Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Nine: The Hogs Head

"In a book about thestrals in the library," she said cross with my attitude. "Abbi, you know this could be something. Come on!"

"Alright, alright," I conceded to her. "We can go- but I have to be back before midnight, Poppy."

She beamed at me, her eyes alight with excitement and a desire to start her newest adventure. I couldn't help but feel a tad excited myself as we walked side by side down the steps of the castle towards the main gates. She was still flicking through her book as we walked and I was lost in thought.

This adventure didn't have to be dangerous. It didn't even mean it was anything at all- it was just a symbol scribbled on the corners of a couple students papers. This didn't necessarily mean dark and dangerous things were ahead of us.

"Hey, I should mention," I started, glancing out of the corner of my eyes at Poppy. "Ominis and I were talking and he doesn't really know you much and we thought it might be a good idea to have a study group for Hecat's class this year."

As expected, Poppy gave me a sly grin. "Is this because you are paired up with Sallow and you don't think you could possibly be alone with him?"

She was saying it with such a teasing manor, I could hardly help the double take I did as she said it. Oh, Poppy, if only you knew. She was sitting here thinking I couldn't help my not so suppressed feelings for Sebastian that I couldn't study with him for fear of falling into steamy "study" sessions.

Instead, she'd of course hit the mail right on its head without knowing.

I couldn't be alone with him- for fear we'd slip into old habits.

I allowed the blush at her suggestive tone to spread over my cheeks, thinking it was as good of an excuse as any to grab onto for her sake.

"I- Well- Poppy, that's just- Fine. Yes, okay, you remember how I felt about him," I sputtered out as we approached the main entrance to Hogsmead. Talking about my previous- and still lingering- feelings for my fellow Slytherin wasn't easy for me given all that happened. "I wasn't quick enough to turn down his offer to partner up and then when Ominis said you two were partners..."

I hoped my trailing off was indicative of my hoping she would chime in. To my relief, she did as we turned up the road to the Hogs Head, our feet carrying us down the familiar path without much effort.

"Honestly, I'm glad you two thought of it. Ominis was always nice, like you'd said but I still don't know him all that well."

"So you'll do it? You'll study with us?" In answer, she smiled at me and nodded. I grabbed her hand, wrapping my hand tightly around hers, squeezing. "Oh, Poppy, thank you!"

She was laughing as I pushed the door open to the Hogs Head. The familiar dusty shelves and glaring stares greeted us as we walked in, our giggles dying out almost instantly. I could feel the tension in the room, feel the way the conversation had abruptly ended as we entered, as though the room was holding in a secret conversation about us they didn't want us to overhear.

I glanced through the room, looking for any familiar faces, finding only the bar man to be one I recognized.

That wasn't a good sign.

Hogsmead was small- and I had been here enough times to know it's normal patrons faces, even if I didn't know their names. Today, every single set of glaring eyes belonged to a face I didn't know.

Which meant I couldn't place the danger.

Every single nerve in my body was on fire, screaming that there was something wrong, and I found my hand curling tightly into a fist around my wand in my pocket. I could feel my fingernails digging into my skin, feel the cool marble handle at the hilt of my wand in all its details, down to the faint crack it had gained after Rookwood.

Poppy was out from behind me in a flash, stepping up to the bar and ordering two Butterbeers for us. She handed the bar man one galleon to pay and walked my drink back to me. I grabbed her hand in mine and steered us towards an empty table near the front door.

I cracked open the cap on my drink, relieved he had given us closed bottles rather than freshly poured glasses. I could at least cross that danger off my list.

Slowly, eyes drifted away and conversations resumed while Poppy and I quietly talked about random things. It couldn't be counted as conversation, neither one of us listening to what was actually being said by the other. I made a small gesture for Poppy to hand me her loose parchments, and she nearly shoved them into my hands while she glanced around the room.

I knew listening for talk of this symbol wouldn't work today. They were all too guarded after our abrupt entrance to talk openly. But I hoped if I studied the symbol closely enough, maybe I'd spot it carved somewhere in the crusty wooden tables.

The symbol wasn't intricately drawn, there wasn't anything about it that was necessarily special. Simply, it was simply the letters L and B, overlapping eachother and enclosed in a circle. The letters were written in cursive, and I could see by the way the circle enclosed them it was so it was meant to look like nothing more than a doodle.

It would be hunting for a needle in a haystack in here for this symbol.

I was still engrossed in the symbol I hadn't heard the cough from behind me. Instead, I was startled out of the pages by Poppy's rather painful kick to the shin. My head whipped up from the papers and I gave her a half questioning look before the cough came again.

I turned my head, eyes now level with the rather large chest of a man. He wore dark robes, the oily black color of the fabric making him look like he was dripping in dark and fresh blood. My eyes traveled further up him, just barely grazing over the golden pin bearing the same symbol I had been so lost in just moments ago before I looked him straight in the eye.

"Can I help you?" I demanded of him.

I sounded braver than I felt.

"I think that question is better coming from me than you," he growled.

"We just wanted a quiet night and a drink. The Three Broomsticks was crowded."

The man crossed his arms and glowered at me, a muscle in his jaw twitching. I set my drink down on the table, and saw it was empty before me. Poppy had snatched up the papers so quickly neither myself or the man had noticed. I looked back to him.

"If us enjoying a drink is going to be a problem, we will just see ourselves out," I said through my teeth. I supposed I should have been going for polite. Something in my gut told me standing my ground was the only way out of this.

The bar man cleared his throat at my words, causing the man to look round at him. "They paid. They can drink."

Poppy smiled warmly at the bar man and I lowered myself back into my seat, shooting a soft glance to the man as well. He nodded at me.

The large man clenched his jaw and nodded before stomping away. His dragon hide boots were covered in mud and I quickly looked away from him before he noticed. Poppy and I shared a look before returning to sipping on our drinks.

Whoever this group was that Poppy wanted to look into, they certainly did not want to be found out.