Cursed (Hogwarts Legacy fanfiction - original in German)

Chapter 39 - Bite the bullet

As he closed the front door behind him, Sebastian took a deep breath. He felt a strange mixture of anger and compassion brewing within him, understanding now how Nathan must have felt when, at the beginning of the Easter holidays, he had taken the time to talk to him about what had happened in Little Hangleton. He had distinctly felt Nathan's anger back then, yet he had been there for him. 

Perhaps that was precisely why Sebastian couldn't just let Clarissa walk away so easily. On one hand, he was driven by the desire to console her because he had keenly sensed her pain when she had lashed out at Anne. On the other hand, he was terribly angry with her for callously directing that pain towards his sister. It wasn't Anne's fault that Nathan apparently didn't reciprocate Clarissa's feelings. 

Sebastian was certain that her deep-seated jealousy was the only thing that had led Clarissa to such absurd thoughts, truly believing that Anne was feigning her bouts of pain just to gain Nathan's attention. With such an accusation, Sebastian wouldn't let her off easily. He definitely needed to lay down the law, but he was also determined to help her afterward, if she would allow him to.

Just as Ominis and Phina hadn't given up on him so far, despite him repeatedly doing something to earn his friends' resentment, he now almost felt obliged to stand by Clarissa. Somehow, she reminded him of himself; she was impulsive and lashed out when she felt lonely or afraid of losing the people who meant something to her. And the fact that Nathan was essentially her only true friend made it even harder for her. 

Yet Anne was not to blame, and Clarissa needed to understand that if she wanted a chance within the group. As someone who had often had to ask for more chances himself, Sebastian was probably the right person at this moment to salvage the mood for the rest of the holidays. He knew that Nathan and Ominis would take good care of Anne while he was away. 

It still pained him greatly to see his sister suffer, and he knew he urgently needed to find a cure for her. Even though Anne could hide it well by now, he had noticed that she had experienced several bouts of pain within the holiday period, and the intervals seemed to be slowly decreasing while the pain grew more intense. Despite their preoccupation with Phina's Keeper Trials and the threat posed by the Gaunts, he would ensure that amidst all the hustle and bustle, they wouldn't leave Anne to fend for herself. Once they finally completed the repository with his help soon, Nathan would surely have more time to assist him in finding a cure. That was what they needed to focus on. That was why situations like the one just now had to be quickly resolved so they could fully dedicate themselves to the important matters once again.

Even as Sebastian pondered what he should say first, he gently knocked on the door of the neighboring house where Clarissa and Nathan lived. There was no response from inside, so he repeated his knocking several times.
"Clarissa, it's me, Sebastian. Please open the door," he said finally, as there was still no sound coming from inside the house. 

Shortly after, he finally heard hesitant footsteps approaching the door from the other side.
"What do you want?" Clarissa asked through the closed door, still sounding very upset and angry. But that wouldn't get her far with Sebastian.

"I want you to open the door," he said firmly, standing close to it so he could step in immediately if Clarissa opened it even a crack. She hesitated for a brief moment, but then seemed to decide against being alone, which Sebastian took as a good sign. 

She opened the door and gave him a threatening look that would have likely scared off most other people instantly. However, Sebastian skillfully ignored her defensive posture and simply walked past her into the entrance area of the house. Clarissa closed the door behind him, crossed her arms, and looked at him challengingly and silently. It was evident that a storm still raged inside her, and she was very tense, but Sebastian wouldn't be misled by that. Yes, she was insufferable, fiery, and mean, but behind all her apparent callousness was just a wounded heart and a sadness she dared not show to the rest of the world.