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Chapter Text

It was a little over a week after the announcement of who won the House Cup, and everyone was packing, getting ready to go home for the summer. Everyone was excited and celebrating, regardless of who had more points during the year; they were all hugging and laughing, telling one another that they'd miss each other so much and promised to write.

Well, almost everyone.

Ominis was running around trying to find Emelia, his new companion that he'd grown rather fond of and close to during their fifth year together, but she was nowhere to be found. He searched in the halls, the library because she loved to read and the smell of books, the common room, where they'd hang out by the glass windows, and even asked her friends: Imelda, Natty, Poppy, Amit, even Garreth, where she was. Unfortunately, they hadn't seen her either, which only made him more fearful and felt a sting of desperation, a sensation that he only felt when he was at home.

Home.

That wasn't even the appropriate word for that wretched place. Ominis feared for his life there, not knowing what his psychotic family would do to him or make him do next; he was always desperate to leave, to come back to his refuge within the walls of Hogwarts.

He pushed the thought aside and a more powerful desire came over him.

He had to find her.

He didn't care if he missed the train, if he had to fight off an acromantula, face his fear of flying a broom or even getting struck with a curse repeatedly again by his family – he was going to find her.

During his search, he overheard students in the Great Hall talking and whispering about something that was said in the paper; it piqued his interest in wanting to know what they were murmuring about, but he paid it no mind and focused solely on his mission.

Ominis tried concentrating on her scent: plump luscious apples, a delicate mix of sour and sweetness of black plums, and hint of a rich ebony wood – a warm, familiar yet fierce aroma, a smell that symbolizes her perfectly.

He begged for his sentient wand to understand what he was trying to find. When he finally got a whiff of her perfume, he followed it instinctively, turning from place to place, bumping into other students, getting disgruntled comments in the process, but he didn't care. Emelia was all he cared about right now, although he couldn't shake the bad feeling he had for when he'd finally locate her.

Ominis found himself in the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower.

"Of course!" he hollered to himself, face palm to his forehead.

How could he be so stupid?

He sprinted all the way to the undercroft, smelling Emelia's fragrance get stronger the closer he got.

He found her.

-

Emelia stared down at the Daily Prophet before her, her heart beating so loudly, it was to the point she could hear them pounding in her ears. Tears started to well up in her eyes, breathing shallowly and quickly. She was surprised her legs didn't collapse from under her; her hands shook involuntarily, palms beginning to sweat, clenching the paper.

Tears flowed and spilt over in endless streams; she couldn't stop them if she wanted to.

Her world started spinning.

She couldn't breathe, and her chest ached.

She was hyperventilating.

The doors of the Undercroft opened with its creaky gates and Ominis appeared, rushing in.

"Emelia?" his voice panicked.

"Om-Ominis..." she could barely speak through her aching and shock, one of her hands grabbed at her chest, squeezing firmly, wanting the pain inside to go away. She needed to get her breathing under control, but she couldn't focus.

"Emelia!" Ominis yelled, the bad feeling he had was, unfortunately, right; he ran towards her with worry and found her on the other side of the triptych that she and Sebastian had found during their adventures together, trying to discover where the relic was. She was leaning against the wall, almost hunched over completely, feeling her entire body shake, tempting to fall apart.

When she saw him approach closer, her knees buckled out from under her as she expected it would; she would've fallen over if it weren't for Ominis catching her, placing his arms under hers. She fell to her knees, Ominis following her actions, the sound of a newspaper rustling greeted his ears, clashing to the floor. Ominis tried to get her attention by calling her name, she heard him but didn't react, not having the strength to respond nor the power to move. Her body felt heavy, she just wanted to lay on the floor, curl into a ball and cry until she couldn't cry any more.

She thought to herself: What would Ominis think of me if I did that? Weak? Pathetic? Overdramatic?

He could feel her shuddering, her body tense, her heavy breathing filling the silent room around them, but the thing that deeply wounded and struck him the most was the sound of her crying. He never wanted to hear her this way; he didn't want to ever witness this side of her. He prepared himself to see her in all her emotions from the start, to observe her and be there during her triumphs and failures, thinking it wouldn't affect him, but after getting to know her, nothing prepared him enough for this. Experiencing her this way, he felt his heart twist with both deafening anger and an overwhelming urge to protect her, to take her away from her endless sorrow and broken heart.

Being with her like this was unbearable; he felt utterly useless.

He wanted to be her unbreakable shield, her strength whenever she wanted to fall apart or whenever she was like this – she was human just like everybody else – but mostly just to be there for her.

Emelia hadn't looked up at Ominis but felt his arms under hers in support; she tightened her grip on his forearms, slightly digging her nails into his skin through his robes sleeves, making him flinch a bit, but he didn't care. She tried to focus on getting her breathing back to normal, but nothing seemed to work. She closed her eyes forcefully and yelled at herself to concentrate and breathe, but her body continued to refuse to obey.

"He – Ominis, he..." she began to say, but couldn't finish her sentence, remembering what she'd seen and read; her breathing suddenly becoming more rapid, tears falling from her eyes heavier than before, weeping louder, not caring how she sounded or appeared to Ominis.

Ominis shushed her, trying to soothe her tension and quivering body; he understood then what had happened.

Using his wand, he read the paper that had fallen to the floor beside them and read:

SEBASTIAN SALLOW TURNS HIMSELF IN, ADMITTING TO THE MURDER

OF HIS UNCLE, SOLOMON SALLOW.

PRELIMINARY HEARING TO BE SET XX/XX/1891

He felt his eyes widen, not believing what he was reading; his thoughts screamed so loud that for a second it drowned out Emelia's panting.

That complete, idiotic imbecile! How could he do that after we agreed not to turn him in? Why would he do something like that? He'll be sent to Azkaban!

The questions kept coming, one after the other, but he had more pressing matters to attend to, those questions had to wait until later.

Until her.

Ominis snapped his head towards his sobbing friend and was determined to get her – to get them – out of this Hell.

"Emelia, look at me!" Ominis begged, his voice sounding frantic, not really knowing what to do for her; she didn't stray from her current position, so he asked again, more desperate, "please, look at me, dove."

By some miracle, Emelia gradually lifted her head to gazed into his cloudy eyes; a fire was lit under her caused by Ominis' pleading and broken tone, something she had never heard him do before. It was something she never wanted to hear come out of him again, it pained her to the center of her being.

Her breathing was still quick in pace, inhaling short rapid breaths, tears streaking down her face, but she could see the visible blend of emotions playing on Ominis' face: anger, frustration, pity probably, fear, worry and empathy.

Ominis grasped her shoulders firmly, thinking of the best way to calm her; his mind was running a million miles an hour, then he found it – the fool-proof solution. He immediately put her head against his chest, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other at the back of her head, holding her in a tight but gentle embrace.

"Listen to my heartbeat," he advised, trying to say it in a soothing voice.

Ominis had never done anything like this before, not even with Anne or Sebastian whenever they got overwhelmed; he was never really one to show physical affection or even know how to, but with her, it came to him so easily – effortless. Sometimes he thought she'd put a spell on him.

Emelia's body stiffened and froze in place for a brief second, but recovering quickly, she wrapped her arms around his waist, melting into him and cried into his chest, squeezing tightly; he did the same, increasing his hold on her.

"It's okay, little dove; I'm here, I'm right here," he said softly into her hair, "just listen to my heart."

Heeding Ominis' words, she did her best to focus on the beating of his heart; it was steady and strong, it didn't falter or skip.

It was a truly beautiful sound and the smell coming off of his robe only increased its affect.

Ominis took deep breaths, inhaling her intoxicating scent, closing his eyes and hoping his method works.

Emelia's body relaxed as she leaned deeper into her friend.

They remained that way for the next ten minutes, simply holding each other, neither one of them loosening their grip, except the last minute when Emelia had let go of Ominis' robes.

Ominis worried for a second but after listening closely, he realized that she'd fallen asleep; she had stopped crying and calmed down after a couple minutes, which warmed his core.

His technique had worked; he was just relieved that she was not hurting anymore.

He readjusted himself to sit against the wall and had her cradled in between his legs, her head turned towards his chest; he continued to hold her tenderly, an arm behind her shoulders and neck, resting an elbow on his knee, the other...the other he hovered, hesitantly over her cheek.

Ominis felt his hand shaking a bit this time, scared that he'd cross a boundary, but when Emelia started stirring in her sleep, inhaling sharply, those doubts and fears vanished. He hushed her in a low murmur, placing his hand on the side of her face, touched her smooth and soft skin with the back of his fingers, then switched to place his palm and stroking her cheek with his thumb lightly, coaxing her to remain in her dreams.

"Sleep, my sweet girl," he whispered against her forehead, "you've done so much already. You deserve rest."

When Ominis' long fingers caressed her face, she smiled a small grin unconsciously, a low moan escaping her throat and snuggling up closer to his chest, making him blush.

Emelia had told him the main points of the year within that week – from discovering her new power, the dragon attack at the start of the year, all her missions and quests involving some classmates, fighting against goblins, trolls, Rookwood, Harlow, and trials that she had to complete to demonstrate and earn respect with the power she had, from those called Keepers. The thought of 'The Keepers' made his body fume, they have no regard for her safety and well-being; they just wanted to see if she was worthy of her abilities.

Ridiculous! She's just a child! he thought.

Ominis held her closer, reflexively.

He remembered how she told him that she, single-handedly, battled Ranrok, a goblin that was talked about in the papers, who was leading a goblin rebellion against wizardkind; every hamlet was talking about him and his loyalists, some even had the unfortunate luck of being terrorized by them, but Emelia was there to help drive them away or defeat them.

He sighed with a smirk, proud of his friend's victories.

She told him the story of how Professor Fig and she were trying to get to Ranrok, under the school, and when all hope seemed lost, all the Hogwarts professors jumped and aided them when they needed it the most. Ominis felt a sense of gratitude towards each of them, more than he could express, because without them, who knows what would've happened to Emelia.

She defeated Ranrok in the end; she explained he used the dark magic that was encased in goblin silver in a repository and made himself into a literal flying dragon. She told him that she barely made it out alive, but...her mentor, Professor Fig, didn't make it.

Emelia's been torn up about it since, and Ominis had sensed it, but not wanting to pry or push her, he let her be.

"You're so humble..." he muttered under his breath to her sleeping body.

Ominis was grateful that she finally stopped bawling over that absolute moron. Feeling her sleep soundly in his arms, he felt her energy had been drained from her sobbing, her uncontrollable shaking out of pure fear had seized but leaving her shattered spirit behind.

He sighed deeply, annoyed and frustrated, turning his attention towards the newspaper that remained on the floor next to them, and shook his head at it in disappointment.

There were so many questions going on in his head: Did he turn himself in willingly? Did someone report him, threaten him? Did the ministry find out? What is going to happen to him now?

He didn't know what the reason was Sebastian had turned himself in, but he knew one thing – Sebastian was going to pay for this.

Ominis' heart was filled with unkempt wrath; his best friend had made her cry without knowing it, something that he didn't know, he felt so strongly about until now. He vowed right then, he would never make Emelia cry and guard her like a colossal, impenetrable steel wall, having nothing dampen her spirits or even come close to touching her; he wanted to see nothing more than to see her blossom in life, hear her contagious laughter, sense those smiles on her face, feel her ceaseless energy bouncing around him whenever she was near, feel her brief touches and sense her glances towards him – as he does with her.

But not like this, he knew she felt small, weak, and helpless, she was anything but; she was so strong and capable that he felt he wanted to be better, to be able to stand beside her as an equal.

He'd be her unyielding strength, her never-ending light – her reason to smile, laugh and live happily, until she pushed him away, he'd remain by her side, and Sebastian Sallow would never hurt her or go near her heart again. 

Chapter Text

I was back there.

Back in the caverns of the final repository where I defeated Ranrok.

The red swirls of magic danced around me with no real destination. I used my wand to bring a small piece towards me, observing the red whirls of pain closer. I remember that I was tempted to do what Isidora did – to breathe it in and feel its power, but I didn't want to get stronger that way. I didn't want to be like her; I had to be better, for the Keepers, those depending on me, my friends I wanted to protect, Professor Fig...myself...

I tore my eyes from the small swirl at the tip of my wand to the surroundings around me, seeing the other countless pieces of pain that Isidora extracted, thinking she was helping, each piece – big or small – represented a person.

There were so many...

I sighed and released the pain from my hold, only for it to change course instantly and make its way behind me. I followed it, curiously, spinning around completely only to come face to face with...me?

The leather outfit hugged her figure, showing off her curves in all the right places; their dark cape, waving slightly as they gradually made their way towards me. Their pitch-black hair in a high ponytail that swayed her long, voluminous locks behind her. The swirl of magic made its way to the edge of her wand, her lips grinned darkly, stretching wider to an evil smile. She stopped a couple feet away from me and I could now see the black eyeshadow that enclosed her green intimidating eyes.

"What...? Who...?" I began to say, but my evil twin chuckled in amusement.

"Are you really just going to let all this magic – this power – go to waste?" she wondered curiously, closing her eyes, inhaling the dark magic she had captured, deeply; she exhaled, letting her head hang forward a bit before she opened them and her eyes glowed bright red.

I took a step back, stunned at witnessing myself do such a thing. I prepared myself in a fighting stance, holding my wand out towards her.

My duplicate laughed. "You can't defeat me," she stated, "I'm the better version of you. I did what you couldn't, what you're too afraid and pathetic to do. And for what? For the Keepers, being their little puppet? Following their every command and request? Afraid to face the consequences of the Ministry if they find out your little secrets, what your friends will think of you, of everyone that looks up to you as the heroine of Hogwarts," she continued, putting 'heroine' in quotes, "or...is it because of that worthless, dead daddy figure that you cared so much for, and you just want to make him proud?" They hissed in a teasing tone, scoffing.

I flinched, clenching my wand tight, feeling a sense of anger boiling inside my core; I felt the energy around me rise higher that my eyesight was flashing blue, flickering like a lightbulb. I shook my head and ignored the blue blinking before me, my eyesight returning to normal.

"Oh shit, I must've hit a big nerve..." the dark me murmured, sounding pleased.  

"Never fucking speak ill of Professor Fig again," I warned, "Confringo!" I hollered, casting the spell towards her with all my might.

She blocked it with ease and glared at me through her eyelashes. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," she shook her head, "the mouth on you though...I like it," she smirked approvingly, gradually stalking forward.

I emitted another spell, but she blocked it effortlessly.

She sighed annoyed. "I can't believe I was ever this weak."

I groaned frustrated and threw all the spells I knew at her, using my ancient magic behind each cast, but to no prevail; my stronger self, blocked, dodged, and moved faster than I ever could.

She retaliated and I managed to protect myself every now and then, dodging whatever incoming attack came my way, but I was too slow.

"If you're going to try to get me," she advised, "Diffindo!" she spewed out and I felt a cut slice along my left arm; I moaned in pain, holding my arm and looking up at her. "Actually get me," she finished. "Bombarda Maxima!"

An aggressive blast ignited in front of me, I flew a good twenty to thirty feet, landing on my back hard, feeling my left arm become warm and sticky with my blood. Gradually getting to my feet, wand still in my weakening grip, I wiped the blood that I felt coming from the corners of my mouth and faced her once more.

"Depulso!" she hollered.

A blast of blue light hit me and I flew another twenty feet or so, the wind getting knocked out of me; I moaned as I struggled to stand, feeling my whole body ache.

I pointed my wand unsteadily at her, nothing escaping my lips except for slight panting.

Merlin, help me...

I knew Ominis wouldn't like me doing this, but this is a dire situation, right?

Crucio...

The dark me tilted her head to the side and focused their attention on me, and for a few seconds I felt like something was seeping its way into my mind; I tried to shake it off and fight – to focus.

"Cru-" I began to holler, but then she screamed. 

"Enough!" she exclaimed, her voice almost echoing off the cavern walls around us, a wave of energy exploded out of her, knocking me off my feet and onto my injured arm.

"Fuck..." I muttered under my breath, "ow..."

I couldn't catch a break.

She threw her wand aside and spoke menacingly. "No more fucking games."

I furrowed my brows in confusion and waited in anticipation for her next attack, but how could she attack without her wand?

The surrounding red whirls of pain that floated around us synchronized and came together to my evil self and I watched her inhale all the dark magic once again, but in a much greater quantity. Her eyes burned that mesmerizing red and remained, making her appearance and form even more intimidating.

A red, translucent sphere twice her arm width surrounded her being and began to lift into the air; rocks of all shapes and sizes levitated around us and made its way around her orbit, slowly moving. Her hands flexed and tense at her sides, eyes glowing that intense red, glowering at me with malicious intent.

I swallowed, licking my lips, trying to direct my attention to what was happening; I gazed towards myself that hovered feet above the ground, encased within the scarlet orb and cast Bombarda and Confringo at it. The spells hit the ball and a blast of smoke erupted; I thought I punctured it, but when the smoke cleared, I saw that the surface of the sphere remained unscathed.

I exhaled in disbelief.

My evil twin lifted one of her arms, her hand dangling, but with a single flick upward from her wrist, a handful of rocks charged towards me.

"Shit!" I jumped out of the way from some, and barely missed a couple more by a hair if I hadn't used Protego or other spells to clash with them.

I crouched, raising my hand up to summon lightning with my ancient magic and had it crashing down onto the scarlet sphere; the surface didn't seem to be fazed at all nor did the evil Emelia, who simply grinned with delight. I prepared to dodge another attack again, but a blast of red came from the orb out of nowhere.

"Protego!" I spoke, but the impact of the blast shattered my protective sphere, sending me flying, my body dragging and scraping against the uneven ground; my body started to scream at me, twitching and shaking with an immense wave of pain, like I was hit with the Cruciatus Curse again, except this was more powerful.

I screamed and groaned loudly, holding myself in a side fetal position, trying not to faint.

"You think you can cast the Cruciatus Curse on me...? Me?!" she spoke in disbelief, her voice overlapped with a more distorted and threatening one, "Diffindo!"

I felt slashes along my torso, increasing the torment I was feeling.

So, it was an Unforgivable...but how did she know...?

I glanced over at the floating sphere approaching, grumbling, struggling to stand, the copper smell of my blood invading my nose.

Shit, I'm going to bleed out.

Shit...!

It felt like I was being stabbed with a dull knife in multiple places at once, and the blade was being pressed and twisted, torturously.

I was trying to remember Ominis' words to breathe when I was hit with Crucio the first time by Sebastian when we were trapped, trying to get into Salazar Slytherin's Scriptorium.

"Breathe, Emelia," his gentle voice urged me then, "you have to breathe..."

"Ominis..." I murmured under my breath, feeling tears collecting in my eyes and spill over at the inner corner, the pain slightly subsiding after a breath.

I heard my evil twin laugh in mockery. "Are you fucking crying?" she taunted as she lowered herself down and the red sphere faded around her.

My instinct was to stand up and fight, to keep fighting until I couldn't stand any longer, but my body wouldn't obey, as if someone cast an Immobulus charm on me; however, in truth, it was my power – it was drained.

Get up! Get up! Fucking get up!

My doppelganger walked up and stopped, continuing to smirk triumphantly.

"Now this is going to be the best part of our little scuffle..." she hissed, her hand outreached to her side and the wand, she threw, flew into her grip.

I glared at her, seeing my wand slightly above my head, if only I could just grab it.

I raised my trembling hand, struggling to reach the hilt.

"Ah, ah, ah," her voice let out.

Out of nowhere, my hand was slashed with what I can only assume was a nonverbal spell; red started to pour out the backside of the freshly made wound. I yelped in pain, the sensation of burning arose and stung even with the slightest movement.

"You don't know when to give up," she uttered over me, eyeing me sinisterly, "your persistence is impressive and yet, annoying."

She used a spell to lift me up to my feet with ease; she grasped the hair at the back of my head to force me to meet her gaze.

"Any last words?" she asked me.

I had enough strength to lick my lips, sneer, and spit blood from my mouth onto her face.

"Fuck. You." I said with a venomous tone.

She laughed, stepping away to wipe the blood from her face; her snickering rose to an almost maniacal one. She instantly struck my face with her fist, my body still levitating in place; when I looked back at her, her wand glowed a bright, hypnotic green. Before I could do anything, she spun me around without the use of her wand. "Would you like to do the honors?" she questioned with anticipated excitement.

I was confused until I gazed upon the figure in front of me and my breath hitched.

Deep brown waves caught my attention, freckles splashed on his face, appearing as if each one was purposely placed to captivate anyone who looked upon him; his matching black outfit stood out from the caverns background, his button-up tucked in neatly, but exposed the top of his developed chest with something on the left side his neck, almost like a tattoo. His wand in hand, the familiar green and black checkered pattern visible, letting me know, it was no mistake.

My heart stopped – it was really him.        

"Sebastian..." I muttered under my breath, not being able to hold in my words; my eyes watered and streamed down my face, my chest swelled with warmth just seeing him.

He stood feet away from me, his posture still, but his eyes glowed the same green as my dark duplicate's wand; there were steam-like clouds coming from his eyes.

He was under the Imperius Curse.

She chuckled behind me. "Kill her," my copy commanded, hearing a smile in her voice.

He didn't respond, but simply raised his hand, pointing the wand at me.

"Sebastian, wait..." I said more alert.

Before I could utter another word, a streak of light appeared at the tip of his wand.

"Avada Kedavra!" he shouted, obeying his master.

The attack hit me; I didn't even make an attempt to dodge it.  Before my vision faded to black, I remembered Sebastian's warm smile whenever he saw me, the curiosity and excitement in his chocolate eyes, the deep brown lightening in the sun, looking like honey, gold or the color of an eclipse – I couldn't gaze away from such beauty, but then it shifted to a head of dark blonde hair, opaque eyes that resembled the sky after it rained, and those beautiful moles on his flawless face, which could be the shining stars in the dead of night, making a unique constellation which only a few were fortunate enough to view and appreciate – the breath-taking masterpiece of Merlin, God, all the deities who created him – Ominis Gaunt.

-

I woke with a start, instantly sitting up from the bed; my forehead surely having beads of sweat upon it, shirt slightly sticking to me.  I panted softly to myself, looking around and remembered that Ominis and I were in the Room of Requirement for winter break. I suggested we stay here since we didn't really have a home to go to or in Ominis' case, want to go to. I couldn't imagine how his summer and winter break had been without Sebastian and Anne offering their home in Feldcroft.

I looked over at the extra bed that Ominis had conjured and saw him sound asleep, wrapped under the covers, lightly snoring; I had insisted that he come lay on the opposite side of my bed since it was big enough, but he refused, saying it was inappropriate.

My entire body felt heavy and sore, catching my attention; a strange burning sensation crawling all over. I stared down and noticed the back of my right hand was severed, left arm cut, skin smeared in red and dragged my eyes towards my torso where I felt the most stinging. I lifted my shirt and saw shallow lacerations all over. My blood had stained the covers; thank Merlin the blanket was wine-red, so one wouldn't see it. I noticed they were like the injuries I sustained from my dream. 

"What the...?" I murmured, trying to concentrate and stay calm; it wasn't usually this bad.

I sighed and got out of bed, grabbing my wand, and pain searing all over me instantly; I clenched down on the fabric of my shorts and bit my lip to keep from groaning out loud.

As I managed to quietly sneak out of the secret room, I apparated my way up the Astronomy Tower, thankful I didn't get splinched. There was no one around since it was the middle of the night and besides, everyone must've gone home for the break. I found myself in front of Professor Shah's classroom and remembered the large telescope, jumping from one location to the other, continuing my way to my desired destination.

I walked onto the platform after my final apparition at the top of the wooden stairs and immediately felt the crisp chill of the evening breeze; I didn't shiver, the burning feeling coming off my body felt relief from the cold. I leaned on the railing of the balcony, looking out towards Hogsmeade, the snow-capped mountains appearing both beautiful and menacing at the same time, surrounding all that the eyes can see and more. The sky above was glistening with stars against the black abyss of the night; the moon's light was the only source of seeing beyond the darkness.

My body quivered from the unknown trauma whenever I tried to move. Have my nightmares become more real? Nightmares were a norm for me now; believe it or not, but usually the cuts that appeared after my nightmares weren't this severe and could easily be healed. However, since my bond with Ominis had gotten stronger after fifth year, it was happening less and less.  Ominis had become my source of light and peace, so why was this nightmare more intense and real than ever before, and came out of nowhere?

I shook my head, observing all my wounds, attempting to understand how and what happened.

"Shit..." I grumbled, pointing my wand at the injury on my hand and tried to heal it like all the others I had before, "Episkey..." 

The wound barely closed, and I felt the skin being pulled forcefully; I moaned in pain.

I did another attempt on the others, but the same result each time.

"Come on..." I pleaded for my injuries to close, but it wasn't stopping the bleeding and I couldn't think straight to think of other healing spells.

I didn't want to give up, but after a couple minutes passed, it felt hopeless, and I was getting light-headed. I was sweating and hunched over the railing, trying to ease the pain in my upper body.

"Fuck!" I hissed, frustrated, clenching my wand so tightly my knuckles turned white.

"I knew I'd find that foul mouth of yours," a voice spoke, amused, from behind me.

I spun around and saw Ominis, his hair in slight disarray, a couple strands against his forehead; he was wearing his pajama pants and Slytherin sweater walking towards me, his wand's tip glowing and pulsing a familiar red to guide him. I tried hiding my hand behind me and keeping my weakening balance steady as I shifted my body in the opposite direction of the wind, gripping on the railing for dear life with my good hand. I hoped that he didn't notice the scent of blood, but knowing Ominis' other senses were heightened due to his lack of sight, I always tried to be cautious around him – to not concern him - to also avoid his criticisms and lectures of putting myself at risk after adventuring or fighting off whoever I came across; however, he could always hear, smell, feel and even taste anything around him - he was basically a sensitive bloodhound.

"Ominis...you're awake," I managed to say normally, almost stuttering over my words, "I, uh...I'm sorry to have woken you."

"Well, after the tension I felt before you left with the combination of the scent of blood I smelt, it didn't bode well with me, so I had to follow you and make sure you didn't come up here to bleed to death," he half-joked, his brows were furrowed together, face serious mixed with concern.

I chuckled. "I assure you that I'm not going to bleed to death," I stated, still trying to sound like my usual self, but some of the pain made itself known; I then thought about the severity of my injuries, "at least, I don't think so..."

Ominis finally reached me and gradually moved his wand near me, trying to locate the source of the blood, his expression focused, lips in a thin line concentrating.

His face suddenly altered from serious to complete shock, head shifting erratically left and right in almost disbelief; he firmly grabbed my wrist from behind my back and held it up between us. "Your hand and – what happened? Who did this?" he questioned frantically, almost furious.

I couldn't respond right away, feeling both dizzy and embarrassed that I had to hide it, especially from him.

I swallowed hard, trying to think of a good explanation without him criticizing me, but nothing came to me.

"I -Nobody did it; it's nothing, really," was all I could think to say in a low whisper. I shook my head, pulling my wrist out of his gentle grip. "Don't worry," I waved my good hand in front of my face, shrugging it off, feeling myself sway.

Ominis exhaled a deep breath, closing his eyes and pinched the middle of his nose.

"Lift your shirt," he demanded.

"What?"

"You're bleeding from your torso; I may be blind, but I am still a gentleman. I can't really help unless you give me your consent that it's okay for me to touch you there, however, under these circumstances, I don't believe I'd care and just help myself like a scoundrel," he explained, his fist clasping his wand firmly.

I sighed, raising my shirt, feeling my cheeks warm, looking away. "Go ahead..."

Ominis hovered his wand over my torso and quickly began working on the cuts, murmuring what I could only assume was an advanced healing spell. I curiously glanced downward, feeling a minor sting, watching the wound gradually close; soon enough I was healed and scar-free, there was no evidence of the pain from the time before.

Ominis lightly grazed his fingers on my stomach and along my sides, making sure there wasn't any scarring or other injuries that he may have missed, but was greeted merely with goosebumps.

"Drink this," he ordered, handing me a wiggenweld potion.

"How do you –" I began to say but he cut me off.

"I stole it from your arsenal; now drink, I won't ask again."

I stayed silent, making a disgruntled face at him and did what I was told; drinking the bottle, I felt a sensation of relief course through my veins to my entire body.

After Ominis was satisfied to hear I drank the potion, his expression softened.

"Come here," he urged, his voice gentle, grabbing my good hand swiftly and walked us to the edge of the railing, creating two stools and forcing me to sit. He took my wand and sat in front of me. "Your arm," he requested, sitting perfectly still.

I adjusted myself in my seat, having my red-smeared arm facing him. Ominis worked on the laceration, doing the same advanced spell he used for my upper body; his face remained serious and focused, looking over his efforts with the touch of his hand again. After he was done, I began to shiver from the cold evening.

Ominis instantly conjured a blanket and placed it around me.

"Thanks," I appreciated, pulling the corners to the center of my chest with my unscathed hand; I looked at him with gratitude, the moon's radiant light making his hair appear a lighter blonde and his eyes more alluring like the sea.

I couldn't help but stare.

"Alright, give me your hand," he told me, offering his out, waiting patiently. I repositioned myself in the chair facing him, my legs in between his. I gently placed my hand in his and felt his soft, smooth skin underneath my fingers. He delicately grasped and pulled it towards himself, his wand hovering over it to examine it more closely; he lifted his head in my direction, face sterner than before – oh, if he could see, he'd be glaring into my soul right now.

"Ominis, please don't look at me like that," I begged him sweetly, hoping his expression would soften.

A disappointed grumble escaped from within his chest. "Emelia, I..." he spoke, his voice laced with fear and worry.

I placed my other hand delicately on his that held his wand, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "I promise you, I'm fine."

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath in and out before he reopened them and muttered the healing incantation.  The cut closed, leaving no scar in its place; I took my hand, inspecting it and made a fist, moving all my fingers,

"Thank you, Ominis," I said again, giving him a quick hug of appreciation, "tell me, where did you learn how to do that?" I wondered curiously, sitting back in my seat.

He smiled with a hint of sadness. "I learned it from my Aunt Noctua."

"Oh," I waited for him to continue.

Ominis felt my anticipation and resumed his story. "Being a Gaunt – well, being the most disgraced son of the Gaunts, they had no mercy on me when it came to punishments whenever I refused to do what they asked, or my older brother Marvolo, playing his twisted games to see how much pain I could bear before I passed out," he explained, turned his head to stare off towards the view around us; I could see his eyes reminiscing back to those memories.

"Merlin, Ominis, that's horrible..." I whispered, both hands grasping his large one strongly, letting him know I was here for him; I wanted to comfort him any way I could. He's been through so much and he didn't deserve any of it. He deserves so much happiness and love; his soul was the purest I've ever met. Ominis was gentle, caring, well-mannered, considerate, and protective, not to mention, quite handsome.

He was perfect.

Ominis gave a small grin in my direction and softly squeezed my hands that were securing his; he moved his head back towards where it was before, surveying the scenery and continued. "Whenever my Aunt Noctua came to visit, she'd get me out of that wretched house, and treated me with kindness, patience and understanding; she had shown me love that I continue to cherish to this day. She was truly the only relative I was fond of. She taught me things that could help me in the future – surviving my family – and was always looking out for me, like this ancient healing spell. It definitely came in handy when I was growing up before I met Anne and Sebastian. No one really knows about it anymore besides perhaps knowledgeable healers or pure-blood families, but, of course, they don't see a point in using it since they feel that they have no use for them," he stated, lowering his head faintly, "she and I were one of the same; I miss her dearly..."

I looked at Ominis distraught; I recalled last year when we were temporarily trapped, searching for the scriptorium with Sebastian, we found his aunt's remains along with her letters. I couldn't, and still can't imagine what he must've felt during that time. I've always been too afraid to ask; it wasn't my place to pry anyway. I respected him too much.

I squeezed Ominis' hand again, longer than the last and rubbing my thumbs along the backside of his masculine hand; I felt the ridges of his knuckles under his skin.

"I'm sorry I asked," I apologized, feeling my heart constrict tightly in my chest from seeing Ominis' pained expression; I always wanted to see him smile. "I never wanted to bring up bad memories..."

He shook his head and turned his face in my direction. "All memories with my Aunt Noctua are happy memories," he answered proudly with a grin.

I breathed out in relief, still lightly grazing my thumbs on his hand. "I'm glad."

He and I continued to smile and stare silently at each other for a bit.

His eyes were beautiful; I couldn't help but notice them first whenever I looked at him. They were like another galaxy, pulling me in or like the sky between dawn and sunrise, a magical twilight with stars shining beautifully.

"Did you wish to stay out here a while longer or did you want to go back to the room?" Ominis' voice broke the silence and struck me out of my daydream.

I blinked quickly. "Um...I'd like to stay out here a little bit longer, if you don't mind," I replied, peeking up to see him rolling his eyes and smirking.

"I don't mind at all, as long as I'm with you," he confessed, releasing his hand slowly from mine as he stood from his seat, and having it disappear without missing a beat; he leaned on the railing closest to him.

My face flushed at his choice of words, watching his every movement; I placed my hands on my warm cheeks, shaking my head, standing while grasping the corners of the blanket again.

Ominis used his wand once more to vanish my chair as well.

I walked over and wrapped one side around Ominis' shoulders, he grabbed it expressing his thanks as we were both snuggled together in between the blanket.  I placed my elbows on the cold steel next to Ominis', feeling his warmth radiating off his body, it was soothing.

We stared off into the distance and let the comfortable silence envelope us.

As my eyes wandered along the vast view, I peeked over at Ominis, who's attention was out towards the wonderous scenery in front of us; the beauty marks on the left side of his face captivated my attention and the wheels of my mind began to daydream again. I never cared about what anyone else said or how they warned me about him, I never believed them, but one thing was certain - I was looking at an angel.

"You're staring, Emelia," Ominis stated out loud, an amused grin playing over his face.

I blinked abruptly, turning my head embarrassed, and smacking his arm closest to me with my newly healed hand. "Shut up!"

Ominis smiled, showing some of his perfect teeth, laughter tempting to come out through his lips, but he covered it with a fist over his mouth. "I'm just stating the obvious, dove; no need to get violent."

I smirked to myself and gazed back at the grandeur before me, letting my mind run its course.

Ominis and I were in the middle of our sixth year of Hogwarts, and we've only grown closer since the incident with Sebastian. We had both agreed and convinced Anne to not turn him in, taking the secret to our graves and to support him in whatever he chose to do next. He spoke about wanting to continue to find Anne since she disappeared after Solomon's funeral. In truth, we hadn't seen him since he said his farewells in the undercroft last year – well, since the day I saw his face on the Daily Prophet, saying he had turned himself in; his head moved briefly on the paper, his face in pain, full of regret but determination in his eyes, as if he was doing this for a purpose. I couldn't imagine what Ominis had gone through seeing his best friend in the paper. I don't recall much that day, besides feeling an overwhelming sense of shock, my body had completely shut down with poor Ominis to pick up the pieces. He's taken care of me with every "episode" I had – whenever I feel myself overworked or think of certain things of the past, my body slowly degenerates and I become a sobbing, quivering mess.

I think it's humiliating; the "Hero of Hogwarts" having mental breakdowns.

Ominis didn't care, he always told me that it was because I was only human and allowed to feel this way after all I've gone through; he always dropped everything he was doing and was there by my side in an instant, comforting me. Strangely enough, the sound of his beating heart mixed with his soft caresses and scent were the only things that helped me get out of my head – to calm down.

I was grateful to him, so much so that I couldn't repay him enough in this lifetime or the hundreds of ones after.

But that wasn't the oddest thing that's happened.

Anne had started Hogwarts again.

She was my roommate; Ominis and I were shocked to our core, not believing she was actually here with us. She told us that after her uncle's funeral, she went to live with a distant family friend somewhere between Manor Cape and Clagmar Coast. She noticed about a month after school ended, she began to feel less and less pain until it was gone completely. I theorized that after I killed Rookwood, the curse he put on her had lifted, not right away but gradually returning her back to her normal self, leaving no trace or evidence she was ever cursed.

We all hung out as we did the year before, except less trips to the Restricted Section.  It was bizarre, as if Sebastian's role was temporarily replaced by Anne. She was just as mischievous and cunning as her twin, although she was a lot more responsible and level-headed, thinking before doing anything. It was like Sebastian was still here but in a different body entirely.  Anne and I spoke a lot and got to know each other much better through our classes; I even helped her catch up on what she missed during fifth year, letting her use the Room of Requirement to assist and hoping that it would benefit her as much as it did for me. She and Deek got along smoothly without any help from me; it was like she can make friends easily with anyone.

Even with Anne healthy and back in school, sharing our laughter and joys, it was still unsettling without Sebastian. Ominis would express his mutual concern whenever we were both alone, he didn't want to say it in front of Anne, not wanting to hurt her with his honest words. I understood his feelings and consideration towards Anne; we kept it to ourselves when we were around her, not wanting her to feel or think we didn't enjoy her company. Ominis and I asked her if she saw Sebastian in the paper – she did; she reacted the same way I did, not being able to sleep or eat for a couple days after. We wondered if Sebastian had told her anything about it beforehand, but all she had to go by was a letter that basically stated that he's grateful for us and that he'll redeem himself in our eyes one day. I couldn't help but think repeatedly that our quaint, little circle of happiness wasn't complete and was afraid that it would never be.

Reminiscing back to the end of fifth year – after my mental break – I showed Ominis the Room of Requirement; he was taken aback that I actually found it. I told him Professor Weasley was actually the one that showed it to me, astonishing him more. He told me he'd heard stories about it from his family and the students' whispers in the halls but was never lucky enough to have it appear before him. I introduced him to Deek and all the magical creatures in the numerous vivarium's, never seeing Ominis as happy as he was then. I always wanted to see him that way – carefree, happy and himself.

To distract ourselves from further sorrow with the absence of Sebastian, Ominis and I sought out and held on tightly to each other through that following summer, sending letters and small gifts; he requested that the gifts be small so he could easily hide them from his family. I felt sorry for Ominis and hoped he'd be alright with them until school, hearing him tell stories of his past last year and whatever he felt comfortable telling me through his letters; it twisted something in me that I felt an intense and powerful urge to protect him, do everything in my power to become his armor, his blade, even his light and beacon of hope. I had nightmares that Ominis would return to school beaten and bruised, cut and tortured or not even returning at all. Sometimes the nightmares would be of what happened at the final repository, scenarios on what would've happened if I failed, Professor Fig dying in my arms again, Sebastian killing his uncle again or me – similar to the one I had – or me jumping in front of the curse as I should've done before, but I couldn't feel my feet to move.

I never really shared my nightmares with Ominis much at first, but when he started opening up more and more about his family and himself, I felt that I should share something with him in return, to let him know that our blooming friendship was honest and true, assuring him that I had nothing but the utmost respect for him. I told him more about my ancient magic, the Keepers, the trials, all my exploits, even Rookwood and how he was the one that cursed Anne, everything with Ranrok, explaining what happened in detail. Ominis was amazed by my heroics and vowed to keep it a secret. I felt warmth with his promise, feeling the sense of safety for the first time.

I still remember apologizing over and over in most letters about how sorry I was about using dark magic when he was strictly against it; Ominis said he'd understood why I wanted to learn them and had forgiven me, but politely requested that I steer clear from it from now on. He doesn't want me to go down a dangerous path where he wouldn't be able to follow; I promised him I wouldn't use the dark arts again.

While Anne was catching up with the schoolwork or hanging out with friends she'd missed the year before, Ominis and I were together – practically inseparable; we had confided and depended in one another's company, consoling each other with whatever troubles we were dealing with or showing our endless support whenever one of us didn't think we were going to complete the assignments – okay, it was mostly Ominis giving me his endless patience and support.

Ominis' presence was warm and inviting, always bringing comfort and security into my life; I could trust him with anything and everything and vice versa. He never failed to distract me, cheer me up, laugh or smile to the point my cheeks would hurt, whenever I was in my own head or thinking about my nightmares from previous nights; he was someone that I could lean on without reservation. I just hoped I made him feel the same protection, reassurance and home-like feeling that he gave me.

He was a true gentleman – an absolutely flawless specimen of a man. I wanted to strike down everyone that warned me about him and blast them into oblivion just because of his reputation – because he was a "Gaunt".

It was about two weeks into winter break, and we were trying to enjoy the peace before the storm of classes and studying started again. The Room of Requirement became both of our sanctuaries, and with Anne now having knowledge of the room, it almost felt like a home.

During the break, Anne was determined to try to relax the first year without her brother, staying with her new guardians, leaving only me and Ominis alone in the empty, echoing walls of Hogwarts. At first, I thought it was nice in the beginning, to not have as many classes as before, depending on our scores we got on our O.W.L's. We both got high marks and were mutually ecstatic to find out we had all the same classes together: Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, Transfiguration and History of Magic.

Well, all the same except one; I decided to take an extra class: Ancient Runes. I wanted to see if it could help me understand more about my ancient magic and how it came to be, and maybe I could find others with the same ability.

However, Ominis graciously pointed out that those free periods weren't for luxury and leisure time, but for helping us get caught up with our classwork and cram whatever we could before tests since this year was more demanding.

He, of course, was right.

As always.

During the first day back at Hogwarts, Poppy somehow convinced me to take another Care for Magical Creatures class with her.

I immediately regretted it afterwards, Ominis finding amusement in my choices.

After just a couple weeks' worth of course assignments, I was already falling behind. I apologized to Poppy that I couldn't continue the class with her. She was sad I wouldn't join in her adventures and new discoveries with all the incredible creatures she'd encounter, but she completely understood that my passions were elsewhere. I was grateful to Poppy for being so kind and understanding because if I hadn't dropped the class, I wouldn't have completed the assignments given to me on time in our other classes.

Not even the end of the second month, we were already learning to how cast new spells - quizzes about them – in our DADA class, Charms and Transfiguration, brewing unfamiliar potions in Professor Sharpe's class, and having to do excessive readying and research for history of magic. Professor Garlick's herbology class wasn't too bad since I had gathered the ingredients in the Room of Requirement from my previous escapades and adventuring every now and then, which Ominis didn't like. He insisted on going on a couple ventures with me, to make sure I was safe and came back unharmed; it was sweet of him to accompany me. I predicted it was because he was worried about me; I teased hm about it, attempting to get a confession out of him, but he remained nonchalant about it. Nonetheless, it was nice to have Ominis by my side, and it made me wonder why I hadn't taken him with me on my explorations before. I, then, recalled that it was always Sebastian that stood by me and came along ever since he showed me the way to Hogsmeade.  I still regret not taking the initiative in offering Ominis' company back then.

The workload of school and the nightmares refused to seize; it felt like my world was spinning, there were times where I thought I couldn't breathe because I was thinking of everything all at once, and it towered over me, pushing me to my limits, attempting to break me. I felt like I was getting kicked, punched, and pulled every which way. Without fail, Ominis would locate me in various parts of the castle, curled up on a fetal position, shaking and crying pitifully: the Astronomy Tower, the corner of the common room after everyone retired to bed, Professor Fig's classroom or even outside the classroom near the long, vacant walkway where there was a chest at the end of the path.

It was overwhelming, and I was getting more anxious and stressed as the hours ticked by; thankfully, Ominis had calmed me down various times in different ways – he's brought or conjured a blanket, covering me, since I was shivering with probably fear, making me a cup of warm tea, playing the piano in our sanctuary room, but the thing he'd do that he noticed helped the most, was that he put an arm around me or simply embraced me, instructing me to listen to his heart. His scent of vanilla, mint, along with a hint of his favorite tea, eucalyptus and the smell of the rain combined with the salt from the Black Lake seemed to quiet my loud, chaotic mind whenever it entered my nose.

I was typically good at hiding my inner turmoil, being in solitude and dealing with it on my own. My ancient magic tempted to blast out of me every time I was engulfed with emotion; I always did my best to hold it in, and thankfully, I managed to find an abandoned part of the Forbidden Forest or somewhere in the highlands to release my increasing power.  My ancient magic would shoot out of me, causing damage an eighth of a mile wide, give or take a few more yards.

I admit there were a couple times that Ominis had found me weeping uncontrollably, trying to catch my breath, not being able to utter a single syllable because I was crying so hard; I was curled up, shaking and my mind everywhere. My rare magic radiating out of me, sometimes so strong that Ominis sometimes had to use his wand to help him reach me since there was a force field-like shield preventing anyone from getting closer. He had found me at the Jobberknoll tree near Hogwarts, parts of the Forbidden Forest, abandoned ruins in parts of the highlands, even in the hilltops in the Hogsmeade Valley overlooking the cute little village.

Pathetic, right?

In those most embarrassingly shameful times, Ominis wouldn't say anything or even judge me, he'd merely sit alongside me and hold me with such a firm reassurance that words didn't even need to be said; I'd cry into his shoulder and his chest, ruining his clothes, taking in his sweet scent deeply, desperate for some sense of solace. Each treacherous encounter Ominis had battled through to get to me, I hugged him tighter than the last; I thought he'd tell me to loosen my grasp, that he couldn't breathe, but he never did.

I felt like such a burden to him since he had to take care of me in such a miserable state; I constantly asked for forgiveness, but he refused it. He kept saying that it was his duty as a friend to comfort the ones he held dear in their time of need.

The memory made my cheeks flush.

"So," Ominis' voice rang out, his head tilted towards me, bringing me out of my reminiscing thoughts.

I gazed up to meet his clouded eyes and raised my eyebrows in curiosity.

"Are you going to explain what happened?" he finished his question.

I bit my lip, thinking back to my nightmare and the injuries I'd gotten.

"Oh, um – I...had a nightmare," I confessed, looking back to where I stared before.

"Would you like to talk about it?" he wondered, his focus intently on me.

I sighed, grinning. "Who else would I talk to about these things?" I teased, raising an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled. "Very true, darling."

The lightened mood altered back to the somber tone.

"It was strange," I admitted, "I was...facing a darker version of myself; she breathed in so much of the dark magic like Isidora did."

Ominis furrowed his brow slightly, trying to understand. "A darker version of you? That's highly unlikely."

I snickered a bit. "Well, I saw her, and it was...frightening," I confessed, still shocked that version of me was a possibility.

He simply nodded his head slowly.

"I think that's the dangerous path you don't want me to walk on," I stated, remembering our exchanged letters to lighten the mood.

He tried to hide the amused grin that was appearing on his face; I couldn't help but smile back.

"What else happened in your dream?" His voice was soft, not wanting to press me too much.

"I tried fighting her, but she got me multiple times – as you know – and was incredibly powerful..."

"Accepting dark magic will do that to you," Ominis agreed, "trust me, I should know, my family is a prime example. You gain immense power, but you lose yourself along the way to attain it like what happened with –" he stopped himself, looking down with anguish.

I nodded. "Yeah..." I muttered, stretching out my mouth into a fine line, knowing he and I were both thinking of Sebastian and his insane desire to find a cure for Anne.

He had lost himself to the dark arts.

We remained silent for a few seconds.

"I did try using my ancient magic, but it didn't seem to affect her or do anything, to slow her down," I said, explaining my dream further, trying to distract our thoughts of the past, "she was so strong that she didn't even need her wand to attack me."

Ominis' head turned towards me completely. "Wandless magic?"

"Yeah, like those in Uagadou – the school Natty went to before she came to Hogwarts," I reminded him.

"Ah, yes. I recall you telling me about that," he stated with delight.

"She told me that they use wandless magic since it's more instinctive, and she had to get accustomed to using a wand here. I remember she said that she was starting to like having a wand since it was more dramatic," I smiled at the memory, laughing to myself.

Ominis joined me, flashing me a warm grin as he chuckled.

My grin faded as quickly as it appeared; Ominis sensed the shadow of my despair in the air around us.

"What is it?" he questioned seriously, a hand placed delicately on my forearm closest to him.

"In my dream...I was killed..." I began in a whisper, thinking back to Sebastian and his glowing green stream of light coming from his wand.

"Killed?!" Ominis hollered in disbelief, "by who?"

I felt my throat dry, not being able to find my voice. "By Sebastian," I replied in a low murmur, "he was under the Imperius Curse by the evil version of myself; she commanded him to do it."

Ominis' hand on my forearm gently squeezed; I could tell he was trying to hold it all back, the rising aggravation visibly seen on his face. "Emelia," he muttered, "you and I both know that he'd never do that, especially to you; he wouldn't be easily restrained by the Imperius Curse – he's too stubborn to take orders from anybody, let alone listen to anyone. He'd fight against the curse with everything he had and continue until he was free," he clarified, his hold on my arm now as support and reassurance.

I scoffed with a nod, knowing he was right; Sebastian wouldn't be a puppet for anyone, and he'd fight until this last breath, if need be, however the thought of Sebastian pointing his wand at me and uttering that curse still sent shivers up my spine and goosebumps along my skin. I know Sebastian wouldn't hurt me, but he had hurt his uncle – killed him – all because he was so desperate to save his twin. If I got in his way of reaching something for the ones he loves, would he have done the same to me?

I shook my head, getting rid of the negative 'what-if's'.

"I know – it was just a dream," I conceded, "but it felt more real than usual," I confessed, explaining my inner thoughts; my mind thinking back to the wounds I received from my nightmare and how it affected my body in the real world.

"Has your nightmares ever hurt you before?" he questioned, sounding almost afraid of the answer.

I swallowed before speaking. "A bit, but never this severe," I professed with guilt, squinting my eyes in his direction, scared to face him.

"It – wha? Emelia..." he breathed aloud, sounding desperate and annoyed, straightening up by the sudden confession, "why hadn't you told me about this sooner?" he questioned, frustration clearly heard in his tone.

I followed his movement and faced him. "I didn't want to concern you with something so trivial, everyone has nightmares," I tried to justify, "Episkey usually healed it, but I guess this time was different."

"Trivial? I don't think everyone's nightmares gives them lacerations or makes them bleed out to the point they need advanced healing, Emelia! Episkey only works with mild injuries and those were anything but minor," Ominis shouted at me.

I grunted to myself. He was right, but I was too proud to admit it.

Ominis turned, dropping his side of the blanket and started to pace around the tower's platform, speaking in parseltongue, probably cursing at me as he waved his arms in the air with defeat.

"Look, Ominis, I'm sorry," I expressed remorseful, panicking, not knowing what else to say in this situation.

It was his turn to sigh. He took a deep breath and composed himself, running his fingers through his hair and making his way back to me.

Now that I had the time to really look at him, I noticed that he'd gotten a little taller over the summer. His stature towered over me, even his shoulders were slightly broader but still lean; his jawline more defined than last year, an attractive feature on him. He's growing into such a striking gentleman.

He put his hands on my shoulders, squeezing firmly. "Emelia, please promise me, you'll tell me when you have nightmares, when you get hurt from them, big or small, I don't care who's in it or if I've heard it a million times before; I don't want you hiding these things from me. Please just – tell me your stresses, all of them and I will lend my ears to listen, my shoulder to cry on, my body to embrace – just let me be there for you," he pleaded his heart out, pain heard in his voice, and I swear I thought I saw his eyes watering.

In that moment, I was overcome with shame.

"I promise; I'm sorry, it's...I swear, I didn't want to concern you about this or make you think I was weak and couldn't handle things on my own. You help me so much already; helping me cope with everything going on from this year and last, what all I've gone through," I began, tears filling my eyes, "what we have both gone through," I corrected, "you comfort me so much and I haven't done the same for you. It makes me feel useless, powerless – a burden. I can't even help you...I'm not worthy of you, your generosity, selflessness, patience...your friendship..." my voice trailed off, a cold, sinking feeling came over me, choking up at the last part; I lowered my head and inevitable tears spilling over, the cool breeze making the streams running down my face feel colder.

"Emelia Selene Starke, look at me" he ordered sternly; I forced myself to gaze up at him. "Never, ever think of yourself as useless, weak, a burden or anything less than worthy; if anything, it is I, who is unworthy of you. I've helped you, yes, but it's because I wanted to – you're my friend. You say you haven't done the same for me in bringing me comfort, but that, my dear, is far from the truth. You have comforted me with your voice, your laughter, your presence, interactions I have with you are always cherished, even your wonderfully intoxicating scent that I can detect anywhere in the castle," he lectured, grinning tenderly, my hands becoming incredibly warm.

I scoffed amused at the last part, smiling a little, sniffling.

"Not to mention, your spirit and compassion that knows no bounds, helping others in need even if you don't know them because of your extremely kind heart; you go out of your way to please everyone you help whether it be our fellow classmates, simple folks you meet in the hamlets or those Keepers you did trials for, without regard of your own feelings and safety.  I know after your adventures, no matter your infinite successes, you still don't feel worthy of everyone. You put yourself down because you feel you haven't met their or even the world's expectations, and they'll see if you as weak and unworthy if you don't meet those standards. That, my dear, is where I come in and do my job – one that I sincerely enjoy: to remind you that you don't have to bear those heavy burdens alone, that I'm right here by your side.  I'll remind you that you don't need to strive for anyone's expectations but your own but know that I'm proud of you, Emelia; I'm grateful to you and what you've done, even if not many know it – I do, and I'll say it as many times as you need to hear it: I'm proud of you. I'll remind you of your unyielding strength, resourcefulness, unmatched wit and intelligence, patience, and unwavering determination. I'll remind you what a unique and beautiful soul you are, that anyone who has come to know you or you merely pass by, should consider themselves lucky for you to bestow your existence beside them," Ominis finished from the cold.

I knew he meant every word because even if he was blind, he managed to stare straight into my eyes; his opaque irises never leaving mine for a second as his words poured out of his mouth and into the deepest parts of me. I hadn't realized his hands had found mine, holding and caressing them gently until he squeezed firmly on them.

His words struck me deep, tugging at my heart, feeling my cheeks warm again, no doubt reddened with embarrassment or by the chilly evening, sliding along my exposed skin. I tightened my grip in his slender yet muscular hands, feeling a growing warmth of affection fill within my chest, spreading throughout my whole body. I felt my lips pull on either side, making me smile wide with happiness.

I shuddered, a mix of emotions filled my veins, rising up within me that I couldn't help myself but wrap my arms around Ominis' neck to hug him tightly; I felt the blanket drop from my shoulders and fall on the ground, but I wasn't cold. The warmth of Ominis' body and his heartfelt words that touched my soul was enough.

His body stiffened, shocked by the sudden embrace, but then relaxed and wrapped his arms around me delicately, giving me a gentle squeeze. I inhaled his miraculous scent again near his neck and let out a deep breath.

"Thank you, Ominis..." I managed to say without my voice breaking, my eyes filling with tears of joy, spilling over, shamelessly, "you are truly a rare find; I didn't know how much I needed to hear that until now..."

He scoffed to himself, sounding satisfied. "You're welcome, my little camellia; I'll always be here for you no matter what. Know you can always come to me whenever you feel that your world is crashing down around you. I will be your beacon of strength if you ever feel weak or uncertain about yourself; I will protect you with all that I am. Remember that," he said lightly in my ear, making me shiver more.

Tears began to spill out more, my sniffling, the only thing that was heard between the silence; I nodded my head against his, letting him know I understood his words and he embraced me tighter.

"Don't be afraid to talk to me about anything; I know I'll be upset or annoyed at certain topics, but in the end, understand that I will always be by your side, as long as you want me," he spoke honestly.

I grinned into his shoulder, scoffing. "What are you talking about? I'll always want you by my side," I whispered, closing my eyes, tightening my arms around him, not wanting this moment of winter break to end.

--

Chapter Text

I continued to stare down at the old Daily Prophets that Ominis had snatched from home to give me after summer break, he wanted me to see them for myself; the one I put on my right side we had found in Hogsmeade before winter break – the latest news about our friend. I moved my eyes left and right, reading the front of the papers.

SEBASTIAN SALLOW OR "SHALLOW" SALLOW
INNOCENT MURDERER OR JUST CALLOUS?

SEBASTIAN SALLOW SENTENCED TO AZKABAN!UNFORTUNATE SOUL OR RIGHTFUL CONSEQUENCE?

SHALLOW SALLOW NOW SILENT?
WHAT'S HE HIDING?

POSSIBLE EARLY RELEASE FOR SEBASTIAN "SHALLOW" SALLOW?
WHAT'S THE MINISTRY THINKING?

-

                                       SEBASTIAN SALLOW RELEASED FROM AZKABAN!

                                                FAIR OR UNJUST RULING?

He didn't want to look straight in either snapshots but comparing his face from being sentenced where he seemed to have accepted his fate to being released – he looked defeated, his face had thinned, dark circles under his eyes easily seen like he hadn't slept in days, his hair was greasy and a tad longer touching his forehead, and his eyes – they were fearful, darting from left to right.

I lifted my fingers and rubbed his cheek on the latest paper as if he could feel it.

My heart couldn't handle seeing him like this. I was happy that he was out of that Hell, but it's the aftermath that I'm worried about; being in Azkaban, no matter the length of stay, must've taken a toll on him, it was clearly seen judging by the two moving photos.

I sighed, feeling tears fill my eyes both with sorrow and dormant anger.

What happened to him? Where is he now? Is he okay? I still wanted to know why he did it – why he turned himself in.

I shook my head, trying to unscramble my thoughts.

That's ridiculous! Of course, he's alright! He's got to be alright! I...have to believe he's alright!

I felt my body slump.

He didn't have to owl me, but he could've at least sent a letter to Ominis....Ominis!

My body jerked up and almost forgot to finish decorating for his surprise.

I stacked the newspapers, taking a quick glance at his face before hiding it under graded homework assignments I finished for potions and herbology, then I went to finish my surprise.

-

"Merry Christmas, Ominis!" I shouted. I was up all day yesterday and night preparing everything and running around all night, decorating the room as best as I could, even inside the viviariums for the magical creatures. I wanted Ominis to have a wonderful and memorable Christmas, even with just me; I knew my efforts wouldn't compare to the Sallow twins when he spent summers or Christmas with them, but I still hoped he'd like it regardless.

I was operating on a couple loads of coffee and was starting to get shaky, and I think I was starting to hallucinate, especially about Ominis.

Ominis was still getting out of bed, sleepily, some strands had made their way onto his forehead, some hair sticking up, but nothing that he couldn't fix easily; if anything, he looked more attractive if he let his hair loose like that. He sat up and hung his legs on the side of the bed, barely standing, his eyes were droopy, still adjusting; he stood and stretched his body in all directions, some of his muscles showing their strikingly defined outline through his pajamas when he moved his body certain ways, yawning in the process.

"Good morning, my dear; happy Christmas to you too," he spoke hoarsely, his voice sending chills down my spine. He rubbed his eyes and immediately reached for his wand, creating a small table next to him, a teapot and two cups appearing on top of it; the teapot poured itself into both porcelains, and at the same time, both the small milk pitcher and the sugar bowl lifted, the spoon inside started putting tiny sugar cubes in and stirring gradually while some dashes of milk were added.

I caught myself staring again and shook my head, lightly slapping my face to concentrate on what I was doing before. "M-morning," I greeted back, stuttering a bit, "how did you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you," he responded, putting his wand down and taking a cup of tea with his slim, delicate fingers; drinking a small sip, he hummed in satisfaction. "How about yourself?"

"Good actually; no nightmares," I said happily.

He stood, walking towards me with the other cup of tea in hand. "I'm glad you slept well; you deserve it," he agreed as he handed me the tea; I took the teacup saucer and inhaled the wonderful tea Ominis made, a smile spreading across my face. He always knew how I liked it.

I took a sip of the tea and sighed in happiness. "You always make the best tea."

"Only because it's for the best people."

I blushed, taking another sip, and placing it down on the nearest table. "I have something to show you."

"Show me?" he teased, waving his hand in front of his face.

I rolled my eyes and smirked, walking up to him and linking my arm with his. "Oh stop, don't be a twat, I'm serious! Come on!" I said, pulling him along to the bigger space of the room.

He chuckled amused, grabbing his wand before he was pulled further away; he didn't use it instead he just let me guide him. I let him know exactly how many stairs to take, warned him ahead of time on where to go and what to avoid and helped him to a long couch. Before he took a seat, he took his wand out and explored the room I had tirelessly decorated.

The room had garlands along the middle and top edges of the walls, small lights all around it with red bows placed evenly on it. There was a massive tree at the center of the room, decorated with ornaments, both with moving images and not, lights shining everywhere and even a beautiful star on top lit up by fireflies. There were three long sofas almost surrounding it and a large, soft rug at the center with candles hovering like in the Great Hall, illuminating the space, the ambience light and cozy; underneath was presents that we had bought each other, along with Anne's gifts to us.  I had conjured a small fireplace next to the tree beforehand and lit it, giving us some warmth.

I took a seat on the floor in front of the tree and saw Ominis was still examining the entire room, seemingly taking it all in – every detail – to memory. He was careful, touching certain things that weren't usually there, like wreaths, bows, and garlands that I'd placed on my statues and furniture. It was nice to see him adventure and interact with the unknown; he usually refuses to touch anything new. I remember he told me that his family didn't really celebrate Christmas, so he never felt the material or fabric of the garlands, bows, or even the small ornaments, until Sebastian and Anne introduced it to him.

I was happy that Ominis was free to be himself and away from his family during this time, even a day or two over there made me nervous and feared for his life, especially that time when he was forced to go home for a weekend because of an "urgent matter"; he never spoke of what his family wrote to him, all he said was that he had to go home for the weekend or else unnecessary violence would happen.

I never pressed him further about it.

After Ominis had conquered all of the room, he found me and sat in front of me, legs crossed.

"You've decorated this all yourself?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes. I wanted to surprise you," I answered a bit embarrassed.

"You did a wonderful job; thank you for the lovely surprise," he beamed a bright smile, placing his wand on the couch behind him.

"Well I'm glad you like it; it's not much but it'll do."

"Don't be so modest, my little camellia. This is a lot for just me," he stated.

"Christmas is supposed to be with those you love and care about, no matter the size of the company," I pointed out, gazing at his form.

He grinned wider. "Yes, it is."

"With that being said, present time!" I yelled excitedly, clapping my hands together; I looked over at the boxes under the tree and saw one of Ominis' gifts. "This one," I said, retrieving the rectangular box and crawled back to sit in front of him. "Hands out."

He held out his hands with a skeptical smile on his face. "If it's clothing, I just hope it's not something embarrassing."

My eyes widened with shock. "Are you sure you're blind?" I wondered, observing his eyes, and swaying a hand over his face.

He laughed. "Yes, I'm pretty sure; I'm just very good at guessing."

I squinted my eyes, not really believing him, but let it slide. "Okay! Open!" I pressed, eager for him to see it. "Anne and I got this for you."

Ominis opened the gift with ease and pulled out the cardigan that Anne and I found in Hogsmeade, we had an 'OG' embroidered on it and underneath was a moving image of a puffskein; he held it up and ran his hand along the material.

"Dare I ask what it says on it?" he wondered cautiously.

I giggled. "It has your initials 'OG' on it and..." I hoped he liked it; Anne and I thought it'd be a great idea.

"And...?" he said curiously, expression changing from composed to fearful.

"And...it has a moving image of a...puffskein..." I finished, closing my eyes as I bit my lip anxiously.

After a couple seconds, Ominis burst into laughter, his hand trying to cover his mouth but finding its way to his stomach, his voice echoing off the walls of the room.

"What? You don't like it?" I said over his melodic snickering, "Ominis!" I whined.

He tried to compose himself. "Oh Merlin, only you and Anne would think of something as hilarious as this," he said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"So, you don't like it," I stated almost confused.

He shook his head and felt the sweater, tracing the O and G on it. "It's quite the opposite, my darling girl; I sincerely love it. I can mess with Hobhouse and make him come clean," he said, holding up the clothing proudly.

Shocked, I stared at my friend for a couple seconds after, recalling Duncan Hobhouse requesting my help to get a Venomous Tentacula leaf in a hidden herbology corridor to prove his bravery because a boggart revealed his fear as a puffskein; I felt a smile stretch on my face, overjoyed that he loved it.

"I'm so glad you like it. Anne will be happy to hear about your reaction."

He chuckled. "Alright, dove, your turn."

He waved his wand towards one of the gifts under the tree and brought it over, placing it gently in between us.

I don't remember seeing Ominis' gift there when I was decorating.

It was a decent-sized crate that looked like an enclosure for something; I was curious about what was inside.

Ominis waited for me to react; I was simply in awe, observing the container with what looked like a front-opening door on one side of it. I snorted, cautiously gazing inside the enclosure and saw that it was filled with artificial plants, vines, logs, and branches; there was even a bowl of water in the corner surrounded by mulch and soil. There was a lamp beaming down on the small environment, creating humidity and warmth within the space.

There was something moving in a log that caught my attention, I peeked in and saw there was an average blue-eyed snake curled up in it, staring tentatively at me.

I looked to Ominis with shock, doing a double take; I needed some clarification. "Is that...a snake?" I questioned in disbelief, wondering if what I saw was a hallucination from lack of sleep.

He grinned. "Yes," he chuckled amused, slowly opening the entrance door, and speaking parseltongue. The snake timidly made its way out of its safe space and slithered towards Ominis' hand and slid its form up near his face. It was about thirty inches, had the most stunning blue eyes, and was mostly all white, except with a couple thin lines of brown and black wrapped evenly around his body, like someone did a single brush stroke along its scales, adding to its already exquisite appearance. I noticed it had vague scars on various parts of its body; I was curious to know what happened to it.

I watched in amazement what I was seeing before me; the way Ominis was holding the snake with both hands so tenderly and gently, it could've been a painting that would be imprinted in history, and everyone would know about it. It'd take anyone's breath away, he never appeared less than godly.

"Beautiful..." I murmured out loud.

"Hmm?" Ominis turned his head to me.

I blushed embarrassed.

Shit...

"Uh, I – " I stuttered, trying to think of something quick, "the snake," I answered, "it's beautiful."

I was sincere but was also trying to avoid a painful humiliating conversation of what I obviously called 'beautiful'.

He was silent for a second and grinned, almost like he was holding himself from laughing.

"Does he have a name?" I wondered, staring down at the snake. Ominis' mouth opened, prepared to answer, but the snake gazed up at him and hissed softly; Ominis shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"He says he goes by 'Alistair'," he said.

"That's a handsome name," I supported.

"But..."

"But?" I raised my eyebrow in question.

Ominis sighed, reluctant to say it. "But you can call him...yours," he groaned, shuddering in irritation and disgust.

My eyes widened, mouth agape; I stared down at the snake and I swear it winked at me.

I held back laughter and smiled so wide. "He's quite flirtatious."

"Apparently so..." Ominis sounded livid, cheeks red and mouth in a tight line, trying to contain his emotions.

He's so cute when he blushes.

Hitting his arm lightly, I couldn't help but giggle. "Don't be jealous."

He gave me a small, gentle smile and composed himself. "Alistair is blind, just like yours truly, well, half blind – one of his eyes was injured a long time ago, so he only sees with his right."

"Is he really?" I dared myself to move closer to see the snake's eyes and saw his left eye was clouded like Ominis'. "How does he manage to get around if he can only see half? What if something tries to sneak up on him?" I sat back in my original position, not wanting to overwhelm Alistair.

"His body is special; it's almost like my wand, it helps him get around. He's very aware for the most part, of course, it's not perfect and there were a couple close calls, but he gets around fairly good despite being able to see only with one eye," he explained, lowering his head, rubbing the snake with his thumbs.

I was shocked and admired Alistair's perseverance despite being half blind; he endured through so much, it's no wonder they found each other. I smiled at the thought.

Ominis lifted his head at me. "Would you like to hold him?"

I wanted to say 'yes' right away, but I've never handled a snake before.

"I-Is he okay with that?"

The snake hissed in Ominis' hands and turned his head completely towards me, his tongue protruding out every other second, moving closer eagerly.

"Watch yourself; you do anything like that, and I won't be responsible for what happens afterwards," he threatened Alistair, eyeing him with a glare.

I covered my mouth, trying to hold in my laughter, amused to my core.

Ominis held Alistair out to me. "I will warn you, he's a tad heavier than he looks, just be careful," he advised, his voice soft; Alistair hissed at him in aggression.

I put my hands under Ominis' to let him know I was ready; he stiffened a bit.

"Sorry," I apologized.

"N-no, no, it's alright," he said, cheeks flushed.

Ominis relaxed, carefully putting Alistair in my tentative grasp; he grazed the back of his fingers on my palms and then switching roles, his hands were under mine.

He was right – Alistair was heftier than I thought but wasn't too drastic to the point I'd be struggling.

He hissed something at Alistair and saw the snake's head tilt and nod its head slightly.

"What did you say to him?" I wondered, curious.

"I basically stated that if he hurts you, I'll dispose of him," Ominis admitted proudly, removing his hands from mine, and folding them over his chest.

I held Alistair as gently as I could; he moved his head towards mine, and I remained completely still, his tongue flicking out every so often near my cheek that it made me chuckle. He hissed softly, lightly rubbing his head on mine before he slid down and coiled up in a cozy position on one of my arms, his head resting on his body.

I put my arm down in front of me slowly, taking my free, shaking hand and lightly rubbed his scales; its body was perfectly rounded and triangular-shaped and, surprisingly, smooth to the touch.

Gradually, I got used to Alistair's weight, growing the confidence, and feeling more relaxed enough to stroke Alistair along his entire body; he'd look up at me every now and then and hissed, but Ominis would always speak back to him as if he was threatening him.

We sat in silence for a few minutes while I fascinated over Alistair.

"You know," I began to say, "he looks a little like you," I said, gazing up at Ominis with a small smile.

"What? Me?" He seemed shocked and almost offended at my statement.

I giggled. "Yes, white scales, cloudy eyes, can be adorable..." I trailed off, biting my bottom right lip.

Ominis blushed, his cheeks turning a light shade of red. "A-Adorable?"

I laughed again. "Yes, adorable; you have blonde hair, but it's close to white, and your eyes matches his one and you're both adorable," I said with confidence, turning my attention to Alistair and softly rubbing his head and along his neck, feeling myself blush at my own response.

Again, silence filled the room for a minute; my previous words hovering in the air causing slight awkwardness between us.

"How did you manage to come across Alistair?" I questioned curiously, not taking eyes off of the snake, hoping to ease the tension.

"I found him," Ominis' voice spoke. I tore my eyes from the comfortable snake and towards my best friend, "actually, he found me," he admitted, "when I went back to my parent's house that one weekend when they wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, threatening violence upon those I hold dear..." his voice trailed off, reminiscing back to that time, clenching his fists in his lap; he shook his head, snapping himself out of the memory, "he slithered into the garden where I was roaming around, my brother, Marvolo, being a psychopathic nuisance he is, was trying to hit Alistair with a curse, just for fun; I told him to stop – he didn't, so I stepped in and took the curse instead..." he paused for a moment, looking away; he stood and sat on the couch behind him.

I got up slowly and sat next to him, a hand over his. "You never told me about that...I'm so sorry..." I expressed my sympathies.

He simply shook his head and shot me a sad smile. "I don't regret rescuing him, when he's not being irritable," he stated, feeling for Alistair's scales with his hand furthest away from me, stroking him softly, "but after that, the rest is history."

My mouth slightly opened and looked at his serene expression and felt something clench at my heart.

He looked...happy.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Ominis' voice spoke, my mind snapping back to reality.

"What is?" I wondered, noticing that Ominis had stopped stroking Alistair's scales but remained on the snake's body.

"I hate Salazar Slytherin and his encouragement to use dark magic, the desire to continue our pure-blood status with all my heart and soul, but the one thing I'm grateful to inherit from him is his affinity to talk to snakes. You see, when I was growing up, I spoke with the house elves and snakes that found their way in the property or in the mansion, if the elves were away; it didn't feel as lonely because I had someone to talk with," Ominis confessed in sadness; I saw his eyes as they reminisced back to his childhood.

My heart went out to him.

I looked down and saw Alistair had fallen asleep and smiled at him; I then looked up at Ominis and was grateful that he saved Alistair, but grateful to Alistair for being there with Ominis.

Believe it or not, Ominis was gentle with all creatures. To be completely honest, I thought he'd be scared – he admitted he was – but he was willing to try, to see and understand how they lived in peace. I've seen him interact with the magical creatures in the vivariums and moved slowly and let them come to him on their own free will; he softly brushed them and even talked with them, asking questions about their lives.

He's so kind-hearted.

Ominis was truly a sight to behold when he was tending to the animals; it looked so natural.

"I'm sorry you had to endure that; you must've felt so alone..." I began to say, "but know you're not alone anymore, Ominis," I stated, wanting to caress his face, to wipe away all his worries and assure him that I'll protect him from his past and his family, so he can thrive in the future.

His head turned to me, expression bewildered, but then a soft grin slowly stretched on his face. "Thank you," he appreciated, his hand that laid on Alistair found mine, "you're remarkable, my little camellia."

His face was closer to mine now and I stared at his face, his eyes and felt my cheeks start to warm up.

I gulped, not knowing what to expect.

"O-Ominis?" My voice sounded shaky.

He seemed to have snapped out of whatever he was thinking and shook his head, removing his hand from mine swiftly.

"Uh, I apologize!" he said flustered, clearing his throat; he scooted a bit away and turned his attention towards the tree.

I gazed at him confused and anxious at the same time.

Ominis spoke, "There is...one present in particular that I got – made, really – for you," he hesitated, his voice trembling, "I just hope you like it. It's something special," he explained, not being able to sit still in his seat.

"It wasn't Alistair?" I wondered, looking down and saw that the cute snake had woken up by the sound of his name.

He let out a small chuckle. "No, but you would think so, huh?"

I scoffed, peeking up at him. "Alright, what is it?"

Ominis smiled nervously, taking his wand, grabbing a small box, and bringing it towards him.  I watched his movements carefully as he felt the box in his lap, glancing in my direction a couple times, licking his lips almost in anticipation.

He raised a hand to me. "Let me take Alistair so you can see it properly."

I gradually moved my arm that Alistair was curled up in and encouraged him to go to Ominis. He hissed at Ominis, snuggling up closer into my arm; I chuckled at his actions.

Ominis spoke in parseltongue; the snake spoke back.

He rubbed the sides of his temples in frustration. "So Merlin, help me, I will not hesitate to set you ablaze," Ominis intimidated.

The snake seemed to slump in defeat and slowly slithered down my arm to Ominis'; he repositioned Alistair in his lap, taking the small gift in hand.

I nudged Ominis gently with my arm. "Don't be so hard on him. How would you like it if you were comfortable, and someone told you to move?" I suggested, pursing my lips in slight disapproval.

Ominis sighed heavily. "I apologize. I'm just...anxious, embarrassed even. I've never really been good at giving gifts...to anyone..." he turned his attention to Alistair, who was in a loose spiral, "I apologize to you as well."

Alistair surprisingly appeared like he understood and nodded, making himself more comfortable in Ominis' lap, his tongue flicking about and looking at me in curiosity.

I waited patiently for Ominis to move but he was simply a statue staring down at the box; I saw his Adam's apple move up and down, his breathing a tad bit shallow.

I put a hand on his arm that held the present. "Hey, it's okay. I promise whatever it is I'll love it. Breathe..." I assured him, hoping my words can ease his tension.

He scoffed, gazing down at my hand for a brief second then composed himself, taking a deep breath and exhaling through his mouth. "I might be making it more of a big deal than it really is, but I just know that it's important...to me..." he stated, "it's important to me that you're safe and whenever you need me, I'll always be there for you. I-I want you to be able to count on me when you feel alone, when you need someone to vent your frustrations to or just simply to be there beside you, and if something were to happen to you...since recent events..." he clarified his inner thoughts.

I knew what he meant.

My nightmares.

"Since then, it only makes me feel more strongly about this." Ominis' hands slightly tightened around the box.

Placing both my hands around his, which held the small box, I spoke. "Know this, I always know you'll be there for me. I know we haven't known each other long, but I know that I'll always need you, Ominis. You've become one of the most important people in my life and I cherish you so much," I started, squeezing his hands, feeling the warmth transfer to his, "I know that I can be stubborn and am always trying to deal with stuff on my own, but that doesn't mean I don't count on you because I do."

Ominis' hold loosened, sighing. "I'm quite thankful to hear you say that; it means a lot to me."

I flashed a smile at him; he sensed it and returned a grateful smirk.

"Here..." he said, pushing his and my hands towards me gently, "Merry Christmas, Emelia."

He retracted his hand to brush against Alistair's scales and waited anxiously, his face looked flushed.

I grinned wider and looked down at the small box and started opening it; the wrapping was surprisingly elegant.

"Did you wrap it yourself?" I asked, examining the box on all sides.

"Yes..." he confessed with hesitancy, "does it not look alright?"

I let out a small chuckle. "On the contrary, it's quite perfect."

Ominis let out a breath of relief.

Continuing to unwrap the present, I finally came to the box and opened the top cover. Inside was a thin, silver, woven bracelet – it had two snakes coiling itself around the bracelet and meeting at the center of their opened fanged mouths was a red camellia flower. It contrasted from the rest, but in its entirety, it was beautiful.

"Ominis..." I let out unconsciously, speaking my mind, "it's gorgeous."

Ominis smiled. "I'll let you know a secret about why it's special."

I lifted my head to meet his cloudy eyes, waiting for a response.

"Pull on one of the petals," he instructed, shifting his body to face me a bit more.

"Okay..." I obeyed a little uncertain and pulled at one of the petals and it came off; I panicked a bit. "Was it supposed to come off so easily?"

He let out an amused sound. "Yes, dove, it's alright; it'll only come off with your touch alone."

"But the petal..." I said sadly.

He gave me an amused grin. "Don't worry, it'll replace what was pulled."

I looked and saw that a new petal sprouted in its place.

Wow...

"It's special because whenever you pull a flower petal, it sends a vibration to this one," he raised his right arm and I saw a similar bracelet on his wrist, except the snake heads were facing a pear-cut emerald green gem. "It'll alert me in braille," he showed me, the bracelet altering its band and dots appearing on it, "and I'll apparate to you, no matter where you are."

I looked between the two bracelets and thought it was such a brilliant idea, but something was unsettling.

"Wait, what about you? What if you need me?" I asked in almost a protest.

He chuckled, covering his mouth with his fist. "Not to worry; it works both ways. Watch," he assured, demonstrated that once he pressed the gem, my bracelet vibrated; I looked down and saw the flower illuminating a beautiful soft light around it, and the words came to view on the bracelet's band like Ominis' had done: HOGWARTS – ASTRONOMY TOWER – LOCATION: UNKNOWN.

"Unknown location?" I wondered.

Ominis grinned. "Yes, it knows most locations of the wizarding world, but not all," he clarified with confidence.

I sighed, gazing down and saw the writing disappear after a minute or so; I nodded happily that I could be there for him as well.

I realized then that Ominis cared immensely for my safety and well-being; he was always in constant worry about when I went out on my own doing missions or just dealing with my demons because sometimes, I just wanted to be alone, not wanting to burden him. With his gift, I can call Ominis whenever I needed him, whenever I felt myself spiraling or even during emergencies whenever I was about left for dead in the highlands, trying to clean up Ranrok's Loyalists and the Ashwinders that remained. I never told Ominis about those close calls, knowing he'd forbid me to go out alone again.

With the bracelets, he'll feel more at ease and confident in himself; he doesn't say or acknowledge it, but I know he feels like he can do more for me and not feel useless or...powerless. I've never seen him that way. To me, he was strong, compassionate, capable, dependable and essentially, too pure and precious for this world. He's been there for me more than I've been there for him, he's anything but; he's an endless warming glow of sunshine that never dims.

I couldn't think of anything else to say but jump and wrap my arms around Ominis' neck and hug him securely, inhaling his sweet, minty scent. Ominis stiffened, placing Alistair down beside him and enveloping me in a firm embrace, his head shifting against my arms and hair.

I pulled away slightly, pressing my lips to his cheek softly. "Thank you, Ominis; I love it so much!" I poured my heart out, warmth coursing through me.

"You're welcome, darling," he said, a smile on his blushing face.

I hugged him again after that for a solid two minutes, then we opened the rest of our presents, leaving Anne's for later. Ominis got sweets from Anne and I from Honeyduke's and more of his specific toner for his hair as a gag gift; he's very keen on keeping up appearances even though he looks angelic with or without much effort at all. I got a new coat from Anne, Ominis got me some of my favorite sweets also from Honeyduke's, and stuff to help with Alistair. Ominis and I agreed to take care of Alistair together and keep him here in the Room of Requirement.

We laughed and made memories, even trying out the bracelet Ominis got me. I was beyond curious and excited to try it out, as was Ominis; I went to the DADA tower first and pulled a petal, a few seconds later, Ominis appeared in front of me with a loud crack, a grin on his face, the next time I went to the viaduct courtyard overlooking the Black Lake and like last time, he apparated before me. I wanted to see what the distance of the bracelet was, so I told him to wait where he was and apparated to Upper Hogsfield. I pulled a flower petal again and Ominis came with no hesitation, landing a few yards from me. We continued to apparate to each other and test the bracelets until it was when Ominis was back at Hogwarts, and I was at the South Clagmar Coast. To be honest, I had my doubts that the bracelet would even be able to reach me and contact Ominis from there, but after I pulled the petal and waited a couple heartbeats, Ominis appeared a couple feet away and my doubts vanished, feeling a wave of relief flood through me.

I blushed, smiling at my dear friend and down at the bracelet; I really loved his gift.

-

A little over week to go and we would be back at it again – back to the overload of homework, tests and studying. 

Back to fighting against the pressure.

Fucking Hell...

To enjoy the last week left, Ominis and I decided to go to take a trip to Hogsmeade New Year's Eve to gather whatever we needed before everyone came back, and plus, a break from being in the castle; sure, we had the Room of Requirement and walked around the halls, but nothing beat the warmth of pure sunshine and walking outside.

We pushed the large doors from the Bell Tower Wing and made our way towards the northern exit. Ominis held his wand out to guide him, the red blinking at the end, practically hypnotizing me.

"How have you been feeling since the incident?" Ominis wondered, staring at me with his light, cloudy eyes.

I looked down at my smooth hand and was oddly aware of my arm and torso that he healed. "So far? I think I'm surprisingly good, no nightmares and my body's healed and feels great thanks to you. Hopefully it's a one-and-done type deal," I answered, praying to God it was.

Ominis nodded. "That's good, I'm glad; if that happens again –" he began to say.

"I promise I'll let you know," I finished, smiling up at him.

Ominis let out an approving snort through his nose and focused on where he was going.

As we walked side by side, passing the Quidditch Pitch, we took in the morning breeze and the sound of the environment's surroundings around us. Joberknoll's flew overhead with such beauty and grace, I just about lost my footing; above us was a beautiful light blue mixed with the rising sun, painting the sky with pastel colors that reminded you of springtime. Some of the trees on either side were bare from the winter season, while others were covered in white, making their appearance more picturesque; there was some frost and snow still on the ground, so I advised Ominis to be careful whenever we were approaching black ice. He appreciated my warnings ahead of time. Everything around us seemed like something out of a storybook – breath-taking views, the scenery around us, even the sun's glow breaking through the trees, making the rays appear like Heaven was reaching out to touch you.  I saw some of the suns light bounce off Ominis' face, his milky eyes staring at one direction, sensing everything through his wand, face relaxed.

Oh, how I wished Ominis could see.

I couldn't be without my sight even for a day. I remember Ominis had challenged me through the summer to do things blindfolded for a day, to see his perspective.  I accepted his challenge and covered my eyes with one of my ties and, boy, I didn't know how Ominis could do it. I banged my head, feet, arms on all parts of the Room of Requirement, I even ran into a wall one or fifty times, tripping on the stairs going up and down to the vivariums to check on the magical creatures. Thankfully, the feeder, breeding pen and toybox were already conjured, so I just had to brush everyone; I had succeeded in brushing the animals without them undoing my tie, but of course, there were a couple close calls, they were too curious for their own good.

Sneaky things, they were.

I recalled I made it to the last vivarium that seemed like it wanted to touch the clouds, somewhere in the highlands, overlooking the beautiful terrain of mountains, and was nearly done, but Hazel – the unicorn I rescued – was persistent. At first, she was curious about what I was wearing while I was brushing her coat, then after a clever trick she did that made me turn, she swiftly pulled the tie from over my eyes. I was horrified at first knowing I'd failed Ominis' test, but then laughed seeing her adorable face, looking at me curiously and snorting happily.

The memory of me getting extremely restless and irritated was nothing when I remembered that Ominis had been blind his whole life. I respected him a whole lot more after that, writing to him and letting him know about what happened; he found it entertaining and wished he could've been here to witness my efforts. I had offered him to stay with me for the summer, he said he would have gladly accepted, however, his parents insisted that he come home because they had "big plans" for him.

I didn't like it, but accepted that Ominis will tell me whenever he wanted to.

When he was young, Ominis said he had to learn patience and how to maneuver himself through obstacles, doing simple everyday things, until he got his wand; thinking of poor, sweet little Ominis struggling while everyone else could see, forced to cast unforgivable curse on innocent muggles, and getting tortured by his own family.  The thought still made me burn with uncontrollable rage.

I lowered my gaze from the stunning view and towards my feet, focusing on my shoes hitting the pavement, trying to calm myself of the rising anger and shake the sorrowful feeling that I felt for my dear friend.

"What is it, Emelia?" Ominis asked curiously.

The anger that I thought would engulf me in its destructive fire, immediately disappeared as he uttered my name. "Huh?"

"I could sense your unease and grief; what is it?" he questioned again.

I stopped, swallowing hard, and Ominis followed my actions; I peeked up towards Ominis who was waiting, without complaint, for me to speak. His body slightly facing my direction, his expression curious and brows came together in visible concern.

"I've said it many times before, there's no use repeating it," I shrugged it off, shaking my head, continuing our path towards Hogsmeade.

Ominis' voice echoed through the vacant atmosphere. "Is it because I am blind?" he wondered out loud.

I halted, feeling my breathing hitch and closed my eyes with a sigh; I didn't turn around and face the truth of his words.

He knew me too well; he always knew what I was thinking.

"My sweet Emelia," his tender voice spoke, hearing his footsteps approach lightly behind me, he stopped by my side; I still refused to look at him.

Silence surrounded us.

"Please look at me," he pleaded.

I turned my head a bit, but not fully facing him, seeing him from the corner of my eyes.

Ominis grinned softly at me. "Don't pity me for my lack of sight. I am still capable of doing things very well on my own, though sometimes it may be a bit of a task, but I continue to live my life the way I want and not what anyone else says or tells me to do, especially not even my own blood."

I understood where he was coming from, but I couldn't help but think what his life would be like if he could see, if it would be easier for him.

"I apologize, Ominis," I said with remorse, "I...I don't want you think I'm pitying you or anything; I just think what your life would be if you had sight, you'd get to experience a sunset, sunrise, seeing all the beautiful and enchanting things around you – I mean, the Occulus Potion might help y–" I started to explain, but he interrupted.

"No!" he practically shouted, "if the Occulus Potion could work, and that's a big if, I refuse to use that because if it were to work and I get to experience sight, it wouldn't last long anyway, and I think I'd go mad to just get another taste of it. It'd be like dangling hope and a probability in my face with no real intent of staying permanent. I think it best to avoid that if I can; I am completely fine without my sight," he stated, smiling warmly at me.

I sadly grinned.

"Although," his voice sounding a bit down, his head turned towards the view of Hogwarts surrounded by the Black Lake, "I would love to see the faces of my friends."

I stared at him, feeling a mutual understanding; if I couldn't see, I would also want to see the faces of those I held dear to my heart, the ones I wanted to protect with my entire being.

"Maybe one day, we'll find a permanent solution for you," I encouraged.

He chuckled to himself. "I try not to think about those possibilities, love; it gives me false hope and I don't intend to go back down that path again."

"I'm sorry," I expressed with regret.

He laughed amused. "Come on, enough of the sorrowful moment," he said, grabbing my hand and walked towards Hogsmeade.

Once we entered, there were decorations, preparing for the new year; everyone was happy and little kids running around with sparklers. Ominis continued holding my hand in his as he led us  to all the necessary stops we needed to gather supplies, then after we were all done, we just walked around town, continuing hand-in-hand; Ominis being the gentleman that he is, held all our shopping bags.

The music was lively, and everyone seemed overjoyed with excitement; it was the new year after all.

I was having fun spending the day with Ominis, smiling and laughing together, until I saw a familiar head of brown in the distance.

My footsteps halting in their tracks, feeling my heart stop; body tense. "Sebastian?!" I muttered out loud.

Ominis' head snapped in my direction in shock, stopping beside me. "What?"

"I-I think I just saw Sebastian..." I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"Wait here, I'll look around," he said and apparated away, my hand he held grew cold.

I tried to calm down, swallowing a lump in my throat.

Sebastian was...here?

Was he truly here?

I wanted to believe it so badly; I licked and bit my bottom lip, anxiously, pacing back and forth in a small spot waiting for Ominis.

Sebastian, if you were really here, please show yourself, I begged internally, hoping to Merlin he would.

Ominis suddenly appeared in front of me with a look of disappointment.

"Did you...?" I began to say, gazing at him with hopeful eyes, but he just shook his head.

"No, I didn't sense him anywhere. I'm sorry. Are you sure you saw him?"

"I..." I couldn't find the words to come out.

No...

I knew I saw him or...was my mind playing tricks on me.

I had to find out for myself if what I saw was real; I had to find him.

Without thinking, I rushed towards where I saw Sebastian go, Ominis shouting my name behind me. I pushed passed people, calling out his name, scouting the crowd for that same brown and saw it again heading towards the square. My heart leapt out of my chest, and I ran, entering the middle of the square by the big, massive tree, frantically searching everywhere around me, even using my ancient magic to help me with Revelio.

I couldn't find him.

I felt my heart sink and chest hurt, knowing the truth that Sebastian really wasn't here, and he was out there somewhere...alone; tears filled my eyes, not caring if anyone saw.

My breathing became shallow and didn't notice Ominis had tracked me down. With no hesitation, Ominis embraced me around my shoulders, holding the back of my head while the other was around my waist; I hadn't known I was shaking until he held me together.

"Ominis, I'm sorry," I apologized, my voice cracking a bit, "I thought – I really thought I saw Sebastian...I-I wanted it to be real...for him to be -" I clarified to him but was cut short due to a wave of despair overtaking me, tears pouring down my face, I dug my head deeper in his chest, soaking his clothes.

His arm around my waist tightened and pressed my head into his body securely. "I know, dove, I know...I miss him too," he said in a hushed voice in my ear.

I calmed down after a minute or so, thanking Ominis for his continuous generosity and patience with me, then made our way to the Three Broomsticks. Inside and outside were both decorated for the upcoming festivities, and it lit up the place brighter than ever before.

"Well, I haven't seen you two in a while; it's nice to see you both, take a seat, I'll be right with you," Sirona greeted warmly as she passed us with a tray full of butterbeer to the other patrons.

'Thanks, Sirona!" I said with a grin.

"Thank you," Ominis appreciated.

We took a seat at a small table in the corner; we didn't really speak at first. I felt I had to apologize again for what I did.

"Ominis, I'm sorry again about before...I really thought I saw him..." I said, looking down and fidgeting with my hands, my voice sounding small.

He didn't say anything, but he searched for my hand on the table and when he finally located them, he squeezed in reassurance. "Don't apologize; I think if I were you, I'd react the same way."

I sighed. "Thank you..."

He gave me a sentimental smile and leaned away, taking his warm hand with him.

"Two butterbeers," Sirona's voice came from beside us and lowered a tray with two mugs, "anything else I can get you?" she asked looking from Ominis and I.

"Uh, I don't – " I began to say, but a voice spoke over me.

"A chocolate trifle would be nice."

I peeked over my shoulder and saw Anne coming towards us, waving her arm in excitement.

"Anne!" I jumped out of my seat happily and went to hug her, "we thought you wouldn't be back until next week," I stated, releasing her small frame, and leading her to the table.

"Chocolate trifle coming right up," Sirona smiled, tucking the tray under her arm and went to attend to her duties.

Taking a seat, Anne looked at the both of us, taking off her scarf. "Well, you know being home is nice and all, but it doesn't beat being with friends, so I decided to come back a week early. When I didn't find you guys in the room, I'd figured you'd come here. Good hunch, huh?" she beamed a proud smirk.

I laughed. "Very good hunch!"

"What brings you to Hogsmeade anyway?" Anne wondered, pulling off her coat, a butterbeer floating in front of her from Sirona.

She thanked her, taking a huge gulp of the beverage.

"Emelia and I were getting supplies we need for class, who knows when we'll be able to come back," Ominis answered her.

Anne giggled. "Of course, Ominis the responsible one, always thinking five steps ahead."

"If I didn't, who would?" he retorted back almost offended.

Anne and I both laughed.

As we waited for the dessert, Anne was telling us about her winter break and how Ominis loved his sweater we got him; Anne was ecstatic about the news, hugging him tight. Anne later told us how she got into gardening and her divination classwork. I could never understand divination when I took it and nothing against Anne, but I'm grateful I don't have that class this year or for my N.E.W.Ts.

I was impressed by how quickly Anne was about to catch up despite missing most of last year; she was truly intelligent.

We laughed, taking a swig of our butterbeers.

Anne let out a satisfying exhale after putting her mug down. "I know it's not the same without Sebastian and I've no idea where he is since his release but is it strange that I hope he's doing okay wherever he is, not suffering so much, despite being...by himself?" her voice almost a whisper, her eyes welling up with tears.

When she mentioned Sebastian, Ominis and I gazed towards each other, silently agreeing not to say anything about me seeing a façade of him earlier.

"It's not strange at all, Anne," Ominis assured her, a hand to her back, patting lightly, "We hope that too."

"Yeah," I said, putting my hand on her shoulder, squeezing it softly.

She gave us both a sympathetic smile. "Thank you – both of you. I don't think I'd be able to make it through the school year without the two of you."

Ominis gave her a sympathetic smile while I thought back to fifth year, thinking that I wouldn't have made it through the year without Ominis and Sebastian; I'm grateful for Anne too because without her – we all would've fallen apart because of what happened with Sebastian.

I guess it's true what they say about broken people finding each other, that they heal and protect one another with all they are.

Thankfully the mood was brightened when Sirona brought out a massive trifle in a glass container, it had chocolate pudding, cakes and brownies, crunchy crumbles and whipped cream layered together to make a delicious masterpiece.

Sirona gave us spoons and told us to enjoy; we thanked her for her hard work.

I took a spoon, grasping it in my hand and stared at the dessert in front of me.

Man, it looked too good to eat!

Ominis seemed to sense my apprehension and laughed. "Emelia, if you don't eat it, Anne and I certainly will."

"Wha – Ominis!" I whined, taking a spoonful of the dessert, and taking a bite in protest, the taste of the spongy chocolate crumble and pudding melting into my mouth.

Anne laughed, taking a piece of the trifle, and eating it.

"Mmmm! So good!" she squealed happily.

It was Ominis' turn to take a scoopful and try it; as he put it into his mouth, he closed his eyes in delight.

"It is quite delectable," he stated, humming with pleasure.

We all grinned in unison.

After we ate all of the chocolate trifle and paid, we thanked Sirona as we were leaving, wishing her a happy new year and hope to see her soon; Sirona gave us her best, sending us off with a friendly smile.

We started our walk back to Hogwarts with Ominis carrying both mine and Anne's stuff; Anne had took off ahead as she saw a couple friends of hers, who'd also come back a week early. We heard her laughter all the way from where we were, happy to hear Anne distracted from troubled thoughts.

Ominis and I strode behind them a good twenty yards, talking about what to expect from classes after we get back; Ominis just encouraged that the both of us give a hundred percent and to lean on each other when we need.

He was always so calm and level-headed; never really stressing about anything.

I envied that.

I thought back to who I saw in Hogsmeade, despair covering me like a heavy blanket.

"Did you really see Sebastian?" Ominis asked in curiosity.

I glanced over at him but focused on the path before us. "Yes...at least, that's who I thought I saw..." I said in doubt.

Ominis didn't say anything at first, but after a minute of silence, he sighed. "I believe you."

I snapped my head to him in disbelief. "Really?"

He nodded slowly. "Of course, you'd never lie about this."

"Ominis, I could've been just me hallucinating – overstressed and worried, you know," I laughed it off, forcing a fake smile, shrugging and lifting my arms.

"Emelia," he simply said, silently begging me to be truthful with him.

I swallowed. "I really do want to believe I saw Sebastian..."

"I know, but just know I believe you."

I took his hand and squeezed in thanks.

"I appreciate your faith in me, Ominis; how did I ever manage to convince you to be a friend of mine?" I wondered with a genuine smile, staring at him with compassion.

"Well, we both know you have your words of persuasion, you little minx," he stated amused, trying to hide a smirk from me, reminding me of last year when Sebastian told me to convince Ominis to show us the way to the scriptorium, and to persuade him that turning Sebastian in wasn't the right thing, that it was a mistake.

"Ominis simply needs a moment with you, and he'll change his mind..." Sebastian's words reminiscing in my head.

I scoffed to myself, tightening my hand in his; he returned the gesture.

It was dark and lights that came from Hogsmeade and Hogwarts castle guided our path, even the moon's radiance bounced off the water of the Black Lake, illuminating the scene before us like a surreal photograph – it was forever engraved into my mind.

My attention was torn when fireworks started going off and streaks of light soared into the sky, blasting loudly with various displays of light appearing behind us. We stopped and I looked up, witnessing the fireworks explode and the flashes creating designs that made my mouth drop with awe, hearing distant cheering back coming from Hogsmeade.

"I guess, it's New Year's," I said to myself and gazed down at Ominis, who was already staring at me with patient eyes, "happy New Year's, Ominis," I grinned, taking a step closer and kissing his cheek like I did Christmas day, and leaned away slightly.

Ominis squeezed my hand and pulled me towards him, gently pressing his lips to my cheek softly, lingering there for a few seconds longer than mine. "Happy New Year's, Emelia," he beamed the most beautiful smile at me, his face reddened again.

I took a step back, blushing and feeling a warmth cover my face and saw he was feeling his cheek with his long fingers with innocent wonder, wand in hand.

So adorable...

I pulled him along, guiding him back to the castle.

"Come on, let's get this stuff to Hogwarts and enjoy the week while we still can!" I said enthusiastically.

Ominis didn't say anything but grin and nod.

We continued our route back to Hogwarts, anxiously awaiting for the week to be over.

Although I was sincerely happy with Ominis and Anne by my side, I couldn't help but think of what I saw in Hogsmeade – who I saw; I wanted to believe it was Sebastian so badly.

I was glad that Ominis believed me though; he didn't make me feel crazy.

I still remember the three of us – Ominis, Sebastian and I – would hang out in the common room, Undercroft or even the Great Hall eating, we'd talk, laugh and bicker, but it was fun; thinking about those happy times made my chest hurt, my mind swirl with scattered emotions, and my eyes fill with tears, tempting to spill out again.

I shook my head, not wanting Ominis to notice my crumbling demeanor and chuckled, asking what his resolution was and what he looked forward to this new year, distracting him from my hidden sorrowful thoughts.

As we talked, I couldn't help but feel a thought in the back of my mind, crawl out from its corner and make a home at the center of my mind.

I wondered if we'll all ever be together again.

--

Chapter Text

I remained completely still in the very corner of the cold, stone prison. My greasy hair, across my forehead which was slightly sweaty and my clothes: a depressing white and gray long-sleeve with pants to match, not to mention a small bed and toilet that almost sat side by side. The only sources of light came from either the opening on the ceiling, illuminating the moon's glow into the cell, the steel doors that held me captive, the torch on the opposite side of the rusting metal gates, barely a flicker and a small window the showed me that we were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the vast and unforgivable sea – there was no escape.

I heard the other prisoners yelling either to be let out, that they were falsely accused or because they'd simply lost their minds. To drown out their screams, I focused on the thunder above me, the rain hitting and entering the stone pavement of my cell, the breeze picked up and I was grateful that the chill I felt was just from the wind. There were times when the prison was eerie and unpleasantly quiet – the sounds of breathing echoed all around me, maniacal cackling and incoherent muttering came from other inmates, the unexpected clash of prison doors making me jump, creaking open or closed; sometimes I heard curses being yelled by the guards.

I hugged my knees, pulling them closer to my chest, wanting this to all be over.

After what seemed like hours, I saw shadows appear in front of my cell; my eyes tried to focus, wondering who it could be.

"Sebastian?" her voice echoed; my heart leapt in my throat and a cold sweat ran down my back.

I covered my ears forcefully, trying to ignore her voice.

No!

No, no, no, no...no!

Not again!

Fucking boggarts.

"Sebastian," Ominis' voice said my name this time.

"No! You're not real! You're not here! None of you are here!" I yelled, my eyes shut tight, trying to press myself more into the stone wall.

"Sebastian," it said again in her angelic voice.

"Fucking stop! Stop using them against me!" I hollered, but the presence I felt only came closer.

I dared to open my eyes and saw that Emelia and Ominis were in front of me, looking down at me with pity.

I slowly raised to my shaky feet, feeling my lips quiver and my eyes water at the sight of my dear friends.

I knew they really weren't there, but...to see them, to see her...

She laughed mockingly. "You're so pathetic, Sallow; you know it's your fault you're in here, turning yourself in like that's gonna help you," she stated, pacing around the limited space, the base of her heels clacking on the ground, "You're a criminal; you're going to rot in here like all murderers should. You never listened to me and why would you? Since I'm 'ignorant' for having a goblin friend," she spat out, glowering at me.

"No, Emelia, it – " I wanted to defend myself, apologize to her for my stupidity, my brazen remark leaving my tongue and later, realizing that it had pierced her deeper than any knife. I was the one that was truly oblivious, blinded by my own selfishness; however, I couldn't find the words to even come out.

"I hate you, Sebastian Sallow," she hissed at me.

Her words – regardless if it was real or not – pierced my heart, my mind going blank, fear encased my heart.

"Emelia, I –" I choked on my words again, feeling myself want to reach out towards her, fall to my hands and knees and beg for her forgiveness. My breathing quickened, beginning to pant; I swallowed hard, shaking my head. "Stop! You don't mean that...please..."

"You didn't listen to either of us," Ominis spoke sounding hurt, "but it's pitiful, really, that you're still holding on for dear life to see us," he continued, making his way to Emelia's side, "but what makes you think we want to see you?" he questioned sinisterly.

My heart clenched in my chest. "Ominis..."

"Get it through that thick head of yours, Sallow, we never want to lay our eyes on you again, and why should we, when we're happy without you; you'd only ruin our happiness, tarnishing it like everything else you touch," Ominis' copy had grabbed Emelia by her waist, "compared to me, I leave nothing but sweet moans and heated pleasure in my wake," he hummed in delight from his throat and licked her neck seductively, kissing up and down; her eyes closed, a soft sigh escaped her lips, her attention was captivated by Ominis and Ominis alone.

Merlin...

I wanted to throw up right then and there, seeing the scene before me; I had to look away, feeling tears stream down my face, my knuckles turning white.

"Anne's happy without you too," Emelia's voice cut through the air and into my ears; I glared back at her, she and Ominis continued to stand side by side, holding each other's waists.

"You fucking take that back!" I yelled at her, my tears spilling over in gallons.

She simply smiled at me, her arms crossed over her chest, remaining silent.

"Take it back!" I exclaimed, bravely taking a step towards them.

"Why? Is it cause the truth hurts?" she asked, tilting her head coyly.

I gritted my teeth. "It's not! It's not fucking true! Anne will forgive me!"

Their laughter filled my cell, spiraling around me.

"It's not true, it's not true, it's NOT! You're lying!" I hollered at the top of my lungs, my eyes squeezing shut, feeling my body tense up in anger; I hadn't realized I was crouching down in my corner, shaking.

Their voices continued to spin around me, putting me in a daze; I couldn't focus on anything else around me.

"Murderer."

"Your fault."

"I hate you."

"Pathetic."

"Ignorant."

I clenched my jaw. "Shut up! Go away!" I screamed, covering my ears from their taunting.

Their continuous negative comments were making me feel like I was going crazy. When blocking my ears wouldn't work, I scratched the back of my neck and both my arms so hard that I drew blood, hoping the pain would snap me out of this madness.

Once their voices began to fade to nothing, I waited.

