Hi there! Since the last chapter was just too short for my taste, after you had to wait so long, here comes the next, longer right after! Love you!
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Ominis felt her grip on him tighten as he apologized to her. He was so incredibly sorry for what had happened to her, because he knew how she must have felt. He could also feel her tears on his hair. "Y-you..." she whispered before she let out a groan and grabbed her head with one hand.
All at once, so much became clear to her. Memories, finally in the right place, came to her and finally made sense with what she had experienced here. It finally made sense why Omini's nickname for her seemed so familiar. He had almost never used her name, he had always just called her >Little Snake< back then. Why she found his smell so comforting, because she already knew it and associated only positive things with it. Why he could so easily make her listen to him, because it had happened before. All this suddenly made a frightening amount of sense, and with the realization she got a stabbing headache.
She felt a cold hand on her temple and opened her narrowed eyes. "Are you okay?" Ominis asked, putting his hand to her temple. Again she cried, and this time it was her who was held. "Yes, finally," she whispered.
"So many things make sense now that I was almost afraid of" she said sheepishly as emotions calmed down. Ominis and Hazel were now sitting close together while Sebastian sat across from them. "What do you mean?" Ominis asked her. "Well like why you're the only one who can boss me around" she snorted. He laughed. "And a few things I'd like to keep to myself" she said, blushing. Ominis squeezed her hand.
"Sooo. Restricted section," Sebastian interjected. Hazel cleared her throat. "Professor Fig inspected the viole we found in the vault. When he read an inscription a map appeared, but he couldn't read it, only that it depicted Hogwarts. But on the map were traces of ancient magic, which pointed to the Restricted section. Before we went there, he asked me to improve my spells. You got that part. We were supposed to go today, but Professor Fig was rudely ordered away at the last moment by the puke of an uncle. For an indefinite period of time. I could wait until he gets back but... then too much time might have passed" she explained. Ominis sighed, "I'm afraid I'm out of that kind of action, little snake. I'd just be a burden and probably only make sure we'd get caught if we sneaked in together. But with Sebastian you have a pro for entering the Restricted Section" he said and made a gesture with his hand towards Sebastian. "You just have to be smart enough not to get caught. can you do it today?" Sebastian asked.
She hesitated. Apart from her story, they were having a nice day here with the moon calves. She didn't want it to end already and she didn't want to leave Ominis. But she didn't want to waste time either. Ominis squeezed her hand again. "It's okay. I'll stay up and wait for you in the common room" he said. "You wouldn't be able to sleep anyway until she's safely back in the common room" Sebastian joked and stood up. "First we should see if we can get dinner though" he said and helped the two of them up. The moon calves made sad noises and Hazel knelt down to them once more. "What do you guys like to eat? I'm sure I can get it somewhere and then we'll come visit you again!" she said. The answer was just a whimper, but Hazel nodded as if she understood and stood up. "The little ones are happy with any kind of fruit or vegetable. I think Star would LIKE them!" she laughed. "Y-you understood them?" Sebastian asked, perplexed. Ominis, on the other hand, wasn't as surprised as he probably should have been. He remembered well how she had always talked to her snakes. They had been real conversations, even though she didn't speak Pasel tongue. Ominis could follow the conversations, since he himself could understand snakes. Her interpretations were surprisingly precise, even if sometimes the nuances were missing. He knew she sensed something in animal beings that helped her understand them. There was also a mixture of gestures and facial expressions that she observed. It happened all by itself with her. "Y-yes. It's not like I understand exactly what they're saying. It's more like a feeling that points me in the right direction. And a bit of sense and logic. That they're not carnivores was obvious to me. I just needed to know if they prefer fruit or vegetables, but the sweet ones are so frugal that they don't care," she replied with a smile, and they headed back to the castle.
