Green is the Color || Ominis x OC || Hogwarts Legacy

Of Falling Asleep

Sebastian stood frozen on the spot.

His tongue felt thick in his mouth. Anne was looking at him with a carefully blank expression. A tiny smile was on her lips, not quite meeting her eyes.

She looked...alright. Anne's cheeks were still sunken and her eyes were clouded with a faint purple shadow, but she looked at peace. She was wearing a white Muggle blouse and a gray skirt. Her worn brown scarf still hung loosely around her neck. Sebastian's eyes flickered to the table beside her chair: there were three bottles there, all empty.

"You came," she said. "That's...that's good. Hello, Ominis, Allegra." Anne smiled. She reached for Sebastian. He offered her his arm in an achingly familiar gesture. "This way."

"It's good to see you, Anne," Ominis said, "But where are we going?"

Anne's eyes were on Sebastian. He found that he couldn't quite meet her gaze—it was too much like looking into a mirror. As they walked, she rested a comforting hand on Ominis' arm. "I promise it's all going to make sense in a little while."

Anne led them down another length of the hallway. Her breathing was ragged, as if every step was a laborious effort. They passed a portrait of a woman with white-streaked black hair.

"I wrote to Dr. Cunningham ages ago," Anne began. "She was searching for volunteers for her research, exploring the nature of pain and death. I thought: well, we've tried every Healer we know. What if we tried turning to Muggle medicine?" She let out a strained laugh. "I didn't expect her to be able to cure me. I just wanted to be...comfortable."

They passed a woman wearing the same white clothes as the man who greeted them at the door. Curly brown hair spilled out from underneath her nurse's cap. Anne gave her a nod and a smile.

"Miss Sallow?" The woman called. She frowned, resting her hand on her chest. "Oh, is it time already?"

Sebastian and Allegra exchanged concerned glances. Ominis tightened his grip on Allegra's arm.

"It is," Anne said. She stepped forward and gave the girl a quick embrace. "Thank you, Juliet. You've been such a great help. Will you call the Doctor for me?"

The nurse hugged her back, nodded, and sniffed. "I'm going to miss you." Her lip wobbled as Anne pulled away.

"Anne," Sebastian said, "will you please just tell us—"

Anne fixed him with a warning look. Sebastian fell silent, biting his lip. She led them to a small room on the top floor of Dr. Cunningham's mansion. It was bare and decorated only with a bed and a dresser. Moonlight filtered in through the room's sheer white curtains, bathing everything in a silvery-blue glow.

Sebastian guided Anne into her bed. The brunette patted the free space beside her. Sebastian settled in next to his sister, while Allegra and Ominis took up the other end.

"Tell me everything," Anne said, wincing as she adjusted her position. "I've missed so much. What really happened under Hogwarts?"

Sebastian frowned. "Anne—"

"Indulge me," Anne interrupted. "Please."

Allegra launched into her well-practiced story of the events in the Keeper's Caverns, making Anne's eyes go wide with every word. Ominis told the story of how Sebastian sacrificed himself to make sure they reached Allegra. She turned to her brother with eyes that shone with pride. It should have made Sebastian feel exhilarated, but all he could feel was apprehension. Anne asked to see Allegra's scars. She came closer, letting her rest a hand on her back.

"And you've got one of those, too," Anne mused, reaching over to Sebastian's face. His scar had come from when he collided with the ground, cheek sliding painfully into the cold floor of the cavern. She pulled her shaking hand away. "It suits you, Sebastian."