I lingered like that for half a minute, my skin burning from my freshly made wounds, expecting them to come back but they didn't; I sighed in relief, my body feeling lighter, but of course, it wasn't over. I felt my skin grow cold and saw my breath escape my lips.

"Shit, shit, shit..."

Dementors.

I scanned the room, darting my eyes left and right, struggling to stand, pushing my body further against the corner.

I prepared as much as I could, remembering the last time they'd come to visit; I had struggled to get free from their skeletal grip, but to no prevail. It felt like a part of me was being sucked away and honestly, I thought it would never stop until one of the aurors came to visit me – Isaac Bennett – he was going to be the one to keep watch on me after I got out. He had helped me and drove them away. I don't think I'm as lucky this time.

"Fucking show yourselves, you faceless, pieces of shit!" I exclaimed, carefully examining the empty room, my whole body quivering from the cold, showing my true sensations, but I forced myself to remain still and act fearless.

Everything in the room gradually froze, the frost making its way towards me. A dementor came through the small window and another entered through the skylight of my room, the rainwater dripping off its tattered dark cloak and decaying skeletal hands, its raspy breathing frightened me to my core.

It didn't move from its spot in the middle of the room; I felt my face scowl, trying to predict its move.

But it was no use.

With lightning speed, they came towards me with their hands in front, closing around my throat and seeing their mouth open wide, a disturbing hoarse sound coming from them, feeling my soul dim.

-

I sat up quickly, panting, my body drenched in sweat, looking around me; I felt frantic, beads of moisture streaming down my forehead.

A memory...

I sighed and looked at the time – it was barely six.

I was back in Feldcroft in our old home; no one had talked to me since I moved in, but I didn't expect them too.

I was still a murderer in their eyes.

I got up from the bed, wiping the sweat from my forehead with my arm, then lifting the bottom of my shirt and wiping my entire face. Walking around the main space as I stretched my arms over my chest and behind my head; moving my waist from side to side, I groaned.

Ugh, fucking nightmares...

I decided to take a quick shower and eat a small breakfast, then go to today's meeting with Isaac, my designated auror, at the Ministry of Magic.

I got out of the shower, wiping the mirror with my hands and seeing my reflection in the mirror. I looked rugged, circles under my eyes had almost gone away, I noticed my shoulders broadened from last year and I guess I grew a bit taller too, my hair was a bit longer, however nothing too drastic. Turning my head left and right, I halted as soon as I saw the tattoo on the left side of my neck – my prison number.

Forever reminding me of my mistakes and unescapable past.

I lightly touched the ink imbedded in my skin along with ridges of the scars behind my neck, trailing my eyes down to the ones on my forearms; I knew there were old marks and wounds along my chest and back from the Azkaban guards – they did it just to past the time.

I shook my head of the haunting memories, drying my head; I got dressed in my casual attire: gray slacks, Slytherin colored sweater with a black winter jacket, and a green scarf. I took one last look at my reflection and let out another sigh.

Looking in the mirror, I noticed my wand laid next to my bed on the small desk, it's green and black checkered design illuminating from the sun's rays. I turned my body and strode towards it, picking it up and feeling the smooth material against my calloused fingers, wishing I could go back to the beginning of fifth year and start over.

If only...

I combed my fingers through my hair once and sighed, placing a dark flat cap hat on, hoping it'll hide me enough.

I passed an opened letter on the kitchen table I got a couple weeks ago from Professor Weasley, inviting me back to Hogwarts. Merlin, I hoped I had enough courage and confidence to even face her; I grumbled at it and went out, glancing once at Solomon's snow-covered headstone. I used the nearest Floo to head to my destination.

The green flame enveloped me quickly, only to fade once I've entered the main hall of the Ministry. I put my hands in my pockets and found myself watching both men and women, dressed professionally, walking in the same direction, and heading to their respectable departments. I followed the flow of traffic, some folks started staring, some recognized me and began whispering; I tried to cover my face with my scarf, but of course, that did nothing.

I swiftly made my way towards the main elevators with other individuals pouring in; I quickly pushed '2' to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

I held onto the overhead railing above me, trying to keep my body still and away from touching others; in an instant, I felt the transport move us all back and proceeded upward.

As I waited for my stop, I reminisced back to the end of the school year; I didn't say goodbye to Ominis and Emelia properly, but I did what I thought was right.

I had turned myself in, not wanting my friends to take the secret to their graves, having the searing pain of my mistake eat them away; I didn't want that for them. It was my fault and I had to pay the price, no matter if they decided not to turn me in themselves.

It broke my heart knowing I'd probably never see them again.

The first couple weeks were brutal, but it didn't compare to the weeks after. Surprisingly, during the trial, some witches and wizards of the Wizengamot took my side, saying I was only a child and that it was clearly self-defense, while others opposed said I should've known better and should be sent to Azkaban; I understood both sides but it was evidently all up to the Minister of Magic: Faris Spavin, an older wizard with white hair and beard, who was quite the talker, always going into tangents and making insensitive comments about anything and anyone.

But after much deliberation, taking consideration of all the evidence that was shown during the prosecution, they sentenced me.

I thought back to my days there and shuddered, hearing the boggarts tricking me with Anne and my friends' voices and appearances – strangely, Ominis and Emelia appeared more often – their intertwined bodies scarring and burning the image into his mind; the harsh breathing of the dementor's, remembering their haunting breaths coming closer to me.

I flinched, gasping, covering my face with my free arm, practically scaring everyone in the elevator.

The memory was too vivid; sometimes I had a tough time figuring out what was real or not.

I looked at all the people around me, staring at me with concern and fright; I straightened up and cleared my throat, looking away embarrassed.

When we got to the second floor, the majority of the people exited, I followed close behind them, excusing myself in not wanting to push the others that remained in the elevator.

I went towards the Office of Improper Use of Magic to report in, then went to report to the Isaac at the Auror's Office.

Entering the office space, there were aurors in long coats walking around, chatting amongst each other, bragging about the latest criminals they caught or at their desk doing paperwork or fidgeting and twirling their wand.

As I walked to Isaac's office at the far corner, the atmosphere's happy energy quieted and the room stilled, it was deafening, feeling unease and humiliation wrap around me; I knew they were looking at me. I hated coming here, it made me feel small and...

"Pathetic."

Emelia's voice echoed in my head, making me remember Azkaban.

I wanted to shrink into a hole and remain there for the rest of my days.

Yes, I was free, but that won't erase the mistakes of my past, nor will it change the view I left everyone. I'll always be known and remembered as: Sebastian Sallow, the boy that murdered his own uncle; the boy that used an Unforgivable Curse on his own flesh and blood - Shallow Sallow.

I didn't know I was huddled in a corner until a dark silhouette lowered over me, making me tremble with fear, covering my face and shrinking my body inward, a terrified whimper escaping my mouth.

"Hey..." the voice said softly yet cautiously, their hand placed gently on my shoulder.

I looked at the hand on my shoulder and peeked over my arm and saw Isaac crouched down, blocking the view of the other aurors, and making me focus solely on him. His dark hair with slight white on his shortened sideburns was combed over, his face expressed concern with matching hazel eyes displaying his sympathies. He was in his late thirties, early forties, but remained in great shape; he didn't even look his age if you saw him walking down the street.

"Isaac..." I murmured in a low whisper, my eyes filled with tears.

He grinned, voice husky. "Hey mate, let's get you up, yeah?"

I swallowed hard; my throat had gone dry, and my shaking had ceased.

I nodded, slowly getting to my feet, looking behind him at the room full of aurors, muttering and gawking at me like I was some kind of freak.

Isaac stood and put his body in my line of sight. "Hey, don't worry about them, alright?" he encouraged, "come on." He led me by the shoulder to his office and sat me down, casting a silencing charm on the door to keep others from listening in; he then got me some tea and sat in his chair in front of me.

We sat in silence for a minute as he let me calm down; I sipped my tea and put it on his desk.

"Thanks, Isaac," I appreciated, feeling my body lighten.

"Don't mention it," he said, as he was filling out my paperwork, "are you...alright?" he wondered, eyeing me warily.

I shrugged, placing my wand in front of the auror to see my previous casts – something that I didn't know could even be done until my trial; I leaned back and gazed upward with a sigh. "I'll be fine."

He gave me a disapproving groan, pointing his wand at mine and murmuring an enchantment that opened the core of my wand and words of spells came out of its center, swirling in circles to the top of the room, then abruptly stopping and a list started appearing under it, I'm guessing in the order it was cast.

I shifted my head to face him, seeing him write down all the charms he saw.

"Look, it's not easy coming back from...there; it takes a toll on you, physically, emotionally, especially mentally. You don't have to bottle it up," he advised, stopping his quill and snapping his head at me, a stern look on his face, "you can talk to me or someone you trust. We can arrange you meeting with one of our finest at St. Mungo's, they can help you."

I didn't know what to say, I knew Isaac was saying this to sincerely help me, but I didn't feel like I deserved it; I felt like I should still be rotting in that cold cell.

I just nodded, my lips stretched in a thin line.

When Isaac finished the paperwork, he closed my wand, returning it back to me and slid me the paper for me to sign it along with a quill.

"I wanted to say congratulations to you though," Isaac grinned at me as I signed one of many forms for meeting with the auror.

I sat up, dipping the quill's end in ink and signed my name on the parchment, pushing the paper towards him after I was finished. "About what?"

"Going back to school, of course! I would've thought you'd gotten Professor Weasley's letter by now," he stated, taking the paper and feathered pen, placing the document in a folder and the pen back in its ink. Isaac leaned back in his chair with some enthusiasm.

"I-I did..." I admitted, lowering my head, slightly turning away, not wanting to meet his eyes, "b-but how did you know?"

"Professor Weasley wasn't always a professor; you know before she became Deputy Mistress at Hogwarts, she was one of the best Curse-Breakers at the ministry," he stated, a big grin on his face.

I felt my eyebrows raise and my mouth agape. "I...didn't know that."

"Yeah, she and I talked a bit here and there when I first started, we keep in touch now; believe it or not, yours truly got lost on their first day," Isaac chuckled at his mistake, "and if it weren't for a kind-natured curse-breaker, I'd probably be on the wall for being the youngest and having the shortest career in history of working here. She, of course, didn't leave without giving me some advice and a good scolding."

I let out a genuine chuckle. "That does sound like Professor Weasley."

Isaac grinned at me.

Silence filled the room; I thought back to his statement about the letter – the invitation back.

"Going back to Hogwarts...it's just, it's great, but...going back, after what I did...I-I don't think I can..." I confessed, feeling my throat dry again and my chest ache with shame, thinking of not being able to see anyone I care about again because of my recklessness.

Isaac's excited demeanor visibly dimmed; he didn't say anything at first, he just rested his upper body completely on his desk, hands clasped together. I could feel his eyes focused on me.

"Hey," he began in a low husky voice.

I didn't look up.

"You're really a bright lad, Sallow; you just made mistakes. Learning from those mistakes is what makes us who we are. It's never something to take lightly, but listen carefully, it's okay to be scared to go back into what your life was before, embarrassed even; of course, it won't be the same, it is because you regret what you did that you feel this way," he lectured. The way he spoke to me, he reminded me of my father – calm, understanding, listening without judgement and caring about other people, especially what was going on mentally.

I swallowed a huge lump in my throat and a couple tears fell from my eyes and into my lap, taking to heart his words of understanding and encouragement.

"I just...I know everyone will fucking whisper and avoid me like I'm some sort of plague, I'm afraid that I'll feel as alone as I did when I was in that damn cell," I explained, my breathing coming out quick, "but what I'm most fucking terrified of...is that my sister – my best friends, they won't accept me back...that they've...forgotten about me, moved on," I choked on my words, revealing my fear, quietly sobbing into my hands, feeling my heart twist at the words I'd spoken.

"Listen..." Isaac's voice came around the desk, his hand on my back, patting it gently, "I'm sure they'll be thrilled to have you back; you've told me a lot about them – your twin, Ominis and Emelia, right? And from what you've told me about their character, they won't give up on you like that. You've done a lot for each other, and that kind of friendship doesn't falter easily," he told me with confidence.

After Azkaban, Isaac was there for me, selflessly, helping me step by step and gradually had me open up to him about myself – Anne, Emelia and Ominis were the most popular topics we'd talk about, and he didn't complain about it once.

I lucked out with an auror like him; not many would take the time to get to know me; I was so grateful for him.

I lifted my head up and turned my tear-streaked face towards him crouching besides me. "You think so?" I asked hoarsely.

His smile widened, filling me with reassurance. "I know so. Trust me on this, mate, they haven't forgotten about you; if anything, I think they're waiting for you..."

The corners of my mouth tugged at both ends, matching his grin. "I really appreciate you, Isaac – since you've saved me from that dementor," I thanked, thinking back to when he saved me from a dementor sucking my soul. Honestly, thought he was just another auror coming to gloat and treat me like another criminal.

Isaac's eyes reminisced back to that time as well and nodded. "You're welcome," he replied.

My heart warmed with hope, wishing that what he said was true – that they were waiting for me.

Standing from his hunched position, he walked back around his desk, "Alright, you've checked in for the month, I'll see you next month, same time. In the meantime, stay out of trouble and enjoy school, yeah?" he said, straightening his coat and vest underneath.

I stood, my shoulders still slumped a bit, nodding nervously. "Yeah."

"Alright, I know Professor Weasley is probably expecting you, and since it's about winter break for students, you should be good on traffic," Isaac joked, giving me a thumbs up.

I smirked in amusement; I thanked Isaac one last time before I opened the door from his office to leave.

"Sebastian," he called out to me.

I turned in curiosity.

"Happy Christmas, mate," he stated with a warm smile.

"Merry Christmas, Isaac; thanks again," I responded and left the Auror's Office, thinking to myself that in a couple days, it would be Christmas.

My first Christmas...alone...

I exited the Ministry of Magic with a big sigh of relief; I used a Floo flame to travel to the North Exit of Hogwarts.

Standing in between the buildings massive arches, staring at the massive school, I felt a sense of nostalgia fill my soul. The snow on the floor made the school's architecture appear both beautiful and intimidating.

I was remembering all my school years here; I closed my eyes and let the memories flow: the time I met Ominis on the train and wouldn't stop pestering him until he talked to me, all the detentions I got doing stupid things, Anne, Ominis and my laughter filling the hallways of the DADA tower, stuffing my face in the Great Hall while both Ominis and Emelia questioned their friendship with me; Emelia's laughter filling the room and granting my ears their beautiful sound, her eyes glistening, lighting up when she was telling me and Ominis about her adventures and passion for magic.

A moan escaped my throat, happily.

I opened my eyes and hoped more memories would be made here – better ones.

Anxiously, I made my way towards Professor Weasley's classroom; thankfully, the castle was vacant and peaceful, the sounds of nearby birds chirped in a nearby tree, hearing their wings flap against the leaves.

I knocked on the door, not knowing if I should just simply come in; there wasn't an answer, so I gradually opened the door, peeking my head in and seeing an empty classroom.

Pushing the door open, I walked in, closing the door quietly behind me.

I strode towards the middle of the classroom, taking off my cap, looking left and right at the wooden desks, lightly grazing the most important one, reminiscing when Emelia sat here in front of me during our Transfiguration class together, Professor Weasley was teaching us how to transform an object into a butterfly. When everyone succeeded on transfiguring their inanimate objects, the view of the butterflies flying around her made her look like a goddess visiting the Garden of Eden; she was a breathtaking sight, something I'd admire forever.

"It's good to see you back, Mr. Sallow," Professor Weasley's voice greeted behind me out of the blue, making me jump and dropping my hat.

"Merlin's beard!" I said startled, holding my chest with one hand, the other positioned on Emelia's desk, keeping myself from falling, "no offense, professor, but I think you need a bell."

She softly chuckled under her breath, smiling at me. "My apologies," she expressed sincerely, "but it's good to see your personality remains intact."

As I picked up my hat, my lips formed an awkward line, tightly knit together. She was the same Professor Weasley from last year – poised, proper – but I could tell she was observing me through her glasses.

I was a criminal after all.

Who wouldn't be wary of me?

My eyes lowered, ashamed to meet her gaze.

"Mr. Sallow, please raise your head," she instructed gently.

Fuck...

I reluctantly lifted my head, still not wanting to meet her eyes.

She grinned wider; an impressed hum came from her. "You have truly grown in a short time, haven't you?" she pointed out, examining me from head to toe.

I couldn't help but shrug, putting my hat in my coat. "I-I guess; look, Professor Weasley, I truly appreciate the invitation back, but I don't think everyone will –" I started to speak my doubts, but her voice interrupted.

"Oh, nonsense on what everyone else will think of your return," she waved her hand in the air, shrugging off the words like they were floating in front of her, walking to her desk at the head of the classroom, "I am more interested in your growing potential."

"Potential, professor? I -"

Once again, her voice overlapped mine.

"You're a bright young man, Mr. Sallow; your past is your past and unfortunately, there's nothing that can be changed about it, but you can still shape your future with what you do in the present," Professor Weasley stood in front of her chair, not yet sitting and grinning at me with hope and sincere kindness.

I wanted to cry; I felt something catch in my throat.

I sighed, turning away to hide my rising tears, looking upwards, praying that they wouldn't fall.

Thank Merlin, they didn't.

I spun back around to face Professor Weasley, who had an understanding expression on her face.

"If it's any consolation, I'm glad to see you back," she stated, hoping to cheer me up.

I scoffed. "I wish everyone would think that way..." I managed to say, sitting on the edge of the wooden desk, leaning a bit forward and rubbing my hands on my legs anxiously.

"Not everyone is the same, Mr. Sallow, for the same reason there is no one flower in a garden; with just one kind of flower, it's beautiful, simple, yet familiar, but can be wearying," she said, waving her wand in a half circle in front of her, creating a small garden all around us with various sizes and types of flowers; I froze in shock, taking in the surroundings of what Professor Weasley created.

"Whoa..." I murmured under my breath.

"But with other varieties of flowers, there are ones that are fragile, ones that are sturdy against anything, ones that have vibrant colors, ones with thorns, ones that you can always adore and ones that never fail to touch your soul," she explained further, encouraging me to look around the formed garden, seeing all the flowers she mentioned; I was amazed at such magical ability, "like Professor Garlick has told me, life is like a garden, there's different arrays of plants and flowers, people, views and opinions, and that's okay, because you choose where your attention resides, and that's what makes it wonderful."

I listened to her closely, my hands clasped in front of me.

"Surround yourself with a garden that you love, cherish and admire; one that you'll protect and nurture," she advised, waving her wand towards me and encircling me with numerous types of stunning flowers.

A smile crept on my face, hesitant to touch one; I couldn't bring myself to do it, afraid to taint its beauty with my soiled hands.

Professor Weasley dispersed the spell on the magic garden she made and took a seat.

"I hope you understand what I'm trying to say, Mr. Sallow," she hoped, eyeing me curiously.

I nodded. "I do, professor; thank you," I appreciated honestly.

"Alright then, without further a due, I have a list of materials you need to catch up with the other students along with the classes syllabi of what was taught and what you can look forward to; given your O.W.L. results, you, of course, scored exceedingly high, and since Professor Sharpe isn't here at the moment, I'll take his place for now in guiding you to which classes to take to pursue your desired career in the future," she said, summoning an extensive list in front of her and a blank timetable.

I walked up to her desk and looked over the list extensively and thoroughly, brows creasing, seeing things I knew and others I didn't. I knew that the majority of the stuff I needed I could get at Diagon Alley: school uniform, books for certain classes, items and other supplies that'll help, so I won't fall behind.

"For most of the items on the list, I presume you already know to find them at Diagon Alley," she assumed, tilting her head.

"Yes, professor."

"There are some supplies on the list, however, that you will find in Hogsmeade," she advised with a gentle smile.

Hogsmeade...

The village will definitely have their eyes on me.

The anticipated visit gave me shivers and dampened my spirits; I didn't mind being the center of attention, being known as the heartbreaker, the best duelist at Hogwarts, the smart one with a detention record – the list can go on, but my image had been shattered the moment I decided to admit my wrongs. Now I was known as a murderer, the boy who killed his uncle, the boy who used an Unforgivable, Shallow Sallow - the papers had called me, it unfortunately stuck.

"Mr. Sallow, some advice?" Professor Weasley's voice brought me out of my head; my eyes lifted to meet her gaze.

"Please," I said.

"May I suggest: Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms, perhaps also Herbology and History of Magic. You may choose electives to fill your time, but with N.E.W.Ts around the corner, I would recommend against that; you're going to need all the free time you can grasp to get caught up," she informed, grinning almost cunningly.

I furrowed my brows a bit but ignored her expression, shaking my head.

"I'll take those classes except...maybe History of Magic; Professor Binns is wise and all, but I don't think I'd be able to stay awake in that class," I admitted to her, rubbing the back of my neck, embarrassed, "but Ancient Runes has piqued my interest."

She flashed me a heart-warming smile and pointed her wand at my blank schedule and with a smile wave, my classes appeared.

I sighed, nervous about starting school since it was just within reach, but what made me more anxious was if Ominis or Emelia were in any of my classes.

I exhaled through my mouth, preparing myself mentally.

"Now that you're all set," she said as she rose from her seat, straightening her coat and coming around her desk, "if you need anything else, please don't hesitate to come find me, understood?" she said, gathering the list and my timetable and handing it to me.

Taking it, I thanked her, slightly bowing.

I spun around and took my leave.

"Uh, Mr. Sallow," Professor called after me.

I stopped to turn, seeing the professor standing a few feet away, her hands crossed over each other, staring at me with optimism.

"If...you don't have anyone to talk with..." she began, struggling to say the right words, "if you ever feel the need to express yourself freely without judgements, I hope you understand my door is always open," she spoke softly.

My heart filled with hope and a strange sensation of a mother's warmth.

"Professor Weasley, I – my –" I stuttered over my words, but then stopped myself.

I wanted to let her know that my head wasn't right, my memories of Azkaban, the experiences I've had since admitting my faults, knowing that I knew I've let my loved ones down, it has all transformed me into someone different – I can feel it; I wasn't the same Sebastian Sallow she knew last year.

She didn't know I just wanted to cry and hurdle up in a corner, continue scratching at my scars I made to keep my sanity from cracking, to scream at the top of my lungs until they gave out, to tear out my pitiful heart and give it to the ones I cared about the most, showing my sincere apology for what I've done.

I was changed – damaged, broken – I was a shattered soul, never to truly be whole again.

But instead of saying what was on my mind, I put on the best fake smile I could and faced her.

"I appreciate it, Professor Weasley; I...I'll keep that in mind," I lied, knowing I was going to keep it all to myself.

"Happy Christmas, Mr. Sallow," her voice followed me.

I slightly nodded. "Merry Christmas, professor."

Walking through the door, I felt a sense of relief, but was instantly replaced with anxiety. I put my cap back on and made my way to Diagon Alley.

Luckily for me, the shopping area was nearly vacant with a couple people here and there.

I stopped by Gringotts before I did any shopping; the only thing that my uncle did right when he was alive was agree at the moment of his death, he'd split his earnings between me and Anne, however, it wasn't any less awkward going in and asking for a withdraw.

The goblins eyed me suspiciously, they obviously read the Daily Prophet and knew who I was; the galleons in the vault were split perfectly in half, I took from my side and looked at Anne's, wondering if she's taken anything from here.

Pushing the sorrowful thoughts downward, I took what I needed and thanked the goblins for their time.

I got most of the items on the list and once I was satisfied with everything, I took a floo back to Feldcroft, putting all my supplies on the table with a heavy sigh.

It was going to be my first Christmas by myself; I had no plans, not even decorations or presents.

Just me.

Alone.

I felt my chest sink in, hoping from the bottom of my heart that Emelia, Ominis and even Anne would have a wonderful holiday, get everything they wanted and make memories together.

The thought made me tear up with a sad smile appearing on my face.

It was my fault, all of this.

I brought it upon myself.

I deserve to be alone.

A killer...

I leaned over against the tabletop, my hands supporting my bodyweight, and feeling a cloud of darkness wrap me up in sleepless nights, haunting memories, what-if possibilities, and infinite regret, crying at the thoughts of what I've done – to the mistakes I made, to the one's I've hurt then and scared of who I'll hurt in the future.

The future might be better off without Sebastian Sallow.

Perhaps I should've stayed in that Hell and perished as everyone wanted.

- THE NEXT WEEK -

It was the night of New Year's Eve.

The week prior was long and agonizing, keeping my thoughts occupied during Christmas, I tried to read as much as I could to catch up during the day, but in the night, my emotions, nightmares and memories engulfed me in what seemed like a never-ending cycle of pain and misery.

It was like I was still within the cold walls of Azkaban.

I tried thinking of happy thoughts, but whenever I did, I just think of how I disappointed everyone and that the memories are only that – memories.

Books were sprawled around the small house – on the floor, chairs, table and some on my bed – I, then, realized that I needed to find a bigger, more organized and proper space to study if I were to not fall behind.

I wondered if the undercroft was still a safe haven for me – if it still accepted me since Ominis can control it.

I put everything in a moleskin bag my parents had got a long time ago; I had thought Anne would've taken it with her, but I guess not.

After gathering everything I needed – books, papers, my quill, inkwell and notes I'd sloppily taken – I tucked the bag in my jacket pocket and looked back at the small house, hoping it'll stay in one piece while I'm gone.

I transported to Hogwarts, my fast, eager footsteps echoing the halls as I made my way into the DADA tower. There was no music playing and it reminded me a bit of Azkaban, an eerie silence that made your skin crawl.

I shook the uneasy feeling away and made my way around the corner and saw the undercroft's door, a sense of nostalgia came over me as I admired the doors frame, as if I was seeing it for the first time.

Habitually, I looked around to make sure no one saw, but the corridors were empty.

Taking out my wand, I pleaded. "Please, let this work..." I prayed in a low whisper.

I held my breath, waving my wand in front of the door and, without fail, the hands of the dials spinning both clockwise and counterclockwise, until completely stopping with a gong.

My heart filled with joy and excitement.

I opened the door and went in, opening the metal gate before me.

Gazing in the room, it appeared to have stayed the same – dimmed with crates in every other corner.

Exhaling contently, I grinned. It was nice to feel a sense of familiarity.

I decided to put all the crates in one place at the very back of the room while I conjured a big, long table; I put all my books and material on the tabletop in a coordinated fashion. After everything was in their proper place and had some sense of organization, I created a comfortable enough seat, took off my jacket, put it on the chair and began working.

I read as much as I could for all my classes, except Defense Against the Dark Arts, when it got to Dementor's and Boggarts, I was overcome with flashbacks of my time in that Hell; I even hallucinated that dementors in front of the table, floating closer and closer, reaching out to me menacingly, hearing its harsh breathing again. I backed away, quickly crouching in a corner of the undercroft, not wanting them to come near me.

Panting and hiding my face in my arms, I tried to focus, wildly throwing spells at it, but it was no use; I told myself to look for the signs – there was no chill in the air, no frozen surfaces, and that they weren't here.

I was safe.

Recomposing myself, I took a deep breath and stood, making my way back to the table, running my fingers through my hair in habit. I was glad that none of my spells I had cast ruined any of the books or notes on the table. With that, I was done studying for the night; I gazed at the time it was nearing nine o'clock in the evening.

Sighing in disbelief, I decided to gather up the courage to go to a place I haven't gone in a while.

Hogsmeade.

I put my coat and scarf on and used a floo to the small village; I was welcomed with music heard throughout the town, decorations all over, celebrating for the upcoming new year. Thankfully, everyone was more occupied in the festivities to pay attention to me.

It was nice to feel normal again.

Kids ran around with sparklers in hand, laughing and giggling as they ran by me, making me smile in envy.

Oh to be young again...

I walked around, hands in pockets, and admired all the lights and love I felt amongst the locals. It was a warm feeling I always felt whenever I visited this little parish. It was beautiful and miraculous; nothing could be it.

Well, except one thing.

That's when I heard it; I thought it was a dream, one of my many hallucinations.

I heard her melodic laughter, my ears perked up, my heart soared, and my entire mood brightened. I spun around gradually, afraid if I turned too fast, the most magnificent, captivating and breath-taking sound would vanish. My breath hitched in both overjoyed happiness and crippling fear.

There she was.

Emelia...

Merlin, how had she only grown more beautiful since I'd last seen her?

Her thick, dark hair had gotten lighter and longer, almost reaching the base of her hips, slightly waved at the ends; her porcelain skin had slightly tanned with her green eyes covered by those long, immaculate lashes, but her signature beauty mark on the right side of her face, near her eye, had brought out her stunning light in more ways than one can describe.

She was with Ominis, I observed his overall appearance had changed. He had grown taller, facial structure was a bit more defined, hair had lightened, and body frame had widened a tad; he stood with pride, a picture of nobility, elegance and grace – the perfect man.

He was a Gaunt after all.

He was holding their bags, her sweet laughter heard in the air caused by his amusing words, a smile gracing his face in delight, but the thing that saddened me about watching them was that they were holding hands.

A pang of intense jealousy struck me like knives piercing my heart, pain snaking around my already shattered soul, and despite feeling a rising fury and plunging sorrow begin to set in, I was sincerely ecstatic for them. They looked like the perfect image of a couple – happy, content, relaxed and in love...

I had wandered around Hogsmeade trying to gather the bravery and mild confidence to face everyone after what happened to me last year and was immediately confronted with my two best friends, who seemed had moved on without me – there was no tension, stress, worried guises or even suspicions amongst each other.

Just simply living in the moment with each other.

His head turned towards her as she spoke with an expression that I've never seen before; he stared at her with respect, adoration, longing and genuine love, and she looked back at him with kindness, understanding and mutual love.

They were meant for each other.

I knew I was their source of unease and misery.

Full of regret and shame, I spun and walked away towards the square.

Once I did, I swore I heard Emelia call out my name and it took every ounce of willpower in me not to turn around, embrace her tightly and never let her go again.

But I didn't.

I walked faster towards the square, hoping to get to the floo before she could catch me; there was no way I could apparate without getting splinched, I didn't know how my first attempt would go without actual guidance from a teacher and I didn't intend to find out.

As I walked faster, I suddenly saw Ominis in front of me, his frame stood straight and tall, moving his wand left and right searching for me.

Shit!

How did he – ugh forget it, there's no time for questions right now. I remembered an incantation that I read in one of my parents books a couple months ago and did my best to clear my head and concentrate.

I murmured the spell under my breath a couple times quickly, hoping and praying to Merlin it worked; it was supposed to be a spell to hide ones presence and self – almost like a disillusionment charm, but worked remarkably better and useful in times like these.

Moving a few feet into a nearby alley, I hid and waited fearfully; the red flicking of Ominis' wand came to view, and his entire figure followed, passing the alleyway's opening with a serious look. With my terrible luck, he double backed his way to the entrance and gradually turned his veiled eyes to the space, lingering. I held my breath and tensed, remaining very still; he turned his head so his ear was facing the path and waited, listening for anything that might be a clue.

After about what was the longest five seconds of my life, a cat meowed near me, nuzzling against my leg; I froze and almost squealed, about to shush it, but it satisfied Ominis and he apparated away, impressing me.

I made my way back out to the main streets of Hogsmeade, releasing the charm and continued my designated route towards the center of the quaint village.

With just my luck, I heard Emelia shout my name again; enduring the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I strictly persisted to the floo, passing by the townspeople of Hogsmeade without drawing too much attention to myself.

I'm sorry, Emi...

I'm not brave enough to face you both yet...

Finally making it to the floo safely, I transported my way back to the DADA tower.

I swiftly made it to the undercroft, and as soon as I knew I was safe and alone, I leaned over the table, my whole weight supported by my trembling arms.

I exhaled a deep, shaky breath.

That was too close...

How in the Hell was I going to do all this?

If I couldn't even face Ominis and Emelia, going back to school was going to be a nightmare.

--

Chapter Text

Her words pierced my heart when it escaped her lips.  

“Ominis, I should’ve…I should’ve jumped in front of that curse…” Emelia voice echoed, “maybe…maybe if I did…Sebastian would’ve seen what he was doing was wrong; maybe he would’ve gone back to being the old Sebastian before…before everything went wrong…” she said, her voice trailing off.

“Emelia…”  I murmured, my voice barely a whisper.

I wanted to scream at her, to tell her that neither I nor Sebastian would’ve been the same afterwards, that sacrificing herself was never going to be an option.

My mind had shifted to another memory – the day Emelia was crying hysterically in the undercroft after reading the Daily Prophet about Sebastian; her cries filling the room, and I couldn’t do anything to help her, but hold her close and hush her soothingly. I remember her shaking in my arms, trembling from fear, anxiety and heartache, she could barely stand, speaking incoherently – eventually crumbling to the floor. I recall holding her fragile frame in my arms, feeling her warmth take over me, her familiar scent invading my nose, her hair smelt of strawberries and vanilla with a hint of coconut.

Emelia couldn’t even make out words due to her violent sobbing.

Thankfully, I thought of a distraction to help her – listening to my heartbeat; I reminisced putting her head close to my chest, reassuring her that I was there for her confidently when in reality, I wanted to cry beside her and wallow up in our sadness together, but I had to be strong – for her – for us.  

Once she cried herself to sleep, I held her in my arms a little longer and enjoyed the silence around us, her soft breathing a sweet sound to my ears.

I wanted to obliviate her memories right then and there – everything involving Sebastian.

It crushed my heart into the deepest parts of despair, hearing her in pain. I felt utterly useless I couldn’t do more for her, but…if I could erase her memories, perhaps her suffering would go away and she’d be…better.

The thought was truly tempting, but I couldn’t do it; knowing Emelia, she’d hate me if I did such a thing to her, even if it was for her own good.

“Emelia…” I whispered to her sleeping body, caressing her tear-covered cheek with my thumb delicately, “I promise you that with every tear you have shed, Sebastian will understand it when he stands before me again, a thousand-fold. He’ll be sorry that he’s hurt you, my sweet darling girl.”

-

I came out of my dream, feeling the weight of the past linger around me.

I despised reliving that moment of Emelia tormented; it never failed to feel like my soul was being torn to pieces.

“You’re awake,” Alistair simply hissed at me; I sighed, opening my eyes.

Sitting up and turning my head towards the snake’s irritable voice, I groaned in annoyance.

As I swung my legs to dangle on the side of the bed, Alistair spoke. “Bad dream?”

“Frustratingly so,” I answered, stretching myself in all directions, running my hands through my hair.

“I could tell. You kept shifting in your sleep,” he informed me.

I got up, ignoring his comment. “What time is it?” I questioned, reaching for my wand.

“Around one in the morning,” Alistair replied with a sigh.

“And Emelia?” I wondered in anticipation.

“Still asleep.”

That response gave me instant relief.

With Alistair, it was nice to know how she was doing when I was sleeping; I didn’t have to worry too much and with my gift I’d given her for Christmas, my confidence in my abilities to be there for her heightened.

I nodded and got up. “Stay here and keep an eye on her. I’ll be right back,” I instructed as I waved my wand around me, changing into appropriate clothes to go out.

“Where are you going?” Alistair hissed, curiously.

“I’m going to double check something,” I merely replied.

It’s been almost a week since the new year started and since Emelia evidently saw Sebastian in Hogsmeade. I believed Emelia really saw Sebastian, however, whether or not he was actually there was another story entirely. I had searched everywhere in Hogsmeade trying to get a sense for Sebastian anywhere that day, but the only thing I detected or heard that raised any suspicion was a faint heartbeat racing in an alleyway, although it was only a cat.

We hadn’t talked about it since. I was keeping her preoccupied with upcoming classes, hoping that she’s long forgotten about it, but to give myself peace of mind along with Emelia’s, I wanted to go through the quaint little village thoroughly.

“You’re really going to leave me here?” Alistair questioned.

“I’ll be back before she wakes,” I said, putting on my long coat I summoned.

“So, I’ll be with the beautiful girl?” Alistair’s voice taunted, “Alone…?” he teased again, excitement being heard in his tone.

My teeth clenched hard. “Don’t test me,” I threatened.

“But – ” Alistair exclaimed in protest.

I shushed him, moving my wand towards Emelia’s bed, hearing her soft breathing and light snoring, letting me know she was sound asleep.

“Before you go, could you just let me out and let me sleep next to her?” Alistair asked with hope.

“What had I said about testing me?” I warned, gritting my teeth, glowering in his direction.

“You said to keep her safe and protect her,” he shot back defensively, “how am I supposed to do that if I’m in a box?” he asked me almost in loud whisper, “just this once!” his voice pleading, “I promise I won’t do anything…too friendly. You said to protect her, and I will. You can trust me on that.”

The thought of him near Emelia’s body, a sting of jealousy somehow invaded my body – over a damn snake.

I swallowed hard, debating on his request.

I don’t usually leave Emelia, it was a rarity; it wouldn’t hurt to comply to his odd wish, would it?

I trusted Alistair, he and I had gotten quite close since I’d saved him from my psycho of a brother; I told him that he didn’t have to pay me back for anything, it’s just that I couldn’t sit idly by and watch an innocent creature get harmed for minding their own business – their only crime was just being there at the wrong time.

I hoped I didn’t regret doing this.

Unlocking his enclosure with a flick of my wand, I made my way to him and feeling the tank’s edge, opening the door and putting my hand in, beckoning him to slither on my arm impatiently.

Alistair gasped and eagerly coiled around my forearm.

His body tightened around me as I lifted my arm and quietly made my way to Emelia’s bed.

“I swear to all the deities that exist, if you do anything to her while I’m gone, I will rethink my association with the dark arts,” I cautioned him seriously; Alistair gulped, and I sensed him complying in terror.

Good.

I sighed silently and placed him gently on her unused pillow; I heard him curl up on the cushion.

“Thank you, my friend; I promise I’ll keep her safe while you’re gone,” he vowed sincerely.

I simply nodded once and exhaled, my lips stretching into a thin line, feeling reluctant to leave him free, but knew I had to trust him with those I held dear, and he knew how much Emelia meant to me.

Moving around the bed to her side, I lifted a hand to feel her soft locks in between my fingers; I leaned down, overtaken by the smell of her hypnotizing fragrance. “I’ll be back soon, love…” I murmured under my breath, kissing her forehead, and gently stroking her head.

I apparated out of the room and found myself instantly in Hogsmeade square.

I shrugged, guessing this is the best place to start as any.

Wand in hand, I started my search, looking for any clues that Sebastian might’ve been here; thankfully, it was still so early in the morning that the town was quiet, so I could hear more than usual.  The sound of nearby owls hooting in the night, crickets heard in the tall grasses around the village, cats meowing in nearby alleyways, and around me, wanting me to pet them.  There were some I caressed along my search, the cats purring and nuzzling against my leg and hand, signaling me that they were enjoying my touch against their smooth fur.

Afterwards, I investigated further, attempting to detect Sebastian’s prior presence – if he was really there at all – searching through every alley, every hidden corner that one could possibly hide in, concealed backside of homes, hearing only my footsteps on the stone pavement.

Nearly an hour later, I was carefully searching but to no prevail; I sighed in frustration.

I had to think logically.

Well…I had to think like Sebastian.

He was released recently. Where else would he go?

He wouldn’t come here, there were too many people, and knowing Sebastian, he’d avoid people out of shame after pulling his idiotic stunt; he wasn’t a bad guy, he was very kind-hearted and always wanted to help others, especially those he cherished.

Why would Emelia see him here, of all places?

I pinched my nose with one hand, the other on my hip, holding my wand, and exhaled heavily, wanting to understand what he was thinking when he turned himself in, to admit to the wizarding world that he murdered his uncle with an Unforgiveable.

Did he know what he was doing or was it just an impulse decision he made as he always did?

I noticed I made it to the entrance of Hogsmeade; I hung my head back both relieved and disappointed for not finding anything regarding Sebastian – relieved since I knew he was somewhere else, and away from Emelia’s fragile heart, but disappointed because despite my strong feelings about what he did to her, I do miss my best friend…my brother.

I sighed defeated, apparating back to Hogwarts; I found myself before the wall, secretly hiding the Room of Requirement behind it.

The forming of the door sounded in my ear, presenting itself to me. I waited patiently and after it quieted, I reached out towards the door, touching the handle and opening it bit by bit. The door squeaked a little, I halted abruptly, cursing under my breath; I continued my way through the door and closed it as silently as I could, not wanting to wake Emelia.

As soon as I completely shut the door, I strode to Emelia’s bed, my sensitive wand letting me sense Emelia was still asleep, and Alistair groaning in his, waking up.

“Ominis,” he grumbled, his tone sleepy.

“Any bad dreams?” I asked almost instantly, glancing where her body was.

“No, I haven’t, thanks,” Alistair answered.

I groaned. “I meant, Emelia,” I clarified, glaring in his direction.

“Oh…no,” he replied, “why don’t you ask how I slept?” he questioned loudly.

I silenced him. “Shhh, don’t wake her,” I cautioned him, feeling her arm closest to me; she was on her side, facing me.

Alistair whined, muttering to himself, but I didn’t pay any attention to it.

Pulling the covers over her, she shifted in her sleep a bit and groaned, as if she was having a nightmare.

I swallowed hard, determination running through me. I boldly slid my hands up her arm, curving down her shoulder to her neck, and moved to feel her warm cheek with the back of my fingers; she shivered under my touch. I withdrew my hand away immediately, feeling apologetic for making her tremble. I warmed my hands, rubbing them together along with blowing my heated breath into them.

After warming them to my satisfaction, I placed my fingers back on her cheek, and this time she melted under my touch, humming in pleasure.

I smiled in joy, feeling proud that I could be there for her and make her happy, even while she’s sleeping.

After a couple extra greedy seconds, I halfheartedly pulled away and went to my bed, dropped my wand on the bed after I located my pajamas and started changing, a fuzzy sensation was felt within my chest as I lifted my shirt.

“Ominis…your back – what hap…” Alistair’s voice was heard from her bed.

I stiffened, the new feeling I had instantly vanished, and I whipped my head into his direction. “Avert your eyes! I’m only asking this once!” I angrily hissed at him with spite.

I heard him shuffle his body on the pillow, obediently. “I’m turned, I’m turned,” he said in compliance, his voice careful, not wanting to say the wrong words to make me snap again.

Strangely, I trust his words.

I felt a sense of embarrassment; no one had seen my scar, except Sebastian when we were young, not even Emelia’s seen it – her seeing it is one of my many fears, but I hope she never does. Her image of me would be tarnished and she’d see me as I see myself: insignificant, pathetic, weak, a walking repellent…a Gaunt.

That possibility clenched tightly with its sharp talons upon my soul, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to bear it and perish from that thought alone.  

Sebastian didn’t mean to see it though; he was going to pull a prank on me after I got out of the shower one day, but when he’d seen it, he decided otherwise.

When he mentioned he accidentally saw it, I was livid and remembered I didn’t speak to him for almost a month, but during that time of silence, he never failed to try to get me to talk to him, apologizing to me repetitively that he didn’t mean to see it, and promised to make it up to me. He tried giving me potions and remedies from even Madam Blainey to help heal it completely; he tried saving me my favorite food during meals, showed me the kitchens, tried getting Anne to convince me to talk to him, and speaking through Anne that he was sorry. It was quite entertaining, seeing all of what he’ll do just for me to utter a single syllable to him.

After time had passed, I realized that I might’ve been overreacting because it was a part of me that I thought no one would ever see, a vulnerable fragment of myself that I held close. I was embarrassed, ashamed and self-conscious of it; my name was feared by others because I was a Gaunt, and because I was a Gaunt, there were certain expectations that my family encouraged – required – of me to uphold the reputation.

I never wanted to be a part of that.

So, as constant reminders that I refused – went against them - I’m left with random marks all over my body, but the most insecure scar is the large, horrendous one, covering majority of my back, permanently etched into me because of my defiance and unwillingness to associate with the dark arts.

I grunted annoyed, putting my casual clothes back on and sighed, ashamed. “I apologize, just forget what you saw,” I simply said to Alistair, my voice small, thinking back to when I got the massive scar, making me tense and shudder.

“I’m truly sorry; I really didn’t mean to look. I…” his voice cut short, “can I look back now?” he wondered, his tone full of guilt.

After I was completely dressed, I answered. “You may; I’m going out.”

“Wait! You just got back!” he stated to me in a panic.

I grabbed my wand on the bed and headed towards the door. “Keep her safe, Alistair; if she does wake up, try to do your best to keep her calm and distracted until I get back,” I ordered, not stopping my strides.

“I promise…” Alistair murmured, sounding defeated.

I opened and closed the door quietly to the room and let out a heavy sigh.

Perhaps I needed some time to ponder and clear my head of such negativities of my past.

Instead of apparating, I walked to the top of the Astronomy Tower, letting my mind run wild – thinking back when my family casted spells on me as torture or simply just for fun – a game – as Marvolo liked to justify; I felt like whenever I talked or even thought about what my family did to me growing up, my scars would burn in remembrance to those dark times.  I shook my head trying to think of anything else.

I managed to muse over everything that’s happened in the past one, almost two years, here at Hogwarts, along with information and news regarding Sebastian.

Ugh, Sebastian…

Why does he always have to be so impulsive and careless?

I moaned out loud, irritated at my friend. We swore we wouldn’t tell anyone, did…did he not believe us? Did he not trust our words?

My mind continued to race, trying to recall what was said in the undercroft a year ago, wondering if something we said triggered him to believe we weren’t truthful, but I couldn’t think of anything that I nor Emelia had said that would have him react that way; we were supportive and was going to take it one day at a time, but then he had admitted his faults.

I was a the top of the tower, thinking about when I found Emelia up here, practically bleeding out; I remember I was crazed with worry and frightened more than I was showing that night, frightened that if I revealed my true feelings of panic and fear, she’d feel like a burden and hide her situations and conditions more from me.

I didn’t want her hiding anything from me; we had trust. I was actually myself around her and felt happy and safe; she brought me towards the light, like a moth to a flame, a sinner to God.

My perfect camellia, my sweet little dove…

Opening up to her was difficult at first, I’ll admit, but after we got to know each other better, especially during summer, it was easy, fun even and I felt like I had known her all my life; she, in turn, did the same and with every letter she wrote, I was discovering all sorts of things about her, which only intrigued me further. Within those letters, there was a mutual understand that we trusted, respected and cared for each other, a strong and profound connection that only grew with time; it was built on the foundations of our fifth year and, unfortunately, Sebastian’s decisions in the end.

Selfishly, I was grateful but wounded by Sebastian’s choices because they brought Emelia and I closer, but hurt because without him, our charming, little group wasn’t complete. I knew, even without Emelia telling me, that she felt a void in her life that could only be filled by Sebastian; I did too.

Feeling the evening breeze on my face, I felt some sense of calm and peace. I closed my eyes and hung my head back, exhaling once more. I stayed up there enjoying the sounds of nature in my ears until I heard familiar footsteps approach up the wooden steps.

I turned my head to one side, opening my eyes slightly and felt a small grin being tugged on either side of my mouth.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed, Anne?” I questioned curiously.

She scoffed. “How do you always know it’s me and not Em?”

“I know by the sound of your footsteps,” I replied, hearing her walk up beside me.

I could sense her grinning wide.

“What are you doing up so late?” Anne asked, her voice louder; I assumed she was facing me.

“I could ask you the same question. How did you even know I was up here?” I tilted my head towards her, raising an eyebrow.

Anne simply replied. “Another hunch.”

“You’re getting awfully lucky going off by hunches these days,” I simply said, amused by her answer, “did you manage to successfully brew some liquid luck?” I joked, a chuckle escaping me.

She hit my arm. “Hey, my potions may be rubbish, but they’re not as awful as yours,” she teased back, “but no, I’m just naturally lucky; finding friends is my specialty,” she laughed to herself.

Anne and I were silent for a few moments.

“Ominis,” she began, “what are you seriously doing here? Something on your mind?” she questioned; her tone serious.

I let out a soft sigh. “A lot of things, unfortunately,” I responded to her.

“Would you like to talk about it?”

I gave her a half-forced smile. “Not at the moment, but I appreciate the offer.”

She patted my shoulder twice. “ Of course; you’re my friend, I’m always here for you.”

I placed my hand over her small ones in gratitude. “Thank you,” I said, taking my hand from hers, “now it’s your turn. What are you doing up so late?”

“Well, Grace is asleep, and I didn’t want to bother her with my thoughts…” she started to explain but trailed off.

“About Sebastian?” I guessed.

I heard the sound of her hair rustling against her clothes in a recognizable indication she was nodding.

“Mmhmm,” I heard her answer.

“I understand. His recent release has shook the wizarding world; I’m sure the Dailly Prophet is trying to get a story out of it as we speak,” I stated, my thoughts spilling out, “the Ministry hasn’t said a thing about it.”

Anne hummed to herself, pondering my words. “I agree; I remember when I read it, I couldn’t believe it but was also relieved,” she concurred, taking a few steps away from me.

I twisted my body to face her, waiting for her to continue; I felt her rising frustration.

“You know, I still can’t forgive him, Ominis,” Anne proclaimed in a breaking voice, “it’s not that I won’t – I just...I can’t yet. He killed Uncle Solomon out of desperation and his unwillingness to see reason, his stubbornness refusing to accept the reality for what it was,” she explained herself, tears clearly being heard from her voice. “If I were to see him again, I…I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Hearing her tone, she was both hurt and betrayed; I empathized with her.

She started sobbing quietly to herself, little moans escaping.

I took a couple steps towards Anne, feeling the warmth radiating off her body once I got near her; I put a hand on her shoulder and as soon as I did, she wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me tightly. I reciprocated the action.

I let her weep, patting her back in reassurance.

In my world, I was not a stranger to pain, suffering and tears, but when hearing my friends hurting with tormented misery, it pierced my heart.

Anne pulled away and tried to compose herself.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, “I ruined your shirt,” she laughed at herself, wiping the tear-stained spots I felt seeping through to my chest.

“Don’t be sorry,” I assured as she continued to use her hand to attempt to clear the evidence of her tears, “I have to break down too, every now and then.”

I sensed Anne giving her most sympathetic look.

“Don’t give me that look,” I stated, knowing her well.

“I swear, sometimes I don’t think you’re blind since you seem to know my expressions,” she told me, chuckling.

“I assure you, I’m as blind as a star-nosed mole, Anne,” I replied frankly, grinning.

Anne laughed.

We remained out there for another half hour, discussing all sorts of things, then we headed to bed after, saying our goodnights, me to the secret room and her going back to the dorm with her friends.

I heard her leave down the steps until they disappeared entirely.

Despite leaving in high spirits, there was still a shadow, a sensation of anguish, around Anne that I felt, one that would take a while to vanish.

Sebastian Sallow, you have no idea how much damage you’ve done by doing what’s right.

-

It was the last four days before classes started again, and Emelia and I were trying to get a little studying in while in the common room this time; we sat side by side in front of the fireplace as we were reviewing our materials.

“Hmm,” Emelia had hummed in interest.

I shifted my head to her, curiously. “What is it?”

“Sharpe wants us learning how to brew certain potions this upcoming week, one of them is called a Dreamless Sleep Potion,” she said, reading from her text, “it’s supposedly helpful, as the name suggests, to help when you can’t sleep; I think if I can brew this correctly, I’ll see if it works.”

“Have you been having more nightmares?” I wondered fearful.

I sensed her shaking her head. “No, I promise. I just think it might be helpful,” she confirmed, “sometimes it takes me hours to fall asleep and I’m restless,” Emelia explained, a smile evident in her tone.

I didn’t know this.

“I apologize for not realizing,” I apologized to her, feeling shame.

“It’s alright,” she assured me.

I should’ve known…

“Stop,” she nudged my shoulder playfully.

I furrowed my eyebrows, continuing to criticize myself.

“Hey, stop blaming yourself and looking so serious, you’ll wrinkle your adorable face,” she said, her body leaned closer to me I could smell her delectable scent, grabbing my cheek closest to her and pinching lightly.

There she goes again – saying I’m adorable…

Why does it make my cheeks warm every time she says that?

I bashfully smiled at the word, my face relaxed.

“There you go!” she spoke happily, gently kissing my cheek.

I didn’t know how to react.

She chuckled proudly to herself as soon as she noticed my face flushed, and my expression was of shock.

Emelia went back to her book while I remained frozen by her soft touch; her warmth and perfume came towards me like a magnet, remembering her pleased laughter just a second ago and how divine it was to be gifted such a beautiful sound. Her soft lips blessing me once more with their touch, the sensation of her lips still burned upon my skin. If only I could feel them with mine, to see if they were truly as captivating and smooth as they did on my cheek.

I shook my head, snapping out of my provocative thoughts and focused on my own textbook.

After a good couple hours in the common room, students started coming back, along with others returning from winter break. We decided to go to the room to complete our studying, but Emelia informed me that she, Anne, Grace and Imelda, who’d returned yesterday, were going to go to Hogsmeade together to shop and catch up.

Wishing them a happy and safe trip, I resumed my studies on my own.

I took notes as much and as diligently as I could for Emelia when she got back; it was almost ten when I finished everything and decided that I earned a well-deserved break. I closed everything, putting it neatly on a desk that Emelia and I conjured together and apparated outside of Hogwarts.

Using my wand, I found myself by the Black Lake. I walked along the edge, feeling the dirt and uneven ground beneath me, the crunch of sand, dirty and grassy terrain, the sound of the water’s surface moving greeted my ears; it was nice taking an evening stroll.  After that I transported to Central Hall, hearing some whispers of students echoing off the walls; I paid them no mind and apparated to the DADA tower, hearing murmurs and voices of the moving portraits around me. Ignoring the voices, it was peaceful and quiet, nothing heard besides the clicking of my footsteps on the marble floor.

Subconsciously, I found myself walking towards the undercroft’s door; I go in every now and then, but Emelia…she hasn’t gone in since that day she saw Sebastian on the newspaper. Something happened to her that day; she told me a bit about it but couldn’t finish her explanation without sobbing or hyperventilating. Truthfully, I think it’s some sort of post-traumatic stress.

I never forced her to complete her explanation and comprehended her situation; I wasn’t going to force her to go in where she felt uneasy and overwhelmed with emotions.

Sighing, I decided to go in for nostalgic purposes, recalling memories of Anne, Sebastian and I playing gobstones and staying up late, eating desserts that we’d snuck from the school’s kitchen; it was simpler times.

I opened the door of the undercroft, walking in nonchalantly, the gates creaking open as I entered.

I halted in my tracks immediately, sensing another presence in the space. I smelt parchment, a hint of cinnamon and sandalwood along with a musky scent – a distant memory that I thought was long forgotten.

My eyes widened in disbelief. “S…Sebastian?”

A sigh of defeat released into the room, hearing him walking the middle of the room. “Hello, Ominis,” he greeted, his voice huskier than last year.

My body remained frozen in place, goosebumps raising along my forearms and back, mouth dry due to shock, but it was overpowered with my suppressed fury I’ve kept hidden away since finding Emelia here crying over him. My body heated up, switching my wand to my left hand, grasping it tighter in front of me, grinding my teeth and stalking my way to him.

“Ominis, listen, I want to first apologize for –” he started to say, but as soon as I felt his form in front of me, I grabbed him by the collar with my left hand forcefully, pulling him close.

With all my stored-up feelings of betrayal, disappointment, and sadness being fixated solely in my fist, the most powerful emotion of all was the restrained and controlled wrath unleashing itself on Anne’s behalf – and Emelia’s.

“You son of a bitch!” I hollered and punched him with all the strength I could muster.

--

Chapter Text

For days, Sebastian had been studying, reading each word in the text thoroughly, trying to retain as much information as he could, to prove to others, and himself, that he’s changed – better – and that his mistakes were behind him.

He was focused, attempting the wand movements to unfamiliar charms; it was difficult but nothing he hasn’t done before. Holding his arm out, he repeated the actions slowly, eyes sliding along the pages of the course book.

It took everything in Sebastian to not fall asleep while learning the incantations; he’d been at it for hours on end, getting little to no sleep with minimal food – it almost felt like Azkaban.

The recalled feeling sent a shiver down his spine.

“Ugh!” he groaned, scratching the back of his head in annoyance.

There was a massive headache beginning to erupt, his fingers pressed at his temples in hope to relieve some tension.

“Come on, Sallow,” he encouraged himself, lightly smacking his face, “get your head out of your ass and focus!”

Sebastian softly jumped repetitively, wiggling his arms along his sides, trying to wake his gradually snoozing body.

This would go way better if it wasn’t so quiet in here, he thought to himself.

As he was about to conjure musical instruments to play a soft tune, the doors of the undercroft opened and his body immediately tensed, his breath hitched in surprise and his eyes snapped towards the direction of the noise, panting in terror.

Who was it? Emelia? Ominis? The ministry? A Gaunt family member?

He was right.

It was a Gaunt.

Ominis.

He strode in, but stopped instantly only a foot in the room, wand in hand with its bizarre red flickering.

Sebastian never really knew how his wand worked and was always curious about it. He remembered asking Ominis when they were young, but even Ominis didn’t even know how it actually worked.

He was in casual attire, making the outfit look both stylish and dashing; Ominis was always a gentleman, but he definitely looked the part now – a pinnacle of sophisticated nobility.

Sebastian was almost jealous.

No wonder Emelia was with him.

He couldn’t compare; he was like a stray fox next to a noble stallion.

As soon as he spotted him, Sebastian held his breath and did his best to stay quiet, praying that his friend wouldn’t sense him, but like all decisions in his life, he was wrong.

“S…Sebastian?” Ominis’ voice questioned in doubt, eyes growing wide, trying to understand what his senses were telling him.

Sebastian sighed; he was caught.

He made his way around the long table, full of books and countless notes he’d been taking, nervously putting a hand in his pocket.

“Hello, Ominis,” Sebastian replied, his voice a bit shaky; he lowered his head in shame, not wanting to meet his gaze.

This was something that Sebastian didn’t foresee doing this anytime soon – meeting his loved ones – not having the confidence or even courage to face them himself after what and all he’s done. He’s rehearsed so many scenarios in his mind, trying to think of what to say, how to say it, what they’ll say in return, and even how they’ll react; Sebastian took a deep breath and forgot all about the possibilities and told himself to just speak from his heart.

Ominis made his way to Sebastian, putting his wand in his left hand, fists tightly clenched at his side.

Sebastian lifted his head, gathering a little bit of bravery to look at his friend, his hand coming out of his pocket to rub on his pants anxiously. “Ominis, listen,” he began, “I want to apologize for –”

Before he could finish his attempted apology, Ominis had clutched his collar, tugging him forward.

“You son of a bitch!” Ominis yelled, striking him in the face with a fierce blow.

Sebastian fell to the floor hard, a pulsing pain starting to become known on his cheek; he leaned up on his elbow, holding his wounded face. He looked up at Ominis, who seemed to be enraged, his soft, perfect princely image replaced with a dark, ruthless and vengeful one, his brows furrowed at the center, face displaying both hatred and relief. Ominis’ tightened fists still at his sides and the hand that hit Sebastain tingled with a slight pain, which he’d gladly feel again. At that moment, he was proud he struck him, but knew it wasn’t enough, not even close to equalizing the pain and damage he did to Anne and Emelia.

Especially Emelia, Ominis emphasized to himself.

Sebastian wasn’t surprised at this encounter; he knew Ominis would punch him, but he didn’t know he’d hit this hard – it was stronger than ever.

He got up from the cold ground and groaned. “I guess I deserved that,” he stated half-jokingly.

Ominis’ fist connected to his face once more, making him fall again. “Damn right you deserved it, you bastard!” Ominis shouted with malice, “and much more…”

Ominis was vexed, he wondered how Sebastian was here, and better yet when he got here.

“How could you do something so brash as to turn yourself in?” Ominis hollered, kneeling and grabbing Sebastian’s shirt and swinging again and again, “we wanted to protect you!”

Sebastian didn’t fight back nor defend himself.

“Ominis, I –” Sebastian tried to speak between strikes, his face becoming bloody and swollen.

His friend continued punching him, his knuckled feeling a painful aching, the smell of blood becoming known in the air, but he didn’t care – vengeance was taking over.

“You don’t understand what your actions did to Anne, to me – to Emelia; how crushed we were…” Ominis’ voice broke, his eyes tearing up, his hands shaking; his assault faltered.

Sebastian swallowed a lump in his throat, his face swelling and feeling blood slide down from his nose and face. “I never meant to hurt any of you. I was just thinking –”

Ominis shoved him back forcefully, standing up quickly, squeezing his bloody fist at his side.

“Thinking? Thinking of what?” Ominis hollered, his emotional pain becoming more visible from the surface.

“I was thinking that I was doing the right thing!” Sebastian screamed back, feeling the guilt of Ominis’ words seep into his heart; his face stinging with pain and aching from Ominis’ prior attacks.

Ominis took a step back and paced back and forth, exhaling heavily, his blood-stained hand on his hip, the other rubbing his forehead; he shook his head in disappointment. “You think admitting your faults will keep your conscience clear?”

Sebastian clenched his jaw, not able to say anything, shame covering him like a sheath.

“The right thing was to tell us your ludicrous plan beforehand, so we could tell you that it was a ridiculous idea and not taking us by surprise – breaking our hearts in the process because it felt like you didn’t trust us to keep it a secret at all,” Ominis explained, his voice breaking.

“What’s wrong with you, mate? I did the right thing for you! For Emelia! For Anne! You wanted to turn me at first, didn’t you?” Sebastian questioned, feeling his own anger rise up, overpowering the burning sensation of his face.

“You have quite the audacity to ask me that, Sallow,” Ominis tone darkened, almost in warning.

Sebastian scoffed in irritation. “Even now, why do you have to criticize me so much for it? I fucking paid the price!”

“So did I!” Ominis yelled, “so did Anne…and specifically Emelia…” his voice trailed off, reminiscing back to comforting his little dove from her first breakdown.

Sebastian was silent, feeling a piercing pain twist in his heart.

“You don’t know what you did to Emelia; would you like me to enlighten you?” his friend asked; Ominis’ demeanor grew darker. “She was crying so hard that she couldn’t breathe; she was in her own head, overwhelmed with emotions the entire time until she cried herself to sleep in my arms. Do you have any idea how it feels to hear one of your dearest friends crumble and fall apart in front of you, not being able to see their tears to wipe away, to feel completely useless as they fall deeper and deeper into despair? Do you know that? Because I do!” Ominis’ fists clenched, his body couldn’t stay still, “I was tempted to simply obliviate her memories of you – all of it, every last fucking drop,” Ominis confessed, his voice loud and powerful.

Sebastian flinched at his profanity and held his breath, fearing that Ominis really went through with it; he wasn’t one to bluff.

Ominis sighed in defeat. “But I couldn’t.”

He let out a relieved breath, leaning against a nearby pillar.

“It’s not the dark arts but that act itself is dark enough, and I knew she’d never forgive me if I did something like that, so there I remained, by her side, not being able to do anything but hear her weep her heart out, feel her body quake against mine – all because I respected and cared for her so much, to allow her to preserve those accursed memories of you.”

Ominis teared up thinking of how helpless he felt to console her; Sebastian listened intently to his dear friend and felt his own face contort in distress.

“Thank you, Ominis, for not – ”

“I didn’t do it for you,” Ominis spat towards him.

They were both silent for a few heartbeats.

“Emelia is strong – exceptionally so – you’ve seen it yourself, but she can be weak too, and experiencing it firsthand was nothing less than excruciating torture,” Ominis’ tone broke and he quickly wiped away a few stray tears that fell; he glared towards Sebastian. “You broke her, just as I knew you would. You and your damn search for a cure, your involvement in dark magic when I explicitly told you to leave it alone, then if that’s not bad enough, you go and do the unthinkable and give yourself up to the Ministry like an absolute git, not warning any of us!”

He remained silent against the pillar.

“You shattered her heart so much that I’m still picking up the pieces, putting them back together, holding them – protecting them – so you wouldn’t break it beyond its repair ever again.”

Sebastian thought back to everything his friend had told him that happened when he decided to do the right thing – to confess to the killing of his uncle with an Unforgivable and pay whatever price was owed. At the time, he thought he’d done what was right, but he didn’t think about the wellness of those who’d read the Daily Prophet; he just knew he felt guilty, unworthy to being in the same world as his friends – a criminal – it’d be in his records, following him, forever. He didn’t want Emelia, Ominis nor Anne to have to live with the guilt in their hearts in order to protect him; he didn’t feel right about it.

Ironically, the decision he made for all of them, unknowingly and unintentionally, had hurt more and made a deeper crack in their bonds.

He didn’t want to hurt anyone – not even Emelia, after all she’d done for him.

He just wanted to do what was right…

“Ominis, I-I didn’t know….I swear I didn’t mean – ” he couldn’t say more than that; he didn’t know what else to say.

The quiet space between them remained.

“She has nightmares because of you – of you – killing your uncle, even replaying that moment you uttered the Unforgivable curse, and you know what she thought then and still thinks now?” Ominis questioned Sebastian seriously, his face glowering in his direction.

Sebastian waited.

“She wanted to step in front of the curse; she’s told me about it countless times, thinking if she did, everything would’ve turned out differently for you, that she would’ve saved you from yourself,” Ominis finished, his eyes filling with tears at the memory of Emelia having the confidence to confide in him, embracing and rocking her softly by the common room fireplace as she spoke her inner thoughts.

That statement and thought alone froze Sebastian’s body right then and there – as if he were petrified – sucking out all the air from his lungs, piercing his heart with what he could only describe as a raw physical pain; it almost brought him to already trembling knees, an overwhelming numbness spreading throughout his body, leaving his body colder than before.

“She…she wanted to st – no…no, I…” Sebastian couldn’t get his head around what his friend had just told him, guilt twisting his soul, pulling it in all directions; he swallowed hard, his mouth extremely dry. Sebastian’s hand shook with an unknown intensity; he couldn’t control them, so he put them under his arms on either side to keep from quivering.

The two boys didn’t say anything.

Sebastian didn’t like the silence that stretched on, but thankfully Ominis’ voice filled the air.

“Why are you here?” he wondered sharply.

“Ominis, I wanted to –” he started to explain but Ominis interrupted.

“Stop with the benevolence and explain why you’re here,” he questioned in demand, impatience coursing his veins.

Sebastian felt a sting of remorse and despair, but he knew that Ominis still needed time to forgive him and that was fine. He’d do anything for him – Emelia and Anne too – to prove that he can be trusted again – that they can forgive him for his past mistakes and things can go back the way it used to be…hopefully.

“I honestly didn’t know where else to go…” Sebastian answered truthfully, looking downward at his feet, his left eye swollen, slightly closed, “I’ve been at Feldcroft since my release and just recently…I got invited back. In truth, I didn’t think the undercroft would open for me nor did I think Hogwarts would even accept me back…after….”

Ominis narrowed his eyes towards the direction of his friend and tightened his jaw, trying to sense some deceit.

“I-I’ve been studying, trying to catch up with what I’ve missed, proving to everyone that I’ve changed, prove to you, Emelia and Anne that I’ve changed,” Sebastian explained further, feeling like he was defending himself to Headmaster Black after getting caught doing something, “I’m supposed to start after winter break is over.”

Ominis continued to remain quiet, thinking of how Sebastian’s appearance back at school – out of the blue, no less, and how it would affect Emelia and Anne. He tried to understand Sebastian’s perspective, his struggles, his experience in Azkaban, but couldn’t get over his overwhelming rage that still burned brightly inside him.

“Ominis, please say something, I feel like I’m the only one talking here,” Sebastian pleaded, “if you don’t believe me, take a look for yourself here or ask Professor Weasley, she was the one that sent me the invite back,” he encouraged, gesturing to his books on the table.

Ominis put his wand back in his right hand and decided to take him up on his offer; his wand guided him around the table, his hand outreached to get all the layout of the mess of papers and textbooks sprawled on top of it, his face concentrating.

After Ominis had enough time to gaze around the conjured table, he stopped at the front of it, his anger still present but not as intense as before; he folded his arms in front of his chest, sighing in irritation.

“I’ve been wanting to send you and Emelia an owl, but I didn’t think you’d want to hear from me; I’d send a letter to Anne but…I’m not sure where she is, her belongings weren’t at Feldcroft,” Sebastian admitted, a sheath of sadness covering him at the mention of his twin.

Anne was always there for him, but he failed to be there for her.

“She’s here at Hogwarts,” Ominis answered casually.

“She’s…she’s here?” he asked in disbelief, “but she’s…”

“She’s cured, Sebastian – completely,” Ominis informed.

That information shocked Sebastian to his core; he felt his legs become weak that he had to catch himself from falling, gripping the table’s edge forcefully, doing everything he could to not fall over. Sebastian lowered his head, a spinning and dizzy sensation overtaking his thoughts, swaying his body, he tried to control his breathing, so he didn’t pass out.

“Anne’s…cured…?” Sebastian’s eyes widened; he couldn’t believe he was actually saying those words; after all this time, her suffering was over.

“It’s all thanks to Emelia,” Ominis finished his statement, feeling proud of his darling girl for doing the impossible.

Sebastian shifted his head to Ominis. “Emelia…?”

Ominis turned his head away, a subtle grin creeping onto his face at the mention of her name, pride swelling in his chest.

Sebastian, who had tears filling in his eyes, managed to find his voice to speak. “What happened? How…?” Sebastian began to question, desperation in his tone.

Ominis sighed. “That’s for Emelia to tell you,” he responded, knowing it wasn’t his story to tell.

Sebastian let out a heavy sigh of relief.

His sister was cured; she was no longer in constant, agonizing pain.

He had to see it to believe it.

“Can-can I see her? Can I see Anne? Where is she?” Sebastian questioned, pushing himself off the table and pacing back and forth beside it in slight excitement.

“She needs time, Sebastian,” Ominis’ words pierced him, halting his enthusiasm.

“She…doesn’t want to see me?” Sebastian’s words came out in a pained tone even Ominis didn’t enjoy hearing it, no matter how much he’s hurt him, Ominis still cherished him as his best friend, the one that befriended him when no one else will, they were afraid of the Gaunt name while he wasn’t.

Ominis walked around the table but having some distance; he then felt the separation that expanded between them, while it was supposed to be him, Sebastian, Emelia and even Anne growing together, it only seemed that he and Emelia have only grown closer. Anne was Ominis’ childhood friend, sure, he cared and loved her like a sister, but Emelia…Emelia was different, the bond with her was unlike any other. He was drawn to her like a man dying of thirst craving water or a man only knowing the coldness all his life, finally experiencing the suns touch and wanting to be near it every second of every hour of every day – to have it, feel it, cherish it and love it forever by his side. It drove Ominis almost to madness whenever she wasn’t with him, but when she was, she made him feel new sensations growing every day deep within him that he, himself, didn’t understand.

Ominis snapped out of his daze, Sebastian now sitting and leaning against a pillar, his arms resting on his knees, face defeated.

“It’s not that she doesn’t want to see you; I don’t know if she even knows you’re here,” Ominis spoke softly, choosing his words carefully, “she just needs time, Sebastian – we all do.”

Sebastian’s head lifted. “Even Emelia?”

Ominis swallowed hard, his eyes blinking rapidly. “You may not have seen it, but she did a lot, not just for us, but for the entire wizarding world, Sebastian. She’s done a lot more than you know. There’s a lot bearing on her shoulders.”

“I am sorry for what I did; I really don’t know what else to say,” he apologized, recalling Ominis’ speech about Emelia’s mental breakdown because of him; his heart clenched just thinking about Emelia crying in Ominis’ arms. He looked at his blind friend and lowered his head. “I was an idiot, both then and now, but there was a part of me that was hoping you all would be a bit glad to see me back,” Sebastian thought out loud.

Ominis rolled his eyes, scoffing, taking a couple steps forward and stretching out a hand for Sebastian to grab. “Don’t be a fool, Sebastian. Despite the situation, I’m actually incredibly happy to see you, thrilled – grateful – that you’re even alive, and made it out of that wretched place.”

Sebastian grabbed his friends hand and Ominis pulled him up with ease; he had a sense of hope and felt a pinch of optimism that they were going in the right direction. Although the hopeful thinking was there, Sebastian’s mouth went dry at the remembrance of Azkaban; he shook his head to rid the evil memories.

“I’m still sorry I hurt you,” Sebastian repeated, pacing again around the room.

“Even if I’m glad to see you, don’t forget that you didn’t just hurt me, you wounded Emelia as well, and that’s something I can’t easily forgive,” Ominis stated.

Sebastian stopped walking.

“And Anne,” Ominis added abruptly, clearing his throat.

Sebastian was the silent one this time; he didn’t know what to say, biting his bottom lip.

He did hurt them – the people he loved and cared about; the heavy weight of sorrow enveloped him again.

Ominis waved his wand in front of Sebastian’s face and the swelling, aching sensation subsided.

He had healed his wounds, returning his face back to normal; Ominis did the same action to his fist.

“Thanks,” Sebastian appreciated.

Ominis sighed and grumbled. “Care to amuse me?” he asked, turning to lean against another pillar in front of Sebastian.

Sebastian gazed towards his friend. “Of course.”

Ominis hesitated. “Why did you do it?” he wondered, “why did you turn yourself in when we all agreed not to?”

Sebastian licked his lip and thought about his answer.

Ominis was patient.

“I felt ashamed,” he started, “pathetic that you all had to keep my secrets – I didn’t want any of you to live with that burden, it wasn’t fair of me or fair to you and every second that passed after, it was eating away at me, slowly…painfully…” Sebastian stated, his words sincere, “I was a criminal and that was my choice – my mistake – and I didn’t feel like I deserved to live in a world with those that sacrificed so much for me, afraid that I’d destroy and taint every other good thing in my life further than it already was,” Sebastian explained his inner turmoil.

Ominis somehow understood his point of view.

He felt like a stain, was told to him since birth, soiling the Gaunt name, everything he’d touch would perish, everyone he’d get close to would eventually leave. He felt like he didn’t have a purpose and was meant to just aimlessly wander the world until his last day – awaiting the moment he takes his last breath of his miserable life and plunge into the eternal darkness of death.

That was the case until Sebastian and Anne came along, showing him sincere friendship, the innocence of laughter and joy, smiles that weren’t masked, arguments that didn’t end in curses. Ominis, then, found his purpose revolving around them, wanting to always be beside them, live along with them – better his future for them, to continue staying by their side, selfishly wanting to experience all the happiness he can get before they turned away just like everyone else.

But…they didn’t.

His heart soared higher than ever before when he realized they wouldn’t part from him as he feared, he didn’t feel like a broken man with a cursed name, someone that’ll ruin and destroy everything they touched; it was all he knew all his life – rejection and disappointment.

Anne and Sebastian always welcomed him with open arms, not passing any judgement of any kind and just accepting him as himself.

Ominis thought he’d found the root to his happiness; he was content.

Then Emelia came into their lives and his life drastically altered.

He cared deeply for Anne and Sebastian, but Emelia’s presence somehow overpowered theirs. It wasn’t intentional that her existence overshadowed the Sallow twins, but from the moment she spoke with him in the common room, his awareness and interest in her only grew. In time, his heart called out to her, his soul drawn to her, feeling as if he’d known her all his life, that his reason for living was for her, his every breath, every beating of his heart…for her – she’d enamored him; her hypnotizing scent, her exquisite laughter, her soft, delicate touches…her smooth lips he craved to feel, the curve of her body, perfectly shaped in all the appropriate places when he felt when he embraced her…

Ominis blushed beet red, shaking his head rapidly, and sighed ashamed; how could he be thinking of something like that at a time like this?

He focused his attention to Sebastian.

“I understand how you feel,” Ominis agreed, his voice in a low murmur; he swallowed hard and tried to act normal, ridding his mind of those obscene and maddening thoughts.

The two grown boys were silent, inside their own heads, thinking of how their friendship would ever be repaired; it was going to take time and effort on both parts, but they knew it was worth it in the end.

They were brothers.

Ominis spoke up first, clearing his throat. “I must apologize for hitting you.”

Sebastian laughed at the apology. “Hey, I was an ass,” he pointed out.

The two were silent again.

“I know I’ve repeated myself countless times, Ominis, but I seriously don’t know what else to say besides ‘I’m sorry’, but know that I’ll make it up to you, all of you,” Sebastian stated. Ominis smiled slightly, hearing the determination in his tone, knowing he meant every word with his entire being.

“I believe you, Sebastian.”

Sebastian let out a heavy sigh in relief, but then after he scoffed to himself, rubbing his cheek. “I can’t believe you really hit me.”

“Can’t believe you didn’t think I wouldn’t,” Ominis shot back, a smirk proudly plastered on his face in delight.

Their laughter echoing the room. Ominis had cooled off and Sebastian felt less awkward around his friend; they started chatting like old times.

Ominis was telling him everything that happened after fifth year – how distraught Emelia was when she was telling him about Professor Fig and his unfortunate passing, he and Emelia exchanging letters all summer, not going into detail, Anne and her return to Hogwarts, shocking everyone, even Professor Weasley; he discussed their classes so far and how it’s going to be a challenging couple years with N.E.W.T.’s just around the corner.

Sebastian listened carefully and felt his heavy heart lighten by the news of his friends and sister; he was ecstatic that Ominis was willing to divulge the information to him and he wasn’t going to take it for granted. As Ominis spoke, Sebastian created pictures in his mind, imagining the events that took place his friend was describing.

He was taken aback about some incidents Ominis told him; for instance, when Emelia and Anne convinced the Bloody Baron to stalk Peeves for an entire week – Peeves, of course, was causing havoc and chaos everywhere he went with his stupid rhymes, and the girls had enough. The obnoxious poltergeist, being afraid of the Slytherin ghost, was hiding most of the time, trying not to get caught by him and didn’t terrorize any of the students much that week; Peeves never found out who convinced the intimidating ghost to shadow him, but he vowed he’d get revenge.

Sebastian couldn’t help but laugh hard, his hand on his chest, leaning back on the chair he conjured; Ominis was in a chair of his own creation, one hand on top of his crossed legs while his other hand rested on the table, supporting his tilted head and grinning in delight. Being here with Sebastian brought back memories of when they were younger, practicing and testing out new spells, Sebastian hiding from professors and students, playing games; it warmed Ominis’ heart feeling that those old times can come back.

“I have to ask how they convinced the Bloody Baron to do that,” Sebastian said with enthusiasm, wanting to ask the ghost to scare Peeves again, so he can witness the look of terror on the ghost’s transparent face.

“You can try, but they wouldn’t say a word about it even when I asked,” Ominis stated, “since Anne’s come back, they’ve been keeping secrets from me.”

Sebastian chuckled. “That’s cause you’re a guy, mate,” he replied factually, “girls need to be with their other lady friends, and gossip and honestly, there’s secrets that they don’t tell us. Even Anne still has secrets I don’t know of, but her friends do,” he admitted, shrugging and lifting his hands in the air in defeat.

Ominis exhaled, closing his eyes, wondering if Emelia’s hidden more secrets from him that only Anne or her other female friends know.

“They’ve gotten close then,” Sebastian assumed, nodding his head, wiping a tear from his eye.

His friend nodded subtly. “Quite; I’m not sure if I should be afraid or happy for them.”

Sebastian smiled happily. “Both,” he replied, putting his hands behind his head and sat back, thinking how Anne and Emelia’s friendship blossomed, “I knew they’d be friends; Emelia and Anne can be friends with anyone no matter who they are.”

Ominis put his loose fist in front of his mouth casually, fighting a grin wanting to spread across his face; he hid it successfully.

“They do have that effect on people,” Ominis agreed, trying to make his voice sound normal.

Sebastian nodded faintly, remembering Emelia and Ominis in Hogsmeade. “You two have gotten closer too,” he said it as a statement, Ominis tensed up, swallowing, oddly feeling guilty.

“Yes…” Ominis simply answered, his face warming up from the honest confession.

Sebastian didn’t say anything, letting the reply sink in; he sighed, looking up at the ceiling of the undercroft, recalling the first time he’d met Emelia in the common room by the fireplace when he was reading; he was annoyed at first that he was interrupted, burning with irritation, but after speaking with her, she lit a different fire in him, one of curiosity and hopeful optimism.

She came into his life so easily and eventually crept her way into his heart without him knowing; she was important to him as Ominis and Anne were, sometimes he felt even more so, but that was impossible. Anne was his twin and Ominis, his friend and brother he’s known longer than anyone else, besides Anne. Emelia couldn’t be more important than them. Right?

The possibility of a future with Emelia warmed his cheeks; he never saw her that way before until it was too late, and mistakes were made, now she was with Ominis and knowing him, he’d treat her like she deserved.

His chance had passed.

He stirred in his chair and shook his head, feeling his face still hot from his thoughts.

“Congratulations by the way,” Sebastian praised his friend, shifting his head towards Ominis, who had taken a seat.

“About what, exactly?” Ominis furrowed his brows.

“You and Emelia getting together,” Sebastain specified, “I’m happy for you two,” he fibbed between his teeth, forcing a smile on his face and joy in his tone.

Ominis shook his head rapidly, taken aback by his friend’s statement. “W-what?” he yelled a bit too loudly, “what are you talking about?”

“At Hogsmeade, I saw you two holding hands and…together,” he emphasized, recalling the memory of them strolling around, grinning and laughing…happy….

The recollection twisted his heart, suffocating at the thought.

“Hogsmeade...?” Ominis muttered under his breath, but then he jolted up out of his seat. “Hogsmeade?!” he exclaimed in realization, slamming his hands on the table, making Sebastian jump. “You saw us in Hogsmeade? When?” he questioned eagerly.

“New Year’s Eve,” his friend answered, running his hands through his wild, brown hair.

Ominis didn’t reply right away, but was thinking to himself, shifting his eyes away from his friends direction; he remembered Emelia saying she saw Sebastian, chasing after him.

She was right.

“Why didn’t you come see us? Talk to us even?” Ominis wondered, feeling slightly offended.

“You two were together; you both seemed to be enjoying your time with one another and I didn’t want to ruin that,” Sebastian responded sadly, fidgeting with his fingers.

Ominis sighed sorrowfully and went to sit back down. “You idiot, we’re not together; I mean, yes, we were together in Hogsmeade shopping and all, but we’re just friends, Sebastian,” he stated, his honest words piercing his own heart; he wished what Sebastian assumed would be real, but…he was a Gaunt. She’d never…

As Ominis was trapped in the confines of his mind, Sebastian instantly stopped fiddling with his hand and blinked quickly, Ominis’ words gradually sinking in. “Wha – but…you were holding hands!” he pointed out almost childish.

Sebastian’s words brought Ominis out of his prison; he couldn’t help but sigh heavily. “It’s just something we do,” he replied, “it’s just a friendly gesture, nothing more.”

Sebastian’s heart lightened by those words, feeling relief and optimism fill his body.

He assumed wrong; they weren’t together.

There was a chance with her after all.

It was quiet for a moment as the two men were thinking to themselves.

“Do you…” Sebastian leaned forward in his chair, arms on his knees, rubbing his hands together anxiously, fearful and uncertain of Ominis’ answer to his question that was suffocating him from the inside.

Ominis waited for his friend to speak, moving his gaze towards Sebastian’s presence.

“Do you think that she’ll want to see me?” Sebastian asked curiously, almost hopeful.

Ominis knew who he was referring to.

His sweet Emelia.

“Sebastian…” he started to say, beginning to stand again and pace behind his chair, a hand on his hip, trying to predict how Emelia would react to seeing him again.

“Ominis, I need to know,” Sebastian begged with a broken heart, standing to his feet; he hoped she’d want to see him – at least, be happy to see him, as much as he’d be glad to see her, talk to her again…hug her…

Ominis thought it through. She could cry again – uncontrollably like last time, scream and yell, become aggressive and hit Sebastian like he did, which he wouldn’t be opposed to; she could embrace him, but that scenario strangely ached and twisted his heart with intense jealousy. Ominis grasped the back of his chair with a strong grip, gulping down a large lump rising in his throat.

He let out a sigh and straightened his back more, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair to calm himself; she wasn’t his, so there was no reason to get jealous.

“I…” Ominis started to say, attempting to choose his words carefully; his head, the only thing that turned towards Sebastian’s direction, his body remained unmoving, “I’m not sure how she’d react to be completely honest with you,” he confessed, feeling his expression furrow.

Sebastian slumped his shoulders.

“I know what she felt for you was real – she valued your friendship and trusted you during fifth year, but the last time you both met here, you simply left her, after all she did for you; she was going to accept anything you did next, follow you wherever you went, protect you from anything and everything, but you simply ignored her and broke her, making her feel used…” Ominis explained Emelia’s point of view she’d expressed to him last year.

“Yeah…” was all Sebastian could say in a whisper.

“And when…when you confessed to the Ministry, something happened within her that traumatized her to the point that she hasn’t come here since she saw you in the paper,” Ominis spoke truthfully.

Ominis noticed Emelia didn’t want to go to the undercroft at the beginning of sixth year when they wanted to do some studying, she’d simply shake her head and said she wasn’t ready, so they decided to go to the Room of Requirement and has remained there since.

Sebastian’s chest ached and felt a burning pain in his heart, his face scrunched in discomfort, thinking of Emelia weeping and refusing to step foot in the undercroft – all because of him.

Ominis shook his head and exhaled after a few breaths of silence passed.

He had to think – still frightened about how Emelia would respond to seeing Sebastian, but he also didn’t want to bring it up out of the blue; it had to be natural. In truth, he didn’t want her anywhere near Sebastian and his possessiveness was getting the best of him. Ominis pushed the sensation aside and knew the way she reacted to “seeing” Sebastian in Hogsmeade, she still cared deeply for him and considered him a friend, worrying about him – it made him confused and angry; he couldn’t keep her away from people she considered friends or who he thought was a threat, a risk to her well-being, just because all his bizarre sensations were against it. She was her own person and he respected her and knew she had friends of her own; he couldn’t restrain anyone from her, not even if they were lovers.

Ominis closed his eyes, cheeks flushing from the last thought, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand and blowing air from his mouth in exhaustion.

There was so much conflict going on within him.

“You just randomly showing up to classes is not going to work, she might have a panic attack right in the middle of the room,” Ominis thought out loud.

“Well, what do you suggest?” Sebastian asked almost in sarcasm, “I can’t just skip classes after just getting released, Ominis. I need to prove to everyone that I’m better, that I’m not a murder – that the past was just that: the past.”

His friend sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I understand, but she needs time and I need to try to figure out something to make sure she doesn’t break down like last time and make me beat you again.”

Sebastian scoffed and nodded, concurring with his friends thoughts. “Maybe you shouldn’t tell her I’m here,” he said in a defeated tone.

“What?!”

“Don’t tell her I’m here, at-at least, not yet,” he replied, “the right thing to do for her to is give her time and let you come up with a plan; I promise I won’t do anything until you give the ‘okay’.” Sebastian vowed, putting his hand to his heart as a promise; he didn’t want to force Emelia to see him, even though his whole being wanted that. But like Ominis, he did respect her as well and knew that their friendship shouldn’t start again by pushing boundaries.

Ominis considered this and thought it was a decent enough plan, but the thing that he despised about it was lying to Emelia, keeping Sebastian a secret until he found a way to ease her into his presence again, but how? He already felt a guilty load weighing on his soul.

Sebastian gazed at his friend with hope; he knew Ominis would come up with something, he was smart and knew Emelia better than he did now. Most importantly, he didn’t want his impulsiveness to cause a bigger and deeper crack that there already was in his relationships with his loved ones; he wanted to see Anne so badly, to see her back to her old self – healthy and happy – he wanted to see Emelia, beg for her forgiveness for everything that happened last year, for taking her for granted. He desperately desired – yearned – to see them, so much so that he felt a twinge of sorrow pierce his heart.

He didn’t want to admit it, but Ominis concurred with Sebastian’s proposition.

Ominis groaned, facing Sebastian. “You swear to not do anything without my ‘okay’?” he asked in disbelief.

His brown-haired friend forced a smile, putting a hand to his heart and nodded sadly. “It’s for the best, until you come up with a plan.”

“This is going to be a headache,” Ominis mumbled to himself.

“I swear to you, Ominis, I’m not going to risk messing anything up,” he assured in confidence.

Ominis let out another breath, taking his wand and started heading for the door.

“Wait, Ominis!” Sebastian called out; Ominis turned gradually to his friend, “I…” Sebastian wanted to say something, but his words were caught in his throat.

Ominis listened for his friends words, but they never came, instead he sensed a deep remorse coming off Sebastian; he walked back over, standing in front of Sebastian whose head hung down in shame and face streaked with silent tears.

He noticed his friend shaking, so Ominis put a hesitant hand on his shoulder.

He felt for him, he didn’t know what he went through in Azkaban, he did want to be there for him, but there was still a massive wench in their bond that he couldn’t easily forgive – hurting Emelia.

The memory of her mental break was permanently imprinted into his mind – her uncontrollable trembling body, her hysterical cries.

His diminished anger rose again, tightening his fist on his friends broadened shoulder, aware to not clench too hard.

Ominis pushed his vengeful mood to the side and focused on the matter at hand; without thinking twice, he pulled Sebastian into him, embracing his brother’s body, more developed than last year, the warmth coming off his body had increased, the familiar scent of cinnamon, parchment and a dash of sandalwood invaded his nose, letting him recall all the childhood memories they created over the years.

Sebastian stiffened but hugged Ominis’ lean waist tightly and felt himself crying on his shoulder, Ominis’ arms squeezed his neck and felt tears fill his eyes and pour over. The two childhood friends were still for a few moments, neither one of them angry, jealous, sad, but mostly having a mutual overpowering sensation of relief. Ominis’ relief was to see Sebastian again, understanding that he’s serious about wanting to be better, while Sebastian’s relief was to have his friend acknowledge him and realize that he was there for him, believing in him.

Ominis gave Sebastian a reassuring squeeze before letting go of his friend; he took a step back, giving Sebastian space.

They both wiped their tears away from each other.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, Sebastian; I still don’t quite forgive you,” Ominis stated honestly.

“I know and promise to make it up to you all; I’ll prove that I’m better than I was,” Sebastian promised, his tone confident, his fists at his sides, nails digging into his palm, straightening his posture.

Ominis gave a small grin to his old friend. “I know,” he simply said and turned to leave.

“Thank you, Ominis…” Sebastian’s voice called out to him.

He stopped and turned back a bit, his head to the side, smirking a bit. “Don’t go anywhere, Sallow,” he teased.

Sebastian chuckled. “I’ll be right here – ugh reading….”

Ominis laughed to himself, thinking of the irony of how Sebastian loves to read, but in this case, it seemed to be more than he could handle; they said their farewells and Ominis promised to be back.

Exiting the undercroft, he started walking to the room, already beginning to think of a way to bring Sebastian up to Emelia, but he heard the voices of his darling camellia and the other girls, pushing the massive door at the bottom floor, swaying in from the wintry weather.

Emelia’s cheeks were red, her eyes droopy and a gigantic smile on her face, her friends faces were the same shade of pink – they were all drunk. They had shopping bags in their hands, their giggles echoing the halls of the DADA tower.

“Ugh…we shouldn’t have taken the floo,” Anne said, placing her hand over her lips, holding in nausea.

“I know! We had to get back quick, and I thought everyone would be fine, but Grace had to puke!” Imelda proclaimed in almost a shout.

Grace snapped her head towards Imelda, wiping her mouth. “It wasn’t on purpose!”

“Shh!” Anne repeated more loudly.

Emelia just laughed to herself, a hand covering her mouth.

She looked up and saw Ominis’ fuzzy form coming down the stairs, approaching her, the red beacon pulsing at the tip of his wand; she grinned wider.

“Ominis!” she exclaimed happily, raising her arms up with glee.

“Emelia, what in Merlin’s name – how many butterbeers did you have?” he questioned her as he smelled the spiced ale on her breath with a hint of something else – something more potent; she wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her relax most of her weight on his strong shoulders. Ominis took a step forward to keep from tumbling them both, grasping her waist lightly.

Grace and Anne laughed to themselves, hiccupping.

“Anne, what did you guys drink?” Ominis asked, but she was no use, merely giggling at the Slytherin boy.

“Ominis, sooo serious,” Anne observed, overlapping her words, Grace and her hanging onto each other.

Ominis grumbled, turning his attention back to his dove. “What else did you drink, Emelia?” he asked her slowly, enunciating every word, squeezing his hands on her hips, trying to get her to focus.

Emelia gazed at Ominis, attempting to concentrate, but he looked so princely, so angelic to her that she simply gawked at him, grinning wide, admiring his perfection; she blushed harder as she stared into his milky eyes that she thought could’ve been a whole new galaxy, one she’d willingly dive into to explore.

“Emelia, focus alright? What else did you drink?” Ominis questioned again, his tone sterner than before.

Emelia’s mouth opened slightly, preparing herself to speak; Ominis once again smelled the powerful scent he sniffed earlier. “We drank…s…sww…swhiskey….” she managed to answer, placing her hand on his shoulder closest to her and the other in his slender ones.

“What?”

“Swhiskey!” Emelia repeated, tapping her nose to the side of his cold cheek, biting her lip.

Ominis shook his head, a bit flustered and trying to understand what she was saying.

“Scottish whiskey,” Imelda answered, her tone a bit more stable than the others, “I stole from my parents cellar. They weren’t drinking it, so I figured it’d be a wonderful way to loosen up before school starts again,” she clarified with a proud grin, crossing her arms.

Ominis glared at her, brows furrowed in frustration. “Imelda, you didn’t know how any of them were going to feel after or even act drinking that – especially Emelia!” he exclaimed, his arm tightened around Emelia’s body and holding her hand securely in front of her.

“Oh, stop being such a tight ass and just be happy she’s back in one piece there, Gaunt,” Imelda pointed out, rolling her eyes as she uncrossed her arms, spinning around and headed out the way she came.

Ominis held Emelia’s unstable body steady; Anne swayed, walking up to hug Ominis clumsily and grabbed Emelia’s bags from her arm.

“I’ll take these, you take care of her,” Anne slurred gradually, her hand drunkenly patting his arm; Grace had linked an arm with Anne and following where Imelda walked off and they were left alone.

Ominis sighed in annoyance. “Come on, my sweet girl,” he encouraged her, guiding her towards the stairs to the Astronomy tower; he didn’t want to apparate them, she’d get dizzy and puke for sure.

As they were making their way to the Room of Requirement, Emelia was telling him about how her girls day went; unfortunately, there were times were Ominis couldn’t understand what she was saying but he listened anyway with an amused smirk on his face. Oh, he never was going to live this down. She was still Emelia when she was intoxicated, but more honest and vulnerable; he had to protect her much more carefully if she was ever going to be like this again.

“You’re like a prince, Ominis; always a gentleman, caring, loving and taking care of me…” Emelia muttered to him, thinking of all he’s done for her, eyes drooping more.

“I’ll always take care of you, my sweet camellia,” he answered, squeezing her waist once, lightly kissing the side of her head, feeling a warm sensation in his stomach.

Her eyes widened a bit. “Can I call you my own personal prince then?” she wondered, her head tilting upward and slanted to view his flawlessness.

“You may call me whatever you like,” he replied, redness painting his cheeks, “as long as I get to call you ‘my princess’,” Ominis negotiated playfully, his breath on her ear.

She giggled to herself, nodding. “Deal,” she said, grinning cheerfully, kissing his cheek enthusiastically. “My prince…”

He could feel his face redden, the way those two words left her lips made his stomach and heart jolt; it struck him with an unknowing feeling of pleasure and pride.

Her prince. Ominis thought to himself, his entire body warming up and his heart swelling with happiness at the simple label.

They were nearing the hallway to the room and Emelia had stopped talking and was shamelessly staring at Ominis with admiration and a bit of yearning; she ogled at his beautiful moles on his face and his flawless smooth skin, then her eyes slid down to his lips, a curious thought came to her mind.

“Ominis…” she said almost in a whisper, stumbling up the stairs.

“What is it?” he asked curiously, still having his arm around her gently.

She didn’t say anything at first, wondering if it was the whiskey that Imelda put in the butterbeer that she was thinking this way.

“Your lips…” she began, her voice a whisper.

He hummed, urging her to continue as they made their way to the empty wall, waiting for the door to appear.

“Are your lips as soft as they look?” she finished.

He abruptly stopped, hearing the door emerge before them. “W-what?!” he asked in disbelief, his whole face flushing red and his body somewhat shaking, his insides stirring, gazing in her direction, half-hoping what she said was real.

“Your lips look sooo soft…soft enough to kiss…” she echoed her thoughts, releasing her hand from Ominis’ and lightly touched his lips, sliding her fingers slowly down, her own mouth slightly parted in awe at his perfection.

“Emelia…” Ominis whispered, grabbing her small, delicate hand and holding it closely to his chest; his heart was racing, his mouth dry, he leaned closer to her, swallowing a lump in his throat, feeling her warm breath on his. Despite the smell of alcohol, she still had her signature scent surrounding her, making his legs grow weak and his heart pound harder.

He snapped out of it.

No! He wasn’t going to do that! He knew she didn’t mean it; she was under the influence, and she’d have no memory of this tomorrow and taking advantage of her was not what a noble man would do. If they were to kiss, he didn’t want their first kiss to be like this.

Stolen.

He let out an irritated sigh and leaned away. “You need to sleep, darling,” he said, forfeiting his impossible thoughts.

She groaned in such an adorable way that Ominis forgot his depressing thoughts and led her through the door to the secret room.

“What took you guys so long?” Alistair’s voice came from the corner of the room.

“Shh,” Ominis hushed, “we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

Alistair hummed in agreement.

Ominis placed Emelia gently on her bed and she closed her eyes instantly. He placed a wiggenweld potion, water, orange juice and crackers by her bedside, and planning ahead of time, conjured a medium-sized bucket just in case she threw up.

Ominis placed the covers over her shoulders, and she thanked him, smiling in content, while her eyes remained closed, light breathing graced Ominis’ ears letting him know that she fell fast asleep.

“Goodnight, my princess,” he whispered in her ear, kissing her forehead affectionately, pushing aside the strands of her long hair away from her soft face.

Ominis stood and when he was about to turn to retire to his bed, he heard her shuffle in bed, using his wand, he sensed that she was about to fall out of bed; thankfully, he caught her just in time, her head barely missing the end table.

He let out a breath of relief and put her back in bed, tucking the blankets tighter under her, careful not to touch her inappropriately. He spun around again and like last time, heard her toss and turn under the sheets and caught her again.

She was clearly a mover when she was in this particular state; she usually stayed in one position, barely moving.

Would it be alright…to be beside her this one night, to keep her from falling – to take care of her?

He convinced himself.

Just one night.

He didn’t bother changing clothes, putting his wand on the bedside table and got into bed slowly with Emelia, regret starting to course through his body; he felt like he was taking advantage of her vulnerability, perhaps he shouldn’t, but as he was rethinking his decisions and about to get up to leave, Emelia’s body rolled towards her edge of the bed, Ominis quickly grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the middle of the bed gently.

Ominis was going to have a long night; he adjusted himself comfortably on the bed, facing Emelia’s back, holding her delicately at her waist, hoping she doesn’t roll again. Emelia’s silky hair was under his nose, and he smelt her wonderful fragrance of strawberries, vanilla and mild hint of coconut and honey; he smiled to himself, his free arm under his pillow, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

About a couple hours later, Emelia moved again, and he startled awake, ready to grab her again from falling off the bed, but she was just repositioning herself in her sleep, facing Ominis this time and snuggling closer into his chest, inhaling his scent deeply; the arm that was under his pillow was now almost completely around her shoulders almost instinctively. She wrapped her arms around Ominis’ torso, his face flushed a brighter red, not wanting to cross a line, afraid to touch her so casually; she squeezed him securely, rubbing her head on his chest, humming sweetly.

Ominis took a deep breath, putting the blankets over them slowly, and carefully wrapped his arms around her shoulders and her waist, pulling her securely.

Her scent overwhelmed his nose and he thought he was in Heaven.

This moment was special to him; this embrace was tender, soothing and most of all, the most vulnerable he’s ever been with anyone.

She was the only one that could make him feel this way; she trusted him as he did her.

A penetrating sense of guilt suddenly filled his chest, and he felt his heart become heavier; his mind raced with questions: How in the world was he going to keep anything from her? How will his relationship with Emelia be affected? Would he be as bad as Sebastian was, keeping secrets from friends? If he does keep Sebastian a secret, will she be understanding and forgiving when she finally finds out or will she hate him, their blooming relationship never being the same again?

--

Chapter Text

Emelia’s eyes remained closed as she felt her head fiercely pounding against her skull, but despite the massive headache and body ache, she strangely never felt more rested.

I think this is the best I’ve ever slept, she thought to herself.

She was conscious of her entire body, it weighed a ton, so to distract herself, she focused on her head, which was against a soft pillow and something else that was firmer, her arms were pressed against herself along with another foreign object. Emelia shifted her head slightly on the fluffy cushion with discomfort and agitation; yep, the pounding in her head was still present and vigorous as ever. The only thing which seemed to ease her overwhelming headache was the scent around her, it smelled like sweet vanilla, mint, an aroma of familiar tea – it smelt like Ominis.

Emelia tried to remember what happened last night but couldn’t recall much after Imelda poured her parent’s whiskey, she’d taken into their butterbeers, which she’s currently regretting. It was vague and there were some gaps in some spots; she remembered, at least, shopping with the girls, eating at the Three Broomsticks, chatting, drinking, then stumbling and making their way back to Hogwarts. Imelda suggested they take a floo to get back to school quicker; Emelia recalled that they somehow got to the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower, running into Ominis, who then walked her back to their refuge.

“My prince…” the echo of her voice spoke, giggling; she couldn’t help but think it was a memory from last night but wondered why in the world she’d say that?

“My princess…” Ominis’ tone repeated in a whisper, but it only got louder and continued booming in her mind until it faded to nothing.

That was it.

That was all she remembered.

Emelia forced herself to open her eyes gradually, her vision blurred. She gulped quietly and noticed her dry mouth; she blinked a couple times, attempting to clear her vision. Looking down, she observed that she was wearing a familiar shirt – Ominis’ shirt.

The dazed Slytherin squeezed her eyes tightly, thinking she was hallucinating and opened them, seeing that the shirt was still on her – it was real; she was trying to understand how she got into the shirt in the first place. Emelia realized then there was a sleeping body in front of her; she carefully glided her eyes along their figure, seeing their arm wrapped around her curved waist, the other under her neck, resting against the pillow, and when her eyes finally made it to the top, it was Ominis’ sleep face that greeted her.

Emelia almost squealed, shocked to see Ominis in the same bed, but didn’t mind, it felt nice – natural.

He was lightly snoring; the sound made her entire body beam with pure joy and happiness.

So adorable… she thought.

Holding her breath, knowing it probably smelled horrid from yesterday’s fiasco, she observed his face; she’d seen Ominis sleep many times before but never like this – never this close. Taking in his peaceful appearance, she saw his gorgeous golden hair in its natural state, laying every which way on the pillowcase he laid on, his skin was flawless, not a blemish or pimple to be seen, almost making her jealous, his eyelashes were longer than she remembered, and just as beautiful as he was. Of course, the thing that stood out was his unique set of moles on the left side of his face, star-kissed, completing his charming and surreal image.

Emelia’s eyes slid down to his slightly parted lips, her hand gradually moving upward to touch them, they looked soft…

Soft…

A memory flashed before her.

“Your lips…” she said in a whisper.

A hum escaped Ominis’ throat, waiting for her to speak.

“Are your lips as soft as they look?” Emelia asked boldly.

Ominis stopped in his tracks. “What?!” he questioned in shock; his face was red.

“Your lips look sooo soft…” she had stated, “soft enough to kiss…” she spoke honestly to him, feeling her body warm up and heart race, having a yearning and strong need to press her own lips to his; her heavy arm moved on its own and raised to touch Ominis’ smooth lips, sliding a finger downward, her breath taken away by how immaculate he was. His body stiffened at her movement and touch but relaxed after.

“Emelia…” he murmured under his breath, gently grasping her hand in his and putting it to his heart, gazing into her eyes with his opaque ones, and slowly leaning towards her, lips parted; she had closed her eyes, anticipating the collision.

The flashback ended.

She slightly gasped, creating a fist and pulling her hand back before it made contact with Ominis’ lips, the memory replayed in her mind.

