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

Of the Pursuit of Victory: II

The Christmas and New Year seasons swept over them in a rush.

Allegra was carried away in the rush of returning to classes and a new pile of assignments. Her N.E.W.T.S. classes ate at her time, bouncing the poor girl in between dizzying Flying lessons, complex charms, and mind-numbing Transfigurations. She'd just spent all night in the Room of Requirement trying to brew the perfect Draught of Living Death.

It had made her late, of course. She dashed to the Defense classroom, hurriedly fixing her tie around her collar. Allegra nearly slammed into something—someone—in her haste.

"Merlin!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry—oh, Lysandra!"

The youngest Gaunt looked up and gave her a smile. She was a little taller, wearing her hair down and pinned back by a hair band.

"Hello, Allegra!" she said excitedly. "I—I don't suppose you know where the Charms classroom is?"

Allegra laughed. "Late, too, are you? Go on that way," she gestured down the hall, toward the stairs, "and follow that hall until you see the room with the paper birds."

"Thank you!" Lysandra breathed. Just as she began to dash away, the girl slowed, fixing Allegra with a strange look. "Allegra?"

"Yes?" she said breathlessly, taking the chance to fix her lopsided house robe.

"What does it mean, to be a blood traitor?"

Allegra froze. "Merlin. What made you ask?"

Lysandra looked down at her shoes, biting her lip. "It's what Mother calls you," she said quietly. "She kept saying your only redemption was because you were descended from your grandparents."

A twinge of concern was growing at the base of her stomach. She'd almost forgotten: Lysandra had gone home for Christmas. To Gaunt Manor, the place Ominis so steadfastly avoided, where she would have no doubt been subject to weeks of whatever the hell Fenton, Rhea, and Marvolo Gaunt would be whispering in her ear.

Lateness forgotten, Allegra walked towards Lysandra and lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. She was so young. There was something vulnerable and extremely impressionable behind those pretty blue eyes.

"Don't listen to everything you hear," Allegra said quietly. She gave Lysandra a smile and a squeeze. "Plenty of Purebloods—especially those from families as old as ours—think even interacting with Muggles and Muggleborns is close to villainy." Allegra shrugged and gestured to herself. "If that were the case, I supposed I'd have fangs or great big wings and scaled skin." She made the gestures with her hands, making Lysandra giggle. "But I'm not so bad, am I?"

"No," Lysandra said, frowning. "You're nice. It's confusing."

"You're supposed to think for yourself," Allegra said gently. "That's all I'll say for now. Now we really should go." Lysandra smiled up at her. "Go on, Lizzy! Run!" Allegra watched the little Slytherin run for her life, giggling all the way.

She entered the Defense classroom and found the class in an excited uproar. Professor Hecat was sitting in the middle of the chairs, smiling as her students reacted with laughs to what she'd just said. Professor Hecat gave Allegra an exasperated look when she hurriedly took her seat beside Ominis and Sebastian.

"Miss Chant," she said coolly, "are you aware of the time?"

Allegra gave her a sheepish smile. "Time enough for me to be late, Professor?" she asked sweetly, earning giggles from her classmates.

"Indeed." Her Professor shook her head, then turned to the rest of her students. "Now, as I was saying..."

As Professor Hecat regaled them with tales of her youth as an Auror, far before she was an Unspeakable and far before she was a Professor, Allegra stole a sidelong glance at Ominis. He was smiling with the rest of the class. What things had his family whispered to him? What dark thoughts had his parents and brother tried to plant in his head?