(Sebastian)

"Ugh," I yell scratching through the words I have been sweating over the past hour. A letter shouldn't be this difficult. Yet here I am again, crumbling another page and casting it over my shoulder to join the building pile on the floor.

It's just Threa. Speaking to her was always so easy. She'd take each of my owls and come running to help me without a second thought last year. She's a good friend, she'd understand. This shouldn't be that hard.... But that was before I royally fucked up. Before she and Ominis carted me off to the ministry. I hadn't even received a letter back from her.

She hates me.... It's only fair after all I put her through, Ominis had made it quite clear I was to stay away from her. Does he know what his father is asking of me? Does he know that he wants to drag Threa back into my mess?

"Oh, not another sheet. Don't tell me you are still struggling to tell fat poppet you need her help," Harlow jabbed as he loudly sucked on his spoon from supper. I slowly turned my attention to the shiny bell, a cheshire smirk plastered on his face as he pushed the utensil further in his mouth.

"Are you still sucking on that spoon like it'll give you a happy ending," I spat back earning a deep chuckle from the brute.

"Ooo touchy today. Reaching out to that Graphorn really got you that riled up?"

"Not as much as your lass did last night. She isn't my usual taste, but I must say she has glorious hands," he went quiet for a moment at my words before sneering.

"She isn't to your liking? You were wanking off to us like a kneazle in heat!" I rolled my eyes at his taunt.

"I have needs like any other man."

"Needs eh," he scoffed. "Tell me, you satisfy those needs with your brunette bitch?"

"Are you looking to have your tongue cut out," I ask, sadistic tone calm as the bell rose his eyebrows at me. "I suggest you hold it else your next words about her will be choked on that spoon."

"Is that so? Heh, kid you can talk a big game but there are two sets of bars between us. Defend her all you want it doesn't change the fact that it's that fat cunt's fault that you-" I accioed his shirt forward as he pushed the spoon further in making him choke. "Ack! The fuck," he spat as I went back to a new page scrawling her name.

"How does, I am sorry to be writing to you again so soon sound?"

"Bloody Todger," he rasped. "You can do wandless magic?"

"That and a many other things," I said nonchalantly continuing to write making the bald man fume. "Taught myself last year."

"How?"

"I read about it in a few books, thought it might come in handy if I ever didn't have my wand," I looked up to smile at his enraged eyes. The anger from his face traveling up his scalp making him look like a tomato. "Nifty hand of magic isn't it?"

"You learned it in a book?"
"Not much of a reader? Shame. You would be amazed the amount of things you can learn in books. As my father used to say "literature is a treasure trove of knowledge. Every mystery can be uncovered if you just turn the next page.""

"That why you have Gaunt bringing you a different tome each visit?"

"Gotta pass the time in here some way. Can't rely on my charming wit to entertain me all the time."

"Charming," he scoffs chuckling to himself. "You're quite the ballsy bloke Sallow. Constantly taunting me, openly threatening a known murderer. You're either stupid or you have a death wish."

"Could say the same to you dear Theo," I met his incredulous stare. "Though I hope you've noted by now that unlike you my threats aren't empty."

He laughed hard. "Damn boi, if you didn't drive me up the wall every damn day I'd be tempted to win you to our ranks."

"Your ranks," I joust re-dipping my quill. "What makes you think I'd be tempted to join your crew of dark impotent blowhards?"

"You've got a chip on your shoulder, something to prove. One look at you and anyone can see that. It's why you're so determined to fight for your freedom. You have something to lose... We could help you find what you're looking for-"

"-You can't give me what I'm looking for," I sneer back. "But good show for trying. That spiel must have taken you months to come up with."

His face soured twisting in a snarl. "You're a bloody fucking prat Sallow!"

"I do love it when you use our pet names. Keep talking dirty, you might get that happy ending you were wanting," I mocked, his spoon soaring through the air hitting the side of my head making me laugh. He is too easy.

"Harlow," Deputy Singer scolded as her boots clicked down the hall. We both turned to the elder brunette beauty as she scowled at us both. "Still struggling to get along with others I see."

"What can I say Ruth you gave me a bloody todger as a playmate," he growled staring at me as I smiled sweetly back before he turned back to the woman. "Why you here?"

She sighed pulling out a tight bloodied cloth unwrapping it to reveal a severed taloned hand. "It seems your friend was out again tonight. Demanded we gather the bloodied claws for him..... Any idea why he'd want this?"