She felt embarrassed, but timidly put her fingers to her lips.

Wait, did we kiss? Did he kiss me, or did I kiss him first? she wondered, almost screaming her thoughts.

She tried letting the memory play on but couldn’t remember a thing after; she groaned in annoyance.

Taking deep breaths, slowly closing her eyes, trying to force herself to remember; flashes of Ominis’ face, random smiles and glances between them came into mind along with her and her friends swaying back to Hogwarts, they were singing, laughing and chatting, Anne and Emelia were falling behind Grace and Imelda, Anne asking her about Ominis…or was it Sebastian? Anne mentioned Amit, Garreth, and even Leander. Ugh, but about what?

It was still fuzzy and disoriented, that the memory made her nauseous.

Emelia shook her head lightly, shrugging it off, assuming that the distorted recollections would come back eventually. She consciously bit her lip and dared herself to look back to Ominis’ lips.

If they had kissed, she wish she had remembered it the first time, to memorize what it felt like, how it moved, recall it when she felt cold, knowing Ominis’ lips were just as warm as his heart.

If they didn’t, then…

For some reason, it saddened her, crushing the deepest parts of her that she didn’t know Ominis held in his hands.

She had to snap out of it.

We’re just friends. We’re. Just. Friends. She repeated to herself.

Emelia sighed, nodding to herself; she just had to sleep it off.

Taking one last look at Ominis’ handsome sleeping face, she closed her eyes and nestled into him, his arms automatically tightening his hold around her waist and shoulders, pulling her closer to his body that she felt instant warmth envelope her; she didn’t mind it and unconsciously inhaled his comforting scent that wrapped around her, carving itself into the center of her being.

Before she knew it, she was eased into a dream.

Panic ran through her veins as she ran and knelt down beside Professor Fig.

He grunted in agony, gazing to the sky, holding his torso.

“Professor!” she shouted, trying to get him to look at her.

“M-Miriam…” he simply said, his voice croaked.

Emelia remembered she had his wife’s wand and held it out to him; he gasped in relief.

“Here,” she encouraged, giving it to him; he grasped it with shaking hands, placing her hands over his fragile ones. “It’s going to be alright,” she tried to sound confident, feeling her chest start to ache.

He gave her a sad smile. “You know, Miriam would’ve loved you, Emelia,” he spoke fondly.

She swallowed hard, shaking her head. “Professor, please…” she began begging, tears filling her eyes.

She didn’t want to think of what was to come.

She couldn’t handle it – the thought of it was already too much.

“Don’t cry for my departure,” he encouraged, raising a trembling hand to rest on the side of her soft face and taking a good look at her; she placed her hand over his gradually, feeling the warmth fading slowly from his skin, her lips quivering, fighting to keep tears from falling more, “I am so proud of who you’ve become; you’re grown immensely since our first meeting, with so much bearing on your shoulders for one so young and yet you’re still standing tall…”

Emelia stubbornly shook her head, not noticing her hands trembling, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Professor Fig, please…don’t leave me…” Emelia pleaded with a cracked tone.

“Don’t mourn me, my young friend,” he stated, “my only wish now…is for you to live well – happier than you’ve ever been, laugh your hardest, love your deepest…and never be afraid of who you are or what you can do, Emelia. Those who accept everything about you, is willing to go through the most challenging times with you, treats and protects you like the treasure you are, will do anything but fear you. They’re the ones you lean on; they’re hard to come by…keep them close…” he continued to advise.

Emelia’s chest started to twist in pain, feeling like something was digging its sharp claws into her heart, puncturing painful and deep that would later be scars.

“I can’t do this without you,” she told him, the downpour of tears fell endlessly, squeezing the hand on her cheek.

“Yes, you can; you’re more capable than you realize,” he spoke sternly, almost in desperation.

She was silent, shaking her head in denial, her mind going blank, feeling her chest tighten.

“I’ll always be with you…” he said in a low murmur, his eyelids drooping, nodding and smiling at me weakly, “it’ll be alright, you’ll be…alright…”

She pressed her lips together, clenching her jaw to keep from choking on her unsaid words.

He gazed at her in the eyes, a tear spilling over at the corner. “Thank you, Emelia…thank…you…”

With that, he exhaled his last breath, his hand at the side of her face had instantly grew heavier, slipping out of her grasp and falling down to his torso.

Emelia’s whole body shook, beginning to pant, feeling her lips shake uncontrollably.

“No…” she muttered in disbelief, clenching her fists so tightly she was surprised she wasn’t drawing blood; her vision flickering that strange blue, tears pouring out.

She had lost her mentor, teacher – friend…

With the consuming pain of agony and loss, she screamed at the top of her lungs, feeling a surge of power burst out of her body.

The nightmare fading to black, leaving her trembling, the wave of power vanishing, taking her warmth and leaving her cold, empty shell.

Ominis awoke with Emelia’s body shaking violently against him, moaning and sobbing in her sleep, clenching her fists in his shirt strongly.

He embraced her more firmly, caressing her head.

“Shhh, I’m here, darling,” he murmured under his breath.

Emelia’s eyes swiftly opened wide, remembering the nightmare that lingered, haunting her; her body trembled with a ferocity that scared even her, her breathing trying to normalize, coming out in random breaks, streams of tears falling down her face, still grasping Ominis’ shirt, her mind still trapped in the nightmare.

She could hear his voice almost like an echo, but…it sounded so far away…

This was nothing new for Ominis; he knew she’d remain dazed for a few moments. He never knew if she ever heard or felt him whenever she was like this, but regardless, he’d comfort her during her paralyzed state; all he could do was be there for her and patiently wait for her to come back to him.

Ominis continued soothing her, hushing her softly, a hand stroking her head gently, while the other remained around her waist, holding her closer to his warm body.

“It’s okay, Emelia…” he whispered into her hair, “I’m right here…you’re safe…”

His scent found its way into her nose, and it calmed her, pulling her back to reality; she loosened her grip on his clothing.

“Ominis?” Emelia’s voice was small and sounded frightened, but she was comforted by his voice and soothing words, no matter if it was in the distance. She wanted to thank him, but she couldn’t find her own voice at that moment to speak.

Ominis stiffened up when hearing the sound of her angelic voice.

“Emelia, I – ” he began, stuttering over his words, but stopped to compose himself; he let out a deep breath. “Are you alright? You were crying and whimpering in your sleep,” he wondered as she sat up from the bed; he copied her action. There was concern and worry evident in his tone, he acted on instinct and immediately started examining her what he could with his hands without getting too personal, to make sure she wasn’t cut or bleeding again; he didn’t smell copper and took that as a positive sign.

Emelia swallowed, ashamed about him seeing her in such a pathetic state, taking notice Ominis touching all over her carefully; she thought it was probably to make sure she didn’t have any injuries anywhere like before. “I’m fine now,” she admitted, feeling touched by his simple gesture, readjusting her position on the mattress.

“Would you like to talk about it?” he asked as soon as he was satisfied that she in perfect condition, curious on what nightmare she had, pondering on what she saw.

He was curious. Was it Sebastian? Professor Fig? The darker version of herself again?

Ominis felt regretful, he couldn’t help chase those bad dreams away and wants to be better for her, to protect her anywhere, even in her dreams.

Emelia hesitated to speak, head down to stare at her hands. “I…I was reliving what happened with Professor Fig,” she answered honestly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Ominis impulsively wrapped his arms around her shoulders and into his embrace, squeezing her stronger than before. “I’m sorry you had to go through that again, love,” he apologized.

She nuzzled deeper into his hug, her arms squeezed tightly around his back and sighed heavily, closing her eyes to savor this bizarre yet cozy sensation she had – to savor this moment.

After a few seconds, Ominis loosened his arms and leaned away, bravely sliding a hand to the side of her face, his fingers lightly grazing her neck, sent chills up Emelia’s spine, making her shiver; she gazed up at him with adoration.

After carefully making his way to her cheek, he carefully and gradually wiped the flowing tears that came from her eyes, rubbing her cheeks sympathetically; his action felt so natural that it came to him instinctively. Emelia’s cheeks were warm under his touch and only got warmer.

She was blushing.

Now she’s adorable, he thought, his heart soaring with delight.

Ominis gave her the softest smile, his face reflecting the same shade of red.

Emelia stared into his cloudy eyes that gazed into her soul, unseeing, but she saw that behind them was empathy and understanding; she knew that he was full of regret of not being able to do more for her.

She tried reassuring him numerous times to not beat himself up for something he couldn’t control; he never listened, but she was appreciative of how much he cared for her.

Emelia couldn’t help but move her attention from his wonderous eyes to his soft-looking lips again, her heart starting to race; Ominis sensed that her body was getting hotter but wasn’t really sure why.

Their bodies remained close. Emelia boldly moved one of her arms to rest on top of Ominis’ chest delicately yet cautiously, feeling a faint beating of his heart; his hand stayed on her cheek, stroking her soft skin absentmindedly, his head somewhat tilted with a heat rising and radiating off both of them as they felt a pull towards one another.

Ominis tempted to lean forward, swallowing a lump in his throat.

Her lips are right there, he thought shamelessly.

Emelia realized Ominis was getting nearer, his cheeks flushed red, lips parted, both hearts beating in anticipation; she waited, slowly shutting her eyes.

Ominis felt his body moving on its own that he didn’t want to stop it, but a memory suddenly came into mind halting him in his tracks.

“You think you can save that mudblood from us? Us?!” Ominis’ father voice shouted in his mind, “You’re too weak!”

“Pathetic! Let me just take care of that filth, father,” Marvolo’s tone was sinister and eager.

“We’ll come for her, Ominis, and there wouldn’t be anything you can do about it,” his mother’s voice assured, sending a fearful chill down his back.

Ominis snapped out of his memory, eyes widened in shock and terror, his frame tense.

Emelia opened her eyes quickly, taking notice the rigidness of his body, but before she could ask what was wrong, he withdrew his hand, leaving her skin cold.

“M-my apologies,” Ominis expressed his regret, almost tumbling over his words, “I…I forgot my place.”

Ominis hurriedly got out of bed, running his fingers through his hair, fidgeting with his clothes. “Are – are you alright? Are you feeling better?” he questioned nervously, his body facing away, but his head turned in her direction.

Emelia just nodded, trying not to feel hurt by his sudden retreat. “Uh, yeah, I am. Thanks,” she appreciated sincerely, grinning slightly; she removed the covers and stood, seeing a half-cup of water on the table next to her, and taking a big swig of it, quenching her thirst.

Her dark, sorrowful thoughts and feelings she got from her nightmares had disappeared along with the hangover headache she felt earlier; it was completely gone, and her body didn’t throb and ache like it did before.

She realized then Ominis had taken care of her.

“My head is bit blank in some spots,” she added, attempting to release the tension that was created earlier.

Ominis scoffed, his body seeming a bit more relaxed. “Thanks to Imelda.”

Emelia shrugs her shoulders with guilt, walking to the foot of the bed and leaning against the bed mattress. “Yeah…sorry about that.”

He exhaled at annoyance. “It’s good that you’re having fun, dove, but you can be so reckless at times…”

“Imelda said it would be a great way to loosen up,” she tried to justify.

Ominis rolled his eyes, remembering Imelda’s words. “So I was told, but…there’s other way to loosen tension – to relieve stress,” he began explaining, putting his hands on his hips, slanting his body a bit to the side.

Emelia crossed her arms. “Walking and talking can only help so much, Ominis. I feel I’m always burdening you with my venting, putting this all on you…” she gulped, looking down at the floor.

“My sweet camellia,” his voice reached her ears, and she peeked up, seeing him gradually stride towards her, “you never burden me; I told you that you can count on me and tell me anything. I’ll lend an ear to listen and everything in between – don’t take what I say lightly, I mean every word,” Ominis finished standing in front of her, tilting forward.

“I know, I know, I just – I can’t help feeling like that…”

Ominis rummages through his thoughts, seeking to find the right words to say. “I understand, but I promise with my entire soul, I am here, accessible to you, day or night; I’ll be there for you no matter what,” he promised, his brows furrowed and face serious.

That vow made her cheeks flush red.

After a few seconds, Emelia let out a scoff, taking a brave step towards him. “Even if I’m somewhere in the middle of the highlands?” she teased with a smile, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll find you,” he simply said.

“Is that so?” she taunted, standing and taking another small step towards him, her body so close to his; Ominis took a tiny step back, his face reddening.

“I’ll find you no matter where you are,” he repeated, grasping her wrist that he knew had the bracelet; his hands were confident enough to move on their own while his heart raced at the sudden proximity of Emelia’s body.

“Hmm,” Emelia blushed harder, a tight thin grin stretching on her face; she saw Ominis touching the bracelet, tracing his long, slender fingers around the band and delicately rubbing the flower petals.

She had so many questions about last night but thought that right now wasn’t the best time to ask…well maybe, just one wouldn’t hurt, would it?

“I’ll leave you briefly to take a quick shower,” Ominis stated, grabbing his wand nervously, “will you be alright?” His face scrunched in apprehension.

“Of course,” she assured him, moving away from him to go take a gulp of juice this time, stretching her body from side to side; she realized there were other items on the bedside table next to her that she hadn’t noticed before, there was an empty wiggenweld potion, other beverages and untouched crackers.

Did…Ominis do this? she wondered to herself, turning her body towards Ominis who slowly walking around the bed.

Ominis grabbed his wand on the table he’d placed it on the night before, while his mind ran in circles; he couldn’t believe that he had dared and fearlessly almost kissed her, he couldn’t help but inhale Emelia’s scent that lingered in the air, feeling a heat rise from inside him.

What was I thinking?! He hollered at himself, as he paced around, shaking his head trying to get rid of his urges and thoughts of desire towards his sweet Emelia, his fists clenched so strongly at his sides, you could see the whites of his knuckles.

She remembered Ominis’ voice echoing when she woke up the first time and wanted to ask him about it.

“Ominis, before you go…” she began, his body stopped its subtle shaking and shifted his head in her direction.

“What is it? Are you feeling alright?” he wondered, his wand guiding him around the bed towards her, a hand hesitant to touch her.

She nodded to him, putting a hand lightly over his; Ominis curled his fingers around hers, exhaling a relieved breath. “Yes, I’m fine; I was just wondering about something that happened last night…” she spoke truthfully, taking her time, not wanting to scare him away; Ominis’ face appeared both worried and afraid on what she was going to say next.

Questions were popping left and right in Ominis’ head.

Was she going to mention wanting to kiss? Did I do or say something offensive and inappropriate? What did she recall from last night? Did I touch her in a private place when she was sleeping? Did she know I helped her change her shirt? 

“L-Last night?” he stuttered, anxiously licking his lips; he continued rethinking his actions and words they’d exchanged the night before. Ominis waited for Emelia to speak.

She stared at him, looking into his milky eyes and glided her gaze down to his lips again; she kept wondering why she was drawn to those tempting lips now when she wasn’t before. What changed?

Emelia shook her head and focused. “Um…did you call me ‘princess’?” she wondered curiously, wanting to know if that was just her imagination or if it was real.

Ominis sighed in relief, scoffing. “Oh, um, I…I did,” he admitted, blushing, gently taking his hand from hers to rub the back of his neck nervously. “While I was walking you here, you said I was like a prince, and asked if you could call me your ‘personal prince’,” he explained proudly, a small smile appearing on his face.

Emelia’s face flushed red embarrassed, covering my mouth with both hands. “What?”

“I admit that I’d agree to it but only if I got to call you ‘my princess’,” Ominis conceded, his face mimicking the same color as hers.

The memory slowly came back to her.

“You’re like a prince, Ominis; always a gentleman, caring, loving and taking care of me…” she murmured to him, reminiscing about all the things he’s done for her alone.

He tightened his arms around her, supporting her from falling. “I’ll always take care of you, my sweet camellia,” Ominis answered happily.

Her eyes grew big, an idea sparked in her head. “Can I call you my own personal prince then?” she asked, bending her head to the side, gazing at him with anticipation and adoration.

“You may call me whatever you like as long as I get to call you ‘my princess’,” Ominis stated almost teasingly; the breath on her ear made her shiver.

She giggled to herself, nodding. “Deal,” she replied, beaming happily; she kissed his cheek warmly. “My prince…”

She saw Ominis’ face turned rosy, red at the new nickname.

Her mind shifted to another blurred memory.

She remembered she was lying in bed, Ominis had draped her blankets over her, and was half asleep, falling deeper and deeper into darkness.

She felt Ominis’ presence next to her, and before she was completely engulfed in dreams, she heard Ominis’ voice.

“Goodnight, my princess,” he muttered near her ear; she felt his lips connect to her forehead, fingers pushing hair away and with that she felt her entire being relax and entered dreamland.

“I – I remember…you put me in bed after...” Emelia glanced up at Ominis who was patiently waiting, lowering her hands.

“Emelia, you don’t have to call me that or I don’t have to call you –” he started to say but she interrupted.

“No, it’s…” she smiled, having a weird feeling expanding in her chest, “I like it; I mean, if that’s okay with you.”

Ominis let out a sigh, a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders. “I adore it; it fits you perfectly,” he grinned, gazing away, his whole face red.

Emelia blushed at his confession. “Well, ‘prince’ surely fits you like a glove,” she snarked back, grinning wide.

Ominis’ face got flushed even more; he chuckled nervously.

“Thank you by the way,” Emelia blurted out, looking at his face.

His brows furrowed and glanced towards her direction. “For what?”

“You had to take care of a drunken, clingy, troublesome girl last night, that couldn’t have been easy,” I thought out loud, an embarrassed grin beaming across my face.

Ominis chuckled, humming to himself, remembering her adorable, dependent, vulnerable and unpredictable behavior. “The puke was no fun, but everything else was quite entertaining,” he confessed, smirking to himself.

“P-puke?!” she exclaimed in horror, rapidly getting to her feet.

“During the middle of the night, your stomach got upset and I sensed you were about to throw up, so I quickly got the bucket from your bedside, and you disposed your stomach contents in there,” he began to explain, speaking with his free hand, “however, with some unfortunate luck, you got some on your shirt, so with Alistair’s help, he guided me to help you change clothes and I promptly cleaned up the mess afterwards,” he finished, an amused grin on his features.

Emelia was in shock, pacing around the room, hands covering her face in humiliation, trying to hide from her friend; she couldn’t believe she puked and Ominis had witnessed it.

How embarrassing! She screamed at herself.

He gently grabbed her arm to stop her from pacing and forced her to face him.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t see anything,” he joked, making both of them chuckle.

She rolled her eyes, her shoulders slumped. “Well, thank you,” she appreciated feeling humiliation set in.

“Of course! I, being blind, is a benefit to woman everywhere,” he teased and jabbed at himself.

Emelia hit his arm playfully. “I’m being serious!” she protested.

His smile only grew.

“I’m really sorry for troubling you with everything,” she expressed, taking a brave step towards him, grasping his hand and squeezing it firmly, “thank you, Ominis.”

Ominis felt her fragile hand in his, it felt so natural – so raw. He wondered if it was a possibility – a chance that they could be more, to hold, to lov…

Ominis’ thoughts were interrupted by his family’s wicked laughter.

“You’re a Gaunt, Ominis! Life with you is either a privilege or a death trap, but regardless of that, who would want a blind man anyway?” his father’s voice thundered, laughing growing louder.

He stiffened and pushed away his absurd thoughts, attempting to rid his heart of his desired wish.

His family was right, being with him – his name and reputation, overpowering and surpassing his own path he desired, to rid his soul of that cursed family name; he wasn’t like them – never was – but the feared name still clung to him like a leech starved of blood.

He didn’t want Emelia to live in misery, to have people fear her because of a name or who she was with; students did that now, but she didn’t care – if anything she speaks out and stands up for him, to have others mind their business. Even so, she still deserved happiness in its purest form and nothing but the best, and he, a blind man, thought himself far from it.

Ominis briefly squeezed her hand back, flashing a smile at her. “You’re welcome, my little camellia,” he replied sincerely, “You know I’ll do anything for you,” he added, giving her a brief peck on the forehead before gradually removing his hand from her hold and turning towards the door, “I’ll be right back, be sure you take care of yourself while I’m gone,” he advised.

She giggled, pulling him back to face her. “I’ll be fine, Ominis; I’ll see you in a bit!” she stated, planting a soft kiss on his cheek, assuring him that she’d be alright and urged him to take care of himself after the adventure he had with her drunken self.

Ominis couldn’t contain his joy when feeling her lips upon his cheek once more. “I’ll be back, my sweet Emelia,” he promised, facing the door; he spoke in parseltongue to Alistair to watch over Emelia, the snake complied.  Ominis turned his head to the side, speaking to his sweet princess, “don’t miss me too much,” he teased; as he left her in their sanctuary, he heard her mesmerizing laughter sound behind him and swelling his heart with bliss.

-

Ominis POV (Spicy)

I walked down the stairwell of the Astronomy Tower and through the quiet, echoing halls of Hogwarts towards the Slytherin common room, hearing nothing but my shoes clattering on the ground and my family’s mocking voices; I tried eluding the memories by shaking my head violently, but they remained with me, reverberating in my mind.

“You ungrateful runt!”

“Stubborn boy, accept the power we were granted!”

“Pathetic excuse of a son!”

“They’re just muggles, Ominis; flawed by their own impurities, don’t get so worked up over mere insects.”

“Do it, Ominis! Cast it!”

“You may be a Gaunt, but you’ll never amount to anything…”

My body went rigid as I strode towards my destination, feeling a cold sweat make itself known on my forehead, my breathing quickening, face paling from the haunting memories.

In dark times like these, I couldn’t help but think of her voice, a sweet melody, her delectable scent, her addictive laughter and recalling her soft touches, so gentle on my skin when she’s reassuring me that she’s okay, that she’s right there or moments when she’s squeezing me tightly, embracing her when she’s in despair and in turn, needs my reassurance.

The very thought of her – anything about her – lifted the heavy pressure from my heart.

I stopped as I hit the bottom of the stairs in front of the common room entrance and took a deep breath, a sigh of relief – the melancholy thoughts fortunately never stayed long when my mind was consumed with nothing but my sweet, feisty princess.

After I was content that my mind was no longer clouded by suffocating shadows of my dark past, allowing me to be with my own private thoughts, I walked through the door, carefully going down the steps and towards my dormitory.

When I stepped into the vacant two-bedroom dormitory, I shut the door immediately, locking it behind me. No one wanted to be with a Gaunt, so I was fortunate to have the room to myself, leaving me to my solitude. Thinking of all the events that’s happened within 24 hours, I felt my heart suddenly start racing by the remembrance of me attempting to kiss Emelia again; my body and face heated in both embarrassment and a ravenous desire by it. I was impressed with myself that I was brave enough to move or even talk to her after that, but also couldn’t believe that I was stupid as try to do that to her – to cross a boundary that she hadn’t given me permission to intersect, disrespecting her entirely.  After this, I’m going to have to properly apologize to her; there was no excuse for me to act impulsively and irrationally.

I nodded to myself and made my way to the bed with my wand; my owl, Zephyr caught my attention by screeching a bit to get my attention.

I turned my head in his direction. “What is it, Zeph?” I wondered, approaching him. 

He simply cooed and with my wand I saw that there was a letter in his beak.

I reached for the letter, thanking him in the process. “Thank you,” I said and stroked the side of his round head lightly; he hooted in pleasure.

I opened the letter, hovering the tip of my wand over the parchment and read it:

Good evening, Mr. Gaunt,

I trust you’ve had a marvelous Christmas and memorable New Year’s. I am sending this letter to you to please come see me in my office before classes resume. I am available in the mornings. I would like to speak with you about an urgent matter and would appreciate your attendance and discretion. 

Regards,

Professor Weasley

“Hmm,” I thought out loud, “I wonder what Professor Weasley wants to speak with me about,” I looked up at Zephyr, “well, I’ll just see her tomorrow morning I suppose.”

I put the letter back in its envelope and put it in my drawer; I went towards the bathroom to turn on the shower. As it was warming up, I went back to my bed and sat on the sheets. Recalling last night when I had to aid Emelia changing her shirt, it was a challenge but within that obstacle, a blessing was bestowed upon me – I felt her body; her perfectly proportioned, soft and smooth figure, her captivating curves, it’d send any man to his grave with a grateful smile, having seamlessly rounded hips, something to grasp on, her small yet sturdy waist dipped from her hips, making me want to leisurely kiss it all over, and I admit, I grazed the sides of her breasts, held up by her brassiere as I was pulling my shirt down over her.

I didn’t mean to, but she giggled and said it was fine.

I don’t think it was.

I was a gentleman, and I was helping, but I shouldn’t have touched her so inappropriately in her helpless condition even if it was by accident; I did apologize to her, shameful of my actions, but she just kept snickering and smacking my chest, saying it was alright and to not worry about it, that she knew I wouldn’t do that on purpose.

I wouldn’t…unless she asked me to…

I shook my head at the unexpected thought, startling myself enough to stand to my feet; my hand tightened at my sides.

“Why am I thinking of such vulgar and foolish things?” I asked myself in hostility.

I quickly stripped myself of my clothes, putting them in the laundry basket by the bathroom entrance. I closed the basket lid with my wand as I passed it, feeling the humidity of the lavatory, and closed the door a tad, leaving it cracked open. I placed my wand on the sink’s counter in front of the shower, hearing a familiar clink; I opened the cabinet beside the sink, feeling around to grab a towel from the shelf and made sure it would be easy to reach once I exited. After I was satisfied with everything’s placement, I hopped in.

Feeling the warm water collide with my face and run down my skin, it instantly made my entire body relax; I sighed a heavy breath. Perhaps this is what I needed – a hot shower to wash away these absurd sensations and sinful thoughts.

Don’t be ridiculous, I lectured myself, she’s just a friend. Just…a friend.

Letting out a heartbreaking breath, my brows furrowed, I placed a hand to my heart, clenching my aching chest inward, feeling my body grow heavier while I bent forward, my other hand was on the cement wall in front of me to keep from falling.

I shook my head, trying to clear my mind and mix of emotions.

Carefully washing my hair and rinsing it off, I cleaned down my body. I couldn’t resist but think of how Emelia’s hands would feel against it, gradually rubbing and stroking my arms, sliding along my chest down my torso, lightly skimming her fingers up and down my back, eventually making it to my sides near the lines of my hips; her scent surrounding us with its enchanting splendor. A heated sensation spread from my core to the rest of body, traveling through my veins until it took over my entirety.  I groaned frustrated and annoyed at both my perverted mind and lack of restraint of it.

My thoughts were consumed by her, it was no use; I was irrevocably drawn to her.

She does something to me that makes me want to cast aside my whole well-mannered and gentleman persona, and let another more ravenous, yearnful and desire-driven one take over; one that will ravish, caress and worship her every day in every way, leaving her breathless and wanting more.

I lifted my head, letting it hang back while the warm water from the showerhead collided with my face. “Fine…” I conceded in a low whisper.

Just this once, I slowly convinced myself, just this once, I’ll let it consume me for the night.

Immediately, my imagination ran wild, not holding anything back. My mind fantasized how she’d sound, feel, even taste when I kissed and slid my tongue along every inch of her body; how her body and soft skin would press onto mine. I envisioned how my fingers would tangle in her long, silky locks as I locked my lips on her neck, feeling her squirm when my fingers pressed, touched or slid in a certain spot on her curvy frame. It’s fact that hearing her sweet moans and knowing I was the cause of those erotic sounds would undoubtedly send me straight to heaven itself. I felt my body tense instantly, feeling myself harden at the thought, shallow breaths escaping between my teeth, almost in a whine, anxious and pleading; I licked my lips in impatient needing.

I felt pathetic for having such aggressive sensual thoughts for my innocent friend.

Fuck…

I grasped my throbbing cock and began stroking gradually, wanting to savor this sensation, imagining her sighing in pleasure as I caress her round, supple breasts in my hands, a handful of my hair in her fists as I devoured her wet core, clutching at my skin eagerly, pulling me towards her like she can’t get enough; I rubbed faster while my other hand went to the base of my neck, feeling my heartbeat racing and pulsing against my skin.

Oh, how I would love to take her innocence…

“Emelia…” I moaned quietly, my body getting hotter by the second.

This felt…good…

Incredible…

Riveting…

Wait!

I have to stop! I respected her! What would she think of you if she knew you were thinking of her this way? I yelled at myself, forcing my hand to stop stroking my shaft, but my grasp remained around it; my other hand slamming itself on the wall, creating a tense fist in frustration.

I did respect her; I appreciated and even cared for her – worshipped her.

However, I am still just a man, and I can’t control or confine my body and soul of its cravings for long. Clenching my fist on the wall tighter, my nails digging into my skin, I felt myself swell and stiffen up more, pressing itself against my hand. I thought I was going to burst, a rising frustration beginning to stir within me; I wanted to finish.

Fuck it.

Just this once…

I stroked hard, firmly putting pressure as I did, behind every stroke was a purpose, a wish that it – I – was inside her.  That vile notion alone made me twitch and convulse, my breathing becoming faster as I moved my hand up and down in fierce urgency as I edged closer and closer towards ecstasy.

I moaned in pleasure. “Oh, my darling…”

All the things I adore about her came to me in powerful waves – her voice and laughter blessing my ears with such a harmonious sound, the tender graze of her fingers against my skin, tempting me with a dark desire that only grew stronger within. Her soft lips pressed on my warming cheeks – a simple gesture of endearment amongst friends, but now I clung onto it like a drowning man desperate for air; it was my only source of true happiness and peace. I was always waiting with silent optimism, that one day she’d do it and miss, fatefully meeting my lips that craved hers with a burning passion, to finally know how they would react to mine, how they moved and tasted.  

“Oh, Emelia…” I moaned her name quietly, my body tense, hunching over more as I felt a shameful sensation wanting to explode out of me, “Emelia…” I whined louder.

My throat dried as I rubbed my pulsating length faster and with my thoughts imagining her moaning my name in pleasuring rapture, scratching my back, I felt myself cum; my entire body shook, but soon relaxed, my shaft becoming extremely sensitive, and I sighed in relief. The warm, sticky liquid slid down my fingers and onto the shower floor; the bitter scent of it making its way to my nose. I pushed myself away from the wall and groaned, not believing I actually pleasured myself – all because I helped her change a shirt, the remembrance of feeling her flawless body sending shivers up my spine.

I gasped a bit out of breath. “Shit…”

What have I become? A mindless beast? A hopelessly lust-driven man only wanting what he can’t have?

I rewashed my body, and after cleansing my sins, I got out.

I grabbed the towel to wipe my upper and lower body as much as I could, then wrapped it around my bare waist; grasping my wand, I went back to the room and stalked towards my trunk to grab the chosen attire along with extra clothes to bring to the Room of Requirement. I changed into my sweater and pants, placing the other spare garments in a travel-sized tote.  I was about to leave, but stopped, thinking back to Professor Weasley’s letter; I had a funny feeling that it was regarding Sebastian.

Shaking my head, I left the room with my small bag, still struggling to coordinate a plan to convince Emelia to go visit the undercroft and, most importantly, how to tell her that Sebastian was back.

Ugh, this is giving me a headache already; now I need to release a different type of tension.

--

Chapter Text

Three more days.

Three more days and I’d have to show my presence in front of my peers, who once admired me, knew that I was the best duelist in the entire school; however, they’ll fear me now, keep away like I was death itself.

I paced around the undercroft anxiously; I don’t think I can do this…

I tried to recall Isaacs encouraging words.

“Learning from those mistakes is what makes us who we are. It’s never something to take lightly…” his voice echoed, “it’s because you regret what you did that you feel this way,” he stated.

I sighed, exhaling air out of my mouth, tightening my fists, and determination running through my veins.

No! I had to do this! It was the only way to prove that I wasn’t a mere criminal – a coward – I was better than my past, that my past didn’t define me, but I had to remind myself that my image wouldn’t change overnight.

It was going to take time.

The scary part was that I didn’t know how much time.

Until then, I’d have to endure all the sideways glances, the whispers and gossip around me, students quickly clearing out of my way, not out of respect but out of terror, thinking they’ll be my next victim.

“Ugh!” I groaned, rubbing the side of my head; my brain pounding in my skull.

I found myself back at my original position by the table. The aches in my physique became known; I stretched my entire body, feeling stiff and pain everywhere. I sat down in my semi-comfortable chair and felt my muscles relax a bit. Since Ominis discovered and left me here, I’ve been studying tirelessly with little to no sleep and barely eating, cramming my mind as much as I could; whenever I granted my mind a break from the literature, it still didn’t know peace – I don’t think it ever will again.

The unwanted memories of that dreadful place slithered into my mind; recollections of the past flashed before my eyes. Sometimes I thought I was still actually there; I’d look around and I was in my cell or facing dementors, boggarts…everything all over again – it felt so real.

I’d curl up in a ball in the corner of the stone prison and when my mind returned to the present, I’d be in the same position in the undercroft, either in a corner or against the pillars.

It was too quiet in the undercroft, I had to conjure a musical orchestra to fill the silence. I realized that if my mind was preoccupied by music or reading, the memories of Azkaban wouldn’t bother me.

The string quartet was similar to the one in the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower, playing classical music while I studied every page of the textbooks.

The words on the pages were starting to merge together and my brain was converting to mush.

I didn’t know what time it was, but one thing was certain: I needed a break.  

Forcing myself up to my feet, I looked towards the door to the undercroft, swallowing hard.

“I promised I wouldn’t do anything without Ominis,” I muttered to myself.

I was just going out to clear my head.

I took a deep breath and nodded, grabbing my wand and hat, halting the instruments’ playing and exited the undercroft.

I peeked out of the entrance door and gradually opened it, making sure the coast was clear.

Calmly walking around the DADA tower, I decided I needed a change of scenery; taking a deep breath, putting on my cap and summoning whatever bravery I had in me, I went through the exit doors at the bottom of the stairs and out towards the world.

I hoped I didn’t regret taking a break.

I strode to Central Hall, it was empty – thank Merlin – passing the tall, spiraled pillars as I went up the stairs, but I stopped by the siren fountain, gazing at the mahogany-red library doors, debating if I should go in or not since Scribner wouldn’t be there until school started again. I decided against it, continuing my route towards Hogwarts grounds; I walked in the narrow hallway, passing by the humming suit of armor, grinning amused as it’s comrade punched him in the arm in annoyance. Finally coming to my destination, I entered the Bell Tower Wing and took in the beauty of the stone and architecture, the sculptures of past heroes, artifacts that made an impact in our history, but what caught my attention was two ghosts at the opposite side dancing together in the air, not caring who sees, only focused on being in the moment with each other.

My heart warmed at the sight.

I tore my eyes away from them and gone through the massive doors and was greeted by the fresh air and sunshine in my face. I had to block the sun’s rays with my hand and strolled to the small garden at the right side of the school. I went under the arch and walked along the left side of the snow-dusted stone path, gradually walking up to the moving dragon hedge, it was looking at me with intrigue, and appeared wary when I stopped in front of it.

“Hey there, mate,”  I greeted, lifting my arm slowly as to not scare it.

Its head lowered and seemed to be sniffing me, knocking off my hat in the process and inhaling my messy hair deeply; after half a minute, it flapped its wings happily, nuzzling its face into my hand. I chuckled, using both hands to rub it’s grassy face and neck. It pressed head onto my chest and snuggled into me more.

“I guess not many who pass by, give you the attention you deserve, huh?” I stated, stroking its head upwards towards its horns, quickly grabbing my cap from the ground.

It snorted at me, and I scoffed.

“How about I come by every week to give you some love, what do you say?” I negotiated, not sure if it really understood me or not.

The dragon hedge flapped its wings again with joy and excitement.

I laughed. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’…” I caressed its snout and under its chin, its tail wagging with delight.

After a good ten minutes, I ended up naming it Duke; he seemed to like the name. I conversed with him and opened up a bit, feeling a sense of relief flood through me, I was happy to talk to someone – or have anyone listen.

“Thanks for listening, Duke,” I appreciated, patting the side of his head softly; a happy sound came from its throat.

As I was leaving, I promised to come back the following week. I waved goodbye to my new pal and walked under the archway back to the grounds of Hogwarts. I saw stairs at the right side of me, ones that I haven’t seen before; the curiosity got the best of me. I made my way down the steps and saw a nearby door. I was about to push it open and see what’s inside, until I heard a familiar voice.

A sweet sound that made my heart jump in my throat and show me Heaven when I know I’m doomed for damnation.

Emelia’s voice.

“Ugh, Imelda, why are we out here so early?” I heard her complain.

I crept silently up the hill, almost tripping on rocks, but made it to the stone wall that surrounded the fountain that laid between the entrance of the school gates and the building itself. I crouched low, hiding behind a lamppost and saw her.

Her long, silky brunette locks poured over her shoulders and down her back in slight waves, the sun hitting her created a vision of perfection; she was dressed in slacks that wrapped her lower body so nicely, showing off the shape of her hips, and the perfect curves of her ass; her shirt laid over her body flawlessly, seeing the arcs of her breasts pressing against her top and a coat over it, completing her beautiful appearance.

She was even more gorgeous compared to the last time I saw her.

I felt myself unexpectedly harden at the mere sight of her.

What the hell is wrong with me?!

I clenched the bulge in my pants and hoped it’d go down; this was embarrassing.

“Oh, come on, the third match against Ravenclaw is next Saturday! We have to be ready!” Imelda proclaimed.

“How are you unphased by yesterday’s festivities?” Emelia asked, rubbing her eyes and head so adorably.

Imelda shrugged. “Strong mind, strong tolerance I guess,” she laughed proudly at herself, hands on her hips.

Emelia chuckled, entertained by Imelda’s comment; she nodded. “You gotta teach me how to manage that cause there’s still blank spots that I’m trying to fill in.”

“Well, I’m not sure about that; the only thing I can surely teach you is how to be better on the field,” the quidditch-obsessed girl stated confidently.

Wait – Emelia’s on the Quidditch team? They brought the games back?

Emelia rolled her eyes at her friend. “Chaser is different than beater, Imelda,” she pointed out.

“Yes, but they have the same goal – to destroy the other team!” Imelda hollered excitedly.

“Ugh,” my beautiful friend groaned again, spinning back around to go back through the Bell Tower doors, “it’s too early for this!”

Imelda grabbed her by her shoulders and twirled her body around. “Hey, the more practice we get in, it’s an advantage we have over those losers.”

Emelia sighed, her body language clearly not wanting to go anywhere or do anything. “You’re lucky I’m recovered enough for this,” she said with amusement.

Imelda hung an arm around her shoulders. “You’re the only one that’s ever bested me, so it’s wise to keep you at your peak, to keep me at mine,” she complimented, moving her other hand as she spoke, “I promise after practice, we’ll go grab a butterbeer minus the whiskey this time,” she vowed, an excited smile stretched across her face.

Emelia exhaled deeply and nodded, giving in. “Alright, you better make this worth it,” she teased, making their way towards the Quidditch Pitch, letting out a laughter only I would succumb to.

I watched as they walked toward the field; I wanted to follow them but went against it. She looked happy and I didn’t want to ruin that.

I promised Ominis, and I intended to keep it.

As soon as they were out of sight, I straightened up, staring at the direction they left; I swallowed hard and felt a new motivation take over me.

I wanted to see all of them that way – Anne, Ominis and Emelia – to be happy and smiling, no misery or sadness; I just hoped that they had room in their happiness for me.

Blinking quickly, I chased away the tears, tempting to make themselves known; I spun around and went back the way I came.

Walking around Hogwarts was shorter than I remember. I recall that I used to get lost, running around the castle, struggling to find my classes my first year, but who didn’t? It was a nightmare.

I grinned, scoffing at the memory.

Out of nowhere, familiar cackling reached my ears; I rapidly hid myself behind some nearby stairs, crouching down.

Peeking around the marble steps and towards the sound, I saw Peeves, who was juggling some pins, entertaining himself.

“Soon, soon, after my bore, I’ll have my fun once more!” he laughed maniacally, doing his stupid rhymes.

I rolled my eyes and after he floated off towards the opposite side of the building; I stood and let out a relieved sigh.

I walked a bit forward and found myself back at Central Hall with the library doors beckoning me to come in.

Giving in to my desire of books, I went in.

Walking into the library, I inhaled the atmosphere’s aroma, the smell of parchment, leather and dust welcomed me with nostalgia, thinking of all the times I stayed here for hours either studying or serving detention cause of pissing off Scriber, Peeves tattle-tailing or for beating Prewett for saying something obnoxious.

Aww, memories.

As I listened to light classical music of the library’s ambience, I walked around the towering shelves, holding countless of books; gazing up at the top floor, seeing the beautiful rays of light pour into the windows of the space. I took my time going up the spiral staircase and roamed around the second floor, scanning my eyes over the numerous books, sliding my long, calloused fingers along the cover’s smooth edges.

I went back down and wandered around the gates of the restricted section, I stopped by the metal bars, subconsciously grasping the cold steel and looked passed them, towards the stairs, reminiscing back to when I went there to read, then when I was searching for a cure for Anne and…lost my way.

It was nice being here again; the library was a haven to me.

“Sebastian Sallow!” a voice hollered, echoing throughout the walls.

I froze in place, clenching the bars in fright.

The heels of their feet clacked on the wooden ground behind me; they were slowly approaching with an intimidating manner.

“Still being where you shouldn’t,” Madam Scribner observed, her eyes glowering at me through her glasses.

I looked at the unchanged librarian and seen how she probably perceived me – I was holding the gates of the restricted section with no one here to witness it; something I was caught doing before.

I quickly took my hands off the bar, holding them up in the air in surrender. “Madam Scribner…” I said slowly, “listen, it’s not what it looks like!” I started, taking a step away from the barriers.

“Hmm,” she sounded from her throat, her gaze surveying  me from head to toe, “may I remind you that lingering around or entering the Restricted Section is strictly prohibited unless given permission by a professor. I know, you, Mr. Sallow, do not possess. Please refrain from doing this in the future or I’d have to go to the headmaster,” Madam Scribner informed, adjusting her glasses with a long, clawed finger.

I expected Scribner to be like everyone else – worse even, now that she knew I was a murderer, a former Azkaban prisoner, but she treated me the same as she did last year; there was no change or heightened hostility or even fear towards me like everybody else had.

No…

She was the same strict and rule-following librarian I’d known since starting Hogwarts.

My heart lightened knowing that Scribner didn’t treat me any differently and I felt a faint smirk spread on my face, looking downward.

She didn’t know how grateful I was to her right then.

“Yes, Madam Scribner,” I agreed formally, looking up at her once, briefly meeting her eyes, only to dart them away, “s-sorry.”

The librarian was clearly taken aback by my response, but collected herself, clearing her throat, straightening the book she had curled in her arm; it was a book I’ve read before that belonged in the Restricted Section.

I stepped aside and awkwardly went around her, putting my hands in my pockets and headed towards the exit.

“Mr. Sallow,” Madam Scribner’s voice called out to me.

I tensed, my footsteps halting and turned back to her.

“Welcome back,” she spoke nonchalantly, and proceeded to open the gates of the restricted part of the library, walking in to put the book back in its proper place. 

I stood in place, letting her surprising welcome sink in and fill my heart with confidence that was hiding away, fearful of everyone’s views and anticipated whispered words. I puffed up my chest in pride and higher spirits, then quietly exited the library.

Walking up the stairs and through the doors, softly shutting it behind me, I spun around to see Professor Weasley walking across Central Hall; I met her halfway at the siren fountain.

“Ah, Mr. Sallow, I was hoping to run into you,” she greeted with a smile.

I took my hands out of my pockets. “Professor Weasley, hello,” I replied back, “what did you need from me?” I wondered curiously.

“If you’d be so kind as to follow me to my office,” she stated, extending her hand to indicate the path to her classroom.

“Of course, professor,” I complied nodding; she led the way, quickly checking her watch.

We walked together to her classroom; she asked me how I’ve been settling back in and where I’ve been staying, not wanting to pry too much into my personal life. I told her that I was at Feldcroft at our uncle’s old house; I didn’t ask about Anne, knowing that if I did, I wouldn’t stop until I persuaded myself to see her – ruining the progress I’ve made and breaking my promise to Ominis.

Finally reaching our destination, we walked through the door of her classroom and headed towards her workspace.

She sat in her office chair, and I remained standing.

“Please have a seat,” she encouraged, taking her wand and summoning a book and flipping it to a certain page.

“I’m alright, professor; I’ve honestly been sitting all day,” I politely declined, stretching my sore body; I’ve been sleeping in the chair I conjured in the undercroft. I forced myself to keep my hands out of my pockets as respect for Professor Weasley.

I felt my palms start to sweat out of anxiety of the unknown. I wasn’t sure what she wanted to see me for.

Was she rethinking me being here? Was she regretting the invitation she sent?

I was convinced.

I wasn’t going to attend Hogwarts.

Professor Weasley was writing something in the opened book she laid out about to say something, but I respectfully stopped her.

“Professor Weasley, if I could speak first,” I asked hesitantly.

She raised her eyebrows in question, putting her quill down in the inkwell, giving me her full attention. “Certainly.”

“Professor…” I began, trying to find the right words, “I’m glad you invited me back and everything you’ve done for me since I started school…” I continued, rubbing my palms with my fingers and then nervously on my pants.

The red-haired professor listened intently, her wand on her desk, elbows on her counter, her fingers intertwined together; she was patiently waiting.

“I – maybe me coming back isn’t the best idea; I appreciate the invitation and I don’t want you to think I’m not grateful for it, cause I am! Extremely! I-I just don’t want you thinking the choice you made was a mistake, so it’s alright to withdraw your decision; I understand.” I finished, stuttering and babbling through my speech.

Professor Weasley’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, but then after a second or two, she relaxed her expression and an entertaining smile played on her face.

“Mr. Sallow, what on Godric’s good heart are you talking about?” she questioned, amused, chuckling under her breath.

“I…I thought…” I started to say but the words refused to come out, puzzled to know what was so funny. “Aren’t you regretting the invitation you sent me? For having me return to Hogwarts after what…I did…?” my voice asked in a low murmur, shame overtaking me.

Her demeanor altered a tad to a more serious one; she stood from her desk to pace around the small space. “Mr. Sallow, I do not regret my decision, even the slightest, of sending you an invitation nor do I think it was a mistake; I’m not going to dismiss you or judge you for what you did in your past,” she stopped in a couple feet from me, clasping her hands in front of her, “it was an unfortunate mistake, yes; however, I believe you – as well as everyone who breathes, has made mistakes and has to learn from them, because no one is perfect. I want to give you this chance to improve yourself for your future, because there’s always a place for you here,” Professor Weasley informed me with a warm grin and a sympathetic gaze.

I let out a breath, I didn’t know I was holding.

I extended a trembling hand to grab the top of a nearby chair and sat, dropping my weight onto the chair.

She…didn’t regret her decision…

The words resonated in my head, feeling relief flood through me like a dam being broken.

I honestly wouldn’t know what to do with myself – my life – if I couldn’t attend school.

I looked at her with a grateful expression; I blinked hastily, trying to hide the tears that filled my eyes.

She was like a mother to me and Anne since our parents died; she’s been guiding, helping and reassuring us whenever we needed it, she spoke to us like adults, not belittling us – although, she did give us a good lecture if we were out of line or did something irresponsible and dangerous.

I gave her a tight grin. “Thank you so much, professor…” I couldn’t think of anything else to say or show her how appreciative I was to her.

Professor Weasley placed a tender hand on my shoulder and patted it once, turning to return to her seat; I followed her movement with my eyes.

“Onwards to why we’re here, I wanted to speak with you abo –” she began to say but then the classroom door sounded and faint footsteps, revolving our heads in its direction.

I felt fear coming back through my body, my right leg bouncing anxiously.

Fuck…

Who was here? They’ll see me…

“Ah, perfect timing,” Professor Weasley grinned wide towards the door.

I creased my forehead, my eyebrows gathered together in confusion.

Gazing back towards the door, I heard their steps approach closer; I was panicking. I didn’t know who it was, but Professor Weasley was calm enough to be alright with them seeing me.

A familiar blinking red light appeared on the other side of the door, and Ominis’ figure came into view, stopping at the door; instant relief washed over me, thanking Merlin and all the other deities. He was wearing his casual attire, fitting his form much better than last; he raised a hand and knocked on the office door, seeming preoccupied with his thoughts.

“Please come in, Mr. Gaunt,” Professor Weasley summoned cheerfully.

“Good morning, Professor Weasley,” he greeted, taking a step in the small office, “I received your letter. What was the urgent matter you wished to discuss with me?” he asked curiously, his body facing in her direction.

Before Professor Weasley could speak, we saw Ominis shifting his head left and right, trying to get acquainted with his surroundings, but then his head turned to where I was, his face contorting into one of fear and uncertainty.

“S-Sebastian…!?” he muttered in recognition; his face had paled, and voice strained as if he was keeping himself from shouting.

Shit…

Professor Weasley didn’t know we already met in the undercroft; I think I’m safe from his aggressive swings with a teacher present.

At least I hoped…

“Hello, Ominis,” I acknowledged in return; my face altering to one of guilt, an arm rising up to ruffle my untamed hair and rub the back of my neck, smirking nervously.

The deputy headmistress held up a hand, chuckling to themselves at the painful interaction that was exchanged between us. “I suppose that’s a good transition as any,” she cleared her throat and spoke; Ominis faced the professor, waiting for her to talk, “Mr. Gaunt, I sent you a letter to inform you that Mr. Sallow has returned to Hogwarts and will be attending classes alongside you and the rest of the other students after the break,” she began, looking to Ominis and observing his reactions of her words, “I did send a letter to Ms. Starke as well, but with her absence, she might be preoccupied with other matters, so I reckon you will fill her in?” Professor Weasley spoke to Ominis.

Ominis and I stiffened, our eyes widened, both of us I bet praying our hardest that she hasn’t read it; Ominis’ jaw clenched hard, nodding. “Yes, I will,” he simply replied.

Oh, what a liar…

“I assumed and hoped with you and Ms. Starke’s past friendship with Mr. Sallow last year, you both will be kind enough to help him with whatever he needs to catch up with,” she advised with a gleam in her eyes.

“Of course, professor,” he said politely, his fist clenching his wand tighter, eyes slightly widened, turning his head slightly to me, glaring from the corner of his eyes.

Oh, if looks could kill…

I wasn’t expecting to see Ominis so soon after our confrontation and I assume he didn’t either by the shock on his face.

Professor Weasley focused her attention to me, hands on top of each other over her opened book, expression stern.

“Classes will be difficult since you’ll be starting the middle of the year, but it shouldn’t be a problem. There is a place that may be of use to you in helping you get caught up,” she indicated, “you will have to find Ms. Starke to understand what I mean,” she smiled proudly.

I noticed both Ominis and I tensed up at the mention of Emelia again, but I attempted to remain indifferent at her statement.

I awkwardly nodded. “I-I’ll speak with her soon…” I lied through my teeth, not knowing when I would.

Emelia…

I don’t think I’d be ready to talk with her; shifting my gaze to Ominis, I wondered if he had come up with a plan yet.

“And as far as the dormitories go, I believe you two will be alright with being roomed together?” she stated, her voice firm yet kind.

“Uh, yes, professor…” Ominis’ words let out respectfully.

“Mr. Gaunt, I hope that won’t be a problem, given your current living situation,” Professor Weasley presumed, her head tilted a bit to my blind companion.

Ominis gave a strained grin. “Of course not, professor.”

“Wonderful!” she expressed with enthusiasm, “Mr. Sallow has his class schedule already and I assume everything else he needs for classes…” she informed, eyeing me with a raised eyebrow.

“I do, professor,” I stated, confirming her insinuation was true.

“Alright then! I will leave the two of you to get reacquainted,” the professor said, beginning to rise from her chair.

“Actually, Professor Weasley, with all due respect, I do have another errand to run today, but I will prepare our dorm accordingly and help him whenever I can,” Ominis notified with an apologetic smile.

Professor Weasley gradually sat back down and appeared a bit disappointed but nodded her head in understanding. “Alright then, Mr. Gaunt; I appreciate your quick response to my letter, understanding and discretion,” she said to him, gratefully. “You are dismissed.”

Ominis slightly bowed. “Thank you, professor,” he stated, his body facing me now, “I-I’ll see you soon, Sebastian. Welcome back,” he said almost forced, stretching and pressing his lips together in a thin line.

“Thanks; I’ll see you later…” I said, trying to decipher if it was a genuine smile or not.

Ominis spun around gracefully and left, letting his wand guide him out.

Man, he’s such a good actor…

We heard the door of the classroom open and close once more.

“Give him time to adjust to your return,” she advised, giving me a somber look; I leaned back into the seat, my leg bouncing more rapidly.

I just nodded, thinking about what’s to come.

I…I needed more time…

“Professor Weasley,” I started, getting up from my seat, anxious from Ominis’ presence.

She looked up at me with a curious gaze. “Yes?”

“I really appreciate you doing all this for me,” I told her, lowering my head, afraid to look her in the eyes, “shamefully, I ask if I could…get a week’s extension before resuming classes? I just…I want to study a bit more…and don’t feel…quite ready enough to go back yet…” I explained myself the best I could, struggling to not sound cowardly but it came out like that regardless.

Peeking upward, I saw Professor Weasley thinking about it, her gaze downward, contemplating on my pathetic request.

I shifted my gaze back down, cheeks flushed with embarrassment; I was about to take it back until her voice filled the room.

“I believe…” she began to say, “one week seems appropriate,” she approved with an understanding expression.

I let out a heavy sigh, my mouth smiling, slightly open in shock.

“Granted,” she affirmed, “I’ll inform the headmaster.”

As quickly as my grin appeared, it then disappeared. Headmaster Black was intimidating, sure, but now that I was a felon, free from Azkaban, a non-pureblood, he was going to keep a closer eye on me.

“Thank you, professor…thank you,” I appreciated sincerely, a bit breathy.

“It’s my pleasure. Now, go study hard and enjoy the extension,” she happily told me, beginning to write again in the book she convened.

“Thank you again, Professor Weasley,” I told her; she simply grinned at me and told me that her offer to come see her for anything, was still on the table.

I continued thanking her as I exited through the door, seeing Ominis leaning against the concrete wall in front of it, his leg elegantly over the other, arms crossed across his chest, wand held in his hand, eyes staring downward.

His head lifted as he heard the door open; I saw his jaw clench.

“I thought you had an errand,” I spoke, teasing him.

“And I thought you said you wouldn’t leave the undercroft,” he shot back, pushing himself off the wall, uncrossing his arms and legs and took a step towards me after I walked in front of him.

We walked to the DADA tower. “I never said that,” I retorted, “I told you I wouldn’t do anything until you came up with a plan to tell Emelia about me being back; I meant that I wouldn’t go look for her or Anne,” I pointed out, running my fingers along the stone wall as we stepped out to the courtyard.

He gave me a disapproving glance as his wand led him away from a cement bench that sat near the middle of the Transfiguration Courtyard facing a fountain and statue.

I groaned annoyed, putting my hands on my hips. “Look, Ominis, I’m sorry, I was restless! My brain was burnt out, and I just needed air and to walk around. No one saw me!” I exclaimed as we entered the building, trying to plea my case and justify my reasonings for being outside the undercroft.

Ominis, having a sixth sense, was unconvinced.

“Ugh, fine,” I conceded, holding my hands up in defeat, “Scribner saw me when I was in the library,” I confessed, shoulders slumped, hanging my head forward as we made our way up the stairs.

“Unbelievable, Sebastian!” he hollered exasperated, his hand grasping his wand firmly, shaking his head.

I rolled my eyes. “What? I can’t wander around now cause I might be seen?” I argued back, “our classmates are going to be here soon; should I got to class while everyone else is asleep to avoid detection?” I questioned sarcastically as we made it to the undercroft entrance; I leaned on the side of the marble wall and grumbled irritated.

“You could’ve been seen, that is all I’m trying to say,” Ominis slowly emphasized, attempting to calm himself.

“Mate, I’m going to be seen sooner or later,” I informed him, “regardless if I’m seen now.”

It was inevitable; I’d have to face them, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

Ominis exhaled a heavy sigh and grumble escaped his throat; using his wand, he opened the undercroft door, and we went in.

-

3^rd POV

Ominis and Sebastian entered the undercroft, the metal creaking of the gates closed behind them.

Sebastian waved his wand to the stilled instruments and let them resume playing their lovely music, going back to his mess on the long table, there were books opened across the tabletop, notes scribbled everywhere along with his supplies he’d bought from Diagon Alley; he moaned, worry and unease running through him, both thankful that Professor Weasley granted his request to delay his appearance for another week, but anxious because…he only had a week.

Ominis walked to the end of the table, pulling his chair he made last time to him with his wand and taking a seat, placing his wand on the table with a small clink following it; he crossed his legs gracefully, letting out an exhausted breath – he had to think of a plan.

Emelia deserves to know Sebastian is here… he thought to himself, reluctant to share that information with her, but it would prove useless since he’d be attending classes soon, she’d find out anyways and hate him for withholding that from her.

Ominis scolded himself cause he’s doing that already; he was just trying to do what was best for his sweet girl, but was he justifying his actions for her sake or for his?

He didn’t like being this selfish and jealous man; he trusted Emelia, but never wanted her to hurt ever again.

After ten minutes of listening to the classical melody, Sebastian spoke out.

“It’s ironic,” he started to say, thinking back to being caught in the library.

Ominis’ lifted his head in Sebastian’s direction, coming out of his daze. “What is?” he asked intrigued.

“Scribner,” he merely answered in a murmur.

Ominis was confused. “Explain.”

Sebastian licked his lips and squinted his eyes, trying to understand it himself. “Scribner and I were always at odds – getting detention cause she caught me whenever I attempted or was in the Restricted Section; she was constantly out to get me, and I enjoyed giving her a tough time. After confessing and now coming back, I would’ve thought she’d be like everyone else or worse – wary and fearful of me, treating me differently, but today…she saw me and treated me like that same irresponsible kid I was before,” Sebastian grinned wide, tears of joy filling his eyes – hopeful.

As Ominis was listening, he was sympathetic to what Sebastian was feeling; he sensed that Sebastian was grateful for Scribner for not acting differently because of his past mistakes.

“It was…really nice…to finally have someone treat me normally; it’s just funny that it was Scribner of all people…” Sebastian finished, sniffling a little, wiping his tears with his forearm.

“What about Professor Weasley?” Ominis wondered, noticing that the deputy headmistress wasn’t treating Sebastian any differently when he was in her office.

Sebastian nodded. “I was scared for her reaction to be honest, but again, she’s the one that sent me the invitation, so I wasn’t too fearful of that, just mostly shame and embarrassed to face her,” he explained, reminiscing back to Professor Weasley smiling warmly at him and speaking to him like a student rather than a criminal.

Ominis was sincerely happy for Sebastian, he found some hope and gained a bit more of his confidence back since the encounter with Scribner; however, he couldn’t help but think back to when he was in Professor Weasley’s office and her mentioning that Emelia could help Sebastian with a “special place” to help him catch up.

The Room of Requirement.

Their safe space.

Their sanctuary…

Ominis feared that it wouldn’t be their very own place anymore; sure, Anne knew about it but was barely there, strictly only in the room for educational purposes, to use it to catch up with classes and that was it. Knowing Sebastian, he’d have knowledge of the place, and would always be there – like he and Emelia were – he’d have no privacy or alone time with her anymore. He was terrified for his future with his darling dove.

“Ominis…” Sebastian began, not knowing how to start, ruffling his unruly brown hair.

“Hmm?” Ominis replied, blinking fast, coming out of his thoughts and into the present.

Sebastian hesitated. “Do you…have you thought of a plan…to tell Emelia about me…or-or Anne?”

Ominis sighed, eyes closed, raising a hand to rub his temple in small circles with two fingers. “Unfortunately not yet, some ideas, but…” he shook his head, letting me know that it wasn’t concrete, “after our last reunion, I was going to but then there was an important matter I had to tend to.”

“Oh?” Sebastian sang out, “and what would that be? Pressing your uniform? Getting more gel for your hair? Seriously, Ominis, you are the only blind man that cares about their appearance,” he teased his old friend.

Ominis rolled his eyes. “If you must know, I was taking care of Emelia,” he replied irritated.

“Emelia? Why? Is she alright? She seemed fine this morning. What happened?” Sebastian told him, asking question after question, hoping Emelia was okay. He didn’t see anything wrong with her when she was with Imelda, although he did recall her asking Imelda how she could function after ‘yesterday’s festivities’; he also remembered that Imelda did say ‘butterbeer minus the whiskey’.

“Yes, she’s alright. I took care of her, she –” Ominis answered his exhausting questions, but stopped short when he realized what he said, “wait, what do you mean, ‘she seemed fine this morning’?” he emphasized, hoping to Merlin he was wrong about what he heard.

Sebastian made a disgruntled expression. “Fuck…”

Ominis stood and stalked towards him, fists tensed, his heart racing in fright. “You – you saw her?” he hollered, his voice thundering, almost protectively. “When did you see her? Where? Did she see you?”

Ominis took a threatening step towards Sebastian every time he asked a question, one hand slid along the tables edge to keep him going forward without thinking; he was so worried that Emelia saw him and how she’d react that he forgot his wand, but continued pursuing Sebastian, needing to hear his replies in quiet desperation.

“Ominis, she didn’t see me, I only saw her; I promise!” Sebastian backed up from his menacing friend, arms up in surrender.

“Where did you see her?” Ominis demanded to know, his nails digging into his palm, wanting to punch him again. He was trying to protect Emelia, but the thought of Sebastian already so close to her made him feel possessive. He knew Sebastian would never hurt her, but still seeing her was a potential risk to both of them and shattering the perfect world he made with Emelia.

“Outside the school on the grounds, she was with Imelda heading to the Quidditch Pitch,” Sebastian answered hastily, noticing that Ominis was beyond serious. Sebastian’s back hit a pillar, trying to escape his friend’s rising fury. “When did they bring back Quidditch anyway? This year?” he wondered excitedly, hoping to ease the fire within Ominis; he always wanted to join and thought he’d be a good beater.

“Focus! When did you see her?” Ominis exclaimed now standing in front of him, grabbing Sebastian by his collar, his demeanor hostile; even without his wand, he felt his friends behavior grow fearful, hearing Sebastian’s breathing uneven, slightly panicked.

“This morning when I went to take a walk,” Sebastian replied almost tripping over his words, leaning away from Ominis’ face; their faces were so close that both men could feel each other’s heated breath.

“And you’re sure she didn’t see you?” Ominis asked doubtfully, glaring his eyes towards his friend. Sebastian met Ominis’ cloudy eyes but knew they were staring right at him.

Sebastian nodded quickly. “Yes, I promise. She didn’t see me,” he reassured his companion, “I swear!”

For a few seconds, Ominis tried to detect and sense any deceit but Sebastian, unfortunately, was being honest with him.

He let out a frustrated sigh and lightly pushed Sebastian back against the pillar, and taking a few steps forward, reaching out with his hand to feel the table and make his way back to his chair.

Sebastian watched his friend, straightening his collar.

Ominis slammed himself down on the chair letting out a relieved sigh, rubbing his forehead, feeling a headache coming.

The pair didn’t say anything, letting the music fill the space.

“I’m sorry, Ominis,” Sebastian apologized, but he didn’t know why he was apologizing; they weren’t together, so why did it feel like they were?

Sebastian realized that all the time that he’s known him, he’s never been this protective of someone before; the way he spoke about her and always in constant worry about her.

Did Ominis…fancy her?

He shook that thought from his mind and scoffed.

No, they’re just friends and he’s protective of his friends, Sebastian persuaded himself; Ominis was protective over his friends – him and Anne were prime examples.

He nodded and gazed towards Ominis, his wand in front of him; his arms laying over the other while his eyes stared off to the side of him.

“I’m sorry,” Sebastian repeated.

Ominis didn’t move from his stone-like position.

“No, I must apologize,” he clarified, lowering his head further into his chin. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”

Ominis genuinely believed her when she said she had seen Sebastian in Hogsmeade that day but was terrified that his return will sway her attention, her gaze off him and turn towards Sebastian again and remain there like last time; he’d be a mere friend yet again, stuck in the background, a second choice compared to Sebastian.

“I understand,” Sebastian said quietly, lowering his head a tad.

He knew Ominis was extremely protective and why wouldn’t he? He had hurt Emelia, caused her indescribable pain – of course, Ominis would react this way; he even would if it was the other way around.

The music played between the silence and Ominis got an idea.

“If…if she’s to meet you here…” Ominis rose to his feet to pace around, leaving his wand on the countertop, putting his index finger over his mouth while the other was placed on his hip, an idea coming to his mind; Sebastian followed his actions, standing and leaning against the table. “It needs to be calming and welcoming, not just a place that could potentially cause her to react destructively,” he continued his thought process, “have soothing music, maybe floating candles or fireflies because she loves how they light up and make the scenery beautiful; hmm…maybe we can find those glowing butterflies she told us about, we can light up the room in a gentle way; maybe have some of her favorite snacks or…”

He agreed; Ominis’ voice explaining more possible ideas slowly died down to the background and Sebastian tried to think of way to make it all perfect – just for her; however, would it keep her from running away or having another breakdown?

Sebastian bit his bottom lip and was convinced he could come up with something like that in no time, just needed time to plan it out and most importantly, how to get everything.

The freckled boy lifted his attention to Ominis who continued to spout out ideas, walking back and forth, seeing a mix of emotions play on his friend’s face as he spoke out loud.

“Flowers maybe…? No, she says they die too quickly. Should I ask Imelda…or Poppy? Absolutely not, they’ll probably tell her I asked; Imelda will surely laugh about it. Oh, I wonder if Natty would know…what about Garreth, he’d…ugh, no, no! Definitely not! Come on, dammit, Gaunt, think! You know her by now, why is this so bloody hard?” he scolded himself, his hands behind his head, clenching fistfuls of his perfectly combed hair, but then slumping his shoulders in defeat and letting his arms gravitate down by his sides.

Sebastian grinned, folding his arms over his chest in amusement. ”You care a lot for Emelia more than you let on, mate; to think about the things she adores and hates, to consider her feelings and how she thinks, to keep her heart from hurting anymore – even from me,” Sebastian acknowledged, a tug on both his mouth stretched to a small smile, pride filling his heart; he imagined if in the future, they do end up together, he knew she’d be in good hands.

He'd be envious but he’d sincerely be happy for them.

Hearing Sebastian’s words, Ominis reminisced on his disgraceful and perverted act last night in the shower when he was thinking of his innocent dove.

He rapidly shook his head, his face turning red by the memory. “I just never want to witness her crying like that again. You’d do the same thing if you experienced it yourself, but I hope you never do,” Ominis stated sincerely, feeling a helplessness whenever he thought back to Emelia’s collapse, her sobs still heard, echoing vividly in his mind.

Sebastian saw the pain in his face, almost like he was feeling her pain as well whenever he recalled it; he understood Ominis’ compassion towards wanting him to avoid encountering such a thing.

Ominis shook his head. “We’ll…think of something, but right now there are other things that we should prioritize,” he said seriously, walking back to the table.

“Like what?” Sebastian wondered, tilting his head to him.

Reaching the table, Ominis felt the smoothness of the tabletop and curled his fingers under the desk, glancing in Sebastian’s direction, giving him a bewildered look. “Your studies, of course,” he simply replied, “you’ve got a lot of catching up to you,” he teased with a playful grin.

“You’re…really going to help me?” Sebastian questioned in shock.

“If I didn’t, who would?” his friend joked, grasping his wand, “besides, if I don’t, Professor Weasley would know about it somehow; that woman knows everything that happens here,” Ominis observed as he walked towards a bigger space of the undercroft. “Come on,” he beckoned with his head.

Sebastian laughed, entertained; he took his wand and basically ran around the long table to stand a few feet away from Ominis. He had the most massive smirk plastered on his face since he’d been released; he thought he’d never grin this big ever again, but of course, friends bring it out of you. “I’m ready,” he said enthusiastically, getting in a dueling stance.

“Show me what you’ve got, Sallow,” Ominis challenged, wand at the ready, beaming a wide smile that made him recall childhood with Sebastian and their friendly sparing matches. “Let’s see if you are still the best duelist at Hogwarts.”

--

Chapter Text

I couldn’t concentrate to save my life.

I was in the Room of Requirement attempting to study more on my Ancient Runes for class; I had showered from Imelda dragging me out to do some quidditch practice, but it wasn’t making any sense because my mind was preoccupied and couldn’t help but think about it – if Ominis and I had kissed.

I needed to know.

I had to ask him.

I let Alistair out of his enclosure to explore the tabletop while I was reading; he slithered towards me with his tongue going in and out, softly hissing at me every so often.

“Do you think Ominis kissed me?” I asked the reptile, my head leaning in my palm.

He just twisted his head and gently moved towards me, pecking his nose and flicking his tongue on my cheek.

I giggled. “Not you, sweetie,” I grinned, giving him a small kiss on his head in return, “but thanks,” I appreciated, my cheeks blushing from the simple gesture; I stroked his smooth scales, and he went off to explore again.

Shaking my semi-dried hair, I exhaled heavily, trying to gather up the courage to ask Ominis, not to mention, how I’m even going to bring it up.

Without giving me any time to think, Ominis strode in, a hand at the back of his neck, stretching his head from side to side; he groaned, closing the door, looking exhausted.

“Hey, are you alright?” I asked, standing from my seat, walking towards him, concerned for his well-being.

He stopped in the middle of the room, hand falling from to his side; the left side of his face was covered in soot.

Where did he go?

“I’m completely fine,” he replied with a grin, “just practicing our new spells from Charms on some dummies,” he answered, a soft chuckle escaped his lips as if he was telling an inside joke.

“Well, I bet you showed them,” I teased, smirking.

“I did,” he stated proudly, puffing up his chest a bit.

I laughed. “Well, with all that excitement, you didn’t seem to notice the aftermath,” I informed him, gazing at his left cheek.

“What do you mean?” he asked, his brows furrowed in question.

I chuckled, raising my hand up to place on the left side of his face, rubbing away the grime with my thumb. “You have some ash on you,” I muttered, focused on cleaning his cheek.

He stiffened surprised but soon relaxed, leaning forward to me, making sure I got it all.

His whole body seemed to ease when I touched his warm, smooth skin. As I cleaned his cheek delicately, I felt his strong cheekbones underneath and saw his beautiful moles; I slid my eyes to his mesmerizing cloudy ones and wondered how he’d see me if he had sight, if his eyes would still glisten when he saw me like they did when he heard me speak. Turning my eyes downward towards his lips, I swallowed hard, feeling drawn to them again like I was when I was intoxicated; they were beckoning me.

I didn’t know I stopped rubbing his face until his warm hand grasped mine and held it gently against his cheek, leaning into my palm affectionately.

My mouth dried and I gulped a huge lump in my throat. “O…Ominis,” I started, “I need to ask you something…”

“What is it, my princess?” he asked in a faint voice; something in the way he said that made a chill go up my spine. His eyelids drooped, and eyes bored into mine almost like he was looking directly at me.

“When you were taking care of me…” I began, taking my time.

“Mmm…” was all Ominis hummed, caressing my hand lightly with his fingers; I don’t even think he heard what I said.

“Did we…” I was hesitant, trying not to focus on his gentle touches. “Did we kiss?” I finished, my voice barely audible.

Ominis’ eyes widened in shock, taking his hand away, blinking quickly and averting his eyes from mine.

He took a few steps back and went to where his bed was, sitting on the edge of it.

“Sorry,” I immediately apologized, going back to the desk; Alistair was looking at me with curiosity. I picked him up and held him in my arms, petting his scaly body to calm my nerves, “I have this memory of us staring like…like we were…but I don’t remember anything after that,” I tried to explain without sounding crazy.

Ominis listened with his hands fidgeting with his waistcoat.

He licked his lips, placing his hands to either side of him, closing his eyes, brows creased together and sighing in defeat. “No, dove, we didn’t,” he confirmed honestly, reopening his lids halfway to look in my direction.

There was my answer.

Strangely, his response didn’t make me feel better; if anything, it made me feel sad and disappointed.

I wished…he had kissed me.

Alistair seemed to stare up at me with his blue eye, flicked his tongue and hissed.

I forced a grin, stroking the top of his head softly, and shook my head, knowing I couldn’t let Ominis know.

We were just friends. and if he knew I had some feelings starting to develop for him, he might act differently around me; we wouldn’t be the same as we are now, and I didn’t want that to change because of my stupid mistake.

I nodded and did my best to sound and act like my usual self by the reply. “Oh, okay…” I said, “thanks and sorry again about last night,” I apologized with regret, still feeling bad the Ominis had to watch over me in such a vulnerable state.

Ominis’ demeanor seemed to have relaxed. “I told you I’d always take care of you,” he grinned a warm smile at me, “oh, and Anne has your bags from yesterday,” he informed, standing from the bed to take off his coat and tossing it on the bed, instantly waving his wand to summon his tea set.

“Ah, I was wondering where my bags went,” I stated, scoffing, “thanks again. You don’t mind if I pop by to see the girls, do you? I was trying to study but I think I might need a break,” I told him, wanting to get out before I said or did anything I might regret.

“Not at all,” Ominis answered, taking a sip of his made tea, “did you want tea before you leave? I can make another cup,” he asked, turning his attention to me.

I shook my head. “No, I’m good; I’ll try to not be too long,” I informed considerately.

“Don’t worry about me, you have fun, just no drinking this time; I’ll be here,” he reassured, placing his cup down and approached me with his red flickering wand; he noticed I was holding Alistair. “You might have to leave him though,” he advised jokingly, holding out his free hand to me.

I gave a sad groan and gave Alistair to Ominis.

I changed from my pajamas to casual slacks and shirt with my wand, preparing to go to the Slytherin common room.

“You sure you’ll be alright without me?” I wondered, stroking Alistair’s body in Ominis’ arms; I stared up to Ominis’ perfect face.

Why do I want to kiss him right now?

He brushed the side of my head with his lips, giving it a quick peck. “We’ll be alright,” he flushed, grinning wider.

I didn’t like leaving Ominis, but I knew if he needed me, he’d let me know.

Gazing up at those inviting eyes of his, I tiptoed and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be back soon. You boys don’t have too much fun without me,” I grinned, warmth rising to my cheeks; I spun around quickly and exited the secret room.

The entire way to the common room, I felt my face was beet red with embarrassment.

Ugh, what’s wrong with me?

Why did I want to kiss Ominis again? I wasn’t even drunk!

When did I start liking Ominis anyway?

Wait – do I like him? Love him? In love with him?

Oh, what the fuck am I saying?

I tried to think about when it happened, but I don’t know specifically when.

It could’ve been when he took care of me in the undercroft last year, when he gave me the bracelet, our exchanged letters from the summer or the thousands of moments I had with him, his considerate acts he’s done for me, comforting him whenever he was in a dark place, our heart-to-heart talks, the little moments like the ones we had when he healed me in the Astronomy tower, smiling and laughing about something trivial, feeling his warmth when hugging him, kissing his cheek or him kissing mine…

I sighed sadly.

I found myself in front of the common room entrance, the giant snake revealing the door.

Staring down at my bracelet with the beautiful red camellia, thinking back to Ominis and remembering how nervous he was when giving me his thoughtful gift; it was so cute. I’ve never received anything like this from anyone; I truly adored it so much, cherishing it with my life.

I straightened my back and reminisced of all the times that Ominis made me feel warm; it swelled my chest, filling my heart with happiness.

Knowing that Ominis cared for me was enough to get me through any day.

I exhaled and went through the door. I walked down the stairs and heard Imelda, Grace and Anne laughing in the lounge by the windows. Anne and Grace were slouching on either side of the couch, holding their heads and groaning. Imelda was the first to notice me.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Slytherin’s legendary beater finally gracing us with her presence,” she spoke out loud, out stretching her arms wide, “I thought for sure Gaunt was going to keep you all to himself after what happened yesterday,” she teased me as I approached them.

I let out a chuckle. “Oh, come on, he’s not that strict,” I protested, taking a seat in between Anne and Grace; they sluggishly greeted me, holding their heads.

Imelda rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and I’m not the best flyer and chaser for our Quidditch team,” she pointed out.

“Last time I checked, I still have you beat in those flying courses,” I declared, looking away but peeking at her reaction; she rolled her eyes with a beaten smile.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Alright Starke, you ready for another practice on Wednesday?” she asked, changing topics.

“Another practice?” I questioned in disbelief, sitting back, feeling Anne and Grace’s shoulders against mine, already exhausted by the conversation, “it better not just be the two of us this time. No offense, you’re a great friend and all but I think practicing with the team would be ideal.”

Imelda laughed. “Of course it is. I already asked Madam Kogawa to reserve us two hours for practice that day.”

“Fucking two hours?!” I sat up, more alert, “We can’t need practice that much! I mean, it’s Ravenclaw we’re up against, what are they gonna do? Throw books at us during the match?”

“They can outsmart us cause those cheeky fuckers are creative with their plays,” Imelda informed, pointing outward for more emphasis.

I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be there to cheer you on, even if it’s only practice!” Anne encouraged with a grin, taking a swig of her glass of water, “right, Grace?”

Twisting my head to Grace, who was caught off guard, mid-sip of her own glass. “Uh…” was all she said.

I turned back to Anne, snickering, raising my eyebrows at her.

“We’ll be there,” Anne promised, ignoring her friends’ bewildered response.

“Well, I guess I don’t have a choice now; I’d hate for you guys to waste your time,” I groaned defeated.

“Hey, you either can practice Wednesday with the team or we can go and practice tomorrow solely with me and we’ll go twice as hard than we did today,” she grinned cunningly, hands on her hips with triumph.

I slumped back, putting my hand over my face. “Ugh, fine. Whatever you say, captain,” I conceded.

Imelda smirked bigger, folding her arms over her chest arrogantly.

I rolled my eyes again.

“Emelia, how are you not suffering from a hangover?” Grace asked me.

“Oh, I was. I puked even!” I said honestly, “Ominis took care of me.”

Imelda laughed. “I bet he did,” she teased, smirking smugly.

Anne got up from her seat gradually, holding her head in her hand while the other held her drink.

“Hey, Em, I have your stuff from Hogsmeade in our room, want me to get them for you while I’m up there?” Anne offered, taking a step away from the couch.

I stood. “Oh no, I can come with you.”

I waved to Grace and Imelda and followed Anne to our dorm; Anne was telling me about how her headache wouldn’t go away, no matter how much water she drank or how long she slept.

“Here,” I gave her a wiggenweld potion from my hidden satchel as we entered our dorm, “believe it or not, this helps,” I told her, “I speak from experience.”

She laughed, taking the bottle. “Huh, no wonder Ominis stays by your side,” she said, walking to her bed and grabbing my bags from Hogsmeade.

“What?” I shouted a little too loudly.

“He’ll never get hurt or sick,” she finished, drinking the potion as she brought the bags to the center of the room. “Ahh, that definitely helped a lot! My headache’s slowly going away. Thank you!” she appreciated relieved, putting my stuff on the floor and giving me a hug.

I embraced her back.

For some odd reason, I thought she meant Ominis stayed for another purpose.

I tossed the ridiculous idea from my mind, and we continued talking as I took out my purchases from Gladrags; I got new tops, jackets, slacks and even a few skirts and a dress.

Anne liked them all, complimenting me on my sense of style, showing off the purchases she got; I loved everything she bought from Hogsmeade.

I’m not sure how long we were up there, but as I folded the last of my clothes, Anne sat patiently and we talked about our time since the beginning of the school year, entertained about certain moments together or the time we convinced the Bloody Baron to chase Peeves around the school, after we promised to move Rowena Ravenclaw’s portrait to a more secluded location behind a hidden door in the South Wing of the school, so he can admire her; it was moving to see he truly loved her with all his heart and soul, however, she, unfortunately, didn’t return his affections.

We remember holding our stomachs as our laughing echoed the room; we couldn’t believe we pulled it off, not to mention, didn’t think the Bloody Baron himself would even consider doing something as childish as that. However, somehow the portrait went back to its original place; Anne and I apologized to the Bloody Baron, telling him we didn’t move it nor tell anyone about what we did, he believed us and gave us his everlasting thanks.

We were reminiscing about when we tricked Duncan Hobhouse because we caught him speaking cruelly about Ominis with Peeves, rhymes and all, so as revenge, we told him Professor Hecat was needing to talk to him in her office, and there was a boggart waiting for him in the classroom, transforming into a puffskein; it chased him out into the courtyard and even ran towards the Hogwarts grounds.

Ominis heard everything and laughed so hard for weeks; Anne and I were glad to see him smile since he had been down prior to that over a letter his family sent him, which he didn’t talk about with either of us.

We told Ominis it was cause Peeves was getting on our nerves, which was half truthful, but wanted the real intent to be kept secret between us.

We snorted at the memories, holding our hands to our mouths to keep from being too loud.

After I organized my clothes in my trunk and drawers, I tossed the bag in our shared trash by the entrance of the room.

“That’s gorgeous…” Anne sudden complimented, her voice in awe.

I turned my head to her. “Huh?”

I noticed her staring downward; I followed her gaze and saw she was looking at the jewelry.

“Your bracelet,” she specified with a warm smile.

“Oh yeah! I’m sooo in love with it! Ominis gave it to me for Christmas,” I stated proudly, holding up my arm, lightly grazing the flowers petals.

Anne stood, walking towards me; I extended my arm to have her touch and get a closer look at it. “What kind of flower is that?” she wondered, gently grasping my wrist and sliding her fingers along the band and cautiously touching the flower petals.

I blushed, thinking of Ominis’ nickname for me.

“My little camellia….my sweet camellia….my camellia…” Ominis’ voice whispered in my mind.

My face reddened more at the thought; I shunned it away.

“It’s a red camellia,” I answered, “well, more specifically, a Middlemist’s red camellia flower, named after John Middlemist, who found the flower in China and transported it back to England almost a hundred years ago; Ominis told me it’s one of the rarest flowers in the world, it symbolizes uniqueness, perseverance, passion, grace and beauty.”

Anne grinned wide, softly brushing against the flexible, real-like petals. “Well, he truly picked something that matches you perfectly.”

I scoffed. “You think so?”

“Absolutely, he seems to have thought about it extremely thoroughly – meaning and all,” she replied, nodding, letting go of my wrist and standing straight.

I brought my wrist to my chest, gawking at the stunning flower and felt my face flush.

“If you think Ominis getting me this is amazing, I’ll have to show you Alistair,” I informed excitedly.

Anne’s eyes widened, creasing her eyebrows together. “Alistair? Who’s Alistair?”

I chuckled. “I’ll show you when we go to the room later, deal?”

“Deal!”

We both laughed.

“I think we better head back down, Grace is probably getting the whole history of Quidditch and the names of every player since it began,” I encouraged, snickering at the thought as I opened the door to exit our common room.

Anne chuckled, standing and followed behind me as we left and closed the door, going back downstairs where, sure enough, Imelda was going on about someone named Bowman Wright, the inventor of the Golden Snitch; instead of using Snidgets, he created something just as small and enchanting it to mimic the movements and flight patterns of a magic creatures.

Poor Grace was spread out along the couch in a lazy manner, having no choice but to listen to Imelda passionately go on and on; Anne and I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Imelda stopped mid-explanation to glare at us, but Anne and I shrugged it off.

We sat on the other seats around the couch and talked about what to expect for the rest of the school year; we continued chatting for a solid hour and a half before Anne and I made an excuse to leave to work on our schoolwork. Grace and Imelda were debating if they should do the same but chose otherwise, deciding to stay in the common room and relax, calling us ‘overachievers’ as we prepared to leave. We said our farewells and Anne and I were off to the Room of Requirement.

As we were making our way to the secret room, we talked about how half of sixth year already came and went; we couldn’t wrap our heads around it, it had come and gone so fast! We recalled our moments of school so far, even transitioning of Anne telling me what Sebastian was like during childhood and how he was during the school year before I attended.

“He was such a mischievous little runt; he’d try to fool our parents into thinking both he and I were too sick to go to school because we were twins and ‘felt’ each other’s condition,” she giggled at the memory, “of course, our parents knew that wasn’t true, but they were kind enough to let us get away with it a couple times and read to us because that’s what they did when we were sick; it was nice staying home with them and simply being together. To be honest, I think he did that because Ominis was furious with him and he didn’t want to face him the following day or two,” Anne grinned, looking off into the distance as we walked into the DADA tower.

I scoffed. “That sounds like something Sebastian would do. Ominis is terrifying when he’s angry,” I agreed, swaying my head and thinking back to the few moments I’ve witnessed Ominis infuriated, “I’m glad you have a pleasant memory like that though.”

“There’s a whole bunch I have,” she spoke softly, “like…Sebastian sneaking into the girls dormitory to take care of me when I was actually sick, he’d read to me just like our parents did; another one is where he stayed up with me all day and night, encouraging me to keep studying when I wanted to give up or…him promising Ominis he’d protect him the next time his family did a surprise visit to Hogwarts, cause last time…he found Ominis shaking and crying in the dorm shower, the water falling and drenching poor Ominis…Sebastian didn’t know how long he’d been there…” Anne paused, standing still and sighed, her face contorting at the recollection; I stopped beside her, patiently waiting, but the story of Ominis crying…shaking because of the torment he probably went through because of his family – something sharp clenched at my heart and the deepest part of my soul, twisting it and tempting to shatter at the mere thought alone.

“I didn’t know that...he…never told me…” I muttered, trying to rein in my anger, squeezing my fist so hard that I felt my nails digging.

I tightened my jaw, struggling to regulate my breathing.

I felt an intensifying rage boil from within me, an uncontrollable wrath wanting to be unleashed at his wretched, arrogant and pretentious family, to cast any and every spell I knew, even the Unforgivables, against them to get revenge for what they’ve done to Ominis in the past and continue to do to him now.  There were moments his traumatic memories would come to the surface, he’d be isolated, trapped in his mind, silent, his body shaking and flinched at the slightest touch; I didn’t know what to do for him besides holding and rubbing his hand, hugging him tightly, soothing him the best I could with my gentle whispers and reassurances that I was there, that I wasn’t going anywhere – that he was safe.

“Ominis never told me. I only knew cause of Sebastian and swore me to secrecy,” she admitted, putting up her pinky finger, “promise you won’t tell Ominis that you know.”

I wrapped my pinky around hers. “I promise.”

She nodded and gradually continued walking; I followed right beside her. “Sebastian vowed that he’d get stronger and protect everyone he loved. Sebastian was always there for me and Ominis no matter what was going on in his life; it was just the way he was, always so big-hearted, compassionate and dependable for those he cared for. He never wanted anyone to feel discouraged or alone.”

I didn’t say anything; I just nodded, simply looking back to where the undercroft was.

I hadn’t gone there in a while, recalling back when Sebastian would tag along as I simply read when I was having a dreadful day or just didn’t want to talk and be around anyone; he didn’t say a lot, but he told me that he was there for me if I ever wanted to talk. We enjoyed each other’s company and silence during that time; I remember thanking him afterwards, not with my words, but with a tight and meaningful embrace.

I can still recall his scent: cinnamon, old books, sandalwood, a spicy aroma that would fill my body with warmth, and his signature smell made me think of a cozy fireplace.

Before this, I almost forgot Sebastian’s scent.

As we headed towards the stairs of the Astronomy Tower, Anne’s voice echoed the halls. “There’s one memory in particular about Sebastian that makes me feel safe, protected and loved,” she informed, her head turned towards me.

I tilted mine back at her. “Which memory is that?” I asked curiously.

Anne smiled wide then, her eyes lighting up at the thought. “The one where I actually was the one to suggest we sneak into the restricted section during our second year because I was curious on what was down there. Ominis, obviously, wasn’t a fan of the idea and tried to stay out of it, advising that we just stay in the Undercroft…but I was too curious when I was younger and didn’t heed his warnings. We snuck in successfully during a weekend, undetected by Scribner, who was preoccupied upstairs, and we were amazed by so many books and fascinated over the information we read, ones that not even the professors would teach us, but me being clumsy, I knocked over something and Peeves heard it, and tattled to the librarian. I remember Sebastian had pushed me behind a bookshelf and told me to stay quiet no matter what, and that was the first time he got caught, and since then, he and Scribner have been at odds,” Anne explained as we headed up the stairs of the Astronomy Tower.

I blushed at the story, remembering when he and I were caught last year; he taught me a new spell and helped me sneak into the restricted section, but Peeves found us – he covered for me, defended me without even really knowing me. He was selfless and loyal to a fault.

I knew I could put my trust in him then.

The memory enclosed my heart in sadness.

I could tell Anne had the same feeling, reminiscing back to those memories, her eyes were unfocused, her mouth slightly pulled down at the corners.

“I wish he was here…” she uttered in a low voice.

I sighed, wanting the same thing; I lightly shoved her shoulder with mine as we tackled the never-ending stairs.

“Hey, I’m sure if he were here, we’d all be in competition for who has the better grades,” I stated, trying to cheer her up.

A small smile appeared. “Yeah, but I think we’re all fairly smart, perhaps we should see who has the most failed classes and go from there,” she thought out, “for example, mine would be Herbology and Astronomy.”

“Hmm, you have a point.” I put a finger on my lips, thinking about it. “I think mine would probably be Herbology too, but we both know what Ominis is worst at.”

We stopped, peeking at each other with a knowing grin.

“Potions!” we said at the same time, giggling amused; our laughter booming throughout the tower.

Anne straightened up, composing herself. “You know, Sebastian was never bad at anything. Whatever he set his mind to, he’d perfect it as his own, but if I had to think of a class, it’d be…History of Magic,” she chuckled, “he was always dozing off or sleeping in that class.”

She and I laughed.

“Ominis and I have that this year, and I think next year too,” I stated, making a face, “but thankfully whenever I fall asleep, Ominis is nice enough to take notes for me and vice versa,” I finished with a warm smile.

“He’s very thoughtful of you.”

“He really is,” I concurred, my face heating up from the kind gesture.

Anne grins at me, looking at the stairs in front of her. “You two are so caring and affectionate for each other; I’m a bit jealous cause I think your bond is stronger than his and mine now,” she nervously stated.

“Pshh, no!” I objected, swatting a hand at her, “he’s know you longer and trusts you since he can remember. You’ve given him wonderful memories and experiences that I can’t give him; for instance, his first actual Christmas and New Year’s was with you and Sebastian. I remember him telling me about it and the new things he sensed, touched and ate…I can’t have him experience anything for the first time anymore. He’s done it all!” I informed, a stabbing pain pierced my heart by the honesty I spoke.

Anne stopped when we reached the top of the stairs; I halted next to her, shocked by her sudden break.

Her body faced me, expression serious. “No, he hasn’t, Em. Trust me; there’s something you can have him experience for the first time.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, bending a leg and leaning to one side. “Oh? Like what, flying on a broom?”

She chuckled, covering her mouth with her palm. “That’s one of them.”

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head in denial, walking towards the empty wall; the door to the secret room appeared and we entered.

Closing the door, we walked into the main room and saw Ominis had make-shifted a couch and a small coffee table; he was drinking his tea and using his wand to read a textbook for Mr. Binns class.

“Hello, ladies,” Ominis welcomed, his eyes raised from their concentrated gaze.

“Ominis,” Anne greeted back, “studious as always,” she observed, sitting next to him.

He smirked at her. “Well, of course; one doesn’t get the best scores in class by sitting around,” he mocked pridefully.

She scoffed.

I didn’t see Alistair wandering free; I supposed Ominis most likely put him back in his cage.

“Close your eyes,” I told Anne; she followed my instructions.

As soon as I knew her eyes were closed completely, she and Ominis conversed about what we’ve been doing in the common room.

I made my way to his enclosure to see if he was in there.

He was.

He was coiled up in the same log I found him in the first time Ominis showed him to me.

I smiled and opened his door, beckoning him to come to me.

He complied happily; I brought him up to close to my face.

“Hey, sweetie,” I murmured cheerfully; he nuzzled his head onto my cheek, hissing softly. “Shh…” I encouraged him, stroking his head and under his chin.

Alistair closed his eyes as he enjoyed the soothing scratches I was giving him.

I went back to where Anne was.

I sat on the coffee table, holding Alistair carefully in my arms, his body coiled around my forearms.

“What are we doing, Emelia?” Ominis questioned with curiosity.

“I’m showing Alistair,” I replied proudly.

He scoffed. “Ah,” he said with a single nod.

Turning my attention back to Anne. “Alright, ready, Anne?” I asked.

“Yes!” she answered, caution in her tone.

Ominis closed his book, putting his hand over the other, waiting to hear Anne’s reaction.

“Okay! Open!” I said excitedly.

Anne opened her eyes and saw me holding Alistair and yelped a bit, moving back, gripping Ominis’ arm in surprise.

Ominis laughed to himself.

“I…is that a snake?” she asked, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.

“No, it’s a bear,” I responded sarcastically; I saw Ominis roll his eyes with an amused grin.

She stretched her lips into a thin line and glared at me.

I chuckled, smiling wide, holding up the reptile. “Anne, this is Alistair,” I introduced, “he’s half blind, as you can probably tell, he only sees from the right side,” I stated, bringing him closer to her.

After Anne collected herself, she leaned forward and observed Alistair, seeing both sides of his face.

“Ominis, you got this for Em?” Anne questioned in disbelief, continuing to examine Alistair.

He nodded proudly. “Yes; don’t worry, he’s harmless.”

“Ominis can talk to him!” I informed.

Anne raised an eyebrow, her eyes gliding along Alistair’s scales. “I’m not surprised; Ominis and his family have that gift.”

“Mmm…” Ominis shrugged at the word ‘gift’.

“He’s adorable and quite the flirt,” I added, distracting Ominis’ mind away from his family; Alistair looked up at me. “What? You are!” I stared at the reptile with a knowing expression; he waved his head left and right acknowledging that I wasn’t wrong.

Alistair hisses at both me and Anne.

Ominis suddenly rolled his eyes, resting his hand on the armrest and leaning his head against his knuckles.

“He says, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Anne,” Ominis spoke with an annoyed tone.

Anne chuckled. “Well, it’s nice to meet you too, Alistair,” she said.

Alistair hissed again.

Ominis groaned. “Really?”

We both looked at him.

“What did he say?” I wondered.

“Something ridiculous,” he replied, shifting his head away from us and towards the opposite side of the room.

Alistair hissed louder, almost like he was complaining.

“No!” Ominis protested.

Anne and I looked at each other, trying to keep our laughter in, watching their interaction and finding it entertaining.

Alistair hissed one more time.

Ominis grunted. “Ugh, I’m getting bullied by a damn snake of all things,” he muttered, rubbing his temple in small circles.

We waited for Ominis to speak.

“He says, you’re just as breathtaking as Emelia,” he announced, his face still gazing away, shaking his head in disappointment.

Anne burst out laughing. “Now I know you’re lying,” she said, pushing Ominis by his shoulder; she shifted her head to Alistair, who’s staring back at her, and see him nod.

I saw her eyes widen in shock, looking between me, Alistair and Ominis.

“Flirtatious and bold, I see,” she scoffed, smirking impressed.

“Wanna hold him?” I offered.

“Can I?” Anne asked eagerly, sitting closer to the edge of the couch.

“Of course!”

I handed Alistair off to Anne gently and she held him with more confidence than I did the first time.

She raised him up as his head dangled lower than his body. “You’re definitely not what I expected to see when Em told me about you,” she told the reptile; she looked up at me. “Where did you even find him?”

I snapped my eyes to the perfect, blonde-haired prince.

“Ominis?” I merely said, queuing him to explain.

Ominis sighed, spinning his head back to us and told Anne the story of how Alistair stumbled upon him.

As Ominis was telling the story, I witnessed Anne holding Alistair delicately, never stopping her gentle strokes along his head and body, he closed his eyes in joy; I felt happy to see Anne smiling and worry-free – her usual self.

“I thought you were talking about a cat or having another owl since you have so many letters coming to you,” Anne stated, speaking her thoughts, stroking Alistair’s body, “ah, which reminds me, Professor Weasley sent you a letter,” she informed, her eyes gazing downward towards the snake.

“Oh, I didn’t even notice when I was there; I’ll look at it later,” I assured her with a grin.

I noticed Ominis was stiff as a board.

“You alright, Ominis?” I questioned, tilting my head; Anne turned to face him, the same curious look.

Ominis snaps out of his dazed state. “Huh? Oh, yes, sorry; just anxious about classes coming up.”

Anne and I looked at each other in mild uncertainty; I didn’t quite believe him, but I let it slide.

We were talking amongst each other for about an hour and a half before Anne said she had to take her leave.

“I know Grace said that she was just going to relax but that girl needs motivation to do her divination homework, she’s worse than Ominis is at potions,” she taunted jokingly, poking at Ominis’ sides.

Ominis grinned and I chuckled, a fist over my mouth.

Anne passed Alistair back to me, feeling his warm underbelly on my arms, adjusting himself to a more comfortable position; I chuckled a bit, tickled by his subtle movements.

She stood, hugging Ominis and I briefly, saying her goodbyes, and thanking us for introducing her to Alistair and hangout; she wished us luck after winter break since we didn’t have a lot of the same classes together, and we hoped the same for her. Anne grinned between the two of us, waving once more and went out through the door, leaving Ominis and I in the room again.

I felt shame suddenly come over me, thinking about what I asked Ominis earlier – if we kissed…and the single moment where I had my hand on his face and his hand over mine.

Shoving the thought out of my head, I focused on the present.

I was about to say something, but Ominis spoke first. “Dove, do you know what time it is?” he asked me.

I gazed at the nearby clock above the entrance.

“It’s about five in the evening,” I answered, “why?”

He instantly stood, placing the book he was reading on the coffee table. “I have an errand to run,” he replied, “I promise I’ll be back soon.”

I stood from the coffee table, holding Alistair securely against my body with one hand. “Oh, it’s kind of late for an errand,” I expressed my thoughts, “but, o-okay,” I accepted sadly, “be safe.”

Ominis smirked, holding his arm out to me; I took a step closer to him and as soon as he felt my waist, he pulled me in a quick hug and kissed my forehead. “I’ll be safe, just for you,” he smiled down at me.

I blushed hard.

He’s always spoken to me this way; why is it now affecting me differently?

Ominis parted from me, his warmth fading as he used his wand to guide him out of the room.

I stared at the door where Ominis vanished through and sighed, slumping my shoulders a bit and bent my head down to look at Alistair, who was already gazing at me with worry.

“Don’t look at me like that; I’m fine,” I told him, walking to the desk I was at earlier this morning and placed him on the table as I did before.

Crossing my arms over each other on the table, putting my head down on them, I hid my face, sighing; I tried relieving all these bizarre emotions I started to notice.

I felt a light tap on my arm.

I peeked up and saw Alistair resting his head on my forearm, staring at me again.

“What is it?” I wondered, waiting for his reaction.

He scooted his head closer, his tongue sticking out every so often.

I grinned, raising my head up completely, keeping my arms where they were, gawking at the adorable snake.

“You really like Anne, don’t you?” I said, trying to steer clear of his visible concern for me.

Alistair’s small head nodded.

“Hmm, I knew you would; now you don’t have to be stuck with just me and Ominis all the time,” I laughed to myself.

His blue beady eye continued to stare at me.

I moved my arm he wasn’t resting on and softly stroked his head.

Afterwards, I conjured up a small piano and enchanted it to play, so it wasn’t too quiet within the room, and went back to studying, this time, I was more focused than before.

As my eyes glided through the pages, I took notes I thought were important, but soon they started to droop; it was getting harder and harder to stay awake until I passed out completely.

I didn’t know when I fell asleep, but when I felt a weight press on my shoulders, I shifted in my sleep; I was well aware of my body, my head was laying against my arms. I opened my eyes slightly, looking at my shoulders to find a blanket covering me. I was still half-asleep, my vision was a blur; I attempted to look towards the figure walking away from me, hearing the clacks of their shoes on the floor, and could only make out a head of blonde walking away from me.

“Ominis…” I breathed in a whisper.

I closed my eyes again with darkness awaiting me, leading me into a dream or nightmare – I never knew.

--

Chapter Text

Ugh!

I hated lying to Emelia.

Keeping things from her, especially stealing, made my chest ache with a pain I didn’t want to grow accustomed to; I could feel my soul twist in agony every time I told her I had to run an ‘errand’.

The errand was me going and helping Sebastian prepare for classes.

When I came back, Emelia had fallen asleep reading on the table, covered by a blanket; I carried her to lay her in bed, whispering to her promises that I hope to keep, begging for her forgiveness when the moment comes, to have pity on me and my heart, to understand I was only doing what was best for her.

Presently, I held the letter Professor Weasley had written to her.

Yes, I’d taken it when Anne was gone; I wasn’t proud of my actions, but I had to keep Emelia from finding out the truth.

I was in the middle of trying to figure out a plan. Classes started back tomorrow, and I couldn’t think of anything, for the life of me, how to explain to her that Sebastian was here.

I sighed in frustration as I sat in the undercroft with Sebastian practicing his newly learned spells in the widened space, the musical instruments playing a soft tune; my body leaned forward, elbows resting on my knees and my head in my hands, rubbing my face in irritation.

“Come on, mate; don’t look so glum,” Sebastian insisted, his voice fatigued by his relentless devotion to getting the charms right. “You beat me the other day fair and square; not many get to say that.”

I ignored him, recalling the day I returned from dueling him, there was apparent soot on my face that he didn’t tell me, but was secretly grateful for it; when I went back to the Room of Requirement, Emelia was there and she came up to me, and caringly wiped the ash from my face with her soft and gentle hand, rubbing her thumb on my blushing cheek; I bravely held her small hand in mine, not wanting her warmth to part from me.

We…shared something…

A moment…

Another of many I hoped to experience…

I felt myself slowly leaning in towards her, but then she brought me back to reality, asking about the night I took care of her – if we kissed.

I told her the truth.

I groaned, avoiding the memory; right now, I tried to think of something.

Anything.

“Ominis,” Sebastian’s voice called out to me.

I continued to pay him no mind.

“Ominis!” he hollered louder.

“What?” I asked annoyed, raising my head from my hands towards him, my elbows remaining on my knees.

“Hey, don’t bite my head off,” he said in surrender, “I’m just trying to get your attention since your mind’s elsewhere.”

“My mind wouldn’t have to be elsewhere if someone were to help me think of something instead of just me thinking of a plan like always!” I exclaimed exasperated, standing from my seat and pacing around, rising anger making itself known. “Classes resume tomorrow, Sebastian, and I’ve been struggling for days to think of something, and how to bring you up before Emelia! I had to steal this damned letter behind her back!” I shouted, waving the letter aggressively at him, “and I feel like I’m going mad just to keep her safe and happy!”

I heard Sebastian exhale heavily. “I-I’m sorry, Ominis...”

I exhaled heavily, standing still, clenching the envelope in my hand; I put the tip of my wand to the edge of it and lit it on fire with a heavy sigh.

I conjured a small bucket straight below the letter, and dropped the burning parchment, hearing it drop into the tin, I smelt the document’s scorching aroma gradually fill the air.

“You care a lot about her feelings; I see that now,” Sebastian observed in a low and pained tone.

My heart leapt when he spoke those words; it was true, but I didn’t want to admit it out loud, especially in front of Sebastian.

I ignored his comment.

“Please tell me you at least have an idea of how to make the undercroft presentable,” I stated with hope, lifting my head in his direction.

“I do have an idea actually, after everything you told me about Emelia – her likes, dislikes,” he said, sounding lost in his thoughts.

Stricken with jealousy, I felt my fist clench tightly, my fingernails digging deeper and deeper into the palm of my hand, face stern, trying to keep my expression neutral.

All this was for Emelia…for Emelia…I continuously repeated to myself.

I had to put these mysterious feelings aside and focus on helping Sebastian rebuild the friendship he had with my sweet princess; their friendship never bothered me before, so why does it burn at the thought of them talking and laughing together again?

I shook my head, continuing to pace around the room, my mind consuming me in attempting to come up with something probable.

“Ominis, I know you’re doing everything here, but could you clear your head for a minute and help me with these spells? The nonverbal ones, especially; I can’t seem to get it,” Sebastian asked timidly; I could hear him tapping his wand against his hand or arm, anxiously waiting for me to respond.

