The Raven and the Snake (Sebastian Sallow x Ravenclaw MC)

Doubt

Clora didn't leave the Room of Requirement until she was sure she'd gotten all of her tears out.

She'd used this room as an escape before—a secret bedroom to sleep in at night, to conceal the pain from her curse. And now Clora used it for a different sort of pain; so that she could cry and sniff as much and as pathetically as she pleased, all without fear of bothering any of her three roommates.

Clora knew Sebastian wouldn't be pleased about her decision, but she hadn't been expecting him to be as upset as he was—which, in retrospect, had been woefully naïve of her. It was clear to her, after all: that she still loved him, and that the removal of the ring didn't lessen that in any way.

In fact, Clora did it due to the opposite. Because she loved Sebastian too much to wear it when she felt as though she shouldn't.

But while she felt awful about the entire thing, she also had no intention of taking back her decision—not when she couldn't be completely devoted to him as his fiancée, like he deserved.

Samantha and the others had already turned in for the night when Clora eventually returned to her room, and as she slipped out of bed the next morning, she dreaded their inevitable questions: asking where she'd been, and why, and if they might notice her ring no longer on her finger.

Though luckily for Clora, as her and her roommates and some other girls washed and prepared in the bathrooms that morning, many of them were sufficiently distracted by other matters instead.

"Oh—these bloody pains," Samantha nearly moaned, as another girl next to her chuckled.

"Literally."

"Ha-ha," Samantha shot back in strained breaths, holding her abdomen all the while. "It's earlier than I was expecting this month... I don't suppose you have a Menses on you? I didn't get around to brewing any just yet."

Clora stopped listening as the other girl stated her terms of agreement and pulled out the familiarly small—and ironically enough, blood red—vial of Menses Potion, holding it out to Samantha, who swiped it quickly and downed it as if it were a shot of alcohol.

Their exchange became nothing but a hum in the background as Clora stared into the mirror and ran her fingers through her wet hair, because she couldn't help but think about her own monthlies then.

And, more pressingly, how she had yet to be plagued by it so far this month.

She had gotten it last month, in April—and after she and Sebastian had been together for the first time. But it was now mid-May, which meant it had been a week past when she usually suffered from it.

Clora's panic at that realization only had a quick moment to flare up before she quickly stamped it back down, however, because she knew her own body, and so she knew it was simply due to stress.

She'd missed her monthly woes before, whether it be due to the stress of studying for an important test, or dealing with the curse, and even before Hogwarts, when she'd gotten her acceptance letter and nearly went mad with anxiety due to the thoughts of how far behind she would no doubt be.

So it was only natural, then, that having the leader of a goblin rebellion after her, and subsequently being kidnapped by said leader for an entire week—not to mention the lack of proper nutrition she'd gotten while held captive—would have set her cycle back later than usual, until after she had more time to recover.

Clora wholeheartedly believed and knew that was the reason she was late. Yet as she dried her hair with the Hot Air Charm and nearly tore her lip to shreds under her worried teeth, she knew there was still a slight possibility that she was wrong. That the reason she was late was due to something else.

Someone else.

Which meant he also deserved to know, no matter how minor the possibility. Yet even after saying so to herself, as Clora finished cleaning up and prepared to head to breakfast, she still wrestled with it.

Sebastian may have deserved to be made aware, but was it truly for the best? He could be overprotective of Clora to an extreme on a regular day, let alone if he thought she may now be pregnant with his child.

There was also the rather tumultuous state of their relationship at the moment, and this information would no doubt only add to that: she would be taking her ring back from him one day, only to tell him that she may be carrying his child the next.

The absurdity of it almost made Clora laugh.

And it was that absurdity and belief that she wasn't truly pregnant that made Clora come to the conclusion that she wouldn't tell Sebastian after all—at least, not yet.

He was already upset and frustrated with her to begin with, seeing as she planned to go face Ranrok in the repository whenever he may arrive. And if Sebastian had been against that plan of action before, then Clora could only imagine how he might react if he learned she planned to do so while also possibly pregnant.

It was the decision to withhold that rather delicate information from Sebastian that made Clora jump more than she otherwise would have as she saw him standing there by the steps leading out of her common room, waiting for her as she stepped out.

"Sebastian?" Clora nearly squeaked out, jumpy both from guilt and just plain surprise at his presence, due to the way they'd parted last night. "What...are you doing here?"

Sebastian only graced her dumbfounded question with an equally dumbfounded look—though his was also tinged with no small amount of irritation and exasperation as he answered her.

"Why? Have I lost the privilege to be near you entirely, now that you're no longer wearing my ring?" he asked bitterly, his arms crossed as he shifted his weight and continued to stare at her. "If so, then I apologize. I didn't realize I was just another one of your many male friends now."

Clora quickly trotted down the stairs and shook her head as she joined him. "No! Of course not, Sebastian. That's not it at all," she insisted, and although Sebastian had been the one to come meet her outside of her common room to walk her to breakfast, he hardly seemed like he wanted to as he began to turn and leave as soon as she'd reached his side. "I was just...surprised you still came."

He didn't reply to those words, and so it was quiet between the two of them as they began their silent trek to the Great Hall, Sebastian no doubt still irritated with her for a multitude of reasons, whereas Clora still internally wrestled with the decision on whether to tell him of her morning discovery (or, lack thereof), as she remained quiet in both contemplation and guilt.

"What's the matter?" Sebastian's sudden question yanked Clora out of her own thoughts, startled by his presence all over again as she quickly looked to him. His voice had lost its previous edge of irritation and anger, in lieu of his worry that he apparently couldn't help but still have and show for her.

"...Nothing," Clora answered after hesitating for a moment, despite the fact they both knew that was a lie.

Because everything was wrong at the moment—between them, most of all—and Sebastian only nodded curtly at her distant answer, the olive branch successfully shrivelling even further as the two of them made the rest of their way to breakfast without saying another word.

Sitting with Anne and Ominis managed to make it slightly less awkward and stifling, seeing as they at least made an effort to keep up conversation, even despite the tense atmosphere.

It wasn't hard to tell something was wrong, because even if they hadn't noticed the strange silence and distance between Clora and Sebastian, Anne still would have noticed the way Clora's eyes were red and swollen from crying last night, and the way her brother's were dark and sunken from his obvious lack of any meaningful sleep.

There was also Clora's distinct lack of an engagement ring as well. Though if Anne did notice any of those things, she decided not to say as much. Instead, she did her best to simply keep up the flow of conversation, being sure to include Ominis and Sebastian or Clora wherever she could.

Thanks to that, Anne practically shot up as soon as breakfast was over, no doubt desperate to get out of the oppressive atmosphere and gossip freely and away from Sebastian as she stood.

"Come on, Clora. We don't want to be late," she said much too quickly as she joined Clora at her side and readied to be off with her.

And although it was a common enough thing to say and do, Clora still couldn't help the way her eyes widened and she whipped around to look at Anne as if she'd said something completely scandalous.

"What?" Clora forced out, her hands suddenly clammy as she looked quickly from Anne, to Sebastian, then back. "Late?"

"...For class?" Anne clarified slowly in exasperation, her eyebrows low and furrowed beneath her fringe and contrasting Clora's raised ones.

"Right," Clora agreed quickly as she stood up just as fast. "Of course."

Once they were out of the Great Hall and away from both Ominis and Sebastian (who had most likely hung back to have the boy version of the conversation Clora and Anne were about to partake in), Anne stopped and turned to stare at Clora intensely.

And then, down to her left hand.

"What happened?" she cut right to the chase. And, most likely to ensure that Clora didn't attempt to play dumb, Anne reached for her ringless hand and held it up between them. "After what I just had to sit through, don't even try to tell me you merely forgot to put it on today, or some other nonsense."

"I won't," Clora sighed, relenting mostly because she knew she wouldn't be able to lie to Anne even if she tried. "Things are just...complicated at the moment. But it has nothing to do with how I feel about Sebastian—I still love him, and I still want to marry him."

Anne nodded in satisfaction and relief as she dropped her hand, and although Clora was glad for it, she also couldn't help her confusion at the fact that Anne had seemingly backed off so easily—though the reason for that became apparent once she continued to walk and talk with Clora once more.

"With your parents dropping into the school so frequently, it does make more sense to simply keep it off for now," Anne agreed with a thoughtful hum as she walked, her lips quirking into a slight smile. "Clearly Sebastian doesn't agree with us, but he'll just have to put up with it and sulk for now."

Clora stayed quiet in her surprise, processing both the misunderstanding and how much it worked in her favour, though Anne soon turned to look at her due to her lack of a response, and so Clora straightened and nodded.

"Right," she quickly agreed, which seemed to satisfy Anne as she once again turned to look ahead of her. "I'll be wearing it again soon enough."

