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Chapter Eighteen
TRUTH OR DARE
└─────── ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ ───────┘

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The first few months few by and before we knew it the time was appraoching the holiday break. This year seemed to be much more uneventful than last year. I focused more on my studies, and I found that when I actually studied I was pretty decent at transfiguration. That was the class that I had previously been bad at.

Sebastian was still working on his anger that he had pent up from the summer. He spent most of his free time in the undercroft teaching himself spells that he would later teach to the rest of us. I think it is helping him, learning new spells. He is still sad sometimes, it is normal. I can't even begin to imagine what he is going through. I spend some of my time in the undercroft with him and I pracices the spells with him. I think he appreciates that. He still hasn't talked to me about that night and I haven't questioned him.

Anne has threw herself completely into her studies. Her grades when from good to excellent. She is easily the smartest witch of our year. She spends all of her free time in the library either studying for her classes, doing homework, or simply reading for fun. She doesn't talk about that night either. Despite her crush on Ominis, she has helped him with his relationship with the Hufflepuff girl and gave him tips on when to sneak out to meet her since they can't be seen in public.

Ominis seems to be the only happy one out of our group. In classes he writes notes to Ava and sends them secretly to the girl beside him. They hold hands discretely and often sneak out at night and meet ontop of the astrology tower. He tells us that they just hold hands and look up at the stars and talk. I think it's cute. But I also know that we are still young and that it is more than likely not going to last.

Anne and myself spend many of our nights sitting up in our dorms talking quietly with one another. We shared our dorm with Imelda, a fellow Slytherin who had convinced Sebastian and Anne to try out for the quidditch team. They did after a bit of hesitation, quidditch reminded them of their parents because they loved the sport, the two tried out and made the team. Anne is the seeker and Sebastian is a chaser.

Imelda gave up on trying to get me to join, Anne has not. "There's still a spot left." She would say whenever the topic came up.

"Maybe next year," I would tell her.

But tonight we didn't talk about quidditch or anything related to the sport. We didn't talk about classes or what had occurred this summer. Instead the topic of boys came up again. I think her focusing so much on her crush is keeping her mind occupied from the loss she is feeling.

She sits on my bed, both of us lean our backs against the wall as we talk. I bring a blanket up over my lap and Anne holds a pillow. It is dark in the dorm room, only a candle bruning on my bedside table is the only souce of light. Imelda sleeps on the other side of the room. Usually there are four to a room but I guess we got lucky with just three.

We weren't the best of friends with Imedla but we also didn't hate her, she felt the same way. She perfers to keep to her quidditch friends and leave the rest of us alone. She was actually great company when she wasn't talking about the sport all the time.

"How are you?" I ask Anne in a hushed voice. "I mean with Ominis and Ava." I quickly add so she wouldn't think I was asking about her parents again. "Unless you want to talk about the other thing." I add just so she knows I am here for her.

She shakes her head at that, giving me a no on talking about her parents. "I'm okay, I guess." she says letting out a sigh. "I mean, at least I know that he doesn't like me back. It saved me from the embassesment of telling him."

"He could still like you," I say glancing over at her, the light from the candle casts shadows among her face. "Something is telling me that this relationship isn't going to last." I tell her, "Maybe that's becasue he will realise that he has feelings for you."

She gives me a small smile, "That's just wishfull thinking, but it does sound good." she is quiet for a moment before turning back to look at me. "Do you seriously have a crush on Garreth?"

Now it was my turn to let out a sigh as I look away from her and down at the blanket in my lap covering my legs that I have crossed. "I don't know." I tell her honestly. "I think so, I always look over at him in classes and help him with his charms when he needs it. And sometimes I get nervous when he is around." I tell her.

She smiles over at me, "So you do like him," she squeals and then I slap her.

"Be quiet!" I whisper yell at her before glancing over at our sleeping roommate who just turns over in her sleep. "We don't want to wake her up, she gets mad." I say remember a few weeks ago when we got a bit too loud and she woke up and yelled at us. She had said if we doing it again then she would use a jinx on us.

Anne laughs a little at the scared tone in my voice. I can't help it the witch that is sleeping in the room does scare me when she is mad. "I just can't see you and Garreth." she comments after a little while. "I always thought there was something between you and my brother."

I look at her confused, "Why?" I ask. "Wouldn't that just be weird, I mean you're my best friend, I can't date your brother."