It was already a short time after general bedtime when Hazel got up to leave. Ominis did the same. He had simply stayed with her after dinner and stroked her hair while she napped. But after Hazel had said goodbye, Ominis held her back. She felt his cool hand in hers and was pulled to him with a gentle tug. He put his arms around her tightly, but carefully. "Take care of yourself, little snake. You don't know what might be in store for you. It drives me crazy that I can't accompany you, so please promise me that you'll be careful" he whispered into her ear. A shiver ran down her spine when she felt his warm breath on her neck. She took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll be careful. I promise" she said firmly as she slowly pulled away from him. "I'll wait for you here" Ominis only replied, and sat down by the fireplace, listening to her footsteps fade away and sighing. This was going to be a long night.
"There you are" Sebastian whispered as Hazel arrived in the main hall. It hadn't been so easy to sneak past the prefects. She was still having a bit of trouble with her invisibility spell, so everyone would see her immediately if she made a wrong move. "Sorry" she whispered nervously. "Don't worry, we just have to avoid the librarian and Peeves after we get past the prefects down there" Sebastian replied quietly. "Do you think we can do that? My disillusionment spell isn't very good yet Seb..." Hazel doubted, looking down at the prefects.
"A invisibility cloak would be better, but they're damn expensive, and spells... Well. They're free. Just stay close to me. Come on" Sebastian replied with a wide smile and cast the invisibility spell on himself. If she looked very closely, she could still see him. They had to stay in the shadows, she thought, and cast the spell on herself. Slowly they crept down the stairs, through between the two prefects who were walking their routes there, and into the library door.
In the library, they could make out the librarian's footsteps much too close. "Quick, behind the shelf," Sebastian hissed behind her, giving her a gentle push in the direction he had meant. "Why hasn't she left yet?" Hazel whispered. Sebastian felt her trembling beside him. "Normally she would have. Damn. The key we need is in her desk...." he grumbled, thinking.
"I'll lure her away from the desk and you get the key as quickly as you can. We'll meet at the gate to the restricted section," he decided and headed straight for it. "Sebastian wha..." but he was already gone. "Damn it," she cursed. Then it was time to wait for his distraction, she thought with a sigh, but she didn't wait long. When a loud bang sounded in the back of the library, she nearly knocked over a nearby globe in shock. Why couldn't they just use a spell on the door when there was a spell for almost everything else? She asked herself, slipping out from behind the shelf as the librarian passed her. "Who is it? Peeves is it you?" Scribner called across the library. Hazel shook her head, focused entirely on her task, and quietly slipped over to the table. With quick moves she opened the drawers, looked for the key, and when she had it, it was high time. "Is anyone there?" Scribner called again, much too close to her. She suppressed a startled gasp and crept in the opposite direction to Scribner around the table the lady was just coming back around. At the gate of the Restricted Section, at the back of the library, she almost ran into Sebastian. "Woah, look out" he gasped. "That was close" Hazel breathed out, and put the key, as quietly as she could, into the lock.
Quietly, the metal gate swung open. "Don't touch a book here, please. They often look useful or interesting, but many are cursed" Sebastian muttered to her as they slowly made their way to the stairs that were there. "We need to get all the way down" Hazel whispered, still remembering the map well. As they made their way between dusty shelves, self-flying books, past ghosts, she told him she wasn't even sure at all what exactly they were looking for. It wasn't on the map, but since it was the library, they assumed it was a book. Finally they reached a door and the disillusionment spell slowly wore off until they could look each other in the eyes again. Quietly, Hazel pushed it open and they found themselves in a storeroom full of old armor and boxes, sparsely lit by magical candles. The room was chaotic, but through the maze of unnecessary things, they found another door. In front of the door lay a huge suit of armor, shattered into pieces, and as Sebastian and her stood in front of these pieces, they were finally caught.
"Thihihi!" cried the motley poltergeist Peeves, who loved to destroy the castle and snitch on students as he showed himself before them. "Sebastian Sallow and his new little doll are exploring places they shouldn't be!" screeched the ghost's unpleasant voice. "Shit!" muttered Sebastian behind her. "NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY, YOU'LL GET CAUGHTY!!" shouted the ghost cheerfully, flying upwards. "Damn! What do we do now?" she panicked.
"Damn poltergeist! I'll stop him and think of a good excuse! You keep looking for what you and Fig need. And don't you dare let anything happen to you. Ominis has been waiting for you to remember for days, he would kill me if something happened to you" said Sebastian very seriously. In Hazel the fear of not being able to trust Sebastian awoke again, but she dismissed the thought in the same second. He and Ominis wouldn't be such good friends for so long if he couldn't be trusted.