I straightened up, walking in his direction. “Which spells are you talking about?” I curiously asked, tilting my head to one side.

“Turning vinegar into wine, the reductor curse, the blackboard writing spell, which I don’t know why we need to know that one, just...all of it, like…why the fuck do I need a bubble-head charm for?” Sebastian questioned, hearing his arms fall and collide with his sides in defeat.

“Perhaps to help if I were to drown you for getting on my last nerve,” I suggested, rolling my eyes.

Sebastian sighed. “Alright, alright,” he said calmly, “just please help me…” he pleaded.

I exhaled a deep breath. “Nonverbal spells take a lot of concentration and mental discipline, which you lack,” I informed, walking a few feet of where I thought Sebastian stood and faced him. “Attack me with any spell,” I commanded.

“You sure?” he asked unsure.

“Yes, unless you’re scared, Sallow,” I taunted.

“Hmm,” he sounded, accepting the challenge. “Expelliarmus!”

I focused on the nonverbal incantations.

Protego!

I felt a strong sensation shield me from Sebastian’s attack and my wand remained in my hand.

“Wha…” Sebastian seemed astonished, “Glacius!” he spat out.

Protego! I hollered internally again, sensing the same protection around me.

He continued casting spells at me, but I defended and evaded with ease.

“Confringo!” Sebastian’s voice sounded irritated.

I ducked and rolled, bending my knee, extending my wand towards his direction.

Aguamenti!

I felt my wand shoot out water and hit Sebastian dead on.

“Pleh!” he exclaimed, hearing him take a few steps back, wiping his face and clothes.

Smirking, I rose to my feet triumphantly.

“Are you okay?” I wondered, my head turned towards him.

“Yeah…” my friend answered in defeat and annoyance.

I scoffed. “Of course, with nonverbal spells you wouldn’t know what the other person is going to cast, but this is practice,” I explained, “alright, let’s see if you can defend yourself against at least one spell,” I teased, grinning, preparing myself in a dueling stance.

“Ha, I’ll do you one better, if I defend myself against three – in a row – then you have to give Anne a letter for me,” he negotiated, sensing that he was smirking with arrogant confidence.

“Sebastian…” I warned, scrunching my face, worried of what the letter contained; if Anne were to get it, what would she do? How would she react?

“It’s just a letter, Ominis,” he whined, “please…”

“Hmm, fine. I accept,” I agreed with a similar pride he had earlier.

“Before we start…”

I heard the swish of his wand.

“For dramatic effect,” Sebastian stated slyly.

I was confused for a moment until I heard the small orchestra play a song befitting of the anticipated duel that was about to happen.

I rolled my eyes, amused by his theatrics.

“Want me to say the spells out loud or…?” I asked, thinking maybe it’ll be easier for him.

Sebastian puffed out an offended breath. “Don’t patronize me, mate,” he stated, “how am I to learn it if you don’t teach me properly?” he questioned, hearing a grin spread across his face.

I shrugged in surrender. “Alright, but remember, you asked for this,” I reminded, a sense of certainty and self-confidence coursed throughout my body.

An amused noise came from Sebastian’s throat.

“And remember, if I guard against three, then you have to give my letter to Anne,” he repeated to me.

I nodded once.

Grasping my wand tighter, I cast a simple nonverbal spell, flicking my wand.

Expelliarmus!

Immediately, I heard Sebastian gasp and his wand crash to the ground, a slight echo following behind.

“Ugh!” he grunted; I sensed him taking a few steps and grabbing his wand from the floor.

I softly snickered to myself, side smirking.

“Again!” Sebastian exclaimed, ready for the next one.

Stupefy! I hollered.

Sebastian didn’t grunt or anything.

“Ha!” my friend celebrated with glee.

I was proud of him – but could he do it two more times?

“Sweet, that wasn’t so hard,” he stated like it was nothing.

While he’s distracted…

I snapped my wand towards him.

Levioso!

Sebastian’s gleeful cheers altered to a surprised yelp. “Ahh!”

“Always keep your guard up until you’ve achieved your goal; no time to dawdle,” I advised, a smug grin pulling at the corners of my mouth.

If only Emelia could see me now…

“Fuck you,” he spat angrily.

I gave a faint smile, shaking my head and putting him down, his shoes colliding with the floor delicately. “You wanted to be taught properly, no?” I remembered, turning his words back at him.

Sebastian huffed; I could tell he was surely rolling his eyes.

“Okay, focus…come on,” I heard him mutter, encouraging himself that he can defend against three of my attacks.

Pride filled my chest again, understanding and now witnessing Sebastian’s efforts, reminiscing back to the words he’d spoken about wanting and proving to be better were true; his actions supported his words.

I prepared myself in a fighting stance once more.

We continued going back and forth in the undercroft; Sebastian would defend against some but failed to protect himself against others. He’d be close and shielded two of my assaults in a row, but the third one would always get shattered. I tried to give Sebastian pointers and advice, taunting and joking with him every now and then, in hopes it’ll motivate him to concentrate harder, but after a while, he was out of breath.

I knew he had a lot of catching up to do, and I knew I couldn’t be the only one to benefit him – I needed Emelia’s assistance. She caught up quickly during her fifth year, she could surely help Sebastian.

Help him…just the two of them…together…

The thought of them being alone in one room, once again, clutched my soul in its tightening grasp, slowly and painfully twisting it mercilessly. Their friendship shouldn’t bother me, and yet, my heart constricted when thinking of Emelia with or near any other man but me.

Am I this insecure?

Completely absurd!

Shaking my head impulsively to rid my mind of everything but assisting Sebastian, I continued casting spells.

A few minutes passed and my mind was clear and more focused, I decided to fake out my dear friend, pretending to cast an attack; I whipped my hand as if to attack.

Hearing Sebastian stagger, I flashed a pleased grin; when he noticed that he was tricked, he groaned. “Hey! That’s cheating!”

I chuckled, entertained by his childish comments. “Is it?”

Rictusempra! I whipped my wand.

Sebastian suddenly burst out in laughter; I heard him tumble to the ground, not halting his merriment, hearing a faint tapping of his wand on the cement.

I walked towards him.

“Om-Ominis! Ha ha ha, st-stop this!” Sebastian begged, “s-stop! Ha ha, I-I give, I give! Ha ha ha ha!” He couldn’t contain his amusement.

With everything he’s gone through, I’m glad his laughter sounded the same.

I relinquished the enchantment.

Finite incantatum.

Sebastian let out a relieved and exhausted sigh, and I sensed his body relaxing on the cold floor.

Well, he couldn’t defend against three attacks, but two was an improvement, and in a short time, no less.

He and Anne’s minds were certainly a mysterious wonder; I secretly thought they were geniuses, catching onto things quicker than most, their intellect and knowledge fascinated me so that I sometimes questioned why they weren’t put in Ravenclaw.

I waved my wand towards the instruments and resumed their classical melody; I put my wand away and extended my arm out for him to grab. Sebastian managed to grip it weakly, and we both groaned as I lifted him up to his feet.

After I knew he was stable, I went back to the table, sitting in my chair and sighed, resting my head against my hand.

Sebastian walked towards the furniture and grumbled as he aggressively sat in his chair, his shoes stomping the ground with a loud clack.

“Ugh!” he moaned, upset with himself, “I was sooo close!”

I scoffed at his complaint.

With a few moments of rest, I put my arm out to Sebastian, not saying a word.

“Ominis?” he questioned, undoubtedly confused.

“Give me the letter you wanted me to give to Anne,” I clarified, my head facing away from him as I spoke.

“But…I didn’t block three…” Sebastian began to say sadly, “I said – ”

I rolled my eyes, interrupting him. “You defended against two, nonverbally, might I add,” I informed, my cheeks warming at my sentimental side. “That’s good enough.”

I heard Sebastian swiftly get to his feet and it sounded as if pushing aside his endless amount of papers and dropping a bag on top the table, rummaging through the sack in a hurry; the searching abruptly halted, and I could faintly hear the sound of the envelope.

“Ominis…I…” Sebastian stuttered, his voice a hesitant whisper. “I…just…when you give it to her, please tell her that I miss her and that I love her,” he begged, “and I’m doing my best to be the brother she can be proud of.”

I nodded in compliance, waiting for the letter to hit my hand, but it never did.

“Sebastian?” I said, curious to know what was delaying him.

Hearing the packet in his hands, I remained patient.

“I just want to make everything right,” he confessed aloud, “I want her to forgive me…”

I exhaled, standing and striding a couple steps towards him; I sensed his heat in front of me and stopped, placing a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

“What have I said before?” I asked him.

“Stop taking your shirts and ties?” he answered humorously with a smile heard on his lips.

I glanced towards him with the corner of my eyes in disapproval. “The other thing…”

Sebastian sighed this time. “She needs time…” he responded in defeat.

My eyes softened a bit. “I promise she’ll come around,” I vowed, knowing Anne would eventually forgive her twin, but it all came with time.

The envelope crumpled a bit, making me realize that he was clenching it strongly in his hands.

Waving my hand with exaggeration, I spoke. “You want me to give the letter or not?” I challenged mockingly.

“I do!” Sebastian shouted immediately, placing the envelope in my hand.

I curled my fingers around the letter; it felt thick, and noticed it barely closed.

He must’ve had a lot to say.

Sebastian let out a breath of relief. “I trust you’ll give it to her when the time’s right,” he stated, hearing him scratching his skin and shuffling his hair.

“I promise,” I affirmed, “I’ll let you know when I do.”

“Thank you, Ominis– I owe you so much already.”

I chuckled, scoffing. “You’re definitely a handful no doubt, I’m not sure how Anne had put up with you growing up.”

Sebastian laughed. “It was never boring with me, that’s the secret,” he told me proudly.

Amused, I put the letter away safely in my robes and went back to sit down.

The next couple hours, Sebastian continued to study while I remained in my seat, trying to input some studying hours myself, but I couldn’t concentrate, trying to think of a plan to tell Emelia about him and now, when to give the letter to Anne.

Sebastian asked me about certain things in our classes, wondering about specific spells, wand movements and even pronunciation of them; he practiced them, almost hitting me a couple times.

After much insistent commitment to practicing and tutoring, I was exhausted; I got up, my wand guiding me towards the exit, telling Sebastian I’d try to get him back with him tonight, praying to Merlin I thought of a plan by then.

“What if you don’t come up with anything?” he called out to me.

My shoulders slumped as I stopped in my tracks. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I jabbed at him sarcastically, turning my body slightly in his direction.

“I’m just trying to think of all possibilities here,” he surrendered, his tone cautious.

I sighed “I know, I am too; a little help from you wouldn’t hurt...” I murmured, “I’ll think of something, but…if I can’t, try to ask Professor Weasley for a day or two extension,” I thought out, hoping the headmistress would allow that.

Sebastian hummed. “Maybe I’ll ask for a whole week,” he thought out with a laugh.

“A week is too long,” I stated, doubtful, “she’d never allow that.”

He snorted to himself. “I’ll bet you a thousand galleons I can get a week,” he challenged in a cocky tone.

“You need to save all the money you have, not waste it on some foolish bet,” I advised, smiling, entertained at his gamble.

“Chicken, Ominis?” he dared.

“I’ll turn you into a chicken,” I shot back.

Sebastian snickered. “Alright, alright.”

“I’ll see you later,” I said.

“See you later,” I heard Sebastian say.

I exited the undercroft and went towards my safe haven, wondering if Emelia was there.

I apparated in front of the door, and as it formed in front of me, I took a deep breath and went in.

As soon as I entered, I smelt smoke, but that couldn’t be right. Maybe it was the fireplace?

Before I could even identify where the odor was coming from, an enchanting sound blessed my ears.

“Ah, my prince has returned!” my adorable dove welcomed me.

I smiled wide, warmth wrapping around my heart; I chuckled under my breath. “I’ll always return to my princess,” I answered, blushing at my own words.

She laughed and I heard her footsteps approach me and she hugged me; I embraced her back, inhaling the mesmerizing scent coming off her, feeling her curvy frame. I released her before my body caught up with my obscene thoughts.

Emelia let me go and went back to where she was before.

“What have you been doing?” I wondered, smelling something charred.

She groaned irritated. “I’ve been trying to practice the advanced incendio spell for charms class, however, I might’ve accidentally set some books on fire…” she professed with a guilty tone.

I placed a loose fist over my mouth. “Is that what I smelled when I walked in?” I teased.

Emelia’s fist hit me playfully. “Hey, I said ‘accidentally’!” she emphasized, poking my chest a bit hard.

“I assume you’ve extinguished everything,” I presumed, pretending to look around.

She struck me again. “Yesss,” she answered, chuckling.

My wand sensed some fire to the left side of me.

I instantly cast a nonverbal spell.

Aquamenti.

Water shot out of my wand and put out the remaining fire.

I spun back around and in a second, both of us burst out laughing at the situation; she thanked me for assisting her in keeping the room from burning down.

I composed myself, clearing my throat. “You know…” I started, afraid of her reaction when I finished my thoughts.

“Hmm?”

I folded my arms over my chest, anxiety racing throughout my body. “If you need more space…the undercroft is always available,” I concluded, eyebrows furrowed in fear, swallowing a lump in my throat, regretting the words as soon as they came off my tongue.

I felt her hesitancy to speak, sensing her unease and apprehension on the subject.

Definitely regretted it.

“Emelia, I…I’m sorry,” I apologized, remorse in my soul, my hands reaching out towards her, feeling her elbow; I delicately grabbed her arm, careful not to clench. “I shouldn’t have brought it up…forget I said anything,” I insisted, lowering my head in shame.

What on earth was I thinking?

I heard her gulp. “Maybe…” she whispered in a shaking tone, “I…every time I think of the undercroft, I think of the time Sebastian showed it to me, the memories I have with him – all of us – there, us doing homework, hanging out…those happy moments…then it all went wrong in the end…he left…then the paper…” she explained, her breathing becoming more unstable.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I assured, gradually bringing her closer to me, “don’t think about it anymore; I’m truly sorry I brought it up, I was just…” my voice trailed off.

“I know,” she muttered, placing her hand gently on the side of my face before wrapping her arms around me, hearing her breathe in my scent, “you’re just trying to help me,” she said knowingly.

My arms enveloped her, firmly. “I’m sorry…” I repeated.

She sighed. “It’s alright, really. I’ll – I’ll give it some thought though,” she stated.

That statement gave me hope.

“Take all the time you need,” I encouraged in her ear, her body shivering. “Cold, dove?”

She stepped back from my hold. “A – a bit…” she stuttered.

I immediately conjured a thick blanket and placed it around her shoulders.

We walked towards the fireplace in the opposite room and sat on the couch side by side, the blanket covering us, her head on my shoulder and hand in mine; we were simply enjoying each other’s company.

I relished in moments like these, making the entire world disappear and it was just us.

A good ten minutes passed, and Emelia spoke.

“I wonder…what Sebastian is doing right now,” she wondered aloud, “what do you think?” she asked me, curiously.

I scoffed. “Giving me a migraine,” I answered honestly.

She giggled. “You get migraines from everyone,” she stated in truth.

I nodded, smirking to myself. “Not from you,” I replied, leaning my head on hers and smelling the strawberries lifting from her hair.

I felt her body heat up, but I paid no mind to it. “I hope he’s doing alright, finding…purpose. That…he’s happy? Does that sound odd?” she questioned, her head shifting up to look at me.

“No, but I do believe he’s finding purpose – motivation to…be better,” I said sincerely, recalling Sebastian studying hard in the undercroft, his willingness to focus and push his pride aside and ask for help.

I felt her head nod on my arm. “That’s a nice thought,” she agreed with me, “I know he wouldn’t really look the same, seeing his face in the paper…” she paused to reminisce, “the only thing I thought would stay the same would be his eyes, but…they were different too,” she started to explain, “they weren’t as innocent as they used to be, they’ve probably seen things not many have.”

The way she described his eyes, he could sense the truth behind her words; Sebastian’s actions weren’t like the ones from last year, they were careful and cautious, no longer reckless and impulsive.

“Do you think anything else about him has changed?” she pondered.

“Mmm…” I hummed, “he might be a tad muscular…” I mumbled to myself, recalling Sebastian’s frame.

Emelia somewhat heard me. “Huh?”

“Oh, sorry, just thinking out loud,” I told her, squeezing her hand lightly.

She seemed to have shrugged it off.

I had a question I’ve been meaning to ask her.

“Emelia,” I spoke seriously, “I don’t mean to pry, but I’ve been wondering something.”

“What is it?” her tone voiced concern.

“You don’t have to answer, just entertain my curiosity…” I told her, my hand tightening her soft one firmly.

She squeezed my hand back. “Tell me,” she beckoned.

I faltered. “At Hogsmeade during New Year’s Eve…”

“Yes…?” Emelia spoke warily.

“What…would you have done if you had caught up to him?” I wondered, aware of her breathing; she sharply inhaled, taken by surprise. “If he was in front of you? What would you have done? Have said?”

Emelia leaned away from my shoulder to sit up and face me, still grasping my hand in hers, playing with my fingers delicately.

I waited for her to speak.

“I…I’m…not sure…” she admitted, “I was just…surprised to see him, you know, if it was really him,” she spoke her thoughts; she seemed to be thinking of her words carefully.

I nodded, not saying anything and continued to let her fidget with my hand; she ran her fingers along mine, a warming sensation felt within my body, and explained further.

“I, truthfully, don’t know what I would’ve done. I-It’d be a relief to see him, don’t get me wrong; I’m grateful he’s free from Azkaban, but…it’d also be hard too. After everything we’ve been through, all the things we’ve tried to do for him last year…everything we’ve tried to do to protect him from going to that place…” she said, her tone saddened and knew her eyes were filling with tears, “it was all for naught. I admit to you now, embarrassingly, I did have a crush on Sebastian then and thought if I could help him find a cure for Anne and go along with his ridiculous pursuits, maybe….he’d like me back and see everything I did was for him,” she professed, tightening her grip on my hand, and with that confession alone, it pierced my heart, making me want to excuse myself and head to the undercroft to beat Sebastian again, ruthlessly, for the pain he’s still causing her – and now me.

He had her heart before.

I knew he did, he was Sebastian Sallow – charming, intelligent, funny and clever – but he abused it; however, did he know he had it at all?

Oh, my darling Emelia…

If you were to bestow your heart to me, I vow I would treat it better, protect, care for it…more than Sebastian, more than any man ever would.

I cleared my throat. “I understand,” I acknowledged, clenching my jaw, not wanting my inner emotions to be seen. “Do you…still feel that way about him now?”

I had to ask; I had to know.

She stammered as she spoke. “I…don’t think so; I think it was more of an infatuation, you know,” she retorted honestly, snickering a little, relieving some pressure from my chest, “when I look back, I just – I remember him not being satisfied, saying I wasn’t doing enough for Anne, calling me ‘ignorant’. I knew then he didn’t like me back, no matter what I did, but I did – do – still care about him,” she recalled, her voice trailing off into the distance.

I kept my true feelings hidden.

“I’m not sure what happened when I saw him on the Daily Prophet, but I think it all became too much…with all the stress and catching up I had to do attending as a fifth year, assisting Sebastian on his quests, helping other friends with their conquests, completing challenges that had to be done for the Keeper’s mixed with Fig’s death and Ranrok’s reign throughout the year…it all came crashing down…” she thought out, her mind undoubtedly racing, “I remember my whole body went numb and my mind couldn’t focus, my body basically shut down, overwhelmed and…” she swallowed, stumbling over her words.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” I assured, closing my hand, she was playing with, over hers.

My chest ached knowing she was being tormented.

I sensed Emelia shaking her head. “It’s fine,” she stated, taking a deep breath, “you’re here, so it doesn’t hurt too much,” she informed me, a small smile heard across her lips.

I grinned happily in her direction, feeling grateful that I can be there when she’s battling her turmoil and fight off the demons that ate away at her from the inside out.

We talked more about the what-ifs about Sebastian; she clarified more about what was on her mind on the subject while I listened intently, showing her I was there to comfort her in her time of need, without judgement. Thankfully after, we transitioned to talking about school continuing back up tomorrow; I supported her, telling her that she’d be alright when she began to get anxious, that I’d be with her every step of the way.

“I’ll always be there for you,” I confirmed confidently, “if you can’t find me, you know what to do,” I smirked, feeling the band of the bracelet on her wrist.

She sighed. “Yeah,” she agreed, smiling, “and you’re going to get sick of me calling you,” she chuckled, leaning her head back onto my shoulder again.

“Never,” I replied, kissing the top of her head and resting my cheek against it.

This moment with her, us cozy before the fireplace, the large blanket wrapped around us, her body close and hand in mine – it felt simple, easy…meant to be.

I shunned those unusual feelings aside and directed my attention on the here and now, savoring this moment with her before she hated me after revealing to her the inevitable truth behind my questions; for this was going to test our friendship’s vigor and see if we’d come out the other side stronger or if it’ll crumble under the chaos that would befall us.

-

Emelia and I had fallen asleep while we were talking on the couch overlooking the fireplace.

I woke up with my back along the furniture’s body with my sweet camellia laying on the inside of the sofa, tucked in between the furniture and my frame, my right arm wrapped around her small waist securely, barely touching her other hand which pressed against her stomach; my head still on hers, the smell of her shampoo enveloping me in a hypnotic trance while one of her legs was over mine, her right hand on my upper body.

I gradually lifted my free hand to place on top of hers that laid on my chest and lightly squeezed; she clenched my hand back, moving her body closer to me, and moaned in her sleep, making me flush red and my body stiffen.

I clenched my jaw, resisting the raw, provocative temptations that wanted to seep into my mind again.

Why must she be so alluring…?

Even in her sleep, she has a hold on me that I couldn’t explain or comprehend.

I leaned my head back against the couch’s armrest and sighed, attempting to focus my mind on something else.

Classes started in the morning, and I hadn’t thought of a plan yet; I did throw the idea out there, both with sincerity and hope, of using the undercroft, knowing if she were to go there, she and Sebastian would finally see each other.

However, thinking back to her confession when she said she had liked Sebastian made me envious and resentful. I didn’t want her to be near him at all anymore, but I had no power to do that. She did say she didn’t really feel that way anymore for him, but I had my doubts – infatuation or not, there was a still a bond between them that couldn’t be broken, that even I couldn’t break.

I knew they were close last year, almost to the point, I thought there was a possibility they fancied each other, but they never pursued it; however, it never bothered me then. I was actually happy for them if they were to get together, but now, I felt possessive, not wanting to share her.

Exhaling once more, I closed my eyes, hoping tomorrow would bring a strategy to mind of what to do about the reunion between her, Anne and Sebastian; my mind and heart was conflicted, wanting to do what was right for everyone, Emelia especially, and all of us being together again, but also wanting to be greedy and selfish, and for once in my life, gather up the courage to take what I desired – to get my chance to see if I was truly a man worthy of affection or doomed to remain alone forever.

--

Chapter Text

Emelia changed hastily early in the morning, brushing her teeth and hair in anticipation beside Anne in the shared bathroom, who mirrored her behavior, excited to see everyone back from their winter break.

They looked over each other to make sure everything was in order, and since they were sixth years, they didn’t have to wear their robes; however, still had to wear the rest of the uniform appropriately with their house insignia on their vest, jumper or cardigan.

Emelia wore her black slacks with matching boots, white collared shirt unbuttoned at the top, rolled up to her elbows with her green vest opened with a loosened tie to complete her casual appearance; she left her hair undone, running her fingers through her silky locks after brushing it.

“Okay, ready!” Anne exclaimed, eager to leave, her hand already on the doorknob.

Emelia adjusted her collar, taking one last look in the mirror, and grabbing her things; she followed Anne out the door and towards the common room.

Ominis was waiting for them by the windows as always, with a cup of tea in his hand.

He was in his uniform, robe laid along chair beside him; his tie a bit loose, his collar unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, showing off his defined forearms and some veins that popped out, his hair was its natural style. His body was leaning against the concrete pillar, the water of the Black Lake illuminating the sun from above and shining on Ominis’ face; the sight almost took Emelia’s breath away. He was an image of perfection.

“Good morning, Ominis,” Anne greeted.

“Good morning, Anne,” he replied back with a small smile, rotating his head to Emelia, “morning, Emelia,” he stated to her in a low voice with a soft grin; the tone from Ominis made goosebumps appear on Emelia’s arms.

“Morning, Ominis,” she blushed, remembering her waking up in his arms in the middle of the night yesterday, recalling his innocent and handsome face, lightly grazing her fingers on his cheek, making him stir a bit and moaning in his sleep.

The memory warmed her cheeks.

“Ready to head to breakfast?” Anne wondered to the Slytherin boy.

Ominis pushed off the wall and put down his finished tea on the table beside him. “I actually have to run somewhere real quick,” he answered regretfully, his face apologetic.

“Where to? It’s not like you to skip breakfast,” Emelia wondered curiously, an eyebrow raised, folding her arms over her chest.

Emelia noticed that Ominis has been running errands more often and going off doing Merlin knows what; she didn’t want to pry and trusted Ominis and knew whatever he was doing, he’d tell her when he was ready.

“Not skipping,” he confirmed, “but don’t worry,” he assured, using a spell to vanish his cup and teapot, grabbing his robe from the chair, “I promise I’ll meet you in the Great Hall soon,” he informed, putting on his cloak gracefully.

Emelia squinted her eyes at him, trying to keep her face indifferent, knowing Ominis could sense and somehow knew whenever she made certain expressions.

“Alright, but don’t be long. I’m not going to save you food,” Anne teased, taking a step towards Ominis and giving him a hug; she released him and walked to the exit, Emelia’s eyes followed her movement.

Emelia shifted her head back around seeing Ominis waiting; she grinned and reddened to herself as she approached him and embraced him, his arms wrapped around her tightly, exhaling softly in her hair.

He didn’t like hiding things from his darling princess, but it’ll all make sense in time.

He could only hope…

Ominis reluctantly freed her from his hold, her signature scent lingering; she ran to catch up with Anne, their laughter and voices fading as they left the common room.

He sighed heavily, taking his wand out and made his way to the undercroft to meet Sebastian.

-

Evading prying eyes, Ominis entered the undercroft, instantly hearing frantic scribbling on parchment and papers flipping back and forth, indicating that Sebastin was meticulously taking notes and fixated on the texts – just like he was the last time Ominis was here.

Sebastian wasn’t as nervous or jumpy whenever the metal doors creaked opened, he knew it was Ominis; he took the knowledge of realizing that Anne wouldn’t come here for any reason and admitted with a heavy heart, because of him, Emelia wouldn’t dare enter here – at least not yet.

“Classes are about to start,” Ominis announced, too antsy and anxious to sit down.

“I know,” Sebastian simply acknowledged, not tearing his eyes away from his textbook.

Ominis swallowed hard. “I don’t quite have a plan yet; I offered her to come here to practice our spells, but she hasn’t said anything more on it,” he told Sebastian, defeat washing over him.

Sebastian stopped flipping the page, mid-turn and took in what his friend had said; he stood up straight, letting the paper fall wherever as he did. Sebastian shifted his head to Ominis, who he noticed was silent, his expression creased with obvious fear and misery.

He knew Ominis was a worrywart, especially when it came to Emelia; he didn’t know when it started but even during fifth year, he saw how Ominis cared a lot for Emelia, remembering the little things, holding onto her every word, taking into consideration everything – how she’d act, how she’d respond, and how she even would sound – it was a bit odd for Sebastian to see him like this. Ominis didn’t really act that way with him and Anne, but then again, Emelia was different.

“I’ll stay here then,” Sebastian answered nonchalantly, knowing he still had a full week to prepare, wanting to mess around with Ominis, but now didn’t seem like the right time.

“Just for today. I’ll inform Professor Weasley,” Ominis told him about to leave.

“No, I’ll let her know,” Sebastian lied; he wasn’t going to step out of the undercroft except to see Duke, the dragon hedge he met a couple days ago.

Ominis sighed, putting his wand away and rubbed his head with both his forefingers “I just know my plan is to try to convince her by Friday or even Saturday to come here, can you manage to get everything sorted and ready by then?”

Sebastian scoffed. “I can’t believe after all the years you’ve known me, you think I’ll procrastinate on something as important as this,” he stated offended, a hand to his chest.

Ominis rolled his eyes. “This is more important than anything!” he exclaimed, “Emelia’s mental health is at risk, and her entire world is going to be turned upside down by the end of the week,” he informed, beginning to pace around the undercroft, his entire body agitated and involuntarily shaking, anxiously awaiting the weekend, “in truth, I don’t want anything changing in her life, but…it’s not my place to keep things from her.”

Sebastian understood what his friend was saying, putting his hands on his hips and thinking to himself. “Ominis…” his voice resounded off the walls of the undercroft.

He stopped pacing and turned his head towards Sebastian.

“I promise you now if Emelia, even Anne…if they don’t want anything to do with me, I will keep my distance, until they’re ready. I’ll never stop proving to you all that I’ve changed – that I’m better. I will be here patiently waiting until I can be forgiven for my wrongs,” Sebastian told his friend, speaking from his heart, clenching his chest, a stinging feeling making its presence known.

He trusted that they’d forgive him…in time; he knew Ominis hadn’t fully forgiven him, but him being there to help and guide him was a start.

Ominis pondered Sebastian’s words and nodded, his voice was sincere with no hint of deception or hidden agenda behind it; he was truly a different boy than before.

He shook his head, running a hand through his fashioned hair. “Do you need any more help with anything before I go to breakfast?”

“Maybe a couple more practice sessions with you wouldn’t hurt,” Sebastian said with a smile, grabbing his wand on the table beside his opened books and written notes.

“Alright, better make this quick, Emelia’s waiting for me,” he notified him.

Sebastian’s heart twisted at Ominis’ words, clutching his wand’s handle tighter, but he pushed the emotion aside and forced a grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll kick your ass before you can blink,” he smirked confidently.

Ominis rolled his eyes and whipped out his wand, preparing in a dueling stance. “Let’s see how much you’ve improved,” he observed, “if at all,” he challenged cunningly.

Sebastian scoffed. “You’ve asked for it, Gaunt.”

-

On their way to breakfast, the two Slytherin girls walked down the crowded halls, hearing the excited voices of their fellow students; everyone was hugging each other and discussing their holidays with one another and what they got for Christmas, what they ate, how their family were doing – the whole thing.

Emelia was overjoyed to see everybody but in the back of her mind was Sebastian, who probably spent the holidays alone; it brought her upbeat mood down.

She shook her head and focused on what Anne was telling her about her divination class she had after breakfast; she seemed ecstatic and couldn’t wait for the lesson.

As they neared the Great Hall, they could smell the delicious food lingering in the air; they sniffed upwards, gazing at each other for a split second and sped up their pace. When they pushed the doors of the hall open, Emelia was suddenly greeted with an unexpected hug from none other than Poppy Sweeting.

Poppy’s hair gotten a bit longer since last year, but everything about her stayed the same; she was just as enthusiastic and passionate, if not more so, about caring for magical creatures. She smelled of honey and citrus when she squeezed Emelia.

“Hey Poppy,” Emelia greeted with a grin, patting her friend’s back.

“Emelia! I’ve missed you so much!” she exclaimed, “how was your winter holiday? What did you get for Christmas? How was your New Year’s?” she bombarded her with questions, her energetic personality instantly draining the heroine of Hogwarts; the Hufflepuff pulled her towards her table and sat her down beside her, while Anne stepped back roguishly, acknowledging Poppy but politely excusing herself from the situation, waving goodbye to go eat with her other companions at the Slytherin table.

Emelia widened her eyes, glaring in her direction in disbelief.

Anne winked, blowing a kiss her way while flashing a sly smile. Emelia rolled her eyes at her, spinning her head back to Poppy, who was explaining her wonderous winter break; Emelia grabbed the closest knife and toast, locating the jam to put on and nibbled. Poppy was telling her about how she took care of the Snidgets with Dorran, and how she even took her gran to the sanctuary where they found them, of course, with the centaurs permission. She said Dorran and the others took her to see an actual Chimaera habitat which the centaurs closely watched over, not even the Ministry really knew about it. Poppy informed her about how she witnessed more hippogriffs and even swore she saw a phoenix fly overhead, a few miles away from where her gran’s house was.

 “That’s amazing!” Emelia supported, covering her mouth, finishing her toast; she was genuinely impressed by the Hufflepuff’s adventures, “sounds like memorable experiences.”

“Oh, it was! I wish you were there to witness the hippogriffs! They were magnificent!” she stated, “the Chimaera…wow! It was so…ahh, it was so powerful and once-in-a-lifetime creature to see!” Poppy squealed excitedly, practicing jumping.

Emelia laughed. “I’m envious!”

Poppy chuckled.

“Emelia!” an African accent called out from behind her.

She spun her body around and saw Natty and Amit approaching them, waving their arms at her.

Emelia stood, her friends hugging her, expressing their warm salutations.

They all sat at the Hufflepuff table, asking how her holiday was and what gifts she got, letting Poppy join into the conversation.

“I got a new telescope, and oh Merlin, the stars have never looked more stunning,” Amit stated with glee, “I have to show you one night!”

Emelia nodded, grabbing a couple slices of bacon from the nearby tray. “Sounds like a deal! I can’t wait!”

Natty told the group she and her mom went back to Matabeleland to visit relatives and visit her father’s grave.

It reminded Emelia that she hadn’t visited Fig for a while; she used to go there every night, crying her heart out in front of his tombstone, apologizing for not being able to save him. Ominis had found her a couple times before he left to go home for summer break, sitting beside her and rubbing her arm in comfort, embracing her in reassurance; he had guaranteed, confidently, it wasn’t her fault and that she did all she could, and let her know he was there for her.

Emelia realized her facial expression had turned to a sorrowful one, so she rapidly adjusted it to a sincere expression of joy.

Recalling after Ominis left for the summer, she was alone and with her thoughts, no less; however, with Ominis writing her daily letters, he had helped her tremendously through her tough moments, her rock bottom, her most shameful times, even from a distance, his heartening and comforting words within the envelope, inscribed on the pages, continued to uplift her spirits and filled her back up with confidence she’d forgotten she had.

It was all thanks to him that she was able to come back stronger.

Focusing on the present, she watched her friends interact with one another; she grinned and agreed with herself that being with friends again was something she truly missed during the break. They conversed more about their winter holiday and further about what they got for Christmas and New Year’s, and even what to expect for the rest of the school year.

They turned their attention to Emelia, who was admiring the scene in front of her.

“What about you, Em? It looks like you got new jewelry,” Poppy observed, staring down at Emelia’s wrist, which held Ominis’ heartfelt and thoughtful gift.

Emelia gazed down and saw the red camellia flower contrasted from her silver band; she blushed at it, remembering Ominis giving it to her.

“That is a gorgeous bracelet,” Natty complimented, reaching out to gently grab Emelia’s arm to bring the bracelet closer to her, getting a better look, “who gave it to you?”

“Ominis did,” Emelia answered proudly, holding up her arm; Poppy leaning over to ogle at the new addition at her wrist.

“That’s sweet of him! He must really like you,” Natty spoke, giggling quietly to herself.

Emelia’s cheeks turned beet red, widening her eyes. “What? No! We’re just friends,” she countered, denying Natty’s claim.

“Oh, please,” she sighed, leaning closer to Emelia so no one else can hear, “and I’m not an animagi.”

Emelia laughed, waving her hand at Natty in protest.

She didn’t want to expect or assume anything because last time she liked someone – Sebastian – it only led to disappointment.

“I have to say, Ominis has impeccable taste!” Poppy commented, pulling my arm in her direction, “he does seem like the gentle and sensitive kind,” she spoke her thoughts, flushing at her own statement.

Emelia’s cheeks started to heat up again by her friend’s remark.

“He really is,” she muttered under her breath.

They all gawked at her bracelet, even Amit was impressed by the design.

“Emelia Starke, there you are!” a familiar voice shouted from the entrance of the Great Hall.

Emelia felt the corners of her lips tug upwards as she spun around, Poppy letting go of her friend’s wrist.

A head of curly red hair bounced in her direction.

“Garreth Weasley, here I am,” she shot back, standing from her seat and excusing herself from her small circle to meet the Gryffindor boy halfway.

“I’ve missed you, gorgeous!” he said honestly as she approached. “Be honest, did you miss me?”

Emelia giggled. “You know I did.”

Garreth’s grin widened. “Ha! I knew it! You missed seeing my dashingly handsome face every day, huh?” he teased, running his hand through his untamed hair.

She chuckled, hitting his arm lightly, rolling her eyes. “How was your holiday?” she questioned curious, knowing the Weasley’s were a big family.

The Gryffindor let out an exhausted breath, shaking his head, hands on his hips. “Lively.”

“Oh?”

“Every red-haired Weasley you can think of was at my parent’s house; there wasn’t a moment of silence with all of us crammed in one place and under one roof, no less,” he explained, his green eyes staring off, remembering the chaotic holiday.

Emelia snickered, covering her mouth with her fist. “That does sound quite lively.”

“Yeah, but I can’t complain; we ate good food, got tons of presents and chatted with one another until our ears fell off or until the sun rose, whichever came first, really,” he indicated with a laugh.

“At least you were never bored,” Emelia pointed out, tilting her head at him.

Garreth nodded, waving his index finger at her. “Very true,” he agreed.

“Maybe next time you can take me to one of these famous Weasley gatherings, to see if they’re as fun as they sound,” she offered, interested in the festivities he always boasted about.

“Doll face, I will most definitely take you next time,” he guaranteed, his alluring green eyes piercing hers.

She licked her lips, grinning wide at his promise.

“Aunt Matilda was there too, of course, but she was telling me I had to focus extra hard these next two years and stop making my own brews,” he grumbled, unhappy about his aunt’s suggestion.

Emelia knew Garreth loved inventing new potions despite some inevitable failures and explosions; he wanted to be a famous potioneer one day to help everyone, both wizardkind and muggles alike, he was extremely creative in his potion-making, and she knew he had a passion for it.

“Just do it in secret then,” she encouraged with a shrug, giving him a sly smirk.

His smile broadened; his chest felt lighter when she said that. “And that’s why I like you,” he admitted openly, winking at her.

She pushed him again playfully.

He bent forward towards her; she mimicked his movement, curious on what he was going to say in secret, they were close enough she could feel his warm breath on her face when he spoke.

“Next chance I get, I’ll have to show you what I’ve been working on,” he offered in a whisper while covering his mouth from the side as if someone were to listen in; he smiled bashfully.

“So I can be your guinea pig?” Emelia raised an eyebrow, folding her arms in a knowing stance.

Garreth straightened up, laughing. “Nah, Leander’s the guinea pig; you, my gorgeous Emelia, are always my first client,” he informed her with an enlarged grin, a hand on his hip and the other pointing at her.

She leaned away and blushed at his statement, closing her eyes; she opened them again, and just as soon as her smile appeared, it disappeared just as fast, seeing a typical, bothersome Gryffindor entering the Great Hall.

“Hmm, it’s too bad you don’t have better company when brewing your potions,” she observed, tone irritated; her face clearly showed annoyance as she looked behind her red-haired companion, whose face tilted in question, following her line of sight.

“Oh, come on, Starke, I’m not that bad. At least let me be present to defend myself when you’re talking shit about me,” Leander spat at her, finding his place beside Garreth, crossing his arms and making a sullen expression in her direction.

Garreth’s eyes hardened at his friend.

“I speak the truth, Prewett,” Emelia said coolly, uncrossing her arms, and putting a hand on her hip and using her other hand to gesture him to leave, “can’t handle it? You and your ego can fucking take a hike.”

Leander rolled his eyes. “What are you doing with her?” he asked his red-haired friend.

“We were just talking,” Garreth simply answered.

“About?”

“We were discussing if a snake’s venom can kill a guinea pig,” Emelia spat at him with malice.

Garreth stifled a chuckle, putting a fist in front of his mouth.

Prewett scoffed, reading between the lines. “Are you still upset that your little boyfriend confessed to killing his uncle in cold blood?” he countered, “I personally wasn’t surprised,” he shrugged.

Garreth and Emelia stiffened, she hung her arms at her sides, fists tight, feeling her nails dig into her palm hard and clenching her jaw, her teeth slowly grinding; she pierced Leander with her frightening glare.

If she had the power to shoot lasers from her eyes, she’d release all the power she had on him right then and there.

“Leander,” Garreth warned him, hitting his arm hard; he sympathetically turned his head to Emelia, his eyes portraying their remorse.

Emelia didn’t pay attention to her friend, glowering at the Prewett.

“What? Am I wrong?” Leander questioned Garreth, shifting his gaze back to Emelia, a triumphant grin on his face.

“One more word about Sebastian and I’ll make you pay," she warned, taking an intimidating step forward.

Garreth swallowed and stared back and forth between the two.

Prewett moved up, getting right in her face. “Threats from you, Slytherins, are nothing but empty words. You’re all talk and no bite; I’d be more threatened by a mooncalf than you.”

“Leander, that’s enough,” Garreth spoke firmly.

Both Leander and Emelia ignored him.

She scoffed, a minor smirk developing across her features. “Oh, I make good on my threats, ask anyone,” she invited menacingly, “it’s such a mystery how you even made it into Gryffindor; how did you manage to fool the sorting hat? You’re anything but brave and fearless. You’re all ego and no brains, and that’s saying a lot coming from someone whose house is based around pride,” she informed in wonder, tilting her head, examining him from head to toe, struggling to understand the sorting hat’s decision.

“Hey, I live up to the qualities of Gryffindor better than most of the students in our house!” he hollered offended; face reddened in embarrassment, pointing his finger hostilely towards her.

She leaned over, holding her stomach, laughing out loud; when she straightened up, wiping a tear from her eyes, seeing Prewett’s serious and puzzled expression.

“Oh, you were serious…” she said, her eyes wide, grinning wickedly, her manner sarcastic.

Leander groaned frustrated. “You may act all high and mighty now, but underneath it all you’re just as pathetic as Sebastian,” he stated. Emelia froze, a dangerous aura coming off her; Garreth’s eyes widened at his companion’s bold statement, knowing Emelia wasn’t going to let that slide. Garreth was torn not knowing what to do to intervene; Leander on the other hand, knew by her body language, his words had struck a chord, and he was just getting started. “You and I both know he deserves to be in Azkaban for what he did and better yet, deserves to rot in that hellhole just like a conniving little murderer he i –” he continued to utter, poking Emelia on her shoulder once with his index and middle digits; she instantly gripped his thin fingers and twisted them outward, making him shout in pain.

“Don’t think you can touch me so easily,” she asserted sinisterly, glaring with a raging fire in her eyes, wanting to claim her revenge for Sebastian. Leander Prewett has been nothing but a menace since he saw that Sebastian had turned himself in, speaking ruthlessly behind his back, spreading rumors and dragging her friend’s name through the mud.

She knew he was just jealous of Sebastian and couldn’t handle him being in the spotlight whereas he stood in the background, nothing but a fly on a wall. Sebastian was intelligent, funny, determined, charming and incredibly loyal, with a big personality and an even bigger heart.

Leander couldn’t compete.

Emelia’s mind raced with such vengeful thoughts she unconsciously clenched and rotated his fingers with more force, he twirled his body to relieve some of the pain, his other hand holding his wrist with a tormented expression.

“Fucking let go of me, Starke!” he ordered with a pleading tone.

“Count yourself lucky that I’m not gonna break your fingers, but I’m going to tell you this once, Prewett – never slander Sebastian’s name again or the next time I hear you do, I won’t go as easy on you and fucking turn you into the pathetic, gutless worm you are,” she promised in a threatening whisper.

Even if Sebastian wasn’t here, despite his choices and her mixed feelings towards him, she still considered him a close and dear friend, and while she lived and breathed, she wasn’t going to let anyone speak badly about him.

Emelia shoved Leander away; he clutched his wounded hand and glared, then began stalking towards her aggressively.  She was about take out her wand, ready to change him into a worm as she promised, but Garreth blocked him from getting any closer, his back in front of Emelia, his hands firm on Prewett’s shoulders, holding him back.

“Sit down before I beat you alongside her,” Garreth commanded, his tone stern, clenching his hands on his friend.

Emelia had never heard Garreth so serious before; it almost scared her.

Leander looked at his friend in disbelief. “You’re going to side with her?!”

“Sit. Down.” Garreth repeated again, more intimidating.

Prewett snapped his eyes back to the Slytherin. “This isn’t over.”

Emelia was silent, squinting her eyes at him.

Prewett gritted his teeth and instantly spun away to go to his chosen seat at the Gryffindor table, frowning at Emelia as he ate, cradling his injured hand.

She stuck her tongue out, giving him the middle finger and turned her body to Garreth; the anger she felt for his friend subsided, seeing his apologetic face, creasing her forehead in concern.

He sighed heavily before speaking. “Emelia, I…I’m so sorry about Leander,” he began, his hands clenched, “what he said about Sebastian, he doesn’t deserve – ”

She placed a hand on his arm, cutting him off. “It’s fine.”

It really wasn’t, but she just wanted to get passed it or else she knew the rage would take over and she wouldn’t know what would happen to annoying guinea pig.

His fists loosened, body relaxing once she touched him. “It’s no excuse,” he stated, shaking his head, shame overtaking him.

“Don’t worry about it,” she assured, she patted his arm a couple times before she put them back on her hips, “I’ll just get him back later,” she promised, grinning a side smirk.

Garreth’s demeanor lightened as he chuckled at her vow. Emelia asked more about his winter break to keep his mind occupied and away from the earlier clash with Prewett.

They sat and talked at the end of the Gryffindor table, nibbling at the food in the center; Emelia listened closely as he talked more about potions class and hoped he could find more inspiration to create new mixtures. Emelia inputted some of her ideas and Garreth was immersed by her thinking, wondering why not all girls were interested in potions like she was.

He felt extremely lucky to have met her, gathering all kinds of ingredients, and participating in his crazy experiments.

She was truly a unique soul.

After some time, Emelia looked to Anne, who was engrossed in a conversation with friends and gradually consuming the last of her meal; she couldn’t help but worry about Ominis then, for he hadn’t come to breakfast yet.

Emelia noticed the room had quieted a bit. She gazed around and saw the Great Hall had somewhat emptied, some students slowly getting up to leave and heading to classes; she instantly stood from the table with Garreth copying her actions.

Garreth saw her worried expression, knowing well what she was thinking of. “You know, I’m surprised Gaunt’s not with you,” he observed, astonished; his freckled face creating a dramatic expression, “he’s usually always nearby or attached at your hip,” he joked, examining his surroundings for her beloved friend.

Emelia gently pushes him by his shoulder. “Oh, stop teasing; he’s not always with me, besides he had to run somewhere this morning, I’m sure he’s on his way back,” she told him truthfully, wondering where Ominis had gone to.

Garreth laughed. “Well, if that’s the case, that means I can hug you without him wanting to curse me, both physically and verbally,” he presumed humorously, spreading his arms out wide, inviting her in.

Without hesitating, Emelia stepped in and was embraced by one of Garreth’s famous tight bear hugs.

She chuckled, feeling him squeeze her waist firmly, almost lifting her off the ground.

He smelt a mix of sweetness like from Honeyduke’s and a rich spice, warm leather, amber wood, a bit of charred smoke along with a hint of the nature’s highlands – the earthy aroma reminded me of the first time I explored the Hogwarts Valley gathering ingredients for class, Garreth or for my own personal collection.

“Well, you were certainly put in the right house,” Ominis’ voice said suddenly, “embracing Emelia longer than three seconds is mighty brave of you, Weasley,” he finished, tone low and hostile.

Garreth and Emelia parted from their hug, facing towards the blind Slytherin who suddenly appeared.

Garreth simply grinned a knowing and victorious smile. “There you are, Gaunt! I knew as soon as I hugged our girl, you’d show up out of the blue,” he spoke with enthusiasm, moving his hand to place on top of Ominis’ shoulder.

Ominis’ arm, however, swung, meeting the Gryffindor’s arm before it made contact, and pushed it away with a sour face. “Don’t even think about it,” he advised, clearly annoyed.

Garreth didn’t seem rejected or hurt by it, instead he laughed it off, amused.

“I’m glad to see you too, but I was hoping you’d come a bit later, so I can get more Emelia snuggles,” Garreth concluded with a wink before squeezing Emelia again, shaking her body theatrically; she laughed.

Her giggling gripped Ominis’ chest, jealousy filling his soul, knowing Garreth was the reason for Emelia making those magnificent sounds.

Ominis’ eye twitched. “Sorry to disappoint, but I’ve come to fetch Emelia so we can head to class.”

“She can find her way to class by herself; she’s a big girl,” Garreth told him, releasing Emelia.

Emelia tapped Garreth’s chest. “Be nice,” she said, not wanting them to start anything.

Ironic – she was about to start something with Prewett with no regrets; she’d welcome a week or two’s worth of detention.

Even three!

Garreth grumbled. “Ugh, we were just having fun…”

She held back a laugh, smiling at him with a raised eyebrow. “Sure you were,” she teasingly nudged him at his side, “I’ll see you in class,” she informed, turning her body to wave at her other friends that appeared to have witnessed everything since she parted from them.

They waved back, shouting that they’d see her in later or in class.

She spun back around, saying her farewells to Garreth once more, seeing Leander walk up to him; she made a face at Prewett and made her way to Ominis. Emelia linked her arm with his; Ominis instantly started walking them to Herbology.

“You, my prince, have to be nicer. Garreth and I were just talking,” she muttered to Ominis as soon as they exited the Great Hall, squeezing his firm arm.

Ominis’ expression relaxed and heart fluttered, hearing his new nickname and sighed heavily. “And what about what happened with Prewett?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“How did you hear about that already?”

He chuckled under his breath, entertained. “A couple of second years were talking about it when I was making my way there.”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“I know you can handle yourself, dove, but that doesn’t mean you should. Besides, violence is never the answer,” he stated, gently scolding.

Emelia scoffed a bit bashfully. “Like you never gotten violent over someone?” she said sarcastically.

He thought back and remembered punching Sebastian because of her.

He nodded, surrendering. “Alright, I apologize; I’m sure Leander deserved it anyway.”

“Oh, he did,” she agreed.

“I apologize I wasn’t there; took me longer than I expected,” he expressed sorrowfully.

Emelia stopped him briefly to peck his cheek in reassurance. “It’s okay, as long as you’re alright,” she smiled; he grinned back, and they continued their walk to the greenhouse.

They bypassed other students hurriedly going to class or leisurely taking their time; the students conversed with one another, whispering about them as they passed. It was no surprise they were always seen together, but it didn’t stop them from gossiping. Emelia shot daggers at each one of them when they talked badly about Ominis, they immediately quieted when confronted with her threatening glare.

Emelia was going to protect Ominis from everyone, no matter who it was – just like Sebastian.

Ominis felt a pleased smirk stretch his mouth, knowing Emelia was defending him from the chatter.

A moment later, Emelia halted, gasping, her hand on his chest. “Oh, you didn’t get to eat breakfast!” she realized fearful.

“It’s fine,” he said calmly, pulling her with him to resume their path, “I grabbed something on the way.”

He lied.

Again…

For her sake.

He couldn’t eat if he wanted to; he barely managed to finish his morning tea.

Stress and panic were overwhelming him.

The route to class was oddly quiet, usually the two Slytherin friends would talk about anything and everything, but the only sound heard was their footsteps on the ground, clicking and echoing the halls.

Emelia examined Ominis, feeling like he was a billion miles away, his eyes and expression portrayed that of exhaustion, despair, hopelessness and a hint of fear; she wanted to help him, but didn’t know how.

“Hey, are you sure you’re okay?” she started, her eyes still on his face, “you’ve been quieter than usual,” she observed, waiting for his reaction.

Ominis knew she was watching him; he kept his face as normal as possible.

She wasn’t stupid.

They walked through the green door and went down the stairs on one side of the room.

“Yes, I’m fine,” he answered, fibbing through his teeth; his chest ached from his continued lying streak, “Weasley just tends to irritate me almost as much as Hobhouse,” he spoke honestly, remembering how Garreth and her were conversing together; it pinched his heart, feeling like something heavy was being pressed down against his body.

He felt the jealous sensation once again.

Emelia raised an eyebrow at him, looking at him seriously.

Ominis scoffed. “Please refrain from giving me that look,” he asked politely, “I’m really alright.”

She ignored his knowledge of her facial expressions. “Ominis, please,” she begged, grabbing his bicep and pulling him beside the door of the classroom, letting their other classmates pass to go in.

“Emelia, I…” Ominis spoke, his hand over hers which grasped his arm, wanting to tell her everything, but knew if he did, all Sebastian’s hard work and his own would’ve been in vain, “I promise, I’m alright; there’s just…a lot on my mind,” he admitted, half-truthful, her hand squeezed him, knowing there was more he wanted to say, but didn’t press.

“Talk to me then,” she insisted, pleading Ominis to open up to her, “I’m here for you, you know that. I’ll listen, like you told me, remember? Come on, this goes both ways, I can count on you, you can count on me,” Emelia declared with certainty.

Ominis clenched his jaw and lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I do know it goes both ways and I value and cherish our friendship more than you know, and right now, it might seem like I’m distancing myself,” he explained, his throat starting to dry as he slowly confessed; he held her hands in his and tightened his around hers, her warmth spreading and colliding with his own, “but please be patient with me and know I’ll never be far from you for long, my princess,” he blushed, pulling her towards him to kiss her cheek delicately, grinning at her before turning to head into class.

Ominis hated this.

He wanted to protect her and couldn’t help the sinking sensation he felt, frightened of the unavoidable future.

Emelia remained frozen for a couple seconds longer, trying to think of what could possibly be having Ominis in his head so deeply that it was potentially tearing him away from her; she was terrified of that possibility. Ominis was the one keeping her together, without him, she knew she’d surely shatter again; she felt guilty, not wanting to burden Ominis, but she shamefully depended on him more than he knew.

She shook her head and strived to think positive thoughts, knowing Ominis wouldn’t keep anything from her unless it was for good reason, and when he could, he’d tell her everything in his own time.

Emelia took a deep breath and lifted her head up high and walked into her first class since winter break.

-

Morning classes passed by quickly, Ominis and Emelia had attended their Herbology, Potions and Transfiguration class, and it was now noon; Emelia had a free period, but her friends had other classes, even Ominis had Arithmancy, so for a solid hour or so, she was alone.

Emelia wandered the halls with other random students who happened to have a free period as well, but she didn’t pay attention to them; she continued to aimlessly walk around the school, until she found herself in the DADA Tower, her next class after lunch was Defense Against the Dark Arts, the first class she had with Sebastian and Ominis, winning against Sebastian in a practice duel.

She remembered sparks flow from both their wands and to each other, a hidden bond which soon grew between them during the year.

Something pulled her towards a certain place in the tower, she gradually strode forward to the hidden door with cautious steps; she gazed around not seeing anyone around and turned the corner.

There it was.

The door to the undercroft.

She hadn’t come here since last year; she was shocked she managed to get even this close.

Ominis had a point when he brought up practicing their new spells for Professor Ronan’s class, but Emelia still didn’t feel ready to even step foot in there; she wanted to, just like old times, but without Sebastian, it didn’t feel right.

She stood, staring at the door, licking and biting her lips, fear and panic slowly kicking in; she backed up from the door, feeling the cold wall behind her.

Then it came back to her.

The memory of her last conversation with Sebastian, him appreciating her for her friendship and all she’d done for him, telling her she means a lot to him, hugging her goodbye, kissing her cheek and walking out, never seeing him again – until the Daily Prophet, sending her over the edge and her mental state had crumbled.

She wanted to see Sebastian, but the only way she could “see” him again was with the pensive that rested on the other side of the door; she just wanted to see him again, the wavy brown-haired Slytherin, the freckled boy she once knew and shared memories with – shared secrets with – hear his voice, his laughter – before it all went south.

It was thanks to Ominis, who tirelessly picked up every little piece of her shattered heart and soul afterwards, being her everlasting ray of hope and light, her keeper – protector – she regained her sense of self.

Emelia took deep breaths, maintaining eye contact on the door, memorizing its design.

She bravely approached the frame and raised a hesitant hand to slide along its edges, licking her lips anxiously; she was really debating on just going in without thinking and let whatever emotions consume her when she got in there, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Emelia lowered her head, clenching her fist that laid on the entrance, chest tightening while tears filled her eyes.

She knew it.

Felt it.

She dearly, deeply missed Sebastian so much it pained her.

However, little did Emelia know Sebastian was just on the opposite side, standing before the entrance squeezing his sweaty hands, debating on sneaking out to see her and his twin, to catch a single glimpse of them, to hear them…the anticipation for this weekend made him nervous, fearful yet excited.

He’d get to see Emelia; he’d missed her so much.

Her glowing smile, her infectious laughter, her angelic voice, the gorgeous curves of her body, the fragrance that warmed his core and made his legs quiver with a longing he tried to keep hidden away – sadly, he couldn’t really recall of what it smelt like anymore, but he knew if he smelled it again, memories would come flooding back to him; his body would want nothing more than to take her right then and there, professing everything he felt inside and revealing itself.

If only they knew they were both at the door, pondering, missing one another – would they have opened it if they knew the one their hearts were missing was just on the other side?

--

Chapter Text

I stretched my arms and back, struggling to wake up and loosen my body from its stiffened state.

It was the middle of the week and I had almost forgotten how demanding the work was. I was in the library with a couple books sprawled around my little corner of the desk, attempting to get some information for Professor Binns class and write thirty-six inches – three whole pages – about the Witch Trials of 1692 and Wendelin the Weird, and I’ve only written ten.

I was by myself this time, Ominis nowhere to be found; he said he had to run around again today.  Even yesterday, he wasn’t at lunch, but showed up at dinner; Anne and I asked him where he was, and he told us he had a couple tasks to do beforehand and not to worry about it. I admit I wanted to follow him, but I had to do some studying since we had an upcoming quiz at the end of the week.

It was strange being on my own, his empty presence left a cold and unnatural space in my existence; I didn’t like the feeling.

Perhaps I was so used to him always by my side…

“Ugh…” I groaned, rubbing my face with both hands in both frustration and exhaustion.

“Well you sound like you could be doing better,” Anne’s voice spoke beside me.

I looked between my fingers and saw her coming with a few books of her own, taking a seat next to mine.

I sighed and straightened up. “Always,” I answered her, “you look just as overwhelmed as I do,” I observed, as she took a relieving breath and dropped in her chair.

She slumped her shoulders. “You don’t have to catch up a year’s worth of school, Em,” she pointed out.

I shrugged. “No, but I did have to catch up as a fifth year who was completely new to magic,” I shot back with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes. “Alright, alright, point taken, you win.”

We both laughed and focused the best we could on our homework, taking short breaks here and there.

After what felt like hours, I looked at the clock and moaned in annoyance.

“What?” Anne wondered, gazing in my direction.

I sank my head on the table, my hair falling over like a dark curtain; I turned my head to face her. “I have to go to practice…” I complained in a whine.

Anne scoffed, but then a light kicked on inside her head. “Oh yeah!” she recalled, practically jumping out her seat, quickly putting her papers in her books to keep her place for next time. “Come on, let’s put these in the room, then we’ll go to the Quidditch Pitch!”

I sighed. “Do I have to go?”

She pinched my cheek. “It’ll be fun, come on. I’m sure Ominis is going to be furious if we’re late,” she proclaimed with a soft chuckle.

Exhaling, I lazily got up and gathered my belongings, ready to go in seconds; we made our way out the doors of the library. “I don’t get why he’s upset if we’re late, you two aren’t even players,” I stated amused.

“Remember, he’s always punctual.”

I rolled my eyes. “That, he is.”

We walked to the Room of Requirement, went in when no one else was looking and put our schoolwork on the nearest table; we took a minute to give Alistair some pets, and returned him to his enclosure after, promising to be back to give him more love.

We dashed out of the room and headed towards the Quidditch field. The fluffy clouds scattered across the sky and the sun was filling it with its yellow-ish tint, mixed with a hint of purple and blue; the sunsets were always striking, taking my breath away with its endless beauty.

We ran on the dirt path and heard Imelda already shouting at our other teammates to hurry up since we only had two hours.

“It’s five o’clock ladies, our two hours start now! So get your asses changed and out on that field or sit with the other nose-bleeding spectators and get off my team!” she shouted impatiently coming from the exits of the boys and girls locker rooms.

I raised my eyebrows at her threat, telling Anne to go find Grace and Ominis.

“Good luck!” she encouraged, a fist in the air.

I nodded, putting my fist up in return. “I’m gonna need it,” I told her jokingly.

She laughed and went to sit up in the bleachers.

As I walked to the girls dressing room, I tied my hair in a simple loose bun, some strands falling on the sides of my face; I used my wand to alter my clothes to my practice uniform, adjusting anything that needed to be fixed and automatically summoning my broom.

I stepped into the changing room, passing and acknowledging other players, briefly gesturing with my head in greeting; I strode towards our captain with hands on her hips, eagerly looking over everyone’s uniform as they headed out of the respected locker rooms  – even if it wasn’t a real game, she wanted to make sure their gear was on properly; I think she secretly cared about the team and their safety.

“Captain,” I greeted, doing a dramatic curtsey.

“Finally!” she hollered, throwing her hands up in the air, “you’re late,” she observed in a sterner voice.

“I didn’t have to show up at all,” I teased, trying to ease her tension.

She was always so serious.

Imelda gave me an exasperated expression, bending over to grab a bat, leaning on the wall. “Don’t try me today, Starke; get your ass out there and give it your all,” she instructed, handing me the club and motioned with her head towards the field.

I grinned slyly, saluting her with the bat. “Yes, captain.”

Swiftly getting on my broom, I took to the air, joining my other teammates, which were already in a huddled formation.

“Ready, guys?” I questioned, grabbing my gloves out of my pockets and putting them on.

“I don’t understand why we have to have practice after winter break…” Stephen, a chaser, had complained.

“I get it,” I empathized with them, “but our match against Ravenclaw is this Saturday so, of course, our gracious captain said we needed to get one more practice in,” I stated shrugging and attempting to justify our practice, to have them understand Imelda’s thinking.

Most of them groaned.

“Just this one practice, then after, we can eat dinner and beat those birds out of the sky this weekend, yeah?” I inspired, pumping my fist in the air.

“Yeah!” the team shouted simultaneously, doing the same gesture as I did and hollered other positive declarations we were going to win and crush them.

I scoffed, observing everyone – some of them continued putting on their gloves, adjusting their clothes, gear or taking deep breaths; I inspected them, double-checking their attire and helped correct them if I saw anything out of place.

“Heidi, Wyatt, come here for a sec,” I softly ordered them, they were basically stiff as a statue, rigid with anxiety as they made their way to me; I urged them to loosen up and just to take a breath, that it was just practice, straightening their arm guards, and helmets. I patted their arms when I was done and told them to have fun but to do their best.

Heidi gave me an accepting smile and seemed to have calmed a bit, except Wyatt; he was a fifth year.  He showed potential as a seeker; he was fast and agile. The poor guy just needed more confidence.

I gave him with a tiny grin, tightening his string on his chest with both hands and balancing with ease.

“You look nervous,” I studied him as I adjusted the last of his laces, gazing into his blue eyes for a second.

He stuttered. “Yeah, it’s just Imelda’s very…commanding…she expects so much from me when I don’t have experience…” he began to explain, shaking a bit.

“Hey, she may be on everyone’s case, but she’s captain for a reason – she’s passionate about the game and she knows you can do it, I know you can do it – now it’s your turn,” I reassured him, patting his shoulder twice. “You were chosen as a seeker; you’re a great one at that, just focus and believe in yourself.”

He ran his hands through his dirty-blonde hair, embarrassed. “Thank you, Emelia,” he appreciated with a thin grin.

I beamed a pleased smile. “You got this.”

Spinning around, I saw Lance, the other beater, basically glowering at Wyatt.

“You good, Dawson?” I questioned, cautious.

He was at tryouts wanting to be a seeker; obviously, he got another position.

He snapped out of it, eyes on me. “Uh, yeah.”

I felt uneasy, but pushed the sensation aside and moved back, getting a feel for the sky’s atmosphere; I went to see Grace, Anne, Poppy and Garreth, sitting with other students on the bleachers, but what shocked me most was Ominis still wasn’t there.

I made my way forward, gradually stopping in front of them. “Thanks for showing your support, even if it is only a practice match,” I appreciated, feeling warmth in my heart.

“Hey, I gotta support my favorite Slytherin,” Garreth winked at me, giving me a thumbs up.

“Do your best!” Poppy shouted with spirit.

“Yeah!” Grace hollered.

“Thanks again, you guys,” I grinned, turning my attention to Anne. “Where’s Ominis?” I wondered curiously in a whisper, searching the lightly packed stands for a red flickering light but found nothing.

Anne shrugged to me in regret. “I honestly thought he’d be here by now…” she assumed, “you did tell him when practice started, right?”

“Of course I did,” I confirmed, my tone low.

I speculated if it was cause I asked about the kiss…

He’s been distant since last week even; I believed it was because he had to take care of me like a child, giving him a hard time, when we got back from Hogsmeade, disoriented and wasted – being a burden to him – but definitely think it was cause I asked about the kiss.

I remember him telling me that it was fine, and he’d always take care of me, but that little voice at the back of my mind made me doubt his words – my own cruel thoughts.

Sighing, I nodded. “Maybe he’ll come later,” I said hopeful, making an effort to stay positive, although in reality, my excited mood had drained significantly.

“Of course he will! He’s never missed a practice game of yours,” she noted with an assured grin, “if he does, he’ll have to answer to me,” she affirmed, holding up her fists, portraying Ominis’ future meeting.

I scoffed, laughing to myself and nodded; I waved to my friends and headed back to my team already seeing Imelda spinning slowly around in the middle of the group, moving her arms. I found a place in between a few teammates, and I looked down at my bracelet wondering where he could be, and if he was okay; I was about to pull a petal until Imelda’s voice spoke to me.

“Emelia, you good?” she asked concerned.

I snapped my head up to her, straightening myself up and pulling my sleeve down over the wristlet. “Yeah!” I lied, forcing a grin.

“Okay, this may just be practice, but I want you to play like they’re real matches, got it?” she stated, gliding her eyes over the team’s eager, yet hesitant expressions.

“Yes, captain!” they answered together; all their nervousness was gone, and confidence had taken its place.

Imelda puffed out her chest, her face portrayed pride; I did the same.

The other half of our team were dressed in their uniforms with blue-colored jerseys over their apparel, indicating they were the enemy team.

“Let’s kick some ass!” Imelda encouraged with a thrilled tone.

We all got into our positions, waiting for the whistle.

Madam Kogawa sat on her broom in between the opposing teams, telling us the dos and don’ts of the match and anything to jeopardize the integrity of the game would be immediately kicked off or will refrain from playing the remainder of practice and suspended the next two games.

“Are there any questions?” Madam Kogawa asked, turning her head to observe both teams; we all shook our heads. “Alright, with all that said…” she started backing away from the center of the field, “practice hard!” she concluded, blowing the whistle and using her wand to open the chest holding the sport’s orbs, flinging the quaffle in the air, unlocking the two bludgers and releasing the golden snitch. The bludgers instantly flew out in random directions. The tiny crowd let out a roaring cheer around us, excited for the start of practice.

I watched the two convulsive spheres shift from left to right, no real path they were taking; they were erratic and unpredictable.

For forty-five minutes, we practiced game after game, scrimmaging against each other like it would never end, learning from past mistakes and adapting to be better.

During the previous games, I suspected something was going on with a bludger because it kept targeting Wyatt whenever he was close to getting the snitch; I successfully knocked it off its course with the other bludger, earning myself a loud cheer from the bleachers.

I flew rapidly towards my teammate who was about to get hit from the spazzy ball and smacked it with my bat to the rival team member, making them lose their balance on their broom.

“Go!” I hollered urgently.

“Thanks!” Daphney shouted back, appreciative, and took off towards whoever had the quaffle.

For the next twelve minutes, give or take after, Lance and I were defending our teammates and aiming the bludgers in the direction of the opposing team, knocking some off their broom and scarcely missing others.

Occasionally, I dared to gaze towards Anne and Grace, hoping to see Ominis there, but he wasn’t…

Anne gave me a sorrowful face.

The sadness covered me, clouding my mind; a bludger almost hitting me, snapping me out of my emotions.

I shook my upper body, knocking the side of my head with my free hand. “Focus!”

Giving a hundred percent of my concentration towards the game, I eventually entered the zone.

I spotted an incoming bludger, putting all my frustrated emotions into my swing, I launched it towards the opponent’s seeker, who was about to reach the snitch, spinning the broom and disorienting them.

My team and the small crowd of students praised and applauded.

In this practice game, we scored fifty points within that time, but the other team had scored forty.

We were about even, and Imelda was getting irritated.

I hovered higher above the field, looking over the game a bit to observe the scene; I’d hit and send back bludgers when I could towards whichever player I noticed had the quaffle or the seeker, who was close to getting what I can only assume was the snitch since I could barely see it.

Five more minutes in and no one was faltering, the score was seventy to seventy.

We were exhausted; you could see the sweat, glistening off of everyone’s faces.

Imelda was even getting tired but encouraged and pushed us to keep going.

“We can make it! We’re almost there!” she inspired, gazing around, “where’s Wyatt?”

“I’m right here!” he exclaimed, pulling up beside her.

“Get the snitch, no matter what!” she informed, “you’re our only hope to finish this game,” she said and flew off, going after the quaffle from the rival team members.

Wyatt looked at me with fright, shaking on his broom.

“Hey, don’t –” I began to say, but saw a bludger headed our way, “hold on...”

I moved up a few feet, defending Wyatt and hitting it back towards the other team, skillfully hitting a quaffle that was about to go into the hoop; my team and the audience around us cheered.

“Sorry about that,” I apologized, going back beside the anxious fifth year, “what I was trying to say was, don’t be scared; remember, you got this! Besides, we got your back,” I promised, holding up the small bat, urging him forward. “Go get that golden snitch!”

He straightened his back more confidently, examining his surroundings with squinted eyes, and after finding what he was looking for, he chased after it around the stadium.

I continued to dodge and smack the bludgers, protecting my team, and that’s when I saw it.

I watched one of the bludgers instantly change direction drastically and make its way to Wyatt, who was so focused on retrieving the snitch, he didn’t see it coming at him.

Where the hell…? I began to question, observing my environment, and saw Lance above the playing field, wand out and pointing at the bludger, his expression sinister, concentrating while his lips moved.

He was targeting Wyatt.

Shit!

I didn’t have my wand, so I rapidly flew passed the other team members, hitting the other bludger and attempting to do what I did before and clash it with each other, but I missed.

Fuck!

I flew faster; it was like a race between me and the cursed bludger to see who could get to Wyatt.

“Wyatt, watch out!” I yelled, pushing him out of the way, swinging my arm across my body, over my shoulder, about to hit it, but the sphere hit me dead on in the arm and ricochet upward, scraping the corner of my forehead.

I cried out in pain, feeling and hearing my bone break; I felt my body tip over and gravity pulling me downward, hearing the crowd express their shock.

For some reason, as I was falling, I was thinking back to the catacomb where Sebastian killed his uncle; I was too weak then and froze when I could’ve jumped in front of Solomon, to prevent Sebastian from his regret, compared to this time, I was stronger, acted faster – wasn’t frozen in place – and went in front of imminent danger to protect someone else. I oddly felt proud of myself.

If only I could’ve done that for Sebastian…

Hitting the ground hard, I felt the air shoot out of my lungs, almost like I was being suffocated; my body was hurting and ached all over, my chest felt tight. I forced myself to take a breath in; I gasped for air, panting, and thankfully, the compression I felt in my chest lifted.  My eyelids felt heavy, my vision slightly blurred.

“Emelia!” I heard Anne shout my name.

I shifted my head, vision shifting back to normal, to my friends running towards me in panic; with my peripheral vision, I saw my teammates lowering themselves on the other side.

I regained some strength, surprisingly not feeling the pain in my arm or in my body.

Anne was instantly at my side, holding my hand, gently shaking me.

“Emelia, can you hear me?” she questioned in fear.

“Anne…”

“Em…oh, thank Merlin,” she exhaled, relieved, her tone cracking.

“I’m okay…” I tried to reassure her, “where’s Wyatt?” I asked slowly looking around.

Anne scoffed, smiling at me in disbelief. “Wyatt’s fine.”

I sighed relieved. “Good…”

“Emelia, are you okay?” Imelda asked in shock, bending down next to me, worry over her face on the opposite side of me; the Quidditch teammates approaching to gather around me.

I pulled her closer by her sleeve; she gave me her ear. “Lance targeted Wyatt…with the bludger,” I confessed in a whisper, groaning, “I saw him.”

She nodded once. “Count on me; I’ll handle it,” Imelda assured, giving me a small grin, squeezing my shoulder firmly with fire in her eyes; her expression angered and determined.

“Clear the way!” Madam Kogawa’s voice thundered, students cleared the path, Imelda stood and took a few steps back, glancing towards Dawson’s direction, who had a guilty expression on his face. The flying instructor came to kneel beside me, examining my arm closely; I winced at her gentle touch. “She needs to go to the hospital wing,” she instructed aloud.

“I’ll take her,” Garreth volunteered seriously, immediately stepping forward and scooping me up in his arms; I moaned in pain, feeling my arm burn with a stinging sensation. Garreth’s hand tenderly supported my injured one by my elbow.

“Garreth, I…” I wanted to protest, but he shushed me.

“Since you’ve helped me so much, it’s time I repay you back, but don’t worry, this is just the beginning of it,” he grinned happily at me, tapping my forehead with his.

I scoffed, flashing him a grateful smirk.

“I’ll go with her,” Anne told the flying teacher.

“Me too!” Poppy spoke up.

“Me too!” Grace said beside her.

Madam Kogawa excused us and said practice was over. Garreth rushed me to the infirmary with my friends behind him.

“Do you always end up like this during practice?” he asked, “if so, I might have to come more often, you know Gaunt wouldn’t be able to carry you,” he kidded, his face turned towards me, snickering as he grinned.

I chuckled a bit. “You’d be surprised; Ominis is stronger than he looks,” I countered his statement, thinking back to when he took me, after my embarrassing mental breakdown, to the Room of Requirement since we didn’t know how to apparate yet. I recalled falling asleep in his arms in the undercroft then being too weak and exhausted, he strongly carried me up the endless stairs, reassuring me with his soft, gentle voice that everything was going to be okay, that he was there for me, that I wasn’t going to do this alone; he didn’t leave my side once – until he, reluctantly, had to go home.

The memory made me smile to myself, but it disappeared when I remembered Ominis wasn’t with Anne on the bleachers.

He didn’t show.

It wasn’t a big deal, so why did it hurt me so much?

As I was consumed by my thoughts, Garreth seemed focused on getting me to Madam Blainey, barely speaking a word, only checking on me once in a while. We’d make eye contact but didn’t say anything; he just simply gave me a sympathetic smirk. I exhaled, returning a small smile, feeling my body warm up a bit and it wasn’t from practice.

We made it to the nearest floo, and we traveled to the hospital wing.

“Nurse Blainey,” Garreth’s voice echoed the empty room.

The woman in the white apron spun around and saw me in his arms and gasped, immediately insisting he put me on the nearest cot; Garreth placed me gently on the bed, the soft mattress and pillow cushion relaxed my body, but the piercing ache still resided.

“What happened?” she wondered, abruptly getting a few items from a nearby cabinet.

“Quidditch practice,” I answered with a groan, “a bludger got me.”

She shook her head in disapproval. “Oh, there is a reason Quidditch was cancelled last year; too many accidents,” she proclaimed.

My friends were on the other side of the bed, watching her work; she examined me with her hands and wand.

I moaned in agony as she used her hands to feel the tenderness of my arm, I’m guessing to make sure there wasn’t any other wounds on that side; the stabbing pain pulsed internally against my injured limb making me twitch; I inhaled between my teeth as she lightly pressed on the injury directly.

“Alright, Mr. Weasley, everyone, thank you for bringing her here, now it’s time to get her treated,” Madam Blainey started ushering them out so she can get started on my arm.

“But Nurse Blainey, we want to stay t –” Poppy started to say, but the nurse interrupted.

“No, my dear, you all can go about your business and come back tomorrow or if you wish, after dinner, but I’ll only allow a few minutes,” she negotiated, continuing to push them towards the exit.

I laid on the bed, head tilted to the side of my pillow, seeing everyone leave and their voices reaching me, promising to come by soon.

I weakly waved my good arm at them. “I’ll be fine,” I assured confidently, “go; don’t worry about me.”

They all left, groaning with reluctance in doing so.

After they were gone, it was nothing but silence and the positive reassuring sensation I had faded, and I was left covered in a blanket of overwhelming sorrow; I let out a heavy breath.

Nurse Blainey helped me out of my gear, leaving my top on, but cutting my right long sleeve shorter so she can take care of my injury.

“Looks like the bludger broke your bone, there’s also some scrapes and you’ll have bruises no doubt, but nothing a couple spells and a few days of rest can’t fix,” she exhaled, sounding relieved, examining the corner of my head with cold fingers.

“Can I still play on Saturday?” I wondered, afraid of what Imelda would say or do if I couldn’t.

The nurse let out a disapproving grunt, a hand on her forehead while the other was on her hip. “I’d rather you not, but if you follow my aftercare perfectly, I don’t see why you couldn’t.”

She turned away and to retrieve something, her shoes were the only thing I heard, echoing between the walls of the hospital.

I noticed the adrenaline I had gradually began to wear off because I suddenly felt an intense splintering pain; I gripped my arm firmly, hoping squeezing it would alleviate some of the tension and fire I felt on my skin.

She approached me abruptly with a warm smile. “Here, drink this,” she offered, a small cup held delicately in her hand.

I looked between her and the mysterious drink, skeptical, debating if I should take my chances with the aching discomfort.

“It’ll help with the pain,” she informed, “however, it’s a bit bitter,” she warned.

I subtly nodded in acceptance.

She carefully lifted my head and put the cup between my lips and tilted the liquid slowly for me to sip.

She was right, it tasted unpleasant, but I kept drinking it.

I noticed the pain in my body was starting to subside and the pain in my arm was tolerable now.

“It’ll also help you sleep,” she added.

I noticed my eyelids start to droop.

“Rest, my dear; I’ll take care of your injuries, don’t you worry about a thing,” the nurse stated, placing a cool cloth over my forehead, calming my entire being. I didn’t notice I was burning up until then.

I closed my eyes, my head resting against the soft pillow. “Thank you, Nurse Blainey,” I appreciated, feeling her immediately working on my injury.

-

Ominis POV

Walking into the undercroft, I groaned irritated.

“You know, skipping classes isn’t really a good start to your return,” I observed, the small orchestra playing a gentle tune, walking towards the table where Sebastian was scribbling.

I had been a nervous wreck, anticipating for Sebastian to show up to classes after the first day, but he never did.

“You said Friday or Saturday we’d tell Emelia; I don’t think my hasty appearance is going to help anyone – especially her,” he thought out loud.

He had a point.

I sighed, scratching my head. “Reluctant as I am to say this, but…I agree with you.”

Sebastian let out a victorious grunt. “Ominis Gaunt finally agrees with me? This is a rare moment I’ll have to tell Emelia and Anne later,” he chuckled.

I scoffed amused.

Sebastian wanted to practice a bit before I headed off to an important affair – one I never missed.

Hang on, my princess...

“Better make this quick then, Sebastian…” I told him, holding up my wand in preparation for our sparing.

-

“Finished now?” I asked Sebastian breathlessly, straightening up and dusting off my clothes.

Sebastian got up with a frustrated groan. “Come on! One more duel!” he exclaimed with urgency.

Damn, he was insistent, but I suppose this is proof that he’s doing all he can to keep his promise be better.

I grumbled, walking to grab my robe I placed over the chair’s body. “No more, Sebastian. It feels like we’ve been here for hours,” I told him, “I don’t even know what time it is…” I muttered to myself, gradually shaking the cloak to get any debris off.

“It’s about 6:40 in the evening,” he answered.

I nodded. 6:40, huh…

Then it sunk in.

“What?!” I hollered, throwing the robe back on the chair and walked towards Sebastian, hoping what I heard wasn’t right, “wait, wait…did you just say ‘6:40’?”

“Uh, yeah. Why?”

Shit!

“I’m missing Emelia’s practice!” I yelled as panic ran through my body.

She’s going to be so disappointed in me.

“Practice?”

“Yes, Slytherin has a game against Ravenclaw this Saturday, so they’re getting one more training session in before then,” I responded, recalling Emelia telling me when she was going to be on the field today at five.

“Oh, right…but it’s just practice,” he stated, clearly not understanding, “it’s no big deal if you miss a practice match; not like you’re a player anyway,” he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

I rolled my eyes. “I’ve always been there to support her, no matter what type of match it is!” I snapped back at him, heading towards the door instantly.

How could I have not kept track of the time! I criticized myself.

“Ominis, wait!” Sebastian called out to me.

I stopped. “Make it quick,” I ordered, wanting to get out as fast as I could to head to the Quidditch field.

“About the letter, did you…?” he wondered; his tone filled with hope.

`“No, I was going to give it to Anne after Emelia’s practice; now I’m just going to have to play it by ear.”

I heard him swallow. “I’ll be patient then...”

I let out a sigh. “I’ll be back; I promise I’ll give the letter soon – before this weekend.”

I sensed Sebastian nodding and with that, I apparated out of the undercroft and towards the Quidditch Pitch.

I landed in front of the entrance.

It was quiet and I couldn’t hear anything, not even the students’ voices.

As I walked into the stadium, I lifted my head to take a better whiff of the air; I smelt the leather of the players uniforms, the material of the raging spheres – the bludgers – and the scent of wet grass with a hint of mud.

No one was here.

Where could they be?

I apparated to our safe haven and the door materialized before me; I opened it quickly.

“Emelia?” I called out her name, “you here? Dove?”

Using my wand, I couldn’t sense her here.

I tapped on the gem that I had on my bracelet in hopes she’d respond to it.

I waited.

Nothing.

I did the same action a couple more times, but the same result.

Where was she?

“Emelia!” I hollered a bit louder.

“She’s not here,” Alistair answered in a hoarse voice, as if he just woke up.

I snapped my head in his direction. “Where is she then?” I demanded.

“Last time I saw her, she and Anne came to drop off some books a couple hours ago and then left,” he replied, his tone also sounding worried probably because he noticed my expression. “Why?

I remained silent, fear setting in.

Emelia, where are you…?

“I’ll be back, I’ll go find Anne,” I said, spinning away, “she’s probably with her.”

“I can help!”

“Don’t joke with me right now,” I warned him.

Exiting the Room of Requirement, I traveled to the Slytherin common room.

Please be there…

I entered the common room, hearing some chatter; I listened closely, trying to find the voice I was looking for.

Emelia’s voice wasn’t there; I couldn’t even hear Anne’s.

Ugh, where are they?

“Excuse me,” I spoke to a couple of my fellow Slytherins, nearest to the stairs, looking at the bulletin board.

“Yes…?” the boy asked in suspicion.

“Do you know where I can find Anne Sallow or Emelia Starke?” I questioned, keeping my voice even and not frantic.

“Oh, I remember seeing Anne and a couple others at the Great Hall for dinner!” the girl beside him answered.

Relief flooded through me. “Thank you,” I acknowledged with a sigh, “I truly appreciate your help.”

Practically running back up the stairs, I made my way to the Great Hall.

Entering the hall, my nose was overwhelmed with a variety of foods around me and voices talking and laughing, overlapping each other.

I walked towards the Slytherin table and Anne’s voice shouted my name in hostility.

“Ominis Gaunt!” she hollered in a serious tone.

I stopped immediately, shocked to hear the anger in her tone.

“Anne, is Emelia with you? I went to the field bu – hey!” I began to explain myself but felt her unexpectedly grab my arm to pull me back into the hallway where the house points were displayed.

“I cannot believe you, Ominis!” she stated in disbelief, shoving me a bit too forcefully. “Where have you been? Explain yourself!”

“Anne, I….ugh, you are as hasty as your brother. What is the meaning of this?” I questioned her in the same irritated tone, adjusting my vest.

“First, you weren’t at the practice match, then Emelia had to be taken to the hospital wing and now you have the audacity to – ”

That struck me like a billion volts of electricity, my focus completely on Anne.

“Emelia’s in the hospital wing?!” I exclaimed, shocked, “what happened? When?”

“She got hit with a rogue bludger protecting one of her teammates during practice,” Anne informed, her aggression somewhat diminished.

We heard footsteps coming from the direction of the spiral staircase.

I shifted my head a bit to the sound of the noise.

“You’re lucky I was there to carry her to Blainey’s when it happened, Gaunt,” Garreth proudly stated, his steps halted near me.

“Weasley…” I greeted lowly, not particularly pleased to hear him or the heart-clenching statement he uttered.

He carried her to the hospital wing because I wasn’t there.

Emelia…I’m so sorry…

I clenched my jaw and used my wand to guide me away from the two of them.

“Ominis, wait!” Anne yelled out.

“Where are you going?” Garreth asked, surprised by my sudden action.

“I’m going to see Emelia; I’ve wasted enough time,” I replied with a trace of sorrow.

“I’ll go with you,” Anne offered, hearing her take a step forward.

“Me too,” Garreth said.

I halted. “No,” I spoke sternly, lowering my head in shame, “I need to see her alone; I have to apologize to her.”

Anne and Garreth sighed but agreed to let me go alone.

Before I walked to the hospital wing, I turned my head to the side.

“Thank you, Garreth…for taking her…” I expressed my gratitude.

“It’s no problem; I gotta take care of our girl,” he stated, a smile heard in his tone.

I scoffed and made my way to my poor, injured dove.

Walking through the empty halls, I screamed at myself – blaming myself – for losing track of time, for not being there for her when she needed me…for just being away from her…

I wanted to devote all my time and energy to her, but I knew I couldn’t…

I wanted to protect her but simply couldn’t manage my time correctly.

I was pathetic.

Ugh! If I wasn’t helping Sebastian…no, he hasn’t done anything wrong, he just wanted help…he’s my friend and I promised to assist any way I could; I genuinely wanted to help him. I wanted him to succeed.

Smacking the side of my head, I groaned frustrated; I then rubbed the back of my head, getting agitated and didn’t know what to do once I saw her.  There was a twist and nauseous aching in the pit of my stomach, not knowing what I’d say to her; I was nervous and felt shame wash over my entire body.

I made it to the entrance of the hospital wing; I didn’t hear the nurse, so I went in.

My wand guided me, “showing” me the room was empty, except for one bed.

As I got closer to the cot, I got a faint smell of a familiar scent.

My sweet girl.

I heard her light snoring; she was asleep.

Letting out a relieved breath, I continued my path forward, my footsteps were quiet as I made it to her bedside.

I examined her body, not that I didn’t trust Nurse Blainey, but I had to see it for myself; there didn’t seem to be anything else wrong that stuck out to me, except her right arm. I delicately touched her arm at her sides, trying to sense how bad her wound was; she groaned in her sleep when I softly felt her arm.

Hearing her in pain, clutched and wrenched my heart.

I think with how Nurse Blainey bandaged her, I suspect broken bones. My jaw tightened, worried for her well-being; I slid my hand lightly and carefully down her arm and felt a couple cuts along her skin, finally ending at her soft hands.

“My darling…” I whispered, gradually lowering down to my knees beside her bed, head hung in shame.

The tears filled my eyes and spilt out, my body shaking. I know it wasn’t a bad injury, that it would heal quickly, and she’d be good as new, but…I couldn’t help but think of what if something worse had happened to her. I also thought about what she could’ve been thinking when I didn’t show, thinking I abandoned or forgot about her, that she was right – that I thought she was a burden when I never saw her like that, not one bit.  I wondered if it was cause I didn’t show that she got injured. All these ridiculous thoughts either made sense or not at all, they kept popping in my head and I didn’t know how else to rationalize what I was feeling.

I gently wrapped both hands around hers, feeling her warmth. “My darling Emelia, I’m so sorry you got hurt…I’m so sorry I wasn’t there…please don’t think I forgot you, that you mean nothing to me, a burden, because that’s simply beyond the truth…” I apologized, rambling to her sleeping frame, voice cracking; I felt her bracelet, grazing my fingers along the cold metal of the band, “when you wake, please forgive me, I didn’t mean to miss it…I got – I got caught up doing something else and didn’t pay attention to the time. I was just trying to be there for the both of you. I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…”

I softly squeezed her hand, kissing her knuckles tenderly.

Damn, if this was how it felt to ask for forgiveness with merely missing a practice game, begging for her forgiveness for the inevitable reunion is going `to cause me immeasurable agony like nothing I’ve ever experienced – not even when my family had used the Cruciatus Curse on me.

Even if it wasn’t his fault, I cursed him.

Sebastian Sallow, you better have the time I sacrificed worth it.

--

Chapter Text

Ominis had left hours ago, and I was already restless.

I groaned in frustration, pacing around the long table.

I was rusty.

He’d beaten me at every duel since I returned, and I know he was holding back – that bastard; however, I know I was getting the hang of the new spells and defenses, even the nonverbal ones.

I was proud of myself.

Anne would be proud of me too!

My happy self-satisfaction soon extinguished and replaced with deep despair.

I slumped in a nearby chair.

Anne…

Ominis hadn’t given the letter to Anne yet.

Thinking back to what I’d written, I’d hope she’d understand and forgive me.

I know I apologized profusely in it, explaining everything in detail – my hopes and wishes for her, telling her about my accomplishments and aspirations for the future.

I felt my heart sink more and I felt tears well up in my eyes; I clutched at my chest, squeezing inward wanting this pain to stop.

I missed her.

I missed Anne so much…

I prayed – begged – to Merlin, to all the gods, to help her search in her heart to forgive me.

Ominis too…and Emelia…

I shut my eyes tightly. My mind somehow went to the memory of Azkaban.

The recollection flashed before my eyes.

I didn’t know what day it was.

I just knew it’s been about a month.

I was on the bed, my knees at my chest and my arms wrapped around it; I hadn’t moved since I retrieved my meal the guards threw at me and ate whatever I could.

The way they treated me, spoke to me…

I deserved this.

Ominis…

Emelia…

Anne…

Thinking about them, I hoped they were doing okay and wanting them to live to the fullest – even without me – I wanted them to be happy; it still caused my chest to cave in, feeling my soul break into pieces.

This was my mistake – my consequence to pay.

…I deserved this…

Footsteps suddenly echoed, tearing me out of my drowning thoughts; the sound getting louder and louder near my cell.

I felt a little excitement, gradually sliding to get off the bed, I stood and saw a familiar silhouette on the other side of the prison gates.

“Emi?” I said in disbelief, slowly stumbling towards the gates.

“Sebastian…” her sweet honey voice called out my name.

I walked up to her, grasping my fingers through the metal door and saw her beautiful face. Her lips were parted, skin smooth like a porcelain doll, her dark silky hair, fashioned half up, but it was her eyes that got me; her green eyes were enclosed by a dark circle, surrounding the mix of creamy jade and emerald color in her iris’. The color reminded me of what it would look like if you found a hidden waterfall oasis, encircled by the same sea green, the entire scene – breathtaking.

The swaying flame of the torch next to my cell reflected in her eyes, making me see that there was a splash of chestnut brown to golden color known in the center; my heart skipped a beat, realizing that it’s only now that I’ve noticed it for the first time.

Her eyes were absolutely stunning.

“Sebastian…” she uttered again, putting her hands on mine.

“Emelia, what are you doing here?” I asked almost desperately. “How did you get in?”

“I wanted to see you…”

I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding.

That statement alone made me tear up.

“I’ve been thinking about you and Anne and Ominis…” I confessed, “I…I’m so sorry about everything…I…I wasn’t thinking…” I apologized, tears spilling over, “please forgive me…”

Closing my eyes, I knew my sobs were heard within the small corridor to my cell; I wanted to hug her and express my regrets repeatedly, but then she scoffed.

I opened my eyes, blinking quickly in confusion; I lifted my head to gaze at her and saw she was looking at me dead on with an evil smirk.

“E-Emelia?” I stuttered.

“You want me to forgive you after what you’ve done? You want me to forgive a murderer?” she wondered, almost shouting, removing her hands from mine.

I felt my heart race and eyes widen. “I…”

Her form transformed into a dark figure and came towards me, surpassing the steel bars that held me in.

I took a few steps back, my breathing uneven, feeling a sense of numbness.

“Boggart…” I realized, my lip quivering.

She wasn’t really here.

Why would she be?

The floating shadowy creature took her shape again, rendering me speechless; I stumbled back and felt the edge of the bed on the back of my legs.

“You’re not here! You’re not Emelia!” I hollered at it, water filling my eyes again, but this time it was due to knowing the painful truth.

“Of course, I’m not here,” she stated, “why would I be here of all places?” she questioned.

“You tricked me!” I yelled, my fists and jaw clenched.

She glowered at me. “You were the one to trick me first,” she informed, “manipulating me to help you,” she spat out.

I swallowed a huge lump in my throat, turning away from her.

I couldn’t face her, even if it wasn’t truly Emelia, every word she spoke cut through my heart.

It was true.

I did manipulate her for my own personal gain; she could do things no one else could and I saw my opportunity and took it – selfishly.

I didn’t intend to dive headfirst into the dark arts.

I just wanted to cure Anne.

However, along the way I tried to convince myself, rationalize with Emelia and Ominis, that I was doing it for the right reason. A shameful truth was that I also liked how the power made me feel; it was thrilling and irresistible.

I dared to shift my head towards the boggart that took my friend’s body.

“I’m sorry…” I murmured.

“I’ll never forgive you, Sebastian,” she confirmed with spite, taking a step towards me; I fell back on the bed, curling my body inwards again, shaking.

“Emelia…”

“I was always there for you, but you were never there for me,” she exclaimed at me.

Another honest truth.

My heart leapt out of my chest, closing my eyes and crying, her voice lingered, banging in my head.

“I’ll never forgive you!”

“How could you?”

“You’re a murderer!”

“Why didn’t you listen to me?”

I was right…

I deserved this…

I’m sorry…

I felt my body shaking violently, Ominis’ voice calling out my name from a distance.

“I’m sorry!” I shouted, wanting it to all stop, “I’m sorry!”

“Sebastian! Sebastian, open your eyes!” Ominis’ voice commanded.

I snapped my eyes open and saw my friend knelt down in front of me, his face creased with fear and concern, his hands clamped on my shoulders, shaking me, attempting to rip me out of my traumatic memory.

I observed my surroundings; I was in the corner of the undercroft, curled in a ball, my face drenched with tears.

We were both slightly panting.

I felt my heart racing within my chest, my body trembling.

“Ominis…” I muttered in a shaky breath, tears still spilling over, gripping his sleeves.

Ominis exhaled. “Sebastian, what happened? Are you alright?” He removed a hand from my shoulder to examine me with his wand, brows furrowed to the center.

The blinking red light at the tip of his wand distracted me from my mind’s hell.

“I’m…I’m okay now…” I said, my breathing going back to normal.

Ominis withdrew his wand. “Can you stand?”

“Uh, yeah,” I nodded, gradually getting to my feet with Ominis’ help.

He assisted me to the chair at the elongated table and I let out a sigh of exhaustion, resting my neck back on the seat’s headrest.

“Thanks, Ominis…” I appreciated, arms laying along the armrests casually, and shutting my eyes.

“You’re welcome,” he replied, “I’m not going to ask what happened, and just let you explain later,” he informed me, hearing him pace around.

I only managed a nod. “Mmm,” was all I could utter at that moment.

I don’t think I’d ever be ready to tell them about what goes on in my head; I feel like it would make me sound crazy, and they’d surely throw me into an insane asylum.

I shook my head, opening my lids and seeing Ominis darting his eyes left and right as he walked around the undercroft, mumbling, moving his head from side to side as if he were debating something.

Something was bothering him.

I observed him closer and hadn’t noticed his eyes were reddened as if he were crying.

“Ominis,” I leaned my head up from its position.

He didn’t pause.

“Ominis,” I said a bit louder, leaning forward a bit more.

He instantly stopped and came towards me.

“Are…you okay?” I wondered, squinting my eyes at him.

He didn’t respond, but appeared like he wanted to speak, his mouth opened but nothing came out.

I waited.

“It’s Emelia…” he finally admitted, his voice low.

My heart stopped.

I stood from my chair, adrenaline coursing through me. “What? What happened?” I questioned him, eyes widened, “where is she?”

“She’s in the hospital wing right now; she got hit with a rogue bludger during practice and I suspect it broke her bones,” he told me, licking his lips, “I…I wanted to know if you wanted to see her.”

“Really?!”

“I’ve been debating with myself on the matter; she’s asleep, so I think it’d be okay if you got to be there for her,” Ominis informed, “everyone’s in bed, including Nurse Blainey.”

I inhaled deeply. “Let’s go see her.”

We cast the disillusionment charm and snuck out of the undercroft, and slowly but swiftly making our way to the hospital wing.

After we conquered the faculty tower and went up the stairs, I peeked in.

“The coast is clear,” I whispered to Ominis beside me.

I assumed he used his wand to sense the surroundings around him; he nodded to me in agreement.

We released the charm shielding us and quietly walked into the infirmary.

Immediately, I saw Emelia lying on the cot closest to the door and I felt a pull, almost running to her.

I was panting a bit, my heart racing.

This is the closest I’ve been since last year…

Her beautiful, thick, brown hair laid on the bed in waves, making her appear like a painting; her long lashes barely moving, her pink lips slightly parted, her breathing even. She had her practice uniform on still, but her right sleeve was cut off to her shoulder and a bandage wrapped around her upper arm along with a small cut on the corner of her head.

She was still perfectly surreal.

I brought a chair on the left side of her sleeping body, her face peacefully dreaming.

“Anne said she was protecting her teammate,” he stated in displeasure, informing me on the specifics.

I scoffed, not surprised. “Of course she was.”

Emelia protected me many times when I was being too cocky or wasn’t thinking and just ran into Ashwinder or goblin camps last year. I guess I didn’t have to worry because I knew she’d protect me – she had my back; it was selfish of me.

The memory of my episode in the undercroft came back to me.

“I was always there for you, but you were never there for me!”

I inhaled sharply, blinking rapidly; I sighed, clenching my jaw.

“Could…I have a moment with her alone?” I asked, turning towards Ominis, who narrowed his eyes at me in skepticism. “Just five minutes, I promise I’m not going to do anything stupid and wake her and if she starts to wake up, I’ll make myself scarce,” I vowed, hoping it didn’t have to come to that.

Ominis took a deep breath. “Five minutes, not a second more,” he acknowledged, going back towards the exit, “I’ll keep watch.”

“Thanks.”

When Ominis’ figure was out of sight, I spun my attention to Emelia.

I dared to scoot a bit closer to her, my hands anxiously on my legs. Looking at her hands at her sides, I wanted to just hold them – to feel them; I timidly reached forward to grasp her hand, thinking of how soft and smooth they feel. I remember I used to hold her hand to calm her nerves or just as reassurance when she was going through a hard time catching up with everyone or because of those Keepers making her do challenges to see if she was worthy of her ancient magic.

Ridiculous!

I went slow.

I lightly grazed her knuckles with my thumb, watching her reaction.

She didn’t stir.

I did think about the possibility of making her mine fifth year; she was everything I never knew I wanted: intelligent, beautiful, witty, protected those she cared for and wouldn’t take anyone’s shit.  She was incredible, but I was foolish and greedy, and wasn’t focused on her; and, unfortunately, I was more solely focused on what she could do for me – to help me – find a cure for my sister.

I will forever regret that and beg for her forgiveness until the day I die; I’ll do everything I can to make it up to her.

Gazing at her beautiful face, I tilted my head and grinned a smile of pure joy; it warmed my entire body knowing I was this close to her and so close to being able to talk with her again.

I boldly slid my hand in her unbelievably soft one, holding my breath as I did; she still didn’t move. I curled my fingers around hers; what surprised me was when she groaned in her sleep, she closed her hand on mine and squeezed it firmly.

My tainted and shattered soul felt with just that simple action, there was hope and a chance we’d be how we used to be – better even. Whenever I was with her, I felt warmth and comfort; recalling memories, I remember thinking her smile made the moon jealous, it was no match for her ceaseless beauty, her energetic and gutsy personality, putting a smirk on my face, making me proud, and her angelic voice and laughter making my heart both stop and beat faster, she makes my heart and soul sing. 

If you had to ask me what she was to me, I’d say she was my sun, the warmth gravitating you towards her, the breathtaking view at the top of a mountain, the reason for excitement and adventure in my life, that star you’d wish on in the middle of the night – so beautiful and so far from reach.

I knew I had to do better – be better, for her.

Leaning forward, I caught a whiff of her familiar scent, giving me nostalgia; it was a magnifying fragrance which sent both a shiver down my spine and a feeling that drove me mad, a deep yearning which I didn’t want to awaken, knowing it’d probably only lead to complications and heartbreak.

I shook my head violently and stared at her.

“Emelia,” I whispered, barely audible, careful not to wake her, “I promise I’ll be there for you this time, better than I was…this time I’ll protect you…” I swore to her sleeping frame, “and…” I hesitated, gazing downward, “when you see me, I hope you’ll forgive me and please forgive Ominis for keeping this a secret, he never wanted to keep any of this from you…he truly cares about you…” I stated, a determined expression on my face.

I was jealous of Ominis, witnessing that he cared so much for her; I cared for Emelia too, but was enough like Ominis’.

Why was I jealous anyway?

I sighed again, simply gawking at her for whatever time I had left with her.

After a few minutes, Ominis strode in, wand in hand.

“Five minutes are up,” he stated in a murmured tone on the other side of her bed.

I nodded, gradually getting up and wished I didn’t have to let go of her hand; I slowly and delicately slid my hand out from her grasp, thankfully, she didn’t stir.

“Goodnight, Emelia,” I whispered to her, reluctant to leave. I walked to the exit, turning my body to see Ominis still near Emelia’s body, whispering something in her ear and finally approaching me. “What did you whisper to her?” I curiously asked.

“To ignore a horrible stench she smells when she wakes,” he replied with a smile.

“Hey, I don’t stink that bad!” I exclaimed a bit too loudly.

Ominis shushed at me, grabbing my shoulder and apparated us back to the undercroft; I felt like I was being twisted, pushed and pulled. I took a step away from Ominis as soon as we were back in the secret room, holding my head and swaying a bit.

“You gotta warn me when you do that,” I told him, shaking my head, regaining my focus.

He chuckled amused, but then his face became serious.

I observed his expression more, knowing what he was probably thinking of. “She’ll be fine, Ominis,” I assured, patting his shoulder, “don’t look so worried.”

Ominis exhaled. “I know she’ll be alright, it’s just…ugh, nevermind,” he started to say but gave up; he went to the table but didn’t sit, he simply stood there and put his hands on the countertop, holding up his weight with his head lowered in defeat.

I wondered what Ominis was thinking, but not wanting to pry, I left it alone.

We remained in the undercroft the rest of the night; both of us worrying about the girl in the hospital bed.

-

The next afternoon while Ominis was in class, I figured just this once, I’ll sneak out to see Emelia, to make sure she was doing alright. I cast the disillusionment charm and went around the school avoiding students and professors alike, to get to the hospital wing.

There were a couple close calls, especially when Professor Weasley was coming down the stairs from the faculty tower at the same time I was going up, raising some suspicion; I had to think fast and cast a basic spell on a nearby vase, breaking it.

Gratefully, it distracted her, and I swiftly strode past, and finally making it up to the infirmary; I peeked in, taking a few small steps into the hospital wing.

Emelia was still there, along with another student on the other side of the wing, who wasn’t there before, covered by a curtain.

She had her hand resting on her bandaged and broken arm, eyes closed, face concentrating, and I saw a blue light and magic swirls going around her arm slowly.

Her ancient magic.

I’d almost forgotten her ability; seeing it up close again was brilliant.

I grinned at her, feeling my chest swell with bliss.

Hearing footsteps coming up the nearby stairs, I tiptoed quickly around her bed and hid myself behind a small screen, facing her and the door, while letting me keep an eye out for Nurse Blainey.  I murmured the incantation I did before at Hogsmeade when Ominis was searching for me and prayed it worked.

