The Secrets a Snake Keeps // S.S x O.G x M!MC

Chapter 2 - The Scriptorium Awaits

I

Ominis was exactly where Sebastian Said he would be. Not right outside the Common Room but a few hallways off to the side. The brunette quickly wished him luck before hiding behind one of the unlit braziers, keeping an eye on their interaction.

Nathan approached the blonde with loud footsteps, wanting him to know that he was there. Ominous lifted his head at the sound, quickly recognising it as the footfalls of the new fifth year.

"What are you doing here?" The blonde had stopped his pacing as he turned toward Nathan. The teen looked stressed with permanent creases in his brow and a deepening frown, it looked like he was biting the bottom of his lip as well as it was slightly red and swollen, it looked sore.

"Hello Ominis," the black-haired teen kept his voice steady and calm, not wanting the other to know that he could openly see his distress if he didn't want to draw attention to it, Ominous would tell him if he wanted Nathan to know, "Do you have a moment?"

"What is it?" He all but snapped, but there was a hit of worry in his tone like he thought that the other was in some sort of trouble, "what have you and Sebastian been up to now?" 'That's why' as Nathan thought back he and Sebastian was prone to finding trouble.

"Are you alright? You seem a little stressed." He asked, hoping the blonde was comfortable enough to confide in him, especially after the progress they made in potions earlier that day.

"I'm fine." The teen sounded definite but he could see him falter to some extent. "It's just-" he rubbed his forehead, crying to iron out the crease with his fingers, "Sebastian's been pestering me lately about something and I'm frustrated with him." He had given Nathan the perfect opportunity.

"He's not still going on about that 'Scriptorium' is he?"

"He told you about that?" The blonde's voice rose in volume, both shocked and mad at his best friend, "Of course he told you that, you two seem to be joined at the hip these last few weeks."

"We were talking about the Hogwarts founders and he mentioned it, wouldn't say much more though." He hadn't wanted to anger the other, maybe if he retreats a little in the conversation. He had never been a good conversationalist, he usually left the talking to his brother, not his eldest brother, he was an uptight snob when it came to talking to anyone. His other brother, the middle child, had the gift of the gab, he could get anyone to open up. While Nathan was just an awkward mess most of the time, although he had got better in the last few months.

"Yes. Well, he seems to think it contains the answers to saving Anne. I think It's likely full of Dark Magic that is better left untouched."

"Wait. You've never been inside?"

"Of course not!" He exclaimed as he began to pace again, absolutely appalled that the black-haired boy would ever think he would ever want to step foot in there. "I only know about it because of my favourite aunt - Noctua." Nathan kept silent, suspecting this would be something the blonde would want to get off his chest without any judgment, "she thought like I do. Didn't agree with the family on the use of Dark Magic. In fact, she'd hoped to convince my family that there was more to Salazar Slytherin than worshipping pure-blood status. She heard of this 'Scriptorium' and thought its contents might shed some light on him. She even found the entrance - in this very corridor. She wrote regularly to my father about her efforts to gain access and then she simply vanished. No one else ever tried to enter." He stopped his pacing and looked directly at Nathan, 'my gosh his eyes are beautiful, not the time' he thought.

"I'm sorry about your aunt, but don't you want to find out what happened to her?" The devil's advocate finally came out.

"Aunt Noctua went down this path with good intentions and lost her life. I don't want the same to happen again." Ominis argued back.