Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Eighteen: Unforgivable Fifth Years

"I figured that much out- Ominis is nice. Like you'd always said."

I have a half smile and took a deep breath. Now or never. "I partnered with Sebastian because we- well, the three of us- we've each had first hand experience with some of these curses... And I have with all three."

Sebastian sucked in a breath and I heard his teeth clench. Some. I hoped recognized my choice to omit his worst use, while giving up mine.

Poppy looked at the three of us, brows still scrunched together- though softening. "I've heard about his family," she said, gesturing to Ominis. "I admit I used to think him like them. But he's clearly not like them."

Ominis let out a sad laugh.

"Unfortunately, Miss Sweeting, I have used the Cruciatus Curse. I was a child, and as Sebastian so often reminds me, tortured into it myself. But I have used it."

"I have too," Sebastian whispered. His hand moved from my back to my shoulder and he gave it a gentle squeeze.

Her spine straightened. Focused now. Attentive. I took moment and looked into her brown eyes.

"I've used Imperio. I've been under the Cruciatus Curse. And-" a deep gulp, "I killed Victor Rookwood."

She stared as us, her face blank. I could see her mind working, her brain spinning to follow the information just dumped on her. Her eyes darted back and forth across the three of us, mouth closed, lips thin. I was waiting for her to explode, to tell me that she never wanted to see me again and that she'd be going straight to the Ministry with the information that three students had used Unforgivable Curses.

Her silence was thick through the air. I could feel my eyes stinging with unshed tears.

"Happy, now, Ominis?" Sebastian bit at him, his hand still on my shoulder.

"Poppy?"

My voice was weak, strained. I was petrified, and despite the urge to run the other way and cry my eyes out, I couldn't stop looking at her. Her eyes found mine.

"I want to know why. And on who. For all of you."

I squeezed my eyes shut, remembering the darkness in that Scriptorim and the pain. I remembered Sebastian's face as he'd cast it on me. I didn't want to relive it, ever in my life. But Poppy wanted to know, so I would tell her.

"Can we- can we go sit? Please," I said gently. She nodded and pushed past the three of us into the main room. I followed after her, leaving Sebastian's comforting grip and I saw his glare at Ominis as I left the Vivarium.

She was standing in the middle of the room, waiting. I flicked my wand and the sofa I'd conjured in my potions room zoomed forward, resting inches from her. Another flick and two more small sofas joined us. Ominis sat alone, on the sofa furthest from Poppy. Sebastian opted not to sit and instead pace behind me. I sat next to Poppy and gulped.

"Tell me. Everything."

I felt Sebastian staring at me, heard Ominis sigh. It started with the Scriptorium. I wasn't sure what Sebastian wanted people to know about Anne's illness, so I knew I had to be careful.

"Well... Anne was sick, as you know. Sebastian, he'd been searching for a cure. Nothing they were trying was working and he thought maybe there would be something of use in a Scriptorium here at the school that belonged to Salazar Slytherin."

Poppy's gaze flicked to Sebastian and he nodded. "This one was on me. I had asked for Abbi's help, so the three of us went in. But what Abbi and I failed to see, what Ominis knew and warned us about, was that we would end up needing to resort to the Dark Arts. We were trapped- no way out except by using Crucio."