=.=
WALK THE LINE
Harry x OC
'for those that don't feel wanted.'
Chapter 9: Inner Thoughts
Song Choices: Hogwarts Ambience and Chainsaw Symphony
Sarah woke earlier than the rest of the house, or so she had thought.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when Ominis Alden spoke from the kitchen table. You couldn't see the table from where you entered the kitchen as it was tucked into the corner. However, he was sat there nursing a cup of hot tea as spoke as she entered.
"There's fresh Earl Grey, if that's what you fancy." Ominis spoke. Sarah, after her initial shock, swallowed anything she might've said to that and hummed in agreement. After pouring some tea for herself, Sarah sat across from Ominis at the table.
While it might've seemed rude in most cases, Sarah couldn't help but stare at Ominis as he settled into his seat, looking half awake and disgruntled. She noticed that his brow was quite similar to her own, being strong and causing her eyes to look sunken and sharp. She also wondered what colour his eyes would've been had he not been blind. It looked like they would've been a ghostly blue, not like her vibrant grey. The one thing Sarah did pride herself in was that she was told she had dazzling eyes. They seemed to shimmer, according to Maggie, which spooked some people and made her glare all the more intense.
Idly, Sarah wondered what Ominis would think of her glare; would it even have an effect?
"I do hope Sebastian hasn't been too forward with you," Ominis spoke suddenly, jarring Sarah from her thoughts. "He has never been one for tact, but I assure you he simply has many thoughts on his mind."
Sarah contemplated her conversation with Sebastian last night. She wasn't sure what to make of it and was still mulling over his words. When she didn't answer right away, Ominis sighed and shook his head.
"Over one hundred years old and still talks like a child." He muttered to himself, though Sarah heard him.
"He cares about his family." Sarah said softly. Ominis hummed as he lifted his teacup.
"Yes, sometimes a bit too much." There was a darkness to his words that Sarah was uncertain of. She didn't understand what he meant by it, nor why both old men seemed to have something they were telling her. But Sarah had long since learned to shift out liars and not to trust so openly, and she knew there was something unsaid between them.
"You are quite a reserved young lady. Maggie told us it might be difficult to get a read on you." Ominis chuckled though, as if amused. "I suppose a lack of facial expressions isn't too troubling, however."
Sarah's eyes flickered up to his unseeing ones. She wanted to ask about them, but wondered if it was too forward.
"Is it difficult, not seeing?" she asked gently, curious. Ominis smile kindly, the corners of his mouth folding with wrinkles while his brow softened. He appeared to be genuinely kind, like Sebastian, but so very full of memories and secrets.
"I wouldn't know, I was born blind. Considering I never had sight to begin with I can't seem to understand what all the fuss is about." He said this, but Sarah noticed how impeccably well-dressed he was. She wondered idly if he found it easy and always dressed this well because it was all he knew?
"You're a curious mind, and yet so silent. Don't be afraid, not like an old blind man with back pain could be that intimidating." Ominis said, casually drinking more tea. Sarah stared down at her cup, at her own reflection in the dark waters.
"That's a lie." she said quietly, but Ominis tilted his head in curiosity. "Cuts heal overtime, but words stay with us forever."
Ominis paused for a moment, but then a deep chuckle left his lips as a wry smirk worked its way onto them.
"Well said," he paused to consider something, "trauma often matures the soul beyond its years."
She looked at him, frowning, wondering briefly if he was speaking for her or himself. Ominis wasn't bothered though and seemed comfortable in the atmosphere. The girl couldn't help it though as the dark humour crept forward in her brain.
It wasn't like he could see it, so Sarah dropped the façade for a brief moment and felt herself start to smile.
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Sarah joked. Ominis scoffed.
"Don't let Sebastian hear you say that." He said, though he continued to smile. "Now tell me, Sarah Williams, I simply must know if the tradition has been kept up since we left. Has anyone told you of the mermaids in the black lake?"
"Mermaids?" Sarah asked. Ominis tsked, sounding disappointed.
"Anne and I would the start of every year convincing first years that you could see the mermaids. They are there, though they have little to no interest in Hogwarts students." Ominis said in a reminiscing tone. Sarah fed into it, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Who was Anne?" Sarah asked, sipping her tea. Ominis smiled.
"Sebastian's twin sister. She passed a while ago. I believe you are wearing her ring." Ominis gestured in her direction. Sarah looked down at the ring with snakes and a black gem. She felt a bit surprised, not having known exactly where this ring had come from.