******

"So...are you and Sallow fighting, by chance?"

Clora pursed her lips as Leander leaned over from his spot next to her in Transfigurations, having waited until Professor Weasley finished giving the lesson of the day before doing so.

It had been rather obvious he was dying to ask her about the ring ever since the class first started, and Clora had noticed the exact moment Leander had noticed it gone. Though it only made sense, she supposed, considering Leander was also one of the ones to immediately notice its arrival, back when she'd first put it on.

So it didn't surprise Clora in the least that he'd also immediately noticed the reverse—but she had been hoping, at the very least, that he wouldn't have mentioned it.

"No. I...wouldn't say that," Clora answered without looking at him, hoping she sounded as confident and assuring as she was attempting—though she still brought her left hand down from the desk to put in her lap out of self-consciousness as she continued to write.

Leander watched her do so and waited for a moment to allow her to say more, though when it became clear Clora wasn't about to expand any further on the subject, he pressed on.

"Really," he remarked, clearly unconvinced. "Then, what would you say?"

Clora didn't have a good answer for that—or any answer, really—and so she'd simply kept her head down and mumbled, "Sorry, Leander, but I'm trying to focus," as she continued to scribble away, despite the fact that she herself knew she must have been writing nothing but gibberish at that point.

Leander hadn't minded, however. In fact, he almost seemed pleased with her avoidance. And when Professor Weasley told them it was time to pair up and transfigure the goblets placed on their desks into cats, he'd wasted no time in asking her if she'd wanted to pair up, to which Clora had accepted.

Ever since she'd officially turned Leander down and he'd seen her ring, things had been awkward and distant between them for a spell. Though now, it was as if none of that had ever happened as he easily stepped into his previous persona and dynamic with her; the awkwardness and distance was gone, and once again, Clora was reminded of how easy he was to speak to, and what good company he could be as a friend.

"Why not lions?" Leander lamented after class, once they'd finished turning all of the cats back to cups. "I'd like to transfigure an abundance of huge Gryffindor lions in this class, for once."

Clora blew a laugh out of her nose. "Well, Professor Weasley is also a Gryffindor. If you asked, she may be so inclined to add that to the lesson plan."

"You think?" Leander pondered with an amused smile, patting Clora on the shoulder as he rounded the desk and walked by her. "While I'm at it, I suppose I'll ask if she could put some birds into the itinerary as well—for you Ravenclaws."

"Some birds?" Clora repeated in mock offense, before smartly and pompously correcting him. "I think you mean eagles."

Leander only shrugged. "Right. Still just a bird."

Clora was about to argue that calling an eagle just a bird was the same as calling a lion just a cat, but her rebuttal stopped short as she and Leander stepped outside and into the fresh air of the Transfiguration Courtyard, where both of her parents were waiting and leaned against the walls of the stone hallway.

Well, to be more precise, her father was leaned against the stone wall, whereas her mother was currently bent over, cooing and caressing one of the cats that always lounged about in the courtyards.

"Good boy. Or girl." Margaret gave it one last rub under the chin before standing up and turning to Clora. "I suppose you don't miss Winnie much, with all of these cats out and about."

"Of course I still miss Winnie," Clora corrected as she greeted both of her parents with a smile and a quick hug. "Do you two have business at the school today?"

"We do. Very important business," Clive nodded as he adjusted his glasses. "The very important business of seeing our daughter."

Clora had to suppress a groan as she shook her head and put her palm up to her forehead, and while Clive crossed his arms in satisfaction and cracked a slight smile under his mustache, Margaret laughed freely.

"Your father and I were hoping you could take us around the school," she suggested. "Now that you've had time to settle and recover."

Before Clora could agree or disagree to do so, she remembered that Leander was still present as he cleared his throat and stepped forward, and Clora quickly straightened and offered a hasty introduction between the three of them.

"A Gryffindor friend as well! Oh, do those robes ever bring me back." Margaret sighed dreamily, which only contrasted Clive, who had swiftly lost any of his earlier playfulness all at once.

Leander's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise as he smiled pleasantly. "Were you a Gryffindor as well, Mrs. Clemons?" he inquired politely, and at Margaret's affirmation, he nodded and smiled while looking between both mother and daughter. "I can scarcely say I'm surprised. Now I suppose I know where Clora gets her good heart and strong set of morals from—she even rivals most of my housemates in that regard."

Margaret covered her mouth with her hand and laughed bashfully, as if Leander had been complimenting her rather than Clora, and he smiled in satisfaction at the reaction he'd garnered.

"It was nice meeting another of Clora's friends," Clive stepped in then, putting an end to their interaction as he put his hand on Margaret's back and looked over at Clora. "But I believe we now have a tour of the school to attend to."

"Actually—!" Leander piped up eagerly to stop them. "If it's a look around the school you're interested in... How about starting with the Gryffindor common room?"

******

There hadn't been any sort of deliberation at Leander's offer, because before Clora or Clive could put forward their opinion at all, they were already being dragged off by Margaret as she followed Leander.

Clora was honestly happy for it, as it was not only amusing, but also heartwarming to see her mother so starry-eyed, excited at the prospect of taking a literal and metaphorical walk down memory lane.

The way there was filled with chatter mostly between her mother and Leander, on what the Gryffindor common room used to look like, and the activities that would take place in there, and all of the most outlandish passwords that the Fat Lady had ever given them.

"You know," Leander had piped up at one point as he led them there, looking back towards both Margaret and Clive proudly. "My family is part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. All Gryffindors, too."

Margaret hummed to indicate that she'd heard him, but otherwise said nothing.

"Margaret and I have never put much stock into those matters," Clive informed Leander rather brusquely in her place, the corners of his mouth turning down sternly. And perhaps Margaret could sense that her husband was about to say something a touch too unkind, because she soon spoke after him.

"Especially after having Clora," she explained. "When we learned she may have been a Squib... Well—let's just say we've had our fair share of dealings with those who do put stock into those matters."

"Right. Of course," Leander nodded immediately, and then he nodded again, just for good measure. "It was just a silly little fact. I personally couldn't care less, myself."

He'd decided to stay mostly quiet after that, so Clora and her parents talked amongst themselves instead, and it was only once they reached the entrance to the common room that he finally turned around once more, with a sweeping hand gesture towards the Fat Lady.

Leander hardly needed to do any sort of introduction, however, as the woman in the frame leaned forward immediately upon catching sight of Margaret.

"Well! Look who it is! Welcome back, you," she remarked loudly and with an equally loud and jolly guffaw as Margaret greeted her back, though her mirth soon vanished as she looked reluctantly over to Clive. "And welcome back to you, too. Don't think I didn't know that you'd—"

"The password, if you would," Clive cut her off promptly, following up his command with a pointed and loud clearing of his throat as he adjusted his glasses and looked to Leander. "We're on a tight schedule."

The Fat Lady grumbled as she listened to the Gryffindor input the password, which was rather confusingly: Violet can hold her booze better than I (due to a drinking contest the Fat Lady had lost with this so-called Violet a few weeks ago, according to Leander), and she swiftly swung open shortly after hearing it, revealing the awkward tunnel the lot of them had to crawl through in order to enter.

And as soon as they did, Clora could practically see her mother's eyes sparkle once more, looking as though she'd been transported to the past, back to when she was a girl. And she must have begun to tear up slightly as she took in the familiar sights and sounds, because her father soon joined her side, putting his hand on the small of her back as he followed his wife while she roamed.

Clora left her parents to their own devices to give them space, taking the opportunity to look around the Gryffindor common room herself for the very first time, nearly as distracted and as overwhelmed as her mother had been as she examined everything all around her.

Cozy was the first word that came to mind, with the warm red drapery on the walls and the red and regal carpets laid out on the floor, not to mention the fluffy fur rug and large fireplace that cast even more of a warm glow on the surroundings, even during the day.

Between the style of the furniture and the colour of the common room, Clora was reminded of her father's study back at her home in London. And so, despite having never set foot in the Gryffindor common room before now, even Clora suddenly found herself feeling somewhat nostalgic as she took in her surroundings.

"How does it hold up to the Ravenclaw common room? Even now, I still find it rather striking," Leander mused as he stepped up beside Clora, looking around the room briefly before setting his sights back on her. "Speaking of...I was able to recognize your mother before she'd even introduced herself. She's just as pretty as you are."

Clora smiled and managed a somewhat awkward laugh, attempting to brush past the compliment with humour. "Well, I can only hope that I'll look half as good at my mum's age."

"You will. Of that, I have no doubt," Leander assured confidently. "And the man to marry you will be just as lucky as your father."

There was no brushing past how forward that was, though, so Clora merely nodded rigidly and flattened her mouth as she opted to look around the room, rather than anywhere in Leander's general vicinity. "I—thank you..."

