Passionate Professors || Sebastian Sallow

Part 1 | Ch. 46 - Master Plan

Sebastian Sallow POV

The Headmaster cancelled classes early Friday morning for the second day in a row due to the Grayson Holmes incident. As much as the circumstances were awful, I welcomed another day off with open arms.

Gianna and I worked on my new book-only Potions lessons for hours last night but we had hardly made any progress. She did everything she could to help me rewrite my notes, trying to restructure all my very detailed lesson plans to what Garreth asked for. Even she, the smartest witch I knew, was stumped at how some of the topics could be taught without a bubbling cauldron.

I was laying in bed, my right shoulder and arm had gone numb except for a pins and needles sensation running throughout. G slept soundly in my arms and I wasn't about to disturb her by moving for my own comfort. She was snoring lightly, her chest rising and falling in a peaceful pattern. Her thick lashes fluttered in a dream and I kissed her forehead gently, careful not to rouse her.

We hadn't made love last night, both of us were too exhausted from all the work in the Library. I vowed to take care of her later though. Even though it had only been days, I was starving to be inside her, to please her. I needed her.

Shifting her body, Gianna turned the opposite way in the bed, pulling the blanket to hug the excess fabric she stole from me.

If only we could stay this way forever.

Now that my arms were free, I carefully climbed out of bed, each movement slower than the one before. Dressing in my typical attire of black slacks and a button up shirt, I readied myself to make a quiet exit. G needed to sleep, she never got enough of it and this was something I wanted to do alone. I scrawled her a brief note, leaving it on the dresser, explaining that I'd be going to the manor to finally speak with Ominis.

It was only 6:30 am, which meant I could definitely catch him before he headed into Hogsmeade for the day. He secretly worked in the back of the Magic Neep, a dainty shop that sold plants, seeds, and other supplies any practicing Herbologist or student might need. Ominis' love for Herbology was not welcomed in his family, he was constantly laughed at for his interest in magical plants instead of the Dark Arts. It was just another wedge that drove him far away from the Gaunts. The only people that knew about his secret occupation where he spent his days were Willow and myself.

The owner of the Magic Neep agreed to let him sow and grow without ever having to speak with a customer. It allowed Ominis to keep his cover and still do what he loved, even if it brought him shame. Before Anne passed, I'd hoped to invite him to open my Potions cart with me someday. My plan was for him to grow the ingredients while I would brew them into various concoctions to sell. Once that fell apart, he tended to my workshop in the basement of the manor while I was at Hogwarts, watering and trimming the plants for me. I hadn't told Gianna or anyone else for that matter because it was his secret to keep. Merlin knows that I have mine.

——

Ominis sat drinking tea at the kitchen counter in the manor, his red-tipped wand skimming an article in the Daily Prophet. The light blinked rapidly as he ran it over the words, almost as if he was reading the sentences in his mind. His signature Gaunt ice blue eyes scanned from side to side.

"Sebastian," he recognized my presence immediately, sipping from his tea cup with his free hand.

"Ominis, good morning," I pulled a stool out from the island to join him, the wood legs scraping on the tile floor.

"This is early for you," Ominis hadn't looked over at me yet but he was familiar with my hatred for mornings. Even I was surprised I made it here on time, especially knowing I had the most beautiful woman waiting for me in my bed at Hogwarts.