"It was made from Goblin metal, by my late wife, in a bid to help Anne with her own ailments at the time." Despite the information, Sarah could sense a bit of hurt and longing at the mention of his deceased wife. Tentatively, she pressed for more.
"Your wife sounds very kind." Sarah said, feeling strained in how to phrase the words. Ominis smiled though, his eyes softening and a warmth filling his features. Sarah was briefly reminded of how Harry looked at her when she gave him the picture of his parents.
"Cassi, quite possibly the kindest woman one could ever meet. How she ever fell for me I cannot fathom... But she was a saint who helped both Sebastian and I in many of our adventures." He shook his head after a moment and cleared his throat. "I suppose that might be a boring subject for you though. Can't imagine hearing an old man's woes is a great topic of conversation with you youths."
The blonde shrugged despite the blind man being unable to see it.
"Trauma's aged me." Sarah said, a hint of mischief in her tone. Ominis chuckled again.
"That it has."
Sarah and Ominis continued to chat for over an hour about anything pertaining to Hogwarts. She found it bizarre to speak to him, as several times she caught herself openly smiling or grinning at his words. She definitely liked him but couldn't understand what it was that drew her to him. He had been correct; trauma had changed her. She was not the same girl who was initially adopted the first time in the orphanage. She was not about to wear her heart on her sleeve.
But perhaps because he was blind, because in a sense she had the upper hand, she felt comfortable with the man more so than she had with many others. Ominis told her of several things to snoop around for in the castle, including the cellars and different hidden passages to check out. He was unsurprised at how Cerus had already told her of the Undercroft, and that it had been in his family for generations.
Something didn't sound right about it to Sarah, but soon the house was awake as others came down, and the duo concluded their private chat. Sarah watched Sebastian come into the kitchen, and observed the friendship between the two old men, idly wondering if that would be her and Harry one day. She smiled softly at the idea of it.
Sarah eagerly walked back into Hogwarts with the Sallow siblings at the end of the holidays. Cerus and Selene both opted to return immediately to the common rooms while Sarah sought out Harry. She eventually found him and Ron playing wizard's chess in the Great Hall. The black-haired boy beamed when he saw her, waving to her to come and sit. Ron scowled at her approach, but Sarah ignored him as she looked at her best friend.
Sarah sidled next to Harry, who was staring at the black headband that Sarah now wore. It held back her curls to gently frame her face, showing her pale complexion.
"Sarah, I take it you liked your gift?" Harry teased. Sarah rolled her eyes, and while she didn't smile, her eyes were laughing with him.
"Plural," she muttered, then the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. "Thank you, though I wish you'd use your money more practically."
Harry laughed.
"Right, I'll buy a whole library for you next time. That's practical, right?"
Sarah rolled her eyes as Harry grinned, elated to see her using his gift already. Ron cleared his throat, and the duo broke eye-contact. Ron frowned, then gestured to the chessboard. Harry quickly moved his knight before looking at Sarah again.
"I have to show you something later." Harry said quickly. Sarah raised a brow, but Harry looked back to the chessboard again and played with Ron. Harry told Sarah about his time at Hogwarts with Ron, and how the food was loads better than when he was at home, and that he needed to show Sarah something important. Sarah was partially listening, partially watching the chess game. Ron even had some input about what he thought of Hogwarts during the holidays.
Harry lost to Ron four times in a row, and eventually he conceded that he wasn't going to defeat Ron.
"May I play?" Sarah asked, surprising the boys. Ron looked at Harry, who slid himself out of the way for Sarah to take her seat. She had played chess twice with Sebastian over the holidays. Ron walked her through the basics, and the two of them played while Harry observed. Without surprise, Ron won, but Sarah found it quite entertaining to play against the red head.
"Well played." Sarah said softly, surprising Ron. Harry grinned at Ron's stumped expression; he knew the feeling.
Harry walked Sarah back to her common room, then pulled her away to show her his invisibility cloak. It piqued Sarah's interest as she felt the fabric and swung it onto her own shoulders once to see what it looked like underneath.
"Who gave it to you?" Sarah asked, pulling it off and handing it back to Harry, who shrugged lightly.
"Dunno, it belonged to my dad though." He paused for a moment, his eyes growing distant. Harry recounted the mirror of Erised, of seeing his parents.
"But it was strange," Harry continued, confused briefly. "I saw... I saw them, but- I was older, much older. An adult, and- and you were there. Mum and Dad were smiling at us, and nodding.
Sarah snorted.
"Perhaps they approved of me?" She had meant it as a joke, but the way Harry looked at her made her hesitate. Harry frowned, then tilted his head as he looked at her.