Leander didn't dwell on it, luckily, and instead clapped his hands together as he continued walking, inclining his head for her to follow. "You've never been in here, right? Allow me to be your humble guide, in that case."

Clora paused for a moment, his words reminding her of Sebastian's from so long ago, and the chivalrous persona he'd donned when he'd spoken them to her, as his charge.

I shall endeavor to be the very best of guides, then. Shall we?

The similarity only made Clora miss Sebastian, but even the dissimilarities between him and Leander made her miss Sebastian; and suddenly the Gryffindor common room was much too warm and inviting, and Clora found herself longing for the cool and melancholic gloom of the Slytherin space instead.

But she followed Leander as he showed her around regardless, interjecting when needed, and laughing when prompted, and watching patiently as he attempted to catch the Golden Snitch that buzzed about their heads, though he luckily gave up on that endeavor rather quickly—though still not quite as quickly as Clora would have liked.

When he'd sufficiently shown her around the first floor, Leander then took her up to the next level, where the two stood on a balcony that overlooked the ground level, designed to look like a castle rampart.

"There's something else I'd like to show to you, too," he informed her, as Clora placed her hands on the balcony and looked down on the common room from above. "It's just up another level."

"Hm? Oh, of course," Clora agreed somewhat distractedly as she nodded and turned to follow him. "Lead the way."

While Leander did exactly that, Clora admired the décor and everything else on display as they walked—though as they finally reached the top of the stairs and stepped into the room he'd brought them to, Clora realized it wasn't just a room.

It was his room.

It was currently empty due to the time of day, and despite wanting to turn right back around and return to the main floor because of that, Clora simply put her arms around herself and remained rooted to the spot, right by the door.

"Come on in," Leander said as he looked over his shoulder at her, though when he saw her arms wrapped around herself, he quickly looked to the fireplace in the middle of the room, starting towards it. "Oh—are you cold?"

"No, I'm fine," Clora reassured tightly and awkwardly. "What...was it that you wanted to show me up here?"

Leander froze and looked to the side, as if wondering that himself, before he quickly turned to one of the windows. "Have you seen the sight from up here? You really should have a look. It's—" he stopped himself then in sudden realization, shaking his head. "What am I saying? Your common room is the highest one."

"Yes, and I'm definitely used to looking out at the grounds from up high thanks to that," Clora forced out a laugh, looking to the door yet again, then back to Leander. "If that was all...?"

"Wait," he urged, looking about rather frantically as he made his way over to his bookshelf, rummaging through his belongings quickly and haphazardly. "A-ha! This is perfect. Come and see."

Clora flattened her mouth as she nodded, practically dragging her feet further into his room to join him by the bookshelf near his bed.

It wasn't as though she didn't trust Leander, but she still would rather not be alone in his dorm with him regardless. She was desperate to leave as quickly—but also as politely—as possible.

As Leander continued to prepare whatever he'd called her over for, Clora's eyes wandered over to his bed, only because there was a book on top of it. Even despite the awkwardness of the situation, Clora couldn't help her intellectual curiosity, wondering what it was, and what sort of books Leander read, and if she'd read it before.

The answer to that was decidedly no, however, and always would be no as Clora inched close enough to finally catch the rather arrogant title on the cover:

Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches.

Leander noticed Clora looking at it just as she'd finished reading the cover, and he let out a strangled yelp as he practically threw himself onto his bed, hastily shoving it under his covers before straightening back up to look at her, his face as red as his hair.

"That was a joke gift," he insisted quickly. "From my brother. But anyways—" Leander moved on, desperately returning to his bookshelf to pull out what he'd apparently been looking for: a box, clearly from Honeydukes, with rather cute striped packaging that read Elephant on a Bicycle. "Have you tried these before? Brilliant little things, they are."

"No, I haven't," Clora shook her head as she peered down at the box curiously, each of the cookies shaped as different animals. "But I've heard of them, I think."

"Heard of them, or heard them?" Leander smiled at her enthusiastically, still somewhat breathless from his earlier bluster and fluster, and when Clora only continued to give him an inquisitive and somewhat confused look, his smile grew as he popped one into his mouth and bit down. "You'll see—you're in for a treat."

Clora had forgotten all of her prior trepidation and awkwardness as she watched Leander crunch and chew in earnest curiosity, wondering how watching him eat a treat would somehow be a treat for her. Though she stayed silent as he shoveled a few more in his mouth and held up a finger, chewing as quickly as he could, clearly desperate to show her something.

And it was certainly something indeed, because Leander then roared like a lion.

Not only did the noise of a lion come out of him, but he moved his body and his head as though a lion's roar truly was ripping its way out of his throat as he angled his head up and his nose crinkled from his snarl, and Clora stepped back, the awkwardness back in full force—but now for a different reason—as all she could do was watch this odd display.

Now that Clora was seeing the effects of the cookie, she did remember seeing them in Honeydukes, and remembered hearing people sample them. And Clora also remembered how Sebastian would walk by them without a glance or a sample, each and every time.

Perhaps Leander had simply been desperate to show her something in his flustered and desperate attempt to entertain her, though he clearly seemed to be regretting it now as he continued to roar and roar without end, no doubt due to the amount he'd stuffed into his mouth.

"Well—you did say you wanted more lions. Decided to take the matter into your own hands?" Clora joked awkwardly as she took yet another step back, though Leander couldn't have smiled or laughed at her remark even if he'd wanted to; on the contrary, he was looking at her with rather stricken eyes as he continued to roar, clearly wishing to stop, but unable to, trapped in his new lion-like prison of a body, only able to wait for it to end and wear off.

Clora wanted it to end, too, and her prayers were answered when suddenly another person entered the room, and she practically melted with relief when she was met with the sight of Natty standing by the door, looking just as gobsmacked and taken aback as Clora currently felt.

"I thought I heard you, Clora," Natty greeted as she came up to her, offering Leander a practiced smile and a small nod of her head before she turned back to Clora. "Come, come. I say it is about time for you to see the girls' dorms, if you would like."

"I would." Clora's reply was immediate and pleading, sparing Leander a glance and a smile and a wave as she turned to leave with Natty. "Very much so."

The roaring had begun to die down as they'd left, but Leander opted not to follow them regardless. Though once they reached the girls' side of the dorms, he wouldn't have been able to even if he'd attempted as much.

"So?" Natty asked as they entered the girls' dorms, turning to look at Clora with a teasing smile. "How do you like our side?"

Clora laughed, because they were identical looking, and they both knew that wasn't why Natty had brought Clora over here.

"Thank you for that," Clora shook her head, dropping all pretenses and merely showing her appreciation for the lifeline she'd been extended as she slumped in exhaustion, finally able to relax after being wound so tight.

Natty barely contained her laughter, not only due to the sight of Clora before her now, but also as she remembered the sight she'd just been unfortunate enough to witness.

"Of course," she assured easily. "And you may stay as long as you would like—no boys will be roaring at you in here; I promise you."

******

Sebastian already didn't like to be separated from Clora if he could help it, and that feeling was now currently exacerbated to the utmost.

Not only because she'd just recently been kidnapped for a week and Sebastian wanted her nearby to make sure nothing else could happen to her, but because she also didn't have her ring on.

So rather than just her safety, the new threat that now plagued Sebastian's mind and thoughts as he suffered through class after class without Clora, were his fellow students.

More specifically, his fellow male students.

Clora no longer had her ring on, which meant any one of them who may have been interested in her before, might now try their hand at hers.

And due to their ongoing disagreements and how he'd left her last night, Sebastian was hardly in the position to simply stride up to Clora and plant a kiss on her mouth in order to advertise that she was still his, and demonstrate that she was most definitely still taken, and that Sebastian had no plans to ever let her go.

It was thanks to his vigilance (or paranoia) in those matters, that when Sebastian heard whispers about Clora and how she apparently may have left Sebastian for Leander, and that the two of them were spotted walking around together, Sebastian didn't waste any time in verifying if the gossip was true or not. He simply tore out of his History of Magic class as soon as they'd been dismissed, in order to begin his search for her.

Leander was just the sort of boy Sebastian had been worried about, after all. And if there was anyone who might notice Clora's ring gone so soon, and take advantage of that fact just as quickly, it would be him.

******

Sebastian ended up not having to search for very long, and perhaps it was his speed or just sheer luck (or both), that eventually led him straight to Clora as she walked in the hallway, accompanied by both of her parents.

And where the sight of Clive usually made Sebastian nervously tense, he'd now never been gladder to see the man than at that moment, and he felt himself relax considerably. After all, if Clive was with her, then Sebastian could be all but assured in the knowledge that he'd no doubt brushed off any and all pests that may have attempted to bother, or even simply get near Clora throughout the day in Sebastian's place.