Anne shrugs her shoulder, "I don't know, you guys just seem to have a lot of chemistry."

"Well, he is my friend as well." I say.

"But it's more than that, I can see it." She looks down at her pillow and runs her hand threw the fur of it. "You look at him different than you look at Ominis or me."

I turn over to her confused. "I don't have a crush on him." I tell her firmly.

She holds her hands up in surrender, "Alright, alright. You can deny it all you want, but I can see it. Maybe you don't even realise you like him," she says.

I turn my entire body towards her, "Well since you seem to know everything about us, does he have a crush on me?"

She laughs my words, "you do like him." she says with a huge smile on her face.

I shake my head, "No, no, I'm just curious."

Anne simply shrugs her shoulders, "He may have mentioned something about a crush on someone, but I cannot say he made me swear not to."

"Come on, you can tell me. I won't tell him.." I try to convince he.

She hesitates for a moment, contemplating telling me, "No, I can't." I let out a sigh of disappointment. "Come on we better get to bed. I heard that we have a big day of transfiguration tomorrow."

She gets up from my bed and heads over to the one beside mine and climbs into hers. I pull back the blankets and crawl under the, and then blow out the candle. Sleep finds me easily. I didn't realise just how tired I was. I enter into a dreamless sleep.

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The four of us sit in transfiguration class, all at the same table. Garreth, Ava, and Poppy sit behind us. Professor Weasley walks into the classroom and I pull out some parchment and a quill, getting ready to take notes. I actually found myself enjoying taking note in class, even boring classes such as history of magic.

"For today's lesson we are going to study a spell that is usually taught to fifth years." She says as she looks out at the students seated at the deasks. "The vanishing spell is one of the most complicated spells taught at Ordinary Wizarding Level, or O.W.L."

A Ravenclaw girls rasies her hand, "If it is only taught to fifth years, why are we learning it now?" she asks and I hear a few other mutter in agreement also wanting to know.

Professor Weasley nods her head, "Yes, well Professor Black thought you are all capable of learning it now. And he will be in here the last class before the break to see all of you preform it."

I hear Garreth say something behind me but I focus on writing down what the Professor is saying. "Can you believe Professor Black?" Sebastian asks, leaning over to me. "Wanting us to learn spells above out year."  he glances up at me and I take my eyes off of the parchment and look at him. "I think it's brilliant. I'm going to master that spell."

I roll my eyes at him, "I've heard about it, It's a complicated spell."

"Now, certain objects can be enchanted to resist Vanishing spells, such as fireworks. It is also more difficult with the complexity of an animal to be vanished; for instance, a snail, as an invertebrate, is rather simple, whereas a mouse, as a mammal, presents a great challenge." she walks up to our table and looks between us and then her gaze looks behinds us to her nephew. "I want you all to read the chapter in your book about the spell and take notes. You are to practice the spell outside of class."

The same Ravenclaw girl raises her hand, "Can we work together outside of class to master the spell?"

Professor Weasley seems to ponder the question for a moment, "I supposes so, since I know that you will anyways. I'm looking at you Garreth." she says looking at the red haired boy.

"What?" he says looking up from his table. "I would never work with someone when we aren't supposed to."

"Please, you lie about as well as mister Sallow over here." Ominis speaks up causing Sebastian to look at him with betrayal.

He gently shoves his friend, "Do I really lie that bad?"

Ominis nods his head, "Is that really all you care about?"

"Alright, that's enough." Professor Weasely says capturing the attention of the students again. "Take our your books and begin to read and take notes, no talking."

The chapter on the Vanishing spell was long, but I guess that is understandable since she said it was a complex spell. I begin taking notes and everything that I feel is important, such as the history of the spell, who invented it, and what all can be vanished.

"Hey, Snape." I hear Garreth whisper from behind me.

I turn my head and look back at him, "What?" I whisper.

"You want to help me with the spell after class?" he asks me and I see Sebastian turn to look at him as well.

"You really want her to help you?" Sebastian asks in a hushed voice. "She's terrible at transfiguration."

I slap his shoulder, "Actually, I have gotten better this year," I tell him and then turn back to Garreth.

"How about all of us," Sebastian says gesturing to the two girls beside Garreth and then to the rest at our table, "Study after class in the library."

Anne looks up from her book and joins in on the conversation. "I would like to study in the library. This spell seems complicated."

