Chapter Text
Chapter 1 – Stay with me
1927 – 5th year
‘I don’t know if I can do it, Ominis, I don’t know if I can betray him.’ Jane had been pleading with Ominis since returning from the Feldcroft Catacomb. Desperately trying to change his mind only to no avail.
‘We have to Jane; you know it’s the right thing to do. He’s my best friend, he’s been my only friend for years but he killed someone. He killed his Uncle, I… I… and think of Ann! He’s betrayed her as much as he has us, his own twin sister for Merlin’s sake… I couldn’t live with myself knowing that I’d let him get away it, I’m sorry Jane but I can’t.’
Jane and Ominis stood in the Undercroft, feet away from one another. Ominis was pacing back and forth, running his fingers through his usually well kempt hair, now dishevelled. The dim candle light of the room, usually a source of comfort for Jane, now illuminated the distress upon his face. She felt sick. Sick at what she had just witnessed in the Catacomb. She had watched as an unbearable evil had taken over her best friend Sebastian and she saw it released. Watched him cast the most unforgivable of curses. Jane looked at Ominis once more, at the utter devastation on his face, the pain he now harboured because of Sebastian’s actions. She had tried to deny it, but she knew he was right.
‘Okay’, she said, hearing her own voice crack as the tears began to sting in her eyes. ‘We… we need to go to Black, tell him the truth, tell him what Sebastian did - …’
Before she could finish her sentence, she heard the scraping of the metal gates of the Undercroft. Jane and Ominis turned simultaneously towards the sound, watching as Sebastian ducked his head slightly and stepped through into the room. He still had marks on his face and burns on his robes from the fire fuelled battle in the Feldcroft catacomb.
He walked further towards them, revealing more of himself in the light. There was so much sadness on his face. He looked like he had been crying himself from the redness that surrounded his brown, almost black eyes. Eyes that she had always found comfort in, that she thought she might have loved. But the sadness in his eyes slowly turned into contempt as it became obvious to Jane that he had heard what they were speaking about.
‘You’re going to turn me in then.’
It wasn’t a question. It was a statement, a knowing.
‘For fucks sake Sebastian, you’ve hardly given us a choice!’ Ominis shouted across the room at him. ‘These are your actions, therefore your consequences, and yours alone to face.’ And before Sebastian could respond he continued, ‘-and don’t you dare try and blame her for any of this’, pointing at Jane who instinctively looked up at Sebastian. His brows furrowed as if confused by the statement.
‘And you?’ He said to Jane; hurt glistening in his eyes as he looked at her. ‘You want this don’t you? You want to turn me in. You… you think I deserve it’. His voice cracked as he said it, the confusion on his face melting into sadness before her. She could feel her stomach drop at the site of him. The tears started to fully form in Jane’s eyes now, large drops falling down her face.
‘Ominis is right, Sebastian. I’m sorry but…’, her voice broke as she felt her emotions get the better of her. ‘But you have to face the consequences. And you know what you did was wrong. You never listened to me or Ominis when we told you how dangerous dabbling in the dark arts would be, YOU NEVER LISTENED!’ she sobbed, finally giving in to the tears. Ominis ran to her side and held her, stroking her hair and gently shushing her to try and calm her but the sobs continued to wrack through her whole body.
‘Just go then! Leave!’ Jane continued through her cries. ‘We can’t stop you from running away from your problems Sebastian, but don’t think for a single second, whatever horrible place you end up in that I hold anything but hatred for you. Go live out your miserable life away from us and your sister and leave us in peace.’
Jane could see the very moment Sebastian’s heart broke. There was no anger there anymore, it almost looked like surrender. Her eyes connected with his and for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world. Jane had sacrificed so much for him. Had wished for him to have everything he wanted and to be happy but she knew she couldn't do it anymore. she couldn't cling on to that modicum of hope she had that he felt the same way. That he was a good man.
‘I-', Sebastian began, stuttering as he pulled his gaze from Jane to the floor. 'I'll be at Uncl… erm, Soloman’s house… Feldcroft’ Sebastian sniffed, wiping his face with his hand.
‘What?’ Jane said confused at the statement.
‘Tell them that’s where I am.’ Sebastian continued; his eyes flitting upwards and boring into Jane’s as if it was the last time he would ever get to see them. ‘That’s where they can find me. I won’t put up a fight. I… I won’t fight it anymore’.
Sebastian looked up at Ominis too. He took one final look at them both, as if taking a mental picture of them before he swiftly turned, waved his wand and stepped through the old metal gate of the Undercroft before disappearing through the door.
Jane, still in Ominis’s arms, moved slowly down to the floor, loud sobs wracking through her whole body. She continued to cry on the floor of the Undercroft while Ominis held her trying to comfort her as much as possible through his own sadness.
***
1933 – Present day
‘Jane. JANE!’
Jane was suddenly awoken to being shaken awake, strong, familiar hands, one on her shoulder the other cupping the side of her face. She opened her eyes and was met with the crystal green ones of Ominis inches away from her face.
‘Ominis what is it, what is the matter’, she said sleepily, her voice feeling hoarse and sounding faint.
‘You were screaming again’, Ominis responded, his own voice trembling slightly. ‘I had to wake you, I’m sorry.’
‘Oh Gods, I'm so sorry Ominis, I must have forgotten to take my calming draught before falling asleep’, Jane said, sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands.
‘Don’t apologise, Jane. It’s fine honestly, I was struggling to sleep myself anyway.’ Ominis moved to sit on the edge of the bed and looked over to her. Jane knew that Ominis was blind, but she swore sometimes that it was like he was truly seeing her, the way his eyes gazed upon her. He was wearing his usual silky grey Pyjamas that clung to shoulders. When he wore them, she couldn’t help but admire how fit and strong he looked since the boy he had been at school and how handsome he had become. She sometimes thought of how he would have looked this age, how much different he would be. She shook her head to herself as if trying to physically remove the thought from her head.
‘Why were you struggling to sleep?’ Jane asked, suddenly aware she had not responded to him since being distracted.
‘Oh, you know…’ he gave a sad little smile, dropping his eyes to the floor, ‘Just stuff I guess. Well…’ Ominis stood up from the bed, looking to Jane again, ‘I best get back to bed. Take your calming potion, you’ll feel better.’
Before he could take a step, Jane reached out and grabbed his hand before he could walk towards the door. 'Wait-', her voice was still hoarse from screaming, ‘-Will you stay with me tonight? Please. Sorry, I just- I don’t want to be alone right now.’
Ominis squeezed her hand and climbed onto the bed. Jane moved up to the other side slightly allowing him to lie down facing her before she curled up next to him on her side, facing him.
‘Of course, Jane, I will never leave you. I promise.’ Ominis said before closing his eyes. Jane watched him for a few more minutes, taking in his pale complexion, the moles scattered across his face and neck. They always reminded her of someone else. Eventually, she turned over, grabbing her calming draught from the bedside table. She knocked it back, making a face as she did. After years of taking them, she thought she would have been used to the taste by now. She turned back over to face Ominis, watching his face in the moonlight that shone through the crack in the ceiling to floor curtains of her room. Eventually, her own eyes fluttered shut and sleep finally took her.