"Clora," Sebastian strode up to the three of them, taking her in first before snapping his eyes up to her parents. "And Mr. and Mrs. Clemons, of course. To what does our school owe the pleasure?"

"I was just taking them on a tour around the castle," Clora explained, and Sebastian's mouth quirked up as he listened.

"So the charge has become the charged?" he mused as he crossed his arms, relaxing even further. Any murmurs or mutterings of Clora being seen with Leander must have just been in passing, while she was busy showing her parents about. "I trust your skills as a guide didn't disappoint, seeing as you had a brilliant example to follow."

Clora smiled, breathing out a quick laugh. "Maybe, though I wasn't much of a guide. It was all—" she began, though cut herself off just as quickly in realization as she looked from Sebastian, then to the floor.

Before Sebastian could even wonder what that was about, Margaret ever so helpfully picked up from where her daughter left off.

"I've no doubt Clora would have made a splendid guide, but it was her friend who was kind enough to show us around," she explained happily as she looked down at Clora, just as Sebastian was also currently doing. "He let us into the Gryffindor common room, just so that I could see it once again. Leander, was it? Such a nice boy."

Margaret looked to Clora for confirmation, who only nodded stiffly and avoided the glare she could practically feel coming from Sebastian.

"Is that so." He smiled tightly, practically forcing the corners of his lips to curve upwards as he shifted his weight and continued to stare down at Clora. "How nice, indeed."

Sebastian had forgotten that Clora had Transfigurations today, and Leander no doubt saw Clora with her parents afterwards, attempting to get into their good graces.

But even if Leander did get into the good graces of her parents, it wasn't as if it really mattered, or as if it meant anything between him and Clora.

Though Sebastian still found himself shifting his weight and crossing his arms in irritation as he thought about it. Leander was a Gryffindor, after all, and it was rather obvious that Margaret still felt a certain kinship and bond with them, and for Leander in turn.

But luckily for him, Sebastian was a Slytherin—and so was Clive.

"Well, since you were able to revisit the Gryffindor common room," he half-turned, gesturing for them to follow him now. "I'd say the same for Slytherin is in order, wouldn't you?"

******

Sebastian knew that being back in both of their respective common rooms after so long—Gryffindor for Margaret, and Slytherin for Clive—would be nostalgic, and maybe even emotional for them.

But Sebastian would be lying if he said that was his reason for bringing them there, because his true intentions weren't so selfless.

Sebastian most likely had much the same thoughts as Leander on the matter (which only made him grimace as he realized), figuring that the gesture would garner him at least a few points with Clora's parents, and namely—if Sebastian was lucky—Clive in particular.

There was also the fact that Clora had been seen walking together with Leander, and then subsequently seen together in the Gryffindor common room with him. And if just that was enough to start any rumours of a potential budding romance between them, then Sebastian resolved to do the exact same, like he'd done many times before: to overwrite what Leander had done with her, in order to overtake and squash those rumours for good.

Sebastian was mostly quiet on the walk to the Slytherin common room however, seeing as Clora and her parents were still chatting about their detour to the Gryffindor one, and about Leander. So he may have been walking a touch faster than usual in order to put an end to it.

"This almost brings back just as many memories as my own common room," Margaret mused during their trip down the stairs, smiling as she looked up at her husband. "I used to sneak down here to see your father all the time."

"Which was unacceptable, of course," Clive interjected after a beat, looking at Margaret and then to Clora, the both of them wearing matching smiles all the while.

"Yes, of course," Margaret agreed flippantly, her lips still curved a touch. "Unacceptable!"

As they made their way down the rest of the stairs and into the main area, both Sebastian and Clora noticed a certain pair of Slytherins, sitting on the couch.

Anne noticed them at the exact same time they'd noticed her, and she quickly turned to a disgruntled Ominis next to her as she shot up and dragged him over.

"Mr. and Mrs. Clemons," Anne greeted with Ominis in tow, still holding onto his arm. "It's good to see you again! What brings you all here?"

"We're...on a bit of a tour, at the moment," Clora explained, though she also sounded slightly confused, as if she wasn't sure how this had evolved into what it had become. "And since we were just at the Gryffindor common room, Sebastian offered to bring us to yours, as well."

"Oh, I'm certain he did," Ominis huffed out an amused and knowing laugh as he said so, immune to Sebastian's following glare for obvious reasons as he stepped forward to introduce himself. "Mr. and Mrs. Clemons, it's a pleasure to finally have the chance to meet you both. My name is Ominis—Ominis Gaunt."

"Gaunt?" Clive's repetition of the surname carried a certain weight to it as he examined the boy for a short moment, taking Ominis' outstretched hand into his own.

Though Clive seemed to be content with whatever he'd found during his brief observation, because he parted from the handshake with a nod of his head and an amicable introduction of his own afterwards, along with Margaret.

It was clear to Sebastian that Clora's parents had either met or simply heard of the Gaunt family before—or, perhaps it was just her father, due to his upbringing, or just due to the fact that he was also a Slytherin.

Either way, Clive undoubtedly knew something. And whatever that something was, it wasn't something very flattering.

Nonetheless, Clora's parents and Ominis had exchanged the usual pleasantries after that: how he and Clora had met, what a help Clora had been in classes, and also what a help she'd been in wrangling both Anne and Sebastian.

Yet even despite Ominis mentioning both of the twins in that anecdote, Sebastian wasn't surprised to see Clive's eye immediately slide over only to him, as if in both suspicion and confirmation, and Sebastian cleared his throat at the sight, suddenly desperate for a subject change.

As if she could sense his distress, as usual, Margaret gave Sebastian that very subject change as she spotted a picture of the current Quidditch team on the wall, and leaned forward for a better look.

"Sebastian, I didn't realize you play!" she exclaimed, turning to look at him before examining the photo once more. "I was on the team myself, you know. That's one of the things I miss most about Hogwarts."

"You played?" Clora and Sebastian asked in unison as both they and Anne turned to look at Margaret in shock.

She'd never told Clora as much, perhaps because she hadn't wanted to brag, or talk about something Clora would never have been able to enjoy, back when she'd been assumed a Squib.

But Margaret clearly had no qualms talking about it now, and she nodded proudly.

"I was a Chaser," she revealed. "And as for you, Sebastian, I would guess...Beater?"

The picture Margaret had been examining of their team had just been them in their jerseys, and so aside from Imelda, who was wearing the Captain's variation of the uniform, it would have been impossible for Margaret to have immediately known he was a Beater.

And Sebastian didn't know why, but the fact that Margaret had correctly guessed as much after looking up at him and tilting her head in assessment, made him rub the back of his suddenly warm neck as he nodded and said, "I am."

It was then Clora's turn for her face to go warm, because after getting the confirmation that Sebastian was indeed a Beater, Margaret looked over to her daughter with a smile and raised eyebrows.

Though despite the clearly teasing and coy smile on her face, thankfully Margaret's next words lacked both of those descriptors as she sighed wistfully.

"Clora, I do wish you would give Quidditch a try, now that you have the chance."

"Whereas I am perfectly fine with your lack of interest in doing so," Clive stepped in. "Not every witch and wizard need play Quidditch."

"Agreed," Sebastian added immediately, his muscles tensing just at the thought.

If Clora did play, the Slytherin team would have to say goodbye to winning against Ravenclaw ever again in the future, because Sebastian knew his top and only priority would be watching Clora to make sure nothing happened to her, and perhaps even getting in the way of his own team in order to do so.

And while playing against Clora would no doubt be a disaster for both Sebastian and his team, not playing against Clora would be even worse. Him, in the stands, only able to watch as she recklessly flew about on her broom, chased by Bludger after Bludger and perhaps even taking a hit for one of her teammates in order to protect them, self-sacrificial as she was.

Though even if Clora never got injured, the thought of her staying safe thanks to the protection of the Ravenclaw Beaters also didn't sit well with Sebastian, so there was really no winning.

Sebastian happened to lock eyes with Clive in that moment, and while it usually felt as if he were being singled out and targeted whenever he met the man's gaze, now Sebastian only felt solidarity with him as they both shot down the idea of Clora in Quidditch.

Clive and Sebastian were in much the same stance, with their arms crossed and their posture rigid, while Clora and her mother also looked as though they were a mirror image as they stamped down a smile and clearly resisted the urge to roll their eyes.

"I still think you should try out one year, sweetie," Margaret encouraged nonetheless, looking over to her husband playfully before adding, "For a Beater position, like Sebastian. The two of you can match!"

