The Second Trial

Chapter 19

Hazel had decided to postpone her trip to Hogsmeade to the following day. She didn't want to go when she was upset and angry about the boys. They didn't know what they were talking about. They weren't the ones who had suffered the consequences of using and harnessing ancient magic, and who had to endure everything last year because of it. So if Hazel could do it on her own, she would.

She got up early in an effort to avoid having to speak with Imelda. They hadn't spoken since the Quidditch field, and Hazel thought it was best to let her cool down before trying again. She opted to head to the Undercroft, in hopes that the boys had been bluffing and didn't take the map. She had no desire to steal the back map from their room. Awkward.

The DADA was empty. Most students put off getting up as long as possible during the holidays. She unlocked the door to the Undercroft hastily and walked in. Her footsteps halted as she heard the rustling of paper and a sigh. Sebastian was sitting at a desk and reading over her notes, occasionally flipping over the map to see a certain location.

"Finding my information useful?" She asked mildly. It didn't bother her that he was using it, but it did bother her that he was using it without her.

He dropped the map in surprise, turning around quickly. "Hazel!" He didn't smile, only stared at her as she stared at his hands holding the map in a delicate manner.

"Can I have a look?" She asked, approaching him. He got up quickly and put himself in front of the desk.

"Are you ready to work together again?" He asked.

Hazel gave him a look and attempted to walk around him, but his feet were quick. He towered over her, looking as if he wanted to say something else.

"I don't want to work together." She said plainly, "But I do want to see the map."

Sebastian let out a long sigh.

"I'm not going to run off with it." As she waited for his response with her arms crossed, she saw a thought flit across his face.

"Fine." He said reluctantly, stepping back a bit. She hovered over it, trying to memorize a few locations of ancient magic before it was taken away.

"Hazel?"

"Hm." She hummed, looking at a hotspot near Hogwarts. She could nab that one coming back from Anne's, maybe.

"Is this about what happened in- in the closet?" He cracked one of his knuckles, swallowing and stepping back while she looked up at him.

"What?" She blinked, trying to organize her thoughts. She had been so deep in thought about the map that she hadn't really registered what he was saying.

"When we... ." He mumbled, turning a bright red. "I'm sor-"

"No. No, this isn't about that. But next time you kiss someone, make sure to acknowledge it, friend." She snapped, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I didn't think you wanted to be more."

"As smart as you are, you're also remarkably stupid." Hazel muttered, smoothing her hair and beginning to walk out. She couldn't talk about this with him right now. She would cave; she wanted to make him happy, but her wants and her needs were fighting each other. "Do you see what I might have thought when you didn't mention it ever again?"

"What do you mean?"

"I literally kissed you back!" She turned around suddenly and shouted, feeling her face heat up.

"But then you went and 'pretended' to be Ominis' girlfriend! I see how touchy you two are with each other! I saw when you taunted Marvolo for him!" He yelled back, throwing his hands in the air. Their shouts echoed ominously against the stone walls, throwing every word back at them.