"Don't get into too much trouble because of me. I'm already sorry" she said, her face contorted into a regretful grimace. He put his hand on her arm. "I had to promise Ominis that nothing would happen to you. I can hold my own against Scribner and detention is nothing new to me. You just make sure nothing worse happens to you. Now go!" he said and pushed her through the armor to the door. When she turned around Sebastian was already gone. She turned to the new room.
All she saw was a small, circular basement room. Two small bookshelves, piles of books on the floor, a desk. Everything was covered in inches of dust and cobwebs. And on an empty wall, another door. She quickly pushed that one open, too, and found herself stumbling up a spiral staircase. The lighting here was more than dim and everything here was covered in cobwebs. Hastily, but attentively, she went down the stairs and found herself in a huge chamber. Parts of the railings were broken here and there, and the walls around her looked ancient. As if she were suddenly in such a ruin again. And in the middle of the large hall there was an... archway. In the middle of the room. As she let the door fall shut behind her, she began to hear a soft whirring, a whisper. She looked around searchingly. It was a sign of that strange magic, she was sure, and when she realized it, she caught a glimpse of the white-blue swirls of magic leading the way. Cautiously, she followed them to one of those strange puddles of magic she had found at Gringotts.
With a swing of her wand and a deep breath, she activated the magic and felt the slight burning in her body that the magic triggered in her. The gate in the middle, became a kind of portal. >Merlin, please don't make me fight again!" she thought and stepped through that portal.
The walls she now saw were anything but intact. The stairs, which she now had to go down, had begun to crumble here and there, giving a view of a deep abyss, which she ignored. At the end of the stairs, a door was waiting for her. Torches on the walls lit themselves as she reached the door. It was the same kind of door as in Gringotts, with the sign of that strange flame.
With the touch of her hand, the door swung open and she stepped into a corridor, carved in stone. The floor had the same coloring and patterns as the casket from earlier, with golden decorations, but the walls were raw stone, generously chipped away. In front of her she saw a magic puzzle: a huge gap between her and the other side. Looking around, she realized that failure was no longer an option.
In front of her was a deep abyss, behind her a now closed door.
She sighed, of course it wasn't easy. Her guess? Another involuntary trial. Now she was glad that Sebastian was not with her. At least this way she could work out without having to worry along the way. However, she silently hoped that the boys would provide healing potions. She herself had only 3 with her. After all, she was assuming only one book, but she should have known better: When had anything in her life ever been so easy? She would not be able to keep her promise to the boys so easily.
>You have to get it together, you have to go on< she mentally scolded herself and put her wand away. She couldn't think like that, so she loosened her green and silver striped tie and tied her wild curls back into a high ponytail. Better. The snake clip, her constant companion, she pinned to the side of her hair. She undid the first button of her blouse and took a deep breath, then became aware of her surroundings again, her green and white wand now drawn.
On the other side, above the archway, she perceived a very faint glow of ancient magic. She cast a basic spell on it and a bridge rose from below. Slowly she walked to the other side, through the archway, into the next section. Now it was a real room with richly decorated walls and two knight statues guarding the next door. Of course, she thought. What would one of these sick trials be without them.
Shortly she thought they were just decorative statues, because they didn't move, but when she got closer they drew their swords. Two of them were not very hard, just with the new explosion spell, she simply bombed them into pieces and the door, which they were guarding, opened. On the other side, she was again confronted with an abyss. Slowly she realized how these catacombs seemed to work. She was about to awaken the rune on the other side, when something hit her hard in the back, almost throwing her over the edge. That would be at least a bruise, she thought, as she groaned and struggled to her feet.
She hadn't noticed the statues. With a quick glance, she properly scanned the surroundings. She had to remember to be more attentive. She had promised to do so.
