Hogwarts Legacy: The Price of Power

Charming Requirements

The following morning, Dracaena rose with a yawn, tugging a comb through the unruly waves of her dark hair and dressing. Imelda was nowhere in sight, and she made her way along the top of the stairs, coming to Sebastian and Ominis' dorm. She rapped on the door.

"Oi! Are you two still in there?"

"Hold on," came Ominis' voice, and the door opened. He was fully dressed, and Sebastian was halfway out of bed, his pyjamas rumpled. Both of them looked very tired indeed. Dracaena chuckled.

"Late night?"

"Sort of," Ominis said. "Sebastian, we'll wait for you in the common room."

He nodded, stifling a yawn, before the door closed and hid him from view.

"How was it?" Dracaena asked. "I bet you two had a lot of catching up to do."

"Not all that much, in truth," Ominis said. "We were both tired, and honestly, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow."

"You still look tired," Dracaena said, and Ominis made a face. "I'm not being rude, I'm just worried about you."

"Don't be," Ominis said. "It's always been a struggle for me to sleep in a new bed. Remember how I couldn't settle for four days when I came to stay with you for the first time?"

"I do, yes," Dracaena chuckled, leaning against the wall by the fireplace. "Tossing and turning like the sheets were full of billywigs!"

He laughed a little. "Well, I expect I'll settle soon enough. Hogwarts has been as much of a home to me as anywhere ever has been. I suppose I'm getting used to sharing a dorm again, as well."

"Ah, come on, you missed me, admit it," Sebastian said, approaching. His hair still stuck up on one side, and his eyes were bagged. Dracaena reached up and tried to flatten his hair, chuckling. He smiled at her, and tilted his head towards her hand. She paused, her palm resting against his thick, soft hair, before she blinked, grinned, and ruffled it, messing it up worse than before.

"Hey!" Sebastian pulled back, laughing. "If I wanted to look like I'd flown a broom through a hedge, I'd try and race Imelda!"

"If you two are quite finished?" Ominis raised a brow, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

At breakfast, Professor Weasley made her way along the tables, handing out timetables. She reached Dracaena and smiled, warmly.

"Hello again, Miss Hoctina," she said. "I hope you had a nice summer?"

"It was great, Professor, thank you. How was yours?"

"Clement enough, as these things go," she said, passing over a sheet of parchment. She turned to Ominis. "Mr Gaunt, good to see you again. I trust you had an enjoyable holiday as well?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Excellent." She turned to Sebastian, who glanced up, caught her eye, and ducked his head again.

"It's good to have you back, Sebastian," she said, her voice low. "I'll expect you in my office tomorrow morning after breakfast to go over the particulars of your final year."

She laid his timetable in front of him and moved on, though Dracaena didn't miss the fleeting squeeze to his shoulder as she went. She grinned, and bumped him with her elbow.

"See? I told you. They're happy to have you back."

"Yeah, Weasley might be a bit more diplomatic," Sebastian said, prodding irritably at his bacon. "But have you seen the rest of them? It's like I've walked in here covered in dung."