Satin
Ash had felt like locking herself in the Room and drinking until she couldn’t remember her own name. Instead, she spent the next week in the library, eyes burning from the lack of sleep and head swimming from tearing through more books in five days than she had in years.
Research was an underutilized tool, one she didn’t prioritize during the war against Ranrok. No, she had been too busy slicing people apart. This time, however, she would get it right.
Sebastian and Ominis had followed her that morning after they left the Headmaster’s office. Neither of them said a word as she strode for the catalogue near the front desk and asked for any books on goblin silver. Nearly two hundred book spines began glowing on their shelves and Ash had simply stalked to the first book, yanked it down, and found a seat. Sebastian followed suit, grabbing the next two glowing books and pushing one into Ominis’ arms and pulled out his own chair.
Ash skipped the majority of her classes that week. She figured that if she didn’t have a grasp of what Harlow was crafting with goblin silver, or where Ranrok’s base of operations had been, then she was going to most likely die this year anyway. That thought made advanced potions and divination seem trivial.
She spent hours at a time scouring through books, only eating when Sebastian shoved food in front of her and only sleeping when she collapsed where she sat.
Ominis was not one to sleep sitting in a library chair nor was he skipping his classes. But every morning before breakfast he would stalk through the library doors, mumble to the codex and grab the next book from the shelf. He would read until his first class, in which he would promptly stand and walk out of the library leaving his book open on the table. He would return after his final class of the day and pick up directly where he left off, dropping both her and Sebastian whatever leftovers he had from dinner. He rarely spoke to them, and anytime she glanced his way she saw his wand tip scanning across the books faster than her eyes ever could.
Sebastian stayed. She protested at first, insisting that he go to class, go to bed, just go—but he ignored her. He left only to occasionally freshen up and grab both of them food.
She was, she found out, abysmal at research. She had never had this practically unlimited access to knowledge before Hogwarts. No, at the orphanage her reading was restricted to what books she bribed older kids to steal for her.
Sebastian however, was a genius. She knew this already of course, but he consumed books like one consumed air. He had practice, she knew, from the years he spent researching a cure for his sister. He blazed through three books in the time it would take her to finish one.
By the fifth day, the three of them had poured through twenty-five books. They had learned that goblin wrought silver did not need to be cleaned due to its repelling nature of dirt and that it imbibed only that which strengthens it. Twenty-five books and that was the knowledge they’d gained.
Twenty-five fucking books and that was all wizards knew about Goblin Silver.
Nothing was mentioned of course about the silver’s ability to contain ancient magic, but that was knowledge she already had.
Ash’s eyes burned as she stared down at the page in front of her— the low lights of the library straining her already tired eyes.
Goblin-wrought silver, also known as goblins' silver and goblin-made armour, is pure silver, forged and enchanted by goblins using goblin magic. The process had been conducted for at least a thousand years.
A huff of frustration left her mouth as she slammed the book closed and ran a hand over her face. The distinct sound of Scribner shushing her echoed through the mostly empty library. That same sentence preluded every book she had read so far.
She was getting nowhere.
It was past dinner. She knew this because Sebastian had taken his leave moments ago to retrieve both of them food, rolling his eyes as she had once again tried to convince him to get some rest.
Her fingers idly traced over the spine of the book. She needed to know why Harlow was carting around crates of Goblin Silver. She needed to know where Bragbor’s journals were located. And she needed to know now.
The chair beside her pulled out and a body plopped into it, and she would’ve screeched if it wasn’t for the exhaustion dulling her panic. Instead she snapped her attention to the person next to her and let out a huff of relief as she saw Poppy happily nibbling on a treacle tart.
“Merlin Poppy, a bit of warning next time yeah?” Ash groaned and ran a hand over her face.
Poppy smiled sheepishly before sliding a cloth wrapped plate towards her, “Sorry Ash, didn’t mean to startle you. I bumped into Sebastian in the Great Hall,” she munched on the tart as she continued, “he told me to tell you that he was in dire need of a bath and that he would be back shortly.” Ash unwrapped the plate and saw an assortment of goodies. Two treacle tarts, a vanilla bonbon, and a sinfully delicious looking slice of chocolate hazelnut cake. A scribbled note was laid to the side of the cake and she smiled at the familiar scrawl.