Ava and Poppy agree as well and the Sebastian has to convince Ominis to come with us. He claims that he doesn't need to study because transfiguration is easy. "It's settled then, we'll meet in the library after out classes." I say and they all nod their head.

Garreth looks a bit annoyed but nods his head and we all go back to reading and taking notes. Before long the class is dissmissed and Sebastian and I head to Charms with Ominis following behind us. I think he is upset about Sebastian forcing him to study with us this afternoon.

"Why did you want all of us to study together?" I ask Sebastain as we walking into the charms classroom and take a seat on the second row.

He shrugs his shoulders as he takes out his book from his bag. "I don't know, I just... I don't want you to be alone with Weasley," he says.

Ominis scoffs from beside him, "Please, we all know that's not the reason." he says more to himself.

I lean over and glance at him over Sebastian, "What do you mean, Ominis?"

"I mean that Sebastian is interfering with you're study date with Weasley 𑁋" he stops abruptly as Sebastian leans over to him quickly and whispers something. I see Omins rolls his eyes. "He just thought all of us studying together would be fun." he finishes with a bored tone.

Sebastian glances back at me nervously and I shurg my shoulders, "I think it will be fun." I say choosing to ignore their weird behavior.

I reach into my bad and take out the standard book of spells, grade 4 and place it on the desk in front of me. Professor Ronen walks out of his office and begins class. "Alright class, today we will be learning the locking spell." he says cheerfully, clapping his hand together.

I hear a few people start complaining, they were hoping for a more entertaining spell to learn. I open my book to the chapter on the spell and pull out some parchemnt to takes notes. "The locking spell, Colloportus, is a charm that is used to lock doors, making it so that they can not be opened manually." he says walking around in the center of the room. "The counterspell is the unlocking charm, Alohomora, that we have learned before."

I write down everything that he says. I feel Sebastain's eyes on my and I glance up at him. "What?" I whisper.

"Why are you taking notes on everything?" he asks.

I shurg my shoulders, "I don't know, I just want this year to be different and studying is helping me." I say, "Plus it is bringing my grades up in my classes."

"Colloportus is composed of the prefix 'collo' deriving from Latin colligo meaning to bind together and Latin portus meaning door." the Professor continues. He quickly shows us the wand movement for the spell and summons a lock to appear in front of all of us. He demonstrates with one of the locks and then lets us try.

I reach into my robe and pull out my wand, "Colloportus," I say pointing the tip of the wand at the lock. Nothing happens so I try again. On my third try, the lock flings closed and a big smile forms on my face. I look over and Ominis already has his lock closed and Sebastian just locked his.

"Very good," the professor says, "Class dismissed." I shove the book and parchment back into my bag and secure my wand into my robe before standing up.

The three of us head to potions class where we meet back up with Anne. Professor Sharp shows us how to make a shrinking potion. I had trouble with it, potions has quickly become one of my worst classes, but I eventually make a successful potion.

Before long class is over and we are done for the day. The four of us head to the library. We hadn't said where at in the library we would all meet but Anne leads us upstairs and finds an empty table towards the back. Sebastian and Ominis take a seat at the table and I walk around and sit across from them. Anne sits at the end of the table.

I pulled out my transfiguration book and my notes from my bag and began to read over them. Sebastian sat a big stack of books at the center of the table.

I look up at him in question, "Why?"

He takes a seat back down at the table beside Ominis, "For when we practice the spell, we each vanish a book until there isn't any left." He explains.

Anne looks up from her notes that she took and glances at her brother, "And won't madam Scribner notice a bunch of books missing?"

He shrugged, "She doesn't have to know it was us."

Ominis let's put a scoff, "Please Sebastian, I think by now when things go wrong in the library she just assumes it's you."

"Okay, well then I'll take the blame." He says looking between the three of us.

I shake my head at him, "I can't let you take the fall for all of us."

I hear footsteps coming our way and my eyes drift from Sebastian to behind him where I see Garreth, Poppy, and Ava emerge from behind a bookshelf. "I don't know what we are talking about but I agree, Sebastian can take the fall." Garreth says as he walks to the table taking a seat next to Anne. Poppy and Ava take a seat beside me.

Sebastian rolls his eyes at the red haired boy. "Not for you I won't."

"Alright boys," Anne says glancing between the two of them. "We came here to study not fight."