She's working with Harlow? He nervously looked back up towards me meeting my curious stare before looking back down at the blue-eyed beauty.

"Why are you asking me this in front of the kid?"

"You are working with the ministry to negotiate a lesser sentence," she says simply as a flash of confusion crosses his face before he nods. "I don't have enough time to take you in for questioning, he's demanding I hand this over to him now. Do I do it?"

".... Is it her blood on the claws," she nods. The shiny bells' face grew pensive barely their brows furrowing before he nodded. "Give him the claw," without another word she leaves the smell of vanilla left in her wake.

"What was that about," I ask as for the first time since he joined me here, he fell back into his bed and didn't respond.

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(Ominis)

"You need to see nurse Blainey," I growl feeling her mangled flesh against my fingertips.

How damaged is she? Did the professor do this to her? I'm gonna kill him. How could he let her get hurt? He's supposed to be protecting her!

Taking her hand in mine, her usual warmth dimmed, I began to pull her with me as she dug her heels in forcing me to turn back to her.

"Threa?"

"Please don't," she begged voice cracking making my heart ache.

"Threa you are hurt!"

"I know," her voice quivered, sniffing hard. Is she crying? Reaching out I took her face in my hands her tear-stained cheeks wetting my palms. What in merlin's name happened?

"Sunshine-"

"-Please. It's just a scratch. We had a run in with a hag, she tried to take me. I fought her off I'm fine-"

"-Your arm is far from fine!"

"Ominis," a small sob left her lips aching every part of my being. Sighing my forehead fell to rest against hers, forcing myself to take a few calming breaths, yet it did nothing to ease the anxiety I felt holding the reckless woman in my arms.

"Threa.... Sunshine, please. Let me take you to get looked over. Hags are heinous beasts. They can shred into your skin and make you bleed out with one swipe of their claws. If you've been attacked by one you need to see a healer!"

"It's not that bad Ominis," she pleads again. "I'm fine, I promise, its nothing a wiggenweld can't fix."

"You haven't already taken one?" Has she no sense of self preservation.

"I didn't have any with me, neither did the professor," she whimpered tears soaking my hands. "Everything happened so quickly I... Please. Please don't take me to Blainey. She'll be forced to tell Weasley, and she'll be sure to end my study. I need to learn more about this magic. I need to learn to control it. Omi, please."

"Threa this study is not worth your safety," I argue as she goes quiet continuing to cry. "Sunshine," my own voice cracks betraying my resolve. I hate being the cause of these tears. "You are not alone in this; this man is not your only shot to learning more about this gift!"

"He is-"

"-He is NOT," I spit back regretting it as she recoils in my hands, I hold her face a bit tighter. She needs to understand. "I am here. I am with you. I will help you every way possible to help you in this. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!"

"Ominis-"

"-NO. This man is untrustworthy. He has done nothing to prove his intentions good. He got you hurt for Merlin's sake! I know you are desperate to learn more about your gift. I understand why it is important you do, but it doesn't have to be with him. I promised your father I would keep you safe and I will be damned if this pompous stranger makes me a liar to him."

She goes quiet, reaching up to cup my hands on her cheeks as she breathes in and out a few times, grounding herself. My thumbs run across her plump cheeks wiping away her tears brushing against her eye lashes as she leans into my touch.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I hate how we left things earlier. I know I have you. I know you are here, you have fought so hard to make sure I am not alone. I can never thank you enough for that. I adore you Omi. So, so much.... I'm sorry. You have full right to be worried. I am too."

"Why'd you go with him then?"

"I wasn't going to originally," she admits confusing me further. "I had gone to meet the professor to tell him no, but.... Then I got in my own head. And I remembered something Sebastian told me last year."

"Sebastian," I couldn't help but growl the name. One letter from that prat and she is acting as foolish as she did last year. "And what was it he said."

"That there are some things I am not going to learn through our assigned textbooks," her voice grew firm squeezing my hands. "Ominis, I know you don't like it. But he was right. You have to be able to admit that at least. Think about all you've learned about the dark arts because of your family."

"Threa-"

"-Ominis. You know more counter curses and dispels than any other person I know. Sebastian was right, and if this professor has the knowledge I need I'm going to use him to get it."

"Even if it risks your safety," she goes quiet again. My hands fall down her cheeks to rest against her throat. "I want you to learn how to control it I do my sun. But I cannot just keep sitting by as you are put in harms way.... I am sorry for calling you a fool. It wasn't fair and I lashed out. I have been riddled with anxiety as soon as I stepped away from you. I am so sorry I walked away like that. That is not how I want us to start this relationship."