Despite it being a joke (and the same one Clora herself had made a couple of times before) it didn't sound like a joke when Margaret said it. So Sebastian couldn't help the look of disbelief and panic on his face as he looked between them, his endeavor to be as polite as possible to Margaret the only thing keeping him from vehemently arguing against her and the idea, though Sebastian's thoughts were quite clear by his face regardless.

In contrast to his anxiety, however, Margaret laughed.

"Oh, that's the very same look Clive used to give me when he would come to watch my games," she recalled with delight, walking over to her husband after saying so and wrapping her arm around his affectionately. "I swear, you'd think I was juggling knives instead of simply playing a sport, what with the way he worried."

Clive showed no shame at his wife's words as he pushed up his glasses. "Nine-hundred injuries per one-thousand hours of exposure—not to mention, concussions in females are much more prevalent than in males," he recited coolly and with textbook precision, which only made Margaret laugh even harder. "Juggling knives may have even been preferable. Clearly, the statistics prove that my worry was, and is, warranted."

Sebastian found himself nodding alongside Clive's words as he crossed his arms and looked to Clora, who was making a similar expression to her mother as she listened to her father go on, and Sebastian once again felt something of a bond between Clive and himself in that moment—because apparently being cavalier about their wellbeing and stressing out the men who loved them was something Margaret had passed down to Clora, and Sebastian wondered if all of the women in their family were the same way.

"I have played once before, actually," Clora piped up then, which caused both of her parents to look over at her, though their expressions vastly differed as they did so. "On my birthday. It was fun, but I'm under no illusions that I'm athletic enough to ever make the team, even if I were to try. So you don't need to worry, dad."

"Especially seeing as you fell off your broom," Anne noted with raised eyebrows. "It was a good thing Sebastian was there to catch you, before you hit the ground."

Sebastian looked over at Anne, noticing that she'd rather conveniently left out the fact that he was the one who'd caused Clora's fall to begin with, thanks to their impromptu game of tag and the way he'd snatched her.

Anne had clearly done so on purpose, however, and in order to make Sebastian look good in front of Clora's parents, because she met his cautious look with a rather smug smile afterwards—a smile that she'd always given him when they were kids, and that Sebastian knew all too well, along with what it meant.

You owe me.

******

Since Clora had already taken her parents to both the Gryffindor and Slytherin common rooms, it only made sense to also take them to her own.

They'd agreed to do so tomorrow, though, considering Clora still had actual classes to attend to, and as she walked to Astronomy, she found herself lamenting that fact.

She hadn't seen Leander since leaving him to his own devices in his room, and due to the rather crushing embarrassment that they'd both no doubt felt in that moment, Clora dreaded meeting with him so soon, worried that it would be awkward, or that Leander would still be too embarrassed to speak to her at all.

Though Clora's fears ended up being unwarranted, and whether Leander simply already forgot about it, or whether he simply pushed past it, Clora wasn't sure. But she was sure that she was grateful for it either way, as he greeted her like usual at the beginning of class, and even as he asked her under his breath to help him find the constellation he was looking for—also as usual.

"Care for some company on the trip back to your common room?" Leander asked after class and once they'd made their way down the steps from the Observatory Deck, stopping to turn to Clora in the doorway of the classroom. "Maybe I could even find a way to get up to your room; see what it looks like, and all that? I mean, you did see mine today, and—well, fair's fair."

"Oh." Clora blinked. "I—"

"My company will be plenty, thanks," Sebastian cut in harshly, heaving himself up from the wall he'd been leaning on in his wait for Clora as he strode towards them. "And if you're really so desperate to learn what the Ravenclaw girls' dormitory looks like, Prewett, then I'd be more than willing to provide you with a detailed description."

The implication and confession in Sebastian's words—that he himself had been to the girls' dorm before—were rather clear, and the corners of his lips tugged up as he crossed his arms and watched Leander with a dark sort of satisfaction. Even moreso when the Gryffindor grimaced in what had to be both annoyance and jealousy.

Sebastian knew this would happen, after all. Leander hadn't wasted any time with his renewed efforts now that Clora's ring was no longer on her finger, and between the Transfigurations class they shared today, and Leander taking Clora to his common room—perhaps even his room, if his words were true—then it went without saying that Leander would also insist on walking Clora back to her common room after their Astronomy class, as well.

Leander boldly inviting himself into her room, however, hadn't been something Sebastian had expected to hear, and so he was practically grinding his teeth together as they glared at each other above Clora's head.

"You're not entitled to her, and you don't make her decisions," Leander shot back, while Clora was still turned and looking at Sebastian in surprise due to his sudden arrival. "Let Clora speak for herself."

Sebastian didn't bother to give a retort to that, instead simply turning to look at Clora as both of them stared at her to await her verdict, and she practically felt herself shrink a full size smaller under the intensity of their eyes.

"I'll head back with Sebastian—since there's something we need to do, first," Clora said quickly, adding a hasty lie to her refusal so that Leander hopefully wouldn't feel quite as bad. "I appreciate the gesture, though. Perhaps another time?"

"Another time," Leander agreed, his eyes darting to Sebastian's continuing glare for the final time, before he strode over to the Floo Flame a few paces away from them and promptly took his leave.

Clora let out a tense breath as she watched Leander go, though when she turned back to Sebastian, she sucked that breath right back in when she found him glaring at her now.

Sebastian honestly wasn't sure how he'd dealt with this, back before he and Clora were together. It was hard to think back to those days at all, not only because it made him antsy just to picture himself not being with Clora, but because it felt like so long ago.

It hadn't truly been that long, though, yet Sebastian still couldn't wrap his head around how he'd managed, or what he'd done. How had he watched Clora run in late to the Sorting Ceremony, and calmly listened to all of the boys that had become interested in her as a result? How had he watched her attend the Yule Ball with Leander? How had he not immediately confessed his love to her as soon as he'd come to terms with it, if only to make sure he could have her as quickly as possible? How had he waited? How had he dealt with the idea and possibility of another stealing her away?

Perhaps he simply hadn't noticed it as much back then, or he'd simply been in denial. Because now, it felt as though Sebastian couldn't leave Clora alone for even one minute before something or someone else threatened to take her from him. She'd only been without her ring for one day, and in that time, she'd still somehow managed to find herself in Leander's room.

If Sebastian hadn't been convinced of it before, he was certainly convinced of it now. That some higher power was out there, working against him to ensure that he went mad due to Clora, one way or another.

"What was that about you apparently going to Leander's room?" Sebastian finally demanded, his voice a mixture of irritation and disbelief. Though the irritation won out for obvious reasons, and especially when Sebastian realized she hadn't thought to mention it herself.

"Leander brought me upstairs, just to show me around," Clora started hesitantly, because even she knew her explanation and excuse—despite being the truth—was rather flimsy. "I didn't notice that he was bringing me up to his room, though—I only realized once I was already there. I stayed by the door and I did try to leave after that, but then Leander insisted he had something to show me, so I..."

Sebastian worked his jaw as he listened anxiously, breathing sharply out of his nose as he shook his head.

"So you believed him just like that, and followed him inside?" he demanded incredulously, his anxiety only spiking further at the thoughts of what very well could have happened. "I suppose you would follow a stranger into an alley, then, so long as he promised to show you something?"

Clora scoffed as if Sebastian had said something truly ridiculous, which almost caused him to laugh in his own exasperated disbelief, wondering what in Merlin's name Clora's mental image of herself was like, because Sebastian didn't find his hypothetical to be far-fetched in the slightest.

"You're being ridiculous, of course I wouldn't! And that's not—" Clora shook her head in both indignation and offense, gathering herself before she looked up at him resolutely. "Leander is my friend, Sebastian. He's not like Lawley."

"He is your friend," Sebastian agreed bitterly. "But not by choice. You know what Leander would rather be, and rather do."

Clora finally awarded Sebastian one small victory in the form of a reluctant nod, and her admission eased his ire somewhat as he blew out a heavy breath and relaxed a touch.

"What exactly did he show you, anyway?" Sebastian asked, his tone more curious than irritated now.

Clora immediately winced at the question, the memory alone causing her to practically curl in on herself as she chewed her lip, and the sight made all of Sebastian's prior anxiety rush back as he took an immediate and hasty step towards her.

"What is it? What happened?" he demanded in equal parts concern and anger, though the anger soon overrode everything else as Sebastian continued. "If Leander did anything—"

"No! No, not that!" Clora refuted immediately and insistently upon realizing what Sebastian was thinking, and how her initial reaction could have been interpreted. "The only thing Leander did was make me suffer through the most painfully awkward moment of my entire life."

The wind immediately left Sebastian's sails as he deflated and stared at her.

"What?"

Clora put her hand over her eyes as she winced yet again, shaking her head. "Leander...ate one of those animal cookies; the ones from Honeydukes. And then he just continued to...roar at me, like a lion," she recounted with great difficulty as she continued to shake her head. "We both clearly wanted it to end, and if not for Natty coming in to save me, I would have had to just keep standing there, watching. It was horrible!"

