Yearning | Hogwarts Legacy

Chapter One : Welcome Home

And Ominis. Just the thought of seeing him again immediately brought butterflies to her stomach.

Anne pulled Sabrina out of her thoughts. "I hear the train. Come on, we need to get going!"

—

The large black and crimson train screamed as it came slowly into Hogsmeade Station. Not many people, aside from teachers, had come to watch the Hogwarts Express pull in, which was honestly how Sebastian Salow preferred it. The warm autumn air blew a soft breeze through him, and he lifted his head towards the setting sun and allowed it to calm the nerves running through his mind.

So much had changed during last school year, and the summer had been rough for him and his sister. Sebastian was anxious to get things back to normal.

He watched as the train finally came to a screeching halt before he pushed himself off the stone wall to approach. A minute later the doors to the passenger carriages opened and the dozens of Hogwarts students aboard all walked off buzzing with excitement and joy at being back.

Sebastian looked over the dozens of heads looking for one in particular. He saw the red glow of the wand still on the train carriage before he saw the boy that held it. He quickly made his way to the carriage door and waited, smiling when he finally saw his best friend approach him.

"Ominis Gaunt!" Sebastian called, announcing his presence to the blind boy. "I'm upset at you!"

Ominis stopped short, a slight look of annoyance washing over his face. "Must you really do this already?"

Sebastian turned his back to Ominis as his friend grabbed his shoulder for support, stepping off the train. As they walked away from the crowds towards the thestral drawn carriages, Sebastian allowed himself a chance to properly look at Ominis.

This past summer had been the first summer Ominis had gone home in almost five years, and Sebastian could see in his face that it had been a rough summer for him. Ominis' face was slightly hollow and pale, light purple bags lay under his eyes, and although he had grown a few inches, his weight had dropped and he was more lean than he was before.

However, he knew Ominis wouldn't like it if he was the first to bring any of this up, so he cleared his throat. "I'm upset at you! You hid my copy of Beedle the Bard somewhere in Feldcroft and I couldn't find it."

"Why do you need it?" Ominis asked. Merlin, he even sounded tired.

"Because I was looking for romantic ideas," Sebastian said simply. "Anne and I have concocted a whole plan."

"Sebastian—"

"I was thinking of a romantic picnic in the Forbidden Forest. Candlelight dinner, an enchanted violin—"

"Sebastian—"

"Although Anne thinks it's a bit over the top. She suggested—"

"Sebastian, stop!" Ominis tone was harsh. He squeezed Sebastian's shoulder, making him pause to finally look at him. "It didn't work."

Sebastian first felt shock, then disbelief, then anger. "What do you mean 'it didn't work?'"

"I mean exactly that. It didn't work."

"HOW DID—" Sebastian stopped and lowered his voice when a few students had stopped briefly to look at him. He brought his voice to a whisper. "What do you mean? Nothing worked? All of that hard work you put in last year accomplished nothing?"

Ominis frowned. "The only thing it did was delay it. But it's still happening. My father is still looking. I tried, I really did—"

"So what now? Do we just accept it? When did it get pushed back?"