I saw a familiar red-haired idiot striding into the hospital wing with his hands behind his back.

Why is he here?

Emelia also heard someone approaching from the echoing stairwell, opening her eyes, taking her hand off from her wrapped arm and looking in the direction of the sound and immediately smiling wide.

“Garreth, hey!” she said excited, “what are you doing here?”

“Heya, doll face, I wanted to see how you were doing before I headed to potions, and…give you these,” he revealed an arm from around his back and it was a bouquet of yellows roses and white lilies, they were tied together with a red ribbon; he handed them to Emelia.

“I’m doing good, and thank you,” Emelia took them, observing them closer, “they’re absolutely gorgeous,” she complimented, putting her face near the flower petals and inhaling deeply, closing her eyes.

“Just like you, sweetheart,” he praised, making her blush past the bouquet.

“You flatter me, Garreth,” she stated, placing the flowers down.

“Can’t flatter what’s truth, gorgeous,” he told her, winking; she made grinned at him, her tongue sticking out between her teeth.

Ugh, I wanted to punch him and wipe that smirk off his face.

“Garreth, I told you to wait for me!” a voice came into the building, one that shocked me to my core.

I snapped my eyes towards the owner of the voice.

My twin…

Anne was storming in, fists at her sides, her expression annoyed and pissed.

She appeared like her old self – healthier; I was so relieved to see her, my legs almost gave out by the disbelief and amazement.

I came around the screen more, wanting to get a better look at her.

Her eyes weren’t bloodshot or sunken in, she wasn’t as pale and thin like before; she wasn’t struggling to stand or walk and her voice was more energetic.

She was really cured…and it was thanks to Emelia; she didn’t know how much I was indebted to her.

“Uh oh,” Garreth muttered, still faced towards Emelia, who was smiling, struggling to hold back a chuckle.

Anne hit the Gryffindor in the arm that was behind his back.

“Hey!” he complained, rubbing his arm as he turned to face her, “what was that for?”

I quietly celebrated in his turmoil.

That’s the Anne I knew…

“You didn’t wait!” she answered, crossing her arms, huffing, “I said we’d visit Em together, and the minute I turn around, you leave!”

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t want her to starve,” he defended, lifting his head in pride, spinning around back to Emelia.

She glared at the back of his head with malice while Emelia gazed at him amused and bewildered.

“Here, I got this for you too,” he said, holding out his other hand, he had a blueberry, chocolate chip and cinnamon sugared muffin, “I, embarrassingly, don’t know which flavor you liked better since I’ve seen you eat them all, so I just got all three,” he laughed nervously.

It’s obviously chocolate chip; I gave them to her all the time. Idiot…

She laughed. “Blueberry is the one I eat mostly now,” she answered, sounding a bit sad.

What? But she used to…

Anne rolled her eyes and pulled a chair beside Emelia’s cot, crossing her legs, her back towards me.

Garreth gave her the muffin happily. “For you then, my lady.”

“Thanks. Can you give the cinnamon one to Ominis when you head to potions? I’m sure you he hasn’t eaten since he found out what happened to me,” she grinned, holding the muffin in her good hand, the bouquet laid on her legs; Anne nodded in agreement.

“But of course!” he bowed dramatically, “if it’s my lady’s command.”

She giggled. “Stop!” she urged him, shoving him teasingly with her bad side, flinching instantly. “Ah!” she yelped, grabbing her injured arm. Garreth immediately was at her side, hand on her shoulder with his face expressing concern.

Anne leaned forward on her chair, legs uncrossed, putting a hand on her arm. “Are you okay?”

“I forgot that was my bad arm,” Emelia joked at herself.

Garreth scoffed, a small smile on his lips. “Did you need me to call Nurse Blainey?”

“Nah, I’ll be okay,” she assured him, clearing her throat and gently patting his hand in reassurance, shifting her head to give a sympathetic grin towards her.

Anne leaned back with a heavy sigh, hanging her hand back against the chair’s cushion and arms lazily on the armrest.

Garreth’s demeanor might’ve been carefree and his usual annoying, positive self, but when I saw his eyes, they were serious; he looked like he was observing her thoroughly and taking notice of everything around her. I had to hide a bit more behind the screen cause his head turned in my direction; I peeked back over, and he was gazing at Emelia again.

“Are you really okay from yesterday? What happened?” he wondered curious.

She nodded. “During the last game, I noticed the bludger acting different,” she began.

“I think I saw the same thing a few games before,” Anne agreed; Garreth nodded in agreement.

“And that’s when I saw Lance controlling the bludger and targeting Wyatt,” Emelia confessed almost in a murmur.

“What?!” both Anne and Garreth questioned in disbelief.

Anne sat up straight in her chair; Garreth leaned back.

“I saw the bludger act funny a couple times before too but didn’t think much of it until I saw him with his wand and muttering something, but I couldn’t hear it,” Emelia explained, “that’s what I whispered to Imelda before you guys brought me here.”

Anne scoffed. “He deserves to be kicked off for that; he’s no beater, he should be beaten!”

“I agree,” Garreth concurred, rubbing his forehead.

Emelia laughed. “Who do you think that is?” she gestured with head towards the other student that was in the hospital bed.

Garreth, Anne and I followed her gaze, and they recognized them when they stared at him a little longer.

“Imelda got a confession out of him, saying he was jealous of Wyatt, saying he should’ve been the seeker, and somehow he fell down some stairs,” she chuckled under her breath.

The two friends beside her giggled to themselves, holding in their laughter so as not to be heard.

“She said he’s definitely off the team,” Emelia announced, “don’t worry about me though, broken bones heal; I’m just glad Wyatt was alright,” she sighed relieved, but a distressed look on her face.

Emelia always looked out for others; she looked out for me…

“You know, I’m surprised Ominis hasn’t come up to see you,” he thought out loud, his tone lighter, stepping away and pulling a nearby chair to sit next to her; I’m assuming to cheer her up and distract her mind.

“He did earlier this morning,” she spoke honestly, taking a bite of her pastry, “what, you think he forgot about me?” she teased, covering her mouth as she chewed.

“He’d never,” Anne reassured, shaking her head, making Emelia grin wider as she ate.

Garreth hummed. “Well, no offense, darling, but he wasn’t there yesterday when you got hurt; I had to – ” he stopped himself short, leaning back in his seat with a sigh.

“Garreth!” Anne protected Emelia.

Emelia exhaled, slightly irritated, looking down at her muffin. “I know and I appreciate you for that, but please don’t give him a tough time; Ominis feels bad already as it is, trust me. He promised he’d properly apologize to me after class today; yes, I was disappointed when he didn’t show cause he never missed any game – practice or official, but he’s here for me now and that’s what matters,” she explained to Garreth, who listened closely; she slumped in the bed, “he probably had a good reason for not being there…”

My heart saddened.

It was because of me.

But him being there wouldn’t have stopped her from getting hurt, would it?

I shook my head, feeling guilty I got in the way of Ominis and Emelia’s life affairs.

I quietly sighed to myself.

“I’m sorry, Emelia,” Garreth apologized, shifting his body to lean forward on her bedside, his hands clasped together, gazing down, “I didn’t mean to sound like I was blaming him or anything. I know he cares about you a lot and wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his friendship with you. I’m sorry,” he stated confidently, lifting his head to meet her eyes.

Anne remained quiet.

Emelia graced him with a small smile, placing a gentle hand over his. “Thanks, Garreth” she said in an appreciative tone, snapping her head towards the clock in the middle of the hospital wing, “I think you guys better head to class,” she stated, gazing between both of them, “especially you,” she poked Garreth’s chest, “you know Professor Sharp isn’t going to be happy if you’re late,” she reminded him, gesturing him towards the door with her head.

Anne stood, putting the chair she sat in, back where it belonged.

He groaned dramatically. “Oh fine,” he conceded, using one of his hands and wrapping it on hers, squeezing, “get well soon; it’s already been less than a day and Leander’s already being a twat and spreading rumors,” he confessed, gently releasing her hand back to her.

“Why are you friends with that weasel?”

“Don’t know, thought it was cause we were both Gryffindor’s at first, then thought it was cause we had the same hair and passion for potions, but now…now I think it’s cause I pity him,” he informed, shrugging, “who knows?”

She laughed. “Go on, you’re going to be late,” she pressed him out.

“Want to get rid of me that badly?” Garreth jested, giving her a charming expression.

Anne began walking out, grabbing the Gryffindor by his ear. “Come on…” she insisted annoyed.

“Okay, okay, I’ll go,” he yielded, rising from his seat with his hands up in surrender.

She laughed, watching their display. “I’ll see you guys later.”

Garreth began to depart alongside Anne. “I’ll see you later, gorgeous,” he stated loudly, waving to her.

“I’ll be back later, Em!” Anne informed.

I watched as my dear sister walked off, confident and snarky as I remembered her to be.

I was overjoyed to have seen her.

As soon as they were gone, she exhaled heavily and moaned, grabbing her broken arm.

I wanted to go up and help her, but remembered I had to stay unseen.

Emelia took one last look and sniff at the flowers and put it on the table next to her, along with the half-eaten blueberry muffin.

She took deep breaths in and out, before she hovered her good hand over her injured arm and concentrated again – just like she was when I walked in.

I watched a blue glow come from her hand and swirls of magic steadily orbit around her arm.

Her ancient magic still amazed me.

I decided to leave her be since she was recovering; naturally, I’d stay and entertain myself, but this was a different situation.

I stalked back towards the hall, but Nurse Blainey’s voice frightened me.

“Hello? Who’s there?” she called out in my direction.

My heart jumped.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

I sped up my pace, going to the floo, not thinking of any specific destination.

“Astronomy Tower,” I said in a panicked whisper.

I was engulfed in a green flame, traveling to the building and looked around me, seeing Professor Shah’s class and the way up to the platform to overlook the night sky; there wasn’t anyone around, so I let out a big sigh of relief.

I used Revelio to see if anyone was down the stairs where I needed to go back to the DADA tower, but didn’t detect anyone, so I released the disillusionment spell over me and quietly walked downstairs, a hand in my pocket while the other held my wand, ready to hide myself if needed. I listened closely for anyone; I had to get back to the undercroft as soon as possible.

As I walked down the stairs, there were voices, so I quickly hid behind a wall, but no one came; I used Revelio more than a couple times to make sure, and slowly made my way down. As I was walking, I was well aware of the silence.

I didn’t like it.

My mind wanted to think back of when it was eerily quiet in Azkaban, thinking I’d hear screaming coming from out of nowhere; I tried to fend it off and focused on something else. I thought of Emelia and Ominis, envious of their friendship, Ominis being able to see her, talk to her, touch her, be close to her – again, I know it was my mistake that tore our friendship apart, but it still pained me to witness their grown bond.  My relationship with Anne was no different, she probably didn’t wanted anything to do with me or wouldn’t want to talk to me, no matter if I begged or pleaded – even if I sent a hundred letters, but trying one letter couldn’t hurt.

At least, I hoped it wouldn’t.

I wanted to be better for them, I had to be. I wanted our friendship to be how it was: fun, adventurous…memorable; I groaned, feeling like it was hopeless.

I was a loss cause.

I finally made it to the last flight of stairs, passing the bizarre tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy’s effort to train trolls to do the ballet; I rolled my eyes at it and that’s when I heard them.

Voices approaching up the stairs, their silhouettes seen on the wall.

Fuck!

I went back towards the way I came, but heard Professor Shah coming down, her heels clacking on the stairs.

Ugh! Of course…

I desperately paced around back and forth, trying to figure out where I was going to go; I could use the disillusionment charm and added enchantment, but there’s no guarantee that it works yet.

My mind was racing.

I could hide behind the tapestry, but they’d still see my feet. 

Shit…

Advancing towards the wall hanging, I was debating on how I was going to do this.

Ugh!

I’m doomed, I’m doomed!

A sudden sound, faintly, came from behind me; I turned my body rapidly and saw a door materializing before me, opening on its own; I blinked twice, even rubbed my eyes.

I didn’t know what I was looking at but had no time to think – they were getting closer.

I didn’t care, I ran in and closed it quietly behind me, letting out a relieved sigh, bending forward and putting my hands on my knees.

Taking a minute to breathe, I took one last deep breath and stood up, observing my surroundings.

I had no idea where I was.

The atmosphere of the room was a bit dim, but it was visible enough where you could see the high volume of clutter all around; there were random boxes, books and trunks, cages, lamps and globes everywhere. There were stacked chairs and other furniture appearing to reach the sky; flying books and pages all around, making it feel like this was a whole other world entirely.

“Wow…” I muttered out loud.

The environment was quiet.

Too quiet.

I used Revelio to see if anyone was in here.

No one was.

With relief and confidence, I conjured a small orchestra set to follow me around.

I leisurely walked along the only path I could take, clenching my wand in my fist anxiously and surveyed my surroundings, wary and suspicious of this extraordinary place.

There were vases, portraits of individuals, detailed paintings, papers scattered on the floor and old trinkets misplaced all over; I tried to figure out where I was and if this was still part of the school or if it was like that portal Emelia and I went through when we went to Rookwood Castle and found ourselves in the undercroft or the same with Salazar’s Scriptorium leading to the same place.

Continuing my route, there were floating candles flying in various directions, either by themselves or together; I saw familiar items like Professor Hecat’s stands with eyes, watching your every move.

I moved my frame left and right and sure enough, they followed.

My body shuddered. “Oh, creepy…” I admitted and strode towards a red light illuminating its space from around the corner, reflecting on the furniture and other objects around it.

I cautiously peeked around the corner and saw floating red bell pepper lanterns which reminded me of a book my parents had about China; how they had lanterns just like these along with others of different shapes and sizes they celebrated with, its symbolism was to encourage peace, reconciliation and forgiveness.

I adored it all.

“Beautiful…” I whispered.

Staring at all of the gathered lanterns, I sighed in astonishment. I took a gradual step forward, eager to touch one, but it rose into the air away from my reach.

I retracted my hand and let it hang at my side.

I strode along, the remaining lanterns repeating the same action the other did as I approached and elevated higher to the ceiling; I was utterly amazed.

I wasn’t sure where the trail was leading or where it ended, but that’s what made it fun.

The orchestra shadowed me with its soft and calming tune as I crouched down in some spots, almost having to get down on my hands and knees, praying to Merlin that whatever I was crawling under wasn’t going to spontaneous fall and crush me.

“There’s so much stuff in here…” I said aloud, standing up from my stooped position; I stretched my back, “I wonder if there’s any good books in this place, but how could anyone find anything with all this mess?” I asked myself, studying more of the environment; I was impressed at how much stuff could fit in one room.

A couple moments passed, and I saw something gold being reflected from the corner of my eye; I turned my head to see what it was but couldn’t make out the shape.

“What is that?” I questioned, squinting my eyes at it.

It was behind a bunch of stacked chairs and crates; I remembered Professor Weasley teaching us a vanishing spell.

“Alright, let’s do some practicing,” I encouraged myself.

I held up my wand and concentrated on saying the incantation nonverbally.

Evanesco!

Nothing.

“Ugh,” I grumbled, “come on, Sallow, focus!”

I gripped my wands hilt tighter.

Evanesco!

The masterpiece of chairs vanished, and I did the same thing to the crates blocking where I wanted to go.

I was getting the hang of nonverbal casting, still needing lots of work before I used it in duels but I’m proud how far I’ve gotten.

Taking a step forward, I saw a massive gold-rusted mirror that’s seen better days, its glass smudged and slightly dirtier at the borders touching the golden frame. It stood over at least thirteen, fourteen feet high and roughly seven feet or so wide.

It was a bit intimidating.

There was an inscription at the top of the mirror’s edge.

“Erised…stra…ehru…oyt…ube…cafru…oyt..on…wohsi…” I read verbally, brows gathered in complete confusion, “well, what the fuck does that mean?” I retorted annoyed, hanging my head forward.

I shot a spell at it. “Finite incantatum!”

It didn’t do anything or correct the scrambled words.

“Hmm…” I shifted my body to one side, hands on my hips.

I wondered if there was a hidden switch somewhere. “Revelio!”

Same result: there was nothing anywhere on or near it which appeared to be helpful.

I crossed my arms a bit frustrated, pacing around to think.

I thought about it, putting my wand away.

“It’s a mirror, it shouldn’t be this hard,” I said; within a second, I halted instantly, “it’s a mirror…” I stated again, loosening my arms to put on either side of my head, “a mirror!” I hollered louder, gazing back towards the eroding mirror, “so maybe…I should read it backwards?” I theorized, hanging my arms back to my sides.

Stepping closer to the mirror, I read it in reverse.

“I…show…nnot…yo…ur – your…faceb – face…but…your…hearts…desire…” I translated, gazing down, seeing Ominis, Anne and Emelia behind me.

My eyes widened and my heart dropped into my stomach; I quickly spun around, my back against the mirror in fright, but no one was there.

I panted; my throat was dry, so I swallowed hard. “But…”

I was baffled.

I gradually turned back around to the mirror and saw them there again; they were beside me…smiling. Ominis put his hand on my right shoulder, I immediately looked to where it would’ve been, however, there was nothing; I shifted my attention back to the mirror seeing Ominis’ face express a sympathetic yet proud look towards me. Anne was on the left side of me, she was healthy and happy – she reached out and grabbed my hand with both of hers, having tears in her eyes, wearing a relieved and joyful smile towards me; I did the same thing and glanced at my left hand – it remained empty.

I started to tear up, my chest tightening and felt something grasp my heart at the scene playing before me.

Peeking upwards gradually to see where Emelia was, I saw her arms wrap around my shoulders and bouncing on me, hugging me securely, the side of her face pressed against mine, grinning that gorgeous grin into my cheek and kissing it lovingly.

The tears streamed down my face, my heart beating faster, and my breathing quickened a bit.

This had to be a dream.

A hidden trick.

I looked back up at the mirror’s inscription again and repeated its words, my heart and soul longing for what I’d seen to be true – to come true. My legs gave out from under me, making me fall to my knees in front of the mysterious mirror as I felt the sensation of something clenching my broken soul, making me fearful and terrified, there was a possibility that it wasn’t ever going to happen.

I show not your face but your heart’s desire…

--

Chapter Text

I savored the cinnamon muffin Garreth gave me during potions, Emelia had told him to give it to me; she knew I hadn’t had the appetite to eat ever since hearing about her.

Even when she was in the hospital wing, she still thought of me.

I was still remorseful for what happened to her and for now showing up.

It ate away at me.

Garreth even apologized because he said things about me that upset Emelia and didn’t mean to come across in that manner; I appreciated the apology, thinking it was odd for Garreth Weasley to say sorry to me, of all people.

He told me about what really happened with Emelia – that another teammate had jinxed the bludger and was going after the seeker out of jealousy. Rage and vengeance fumed within me, but Garreth said that Imelda already took care of him, and he was in the infirmary as well.

I was amused and thankful for Imelda’s actions.

I sat in Professor Sharp’s class, listening to him go on about certain effects of poisons and how to treat certain ones, most of them being treated with a bezoar; despite being bored and worried about Emelia, I tried to take detailed notes just for her since she wasn’t table to come to class.

The lesson finally ended, and I put my belongings away and went straight to the infirmary, passing schoolmates hearing their gossip.

Urgently walking in, my wand guiding me, showing me there was another student – I assumed was the one Imelda took care of – on the opposite side of the room, and Emelia’s bed: empty.

I became frantic.

“Nurse Blainey,” I called out, going towards her door, knocking, “Nurse Blainey!”

“What is it, dearie?” she asked behind me; I spun around, startled by her voice. I assumed she was on the other side of the room.

“Is Emelia Starke still here?”  I asked, trying to normalize my breathing.

“Yes, she is. Calm down, she’s just in the restroom,” she confirmed.

I let out a relieved breath. “Okay, thank you,” I told her, taking a seat beside Emelia’s hospital cot.

“With that anxious tone, I was thinking you needed medical attention,” she laughed it off; I just smiled, embarrassed.

A couple minutes passed, and I was highly debating if I should curse the one responsible for the bludger, but before I could make a decisive judgment, I heard familiar footsteps enter the hospital wing.

I stood. “Emelia…”

“Hi Ominis,” she greeted lowly.

I worried, wanting to bombard her with questions, but didn’t want to overwhelm her. “How are you doing?”

She sighed, sitting on the mattress, her body facing me. “I’m good,” she simply said; I nodded, gradually resting back in the chair at to her bedside.

“Thank you…” I managed to say.

“For what?”

“The muffin,” I gave a subtle smile.

She seemed to nod subtly. “Oh, you’re welcome.”

There was silence between us, an obvious tension lingering in the air.

It was…awkward.

I didn’t like it.

I could feel Emelia’s eyes burning into my skin as she waited for me to speak.

I swallowed hard, clenching my hands on my lap. “Emelia…” I said hoarsely.

My throat had dried.

“Emelia, I…I want to deeply apologize for not being there,” I began, lowering my head in shame, “for disappointing you…I-I…” I stuttered over the words.

I could feel my entire body screaming at her – the truth of why I didn’t show, expressing my regret for not being there to support her or when she got hurt.

“I can’t tell you enough how sorry I am,” I continued, feeling my face twist in pain, “I…”

Curiously, I wondered if this is what Sebastian felt – was feeling – when he was apologizing to me. The shame, the guilt, the deep, gut-wrenching pain in my chest I experienced whenever I remembered I was the one to hurt her, to upset her.

I hated this feeling.

Her warm hand, unexpectedly, found mine; I was shaking, and she steadied me – she always did.

“Ominis, it’s…okay,” she stated, her voice soothing.

“What…?” I slowly gradually lifted my head to her.

“It’s okay,” she repeated.

I shook my head hastily. “No, it’s not…it – it’s not okay at all!” I hollered loud, starting to pant.

“Ominis, truly, it’s fine,” Emelia’s voice was soft, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy sensation I felt within my heart.

I got to my feet instantly and paced around the hospital wing, my head in my hands, fingers scratching the sides.

“No, Emelia, it’s not fine, it’s not alright, it’s not…” I groaned, tone shaky, “I should’ve been there…and I wasn’t…”

I blamed myself; I missed one day of her practice – unintentionally – and she gets injured.

I couldn’t think straight or concentrate on what I wanted to say, feeling myself tremble; I couldn’t even think of anything else besides of my remorse to her, how I could make it up to her, what I could do for her to prove my guilt, and ask her what penance she wants me to serve to amend for my wrong.

I had to atone.

“Ominis,” her tender voice spoke, grounding me; it was a shame I could only hear it, and not see how it left her lips.

She grasped my hand with hers, halting me in place; I blinked my eyes quickly, gradually getting out of my mind. I turned my head towards her, feeling like I was hypnotized with just her touch.

Emelia led me back to the cot and had me sit beside her on the bed; she faced me as I faced her. She scooted closer, still having my hand in her gentle hold; I gulped, taking in her wonderful sweet yet fierce scent, entrancing me in its splendor.

She squeezed my hand firmer.

“I know your probably feeling guilty and blame yourself for what happened to me, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered if you were there or not, but either way, if it did, we’d never know,” she began to explain, “but I’m okay. It’s just a broken bone with a few cuts and scrapes.”

“Emelia…” I started to protest.

“Ominis, you worry so much for something so little,” she stated, grin heard on her face.

“But…I’ve disappointed you…”

I heard her swallow hard. “…when you didn’t show, you did…” she admitted sorrowfully.

Her words pierced through my heart; I knew I saddened her, but her confession to it cut me deeper than any knife. I dropped my head in shame, frowning.

“…but…” she began to say, “I know you wouldn’t do anything without good reason; you’re not the type of person to break your promises – to take back your word…”

She knew me so well; sometimes I was scared how well.

I lowered my head more.

“I forgive you, Ominis,” she declared, tightening her grasp on my hand.

“Emelia, I can’t…accept…” I murmured, leaning away from such a merciful spirit.

“Hey,” she grabbed my shoulder with her undamaged hand and pulled me towards her, “you will accept it and you know why?” she wondered, cunningness in her tone.

I waited, anticipating what she could say.

”Because accepting it will wash away all the doubt, that fear and turmoil you have inside and relieve you of that suffering you feel; you have such a big and compassionate heart, Ominis,” she informed, her tender voice was soft; I felt like an angel was speaking to me. I felt her body’s warmth come closer as she leaned towards me further, she loosened her grip and wrapped her left arm lightly around my shoulders, her fingertips barely grazing my neck; it sent shivers up my spine, “and I don’t want you hurting anymore over something out of your control.”

My body stiffened, wanting to lean in.

“I forgive you,” she muttered again, “now, accept it so I don’t worry about you; I’m afraid of what’s going on in that head of yours right now,” she professed timidly.

Her words flooded through me like a wave, alleviating the weight on my heart and soul; a smirk finally made its way to my lips. Emelia let out a breath of relief.

I clenched my hand around hers securely. “I am…truly sorry, regardless of the reason,” I declared, licking my lips, “I don’t think it was a good reason anymore.”

Emelia got up for the bed a bit and kissed my cheek, stopping my breathing for a moment; she sat back. “Ominis, you’re such a kind and gentle soul, I’m positive it was for a good reason,” she complimented me.

As my face flushed, she moaned in pain, wincing towards her broken bone.

“Here,” I adjusted my position beside her, grabbing her injured arm.

I whispered the ancient incantation my beloved Aunt Noctua taught me and used on her last time, hoping it would help with her broken bones and minor injuries. Emelia inhaled a sharp breath only once, but then I sensed her body relaxed afterward. I grazed my fingertips on her arm, examining her and didn’t feel nothing but her smooth skin.

A small grin appeared on my face, filled with pride, glad I had this skill to heal her. 

I heard her scoff. “Wow, I think it’s better than before,” she stated, my wand letting me see a faint shadow as if Emelia was observing her arm.

I put my wand away and, without warning, an overwhelming sensation flooded through me, making me feel both disgrace and fear again; my expression became sorrowful.

Emelia pushed my shoulder lightly. “Hey, don’t make that face,” she told me, “I’m fine.”

“Apologies,” I said, “but don’t think you’re completely healed just yet, wait for Nurse Blainey; I’m sure she has a treatment for you.”

Right on cue, I heard Nurse Blainey’s footsteps approached us.

“Alright, dearie, if you’re so insistent of playing on Saturday, please take these, once a day and drink this at the end of each day, only half a glass,” she warned, hearing her give Emelia a small vial of pills and a potion bottle.

“Drink only half a glass of this?” she repeated in disbelief, shaking the medicine.

“It’s bitter,” she stated.

“Can’t I just drink this all at once?” Emelia questioned.

“Only if you want your bones to melt, be my guest,” the nurse confirmed, “I reckon it would be hard to play Quidditch without a working arm,” she taunted her with a smile.

Emelia scoffed, knowing she was beaten. “Okay, sorry.”

I chuckled at her amused.

She hit me with her good arm; I laughed more.

The tension seemed to have left, thank Merlin.

After Nurse Blainey explained everything to Emelia, side effects and all; she even had her take a pill and drink the potion for the day.  I was especially entertained by Emelia’s reaction when she had to drink the potion.  I could only wish to have seen her face when she drank it; her sounds of disgust entertained me.

After everything was all set, the nurse said she was free to leave.

“Thank you, Nurse Blainey,” she appreciated her.

“Make sure to move your arm every once in a while, after you take the medication, it’ll help,” she advised as we were heading out the door.

“I will, thanks again,” Emelia spoke out; I thanked the humble nurse as well.

I offered my arm to Emelia, she linked hers around mine and we headed down the stairs and headed towards the Room of Requirement.

We arrived at our sanctuary; upon our entry, there was an instant blast that came out of nowhere.

“What was that?” I asked, startled, using my wand in the direction of the noise, putting her behind me; my wand let me sense there was something new…a new room?

She gently placed a soft hand on my arm as she walked towards it, letting me know it was okay. I heard the creak of a door open, and she scoffed. “It’s a bathroom,” she stated amazed.

“A…bathroom?” I asked confused, “how did a bathroom get in here? Where did it come from?”

“Well, obviously something called ‘magic’,” Alistair answered sarcastically from his enclosure.

I rolled my eyes at his remark, annoyed.

“Remember when I told you that the room provides what you need?” she reminded as she strode back towards me.

“Yes.”

“So…I guess the room thought I needed to shower,” she joked, laughing at herself “but in all seriousness, I’ve been in the same clothes since yesterday, so I’m going to take one.”

“Yes…” Alistair said in a celebratory whisper.

I clenched my jaw. “I’ll be in the other room if you need anything,” I informed, kissing her forehead, going straight to Alistair’s cage, grabbing him without hesitation and headed towards the other room, where the snake continued to protest.

I sat on the couch and placed him beside me, being the furthest from the door.

“Why did you take me out of there?” Alistair complained with a huff.

“You know exactly why,” I glared in his direction, “don’t think you can be sneaky around me; I’ve learned at a young age how to outsmart devious individuals,” I warned, a tad threatening.

I recalled all the memories of my childhood where I had to outsmart my wicked family, their underhanded schemes and games with muggles, tricking me with false compassion and understanding; they were mischievous and cunning and played on my emotions more times than I care to count.

Clenching my fists, I took a deep breath to calm myself.

Alistair exhaled, slithering around on the cushion. “Is she alright?”

I didn’t answer right away. “She got hurt during practice protecting a teammate from a jinxed bludger and has been at the hospital wing since, but…” I nodded, pleased with myself to help her heal faster, “she’s alright now; she’s tougher than she looks…unfortunately more fragile too…” I added, speaking mainly to myself, my mind wandering back to my thoughts.

“I’m glad she’s okay; I was genuinely worried about her,” Alistair admitted.

I scoffed at him. “I was too, still am.”

“Mmm,” he just murmured.

I flicked my wand towards the fireplace, letting it warm up the atmosphere for my princess for when she came in and summoned a book, using the tip of my wand to help me read.

It was a serenely quiet environment; Alistair would complain about it being five minutes, ten, fifteen – he wanted to know when Emelia would be out to give him love and affection. I groaned and focused on the literature.

Time flew and before I knew it, I heard Emelia’s faint footsteps coming down the stairs into the room I resided.

“Oh…” Alistair purred in awe.

“Refreshed, darling?” I asked, lifting my head from the book, head turned in her general direction.

“Yes,” she breathed, “very,” she emphasized, coming to my side and grabbing Alistair, “hi sweetie,” she greeted him; her shampoo and conditioner scent following her and reaching my nose.

It smelled delectable.

I heard her take a seat on the couch in front of me with a sigh.

I grinned and returned to my reading.

“You do know, Ominis,” Alistair began to say from across the couch, “she’s not…fully dressed…” he stated in a sly and cautious manner.

I stiffened, jolting in my seat.

“Emelia Starke,” I said sternly.

“Ominis Gaunt,” she mimicked the same tone as me, acting coy.

“Are you without clothes before me?” I asked, praying to Merlin it wasn’t true, fearful my inner thoughts would make my body act on its own again.

“Hey, I’m in a towel!” she griped, defending herself.

I groaned, a hand covering my face.

“A small towel perhaps,” Alistair spoke under his breath, continuing to add fuel to the fire.

I flustered at his words.

“Tattletale,” she told Alistair; sure, she didn’t know parseltongue, but she obviously realized who was the traitor.

“I don’t mind the name nor the view,” Alistair proudly confessed.

“Alistair…” I glowered aloud in English.

Emelia snickered at my warning towards the reptile. “Is he being bold again?”

I exhaled defeated. “Afraid so; if he keeps this up, he might not live for very much longer,” I glared in Alistair’s direction; I sense him shrink back in terror.

I closed my book, putting it to the side, pinched my nose and sighed heavily; I couldn’t help but blush hard. She was in front of me in just a towel.

“A small towel…” Alistair’s voice echoed in my mind.

I lightly tapped the side of my head, ridding my thoughts of the imagination I wanted to think of. “You are a lady, must I remind you, a lady shouldn’t be dressed provocatively or nude carelessly – in a towel no less, in the presence of strangers, even friends who are of the opposite sex,” I explained myself, looking away as I crossed my legs, covering the growing heat and erection I was feeling, struggling to keep my dark thoughts at bay.

“Not even close friends?” she wondered, curious.

“No,” I indicated, sensing the warmth rise to my cheeks or was it the merely the fireplace that was making me hot?

She chuckled. “No offense, hun, but you can’t see me, so no harm done,” she justified with glee.

I gradually stood to my feet, concealing my almost fully hardened shaft behind my book. “Regardless of my lack of sight, dove, I, not your lover or husband, now know you’re only in a bath towel, which is highly inappropriate…” I informed her, turning to leave to distract myself and purge the annoying sensation that resisted to be kept hidden.

Emelia huffed. “Oh fine, you’re lucky I respect you and your strict morals,” she teased, rising from her seat and coming towards me, “here, hold Alistair while I change,” she stated, handing me the combatant reptile, not wanting her to go on without him.

I tried hiding a smirk, but was unsuccessful, gripping the snake firmly.

Emelia tiptoed and kissed my cheek. “Thank you for taking care of me and for the apology,” she whispered in my ear, “you owe me though.”

I nodded. “Whatever you wish.”

She giggles and walks off.

As her presence fades, I quickly clasp the couch’s backrest, supporting myself as I felt my legs give out from under me; my heart raced, and my chest tightened, trying to recover from what she’d done to me. I was recalling she was just in towel and underneath was her astounding curvy figure.

My cock twitched against the hard cover of the book, as I thought of her bare skin just mere inches away from mine; I closed my eyes, shaking my mind of the strange gravitational pull of wanting to embrace her, feel her soft skin and use my fingers and lips to explore every inch of her glorious temple of a body. I shook my head rapidly and sought to think of anything else.

That woman is going to be the death of me…

-

After hanging out with Emelia for a couple hours, she had fallen asleep – a side effect from the medication Nurse Blainey gave her. I put her in bed and told Alistair, who was in his container, to watch her while I was out.

“Thank you, Alistair,” I told him, glancing away.

“What?” he asked in shock. “What for?”

“I really don’t wish to leave her side right now but there’s something important I must do,” I informed him, not going into detail.

Alistair spoke. “I understand; I’ll take care of her,” he vowed.

I nodded once; Alistair can be a pain when it came to shamelessly complimenting and flirting with Emelia, but when it came to watching over her, he was serious.

Anxiety coursing through me, I headed out to go to find Anne and give her the letter from Sebastian.

I didn’t know how she was going to react; I was afraid of that.

As I left Emelia in Alistair’s care, I walked around, hearing students every now and then talk about what happened with my sweet camellia; some of the them were speaking the truth while others were saying she did it on purpose to get attention.

I groaned annoyed, casting the babbling charm on them nonverbally as I passed them. It was so inconspicuous; you wouldn’t know it was me who cast it.

If they wanted to speak nonsense, then so be it.

I sighed, not proud of what I did, but didn’t regret it; I knew she was safe in our sanctuary now, recovering from her valiant act.

I approached the door to the Slytherin common room, clenching the side of my robe that held the letter.

Merlin, please let this go well…

Entering the common room, I searched for Anne, listening closely for her voice; I used my sentient wand, guiding me to her and Emelia’s dorm room, where I heard footsteps on the other side – Anne was in there.

I raised a hand about to knock, but halted; my heart raced in anticipation, fearful of the unknown and took a deep breath, trying to ease my nerves. I swallowed hard and knocked lightly.

Hearing the same footsteps, they approached from the other side, and the door opened.

“Ominis!” she said happily greeting me with a hug, “what a pleasant surprise! Come in,” she leaned away and pulled me by my hand into the room.

Emelia’s scent vaguely lingered in the air along with Anne’s – hers was a more a fruity smell with a touch of a floral scent since she loved to garden.

“Sit, sit!” Anne urged, closing the door and guiding me to sit on Emelia’s soft bed, instantly casting a nonverbal muffling charm on the door so no one can hear us; I hadn’t been in here since the second month of school when Emelia got sick over the weekend, and I snuck in and nursed her back to health.

“You’re never here anymore,” she laughed, organizing what I assumed was in her trunk at the foot of her bed, “you’re always with Em,” she stopped abruptly, “how is she? Is she still in the hospital?” she questioned concerned.

“She’s in the room now. Nurse Blainey gave her some medication to take since she’s still intending on playing this Saturday,” I answered, defeated, hands on my thighs; Emelia was so strong-minded and iron-willed, not letting a bludger keep her from anything and mostly, she wouldn’t want to let anyone down that needed her. I kept the ancient incantation to myself – it was only between me and my darling girl.

Anne nodded. “Of course she is,” she laughed, going back to fixing her storage chest, “I’m glad she’s resting, but she’s as stubborn as…well, as Sebastian was,” she stated, reminiscing back to her brother.

I thought back at the memories of my own, a thin grin stretching on my lips. “Yeah…but she actually listens,” I teased, pointing out.

Anne chuckled. “That’s true,” she agreed, beginning to stand after concluding her rearranging, “so, what really brings you here?” she wondered, sensing her coming closer to me.

I was quiet, not knowing what to say.

“Is everything alright, Ominis?” she asked, placing a hand on mine.

I cleared my throat. “I think it’s best if you sit down.”

Anne chuckled nervously, taking a seat in front of me. “Okay? You’re scaring me a little bit…”

My throat dried, and I struggled to swallow. “I…” I began to say, licking my lips. “I…have something for you…”

Anne inched forward, not saying anything.

“From…Sebastian…” I finished cautiously.

“S…Sebastian?” Anne repeatedly shocked, tone frightful and confused. “H…How…? What…?”

I pulled out the thick envelope. “He says he loves you and misses you, and he’s doing his best to be a better brother for you, one you’d be proud of,” I relayed the message Sebastian wished to say, sliding my thumb along the paper’s surface. “I believe the answers you need are in here,” I gradually extended my arm to give it to her.

She took it with shaking hands. “Is this…really from him?” she asked, her voice trembling.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Have you…” she started question, but I knew what she was going to ask.

“No, I haven’t read it.”

She was quiet again.

“How did you get this, Ominis?” she wondered, prying me for more information.

I was silent, trying to find my words carefully.

“Ominis…”

“I…found him in the undercroft about a week ago,” I explained, “Professor Weasley invited him back and I’ve been helping him; he’s…attending classes next week…”

Anne let out a breath of disbelief; she began to pant slightly.

I reached out for her, feeling her hand and grasped it firmly. “Breathe, Anne…” I instructed, “slowly now…”

She took a deep breath in and out, gradually normalizing it.

Afterwards, she was quiet and so was I, but that was okay; I knew she needed to process this in her own way and so I waited patiently.

We remained in that position for Merlin knows how long; I began to get a bit stiff and sore, but then Anne spoke.

“How…” she started to say, clearing her throat, “how is he?” she questioned curiously.

I exhaled. “Honestly? Determined,” I told her confidently, “he’s very much the same, but he, obviously, has his demons from…” I stopped, my voice trailing off.

“I can only imagine…” Anne murmured in a low whisper.

“But he’s shown me his strive to be better, not just for us, but for himself as well,” I said, hoping that will sway her mind from any unease.

Anne didn’t say anything.

I was wondering on what she was thinking, however, I haven’t perfected the Legilimency spell yet, and with my lack of sight, I wouldn’t be able to manage the eye contact part even if I wanted to right now; Anne was probably looking down at the letter, trying to gather her thoughts and emotions.

“Does Emelia know?” Anne suddenly asked me.

That question made my heart jump; I stiffened.

“No…” I lowered my head, closing my eyes, “we have a plan to tell her this weekend; to be honest, I don’t want to tell her anything, but I also don’t want her to be surprised when he walks into class,” I groaned, “I know she secretly misses him,” I confessed with a heavy sigh.

My heart clenched at the last statement.

Anne scoffed. “She’s not the only one; we all missed him,” she admitted, her tone sounding like her mind was far away.

I opened my eyes, lifted my head and nodded in agreement.

I did miss Sebastian; I feared for him reading about him in the paper and wished I knew what was going on during the trials.

“I’m very terrified because I don’t know how she’s going to react, what she’s going to say when she sees him,” I professed, gazing back downward.

My mind went back to thinking about all the possibilities that could happen but didn’t know which one it was going to be. The main thing was I feared she’d leave me behind and never forgive me, that she’d never talk to me again…

Anne scoffed, letting out a laugh; she shoved me a tad on my shoulder. “Don’t make that face; it’ll be alright,” she assured, strangely confidently.

I shook my head. “She’ll hate me, Anne; she won’t forgive me for hiding Sebastian like this, she’ll be furious, thinking I don’t trust her,” I spoke my thoughts, a cold sweat starting to make itself known.

“Well I wouldn’t blame her; I’m angry with you too, you know, keeping this from me,” she pointed out, annoyed, “a whole week, Ominis…” she spoke sternly, a bit hostile.

Making a guilty face, I gazed away. “I am sorry…”

“Mmm, I’m sure you’ll make it up to me somehow,” she said, a hint of a smirk heard in her voice, “but…I understand why you did it, I’ll just be a bit annoyed with you…”

I nodded and sighed in relief, a weight from my chest lifted. “That’s alright; I understand.”

Now all there’s left is Emelia.

“I’m not going to lie, Em will be furious at you for hiding this from her, no doubt about it; I don’t even know how she’d react, but I know she’ll forgive you in the end. You mean a lot to her, Ominis, believe me when I say that,” Anne lectured, her tone thoughtful and soft as if to not scare me away.

I sighed. “When it comes to Sebastian,” I shook my head, “…she won’t have room for me anymore…” I muttered, confessing a few of my honest thoughts to her, lowering my head.

Anne shoved me again playfully. “Yes, she will,” she objected.

“How do you know?” I challenged, squinting my eyes at her.

“Because I know her, and I know you,” she began, “and you both, believe it or not, may get annoyed, irritated and upset, even not talk to each other for a couple days to a week, but you two always come back together; your bond is strong,” Anne declared.

“Yes, but this is different, it’s much bigger than anything we’ve ever argued about…” I countered, standing up to pace around the room, “she’ll truly despise me; our friendship won’t be the same…”

Anne placed a hand suddenly on my arm, grasping it firmly. “Ominis,” she said, rubbing my shoulder with the other, “I promise, she’ll do anything but hate you; if anything, I think it will bring you closer together,” Anne vowed in a whisper.

I swallowed hard and felt my face scrunch in pain. “I don’t know. I just know I don’t like lying to her,” I professed, feeling my chest tighten again.

Anne scoffed, running her hand down my arm to hold my hand with both of hers. “I know. I’m actually surprised you haven’t told her already,” she thought out.

“We agreed to wait until I came up with something; I don’t want her to react badly…” I admitted.

“And ‘we’ as in…”

“Sebastian and I,” I clarified, confirming her suspicions, “it was actually his idea that we don’t jump in right away and gradually tell you and Emelia when the time was right, before he started classes.”

“And you both thought a couple days before was the ‘right time’,” she specified, releasing my hand and surely using air quotes as she spoke.

“Hey, I didn’t say it was a perfect plan,” I responded, shifting my head in her direction.

She giggled, amused by my answer.

I told her everything I knew about what Sebastian’s been doing, my assistance in helping him with anything and all he’s missed the first part of sixth year. Anne interjected a few times, asking questions about what Sebastian and what I could sense and observe from him; I let her know he was still himself, but witnessed him what I could only imagine was a flashback, trapped in his mind of the haunting memories of what happened to him in Azkaban, he was crying and gasping for breath.

It almost reminded me of Emelia at the end of fifth year.

Even if they were different, they were always so similar.

Hours had passed and I answered the best I could to all of Anne’s questions she had; she noticed I was anxious and thinking about how Emelia was doing, so she urged me out.

“Are you sure?” I said uncertain.

She laughed. “Yesss,” she assured for probably the billionth time, “your face is covered in worry warts,” she joked, standing and helping me up; I scoffed at her remark.

I walked towards the door, removing the charm I’d put on it earlier and opened it slightly before turning back to my friend. “Anne…”

“I swear if you ask if I’m sure again, I’ll hit you,” she warned with an irritated tone; she had walked to grab what I could only guess was her diary from her drawer – something she did when she needed to write down and process her emotions.

I chuckled. “No, I was going to say to not tell Emelia about this,” I stated, half-truthfully; I was going to ask her if she was certain, but I didn’t want to get hit.

I can feel her roll her eyes. “I promise.”

“Also, if you need anything, let me know, and…I’m sure this is a given but, read the letter when you’re ready, don’t rush it,” I informed her with a soft smile.

I sensed her nod. “I will, thanks,” she answered, hearing her write on parchment.

I was about to leave and twirled back around. “Did you want to talk to him?”

Anne hesitated. “I…don’t think I’m ready for that yet; seeing him again I think will still be a big shock,” she spoke honestly.

Stretching my mouth to a thin line. “I understand. I’ll take my leave.”

“Go take care of her,” she insisted, hugging me tightly.

My soul warmed and heart inflated at her words, embracing her back. “Always.”

Heading back to the Room of Requirement, I felt a load lift from my shoulders; I finally told Anne and it went better than I thought. I just hoped after I left, she remained stable and…tear-free.

It was a lot to take in, so I was hesitant to leave her like that.

To be honest, I was uncertain of how she’d take it; a letter from her twin – a secret I’ve held onto, keep his presence to myself because of the fear and hurt it might cause to the women in my life.

As the Slytherin common room door closed, I put a hand in my robes about to go back but felt a piece of paper in my pocket, halting me in my tracks; I pulled it out and used my wand to read it.

Don’t you think of coming back to check on me.

Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Promise.

Thanks for telling me.

                                                Anne

I smirked, scoffing at the note.

She knew me well.

I assumed she put it in my robe when she hugged me.

I nodded and exhaled, feeling more at ease, putting the note back in my pocket and apparated to the Astronomy tower; the door formed before me, and I entered.

Hearing my dove’s light snoring, I felt relief flood through me; I thought she’d woken up when I was gone.

“Hello, Ominis,” Alistair greeted.

“Alistair,” I said back, “everything go alright?” I asked him, walking to Emelia’s bedside.

“Yes,” he answered.

I sighed, my wand letting me know she remained in the same spot I left her in; I warmed my hand and gently placed the back of my fingers on her cheek.

She moaned in her sleep, which made me smirk pridefully.

“Can’t you let me out now?” Alistair asked.

“What for?” I wondered, my face altering to a serious one, eyes shifting in his direction.

Alistair groaned. “I want to stretch my legs,” he replied.

“You don’t have legs,” I shot back.

He was silent.

I moved away from my sweet girl and went to the nearby table and summoned my textbook for Professor Binns class; using my wand, I was about to read, but didn’t get a sentence in until Alistair spoke again.

“Come on, Ominis, let me out!” he pleaded at me.

“No.”

“Please!”

“No!”

“Pleeeaaassseee!” he whined more.

I rubbed my head with my index and middle finger. “Ugh, you’re as difficult and stubborn as Sebastian,” I mumbled irritated.

“Sebastian?” Alistair’s tone suddenly became curious.

I sighed. “Yes.”

I made another attempt to read.

“She mutters that name every now and then when she’s asleep,” Alistair stated, making me freeze in place.

“Are you trying to trick me?” I wondered, glowering in his direction, “if you are…”

“No, I swear!” he told me sincerely.

I exhaled.

“Is he special to her?” the reptile questioned intrigued.

“Unfortunately so…” I said defeated, feeling my heart sink.

“Who is he?”

“A friend,” I responded sadly.

Silence filled the room; Alistair’s words resonated within my mind, that she said Sebastian’s name in her sleep. Closing my eyes, I felt the burning sensation pierce my core, and tears starting to fill my eyes, knowing the truth.

I don’t think it was just infatuation, my darling Emelia…

“She says your name too,” Alistair admitted, interrupting my inner thoughts.

I snapped my eyes open and looked at his way. “What?”

“Your name,” he repeated casually, “she says it too.”

My whole body perked up, a single tear fell, not because of sorrow, but of happiness; doubt soon overtook my mind.

“No, she doesn’t,” I told him, “don’t patronize me.”

Alistair groaned. “Ominis, I’m serious.”

For some reason, I believed him, and I was speechless for a good minute.

“Does she…say anything else about me?” I asked, turning my body to face him, leaning forward.

“Oh yeah, she says she loves you soooo much,” he replied sarcastically with a laugh.

My cheeks became warm. “What did I tell you about patronizing me?” I told him angrily, flushing with embarrassment, standing from my seat.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Alistair apologized, composing himself, “I saw my opportunity and I took it,” he snickered at my reaction.

I groaned, taking a menacing step towards his enclosure.

“But I was serious about her saying your name! I promise you!” he vowed, stopping me; I narrowed my eyes at him, sensing no deception.

He was being truthful.

I exhaled heavily. “Don’t do that again,” I cautioned, heading back to my seat.

“Ominis,” he spoke.

I rolled my eyes, never going to get any reading done. “I’m about to use the silencing spell on you,” I told him.

“Just – I just want to know why you don’t tell her,” he asked intriguingly.

“What?”

“Why don’t you tell Emelia how you feel?”

I put my head into the text more. “We’re not discussing nonsense.”

“Nonsense? I may have only been here a short while, but I’ve listened to you constantly talk about her back at your manor, I’ve seen how you constantly worry when you’re away and care for her, watch over her, you’re gentle and compassionate; she’s told me how you’ve been there for her through so much, Ominis, and she’s been there for you; your eyes, even if you can’t see, they search and search relentlessly until you finally find her. your heart is claimed, you can’t say you don’t lo –” he began to specify but was cut short after I raised my wand to use the silencing spell to mute him from saying anything further – to convince me, to tempt me, to make me hope there was a chance I had with my dear princess.

Exhaling heavily, I gazed up, the sensation of my heart beating faster in my chest became overwhelming; I closed my eyes and tried to regulate my breathing.

I didn’t want to be led to disappointment.

I shook off his words and focused on the book before me, but it was no use; I had to prepare for what was to come – her fury, her wrath and her hatred towards me.

I don’t think there was enough planning, organizing or preparation I could do to be ready for any of it.

--

Chapter Text

Friday.

Two days since Emelia’s accident with the bludger, and thankfully, with Ominis’ help, her ancient magic and Nurse Blainey’s post-care treatment, her broken bone healed rapidly and perfectly – as if it never happened.

She and Ominis were in the Room of Requirement during their free period before she had to go to the Ancient Runes; they were doing their best to work on the new spells for DADA class, Charms, not to mention, read and write an essay for history, but it was a lot and she noticed during class that the space in their sanctuary wasn’t big enough to practice them.

Emelia remembered Ominis’ offer to go to the undercroft; however, she could only manage to get to the door. She really wanted to go in, but she needed Ominis by her side if she were to agree to it; she needed him there to hold her hand tightly.

He was her anchor, her rock – the one making her believe she’s still worthy of being cared for, despite all her broken, bruised and shattered pieces.

Alistair slithered on the countertop beside Emelia, seeing her concentrated face.

“You know even when she’s focused, she’s still extremely beautiful…” he observed, hissing to Ominis, who was on the other side of the long table, books and homework laid around him.

Ominis groaned, glowering in his direction.

“Shut up and let me read,” he murmured harshly to Alistair in parseltongue.

Emelia laughed as she lifted a hand to stroke Alistair’s head and body, noticing Ominis’ manner towards the reptile. “Did he say something you didn’t like?” she asked knowingly.

Ominis scoffed. “Nothing that probably wasn’t true,” he confessed truthfully; he knew she was beautiful, and he didn’t have to see it – he felt it – he felt it when she spoke to him, cared for him, even lectured him, helped others, her resilient and charming personality – selfless – he was convinced she was an angel in disguise.

He wished he could see her though, to see her just once would suffice him for an eternity; however, that desire tore a deep hole in his heart, shredding his very soul, knowing it would never happen.

Ominis shook his head and concentrated on the text his wand hovered over.

Emelia chuckled again, tilting her head to Alistair. “Did you say something to make Ominis upset?”

Alistair turned his head away, not wanting to look her in the eyes; he had been extra affectionate and watching her more attentively since hearing about her accident. In the brief time, he knew her, he’d grown close to her, understanding the warmth Ominis always mentioned when he spoke about her.

“Alistair…” she warned, trying to find his good eye.

He gradually looked back to Emelia, seeing her green eyes which reminded him of the forests that held the deepest secrets but most humbling and breathless of views.

Alistair felt embarrassed, but he slowly nodded.

“Sweetie…” she began, “you can’t be troubling Ominis; you keep doing that and I can’t promise what he’ll do to you,” she warned him, a bit teasing and caressing him gently on his head.

The snake snuggled closer into her hand.

“Trying to kiss up now, are we?” she giggled, using her other hand to rub under his chin.

Alistair moaned. “Oh yeah, that’s the spot…” he stated, closing his eyes in pleasure.

“Alright, honey, say you’re sorry,” she told him.

The reptile gazed to Ominis. “I’m very sorry,” he said sincerely.

Emelia shifted her eyes to the blonde-haired boy. “Did he apologize?”

Ominis sighed. “Yes.”

She grinned pleased. “Okay! Now you be good,” she tapped the snake’s nose.

They remained focused in their reading until Emelia had to leave for class.

Emelia stood and packed up her stuff, gathering what she needed for her lesson; she gazed to Ominis, who was immersed in his reading.

She had to tell him what she was thinking.

“I think you’re right, Ominis,” she started, exhaling, aware after she admits it, there’d be no going back.

The blonde Slytherin lifted his head to her voice. “About what, love?”

“About…the undercroft…” she confessed slowly, “it does have more space to practice our spells.”

Ominis’ body stiffened, clenching his wand tightly. “Oh,” he managed to say normally, sitting up straighter. “When would you like to go…?”

His heart was beating faster from both anticipation and fear; he swallowed a lump in his dry throat.

Emelia thought about it. “Maybe…tomorrow or Sunday?” she answered, still uncertain.

He nodded in response. “Whatever you like.”

She grinned. “Sunday, most likely, since the game is Saturday,” she specified, feeling her heart race and attempting to control her breathing, so Ominis wouldn’t worry.

Sunday… Ominis echoed to himself.

It gave him and Sebastian an extra day; he was grateful.

“Sunday it is then,” he replied with a small smile, standing from his seat to walk around the table to stand in front of her.

She sighed and Ominis let out a low breath, both of them thinking: Well, no going back now…

They hugged each other farewell and Emelia was off to Ancient Runes.

While Emelia went to her class, Ominis put Alistair back in his enclosure, pacing around the room for a bit before heading to the undercroft.

Opening the door, his nose was overwhelmed with the smell of flowers, like he had stepped into a massive garden.

“What is it that I smell?” he wondered, narrowing his eyes in his direction.

“Ominis!” Sebastian yelled out with glee.

Ominis could hear his footsteps approaching in excitement as he made his way forward to the table.

Sebastian clasped his hand on his friend’s shoulder and wrapped an arm around them after, leading him the rest of the way. “Ominis, I have an idea on what to do for Emelia but also, I found something you have to see!”

“Explain what you figured out first,” Ominis stated, stopping in front of the long table, pushing Sebastian’s arm off of him.

“I got a couple samples but I’m thinking flowers everywhere,” he explained, grabbing a bunch of various flowers and showing it to Ominis; there were daffodils, roses, orchids, carnations – it seemed like Sebastian had every flower in the world in his hands.

“Sebastian, I told you she wouldn’t like the flowers, they die too quickly!” Ominis objected, rubbing his forehead in annoyance.

“That’s the best part, I found a way that’ll keep them fresh forever – basically frozen in time,” he stated with enthusiasm.

Ominis sighed. “That’s the Glacius spell, Sebastian…”

“Ha ha, very funny, but I’m serious!” he protested, holding out the flowers, “here, what do you think? Too much? Not enough?” Sebastian bombarded him with questions; he wanted to make this perfect for her, to make sure she didn’t run away or be frightened by him like the nightmares he’s had – he never wanted her to think of what he’d done, what she wanted to do – to sacrifice herself for him. He was going to be a better friend for her; he wasn’t going to mess it up.

This was his second chance.

Ominis inhaled all the scents of the flowers Sebastian was shoving in his face, hovering his wand over the scrambled bouquet and hesitantly touching the soft petals, careful not to pull or tear them.

Emelia would like these… Ominis agreed in his mind; envy flowing through his veins.

“They should be fine,” Ominis informed, putting his hand to his side, looking away.

Sebastian exhaled relieved. “Great!” he nodded, putting the flowers on the table and spun back to Ominis, “now that’s out of the way, I have something to show you, something I found!” he stated anxiously; he couldn’t wait to show Ominis the enchanted mirror, sure, he’s only seen it once, but he knew exactly where it was.

Ominis felt oddly exhausted while Sebastian was energized. “What is it?” Ominis asked, walking over to sit down but Sebastian grabbed his arm before he made contact with the seat’s cushion.

“It’s not in here, it’s in the Astronomy Tower,” he informed, pulling him towards the door.

“Sebastian Sallow, did you forget you’d be seen?”

Sebastian groaned. “Please Ominis, did you already forget we’ve already been through this?” he shot back, having both hands on his shoulders.

Ominis closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine.”

The freckled Slytherin celebrated quietly, making a fist in triumph.

They exited the undercroft and cast the disillusionment charm, silently passing students and making their way up to the Astronomy Tower; during their route up the staircase, Ominis felt an uneasy sensation in his stomach, his chest tightened with dread.

He couldn’t have found the Room of Requirement…could he? Ominis thought.

They approached the familiar break in the never-ending staircase, the hanging tapestry sounded, making its way to Ominis’ ears, stiffening his body and halting his breathing.

No… Ominis said to himself, please no…not yet…

“Here,” Sebastian confirmed, his footsteps stopped.

Ominis stepped back to the tapestry, hoping that if he was far enough, it wouldn’t trigger the hidden door to appear; he leaned on the wall for support, bending forward, feeling dizzy and light-headed, he placed his hands on his thighs and tried to regulate his breathing.

Sebastian stared, waiting in anticipation for the door to form on the wall.

Silence filled the space.

Ominis finally noticed he didn’t hear the entrance materialize like usual.

“Come on…” Sebastian complained, his brows creasing; Ominis heard him slapping the cement wall a couple times, “damn door; I know it’s here, I swear,” he stated a bit loudly.

The blind Slytherin shushed him and sighed relieved, but kept his guard up, not sure exactly what was going on.

“Sebastian,” he began to say.

“Ominis, I promise you there was a door here,” he promised, ruffling the back of his hair, “I’m not crazy.”

“How did you come across this ‘door’ in the first place?” Ominis squinted his eyes, pushing off the wall, realizing that he wouldn’t have found it unless he was up here.

Sebastian hesitated, pacing in front of the wall, biting his lip; he didn’t want to lie to Ominis, but also didn’t want to tell him either, but this was a fresh start.

“Sebastian…?”

“I…I just wanted to make sure she was alright yesterday,” he admitted, putting his hands up in surrender to Ominis, who began to stalk forward.

“W-What?!” he exclaimed, his voice echoing the halls, “the hospital wing isn’t even in this building, how did you…?” Ominis blinked rapidly.

Sebastian flinched and bent down slightly; his friend was basically towering over him as he hunched against the wall. “Ominis, listen, let me explain. She didn’t see me; I swear I was only there for a little bit,” he confessed, hands up in surrender.

Ominis closed his eyes and backed up again to give him and Sebastian space, hanging his head back and putting his hands on his hips.

“…but Nurse Blainey sort of…spotted something, so I ran to the floo and just said the first thing that came to mind, and it so happened to be the Astronomy Tower,” he explained in detail, refusing to meet his friend’s cloudy eyes. “I came across this hallway and Professor Shah was coming down and other students were coming up, I began to panic and then this door appeared. I didn’t think and just went in. The inside of it was so much bigger than I expected it to be, even bigger than the undercroft; there was a bunch of clutter, but there was this mirror in the far corner, and I don’t know precisely what it is but it…it was bizarre. I needed you to see it and see if it’s familiar to you,” Sebastian admitted, gazing towards where the door appeared last time; the memory of the mirror showing Anne, Emelia and Ominis beside him, laughing and smiling – something he’ll do anything for to have it come true.

Ominis processed what his friend had explained, trying to understand how the Room of Requirement would even show itself to him, how Sebastian had described how it looked, didn’t seem the same as if he and Emelia entered the room.

Why was it different? Ominis wondered to himself, already thinking of theories.

He couldn’t wrap his head around anything, the theories weren’t adding up; Ominis stopped and turned his body to face Sebastian.

“You visiting her was a risk,” Ominis finally managed to say after a few heartbeats.

Sebastian nodded. “I know, I just had to see her, to see how she was doing,” he confessed truthfully, making Ominis exhale softly.

“As for this ‘room’ you spoke of, if it appears again, let me know,” he informed his brown-haired friend, praying to Merlin it wouldn’t happen again any time soon.

Sebastian sighed defeated, sad he didn’t get a chance to show Ominis nor see the magic mirror.

He really wanted to see the mirror again.

“Ugh,” Sebastian groaned irritated, “please believe me, Ominis, there was a door…” he begged him; he didn’t want his companion to think he was lying, ruining the progress they’ve made in their  friendship.

“I believe you, Sebastian,” Ominis confirmed, knowing full well there was a door, but revealing it to Sebastian would lead to a whole other lot of trouble and complications, not to mention, headaches he wanted to avoid.

Sebastian seemed to let out a relieved sigh, closing his eyes.

Ominis gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, leaving his hand there.

“Brace yourself,” Ominis advised.

Sebastian furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before Ominis apparated them back to the undercroft; he groaned, stepping away from Ominis.

“I did warn you this time,” Ominis teased, making his way to his chair.

The brown-haired Slytherin nodded. “You did, and I think I’m oddly getting used to that,” he informed, walking to take a seat of his own.

Sebastian began to study while as Ominis was trapped in his thoughts; the melody of classical music filled the silence.

After a few pieces of harmony passed, Ominis decided to speak.

“Sebastian,” he called out, his friend who was immersed in a book.

“Hmm,” he answered, not tearing his eyes from the text before him.

Ominis didn’t speak at first; his hesitation ripped Sebastian’s gaze from his reading, staring towards his friend with curiosity.

“You alright, Ominis?” he wondered.

”About your letter,” he started to say.

That beginning statement froze Sebastian.

“Did you…” he began to question, putting his book down, giving Ominis his full attention.

Ominis nodded to him. “Yes, I gave it to Anne.”

Sebastian’s heart pounded in his chest, excitement and nervousness coursing through him like a tidal wave, taking deep breaths. “Okay…” he tried to sound neutral but failed; his palms started to get sweaty, “what did she say about it? How did she take it?”

“Shocked, obviously, at first,” Ominis admitted, replaying the encounter in his mind, “I explained how I found you and what you’ve been doing, your attendance next week,” he continued to divulge.

Sebastian was silent, swallowing a huge lump, rubbing his hands on his pants and lowering his head, trying to ease his anxiety.

“She also asked how you were doing,” Ominis added, looking away.

Sebastian’s head swiftly lifted. “She…she did?” he asked in disbelief, voice cracked with tears filling his eyes; his mind raced.

She asked how I was, he thought to himself, grateful for the simple question.

Ominis was silent, letting his friend process the news.

Sebastian blinked quickly, struggling to remain calm. “Did she read the letter? Can I talk to her? See her?”

The blind Slytherin made a sorrowful expression; it was all Sebastian needed to see.

“Oh…” Sebastian realized, his tone low in disappointment.

“I’m sorry, Sebastian,” Ominis apologized, “I’m sure she understands that you want to see her, but –”

“She needs time and space, I get it,” Sebastian interrupted irritated, standing to his feet to walk away from the table, “you say that but it’s easier said than done!” he said loudly, his voice echoing within the undercroft.

Ominis put a hand to his face. “For heaven’s sakes, Sebastian, I’m sorry; what else do you expect me to say, huh?” he shouted back, standing to his feet, fingers on the countertop as he leaned forward, “you were the one that made your choices, you chose to pursue an impossible cure, you chose to use not one, not two, but all three Unforgivables last year, not to mention, you chose to insult Emelia when all she’s done is try to help you, calling her ‘ignorant’; you even chose to turn yourself in, Sebastian,” Ominis lectured, his hands clenching into fists, “it may all have been for the right reasons or you simply just wish to justify your actions, but they still effected the people around you and like it or not, it’ll take time for them to warm up to you again; it won’t immediately just go back to the way it was, no matter how much we all want it to.”

Sebastian grumbled, squeezing his hands firmly at his sides, hearing the honesty spout out from Ominis’ mouth; the truth hurt him deep, but knew it was cause it was true – all of it. He chose to do all those things, being impulsive, letting his emotions take over; he believed there was purpose to everything he did, to find a cure for Anne, but looking back at it now, he understood he wasn’t thinking straight, and that he was on the verge of desperation, stopping at nothing to get what he wanted.

Sebastian tousled his hair, grunting in frustration, leaning back against the cold concrete wall with a thud and lowering his head in defeat, arms on his knees.

Ominis was right… he agreed, silent tears fell, streaking his face.

The freckled boy tried to keep his sobs low and his breathing steady, knowing Ominis’ sensitive ears would detect something right away.

Ominis already sensed his grief. He knew Sebastian was distressed about everything; he hasn’t been out of Azkaban a month and he’s already noticed the change Sebastian has gone through since being in that horrible place – what it’s done to him physically, emotionally…mentally. Ominis hearing his friend quietly crumble on the ground crushed him.

“Sebastian, I’m sorry, I –” he began, but Sebastian spoke up.

“No, you’re right. It was my choices – my wrongs…” he muttered under his breath, leaning his head back onto the wall, exhaling heavily, “I’ll pay whatever I need to pay, as long as you can promise me, we’ll all be together again…”

Ominis straightened up, taking his wand, guiding him to where Sebastian was and quietly sat beside him; he didn’t say a word as he made himself comfortable against the wall. He positioned himself the same way Sebastian did, with his arms resting on his knees, holding his wand between both hands.

Ominis felt it in his heart, positive they would all be together again.

“I promise,” Ominis vowed with certainty, his voice not having a shred of doubt in it.

Sebastian smirked a little, sniffling while observing his hands, fidgeting with his fingers.

Ominis shifted his head to his dear friend’s direction, grinning.

After a few breaths, the smile went away and was replaced by solemn one; Ominis quietly spoke. “We have until Sunday.”

“What?” Sebastian asked, brows creasing.

Ominis sighed. “Emelia. We have until Sunday.”

“Sunday?! Emi’s coming on Sunday?”

His blind friend shook his head, feeling a bit jealous over his friend’s nickname for his little camellia. “She has Quidditch on Saturday.”

“What about after the game?”

Ominis shrugged. “I assume if we win, there’s going to be an after party.”

Sebastian made a probable face. “That sounds about right…”

The blonde Slytherin rubbed his face in impatience, not knowing what was going to happen.

The two Slytherin boys were silent.

“Are you as scared as I am about it?” Sebastian wondered, peeking towards Ominis, trying to read his facial expression.

Ominis’ eyes lowered. “Yes,” he simply said, his throat dry.

Sebastian was taken aback by his honesty, but he figured Ominis hated lying and keeping things from Emelia, and he was doing it for him. He felt touched, however, felt remorse for putting Ominis in such a position.

“Afraid she’ll curse you?” Sebastian teased, trying to cheer him up a bit.

“Worse,” he admitted, not being able to laugh at his joke.

Ominis feared his dove would refuse to speak to him ever again, hate him forever and their friendship that’s grown will fade to nothing; that she’d walk in the hallway, passing him like they were strangers. It pierced his heart like a thousand blades, tearing and twisting his guarded soul into shreds just thinking about it.

Sebastian stared at Ominis, attempting to figure out what he was thinking but even throughout the years he’s known him, he was still no match for Ominis’ unreadable poker face.

Sebastian thought he hadn’t been to a party since last year before the Christmas holidays began. He really wanted to go, knowing Emelia and Anne would be there, but knew everyone was going to be shocked and he was going to be the talk of the party; he didn’t want that, but he knew a way to sneak in without anyone seeing him.

Sebastian nudged Ominis’ shoulder with his elbow, ripping Ominis out of his mind and focused on the present. “Wanna take a walk with me?” he asked him.

“What?”

“A walk,” he clarified, “to…Potions class?”

Ominis’ head turned all the way to Sebastian, squinting his eyes in suspicion. “We just got back from your other walk. What specific purpose do you have going to Sharp’s class?”

“No reason, just haven’t been there in a while,” he admitted, half-truthfully, getting to his feet casually.

Ominis followed his action. “You’re going to take something,” he scoffed in realization.

Sebastian couldn’t hold in his plan any longer. “Emelia and Anne are going to be at the after party, I can use a Polyjuice Potion; they wouldn’t even know it’s me,” he expressed a little too enthusiastically, grabbing his wand from the table.

Ominis strode up towards Sebastian, his wand somewhat directing him. “Sebastian Sallow, you complete idiot, you can’t just steal a Polyjuice Potion from a professor, let alone, who are you going to be anyway because I refuse to give you even a strand of my hair,” he told him in a serious tone.

Sebastian put a finger to his lips, working it out in his mind.

“Who do you think would be the easiest hair for you to grab?” Sebastian asked.

“For – me? You want me to get the hair?” Ominis questioned in disbelief, making a disturbed face.

“Well, I obviously can’t get it. I mean, I can, but…”

Ominis rubbed his eyes with one hand, groaning. “I’m going to be expelled for this...”

Sebastian grinned in delight. “Let’s talk about it once we get back,” he insisted, heading towards the exit.

“I’m not going to be a part of this,” Ominis retorted, unmoving, not hearing Sebastian’s footsteps falter.

“Fine, I’ll just go by myself…aloonnneee…” he exaggerated aloud, opening the door.

Ominis groaned and reluctantly followed; Sebastian chuckled in triumph.

They both left the safety of the undercroft once more, concealed by the disillusionment spell, they headed towards Potion’s class.

Escaping both students and professors, they finally made it to their destination. Sharp was teaching a class with both new and familiar faces.

“Shit…how am I supposed to get into his office?” Sebastian complained.

“Well, some things happen for a reason, Sebastian; let’s go,” Ominis started to walk off back to the undercroft; Sebastian turned and noticed stairs going down at the opposite side of where Ominis was headed.

“Wait!” he halted him in an urgent whisper, “Ominis, look!”

“You know for as long as we’ve known each other, I would’ve thought you’d have known by now that I’m blind,” Ominis hissed sarcastically at him.

“Oh, we don’t have time for your sarcasm, there’s stairs here; we gotta find out where it goes. I’ve always been curious; maybe there’s potions down there,” Sebastian stated hopeful, already making his way to and down the steps.

“Se – ugh…” Ominis started, grumbling under his breath, grudgingly trailing behind.

They went down the spiraling staircase and came to the bottom, seeing a door on their left; they pushed it open cautiously, praying that the frame wouldn’t squeak.

Thankfully, it didn’t.

“Whew,” Sebastian let out a breath.

Ominis was alert, his wand showing what was around him.

They took careful steps down the hallway before them, gazing around at the portraits that hung on each side, covering the wall. The pictures were asking them what they’re doing there and what they’re up to. The boys ignored them and came about halfway when Sebastian noticed a door to the left; he approached it, carefully grabbing the handle to push it open, but it was locked.

“There’s gotta be something good in here for them to lock it,” Sebastian stated excited, pulling out his wand.

“It’s locked for a reason, you stubborn idiot,” Ominis pointed out in a murmur.

Sebastian couldn’t help his curiosity; he felt nostalgia, like when Ominis and him used to sneak out and explore the castle when they were younger.

The portraits began to get noisy and shout to alert Professor Sharp, but Ominis quickly cast the silencing charm on them; the whole hallway suddenly went quiet, making Sebastian stiffen up and clenching his jaw tightly.

Ominis felt the tension coming off Sebastian, realizing the times he’s spent with him, there was always music; he theorized it was to probably silence whatever was going on in his head.

Ominis conjured a violin, making it play silently.

Sebastian’s body seemed to have relaxed, letting out a sigh. “Thanks,” he appreciated, putting a hand on Ominis’ shoulder.

The blonde-haired boy shifted his head away. “Open the door.”

“You approve of this?”

“Absolutely not, but if I refuse to go along, you’re just going to go on by yourself and who’d be on watch?” he wondered, crossing his arms over his chest.

“The blind kid being the lookout?” Sebastian teased grinning, “that’s something you don’t hear or see every day,” he joked further.

Ominis rolled his eyes. “Just hurry up and don’t make noise.”

Sebastian nodded, grateful for the soft melody beside him; he concentrated, pointing his wand towards the barrier. Alohomora, he spoke nonverbally.

The sound of the lock released, sending confidence soaring through him.

He stared back at his friend proudly; Ominis, with raised eyebrows, was quite impressed by his nonverbal casting.

Ominis resumed his disapproving demeanor, shaking his head.

Sebastian smirked and pushed the door open, and it revealed a small closet with shelves reaching the ceiling, full of extra herbs and supplies to make potions with a ladder in the corner. He stepped in and gradually spun around to see all the ingredients, then he saw different shaped and colored vials on the second highest shelf.

“That must be it!” he celebrated to himself.

“Sebastian, mind I remind you to be quick,” Ominis prompted, slight panic in his tone.

“Yeah, yeah,” he replied as he slowly brought the wooden ladder to the other side of the closet; he slowly climbed it, the wooden steps creaked on each step, Ominis and Sebastian both making a terrified expression, hunching over a bit, hoping Sharp didn’t hear anything.

“Sebastian…” Ominis warned.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” he repeated, straightening his posture and saw the different potion bottles, labeled and organized, before him.

There were so many: Black Fire Potion, Calming and Sleeping Draught, Amortentia, Veritaserum, Invisibility Potion, Fire-Breathing Potion – some potions he knew and others he’d only read about; he noticed there were ones that were “experimental”, most likely from Garreth Weasley, mixing his own brews Sharp had confiscated. He continued his pursuit, seeing an Occulus potion; Sebastian wondered if the potion would restore some of Ominis’ sight, but he always refused to try it.

He shook his head and focused; he read the labels and saw the one he was searching for: Polyjuice Potion.

“Perfect,” he murmured, grabbing a vial; he was about to head down when he stopped, thinking if one was enough. He spun back rapidly and grabbed another bottle without hesitation, putting them both in his pocket; he pointed his wand to one of the Polyjuice bottles. “Hope this works…” he whispered, “Geminio.”

The bottle duplicated successfully.

Sebastian let out a sigh of relief, pleased his relentless reading wasn’t a waste of time; he did the spell again, replacing what he took.

He silently jumped down the ladder, using the rails as supports; he placed the ladder back where it was, overlooking the whole storage space and it seemed the same as when he entered.

Sebastian closed the door quietly behind him, hearing uneven footsteps coming down the stairs.

Professor Sharp was headed this way.

“Calloportus,” Sebastian stated at the door, panicked.

The door didn’t lock.

“Sebastian…” Ominis notified, voice slightly frightened, hearing Sharp come down, vanishing the violin. “Hurry up…”

“Shit, come on,” he pleaded desperately, “Calloportus,” he said a bit louder.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake, move,” Ominis pushed him aside, pointing his wand professionally at the door, “Colloportus.”

It locked instantly with ease.

He grabbed Sebastian’s arm and instantly apparated them to the undercroft.

They both were panting from almost getting caught, the adrenaline running through them like a raging river; the tiny orchestra’s continuous music calmed them.

Ominis let go of Sebastian and they gazed at each other for a second, then laughed at the close encounter, releasing the tension that entangled them.

Ominis sighed. “You do know when it comes to spells, pronunciation is everything,” he told his friend, “You say the spell wrong, the spell won’t work.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes with a knowing grin. “Wow, I would’ve never guessed,” he answered sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning his body to the side, “if you hadn’t noticed, it was a high-pressure situation.”

His friend scoffed. “Did you get the potion?” he asked, hands on his hips.

“Better! I got two!” Sebastian answered proudly, fetching the vials from his pocket, holding them up to shake and show Ominis.

The pure-blooded Slytherin heard the liquids of the potions sloshing inside the bottles. “Why two?” he wondered, tilting his head, “what was wrong with one?”

“Hey, I’m not sure how long it’s going to last, and I need to make sure it won’t wear off,” he responded, placing the potions on the long table.

“It’s up a minimum of ten minutes to about twelve hours, depending on the dose and the potion’s accuracy,” Ominis replied nonchalantly as if it should be common sense to every witch or wizard.

Sebastian thought about it. “Okay, maybe one was enough,” he agreed, swaying his head left and right.

Ominis rubbed the side of his head with his fingers.

“About the hair…” Sebastian began, hesitant to say the remaining sentence.

“I told you I’m not giving you even a strand,” he sternly reminded, annoyed.

Sebastian chuckled. “No, no,” he replied, waving his hand, “I might have someone in mind that’ll do, but you and I are both not gonna like it.”

“Who…?” Ominis was afraid of the answer.

“…Garreth,” Sebastian replied, disgusted with his own response.

Nope, Ominis did not like that at all.

“Weasley?!” he exclaimed, “No!”

“It’s either that or I’m one of Emelia’s girlfriends and I don’t think I can pull that off,” Sebastian informed, slightly teasing.

Sebastian thought Garreth was going to be the easiest one to impersonate, but what made him come to this decision and feel a bit uneasy about it was Ominis had told him since he’d been gone, Emelia and Garreth have gotten closer.

It made Sebastian boil with jealousy.

Ominis groaned frustrated, “Sebastian…do you really think the first thing you should do is to try to fool her into thinking you’re someone else? Do you want to start off your return that way with her? With a lie? Deceiving her already shattered soul?”

Sebastian was silent, understanding his point of view.

Emelia had been through so much because of him and the stresses of her life; all he wanted to do was see her, talk to her like they used to.

The freckle-faced boy exhaled. “Fine,” he breathed, “I won’t use it; I guess I grabbed them for nothing…” he admitted, hands on his hips, gazing to Ominis with a disappointed grin, “why do you always have to ruin the mood?” he wondered, scoffing, “I feel bad for whoever your future wife will be.”

Ominis blushes beet red, embarrassed. “I’m going to ignore that last comment…” he muttered, walking towards the door, “Emelia’s class should be done now; I’m heading back,” he said, taking out his wand and guiding him out.

Sebastian sighed, sitting down in his seat, taking a vial and observing it in his hand, watching the liquid whirl within the container.

“You’re going to put them back,” Ominis told him, turning from the exit.

“What? After all that effort we went through? No way! I took them fair and square!” Sebastian protested, straightening up from his seat, putting the potion down. “Besides I replaced them already…”

Ominis rolled his eyes with an unamused grin, exiting the undercroft, leaving Sebastian alone.

Sebastian stood and paced around the table and across the floor, a finger to his lips, pondering; he suddenly stopped.

He desperately wanted to see Emelia and Anne again.

He had an idea but knew Ominis would be against it.

Just this once, before Sunday; he wanted to see them.

Just this once.

--

Chapter Text

We won against Ravenclaw: 240 – 90.

The score was even, up until after much sweat and insistent effort, Wyatt triumphantly caught the Golden Snitch; we all were so relieved and proud, our entire team carried him back to the locker room, celebrating our victory.

We headed back to the common room to relax, shower, change and got ready for the after party.

I changed into a green top with loose sheer sleeves that flared at the ends and dark slacks.

I came out from the bathroom, shaking my semi-dried hair, letting it hang loose.

“Wow, Em, you look amazing!” Anne complimented in awe, “definitely made the right choice getting that top. You’re going to turn heads.”

I scoffed. “This is just a regular top,” I protested.

“Well, you fill it very well,” she continued to flatter me.

Rolling my eyes, I observed her attire; she was wearing a green and black dress, the design of it showing off her waistline.

“I think you’re the one that’s going to be turning heads down there,” I confessed, smiling at her proudly.

She looked so excited.

Anne blushed at my comment. “Oh, no, no. I haven’t been to a party in years,” she shook her head, hands on her cheeks, turning away.

We giggled, doing all the finishing touches and finally making our way downstairs where it was already quite lively; they had moved all the furniture towards the wall, creating a designated dance floor, table for food and drinks – alcoholic ones included – and the music was loud, people were already dancing and drinking excessively.

Imelda was surrounded at a table explaining the game in animated detail, not missing a single thing; she was bragging about what the team did, leaving the gathered crowd with anticipation.

She saw me pass, giving me an elated nod and continued on with her story; Anne and I went to the drink table, instantly kicking back a few shots and feeling the beverage leave a burning trail down my throat as I swallowed.

“Ah!” I moaned out loud, my face wincing at the harsh sensation.

Anne exclaimed the same way. “Ah! That stings!”

I gazed at the bottle we poured from and saw it was strong vodka. “Well, that’ll do it…” I murmured to myself.

We poured ourselves another drink and guzzled them down.

We looked over the room and saw Ominis leaning against the wall by the glass window again; he was in a green button-up, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off more of his defined body, broadened chest and sculpted arms with dark pants, his arms crossed with his wand in his hand. His elegant appearance made my cheeks hotter, and an undeniable attraction became known to me.

I scoffed to myself, blushing because it looked like Ominis and I were matching.

Shaking my head violently, I knew it was the drinks making me feel this way – this heat within my core, twisting and pulling, wanting to be quenched.

We approached the dashing gentleman.

“Ominis Gaunt, finally dressed to a party,” Anne somewhat slurred, impressed; she swayed a bit, hanging onto Ominis’ side.

“Anne Sallow, already plastered,” he shot back, steading himself from her weight.

I giggled at the scene.

His head shot up at me with an alluring gaze. “By the sound of your laughter, Emelia, I’m sure the drinks are already disorienting your thinking,” he presumed correctly.

“Hey! I’m not that disoriented yet! I can still think and talk just fine,” I objected, pointing at him.

He chuckled. “I’ll give you some time,” he joked.

I lightly hit him, smiling. “You won’t have to take care of me this time,” I declared, poking his firm shoulder.

Ominis scoffed, grinning. “We’ll see.”

I rolled my eyes.

Anne and I then went to talk with friends, other students who knew me, congratulating us on the victory; after, we went to the dance floor and danced our hearts out, the ambience of the room equivalent to the beat of the music.

“Emelia!” Garreth’s voice called out to me after about half an hour. I turned my head in the direction and saw him waving at me from the edge of the dance space, smiling wide; he was loosely wearing his buttoned-down shirt with a striking wine-red vest with a slanted-striped, gray tie.

I waved back. “Garreth!” I exclaimed happily; I spun back to Anne. “Hey, I’m gonna go talk with Garreth, will you be okay?” I informed her, not wanting her to worry.

“Yeah! Go, go!” she encouraged, giving me a thumbs up.

I pushed my way through the crowd of body’s dancing, finally arriving to Garreth.

“Hey,” I greeted, “I’m glad you made it!” I smiled, walking us away from the crowd and loud music to hear him better.

“Hey, you won the match, who wouldn’t come here to celebrate for free drinks?” he wondered teasingly, pouring himself a drink and gulping it quick, “whew, that was strong.”

I laughed. “You’ll need a couple more to keep up with me,” I told him confidently.

“Oh, I’ll keep up,” he stated, accepting the challenge, leaning forward a bit and briefly gazing down at my lips.

I called his bluff, standing my ground.

“Ow!” he suddenly yelped, feeling the back of his head with his free hand, looking back and seeing no one but students minding their business, chatting away.

“What happened? Are you okay?” I looked at him and around him to see what caused his holler but didn’t see anything.

“Yeah, sorry, gorgeous,” he apologized.

I chuckled, raising a hand to rub the back of his head. “You don’t have to apologize.”

His face turned red, returning a warm grin.

I removed my hand and put it back to my side, preparing myself another drink. “Better start catching up, Gryffindor,” I taunted, winking and taking a swig of the newly made beverage.

“Don’t doubt me, Slytherin,” he countered smugly, making a drink and chugging it.

My eyes widened; I was surprised, slightly regretting provoking him.

“There’s a lot you still have yet to discover about me, gorgeous,” he stated, a victorious, cocky smirk stretched on his face, winking back at me.

Garreth and I talked and laughed as we drank; the music boomed louder, and I pulled him towards the dance floor where Anne was still dancing her heart out with her friends. Garreth had put our drinks down in front of Ominis, telling him we were going to dance; Ominis was kind enough to watch them for us while we made our way to the main floor.

We danced to the beat, glimmers of sweat on both of our foreheads. Garreth smirked at me the entire time; he suddenly grabbed my hands, holding them firmly yet gently and spun me around a couple times, taking me by surprise. I giggled at the movement feeling heat rise up to my cheeks, especially when he pulled me against his body to avoid getting pushed by other dancers who were using their whole body to move with the music. Garreth and I had gazed into each other’s eyes, and it was strange, but I swear I felt my heart race; his dampened red-hair, smooth freckled face and green eyes seemed to bore into mine deeply like emerald gemstones, almost hypnotizing me.

I blinked quickly, gathering myself and leaned away, thanking him; the drinks were affecting me more that I wanted to admit.

Pulling Garreth by his hand, finding an empty space still available next to Ominis; Anne eventually joined in from the dance floor, another drink already in hand. Garreth took his drink and sat down; I copied his action, taking my cup and sitting next to Ominis and chugged it, finishing and feeling the stinging burn run down my throat.

All four of us chatted while Ominis mostly listened but still interjected every now and then; we were all having such a wonderful time that it made my heart swell with joy.

Ominis leaned in towards me; I instinctively bent closer to him, curious on what he had to say, immediately smelling his intoxicating scent, making my mind dizzier and body become hotter.

“Still doing alright, dove?” he whispered in my ear, his voice raising goosebumps on my arms.

I swallowed, gazing down at his attire again, wanting to feel the silk of his shirt and the muscles that laid beneath; I tried to compose myself. “Yeah, I’m still good,” I managed to answer in a normal tone.

He scoffed, chuckling to himself; I lightly shoved him.

“Excuse me, ladies, gentleman, I am in need of the men’s room,” Garreth informed, his face paling, standing slowly and wobbling from side to side; Anne assisted to help him steady himself, but politely declined her kind offer and spun around to head to the bathroom.

We laughed at him as he walked off. It was times like this, I thought about the last party I went to – the one before Christmas break last year – Sebastian and I were drinking to our hearts content, while Ominis was criticizing us, we were laughing so hard our stomach’s were hurting and had tears in our eyes, feeling happy and free, no hidden emotions – everything on the surface. I remembered Sebastian and I danced to both upbeat and slow music; Ominis and I danced a couple times, but he got embarrassed and said to dance with Sebastian instead, while he preoccupied himself with something else. The spark between Sebastian and I grew deeper back then, I thought we’d be something more, but nothing really came of it and plus everything simply went south after that.

Despair flooded over me, covering me like a heavy blanket; I felt tears beginning to appear.

I instantly stood and blinked my eyes quickly, attempting to vanish them.

“Emelia?” Ominis got up to his feet, a worried expression on his perfect face, his hand on my arm. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I…I just need some air,” I confessed, stuttering, “I’ll be back,” I guaranteed.

I hated lying to Ominis, but feared if I bought up Sebastian, he’d get upset and worry even more than he already does; he cares for me so much, my heart swells whenever I think about it.

“Did you need me to come with you?” he questioned, his tone secretly pleading.

I placed a hand on his chest, feeling his silk shirt and toned muscles underneath, surprising me; I lingered my hand on his chest, mouth becoming dry and struggling to focus.

“I-I’ll be okay,” I reassured, not sounding as convincing as I wanted, but Ominis nodded, reluctantly letting me go; I patted his firm chest and reluctantly removed my palm and walked up the stairs, exiting the Slytherin common room.

I walked up the flight of stairs in front of the entrance and went up the Grand Staircase towards the Great Hall. I swayed a bit as I entered, feeling the effects of the alcohol taking its toll; I went through the first doors on the right. The chill of the winter air touched my face and body, immediately relaxing me; I continued my way through the quaint little garden which sat above the Hufflepuff common room, overlooking the Black Lake, the snow-covered mountain terrains and the beautiful sunset about to fade from view. The sunset kissed the sky with breathtaking colors: the pinks and yellows mixed with a blue and purple shades painted the beautiful scenery before me; the light reflected itself off the lake’s surface, completing the surreal image.

I gradually climbed on one of the square barriers and sat on top of it with my feet hanging off the edge while I leaned back, supporting myself with my hands and admired the view before me.

I inhaled and let out a deep breath, closing my eyes and letting the remainder of the sun’s rays shine on me before it disappeared for the night.

-

Sebastian POV

After hanging out with Duke, I ran towards the Slytherin common room, hiding myself from sight. There were lots of students going into the common room to celebrate the Quidditch victory; I swiftly snuck into the party, avoiding Ominis. I saw Emelia and Merlin, did she look amazing; the only flaw in the view was Weasley talking to her. I slyly snatched a few strands of his wild, red hair as he was leaning in towards Emelia, stopping him from going any closer to her.

I wanted to pull more just for the hell of it but told myself to focus on what I had to do.

At the moment, I was hiding in a stall in the boy’s bathroom that said ‘out of order’ with the Polyjuice Potion and Garreth’s hair in my hand; I put the hair in the potion, and it changed to a bright, golden color.

Alright, I guess…we drink it… I was hesitant, shutting my eyes tightly and bracing myself.

I put the bottle to my lips and hurriedly, took a huge gulp, and to my surprise, it tasted good, the next part though wasn’t so great.

My body felt like it was burning up – boiling – and felt like spiders were crawling all over my body; I clenched the bottle in my hand and was very aware of my insides moving, my hair grew, a twisting sensation clenching my core and making me groan in pain. I hunched over, holding my torso, feeling nauseas and spinning around towards the toilet cause I felt like I was going to throw up.

The pain subsided and I was panting a bit; I let out a breath and straightened up, looking down at my now pale, freckled hands, feeling my face and knew it wasn’t mine. I pushed the door of the stall and gazed at the mirror and Garreth’s green eyes were staring back at me, my hair was now his long and obnoxious red, some hanging near my eye and more prominent freckles shown all over my face.

I was Garreth Weasley.

It fucking worked!

“Alright!” I said, but Weasley’s voice came out.

I put a hand over my mouth instinctively; I was both amazed and disgusted.

“Well, that’s something I’m not going to get used to…” I muttered to myself.

I heard the real Garreth’s voice coming in, so I hid back in the stall and waited.

He came in groaning. “Okay, maybe don’t compete with a Slytherin, Garreth,” he told himself, hearing the sink turn on and off, but then he made a sound as if he were about to puke; he dashed into the stall next to me and hurled.

Making a disgusted face, I put the bottle in my pocket, altering my clothes to look exactly how Garreth’s was, and then swiftly and silently slipped out of the space and out of the bathroom.

I cleared my throat, saying ‘hi’ back to anyone who greeted me; I tried to act cool and well, like Garreth would. From what I observed of him when I snuck into the hospital wing, he had matured but was very much the same annoying ginger from last year.

I gazed around hearing Emelia’s voice, seeing her walk up to exit the common room; I skillfully passed through the crowd, keeping an eye on Ominis, but stopped abruptly near the top of the stairs after seeing Anne, she was smiling so big, her cheeks were rosy red and giggling. Ominis was beside her, worry written all over his face; however, his expression was short-lived, the poor bloke was getting hit whenever Anne let out a laugh, but it didn’t matter, she was having the time of her life, and no one was stopping that.

I clenched my jaw and grinned a sad smile, wanting to stay and watch my twin live her life to the fullest, but she was in good hands – Ominis’ – and knowing she’ll be fine, I tore my eyes away from the heartwarming scene and headed out to where Emelia left.

Exiting the common room, I looked left and right, not knowing which way she went, until I heard a door close from the stairs in front of me.

I immediately followed the noise, pushing the door open, I heard faint footsteps ascending the Grand Staircase.

Trailing behind Emelia at a safe distance, I saw her gorgeous curvy figure, her pants shaping her lower half flawlessly, her shirt was tucked in, showing off her slim waist; I felt my mouth water at the sight like I was a damn dog. I shook my head and suddenly realized how this might look from a third party – it appeared like I was stalking her. Rolling my eyes and focusing, I continued my pursuit; I was about to run over to Emelia when I saw her swaying a couple times, but she found her ground.

She went through the Great Hall and towards the garden which had the most magnificent view; I slowly went through the door, closing it softly behind me to keep her suspicions low and continued to watch her from a distance. Emelia was sitting casually on the stone blocks, her legs hanging over the sides while her body was being supported by his arms. Her green top outlined her curves beautifully, her thick, long, wavy brown hair hung behind her back like a silk curtain.

Emelia was gawking at the sunset, its diverse colors and beauty brushed in the sky didn’t compare to hers; she was a masterpiece, a rare gem in her own time.

I, unconsciously, took a step forward onto the snow-covered grass and it crunched under my feet, freezing me in my tracks; my breath hitched, and I held my breath.

Shit…

Emelia snapped her head around, alert by the sound, wand ready, but when she saw me, her body relaxed.

“Garreth,” she recognized relieved, putting her wand away.

Reality kicked in; she didn’t know it was really me.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” I apologized; Garreth’s voice coming out of me.

“It’s alright,” she assured, turning back to stare at the sunset.

“What are you doing out here, doll face?” I wondered curious, mocking Garreth’s nicknames for her, walking up slowly.

She sighed, not looking at me. “I just needed some air,” she admitted, her head bending downward and then lifting up to turn her head to the side to glance at me from the corner of her eyes.

I licked my lips.

I knew she wasn’t really talking to me, I mean, she was, but she didn’t know it; it was the first time we’ve talked for what felt like an eternity.

“I should warn you to not let Ominis catch you here, he’d blast you right off the school,” Emelia advised teasingly, smirking.

“Pshh, he has to catch me first; besides, I’m good at hiding,” I answered her, not sweating on the subject; Ominis was still in the common room and wouldn’t come out in the chilling cold.

“He’ll find you eventually,” she chuckled.

The sweet sound reached my ears and made my heart pound faster, my mouth parted with awe; I’d almost forgotten how much I loved making her laugh in order to just hear it.

“May I sit with you?” I asked after recollecting my thoughts.

“Of course,” she uttered, patting the concrete barrier beside her.

I grinned, pleased and climbed on, positioning myself the same way she did.

We didn’t speak for a few seconds, the crashing of the lake splashing against the school’s foundation and the creatures around us gave me some peace; I was grateful to Merlin to have noise around me.

From this angle, the sunset hitting her face, made her glow like a goddess, the color of her eyes lightened meeting the sun’s rays, her long lashes surrounding her now jade-green eyes, her lips were full, plump and soft-looking; I wished to have taken my chance to have kissed them before everything went to shit.

Ripping myself out of my thoughts, I concentrated on what was going on now; her expression concerned me.

“You alright?” I examined her, seeing her lost in her mind.

She nodded. “Just needed a break from the party. What about you? Are you alright? You went to the bathroom looking awfully pale,” she teased with a smile.

I scoffed, gazing forward, staring at the sun gradually going down. “I’m good now. Too much to drink I guess,” I lied, almost forgetting I was Garreth, “but I would’ve thought you, of all people, would love parties,” I thought aloud, remembering her being the life of the festivities, encouraging others to join in, laughing and chatting with everyone.

“I do,” she stated slowly, “it’s just…not the same as it used to be,” she admitted, her eyes lowering.

“Oh? How is it different?” I interrogated, leaning my head in her direction, observing her closely.

I was never going to get used to talking like Weasley.

She let out a small scoff, but her face returned to its solemn one. “The people,” she confessed, meeting my eyes for a brief second but then looking away, “the ones you spend most of your time with there.”

I realized what she meant.

I sighed, leaning forward, arms on my legs; I was suddenly anxious.

“Are you meaning…Sebastian?” I tried to sound casual.

She let out a breath. “You got me,” she surrendered, sitting up straight and grinning at me with red cheeks, “I remember we went to one before winter break last year, and despite Ominis criticizing and judging how much Sebastian and I drank, it was fun and unforgettable. I secretly think Ominis had fun then too, but don’t tell him I told you that,” she explained her memory of us while fidgeting with her fingers; it warmed my heart and soul she thought about that time too.

“Ah, Ominis is always so uptight; he needs to loosen up,” I told her, struggling to calm my heart from her reminisced memory.

Ominis was always a gentleman, yet cautious and cross about anything that would go against any fun or rules – especially his; I was convinced there was a real stick up his ass.

She laughed again, a finger to her lips. Oh, how I wished to be pressed against them to feel their softness and warmth; she could make me submit with her touch and lips alone.

I swallowed, my thoughts were interrupted by her voice.

“Ominis can be rough around the edges, irritatingly persistent in his ways but he’s not as bad as you and everyone else claims him to be,” she admitted, turning her head to me, her eyes thinking back to her memories, “you should give him more credit, Garreth.”

I was jealous of her defending Ominis; I’d defend him too, but this felt different.

We sat staring at what little remaining of the sunset was left and the light went with it, smearing the sky a crimson red and fading to the dark abyss of night; stars began to slowly appear and glisten, creating the beautiful scenery above.

The moon came out from behind the clouds, illuminating more of the earth below, it’s glow bouncing off the lake’s surface, seeing the little waves moving along the top of the water due to the light wind in the air.

The wind blew against our bodies as we admired the sky; Emelia closed her eyes and seemed to be enjoying the cool breeze.

“Cold?” I asked her.

She shook her head, grinning contently. “Nah,” she merely answered.

I scoffed. “You always did love the cold…” I muttered under my breath.

Emelia gazed at me. “Did I tell you that?”

I panicked for a second; I keep forgetting I’m that damned redhead.

Thankfully, I was able to think of something quick. “No, I just pay attention, sweetheart,” I replied confidently.

“Hmm, very observant of you, Weasley,” she complimented, shifting her attention to the night sky and pristine moon.

The moon was so lucky to have Emelia grace her eyes upon it; I always felt chosen and privileged to have her gaze on me, I was too stupid to notice it then.

We sat there, staring at the night sky for a good minute or so, until she let out a moan of satisfaction. It raged something in me, a heat tensing my body and an intense swelling began to rise in my pants; I shifted my body in a way to hide my obvious erection, trying to think of something to get rid of the embarrassing hard on. I thought of people I despised, random literature I’ve read and gratefully, it went down.

Emelia sighed and laid back on the stone, her fingers interlocked on her torso; I copied her action, laying against the cold cement of the school’s wall, lifting my arm to put behind my head as a pillow, my other hand laying on my stomach.

Hearing the crickets chirp nearby and the continuous crashing of the waves of the Black Lake, I shifted my head to face her; her attention was on the dark blue sky with the stars which were scattered, placed purposefully in certain spots in the blanket of night, the moon seemed to glow brighter as the evening went on, but remained to pale in comparison to her.

Knowing Emelia, she was the type of person to keep things hidden from others and deal with them herself. She never wanted to appear like she was struggling; she was always helping others, but I wanted to know if anyone was there helping her.

I hoped – wished, desperately, I could be that person for her.

“What’s the real reason you’re out here?” I asked, “can’t just be looking at the moon.”

She didn’t answer me at first, but inhaled a deep breath, briefly looking up to meet my gaze – stopping my heart in the process – but snapped them away.

I let out a sigh, trying to catch my breath.

“…Sebastian,” she said; I froze, my body tensed.

Did she realize it was me? Was the potion wearing off?

I subtly checked myself – face, body – but I was still Garreth.

I was on high alert, waiting for her to continue.

“Is it…is it wrong that I miss him?” she wondered in a whisper, not tearing her eyes away from the sky; she seemed embarrassed to have asked that.

Relief coursed through me.

She didn’t recognize it was me…

But what she asked, made me hesitate; I didn’t know how to answer that. I wondered what Garreth would say in a situation like this, but I couldn’t feel anything but excitement when she said she missed me.

“Uh, no…” I began to say, seeking to find the right way Weasley would answer, but gave up and tried to speak from the heart – and be unbiased, “I don’t think so. It just means that he meant a lot to you,” I replied, peeking at her before staring at the night sky, my heart pounding in my chest.

I saw her nod from the corner of my eyes. “He does…” she admitted, and my heart soared at the confession, “I still consider him a friend, no matter what anyone else says or your stupid, annoying guinea pig thinks,” she shot at me with an aggravated tone.

I didn’t know what she meant but I chuckled, admitting to myself how much I missed her feistiness.

I wanted to ask her what had been rummaging in my mind, a question that’s followed me since I confessed to the Ministry, was trapped in that cell…even now as I’m “free” and right here next to her – I needed to know.

“Do…you hate him?” I murmured nervously, terrified to meet her eyes; I was afraid of the answer, but the curiosity was gnawing at me.

“Mmm, I…don’t think so…” she spoke slowly; I looked at her in surprise, “I don’t think I can ever hate Sebastian if I’m being honest,” she stated further, shifting her head to meet my gaze.

That gave me hope.

“No? Even after all he’s done? How he’s made you feel doing what he did…?”

Emelia thought about it, looking away from me and towards the stars again; she grinned to herself.

“Sebastian went too far, yes, but…I don’t know, it’s hard to explain; in my eyes, he was eager, impulsive, relentless…but he meant well, he was always doing things for others, going above and beyond. He’s my friend regardless of what he does…it’s…” she sighed mid-sentence, not knowing how else to explain.

Friend.

I felt overjoyed to hear her say that, but ‘friend’ is not what I wanted to be; however, I knew it was someone I had to be. Hopefully a friend for now, and then in the future, I’d try again…to be more – properly this time.

“That’s okay, you don’t have to go into detail about it,” I assured, glancing at her, “I was just curious.”

She scoffed with a grin and hummed in response.

We stared at the moon, and it was like the stars were dancing as they twinkled in the sky; it gave me an idea.

I sat up quickly and jumped off the stone rock.

Emelia got up and followed me with her eyes. “What are you doing?” she wondered, furrowing her brows, entertained by my sudden action.

“Would you like to dance?” I asked, body slightly bent over, an arm behind my back while my other arm was extended to her; my eyes didn’t stray from her shocked ones.

She chuckled, twirling her body so she was seated facing me. “Is it because I’ve had a few drinks in me that you’re brave enough to ask properly this time?” she mocked in a joking manner, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised and giving me a critical look.

I grinned at her. “No, I’d ask to dance with you anytime, anywhere…if you’d let me,” I replied sincerely, bending forward deeper, looking down for a second then back up to her gaze.

She flushed a brighter red. “Hmm, I think you’ve definitely drank too much to be talking like that,” she joked, putting a hand over her mouth, holding in a laugh, “but if I were to accept this dance, there’s sadly no music,” she pointed out, a thin smile stretched on her face.

I grinned, rotating my body behind me, careful not to let her see my wand, I conjured a small orchestra, allowing it to play a romantic tune.

I spun around to her with a triumphant expression. “You were saying?”

She giggled, rolling her eyes as she came down from the concrete pillar and strode towards me.

“My lord,” she said sarcastically, giving me a curtsy.

“My lady,” I answered, offering her my hand again; I couldn’t hold back a massive smile.

She took my hand with no hesitation, and it was like she took my will to breathe; her warmth and the electricity from her touch somehow relieved the tension in my body and my chest lightened.

I held her hand out and placed my other hand at her waist, her arm over my shoulder; we swayed back and forth, taking small steps and going around in a circle.

I was actually dancing with her again – even if she thinks I’m that redhead but I still count this as a win; I tried to focus on the steps instead of her touch and how her piercing gaze was on me.

Emelia’s laughter brought me out of my thoughts after a few moments.

“What?” I questioned confused, blinking a few times at her.

“You’re just dancing so formally, it was like I was dancing with Ominis,” she teased, removing her soft and warm hand from mine, bravely stepping closer that our bodies barely touched and wrapped her arms around my neck.

My whole body tensed up at her daring movement, not knowing where to put my hands.

Emelia scoffed. “Never seen you so flustered, Garreth,” she chuckled, bravely releasing her hands from around my neck to grab my hesitant hands at their wrists and placed them on her waist.

My frame didn’t relax, if anything it made me even more stiff and blushed harder than ever.

She let another giggle. “Relax, it’s just me,” she encouraged, sliding her hands up my arm to resume their position around my neck, staring up at me with those remarkable green eyes.

I scoffed to myself, attracted to her boldness; I slightly relaxed at her reassurance, grasping her waist more firmly.