"Neither do I," she says softly her glorious hands moving to rest on my chest. "I don't want to ever walk away from each other like that again. It felt wrong. That isn't us."

"It isn't," I agree. "But I cannot get behind this plan with the professor. I don't trust him sunshine."

"I know.... Neither do I. But if I've learned anything tonight it's that his knowledge is irrefutable."

"You're going to continue the study?"

"To get what I need... Yes," she cannot be serious. "But... I... I'd like you to come with me when I meet with him."

"What?"

"If you're able of course. I just, the way he talks sometimes it makes me a bit uncomfortable and honestly, I think it'd make this easier for us both."

"How does he talk to you?"

"I... He feels a bit too... Familiar at times. I don't like it-"

"-Yet you want to continue the study."

"He hasn't done anything wrong yet.... I can't end the study there's too much riding on it. This would be a good compromise."

"I have detention after classes."

"I know, I can ask if we can start meeting at lunch or in the mornings before school.... I don't want to do this without you on board."

"I don't like the idea of this study continuing Threa."

"I know.... That is why I'm asking you to stand with me in this. So, we are no longer at odds. I don't need you to like it I just need you with me."

She needs me with her. She wants me to support her even though we both don't trust the man. I cannot ask for much else at this point. Fact is she needs to learn about this and she wants me to learn with her. I'm going to regret this.

I nod slowly as she sighs in relief teetering forward to kiss my jaw. The soft touch making me shiver as my hand squeezed around her throat. I groan moving to kiss her cheek down to her lips pushing her back against the pillar pinning her there to taste her again and again.

Her hands moved up my chest to lock behind my neck pulling me in closer to rake her fingers through my hair and pull making me growl.

"Mmmm My Sun you taste divine, so sweet."

"That's the treacle tarts."

"Treacle tarts," I ask pulling back as she leans to place a bag in my hands.

"I brought you some back. I know how much you like sweets.... I was hoping we could eat them together since you didn't get to try them last night like we planned." I smiled at the gesture taking her lips once more.

"That sounds wonderful my sun," I step back allowing her to resituate herself. "I'd love a late-night dessert if you'll join me."

"Always," she muses taking my hand leading us through the slithering doors down the spiral staircase and into the quiet common room.

"Before we do though let's take care of that gash in your arm, I hate the thought of it going untreated," I squeeze her hand and she squeezes back.

"That'd probably be smart," she agrees. Holding out my wand I allow it to guide us to the men's dormitories as we stop outside my room loud pants coming from the other side of the door skin slapping against skin making me groan.

"Seems, one of my bed mates finally convinced one of these poor girls to join them," I run my hand against my forehead in frustration. "Mind waiting for me in the common room?"

"Gonna go in and ruin their fun?"

"Heh, it unfortunately is part of my new job," I state making her laugh warming me greatly as their moans got louder.

"That's it love," Armands voice carried through the door. Oh Merlin.

"Harder," Sirius voice came out clear stilling us both.

"Is... Is that Sirius," she asked in confusion as I nodded.

"Head back to the common room Sunshine. Ill just be a minute," she hummed but left. Waiting until her steps were far enough away, I stormed into the room.

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(Threa)

Walking back into the common room, I couldn't help but let my mind reel as Ominis's yelling could be heard in the distance. Armand and Sirius? Armand has always been open about swinging both ways. The man practically flirted with anything with legs, even a few without legs if were being honest. But Sirius.

Sirius was a pureblood extremist. He took great pride in preserving his family's name. He broke up with a woman we all thought he was in love with because of it. Something like this would tarnish his family. Though homosexuality is not uncommon in the wizard world amongst the nobles it was still seen as utterly taboo. Many having been disowned for it and removed from their family trees.

It almost happened to Uncle Colin until father intervened. Grandmother was livid hearing he was going to run away with his lover. It didn't end up happening, but Grandmother Narcissa came from the same family as Sirius. It just doesn't make any sense.

Moving to curl into the windowsill like I had many times last year I watched the black lakes tranquil waters. The view is beautiful as always. Calm and peaceful offering to lull its viewers into a deep sleep.

Ominis strode back into the room with purpose a wiggenweld in one hand and a blanket in the other. "Drink," he ordered handing me the vial as I did as told and he sighed.

"How bad was it," I asked while he settled in next to me throwing the blanket over us both.

