Midnight wind
Exiting the broom closet, the weight of their conversation still hung in the air; though a sense of relief washed over Ash. She had bared her soul to Sebastian, admitting her reasonings for agreeing with Ominis— for abandoning him. The tension between them remained palpable, but at least she had spoken her piece.
Silently, they made their way through the corridors, her behind him by a few steps, still plagued by a lingering unease. The greenhouse came into view, its glass walls glistening under the sunlight. They entered, gathering the required potion ingredients with practiced efficiency. The silence between them stretched, though she could admit it felt less suffocating than before.
What did one say, after all, when there were now worlds between them?
As they returned to the classroom and Sebastian moved far ahead of her into the dungeon space, Ash's mind remained preoccupied with the weight of their conversation. She barely registered the presence of Professor Sharp until his voice cut through the hushed murmurs of the students.
The classroom had transformed. A cauldron stood at the front, emanating an enchanting aroma. The swirling liquid inside like molten quicksilver. Ash hardly noticed, nor cared much about the potion. Her thoughts were still entangled in the conversation with Sebastian, feeling his breath on her face in the broom cupboard, feeling the darkness licking at her skin as the heat of his body had soaked into hers.
She numbly stepped forward towards the group of students around the cauldron, falling into a space between Natty and Garreth, the latter of which throwing her a charming smile that she hardly noticed nor returned. Her eyes were fixed on the cauldron in front of her through her mind was focused on Sebastian, who stepped into the space on the other side of Natty, far away from Ominis who stood on the opposite side of the semi-circle of students.
Professor Sharp's gaze swept across the class, his eyes lingering on each student. "What do you smell?" He asked, his voice carrying a slight playful undertone which was quite the contrast to his rugged exterior.
Garreth's voice broke the silence, his answer resonating within Ash like an echo. "It smells like Vanilla, wildfire, and... electricity. Yeah like when you zap yourself, and there's that burning afterwards." His gaze moved to Ash as he spoke, but her eyes remained distant, hazy and unfocused on the swirling liquid in front of her.
Professor Sharp nodded, barely lifting an eyebrow at the combination, and let his gaze sweep over the class again. With no volunteers, he spoke, "And you, Miss Cendrillion?" Her eyes snapped up from the cauldron and met the professor's gaze. She let out a shaky breath as she looked back at the cauldron, ignoring the eyes around the room that now fixed on her. She used to enjoy the attention, being the 'new fifth year' was almost fun, but now any eyes on her made her magic burn inside of her.
She took a step forward and closed her eyes as she breathed in the smell.
"Old books, autumn, and a midnight wind," she finally answered, her voice barely above a whisper. The kind of wind that swept you off your feet, unexpected in its darkness yet welcomed all the same. The smells were so familiar to her, yet she couldn't place their origin. Sharp nodded again at her answer and from the corner of her eye she saw Garreth frown slightly at her words. Her gaze flickered across the room as other students answered, and she caught Imelda Reyes giving her a hard stare. Ash broke their connected gaze, feeling heat prickling the back of her neck. Why was Imelda watching her so fiercely?
After a few more answers, Professor Sharp brought out a small vial and bottled a fraction of the potion inside. He brought the swirling liquid up to eye level as he spoke, "Amortentia. A powerful love potion. Amortentia smells different to each person, a fragrance unique to their desires."
Ash felt her stomach drop at his words and Sharp looked around the room before continuing, pocketing the vial. "We will not be brewing this potion in class, and this demonstration is the extent to which we will cover of this topic. There were attempts in past years to delve into the subject deeper... however there were students who practiced unsanctioned brewing for their own personal purposes." His hard gaze swept the room, some students shuffling and whispering among themselves. Sharp cleared his throat as he finished, "Therefore we will be moving on to Hiccoughing Solution."
Ash blinked a few times as the students around her moved back to their tables. Old books, autumn... and midnight wind. No wonder the potion smelled so nostalgic. Her eyes glanced to Sebastian, who moved back towards his seat near Garreth without a glance in her direction, no indication he recognized the scents she listed. A small mercy.
She made her way back to her stool silently, her gaze shifting towards Garreth who was no longer frowning, as if he had already forgotten her words. She sat down, her gaze focused on the table in front of her when the ginger-haired boy spoke, a confident and playfully air in his words.
"Autumn and mindnight wind huh? Must be your love of adventure! All of those sneaky escapades outside of the castle and all." She flicked her gaze from the table to his green eyes and gave a forced smile.