We continued to dance in close proximity and that’s when I smelt it – her familiar and striking scent; the smell of sweet and sour of plums, delectable, juicy apples and smooth wood – a fragrance both intoxicating and addictive – the perfect scent for her. I wanted to break down and cry with joy with being able to inhale her perfume again; it brought back memories, moments in time – ones that I thought were long gone. I remember our conversations, shared laughter, being there for each other during our dark times, our joyful times and most trying times.

I realized I was touching her, actually touching her; I focused on my hands, feeling the material of her shirt, underneath were her beautiful curves, they were more defined since last year, her waist had narrowed a bit, my pinky barely sitting on her hips – she was like an hourglass. I noticed she was more confident, bolder and stronger yet she was just as gentle and cautious as before. Her fingers lightly grazed the back of my neck, sending shivers and electricity up my spine.

Merlin, how I’d love to have her hands all over me – caressing…clawing…scratching…

The smell and thoughts of her made me smirk, blushing; I felt my cock twitch and begin to harden but quickly thought of Solomon and it deflated almost instantly.

At least the bastard was good for one thing…

We danced for what felt like hours but in reality, it was probably like ten to twenty minutes, small talking here and there; we enjoyed each other’s company in the dead of night, the moon illuminating the balcony we danced on, overlooking the mountains and lake.

I focused on the present.

I was with her.

Staring into her eyes, it reminded me of when I danced with her at last year’s Christmas party, her eyes were innocent and eager to learn new things about magic and the wizarding world – being new to it; however, now her eyes held experience, loss and hardship…and betrayal residing inside – all because of me.

“You okay?” Emelia wondered, both curiosity and concern was written on her face.

“Yeah, just thinking about how much you’ve grown since last year,” I teased her, patting her head lightly, “shorty,” I commented with a playful grin.

“Hey, I’m not short, I’m…fun-sized!” she proclaimed, pushing my arm away from her head, “you’re just freakishly tall!” she shot back.

I scoffed, effortlessly smiling at her protest.

Oh, how I had deeply missed her…

Her face was smooth, her beauty mark on the right side was unique, stunning me, her long, thick brown hair occasionally hitting my hands at her waist, her gorgeous body had only developed more perfect – everything about her screamed perfection.

How could I have been so blind – an idiot as to not see how beautiful and special she was; she was different, I knew since meeting her in the common room and her beating me in our Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She was selfless, whereas I was selfish, taking advantage of her and her unique powers, underneath all my good intentions, I knew I was only interested in how she could help me – I was a pathetic excuse for a human being – her friend! How could she still think of me like that, call me a friend…miss me?

My face scrunched with confusion, struggling to understand how her heart could be so kind and gentle and soft, after all she’s been through – especially towards me.

I didn’t deserve her.

If anyone did – it was Ominis.

He’s been there for her since the beginning, through the thick and thin, her tears, her triumphs, steering her in the right direction – being the kind of man she deserved, someone that can give her everything.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he had developed feelings for her, I mean, who wouldn’t? Jealousy enveloped my heart.

Ugh, I felt so unworthy to even be near her.

I was only going to dim her light with my bitter and endless darkness which now followed me – lingering, waiting to consume any light I got close to and snuffing it out.

Ominis was right.

This was going to bite me in the ass, and she’d never trust me after this; I was deceiving her after all, no matter the reason behind it.

She tilted her head at me, an intrigued look in her eyes; she tapped the side of my head softly with a finger. “Care to share what you’re thinking up there? Your face looks so serious,” she chuckled at me.

I reddened, gazing away embarrassed, soothing my expression. “Just thinking about new brews - mixes,” I tried to talk how Weasley would sound – obviously failed on that one.

Ugh, really? Did I just say “mixes”…

“Oh?” she said interested, putting her arm back where it was.

“Yeah…” I sounded like I was more trying to convince myself.

She merely nodded and, remarkably, accepted the answer. “You know, you’re surprisingly a good swayer,” she teased, beaming a heart-stopping smirk.

Her comment made me relax and my body feel lighter; she always could ease my stress, tear me out of my head with little to no effort.

I grinned. “I can do more than sway,” I said smugly.

I gently grabbed an arm of hers from around my neck, remembering how my parents danced together in our living room by the fireplace; I instantly twirled her around in circles, making her giggle as I did so, leading her in our own customed dance. It surprised her when I dipped her; she held onto my neck and arm tightly while I held it securely in my arms, smiling down at her and her shocked expression.

I’d never let her fall.

Emelia exhaled a breath as I gradually brought her back up, our eyes never leaving each other’s; we simply stood there.

“Impressed?” I wondered with a proud grin.

“Very,” she said, her voice a bit breathless, “tell me…” she started, moving her hands back around my neck.

I looked at her, anticipating what she was going to say, returning my hands on her bowed waist again.

“Are these impressive dances at your famous Weasley get-togethers?” she questioned.

Ugh, I wish I wasn’t that damn fucking Gryffindor right now…

“Only special occasions,” I fibbed, not knowing anything about Weasley’s “get-togethers”.

She tilted her head, squinting her eyes at me. “And what special occasion would this be?” she wondered jokingly.

I hesitated and thought about it; I gazed at her boundless beauty before me.

This moment with her will be forever imprinted in my mind.

This was perfect…

She was perfect…

“Being with someone who’s existence is a blessing upon itself, and more of a miracle that I’m fortunate to be a part of it. I’m incredibly grateful for you being in my life,” I answered honestly to her, “I hope to stay in yours for as long as I breathe,” I swallowed, staring into her hypnotizing green eyes.

Emelia stared at me, lips parted slightly in awe with a look I’d do absolutely anything for; it could command me, use me – chain me and I wouldn’t mind it one bit.

My body began to heat up again and I felt my bulge start to swell again.

“Garreth, I…” she began to say but then a voice shouted from across the garden, startling the both of us.

“Garreth Weasley, there you are!” Ominis’ voice hollered in hostility, striding his way to us, his red flickering light contrasting the white snow around him.

Our eyes widened from the recognition of the who the voice was coming from.

Emelia and I parted quickly as if we were just caught doing something scandalous; the warmth radiating from her, left my body and hands cold when she stepped away.

I gulped towards Ominis, wearing a long yet stylish winter coat, his expression beyond anger.

Emelia giggled to herself. “Told you Ominis would find you eventually,” she whispered, mockingly, nudging me at my sides.

“What is he? A guard dog?” I asked her, half-serious.

She continued to laugh.

Ominis had approached us and glared in my direction; his attitude switched when he faced Emelia. “Emelia, what are you doing out here?” he questioned, his wand pointed at her, “and without a coat?” he finished, instantly taking off his jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders.

“Sorry, Ominis,” she apologized, holding his coat in the middle with her hands, “I just felt a bit stuffy, so I came outside, the cold air felt nice.”

“The cold air will also get you sick,” he notified, worried for her health.

She rolled her eyes with a smile. “You worry too much.”

“I worry for the right reasons,” he replied. Ominis then glanced over at me, “and you, Weasley, what are you doing here?”

The way he said “Weasley”…he knew it was me…

“I…was also coming out here to get cool; you know drinking does heat up the body,” I informed him, putting my hands on my hips.

“Could I have a private word with you?” Ominis asked with emphasis.

“Ominis…” Emelia stated annoyed.

“Only a quick word,” he reassured to her in a gentle tone; his head gestured towards me to follow him.

We walked towards the Viaduct Courtyard; when we were out of earshot of Emelia, Ominis grabbed my collar and was anything but gentle.

“What on Merlin’s name are you doing, Sebastian?” Ominis hissed at me, shoving me firmly towards the wall.

“Whoa! How did you know it was me? Where’s Anne?”

“Anne’s fine, she’s passed out in her bed,” he informed me sternly.

Relief flooded through me; I nodded, hands on my hips. “How did you know it was me?” I repeated after a couple seconds.

He groaned, a hand over her face, frustration written all over it. “Because when the actual Garreth went to the bathroom, I overheard someone say that Weasley was heading up to probably go back to the Gryffindor common room, but then, he somehow just came back from the lavatory, and it all clicked. I’ve been searching the castle looking for you and where do I find you?” he explained exasperated.

“Ominis, I – ” I wanted to defend myself.

“You said you wouldn’t go find Anne or Emelia, until I gave the ‘okay’, and this,” he gestured between me and where Emelia was, “is not ‘okay’. You’re risking too much. What if this wore off?” he questioned, glowering in my direction.

“I have the other bottle, but Ominis, I just…” I didn’t know what to say, “I’m sorry; I just wanted to see her…and definitely needed to make sure she was okay when she left the common room; you know how she is, she’s stubborn and she doesn’t really tell anyone what’s really going on with her,” I told him; he and I both knowing she was unpredictable.

Ominis sighed; I could tell he reluctantly agreed. “Get back to the undercroft quickly; you just have to wait one more da – ” he said, before Emelia’s voice cut him off.

“Ominis giving you a good tongue-lashing?” she joked, approaching us with such grace, I swear she was flying – an angel in human disguise.

I scoffed. “You know it,” I replied to her, blushing, scratching the back of my head.

Emelia grinned; Ominis stepped back and swirled his head in her direction. “Ready to go inside now?”

“Yeah,” she agreed, moving up towards me, her hand lightly on my arm and tiptoed to kiss my cheek.

I froze in place, electrified by her soft lips meeting my skin, my breath hitched in response, and I saw Ominis tense.

“Thank you for the dance, Garreth,” she appreciated, staring me in the eyes, biting her lip.

Fucking hell, I wanted to bend down and bite her lips myself, to hear her moans escape her lips, to –

Shit...

The erection in my slacks increased more; I repositioned my body on the wall to keep it from being noticed, waving to her as she linked her arm onto Ominis.

“Weasley,” Ominis spoke, seeming eager to depart.

“Gaunt,” I nodded, knowing he was going to kick my ass in the undercroft.

“See ya, Garreth,” she said to me.

“See you later, gorgeous,” I replied.

They walked off, but Emelia turned her head back once to me, smiling, her cheeks red, giving me another wave; I couldn’t help but lift my arm and grin like an idiot.

I sighed heavily as soon as they were out of sight.

I walked back towards the garden overlooking the Black Lake and snow-covered mountains; I leaned against the stone wall I was sitting on and gawked at the scenery before me.

It was extraordinary – like a piece of art found in Hogwarts, but I stand by what I said: no matter the beauty of anything, nothing compares to Emelia’s.

I sensed a sudden shift in my body, my hair returning to its normal length; I gazed down at my hands and saw it tanned and not as freckled, my insides were burning – it felt more like it was cooling off, a weight lifting from my body. I cleared my throat, hearing my own voice.

I let out another sigh and touched my face – I had altered back to myself.

Despite Ominis catching me, I felt happy – ecstatic to have been with Emelia, to have talked to her – danced with her; I couldn’t stop smiling so big.

Climbing on the school’s stone barrier, I summoned my broom, grinning wide at the ethereal moon and the dark blue blanket of night, speckled and dusted with shimmering stars.

She missed me; she didn’t hate me…

I tilted forward, jumping headfirst off the school, the smile glued to my face, letting gravity take me and hopped on my broom as if it were second nature and flew to the highlands, dashing towards the magnificent mountains.

I balanced myself, extending my arms out of my sides and lifting my head, feeling the wind pass through my hair, hitting my body and face; my grin deepened.

“Woohoo!” I hollered with glee, laughing to myself, reminiscing back to Emelia, her gracious kiss she bestowed on me and our new moment we had together, “Woooo!” I continued to howl.

I flew around the highlands, no destination in mind, just needing to express my happiness and triumph.

This was going to be a good year; I can feel it.

--

Chapter Text

My footsteps echoed the empty halls of Hogwarts, not having a real destination and just wandering. I found myself at the garden by the Great Hall where Garreth and I danced, overlooking the beautiful scenery before the magical school.

I saw a familiar back facing me with styled golden hair; they were staring out towards the Black Lake.

I ran to them with a big smile on my face. “Ominis!” I recognized, putting a hand on his arm turning him to me.

His entire body instantly altered to Garreth; his well-known, freckled face, curly red hair, his emerald-green eyes standing out with the moon’s light illuminating them and an amused grin plastered on his face. “Wrong, doll face,” he stated, winking at me.

“Garreth…” I blushed, looking away, embarrassed, “sorry, I…”

I swore I saw Ominis.

I gazed back at the Gryffindor for a second then shifted my gaze away again, pulling my hand back, but then a hand grasped my arm; my body stiffened, and I gradually slid my eyes to the hand which held me still, their hand glided down my arm and gently wrapped my hand with theirs tan ones with dimmed freckles on their skin.

My heart stopped.

I was afraid to continue my pursuit forward, but I was determined to see it through; I lifted my eyes, observing along their body and seeing a faint freckled face with their wavy chocolate-brown hair, their chestnut eyes captivated mine, having a delighted smile, beaming back at me.

“Wrong again, Emi,” he said; his voice made my heart skip a beat.

My breath hitched at my nickname. “Sebastian…”

I felt my heart flutter like a hummingbird’s wings in my chest.

Sebastian suddenly grabbed my hand and danced with me the way Garreth did; the way Garreth spoke and acted was similar to what Sebastian had done with me in the past. I recalled fifth year, he’d danced with me whenever my thoughts consumed me, being attentive, making me laugh, and I was careful not to step on his feet.

We danced under the light of night and in the end, our bodies and our faces were closer than ever before, feeling each other’s warm breaths; I swallowed, briefly staring at his lips.

He did the same.

I instinctively bit my lip and looked deep into his eyes; he smirked his famous charming grin and moved a strand of hair from my face, putting it behind my ear. I lifted my hand to intertwine with his, resting it on my shoulder.

I suppose I was wrong – lying to myself; it wasn’t just a brief infatuation – the feeling for him was still there.

I don’t think it ever went away; Sebastian still held a piece of my heart, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted it back.

Sebastian’s eyes instantly snapped behind me with fear.

I let go of his hand, twirling around and saw the scene shifted to the inside of Salazar’s Scriptorium.

The fuck…?

I looked behind me and Sebastian wasn’t there anymore, just the entrance into the hidden room.

I spun back around and saw Sebastian laying in the middle of the floor between the two staircases.

Panic started to take over.

I ran over to him, getting on my knees, shaking him by his shoulders. “Sebastian?!” I called out.

Nothing.

I put my fingers to his neck, searching for a pulse but didn’t feel anything.

No, no, no, no…

I checked his wrist for any heartbeat.

“Sebastian?” I repeated, continuing attempting to wake him, gripping hard, “Sebastian, wake up! Come on, this isn’t funny! Open your eyes!” I hollered, lightly slapping his face, but he didn’t flinch nor move.

I felt his cheeks again with shaking hands and noticed they were cold.

“Sebastian, please! Come back…you can’t do this to me...” I whispered, tears filling my eyes.

I sobbed quietly, lowering my head and weeping on his chest; I clenched his shirt tightly, begging Merlin, whoever would listen, to bring him back.

“Please don’t mourn, my precious girl,” a well-known voice came from the second floor.

I raised my head, slowly, with tears running down; I saw Ominis in a black buttoned up shirt and slacks with a black and dark green silk tapestry vest which showed off his toned and mature figure. He was wearing a necklace which was worn under his collar, but the pendant showed at the top of his sternum. What I noticed most was his face wasn’t soft and caring like it used to be, it was intense and cold, making him appear both oddly alluring and intimidating.

He looked like a real Gaunt.

“Ominis…?” I breathed out.

“I took care of it, darling; there’s no need to fret,” he continued to soothe me, his wand at his side as he walked down the steps.

I didn’t understand at first…

“He won’t hurt your anymore,” Ominis muttered as he stopped, reaching the middle of the staircase.

I realized then what happened; my breathing stopped for a second.

He did this to Sebastian…

“Ominis, what have you done?” I murmured, my lips quivering, not wanting to believe it was true.

“What I’ve done?” he questioned in disbelief, walking down the stairs slowly, “I’ve ridded the stain – the infectious, poisoned darkness from our lives, from YOUR life. You can be happy now,” he informed simply as if what he’d done was for the greater good.

I shook my head at him, my vision briefly flickering a familiar blue tint. “I can’t be happy with this – I never wanted this! He was my friend, he was OUR friend, Ominis! How can you do this to him? Did his friendship mean so little to you?” I interrogated, squeezing Sebastian’s rigid hand tightly.

“Emelia, my sweet, his friendship meant a lot to me, but you and your happiness means more. You conquer over any other obligation, any bond I have – you are my sole purpose,” he answered.

I swallowed, shaking my head. “Please hear me, Ominis and understand how what you did affects me, how it affects Anne now!”

Ominis was quiet as he finally made it to the bottom of the stairs, he thought for a moment. “Anne will be fine; she’ll appreciate what I did.”

“Appreciate?! You killed her brother; she’s not going to appreciate anything about this! I sure as shit don’t!” I yelled at him, “you took someone I cared for away from me, a place where I can’t go to visit or see him, someone who taught me new things when I came to school, fought beside me, talked, cried, laughed with…”

“It sounds like you still fancy him,” he said emotionlessly, a hand grasped the railing, there was a light that reflected off his ring he had on his finger. I could tell there was jealousy and internal rage screaming within him.

I glanced away to stare at Sebastian’s face; it looked like he was just sleeping. I placed a hand to the side of his smooth features, and memories flooded through my mind – all our moments, laughter, conversations we shared – especially everything he made me feel – it was all gone.

“And what if I do?” I told Ominis bravely, glaring at him.

Ominis’ jaw visibly clenched, taking a breath. “You don’t. I’ve been here for you, WITH you; why can’t you see me? Why can’t you look past him?!” he shouted, making me flinch as he approached.

He held his wand towards me with a pained expression on his face, the tip glowing green.

“Ominis, what are you…” I held up my free hand in surrender while the other continued to squeeze Sebastian’s for courage.

“If I can’t have your heart, I’m sorry…but no one else can while I breathe,” he stated, gripping his knuckles held his wand tighter.

“No, Ominis – ” I panted, my breathing uneven.

“Don’t worry, my love; I’ll follow close behind,” he informed, assuring me in a confident tone, “Avada Kedavra!”

The green light came out of his wand, and it was like watching it in slow motion; I stared at it, clenching Sebastian’s hand firmly, and as it was about to hit me, I swear I saw a single tear fall from the corner of Ominis’ eyes, almost appearing like my Ominis just then.

The nightmare ended.

I sat up in a cold sweat, inhaling sharply, huffing and trying to catch my breath; my vision slightly flashing the blue tint, but only for a couple seconds then it returned to normal.

Ominis was surprisingly in the bed with me; he sat up instantly, a gentle hand on my arm and shoulders.

“Emelia, are you alright? Was it another nightmare?” he wondered sincerely concerned, “what can I do for you?” he asked, his tone pleading.

I peeked up at him, his hair in slight disarray, making him look like a handsome chunk of marble; he was tender and sweet and the complete opposite of the evil version I dreamt of: cold-hearted and psychopathic.

“Emel – ” he started to say, but without warning him, I hugged him around the shoulders, squeezing tightly, the tears falling down; I felt deathly fear of that Ominis – the heartless Gaunt, but this Ominis, my Ominis – my prince – was not cruel or merciless, he wouldn’t kill me, he wouldn’t kill Sebastian – it wasn’t who he was. His family, yes, but not him.

My Ominis is gentle, kind, patient, understanding, protective and loving; he was perfect.

Ominis stiffened, surprised by my hug but embraced me, tenderly rubbing my back. “I’m here, my camellia, I’m here,” he whispered in my ear.

My body melted into him and took a deep breath, feeling the warmth radiate off his body and merge with mine.

We remained this way until I felt ready to let go.

I leaned away unwillingly, my hand on his forearms. “Sorry,” I apologized.

He grinned, exhaling. “Anything for you, my princess,” he responded with a smirk, but his facial expression soon altered into unease and worry, “are you okay?” he asked cautiously, placing a hand to the side of my face, rubbing my cheek lightly.

I nodded. “Yeah,” I answered, putting a trembling hand over his, “it was just…new…” I said honestly.

“New?” he questioned, noticing my quaking, he removed his hand from my face to hold and rubbed them delicately.

I hesitated, grateful for his sweet and simple gestures, but when recalling the dream, my throat dried and the same frantic sensation I felt came back. “It was…darker…” I merely replied, my voice shuddering.

I noticed Ominis swallowed, taking my hand and bringing it up to his heart; he pressed it inward with both hands, letting me feel his heart beating. “It was just a nightmare, dove,” he reassured, “none of it was real. I’m right here,” he murmured in a whisper.

I exhaled a heavy breath, grateful to him. “Thank you…”

After a tranquil moment of deep breathing, Ominis released my hand from his chest but remained holding it delicately in his.

“Did…you want to talk about it?” he questioned cautiously.

I squeezed his arms once before getting out of bed, shaking my head. “I’ll be okay for now,” I said, not wanting him to worry or fear he might turn into that person.

I stretched my body and noticed I didn’t have a blistering headache; I drank almost as much, if not more, than when the girls and I went to Hogsmeade.

“How’s your head?” Ominis asked, getting out of bed and quickly making his way around.

“Surprisingly…good; I don’t have a hangover,” I informed him, sitting on the side of the bed, feeling around my head to make sure I wasn’t going crazy.

Ominis scoffed, taking his place next to me. “Ah, so the experiment was a success,” he stated, amused, a finger over his lips, hiding a massive smile.

“E-Experiment?” I repeated, my eyes widened.

He nodded. “I didn’t experiment, it was all you. When we came back to the room, you were starting to regret drinking again with Anne and everyone else, continuing to celebrate in your victory,” he explained gradually.

“Uh huh…”

“So, you, my curious minx, said you wanted to try drinking Felix Felicis before going to sleep, in hopes with some luck you won’t have a headache in the morning,” he finished, pushing my shoulder with his, “I believe your little experiment worked.”

I was impressed – with both myself and that the potion actually worked on a hangover.

I guess it’s not called ‘Liquid Luck’ for no reason.

I scoffed. “I’m sorry you had to take care of me again,” I apologized, glancing over to him.

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Love, you don’t have to apologize for anything; how many times do I have to tell you that I’ll always take care of you?” he wondered, facing his body at me completely, “besides, I didn’t have to clean up puke this time, which is a plus,” he joked, grinning knowingly.

I rolled my eyes, lightly shoving him. “Guess I wasn’t the only one that got lucky,” I stated, smiling, seeing Ominis’ face flush red. I sighed and immediately stood up. “Alright, let’s go to the undercroft,” I said, sounding more confident than I really was.

“Not yet,” Ominis halted, “let’s do something fun before we do,” he insisted, rising to his feet, his expression a bit solemn.

“Sure,” I smiled excited, “what did you have in mind?”

“How about we go to Hogsmeade?” he pondered, tilting his head.

“Any specific reason?”

I didn’t know what we’d shop for; we’d gotten everything we needed during New Year’s Eve.

He walked a few paces away from the bed, licking his lips hesitantly; his body was half-turned towards me. “Just to spend time with you,” he answered honestly, “is…that alright?”

I scoffed. “Of course it is, but you always spend time with me; don’t you get bored and tired of being in the same company?” I wondered, taking a couple steps forward towards him.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be tired of you,” he uttered, looking away, blushing embarrassed.

I flushed at his answer. “Hogsmeade it is then,” I confirmed happily.

I went to the bathroom the room added and brushed my teeth, then used my wand to alter my clothes to dark pants and a tucked in maroon shirt with black laced sleeves, along with a black coat to complete the look.

“Ready!” I stated, walking out and gazing up seeing Ominis had done the same spell, changing his clothes to a warmer yet elegant outfit: a beige button-down shirt, topped with a gray vest, dark gray tie and to complete the look, he had a green cardigan, revealing his slim yet matured upper body; his pants and winter coat were a dark gray. He summoned a scarf and fashioned it around his neck, using his wand to overlook himself.

“I believe I am too,” he said nervously.

“Alright! Let’s go!” I stated, heading for the door excitedly, but Ominis grabbed my bicep, stopping me.

“Hold on,” he spoke, moving his wand towards me, “where is your scarf?”

“I don’t need one, now come on!” she urged, however, Ominis held her firmly.

“You need a scarf; it’s still winter,” he insisted, his face worried.

“But I like the cold.”

“And like I told you yesterday, the cold air will get you sick,” he repeated his words.

I rolled my eyes. “Oh fine,” I conjured a scarf and wrapped it around my neck half-heartedly. “Happy?”

His wand hovered over me and then Ominis put it away to readjust the scarf; his face was so close to mine, my cheeks started to warm up and I held my breath; his fingers were so slender and gentle.

“There,” he told me, “I’m happy now,” he smiled delighted; I couldn’t help but grin back.

I randomly kissed his cheek; the color in Ominis’ face showed instantly.

I giggled. “Let’s head off,” I informed as I grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

We walked out onto the well-known path, hand in hand; the sun shined down on us as we walked to Hogsmeade. I spread my arms out wide, closed my eyes and soaked in the warmth of the sun; Ominis held my hand securely, smiling at me with amusement.

I encouraged him to do what I was doing, to bask in the sunshine since he didn’t like the cold; he did it and it was the most purest form of happiness and joy I had ever saw from him. The sight warmed my heart and I smiled wider.

We walked around Hogsmeade, Ominis didn’t buy anything from anywhere and insisted he pay for everything; it was nothing new, I still tried to pay, however, Ominis insisted. We got candies from Honeyduke’s, some more food for the magical creatures in the vivariums, and Alistair, we then walked around a bit more and went to the Three Broomsticks for a couple butterbeers, saying ‘hi’ to Sirona in the process. It was about the middle of the afternoon and even after all the wonderful moments, I still couldn’t shake the nightmare about Ominis out of my head.

Omnis noticed my tension when we were leaving the establishment.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, worry written all over his face.

“It’s nothing,” I tried to push the uneasy feeling aside.

“Emelia Selene,” he middle-named me, his tone serious, lightly grabbing my hand.

I tensed a bit, gazing at him as we walked towards the exit. “It’s really nothing; I was just thinking about my dream,” I admitted, not being able to look at him.

He let out a breath. “That’s not nothing, my dear.”

There was a certain place I’d go that relaxed me with its tranquil atmosphere and beautiful lights.

“I have another place in mind we can go to,” I stated, gazing at Ominis anxiously, not sure if he’d go to such a place.

“Oh? And where would that be?” he wondered interested, his eyebrows raised.

“The Forbidden Forest…” I replied honestly, squinting my eyes, peeking in his direction.

He thought about it. “Alright,” he simply said.

He…agreed?

“Alright?” I muttered, repeating his answer, “you’re really okay going?”

“As long as I’m with you, I don’t mind where we go,” he responded with a soft grin.

His answers sounded more vulnerable and open.

Was he okay?

I gave him a wary glance and quickened my pace to the exit, having Ominis’ hand in mine.

I summoned my broom and saddled it. “Okay, hop on,” I urged, ready to take off.

Ominis’ face gave me a bewildered look. “You don’t expect me to ride on a broom, do you?” he asked in disbelief.

“It’s the only way to get there,” I told him.

“Actually, there’s a couple ways to get there, dove; there’s walking, a floo flame, apparition…” he listed the other options in boredom.

I scoffed, chuckling. “Fine, fine! I like riding my broom, it feels freeing; I promise I’ll avoid any unnecessary confrontations and won’t unwanted attention…” I negotiated my point of view.

Ominis groaned lightly. “Why the Forbidden Forest again?”

“There’s a place that’s full of fireflies with beautifully subtle light, surrounding a small lake; I haven’t been there in a while and it’s a place that I notice seems to calm my nerves and let’s me think a bit clearer,” I explained, reminiscing back to the first time I saw the magical place when I was helping Richard Jackdaw, and he assisted me in finding the missing pages to the book I found when Sebastian and I snuck into the Restricted Section. I’d gone on my own or with Sebastian a couple times last year, enjoying the sounds of the natural world and each other’s company.

I groaned silently, criticizing myself for overlooking Ominis in certain situations; I never took him there. I felt like I was closer to Sebastian, but Ominis was there too, he was just…overshadowed. I hate myself for even admitting it now, and I recall apologizing to him multiple times, but Ominis said it was fine and we were close now and that’s what mattered.

Ominis nodded in understanding. “Okay, but I’m still failing to understand why we can’t just walk there?”

“How about we fly there then walk back to Hogwarts?” I wondered, tilting my head.

He put a hand to his chin, thinking. “How about the other way around?” he bargained.

“Walk there and fly back to school?” I verified in skepticism.

He nodded unconvincingly.

I laughed. “Fine by me. Remember you said it though!” I hollered ecstatic, vanishing my broom from under me.

Ominis strode towards me, grasping my hand delicately with his long, slender ones. “I’ll remember,” he promised.

We walked hand in hand the entire way to the Forbidden Forest, talking about what to do in Hogsmeade next time, school and its persistent education. Ominis asked if I had been in touch with the Keepers since last year, I told him I’ve gone there a couple times, but I think they took pity on me and haven’t requested much for me to do, just giving me their sympathies about Professor Fig; they simply asked me to continue honing my powers and keep an eye out for any signs of ancient magic.

Once we made it to the location where Richard Jackdaw guided me to, the scenery was just as I remembered; it glowed with fireflies all around the small lake with a glimpse of sunshine peeking through the forest just enough to set the ambience of it to a more calming mood.

“We’re here,” I breathed out, a small smile spreading across my face, squeezing Ominis’ warm hand.

Ominis grinned. “Now, where do we go now?”

I spotted the massive rock which I sat on numerous times, overlooking the stunning lake.

“Over here!” I indicated, pulling Ominis with me, taking him slightly by surprise.

We walked towards the bird bath I had to whisper the password to in order to enter the secret stone door where the ghost had died; I sighed reminiscing on what seemed like simpler times.

“Careful, we’re gonna be going up a bit,” I warned him, as I stepped up the stone, cautious of his footing and guiding him.

We finally made it to the ledge and sat side by side, Ominis using his wand to sense his surroundings and me admiring the view, the fireflies all around, some flying towards us; I extended a hand outward, quietly beckoning the beautiful glowing insects to come closer – some did, lightly landing on my fingers and I gradually brought my arm closer to me to observe them better.

“Ominis, hold out your hand,” I instructed, keeping an eye on the fireflies.

“Alright…” he said wary; he lifted his arm out to me, hand faced upward.

I grabbed the back of his soft hand gently and spoke. “Don’t be afraid, I’m going to see if these fireflies will crawl from my hand to yours, okay?”

He scoffed, blinking quickly, but nodding. “I trust you.”

I smiled wide, gazing back at the fireflies. “Go on, little ones,” I encouraged, placing the tips of my fingers to Ominis’ and they cautiously made their way from mine to the new terrain, uncertain at first, but then gained confidence and walking all the way to Ominis’ palm.

Ominis tensed, however, with a few seconds to get accustomed to the new feeling, he relaxed and shifted his head in my direction. “They feel so light and are extremely tiny,” he told me, not moving his hand one bit.

“I know it’s nothing big, but these little guys actually make a huge impact and difference to me whenever I see them or come here,” I explained, putting my hands behind me, leaning my body against it and gawked at the sight, trying to count the fireflies but losing count along the way. “Oh, how I wish you could see them; it’s like the stars in the night sky came down to be seen on earth…”

Ominis used his wand and concentrated, pointing it towards the illuminating insects. “I might be able to see it, not the complete forms and clarity but my wand shows me a vague outline of it,” he enlightened, giving me a thin, somber smile.

“Really? That’s amazing!”  

“Mmhmm. Despite having my wand for years, I’m still learning from it and how it works, it’s always surprising me by the new capabilities it can do to help me,” Ominis finished with a joyful grin; his handsome features more prominent with the glow of the atmosphere around us and the fireflies light which resided on his fingertips; his eyes were staring in the direction of the gleaming insects and it’s otherworldly radiance.

Merlin, he was gorgeous – he was like an innocent god who’d come down from the heavens to admire what earth had to offer…

His happy expression became sad all of a sudden.

“Hey, you okay?” I asked worried, tilting my head towards him, watching his facial cues.

He nodded. “I just enjoy the times I’ve spent with you, whenever you describe the scenery for me when you don’t need to, thinking of me when you should be worried about yourself, being protective when I can handle things on my own, even watching out for me so I don’t fall or stumble over something even though I already have help with that,” he chuckled to himself, indicating towards his wand, “I cherish how we’re always there for each other through the thick and thin…”

I scoffed, feeling the warm sensation spread from the core of my body and out towards each fingertip, each toe, each strand of hair; he never failed to make me feel completely happy and at peace, like he chased away all my worries and stresses.

I hugged Ominis closely, almost as much as when I woke up from my nightmare; I took him by surprise again, and without a doubt, the fireflies were startled and flew away cause his arms enveloped me securely. “I love how you’re always by my side, no matter what; I couldn’t ask for someone better,” I murmured in his ear, surely the .

Ominis’ embrace tightened around my body more. “Neither can I.”

After we let go of one another, we gazed upon the scenery, side by side with my head on his shoulder, his head on mine, our hands intertwined, and we enjoyed this wonderful moment together.

I sighed grinning contently.

I hoped Ominis and I could be like this forever…

-SOME TIME PASSED-

“I think we’ve been here long enough; ready to go?” I asked, realizing the sun’s light sneaking between the tree branches began to dim; I stood from my position, assisting Ominis down to make sure he wouldn’t slip.

Ominis groaned quietly to himself, remembering his words. “I suppose…” he stated unenthusiastically as we made it to the bird bath.

I laughed. “I promise, it’ll be quick,” I vowed, summoning my broom.

He squeezed my hand and sighed. “Okay,” he reluctantly said.

I blushed at how cute he was.

Hopping on the broom, I steadied myself while Ominis cautiously got behind me.

“Please don’t do anything reckless, I don’t want to fall,” he advised, grasping onto my waist lightly.

“Well, you’re definitely going to fall if you don’t hang on tighter,” I told him, grabbing his hands and wrapping them more securely around my waist.

I saw Ominis’ face redden.

“Alright, here we go,” I announced, gradually going up towards the sky to exit the Forbidden Forest.

Ominis immediately constricted his hold on me, making me blush amused. “I regret ever agreeing to this,” he said to me as we surpassed the tall trees, being welcomed by the setting sun’s warmth.

I chuckled. “If you’re so concerns, hang on tighter,” I insisted, slowly moving forward towards Hogwarts.

Ominis’ grip squeezed me firmly; I peeked back to my bashful prince and saw his pink cheeks.

Oh, he’s so adorably innocent…

We made it safely to the school, landing in the Transfiguration Courtyard. Ominis got off first, grateful to be on land.

“Only with you, will I ever do that again,” he confirmed, pointing a finger in the air; I laughed as I vanished the broom and we headed into the DADA tower.

The echoing of our footsteps sounded through the halls of the building, making me feel a bit self-conscious.

As we get closer to the door to the undercroft, I feel my body start to tense up, going up the flight of stairs, I stopped with my hands involuntarily shaking. Ominis somehow knew, halting beside me and holding my hand in his warm ones; I swallowed and turned my head to look at him, his eyes and expression patient and understanding.

“If you don’t want to go – ” he began to say, but I interrupted.

“No, it’s okay; I’ll be okay,” I assured, mainly to myself.

We gradually found ourselves at the entrance; I was rigid, not knowing what emotions would come out when I stepped behind the door.

I took a deep breath, prepping myself then grasped my wand, flicking it towards the entrance and opened it; I stepped forward, my hand on the door frame about to go in, but Ominis stopped me.

“Wait,” he ceased, his voice sounding panic.

I looked back at him. “What is it?” I questioned curiously, examining him to make sure he was alright.

Ominis didn’t speak at first, he simply stared in my direction, his expression appeared pained and fearful; I strode towards him concerned, seeing tears fill his eyes.

“Ominis, are you – ” I started to ask, but his arms instantly wrapped around my waist and shoulder, a hand at the back of my head; he hugged me tighter than he’s ever done, it was similar to the time he found me after finding out about Sebastian in the paper – it was so strong. “Ominis…?”

We’ve hugged each other before, but for some reason, this one felt different; it was like he never wanted to let me go. He pressed me closer into his body, crushing me into him so much I swear I could feel his heart racing in his chest, his neck was pressed against mine; I felt a faint pulsing, rhythmically.

I embraced him back with the same fierce power he had, however a bit more tenderly, smelling his alluring scent, engraving it to memory; I grinned happily into his shoulder.

“Before we go in, I just – I want to say I don’t ever wish to lose you,” he swallowed a lump in his throat as he professed in a hushed whisper, his body tense.

“What are you talking about? You won’t lose me,” I reassured him, caressing and patting his back softly.

We were silent for a moment.

“Forgive me, my sweet girl,” he murmured, “I beg you don’t forget me either,” he pleaded, his body slightly trembling.

“Ominis, it’s okay, I wanted to come here,” I said for certain, “and I could never forget you, why would you think I would?”

He didn’t answer at first. “I just…no matter what happens, know I’ll always be here for you.”

I scoffed. “I know that, silly,” I said, snuggling closer to his body and hugging him tighter.

“Can you promise me something?” Ominis asked, leaning away a bit and keeping my waist in his secure hold; his touch warmed my cheeks.

I hummed. “Anything.”

Ominis sighed and actually stared into my eyes. “Can you promise that we’ll always be friends? That we’ll remain just the way we are now?” he questioned, his eyes piercing through me and into my vulnerable soul.

I raised a hand to feel Ominis’ forehead to check his temperature. “You feel warm,” I observed, sliding the back of my fingers onto the side of his cheek, his mouth parting slightly, “I’m afraid you might be getting sick with all this sentimental talk,” I chuckled at him.

Ominis’ cheeks blushed redder; his fingers clenched my waist. “Emelia, please promise me…” he begged urgently, attempting to get me to focus.

Both of my hands went to the sides of his face, caressing his soft cheeks to calm his troubled soul and whatever was on his mind to ask such a request.

“I swear and promise you now,” I spoke sternly, “no matter what, we’ll always be friends and stay together, just the way we are, my adorable prince,” I confirmed confidently, bringing his face heated face closer to me and kissing his cheek, leaving my lips on his skin for a couple seconds more than usual; my promise seemed to have eased his body a tad.

I knew I’d forever want Ominis’ by my side, selfishly, until he found a woman his heart chose to be his one and only, and his life would, undoubtedly, move on…without me…

Continuing to stroke his face lightly, I gave him a quick hug, then when I exhaled a content sigh, I leaned away. “Let’s go,” I urged, “I think we’ve stalled enough,” I laughed to myself, halfheartedly moving to face the door.

Ominis was at my side, we were hand in hand; I squeezed his smooth, porcelain-like hand to help myself gain some strength and bravery from Ominis’ warmth.

“I’m right here,” he confirmed, flashing me a comforting grin.

I nodded to him.

Taking another deep breath, I opened the door, and we went in.

Opening the gates, I immediately smelled the scent of flowers, like I just stepped outside in a massive garden along with the sweet smell of a bakery.

We walked into the undercroft, and I was shocked what I was seeing before me. I saw the room full of different flowers: various-colored roses, daffodils, lilies and blue wildflowers; there were ones I wasn’t familiar with. I hadn’t noticed because of the flowers but the room was full of the beautiful, glowing fireflies; they filled the undercroft with such a gentle and peaceful glow it brought tears to my eyes. A small orchestra was playing soothing music, making the scene appear even more enchanting. A long table was in front, greeting us with pastries on the countertop – croissants, fruit, blueberry and…a bunch of chocolate chip muffins, they smelled fresh; I sniffed the air and all the scents of the room, surprisingly wasn’t overpowering the others, it was both relaxing and delightful.

I turned to Ominis, whose face appeared fearful with anticipation.

“Ominis, this is all so…beautiful,” I blushed; this setting felt romantic and thoughtful, could he be feeling the same way I was…?

“Emelia…” he began, his voice sounding strained.

“Did you do all this…for me?” I wondered in disbelief, my heart beating faster in my chest.

My grin widened so big just thinking of the possibility.

“Actually…I did…”

That voice…

My heart stopped and my body froze; my smile faded, and I unconsciously let go of Ominis’ strong hand, goosebumps ran all over my skin and my breath hitched. My eyes widened, blinking quickly, trying to process what’s going on.

I gradually turned my head, my body following to gaze who was behind me.

My eyes locked onto dark browns, ones which have matured from within a year’s time; his body, I noticed, had developed a bit, muscle shown more defined in his arms, and he seemed taller too, his chestnut-colored, wavy hair remained its natural wild state. He was wearing a beige button-down shirt, folded to his elbow with dark pants, a hand in his back pocket whist the other was rubbing the back of his head nervously.

“S…Sebastian…?” I stuttered in disbelief, tears beginning to fill my eyes.

His famous smirk stretched on his reddened face. “Hello, my kindred spirit…”

--

Chapter Text

As he followed behind Emelia, Ominis’ mind raced, his heart pounding faster in his chest with fear, anxious about what’s to come on the other side of the door.

Today’s the day, he thought; the impending doom – her wrath against him.

He had a worried expression on his face that he couldn’t wipe away.

He was going to miss her empathy, compassion, her sensitivity towards him, her caring voice, gentle hands, her warm touch…her soft lips…

Ominis could feel his face shift in pain already feeling the effects of his choices in the future; there was a vice grip, sharply clutching at his heart, tempting to break his already fragile soul.

He teared up, the sensation felt like he was being suffocated.

Emelia still had her hand in his as they walked into the undercroft; he could sense the tension and anxiety coming off her.

Ominis was getting consumed by his thoughts, he knew there weren’t going to be any more ‘we’ statements from her lips; her hatred would fill the space which held him close to her heart, whereas his was going to remain faithful to her and accept his punishment with dignity, no matter how dreadful and heart-wrenching it’ll be.

Emelia gasped quietly, seeing the beautiful layout before her – a room filled with flowers, fireflies and a table with a couple of her favorite pastries.

“Ominis, this is all so…beautiful,” she complimented, her face reddened.

Ominis couldn’t move from his spot as he entered, he was paralyzed with fear. “Emelia…” he uttered, trying to keep his tone even.

“Did you do all this…for me?” Emelia’s voice was hopeful.

He wanted to answer, but his voice wouldn’t come out.

Sebastian stepped out from around the corner, nervously; he was hiding, trying to calm his pounding heart.

She was right there, even with just a view of her backside, Sebastian’s eyes couldn’t help but glide along her curved frame – she always looked so appealing.

Today’s the day… he told himself, shaking the provocative thoughts starting to creep in.

“Actually…I did…” he spoke, his voice reaching Emelia’s ears, freezing her in place while Ominis’ soul grew more sorrowful by the second.

Emelia’s hand fell from Ominis’ and his heart sunk, lingering his hand out towards her, but knew her attention was to Sebastian. In that moment, he felt her slipping away, back to Sebastian and their fated strings were fraying, about to break a part.

“S…Sebastian…?” Emelia questioned; she couldn’t believe who’s voice she heard.

Sebastian grinned, stroking the back of his head, blushing. “Hello, my kindred spirit…” he greeted.

Emelia blinked quickly as she took gradual steps towards Sebastian.

Ominis didn’t stray from his dark corner, and observed Emelia, focusing on her breathing, her tension – making sure she was okay, and if any sign of crumbling was present, he’d take her away from there.

“I, uh…remembered you loved sweets and these little guys; you told me they relax and calm you whenever you’re around them,” he spoke again, recollecting moments with her as he raised his hands to beckon some fireflies; they landed at the tips of his fingers for a second and then continued to fly around the room. Sebastian’s tone sent Emelia’s heart jumping out of her chest, noticing it got a tad deeper; she still couldn’t believe he was right there in front of her.

Emelia recalled she took Sebastian there a couple times during their adventures and sit near the water, talking and laughing; it seemed so easy then.

Sebastian thought of the same thing: he remembered how stunning she looked whenever she sat and closed her eyes, letting herself enjoy nature to the fullest, listening to the water’s surface move, the woodland creatures and even the whistling of the wind as it passed through her hair and the scent finding its way into his nose.

She continued to gaze at him skeptically, trying to find an imperfection if it were a spell, but she couldn’t find any. “Is it…really you…?” she breathed out, finally reaching him; her arms were outstretched, trembling a bit and needing to feel if he was indeed real.

“It’s really me, Emi…” he answered her softly, a shockwave ran through her when he said her nickname.  Sebastian offered his arms out to her, and she hung onto his forearms, clenching it in a vice grip; Sebastian tolerated the tiny pinch of pain and was more relieved she wanted to touch him at all.

Emelia felt his strong forearms along with some ridges of veins under his folded shirt’s sleeve; she gazed into his eyes, long and deep, and saw his eyes stared back at her with a silent yet desperate need to hug her right then and there, but with all this willpower he could muster, he held back, knowing it’d be best to let her process this and do things in her own time.

Ominis continued to sulk, his head lowered in shame, not wanting to know what was happening between the two of them.

She gritted her teeth and squeezed on his arms as tight as she could, gazing downward, feeling her chest ache and fume with anger; her eyesight flickering that bizarre blue she’s seen a few times in her dreams, and during some of her “episodes” – thankfully, it never lasted long.

How can he talk and act so casually…as if nothing happened…?! she yelled in her head, her vision returning to normal.

“Good,” she muttered under her breath.

Ominis straightened up, feeling uneasy hearing her tone.

She lifted her head to meet his eyes again, sliding a hand up his arm, making Sebastian tense and gripped his collar, her other hand in a hardened fist.

Emelia punched Sebastian’s face so fast, it took both Ominis and Sebastian by surprise.

Sebastian stumbled backwards, holding his cheek stunned; Ominis turned his face towards the direction of the swing and somehow his soul felt a weight suddenly lift, alleviating some of the anguish he felt in his heart.

That’s my girl… Ominis smirked faintly – triumphantly.

“Sebastian Sallow, you fucking asshole! Explain what the fuck you were thinking!” she hollered, walking towards him menacingly; Sebastian staggered back, terror rising and a cold sweat starting to appear on his forehead, “how could you do that to us?!” she continued to shout, tears filling her eyes, shoving him back forcefully, nearly making him fall, “we fucking swore! We swore to never tell anyone – to not turn you in – all of it to fucking protect you!”

She pushed him again but grasped his collar again and swung the hardest and most powerful punch she could manage, colliding with Sebastian’s face once more; he fell back with a painful grunt.

Ominis’ expression relaxed a bit from its concerned look and leaned against the nearby wall, wanting to smile wider knowing Emelia hit Sebastian just like he did; he crossed his arms and anxiously awaited for her to come to him for comfort.

Emelia glared down at Sebastian, a hand rubbing the side of his face, her fists tightened at her sides.

“Emi,” Sebastian began to speak, but Emelia couldn’t feel anything but rage and betrayal.

She lowered to one knee, pulling him by the collar and struck him again. “You don’t get to call me that! You don’t get to call me that after all the shit you put me through – all of us – you selfish, stubborn idiot!”

She hit him again and again, until she was beating his chest over and over; Sebastian wasn’t blocking, his hands remaining at his sides like they were when Ominis was punching the hell out of him. Emelia was on both her knees now, straddling Sebastian’s leg in between hers and tears tempting to spill out from her eyes.

“You were supposed to trust us!” Emelia shouted, “Why did you confess?! Why didn’t you trust me to keep your secret…? None of this would’ve happened…you wouldn’t have been…I wanted…” she asked, her voice cracking, “we just wanted to protect you! I thought we were friends!”

Emelia had Sebastian still by his collar and was about to strike him with another violent swing; she held her fist up in the air, but Sebastian spoke, freezing her movements.

“I’m very sorry, Emelia…” he expressed his regret, gazing up slowly at her with a sympathetic grin on his bloody and swelling face, “I still think of you as my friend, that’s never changed once.”

Emelia’s eyes widened, she felt her face twitch, struggling to keep the salty tears from flowing.

As Sebastian continued to stare at her, he knew, even now as she was striking him down – getting what he deserved and more – she was absolutely gorgeous, like a battle angel clobbering the demons down with her fists of justice, who threatened the peace and happiness of the world.

“I know it’s not enough, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to all of you – you especially. You’ve done so much for me, and I’m sure you feel like I betrayed you by going against our promise, but I just wanted to do right by you guys, to admit my faults and face the consequences for what happened in the catacomb…and I’ll do it again, to go back to that place if it means you, Anne and Ominis will be happy,” Sebastian answered, looking away from her penetrating gaze for a moment to look at Ominis, who was giving him a pained expression.

Sebastian snapped his eyes back to his Emi, tears of his own starting to blur his vision, thinking of what she was going through when he was gone, the heartbreak he caused her, a sense of betrayal he made her feel. He recalled the night before where he used the Polyjuice Potion to alter into Garreth and they talked and danced – he got to see her, witness her under rays of the setting sun and ethereal glow of the moonlight; no matter what mask she tried to put in front of others, her deception never worked on him, and he saw the hurt he’d left inside – her shattered heart Ominis had spoken about.  Sebastian just wanted to end their suffering by taking on the misery and torment alone in Azkaban, to not let it be spread to Anne, Ominis or Emelia.

“You and Ominis deserved a better friend, Anne deserved a better brother…” he murmured, streams flowing over, “I wasn’t worthy enough to stay in the same world as any of you. Please forgive me for every aching pain you felt, every heartbreak, anger…especially every burning tear you shed because of me…”

Emelia still held up her firmly clenched fists which trembled fiercely, swallowed hard; she wanted to hit him, but her eyes caught notice of something under his collar – they were scars, they looked both old and fresh, puncturing her soul. She couldn’t imagine what he must’ve seen and gone through in Azkaban; that’s when she saw it – a tattoo on the left side of his neck surrounded by faded wounds, it was like the one in her dream during winter break: his prisoner number. The fury and disloyalty she felt for Sebastian had faded and extinguished itself almost instantly, and all that was left was sorrow, regret and relief.

Sebastian closed his protruding eye slowly and waited for the blow, but it didn’t come; instead, Emelia swiftly wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed firmly, afraid if she were to loosen her hold or let go, he’d disappear – as if all this…he wasn’t real…

But he was.

He truly was there, embraced securely in her arms.

Emelia couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, they poured out like a dam had broken, flowing endlessly as a waterfall did in a secret oasis.

She cried into his shoulder, inhaled deeply and his scent filled her nostrils and memories came crashing back; the smell of cinnamon, old leather-bound books, parchment, and some sandalwood with a hint of nature’s aroma made her cry more, reminding her of when they’d go on adventures and looked for trouble.

Sebastian was surprised by the sudden hug but delightfully wrapped one arm around her quivering body while holding them with his other hand strongly on the ground; his tears streamed out as well, the heavy sensation in his chest lightened.

“We’ll never be happy without you,” Emelia whispered in his ear, sniffling, “just…just please don’t ever do something so stupid like that again; we’ve missed you…” she pleaded in a murmur, burying her head in Sebastian’s neck and shoulder, “I’ve missed you…”

Sebastian scoffed, smelling her strawberries, honey and vanilla scent coming off her long, wavy hair, leaning his head deeper into her, savoring her perfume and committing it to memory. “I’ve missed you too…”

Emelia grinned into his skin and sighed.

Ominis’ head lowered in heartache, his mind controlling his thoughts. She’s going to go back to Sebastian now…remain by his side…and leave me behind… Ominis’ inner thoughts swirled around his head.

Sebastian and Emelia got up from the floor, brushing themselves off; Emelia healed his wounds she caused, apologizing repeatedly but Sebastian reassured her he understood how she must’ve felt and had every right. Emelia was still amazed at how much Sebastian did just for her, smelling the flowers and pastries and gawking at the fireflies; Sebastian rubbed the back of his head embarrassed but accepting the compliments.

“I guess it was a bit much…” Sebastian stated bashful.

Ominis waited, fuming with quiet jealousy, still leaning against the wall, his arms crossed and face staring straight ahead.

There was a bit of awkwardness between them at first, but Sebastian broke it by making Emelia giggle, which twisted Ominis’ heart once more.

As they walked to Ominis, Emelia was asking about what he’s been doing since he got out; he explained he was in Feldcroft for the holidays but came here about a week ago with an invitation from Professor Weasley herself and informed he started his classes tomorrow, thanks to her granting an extension.

Emelia smiled, astonished at the sudden news of him starting classes, but internally, was thrilled and excited to hear it. “I knew Professor Weasley would do something like that; she’s definitely one of my favorite professors here,” she stated happily.

“I agree,” Sebastian concurred.

“What classes are you taking?” she wondered, eyeing him.

Sebastian quickly pulled out his schedule from under the table where he had hid his textbooks and study materials, showing it to her. “Here,” he urged, curious if he had any classes with her.

Her eyes widened and blinked quickly, looking at it confused; she turned the page over to see if there was anything on the other side. “This is your schedule?”

“Yeah,” Sebastian confirmed, “why? Is there something wrong with it?”

“It looks exactly like mine; Ominis’ schedule looks like this too,” she stated, “well, except he’s taking Arithmancy during our free period here,” she informed, pointing at the paper.

His heart fluttered, thrilled to have her in all his classes. “You’re really taking Ancient Runes?” he said in disbelief, his eyes glistening with excitement.

Emelia nodded bashfully. “I’m actually hoping I learn something from it; you know, Ancient Runes, ancient magic…” she swayed her head left to right, holding up her hands as she spoke.

Sebastian scoffed, understanding she was hoping to find more information on her power. “Guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other then,” he teased, grinning wide.

She rolled her eyes, blushing and smiling as she gave him back his timetable; he put it away and when he turned back, her face had gone serious.

“What is it?” Sebastian asked, concern immediately taking over.

“Why didn’t you come find us after you came back?” she demanded, her face gazing at the freckled boy, careful not to stray her eyes away; she still couldn’t believe he was right there next to her.

“Well, we wanted to make sure you were okay and knew you needed time to – ” he answered, but Emelia halted him mid-sentence.

“Wait, wait, what do you mean ‘we’?” she questioned, her tone sterner.

Ominis and Sebastian swallowed fearfully.

Sebastian stuttered. “Uh, I…uh, what I meant was…”

Ominis’ body stiffened. This was it… he thought.

Emelia raised her eyebrows, waiting for his answer.

Sebastian sighed surrendering and mumbled. “Ominis and I…”

“Ominis?” she said seriously, shifting her eyes to her dear friend, who hadn’t moved away from his original spot by the door, “how long have you known Sebastian’s been here?”

Ominis opened his mouth to speak as pushed off the wall to take a step forward. “Emelia, I…” he started, but his throat went dry when he heard her take a step back, crushing him.

Her entire body tensed, not wanting to believe Ominis kept Sebastian’s return a secret from her; she wanted to believe he would’ve told her the truth about Sebastian’s reappearance right away – they told each other everything…

“Tell me now, Ominis,” she commanded, her voice more intense, glowering towards her friend, awaiting his answer.

Sebastian tried to interject, but Emelia gave him a sideways glance, silencing him with her intimidating gaze; he clenched his jaw and remained silent, watching his two friends.

Ominis remained quiet but looked away from her. “A little over a week,” he replied, his lips quivering a little bit.

Over a week… she repeated in her mind, they kept this secret for over a week…

“Be more specific,” she demanded, staring with hardened eyes.

“Emelia, please…” Ominis tried to reason with her, but her not understanding the reason behind the secret, irritated him.

“Ominis Gaunt, Merlin help you if you don’t tell me…” she began to threaten.

Ominis groaned, becoming annoyed and taking a few more aggressive steps to her. “The day you came back drunk from Hogsmeade! The day you puked in the middle of the night, and I had to clean it up, helping you change to fresh clothes! The day I took care of you because you were too plastered and intoxicated to even walk by yourself! Specific enough for you?” he answered in a loud voice, making Sebastian and Emelia flinch with the sudden outburst.

Sebastian tensed at the volume of Ominis’ voice, snapping his eyes back and forth between them; he didn’t know what to do, and for some odd reason, he felt guilty – seeing their friendship crumbling in front of him – because of him, because he suggested to keep his return a secret instead of just going up and telling Emelia he was back; he brought down Ominis with him.

Emelia was shocked, blushing embarrassed; Ominis had never really snapped back at her before, she was so used to his gentle and normal, irritated manner to everyone else around him, except her, but this was different.

Her anger wanted to burst out at him, punch him, but she couldn’t go through with it.

Emelia exhaled, struggling to keep her emotions in check, clenching her fists by her sides. “Does Anne know about Sebastian being here?” she questioned bitterly.

Ominis and Sebastian stared at each other for a moment, their guilty expressions visible.

Without them having to answer, Emelia realized the truth. “She does…” she murmured, nodding slowly; she hadn’t seen Anne since she visited her in the hospital wing, but she still didn’t tell her.

Maybe she’s trying to process it her own way too, Emelia tried to justify, but was upset Anne hadn’t told her about Sebastian either. Did she not trust me either?

“You still kept this from me…why?” she wondered in a whisper, gritting her teeth, her anger beginning to rise up from the pit of her stomach.

Ominis doesn’t say anything, his anger and frustration took over; however he still tried to think of something to tell her – a reason where he doesn’t have to show and be too vulnerable in front of Sebastian.

“Answer me, Ominis!” she hollered, making Ominis wince this time, making him think back to his childhood.

“Go ahead! Answer me, Ominis!” his father bellowed loudly.

Ominis was on the floor in the basement of the manor, beaten and bruised, exhausted by the constant curses thrown at him that day.

“Explain why you refuse to accept our ways of doing things –  your blood! You insolent and ungrateful boy, why do you continue to make it so much harder?” his father continued to question, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, criticize him for choosing to live a life away from their ‘traditional’ practices, always trying to convince Ominis their way – the Gaunt way – was superior beyond anyone else’s.

“Give up these ridiculous delusions of being anything other than what you are – a Gaunt!” his mother’s voice pierced his ears, a hand on her hips, “you aren’t meant to live a life of friendship and love like those disgusting mudbloods or half-bloods. You’re meant for better things, a greater purpose – a Gaunt’s life, extending our legacy, strengthening our bloodline.”

Ominis struggled to raise himself from the floor, sneering back at his parents. “You’ll never change my mind…” he spat at them, tired and leaning against the cold stone wall behind him, wishing he had his wand.

His father sighed in disappointment. “Marvolo,” he called out.

Footsteps approached and Ominis twitched, clenching his teeth, preparing himself for what’s to come.

“Take care of your brother,” his father instructed as his and his wife retreated, their footsteps echoing down the hall, going back upstairs, “dinner will be ready in an hour, so hurry it up; perhaps this time will teach him.”

The sounds of their footsteps faded and hearing a door close, Marvolo scoffed at his tortured sibling.

“Father says to ‘hurry it up’, which is quite a shame,” he began, taking an intimidating step forward, making Ominis tense. “I was hoping to get more playtime like earlier,” he grinned menacingly.

Ominis was silent, glaring in the direction of Marvolo.

“Guess better get started,” his older brother sighed, “CRUCIO!”

Ominis shuddered and flinched, blinking quickly; he was brought back to reality, frightened at the spontaneity of the recollection.

Sebastian immediately stepped in, seeing Ominis’ feared expression, knowing something Emelia said triggered an unpleasant memory. “Hey, hey, please don’t be mad at Ominis,” he begged beside her, a hand on her arm, “he was really only thinking about your well-being, worried about how you’d take it, how’d you react – ”

“React?!” she interrupted, rotating her body to face Sebastian, frustration evident on her face, a faint flicker of that blue light again flashed before her eyes; she ignored it. “How I’d react is that it seemed that he didn’t trust me enough to tell me! Why didn’t you come to me and talk, did you not trust me either? Send me an owl, at least, just to let me know you were okay!” she spoke brashly to Sebastian, brows furrowed.

Sebastian gazed down. “I wanted to owl you, I did, but didn’t think you’d want to hear from me. Ominis told me what happened when you saw me on the front page of the paper after I admitted to killing Solomon and…” he explained, cautious about his word choices, but that didn’t matter.

Emelia scoffed, smiling with a bit out of condescension and sarcasm, turning to Ominis. “You thought I’d react the same way I did then? Having a breakdown over finding out about Sebastian?” she verified, raising her eyebrows in disbelief, her vision shimmering the blue light every now and then; she began to pace around. “You thought I was too weak to handle this, that I was going to either breakdown or run after him just like in Hogsmeade, when I thought I saw him, is that it? Because I’m so broken you have to fear how I’ll react to everything?”

“You’re not weak or broken, Emelia! And he was in Hogsmeade!” Ominis shouted, finally coming out of his head.

Emelia’s heart and pacing stopped, facing Sebastian once again. “You were…you were there?”

Sebastian lowered his head. “I was…”

“Wh – why didn’t you turn back when I called out to you…?”

The dark-haired boy shook his head. “I couldn’t face you. I was – am – still filled with shame and regret; I wanted to, believe me, I wanted to turn back and hug you so tight, but you looked so happy, and I didn’t want to…to take that smile of yours away…” he admitted, not caring if Ominis heard his heartfelt confession.

Emelia was silent and didn’t know what to say, letting his words sink in and taking deep breaths.

“I was just looking out for you, Emelia, why can’t you see that?” Ominis defended annoyed, walking towards her. He felt her slipping further from his grasp, becoming panicked and frightened of the end of the confrontation.

“I appreciate you trying to look out for me, but that’s not what I’m upset about!” she hollered, “you lied and kept this from me; there were so many times you could’ve said something, told me that Sebastian was back! I’m his friend too, I think I have the right to know! Who are you to decide what I should or shouldn’t know?!” she exclaimed louder with tearful eyes.

Ominis’ chest sunk in and felt his soul literally being torn by her words; she was right though – who was he to hide things from her? He just wanted to make sure she’d be alright, but as he thought about it now, it might’ve been the wrong decision; she was capable of making her own choices.

Ominis sighed. “I didn’t want to hide this from you,” he admitted, his heart feeling like it was bleeding out, “ask Sebastian, I never wanted to keep this a secret, believe me!” he explained himself.

“It’s true, Emelia; he didn’t, it was actually my idea to not tell you yet,” Sebastian confessed.

Hearing this, Emelia swirled her head around and glared her menacing eyes to him. “You said not to tell me?”

“Again, Emelia, we were just trying to look out for you,” Sebastian stated, “make sure you were gonna be okay to see me.”

“By treating me like a child?!” she yelled, “I’m not a little kid that needs to be protected; I can handle myself and my emotions just fine!” she protested, fibbing through her teeth, feeling herself wanting to break down and cry, but strongly held it in.

Ominis could hear the strain in her voice and the tension coming from her body; he knew she wanted to weep, but her being stubborn, he knew she wouldn’t.

“You call this ‘fine’?” Ominis taunted; he didn’t want to act this way towards her, but his anger was overwhelming him.

“Shut up, Ominis! Don’t mock me!” she defended furious, “you lied to me!”

“Me?” he exclaimed, “you should ask Sebastian what he was doing yesterday. Go ahead, ask him!” Ominis encouraged sneeringly.

Sebastian stuttered as his body stiffened up. “I…Ominis!”

“What?” Emelia’s attention rotated towards her freckled friend.

Sebastian swallowed a huge lump in his throat, afraid to admit what he did.

“What did you do, Sebastian?” she asked more seriously.

He opened his mouth, about to speak but Ominis’ voice cut through the air first.

“He pretended to be Weasley,” he confirmed out loud.

That statement made Emelia freeze and gasp. “Garreth…?”

“Emelia – ” Sebastian began to say, but Ominis interrupted again.

“He used a Polyjuice Potion he took from Professor Sharp’s storage room,” Ominis continued spouting out the truth.

Sebastian grunted. “Fucking Merlin, Ominis! Stop throwing me under the damn carriage!”

Emelia snapped her eyes on Sebastian, glaring at him. “Were you Garreth the entire time?”

“N-No, just when I followed you outside,” the brown-haired boy protested, hands up towards her.

“Outside…” she repeated, tone low, but something flickered in her eyes – realization had hit her. “It was you then? On the stone wall when we were talking…dancing?” she stated in a whisper.

Sebastian nodded subtly. “Yeah…”

Emelia thought back to the whole thing; she thought it was Garreth, thinking he was there to comfort her after his run to the bathroom, but…it was Sebastian the entire time.

They talked again for the first time in a while, they danced again like before…

It was Sebastian… she kept echoing to herself. Why didn’t I notice that? she criticized herself; there were obvious signs, but knew she was thinking too much and reminiscing on memories of when times were simpler. 

Fury began to fill her heart again, another light flicker of blue flashed before her eyes; she exhaled heavily, shaking her head, straightening her back and glowering at both of them.

“You both have lied and hid things from me when you didn’t need to…” she stated in a low voice, gazing down at the floor, a sensation of fury, despair and helplessness consumed her.

Emelia couldn’t be there anymore, she wanted – needed – to leave.

She clenched her fists and made her way towards the exit, passing Sebastian.

“Wait, where are you going?” Sebastian asked concerned, his eyes searching her face, hoping to find the answer.

“I need time to myself; I-I can’t be here anymore…” she answered, her tone breaking, feeling the surge of power wanting to erupt within her.

She knew her emotions were getting the best of her, and she didn’t want to be near anyone when it exploded.

Sebastian gazed downward, accepting the answer.

Emelia passed Ominis, not knowing what to say to him and just wanted to leave.

Ominis instantly grabbed her wrist; his agitation and anger from before had vanished and was replaced with regret. He felt her tension, the vibrating power heating her skin. “Dove…” he whispered near her ear, but she clenched a tight fist.

“Don’t…” she warned, “don’t call me that,” she told him angrily, struggling to ignore the twisting sensation and electricity his touch alone made her feel. Her words pierced him in both his shattering heart and soul. Hearing her nickname coming from his lips made her want to embrace him tightly, she wanted to understand but was too upset that she was kept in the dark about something as important as this; she felt like he didn’t trust her, and the sensation of betrayal ran deeper than she wanted it to. “I trusted you, Ominis; your words, your actions – I thought we trusted each other with everything no matter what it was…” she muttered under her breath.

“I’m sorry. I swear I never wanted to hurt you…” he apologized in a murmur, tears beginning to fill his eyes, his face pleading for her to stay.

She clenched her jaw and gradually pulled her arm away from his gentle hold, breaking both their hearts by her action; she couldn’t say anything, for if she did, the tears would certainly pour out. Emelia wanted to cry into Ominis, she always felt comfort from his warmth, his arms around her, but she just wanted to be alone; she needed time to sort her emotions out.

Emelia took a step, a hand on the door’s gate, rotating around to see Sebastian smiling sadly at her, hands in his pockets; she observed the surroundings still filled with beautiful flowers, table of untouched sweets and pastries and the breathtaking illuminating glow of the fireflies flying around the undercroft.

“Thanks…for all this…” she spoke to Sebastian, trying to be casual, but instead sounding broken; she gestured her arm around to the setting he did for her. She was touched by it and felt bad she couldn’t appreciate it more. “I’m sorry…” she apologized to him sincerely; she looked towards Ominis one last time before exiting the undercroft.

The doors closed behind her, and the two boys were left alone.

Ominis’ knees started to shake, and Sebastian caught him just in time as they gave out; he saw Ominis’ cheeks wet, silently weeping.

Sebastian witnessed how much Ominis cared for her and how much Emelia’s words took a toll on him; he understood the feeling – Emelia had the same effect on him too.

-

Emelia apparated to the Room of Requirement, going through the door and her breathing quickened; she stood in the center of the room and raised her head, tears in her eyes.

“Room…please don’t let Ominis in here…” she stated, the tears streaming down the far corners of her eyes.

She took a deep breath, wiping her tears, but they wouldn’t stop; her feelings were starting to overtake her, making her body quiver with fury and strain to keep the power inside under control to the point it gave her a headache.

She had to leave Hogwarts.

Emelia rapidly apparated to the middle of nowhere near the Clagmar Coast, hearing the waves of the ocean around her and not a soul in sight.

She felt her chest sink in as she remembered what happened in the undercroft; everything she was told and the regretful faces of Ominis and Sebastian; she tried to understand, she really did, but her emotions continued to spiral out of control.

Her head began to ache more, she pressed her palms to the sides of her head, wanting the pounding to stop; she squinted her eyes and saw the flashing blue light in her view. Emelia was confused on what the light was and why it happened in random spurts, but this time it was different – it flickered and then brightened. She didn’t know why this was happening, but she felt the power wanting to burst out; she tried to keep her feelings calm but she couldn’t think straight, trying to process everything.

Emelia couldn’t help but scream at the top of her lungs at the sky, her entire body rigid, releasing her ancient magic. It exploded out of her, shaking the grass, trembling the ground beneath her feet and causing an eruption, cracking the terrain around her – it was almost like an earthquake ran through. She saw her blue magical energy leaving her, and watching the blue wave-like spirals go further and further into the distance until it faded away; she felt drained of both power and emotion and fell to her knees.

She slouched her back and hung her head forward, exhausted, her energy depleted; she let gravity pull her back and she laid on the grass, her arms spread out to her sides and stared up at the sky.

It was still painted with a warm red-orange tint, however, seeing faint stars starting to appear in the dark blanket that followed the sun’s fading light. Emelia exhaled and closed her eyes, trying to regain the energy she’d lost and focused on her breathing.

Thankfully, after some time, Emelia felt like her normal self again, but she was now filled with sorrow and emptiness. She shook the feeling aside and concentrated on what to do next; she thought about it and realized Anne knew about Sebastian, so she decided to go find her. Emelia traveled back to the school with a nearby floo and headed towards the common room and saw some students resting in the shared space, some were reading and doing homework, but Anne wasn’t present; Emelia greeted those who acknowledged her and went to her dorm, thinking she was in there.

“Anne,” she said as she opened the door, expecting to see her at her desk, but she was nowhere to be found. “Anne?” she called out again, closing the door and checked in the bathroom: vacant.

Where could she be? Emelia wondered.

She examined the room and saw a note.

Em,

If you see this, I’m okay, just needing time to myself.

Don’t worry, I’ll be back for school.

                                   Anne

Emelia realized Anne was definitely working out the news about Sebastian her own way.

She sighed, her emotions were high and not coming down any time soon; fortunately, she didn’t feel a surge of energy wanting to erupt again. She strode around the room, taking a seat on the floor and leaning against the door, debating what to do next and how to start processing the information she was given, but before she could figure out a way to begin, there was a knock on the door.

It startled her, she didn’t answer at first; she didn’t know who it was, and Anne wouldn’t knock.

“I know you’re in there, Emelia,” Ominis’ voice came from the other side.

After Emelia left the undercroft, Ominis cried to himself, but forced himself to shun the negative feelings aside, immediately going to find Emelia with Sebastian protesting to leave her be; however, in desperation, he just wanted to find her and make it right, their friendship was hanging by a thread and he didn’t want to lose her completely.

He had gone to all the places she’d go to be alone, but nothing, so he went to the Room of Requirement but when he was in the hallway, the door wouldn’t open like usual; he felt the wall with his hand, patting it, thinking to himself that it was the same hallway he’s gone to countless times. Ominis wondered why it wasn’t showing itself to him, but he couldn’t focus and frankly, didn’t care at the moment, he just wanted to find Emelia. The only other option was to go to the common room to see if Anne knew where she was, and if she wasn’t there, he’d search the highlands for her.  However, with the use of his wand when he got to their dorm’s door, he sensed Emelia in there; relief flooding through him knowing she was safe.

Emelia’s heart jumped. “Go away, Ominis!” she ordered, instantly locking the door – not that it’d help. Ominis heard the lock; he could easily open it but respecting her, he remained where he was, not attempting to open it.

“Emelia, please let me come in and explain,” he pleaded, his hand on the door.

“No! I don’t want to talk to you right now or Sebastian!” she hollered, feeling her chest ache by her words, pulling her legs more into her body and wrapping her arms around them securely, “I want to be left alone! I want you to leave me alone!”

“…That’s fine…” he accepted, his voice strained with pain, wounded by her fierce words, “you don’t have to talk…and I’ll leave you be after this, but please just listen to me first,” he stated begging; Emelia listened. “I’m so sorry for keeping this from you. I hated lying to you, it ate away at me every time the opportunity passed when I could’ve told you about Sebastian and I didn’t. I did trust you – I do trust you – but I was worried for you; I just wanted to make sure you were going to be alright. After you broke down in the undercroft last year, I felt a need to protect you and keep you safe; I never wanted you to feel that way ever again. Please Emelia, I never wanted to hide anything from you, I never wanted to hurt you, believe me,” Ominis explained desperately, “please, dove…please forgive me…” he murmured to the door.

Emelia closed her eyes, sadness engulfing her, thinking about all the times they spent together and had a chance to tell her but continued to remain silent about it; she used her arm to wipe her tears, but they wouldn’t stop falling. She felt her heart shattering piece by piece again, but this time she didn’t want Ominis to pick them up and just leave her as the broken soul she was.

“I can’t…” she muttered, voice cracking and tears falling down her cheeks, “I just…can’t; I…I need time…”

I want to hate you, Ominis… she said to him in her mind, but I can’t do that either…

Ominis swallowed, nodding to himself, enduring the answer she gave him; he took a seat and leaned against the door, resting his head on the wooden frame, sighing in defeat, thinking she’d never want to talk or be near him ever again – he didn’t want that to ever happen, but he understood her feeling of betrayal, imagining if it were him being kept in the dark, he’d feel the same way.

I was scared, so very terrified… he wanted to admit, wanting to tell her everything he was feeling, fearful for when she saw Sebastian again, I’m deathly afraid of losing you because I care and…I’m so -

The inner thoughts ceased as he strangely recalled the promise they made before they went into the undercroft.

“Can you promise me something?” he asked in fear.

“Anything,” she replied happily.

“Can you promise that we’ll always be friends? That’s we’ll remain just the way we are now?” he wondered seriously, sensing her gaze on him, and smile after thinking he was getting sick.

“I swear and promise you now, no matter what, we’ll always be friends and stay together, just the way we are, my adorable prince,” Emelia’s sweet voice echoed in his mind; the way she uttered his nickname only pained him more, not knowing when he’d hear her say those captivating words again.

Tears poured from the corners of his eyes, quietly sniffling.

His family was right.

He wasn’t meant to be loved; he’d only hurt those he cared for, hearing them suffer.

Ominis released her from that promise knowing there wasn’t any way their relationship they’d built together was going to remain the same just as it was – their bond was now fragile and damaged.

They were physically separated by a mere door, but their friendship felt like it was oceans – galaxies – apart, and neither of them knew how they were going to repair the fracture and gap that lingered now, tempting to split them even further away than either of them wanted.

--

Chapter Text

I couldn’t think straight.

After sitting on the floor for what felt like hours, I heard Emelia’s soft snoring against the door; I apparated to the opposite side and sighed heavily, subconsciously inhaling her alluring fragrance, wondering when I’d be graced with her scent after today.

She had fallen asleep, thank Merlin.

I bent down, carefully lifting her and carried her to her bed, placing the covers over her shoulders; I caressed her cheeks softly, feeling her skin wet from crying. It wounded my heart that I couldn’t comfort her when she needed me, but mostly because these tears she’d shed were because of me; I was never supposed to make her cry, I was supposed to be the one that wipes them away.

Gently drying her tears, I kissed her forehead lightly, remaining there for a couple seconds more, not knowing when I’d be this close to her like this again.

Leaning a bit away, my hand remained on her cheek, realizing her eyes were probably bloodshot, red and puffy; my chest sunk in deeper, not wanting to imagine the disheartening sight before me.

“I’m so sorry, Emelia. Please find it in your heart to forgive me…” I pleaded, tears starting to fill my eyes, “I’ll wait patiently for you, my princess, no matter how long it takes – this I vow,” I whispered to her, getting a whiff of her sweet vanilla and strawberry scented hair.

I swallowed and reluctantly pulled away, her touch still lingering on my fingertips.

After closing her door quietly, I decided to walk around the castle; I wasn’t in a hurry to get back to the undercroft.

I needed to think of a way to fix this.

However, unfortunately, the more I thought about our unpleasant situation, the more irritated and furious I got with myself.

I knew she was going to be beyond angry with me, refuse to talk to me – I lied, it was my fault, even if my reasons were sound. I could feel the lack of Emelia’s presence affecting me already – my being was rupturing.

Surviving without Emelia was like being without breath in my lungs, the rays of the sun no longer warming my skin, her laughter I caused no longer gracing my ears, her soft touches remain at a distance, leaving my own cold. Without her, I felt angry and lost; I wasn’t the same person without her. There was no existing – living – without her next to me.

As I entered the undercroft, I groaned annoyed at my inner thoughts, casting the Confringo spell to the stacked crates next to me as I continued walking forward, startling Sebastian.

“Ominis?” Sebastian called to me as I passed him without saying a word.

My wand showed me the pastries he had out for Emelia were now in small containers, probably for next time he saw her, the fireflies were in numerous jars on the table, but the massive amount of flowers which filled the undercroft, still remained; I don’t know what happened, but jealousy took over me.

I felt my body tense and tremor with bottled-up fury and aggression; I remembered how Emelia was speechless, gasped in awe and was amazed at the simple yet meaningful display – she was so happy and was warmed by the gesture.

Envy and regret overtook me. I wished I could’ve actually surprised her with something like that when I had the chance – I wondered if she’d have the same reaction.

I yelled at the top of my lungs and cast all the attack spells I knew at the countless vases of bouquets; I was hearing crates being struck as well along with other broken pots which were scattered in the undercroft.

“Whoa! Hey, hey, hey!” Sebastian shouted behind me, stunned by my actions; he grabbed my arm aggressively with one hand while the other caught my fist which strongly gripped my wand and pushed it downward, halting my violence. “What’s with the hate on the flowers?” he wondered alert, his hold on me was firm but it didn’t hurt. “At least attack something that has a chance to defend itself,” he joked, trying to make light of the situation.

“She refuses to talk to me now, Sebastian! She doesn’t even want to be near me anymore!” I hollered at him, my emotions rising, “All of it because I left her in the dark about you! All of this,” I motioned towards all he did in the undercroft to make her feel comfortable, “All of this was for nothing! It made no difference!”

“It wasn’t for nothing!” Sebastian protested, shouting back.

“No? Then enlighten me, explain what happened here not long ago, hmm? I can’t quite remember…did it go well?!” I questioned sarcastically, feeling my body heat up.

Sebastian let go of me and sighed. “Your attitude is not going to help, but yeah…I guess keeping it from her probably wasn’t the best idea…” he supposed in a strained voice, rubbing what I could assume was his neck.

“You think?!” I exclaimed, gritting my teeth, glowering at him.

“Hey, don’t attack me, mate!” Sebastian defended, “we both agreed and were only trying to do what was best for Emelia. It was either that or we told her right away. To tell you the truth, I think it would’ve turned out the same way as it did,” he confessed, taking a few steps back.

“The same way?” I shouted in disbelief, “I didn’t ever want it to turn out this way! My bond with her is now tarnished because of one secret I chose to withhold for her sake! She’ll never forgive me! She’ll never speak to me again! Our friendship will never be the same! It’s ruined! It’s broken! I broke it!” I continued roaring my thoughts in a booming voice.

“Ominis, I think you might be overreacting over this,” Sebastian guessed, his tone cautious, “she’s furious, sure, but that doesn’t mean she’ll be mad forever; she’ll come back to you – to us. She isn’t going to just cut us out of her lives. Like you told me, she needs time now to…sort out her feelings about all this – it’s a lot to take in!”

I groaned frustrated, not enjoying my words being spoken back at me. “Time,” I spat, “it’s always time that’s against me…” I murmured, walking back to the table vexed, thinking about all the time I spent with my darling Emelia was never enough, and I was a fool to think I can keep that precious time to myself, prolonging it for as long as I could.

As I sat in a chair, I heard Sebastian repairing all the damage I’ve done to the crates and flower vases; I crossed my legs and rubbed my forehead with two fingers, my eyes closed, struggling to get rid of an enormous headache.

After Sebastian was done, he came back towards the table, hearing him dust off his clothes.

“You’re lucky Reparo is a reliable tool to fix destructions from random outbursts,” he teased as he sat next to me with a sigh.

I didn’t move, except my two fingers, continuing to try to massage out the painful nuisance that persisted.

We didn’t speak for a few minutes; Sebastian read and took notes, but soon spoke.

“So, I’m assuming you found her, but the attempt to talk didn’t go well…?” he said; I felt his eyes on me, reading my expression.

I swallowed, opening my eyes. “No, it did not,” I confirmed, a stinging sensation piercing my heart.

“Like I said, mate, she’ll come around before we know it,” Sebastian encouraged, hopeful.

I grumbled, irritated. “Doubtful.”

She was out of my reach now…

-

When night came around, while everyone was asleep, we moved all of Sebastian’s stuff he wanted to our dorm. He organized everything he wanted, conjuring whatever he needed to add to his side of the room; I was tempted to sneak into Emelia and Anne’s dorm room, but thought otherwise.

I was going to respect her wishes, no matter how hard it was to keep away from her, I’d be patient; however, I knew I’d still protect her from a distance.

“Well, I guess, that’s all I can do for now, until tomorrow…” Sebastian presumed, standing on his side of the room.

“Are you ready?” I questioned curious, a bit worried for him.

I heard Sebastian shrug. “No, but…I’m gonna have to be, you know,” he stated.

I felt Sebastian’s tension, his body rigid; I went up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry; you’re lucky Professor Weasley had put you in most of the same classes as mine…and Emelia’s,” I began to say but trailed off, wondering how she was going to be in class.

Sebastian scoffed. “That’s a relief at least,” he exhaled, some tension eased from his tone.

I nodded. “You sleep,” I insisted, “you have a big day tomorrow.”

“Yeah…” he agreed, heading to the bathroom and turning on the shower, “what about you?”

The headache still lingered. “I can’t sleep so…” I replied, shrugging.

“Will you be alright?”

I sighed. “Don’t worry about me. You focus on your first day,” I urged, walking towards the door, “goodnight.”

“Night, Ominis,” Sebastian called out to me in a murmur as I went through the door.

I walked into the common room and towards the windows where I could hear the faint sounds of the Black Lake against the glass.

Groaning, I sat down on a couch and leaned against the support of the chair, my head hung back; I closed my eyes, remembering all the times I’ve spent with my lovely camellia and let the despair set in.  After some time, I slid my body and let it fall across the couch, my arm over my eyes, simply listening to the sounds around me, the ambiance of the desolate room was eerie without Emelia’s light.

I wasn’t sure how long I laid there, but I suddenly heard footsteps coming down the stairs; I listened closely and knew exactly who it was.

“You’re coming back awfully late, Anne,” I said aloud.

The steps halted, surprised, only for a moment and then started approaching me, making their way around the couch to stop beside me.

“Ominis,” Anne realized, “you really have to teach me how you do that,” she scoffed amused.

I scoffed softly as a response.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, worry lacing her voice.

“On the couch or in the common room?” I specified, not removing my arm from my face.

She chuckled, tapping my forearm. “Both, I suppose.”

I exhaled, slowly placing my arm down, resting my hand on my stomach. “I told her today…”

Anne was silent, the tension from her grew.

“How did she take it?” she wondered cautiously.

I sat up with a grunt, sitting correctly so she could take a seat; I put my arms on my legs, dangling them as I leaned forward. “I’m in the common room in the middle of the night, wallowing in my self-pity, how do you think it went?” I retorted sarcastically.

“Alright, alright, no need to get snarky,” she told me, sitting beside me, the mixture of flowers and fruits – pears and pineapples – with a hint of parchment invaded my nose.

“I should’ve told her from the beginning and risked her yelling at Sebastian and I instead of this,” I slumped into the chair, turning my head in her direction, “she doesn’t even want to talk to me and told me to leave her be…” I swallowed, my voice strained, trying to hold back the agony I felt.

Anne let my words sink in and hummed. “She has every right.”

“I reluctantly agree…” I groaned.

“Is she in the room?”

“Actually she’s in the dorm,” I motioned my head towards the dormitories.

“She’s in our room?”

I nodded. “I tried to talk to her and explain, I apologized, but I don’t know how much of it actually got through to her…” I stood and gradually paced around, “and I think she might’ve banned me from the Room of Requirement.”

“Why do you think that?” Anne questioned; I could sense her eyebrows furrowing.

“After we told her, she left then when I went searching for her, but the room’s door wouldn’t appear before me, so…I assume she prohibited me from entering,” I described, wondering how I’ll be able to communicate with Alistair now.

Ugh…

I ran my fingers through my hair a bit too aggressively.

“Ahh,” Anne realized, hearing her nodding, “that would be a fair assumption.”

“Yeah…” was all I said as I leaned my forehead on the cool glass, feeling the subtle vibrations of the Black Lake, the ripples hitting the glass.

We were silent, both listening to the lake’s water and the faint crackling of the fireplace nearby.

“Why don’t you go to bed?” she suggested, getting to her feet and strode over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I shook my head as she rubbed my back. “Sebastian’s in there preparing for tomorrow, no doubt, stressing and anxious; if I were to go in, he’d talk my ear off, and we both won’t get a wink of sleep. Besides, I’m not tired anyway…just…I just need to be by myself,” I told her sincerely, leaning back against the chair.

Her hand froze; she cleared her throat, taken aback. “Sebastian’s in here? In your room?” she spoke, her tone in a slight panic.

“Yeah, he was about to shower when I left him; honestly, don’t know how long ago that was,” I shrugged, straightening up and swirling around, back to pacing.

Anne didn’t move from the window as I walked back and forth; I heard her spin around.

“He’s really starting tomorrow?” Anne murmured.

“He is,” I confirmed, pausing my stride; I shifted my head and body where she was. “Will you be alright?”

I heard her swallow. “I’ll manage.”

My concerns for both Anne and Emelia were the same, but also different; I didn’t understand why.

We were both quiet again, until Anne scoffed to herself, confusing me.

“What is it?” I asked, tilting my head slightly askew.

“I think it’s funny how the girls don’t want to see the guys,” she stated.

“I don’t follow…”

Anne chuckled again. “I’m not ready to see or talk to Sebastian and Emelia isn’t ready to see or talk to you,” she pointed out, “the boys, however, are anxiously wanting to.”

I saw her point; it was a tad humorous.

I grinned a sad smile. “Like how I want to be closer to your dorm door, while you want to be further away from ours – both of our reasons are because of what’s on the other side.”

My sweet Emelia, my beautiful camellia…my darling princess…

“Hmm, touché,” Anne sighed to herself, impressed, “Ominis Gaunt, when did you become such a way with words…?” she teased, lightly nudging me as she passed to sit back on the couch.

I blushed at her compliment, thinking it was all because of Emelia I’ve become so…hopelessly romantic, a humble man who hopes his wishes for affection would come true; I’ve seen life in a different light because of her, it made me want to experience more of that, but now…without her beside me, I fear I’ll go back into the darkness I’ve always known.

 -

Sebastian POV

I couldn’t sleep much; the anxiety was hounding me.

I’d woken up a few hours earlier than the entire school, trying to prepare for the staring and gossiping, the whispering, the rumors, the terrorized looks on everyone’s faces – it wasn’t enough.

Ominis was still struggling to get out of bed when I was getting ready.

I dressed in my usual long sleeve, rolled up to my elbows, unbuttoned, green Slytherin vest, loose tie and collar but covering my prisoner number on my neck, with dark slacks and shoes; my hair was its normal untamed waves, I couldn’t do much with it even if I wanted to.  I gazed at myself in the mirror; I looked like a normal student, not a killer.  I took a deep breath and nodded once.

“Ready?” I asked Ominis, coming out of the restroom.

“You go ahead, I’ll meet you at breakfast,” he said in a hoarse voice, sounding tired.

“Alright…” I hesitantly agreed.

I walked out of the safety of our dorm room with both hands in my pockets, standing as tall as I could, projecting confidence when really, I was terrified, shaking in my own skin.

“Morning,” I greeted everyone boldly, feeling my hands tremble in my pockets.

Classmates around me immediately gasped at my presence, parting the way for me, whispering to their friends and eyeing me with frightened eyes. My chest started to feel tight and sweat begin to appear.

“Oh my god, is that Sebastian Sallow?” I heard a blonde girl murmured to her friend.

“I think so, but I thought he was in Azkaban for killing his uncle…” her red-headed friend answered in a whisper.

“I thought it was just a rumor he was returning to Hogwarts,” I heard a male Slytherin said to his friend quietly.

“Guess rumors were true,” they answered.

Keep walking, it’s okay, just keep walking…

I kept my head held high, trying to ignore the hushed voices around me; I remembered why I was doing this, why I was back in school – to prove I was better than my mistakes.

Walking out of the common room, I swallowed hard; I cleared my extremely dry throat and walked to the Great Hall for breakfast.

On the way there, going up the Grand Staircase, there were more staring, murmurs and shocked expressions; I know this was going to be a rough road and I just had to endure it.

“Mate, is that Sebastian Sallow?” a male Gryffindor asked his Ravenclaw friend as I past them.

“Yeah…” he agreed, “he looks different,” his companion answered.

“Azkaban will do that to you…”

Azkaban…

Azkaban, Azkaban, Azkaban, Azkaban…

That was all I kept hearing from everyone’s mouths...

I struggled to keep my breathing calm and controlled, but it was no use; my heart wouldn’t stop pounding like a hummingbird’s wings.

I was portraying self-confidence and certainty, but it can only shield the truth so much – I was terrified and wanted to hide in a corner and remain there until this whole staring and whispering were over; however, I knew I couldn’t do that.

Taking a deep breath, I mumbled to myself: one day at a time, one day at a time.

Making a final decision, I decided to skip breakfast today.

Sorry Ominis…

I rushed to the nearest floo, bypassing other students who muttered to themselves or to their friends and went to the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower; I instantly snuck into the undercroft.

Rushing through the door, I spun and fell back to the cool, hard floor, using my wand to instantly play the small orchestra nearby and I felt my body suddenly lighten; there were no eyes to see, mouths to whisper or hearts to judge me. I felt safe in the undercroft, however, knew my conditions for being released early was to prove Azkaban wasn’t a permanent place for me, that I had more potential than the Ministry and Wizengamot’s perceived; I had to show I was willing to change my sinful ways and wasn’t going to be a problem in the future.

There was a feeling in my gut and deep within my soul, I knew I was going to change for myself and everyone I loved, so I can live alongside them for as long as I possibly can.

Clenching my fists at my sides, I inhaled a long breath, exhaling and closed my eyes.

You reap what you sow, Sallow…

I laid there until my first class: Herbology…with Emelia and Ominis.

I hadn’t seen her since yesterday; I didn’t know what to expect from her, but I knew Ominis wasn’t too happy since it affected his friendship with Emi.

Shaking the anxiety and nervousness aside, I gripped the undercroft gates firmly and taking another breath and exited.

I walked with my hands in my pockets once more all the way to herbology class, more students noticing me and muttering, but I did my best to ignore them and focus on other sounds around me.

Finally making it to the classroom door, I exhaled and pushed it open, anticipating the reactions from the students, even Professor Garlick.

I prepared for it.

I gazed up and observed my classmates, seeing Ominis and Emelia across from each other; Emelia was immersed in her book while another Slytherin student, next to Ominis, was talking to him while he carefully peeked up at Emelia every so often.

I froze in place, taking my hands out of my pockets and staring at the Slytherin student – their familiar brown bangs and hair tied up in a loose bun was what caught my attention.

Anne…

The classroom quieted as soon as I entered; everyone’s attention was on me. Anne noticed the tension and gradually turned her head, wondering what everybody else was looking at and saw me; our eyes met, her eyes widened, and the smile faded.

Emelia looked up, observing everyone’s expression and gaze, no doubt hearing their whispers and rotated her head and saw me; I swear she flashed a faint smile in my direction, but then turned her head away to focus on the book she was reading.

I straightened my back and walked down the stairs and strode towards the empty seat next to Emelia.  She didn’t greet me nor did Ominis or Anne.

I didn’t expect them to; however, the grin from Emelia was enough.

The classroom was silent. I simply stared around the room at all of their frightened faces and then stared down at my hands, beginning to feel panic, my chest felt like there was a heavy load pressing against me, my legs bounced anxiously, clenching my knees tightly and concentrated on my breathing.

Emelia seemed to notice this.

I saw her pull out her wand under the desk with my peripheral vision and cast a spell, and immediately a dark chocolate bar appeared, floating in between my hands. I blinked rapidly, turning my head a bit towards her and saw her glance at me with those gorgeous green eyes, giving me another subtle grin while gesturing slightly with her head to grab it, putting her wand away and went back to her book.

The candy remained levitated until I grasped it, instantly opening it to break off a small piece and put it in my mouth; the sweet taste soon eased my anxiety, inhaling a deep breath in relief and finally noticed the recognizable sweet aroma in the air – Emelia’s scent.

Her fragrance assisted in helping to calm my nerves; I gave her a grateful smile.

“Good morning, everyone!” a positive voice spoke, entering her classroom and going down the stairs; Emelia put away her book. “How were all your holidays?” she questioned curiously.

The class answered timidly, still peering at me with cautious eyes.

The professor realized the tension in the room and laid her gaze on me; I met her eyes and swallowed, my heart dropping to my stomach.

“Ah, yes, Mr. Sallow,” she smiled at me, my heart jolted back up, “it’s so nice of you to join us! I hope you’ve gotten familiar with some of the materials you’ve missed,” she stated happily; her tone didn’t change when she realized it was me.

I was still on guard.

I nodded at her. “Yes, Professor Garlick,” I replied.

She grinned wider. “Good, if you do have any questions, you can always come to me or ask one of your classmates,” she suggested; I dared to peek around the room and saw hesitant and fearful faces, probably hoping I wouldn’t ask them.

My best chance if I were to ask for help, if anyone, was Ominis or Emelia.

Professor Garlick continued her class, conjuring two plants in both her hands, explaining the differences between sneezeworts and molys, everything regarding their properties, how they’re useful and their appearances.

The entire class, I focused on writing notes and retaining as much information as I could from the lesson. I was aware the whole class was watching me, but I disregarded them; every so often I peeked up at Ominis and Anne in front of me, seeing Ominis glance my way once in a while, but Anne’s eyes refused to meet mine, writing down whatever Professor Garlick was saying.

I gulped, understanding her behavior.

Studying Emelia beside me, she was concentrating on scribbling down everything she heard and examined the plants carefully.

Merlin, she was stunning…

I shook my head and directed my attention to the rest of the lesson.

After class was over, everyone rushed out, peeking back at me and murmuring to their friends, even Anne gathered her things and hurried out without glancing my way. Ominis lingered, I’m assuming waiting for Emelia, but she swiftly stood, grabbing her book and gazing at me once, giving me a restrained yet sympathetic expression before striding past me and towards our next class, not even looking towards Ominis.

I watched her walk up the steps and out the door; I sighed, thinking she probably was still upset at us from yesterday, which I understood. I got to my feet, seeing Ominis, unmoved from his position, staring in front of him with a sorrowful and pained expression.

I wondered what he was thinking.

“Ominis, I – ” I began to say, but he instantly got up from his seat, halting my voice and walked around, his blinking wand guiding him towards the door.

“Let’s head to potions,” he stated seriously, headed towards the exit.

I was about to protest, to ask what was wrong, but it was clearly evident what was bothering him.

Emelia.

I empathized with him.

Following close behind, we walked to Sharp’s class in silence, even if we didn’t speak, I was still thankful to Ominis being there with me.

The rest of the classes were pretty much the same as the first, everyone’s stunned gasps and whispers reached my ears, making me nervous, so I had to eat a piece of chocolate and let it melt in my mouth – it instantly settled my tension.  I realized Emelia sat by her friends for the remaining lessons for the day, but what irked me most was Potion’s class when she sat next to Amit and, ugh…Garreth, they were talking and he was making her laugh, which infuriated me; I saw Ominis sitting at another table, so I took a seat next to him and saw the same annoyed and enraged expression on his face.

When Ominis went to Arithmancy, Emelia and I had a free period, but I couldn’t find her after our Transfiguration class, she had disappeared, so I went to the undercroft to organize my notes and thoughts, knowing I was probably the new hot topic in school. I didn’t go to the Great Hall for lunch but snuck into the Hogwarts kitchen and made myself a sandwich instead, most of the house-elves were surprisingly friendly, remembering me with delight when Ominis, Anne and I would come in and talk with them as we made food together; some of them, of course, were still suspicious of me, but I didn’t blame them – I didn’t blame anyone.

When it came time for Ancient Runes, it was just me and Emelia. Ominis had a free period this time and told me, anxiously, to keep an eye on her before we left DADA class.

During class, we sat beside each other again like in Herbology, but she didn’t glance my way like before; her attention was on the professor and the notes she was diligently writing.  I wanted to write her a note, asking her if she was alright, but I let her be, focusing on my own scribbled paper; I told myself that I’d do my best to wait for her to come to me.

Thankfully with her, I didn’t feel the burning eyes on me and just concentrated on her – her alluring scent, peeking over to get a glimpse of her side profile: her eyes, her long eyelashes, her shiny and plump lips, her beautiful deep-brown hair falling down her shoulders and back like waves of sand, wet from the ocean during sunset – the sight was hypnotizing.

I noticed a bracelet on her wrist I know she didn’t have last year, leaning in a bit to observe it closer; it was a simple bracelet: a silver band and red flower on it – a peony flower, camellia maybe? I’ve never seen anything like it before. Whatever it was, it was elegant and beautiful, just like her.

I shook my head, struggling to focus on the lesson; gratefully, the class ended, and Emelia got up, finally looking my way, appearing like she wanted me to say something but decided against it. She just gave me an acknowledged nod and quickly left the room; I rapidly got my stuff and tried to follow her.

I tailed her towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower and up the Astronomy Tower. I lagged back to keep her suspicions low, but once I continued my pursuit, I couldn’t locate Emelia. Passing where the secret door was, I tempted to see if it would appear this time; I gazed to the left and right of me making sure no one was around or coming and walked towards the empty wall and waited.

A few seconds passed and nothing happened, no door materialized before me, and I sighed in disappointment. I was thinking that maybe my mind was making things up, and it was merely a figment of my imagination; I wouldn’t put it past me, I knew the truth – my mind was altered because of my time in Azkaban, those cold, steel bars sent a shiver down his spine.

But something about that mirror clenched at my heart, compelling me to believe the whole experience in the bizarre room was real.

Giving up my desire to have the door open, I went all the way to Professor Shah’s classroom and up further towards the platform, still not pinpointing her anywhere.

I’d lost her.

Shit…

I groaned and went to the nearby floo, deciding to travel to the boathouse where no one would be; I didn’t want to go to the undercroft or the common room.

I wanted to enjoy the fresh air.

I sat near the edge of the concrete where it dipped into the Black Lake, leaning against the wall with my arms resting on my knees; I closed my eyes, hearing the water slosh against the boat’s wooden frame, swaying on the water, smelling the lake’s salty aroma and feeling the slight wind hitting my face and running through my hair.

Smiling, I felt relief – at peace – in a place like this, listening to nature and being in my own solitude.

As I opened my eyes, my grin faded when I thought back to my first day back at Hogwarts.

It went how I expected it to be – wary eyes, fearful glances and relentless murmurs; I knew it wasn’t going to go away any time soon, and I tried to figure out a way to cope with it all. Within the low whispers, there were rumors about me – some true, some not and some which were overly dramatic, amusing me on what others would come up with. I assumed it was fucking Prewett that started it all; that fucker couldn’t keep his mouth shut or mind his own damn business, always causing trouble and irritating me to no end.

Shaking my head rapidly, I took deep breaths in and out, attempting to calm myself; I thought of Emelia, wondering where she was and how she was doing, dealing with everything that Ominis and I put on her. I tried to think of a way to let her know I was here for her but kept thinking that she probably didn’t want to talk to either Ominis or I right now, still pissed at us for hiding such a big secret; we understood, but I knew Ominis wanted to be persistent and have her talk to him, to see reason, but she wouldn’t even acknowledge him and I think that hurt him more than her not talking to him.

Poor Ominis appeared miserable.

I groaned, not knowing how long I was there, but knew it was starting to get late; the sun was gradually setting, so I decided to walk up the steps back towards the school. Leisurely, making my way upward with hands in my pockets, I listened to the sounds around me, still feeling the little wind hit my warm skin; I felt my chest tighten again, knowing I have to face more of my fellow classmates tomorrow, but the thought of Emelia and Ominis in my classes gave me a sense of confidence and determination, even Anne in the few classes we have, I’ll show her how serious I am about making a change.

About to walk up the last couple flights of stairs, I saw a figure on an extremely slanted and pointed rock which sat beside the school with some greenery and, shockingly, a few trees on it; whoever they were, they were leaning against a massive rock, one of their legs extended out while the other was crossed under them, reading a book and every so often, lifted their head to stare out towards the mountains and the painted sky in front of them.

I approached the concrete barrier, leaning closer; I squinted at them and was shocked, seeing their familiar side view.

“Emelia…?” I murmured to myself, practically hanging over the edge.

I stepped onto a stone bench to walk towards an area of grass that sat beside the staircase; I was careful, not wanting the wind to push me off, no matter how weak it was. Sitting cross-legged on the small patch of grass, I focused my attention on her.

Her brown hair was flowing slightly in the wind, her fingers, absentmindedly, playing with something on her wrist, I assumed was the bracelet I saw during class; she appeared lost in thought, but then she wiped her face with her arm – she was crying. I saw her place her book down beside her and pulled her knees in towards her chest and hugged them firmly, putting her head down in between her arms. I hated having to lie to her, having Ominis lying to her, but right now, mostly, I hated she was by herself – alone.

I wanted to go to her, comfort her any way I could, and find a way to make her grin that breathtaking smile of hers. I was about to get up and jump off like I did before, after I pretended to be Garreth, but froze, realizing my return was still fresh – fresh to everyone, especially Anne and Emelia. They had to process this their own way, and, in the meantime, I’d have to cope with things on my own; Emelia was considerate enough to give me chocolate to calm my nerves, and that simple gesture from her was adequate to get me through each upcoming and torturous day.

I pulled out the quarter-eaten dark chocolate bar, looking from it to Emelia and giving her a tiny grin, one of sadness and understanding; I knew it was going to be a long and hard road, but I knew it was worth it in the end.

I wanted what I saw in the enchanted mirror to come true, wanted it so bad…

That was my goal – my heart’s desire.

I continued to just stare, watching her carefully, and even if she thought no one could see her vulnerability, I could, and I didn’t want her to be alone during her suffering; I was going to be there for her. I, Sebastian Sallow, wanted to be her guardian angel or holy demon, watching over her and keeping her safe with my very life.

May Merlin or any divine being help anyone who tempted to cause her harm.

--

Chapter Text

A vibration on my wrist woke me up. I sleepily looked towards the bracelet, my eyes stinging from endless crying the previous night; I saw the red camellia flower standing out from the rest of my green and silver sheets.

Ominis…

The band read that he was in his dorm room; I ignored it, groaning in my pillow.

I found myself in bed, confused how I even got there; I assumed Anne helped me and I just don’t remember. I sighed heavily and reluctantly got ready, not looking forward to any of it.

During the day, everyone was obviously shocked about Sebastian’s reappearance back at Hogwarts. They were already gossiping about what happened with him and how he convinced the headmaster to let him come back after what he did; it annoyed and angered me, but I sought to focus on my coursework to keep me from blasting them through a wall.

I usually sat next to Ominis in every class, but purposely took a seat away from him or at another table with other friends. I knew he wanted me to forgive him, however, I wasn’t quite there yet; the only classes where Sebastian sat next to me were Herbology and Ancient Runes, which were our first and last classes today.

I noticed prior to our first lesson, Sebastian was shaking anxiously, frightened, I’m sure, so I conjured a bar of chocolate for him, hoping the sweetness would help; I read how dark chocolate could ease stress and worry and prayed it was true.

It worked.

His trembling had subsided, and he was much calmer.  He ate a few pieces every now and then in each class as others were blatantly staring and whispering; I glowered at them with a stern expression, which made them swiftly turn back and focus their attention away from him.

Garreth was actually the first one to make me genuinely laugh when I got to Potions, telling me the day we won the Quidditch game and partied, he got to his common room and Leander had tried to use a Polyjuice Potion he made to sneak into the party and mess with us, but the potion wasn’t brewed correctly so he ended up being taken to the hospital wing.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the news, even Garreth snickered at his own friend’s misfortune.