Sebastian let's put a huff but brings his attention back down to his book in front of him and Garreth reaches down into his bag pulling out his notes.

After a little while of studying the wand movements and practicing it with my wand I stand up. "Let's try it." I say and then point my wand at the center of the table where the pile of books sit.

Garreth jumps back from the table, "Don't point that at me. I don't wanna vanish."

I smile and roll my eyes at him and then avert my attention back to the book, "Evanesco!" I say my voice a little louder than it should be since we are in a library.

Nothing happened.

I let out a defeated sigh and take a seat back down at the table, "This is going to be harder than I thought."

Ominis stands up next, "Let me try." He takes out his wand and points it directly at the books. I don't know how he knows where they are. "Evanesco," he says and a light comes from his wand towards the book and it vanishes.

I hear Garreth let out a groan, "Of course you get it first." He complains.

A smile spreads across Ominis' face as he takes a seat back down, "It's very simple actually."

"How'd you do it?" I ask him.

"I'll never tell."

Anne goes next and she too get it on the first try. "I thought Professor Weasley said this was a hard spell."

Sebastian rolls his eyes at her and then he tries. He has the same luck as me. "This is stupid."

Ava goes next but she doesn't have any luck and neither does Poppy. When it is finally Garreth's turn he stands up nervously and points his wand at the books. "Evanesco," he says and to everyone's shock the book vanishes. Even Garreth looks shocked, "I did it!" He exclaims.

I smile at him as Poppy leans over and gives him a high five. I look over at the Hufflepuffs and Sebastian, "I guess we need to study more." I tell them.

Sebastian shakes his head, "No, I'm going to get it right now." He says standing back up with a determined look on his face. His tongue poked out of his mouth in concentration as he looks at the books. "Evanesco," he says and he did it. Another book vanishes from the pile.

I give him a high five as he takes a seat back down. Garreth smiles over at him, "Don't mean to brag, but I got it the first try."

"At least I got it unlike some people." He says gesturing over to me and the Hufflepuffs.

We all let out a gasp, "Wow, sorry we all can't master a complex spell the first try." Ava defends us.

Sebastian let's put a laugh, "I'm only joking."

I look back down at my notes wondering what I did wrong. I read over everything that I wrote down and even glance back through the chapter, but I did everything right. Perhaps I messed up the wand movement and I didn't realize.

Poppy and Ava have their noses back in their books studying the spell. Anne is working on homework for a different class, from where I sit it looks like potions. Ominis is just reading a book. Sebastian is browsing the nearby bookshelves and Garreth is writing on a piece of parchment. I can't tell if he is writing a letter or studying for a class.

I read and read the chapter for several minutes and then read over my notes. My eyes grow heavy and I have to look away from the text before I fall asleep.

"Let's play a game." Garreth comments to the quiet table.

Poppy and Ava look up and shrug their shoulders, "Alright." Ava says. "What did you have in mind?"

Garreth glances around the table, everyone has stopped what they were doing and looking at him. We were all getting a little bored and tired I guess. "Truth or dare?"

"Sure." Anne says which surprises me because usually she doesn't like these types of games. She likes to keep more to herself.

"I don't know." Ominis says place a small piece of paper into his book and closing it.

Sebastian turns to his friend, "Come on, Ominis, it will be fun. And you never want to have fun."

I glance at Poppy and Ava and they nod their heads in excitement, "Alight I'm in." I say.

Ominis let's out a sigh, "I guess I am too."

Garreth smiles at him, "Good, this will be fun." He says clapping his hands together. "Who's going first?"

I shrug my shoulders, "You thought of it, you go first." I tell him.

He stays quiet for a moment, probably thinking about what he is going to ask or who he is going to ask the question to. His eyes scan over us as he ponders who to question.

Finally his eyes land on Anne, "Truth or dare?" He asks her.

She looks up from the table, she hasn't been expecting him to call on her. "Truth," she says uncertainly.

"I was hoping for a dare, but alright." Garreth says and then his thinks for a moment having to rework his question. "Okay, I got it." He looks down at her with a smile. "Who in the group do you think will end up the richest?"

Anne looks between all of us, "Well, Ominis is already the richest," she starts.

"Yes, but I don't think my family will give me any of the money since I have basically disowned them." Ominis comments.

Garreth shushes him, "You're not supposed to help her."

Anne rolls her eyes, "Alright, if not Ominis then I think Poppy."