"Yes... that must be it." She murmured. He gave her a playful smirk, the dimple in his cheek prominent. She forced her gaze to remain on Garreth, not daring to see if Sebastian was paying any mind to the conversation.
Natty spoke up, her words light and curious, "Sebastian, what did you smell?" Natty, who had smelled her mother's cooking and her father's cologne, was one of the other students who had offered her experience with the potion, leaving Sebastian as the only one at their table who's scents remained unknown.
Sebastian's head lifted slightly from where he was gazing at the table. Natty and Garreth were staring at him and Ash couldn't help herself from looking as well. He shrugged his shoulders, his voice devoid of emotion as he spoke.
"Nothing distinguishable."
Class came to an end, leaving Ash with a swirl of emotions that she struggled to contain. As the students began to gather their belongings and disperse, she mustered the courage to approach Sebastian, who had quickly stood from his seat after Sharp dismissed them. However, before she could utter a single word, he briskly left the room, leaving her standing there, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over her like a thick sludge.
Her gaze shifted across the room to Ominis, who also departed without acknowledging her presence. The sense of isolation and rejection gnawed at her, threatening to consume her fragile resolve. Without hesitation, Ash made a decision, a cowardly one. She would not subject herself to forced conversations with Garreth or Natty, who still stood near the table. Instead, she turned on her heels and left the classroom, the weight of her choices pressing upon her shoulders. She could hear Garreth's booming laughter, no doubt having ruined his Hiccoughing Solution already, as she slunk her way out.
She abandoned her next class, feeling the need to retreat to a familiar sanctuary. She entered the Room and quickly picked up the firewhiskey bottle, her companion in numbing the pain, and found a place among the Puffskeins she had cared for during her fifth year. Within the confines of the Vivarium, she allowed herself to drown in a haze of melancholy, seeking solace in the depths of her despair. It was embarrassing, how anguished she felt. The things she had been through in her life, the things she had done— and yet it was this torn friendship that hurt worse than all of it. A bitter smile stretched at her lips as she swigged from the bottle. She was such a fucking joke.
Time passed, marked by the dwindling firewhiskey in the bottle and the quiet rustling of the Puffskeins. An hour or two slipped away, lost in the haze of her intoxicated thoughts. Memories replaying amongst the drunken gossamer that covered her mind. Slowly, Ash emerged from the Vivarium, her steps unsteady as she reentered the main room.
Her feet froze in their position, eyes blinking at the sight in front of her. Sebastian stood there, in the middle of the chamber, his gaze fixed upon the scorch marks that marred the walls. His eyebrows were furrowed, jaw clenched tightly, as he brought a hand the brush over the damage. His fingertips were gentle against the burned wood, as if he feared the space crumbling entirely under his touch.
Her breath caught in her throat, her voice hoarse as she called out to him. "Sebastian..."
He turned to face her, his eyes meeting hers in a storm of unspoken emotions. A weight hung heavy in the air, strings of tension blossoming as they held each other's gaze. She couldn't read him, couldn't read why he would come here. Not in her state, though he was always a storm of emotions she never fully understood.
Ash struggled to find the right words, to bridge the gap that had widened between them, to keep his feet planted rather than let him walk out the door.
"I didn't expect to see you here," she finally spoke, her voice laced with vulnerability.
Sebastian's features softened, a flicker of recognition and something akin to longing crossing his face before he turned back towards the wall. "Seems you've done some redecorating," he replied with an air of forced casualness. "And here I am, faced with memories of the battles we fought together."
Ash stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest. Memories of laughter, of the two of them side by side flashed across her mind, wreaking havoc on her fractured psyche. She wasn't in the right mindset for this right now. The scorch marks on the walls seemed to never stop mocking her. "The Room is still mad at me for destroying the wallpaper." She offered a weak chuckle, her voice wavering slightly.
He chuckled lightly, a pity laugh if anything, and let his gaze wander around the room. The silence that followed was palpable, their unspoken words echoing in the space between them. Ash's mind swirled with conflicting emotions, her thoughts clouded further by the whiskey that coursed through her veins. She couldn't help but wonder if this encounter was merely a temporary distraction or a fleeting glimpse of the bond they once shared. Was this reconciliation or simply a goodbye? She doubted her broom closest confessional did anything for their friendship but push him further away. Sure he knew she never hated him, but she had let him believe it so. Had left him, knowing it would hurt.