"I think- I think I wanted you to meet them? I dunno, but- I did wonder if you'd like them." Harry admitted, wondering why he and Sarah were adults when they appeared in the mirror before him.
And why on Earth were they holding hands, grinning down at him knowingly?
Sarah huffed, looking down her nose.
"I already know what they'd think." She said derisively, then smirked. "They would've knocked some sense into you and told you to stay away from me."
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Honestly Sar."
"Would've taught you a bedtime nursery rhyme to warn you too."
Harry laughed, watching as Sarah hummed softly.
"One, two, Sarah's coming for you." She sang in an eerie voice. Harry shivered, making her smirk.
"Like I would've listened. I would probably be singing it all the way up to your doorstep." Harry mused, staring at the blonde who was still slightly taller than him. Sarah's smirk melted into a soft smile moments later.
"Thank goodness." She spoke warmly, reminded of Ominis and Sebastian's antics and wondered again if that would be her and Harry someday. She hoped so, the thought blooming warmth in her chest.
"Harry!"
Both of Harry's Gryffindor friends came sprinting down the quiet hall and up to him. Hermione hugged Harry in welcome, before turning to Sarah. She looked timid but nodded to her. Sarah nodded back, her face cool and neutral the moment the frizzy haired witched approached. Ron sauntered at a slower pace.
"Hello Sarah, hope you and Maggie had a nice Christmas?" Hermione asked, surprising Harry. Sarah nodded, her eyes warming at the thought of her adoptive mother.
"It was lovely, I hope yours was as well?" Sarah's politeness threw Harry for a loop, but Hermione smiled happily.
"Yes, it was very quiet being home though, nothing like being here in Hogwarts." Hermione spoke some more, though Sarah was only half listening. She could sense Harry's lingering stare as they made their way to Gryffindor tower and then the Great Hall.
"What?" Sarah asked as Ron and Hermione walked ahead of them. Harry just smiled at Sarah.
"You're being awfully friendly." He teased. Sarah looked to the back of Hermione's head, then casually tossed some of the blonde locks over her own shoulder in dismissal.
"They're your friends," Sarah said simply, surprising Harry. "I suppose they can't be completely dreadful."
She paused then, scowling at Ron's back.
"Granger isn't, but I've no idea what you ever saw in Weasley." She corrected. Still, Harry recalled her playing against Ron, how she gave her undivided attention when he explained the rules. Even Harry's commentary didn't pull her away.
He felt happy, knowing Sarah's little world was growing, and felt even happier when he saw a twinkle linger in her eyes despite the neutral expression. Harry slipped his hand into hers, startling Sarah. Despite initially flinching, she didn't pull away, she just looked down at their interlocked fingers with a raised brow.
"What?" Harry challenged, but Sarah said nothing as she looked ahead. Though he did notice the tips of her ears turning a bright shade of pink. He wasn't sure why, but he enjoyed the colour it brought to her face.
"Here it is." Sarah muttered, setting the thick book down in front of the trio. Harry looked up at her, confused. "You said you needed to find Nicholas Flamel, he's here. He's even known by muggles he's so famous. I'm surprised Hogwarts has muggle encyclopedias here though."
Hermione's eyes lit up as she looked at the cover.
Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 10
"Of course!" Hermione rushed away without another word as Sarah flipped the pages. Ron muttered about 'girls being mental', which Sarah ignored while she turned the book around for Harry to read. Ron leaned in as well to read.
Flamel, Nicholas (1330-1418) - reputed French alchemist and scrivener to the university of Paris, was born in Paris or Pontoise about 1330, and died in Paris in 1418, bequeathing the bulk of his property to the church of Saint-Jacques-la-Boucherie, where he was buried.
"This doesn't tell me anything I need to know though." Harry said, frowning. Though he had to admit this was a better lead than he ever expected to have.
"Harry," Sarah said, pointing to the name. "Look at when he was born."
1330
"So?" Ron asked, frowning. Sarah scowled at him, but then ignored him.
"If he was born in 1330, why is Dumbledore speaking with him?" Sarah started but was cut off as Hermione brought a large tome forward. She dropped it beside the encyclopedia and flipped through it.
"It's because he's well known for his greatest creation, the philosopher's stone." Hermione added in. Sarah nodded, understanding from her own study.
"I didn't think it actually existed." she admitted. Hermione looked up at her, excitement in her eyes.
"Neither did I, it's rather enthralling really. To think Hogwarts is hiding such a thing." Hermione was grinning as she spoke to the taller girl.
