Acceptance: Hogwarts Legacy Continued

Chapter 76: Ominis- big feelings

Ominis was now taking his turn to pace in the undercroft while he waited for her to walk in. Sebastian had been dragged out to the quidditch pitch by Imelda directly after dinner, and he came straightway after.

They didn't give an exact time, but he thought she may have been here by now. Really what he was feeling nervous about though was what they would talk about. They hadn't had any time alone since everything happened, and there were a lot of things he wanted to ask her. He also had made up his mind about something else, and that was a bit harder to sit with.

The gears turned and he stopped, pausing his stride as she made her way in. He heard her walk up towards him, her familiar citrus scent taking over his senses. He thought that if he ever found himself one day in a grove of orange trees he would be utterly bewildered.

"Shall we sit?" She asked, sounding as if she was already making her way to the chairs. He followed suit and took a seat with her on a sofa. It was awkward for a moment, neither of them knowing where they should start.

"I know you probably have a lot you want to ask me, I could tell you were holding back when it was the three of us."

He sighed "Indeed I was. There are a couple of things I wanted to discuss but there has been something bothering me..." he took a deep breath. "Why... why did you do it? After everything you told me you went through last year with the Keepers, why did you still choose to do it?"

"I..." she started, but paused. Ominis knew it was a heavy question, but he had to know. "I just felt at that moment that it was all I could do..."

"But that doesn't mean you should have done it. Look, I'm grateful Sebastian is better- I'm ecstatic about it in fact, but that doesn't change the fact that you went into it knowing things could go terribly wrong for you." His heart started to race. "I mean you were already taking such risks just trying to do something similar for Anne, but this time you just dove head first; throwing caution to the wind-" his voice caught with emotion and he stopped to try to steady himself.

When he found her there on the ground something truly broke inside of him. He had tried to move past it, knowing she was alright now, but he couldn't. At night he heard her screams- a constant repeat of the scriptorium and now from Feldcroft. More than once this week he had woken up in a cold sweat, afraid that he was holding her weak body again, but that she hadn't woken up.

"Ominis..." she whispered "I'm sorry if I made things harder for you. And I'm especially sorry you had to find two of your friends passed out on the floor that day... If I could go back I would have at least warned you about what I was going to do-"

"But you still would have done it?" His words came out a lot harder than he intended and he immediately regretted it.

"Yes I would have." She replied firmly "And I would have done it for you too if your places had been switched. You two mean more to me than anyone, except maybe Poppy. I would do anything I could if I thought I was going to lose any of you."

"Gah!" he stood up, feeling exasperated and overwhelmed. "But why can't you value yourself like that? Why should you put yourself in danger for us!"

She was silent, and he began to pace again. His heart was beating so loudly and he felt he had to move. The question was out in the open- was his inevitable opposition to her answer going to tear apart their friendship? Was he being too dramatic?

"Because.." she started "Because I know you all would do the same for me."

He froze, caught in the honesty of her words. Did he believe that? Surely Poppy would do that for her, but would Sebastian- would he? He didn't truly feel like he was the kind of person who would, but he also couldn't get himself to refute her.

"How do you know that?" He asked quietly. He felt like she knew he was asking just about himself.

"It's just something that I feel. After knowing you for as long as we have and after all we have been through- I trust you."

"Diana I don't-" his voice caught and he turned away so she couldn't see his face. How could she trust him like that? Really how could she trust anyone after all she had been through. Not just at Hogwarts but her entire life.

He had gone through similar abandonment in his childhood, and he didn't think that he could trust like she did. Could he? Did he trust her- after everything? He wanted to deny it, but honestly there was no doubt in his mind that if he needed her she would be there. But he didn't want her to!

He took a deep breath "... I was so scared when I found you..." he didn't finish his thought, he didn't trust his emotion to hold. He stayed facing the other way, trying to hide the tears that started to drip from his eyes.

He hadn't noticed that she left her seat and was just behind him. She closed the distance and he stiffened a little as she wrapped her arms around him from behind. She leaned her body against him, resting her cheek on his back.

As soon as he realized what was going on he automatically relaxed, and the tears started to flow more freely. They stood together, both crying he realized as her tears reached the skin on his back. He quickly spun around, still in her arms, and wrapped his around her shoulders.

He held her close and she did the same to him. It was by far one of the most initiate and raw moments that they had shared. It lasted a long time too, brother of them wanting to give up the safe little bubble they had created. Diana eventually did break the silence-

"I'm sorry Ominis..." She pulled her arms away and he reluctantly moved his.

"I never want to make you worry, but I also know that something like this may happen again. I mean I still plan to do what I can for Anne. I'm coming to realize that part of who I am is getting put in these kinds of situations, because for some reason I've been given the power to deal with them."

He nodded his head. Diana was right, she wasn't just an average person running into danger for the fun of it. She was a Keeper, and she was strong- there probably would be more times in the future that tested those things.

As afraid as he was to lose her, he had to trust her. And really he knew that he could trust her, especially with how much she was learning to accept herself. As time went on she would understand her capabilities even more, and be able to better control her power. Until then he would support her, and be there when she needed him. And he had a chance to show it-

"Okay- I do trust you." he pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to her. "And that being said, we need to talk about our plan to get the animals out. If you really want to move forward with helping Anne, I think I figured out a way that we can get you into the manor without detection."

"Oh?" She sounded a bit surprised, maybe from his quick turn of subject or his declaration.

"Yes. We are going to get Sebastian invited to my home for Christmas Eve."