Didn’t waste my time getting you the pumpkin soup since you’d just sneer at it. Save me a bite of cake.
-S
“I also inquired as to why the two of you haven’t been in class all week and he simply stated that you two were engaged in a time consuming extracurricular activity.” Poppy snickered and gave Ash a wry smile, “I had hoped that meant you’d be sequestered in his dorm room and not the dusty library but it seems I misread his intentions.”
Ash nearly choked on the bonbon sending Poppy into a fit of giggles. She leveled the Hufflepuff with her stare as she caught her breath, “I assure you it’s purely academic.”
Her cheeks heated however as she remembered his lips against hers. It had been five days since he kissed her, and not a word of that night had been spoken. No, it was as if the both of them were content to pretend it never happened. She wasn’t content, but she wouldn’t bring it up.
She felt the magic stir at the memory and she clamped down on it. Poppy shrugged and gave her another smile, oblivious to the power struggle warring inside her, “Well, I’m sure this extracurricular activity is riveting.” Poppy raised a brow at Goblin Advances: A History on the table. Ash could practically see the gears turning in the witch’s mind.
Dread curled in her gut. She didn’t need Poppy involving herself. She was a capable witch to be sure, but there had been too many close calls fifth year that she didn’t want repeated. Ash could still see Natty’s twitching body after she was struck with the cruciatus curse that had been aimed for her. The idea of Poppy taking a curse for her as well—
Ash slid her hand across the table and slipped the book into her bag, “I wouldn’t call it riveting, just a history lesson.”
Poppy sighed, “Ash, if something has come up with Ranrok—“
“Ranrok is dead.” Ash said, moving to stand, “He’s dead, and this is simply to rest my mind on the matter.” Lies flowed too easily from her tongue these days. Poppy deserves better than this.
Poppy gave her an assessing stare, her brown eyes soft. She nodded and stood as well, her hands clasped in front of her, “You can always talk to me about these things, you know?” The silence blanketed them, and Ash turned her gaze away. Poppy hesitated before continuing, “Are you coming to the Gryffindor party tonight? Natty is lending me a red dress, you can wear that black—“
“No, I don’t think I am.” Ash interrupted as she reached for a treacle tart, though her appetite had all but vanished, “We both know I make poor decisions at parties.”
“What’s this about parties?”
Sebastian’s voice startled her and she whirled to face him. He was in a dark green button up, sleeves rolled to his elbows. His curls were damp, and she had to force herself to not stare. Instead she looked towards the slice of cake and slide the plate closer to him.
“I was just telling Ash about the Gryffindor party tonight and how she— well the both of you— could use a break from your extracurricular activity.” Poppy smiled sweetly at the both of them.
Ash rolled her eyes at Poppy’s words and watched Sebastian swipe his finger across the top of the cake, before sucking the frosting from his finger. Her throat bobbed as his finger came out clean, all thoughts of Goblins and silver and magic wiped from her mind.
Sebastian turned his brown eyes to her and smirked slightly when he noticed her attention. She quickly looked away and shoved the treacle tart into her mouth.
“I’m not fond of Gryffindor parties. Lacks imagination.” Sebastian drawled.
Ash glared at him through a mouthful of treacle. She appreciated his attempt to decline the invitation for the both of them, but she didn’t appreciate the haughtiness. She swallowed and turned to Poppy with a sigh, “I don’t know Poppy, I’ve got at least three more books to read tonight—“
“Don’t say no, just think about it.” Poppy smiled and gathered her bag, “Natty and I will leave an outfit on your bed, in case you change your mind.”
Poppy turned and walked towards the exit, her brown hair swishing as she went. Ash’s heart ached as she left. She didn’t deserve her friendship, not when she had pushed her away for so long. The kindness felt wrong—sickening.
Ash turned as the library door closed and slumped back into her chair. Sebastian watched her carefully, slipping into the chair across the table from her. “Any breakthroughs?”
Ash huffed a breath and slid another book towards him, “No. Just more ramblings about the history of goblin silver.” She swiped her finger across the chocolate cake and brought the finger to her lips, “Lacks imagination huh?”
Sebastian’s eyes were fixated on her mouth as she licked the frosting from her finger. A warmth spread in her abdomen at the rapt attention.
