Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Twenty-Four: Dark Desires

I watched him leave the class, his face twisted in anger, his hands clenched so tightly into fists that they were shaking. Other students looked around to see what the noise was, and that's when I realized I had called after him. Poppy and Ominis looked at me, Ominis's face completely void of color and wet with tears.

Professor Hecat looked up from her place at the desk where she was reading our essays. Curious understanding flashed across her face as I met her gaze and she spoke kindly.

"Miss Crane, you may go after him. These lessons are quite difficult to go through. You may take your things and his."

"Thank you, Professor," I said, standing quickly and throwing my book into my bag, and slinging both mine and Sebastian's bags over my shoulders. "I'll see you two at lunch - he's going to need a minute. Poppy can you-"

"I'll tell Professor Garlik," she said soothingly. I stared for a long moment into her eyes and found myself grateful that she knew what was going through all three of our minds. She gave a gentle smile before she turned back to Ominis, who was attempting to collect himself.

Without another word, I walked out of the classroom, and ran down three flights of stairs until I was in the Transfiguration Courtyard. My mind raced with the curiosity of where he could be. The Undercroft seemed likely, as it was closest. Turning on my heel and heading back inside the tower, I looked around to be sure there was no one watching me.

I flicked my wand at the clock cabinet, and bounced anxiously as I waited for the gears to stop clicking. Time seemed to be dragging simply because I needed it to move faster. I heard the final click and I threw myself into the secret entrance, snapping the door behind me shut and slamming through the rusty grate.

"Sebastian!" I called out, throwing our bags off of my shoulders and walking deeper into the Undercroft. My eyes scanned rapidly, finding every inch of the space empty. The candles flickered lamely, their forever burning wicks not seeming to dance their usual happy dance. He wasn't by the triptych, nor was he at the pile of books we'd brought in last week. No sign of him anywhere, I pressed my hands to my face, thinking.

"Sebastian, are you here?" I called out again.

No response.

"Fucking hell, Sallow, where are you?" I groaned in frustration.

I ran over all the other places he would go as I paced. There was little likelihood that he was going to go to the Restricted Section right now; he had nothing to research that wasn't already in here. He wouldn't have gone to the common room either; too many other people would be there. I doubted he could get in to the Room of Requirement; I'd only shown him the room, I hadn't had time to explain how to actually get in.

I came to an abrupt halt from my rapid steps. Of course. Of course! How could I not have thought about it first?

I raced back to the grate and threw myself out of it, barely slowing down as I exited to make sure that the entrance had clicked back into place. I tore out of the castle, running down the grassy fields, slipping and sliding in the mud as I went, my hair drenched instantly by massive amounts of rain that were falling from the sky.

The sky matched my mood, big thunderous clouds filled the sky, but I didn't care. I just had to hope he was down in our cove, hiding from it all. I needed to be right. Grass turned to black sand, which turned to pebbles as I approached the cove. The Black Lake was truly black today as it's waves poured over my pounding feet, the tide higher than usual.

By the time I was rounding the last bend, I was soaked from head to toe, my boots were filled with water, and a very loud, very startling clap of thunder roared through the sky.