When Sebastian came in with Ominis, the Gryffindor was clearly shocked to see him as everyone was, but he was genuinely happy to see him back, saying he respected Sebastian, that he was smart and clever, hilarious, a gifted wizard and an amazing duelist, and whatever happened with him, it wasn’t his or anyone else’s business; he said it was in the past, believing he was here for a reason – he trusted Sebastian would go far in life despite the obvious hindrance now.

“He has to make it through what I like to call ‘quicksand’ because if you panic, you’ll just sink faster, yeah? So, as long as he doesn’t panic with all this stupid staring, rumors and all, he’ll be alright, but he has to fight his way out of it, prove to Merlin, himself…hell, to the whole universe, he wants to live – that he’s meant for something more than the cards he’s played.” I reminisced what he explained.

Occasionally, I’d glance over at Ominis and Sebastian seeing their concentrated faces, paying attention to Professor Sharp’s lecture; Sebastian was taking notes diligently, while Ominis’ expression was more of an aloof one, he seemed to be in his head, and struggled to focus. I resumed my attention on whatever was being taught or conversations at our table between Natty, Garreth and Amit.

I didn’t know how I was going to survive this; I felt massive fragments of me missing and I knew which pieces they were.

After the first day of classes were finally over, I went the Room of Requirement to make sure Alistair was doing alright. When he was fed and content with the sweet caresses I gave him, I left and rode my broom around the school, eventually finding a spot I had long forgotten about – an enormous rock which resided at the base of the school, near the boathouse; I landed on the boulder, vanquishing my broom back to my inventory and sat down against one of the ridges which laid on the stone, leaning my head back and sighed.

There was a lot to process, but the thing was I didn’t want to process anything and just wanted things to go back to the way they were with Anne, with Sebastian…especially Ominis. I haven’t spoken to Ominis since he came to the dorm room and apologized, attempting to get me to talk and forgive him, but my heart pained by the thought of him and Sebastian keeping important secrets from me.

I felt like I was being childish but even so, I couldn’t shake the feeling of them not trusting me enough to tell me; I get I had breakdown once, twice…okay, a few times, but I wasn’t that fragile…was I? I didn’t think I was but maybe when it came to those I cared about, perhaps I was more sensitive towards them.

Maybe…

Exhaling, I shook my head and tried not to cry, so to keep my mind occupied, I conjured a book to do some light reading and enjoy the sounds of nature surrounding me; the smell of the salty lake reached my nose, my skin felt the wind brushing against my face and running through my hair as I read, the sun’s rays still shined through the clouds, letting it illuminate the words along the pages.

Time passed and I kept re-reading the same paragraph, however, it always sounded the same – Ominis’ voice – it was like he was reading to me as he usually did when we were sitting by the lake, his voice echoed in my mind; I could still hear his voice from behind the door, explaining his feelings to me, begging, pleading for me to forgive him, to see his point of view. I subconsciously fidgeted around with the bracelet on my wrist, gliding my fingers along the flowers soft petals.

Ominis…

As if he knew I was thinking of him, another vibration buzzed on my wrist, startling me a little.

HOGWARTS – GROUNDS – LOCATION: BLACK LAKE.

I scoffed a little in disbelief, excitedly lifting my eyes up to peek around the Black Lake, but not finding the familiar head of blonde anywhere, my enthusiasm diminished. Tears fell unexpectedly from my eyes and onto the pages, making the words transparent on the other side. I blinked quickly, gazing up, swallowing hard and wiped away the tears that wouldn’t stop falling; the pain in my chest wouldn’t recede. I clutched at my chest and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping maybe then my tears would stop.

They didn’t.

Placing my book down, I brought my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them and brought my head down, beginning to sob. No one would hear me against the wind, or the water of the lake crashing against the school and simply put it…I was alone.

I had to figure out how to cope with all these emotions. I was more grateful I didn’t feel the surge of power wanting to erupt out and having to go to the highlands; I could just weep my heart out like I wanted.

-

A couple days after were just as agonizing as the ones before.

Ominis buzzed my bracelet every morning and night; I never responded.

Before the school day began, I decided to go sit around the fountain outside of the Bell Tower Wing. With no students in sight, I attempted to get some reading done for history. I was focused on the book up until I heard an annoying voice speak, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and glare in their direction.

The shit-stain himself: Leander Prewett.

Garreth and Leander were coming from Professor Howin’s building, heading towards the Bell Tower entrance and I, unfortunately, overhead their conversation.

“Are they mad? Releasing that murderer already back into the world, to attend school no less!” Leander exclaimed, having a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hand; Garreth, however, had a disappointed look on his face, “who’s ass did he have to kiss, do you think?” he laughed mockingly.

I vanished my book, clenched my jaw and got up swiftly, snapping my head towards him; I used my wand to make a rat tail appear on his body as he neared the door.

Leander noticed this, twirling his body and shrieking like a girl.

“Wha – ?! What the fuck…?” he hollered touching it with shaking fingers, dropping the paper and gazing towards Garreth for help, who appeared rather amused, but then his eyes found me, his demeanor quickly changed, “fucking, Starke! You think this is funny?”

“I would’ve turned you into a worm like I promised, but they don’t have tails,” I stated, twirling my wand between my fingers, approaching them; they had stopped in front of the entrance doors. “A rat’s the next best thing.”

Leander pulled out his wand in a threatening manner, but I wasn’t intimidated; Garreth simply put a hand to his face, shaking his head in annoyance.

“I told you I’d make you pay if you said anything about Sebastian,” I reminded, dropping my arm to my side, my wand in my grasp, “I didn’t say how I’d make you pay, so shut your fucking mouth or I’ll gladly shut it for you; although, I prefer you test me, so I can add something else to you.”

“If you were to add anything, I’d suggest that fine body of yours on mine,” he commented seductively.

I made a disgusted face. “Your ass must be really jealous of all the shit that comes out your mouth,” I came back at him.

Garreth stifled a giggle, a fist over his lips.

Leander’s jaw clenched, glaring at his friend then back at me. “Come on, Starke, like you haven’t imagined it, I’m a pretty charming guy, I’m smart, funny…”

I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, you might want to wipe your mouth, there’s a lot of bullshit that’s spilling out, it’s making it hard for me to hear what you’re saying,” I retorted, pointing to my own lips, squinting, “and if anything’s funny, it’s God – proving he has a sense of humor when he made you.”

Prewett scoffed, offended. “Such a faithful girlfriend,” he taunted, “defending your boyfriend after all he’s done – using an Unforgivable, killing his uncle, an ex-Auror, mind you,” he stated, trying to get under my skin, instead it was boiling it.

I inhaled deeply, squeezing my wand tighter.

“Leander…” Garreth said exasperated, “let’s just go to breakfast, why do you always have to pick a fight with Emelia?”

Leander rolled his eyes at his friend. “It’s fun?” He answered like it was a stupid question. “Besides, she started it!” he added, turning his attention to me, “Why are you so tirelessly defending him anyway? Even his own sister doesn’t acknowledge him. Everyone says you haven’t talked to him or Gaunt, for that matter, since Sallow started classes; probably a good thing too, since he’s an incestuous abomination,” Prewett slandered.

Flickers of blue started to appear again in my vision; I closed my eyes, blinking them quickly, struggling to keep my rising emotions at bay.

I instinctively cast a warning shot near his feet, making him jump back; I glared at him.

“I don’t care if Sebastian was pure evil reincarnate or Ominis was the devil himself, you will not insult either of them in front of me. I’ll defend them ‘til my last breath, do I make myself clear?” I glowered in a dark and serious tone even Garreth took a step back in fright.

Leander huffed out air. “Whatever, my main point is Sallow’s a murderer, him returning to school is like sending a lion back to a place where there’s new prey to slaughter. He’ll do it again! You can’t be that stupid!” he hollered at me.

I was silent this time, straining to ease my heightening emotions wanting to overwhelm me with its power.

“What? Cat got your tongue?” Leander teased, tilting his head, “usually you, Slytherins spit fire back hotter when cornered, but guess it’s lost on some…”

I felt my ancient magic start to heat up my body, intending to escape; I tightened my fists, my nails digging into my palms, feeling like blood would burst out any moment.

“The Ministry should’ve let him stay in Azkaban, perhaps a dementor could’ve been his new girlfriend,” the redhaired weasel sneered, grinning, “don’t be jealous, Starke, I’m sure he thought of you too,” he told me, making obnoxious kissing noises, “maybe rub one out every now and then, huh,” he sneered, doing the gestures that went along with it.

I rolled my eyes and clenched my jaw while, feeling my ancient magic boil within me, tempting me to release it all on Prewett.

Garreth shoves him. “Really, Leander?!”

His friend just shrugs, no care in his face.

I narrowed my gaze at him, gritting my teeth. “You’re feeling brave today…don’t test your luck, Prewett,” I warned; Garreth sighed, powerless against his friend’s idiocy.

“Oh, come on, like you haven’t thought about it; he’s probably had a dementor’s kiss once or twice – those bastards get hungry. Sallow might just be soulless now, not like he had one to begin with since he was always a cocky bastard thinking he was all that,” Prewett explained, rolling his eyes.

He wasn’t wrong; I don’t know what happened to Sebastian in Azkaban, but I heard stories of dementor’s flying, roaming around and above prisoner’s cages, sucking their souls more with each encounter. I feared, right then and there, for Sebastian’s soul; I thought back to the undercroft, he seemed like he was his usual self, but he could’ve been just putting up a front – a mask.

But…he didn’t need to put on a mask with me…

“Oh my god, did you call someone to let them know and record that you have the world’s tiniest dick?” I snarled back, taking a step closer in aggression; Garreth held up a fist, concealing an entertained grin. “You’re literally hounding on Sebastian because you know he’s better than you at everything, and you can’t just accept that,” I continued sternly.

“You’re one to talk; you followed him around like a damn puppy last year, you probably couldn’t accept the fact he didn’t fancy you the same way you did, hmm? You’re the one that still can’t accept the facts – he’s a killer!” he retorted, his words piercing my heart, silent rage began to fume within me.

 “You and everyone else can believe what you like, I know the truth and that’s all I need,” I glowered, compressing my jaw.

Leander laughed. “You know, you’re a real attraction for trouble, Starke. Friends with a murderer and a Gaunt, if you’re not careful, you’ll be the one that ends up dead. Maybe you should rethink your choices of companions,” Leander informed, a grin playing on his face and placing his hands on his hips.

I rolled my eyes at him. “I don’t have to rethink anything when it comes to my friends, so stay out of it or you’ll be the one that’ll end up dead,” I hissed at him, stepping forward.

“Ohh, I’m sooo scared,” Prewett stated sarcastically, pretending to hide behind Garreth.

Garreth groaned irritated. “You should be,” I heard him mumble under his breath.

“Shut up…” he told his friend; I grinned at Garreth, appreciative of his support.

“Garreth, I suggest you show your friend how to sew his mouth shut before he sees Madam Blainey again, and this time it won’t be for a pitifully made Polyjuice Potion.”

Leander glared at Garreth. “Seriously? You told her?” He questioned his friend, but Garreth shrugged, pretending not to know what he was talking about. The red-haired idiot rotated his head back around, moving his foot forward and pointing at me. “Y-You touch a single hair on me and I’m going to tell Headmaster Black on you, you’ll get detention for weeks!”

I took a menacing step towards him. “Fine by me.” My eyes hardened; I didn’t care if I got detentions, hell, even for the rest of the school year – I was going to protect Ominis and Sebastian to the end, despite our current circumstances.

They were my best friends.

Leander shuddered at my action and moved back to his original spot.

Garreth smirked, amused, at his companion. “Frightened?” he asked him jokingly.

“Shut up,” he hissed at Garreth, irritated.

I scoffed and took a dueling stance.

Leander puffed air from his mouth, getting in a stance of his own. “Pff, think you can take me on?”

“Blindfolded and with my hands tied behind my back, so you have a chance,” I spoke confidently with a sneer, tightening my grasp on my wand’s hilt.

He scoffed. “Don’t underestimate me, Starke,” he murmured; I remained silent.

Neither of us moved. I could tell Garreth was anxious with anticipation; I was simply waiting for even a subtle movement, I guess he was doing the same.

“Hmph, waiting for me to make the first move? I should’ve known, just like Sallow – cowardice – and pitiful,” he emphasized, narrowing his eyes towards me, “even Gaunt – he’s just as laughable and useless as his sight…”

That did it.

Depulso!

My wand snapped the air, casting the curse along with some ancient magic and Leander flew, hitting the entrance doors hard.

Garreth was startled, running to kneel by Leander’s side.

Prewett grabbed his head and stumbled getting up with some assistance, pushing Garreth off him as he stood.

I gave him a victorious smirk, clearly making him more and more enraged. “Oh, I’m sorry,” I fibbed, “was that cowardice of me? I’m sorry, I should’ve went harder on you,” I taunted, making a confused expression for a second, but then relaxed my face to a more triumphant one.

The Gryffindor chuckled to himself. “Think you’re clever?” he wondered rhetorically.

“Come find out,” I replied snidely.

He grunted. “Flipendo!”

I blocked it with ease, prepared to protect myself from his next weak attack.

“Too bad you don’t have your boyfriends to protect you. One is too scared of his own last name, running away from his inevitable future, while the other is probably hiding, too much of a pathetic coward to face anyone or looking for his next victim,” he insulted with a malicious smirk.

My body tensed at his remark, the blue light flashing again in my vision. I was about to cast Diffindo, wanting to release more of my ancient magic on him for disgracing my friends when he didn’t even know their story – their history; however, when he lifted his wand, it instantly flew out of his hand.

All three of us were confused, following Leander’s wand fly almost clear across the Hogwarts Grounds.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, I wouldn’t have said that cause I’d be scared shitless of her if I were you, Prewett,” Sebastian’s voice spoke out from behind us.

My heart jumped and the overwhelming anger immediately vanished; I snapped my head and saw him walking from the small pathway going around the side of the building.

Garreth and Leander, alarmed, turned their heads as well, seeing him stride up to us, lightly holding his recognizable black and green checkered wand at his side; his back was straight, chest out, head held high – he appeared more like his usual confident self.

“Sebastian?” I breathed out in a murmur, mostly to myself.

He stopped beside me, not saying anything but gazed at me with what looked like pride, then twirled his body to face the surprised Gryffindor boys.

“Where the hell did you come from? How did you get here?” Leander asked, paling by the second, as if he saw a ghost.

Sebastian started looking around us, his brows furrowed, and expression confused exaggeratedly; after a few seconds, he steadied his body back to facing them. “Oh, you were talking to me. I thought you were mistaking me for someone who was too much of a pathetic coward to face anyone or, how you so lovely put it…?” He waved his wand towards Prewett, gazing away for a moment, “ah, ‘looking for my next victim’,” Sebastian informed with a sly grin, repeating his words, his tone becoming darker near the end.

I saw Leander gulp a lump in his throat, body stiff; he was glowering at me, I did the same, standing my ground. I gripped the hilt of my wand tighter, wanting to simply cast another spell at him.

Sebastian seemed to notice this and took a step forward in front of me, obscuring Leander’s view; he took another step forward in the direction of the trembling lion, not taking his eyes off him – like a predator pursuing their prey.

“Eyes on me, Prewett,” he commanded, his voice serious, “did you want to be my next ‘victim’?” Sebastian questioned dauntingly, slightly tilting his head.

Leander staggered back, barely standing tall, and quickly ran to get his wand and towards the other entrance of the school; Garreth sighed, seeming relieved that all the drama was finally over.

“Good joke, Sallow,” Garreth complimented, beginning to follow Leander.

“Who’s joking?” Sebastian teased; he seemed more at ease compared to what he was the first day back.

He adapted quickly, but I think it was thanks to Garreth’s laidback, unbiased and positive character.

Garreth chuckled, walking up to me and finally meeting my eyes; he gave me a bothered and an apologetic look. “I’m really sorry about him, about what he said…” he apologized.

I told him it was nothing new, and I’d always be ready to deal with the coward, making him laugh.

“Hey, I’m almost done with a new brew, hopefully I can give it to you soon!” he grinned happily, attempting to lighten the tension.

“Can’t wait,” I stated, excited and curious about his new concoction.

We hugged, and he bid us farewell and ran off in Prewett’s direction.

When he was out of sight, it was just Sebastian and I surrounded by the sounds of nature along with the nearby magical creatures and the whispers of the wind caressing our skin.

I peeked over at Sebastian – his wavy, brown hair was everywhere yet it still allured me, his freckled face was soft-looking and relaxed, his tall, muscular figure was in his school attire, which he filled out handsomely; I tried not to stare, so instead I replayed what happened. He had protected me from getting into more trouble with Prewett, not that I needed it, but it felt like old times.

Sebastian exhaled heavily, taking out the chocolate bar I had given him his first day to classes; he was on his last two pieces.

I sighed, glancing at him once more before gazing away. “How much did you hear?”

“You don’t wanna know,” he confessed, his tone guilty.

He heard all of it…

“I had it handled,” I told him annoyed, my racing heartbeat betraying my tone.

“Oh, I know,” he agreed with a thin smirk, “just like seeing Prewett squirm like that pathetic, gutless worm he is,” he spoke sincerely, putting a piece of chocolate in his mouth.

Great minds think alike; it made my insides warm with a different sensation.

I shoved the feeling aside and forced myself to ignore it. “I appreciate you trying to help or whatever, but don’t think this makes us square. I’m still furious at the both of you,” I informed, squeezing the hilt of my wand as I began to walk towards the entrance to the Bell Tower to head to breakfast.

“I know that too; we can wait,” he called out to me, “we’ll always be here for you, Emi!” he shouted as I made it to the door, freezing me in my tracks; I had my hand placed on the frame, hearing my nickname echoing and bouncing off the walls of my mind. Hearing it come from his lips again made my heartbeat faster and eventually drop to my stomach.

I dared myself to glance back, and when I did, I saw Sebastian standing straight, casually, the morning sun hitting his frame at a perfect angle, portraying him like a dream – the sun’s light making his brown hair have more texture and shades than the simple brown he had, his freckles shown more on his tanned face, his brown eyes now had turned into colors of amber and honey – in short, he looked handsome and unreal; he had a hand in his pocket while the other held the nearing finished chocolate bar, making me remember he only had one more piece left.

I exhaled heavily to myself. Prewett may be an asshole, but he made me think about the dementors and Sebastian’s experience with them; I worried for his soul and hoped his encounter with the horrifying dementors were brief when he was in Azkaban. He seemed like himself, but he and I both knew how to hide the truth of our feelings and struggles under the surface.

Lifting my wand, I summoned two more dark chocolate bars, hovering before Sebastian. He was shocked as he stared down at them, but then eventually raised his hand to grab them with a gigantic smirk on his face, struggling to not show his teeth.

“Get that look off your face,” I told him, straining to hide my own grin.

“What look?” he wondered innocently.

I rolled my eyes, ignoring the heat rising to my cheeks and a tightening in my chest. “You know exactly what look,” I told him, turning around to push the door and headed inside with a smile attempting to make itself known.

-

Classes were over and I instantly dashed to the Room of Requirement to check on Alistair, getting a quick nap in before dinner. Going to the Great Hall, I sat at the Gryffindor table to eat, chatting with Natty and Garreth; Poppy eventually joined in, along with Amit and even Adelaide, who still continued to thank me to this day for saving her uncle.  We laughed and made plans to go to Hogsmeade sometime soon.

After we ate our fill, they went back to their respected common rooms; I lingered, daring myself to peek over at the Slytherin table and seeing Anne sitting by Grace and Imelda along with other Slytherin students at the far end of the table, chatting and eating. Sebastian and Ominis were sitting side by side; Ominis seemed to be playing with his food with a glum expression while Sebastian, I noticed, had his eyes on me, making my heart flutter as his mouth stretched into a small grin, I returned a tiny smile back, glancing at Ominis again before I turned to head back to my sanctuary.

As soon as I entered, I saw Alistair coiled up in the corner of his enclosure, sleeping. I placed everything down at the edge of the table and went to open the entrance door to his cage and lightly stroking his smooth scales.

“Hey, sweetie,” I whispered to him, seeing his head lift up with a jolt, startled, but realizing it was me, he nuzzled my fingers.

I scoffed, amused by his little gestures, reminding me of the small gestures Ominis would do for me; the pit of my stomach twisted thinking about him. My body felt cold without his warmth, his dazzling smile beaming at me, his head turned towards me and sometimes getting the chance to meet his cloudy eyes – even if they never saw the world…or me…they were gorgeous, always taking my breath away when our eyes met and held so much kindness, compassion, thoughtfulness, understanding and love in them.

I missed him…

Shaking my head, I lifted Alistair from his home and placed him on the tabletop; I rubbed his head lightly and down his long body.

“Wanna study with me?” I asked him, but instead of gazing at me, he looked around me and stared towards the door; I assumed he was curious on to why Ominis wasn’t with me or maybe was expecting Ominis to come through the entrance any moment. I sadly stroked his head. “Ominis won’t be joining us for a while. I’ll explain everything later, I promise,” I murmured to him.

Alistair tilted his head at me in question and began to slither around the counter.

“Fine, I’ll let you wander, you let me study, deal?” I negotiated.

Alistair spun his head back around and nodded at me, then continued his way exploring the countertop; I conjured a little play area for him with toys and small obstacles that he can slide around or through.

Making a small piano and cello beside me, I let it play quietly as I studied for history class, Ancient Runes, practiced some spells for Charms and Transfiguration; I used my potion stations to help brew potions we’ve done so far in class, perfecting it to its full potential: Essence of Insanity, Felix Felicis, Draught of Living Death, Everlasting Elixirs, some poison antidotes, and Laughing Potion.

I only performed spells I knew wouldn’t blow the sides of the secret room or set it on fire like last time, but I could only practice so much, taking breaks every now and then.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed but I figured it was about eleven now or even past midnight; I expected everyone was in bed by now.

Stretching my arms up high over my head, I groaned, feeling all the muscles in my body extend and breathe.

“It’s probably late, everyone’s asleep. What do you say we got for a stroll around the castle?” I suggested with a grin, “since I don’t know how Ominis even got you here.”

Alistair instantly perked up his head and I couldn’t help but giggle at his cuteness.

I got up from my seat and elongated my arms and legs once more to relieve the tension that still resided, then went to change to casual clothes.

“Alright, I’ll show you around, but you have to be quiet; the prefects might be out,” I warned in a low voice, extending my arms to him, “ready?” I asked.

Alistair looked from my eyes to my outreached hands and began slithering up my arm and wrapped around the back of my neck, almost like a scarf; his underbelly was warm, and I felt his muscles in his body move ever so slightly it tickled.

I laughed. “Just gonna hang out, I see,” I teased. Alistair raised his head and flicked his tongue on my cheek as a kiss; I chuckled, lifting my hand to caress underneath his neck. “Okay, let’s go,” I said happily.

I gradually opened the door and peeked through, listening for any sign of footsteps but didn’t hear anything; I stepped out quietly from the hidden door, seeing it disappear as I walked further from it. Alistair began shifting his head left and right, observing everything around us; I tried to figure out which way to go.

“Let’s start at the bottom floor,” I suggested, gazing down at his good eye, “you don’t mind if I apparate, do you? Just this once; the rest of the tour will be on foot,” I promised, not wanting him to get sick.

Alistair tilts his head up and nods in compliance.

I scoffed. “Alright, hang on and…don’t puke on me,” I advised, hopeful he wouldn’t, “it’s a bit nauseating on the first couple travels, so…” I began to explain; I wasn’t sure why I was clarifying apparition to a snake, but I felt he understood more than most – he was special.

I apparated to the Hogwarts Grounds, instantly gazing to Alistair to make sure he was alright and didn’t look like he was going to be sick; after checking him over and was assured he was fine, I started our tour.

I walked towards the Quidditch Pitch and to the center of the field and went over the memorable plays during practices, especially when I got injured and then during the match against Ravenclaw; I wasn’t sure how much of the information was getting to him, but it was nice to talk to someone – I always talked with Ominis, described and expressing everything for him, to him…and he listened without complaint.

Our friendship was fragile now...

I strode back towards the school and walked along the grounds, enlightening the snake on my first Charms class I had during fifth year and learning spells with a game, expressing my confusion but appreciation for Professor Ronen’s teachings, acknowledging how it was different and how it impacted students’ learning in a whole new way; I strolled to Professor Howin’s building and around, going over the different creatures who were settled in their little pen’s near the outside classroom. I stroked some of the kneazles, giving them a few treats before we continued our outing. Taking Alistair back to the Bell Tower and sightseeing inside, showing him the sleeping dragon statue and pointing to the classrooms there, then making my way back up, passing the humming suit of armor.

We went to Central Hall, pushing the door open to the Greenhouse, exploring there and introducing Alistair to plants and feeding some of them, describing their uses in potions; we went to the library where prefects were scouting in front, which reminded me of the first time Sebastian and I snuck into the library last year. Silently, I activated the siren fountain with my wand, scaring the prefects and poor Alistair a bit that he hid further into my hair; I delicately stroked his head, easing his worry and snuck into the library as they were distracted, softly closing the door behind us.

I informed Alistair about the library in a low whisper and how Madam Scribner was always so strict at keeping things quiet; I even told him the time when Sebastian risked a detention, covering for me when we were caught by Peeves. I showed the reptile the gates to the restricted section, showing him that it couldn’t be open with magic and had to have an actual key to unlock it. Telling funny stories about how Sebastian, Ominis and I would study here sometimes and get distracted in the process and laugh a bit too loudly for Madam Scribner’s liking, even recalling separate occasions when Ominis and I would come in here by ourselves to study when Sebastian was either serving detention or helping other students or when it was just Sebastian and I when Ominis was wandering around the castle or had other matters to attend to.

It made me happy yet sad to reminisce on our times together; we were finally all together, but it was different. The both of them were generous enough to accept that I needed time to get this all processed in my own time and my own way – with or without them.

This was an obstacle I was determined to overcome; this was my issue.

Alistair seemed to notice my somber expression and nudged his face onto mine, making me scoff, altering my mood; he was really caring and affectionate, and despite being a snake, I was grateful to him. I rubbed the ends of his body on each side of my neck with both hands as I walked up the spiral stairs to the second floor of the library, simply walking around to let Alistair see the immense books on the shelves which seemed to reach the high ceiling; I lightly grazed my fingertips along the smooth leather spines of the books.

After we were done touring the library, I used Revelio to see if the Prefects were still outside guarding the door – they weren’t, so we made our way to Professor Sharp’s class, pointing to stairs that led down and straight back towards the Bell Tower. Walking around the potions classroom aimlessly, I showed him where I sat along with other classmates of mine and where Ominis and Sebastian were. To distract myself, I told Alistair there were some of my female classmates who were crushing on Professor Sharp; to be completely honest, I understood the appeal, but was more in boys my own age. I blushed at my own thoughts of styled golden blonde and wild brown hair.

“Onward,” I stated to him, ignoring the flush of color I knew was present on my face.

I went up the stairs of the Central Hall, telling Alistair where the stairs on either side of us went before we came to the door – one to Divination class and the other to the Ravenclaw Common Room; opening the door, I stepped out to the bridge and towards the Great Hall. The sky was dark with the large and glowing moon illuminating the environment around us, along with stars, some shining brighter than others, but overall was still breathtaking.  I told Alistair all about when Sebastian and I scared Ominis to death because we jumped off the bridge one day, hollering on our way down with glee, effortlessly summoning our brooms before we made contact with the salty water of the Black Lake; Ominis didn’t forgive us as easily though and we were extremely apologetic afterwards, eventually getting Ominis’ forgiveness in the end.

We made it to the quad, and I went to the far corner of it and pointed downward, showing him if we went downstairs, there was a boathouse, Alistair simply hissed in response; we then went through the doors to the Great Hall, immediately met with the massive school crest. Making my way up the stairs and through another set of doors, I faced the four different designed hourglasses with small pebble-like stones, explaining we tried to earn as many points as possible for our specific house – hence diverse colors; I pushed over one side of the tall, double doors, showing him the massive room with the four distinct tables signifying each house. Alistair seemed to be interested in the front, so I strode to the front where the podium with the owl design was, and where the headmaster and other teachers would sit during meals. When we were done with the Great Hall, I took him to the small garden where I enjoyed gawking at the scenery and listening to nature, no matter the season or weather, letting the wind kiss my skin and emptying my mind from my worries.

“Hopefully we can come here more often, and you won’t be stuck in your cage so long,” I said truthfully to the snake; Alistair looked from me to the view. I stood there, leaning on the stone barrier for a few minutes, letting him take it all in.

When we were done admiring the view, I strode towards the Quad Courtyard and going through the door, making our way across the wooden bridge and to the Defense Against the Dark Arts Tower; I wandered around as my memories flooded my mind. Alistair gazed around, seeming to want to look at everything. I explored our DADA classroom, the halls, hearing the echoes of my footsteps bounce around; I tried to step as quietly as I could to not alarm any prefects that might be nearby. I purposely avoided the undercroft because with my luck, no matter the time, either Ominis or Sebastian would come out and I didn’t feel like talking to them at the moment.

I aimlessly wandered the halls, showing him where Ominis would mainly lean against and hear the students around him, the way back to Central Hall if we went through the bottom doors, then the way to Professor Howin’s class again if we went through the Pungent Passage; however, I made my way up the flights of steps and found myself in front of a familiar classroom door.

I felt my insides clench with anxiety, my breathing began to quicken a bit; I inhaled a deep breath and let it out just the same. Alistair sensed my unease, turning his head upward at me and saw my hesitation. I forced a grin and stroked under his chin lightly with the tops of my fingers.

“I’m okay,” I tried to reassure him; he nuzzled into my cheek. “Thanks,” I appreciated.

Swallowing a huge lump in my throat, I gradually placed my trembling palm on the door and pushed it open; the door creaked a bit but what was worse was that the room was eerily silent. I took another deep breath to ease the jittery feeling I was having in the pit of my stomach and the heavy load weighing down on my chest.

“This was my old professor’s classroom…” I murmured aloud, everything remained just the way it was: books stacked high, tempting to tip over in almost every corner of the room, chalkboards that were full of information, his desk still full of scattered papers; seeing it all brought tears to my eyes. “Professor Fig, he – ” I started to say, clearing my throat, taking a seat in his chair which overlooked the classroom; I ran my hand over the smooth wood of his desk, recalling our times together, “he was my mentor who taught me the basics of magic, my friend and…sort of a father figure to me here. He and I discovered my ability to see and use ancient magic last year; we went up against a goblin rebellion, eventually defeating the one behind it, but…in the end…he didn’t make it...” I elaborated my thoughts, taking my time so I didn’t cry as I spoke; my vision barely flickering that blue light.

Alistair stared at me, and I felt his body press closer, snuggling into me and he pushed his head more firmly on my face; I scoffed, rubbing his body and head. Strangely, I felt he understood what I was going through and was showing his support and sympathies.

“I actually haven’t been in here since then; I appreciate you being here with me,” I told him in a low voice, “I don’t think I’d make it if I were by myself, so thanks,” I confessed, kissing his head gently. Alistair hissed softly and rubbed his head against my cheek more; I chuckled. “Okay, let’s see where else I haven’t showed you…” I started thinking, trying to get away from the negativity, putting a finger on my lips, biting them simultaneously.

I rummaged through my head of where we’d gone and found the answer.

“Oh! The hospital wing and the Grand Staircase!” I exclaimed in realization, taking my finger off my lips, startling Alistair a bit, “wanna try going by a floo flame?” I wondered, peeking down at the reptile.

Alistair hissed and nodded.

I scoffed, still entertained on how he could actually respond.

Standing and glancing towards Professor Fig’s office door, I felt the anxiety begin to rise up in my body again.

I think this is as far as I’m going to go today…

Caressing Alistair’s smooth scales for comfort, I strode out of my mentor’s classroom and went to the floo just across the hall.

“Where you off to, dearie?” the stone-face Ignatia Wildsmith asked.

“Hospital Wing please,” I said out loud.

In an instant, we were engulfed in green flames and our surroundings altered to the entrance of the infirmary.

I silently walked a couple feet forward into the wing and let Alistair look around. “Here’s the hospital wing; I was here about a week ago from Quidditch practice I told you about,” I told him.

Alistair gazed from the room to my once injured arm.

“I’m alright now,” I assured, shifting my arm up, down and around along with moving my fingers. “See?”

My reassurance seemed to alleviate some tension I felt rigid in his body.

“Don’t worry yourself, you’ll end up like Ominis, always worrying about me over the littlest things,” I advised, my voice trailing off, sounding a bit down, tears started to fill my eyes.

Dammit Ominis… I cursed at him in my head, rapidly wiping away the tears with the heels of my palms.

“Come on, let’s head down,” I attempted to casually say; I introduced Alistair to the faculty tower, going down the stairs and through the doors near the Gryffindor common room. I went down the spiral staircase and down towards the Slytherin common room near the bottom of the steps.

As soon as we approached the entrance, the large snake arched its body, forming the door. Alistair hissed aggressively, following the giant snake’s movements and retreated into my hair as the tension in his body returned.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s just a door,” I stated as I stroked the top of his head to soothe him, “it’s just our common room, see?” I giggled, touching the snake’s cold, stone scales; he warily came back out from the safety of my hair.

Alistair moved forward a bit.

“I think I’ll stay in the room with you for a while longer,” I informed, taking a step back and spinning around to go to the massive staircase. “But that’s the whole castle, well except…the Map Chamber…” I muttered.

Alistair appeared confused, tilting his head a bit to the side.

“It’s a place where there’s Keepers are; they’re like me – they see and can use ancient magic, they’re protectors of that forgotten magic,” I explained as I walked up the steps, “I’m…sure they won’t mind if you came along with me,” I claimed as I walked back through Central Hall to the Bell Tower Wing again.

Striding towards the classrooms near the sleeping dragon statue, I made my way deeper into the corridor, finding the gate which descended downstairs; I walked the empty hall with water puddles in random spots of the passageway.

Coming up to an empty room, the floor opened in a crescent shape, portraying more stairs that went further down into the magical school; Alistair seemed hesitant and frightened, but I reassured him it was safe. With a sigh, I walked down the spiral steps, rubbing Alistair’s body to calm his nerves, feeling the stiffness from his body on my neck.

As we made it to the bottom, I was welcomed with a familiar blue hallway; at the end, I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, knowing who were behind the door.  

“Promise not to tell anyone else about this,” I whispered, opening my eyes to the beautiful snake nodding in agreement; I let out a sharp breath and without thinking twice, pushed open the door to the Map Chamber.

--

Chapter Text

“Ah, Ms. Emelia, it’s good to see you again,” Percival Rackham greeted her as she approached with Alistair timidly wrapped around her neck, cautious about his new surroundings; he occasionally peeked up to Emelia, searching for any sign of panic or discomfort.

“Hello, Professor Rackham,” she answered back, slightly bowing her head; she turned her attention to the other Keepers, “professors, it’s nice to see you all as well,” she acknowledged, and they all returned her bow in salutations.

“How have you been, young one?” Professor Fitzgerald asked, her hands clasped together in front of her, a gentle and sympathetic look in her eyes.

Emelia shrugged, gazing away from the tall portrait. “I’ve been better,” she admitted, raising her head and gazing towards the Keepers, “but I’m…good.”

An obvious lie.

The four professors nodded, accepting the false truth.

They asked about her winter break and how school’s been going since the last time they spoke; Emelia was honest, a white lie here and there, being vague with the Keepers when they asked about being back in school, knowing they probably wouldn’t care about the latest drama with Ominis and Sebastian.

“May we ask who’s accompanied you this evening?” Professor Rookwood wondered, peeking to Alistair who was now retreating into her thick hair.

“Oh, this is Alistair,” Emelia introduced, lifting her hand to hold up the snake’s lower and upper body to show the portraits, “he’s been keeping me company these past couple days; a wonderful distraction from…well, recent life events. I’m showing him around the castle,” she stated happily, bringing Alistair’s body back around her shoulders.

“I see,” Professor Sakar said, “Ms. Starke, you know this is a place to protect ancient magic, wielders and guardians alike,” he pointed out, criticizing her a bit, “not for outsiders,” he spoke sternly, eyeing the snake in disapproval.

Emelia knew this but she saw no harm in showing Alistair this part of her life – she hadn’t even shown Ominis or Sebastian this, they only know what she’s told them.

“What I think Professor Bakar is trying to say is that this place is kept secret for a reason,” Professor Rookwood defended, attempting to ease the slight tension between the professor and the sixth-year student.

She nodded. “I know, but I don’t think he’d tell anyone…” she joked to herself.

As Professor Sakar crossed his arms and turned away in disbelief, Professor Rookwood and Fitzgerald were talking to Emelia, asking more about Alistair. Professor Rackham, however, noticed a change in the young witch; he saw a faint blue glow around her, she probably didn’t even see it herself, there was a tint of blue energy swirling like the ancient magic he’s seen many times before – it was different, it was never around someone before, not even on him or his colleagues.

“Ms. Emelia, if I may ask, how has your ancient magic been?” Percival wondered, cutting into her conversation with Niamh; he watched her closely along with the barely visible blue aura surrounding her.

The other Keepers silenced, bending forward a bit, intrigued by his question; they waited in anticipation for her answer, even Bakar was interested, loosening his arms and placing them at his sides.

“It’s fine,” she replied, curious if she should tell them about the bizarre flickering she’s been seeing lately, including in her dreams; she stared down at Alistair who was watching her the entire time, seeing the inside battle that was going on inside her head.

Alistair pressed himself closer into her in support, knowing she couldn’t understand him and without Ominis, body language was the only thing he could use to communicate with her.

Emelia relaxed, grinning at the now-shy reptile, stroking under his chin as she felt his body push more onto her neck; a strange sensation told her to tell the four guardians of ancient magic the truth and he was there for her.

She sighed. “Except…” she began; the four professors gazed at her with both confusion and curiosity, “I’ve noticed, at random times, there’s blue flashing or flickering appearing in my vision and surges of energy burning up my body to the point that it bursts out of me causing damage to anything around me,” she confessed, staring up at them, hoping to have an answer on how to control it better.

The four Keepers tensed up, looking to each other in uncertainty, worry in their eyes; Alistair observed each of them carefully.

He didn’t know any of them or their past with Emelia, but he tried to keep his mind open about them being helpful to Emelia and to behave himself since she was kind enough to bring him to a secret place that could get her in trouble in the end.

“Are you feeling pain when this happens? Strong or specific emotions?” Percival asked intrigued, eyes squinting at her.

Emelia slowly paces around, thinking about the occurrences, crossing her arms loosely over her chest. “I’m not sure…probably anger and irritation most of the times?” She didn’t know what caused it, but she did notice it had something to do with those she cared deeply for. “It all started with Professor Fig,” she informed them; Alistair’s eyes softened as he shifted his gaze to her face.

“Professor Fig?” Fitzgerald questioned, her brows furrowed together.

Emelia stopped in front of her portrait, stroking Alistair’s head for comfort. “After he…passed, I felt so many emotions rise up, I saw that flash of blue and a wave of power exploded out of me for the first time; I didn’t know what it was, nor did I really comprehend what happened…I was just…overwhelmed and…shattered...” she stuttered, explaining the best she could on what she was feeling in the final repository.

The Keepers looked to each other again, sympathetic towards the young student; they struggled to understand what was happening to her and why.

“I suggest you be careful,” Rookwood warned, putting a hand to his chin, thinking, “the ancient magic you wield seems to be growing and is much stronger than ours ever was at your age; more powerful than even how we are now,” he enlightened to her as she lowered her arm from Alistair’s smooth scales.

Emelia sighed, taking deep breaths in and out. The power’s still growing? Getting stronger…more powerful…? How…? she asked herself, trying to think of a way to suppress the increasing power within her – to make it easier to have and carry such a burden.

“Is the return of your friend affecting you?” Bakar’s voice asked, tearing her out of her thoughts.  

Emelia snapped her eyes to the professor, not liking the tone in his voice. “What?”

“Your friend, Sebastian,” Niamh spoke out gently; Emelia’s hardened eyes found hers, “I heard about his return to Hogwarts from his sentence in Azkaban when I was in the headmaster’s office, Professor Weasley was speaking about him with Headmaster Black,” she notified, recalling the moment.

The mention of Sebastian froze Emelia in her place, her eyes softened, and her heart pounded faster in her chest.

Of course, they’d know about Sebastian… she said internally.

The Keepers recalled their colleague telling them about Sebastian Sallow…and his crime.

Alistair merely lifted his head up and saw whoever this ‘Sebastian’ was, meant a lot to Emelia – it was all over her face, plus she talked about him just as much as she talked about Ominis; Ominis, himself, spoke about Sebastian at the manor and in the secret room quite often.

“Headmaster Black was protesting and displeased about the news of the young student’s return, thinking he’ll cause trouble, even murder someone again, so we’ve been keeping track of him and his whereabouts,” she continued, giving Emelia a saddened yet guilty expression.

Emelia scoffed. “Like a criminal?” she hollered in disbelief, offended, face contorted in rage and bewilderment, “Sebastian isn’t that kind of person, he made a mistake; he won’t do anything like that!” she retorted, defensively; Alistair felt her body stiffen with fury.

Niamh nodded slowly. “Professor Weasley believes that as well; she continued to defend him against Headmaster Black until he relented.”

Emelia’s chest felt warmth knowing Professor Weasley was protecting and supporting Sebastian; she was grateful to her.

“However, we’re still going to keep our ears open and not eliminate the possibility of him using another Unforgivable or killing someone,” Bakar inputted almost emotionlessly.

Alistair couldn’t believe the massive portrait continued to push Emelia’s buttons; he also couldn’t help but hiss and reveal his fangs aggressively at the portrait.

“I’d only learned about him less than a week ago and I know he’s changed,” she enlightened them, caressing Alistair’s head to calm him down – secretly, appreciating his disapproval and vigor towards the guardian. “And no,” she clenched her fists, shifting her attention to Professor Bakar, who always was cautious and skeptical of her since the beginning; she tolerated him being distrustful of her, but when the Keeper was accusing Sebastian’s sudden presence back in her life was the cause for her random outbursts, it enraged her, “His return isn’t affecting me like that in any way,” she spat at him, eyes flashing the familiar blue, turning towards the other guardians, “it’s my issues I have to deal with, it has nothing to do with Sebastian!”

Yeah! Take that, you tall-ass, picture frame! Alistair hissed at him in support.

Rackham saw the faint blue in her eyes as Emelia examined all of them; he theorized from what the young witch has told them, her flicking blue vision was caused by heightened emotions, mainly ones that were against those she cared for.

Percival straightened his back and gazed down towards Emelia. “We’re not trying to upset you,” he defended, looking to Bakar who had crossed his arms again and turning his head away, “we’re just trying to keep the peace and be mindful of what is going on – to help you and the wizarding world in any way we can.”

Alistair stared to the reasonable Keeper who seemed to sympathize with Emelia; every portrait, except Bakar seemed to be the only ones he liked – they were gentle and considerate when talking to her.

Emelia understood where he was coming from but still felt like they were attacking Sebastian.

“Simply be watchful of the power you have,” he cautioned, “I think with all the pent-up emotion, especially strong ones, it fuels your energy until it can’t contain itself and burst out, causing destruction and it might hurt those around you.”

Fear settled into her soul. “I’ve dealt with it when it’s gotten too much, it’s fine. I got it under control. I know what to do, I won’t hurt anyone!” she proclaimed assertively.

Alistair believed her.

The Keepers stared at her, wary with concern.

“We’re just advising you to keep your guard up and be aware of your abilities and what might cause them,” Niamh stated in a soft tone, “not everyone can withstand the power of ancient magic when coming face-to-face with it.”

Emelia thought about when Ominis had found her a couple times when she was in her own head, her ancient magic created a barrier around her; he inevitably reached her, wound-free, despite the obstacle and due to his relentless determination, comforting her in the end. The memory sunk Emelia’s heart deeper into her chest, despair flowing through her veins; he wasn’t ‘everyone’.

She nodded in acceptance. “I understand…”

The sound of her voice made Alistair sad; he rubbed his head against her cheek, and she grinned down at the caring reptile, caressing his head.

They all were silent.

“If you’re still in need of a distraction…away from the castle, we do have some…tasks for you, if you wish to accept, of course,” Percival stated, trying to ease the tension in the room.

Emelia adjusted herself, standing taller with confidence. “Give me as many as you like.”

A LITTLE OVER A WEEK LATER

The first week back for Sebastian came and went, and the weekend was just as fast.

He endured the staring, constant whispering, fearful looks, but somehow miraculously survived; he was proud of himself. He mainly had Ominis to talk to, which was fine, but Ominis was becoming more and more distant because of what happened with Emelia.

Sebastian reminisced how he heard Emelia early in the morning when he was hanging out with Duke since he couldn’t sleep, she was defending him and Ominis despite everything that happened between them, fury and all; it confirmed she still cared for them. He remembered he had to hold in a laugh when she was dissing Prewett, he never felt prouder.  

During their potions class, he saw her roll her eyes at him whenever he caught her observing him and not understanding the instructions Sharp gave them. She’d subtly showed him, cutting and grinding her own ingredients slowly and putting it in her cauldron, then look to him to make sure he does the same thing. He did and helped Ominis with his, since potions wasn’t his strong suit; without her help, he’d have failed the in-class assignments.

He felt like she was gradually warming up to him after the incident with Prewett.

It was late at night, and he’d been drafting an essay quietly at his desk, the only source of light came from his dimmed lamp while Ominis was asleep.

Sebastian’s eyes snapped to the two dark chocolate bars she gave him before she left to class that day, one was already half-eaten, while the other remained untouched; he placed his fingers on the top of the opened and folded wrapper, sliding his hands along the length of it.

An amused and grateful smirk stretched on his face.

Sebastian’s expression fell, spinning around in his chair, when he heard Ominis groaning and muttering Emelia’s name; he saw his head shift from left to right on his pillow, face pained while his restless body was tossing and turning under the covers.

His heart went out to his dear friend, knowing this whole situation with the three of them was causing him more agony than he let on, even Sebastian felt the crack – the pain – which deeply punctured his heart, his soul, and their friendship. He admits he’s had nightmares, but mainly about his time in Azkaban, his memories haunting him; occasionally, Emelia and Anne would be in his nightmares, but whenever he didn’t dream, he was secretly grateful.

Sebastian wanted to make it right with everything, with Ominis and Emelia, with Anne, but didn’t know how; he’s been trying to wrack his brain, attempting to find a solution but still coming up empty-handed.

He turned his attention to the unfinished essay on the wooden desk, struggling against the pressure of everyone outside their dorm room while Ominis fought against his own mind – nightmares that wouldn’t cease…

“Ominis…” Emelia called out from the ground in agony, her hand reaching out to him, blood running down the side of her head and the corner of her mouth; her body was cut in various places, creating small splatters around her, her blood filling the air, making Ominis tear up and quiver with fear.

“Emelia!” he yelled, his hand wanting to reach back towards her, but his hands were bound to his sides as he laid on the ground, defenseless – helpless – his wand nowhere to be seen or felt; he began to panic.

He heard familiar footsteps near Emelia and struggled more frantically against the ropes tied around his body.

“Aww, don’t call out to him, darling. It hurts my feelings when I’m right here,” Marvolo’s voice reached Ominis’ ears, suddenly enraging him.

The demented Gaunt bent down and grabbed the back of Emelia’s hair, lifting her to her knees, she moaned in pain, shaking with terror. “Ugh, get your fucking hands off me!” she hollered, grasping Marvolo’s wrist firmly with hers.

Ominis’ expression shifted to one of a demon from hell.

“Let go of her, Marvolo!” Ominis shouted sternly, desperation clearly heard in his tone.

Marvolo’s fists tightened in Emelia’s hair, pulling her towards him more, his face so close to hers that Emelia could feel his hot breath on her cheek. “Such a mouth on you,” his voice coming out smooth like silk, standing her up, “Ominis, since you kept this beautiful specimen from me, I think I’ll have a little fun first,” he informed his brother, licking Emelia’s neck gradually with intense desire. “Mmm, you taste divine…” he whispered in her ear, his tone shaky with anticipation, her expression was one of disgust, “I wonder how you’d sound…”

Wild rage flooded Ominis’ veins and heated his body. “No! Get your fucking hands off her!” he exclaimed, his body stiff and straining against the bonds. “Emelia!”

“Ominis…” she murmured in sorrow; even if he couldn’t see her, he knew her tears were present.

All Ominis could hear was the groaning and moaning of his friend, fighting against his brother.

Marvolo was getting frustrated with the continuous struggle and threw Emelia to the ground. “Very well,” he said to her, pulling out his wand, “have it your way. Say goodbye to your girlfriend, Ominis.”

“No…no!” he shouted, tears filling his eyes.

“Avada Kedavra!” Marvolo shouted, whipping his wand to Emelia.

“NO!” 

Hearing Emelia’s screams and her body falling to the ground was the last thing Ominis heard, stopping his own heart completely.

“NO! EMELIA!” Ominis howled, sitting up from his bed, panting and scaring Sebastian who’d been trying to wake him; Sebastian leaned back, taken by surprise. Ominis’ hair was stuck across his sweaty forehead, tears streaming down his face. He was trembling, hearing his raspy breath escaping him.

His nightmares had gotten worse since being away from his precious camellia; he has them almost every night now, they consisted of his family finding out about her powers, torturing her, killing her or just finding her and learning how much she meant to him, using her against him. There were some dreams where it was just him hurting her and hearing her crying again.

“Ominis, are you alright, mate?” Sebastian asked alert, hesitantly putting a hand on his back.

Ominis didn’t answer nor move. He simply gazed down at his hands, remembering the warmth of her touch, the soft and smoothness of her skin, recalling their memories together, how they spoke, her very scent imprinted in his mind…

He squeezed his hands in tight fists, not wanting to have that dream to ever come true; he wanted to protect her.

Ominis groaned, admitting to himself that it was going to be hard to stay away from her, not knowing how she’s doing or what she’s doing anymore; he understood she wanted space and time, but found a way to still let her know he was there for her. Since her refusal to speak to either of them – especially him – Ominis secretly presses the gem on his bracelet every morning and evening, sort of like wishing her a ‘good morning’ and ‘goodnight’. He sometimes notifies her with the gem, when he walks around the grounds, lake or castle, whenever he thought of a memory of them together, which was constantly; he merely did it once in a while as to not bother her. She, of course, doesn’t respond but it’s just to let her know he was thinking of her.

Sebastian waited for Ominis to speak but it seemed like he was trapped in his mind.

He sat on Ominis’ trunk at the end of his bed, a hand scratching the back of his head, wondering what he can do.

“You’ve been having more nightmares recently,” Sebastian noted, “is there something I can do to help?” he asked sincerely, peeking up at Ominis, placing his hands next to him on the wood box.

Ominis cleared his throat, finally finding his voice; he shook his head slowly. “No, I’ll deal with it,” he spoke seriously, licking his lips, tossing the blanket covers off him and swinging his legs to hang at the edge of the bed, “thanks anyway.”

He grasped his wand, going to the bathroom, closing the door and supporting himself on the sink; he hung his head down and sighed, trying to shun the nightmare from his mind.

Sebastian waited patiently where he was, crossing his arms.

Ominis struggled to calm his breathing, hearing his heart pounding in his ears; he kept replaying the nightmare, the sensation of feeling helpless brought dread upon him when he couldn’t help Emelia – he couldn’t protect her from his psychopath of a brother. He felt his chest tighten when he remembered Emelia calling out for him or when she screamed and heard her lifeless body fall; his trembling hand instantly came up to clench his clothes, wanting his heart to stop aching, and feeling his body quiver, some sweat appearing on his forehead again.

His mind was racing.

I need some air… he thought to himself.

Ominis straightened his back and used his wand to conjure a Slytherin sweater; he put it over his pajamas and walked out of the restroom, heading straight for the door.

“Whoa, wait! Where are you going?” Sebastian stood, halting him, blocking the exit.

“For a walk,” he replied simply, his hand on the doorknob, sensing Sebastian was about to ask to accompany him, but Ominis stopped him, “and no, thank you. I’d like to walk alone.”

Sebastian’s shoulders slumped. “But it’s past curfew,” he notified, hand on his hip.

“I don’t care.”

That surprised Sebastian.

He knew Ominis was a punctual, follow-the-rules type guy and for him to go out past curfew was another sign that Emelia was essential to his everyday life; he wasn’t the same Ominis.

As Sebastian accepted his friends wish, Ominis left the room and wandered to the lake, sitting on a nearby bench – one he and Emelia would sit on and talk for hours – hearing the sounds of the water and the waves rippling on its surface, the light whistle of the wind greeting his ears and touching his face.

When Ominis leaned his head back, staring towards the heavens, he remembered Emelia describing the night sky to him, how each star was beautiful, no matter how bright they shined against the dark blue abyss; he recalled her saying how she always loved staring at the moon and sometimes with some luck, there were shooting stars she saw and encouraged them to make a wish; whenever she silently made her wish, he’d ask her what it was, but to no avail – she refused to tell him.

“If I tell you, then it won’t come true!” she protested, shoving his arm lightly with hers, giggling. “You make a wish now!”

“Do I have to?” he questioned.

She thought. “No, but it’s something I like to do whenever I see shooting stars; I thought maybe you can try it.”

“Very well, you’ll be my eyes,” he gave in, happily, “we’ll make wishes together.”

Emelia grinned adoringly at him. “I hope whatever you wish for comes true…”

Ominis grinned at the memory.

“I really miss you, dove...” he muttered out loud, knowing no one would hear him besides the night sky she admired. “I wish…for your everlasting happiness, my darling princess,” he sighed heavily, “hopefully, it’ll still allow me to be with you, but if not, it won’t change my desire,” he spoke honestly.

He repeated his wish to the heavens, knowing he can’t see the shooting stars, but if they appeared, they’d hear his heartfelt request and grant it.

Ominis sat there for Merlin knows how long, but he eventually got up and went back to school, wandering the halls, careful not to get caught by prefects who happened to be surveying the echoing corridors. He swiftly went to the DADA tower and slipped into the undercroft.

He sighed in relief.

Ominis paced around the secret room for what seemed like forever; he wanted to sleep, so he tried to tire himself out – amazingly, it worked. He didn’t know what time it was, but he crafted a small bed and blanket on one side; he climbed in and was surprisingly comfortable and fell asleep instantly.

After a couple hours passed, Ominis woke up, grateful to be out of his nightmares, however, unaware of how much time had gone by, but grudgingly got up and stretched; he summoned a pocket watch and saw it was almost three in the morning.

He vanished the bed and blankets, and silently exited the undercroft. He was going to walk once more around the castle in hopes he could be given better dreams before class started for the week; that was the plan until he heard footsteps slowly making it up the stairs along with familiar heavy breathing.

Emelia… he recognized.

Emelia had just come back from fighting a camp full of Ashwinders and goblins in the highlands – she was successful at taking them down but, of course, not without having a few battle wounds of her own; it was something she was used to, she knew she was powerful, but she wasn’t invincible. This was a distraction from her current drama with Ominis and Sebastian; whenever she had the free time, she’d take care of the goblins and Ashwinders, even without Ranrok, they were ruthless.

She was taking her time going towards the Room of Requirement; she held her bleeding side while harshly grasping onto the railing with the other. Her body ached and felt bruises starting to form on her body; she knew the blood that ran down the side of her face had dried.

She was unaware Ominis was silently following her, making sure he wasn’t seen or heard. As he trailed behind her, he smelled dirt and a hint of blood; panic began to set in but told himself to strongly hold back and wait until she was alone to heal her. He closely paid attention to her steps and demeanor, hoping she wouldn’t faint; he wondered to himself what she’s been doing and hoped it had nothing to do with those Keepers.

Finally making it up the steps of the Astronomy Tower, she strode into the hallway and the door appeared; Emelia walked through to the safety of the secret room, not knowing Ominis was watching her the entire time, caring for her from a distance. Ominis approached the now empty wall, a hand placed on the concrete, knowing the entrance wouldn’t materialize before him and accepted he was no longer welcome until she deemed so; he lightly caressed the wall, squeezing his hand against the rock.

“Damn…” Ominis murmured to himself, forgetting he couldn’t go in; he hoped Emelia would be alright alone with her injuries. He closed his eyes and prayed to Merlin – anyone – to have Alistair know what to do, for he was his only hope in caring for her. Ominis thought he was losing it. Ugh, he’s only a snake, what can he do…?

He tore his hand from the wall and made his way back to the common room, not feeling like wandering anymore; his mind was filled with concern for his sweet dove, his body yearning to be with her, wanting to turn back and find a way to force the door open, but knew nothing would work.

When he entered the dorm, Sebastian was asleep at his desk; Ominis scoffed, a small grin on his face. He conjured a blanket and draped it over his shoulder. Ominis went to lay in bed, knowing he wasn’t going to go back to sleep but continuously spoke – begged – for Merlin to help Emelia with everything she’s going through and hoped he’d be able to go back to that warm light soon.

While Ominis and Sebastian were in the dorm, Emelia sat on her chair, doing her best to heal her wounds, but couldn’t concentrate – the spells weren’t working; she was sweating and slightly pale, drinking a few Wiggenweld potions which only reduced the pain and discomfort. She wrapped her injuries as tightly and securely as she could before going to bed, eventually passing out completely.

Alistair worried and stressed for her since she’s accepted the tasks given to her by the Keepers; he now understood how Ominis felt whenever he talked about her going on dangerous quests by herself and coming back wounded.

Unlike Ominis and his obvious love for Emelia, Alistair understood his compassion and care for her was more platonic; sure, he’d flirt but he was just trying to get a rise out of Ominis, mostly stating facts – to him, she was an attractive, intelligent and caring woman, who was stubborn and tough, and notably, the one who held Ominis’ heart.

Alistair sighed and apparated from his warm enclosure to the middle of the room, the cold tile against his underside and altered to his human form, not taking his eyes off Emelia, who remained asleep.

Yes, he was an animagi.

He was just as tall as Ominis, muscular like Sebastian, his medium-length, dirty-blonde hair was parted on the side while the rest of it was wavy, slightly curling outward, and unruly. Alistair straightened his vest, dusting off his clothes, his one blue eye peeked behind a few strands while his left was clouded similar to Ominis’, seeing Emelia’s expression pained.

He gradually strode to the side of her bed, his fingers rubbing against his palms, anxiously, but since Emelia forbade Ominis from coming in, he had no choice but to sneak around and heal her when he could; there were times when she was half asleep, she’d open her eyes, and had mistaken him for Ominis, only to fall back into her dreams.

Alistair brought out his wand, gripping the hilt, concentrating and began healing her the best he could with the knowledge his mother had taught him. Emelia groaned in pain but soon her distressed expression relaxed, and she slept soundly.

He exhaled, smirking down at her with relief, gently feeling her forehead – it was sweaty and warm, so he conjured a small towel, shooting a tiny amount of water on it and placed it over her brows, instantly cooling her down; Emelia’s body eased and moaned in her sleep in contentment.

He made a promise to Ominis he’d protect her and keep her safe and happy when he was away; this was no different. As he got to know her, the obligated vow he held melted and transformed into genuine care, concern and benevolence; she became important to him – a friend, and her happiness and safety was in his hands.

As Alistair watched her sleep, he felt shame knowing he was hiding a secret of his own from both of them, but he didn’t think they’d accept him for who he was – he didn’t really know who he was, his past was a mystery.

All he knew was his name was Alistair Gray, his father was a muggle, and his mother was a witch.

He was a half-blood, and meaninglessly wandered alone in the world after his parents passed, until Ominis and Emelia saved him; without them, he didn’t know where he’d be. He was extremely grateful and wanted to make it up to them, but for the time being, he knew he had to wait for the right moment to reveal the truth and prayed they accepted him when the moment came.

--

Chapter Text

It’s been almost three weeks since Ominis revealed Sebastian to Emelia, and all three of them were in their own worlds, wandering almost mindlessly in their own lives; they were lost without each other.

Sebastian was cramming, taking everything he heard and saw in from classes, asking professors for help after everyone had gone; he’d tried asking Ominis, but he was no help after the days went on, always wanting to be alone. Whenever his head wasn’t in a textbook or his body wasn’t planted behind a desk, he was relaxing either in the undercroft, listening to music or walking around outside, taking a book with him to sit and do some light reading; however, always going to the same place in the end, the stone with a small patch of grass he’d found from the start, which overlooked the Black Lake and…where he adoringly watched over Emelia. 

He'd gotten into a routine and noticed she did too; every day during her free periods or after classes, she’d come to the massive, slanted rock for a couple hours to stare out at the view in front of her and bring a white snake with some dark lines along more often, which he assumed was her pet. He saw she always talked to it, gesturing with her hands, sort of like she was venting to it, which Sebastian thought was adorable.

Sebastian reminisced the first day he started classes to now and how Emelia gradually began to acknowledge him, giving him chocolate to speaking a few words here and there to him at first, but now, they’re actual sentences and brief conversations. He was extremely happy about the progress; he even observed some of his fellow classmates’ tension had eased around him, some of the guys talked with him, complimenting him on his intense focus after answering questions in class, and some girls smiled, blushing his way when he walked passed, giving him some confidence.

It was slow, but it was still progress.

Emelia, however, was exhausted. She wasn’t only balancing school duties in the day and completing tasks the Keepers gave her as a distraction at night, but she was also battling sleep; she’s been having nightmares, more often and intense, some of the wounds appearing in real life like before.  She sometimes saw Nurse Blainey if the injuries were serious, both from her nightmares and from her outside encounters, fibbing about what happened to her.  Emelia couldn’t concentrate in class and only stared at whatever was in front of her or feeling her eyes gravitate to the two boys near her. 

She noticed from the start Sebastian was anxious and shaky; knowing he loved all flavors of sweets, especially dark chocolate, she conjured him a bar. She’d meet his gaze during classes but not knowing what to say to him, she simply walked away, the sting of hurt still lingered in her heart.

Every now and then, she’d assist Sebastian from afar when she witnessed him struggling in class; she was still upset, but it didn’t mean she didn’t care about him. She’d chat with her other friends and classmates, who still were wary about Sebastian being back; however, she encouraged them to take it easy on him and see how he’s changed, believing in her own words, but some remained unconvinced.

Emelia struggled to comprehend Ominis’ choice to go along with Sebastian’s decision to withhold the information from her – she had trusted him wholeheartedly; she understood he was doing it to protect her, but she felt like he should’ve known she was strong enough, that she didn’t need protection, she just wanted the truth, no matter how painful or tough it might be to hear it.

Unfortunately, she avoided Ominis – she didn’t want to, but her chest ached and twisted whenever she saw him, her feelings were torn between her anger against him, and wanting to simply hug him tightly and apologize for her irrationality, crying and beg him to forgive her, for them to go back to how their friendship used to be; she missed his strong arms wrapped around her, his vanilla, minty scent with a touch of his favorite tea lingering – dancing – around her, she missed how whenever he was around or held her, his warmth made her feel safe.  She missed it all – his soft smile, conscious gaze, charming laughter, gentle touches, his tender voice whenever he spoke to her, her nicknames that sounded like honey coming from his lips, his breath grazing her neck or ear, making her cheeks flush and body heat up, sending shivers up her spine.

In between her night and day responsibilities, after class, she’d take Alistair out and get a couple hours of fresh air as she promised, explaining what happened in classes, who annoyed her – usually Prewett – but Ominis and Sebastian would come up more than she realized, which Alistair took note of.  After the night giving Alistair a tour and introducing the Keepers, she summarized her whole fifth year to him, who now saw her in a new light – one of great heroism and bravery, selfless and kind; he understood that she tried to help a friend in need, following her conscience and her heart.

Ominis, however, was to himself most of the time now, annoyed with everyone and at everything. He didn’t take pride in his appearance like before, his hair was in complete disarray, clothes were loose and slightly wrinkled; he couldn’t concentrate, the only calm or happy moments he has in his life now was when his thoughts were consumed by Emelia – not intimately – just…her, remembering every little thing about her, moments together and especially hearing her laughter.

His heart called out to her louder as each day passed. Anne noticed the difference: he was more prone to outbursts, irritable and reckless, almost like Sebastian was when he was upset; he was more distant as well and grumbled at everything – he was miserable without her. Anne never seen Ominis happier unless he was with Emelia. She’d try to talk to him, but he’d give maybe one- or two-word answers and responses; she finally had enough.

“Ominis!” Anne called out to him when she saw him in the nearly empty common room, lounging on a chair, his legs hanging over the armrest, back against the other and his head hung back lazily.

Ominis opened his eyes and slightly turned his head towards Anne’s direction, acknowledging her.

“Come on, you have to stop acting this way,” she started, minor irritation in her voice.

He didn’t say anything but rotate his head back to the ceiling and intertwine his fingers together on top of his stomach.

“What’s been done is done,” she continued, taking a seat in the chair in front of him, “you made a mistake. Accept it.”

That statement infuriated him.

He swung his legs over, sitting straight, leaning forward a bit as he tightly gripped the armrests. “I know I made a mistake! I know I did! I’m not stupid, Anne!” he said in a booming tone, his voice resounding in the dark room, making everyone who resided silent, looking their way with fearful eyes.

Anne inclined back, startled, peeking back at her observing classmates.

It was quiet between them for a few moments.

“Listen…” Anne began in a low and cautious voice, not wanting to trigger Ominis’ outbursts, “I know you’re not stupid, Ominis, and I know you just wanted to do what was best for Em, I do, but right now she’s trying to figure it all out – process it – by herself…without anyone…” she clarified, speaking her mind.

Her words resonated within him; he knew she was right about it all. He sat back lazily on the chair; his annoyance had left him as he thought of his sweet girl.

“You know I’ve known you for years, and I’ve never seen you as attentive, caring and loving towards someone until you met Emelia,” she admitted, reminiscing back on their interactions and watching his behavior with her, bringing a tight grin to her face.

Ominis objected with a groan.

“Don’t deny it,” Anne declared, pointing a finger at him; he didn’t say a word after, his mind was recollecting his dove’s scent, laughter, her snide remarks, even her foul mouth he adored.

He didn’t want to deny it, but he didn’t want to accept it either; afraid if he did, it’ll only lead to trouble, and end up, ultimately, putting her in danger.

-

Since giving the two chocolate bars to Sebastian, whenever Emelia entered Ancient Runes, she’d find Sebastian sitting in his chair next to hers with a small piece of chocolate on her desk along with a small flower next to it; the flowers were always different each class. She’d take a seat, blushing a bit and grinning as she ate the chocolate, glancing towards Sebastian. He smirked back as he was leaning his head on his propped arm, gawking at her; she was warming up to him and they both knew it.

It was finally the last day before the weekend and Emelia was grateful for it; she’d been dozing off during lectures and was late to class a couple times for sleeping in.  She was outside at her usual place on the enormous rock with Alistair, who was coiled up beside her; he was enjoying the sunshine and being outside of the limited enclosure.  Emelia was talking to Alistair about what she was planning to do for the weekend – maybe raiding more camps or this time: relaxing; she was undecided.

Sebastian was at his typical spot, reading and admiring Emelia from afar; he noticed lately, she was exhausted and sleeping in class. He remembered there was a time she slept in potions and Garreth distracted Professor Sharp while Natty and Amit woke her up; he confesses Weasley wasn’t actually bad, always looking out for her and was surprisingly the first to talk with him since he started, treating him like any other student, a human being – a friend even.

He hadn’t really spoken to her out of class and wanted that to change. He knew he was supposed to be patient and wait for her, but he couldn’t take it anymore, seeing her silent sorrow and despair became unbearable to him, it clenched his soul; he wanted to chase away the pain, wipe away her tears – everything, only so she can beam her radiant grin again, one which doesn’t require pretending of any kind.

Sebastian vanished his book and stood with determination, taking a deep breath in and out; he was going to bring her smile back, he was going to make it all right again.

He missed her and wanted his friend back.

He took a few steps back in preparation.

“Emelia!” he suddenly shouted cheerfully, getting her attention.

She snapped her head towards the sound of her name, gazing at a familiar silhouette on a high rock by the ascending stairs. “Sebastian…?” she wondered in realization; Alistair twirled his head around to see who this Sebastian was.

Sebastian waved at her, ran and jumped off the safety of the elevated stone and let gravity take him, hollering all the way down.

“Sebastian!” Emelia yelled fearful, quickly standing to her feet and about to use her wand, but Sebastian, being cunning and clever as he is, summoned his broom at the last minute, creating ripples on the lake’s surface and flew towards her and around with glee.

Emelia groaned in annoyance, and she sat down where she had been leaning, watching Sebastian, Alistair made his way up to sit on her legs; she stroked his scales to calm her frightened beating heart.

Sebastian landed his broom in the middle of the slanted rock, disappearing it and slowly walked up the steep hill.

She turned her head to look at him then shifted her gaze swiftly away, shaking her head in disapproval. “I fucking hate you…” she stated, continuing to rub Alistair’s smooth scales, not believing he’d make her worry like that.

Alistair focused his attention to Sebastian, carefully analyzing him; he saw Sebastian was a handsome-looking gentleman, he was built with descent muscle mass, wild wavy hair and freckles that seemed to cover his face in a charming way.  He didn’t want to make any final decisions or judgments on him, but he knew Ominis and Emelia cared deeply for Sebastian with the way they spoke of him.

“Why?” Sebastian asked innocently, his expression confused, “because I made you realize you still care about me?” he teased her with a large smirk, taking a seat beside her, their legs touching.

Emelia was silent, continuing to pet Alistair.

“I am sorry,” he apologized, “I didn’t know how else to break the ice.”

Emelia scoffed, struggling to hide a grin wanting to appear, but to no avail. “Couldn’t just simply say ‘hi’?” she questioned, finally peeking his way.

Her beautiful smile and green eyes pierced through him, puncturing his heart with satisfaction and delight.

There it is…her gorgeous smile… he said to himself with pride.

He shrugged. “You know, simply saying ‘hi’ isn’t my thing,” he told her, grinning, “Besides, I think the ‘jumping-off-the-rock’ worked better anyway,” Sebastian stated, shoving her shoulder with his lightly.

Emelia couldn’t stop smiling, she had to look down to Alistair.

“Who’s this?” Sebastian asked, pointing towards the reptile.

She carefully lifted Alistair to show Sebastian, meeting eye to eye with the Slytherin boy.

“This is Alistair, he’s blind in one eye,” she replied happily.

“Alistair, huh…” he repeated.

Emelia merely nodded.

“I didn’t know you were into snakes,” he perceived, observing the reptile and seeing thin paintbrush-like strokes of brown and black along his majority white body; he saw the snake also had some scars – some prominent, others faded.

“Well, I am a Slytherin, what did you expect? It’s been almost a year, Sallow; there’s a whole lot of new things you need to learn about me. I’m not the same bright-eyed girl from fifth year anymore,” she confirmed, snidely.

Merlin, her wittiness was ungodly attractive... Sebastian told himself.

“I’d love the opportunity to discover everything there is to know about you again,” he answered sincerely, deliberately staring at her with honest eyes.

Emelia blushed red, her face heating up at his confession, feeling a magnetic pull towards him; the subtle change in his voice still shocked her, it was deeper and sounded more soothing.

She was dangerously attracted to it…

“You know…” his voice brought her out of her daydream, “he kinda looks like Ominis,” Sebastian examined Alistair closely.

“That’s what I said,” she informed, remembering when Ominis showed Alistair to her.

Sebastian gradually moved his hand towards the white snake, attempting to pet him, but Alistair hissed and gave a warning strike, showing his fangs with fierce aggression.

Emelia held Alistair away from Sebastian, who jumped back with a holler.

“Alistair!” she gasped, her tone surprised. She looked towards the snake with disappointment; he avoided her gaze, a bit ashamed.

Sebastian hummed, not offended by his action. “Sure acts like Ominis…” he stated, jokingly.

Emelia urged the snake to apologize to Sebastian, however, he rotated his head, continuing to refuse to meet her eyes; Sebastian assured her it was okay. Grunting, she put him beside her, ordering him to stay still; she swirled her attention to Sebastian and observed his hands. “He didn’t get you, did he? I swear, he’s not usually like this,” she said, reaching her hands out to examine both sides of them.

“No, and even if he did, I wouldn’t put it past him, I’m basically a stranger; sorry, I should’ve asked,” Sebastian informed, apologizing and smiling at the snake, who was peeking over the rock and meeting his eyes.

Emelia exhaled, realizing Sebastian was definitely more understanding than last year and more level-headed; it was appealing to her.

“He does have similar qualities to Ominis,” she agreed chuckling, but her thoughts grew negative, “but Alistair hasn’t kept things from me…” she muttered under her breath.

“Emi, you gotta stop with that grudge,” he spoke exasperated, “yes, we lied, we admit that, that’s on us, but it was all for you. You understand that, right?” he told her, not knowing how to make her understand that she was always the reason for their agreements and decisions – past and present.

Emelia didn’t speak, aching pain filling her soul.

She was reminiscing on her times with Ominis and how sweet and generous he was with her, how patient when she knew she was undoubtedly driving him nuts, but he remained with her – at her side – helped her with everything and anything; she terribly missed him so much, her heart constricted, yearning to be near him but her stubbornness was getting in the way.

A few moments passed, Alistair slithered onto Emelia’s lap and wrapped his body into her hands, nudging them with his head as an apology; Emelia made Alistair apologize to Sebastian for nearly biting his hand, Alistair unenthusiastically apologized by being near Sebastian’s outreached hand once more and lightly tapping his finger with his nose. Sebastian smirked happily while Emelia stroked his smooth scales, and during that time, Sebastian memorized her face, her eyes, lips, even some beauty marks she had; he recognized her maturity and how she’s grown since last year.  Hence, why he could stare at her all day, but couldn’t take her silence.

“Look, Emi, I know you said you didn’t want to talk to either of us, but please talk to me,” he begged her.

She peeked at him, tearing her eyes from Alistair; she saw him swallow a huge lump in his throat, waiting for her response, but she didn’t know what to say.

“Don’t be too angry at Ominis…please…he was really only worried about you…”

Emelia sighed, rubbing her forehead. “…he hid you from me, Sebastian…” she finally answered heartbroken, her voice cracking, refusing to meet his alluring brown eyes.

That statement alone would’ve toppled him over if his hands weren’t beside him; the way she said it made him feel wanted.

He shook his head quickly. “Because he didn’t know how you’d react,” he reiterated, looking at her with concern, hoping and praying she wouldn’t cry – it would break his heart more than it was already seeing her distressed expression. “Emelia, it was my idea to not tell you, remember? He didn’t want to keep it a secret; he just wanted to make sure you would be alright with me being around…after…” he explained but trailed off.

She scoffed, bravely lifting her eyes to glimpse over at him. “Did you tell him right away or did he find out like I did?”

“I was trying to figure out a way to…face you guys, but he found me…”

“And how did he react when he found you, huh?”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, adjusting his position to stare out towards the Black Lake and mountainous scenery with a pleased grin. “Let’s just say he’s a more powerful puncher than I remember him to be,” he answered, “my face still hurts remembering it,” he smiled, rubbing his cheek and chin.

Emelia’s eyes widened, shocked. “He punched you?!”  

He nodded, snickering at the memory, continuing to stare in front of him. “More than once, I might add, but I deserved it for hurting you all.”

Emelia shifted her eyes away to gawk at the same stunning view before her, glancing occasionally at the affectionate reptile. “I…didn’t know that…I didn’t think he’d – ” she said slowly aloud but was interrupted by Sebastian.

“Punch me? Get violent?” he finished for her; he shrugged, “I didn’t think so either, but people change over time,” he stated distantly, “I get it…”

Silence.

Ominis was always sweet and soft towards her, he was actually the one who was helping her avoid detention by being the conscience on her shoulder; he’d steer her away and keep her from violence or fights, even when they were asking for it. She never imagined Ominis would actually hit Sebastian or…anyone.

“I’m sorry Ominis punched you,” she apologized, not knowing why she was saying sorry in the first place; she had a funny feeling it was her fault.

“You punched me too,” he recalled chuckling, “or did you forget?” he teased, looking at her with a massive grin.

She laughed, mirroring his smile. “I am sorry about that too; I did apologize!” she declared.

He agreed. “You did, but now you have to make it up to me just a tiny bit more,” he clarified, putting his hand up to make a gesture with his fingers.

“How?” Emelia asked.

“Come with me to meet a friend and redo our reunion, this time without tears,” he proclaimed, determination in his eyes as he watched her expression.

Emelia scoffed, making a face at him. “That’s it?” she questioned in disbelief.

Sebastian nodded. “Yeah. Why? Should I have asked for something else?” he wondered, tilting his body and face closer to Emelia, staring into her eyes and lips, teasingly.

Although Sebastian was joking, he really wanted to lean over completely, to press his lips onto her soft-looking ones and kiss her – to show her how much he missed her, that his feelings from last year were still there and were stronger than ever.

Emelia could feel the heat rise to her cheeks to her ears, reddening them shamelessly; she was at a loss for words and felt her heart pounding her chest and beating in her ears.  She stared at his gentle face, covered in faint freckles, which matured a bit but mostly into his still kind eyes, however, she knew they were now ones that hid his pain, his fears and his experience from Azkaban; she wanted to keep his soft gaze and chase away – eliminate – the rest, so his heart wouldn’t feel so heavy.

A charming smile stretched along Sebastian’s face. “I’m not that mean, but then again, there are new things you need to learn about me,” he stated mockingly, winking and moving away from her; she flushed more, embarrassed. Emelia rolled her eyes, hitting his arm, chuckling, telling him how annoying and such a tease he was; Sebastian just laughed, taking the attacks with pride.

She really missed Sebastian as he much as missed her.

-

Ominis and Anne were talking around the school, passing students along the way; he was focused on getting to the Great Hall half hour earlier, hoping with the anticipation, he’d be willing to eat something since he hadn’t had a good appetite lately. 

He strode across the cement leisurely until he heard a sweet familiar laugh.

Emelia… he thought.

He stopped abruptly, Anne almost running into him, and he listened carefully.

Her laughter came from a distance again, he snapped his head in the general direction and instinctively followed it like a hound on a scent trail.

He went around the Viaduct Courtyard which wrapped around the building of the Great Hall; Ominis found her voice, but the barriers kept him from seeing exactly where she was.

Anne, of course, followed and heard Emelia’s voice as well – and Sebastian’s. She peeked over the edge of the wall and saw Emelia and Sebastian sitting side by side on a rock, talking and laughing with each other; she didn’t know how they got there, but her heart lightened a bit hearing Sebastian’s laughter, reminding her of their childhood.

She gave Ominis a sympathetic look.

Listening to them talk and snicker, Ominis’ heart grew heavier, and his expression sunk; he knew this was bound to happen, not surprised yet wished she would’ve talked to him by now.

“Hmm,” Anne hummed, observing her dear friend and twin.

Ominis shifted his head to her, curious on her thoughts.

“No matter how much time has passed, they always seem to find a way back to each other…” she realized, feeling happy for them, but knew Ominis was withholding something she only theorized.

Ominis grumbled annoyed and irritation began to take over his body once more, even anger – jealousy: a definite. “Yes…they do…” he grudgingly agreed in a low murmur, pained by the truth.

He shut his eyes tightly, straining to shake those sensations away, then opened them, walking off with frustration.

“Whoa, wait!” Anne called out, running after him.

He stopped; his body turned slightly towards her. “Please leave me be, I wish to be alone.”

Anne slumped her shoulders. “Ominis…if you want to talk…” she began, at a loss on what to do for him.

He shook his head. “I’ll see you at dinner later,” he stated, using his wand to guide him back towards the common room.

She nodded, accepting his request.

As he walked off, tears formed in his eyes, hearing his darling princess’ giggle sounding in the distance; it was once his own joy and happiness, but not it was only his pain and torture.

Anne saw the dark cloud hovering above her friend, knowing this wasn’t easy for him to acknowledge them together again; she knew he was believing his thoughts of Emelia leaving him behind were coming true.

Anne peeked over at Sebastian and Em once more before taking off towards the library to do some studying before dinner.

-

Before dinner, Sebastian convinced Emelia to come with him to meet a friend: Duke.

Sebastian took them by broom, Emelia hanging on tightly to him as they flew to the Bell Tower Wing with Alistair was wrapped around her neck.

Alistair was amazed at the sights he saw, never being so high up and feeling like he could fly like the birds next to him.

During the flight, Sebastian’s scent filled Emelia’s nose and she had to remind herself to breathe. She recalled all the memories from last year and how close they were when they were sneaking into the library for the first time and how it made her heart pound against her ribcage and imprinted its scent into her heart.

“Thank you,” she said to Sebastian out of the blue, attempting to distract her mind of wandering into hypotheticals and keeping her feelings in the past closed.

He turned his head to the side to glance at her. “What for?”

“For the chocolates and flowers on my desk,” she clarified, blushing at the memory.

Sebastian grinned happily. “I got two bars of chocolate; I wasn’t going to eat it all by myself,” he teased, shifting his head back to the front to hide his blushing face, “truthfully…I just wanted to let you know I’m here, patiently waiting for you.”

Emelia flushed rose red, hiding her face, looking the other way, slightly tightening her arms around his waist, moving closer to his warm back; Sebastian’s body tensed a bit, butterflies swarmed in his stomach at her squeezing him but had a feeling they were getting closer and their bond getting stronger.

Once on the school grounds, he let Emelia get off first, unwrapping Alistair from around her neck to hold; Sebastian vanished his broom and urged her to follow him into the small garden. Duke instantly noticed Sebastian and became ecstatic, flapping his wings happily.

“Hey buddy!” Sebastian exclaimed joyfully, walking up with his arms out wide, hugging and patting the dragon’s neck.

Emelia cautiously strode towards the scene with Alistair in hand.

“This is your friend?” she questioned.

“Yeah, I met him before I started school; he’s cool, doesn’t talk much but he’s a great listener,” he grinned towards the dragon, who he gladly gave head scratches to.

Emelia hummed, looking at Alistair. “I know what you mean,” she grinned at the snake, rubbing under his chin.

“Come here,” Sebastian encouraged, holding out his hand to her.

She hesitantly but took his rough yet smooth hand, and he gradually pulled her towards the winged hedge.

“It’s okay…” he soothed her, lifting his head to the dragon, “Duke, this is Emelia, the one I’ve…told you about,” he stammered, face turning a rosy-red, sounding embarrassed; every time he’d visit Duke, the main topic was Emelia.

Sebastian guided her hand to delicately stroke its neck, gently placing his warm hand over hers, then giving her a gentle smile before removing his hand completely.

“You talked about me?” she wondered in pleasant surprise, caressing the dragon; Sebastian waved his head left and right casually. “Hopefully it was all good things he told you,” she joked, speaking to the sculpted grass hedge.

The dragon’s head lowered, sniffing her and Alistair, who hissed defensively. Emelia giggled at the slight tickle from its snout meeting her cheeks; Duke then snuggled up into her chest and she gently rubbed the side of his head making her way to the top.

“It’s nice to meet you, Duke,” she greeted, petting the top of his snout, which he seemed to thoroughly enjoy; Emelia felt a bit bad for always passing him last year, she honestly feared he could breathe fire if she were to offend him or speak to him wrong.

Sebastian sighed relieved Duke and Emelia hit it off.

“You come here often?” her voice suddenly sounded, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He snapped his gaze to her, who he realized was already staring at him; he cleared his throat before speaking. “Who else would listen to me?” he joked, sitting on a nearby bench, “no offense, but you wouldn’t talk to me, Anne definitely won’t talk to me and Ominis…ugh,” he grumbled annoyed, “Ominis has been insufferable as of late.”

Emelia lowered her hand from caressing the dragon’s head, thinking about the blonde boy with the hypnotizing cloudy eyes and gentle smile.

“How…is he? What has he been doing…?” she asked, genuinely curious, worried for him.

Sebastian licked his lips, bending over and placing his elbows on his knees, letting his arms dangle in front of him; he sighed, thinking of his old friend. “He’s been…miserable. He barely eats, sleeps, and when he does sleep, he has nightmares; he tries to take notes in class, but it’s only a couple sentences before he gives up all together. He’s easily irritable, keeps to himself, always angry, more sarcastic…the opposite of the Ominis we know; he won’t even help me with class assignments much anymore, not like he used to, his heart’s not in it,” he explained calmly, staring at his feet for a few breaths then up to meet her eyes.

Emelia took in the information; she let out a sigh, knowing that didn’t sound like the Ominis she knew. Sebastian saw her fearful and worried guise; he knew she cared for him deeply, making him a bit jealous, wondering if she felt that way for him.

“Oh! How about you help me?” he suddenly stood excitedly, hoping to divert her attention from the dark cloud of thoughts he knew was consuming her mind.

“Huh?” she asked, her face confused. “With what?”

“Classes, just like how I did for you last year!”

“Ominis really won’t help you?” she wondered, raising her eyebrows.

Sebastian groaned, rubbing the back of his head, the other hand on his hips. “I think I’d rather take my chances with you. I guarantee with the way he’s been acting now, he’d actually kill me,” he answered, glancing away from her.

Emelia let out a chuckle, making Sebastian’s heart clench with joy.

“There was a time – not too long ago – I did ask, but he used Depulso on me because I was probably being annoying and persistent on having his help,” he snickered at the recollection, turning his attention downward again.

She thought about it.

After a minute or so, she spoke. “What are you willing to do for my help?” she questioned curious.

“Anything!” he exclaimed enthusiastically, taking a step towards her, “I need this to prove myself,” he answered almost desperately, his eyes pleading.

Emelia swallowed a lump in her throat; she already agreed to herself that she’d help him, but she couldn’t resist teasing him.

“Okay,” she simply said.

Sebastian snapped his head up and took another step towards her, his expression overjoyed. “Okay?” he repeated with glee.

She nodded. “But…” she spoke, letting the suspense sink in.

“But…?”

“You have to beg me,” she smirked cunningly.

“What?” he said in disbelief.

Her smile widened. “You want my help, beg me.”

Sebastian scoffed at her foxy tricks; they were as attractive as her wit.

“You serious?” he wondered, biting his bottom lip.

She shrugs. “You said I still have to make it up to you for punching you, so…this is your way of making it up to me for keeping secrets,” she negotiated, tilting her head.

“Is this non-negotiable?” Sebastian asked.

Emelia nodded.

“Would you like me on my knees or…?” he wondered, questioning his body position and sincerely intrigued on what she wanted.

She shook her head. “No, unless you think that’d be best,” she blushed, rubbing Alistair’s scales to ease her rattling heart.

Sebastian chuckled. “I’ll stand then,” he confirmed in front of her; he swallowed, nervous to speak at first, but when he saw her gorgeous, wavy brunette hair on the sides of her awaiting face, her captivating green eyes staring at him, he knew exactly what he needed to say. “Emelia Selene Starke, I, Sebastian Sallow, am begging you to help me with my struggles and my flaws, for you are the most intelligent, witty…devious…” he smiled wider, licking his lips, speaking only truth, “the strongest, toughest, funniest and incredibly gorgeous woman I know; you’ve never given up on me…please find it in your tender and giving heart to help me…” he whispered the last part in a defeated and shattered tone.

The whole time Emelia’s heartbeat pounded in her chest, wanting to explode out; her breathing had quickened. The strange part was she believed every word Sebastian said, his eyes never showed a shred of doubt or deception in his words; she trusted he was sincere and speaking from his heart.

She couldn’t say ‘no’ to him, even if she wanted to; she…liked him begging.

Emelia stood her ground, straining to keep her face neutral.

After a moment, she couldn’t hold back a triumphant grin, blushing at his flattery, meeting his chocolate brown eyes, which glistened when the sun hit it exactly right or sometimes when he was staring at her. “So dramatic,” she stated, “I’ll help you, but only because you think I’m gorgeous,” she teased, cheeks flushed red.

Sebastian smirked happily, his cheeks blushing. “Thank you,” he appreciated, his body relaxed, instantly wrapping his arms around her shoulders in gratitude; it surprised her at first, but she embraced him back warmly.

Emelia grinned into his chest.

After spending some time with Duke, Sebastian encouraged them to go back to the undercroft. As they walked through Hogwarts and came upon the entrance of the secret room. Sebastian asked Emelia to stay where she was while he prepared the space; he went through the door, leaving Emelia with Alistair and her thoughts. She was anxious about entering, but this time, it was because she thought Ominis would show up at any moment; she frantically looked around the DADA tower, listening for any familiar footsteps.

Alistair saw Emelia’s somber expression and slithered up to wrap himself around her neck like before, embracing her with his entire body; Emelia rubbed his scales, acknowledging what he was trying to do. She unwrapped the reptile from around her and placed him on the nearby ledge.

“Stay,” she commanded casually, looking down at her feet, hands above her knees to keep her from falling over; she was feeling her whole body shake, feeling her relationship with Ominis would never be the same, she’d never feel his warmth and hear his comforting words again.

Ominis… she thought to herself.

When Sebastian was satisfied about the layout of the room, he came back with a massive grin, but it instantly faded, noticing Emelia hunched over, trapped in her mind and he knew why.

Partially.

“Hey…” he cautiously spoke, “you okay…?”

Her eyes snapped from the ground to him, some tears visible.

“Whoa, hey, hey, it’s okay…” he said more alertly; before he could stop himself, we went up to her, lightly pulling her wrist towards him and quickly hugging her securely – instinctively. He embraced her around her waist and at the back of her head, pulling her head closer to him. “you’re okay…I’m right here…”

Alistair lifted his head, observing the touching and heartwarming scene, seeing the history and genuine care and friendship between them.

The way Sebastian was soothing her and holding her, reminded her of when Ominis hugged her before they went in last time. Emelia was shocked, even startled about the embrace at first, but then she without thinking, lifted her arms up to wrap around Sebastian’s muscular figure tightly, her hands against his warm back, pressing her face and body closer to him, a few tears spilling down her cheek and onto his shirt; his chest was also firm, but it was his scent that intoxicated her, and his tenderness and sincere concern for her was both pleasant and appealing.

Emelia couldn’t resist but snuggle closer to Sebastian, her face in his neck; surprisingly, his smell eased her mind, and she took a deep inhale, exhaling onto Sebastian’s neck which sent goosebumps up his arms and chills up his spine. Sebastian felt his lower half begin to harden so he swiftly but gently moved her away to look at her, wanting to make sure she was alright.

Sebastian held her face in between his hands, his eyes focused on her, seeing the tears and wiped them away delicately with his thumbs. “You know, even when you’re crying, you’re still the most beautiful thing in this world,” he stated, hoping to cheer her up and smile.

Emelia blushed, scoffing at him. “Yeah right,” she protested flustered, refusing to meet his eyes.

“I’m serious,” he replied sternly; he wasn’t hiding anything, revealing a bit of his vulnerability to her.

She felt his hands heat up and caress her face softly as she finally managed to make eye contact with the handsome Slytherin; they stared into each other’s eyes almost passionately, both of them feeling like they were being drawn closer together.

Emelia blinked quickly, shunning her bizarre sensations and thoughts aside and cleared her throat. “Thanks…for, uh…this…” she appreciated, stumbling over her words a bit as she took a reluctant step away, his warmth disappearing from her skin.

Clearing his throat, he removed his hands from her face embarrassed; he licked his lips, rubbing the back of his neck, gazing way. “Y-yeah, no problem,” he stuttered, continuing to cough, shifting his body away to hide his half-risen erection.

Emelia could feel her heart beating faster and face literally turning red; she wiped her eyes of whatever tears remained.

When a few heartbeats passed, Emelia’s mind was clear and her chest eased; Sebastian had done everything he could to deflate his embarrassment, and as soon as he was satisfied he wouldn’t humiliate himself, he directed his attention to Emelia.

“Look,” he began, struggling to find the right words, “Ominis isn’t in there and to be honest, he doesn’t go in there as often as you might think; I promise what I said about him keeping to himself was true,” he stated truthfully, gesturing towards the undercroft.

Emelia bit her lip and slowly nodded. “I’ll go in, but if Ominis happens to come in, I’m leaving,” she told him.

Sebastian held up his hands in surrender. “Alright,” he accepted.

She hated that she’d been purposely avoiding Ominis, ignoring the bracelet buzzing every morning, night and randomly every other time in the afternoon; she yearned for things to go back to the way things were, but she didn’t know where to start.

Emelia pushed the depressing feelings aside, focusing on rekindling her friendship with Sebastian and smirked at him; she carefully grabbed Alistair from the ledge, immediately rubbing his smooth scales. “After you,” she said, gesturing towards the door with her head and eyes.

Sebastian exhaled, beaming his charming smile back with a hand extended out to her. “Come on,” he encouraged.

She softly took his hand and his long, warm fingers curled around her soft ones and he gently pulled her along; they went through the secret entrance and Sebastian released her hand, moving behind her.

“What are you doing?” she questioned alert, head turned to him, seeing his arms and hands up, near the sides of her face.

“Do you trust me?” he questioned.

Emelia hesitated to answer but managed a nod, rotating away. “Just mind your hands, Sallow; wouldn’t want Alistair to have a new chew toy,” she teased, concealing a smirk; Alistair hissing on cue, making her chuckle.

“Maybe you should be less focused on where my hands are and more focused on your feet, Starke; wouldn’t want you to trip and fall,” he shot back mockingly.

She scoffed and Sebastian gradually but carefully put his hands over her eyes; his warmth relaxed her shoulders and body without fail.

Emelia heard the gates open, and she instantly smelled the familiar fragrant mixture of flowers and pastries again – just like last time – bringing a small grin to her face. Alistair saw the scene and couldn’t help but be impressed. Sebastian urged her onward slowly, watching her step, taking a quick look, observing everything he’d prepared around them, beaming with pride. She walked forward until he told her to stop and became hesitant to remove his hands.

He was amazed she allowed him to cover her eyes; he was amazed she trusted him.

“Okay…ready?” he asked, nervousness subtly presenting itself.

“Yes…”

Emelia was anxious too but welcomed the unknown.

She trusted Sebastian.

He slowly removed his hands from over her vision; she opened her eyes, squinting and blinking quickly, getting adjusted to the light.

As her sight got accustomed, she saw a similar view as before: every flower you can think of were in bouquets in vases all around the dimmed undercroft, covering more space compared to last time; there was also a medium-sized table with lavish variety of pastries and snacks on top, the soft melody of a small orchestra playing and, of course, the stunning fireflies flying around the room – the whole scenery was still as breathtaking as before.

Alistair took in everything and felt himself warming up to Sebastian; he wasn’t a bad guy as he thought him to be.

Emelia managed a step forward and exhaled heavily in joy.

After a few agonizing heartbeats, she spun her body around halfway to the freckled boy.

“You think the same scenery is going to make it up to both you and me?” she wondered, raising an eyebrow, a hint of a smile wanting to appear.

Sebastian shrugged, putting his hands on his hips. “It won’t make it up for what we did right away, but it’s a start, plus, you didn’t get a chance to thoroughly enjoy it last time,” he stated, giving her a warm and tender smile.

Emelia returned a soft grin and was anxious to walk around, taking a closer look at what Sebastian did just for her.  She agreed with him and nodded, looking down to Alistair who was admiring the view; she brought up the snake near her eye level and stared into his one blue eye.

“I’m going to hand you over to Sebastian,” she stated.

“What?!” Sebastian’s body jerked at her statement. “I-I, uh, I don’t think – ” he started to retort, hands up, stuttering.

Emelia glanced at her shaking comrade and back to the reptile. “Do not bite him,” she warned, “if you do, you’ll be sorry,” she threatened sternly, “Sebastian is a friend, he’s…been through a lot and enough pain…”

Sebastian lowered his gaze from her and down to his fidgeting feet, rubbing the back of his neck; he shifted his body slightly away, giving them some privacy while feeling grateful to Emelia’s sensitivity.

When Emelia was confident Alistair wouldn’t hurt Sebastian, she swirled her attention to the anxious Slytherin.

“Hold out your hands,” she instructed.

Sebastian swallowed a huge lump in his throat, hesitating.

“Do you trust me?” she asked, tilting her head a bit.

He stared into her awaiting gaze, observing her face; he scoffed to himself – of course he trusted her, more than anyone else.

“With all that I am,” he answered wholeheartedly, bravely extending his hands towards her.

She gave Alistair a cautious look as she gradually put him in Sebastian’s hand; she directed her attention to Sebastian. “Careful, he’s heavier than he looks,” she advised, reminiscing Ominis’ similar warning.

“I will warn you, he’s a tad heavier than he looks, just be careful,” Ominis’ voice echoed.

Emelia concentrated on Alistair, placing him in Sebastian’s tentative hands.

Alistair was coiled in a tight spiral, continuing to stare at her.

“Don’t. Bite.” Emelia emphasized, pointing at him. Alistair sunk into the middle of his curled body.

Alistair wasn’t going to bite him, even if he wanted to; the brown-haired boy caught his attention the instant he saw how Sebastian was patient he was, caring and thoughtful, speaking softly to Emelia, especially how they hugged outside the undercroft. He thought of how Ominis acted and talked with Emelia; it was similar.

Sebastian felt the slight weight of the reptile, but it wasn’t bad, smiling with pride holding the snake.

Emelia took one last glance at the both of them, before nodding once and bounced away to walk amongst the boundless flowers while playing with the fireflies.  She observed everything, striding to each close vase full of radiantly stunning flowers, bending over a bit, closing her eyes and smelt the flowers with a joyful grin; she’d hum to herself in delight, blushing again at how much effort Sebastian put into this setting…twice.

As Emelia was leisurely wandering around the little garden he’d created for her, Sebastian couldn’t resist but stare admiringly at her. He inhaled deeply and examined her for intently, thinking back to the events that happened between them to lead up to now; he smiled to himself with relief, feeling as if a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. 

He gawked at her, seeing her silky yet wavy hair fall perfectly over her shoulders and back, her eyes shined with bliss as she played with the fireflies and delicately grazing her fingers along the flower petals, her smile immediately brought warmth, clenching his soul with happiness.  He reminisced further back when he first saw her entering the Great Hall, then talking with her in the common room – he didn’t know then what she meant to him or how important she would be in his life.

Sebastian’s heart swelled and at the same time, squeezed his tainted soul – struck by her everlasting beauty with her matching inquisitive and fascinating mind.

“Merlin, she’s really beautiful…” Sebastian murmured to where Alistair would only hear.

Alistair turned his attention from Emelia to Sebastian, whose hands started to warm underneath him as he spoke; he noticed Sebastian wasn’t looking at him but fixed on Emelia.

“She reminds me of an earth angel…a goddess even…” he said in a faint voice, “she shines wherever she is, no matter who she’s talking to, what she’s doing…”

Alistair focused on his eyes, hearing his sincere tone.

“I’m so incredibly lucky to be in the same lifetime as her, to bask in the same sunlight, gaze at the same moon and stars – even now, being in the same room with her. She’s absolutely too perfect for this world, mate; I’m sure you know that…”

Alistair did agree with him. Emelia was kind and friendly, she’s done more than she admits, humble and with her generous heart, she told him everything that’s happened since last year; she didn’t publicize her triumphs and victories, nor did she speak about her downfalls and losses, but he knew she learned from them and became wiser and stronger.

“It’s definitely hard dealing with a lot of this on my own, but I do it all to protect the ones I love and care about…and that includes you now…” Emelia had told him, smiling.

Alistair shunned the memory aside and saw Sebastian’s eyes glisten; his eyes widened with realization.

He knew that look.

It was the same adoration, affectionate and longing gaze he saw in Ominis’ eyes whenever he talked and listened to Emelia, talked about her or whenever he stayed awake holding her as she slept; the stolen glances he’d witness between them was now present with Sebastian – it was identical.

I think… Sebastian is…in love with Emelia… he thought.

Alistair decided to keep that crucial information to himself.

Emelia had concluded her stroll amongst the flowers, treating herself to some pastries along the way, she was filled with glee and happiness.

“This is all gorgeous and breathtaking, Sebastian; thank you,” she appreciated with a massive smile, biting into a chocolate filled croissant topped with white powder.

“You’re very welcome, Emi,” Sebastian answered, taking one hand from under Alistair to wipe the corner of her mouth from the powder that happened to linger with her thumb.

Emelia blushed embarrassed, turning her face away to clean her mouth completely with her arms. “Thanks…” she flushed.

Sebastian mirrored her reddened cheeks.

“Well…” Her voice cut through the tension. “I didn’t hear hollering,” she looked to Sebastian, “…nor do I see bites,” she snapped her gaze towards Alistair, “which is a good thing, so I’m happy.”

Alistair and Sebastian seemed to be both relieved.

“So, should we head to dinner?” she questioned, his hypnotizing freckles face making her stomach churn and heart race.

Sebastian cleared his throat. “I’d love to have dinner with you,” he answered with a grin, instantly turning beet red when he realized what he said, “I mean, with you in the Great Hall,” he stuttered, “where everyone has dinner, not just us. Everyone.”

She couldn’t hold back a laugh, hitting his chest as she leaned on him for support.

As Emelia recollected herself, Sebastian felt the empty pieces he sensed inside him were coming back together – gradually. He didn’t want this to end just yet; he wanted, selfishly, to spend more time with Emelia.

“Actually…” he halted her, Alistair still in his hands.

Emelia’s eyes gazed up at him, curious. “Hmm?”

“Would you…like to stay here and have a private dinner with me?” he wondered, his mouth instantly drying, “You know, catch up without any prying or judging eyes. I don’t want to embarrass you being seen with me in the Great Hall or…anywhere…” he added, speaking some truth coming from his heart – a fear that his will return will tarnish her reputation with others.

Emelia’s eyebrows furrowed, an annoyed expression showing on her face. She saw the hurt and painful honesty which Sebastian’s eyes portrayed, his agonizing look made her chest hurt and clench her heart.

She shook her head, snapping out of her thoughts and immediately struck his arm, a tad aggressively.

“Nevermind what people fucking say about us!” she exclaimed, anger starting to rise, “I don’t care and could care less if I’m seen with you! You’re my friend; you’ve always been my friend. Nothing they say or do will change my mind; not even you!” she spoke passionately, poking his chest.

She was never concerned what others thought of her, but if they said anything about anyone she cared about, they knew there was going to be hell to pay.

Sebastian felt a heavy weight lift from his chest when she explained her point of view on his dread; he scoffed, glancing down to Alistair then back to Emelia. “Really…?”

“Absolutely,” she grinned happily, “idiot…” she added.

They both laughed, filling the undercroft with careless amusement.

Sebastian was the first to recover, clearing his throat. “So…dinner?” he asked.

Emelia’s face lit up and flashed Sebastian a thrilled smile. “I’d like that.”

--

Chapter Text

The weekend passed and it was back to classes again, but what others didn’t know about was during that weekend, Sebastian and Emelia got closer, catching up, reminiscing on their history and wondering what their future held. They had wandered around the highlands, laughing and talking, confronted by mongrels and rogue toads every now and then, even some Ashwinders; they even went back to Emelia’s oasis in the Forbidden Forest, the one filled with fireflies and their light reflecting beautifully on the surface of the small lake.

During the same weekend, Emelia showed Sebastian the Room of Requirement.

They came across the familiar hallway in the Astronomy Tower and Sebastian gazed at Emelia in confusion as she stopped on top of the stairs.

“Since you were thoughtful to set up the undercroft twice for me, I’ll show you where I disappeared to fifth year,” she grinned at him, her body half turned.

Sebastian followed Emelia and saw as she approached the wall, a door appeared – the same door that helped him find sanctuary before; his breath hitched, and his heart stopped for a second.

“It was real…” he muttered to himself.

“Come on,” she urged, gesturing him inside as she pushed the door open.

He walked in and the room wasn’t the same as when he strode in the first time; there was no mess or clutter, it was organized, and the ambience of the space was calming.

“This is the Room of Requirement,” Emelia introduced, standing in the middle of the room, her arms out wide.

Sebastian observed the room with its high ceiling: there were a couple beds, potion stations, a massive table, near the corner of the room next to what appeared to be a greenhouse-like structure; there were other similar entrances he saw on the second floor with different sensations coming from them.

“So this is what Professor Weasley meant when she said to find you,” he stated, still in awe about the secret room, “this place is supposed to help me?”

