Legacy Disowned - Book 1

Chapter 29 - The Tale of Maggie Darling

The echo of footsteps off the castle's stone walls seemed unsettlingly loud to Sebastian's ears as he and Ominis made their way through the now deserted corridors of Hogwarts Castle. But that sound only felt a fraction as isolating as Sebastian's even more deafening thoughts, the words from the note Anne had left him playing over and over again in his mind.

"I will always love you, but I don't know if I can forgive you."

Every step they took, the more and more alone Sebastian felt. He was grateful that Ominis had chosen to accompany him tonight, but he knew that for the majority of the summer Anne would need their friend's company more— she deserved it more. That knowledge did little to ease the growing sense of aching loneliness however.

More time to research, he told himself, trying very hard to believe that that notion should bring him solace rather than further anxiety. Ominis perceptively offered his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, but it only made Sebastian's heart clench knowing how soon he'd be saying goodbye to that moral support.

When they entered the Slytherin common room, Ominis came to an abrupt halt, tilting his head to the side as if listening to the gurgling of the fountain by the stairs. "Is that...?"

As Ominis trailed off, Sebastian heard it too. Alongside the usual gentle plucking of the harp strings, an accompanying harmony was floating up the stairs, and with it singing— a voice Sebastian knew in an instant.

"No–" he whispered, hardly able to believe his ears as they descended the stairs towards the enchanting melody.

But sure enough, there she was, standing before the merrily crackling fireplace, her wand out, weaving ribbons of iridescent magic that danced around her like a living rainbow, an otherworldly symphony emitting from the undulating wisps of magic as she sang.

A half-empty bottle of wine sat on the table beside her. But what drew Sebastian's gaze was her body, barely concealed by a thin chemise. The firelight behind her clung to every curve, casting a warm glow that revealed the contours of her body all too clearly. He quickly spun around, face burning furiously.

"Darling? What are you doing here?" Ominis asked, completely oblivious to her state of undress.

Darling's music stopped abruptly. "Ominis? What are you–? Sebastian—?"

"–Bloody hell Darling," Sebastian stammered, trying to maintain his composure. "Will you please, put some clothes on!"

"Ugh, for fucks sakes," she muttered. Sebastian heard the rustle of silk as she grabbed a robe. When he turned back around, she was tying the sash with an exaggerated flourish. "Better?"

"Much," Sebastian replied, still slightly red-faced, as he repeated Ominis' earlier question. "Why are you here?"

Before she could answer, a voice spoke up from the armchair by the fire, causing both boys to jump. "I think I should give you lot some... privacy."

The ghost of Richard Jackdaw floated up from where he had apparently been 'sitting' shooting Darling a playfully meaningful look.

"Jackdaw," she hissed, her pleading gaze following him. But the ghost merely smirked and floated backwards through the wall, leaving the three of them alone in the common room.

"Urgh, damnit Jackdaw!" she hissed at the spot he had vanished, stamping her little foot indignantly. "If you weren't dead, I'd kill you!"

Sebastian cleared his throat impatiently and she turned back to them, looking positively cornered. "So?" he asked, trying very hard now to keep the hurt out of his voice.