Clora's face was fully in both of her hands by the end of the story, and despite her mortification and despair, Sebastian finally relaxed all of the way as he threw his head back and barked out a loud laugh. And whenever he thought he may have been done, the scene would pop into his mind and he'd just laugh all over again.

Eventually Clora's laughter joined Sebastian's, the both of them no doubt relishing and savouring the normalcy of the moment between them for as long as they could, forgetting about any and all of their current tension and disagreements as they did so.

But it couldn't last forever, and as their laughter finally died down and the ghosts of their smiles remained on their faces, Clora looked up at Sebastian resolutely.

"...I need to speak with you," she told him gently, and Sebastian immediately and firmly nodded in return.

"...Me too."

Because he was ready for this to be over. He was ready to pull Clora back into him, and kiss her, and sleep with her in his arms. He was ready to concede on his stance, because no argument was worth being away from Clora for longer than he had to be, or worth making her feel as though she had to take off her ring, or seeing her be sought after by other boys once again. But also, because Sebastian truly had been swayed to Clora's side, partly in thanks to her parents.

Seeing Margaret and Clive in the Slytherin common room, and learning how similar Clora's mother was to her, and how Clive also had to deal with her recklessness...it both dismayed and reassured Sebastian.

Clive was similar to Sebastian in how protective he was, yet he'd sat in the stands to watch Margaret play Quidditch, despite his disagreement, and despite being worried half to death while knowing all of the risks.

So Sebastian would do the same. He would be there for Clora and support her, rather than stop her. Even if it was something he deigned as too dangerous, he would just have to go with her, and watch over her, since it didn't really matter what sort of danger she went into. Because Sebastian had said so himself—he would protect her on his life, and so long as he lived. No matter what.

Even into the repository, and even if it was dangerous, and even if Ranrok would most likely try to kill her if he saw her. Nothing would happen to Clora regardless, because Sebastian would be there at her side. Always, and just like her parents.

It had just been too fresh, at the time. Hearing Clora tell him so soon after her return—after she'd just begun to be safe and healthy again—that she already planned to face some sort of imminent danger once more.

Not to mention Sebastian had then been rendered unable to think clearly even further at that moment, thanks to the sight of Clora taking his ring off of her finger—an image that continued to float to his mind, and still made his mouth go dry each time.

If Clora truly thought she wasn't deserving of Sebastian's ring just because she was willing to sacrifice her own safety so frequently, or because of their disagreements over her safety, then Sebastian had to wonder who Clora thought he'd even been proposing to in the first place.

Because he'd known all of those things about Clora from the start, and well before he proposed.

In fact, his worry over her wellbeing had basically been the basis of their relationship from the very beginning, and the arguments they got into because of it hardly meant she didn't deserve his love. If that were the case, after all, then it would only mean Clora didn't deserve Sebastian's love most of the time.

But she did, of course she did. And it was because he loved her that they always found themselves in such disagreements, not in spite of it. And she would never need to feel guilty about it, or about receiving his love and his worry, because that was who Clora was, and that was who Sebastian was.

And as they stepped into their Room of Requirement and looked at each other, Sebastian was prepared to tell Clora all of that as he moved towards her and parted his lips, though it was her who broke the silence first.

"Before I tell you this...I want you to understand that it's most likely nothing," Clora stressed after a quick swallow, her chest expanding as she inhaled a steadying breath. "But I don't want to keep it from you, on the off chance that..."

Sebastian frowned in concern as he took another step forward. "What?" he asked gently, if not a touch impatiently. "What is it?"

"I'm...late, this month. For my...my monthly courses," she practically forced out, looking at Sebastian's tie rather than his face—though Clora still caught sight of his mouth going slack. "By a week. But this has happened to me before, and thanks to everything going on, I'm almost entirely certain that it's solely due to stress."

And all at once, and just like that, all of Sebastian's previous thoughts and declarations to himself went straight out the window at her words.

He only stared at Clora dumbly, and in utter bewilderment, searching her face. And then, Sebastian's eyes dropped down to her stomach, as if he could somehow find out the truth if he stared hard enough.

The first thing he felt was nothing—pure shock, and enough of it to render him completely dazed and mute. Then panic, and confusion, wondering how that was even possible, thanks to his precautions, wondering if he may have overlooked something.

But then, despite that, swiftly came happiness and satisfaction.

Even if they weren't ready, and even if it wasn't feasible to have a child in their current situation, that didn't stop the gratification Sebastian suddenly felt as he stared down at Clora as if he'd never seen her before, holding her face as he once more looked down to her stomach, though this time in awe—and, again, satisfaction.

Sebastian hadn't intended it, of course. But he also couldn't say he was disappointed by it, and he was surprised to find how much in the opposite he was, in fact. Not only at the prospect of knowing their child would be something they created together, something of theirs, but that it would also be clear proof of their love, and a result of what Sebastian had done to her; that he may have marked and finally claimed Clora completely as his.

"Clora," he started slowly and somewhat pleadingly, still finding his voice as he rubbed his thumb over her cheek and forced his eyes back up from her stomach. "Tell me that this means you no longer plan to put yourself in any sort of danger—let alone into the repository to face Ranrok."

Despite his hopes, Sebastian already suspected what Clora's answer would be. But when she stayed quiet and only chewed her lip in response, he still leaned back with an angry expel of air and shook his head in disbelief.

"I told you, Sebastian. I'm sure that it's nothing. I've missed my cycle before, due to stress," she insisted, holding herself and her stomach self-consciously, due to the way Sebastian kept staring at it. "And between Ranrok, my capture, and our upcoming O.W.L.s... It only makes sense."

Sebastian simply shook his head all throughout her explanation and insistence. "It doesn't matter; you can't take that chance. And so long as we don't know for sure, I won't let you take that chance—not in regards to facing Ranrok, or any other sort of danger."

Clora clearly disagreed with his words, and clearly still intended to do so regardless of what Sebastian thought, and so he worked his jaw as he watched her, and waited for her response.

"...What was it that you had to speak with me about?" she changed the subject instead, and Sebastian blew out a harsh laugh at the attempted deflection.

"Nothing," he shot back. "Not anymore. Not if you may be pregnant. And if you truly do still insist on putting yourself into any sort of danger, I'll do whatever it takes to ensure that you don't, and that you can't."

"Seb—"

"You're my life, Clora," Sebastian declared harshly, his voice a near growl due to both his anger and his passion as he moved closer to her. "And if there's another life growing inside of you—my child—then I'll do whatever I can to keep the both of you safe, whether you agree to it or not. Ranrok can take the power of the repository for all I care, so long as there's not a chance anything harms you. Either of you."

Clora was quiet for a long moment, and even though she knew in her heart that she wasn't pregnant, Sebastian's words still touched and choked her up nonetheless, and she shook her head as she quickly sucked in a shaky breath and gathered herself.

"I know my body, Sebastian. I know that it's most likely nothing, so...don't talk as though I absolutely am—"

"I could say the same to you," he cut her off. "Don't talk as though you absolutely aren't."

Another long and quiet moment stretched on between them, because as usual, they'd both said their piece. And, as usual, they both knew that they wouldn't concede on their respective stances.

Clora wasn't about to keep herself tucked away and hidden, because she knew she wasn't truly pregnant, and it only made logical sense, considering Sebastian's potion that would have prevented as much, and the stress. So if Ranrok was to arrive at the school tomorrow, Clora would face him just as she'd always planned to.

Just as Sebastian also didn't plan to cave on his original stance that Clora shouldn't be putting herself into danger at all. It had already been hard enough to concede his argument when a possible pregnancy hadn't been in the picture, after all, so now Sebastian would be completely impossible to budge, so long as the slimmest chance remained.

"...That's everything I wanted to tell you," Clora finally breathed out as she moved to walk past him. "I'm going back to my room."

"I'll walk you," Sebastian said immediately, and she nodded silently as they went. "What did you eat today?"

Clora blinked at the sudden and random question as she turned to look up at him briefly. "I...can't really remember. I still haven't had much of an appetite since recovering."

The look of displeasure Sebastian made at that answer was nearly audible as he stopped walking. "We should stop by the Kitchens. Get you a snack."

Clora shook her head and continued on. "Sebastian, please—you're being ridiculous," she refuted, feeling rather justified in her initial hesitation to tell him about the situation to begin with. "I'm perfectly fine."

Sebastian clearly wasn't convinced, but he didn't insist further on the matter as they walked the rest of the way to the Ravenclaw common room, opting to take a Floo there on Sebastian's insistence, so that Clora wouldn't have to push herself too much.