The brunette haired Hufflepuff turns her head over to Anne in shock, "Me?" She asks surprised that Anne thinks she would be the richest. "Why me?"

Anne shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know, you seem to really like magical creatures and I know there's a business of rescuing them that makes pretty good money." She explains.

"Alright it's your turn." Garreth tells Anne.

Anne pretends to look at everyone but her eyes land on mine, "Truth of dare?" She asks with a smirk.

I don't know what she is going to do, and I don't know if I should go with a dare or not. That look she is giving me makes me nervous. "Truth."

"Boring," I hear Garreth comment but I ignore him as I watch Anne.

She pretend to think while still giving me a knowing smirk. "What is the name of your crush?"

I instantly feel heat rise up to my face. "What?" I ask. There's no way she just asked me that. "I don't..."

Seeing my hesitation to answer Garreth looks back at me with a smile, "Oh, does that mean they are at this table?" At his word I feel my face become even more hot and I'm pretty sure my entire face is a bright shade of red.

She lets out sigh, "Alright then what's the first initial of your crush?" She rephrases the question.

I give her a pleasing look and she just sends me a smile. I see Sebastian lean in closer, he too has a smile on his face as if he already knows what I am going to say. I let out a deep sigh, "G," I say quietly.

I see Sebastian have a look of confusion, clearly that wasn't the answer he was expecting. "G?" He asks. "Who's name starts with a G?"

No one says anything, I can't even bring myself to glance over in Garreth's direction. "Okay, I guess it's my turn now." I say trying to bring the attention off of me. I don't even bother studying everyone I just pick the first person my eyes land on. "Ominis, truth of dare?"

He thinks about it for a moment, "Dare."

Garreth cheers for him since he is the first person to go for a dare.

I think of anything that I could get him to do, then I remember what my mom had put in my bag before I left for Feldcroft. I reach into it, "I dare you to put this one." I say pulling out the tube of lipstick.

I hear Sebastian laugh from across the table, "What is it?" Ominis asks suddenly sounding unsure.

I give a little smile as Anne, Poppy, and Ava reliaze what it is that I am holding. They all hold back their laughter while Garreth looks confused. "Lipstick." I answer.

Garreth laughs at the look on Ominis' face. The blind boy is shocked. He shakes his head, "No, I'm not doing that." He protests.

"Come on Ominis, you can't back down from a dare." Sebastian tell him grabbing the lipstick from me and then handing it to Anne because he doesn't know how to put it on.

"I literally hate you all." Ominis says once Anne has finished apply the pink shade of lipstick. "I hate this stupid game."

We all laugh at him and he just crosses his arms in anger. "Pink looks good on you." Ava says.

He glared over in her direction the game continues on for a while. Us asking each other question and dares. It gets a bit chaotic when Poppy dares Sebastian, who was bragging that he would never back down from a dare, to walk up to Madam Scribner to vanish her desk.

"But I would get another detention," he tried to protest to which Ominis teased him by saying that you can back down from a dare, repeating his words for before.

Sebastian let's out a huff and stands up, we all follow behind him and make our way downstairs to where her desk is. To our luck she isn't at it. Sebastian stand hidden behind a bookshelf and peeks around it, pointing his wand at the desk and whispering the spell.

The desk is gone and we all have trouble containing our laughter as we make our way back up the stairs to our table. Once we take a seat back down we all burst out laughing. "You got so lucky," Anne finally says once the laughter dies down.

Sebastian then asks Poppy truth or dare and she goes with truth. "Who do you think will be the most handsome in the next ten years?" He asks.

I furrow my eyes brows at his question. What made him think of that? Poppy leans back in her chair to think about it, "Um... I think I'm going to... have to go with..." she glances at all of us, "Garreth."

He looks at her in shock, "Me?" He asks and then a huge smile forms on his face, "You think I'm handsome?" He teases her.

She shakes her head, "No, I simply just think you'll be the better looking on when we are older."

"I'm taking that as a compliment."

Poppy's eyes scan the group looking for her person to question. "Lila, truth of dare?"

Considering I did truth the last time, "Dare," I say.

She smiles at this, "I dare you to kiss Sebastian."

I nearly choke on my own saliva as I stare back at her, "Um... what?" I ask. I turn to look at my friend who seems just as shocked.

