper, I feel like running off again." I laughed at myself. I knew I would never run like that again.
"I wonder what Everett will have to say about you being caught staying the night with me all alone." I looked over at Sebastian who had a cheeky grin on his face. I hadn't even thought about Everett. Why did I agree to stay last night? I should have just flown back and ignored Sebastian. Things might have been completely ruined by our stay in Feldcroft.
After an hour, we finally finished scooping the waste out of each pen and cage around the Beasts classroom. I coaxed a puffskein out of a nearby cage and started to give it a brush. Puffskeins had always been such kind creatures. I had never met a mean puffskein. This one clearly enjoyed my brushes as it leaned into my strokes, its pink fur catching in the brush. I smiled as Professor Howin came to where I sat with the beast.
"You certainly have a way with the beasts here. Have you thought more about what you want to do after you leave school?"
"I have but have not made up my mind. When I was younger, I always wanted to be an auror, but that has since changed." I placed the brush down on the table and put the puffskein back in its cage.
"You might not know this, but that puffskein you just held was injured out in the wilderness. You were the first person he has let hold him the way you did." I smiled at the puffskein that was still looking at me.
"Wow. I just noticed his hair was a bit matted and I wanted to be certain he was comfortable." Professor Howin looked at me knowingly.
"You did not know he was injured, yet you knew exactly how to handle him. You might want to think about becoming a magizoologist or, perhaps, a professor?" I could feel the surprise cross my face at her ideas. I had always wanted to be an auror because of my love of Defence Against the Dark Arts class, but I had also loved animals. I never thought that I could be someone who taught young wizards or someone who rescues and studies animals, but now that I gave it some thought, the idea seemed- peaceful.
"I had not thought of that, professor, but that is high praise coming from you. Thank you," I said with a smile.
"I wanted to be an auror when I was your age too, but I had a professor, much like myself, approach me about my love for animals. I can see a great deal of myself in you. It would be a shame for you not to use the gifts that have so obviously been bestowed upon you." She smiled at me, patted my shoulder, and walked away from me.
She did not know what I was capable of. She could not see the darkness that I had been battling for months. She was nothing like me, but her ideas were nice. I hoped, in the back of my mind, that they would happen.
The rest of the time flew by as I got to spend time with mooncalves and more amazing animals. By the time we were excused, it was well after dark, and many of the students had made their way back to the castle. Sebastian and I cleaned ourselves up before making our way to the Great Hall with grumbling stomachs. As we approached the doors, the students lining the hallways quieted and watched. It was weird but expected. I figured there would be many rumors floating around the school at this point.
Sebastian pushed the door open for me and I made my way inside. The room went quiet for the third time since the start of the school year. Juniper came running over to me as chatter started back up.
"I am so sorry, Willow. I didn't mean it to go that far," she said while crying into my shoulder. I held her there for a moment. She pulled back eventually and looked at my tired face.
"You kind of stink." Juniper giggled as she spoke. There she was.
"Not as bad as Zenobia's slugs." I laughed loudly. Juniper followed us to the Slytherin table. She was a welcome guest at our table. Just when I started to get settled in, Ominis made his way into the Great Hall and towards us.
"Just WHAT do you think you two were doing?" Ominis yelled at us.
"Daddy's angry," Sebastian said to me with a sly smile.
"That isn't funny, Sebastian. Why would you two stay in Feldcroft overnight? Are you insane?"
"How did you know?" I asked.
"That would be my fault," Sebastian said. "I might have sent him an owl this morning while I was waiting for you because he had sent me an owl this morning, worried about my whereabouts."
"Nothing happened, Ominis," I said, taking a bite of food for the first time since last night. I felt like my stomach was caving in.
"Nothing happened? Did you two NOT just get detention for most of a Saturday?" Just then I realized what he thought I meant and chuckled at our difference in thought. I thought that he had been appalled at the possibility of us sleeping together, but no, he was nervous about the trouble we had gotten into.
"We handled it. We only got the one. Better than my sister here," I elbowed Juniper.
"Hey! I tried to explain what happened to them, but they didn't want to hear it. Apparently, she might be sick for days."
"Which is why we should have gone to them in the first place. This is the last time I let you or Sebastian influence my decisions."