She noticed this time four statues that slowly pushed her in a half circle to the edge. She couldn't fight like that. She had too little space, so she looked for a gap between the statues, which she finally found. With a scream, she rushed forward through the gap and felt a burning pain on her cheek as the tip of one of the swords smashed one of the statues in the way and caught her cheek. But it was no big deal, nothing but a scratch. Now she had room, she swung her wand out and shouted "Depulso!".
The spell threw the three remaining statues back, toward the abyss. Wildly, Hazel fired base spells against the one closest to the abyss, while the other two came closer. With a scream, she sent the stone knight over the abyss, a bang heard after a few seconds. Focus, she reminded herself as she barely avoided one of the swords. As she focused on the knight in front of her, the second one sliced her upper arm from top to bottom and she screamed, sending both statues spacing out with Depulso before she blasted the knight in front of her to hell with Expulso.
She quickly downed a healing potion, knowing that the wound on her arm was too deep to be healed completely. She felt the scratch on her cheek turn into a red mark, and the blood flow from her arm slow down. "Bombarda!" she shouted, swinging her wand far too vigorously as the last knight lashed out with his sword. The blast sent the knight over the edge and Hazel was hurled in a wide curve against the closed door. Stars danced before her eyes as she regained full consciousness a few minutes later.
"ahhh Ouch" she grumbled. She swore to herself to bring bandages next time as she struggled to tear her cloak to stop the bleeding on her arm. When she was done, she activated the rune and walked over. As she entered the room, she wished she had asked the boys to set up a Lazarett. She saw six statues, maybe eight and she was still dizzy from her fall and she only had 2 potions left. She cursed her naivety towards her fate.
Sighing, she took a step forward. "Expulso" she fired at the first statue that moved, hurling it in pieces over the edge that was to the left and right of the path she had to walk, hurling a clay jug at the head of another, hoping that would be enough. Unfortunately, it only stumbled and also lost an arm, but it, like the others, stepped unstoppably closer. With some effort, she fired spell after spell at the statues that were approaching, hurling clay jars at them, fire spells, explosion spells. She tried to defend herself, but she was not always fast enough. Finally she stood with her back to the wall, several cuts covered her body and she was breathing heavily, but there were only two left.
Unfortunately, she had clearly miscalculated the number 8. She had hardly eliminated half of the statues when new ones came from somewhere, and so she now had 15. But the stream of new knights had subsided. No new ones were coming, and two were still in front of her. They were already too close for explosions in her condition, the curses that would give her distance would hardly do anything, so she did the only thing left: her Ancient Magic. She hated to use it. Every time she did, fire raged through her veins and she feared burning with it, but this way she could take them both out at the same time. She raised her wand, channeled the massive, fiery power inside her, and released it....
When she opened her eyes again, she was covered in blood and dust. She was still lying in this strange corridor where she had fought against the many knights. How long had she been here now? They would worry if she stayed away too long.
The thought of Ominis finally gave her the strength to stand up. The ground was stained with blood, her blood. She drank her last potion and waited a moment. Many of the small cuts and scratches healed in a few minutes, but she had to bandage two larger ones with scraps of her cloak. When she finally rested enough and the potion had finished its work, she stood up and walked through the ornate hall, through the last door. At first she did not notice that her nose was bleeding.
She found some bits and pieces, like goblets and chests, but in the center was a pensieve, floating above it: a book. "So it was a book after all," she sighed and approached the Pensieve with a quick step. The book was surrounded by the same glow of the Ancient Magic and it opened by itself as she stepped closer, letting a thin silver stream flow into the basin below. It was an artistic book with many illustrations. When the book had done its work with the memory, it disappeared. As Hazel leaned into the basin, she noticed the scattered red drops of her blood dripping onto the stone edge. She snorted, wiped off the blood and lowered her head.
~~~~~~~~~~ Memory ~~~~~~~~~~
Four witches and wizards stood on a cliff, looking down on a miserable village. The grass was dry and brittle, brown, the trees without leaves and the fields without crops. The sun shone mercilessly. The village was plagued by a terrible drought. Two of the wizards were familiar faces, two completely unknown.
Rackham, The Wizard of First Memory with the Gray Beard, looked around in shock, spotting a family with a sick child standing around a dried up well. Father, daughter and son. The girl tried to get something from the well, but she put the bucket to the ground disappointed. No water.