"Armand asked me to join in," he growled.

"You said no," I asked as his frown deepened turning towards my voice making me laugh. "Sorry it was too easy... I'm sure you gave them a good tongue lashing."

"Vicious one, took fifty points from them both and sent Sirius back to his own dorm. Thank Merlin I am blind, because if I had to see the debauchery of that room," he shook his head.

"A small perk of your ailment."

"A curse all other times," he said gently putting his arm around me hugging me to him as his fingers danced across the mending skin on my shoulder. "Is it helping."

"Very much," I nod cuddling into him. "Thank you for the potion."

"Always sunshine," he kisses the top of my head as I pull out the treat breaking off a piece bringing it up to his lips as he takes it into his mouth sucking it from my fingers before moaning. "Delicious. Where are they from."

"The White Wyvern," he stills.

"He took you to Knockturn Alley?"

I nod knowing this isn't helping his views of the man. "Yes."

He took a large breath in hugging me tighter. "The hag attacked you there?"

"No, she attacked on the way back to the floo station, but I'm okay now," his frown remained but he nodded. "Apparently they have the best Treacle Tarts in all of Brittan."

"Apparently," he said back face pensive, as his brows furrowed deeply. Cogs of his brain turning them further down each new second.

"How was your first prefect patrol?" I asked hoping to pull him from his reeling mind.

"It was fine, walked the halls with Imelda. Found a few stragglers from supper but nothing crazy until just now."

"That's good... Do you like it?"

He shrugs. "It isn't terrible. I mostly spent the time speaking with Reyes so I'm not too sure yet."

"That's fair.... Did detention go well?"

"It did, spent it with Hecate. She was disappointed to see me there, but it was good to speak with her. I forgot how much I enjoy her candor. She's the only one to openly speak candidly of her disdain for this new professor. It was quite refreshing."

"I'm glad," I say feeding him another piece a soft smile finally returning to his handsome features.

"As am I," He muses as we continue eating the treat laughing and finally talking about what we want this relationship to look like.

"I'm not going to hide my affections for you," he states firmly. "But I would prefer all the physical aspects of our relationship to be done in private. I do not want my family to gain anymore information than they already have about how much you mean to me."

"I can agree to that. Though it may be hard. Your kisses are just too sweet," I tease earning a soft kiss to my lips.

"We'll just have to get creative then my sun."

"I think we can oblige that," I say again kissing him again as a bird caws and a black owl soared towards us dropping a letter in my lap.

"What is it?"

"A letter?"

"... From Whom," Ominis growls, pulling me in closer to him as I turn the letter revealing the ministry seal.

"I don't know," I tear open the letter opening it as Ominis presses his wand to its pages to read with me.

Threa,

I know this letter may seem quite sudden, especially since I have just written to you. You have always been a kind friend to me, far kinder than I deserve. Had jumped at every opportunity to help in my efforts to save Anne. Joined me in each of my hellish antics last year in my pursuits. Despite however hopeless it seemed you helped give me hope in the darkest time of my life...... You have done soo much for me, yet I am afraid I must ask more of you, my friend.

My case is finally moving to trial. Lord Gaunt requests that I ask you to come and speak on my behalf. I know you owe me nothing. I know I deserve whatever fate the Wizgamont gives, but.... But Anne doesn't.

Anne doesnt deserve the fate that will greet her at the end of this curse. She can still be saved, I know it. I can still save her. Please, help me save her. Help free me so I can. She's all I have left in this world. My parents are gone, my uncle is gone, Anne is all that is left....... Please.

You once believed there was a chance we could save her. Helped me fight tooth and nail trying to find her cure. I know it's out there I can find it but I need freed to do it.

Lord Gaunt says she's not doing well, that she is running out of time. Threa please.... Please, help me save her.

Forever your friend,

Sebastian Sallow.

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Authors Note:

Hello Lovelies, so excited to finally get this chapter out to you all. Do you agree with how Ominis and Threa handled the disagreement? Will Threa help Sebastain? Why is Officer Singer working with Harlow? So much still a mystery with no end in sight. Please be sure to vote and let me know what you're thinking of the story and if you have any theories for where we are going. 

Above is a beautiful fan art created by the talented @SallowsKeeper she is a wonderful writer on this platform and takes commissions if you are looking to have beautiful pieces like this for your favorite characters. Be sure to check out her stories they are some of my favorites on this platform.

Until Next Time 💖💖💖