What Follows | Hogwarts Legacy

Chapter 3: Who to Trust

Sebastian's face twisted into an ugly scowl.

"Don't go changing the narrative to make yourself seem like a saint!" He retorted, batting away the hands on his collar.

"I'm not!" Ominis indignantly shouted back, startled at Sebastian's change in demeanour.

"You avoided me like the plague whenever Adalinda wasn't around, for weeks! And now you claim to miss me!?"

"Is it so unfathomable to believe that I actually did!?"

"Yes! You haven't shown up once these past few weeks!"

"I'm right here! What the hell is he talking about!?" Adalinda impatiently snapped at Ominis before he was able to get another word in.

Sebastian let out a laugh of disbelief. "You didn't tell her, did you? Didn't tell her where I was?"

Ominis wordlessly opened and closed his mouth several times, the end of his wand rapidly pulsing its red light as he struggled to come up with an excuse, but he knew he was fighting a losing match.

"You knew!?" Adalinda shrieked, shaking Ominis by the collar as if it would make him deny the truth, tears welling in her eyes. "You knew where he was this whole time and you didn't tell me!?" Ominis rarely made exact eye contact with anyone due to his blindness, but in that moment his eyes met hers and she almost crumbled at the profound agony they expressed.

Sebastian's voice grew quiet, afraid that if he spoke any louder, the damage he had caused would worsen. "The professors knew too, but I made them promise not to tell anyone, not even you. But I thought Ominis would've told you I was in Dufftown since he had persistently warned me he would."

Adalinda hung her head, tears blurring her vision as she clung to Ominis's shirt, choking on her words. "You stood by my side when I repeatedly asked our friends and professors for any information on Sebastian's location. You told me, convinced me, that since he wasn't in Feldcroft, you had no idea where he could be. How could you do this to me?"

"He's a bad influence. It was for the best." Ominis said, although even he didn't sound convinced of this himself.

"No, you don't get to decide what's best for me, especially not when you so ardently claim to miss him." She shot back as she stepped away from him. She had never seen Ominis at such a loss for words before, his unseeing eyes flitting back and forth in frantic hope that it would help him find the right words.

She spun on her heel, her lips tightening into a thin line as she channelled her feelings from the past week, ranging from vexation to desperation, at Sebastian. "And how dare you try to leave after finally turning up! No owls, no notes, no explanation for where you had vanished off to or for how long. I was begging whatever deity out there that you'd at least come back to finish the semester. It would have been a completely different story if you had a place to go!"

She knew she was being harsh, but she couldn't stop the words from tumbling out. If what she said had any affect on Sebastian, he didn't show it.

"I told you I had a lot to think about, and that we'd speak again soon. You were better off without me anyways."

"When was 'soon', Sebastian? You just tried to sneak past us in the common room! And both of you need to stop trying to decide what's good for me. That's my job. Sebastian Sallow, I have risked my life for you on my account and mine only, so don't you dare try to cut me out like this."

"Why aren't you listening to Ominis? You've always listened to Ominis. Adalinda, he's right! I'm a bad influence. All I've ever done is put you in dangerous situations where you've been left to defend yourself and bend your morals to help me."

"Wrong, Sebastian. You are wrong. Who was the one to invite me to a secret duelling club to help me improve my casting as the new student with no friends? It was you. Who was the one to stand by my side in Hogsmeade to fight a troll, knowing full well that he might die trying and that he may never see his dying sister again? It was you. Who got themselves in trouble for me in the library so that I could receive answers without repercussion, and for something that they didn't even understand? It. Was. You."

"But I killed my uncle! Adalinda, do you not realise you are trying to justify a murderer? I ignored Anne and Ominis's warnings countless times. I meddled with the Dark Arts and I did the unthinkable, the unimaginable. You cannot be near me, I'm a danger to everyone. You should've sent me to Azkaban."

"No. I won't send you there and I never will. I don't regret not sending you to rot to your death. That wouldn't solve anything. Yes, you killed your uncle, so now you'll have to live with the guilt of your actions. But believe me when I say I would follow you to hell and back, Sebastian, time and time again. I would bend over backwards for you if it meant that it just might put a smile on your face. Surely even you know that?"

Sebastian closed his mouth, swallowing the lump in his throat, before slowly nodding as he used the damp sleeve of his robes to wipe away his tears again.

She forced herself to slowly exhale, trying to relieve the tension in her shoulders. Adalinda crossed the Undercroft to a chest in the corner of the room. She had placed it there after Sebastian and her had found the first triptych piece of the canvas. It was full of medical supplies, in case they were injured after coming back from future adventures. There were also a few snacks tucked to the side that Sebastian had insisted on storing. This did prove fruitful, as after acquiring the third triptych piece, Adalinda had felt quite famished. It felt like so long ago since she'd last been here, she had almost forgotten about it. She plucked a bottle of healing paste from the array of supplies.

She looked over at Ominis who stood near the gates of the Undercroft, unsure if he should leave or not. A bit to his left, on top of a crate, was where he placed her wand and the quilt she thought she had left behind in the common room. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and made her way over to him.

She extended her free hand to him. "Come, we need to talk."

Ominis blinked a few times, trying to confirm if he heard her correctly. He hesitantly reached his hand out before gently supporting hers as if it were made of glass.

They made their way back to Sebastian who awkwardly stood, waiting for them.

Adalinda sat them down and uncorked the bottle, dipping her fingers in the dittany based paste before applying it to Sebastian's cheek.

He fully took her in, eyes darting across her face, tracking the hours of sleep she lost from the circles under her dark eyes.

Adalinda started to cry a little from relief as the redness on his skin started to subside. He gently wiped her tears away with his thumb.

"I'm sorry." Sebastian chewed the bottom of his lip before he broke the silence again. "I should've told you that I was visiting my parents' graves."

Adalinda furrowed her brows. "What?"

Wringing his hands, Sebastian continued. "I left early to visit my parents' graves. It was the anniversary of their death just yesterday. I was camping in the Scottish Highlands before I went. During that time, I realised just how much I didn't deserve you, either of you. I thought that you'd both be better off without me, so I tried to distance myself from you both, specifically you, Adalinda. And for that, I am sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you even more."

"I'm sorry for slapping you. I was so caught up in my own anger that I didn't let you explain yourself. I wasn't there for you in your time of need. I'm so sorry, Sebastian."

"Hey, don't cry again. You didn't know, and besides I deserved it for being such a damn fool."

She gave him a small laugh to try to ease the tension. Adalinda moved before she could second guess and stop herself. Tightly wrapping her arms around Sebastian, she whispered in his ear. "Don't leave, Sebastian. I can't lose another person."

He gently pulled his head back to look her in the eyes, still embracing her.

"Alright. I'll stay."