In the Shadow of Azkaban

Volume I: XXXIV

The light from the window stretched across the room as I woke slowly. I could feel Ominis against me. The warmth from his skin made me feel as if I were home. His breathing was slow, almost nonexistent in my ear. My mind wandered to last night. I needed to meet with Sebastian today. I tried to move, but his arm was stretched across me.

I maneuvered my way out of his grasp and sat up slowly. The room looked blurry for some reason. I rubbed my eyes to straighten out my vision. There was a chair that was parallel to the end of our bed.

Sebastian was straddling it, staring at me. He smirked to himself. I pulled the blankets to cover my naked body.

I whispered in the most heinous tone, "What are you doing in here?"

He kicked his leg over the chair to stand up. Sebastian made his way over to my side of the bed. It seemed he towered over me, even more than usual. He knelt down beside me and ran his hand through my hair.

His eyes gleamed differently in this lighting. They were dark today. It reminded me of when he was emaciated in Azkaban. Something was wrong.

He leaned in and kissed my cheek. Sebastian's hand cupped the other side of my face as he turned me toward him. He kept his face close to me. Sebastian pressed his lips against mine. I did not reciprocate or even respond. I was paralyzed.

"Won't you be mine, darling?" His voice was low and muffled. It almost seemed his voice was underwater.

As he pulled away, there was the most sinister look on his face. His once brown irises burned a blood red and his teeth appeared jagged.

He drew his wand and aimed at Ominis, who was still sleeping peacefully. I felt frozen in fear, but I somehow managed to cover myself over Ominis.

Sebastian grabbed my forearm and threw me onto the ground with a force I had never known. He yelled, "Obliviate!" He twisted his wand in a clockwise motion. I stood in horror. My face contorted, and tears began streaming down my cheeks.

"What have you done?!" I screamed at Sebastian. My tears were hot on my face. I could feel my ears turning red. My stomach twisted, and in that moment, I thought I was going to vomit.

...

My body jolted forward. I opened my eyes to see that it was barely dawn. It was a nightmare.

The room was dark as Ominis roused in his sleep. His eyes opened slightly as he placed his hand on my bare back. I was drenched in sweat.

Ominis pulled himself upward. He reached over to his bedside table to grab his wand. He made a series of movements as he mumbled sleepily under his breath.

A claw foot bath appeared in the center of the room. Steam sizzled from the water. Candles began appearing one by one around the area.

A small table appeared at one end of the tub. A vase with daffodils bloomed next to a flute of champagne. The tiniest record player I had ever seen was beside the glass.

"Try to relax. You were tossing and screaming in your sleep. I tried to comfort you, but you were relentless," Ominis placed his hand behind my neck and kissed me softly. He gestured toward the area he conjured.

I stepped out of bed slowly. The air against my damp skin was uncomfortable. I approached the bath and dipped my foot inside. It was warm. I submerged myself and sipped on the champagne.

Small violins played music through the phonograph. I turned my head toward the bed. Ominis was already back asleep. I needed to find a way to cure whatever was eating away at me. Was it guilt? Did I have an affinity for torturing myself?

I shook my head slightly. I focused on relaxing, as if that were an option. I inhaled slow deep breaths. The bath's aroma filled the room. Small scents of lavender rose up into the air.

Once I felt dreamy, I drained the water. I changed into a thin set of pajamas. My feet drug as I walked over to the bed. I curled myself up in the blankets and grabbed my quill and parchment.

I began writing:

Professor Sharp,

I am in dire need of a memory charm master. Sebastian has not yet agreed to the process, but I want your recommendation. That way, we can start our journey as soon as possible. Please write whenever you receive this. The matter is urgent.

I signed my name at the bottom. I crept slowly out of bed. I made my way down the stairs and conjured an owl post. We had needed one of these anyway. I whistled for Ominis' owl, and soon enough, she had appeared.

I placed the letter in her beak and whispered, "Aesop Sharp." Her eyes widened as she nodded at me. I moved over to one of the windows and pushed it open for her. She flew away hurriedly.

My forearms pressed on the windowsill. The night sky was disappearing slowly.

The stars were still faint. The moon was almost transparent as the sun began shining brighter. I felt a small brush against my arm.

My eyes shifted to my side. Sebastian was leaning in the same manner. The skin on his torso appeared soft in the sunlight. He smiled at me, but it seemed to mean "Goodbye" rather than "Hello."

His lips parted slowly at me. He began to speak, "You light me up as if I were the sun and you the moon. We balance each other," he grabbed my hand in his, "Where I falter, you pick up."

He looked up toward the stairs where Ominis was still sleeping. "The stars watch you evolve over time; they follow you," he continued, "They protect you. Every time the sun sets, the moon dances with the stars. The sun and moon may face each other but not for long. The moon and the stars were meant to be one." He brought our hands up to him, and he pressed his lips to my hand.

He let our hands drop as we faced the sunrise together.