Hogwarts Legacy: The Price of Power

Secrecy and Shoelaces

Dracaena's stomach growled, but she didn't move. She lay on the sofa, her head propped up against the back. Sebastian lay at her side, his head resting on her chest, his arm draped over her, his fingers curled in her hair. It had taken nearly an hour before he'd managed to stop crying, as she'd stroked his hair and murmured soothing sounds in his ear, and he'd fallen asleep not long after that.

She ran her fingers through his hair again, and he shifted slightly, nuzzling closer, his arms tightening around her. She could have stopped petting his hair once he'd fallen asleep, but it seemed to calm him, and she didn't want to stop now. She didn't want to move at all, save that, and risk waking him up. So she stared at the ceiling, his words echoing in her mind, her guilt a snarling beast in her chest.

If she'd known... if she had any inkling whatsoever what it meant to turn him in, to betray him, after all he'd done for her, she never would have done it. She understood fully why Ominis had refused to tell her what Azkaban was truly like, and she winced, pained at the thought of him carrying that burden alone.

She shifted a little, turning to glance at the clock on the wall. It was almost midnight. Ominis hadn't come up to join them. Perhaps that was for the best. What with his continued issues with Sebastian's actions, no matter how much he was trying to come to terms with it, she doubted Sebastian would have opened up to her as much as he had if Ominis had joined them. She could only hope it would go some way to helping him heal from what he had been through.

She squeezed him gently, resting her head on his. He was risking it all again, risking being sent back if he continued his search for a cure. It truly struck her then, just how important it was to him to heal his twin, the desperate need to right the wrongs of his past, to make everything he'd suffered worth it, if he was willing to risk it all for her once more.

She couldn't let that happen. She'd help him, no matter what, and protect him at all costs, even if it meant being sent there in his place. She gulped. Not that it would come to that. Of course it wouldn't. They'd find out if they could contact Rookwood, and then... no matter how that went, she would have to go and see the Keepers. She couldn't keep denying him that, not after all he'd sacrificed, not after what she'd made him suffer.

He stirred a little in her arms, letting out a soft groan and raising his head. He blinked sleepily at her, and smiled.

"Hey, you," he murmured. "What time is it?"

"Almost midnight," she replied. "You okay?"

"Better now," he said, levering himself to sit up. He glanced at her, almost shyly. "I'm sorry about that, Drac. I didn't mean to get so... you know."

"It's fine," she said, sitting up herself. "I had no idea how horrible it all was, and I'm so sorry for it. If I'd have known..."

He chuckled softly. "You weren't to blame," he said. "But... thank you. For being here for me. You're a true friend." He took her hand, squeezing gently, then sighed. "I suppose we ought to get back to the common room. Did Ominis come up?"

"No, I've not seen him since Double Defence."

"Heh. He's either worried sick about us or sound asleep," Sebastian said, rising with a groan and stretching. "Bloody hell, I feel like I've slept a whole week!"

"You didn't have any nightmares?" she rose as well, peering at him. He'd stirred a few times, whimpering softly, but she'd held him tighter, murmuring soft words to him until he settled again.

"Not that I remember," he said, a wry smile playing at his lips. He chuckled. "Maybe we should do this again. You're very comfortable to sleep on."

She laughed and whacked his arm playfully, turning swiftly away to hide the colour rising in her face. "I... wouldn't say no to that. But we should really get back to the common room. I don't want you to get caught out after curfew."