"Oh for Merlin's sake will you two get a bloody room?" Ominis groaned, exasperated at the sounds Sebastian was making as he wrapped an arm around me and peppered my face with kisses at the breakfast table.
"I have a room that I have the unfortunate luck of sharing with you, Ominis, and apparently you don't like it when I take her there either!" Sebastian bit back.
It had been a few months since Sebastian had asked me to be his girlfriend despite his initial reservations and everything was finally going well for all of us.
Anne's condition seemed to be plateauing, not getting better nor worse which kept everyone's spirits high, including Anne's despite the fact she was still confined to the hospital.
While Ominis couldn't officially court her, his trips to St Mungos every second day with a bundle of flowers and a bunch of treats from Honeydukes had made his intentions with Anne quite clear.
Sebastian had even come to terms with the fact his best friend and sister were in love. Though some might say his contentment in his own relationship had something to do with the sudden change of mind.
His friendship with Ominis seemed to grow stronger and while I didn't know what they were like before Anne's cursing, I felt they were finally returning to a sense of normalcy in their relationship.
And Sebastian and I... well, where to start?
I wished I had been sorted into another house sometimes just for a reprieve. He was insatiable. All I had to do was give Sebastian an inch and he would run a mile. When I jokingly thought about fucking him in every inch of the castle, I didn't truly mean it. But as if he were a skilled legilimens, he must have read my thoughts that day.
Every bump of the elbow, every quill shared, every time I looked at him a certain way, every time I selected strawberries to eat with my lunch, I was being dragged into a broom closet or an empty classroom or his bedroom. Though I would never, ever complain. The sex was good. Too good.
He was also incredibly possessive. Over the top possessive. Everyone in the school knew I was Sebastian's and while it was endearing, having to sneak my sunrise walks in with Garreth to save an argument was not fun. I also didn't enjoy having to hide the brandings he was placing on my neck and chest so often despite my protests.
In the only class we shared with Ominis, Defence Against The Dark Arts, Sebastian told us he'd be visiting Anne again in the afternoon. And that my presence was requested.
For a fleeting moment, I thought I was going to be in trouble. I had been pretty slack when it came to visiting Anne, I always felt like I was intruding on Ominis and Sebastian's time with her. So I'd only seen her once or twice since my own discharge from St Mungo's.
"Olive, I'm sure it's fine, she probably just wants to see you... or chastise you for dating her brother which she absolutely cannot do considering the shit she put me through with Ominis." Sebastian said as we left classes for the day, making our way to the floo point to get to London quickly.
"I am right here!" Ominis piped up.
I snorted a laugh, though Sebastian was right when he said it probably was nothing. Maybe she missed me. Or she'd taken a turn for the worst...
Don't think about it...
I thought the Scottish Highlands were supposed to be freezing in winter, but London was even worse today.
"Wish I'd brought a warmer coat." Ominis said.
"Oh. Here, Olive. Take my robe." Sebastian said, unclasping it from his body and draping it over my shivering shoulders.
"She didn't say she was cold!" Ominis said through chattering teeth.
"Sorry Ominis, would you like my robe?" Sebastian asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"No!" Ominis said, slightly too loudly drawing attention from a few passerby's.
"Exactly. Bring a coat next time."
Ominis scowled. I fucking loved this. I imagined this is what they were like years ago, when they were all truly happy.
Though I didn't ask for it, I was grateful for Sebastian's robe. It was warm from being on his body and it engulfed my smaller stature completely. It also smelled like him. I pulled it under my chin and tucked my face into it as we walked, though now Sebastian looked like he was shivering.
I reluctantly gave him the robe back as we entered the hospital, the cool air smacking me hard. Sebastian noticed my disappointed face and let out a small chuckle, pulling me closer to him by the waist and tucking me under his robe he hadn't clasped yet.
"I love you." He said, placing a soft kiss on my forehead as we walked.
"I love you too." I replied, wrapping my arms around his warm torso.
I could have sworn I'd heard Ominis mutter something under his breath...
We reached Anne's room and we let Ominis enter first to greet her while I dragged myself out from under Sebastian's robe.
Sebastian then decided Ominis had been around Anne long enough and entered the room, shoving Ominis out of the way to hug his sister.
"Oh! Olive! You made it, I'm so glad to see you!" Anne said. I approached her slowly and Sebastian stepped out of the way so I could give her a hug.
"Why don't I get that kind of reception with my presence?" Sebastian mumbled.
