A Man Has Horns // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 15 - Unfair Duel

I was walking to lunch the next day after a particularly boring Charms class when Garreth ran to catch up with me. 

"Hey! How are you?" he finally reached me and resumed walking my speed. 

"I'm quite alright, thank you for asking. Happy we have a break now," I made small talk. 

"I wanted to ask you," Garreth said slightly out of breath from running, "If you wanted to perhaps go on a walk for me to the lake? After classes? The weather is quite nice today." 

Garreth was asking me out. 

"Oh! I'd would have loved to but I've already made plans with Imelda to practice flying," I answered genuinely. "I'm so sorry," I added. 

"But you're great at flying?" he tried to interject but seemed to believe my reason.

"It's more so for exercise. Can't be fast on a broom if you have a fat arse. Or that is at least what Imelda told me," I repeated her words, finding them funnier the second time. 

"Oh how kind!" Garreth was taken aback by my swearing but laughed. 

"I genuinely think she believed that it was kind to let me know," I laughed with him and as we entered the Great Hall together. "But perhaps we could have lunch together?" I suggested as a compromise. 

"That would be nice! But umm.." Garreth stopped and seemed a bit nervous, "Do you perhaps want to come to the Gryffindor table?" he asked hoping I would say yes. 

With how cold Imelda, Ominis and not to mention Sebastian was, and my cancellation of his date, I knew I had to accept his offer.

"Are you sure they wont have any complaints?" I started walking with him to the Gryffindor table. 

It wasn't unseen of that different House students mingled during breakfast and lunch, but there has always been a bit of animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor, now even more pronounced after what had happened in Quidditch. 

"I'll charm their muffins into rocks if they say anything," Garreth replied defensively but with humour.

I had never imagined him having the capacity of being confrontative.

As we reached the table, I saw Lucan Brattleby, the coordinator behind all the Crossed Wands duels. 

He looked up and waved at me. 

"Hey Lucan!" I smiled and waved back. "How are you?" I quickly asked as we were about to pass him. 

"Already drowning in homework, but!" Lucan exclaimed and then gave a quick glance at Garreth, "I'll send you an own about the potential resuming of last year's... extra curricular activity. I'd love to see your new..... strategies," he finally said trying to not reveal too much to the people around us. 

"Sounds good, I'll catch up with you later," I waved goodbye to him as Garreth had been waiting on me. 

"How do you know Lucan?" he finally asks me. 

"Through common friends," I answered, making him more confused. 

We reached the middle of the table where Cressida Blume and Leander Prewett were sitting. Garreth extends his hand to indicate to me to sit down and as I do, Leander raises his head.

"Hey Ga-HELLO," Leander got taken aback by my face. 

"I'm sorry, is it ok if I join you both for lunch?" I looked at Leander and Cressida, having already sat down. 

"Don't be stupid, of course you can," Cressida says raising her head from a book she was reading. Then she elbowed Leander in his ribs, "Don't be a weirdo."