She'd barely refrained from rolling her eyes as they'd done so, but Clora went along with it regardless, which meant it wasn't long before the two of them were standing just outside the doors.

Clora chewed her lip, unsure of what to say, or do. To say they'd made up wasn't right, but to say they were fighting also wasn't exactly correct. And so she simply stood there for a moment, before nodding awkwardly and turning to the door.

"Thank you for walking me back," she offered, perhaps a touch too politely. "Goodnight, Sebastian."

Sebastian stepped closer as he looked into her eyes, though they once again went down to her stomach for a long moment, before flicking back up. He lifted his hand to reach out for her then, too, though he retracted it in the end.

"Goodnight," he eventually said in return. "Go straight to sleep."

Clora huffed a small laugh despite herself, nodded, and Sebastian watched her silently and tensely as she disappeared behind the door.

******

Unlike previously, Clora hadn't been surprised this time around once she stepped out of her common room and found Sebastian already waiting for her in the morning.

He had yet another reason to watch over her now, after all. Not only because she was no longer wearing her ring and Sebastian wanted to dissuade sorts like Leander from acting upon that knowledge, but also because of her possible pregnancy.

Despite all of Sebastian's continued irritation with the former, and the continued tension between them due to the latter...the possibility of Clora being pregnant was still nonetheless able to ease his ire on the matter somewhat.

Because even if others assumed they were no longer together, or heard that Clora no longer wore Sebastian's ring, the two of them were still bound by something stronger than a ring: the chance that she may be carrying his child inside of her. And if it were true, it meant they were bound by a claim Sebastian had put on Clora that she couldn't exactly take off as simply as she could his ring, and that knowledge both satisfied him, and sent a thrill through him.

It still made Sebastian slightly antsy, however, that nobody else—especially Leander—was privy to that possibility. So he did his best both to watch over and keep her safe, and to simply stay close to her for the mere sake of being close to her, if only to dispel any rumours that they'd separated.

Sebastian was vigilant to a suffocating degree, as Clora knew he would be. And as they sat down for breakfast with Anne and Ominis, he never stopped adding food to her plate, nor repeatedly encouraging her to eat more.

"Sebastian, that's enough!" Clora finally lamented over a mouthful of food, swatting his hand away in exasperation as he still forked yet another pastry onto her plate regardless. "I'm full!"

Yes, you are, Sebastian almost wanted to say as the corners of his mouth twitched up in a smug smile, decidedly not thinking of food in that moment, but of something else entirely. How Clora truly was full—potentially full of him.

And the pleasure and pride Sebastian got from that line of thinking was no doubt clear on his face, because Clora grimaced at him in both realization and embarrassment as she pursed her lips and flushed, staying silent when Sebastian continued to smirk and added yet another piece of fruit to her plate.

******

Margaret and Clive visited the school again that afternoon, in order to get their promised tour of the Ravenclaw room, courtesy of Clora.

Sebastian had insisted on accompanying them, of course. Along with Anne, who had just so happened to spot them on the way there and joined at the last moment, at Margaret's insistence.

Once they arrived at the entrance, however, it was only Clive and Clora who stepped up to the knocker as they listened to its riddle.

"I have seas with no water, coasts with no sand, towns without people, mountains without land," the bronze bird hummed before them. "What am I?"

"A map," Clora and Clive both said at once, though Clora's answer was fast and breathless, as though she'd been attempting to answer before her father could. Though it turned out to be a tie, and they both looked at each other with a smile.

The eagle at the door folded its wings and put its head down at their correct answer, swinging open to let them in.

"Ravenclaw's riddles, Gryffindor's Fat Lady, Hufflepuff's musical knock..." Sebastian listed them with an amused and somewhat condescending shake of his head as he put his hands on his hips. "Slytherin's the only house that's got it all figured out, if you ask me. Just a simple door and a simple password."

"Agreed," Clive added, pushing his glasses up slightly as he did so, and Sebastian practically fell over himself from that smidgen of approval, once again thanking Merlin that he'd been sorted into the same house.

Clora and her mother shot both Sebastian and Clive respective looks of their own as they made their way inside, while Anne only laughed. "I don't know," she offered generously. "The riddles seem sort of fun."

"Maybe at first. But would you have known the answer, if you'd been alone?" Sebastian challenged, and when Anne only answered with her tight-lipped silence, he laughed loudly. "Only fun you'd be having would be sitting on the steps, waiting for someone to let you in."

Now it was Anne's turn to shoot Sebastian a look as she shoved him lightly, and he chuckled as the lot of them made their way up the rest of the stairs.

Clora knew that her father would be impressed with the Ravenclaw common room due to the selection of books, and how neatly organized it was, and how most of the students all had a book or homework of some sort in their laps as they sat at either the couches or the tables.

But seeing him approve was another thing entirely, and Clora couldn't help but stand straighter and almost puff up her chest in pride for her house as he looked about with clear interest.

She very quickly deflated, however, once her parents reached the knights guarding the girls' quarters.

"How cute," Margaret noted with amusement, clearly tickled by it, though Clive clearly didn't feel the same.

"I can't imagine that these are as effective as sliding stairs," he observed unhappily, lifting one of the knights' helmet as it held up its weapon to bar his path. "They certainly seem easy enough to get past, if one is so inclined."

Sebastian nearly had a heart attack as Clive turned to him. "As a male student, I'm curious what you think. Do you agree?"

Due to her being right beside him, only Sebastian heard Anne's snrk as he stilled, completely frozen under Clive's gaze as he waited for an answer.

"They...seem reliable enough to me," Sebastian shifted his weight and crossed his arms in observation, trying to sound casual; trying to sound as if he'd certainly never tried, and as if he didn't already know just how easy they were to bypass.

"Well, luckily it's not something us girls need to worry about," Margaret smiled as she peered around her husband to find her daughter. "Clora, I'd love to go see your room."

"Oh, of course," Clora agreed, though as she began to make her way to where her parents were, Sebastian promptly stopped her by grabbing her hood. "Wh—Sebastian? What?"

"The wards," he hissed as he bent to her level. "I've made it so that only female Ravenclaw students can enter your room."

Both Clora and Anne gasped at that information, but for entirely different reasons.

"You did that to my room, too, didn't you!" Anne turned to her brother in accusation, hitting his shoulder in her outrage. "So that's why Leo couldn't get in!"

"Leo?" Sebastian whipped to look at his sister in an outrage that overtook her own. "Who the—"

"Not now!" Clora whisper-shouted, hitting Sebastian on his other shoulder. "I have to fix this! How do I take them off?"

"You can't—not unless you have about an hour or so to spare. I'll have to go tend to them myself," he insisted, though that did nothing to ease Clora's stricken face as she listened. "I'll take care of it, trust me. All you need to worry about is distracting your parents while I do so. Alright?" Sebastian assured as he began to turn and survey where they still stood, before pausing and looking back at Clora seriously. "Especially your father."

Clora and Anne both nodded as they split off, but Sebastian hung back, waiting until they had both sufficiently engaged in a conversation with either parent before returning back down to the Ravenclaw entrance, so that none of them would hear the telltale noise of the Disillusionment Charm being cast, before he quietly stepped back up.

"You like Gobstones?" Anne balked, her voice raising with dumbfounded excitement as she forgot all about the fact that she was supposed to be distracting Margaret, and instead becoming genuinely distracted herself.

"I was head of the Gobstones Club, during my sixth-year," Margaret revealed with no small amount of flair, throwing her golden hair over her shoulder in the way that Clora also liked to do when she was being purposefully pompous. "And I remained the undefeated champion until my seventh."

The mere mention of Gobstones eventually made Zenobia appear as well, as though she were some sort of superstition or phantom that materialized if you said it thrice. And between her, Anne, Clora and her mother—and Clive, who Clora had convinced to be the point-taker—both parents were sufficiently distracted as Sebastian watched them carefully and crept on by.

He heard snippets of their conversation as he passed, and Sebastian could already tell that Anne would soon be lost to both Margaret and Zenobia, now that she'd met two others who also loved the putrid pastime to the same extent that she did—if not even moreso.

Speaking of putrid, however, Anne also told Margaret about the sweet-smelling Gobstones Clora had gifted to her, which had excited the older woman considerably, and the two of them promised to play while using them in the future. Since, as Margaret had lamented, "Sadly, at my age, it's not quite as acceptable to smell like Gobstone spray when walking out and about."

Sebastian couldn't help but crack a smile as he listened, despite the slight twinge of jealousy he also felt due to how swimmingly Anne seemed to be getting on with Clora's mother—and also despite the more than just a twinge of anxiety he felt as he snuck by Clive, who was now thankfully being distracted by Clora as she took him around their collection of books.

