Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Seventeen: Secrets and Safe Places

Poppy, Ominis and Sebastian followed me at a quick pace, and I was grateful. There were simply too many students wandering about the halls for me to be too happy about going to my room, but it was the only place we could talk away from prying eyes and ears that wouldn't further the rift between Ominis and I.

I led with my head down, feeling Sebastian's eyes digging into the back of my skull. I could tell he was angry, and I couldn't understand what I had done to earn this glare.

Walking up what felt like the hundredth set of stairs, we finally approached the blank wall. Our footsteps echoed mercifully, telling me I was in the clear for random straggling students. With a deep breath, I turned to face my friends, mouth open to tell them about the room and was met with a pair of angry brown eyes very close to mine. I took a step backwards, shooting him my best glare back.

Poppy suppressed a giggle and I was reminded again how I really needed to kill her for her timing.

"Brilliant, Crane, you brought us to an empty hallway?" Sebastian quipped to me, his arms crossed, wand clutched tightly in a fist.

"If you would give me a minute to explain, Sallow," I hissed his surname and I was both pleased and saddened to see him flinch slightly. "Professor Weasley showed me this place fifth year. I've kept it to myself but it could be useful to all of us, so I'll show you. But no one can say a thing."

Ominis nodded his head, the understanding flicking across his face. I was trading my secret place for keeping his safe. He smiled a little, "I'm not one to talk."

Sebastian and Poppy agreed and I took a final deep breath before turning on my heel and walking to the end of the hallway and back again three times. I need to let my friends into my safe place, I found myself thinking harder with each pass of the wall, picturing each of them in the room with me as I did so.

The images in my head were so clear: the four of us, studying. Poppy reuniting with Highwing. Ominis with the vast collection of plants I had cultivated for potions. Sebastian and I sitting with my thestrals.

"Merlin's beard," Sebastian's voice cut through my thoughts as I made the final pass along the wall and I opened my eyes. Sure enough, there was the familiar iron door, set into the wall as though it had always been there.

"In," I instructed, pointing at the door and Poppy grabbed Ominis's arm to guide him. His wand, though held in his hand to guide him, had stopped glowing red at the tip. "I'm not sure why your wand isn't guiding you, Ominis."

He shrugged, "Miss Sweeting is an excellent guide."

Poppy blushed and looked away from me, pulling Ominis forward into the room. Sebastian walked to the door I was holding open and paused as he stepped next to me. I shook my head and pointed again, so he proceeded forward into the room and I after him. The door vanished behind me as I closed us in with a light pop!

Sebastian was stood just in the center of the room, Poppy to his left, both of them with their jaws dropped open. Before us were three of my four Vivariums, various sounds of happy magical beasts distantly echoing to us as above was the starry sky. My potting table spell crafts were overflowing with potions ingredients and defensive plants, the smell of rich soil being freshly watered wafting over to us. The magical loom was clicking away, as though begging to be used again. There were potions stations whirring away, the distinct bubbling and clanking sounds coming up from the stairs to the left.

"What in Merlin's name," Poppy breathed as she stepped forward to the Vivariums. I could see her itching to enter and I smiled warmly at my Hufflepuff best friend.

"We'll go in a second, let me just get some Wiggenweld for our boxer over here," I laughed. "Follow me over this way."

Poppy once again reached to guide Ominis, who was listening to the sounds of my secret room with a small smile gracing his lips. Sebastian was behind me in a flash, walking close. I pointed my wand to a small chair as we entered the potions portion of my room and transfigured it into a larger plush sofa.