Anne muttered something to herself and Sebastian clicked his tongue at her, complaining about the lack of appreciation he received compared to Ominis and his girlfriend when Sebastian was her twin... I chuckled softly and settled onto Sebastian's lap next to her and Ominis sat on the bed next to her, taking his hand in hers and stroking it gently.
We caught up about school and the professors and Sebastian and I were drilled about our relationship. Apparently Ominis had told her we were incredibly annoying.
"Anne, it's ridiculous! He's got her in our room almost every night! I wish there wasn't an enchantment on the stairs so they could sleep in her room for once!" Ominis moaned.
"Sebastian! Girls in your bed? What would mother and father think?" Anne said.
"I'd like to think they'd be proud I snagged such a pretty and powerful witch." He beamed.
Everyone in the room moaned and rolled their eyes, including me, but Sebastian just grinned at us all.
"Actually, I asked you all here because I have a proposition." Anne said.
Our attention was all drawn to her fully and Sebastian shifted underneath me, anticipating her idea.
"Christmas is coming up and given that this will likely be my last one, I'd like to propose we spend the holidays together. I'm sure I'll be able to twist some arms and get away from here for a few weeks." Anne said, sitting up more in her bed and squeezing Ominis' hand.
I turned to Sebastian and saw his throat bob as he swallowed hard. His eyebrows furrowed and I could tell that Anne speaking about her imminent death made him uncomfortable. It was hard to remember since we had all been watching her stay steady for the last few months.
"Well? What do you all think?"
Sebastian cleared his throat and tried to act like he thought it was a good idea and he wasn't just reminded of his sisters deadly curse.
"I think it's great. Where do we want to go?" I said, breaking the tension.
Sebastian's hand on my waist squeezed gently and I didn't look back to check if it was out of concern or love.
"We aren't really spoiled for choice. None of us has families worth going home to... or none at all... we could go to Feldcroft." Anne suggested.
This time, Sebastian's fingers dug tightly into the skin of my hips, causing me to yelp and jump.
"Sebastian! That hurt!" I said, swatting his hand off my body.
"S-sorry... just... Feldcroft? Really? None of us have been there since..." Sebastian's voice trailed off, unable to even speak the words of what he'd done there in the catacombs.
"I know. But we don't really have any other choice unless you'd prefer to spend your Christmas stuck in the castle with me here. I really want to get out of here, Sebastian. Please."
Ominis was notably silent, but his facial expression showed he was concerned.
Sebastian took a deep breath, his grip on my hips loosening as he looked at Anne. "Alright, Anne. If that's what you want, then we'll go to Feldcroft. We'll make this Christmas special for you."
Anne's lips turned into a small smile before she looked at Ominis whose head was facing the floor.
"Omi?" She asked, shifting closer to him.
"I... I have concerns, Anne... none of us have been back to Feldcroft... and your health... what if something happens?" Ominis spoke.
His points were valid...
Anne reached out and gently took Ominis' hand again, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I understand your concerns, Omi. But I don't want to spend my last Christmas cooped up in this hospital. I want to make the most of the time I have left, and I want to do it with the people I love."
Ominis nodded, still looking apprehensive, but he knew that Anne's happiness was paramount. "Alright, if that's what you truly want, then I'll go along with it. But we need to be cautious, and you must promise to tell us if you're feeling unwell or if anything seems off."
"I promise," Anne replied, "I won't hide anything from you. And we'll have the best time, you'll see."
The mood, though a little tense at first, began to shift to excitement as we realised we were all able to make Christmas whatever the hell we wanted. Through our discussions, we realised that none of us had experienced a normal Christmas in years. My last one was when I was 12, the year before my father died. Sebastian and Anne hadn't had a real Christmas since they were 9, before their parents died and Ominis... well, Ominis never truly had a pleasant Christmas.
"Olive thought she was a muggle for years, she would know all the fun traditions!" Sebastian said excitedly, offering me up for the planning. Which I was awful at.
"Pardon you, I didn't think I was a muggle. I just didn't know I was a witch!" I protested.
"Same thing, Olive." Sebastian said with an eye roll.
Anne was growing weary so we made the trek back to the castle before curfew came into effect, Sebastian offering me up his robe again despite the fact is was at least ten degrees colder than when we came into the hospital.
"Are you sure?" I said through chattering teeth as we walked to the nearest floo flame.
"Absolutely." Sebastian replied.
