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

🥀 - Chapter 70 -🌹

I sat in a wooden chair just outside the cabin, soaking in the peaceful sounds of the forest. Birds chirped in every direction, and the sun began its slow ascent through the trees. A soft mist clung low to the ground, drifting lazily between trunks, making everything feel hushed and dreamlike. It was serene, like time itself had paused just for me.

After my shower last night, I'd gone straight to bed, choosing the left side so Sebastian could sleep comfortably on his own. But when I woke this morning, the cabin was empty. He was gone.

I closed my eyes, letting the rising sunlight kiss my cheeks. This, this right here was how I wanted to start every morning: wrapped in forest stillness and golden light. The woods shimmered in amber hues as the sun climbed higher with each passing minute.

Then, in the distance near a fallen log, I caught sight of a white, furry figure making its way toward the cabin.

Without thinking, I leapt up and hurried toward it, throwing my arms around its soft fur. My face buried in the warmth of its coat, I clung tightly and just like that, the creature shifted into human form beneath my touch.

Sebastian chuckled gently, "Did you miss me, butterfly?"

"Of course I did," I murmured, squeezing him tighter.

As we embraced, I glanced down and my eyes traced the contours of his bare torso. His muscles were tight from the run, veins standing out on his arms. He wore nothing but his short training pants, the deep V of his hips just visible above the waistband. I tried not to stare, but my gaze drifted lower despite my best efforts.

My fingertips brushed across his chest, mapping the hard lines of his body while he watched me with an amused smirk. He ran a hand through his tousled hair, freckles glowing in the soft morning light.

He leaned in, lips curving with mischief. "Do you want me to take you?" he asked in a deep, sultry tone.

"Yes..." I whispered breathlessly, then snapped out of my daze with a jolt.

*Wait. What?*

"What?" I asked, blinking.

Sebastian grinned. "I said I'm going to take a shower."

"Oh-right," I stammered, suddenly aware of the heat rushing to my cheeks. My hands were still resting on his chest.

His grin widened. "Want to join me?"

Panic fluttered in my chest. That shy little girl inside me kicked in, and I stumbled backward. "No! No, I, uh - I have homework to start. A lot, actually."

I fled back inside, planting myself at the dining table with a dramatic sigh and pulling out parchment and ink. Time to write that paper on yesterday's disaster.

Behind me, I heard Sebastian laughing quietly as he grabbed a towel. "Your loss," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" I asked, raising a brow as I looked over my shoulder.

"I said see you soon," he called back, disappearing into the bathroom.

🙟•◦ 🎕 ◦•🙝

Fifteen minutes later, the bathroom door creaked open, steam billowing out into the cabin. He hadn't shut it all the way.

I knew better, really, I did. But curiosity, it was a powerful thing.

I peeked, just a little. Bad idea.

There he stood, backlit by the fog, drying himself off with a towel far too small for a body like his. My eyes snapped back to my book.

*don't look, don't look, don't look.*

But it was already too late.

From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of his sculpted back, the lines of his waist tapering into his hips... and that view. I nearly choked. My brain overloaded as I glanced again, just in time to see him turn.

And then I saw it, everything.

My eyes went wide as I snapped my gaze down to my parchment. Did that just happen? Was it real? Or was it some potion-fueled hallucination?

A moment later, Sebastian walked out in nothing but boxers, his skin still damp, his hair freshly combed. He pulled on a pair of soft brown pants and a black sweater before sitting across from me, opening his own book like nothing had happened.

An hour passed. I closed mine with a soft sigh, setting down my quill.

"Finished already?" he asked, not looking up.

"Not exactly. Just... overwhelmed. I need a break," I mumbled, grabbing my jacket and heading for the door.

He intercepted me, arms crossed. "Where are you going?"

"Outside. I just need to walk, clear my head," I said, brushing past him.

He caught my wrist gently. "You can't. You need to stay close to the cabin. That was the rule."

I narrowed my eyes. "Since when are you such a rule-follower, Sallow? I need some air. A real walk."

Ignoring his protest, I opened the door and stepped outside.

He didn't hesitate. In one swift motion, he grabbed my waist and hauled me over his shoulder.

"Don't make this harder, Helena," he said sternly. "You have to stay nearby. That's final." He carried me back inside and set me firmly in the chair.

"Are you trying to piss me off, Sebastian? What's wrong with you?!"

He towered over me, tension crackling in the air as we stared each other down. Slowly, instinctively, I leaned up to kiss him.

He immediately stepped back.

"You need to eat, take your potion, and then you can go outside, for ten minutes. Around the cabin only."

He turned to the kitchen and started preparing food. With a groan, I sat back down, accepting my fate.

I swallowed the horrible-tasting Skele-Gro, it burned with peppermint. Sebastian carefully unwrapped my old bandages, replacing them with clean ones.

"You may go out," he said, his voice softer now. "But only within ten meters of the cabin. If you break that rule, I'm taking a meter off that range every time. Got it?"

"Yes, dad," I said with a grin.

He froze. Jaw clenched. "Please don't call me that. It's... weird."

I couldn't help it, I giggled. "Daddy."

"Helena."

I laughed harder.

He yanked the plates off the table and marched to the sink. "Shut your mouth, woman."

I smirked. "See you later, dad."

A plate clattered loudly into the basin.

"LENA!" he growled.

I was already halfway out the door, laughing uncontrollably.

"Bye daddy!"

"YES, PLEASE GO! And don't come back with that filthy mouth of yours!" he bellowed after me.