🥀 Roses and Novels | Hogwarts Legacy Fanfic | Sebastian, Ominis and Evander

🥀 - Chapter 67 - 🌹

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I climbed the tower stairs slowly, the Amortentia vial clutched tightly in one hand, my wand still in the other.

My steps wavered as I reached the first bin in sight. I stopped. My fingers hovered over the edge, the vial trembling in my grasp. Every part of me, my limbs, my blood, my breath wanted to throw it away. But my mind, and worse, my heart, hesitated.

The urge to know was so strong it scared me.

I sank down on the cold stone steps just below the detention room, holding the vial in my lap. My gaze drifted to the wall opposite me, where small clusters of pink and orange flowers clung to the stone. The colors pulled me into a memory one from summer, before Sebastian returned.

-Memory-

Ominis and I sat on a bench in the middle of a sun-drenched garden, where bees buzzed lazily and butterflies hovered over wild blooms. The air was heavy with the scent of flowers and fresh grass. We were laughing genuinely, freely as he held out a flower in front of me.

My eyes were closed, and I had to guess the flower by its scent and what he described about its color.

"Alright," he said, his voice light with amusement. "This one's a pinkish orange. Not like a mandarin or a glass of juice. Think more... sunset. That warm, glowing orange just before night falls."

I leaned in and sniffed gently. "Is it a tulip?"

"Nope," he teased. "Although I may have dropped a hint in what I said."

I furrowed my brows. "You said 'pinkish'..."

He chuckled. "No, something else. Think about the sea."

"Sunset?" I guessed.

He laughed with delight. "Yes, that's the one, darling! Now think about it properly-"

He suddenly pushed the flower up to my nose. I squealed, giggling as I swatted him away and opened my eyes. "Oi! That's cheating!"

He laughed even harder. "You jumped like a mandrake in cold water."

I nudged him with my shoulder, still laughing. "You shoved it right into my face, Omi."

He held the flower between us again. "You don't recognize it, do you?"

I shook my head. "No. What is it?"

"It's called a Sunset Lily," he said, gently inhaling its scent. "They're gorgeous. The color's rich and soft, and the stem has this pale green that almost glows."

I smiled as he handed it to me. "Why do you like them so much?"

He paused, his tone softer now. "My aunt used to bring me one when I got hurt... when my father lost control. She said every flower was a sign of hope. That after storms real ones or the ones in your heart, there are sunsets. Beautiful ones. You just have to hold on."

And then, quietly, he leaned in and kissed me.

-The present-

I needed to know, once and for all, who I truly desired most.

Ominis.
Sebastian.
Evander.

I stood on the staircase halfway up the tower, the vial in one hand, my wand in the other. Slowly, I brought the bottle closer to my nose, unsure whether I was ready for the answer.

Then came the sound of fast-approaching footsteps.

"HELENA!? HELENA!?"

Damn it. Ominis.