Rackham drew his wand, glanced at his colleagues, who gave him a nod, and sent a blast of ancient magic into the sky. Immediately the sky turned dark, the wind freshened, and rain began to fall. Due to the magical rain, the entire valley recovered within minutes. Flowers bloomed, trees got leaves and people cheered. Rackham's colleagues also drew their wands and with white-blue glowing points they repaired the entire village and valley together, removing the traces of drought and leaving behind a green paradise.
The girl, who had been standing in vain by the well, noticed the wizards and stared up at them in amazement.
The memory changed all at once
Suddenly an office was seen. The three wizards and the witch were there when suddenly a student entered the office. She was wearing a Hogwarts uniform, her brown hair tied into a bun. "You wanted to see me? Principal Fitzgerald. Professor Rackham." she said, smiling. Rackham turned to her. "Miss Isidora Morganach. Welcome!" he said, smiling. He made a welcoming gesture and Isidora stepped into the room. "Professor Rookwood, Professor Bakar," she greeted the last two professors. Now the principal addressed her. "I hear you're getting used to living at Hogwarts" Isidora nodded. "That's right" she smiled "I'm glad to hear that - considering how unusual it is. To enter in the Fifth Grade" Professor Fitzgerald replied. Rackham stepped out from the table, hands clasped behind his back, "As it happens, I also started at Hogwarts as a fifth year student. But we seem to be isolated cases" he said. Suddenly, Rookwood spoke up. "Miss Morganach, yesterday after class you asked me about all the beautiful swirls you saw all those years ago when we visited your village" He said, rising from his chair. "I-I recognized you all right away. I can't thank you enough" Isidora replied. Professor Fitzgerald now smiled herself and bowed her head briefly in an accepting gesture. "We're happy to help" she said.
sidora spoke on to answer Rookwood's question, an enthusiastic expression, almost dreamy on her face. "And yes. I saw them, they were everywhere. My father said I imagined it, but they seemed so real to me" she said. Rackham assured her that it was not imagination at all. "Percival - Professor Rackham - can see them, too. So far, this is the only known case," the principal replied. Isidora contorted her face in confusion. "I'm confused. What exactly ...are they?" she asked, brows drawn together, and Rackham readily answered her.
"Whispered words - or much more traces - that appear when ancient magic is cast" he explained. " A-ancient magic?" Isidora's voice sounded excited. Professor Bakar now stood up in his turn. "Hardly anyone has the power of it. Hogwarts itself is a stronghold of ancient magic" he explained.
"So if I can see traces of ancient magic, I can control it?" Isidora asked. "With the right guidance," Rackham answered her. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves, Miss Morganach" intervened Professor Bakar kindly but emphatically. "Before I instruct you in this magic, you must master everything else Hogwarts has to offer you" Rackham added. The smile on Isidora's face faded somewhat. "In the wrong hands, such magic can cause great suffering. It must be used only by the chosen. Therefore, we must ask you not to tell anyone what you have learned today" Headmistress Fitzgerald clarified clearly, approaching Isidora. Isidora said nothing, but nodded and then walked out of the office without a word.
~~~~~~~~~~ Memory End~~~~~~~~~~
Taking a deep breath, she practically stumbled out of the pensive and wiped her sweaty hair to the side. She felt overwhelmed and exhausted at the same time, excited by the new information and tired from the physical struggle. For a moment, she settled down on the floor, finding the book on the floor next to her. She picked it up, slipped it into her magic manual to transport it safely, before making her way back, invisible, through the Restricted Section, the Library, to the Common Room.
