Sins of the Father | Sebastian x OFC (Caroline Rookwood) | Ominis x Garreth

Chapter 19: Startling Changes

Caroline

**

"I'm sorry."

She had just woken and was ambling to be the first to breakfast in the Great Hall when she heard her name being called from the common room. Caroline turned to see Sebastian stretch from an armchair, robes wrinkled, hair in disarray, and looking far too exhausted for a man painfully victorious from their argument last night. He hurried to her as she waited impatiently at the foot of the stairs by the fountain before he shifted nervously and uttered his simple apology.

"You're sorry? For what?" She narrowed her eyes at him— Sebastian wasn't prone to apologies. Not of late, anyway Not the uttered ones anyway. He would rather let it stew, be forgotten, and swept under a rug. She should have known that despite the recent quiet moments that he had not changed—after all, it had been the status quo for the past few years, why should last night be any surprise?

He sighed, looking sheepishly as he averted his eyes, "I said some things last night...things I didn't mean."

Caroline snorted earning her a frown, "Seriously, Sebastian? We both know you did mean those things—"

"I didn—"

"Yes, you did," she ground out, "Because you don't know how to stop. You don't hold back your emotions or opinions especially when it concerns everyone else but you."

He glared at her, "Caroline... I'm trying to apologize."

"You make an apology after all these years?" She laughed darkly, tilting her head to the side, "After you completely ignored me for two? Not once did you reach out to speak with me. No— after calling me useless, you opted to completely pull away and assume the worst of me. After three years of friendship, you just chose to walk away. To top it off, you had apparently chosen to listen to the ramblings of a new girl who had no love lost for any of us. Yes, I know— Ominis has been quite vocal about his dislike of her. A girl who might I remind you, is the reason Marvolo came after me and Phineas in the first place."

She had heard the rumors swirling of the fight—her name sprinkled in between the supposed lovers' spat. They had spun into the girl turning into a fire breathing dragon. Why? She honestly had no reason to trust the words of portraits and gossipy students. Sebastian, want her? Doubtful, such a tale must have spun from a silly misunderstanding— they likely left of the fact that Sebastian likely wanted her gone.

"I had no involvement with Marvolo," he said tersely.

"No, you didn't," that much she could acknowledge, "But that single thing doesn't excuse the fact you've been hurtful these past few years. Last night being just one instance of your behavior. I don't know what you're hoping to gain from this, but do you seriously think a simple apology is going to fix anything between us?"

He at least had the decency to look guilty at her tirade, head down and eyes peering up at her with as much Anne innocence as he could muster, "How can I acquit myself?"

She frowned at him, shaking her head and steeling herself— don't...it's always an imbalance of give and take, "I don't know... you seem to know all the answers though. Why don't you figure it out yourself?"

Caroline turned leaving in a huff up the stairs, resolving to have skip breakfast and wander the castle grounds to stew.

**

She had found her way past the sleeping dragon and into the Muggle Studies classroom among the lit bulbs and silent room.

It was different being in here without Phineas... the lack of exuberance and music made the room feel cold and empty. The pile of letters to Phineas lay before her—she answered them without fail as they came.