Emelia shrugs, watching Sebastian’s face this entire time, amused. “Why not? It helped me immensely last year.” She went over to Alistair’s cage, giving him love and sweet caresses, then letting him out to slither along the nearby table.

Sebastian nodded to himself, making an impressed expression; he suddenly remembered something from his last visit to this secret room. “Hey, do you know of an enchanted mirror in this place?” he wondered, searching for a fading gold frame; he noticed there was a second room to the left of him and cautiously went down the stairs in the narrow corridor and came upon an even bigger room; Emelia followed close behind.

“An enchanted mirror?” Emelia questioned confused.

“Yeah, it’s massive, about thirteen feet tall and six feet wide, gold and a bit rusted…” he described using his hands.

When Sebastian stepped foot in the bigger room, he saw statues of magical creatures, bookcases, regular furniture such as long couches, a large rug in the middle of the space, even a fireplace in the corner; it was inviting and felt homely.

“I decorated this place myself and have never seen anything like that?” Emelia informed, rummaging through her memory to remember if she’s seen anything regarding what Sebastian was looking for. “Have…you been in here before?”

Sebastian carefully gazed around the space at what she’d decorated, the wall hangings, the furniture; what he found most amusing was she had plushies in a corner next to a frog choir.

“I went through the same door, but was in a different place entirely,” he replied honestly, gradually glancing around the room, his attention wavering from his search to the intricate details of the space and decorated furniture.

Emelia patiently waited, observing the attractive boy, seeing his brown waves go across the room. She noticed his jawline was more defined and prominent when he looked up; she wanted to slide her fingers along his jaw, the thought of it made her stomach jolt, face flush and her body heat up on its own.

“It was a lot more clutter though, reaching the sky, almost like a storage space for Hogwarts,” he explained further, not taking his eyes away from the simple sculptures around him; he looked to her every now and then when he spoke, “it was crazy, I felt like I was in another world. I thought it was like Rookwood Castle and there was a portal or something to go through like we did last year, but going through the mess, I discovered the enchanted mirror, and it was…” Sebastian paused, recalling the mirror reflecting Ominis, Anne and Emelia around him: happy. “It was inspiring…I need to find the mirror,” he stated determined, turning to face her.

“I remember when Professor Weasley showed me the Room of Requirement, it was filled with clutter, there was even beautiful red lanterns that lit up a part of the room and I was in complete awe with them,” she stated, breathing out a sigh, remembering the hypnotizing red glow.

Sebastian stared at her if she said something which stuck his heart; he recalled he felt the same sensation when he saw those red lanterns. He wanted to go up and hug her so tight but knew they were still getting used to each other again and he didn’t want to ruin the progress so far.

He shunned the feeling aside and rapidly shook his head.

“You know, if you want to know how to find the mirror, you might want to ask Professor Weasley,” Emelia stated, “she might know where it is or how to find it.”

Sebastian blinked quickly and his chest lightened, “Professor Weasley…” he echoed to himself; he decided right then and there to talk to Professor Weasley when he could.

“Why don’t you let me give you a grand tour of the vivariums,” she stated gesturing her head back to the other room, walking up and staring at him coyly.

“Lead the way,” he smirked.

She grinned at him, grabbing his hand; the contact sent electricity through him, and it warmed his cheeks. “Come on then,” she said, pulling him back to the other room.

Emelia introduced Sebastian to all the magical creatures in the vivariums, bringing Alistair along; Sebastian, of course, was wary and slow with his movements. All the animals were curious about Sebastian, and soon warmed up to him after giving them food and treats, even playing with them a little.

Sebastian especially enjoyed hanging out with the Lord of the Shore and the phoenix. Emelia was delighted to see them all get along and see Sebastian to his normal self – especially around her.

As she watched him though, Prewett’s stupid words still resonated in her mind.

“He’s probably had a dementor’s kiss once or twice; Sallow might just be soulless now,” Prewett had said.

Observing Sebastian, she didn’t see any hint of him lacking his soul, he was still caring and sensitive towards others – perhaps even more so – he was gentle, and his big heart continued to pierce through, revealing his soft side; when he was tending to the magical creatures, she was drawn to him, theorizing maybe…just maybe…she still fancied him.

-

It was the middle of the week and other students and teachers started noticing the pairs bond and interaction had gotten closer; Ominis noticed it as well, getting more and more enraged and bothered with everything.

It was lunch time and Emelia and Sebastian were sitting at the Gryffindor table, surrounded by Poppy, Garreth, Natty and even Adelaide, who was sitting between her and Sebastian, leaning and glancing over to the freckled boy every so often in a flirtatious manner; Sebastian and Garreth, surprisingly chatted about potions and were even discussing girls, while Emelia was talking with Natty and Poppy, who seemed to be eyeing Sebastian with cautious eyes.

“Please don’t look at him like that,” Emelia whispered, gazing to the both of them, “I understand him being back is a shock for everyone and what we saw in the papers last year…” her voice trailed off, staring towards Sebastian who was immersed in a conversation with Garreth and Amit, who seemed to have appeared next to him, talking about the stars. “He’s admitted his wrongs, did his time…he’s been through a lot…” she tried to justify.

“Emelia, he admitted to killing his own kin…with an Unforgivable…” Natty murmured with a worried guise.

“Believe me, I was just as disappointed,” she stated, knowing she was there when it happened, “but he’s changed, I can feel it. Please give him a chance, he’s still the same Sebastian we knew,” she pleaded her friends.

Natty and Poppy looked to each other then back to Emelia, nodding in agreement.

“We’ll give him a chance because we know how you felt about him, and probably still do, Poppy stated, a spark in her eye with a knowing smile.

That statement flustered Emelia, her cheeks warm up and she knew they were red by the look on her friends faces; they were chuckling quietly.

“Those were old feelings,” she retorted, eating her food slowly, not meeting their eyes.

“Mmhmm,” they said in unison.

“Sure,” Natty informed, “tell that to your face right now; whenever you look at him, your eyes sparkle.”

Emelia scoffed. “They don’t ‘sparkle’,” she emphasized, making air quotes.

“Oh, they do,” Poppy blushed, leaning towards her, “it’s sort of how you looked at Ominis too,” she stated, glancing at me with a knowing smirk.

Emelia’s heart stopped and breath hitched a bit, rethinking how she gazed at Ominis but didn’t think she appeared that way.

“What?!” she shrieked a bit loudly, covering her mouth in embarrassment.

“Emi, you okay?” Sebastian’s voice spoke, his body leaned over Adelaide to examine her, concerned.

“Uh, yeah, don’t worry. I’m good,” she assured, seeing Garreth and Amit also looking at her with worry; she waved her hand to urge them to continue their conversation while glaring at her companions who were struggling to hide their smiles.

Sebastian studied her and gave her a warm grin before resuming his conversation with Weasley and Thakkar.

Emelia exhaled heavily and gave them an annoyed expression.

As they continued to eat their food and chat, Ominis was at the Slytherin table, playing with his food, attire loose and slightly wrinkled, his hair a mess with a solemn expression; he was leaning the side of his head against his hand. The worst part was that with his heightened hearing, he could hear the melody of Emelia’s laughter over everyone else’s voices, identifying it without fail – it saddened him more, sinking into his seat and into his palm.

Anne walked in, finally finishing some Divination homework; she entered the Great Hall and instantly searched for Ominis, who she saw was still under a dark cloud, seeing his eyes glancing upward once in a while. She followed his gaze and immediately saw Emelia and Sebastian with her friends; the two Slytherin girls really haven’t spoken much since Emelia found out about her twin. They talk once in a while, exchanging pleasantries and some conversation but they both were processing it all their own way. Anne met Sebastian’s eyes and instantly snapped her gaze away, still not ready for any encounter. She was genuinely happy for Emelia and Sebastian finding their way to each other.

Anne sighed, looking back to Ominis, and strode towards him.

She placed her books down on the table and plopped down next to the free space next to the blonde Slytherin.

“Hey,” she greeted.

“Anne,” he simply acknowledged, continuing to move his food back and forth, occasionally picking it up and then placing it back down.

She knew he wasn’t going to ever bring it up on his own, so she figured she’d start.

Anne grabbed a plate and began putting a couple sandwiches on it. “So…” she initiated, “when are you going to tell her you love her?” she wondered casually.

Ominis' heart froze and his stomach jumped up to his throat; he spit out his tea he was drinking, the question taking him by surprise. "What?" he asked, instantly putting his fork down to cover his mouth with his arm as he coughed and shifted his head towards Anne.

“Emelia,” she clarified, taking a small bite of her food.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stated, sensing his cheeks were reddening of embarrassment.

“Come on,” she sighed, “I see the way you look at her.”

Anne saw him peek up towards Emelia for a second then back down to his food; he picked up his utensil and began fidgeting with his food on the plate again.

“And I see you’re just as annoying as Sebastian,” he shot back, tone a bit irritated.

“Well, we are twins after all,” she informed mockingly, “but seriously…”

Ominis remained silent.

Anne exhaled. “I’m not stupid, Ominis; you care for her.”

“Of course I do. She’s my friend.”

“Your actions and eyes say different – it’s more than a simple crush. You love her, Ominis.”

Ominis blushes at the truth, body stiffening, putting his fork down and lifting his head. “No, I…”

“Look at you, you’re miserable – more so since she’s been distant from you, anyone can see that; your sour demeanor, barely passable appearance, attitude…I’ve seen how every time she laughs, you turn your head and the softest smile I’ve ever seen spreads across your face, your concern and worry for her is unmatched to anyone else; when you two talked, you listened so intently and pay attention to her, care for her problems as if they were your own,” she explained; Ominis’ body turned more towards Anne, listening to what she’s seen between him and his darling princess. “I’ve seen your interactions with each other and seen special and sweet moments since the school year began. You remember the little things about her, you’ve been there for you, you’re a light in all our lives, but she’s, without a doubt, yours. A light that shines brighter whenever you’re near her. I’ve never seen you like this with anyone else…not even with me.”

Ominis swallowed hard, face conflicted. “Anne…” he started to say, taking everything she said to heart; she wouldn’t lie to him, and he knew she was telling the truth by the sincerity in her voice. He groaned, “it...it’s complicated…”

A few breaths of silence passed, and Anne saw Ominis lightly caressing the bracelet on his wrist tenderly as she grabbed a pitcher to pour into her cup.

“You know she still wears her bracelet,” Anne confessed, taking a swig of her water.

“Liar.”

He accepted ever since he told her the truth about their hidden secret and stormed off, she didn’t want to wear it anymore or take it off and hid it somewhere, outraged at what he did.

“Am not!” she protested, lightly poking his chest, “sure, she takes if off to shower, but that’s it – it’s always on her. I still hear her saying how much she loves it to others whenever they ask. She never takes it off.”

Ominis thinks to himself and sighed in relief. “Why don’t you just tell her to take it off? She’s furious with me, why would she still wear it?”

“I have, but she still refused to remove it and furious or not, she still has a place in her heart for you,” Anne confirmed happily.

Ominis smirked, amused at his feisty princess and warmed by her actions to keep his bracelet on; his heart inflated, fluttering with joy and quiet happiness – only true happiness he felt came from her and when he was with her.

He felt hope then – the return of their friendship was possible, and he’d be able to have her in his arms again.

“Let me ask you this,” Anne began.

He braced himself for the rest of the sentence.

“What do you feel when you’re with her?”

Ominis didn’t say anything at first.

“You can tell me,” she encouraged.

He sighed. “Pure bliss…and peace…”

“And when you’re without her?”

“…torture…”

“Does she make you smile?” she asked.

Ominis grinned, recalling all the fond memories. “All the time…”

“Do you care deeply for her?”

“Yes…”

“Does she make you want to be better than you are?”

He nods. “Absolutely…”

“…Are you in love with her?”

Ominis hesitated, opening his mouth but clenched his jaw shut.

“Don’t be afraid of what you feel for her, Ominis; it means you’re human, just like the rest of us,” she chuckled under her breath, “that feeling you have…it’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of feeling…” Anne advised, watching his expression; she didn’t want him to ignore his feelings, she just wanted him to be happy.

“Anne…” he started to speak.

“If the answers to those questions aren’t a sign that you love her, I don’t know what is.”

Ominis tried to suppress his rising emotions, taking a small bite of his food, continuing to hear Emelia’s laughter from the other table.

“You deserve happiness, Ominis. You’ve been through a lot; you said it yourself, with her, you feel joy and peace…” Anne told him in a low voice, placing a hand over his.

He swallowed, gazing to Anne with a sad smile and looked downward. “But…do I deserve her…?”

“I think…you both deserve everything in the world and with that being said, you’re everything to each other…” Anne spoke honestly, “many may not see it, but I do, and I have. You’re soulmates, I can feel it…”

Ominis heard Emelia’s chuckle again and knew he wanted to wake up to that beautiful sound every morning.

Soulmates… he thought, delight filling his heart and warmth heating his core thinking of the word and glimpsing at the possibility.

He groaned quietly to himself; he couldn’t accept his feelings completely.

“Sebastian is more of a perfect match for her,” he replied sadly, “they’re ‘kindred spirits’.”

Anne rolled her eyes. “I’m biased.”

He scoffed, entertained by his friends answer.

“You should tell her…” Anne encouraged after a few breaths.

“Tell her what?” he questioned innocently, trying to be oblivious.

“Ugh, are you dense? That you love her!”

“Please…” Ominis grumbled, irritation heard in his tone.

“I’m serious, maybe she’ll feel the same way,” Anne thought.

Ominis rolled his eyes. “Impossible.”

Anne scoffs. “It’s only impossible because you refuse to accept the possibility…”

"Anne, I would love nothing more than for that to be true, even a little, but trust me that possibility is far-fetched – a dream," he said, "...an impossible dream..." he murmured to himself, "but I...I-I don't love her. I simply care for her as a friend and nothing more; leave it at that."

Ominis instantly stood from his seat, startling a few nearby students with his abrupt action; he used his wand to guide him out and reluctantly went to sit in his next class early. Anne watched as he walked out of the Great Hall and turned her attention to her roommate and twin at the lion's table, seeing Emelia's gaze towards the exit doors Ominis just went through with a saddened expression, then gliding her attention back seeing Sebastian's eyes on Emelia with a sympathetic look.

It is indeed complicated… Anne said to herself.

-

Finally another week of school came and went, and Sebastian's schooldays were getting better now that he and Emelia got closer, talking and hanging out together more.  Garreth still surprised Sebastian by having a real conversation with him despite Prewett still being a real twat and causing trouble but nothing he and Emelia couldn't handle together, even Garreth was starting to get annoyed by his antics.

After their last classes, Emelia told Sebastian she'd see him later in the secret room after meeting with Garreth; Sebastian agreed, giving her a brief hug before letting her go. Hugging one other was starting to become a new norm for them, always making Emelia blush when she was in his warm embrace.

Before leaving to meet Garreth, Sebastian couldn't help but notice bags under Emelia's eyes; she looked exhausted.

I wonder how she’s been sleeping… Sebastian asked himself.

Emelia grinned and made her way to the Room of Requirement to check on Alistair then off to meet Garreth with his new concoction he'd been wanting to show her; Sebastian, on the other hand, went to Professor Weasley's office.

Sebastian stepped in front of the professor's classroom door, a fist raised timidly, prepared to knock.

He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Here goes nothing..." he muttered and bravely knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, he heard clacking of heels on the hardwood behind the door; Professor Weasley opened it with a warm and delighted grin.

"Ah, Mr. Sallow, what a pleasant surprise. Please come in," she stated, opening the door more and gesturing with her hand inward.

"Thank you," he appreciated, rubbing his fingers against his palms, nervously.

"Step into my office," she insisted, closing the door and walking to her workspace; Sebastian followed, struggling to find a way to start the question he desperately wanted an answer to.

Professor Weasley got settled in her chair while Sebastian remained standing.

“May I ask how you’ve been adjusting to being back at Hogwarts?” she questioned, intertwining her fingers over her desk, leaning forward in anticipation.

Sebastian nodded. “Very well actually, thank you,” he replied.

“You and Ms. Starke seem to be closer than ever,” she observed, happily.

He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yes.”

“Can I assume she’s shown you the Room of Requirement?” she wondered, raising an eyebrow.

“She has,” he confirmed, “I was actually here to ask you a question about it.”

“Oh, of course, although it’s still a mystery in some aspects,” she answered, leaning back in her chair. “How can I help?”

“I, uh,” he began, his mouth dry, “I stumbled upon it on accident, to be honest with you, before Emelia showed me and the environment was different…and I came across this mirror and…I don’t know how to describe it, but it was amazing…and I...I just want to see it again. It showed me my future, I think? Or possible future? I’m not sure but I just…I need to see that again…” Sebastian informed her, sounding a bit eager; Professor Weasley sat up in her chair as she listened to the young student, alarmed and yet impressed he found the room on his own. Professor Weasley’s eyes widened when he said he discovered the mirror.

She stood from her chair gradually and walked to the bigger space of her office. “Mr. Sallow, the mirror you speak of…did it have an inscription on it?” she questioned cautiously, squinting her eyes towards Sebastian.

“Uh, it did,” he confirmed, “do you know what it is?”

Professor Weasley clasped her hands together in front of her and took in a deep breath before speaking. “That, Mr. Sallow, is the Mirror of Erised. It sees inside a person’s heart and into their deepest aspirations and shows it to them; it’s pleasant but extremely dangerous at the same time,” the instructor informed, thinking of when she and a friend stumbled upon it in her youth.

“Dangerous?” Sebastian repeated, giving off a confused expression, “how is it dangerous? It’s just a mirror.”

“It may just be a mirror to you, but what it can do to a person is more dangerous than you think,” she stated, “the mirror takes a part of you and shows it to you, no harm done the first couple times, however, it starts messing with your mind, then you find yourself constantly staring at it, obsessing over it…forgetting to eat, drink, sleep…until you gradually wither and lose your sanity all together,” she continued further, taking a few steps towards him.

Sebastian sunk in every word she spoke, thinking of what it was doing to him just seeing it once.

“Everyone has desires, Mr. Sallow, there’s no denying it, and seeing it before you are nothing short of magical and a joyful, wonderous feeling, but mentally and emotionally, you don’t see the damage it’s doing until it’s too late.” Professor Weasley’s eyes were intensely on Sebastian, hoping he’d never see it again for his own good. “Please understand what I’m trying to say.”

Sebastian thought about what she said and admitted to himself that he stayed there for a while, not knowing how long, just staring at the mirror with pure bliss and happiness, gazing at the desire before him. Professor Weasley wanted him to stop his search and keep his sanity intact, for he’d been through enough for someone so young; Sebastian understood this.

He gulped and gradually nodded. “I understand, professor. I won’t search for the mirror. Thank you for telling me this.”

Sebastian was disappointed he wouldn’t be able to see the mirror again but understood the risks and dangers it could cause him and for those around him.

Professor Weasley grinned towards the young Slytherin and went back to her seat, asking Sebastian more questions on his time in school, wondering how assignments were going, learning new materials and reactions of students; Sebastian told most of the truth, leaving out the stares and whispers which still happened to be present but kept telling himself that there will still be chatter and murmuring and he couldn’t stop it, only having to wait and give it time to pass.

Professor Weasley was glad and impressed of how quickly he’d retained information; the Sallow twins never ceased to amaze her.

-

Making her way to Garreth, Emelia was excited to see what new creation he brewed. Natty saw Emelia coming up the Grand Staircase, so she quickly caught up to her and they chatted on their way to the Gryffindor common room.

"Garreth wanted to show off the new potion he brewed; he said it's finally finished," Emelia informed her friend.

"He's always concocting something," she agreed with a smile as they made it to their designated floor, "why do you indulge him? He's blown up three cauldrons already in potions; Professor Sharp is not happy about it," she laughed, covering her mouth.

Emelia chuckled, moving her hand as she talked. "Yeah..." she reluctantly agreed,  "but to be completely honest, I don't think he cares about how many cauldrons he has to blow up, he'll make his potions regardless; he has such a passion for it."

Natty hummed. "Indeed, sometimes I wish though, he can dial it down a bit; he's almost set the boys common room on fire once trying to secretly work on his 'passion'."

She couldn't help but snicker at the imagination of her freckled lion friend causing unintentional havoc; it reminded her of their first potion class together last year when she stole a Fwooper feather from Sharp's office. 

Approaching the entrance of the Gryffindor common room, the portrait gazed down at them with skeptical eyes.

"My friend here is just coming to visit," Natty informed her calmly, some fear behind her eyes.

"Please don't cause any unnecessary trouble," the lady in the frame warned, fanning herself.

Emelia nodded and bowed slightly to her. "I won't," she vowed.

The big lady gestured with her free arm and the tall door opened.

We went through, thanking the portrait along the way, instantly finding Garreth sitting on a long couch in an empty common room, staring at the fireplace.

Garreth rotated his head, seeing them and a massive smile spread across his face. "Hello ladies," he acknowledged, standing to his feet; his eyes found Emelia's. "Gorgeous," he greeted smoothly.

“I’ll leave you here,” Natty told Emelia, “I have to go change and meet my mother,” she groaned unenthused.

“No worries, thanks Natty,” she appreciated, “tell her I said hi.”

Natty hugged Emelia quickly before excusing herself from the common room to go to her dorm.

When Natty left the room, Garreth smirked to Emelia. “Ready?” he asked her excitedly.

“Of course, why else would I be here?” she shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Garreth scoffed. “Alright, follow me.”

The curious Slytherin trailed behind the eager Gryffindor to his common room; he quickly locked the door and used a muffling spell to keep from prying classmates. He pulled out his desk chair and offered her a seat; she sat down, thanking him.

"You bring all the girls here?" Emelia teased, gazing around the red room, noticing Garreth's right away, his desk was scattered with various ingredients, papers scribbled with various discoveries about the plants and what other possibilities he could use it with, some vials laid about his desk, a couple were along his bed and on top of his dresser with clothes popping out of it.

She looked around to the other messy beds, trying to decipher which one was Prewett's for this was a rare opportunity.

Garreth laughed, blushing a bit. "Nah, we never usually get this far," he joked back, seeing her eyeing the beds, "and that one is Leander's," he told her nonchalantly, pointing to the one across from his.

"How did you – " she began to question, but Garreth interrupted.

"I can tell by that scheming and devious glint in your eyes," he stated, struggling to hide a smile.

Emelia's face reddened, snapping her gaze away, shocked Garreth hit the nail right on the head. "I could've just been looking around," she countered.

"Were you?" Garreth asked, a knowing smirk on his face.

She huffed, crossing her arms. "Are you going to show me your new potion or interrogate me?" she shot back.

He chuckled. "Alright, alright."

Garreth rummaged through his trunk in the front of his bed; Emelia straightened her back to try to get a peek at what he was searching for, her arm over the chair's back and patiently waited.

"I thought you weren't going to make your own potions anymore; won't you get in trouble?" she wondered, leaning on her arm.

He scoffed. "Someone suggested I do it in secret," he reminded, turning his body towards her beaming a joyful smile.

She exhaled, blushing.

"Plus, I'll only make an exception for you, doll face," he added.

Emelia grinned wider.

A few seconds passed and Garreth finally found what he was looking for. "Here they are," he announced proudly, standing.

Garreth pulled out a couple of small crystal-shaped vials filled with blue and pink liquid, meeting in the middle, blending into purple; it had a hint of sparkle in it. The cork of the vials appeared to gemstones which matched the aesthetic perfectly. Emelia got to her feet, admiring the vials container and hypnotizing color.

"They're...really gorgeous," she voiced her thoughts almost in a whisper.

She slowly went up to Garreth, holding them; he offered one to her, she carefully grabbed the bottle and she continued to stare at it. Emelia noticed it has his initials on the bottom in an elegant font.

"So, what's this potion of yours this time? Altering my hair color depending on my mood? Ability to control lightning?" she guessed, throwing theories out there just for fun.

Garreth laughed. "Those brilliant ideas aren't half bad, but sadly, none of them are right," he spoke, "this, my dear Emelia, is my own concoction of a sleeping aid. I call it: Peaceful Lily. I'm still workshopping the name."

"Sleeping potion?" she asked, tilting her head, "you do know we have those already," she giggled.

"Yes, but this one, is special."

"Okay, I'll bite. How is it special?" she questioned, genuinely curious, tilting her head.

"This is a potion to help you sleep, dream happily and feel at peace," he confirmed.

Emelia made a face at him. "Still sounds like a regular Sleeping Draught to me."

"Ah, but here's the difference: a mix of some Amortentia, Sleeping Draught and Wiggenweld ingredients, you'll feel refreshed, practically good as new – and feel loved when you're asleep and will remain that way about fifteen to twenty minutes after you wake up. A positive start to the day, I say."

"Amortentia?" she repeated, her tone fearful.

"Don't worry, you won't fall in love with anyone," he promised her with a nervous chuckle, "I swear!"

"Why did you choose to do this kind of potion? Usually you're more into something that would help both wizardkind and muggles, like a medicine, broken bone remedies or prolonging life," she asked intrigued, glancing at the bottle again.

Garreth hesitated to answer at first. "It's...my own personal brew that'll help you, specifically, to sleep and restore your health," he admitted.

Emelia made another face towards him. "What?"

"Doll face, you don't look like you've slept well for days, I can bet galleons, even weeks," he stated, his expression worried, "I notice sometimes there's bruises and cuts on you that weren't there before. You don't have to tell me where you went or what happened, but as your friend, I'm concerned about you," he continued, his green eyes reflecting the worry in his heart.

She was impressed on his awareness and observation of her; she was still doing her tasks and confronting Ashwinders and goblins, continuing to come back with wounds. Emelia tried to sleep but her nightmares were getting more and more aggressive – she was either facing herself again, dreaming if Ranrok and his goblin rebellion claimed victory and what the world would've been, she'd be faced with her friend's lifeless eyes, their bodies around her, blood splattered everywhere and voices echoing she couldn't save them, the most common nightmare was Ominis and Sebastian curled up in a ball in the corner or on the ground, crying...suffering...begging to her, for her...to save them...

Emelia had refused to sleep much since it was repetitive; she shook her head rapidly, her heart beating faster, shunning the memories of the nightmares far away.

"The Wiggenweld ingredients are supposed to obviously help with any injuries you have while the Amortentia is to feel peace and happiness, feel loved and cherished, but again, you won't fall in love with anyone and vice versa. There's some sleeping draught in there to help you sleep and should be knocked out for about six to eight hours after drinking it."

"Garreth..." she muttered.

Emelia gazed at the bottle then back to the anxious red-haired boy in front of her; he chose specific ingredients from potions according to her needs and what he's been seeing from her.

He was truly a wonderful and thoughtful friend...

"As always, this is full tested and guaranteed results, thanks to the guinea pig," he smirked, winking at me.

Emelia chuckled, heart swelled and hugged him around his shoulders without warning him, Garreth was stunned at the sudden action but embraced her back, sighing into her hair.

"Thank you, Garreth," she appreciated wholeheartedly, feeling warmth flow throughout her body.

"You're welcome, Emelia..." he said softly.

She parted from him, staring at the small vial in hand. "I don’t think you need to workshop anymore; I like 'Peaceful Lily' as the name," she blushed.

Garreth grinned back. "Then 'Peaceful Lily' it'll be."

They smiled at each other and exited the common room and walked around. Garreth was telling her more of his newly made potion; Emelia listened enthusiastically about the effects and what he hopes to see in the future for his new potion, but this first one was only for her.

After some time, Garreth said he had to go to potions class to work on his homework and brew an actual potion for Sharp; they walked to Sharp's classroom.

"Will Sharp even let you brew alone with your explosive track record?" she teased, covering her mouth, holding in a quiet chuckle.

The freckled-faced boy waved his hand at her. "Pshh, he doesn't usually come around this hour," he answered confidently, "I can get a lot done during this time of day."

She laughed at his certainty. "Of course you would know Sharp's schedule to sneak in your brewing time."

"Hey, I'm not sneaking! Now that I've completed a new potion, I can focus on my other academic responsibilities," he retorted, laughing at himself, "and I'm just...knowledgeable of Sharp’s schedule."

"Of course you are," she agreed sarcastically.

They reached the potions classroom, saying their goodbyes for now and hoped they could hang out in Hogsmeade some time.

Garreth left to work on his assignments while Emelia walked to the Room of Requirement. On her way there, she decided to drink a bottle of Garreth's new potion, trusting him completely; he always tested it out on Prewett, the guinea pig was useful for one thing.

She opened the bottle, it smelled of jasmine; it was soothing. She took a gulp from the bottle, holding the stunningly gorgeous glass in her hand, feeling the ridges of the crystal-shaped vial.

There was a warm feeling that flooded throughout her body, reaching the ends of her toes to the tips of her fingers, she felt light and noticed a fuzzy sensation grew and twisted in her stomach, and what once was a happy feeling, soon felt like a heavy weight pressed on her shoulders. As she was making her way up the stairs, she felt her body sway from left to right, her eyes could barely stay open and when she did, she had blurry, double-vision, a cold sweat sensation on her forehead and felt the blood drain from her face, her breathing was coming out raspy and quick.

Emelia didn't know what was happening, but when she went through the doors of her sanctuary, she could barely walk, let alone, stand anymore.

Alistair saw everything and was alerted immediately, carefully watching her as she swayed side to side and then no longer feeling the strength in her legs anymore, she twirled, seeing the ceiling of the room and instantly falling, gravity taking her, but before she hit the floor, Alistair apparated out of the enclosure, shifting to his human form and caught her safely in his arms; the potion bottle rolled out of her hands and clattered on the floor.

"Emelia!" he exclaimed panicked.

Emelia felt the warmth and strong arms around her, struggling to keep her eyes open, she saw a blurry sight of blonde hair with a necklace dangling near her, a vibrant green circle with various lined and ring-like patterns; she also noticed a black ink design showing from under his collar?

"Om…inis...?" she whispered and shut her eyes, passing out.

"Emelia! Emelia! Wake up!" Alistair shouted, shaking her, lightly tapping the side of her face, closely watching her eyes, but her eyelashes didn't flutter; he wiped the sweat from her forehead in a slightly frantic and noticed her skin pale in comparison to his hand. "Shit..."

He didn't want to go out, but he had no choice, she needed medical attention.

Alistair glanced at the small, glistening vial, swiftly grabbing and strongly lifting and carrying her in his arms, her head resting against his chest and an arm hanging freely. He exited the room, the door disappearing behind him and instantly looking left and right, trying to remember which way the hospital wing was. A couple students walked passed him and down the stairs, giggling, whispering to each other as they snuck peeks at him and blushing.

He groaned, rolling his eyes. "I don't have time for this..."

As soon as he knew his surroundings were clear, he concentrated hard, recalling the hospital wing when Emelia gave him a grand tour of the castle; he held her tight against him and apparated to the middle of the infirmary. He looked to Emelia, sighing in relief she was in one piece; he rapidly searched around for the nurse.

"Nurse! Nurse!" he shouted, and without missing a beat.

Nurse Blainey came out from behind the office door, her expression alarmed. "What is Merlin's good name are yo – " she began to say, but saw Emelia, unconscious, in his arms. "Oh goodness! Quickly, put her on the cot here," she instructed, closing the door and pointing to the bed closest to her.

Alistair gently put Emelia on the mattress and cautiously glanced towards the nurse.

"What happened?" she wondered as she was examining the Slytherin girl.

"I'm not sure; she walked in pale, sweating, swaying and just collapsed," he told her, "I couldn't wake her after..." he added, his eyes glued to Emelia; worry began to seep into his heart. "This was with her though," he said, extending his arm to her, revealing the crystal-shaped bottle.

Nurse Blainey took it, observing it and smelling its contents, a confused gaze played on her face.

"I'm not sure what potion this is, but I will decipher what's wrong with her," the nurse stated, placing the vial down on the small table beside her.

The nurse pulled out her wand, running and hovering over the unconscious girl from head to toe, a small light coming both from the tip of her wand and the surface of Emelia’s body, her expression concentrated.

Alistair watched her carefully. He could only imagine what Ominis would do if he found her like this, let alone who did it to her, even Sebastian; in the brief time he's known him, he knew Sebastian wasn't the kind of friend to simply sit idly by and do nothing when something happened to those he cared about. Emelia's stories about the two men were proof of that.

Alistair realized, he too, was someone who would seek vengeance for those he held dear.

--

Chapter Text

I felt soulless.

A cold, lifeless shell without any happiness, joy or warmth.

These past weeks without my darling dove have been unbearable; my grades were slipping, I barely kept up with my appearance and I was exhausted by my relentless nightmares, haunting me each night. Now noticing her and Sebastian seem to be inseparable, it made things worse; it felt like something was gnawing at me from the inside out.

I was sitting in a corner on the second floor of the library, struggling to concentrate, attempting to start my essays, but Anne’s words continued to echo in my head.

“You’re a light in all our lives, but she’s, without a doubt, yours…”

“You should tell her…”

“Maybe she’ll feel the same way…”

“It’s only impossible because you refuse to accept the possibility…”

“Don’t be afraid of what you feel for her, Ominis…it’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of feeling…”

“You love her, Ominis…”

I groaned, clenching fistfuls of my hair and shutting my eyes tightly. “No…” I muttered to myself, “I can’t…if I do…if I admit it, she won’t be safe; it’ll go away…those feelings have to go away…”

My body trembled at the thought of my family finding her, my nightmares coming true; her cries and screams rang in my head. I felt goosebumps appear along my skin, fear flooding throughout my veins.

I instantly stood, the legs of my seat loudly scraping against the wood, making some people gasp in my direction; I vanished my homework, knowing full well I wasn’t going to be productive today.

Walking out of the library, I immediately heard Sebastian’s voice call out to me.

“Ominis!”

“Ugh,” I said aloud, rolling my eyes.

“Oh, come on, you’re happy to see me,” he stated as he came closer, nudging his shoulder with mine.

I sighed “Where’s Emelia? I assumed she’d be with you, you’re basically glued to each other’s hip,” I emphasized with a hint of mockery, holding up my wand and walking without a destination in mind.

Sebastian scoffed, following beside me. “Don’t be jealous,” he stated, “we’re hanging out like we used to, but she’s meeting Garreth for a bit.”

“Ugh, Weasley?” I groaned; I couldn’t help but make a face.

“Hey, I’m not so thrilled about it either but I accept she has other friends, unlike some people I know,” he murmured the last bit.

“Are you implying I don’t acknowledge she has other companions?” I gritted my teeth, annoyed, glowering in his direction.

“I know you do; sometimes, it seems you can be a bit possessive at times though, mate,” he confessed cautiously.

Me? Possessive?

I grumbled at him. “I’m not possessive; I don’t own her or have claim to her; she’s her own person,” I spat in response, “ridiculous,” I muttered, turning my head away.

“I know you care a lot about her.”

“Of course, I do; she’s my friend, as she is yours,” I replied irritated by this conversation.

Sebastian stopped me, a hand on my bicep and I realized we were made it to the Great Hall near the staircase to the Hufflepuff common room.

“She cares about you a lot about you too,” he told me in a serious voice.

I narrowed my eyes in his direction, skeptical.

“I know you miss her,” he stated. I grunted and began walking off again, but Sebastian ran to stand in front of me, haling me instantly, “she misses you too,” he confirmed, a hand suddenly on my shoulder, causing me to flinch a tad.

I blushed, shirting my gaze away. “How is she…?” I sincerely wondered.

“Truthfully…I’m not sure what she’s been doing but she’s exhausted by the looks of it; I’m worried,” Sebastian informed, his tone low.

I had a theory and I loathed it.

The Keepers.

I swallowed hard, clenching and feeling my nails dig into my palms, a stinging pain alerting my nervous system.

We continued aimlessly strolling around the castle until a voice called out to us.

“Mr. Sallow, Mr. Gaunt, I’ve been looking for you,” Professor Weasley spoke, hearing her heels clacking on the floor in a hasty manner.

I realized her tone was straining; Sebastian and I stopped, and I couldn’t help but furrow my brows, worry suddenly filled my heart.

“Is there something you needed from us, Professor Weasley?” I wondered, shifting my body to her.

She stopped in front of us. “Could I have a word with the two of you in private?”

“Of course,” Sebastian answered, and we trailed behind her back to her classroom.

Professor Weasley closed the door to her office, and we stood there waiting for her to explain why she called us here.

“What can we do for you, professor?” Sebastian asked.

“Gentleman, I’m afraid I have some news on Ms. Starke,” she began, her tone hesitant.

I tensed, gripping my wand tighter, eyes widening.

Emelia?!

“What?!” Sebastian basically hollered. “What about Emelia? What happened? Is she alright?”

“She seems to be unresponsive but stable; she’s essentially in a deep sleep,” she responded calmly.

He threw more questions at her, trying to understand what was going on while I felt something shift inside me, making me fear and panic; I could feel my heart beating in my ears and my breathing becoming shallow.

"Where is she?" I spoke over Sebastian in a clear and demanding voice.

"She's currently in the infirmary; Nurse Blainey is doing everything she can to see what might be causing this condition as we speak," she informed, "a classmate brought her there."

"Who?" I asked impatiently, feeling indebted to whoever this kind savior was.

"Nurse Blainey wasn't familiar with the individual, but we'll find out," Professor Weasley said.

"It...wasn't Garreth?" Sebastian asked, his tone shocked.

"Unfortunately, no. My nephew should be concentrating and completing his potions assignments right now."

"Could we see her?" I questioned almost desperately.

I needed to get to her.

"Of course," the professor said.

"Thank you," I appreciated and swiftly turned to leave, basically running to the hospital wing.

I heard Sebastian thank Professor Weasley as well and follow close behind me.

We made it to the infirmary, breathless and slightly sweaty.

"Nurse Blainey," I called out, using my wand to sense her.

"What can I do for you, dearie?" her voice questioned, sounding out of breath herself, hearing her heels against the floor.

"Emelia Starke, where is she?" I wondered, panting a tad; my chest began to hurt even more, not know what to feel or how to react.

"She's here, but she still hasn't responded. Her vitals are still stable but it's...slower; her condition appears critical and serious. I'm sorry," the nurse notified, her tone remorseful.

I moved to the other side of the bed, my wand being my eyes, sensed a body before me; her breathing was steady and her sweet scent found me, paralyzing me.

"Who brought her here?" Sebastian asked beside me.

"A fellow student came in, another friend of hers I assumed, and told me what happened, he also said this was with her," Nurse Blainey informed and hearing something plop into Sebastian's hand.

‘He’? I hissed in my head.

Another guy? Who?!

I forgot about the ‘guy’ and shifted my head to Sebastian. “What is it?”

"I...I'm not sure. A small crystal bottle?" he guessed, opening the top, creating a satisfying popping sound; Sebastian sniffed it. "Hmm, it doesn't smell like anything we've brewed..."

I held out my hand for Sebastian to give me the bottle; he placed it in my hand softly and I immediately took a whiff of it, smelling a hint of jasmine and lavender along with other ingredients.

"Hmm," I sounded, extending my arm which held my wand to him, signaling him to hold it; he did, and I examined the small vial with both hands. I felt the sharp ends of the crystal glass, tapping on it lightly, gradually going from top to bottom; the shape seemed to narrow a bit as I slid my fingers down along the bottle; I felt unusual engraving at the bottom of the container. "Mmm," I said again, giving him the bottle with a sigh. "There's something on the bottom of this, what is it?"

I heard Sebastian humming to himself. "G...W...?"

"GW?" I repeated, but as soon as I said it, it clicked; my body stiffened and my jaw compressed together, "Garreth Weasley..." I affirmed under my breath, menacingly.

He did this.

Don’t worry, my princess, I’ll make him pay for harming you…

Swiftly taking my wand from Sebastian, I abruptly went around him, grabbing the vial in his hand. "Stay here. I'll be right back," I ordered darkly and exited the hospital wing, going towards the only place that slimy bastard would be.

With determination, I strode quickly, passing students and found my way to Sharp's potions classroom; my wand showing me Garreth was the only one in the room, at his potions station.

Wrath began to rise.

“Garreth FUCKING Weasley!” I shouted, approaching him in an intimidating speed.

"Ominis, hey – " he began to greet me, but I grabbed him by the collar with both hands and shoved him in a corner. "Hey, hey! What's this about?" he asked alarmed, grabbed a hold of my wrists, struggling to pry them off him.

"What did you give Emelia?" I demanded, pressing him aggressively against the stone.

"Nothing! Just a new potion I've been brewing," he admitted quickly.

"What have I warned you about involving Emelia in your ridiculous inventions? I said if anything were to happen to her, anything at all, you'd deal with me. Now what did you give her?" I spoke sternly, grasping my wand and pointing it at his throat, glaring at him while tightening my fists, crumpling his collar and pushing his body harder against the wall.

"I always test them first before giving them to her, to make sure they're working properly; I do endless trials!" the Gryffindor professed.

"Is that so? Huh, cause she's currently in the infirmary lying unconscious, unresponsive and with what Nurse Blainey said, she's in an extremely dangerous state, so care to explain that if you've tested it and done ‘endless trials’ as you so claimed," I interrogated, sneering at him; I felt my body boil, wanting to use all the curses I knew at him for daring to hurt my princess.

“What?!” Garreth exclaimed shocked, “infirmary? I, no…no, it was perfect! It wouldn’t have done that to her! I would never hurt Emelia!”

I wanted to believe his words, but I was still filled with rage and vengeance; I pushed the tip of my wand deeper into his throat.

I suddenly heard someone running approaching us.

"Ominis!" Sebastian shouted, out of breath, "Ominis, no! Stop!"

He ran up to me and pried my hands off of Garreth, putting himself in between us; Sebastian continued to hold me back.

"Thanks Sebastian," Garreth appreciated, clearing his throat.

"Don't talk to me so casually, Weasley; explain what you gave Emelia," Sebastian told him seriously.

"It's harmless, I swear! It was mainly to help her sleep and recover," Garreth clarified calmly.

"We already have a potion for that! You're lying through your teeth, Weasley!" I hollered at him, about to throw the bottle at him, but Sebastian stopped me.

"I am not!" he retorted back.

I groaned, pushing against Sebastian's firm body, however his stance was unmoving.

"Ominis, calm down!" Sebastian commanded, "Garreth, just tell us what you put in it,"

Garreth sighed. "I put some mixtures of ingredients from Wiggenweld potion, Sleeping Draught and..." he hesitated to answer, voice becoming small.

“And?” Sebastian wondered, his body turning a bit towards Weasley.

"...and...Amortentia but listen before y – " Garreth admitted in defeat, but as soon as he said it, I exploded.

“Amortentia?!” I screamed, my strength doubling and almost successful in pushing Sebastian aside, but he changed his stance, making it nearly impossible to budge him, "you slimy, deceitful, manipulative son of a bitch! You tried using a love potion on her?!"

“No, no! That’s not it at all, I swear!” he hollered back.

“Explain…and I suggest quickly,” Sebastian spoke through his teeth in a dark and stern tone.

"Look, I noticed she's been tired a lot lately, and sometimes I see some cuts and bruises on her and...I worried," he confessed, speaking fast; however, the beating of his heart and voice remained low and steady: a sign of telling the truth. "She told me she couldn't sleep some nights and I only wanted to help..."

I grunted, imagining my sweet girl covering her cuts and bruises as best she could, not giving away her pain; it angered me I wasn't blessed with sight. "You're fucking lying, you spinelessness weasel!" Somehow, I managed to sidestep Sebastian, grabbing his wrist and twisting him out of my way, grabbing Garreth's collar again. "You only wanted to help yourself play with her feelings with those damn Amortentia ingredients! I'm going to make you pay dearly for doing this to Emelia!" I hollered, holding up the bottle about to smash it into his face until Sebastian strongly gripped my wrist.

"Ominis!" Sebastian halted me.

"He did this to her!" I told him, facing towards his direction, "Emelia! Her condition wouldn't have happened if he tested them properly!"

“I told you I did! I swear by my life! My Aunt Matilda’s life! My mum’s, dad’s, my entire family’s lives, I always test them! They’re a hundred percent ready to use by the time I give them to her!” Garreth shouted back, feeling his jaw clench hard.

I squeezed the bottle in my hand tightly and remembering his tone and manner; I groaned and sighed, releasing him and ripping my arm from Sebastian's grasp, turning away to get some space between us.

I took deep breathes in and out, trying to get my emotions in control; I couldn't think of anything besides killing the idiotic fool who can do this to Emelia, but his heart remained unchanged when confessing what was in the potion and worrying for my camellia.

Perhaps he was telling the truth.

The room was filled with tension, so thick I felt like I was being suffocated; it was a bit hard to breathe. I lifted a hand to my heart, clenching my shirt and chest.

Was he really only trying to help…?

I exhaled a heavy sigh.

Emelia…

"Sebastian," I finally managed to say, swallowing hard, finally managing to catch my breath.

I heard him shift his body to me. "Yeah?" he answered.

"Go stay with Emelia, I need a word with Garreth in private," I told him, lifting my head up and straightening my back.

I sensed both Garreth and Sebastian become anxious and stiffen by the statement.

"Ominis, I think it'd be best if I stay – " my oldest friend began to suggest.

"It wasn't a request," I spoke strictly, narrowing my eyes towards the two on the other side of the room.

They were silent.

I crossed my arms, leaned against the wall and waited.

"I'll be alright, Sallow," Garreth said, reassuring Sebastian.

Sebastian sighed, unconvinced. "...okay..."

He was gradually leaving, hearing his footsteps about to go through the door until it stopped.

"Don't...kill him," Sebastian warned to me; Garreth nervously laughed.

I let out a scoff, annoyed. "Take care of Emelia."

Sebastian left tentatively, then Weasley and I were alone.

None of us said anything for a minute.

I wanted to stay calm, but I couldn't contain my fury; I walked up to him and grabbed him by the collar, struck the side of his face and pointed the tip of my wand under his jaw.

He groaned in pain. "Damn, you hit harder than I thought, Gaunt," he complimented.

"Were you really just trying to help her?" I slowly asked him.

I heard him swallow a lump in his throat before replying. "Of course," he retorted.

"Then what's with the Amortentia?"

"It's just the ingredients," he reiterated, "it's supposed to make her feel happy and lighten her heart. She won't fall in love with anyone against her will."

I lowered my gaze.

"I only want what's best for her," Garreth stated, "I'm her friend too; although, you and Sallow were hogging her all last year," he added, his usual tone returning.

My throat went dry, remembering our fifth year together, and it was my turn to swallow.

I was about to speak, but then Professor Sharp's voice thundered as he entered the room.

"Mr. Gaunt! Mr. Weasley!" his voice boomed, "care to explain what's going on in my classroom?"

I released his shirt from my tightened grip immediately.

“Uhhh…” Garreth simply said.

Ugh, useless Gryffindor…

"Garreth was helping me with the assignments for class, sir," I easily lied.

Garreth caught on quickly. "Y-Yes!" he basically yelled, "that's what we were doing," he confirmed, clearing his throat, tapping and moving towards the table he was at before I came in.

Sharp sighed. "20 points from both of you," he stated in an exasperated voice.

Weasley groaned. "What? You take points away from helping a fellow classmate?" he challenged.

The teacher grumbled. "I'll take 50 more if you lie to me again, Mr. Weasley."

Garreth remained silent, scoffing quietly.

"Mr. Gaunt," his voice stern, hearing him turn his body to me; I tensed. "I suggest you restrain yourself from violence in my classroom, if you do not wish to have detention and more points deducted from your house. Am I clear?" he informed me.

I nodded. "Yes, sir. I apologize."

"That goes for you too, Mr. Weasley."

"Yes, Professor Sharp. Sorry..." he apologized as well.

The potions instructor sighed once more. "Clean up after yourselves and see you both on Monday," he instructed, limping to his office to get something real quick and then exited.

We both sighed and relaxed after he left.

"Close one, huh?" Garreth teased.

I scoffed at him.

"Definitely could've been worse," he stated.

I gazed away; my cheeks started to heat up, and I felt shame and embarrassment. "I..." I sighed heavily in defeat, "I-I apologize for my actions...I overreacted and wasn't thinking," I slowly forced myself to walk towards Garreth. "Please forgive my insolence and brazen behavior."

I heard Garreth walk up to me with confidence and put a hand on my shoulder; I didn't even shove it off this time.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Gaunt. I know if the person I loved laid unconscious after drinking some unknown concoction from a promising potioneer, I'd get pissed and want to kick his ass senseless too," he confirmed casually.

“Wha – ‘l-love’?” I stuttered, almost screaming it out, blushing embarrassed; I blinked quickly, feeling my heart racing faster at the mention of the word. “What are you talking about?”

My face felt hot.

Garreth chuckled. "Not to worry, mate; it'll be our little secret," he informed, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

I shrugged it off, groaning.

He laughed at my action, but then I sensed his demeanor changed from cheerful to serious. "Now to figure out what happened between the time I finished the potion to when I gave it to Emelia..." he said to himself, pacing around.

"Where do you usually keep them?" I questioned with my brows furrowed; I followed his movements with my head.

“It’s usually either in here when Sharp’s out or in my roo – ” he attested, but stopped in what seemed realization, “…my room…”

I tilted my head to him, squinting my eyes. "Your room?" I repeated.

"Gaunt, do you trust me?" he asked sternly.

"What?" I was taken aback at his sudden question.

"Do you trust me to take care of the cause for this unfortunate mishap? I swear to you, it won't happen to Emelia again," Garreth confirmed, standing in front of me.

There was no evidence of deception or change in his strong, beating heart or stern voice.

"Do you know what caused this?" I wondered, "or who?"

"I have a suspicion, and if I'm right, please, let me make this right and take care of it."

I clenched my jaw, thinking of a certain Gryffindor who followed Weasley around. "If it is who I think it is, warn him I'm open to using Dark Arts if he dares to do something like this again," I passed along the threat.

Garreth let out a breath he was holding. "I will, Ominis."

"Don't call me that, we're not that familiar with one another," I stated, grabbing my wand and beginning to walk towards the door.

"Oh, sure we are! We have our little secret," he reminded me, an obvious smile heard on his face.

I turned around halfway, my head shifted more in his direction.

Our little secret.

“I know if the person I loved laid unconscious after drinking some unknown concoction, I’d get pissed and want to kick his ass senseless too…” His statement echoed in my head.

I don’t…she’s just my friend; I just care deeply for her.

That’s all.

"There's no secret to keep if there's nothing to share," I told him, "I don't know what you're meaning."

Garreth scoffed. "Whatever you say, I'll still keep it between us," he vowed.

I exhaled. "I apologize again for my actions," I expressed my regret.

"Don't worry about it; all is forgiven," he shrugged it off happily, "go to her. I'll visit later."

I swallowed, slightly bowing to him. "Thank you...for trying to help her..." I appreciated him, "you're a good friend."

"Not as good as you, I'm afraid."

I scoffed, flushing at the comment.

I spun around and walked quickly to the hospital wing, where my dear Emelia was waiting for me.

-

Sebastian POV

I rocked back and forth in the chair beside Emelia's bed, anxiously waiting for Ominis.

I didn't want to leave Garreth with how Ominis has been acting but I had to trust him.

Garreth wouldn't hurt Emelia...

Why would he...?

When I came back, Emelia remained unmoved, and Nurse Blainey was continuing her search to find out the best way to find out what to do for her.

Sighing, I noticed the thing that comforted me was Emelia's touch; I reached out and grabbed her hand, covering hers with both of mine.

Her small hand was still soft and warm; I was glad.

All she needed to do now was wake up.

I brought myself closer to her, pressing my lips to the back of her smooth hand, letting it linger for as long as I could, closing my eyes; I smelled her hypnotic fragrance from her skin, reopening my eyes and glanced at her face.

Whoever did this to you, I’ll make them pay, Emi…I swear it…

Sighing, I firmly squeezed her soft hand and hear footsteps echoing from the stairwell.

I straightened up a bit, seeing Ominis appear from behind the wall, making his way to us.

Looking over his body and hands, I smirked.

"Don't see any blood on you, so I guess you didn't kill him," I teased jokingly.

"No," he confirmed, taking a seat on the other side of Emelia, crossing his legs and arms, "although he's going to deal with the nuisance who dared harm her."

My body jolted and snapped my head up to stare at Ominis with widened eyes, filled with anger and awaiting vengeance. "You know who did it?" I questioned panicked, my body shaking with suppressed wrath.

"Not for certain, but I have a guess," he answered, leaning his upper body and head to one side of the chair, his temple resting against two fingers; he sighed. "Weasley said he'll take care of it. I believe he has the same person in mind."

"Garreth will take care of it?" I repeated confused, "you trust he'll take care of something we can easily do."

"Enough."

I sighed heavily, thinking of a red-haired egotistical Gryffindor. "If it's Prewett..."

"You can't get worked up and do something against your probation," Ominis stated, reminding and lifting his head up to my direction, "one of the stipulations is to not cause any acts of unnecessary violence that could potentially show the Ministry a crack in your good behavior; they'll send you right back without a second thought."

I groaned, head hung down and careful not to clench Emelia's hands too tightly. "Fuck..."

My body tensed and I wanted to scream and pull my hair, tear it from its roots.

I wasn't going back.

Not to that Hell.

I clenched my jaw and conceded, rubbing Emelia's hand with my thumb; it calmed me.

"What do we do now?" I asked in defeat, my shoulders slumped.

Ominis exhaled, removing his hand from his cheek and gently taking Emelia's, caressing the top of her skin with his thumb as well. "We wait until Weasley figures out what was put in his brew to cause this and Nurse Blainey to take care of Emelia in the meantime."

I scoffed, thinking of the irony. "You were right," I agreed, looking at Emi's peaceful face, "time's always against us."

-

Ominis and I stayed by Emelia's side, thanks to the gracious Professor Weasley giving the nurse the 'okay' for us to stay this one night; the chairs were uncomfortable, but we made do. We conjured blankets since it got a tad chilly in the evening and made an extra one to put over Emi.

During the evening, Ominis and I talked, reminiscing on old memories and he was telling me about how Anne was and what she'd been up to lately; he told me how he and Emelia have been doing together – causing trouble or enjoying the peace, it was usually Emi causing the trouble and Ominis trying to keep the peace.

It was nice to hear they were happy.

I slowly woke up, alert and aware of my surroundings; I didn't know when I fell asleep. Opening my eyes, I realized I had rested my head by Emelia's bedside while holding her hand underneath; I gradually sat up and looked over to Ominis, who shockingly was in a similar position as me. His hand laid gently over hers, appearing like he was grasping it firmly yet tenderly.

I had a funny feeling that cold heart of his had warmed and melted completely, but only towards Emelia.

I didn't blame him; she was something else.

Carefully sliding my hand out from under hers, I got to my feet and paced around, stretching my body from its stiff position.

Nurse Blainey was walking in with a soft grin stretching across her face.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"Morning," I said back, putting my hands in my pockets, "have you found anything to help Emelia? What causes this condition? Have you seen something similar to this before?" I started to bombard her with questions, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Unfortunately, nothing solid, I'm afraid," she answered, "but from what it looks like, it almost looks like Draught of Living Death."

Living…Death…?

I wracked my brain, recalling the name.

"That's...a powerful sleeping draught – almost a death-like slumber. The effects can last indefinitely!" I concluded with fear, gazing with widened eyes at the nurse, who gave me a subtle nod.

"Yes, if used carelessly..." she said in a low voice, "I'm still trying t – " she started to say but I heard Garreth's voice yelling as he came up the stairs.

"Death!" the Gryffindor boy hollered, "living death!"

Both Nurse Blainey and I turned our attention towards the entrance, waiting for Garreth to appear.

The shouting woke up Ominis, who straightened up from his position with an annoyed expression, glaring towards the direction of the disturbance.

Ominis groaned. "What is he shouting about so early?" he asked me in raspy morning voice.

"I...don't know," I admitted, briefly looking at Ominis but then a familiar head of red emerged.

Weasley was out of breath, leaning against the nearest wall and his other hand on his hip.

I strode to the panting boy, who I realized had a few bruises and cuts on his face along with his knuckles which appeared red-stained; I could only assume it was blood.

"You alright?" I asked him, a hand lightly on his shoulder.

"Yeah," he replied winded, making me chuckle a bit; I noticed he had a cut in the corner of his bottom lip and tip of his eyebrow, "but..." he swallowed, attempting to speak, "it's the Draught of Living Death. Leander..." he took a deep breath, standing straighter, "...he put that in when I was doing something else, knowing it was for Emelia..."

I clenched my fists.

I fucking knew it…

Struggling to calm myself, I thought about the consequences of my actions if I were to get into a fight with Prewett – maybe kill him – and then I'll spend the rest of my life behind bars in the cold, away from friends, Anne and...Emelia – the light and warmth in my life.

I didn't want that, and I knew she didn't want that either.

"Okay, so now that we know for certain, what's the cure for that?" I questioned desperately, shifting my attention towards the nurse.

Nurse Blainey was already making an antidote for Emi.

Ominis remained sitting, holding Emelia's hand; his attention was on her, but I knew he was listening to everything else around him.

"I can put Wiggenweld Potion in this mixture along with other ingredients to help and she should be awake shortly after she drinks it," she informed us, using her wand to assist her to gather items from the cabinets to bring to her; she waved her wand again to crush and grind some of them together and putting it all in a small cup. At the same time, as the elements were putting their portion onto the small tea pot and mixing it gradually.

As she was finishing up, I turned to Garreth and patted his shoulder. "Thank you, Garreth," I appreciated, "Ominis and I appreciate it," I thanked sincerely.

He nodded, flashing a small yet sad grin at me and rotated his head to Emelia laying down in the bed; his eyes glanced downward in what looked like shame.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault," I encouraged, patting his back again more sympathetically.

He exhaled. "I know; it was Leander's, but...I still should've been careful and put my brews away properly and not blindly trust he wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize it. I know their history and the clashes they get into, but I didn't think Leander would go this far..." Garreth explained, "I need to apologize to her when she wakes but at the same time..." he stopped, his voice trailing off.

"...you can't face her," I finished for him, understanding his feelings.

He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah..."

"I get it and trust me when I say this: face her now. Besides, I doubt she'll blame you; although, she'll probably have it out for Prewett from now on," I laughed, hoping I can witness her kicking his ass soon.

Garreth snickered. "Oh yeah, that's a guarantee," he smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, "I'm going to visit my aunt after this and tell her what happened; I don't mind detention for creating my own brews, it can be for the rest of the year – my whole school career for all I care. I have to tell her the truth."

"That's really courageous of you, Weasley," I complimented.

"Well, I am a Gryffindor after all," he replied proudly, "however, I might take a break from brewing for a bit," he stated with confidence.

I scoffed. “Keep him as a guinea pig…or target practice,” I suggested, shrugging slyly.

He and I laughed.

“I’ll probably do the latter,” Garreth thought.

Nurse Blainey finally finished concocting the antidote for Emelia and brought over a teapot and a small cup; she poured the green liquid in the teacup. Garreth and I were at the foot of the cot while Ominis seemed to be patiently waiting.

“Could you help me lift her head up, dear?” she wondered, putting her hand under Emelia’s neck.

“Of course,” Ominis replied, standing – still holding her hand – and gently placed a hand behind her head and gradually lifted her from the pillow.

The kind nurse put the cup between Emi’s pink lips and slowly tipped the cup to have the liquid cure slide down her throat.

After a few seconds, she insisted to lay her back down and we waited. I felt my body tense with anticipation; Weasley and Ominis were the same, gazing towards the unconscious girl in the bed. It seemed like we were all holding our breaths, anxiously waiting for any sign of change or movement.

The nurse stepped away. “It may take a few moments,” she informed, swishing her wand to put the ingredients she used away back in the cupboard and cabinets.

After a couple minutes, Emelia’s facial expression contorted and she moaned, gradually moving her head; her eyes remained closed.

I sighed in relief, rotating to see Garreth’s body relax and smile; I patted his back.

“This is all thanks to you,” I told him, “I owe you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he responded, “I’ll talk to her tomorrow, you guys take care of her.”

I nodded.

“I’m actually headed out as well,” Ominis stated, getting to his feet and delicately placing her hand down on her torso.

“Wait, what?” I halted him, “why? I thought – ” I started to say but he stopped me, a hand on my shoulder.

“I’m keeping my promise to her,” he stated with a sad smile, “you take care of her in my place.”

Before I could protest, Ominis left and Garreth followed behind, hearing their footsteps descend down the stairs.

I exhaled heavily, feeling Ominis’ dark cloud still lingering.

I wonder what promise he meant…

Sitting down in Ominis’ seat, I grasped her hand he laid on her stomach and firmly squeezed, rubbing his thumb along her smooth skin; I took a deep breath and lowered my head, patiently waiting for Emi to wake up.

A few more minutes passed, and I heard soft groaning. “Sebastian…” a low murmur called to me.

I snapped my head up and turned my head towards her voice, seeing her awake, eyelids halfway open and some color coming back to her perfect lips; I couldn’t help but grin the biggest smile.

“Hey sweetheart, nice of you to join me,” I greeted as I scooted the chair closer to her, raising a hand to feel her forehead with the back of my fingers, sliding down to the side of her face; she felt a bit warm but no longer clammy or sweaty.

I was beyond relieved, seeing her beautiful green eyes staring back at me.

“Where am I?” she wondered, taking in her surroundings, gradually sitting up.

I assisted her and moved closer. “You’re in the hospital wing.”

“How…how long have I been here?” she asked, rubbing the side of her head with a groan.

“Since last night,” I replied, eyeing her cautiously.

“I…don’t remember how…I was in…I…” she started to say, closing her eyes and opening them again, trying to organize her thoughts; she shook her head confused.

“Shh, shh, shh,” I hushed, rubbing my thumb on her cheek, “you don’t have to talk about it now, just rest. You had us worried.”

“Ominis too…?” she asked.

For some reason, that question struck my heart.

Pushing the slight pain aside, I nodded. “Especially Ominis, you should’ve seen him; he almost killed Weasley.”

“Garreth?”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry, they’re both good. I promise to explain everything later.”

She nodded with a small grin but then her eyes altered to ones of shame. “I’m sorry…”

I didn’t like that look on her, it made my chest hurt and breathing became shallow.

Without thinking, I rose to my feet and embraced Emelia tightly; I felt her free arm weakly wrap around my back. Her smell flooded my nose and her hair’s scent was sweet, it tickled the side of my face and neck, but I welcomed it; my quick breaths relaxed to a more calming rhythm. I vowed I’d never let her feel any shame when she’s with or around me.

“Hey, it’s really alright, cause you know why?” I whispered to her; I felt her shake her head as a no. I grinned in her shoulder. “Cause as long as you’re okay and come back to me, no matter how long, I’ll always wait for you.”

--

Chapter Text

I was lying in a beautiful meadow, an open book on my torso, enjoying the warmth of the sun’s rays on my skin, surrounded by various flowers – ones I’ve seen from Sebastian’s surprises for me in the undercroft. There was light classical music playing nearby and saw birds flying across the sky; I raised my arm, comparing my hand to the scattered clouds above.

It was so peaceful here…

“Emelia!” a voice suddenly called out to me on my right.

I sat up, turning my head, placing my book on the pressed grass beside me.

I know that voice…

“Sebastian?” I said aloud, but then heard another voice to my left.

“Emelia!”

“Ominis?” I questioned, baffled.

I rotated my head left and right, seeing both of my friends come to view, standing in the field of gorgeous flowers; they waved happily at me with such seductive grins in attractive attire. I felt torn between who to go to; I just wanted them with me – together.

Their bodies were suddenly beside me, knelt down, holding each of my hands in theirs, flashing me with warm smiles.

My heart began to race, and my cheeks flushed red as I shifted my head to face the both of them.

“My princess…” Ominis’ voice spoke quietly, kissing my knuckles sweetly, “I’m right here...please wake up,” he begged.

I scrunched my face in confusion. “What?”

“Please wake up,” he repeated, his unseeing eyes seemed to peer into my soul, his expression pained, just like Sebastian’s.

“Ominis…” I muttered lowly, struggling to understand what he was talking about.

“Please…if you wake up. I promise to be better, I vow to be more patient, and I swear that the next time we speak, it’ll be just like old times…”

My heart was touched, and I felt myself tearing up.

I leaned closer to him, gently removing my hand to slide between his hands and place it on the side of his face; I caressed his soft cheek lightly. The blonde boy closed his eyes slowly and leaned into my touch, sighing in content.

“Please…” he whispered, nuzzling into my palm more; that simple action made me blush. “If you won’t wake for me, wake for Sebastian…”

That struck my heart.

Exhaling sharply, I turned my head towards the wavy-haired, freckle-faced boy, seeing he was already staring at me with adoring eyes; he was smirking his famous side-grin which made my stomach jolt and felt like there were butterflies swarming inside me.

Sebastian squeezed my hand; I did the same action to his in return.

I gazed back and forth between the two of them; they both were so important to me. I pulled them both in, closing my eyes and hugged them tightly around their shoulders, never wanting to let either of them go.

I suddenly felt something warm in my throat flow down into my chest; my core started to feel fuzzy, and it spread throughout my body, a strange sensation ran within my veins, going to the edge of my feet to the tips of my fingers, the top of my head and to the ends of each strand of hair.

It was odd but comforting.

I didn’t know what it was; I just pressed my friends closer into me.

Opening my eyes, I found myself in the hospital wing with Sebastian at my side, holding my hand; he was amusingly, on the side where Ominis was in my dream.

He embraced me tightly; he looked exhausted and explained to me that he found out about my condition from Professor Weasley; he even told me Garreth came to see me briefly and would visit later. Sebastian said Ominis was with here with me, stayed by my side just like he was, but soon left, which disappointed me – I knew it was my fault. I shouldn’t expect him to stay when I treated him so terribly – not wanting to speak or see him, not even acknowledging the bracelet whenever it buzzed; I couldn’t bring myself to take it off, I felt like I was missing something if I did. It meant a lot to me, but I was the one who held the knife to poor Ominis.

I’m sure it wounded him more than it’ll ever hurt me…

Sebastian told me that Garreth’s potion he made for me was sabotaged by Prewett – adding Draught of Living Death in it, in hopes I’d sleep forever. If he wasn’t on my “To Die List”, he is now.

Sebastian informed me Ominis ruffed up Garreth because he put two and two together when they discovered my situation along with the vial, mistakenly thinking Garreth intended to harm me; they, thankfully, reconciled in the end.

I was relieved.

I tried to remember what happened before, but I couldn’t recall anything after I went to the Room of Requirement and…seeing a green necklace…

I wasn’t sure, I was probably hallucinating; I was out of it.

Presently, Sebastian was sitting beside me on the cot; Nurse Blainey said that the effects of the Draught of Living Death would temporarily weaken the body, so I had to take it slow.  First, I had to sit up, move my upper body then slowly move my legs over the edge, remaining there for a bit and then I could attempt to stand and walk.

“Do you remember who brought you here?” Sebastian asked, seeing him gaze at me cautiously with my peripherals.

I snuck a peek at him, seeing his hands on either side of his legs, holding him up while he slouched a bit, continuing to watch me. I don’t know what it was, but seeing him almost protective and staring at me, possessively, I felt a burning sensation within my core which rose from the pit of my stomach to my heart – old feelings reappearing. I imagined…I wanted to see that exact look in a dark corner, our hands all over each other, his lips everywhere on my skin, my hands scratching down his back, the fire in his eyes did something to me…

I shook my head rapidly, shaking away the provocative thoughts.

What has gotten into me…?

“No…I, uh, um…” I stuttered, knowing I was flushed beet red, “I don’t remember. I thought…it was Ominis to be honest…”

“Ominis?”

I nodded.

“Hmm,” he hummed, shifting his eyes to focus to the front of him; he was about to say something but then Nurse Blainey approached us.

“Alright, dearie,” she began, “let’s try standing, yeah?”

“Okay, but to be honest, I’ll probably fall over,” I joked, concentrating on my leg strength and my feet on the ground.

“You’re special, Emi. I highly doubt you’ll fall over from something so simple compared to what we both know what we’ve been through,” Sebastian encouraged into my ear, sending shivers up my spine; he instantly stood, helping me out of the hospital bed, grasping my hand and an arm around my waist to help keep me steady if my legs decide to give out.

“Thanks,” I appreciated blushing again, shifting my attention to attempt to get my sense of balance; I grasped Sebastian’s hand firmly and once I knew I could stand on my own I nodded and he timidly removed his hand wrapped around me, still keeping my hand.

I stood and walked a few baby steps, Sebastian patiently at my side; soon, I gained the confidence to walk normally and felt like my old self.

I grinned at Nurse Blainey who was complimenting me on my speedy recovery, saying usually those who even were under the Draught of Living Death for an hour or two still had a challenging time recovering afterwards.

Rotating to face Sebastian, he was already flashing a smirk filled with pride.

“Told you that you were special,” he murmured in my ear.

I tore my gaze away from his and feeling my cheeks turn a rosy pink.

After successfully passing brief tests from Nurse Blainey and looking me over thoroughly, I was free to go.

Sebastian walked me to the Room of Requirement to get more rest, and said he’d be back soon, and promised we’d go to Hogsmeade tomorrow as a celebration of my reawakening.

“Sounds good,” I agreed with a smile as I leaned against my mattress.

Sebastian grinned brighter at me. “I’m excited; I can’t wait,” he stated eagerly, embracing me in another firm hug, leaned away a bit and, unexpectedly, kissed my cheek.

My body froze, eyes widening in shock.

He straightened up but then stiffened, realizing what he did, taking his hands away from my arms and quickly putting them behind his head, blushing embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, Emi, I-I…I didn’t mean to…I was…I don’t know why I-I did that…I’m-I’m so sorry,” he apologized, stumbling over his words; he shifted his body away from me, not being able to look me in the eyes.

Regaining my focus from Sebastian’s sudden action, his apology was adorable and melted my heart.

I scoffed, grinning entertained. “It-it’s fine…” I told him, still stunned.

Sebastian’s rigid body relaxed a bit, his head tilted at me. “…really…?” he questioned uncertainly.

I slowly nodded.

I didn’t mind the kiss on the cheek; it was actually…nice. Sebastian’s lips were super warm, and tender, lingering a few seconds more; it reminded me of Ominis’, except his were light and soft, but they both still held meaning behind each kiss.

“It was sweet,” I confessed, flushing.

Sebastian exhaled relieved, face red.

We stared into each other’s eyes for a couple seconds but for some reason, it felt longer.

Sebastian blinked quickly, cleared his throat and took a step back. “I’ll, uh, I’ll be right back, just have to let Ominis know you’re okay so he’s not worrying his hair gel off,” he teased.

I laughed, turning my head to hide my face; I nodded. “Okay.”

Sebastian started for the door until I called to him.

“Wait!” I said aloud.

He spun around with raised eyebrows and curious eyes. “Yeah?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I wanted to know how Ominis was, ask him everything about what he’s been doing and how he’s been eating; I wanted to see if he’s been sleeping better, and mainly, when he was free so maybe…I can try to approach him and talk to him again – to also apologize for the way I was towards him.

I understood what Ominis was trying to do, but my stubbornness and pride kept getting in the way, wanting to make me believe I was right, and he was wrong; my anger kept telling me I should keep ignoring him until I felt ready to talk to him again – that he deserved this – but I didn’t think us not being around each other, talking, even hugging, for so long would make me feel crazy and lonely without him – I felt lost and incomplete.

We’ve never gone this long without speaking – a week at most, but we’d always make up by either me apologizing with shame and regret, giving him his favorite sweets from Honeydukes for being in the wrong or Ominis would bring me chocolate covered strawberries – our favorite dessert – or conjure butterflies to fly to and around me.

He only was looking out for me, being the considerate, compassionate and gentle soul he is – he was just being a friend, protecting my heart and mind from any more turmoil which could potentially break me down again. I remembered Ominis behind my door the day he apologized – the last day we spoke…

“After you broke down in the undercroft last year, I felt a need to protect you and keep you safe; I never wanted you to feel that way ever again…please, dove…please forgive me…” his voice rang in my head.

My heart shattered at the memory, remembering the pain in his voice; I knew he was probably holding back tears then. I wondered if he was still holding them back now, just as I was whenever I saw him in class or even thought of him.

“Thanks for being there for me; I’ll see you when you get back,” I said, deciding against my original thought.

Sebastian grinned happily. “Anytime, Emi. I’ll be back before you can miss me.”

He winked, spinning around and walked out the door, leaving me to myself.

I sighed and pondered about Ominis, thinking what I should do and how to apologize first; I wanted the apology to be private, but I didn’t know how or where to start.

Walking around the space, I decided to create some more Wiggenweld potions and Thunderbrew for my next outdoor escapades for Professor Rackham and the others. As they were brewing, I went to the other room to grab a book to read by the fireplace, not feeling tired at the moment; I read for a good half hour before I heard the door open again along with footsteps.

Sebastian’s back!

I jumped up from the couch and gleefully walked back up to the other room where the vivariums resided, finishing the last paragraph I was on.

“Sebastian, you’re finally back! I was thinking when we got to Hogsmeade, we can – ” I began to say, lifting my eyes from my book and saw a complete stranger, who was just as surprised to see me as I was to see them.

They were wearing a black vest and slacks with a white undershirt, unbuttoned casually and rolled up sleeves; he wasn’t wearing a tie, and his stature reminded me of Ominis and physique of Sebastian. His hair was dirty-blonde, going down to the nape of his neck, parted to one side and was a bit wild with some strands to the side of his face with mesmerizing blue eyes. I noticed some scars on his forearms and on his neck, but it was, ultimately, his necklace which caught my attention; it was the vibrant green circle with various patterns she saw before I passed out. There was an ink design peeking out from one side of his collar, appearing like lightning. If he wasn’t an unwelcomed guest, I would’ve thought he was attractive, but my mind was on the defensive.

Was he the one that caught me and brought me to the hospital wing?

“You’re okay…” he muttered in a low voice, a relieved grin stretching on his face.

I instantly threw the book at him with a grunt; they ducked, easily dodging the projectile, muttering a ‘whoa’, turning their attention to the book that was thrown at them and look back at me with shock. I grabbed my wand and pointed it at them intimidatingly.

“Who the fuck are you and how did you get in here?” I demanded, eyes piercing him.

They held their hands up in surrender. “You greet all friends this way?” he asked casually, a small chuckle under his breath.

I cast a warning spell by his head, passing him, scattering some papers from the bookshelf behind him.

“Shit! Hey, Emelia, it’s me!” he hollered more seriously, his voice slightly deeper than Sebastian’s.

My heart began to beat faster along with confusion. “Me?! Me who? How the hell do you know my name?” I questioned panicked, gripping my wand’s hilt tighter.

“It’s me, Alistair!” he responded, hands still up.

“Alistair?” I murmured to myself; I refocused my attention to him, glaring. “The fuck you are! Alistair is – ”

“A snake,” he finished my sentence, “I know. I’m…I’m an animagi.”

“An animagi?” I repeated in disbelief.

He nodded, swallowing hard. “I didn’t want you to find out this way…”

This is not what I was expecting…at all.

I kept an eye on him as I glanced at the snake’s enclosure. I slowly sidestepped towards the cage and tried to find the white reptile inside but couldn’t.

“Don’t move,” I commanded sternly, my wand still extended towards the intruder.

He shook his head and complied.

I went around the enclosure, so the stranger was still in my vision as I examined inside the tank; I didn’t see the snake anywhere.

I glowered at the guy before me, narrowing my eyes.

Walking back around the enclosure, I was about five feet from him and shifting my head back and forth, trying to analyze him.

“Okay…” I finally said, licking my lips, “if you’re really Alistair,” I stated, “prove it.”

“What?” he asked, taken aback.

“Prove that you’re Alistair,” I reiterated.

“I don’t know how – ”

“Prove it or I’ll set you ablaze!” I intimidated.

“You should know, it’s not the first time I’ve been threatened with that,” he lightly teased, smirking.

I moved my wand closer to him in a more menacing stance.

He shrugged. “Alright, alright! Don’t – ” he stopped, “Ominis saved me from his psycho brother and gave me to you as a Christmas present,” he informed truthfully.

He’s right…and he knew Ominis by name…

“What else?” I interrogated.

He cleared his throat. “Uh, you let me wander around here when you’re studying.”

He’s right again…

I gestured him to keep going.

“You gave me a tour of the castle and showed me another secret room filled with Keepers, you took me out to enjoy the outside on a rock while you read or enjoyed the view; I almost bit Sebastian for tempting to touch me, went to a place where Sebastian filled the room like a meadow and fireflies and pastries. I remember you asked me if Ominis kissed you and – ” he continued until I interrupted.

“Okay, okay, stop!” I halted him, raising my other hand up to him and then rub my forehead.

“You believe me?” he asked, almost excited.

“Not quite.”

“Not quite?” he retorted, baffled, “you said to prove it, I proved it!”

I eyed him cautiously. “Alistair is half blind.”

He groaned, reaching behind him; I straightened my stance more offensively. “Relax, I’m just getting my wand.”

I watched him closely and he, indeed, retrieved his wand.

He ran his fingers though his silky hair and his blue eyes were noticeable, they glistened with the help of the light; he pointed the tip of his wand near his left eye.

“Finite Incantatem,” he said out loud.

A red light flashed into his eye, and it changed from blue to cloudy just like Ominis’.

I was at a loss for words.

He looked at me. “Is this enough or do I need to change to attest I am who I say I am?” he wondered, brows furrowed.

I didn’t know what to say; I was a loss for words.

He put the wand on the table gradually and shrugged at me.

Without missing a beat, his form altered to the white reptile with brown and black brush stroke lines I knew; he slithered towards me cautiously and lifted his head up, sticking his tongue out and tilting his head.

I scoffed, a shocked and amused smirk stretched across my face. “Amazing…” I muttered under my breath, as I bent down and hesitantly reached out, allowing him to come to me; he met my hand, and I stroked his head and neck.

He was truly Alistair.

He transformed back with a relieved grin on his face.

“Believe me now?” he sighed.

I gradually nodded my head as I stood back up, still not believing what was going on. “I’m still trying to process…this,” I answered, gesturing my hand in a circle towards him.

Alistair chuckled, nodding in understanding.

We were silent for a few moments.

“I’m sorry,” he suddenly apologized.

“For what?” I asked.

He moved to sit at the table, his head lowered, refusing to meet me eyes.

“For lying to you,” he confessed.

I sat down on the chair in front of him, resting my wand on the table next to his; I looked to him, seeing he was ashamed.

“You’re already having trust issues with Ominis and Sebastian; I didn’t mean to add to the problem,” he admitted, briefly meeting my eyes but then snapped them away.

I shifted my gaze from Alistair down to my hands in my lap, gulping, really not knowing what to say.

“Does Ominis know about this?” I questioned.

He shook his head. “No.”

Silence.

That didn’t make me feel better.

“Why didn’t you say something?” I finally questioned, glancing up at him.

He shrugged, sighing. “I…I didn’t know how to tell you or even if you’d accept me. You confided in me so much recently and I didn’t want that trust to be broken because of my secret. I was willing to remain a snake forever so you wouldn’t get hurt,” he explained, leaning a bit forward.

“Why wouldn’t you think I’d accept you?”

He shrugged again, continuing to not look at me; he stood and walked a few paces away. “I hid this from you,” he pointed out, his body slightly faced towards me, “your trust in me is broken, why would you accept my friendship afterwards?”

“Alistair,” I spoke, getting to my feet, remaining where I was; I tilted my head as I stared at him, pondering that this was a similar dilemma with Sebastian and Ominis keeping secrets from me.

“Your trust in me is broken, why would you accept my friendship afterwards?” his words echoed in my head, thinking about Ominis.

Shaking my head, I focused on Alistair, who was peeking up at me like I was scolding him like a child.

I exhaled, wanting to alter Ominis and I’s current situation, and thinking maybe this will be a first step towards that direction. “You owe me,” I stated, giving him a small grin.

Alistair’s blue eye shined with hope. “What?”

“You owe me,” I repeated, “you can make it up to me for keeping a secret too and we’ll call it even,” I restated, smiling a bit wider at his joyful expression.

He flashed a massive smirk. “It’s a deal.”

I scoffed, seeing he was just as adorable in his human form as he was in his snake form.

We were quiet for a few heartbeats; I couldn’t help but stare at his necklace and the memory flashed before me more vividly, the necklace dangling in front of me.

“You were the one that caught me…” I realized in awe, a hand raised towards him.

Alistair swallowed, gazing at me as he nodded. “I was.”

“I remember that necklace…” I confessed, taking a few steps closer, “And I can assume that you brought me to the hospital wing?”

“Yeah…”

I sighed, in front of Alistair now and simply gawking at the necklace. “May I?” I asked.

Alistair took off the necklace over his head, the black leather string was the only thing that held the gem; he handed me the jewelry with trust. “My mother gave it to me, saying the stone it’s made of is special – malachite, I believe she said it was,” he explained, looking at the necklace in my hand with a tender gaze.

“You’re mother knew how to pick gems; it’s incredibly beautiful,” I complimented, sliding the tip of my finger lightly over the smooth stone, tracing the green-circled necklace, “it’s what I remember most before I passed out,” I chuckled to myself, giving the trinket back to him.

He admired it for a moment then put it back around his neck where it belonged.

 “Thank you,” I expressed my gratitude.

“You’re welcome.”

“No, I-I mean about you helping me; if you didn’t catch me or weren’t here, I probably wouldn’t have been found until later when it could’ve been too late,” I informed, “I guess you don’t owe me anything, we’re even. You, essentially, saved me; that’s plenty to make up for.”

He ran his fingers through his locks again and blushed, gazing away. “Well, I’ll still owe you, for my own personal conscience,” he stated, smirking, “but I wanted to save you…cause I consider you a friend,” he stated honestly.

I grinned at him, nodding. “Despite this minor shock, I consider you my friend too,” I happily stated, staring into his eyes; I stared at his cloudy eye, reminding me of Ominis.

Ominis…

“Besides you know too much now, given the short amount of time I’ve known you,” I confessed, diverting my mind from the sadness, making Alistair laugh.

He and I talked in the meantime; I learned he was a year older than me, and he’s been blind in one eye ever since he was born. He told me he hadn’t been an animagi for long and explained he had a friend who did the transformation with him, but I guess they had a falling out and went separate ways. He was charming, witty and funny, not to mention, gave off a ‘bad boy’ vibe; it amused me.

I explained about what happened to me when I drank the sabotaged potion Garreth brewed and who was responsible. Funny enough, Alistair didn’t know who Prewett was, but he hated him just as much as Sebastian, Ominis and I did when he found out he was the one who caused my unpredicted sleeping state. Alistair told me when he dropped me off and left me with Nurse Blainey, he left to sit on the rock I’d take him to for two reasons: one, to hide from others, especially faculty, since he wasn’t a student, and two, to beg Merlin – any god, goddess or divine being that’ll listen to help and wake me, to make sure I was alright.

It was very thoughtful and caring of him.

Definitely not what I was expecting today, but it turned out better than I thought it would.

We continued talking until Sebastian was heard entering the secret room.

“Emelia?” he called out from the other room.

Alistair and I looked towards his voice and then snapped back at each other in fear; Alistair swiftly transformed into his animagi form, coiled up beside me on the couch.

I raised my eyebrows, relieved he shape-shifted because I didn’t know how or when I was going to tell Sebastian about Alistair, but it had to be soon, I just needed to make sure he’d be okay to have Sebastian know of his secret.

“I’m in here,” I hollered out to him, sliding my fingers along Alistair’s scales. “Is it okay if I still pet you like this?” I whispered closely to Alistair quickly before Sebastian came in.

He nodded.

“It’s not odd or weird feeling?” I questioned in a murmur.

Alistair shook his head and stuck his tongue out at me.

I scoffed, leaning back.

Sebastian entered the room with a few books in hand and a notebook.

“Hey,” he greeted happily, “shouldn’t you be resting?”

“I slept long enough,” I retorted.

He chuckled under his breath, putting the pile of supplies down, taking a seat next to me, instantly checking my forehead and cheek. “Point taken, but still, you need to recover a bit more.”

“Sebastian, I feel fine. You don’t have to worry so much, you’re starting to become a worrier like Ominis,” I assured with a snicker, taking his hand from my face and holding it; his hand was warm, feeling some veins at the back of his hand, and his long fingers were rough yet gentle.

Sebastian sighed. “I’m sorry if I’m more overprotective than usual, but someone tried to potentially sleep a dear friend of mine to death, pardon me if I’m on edge,” he stated with emphasis, giving me a side glance.

“I don’t think you can die from a sleeping potion,” I told him, holding back a laugh.

He groaned. “That’s beside the point.”

I rolled my eyes. “Look at me,” I instructed him; he complied without hesitation. I put his hand over my heart which made him tense, gazing down in panic, breathing a bit shallow and blush red, “I’m still alive, Sebastian; I’m fine,” I reassured, leaning in and squeezing his hand in mine, feeling my own face flush, body heat up and heart beating faster.

Sebastian sighed, snapping his eyes between his hand on my chest and my face; he nodded in submission, swallowing hard.

We stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, but then Sebastian broke it and removed his hand from my chest and rub the back of his neck; I couldn’t help but notice his cheeks were reddening brighter as he glanced away.

As we talked on the couch, Alistair slithered around the room; we discussed about what to do with Prewett for tampering with Garreth’s potion and my state of being, but nothing that wouldn’t get us sent to Azkaban for cruel and necessary murder.

With our laughter dying down, wiping tears from our eyes, I wondered something.

“Sebastian,” I started, a tad hesitant.

He straightened up, eyes staring at me. “Hmm?”

“Have you talked to Anne yet?” I asked cautiously, not knowing what the mention of Anne would do to him.

Sebastian’s smile gradually faded, shaking his head. “No, I’m…not going to force her to talk to me.”

“Like you forced me?” I teased, poking his arm.

He snickered, a massive side smirk appearing on his face. “Actually, I didn’t force anything. You were the one who made the first move,” he corrected, pointing his finger at me.

I gave a baffled expression. “What?! No I didn’t!”

Sebastian waved his wand and conjured a familiar wrapped, half-eaten chocolate bar in his free hand; I realized then I gave Sebastian chocolate the first day back at classes from winter break.

I did initiate the first move.

Feeling my cheeks blushing, I turned my head away, avoiding his triumphant expression.

“Don’t be shy,” he encouraged, placing his wand down on the armrest behind him and shifted closer to me along the couch, taking my hand gently in his, “if it weren’t for your kind heart, who knows where you and I would’ve been now…” he enlightened, running his fingertips along mine.

I thought about it and wondered how we’d be if I simply ignored him; I doubt he’d be here in the Room of Requirement and holding my hand. My heart warmed, feeling joyful and proud of our progress in rekindling our friendship.

“My turn,” he said, squeezing my hand before returning his hand to his lap; he offered me a small piece of chocolate and broke another one for himself.

I gazed at him with curious eyes, eating the chocolate as I leaned my head on my hand which rested on the back of the sofa.

Putting the sweet in his mouth, Sebastian spoke. “Have you spoken to Ominis?”

The mention of Ominis pierced my heart.

Alistair seemed to hear Sebastian’s question, and I saw him slither his way to us.

I sighed sadly, lifting my head and hanging it down, fidgeting with my bracelet. “I…I want to,” I confessed, lifting Alistair to accompany me on the couch and sit on my lap; Sebastian and I stroked his scales, “but…I don’t know where to start…or if he even wants to talk to me; he’s probably still furious and annoyed with me to even – ” I began to explain, shaking my head, but Sebastian’s voice interrupted, making me snap my eyes towards him.

“Are you kidding?” he asked me in disbelief, his face stunned with arms raised.

My eyes widened in alarm, even Alistair was startled.

“This whole time, Ominis has never been angry at you; he’s more upset and frustrated at himself. The only feelings I notice from him is regret, despair and…longing…” Sebastian elaborated with a genuine tone, “he…misses your friendship…and you, just like I know you dearly miss him too.”

I scoffed, looking away.

Sebastian raised a hand to put under my chin to lightly direct me to face him again. “And do you know how I know this?”

I rolled my eyes. “My face?” I answered, sounding defeated.

He snickered, a small grin stretching across his face. “Yes…and no,” he replied, nodding, then he looks off in the distance and appears to be thinking to himself. “Do you know that you talk in your sleep?” he randomly questioned.

I was taken aback. “What does that have to do with how you know I miss Ominis?” I raised an eyebrow, placing Alistair along the back cushions a few inches behind where my head was. Alistair coiled comfortably into himself and glanced between both me and Sebastian; I caressed his head and along his upper body before spinning back to Sebastian.

“Cause you say his name – a lot – with…passion; it…makes me wonder what you’re dreaming about when it comes to him,” he stated, his tone serious and eyes intensely focused on me.

I flushed, my body becoming hot with embarrassment.

I glanced to Alistair, tilting his head; I wondered if he’s heard me talk in my sleep too.

“You say my name too,” he confesses with a grin, blushing red; he lowered his head but peeked up at me with those deep, mesmerizing brown eyes. Sebastian opened his mouth, about to say something, but swallowed, holding himself back.

I rolled my eyes, flushing embarrassed, averting my gaze.

He came towards me slowly. “You say it so affectionately and beautifully…” he murmured, closing the gap by an inch, boldly grasping my hand, “I’ve never heard my name sound so appealing…and so sweet…” he moved another inch; our legs touching, faces so close I could smell the faint chocolate on his breath and his well-known scent of leather and parchment, “when you say it…it tempts me to…” Sebastian whispered, his words beginning to trail off and staring at my lips then sliding them up to my eyes as he began to lean in.

I felt my heart racing and throat dry, not having moved from my spot; I felt like mere prey in the eyes of a predator which was steadily stalking its way towards me, preparing to pounce. I returned his hungry gaze and briefly glanced down at his parted soft-looking lips.

Alistair abruptly hissed, causing the both of us to flinch and lean back away from each other; Sebastian moved back a few inches, keeping my hand but continued to look at me.

We both chuckled embarrassed, our cheeks red.

I stroked Alistair with my free hand, quietly giving him a thankful grin; I didn’t know what I would’ve done if Sebastian had leaned in all the way, but again, he was always teasing and wouldn’t have gone all the way…would he?

Sebastian cleared his throat, snickering to himself. “Sorry, mate, I was just joking…” he started, apologizing to Alistair, holding up his hands in surrender.

I knew he was teasing me…

The freckled boy rubbed Alistair’s body quickly then turned his attention back to me. “You do say my name, I wasn’t lying about that,” he confirmed winking.

I sighed, blushing, a bit irritated by his joke.

“I know you miss him,” Sebastian finalized, “he really misses you too. Talk to him.”

I exhaled, instantly standing from the couch to pace around the room, Sebastian remaining on the sofa but felt his eyes locked on my movements.

I crossed my arms and tried to think of a way to talk to Ominis again; I’ve spoken with him before and hung out and was so close, so why does it feel nerve-wracking to talk to him again. It was probably the guilt I feel and the shame…

I don’t think I can face him.

I’m too ashamed and I know Ominis wouldn’t rub it in my face, but the bond between us will never be the same again; he and I…our friendship is ruined because of me…

I ruined it…

My eyes started to tear up and I sniffled, causing Sebastian to stand immediately and come over; he searched my face and saw the tears.

“I ruined it, Sebastian…I broke our friendship…it’ll never be the same…” My voice cracked, speaking my thoughts as tears fell down my cheeks.

Sebastian embraced me; I couldn’t help but loosen my arms and hug him back.

Sebastian chuckled to himself, rubbing my back. “You and Ominis are quite the pair,” he informed in my hair.

I didn’t know what he meant.

“You two think so much alike,” he admitted, his arms tightening around me, “I’m a little jealous…”

I scoffed in his chest, sniffling and feeling my tears soak his shirt.

“I don’t know what to do to make it right…” I leaned away to gaze up at him, “what do I do, Sebastian? What can I do?” I wondered in a murmur, hoping he could give me an answer.

Sebastian stared down at me with compassionate eyes and a sad smile, wiping my cheek with his thumb. “I’m sure whatever you think of, Ominis will accept it; it’s from you, how could he not?” he replied, smirking a bit.

My chest swelled with emotion; I hugged Sebastian, grateful for his kind words. “Thank you, Sebastian.”

“Anything for you, Emi…”

We stayed that way for a few more seconds, then released each other.

I wiped what tears remained from my face, Sebastian helping me and pulling me back towards the couch.

To lighten the mood of my negative cloud, I spoke. “So, did you have any specific plans for what to do in Hogsmeade tomorrow or…?” I wondered, both of us sitting on the sofa cushion, wanting to divert the melancholy moment and look to a brighter and positive future.

Sebastian held my hand tenderly, rubbing it softly; he stared up at me with glistening eyes and a knowing expression. “I may have something in mind.”

--

Chapter Text

Emelia and Sebastian were both excited for the next day that they both stayed up late talking and fell asleep on the couch; Sebastian had conjured a small orchestra to play a quiet tune in the background beforehand, making the ambiance of the room light and serene.

Alistair quietly shifted to his human form while they were asleep, turning on the fireplace to keep them warm, readjusting Emelia’s blanket, then lifting his arm and waved his hand – wandless – conjuring a light cover over Sebastian.

He shifted back to a snake and laid on the back cushions, overlooking Emelia and Sebastian; he noticed their hands remained held and recalled an hour before when Emelia slept first, Sebastian created a blanket to wrap around her. He moved her hair out of her face with light fingers, putting it behind her ear and smirked at her, lovingly, bidding her goodnight and kissing her on the head; he intertwined their hands together and stared at her until he, too, fell asleep.

Alistair didn’t dislike Sebastian, he was great, enthusiastic and clearly cared deeply for Emelia, but he knew if he didn’t stop the freckled Slytherin – even if he said it was just a joke – the truth was Sebastian would’ve kissed Emelia; he could tell when he saw the look in Sebastian’s eyes – they were full of lust, passion and yearning – a deep craving that would fill a man’s soul for eternity. Even though Alistair had only known Emelia for a brief time, he felt protective of her, almost like an older brother, sure, he thought she was beautiful and intelligent, kind and fearless, but that was all – a platonic companion.

To help himself sleep, he remembered Sebastian’s words and expressions when they went to the secret room which Emelia explained was the undercroft – a place close to Ominis, who shared it with Sebastian when they were younger, and Sebastian showed it to Emelia. It was humorous because Emelia had told him that Ominis wasn’t thrilled at first but soon warmed up to her.

Alistair, feeling the warmth of the fireplace, coiled up and closed his eyes, letting the darkness take over and dreamt of his past.

-

Sebastian had awoken first, seeing Emelia still asleep; he slowly released her hand and silently got up from the couch. He stood and stretched his arms and legs, walking around a bit before leaving a note on the coffee table for Emelia, saying he’s going to shower and change and would meet her in the common room in a couple hours.

Along with the note, he left a piece of chocolate and a flower next to it; the same action he did in their Ancient Runes class. He knew she wasn’t a morning person, so hoping to sweeten her morning, he left the dark chocolate just for her. He kissed her lightly on the head and carefully stroked Alistair’s body.

“Alright, Alistair, I trust you can take care of her and hopefully not let her oversleep; we got a big day today,” he muttered under his breath to the snake, who sleepily lifted his head and looked to Sebastian.

Alistair softly hissed as a response, his tongue flicking out every once in a while.

Sebastian scoffed with a grin. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’; I’ll see you later, mate,” he stated, and walked out the room and out the door altogether; Alistair simply went back to sleep.

About a half hour later, Alistair opened his eyes for the day and kept his end of the deal in waking up Emelia so she wouldn’t oversleep, the chocolate slightly warmed, but still intact.

He shifted to his human form, sitting where Sebastian sat, leg crossed with a hand on his lap and the other timidly on Emelia’s shoulder, shaking her awake.

“Emelia…” he whispered, “Emelia, wake up.”

She groaned and moaned, swatting her hand at his arm.

Alistair chuckled, finding it entertaining seeing her this way; from what he saw from his enclosure, she was not a morning person and had a routine, but thankfully, Sebastian knew the same thing – hence, leaving a sweet treat.

“Don’t you have to be somewhere today?” Alistair leaned in and murmured, reminding her.

She grumbled again.

“Alright, if you don’t wake up, I guess this chocolate Sebastian left can be for me,” he teased, resting his arm on the back cushion.

She snapped her eyes open and forced herself to straighten up. “Okay, okay, I’m up!”

Alistair laughed.  “You’ll get up for chocolate but not plans with a friend?” he mocked.

“Shut up! I’ll still get up for friends,” she retorted with a grunt, rubbing her eyes, “sometimes sweets win me over,” she murmured, her tone guilty. “Most of the time…” she muttered under her breath, making him snicker.

Blinking her eyes quickly, she saw the note, piece of chocolate and flower Sebastian had left.

She repositioned her body to sit correctly on the couch eagerly, grinning to herself as she took the flower and smelt it, then picked up the note while eating the piece of chocolate, humming in content.

“Guess we’ll be meeting in the common room,” she stated mainly to herself, placing the paper back and standing; she warmed up her arms and legs, twisting her body. “I don’t remember falling asleep on the couch…” she said out loud, stretching her arm crossed over her chest; she spun to Alistair, who still remained seated, but his upper body followed her, “where did you and Sebastian sleep?”

“Yours truly slept right here,” Alistair answered, patting the sofa’s back cushions, “and Sebastian slept on the couch with you.”

With me…? she repeated in her head.

“He left about half an hour ago,” he told her, getting to his feet to walk around the furniture to lean against the backing, crossing his ankles while putting his hands beside him on the sofa.

She nodded. “Did…you sleep alright?” she asked.

He smiled, touched by her consideration. “Yeah, but I was more concerned for you.”

Emelia’s face scrunched in confusion. “What about?”

She started to straighten up the couch and pillows before heading to the other room; Alistair followed her.

“When Sebastian asked about talking to Ominis,” he replied.

Emelia stopped dead in her tracks, frozen, Alistair almost ran into her.

She almost forgot and still had to figure out how to begin her apology to Ominis.

“I’m sure whatever you think of, Ominis will accept it; it’s from you, how could he not?” she recalled Sebastian had told her last night.

It warmed her heart saying that, filling her with confidence but there was still doubt that overshadowed it.

Emelia spun around and faced Alistair, staring into his eyes, his one blue eye gleamed and sparkled reminding her of when the sun’s rays hit the ocean’s surface just right, while his other eye was a hypnotizing, milky galaxy of its own.

“I don’t know what to do…I want to talk to Ominis, I do, but I-I can’t…I can’t…I’ll lose face,” she stuttered over her words, pacing a bit, “I’m too embarrassed and ashamed for putting Ominis through this; he deserves so much better, he deserves better than me,” she declared, pacing back and forth faster, panting slightly and a faint blue flickering in her eyes; she ignored it. “I-I mean I’m the worst friend ever, how am I supposed to be his friend again when I put him through something like this; he’s gone through so much already and I-I…I don’t deserve to be his friend, I’m just…I – ”

“Emelia.” Alistair halted her, grasping the side of her arms, “calm down,” he instructed slowly, bending down a bit to be eye to eye with the anxious Slytherin, who was getting worked up; he saw her eyes glistened, tears forming in them ready to spill over. “Take a deep breath with me,” he coached, inhaling and exhaling with Emelia following his command.

They did the exercise a couple times and Emelia felt much better, her body relaxed, breathing had slowed, and she wasn’t hyperventilating.

He grinned at her. “Now listen, you have every right to your feelings, unintentionally hurting those you care for will always be collateral, but it’s what you do afterwards to mend the pain that will ease the tension between you and them; yes, sometimes the pain and hurt is too much, despite the efforts you or both of you have tried, however, the worst thing is if no attempt is made to make it better from either of you for stubborn reasons…the bond between you will forever remain broken.”

Emelia didn’t want anything to break between her and Ominis; the very thought made a tear fall from her eye; Alistair gave a sad expression, wiping away her tear lightly and rubbing the side of her head.

“But your friendship with Ominis is special, your bond is resilient and, unfortunately, friends fight no matter what, those who don’t, are not true or themselves with each other. You’re not the worst…anything for him, if anything, you’re the best thing he’s ever had, and he’d agree with me if he were here. I swear, I wouldn’t lie to you about any of this. It’s normal to feel embarrassed when you have to admit you were wrong, but that one step of humility is an even greater step towards growth and having a much stronger bond than ever before,” Alistair finished, hoping his advice would resonate with her.

Emelia knew Alistair was right and his words of wisdom were helpful and enlightening.

“If it’s any sort of comfort, I agree with what Sebastian said – anything you come up with, Ominis will like it no matter what,” he informed, tilting his head to look in her eyes.

“You really think so?” she asked with uncertainty, her eyes wavering.

Alistair squeezed her arms. “Trust me, I got to know the guy, he’ll accept whatever you offer, no matter how big or small – you, alone, talking to him again, he’ll love,” he explained sincerely, recollecting all the memories of Ominis talking about Emelia and how his face would relax, and expression would be calm and be joyful; anyone could tell – even if they were blind – hearing him speak about her that he was so deeply in love with her.

His words filled Emelia with hope and optimism.

“Thanks, Alistair,” she appreciated, rubbing his hands at the side of her arms.

“Call me Alex; Alistair sounds so formal,” he proposed, placing his hands on his hips, facing away a bit embarrassed.

“I thought you said I could call you ‘mine’,” she teased, remembering the first time they were introduced and Ominis spoke for him.

He chuckled to himself, recalling the same memory.

“Wanted to see how Ominis would react again?” she guessed.

Alistair nodded. “It’s always fun watching his reactions, the best ones I notice are always involving you.”

Emelia laughed, blushing.

“Alex is fine…or Al – some old friends used to call me that,” he informed, his tone lowered at the last part, sounding a bit sad to Emelia.

She was entertained by his proposal. “Alex it is then,” she grinned happily, barely managing to reach up and ruffle his dirty-blonde hair.

He was shocked but smirked, bending down a bit to make it easier for her to reach; he found the gesture enjoyable and feeling a sense of friendship he didn’t think he’d find again. “You’re so short…” he stated, trying to hold back a smile.

“Hey, I’m still growing!” she protested, poking his forehead with two fingers and pushing him away. “Maybe you’re just too tall,” she shot back, getting everything to head out.

He laughed. “Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but I’m still growing too,” he commented, winking at her playfully; he leaned on the nearby table, watching her run around.

She rolled her eyes, having everything she needed to head to the common room to also shower and change.

“Sebastian and I are going to Hogsmeade, and I don’t know when we’ll be back,” she began, looking to the blonde-headed boy, “will you be okay by yourself?” she wondered, giving him a concerned expression.

He always felt seen and heard with her; she never wanted to leave him high and dry, make him think he wasn’t important or just simply left.

She was so considerate.

Alex grinned, sensing his cheeks warm up, touched by her question. “Yeah.”

Emelia nodded. “I promise I’ll take you to Hogsmeade next time, so you don’t have to always stay in here, what do you say?”

Alex’s smile widened and nodded. “I’ll hold you to that.”

She flashed her teeth at him in response. “I gotta go prepare to meet Sebastian, so you’ll really be okay?”

He nodded. “I’ll be alright. I might stretch my legs and walk around.” Emelia was about to say something until he stopped her. “And I swear, no one will see me, and I’ll be here when you guys get back.”

That vow seemed to ease her body, her shoulders lowering in relief.

“Alright,” she said, putting a hand on his arm. “I’ll be going.”

“Have fun on your date,” Alex called out to her as she headed towards the door.

“It’s not a date,” she responded, turning her body halfway to glare at him with a smirk. “See ya!”

“Later.”

As Emelia strode into the common room, there were a couple fellow Slytherins resting and chatting away about their week and plans for the weekend; she acknowledged those who waved and greeted her.

She finally made it to her dorm with Anne writing at her desk.

“Hey,” Emelia stated, putting some of her belongings on her bed.

“Hey, are you alright? I heard about what happened from Ominis,” Anne greeted her back, quickly standing and giving her a tight hug.

“Yeah, I’m good; Prewett won’t be though, but…I’m fine,” she replied, returning the hug then leaning back and squeezing Anne’s shoulders, urging her to go back to what she was doing.

Anne laughed and began scribbling again on her parchment.

“Writing a letter?” Emelia guessed, attempting to find clothes for the day.

“No, it’s my Divination homework,” she replied.