In the Shadow of Azkaban

Volume I: X

I awoke to the sun pouring into my room. The warmth felt good against my skin. I sat up slowly. Instead of drinking hot tea, I decided to rub my hands against my cheeks. The friction perked me up quickly.

Bloody hell. I lied with Ominis last night. Well at least not completely. What in Merlin's name was I thinking?

"Hoot!" There was a dusky owl perched on one of the stands in the room. Two beady black eyes stared at me intently. Inside its petite, angular beak was an envelope.

I crept slowly toward the owl. I didn't want to alarm it, in case this was one of Sebastian's tricks.

The owl's eyes doubled in size as it watched me move. Its legs lurched forward and as soon as it took flight, it dropped the envelope on the floor.

It made a small thud and slid toward me. This letter was different than the others. The envelope felt silky in my fingertips. My name was spelled out in perfect penmanship along the emerald green wrap.

I opened the casing slowly, worried I might be in for more trouble since I hadn't followed Sebastian's instructions as soon as I had the others.

I read it slowly and carefully:

My dearest,

I feel as if you are not real. I wish for nothing more than to be by your side for all eternity. You have brought me out of my darkest moments, and I will forever be indebted to you. Your soul is pure. Please cherish it.

You had told me to wait for your owl, but I could not help myself any longer. I wish to be in your loving, amiable presence. Will you warm an old chap's heart and meet me in Hogsmeade today?

Yours,
Ominis

Now Ominis was sending me letters, as well. This had to be one of the most perplexing situations I have been in yet. How was I to tell the difference between the letters?!

Sebastian may as well have been out of the question anymore. He never treated me the way Ominis had.

I wanted to impress Ominis. He truly was a fellow of class and status by nature, even if he did not prefer it. I pulled out my best robes and quickly slipped into them. I took ample time combing my hair and tending to my overall appearance.

Once I finally finished refreshing myself, I remembered that Ominis would not have the slightest clue to what I looked like. Perhaps, it really was the thought that counted.

I casually walked out of my common room. I wondered how much more time they would let me stay here.

As I pushed the humongous cast iron doors open, I called my broom.

It made a whooshing sound from the west. My broom appeared almost as quickly as I called it. It came close to ramming itself into my hand, but it hovered a mere meter away from me instead. I carefully mounted it as I did not want to snag my nice clothes.

I took off almost at lightning speed. The sights above the castle and over the lake were breathtaking. I passed the Forbidden Forest. Chills went down my spine. Flashes of memories made themselves known in my mind. I took a deep breath in to settle myself down.

Hogsmeade! It really was one of the coziest towns to visit. I dismounted my broom and let it fly back out into the sky while I wandered.

Now. Where did Ominis plan on meeting me since he didn't give me a location?

I headed to the Three Broomsticks to see if Sirona had seen him.

The stone clacked under my good shoes, and I approached the entrance. I pushed the door open to reveal a large scene.

There were a few wizards at the bar that were betting on the Quidditch games coming up. The men screamed over each other about which team was best. To the right were some younger folk competing with Gobstones. Little laughter escaped the children whether they won or lost. And in the far back was Ominis, sipping on a Butterbeer and playing against himself in Wizard's Chess. He was silent as his wand glowed while the pieces moved at a rapid rate. A warm fire crackled behind him, illuminating his silhouette.

I marched toward him, excited to be near him again.

"Hey, you! Where's your other friend?" A familiar voice called.

I turned my head toward the bar to see Sirona coming around the counter.

I hope Ominis did not hear my response to the question as I said, "I think he had been sentenced to Azkaban." My face appeared blank, but my mind was racing.

Why did Sirona have to ask? She probably already knew what business was occurring anyways.

Sirona frowned. "That's a shame. That boy would have done anything for you. I truly think he was in love with you," she sighed as she stated matter-of-factly.

"I am not so sure about that," I said defensively. I rolled my eyes. My nostrils flared as I forced a small huff through them.

"Well that's just not true, sweetheart. He told me that he was going to pursue you whenever he delivered those letters to me. It makes sense now as to why he was having me handle them. I didn't know he was sentenced." Sirona put her hand against her chin and rubbed it gently. Her expression reflected general confusion.

I slapped my hand against my forehead. I wished she would have just stopped speaking. A charm for that would have been real nice in that moment.

"Well. I'm glad to have helped out your friend. I hope he had a fair trial, and I'll be sending out more letters soon," Sirona said politely. I could not have been truly mad at her, but I hoped Ominis was too engrossed in his chess game to hear—

My thought was interrupted by a small tap on my shoulder. I turned around swiftly to see Ominis. His eyes swirled with a sort of milkiness. He gestured with his arms to hold me close. I pulled him in, and I felt a small bead of warmth on my sweater. A tear or two must have escaped him. At that moment, I did not care if my best attire was torn to pieces. I set aside my confliction over Sebastian. I just wanted Ominis to know that I loved him, and only him.