"What are you two on about?" Ron asked. Hermione rolled her eyes but relented into explaining the stone to the boys.
"Never grow old, never die..." Sarah mused quietly.
"That's what Fluffy's guarding then? The stone?" Ron asked. Harry and Hermione seemed to think deeper on this.
"Seems like it, but I can't imagine the stone just resting under that trap-door." Harry said.
"There's likely more than Fluffy guarding the stone." Hermione added. Sarah had only heard of Fluffy, and so she couldn't give any input or opinions.
Harry huffed, amazed all he had to do was mention the name once to Sarah and she had answers.
"Thanks Sar, we've been looking for months." He admitted. Sarah brushed some hair over her shoulder, Ron rolled his eyes at the motion.
"You're welcome." She said proudly, but then glanced at Hermione to see her shyly smiling at Sarah. The corner of Sarah's mouth lifted as she looked down at her from the corner of her eye.
"I suppose now I can focus on trying not to die." Harry sighed, glancing at the door where he could've sworn a black robe swished by. Sarah raised a brow.
"Snape's going to be referee-ing the Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor match." Hermione said, certain it would be disastrous. Sarah frowned then, wondering what they were talking about.
"Do you remember how my broom was jinxed during the Slytherin match?" Harry asked. Sarah nodded once. "Hermione found Snape not looking away once while it was happening."
Sarah tilted her head, remembering the trance-like state she entered when she attacked Dudley. Eye contact was definitely important, but for some reason it didn't fit with Sarah. She didn't like Snape one bit, but she would be lying if she said she thought him the type to try and actively kill a student.
"You really think Snape is the one?" she asked, glancing to the door as if expecting him to be summoned. Ron scoffed.
"Oh come on! The man's evil and you know it! He's had it out for Harry since day one!" Ron said in a hushed tone, as if thinking Snape would magically hear him if he spoke too loudly. Sarah glanced at all of them, and Hermione noticed the hesitation.
"Who do you think would've done it then?" Hermione asked. "I can't think of anyone else who would've done that, maybe Malfoy, but no first year has that sort of magic."
Sarah and Harry shared a brief look before she looked down at the table. They weren't wrong, Sarah didn't suspect anyone else in the school, but Snape seemed- it seemed too easy.
"Nothing's ever that simple." she muttered, trying to imagine someone else. Malfoy wasn't staring at Harry, he was looking at her, and other than him she couldn't think of anybody else who had it in for Harry bad enough to try and kill him.
"You'll be fine." she said confidently, looking Harry in the eye. He wasn't very convinced.
"He's going to die." Ron sighed. Hermione rolled her eyes as Sarah looked directly at Harry.
"You'll be fine." Sarah said again. Harry noticed her twisting her ring on her hand and swallowed. For once, Sarah was happy with her magic, if only for the fact that it allowed her to protect her friends. Harry gave a smile, then nodded. Hermione noticed the exchange and looked at them curiously but didn't make a remark.
Ever since that day in the library, Sarah had been circling the drain about it. She wondered who had both the power and the motif to attack Harry like that.
"Cerus." Sarah called after the second year. He turned to look at her, breaking off from conversation with his friend. Said friend said goodbye before walking away as Cerus strolled over to Sarah.
"You called?" He drawled out, raising a brow. Sarah's eye twitched.
"Well look at you being rather obedient." She taunted. Cerus rolled his eyes.
"I'm waiting for you to apologize for the posters."
Sarah scoffed with a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"Are you not a Puddlemere fan after all?" Sarah raised a brow, challenging him. Cerus rolled his eyes. Her gift to him had been a dubiously large poster of the entire team flying in formation. Evidently, Cerus was not a Puddlemere fan, and the joke had long since run its course when Sarah used that joke on Snape last semester.
"Merlin you don't quit do you." He muttered, rubbing his face. "Alright, what did you need?"
Sarah sobered, remembering her original reason for speaking with him.
"I-" She hesitated, then gestured for him to follow her. Cerus frowned, but then followed her all the way to the Undercroft. Once inside, Sarah spoke freely to Cerus.
"During the match of Gryffindor vs Slytherin, did you notice what happened with Harry's broom?"
Cerus thought back, then recalled watching Harry dangling in the air and the beaters attempting to catch him.
"Oh yeah, was a real shock. He lost control of it right?"
"Not entirely. I- I think someone jinxed his broom." Sarah said carefully. Cerus frowned, tilting his head and crossing his arms.
"Why would you think that?" he asked, noticing how she played with her ring.
"Harry told me someone was jinxing the broom before. Hermione said Snape wasn't looking away the entire time. It all lined up perfectly." She said as Cerus watched her.