"...Got a book..." "Pssst, be quiet there was something" Hazel heard snippets of conversation. "We're alone, Hazel" Ominis called softly into the room. Relieved, Hazel released the invisibility spell, which was beginning to lose its effect anyway, and supported herself against a nearby table. "Merlin, what happened?" Sebastian asked in shock when he saw her. "Why does it smell like blood? Are you injured?" Ominis asked, and they both rushed to her side. It was a gruesome sight. Her hair mussed and full of dust. A small trickle of blood ran from her hairline across her forehead. She had a few small scratches on her face, which was bloodied from the small forehead wound and the nosebleed. Her cloak was completely torn, and her clothes also had some rips that were stuck together with blood. The right sleeve was completely missing, exposing her upper arm bandaged with it. "It was one of those damn trials" Hazel whispered, her voice shaking as much as her hands. She'd never been so glad it was weekend. She felt Ominis reach for her hands, which she used to clutch the edge of the table. "We need to get you to the nurse-" "No. Ominis we can't. this has to stay a secret!" she said, stumbling a little on her own shaking knees as Ominis released her hands from the edge of the table. "Did you drink a healing potion?" Sebastian asked her instead.
Hazel laughed bitterly. "All the ones I had with me". "Come on. Let's get you to your room first. Here, steady yourself. Sebastian go to her bathroom and prepare warm water and a towel. We need to clean her from the blood and clean the wounds" Ominis said, gently reaching under her arms. He felt how much she was shivering and hoped that she was just cold and tired.
Carefully he put her on the toilet in the bathroom and took off her ripped cloak. "Give me your hand," he said. Hazel held out her right hand to him and he carefully ran it up her arm. He registered the damp fabric of her blouse, cut here and there. But these small wounds were all as good as healed, nothing more than small scars. He gently ran his hands over her face, registering the fresh blood on her forehead. "Do you have a headache?" he asked.
Sebastian, meanwhile, tended to the wound on her upper left arm. Hazel wearily leaned her face into Ominis hand as he placed it on her cheek. "Better ask me what won't hurt me" she sighed. "I told you to take care of yourself" Ominis sighed. He was not angry with her. No one could have guessed that it was about more than a book or that Peeves would catch them.
"Yes, I have a headache. I knocked myself out with my own explosion spell for a short time, hit my head on a door" she explained. She had closed her eyes tiredly and felt a damp rag on her forehead. The two Slytherins were taking great care to clean her wounds and generally remove the traces of their fight without giving her a hard time. When the four larger and still somewhat bleeding wounds were cleaned, Sebastian handed her one of the healing potions to heal the last less bad ones. Hazel screwed up her face. She was beginning to dislike the taste of these potions, but downed it in one gulp anyway. Now they just had to take care of the bigger ones.
"T-there is a spell and stronger healing potions. I don't have any of the potions at hand, but I could try the spell," Ominis said unsurely. "Are you sure? If you don't know how to do it, it can backfire terribly," Sebastian said. Hazel sighed, "What's going to happen? I'm already half dead. Either I rest in peace or stop bleeding. Fair for me."
She had carelessly leaned her back against the wall and moaned in pain. "What's wrong?" Ominis asked immediately. "Some bastard rammed his stone shoes into my back when I wasn't paying attention. I'm glad he didn't break a rib, but I'll feel the bruise for days." she said, now bent over in front. Annoyed, she opened her vest and took it off to relieve the pressure on her back.
Sebastian had cleaned her wounds without taking off her shirt, but Ominis could not do the same with the spell. For that, the space around the wound had to be free. Noticing how uncomfortable she was, he asked Sebastian to help him put her to bed after covering it with a towel to prevent blood stains and then asked him to leave the room.
"Are you sure you don't need help?" he said anxiously at the door. "I'll be fine. But you don't need to see her half naked, Sebastian. I trust you with my life, but not with this sight" he said seriously. Hazel gave a stifled laugh. She was moved by what he said. "I'll be right outside the door. Let me know when you're done" Sebastian said before closing the door behind him.
Hazel sat in the bed and was unbuttoning her blouse with her trembling fingers. She was exhausted, she was cold, she was in pain. One would think she didn't care, yet she felt herself blushing as she lay in bed in just her underwear. Smiling gently, he covered her legs with another towel for the time being, so that she didn't feel so exposed.
"You have to hold still while I cast the spell. I couldn't practice the spell much, but I could heal beasts with it, so I think it will work. Here, show me the first wound," he said calmly and firmly, holding out his hand to her. She took his hand to her upper arm first. Carefully, so as not to hurt her, he felt the wound and cast the healing spell when he had a picture. The spell felt strange, warm and cold at the same time, and Hazel shivered slightly.
