Part 1
She got up from the ground, slowly, with her eyes still closed. She knew she had to open them as soon as possible, because in the case that she was being attacked, she had to immediately launch a defense. But her eyes refused to open. The slightest amount of light was wreaking havoc in her head, and the headache was unbearable. She felt confused... and perhaps -with no admittance from her-, a little scared.
There was silence around her though.
A lot of silence.
Staggering pathetically, MC tried to use her hands to get some support. A stone wall stood in her way. She put all her weight against it, trying to calm her heartbeat and ground herself. Little by little managed to open her eyes while trying to remember where she was. The stone wall felt cold and familiar. She tried to focus on it, and what little clarity she could muster told her she was still inside the castle.
- Hello? - Whispered.
Her eyes were finally willing to be of service. She felt a nauseating filling in her gut, making her dizzy. She felt like throwing up. What just happened? The last thing she could remember was being hit in the back by a crushing force. She remembered the spell. She remembered a voice screaming it right before she was knocked to the floor.
Wait?
What was the spell again? She felt that it was easy to remember, but the name of it was as clear as the fog around the forest.
She looked around, and a chilling feeling regarded her. She was indeed in the castle, but it was the middle of the night. It looked... lonely. She had to hide. Get away.
If one of the prefects saw her, she was in for a world of trouble. She looked around. There was... there was a Floo Flame right behind her, a stair that would only bring her to a lower level of the cattle, and two classrooms on her left side. She took a breath of relief when she recognized the Defense against the Dark Arts class.
She was far away from her common room, but she might just make it to the Room of Requirements.
In fact,...
She swirled around to face the Floo Flame. It occurred to her that she could just travel straight there with the help of Ignatia Wildsmith. But the stone figure was fast asleep. She knew what that meant. She would have to do it herself. Pick up the blue ashes and scream loudly where she wanted to go. Might as well call the head boys and place herself at their mercy. Hell no! They would recognize her voice anywhere.
She poked the nose of Ignatia – trying to wake her up-, but what was she expecting? It was made of stone. She didn't even flinch.
-Wake up! - Scream whispered.
Nothing.
- I can't believe you are asleep woman! -her face contorted in frustration-. You are never asleep!
- WHOSE THERE?
Fuck!
- JIJIJ. I'LL FIND YOU MY LITTLE RAT!
The door to the Undercroft was never sound effective. The damn thing was just screaming to be found and couldn't imagine how it was still a secret. Finally closing the gate in front of her, she gave herself a respite.
- Damn Poltergeist.
She felt safe for a moment. A minute. Perhaps a few seconds?
Bold, fast and decisive footsteps resounded behind her, echoing all around the neglected space.
- BOMBARDA!
She flinched when she heard that scream and muscle memory pivot her out of the attack's way. The blast lashed against the gate and the impact trashed her on the floor.
With new scratches on her hand and knees, she got up right before a second attack hit her.
- DEPULSO!
The air brutally left her lungs. MC landed on her back and felt the crushing weight of her ribs. She tried in vain to get the air back in, to stand up, open her eyes, and use her frail arms to support her. But all failed. She wasn't even down for two seconds before she had someone throw themselves at her.
- I told you I would kill you if you ever come here again!
A hand holding her neck with a vice grip, a wand buried roughly against her cheek, and a knee on her chest, keeping her down.
-WHY DID YOU COME HERE?
-O...Omiss. I... I can't breathe -she used her only free arm to hit him on his shoulder and face to no avail. She was still weak and slowly turning blue. When did he get so big?
- YOU FUCKING MUDBLOOD. ANSWER ME!
Her hits were getting weaker. He was not listening to her.
-p...pleasss- her world started to dial down. She was passing out.
Abruptly, he stood up and let go of her. Now the air wanted to come in too fast and too hard. Every breath was agony, every cough, every wheezing. All of it felt like needles in her throat and extended the pain all over her body.
She clasped her throat trying to coerce some air through it, but it was clamped shut. Wheezing sounds were echoing around the Undercroft.
- Answer the damn question MC. What are you doing here?
He sounded almost bored, not that she could register that now.
-Stop making fuzz -rolled his eyes-. I was holding back.
Tears of pain and betrayal trickled down her cheeks and unto the floor. Her wheezing turned desperate and loud. She was seeing things in a blur.
- Hey!
-Air- She managed to say, but it sounded more like the cry of the dead.
- MC?
He got closer to her, but MC jumped back to stay away from him.
- I didn't press so hard -he murmured.
She looked away from the floor and spotted Ominis towering over her. His expression was one of concentration.
- MC? - He squatted down, but the only response he got was more wheezing and sobs- I told you to stop making a fuzz. Just drink a Wiggenweld Potion. You always carry them around.
A Wiggenweld Potion! Yes! He is right!
"Where are they" She patted mindlessly around her robes, but she could not feel any dead weight on her clothes. She felt Ominis hands on her shoulders making her flinch and slap his hands away.
- What the hell are you doing? I am trying to help you!
- Yo... you _did s to m...me...haa
-It wouldn't be this bad if you didn't look down on me. You could have defended yourself with your wand!
A coughing fit lashed against her throat, and she saw drops of blood splatter on the floor. She could tell the moment Ominis smelled the blood. Now he started to look frantic, looking between his robes.
He picked a Wiggenweld Potion, and after opening the cap tried to force-feed it to her.
She felt herself reaching for the glass vial and then tossed it against a wall. It broke into pieces.
-MC!
-MC?!
One was a scream of frustration, the other was one of fear.
- OMINIS! What did you do?
That voice. Finally, an ally.
Sebastian ran to her and held her shaken-up body against him. She could feel the warmth of his body and felt safe.
- Look at the state of her! Did you actually try to kill her? I thought you were just venting when you said you would.