Sebastian proved Clive's skepticism correct as he easily moved past the knights he'd just vouched for, sneaking down to the dorms and deftly entering Clora's room with a soft shut of the door behind him.

He could have made his adjustments from the hallway, but there was another reason why Sebastian decided to enter Clora's room at that moment, and he went towards her vanity right after he'd finished, casting a nonverbal Revelio on the illusioned drawer that he knew contained that very reason.

Sebastian pulled it open and swiftly plucked the relic from its hiding place, slipping it into his pocket just as swiftly as he closed both the drawer and the door on his way out.

******

When Sebastian returned to the main floor of the Ravenclaw common room, everyone had vanished.

Not literally everyone, he supposed, but Anne and Margaret's impromptu Gobstones club had apparently been abolished and was now nowhere to be seen, along with both Clora and Clive.

Only Zenobia was left, and so Sebastian beelined his way towards her.

She'd initially told him that she would only tell him where they'd all gone if he could defeat her at a game of Gobstones, but whatever face he'd made at those conditions apparently changed her mind rather swiftly, and so she pointed up.

"They're on the rooftop."

"Rooftop?" Sebastian repeated in confusion as he instinctively looked up, because he hadn't even realized there was a roof to be on top of, but he certainly wasted no time in finding out where it was as he made his way to the second level and thudded up the spiral steps.

He swung open the white door, and upon stepping out and taking in his current surroundings, Sebastian realized he had seen this part of the roof before, whenever he was flying. He just hadn't realized it was actually accessible.

"Sorry, Sebastian. Were you looking for us?" Margaret called over to him once he stepped further out, looking for Clora. "Clora suddenly started feeling sick, so we decided to come up here for some fresh air."

"And the view," Clora added from her spot on the bench, twisting her body to lean over the side while Clive placed a hand on her back.

"I can't decide whether I like this or the lake more," Anne agreed wistfully.

"I'm feeling better now," Clora informed them suddenly as she stood, and her father did the same. "It must have just been the smell of all that Gobstone spray that made me ill, that's all."

"And rightfully so," Clive remarked in a grimace, and Margaret went to him and laughed. "Truly repugnant."

"It wasn't repugnant enough to keep you away from me, though, was it?" Margaret teased as she walked with her husband back inside, and whatever Clive may have said in return was lost as they headed back down.

"Anne, go with them," Sebastian told her quickly. "Make sure they don't come back up. I need to speak with Clora alone."

Anne only raised her eyebrows at his rather sudden and direct request, no doubt assuming he simply wanted a romantic moment alone with Clora, thanks to the beautiful sight, and so she rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Fine, fine," she agreed flippantly as she turned and made her way for the door. "We can add it to your debt. You really do owe me, you know."

Sebastian was too distracted to form any sort of response to his sister, heading directly over to Clora instead.

"You're feeling sick?" Sebastian asked almost as soon as the door clicked shut behind Anne, his eyes instinctively going to Clora's stomach, and then to her face as he looked her over. "If you're feeling nauseous, that's a sign of—"

"Sebastian," Clora cut him off before he could finish. "I'm not pregnant! I only said I was feeling sick in order to get my dad out of the common room. He kept looking over at the knights, and I was worried he would see you return."

Sebastian only stared at her, his expression of disbelief and suspicion not budging an inch, even after her explanation.

"Are you sure?" he asked, clearly unconvinced. "Or are you simply telling me that so I don't worry?"

Clora groaned. "You're the one who told me to distract my dad, no matter what! But fine, don't believe me," she threw her hands down as she shook her head. "You managed to take off the wards, right?"

"Of course I did," Sebastian affirmed as he crossed his arms. "And they're going right back as soon as your parents take their leave, especially now that I see this."

"See what?"

"This," Sebastian stressed as if she were blind, looking all about him. "That apparently just any random passersby can chance a visit to your common room, if they're feeling so inclined."

The grounds were warded, which was true enough. But that still meant that any bold student (or professor, or even a visitor to the school) could fly their way up and enter the Ravenclaw common room—and potentially past the knights and to the girls' quarters—if they had the mind to try.

The thought made Sebastian retroactively anxious, thinking back to before he'd decided to ward Clora's room, and he suddenly wished she was a Slytherin as well, if only so that she could stay in their common room, where the only thing they had to worry about coming through their windows was water and fish.

"Well, there is a door," Clora argued on behalf of whatever twat had designed her common room. "And it is locked."

Sebastian looked at her.

"And there's also Alohomora," he reminded.

His rebuttal only received a small shrug of the shoulder from Clora in admittance, and the sight and how much she clearly didn't see the issue, only made Sebastian rub his face and blow out yet another exasperated breath.

Those wards truly couldn't be back up fast enough.

******

"My dress! Oh, I'd forgotten all about it!" Margaret exclaimed as she headed down to her room, and Clora and Anne watched on—Anne, with amusement, and Clora, with trepidation. Because they both knew what was coming next.

"Let me see it on you!" Margaret spun as she held it out to Clora.

And there it was.

"No—mum—"

"What a brilliant idea," Anne agreed with a nod as she turned to smile at Clora, who was looking back at her with a look of utter betrayal (which Anne was quite used to by now.)

Clora was no match for the two of them, though, and so she soon found herself stuffed back into it, the only small mercy being that her mother at least tied the laces slightly looser than Anne had done before.

"Oh, come on, sweetie!" Margaret beckoned from the main floor of the common room, having come up with Anne once they'd gotten Clora fitted. Though they soon discovered she was no longer following behind the two of them once they actually emerged up the steps and past the knights. "Let your father see! And Sebastian, too!" Margaret insisted, but then paused as she smiled over at Sebastian. "But I'd bet you've already seen it, haven't you? If you went to the ball together."

For once, Clive's glare had no effect on Sebastian, because Sebastian wasn't the one to blame this time around.

"We didn't go together," Sebastian informed her, trying to keep the bitterness out of his tone as he crossed his arms.

"Who did she go with?" Clive questioned as he turned to Sebastian with a frown, no doubt because he wanted to know about any other potential boys around Clora, unaware that he'd already met her Yule Ball date.

"Leander Prewett."

"That nice Gryffindor boy who showed us around," Margaret said in realization as she touched Clive's shoulder, as if to remind him of who—though Sebastian was rather certain that Clive hardly needed the reminder. "Well, as a Gryffindor myself, I approve!"

Margaret's words only made the corners of Sebastian's mouth dip down even further as he bitterly seethed in irritation, now promptly wishing that he'd been a Gryffindor, instead.

Not only for Margaret's acceptance, but for Clive's as well, now that he thought on it. Because as a Slytherin himself, and as a Slytherin who'd also had experiences with his own housemates and their slimy ways, Sebastian knew all too well that being a Slytherin didn't mean you had to like Slytherins.

In fact, it might have only made him detest them even more.

"And who was your lucky date, may I ask?" Margaret addressed Sebastian then, snapping him out of his resentful thoughts as she smiled at him.

"Sebastian, Ominis and I all went together, as a group," Anne answered for him—perhaps luckily— because Sebastian wasn't sure he'd be able to completely erase the regret and annoyance from his voice if he did. "Clora was invited, too, but she'd already been asked."

"How sweet. It's heartwarming to see how close you all are," Margaret smiled fondly, her eyes somewhat distant as she spoke. "I always did want another child, and a sibling for Clora. To keep her company, and to watch over her. Just like the two of you."

"Forgive me if this is too forward, but..." Anne started uncertainly. "Is there a reason you never did?"

"I almost never had the chance to meet Clora," Margaret admitted after a moment, clearly still emotional at just the thought. "I've always been a bit frail, I suppose, and giving birth is tough on even the best of us."

Sebastian froze as he listened, his entire being reeling as he attempted to digest this new information. His thoughts simultaneously came to a full stop, and raced as fast as they ever had before while he stared at nothing.

He'd killed her. He'd killed Clora.

Her and her mother were so similar, after all. Similar enough that Sebastian had even mistaken one for the other. But where Clora's appearance—how slender and soft and delicate she was—had always lit a fire and filled Sebastian with desire before, now it only filled him with anxiety, and made him feel as though cold water had been dumped on him instead.

He'd previously found pleasure in the idea of Clora being pregnant; swelling with him, and bearing his child. Though he now only felt regret, suddenly wishing he'd never touched her, praying that she truly wasn't pregnant, after all. Because if her mother had nearly died in childbirth, then Clora—

Sebastian stopped that train of thought, forcefully screeching it to a halt, though another one promptly replaced it.

What if having twins ran in his family?

Margaret had barely survived one child. But what if Sebastian had not only impregnated Clora, but also impregnated her with twins? With two children at once?

Before Sebastian's paranoia could spiral too far, however, Margaret continued on.