Satisfied with his work, he had Hazel show him the wound on her left waist, thigh and shoulder. The bigger the wound was, the more unpleasant the spell was, and even the spell had its limits, but fortunately they were not exceeded today.
Gently, Ominis ran his fingertips over each one to check if everything had worked. He felt the goosebumps forming on her skin. "Good. Do you still want to shower or go straight to sleep?" he asked, carefully placing the blanket over her. "You have no idea how much I'd like to wash off the rest of the blood. But I'm so tired and I'm so cold" she sighed, pulling the blanket tighter around her. He put his hand on her cheek for a short while. "Wait. I still have an energy potion from the last class. It should last for the time. Then you can go take a quick shower, little snake." he said, and after making sure she was covered enough, he headed for the door. "Seb? Would you get me an energy potion from our dorm room? It's still in my school bag. Just the bluish one. Yes she wants to take a shower. Okay" she only heard his side of the conversation. She sighed, with a small smile on her lips. "What have I done to deserve friends like you. I am so incredibly grateful to you" she whispered when Ominis was back at her bedside. He furrowed his brow. "You are a wonderful person, Hazel. You deserve everything good in life" he only said and kissed her gently on the forehead. Hazel inhaled his scent deeply in satisfaction as he did so. "The forest after a fresh summer shower. Lovely" she sighed laughing softly and squeezed his hand. "You know what I just realized?" she asked him softly. He made a questioning noise. "As you know, I repressed my memories of everything before I woke up in the orphanage. But I used to go to places that smelled like you. I went to the forest so many times after the rain and spent hours there when my adoptive parents thought I was playing with other children. It was the only place where I felt safe and secure, without a barrier in Mind" she said.
Ominis heart sped up at the confession. "The smell of the hayfields in summer, the smell of the apple trees in the villages always reminded me of you. Only the jasmine was missing. I felt the same way. I never forgot you," he said, when there was a knock on the door and Sebastian stuck his head in.
He saw Hazel lying tucked up in bed. Her face was marked by a few scratches, with dark areas under her eyes. Her skin was very pale, but she had an affectionate smile on her face, with which she looked at Ominis. Ominis, on the other hand, was sitting on the edge of the bed. His cheeks had taken on color, he was flushed, which Sebastian had rarely seen, and he was smiling as well, but looking straight in his direction. "Do you need anything else?" he asked as he handed Ominis the potion. "Do you mind getting some tea? And maybe an apple or something?" Ominis asked as he heard her stomach grumble and Hazel blushed. "My stomach can't handle that many healing potions without something else" she laughed sheepishly. Sebastian laughed. "I'll ask the house elves in the kitchen. I'll just tell them you don't feel quite right and chamomile tea would help you" he laughed and left the room again.
Ominis put the viole in Hazel's hand and wanted to get up and leave the room, but she held him back. He heard the embarrassed and shy undertone in her voice as she spoke. "W-would you wait for me here? I would feel more comfortable if I knew you were there" she said. His smile became gentle and loving. "I'm where you want me to be, Hazel," he replied. Hazel sat up and gave Ominis arm a short squeeze. "By my side. N-not in the S-shower b-but..." she stuttered, realizing what she had just said and that she had just unintentionally pressed her barely-covered chest against his arm. She quickly moved away from him and covered herself again, her face bright red. Ominis was also flushed again, but smiled. "Take the potion and go take a shower. Don't forget your clothes. I'll be here when you're done" he said, a slight laugh in his voice.
He heard her hurriedly looking in her dresser after she had taken the potion and then disappeared into the bathroom. She had been really embarrassed about what she had said and done, but Ominis didn't mind... quite the opposite.
>Why did I do that? Or said that? I'm so fucking stupid< Hazel thought, her face slowly becoming less pale, but bright red around the cheeks. Couldn't she think for once? She scolded herself.
