A Sallow Face
'Why is he here? Why is he here!? Why him of all people and why now!? …He looks so much younger now, a mere child. Then again, I look like a child and couldn’t be farther from one even if I tried.' His regained youth could never erase his face from my mind. It was his eyes. I couldn’t see them from my place on top the staircase, slightly hidden from view, but I could swear the shadows in his eyes were not caused by the placement of the torch lights. My first instinct was to scream and run, but I couldn’t do it. I was frozen in place staring at him. How was he even in there? Did he have permission from a professor? … It didn’t matter… There were other students at hand close at hand. Seeing as he was avoiding them successfully, I obviously had to do the same. I moved away from the main staircase I was located in I could feel myself fading into the nothingness.
Should I keep going? I don’t want to be near him. I can’t be near! I have to go! I want to leave. So, so badly! But I have to get in there! He wouldn’t know me if I went in after him. We’d be strangers again. Maybe I could do it. He’s just a child now. I could take him if we ended up quarreling.
That’s what I told myself. I finally calmed down enough to say the necessary spell “Disillusionment”. Properly camouflaged, I tip toed down the down the stairs, taking the deepest breathes possible. This was stupid.
I should just go back and come back another time when he’s not here!
I knew I should’ve done that, but frankly, this was partially, or entirely me just standing up to him in some strange useless way. He tormented me and made my life a hell without having to lift a finger.
Maybe I could use this opportunity to end everything before it begins. Maybe this could be enough to fix everything that’s happens after the war. I can do this. I can do this and no one would even know I was here. I’d be killing two birds with one stone entering the restricted section tonight. Yeah! I can do this!
My fear and apprehension turned into a giddiness. Walking past the prefects or hall monitors was easy enough. It was sneaking up behind him that would be rather difficult. Or would it be? Maybe I’m overthinking this. He’s a student. I know more about combat than a teenager.
Once we were far enough within the restricted section to ensure no one could hear us clearly, I stalked within the shadows, my wand ready, death coated my tongue like venom. I positioned myself behind some random armorments as I watched him. How should I approach?
I was wondering this as I was pushed forward all of a sudden. A yelp escaped my lips as I fell on the floor in what could be considered a backflip. The whole thing was quite cartoonish actually, with a fit of disembodied laughter following suit.
“What have we here? Sebastian Sallow and a new little friend. Exploring where they shouldn’t be!” Peeve’s horrendous orange jump suit jumped out at me, or through me, most likely. “Naughty, naughty! You’ll get caughty~!” Well, I knew I was fucked now…
”Peeves. Don’t you-“
“I’m going to tell! I’m going to tell!” Peeves made that our burst and flew off, before the boy could even think about finishing his sentence.
“Blasted Peeves!” The boy before me whined. “ I’ve got to stop him or at least get to the librarian with a good excuse for all this!” I wondered if he was talking to me or himself as I got up and dusted myself off.
”And you!!” He exclaimed looking my direction.
Ah, there he is…
”You complete and utter imbecile! How could you be so stupid as to let yourself get caught like that playing with some armor!? Now we’re both going to suffer detention or worse!” The ghost of the man I knew shone through his voice and face, but he wasn’t fully there yet. While the sentiment was the same his vocabulary was lacking, his tongue currently too dull, his voice had only the beginnings of hate and not the pure malice I was use to, and his face was plump, freckled, and bright eyed. The shadows I spotted earlier now nowhere in sight with in his eyes or anywhere else.<
This was in fact not the dark lord I served, but the boy he once was. I couldn’t believed that man was ever a kid. To have been considered a child at some point means that you were human and before now, I could never call that man such. Not in my latter years with him atleast. Yet here I was face to face with the sprout that would grow to be the most poisonous weed in the garden.
I couldn’t just kill him now. Peeves saw me here with him. Even if I managed to leave here, Peeves would be able to testify and give a description of me. Even if I could avoid getting caught it would be another thing to be paranoid about and watch for. I wasn’t going to do that again, not unnecessarily.
I couldn’t help but sigh as I pulled out the time turner from around my neck.
“I assume you know what this is?” I say to him.
His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. His interest was peaked.
“ A time turner! How do you-“
”I always come prepared.” I interrupted as the sound of footsteps could be heard rushing towards us. “No more questions.” I wrapped the chain around both our necks and rewound the pendent by on full turn. A few hours should be plenty of time.