"And you think they're wrong, don't you? That's why you're asking me?" He put the pieces together, watching Sarah lick her teeth.
"You've been here longer. You know the teachers better. I can't imagine any students motivated enough to trying and hurt him, and I can't imagine a man who's been teaching here for years trying to kill a student." Sarah said confidently.
"True, I can't either. Snape can be a lot, especially if you're not in Slytherin. Rumours say he was an evil man, but I dunno. You don't work under Dumbledore for a decade and get away with literal murder. The headmaster is practically all-knowing at this point. I wouldn't put it past him to know about the Undercroft even." Cerus mulled over his own words, scratching his chin.
"However, I have no idea what kind of man Quirrell is." He admitted. Sarah raised a brow.
"Quirrell?"
"Yeah, it's his first year. He's an absolute chicken now, but apparently, it's because of a vampire he met in Albania over the summer."
Sarah could vaguely remember something like that. Most of the class she sat as close to the door as possible to avoid the overwhelming stench of garlic and to ignore the man's ramblings. She couldn't stand stuttering.
"I can't help you much more than that I'm afraid," Cerus began. "But if I do hear anything, I'll let you know."
Sarah nodded.
"Thank you." she said calmly despite her storming thoughts.
As they left the Undercroft, Sarah's mind was still circling, and the duo opted to take a stroll together quietly. They happened to stumble across Malfoy messing with Neville Longbottom. Sarah narrowed her eyes, a scowl on her lips. She couldn't stand bullies, and the image was a painful reminder of the time she caught Dudley in Harry's schoolbag. His fists filled with chocolates.
Now Malfoy took the spot of Dudley, and while the blonde wasn't nearly as huge as Harry's cousin, he was just as disgusting in her eyes.
She imagined Malfoy slipping on a wet spot and when he shifted his weight the boy went sprawling to the floor. Crabbe and Goyle, who had been shoving Neville around, looked down at their ringleader in shock. Neville's bag was dumped upside down and all over the floor. When Malfoy looked startled as he got to his feet, Sarah decided she couldn't be wrong about Malfoy, the boy was useless.
"Tripping over your own feet now Malfoy?" Cerus taunted. Draco looked at the two who stopped nearby. Sarah offered a hand for Neville to stand up at the same time Crabbe reached for him. Crabbe ended up touching Sarah's bare wrist. She snapped her eyes at him with the nastiest glare she could manage, and the boy recoiled.
"Don't touch me." she said lowly.
Draco didn't have the same reaction as he sauntered closer to Sarah. He snorted as he looked her up and down, and then to Neville who had shrunk away from Sarah when he saw her glare. Draco's eyes landed back on Sarah as he looked down his nose at her.
"Mind your own business, you filthy little mudblood." he said lowly. In a second Cerus had his wand trained on Malfoy throat.
Something shifted, everyone froze.
"Say that again, and you'll never say another damn word." Cerus' voice dropped an octave, the seriousness in his voice startling to most. Sarah felt a shiver run up her spine as she realized Cerus would do something to Malfoy. She watched the whimpering slop of a boy cower under the threat and slowly placed her hand on Cerus' wand arm. He lowered it, but as she looked up at him, she noticed a dark look cross his face.
Malfoy, as soon as the danger was gone, spat out, "my father will hear about this!" and ran. Crabbe and Goyle waddled after him.
Sarah took a deep breath to compose herself, then turned to Neville on the floor. He looked terrified of them both, and Sarah felt a small creep of guilt and satisfaction slip through her. Still, she waved her hand and all his supplies that had been littering the floor floated up to her arms.
Neville's eyes widened as Cerus yanked him to his feet with surprising ease. Cerus was a bit taller than Sarah, and it seemed being a beater had made him a lot stronger over the past few months.
"Gotta stand up for yourself mate, Malfoy's not even much of a threat." Cerus said, his tone back to his usual one. Sarah handed Neville his books as he stuttered an apology.
"I-I know, but those two are big..." He timidly looked to Sarah, who returned to her neutral expression. "You're Sarah Williams, right? Harry talks about you a lot."
Sarah nodded slowly, not saying anything else. Neville found her eyes too intimidating and instead looked to the books in his hands as he stuffed them back into his bag.
"Thanks though, I- I want to stand up to them but..."
Sarah snorted but didn't say anything.
"Malfoy is useless, just picture him running away next time. He runs like an invalid." Cerus teased. Sarah sighed, looking in the direction he ran off in. Neville wasn't convinced by Cerus' words.
