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

Of the Call of Destiny

Keensbridge was a silent hamlet far on the outskirts of Scotland, nestled right next to a thick swamp. At the edge of the tiny hamlet was a sizeable cottage. Its garden had once been something to look at: now the earth there was bare. The property sat alone, windows fogged over with age.

Today, two figures were walking up to the abandoned cottage. They were both dressed in light coats for the fall. One of them, a girl wearing a brown coat, went to the front door and put a key in the lock. The boy behind her waited with bated breath. He fiddled anxiously with the ends of his green-and-silver scarf.

With a heavy creak, the door to the cottage popped open. The girl gave a soft grunt.

"Are you alright?" Ominis called.

"Yes, don't worry," Allegra replied. She handed him the key. "It was a little stuck. Are you ready?"

Ominis held out his hand. He felt her familiar fingers close around his, steadying and strong.

Stepping into his Aunt Noctua's old cottage was like stepping into a bittersweet memory. He vaguely remembered his summers here as a small boy. Those days were warm and humid, but he slept the best here in Aunt Noctua's cozy cottage. The air now smelled a little stale. Beside him, Allegra coughed.

"Oh, it's nice in here," she said, footsteps echoing as she walked further into the building.

"How's it look?" Ominis called, feeling along the walls. He remembered the way to the kitchen, remembered the way to the stairs that led to the second floor.

Allegra's voice came from somewhere further away. "A bit dusty, a bit messy. There are still plates about, like she'd left in a hurry. Oh, it's a shame about these flowers..."

Ominis traced a hand along a dusty end table, following the sounds of Allegra's movement. He found her presence and slipped an arm around her waist, feeling her lean into him.

"Are you alright?" Allegra asked gently, turning to place warm hands on his cheeks.

"No," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, Ominis." She pulled him into an embrace, letting him cling tightly to her waist. "I know you were close."

"She was the only one who really cared. It's...a bit difficult to be here." He pulled back, dropping his touch to her hand and leading her around the cottage. She described each room they passed: a storage closet, a small hallway, a kitchen, and dining room. He remembered the mirror and end table she mentioned: he'd bumped into that thing countless times. Upstairs, she led him to a room that smelled thickly of jasmine flowers and dust.

"This must have been her room," Allegra said. "I can see boxes in the room across from it."

"I asked Plums to move some of my things a little bit at a time." He walked towards Aunt Noctua's room, hand skimming along the dust-covered bed. An ache was starting to bloom in his chest. "I'm sorry, Allegra. Do you mind if I...?"

She gave him a squeeze. "Of course. Take all the time you need."

He listened to her footsteps walk away. For a moment, Ominis sat in silence, hearing Allegra shuffle about in the rooms below. Then he sighed and buried his head in his hands. He remembered what it was like to be in this room, this cottage, breathing in his Aunt's scent and being treated to a happy family for six weeks. All those years he thought Aunt Noctua had disappeared, all the times he felt she'd abandoned him...he couldn't think like that, not anymore. He only wished he'd known. She'd gone searching for that scriptorium for him, to prove that the Gaunts could be something more than blood purists and users of Dark Magic.