He slipped a hand under the robe and linked our hands together, giving it a squeeze. They were surprisingly warm and had me feeling a little guilty for complaining about the cold.
"Please sleep with me tonight." Sebastian asked me as we broke away from Ominis in the common room when we arrived back.
"Sleep with you?" I asked, raising a brow with confusion.
"Not sleep with me, I mean literally sleep with me. In my bed. I need you tonight."
"Oh. Right," How daft of me to assume he meant sex when that's all he ever means, "Why?"
"I don't know, I just feel uneasy. All this stuff Anne was talking about... I've been so deliriously happy that I had forgotten she was going to die. And not only am I feeling sad about it, I'm feeling guilty for forgetting." Sebastian admitted.
"Oh... Seb. Of course I'll stay with you. And you have nothing to feel guilty about. Anne is doing alright." I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him tightly. He brought his head down and tucked it into my hair, his arms wrapping around my shoulders and holding me, letting all his emotions go in our tight hug.
As the night settled in and the castle quieted down, Sebastian and I found ourselves in his room. Instead of immediately succumbing to his usual passionate advances, we decided to simply lie in each other's arms and share each others warmth.
Sebastian's vulnerability was unexpected, but I found it endearing. He wasn't just the charming and flirtatious guy I had fallen for. He was also human, with emotions and fears. It made me love him even more.
Fortunately, due to my regular occurrences of sleeping in Sebastian's dormitory, a number of my nightgowns had been stashed in his trunk. With Ominis deeply asleep and his other two roommates not returned to their beds for the evening, Sebastian helped me remove my uniform and slipped a plain, white night gown over my body before pulling the blankets and sheets back on his bed and helping me climb inside. He removed his own uniform and slipped on a pair of pyjama pants, opting to leave his upper half naked.
I never knew how Ominis could tell, but he hated when Sebastian slept half naked. He said it wasn't proper. I, on the other hand, fucking loved it. The feeling of his bare, warm chest on my back as his arms held me to sleep. It was heavenly.
He slipped in behind me and nestled his face into the nape of my neck, inhaling deeply and gently squeezing the arms around my body.
"I don't know what I did to deserve someone like you." He whispered into my ear as his eyes closed.
I drifted off to sleep myself finally with a feeling of contentment in my life. Like here in his arms was where I was supposed to be.
The next few weeks were stressful. Anne was fighting to be able to leave the hospital for the two week Christmas break and Sebastian was becoming frantic about visiting Feldcroft again.
"What can I do to help?" I asked at breakfast after one too many outbursts about his stress.
"You're already doing everything I need, Olive," Sebastian replied, "Just being here with me, supporting me, it means more than you can imagine."
I nodded my head, but I wasn't impressed with his answer. So I finally managed to capture Ominis alone for a brief moment with a plan of attack.
"I'm going to go to Feldcroft. I'll clean up the house, get it ready. Make sure there's no lingering memories of Solomon or anything that happened, but I'll need your help keeping Sebastian distracted enough he doesn't notice my absence.
"How do you expect me to do that?" Ominis asked.
"I don't know. You're smart. Work it out. See Anne and try convince the healers or something."
Ominis sighed hard but agreed knowing it would make the Sallow twins very happy to be in a home that was theirs.
And he got it done. He pried Sebastian away from me long enough to give me a few hours to run off to Feldcroft and make it a real home.
Entering the Sallow home was eerie. The last time I was here, Sebastian had merely come for a visit with a Shrivelfig for Anne. Harmless, I would have thought. But Sebastian was chastised for it and blamed for Anne's flare up. I shuddered thinking of all the things Sebastian had put up with here. It made me genuinely sad.
The home was full of dust and smelled musty. It was clear it hadn't been touched since Anne had left.
My first job was to clean it up. I charmed a few brooms and a cloth to get to removing the layers of dust and grime lining the place. I zipped almost every bit of furniture away into non-existence with Evanesco. Anne and Solomon's single beds gone. Every chair and the table, disappeared. I left barely anything to remind them of the past.
I stood in thought for a moment, contemplating our sleeping arrangements for the two weeks. The home was small and with not a single room off the heart of the home at all. There was a magic I'd been researching and practicing on small items in my spare time... but it was heavily monitored by the Ministry and I had never tried it on anything larger than a bag, let alone a home.
Fuck it. You've got ancient magic, you're better than any Ministry snob!
Normally I would tell my mind to shut up, but it was right. Fuck it.