I see Poppy glance over at Anne who quickly gives her a thumbs up. "That is if Sebastian is okay with it." She adds and everyone at the table including myself turn to look at the man.

He grows nervous under the eyes of everyone at the table. He looks down at me, "Can't back down from a dare, right?"

I feel a knot in my stomach as the palms of my hands grow sweaty. "No, I don't think I can do this." I say.

Ava looks at me, "Wait you're crush starts with a G, and Garreth is sitting right here," she says gesturing over to the red haired boy, "why didn't you ask her to kiss him?" She asks her friend sitting beside her.

Poppy blushes and turns away, "Sebastian was the first person I thought of." She tries to explain.

She has a crush on Garreth.

Anne looks at me with a smile, "Well, go on then," she says to me.

If my face was hot before it most certainly is on fire now. I feel my face become red as I look up at Sebastian. I feel butterflies in my stomach as he looks down at me with an almost smile on his face.

Come on, just do it. It's not that hard.

I let out a shaky breath and wipe my hand on my robes trying to rid them of the sweat that was forming on them. My heart starts racing inside of my chest.

I can't do it.

What would my mother say if she found out I kissed a boy? She would be absolutely furious. I've told her once that I had a crush and she told me that I couldn't because when I come of age I would be handed off to someone. An arranged marriage.

Not only that it was highly inappropriate to kiss someone. I could fantasize about it all I wanted but to actually do it is insane.

Sebastian sees my hesitation and leans towards me, "It's just a game." He whispers in my ear. "It doesn't mean anything."

I nod my head. What my mother doesn't know won't kill her.

My nerves only increase as I look over at Poppy, "Just so we're clear, like a kiss like just our lips touching for a second?" I ask.

She seems to think about it for a moment before glancing over at Ava and Anne. "Yeah, that will work." She answers.

My heart doesn't stop racing as I turn back to Sebastian and lean up towards him. I see him hold his breath, he wasn't expecting me to actually do it. I grab his head and pull him down towards me and gently place my lips onto of his. As soon as they touch I pull away.

Everyone at the table cheers and I feel embarrassed. "Did she actually do it?" Ominis asks with a smile plastered on his face.

"She did," Anne answers him.

"Great, now that's all I'm going to hear about for the rest of the year." Ominis complains. Anne laughs at him and looks to her brother who seems really happy and then to me. My face is still a bright shade of pink and I don't feel like playing the game anymore.

I feel different. I sneak a glance over at Sebastian who is laughing at something Poppy had said but I didn't catch it. I'm too lost up inside my head. For a moment he seems genuinely happy, unlike the beginning of the year. The sparkle in his eyes is slowly returning.

I find myself staring at his smile, the way it lights up his face. The crinkles it forms by his eyes. I feel like I've been staring at him for too long and drag my eyes away from him and down to my hands at the table.

Even if it was just for a second, I can still feel his lips on mine. I want to bring my fingers up to touch them but that would draw attention to me and I don't want that.

This doesn't change anything, I try to tell myself. It just a game. A stupid game.

Garreth and the two Hufflepuff girls leave, and it's just the Slytherin gang left. I close up my book and tuck my notes into a folder and place them back into my bag. Anne does the same, while Ominis never took anything out. Sebastian stares at me.

I look up at him as I sling my bag onto my shoulder, "What?" I ask him.

He smirks down at me, "So you and Weasley?"

I close my eyes not sure how to answer that. "No," I tell him. I see Anne raise an eyebrow at my answer but she doesn't say anything. "I mean maybe a slight crush but it's nothing." I tell him.

We all leave the library and head out inside the hallway. "You still haven't master the vanishing spell," Anne says suddenly realizing that.

I look at her and nod my head, "Yeah, but I'll get it eventually. We don't have to worry about it until next week." I tell her.

Sebastian wraps his arm over my shoulders, "Don't worry, I could help you with the spell." he says.

Anne looks back at him with a smile but doesn't say anything. I see Ominis shake his head as he continues walking in front of us. I glance up at him, "That would be great." I tell him clutching the strap of my bag tighter. "I've been trying to do better this year since O.W.L.s are next year."

"It's a good thing I'm one of the smartest in our year." Sebastian says.

I don't bother to tell him that I know Anne and Ominis has scored higher than him in the past, but I also know that despite him not trying hard in classes I know he is extremely smart. I smile up at him, "Maybe even in the entire school." I say feeding into his ego.