Ominis kept quiet, but he was avoiding Sebastian's eyes.
- Here- he looked in his robes-. Drink this.
-She won't drink it! - Ominis could smell the scent of the healing potion.
-Well, she is drinking it now! – Said in a condescending voice- I don't blame her for not trusting you. Her neck is BLACK PURPLE!
Ominis winced at the mention of what he did.
MC witnessed their exchange with curiosity. Sebastian was still protective of her. Ominis is the one that didn't make any sense. She knew he was holding her accountable for what happened to Sebastian's uncle. But his reaction seemed out of character.
She felt the potion in her mouth, with Sebastian trying to force her to drink in sheer desperation.
The healing potion had an acid but gentle texture. It forced itself down her throat, healing its way in as a bonus. By the time it reached her stomach, she could feel the airway opening and allowing much-needed relief. One or two of her ribs must have been broken because they snapped back into place, the sound making all three of them flinch.
She grabbed Sebastian's sleeves to ground herself. He took her between his arms and helped her stand up.
- How are you feeling?
- I am fine- her voice was raspy-. What the hell is wrong with you? -her eyes turned into slits, cursing Ominis with them-. You seriously were going to kill me?
- It didn't have to turn in that way- he defended himself-. You could have defended yourself. You just didn't think I was worth the challenge.
- I DON'T HAVE MY WAND ON ME, YOU MORON! - It felt good to scream- This was serious! What the hell?!
Silence took place inside the cavern.
- What are you doing in the middle of the night, with no Wiggenweld Potion and no wand? - Sebastian intervened.
- I would assume nothing dangerous- She snapped at Sebastian's questions. As if what just went down was her fault.
- Did you meet with someone? - Ominis's question sickened her.
She tried to retort but realized that she didn't have an answer.
- I... I don't know.
- What do you mean you don't know? – Ominis's face was becoming frustrated and agitated.
- That is none of your business!
- Then "I" will ask you- Sebastian turned her around-. Were you about to meet someone?
- I said, "I don't know"! - She pushed him away.
With a raspy voice, she mentioned that she was attacked in front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
- I don't know why I was there, I tried to go back to... the common room -she didn't want to mention the Room of Requirements- when I heard Peeves coming for me and trying to alert the entire school. I ran away from him, but the Undercroft was the only place nearby where I could hide. And, I did have my wand! I must have lost it when I fell down the stairs.
- You fell down the stairs? - He looked shocked.
-YES! It's been quite the night for me – she laughed sarcastically and spitefully-. I was attacked from behind in the most cowardly manner, I was haunted by Peeves, fell down the stairs, lost my wand and came to hide in a place where I thought I would be safe, ALL so I could get blasted once again from behind, by someone who I thought was a friend.
-You and I are not friends- Ominis was unrepentant.
-Don't worry. I will never make that mistake again.
Her comment seemed to unsettle him.
-Do you know where your wand is? - The red-haired boy turned her attention towards him.
-I think is probably right next to the landing of the stairs. I was just too shaken to pick it up.
- Very well. You stay here while I go and retrieve...
- You are not living me here with him!
-Well, I can't very well ask Ominis to be the one to look for it!
- Why not! – Slytherin's heir seemed offended- Blind wizards can't find a simple wand on the floor?
Sebastian turned red at the implication.
-What he means is that you probably break it on purpose!
- I will do nothing of the sort. I'll be right back.
He turned away with his characteristic indifference and left the Undercroft.
- Come. You must take a sit- Sebastian took her to a battered chair-. It's not that I want to make excuses for him, because surely, he took things too far; but...
MC watched him scratch the back of his neck.
-... you knew he would react this way. You know, things are still... weird between you two.
She arched an eyebrow.
- He just needs time.
- I seriously don't know what you are talking about. Is this about what happened in the catacombs?
Sebastian flinched at the mention of it.
- MC, we agreed not to talk about that. Ever- his hands shook for an imperceptible moment.
- You are the one who brought it up.
- No! What I meant was... you know... about your fight with Ominis.
- What fight?
- What do you mean what fight? - Ominis already came back with her wand in his hand.
-That was fast- Sebastian seemed genuinely surprised.
Ominis shrugged.
- Peeves showed me where it was.
- He showed you? Just like that?
- Didn't you know? – Sebastian was amused- Peeves is Ominis ancestor.
-WHAT? That good for nothing is a Gaunt?
- He is NOT a Gaunt- Ominis face contorted beautifully at the mere thought- He was part of the lesser families associated with Slytherin. Sucking up to my family makes him feel important.
- I never would have thought he used to be a Slytherin.
- I know! – Sebastian looked as if he just won an argument- He feels to me more like Gryffindor. Don't you think? That habit of minding everyone's business.
- Perhaps- despite herself, she laughed a bit.
- MC- Ominis took a step closer to her putting her on edge-. You don't remember our fight?
She said no while accepting her wand.
- Well, that... that is upsetting.
- Is it? -she was confused- Was it that big to warrant your ire?
- It was big enough not to be forgotten. You haven't stepped foot on the Undercroft in almost two years. And suddenly you think you can come as if nothing's happened.
Silence.
-MC?
Silence
-MC, are you ok? - Sebastian shook her shoulder.
Silence
- Sebastian, is she Ok?
-I don't know. She looks pale.
- I remember now -she murmured-. I remember... the spell.
-What spell?
-What spell?
She sighed.
-Whoever attacked me in front of the classroom shouted a spell right before I was left unconscious. I thought it was Depulso because of the blast. But I think it was Obliviate instead.
Her words were met with Silence.
- I... I have only been in this school for less than a year- Silence-. To my knowledge, I only learned about the Undercroft two months ago.
She raised her head to meet their eyes.