"You're in Gryffindor," Sarah started. "So, you're braver than you think Neville."
Her words seemed to have some impact. When she looked back at him, he was staring at her with mild awe. He nodded, swallowing his nerves then and stood a little taller. Sarah found it charming in a way and softened her expression.
When they parted ways, Cerus was cooing at her.
"Merlin, 'You're in Gryffindor, so you're braver than you think', next you'll say all Slytherin's are dark wizards." He laughed. Sarah frowned.
"Slytherin is about ambition. It's our strongest trait. Every one of us has more ambition than bravery, or loyalty, or cleverness. So, by that impression, a Gryffindor should be brave. At least in comparison to their other traits." Sarah said. Cerus chuckled.
"Want to know a secret?" Cerus asked. Sarah hummed that she was listening as Cerus leaned down to her as though telling her a secret. "I was almost in Gryffindor."
Sarah glanced at Cerus, unsurprised. He seemed very bold, if a bit bull-headed.
"Yes you seem the type." She said easily. Cerus chuckled, then stood taller.
"I told the hat I wanted to be in Slytherin though, like all the other men of my family. We have great ambition you could say." Sarah snorted at that, but then considered what the hat told her.
"I was almost in Hufflepuff." she admitted. Cerus halted in his steps and just stared at her. Sarah stopped a few steps later, looking back at Cerus who was just staring at her.
His lips twitched, imagining the girl in yellow and still in her resting witch face expression. From what he had heard of Hufflepuff, the house was a cheerful one with many parties and loads of chatter.
Sarah would've murdered someone.
He couldn't hold it back anymore when he pictured Siobhan Templeton braiding her hair and putting flowers in as she told Sarah all the things Hufflepuffs did in their spare time.
Sarah watched Cerus absolutely lose himself to the humour and felt pink tinge her cheeks.
"Cerus." She said lowly, frowning. But Cerus took one look at her face and laughed harder.
"I-" laughter "you can't be-" he started to cough. At this point Sarah scowled and turned on her heel. She noticed several people were staring and felt annoyance stir up as she marched away. "Wait- Sar I- come back!"
Cerus followed her, still laughing away.
Sarah ignored him for the rest of the day.
Life went on at Hogwarts with nothing exciting happening. Sarah thought that finding out about Flamel had settled Harry's curiosity, and it had... for a while.
However, things were coming to a head at the Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor game. Cerus and Sarah were getting some extra practice in just before in the Undercroft. Cerus had been teaching Sarah second year spells since they were complete on first year already. She had mastered a few minor spells like Accio, Alohamora, Reparo, and Wingardium Leviosa in a short span of time. Now they were working on Incendio, Cerus had almost singed off his eyebrows twice, and both times Sarah had saved him.
"Perhaps we should stop before we light on fire?" Sarah teased, looking to the charred spot on the ground where she had accio'd Cerus from. She had technically yanked his robe, he just happened to follow. Cerus brushed himself off as he stood up from the ground. Sarah hadn't even attempted to catch him, instead letting him fall on the floor merrily.
"Not a bad idea." Cerus said, frowning. He cheered up when he realized what match was today. "Oh right, today is the match between your almost house and your almost boyfriend. Whoever will you cheer for hm?"
Sarah's face turned into a stony glare, though the tips of her ears turned pink. Cerus noticed the anger in her eyes and felt a shiver run down his spine. No wonder people always called her scary.
"Only joking," he said while feeling weirdly timid. Sarah rolled her eyes but dropped her glare. "Merlin, that's the meanest look I've ever seen. Did you practice that or is it natural?"
Sarah scoffed as they walked out of the Undercroft. She did practice it, for a time. Back in the orphanage when it was a means to defend herself, back when Dudley was the biggest worry. It was a defense, but certainly not natural.
At the match, Sarah found Hermione and Selene chatting away up in the stands. Cerus and her nestled beside them, with Ron begrudgingly standing next to Sarah.
Unfortunately, Malfoy and his lackies had also chosen the same tower to stand in. Sarah tried her best to ignore him, but his irritating voice spoke over the cheers at them all.
"Well well, typical. Say Sallow, you that desperate for attention you follow around that thing all day?" Malfoy taunted, but as Cerus rounded on Malfoy he could see Professor Quirrell and McGonagall in the stands further behind them. He glowered at the blonde instead before Sarah yanked him back around. Malfoy took this as a chance.
"You know how I think they picked the Gryffindor team? I think they went for the ones they felt sorry for. See, Weasley's got no money, and Potter's got no family. You trying out for the team next year, Longbottom? I'm sure they'll take you, you gutless wimp."
