Chapter Text
The Plot Thickens
“Sebastian? What are you talking about?” A flicker of nervousness crossed her face. A few of the Slytherins that were hanging about now circled around them.
“What’s going on here?” Reyes inquired, curiously.
Ominis scowled, the wand in his hand glowing faintly red at the end. “We have an intruder. Someone’s used a polyjuice potion.”
“How can you be so sure?” Doubt filled her voice.
“I don’t believe I stuttered.” Sebastian never broke eye contact with her. “Where is the real Adelaide?”
She pursed her lips, putting a hand on his chest. “It’s me, my love.” The fake Adelaide leaned up to kiss him, but Sebastian shoved her away. Her foot caught the loveseat and she tripped backwards.
He readied his wand, casting “Levioso.” And watched as she was lifted into the air. “I’m going to ask you one more time. Where is Adelaide?”
“Ugh!” A frustrated noise left her, “I had someone who looked like you take her out to the Forbidden Forest.”
Reyes’ eyes widened along with a few other students. “Who are you?” She asked.
“Vienna.” The witch was dropped to the ground as the levitation spell wore off. “Vienna Georges.”
Ominis scowled, “The Ravenclaw student? You must be in the wrong house if you thought you’d be able to fool us with a Polyjuice potion.”
Sebastian recalled that Georges was a blonde haired Ravenclaw—the one he had met near the staircase for the first time when Adelaide had asked him to take her to Hogsmeade for the first time. And he had seen her again in Potions class when they got paired up.
“It doesn’t make sense. How could you tell?” Her auburn hair at the edges was beginning to turn golden and her eyes darkened becoming a chocolate brown.
Before Sebastian could answer, Ominis rolled his eyes and spoke up, “You have none of her mannerisms. Even your presence is different. Screams desperation if you ask me.”
“No one—“ Vienna began when Sebastian stepped forward. Her words got stuck in her throat as she caught sight of him and the glint of malevolence in his eyes. “Nothings going to happened to her—She’s with Duncan Hobhouse. He was probably too scared to even enter the Forest.”
Ominis looked towards Imelda, “I trust you’ll give her a warm Slytherin welcome. Seb, shall we?”
Sebastian’s lips thinned in anger as he sent the Ravenclaw a cold hard stare. “You are going to regret messing with my girl.”
Without another word exchanged, the two Slytherin boys left the Common Room as the remaining house students swarmed the Ravenclaw with their wands out—no doubt giving her the warmest of Slytherin welcomes. Especially when the female pissed off the two perceived princes of the house.
“Do you have a plan?” Ominis inquired as Sebastian started heading towards the exit. It was after lunch, but they only had a couple hours before the winter sun would go to sleep for the night.
Sebastian’s jaw was clenched, his adrenaline making his heart pound. Even the blood was audible as it rushed through his body. “Figure out where the fuck Adelaide is.”
“It is quite odd she wasn’t immediately back. Do you think she was fooled?” Ominis wondered as they hit the trail.
It didn’t even cross his mind as a possibility. “No. Something’s wrong.”
“How do you know?”
Sebastian had to remind himself that this was his best friend and because he was pissed didn’t mean he had to snap at him—even if his patience for questions was nonexistent. “I can’t really explain it. I had this feeling right before Anne’s letter after her second trial and she was dying.”
Ominis said nothing more until they were at the bridge. Almost immediately, they could see a witch crumpled at the base of a tree and Duncan Hobhouse wearing Slytherin Robes two sizes too big for him was pacing.
Sebastian sped up, his rage taking over. “What happened?”
“Descendo.” Hobhouse was thrown to the ground as Ominis knelt down with his knee pressing against his chest, “What did you do, Hobhouse?”
Tears formed in the boy’s eyes, “I-I just wanted her to stop, but the tree branch knocked her out.”
Sebastian pulled the witch into his arms with extreme care. On her left temple, there was a thin scratch with bruising already discoloring the surrounding cut. Sebastian never thought he’d be able to cast the Killing Curse, but in this moment he was entirely sure that Duncan could be wiped from the Earth and his conscience would be clear.
“For your sake, she’d better be alright.” Ominis hissed.
He began to speak in Parseltongue. Sebastian felt something slither by his leg, but he promptly ignored it, reaching in his back pocket for a small vial of Wiggenweld he kept for emergencies. He put the vial to her lips, but it was pointless because a few drops dribbled out. Sebastian swore enough to make a nun blush before he put the vial to his lips. He downed the rest of the vial before placing his mouth over Adelaide’s and coaxed her to swallow.