After she calmed down a bit, she hurried to take a shower to see him again quickly. Since she remembered him again, his loving nature, his smell... she didn't want to miss him for a second in her life. Why? Maybe because he had been the only good thing in her childhood back then? She asked herself. Now, Showered and dressed in pajamas, she felt a thousand times better and wearily stepped back into her room to find Ominis on her bed. He had put away the towels and put the bed in order, taking off his shoes and putting himself in it. She smiled as she watched him doze off, smiling. She wondered how long it had taken her to shower.
Her loving thoughts were interrupted by a very soft, dull knock on her door. Quietly, not wanting to startle Ominis in any way, she opened the door and with an "oof" Sebastian's upper body landed in the room. Embarrassed, he looked up at her and she had to stifle a laugh.
"What happened?" Ominis asked in an occupied voice, rubbing his eyes. "Sebastian fell asleep leaning against my door. I heard the thudding sound and opened it. He's sort of at my feet!" she laughed softly. Ominis ran his hand through his tired face.
"Go to bed Sebastian. I'll stay with her" Ominis said tiredly and came over to help him up. Hazel lacked the strength to do so. "Are you alright so far Hazel?" Sebastian asked when he was standing upright again and handed Ominis the small tray with a teapot, two cups and a small plate with apple pieces, a small bowl of sugar cubes and a tiny pot of cream.
Hazel appeared to Sebastian like one of those heroines in the books his sister had loved to read. Sweet and innocent at first sight, but with a fire in her heart that threatened to consume her in the end. She already had countless scars, a few were now visible on her face, giving her a wild look with her wild reddish curls. Her gaze softened and she forced a tired smile.
"Don't worry, Sebastian. If my nightmares leave me alone, I'll probably just sleep the whole day away," she replied and gave him a short hug. "I hope you're not in too much trouble because of me?" she asked him still worried. "Detention and a lecture from Professor Black. Nothing I haven't been through already. Sleep well you two. And don't forget the tea!" he replied and also gave Ominis a short hug after he had put the tray on the nightstand.
"Do you have nightmares often?" Ominis asked her as he caringly led her towards the bed, flipping back the covers for her. She sighed as she lay down, leaning her upper body gently against the headboard to sit up a little straighter. "Just about every night. But with all the busyness leading up to bedtime, they've been subsiding." she said, tapping the little space next to her. Ominis wondered if it was really okay for him to join her in bed. Wouldn't that be inappropriate?
When he didn't move, she took his hand. "If you don't want that, that's okay. I just missed you" she said and squeezed his hand. That was all it took to persuade him. He had missed her just as much. Maybe even more, after all, she hadn't really remembered him for a long time.
He stripped off his cloak and sat down with her under the covers. He had long since taken off his vest and shoes as he lay waiting in her bed. He handed her a filled, steaming teacup and held out the sugar cubes. She took two, stirred the tea with the small spoon and warmed her hands on the cup. He opened his arms and she cuddled carefully at his side, so as not to spill anything. Silently they enjoyed each other's closeness and Ominis also took some tea. When they were finished and he had insisted that she eat at least a couple of apple slices, they finally lay down cuddled together.
"Isn't it terribly uncomfortable in your uniforms?" she asked him. She played around with the buttons on his shirt. "A little," was all he said, and he squeezed her against him. He enjoyed her intimacy at least as much as she enjoyed his. After a few minutes of silence, he sensed that she was thinking about something that made her nervous. Her hand on his shirt trembled barely noticeably. He placed his hand over hers and ran his thumb over the back of her hand. "What's wrong?" he whispered into the silence. "I-I... I'm a little afraid... that today... that the nightmares will come back when you're gone," she whispered, ashamed.
"If you don't want to, I won't leave. It's way too nice here with you" he said and brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand. She buried her face against his chest in response. "In that case, though, I would actually go change quickly, little snake" he laughed. She nodded against his chest, but didn't let go. Again his soft laughter rang out. "There is nothing I want less than to leave you. But I'll be back soon" he said. Hazel sighed and moved away from him. "Okay" she nodded and he stood up.
When Ominis arrived at his room door, he noticed that there was a bundle of clothes in front of the door. He picked it up and felt a piece of paper lying on it.
Ominis,
Just sleep next to her.
Nobody notices anyway and I know it would do her good.
Good night
Sebastian