“How’s your magic?” His voice was low, husky almost. His eyes never left her mouth as he spoke and she licked her finger one last time for good measure. Just to remove the frosting of course.
She hesitated at his words. She could lie— Merlin knows she had become a professional at it.
“It’s…not so bad. Just a bit itchy.”
Sebastian furrowed his brows, his gaze trailing up her face until he reached her eyes, “Itchy?”
She nodded, “Not burning, it’s just…there— in the background. It likes to lay right under my skin and it’s— itchy is the closest word I can find.”
Sebastian opened the leather-bound journal in front of him and began reading as he spoke, “Do you want to go to the Room and try to let some of it out?”
Ash shook her head and broke the corner off the remaining treacle tart, fiddling with it, “No, I’m too exhausted. If I try to practice releasing the magic incrementally tonight I’ll probably blow you and the Room sky high.”
Sebastian looked up at her, his brown eyes sweeping over her face, “Get some sleep Cendrillion, I’ll finish this journal tonight and you can join me again in the—“
“No.” She leveled him with a glare, “You sound like Poppy. I’m not going to bed and I’m not going to that party either.”
Sebastian raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair, “Good, because you weren’t going to that party anyway.”
Ash furrowed her brows, “Excuse me?”
“You aren’t going to that party.” He stared at her blankly.
Ash's anger simmered beneath the surface, her pulse quickening. She leaned forward, her voice low and intense, "And who exactly do you think you are, deciding where I go and what I do? I can bloody well do what I—“
Sebastian met her fury with a calm resolve. “No. Because Weasley will be at that party. And I told him that if he so much as looked at you again I’d gut him. And if you wear something even remotely similar to that little black ensemble at the last party, I’ll have to make good on that promise.”
Ash's anger shifted into a mixture of shock and irritation. She was infuriated by his possessiveness, but a part of her found a strange comfort in it. She quashed that part mercilessly. It was one thing for Sebastian to insist on protecting her on missions. Even if she hated it, it was practical with her lack of skill. But a party?
She leaned in closer, her tone defiant, "Oh, so now you're my knight in shining armor, guarding me from all the big, bad wolves out there?"
Sebastian's expression remained unyielding, but there was a faint hint of a smirk at the corner of his lips. "Call it what you want, bodyguard, knight in shining armor,” his voice was mocking, “You know what happened last time."
Her eyes hardened at his comment. and she pushed her chair back as she stood, “You can't tell me what to do, Sallow. I'll wear whatever I want and go wherever I damn well please." With a defiant smirk, she sneered, "In fact, I'll make sure to wear that little black ensemble you seem to dislike so much."
She turned and stalked from the table, slowing only to look over her shoulder, “And maybe I’ll find a good distraction.”
She caught his eyes darkening as she spun back around and stormed from the library.
——
This was the worst idea she’d ever had. She was exhausted. She could barely keep her eyes open as she slid into one of Cressida’s black skirts.
Natty and Poppy had practically leapt on her when she burst into the dorm room earlier, the both of them giggling like crazy as they pulled her further into the room. Cressida had simply smirked and tossed the black skirt onto Ash’s bed and told her to scourgify it if it ended up on a dorm floor.
She was in the midst of digging through her trunk to find one of her corseted leather tops when Cressida called out from her side of the room.
“Cendrillion you can’t wear fighting leathers, don’t you know anything about parties?”
Ash sat back on her heels and ran a hand over her face causing a screech from Poppy who had just spent ten minutes on her makeup, “I don’t have another top.”
Ash heard Cressida’s heels clicking across the stone floor, muted only when she stopped on the plush carpet beside her. Ash looked up at Cressida as she dropped something on her bed. Cressida’s dress was a deep burgundy, gorgeous, a shade that complimented the dark waves falling down her back. She should be thankful that Cressida was apparently once again taking pity on her lack of style.
Ash stood and furrowed her brow at the black scrap of fabric now laying on her bed, “What is that?”
Cressida rolled her eyes, “A top. Now put it on.”
Ash picked up the top and frowned, “Do I wear a corset under or over it?”
Cressida snorted and turned on her heel, heading back to her vanity, “You don’t wear a corset with satin, Cendrillion. Now put it on.”
