A Man Has Horns // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 48 - As Tradition

We sat in the half empty train, tucked in a carriage just the two of us. We had not spoken much beyond, 'it's here', 'this one?', 'ok, whats the time?'. 

As we sat and made ourselves comfortable, not a single word had yet been exchanged between us. What happened in the castle hung heavy around us like a goose feather duvet. 

I sighed and wanted to break free from it, but did not know what to say. I looked at Imelda who rested her head on the palm of her hand, looking outside the window. 

We were half an hour into our journey. 

This should have been a good day between friends. 

"Imelda?" I said with an almost stutter, feeling the crushing attention of breaking the silence around us.

"Mmm," she just hummed in a low tone, not taking her eyes from the window. 

"I want to apologise," I started. It was better to just say something, anything so normalcy could resume.  "For putting you in that situation back there. For putting a damper on our trip." 

These words had danced in my head the whole time we had left the castle. 

I did not know yet the consequences of my actions and I worried that she too would be held responsible. We wouldn't get expelled, but there were other punishments. There was always detention or forbidding attendance to the Ball. 

I did not want to bring attention to that prospect because of the selfish want to not to worry her and to salvage a nice trip.

"I'm used to being the one needing to apologise for angry outbursts," she says finally says turning to me. "You don't have to apologise."

I felt the weight slowly lift.

But she closed her eyes and scratching the side of her neck as if buying time to say her actual mind. 

Anxiety resumed and I looked to her awaiting what it was. 

"But..." she exhaled and inhaled a slow breath. 

I was right. She did want to say something.

"I think Weasley had a point. Maybe Sebastian has rubbed off on you."

I swallowed a dry throat, my stomach falling as if I had experienced freefall for a millisecond. 

"Or I just don't know you that well," she added nervously seeing my reaction from the simple words. "But I didn't think you have been this quick-tempered. Not that I mind, I am just speaking out loud," she spoke in a quick and slightly loud tone as if she had anticipated me to argue against her. 

But I had stayed silent. 

"I've always been a bit snappy I think," I finally said after a minute or so between us.

I would have described myself as sarcastic and I often felt the need to hold my tongue back. But I guess those previous moments did not compare to the scene I had with the Professors. I had lost control. What Imelda did not know was that I was dangerously close to loosing control over my magic. 

"It was just my two cents Lilith," Imelda said seriously and turned back to the window. 

She did not want to argue and that was a first. 

It worried me. 

"You think I overreacted?" I asked so she could just turn back to me and speak again. 

But she looked with mocking wide eyes and shook her head as if to say 'are you kidding'.

"You went for blood for not being able to get on a train away from Hogwarts," she said with the same wide eyes as if I was not present and aware of what had happened.