Neville turned to look at Draco, who scowled at him.
"What're you looking at?" He snapped. Neville gulped.
"I'm picturing you running away." It made Cerus chuckle, but Malfoy made to grab at Neville's shirt. Sarah turned and slapped his hand away, scowling.
"Piss off you useless inbred scum." She snapped. Malfoy's eyes darkened.
"And you-" He sneered, a vicious snarl on his face. "You're the biggest embarrassment Slytherin's ever had. A mudblood adopted by another mudblood, and you're in Slytherin? Salazar must be rolling in his grave."
Sarah stopped Cerus from striking the blonde, if only to save him from a detention. Her ring finger was burning so badly she thought it was in a flame. She never looked away from Malfoy as he smirked then, a cruel light taking over his features.
"Heard the orphanage was thrilled to get rid of you."
Whatever happened next, Sarah wasn't sure. She couldn't even comprehend how Malfoy knew about where she had come from, especially since she had never told a soul, not even Harry. Only she and Maggie knew, as far as she was aware.
But beyond that, Sarah was seeing red. She felt murderous as she looked at the boy. The next thing she knew, she was on top of him and punching his face. Crabbe grabbed her and threw her off. Sarah's back hit the guardrail to the stand, and pandemonium let loose.
Ron and Neville jumped into the fray of boys, Cerus glanced at the teachers, muttered 'fuck it' and joined the fray.
Sarah's head stung as it hit the guardrail, and loud cheering could be heard around her. She jumped back up, noticing Goyle punching Neville in the face, and remembered the massive girl from the orphanage. Sarah's heart quickened, and she remembered the feeling of dread that took over her when the girl stole her things.
Sarah took matters into her own hands.
She lunged at Goyle, punching him in the face. Her fists hardly did any damage, but as her ring burned hotter as she tried to ignore the desire to rip it off and do some real damage. She wanted to hurt them.
She wanted to-
She was yanked from Goyle a moment later, Quirrell and McGonagall standing above their group with a look of sheer disbelief.
"I cannot believe this! This is an embarrassment to your houses!" McGonagall shouted at them above the cheers. Sarah could barely hear her though as she stared at Malfoy. The two blondes locked eyes, and he froze in place.
McGonagall was still talking, but Sarah was just staring at Malfoy, imagining it was him who she tranced into walking into traffic.
She didn't mind the idea to be honest...
"Ms Williams!" McGonagall shouted, but Sarah only lingered her eyes on Malfoy a few moments longer before slowly looking at the professor. McGonagall paused when she saw the look in Sarah's eyes.
"Sarah," Cerus muttered next to her. She didn't move. He nudged her, and Sarah realized she was blatantly glaring at the woman. Slowly, she schooled her features again, recoiling the anger back inside of her as she closed her eyes and counted her breaths. When she opened them, it was like nothing had happened.
All seven of them lost twenty house points each, along with detentions for a week for all of them. Snape didn't even care about their squabble at first, until Malfoy mentioned Sarah looked like she wanted to kill him and was a 'danger to them all'.
'He wasn't entirely lying.' Sarah thought.
Cerus did his best to control himself but told Snape what Malfoy had called Sarah. When he showed no remorse Malfoy almost looked pleased, until Cerus asked what Dumbledore's thoughts would be on the subject.
It was then that they were all given punishments, much to Malfoy's disdain.
But Sarah didn't give a damn, she couldn't stop glaring at Malfoy wondering how the hell he knew. She didn't even care about what he said, just that he knew. Her biggest secret and he was prancing about with it. She felt a coldness rush up her spine at the idea of forcing the truth out of the boy.
Sarah didn't look at anyone as she was dismissed and immediately made for the Undercroft.
She needed to take off the ring, she needed to release some energy.
Cerus followed her.
"Go away." she said sharply, not slowing down as she made it to the clock. Her body was vibrating as she glared at the slowly opening door. As Cerus made to follow, she pushed him back. He felt more force than just her hand and could feel it vibrating.
"Cerus. Go. Away."
As soon as she stepped through the iron gate, she threw off her ring and stepped further in. She glared at the candelabras, and they all choked out their flames. The entire room went dark, until Sarah imagined a pile of barrels to be Draco. She transfigured them into a training dummy with Slytherin robes with straw hair and in the next second she set it on fire. Her wand sat uselessly in her pocket.
Her nose bled; she didn't slow down as she imagined the blond begging for her to stop.
"Sarah." Cerus called, arriving in the Undercroft.
"Go away." She said again but heard him approach her.
