Right Where You Left Me | Sebastian Sallow |

CHAPTER TWELVE: Anne

Walking into the Undercroft, I was greeted with its usual presence. The room was lit with plenty of candles and the familiar old furniture was still in its place. This time, no vague letters or the dark figure were in sight. I shuddered at the memory of the nightmare.

I found Ominis leaning against the first column on the right. His arms crossed against his chest, looking up at the stone ceiling.

"Ominis is everything alright? Your handwriting looked rushed, you seemed to have scribbled out something towards the end."

He looked down, glancing over towards where my voice was coming from, "Um, yes, I'm alright Eliza. Something else isn't though."

"Ha, no kidding Ominis. Let me guess, our problem begins with a 'Seb' and ends with an 'astian'?" I answered in a sarcastic tone, but still sounding frustrated.

"Partially Eliza, but we'll talk more on that later. First, I want to apologize for Sebastian's behavior from today. Totally unacceptable."

"Ominis, I appreciate it but it's not you that should be apologizing. I mean, I honestly don't know if he would or if he should. Yes, Sebastian did his part for the team but, it still hurt."

His brows furrowed and he uncrossed his arms, "Why did it hurt Eliza?"

"Ominis do I really have to explain myself for that? You know about everything that happened last year when he was gone."

"Eliza, tell me what you're feeling as of now. You know you can, I won't judge."

I sighed, "Ominis, with him being back, my mind is everywhere. Every time I look at him, anger or sadness consumes me. I don't even know what to think at some point..." I trailed off.

"Eliza, I know there's more to it. Please continue." Ominis knew me well, there was so much more to how I was feeling. If I were to tell him everything, we would be in the Undercroft all night.

"Ominis, he used to be my best friend and now, we are nothing!! As a result of my anger and distance towards him the past month, I feel like I've only pushed him away more."

My throat started to close. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes, relieved that Ominis couldn't see them.

Ominis now held both his arms out, I proceeded into his arms as he embraced me in a tight hug. He knew I needed it.

"I'm so sorry Eliza." He whispered so quietly that barley I could her him, confused as to why he was apologizing again.

He let go first, "Eliza, I also have something that I must share with you. It's urgent."

I wiped my silent fallen tears from my cheeks, "What is it Ominis?"

He sighed and closed his eyes, "It's about Anne."

His words took me by surprise. Ominis rarely spoke about Anne as rarely as I talked about Sebastian.

"Anne?" My voice broke.

Ominis responded by closing his eyes and slightly shaking his head up and down.

"Anne is dying Eliza. She is worse and time is running out."

I gasped, bringing both hands to my chest to control my breathing. Knowing that all of fifth year, all our efforts were to save Anne. Now to hear that she is dying...I feel like another important person in my life is being taken away from me.

"Ominis how do you know about this?"

"Because" He paused, "Sebastian told me everything and now you must know."

I walked closer to Ominis and placed a hand on his shoulder. I knew this would be a difficult conversation. Ominis had a soft spot for Anne and cared so much about her.

"As I speak, please ask any questions for I shall try my best to answer. I'm sure you will have a lot to ask."

"Of course, Ominis, go ahead."

He took a deep breath in and began, "During the summer after our fifth year, Sebastian scattered the land, looking everywhere for Anne. That's why he didn't attend Hogwarts last year."

I didn't dare speak, I've been wanting to know this information for the past year and a half.

"After months of searching and asking others for any sort of information, Sebastian managed to find Anne Eliza."

"Where?!" I spat out, eager to know where she had been after all this time.

"Anne now resides in a small cottage in West Manor Cape, near the shoreline. She's been living with one of Sebastian's parent's friends, John Wilford. His house is hidden right in the cliffside; using a charm to conceal his residence in plain sight. That's why it's been so difficult to locate her whereabouts."

"How did he even find Anne, Ominis? I've travelled to West Manor Cape in the past and have found nothing there. Not even on accident."

I was in complete shock, trying to wrap my mind around what Ominis was telling me.

"Late last year, Sebastian finally received an owl from Anne. Stating how death tauntingly crept around the corner. She needed him."

"I've...", he stopped for a second, "Sebastian casted a spell over Anne to preserve her body and to slow down the curse from killing her sooner. She is sort of in a temporary sleep. John is watching over Anne currently."

"Why is Sebastian here if Anne is dying?"

"As much as you don't want to talk to him Eliza, Sebastian desperately needs us. With the curse now spreading to the outside of her body, he needs all the help he can get in order to find a cure."

"Ominis, what do you mean, spreading to the outside of her body?"

"When finally reaching Anne, the tips of her fingers were black as coal, in the past year it spread up to her wrist. I can't imagine where Anne would be now if her body wasn't preserved. John sent an owl earlier tonight, she is worse."

I was now crying, my hands shaking.

"All this time Ominis, Sebastian was trying to talk to me! Possibly trying to tell me about Anne and all I've done is ignore and push him away!"

Ominis took both of my hands, "Eliza, please don't cry it's not your fault. Because of Sebastian's actions your feelings are valid."

I continued to cry as I stared into Ominis' foggy, blue eyes.

"Agh!!" Ominis clutched his stomach, crying out in pain.

"Ominis? What's wrong?!" This moment took such a turn.

Ominis said nothing. He fell to the ground onto his knees still clutching his stomach, grunting through his clinched teeth.

I didn't know what to do, this pain came out of nowhere. I bent down with him, wrapping my arms around him from behind and rested my head on his shoulder to comfort Ominis during the pain. As I had my arms wrapped around towards his chest, he placed a hand over mine.

"Eliza, you need to leave, now!" He said through his teeth.

"No! I'm not going anywhere."

"No, leave!" His voice got deeper.

Ominis stopped crying out from the pain, and a familiar smell filled my nose.

I backed up to give him some room. He continued to kneel on the ground with his head bent forward, unable for me to see.

"Ominis?"

When he turned around, I was mortified.

I found myself staring into the familiar chocolate brown eyes of Sebastian Sallow.