Ash flushed and looked over to Natty who was helping pin Poppy’s hair. Natty looked over the Poppy’s head and gave her a shrug and a sly smile.
This was the worst idea she’d ever had. She snatched the Pepper-Up potion from Natty’s end table and gulped it down before strutting behind the dressing screen. Her blouse and corset fell to the ground and she slid the satin top over her head. As Ash slipped it on, the satin glided over her skin like a whisper, cool and smooth to the touch.
She felt the cool air tickle her back, and her stomach dropped as she reached around and felt nothing but scarred flesh. The back of the top was low— dangerously low and to anyone else that would mean showing off toned muscle and smooth skin. Her throat bobbed as she reached a shaky hand towards her wand holstered on her thigh. She gasped out a quick glamour charm and felt the telltale prickling on her back.
She ran her hands over her exposed arms, her body tingly from the potion, and stepped out in front of the mirror.
The top was a sleek creation of midnight black satin, its surface a canvas for the subtle play of light and shadow. Its neckline plunged daringly, tracing a low, graceful V, showing more cleavage than she’d dared before. The fabric clung to the swells of her breasts, the cold air causing her nipples to pebble through the fabric.
Two strips of the satin tied behind her neck, sleeveless, it left Ash's arms bare, and the cropped design met just above her navel, baring a sliver of midriff.
She looked—
“Merlin’s tits Ash you look hot!” Poppy gasped.
At the Slytherin party Ash had mustered a facade of confidence while feeling like a shadow of herself— her cheeks hollowed, and dark circles etched beneath her eyes. But now…
Her skin was flushed with color, and the curves that had once been mere shadows had begun to fill out. The satin top clung to her in a way that made her feel alluring, not vulnerable. And with her scars hidden, she felt almost normal.
Natty came to stand behind her, and her deft finger began untangling her long hair. “You look gorgeous my friend.” Natty beamed. Poppy came to her other side and ran her wand over the black skirt as she glanced to Cressida, “Cress, you mind if I transfigure this?”
Cressida merely waved a hand in their direction as she dabbed rouge on her cheeks. Poppy murmured a quick charm and Ash watched as the cotton shifted into a matching satin, slitting the material on one side for her leg.
“I thought Adelaide was going to borrow my yellow dress for the party, but I guess she is still with her uncle.” Poppy said, her wand running over the fabric until it gathered into beautiful ruching.
Ash hummed in thought as she traced a finger over the satin, “Adelaide Oakes?”
“Mhm,” Poppy mumbled before meeting her eyes in the mirror, “She never misses a party, but she’s been absent since Thursday.” Poppy shrugged, “Not that she is ever on grounds these days. She apparently has a lover back in Appleby. I’ve heard she spends days at a time staying with her uncle to see him.”
Ash frowned. She remembered Adelaide, the blonde Hufflepuff had thanked her endlessly fifth year when she helped find her uncle Rowland. She opened her mouth to respond when Natty let out an excited breath and dropped her hands from Ash’s hair.
“Finished.” Natty beamed.
Ash couldn’t stop the wide smile from forming as she took in herself in the mirror. Her friends had gone above and beyond. The now satin skirt hugged her hips tightly, the ruching pulled higher on one side giving her an almost Greco-Roman appearance. Natty had tamed her wild hair into loose golden waves down her back and placed a stasis charm to preserve the look throughout the night.
Tears burned in her eyes as she looked at her friends, who had gone to such lengths to make her feel like herself again. Her throat bobbed as she turned and threw herself into their arms, pulling them both tightly against her. Two pairs of arms wrapped around her in response.
“Thank you.” She whispered.
Poppy sniffed, letting out a wet laugh as she pulled from the hug and began dabbing at her eyes, “You’re going to ruin my makeup.”
Natty laughed in agreement and gave Ash one last squeeze before pulling away with a soft smile, “No time for tears, you need to be downstairs ruining boys lives with your outfit.” As she spoke, faint vibrations began thrumming in the floor beneath them, resonating with the energetic beats of the music pumping from the common room below. The booming bass echoed through the stone walls, creating a rhythmic ambiance that was both invigorating and enticing.
Ash let out a laugh, and blinked back the tears threatening to fall, “Okay,” she squeezed their outstretched hands, “let’s go ruin lives.”