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

- What if #1 -

Welcome to the first "What If" in the Roses and Novels series.

This spin-off explores an alternate ending to the original story. Enjoy.

Spice warning ahead.

What if Helena had made a different decision in Chapter 63?

After speaking with Sebastian in Feldcroft, Helena was on her way to Gaunt Manor to tell Ominis she had chosen Sebastian. But what if fear crept in, fear of Sebastian's proposal, and she started to reconsider her choice?

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(Helena's perspective)

I stepped hesitantly through the gate of Gaunt Manor, searching for Ominis.

I had to do it today. Before my date with Sebastian. Before our chance to begin again. My fingers nervously fidgeted as I walked deeper into the manor, checking every room one by one.

He wasn't in the study, the living room, the bar, kitchen, dining area, front yard, or even the backyard. I checked his room, my room, Sebastian's room, but he was nowhere. I finally sat down on Sebastian's bed and stared at the floor.

*What am I doing? Why am I doing this? Why is this so impossibly hard?*

One of the drawers on Sebastian's nightstand was slightly ajar. A glimmer of something inside caught my eye. I pulled it open to find several photographs.

The first showed him and Anne at home. The second, Sebastian and Ominis at Hogwarts. The third was of me and him flying on a broomstick. The last one made me pause: all three of us, me, Ominis, and Sebastian lying together in the flower fields behind Hogwarts. I was holding both of their hands as we smiled at Anne, who had taken the picture. I had never seen it before.

I leaned in for a closer look.

Sebastian was smiling, but his eyes betrayed him. They were full of jealousy, resentment, and something darker as he glanced sideways at Ominis and me. In contrast, Ominis wore a soft smile, his eyes sparkling with quiet happiness.

I looked down at our hands. Sebastian was gripping mine tightly, as if afraid to lose me. Ominis's hand was gently laced with mine, calm and sure.

I returned the photos to the drawer and stood, brushing the dust off my trousers.

There was still one place Ominis might be, so I headed to the Rosarium.

I opened the door and found him sitting on a bench, tears in his eyes, holding the yellow gift box Sebastian had given me.

*Damn.*

He noticed me and quickly wiped his face, standing up. "Helena... you're here." His hands trembled slightly as he set the box down.

"You weren't supposed to see that, Ominis," I said, my voice full of worry.

He looked at me. "It's too late. I already have. And I saw the vials in the Pensieve..."

I took a few steps toward him. "I'm sorry you had to witness that."

He sighed. "I'm not even sure what to feel. It's made me doubt myself. When it was the three of us, me, you, and Sebastian I could hear your voices but not see your expressions. I never truly felt the bond between you two. I feel so foolish now. I should've seen the signs. But my mind just couldn't put the pieces together. Every time Sebastian hurt you or pushed you away, I made him the villain of our story. I shouldn't have. If I had asked more, listened more when you spoke about him, I would've known he was just as broken. Fighting his own demons. And now that I've seen those memories..."