"So, this is that magic you can do?" he asked, trying to change the subject. He'd spent over a year trying to egg her into showing him something, anything, but Sarah never budged.
Sarah blinked and the fire was gone, the entire room dark until she held a small flame in her hand. Cerus was impressed at her control, stepping closer. In the flames her eyes held a sinister light.
"He knew." She whispered. Cerus frowned, trying to recall what was all said that day. He couldn't remember much other than his desire to punch the blond boy.
"What did he say to you?" Cerus asked, feeling a shiver run down his spine as her eyes focused on his. She looked dangerous, he realized, and perhaps it was a mistake to follow her.
"How did Malfoy know about me?" She was whispering, but it sounded heavy, echoing in the dark.
"What did he know? You have to be more specific than that. I can't remember much after Crabbe socked me in the head frankly." Cerus tried to ease the tension, but Sarah just stared at the flame in her hand.
"I'm going to-"
She froze, her face going pale one second, and in the next the fire vanished.
"Lumos." Cerus whispered, and finally he saw what happened.
Sarah looked startled, her mind finally catching up to her own thoughts.
Sarah looked alarmed, like a deer caught in headlights, as she looked up at Cerus.
Cerus saw.
Cerus saw her true nature.
She remembered the look on Harry's face, the alarm at what she did to Dudley.
Sarah felt sick again, at herself for having such disturbing thoughts, and at Cerus who was looking at her like he was. One part fascinated; one part worried. At her or for himself- she didn't know. But Sarah felt a chill crawl up her spine completely unlike the previous one. This one made her feel cold in her chest, like something was clutching her there.
Sarah felt fear.
Sarah felt afraid of herself once again.
She took a step back, very aware of the boy suddenly. Cerus frowned at this behaviour, noticing the hatred and rage in her eyes had all but vanished.
"Sarah," he spoke softly, worried he would spook her. She shook her head and stepped further away.
"Stay away." She whispered, a weakness in her voice he'd never heard.
Don't look at me.
A shrk sound echoed, the ring came flying into Sarah's hand. He noticed the finger she normally wore the ring on had turned red and angry where the band sat, and as she forced in onto a different finger Sarah kept backing up. Cerus reached for her, but Sarah turned and bolted.
Once she was out of the Undercroft she ran in a random direction. Her feet took her to the astronomy tower, which was vacant at this time of day.
Sarah gripped the railing, staring at the long drop below. She felt something in her gut lurch and wanted to vomit.
What was happening to her?
'Why am I like this?' She hated herself then. She felt disgust crawl up her throat.
Sarah skipped her dinner, instead staring at the landscape of the castle that she could see in the darkening sky. Slowly, cautiously, her mind began to settle.
'I am disgusting.'
Sarah thought back to Malfoy, and how utterly pathetic he always was. A pureblood wizard being an absolute useless buffoon all the time. She'd be embarrassed to call him a relative and found glee in the idea that he was an embarrassment to his own family name as well.
'But at least I'm not useless.'
Hey y'all, thanks for reading.
This chapter was hard, and I struggled with it a bit, so honestly feed back would be nice. I circled the drain for a long time about this one, thinking Sarah is a tough character to write sometimes. She is struggling right now, and it's only going to get worse, but I always considered Sarah to be ahead in power, which has always been evident in her pre-hogwarts years. And I don't want people to forget that she is, by nature, not a particularly nice person. She chooses kindness because she likes people, not because she is a genuinely nice person. So I find it a struggle sometimes to write her, as she has a lot of guilt, shame, and pride in who she is all at the same time.
Poor Sarah, struggling. I love it.
Anyway, I worked on that last scene like four times, and this is the closest to it's true form I think will come out of my head. We have 2 more chapters for The Soceror's stone- possibly the last chapter will bleed into the summer months, but I'm undecided yet. Anybody curious how Malfoy found out about th orphanage? It's a funny story really, but we won't know until quite a bit later.
This is all quite exciting though, this book is almost as long as Rowling's already, and I skipped so much of the scenes. Which is nice to know I'm filling in enough. CoS will be significantly longer though, so much more to cover.
And special thanks to TheMeanPixie for the reviews. Sarah will definitely have her own story, and I like to think of it as a 'sidealong' story. If it's not directly referenced imagine the book portions still happened in some capacity. I don't like re-reading verbatim what's happened or retelling things in a new light every single time, so I prefer to just not have her there during certain scenes. Sarah will definitely be branching out a lot more in CoS but will come into the fold during the third book, which will close off part 1.
cheers
Iland Girl.