Adelaide wasn’t sure what the best way to wake up was. But she supposed having Sebastian’s lips against hers was a great way to start. Something floral flooded one of her senses—Wiggenweld potion, and she swallowed the taste against Sebastian’s mouth.
She blinked, feeling the pounding headache she had go away and looked up at Sebastian. “Do I know you?”
A grim look was fleeting across his face because the moment he saw her lips twitch indicating that she was fibbing—he looked at her a blank stare. “You have got to be joking.”
Adelaide pulled his tie that was hanging over her chest closer, pressing his lips against his.
“Is she alive?” Ominis called out, “Because I will feed him to my friends.”
Sebastian broke it off, entirely convinced that his best friend would in fact feed someone to the snakes. Adelaide sat up to see Duncan weeping because his entire body was covered with poisonous snakes. Even she shivered because the feeling of their tongue flickering—tasting their next meal was absolutely terrifying.
“She’s fine. The branch hit her in the head, but a Wiggenweld potion healed the cut.” Sebastian explained, walking over to Duncan with his lover.
Adelaide raised an eyebrow down at him as Ominis dismissed the snakes in their native tongue. “What did we learn today?”
“I won’t ever listen to Vienna Georges again.” Duncan sobbed to the point where she almost felt bad for him. Almost. He was covered in snake poo as well. “I’m sorry.”
It didn’t sound sincere, he was only scared for his life with the two intimidating, bloodthirsty guys wishing for his downfall beside her. “Go. And don’t ever approach me again. Because I won’t help you.”
He was let up and he almost fell over from scurrying away so fast like a mouse that had escaped a snake. Adelaide walked over and hugged Ominis, “Thank you.”
“Of course, love.” Ominis patted her head affectionately, “I do have a question.”
She joined Sebastian’s side again, hugging his arm as they walked. His bloodthirsty look quelled, but ever since the kiss he had been looking at her with obvious want. “What is it, Ominis?”
He grinned, “What happened? When did you realize?”
“Almost immediately.” Adelaide rolled her eyes and recounted the events that had happened. “And he hates cinnamon.”
Sebastian looked down at her with mock abhorrent, “Monster.”
Her and Ominis laughed with him adding, “We still have an hour or two if you’d both like to go to Hogsmeade for Anne’s birthday shopping and a butterbeer.”
Adelaide intentionally ignored Sebastian’s look of hesitation and perked up, “After a terrible afternoon, that would make me very happy. Have you decided what to get her?”
“Should we stop by the Common Room? See what happened?” She heard Sebastian mutter towards Ominis.
The boy shook his head with a secret smile before answering Adelaide’s question, “I was going to order her a new potion station to be delivered.”
“Isn’t that really expensive?”
Sebastian snorted, amused. “You didn’t know? Ominis has more money than he knows what to do with.”
“I saved up for this with tutoring.” Ominis said indignantly, “And that money, isn’t mine. My parents only keep sending me allotments to ensure I don’t look ‘poor.’”
“The horror.” Adelaide said dryly.
Sebastian grinned, “Are we walking or using floo power?”
Adelaide’s scrunched her nose, “Walking.”
“It isn’t too cold yet.” Ominis pointed out. A thought struck him, “It’s almost your birthday too.”
She blinked. He blinked.
“Ominis. Anne and I are twins.” Sebastian spoke slowly as if he was daft.
Adelaide smirked. “Who exactly are you tutoring that’s dumber?”
“Garreth in the History of Magic.” He said sheepishly.
Sebastian rolled his eyes, “Weasley. Makes sense now.”
Adelaide laughed, Ominis joining in. Despite a terrible plan to steal her beloved away, it had been a rather interesting day. She had another reason besides Anne’s birthday shopping to go to Hogsmeade. The dragon had reminded her of Red Eyes. That was the term she decided to coin for the mysterious wizard that had been watching her in Lower Hogsfield. He had a distinct look to him and there was no one better to ask if anyone knew him than Sirona Ryan.
Part of her hoped that it was just a weird occurrence. But she also knew that in her world, everything was intentional. She was deep in thought, smiling, and interjecting at the right points, but she caught Sebastian looking at her oddly. She raised an eye brow in question and he squeezed her hand lightly with an unspoken promise. I know something’s bothering you. We’ll talk later.