She didn't know what to say— didn't want to do anything but watch him walk around the room. So that's what she did, her eyes followed him as he took in his surroundings. She noticed how unruly his hair looked, as if his fingers had tangled in the locks, even between now and their meeting in class. She almost smiled at the thought, remembering many times in fifth year catching him running a hand through his messy brown hair, especially when he was reading.
His gaze landed on the now-destroyed potions table and he gave a small smirk, "Now I know how you always had a multitude of Wiggenweld potions wherever you went."
She let out a soft sigh, his words bringing her from her memories, and she ran a hand through her own tangled hair as she spoke, "One of us had to be prepared." She hated how her voice wavered as she spoke, the unease she couldn't rid herself of even in her forced attempt at normalcy.
He let out a small snort at her words, his eyes focused still on the destruction around him, eventually flickering to the pile of empty liquor bottles in the corner of the room. She saw his expression change and she let out a breath. Not a topic she wanted to discuss. Not with him. He eventually dragged his eyes away from the bottles without a word, and began looking at other parts of the Room— parts untouched by her explosion. She watched him as he took in the different artworks and regalia hanging on the wall adjacent to her. He walked closer to the paintings, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied them and she could do nothing but stare.
Why was he here? She should say something. Should she apologize again? Beg for his forgiveness? Beg him to forgive Ominis?
"You shouldn't stay mad at—" She had barely gotten any words out before he interrupted her.
"Ominis can defend himself, he doesn't need your drunken attempt to do it for him."
She shut her mouth. He didn't even sound angry just... distant, his eyes weren't even on her as he spoke. She let out a breath as she stared at him, her mind screaming at her to say something.
She wanted to know why he was here. But asking felt like breaking something. The air between them wasn't pleasant by any means but asking him why he came... she was worried the anger, the betrayal, would return and she wasn't ready for that again.
The seconds stretched on, the silence growing more unbearable with each passing moment. It was Ash who finally broke the oppressive stillness, her voice tinged with a mix of uncertainty and longing. "What did you smell today... in class?"
Of all the questions on her mind, she didn't know why that was the one that slipped out. Didn't know why she felt the need to know. Didn't know why she didn't ask about whatever he and Ominis came to her about a few days ago. Her hand clenched tighter around the bottle as she waited.
Sebastian's expression shifted and his eyes moved to hers, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he recomposed himself. He hesitated, his gaze shifting away as he carefully chose his words. "It was... something vague, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. But something I care about all the same." He replied, his voice carrying a hint of hesitation.
Ash's brow furrowed, curiosity mingled with a touch of disappointment. Why did she feel disappointed? She had hoped for a glimpse into his inner thoughts, a connection that would bridge the gap between them— but his response left her wanting. She swallowed the disappointment, pushed it down to reside with everything else she ignored.
Before she could respond she saw his expression change and a snarky grin slipped onto his lips as his eyes met hers, his tone dripping with a touch of sarcasm. "Apparently Weasley smelled Vanilla, wildfire, and what was it?" His eyes bored into hers, "...Electricity? Quite the interesting combination, don't you think?"
Ash sucked in a breath and was frozen in her spot, caught off guard by his change in demeanor. She opened her mouth to respond, however before Ash could utter a word, Sebastian abruptly changed the subject.
"Anyway, I should be going," he announced, his voice devoid of its previous snarkiness. The smirk across his face had dropped and was replaced by a tensed jaw, a silent acknowledgment of everything unresolved that still hung between them. His eyes flickered away from hers, sweeping around the Room again, lingering on the bottles in the corner.
Ash nodded numbly, her lips parting as if to say something, but no words escaped her. She watched as Sebastian turned to leave, his figure retreating from the room. The weight of their fractured friendship settled heavily upon her once more, a pang of loneliness echoing in the empty space.
As the door closed behind Sebastian, Ash found herself standing alone amidst the remnants of their shattered connection. Her eyes flickered to the scorch marks on the walls which mirrored the burning ache within her heart. She felt the ancient magic inside her roil and churn, a tempest yearning to break free from the confines of her being. It whispered seductive promises, urging her to succumb to its volatile power.
She sighed, her shoulders slumping under the weight of it all, and walked towards the worn armchair in the corner and dropped into it. She clenched her jaw as she stared at the door and lifted the bottle to her lips and allowed the fiery liquid to cascade down her throat, its warmth spreading through her veins.
She closed her eyes, seeking solace in the fleeting oblivion. But even as the numbing embrace took hold, she couldn't escape the piercing screams of her restless magic.