Protector | Ambrose Spellman and Nicholas Scratch [1]

04 | you're dressed as your future

four
you're dressed as your future.

"WE'LL STILL BE able to see them, right?" Sabrina questions the next day as she paces her room. Selene and Ambrose lay on a nearby couch, watching her contently. "Roz and Harvey and Susie? I mean, just because we're not at the same school, it doesn't mean we can't be friends. We'll be at the Academy of Unseen Arts during the week, but during the weekends-"

"During the weekends, you'll both still be witches," Ambrose cuts her off gingerly.

"No, I know," Sabrina nods optimistically. "But we'll still be able to go to the movies, same as always, and bowling, and all the fun things we do together."

"Of course, Auntie Mame and Baby Jane leave me to explain the hard bits," Ambrose rolls his eyes, sitting up so that he can face Sabrina. Selene stays silent, watching Ambrose explain everything and waiting for the right moment to speak up. "Look, it is frowned upon. It is discouraged."

"But you talk to mortals," Sabrina points out. "And Hilda and Zelda, they talk to mortals."

"Yeah, we do, in passing, but we do not have meaningful connections with them," Ambrose heaves a sigh. "The coven forbids that, they will see to it."

"What?" Sabrina scoffs in disbelief. "They'll cast a spell on me if I go to the mall with Harvey?"

Ambrose stays silent before Selene shifts uncomfortably. "Er- it wouldn't surprise me."

"But you've been interacting with mortals your entire life," Sabrina crosses her arms.

"That's different and you know it," Selene replies sadly. "I've been protecting you for my entire life, Sabrina. That's why I've grown up alongside mortals."

The trio falls silent before Ambrose speaks up. "It's as though a veil drops between you and the mortal world, and eventually, quite quickly, you're weaned from it."

"I won't forget them," Sabrina insists, making eye contact with Selene. "You won't either, will you?"

"Of course not-," Selene shakes her head.

"You'll both want to," Ambrose whispers sadly, thinking of when he had to cut ties with his mortal friends so long ago. "Or else the pain is too much to bear. Time slows down, and they'll grow old and you won't. And those things that are so terribly important to them will seem trivial and pale to you. The longer you two are witches, the more you'll understand, but it's better to forget the mortal world and think only of what is ahead. And more importantly, be ready for what is ahead."

Sabrina has tears in her eyes before she heads towards the door. Selene then raises an eyebrow, feeling a little sad herself. "Brina, where are you going?"

"To call Harvey," Sabrina answer's, marching out of the room. "We're having one last night with our friends."
——

"Well, don't you look dashing," Ambrose admires Selene as she walks down the stairs of the Spellman house dressed in a short black dress. A matching cloak rests on her shoulders, and she has on a pair of black booties. Her strawberry blonde hair is pulled up in an updo, but it's mostly covered because she has on a witch hat, and she's wearing red lipstick as a finishing touch.

"Thanks," Selene smirks, twirling dramatically to show off the entire outfit. "But it's not too telling, is it? Like could you tell I'm a witch from this outfit?"

At this, Ambrose laughs. "Selene, it's just a Halloween costume. Relax."

"I actually had this laying around in my closet," Selene admits shamelessly. "This is one of the outfits my father makes me wear when the council's in town. And it looks like the stereotype of what a witch would wear, so I'm going as myself for Halloween."

"Well, you look great," Ambrose winks at her, wanting to tell her how vibrant she looks, even in an outfit that dark. He opens his mouth to do so before someone knocks on the front door.

"That must be Harvey," Selene's face lights up. "He's coming with us to the party."

Ambrose nods, before opening the front door to see Harvey dressed like one of the people who work in the nearby mine that his father owns. He's smiling like an idiot, and Ambrose can't help but smirk at his outfit. "How clever. You're dressed as your future."

Harvey's expression instantly falls, because he's made it very clear to his friends that he doesn't want to work in the mines. He hasn't told anybody why, but Selene has noticed how scared he gets when he talked about the mines. She can't help but wonder if something happened to him down there, but every time she asks him about it, he immediately shuts her down.

"Sabrina!" Ambrose yells as Harvey steps into the house, closing the door behind him with ease.

"It was kind of last minute," Harvey informs, frowning at his outfit. "Borrowed it from my brother."

"I'm teasing," Ambrose chuckles, motioning to Harvey's outfit. "You look great."

"You can come to the party with us, if you want," Harvey grins at Ambrose as Selene's eyes widen, knowing that Ambrose couldn't come if he wanted to. He tried to blow up the Vatican a couple of decades ago, and because of that, he's been banished to Spellman household until his sentence is over.

"Thanks, but if I'm risking banishment to the Nether Realm, it's going to be for something other than a high school masquerade," Ambrose remarks, successfully puzzling Harvey.

"Nether Realm?" The Kinkle boy echoes in utter confusion.

"He's joking," Selene shakes her head. "Ambrose loves to make jokes."

"I really don't," Ambrose points out. "I-"

"Harvey," Sabrina cuts her cousin off. Harvey then turns to look at Sabrina, and when he does, time feels like it slows down. He gapes at his girlfriend as Selene and Ambrose exchange knowing glances. Sabrina is wearing her mother's wedding dress, and looks more gorgeous than ever.

"I didn't have a costume, but is this okay?" The Spellman girl questions, walking down the stairs.

"You're... beautiful," Harvey breathes, unable to take his eyes off of Sabrina. "Happy Halloween. And happy birthday. And... everything."

"You guys are adorable!" Selene squeals, pulling out her phone and snapping several pictures of them.

Ambrose smiles at how excited she is, before he clears his throat uncomfortably at Harvey and Sabrina. "Well, you guys should get going before Hilda and Zelda come home and eat you."

The couple takes the hint before they head towards the front door. Selene, however, stays put, allowing Ambrose to remind her of everything. "Remember that you and Sabrina need to meet Hilda and Zelda at the appointed hour and place. Remember, if Sabrina's late, the blue flames will burn both of you."

"We won't be late," Selene assures, before leaning forward and pecking Ambrose on the cheek. The boy flushes as she does so, but she doesn't notice because she's already halfway out the door. "See you later, Ambrose."

UNEDITED