Hogwarts Legacy: The Price of Power

In the Scriptorium 🌶️

Dracaena leaned against the wall, her heart pulsing a keen rhythm in her chest, her eyes on the blank stretch of wall opposite as the minutes crawled past. It was half past one in the morning, but she didn't feel tired in the slightest. If anything, a strange, nervous energy thrummed through her, firing her up, making her want to pace on the spot, but she forced herself to remain where she was. She drummed her fingers on her sleeve, stilling herself as a prefect wandered past. They paid her no attention, for she'd disillusioned herself the moment she'd taken up her position against this very particular section of wall.

She bit her lip. She was certain the choice she had made was the right one for them both, but she didn't know what would happen afterwards. she crossed her fingers, hoping that after tonight, she'd at last find the courage to be honest. She took another slow breath, counting off the minutes in her head.

She didn't have to wait too long. The common room door appeared in the stone, creaking open as Ominis poked his head out. He raised his wand, sweeping it over the corridor until it landed on her, and he hurried over.

"Dracaena?"

"Shh," she whispered. "I'm disillusioned, a prefect went past a few minutes ago." She raised her hands to his face and pulled him close, wondering for a moment how it might look if someone wandered by as she kissed him gently.

"Sebastian's asleep?"

Ominis chuckled wryly. "I made sure of it. There's a small chance I offered him a drink with some Sleeping Draught in it."

Dracaena raised a brow. "Was that really necessary?"

Ominis leaned down and kissed her.

"What are we doing here?" he asked, breathlessly against her lips. "Y-you said..."

"I thought of somewhere we can go," she murmured. She felt his heart speed up as she pressed a hand to his chest.

"Where?" he breathed.

"The Scriptorium," she said, and he straightened, a frown sweeping over his brow.

"Are... are you quite mad?" he asked. "That's the last place I'd ever want to go, least of all with you to..." he broke off, his cheeks flushing. "Why?"

"It's precisely because you wouldn't want to," she said, then hurried to explain as his face blanked. "Think about it! Out of everywhere we could hide, where's the last place either of us would ever want to return to? The one place no one but you and Noctua knew about? It's perfect!"

Ominis made a face, and she trailed her fingers down his chest. His lips twitched towards a smile.

"That does make sense," he said. "But... really, Dracaena, that place is seeded with terrible memories and a truly ill feeling. I-I'm not sure I could manage to-"

She cut him off with a deep, lingering kiss that had him groaning against her lips, his hands winding into her robes as he pulled her closer.

"You sure?" she breathed, pressing her hips against his, pleased with what she felt. She chuckled lightly. "If nothing else will convince you, perhaps this will." She leaned in, tickling her lips over the shell of his ear. "There would be no greater insult to Salazar Slytherin and his descendants than fucking a muggleborn in his own Scriptorium."

That did the trick. Ominis pressed her against the wall, kissing her fiercely as she removed her disillusionment, his hand fumbling behind her for the secret catch. With a low grinding, the wall curved around, and they tumbled into the small alcove, swept around in an instant, emerging into the Scriptorium.