I focused hard and cast the extension charm I'd been learning in secret. And to my surprise, it worked. Two brand new bedrooms appeared at the back of the house. One for Anne and Ominis and one for Sebastian and I.
I conjured up two new double beds in the bedrooms, a new table and chairs and some cozy lounges around the old bookshelf. The home was looking cozy. I made a mental note to throw in some of our familiar pillows and blankets in my extension-charmed bag before we left.
It was perfect. All we needed was the fire going, food and each other.
I got back to the castle just in time, running into Sebastian and Ominis on their way to the Great Hall.
"Good news. Anne's been allowed to come to Feldcroft. The healers needed some convincing, but with some conditions, they've allowed her to leave the hospital for Christmas." Sebastian beamed, his smile almost reaching both of his ears.
"I'm so happy for you, Seb!" I said, laying a kiss on his cheeks.
As much as Sebastian hated the idea, we let Ominis collect Anne from St Mungo's while we collected supplies for the two weeks we'd be gone. Food, blankets, snacks and alcohol. The important stuff.
We managed to beat Ominis and Anne back to the cottage and I felt Sebastian change up his pace as we entered the hamlet. He tried to lower his head to not be noticed by any of the villagers, but it was hard to hide when you were as tall and as well known as Sebastian was. As far as the fellow Feldcroft residents knew, Sebastian was somewhat of a hero, saving the hamlet from a goblin raid. And he was a tragic case, his Uncle had passed in his sleep.
"Ah! Young Mr. Sallow! It's been a long time, I hope you are well."
"Hello Mr. Ndiaye." Sebastian said with a smile, though it wasn't the genuine smile I knew too well.
"I am pleased to see you are still attending Hogwarts," the shop keep said, noticing Sebastian's attire, "Well done. If you need anything, please come by. We have all been thinking of you and Anne."
"Thank you, Mr. Ndiaye."
Sebastian kept the conversation short and sweet, eager to avoid any more conversation.
We continued past the well and his hand found mine quickly. The closer we got to the cottage, the tighter his hand gripped me.
"Seb... you're hurting me..." I whispered, trying to reclaim my fingers.
Sebastian didn't notice my pained cries and held on just as tight staring at his old home.
"Sebastian! You beat us!"
Anne's voice called out behind us, snapping Sebastian out of his daydream... or nightmare apparently.
"Hey. Yeah." He responded, turning slowly to face Anne and Ominis.
Seeing the two of them holding hands was probably a good thing, because Sebastian changed his tune real quick.
"Yuck! That ends now. I'll have the lounge with you thanks, Ominis." He said, pointing accusingly at their intertwined hands.
"Actually..." I said, "I did something." I stood on the tips of my toes and whispered into his ear.
He pulled back and looked at me with furrowed brows.
I led the three of them into the home and let them take in the changes I'd made.
"Please don't be mad..." I said softly as Ominis and Anne explored the extended bedrooms with wide eyes.
"What? Why would I be mad?" Sebastian said, turning to pull me into his arms.
"I don't know. I changed everything..."
"Good. I don't want a single thing here to remind me of that piece of shit. I seriously appreciate this so much. I love you." Sebastian said, laying a warm and soft kiss on my mouth. "Now, is one of those rooms for us?"
I let out a small laugh and held his hands, walking backwards towards the room on the left, "Let's find out."
I pushed open the door and Sebastian's jaw dropped. The room was cozy and snug, a large bed in the middle with a very small fireplace in the corner. I slung the bag off my shoulder and took out our blankets and pillows from the castle and tossed them onto the bed.
"As much as I'd like to break in the bed, Sebastian, I believe we should check on your sister and best friend first."
"I'm not sure I want to..." Sebastian mumbled, dragging his feet as I led him back out of the room.
The four of us settled in for the night around the new table and chairs with hot cocoa Sebastian had prepared for us, the crisp fire crackling away in the background.
"The Christmas tree vendor comes by tomorrow. We should pick a tree!" Anne exclaimed.
Sebastian and Anne debated about sizing and where to put the tree and it brought a genuine smile to my face. I watched the two bicker, happy that despite everything that happened in the past and that was destined to happen soon, they were able to reconcile and act like true siblings. Something I never had.
Sebastian was truly happy in this moment and it was all I had ever hoped for him, as short lived as it may be.
I realised... I needed to do everything I could to get rid of that curse. Not for Anne's sake. But for Sebastian.