A Change of Heart // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 28 - The Past

"I told you I saw them go in there after class together!" Garreth yelled, pointing at them both accusingly.

"So what? You dragged us over here for an invasion of privacy?" Poppy said, angrily. Something Florence had never seen from Poppy before.

"Well maybe if there wasn't so much noise coming from a usually empty broom closet, I wouldn't have wanted to look." Garreth said, defending himself.

Florence felt her face begin to glow bright red and suddenly the cool breeze on their sweaty bodies from the corridor wasn't so relieving anymore.

The gawking group began to disperse, Natty shaking her head, clearly disappointed and leaving with Poppy and Leander behind her, Poppy muttering about how annoyed she was at Garreth. Sebastian walked over to Garreth and got close to him, almost as close as he was to Florence in the broom closet.

"Hope it was worth it, Weasley. Watch yourself." He nudged past him, barging his shoulder and almost knocking Garreth over before heading to the next class. Garreth also turned and walked away, leaving Florence alone with Ominis alone. If Garreth was a dog in that moment, Florence was sure his tail would have been tucked between his legs.

"Florence, what are you doing?" he asked her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, thinking it was pretty clear what she'd been doing, even for someone who couldn't see.

"Not that, I know that." He said, physically shuddering at the thought. "I mean, why are you chasing around Sebastian so much, missing class. Getting detentions. He's never in the dormitories anymore and when he is, it's so late at night, well and truly after curfew. Why?"

"I won't expect you to understand, Ominis. I don't really know either. But what I do know is that this is a welcome distraction for us both and we are happy. I did want to speak with you though. Undercroft tonight?" she said.

"Alright, I'll meet you, Florence. For the love of god, please don't invite Sebastian." He scoffed.

"Don't worry, I'll be alone." Florence assured him.

"And Florence?"

"Yes?"

"Maybe next time, try keep your volume to a minimum." Ominis advised her. As if she wasn't already as red as a beetroot from being busted by the group, she now felt like might explode with embarrassment.

--

Florence finished her day in Herbology, quickly eating dinner awkwardly with Sebastian. She felt eyes burning on her from all around the Great Hall, no doubt the whispers starting about what they were caught doing in the broom closet. She brushed Sebastian off with a headache as an excuse to get to the Undercroft.

When she arrived, Ominis was already inside waiting for her.

"Hello, Florence." He said, turning towards the entrance.

"Hey, Ominis. I wanted to talk to you about Sebastian. I'm a bit worried." She said.

"I thought things were going great?" Ominis looked confused.

"They are. In a relationship sense. But, did you hear about the Daily Prophet the other day?" She asked.

"About Theophilis Harlow's escape? I did." Ominis replied.

"Sebastian is fixated on it. He was reading the same article for two days straight. He even spoke to me about finding Harlow to get answers out of him for Anne's curse." Florence explained.

She watched Ominis thinking for a moment.

"That's not good, Florence..." he began.

"I know. I'm so worried I'm going to lose him in a spiral again. I know I was reckless before and helped him when he asked, but this I can't and won't support. I won't risk losing him to Azkaban over some sort of daydream again." Florence said, tears welling in her eyes.

Ominis sensed her getting upset and approached her, giving her a hug. It felt comforting to know Ominis held no resentment towards her for the wrongdoings of the past.

"We won't let that happen, I promise. I'll try and talk to him." Ominis said.

"Thank you, Ominis. I know we haven't really been on the best terms lately, but... I appreciate taking time out of your day to speak with me as much as you may dislike me. And for putting aside your feelings to talk to Sebastian."

"Florence, I don't dislike you and I never did. I was scared in our fifth year, you supported Sebastian through some pretty heavy times but, I understand now that if you hadn't stood by him then and left just as I did, he may not be here right now. I appreciate you and everything you've done for my oldest friend. I would never want anything bad to happen. To either of you."

"Ominis... I..." Florence said, her eyes losing the battle of holding back the tears she had been trying desperately to keep inside.

"You don't have to say anything. I care for you, deeply. I will speak to Sebastian tonight."

They bid each other farewell with a long hug. She missed Ominis' presence in her life. While she and Sebastian were so similar with their adventurous, spontaneous spirits, Ominis was the grounding force they both desperately needed. He gave them reality checks, reigned them in. Without Ominis, they were reckless. Uncontrollable. Doing things like fucking in a broom closet between classes. They exited the Undercroft together and went their separate ways, returning to their common rooms for the night.

--

In the common room, Ominis found Sebastian on the lounge reading one of the new books he'd collected from Tomes and Scrolls.

"Sebastian..." Ominis said, sitting opposite him on an arm chair.

"Ominis? Surprised to see you here speaking to me." Sebastian said, placing his book on the table between them and giving Ominis his full attention.

"You've hurt Florence." Ominis said in a serious tone.

"Oh." Sebastian said, his mind wandering to the marks he left on her neck earlier, embarrassed there was a chance Ominis might know about them.

"You can't be asking these things of her, chasing after Theophilis Harlow? What's wrong with you, Sebastian?" Ominis accused.

"Wait, she told you?" he said, his posture changing from relaxed to annoyed.

"Yes, Sebastian. She's worried sick about you. That you're going to fall down that path again." Ominis said, genuinely.

"Ominis, I know you mean well but I know what I'm doing, alright. I won't go down that path. I made a promise to everyone. Now, I appreciate you speaking to me again, but if you don't mind..." Sebastian said, his hand waving in the direction of his book.

"There will be another way, Sebastian. This won't work. It is dangerous. You'll be killed. She'll be killed. Is that what you want?"

"I know what I'm doing, Ominis." Sebastian said, sitting on the lounge and picking up his book again, signalling to Ominis that he was done with the conversation.

Ominis sighed, knowing he was fighting a losing battle.

"She'll leave you..." Ominis whispered before returning to his dormitory.

Sebastian scoffed and continued flicking through his book.

Ominis sat at the small desk in his dormitory and used his wand to quickly pen an owl for Florence.

Florence,

I spoke to Sebastian, I'm afraid my efforts to persuade Sebastian were in vain. He doesn't want to talk to me about it. I hope you can talk him out of it.

Ominis.

He folded it up, sending it away and hoping Florence would receive it by morning.